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Prosecutors in Spain said Friday they would ask a court to sentence Colombian pop star Shakira to eight years and two months in prison if she is convicted in her expected trial for alleged tax fraud.
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is charged with failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutors said they would also seek a fine of 24 million euros ($24 million).
The indictment details six charges against Shakira. The singer this week rejected a settlement deal offered by prosecutors, opting to go to trial instead. A trial date has yet to be set.
Her publicists in London said in a statement Friday that Shakira “has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer.” The publicists accused the Spanish Tax Agency of violating her rights.
Shakira’s Spanish public relations team said earlier this week that the artist has deposited the amount she is said to owe, including 3 million euros in interest.
Prosecutors in Barcelona have alleged the Grammy winner spent more than half of each year between 2012 and 2014 in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country.
Shakira recently ended an 11-year-long relationship with FC Barcelona star Gerard Piqué, with whom she has two children. The family used to live in Barcelona. | 2022-07-29T16:18:13+00:00 | kgun9.com | https://www.kgun9.com/news/national/spain-prosecutors-to-seek-8-year-prison-term-for-shakira |
President Joe Biden will host his first state visit at the White House for French President Emmanuel Macron on December 1, the White House confirmed, marking the return of a tradition not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We'd like to announce that President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Biden will host President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron of France for a state visit to the United States on December 1st, 2022. This will be the first state visit of the Biden-Harris administration," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Monday's press briefing.
The state visit, which will include a state dinner, "will underscore the deep and enduring relationship between the United States and France -- our oldest ally," Jean-Pierre said.
"Our close relationship with France is founded on our shared democratic values, economic ties and defense and security cooperation. The leaders will discuss our continued close partnership on shared global challenges and areas of bilateral interest," she added.
Biden is holding his first state dinner more than halfway through his term in office -- later than previous U.S. presidents. Jean-Pierre acknowledged Monday that "COVID certainly has delayed many of the in-person events a president traditionally hosts at the White House," but highlighted previous White House visits by world leaders earlier in Biden's term.
The tradition of the White House state visit -- which is typically a multi-day affair that entails formal ceremonies, meetings and a glitzy black tie dinner -- has been dwindling.
The Trumps welcomed the Macrons for their administration's first state dinner in 2018. Their second and final state visit took place in 2019, when the White House hosted then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The Trumps were also slated to host the King and Queen of Spain in 2020 -- an event that was postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic.
Macron and Biden have spoken to one another several times since Biden took office in January 2021. Most recently, they met last week in New York as world leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly.
The two discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran, the Indo-Pacific and challenges posed by China, according to the White House.
Biden and Macron held their first formal meeting in June 2021 during the G7 Summit in England, walking away having relayed that they were on the same page. Macron heaped praise on Biden as being "part of the club" following a more fraught relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Macron, now in his second term, has emerged as the leading voice to advocate for the European Union. Since the warm G7 meeting, a number of global challenges have emerged, setting Macron up to distinguish himself on the world stage.
A failed deal for France to produce nuclear-powered submarines for Australia caused a major international rift.
In September 2021, the French government recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia for consultation in response to an announced national security partnership that would provide the U.S.-produced submarines to Australia -- abandoning a $90 billion existing deal with France to provide their submarines to the country.
Later that fall, Biden admitted that his administration was "clumsy" in its handling of the deal, saying he was "under the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going through." And earlier this summer, France's defense minister said the country aimed to rebuild its relationship with Australia.
Western leaders, including Biden and Macron, have broadly united in their opposition to combat Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine.
France has also been a key player in negotiations to curb Iran's nuclear program.
Pressed on Monday whether the decision to host France was about mending ties following some rifts earlier in Biden's term, Jean-Pierre responded, "We deeply value our relationship with France. ... We work closely with France on the full range of global challenges, as you all know, including the war in Ukraine. It is for these reasons that the President and first lady thought it was important to welcome this close and valued partner to the White House for their first state visit."
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | 2022-09-27T01:09:42+00:00 | abc12.com | https://www.abc12.com/news/national/biden-to-host-french-president-macron-at-white-house-for-first-state-visit/article_a566adf7-88b5-5cbd-878b-568874a74a07.html |
By ZEKE MILLER, MIKE STOBBE and MICHAEL BALSAMO, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has declared a public health emergency to bolster the federal response to the outbreak of monkeypox that already has infected more than 7,100 Americans.
The announcement Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services frees up federal funding and resources to fight the virus, which may cause fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and pimple-like bumps on many parts of the body.
Xavier Becerra is the head of HHS. He says the agency is ready to take the U.S. response “to the next level.”
The declaration by HHS comes as the Biden administration has faced criticism over monkeypox vaccine availability. Clinics in major cities such as New York and San Francisco say they haven’t received enough of the two-shot vaccine to meet demand, and some have had to stop offering the second dose to ensure supply of first doses.
The White House said it has made more than 1.1 million doses available and has helped to boost domestic diagnostic capacity to 80,000 tests per week.
