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(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University and Tom Miller Jr., Mississippi State University
(THE CONVERSATION) With the cost of borrowing money to buy a home or a car inching ever higher, understanding who gets access to credit, and at what interest rate, is more important for borrowers’ financial health than ever. Lenders base those decisions on the borrowers’ credit scores.
To learn more about credit scores, The Conversation consulted with two finance scholars. Brian Blank is an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi State University with expertise related to how firms allocate capital, as well as the role of credit in mortgage lending. His colleague at Mississippi State, Tom Miller Jr., is a finance professor who has written a book on consumer lending, in addition to providing his expertise to policymakers.
Credit scoring assesses the likelihood of default
Lenders stay in business when borrowers pay back loans.
Some borrowers consistently make prompt payments, while others are slow to repay, and still others default – meaning they do not pay back the money they borrowed. Lenders have a strong business incentive to separate loans that will be paid back from loans that might be paid back.
So how do lenders distinguish between good borrowers and risky ones? They rely on various proprietary credit scoring systems that use past borrower repayment history and other factors to predict the likelihood of future repayment. The three organizations that monitor credit scores in the U.S. are Transunion, Experian and Equifax.
Although 26 million of 258 million credit-eligible Americans lack a credit score, anyone who has ever opened a credit card or other credit account, like a loan, has one. Most people don’t have a credit score before turning 18, which is usually the age applicants can begin opening credit cards in their own name. However, some people still have no credit later in life if they don’t have any accounts for reporting agencies to assess.
Credit scores simply summarize how well individuals repay debt over time. Based on that repayment behavior, the credit scoring system assigns people a single number ranging from 300 to 850. A credit score ranging from 670 to 739 is generally considered to be good, a score in the range of 580 to 669 would be judged fair, and a score less than 579 is classified poor, or subprime.
The two most important factors in credit scores are how promptly past debts have been paid and the amount the individual owes on current debt. The score also takes into account the mix and length of credit, in addition to how new it is.
Credit scores can help lenders decide what interest rate to offer consumers. And they can affect banks’ decisions concerning access to mortgages, credit cards and auto loans.
Recent improvements in consumer credit scores
Average credit scores in the United States have risen from 688 in 2005 to 716 as of August of 2021. They stayed steady at that level through 2022.
While credit card debt is at a record high, the average consumer was using just over a fourth of the revolving credit to which they had access as of September 2022.
As of 2021, nearly half of U.S. consumers had scores considered very good – meaning in the range of 740 to 799 – or excellent (800-850). Six in 10 Americans have a score above 700, consistent with the general trend of record-setting credit scores of the past few years. These trends might, in part, reflect new programs that are designed to note when individuals pay bills like rent and utilities on time, which can help boost scores.
During the first quarter of 2023, people taking out new mortgages had an average credit score of 765, which is one point lower than a year ago but still higher than the pre-pandemic average of 760.
Credit score evolution from the 1980s to the 2020s
Developed in the late 1950s, the first credit scores – FICO scores – were created to build a computerized, objective measure to help lenders make lending decisions. Before then, bankers relied on commercial credit reporting, the same system merchants used to evaluate the creditworthiness of potential customers based on relationships and subjective evaluation.
The FICO credit scoring system was enhanced over the 1960s and ‘70s, and lenders grew to trust computerized credit evaluation systems. Credit scores really began to exert an influence on American borrowers beginning in the 1980s as FICO become widely used.
A major goal of the credit score is to expand the pool of potential borrowers while minimizing the overall default rate of the pool. In this way, lenders can maximize the number of loans they make. Still, credit scores are imperfect predictors, likely because most credit models assume that consumers will continue to act in the same way in the future as they have in the past. In addition, some believe that various risk factors make credit scores imperfect. Credit modelers, however, continue to make progress by making continuoustechnological innovations. Even FinTech lenders, which strive to go beyond traditional credit models, heavily rely on credit scores to set their interest rates.
Recently, “Buy Now, Pay Later” accounts have been added to credit scoring, while medical debt has been removed.
Credit scores might seem scary but can be useful
Borrowers with poor or limited credit have challenges building more positive credit histories and good credit scores. This challenge is particularly important because credit scores have become more widely used than ever because of the increasing availability of data and growing precision of credit models.
The availability of additional data results in more precise estimates of credit scoring, which can improve access to credit for consumers who repay bills consistently over time. These so-called “boost programs” factor in other payments that consumers routinely make on a monthly schedule. Think of the number of bills that you auto pay. Boost programs add points to your credit score for the bills that you pay consistently.
You can improve your credit score by making wise decisions
Two of the most important ways to improve credit scores are paying bills on time and ensuring that your credit report accurately reflects your payment history. Simply avoiding default is not enough. Timely payments are necessary. Someone who pays the bills every three months is “caught up” every quarter. But that consumer is 90 days delinquent four times a year. Being 90 days delinquent alarms creditors. So, someone who pays the bills every month will have a higher credit score at the end of the year.
Having more credit accounts can also positively affect your credit score because having these accounts shows that many lenders find you creditworthy. As a result, you might benefit from leaving credit accounts open if you make the wise decision not to access that credit. Warning! You must not use that extra credit access to spend more money and accumulate more debt. That decision is unwise.
Why? Because managing the ratio of debt to income is also critical to a good credit score. Debt-to-income ratios of 36% or less generally indicate individuals who have income to put toward savings, which is what all lenders are looking to see and one of the best ways to improve your credit.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/how-do-credit-scores-work-2-finance-professors-explain-how-lenders-choose-who-gets-loans-and-at-what-interest-rate-205984. | 2023-06-02T13:10:31+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/how-do-credit-scores-work-2-finance-professors-18131815.php |
Commanders owner Dan Snyder to testify before Congress
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders Dan Snyder is set to testify Thursday morning before a congressional committee investigating the NFL team’s history of workplace misconduct.
A spokesperson for the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform says Snyder will give a deposition virtually and in private.
The spokesperson said in a statement on behalf of the committee: “Snyder has committed to providing full and complete testimony, and to answer the Committee’s questions about his knowledge of and contributions to the Commanders’ toxic work environment, as well as his efforts to interfere with the NFL’s internal investigation, without hiding behind non-disclosure or other confidentiality agreements.”
Snyder, who is out of the country, will testify voluntarily after committee members came to an agreement with his legal team on those terms. The committee had previously agreed to have Snyder testify under the terms of a subpoena it had initially issued.
The committee has the discretion to decide what, if any, information it releases from Snyder’s deposition.
Snyder is testifying a month after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appeared before the committee via Zoom to discuss Washington’s workplace culture and the league’s investigation into it. Snyder was invited to testify at the same hearing and, through a lawyer, declined.
The committee launched this investigation last year after the league fined Washington $10 million following its review of workplace misconduct but did not release a written report of attorney Beth Wilkinson’s findings.
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-28T13:01:16+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/2022/07/28/commanders-owner-dan-snyder-testify-before-congress/ |
Wind and Storms Rattle the Area Tomorrow
Published: Feb. 25, 2023 at 3:25 PM CST|Updated: 45 minutes ago
AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Tonight will likely be a calm night with temps dipping into the upper 30′s and lower 40′s with mostly cloudy skies. Tomorrow will be a very busy day with both strong winds and storms developing. The first half of our Sunday won’t be too bad, but winds look to really pick up later in the afternoon, where we could see sustained winds anywhere from 30-45 mph, meaning max gusts could approach 70 mph at times. As for the storms, they look to mainly be confined to the eastern part of the area, but a severe threat will be present with these storms.
Copyright 2023 KFDA. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-25T22:11:35+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/2023/02/25/wind-storms-rattle-area-tomorrow/ |
North Korea calls failed spy satellite launch ‘the most serious’ shortcoming, vows 2nd launch
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Top North Korean officials vowed to push for a second attempt to launch a spy satellite as they called their country’s first, and failed, launch last month “the most serious” shortcoming this year and harshly criticized those responsible, state media reported Monday.
In late May, a North Korean rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite crashed soon after liftoff, posing a setback to leader Kim Jong Un’s push to acquire a space-based surveillance system to better monitor the United States and South Korea.
The failed launch and North Korean efforts to modernize its weapons arsenals were discussed heavily at a three-day ruling party meeting that ended Sunday, with the presence of Kim and other top officials.
A lengthy Korean Central News Agency dispatch on the meeting didn’t clearly say who spoke, but said a report to the meeting “bitterly criticized the officials who irresponsibly conducted the preparations for (the) satellite launch.”
The report set forth tasks for officials and scientists to learn the lessson of the failed launch, find what caused the rocket’s crash and make a successful launch in a short span of time, KCNA said.
It didn’t say exactly when North Korea might attempt a second launch. But South Korea’s spy agency earlier told lawmakers that it would take likely take “more than several weeks” for North Korea to determine what went wrong in the failed launch.
North Korea monitoring groups haven’t reported any purges or dismissals of scientists or others involved in the failed launch. Observers say Kim has well treated scientists and technicians working in the country’s weapons development program though he orchestrated a slew of high-profile executions or purges of top officials to boost his grip on power in the early stage of his rule.
A spy satellite is among several high-tech military assets Kim has publicly vowed to acquire to cope with what he calls U.S.-led hostility. Other weapons systems Kim wants to possess are a multi-warhead missile, a nuclear submarine, a solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile and a hypersonic missile.
Since the start of 2022, North Korea has carried out more than 100 missile tests, some of which were related to developing a spy satellite and other powerful weapons on Kim’s wish-list.
In April, North Korea tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time. The fuel in such missiles is already loaded inside, so they are more mobile than rockets using liquid propellant and are harder for outsiders to detect before launching.
During the party meeting, Politburo members claimed “big strides” in efforts to expand Norht Korea’s arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles, which they said support the government’s policy of maintaining “frontal confrontation” against its enemies, KCNA said.
The Politburo members also analyzed the “extremely deteriorating security situation” in the region caused by the “reckless war moves” of its rivals, apparently referring to the expanded U.S.-South Korea military drills, the report said. It said they unanimously approved unspecified plans for counteraction.
The United States and South Korea have been expanding their military drills in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear arsenal and warn that any attempt to use nuclear weapons would result in the end of the Kim Jong Un government.
The North Korean Politburo members set down unspecified “important tasks” for defending national interests and strengthening solidarity with countries that are “opposed to the U.S. brigandish strategy for world supremacy,” KCNA said.
North Korea has pushed to boost relations with Russia over the war in Ukraine. It blames the United States for the crisis and accuses the West of pursuing a “hegemonic policy,” saying Russia was justified in using military action in Ukraine to protect itself.
North Korea has also sought to strengthen ties with China, its main ally and economic lifeline that is locked in an intensified strategic rivalry with the United States over trade, technology and regional influence.
Russia and China, both veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have repeatedly blocked attempts by the U.S. and others to toughen U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests.
The party meeting also discussed national efforts to improve North Korea’s struggling economy, which experts say has been further strained by pandemic-related border closures.
KCNA said there has been some progress in efforts to improve agricultural output and revive production in metal and chemical industries, though it acknowledged unspecified shortcomings. KCNA claimed progress in the construction field, citing a project to build tens of thousands of new homes in the capital, Pyongyang.
It’s virtually impossible to verify the claims by the North, one of the most secretive countries in the world. Experts say that there are no signs of social unrest or a famine in North Korea despite the pandemic-caused hardships and that Kim’s absolute control of his 26 million people remains unchanged.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-06-19T02:47:58+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/2023/06/19/north-korea-calls-failed-spy-satellite-launch-most-serious-shortcoming-vows-2nd-launch/ |
BETHESDA, Md., June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthony Capuano, chief executive officer at Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR), will speak at the 2022 Goldman Sachs Travel and Leisure Conference, to be held on Tuesday, June 7. Mr. Capuano's remarks will be at approximately 9:20 a.m., Eastern Time, and will be webcast live.
To access the webcast, please go to http://www.marriott.com/investor, and then click on the link to the "Goldman Sachs Travel and Leisure Conference" under "Events and Presentations."
The webcast will be available until August 30, 2022, at the same site.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly-awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.
IRPR#1
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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc. | 2022-06-01T21:45:14+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/marriott-international-ceo-speak-goldman-sachs-travel-leisure-conference-june-7-remarks-be-webcast/ |
HOUSTON (CW39) It’s National Ice Cream Month!! Blue Bell is always coming out with new flavors and they just announced that Oatmeal Cream Pie is the latest addition to shelved.
Every day is a great day to enjoy ice cream! But, did you know July is National Ice Cream Month? An entire month dedicated to all things ice cream!
Oatmeal Cream Pie
To celebrate, Blue Bell is releasing a new flavor, Oatmeal Cream Pie. Blue Bell calls it a delicious oatmeal flavored ice cream with hints of brown sugar mixed with soft oatmeal cookies and a vanilla icing swirl. Oatmeal Cream Pie is available in half gallon and pint sizes while supplies last.
We have taken all of the best parts of an oatmeal cream pie and combined it with our ice
Jimmy Lawhorn, vice president, sales and marketing for Blue Bell
cream. You immediately taste the sweetness of the brown sugar in the ice cream, but it is subtle. Once the vanilla icing swirl hits your taste buds, you know this is going to be good. The texture and taste of the soft oatmeal cookies tie it all together. It is just like eating a homemade oatmeal cream pie, but in ice cream form.
Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream
Also new from Blue Bell this summer is Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream. The flavor is a delicious strawberry ice cream swirled with a refreshing lemonade sherbet sprinkled with lemon flavored flakes. Strawberry Lemonade is sold in half gallon and pint sizes, but only for a limited time.
“We are excited to have two new flavors in stores this month,” Lawhorn said. “Over the years
we have introduced many innovative flavors that have become fan-favorites, like Moo-llennium Crunch,
Bride’s Cake and Cookie Two Step. The delicious combinations are endless!”
For more information about Blue Bell and for a complete list of products now available in stores
visit www.bluebell.com. | 2022-07-14T16:16:28+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/news/2-new-blue-bell-flavors-released/ |
No one was hurt at the Tipp City Meijer distribution facility struck by a suspected tornado Wednesday afternoon and most of the complex is operating today, a spokesman for the grocery company said Thursday.
A suspected tornado caused major damage to a Meijer center and several other sites in Miami County. At the Meijer facility off South County Road 25A in Tipp City, the roof and back wall on the northwest corner of one building collapsed.
“The damage from the storm affected one building in our complex,” Meijer spokesman Frank J. Guglielmi told this news outlet in an email. “I don’t have the number of team members who were in that specific building, but all team members in the complex were accounted for last night and there were no injuries.”
There is more than one building in the complex, he said. He did not give a specific number of buildings.
“Our team did a great job executing our severe storm/tornado safety protocol,” Guglielmi said. “When notified of the incoming storm, the team activated a shelter in place and ran their severe weather plans. Their quick actions undoubtedly helped ensure the safety of our team members, contractors and visitors at the complex, and for that we are grateful.”
“Most” of the complex is operating today, and Meijer does not anticipate any noticeable disruption to stores, he also said. The company is speaking with employees on changes that would affect their schedules, he added.
Follow-up questions were sent to the company.
About the Author | 2022-06-09T14:45:18+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/meijer-no-injuries-colleagues-performed-well-as-suspected-tornado-struck/BEQUYWOVFVFTDDUU2UW2D2WT4I/ |
Couple arrested after 3-year-old goes to school with makeup over black eye, deputies say
BAYOU BLUE, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - Deputies in south Louisiana have arrested a couple on accusations one of them punched a 3-year-old boy then sent him to school with makeup covering his black eye.
Ray Matherne Jr., 27, and Amber Doiron, 28, were arrested Friday, according to Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre. Deputies say they were called to a Head Start location that morning regarding a 3-year-old boy who arrived with a black eye covered by makeup, as well as marks on his neck and arm.
After investigation, detectives believe that two days prior, Matherne struck the 3-year-old, causing a black eye, and Doiron grabbed the boy, causing the marks on his neck and arm.
Deputies say the couple used makeup to try to conceal the child’s black eye, WVUE reports.
Both Matherne and Doiron were booked into the Lafourche Parish jail on one count of cruelty to a juvenile.
Matherne was released Saturday morning after posting a $50,000 bail, while Doiron remained in custody on a $50,000 bail, as of Monday morning.
Copyright 2023 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-26T10:27:31+00:00 | fox5vegas.com | https://www.fox5vegas.com/2023/04/26/couple-arrested-after-3-year-old-goes-school-with-makeup-over-black-eye-deputies-say/ |
KIBBUTZ SASA, Israel, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At Eurosatory 2022 Plasan Sasa Ltd. ("Plasan") is revealing an exciting new vehicle, designed from the ground up to answer the needs of military patrols and Special Forces. The groundbreaking design breaks the paradigm that forces had to choose between mobility, protection and firepower.
Wilder provides Stanag 4569 Level 2 protection for 4 people in a compact package weighing just 3.7t and offering a full 800kg of payload. With a huge 370mm of wheel travel due to a unique patented suspension system, a reliable 420Nm engine driving all 4 wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox, and a central driving position with panoramic view, the Wilder has the mobility and off-road capability of a racing buggy, combined with the protection and remotely operated firepower normally only seen on vehicles weighing twice as much. Situational awareness is excellent for all 4 occupants in the comfortable air-conditioned monocoque Kitted Hull™, and the rear cargo bed can accommodate a NATO pallet packed with equipment and supplies for a long mission with ease.
Light and compact, Wilder is internally transportable by CH47 making it deployable wherever your forces need to be, and allowing it to take on multiple missions including reconnaissance and raids over the roughest terrains and in the harshest of conditions.
Options available include 4-wheel steering and remote control of the entire vehicle. The crew can dismount and remotely drive the vehicle and its weapon to a vantage point without putting themselves in danger. With this fully integrated drive-by-wire capability and associated cameras and sensors, the Wilder is also ready for fully autonomous operation.
Wilder can also be paired with Plasan's ATeMM to create a hybrid-electric 6x6 with 2t of combined payload and all of the exportable power and system capability of the unique ATeMM and ATeMM Tandem.
This highly innovative clean-sheet design is being offered by Plasan as a turnkey product or in kit form for local assembly by vehicle manufacturers around the world.
The WILDER and the ATeMM will be presented at our booth EXT Pe6B, e231 at Eurosatory.
Please visit us at http://www.plasan.com
Follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1828215/Plasan_Armored_Vehicle.jpg
For more information, please contact:
Meirav Ofir, Marcom
miravo@plasan.com
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SOURCE Plasan Sasa Ltd. | 2022-06-13T06:49:12+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/plasan-is-revealing-new-vehicle-wilder/ |
TINTON FALLS, N.J., April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT) - Commvault will webcast a discussion of its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2023 earnings results on May 2, 2023 beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET at http://ir.commvault.com.
To access the call by phone, please click on the Registration Link and you will be provided with dial in details and a unique PIN. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. A replay of the webcast will also be available at http://ir.commvault.com.
About Commvault
Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT) is a global leader in cloud data protection. Our Intelligent Data Services help your organization do amazing things with your data by transforming how you protect, store, and use it. We provide a simple and unified Data Protection Platform that spans all your data – regardless of whether your legacy or modern workloads live on-premises, in the cloud, or spread across a hybrid environment. Commvault solutions are available through any combination of software subscriptions, integrated appliances, partner-managed, or Software as a Service via our Metallic portfolio. For over 25 years, more than 100,000 organizations have relied on Commvault to keep their data secure and ready to drive business growth. Learn more at www.Commvault.com or follow us @Commvault.
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SOURCE Commvault | 2023-04-05T20:29:34+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/04/05/commvault-announces-fourth-quarter-fiscal-2023-earnings-release-date/ |
Epson Robots to Present Live Demo of G1 and GX-Series SCARA Robots for Precision Parts Handling and Inspection for Life Science Industries
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
Who: Epson Robots, the #1 SCARA robot manufacturer in the world, will be demonstrating robotic solutions at SLAS in booth #314.
What: Epson's robot solutions are designed to help meet the growing demand for automation in clinical, analytical and forensic labs to increase throughput and improve data accuracy, reliability and traceability. At SLAS, Epson will demonstrate its high-speed, high-precision robots, including:
- Compact, High-Precision SCARA Robots – The GX4 robot offers multiple arm configurations, a reach of up to 350mm, and can handle payloads up to 4 kg from a small form factor. With Epson's patented GYROPLUS Technology, it accomplishes the most demanding tasks with leading-edge precision to support higher throughput needs for high-precision applications. The demo will illustrate how the G1 Mini SCARA and GX4 can achieve precise handling of medical syringes and needles while Epson's integrated vision system performs quality inspection of the needles' coating.
- Advanced Robotic Programming Software – Easy to learn, Epson RC+® Industrial Automation Development Software features a comprehensive suite of advanced tools, such as Vision Guidance, Force Guidance, Conveyor Tracking, Parts Feeding, and more.
When: The SLAS Exhibition will take place February 26-28.
Where: San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif; Epson booth #314
Why: Epson is dedicated to helping both new and experienced automation professionals succeed by providing essential information and education and delivering the latest robot technologies and innovations required to meet their factory automation needs. For more information, visit www.epsonrobots.com. For more information on the GX-Series SCARA robots, please visit https://epson.com/GXSeries. For more information on G1 Mini SCARA robots, please visit https://epson.com/For-Work/Robots. For more information on RC+ Express industrial automation software, please visit https://epson.com/no-code-industrial-automation-robot-programming-software.
About Epson Robots
Epson Robots is a global leader in PC-controlled precision factory automation, with well over 150,000 units sold worldwide1 and a product line of hundreds of models of easy-to-use SCARA and 6-Axis robots based on a common PC-based platform. Building on four decades of experience, Epson Robots delivers robots for precision assembly and material handling applications in the aerospace, appliance, automotive, biotechnology, consumer product, electronics, food processing, medical device, pharmaceutical, plastics, semiconductor, and telecommunication industries. For more information, visit www.epsonrobots.com
About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson's goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1 trillion. global.epson.com/
Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/epsonamerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).
1 Epson internal sales data through 2021.
EPSON and Epson RC+ are registered trademarks and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2023 Epson America, Inc.
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SOURCE Epson America, Inc. | 2023-02-16T09:10:49+00:00 | waff.com | https://www.waff.com/prnewswire/2023/02/16/epson-showcase-high-speed-high-precision-automation-robot-solutions-slas-2023/ |
MONROE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer made an appearance at the port of Monroe Monday to announce an expansion of the Port of Monroe.
Thanks to over $16 million in grants from the state and federal government, it will soon become the first container terminal in Michigan and the most state-of-the-art port on the Great Lakes.
The Port of Monroe has seen its business nearly quadruple over the past 10 years. Now, thanks to the new investment, it hopes to double that business in the next 5 to 10 years. People who live nearby, like Johnna Schultz, are excited about what it will mean for the local economy.
“I’m surprised it hasn’t already happened with the automobile industry being such a big part of Monroe and Detroit,” she admitted.
Johnna’s husband, Jason Schlutz, laid out his thinking.
“You don’t even realize there’s so much opportunity for growth in what this town could become utilizing this port,” he said.
Eric Peace is the vice president of the Lake Carriers Association, an organization that has supported and promoted commercial shipping on the Great Lakes since 1880.
“There’s a lot of opportunity here to bring in cargo, whether its coming from the coast into the Great Lakes, which is closer to the Heartland of the United States,” explained Peace.
With concerns about the cost of fuel, he said shipping by boat just makes economic sense.
“We can move a lot of cargo on one gallon of fuel versus a truck. So you can move a ton of cargo 670 miles on one gallon of fuel,” Peace explained.
He said there are opportunities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of shipping on the Great Lakes, and one of the hurdles is security.
“There are issues with Customs and Border Patrol in being able to get those containers through the system, scanned,” explained Peace.
Paul C. Lamarre III is the port director of the Port of Monroe. He said the new funds will make the port of Monroe the first in the country to scan 100% of containers.
“$5 million dollars from the state budget will go to completely constructing this cargo screening facility and the infrastructure around it. That will essentially put us in the container business,” said Lamarre.
Another $11 million dollars will come from a federal grant.
“The Port Infrastracture Development Program grant will rehabilitate our aging dock facilities that were built in 1932,” Lamarre explained.
He said the pandemic supply chain back-ups showed Michiganders the need to access the global shipping network.
“And without additional handling, without going through other facilities, you could put a container on a vessel right here at the Port of Monroe, and it can reach anywhere in the world,” explained Lamarre.
But why would businesses consider the Great Lakes over one of the coasts?
“This is a really big deal when you can ultimately save 14 days from going to a coastal port to going directly into the Heartland of America,” said Lamarre.
But, what makes Monroe in particular so attractive?
“There is nowhere else in the entire state of Michigan where you have such a close convergence of major transportation assets. In this case, 3,000 feet of deep draft dock space, two class 1 railroads, within two tenths of a mile of I-75,” explained Lamarre.
He sees a bright future for local industries.
“Ultimately, I think that for the first time, I think that you will see Michigan manufactured automobiles shipped on a vessel out the Great Lakes, Saint Lawrence Seaway system to Europe,” said Lamarre.
What will this ultimately mean for the local economy?
“We believe that presently, roughly 2500 jobs rely upon the Great Lakes maritime industry within the Port of Monroe industrial complex,” Lamarre explained. “We believe that with our container terminal and the growth the port is experiencing, that in the next 10 years that could double.” | 2023-04-06T16:55:35+00:00 | fox17online.com | https://www.fox17online.com/news/port-of-monroe-to-become-first-container-port-in-michigan |
Colorado Springs murder suspect tried breaking into a police station to turn himself in
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Colorado Springs man was taken into custody after he tried breaking into a police station to turn himself in for allegedly shooting his roommate.
Carlos Trejo, 36, was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a second-degree murder charge.
According to Colorado Springs Police (CSPD), Trejo tried getting into the Falcon Police substation early Sunday morning, but the building was closed. After failing to enter through the front door, police said Trejo jumped over the back fence of the substation to enter through the employee entrance.
"There was a snow brush that was there, and he used that to break a window," said CSPD Public Information Officer Robert Tornabene. "It just shattered the glass. It spidered the glass, but it didn't break. He was taken into custody shortly after that, and it was determined that he was attempting to turn himself in for the alleged murder of his roommate."
Police said Trejo told investigators he shot his roommate and then gave them the address of his apartment on the 1300 block of Kelly Johnson Boulevard.
When they arrived, police found a deceased male. The identity of the victim has not been released by the El Paso County Coroner's office or the official cause of death.
Trejo is in the El Paso County Jail on a $50,000 bond. | 2022-12-20T00:28:33+00:00 | krdo.com | https://krdo.com/news/2022/12/19/colorado-springs-murder-suspect-tried-breaking-into-a-police-station-to-turn-himself-in/ |
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Leaning into the camera, with both palms on her chin beneath a beaming smile, Eliza Fletcher invites students from St. Mary’s Episcopal School to join her in singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”
“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,” she sings in a high, gentle voice.
When the song ends, Fletcher leaves her students with a parting message: “Miss you, girls. You need to let the light shine at your house, and I will see you later!”
For those who did not know Fletcher, who police said was killed after being kidnapped during a pre-dawn run Friday, the video offers a glimpse at who she was.
For those who knew and loved her, the nearly 2-minute clip offers a fresh reminder of the light she brought to others routinely, even with a simple song posted on the internet.
The senseless killing of the wife, mother of two, and 34-year-old kindergarten teacher has shocked the Memphis community and has led to a flood of support for her and her family. Police quickly identified a suspect and scoured several locations before they found her body. A church held a vigil to pray for her safe return. A large group of runners made plans to finish the run she was on when she was abducted about 4 a.m. near the University of Memphis.
“The outpouring of love and grief would have surprised Liza, who never thought or acted as if she were something special — though she certainly was,” said an obituary published by The Daily Memphian.
A judge revoked bond for a man charged with Fletcher’s kidnapping and killing Wednesday. Cleotha Henderson, who also has gone by the name Cleotha Abston, was arrested Saturday after police detected his DNA on a pair of sandals found near where Fletcher was last seen, an arrest affidavit showed.
The public defender representing Henderson, 38, has not commented publicly on specifics of the charges. Henderson previously served 20 years in prison for a kidnapping he committed at age 16.
The case will be closely followed by Fletcher’s loved ones as well as many who learned about her only after she was slain.
A graduate of the well-respected Hutchison School in Memphis, Fletcher went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science from Baylor in 2010, according to a tweet by the university.
Fletcher later got a teaching job at St. Mary’s, another Memphis private school, which released a statement calling her “a bright light in our community.”
“Liza embodied the song that we sing every week in Early Childhood chapel, ‘This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,’” the statement said.
The statement went on to quote a book read at the school, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy: “‘We don’t know about tomorrow,’ said the horse, ‘all we need to know is that we love each other,’”
The obituary described Fletcher as a “born athlete” who enjoyed spending time outside with her family.
“They enjoyed outdoor adventures including boating, water sports, hiking, running, and biking,” the obituary said. “She was deeply admired by her family and friends for her passionate dedication to motherhood.”
On Saturday, as the search for Fletcher intensified and spread through several parts of Memphis, Second Presbyterian Church held a vigil with prayers for her safe return.
The church’s senior pastor, George Robertson, told The Commercial Appeal that Fletcher and her husband Ritchie “are both very active and great leaders in our congregation.”
“She and her husband are both just inspirations in the sense of their zest for life and love of running and athletics,” Robertson said.
Fletcher’s family has asked for privacy as they mourn, though they have released two statements since she went missing.
“We are heartbroken and devastated by this senseless loss. Liza was a such a joy to so many,” a statement released Wednesday said.
On Friday, a week after Fletcher went missing, a group plans to honor her with an early morning run. The “Let’s Finish Liza’s Run” event is expected to draw hundreds of runners in Memphis, and social media posts indicate runners in other cities plan to join in.
The run was created “to honor Liza and cope with our own feelings,” a Facebook post about the event said.
Organizers stressed the 8.2-mile (13.2-kilometer) run is not a fundraiser, but they asked participants to wear bright colors — and to carry a bright light with them. | 2022-09-08T22:10:12+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/national/ap-slain-jogger-recalled-as-bright-light-with-zest-for-life/ |
Seven-Time Grammy Winner & Two-Time Academy Award Nominee
will lead SFJAZZ's Artistic Programming and Creative Direction
SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SFJAZZ announces the appointment of Seven-Time Grammy Winner and Two-Time Academy Award Nominee Terence Blanchard as Executive Artistic Director. This new position will lead the organization's artistic programming and guide its overall creative direction. Blanchard's appointment comes as SFJAZZ Founder Randall Kline prepares to step down this year from the organization he founded in 1983.
This year, SFJAZZ is celebrating its 40th Anniversary and the 10th Birthday of the award-winning SFJAZZ Center. Blanchard joins SFJAZZ as it presents the 40th San Francisco Jazz Festival and the 2023-2024 season beginning September 7.
Blanchard is a renowned composer, bandleader, and trumpet player who has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements for over 40 years. From his stint with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers to writing scores for Spike Lee and other films, he is unique in the jazz world as an artist whose creative endeavors go far beyond the genre into film scoring, crafting television series soundscapes, and conceiving grand operas that have been recognized at the highest levels of art appreciation. A recipient of a 2018 USA Artist Fellowship and a 2023 Peabody Medal, Blanchard is also a passionate educational mentor, having held positions at the Berklee College of Music, The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, and as Chair of Jazz Studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, amongst many others. Additionally, Blanchard has been at the forefront of giving voice in his works to socio-cultural issues and racial injustices of our time.
Blanchard has had a long relationship with SFJAZZ and has performed numerous times at the SFJAZZ Center and for the organization. From 2014-2016, he was a SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director and, in 2016, presented his opera Champion: An Opera in Jazz. Most recently, in August 2022, his E-Collective with Turtle Island Quartet performed at the SFJAZZ Center.
As Executive Artistic Director, Blanchard will be the artistic leader of the organization and will help formulate and implement artistic programming across diverse disciplines and genres. He will work closely with the teams at SFJAZZ to curate year-round concert programming, expand the SFJAZZ 'At Home' digital platform, and further develop community engagement and educational offerings. Blanchard's appointment comes after a national search, conducted by Arts Consulting Group.
Said Blanchard, "I am honored and excited to become a part of such an amazing and historic institution. SFJAZZ has meant so much to the development of America's Greatest artform. I am looking forward to collaborating with the staff while also bringing my own ideas about how to move our music forward and continue the SFJAZZ mission to explore the full spectrum of jazz—from its origins to its diverse and evolving expressions around the world today. I cannot wait to continue this journey."
CONTACT: Marshall Lamm, mlamm@sfjazz.org
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SOURCE SFJAZZ | 2023-06-08T20:12:09+00:00 | kfyrtv.com | https://www.kfyrtv.com/prnewswire/2023/06/08/sfjazz-appoints-terence-blanchard-executive-artistic-director/ |
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. (AP) — A landslide is destroying a cluster of hilltop homes in a gated Southern California community and poses a threat to others. Here are some things to know:
Los Angeles County firefighters responding to a report in the city of Rolling Hills Estates on Saturday discovered cracks in buildings and on the ground. Twelve homes on Peartree Lane were red-tagged as unsafe and residents had just 20 minutes to get out.
Ten of the homes began sliding down into a canyon. Walls and decks ripped apart. Neat tile roofs shattered as they pancaked into a jumble. Although two of the red-tagged homes had not slid down as of Tuesday, county Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said they did move.
An additional 16 homes were being monitored but residents were allowed to stay.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents the area, told reporters this week that it’s only a matter of time until the homes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula fall to the bottom of the canyon.
Authorities can only wait.
