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During the pandemic, research from Harvard shows bullying in schools fell both in-person and online, but new data shows it might be rising again.
In December, Pew Research released a survey showing 46% of students reported experiencing some form of cyberbullying. It is lower than 2018’s total of 59% from the same Pew Research survey but higher than 2020’s total of 40%.
According to the report, the demographic that has consistently seen the most cyberbullying is older teen girls.
During the first week of February, 14-year-old Adrianna Kuch of Bayville, New Jersey, took her own life due to repeated online bullying. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 30% of teenage girls have considered doing the same.
“It starts in school. It goes home and gets worse with all the technology and then it spills back over into school, so it’s almost become a 24/7 job as an administrator to get that under control,” said Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder, superintendent of the Somers Point School District, which is located 54 miles south of Bayville. “I really feel very strongly that the combination of COVID and social media has exacerbated what we’re looking at from a school perspective regarding HIB: harassment, intimidation, and bullying than we’ve had in the past.”
In 2006, CarneyRay-Yoder‘s school district became a Renaissance school district. That means it features a program designed to cultivate teacher and student engagement through pep rallies, energy, and positivity.
Renaissance is just one of many programs set on building positive culture within schools nationwide and watching the results trickle down.
In the first year of its implementation, CarneyRay-Yoder said disciplinary referrals went down by 33% in the Somers Point School District. A national study of the program from 2019 shows that engagement also boosted straight-A students by 4% in the districts it studied.
It follows other research that shows more structured time reduces bullying since most of it happens during recess, lunch, and breaks between classes— when there is less supervision.
“[Renaissance] is giving [students] the opportunity to not only receive rewards and reinforcement for what they’re doing well, but also that they have that connection to the school, the relationships with the adults in the school and classmates, and that they feel like they’re appreciated and that they’re seen and heard and ultimately loved," CarneyRay-Yoder said.
It is a step in helping kids build a culture of acceptance and collaboration so adversaries turn into peers. | 2023-02-28T00:17:58+00:00 | wrtv.com | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/bullying-is-rising-in-schools-how-are-districts-responding |
Pac-12 Conference, leadership slammed amid USC, UCLA Big Ten negotiations news
Jeremy Cluff
Arizona Republic
The Conference of Champions is taking hits in the wake of news that UCLA and USC are in negotiations to join the Big Ten in 2024.
Could it lead to the knockout of the conference?
Several college football writers took to Twitter on Thursday in the aftermath of the news that the two Los Angeles Pac-12 schools could be leaving the conference for the Big Ten.
They slammed the conference and its leadership on social media, with many wondering what would come next for the conference.
More:Pac-12 powerhouses UCLA, USC in negotiations to join Big Ten in 2024
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | 2022-06-30T20:51:24+00:00 | azcentral.com | https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/pac-12/2022/06/30/pac-12-slammed-amid-usc-ucla-big-ten-negotiations-news/7780530001/ |
ATLANTA — On Wednesday, Mercy Housing Southeast and nonprofit Project Community Connections, Inc. (PCCI) will mark the grand opening of Thrive Sweet Auburn.
The multi-use community center in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood off of Decatur Street includes 117 affordable apartment homes as well as commercial space that will house on-site social services for residents experiencing homelessness.
"Homelessness, as we all know, is a huge issue here in metro Atlanta but also across the country," Jimiyu Evans, Co-CEO of PCCI, told 11Alive. "We found that when you have complementary services under one roof, that provides an easy opportunity for people to access services but also be connected to the right services that are going to help them move up and be able to be self sufficient."
As a result, the nonprofit will have its headquarters on site while the ground floor will also include a community kitchen, a medical clinic and offices for First Step Staffing. The inclusion of First Step Staffing will mean easy access to job support and opportunities for residents.
"The need in the city of Atlanta, in the state is tremendous," James Alexander, President of Mercy Housing Southeast, said. "There were 1,500 families who applied and so the need really outstrips the supply of housing that's in this area."
"Whether you are living on the streets or you're an essential service worker, working in retail, whether you've got your first job in the Atlanta area, there's not enough affordable housing, and I think this is why this is especially meaningful," Alexander added. "Because more housing like this is needed in areas where we're close to services like Grady, MLK Marta station and downtown."
Per Alexander, the housing is available by application for people who earn between 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), and will offer 23 permanent supportive housing units for families exiting homelessness, with additional units reserved for U.S. military veterans.
While there is currently a waitlist, Alexander said spots are still available for veterans. A few units are also available for residents who earn approximately $40,000 to low $50,000 a year.
"This concept of Thrive Sweet Auburn really is something that we want to see replicated, not only here in metro Atlanta but across the country," Evans said. "Success for us really is about the outcomes as far as sustainability for people going forward. Making sure that they have a opportunity to thrive, making sure that they have the supportive services and the things that they need to be able to take care of their families."
Interested applicants can learn more here. | 2023-04-26T13:20:32+00:00 | 11alive.com | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/thrive-sweet-auburn-atlanta-homeless-services-nonprofit/85-7bd670a1-2778-4c8c-b5e4-a0a670d98441 |
NEW YORK (WPIX) – Pop singer Bebe Rexha suffered a black eye after she was hit in the face by a cellphone tossed from the crowd at a concert in New York City this past weekend.
Rexha, 33, was performing at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in Manhattan Sunday night when the phone-throwing incident occurred. Video shows the moment Rexha was unexpectedly hit in the face by the cellphone while on stage. The singer collapsed to her knees before eventually being helped off stage.
The audience member who allegedly tossed the cell phone was arrested at the scene. Nicolas Malvagna, a 27-year-old from Manalapan, New Jersey, was charged with assault, NYPD officials told Nexstar’s WPIX.
“Absolutely great show ruined by a fan throwing their phone at [Bebe Rexha],” said New York City-area resident Alex Chavez, who shared video of the incident on Twitter. “Hopefully she is OK after that.”
Rexha posted two photos of her bruised eye on Instagram Monday. She appears to have also suffered a laceration near her eyebrow.
“I’m good,” Rexha said in the Instagram post to her 10 million followers, giving a thumbs up in one of the photos. | 2023-06-19T22:34:15+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/entertainment/singer-bebe-rexha-suffers-black-eye-after-hit-by-cellphone-at-nyc-concert/ |
BOBRYTSIA, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainians usually celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, as do the Russians. But not this year, or at least not all of them.
Some Orthodox Ukrainians have decided to observe Christmas on Dec. 25, like many Christians around the world. Yes, this has to do with the war, and yes, they have the blessing of their local church.
The idea of commemorating the birth of Jesus in December was considered radical in Ukraine until recently, but Russia’s invasion changed many hearts and minds.
In October, the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is not aligned with the Russian church and one of two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, agreed to allow faithful to celebrate on Dec. 25.
The choice of dates has clear political and religious overtones in a nation with rival Orthodox churches and where slight revisions to rituals can carry potent meaning in a culture war that runs parallel to the shooting war.
For some people, changing dates represents a separation from Russia, its culture, and religion. People in a village on the outskirts of Kyiv voted recently to move up their Christmas observance.
“What began on Feb. 24, the full-scale invasion, is an awakening and an understanding that we can no longer be part of the Russian world,” Olena Paliy, a 33-year-old Bobrytsia resident, said.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.
The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, and Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for purposes of calculating Christmas.
The Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine decreed in October that local church rectors could choose the date along with their communities, saying the decision followed years of discussion but also resulted from the circumstances of the war.
In Bobrytsia, some members of the faith promoted the change within the local church, which recently transitioned to being part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, with no ties to Russia. When a vote was taken last week, 200 out of 204 people said yes to adopting Dec. 25 as the new day to celebrate Christmas.
“This is a big step because never in our history have we had the same dates of celebration of Christmas in Ukraine with the whole Christian world. All the time we were separated,” said Roman Ivanenko, a local official in Bobrytsia, and one of the promoters of the change. With the switch, he said, they are “breaking this connection” with the Russians.
As in all the Kyiv region, Sunday morning in Bobrytsia began with the sound of sirens, but that didn’t prevent people from gathering in the church to attend a Christmas Mass on Dec. 25 for the first time. In the end, there were no attacks reported in the capital.
“No enemy can take away the holiday because the holiday is born in the soul,” the Rev. Rostyslav Korchak said in his homily, during which he used the words “war,” “soldiers,” and “evil” more than “Jesus Christ.”
Anna Nezenko, 65, attended the church in Bobrytsia on every Christmas since the building was inaugurated in 2000, although always on Jan. 7th. She said she did not feel strange doing so Sunday.
“The most important is the God to be born in the heart,” she said.
In 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, granted complete independence, or autocephaly, to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Ukrainians who favored recognition for a national church in tandem with Ukraine’s political independence from the former Soviet Union had long sought such approval.
The Russian Orthodox Church and its leader, Patriarch Kirill, fiercely protested the move, saying Ukraine was not under the jurisdiction of Bartholomew.
The other major branch of Orthodoxy in the country, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, remained loyal to Moscow until the outbreak of war. It declared independence in May, though it remains under government scrutiny. That church has traditionally celebrated Christmas on Jan. 7.
____
Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. The Associated Press religion correspondent, Peter Smith, contributed from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | 2022-12-25T17:33:21+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/news/international/ap-some-ukrainians-move-christmas-to-detach-again-from-russia/ |
NS Pharma, Inc. (NS Pharma; President, Tsugio Tanaka) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. (Nippon Shinyaku; President, Toru Nakai)
PARAMUS, N.J., April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NS Pharma, Inc. announced today the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to the planned Phase II study of NS-089/NCNP-02 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. NS-089/NCNP-02 is an investigational candidate for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy amenable to exon 44 skipping therapy.
"Progress has been made in the treatment of Duchenne, but patients and families need new and more treatment options," said Vamshi Rao, MD, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. "There are currently no available antisense treatments that target Duchenne patients amenable to exon 44 skipping therapy, which is why I am excited about this program and the potential advance of effective treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy."
Study efficacy measures will include the expression of dystrophin protein and motor function. Trial details will be made available through ClinicalTrials.gov. Additional information will be provided once the trial is ready to begin enrolling.
"We are pleased to announce FDA's clearance to proceed with our Phase II clinical trial in our endeavor to help patients with Duchenne amenable to exon 44 skipping therapy," said Takeshi Seita, Vice President, R&D at NS Pharma, Inc. "We are confident in our exon skipping drug discovery platform and excited about the future potential of our development program."
In addition to NS-089/NCNP-02, NS Pharma's parent company, Nippon Shinyaku, has four investigational exon skipping candidates in various stages of preclinical development.
About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Duchenne)
Duchenne is a progressive form of muscular dystrophy that occurs primarily in males. Duchenne causes progressive weakness and loss of skeletal, cardiac, and pulmonary muscles. Early signs of Duchenne may include delayed ability to sit, stand or walk. There is a progressive loss of mobility, and by adolescence, patients with Duchenne may require the use of a wheelchair. Cardiac and respiratory muscle problems begin in the teenage years and lead to serious, life-threatening complications.
About NS Pharma, Inc.
NS Pharma, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit http://www.nspharma.com. NS Pharma is a registered trademark of the Nippon Shinyaku group of companies.
Contact
U.S. Media Contact:
media@nspharma.com
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SOURCE NS Pharma | 2023-04-14T14:47:40+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/04/14/ns-pharma-announces-fda-clearance-initiate-phase-ii-study-ns-089ncnp-02-an-exon-44-skipping-candidate-treatment-duchenne-muscular-dystrophy/ |
A new study from UCSF/UCLA looks at the toll of silicosis on stone workers. Dozens of young Latino men in California have developed severe lung disease and at least 10 have died.
Copyright 2023 NPR
A new study from UCSF/UCLA looks at the toll of silicosis on stone workers. Dozens of young Latino men in California have developed severe lung disease and at least 10 have died.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-07-24T21:43:12+00:00 | kanw.com | https://www.kanw.com/2023-07-24/stone-countertop-workers-are-getting-sick-and-dying-due-to-exposure-to-silica-dust |
The White House on Thursday bashed Republican governors for sending migrants to Democratic-run cities such as Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and Washington, D.C., in an attempt to make a point about immigration policy.
“It’s really just disrespectful to humanity. It is — it doesn’t afford them any dignity, what they’re doing, when you’re abandoning families and children in a place where they were told they were going to get housing, in a place where they were told they were going to get jobs,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “It is just cruel.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) flew two planes of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday. He has been sending migrants to “sanctuary” cities or states, which limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has repeatedly made similar moves, including sending two buses of migrants to Vice President Harris’s residence in Washington that arrived on Thursday.
“The fact that Fox News and not the Department of Homeland Security, the city or local NGOs were alerted about a plan to leave migrants, including children, on the side of a busy D.C. street makes clear that this is just a cruel, premeditated political stunt,” Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say if what is being done is illegal, deferring to the Department of Justice, but stressed that there is a process in place for handling migrants in the U.S.
“There’s a legal way of doing this, for managing migrants. Republican governors interfering in that process and using migrants as political pawns is shameful, is reckless and just plain wrong. And remember, these are people who are fleeing communism, who are fleeing hardship,” she said.
Jean-Pierre said she hasn’t spoken to Biden specifically on his response to the migrants being dropped off.
She said the White House is working to manage the consequences of these bus loads of people and has been in touch with the cities and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“They deserve better than being left on the streets of D.C. or being left in Martha’s Vineyard. They deserve a lot better than that,” Jean-Pierre said. “And as we have done many times in response to attempts to create chaos and confusion by Republican governors, we are working to manage the kind of consequences of these two stunts as well.” | 2022-09-15T21:09:22+00:00 | cbs42.com | https://www.cbs42.com/hill-politics/white-house-calls-governors-sending-migrants-to-dc-marthas-vineyard-disrespectful-to-humanity/ |
Issues and Answers: Scott McReynolds with the Housing Development Alliance
Published: Jan. 30, 2023 at 9:44 PM EST|Updated: 29 minutes ago
HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - On this week’s episode of Issues and Answers: The Mountain Edition, WYMT’s Steve Hensley sits down with Scott McReynolds, Executive Director of the Housing Development Alliance.
As the region approaches the six month anniversary of last summer’s deadly flooding, the HDA has been at the forefront helping out with housing post-flood. Hensley and McReynolds get in depth on the topic in the player above.
Copyright 2023 WYMT. All rights reserved. | 2023-01-31T03:14:08+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2023/01/31/issues-answers-scott-mcreynolds-with-housing-development-alliance/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Officials in New York City declared a public health emergency due to the spread of the monkeypox virus Saturday, calling the city “the epicenter” of the outbreak.
The announcement Saturday by Mayor Eric Adams and health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said as many as 150,000 city residents could be at risk of infection. The declaration will allow officials to issue emergency orders under the city health code and amend code provisions to implement measures to help slow the spread.
In the last two days, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency declaration and the state health department called monkeypox an “imminent threat to public health.”
New York had recorded 1,345 cases as of Friday, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California had the second-most, with 799.
“We will continue to work with our federal partners to secure more doses as soon as they become available,” Adams and Vasan said in the statement. “This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration of a public health emergency reflects the seriousness of the moment.”
The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency on July 23 and San Francisco’s mayor on Thursday announced a state of emergency over the growing number of cases.
The once-rare disease has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades but was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.
To date, there have been more than 22,000 monkeypox cases reported in nearly 80 countries since May, with about 75 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo. On Friday, Brazil and Spain reported deaths linked to monkeypox, the first reported outside Africa. Spain reported a second monkeypox death Saturday.
The virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing. In Europe and North America, it has spread primarily among men who have sex with men, though health officials emphasize that the virus can infect anyone.
The type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful. | 2022-07-31T12:49:06+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/ap-us-news/new-york-city-declares-monkeypox-a-public-health-emergency/ |
SAN DIEGO, April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.80 per common share, payable on June 22, 2023, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 1, 2023.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. Our one technology roadmap allows us to efficiently scale the technologies that launched the mobile revolution – including advanced connectivity, high-performance, low-power compute, on-device intelligence and more – to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations from Qualcomm and our family of Snapdragon platforms will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, and revolutionize how we experience the world, for the greater good.
Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering and research and development functions and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated. For more information, visit www.qualcomm.com.
Qualcomm Contact:
Mauricio Lopez-Hodoyan, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com
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SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated | 2023-04-12T14:05:32+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2023/04/12/qualcomm-announces-quarterly-cash-dividend/ |
Company to Host Conference Call
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) today announced plans to report its second quarter 2022 financial results on Friday morning, July 29, 2022, before the opening of U.S. financial markets.
Fannie Mae will host a conference call to discuss the company's results at 8:00 a.m., ET, on July 29, 2022.
The company's second quarter 2022 earnings news release, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and other supplemental information will be available on the company's Quarterly & Annual Results webpage at fanniemae.com/financialresults. A transcript of the call also will be made available on the page.
CONFERENCE CALL PARTICIPATION DETAILS – Fannie Mae Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results
Event day and time
Friday, July 29, 2022
8:00 AM (ET)
Listen-only webcast:
https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1559504&tp_key=a33a03bae8
Click on the link above to attend the presentation from your laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Audio will stream through your selected device. If you have difficulty accessing the webcast, please click the "Listen by Phone" button on the webcast player and dial the number provided.
About Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. We enable the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drive responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. To learn more, visit:
fanniemae.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Blog
Fannie Mae Newsroom
https://www.fanniemae.com/news
Photo of Fannie Mae
https://www.fanniemae.com/resources/img/about-fm/fm-building.tif
Fannie Mae Resource Center
1-800-2FANNIE
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SOURCE Fannie Mae | 2022-07-21T15:49:19+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/fannie-mae-announces-scheduled-release-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ |
What are the best sweatpants for kids?
Sweatpants were invented by Emile Camuset in 1920 for athletic purposes. They are now considered versatile pairs of pants that can be worn for exercising or lounging and can be dressed up or down.
With a balance of looking cool and being comfortable, sweatpants are perfect for kids and their daily activities, such as school or play. For the best pair of comfortable sweatpants for kids, the Telaleo Boys Sweatpants are the best pick.
What to know before you buy sweatpants for kids
Fitting
Buying sweatpants with a proper fit helps prevent wear and tear, ultimately prolonging their durability. The right fit should give you enough room to move freely without being baggy. They should also be form-fitting without clinging too tightly to your body and being uncomfortable. The best length for your sweatpants should taper at your ankles and end about an inch above your shoes. This regular fit looks the most appealing and is easily paired with other items.
Crotch gusset
This is a diamond or triangular patch of fabric sewn in the crotch area that adds some space to clothing and reduces tightness in that area. It also helps shape the clothes and make them look more appealing. Sweatpants with a crotch gusset tend to look better and last longer because it distributes stress from the crotch, preventing seams from tearing or loosening.
Pairing
Because sweatpants are comfortable and easy to wear, they can look shabby when not paired with the right items. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can pair your sweatpants with T-shirts, sweatshirts and button-down shirts that are not too baggy. They can complement the natural line of the pants. You can wear them with sneakers, slippers or sandals for a simple yet up-to-date look.
What to look for in quality sweatpants for kids
Material
Kids’ sweatpants are usually made from fleece, cotton, wool or a blend of other materials. When looking for a high-quality material for kids’ sweatpants, ensure that it is made from a single material or a blend of cotton and other fabrics. This will ensure that the pants are soft and cozy and will not lose shape and elasticity when washed frequently. A piece of high-quality fabric is also less susceptible to pilling and wear and tear.
Waistband
An elastic or drawstring waistband is necessary for kids, as it ensures that the pants stay in place during all activities. The bands should be about half an inch to an inch thick. This will allow a snug fit that also prolongs the pants’ durability. Younger children should use elastic waistbands, and older children can use drawstring waistbands.
Style
Baggy and poorly made sweatpants often look frumpy and unappealing. They are also not as comfortable for activewear. The best sweatpants for kids should have a high quality that is also current with trending styles; trim, tailored pieces are the most appealing. The pants should be versatile enough to be paired with almost anything and be worn for different activities.
How much you can expect to spend on sweatpants for kids
They usually cost around $15-$100, depending on the brand and size.
Sweatpants for kids FAQ
How long do sweatpants last?
A. They should last about two to three years with regular wash and wear.
How do I prevent the drawstring from slipping out?
A. The ends of the drawstrings can be tied into knots large enough to prevent them from slipping through the drawstring holes. Sewing buttons to the ends also prevents the loss of drawstrings.
How can I prevent sweatpants from pilling?
A. Most blended fabrics pill, but you can use a lint roller or pilling comb to remove them. Constantly using these items not only removes the pills but also prevents future ones.
What are the best sweatpants for kids to buy?
Top sweatpants for kids
What you need to know: These sweatpants come in a classic style and are available in three colors.
What you’ll love: Made from a cotton-polyester blend, these pants are soft and comfortable. They are warm enough for cold days and easily absorb moisture on hotter or more active days. Small items can be stored in the two pockets at the side, and the drawstring is easily adjustable. The cuffed ankles also add to the classic style and prevent the pants from riding up during movement.
What you should consider: These sweatpants may run large.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top sweatpants for kids for the money
Nautica Girls’ Fleece Jogger Sweatpants
What you need to know: These are easy to wear, comfortable fleece sweatpants.
What you’ll love: This pair of sweatpants offers the softness and warmth of fleece without the weight. It has tapered legs and inner pockets. The pants are in a midrise style and come in six colors that are easy to dress up or down. They can also be cared for easily.
What you should consider: These sweatpants may run small.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Binpaw Boy’s Cotton Sweatpants
What you need to know: These are a cool pair of sweatpants with an edgy feel.
What you’ll love: The cotton-polyester blend of these sweatpants is thick enough for cold weather and light enough for warm weather or activewear. The drawstring waistband and elastic closure add a layer of comfort to these pants. It also has front and back pockets that, aside from being functional, add a layer of depth to the design and edgy style.
What you should consider: These pants may run small.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-08T14:41:09+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/bottoms-br/best-sweatpants-for-kids/ |
Surge in Hunger Expected with End of Pandemic Food Assistance Program
Foodbank of Santa Barbara County Fundraising for $500,000 Matching Grant
Everything costs more these days, but for the most vulnerable across the nation, food stamp benefits were just cut back to pre-pandemic levels.
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County now anticipates another surge in hunger. The nonprofit, which has backstopped nutritional needs across the county for more than three decades, is working to add food sources, and the Foodbank recently received a grant of $500,000 from the Balay Ko Foundation that requires community matches.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had boosted benefits in 2020 to the highest tier for recipients, ranging from an additional $95 to $400 through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In Santa Barbara County, more than 32,000 households are affected by the end of the pandemic’s emergency food benefits.
Without the extra benefit, some allotments will drop to $23 and $50 a month for seniors, veterans, families, and children at a time when daily expenses like gasoline and food are going up: Food prices have increased by 6-8 percent on the West Coast, and gasoline prices rose by more than 3 percent in the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index.
According to the Foodbank, the harsh winter caused delays in the harvest cycle, affecting workers and farmers. As well, the decreased support from CalFresh, the state program that administers the USDA funding, translates to an annual loss of $97.92 million in the county overall.
Foodbank is distributing 20 percent more food than it had before the pandemic hit in March 2020, and the nonprofit is also working to add 300,000 pounds of food over the next six months from the California Association of Food Banks’ one-time funding program.
Foodbank’s grant from the Balay Ko Foundation of Los Angeles runs through June 1. To help Foodbank meet Balay Ko’s match, donations of any size can be made to FoodbankSBC.org/Donate. | 2023-04-21T01:26:40+00:00 | independent.com | https://www.independent.com/2023/04/20/surge-in-hunger-expected-with-end-of-pandemic-food-assistance-program/ |
Governor Reeves will sign legislation Thursday for aluminum plant
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Governor Tate Reeves will sign legislation for the state’s largest economic development project.
We were in Jackson when a special session was held approving the project that’s happening in Lowndes County.
A $2.5 billion capital investment by Steel Dynamics is bringing an aluminum plant to the Golden Triangle.
It’ll create 1,000 jobs with salaries at $93,000.
The governor will sign the legislation Thursday morning.
For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter | 2022-11-16T21:43:15+00:00 | wcbi.com | https://www.wcbi.com/governor-reeves-will-sign-legislation-thursday-for-aluminum-plant/ |
TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - O3 Mining Inc. (TSXV: OIII) (OTC-QX: OIIIF) ("O3 Mining" or the "Corporation) is pleased to announce that it is the first exploration company to successfully pass the field audit making the company fully certified under UL 2723 ECOLOGO® Certification program for Mineral Exploration Companies ("ECOLOGO Certification"). The development of responsible projects is at the core of our strategy. This third-party field audit conducted by the UL auditor confirms that our environmental, social, and governance procedures and practices are applied and followed rigorously by our teams.
Driven by demand from industry, government and investors, in 2012 the Quebec Mineral Exploration Association (QMEA) sought to develop a standard to evaluate mineral exploration companies and their service providers on their responsible business practices. The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue/Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAT-UQAM) Chair in Mining Entrepreneurship designed the standard by ensuring the collaboration of various industry stakeholders. Underwriters Laboratories ("UL"), an independent certification body, developed the ECOLOGO Certification based on QMEA's initial work.
The field audit permitted the third-party auditor to verify that the indicators encompassing practices on environment, health and safety, governance, community relations, First Nations relations, innovation, contribution to the local economy and others are respected.
O3 Mining's President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jose Vizquerra commented, "We are very proud that this field audit confirms the application of our procedures and policies in terms of sustainable development. I thank our employees and partners for their commitment and contribution to the responsible development of our projects and activities. The ECOLOGO certification validates our ESG commitment to our stakeholders and shareholders. We are determined to proactively implement more sustainable practices as we advance towards our vision of being a gold producer by 2026."
As an exploration company, O3 Mining has taken a proactive approach to sustainability by integrating environmental, social, and governance best practices at the heart of our company to create long-term value for our stakeholders. Responsible project development is in constant progression, O3 Mining intends to continuously improve its sustainability practices.
O3 Mining Inc., an Osisko Group company, is a gold explorer and mine developer on the road to produce from its highly prospective gold camps in Québec, Canada. O3 Mining benefits from the support, previous mine-building success, and expertise of the Osisko team as it grows towards being a gold producer with several multi-million-ounce deposits in Québec.
O3 Mining is well-capitalized and owns a 100% interest in all its properties (66,000 hectares) in Québec. O3 Mining trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: OIII) and OTC Markets (OTCQX: OIIIF). The Corporation is focused on delivering superior returns to its shareholders and long-term benefits to its stakeholders. Further information can be found on our website at https://o3mining.com
A trusted name in third-party testing and certification for 100 years in Canada, UL is a science-based testing, inspection and certification company with expertise in developing Standards and certifying against those Standards. Third-party certifications from UL demonstrate the integrity of claims and can add more value to your brand.
The Québec Mineral Exploration Association (QMEA) is a non-profit organization that represents players in Québec's mining sector. Founded in 1975 to increase mining exploration in Québec and support the development of Québec's mining entrepreneurship, QMEA now has 1,200 individual members (prospectors, geologists, geophysicists, brokers, tax experts, attorneys, etc.) and 200 corporate members (junior and major mining exploration companies, mining operation companies, engineering consulting firms in geology and geophysics, drilling companies, service companies, equipment suppliers, etc.).
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE O3 Mining Inc. | 2022-09-22T11:14:44+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2022/09/22/o3-mining-is-first-exploration-company-successfully-complete-field-audit-ul-ecologo-certification/ |
There is an economic indicator that has predicted every recession since 1969, and it is flashing red right now. It's called the yield curve. But this time, it might be wrong.
Copyright 2023 NPR
There is an economic indicator that has predicted every recession since 1969, and it is flashing red right now. It's called the yield curve. But this time, it might be wrong.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-04-14T21:33:10+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/2023-04-14/an-indicator-that-often-points-to-recession-could-be-giving-a-false-signal-this-time |
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A police officer remarkably escaped injury Monday when a car careened across a highway at 120 mph while he conducted a traffic stop.
Dashcam video of the crash released Tuesday by Fairfax County Police shows a black BMW sedan driven by a teenager coming within inches of the officer, who had stepped out of his patrol car to pull over a gray BMW for speeding.
In the seconds before the crash, the black BMW can be seen skidding across a median on the Fairfax County Parkway near Braddock Road. It then strikes the car that had been pulled over and ricochets into the patrol car. The officer falls to the ground for a second, then quickly pops up to radio for help and check on injuries.
Miraculously, no major injuries were reported, even though the black BMW had two teenage passengers in addition to the driver. All three in the black BMW were wearing seatbelts, police said.
The driver of the black BMW was charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor that can often result in jail time in Virginia. Police said the driver was 17 years old, and state law restricts them from identifying him or releasing any details about the crash that could be used to identify him.
Deputy Police Chief Bob Blakley said traffic safety among teen drivers is on the decline. So far this year, Fairfax police have seen a 62 percent increase in teen speeding citations, and a 98 percent increase in tickets for failure to follow signs or signals.
In Monday’s crash, reconstruction experts determined that the car had been going 120 mph in a 50 mph zone before it lost control.