The monkeypox virus spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, including hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing. The people who have gotten sick so far have been primarily men who have sex with men. But health officials emphasize that the virus can infect anyone.
No one in the United States has died. A few deaths have been reported in other countries. | 2022-08-05T11:54:07+00:00 | pennlive.com | https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2022/08/monkeypox-outbreak-declared-a-public-health-emergency-in-us.html |
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A jury spared Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz from the death penalty Thursday for killing 17 people at a Parkland high school in 2018, sending him to prison for the remainder of his life in a decision that left many families of the victims angered, baffled and in tears.
“This is insane. Everyone knows right? This is insane,” Chen Wang, cousin of shooting victim Peter Wang, said at a news conference after the jury’s decision was read. “We need justice.”
Cruz, 24, pleaded guilty a year ago to murdering 14 students and three staff members, and wounding 17 others, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
The three-month trial to determine whether he should be executed included graphic videos and photos from the massacre and its aftermath, heart-wrenching testimony from victims’ family members and a tour of the still blood-spattered building. The jury rejected the death penalty after deliberating for about seven hours over two days.
His lead public defender, Melisa McNeill, told the jury during her closing argument Tuesday that life in prison would still be a horrible punishment and suggested that other prisoners might target him.
But that wasn’t enough for many family members, who went before television cameras, one by one, to express their shock and anger at the jury’s decision. Some called Cruz a “monster,” while others cried.
“We are beyond disappointed with the outcome today,” Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter, Alyssa, was killed, said at the news conference.
“This should have been the death penalty, 100%. … I sent my daughter to school and she was shot eight times. … I cannot understand. I just don’t understand.”
Under Florida law, a death sentence requires a unanimous vote on at least one count. The jury found there were aggravating factors to warrant the death penalty for each victim, such as agreeing that the murders were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.” But one or more jurors also found mitigating factors, such as untreated issues he had as a child. In the end, the jury could not agree that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating ones, so Cruz will get life without parole.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will formally issue the life sentences Nov. 1. Relatives, along with the students and teachers Cruz wounded, will be given the opportunity to speak.
Cruz, his hair unkempt, largely sat hunched over and stared at the table as the jury’s decisions were read. Rumblings grew from the family section — packed with about three dozen parents, spouses and other relatives of the victims — as it became apparent the jury was not going to recommend the death penalty. Many shook their heads, looked angry or covered their eyes as the judge spent 50 minutes reading the jury’s decision for each victim. Some parents sobbed as they left court.
Jury foreman Benjamin Thomas, in an interview broadcast on local TV station WPLG, indicated that more than one juror voted for life in prison instead of the death penalty.
“We went through all the evidence and some of the jurors just felt that was the appropriate sentence,” Thomas said. “I didn’t vote that way, so I’m not happy with how it worked out, but everyone has the right to decide for themselves.”
He said the jurors reached their decision Wednesday, then went home to sleep on it before bringing it to the judge on Thursday.
He said he feels bad for the families of victims and that “it hurt” to watch the decisions being read in court. “There’s nothing we could do. It’s the way the law is. And that’s how we voted,” he said.
“This has been really hard on my heart … I’d rather not see anything like this ever again.”
Tony Montalto, father of Gina Montalto, expressed disbelief at the finding. He said the jury recognized that Cruz committed terrible acts, “shooting, some victims more than once on a pass, pressing the barrel of his weapon to my daughter’s chest. That doesn’t outweigh that poor little what’s-his-name had a tough upbringing?”
“Our justice system should have been used to punish this shooter to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.
Montalto, president of Stand With Parkland, which represents most of the families and other relatives, also said the decision would do nothing to deter another person from gunning down multiple people in a school.
Michael Schulman, the stepfather of teacher Scott Beigel, said the decision gives anyone a license to kill, then claim mental illness as a defense. “This animal deserves to die. He hunted all of these people,” Schulman said. “He planned it for months.”
As he spoke to the media, Schulman held up a laptop with an image of Cruz in the school hallway with a gun. “The last thing my son saw was the gunman aiming at him,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said it “stings” that Cruz did not receive the death penalty.
In a case like this, “where you’re massacring those students with premeditation in utter disregard for basic humanity … I just don’t think anything else is appropriate except a capital sentence,” DeSantis said.
Multiple family members talked about the years they waited for justice. They thanked prosecutors for their work, but in the end, they said, they got another blow.
Just days after the shooting, Cruz’s defense had offered that he plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. But then-Broward State Attorney Mike Satz rejected that.
Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor released a statement Thursday saying: “We have not shied away from telling all of the horror, all of the loss, all of the devastation, all of the pain, all of the facts, all of the truth. We hope that, while there is no such thing as closure, this will bring some measure of finality and justice to this terrible chapter.”
Cruz, a former student at the school, said he chose Valentine’s Day to make it impossible for Stoneman Douglas students to celebrate the holiday again.