“We don’t know how long that’s going to take,” said Marrone. “We don’t know how long that these homes are going to continue to move, but at this time it’s just a holding pattern that we’re in, waiting to see what the final determination is going to be.”
Sixteen residents were displaced. The Red Cross offered hotel vouchers, but they stayed with friends and relatives in the area, according to Mayor Britt Huff.
The cause is not known, but an obvious potential suspect is the exceptionally heavy rain that fell on California this past winter. Water percolating down through soil is known to be able to activate a slide months after the last rainfall.
“For these homes that are already gone into the canyon, there is nothing more that we can do for them,” said Hahn. “But we think after it’s all settled, a good geologist and soil expert maybe will give us a clue about how this happened and if there is any way to prevent it from happening in the future on some other hillside.”
The entire community is private, including the streets, so officials said it will be up to the homeowner’s association to hire a geologist. Hahn said the county did recommend geologists and that the association’s management company is handling that issue.
Residents were checking whether their homeowners insurance covers landslides, according to Hahn. In the meantime, the county assessor Jeff Prang was brought in to expedite property tax waivers that could result in little or no tax bills.
“Obviously property is valued based on the land and the improvements,” Prang told reporters on Peartree Lane. “These homes behind us, there are no improvements. Those are a total loss. And the land that was beneath them is now going to be a hillside. So when we’re done valuing this property, they will have nominal value.”
The Rolling Hills Estates City Council was scheduled to vote Tuesday night on a resolution to proclaim a local emergency due to significant land movement “requiring immediate and ongoing action from the City, first responder agencies, and utility companies.”
The staff report on the resolution said the costs of responding to the incident were unknown because it was still evolving but adoption of the resolution would allow the city to request funds from the state Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. | 2023-07-12T19:32:18+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/news/national-news/ap-us-news/ap-things-to-know-about-a-landslide-that-has-destroyed-homes-in-southern-california/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Naval reservist who was assigned to an agency that operates spy satellites told an undercover FBI agent that he stormed the U.S. Capitol with members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group and has espoused anti-government and antisemitic ideologies, federal authorities said in court records unsealed on Thursday.
Hatchet Speed was arrested on Wednesday in McLean, Virginia, on misdemeanor charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, including disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, court records show. Video captured Speed entering the Capitol through the Senate Wing Doors and exiting the building through a window more than 40 minutes later, according to the FBI.
The FBI says Speed, whose birth name was Daniel Abraham Speed, is a petty officer first class in the U.S. Naval Reserves and was assigned to the Naval Warfare Space Field Activity at the National Reconnaissance Office. Authorities believe Speed is currently unemployed, a prosecutor said in a court filing. Court records don’t list a defense attorney for Speed, who's scheduled to make his initial court appearance in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
The National Reconnaissance Office operates U.S. spy satellites used by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. The secretive agency has an important role in the U.S. intelligence community, which relies heavily on satellite imagery to monitor global hot spots like Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Speed recently worked in Vienna, Virginia, as a software developer for Novetta Solutions LLC, a defense contractor that conducts advanced analytics for the Defense Department and other federal agencies, the FBI said.
In March, Speed met with with an FBI undercover employee who “presented to Speed as a like-minded individual,” an FBI agent said in a court filing. Speed told the undercover agent that going to the Capitol on Jan. 6 “was always the plan” and said he went there with friends who were Proud Boys members, the filing says.
“We would listen to Donald Trump then all of us would go to the Capitol. Now the reason we were going to the Capitol was to protest what was going on in the Capitol … what they were doing was counting the ballots,” Speed said, according to the FBI.
Speed also said a larger crowd could have compelled House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to resign “out of fear for her life," an FBI agent wrote.
“He also observed that ‘there are too many Americans that have this idea that we have to be peaceful at all costs,’” the agent added.
Prosecutors are seeking a court order requiring home detention with location monitoring for Speed after his release from custody. They say his statements and conduct show that he poses a threat of violence to the community.
After the Capitol riot, Speed bought at least 12 firearms over the span of a few months and spent more than $50,000 at firearm and firearm-part retailers, a prosecutor said in a court filing.
"This firearm-buying spree is alarming in light of statements that Speed has made in which he has espoused the use of violence to further his anti-government and anti-Semitic ideologies," Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Loeb wrote.
In April, Speed told an FBI undercover employee that he has contemplated using violence to further his antisemitic beliefs and discussed using violence against members of the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organization.
Speed described Adolf Hitler as “one of the best people that’s ever been on this earth,” an FBI agent wrote. Speed also praised the writings of serial bombers Ted Kaczynski and Eric Rudolph and lauded tactics employed by "jihadists," suggesting that their approach would be an effective way to “wipe out” Jewish people, according to Loeb.
Speed criticized militias “for not having what it takes to actually use violence,” the prosecutor said.
“He described trying to figure out how to identify potential targets and using a 'mock trial' to identify targets he could justify to himself acting against," Loeb wrote.
Federal agents said they seized eight firearms and seven silencers when they searched Speed's home, vehicles and a storage unit. They also said they found approximately 25 other firearms belonging to Speed’s housemates.
Approximately 40 Proud Boys leaders, members or associates have been charged in the deadly Jan. 6 siege. Former Proud Boys national chairman Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and four other men are charged with seditious conspiracy for what authorities say was a plot to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power after Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
The charges against Speed come months after an intelligence contractor alleged he was fired for reporting the circulation of racist and misogynistic comments on classified intelligence community chatrooms. The fired contractor, Dan Gilmore, wrote in a blog post that “many employees” across the community have posted that they believed the Jan. 6 attack was “justified.”
A spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined last month to comment on Gilmore’s allegations but said that people “who engage in inappropriate conduct are subject to a variety of accountability mechanisms, including disciplinary action.”
The NRO and Novetta Solutions did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Speed’s arrest.
___
Kunzelman reported from Silver Spring, Md. | 2022-06-23T17:13:07+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/FBI-Naval-reservist-said-he-stormed-Capitol-with-17260858.php |
- LGES to be supplied with 40 percent of Compass Minerals' annual lithium carbonate production over six years, expected to start in 2025
- The partnership embodies LGES's efforts in securing a stable critical mineral supply chain in North America while promoting a sustainable value chain
SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) signed a binding offtake agreement this week on the purchase of battery-grade lithium carbonate with Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP), a U.S. producer of essential minerals, to sustainably enhance the stability of its critical mineral supply chain.
The agreement, set to begin in 2025, is for a six-year term, with LGES receiving 40 percent of Compass Minerals' anticipated annual production of 11,000 metric tons during phase 1 of the lithium brine development project at its Ogden, Utah operation site on the Great Salt Lake. The companies also expect to cooperate in good faith on a portion of phase 2 production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide.
Compass Minerals is known for its low carbon emission practices compared to other lithium producers, enabled through direct extraction of lithium (DLE) from brines and utilizing solar evaporation processes. Through these measures, the company is pursuing sustainable lithium production to support the North American battery market.
"This offtake agreement with Compass Minerals culminates our continued endeavors to establish a stable supply chain for critical minerals in North America, as we adapt to recent regulatory changes and intensifying competition over key battery raw materials," said Dongsoo Kim, Senior Vice President of the Procurement Center at LG Energy Solution. "Our partnership bears even more significance as we expect Compass Minerals' sustainable lithium project to help advance our mission of achieving carbon neutrality across the entire value chain."
"This binding supply agreement represents an important milestone for our company's entry into a rapidly growing domestic lithium market," said Chris Yandell, Head of Lithium for Compass Minerals. "We are excited to partner with a proven manufacturing leader like LGES to help enable the buildout of a robust and secure advanced battery supply chain."
As announced last month, LGES aims to strengthen its local supply chain for key battery raw materials through strategic partnerships with major suppliers, as well as to secure metals and metal refineries in North America and from FTA countries with U.S. The company will also increase direct sourcing of metals through equity investments and long-term supply agreements. With these measures in place, LGES plans to localize 72% of critical minerals sourcing within five years.
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com .
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SOURCE LG Energy Solution | 2022-11-11T00:39:13+00:00 | uppermichiganssource.com | https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/11/10/lg-energy-solution-secures-multi-year-lithium-carbonate-supply-compass-minerals/ |
TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) and Southwest Gas Corporation (Southwest Gas) are marking the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Tres Rios Renewable Gas Center (Tres Rios) biogas cleaning facility.
Located at the Tres Rios Water Reclamation Facility (WRF), this innovative facility was the first of its kind in Arizona connected to the gas pipeline to deliver clean-burning renewable natural gas (RNG) made from biogas to homes and businesses throughout the Pima County community. This partnership advanced innovative solutions to reduce emissions and produce a cleaner-burning fuel.
In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, Tres Rios' impact is equivalent to removing 2,500 vehicles from the road or generating energy for 5,500 homes, thus both bringing significant benefits to the environment and complementing Pima County's ongoing efforts to preserve unique desert environments and reach carbon reduction emissions goals by 2030.
The Tres Rios facility was connected on Oct. 21, 2021 and has been sending 550-600 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM), or 440 MMBtu/day, of renewable natural gas (RNG) into the Southwest Gas pipeline. Since the facility opened, Southwest Gas has purchased nearly 100,000 dekatherms of RNG from Pima County.
Previously, the biogas—a byproduct of the secondary wastewater treatment process—would have been flared off into the atmosphere. The refinery now recovers up to 99.5 percent of the methane; the process removes impurities, moisture and carbon dioxide, leaving a clean burning, low-carbon fuel that is estimated to emit 95 percent less carbon emissions than processes that produce diesel and gasoline.
"RNG is a powerful solution for a balanced energy future that is part of a suite of sustainable energy sources that are helping to transform how we fuel lives, homes and businesses while honoring our commitment to environmental stewardship for long-term change," said Dr. Laura S. Nelson, vice president of sustainability and public policy at Southwest Gas.
Tres Rios WRF serves the metropolitan Tucson area and is the centralized biosolids treatment location for all of Pima County's eight water reclamation facilities. Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the facility treats approximately 50 million gallons of wastewater daily.
"Southwest Gas is committed to employing sustainable technologies to assist our communities in achieving their environmental and climate goals. This project is an example of this commitment to partnering with our communities on projects that enhance the quality of life in our service territories," Nelson said.
Tres Rios is now just one of four Southwest Gas RNG partnership facilities in operation throughout Arizona.
Southwest Gas Corporation is a dynamic energy company committed to exceeding the expectations of our over two million customers throughout Arizona, California and Nevada by providing safe and reliable service while innovating sustainable energy solutions to fuel our communities' growth. For more information about how Southwest Gas is supporting a sustainable energy future, please visit swgas.com/sustainability.
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SOURCE Southwest Gas Corporation | 2022-10-26T19:32:48+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2022/10/26/tres-rios-renewable-gas-center-celebrates-one-year-anniversary-contributions-reaching-pima-county-emissions-goals/ |
House Speaker's husband, Paul Pelosi, assaulted with hammer by home intruder in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO - A suspect broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home on Friday morning and "violently assaulted" her husband with a hammer in a targeted attack, according to various sources.
The intruder shouted, "Where is Nancy?" before the assault, the Associated Press reported.
Pelosi's spokesman Drew Hammill said that the suspect is now in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to the hospital, Hammill said in a statement, and is expected to make a full recovery.
The Associated Press reported that the attacker used a hammer and that the home was specifically targeted, according to people familiar with the matter.
Paul Pelosi suffered blunt force trauma to his head and body, according to the two people with knowledge of the investigation into the attack who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe. He was being treated by doctors for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries.
Nancy Pelosi was not in San Francisco at this time; she was in Washington, D.C., with her protective detail, authorities said.
San Francisco Police Sgt. Adam Lobsinger said the break-in was reported at 2:27 a.m. in the 2600 block of Broadway Street.
Before the sun came up, San Francisco police had blocked off the street in the Pacific Heights neighborhood with crime scene tape, keeping onlookers at bay.
In addition to San Francisco police, U.S. Capitol police and the FBI are also investigating what happened, including a team of investigators from the department's Threat Assessment Section was dispatched from the East Coast.
"The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," Hammill wrote.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Biden is "praying" for Paul Pelosi and the entire Pelosi family.
Biden called the speaker on Friday morning to express his support after this "horrible attack," Jean-Pierre said.
KTVU's Greg Lee and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police block off the street where a suspect broke into Nancy and Paul Pelosi's home. Oct. 27, 2022
FILE ART - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and husband, Paul Pelosi. | 2022-10-28T17:00:42+00:00 | fox6now.com | https://www.fox6now.com/news/house-speakers-husband-paul-pelosi-assaulted-with-hammer-by-home-intruder-in-san-francisco |
As search goes on, Floridians await OK to survey Ian’s wrath
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — William Wellema has been living under a bridge for four days, waiting to get to Fort Myers Beach on Florida’s Estero Island to see if his vacation home survived Hurricane Ian. On Friday, he was beyond frustrated as he continued to await permission to drive across.
“They’re saying it’s because of the rescue and recovery efforts,” Wellema said of the closure. He drove down from Little Falls, New Jersey, with a pass he got at the beginning of hurricane season that was supposed to allow him onto the island after a storm.
Wellema said he’s considering crossing by kayak at night. He is in touch with friends in other parts of the country waiting on his word to make their own journeys south. Their wait is a reminder that the death toll, already at 101, could still grow.
Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy has said no one will be allowed back until emergency services crews finish “searching for people who are hurt or might need help amongst the rubble, and people who have passed” in the town of just over 7,000. First responders need space and time to do their job and “any extra vehicle and pedestrian traffic hampers and prolongs their efforts,” the statement said. They have not set a date for when residents can return.
The Florida Medical Examiners Commission has reported 92 storm-related deaths in Florida so far. Most of them were in the worst-hit Lee County which includes the greater Fort Myers area and nearby Gulf Coast islands. At least half of the confirmed victims in the state were 65 years and older and more than two-thirds were 50 and older. Five people were also killed in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia.
Ian, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour), unleashed torrents of rain and caused extensive flooding and damage. The deluge turned streets into gushing rivers. Backyard waterways overflowed into neighborhoods, sometimes by more than a dozen feet (3.5 meters), tossing boats onto yards and roadways. Beaches disappeared, as ocean surges pushed shorelines far inland. Officials estimate the storm has caused billions of dollars in damage.
Fort Myers Beach residents James Berry and Jeff Silcock, like Wellema, have access passes to the island and were also waiting under the bridge to get back home, but neither was as upset as Wellema.
“They’re still looking for bodies out there and there’s an investigation process,” said Silcock. “I totally understand why they’re not letting anyone on.”
___
For more coverage of Hurricane Ian, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-07T19:57:17+00:00 | kwch.com | https://www.kwch.com/2022/10/07/search-goes-floridians-await-ok-survey-ians-wrath/ |
A favorite anecdote of mine about writing this column goes something like this:
Reader: How long does it take you to write your column?
Me: Three or four hours of writing and editing depending upon the column.
Reader: What do you do the rest of the time?
Me: Wonder and worry about those three or four hours.
By now you’ve probably heard about the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike and how it may affect the world of entertainment, movies, TV, and such.
I am not a member of that organization but I certainly have empathy for them. I’ve often felt that particularly those kinds writers are among the most underappreciated of any of us putting words on paper for others to read and enjoy.
Movie and TV watchers love to quote their favorite shows, often trying their best to imitate the voice of the certain actor that said them. Well guess what, if a writer hasn’t first put those words into a decent script or screenplay, the actors will never have spoken them. And if it doesn’t ever get written in the first place, for example, all of those impressions of Jack Nicholson shouting “you can’t handle the truth!” never get heard.
It was during the rehearsal for a community theater production of a play where the realization that it’s the writer that did the hard work first hit me. The mantra of “if it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage” should be in every actor’s vocabulary. A well-written play can be performed by actors of all levels of skill and enjoyed by all kinds of audiences if the actors simply memorize their lines and deliver them as the author that spent countless hours writing and editing intends.
In his book “On Writing,” Stephen King shares a story about “writing telepathy”. He instructs the reader to picture a white rabbit on a red table inside of a cage with the number “8” written on the rabbit’s side. King writes that, depending upon the reader, rabbits, tables, and cages of all sizes and construction will be imagined. The one thing everyone should imagine the exact same should be the “8.” In other words, in good writing, it’s the writer’s job to allow for imagination in most things, but salient, important pieces are best sent with no room for misinterpretation. Books, movies, TV shows, plays, and yes, even every other Sunday columns in the Record-Eagle written by a guy that spends more time wondering than he does writing, should work on their “writing telepathy.”
If my so-called writing career wishes had come true, I think it would have been fun to be writing clues for “Jeopardy.” For my own entertainment, I’ve written and hosted dozens of home version games for friends and family. Writing decent trivia questions is harder than you’d think. Between dialing in appropriate levels of difficulty, including various entry points in each clue, and just making it interesting and entertaining, composing good clues can be hard work. And much like other forms of writing, clear transfer of thought is as essential as it is underappreciated.
In the end, it should come as no surprise that writing might be underappreciated and underpaid. Like most things people pursue as passions, the payoff comes early; the moment of clarity when a good idea comes to mind.
Or, the payoff comes late; that elusive seminal moment occurring when the right words fall onto the page and two weeks of wonder match up with those three or four hours of work. | 2023-06-04T17:40:32+00:00 | record-eagle.com | https://www.record-eagle.com/news/lifestyles/life-as-i-know-it-underappreciated-writers-we-cant-handle-the-truth/article_3a374bbe-fe73-11ed-a55d-13b9f838b9a7.html |
The Cleveland Division of Police is investigating the deaths of two infants found in a garbage can over the weekend in the Ohio city.
Authorities said officers responded to a residence after the mother of the teen who gave birth to the infants called the police upon finding the infants.
The mother said she had been unaware her daughter had been pregnant until the teen told her that she threw the babies in the garbage, according to the police report, which states the teen had given birth a few days before police found the deceased children.
Officers located the teen and took her to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Authorities said the case will be presented to the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Prosecutor's Office for review to determine if charges will be filed.
No further information has been released.
Ohio has a safe haven law that allows a parent to leave an infant at a hospital, fire department or police station within 30 days of the child's birth. The parent is not required to leave any personal information.
This story was originally published by Drew Scofield at Scripps News Cleveland.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-05-23T17:34:59+00:00 | ktvh.com | https://www.ktvh.com/cleveland-police-investigating-deaths-of-2-infants-found-in-trash-can |
BRYAN, Texas — Burying a loved one is never easy, some describe the feeling as a piece that is now missing in their life, but what if you could bury them in space?
A Bryan woman named Malu Satyro is honoring her husband's burying request by sending his remains to space. Mrs.Satyro's husband, Dr. Marco had a fervent love for life, science, and all things space. Dr. Marco Satyro's burial request was to be surrounded by science.
Dr. Marco had a deep love for science, building model planes, and was a science fiction fanatic. While Mrs. Satyro said it feels like a piece of her is gone, she's happy to honor her husband this way.
For years, Malu has been making plans to send her husband, Dr. Marco , cremated ashes to space. Satyro is making plans to send off her husband's ashes from Cape Canaveral, Fl.
Even though, Marco passed away in 2016, the process of making her husband's burial arrangements still hasn't been easy. Yet, she feels happy about deciding to honor him this way.
“I feel sad we’re not together, for me sending his ashes to space, fulfills a dream, a dream of his. He loved to fly, he loved everything about aeronautics and space," said Mrs.Satyro
One time, a driver ran a red light while walking after both crossing the street. Mrs. Satyro stated, that her husband risked his life to save hers. She described her late husband as her soulmate. She described him as a brilliant person who was loved by many. "He was very romantic, he was my best friend ever, Unfortunately, the world lost a great mind,"Satyro said
A Houston-based company called Celestis Incorporated, which specializes in launching cremated human remains into space held the momentous ceremony.
"It gives me comfort to be able to look up and imagine that he’s up there." "I feel very happy to bring his name and to bring his name and bring attention to the man he was for me, to the husband he was, to the father he was for my kids, and to the professional, Mrs. Satyro said.
Dr. Satyro's favorite universe was star wars, and Satyro stated that now he can truly be with them.
Other stories on kagstv.com | 2022-05-29T00:13:37+00:00 | kagstv.com | https://www.kagstv.com/article/features/widow-honors-late-husband-by-sending-remains-to-space/499-27c7e237-f846-4905-bc1a-2585aeb86b07 |
The latest data on the most popular forms of payment at restaurants indicates credit cards are becoming an increasingly appealing choice for getting restaurant meals. According to an April 2020 survey from Bankrate, customers relied on credit cards for over half of their takeout orders. In comparison, that survey found customers used cash in only 17% of restaurant orders.
Sometimes, restaurants charge different prices for items depending on whether you pay cash or credit. Linda emailed VERIFY to ask if restaurants can legally charge more for using credit cards.
THE QUESTION
Can a restaurant charge a customer different prices for credit cards and cash payments?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, a restaurant can charge a customer different prices for using credit cards and cash payments.
WHAT WE FOUND
In every state, it’s legal for restaurants to charge customers more for purchases made with credit cards than purchases made with cash. In most states, they can accomplish this with an added fee for credit card purchases. In some states, restaurants can only do this by offering a discount for purchases made with cash or other payment methods.
A fee applied to credit card purchases is called a surcharge. A restaurant must apply this fee equally to all credit cards and must clearly disclose the fee before the customer makes their payment.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) explains that a 2013 settlement between a class of retailers and the credit card networks Visa and MasterCard permitted merchants to apply surcharges on credit card transactions, except where states have prohibited surcharges by law.
Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah prohibit surcharges by law, GSA says. Those states account for 40% of the U.S. population.
However, it is legal in every state for merchants to offer a “cash discount.” For example, a restaurant menu might include a note that says there’s a 3% discount for all purchases using cash. Alternatively, a restaurant might list two prices on its menu: one price for purchases made with a card, and another price for purchases made with cash.
Although cash discounts serve the same purpose as surcharges, cash discounts are legal even in the 10 states that forbid surcharges. The state of California even permits merchants to include debit card and check purchases in this discount. Much like merchants have to inform consumers of surcharges before they make their purchase, merchants also must always inform consumers of the existence of these cash discounts before their purchase.
The National Merchant Association (NMA) explains that the difference between a surcharge and a cash discount essentially comes down to advertising. A merchant who applies a credit card surcharge can advertise lower prices that exclude the charge, while a merchant using a cash discount must advertise higher prices that include the higher price for using a card. Alternatively, merchants can simply advertise two different prices: a cash price and a credit card price.
Merchants apply these fees or discounts because they must pay a processing fee for every card payment they accept. Credit card payments come with far higher processing fees than debit card payments. Surcharging is a way to pass on this fee to the consumer, and in the case of discounting, the merchant is passing on its savings from avoiding this processing fee to the consumer.
In 2013, Visa and MasterCard settled a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit that claimed Visa, MasterCard and American Express were engaging in anti-competitive practices by forbidding merchants who accept their credit cards from encouraging consumers to use payment methods that cost less to process. American Express fought the lawsuit in court, but the Justice Department eventually won the suit.
Merchants sign contracts with card payment networks to accept and process payments customers make using those networks’ cards. Previously, the card networks forced merchants to treat every payment method the same, even though merchants made less money for every credit card purchase as a result of the high fees. Many of the rules regarding surcharges are still set by these contracts — for example, Visa and MasterCard explicitly forbid their merchants from surcharging debit cards.
The NMA says merchants aren’t allowed to apply surcharges to debit card transactions across the board, but it adds that debit cards can be excluded from discounts for cheaper payment methods. That means a restaurant is allowed to offer a cash discount without extending that discount to debit cards.
Even in states that forbid surcharges, some merchants may have the ability to charge convenience fees for payments considered “nonstandard” for their business. The credit card networks typically restrict these types of fees to a few specific situations, and they cannot be applied to the same purchase as a surcharge.
Surcharges and convenience fees can be no higher than the cost of the processing fee, and most states apply similar restrictions to cash discounts. | 2022-06-02T22:44:13+00:00 | wgrz.com | https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/restaurant-can-legally-charge-different-credit-card-cash-prices/536-c1b6d5c6-4a22-409a-99f3-2268ffd3b66f |
WAUKESHA (WQOW) - It's championship weekend for Wisconsin prep swimmer and divers.
A number of Chippewa Valley athletes competed at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 championship at Waukesha South Natatorium Friday.
In diving, Rice Lake High School's Katie Buckwheat finished 11th with a score of 315.40.
Menomonie High School teammates Alexis Kohnke and Kelsie Macke finished 13th and 16th, respectively.
Full diving results available here
The Division 1 competition will be held Saturday. | 2022-11-12T02:38:16+00:00 | wqow.com | https://www.wqow.com/sports/area-athletes-compete-at-wiaa-state-swimming-and-diving-meet/article_dc1151f8-622b-11ed-98f0-d3aa83a73078.html |
Defense dominated as Tolono Unity pitched a 1-0 shutout of Bloomington Central Catholic during this Illinois softball game.
In recent action on April 3, Bloomington Central Catholic faced off against St Joseph-Ogden and Tolono Unity took on Bethany Okaw Valley on April 11 at Bethany Okaw Valley High School.
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. | 2023-04-18T04:20:27+00:00 | herald-review.com | https://herald-review.com/sports/high-school/softball/girls/ministry-of-defense-tolono-unity-blanks-bloomington-central-catholic-1-0/article_7e9ce7c6-5ddd-50b2-80da-44dc40a586f6.html |
Mets fourth. Ender Inciarte pinch-hitting for Starling Marte. Ender Inciarte grounds out to first base to Jesus Aguilar. Francisco Lindor strikes out on a foul tip. Pete Alonso homers to left field. J.D. Davis grounds out to shallow infield, Braxton Garrett to Jon Berti to Jesus Aguilar.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mets 1, Marlins 0.
Marlins sixth. Garrett Cooper called out on strikes. Jesus Aguilar singles to center field. Jesus Sanchez walks. Jesus Aguilar to second. Avisail Garcia singles to shallow left field. Jesus Sanchez to second. Jesus Aguilar to third. Brian Anderson doubles to deep center field. Avisail Garcia to third. Jesus Sanchez out at home. Jesus Aguilar scores. Brian Anderson to third. Avisail Garcia scores. Bryan De La Cruz strikes out swinging.
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Marlins 2, Mets 1.
Mets sixth. Tomas Nido singles to shallow infield. Brandon Nimmo lines out to left field to Bryan De La Cruz. Ender Inciarte grounds out to shallow infield to Jesus Aguilar. Tomas Nido to second. Francisco Lindor homers to left field. Tomas Nido scores. Pete Alonso strikes out swinging.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. Mets 3, Marlins 2.
Marlins eighth. Jesus Aguilar homers to left field. Jesus Sanchez flies out to deep right field to Ender Inciarte. Avisail Garcia grounds out to shallow infield, Eduardo Escobar to Pete Alonso. Brian Anderson lines out to right field to Ender Inciarte.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Marlins 3, Mets 3.
Marlins tenth. Jon Berti singles to shortstop, advances to 2nd. Billy Hamilton scores. Throwing error by Francisco Lindor. Joey Wendle pinch-hitting for Garrett Cooper. Joey Wendle pops out to shallow infield to Pete Alonso. Jesus Aguilar grounds out to shortstop, Francisco Lindor to Pete Alonso.
1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 left on. Marlins 4, Mets 3.
Mets tenth. Eduardo Escobar called out on strikes. Luis Guillorme called out on strikes. Tomas Nido doubles to shallow left field. Mark Canha scores. Brandon Nimmo reaches on error. Tomas Nido scores. Fielding error by Tanner Scott.
2 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 left on. Mets 5, Marlins 4. | 2022-07-10T00:54:24+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/Miami-N-Y-Mets-Runs-17294985.php |
Three years.
Marshal Yanda, ever the pragmatist, thought that would be a pretty fair NFL run for a guy from Anamosa, Iowa, with “marginal foot quickness” and a “lack of power” in the words of pro scouts.
“You don’t really know how fast that goes,” he said, thinking back to those days.
After 13 NFL seasons for the Ravens, during which he watched many a prospect come and go, Yanda knows well how unlikely he was to have the career did.
Of the 35 players drafted in the third round in 2007, only 18 became starters for even one season. Of those, exactly one other, Yanda’s eventual teammate, Jacoby Jones, made a Pro Bowl. Yanda made eight, and on Sunday, he’ll become the 11th Ravens player to join the Ring of Honor at M&T Bank Stadium.
“I just got my hair cut and I was talking to my hair lady,” Yanda said on the phone from his native Iowa. “And I was like, ‘Listen, I was a junior college transfer, so for me to go from that to a Ring of Honor inductee, it’s unbelievable.’ I unlocked potential inside of me that I had no idea I had.”
So how did this farm boy, who didn’t even bother fantasizing about the NFL when he was toiling anonymously at North Iowa Area Community College, become the one to defy those long odds?
It’s a story of discipline and toughness built over childhood days working the harvest but also of an innate feel for football and of the luck required to land on a team overflowing with professional role models.
“Football was the No. 1 goal in my life,” he said. “The more success I had, the more I wanted to be a better player.”
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz wasn’t the least bit surprised when Yanda outperformed his draft slot. He’d watched him do it before.
“He kind of recruited us,” he recalled. “We looked at his tape and it was good but not ‘wow.’”
When the young transfer showed up, he didn’t exactly blow Ferentz’s staff away. He did not have prototype size or strength, and he moved, kind of awkwardly? It wasn’t until they strapped on pads and started crashing bodies that Ferentz realized what he had.
“He went from being a guy I thought we might end up redshirting to, at the end of the week, this guy might be our best lineman,” he said.
Ferentz assumed the same revelation would strike coaches in Baltimore, where he’d worked before he took the Iowa job: “When I talked to scouts, I just told them that: ‘You’ll get him in the out-of-season program when he’ll be in shorts and he’ll be OK. But three days after you start practicing football, the line coach will come down the hall and thank you.’ That’s his strength, just playing football.”
Chris Foerster, the Ravens’ offensive line coach at the time, recalled Greg Roman, then his assistant, traveling to Iowa to work out Yanda and reporting that the kid repeatedly tripped over bags set up for an agility drill.
“Marshal wasn’t a cone-drill guy,” said Foerster, who now coaches for the San Francisco 49ers. “But that’s where Eric DeCosta, Ozzie [Newsome], all those guys through the years have done such a good job: finding the right kind of guy. That’s what Yanda was.”
Yanda, always practical, did not fully believe he was an NFL prospect until he received an invite to the Senior Bowl. He knew 90% of players selected for the postseason showcase made a pro roster the following fall.
Still, he was the third-most-hyped rookie lineman on the Ravens behind first-round pick Ben Grubbs and mammoth tackle Jared Gaither. When he walked into the locker room, his jaw dropped at the awesome stature of left tackle Jonathan Ogden, who’d made the Pro Bowl 10 years in a row. Yanda, six inches shorter with comparatively stubby arms, knew he couldn’t be that.
But what could he pick up from these grown men who’d cracked the code of NFL success?
He watched Ogden fine-tune his pass sets, even as the future Hall of Fame tackle came down to the last weeks of his career, slowed by an ailing toe. He noted how outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (and later center Matt Birk) seemed impervious to the grinding pressure of the NFL. Middle linebacker Ray Lewis, as accomplished and brash as Yanda was unsung and understated, taught him what it meant to work at the game seven days a week.
“He was calm, he was collected, he was never late, he never missed a meeting. Football was No. 1,” Yanda recalled. “On Sundays, I could trust these guys. When it comes down to it, your actions are going to be exposed. So if you aren’t doing things the right way, you’re going to be exposed on the main stage.”
To this day, he sounds irritated when describing the (unnamed) teammates who did not care as much.
Yanda started the first game of his rookie season, at tackle, because Ogden sprained his foot. By his own contemporary assessment, he was “pretty bad,” with a pair of false starts and a holding penalty.
Foerster saw a player who was in over his head at times, who couldn’t demonstrate a perfect pass-block set to save his life, but who found ways to succeed regardless.
“His start was rough,” he said. “Not rough in that he played poorly; he played well. But he had to figure it out, playing out of position as a rookie for a team that, at that point, we weren’t very good.”
He noticed a quality that Ferentz also mentioned: Even if Yanda was off-balance or confused on a play, he always hunted for a defender to eliminate. “I remember a game, we were on the sideline in Buffalo, and I said, ‘Marshal, I’m trying to figure out, did you pick up this guy or that guy?’” Foerster said. “And he said, ‘Coach, I’ve got to be honest; I just saw a whole bunch of them coming, and I picked one out and blocked him.’”
And of course, there’s the Taser story: Pro Bowl cornerback Chris McAlister showed up with the shocking device and $500 for any teammate who would take a jolt. No one immediately stepped forward, so the pot grew to $600, at which point Yanda grabbed the Taser and shocked himself not once but twice. John Harbaugh, who coached Yanda for 12 of his 13 seasons, referenced this episode recently when asked what set him apart.
“That’s a guy who’s got a future in this league,” Harbaugh said, chuckling. “Especially at offensive guard.”
Even so, Yanda hardly took off like a rocket. He played in all 16 games and started 12 that first season. But he tore up his knee the next year, and he had to jump back to right tackle — a position where he held his own but never felt he had the physical stature to dominate — to cover a roster hole in 2010. Not until his fifth season, 2011, did he settle in at right guard and begin his long run of Pro Bowl appearances.
“I really got addicted to being the best I could be,” he said, recalling the rigid offseason fitness plans, the refinements he made to his technique, the adjustments, such as the shift he made to the left side in the middle of the 2016 season to protect his damaged left shoulder. He never wanted to be “put out to pasture” because he had left some stone unturned.