“The vehicle lost control because cars can’t go that fast on the highway,” he said.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis did not identify the officer, who was uninjured but recovering at home Tuesday. Davis and Blakley said the 13-year veteran may be alive today because he approached the driver he pulled over on the passenger side of the vehicle — a tactic that is optional for officers but advised in cases where approaching on the driver side presents a safety hazard, Blakley said.
Davis complimented the officer’s professionalism at a news conference Tuesday.
“His grace under pressure was calm, cool, collected,” Davis said.
Davis said the accident is a good reminder about the importance of traffic safety and recognizing the dangers that officers face enforcing traffic laws. Also, in Fairfax County, one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, Davis suggested that parents might want to reconsider providing high-performance automobiles to their children.
“The car involved in that collision yesterday was a whole lot of car for an inexperienced driver,” Davis said. ”It was going way too fast. It was a rocket, and then it became a missile.” | 2023-05-03T04:07:06+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/news/u-s-world/video-shows-virginia-officer-evade-crash-during-traffic-stop/ |
Utah Public Radio is partnering with the USU College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Mountain West Center for Regional Studies and the USU Museum of Anthropology in the Bringing War Home Project.
What is 'Bringing War Home'?
War is saturated with objects shaped and carried from battlefields to homes. Sometimes such objects end up in Museums, but the personal stories of how such objects came to make journeys from Vietnam, for example, to rural Utah often do not. One of the main goals of the project is to disperse basic tools that will allow veterans and members of military families as well as the general public to understand the things brought home from war.
How is UPR involved?
UPR will record stories from military veterans and their families and friends at several project roadshows. Stories and photos will be included in a digital archive housed at the USU libraries that will benefit future generations.
How can I get involved in this project?
UPR invites you to share your story in a recorded interview. Remember to bring your object from war with you to the interview. In the sidebar are the available timeslots for interviews that will be recorded at Roadshows.
This project has received funding from Utah Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Hear some fascinating stories told inside of a C-130 aircraft on this episode of Access Utah.
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The Bringing War Home project is hosting two local roadshows this Saturday to collect records of objects and stories tied to the military conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries.
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On this special Member Drive edition of the program we’ll talk about the Bringing War Home project with USU History Professor Susan Grayzel and Molly Cannon, Director of the USU Anthropology Museum and the USU Mountain West Center.
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War is saturated with objects shaped and carried from battlefields to homes. Sometimes such objects end up in Museums, but the personal stories of how… | 2022-08-24T00:16:28+00:00 | upr.org | https://www.upr.org/show/bringing-war-home |
Anthony Davis NBA Playoffs Player Prop Bets: Lakers vs. Nuggets - May 18
The Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis included, will play at 8:30 PM on Thursday versus the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
In this article, we look at Davis' available prop bets, providing stats to help you figure out the best wagers to make.
Anthony Davis Prop Bets vs. the Nuggets
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Lakers vs Nuggets Additional Info
Anthony Davis Insights vs. the Nuggets
- This season, Anthony Davis has made 9.7 field goals per game, which accounts for 15.4% of his team's total makes.
- Davis' Lakers average 104.8 possessions per game, second-highest among NBA teams, while the Nuggets are one of the league's slowest with 99.5 possessions per contest.
- On defense, the Nuggets have conceded 112.5 points per game, which is eighth-best in the league.
- The Nuggets allow 40.8 rebounds per game, best in the league.
- The Nuggets are the 15th-ranked squad in the NBA, allowing 25.7 assists per game.
- In terms of 3-pointers, the Nuggets have conceded 11.4 makes per game, third in the NBA.
Anthony Davis vs. the Nuggets
Want another way to try to win cash prizes? Add Davis or any of his Lakers teammates to your lineup in FanDuel Daily Fantasy NBA contests. Use our link to sign up and get a great offer for new users. (See website for offer details, not available in all areas.)
Not all offers available in all states. Please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has developed a gambling problem or addiction, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-18T19:54:19+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/sports/betting/2023/05/18/anthony-davis-nba-playoffs-player-prop-bets-lakers-vs-nuggets/ |
Officials are considering plans for a track level addition to New York’s Penn Station that could eliminate some of the most hellish conditions for riders and open up the station to more NJ Transit trains after completion of the Gateway Tunnel.
The Penn Station addition — also known as Penn South and the Penn Annex — has four options being considered by Amtrak and NJ Transit, officials said. Both are the lead agencies for the addition that has been proposed in various forms between the Gateway Project and New York State Penn Station renovation.
The four options include building a track level addition north and south of the existing station, a deep cavern station underneath Penn Station and an option to “through run” trains across various commuter railroads, where the technology allows it, Amtrak officials said.
Advocates and experts had feared for the fate of the addition after it was left out of Requests for Proposals for the Penn Station renovation announced on June 9. The MTA’s request for proposals tell potential architects and engineers that the Penn Station expansion is “not part of this project.”
“We have concerns that as currently proposed, there are no improvements to Penn Station tracks and platforms. That is problematic,” said Felicia Park Rogers, Tri-State Transportation Campaign infrastructure director. “They don’t work for a modern station. They’re just adding more vertical access and it doesn’t solve the problem.”
Penn Station has narrow platforms that weren’t designed for the volume and frequency of commuter service. She echoed the concern of other commuters about platform crowding, especially when two trains load or unload on one platform during rush hour.
“The platforms are dangerous and narrow, even when there’s not a crowd. I’m terrified walking on them,” Park Rogers said.
What could New Jersey commuters get?
“Amtrak has issued an RFP for a consultant to begin designing options for the first new tracks, platforms and concourses connected to New York Penn Station in more than a century,” said Justin Henry, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Murphy administration officials also confirmed an addition is happening.
“Alongside its regional partners, the Murphy administration continues to make significant progress toward its comprehensive vision for an expanded Penn Station,” said Bailey Lawrence, a governor’s spokesman. “Together, we will achieve improvements that meet the greatest expectations of New Jerseyans and the needs of one of the most important transportation networks in the world.”
The addition to Penn Station is a separate project from the station renovation and is proceeding on a separate path from the renovation above track level, including the investigation of four options, Amtrak officials said.
“A Penn Station expansion is a Gateway Project,” said Craig Schutz, an Amtrak spokesman who specializes in Gateway. “We are advancing plans individually and in parallel.”
A draft environmental impact statement is close to beginning for a Penn Station expansion which will investigate several options, including an addition north and south of the existing station and a deep cavern station under Penn Station, he said. A modified concept to through run some trains is being considered, similar to joint NJ Transit-Metro North New Haven division “train to the game” service that ran between New Haven and Secaucus for Sunday football games at MetLife Stadium.
The $12.3 billion Gateway tunnel project would build two new rail tunnels between New Jersey and New York and rehabilitate the existing 111-year-old tunnels. The tunnels would open capacity for more trains, but a Penn Station addition and other parts of Gateway, such as the Bergen loop track, are needed to allow Bergen County and Metro North west of Hudson trains to travel directly to New York City.
After that environmental study of the options is completed, a financial plan will be developed, Schutz said. Public and community hearing also would be held.
Other advocates urged commuters to keep their eyes on a prize of more direct New York service for New Jersey riders.
“The expansion of Penn Station is critically important to New Jersey. We’re glad to see the three agencies and two states working together to make sure that we have the best outcome for riders,” said Zoe Baldwin, Regional Plan Association’s New Jersey director. “I’ve seen a lot of positive signs the agencies and state are working toward the same goal, but it doesn’t mean the riding public should be any less vigilant.”
Greater transparency about the Penn Station addition is needed, and the project, its cost and schedule should be listed in the capital improvement project plans of the various state and federal agencies involved, said Larry Penner, a former Federal Transit Administration official and transit advocate.
“The only way to document progress is to see the detailed schedule week by week, month by month and year by year,” he said. “It would include interim milestones, such as dates for submittal of documents to the appropriate federal agency, and completion of federal review for the submitted documents.”
Officials also need to start working to become eligible for FTA grants, which Penner cautioned is a multi-year, competitive process. New York and New Jersey’s Statewide Transportation Program and Long Range Capital Transportation Needs Plans also should list both projects and funding sources, he said.
Tri-state officials had a homework assignment for Amtrak and NJ Transit.
“What Tri-state would like to see to see in the four scenarios is a true cost benefit analysis of a smaller expansion that allows through running and reorganizing platforms to make for safer disembarking,” Park Rogers said.
Through running of trains across different railroads has been examined by third party think tanks, most recently in a ReThink concept that proposed taking out some tracks and building wider platforms to allow trains to quickly load and unload and leave the station.
“It doesn’t have to be ReThink’s plan, but we think Amtrak should do a true analysis of it,” she said.
A Penn Station addition has seesawed in and out of both the Gateway project. In 2014, Amtrak estimated it would have to buy 35 properties for a Penn Station addition, valued then at close to a half a billion dollars because of building foundations in the area where the addition would be built. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2016 Empire Station concept opened up the claustrophobic Penn Station to allow natural light and a bigger surface presence. It did not address track level problems that cause commuter overcrowding on platforms and cap train capacity.
Cuomo modified the 2016 plan in a February 2021 iteration of the plan that included Penn South and also called for constructing eight skyscrapers in the adjoining neighborhood to fund station work. In November 2021, Hochul scaled back the skyscraper development plan in response to neighborhood criticism of the Empire State Development general plan. That plan put off a Penn Station addition.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. | 2022-06-23T12:49:54+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/news/2022/06/these-4-options-for-ny-penn-station-addition-could-make-your-commute-less-hellish.html |
INDIANAPOLIS — The roar of the Indianapolis 500 engines and the cheers of 325,000 fans have come and gone. Now all that remains at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the smell of stale beer and a sea of trash including everything from deserted coolers to a portable toilet.
Organizations like local churches and schools will help in the cleanup process at IMS beginning Monday. Those volunteers can keep anything they find and cash in on the aluminum cans they gather.
Each group is also paid based on how many section it helps to clear of trash. | 2022-05-30T15:54:19+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/sports/big-race-indy/photos-trash-left-behind-after-greatest-spectacle-in-racing/ |
WFO SEATTLE Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, November 28, 2022
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WIND ADVISORY
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Seattle WA
322 PM PST Mon Nov 28 2022
...WIND ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...
Fraser river outflow winds will continue tonight but be below wind
advisory criteria. Gusts up to 40 mph will ease tonight.
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-11-29T00:38:21+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/WA-WFO-SEATTLE-Warnings-Watches-and-Advisories-17616733.php |
Business Activity Index at 59.1%; New Orders Index at 60.6%; Employment Index at 53%; Supplier Deliveries Index at 53.9%
TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Economic activity in the services sector grew in September for the 28th month in a row — with the Services PMI® registering 56.7 percent — say the nation's purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM® Report On Business®.
The report was issued today by Anthony Nieves, CPSM, C.P.M., A.P.P., CFPM, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Services Business Survey Committee: "In September, the Services PMI® registered 56.7 percent, 0.2 percentage point lower than August's reading of 56.9 percent. The Business Activity Index registered 59.1 percent, a decrease of 1.8 percentage points compared to the reading of 60.9 percent in August. The New Orders Index figure of 60.6 percent is 1.2 percentage points lower than the August reading of 61.8 percent.
"The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 53.9 percent, 0.6 percentage point lower than the 54.5 percent reported in August. (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM® Report On Business® index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.)
"The Prices Index decreased for the fifth consecutive month in September, down 2.8 percentage points to 68.7 percent. Services businesses still continue to struggle to replenish their stocks, as the Inventories Index contracted for the fourth consecutive month; the reading of 44.1 percent is down 2.1 percentage points from August's figure of 46.2 percent. The Inventory Sentiment Index (47.2 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from August's reading of 47.1 percent) contracted for the second consecutive month in September."
Nieves continues, "According to the Services PMI®, 15 industries reported growth. The composite index indicated growth for the 28th consecutive month after a two-month contraction in April and May 2020. Growth continues — at a slightly slower rate — for the services sector, which has expanded for all but two of the last 152 months. The services sector had a slight pullback in growth for the month of September due to decreases in business activity and new orders. Employment improved and supplier deliveries slowed at a slightly slower rate. Based on comments from Business Survey Committee respondents, there have been improvements regarding supply chain efficiency, operating capacity and materials availability; however, performance remains less than ideal. Employment continued to improve despite the restricted labor market."
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
The 15 services industries reporting growth in September — listed in order — are: Mining; Other Services; Educational Services; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Public Administration; Retail Trade; Wholesale Trade; Information; Utilities; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Health Care & Social Assistance; Finance & Insurance; Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Construction; and Management of Companies & Support Services. The three industries reporting a decrease in the month of September are: Accommodation & Food Services; Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; and Transportation & Warehousing.
WHAT RESPONDENTS ARE SAYING
- "Sales at our restaurants seasonally trend down from August to October, and this year seems to be more severe compared to before the pandemic. General inflation concerns and consumer uncertainty are the likely causes, expressed by industry peers as well." [Accommodation & Food Services]
- "General slowdown in sales. We believe high commodity prices and inflation have impacted consumers' desire for fertilizer from our turf and ornamental division. Farmers have already cut back on consumption due to pricing and weather-related issues." [Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting]
- "September is one of our slowest months of the year. We are gearing up to have a very busy fourth quarter and are seeing some signs of relief in our supply chain." [Arts, Entertainment & Recreation]
- "Sales have slowed significantly. Very challenging market. Trying to build through backlog. Manufacturers, distributors and installation trades are still busy and passing on price increases, while we are discounting homes to stimulate sales. Margins are compressing." [Construction]
- "Due to supply chain issues and inflation, we continue to limit purchases and/or start orders sooner than normal. In the higher education sector, the outlook is good for larger schools." [Educational Services]
- "Labor pressures continue to depress business activity, as insufficient staffing levels are not allowing the hospital system to operate at capacity. Back orders remain unchanged from a month ago as shortages of raw materials — especially surgical grade Tyvek (synthetic polyethylene fiber), foam and plastics — persist and do not appear to be improving. Logistical lead times have decreased, but the impact on supply chains is limited amid product shortages." [Health Care & Social Assistance]
- "Hiring continues to be a challenge across most industry sectors. There are far more open roles than candidates to fill them. Due to inflationary concerns, companies are being cautious about hiring direct employees and are attempting to utilize contingent labor. The lack of candidates willing to fill temporary positions is making this strategy difficult to execute." [Professional, Scientific & Technical Services]
- "Chip shortage shows no signs of abating." [Retail Trade]
- "Prices of fuel are leveling off (or) dropping in small increments. Still facing supply/demand issues with certain products — food, beverages, some raw construction material and semiconductor chips. Big concern is (China's) zero-tolerance policy for COVID-19 cases. A lot of companies rely on products from China, and cities keep shutting down due to the policy. This greatly affects the orders outstanding and creates lead time uncertainty." [Transportation & Warehousing]
- "Business activity has improved over last month but is still trending flat to slightly down versus the same period last year. Inventory levels are starting to fall from record highs, but overstocked items are still a problem. We expect lower demand and inventory rebalancing to impact business activity through the end of the calendar year." [Wholesale Trade]
Services ISM® Report On Business® data is seasonally adjusted for the Business Activity, New Orders, Employment and Prices indexes. Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® data is seasonally adjusted for New Orders, Production, Employment and Inventories indexes.
*Number of months moving in current direction.
COMMODITIES REPORTED UP/DOWN IN PRICE, AND IN SHORT SUPPLY
Commodities Up in Price
Cheese; Chicken (2); Concrete; Dairy; Drywall; Eggs; Electrical Components (20); Electrical Equipment; Electronic Components; Food and Beverages; Furniture; Labor (22); Labor — Construction (2); Labor — Contingent (3); Labor — Full Time; Labor — Services; Labor — Temporary (2); Natural Gas (2); Paper; Pipe and Fittings; Plumbing Services; Potato Products; Semiconductors; Soybean Oil (2); Steel Products* (21); Sugar; Transformers; and Truck Rentals.
Commodities Down in Price
Diesel Fuel (2); Fuel (3); Gasoline (2); Lumber; Ocean Freight (2); Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Products; Steel; and Steel Products* (2).
Commodities in Short Supply
Appliances; Electrodes; Food Products; Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Equipment; Labor (14); Microchips (5); Needles and Syringes; Paper (2); Plastic Pipes and Fittings; Transformers; Vacutainers; and Vehicles (3).
Note: The number of consecutive months the commodity is listed is indicated after each item. *Indicates both up and down in price.
SEPTEMBER 2022 SERVICES INDEX SUMMARIES
Services PMI®
In September, the Services PMI® registered 56.7 percent, a 0.2-percentage point decrease compared to the August reading of 56.9 percent. The 12-month average is 59.2 percent, reflecting consistently strong growth in the services sector, which has expanded for 28 consecutive months. A reading above 50 percent indicates the services sector economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates the services sector is generally contracting.
A Services PMI® above 50.1 percent, over time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the September Services PMI® indicates the overall economy has followed the same path as the services sector: expansion for 28 straight months following two months of contraction and a preceding period of 122 months of growth. Nieves says, "The past relationship between the Services PMI® and the overall economy indicates that the Services PMI® for September (56.7 percent) corresponds to a 2.4-percent increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) on an annualized basis."
SERVICES PMI® HISTORY
Business Activity
ISM®'s Business Activity Index registered 59.1 percent in September, a decrease of 1.8 percentage points from the reading of 60.9 percent in August, indicating growth for the 28th consecutive month. Comments from respondents include: "Production was higher to support sales" and "Increased activity due to the approaching end on the fiscal year."
The 14 industries reporting an increase in business activity for the month of September — listed in order — are: Mining; Information; Other Services; Educational Services; Wholesale Trade; Health Care & Social Assistance; Finance & Insurance; Utilities; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Public Administration; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Retail Trade; and Transportation & Warehousing. The two industries reporting a decrease in business activity for the month of September are: Accommodation & Food Services; and Arts, Entertainment & Recreation.
New Orders
ISM®'s New Orders Index registered 60.6 percent, down 1.2 percentage points from the August reading of 61.8 percent. New orders grew for the 28th consecutive month after two months of contraction and a preceding period of 128 months of expansion. Comments from respondents include: "New customers added as our business continues to grow" and "New programs starting up."
Thirteen industries reported growth of new orders in September, in the following order: Mining; Other Services; Retail Trade; Educational Services; Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Information; Public Administration; Wholesale Trade; Health Care & Social Assistance; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Finance & Insurance; and Utilities. The two industries reporting a decrease in new orders in September are: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; and Transportation & Warehousing.
Employment
Employment activity in the services sector grew in September for the second consecutive month after two previous months of contraction. ISM®'s Employment Index registered 53 percent, up 2.8 percentage points from the August reading of 50.2 percent. Comments from respondents include: "Organizational growth continues, although hiring continues to be a challenge" and "Cannot find qualified applicants —they require greater incentives because they have choices."
The 10 industries reporting an increase in employment in September — listed in order — are: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Mining; Retail Trade; Construction; Public Administration; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Educational Services; Other Services; Wholesale Trade; and Transportation & Warehousing. The two industries reporting a decrease in employment in September are: Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; and Accommodation & Food Services. Six industries reported no change in Employment in September.
Supplier Deliveries
The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 53.9 percent, down 0.6 percentage point from the 54.5 percent registered in August. A reading above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, while a reading below 50 percent indicates faster deliveries. Comments from respondents include: "Worries about railway strikes and labor issues" and "Supplier capacity and supply chain issues; lead times still growing for more complex manufactured items."
The 10 industries reporting slower deliveries in September — listed in order — are: Mining; Other Services; Utilities; Public Administration; Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Management of Companies & Support Services; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Educational Services; Finance & Insurance; and Wholesale Trade. The six industries reporting faster supplier deliveries for the month of September — listed in order — are: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Retail Trade; Accommodation & Food Services; Transportation & Warehousing; Information; and Health Care & Social Assistance.
Inventories
The Inventories Index contracted in September for the fourth consecutive month after four straight months of growth preceded by an eight-month period of contraction. The reading of 44.1 percent was a 2.1-percentage point decrease from the 46.2 percent reported in August. Of the total respondents in September, 37 percent indicated they do not have inventories or do not measure them. Comments from respondents include: "Burning down excess personal protective equipment" and "Late orders and logistics timing are creating lower-than-desired inventory."
The eight industries reporting an increase in inventories in September — listed in order — are: Accommodation & Food Services; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Mining; Utilities; Information; Wholesale Trade; Public Administration; and Transportation & Warehousing. The 10 industries reporting a decrease in inventories in September — listed in order — are: Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Finance & Insurance; Other Services; Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Management of Companies & Support Services; Retail Trade; Health Care & Social Assistance; Educational Services; Construction; and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.
Prices
Prices paid by services organizations for materials and services increased in September for the 64th consecutive month, with the index registering 68.7 percent, 2.8 percentage points lower than the 71.5 percent recorded in August. The Prices Index continues to indicate movement toward equilibrium, with a third consecutive reading near or below 70 percent, following nine straight months of readings above 80 percent.
All 18 services industries reported an increase in prices paid during the month of September, in the following order: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Public Administration; Health Care & Social Assistance; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Management of Companies & Support Services; Utilities; Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Finance & Insurance; Information; Retail Trade; Construction; Other Services; Mining; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Educational Services; Accommodation & Food Services; Wholesale Trade; and Transportation & Warehousing.
NOTE: Commodities reported as up in price and down in price are listed in the commodities section of this report.
Backlog of Orders
The ISM® Services Backlog of Orders Index grew in September for the 21st consecutive month. The index registered 52.5 percent, a 1.4-percentage point decrease compared to the August reading of 53.9 percent. Of the total respondents in September, 45 percent indicated they do not measure backlog of orders. Respondent comments include: "Delays caused by out-of-stock (items)" and "Suppliers are not meeting their stated lead times."
The 10 industries reporting an increase in order backlogs in September — listed in order — are: Information; Management of Companies & Support Services; Finance & Insurance; Mining; Other Services; Educational Services; Utilities; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Construction; and Health Care & Social Assistance. The four industries reporting a decrease in order backlogs in September are: Retail Trade; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Public Administration; and Transportation & Warehousing.
New Export Orders
Orders and requests for services and other non-manufacturing activities to be provided outside of the U.S. by domestically based companies grew in September for the eighth consecutive month. The New Export Orders Index registered 65.1 percent, a 3.2-percentage point increase from the 61.9 percent reported in August. Of the total respondents in September, 77 percent indicated they do not perform, or do not separately measure, orders for work outside of the U.S.
The six industries reporting an increase in new export orders in September — listed in order — are: Management of Companies & Support Services; Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Retail Trade; Information; Mining; and Educational Services. The three industries reporting a decrease in new export orders in September are: Other Services; Transportation & Warehousing; and Wholesale Trade. Nine industries indicated no change in new export orders in September.
Imports
The Imports Index grew in September after three consecutive months of contraction, registering 51.3 percent, up 3.1 percentage points from August's reading of 48.2 percent. Seventy percent of respondents reported that they do not use, or do not track the use of, imported materials.
The six industries reporting an increase in imports for the month of September — listed in order — are: Mining; Accommodation & Food Services; Educational Services; Information; Construction; and Wholesale Trade. The three industries that reported a decrease in imports in September are: Other Services; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; and Health Care & Social Assistance. Nine industries reported no change in imports in September.
Inventory Sentiment
The ISM® Services Inventory Sentiment Index contracted in September for the second straight month and the 16th time in the last 18 months. The index registered 47.2 percent, a 0.1-percentage point increase from August's figure of 47.1 percent. This reading indicates that respondents feel their inventories are too low when correlated to business activity levels.
The five industries reporting sentiment that their inventories were too high in September are: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Retail Trade; Construction; Wholesale Trade; and Health Care & Social Assistance. The seven industries reporting a feeling that their inventories were too low in September — listed in order — are: Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Management of Companies & Support Services; Transportation & Warehousing; Information; Public Administration; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; and Utilities. Six industries reported no change in September.
About This Report
DO NOT CONFUSE THIS NATIONAL REPORT with the various regional purchasing reports released across the country. The national report's information reflects the entire U.S., while the regional reports contain primarily regional data from their local vicinities. Also, the information in the regional reports is not used in calculating the results of the national report. The information compiled in this report is for the month of September 2022.
The data presented herein is obtained from a survey of supply executives in the services sector based on information they have collected within their respective organizations. ISM® makes no representation, other than that stated within this release, regarding the individual company data collection procedures. The data should be compared to all other economic data sources when used in decision-making.
Data and Method of Presentation
The Services ISM® Report On Business® (formerly the Non-Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®) is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. Membership of the Services Business Survey Committee (formerly Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee) is diversified by NAICS, based on each industry's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). The Services Business Survey Committee responses are divided into the following NAICS code categories: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Mining; Utilities; Construction; Wholesale Trade; Retail Trade; Transportation & Warehousing; Information; Finance & Insurance; Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Management of Companies & Support Services; Educational Services; Health Care & Social Assistance; Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Accommodation & Food Services; Public Administration; and Other Services (services such as Equipment & Machinery Repairing; Promoting or Administering Religious Activities; Grantmaking; Advocacy; and Providing Dry-Cleaning & Laundry Services, Personal Care Services, Death Care Services, Pet Care Services, Photofinishing Services, Temporary Parking Services, and Dating Services). The data are weighted based on each industry's contribution to GDP. According to the BEA estimates for 2020 GDP (released December 22, 2021), the six largest services sectors are: Real Estate, Rental & Leasing; Government; Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services; Health Care & Social Assistance; Information; and Finance & Insurance. Beginning in February 2020 with January 2020 data, computation of the indexes is accomplished utilizing unrounded numbers.
Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. For each of the indicators measured (Business Activity, New Orders, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, Inventory Change, Inventory Sentiment, Imports, Prices, Employment and Supplier Deliveries), this report shows the percentage reporting each response and the diffusion index. Responses represent raw data and are never changed. Data is seasonally adjusted for Business Activity, New Orders, Prices and Employment. All seasonal adjustment factors are subject annually to relatively minor changes when conditions warrant them. The remaining indexes have not indicated significant seasonality.
The Services PMI® is a composite index based on the diffusion indexes for four of the indicators with equal weights: Business Activity (seasonally adjusted), New Orders (seasonally adjusted), Employment (seasonally adjusted) and Supplier Deliveries. Diffusion indexes have the properties of leading indicators and are convenient summary measures showing the prevailing direction of change and the scope of change. An index reading above 50 percent indicates that the services economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining. Supplier Deliveries is an exception. A Supplier Deliveries Index above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries and below 50 percent indicates faster deliveries.
A Services PMI® above 50.1 percent, over time, indicates that the overall economy, or gross domestic product (GDP), is generally expanding; below 50.1 percent, it is generally declining. The distance from 50 percent or 50.1 percent is indicative of the strength of the expansion or decline.
The Services ISM® Report On Business® survey is sent out to Services Business Survey Committee respondents the first part of each month. Respondents are asked to ONLY report on U.S. operations for the current month. ISM® receives survey responses throughout most of any given month, with the majority of respondents generally waiting until late in the month to submit responses to give the most accurate picture of current business activity. ISM® then compiles the report for release on the third business day of the following month.
The industries reporting growth, as indicated in the Services ISM® Report On Business® monthly report, are listed in the order of most growth to least growth. For the industries reporting contraction or decreases, those are listed in the order of the highest level of contraction/decrease to the least level of contraction/decrease.
ISM ROB Content
The Institute for Supply Management® ("ISM") Report On Business® (Manufacturing, Services and Hospital reports) ("ISM ROB") contains information, text, files, images, video, sounds, musical works, works of authorship, applications, and any other materials or content (collectively, "Content") of ISM ("ISM ROB Content"). ISM ROB Content is protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other laws, and as between you and ISM, ISM owns and retains all rights in the ISM ROB Content. ISM hereby grants you a limited, revocable, nonsublicensable license to access and display on your individual device the ISM ROB Content (excluding any software code) solely for your personal, non-commercial use. The ISM ROB Content shall also contain Content of users and other ISM licensors. Except as provided herein or as explicitly allowed in writing by ISM, you shall not copy, download, stream, capture, reproduce, duplicate, archive, upload, modify, translate, publish, broadcast, transmit, retransmit, distribute, perform, display, sell, or otherwise use any ISM ROB Content.
Except as explicitly and expressly permitted by ISM, you are strictly prohibited from creating works or materials (including, but not limited to: tables, charts, data streams, time-series variables, fonts, icons, link buttons, wallpaper, desktop themes, online postcards, montages, mashups and similar videos, greeting cards, and unlicensed merchandise) that derive from or are based on the ISM ROB Content. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the derivative works or materials are sold, bartered, or given away. You shall not either directly or through the use of any device, software, internet site, web-based service, or other means remove, alter, bypass, avoid, interfere with, or circumvent any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices marked on the Content or any digital rights management mechanism, device, or other content protection or access control measure associated with the Content including geo-filtering mechanisms. Without prior written authorization from ISM, you shall not build a business utilizing the Content, whether or not for profit.
You shall not create, recreate, distribute, incorporate in other work, or advertise an index of any portion of the Content unless you receive prior written authorization from ISM. Requests for permission to reproduce or distribute ISM ROB Content can be made by contacting in writing at: ISM Research, Institute for Supply Management, 309 W. Elliot Road, Suite 113, Tempe, AZ 85284-1556, or by emailing kcahill@ismworld.org; subject: Content Request.