The massacre is the deadliest mass shooting to go to trial in the U.S. Nine other people in the U.S. who fatally shot at least 17 people died during or immediately after their attacks by suicide or police gunfire. The suspect in the 2019 massacre of 23 at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart is awaiting trial.
Satz, the lead prosecutor, kept his case simple for the seven-man, five-woman jury. He focused on Cruz’s eight months of planning, the seven minutes he stalked the halls of the three-story building, firing 140 shots with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle, and his escape.
He played security videos of the shooting and showed gruesome crime scene and autopsy photos. Teachers and students testified about watching others die. He took the jury to the fenced-off building, which remains blood-stained and bullet-pocked.
The defense team never questioned the horror he inflicted, but focused on their belief that his birth mother’s heavy drinking during pregnancy left him with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Their experts said his bizarre, troubling and sometimes violent behavior starting at age 2 was misdiagnosed as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, meaning he never got the proper treatment. That left his widowed adoptive mother overwhelmed, they said.
The defense cut its case short, calling only about 25 of the 80 witnesses they said would testify. They never brought up Cruz’s high school years or called his younger half-brother, Zachary, who allegedly bullied Cruz.
In rebuttal, Satz and his team contended that Cruz did not suffer from fetal alcohol damage but has antisocial personality disorder.
Their witnesses said Cruz faked brain damage during testing and that he was capable of controlling his actions, but chose not to.
Prosecutors also played numerous video recordings of Cruz discussing the crime with their mental health experts where he talked about his planning and motivation.
The defense alleged on cross-examination that Cruz was sexually molested and raped by a 12-year-old neighbor when he was 9. | 2022-10-13T22:05:26+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/news/national-world-news/ap-parkland-massacre-jurors-begin-2nd-day-of-deliberations/ |
Celebrate love not just on Valentine’s Day for a healthier heart, experts say
(Gray News) - Valentine’s Day and hearts go hand in hand, and medical experts say it’s good to keep love in the air throughout the year.
Dr. Thomas Rutledge, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, shared research in Psychology Today on heart health and love. He stated that the greatest gift love has to offer isn’t candy, flowers, or even diamonds; it is better health.
Rutledge reports that the health-boosting benefits of love enable people to be the best and most exciting version of themselves.
According to Rutledge, appreciating the many physical and emotional health changes produced by love begins with the heart.
The professor reports that the heart’s function, flow, and output dramatically alter when we experience love, with important health consequences.
Rutledge said research shows that a greater experience of love is associated with improved health and longevity. Love is communicated from the brain to the heart with the rush of energy improving cardiac rhythm.
Studies have found that the chemical and functional changes occurring with a love-empowered heart can make people more resilient to pain and stress, reduce the risk of and promote improved recovery from cardiovascular events, and help fight off infections, according to Rutledge.
The professor states that we can benefit by celebrating Valentine’s Day as a reminder of the vital importance of love in life with a commitment to creating deeper sources of love throughout the year.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2023-02-14T23:24:36+00:00 | ktiv.com | https://www.ktiv.com/2023/02/14/celebrate-love-not-just-valentines-day-healthier-heart-experts-say/ |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida has ramped up executions under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, with a man known as the “ninja killer” set to die Wednesday for the 1989 slayings of a couple visiting the state from New Jersey.
Louis Bernard Gaskin, 56, was scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. by lethal injection for the deaths of Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on Dec. 20, 1989, in their Flagler County winter home on Florida’s northeastern coast.
DeSantis has been signing death warrants at a rapid pace this year as he prepares his widely expected presidential campaign. He oversaw only two executions in his first four years in office, both in 2019.
This execution comes six weeks after Donald Dillbeck, 59, was put to death for the 1990 murder of Faye Vann, 44, in Tallahassee, and three weeks before the scheduled execution of Darryl B. Barwick for slaying Rebecca Wendt, 24, in 1986 in Panama City.
Barring any stays for Gaskin and Barwick, it will be the shortest period that three executions have been carried out in Florida since three were put to death within 36 days in 2014 under former Gov. Rick Scott, also a Republican.
It will be the state’s 100th execution since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. There are an additional 297 people on Florida’s death row.
Gaskin, who was dubbed the “ninja killer” because he wore all-black ninja clothing during the crimes, shot his victims with a .22-caliber rifle, investigators said. He was convicted of first-degree murder.
Property that he stole from the Sturmfels’ home — a clock, two lamps and a videocassette recorder — was found at his residence and were intended to be Christmas gifts for his girlfriend, according to investigators. He was also convicted of armed robbery, burglary and the attempted murder that same night of another couple who lived nearby.
Local media reported at the time that Gaskin quickly confessed to the crimes and told a psychologist before his trial that he knew what he was doing.
“The guilt was always there,” Gaskin said. “The devil had more of a hold than God did. I knew that I was wrong. I wasn’t insane.”
Jurors voted 8-4 in 1990 to recommend the death sentence, which the judge accepted. Florida law now requires a unanimous jury vote for capital punishment, although the Legislature could send DeSantis a bill this week that would allow 8-4 jury recommendations for capital punishment.