Somewhere in that post-2011 span, Yanda became the model for young linemen who walked into the Ravens locker room or into the weight room at Iowa, where he still worked out in the offseason. They noted the way he tried to make every practice repetition perfect, the way he set a personal best in the back squat during his penultimate season, when he was 34 years old, coming off shoulder surgery and an ankle fracture.
“His Pro Bowl jersey was up in our O-line room, and there was a picture of him,” said Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who arrived at Iowa more than a decade after Yanda left. “If any Iowa linemen are mentioned, he’s one of the first to come up. We all kind of knew how he operated.”
Foerster said Yanda would be on the dream starting five of linemen he’s coached, with 2009 Hall of Fame selection Randall McDaniel at left guard, Ogden and current 49ers star Trent Williams at the tackles. “You get in the club by having enough talent,” he said. “Once you’re in the club, how do you become one of the best? That’s by who you are and how you work and how you prepare and what you do when adversity strikes. A guy like Marshal wasn’t going to come out and have instant success. It was going to be a grind.”
What does Yanda say to an Iowa kid who’s walking the same steps he did 15 years ago, aspiring to the same improbable future?
“I keep it simple for them,” he said. “I grew up on a farm, where work ethic was a way of life. So I tell them you have to work extremely hard for things you want in life. Every human has choices to make every single day; you have to make the right ones. And then discipline, which is doing that stuff when you don’t want to, 365 days a year. Do you really want to do this? Then, this is what it takes.”
Week 13
Broncos at Ravens
Sunday, 1 p.m.
TV: Chs. 13, 9
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
Line: Ravens by 8 1/2
()
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Deep partisanship will be on display as Congress releases competing voting bills
ATLANTA (AP) — Congress in the coming weeks will consider shoring up voting and election laws — efforts that will reflect the vast gulf between Democrats and Republicans on protecting a foundation of American democracy.
The parties will unveil separate and competing proposals that will have little chance of success in a divided government, but are likely to be used to rally supporters ahead of the 2024 elections.
House Republicans on Monday are scheduled to release a proposal that would tighten voting laws and take a defiant stand against concerns that laws passed in recent years by GOP-controlled state legislatures disadvantage some voters. Democrats, meanwhile, are preparing to reintroduce their own proposals to set federal voting standards and restore protections under the Voting Rights Act.
Even as the country prepares for the next presidential election, the separate measures will underscore how the two major parties have acted with little cohesion and often are completely at odds over voting procedures.
House Republicans are trying to send a message with both the date and location for releasing their plan, which will come Monday ahead of a field hearing in Atlanta on the eve of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. MLB withdrew its midsummer game from the city’s suburbs in 2021 over objections to the state enacting restrictive voting laws.
The event also will kickstart a push in the House to pass the GOP’s “American Confidence in Elections Act.”
Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, chair of the House Administration Committee, which oversees election law, has billed the plan as “the most conservative election bill to be considered in the House in over 20 years.”
“It works to boost voters’ confidence and uphold the Constitution by ensuring states maintain primary control over elections, not the federal government,” he said at a hearing last month. “This is in stark contrast to House Democrats’ efforts in the last two congresses, which would have nationalized our election system and centralized it in Washington, D.C.”
Since the 2020 presidential election, many Republican-led state legislatures have added ID requirements to mail voting, curtailed or banned the use of ballot drop boxes and limited the ability of someone to return a ballot on behalf of someone else.
Republicans in Georgia have touted the state’s sweeping 2021 voting law as a model for national reform, arguing the 2022 midterms and solid voter turnout were a rebuke to concerns the measure would result in voter suppression.
“The Georgia General Assembly has worked to create a system that makes it easier to vote, have results that can be audited and verified, give voters options for their preferred method of voting and build confidence using voter ID,” former Georgia state Rep. Scot Turner, a Republican, told the House Administration Committee during a May hearing.
Critics say voter assistance groups had to increase efforts to counter the effects of the law, spending more money to educate voters and help ensure they could successfully cast a ballot despite facing new hurdles.
The House GOP legislation would encourage states to examine voter lists, conduct post-election audits and enact other checks on voter eligibility. It also aims to make an example of Washington, D.C. voter laws by ending the district’s policy of allowing non-citizens to vote for local offices and prohibiting election officials from sending unrequested absentee ballots.
The Republican legislation also includes provisions to loosen finance reporting requirements and other restrictions on political parties, as well as protect nonprofit organizations that engage in political advocacy from disclosing their donors.
It’s all done in the name of “election integrity” and restoring voters’ confidence in the results. But what often goes unsaid by Republicans is that former president Donald Trump inflamed many of those doubts with his baseless insistence that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
Democrats say the sustained attacks on the voting process by Trump and his allies show that measures are needed to ensure free and fair elections. Their long-running efforts to enact federal voting protections failed last year after Democrats were unable to secure enough votes in the Senate to overcome procedural rules used by Republicans to block them.
While little has changed since then, Democrats argue it’s important to keep pressing the issue.
“America is under threat from election deniers and extremist anti-voting forces who undermine our democracy,” said Rep. Joe Morelle, the ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee. “In contrast, our agenda offers national standards that ensure every eligible American can participate in accessible, secure and transparent elections.”
Democrats expect the proposals to closely mirror an updated bill that came together last year with the involvement of Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat. He had sought a compromise that could draw some Republican support, dropping some of the more controversial provisions and pushing to keep state-approved voter ID requirements under certain circumstances.
In the end, Republicans remained united in their opposition, arguing the bill was a Democratic power grab aimed at taking over federal elections. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named in honor of the former civil rights leader and congressman from Georgia who died in 2020, would allow for federal review of voting law changes in certain jurisdictions to resume.
A 2013 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court halted the process known as preclearance, after deciding the formula was outdated for identifying which jurisdictions should be subject to the review.
Meanwhile, states are not waiting for federal action – leading to a wave of election-related bills that sharply diverge based on the state and which party is in control. Where Democrats hold the majority, lawmakers have been focused on expanding access to voting, overhauling the redistricting process and restoring the right to vote for those with past felony convictions.
California, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington are among the states that have passed comprehensive voting rights laws in recent years.
In Michigan, lawmakers have been busy passing legislation to implement a 2022 voter-approved initiative that established nine days of early voting, the use of a photo ID or signed affidavit to verify a voter’s identity and the use of a permanent absentee voter list, among other actions. Lawmakers also are weighing a proposal to create a state-level Voting Rights Act that would create a preclearance process for state-level review of local voting changes under certain circumstances.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat in her second term, said Republicans in the U.S. House have so far been unwilling to confront false claims about elections and to embrace voter-friendly policies.
“What we’ve seen from this Congress really over the last six months is -- instead of standing up to the lies around democracy -- digging into them,” Benson said. “Any legislation that amplifies misinformation or codifies it, instead of debunking it, is going to be contrary to what we really need in Michigan and elsewhere to restore and ensure our voters have confidence in our elections.”
She also called on Congress to provide a sustained level of funding for elections, rather than the scattershot approach that has resulted in a varying amount each year. A recent GOP budget proposal eliminated federal grants for state and local election offices to enhance election technology and security.
___
Groves reported from Washington.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-07-10T11:49:13+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/2023/07/10/deep-partisanship-will-be-display-congress-releases-competing-voting-bills/ |
The executive director of the San Jose Police Officers' Association is accused of a scheme to distribute synthetic opioids.
Authorities claim Joanne Marian Segovia would order synthetic opioids from dealers overseas using her personal and office computers.
According to a criminal complaint, Segovia had at least 61 shipments mailed to her home, dating back to October 2015.
"The manifests for these shipments declared their contents with labels like 'Wedding Party Favors,' 'Gift Makeup,' or 'Chocolate and Sweets,'" the Department of Justice said.
SEE MORE: Officials see wave of rainbow-colored fentanyl across 21 states
During a Homeland Security investigation into a network shipping controlled substances into the San Francisco Bay Area from abroad, authorities say they intercepted five shipments meant for Segovia. Inside, they reportedly found thousands of pills, including synthetic opioids.
Investigators claim Segovia was using WhatsApp to communicate about logistics for receiving and sending the pills.
A parcel containing valeryl fentanyl addressed to Segovia was seized in Kentucky on March 10, authorities said. The package allegedly originated from China.
Segovia made her first court appearance on Friday and was granted conditions of release. According to the Department of Justice, she faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
SEE MORE: US fighting fentanyl smuggling with new technology at southern border
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | 2023-04-04T04:38:59+00:00 | fox17online.com | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/san-jose-police-union-executive-accused-of-importing-synthetic-opioids |
NPR's Sarah McCammon talks to director Stacey Lee and Vanity Fair journalist Alex French about the new FX documentary series "The Secrets of Hillsong."
Copyright 2023 NPR
NPR's Sarah McCammon talks to director Stacey Lee and Vanity Fair journalist Alex French about the new FX documentary series "The Secrets of Hillsong."
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-05-20T21:39:01+00:00 | wyomingpublicmedia.org | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2023-05-20/the-secrets-of-hillsong-explores-allegations-behind-the-international-megachurch |
NEW YORK, April 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ready Capital Corporation (NYSE: RC) (the "Company") today announced that the Company will release its first quarter 2022 financial results after the New York Stock Exchange closes on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Management will host a webcast and conference call on Friday, May 6, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to provide a general business update and discuss the financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021.
Webcast:
The Company encourages use of the webcast due to potential extended wait times to access the conference call via dial-in. The webcast of the conference call will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.readycapital.com. To listen to a live broadcast, go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software.
Dial in:
The conference call can be accessed by dialing 844-825-9789 (domestic) or 412-317-5180 (international).
Replay:
A replay of the call will also be available on the Company's website approximately two hours after the live call through May 20, 2022. To access the replay, dial 844-512-2921 (domestic) or 412-317-6671 (international). The replay pin number is 10166523.
About Ready Capital Corporation
Ready Capital Corporation (NYSE: RC) is a multi-strategy real estate finance company that originates, acquires, finances and services small- to medium-sized balance commercial loans. Ready Capital specializes in loans backed by commercial real estate, including agency multifamily, investor and bridge as well as U.S. Small Business Administration loans under its Section 7(a) program. Headquartered in New York, New York, Ready Capital employs over 600 lending professionals nationwide.
Contact
Investor Relations
Ready Capital Corporation
212-257-4666
InvestorRelations@readycapital.com
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SOURCE Ready Capital Corporation | 2022-04-27T21:57:32+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/04/27/ready-capital-corporation-announces-first-quarter-2022-results-webcast-call/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is meeting Friday with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detained in Russia, Paul Whelan.
The meetings at the White House are the first face-to-face encounter between the president and the relatives of Griner and Whelan. The meetings, held in the Oval Office, began shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday, the White House said.
Administration officials said the sessions are meant to underscore Biden's commitment to bringing home Americans held overseas and to establish a personal connection, but are not an indication that negotiations with Russia for their release have reached a breakthrough.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Friday that Russia has not responded to what administration officials have called a substantial and serious offer to secure Griner and Whelan's release.
“The president is not going to let up,” Kirby told reporters on Friday ahead of the president's meetings with the families. “He's confident that this is going to remain in the forefront of his mind and his team's mind, and they're going to continue to work as hard as they can.”
Griner has been held in Russia since February on drug-related charges. She was sentenced last month to nine years in prison after pleading guilty and has appealed the punishment. Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage-related charges that he and his family say are false. The U.S. government regards both as wrongfully detained, placing their cases with the office of its top hostage negotiator.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unusual step of announcing two months ago that the administration had made a substantial proposal to Russia. Though he did not elaborate on the proposal, a person familiar with the matter has said the U.S. has offered to release convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The administration carried out a prisoner swap last April, with Moscow releasing Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for the U.S. releasing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Jake Sullivan, the president's national security adviser, is participating in both meetings. Biden is sitting down with Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan. In a separate session, the president is meeting with Cherelle Griner, the wife of Brittney Griner, as well as the player's agent, Lindsay Colas, according to the White House. | 2022-09-16T22:39:22+00:00 | springfieldnewssun.com | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/biden-meeting-with-families-of-whelan-griner-at-white-house/VGMRGAZPXVHA3HI2MQUVWOLX5U/ |
By STAN CHOE
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are tumbling on Wall Street Friday as dispiriting evidence keeps piling up to show inflation isn’t cooling as quickly as hoped.
The S&P 500 was 1.6% lower in morning trading and on track for its worst week since early December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 451 points, or 1.4%, at 32,702, as of 10:19 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 2% lower.
Stocks have dropped through February as a stream of reports have shown everything from inflation to the job market to spending by shoppers is staying hotter than expected. That’s forced Wall Street to raise its forecasts for how high the Federal Reserve will have to take interest rates and then how long to keep them there.
Higher rates can drive down inflation, but they also raise the risk of a recession because they slow the economy. They likewise hurt prices for stocks and other investments.
The latest reminder came Friday after a report showed that the measure of inflation preferred by the Fed came in higher than expected. It said prices were 4.7% higher in January than a year earlier, after ignoring costs for food and energy because they can swing more quickly and sharply than others. That was an acceleration from December’s inflation rate, showing the wrong momentum, and it was higher than economists’ expectations for 4.3%.
It echoed other reports from earlier in the month that showed inflation at both the consumer and wholesale levels was higher than expected in January.
Other data Friday showed that consumer spending returned to growth in January, jumping 1.8% from December. That’s pivotal because spending by consumers makes up the largest piece of the economy. A separate reading on sentiment among consumers came in slightly stronger than expected, while sales of new homes improved a bit more than expected.
Such strength paired with the remarkably resilient job market raises hope that the economy can avoid a recession in the near term.
But it can also feed into upward pressure on inflation, and Wall Street worries it could push the Fed to raise rates even higher and keep them there even longer than it otherwise would. Investors’ hopes for a possible cut to rates later this year have been washing out of the market.
Traders are now also placing bets on the Fed raising its key overnight rate above 5.25% and keeping them there through the end of the year. That’s higher than what the Fed was talking about in December.
Expectations for a firmer Fed have caused yields in the Treasury market to shoot higher this month, and they climbed further Friday.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 3.95% from 3.89% late Thursday. It helps set rates for mortgages and other important loans. The two-year yield, which moves more on expectations for the Fed, rose to 4.78% from 4.71%.
Tech and high-growth stocks once again took the brunt of the pressure. Investments seen as the most expensive, riskiest or making their investors wait the longest for big growth are among the most vulnerable to higher rates.
Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla and Nvidia all fell more than 2% and were among the heaviest weights on the S&P 500.
They were among plenty of company amid Wall Street’s wipeout. More than 90% of stocks in the S&P 500 fell.
Software company Autodesk had one of the largest losses in the index, falling 10.6% despite reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. Analysts said investors were disappointed with its forecasts for upcoming results.
Boeing lost 4.4% after it again stopped deliveries of its 787 passenger jet because of questions around a supplier’s analysis of a part near the front of the plane.
Stock markets abroad also mostly fell, with a 1.1% drop for France’s main index and 1.7% fall in Hong Kong.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was an outlier, rising 1.3%. The nominee to head the country’s central bank, economist Kazuo Ueda, told lawmakers he favors keeping Japan’s benchmark interest rate near zero to ensure stable growth. That’s despite Japan reporting its core consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh foods, rose the most in 41 years in January.
___
AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach, Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed. | 2023-02-24T19:21:15+00:00 | wtmj.com | https://wtmj.com/national/2023/02/24/wall-street-tumbles-toward-worst-week-since-early-december/ |
New website to share memories of loved ones lost to COVID-19 in Amarillo area
AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Over 1300 friends, family members, and residents of Potter and Randall counties died from COVID-19.
“When you think about the the Globe News Center for the Performing Arts, the capacity that it holds is right at 1300 people. When I’m sitting there in that audience and I look out across the center, that’s a lot of individuals that we have lost throughout our community,” says Freda Powell, Councilmember, City of Amarillo.
Kathy Tortoreo with Family Support Services says people dealing with grief typically want to be alone, but that is not considered a healthy response.
Tortoreo says, “First of all, connecting with other people, maybe connecting with people that that also had a relationship with that loved one that’s no longer there. Doing things to honor them, especially during the holidays, setting that place setting even if it’s going to remain empty. Keeping some of those family traditions up that were important to that person who’s now gone.”
TheLivesWeLost.com allows those who have lost someone to share memories to honor their loved ones as well as provides resources for those who are suffering.
“You have to feel the pain in order to recover from that grief. That loss and that feeling of emptiness, a little bit is not going to ever go away because that person is not there anymore, but being able to connect with other people is going to help fill that,” says Tortoreo.
Copyright 2022 KFDA. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-22T00:08:55+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/2022/11/21/new-website-share-memories-loved-ones-lost-covid-19-amarillo-area/ |
The funds will be used to gear up for fall sales and acquire additional
parcels to meet consumer demand
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nabr, a direct-to-consumer housing startup, has raised $48M in equity and debt financing to continue its mission to build the future of sustainable urban living. The round was led by 2150, the leading venture fund focused on sustainability and urban technology. A portion of the funds were used to acquire three development sites in Downtown San Jose's SoFA District. This land will feature 500 for-sale residential units, which includes SoFA One, in addition to two other buildings: SoFA Two and SoFA Three.
Nabr's goal is to put more people on a path to owning a high-quality, environmentally friendly home in the city. Nabr treats housing like a true consumer product, and has built a software platform to transform the process of finding, designing, purchasing, and living in a home that fits each resident's lifestyle. Co-founded by Bjarke Ingels (founder of architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group), Roni Bahar (formerly of WeWork) and Nick Chim (co-founder of Flux, a spinout of Google[x]), Nabr launched to the public in December 2021, offering the opportunity to join a waitlist for its future developments.
"With this latest funding, we are ready to start transacting with prospective residents," said Roni Bahar, Nabr's CEO. "For most Americans, a house is the biggest purchase of their lifetime. Yet the experience of buying a home does not meet consumer expectations. With the addition of 2150—whose investors include some of the most progressive institutions in Scandinavia and the global real estate ecosystem—we have the right partners in place to help bring the U.S. housing market into the 21st century." The latest fundraising follows the $14M seed round led by Zigg Capital in 2021, with participation from DivcoWest, Sand Hill Road's biggest landlord.
This capital influx is well-timed for Nabr to ramp up to begin construction in San Jose, which in recent years has become the most competitive housing market in the U.S., a dynamic now exacerbated as workers are called back to the office. "In 2022, the average sales price for a home in San Jose hit a whopping $1.8 million dollars. There is a shortage of inventory, much of which consists of post-war suburban homes, with a huge disparity between quality and price point. I saw this problem first-hand while living in the South Bay, which drove me to join Nabr," said Cara Eckholm, Nabr's Chief Revenue Officer.
While Nabr's first building, SoFA One, will consist of only 140 units, the company currently has nearly 4,000 people on its Silicon Valley waitlist. The outsized demand indicates opportunity for Nabr's expansion across the Bay Area, hence the acquisition of additional development sites.
"At BIG, we were designing sustainable urban homes in Copenhagen as early as 2005," said Bjarke Ingels, co-founder of Nabr and founder of the eponymous architectural firm, which now employs 600+ people globally. "But in order to really scale what BIG does, I realized we needed to take more of a product-driven approach to every part of the development process. That's why Roni, Nick and I co-founded Nabr, to help bring sustainable urban homes to the mass market. Nabr's consumer data shows that the demand is there."
Bringing investors like 2150 on board will help bring the quality of life and sustainability innovation that defines the Scandinavian housing market to the U.S.. Jacob Bro, a partner at 2150, commented: "Real estate is responsible for around 40% of global CO2 emissions and is the only industry where the product gets more expensive with time with detriment to society, the industry is in dire need of innovation. By reimagining how we design, build, and finance urban homes aligned with the customer and the environment, Nabr aims to tackle this key issue of our time. We think Nabr's visionary product strategy will help catalyze a much needed cultural shift, helping cities move beyond the carbon-intense suburban sprawl that has defined U.S. new housing for the last half-century."
"It's fashionable in tech to say 'it's time to build.' We are actually building," said Roni Bahar. "All engines are ready to go in San Jose, and we will grow from there."
Nabr is a direct-to-consumer housing company and the first to deliver custom, sustainable apartments at scale. Nabr treats housing like a true consumer product—our goal is to put more people on a path to owning a high-quality, environmentally friendly home in the city. We have built a platform to transform the process of finding, designing, purchasing, and living in a home that fits each resident's unique lifestyle and financial situation. Nabr's first development is coming soon to Silicon Valley.
Contact
press@nabr.com
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SOURCE Nabr | 2022-08-03T14:03:45+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/nabr-raises-48m-build-future-urban-living/ |
FDA issues simultaneous approval of ROCTAVIAN™ (valoctocogene roxaparvovec-rvox), BioMarin's gene therapy for severe hemophilia A.
SALT LAKE CITY, June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ARUP Laboratories today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved AAV5 DetectCDx™ as a companion diagnostic to aid in the selection of adult patients eligible for treatment with ROCTAVIAN™ (valoctocogene roxaparvovec-rvox). ROCTAVIAN™, a new gene therapy developed by BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., received contemporaneous FDA approval for the treatment of adults with severe hemophilia A (congenital factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency with FVIII activity <1 IU/dL) without antibodies to adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5) detected by an FDA-approved test.
AAV5 DetectCDx™, which was developed by ARUP Laboratories in collaboration with BioMarin, is the first companion diagnostic immunoassay for a gene therapy product to receive FDA approval. ARUP will serve as the sole laboratory testing provider in the United States.
"By leveraging diagnostic testing, we can identify which patients are eligible to receive treatment," said Jay Patel, MD, MBA, executive director of PharmaDx and Clinical Trials at ARUP Laboratories. "We are proud of our role in the advancement of this revolutionary type of treatment."
Hemophilia A is a rare, X-linked genetic bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). People living with hemophilia A may experience painful and/or potentially life-threatening bleeding from even modest injuries because they lack sufficient clotting protein.
The new gene therapy uses adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5) as a vector to deliver a functional copy of the gene for FVIII in a one-time infusion, with the goal of reducing or eliminating the need for chronic prophylaxis treatment. AAV5 DetectCDx™ will be used to determine the presence of preexisting anti-AAV5 antibodies, which may inhibit the efficacy of the treatment. Only those without anti-AAV5 antibodies will be eligible for ROCTAVIAN under the current FDA approval.
The approval of AAV5 DetectCDx™ is the result of a close collaboration between ARUP and BioMarin. The test was implemented in multiple clinical studies that demonstrated the potential benefits of ROCTAVIAN™ in adult patients with severe hemophilia A.
"It is extremely satisfying to see the effort and dedication of both teams come to fruition after a successful and long-standing collaboration," said Emily Coonrod, the senior director of companion diagnostics in the PharmaDx department at ARUP Laboratories. "It has required the combined expertise, hard work, and perseverance of both teams to achieve this milestone."
AAV5 DetectCDx™ is the third FDA-approved companion diagnostic test developed by ARUP Laboratories. Previously approved tests from ARUP Laboratories are intended as aids in the selection of patients with rare hematologic disorders for whom specific treatments are being considered. These were the first companion diagnostic tests to receive FDA approval under the Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) program.
AAV5 DetectCDx™ is already authorized for use in Europe, having received its Conformité Européenne (CE) mark under the In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Directive (IVDD) in August 2021.
Last year, the AAV5 DetectCDx™ Kit, a kit that enables a partner facility in the European Union to perform the companion diagnostic test, also received authorization for use in Europe. The AAV5 DetectCDx™ Kit is the first ARUP-developed test to be performed in Europe.
"AAV5 DetectCDx™ demonstrates our commitment to providing exceptional patient care and highlights our capability to execute on projects of this complexity," Patel said. "Our PharmaDx group exists to support companion diagnostic needs for the development of cutting-edge treatments. We are honored to serve patients and our partners in this capacity."
AAV5 DetectCDx™ Intended Use
The AAV5 Total Antibody Assay for ROCTAVIAN (valoctocogene roxaparvovec-rvox) Eligibility in Hemophilia A ("AAV5 TAb Assay") or AAV5 DetectCDx is a qualitative in vitro diagnostic test by electrochemiluminescence intended for detection of antibodies in human plasma collected in 3.2% sodium citrate that bind to the adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5). The AAV5 TAb Assay is indicated as an aid in the selection of adult hemophilia A patients for whom ROCTAVIAN treatment is being considered. Patients that are anti-AAV5 antibody positive (result of Detected) are not eligible for treatment with ROCTAVIAN; patients that are anti-AAV5 antibody negative (result of Not Detected) are eligible for treatment with ROCTAVIAN. This assay is for professional use and is a single-site assay performed at ARUP Laboratories.
For more detailed information about ROCTAVIAN and its safety and efficacy, please visit https://www.biomarin.com/.
About ARUP Laboratories
Founded in 1984, ARUP Laboratories is a leading national reference laboratory and a nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology. ARUP offers more than 3,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine screening tests to esoteric molecular and genetic assays. ARUP serves clients across the United States, including many of the nation's top university teaching hospitals and children's hospitals, as well as multihospital groups, major commercial laboratories, group purchasing organizations, military and other government facilities, and major clinics. In addition, ARUP is a worldwide leader in innovative laboratory research and development, led by the efforts of the ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology®. ARUP is ISO 15189 CAP accredited.
ARUP Media Contact:
Lisa Carricaburu, lisa.carricaburu@aruplab.com, 801-583-2787 ext. 3842
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SOURCE ARUP Laboratories | 2023-06-30T01:18:55+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/06/30/fda-approves-arup-laboratories-aav5-detectcdx-first-ever-companion-diagnostic-immunoassay-gene-therapy/ |
A teacup and saucer. Mother's ruby earrings. Dozens of marbles and a ceramic baby Jesus.
These were some of the objects that Marshall Fire survivors were able to find after sifting through the ashes of their former homes in Colorado.
More than a thousand homes were destroyed when the fire tore through Louisville, Superior and stretches of unincorporated Boulder County on Dec. 30, 2021. For those caught in the blaze's unforgiving path, there was little time to grab anything but essentials — in some cases, the clothes on their back and each other.
When the ash settled, residents returned in droves to look for what remained. Many were and still are haunted by what they left behind, not knowing how all-consuming the fire would be.
In terms of property, the Marshall Fire's insured losses top $1 billion. But the smaller soot-spotted objects, pulled from the ash and embedded with the stories of survivors, illuminate a universal grief. They serve as reminders of what used to be for survivors who fear they'll forget the stories that went up in smoke. And for some, these items begin a new story.
With debris removal underway and ash piles being cleared in the burn area, Boulder Reporting Lab and KUNC spoke with survivors who lost their homes in the fire, to learn about what they found while sifting through the ashes — what it meant to them before the blaze, and what it means to them now.
Melissa Lockman
On a windy spring afternoon in south Boulder, the Lockman family's one-car garage in their new rental home seems normal enough. A couple of the kids' scooters and helmets hang on the wall. Boxes and luggage clutter storage shelves. An exercise bike sits near the door.
But along the eastern wall, there's a large wooden table piled with scraps of charred papers and mementos. They're what Melissa Lockman found while searching through the rubble of her family's Louisville home. A hospital tag that reads "Baby Lockman" from the birth of her now-11-year-old daughter, Zora, sits next to a high school photo of Melissa's husband, Mark.
Melissa is a sentimental person. She kept her child's baby teeth and accompanying notes to the tooth fairy in a drawer at her bedside to give her when she grows older. Those baby teeth and notes, like so many other things, were lost. In the first 24 hours following the fire, Zora grabbed a red pen and legal paper and frantically wrote down everything in the house she wanted to remember that was likely gone.
But Melissa, a therapist, knew that looking for what survived was important to make sense of all the loss.
"Finding some of these things helps me to move on," she says. "It helps me to [say], 'They were this and now they're something different, and that's OK.'"
So, she suited up in Tyvek, a respirator and gloves and began to sift with the help of Baptist church members who traveled from Texas to aid survivors. The ash in their home's foundation was 3 or 4 feet deep, she says, and scattered across the dusty piles were toxic substances released by the blaze and left behind. Heaping it onto framed mesh sifters was cumbersome, dirty and potentially dangerous. She likened it to gold mining, but for memories.
Among the things she found were the two mugs she bought her husband for their first wedding anniversary. They're simple and bold, she says. One was cream colored before surviving the fire, the other an earthy, light brown.
"And they were intact. I'll read into that till the cows come home. Like, yeah, that endured," Melissa says.
During the height of the pandemic, with nowhere they needed to be, Melissa and her husband sipped coffee every morning together from those mugs. They made it in a French press. He took it black. She took it with cream, no sugar.
"I savored the time with Mark. And those mugs, you know, those were our mugs," she said.
She also spotted specks of blue, red, green and yellow amid the ash — dozens of marbles. The family had a designated marble jar, and when someone did something another family member liked, they put a marble in the jar. When it filled up, they would go out to do something fun.
She found a miniature baby Jesus, too. The Lockmans, while not religious, had owned a Christmas Nativity set, and the ceramic baby was one of the few remnants of it.
Melissa remembers watching her daughter set up the Nativity scene every year with so much care, detail and attention. It was Zora's thing, she said.
She doesn't know yet whether they will buy another Nativity set. "I haven't been able to move that far forward yet," she said.
But they have bought two new marble jars, and they're almost full.
Jill Sellars
An ashy teacup and saucer are laid out on a table in a small dining room nook with dozens of other objects. Jill Sellars and her husband's new apartment rental in Superior has begun to feel a bit homey, she says, but it's full of donated items that weren't hers until after the fire.
The teacup and saucer, though — part of her mother's old china set that Jill brought home last summer — they're hers. She cried with joy when her daughter found them in the foundation of her burned-down house in Superior.
When she looks at them, memories of her childhood home during holidays flood back. Her grandparents and other family, all dressed up, would sit at the table in the dining room, surrounded by white wallpaper dotted with blue flowers. Her mom would proudly display the china cups and saucers on lace tablecloths with linen beneath, alongside "the good silverware" and her cherished crystal set.
Jill knows it's just a ceramic cup and saucer. In fact, she found the exact pieces of china online while documenting items for insurance coverage. But she's not going to buy them. They're not the same china she remembers placing in just the right way as she helped her mom set the table.
"It's the memories that come from that," Jill said. "I appreciate the things that I do have, because objects, I think, prompt memories."
But when it comes to those important things she hasn't been able to recover, she feels a sort of looming identity crisis.
"I worry about forgetting things that were important to me, because they were just always there," she said. "And, again, they were all just things. But they were my things."
The teacup and saucer remind Jill of her father, Charlie Ferguson. While serving in the Korean War in 1953, Charlie purchased the china set in Japan. He and Jill's mother were engaged to be married at the time, and he shipped it back to her in the States.
Last December, Jill lost her father — who lived in nearby Boulder — just hours before losing her home and beloved dog, Peanut, in the Marshall Fire. Charlie Ferguson was 89, had lived with Alzheimer's disease for four years and, two years ago, was diagnosed with cancer.
Charlie died peacefully at exactly midnight on Dec. 30, 2021, as Jill sat with him. She, her husband, their kids and their kids' families stayed up until 4:30 a.m. reminiscing about her dad, his life and the house she grew up in.
About six hours later, the fire started. Shortly after the flames began to spread, she knew it wasn't just her dad she would be losing — her house would be destroyed, too.
Now, on top of layers of trauma and grief, she has to clear out her dad's old things from his home, which was spared, while replacing all of her own. It's a bizarre contradiction that's not lost on her.
"It was the strangest combination of having nothing, but having to get rid of a bunch of things at the same time, because I couldn't hang on to everything that my dad had. I didn't want to," Jill said.
She's happy she can say goodbye to her father's house and all of his things. But she didn't get the same chance for her own house and things. And that's why, she said, she's going to preserve the objects she recovered from the rubble.
"The only reason I'm really even keeping these things is I feel like they're an extension of a story," said Jill, who calls herself the family historian. "They're props for telling that story now. And I hope my grandkids will be able to see them."
That means she won't be cleaning that teacup and saucer from her mother's china set that her dad bought all those years ago. To her, its new ashy smudges mark the beginning of a new story.
Zuzanna and Kazimierz Jaszczak
Just days after the Marshall Fire, Zuzanna Jaszczak was determined to sift through the debris of her childhood home in Superior. It was her parents' house of 26 years that she happened to be visiting for the holidays when the fire burned through their neighborhood. While she had long moved out, she still stored many keepsakes there. She understood that she wouldn't be able to recover much, if anything.
"But it was important for me to try," Zuzanna says. "You kind of have this feeling: I need to do this for myself, because if I don't, I'm going to get stuck in the devastation of this event and I cannot afford to do that. I don't want to do that. I want to be able to move on and get on with my life and continue leading a good life."
It wasn't an easy undertaking to start sifting. Zuzanna ran into roadblocks when trying to get help from a nonprofit due to safety and logistical concerns.
So, she decided to start the process on her own with her dad, Kazimierz Jaszczak, who owned the home. After spending a few days looking through the lot, Zuzanna recognized a drawer from her desk in her old room. It was scorched, but intact. She and her father managed to pull it out and saw that some small cardboard boxes full of jewelry were still there. Zuzanna fished out a pair of ruby earrings from one of the boxes.
In the late 1970s, Kazimierz recalls, he was on a business trip to Lviv, Ukraine, not far from his native Poland. He worked in the mathematics department at the University of Warsaw at the time, and his wife was just days away from going into labor with Zuzanna. He wanted to get her a gift, so he went shopping and bought the ruby earrings.
Zuzanna remembers seeing her mom, who died of cancer in 2013, wearing the earrings. They had been stored in her dad's room for several years when Zuzanna decided to wear them with a pink dress on Christmas Eve in 2019.
"Because I hadn't ever worn them, it was kind of like a ritual almost. It was like this very special touch to the evening for me personally," she remembers.