ISM shall not have any liability, duty, or obligation for or relating to the ISM ROB Content or other information contained herein, any errors, inaccuracies, omissions or delays in providing any ISM ROB Content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. In no event shall ISM be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, arising out of the use of the ISM ROB. Report On Business®, Manufacturing PMI®, Services PMI®, and Hospital PMI® are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management®. Institute for Supply Management® and ISM® are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management, Inc.
About Institute for Supply Management®
Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) serves supply management professionals in more than 90 countries. Its 50,000 members around the world manage about US$1 trillion in corporate and government supply chain procurement annually. Founded in 1915 as the first supply management institute in the world, ISM is committed to advancing the practice of supply management to drive value and competitive advantage for its members, contributing to a prosperous and sustainable world. ISM leads the profession through the ISM® Report On Business®, its highly regarded certification programs and the ISM® Advance™ Digital Platform. This report has been issued by the association since 1931, except for a four-year interruption during World War II.
The full text version of the Services ISM® Report On Business® is posted on ISM®'s website at www.ismrob.org on the third business day* of every month after 10:00 a.m. ET.
The next Services ISM® Report On Business® featuring October 2022 data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 3, 2022.
*Unless the New York Stock Exchange is closed.
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SOURCE Institute for Supply Management | 2022-10-05T15:14:17+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/10/05/services-pmi-567-september-2022-services-ism-report-business/ |
VALLETTA, Malta, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the second quarter of 2022, Kindred's share of revenue from harmful gambling remains at 3.3 per cent. In the quarter, Kindred entered a new collaboration with QuitGamble.com, an addition to Gamban and RecoverMe as well as Kindred's own responsible gambling tools. This to enhance the responsible gambling offerings to players who may be experiencing gambling related harm.
In the second quarter of 2022, Kindred Group plc's (Kindred) share of revenue from harmful gambling remains at 3.3 (3.3) per cent. The improvement effect after interventions has increased to 84.7 per cent impacted by the continued work with a focused and more cautious approach towards the younger demographic (18-25). According to research this demographic group is at a higher risk financially and is more prone to addiction. Therefore, Kindred took the decision in 2021 to implement a tailored approach to de-risk customers that are between 18 and 25 years of age, in a more personalised and risk averse manner, by implementing dedicated limits and personalised humanistic interventions. In addition, Kindred's Responsible Gambling Analysts takes a more cautious approach when managing customers in this demographic group.
* 90 days rolling period between 21 March and 16 June 2022
Kindred has partnered with Quitgamble.com to promote their online community for people who want to stop gambling addiction. Partnerships are a key part of Kindred's Journey towards zero, as the ambition is only achievable with further collaboration between industry, regulators, researchers, and other key stakeholder groups.
"Even though the share from high-risk players is flat between the first and second quarter, it is good to see an increase in the improvement effect after interventions which validates our early intervention approach. However, we still have work to do to further decrease the number towards our ambition of zero per cent revenue generated from harmful gambling", says Henrik Tjärnström, CEO of Kindred Group.
"Our focus continues to be on increasing efficiency and speed in detecting and engaging with customers at risk, as we know early intervention is critical in preventing a harmful behaviour. We believe that in order to achieve the best possible approach to reducing harmful gambling, we need to collaborate with different stakeholders across our industry. For this reason, we are pleased to be promoting QuitGamble.com to provide additional support to those in need", concludes Tjärnström.
"QuitGamble.com is an online platform for those who want to stop gambling. We support people with gambling problems through our community, video courses, mobile apps, guides, and a self-assessment test. We are proud of the collaboration with Kindred. It's a quality assurance, and the collaboration will help us to support more people", says Anders Bergman, Founder of QuitGamble.com.
About Kindred's Journey towards zero
Kindred Group is committed to transform gambling by being a trusted source of entertainment that contributes positively to society. Therefore, Kindred has set an ambition to reach zero per cent revenue from harmful gambling by 2023 and to report this metric on a quarterly basis. This is done to increase transparency, to support a fact-based dialogue about harmful gambling, and to raise awareness of the Group's sustainability work. To read more, visit: www.kindredgroup.com/zero.
For more information:
Maria Angell Dupont, External Communications Manager, Kindred Group
press@kindredgroup.com
+46 72 165 15 17
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
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SOURCE Kindred Group | 2022-07-20T07:04:18+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/07/20/kindred-continues-its-tailored-approach-de-risk-customers-part-its-journey-towards-zero/ |
Findings from 300 C-suite executives reveal numerous missed opportunities to maximize the predictive power of tax data
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 70% say cloud, data and analytics, and visualization tools are important for tax talent to know and use.
- Coding is now the most sought-after skill for tax talent.
- More women (83%) and underrepresented groups (72%) are joining the accounting profession.
NEW YORK, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fortune 500 tax department is at a pivotal moment of transformation, responding to a multitude of forces disrupting the profession as we know it. While there are clear bright spots in the modernization of skills and diversification of tax talent in the last two years, the profession still has a way to go in its adoption of technology, application of data and approach to hiring.
According to the KPMG LLP annual report, "Tax Reimagined 2022: Perspectives from the C-suite," 52 percent of C-suite executives are not leveraging tax data to scenario plan or model for tax policy changes, a mild improvement over last year's 69 percent. And when looking at other business implications, such as leveraging tax data to align with ESG priorities, 68 percent of respondents say they are not currently using tax data compared to 55 percent in 2021, and 60 percent say they are not using data to inform overall business strategy – slight progress from last year's 62 percent. Against the backdrop of significant tax and climate reform, ongoing negotiations to overhaul the global tax code and years of regulatory complexities, it's clear that companies are still missing opportunities to add business value by not leveraging tax data.
However, the report, which features insights from 300 C-suite executives at organizations with $1 billion or more in revenue, indicates that the profession is moving the needle with promising investments in diverse talent, a greater willingness to upskill inhouse employees, and a new focus on digital agility, creating a slow but steady shift in the overall make-up of the future tax department.
KEY FINDINGS:
Leveraging the power of tax data
- Sixty five percent are not leveraging tax data to inform decision-making about mergers and acquisitions.
- Sixty four percent are not leveraging tax data to prepare for or respond to audit inquiries.
- Fifty six percent are not leveraging tax data to do predictive modeling.
Navigating the talent landscape
- Eighty three percent say it has been difficult to recruit tax talent this past year.
- Seventy nine percent say it has been difficult to retain tax talent this past year.
- Fifty three percent say it has been difficult to recruit talent with the right skill set.
- Fewer C-suite executives state they are willing to outsource or co-source their tax department in 2022 (43 percent vs. 65 percent in 2021).
- Forty eight percent are inclined to upskill employees, an increase of 12 percentage points over 2021.
Defining the future tax professional
- The C-suite (46 percent) rank coding as the top skill needed to ensure today's tax department stays competitive, compared with 28 percent in 2021.
- Seventy percent rank scaling technologies (cloud, D&A tools, analytic and visualization) as the most relevant for tax talent to know and use.
- Sixty six percent rank emerging technologies (AI, blockchain, metaverse and quantum computing) as second most important, followed by an understanding of spreadsheets and databases (58 percent).
- Most leaders (57 percent) still prefer to hire tax professionals who can learn technology rather than tech professionals who can learn tax.
Investing in more diverse pipelines
- Majority of survey respondents (54 percent) are setting goals for outreach to underrepresented groups (+8 percentage points from 2021).
- Fifty five percent say their organizations are recruiting from nontraditional colleges and universities (+10 percentage points from 2021).
- Eighty three percent are witnessing more female candidates and hires join the profession compared with previous years.
- Seventy two percent are seeing more candidates and hires from underrepresented groups.
LEADER QUOTES:
"The tax and regulatory landscapes are fast evolving and increasingly complex. Chief Tax Officers and Chief Financial Officers, in particular, are faced with numerous pressures to remain up to speed on all the moving parts and to offer stability even during times of great uncertainty," said Greg Engel (@Greg_Engel_KPMG), Vice Chair – Tax, KPMG LLP. "For these reasons, it's imperative that C-suite leaders continue to prioritize investments in talent, D&A and technology to ensure the modern tax department continues to add maximum business impact."
"Tax departments are stepping out of the past by modernizing the skill sets of their talent, embracing DEI, and upgrading the technology they use to plan for the future," said Rema Serafi (@RemaSerafi), National Managing Partner – Tax, KPMG LLP. "Those organizations that embrace this change will be the ones best positioned to compete and succeed."
"Data is the next chapter for the modern tax department," said Brad Brown (@Brad_Brown_KPMG), Chief Technology Officer – Tax, KPMG LLP. "But until organizations realize the predictive power that tax data can bring to the entire organization and deploy a tech-first, tax-second approach to hiring talent that supports certain aspects of the tax department, they'll continue to leave tremendous value on the table."
Survey Methodology
The KPMG "Tax Reimagined 2022: Perspectives from the C-suite" survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) between May 18th and June 3rd, 2022, among 300 US C-suite executives at companies with annual revenue of $1B+. The margin of error for this study is +/- 5.7 at 95% confidence.
About KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP is the U.S. firm of the KPMG global organization of independent professional services firms providing audit, tax and advisory services. The KPMG global organization operates in 144 countries and territories and has more than 236,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.
KPMG is widely recognized for being a great place to work and build a career. Our people share a sense of purpose in the work we do, and a strong commitment to community service, inclusion and diversity, and eradicating childhood illiteracy. Learn more at www.kpmg.com/us.
Media Contacts
Taylor Ovalle
KPMG LLP
tovalle@kpmg.com
Tel: 201-956-8737
Twitter: @tayovalle
Erica Lee
KPMG LLP
ericalee3@kpmg.com
Tel: 646-920-2959
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SOURCE KPMG LLP | 2022-08-31T13:36:05+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/kpmg-llp-survey-majority-c-suite-leaders-still-dont-use-tax-data-prepare-policy-changes-amid-new-tax-laws/ |
Goran Dragić was already famous in Chicago long before he signed a contract with the Bulls.
Infamous might be more accurate.
Dragić co-starred in one of Derrick Rose’s top highlights of the 2009-10 season. It was one of those vicious, acrobatic, clutch-your-pearls dunks that raised both the hopes and blood pressure of fans throughout Chicago.
Rose caught a pass in transition, racing toward the basket. Dragić — then a second-year guard trying to find his place with the Phoenix Suns — threw himself in the way, but it was already too late. Rose floated toward the rim, pulled the ball behind his head with both hands and posterized Dragić, then 23.
“What are you doing, Dragić?” Bulls commentator Stacey King bellowed as Rose’s teammates watched the replay in awe on the sideline. “Did you not get the memo? Derrick Rose can go upstairs.”
That highlight has followed Dragić through the past 12 years of his career — and now to his new home in Chicago.
“This is my nightmare,” Dragić joked during Bulls media day Monday.
Dragić pointed out in his defense that Rose is the only NBA player to dunk on him throughout his 14-year career. But that dunk is everlasting, crystallized in Bulls history.
Dragić has kept his humor about the play more than a decade later.
“I was young — that was my second year in the league — so I had to go for that play,” Dragić said. “Of course, if I knew I would never go, but it is what it is. At least I’m on TV all the time.”
Plenty has changed in the 12-plus years since that play. Now Dragić, 36, is embracing his role as the most experienced player on the Bulls roster while acclimating to his new team in training camp.
Coach Billy Donovan noted Dragić’s 14 seasons of NBA experience as a strength for the Bulls. The 6-foot-3 guard adds ballhandling and playmaking to the rotations, helping offset Lonzo Ball’s absence from the backcourt.
“I’ve got a lot of experience being (the) vocal guy in the locker room,” Dragić said. “If they need me, I can come from the bench and be their spark. I’m at that point of my career where whatever is needed from me, I’m glad to do it.”
Dragić isn’t likely to start this season. Donovan acknowledged the challenges of playing starter’s minutes at Dragić’s age, envisioning him instead as a complementary player off the bench. But Dragić proved this summer he still can carry a sizable load when he came out of a five-year international retirement to represent Slovenia in the Eurobasket tournament.
Dragić cited Luka Dončić and Rasho Nesterović as the driving forces in pulling him out of retirement from international play. The pair persuaded Dragić to participate in the tournament, in which he averaged 14.9 points, 3.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals in seven games.
Eurobasket is known for its grueling physicality, often striking fear in NBA fans and coaches as players compete aggressively only weeks before training camps open. But Dragić said the Bulls encouraged him to represent his country.
“As an international player, when you don’t play for your national team, it’s really tough to go back home,” Dragić joked. “When you walk on the street and the fans are yelling at you … it’s tough.”
Despite the disappointment of an upset loss in the quarterfinals to Poland, Dragić said Eurobasket prepared him for the physical challenge of the 2022-23 season. Donovan didn’t feel the need to put Dragić on a minutes limit for training camp, although the team will monitor the veteran guard for any needed rest throughout the preseason.
After facing Dragić in the 2020 NBA Finals, new teammate Alex Caruso said he’s well-versed with the physical endurance of the Bulls’ newest guard.
“You don’t have to worry about toughness with him,” said Caruso, whose Los Angeles Lakers beat Dragić’s Miami Heat in six games. “I know Goran’s tough. He’s not afraid of moments. I’m excited to be his teammate and not play against him.”
The 2020 Finals still weigh heavily on Dragić, fueling his desire to compete in his 15th season. He tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in Game 1 of the series but returned in Game 6 in a desperate attempt to help keep the Heat alive.
After being two wins from a trophy, Dragić said he feels as motivated as ever with his new team.
“Every athlete, every basketball player wants to win a championship,” he said. “It’s the same thing with me. I’ve already been close with Miami. Unfortunately I got hurt in the Finals, and still to this day I cannot sleep well because I want to be back.
“I still have that hunger and I feel good, I feel healthy. I’m not the youngest anymore, but I still have that passion and that is the most important.”
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iPad accessory streamlines efficiency and protects tech for off-grid adventures
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Armor Gear (UAG), leading designers of rugged, lightweight mobile device cases and accessories, recently launched its Rugged Bluetooth Keyboard with Trackpad, a durable keyboard with eight feet of drop protection, designed for the iPad 10.2. The launch marks the brand's introduction into the hardware space, offering a premium Bluetooth accessory with the rugged protection UAG is known for.
"The launch of the Rugged Bluetooth Keyboard with Trackpad aligns with UAG's commitment to protection and our mission to help you Work From Anywhere," said UAG's Vice President of Brand and Creative, Casey Bevington. "We're excited to offer yet another tool to inspire you to push the boundaries and take your essential tech with you everywhere."
Since 2013, UAG has been a leading name in hand-held device protection. Known for its rugged yet functional cell phone cases, UAG has since expanded to offer a perfect balance of defense and design throughout its line of accessories for phone cases, smartwatches, headphones, and tablets alike.
The UAG Rugged Bluetooth Keyboard with Trackpad offers unique 360° protection, a rugged, non-slip exterior and other premium features that UAG is known for. The keyboard offers a laptop-style tracking and typing experience, and it features a backlit, spill-resistant keyboard for added protection against the elements. To top it all off, the keyboard's rechargeable battery allows up to 180 hours of battery life, offering users long-lasting utility while off-the-grid.
Work from anywhere with the UAG Rugged Bluetooth Keyboard with Trackpad, now available at select retailers and online at www.urbanarmorgear.com.
About Urban Armor Gear
Inspired by adrenaline-fueled outdoor adventures throughout Southern California, Urban Armor Gear (UAG) delivers mobile accessories and cases developed to survive rugged terrains while protecting your tech throughout any journey. Urban Armor Gear's innovative and lightweight yet durable designs constantly evolve to provide urban adventurers and global thrill seekers high-quality accessories to preserve the latest tech gear on the market, with the reassurance that their UAG mobile cases will perform in all extremes. Our badge of honor stands behind every single UAG product, receiving a military-grade certification for protection against shock by enduring rigorous laboratory drop-testing.
Visit: urbanarmorgear.com or www.instagram.com/urbanarmorgear for more information.
About Backbone Media
Backbone Media targets, engages and inspires the active lifestyle market through public relations, media planning and buying, and social media. For more than 20 years, Backbone has worked with leading outdoor gear, apparel, technology, food and beverage brands, as well as tourism destinations around the world. Backbone has offices in Carbondale and Denver, Colorado, and has consistently been named one of Outside magazine's "Best Places to Work." For more about Backbone Media, visit www.backbonemedia.net.
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SOURCE Urban Armor Gear | 2022-06-22T18:43:36+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/urban-armor-gear-enters-hardware-space-with-new-rugged-bluetooth-keyboard/ |
Updated May 6, 2023 at 10:08 AM ET
LONDON — King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, were officially crowned king and queen during a coronation ceremony Saturday at Westminster Abbey, the first coronation there since his mother's, Queen Elizabeth II, back in 1953.
Charles and Camilla began their procession toward the coronation from Buckingham Palace through Central London in a golden carriage led by eight horses as thousands of cheering people lined the streets.
About 200 members of the British military were mounted on horses as part of the procession, largely drawn from what's known as the Household Cavalry Regiment. On either side of the route to Westminster Abbey were around 1,000 other soldiers, sailors and Royal Air Force personnel.
They disembarked from their three-ton carriage at the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, flanked by church officials and followed by a retinue of support staff dressed in red uniforms.
While bells rang outside, trumpets and singing filled the inside of the Abbey to mark the their procession through the nave and past a large choir, before taking their seats at the start of the formal ceremony.
In his first spoken part of the ceremony, Charles said that he has come to "serve, not to be served" and to follow the example of the "king of kings."
After being presented to the audience and repeatedly proclaimed as king, Charles swore a series of oaths that relate to his responsibilities in this new role.
In his address to the congregation, the most senior clergyman in Britain, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, told those there and those watching on television at home that "we are here to crown a king and we crown a king to serve."
Welby later blessed oil that would be used to formally anoint Charles. As the choir sang again, Charles removed several layers of his robes and entered behind a screen where he was anointed by the oil, hidden from public view, but close to the altar.
Over the course of several minutes, Charles was presented with several symbolic items, including swords and spurs, many centuries old, ahead of his crowning.
The heavy crown was placed on Charles' head as he held two golden rods — one in each hand — as he sat silently upon a 700-year-old wooden throne. Archbishop Welby shouted "God Save the King," and the those gathered responded in kind, before thundering trumpet fanfare.
The most senior members of Britain's clergy and Charles' son, Prince William, pledged allegiance to the king before the audience replied with "may the king live forever."
Camilla was crowned as queen shortly after, and sat alongside her husband in identical chairs as the choir began to sing.
A light rain had been falling over the course of the morning as thousands of people lined up along the procession route, many of them carrying British flags as they cheered and sang before Charles passed in an ornate carriage.
Inside Westminster Abbey, aristocrats, celebrities and leaders from a variety of Britain's political parties arrived ahead of the ceremony. The congregation included singers such as Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, who will perform at a concert organized to celebrate the coronation this weekend.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak read a passage from the Bible, and several of his most senior ministers also attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, alongside the prime minister of Ukraine and Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Former British leaders including Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair also attended. U.S. first lady Jill Biden also attended.
Police arrest anti-monarchy protesters
On the edge of Trafalgar Square, several anti-monarchy protesters from a campaign group called Republic were arrested before the procession as they began unloading printed signs. The London Metropolitan police force announced a "significant operation" in the city center.
Footage posted on social media appeared to show Graham Smith, the chief executive of the group, being arrested by police alongside five other demonstrators wearing T-shirts that read "Not My King."
Republic criticized the action in response to what they called
peaceful protest, and said the police would not provide a reason for
the arrests.
The coronation is costing taxpayers the equivalent of about $125 million.
More than 11,000 officers were deployed across the capital on Saturday, and the force's chief, Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, had cautioned earlier this week that on the streets near the ceremony there would be a "very low tolerance for disruption."
NPR's Lauren Frayer and Don Clyde contributed to this post.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-05-06T15:00:12+00:00 | upr.org | https://www.upr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-05-05/king-charles-iii-and-queen-camilla-are-crowned-in-elaborate-ceremony |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mindworks by Mintegral recently announced updates to Playturbo, its self-service element-based creative production platform for playable ads. The Playturbo platform now provides hundreds of premium playable ad templates and a new drag-and-drop feature giving complete control over production in just a few clicks.
Playable ads have quickly become one of the most popular ad formats among apps and brands due to their premium user experience, accessibility, and superior conversion performance. And while playable ads are effective, they are typically expensive and time-consuming to produce, posing a significant challenge to scalability.
Playturbo's zero-coding, drag-and-drop online editor aims to solve this problem with an 85x improved efficiency and 60x cost savings compared to other video creatives.
Playable ads created on Playturbo can be exported and deployed across all the major ad networks on the market. In addition, your creatives' language, device orientation, and package size can also be altered in a few clicks – helping you succeed in the global market.
Games, apps, eCommerce, and brands all stand to benefit from the playable template library, which offers premium images, text, background music, CTAs, videos, and effects.
Learn more about how Playturbo can help boost your business' advertising growth: https://www.mindworks-creative.com/article/88
Mintegral is an AI-driven, programmatic, and interactive advertising platform dedicated to helping clients bridge the gap among the world's most valuable markets. As a leading global mobile ad platform with an in-depth understanding of local markets, Mintegral provides a one-stop mobile advertising solution to help brands and apps overcome cross-regional challenges and scale globally.
Media: mkt@mintegral.com
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SOURCE Mintegral | 2022-07-13T06:57:18+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/mindworks-mintegrals-creative-studio-launches-drag-and-drop-editor-playable-ads/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been chosen as the nation’s next ambassador to the United States.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the appointment Tuesday, citing Rudd’s roles as leader and foreign minister as well as his academic background as a China scholar and previous work in the U.S. Albanese said Rudd would begin early next year.
“Dr. Rudd brings unmatched experience to the role,” Albanese said.
In a statement, Rudd said he was greatly honored to be chosen. He said Australia faces the most challenging security and diplomatic environment it has in decades.
Rudd served as prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and again briefly in 2013 before his center-left Labor party lost a general election. He served as foreign minister from 2010 to 2012.
Australia has a rough-and-tumble political style, and Rudd was abruptly replaced as prime minister by Julia Gillard in 2010, who was then herself abruptly replaced by Rudd in 2013.
Rudd has often been a divisive figure in Australian politics, and reporters on Tuesday questioned Albanese about appointing somebody who had a reputation as a micromanager and who has been harshly critical of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and former President Donald Trump.
Albanese said Rudd was an “outstanding appointment” and the U.S. would view the choice of a former prime minister as “very significant.”
“I am very pleased that Kevin Rudd is prepared to do this,” Albanese said. “He certainly doesn’t need to do this. He’s doing it out of a part of what he sees as his service obligation to the country that he loves. And I am sure that he will serve very well.”
Rudd, who speaks Mandarin, is currently serving as president and chief executive of the Asia Society in New York.
He has lived in the U.S. for most of the past decade, working first at the Harvard Kennedy School researching U.S.-China relations, followed by eight years in various roles at the Asia Society.
“In some ways, my new position will not be dissimilar to the work I have been undertaking at Asia Society to support greater cooperation between the U.S. and the countries of our region — experience which should hold me in good stead for the challenge ahead,” Rudd said in his statement.
Albanese said he plans to visit the U.S. at some point next year, and for President Joe Biden to visit Australia when it hosts a meeting of leaders from the four-nation Quad group, which also includes Japan and India. | 2022-12-20T04:38:43+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/former-australian-leader-kevin-rudd-appointed-us-ambassador/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
DENVER, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), one of the nation's leading homebuilders, announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of fifty cents ($0.50) per share on the Company's common stock. The dividend will be paid on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 to shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.
About MDC
M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1972. MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries, which operate under the name Richmond American Homes, have built and financed the American Dream for more than 230,000 homebuyers since 1977. MDC's commitment to customer satisfaction, quality and value is reflected in each home its subsidiaries build. MDC is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States. Its subsidiaries have homebuilding operations across the country, including the metropolitan areas of Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Riverside-San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Orlando, Jacksonville, Seattle, Portland, Boise, Nashville, Austin and Albuquerque. MDC's subsidiaries also provide mortgage financing, insurance and title services, primarily for Richmond American homebuyers, through HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company, respectively. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit www.mdcholdings.com.
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SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. | 2022-07-26T21:56:14+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/mdc-holdings-declares-quarterly-cash-dividend/ |
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Publicista: Paul Sorvino, actor de "Goodfellas" y "Law & Order", fallece a los 83 años.
- NASA software developer working on Artemis Project is from Laredo
- VIDEO: Massive meteor fireball lights up Houston night sky
- Toys R Us is coming back, Laredoans express excitement
- LPD: Group goes to man's home for 'revenge,' stabs his nephew
- OB-GYN found with child porn in vehicle at car dealership sentenced
- LISD asst. principal who faced smuggling charges terminated
- Local bar association plans events to bring community together
- Laredo, LC partnering for Cares 2.0 job fair
- WCSO: Man threatens to kill his sister's 4 children, assaults one
- City takes on restoration of 1925 French chateau in central Laredo
- 3 TX cities to host XFL teams, one with former Cowboys coach
- Fire causes lane closure in south Laredo
- Council attends 6-hour workshop for city manager search
- Grandparents jailed after leaving boy in car at Sam's Club
- LISD receives $10,000 for free physicals for students
MOST POPULAR | 2022-07-25T20:23:03+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/entertainment/article/Publicista-Paul-Sorvino-actor-de-Goodfellas-y-17327824.php |
APTOS, Calif. – A frustrated President Joe Biden said Thursday there is “no there there” when he was persistently questioned about the discovery of classified documents and official records at his home and former office.
“We found a handful of documents were filed in the wrong place,” Biden said to reporters who questioned him during a tour of the damage from storms in California. “We immediately turned them over to the Archives and the Justice Department.”
Biden said he was “fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly.”
“I think you're going to find there's nothing there,” he said. “There's no there there.”
The White House has disclosed that Biden attorneys found classified documents and official records on four occasions in recent months — on Nov. 2 at the offices of the Penn Biden Center in Washington, and then in follow up searches on Dec. 20 in the garage of the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and on Jan. 11 and 12 in the president’s home library.
Attorney General Merrick Garland last week appointed Robert Hur, a former Maryland U.S. attorney, to serve as special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s inquiry into the documents.
The discovery complicates a federal probe into former President Donald Trump, who the Justice Department says took hundreds of records marked classified with him upon leaving the White House in early 2021 and resisted months of requests to return them to the government.
The two cases are different — Biden for example, willingly turned over the documents once found. But the issue is wearing on the president and his aides, who have repeatedly said they acted swiftly and appropriately when the documents were discovered, and are working to be as transparent as possible though key questions remain unanswered.
Biden expressed frustration that the documents matter was coming up as he surveyed coastal storm damage, telling reporters that it “bugs me” that he was being asked about the handling of the classified material even as “we have a serious problem here” in California.
"Why you don’t ask me questions about that?" he pressed.
Biden’s team has faced criticism for its fragmented disclosures — the public wasn't notified of the documents until early January and after that the additional findings dripped out slowly. It has occasionally led to heated exchanges between reporters and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in the White House briefing room. She ran into trouble when she suggested last Friday that all documents had been recovered, only to have an additional discovery disclosed over the weekend.
Biden said Thursday he has “no regrets” over how and when the public learned about the documents.
“I’m following what the lawyers have told me they want me to do," he said. | 2023-01-20T00:56:16+00:00 | ksat.com | https://www.ksat.com/news/politics/2023/01/19/biden-on-classified-docs-discovery-theres-no-there-there/ |
HORNBROOK, Calif. (AP) — Tribal, state and federal officials on Thursday cheered a plan for the largest dam removal in U.S. history along the Klamath River near the California-Oregon line as a major step toward restoring a once-thriving watershed that tribal communities have long relied on.
“Clean water, healthy forests and fertile land made the Klamath River Basin and its surrounding watershed a home to tribal communities, productive agriculture, and a place where abundant populations of migratory birds, suckers, salmon and other fish could thrive,” U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. “We must take urgent and necessary action to protect this special place.”
Haaland joined leaders of the Karuk and Yurok tribes as well as U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman and Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Kate Brown of Oregon along the river to celebrate the significance of the November decision to remove four dams along the river. Haaland also announced $5.8 million in new federal money to help restore aquatic ecosystems and habitats amid the West’s ongoing drought.
They spoke after touring a fish hatchery along part of the river in California, less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the state line with Oregon.
The removal of four dams along the river will mark the largest dam demolition in U.S. history. Work is expected to begin next year and be completed by 2024. It will open up hundreds of miles of habitat for salmon, a fish that holds cultural and dietary significance for tribes. The river has been dammed for more than a century.
“This moment has truly been decades in the making,” Brown said. “For many of people here, today is truly a culmination of a lifetime of work to restore the helath water and fish stokes of the Klamath Basin.”
Tribal leaders spoke about the decades-long fight to remove the dams and restore the river’s ability to flow freely, allowing salmon and other species to thrive.
“Our children get to be able to walk the river banks post-dam removal,” said Chairman Joe James of the Yurok Tribe. “We’ll tell them about the history.”
The new federal money Haaland announced will go toward a study of the survival and migration rate of juvenile salmonid, an ecological flow assessment and project on the Trinity River in California and restoration of the Upper Williamson River in southern Oregon. | 2022-12-09T00:09:32+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-tribal-federal-leaders-cheer-klamath-river-dam-removals/ |
The University of Virginia is mourning over the shooting of five students, three of which were on the football team.