The state and U.S. supreme courts have rejected appeals Gaskin filed since his death warrant was signed, with the latest denial coming Tuesday.
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After the initial selected subscription period your subscription rate will auto renew at $12.00 per month. | 2023-04-12T14:48:17+00:00 | timesdaily.com | https://www.timesdaily.com/news/nation/florida-set-to-execute-ninja-killer-in-couples-1989-death/article_6c93df75-2c27-5820-b1a3-e3e9d103c13d.html |
General Daily Insight for January 22, 2023
Ready or not, change is here! The social Moon's interactions with courageous Mars and offbeat Uranus provide us with a risky mix of confidence and chaos. Plus, when open-minded Venus combines with serious Saturn, we may feel isolated and sad despite our loyalty to others. We can let these less pleasant emotions inspire change, especially when Uranus stations direct in Taurus at 5:59 pm EST, helping to break down stagnant situations. Sometimes stability prevents us from leveling up, so don't be afraid of new ground.
Get your FREE cosmic profile at Tarot.com.
Aries
March 21-April 19
A peer might trigger your emotions today. They may not realize the effect that their words have on you, but something said maliciously or recklessly could have you seeing red, escalating to frustration in the blink of an eye. While choice words of your own might come to mind, try to keep them in your mind, unless you feel that the other person should be called out for their behavior. Even so, try to respond reasonably and encourage them to think twice next time.
Taurus
April 20-May 20
Impulsivity can get you in trouble! Your career and your public persona are currently highlighted -- be wary of saying or doing something in a public way that leads to backlash from others. You might be toeing the line when it comes to what is and isn't appropriate, which can easily ruffle some feathers. It's worth it to consider the possible consequences of your actions, because an intense post online or a daring stunt in front of a crowd might come back to haunt you.
Gemini
May 21-June 20
Solo trips are favorable for you now. The universe is calling you to venture out and expand your horizons, but you might not be able to find other people who want to enjoy the ride at your side. Traveling without a buddy might be nerve-wracking, but there's something to be said for your own company. You likely won't even have to go far to experience the benefits of a solo trip -- fun could be right around the corner. Just don't forget to be safe!
Cancer
June 21-July 22
Friends can break you out of almost any rut! You might be stuck focusing on the negative side of life, or you may feel trapped working long and lonely hours, or perhaps both things are bringing you down away from what excites you. Keep an eye out for a spontaneous opportunity from your friends. Even if your first instinct is to stick with your pre-set plans, make an effort to break out of the monotony in one way or another. It should have long-lasting benefits.
Leo
July 23-August 22
Two different people might be vying for your attention at this time. One may be an authority figure or a parent in your life, while the other is probably a partner or a friend that wants to hang out with you just as much. You could feel like you're being pulled in half -- try to consider the benefits of both options objectively. No matter who you end up choosing, everyone involved should ultimately respect your choice if they truly care about you.
Virgo
August 23-September 22
You have the courage to stand up to an authority figure at present. Someone could be demanding too much of you, or not providing you with the right resources to complete your responsibilities in your daily life, which may have pushed you to the point of snapping back at them. Take a deep breath -- speak with grace and stay firm in your approach. Regardless of any power they have over you, you shouldn't have to accept unfairly negative treatment from them.
Libra
September 23-October 22
Libra, you could be a rebel with a cause today! Relationships, whether platonic, familial, or romantic, have the potential to become possessive or controlling, and you're likely feeling the tension from that at the moment. It may feel as if you're a bird who wants to spread its wings and fly, but they're trying to keep you in a cage -- deep down, you already know that just won't work for you. Let them know that you need to decide your own fate.
Scorpio
October 23-November 21
You may currently want to spend time with someone that you've known for a while -- you probably know things about each other that other people aren't privy to. These secrets and shared bonds help you and this pal trust one another in a way that strengthens your relationship overall, particularly when you both have important news to share! If either one of you is struggling in your relationships to other people, you should be able to find safe harbor in this solid connection.
Sagittarius
November 22-December 21
Your usual routine isn't likely to go as planned. Distracting requests from other people, especially friends and siblings, are to be expected. While you're likely willing to help them as necessary, doing so would put you behind on your other tasks. This could end up being a tiring or frustrating day! Even when life isn't easy, your loved ones should be gratifyingly thankful that you came to their rescue. Helping each other is really what the universe is all about at this time.
Capricorn
December 22-January 19
You may now need to express yourself. You might be keeping your head down and trying to work the day away on either personal or professional projects, but fun events that you've been invited to could be calling your name from afar. Only being responsible and never allowing yourself to let loose isn't good for your soul, so going out with friends and blowing off some steam before coming back to your list of tasks is a great idea. Go ahead, have some fun!