It felt luxurious to wear them, she says. They were such valuable earrings, but also so sentimental. Finding them in perfect condition amid all the destruction caused her to almost scream with joy at two passersby.
But when Kazimierz saw that his daughter found the earrings, he didn't feel much of anything.
"I was just looking at everything and I was so devastated that nothing would bring joy to me at the time," he says.
Sifting was a painful process for him. When he first saw what was left of his neighborhood, he was reminded of images of Warsaw after it was bombed by Nazi Germany in World War II. He knew he wouldn't be able to recover anything of use from his home. He felt then and still feels now that to survive, he must leave his past behind.
"I have to rebuild my life. But I need to be able to say goodbye to my previous life. Maybe keep it somewhere in my memory. But really, not to live the old life," he says, his voice wavering.
Kazimierz immigrated to the United States to work as a software engineer in 1989 and was joined the next year by his wife and kids. So much energy and loss went into building a life for himself and his family in a foreign country.
"We know the cost of assimilating [to a] different country, making a decent living, being part of a completely different society, being part of a completely different system," he explains. "And I had this feeling that I actually made it in America, and all of a sudden everything collapsed during one day, or during a couple of hours."
It's not that Kazimierz doesn't appreciate what they've been able to recover. He's glad they have the earrings and some other objects from before the fire. He's grateful Zuzanna grabbed an old photograph of his wife and her journal. And there's even been a small bit of humor in sifting — various jars of his homemade pickled fruits and vegetables, unbroken and still edible, were found. But dwelling on the few things that survived meant confronting all that was lost.
"If I look at this luggage behind me, this will be devastating for me and it wouldn't allow me to build this new future," he said. "I know that such a moment will come. I don't know when. It is not now. I'm trying to actually on purpose isolate myself as much as I can from the past, to be able to simply move forward."
Kazimierz does have a couple of things decorating his new Boulder rental home from before the fire. Among them is a small, square tile painted blue, yellow and white with a star at its center. Zuzanna found it in the debris — its color peeking out from the various shades of gray and black. It sits on his windowsill above the sink where, like many Polish people who grew up without dishwashers, he spends time washing dishes by hand.
Zuzanna, who lives in Sweden and travels frequently, bought the tile while in Lisbon, Portugal. She was walking around on a summer day in the Alfama neighborhood when she came upon a small workshop where women were making and selling tiles. Zuzanna, not knowing Portuguese, spoke with the women in Spanish. She thought of her dad the whole time and bought the tile just for him.
For Kazimierz, the tile always represented his daughter.
"And this little piece always reminded me that she's somewhere. And not only that she's somewhere, but that she's somewhere for me," he says.
"And it's a very delicate, very fragile thing, but it survived, intact, with some scratches, some bruises, some cuts, but it survived. And it's whole," Zuzanna adds.
"And we will also survive the same way," her father replies.
This story is a collaboration between Boulder Reporting Lab, a Colorado nonprofit local news organization, and Colorado member station KUNC.
Copyright 2022 . To see more, visit . | 2022-06-20T14:46:27+00:00 | klcc.org | https://www.klcc.org/2022-06-20/they-lost-their-homes-in-colorados-biggest-wildfire-here-are-keepsakes-they-salvaged |
As Yuma Regional Medical Center continues to see a decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and testing volumes, the hospital has made the decision to close its COVID-19 Testing Lab Annex on Avenue A, effective Friday.
The option to test for COVID-19 will remain available for patients and staff at YRMC outpatient locations, including primary care offices and some specialty clinics.
Beginning Friday, patients who need COVID-19 testing are encouraged to contact their primary care provider’s office for guidance on testing options. Patients who do not have an established primary care provider are encouraged to visit the YRMC Primary Care Foothills Walk-in Clinic, 11142 S. Scottsdale Drive, or call 928-336-1815.
“Fortunately, the need for COVID-19 testing has dramatically decreased and we’re currently only testing two to four patients per day,” explained Karen Stratton, administrative director of ambulatory operations. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 is not going away, so we felt it was time to shift this testing to our outpatient clinics.”
YRMC opened the COVID-19 Testing Lab Annex on Avenue A, across the street from the main hospital, in March of 2020. Initially, it was available for YRMC staff only. As COVID-19 infiltrated the Yuma community, YRMC made the decision to open the Lab Annex to the public in April 2020 to meet the needs of the community.
In June 2020, YRMC was processing about 1,000 COVID-19 swabs a week at the COVID-19 Testing Lab Annex.
In July 2020, the COVID-19 Testing Lab Annex was open for testing six days a week and YRMC Primary Care Foothills began Saturday testing.
In March 2020 through May 2023, YRMC completed 58,837 tests at the COVID-19 Testing Lab Annex location.
This week, YRMC began training medical assistants in outpatient clinics that will administer COVID-19 testing for patients. Various YRMC departments are also working to update procedures, ensuring this is a seamless process for patients.
“Through the last three years of multiple COVID-19 surges, our teams have worked diligently to be there for our community and our patients,” Stratton said. “I would like to especially recognize the employees who have been instrumental in our testing process from day one. Thank you, Nohely Alvarado, Gabriela Duran, Alyssa Barangay and Mark Fornof, for your unwavering commitment to our patients.”
The health and safety of patients, staff, visitors and our community remains a top priority, YRMC stated. The hospital will continue monitoring all infectious illness trends, including COVID-19, and adjust services to meet the needs of the community effectively. | 2023-06-08T17:27:30+00:00 | yumasun.com | https://www.yumasun.com/news/yrmc-to-close-covid-19-testing-lab-annex/article_99a58c4c-057a-11ee-a7cf-7b7b09dee852.html |
The New Mexico Department of Health's medical cannabis program announced this week that it will be adding insomnia to the program’s list of qualifying conditions for enrollments starting on June 1, 2023.
Insomnia is a common medical complaint experienced by up to 70 million U.S. adults per year according to the Institute of Medicine.
The latest condition was approved after a petition was submitted to the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board in March, where it unanimously passed.
In a written statement, Department of Health Secretary Patrick M. Allen said patients can get cannabis without a medical card since the state legalized recreational sales last year. But he noted this recent approval would give patients more opportunity to discuss using cannabis for insomnia with their medical providers.
Allen added it also offers a legal alternative to pricier insomnia remedies. Medical cannabis patients can also deduct state gross receipts taxes, just as they can with prescription drugs.
With the addition of insomnia there are now 30 qualifying conditions under the medical cannabis program.
Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation and KUNM listeners. | 2023-05-18T01:35:26+00:00 | kunm.org | https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2023-05-17/new-mexico-adds-insomnia-to-the-list-of-qualifying-condition-for-medical-cannabis |
John Mayer might just have Taylor Swift on the brain. The 45-year-old musician reflected on his 2013 song, "Paper Doll," during a recent concert in Sacramento, California, seemingly regretting how the tune comes off.
In a video captured on TikTok, Mayer says of the song, "I wonder if people don't like it because it sounds a little pissed off. I don't like 'pissed off' as a song. I think it was more hurt. Is there something about it that's a little b***hy? I try not to give b***hiness in the song, and that happens sometimes. I guess I don't do it very well, sarcastic b***h."
Swift, 33, and Mayer are said to have dated around 2009 when she was 19 and he was 32. Her 2010 song, "Dear John," is widely rumored to be about Mayer, and several years later, he released "Paper Doll."
The lyrics read, "You're like 22 girls in one/And none of them know what they're runnin' from/ Was it just too far to fall?/ For a little paper doll."
Despite past feud rumors, Mayer has shown his support for Swift in the years since their split.
In 2015, he spoke directly about the GRAMMY winner, saying, "Now I can just go, 'Look, I can say the name Taylor Swift.' She’s an artist. I'm an artist. Everybody stop, nobody's got cancer. We're rich people who get to live out our dreams. Let's just stop it. I'm a musician who's bigger than one song or one record."
In the same interview with Ronan Farrow on MSNBC, Mayer said of his "Paper Doll" track, "The song never got listened to as a song. It became a news story because of the lyrics. I’m not in the business of telling people what the song’s about."
ET broke the news earlier this month that Swift split from her boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn.
"Taylor and Joe are in totally different places in their lives right now," the source told ET. "It was more of Taylor's decision to break up, but both of them realized that they weren't completely right for one another. They had been together for such a long time and were spending so much time together, but their personalities were just too different. Joe is more introverted, shy and quiet."
RELATED CONTENT: | 2023-04-12T18:22:10+00:00 | ktvb.com | https://www.ktvb.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/john-mayer-makes-surprising-confession-about-song-thats-rumored-to-be-about-taylor-swift/603-4ba8ae2b-fc8d-467a-966e-c006b915d21e |
CT Albany NY Zone Forecast for Wednesday, August 17, 2022
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142 FPUS51 KALY 180752
ZFPALY
FPUS51 KALY 180751
ZFPALY
Zone Forecast Product for Eastern New York and Western New England
National Weather Service Albany NY
351 AM EDT Thu Aug 18 2022
CTZ001-182000-
Northern Litchfield-
Including the city of Torrington
351 AM EDT Thu Aug 18 2022
.TODAY...Mostly sunny. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms
this afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Chance of rain 20 percent.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then clearing. Lows in the
upper 50s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny, hot with highs in the mid 80s. West winds around
5 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s. Southwest
winds around 5 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly sunny. Hot with highs in the mid 80s. North winds
around 5 mph, becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 80s.
Lows in the lower 60s.
.MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with scattered showers.
Highs in the upper 70s. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain
50 percent.
.TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers. Highs
in the upper 70s. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs
in the upper 70s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
$$
CTZ013-182000-
Southern Litchfield-
Including the cities of Oakville, New Milford, Terryville,
and Woodbury
351 AM EDT Thu Aug 18 2022
.TODAY...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly clear.
Lows around 60. West winds 5 to 10 mph in the evening, becoming
light and variable.
.FRIDAY...Sunny, hot with highs in the upper 80s. West winds around
5 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. Southwest winds
around 5 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly sunny. Hot with highs in the upper 80s. South
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 80s.
Lows in the lower 60s.
.MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with scattered showers.
Highs around 80. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers. Highs
in the lower 80s. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs
in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
$$
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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-08-18T09:26:44+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/CT-Albany-NY-Zone-Forecast-17381273.php |
CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Burglary suspect falls through ceiling at restaurant
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOCO) - An Oklahoma restaurant was robbed for the second time this year, but this burglar went to great heights to pull it off.
On Wednesday, the alleged thief climbed a ladder to get on top of Off The Hook, got inside through the air duct and fell through the ceiling.
Surveillance video shows the suspect crashing to the ground.
“I was on my way home, and I got a call from Cox. They were telling me three of my sensors were going off,” owner Loniesha Tempson said. “So, I immediately knew something was off.”
Because the restaurant was robbed in July, Tempson says they “beefed up” security.
“This time, we were a little prepared,” she said.
The burglary suspect only got away with electronics, but Tempson said she offers compassion.
“If you need some help, need some money, you know we don’t mind. You can come ask, pick up trash, or we’ll even hire you. Everybody’s hiring,” Tempson said.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300 or submit a tip online.
Copyright 2022 KOCO via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-10-31T13:16:39+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/2022/10/31/caught-video-burglary-suspect-falls-through-ceiling-restaurant/ |
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met face-to-face Wednesday for more than an hour of highly anticipated budget talks — "a good first meeting," the new Republican leader said — but expectations were low for quick progress as GOP lawmakers push for steep cuts in a deal to prevent a national debt limit crisis.
Biden has resisted direct spending negotiations linked to vital action raising the nation's legal debt ceiling, warning against potentially throwing the economy into chaos.
McCarthy had all but invited himself to the White House to start the conversation before a summer debt deadline. And he emerged saying the meeting went better than expected: The two agreed to meet again, and the speaker said he expected to hear from Biden soon.
“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters outside the White House.
He said he told the president he would not raise the debt ceiling without concessions from Democrats.
“I was very clear," he said. “We’re not spending more next year than we spent this year.”
And Biden's response? McCarthy said the president insisted on a “clean debt ceiling” vote without the budget cuts Republicans are demanding.
“We both have different perspectives on this, but I thought this was a good meeting,” McCarthy said.
The White House said the president and the speaker agreed to continue the conversation. The president made clear that it is their “shared duty” to not allow a “catastrophic default,” the White House said.
The House speaker arrived for the afternoon session carrying no formal GOP budget proposal, but he is laden with the promises he made to far-right and other conservative Republican lawmakers during his difficult campaign to become House speaker. He vowed then to work to return federal spending to 2022 levels — an 8% reduction. He also promised to take steps to balance the budget within the decade — an ambitious, if politically unattainable goal.
McCarthy said he told the president, "I would like to see if we can come to an agreement long before the deadline.”
The political and economic stakes are high for both leaders, who have a cordial relationship, and for the nation as they work to prevent a debt default.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress last month that the government was reaching the limit of its borrowing capacity, $31 trillion, with congressional approval needed to raise the ceiling to allow more debt to pay off the nation’s already accrued bills. While Yellen was able to launch “extraordinary measures” to cover the bills temporarily, that funding is to run out in June.
“Everyone is asking the same question of Speaker McCarthy: Show us your plan. Where is your plan, Republicans?” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ahead of the meeting.
"For days, Speaker McCarthy has heralded this sitdown as some kind of major win in his debt ceiling talks," Schumer said. But he added, “Speaker McCarthy showing up at the White House without a plan is like sitting down at the table without cards in your hand.”
Raising the debt ceiling is a once-routine vote in Congress that has taken on oversized significance over the past decade as the nation's debt toll mounts. Newly empowered in the majority, House Republicans want to force Biden and Senate Democrats into budget cuts as part of a deal to raise the limit.
Ahead of the White House meeting, House Republicans met in private to discuss policies. And McCarthy met with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday at the Capitol.
McConnell has a history of dealmaking with Biden during the last debt ceiling showdown a decade ago. But the GOP leader of the Senate, in the minority party, says it's up to McCarthy and the president to come up with a deal that would be acceptable to the new House majority.
Still, McConnell is doing his part to influence the process from afar, and nudging Biden to negotiate.
“The president of the United States does not get to walk away from the table,” McConnell said in Senate remarks.
Slashing the federal budget is often easier said than done, as past budget deals have shown.
After a 2011 debt ceiling standoff during the Obama era, Republicans and Democrats agreed to across-the-board federal budget caps on domestic and defense spending that were supposed to be in place for 10 years but ultimately proved too much to bear.
After initial cuts, both parties agreed in subsequent years to alter the budget caps to protect priority programs. The caps recently expired anyway, and last year Congress agreed to a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that sparked new outrage among fiscal hawks.
McCarthy reiterated that he would not be proposing any reductions to the Social Security and Medicare programs that are primarily for older Americans. But other Republicans want cuts to those as part of overall belt-tightening.
Such mainstay programs, along with the Medicaid health care system, make up the bulk of federal spending and are politically difficult to cut, particularly with a growing population of those in need of services in congressional districts nationwide.
Agreeing on the size and scope of the GOP’s proposed cuts will be a tall order for McCarthy as he struggles to build consensus within his narrow House Republican majority and bridge the divide between his conservative and far-right wings of the party.
McCarthy told reporters he's not counting on Republican support alone and wants Democratic help to pass a deal in Congress. But relying on a bipartisan approach could bring a revolt from McCarthy's hard-right flank of lawmakers who can threaten to oust him from his speakership.
After Wednesday morning's closed-door House GOP briefing, several Republican lawmakers insisted they would not allow the negotiations to spiral into a debt crisis.
“Obviously, we don’t want to default on our debt. We’re not going to,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio. “But we are going to have to have a discussion about the trajectory that we're on. Everyone knows that it’s not sustainable.”
Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, held a separate briefing for his group, whose 175 or so members make up most of the House GOP majority.
Hern sent a letter to McCarthy outlining their principles for budget cuts ahead of the White House meeting.
The federal budget's non-mandatory programs, in defense and domestic accounts, have also proven tough to trim.
___
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Zeke Miller contributed to this report. | 2023-02-02T05:38:19+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/biden-mccarthy-to-meet-discuss-debt-ceiling-at-17757275.php |
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT) on Wednesday reported a key measure of profitability in its fourth quarter. The results missed Wall Street expectations.
The real estate investment trust, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said it had funds from operations of $16.1 million, or 34 cents per share, in the period.
The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for funds from operations of 36 cents per share.
Funds from operations is a closely watched measure in the REIT industry. It takes net income and adds back items such as depreciation and amortization.
The company said it had net income of $26.9 million, or 62 cents per share.
The hotel real estate investment trust, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, posted revenue of $96.5 million in the period, surpassing Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $95 million.
For the year, the company reported funds from operations of $60.5 million, or $1.30 per share, swinging to a profit in the period. Revenue was reported as $405.9 million.
For the current quarter ending in March, Hersha Hospitality expects its per-share funds from operations to range from 4 cents to 8 cents.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/HT | 2023-02-15T21:54:38+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/hersha-hospitality-q4-earnings-snapshot-17786789.php |
About 6 million households in California face water restrictions this summer. But after years of drought conditions, some residents are adapting by planting yards that use less water.
Copyright 2022 NPR
About 6 million households in California face water restrictions this summer. But after years of drought conditions, some residents are adapting by planting yards that use less water.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-08-24T21:22:49+00:00 | nprillinois.org | https://www.nprillinois.org/2022-08-24/with-less-water-for-lawns-some-californians-switch-to-drought-resistant-landscapes |
NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) ("Nielsen" or the "Company") announced today that the previously announced cash tender offers (collectively, the "Tender Offer") and consent solicitations (collectively, the "Consent Solicitation") of the Offerors (as defined below), to purchase any and all of The Nielsen Company (Luxembourg) S.à r.l.'s (the "Luxembourg Issuer") outstanding 5.000% Senior Notes due 2025 (the "2025 Notes") and Nielsen Finance LLC and Nielsen Finance Co.'s (together, the "US Issuers" and, together with the Luxembourg Issuer, the "Offerors") outstanding 5.625% Senior Notes due 2028 (the "2028 Notes"), the US Issuers' outstanding 4.500% Senior Notes due 2029 (the "2029 Notes"), the US Issuers' outstanding 5.875% Senior Notes due 2030 (the "2030 Notes") and the US Issuers' outstanding 4.750% Senior Notes due 2031 (the "2031 Notes" and collectively with the 2025 Notes, 2028 Notes, 2029 Notes and 2030 Notes, the "Notes"), expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 5, 2022 (the "Expiration Date"). Payment for the Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase will be made on October 11, 2022 (the "Settlement Date").
According to information provided by D.F. King & Co., Inc., the Information and Tender Agent for the Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation, as of the Expiration Date, the Offerors had received and accepted tenders and consents from holders of the Notes as shown in the table below. The table below also sets forth the consideration payable in connection with the Tender Offer:
(1) For each $1,000 principal amount of Notes, excluding accrued and unpaid interest, which interest will be paid in addition to the Tender Consideration or Total Consideration, as applicable.
(2) Payable only to Holders who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) Notes prior to the Early Tender Date.
(3) The Early Participation Premium is included in the Total Consideration.
* CUSIPs are provided for the convenience of Holders. No representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of such numbers.
Requests for documents relating to the Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc., the Information and Tender Agent, toll free at (888) 541-9895, toll at (212) 269-5550 (Banks and Brokers) or email at nielsen@dfking.com. BofA Securities, Inc. ("BofA Securities") is acting as Dealer Manager for the Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation. Questions regarding the Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation may be directed to BofA Securities at (980) 388-3646 (collect) or (888) 292-0070 (toll free).
This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell, or a solicitation of consents with respect to, any security. No offer, solicitation or purchase will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or purchase would be unlawful. All capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the same meaning ascribed to them in the in the Offerors' Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated August 24, 2022 (as amended or supplemented from time to time).
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SOURCE Nielsen Holdings plc | 2022-10-06T12:38:19+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/10/06/nielsen-announces-expiration-results-cash-tender-offer/ |
Recently Announced Agreement for Sale of Global Products for $2.65 Billion in Cash
- Reported net income of $99 million grew 2% and earnings per diluted share (EPS) of $0.55 increased 4%
- Adjusted EPS of $0.58 improved 5% and adjusted EBITDA of $180 million increased 4%
- Sales grew 21% to $957 million driven by strong demand and pricing actions
- Retail Services sales grew 16% with system-wide same-store sales (SSS) increasing 9.9% and net system-wide unit additions of 8%
- Global Products sales increased 24% primarily driven by volume growth of 9% and pricing actions
- Returned $60 million in cash to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases
- Updates full-year guidance range for adjusted EBITDA to $670 to $680 million and adjusted EPS to $2.07 to $2.15
- Recently announced agreement for sale of the Global Products business to Aramco for $2.65 billion in cash
LEXINGTON, Ky., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV), a global leader in vehicle care powering the future of mobility through innovative services and products, today reported financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022. All comparisons in this press release are made to the same prior-year period unless otherwise noted.
"Valvoline's top-line growth in Q3 highlights the continuing robust demand for our products and services," said Sam Mitchell, CEO. "Record volume in Global Products and strong same-store sales growth in Retail Services illustrate the strength in both of our businesses and the performance of our global team. These results position us well for future margin expansion in the period beyond current raw-material inflationary cycle.
"Retail Services sales grew 16% led by same-store sales growth of nearly 10% — on track for what we expect to be our 16th consecutive year of same-store sales growth in fiscal 2022. While operating income was down slightly, adjusted EBITDA grew 1% year over year. The pricing actions we took in Q3 normalized our margins on a per-transaction basis, while product sales to our franchisees remain dilutive to overall margin percentage due to the price pass-through of higher raw material costs. Adjusted EBITDA margin rates improved 230 basis points sequentially, and we are confident in returning to our long-term margin target over time, although we do not expect a significant change in Q4 due to ongoing price pass-through.
"Global Products continues to generate strong top-line results and improving profitability. Sales increased 24% driven by record volume and successful price pass-through of raw material cost inflation. Volume growth was 9% as we continue to gain share and meet customer demand, despite ongoing challenges from COVID-19, particularly in China, and geopolitical disruption. Top-line demand and ongoing price pass-through drove strong growth in profitably both sequentially and versus last year."
Operating Segment Results
Separation Update: Announced Sale of Global Products
As previously announced on August 1, 2022, Valvoline signed a definitive agreement to sell its Global Products business to Aramco for $2.65 billion in cash and anticipates net proceeds of approximately $2.25 billion. Valvoline expects to use the net proceeds to accelerate return of capital to shareholders through share repurchases with the remainder used for debt reduction and to invest in growth opportunities in Retail Services.
"The sale of Global Products will represent the successful outcome of our strategy to unlock the full, long-term value of our strong but differentiated Retail Services and Global Products businesses," said Mitchell. "We have built two leading business that are well-positioned for continued success as they pursue their individual strategic priorities."
The transaction is expected to close in late calendar year 2022 or early 2023 subject to customary closing conditions and receipt of regulatory approval.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
- Total debt of $1.7 billion and net debt of approximately $1.6 billion
- Year-to-date cash flow from operations of $191 million and free cash flow of $89 million
- Returned $38 million of cash to shareholders via share repurchases and $22 million via dividends during the quarter
Outlook
"The core, underlying performance of our two segments continues to deliver results in the face of a challenging macro environment including the impacts of raw material inflation. With inflationary pressure continuing, we expect impacts to profitability in Q4 while maintaining a strong outlook for fiscal 2022. We are modestly updating our full-year guidance for adjusted EBITDA and now anticipate between $670 million to $680 million. At the midpoint, this represents 7% growth on a consolidated basis and low-double digit growth for the Retail Services segment driven by share gains, pricing actions and strong execution.
"With our announced separation, we are excited about the compelling opportunities to drive shareholder value as a best-in-class, pure-play automotive retail service provider. With increased management and Board focus on Retail Services, we expect to continue driving growth, accelerating our evolution to a powertrain agnostic service provider and optimizing our capital structure and capital allocation policies."
Information regarding the Company's outlook for fiscal 2022 is provided in the table below:
Valvoline's outlook for adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EPS, and the adjusted effective tax rate are non-GAAP financial measures that are expected to be impacted by items affecting comparability. Valvoline is unable to reconcile these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP measures estimated for fiscal 2022 without unreasonable efforts, as the Company is currently unable to predict with a reasonable degree of certainty the type and extent of certain items that would be expected to impact these GAAP measures in fiscal 2022 but would not impact non-GAAP adjusted results.
Conference Call Webcast
Valvoline will host a live audio webcast of its fiscal third quarter 2022 conference call at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, August 4, 2022. The webcast and supporting materials will be accessible through Valvoline's website at http://investors.valvoline.com. Following the live event, an archived version of the webcast and supporting materials will be available.
Key Business Measures
Valvoline tracks its operating performance and manages its business using certain key measures, including system-wide, company-operated and franchised store counts and SSS; system-wide store sales; and lubricant volumes sold. Management believes these measures are useful to evaluating and understanding Valvoline's operating performance and should be considered as supplements to, not substitutes for, Valvoline's sales and operating income, as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Sales in the Retail Services segment are influenced by the number of service center stores and the business performance of those stores. Stores are considered open upon acquisition or opening for business. Temporary store closings remain in the respective store counts with only permanent store closures reflected in the activity and end of period store counts. SSS is defined as sales by U.S. Retail Services stores (company-operated, franchised and the combination of these for system-wide SSS), with new stores, including franchised conversions, excluded from the metric until the completion of their first full fiscal year in operation as this period is generally required for new store sales levels to begin to normalize.
Retail Services sales are limited to sales at company-operated stores, sales of lubricants and other products to independent franchise and Express Care operators, in addition to royalties and other fees from franchised stores. Although Valvoline does not recognize store-level sales from franchised stores as sales in its Statements of Consolidated Income, management believes system-wide and franchised SSS comparisons, store counts, and total system-wide store sales are useful to assess market position relative to competitors and overall store and segment operating performance.
Management believes lubricant volumes sold in gallons by its consolidated subsidiaries is a useful measure in evaluating and understanding the operating performance of the Global Products segment. Volumes sold in other units of measure, including liters, are converted to gallons utilizing standard conversions.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, certain items herein are presented on an adjusted basis. These non-GAAP measures, presented on both a consolidated and operating segment basis, have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation from, or as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, the financial results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The financial results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and the reconciliations of non-GAAP measures should be carefully evaluated. The non-GAAP information used by management may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies, because of differing methods used in calculating such measures.
The following non-GAAP measures are included herein: segment adjusted operating income, consolidated EBITDA, consolidated and segment adjusted EBITDA, consolidated adjusted net income and earnings per share, consolidated free cash flow, and consolidated and segment discretionary free cash flows. Refer to the tables herein for management's definition of each non-GAAP measure and reconciliation to the most comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
Management believes the use of non-GAAP measures on a consolidated and operating segment basis provides a useful supplemental presentation of Valvoline's operating performance and allows for transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in operating the business and measuring performance. Management believes EBITDA measures provide a meaningful supplemental presentation of Valvoline's operating performance between periods on a comparable basis due to the depreciable assets associated with the nature of the Company's operations, as well as income tax and interest costs related to Valvoline's tax and capital structures, respectively.
Adjusted profitability measures enable comparison of financial trends and results between periods where certain items may vary independent of business performance. These adjusted measures exclude the impact of certain unusual, infrequent or non-operational activity not directly attributable to the underlying business, which management believes impacts the comparability of operational results between periods ("key items"). Key items are often related to legacy matters or market-driven events considered by management to not be reflective of the ongoing operating performance. Key items may consist of adjustments related to: legacy businesses, including the separation from Valvoline's former parent company and associated impacts of related activity and indemnities; the separation of Valvoline's businesses; significant acquisitions or divestitures; restructuring-related matters; tax reform legislation; debt extinguishment and modification costs; and other matters that are non-operational or unusual in nature, including the following:
- Net pension and other postretirement plan expense/income - includes several elements impacted by changes in plan assets and obligations that are primarily driven by changes in the debt and equity markets, as well as those that are predominantly legacy in nature and related to prior service to the Company from employees (e.g., retirees, former employees and current employees with frozen benefits). These elements include (i) interest cost, (ii) expected return on plan assets, (iii) actuarial gains and losses, and (iv) amortization of prior service costs and credits. Significant factors that can contribute to changes in these elements include changes in discount rates used to remeasure pension and other postretirement obligations on an annual basis or upon a qualifying remeasurement, differences between actual and expected returns on plan assets, and other changes in actuarial assumptions, such as the life expectancy of plan participants. Accordingly, management considers that these elements may be more reflective of changes in current conditions in global financial markets (in particular, interest rates), outside the operational performance of the business, and are also primarily legacy amounts that are not directly related to the underlying business and do not have an immediate, corresponding impact on the compensation and benefits provided to eligible employees for current service. Adjusted profitability measures include the costs of benefits provided to employees for current service, including pension and other postretirement service costs.
- Changes in the last-in, first out (LIFO) inventory reserve - charges or credits recognized in Cost of sales to value certain lubricant inventories at the lower of cost or market using the LIFO method. During inflationary or deflationary pricing environments, the application of LIFO can result in variability of the cost of sales recognized each period as the most recent costs are matched against current sales, while preceding costs are retained in inventories. LIFO adjustments are determined based on published prices, which are difficult to predict and largely dependent on future events. The application of LIFO can impact comparability and enhance the lag period effects between changes in inventory costs and related pricing adjustments.
Management uses free cash flow and discretionary free cash flow as additional non-GAAP metrics of cash flow generation. By including capital expenditures and certain other adjustments, as applicable, management is able to provide an indication of the ongoing cash being generated that is ultimately available for both debt and equity holders as well as other investment opportunities. Free cash flow includes the impact of capital expenditures, providing a supplemental view of cash generation. Discretionary free cash flow includes maintenance capital expenditures, which are routine uses of cash that are necessary to maintain the Company's operations and provides a supplemental view of cash flow generation to maintain operations before discretionary investments in growth. Free cash flow and discretionary free cash flow have certain limitations, including that they do not reflect adjustments for certain non-discretionary cash flows, such as mandatory debt repayments.
About ValvolineTM
Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a global leader in vehicle care powering the future of mobility through innovative services and products for vehicles with electric, hybrid and internal combustion powertrains. Established in 1866, the Company introduced the world's first branded motor oil and developed strong brand recognition and customer satisfaction ratings over the years across multiple service and product channels. The Company operates and franchises approximately 1,700 service center locations and is the No. 2 and No. 3 largest chain in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, by number of stores. With sales in more than 140 countries and territories, Valvoline's solutions are available for every engine and drivetrain, including high-mileage and heavy-duty vehicles, and are offered at more than 80,000 locations worldwide. Creating the next generation of advanced automotive solutions, Valvoline has established itself as the world's leading supplier of battery fluids to electric vehicle manufacturers, offering tailored products to help extend vehicle range and efficiency. To learn more, or to find a Valvoline service center near you, visit www.valvoline.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, including estimates, projections and statements related to Valvoline's business plans and operating results, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Valvoline has identified some of these forward-looking statements with words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," "is likely," "predicts," "projects," "forecasts," "may," "will," "should," and "intends," and the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based on Valvoline's current expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions as of the date such statements are made and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including in the "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk" sections of Valvoline's most recently filed periodic reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, which are available on Valvoline's website at http://investors.valvoline.com/sec-filings or on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Valvoline assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future, unless required by law.
TM Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries
SM Service mark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Investor Inquiries
+1 (859) 357-3155
IR@valvoline.com
Media Inquiries
Michele Gaither Sparks
Sr. Director, Corporate Communications
+1 (859) 230-8097
michele.sparks@valvoline.com
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SOURCE Valvoline Inc. | 2022-08-03T22:30:23+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/valvoline-reports-third-quarter-results/ |
- From 2023 to 2026.
- The new strategy focuses on a comprehensive approach to investments and exports.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) and the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER) presented the new strategy for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Costa Rica, which consists of a policy and a four-year strategy that, among other things, aims to generate 100,000 jobs and attract 70 investment projects in areas outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).
Likewise, the institution's aspiration is that the amount of investment in these four years reach $12,950 million, 300 reinvestment projects, 200 new projects, 24 projects under the DESCUBRE platform, 8 thousand jobs outside the GAM, 70 projects from new geographies, and 12 thousand people employed through human talent programs.
"We are pleased to present this ambitious FDI attraction model. With the strategy that we are launching today, we're seeking to generate a sense of well-being in all regions of the country, with a very clear objective: to promote, attract, and retain investments that boost employment and exports in the country with a solid differentiated value proposition that is consistent with the needs of Costa Rica, the geopolitical reality, and global trends," said the Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar Rivera.
For his part, Pedro Beirute Prada, General Manager of PROCOMER, added that Costa Rica has a robust value proposition for investors thanks to differentiating aspects, such as sustainability, political stability, legal certainty, human talent, country reputation, commercial platform, tax incentives, and geographic location. However, as a country, there are also urgent challenges to address, such as unemployment, the territorial divide, talent shortage, and the concentration of sectors.
"Our objective is to generate well-being for the entire country. For this reason, and to address these challenges, we're proposing a differentiated strategy to attract FDI based on a comprehensive approach to investments and exports in a way that creates linkages, job creation, and knowledge transfer," said Beirute.
The axes of the strategy presented by PROCOMER are:
- Attraction of new FDI in sectors: consolidated, incipient, and new.
- Establishment and after-care: support and advice on soft-landing procedures; supplier management; alliances with actors in the FDI ecosystem; new incentives; reinvestments; and the elimination of obstacles and/or bottlenecks to investment.
- Special programs: beyond GAM, human talent, clusters, and chains.