Heartbreaking Incident
The incident happened Sunday night on a charter bus. The group of about 25 students went to Washington as part of a class field trip to see a play. The gunman opened fire shortly after the bus returned to the university, then fled the scene.
The shooting shut down campus for nearly 12 hours. University officials said nearly 500 students spent the night in libraries, classrooms and other spaces.
University president Jim Ryan announced Monday the three football players who died were D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler. The other two students injured were not named.
A judge ordered Wednesday, the suspect Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. did not enter a plea to his numerous charges and is currently being held without bond.
Darnell Jones Jr, the suspect in custody, was a university student. He was listed as undergraduate in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Also, he was a member of the Virginia football team in 2018. It was unknown if he had a close relationship with any players on the bus due to him not being on the field for quite some time.
UVA’s head coach Tony Elliot said it feels like a nightmare.
UVA’s last home football game, cancelled
Virginia’s athletic department came together on Wednesday, announcing that the Cavaliers’ home football game vs. Coastal Carolina scheduled for Saturday has been canceled. This would have been the final home football game for Virginia in its 2022 season.
The Virginia athletics department announced today (Nov. 16) the Cavaliers’ home football game vs. Coastal Carolina scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 has been canceled.https://t.co/7K0eAHR6jW
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) November 16, 2022
Students Silent Vigil
The university held a silent vigil Monday night where hundreds of students attended. Students wrote emails to their classmates, stating the gathering on the Lawn near Old Cabell Hall would be a quiet reflection. It was a time to support one another during this heartbreaking time.
Light in darkness. Thanks to our students for lighting the way. pic.twitter.com/kNOPXz8Y88
— Jim Ryan (@presjimryan) November 15, 2022
The halt of normal activities
The University cancelled classes Monday and Tuesday but resumed work on Wednesday.
However, undergraduate students are not required to submit graded assignments or exams before Thanksgiving break.
UVA Student wealth is offering 24-hour services for students who are in need and 24-hour TimelyCare mental health telehealth program.
Ryan, the university president, said him and his wife, Katie, are welcoming students with open arms into their Carr’s Hill home from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Football Team’s Road to Healing
First-year head coach Elliot said he has to acknowledge the strength of his players and staff to be able to work to process what has happened.
Virginia’s football team and staff are on the road to healing. Elliot said it will take some time, and he wants to keep them together as much as he can.
UVA’s social media accounts shared that Parry, Davis Jr., and Chandler were “incredible young men with huge aspirations and extremely bright futures.”
Chandler was a wide receiver from Huntersville, North Carolina. He was a transfer from the University of Wisconsin and was eager to make his debut for the Cavaliers.
Davis was a receiver from Dorchester, South Carolina. He missed the 2021 season because of a knee injury but made 16 catches and two touchdowns in eight games this season.
Perry was a linebacker and defensive end from Miami.
Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams spoke on the heart of the three football players.
“We will never see what their impact on the world would have been, but we will never forget their impact on us,” Williams said. “I miss Lavel, D’Sean and Devin.”
Unspeakable things have happened here in Charlottesville. pic.twitter.com/h2ieUIcBoV
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 14, 2022 | 2022-11-16T22:09:00+00:00 | wruf.com | https://www.wruf.com/headlines/2022/11/16/uva-cancels-final-home-football-game-mourning-the-shooting-of-five-students/ |
In May, Olympic gold medalist and world-champion American sprinter Tori Bowie was found dead in her Florida home at the age of 32. An autopsy last month found the the cause of death was complications related to childbirth. Bowie was 8 months pregnant.
Two of Tori Bowie’s former teammates and friends — Allyson Felix and Tianna Madison — had near-death experiences during their own pregnancies. Following her death, they have shared their traumatic experiences and the wider crisis in black maternal health. Currently, the death rate for Black women during pregnancy is nearly 3x higher than it is for white women.
Felix and Madison sit down for their first joint interview following Bowie’s death with Celeste Headlee.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-07-18T19:10:00+00:00 | kanw.com | https://www.kanw.com/2023-07-18/sport-stars-allyson-felix-and-tianna-madison-speak-out-after-childbirth-death-of-teammate-tori-bowie |
Northwestern has been added to a long list of American universities to face a scandal in athletics and may eventually join the trend of making large payouts following allegations of sexual abuse.
A former Wildcats football player filed the first lawsuit against Pat Fitzgerald and members of the school’s leadership on Tuesday, seeking damages stemming from a hazing scandal that cost the former football coach his job.
More lawsuits, filed by multiple law firms, are expected to follow from former football and baseball players as well as from student-athletes who played other sports for the private school.
The private, Big Ten institution now has another thing in common with other schools in the conference, including Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota, with a scandal tied to sexual abuse.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
And, connection may be costly.
At least eight former Northwestern football players have retained attorneys following recent revelations that led to Fitzgerald’s firing and sharp criticism of university leadership for its initial response to the allegations.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Chicago-based Levin & Perconti law firm have scheduled a news conference Wednesday morning in Chicago with former Northwestern athletes. Crump has represented the families of George Floyd and others in high-profile civil rights cases.
News
Criminal charges are also possible.
Illinois, like nearly all states in recent decades, has criminalized hazing. It is typically a Class A misdemeanor, which can carry up to one year in prison. Under Illinois law, failure of a school official to report hazing is also a crime — a misdemeanor — and can carry a maximum penalty of between six months and a year in prison.
A “hazing prevention” page on Northwestern’s website includes descriptions of Illinois hazing laws.
Cincinnati-based attorney Tim Burke, who has no ties to the Northwestern lawsuit, said the civil litigation can take many years to resolve because of complex legal issues, the numbers of potential plaintiffs and the voluminous evidence.
“More than a decade is not out of the range of possibilities,” Burke said. “But Northwestern is not going to want this to go on that long.”
In a letter to Northwestern’s faculty and staff, Schill wrote that an outside firm will be hired to evaluate how the school detects threats to student-athletes’ welfare and to examine the athletics culture in Evanston, Illinois, and its relationship to academics at the prestigious institution.
Northwestern fired Fitzgerald last week after a university investigation found allegations of hazing by 11 current or former players, including “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature,” Schill wrote.
After the school initially suspended Fitzgerald, The Daily Northwestern published an article including allegations from a former player who described specific instances of hazing and abuse and suggested he may have been aware.
Fitzgerald, who led Northwestern for 17 seasons and was a star linebacker for the Wildcats, has maintained he had no knowledge of the hazing. Fitzgerald said after being fired that he was working with his agent, Bryan Harlan and his lawyer, Dan Webb, to “protect my rights in accordance with the law.” An emailed statement Tuesday from Fitzgerald’s defense team quoted Webb, as saying, “the complaint has no validity as to Coach Fitzgerald and we will aggressively defend against these allegations with facts and evidence.” Webb, a former U.S. attorney, has been one of the most sought-after private lawyers in the country for decades.
A former Northwestern football player, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe, alleged Tuesday in the Cook County Court in Chicago that Fitzgerald, Northwestern University President Michael Schill, the board of trustees and athletic director Derrick Gragg enabled and concealed sexual misconduct and racial discrimination.
The player, who was on the football team from 2018 to 2022, had his filing submitted by the Chicago-based Salvi Law Firm.
“It wasn’t just confined to one bad actor,” attorney Parker Stinar said in an interview with The Associated Press. | 2023-07-19T12:51:58+00:00 | nbcchicago.com | https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/attorneys-for-former-northwestern-players-to-provide-update-as-lawsuits-stemming-from-hazing-allegations-loom/3189792/ |
MONTREAL, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Lightspeed Commerce Inc. (NYSE: LSPD) (TSX: LSPD), the one-stop commerce platform for merchants around the world to simplify, scale, and create exceptional customer experiences, today announced the expansion of its systems integration partnership with OpenTable (part of Booking Holdings Inc., NASDAQ: BKNG), a leading restaurant platform and provider of online restaurant reservations.
The rich integration between OpenTable and Lightspeed enables the two systems to communicate in real-time, streamlining the core information restaurants need to run an efficient floor all in one place. Those using the Lightspeed and OpenTable systems integration can better understand diner behavior and spending, get up-to- the-minute updates on table status, and track revenue in real-time, harnessing the power of both systems.
The partnership expansion comes as restaurants continue to face a difficult operating environment with rising costs and staff shortages, putting a new emphasis on the need to drive efficiencies, without compromising the guest experience.
Restaurants using the integration can benefit from:
- Improved table turnaround times with up-to-the-second updates, so hosts know the status of every table.
- Automated check creation once a meal is completed.
- Quickly viewing information on past visits including average spend, previous order info and more, allowing staff to provide a greater level of customer familiarity and hospitality.
- Interactive reports available anytime, anywhere, giving restaurateurs real-time access to restaurant performance, revenue, and more.
"Lightspeed restaurants are always looking to help provide the best possible guest experience. This partnership gives management and staff in-depth guest details for every reservation," said Lightspeed Hospitality GM Peter Dougherty. "OpenTable is an industry-leading restaurant platform, and we're proud to bring more resources like this to our customers around the world."
"Our integration partnership with Lightspeed gives restaurants even more tools to help provide exceptional hospitality while protecting their bottom line," said Susan Lee, Chief Growth Officer for OpenTable. "We've seen success in Europe, and we look forward to bringing these capabilities to more owners and operators across North America."
The new flagship Lightspeed Restaurant and the OpenTable integration are must- have tools for the busy summer ahead in hospitality. To learn more about the OpenTable partnership, click here.
Editor's Note
Customer Testimonial: How Craft House Improved Sales and Table Turn Time with Lightspeed & OpenTable*
Blake Mellgren, chef and owner of Craft House bar and restaurant in Dana Point, California has seen success with the integration: "The big driver for us was the ability to keep track of guests through the whole dining experience, and quantify those experiences."
Now that many restaurants see turn times as a key opportunity to optimize the ROI of each shift, Mellgren says: "Instead of having to walk through the restaurant and status everybody, which wastes time, the host knows exactly where the meal is. Using the OpenTable and Lightspeed integration helps create a better workflow so everybody is on the same page, allowing us to be one step ahead."
Using the OpenTable and Lightspeed Restaurant integration has also helped Mellgren have a better sense of his VIP guests' preferences. "Seeing in the Lightspeed and OpenTable integration what your customers are ordering on a regular basis is a nice feature. We may not know them as a regular yet, but you can access that data if you want to connect the dots and it's all at your fingertips," said Mellgren.
About Lightspeed
Powering the businesses that are the backbone of the global economy, Lightspeed's one-stop commerce platform helps merchants innovate to simplify, scale, and provide exceptional customer experiences. Our cloud commerce solution transforms and unifies online and physical operations, multichannel sales, expansion to new locations, global payments, financial solutions, and connection to supplier networks.
Founded in Montréal, Canada in 2005, Lightspeed is dual-listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LSPD) and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: LSPD). With teams across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, the company serves retail, hospitality, and golf businesses in over 100 countries.
For more information, see www.lightspeedhq.com
Follow us on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
About OpenTable
OpenTable, part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), connects more than 1 billion people with restaurants every year, helping power hospitality at more than 50,000 restaurants, bars, wineries, and other venues in more than 80 countries. With software that drives reservations, experiences, payments, guest insights and operations, OpenTable enables restaurants to run their most successful business yet.
*Disclaimer: Customer received an account credit in exchange for participation.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may include forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"), including information regarding Lightspeed's product offerings and planned product roadmap. Forward-looking statements are statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions and are identified by words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates" or similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Such statements are based on current expectations of Lightspeed's management and inherently involve numerous risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including economic factors. A number of risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, including, among other factors, those risk factors identified in our most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, under "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Information Form, and in our other filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully when making decisions with respect to Lightspeed's subordinate voting shares and not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and, while forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions that Lightspeed considers reasonable, actual events and results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made by Lightspeed. Except as may be expressly required by applicable law, Lightspeed does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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SOURCE Lightspeed Commerce Inc. | 2022-07-19T14:18:24+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/lightspeed-opentable-help-restaurants-drive-improved-efficiencies-systems-integration-partnership-extends-north-america/ |
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is currently accepting applications for its 2023 Consumer Participation Program.
Established in 1992, the Consumer Participation Program promotes consumer representation and interaction with NAIC members by providing an opportunity for individuals to participate in NAIC meetings, provided they represent consumer interests and meet established criteria for appointment.
"This year marks 30 years that the Consumer Participation Program has been helping position the voice of the consumer at the forefront as state regulators address priorities that impact consumers," said Colorado Insurance Commissioner and Chair of the Consumer Liaison Committee Michael Conway.
One option for individuals to participate in the Consumer Participation Program is for the NAIC to provide funding in the form of travel expense reimbursement. To qualify for such funding, the candidate shall have a commitment to representing consumer interests in insurance regulation, be willing to fully participate in NAIC national meetings and related conference calls, and have demonstrated expertise and experience on insurance-related issues addressed by the NAIC. Individuals who do not need funding may apply to participate in the Consumer Participation Program as an unfunded consumer representative.
"A fundamental responsibility of every insurance commissioner is to protect our consumers. The NAIC recognizes the important role consumer representatives can play in achieving that responsibility," said NAIC President and Idaho Director of Insurance Dean L. Cameron. "We look forward to applicants who are engaged, thoughtful, and are willing to share their diverse perspectives."
The NAIC website (naic.org) provides additional information about the NAIC's Consumer Participation Program and describes the application process.
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Oct. 31, 2022. All applicants are required to complete the application, sign the Conflict-of-Interest Statement, and attach all documents requested. Applicants will be selected in December and notified prior to the Spring National Meeting in 2023.
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SOURCE National Association of Insurance Commissioners | 2022-08-31T22:47:56+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/naic-now-accepting-applications-2023-consumer-representatives/ |
PGA TOUR statement on medical emergency at Pebble Beach
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Pebble Beach Golf Links
During the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, there was a medical emergency at No. 11 at Pebble Beach involving an amateur's caddie. The caddie has been rushed to Montage Health for evaluation.
At the direction of the PGA TOUR Rules Committee, the players in that group - Max McGreevy and Beau Hossler - paused play during the medical emergency and will be allowed to warm up and resume their round shortly. We will provide additional details when available. | 2023-02-07T23:45:12+00:00 | pgatour.com | https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2023/02/03/pga-tour-statement-on-medical-emergency-at-pebble-beach |
Antisemitism-911.org Provides Resources to Help Victims
NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Antisemitic attacks reached a record level in 2021 and by many indications, 2022 will far exceed that dark year. Antisemitic acts are now almost commonplace as entertainment, sports and political icons bring Jew-hatred into the mainstream.
FBI director Christopher Wray recently said that 63 percent of all hate attacks are motivated by antisemitism, yet Jews only represent two percent of the population. From a shocking hostage-taking situation during services in a synagogue in Colleyville, TX, to a barrage of attacks on Hasidic Jews in New York City, this past year brought into focus that every Jew has a target on his or her back.
Against this backdrop, Antisemitism-911.org, a new resource offered by The Focus Project, has been launched to help those threatened, intimidated or victimized – and those who simply want to be prepared.
The Antisemitism-911 website provides simple-to-navigate resources to help any victim or witness to cope and respond, so that they do not need to look far and wide – whether a student, a teacher, a parent or an employer – for help, advice or further resources. This site is particularly useful for synagogues, Jewish community centers and other institutions to be able to easily decide which organization is the most appropriate resource. Approved resources include ADL, Hadassah, the Brandeis Center, StandWithUs, the Israeli American Council and Echoes and Reflections.
Experiencing an antisemitic hate incident, whether verbal or physical, can be quite traumatic.
"If you experience or see an antisemitic incident, your first inclination is to respond but you're not sure how," said Laurence Moskowitz, communications advisor to Antisemitism-911.org whose firm, Lumentus, built the website. "By giving people new practical tools to respond, we hope to address and limit these acts of hate and stem the rising tide of antisemitism in our country."
The new website includes quick and user-friendly information on what to do, what to say, and where to report an incident. It also provides educational information and resources about antisemitism – when it becomes unlawful, and when anti-Zionism crosses into antisemitism.
"Jewish people continue to face repeated violence and very real threats, from all kinds of actors … simply for being who they are," Wray recently declared. "I'd venture to say no community feels more threatened by that boiling over into violence. The threat of violent extremism is real, and it's urgent."
About Antisemitism-911
Antisemitism-911.org, offered by The Focus Project, was created by a group of everyday American Jews who have experienced either verbal antisemitism or actual acts of vandalism at their schools, synagogues, community centers or personal places of business. We are not affiliated with any one organization and do not aim to replace their amazing efforts and resources, but our material has been reviewed by many of their representatives and we offer links to their pages where relevant. Our goal is to serve as a central repository of information and guidance and refer you to the most appropriate resource.
Approved resources for the site include: ADL, Hadassah, StandWithUs, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the Israeli American Council and Echoes and Reflections.
Antisemitism 911 is a resource of The Focus Project, a joint initiative of a broad coalition of U.S. Jewish organizations working together to combat antisemitism and anti-Zionism in America.
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SOURCE The Focus Project | 2023-01-10T01:18:11+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/01/10/new-resource-launched-fight-against-american-antisemitism-crisis/ |
Local motorcycle ministry sets third annual school supply drive event
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Los Capellanes – The Chaplains – is a motorcycle ministry that, for the past two years, has collected and donated school supplies for local students.
In its third year, Matheson Park Elementary will host the drive. To people there, dozens of men and women riding there in motorcycles has become a tradition.
“The kids just love that. They love seeing all the motorcycles coming through,” said Doug Anaya, the president of the Los Capellanes Motorcycle Ministry.
Los Capellanes collect backpacks, pencils, notebooks, and even playground equipment, like balls and jump ropes. All of that goes to the students at Matheson Park Elementary.
“Matheson Park Elementary School is a Title I school. It’s right in the middle of all these other schools, so it’s kind of like a forgotten school,” Anaya explained. “Obviously, Title I means they are under the poverty level but they have a group of amazing teachers and educators that are helping. The problem is also parents that are struggling.”
The school serves around 200 students so Los Capellanes are already collecting donations.
On July 30, you can also drop them off at Craft Republic in Albuquerque.
“We’re trying to really set up the school and the kids for a great year of going back to school and just being able to focus on what they need to focus on,” Anaya stated.
On August 12, Los Capellanes will roll in and give away all of the collected supplies.
‘We’re going to be doing free kids’ haircuts as well, so we’re asking for barbers and hair stylists who would like to volunteer if they can get a hold of us,” Anaya said.
This is the third year Los Capellanes does something like this. As the need continues to grow, they also don’t plan on stopping either.
“Unfortunately, the community sees bikers as the way that the shows portray it, and it’s not that way. You know? We are part of our community. We also like to help our community and be invested in our community,” Anaya said.
The event isn’t just for Matheson Park Elementary families. Anyone is welcome to attend.
If you’re unable to attend the event this weekend, you can still donate. Here is the ministry’s contact information:
- LCChaplainBishop@gmail.com
- 505-231-8795 | 2023-07-24T14:48:27+00:00 | kob.com | https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/local-motorcycle-ministry-sets-third-annual-school-supply-drive-event/ |
Mastermind and hypnotist Fred Lee shares his story of starting hypnosis at the age of 13. Watch the clip above to see host Olivia Horton get hypnotized.
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You have been added to KRON4 Breaking News Newsletter | 2022-06-28T02:11:13+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/live-in-the-bay/mastermind-fred-lee-hypnotizes-live-on-tv/ |
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), one of the main opponents to House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) becoming Speaker, said Thursday that he “will resign” from Congress if Democrats help to elect a moderate Republican Speaker instead.
Fox News’s Laura Ingraham asked Gaetz in an interview if he would be alright with an outcome in which there’s “ultimately a deal” struck with moderate Democrats on a consensus candidate in exchange for some kind of co-control of House committees.
Gaetz said he is “certain” that the House Democrats will not break ranks and vote for a moderate Republican for Speaker.
“I’m on the floor, Laura. These 212 Democrats are going to vote for Hakeem Jeffries every single time. He is a historic candidate for them. They are not going to cleave off under any circumstance. I assure you that if Democrats join up to elect a moderate Republican, I will resign from the House of Representatives,” Gaetz said.
“That is how certain I am I can assure your viewers that won’t happen,” he added.
Gaetz is one of the 20 holdouts who have blocked McCarthy’s path to the Speakership through three days and 11 ballots since the House began its session on Tuesday.
While McCarthy has received support from the vast majority of the Republican conference, those 20 members have denied him the majority of the chamber and thus the Speaker’s gavel.
Ingraham noted several concessions McCarthy has made to try to win over support from the holdouts, including agreements to place more members of the House Freedom Caucus, the most hard-line conservative members of the body, onto the House Rules Committee and to allow floor votes on congressional term limits and border security legislation.
Gaetz, however, said he “would not bet” on him casting his vote for McCarthy under “almost any circumstance.”
House Republicans were set to have a conference-wide call at 10:15 a.m., after McCarthy’s main allies and detractors met late into the night on Thursday to discuss further possible concessions in the hopes that McCarthy can flip at least some of the group of 20 to support him. | 2023-01-06T17:59:02+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/hill-politics/gaetz-says-he-will-resign-if-democrats-help-elect-a-moderate-republican-for-speaker/ |
Olivia Wilde recalls being served at CinemaCon as ‘vicious’
By Marianne Garvey
Olivia Wilde has shared how she felt about being publicly served legal documents in a new interview.
Wilde was introducing her upcoming directorial project, “Don’t Worry Darling,” to an industry audience at CinemaCon in April when she was delivered a manila envelope on stage.
She opened it to discover they were legal documents related to the custody of her two children with her former partner, actor Jason Sudeikis.
“Mr. Sudeikis had no prior knowledge of the time or place that the envelope would have been delivered as this would solely be up to the process service company involved and he would never condone her being served in such an inappropriate manner,” a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN at the time.
“It was my workplace,” Wilde said of incident in an interview with Variety published this week.
“In any other workplace, it would be seen as an attack. It was really upsetting. It shouldn’t have been able to happen. There was a huge breach in security, which is really scary. The hurdles that you had to jump through to get into that room with several badges, plus special Covid tests that had to be taken days in advance, which gave you wristbands that were necessary to gain access to the event — this was something that required forethought.”
CinemaCon announced they were reviewing security protocols after the incident.
“We have never in the history of the convention had an incident where a delegate has approached the stage who was not authorized to be there,” Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, told CNN in a statement in April.
After opening the envelope, Wilde got right back to business.
“I hated that this nastiness distracted from the work of so many different people and the studio that I was up there representing,” Wilde said. “To try to sabotage that was really vicious. But I had a job to do. I’m not easily distracted.”
She added, “But, you know, sadly, it was not something that was entirely surprising to me. I mean, there’s a reason I left that relationship.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2022-08-25T21:54:14+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2022/08/25/olivia-wilde-recalls-being-served-at-cinemacon-as-vicious/ |
Transaction Represents First Investment by Firm's New Private Credit Team
DENVER, July 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bow River Capital, a Denver-based alternative asset manager, is pleased to announce that its Private Credit Team has provided funds, alongside other leading private credit institutions, to refinance Inventus Power, a global provider of advanced battery and power systems.
Eli Muraidekh, Head of the Private Credit Team, commented: "We are delighted to have completed our first investment so soon after announcing the formation of Bow River's Private Credit Team in June. We believe this investment is representative of the extraordinary opportunity to provide capital solutions to middle market companies."
Aaron Arnett, Managing Director, added, "We are excited to be partnering with Inventus Power, our co-investment partners and the company's private equity sponsor to support the next phase of the company's growth. Inventus Power has a differentiated platform that we are confident will continue to benefit from the global electrification trend, and the company has earned a best-in-class reputation with a diverse, innovative and blue-chip customer base."
This transaction represents the first investment made by Bow River Capital's Private Credit Team. In June 2023, the Firm announced the formation of its Private Credit Team, including private credit investment team members Eli Muraidekh, Aaron Arnett and Joshua Apfel. The Firm has also assembled a world-class Private Credit Investment Committee, which, in addition to Mr. Muraidekh and Mr. Arnett, is comprised of Richard Thackray, President of Bow River, Jeremy Held, Head of Bow River's Evergreen Strategies, and non-voting Adviser, Jonathan DeSimone.
About Inventus Power
Founded in 1960, Inventus Power specializes in the design and manufacturing of Lithium-ion power systems, batteries, smart chargers and power supplies across a broad range of portable, motive and stationary applications. The company serves customers across four continents, and supplies from manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, China and Malaysia. In delivering bespoke power solutions to government users, critical healthcare applications and a burgeoning range of commercial applications, Inventus Power is strategically positioned to support the needs of global clients.
About Bow River Capital
Bow River Capital is a private alternative asset manager based in Denver, Colorado, focused on investing in the lower and middle market in four asset classes: private credit, private equity, real estate, and software growth equity. Through its subsidiary Bow River Advisers, LLC, Bow River Capital also offers a registered, closed-end mutual fund – Bow River Capital Evergreen Fund (EVERX) – designed to provide institutional-quality private market access to a broader set of investors. Collectively, the Bow River Capital team has deployed capital into diverse industries, asset classes and across the capital structure.
Bow River Capital Evergreen Fund is distributed by Foreside Financial Services, LLC, which is not affiliated with Bow River Capital or its affiliates.
For more information on Bow River Capital, please visit www.BowRiverCapital.com.
Bow River Capital Contact:
Jane Ingalls
303-861-8466
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SOURCE Bow River Capital | 2023-07-19T12:56:10+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2023/07/19/bow-river-capital-invests-refinancing-inventus-power/ |
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Polish climber has died after scaling Pakistan's Nanga Parbat, known as “killer mountain” for its dangerous conditions, local police and a mountaineering official said Tuesday.
Pawel Tomasz Kopec had suffered breathing problems while descending the 8,126-meter (26,660-foot) mountain with two other climbers in harsh weather conditions, a local police official Zahid Hussain said.
It was unclear whether any operation will be launched to bring down the climber's body. Authorities said the other two mountainers were safe and returning to their base camp.
Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said he had also received a report from an expedition company about the Kopec's death. He said any decision to bring down the body of the climber will be made after consulting his family.
Haidri said a Pakistani mountaineer, Asif Bhatti, was stranded on Nanga Parbat because of snow blindness, and efforts were underway to rescue him.
Every year, hundreds of local and foreign climbers try to scale K2, Nanga Parbat and other mountains located in Pakistan's north. The polish climber died a day after several climbers, including two Pakistani female climbers Naila Kiani and Samina Baig, summited Nanga Parbat and were returning to the base camp. | 2023-07-04T07:46:12+00:00 | daytondailynews.com | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/polish-climber-dies-after-scaling-pakistans-killer-mountain-nanga-parbat/RQT566AAVBCTRF4TMMC6OZ5YBM/ |
MONTGOMERY — During recent funding request presentations to lawmakers, leaders from multiple departments said they don’t have enough staff. From prisons to preschool programs, agencies are struggling to hire and retain needed workers.
A pre-filed bill from Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, would allow state agencies and schools to pay state retirees up to $52,000 a year while they still draw retirement.
Reynolds, the new chair of the House General Fund budget committee, told Alabama Daily News his bill is an effort to immediately help short-staffed agencies. He said House Bill 41 is not really a Retirement Systems of Alabama bill, but a “return-to-work bill.”
“This is our major department heads at the state level, to include local school systems, who are asking for this to better recruit talent and experience back in the workplace when we are all struggling (to find) workers,” Reynolds said.
Currently, retirees in the Teachers’ Retirement System and Employees’ Retirement System can earn $30,000 from an employer who participates in RSA without having to suspend their retirement benefits. Reynold’s bill would kick that earning potential up to $52,000 a year.
“Maybe ($30,000) a year might not pull them back into the workforce, but $52,000 might,” Reynolds said. “It’s about getting that experience back in the workforce.”
The bill says that unless the increase is later extended by the Legislature, it would be repealed in 2027.
Reynolds sponsored similar legislation last year. It passed the House but died in the Senate General Fund budget committee chaired by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range.
“My concerns of last year remain,” Albritton told Alabama Daily News.
Albritton and Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, chair of the Senate education budget committee, both said they understand the seriousness of staffing issues, but hiring retirees as contractors who will not be contributing to the retirement system could have long-term effects. The retirement systems need new, permanent employees paying into them, the chairmen said.
As of the end of 2021, TRS’s unfunded liability was $11.072 billion and its funded ratio was 70.7%; ERS’s unfunded liability was $6.295B and its funded ratio was 68.2%.
Those funded ratios are an improvement compared to about 10 years ago and Orr said new members are needed to continue the growth.
Revenue to RSA comes from three sources — employee contributions, employer contributions and investment income. Since 1973, employee contributions have totaled $18 billion; employer contributions have totaled $29 billion; and investment income has been $58 billion, according to RSA.
Increasing the earnings limit on retirees provides an incentive for an employee to retire and then turn around and draw a paycheck and retirement, Orr said.
Orr, who has recently sponsored several bills to increase educators’ pay, said that is the best route to fill positions.
Reynolds said he believes if agencies and schools need to hold onto retirees, they’re probably also hiring new employees.