Aquarius
January 20-February 18
Inspirational people and art can spark a fresh fire in you. You'll potentially feel intense adrenaline after watching a fast-paced movie with your favorite actors or renewed inspiration after seeing an art exhibit from a masterful creator. It may be challenging to go back to your regular life afterward -- you might be tempted to just throw away your regular day job and throw yourself into this new creative pursuit, but hold on! Before you do anything drastic, make sure that you've made proper plans.
Pisces
February 19-March 20
You might want to stay in your comfort zone today. Unfortunately, responsibilities could still call you out into the world, sometimes into challenging or unfamiliar situations. Family or roommates can also cause delays or roadblocks for you, adding to your list of things to fix. This can be stressful, but try to see it as a lesson rather than a problem. Changing your perspective may make it easier to solve your obstacles. Plus, at the end of it all, your comfort zone awaits your return! | 2023-01-22T08:19:35+00:00 | chicagotribune.com | https://www.chicagotribune.com/horoscopes/sns-daily-horoscopes-01222023-20230122-rsk46tpm5veidk2q37qqa3fmn4-story.html |
To reflect its transformation from solar developer to a leading renewable energy transition solutions platform, OYA Solar rebrands to OYA Renewables
TORONTO, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Today marks a new era for OYA, with the rebranding of OYA Solar to OYA Renewables. This change reflects OYA Renewable's broadening scope and scale as an energy transition solutions platform leading the transition to net zero. OYA's vision to enable a zero-carbon future is supported by its mission to deliver long-term clean energy solutions to clients and provide economic benefits to the local communities it serves.
With an exceptional track record as a solar developer, OYA has developed over 1,440 MWDC and has a pipeline of 6 GW of utility-scale, distributed, and community solar projects across North America. OYA anticipates placing an additional 1 GW in operation and reaching 15 GW in our pipeline by 2026.
"Our rebranding is both an affirmation of what we have accomplished to date and what we are firmly focused on achieving in the near future," says Manish Nayar, Founder and Chairman of OYA Renewables. "As OYA Renewables continues to execute against its strategy of leading the renewable energy transition in North America, we expect to integrate other renewable energy solutions and expand our portfolio to include other clean technologies. Most corporations, municipalities and other organizations now urgently recognize the need to accelerate their path to net zero and are increasingly looking for a partner with the capabilities to support all their renewable energy objectives.
"At OYA, we are doing just that," continues Manish. "Whether it is through electric vehicle charging solutions, developing solar energy storage, building large-scale solar, or providing access to clean energy for underserved communities, we are deepening our footprint in the renewable energy industry."
OYA Renewables is a top 10 solar developer of community solar projects in the United States, and second in the State of New York according to New Project Media market analysis. Since its inception in 2009, OYA has developed 1,440 MW in the community and utility-scale solar markets across Canada and the United States. Now, with a pipeline of over 6 GW across 14 states, OYA is quickly, but strategically widening its geographical footprint in the United States to support local and federal governments, companies, and communities to achieve a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030 and a net-zero future by 2050.
OYA Renewables is leading the renewable energy transition with an exceptional track record as a top ten community solar developer. Founded in 2009, OYA has developed over 1,440 MWDC and has a pipeline of 6 GW of distributed and utility-scale solar projects across North America. Focused on the expansion of renewable energy and the integration of other clean technologies, OYA is committed to delivering long-term clean energy solutions to clients supporting their renewable energy objectives and providing access to clean energy for underserved communities. OYA's has a highly engaged, seasoned and diverse workforce, with offices in Toronto and Boston.
Note: Legal name change to OYA Renewables Corp. will be formalized in the coming months.
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SOURCE OYA Renewables | 2022-08-24T12:07:47+00:00 | wsfa.com | https://www.wsfa.com/prnewswire/2022/08/24/introducing-oya-renewables-leader-north-american-energy-transition/ |
Expelled to reinstated: Pearson returns to Tennessee House
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The second of two Black Democrats who were kicked out of the Republican-led Tennessee House followed his colleague back to work at the Capitol on Thursday, a week after their expulsion for participating in a gun control protest propelled them into the national spotlight.
State Rep. Justin Pearson, of Memphis, was sworn in Thursday outside the Statehouse. The day before, Shelby County commissioners unanimously voted to reinstate him.
“Yes indeed, happy resurrection day,” Pearson said Thursday morning as he signed paperwork for his return.
“There will be a new building of this building, with a foundation built on love,” Pearson said during a fiery speech outside the Capitol after being sworn in. “With pillars of justice rising up. With rafters of courage covering us. With doors that are open to everybody in the state of Tennessee. Not just rich somebodies, but everybody. Not just straight somebodies, but everybody. Not just Republican somebodies, but everybody.”
After delivering his speech to supporters and reporters outside the Capitol, Pearson walked into the House chamber as debate on bills was underway. He pumped his fists and silently mouthed, “This is our House.” Those in the gallery pumped their fists back and mouthed “Our House” as Pearson circled around the floor.