These three axes will intersect with competitiveness and sustainability. Furthermore, the strategy proposes addressing eight priorities:
- To attract new foreign direct investment.
- To generate employment, linkages, and economic growth throughout the country.
- To develop new strategic sectors to attract FDI towards free zones and the final regime.
- To diversify the investments' countries of origin.
- To improve the investment climate in order to boost competitiveness.
- To generate employment and linkages beyond the GAM.
- To contribute to the development of human talent.
- To encourage a social and environmental return in the FDI.
The General Manager of PROCOMER added that the institution's strategy seeks to address diversification through new investment models, serve consolidated and new sectors, attract investment in free zones and in the final regime, as well as promote new investment models: project portfolios,joint ventures,mergers and acquisitions, brownfield and BOT (build – operate – transfer). All this goes hand in hand with a competitiveness strategy through the resolution of bottlenecks and articulation between the public, private, and academic sectors -- areas in which PROCOMER has extensive experience.
To develop this work, PROCOMER has more than 25 years of experience in the administration of the free zone regime - thus established in the Law of its creation -, a network of 26 trade promotion and investment offices with extensive knowledge and international experience which will be strengthened in new markets. Furthermore, it has 7 regional offices with first-hand knowledge of the needs of the different areas beyond the GAM as well as a new Investment Directorate, from which the strategy will be executed and the established priorities will be addressed.
PROCOMER's FDI strategy was conceived by a team of local and international experts in international trade and investment and was submitted to the Institution's Board of Directors for analysis during multiple work sessions. On June 5, the plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.
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SOURCE PROCOMER | 2023-06-30T20:39:23+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/prnewswire/2023/06/30/new-fdi-attraction-model-procomer-proposes-generating-100000-jobs-costa-rica/ |
The Senate late last night officially received the debt ceiling bill after the House passed it with bipartisan support, putting it on course to be passed by the upper chamber in the coming days.
However, several things need to be ironed out before the legislation hits President Biden’s desk even as the chamber is on a tight clock.
Here are five things to keep an eye on as lawmakers move toward greenlighting an increase in the nation’s borrowing limit to avoid a default next week.
How quickly will the bill move through the Senate?
The biggest — and most pressing — question surrounding the debt ceiling in the Senate is how quickly lawmakers can get it to Biden’s desk.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the country would default on June 5 without congressional action — so taking the bill through the regular process and into next week is a nonstarter with leaders of both parties.
After some early chatter that the Senate may need the weekend to complete its work, indications are that conservatives will not use all the tools in the toolbox to hold up final passage — despite Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) initial warning.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday said he believes the upper chamber could wrap up a time agreement, which is expected to include six amendments, with the lion’s share coming from Republicans.
“That’s the hope and the dream, at least,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said about the possibility of the Senate wrapping up its work by Friday. “That’s where yielding to a lot of amendment votes could get us that.”
Part of the impetus for striking a time agreement sooner rather than later is that senators have little appetite for spooking the markets when they open on Monday and they would like to avoid a credit downgrade akin to when Standard & Poor’s did so in 2011.
What amendment votes will leadership approve?
Sources indicated on Wednesday that they expect the number of amendments to be in the neighborhood of six, though some cautioned that the number could always inch upward.
Most are being requested by conservative rabble-rousers. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wants a vote on his alternative debt ceiling plan that would hike the debt limit for a shorter period of time and include budget cuts to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. Paul told reporters he is well aware that his amendment would fail, but he wants a vote.
Lee warned last week that he would “use every procedural tool at my disposal” to hold up a deal that didn’t include “substantial spending and budgetary reforms.” However, while he has kept up his vociferous opposition to the bill, he says he is willing to yield back time.
The Utah conservative is expected to roll out a series of possible amendments today, a Lee spokesperson told The Hill, but indicated that he does not expect a vote on all of them.
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) told The Hill that he plans to offer an amendment that would put penalties in place if Congress doesn’t pass appropriations bills on time.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also called for multiple amendments — one that would increase military spending to get the U.S. back to inflation levels and another to include a statement of support for Ukraine given that the bill includes no money for the war-torn nation.
While leaders are likely to agree to the other amendment votes in exchange for their sponsors not delaying the measure any further, they are not expected to hold votes on Graham’s for a simple reason: They could pass, which would return the bill to the House for another vote the nation doesn’t have time for.
How does the Mountain Valley Pipeline provision affect the vote?
On the Democratic side, only one amendment is expected. Offered by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), it would strip a provision in the bill to complete construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
The package includes permitting reform that gives the OK to finish the pipeline, which the White House agreed to in talks. Finishing the pipeline would hand a major win to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has pushed for the natural gas pipeline’s completion throughout the past year.
The effort has infuriated Kaine, who is possibly one of the most mild-mannered senators, to a point where he was visibly agitated on Wednesday. He told reporters that he was blindsided by the 303-mile pipeline being included in the deal and that he was not given a heads up ahead of time by the White House.
“Look, I want Joe Manchin to do well. I don’t want him to falter. … But I mean, this is a Virginia project and they didn’t even bother to pick up the phone and call me. Have I made them mad? No, I’m the one they call to try and get cabinet secretaries confirmed,” Kaine said, saying the White House recently reached out to him regarding Julie Su’s nomination to become Secretary of Labor.
Kaine admitted he is facing an “uphill” battle to get the provision nixed given that the White House and Republicans support it, but maintained that he deserves a vote on the item. He has declined to say how he will vote on the final bill if the pipeline provision stays put.
How much support will the deal garner from each party?
A question that remains up in the air is how many senators inside each party end up backing this bill when it’s all said and done.
According to GOP sources, at least 10-20 Senate Republicans — led by McConnell, members of Senate GOP leadership and allies — are expected to ultimately line up behind the bill. That number could increase after 149 House Republicans backed the measure on Wednesday night, one Senate GOP source told The Hill.
Across the aisle, the vast majority of Democrats are likely to back the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who have been touting the bill for days.
“I think a lot of us are still looking at some of the fine print,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said, adding that the bill is a “good framework.”
While a lot of Democrats have either started to come out as “yes,” votes or were holding out for the time being, progressives on Wednesday began to come out against the legislation. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said that he cannot vote for the bill “in good conscience,” calling it “totally unnecessary.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) added that he will also vote against the proposal, citing the situation surrounding the Mountain Valley Pipeline by and large.
“In sum, there is virtually nothing in this bill that matches what the people of Oregon care about, and a whole lot of stuff that will hurt them. I can’t throw them under the bus. I cannot in good conscience support this legislation,” Merkley said in a statement.
What do senators up for election in 2024 do?
Those running for president or for reelection in 2024 will be under the microscope in the coming days as they put down a marker with this debt ceiling bill.
Of course, only one senator is running for the White House this cycle. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said on Wednesday that he will vote against the package, arguing that Biden should not be given carte blanche to spend as he feels is needed for the foreseeable future.
“The question I asked myself is ‘At the end of the negotiation, is it in our best interest as a nation to allow Joe Biden, someone we cannot trust on spending, to have an open checkbook, no limit on the credit card until the end of his term?’” Scott said during an Axios event. “My answer is ‘no.’”
Meanwhile, a number of Senate Democrats who are facing competitive races next year are widely expected to support the deal. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told reporters that he will vote “aye” on the bill.
“It’s an easy vote in the end because I’m happy that Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and pensions are protected because I know Republicans would like to privatize much of that and the American people won on that,” Brown said. “It was the right thing, and we didn’t default.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) indicated that he will support the bill in the end, saying simply that the country “can’t default,” but noted that he still has to do his due diligence. As for Manchin, he is expected to support the bill given the inclusion of the pipeline’s completion. | 2023-06-01T12:55:32+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/hill-politics/five-things-to-watch-in-the-senate-on-the-debt-ceiling-bill/ |
TX Norman OK Zone Forecast for Monday, December 19, 2022
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516 FPUS54 KOUN 200800
ZFPOUN
Zone Forecast Product for Oklahoma
National Weather Service Norman OK
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
TXZ086-201600-
Wichita-
Including the cities of Sheppard AFB and Wichita Falls
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy this morning, then becoming partly sunny.
Highs in the upper 40s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds around 5 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs around 50. South winds 10 to
15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Cold with lows around 30. South
winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Highs in the upper 30s.
North winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. Wind chill
values as low as 6 below in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and windy. Much colder with lows
5 to 10 above. Wind chill values as low as 15 below.
.FRIDAY...Mostly sunny. Colder with highs in the lower 20s. Wind
chill values as low as 10 below in the morning.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly cloudy. Cold with lows 10 to 15.
.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Cold. Highs in the
lower 30s. Lows 15 to 20.
.CHRISTMAS DAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the
lower 40s. Lows in the mid 20s.
.MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.
$$
TXZ083-201600-
Hardeman-
Including the city of Quanah
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Partly sunny this morning, then becoming mostly cloudy.
Highs in the mid 40s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. Southeast winds
5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly
sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. South winds 10 to 15 mph with
gusts up to 25 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy and brisk, colder with lows
around 18. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph,
increasing to 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph after
midnight.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Much colder with highs
17 to 25. North winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Wind
chill values as low as 8 below in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and blustery, cold with lows 5 to
10 above. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.FRIDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the lower 20s. Wind
chill values as low as 10 below in the morning.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy and cold. Near steady temperature
around 20.
.SATURDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the lower 30s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS DAY...Mostly clear. Lows 15 to 20.
Highs in the mid 40s.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s.
Highs in the mid 50s.
$$
TXZ084-201600-
Foard-
Including the city of Crowell
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Partly sunny this morning, then becoming mostly cloudy.
Cooler with highs in the mid 40s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. Southeast winds
5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly
sunny. Highs around 50. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to
25 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly clear. Colder with lows around 20. South winds 15 to
20 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph after midnight.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Colder with highs in the
lower 30s. Temperature falling to around 16 in the afternoon.
North winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Wind chill
values as low as 7 below in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and blustery, cold with lows 5 to
10 above. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.FRIDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the lower 20s. Wind
chill values as low as 10 below in the morning.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy and cold. Near steady temperature
around 20.
.SATURDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the lower 30s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS DAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 20.
Highs in the mid 40s.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s.
Highs in the mid 50s.
$$
TXZ087-201600-
Knox-
Including the cities of Munday and Knox City
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Cooler with highs in the mid 40s. North
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds around
5 mph, becoming southeast after midnight.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly
sunny. Highs around 50. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly clear. Cold with lows in the upper 20s. South winds 10 to
15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Highs in the upper 30s.
Temperature falling to around 17 in the afternoon. North winds
25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. Wind chill values as low as
4 below.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and blustery. Much colder with
lows 5 to 10 above. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.FRIDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the mid 20s. Wind
chill values as low as 10 below in the morning.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly cloudy. Cold. Near steady temperature around 20.
.SATURDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the lower 30s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS DAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 20.
Highs in the mid 40s.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s.
Highs in the mid 50s.
$$
TXZ085-201600-
Wilbarger-
Including the city of Vernon
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 40s. North winds 5 to
10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds 5 to
10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly
sunny. Highs around 50. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to
25 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Colder with lows around 20.
South winds 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph after midnight.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Cooler with highs in the
mid 30s. North winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. Wind
chill values as low as 6 below in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and windy, cold with lows 5 to
10 above. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.FRIDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the mid 20s. Wind
chill values as low as 10 below in the morning.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Cold with lows around 15.
.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Cold. Highs in the
lower 30s. Lows 15 to 20.
.CHRISTMAS DAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the mid
40s. Lows in the upper 20s.
.MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.
$$
TXZ088-201600-
Baylor-
Including the city of Seymour
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 40s. North winds 5 to
10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds 5 to
10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly
sunny. Highs around 50. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then clearing.
Lows in the mid 30s. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to
25 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Highs in the upper 30s.
North winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Wind chill
values as low as 4 below.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and windy. Much colder with lows
5 to 10 above. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.FRIDAY...Mostly sunny. Colder with highs in the mid 20s. Wind
chill values as low as 10 below in the morning.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly cloudy. Cold with lows around 15.
.SATURDAY...Mostly sunny. Cold with highs in the lower 30s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS DAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 20.
Highs in the mid 40s.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s.
Highs in the mid 50s.
$$
TXZ089-201600-
Archer-
Including the cities of Archer City, Holliday, Lakeside City,
and Scotland
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy this morning, then becoming partly sunny.
Highs in the upper 40s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds around 5 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly
sunny. Highs around 50. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s. South
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Highs around 40.
Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. Wind chill
values as low as 3 below.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and windy. Much colder with lows
5 to 10 above. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.FRIDAY...Mostly sunny. Colder with highs in the lower 20s. Wind
chill values as low as 10 below in the morning.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming
mostly cloudy. Cold with lows 10 to 15.
.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Cold. Highs in the
lower 30s. Lows 15 to 20.
.CHRISTMAS DAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the
lower 40s. Lows in the upper 20s.
.MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.
$$
TXZ090-201600-
Clay-
Including the city of Henrietta
200 AM CST Tue Dec 20 2022
...WIND CHILL WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
.TODAY...Mostly cloudy this morning, then becoming partly sunny.
Highs in the lower 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds around 5 mph.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs around 50. South winds 10 to
15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s. South
winds 10 to 15 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly sunny and very windy. Highs around 40.
Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Wind chill
values as low as 4 below.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear and windy. Much colder with lows
around 5 above. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Cold. Highs in the
lower 20s. Lows 10 to 15. Wind chill values as low as 10 below.
.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Cold. Highs in the
lower 30s. Lows 15 to 20.
.CHRISTMAS DAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the
lower 40s. Lows in the upper 20s.
.MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.
$$
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-12-20T09:02:35+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/TX-Norman-OK-Zone-Forecast-17665862.php |
The First-of-its-Kind Vacation Sets the Bar with More Hot Spots for Sips, Live Music and Ways to Play
MIAMI, March 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Making every hour the happiest of hours on the highly anticipated Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International has unveiled more than 15 of the bars and nightlife experiences that will light up the world's best vacation when the sun sets. Parents, couples and friends can make a toast to vacations and celebrations at new and returning hot spots for every type of adventurer. Whether vacationers are looking for live music, like two pianists going head-to-head, or to bar hop for sips of coffee-infused cocktails or bubbly at a new walkup champagne bar, Icon will debut an unrivaled lineup when it sets sail in January 2024.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8948631-royal-caribbean-international-icon-of-the-seas/
Across the newly revealed venues, which are among 40-plus ways to dine, drink and be entertained, grownups are in for all-new experiences and favorites from end to end and even day to night. Serving up brand firsts are venues all about the tunes, like Lou's Jazz 'n Blues in Central Park and Dueling Pianos in Royal Promenade, and spots to grab a drink and mingle before a show like the Rye & Bean coffee bar in AquaDome and the Bubbles champagne bar in Central Park. When it comes to favorites, from Trellis Bar and its first menu of bites to more ways to play in Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, every place has a sense of new – whether it's a new look and location or signature cocktails exclusive to Icon.
"We've set out to introduce a new kind of vacation in every sense and taken a blank slate to create an unparalleled blend of ways vacationers can celebrate and make memories whatever their mood, vibe and style," said Linken D'Souza, vice president, food and beverage, Royal Caribbean International. "From all-new venues and bolder favorites to new iconic drinks on every menu, zero-proof cocktails and twists to classics, there's something for everyone to make the most of their nights out on Icon of the Seas."
Wherever vacationers go on Icon, they will find cheers-worthy vibes, music to their ears and a variety of ways to savor it all:
Hot Spots for Stunning Sips and Shows
- Dueling Pianos – In Royal Caribbean's first dueling pianos bar, it's the battle of the baby grands at the hands of two talented pianists who take song requests to bring high-energy performances of crowd-favorite hits to the Royal Promenade – the heart of Icon.
- Lou's Jazz 'n Blues – The new spot fills the open-air Central Park with live performances of soulful classics and jazz pop tunes, inviting music lovers to take it all in from indoors or as they stroll by the thousands of real plants during Jazz in the Park.
- Rye & Bean – Matching the transformational experiences in the AquaDome, this new coffee shop offers everything from classic cups of joe to espresso cocktails. It's a cozy morning hangout with endless ocean views by day and a buzzing bar with views of deck-defying entertainment in the AquaTheater by night.
- The Overlook and Overlook Pods – The elevated lounge and first-of-their-kind nooks at sea take nights out and hangouts to another level. The wraparound windows in the AquaDome bring the ocean center stage during the day, and at night, the cruise line's marquee aqua shows are just a few steps away. The next-level pods are where friends can lounge with a drink, play classic boardgames and kick back to live music, too.
- Returning favorites include The Attic, inspired by Manhattan's dark and intimate comedy clubs with adults-only live shows, and Music Hall, to rock out to the house tribute band.
Hot Spots for an Unforgettable Ambiance
- 1400 Lobby Bar – The new meetup spot – inspired by the history of shipbuilding – is where vacationers can start to make memories as soon as they board, with a mix of daytime and evening sips developed with renowned mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim, who's worked with James Beard Award-winning chefs, Bellagio and more. The venue's also the first to open the vibrant Royal Promenade to the outdoors with an ocean-facing terrace.
- Bubbles – It's three cheers at the new walkup champagne window in Central Park, where glasses of mimosas, prosecco, Bellini and even bottles of bubbly are on tap morning, noon and night.
- Returning favorites include a larger Trellis Bar in Central Park, with a new look and a debut menu of bites; Boleros, the lively club that brings the heat with Latin flavor; and the signature Schooner Bar, where pianists set the tone for pre-dinner drinks and nightcaps.
Hot Spots for More Ways to Play
- Point & Feather – The neighborhood English pub on Royal Promenade has a new open layout, games – and tournaments – of darts and sips joining the signature lineup of pints and the live guitarist at the center of it all.
- Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade – The returning favorite, serving up gameday bar fare and ice-cold beers, is where vacationers can catch their home teams on dozens of screens and play arcade and tabletop games.
- Spotlight Karaoke – Aspiring singers take the stage in front of the crowd or in a private room with their friends and family at this fan-favorite karaoke spot on Royal Promenade.
Icon will sail 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Miami year-round. Every cruise will visit Royal Caribbean's award-winning private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas, where adventurers can create their perfect vacation day at Thrill Waterpark's 13 waterslides, the first overwater cabanas in The Bahamas at Coco Beach Club and more. Vacationers will also visit idyllic Caribbean destinations like Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Roatan, Honduras.
More details about the first Icon Class ship will be revealed in the coming months. Travelers can dive into the all-new vacation on www.RoyalCaribbean.com/Icon.
About Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International, owned by Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL), has been delivering innovation at sea for more than 50 years. Each successive class of ships is an architectural marvel that features the latest technology and guest experiences for today's adventurous traveler. The cruise line continues to revolutionize vacations with itineraries to 240 destinations in 61 countries on six continents, including Royal Caribbean's private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, the first in the Perfect Day Island Collection. Royal Caribbean has also been voted "Best Cruise Line Overall" for 20 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards.
Media can stay up to date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers can call their travel advisor; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.
View original content:
SOURCE Royal Caribbean International | 2023-03-28T22:01:41+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/03/28/royal-caribbean-lights-up-icon-seas-with-new-bars-nightlife/ |
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican Museums are home to some of the most magnificent artworks in the world, from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel to ancient Egyptian antiquities and a pavilion full of papal chariots. But one of the museum’s least-visited collections is becoming its most contested before Pope Francis’ trip to Canada.
The Vatican’s Anima Mundi Ethnological Museum, located near the food court and right before the main exit, houses tens of thousands of artifacts and art made by Indigenous peoples from around the world, much of it sent to Rome by Catholic missionaries for a 1925 exhibition in the Vatican gardens.
The Vatican says the feathered headdresses, carved walrus tusks, masks and embroidered animal skins were gifts to Pope Pius XI, who wanted to celebrate the Church’s global reach, its missionaries and the lives of the Indigenous peoples they evangelized.
But Indigenous groups from Canada, who were shown a few items in the collection when they traveled to the Vatican last spring to meet with Francis, question how some of the works were actually acquired and wonder what else may be in storage after decades of not being on public display.
Some say they want them back.
“These pieces that belong to us should come home,” said Cassidy Caron, president of the Metis National Council, who headed the Metis delegation that asked Francis to return the items.
Restitution of Indigenous and colonial-era artifacts, a pressing debate for museums and national collections across Europe, is one of the many agenda items awaiting Francis on his trip to Canada, which begins Sunday.
The trip is aimed primarily at allowing the pope to apologize in person, on Canadian soil, for abuses Indigenous people and their ancestors suffered at the hands of Catholic missionaries in notorious residential schools.
Caron said returning the missionary collection items would help heal the intergenerational trauma and enable Indigenous peoples to tell their own story.
“For so long we had to hide who we were. We had to hide our culture and hide our traditions to keep our people safe,” she said. “Right now, in this time when we can publicly be proud to be Metis, we are reclaiming who we are. And these pieces, these historic pieces, they tell stories of who we were.”
___
More than 150,000 Native children in Canada were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools from the 19th century until the 1970s in an effort to isolate them from the influence of their homes and culture. The aim was to Christianize and assimilate them into mainstream society, which previous Canadian governments considered superior.
Official Canadian policy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries also aimed to suppress Indigenous spiritual and cultural traditions at home, including the 1885 Potlatch Ban that prohibited the integral First Nations ceremony.
Government agents confiscated items used in the ceremony and other rituals, and some of them ended up in museums in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, as well as private collections. The Vatican’s catalogue of its Americas collection, for example, features a wooden painted mask from the Haida Gwaii islands of British Columbia that “is related to the Potlatch ceremony.”
During the spring visit, Natan Obed, who headed the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami delegation, raised the issue of an Inuit kayak in the collection that was featured in a 2021 report in The Globe and Mail newspaper. Obed was quoted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. as saying the museum head, the Rev. Nicola Mapelli, was open to discussing its return.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni didn’t rule out that Francis might repatriate some items during the coming trip, telling reporters: “We’ll see what happens in the coming days.”
There are international standards guiding the issue of returning Indigenous cultural property, as well as individual museum policies. The 2007 U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, for example, asserts that nations should provide redress, including through restitution, of cultural, religious and spiritual property taken “without their free, prior and informed consent or in violation of their laws, traditions and customs.”
It is possible Indigenous peoples gave their handiworks to Catholic missionaries for the 1925 expo or that the missionaries bought them. But historians question whether the items could have been offered freely given the power imbalances at play in Catholic missions and the government’s policy of eliminating Indigenous traditions, which Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has called “cultural genocide.”
“By the power structure of what was going on at that time, it would be very hard for me to accept that there wasn’t some coercion going on in those communities to get these objects,” said Michael Galban, a Washoe and Mono Lake Paiute who is director and curator of the Seneca Art & Culture Center in upstate New York.
Gloria Bell, a fellow at the American Academy in Rome and assistant professor in McGill University’s department of art history and communication studies, agreed.
“Using the term ‘gift’ just covers up the whole history,” said Bell, who is of Metis ancestry and is completing a book about the 1925 expo. “We really need to question the context of how these cultural belongings got to the Vatican, and then also their relation to Indigenous communities today.”
The Holy See’s Indigenous collection began centuries ago, with some pre-Columbian items sent to Pope Innocent XII in 1692, and has been amplified over the years by gifts to popes, especially on foreign trips. Of the 100,000 items originally sent for the 1925 exhibit, the Vatican says it has kept 40,000.
It has repatriated some items. In 2021, Vatican News reported that the Anima Mundi had recently returned to Ecuador a shrunken head used in rituals by the Jivaroan peoples of the Amazon.
Katsitsionni Fox, a Mohawk filmmaker who served as spiritual adviser to the spring First Nations delegation, said she saw items that belong to her people and need to be “rematriated,” or brought back home to the motherland.
“You can sense that that’s not where they belong and that’s not where they want to be,” she said of the wampum belts, war clubs and other items she documented with her phone camera.
The Vatican Museums declined repeated requests for an interview or comment.
But in its 2015 catalogue of its Americas holdings, the museum said they demonstrated the church’s great esteem for world cultures and its commitment to preserving their arts and artifacts, as evidenced by the excellent condition of the pieces.
The catalogue also said the museum welcomes dialogue with Indigenous peoples, and the museum has held up its collaboration with Aboriginal communities in Australia before a 2010 exhibit. The collection’s director, Mapelli, a missionary priest and an associate visited those communities, took video testimonies and traveled the world seeking more information about the museum’s holdings.
Opening the revamped Anima Mundi gallery space in 2019 with artifacts from Oceania as well as a temporary Amazon exhibit, Francis said the items were cared for “with the same passion reserved for the masterpieces of the Renaissance or the immortal Greek and Roman statues.”
He noted that some items had recently been loaned to China and said the collection “invites us to live human fraternity, contrasting the culture of rancor, racism and nationalism.”
Francis also praised the museum’s stated commitment to transparency, noting the glass partitions showing the storage facilities upstairs and the restorers’ workstations on the main floor: “Transparency is an important value, above all in an ecclesiastic institution.”
___
You might miss the Anima Mundi if you were to spend the day in the Vatican Museums. Official tours don’t include it and the audio guide, which features descriptions of two dozen museums and galleries, ignores it entirely. Private guides say they rarely take visitors there, because there is no explanatory signage on display cases or wall text panels.
Margo Neale, who helped curate the Vatican’s 2010 Aboriginal exhibition as head of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges at the Australian National Museum, said it is unacceptable for Indigenous collections today to lack informational labels.
“They are not being given the respect they deserve by being named in any way,” said Neale, a member of the Kulin and Gumbaingirr nations. “They are beautifully displayed but are culturally diminished by the lack of acknowledgement of anything other than their ‘exotic otherness.’”
It wasn’t clear if the current exhibition was a work in progress with labels eventually to be added; at the gallery entrance, a text panel asks for donations to fund the collection.
Museums and governments around Europe — in places like Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium — are grappling with the question of their colonial and postcolonial collections, and leading the discussion of legally transferring property back, experts say. With some exceptions, the trend is increasingly toward repatriation — recently agreements were announced in Germany and France to return pieces of the famed Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
“There is a certain willingness growing in a number of European countries to return objects and archives and ancestral remains,” said Jos van Beurden, who runs a group email list and a Facebook group, Restitution Matters, that tracks developments in the field.
In Canada, the Royal British Columbia Museum has gone so far as to create a handbook empowering Indigenous communities to reclaim their cultural heritage.
In Victoria, the city where the museum is located, Gregory Scofield has amassed a community collection of about 100 items of Metis beadwork, embroidery and other workmanship dating from 1840 to 1910, tracked down and acquired via online auctions and through travel and made available to Metis scholars and artists.
Scofield, a Metis poet and author of the forthcoming book “Our Grandmother’s Hands: Repatriating Metis Material Art,” said any discussion with the Vatican Museums should focus on granting Indigenous scholars full access to the collection and, ultimately, bringing items home.
“These pieces hold our stories,” he said. “These pieces hold our history. These pieces hold the energy of those ancestral grandmothers.” | 2022-07-23T13:16:18+00:00 | siouxlandproud.com | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/vatican-says-theyre-gifts-indigenous-groups-want-them-back/ |
Police: 3-month-old California baby kidnapped by stranger
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly kidnapped a 3-month-old baby in the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday.
The man walked into a home in San Jose around 1 p.m. and left with the child, Brandon Cuellar. Police released a video clip that shows the man walking down the sidewalk holding a baby carrier covered by a white blanket.
“The family does not recognize this suspect,” police said in a Twitter post.
The baby was taken while his grandmother was unloading groceries, San Jose Police Sgt. Christian Camarillo told NBC Bay Area. The child’s mother was at work at the time and the father is incarcerated.
“In that short amount of time, someone entered the apartment ... and left with the baby,” Camarillo said.
Authorities have not issued an Amber Alert because investigators do not have a vehicle description.
San Jose is a city in the South Bay Area, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from San Francisco.
Brandon was last seen wearing a white long-sleeved onesie with dinosaurs.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2022-04-26T05:08:51+00:00 | wymt.com | https://www.wymt.com/2022/04/26/police-3-month-old-california-baby-kidnapped-by-stranger/ |
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Taylor Trammell homered for the second time in five days since coming off the injured list and drove in three runs as the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 5-3 Thursday to extend their winning streak to four games and complete a series sweep.
Trammell feels his swing is coming together after missing the first 27 games of the season with a fractured hand.
“I feel very comfortable with it, especially balls out over the plate,” Trammell said. “Being able to not pull it, being able to take it to all different types of the field. That was exactly the plan.”
It worked out well for the Mariners’ left fielder, who has an .889 slugging percentage since his return.
“The biggest thing he’s brought is he has made some adjustments to his swing,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “That ball that he hit out today, he could not do that a year ago or anytime in the last few years. Didn’t swing hard, just trying to make contact. He’s got some kind of ability, the ball just jumps off his bat.”
George Kirby (3-2) pitched seven mostly strong innings for Seattle. Kolten Wong added two hits and two RBIs as the Mariners ended their nine-game trip with four straight victories after starting 1-4.
“Nice way to end the trip after we got off to a rocky start,” Servais said. “The mood around our club, this team believes in itself. And we know we’re not clicking on all cylinders yet, and that’s OK. But we do have to enjoy it.”
JJ Bleday hit his first homer of the season for Oakland.
The A’s lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell to 6-26 (.188), the lowest winning percentage in the majors. They are 3-15 at the Coliseum. The game drew a crowd of 13,025, after getting only 5,268 for the first two games with the Mariners.
Trammell, who recorded his first career grand slam Sunday against Toronto after being activated, hit a two-run homer off A’s starter Drew Rucinski (0-2) in the third and then drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth when the Mariners had four two-out walks and scored three times to pull away.
“Scott talked about it earlier, just keep the baton moving,” Trammell said. “For me, that was the biggest thing, keep the line moving.”
The previous four losses for Oakland came as a result of blown saves by the bullpen. It didn’t get that far this time as the Mariners peppered Rucinski for five runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Wong’s two-run single off Rucinski in the fifth made it 5-3.
“We’ve played better baseball in all facets. We just haven’t played it all at once,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Today we didn’t get good starting pitching, but our bullpen pitched and gave us a chance to come back.”
Kirby, coming off a 1-0, complete-game loss to Philadelphia on April 27, allowed seven hits and three runs in winning for the third time in four starts. Kirby walked one and retired 10 of the final 12 batters he faced.
“I would say it was not my best stuff, but I did a really good job of going inside on the guys all day with the sinker,” Kirby said. “A couple pitches I’d like to get back, but I did my job, went as long as I could.”
Justin Topa retired three batters and Paul Sewald worked the ninth for his ninth save.
Rucinski had control problems in his third career start, walking five and allowing four hits in 3 2/3 innings.
A’s starting pitchers remain winless in 32 games this season, the longest season-opening drought in major league history.
ROSTER MOVES
Athletics: RHP Jeurys Familia and RHP Domingo Acevedo were designated for assignment. RHP Adam Oller optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. RHP Rico Garcia, RHP Spencer Patton and RHP Austin Pruitt were called up from Las Vegas.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: C Manny Pena (left wrist) had a setback in his recovery and is consulting with a doctor. … RHP Adrian Martinez (strained right elbow) is slated to throw an extended bullpen Friday.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (2-0, 1.82 ERA) faces the Astros in the first of a three-game series in Seattle beginning Friday. Castillo has faced Houston once in the regular season, striking out seven in six innings in June 2019.
Athletics: LHP Muller (0-2, 6.28) pitches against the Royals in Kansas City on Friday. Muller has allowed 40 hits in his first six starts this season, tied for 10th most in the majors.
___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-05-04T23:54:20+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/trammell-kirby-help-mariners-complete-sweep-vs-18079983.php |
Engineering services firm BLT is now the exclusive Authorized Training Provider for the majority of the East Coast
COLUMBIA, Md., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BLT (formerly Bottom Line Technologies), a U.S.-owned and operated engineering design services firm and AMD-Xilinx Authorized Training Provider (ATP), announced yesterday that it has been named the exclusive in-person ATP for the AMD-Xilinx Southeast region. This expands BLT's territory from the Mid-Atlantic to nearly the entire Eastern seaboard.
In additional to offering training online globally, BLT is the exclusive ATP for in-person training in the Mid-Atlantic (NY, PA, NJ, DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, KY) and now the Southeast (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN).
BLT earned the Southeast region with their recognized achievements in their existing markets. BLT Senior Strategic Accounts Manager Lisa Weaver says, "BLT is excited to engage and team with people and organizations in our expanded territory, becoming an asset to their product development teams and mission success." BLT Founder and President Ed McCauley added "Our instructors are design engineers and understand the needs of our students. More often than not, organizations we serve build BLT training into their schedules and budgets because of our proven track record of reducing overall costs and time to market."
The acquisition extends BLT's 30-year record of success with AMD-Xilinx. In 2022 AMD-Xilinx named BLT as the top mid-sized ATP globally, recognizing BLT's continuing excellence as a best-in-class ATP. BLT's training is provided by full-time engineers, for engineers. Bringing real-world experience to the classroom, BLT training often substantially shortens development schedules and can even lower component costs.
BLT's AMD-Xilinx training has become much more affordable. Last year, in an effort to train a new generation of design engineers and expand the market for FPGA, SoC & ACAP design services, BLT sharply reduced its pricing and launched several initiatives that have made it easier than ever to learn and master AMD-Xilinx devices, tools and implementation techniques.