“So when that new employee comes in, they’ll be contributing to the retirement system,” he said.
Reynolds said he expects more workforce-related bills in the upcoming session.
“We have to do everything we can at the legislative level to help not only our state agencies, but our corporate and private partners as well,” Reynolds said.
The legislative session starts Tuesday.
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After the initial selected subscription period your subscription rate will auto renew at $12.00 per month. | 2023-03-02T06:54:41+00:00 | timesdaily.com | https://www.timesdaily.com/news/politics/bill-would-raise-earnings-cap-for-state-retirees/article_c0f47ea2-c28d-586e-99b7-854f1c4e637b.html |
WACO, TX (FOX 44) — Following the seven round NFL Draft, five more former Baylor Football standouts signed undrafted free agent contracts. Those UDFA signings now give the Bears 11 total players who will attend an NFL training camp.
The five undrafted players and the teams they signed with are:
- Xavier Newman-Johnson (Tennessee Titans)
- Abram Smith (New Orleans Saints)
- Raleigh Texada (Green Bay Packers)
- Jairon McVea (Los Angeles Rams)
- Drew Estrada (Houston Texans) | 2022-05-01T02:15:46+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/sports/five-former-baylor-bears-sign-undrafted-free-agent-contracts-following-the-2022-nfl-draft/ |
Air Education and Training Command’s Educator of the Year awards announced
MAXWELL AFB - Air University announced the 2022 selectees for the Air Education and Training Command’s (AETC) Educator of the Year awards on Nov. 7.
The award recognizes individual faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to AETC’s education mission during the academic year for teaching excellence, and the scholarship of discovery, integration and application. Within the scholarship of discover, Air University (AU) faculty spend a great deal of time creating knowledge, connecting that knowledge and teaching students through the application of knowledge.
Each year, AU leadership nominates and recognizes officer, enlisted and civilian faculty for this prestigious major command award for their incredible support to education and develop Air, Space, and Cyberspace warrior leaders in support of the National Defense Strategy.
AU faculty provide the full spectrum of Air Force education, encompassing pre-commissioning programs for new officers; graduate programs in specialized military disciplines; progressive, career-long professional military development for officer, enlisted, and civilian Airmen; and specialized programs for US cabinet appointees, senior executive service civilians, and general officers.
AETC Educators of the Year are:
Officer Category: Colonel Kathryn Cantu, Ira C. Eaker Center for Leadership Development
Col. Cantu was recognized this year for her work as an instructor in the Leader Development Course for Squadron Command (LDC). She worked with fellow military and civilian instructors to create LDC unique connections, content, delivery, and environments, resulting in a deeper affective and effective growth experience for officers, enlisted, civilians, and spouses. In this role, she delivered this experience for hundreds of leaders approaching their command selection, enabling them to sharpen and focus their human domain leadership skills and to inspire and equip them to thrive in command. She has inspired the next set of Air and Space Force Commanders with over 384 hours of human domain leadership skills elevating the LDC to new heights in leader development. Her expertise was the right choice to re-imagine commanders' courses for five Air Force Major Commands across the Department of the Air Force, leading to over 16 hours of world class leadership lessons that enhanced 630 leaders for command readiness.
Cantu has reinvested her leadership skills in LDC course enhancements to ensure an additional 1900+ future squadron commanders can be readied for command. She not only teaches leadership skills to students, she applies these traits directly to the organization, dual hatting her instructor duties by taking on the Director of Operations role. Applying a vast array of visionary coaching, student and instructor professional development approaches and improvements Cantu has installed next-level DAF leadership development prominence in LDC’s important role within Air University and across the Air Force.
Enlisted Category: Senior Master Sgt. Candace James, Ira C. Eaker Center for Leadership Development
Senior Master Sgt. James is an instructor at the USAF First Sergeant Academy. As the First Sergeant Academy’s number 1 instructor, she led 7 flights, teaching over 300 hours in 28 weeks to certify 84 new Air Force First Sergeants. She regularly cultivates distinguished graduates from her courses developing enlisted leaders that excel both inside and outside the classroom to drive improved leadership acumen. James regularly leverages her experience and perspectives to drive diversity and inclusion growth within this critical career field that will be responsible for taking care of our future Airmen. Her amazing confidence allowed her to facilitate the preparation of 77 Majors and Lt Cols to bridge first sergeant responsibilities and development with their command roles. James teamed with various agencies, within the DOD to facilitate, revise and revamp resiliency based leadership programs, held orientations, and prepared stakeholders in critical life skill, integrated perspectives that has had an impact Air Force wide. Developing a “Hold the Line” brand she linked over 2,500 total force first sergeant together using social media. Her immense passion for ensuring the development of future first sergeant translated an updated course syllabus from senior leadership action orders. James decreased the manning shortage by interviewing, training, and evaluating 2 new academy instructors raising the by 25% to take on developing 641 future first sergeants.
Civilian Category: Dr. Amy Baxter, Global College of Professional Military Education
Dr. Amy Baxter is the research director for the Global College of Professional Military Education. As Air University’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) go to expert, she was selected as a D&I subject matter expert to present a Diversity & Group Performance lecture at the US Army’s Strategic Leader Symposium 22 to 87 Army officers. As the research director she regularly guides students toward publication on Air Force Chief of Staff prioritized research topics as well as developing research awards for faculty scholarship program. Dr. Baxter leads multi-faceted presentations, lectures, workshops and course activities that modernize programs, provides advice on improvements and guidance for strategic diversity and military resiliency efforts. She is continuously tapped to provide her insights, teach students, advise military leaders and conduct initiatives that ultimately resulted in her selection to lead the CSAF-Prioritized Resiliency Task Force. Exceeding all Joint PME targets, Dr. Baxter continues her excellence in writing and reviewing research papers and overseeing GCPME research program for faculty, reviewing over 270 research papers that resulted in 8 research award winning papers. Dr. Baxter was also selected as a judge in the National Defense University’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff essay competition reviewing 97 national security research papers that received 9 awards. She champions faculty development across 12 AU schools as the president of the AU Faculty senate, and expertly infused faculty development workshops with current topics that promote scholarship with the senate’s 25 members, representing over 300 faculty. A global education leader, Dr. Baxter is called on regularly to educate and guide organizations across the DOD as well as over 100 nations to advise, modernize and produce innovative solutions for D&I and resiliency programs. | 2022-11-17T17:36:11+00:00 | montgomeryadvertiser.com | https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2022/11/17/air-education-training-commands-educator-of-the-year-awards/69656572007/ |
MEEK (Jordan), Jackie
Age 55, of Huber Heights, passed away on January 14, 2023. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 25 from 2-3pm at the Newcomer Funeral Home, North Chapel, Dayton, OH.
View the obituary on Legacy.com
Funeral Home Information
Newcomer Funeral Home - North Dayton Chapel
4104 Needmore Rd | 2023-01-22T07:22:42+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/obituaries/meek-jackie/BKF2ISHJIFGD7JCYQDKYZHD7R4/ |
MIAMI, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sumadi, an artificial intelligence-powered online proctoring business (part of Laureate Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: LAUR)), today announced it has joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN). The APN is a global community of AWS Partners that leverage programs, expertise, and resources to build, market, and sell customer offerings.
Sumadi's status as an AWS Partner strengthens the business' ability to deploy large-scale, simultaneous proctoring of online tests and assessments for clients around the world, including universities, English language schools, and corporate and government organizations.
"We're pleased to have been able to showcase our capabilities during the review process to become part of the APN. This is an incredible validation of the progress we've made since starting up in 2019, to expand our business while leveraging AWS training, enablement resources, tools and more," said Raúl Rivera, Sumadi Executive Director.
"In addition to helping us better integrate with different Learning Management Systems (LMS) like OpenLMS, Blackboard or Canvas, we expect being part of the global APN will present opportunities that will help further our growth.
"As we expand our proctoring solutions, we look forward to building on our success and our relationship with AWS to benefit our clients in the years ahead."
Working with AWS has allowed Sumadi to provide its clients with cost-effective, scalable proctoring solutions with real-time reporting capabilities. Today, the business uses Amazon Rekognition for face and object detection, AWS Lambda to run code on a serverless event-driven compute service Amazon DynamoDB to store metadata, and Amazon API Gateway to create, maintain and secure application programming interfaces (APIs).
Since migrating to AWS in 2020, Sumadi has been able to scale its online proctoring services to support 50,000 concurrent users, each generating one record every 30 seconds – an increase of 25 times compared to before.
You can read more about Sumadi and its work with AWS here.
About Sumadi
Sumadi provides secure proctoring solutions to clients around the world, powered by the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its solutions are available in seven languages, are and capable of being delivered simultaneously, at scale, anywhere in the world, with real-time reporting capability. Recent accolades are testament to Sumadi's success, including being named in Europe's Top 10 EdTech Start-ups (2020) and Top 10 Biometric Solution Providers (2021) by Enterprise Security magazine.
Interview: Sumadi Executive Director, Raúl Rivera, is available for comment.
Contact:
Miriam S. Araujo
Sumadi Marketing Manager
M: +504 320 22586
E: Miriam.araujo@sumadi.net
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SOURCE Sumadi | 2022-09-13T21:08:59+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/online-proctor-sumadi-joins-aws-partner-network/ |
Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson could miss time because of a hand injury, according to the team, after he returned to Chicago from a road trip on Sunday to be checked out by doctors.
Anderson, 29, is currently serving a two-game suspension for making contact with an umpire, but it's possible he'll miss even more time.
The injury reportedly occurred at the plate during Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers. Afterward, Anderson agreed to start serving his suspension, likely knowing he needed time for his hand to heal anyway.
Anderson is hitting .301 but has been slumping over the past month. Since 2020, the White Sox are 145-106 when he's in the starting lineup and just 38-41 when he's out, scoring nearly a run less when he's missing.
Leury Garcia is starting at shortstop in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. | 2022-08-09T21:41:14+00:00 | espn.com | https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34375173/chicago-white-sox-veteran-shortstop-tim-anderson-miss-hand-injury |
Nathan Hill started receiving $12.75 an hour from a state Medicaid program to help care for his severely disabled son during the pandemic, money he said allowed his family to stop using food stamps.
The program was designed to provide a continuation of care and ease a home health worker shortage that grew worse after COVID-19 hit.
But now, with the COVID-19 public health emergency over, he worries that the extra income will disappear. Some states have already stopped payments while others have yet to make them permanent.
“The success of this during the pandemic was tremendous … for the first time we were able to pay our own way,” said the Meridian, Idaho, resident. “We’re not relying on charities to help us pay our rent and utilities.”
A total of 39 states, with the help of the federal government, either started paying family caregivers or expanded the population eligible for payment during the pandemic, according to a survey last summer by KFF, a non-profit that studies health care issues.
Depending on the state, family caregivers were paid for helping people with intellectual or physical disabilities, medically fragile children or patients dealing with traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries. Details like pay rates and who could be paid varied.
“For each state, there’s a different story as to how this played out,” said Alice Burns, associate director of KFF’s program on Medicaid and the uninsured.
Researchers say there are no good national estimates for how many family caregivers started receiving payments during the pandemic.
About 53 million people provided care for family members with medical problems or disabilities, according to a 2020 report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.
Those who got paychecks during the public health emergency say the money reduced financial stress, helped provide care and gave dignity to their previously unpaid work.
Jessa Reinhardt and her husband, Jason, each received $24 an hour to provide care for their autistic daughters, ages 8 and 5. The Vernonia, Oregon, couple could not provide care at the same time.
The money allowed the family to build some savings since Jason quit his job several years ago to become a caregiver. It also allowed them to start taking the girls on outings to socialize them. They would make regular trips to Walmart so the girls could learn how to make choices and pick out a small item to buy.
But they had to curtail that once their payments ended in May. Jessa Reinhardt said the girls will still want to buy something.
“We can’t always say yes to that,” she said.
While some states have ended caregiver payments for now, federal officials say several states are still considering their next steps. Laws and waivers that regulate who can receive caregiver payments after the public health emergency may make it challenging for some to continue payments.
Federal officials say they are encouraging states to continue family caregiver payments.
States found that being flexible with caregiver payments helped keep residents served during the pandemic, said Kate McEvoy, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. She said surveys have shown, too, that people generally like receiving care from family members.
But she also noted that there are concerns both nationally and at a state level about the potential for fraud when paying family members as opposed to an agency that may be subject to more oversight. States also want to make sure that any family caregivers are trained properly and provide quality care.
Idaho Medicaid administrator Juliet Charron said the state was working to continue reimbursement for parents and spouses who provide care. But she added that the program will “likely look a bit different from the flexibility that has been in place” during the public health emergency.
Hill expects his program will last a few more months.
He was paid during the pandemic to provide non-nursing care like bathing and changing Brady, who needs around-the-clock care after surviving a rare brain cancer diagnosed at just 14 months old. He says he has no nursing degree or certification but has training and years of experience. His work is monitored by a supervising nurse.
Both Hill and Reinhardt say they can’t simply bring in a state-funded outside caregiver to help.
Hill has nurses come in to monitor his son on most overnights, but he delivers care during the day. Hill says caregivers are hard to find and quick to leave. He figures that the family has probably gone through around 50 nurses in the past 13 years.
He says each new one takes a few weeks to train, and then they frequently leave for a job with better pay.
Reinhardt said bringing in help is too challenging partially because one of her daughters deals with severe anxiety. If an outside caregiver is late or calls in sick, their daughter may take days to recover from the disruption.
“There’s no replacement for my husband and I,” she said.
Even if outside caregivers were viable for these families, there might be a wait to get one.
More than 650,000 people were on waiting lists for home and community-based services in 2021, according to another KFF report. Who winds up on that list can depend on factors like worker shortages, the number of available services and whether states check patients on the list for eligibility.
Family caregivers can provide more consistent care and have better long-term knowledge of their patients than someone who comes in from the outside, noted Holly Carmichael, CEO of GT Independence, a Sturgis, Michigan, company that manages financial services for people with disabilities.
“You provide better services to someone you love and care about,” said Carmichael, whose daughter was born with a rare congenital disease. “They’re part of your life versus a job.”
Carmichael’s firm helps people do background checks on potential caregivers and then does payroll, tax withholdings and other paperwork once they are hired.
She said it makes no sense to end payments to family caregivers.
“We have a shortage of caregivers in our country,” Carmichael said. “We need to be pulling every lever we can.” | 2023-06-28T13:32:15+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/future-of-caregiver-payments-expanded-during-the-pandemic-worries-families/ |
When it comes to social media, families are seeking help.
With ever-changing algorithms pushing content at children, parents are seeing their kids’ mental health suffer, even as platforms like TikTok and Instagram provide connections with friends. Some are questioning whether kids should be on social media at all, and if so, starting at what age.
Lawmakers have taken notice. A bipartisan group of senators recently introduced legislation aiming to prohibit all children under the age of 13 from using social media. It would also require permission from a guardian for users under 18 to create an account. It is one of several proposals in Congress seeking to make the internet safer for children and teens.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday the Federal Trade Commission said Facebook misled parents and failed to protect the privacy of children using its Messenger Kids app, including misrepresenting the access it provided to app developers to private user data. Now, the FTC is proposing sweeping changes to a privacy order it has with Facebook’s parent company Meta that would include prohibiting it from making money from data it collects on children.
But making laws and regulating companies takes time. What are parents — and teens — supposed to do in the meantime? Here are some tips on staying safe, communicating and setting limits on social media — for kids as well as their parents.
IS 17 THE NEW 13?
There’s already, technically, a rule that prohibits kids under 13 from using platforms that advertise to them without parental consent: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act that went into effect in 2000 — before today’s teenagers were even born.
The goal was to protect kids’ online privacy by requiring websites and online services to disclose clear privacy policies and get parents’ consent before gathering personal information on their kids, among other things. To comply, social media companies have generally banned kids under 13 from signing up for their services, although it’s been widely documented that kids sign up anyway, either with or without their parents’ permission.
But times have changed, and online privacy is no longer the only concern when it comes to kids being online. There’s bullying, harassment, the risk of developing eating disorders, suicidal thoughts or worse.
For years, there has been a push among parents, educators and tech experts to wait to give children phones — and access to social media — until they are older, such as the “Wait Until 8th” pledge that has parents sign a pledge not to give their kids a smartphone until the 8th grade, or about age 13 or 14. But neither social media companies nor the government have done anything concrete to increase the age limit.
IF THE LAW WON’T BAN KIDS, SHOULD PARENTS?
“There is not necessarily a magical age,” said Christine Elgersma, a social media expert at the nonprofit Common Sense Media. But, she added, “13 is probably not the best age for kids to get on social media.”
The laws currently being proposed include blanket bans on the under-13 set when it comes to social media. The problem? There’s no easy way to verify a person’s age when they sign up for apps and online services. And the apps popular with teens today were created for adults first. Companies have added some safeguards over the years, Elgersma noted, but these are piecemeal changes, not fundamental rethinks of the services.
“Developers need to start building apps with kids in mind,” she said.
Some tech executives, celebrities such as Jennifer Garner and parents from all walks of life have resorted to banning their kids from social media altogether. While the decision is a personal one that depends on each child and parent, some experts say this could lead to isolating kids, who could be left out of activities and discussions with friends that take place on social media or chat services.
Another hurdle — kids who have never been on social media may find themselves ill-equipped to navigate the platforms when they are suddenly allowed free rein the day they turn 18.
TALK, TALK, TALK
Start early, earlier than you think. Elgersma suggests that parents go through their own social media feeds with their children before they are old enough to be online and have open discussions on what they see. How would your child handle a situation where a friend of a friend asks them to send a photo? Or if they see an article that makes them so angry they just want to share it right away?
For older kids, approach them with curiosity and interest.
“If teens are giving you the grunts or the single word answers, sometimes asking about what their friends are doing or just not asking direct questions like, ‘What are you doing on Instagram?’ but rather, ‘Hey, I heard this influencer is really popular,’” she suggested. “And even if your kid rolled their eyes it could be a window.”
Don’t say things like “Turn that thing off!” when your kid has been scrolling for a long time, says Jean Rogers, the director of the nonprofit Fairplay’s Screen Time Action Network.
“That’s not respectful,” Rogers said. “It doesn’t respect that they have a whole life and a whole world in that device.”
Instead, Rogers suggests asking them questions about what they do on their phone, and see what your child is willing to share.
Kids are also likely to respond to parents and educators “pulling back the curtains” on social media and the sometimes insidious tools companies use to keep people online and engaged, Elgersma said. Watch a documentary like “The Social Dilemma” that explores algorithms, dark patterns and dopamine feedback cycles of social media. Or read up with them how Facebook and TikTok make money.
“Kids love to be in the know about these things, and it will give them a sense of power,” she said.
SETTING LIMITS
Rogers says most parents have success with taking their kids’ phones overnight to limit their scrolling. Occasionally kids might try to sneak the phone back, but it’s a strategy that tends to work because kids need a break from the screen.
“They need to an excuse with their peers to not be on their phone at night,” Rogers said. “They can blame their parents.”
Parents may need their own limits on phone use. Rogers said it’s helpful to explain what you are doing when you do have a phone in hand around your child so they understand you are not aimlessly scrolling through sites like Instagram. Tell your child that you’re checking work email, looking up a recipe for dinner or paying a bill so they understand you’re not on there just for fun. Then tell them when you plan to put the phone down.
YOU CAN’T DO IT ALONE
Parents should also realize that it’s not a fair fight. Social media apps like Instagram are designed to be addictive, says Roxana Marachi, a professor of education at San Jose State University who studies data harms. Without new laws that regulate how tech companies use our data and algorithms to push users toward harmful content, there is only so much parents can do, Marachi said.
“The companies are not interested in children’s well-being, they’re interested in eyes on the screen and maximizing the number of clicks,” Marachi said. | 2023-05-05T04:54:51+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/tech-news/kids-and-social-media-here-are-tips-for-concerned-parents/ |
Pac-12 counterparts Oregon State and Southern California meet Sunday in Los Angeles, with both coming off conference-opening wins.
Oregon State (4-4, 1-0 Pac-12) went on a raucous rally over the closing minutes of Thursday’s 66-65 defeat of Washington, ripping off six points in 30 seconds to take a late lead. The Huskies regained control 65-63 before Dexter Akkano’s and-one play with eight seconds left secured the Beavers win.
Dzmitry Ryuny led Oregon State with 14 points and nine rebounds.
“I felt like I needed to step up and get the team on my back, and help get the energy going, and make sure everybody’s focused,” Ryuny told The Oregonian following the win.
Oregon State was coming off a trying stretch, losing all three games at the Phil Knight Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend and four in a row total — including two games to Portland State.
The Beavers look to move to 2-0 in conference play with Sunday’s visit to USC (5-3, 1-0), which cruised to a 66-51 rout at Cal in the Trojans’ league opener on Wednesday.
Joshua Morgan played a monster game on the defensive end with seven blocked shots, matching his high since transferring to USC from Long Beach State last season. He also scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Morgan emphasized in his postgame interview with Pac-12 Networks the need to start strong coming off back-to-back losses to Tennessee and Wisconsin at last week’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, and the Trojans responded with a 20-0 second-half run to put away Wednesday’s game.
“I feel we can be the best team in the Pac,” Morgan told Pac-12 Networks in his postgame interview Wednesday. “We all have that confidence. We lost a couple tough games but we got together and we could really win those games, so we don’t think there’s any team that can really beat us flat-out.”
USC brings an outstanding defense into Friday’s contest, boasting the nation’s 12th-highest percentage of blocked shots on opponent possessions per KenPom.com metrics (16.2) while holding opponents to 40.1 percent shooting inside the 3-point arc.
Oregon State comes in struggling on offense, particularly with turnovers. The Beavers are coughing up the ball on 21.6 percent of possessions per KenPom.com.
–Field Level Media | 2022-12-04T15:16:44+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/sports/ncaa-mens-basketball/turnover-prone-oregon-st-faces-test-vs-uscs-defense/ |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Officials in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday addressed the shooting of a teenager allegedly by a homeowner after the 16-year-old visited the wrong home Thursday night.
The city’s chief of police and mayor as well as the Clay County prosecuting attorney gathered for a news conference that coincided with a protest organized by The People’s Coalition called “We Take Care of Our Own,” held near the scene of the incident.
Nearly 1,000 people marched to the home where 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot.
KCPD Chief Stacey Graves on Sunday promised a complete and thorough review.
“I want everyone to know that I’m listening, and I understand the concern that we are receiving from the community,” Graves said.
“The information that we have now, it does not say that it’s racially motivated,” Graves said. “That’s still an active investigation, but as a chief of police, I do recognize the racial components of this case. I do recognize and understand the community’s concern and the community’s response to this particular incident.”
On Thursday night, police initially said Yarl went to pick up his siblings but mixed up the address. He intended to go to Northeast 115th Terrace but went to Northeast 115th Street.
That’s when the homeowner allegedly shot him. According to his family, he was shot twice, including once in the head. Police would not confirm how many times or where he was shot.
The homeowner was taken in for questioning and later released pending further investigation. Graves addressed that, too.
“A person can be held up for 24 hours for investigation of a felony, at which time they’re required by Missouri law to be charged or released,” the chief said.
“The vast majority of cases—to include violent crime—involve the suspect being released pending further investigation,” Graves said. “In this case, the prosecutor requires more information from investigators that would take more than 24 hours to compile.”
Graves added that the homeowner is not viewed as a flight risk.
“[They are] cooperating and we have taken [the potential for flight risk] into consideration,” Graves said. “That is something that we look at. But even in this situation, there is more that we need to glean from that incident to put that together for prosecutorial review.”
KCPD would not say who called 911 Thursday, saying it is part of the active investigation.
Police hope to soon speak with the teen, who was described by his father, Paul Yarl, as “quiet” and “just a good kid, a smart kid.”
Police say the teen is in stable condition.
Officers are compiling a detailed case file to present to Clay Count Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson.
“There will be a thorough review in the prosecutor’s office,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “And as with every case that comes through Kansas City, we will make sure we do all we can to be fair, to make sure that we’re as expeditious as possible, and more than anything to make sure that everyone — no matter their background — knows that justice can be obtained here in Kansas City.” | 2023-04-17T15:35:11+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/national-world-news/officials-respond-after-missouri-teen-at-wrong-home-is-shot-prompting-protests/ |
Report cites Talend's strong ability to execute its vision and outstanding client satisfaction
SAN MATEO, Calif., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Talend, a global leader in data integration and data management, announced today it was named a Leader among enterprise data fabric providers in the Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Data Fabric, Q2 2022. Talend and 14 other top vendors were evaluated across 26 criteria, spanning current offering, strategy, and market presence.
According to the report, "Talend combines a range of data integration and governance capabilities to deliver clean and uncompromised data to users across a hybrid cloud environment. Talend has demonstrated a strong ability to execute on its vision as well as a consistent track record of install base and outstanding client satisfaction." The report also notes: "Talend is a good fit for customers with large and complex data across hybrid and multi-clouds to support BI, customer intelligence, data science, data collaboration, data engineering, and predictive analytics use cases."
"We believe that being named a Leader in Forrester's evaluation of enterprise data fabric providers is a testament to the value we bring to companies relying on data to drive successful business outcomes," said Jason Penkethman, Chief Product Officer, Talend. "I'm extremely proud of the teams at Talend executing on our vision to ensure that we make data reliable, accessible, and available to everyone in an organization for decision making. This is especially critical during a market downturn. Having trustworthy data at all times provides valuable insights and helps businesses gain agility to accurately identify opportunities and minimize risks."
The report also states that "Talend's strengths are in data connectivity, data processing and persistence, and deployment options. One reference customer said, 'Overall, we are extremely satisfied with Talend and its value to our business.' Another mentioned, 'Talend data fabric enabled us to deliver various projects in a short time frame. Very strong in classical integration patterns combined with data quality aspects.'"
Talend Data Fabric helps businesses leverage healthy data in hybrid and multi-cloud environments to drive business outcomes. Businesses are using Talend to ensure their data is complete, clean, uncompromised, and readily available to everyone who needs it throughout an organization. In addition to a unique combination of data integration and governance capabilities, Talend offers the Talend Trust Score™ which can automatically crawl cloud data warehouse and data cloud environments, providing a health assessment of data by intelligently diagnosing and resolving data integrity issues.
To read more about Talend's perspective and industry momentum, please visit here.
Talend, a global leader in data integration and data management, is taking the work out of working with data.
Talend offers the only end-to-end platform that combines enterprise-grade data integration, integrity, and governance capabilities to unify data across any cloud, hybrid, or multi-cloud environment. With Talend's no-code and low-code modules, data experts and business users actively collaborate to make data more discoverable, usable, and valuable organization-wide. Over 7,250 customers around the world rely on Talend for healthy data and a healthy business. Top analyst firms and industry media recognize Talend as a leader in data management software.
For more information, please visit www.talend.com and follow us on LinkedIn.com and Twitter @Talend.
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SOURCE Talend Inc. | 2022-06-23T16:27:10+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/talend-named-leader-enterprise-data-fabric-q2-2022-report-by-independent-research-firm/ |
ECDI, in partnership with three more of Ohio's most-active CDFIs, deployed targeted capital to help gentrified communities
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Through a $3 million JPMorgan Chase investment, four community development financial institutions (CDFIs) – ECDI, Cincinnati Development Fund, Ohio Capital Finance Corporation and Village Capital Corporation – joined forces to combat effects of gentrification through targeted capital investments in nine neighborhoods within Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.
From 2018 to 2021, the OH3C partnership addressed issues that negatively affect neighborhoods' original residents, including a lack of affordable housing and loss of locally-owned small businesses. Neighborhoods served are Cincinnati's College Hill, Madisonville, Price Hill, and Walnut Hills; Cleveland's Buckeye-Shaker, Glenville and Slavic Village; and Columbus's Franklinton and South Side. Impacts included:
- Financed 16 real estate projects
- Developed/redeveloped more than 235 affordable housing units
- Disbursed more than $1.2 million in 74 loans and grants to 60 small businesses
- Created/retained 198 jobs
"As a firm, we are committed to helping everyone share in the rewards of a growing economy. Even in neighborhoods that are growing, we know not everyone has the same opportunities to move up the economic ladder. We are proud to partner with these four CDFI's across the state to break down barriers to economic mobility and advance the long-held vision local residents have for their neighborhoods," said John McCourt, Managing Director for Chase Business Banking and ECDI Board Member.
"The incredible impact of OH3C is proof of what can be accomplished in deserving communities," said ECDI Founder and CEO, Inna Kinney. "This is why we are dedicated to fostering inclusive, equitable community development, and breaking barriers that stand in the way of small business opportunities."
The full OH3C Impact Report can be reviewed HERE.
ECDI is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to assuring underbanked entrepreneurs – regardless of where they came from, where they live, their gender, or their race – have access to funding and business incubation services they need to succeed. Based in Columbus, with offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Canton, Toledo, and Portsmouth, we serve small businesses in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana. As the nation's top SBA microloan intermediary and Treasury-designated CDFI, we have assisted more than 284,000 individuals, disbursed more than $92 million through more than 4,000 loans, and created and retained more than 13,000 jobs since 2004. Learn more: www.ecdi.org.