Upon Pearson’s returning to the House floor, lawmakers debated legislation that deals with the teaching of “divisive concepts” regarding race, gender and sex on college campuses. After a brief spirited debate involving Pearson and Jones, Republicans used procedural rules to immediately halt discussion and force members to vote on the bill. The move exasperated Democrats, who immediately pointed out that cutting off debate and silencing dissenters was what led the so-called Tennessee three to break House rules after being cut off from previous debates.
Before Pearson returned to the chamber, lawmakers cheered and applauded as the police officers who responded to the deadly March 27 mass shooting at a Nashville elementary school shooting — the event that prompted the gun control protest — were honored in the chamber. Democratic state Rep. Bob Freeman praised the officers’ bravery but also stressed to his fellow lawmakers that “inaction is not an option” on how to respond to the tragedy.
Republicans banished Pearson and Rep. Justin Jones last week over their role in the protest on the House floor over the shooting, which left three children and three adults dead.
In his address outside the Capitol, Pearson read the names of those killed and referenced another mass shooting on Monday at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, in which five people were killed and eight others were injured.
“Our law enforcement, which many people praise, are being forced to go to war when they just are going to work,” Pearson said. “Kids are told to go to fortresses, instead of to go to school and places of learning. We’re told to go to church, carrying the status quo’s thoughts and prayers, while we must be in fear that somebody will walk in with an assault weapon.”
The Nashville Metropolitan Council took only a few minutes Monday to restore Jones to office. He was quickly reinstated to his House seat that day.
The appointments are interim, though both Jones and Pearson plan to run in special elections for the seats later this year.
The House’s vote to remove Pearson and Jones but keep white state Rep. Gloria Johnson drew accusations of racism. Johnson survived by one vote. Republican leadership denied that race was a factor, noting that Johnson’s role in the protest didn’t involve some steps that Jones and Pearson took, including speaking into a bullhorn.
Banishment is a move the chamber has used only a handful times since the Civil War. Most state legislatures have the power to expel members, but it is generally reserved as a punishment for lawmakers accused of serious misconduct, not used as a weapon against political opponents.
The expulsions last Thursday made Tennessee a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy. In the span of a few days, the two raised thousands of campaign dollars and the Tennessee Democratic Party received a new jolt of support from across the U.S.
Political tensions rose when Pearson, Johnson and Jones, from the House floor, joined with hundreds of demonstrators who packed the Capitol to call for passage of gun control measures.
As protesters filled the galleries, the lawmakers approached the front of the House chamber with a bullhorn and participated in a chant. The scene unfolded days after the shooting at the Covenant School, a private Christian school. Their participation from the front of the chamber broke House rules because the three did not have permission from the House speaker.
In Tennessee, Republican lawmakers have been supportive of the idea to strengthen school safety, but they have largely rejected calls for stricter gun controls with only weeks to go in the legislative session.
The shooting and aftermath have pushed some, including Republican Gov. Bill Lee, to support some changes.
Lee has since called on the General Assembly to pass legislation aimed at keeping dangerous people from acquiring weapons. It’s unclear how successful he will be at drumming up support from lawmakers within his party at the tail end of the legislative session.
Lee, meanwhile, has avoided commenting on the lawmakers’ expulsions, saying the controversy is a House issue.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-04-13T16:06:34+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/2023/04/13/expelled-reinstated-pearson-returns-tennessee-house/ |
Soki Wu’s food stall, tucked in a food court in a shopping mall in Singapore, is a crowd favorite for its fresh, juicy “chicken rice,” a national dish. But customers recently began complaining that his chicken didn’t taste quite as good as it used to.
Wu was forced to switch to frozen chicken after Malaysia banned exports last month of live broiler chickens that are more affordable and better tasting in a bid to offset rising local prices. For Singapore, which sources a third of its poultry from Malaysia, the impact was immediate.
“This is unavoidable. Using frozen chickens have affected the taste of the dish, but we have no choice,” Wu said.
As inflation surges around the world, politicians are scrambling for ways to keep food affordable as people increasingly protest the soaring cost of living. One knee-jerk response has been food export bans aimed at protecting domestic prices and supplies as a growing number of governments in developing nations try to show a nervous public that their needs will be met.
For business owners, the rising cost of cooking ingredients — from oil to chicken — has prompted them to raise prices, with people paying 10% to 20% more at Wu’s food stall. For consumers, it has meant paying more for the same or lesser-quality food or curbing certain habits altogether.
In Lebanon, where endemic corruption and political stalemate has crippled the economy, the U.N. World Food Program is increasingly providing people with cash assistance to buy food, particularly after a devastating 2020 port blast that destroyed massive grain silos. Constant power cuts and high fuel prices for generators limit what people can buy because they can’t rely on freezers and refrigerators to store perishables.
Tracy Saliba, a single mother of two and business owner in Beirut, says she used to spend around a quarter of her earnings on food. These days, half her income goes to feeding her family as the currency loses strength amid soaring prices.
“I’m not buying (groceries) like I used to,” Saliba said. “I’m just getting the necessary items and food, like day by day.”