About BLT: Founded in 1989 by one of Xilinx's original FAEs, BLT has set the standard for Xilinx training for over 25 years. BLT also provides custom electronic solutions for commercial and Military/IC/Aerospace applications, including FPGA, SoC & ACAP, embedded software, circuit boards and complete systems. BLT is an AMD-Xilinx Authorized Training Provider, Certified Alliance Member and AMD-Xilinx Design Services provider. Learn more at https://bltinc.com
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SOURCE BLT Inc | 2022-08-04T13:58:29+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/blt-acquires-amd-xilinx-southeast-training-region/ |
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Cameron Brink had 22 points and 11 rebounds as No. 6 Stanford overcame a lot of early misses and beat Oregon 76-65 on Thursday in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals.
Stanford (28-4) made just three of 20 shots in the first quarter. Brink and the Cardinal found their rhythm after that and improved to 20-1 all-time in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Brink posted her 14th double-double of the season, Hannah Jump added 13 points and Talana Lepolo had 10. Haley Jones scored eight points on 3-of-15 shooting but had 13 rebounds.
The Cardinal held off a third-quarter rally by Oregon by using a 7-0 run to close the period.
Stanford dominated the glass, outrebounding the Ducks, 56-39. The Cardinal grabbed 21 offensive boards and turned them into 21 second-chance points.
Te-Hina Paopao scored 28 points for the Ducks (17-14). Endyia Rogers had 15. Oregon finished the game hitting a mere 29.4% (20 of 68) from the floor.
Stanford opened the game by taking an 11-2 lead thanks to going 7 for 7 from the foul line.
The Cardinal shot 9 of 17 from the floor in the second quarter. Brink had eight of Stanford's 21 points in the period.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon: The Ducks lost seven in a row before winning twice to close the regular season. That left them in a precarious position, needing to perform well in the conference tournament in order to get an invite to the NCAA field. The win over Washington in the opening round and the competitive second half against Stanford may have helped.
Stanford: The tandem of Brink and Jones continues to be a menace for opponents. Brink has scored in double figures in 23 of the last 24 games, while Jones has in done the same in 18 of the last 24.
UP NEXT
Oregon: Bubble team hoping to get an NCAA bid.
Stanford: Plays UCLA in a semifinal Friday.
___ AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | 2023-03-03T01:17:41+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/sports/article/brink-no-6-stanford-women-beat-oregon-reach-17817017.php |
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Dallas superstar Luka Doncic capped off a historic five-game run with 51 points and the Mavericks needed all of it to beat the San Antonio Spurs.
Doncic had two rebounds and two free throws in the final 4.5 seconds, helping Dallas escape with a 126-125 victory over San Antonio on Saturday night for their sixth straight victory.
It was the third 50-point outing in the past five games for Doncic, including 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists Tuesday night in an overtime victory over New York. He’s the first player in NBA history with 250 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists over a five-game span.
“It’s incredible,” Mavericks center Christian Wood said. “In my seven years in the league, I’ve never seen anybody do what he’s able to do. He’s on an incredible run. He’s playing like an MVP. Clearly one of the best players in the league.”
Wood added 25 points in Dallas’ fifth straight victory over San Antonio.
Keldon Johnson had 30 points for Sam Antonio, Jeremy Sochan added 20 and Jakob Poeltl had 19 points and 15 rebounds.
After leading by 17 points, the Mavericks had to scramble in the final minute.
San Antonio guard Tre Jones was fouled by Dallas forward Davis Bertans after Jones intentionally missed the second of two free throws with the Spurs trailing 126-124. Jones then made the first free throw, but missed the second.
Doncic missed two free throws with 1.5 seconds to keep San Antonio from attempting a game-winning shot.
“Not easy to win here,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “But, again, Luka was incredible. He bails us out again by missing the free throws as much as he wanted to make those free throws down the stretch, so that they didn’t have time to set up a play.”
Jones finished with 18 points.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich jokingly vowed that Doncic would be held under 50 points. The Mavericks star almost played along.
“No, I just wanted to get a win,” Doncic said of his 51-point outing.
But 51 points was nice, right?
“Of course,” Doncic said with a huge smile.
The 6-foot-7 forward was stuck on 49 points for half the fourth quarter but made two free throws with 4.5 seconds to reach 50 points for the fourth time in his career
Doncic dominated San Antonio with his usual array of step-back, mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers and free throws. He was 18 for 28 from the field.
“Yeah, we had a good team effort and individual effort on him, but he’s an amazing player,” Popovich said. “His IQ is off the charts. So, we would rather win than lose like everybody else in the world, but (I’m) really proud of their effort and the way they just kept going even after we got down whatever it was, 13, 14, I can’t remember.”
Doncic had 22 points in the first quarter along with an assist, accounting for all but eight of the Mavericks’ points in the opening period.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Doncic averaged 35.1 points in December, the highest scoring in any month in franchise history. Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki had two 50-point games in his career. Doncic also has scored 40 points in 23 games, one more than Mavericks star Mark Aguirre. … Dallas is 6-11 on the road. … Bertans was honored prior to the game as part of the Spurs’ 50th anniversary celebration. Bertans spent his first three seasons in the NBA with San Antonio before being traded to Washington in 2019.
Spurs: Johnson has scored 30 points in five games this season and eight in his career. … G Devin Vassell missed his second straight game with a sore left knee he suffered Tuesday at Oklahoma City. Vassell has missed seven games this season. … Sochan has scored double-figures in 15 games this season, the most by a Spurs rookie since Kawhi Leonard had 25 in 2012.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Houston on Monday night.
Spurs: At Brooklyn on Monday night. ___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2023-01-01T22:30:59+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-doncic-scores-51-points-mavs-beat-spurs-for-6th-straight/ |
Leading Carpet and Upholstery Brand Strengthens Franchise Development Program with Accelerated Growth Ahead
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Carpet and upholstery cleaning franchise leader Chem-Dry reports strong mid-year growth with high performance marks alongside franchise development. According to Chem-Dry's Franchise Disclosure Document, the Top 25% of franchise territories generated $700,250 in 2022, earning 16.4% more than the previous year*. With 10 franchise openings and eight franchise signings, Chem-Dry is ramping up its development efforts with aim to award 60 total franchises by year-end.
Key to the brand's strong performance is its QuickStart program that helps new owners get the training and support they need for equipment and back-office operations, and move from onboarding and training to revenue generation in weeks, as they build their business. Since launching the program in 2017, annual revenues have more than doubled in that timeframe, a testament to the focused support provided. With a low-cost investment, the revenue potential continues to drive prospects to the franchise opportunity.
Since its launch in 1977, Chem-Dry has become the recognized market leader by building a robust network of 1,800 franchises across the country, serving more than 40,000 homes and businesses weekly across 55 countries.
Chem-Dry recently celebrated its 45th anniversary and shows no signs of slowing down. With the $5 billion carpet cleaning industry expected to increase 1.5% in 2023, Chem-Dry is poised to continue its market leadership and growth. The leadership team continues to work tirelessly to keep franchisees ahead of the curve by providing innovative, personalized, high-quality, professional care that delivers on its commitment to make spaces cleaner and healthier.
"At Chem-Dry, we place significant value not only in our high expectations for quality performance from our franchisees, but the high expectations we place on ourselves at the corporate level, as a franchisor," said Ed Quinlan, President of Chem-Dry, part of the BELFOR Franchise Group family of brands. "The dedication and commitment of our new leadership team members have been instrumental in fueling our expansion efforts and overall performance. With over four decades of market leadership, we remain focused on providing innovative, personalized, high-quality care to make spaces cleaner and healthier."
Chem-Dry creates cleaner, healthier indoor environments with its proprietary equipment and solutions for carpet, upholstery, granite countertops and hard floor surfaces, such as wood, tile and vinyl. In further testing of its processes, a study conducted by a leading independent laboratory concluded that the Chem-Dry Hot Carbonating Extraction cleaning method removes an average of 98% of common household allergens from carpets and upholstery. Chem-Dry has a national partnership with the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA), working to raise awareness and provide education on the importance of indoor air quality in maintaining the health and safety of homes and businesses.
Most recently, the brand was recognized for the second year in a row by Global Franchise Magazine as the Best Property Maintenance Franchise, validating the premier status of the brand. It recognizes Chem-Dry for what it does best, which is supporting its franchisees while also making homes and workplaces cleaner, healthier and safer. Additionally, Chem-Dry was one of the Top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500®, the world's first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Chem-Dry ranked on this prestigious list for its outstanding performance in unit growth, financial strength and stability, and overall brand power.
To meet the growing demand for its innovative services, Chem-Dry is actively seeking community-minded entrepreneurs to join the company's mission of delivering safer, healthier spaces across the globe. Territories are available in prime markets nationwide. Chem-Dry is an industry-leading brand in a large and growing category, that offers its franchise network world-class training and support.
For more information about the franchise opportunity, call 877-450-4874 or visit chemdryfranchise.com.
About Chem-Dry
Founded in 1977, Chem-Dry is the world's leading carpet and upholstery cleaning service with a network spanning 55 countries and serving over 40,000 homes and businesses a week worldwide. Its green-certified core cleaning solution and proprietary Hot Carbonating Extraction cleaning process provide a deeper clean, allow surfaces to dry faster, and leave homes and workplaces healthier. Chem-Dry is part of the BELFOR Franchise Group family of 13 residential and commercial services brands. For more information about Chem-Dry and to find a local operator, visit www.chemdry.com, or for more information on franchise opportunities, visit www.chemdryfranchise.com.
About BELFOR Franchise Group
BELFOR Franchise Group is the world's largest residential and commercial services franchise group based on geographic footprint and number of units. The privately held, multi-concept franchise system is a division of BELFOR Property Restoration, the world's largest disaster restoration company. For over a decade, BELFOR Franchise Group has empowered entrepreneurs by offering industry-leading training, support and equipment, turnkey business models, and ongoing coaching and business development. BELFOR Franchise Group is the parent organization for 13 of the strongest service-based franchise opportunities for home and commercial cleaning and restoration. The franchise brands include: 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, Chem-Dry & Upholstery Cleaning, COOL-BINZ, DUCTZ International, HOODZ International, N-Hance Wood Refinishing, Blue Kangaroo Packoutz, The Patch Boys, redbox+ Dumpsters, Safer Home Services, WINMAR, 1-800 BOARD UP, and Z PLUMBERZ. For more information, please visit https://belforfranchisegroup.com/.
* This information appears in Item 19 of our current FDD – please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.
Media Contact: Kelly Hammond, KHammond@fishmanpr.com
View original content:
SOURCE Chem-Dry | 2023-06-20T14:35:31+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/06/20/chem-dry-reports-strong-performance-quickstart-program-drives-results/ |
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.
Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News, where he is frequently heard as a news analyst and writes regularly for NPR.org. | 2022-10-01T13:29:04+00:00 | kgou.org | https://www.kgou.org/politics-and-government/politics-and-government/2022-10-01/analysis-biden-administration-faced-with-severe-weather-the-economy-and-aggressive-russia |
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, May 1, 2023
_____
FLOOD WARNING
Flood Statement
National Weather Service Albany NY
202 PM EDT Mon May 1 2023
...FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED...
The Flood Warning is cancelled for
the Schoharie Creek At Gilboa Bridge.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 1:15 PM EDT Monday the stage was 16.6 feet.
- Forecast...The river is expected to fall to 13.4 feet
Thursday morning.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Schoharie Creek
Gilboa Bridge
Flood Stage: 17.0
Observed Stage at Mon 1 pm: 16.6
Forecast:
Mon 8 pm 15.5
Tue 2 am 14.9
Tue 8 am 14.7
Tue 2 pm 14.5
Tue 8 pm 14.4
Wed 2 am 14.2
Wed 8 am 14.0
Wed 2 pm 13.9
Wed 8 pm 13.7
Thu 2 am 13.5
Thu 8 am 13.4
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | 2023-05-01T18:21:08+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/ny-wfo-albany-warnings-watches-and-advisories-18000631.php |
Amber Alert issued for 2-year-old Texas boy
Published: Mar. 16, 2023 at 7:31 PM EDT|Updated: 25 minutes ago
ROCKWALL COUNTY, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) - The Texas Department of Public Safety on Thursday issued an Amber Alert for a missing toddler.
Jordan Sangbong, 2, was allegedly abducted in Royse City, Texas.
The suspect in the abduction was identified by Texas DPS as 38-year-old Daddy Sangbong. The 5′10″ man was last seen wearing all-black clothing.
Anyone who knows their whereabouts is asked to call the Royse City Police Department at 972-204-7002 or dial 911.
Copyright 2023 KWTX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Gray Media Group, Inc. contributed to this report. | 2023-03-17T00:05:12+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/03/16/amber-alert-issued-2-year-old-texas-boy/ |
(The Hill) – American manufacturing giant 3M will cut 6,000 jobs to reduce costs as global demand for goods slows, the company said Tuesday.
The layoffs are in addition to the 2,500 job cuts 3M announced earlier this year. The Minnesota-based company plans to reduce its workforce by around 10 percent.
3M CEO Mike Roman said on an earnings call that the layoffs “will span all functions, businesses and geographies.” The layoffs will reduce costs by up to $900 million annually.
3M, which manufactures a wide range of products including N95 respirators and Post-it notes, pointed to “significant weakness in consumer electronics and consumer retail.”
The company plans to invest in industrial automation as part of its effort to boost factory productivity. 3M said it will focus on “high growth markets” such as electric vehicles, personal safety, home improvement, microchips and health care.
3M noted that a decline in demand for respirators hurt its sales. The company’s withdrawal from Russia also took a toll on its finances.
Tuesday’s announcement is yet another indication that the U.S. economy is slowing and American workers will be impacted.
Demand for goods exploded during the pandemic as Americans stayed home more often. But consumers have increasingly shifted their spending toward services like travel and restaurants.
When accounting for inflation, consumer spending is down 2 percent since last year, according to Census Bureau data released earlier this month. The report noted huge drops in spending at gas stations, general stores, electronics retailers and furniture stores.
The spending shift, in addition to unsnarled supply chains, has led to a rapid slowdown in manufacturing. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s index of manufacturing activity slipped in April, capping off months of substantial declines, amid falling shipments and new orders. | 2023-04-25T19:11:48+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/national-news/3m-laying-off-10-percent-of-workforce-amid-slowing-demand/ |
LED THE WAY UNDER THE POST—Kumwenda Australia’s Suncorp Netball Super League side Melbourne Vixens has hailed Malawi National Netball Team icon …
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- October 2014 | 2022-09-08T14:24:48+00:00 | mw | https://www.mw/vixens-celebrate-mwawi-kumwendas-season-the-times-group-malawi/ |
“This is not 2008:” Financial expert assuages fears over Silicon Valley Bank collapse
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - It’s been a tumultuous week for the stock market, as the dust settles after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Anxiety lingers about the health of our nation’s smaller banks - prompting many investors to pull their deposits.
But experts agree: This isn’t 2008, and Silicon Valley Bank isn’t Lehman Brothers.
After the 2008 crash, federal regulators set up safeguards to prevent future catastrophic collapses.
Federal regulators are stepping in again - but this time to stop a leak, not a flood.
“Every American should feel confident their deposits will be there, if and when they need them,” said Biden.
The response comes after investors got spooked last Thursday, pulling $40 billion dollars in deposits.
Economist Mark Zandi says that’s bad news since faith in the system is what keeps it afloat.
“Priority number one is confidence in the banking system. If you lose that, then it’s going to be a complete mess,” said Zandi.
Financial author Ari Rastegar says if you did get spooked by what happened, you have options.
“Go to a big bank that has those controls that are overlooked by the Federal Government and do an incredible job of making sure that their consumers are safe,’ said Rastegar.
This mini-banking crisis might also have some positive effects for homebuyers.
This week we saw mortgage rates actually drop.
According to BankRate, a 30 year mortgage now sits at 6.3 percent, which is down from nearly 7 percent in November.
The reason is market expectation shifts, and treasury bond yields.
Copyright 2023 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-15T21:03:25+00:00 | ktiv.com | https://www.ktiv.com/2023/03/15/this-is-not-2008-financial-expert-assuages-fears-over-silicon-valley-bank-collapse/ |
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a new interview said Democrats need better messaging on inflation, which has been top of mind to voters ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
“Inflation’s an issue, but it’s global. It’s global. … What’s [the Republicans’] plan? They ain’t got nothing. When you bring down unemployment, inflation goes up. … So in any case, [President Biden] brought unemployment [down], cut it in half,” Pelosi told Punchbowl News in an interview published Wednesday.
“Inflation is there but it’s global and not as bad as it is in some countries. We’ll have to message it better in the next three weeks ahead. I think we’re in great shape. Other people don’t want to believe that,” she added.
Pelosi’s comments come in the final stretch to the November midterm elections, which have been dominated by topics like the economy and inflation. Inflation has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, making matters more difficult for consumers at the grocery store and gas pump.
The consumer price index, which measures inflation, rose 0.4 percent in the month of September and 8.2 percent in the past year. For more than a year, inflation has been near a four-decade high.
The economy and inflation have shown to be top issues for voters ahead of next month’s races. A New York Times-Siena College poll conducted this month found that 26 percent of registered voters see the economy as the most important problem facing the country, followed by inflation or the cost of living at 19 percent.
Republicans across the country have largely staked their campaigns on the economy and inflation, trying to make the election a referendum on Biden and Democratic policy in Washington. Democrats, on the other hand, have made abortion a central part of their campaigns after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June.
Republicans’ focus on gas and groceries may be paying off across the country. The Times-Siena poll found Republicans favored over Democrats on the generic ballot, 49 percent to 45 percent. That’s a move from September when Democrats had a one percentage point edge over Republicans.
During an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday, Pelosi said “of course, we want to fight inflation,” arguing that consumer prices have ticked up because unemployment has decreased.
Pelosi has also touted the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act when discussing rising prices.
The Speaker, in conversation with Punchbowl News, also touched on Republican use of campaign contributions from GOP dark-money groups, including the Senate Leadership Fund, which is linked to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Those organizations are not required to disclose who their donors are.
Senate Republicans blocked a bill last month that would have required dark money groups to reveal their donors.
Pelosi vowed to pass a bill to alter the way super PACs raise and spend money if Democrats hold their majority in the House.
“We’ll have enough [money]. But our members have much more and [they can buy TV time at a cheaper rate]. I do think that when we win, we have to pass the bill that reduces the impact of that big, dark money because it just chokes and suffocates the airwaves. And that’s what they’re doing with their lies,” the Speaker said. | 2022-10-19T15:29:35+00:00 | kdvr.com | https://kdvr.com/hill-politics/pelosi-says-democrats-need-better-messaging-on-inflation/ |
What Carlos Rodon did with money Yankees fans sent him on Venmo originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
New York Yankees fans really wanted Carlos Rodon to join their team during free agency.
So much so, that he was being sent money on Venmo from a bunch of fans hoping to lure him to the Big Apple.
The two-time All-Star ultimately left the San Francisco Giants for a six-year, $162 million deal with the Yankees in December.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
So what did Rodon do with the money he received from Yankees fans?
"I live in a really remote area in Indiana and hunting is a big part of our life over there, I guess. It's just what a lot of us do," Rodon told reporters on Thursday. "So when [my cousin and I] drive across the border, because I live on the border of Indiana and Illinois, we drive in a really, really rural, remote area. And we always drive by this house when we're going to one of our spots.
Sports
"One day, we saw this little boy get off the bus, wooden shack in the middle of nowhere. My cousin was like, 'Man, we should do something nice for that kid someday.' I was like, 'You know what, you're right.' Couple years go past, we come by it this year, we're gonna go hunt over there and we're driving by and I'm like, 'Ethan, where's this house at?' This house is in the middle of this cornfield and I'm like, 'I don't see it.' It was burnt down. I drive past because I'm just oblivious sometimes, and he's like, 'No. Stop, turn around.' So we get out, talk to the kid.
"We got all that money from Venmo, we took that money and we did something nice for that kid over there. .... You asked the question about doing something nice, I should do something nice for the people of New York but they did something nice for me and some a kid in the middle of nowhere in Illinois no one knows about. So we had a nice Christmas for him and my cousin did a few other things for the family.
"So thank you to the fans of New York. You helped some 15-year-old in Illinois that doesn't really have much and whose house burnt down."
That's awesome.
It's a bit odd for fans to send money to a professional athlete who's about to sign a $100 million-plus contract, but kudos to Rodon for putting it to good use. | 2023-02-16T23:46:37+00:00 | nbcmiami.com | https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/what-carlos-rodon-did-with-money-yankees-fans-sent-him-during-free-agency/2975853/ |
After seven decades, the United Kingdom has a new woman to call queen, except she'll instead be known as Queen Consort.
Charles’ wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will be the Queen Consort — a title that came with Queen Elizabeth II’s blessing after years of contention, dating back to the days before she even married Prince Charles.
It wasn’t always a given that the 75-year-old Camilla would take the title, even though it gives her none of the sovereign’s powers.
While the wife of a king is traditionally crowned queen, the question of what title Camilla would hold when Charles became king had been a tricky one for many years. That was due to sensitivity about her status as his second wife — and the wave of grief that washed over Britain following the death of his former wife, Princess Diana, in a car crash in 1997.
Charles and the royal household have moved carefully on the matter, mindful of lingering public perceptions of Camilla as the “third person” that ruined the marriage between Charles and the beloved princess.
But over the decades, Camilla has won over large parts of the British public with her discretion, down-to-earth personality and loyalty to her husband.
When Camilla and Charles married in a low-key civil ceremony in 2005, she was in fact the new Princess of Wales — Diana’s title — but she styled herself the Duchess of Cornwall instead.
Palace officials said for years that Camilla “intended” to be known as “Princess Consort” — instead of the traditional “Queen Consort” — when Charles acceded to the throne.
There is no precedent for the title Princess Consort, which was reportedly suggested by royal officials. The similar title of Prince Consort has only been used once — for Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901.
In a 2010 interview with NBC, Charles was asked if Camilla would become “Queen of England, if and when you become the monarch.” He hesitated as he replied, “That’s, well ... We’ll see, won’t we? That could be.”
The question was resolved when Elizabeth declared she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort after her son became king. It was an endorsement that formally signified the royal family’s acceptance of Camilla as a respected senior member and was widely seen as a move by Elizabeth to pave a smooth transition to Charles’ reign.
“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes king, I know you will give him and his wife, Camilla, the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” Elizabeth said in February 2022, when she marked the 70th anniversary of her rule.
Charles said he and Camilla were “deeply conscious of the honor.”
“As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout,” he said.
The most recent Queen Consort in British history was George VI’s wife Queen Elizabeth, known in later years as the Queen Mother after her daughter became monarch in 1952.
By custom, Camilla will be anointed at Charles’ coronation, although that could be omitted.
Born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947, she came from aristocrats with long and close links with Britain’s royal family. Her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was a romantic partner of King Edward VII.
She met Charles at a polo match in 1970 when she was 23 and he was considered to be the most eligible bachelor in Britain. The two immediately became close, and by the end of 1972, Charles was smitten. But the romance was interrupted by his eight months of naval duty.
In his absence, Camilla married her longtime boyfriend, army officer Andrew Parker Bowles, in 1973. The couple divorced in 1995, shortly after Charles gave an explosive television interview admitting an affair with Camilla. Charles and Diana divorced the next year.
Queen Elizabeth II: A Royal Life in Pictures
Charles and Camilla waited another nine years, marrying in 2005 in a private ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor.
Since then, Camilla has taken up dozens of royal duties. She is patron or president of more than 90 charities, and has shown particular interest in work on animals, promoting literacy and empowering women. She also has found her voice as a public speaker, earning respect by campaigning about difficult issues such as sexual violence against women and domestic abuse.
In 2021, she delivered what many called her landmark speech, urging “the men in our lives” to get involved in women’s rights and expressing sympathy for the families of women who are murdered.
The same year, Buckingham Palace underlined Camilla’s role as a senior royal by making her a Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the most senior order of chivalry in Britain. | 2022-09-09T18:07:50+00:00 | nbcchicago.com | https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/who-is-the-new-queen-of-england-camillas-new-role-as-queen-consort/2935725/ |
LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II, after her own recent bout with COVID-19, empathized with patients, doctors and nurses at a London hospital last week as she listened to their stories about life on the front lines of the pandemic.
The monarch spoke to patients and staff at the Royal London Hospital during a virtual visit that marked the official dedication of the Queen Elizabeth Unit, a 155-bed critical care facility built in just five weeks at the height of the pandemic. Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19 in February and suffered what Buckingham Palace described as “mild cold-like symptoms.’’
“It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn’t it?’’ she told recovering COVID-19 patient Asef Hussain and his wife, Shamina. “This horrible pandemic.”
The unit has treated about 800 coronavirus patients from across northeast London, with staff recruited from throughout the region, including retired doctors and nurses and even soldiers drafted in to help.
With friends and family members barred from the hospital by strict virus-control measures, nurses did their best to comfort seriously ill patients, senior nurse Mireia López Rey Ferrer told Elizabeth.
“As nurses, we made sure that they were not alone,’’ López Rey said. “We held their hands, we wiped their tears and we provided comfort. It felt at times that we were running a marathon with no finish line.”
Hussain was the third member of his family hospitalized with COVID-19 at the end of December 2020. His brother died first, then his father passed away while Hussain was on a ventilator.
“I remember waking up one morning and just finding it really, really difficult to breathe,’’ he said. “I remember waking my wife saying that I feel like there’s no oxygen in the room. I remember me sticking my head out the window, just trying to breathe, trying to get that extra oxygen.”
He was on a ventilator for seven weeks and only recently was able to stop using a wheelchair.
Nurses helped lift Hussain’s spirits by arranging video calls on a tablet computer. Shamina Hussain told the queen that 500 friends and family around the world dialed in to one conference call to pray for her husband.
“So you have a large family, or a large influence on people,” the queen quipped.
The couple smiled.
___
Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at h ttps://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. | 2022-04-11T18:29:05+00:00 | wcia.com | https://www.wcia.com/entertainment-news/queen-chats-with-covid-19-patients-nurses-at-uk-hospital/ |
What holiday mantel decor is best?
A mantel is the perfect spot for holiday decor, whether you’re lining up a row of stockings or decking it out with garlands. But with so many decorating options, picking the best mantel decor for the holidays can seem daunting.
First off, it’s a good idea to get acquainted with the types of mantel decor available, and then consider themes and color schemes. These tips will have your mantel looking like something out of an interior design magazine.
Consider types of mantel decor
These are some of the most common items people decorate their mantels with. Of course, it’s perfectly fine to use your imagination and think outside the box.
Garlands and swags
Christmas garlands are long and evenly sized from one end to the other, while swags are thicker in the center and narrower at each end. Both look great strung along a mantel. They’re often made from faux pine or spruce branches, but you can find other types of garlands, such as ones made to look like winter branches.
Ornaments
While ornaments are common for the Christmas tree, you can also decorate your mantel with figurines and other trinkets. Holiday ornaments can include snow-covered cottages, Santa figurines and reindeer, to name just a few.
Lights
Twinkling string lights add a touch of sparkle to a mantel. You can buy pre-lit garlands or arrange lights yourself.
Stockings
Stockings hung from a mantel is an iconic Christmas image. Even if you don’t exchange stockings in your household, hanging them from the mantel still looks great.
Candles and lanterns
Candles and lanterns are perfect for creating a wintry holiday ambience. You can make them the main event or mix them in around other mantel decor. If you’re worried about open flames, choose flameless LED candles.
Tips for choosing holiday mantel decor
These tips will help you decorate your mantel in a way that you’re proud of, adding to your holiday cheer.
Pick a theme or focus
It can help to pick a theme or focus for your mantel, whether this is a central hero piece or an occasion or idea. While holiday decoration is often centered around Christmas, there are other options to focus on if you don’t celebrate. Consider basing your mantel decor on another winter holiday, such as Hanukkah or Yule.
You could also pick a theme such as snow, Santa’s workshop or the Nativity. If you already have one eye-catching centerpiece, such as Santa in his sleigh or a menorah, you start there and build the rest of the display around it.
Make a scene
Rather than simply placing unconnected decor on your mantle, you can make a holiday scene. For instance, you can buy winter village figurines, featuring snowy houses, town halls, vintage lamp posts and people. Arranged on your mantle, you can create a gorgeous festive scene. Don’t be afraid to get creative and tell a story with your scene.
Consider color schemes
It can be easier to pick mantel decor when you have a rough color scheme. Maybe your tree is always covered in bronze and silver ornaments and you want to match your mantel to that. Or, perhaps you want to go all out with the bright festive colors and stick to reds, greens and golds.
Think about the rest of your home
If your home decor is sleek and modern with white walls and not a piece of clutter in sight, a busy mantel will look out of place. Conversely, a minimalist mantel is only going to look strange in a maximalist home. Think about your existing decor and use this as a jumping off point.
What you need to buy to decorate your mantel for the holidays
National Tree Company Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Garland
With realistic faux evergreen branches, pine cones and integrated battery-powered lights, this 9-foot garland is perfect for decorating mantels. It’s full-bodied with lifelike needle tips, so it won’t end up looking sad and limp.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
National Tree Company Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Mantel Swag
Thanks to its swag shape that’s fuller in the center and narrower at each end, it’s easier to make it look good on your mantel, without fussing with the positioning too much. It includes faux berries, pine cones, holly leaves and warm white lights.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
One Holiday Way Miniature LED Lighted Christmas Village Scene
This 10-piece Christmas village is perfect for anyone who wants to create a festive scene on their mantel. It includes a bank, fire station, city hall, lamp posts, trees and people.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Marsui Christmas Pine Tree Set
Although they’re simple, these flocked bottle brush Christmas trees look great on a mantel, as part of a more elaborate scene or interspersed with candles and lanterns. You get 24 trees of varying sizes in a pack, plus a handful of figurines: a winter village house, a deer and several vintage lamp posts.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Department 56 “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” The Griswold Family Tree Figurine
Fans of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” might like to add this light-hearted figurine to their mantel display. Although it’s a nod to the movie, it’s subtle enough to blend in with other festive figures.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
The Dreidel Company Hanukkah Tree of Life Menorah
If you’re kitting out your mantel for Hanukkah, this gorgeous tree of life menorah is a beautiful addition. It’s available in four finishes: pewter, copper, gold and nickel.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Eldnacele Christmas Flameless Flickering Candles
Candles make excellent additions to a mantel display, but they burn down and pose the risk of setting other pieces of decor alight. These LED flameless candles give the appearance of real flames without the mess or danger; plus they come in a range of winter designs.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Joyin Knit Christmas Stockings
This pack of six rustic knit stockings is perfect for decorating the mantle. You can hang them all through the holiday season, you don’t have to wait for Christmas eve when Santa’s due to arrive.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-24T21:13:42+00:00 | fox59.com | https://fox59.com/reviews/br/home-br/fireplaces-accessories-br/tips-for-choosing-the-best-mantel-decor-for-the-holidays/ |
Fintech "for the people" aims to deliver data-driven solutions to all Americans
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, fintech startup Nevly announced the launch of its web app, "Nevly Money," which leverages dramatic advances in financial technology to deliver personalized, data-driven solutions to the 48 million Americans currently struggling with poor credit scores. Nevly Money represents the most comprehensive tool on the market today for consumers who are looking to improve their credit scores. VC partner Tenacity Venture Capital is investing $1.25 million in a pre-seed round.
Nevly Money is designed to provide a solution to consumers who need to improve their credit score faster and at a fraction of the cost of legacy credit repair service providers. Nevly's goal, unlike legacy credit repair companies, goes beyond credit scores: It aims to encourage better financial health for life and reduce the need for such products by changing financial health outcomes in ways that have staying power.
"With $4.4 billion in revenue and nearly five million Americans utilizing credit repair services in 2022, the U.S. credit repair industry is ripe for disruption – and frankly, consumers deserve better," said Ben Narasin, General Partner for Tenacity Venture Capital. "The industry has huge issues that must addressed with serious and meaningful reform. Nevly automates credit repair, and layers additional services by incorporating past and future rent reporting, and a no-qualification credit builder card, all allowing consumers to spend less time and money on score improvement."
Nevly doubles down on good by designing innovative financial products that "fundamentally improve the financial lives of money-marginalized people," according to founder Eric Blue. "As a certified B-corporation, we want to develop products that drive increased personal financial freedom and build healthier, more sustainable communities – especially for Americans who have traditionally been underserved by the financial system."
Some of the ways Nevly Money supports its users include a first month free, no initiation fees, a $100 deposit on the credit builder card, and a referral program that pays $15/month as long as the referred is a subscriber.
Nevly will launch a mobile app later this year, with a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered financial health assistant that utilizes consumer transaction data to score and dynamically re-score a consumer's financial health utilizing an eight-factor composite definition of financial health while also delivering personalized in-app insights, that can provide a next step after a person's credit score is improved.
About Nevly: Nevly was founded in 2021 to provide financially underserved consumers with a new kind of financial institution that designs products that financially empower consumers, embed them into a community of people with shared beliefs, and provides them a pathway to wealth generation built on solid foundations and tailored to the unique needs of each consumer. The company's mission is to help people improve their financial health and achieve financial freedom, in ways that honor its motto: "Do Money Different."
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SOURCE Nevly | 2023-02-08T19:43:11+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/02/08/nevly-money-new-app-credit-repair-financial-health-launches-with-125m-pre-seed-round-tenacity-venture-capital/ |
ROME (AP) — Advocates for abortion rights in San Marino expressed satisfaction Thursday that lawmakers voted to legalize abortion in the tiny republic, one of the last European states to have had the procedure outlawed under all circumstances.
Wednesday’s parliamentary vote was the culmination of a referendum last year in which citizens overwhelmingly voted to overturn a 150-year-old law that criminalized the procedure.
The legislature of the predominantly Catholic nation voted 32 in favor, seven against and 10 abstaining to make abortion legal in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
The September 2021 referendum found that 77% of voters wanted the new law, which would also allow abortion beyond the first trimester of pregnancy if the grave fetal anomalies put a woman’s life or health – both physically or psychologically – at risk.