Media Contact: Audrey Adair, Irvin PR, 614-570-0111
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SOURCE ECDI | 2022-08-09T16:42:30+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/ecdi-jpmorgan-chase-release-impact-report-3-million-oh3c-initiative/ |
The King County’s downtown Seattle jail resumed use of city tap water Tuesday after numerous tests showed the water meets drinking standards, according to Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.
Jail officials had been distributing bottled water “out of an abundance of caution” to those incarcerated since Sept. 29 after reports of cloudy water.
Previous and recent tests showed the water meets both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington Department of Health standards for drinking, spokesperson Noah Haglund said.
The cloudiness was intermittent, according to Haglund, who said jail staff reported no appearance of “discoloration or unusual cloudiness” in the tap water on Wednesday.
The jail was connected to the city water supply the entire time while testing being done. Last year, the jail finished a project that replaced a large portion of its water-distribution system, Haglund said. In the last month, a Seattle Public Utilities water-quality expert visited the jail and did not identify any operational concerns.
Haglund said people in custody received water “at mealtimes and on request” and that laundry, showers and restrooms were unaffected.
“Everyone should have ample access,” he said in an October email.
Molly Gilbert, president of the King County Public Defenders union, disagreed with the characterization that those incarcerated had plenty of water.
While bottled water was handed out, the jail implemented a one-bottle-at-a-time policy, leaving many inmates to “decide between hydration and hygiene,” she previously told The Seattle Times.
The jail has also long been understaffed, meaning employees do not have time to hand out water bottles as frequently as needed, she said.
“We have people who are dehydrated, not brushing teeth and not having access to showers,” Gilbert said.
Previous reporting by The Times showed that since the beginning of 2020, staff vacancies have risen from 25 open positions to nearly 100 — almost a fifth of the jail’s corrections officer workforce. The shortage also affects opportunity for visitation.
Last week, the King County Jail said they plan to reopen “limited in-person visitation” in early November for people who have less access to video visits. Some in-person group programming like Bible studies and a high-school completion program has resumed.
King County, the King County Corrections Guild and King County Juvenile Detention Guild have also recently ratified new agreements to provide general wage increases of 4% to 6% each year, retention bonuses and new overtime premiums.
The news website PubliCola first reported the discolored water in September.
Do you have more information about the water at the King County Jail? Contact reporter Amanda Zhou at azhou@seattletimes.com. | 2022-11-02T20:35:17+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/king-county-jail-resumes-use-of-tap-water/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news |
BEIJING (AP) — When Zumret Dawut heard that the United Nations had declared that China’s crackdown in its far-western Xinjiang region may constitute crimes against humanity, she burst into tears.
Her mind flashed back to her cellmates in the camp she was detained in, to her father who died while in Xinjiang police custody. She felt vindicated.
“I felt there was justice, that there are people who care in this world,” she said. “I felt like our testimonies, our efforts to raise awareness have finally paid off.”
For Dawut and other camp survivors now outside China, the U.N.’s report on mass detentions and other rights abuses against Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang was the culmination of years of advocacy, a welcome acknowledgement of abuses they say they faced at the hands of the Chinese state.
The long-delayed assessment released late Wednesday by the U.N. human rights office in Geneva concluded that China has committed serious human rights violations under its anti-terrorism and anti-extremism policies and called for “urgent attention” from the U.N., the world community and China itself to address them.
The report was at the center of a tug-of-war between rights groups and the Chinese government, which had repeatedly sought to stymie its publication. It largely corroborates earlier reporting by researchers, activist groups and the news media, while steering away from estimates and other findings that cannot be definitively proven.
The significance of the assessment, survivors say, is the weight and authority of the United Nations. Though individual governments, including the United States and the parliaments of France and the U.K., have criticized the crackdown before, such declarations were brushed aside by Beijing as political attacks by Western countries.
“This time, China can’t avoid this accusation,” said Tahir Imin, a Uyghur publisher in exile with dozens of relatives in prison. “The United Nations is a neutral organization, the highest organization. … It’s a stain on the Communist Party.”
The Chinese government swiftly denounced the report, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin calling it “a patchwork of false information that serves as a political tool for the U.S. and other Western countries” to contain China.
Beijing has spent years trying to control the narrative, vilifying people who have spoken against the crackdown while organizing tours and news conferences promoting its position. State media have interviewed Xinjiang residents who denounced accusations against the Chinese government as lies, though evidence shows that such statements are often scripted and coerced.
Many camp survivors faced years of threats by Chinese police in attempts to silence them, leaving them with a stark choice: speak out and face the consequences, or stay quiet to protect their loved ones.
Dawut made her choice on a fateful Friday in New York three years ago. That day, she was on her way to the United Nations to share her story for the first time when she got a call.
It was her brother, telling her that the police had come for their father and urging her not to speak. She froze with fear.
“But I thought of so many fathers and mothers in the camp, how I needed to speak up for them,” she said. “I thought, I will not change my mind. I will go.”
The consequences were immediate. Relatives in Xinjiang blocked her calls and texts. Two weeks later, an ex-neighbor called, saying her father had died while in police custody. The exact circumstances are unclear.
Now, Dawut said, it was all worth it.
“I felt like I did the right thing,” she said. “I am walking the path of truth.”
The U.N. report corroborated different aspects of the crackdown reported over the years, including forced labor, pervasivesurveillance, family separations and coercive birth control measures.
But the focus of the report was squarely on the mass detentions. The rights office said it could not confirm estimates that a million or more people were detained in the internment camps in Xinjiang, but that it was “reasonable to conclude that a pattern of large-scale arbitrary detention occurred” at least between 2017 and 2019.
Interviews and AP visits to the region show that China appears to have closed many of the camps, which it called vocational training and education centers. But hundreds of thousands of people continue to languish in prison on vague, secret charges, with leaked data showing one county in Xinjiang has the highest known imprisonment rate in the world.
Among those who fled Xinjiang, there was a palpable sense of relief, as they had worried that the U.N. report would be suppressed or watered down. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had said little after visiting Xinjiang on a government-organized tour in May, prompting criticism and concern from Uyghur groups.
Dina Nurdybay, an ethnic Kazakh who spent almost a year in detention, said she was worried when she heard Bachelet had visited Xinjiang at Beijing’s invitation. Nurdybay said she had been forced in the camps to sing and dance for journalists and officials, parrot propaganda and pretend life was great there. She worried that outside investigators would be tricked.
“It’s all lies,” she said. “You think it’s voluntary?”
Now, she said, she hopes the U.N. will help people like her escape harassment and live in peace. Every time she speaks to journalists, she said, Chinese police haul away her uncle and interrogate him for days at a time, telling him he should make her “shut up.”
Mihrigul Tursun, who testified about the camps before the U.S. Congress in November 2018, said the price she paid for speaking out was constant threats to her safety and a state-sponsored smear campaign. She’s been called a liar, followed by cars, photographed at restaurants by strangers. She is now under FBI watch, she said, after men dressed in hoodies broke her window and slipped a threatening letter under her door, forcing her to move seven times.
Before she went public, she spent sleepless nights sobbing, pondering whether to speak out. If she did, she knew she could never go back home, that she might never see her parents again.
But she remembered the women held in the cell with her. They had sworn an oath together: Whoever made it out would speak out about what they had witnessed inside, no matter the consequences.
“I feel like a dead person. They killed my dreams, they killed my hopes. I lost everything when I was in the camps,” Tursun said. “But today I feel a little better, because all that hard work has born some fruit.”
But, she added, the report is just the beginning. She won’t be satisfied, she said, until all the detention facilities are closed.
“We need results, we need action,” she said. “I need to know after the U.N. report, what can we do after that?” | 2022-09-21T12:37:37+00:00 | ktalnews.com | https://www.ktalnews.com/news/u-s-world/ap-for-exiled-uyghurs-un-report-is-long-awaited-vindication/ |
Remains of 4 infants found inside Boston apartment
BOSTON (AP) - Human remains found at a Boston apartment building earlier this month are those of four infants, police said.
The remains are of two boys and two girls, Boston police said in a statement posted on the department's website Monday. No arrests have been announced and an investigation is ongoing.
Officers originally responded to the building Nov. 17 and found what appeared to be human remains. The next day they found more.
The Suffolk district attorney’s office previously confirmed that some of the remains were found in a freezer.
They were removed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and were determined to be the remains of four infants, police said. Autopsy results are pending.
RELATED: Murder charges brought after boy, 12, dies in Russian Roulette
Police and the Suffolk district attorney's office are continuing to investigate. No additional details were made public. | 2022-11-29T16:45:57+00:00 | fox9.com | https://www.fox9.com/news/remains-of-4-infants-found-inside-boston-apartment |
Stampli's Advanced Vendor Management organizes and files documents to help control spend, and makes it easier to onboard new vendors. Businesses can manage vendors effectively and strengthen vendor relationships by providing visibility into payment status and with built-in communication tools. All of the information is kept up-to-date and accurate.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stampli, the leading provider of Accounts Payable (AP) Automation solutions, today announced the release of its Advanced Vendor Management solution, which makes it easier to onboard new vendors, collect and manage documents, and to streamline vendor communications, all in one place.
The new Advanced Vendor Management functionality will provide Stampli customers with premium capabilities, including:
- Customizable onboarding forms for different vendor types to ensure your business has all the necessary information and documents to stay compliant, and to pay invoices based on complete and accurate data.
- Collect & maintain all vendor information and documents such as payment details, address, W-9, licenses, insurance, and more in one organized platform.
- Keep documents up-to-date with automatic reminders to vendors prior to document expiration.
- Keep vendors up-to-date on invoice & payment status by centralizing all communications and inquiries in one location.
- Allow vendors to upload invoices & update details such as payment information, address, and bank account directly in the Vendor Portal.
- Deliver on-brand experiences by adding a company logo and color for Stampli's Vendor Portal and email invitations.
"We are very excited to introduce Stampli's Advanced Vendor Management solution to our customers," said Will Toms, Vice President of Customer Success at Stampli. "Vendor management is an essential part of the accounts payable process. We believe this new solution will enable our customers to improve their relationships with vendors and gain greater control over their operations. Advanced Vendor Management vastly improves the ability to onboard vendors, collect data, communicate with vendors, and pay invoices using verified information in one central location."
Advanced Vendor Management is fully integrated with Stampli's existing AP Automation platform, allowing customers to access all of their vendor information, invoices, and payment data in one place. Use the solution to set vendor payment preferences, collect payments, monitor invoice status and payment history, and to track vendor compliance with contract terms.
"We believe this new solution will be a game-changer for our customers," said Will. "By providing them with Advanced Vendor Management capabilities, vendors benefit from a faster onboarding process, access to invoices and payment status, and a streamlined communication system to get questions answered real-time."
The Advanced Vendor Management add-on module is available now to all Stampli customers. To learn more about Stampli and its AP Automation solution, visit www.stampli.com.
Stampli is a complete AP Automation platform that brings together accounts payable communications, documentation, corporate cards, and payments all in one place, allowing AP to have full control and visibility over corporate spending. By centering communications on top of the invoice itself, AP departments collaborate and communicate better with approvers, vendors, and anyone else involved with purchases, allowing approvals to happen 5x faster.
In addition, Stampli's artificial intelligence (AI), Billy the Bot, learns an organization's unique patterns to simplify General Ledger-coding, automate approval notifications, identify duplicate invoices, and reduce time spent on manual data entry. Stampli's flexible platform fits seamlessly into any existing processes and integrates with financial systems, including Dealertrack, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage 100, Sage Intacct, SAP, and more. For more information, visit www.stampli.com.
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SOURCE Stampli | 2022-12-20T21:26:56+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/12/20/stampli-introduces-advanced-vendor-management/ |
“We serve about 1,000 veterans a week,” Pamela Duncan said as she gave a tour of the Orangeburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic on Friday afternoon. The total reflects in-person and virtual visits, she said.
On one side, there are offices for mental health practitioners – including a large room for group therapy.
On the other side, there are exam rooms and a section designated for lab work. Two of the exam rooms are dedicated to women’s health, Duncan said.
In the center, and out of the view of patients, is the nurses’ station – rows of computers and phones on desktops.
Duncan, a licensed practical nurse, said veterans not only come to the clinic from Orangeburg, but from places like Bamberg, Barnwell, Moncks Corner and elsewhere.
The Orangeburg outpatient office of the Columbia Veterans Affairs Health System used to be located in a 6,000-square-foot space off of Old St. Matthews Road.
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The new, $13.8 million center, located a 151 Magnolia Village Parkway, is nearly four times the size of the previous one at just under 24,000 square feet.
On Friday afternoon, the clinic held a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony. The clinic has been in operation for four months.
Columbia VA Health System CEO David Omura spoke at the standing-room only event held in the clinic’s lobby.
“This is the start of something very new here that’s going to help us provide better care to so many more veterans, not only today, but into the near future,” he said.
“What’s wonderful about the Orangeburg VA is it’s one of our seven outpatient clinics and it just happens to be one of four we’ve been working on bringing to fruition over the past few years. I’m happy to soon see this succeeded by three other facilities (elsewhere) in the next year and a half,” Omura said.
“It’s great to have more space for our veterans,” he added.
“The reason why it’s so important is that we not only want to be a location where our veterans come to receive the best health care anywhere, but we also want to be a location where we can partner with our local universities, with our local community groups, to help develop future leaders,” Omura said.
He said the clinic currently serves 3,000 veterans, “but when you think about how it’s growing in size, we should be able to provide much more care.”
“This is still a VA that’s populated predominately with a male population, which is great, but I’d love to see many more of our female veterans than there are presently,” he said.
“I can tell you by a women’s health perspective, we are rivaled by none,” he added.
The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
The main number at the clinic is 803-533-1335. The mental health care line is 803-776-4000 extension 2242. | 2022-09-17T01:51:00+00:00 | thetandd.com | https://thetandd.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/more-space-for-our-veterans-orangeburg-welcomes-new-outpatient-clinic/article_a3d745c8-44fc-52cf-9049-f1d8cae62e37.html |
When it came to rebranding itself, a Canadian tourism organization wanted to be both bold and cheeky. On Thursday, it released a music video to announce its new name: Experience Regina.
The gag? Regina rhymes with vagina.
The announcement included racy new slogans promoting the city, such as “Show us your Regina” and “The city that rhymes with fun.”
“Our City has been living this brand for a while now,” Experience Regina wrote on social media with its announcement, “and we thought it was time to own it.”
But after some residents of Regina complained that the name was juvenile and insensitive toward women, the tourism organization apologized Sunday and conceded that some of its slogans had crossed a line.
“There was such positive feedback around Experience Regina; however, it was clear that we fell short of what is expected from our amazing community with some of the slogans that we used,” chief executive Tim Reid said in a statement. “Regardless of our intent, the impact is valid, and for that, we apologize.”
Please read for an update. pic.twitter.com/OQTSvHuDV4
— Experience Regina (@ExpRegina) March 21, 2023
In an interview with Regina radio station CJME on Monday, Reid said Experience Regina, which was previously named Tourism Regina, will change its advertising.
“When you find yourself seeing negativity, you don’t want anything that draws you back to those places,” Reid told CJME. “And so our team is going through that right now. … I can tell you that the pieces that people thought were offensive, we’re stripping all of that.”
In 2008, two Americans composed the original “Experience Regina” song after traveling to Canada, according to the Regina Leader-Post. After being posted on YouTube, the video gained traction over time, with a notable appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” almost a decade later. In the years in between, multiple movies — including “Deadpool,” “Barely Lethal” and “Goon” — have made quips about Regina.
Reid told CJME that the goal was to pick a unique name for Regina’s tourism marketing agency. Hoping to joke about the city’s stereotypes, the organization gathered local musicians — including a chorus, a string quartet and a DJ — to recreate the 2008 song for its announcement.
“Our strategy was accept, you know, everything from the ‘Experience Regina’ song that we laugh at and some people hate, to all the slogans that are used,” Reid told CJME. “And then essentially come back with our manifesto … that was really about owning our story, our message and our brand.”
Regina’s mayor, Sandra Masters, supported Experience Regina’s rebranding, writing on Facebook on Friday that it “embraces who we are — fun, genuine, and bold.” In addition to Experience Regina, some local businesses included the slogans on merchandise but have since deleted social media posts and apologized.
When lifelong Regina resident Krista Keeley saw the name and slogans Friday, she thought they were an early April Fools’ joke. The 34-year-old spoke with her high school English students about the slogans, but Keeley said they didn’t find them funny.
“It’s so offensive, and it’s triggering for some people who hear that and see that and automatically, you know, feel like an object,” Keeley told The Washington Post, “or it reminds them of harassment that somebody gave them.”
Keeley said she’d rather Regina be known for its nickname, Queen City — it was named after Queen Victoria — as well as its museums, fields and friendly people.
“We’re selling our city short,” Keeley said, “and we’re so much better than this.” | 2023-03-21T05:59:29+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/03/21/experience-regina-canada-song-video/ |
“Saturday Night Live” is giving a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of how one of Season 48's most popular sketches made it from pre-tape to the final show.
The iconic late night sketch comedy show is no stranger to elaborate parodies and gave the same treatment to a recent sketch called “HBO Mario Kart Trailer,” which spoofed the network’s wildly popular video game adaptation, “The Last of Us.”
Both the show and the sketch — which has amassed 10 million views on YouTube — star Pedro Pascal as the lead, with the actor taking on the role of Mario alongside cast member Chloe Fineman as Princess Peach, Mikey Day as Luigi, and Kenan Thompson as Bowser.
The two-and-a-half minute long “Behind the Sketch” video showed clips from the final version, in addition to shots from filming that showcased the craftsmanship of the set, intricate costumes, and makeup. The video offered fans a rare look into Zoom meetings where producers discussed plotting out the sketch and some of the Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. It also showed how the post-production team collaborated with visual effects artists to flesh out certain parts of the sketch.
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Mike Diva, film unit director, referred to the sketch as “one of the most ambitious pre-tapes,” later adding, “If you’re watching this, I guess we pulled it off.”
In the skit, which originally aired on Feb. 4, the popular Nintendo game got a dark reimagining based on the success of “The Last of Us.”
Entertainment News
The sketch followed Pascal and Fineman as he helped guide her safely to Rainbow Road. Throughout the treacherous journey, they encountered villains and obstacles such as Bowser and a Goomba, a mushroom inspired character, as well as allies including Day as Luigi, Bowen Yang as Yoshi, and Marcello Hernandez as Toad.
Pascal also gave fans a behind-the-scenes story about another memorable skit from his time hosting “SNL” in early February during an appearance on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”
The 47-year-old actor was asked about the sketch called “Lisa from Temecula,” which starred Pascal and Yang along with Molly Kearney, Punkie Johnson, and Ego Nwodim. In the sketch, Nwodim orders her steak “extra, extra well done” and struggles to cut through the meat, which leads to the table shaking -- sending drinks, plates, and a pitcher of sangria flying.
Throughout the sketch, Pascal and the cast members all struggled to stay in character, with everyone breaking at some point to laugh. However, Pascal said that there is one person to blame for the unplanned laughter: Yang.
Pascal said that Yang "tossed his fork and fully gave up," during the skit which made it hard for him to stay in character.
“When it was on me and I was breaking, it’s because I was turning every now and then — yeah, I’m throwing him under the bus, basically — because I’m like, ‘No, you never break,' and so we were done for," Pascal said.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: | 2023-02-26T01:17:12+00:00 | nbcmiami.com | https://www.nbcmiami.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/new-snl-behind-the-scenes-video-shows-how-they-pulled-off-mario-kart-parody/2981620/ |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The first multistate contest of the 2022 midterm election seasonunfolds on Tuesday, as Ohio voters pick nominees for governor and the U.S. Senate while Indiana voters consider whether their Legislature should become even more conservative.
The races, particularly in Ohio, could provide a fresh window into former President Donald Trump’s sway among the party faithful. He has been especially involved in Ohio’s Senate primary, which has been marred by Republican divisions, along with campaigns for the U.S. House and secretary of state.
For Democrats, a potential threat to incumbent U.S. Rep. Shontel Brownin Cleveland is of keen interest. Brown is locked in a rematch against progressive challenger Nina Turner, a former state senator and surrogate for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns. Turner is trying again after losing to Brown in last year’s special election.
Voting in Ohio comes against the backdrop of a chaotic and still unresolved redistricting battle.
What to watch as the Ohio and Indiana primaries unfold:
WHO WILL SURVIVE OHIO’S NASTY SENATE PRIMARY?
Seven candidates are on the ballot in Tuesday’s Republican faceoff for the coveted open U.S. Senate seat of retiring Republican Rob Portman. They are Trump-endorsed “Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance, former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, Cleveland investment banker Mike Gibbons, former Ohio Republican Chair Jane Timken, state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, and entrepreneurs Mark Pukita and Neil Patel.
The campaign has featured months of jockeying among top contenders for Trump’s endorsement, more than $65 million in TV and radio spending, dozens of debates and candidate forums, and one highly publicized physical confrontation between two candidates.
As Vance rides high on the Trump endorsement, other candidates who campaigned on their loyalty to the former president are hoping that heavy ad spending or a strong ground game can help them win. Dolan is the only candidate who ran as a Portman-like centrist, but Timken landed Portman’s endorsement.
Whoever prevails will face the winner of a three-way Democratic primary between 10-term U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, former consumer protection attorney Morgan Harper and Columbus activist and tech exec Traci Johnson.
IS A TRUMP ENDORSEMENT A SLAM-DUNK IN OHIO?
Trump twice won Ohio by more than 8 percentage points, so many viewed getting his nod in the Senate race as critical to winning the crowded Senate primary. Instead, when he finally chose Vance, it divided the state.
That’s because Vance opponents, including Mandel, Gibbons and their allies, had aired months of ads highlighting Vance’s past anti-Trump statements. Some tea party Republicans protested an April 23 Trump rally featuring Vance, and one conservative group, Ohio Value Voters, urged its supporters to boycott — or boo Vance when he walked on stage. The deep-pocketed Club for Growth, a conservative group backing Mandel, has taken to TV with ads directly attacking Trump for his choice.
Trump also has backed candidates in two Republican congressional primaries: Max Miller, his former White House and campaign aide, in the sprawling new 7th District in northeast Ohio, and Madison Gesiotto Gilbert in the Akron-area 13th District. He also is backing Secretary of State Frank LaRose in his primary against former state Rep. John Adams, a conservative Trump supporter.
WILL A WOMAN BREAK THROUGH IN OHIO’S GUBERNATORIAL RACE?
Democrat Nan Whaley is seeking to be the first woman in Ohioto get a major party’s nomination for governor. The former Dayton mayor is locked in a tight race with ex-Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, who is endorsed by feminist icon Gloria Steinem.
They see eye-to-eye on most major issues — guns, abortion rights, social justice — but Whaley has repeatedly pointed out that Cranley only recently said he was pro-choice. She also has the backing of the state’s top Democrat, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Neither candidate is a household name across Ohio. Both have struggled to draw attention as much of the state is focused on the contentious U.S. Senate race and ongoing redistricting fight.
The big question for first-term Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is just how many conservative voters will punish him for pushing aggressive mandatesand shutdowns during the pandemic.
DeWine is widely known from a 40-year career in Ohio politics and in a solid position to win the GOP’s nomination for another four-year term. His two main challengers have tapped into the anger over the governor’s COVID-19 policies, but they’re likely to split those far-right voters.
DeWine isn’t taking any chances, pouring millions into advertising during the weeks leading into the primary. The concern will be whether those same conservative voters who were furious with DeWine will come back to him in November.
WILL CONFUSION OVER OHIO’S PRIMARY CALENDAR AFFECT RESULTS?
A protracted battle over Ohio’s congressional and legislative maps has played havoc with the state’s 2022 election calendar. For a long time, it looked like the May 3 primary wouldn’t go forward amid all the legal wrangling. Then suddenly it did.
Voter advocates, campaigns and political parties have stepped up efforts to get the word out as participation in early voting showed a 40% decline from four years ago.
Tuesday’s ballots will not list state legislative races, which are expected to be decided in a second primary later this year. The Ohio Redistricting Commission faces a deadline next week to try for a fifth time to draw district lines that don’t represent a partisan gerrymander and can meet constitutional muster. If the panel fails, a federal court has said it will force an Aug. 2 primary using one of the previously invalidated maps.
Congressional races have gone forward using a map that has also been invalidated by the Ohio Supreme Court. Ongoing litigation could result in a new map before 2024 elections.
IS INDIANA’S LEGISLATURE CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH?
More than a dozen Indiana House members are trying to hold off Republican primary challengers who argue that the GOP-dominated Legislature hasn’t been aggressive enough on issues from attempting to ban abortion to overturning COVID-19 restrictions that were ordered by the state’s Republican governor.
Those challengers say they are tapping into frustration among conservative voters and want to push the Legislature further to the right in a state where Republicans control all statewide offices and have had legislative supermajorities for the past decade.
Whether the challengers can defeat incumbents backed by Republican leaders’ multimillion-dollar campaign fund should be answered in Tuesday’s primary.
Republican legislative leaders argue the “no compromise” stances adopted by many challengers aren’t practical and tout the state’s low taxes and unemployment and broad private school voucher program among its conservative successes.
Challengers like Brittany Carroll, a family law attorney running for a central Indiana seat, maintain Indiana lawmakers should be aggressively pushing issues such as the Texas ban on abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy.
“Indiana could be leading in terms of liberty, like Florida, like Texas,” Carroll said.
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Davies reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writer John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics | 2022-05-02T22:15:55+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/politics/2022-midterms-what-to-know-about-ohio-indiana-primaries/ |
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Wave have signed 15-year-old Melanie Barcenas, the youngest player ever to reach a deal with a National Women’s Soccer League team.
At 15 years and 138 days, Barcenas is younger than Chloe Ricketts, who was 15 years and 283 days old when she signed with the Washington Spirit earlier this month. Olivia Moultrie was 15 years and 286 days when she signed with the Portland Thorns in June 2021.
Barcenas played for the San Diego Surf youth club and was also called up by the U.S. national under-17 team for a pair of exhibition matches against England in February.
“It’s been a dream of mine to not just play in the NWSL but to have the opportunity to represent this city since the announcement of the Wave last year,” Barcenas said in a statement. “I know I am young, but the team and coaching staff have been amazing, and I look forward to learning from them every day as I continue to develop.”
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-03-21T18:15:10+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/03/21/nwsl-youngest-player-melanie-barcenas/58120ab8-c80c-11ed-9cc5-a58a4f6d84cd_story.html |
Dr. Gary Fitzgerald
PALESTINE — Services for Dr. Gary Fitzgerald age 78 of Palestine will be Sunday, September 4, 2022 at 3:00 P.M. in Crawford Cemetery with Rev. Chuck Bratz and Pastor Kevin Otto officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Bailey & Foster.
Gary was born June 30, 1944 to Buel and Orell Mays Fitzgerald. He was a United Methodist pastor since he was 19 years old. Gary loved to read and was a big fan of the Baylor Bears. He adored his brother, Randy, and together they raised cattle on their family farm near Elkhart.
In 2013 Gary married Susan whom he called Angel Girl. They enjoyed almost nine very happy years together.
Gary was preceded in death by his mother and father. He is survived by his wife, Susan Hanak Fitzgerald and her family; his brother Dr. Randy Fitzgerald wife Karen and her family.
The family would like to thank the loving staff at Palestine Dialysis Center who took such good care of Gary.
Memorials in memory of Gary may be made to Westwood United Methodist Church, 148 Private Rd 6990, Palestine, Tx 75801.
Gary was born June 30, 1944 to Buel and Orell Mays Fitzgerald. He was a United Methodist pastor since he was 19 years old. Gary loved to read and was a big fan of the Baylor Bears. He adored his brother, Randy, and together they raised cattle on their family farm near Elkhart.
In 2013 Gary married Susan whom he called Angel Girl. They enjoyed almost nine very happy years together.
Gary was preceded in death by his mother and father. He is survived by his wife, Susan Hanak Fitzgerald and her family; his brother Dr. Randy Fitzgerald wife Karen and her family.
The family would like to thank the loving staff at Palestine Dialysis Center who took such good care of Gary.
Memorials in memory of Gary may be made to Westwood United Methodist Church, 148 Private Rd 6990, Palestine, Tx 75801. | 2022-09-04T10:34:49+00:00 | tylerpaper.com | https://tylerpaper.com/obituaries/dr-gary-fitzgerald/article_fdd163a5-961b-5047-a21a-019308179825.html |
Senate OKs bill to expand aid to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, sends to Biden
WASHINGTON - A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits won final approval in the Senate on Tuesday, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol.
The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 86-11. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Biden described the legislation as the biggest expansion of benefits for service-connected health issues in 30 years and the largest single bill ever to address exposure to burn pits.
"I look forward to signing this bill, so that veterans and their families and caregivers impacted by toxic exposures finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they earned and deserve," Biden said.
RELATED: How health care, disability benefits for veterans became fight in Congress
The Senate had overwhelming approved the legislation back in June, but a do-over was required to make a technical fix. That process derailed when Republicans made a late attempt to change another aspect of the bill last week and blocked it from advancing.