Food prices have risen by nearly 14% this year in emerging markets and by over 7% in advanced economies, according to Capital Economics. In countries where people spend at least a third or more of their incomes on food, any sharp increase in prices can lead to crisis.
Capital Economics forecasts that households in developed markets will spend an extra $7 billion a month on food and beverages this year and much of next year due to inflation.
The pain is being felt unevenly, with 2.3 billion people going severely or moderately hungry last year, according to a global report by the World Food Program and four other U.N. agencies.
Food prices accounted for about 60% of last year’s increase in inflation in the Middle East and North Africa, with the exception of oil-producing Gulf countries. The situation is particularly dire for Sudan, where inflation is expected to hit 245% this year, and Iran, where prices spiked as much as 300% for chicken, eggs and milk in May, sparking panic and scattered protests.
In Somalia, where 2.7 million people cannot meet their daily food requirements and where children are dying of malnutrition, sugar is a source of energy. In May, a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of sugar cost about the equivalent of 72 cents in Mogadishu, the capital. A month later, it had shot up to $1.28 a kilogram.
“In my home, I serve tea (with sugar) three times a day, but from now on, I have to reduce it drastically to only making it when guests arrive,” said Asli Abdulkadir, a Somali housewife and mother of four.
People there are bracing for even higher costs after India announced it would cap sugar exports this year. Even if that doesn’t reduce India’s sugar exports compared with previous years, news of the restriction was enough to cause speculation among traders like Ahmed Farah in Mogadishu.
“The cost of sugar is expected to surge since Somalia counts heavily on the white sugar exported from India and a few brown sugars from Brazil,” he said.
Food export restrictions aimed at protecting domestic supplies and capping inflation is one reason for the rising cost of food.
Food prices had been steadily climbing worldwide because of drought, supply chain issues, and high energy and fertilizer costs. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says food commodity prices were up 23% last year.
Russia’s war in Ukraine further sent the price of wheat and cooking oils up, fueling a global food crisis. There was a breakthrough this week to create safe corridors for Black Sea shipments, but Ukrainian ports have been blocked from exporting these key goods for months and it will take time to get them moving again to vulnerable countries worldwide.
There’s concern that the impact of all these factors will lead more countries to resort to food export bans, which are felt globally. When Indonesia blocked the export of palm oil for a month in April, palm oil prices spiked by at least 200%.
Analysts say food export bans are shortsighted because they have a domino effect of driving up prices.
“I would say that roughly 80% of the bans we see are ill-advised — a kind-of, sort-of gut reaction by certain politicians,” said David Laborde, who is credited with creating a food trade policy tracker at the International Food Policy Research Institute.
“In the world where you will be the only one to do it, that can make sense,” he said. “But in a world where other countries can also do it, actually that’s far from being a good idea.”
Laborde said bans are “a very selfish policy … because you try to get better by making things worse for others.”
The list of food export restrictions Laborde has been tracking since the COVID-19 pandemic is long and changes constantly. Examples of their impact include Kazakhstan’s restrictions on grains and oil on prices in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan; Cameroon’s rice export restriction on Chad; and Tunisia’s fruit and vegetable restrictions on Libya.
In Singapore, 29-year-old Wu is hopeful he can keep the family business running as Singapore’s government signed off on Indonesia as a new chicken supplier.
“Things will get better,” he said. “(This) will only make us more resilient.”
___
Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Ng from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Chehayeb from Beirut; and Faruk from Mogadishu, Somalia. | 2022-07-23T20:21:15+00:00 | krqe.com | https://www.krqe.com/news/business/day-by-day-trade-bans-inflation-send-food-prices-soaring/ |
Ellen Pompeo is defending her former co-star, Katherine Heigl. On the latest episode of Pompeo's Tell Me podcast, the 52-year-old actress reflected on Heigl's years-old interview, in which the actress spoke out against the working conditions on Grey's Anatomy.
During a 2009 appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, Heigl, who exited her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens in 2010, blasted the medical drama for having a "17-hour" workday, which she called "cruel and mean."
"I remember Heigl said something on a talk show about the insane hours we were working. And she was 100 percent right," Pompeo said. "Had she said that today, she’d be a complete hero."
"But she’s ahead of her time, made a statement about our crazy hours and, of course, let’s slam a woman and call her ungrateful. When the truth is, she's 100 percent honest and it's absolutely correct what she said," she continued. "She was f**king ballsy for saying it. And she was telling the truth. She wasn’t lying."
Pompeo, who serves as a producer and the star of Grey's, said the series' working conditions have improved in the years since Heigl's exit.
"I'm very lucky now with my schedule on Grey's. I get to cut back. And overall I'm happy for the production as a whole, because we have cut back tremendously," she said. "Back in the day, we used to do crazy, crazy hours. That alone will make you insane."
Heigl's 2009 comments, as well as a previous Grey's controversy in which she removed her name from Emmy consideration, left the actress with a reputation for being "difficult," something that caused her a great deal of anxiety.