“We are satisfied,” said Elena D’Amelio, one of the advocates who had collected signatures as part of a petition drive to hold the referendum.
The cost of the procedure will be covered by San Marino’s public health system.
San Marino is surrounded by central Italy, and many women traveled to have an abortion an a hospital in Italy, where the procedure was made legal — over fierce objections from the Vatican — in 1978. Under the old law, women risked criminal prosecution if their abortion abroad became known, although D’Amelio said, no one was actually prosecuted.
“Before the new law legalizing it, women not only had to pay for it, you had to do it in secret,” D’Amelio said.
Passage of the new law gave women “the right that was asked for resoundingly through the referendum,” lawmaker Giacomo Simoncini told San Marino RTV.
Turnout in the referendum was 41% in the republic of 33,300 inhabitants.
In 2018, voters in Ireland overwhelmingly called for abortion’s legalization. Abortion is still illegal in Malta and Andorra. Poland introduced a near-total ban on the procedure in 2021.
One of the provisions of San Marino’s law provides for sex education in the republic’s schools, a measure aimed at preventing unwanted pregnancies, D’Amelio said.
It is too soon to know what percentage of health care workers in San Marino’s only public hospital might declare themselves conscientious objectors, meaning they could opt out of providing an abortion. But the law calls for San Marino’s citizens to be reimbursed by the government for any abortion they might have in Italy as a result of a lack of health care workers refusing to perform one in their own country.
Women in San Marino must have a consultation with medical personnel before having an abortion, but that can be done online. No one can be denied the procedure in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. | 2022-09-02T00:27:27+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/news/health-news/ap-health/ap-san-marino-legalizes-abortion-year-after-voters-gave-ok/ |
NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PomerantzLLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Core Scientific, Inc. ("Core" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: CORZ). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Core and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On March 3, 2022, Culper Research issued a report alleging, among other things, that Core Scientific "has wildly oversold both its mining and hosting businesses, which it cobbled together in a series of questionable transactions before dumping onto the market via SPAC." Moreover, the Company had "waived the 180-day lockup on over 282 million shares, making them free to be dumped just 5 trading days" from the time of the report, showing that "insiders have abandoned any pretense of care for minority shareholders."
On this news, Core Scientific's stock price fell $0.72 per share, or 9.4%, to close at $6.98 per share on March 3, 2022.
Then, on September 28, 2022, Celsius Network LLC and related entities filed a motion to enforce the automatic stay and for civil contempt in bankruptcy proceedings alleging that Core Scientific "has knowingly and repeatedly violated the automatic stay provisions" by refusing to perform its contractual obligations, threatening to terminate the companies' agreement, and adding improper surcharges.
On this news, Core Scientific's stock price fell $0.15 per share, or 10.3%, to close at $1.30 per share on September 29, 2022.
Finally, on October 27, 2022, Core Scientific disclosed that "given the uncertainty regarding the Company's financial condition, substantial doubt exists about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern," and that it is exploring alternatives to its capital structure. Moreover, the Company held 24 bitcoins, compared to 1,051 bitcoins as of September 30, 2022.
On this news, Core Scientific's stock price fell $0.79 per share, or 78.1%, to close at $0.22 per share on October 27, 2022.
The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP | 2022-11-22T06:01:57+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/11/22/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-behalf-investors-core-scientific-inc-corz/ |
Oregon bans sales of new gas-powered passenger cars by 2035
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Policymakers for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Monday approved a rule that prohibits the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger vehicles in Oregon by 2035.
The effort comes as Oregon plans to cut climate-warming emissions by 50% by 2035 and by 90% by 2050, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The transportation sector accounts for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon.
The rule is based on vehicle emission standards California adopted in August. The standards require car manufacturers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles — electric cars, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles — as part of their total sales, starting with 35% in 2026 and increasing to 100% by 2035.
The rule allows for hybrid vehicle sales, which run primarily on electricity but can run on gas. The rule does not affect cars already on the road and used gas-powered cars will continue to be available for sale within the state.
The new rule also requires manufacturers to increase access to affordable zero-emission vehicles to low-income households and communities of color. It offers incentives to manufacturers to sell electric cars to community car share programs, to produce lower-cost zero-emission cars and to direct used electric cars to dealerships participating in low-income assistance programs.
The new requirements will help Oregon meet its goals, adopted by the Legislature in 2019, of at least 90% of new vehicles sold annually to be zero emission by 2035. Those goals came without consequences, while the newly adopted rule includes penalties to manufacturers for non-compliance.
“By creating a regulatory certainty for manufacturers, EV charging providers and utilities, it sets a clear path forward for the future of zero-emission passenger cars and trucks in Oregon,” said Rachel Sakata, senior air quality planner at the Department of Environmental Quality.
The Environmental Quality Commission received over 700 comments on the rule with 500 in support, Sakata said.
Oregonians who spoke out against the rule during the public comment period cited the expense of electric cars and lack of charging stations.
Environmental Quality Commissioner Greg Addington, who voted against the rule adoption, acknowledged many Oregonians, especially in rural areas, do not support the rule and do not have access to electric vehicle charging.
“There are a lot of people in the state who don’t get where this is going,” Addington said.
Sakata said the new standard will expand the market for new and used zero emission vehicles and bring down prices. She also said the upfront costs are offset by decreased operations and maintenance costs.
Oregon has over 2,000 public and private electric vehicle chargers across the state, with more being built. | 2022-12-20T05:15:09+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-idaho/2022/12/19/oregon-bans-sales-of-new-gas-powered-passenger-cars-by-2035/ |
RIVERHEAD, NY (AP) — A Long Island architect has been charged with murder in the deaths of three of the 11 victims in a long-unsolved string of killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders.
Rex Heuermann, who has lived for decades across a bay from where the remains were found, is charged with killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. He is also considered the prime suspect in another killing, authorities said.
Heuermann, 59, was arrested late Thursday in Massapequa amid a renewed investigation that tied him to a pickup truck that a witness reported seeing when one of the victims disappeared in 2010. Detectives later recovered Heuermann's DNA from a pizza crust he discarded in Manhattan and matched it to genetic material found with the bodies, which were bound and hidden in thick underbrush along a remote beach highway.
Heuermann’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf at an arraignment Friday in state court in Riverhead. Judge Richard Ambro ordered him jailed without bail, citing “the extreme depravity” of his alleged conduct.
Heuermann’s lawyer, Michael Brown, said they'd just learned about the charges Friday morning. He said Heuermann told him “I didn't do this.”
Heuermann, wearing khaki pants and a gray collared shirt, did not speak in court.
After linking Heuermann to the pickup truck, prosecutors said investigators were able to connect him to other evidence, including the burner cellphones used to arrange meetings with the slain women, and taunting calls that a person claiming to be the killer made to one of Barthelemy’s relatives using her cellphone after she disappeared in 2009.
In recent months, Heuermann sought to keep tabs on the probe and “searched obsessively” on the internet for facts about the Gilgo Beach killings, including the names of women he’s accused of killing, as well as podcasts and documentaries about the case, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
Tierney said authorities moved to charge Heuermann now with three of the killings “out of concern for this defendant fleeing and the danger to the community." They are continuing to work toward charging him in the death of a fourth Gilgo victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Until his arrest, Heuermann continued to use burner phones, patronize sex workers and search the internet for sadistic materials, including sexually exploitive images of children, Tierney said. He also has access to 92 handguns, the prosecutor said.
“This is a day that is a long time in coming, and hopefully a day that will bring peace to this community and to the families — peace that has been long overdue,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during an unrelated appearance on Long Island.
The arrest came as a shock to some of the relatives after so many years of waiting for a break in the case. In a text message, a sister of one victim said her family wasn't ready to speak publicly because they “really haven’t had a chance to process the news today."
Heuermann lives in Massapequa Park, a community just north of South Oyster Bay and the sandy stretch known as Gilgo Beach where skeletal remains were found along a remote oceanfront highway in 2010 and 2011. The deaths long stumped investigators. Most of the victims were young women who had been sex workers.
The case has drawn immense public attention. The mystery attracted national headlines for many years and the unsolved killings were the subject of the 2020 Netflix film "Lost Girls."
Determining who killed them, and why, has vexed a slew of seasoned homicide detectives through several changes in police leadership. Last year, an interagency task force was formed with investigators from the FBI, as well as state and local police departments, aimed at solving the case.
Law enforcement personnel converged Friday morning on Heuermann's home, a small red house about 40 miles (64 km) east of midtown Manhattan. Dozens of residents mingled alongside police and media, watching as a half-dozen investigators, some in protective suits, conferred outside the front porch, which was in disrepair, its roof propped up by 2-by-4s.
The home, where Heuermann has lived since childhood, belonged to a family that had long kept to themselves, neighbors said, noting that the dilapidated property seemed out of place among rows of single family homes and well kept lawns in the small community.
Barry Auslander said the man who lived in the house commuted by train to New York City each morning, wearing a suit and tie and carrying a briefcase.
“It was weird. He looked like a businessman,” said Auslander. “But his house is a dump.”
Heuermann, married with a daughter and a stepson, is a licensed architect with a Manhattan-based firm that, according to its website, has done store buildouts and other renovations for major retailers, offices and apartments.
“We’re happy to see that they’re finally active, the police, in accomplishing something. Let’s wait and see what it all leads to,” said John Ray, the attorney for the families of two other women whose remains were found, Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor.
Gilbert's disappearance in 2010 triggered the hunt that exposed the larger mystery. A 24-year-old sex worker, she vanished after leaving a client’s house on foot in the seafront community of Oak Beach, disappearing into the marsh.
Months later, a police officer and his cadaver dog were looking for her body in the thicket along nearby Ocean Parkway when they happened upon the remains of a different woman. Within days, three other bodies were found, all within a short walk of one another.
By spring 2011, that number had climbed to 10 sets of human remains -- those of eight women, one man and one toddler. Some were later linked to dismembered body parts found elsewhere on Long Island, making for a puzzling crime scene that stretched from a park near the New York City limits to a resort community on Fire Island and out to far eastern Long Island.
Gilbert’s body was found in December 2011, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) east of where the other 10 sets were discovered.
In talking about the bodies near Gilgo Beach, investigators have said several times over the years that it is unlikely one person killed all the victims.
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Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press contributors include Jennifer Peltz, Bobby Caina Calvan, Michael R. Sisak and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York and Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Credit: AP | 2023-07-14T19:29:59+00:00 | daytondailynews.com | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/long-island-architect-charged-in-deaths-of-3-women-in-connection-with-gilgo-beach-serial-killings/W2UCVVJ4L5B63KKL3QZCWK7YXQ/ |
ALHAMBRA, Calif. , June 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allgenesis Biotherapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel ophthalmic drugs, today announced topline data from the company's Phase 1b clinical trial for AG-80308, a first-in-class, formyl peptide receptor (FPR) agonist formulated as an aqueous solution eye drop for the treatment of Dry Eye Disease (DED). The Phase 1b trial is a multi-center, double-masked study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and dose-response of AG-80308 Formulation A 0.001%, 0.03%, or 0.1% and Formulation B 0.03% dosed twice daily for 3 months in 84 dry eye patients.
AG-80308 was considered safe at all doses tested BID for 3 months. AG-80308 provided improvements in both signs and symptoms:
- Signs: improvements in corneal staining, conjunctival staining, and tear production responders
- Symptoms: improvements in the 7-item visual analog scale, including dry eye discomfort, eye dryness, burning/stinging, itching, foreign body sensation, photophobia, and pain.
- AG-80308 Formulation A 0.001% and Formulation B 0.03% provided the best overall safety, tolerability, and efficacy profile.
"We are very encouraged with our data showing that patients are seeing improvements in multiple signs and symptoms from the Phase 1b trial as early as 2 weeks", said Dr. Madhu Cherukury, CEO of Allgenesis. "AG-80308 can offer dry eye patients an effective treatment that can be used long-term without the AEs associated with other therapies" added Dr. Cherukury.
"With the positive results from the Phase 1b trial, we are looking forward to moving this program into Phase 2, where we will evaluate 2 doses of AG-80308 in formulation B against vehicle. This will be an ideal drug for treating chronic dry eye patients due to its unique MOA and excellent potency" said Dr. Sunil Patel, Chief Medical Officer Allgenesis.
Allgenesis has begun preparations to support initiation of the Phase 2 trial in 1Q2024.
For additional inquiries regarding collaboration and partnering opportunities related to AG-80308, please contact Jack Chang (jack.chang@allgenesis.com) or Sandy Lai (sandy.lai@allgenesis.com) for more information.
About Allgenesis Biotherapeutics Inc.
Allgenesis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. The company is focused on research and development of novel medicines for the treatment of eye diseases. Current projects in the pipeline include AG-73305, a potential blockbuster drug for the treatment of DME, nAMD, and other retinal diseases such as RVO and AG-80308 for Dry Eye Disease.
About AG-80308
AG-80308 is a novel, first-in-class, formyl peptide receptor (FPR) agonist formulated as an aqueous solution eye drop for the treatment of inflammation associated with Dry Eye Disease (DED). The project was in-licensed from Allergan (now AbbVie) in May 2020.
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SOURCE Allgenesis Biotherapeutics Inc. | 2023-06-19T08:18:16+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/06/19/allgenesis-announces-encouraging-phase-1b-data-showing-ag-80308-providing-improvements-multiple-signs-symptoms-dry-eye-patients/ |
Dog reunited with family after 301 days with Texas animal shelter
AUSTIN, Texas - A dog and her family have been reunited after nearly a year, thanks to a Facebook post.
The Austin Animal Center posted about adoptable dogs on its Spanish language Facebook page "Mascotas de Austin". A dog named Juicee had been included in the post; the pitbull mix had been brought in as a stray in June 2022.
The post was then shared in a Facebook group, where friends of Juicee's owners spotted her.
The family, who had since moved to Miami, Florida, had been told by a neighbor that the dog had died. "I never thought to see her again," said her owner, Dellys.
The family then dropped everything to drive 20 hours to Austin to pick up the dog, whose original name was Kardashian.
"Juicee was unsure of strangers while she was in the shelter, but the second she saw her family, she was all tail wags and smiles," said Austin Animal Center public health educator Luis Herrera.
"A simple share can be part of a miracle," Herrera added. "Today we had an amazing example of the importance of social media for Spanish speakers and their pets." | 2023-04-22T19:49:35+00:00 | fox29.com | https://www.fox29.com/news/dog-reunited-family-juicee-austin-animal-center-texas |
Two years after no team in the NFC East won more than seven games, all four have pulled off the trick with six weeks to go.
Washington (7-5) beat Atlanta on Sunday to join Philadelphia (10-1), Dallas (8-3) and the Giants (7-4) with winning records, giving the division a combined winning percentage of .711 for the best mark through 12 weeks by any division since the merger.
Making the performance more impressive is the turnaround from 2020, when Washington won the NFC East with a 7-9 record.
The AFC East isn’t far behind this season, with all four teams in that division also posting winning records, with Miami and Buffalo tied for the top spot at 8-3, followed by the Jets (7-4) and Patriots (6-5).
Before this season, the only times since the league went to eight divisions in 2002 when all four teams in a division had winning records through 12 weeks came in the 2021 AFC West, the 2014 AFC North, and the AFC East and NFC South in 2008.
The NFC South is at the other end of the division standings, with Tampa Bay (5-6) in the lead despite having a losing record. The only other times since 2002 when every team had a losing record through 12 games came in the 2020 NFC East, the 2015 NFC East, the 2014 NFC South and the 2010 NFC West.
According to projections from Football Outsiders, there is a 16% chance that the entire NFC East makes the playoffs and a 15% chance that happens for the AFC East. It’s more likely both divisions will have four teams with winning records, with the NFC East doing that 52% of the time and the AFC East 60% of the time.
Football Outsiders projects all four NFC South teams to have a losing record 35% of the time.
300 CLUB
Josh Jacobs punctuated the best day of his career in memorable fashion.
Jacobs scored on an 86-yard run in overtime to lead the Raiders past the Seahawks for the fourth-longest scrimmage touchdown ever in overtime, trailing only Ron Jaworski’s 99-yard TD pass to Mike Quick for the Eagles in 1985, Garrison Hearst’s 96-yard TD run for the 49ers in 1998 and Teddy Bridgewater’s 87-yard TD pass to Jarius Wright for the Vikings in 2014.
Jacobs finished with 224 yards rushing and two TDs and 74 yards receiving, becoming the sixth player ever to gain at least 300 yards and score multiple touchdowns from scrimmage in a single game, joining Cloyce Box (1950), Billy Cannon (1961), Stephone Paige (1985), Priest Holmes (2002) and Adrian Peterson (2007).
Jacobs is the only player since at least 1950 to rush for at least 225 yards and have at least 70 yards receiving in a game.
GO FOR 2
The Chargers and Jaguars took late-game gambles that paid off in a big fashion.
Los Angeles coach Brandon Staley and Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson both opted to go for 2-point conversions in the closing seconds when trailing by one.
Both teams delivered, making this the first week since the NFL added the play in 1994 that two teams won on a 2-point conversion in the final two minutes of regulation.
The Chargers scored with 15 seconds left and the Jaguars did it with 14 seconds to play. Before Sunday, only two teams in NFL history had scored on a game-winning 2-point conversion in the final 15 seconds, with the Vikings doing it in 2002 and the Chargers in 2018.
There now have been 23 teams since 2000 that went for 2 when trailing by one point in the final minute, with 11 of those attempts being successful.
The win by Jacksonville was the first for the franchise when trailing by at least seven points in the final minute of regulation after losing their first 183 tries.
RARE SHUTOUT
The San Francisco 49ers ended the fourth-longest scoring streak in NFL history.
The Niners blanked New Orleans 13-0 on Sunday, ending the Saints’ streak of scoring in 332 consecutive games.
The last time the Saints failed to score came in the 2001 season finale when they lost 38-0 to the 49ers. That was the longest active scoring streak in the NFL, two games more than Baltimore’s current run.
The NFL record for consecutive games with at least a point is 420 games by the 49ers from 1977-2004.
San Francisco has held four straight opponents scoreless in the second half, just the eighth time that has happened since the merger.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts threw for 153 yards and ran for 157 on Sunday night in a win over Green Bay, joining an exclusive group.
The only other players to rush and pass for at least 150 yards in the same game are Lamar Jackson, Michael Vick and Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick did his in the 2012 playoffs against Green Bay.
___
AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2022-12-01T02:22:13+00:00 | wboy.com | https://www.wboy.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-beasts-of-east-all-8-teams-in-east-divisions-above-500/ |
DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Experienced Texas business attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann of The Law Offices of Brad Jackson in Dallas are recognized as two of the state's top trial attorneys for companies on the 2022 Texas Super Lawyers list published by Thomson Reuters.
Both lawyers are featured on the 2022 roster of Texas' leading legal practitioners based on nominations from other business litigation attorneys across the state and an extensive research process conducted by the list's editors. The exclusive Super Lawyers list includes the top 5 percent of attorneys in Texas.
Mr. Jackson, Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, has represented companies and individuals in significant legal matters for decades. His track record in Texas courtrooms includes multimillion-dollar wins for businesses and families. He also has successfully defended numerous business clients against claims seeking millions of dollars.
Like Mr. Jackson, Ms. Mann has earned repeated selections on the Super Lawyers list based on years of work for clients in cases involving various legal issues. In addition to handling business disputes, she and Mr. Jackson have helped clients prevail in lawsuits over contested contracts, breaches of fiduciary duty, probate and trust matters, and legal appeals, among others.
The Law Offices of Brad Jackson has proudly represented clients in North Texas and throughout the state for more than 30 years. The firm's recent victories for clients include:
- A $7.3 billion negligence verdict for the family of an elderly woman who was killed by a service technician who had been called to do repairs at her home;
- Successful defense of a six-figure fraudulent transfer claim involving a loan between family members;
- Successful defense of a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages in a dispute between former business partners; and
- A $1 million arbitration award for a couple whose roof failed on their newly constructed home.
Based in Dallas, The Law Offices of Brad Jackson provides decades of experience representing clients in Texas and across the nation. Brad Jackson is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The firm handles practically every type of business dispute and cases involving serious personal injury and wrongful death.
For more information, contact Bruce Vincent at 214-763-6226 or bruce.vincent@muselegalpr.com.
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SOURCE Law Offices of Brad Jackson | 2022-09-21T15:24:06+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/09/21/attorneys-dallas-law-offices-brad-jackson-earn-texas-super-lawyers-honors/ |
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until October 11, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against LifeStance Health Group, Inc. (NasdaqGS: LFST), if they purchased or acquired the Company's Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's June 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Get Help
LifeStance investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-lfst/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.
About the Lawsuit
LifeStance and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information in its IPO Registration Statement, violating federal securities laws.
The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) the Company's out-patient/virtual revenue growth was negatively affected by a decrease in virtual visits after COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted; (ii) an increasing number of in-person visits post-lockdown resulted in substantial increases to operating expenses; (iii) its physician retention rate had fallen significantly below the 87% highlighted in the IPO's registration statement leading to additional costs to bring on new physicians, who were less productive than the outgoing physicians they were replacing; and (iv) as a result, LifeStance Health's business metrics and financial prospects were not as strong as the IPO's registration statement represented.
The case is Nayani v. LifeStance Health Group, Inc., No. 22-cv-06833.
ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
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SOURCE ClaimsFiler | 2022-09-10T04:35:52+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/09/10/lifestance-health-shareholder-alert-claimsfiler-reminds-investors-with-losses-excess-100000-lead-plaintiff-deadline-class-action-lawsuit-against-lifestance-health-group-inc-lfst/ |
Inspired by McAlister's Deli's Famous Tea, this Limited-Edition Set of Inflatables Creates a Fun and Refreshing Staycation for Tea-Lovers
ATLANTA, June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate National Iced Tea Day on June 10, McAlister's Deli has created a relaxing getaway for iced tea-lovers, right in your own backyard. Sipping on our famous tea takes you on a mental vacation, and this summer McAlister's created an at-home oasis that is just as refreshing as that first sip. The limited-edition Tea-cation set is complete with all the infla-tea-ble essentials needed for the ultimate summertime staycation, giving you the perfect spot to kick back and enjoy a freshly-brewed McAlister's Tea.
"Nothing goes better together than summer and iced tea, so we're excited to give our fans a one-of-a-kind experience to enjoy our famous tea in a new way," said Mike Freeman, Chief Brand Officer of McAlister's Deli. "We've been celebrating 'Free Tea Day' at McAlister's Deli for 15 years and this limited-edition Tea-cation puts a new spin on one of our favorite days of the year."
The McAlister's Tea-cation includes an inflatable pool, which can be filled with the lemon wedge floatie, pool noodle and inflatable cup holders inspired by our array of flavors to resemble a cup of McAlister's Famous Tea. You can unwind poolside in the inflatable lounge chair while sipping on a glass of ice-cold tea from the cooler. The set also comes with an inflatable ring toss game, portable speaker, custom beach towel, sticker pack, bar cart and a Tea-cation themed backdrop. Plus, a lemon shaped dog bed so your furry friends can join in on the fun!
Starting on June 10, 2023 consumers can enter for a chance to win the ultimate Tea-cation getaway and $500 McAlister's egift card by being a McAlister's Rewards member and purchasing a tea between National Iced Tea Day (6/10) and the First Day of Summer (6/21/23). No Purchase is Necessary, you can also participate in the giveaway by commenting on the call to action posts which will posted be on McAlister's Facebook and Instagram between 6/10-6/21/23. See full rules, terms and conditions, and how to enter here.
The Tea-cation giveaway kicks off McAlister's summer celebration of tea in anticipation for the 15th annual "Free Tea Day."
- On July 20, 2023, Free Tea Day returns at participating McAlister's Deli locations nationwide offering customers a free 32oz. cup of their famous Tea.* Get a sweet tea, unsweet tea, tea/lemonade, half sweet/half unsweet or the new limited-time flavor, PassionBerry.
- Consumers should follow McAlister's Deli on social media for additional celebratory moments including updates on Free Tea Day.
For more information on the Tea-cation giveaway, please visit McAlistersDeli.com and connect with McAlister's Deli on Facebook (@McAlistersDeli), Twitter (@McAlistersDeli), and Instagram (@mcalistersdeli).
About McAlister's Deli
Founded in 1989, McAlister's Deli® is a fast casual restaurant chain known for its genuine hospitality, sandwiches, spuds, soups, salads, desserts and McAlister's Famous Sweet Tea™. In addition to dine-in and take-out service, McAlister's Deli also offers catering with a selection of sandwich trays, box lunches, desserts, a hot spud bar and more. With numerous industry accolades, the McAlister's Deli brand had more than 520 restaurants in 29 states as of March 26, 2023. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more information, visit McAlistersDeli.com, and find McAlister's on social media at www.Facebook.com/McAlistersDeli, www.Twitter.com/McAlistersDeli and www.Instagram.com/McAlistersDeli
Media Contact: Public relations inquiries, please email press@mcalistersdeli.com
*"Free Tea" offer valid only on 7/20/23 at participating locations. Offer applies to 32 oz tea only, including: sweet, unsweet, sweet tea/unsweet tea, tea/lemonade, flavored teas, LTO PassionBerry Tea (where available), and one flavor shot. Limit one tea per person in-store and four teas per McAlister's online or in app order. Excludes all non- tea beverages and kid's beverages. McAlister's Delivery orders subject to Delivery and Convenience fees. Service fee applies to online, in app, and certain call-in orders, other fees and taxes may apply for all orders; see checkout for details. Not valid with third-party delivery and certain offers and rewards. Void where prohibited. No cash value.
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SOURCE McAlister’s Deli | 2023-06-06T12:01:56+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2023/06/06/mcalisters-deli-celebrates-national-iced-tea-day-with-launch-tea-cation/ |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A 5.1 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday jolted the Afghan city of Faizabad, the capital city of northeastern Badakhshan province, a Taliban official said.
Abdul Wahid Rayan, the director of the Taliban news agency Bakhtar, said the center of the quake was Shaghnan district and it was felt in other parts of the province.
He had no information on any casualties or damage caused by the quake, but local media reported it was felt around 350 kilometers away in northern Balkh province.
In June, a powerful earthquake ignited another crisis in the struggling country, underscoring the Taliban’s limited capabilities and isolation. United Nations officials said at the time that 770 people were killed, while the Taliban put the death toll at 1,150.
Overstretched aid groups already keeping millions of Afghans alive rushed supplies to victims of the June quake, but most countries responded tepidly to the Taliban’s calls for international help.
The international cutoff of Afghanistan’s financing has deepened the country’s economic collapse and fueled its humanitarian crises. | 2022-10-11T12:30:12+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/world-news/ap-international/ap-taliban-says-5-1-earthquake-jolts-northeastern-afghanistan/ |
The corporate card alternative combines quick card issuance along with seamless payments management, instant reconciliation and best-in-class integration with ERP systems
SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the company's annual Illuminate Conference, Tipalti, the leading automated global payables solution, announced the general availability of the Tipalti Card, as well as its upcoming Tipalti Expenses and new third-party integrations. The Tipalti Card combines quick virtual card issuance with end-to-end supplier payments management. By bringing simplicity, convenience and security to virtual credit or debit transactions, it allows users to easily manage and control business spend, reduce costs and improve profitability. When integrated with Tipalti's award-winning accounts payable solution, these innovations further the company's ability to address the concerns and complexities of running the finance operation.
"As transaction volumes continue to increase, high-velocity companies are increasingly looking to streamline inefficiencies, manage uncontrolled spending and break down silos impeding both security and visibility," said Bar Winkler, GM of Tipalti Card and Approve. "Through the Tipalti Card, we believe we have found an answer to these pain-points and more, complete with new and innovative features that will completely reimagine how financial leaders structure their transactions."
While traditional cards can be fraught with complex reconciliation processes, fraud risk and spending irregularities, the Tipalti Card functions by offering accounts payable (AP) management at scale, streamlining once burdensome processes with a centralized and easy-to-use system. The card is designed to treat card transactions like other payment methods that Tipalti offers, providing customers with end-to-end payments oversight with all the advantages of traditional card payments.
"As our company experienced rapid growth, we needed a corporate card-alternative that enables upfront controls and virtual flexibility without compromising security. Tipalti Cards is just that," said Kathleen Simon, Executive VP of Finance at Influential, the industry leader in influencer marketing. "The Tipalti Card has saved us as much as an entire week's worth of work. We're now able to empower our departments and contractors with accessibility and real-time communications, in addition to providing real-time visibility to the accounting team."
Tipalti Card Benefits:
- Automatic Reconciliation: Significantly reduces the finance team's workload with automatic card payment reconciliation, as card transactions are automatically captured and processed like other payment methods.
- Employee Friendly: Create credit or debit cards on-demand with the right controls and approvals.
- Centralize Spend and Improve Visibility: Manage all purchases in one place, whether it was placed with a Tipalti Card, US ACH, Global ACH, wire transfer, PayPal, prepaid debit card or check.
- Control Spend and Reduce Fraud: Easily issue cards with robust controls such as spend limits, vendor limits and approved categories.
- Cash-Back: Users earn a cash rebate for every dollar spent via a Tipalti Card. The more transactions made, the more cash-back is earned.
Currently, while Tipalti Card customers must have a U.S. entity, the card will be accepted internationally and can be used for non-USD transactions. ERP support is compatible with NetSuite, with future Card ERP integrations coming soon.
Tipalti also highlighted its product roadmap at Illuminate, announcing it will be offering an Expense Management solution in 2023. Tipalti Expenses will simplify expense management and reconciliation by capturing, organizing and centralizing all expenses in one seamless platform. Unique to the Tipalti Card, this also includes the reimbursement (actual payments to the employee) of those expenses in the U.S. and anywhere around the world. Alongside PO management, accounts payable, cards and global payments, it enables businesses to gain even better visibility and control. The solution will simplify the employee's flow, helping them get access to the products, services and vendors they need to get their work done. It also minimizes the necessity for employees to ask the finance team questions while still providing insight into employee requests, expenses and reimbursements.
Additionally, Tipalti shared news on several third-party integrations coming soon which will provide customers with the ability to seamlessly aggregate data and holistically review everything from purchases and renewals to contracts in a unified environment. These integrations include:
- DocuSign integration enables businesses to have full control and visibility into the status of the contract, including signatories, right from the Tipalti PO Management Contracts Repository.
- Datarails integration provides an intuitive Datarails dashboard view of Tipalti data with at-a-glance visibility into payables and expenses which improves decision making.
- CloudEagle integration gives users intuitive visibility into SaaS spend helping finance save on software spend, while streamlining the renewal and buying process.
- PowerBI integration enables finance users to view all Tipalti finance data in one place using a predefined dashboard or building their own, empowering users to utilize KPI's and trends.
- Tableau BI integration supports Tableau's analytics tool, making it easy for users to view and understand their data.
To learn more about the Tipalti Card, visit https://tipalti.com/card/.
About Tipalti
Tipalti comes from the Hebrew expression for "We handled it." Tipalti is the only company handling both Accounts Payable and Global Partner Payments workflows for high-velocity companies across the entire financial operations cycle: onboarding and managing global suppliers, instituting procurement controls, streamlining invoice processing and approvals, executing payments around the world and reconciling payables data across a multi-subsidiary finance organization. Tipalti enables high-growth companies to scale quickly by making payables strategic with operational, compliance, and financial controls. Thousands of companies, such as Amazon Twitch, GoDaddy, Roku, WordPress.com, and ZipRecruiter use Tipalti to reduce operational workload by 80% and accelerate the financial close by 25%, while strengthening financial controls and spend visibility. For more information, visit tipalti.com.
Contact:
Lisa Astor
650-319-8999
lisa.astor@tipalti.com
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SOURCE Tipalti | 2022-09-14T16:48:35+00:00 | wcjb.com | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/tipalti-announces-virtual-card-bring-visibility-control-corporate-spending/ |
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Tougher clean energy goals, a ban on new oil and gas wells near homes and schools, and establishing guidelines for capturing carbon and storing it underground are among the climate proposals California Democrats advanced in the final days of the legislative session.
Taken together, along with tens of billions in budget money for climate proposals, the policies marked one of the state's most groundbreaking years for climate action, some advocates said.
“This was a watershed year on climate action," said Mary Creasman, chief executive officer for California Environmental Voters.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in August delivered to lawmakers a slate of climate proposals, some of which lawmakers had been pushing unsuccessfully for years. All but one, a proposal that would have required deeper greenhouse gas emissions cuts by 2030, will now head to his desk.
Broadly, legislative Republicans argued the bills would destroy in-state jobs and require the state to turn to foreign countries to import oil to maintain an economy that still relies heavily on fossil fuels. Democrats, meanwhile, said the urgency of climate change requires swifter, more aggressive action.
Here's a look and some of the key measures:
NEIGHBORHOOD OIL DRILLING
Oil and gas companies would no longer be able to drill wells within 3,200 feet (975 meters) of homes, schools and other community sites.
About 2.7 million Californians live within that distance of a well already, according to state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, one of the bill's authors. Studies show living near a drilling site can elevate the risk of birth defects, respiratory issues and health problems. Neighborhood oil wells are common across parts of Los Angeles County and Kern County.
The legislation wouldn't shut down the more than 28,000 existing wells in that zone, but would require them to meet strict pollution controls. Those wells would also be barred from most permits to deepen or rework the wells.
State oil regulators announced a similar policy in 2021, though it has not yet been finalized. Supporters of the policy believed passing the law was the quickest path forward.
“This is a victory for every single family and every single frontline community in California that has been fighting Big Oil’s drilling in our backyards for decades and pushing for setbacks for years," Kobi Naseck, coalition coordinator, for Voices in Solidarity Against Oil in Neighborhoods said in a statement.