Comedian and activist Jon Stewart embraces the mother-in-law of late Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson, before the Senate vote on the PACT Act outside the U.S. Capitol August 2, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The abrupt delay outraged veterans groups and advocates, including comedian Jon Stewart. It also placed GOP senators in the uncomfortable position of delaying the top legislative priority of service organizations this session of Congress.
A group of veterans and their families have been camping out at the Capitol since that vote. They had endured thunderstorms and Washington's notorious summer humidity, but they were in the galleries as senators cast their votes.
"You can go home knowing the good and great thing you have done and accomplished for the United States of America," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told them.
The legislation expands access to health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for millions who served near burn pits. It also directs the VA to presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service.
Roughly 70% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure are denied by the VA due to lack of evidence, scientific data and information from the Defense Department.
The military used burn pits to dispose of such things as chemicals, cans, tires, plastics and medical and human waste.
Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War era veterans and survivors also stand to benefit from the legislation. The bill adds hypertension, or high blood pressure, as a presumptive disease associated with Agent Orange exposure.
The Congressional Budget Office projected that about 600,000 of 1.6 million living Vietnam vets would be eligible for increased compensation, though only about half would have severe enough diagnoses to warrant more compensation.
Comedian Jon Stewart, right, attends a rally outside of the U.S. Capitol to call on the Senate to pass the Pact Act, which aims to expand health care and benefits to veterans exposed to toxins while serving, on August, 2, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Also, veterans who served in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll will be presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. That’s another 50,000 veterans and survivors of deceased veterans who would get compensation for illnesses presumed to have been caused by their exposure to the herbicide, the CBO projected.
The bill also authorizes 31 major medical VA health clinics and research facilities in 19 states.
The bill is projected to increase federal deficits by about $277 billion over 10 years.
The bill has been a years-long effort begun by veterans and their families who viewed the burn pits used in Iraq and Afghanistan as responsible for respiratory problems and other illnesses the veterans experienced after returning home. It was named after Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson from Ohio, who died in 2020 from cancer he attributed to prolonged exposure to burn pits. His widow, Danielle Robinson, was first lady Jill Biden's guest at the president's State of the Union address earlier this year.
Stewart, the former host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," also brought increased exposure to the burn pit maladies veterans were facing. He also was in the gallery watching the vote Tuesday. He wept and held his head in his hand as the final vote began.
"I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a situation where people who have already given so much had to fight so hard to get so little," he said after the vote. "And I hope we learn a lesson."
The House was the first to act on the burn pits legislation. An earlier version the House approved in March was expected to increase spending by more than $320 billion over 10 years, but senators trimmed some of the costs early on by phasing in certain benefit enhancements. They also added funds for staffing to help the VA keep up with the expected increase in demand for health care and an increase in disability claims.
Some GOP senators are still concerned that the bill will increase delays at the VA because of an increased demand for veterans seeking care or disability compensation.
"What we have learned is that the VA cannot deliver what is promised because it does not have the capacity to handle the increase," said Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., led the effort to get the bill passed in the Senate. After passage, Tester told reporters he received a call from Biden, thanking him for "taking a big weight" off his shoulder.
For Biden, the issue is very personal. He has raised the prospect that burn pits in Iraq were responsible for the death of his son Beau.
"We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops," Biden said at his State of the Union speech. "But I’m committed to finding out everything we can."
Moran said that when the bill failed to pass last week, he was disappointed but remembered the strength of the protesters who had sat outside in the scorching heat for days.
"Thanks to the United States Senate for demonstrating when there’s something good and a good cause, this place still works," Moran said.
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Associated Press staff writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report. | 2022-08-03T01:53:56+00:00 | fox10phoenix.com | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/senate-oks-bill-to-expand-aid-to-veterans-exposed-to-toxic-burn-pits-sends-to-biden |
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ATLANTA, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pye-Barker Fire & Safety adds one of the largest full-service security providers in New Jersey, Complete Security Systems, Inc., to its alarm division and family of companies. The merger makes Pye-Barker Fire & Safety the leading security and alarm provider in the state.
Complete Security Systems (CSS), headquartered in Marlboro, New Jersey, specializes in customized security solutions including intrusion alarms, fire alarms, CCTV and access control for commercial and residential customers. It was founded in 1983 by Chris Mosley who built CSS with a vision to listen, provide quality and take care of customers like family, thus propelling its success. Complete Security Systems is the only security company to receive the prestigious New Jersey Electronic Life Safety Association (NJELSA) Dealer Award for three years.
"I'm thrilled to be able to forge this partnership with Pye-Barker," said Chris Mosley, Complete Security Systems President. "Their culture, people and way of doing business align perfectly with who we are at CSS."
Mosley is an impactful leader in his community and throughout the security industry. He was instrumental in the fight to get new licensure approved in the state of New Jersey that would strengthen the quality of security service and alarm installation in the state. He served as the national President of ESA, as well as President of the New Jersey Electronic Life Safety Association and is an active board member of the Monmouth County Friends of the Parks and the local YMCA.
"It's an honor to be able to work with Chris Mosley and the Complete Security Systems team. They're a pillar in the industry with a high bar for quality and taking care of customers," said Bart Proctor, CEO of Pye-Barker.
Mosley will continue to lead CSS along with his leadership team, and his well-trained security professionals will service new and existing customers.
Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, founded in 1946, is a leader in fire protection and life safety, with over 130 locations and 3,100 team members. It is a full-service company offering all the necessary specialties including portable extinguishers, restaurant fire suppression, special hazard systems, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, and security. Pye-Barker invests heavily in providing the best-in-class training for its team while offering industry competitive benefits and is rapidly expanding its national footprint.
Eric Garner
CEO, Pye-Barker Alarm Division
(801) 395-8738
egarner@pyebarkerfire.com
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SOURCE Pye-Barker Fire & Safety | 2022-08-04T18:45:35+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/pye-barker-fire-amp-safety-adds-complete-security-systems-new-jersey-its-family-companies/ |
SHANGHAI, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Acting as a major platform for international procurement, investment promotion, cultural exchanges and open cooperation, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) has been held for four consecutive years and is widely regarded as an international public good, which in turn is good for economic globalization and multilateral trading system.
With a number of companies attending the CIIE for the first time this year, including global metals and mining giant Rio Tinto Group, and Japanese multinational semiconductor company Renesas Electronics Corp, the fifth edition of the CIIE will be held in Shanghai from Nov 5 to10 as scheduled.
In terms of the Business Exhibition, the fifth CIIE will again feature six exhibition areas — Food and Agricultural Products, Intelligent Industry and Information Technology, Medical Equipment and Healthcare Products, Consumer Goods, Trade in Services, and Automobiles.
This year, many organizing agencies from countries such as Norway and Belgium have joined the CIIE network for the first time. These agencies will play an important role in inviting local small and medium-sized enterprises to take part in the expo. Member nations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) are also planning to participate in the expo.
Over the last few years, the organizers of the CIIE have been establishing subsections within exhibition areas to enhance service standards. The fifth edition will have more new subsections established. For example, a crop seeds subsection and an artificial intelligence subsection will be set up to strengthen communication between businesses and bolster relevant industrial growth.
Subsections dedicated to serving innovation incubation, debuted in 2021 edition, will be established again in the exhibition areas of automobiles, intelligent industry and information technology, and medical equipment and healthcare products. Such subsections will also be present for sports and fashion design.
This year, country exhibitions will be held online with a brand-new look to showcase countries' achievements in cultural, economic, and social fonts.
Since 2018, more than 120 countries in total participated in the country exhibition, showcasing foreign countries' passion for the CIIE.
Be sure to browse the official website of the CIIE for more information about the upcoming fifth edition: https://www.ciie.org/zbh/en/.
Contact: Ms. Cui Yan
Tel.: 0086-21-968888
Email: ciie2022@ciie.org
Website: http://www.ciie.org/zbh/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ciieonline
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ciieonline
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SOURCE CIIE | 2022-09-16T16:39:13+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/16/fifth-china-international-import-expo-prepares-open-its-door-worldwide-participants/ |
The nation's largest rental car chain is involved in a class action lawsuit for filing police reports on what attorneys say are actively paying customers with rental car contracts, like Cristel Hibbs, who says she was home in new jersey with her daughter, when the police arrived.
"Having this happen has destroyed me," Hibbs said.
Her story starts during the COVID lockdowns. Her new position as a massage therapist required her to have a car.
"I ended up renting a car from Hertz," Hibbs continued. "I didn't anticipate having to rent it as long as I did."
Hibbs says COVID lockdowns were getting severe at the time she intended to return her rental.
"They had restrictions, like you couldn't leave your house past like 8:00," she said.
Hibbs says she couldn't make the hour and half drive to return the car to Philadelphia. But says she kept the company in the loop and kept paying.
"I was in touch with Hertz and letting them know, obviously with the COVID situation, you know, I'm going to have to extend my rental," she said. "In the meantime, payment is coming out of my bank account."
Hibbs says she also kept calling Hertz concerned over intimidating emails.
"I was getting threats by email saying that they were going to come, and they were going to report a theft," she said. "And I was like, 'Well, this is dumb. Like, that's crazy. I'm in communications. I'm paying. You're receiving the money. So, why is it you're going to do this?'"
In April, Hibbs says her world came crashing down.
"I was on a Zoom call and police officers surrounded my house, were knocking on my door or down the street and were casing the joint," she said. "I step down the stairs, they're like 'Turn around.' And I was like, 'What's going on?' They're like, 'You're under arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle.'"
Her then 15-year-old daughter was in the house.
"A male police officer walked into my house. He got my daughter to give me some shoes and she put them on my feet while I was handcuffed," Hibbs continued. "She had some breakdowns while I was gone. So, I wasn't even with her. And she's never had anything like that... I'm not a criminal. I've done nothing wrong."
Pre-COVID, 44.5 million cars were rented around the U.S.
A year later, due to COVID, that number dropped to 17 million.
Before the pandemic, Hertz had one of the biggest fleets. Autorentalnews.com says the company owned over 650,000 cars.
But, like many companies in the pandemic, they were forced to sell almost 200,000 of them off when the demand was low.
And in 2020 the company filed bankruptcy.
Attorney Francis Malofiy is representing Hibbs and hundreds of other people suing Hertz.
"I think that you're dealing with an evil corporation that filed false police reports against its very own customers," he said. "They tried to hide it for years."
Hertz released a statement saying in part: "...The vast majority of the current legal claims involve renters who were many weeks or even months overdue returning vehicles and who stopped communicating with us well beyond the scheduled due date."
"Hertz using the police and the prosecutors and the police as a taxpayer funded repo service is an abuse of public funds," Malofiy continued.
Moving forward, Hertz says it plans to use new technologies and private sector repo agents.
That's little comfort to Hibbs, who says her life was left in ruins after the arrest.
"I did everything that I could," she said. "I contacted them. I kept them in the loop. You know, they were paid, and it didn't matter. It didn't matter. They didn't care."
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | 2022-06-04T02:01:47+00:00 | kgun9.com | https://www.kgun9.com/news/national/hertz-faces-lawsuits-after-filing-false-police-reports-arrests |
Dorothy Florence Kaufman, 95 of Lancaster, PA went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday May,30, 2023 at Mennonite Home. Born in Lancaster, PA, she was the daughter of the late Benjamin and Clara Viola Rutter Byers. She was married for 40 years to John H. Kaufman, Sr., who passed away in 1991.
Dorothy worked at Meadow Hill Restaurant in the kitchen and Armstrong in the cafeteria, however her most important work was as a homemaker. She was baptized and a member of Conestoga United Methodist Church where she participated with the 55+ group. She was a hardworking farm wife, assisting with all the farm work and enjoyed raising chickens, ducks and steers. She was an amazing cook and baked pies and black walnut cake and made the best hamburgers around. Most of Dorothy's happiest moments were spent with her grandchildren who she loved deeply and spending time with her sister, Mary and sister-in-law, Betty.
She is survived by her daughters, Arlene M. Powders (Charlie), Willow Street, PA, Jackie C. Rineer (Kenneth), Tucson, AZ, her sons, John H. Kaufman, Jr. (Lynn), Conestoga, PA, Allen L. Kaufman (Cathy), Millersville, PA, 6 grandchildren: Teddy, Jamie, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Abbie, and Jack, 11 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She is the last of her 12 siblings.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Dorothy's Funeral Service at The Groffs Family Funeral Home, 528 W. Orange Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 12:00 Noon with Keith Kaufman officiating. The family will receive friends from 11:30 a.m. until the time of service. Interment will be held in Conestoga United Methodist Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Hospice & Community Care, 685 Good Drive, PO Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125.
Please visit Dorothy's Memorial Page at: | 2023-06-02T04:34:30+00:00 | lancasteronline.com | https://lancasteronline.com/obituaries/dorothy-florence-kaufman/article_cac9b28a-0053-5fd9-b24a-fa2c278304e3.html |
With severe weather season comes the threat of scams
FCC: No fee required to apply for or get disaster assistance
InvestigateTV - As the spring storm season begins, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warned of scams in the aftermath of severe weather.
Better Business Bureau Vice President of Communications Josh Planos said as you plan for possible severe weather, you should also prepare for fraudsters who may show up during the aftermath looking to steal your money or information.
“Unfortunately, we see folks who are really looking to weaponize everything from lumber to new identification cards and kind of everything in between,” Planos said.
The FCC issued guidelines on staying safe from bad actors posing as legit contractors. The agency’s biggest piece of advice was to never give out personal information or agree to payment until you can independently verify the call is legitimate.
The FCC also warned contractors may claim to be a partner with your insurance company. In the release it cautioned people to never give policy numbers, coverage details, or other personal information out to companies with whom you have not entered into a contract.
Planos explained that a lot of municipalities require solicitation permits. He shared several tips to help avoid cons:
- Ask any door-to-door salesperson for identification
- Check their vehicles for a business name, phone number, and license for your state or province
- Be wary of out of state vehicles
Lastly, government disaster assistance agencies do not call or text asking for financial account information and there is no fee required to apply for or get disaster assistance from FEMA or the Small Business Administration (SBA).
You can review full fraud warnings from FEMA, FCC, and FTC for more information.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-01T22:05:51+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/03/01/severe-weather-brings-out-scammers/ |
ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish court has ordered 17 suspects jailed pending trial in connection with a deadly street bombing in Istanbul, accusing them of attempts against the unity of the state, deliberate killings and attempts to kill, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Friday.
The court released three other suspects from custody pending trial, Anadolu Agency reported. It also ordered the deportation from Turkey of 29 people who were rounded up by police in connection with the attack.
The Nov. 13 explosion targeted Istanbul’s bustling Istiklal Avenue — a popular thoroughfare lined with shops and restaurants — and left six people dead, including two children. More than 80 others were wounded.
The attack came as a shocking reminder of bombings that hit Turkish cities between 2015 and 2017, shattering the public’s sense of security.
Turkish authorities blamed last weekend's explosion on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, as well as Syrian Kurdish groups affiliated with it. The Kurdish militants groups have denied involvement.
Prosecutors questioned the main suspect in the attack, a Syrian woman who is accused of leaving a TNT-laden bomb on Istiklal Avenue, for some five hours.
The woman, identified as Ahlam Albashir, allegedly told her interrogators that she had entered Turkey illegally and stayed at a house in Istanbul for four months, pretending to be a couple with one of the other suspects, the Anadolu Agency reported.
According to the news agency, Albashir also allegedly admitted to leaving a bag containing the explosive device on a street bench but claimed she did not know what was inside it.
A trial date is expected to be set after prosecutors prepare their indictment, which could take months.
One suspect was apprehended by Turkish police late Wednesday in the Syrian city of Azaz - which is currently under the control of the Turkey-backed Syrian opposition - and was being questioned by police.
There was no information on the 29 people who face deportation.
The PKK has fought an armed insurgency in Turkey since 1984. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since then. | 2022-11-18T08:33:54+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Turkey-17-charged-over-bombing-in-Istanbul-that-17594255.php |
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University students and faculty returned to the East Lansing campus Monday as the university resumed normal operations one week after a gunman shot and killed three students and injured five others.
The 50,000-student university’s campus remained relatively quiet on the first day back, with many professors allowing students to attend class virtually and some students opting instead to attend a planned protest at the state Capitol in the afternoon.
In an email sent out to faculty Friday, the university said that all students will be given a credit/no credit option this semester, which allows students to receive credit for all classes without it impacting their overall grade point average. The email, written by interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko, asked all teachers to “extend as much grace and flexibility as you are able with individual students, now and in the coming weeks.”
Brogan Kelley, a freshman at Michigan State, left East Lansing following last week’s shooting to return home to his family in west Michigan but drove back on Sunday so that he could attend class in person. He said that he felt like it was important “to go back about my life.”
“For me, not going to class felt like I would have been letting the shooter win. I didn’t want this one tragedy to define the place I call home and the university that’s giving me my education,” said Kelley.
Kelley, who was at an off-campus house when the shooting took place, said that the majority of his professors had given students the option to attend class in person or online, with many students choosing the latter.
The shootings at Michigan State happened last Monday during evening classes at Berkey Hall and nearby at the MSU Union, a social hub where students can study, eat and relax. Students across the vast campus were ordered to shelter in place for four hours — “run, hide, fight” if necessary — while police hunted for Anthony McRae, 43, who eventually killed himself when confronted by police not far from his home in Lansing.
Two wounded students remain in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital, university police said Monday. Two other students were in stable condition with another student in “fair condition.”
The university has been criticized by some in the community for returning too quickly. The editorial board of The State News, the student newspaper, wrote Thursday that they wouldn’t attend class next week, either in person or online. More time was needed to heal, the students wrote.
A student-led protest was scheduled to take place at the state Capitol in downtown Lansing on Monday afternoon calling for gun reform legislation. March for Our Lives founder David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland School shooting, joined Michigan State students and state lawmakers at a press conference outside of the state Capitol prior to the protest to call for gun reform. | 2023-02-20T18:53:19+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/students-faculty-return-to-michigan-state-after-shooting/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Cedar Rapids Xavier finally found a way to top Epworth Western Dubuque 54-46 on Feb. 21 in Iowa girls high school basketball.
Last season, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Epworth Western Dubuque faced off on Dec. 14, 2021 at Cedar Rapids Xavier High School. For more, click here.
In recent action on Feb. 10, Cedar Rapids Xavier faced off against Cedar Rapids CR Jefferson . For more, click here. Epworth Western Dubuque took on Marion Linn-Mar on Feb. 10 at Marion Linn-Mar High School. For a full recap, click here.
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You're reading a news brief powered by ScoreStream, a world leader in fan-driven sports results and conversation. Help us collect and deliver more game results from your favorite teams and players by downloading the ScoreStream app. Nearly a million users nationwide share team scores and player performance stats with this convenient free app. | 2023-02-22T05:29:20+00:00 | wcfcourier.com | https://wcfcourier.com/sports/high-school/basketball/girls/cedar-rapids-xavier-overcomes-epworth-western-dubuque-in-seat-squirming-affair-54-46/article_31a69b17-04c8-554f-abbe-664be6c73e23.html |
Photographer Adger Cowans, who covered everything from the Civil Rights movement to movie stars, has a new exhibit at age 85 in Fairfield, Conn.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Photographer Adger Cowans, who covered everything from the Civil Rights movement to movie stars, has a new exhibit at age 85 in Fairfield, Conn.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-05-03T22:29:58+00:00 | iowapublicradio.org | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2022-05-03/encore-exhibit-shows-photographer-adger-cowans-range-from-civil-rights-to-celebs |
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan and China on Thursday mark the 50th anniversary of the 1972 normalization of their ties, but there isn't much of a celebratory mood. Improved ties between Asia’s two biggest economies are considered vital to the region's stability and prosperity, but they remain at odds over disputed East China Sea islands and China’s growing military and economic assertiveness in the region.
Here are the key issues in the often strained relations between these powerhouse neighbors:
___
TERRITORIAL DISPUTES
A huge source of contention is an uninhabited group of Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan insists that the islands, which once hosted a Japanese seafood factory, are part of its territory, both historically and by international law. China says they were stolen by Japan in 1895 and should have been returned at the end of World War II.
The disputed islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and undersea oil deposits, and Japan accuses China of suddenly making its territorial claims after the undersea resources were found in a 1969 United Nations report. The 1972 normalization communique did not deal with the issue, but the dispute intensified after Japan’s government in 2012 nationalized the Senkaku islands, leading to violent protests across China. Chinese coast guard and fishing boats are regularly found in the area, routinely violating Japanese waters.
___
FEAR OF TAIWAN EMERGENCY
Japan, along with its security ally the United States, has openly criticized increased Chinese activities in the South China Seas. Tokyo has also pushed for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary.
With a U.S.-China trade war and naval tensions on the rise in the area, Japan is increasingly worried about Taiwan emergencies. China’s increased joint military drills with Russia near Japanese coasts have also irked Japan. Tokyo is shifting its military posture toward southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and remote islands just east of Taiwan.
China staged major military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan in August in an angry response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taipei visit, and fired five ballistic missiles into waters near Okinawa. Fear of conflict over Taiwan adds to Japan's urgent efforts to reinforce its military capabilities and boost its budget. Japan is currently revising its national security strategy, which is expected to call for the possession of preemptive strike capabilities that opponents say would violate the country's pacifist constitution.
With Japan's westernmost island just east of Taiwan, “It is increasingly difficult to see how a Taiwan military contingency would not affect at a minimum the waters and airspace around Japanese territory,” said Amanda Hsiao, senior analyst for China at the Crisis Group.
___
WARTIME HISTORY
The two countries were at war, starting with clashes in the 1930s, until Japan’s defeat in 1945. Japanese atrocities during the Sino-Japanese war include the Rape of Nanking, the use of chemical and biological weapons and grisly human medical experiments in Manchuria, where Japan’s imperial army had a secret biological weapons unit. Japan also brought nearly 40,000 Chinese laborers to Japanese mines and factories, where many died of malnutrition and abuse.
In the 1972 communique, China waived the right to war compensation, which some experts say was in exchange for Japan's apology and recognition of China as the only legal government. Japan, however, has provided official development aid totaling 3.6 trillion yen ($25 billion) to China over the past four decades.
___
YASUKUNI SHRINE
China consider Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine — which honors 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals — as a symbol of Japan’s wartime militarism. Beijing views visits by Japanese ministers and lawmakers to the Tokyo shrine as indicative of a lack of remorse over Japan’s wartime aggression. China, along with South Korea, which Japan colonized from 1910-1945, routinely protests against such visits.
___
ECONOMIC SECURITY
As a top U.S. ally and a major trade partner with China, Japan is in a delicate situation and must balance its position between the two superpowers.
China has been more assertive about pressing other governments to embrace Chinese-led initiatives, including a trade group called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Japan, along with the United States, is seeking ways to stand up to increasing Chinese economic influence in the region. Tokyo also wants to reinforce economic security with other democracies in areas such as supply chains and the protection of sensitive technologies, apparently as a counter to China.
Yasuo Fukuda, a former Japanese prime minister who is an active proponent of better ties with China, says friction between Japan and China largely stem from U.S.-China trade issues. “The question is if global trade works better by excluding China," he said. | 2022-09-28T05:37:37+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/EXPLAINER-What-s-behind-strained-China-Japan-17471815.php |
Thursday’s admission by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman that he had deleted public records, even after he received open records requests, isn’t entirely surprising. His conduct at a prior hearing, berating a judge over questions, had already indicated he didn’t want to answer.
Now we know why.
The Associated Press reported that Gableman “routinely deleted records.” It’s stunningly bad judgement from someone with enough of a legal background to surely know better. The idea that an investigation like Gableman’s would proceed without open records requests being made is so laughable that it’s not even worth addressing. He knew requests would be made. And now, in his own words, he has admitted to deleting documents.
Specifically, the report said Gableman testified that he “deleted records if there was no pending open records request and he determined it was not useful or pertinent to his work.” That seems more than anything to be an attempt to get ahead of requests, to preemptively act before people could seek things he didn’t want to release.
In some cases those moves didn’t come quickly enough. Gableman, stunningly, used his personal Yahoo email account during early portions of the investigation. He told the court a person in his office deleted the account for him. But that step only came after he received an open records request for the emails.
Gableman’s claim that he searched the account for records relevant to the request before having it deleted rings hollow. It fits a pattern throughout his work in which he arrogated to himself the sole authority to determine what records were relevant and, in at least this case, ensured the records were put beyond any possible review by a neutral party.
It is past time for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to pull the plug on Gableman’s work. The criticism of Gableman’s work, which has cost Wisconsin taxpayers more than $900,000, is bipartisan. No matter what he concludes, it will have no effect on the results of the 2020 election, which have been confirmed by multiple recounts, lawsuits and an independent audit.
In fact, at this point the only concrete results that seem likely are professional sanctions for Gableman himself. He was fined $2,000 per day for failing to produce documents in the open records request and his behavior in court got him referred for potential disciplinary proceedings to Wisconsin’s office for overseeing attorneys.
Vos himself isn’t clear, either. A hearing July 28 will determine whether he will face penalties for how he responded to open records requests.
We haven’t said a great deal on any of these proceedings so far. Frankly, we haven’t thought there was a great deal we could add to the conversation. But destruction of public records isn’t something we can ignore.
Seeking public records is a core part of journalism. Our reporters file such requests routinely, looking for information that can further illuminate claims by governmental bodies. The vast majority of those requests are routine, and are returned in relatively short order.
When local governments try to deny access to public records, though, that becomes a problem. We’ve touched on those incidents at least a half-dozen times this year alone.
But in none of those cases did anyone respond with “Yeah, we deleted those records a while back.” At no time had the records we sought been destroyed. Hearing someone charged by the state Legislature admitting to such acts should be deeply shocking. It does considerable violence to the very concept of public records and the responsibility of government to preserve them in the interests of government accountability.
We cannot be silent in the face of such an admission. Open records and open access for the public are not negotiable. They are the law.
We don’t care whether you supported Gableman’s appointment or whether you thought it was a bad idea. The reality is that the records from a taxpayer-funded investigation, documents that ultimately belong to the people who paid for them, were destroyed.
That’s unacceptable. | 2022-06-23T20:08:47+00:00 | leadertelegram.com | https://www.leadertelegram.com/opinion/editorials/our-view-enough-is-enough/article_dbfc1b0a-634f-52f4-9792-1e98561214d8.html |
PHOENIX (AP) — Two men were fatally shot in west Phoenix early Sunday after an alleged home invasion, according to authorities.
Phoenix police said officers were called to the scene around 7:45 a.m. and found two men in their 20s who were wounded.
The two were rushed to a hospital and later died of their injuries.
Their names and ages haven’t been released yet.
Police said three people at the scene gave self-defense statements that the two men were trying to break into the house.
It will up to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges will be filed in the fatal shooting, police said. | 2022-06-26T15:48:07+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/2-men-fatally-shot-after-alleged-west-Phoenix-17266553.php |
US, partners stage military drills amid Japan-S. Korea talks
The U.S., Canada, India, Japan and South Korea are staging joint anti-submarine warfare drills amid talks between Japanese and South Korean leaders aimed at strengthening their alliance with Washington against threats from China and North Korea
TOKYO (AP) — The United States, Canada, India, Japan and South Korea are staging joint anti-submarine warfare drills amid talks between Japanese and South Korean leaders aimed at strengthening their alliance with Washington against threats from China and North Korea.
The Sea Dragon 23 exercises that started on Wednesday will culminate in more than 270 hours of in-flight training “ranging from tracking simulated targets to the final problem of tracking a U.S. Navy submarine,” the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a news release.
Pilots and flight officers from all participating countries will also hold classroom training sessions to “build plans and discuss tactics incorporating the capabilities and equipment of their respective nations,” The 7th Fleet said.
The drills are being held as a competition, with the country winning the most points taking home the “Dragon Belt.”
The U.S. Navy is being represented by two P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft, currently based in Guam. It did not say where the exercises would be held or how long they would last.
With 50 to 70 ships and submarines, 150 aircraft and more than 27,000 sailors and marines ready to deploy at any given time, the 7th Fleet “routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” it said.
That includes operating in the South China Sea, where it routinely draws Beijing's anger by sailing and flying near islands held and fortified by China, which claims the strategic waterway virtually in its entirety.
Other nations, as yet unidentified, are also taking part in the “Security Bond-2023” exercises, which China's Defense Ministry says will “help deepen practical cooperation between the participating countries’ navies ... and inject positive energy into regional peace and stability.”
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday that the White House was not concerned by the joint training exercise.
China’s dispute with Japan over tiny islands in the East China Sea has also heated up, with both sides accusing the other of violating their maritime territory.
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A multi-vehicle crash on Route 30 eastbound created a lane restriction and slowed down the morning commute. The crash has since cleared.
Crews responded to the scene at 7:12 a.m. the Centerville Road exit in East Hempfield Township, according to 511PA. Stop-and-go traffic is reported from the scene stretching back to just east of Columbia.
There are no reported injuries.
As of 8:32 a.m. the crash has cleared and traffic is moving freely.
Another crash on Route 283 eastbound at the Rheems and Elizabethtown exits briefly slow traffic, but it has since been cleared.
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Loading… | 2023-01-26T13:51:35+00:00 | lancasteronline.com | https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/route-30-crash-creates-major-delay-for-morning-commuters-in-east-hempfield-township/article_539a51b6-9d78-11ed-91c9-1fe127b6fcc7.html |
FLACHAU – Mikaela Shiffrin had the second-best time behind Olympic champion Petra Vlhova in the first run of a night slalom Tuesday as the American goes for a record 83rd win on the women’s World Cup circuit.