California is the seventh largest oil-producing state and ranks fourteenth for natural gas production. Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield, one of the state's oil hubs, said the proposal would affect thousands of wells in her district and do nothing to reduce a need for oil.
“It doesn't change the fact that Californians are still using oil every single day to make their lives more convenient and better," she said.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
California has already mandated that 100% of retail electricity sales will come from non-carbon energy sources like solar and wind power by 2045. Current law sets an interim goal of 60% by 2030.
Lawmakers have now boosted that to 90% by 2030 and 95% by 2035.
The action comes as California is struggling to keep its power grid stable as the state transitions away from fossil fuels and record temperatures blanket the state.
The more aggressive 2030 targets will put even more pressure on the state to build more solar panels, wind turbines and batteries that can store that power for use at night. At the same time, electricity demand is expected to sore as California tries to get more people to swap out gas-powered cars and home appliances for electric ones.
Lawmakers also agreed to a policy aimed at extending the life of Diablo Canyon, the state's last nuclear power plant, to help stabilize the energy grid. But nuclear power does not count as an eligible non-carbon source to meet the state's clean electricity goals. Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, small hydropower and fuel cells count.
Newsom, speaking Wednesday, acknowledged the challenges of having enough energy to meet demand during heat waves made worse by climate change. But he said that will only accelerate California's push to build a cleaner energy grid.
“Don't think for a second ... that we're going to de-escalate our commitment to that transition," he said.
CARBON NEUTRALITY
Former California Gov. Jerry Brown signed an executive order in 2018 calling for the state to be carbon neutral by 2045, meaning any carbon that it emits is offset by removing a similar amount from the atmosphere.
Legislators on Wednesday voted to turn that goal into a law and require an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions along with it. The second part is designed to ensure that the carbon neutrality is mostly achieved by lowering emissions, not taking carbon out of the air.
Some environmental groups are skeptical that carbon capture is a reliable and safe technology and worry it will be used to let oil companies keep emitting fossil fuels.
Another bill passed by the Legislature requires the state air board to create a permitting process for for such projects. It bans the technology from being used to extract more oil. | 2022-09-01T21:03:45+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/California-Democrats-cap-legislative-year-with-17413551.php |
Madonna has announced the North American and European dates of her concert tour, during which she will perform her most popular, era-defining songs. That’s 40 years worth of club dancing, provocative shape-shifting and sex-positive proselytizing. Madonna was one of the foundational female artists of the MTV dance pop genre, and this tour will be a testament to that legacy and a test of cultural boundaries. In “Madonna: The Celebration Tour,” the performer will be pushing against timeworn assumptions about gender and age at a moment when public dialogue can be very mean and very unforgiving on those very subjects. Godspeed, Madonna.
She announced her intentions on social media in a video that features a game of truth or dare — a reference to her 1991 film of the same name — with a clique of pals including Jack Black, Amy Schumer, Judd Apatow and Lil Wayne. The video is shot mostly in black and white and at times looks out of focus. Everyone appears a bit scruffy and like they’ve had a long night of loopy carousing. The effect is a video that is raw and self-consciously, gleefully transgressive, which is Madonna’s favorite kind of story to tell.
At the height of her fame and influence in the 1980s and ’90s, Madonna managed to offend pretty much everyone who considered themselves part of the establishment or who believed themselves to be charged with setting moral codes of conduct and defining social acceptability. She rankled the sensibilities of the Catholic church, Moral Majority and evangelicals. She made a career out of punching up at the powerful and the privileged. She stood on the side of outsiders. And for this — and her danceable beats and keen sense of aesthetics — she was beloved. She was especially vocal in speaking up for the LGBTQ community and celebrating elements of their culture, including ballroom and drag.
Most everything that made Madonna such a compelling cultural figure now has become a test, a challenge, a question. When she incorporated ballroom culture into her video for “Vogue,” she was applauded for shining a spotlight on this dance style created within the Black and Latin LGBTQ community. Now, there are conversations about cultural appropriation and whether she did enough to elevate the originators.
As a performer, she was always moving forward, always latching on to the next thing simmering just outside the mainstream. She altered her look to mark each new chapter, and her audience applauded her. But the culture is less likely to applaud the looks of a 64-year-old woman unless she is perceived as somehow defying the march of time or aging gracefully — which is to say walking quietly into the sunset wearing expensive cashmere and sensible shoes.
And Madonna has not been quiet. She recently caused a kerfuffle on social media for making note of how, with her book “Sex” in 1992, she paved the way for performers such as Cardi B and Miley Cyrus to sing freely about their sexuality; she’s been taken to task for wearing the traditional attire of people from North Africa; she likes to craft social media videos of herself in extreme close-ups that make her look ghostly and imperfect rather than glamorous and flawless. She continues to provoke. Her admirers applaud her for maintaining the same edgy sense of indiscretion that she had in her 20s. She is also admonished for still having such audacity. Madonna hasn’t changed, and the culture is conflicted about that.
It will be quite something when Madonna takes the stage and all the familiar beats begin to play. Fans won’t be coming to see her stand behind a microphone and belt out a ballad. The performance, in all its sweaty and sexy athleticism, has always been the draw: the voguing, the bullet bras and, of course, the look. She was the club-hopping ragamuffin, the Marilyn Monroe doppelganger, the dark-haired heretic, the platinum sex goddess. Her look has always told her audience something about how she sees gender and sex at a particular moment. Her body has been a statement about the politics of sexuality.
What will that look like now in this sixth decade of her life? Surely, it can be wondrous and engaging and tantalizing. But it can be hard to convince popular culture of that. When the 50-something actresses returned to the “Sex and the City” revival with all the familiar outré costumes and melodramatic storylines, they were practically pilloried for having the nerve to have aged.
Society has been terribly begrudging of women as they get older. Each milestone brings new rules and limitations related to appearance. At 30, women are expected to be womanly rather than girlish. At 50, they are to aim for sophistication or elegance. After 65, there are no rules because women basically become just a head on an invisible body — exceptions are few.
Madonna is the MTV godmother bringing her personal playlist and bump-and-grind aesthetic back to the stadium crowds. There’s something exciting and unnerving about the prospect this high-wattage video star returning to the stage with such bravado. Her brand of exhibitionist feminism put the female body directly in the spotlight, and that became fundamental to her public identity. As she goes back and performs her catalogue now, how will the music change? When she sings “Beauty’s where you find it” from “Vogue,” will it resonate differently?
One wants her to be as dynamic as she was decades ago. After all, there’s a good deal of nostalgia embedded in this tour. But the reality is that no performer can ever go backward. (Most probably don’t want to.) The excitement isn’t in a repeat performance of “Vogue” or “Like a Prayer.” The thrill is in the possibilities of what those songs can become.
The anticipation is not merely in hearing a fresh take on the old tunes. It’s also the exhilaration of this Madonna, still disruptive and full of swagger. Just by stepping onstage, she gives popular culture a new chapter in the female story. | 2023-01-18T01:53:26+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/17/madonna-celebration-tour/ |
LONDON (AP) — Prince William has poured a pint of ale and taken a ride on the subway with his wife Kate as part of a royal ramble in central London before King Charles III’s coronation.
With just two days to go until Saturday’s coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, William and Kate took time to chat with royal fans, tourists and Londoners on Thursday in the U.K. capital’s bustling Soho entertainment district.
The pair took their first trip on the Elizabeth line, named after Queen Elizabeth II and the latest line on London’s busy train network. They then stopped at the historic Dog and Duck pub, where William went behind the bar and poured a pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed to celebrate the coronation.
William joked that he would have to watch how much he drank and “get back into work mode.”
Hundreds of royal fans — some hailing from China, Canada and the United States — lined the streets of Soho, hoping for a glimpse of the couple, a handshake or a brief chat.
Kate told well-wishers that her eldest child, Prince George, was “excited” about the coronation. The 9-year-old royal, who is second in line to the throne after his father, is expected to carry Charles’ robes as one of the king’s four pages of honor on Saturday.
George and his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis attended a rehearsal for the ceremony alongside other members of the royal family on Wednesday.
Thursday’s royal visit came as London prepared for the United Kingdom’s first coronation since Elizabeth II was crowned 70 years ago.
Union Jack bunting and crown decorations have appeared across the capital, while Big Ben was lit up in red as part of late-night dress rehearsals around midnight on Wednesday.
Some 100 heads of state, representatives from 200 countries and hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on London for the historic event. Many die-hard royal fans are already camped out near Buckingham Palace to secure the best viewing spot.
“We’ve always been a massive fan of the royal family. I was also over for the (queen’s) jubilee, so all the big moments that we can, we come over,” said Luisa Rawes, from Portugal. “It is a massive occasion.”
Thousands of police are being deployed across London for one of the most complex security operations in U.K. history, bracing for any disruptions and anti-monarchy protests.
On Tuesday night, officers arrested a man who threw shotgun cartridges into the grounds of Buckingham Palace, and blew up a suspicious bag belonging to the man. Police said the man was searched and a lock knife was found.
Authorities said Thursday that the 59-year-old suspect, who hasn’t been named, was detained under mental health laws and taken to a hospital. No one was injured, and Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, weren’t at the palace at the time.
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Follow AP’s coverage of King Charles III and the coronation at https://apnews.com/hub/king-charles-iii | 2023-05-05T14:54:10+00:00 | cenlanow.com | https://www.cenlanow.com/business/prince-william-pours-a-pint-meets-public-before-coronation/ |
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — National home run leader Ivan Melendez of Texas won the Dick Howser Trophy on Friday as the outstanding player in college baseball.
Melendez’s 32 home runs are most in Division I since 2003. He leads the nation with 94 RBIs and an .886 slugging percentage.
The junior from El Paso, Texas, is the fourth Longhorn to win the Howser Trophy. Other Texas players to win it were Brooks Kieschnick (1992-93), Scott Bryant (1989) and Taylor Jungmann (2011).
Melendez ranked first in the Big 12 Conference in batting average (.432), homers (14) and RBIs (32).
Melendez also has been named national player of the year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and Perfect Game and is a consensus All-American.
Other Howser Trophy finalists were Oregon State pitcher Connor Hjerpe, Tennessee third baseman Trey Lipscomb, Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada and Clemson third baseman Max Wagner.
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More AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | 2022-06-18T17:13:55+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/sports/ap-sports/texas-melendez-wins-howser-trophy-as-top-college-player/ |
BERLIN (AP) — Daniel Barenboim was made a citizen of honor of Berlin on Friday, months after he ended his three-decade tenure as the general musical director of the Berlin State Opera for health reasons.
Mayor Franziska Giffey paid tribute to Barenboim’s musical talent and his commitment to communication between Israelis and Palestinians in a ceremony at city hall.
Giffey said that Barenboim “demonstrates incomparable mastery both at the grand piano and at the conductor’s stand,” German news agency dpa reported. She told him that “as an artist and as a person, you are truly a figure of the century.”
Barenboim, 80, was born in Argentina and raised there and in Israel. He has had long associations with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and with the Berlin State Opera, or Staatsoper, which he led from 1992 until early this year. He also co-founded the the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which united musicians from Israel and the Arab world.
Giving up the Berlin post in January, he said that his health had worsened significantly over the past year and he could “no longer deliver the performance that is rightly demanded of a general music director.” But he has made clear that he’s determined to keep conducting as much as possible, saying in February that he “will take it day by day.”
Barenboim is Berlin’s 123rd citizen of honor, joining a list that includes actress and singer Marlene Dietrich and post-World War II West Germany’s first leader, Konrad Adenauer. | 2023-04-21T19:20:25+00:00 | localsyr.com | https://www.localsyr.com/entertainment-news/barenboim-made-berlin-citizen-of-honor-after-long-tenure/ |
Which rugged smartwatches compare to Apple’s rumored ‘extreme’ Apple Watch?
Apple is rumored to be developing a larger, more-durable version of the Apple Watch. This watch would be made with extreme sports athletes in mind and will likely have the same features as a conventional Apple Watch.
Apple products are usually top-of-the-line regarding quality and user experience, but they’re often expensive. Luckily, there are several watches worth checking out if you’re looking for a budget alternative or don’t want to wait for the rugged new Apple Watch.
Everything you need to know about the rumored Apple Watch
Larger screen
Apple Watches are known for crystal-clear displays. Still, the compact screens can’t display as many fitness metrics as some would like. The rumored Apple Watch is expected to have a 2-inch screen, nearly 18% larger than the biggest screen currently available.
Enhanced durability
Most Apple Watches are made with aluminum. The material is sturdy enough for the average user but isn’t ideal for taking on mud, rocks and other outdoor debris. Apple’s newest watch will likely feature a stainless-steel or titanium construction like the Apple Watch Series 7.
Many believe the screen will feature enhanced shatter resistance, making it ideal for standing up to falls and bumps.
Longer battery life
Most Apple Watches last 18 hours on a single charge. The rumored watch will likely have a longer battery life, making it ideal for scenarios where you aren’t near an outlet for extended periods.
Apple Watch FAQ
Which is better, a Fitbit or an Apple Watch?
A. Fitbits generally have more-impressive battery life and a smaller watch face, making them ideal for those looking for a compact watch. Still, Apple Watches have more features, a brighter screen and more durable construction.
Can you check your oxygen level on your Apple Watch?
A. The Apple Watch health app allows you to track your blood oxygen level. To use this feature, you have to be 18 years or older. It takes around 15 seconds, and the band needs to be snug for an accurate blood-oxygen reading.
Best alternatives to the new Apple Watch
Best budget rugged smartwatch
What you need to know: This rugged watch is ideal for travel, hiking and extreme sports.
What you’ll love: It’s significantly cheaper than an Apple Watch. It features military-grade durability and can pair with your smartphone for text alerts. The battery lasts up to 14 days on a single charge.
What you should consider: The screen is monochromatic.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This straightforward smartwatch has a range of fitness trackers and GPS fall detection.
What you’ll love: It is durable and waterproof. It tracks common exercises automatically. It’s available in a range of colors.
What you should consider: The battery doesn’t last as long as other Samsung smartwatches.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Casio G-Shock Men’s Bluetooth Digital Watch
What you need to know: This may not have all the bells and whistles of a traditional smartwatch, but it has numerous smart features and a durable design.
What you’ll love: It has step tracking and other fitness-centric features. It is compatible with a smartphone app that unlocks new features. It is incredibly comfortable.
What you should consider: Aside from the smartphone app, it feels more like a digital watch than a smartwatch.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This Fitbit helps track your rest and wellness in addition to general fitness.
What you’ll love: It is waterproof up to 50 meters. It tracks your body’s response to stress. This watch includes a six-month free trial for Fitbit’s premium membership.
What you should consider: It isn’t as durable as other rugged smartwatches.
Where to buy: Amazon and Kohl’s
What you need to know: This watch has numerous built-in fitness features, including yoga and strength-training apps.
What you’ll love: The battery life lasts up to seven days. The durable gorilla-glass display is easy to read. It has contactless-payment features.
What you should consider: There are some longevity issues, as many reported the watch malfunctioning in the first year.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This feature-packed watch is affordable and durable.
What you’ll love: The watch face can stand up to bumps and falls without scratching. Although there is a bit of a learning curve, it has numerous helpful features. It is lightweight but durable.
What you should consider: There are numerous reports of connectivity issues.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best high-end rugged smartwatch
Apple Watch Series 7 With Stainless-Steel Case
What you need to know: The Series 7 is the most durable Apple Watch on the market.
What you’ll love: The Series 7 has a larger screen than other Apple Watches. It has countless health-and-fitness apps and features.
What you should consider: It is expensive compared to other smartwatches.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: It has pace monitoring, sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring and numerous other fitness features.
What you’ll love: It includes 2,000 topographical maps and ski-resort maps. The battery lasts up to 14 days on a single charge. You can use it for contactless payments. It features a golf app that is excellent for determining distance.
What you should consider: It doesn’t have a touchscreen.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This military-grade smartwatch features a small solar panel that extends its battery life.
What you’ll love: It can last up to 21 days on a single charge. Its heart-rate tracking feature can tell you your resting heart rate while you sleep. It features topographical maps and a stealth mode that disables wireless connectivity.
What you should consider: Some felt the features didn’t justify the cost.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | 2022-07-19T14:02:52+00:00 | cbs42.com | https://www.cbs42.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/wearable-technology-br/dont-want-to-wait-for-apples-rumored-extreme-apple-watch-these-8-rugged-smartwatches-are-great-alternatives/ |
ANKARA – A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and sending panicked residents pouring outside in a cold winter night. At least 100 were killed, and the toll was expected to rise.
Rescue workers and residents frantically searched for survivors under the rubble of crushed buildings in multiple cities on both sides of the border. In one quake-struck Turkish city, dozens pulled away chunks of concrete and twisted metal. People on the street shouted up to others inside a partially toppled apartment building, leaning dangerously.
The quake, felt as far away as Cairo, was centered north of the city of Gaziantep in an area about 90 kilometers (60 miles) from the Syrian border.
On the Syrian side of the border, the quake smashed opposition-held regions that are packed with some 4 million Syrians displaced from other parts of the country by the long civil war. Many of them live in decrepit conditions with little health care. At least 11 were killed in one town, Atmeh, and many more were buried in the rubble, a doctor in the town, Muheeb Qaddour, told The Associated Press by telephone.
“We fear that the deaths are in the hundreds,” Qaddour said, referring to the rebel-held northwest. “We are under extreme pressure.”
On the Turkish side, the area has several large cities and is home to millions of Syrian refugees.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that “search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched” to the areas hit by the quake.
“We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage,” he wrote.
There were at least 6 aftershocks, and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu urged people not to enter damaged buildings due to the risks.
“Our priority is to bring out people trapped under ruined buildings and to transfer them to hospitals,” he said.
Tallies from various officials put the toll at at least 38 dead in Turkey and 62 in Syria.
At least 130 buildings tumbled down in Turkey’s Malatya province, neighboring the epicenter, Gov. Hulusi Sahin said. In the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, at least 15 buildings collapsed. Rescue teams called for silence as they listed for survivors in a toppled 11-story building.
In northwest Syria, the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense described the situation in the rebel-held region as “disastrous” adding that entire buildings have collapsed and people are trapped under the rubble. The civil defense urged people to evacuate buildings to gather in open areas. Emergency rooms were full of injured, said Amjad Rass, president of the Syrian American Medical Society.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial capital. It was centered 18 kilometers (11 miles) deep, and a strong 6.7 aftershock rumbled about 10 minutes later.
Syria’s state media reported that some buildings collapsed in the northern city of Aleppo and the central city of Hama.
In Damascus, buildings shook and many people went down to the streets in fear.
The quake jolted residents in Lebanon from beds, shaking buildings for about 40 seconds. Many residents of Beirut left their homes and took to the streets or drove in their cars away from buildings.
The earthquake came as the Middle East is experiencing a snowstorm that is expected to continue until Thursday.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.
Some 18,000 were killed in powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999. | 2023-02-06T04:49:16+00:00 | local10.com | https://www.local10.com/news/world/2023/02/06/powerful-78-quake-knocks-down-buildings-in-turkey-syria/ |
LONDON — For the better part of an hour, Harry Cromack navigated closed roads and swelling crowds outside of Buckingham Palace on Friday. In his hands, he carries a bouquet of flowers that he's determined to leave at the gates of Queen Elizabeth II's London home.
The flowers weren’t his though. Cromack brought them here for both his mother and grandmother who live outside of London and couldn't make it to pay their respects in person.
"They both have a lot of admiration for the Queen," he said as he walked between barriers set up by police near the Royal Palace.
Even a blockade set up for King Charles III's arrival could not deter Cromack. After an hour on foot and at least two miles of walking, he made it with flowers in hand to the gates of Buckingham Palace, where he gently placed the bouquet amid a memorial that continues to grow here for Her Majesty the Queen of England.
"She’s been around for such a long time; that’s why so many people felt like they had to come," he added.
Cromack was not alone in on his mission to make it to Buckingham Palace just one day after the Queen died at age 96. Thelma Winterborne made the trek here as well. The 86-year-old brought flowers for her 102-year-old friend who couldn’t make it.
"It might be the last thing I can do for her," she said.
London is a city consumed in grief right now. And on every street corner is a reminder of the Monarch they’ve lost. Even in her death, Her Majesty the Queen is in many ways omnipresent.
Even Americans vacationing in the UK altered their travel plans to travel to London to witness history after her passing on Thursday, including Rick Rohr and Ingrid Swords from Colorado.
"We just wanted to feel what it was like to be here with all these thousands and thousands of people," Swords said. | 2022-09-09T19:46:52+00:00 | news5cleveland.com | https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/national/thousands-travel-from-afar-to-pay-respects-to-queen-elizabeth-ii-outside-buckingham-palace |
The Easton, MD system will transform up to 550 annual tons of CO2 equivalent of otherwise flared methane into useful energy
OGDEN, Utah, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Qnergy Inc. (www.qnergy.com), a leading methane abatement solutions provider and foremost manufacturer of clean, reliable, electric power utilizing Stirling engine technologies, announced today its first ever landfill deployment to abate methane, create clean electrical energy, and generate voluntary carbon credits.
A new way to convert landfill flare gas into useful power.
Working in partnership with Maryland Environmental Service (MES) (www.menv.com) and Maryland Energy Administration's (www.energy.maryland.gov) OPEN Energy program, Qnergy installed its PowerGen5650, a leading methane abatement product in the natural gas industry, to capture and convert low methane content landfill biogas into electricity. Installed at the Midshore I Landfill in Easton, MD., the unit will deliver up to 5.6kW of electrical power for onsite operational use along with reduced energy cost from otherwise flared gas. MES operates the landfill in Easton and one in Ridgely, MD on behalf of Caroline, Kent, Talbot, and Queen Anne's counties, as part of an 80-year solid waste agreement.
"We are excited to expand our Methane Abatement Program to landfills." Said Dr. Ory Zik, Qnergy's Chief Executive Officer. "The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and EPA focus on converting methane pollution into useful energy and this is where our generators are the best system of emission reductions ("BSER")."
MES Executive Director, Dr. Charles Glass added, "The installation of the Qnergy generator is the first step toward demonstrating the ability to use an otherwise lost byproduct at municipal solid waste landfills. MES is pleased to work with Qnergy and our county partners on the Eastern Shore, reducing methane emissions and supporting Maryland's aggressive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions goals."
"As the first completed project under our recently launched Open Energy Grant Program, we are excited to know the benefits will help to leverage the state's landfills, promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions", said Dr. Mary Beth Tung, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration. "We look forward to seeing replicas of this project on landfills across Maryland that support a variety of clean energy technologies."
The project demonstrates an alternative to simple flaring, that even lower concentration landfill biogas methane can be productively converted into useful electricity and heat, and improve GHG emissions.
About Qnergy
Qnergy (q-ner–gy) is growing exponentially by providing unique power products that transform untreated methane into reliable electricity solutions for mission critical applications. With Qnergy, methane from distributed sources like gas fields, landfills, wastewater, and farms, are effectively converted into useful power and energy. For more information see: www.qnergy.com.
MES employs over 700 teammates and operates more than 1,000 environmental projects across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Region. As a not-for-profit business unit of the state of Maryland, MES provides multi-disciplinary environmental compliance services to enhance and protect the environment through innovative solutions to the region's most complex environmental challenges. For more information see www.menv.com.
About MEA
The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) advises the governor and general assembly on all energy matters, promoting affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy. MEA develops and administers programs and policy to support and expand all sectors of the state's economy while benefiting all Marylanders and implementing legislation. For more information see: www.energy.maryland.gov. | 2022-09-16T14:44:33+00:00 | hjnews.com | https://www.hjnews.com/news/state/qnergy-announces-the-installation-of-its-first-biogas-landfill-methane-conversion-generator-with-maryland-environmental/article_8fc5921e-761e-5916-b498-9a22c63b47a8.html |
Principal calls police on students after senior prank
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - Several southern Colorado students are facing repercussions following a senior prank gone wrong.
On May 4, 18 students, six from Woodland Park High School and 12 from Manitou Springs High School planned to swap places at school.
“We were just going to switch senior classes. Woodland Park would come to Manitou and act like us, and Manitou would go to Woodland Park and act like them,” explained Nohla Christiansen, a Manitou Springs student who participated in the swap. “We didn’t mean any harm by this situation.”
According to Nohla Christiansen, almost everyone’s parents signed off on the prank, and a few teachers were in the loop.
In a statement released to 11 News, Interim Superintendent Eric McMartin said in part after hearing rumors of Woodland Park students in their school that school administrators and staff members did a sweep of the campus, discovering three students that shouldn’t have been on campus, “after which they were escorted to the front office. School administrators also intercepted three additional non-Manitou Springs Hight School students trying to enter the high school through the locked Common’s door; the students were told to leave campus and they complied.”
At Woodland Park High School, the 12 seniors split into two groups.
“So, six of us went one way, six of us went the other. We went into a classroom and the teacher was like, ‘Oh, why are there so many Manitou kids here?’ and we told her what we were doing, and she left, so we decided to leave her classroom and split up again,” Nohla Christiansen said.
After their second split, she said they ran into Woodland Park’s principal.
“He told us, ‘Go into this room or I’m going to arrest you. You’re going to go to jail.’ We thought he was joking, then slowly all the rest of the kids went into that room and then we realized he was being serious,” Nohla Christiansen said. “He said that it was a serious charge that was going to happen and that he was going to have cops come in and stuff. So, later, about three to four cops walked in, and then that’s when we all knew it was really serious.”
After missing two blocks of school and watching the other pranksters return from Manitou, each Manitou Springs senior was talked to and ticketed by police with a notice to appear in court.
Nohla Christiansen said she was told they were “going to get a trespassing charge.”
As of Wednesday, the district attorney has dropped all charges against the students. Tthe school district said the students have been disciplined.
“I thought this was kind of silly and lighthearted, but it just didn’t turn out that way,” said Savannah Christiansen, Nohla Christiansen’s mom. “I think if I would have processed it that way, I wouldn’t have let her go, but I thought it was a silly prank.”
Multiple people, including parents and teachers, have reached out to KKTV regarding this prank and the way the two schools handled the situation, claiming legal action against one set of students was unfair and harsh.
“The principal at Woodland Park blew the whole thing out of proportion, scared the kids, was rude to the kids, didn’t give them the chance to explain themselves,” Savannah Christiansen said.
In a statement released to KKTV, Woodland Park School District said in part: “Woodland Park School District (WPSD) wants to make it clear that the recent incidents involving seniors from (Woodland Park High School) attempting to attend classes at Manitou Springs High School, and vice versa, were not taken lightly by the school administration. ... In collaboration with law enforcement, the school administration took swift and appropriate action to address the situation and prevent any similar incidents from occurring in the future.”
The district added, “While we recognize this was intended to be a harmless prank, it is important to acknowledge that such behavior can potentially expose our students to risk.
Copyright 2023 KKTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-05-10T17:29:30+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/2023/05/10/principal-calls-police-students-after-senior-prank/ |
Talks with breakaway region fail to ease Moldova energy woes
By STEPHEN McGRATH and CRISTIAN JARDAN
Associated Press
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — A key electrical power plant in a Moscow-backed breakaway region of Moldova will not resume energy supplies to the rest of the country after officials failed to reach any agreements on Friday amid an acute energy crisis, authorities said. The meetings held Friday between Moldovan officials and de-facto authorities from Transnistria took place in Moldova’s capital, Chisinau, and focussed on a range of bilateral issues raising hopes of easing a severe energy crisis for Moldova, Europe’s poorest country. But the talks did not yield any solutions including resuming electricity supplies, Vitaly Ignatyev, the unrecognized government’s foreign minister, told reporters. | 2022-12-02T16:34:09+00:00 | localnews8.com | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/12/02/talks-with-breakaway-region-fail-to-ease-moldova-energy-woes/ |
Unlikely BFFs: Animal shelter looking for forever home for goat, dog
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (Gray News) – An unlikely duo of best friends is looking for their forever home.
Cinnamon the goat and Felix the dog came to the Wake County Animal Shelter in North Carolina on March 13 after their owner became unable to care for them any longer, the shelter said.
The shelter’s staff is now trying to place the pair in a home together, since it was immediately clear they were best friends – playing, eating and sleeping together.
“To see such a strong bond between a goat and a dog is really special,” said Wake County Commissioner Cheryl Stallings. “We’re so thankful that our center has established such great partnerships with local rescues so we can send out a plea for this sweet pair.”
Cinnamon and Felix are not up for public adoption at this time, as the shelter is working with other rescues to find them a permanent placement that benefits both species.
“Goats are social animals and so are dogs, so when they’re put together – it makes sense they would find friendship,” said Wake County Animal Center Director Dr. Jennifer Federico. “Whatever the reason for these two bonding, it’s clear what would be best for their well-being is to keep them together.”
If the perfect place isn’t found by the end of March, the animal shelter said they will revisit public adoption options.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-30T17:32:39+00:00 | kwtx.com | https://www.kwtx.com/2023/03/30/unlikely-bffs-animal-shelter-looking-forever-home-goat-dog/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One GI®, a gastroenterology management services organization, has partnered with The Colon, Stomach, and Liver Center (CSL) and Loudoun Endoscopy Group in Lansdowne, VA. The agreement also includes the state-of-the-art Loudoun Endoscopy Center.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, One GI identifies and partners with leading gastroenterology practices that are seeking a strategic alliance to provide capital and management services to help foster growth, drive economies of scale, and deliver the highest quality care to patients.
Formed in April 2020, One GI is comprised of leading gastroenterology practices throughout the Eastern US. Established in 2003, CSL's three board certified gastroenterologists and two advanced practice providers (APPs) deliver comprehensive gastrointestinal and hepatology care to patients in Northern Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.
One GI's CEO Robbie Allen commented, "Our CSL partnership in Northern Virginia further validates One GI's foundational value of delivering world class GI care in community based practices, and our expansion in Virginia aligns with One GI's commitment to strategic growth. We are thrilled to partner with CSL."
Satinder Gill, MD, CSL founding physician, added, "We are excited to partner with One GI to help us continue to improve the well-being of our patients and expand our commitment to meeting the growing need for GI and liver healthcare in Loudoun County and our neighboring communities. We are honored to spearhead and share One GI's mission here in Virginia."
Goodwin Procter served as exclusive legal counsel to One GI, and Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group provided key diligence. Cascadia Capital served as the financial advisor to CSL, and K&L Gates served as legal counsel.
One GI is a gastroenterology healthcare services organization that partners with GI physicians to help them manage, optimize, and grow their practices. One GI provides critical business services to physicians so they can focus on what they do best: providing excellent care to patients. For additional information on One GI, please visit www.onegi.com.
Founded in 2003, Webster Equity Partners is a private equity firm that partners with healthcare service companies with a focus on high impact growth strategies based on delivering the highest quality care and exceptional service. For additional information on Webster Equity Partners, including a complete list of companies, please visit www.websterequitypartners.com.
Contact: Mary Mackey mary.mackey@onegi.com
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SOURCE One GI | 2022-11-30T16:40:18+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/11/30/one-gi-continues-eastern-us-expansion/ |
Coroner’s office identifies 50-year-old killed in auto-pedestrian crash
Published: Nov. 23, 2022 at 6:23 PM EST|Updated: 19 minutes ago
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The Berkeley County Coroner’s Office has identified a man who was killed after being struck by a car on Tuesday.
Isaac L. Frasier, 50, of Mount Pleasant, was walking on Redbank Road in Goose Creek when he was hit by a car, according to Chief Deputy Coroner Darnell Hartwell.
The crash happened at approximately 12:10 a.m. on Red Bank Road, Cpl. David Jones said.
Troopers say a 2005 Lincoln Town Car struck the pedestrian while traveling south on the roadway.
The crash remains under investigation by the Highway Patrol.
Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-23T23:43:32+00:00 | live5news.com | https://www.live5news.com/2022/11/23/coroners-office-identifies-50-year-old-killed-auto-pedestrian-crash/ |
Comic book-inspired teen drama series Riverdale continues tonight at 8/7c. Watch season 6 for free when you register for FuboTV and DIRECTV Stream.
Riverdale draws inspiration from the town and characters brought to life in the Archie Comics. The series reveals cracks in a seemingly wholesome exterior—following Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and their crew as they navigate hometown politics, teenage drama, and the many hidden dangers seeping through the city’s facade.
Tonight’s episode, “Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Blue Collar” finds Archie and Tabitha struggling to develop a plan to protect Percival’s work crew from his exploitative control. Dive into the wacky realm of Riverdale every Sunday at 8/7c on The CW.
Where to watch:
- FuboTV (free trial) - For $69.99/month, ditch cable and unlock 100+ channels you love. Stream all your favorite shows, sports, movies, and more—live and on-demand. Click here to get started.
- DIRECTV Stream (start free trial) - With plans starting at $69.99/month, switch to DIRECTV Stream and enjoy over 65 essential channels. Click here to register.
Cast:
- K.J. Apa
- Lili Reinhart
- Camila Mendes
- Cole Sprouse
- Madelaine Petsch
- Mӓdchen Amick
- Casey Cott
- Mark Consuelos
- Charles Melton
- Vanessa Morgan
- Erinn Westbrook
- Drew Ray Tanner
About the show: “Based on the characters from the Archie Comics, Riverdale is a subversive take on the wholesome town of Riverdale and some of its teen residents, including Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead, as they discover the darkness and dangers that bubble underneath their town’s wholesome facade.” -The CW | 2022-05-29T20:18:43+00:00 | mlive.com | https://www.mlive.com/life/2022/05/how-to-watch-riverdale-season-6-part-2-stream-for-free.html |
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