Shiffrin, who entered the race tied with fellow American Lindsey Vonn with 82 wins each, is 0.17 seconds behind Vlhova going into the second run.
“I actually think it was a quite a good run. I felt like my skiing was very good everywhere but for some small mistakes, but nothing too crazy so I kept the speed going everywhere,” said Shiffrin, who leads the discipline standings after winning four of the six slaloms so far this season.
Starting first in the opening run, Shiffrin didn’t make any glaring errors on her way down the flood-lit Griessenkar course but Vlhova, who started sixth, knew where to be careful and where to charge more after several other skiers struggled.
“The first run I was pushing hard. I don’t know if that will be enough for the second to take the top step, but it is enough for me to be satisfied," Shiffrin said. “To be honest, I loved watching (Vlhova) ski this run. I think it was the perfect combination of aggressive and also smart.”
Vlhova, a former overall World Cup champion from Slovakia who is Shiffrin's biggest rival, is seeking her first win of the season after seven podium finishes.
“On some rolls I took risks, because they were a little bit tricky,” said Vlhova, who was loudly cheered by fans waving Slovakian flags.
“It’s something special, in front of a lot of fans from Slovakia,” she said.
Zrinka Ljutic, an 18-year-old Croatian who has never finished on the podium, was third, 0.58 behind Vlhova.
Lena Duerr of Germany was 0.16 seconds faster than Shiffrin at the final checkpoint before a big mistake over a roll cost her a large chunk of time. Still, Duerr was fourth, 0.96 behind Vlhova.
Mauro Pini, Vlhova’s coach, set the first run.
About 15,000 fans attended the race in the hometown of Hermann Maier, one of Austria’s most successful racers. Marlies Schild, a former Austrian slalom standout and Shiffrin’s biggest idol growing up, was in attendance.
Shiffrin will start next to last in the second run, which starts at 8:45 p.m. local time (12:45 p.m. EST; 1945 GMT).
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Eric Willemsen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eWilmedia
___
More AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/skiing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-01-10T19:07:00+00:00 | wsls.com | https://www.wsls.com/sports/2023/01/10/shiffrin-trails-vlhova-in-1st-slalom-run-of-record-attempt/ |
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has had a rollercoaster career in which he had to fight to keep a job, lost his seat at a NASCAR powerhouse team and opened his 14th season mired in a five-year losing streak.
To say this Daytona 500 was a milestone race was an understatement — for Stenhouse and for NASCAR.
Stenhouse won the Daytona 500 in double overtime and under caution on Sunday in the longest running of “The Great American Race.” The two overtimes pushed the 65th running of the race to a record 212 laps — a dozen laps beyond the scheduled distance and a whopping 530 miles.
It provided anxious moments before a landmark celebration: The first Daytona 500-winning team co-owned by a Black man and a woman.
Stenhouse’s win for JTG Daugherty Racing was the third of his career. JTG is the first single-car team to win the Daytona 500 since The Wood Brothers Racing did it with Trevor Bayne in 2011.
The team is owned by Tad and Jodi Geschickter along with former NBA player Brad Daugherty.
Daugherty, who left the track earlier Sunday with an eye irritation, is the first Black car owner to win the race and Jodi Geschickter joined Teresa Earnhardt as female car owners to win the Daytona 500. Earnhardt ran Dale Earnhardt Inc. when Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 in 2003 and 2004.
To get to victory lane Sunday, JTG stuck with Stenhouse and even reunited him this season with the crew chief who led him to a pair of Xfinity Series titles years ago.
Mike Kelly’s biggest task was convincing Stenhouse that he can indeed win races. So ahead of the Daytona 500, he taped a note inside the Chevrolet. The message? The team believes in the driver.
“When I woke up today I told myself that I was going to do something that I used to do for Ricky when we had tough days,” Kelly said. “I just wrote him a note that only he would see. It was on top of the roll bar in front of him, and it just said, ‘We believe.’ That’s been our motto the whole offseason — that we believe.
“We’re trying to get people to believe in Ricky Stenhouse Jr. again.”
Stenhouse’s only other victories came in 2017, at Talladega and the summer race at Daytona.
Now the 35-year-old from Olive Branch, Mississippi, has a repeat win at Daytona in NASCAR’s biggest race of the season.
“I think this whole offseason Mike just preached how much we all believed in each other. They left me a note in the car that said they believe in me and to go get the job done,” Stenhouse said. “Man, this is unbelievable. This was the site of my last win back in 2017. We’ve worked really hard. We had a couple shots last year to get a win and fell short.
“It was a tough season, but man, we got it done, Daytona 500.”
Kyle Larson was collected in the race-ending crash after he jumped out of line too early in an attempt to win the race. His disappointment was alleviated by Stenhouse’s victory.
“Happy that Ricky won. I’m super happy. That’s all I could think about after I crashed, waiting to hear that he won,” Larson said. “He’s one of my best friends, so I was like yelling into my helmet when I helped push him to the lead there. I was hoping it was going to stay green so it would have been me or him win.
“I can’t wait to go get changed and go give him a big hug because he is one of my great buddies.”
Reigning Cup champion Joey Logano finished second in a Ford for Team Penske, which won the race last year with Austin Cindric.
“Second is the worst, man,” Logano said. “Congratulations to Ricky. There’s nothing like winning the Daytona 500. That’s why it stings so much finishing second.”
Christopher Bell was third in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and followed by Chris Buescher in a Ford for RFK Racing and pole-sitter Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports in a Chevrolet. It marked the first time the pole-sitter has finished in the top five since Bill Elliott in 2001.
AJ Allmendinger was sixth for Kaulig Racing, Daniel Suarez seventh for Trackhouse Racing, and Ryan Blaney eighth for Team Penske. Ross Chastain of Trackhouse and Riley Herbst of Rick Ware Racing rounded out the top 10.
Action sports star Travis Pastrana finished 11th in his Daytona 500 debut, and Kevin Harvick was 12th in his final Daytona 500. Harvick is retiring at the end of the year.
Kyle Busch dropped to 0 for 18 in the Daytona 500, but contended for his new Richard Childress Racing team. He was the leader ahead of teammate Austin Dillon with three laps remaining in regulation when a spin by Daniel Suarez brought out the caution and sent the race to overtime.
“Back in 1998, that would be the win, boys,” Busch radioed his team in deliberate reference to how the late Dale Earnhardt won his only Daytona 500. There was no overtime then and Earnhardt won under caution.
Busch wound up 19th after the race-ending crash in second overtime.
“I think this is the first time I led lap 200, so I wish it was 1998 rules. But, no, it’s just par for the course, just used to it and come down here every year to just find out when and where I’m going to crash and what lap I come out of the care center,” Busch said. “Who won? I don’t even know who lucked into it.”
Busch was told Stenhouse was the victor.
“There you have it,” he replied.
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson made his return to the series and ran inside the top 15 for most of the race. He was collected in one of the crashes in overtime and finished 31st. Johnson has returned from two years racing in the IndyCar Series as part owner of Legacy Motor Club and he plans to enter a handful of races.
Brad Keselowski led a race-high 42 laps, but finished 22nd. He declined to speak to reporters after dropping to 0 for 14 in a race he desperately wants to win.
NEXT UP
The Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, next Sunday in the final race in the track’s current configuration. It will be renovated into a short track after the race — a project that will prevent the track from hosting any racing in 2024. Kyle Larson won last year’s race.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-02-20T13:50:36+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/news/ap-general/ap-ricky-stenhouse-jr-wins-longest-daytona-500-in-history/ |
MADRID — Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins won the last eight games to advance to the second round of the Madrid Open with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Monica Puig on Friday.
“You never know what to expect when someone’s been out for a while, and they’ve been working on some things,” the sixth-seeded Collins said. “You don’t know what type of game style that they’re going to play, so it was a little bit tricky trying to anticipate what she was going to do. I think she played at a super-high level, especially in the first set, and gave me a lot of challenges, so I really needed to just find my rhythm on the court.”
Collins also missed matches this season because of injury, including a neck ailment that she picked up during her quarterfinal run in Miami.
“When you go a little period where you aren’t playing some matches, you almost feel a little bit rusty,” the 28-year-old American said. “I just needed to be patient and try to get myself back into it.”
Another American to advance was 12th-seeded Jessica Pegula, who beat Camila Giorgi 7-5, 2-6, 7-5. Madison Keys was eliminated 7-6 (8), 3-6, 4-6 against fourth-seeded Maria Sakkari.
Seventh-seeded Garbine Muguruza, one of the home-crowd favorites in the Spanish capital, defeated Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-2, while Leylah Fernández, the U.S. Open runner-up last year, beat Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.
Jil Teichmann handed three-time Madrid champion Petra Kvitova her first loss in the first round at the tournament since 2010.
In a match between promising 19-year-olds, wildcard entry Marta Kostyuk beat Clara Tauson 6-3, 6-2.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek withdrew from the clay-court tournament on Wednesday because of a sore arm.
The men’s first round begins next week, with both Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic participating.
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More AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
___
Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni | 2022-04-29T16:53:45+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/tennis/collins-beats-puig-to-reach-2nd-round-at-madrid-open/2022/04/29/dd2651fa-c7d6-11ec-8cff-33b059f4c1b7_story.html |
WFO SACRAMENTO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, January 10, 2023
_____
WINTER STORM WARNING
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Sacramento CA
256 PM PST Fri Jan 6 2023
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM SATURDAY TO
4 PM PST TUESDAY...
* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3
feet expected this weekend with several more feet of
accumulation possible early next. Winds gusting as high as 60
mph.
* WHERE...Western Plumas County/Lassen Park and West Slope
Northern Sierra Nevada including Interstate 80 over Donner Pass,
Highway 50 over Echo Summit and Highway 88 over Carson Pass.
* WHEN...From 4 AM Saturday to 4 PM PST Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Strong
winds could cause tree damage. Widespread blowing snow could
significantly reduce visibility resulting in periods of near
whiteout conditions.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow levels will mostly be around 4000 to
5000 feet, but will gradually rise to 7000 to 8000 feet
beginning Sunday night into Monday before lowering again Monday
night into Tuesday to around 4500 feet. Significant travel
impacts will likely persist at the higher pass levels on Monday.
Strongest winds will be Saturday through early Sunday morning
and again Monday through Monday night.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.
The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can
be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | 2023-01-07T00:16:39+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/CA-WFO-SACRAMENTO-Warnings-Watches-and-17700404.php |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Night" game were:
0-1-6, FIREBALL: 1
(zero, one, six; FIREBALL: one)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Night" game were:
0-1-6, FIREBALL: 1
(zero, one, six; FIREBALL: one) | 2022-09-01T04:19:54+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Night-game-17411736.php |
Each week, NJ Advance Media will select five Players of the Week in every conference, highlighting the best individual efforts in that area. These first selections are made from games played between Tuesday, Jan. 24, and Monday, Jan. 30. The decisions are ours to make, but feel free to send any nominations to the email address listed below. Here are the Players of the Week in the Shore Conference for Feb. 1:
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. | 2023-02-01T15:42:25+00:00 | nj.com | https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/02/boys-basketball-shore-conference-players-of-the-week-for-feb-1.html |
ORLANDO, Fla., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Greg Lindberg, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author, was invited this week on the nationally syndicated program Daily Flash to discuss his wellness journey, reversing the aging process and his latest book 633 Days Inside: Lessons on Life and Leadership.
During the appearance, Lindberg discussed his journey of transforming his mind and body through fasting, cold exposure, exercise, nutrition and other regimens, an experience he highlights in his book 633 Days Inside.
"A few years ago, I started fasting, exercising, taking cold showers and eating healthier," shared Lindberg during the show. "As a result of this new health and wellness routine, I have been feeling stronger, healthier, energetic and more focused."
Daily Flash is a nationally distributed program focused on health, beauty, finance and entertainment. The show airs on 58 markets nationwide and garners between 5.9 to 6.9 million viewers each week.
Lindberg shared that he achieved better health and wellness by incorporating hormesis, a phenomenon in which small to moderate stressors like fasting, cold exposure, exercise, and nutrition provide beneficial effects to the body when the harmful stressors are small.
"These kinds of hormetic experiences allow the body to become comfortable with the uncomfortable," shared Lindberg. "I have seen this concept work firsthand and want to inspire others to take their health and wellness seriously to live healthier and longer."
Lindberg relies on the power of science as a guide for transforming his body and mind using the hormetic concept. His goal is to empower people to unlock their greatness through wellness, longevity and leadership.
For more information about Lindberg's books and his health and wellness journey, visit GregLindberg.com.
About Greg Lindberg
Greg Lindberg is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. Through his successful career, Lindberg has reimagined and transformed hundreds of businesses, employed thousands of people, empowered leaders and impacted communities through philanthropic efforts. His experiences as a leader and challenges have inspired him to empower people to achieve optimal success as an author of two books: Failing Early & Failing Often: How to Turn Your Adversity into Advantage and 633 Days Inside: Lessons on Life and Leadership. For more information on Greg Lindberg's life, books and work, visit GregLindberg.com.
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SOURCE 633 Days, LLC | 2023-04-03T22:01:27+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2023/04/03/greg-lindberg-discusses-wellness-journey-nationally-syndicated-program-daily-flash/ |
Depp-Heard jury still sorting through weeks of dirty laundry
Fairfax, Va. — A jury has resumed deliberations after a sensational six-week trial to resolve defamation claims by Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard over their volatile and unhappy marriage.
The seven-person civil jury heard closing arguments Friday and deliberated for about two hours before leaving for the long Memorial Day weekend. Jurors resumed deliberations in Fairfax County Circuit Court just after 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million, accusing her of libeling him with a 2018 op-ed she wrote describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim against the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star after his lawyer called her allegations a hoax. Each accuses the other of destroying their career.
Testimony featured a litany of lurid details of their short marriage. Heard testified that Depp physically or sexually assaulted her more than a dozen times. During his testimony, Depp testified that he never struck Heard, that she concocted the abuse allegations, and that she was the one who physically attacked him, multiple times.
During closing arguments, both sides told the jury that a verdict in their favor would give their clients their lives back. | 2022-05-31T15:11:40+00:00 | detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/people/2022/05/31/johnny-depp-amber-heard-defamation-trial-jury/7453572001/ |
- MCRA has assisted its Clients in obtaining over 60 breakthrough device designations in the last 2 years, which is about 20% of all such designations granted by the Food and Drug Administration during this time period.
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MCRA, LLC, a leading medical device focused regulatory advisory firm and clinical research organization (CRO) integrating U.S. and International Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Trial Operations, Reimbursement and Market Access, Healthcare Compliance, Cybersecurity, and Quality Assurance support is excited to announce its role in the successful granting of over 60 breakthrough device designations by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA Breakthrough Device Program is intended to help patients with life threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases receive more timely access to breakthrough technologies that have the potential to provide more effective treatment or diagnosis for their conditions. Devices that receive the breakthrough designation are granted priority review and more frequent interactions with the Agency to promote faster device development and review through to commercialization. The Program is available for devices and device-led combination products which are subject to review under a premarket approval application (PMA), premarket notification (510(k)), or De Novo classification request.
Obtaining the breakthrough designation for MCRA clients has led to them having more collaborative and frequent engagements with FDA through the special interactive mechanisms reserved for breakthrough devices. It has also led to reimbursement benefits for our clients. While Medicare Coverage for Innovative Technologies (MCIT) was repealed late last year, there are still several benefits only breakthrough technologies are eligible for on the payment side, including the New Technology Add on Payment (NTAP) and Transitional Pass-Through Payment.
John Doucet, PhD., Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at MCRA and former Policy Lead of the Breakthrough Device Program at FDA said, "While at FDA, I witnessed and supported the rapid growth of the Breakthrough Device Program, evaluated designation decisions for a diverse array of device technologies and patient populations, and gained valuable insight into how to obtain the designation and subsequently utilize the unique interaction mechanisms reserved for breakthrough devices. Working with my colleagues now to achieve this milestone affirms my decision to join MCRA and help our clients develop and commercialize better treatment and diagnostic options for patients."
Glenn Stiegman, MCRA's Senior Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs said "The Breakthrough Device Program is intended to promote new and more effective medical products for Americans who desperately need them. John's arrival, when combined with MCRA's broad and deep regulatory, clinical, and reimbursement expertise, has attracted clients developing a variety of cutting-edge device technologies to relieve suffering in key clinical areas such as cardiovascular, neurology, oncology, digital health, orthopedics, robotics, women's health, urology, respiratory, wound care and more. This milestone for breakthrough device designations is one indication of MCRA's goal to accelerate the pace of device development in all clinical areas and specifically for patients with life threatening and irreversibly debilitating conditions."
Tonya Dowd, MPH, Vice President, Head of Reimbursement, Health Economics and Market Access (RHEMA) at MCRA said, "Having breakthrough status for a device opens the potential opportunity for increased payment for facilities purchasing these breakthrough devices. MCRA's RHEMA team has worked alongside our regulatory team to successfully achieve this parallel pathway for regulatory and reimbursement."
MCRA looks forward to continuing to support innovation in the medical device industry by helping clients navigate novel pathways to commercialization.
About MCRA, LLC: MCRA is the leading privately held independent medical device and biologics Clinical Research Organization (CRO) and advisory firm. MCRA delivers to its clients industry experience at integrating five business value creators: regulatory, clinical research, reimbursement, healthcare compliance, and quality assurance to provide a dynamic, market-leading effort from innovation conception to commercialization. MCRA's integrated application of these key value-creating initiatives provides unparalleled value for its clients. MCRA has offices in Washington, DC, Hartford, CT, and New York, NY, and served nearly 1,000 clients globally. Its core focus areas of therapeutic experience include orthopedics, spine, biologics, cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging, wound care, artificial intelligence, dental, general surgery, digital health, neurology, robotics, and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices and medical device cybersecurity. www.mcra.com
About Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC: Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC (VB) founded MCRA in 2004. VB is headquartered in New York City and specializes in merchant banking activities for the neuromusculoskeletal industry as a full life cycle investor, investing in all stages in companies from inception through growth. VB is dedicated to financing healthcare innovation globally. www.vbllc.com
For more information, please contact:
Alyssa Howard
Vice President, Business Development
Phone: 215.870.3952
Email: ahoward@mcra.com
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SOURCE MCRA, LLC | 2022-06-22T13:43:02+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/mcra-clients-achieve-significant-milestone-over-60-breakthrough-device-designations-granted-by-fda/ |
MENTONE, Texas (AP) — A strong earthquake shook a sparsely populated patch of desert in West Texas on Thursday, causing tremors felt as far away as the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez.
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck around 3:30 p.m., according to Jim DeBerry, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the West Texas city Midland. He said the strength of the quake means it likely caused damage in the remote oil patch and scrubland, but none had been reported so far.
DeBerry said the epicenter was about 23 miles (37 kilometers) south of Mentone, a tiny community south of the New Mexico state line and 95 miles (153 kilometers) west of Midland.
State Rep. Eddie Morales, Jr., whose district includes Mentone, said he spoke with local authorities and there were no reported injuries. He said via Twitter that state officials will be “inspecting roads, bridges and other infrastructure as a precaution.”
DeBerry said there were reports of people feeling vibrations from the quake 200 miles (515 kilometers) west in the border city of Ciudad Juárez and 200 miles (515 kilometers) south in Terlingua, a small community near the Rio Grande and Big Bend National Park.
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Follow AP’s full coverage of earthquakes: https://apnews.com/hub/earthquakes | 2022-11-17T20:29:16+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/science/ap-science/ap-strong-earthquake-rattles-remote-west-texas-desert/ |
Emergency motion filed to delay retrials in penalty phase for 2 men convicted in 'Xbox murders'
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - The State Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday filed an emergency motion to delay the resentencing trials of two defendants in the Deltona "Xbox Murders" case.
This is in response to the presiding judge’s decision not to follow Gov. DeSantis’ new death penalty rules which require an 8 to 4 jury vote to put someone to death. The judge is instead using the previous rules which require a unanimous jury vote to move forward with the death penalty.
"An immediate stay is both necessary and appropriate to prevent resentencing proceedings from continuing before the lower court and to prevent the jury from being instructed on the incorrect, outdated law. Without a stay, the State will surely be irreparably harmed and will further have no other recourse for seeking relief," the motion reads.
Judge Randell Rowe appeared blindsided by the news during the court session. He chose not to go into detail but instructed both legal teams to contact him with important information moving forward.
The trials for convicted killers Jerone Hunter and Troy Victorino continued as planned on Wednesday. The proceedings were not impacted by the motion. Several witnesses were brought forward including former Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime scene analyst Stacy Colton. She detailed the steps she took with the murder weapons during the investigation.
Prosecutors showed a graphic video of the crime scene, recorded shortly after the crimes were committed.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Thursday.
Why is there a penalty phase retrial in the Xbox murders?
New trials were ordered for Troy Victorino and Jerone Hunter nearly two decades after six people and a dog were killed inside a Deltona, Florida home.
Four men, Troy Victorino, Jerone Hunter, Michael Salas, and Robert Cannon, were all convicted in what has been dubbed "the Xbox murders," because prosecutors argued that the motive behind the home invasion and brutal murders was to retrieve an Xbox claimed to have been stolen.
Salas and Cannon were sentenced to life in prison. Victorino, the ringleader, and Hunter were sentenced to death for the 2004 slayings but the juries' decisions at the time were not unanimous. A later change to state law decided that Florida’s death penalty had to be unanimous – and anyone sentenced after a 2002 ruling could be eligible for a new sentence – so their sentences were overturned and switched to life in prison.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law ending a unanimous jury requirement in death penalty sentencing. The new law, which went into effect as soon as the governor signed it, allows capital punishment in Florida with a jury recommendation of at least 8 to 4 in favor of execution.
For decades, Florida had not required unanimity in capital punishment, allowing a judge to impose capital punishment as long as a majority of jurors were in favor of the penalty. But in 2016 the U.S. Supreme Court threw out state law, saying it allowed judges too much discretion.
The state Legislature then passed a bill requiring a 10 to 2 jury recommendation, but the state Supreme Court said such recommendations should be unanimous, prompting lawmakers in 2017 to require a unanimous jury.
Three years later, the state Supreme Court, with new conservative jurists appointed by DeSantis, rescinded its earlier decision and ruled that a death recommendation does not need to be unanimous. Florida’s unanimity standard had remained untouched until the passage of the 2023 law, which was a response to a verdict that spared the life of the Parkland school shooter who killed 17 people.
Who were the victims of the Xbox murders?
On August 6, 2004, deputies with the Volusia Couty Sheriff's Office said four men broke into a home in Deltona, where they used bats and knives to brutally kill the six roommates who shared the house – all because one of them allegedly took things from Troy Victorino, including an Xbox game console.
Albert Yonfa, a partner at Orlando law firm Nejame Law, said the crime was shocking. "The heinousness of this crime is just horrific what these individuals were convicted of."
Prosecutors said Victorino orchestrated the murders. Killed were Erin Belanger, 22; Jonathan Gleason, 17; Roberto Gonzalez, 28; Francisco Roman, 30; Michelle Nathan, 19; and Anthony Vega, 34. A dog was also killed. | 2023-04-27T03:14:20+00:00 | fox35orlando.com | https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/emergency-motion-filed |
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union countries and negotiators from the EU’s parliament reached a provisional deal Thursday to raise the share of renewables in the bloc’s energy mix, another step to accelerate its green transition.
The European Council, which represents the 27 member nations, said the agreement reached after all-night negotiations would raise the renewable energy target to 42.5% of total consumption by 2030. The current goal is 32%.
To meet the EU’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050, the EU’s executive commission supported a target of 45%. The council and the European Parliament left a door open for such an increase, agreeing on “an additional 2.5% indicative top up that would allow to reach 45%.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine has accelerated the EU’s green transition. The bloc reduced its dependency on Russian fossil fuels and increased its renewable energy use over the past year.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement announced Thursday would allow “for more ambition and faster roll-out of renewables,”
“This will help us progress towards climate neutrality, strengthen our energy security and boost our competitiveness, all at once,” von der Leyen said.
According to EU data, the bloc’s gas consumption dropped 19.3% during August 2022-January 2023 compared to the average for the same months between 2017 and 2022.
A review by global energy think tank Ember showed that wind and solar generated a record 22% of the EU’s electricity last year and for the first time overtook gas, which accounted for 20%. Coal power accounted for 16%.
The negotiations between the European Parliament and the European Council dragged on into the night because of a rift between two groups of countries over the role of nuclear energy in the production of hydrogen.
In the end, the agreement gave nations the possibility of using nuclear technology.
Under the deal, 42% of the hydrogen used in industry should come from renewable fuels of non-biological origin by 2030 and 60% by 2035. EU countries producing hydrogen from nuclear power would be able to reduce their overall renewable hydrogen production target by 20% if they also reduce the share of hydrogen from fossil fuels.
The deal still needs formal approval to take effect.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of climate and environment at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment | 2023-03-30T13:27:45+00:00 | cbs42.com | https://www.cbs42.com/news/business/eu-reaches-provisional-deal-to-raise-renewable-energy-target/ |
Saudi company at center of water controversy parts ways with Ariz. lobbyist with ties to Gov. Hobbs
A lobbyist with ties to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is no longer representing a Saudi Arabian company at the center of controversy for using the state's groundwater and land to grow and export alfalfa crops.
Chad Guzman said Friday he was "no longer representing Fondomonte, but wish them the best." State-required lobbying records show Guzman was not working for the foreign company on Friday, just two days after registering with the state to represent them.
Guzman had signed a contract with Fondomonte Arizona about two months ago through his lobbying firm Signal Peak Consulting. He has another business, Fillmore Strategy, with Joe Wolf, Hobbs' senior campaign adviser and a confidant of the governor.
The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com highlighted the connection in an article on Wednesday in which Wolf declared the connection between he and his business partner's controversial new client a "nothingburger" because he had done no consulting for Fondomonte.
There was another Friday shakeup for the company's hired help in Arizona: Matthew Benson, a partner at the firm Veridus who worked briefly as a spokesperson for the company, said he no longer represented Fondomonte, "but wish them well."
Benson, speaking on behalf of Fondomonte, previously said Guzman was hired because of his experience working with natural resources companies. Those include Guzman's history as a lobbyist for Arizona Public Service Co. and Epcor, the water provider. A spokesperson for Hobbs declined to comment on the ties between Wolf and Guzman.
Fondomonte's leases in Arizona
Fondomonte leases state lands in Arizona's Butler Valley, near Bouse, to grow feed for dairy cows. The lease rate is $25 an acre, roughly a fifth of market price for farmland in the area, and the leases allow Fondomonte to draw unlimited groundwater that could serve as a future water supply for the Phoenix area.
The leases were first revealed last year by The Arizona Republic and prompted widespread condemnation and pledges from Hobbs and Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes to take action. Hobbs oversees the Arizona State Land Department and Arizona Department of Water Resources, two agencies that do business with Fondomonte related to leases and water wells.
So far, two well permits have been revoked, and the Hobbs administration in May paused lease renewals and applications for state-owned land in basins such as Butler Valley.
Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669. Follow her on Twitter @sbarchenger. | 2023-07-29T01:18:02+00:00 | azcentral.com | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2023/07/28/fondomonte-drops-arizona-lobbyist-tied-to-hobbs-adviser/70490135007/ |
NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stephen J. Murphy, a partner at the Law Firm of Block O'Toole & Murphy, is one of fifteen attorneys featured in Forbes Advisor's 2023 list of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in New York City.
The publication created this list with the goal of providing research-backed recommendations to accident victims searching for the highest-quality legal assistance in the city. Attorneys were selected to the list on the basis of their backgrounds, credentials, and accomplishments.
In the early stages of his legal career, Mr. Murphy grew his skillset working as an Assistant District Attorney at the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. He was eventually appointed to the Brooklyn Homicide Bureau where he successfully handled several high-profile cases as the youngest prosecutor to ever work in this elite Bureau.
In 2005, Mr. Murphy joined Block O'Toole & Murphy, shifting his practice to serious personal injury law. Since joining the firm, Mr. Murphy has obtained more than $450,000,000 in results for his clients. Each year since 2013, he has achieved an average of more than $45,000,000 in settlements. These efforts have provided significant relief for victims of accidents ranging from construction accidents to motor vehicle accidents, among other personal injury matters.
Mr. Murphy's dedication to serving those in need further extends to charity work. He serves as the Chairman of the Autumn Wine Tasting, an annual fundraising event that benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. To date, Mr. Murphy has helped raise more than $6,000,000 to support pediatric cancer research.
Block O'Toole & Murphy is a top personal injury law firm in New York, serving victims who have been hurt because of another party's negligence. The firm has recovered well over $1.5 billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients in car crash, construction accident, and other personal injury cases.
For a free consultation, please call 212-736-5300 or visit https://www.blockotoole.com/
SOURCE Block O'Toole & Murphy
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SOURCE Block O'Toole & Murphy | 2023-01-18T12:59:49+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2023/01/18/stephen-murphy-recognized-among-forbes-advisors-2023-best-personal-injury-lawyers-nyc/ |
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