"I may have said a couple of things you didn’t like, but then that escalated to 'she’s ungrateful,' then that escalated to 'she’s difficult,' and that escalated to 'she’s unprofessional,'" Heigl told The Washington Post in 2021. "... I asked my mom and my husband to find me somewhere to go that could help me because I felt like I would rather be dead. I didn't realize how much anxiety I was living with until I got so bad that I had to really seek help. You can do a lot of inner soul work, but I'm a big fan of Zoloft."
As for if she'd ever return to the medical drama, Heigl told ET in 2021 that the prospect was probably not in the cards, stating, "I would never say never but it's not likely."
RELATED CONTENT: | 2022-04-22T01:11:46+00:00 | wgrz.com | https://www.wgrz.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/ellen-pompeo-praises-ballsy-katherine-heigl-for-complaining-about-greys-anatomy-working-conditions/603-6526d306-7ed4-4e55-b0fb-185da81de538 |
CA San Francisco Bay Area Zone Forecast for Wednesday, October 19, 2022
_____
498 FPUS56 KMTR 201001
ZFPMTR
San Francisco Bay Area/Central California Zone Forecast
National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
This is an automatically generated product that provides average
values for large geographic areas. For a more site specific
forecast...please visit weather.gov/sanfrancisco
(1) Select a location from the drop down menu above the map...
-- or --
(2) Click a location on the map.
You can refine your selection by clicking on the map displayed on
the resulting page.
CAZ505-210100-
Coastal North Bay...Including Point Reyes National Seashore-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Northwest
winds around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs in the 60s to mid 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming
mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. West winds around 5 mph...
becoming south after midnight.
.FRIDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower to mid 60s. South
winds around 5 mph...becoming southwest in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. West winds
around 5 mph...becoming northwest 10 to 15 mph after midnight.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the lower to mid 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper
40s. Highs in the lower to mid 60s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of
rain. Lows around 50. Highs near 60.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Point Reyes 52 72 51 65 /
$$
CAZ503-210100-
Sonoma Coastal Range-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Clear. Lows in the lower 60s. North winds
around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. East winds around
5 mph...becoming west in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds
around 5 mph...becoming south after midnight.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Light winds...becoming
west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. West winds
5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs around 70.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Lows in the upper
40s. Highs around 70.
.MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 70s.
Lows around 50.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of
rain. Lows around 50. Highs in the upper 60s.
$$
CAZ502-210100-
Marin Coastal Range-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Clear. Lows in the upper 50s. Northwest winds
5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. East winds around
5 mph...becoming south in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming
partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. Southwest winds 5 to
10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs
in the upper 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds
10 to 20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs in the upper 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...Clear. Lows in the upper 40s.
Highs around 70.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 50. Highs
in the lower 70s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of
rain. Lows in the lower 50s. Highs in the upper 60s.
$$
CAZ506-210100-
North Bay Interior Valleys-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the 50s to lower 60s.
Northwest winds up to 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s to upper 80s. East winds
5 to 10 mph...becoming south 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming
mostly cloudy. Lows in the 40s to upper 50s. Southwest winds
10 to 20 mph.
.FRIDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the mid 60s to upper 70s.
Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s to mid 50s. West winds 10 to
20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs in the lower 60s to mid 70s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the 40s to lower 50s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the lower 60s to mid
70s. Lows in the 40s to lower 50s.
.MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs in the 60s to 70s.
Lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Lows in
the 40s to mid 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 50s to mid
70s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Santa Rosa 51 88 48 76 /
San Rafael 57 84 54 75 /
Napa 56 84 50 72 /
$$
CAZ504-210100-
North Bay Interior Mountains-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Clear. Lows in the 60s. Northeast winds 5 to
10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the 70s to upper 80s. East winds 5 to
10 mph...becoming south in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming
partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. Northeast winds 5 to
10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s to lower 80s. Southeast
winds around 5 mph...becoming southwest in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds 10 to 20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs in the 60s to lower 70s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows near 50.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the lower to mid 60s.
Lows in the lower 50s.
.MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower to
mid 50s. Highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of
rain. Lows in the mid 50s. Highs in the 50s to upper 60s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Lake Berryessa 62 87 59 79 /
$$
CAZ006-210100-
San Francisco-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs in the lower 60s to mid 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph
increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming
mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the 50s to upper 60s. Southwest winds 5 to
10 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds
10 to 20 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the 50s to upper 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower
50s. Highs in the upper 50s to lower 70s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the
50s to mid 60s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
San Francisco 57 73 54 66 /
Ocean Beach 54 68 54 62 /
$$
CAZ509-210100-
San Francisco Peninsula Coast-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Northwest
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs around 70. Northwest winds 5 to
15 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s. West
winds 5 to 15 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the
mid 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds
10 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 50.
Highs in the mid 60s.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.
Highs in the mid 60s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming
mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the
lower 60s.
$$
CAZ508-210100-
San Francisco Bay Shoreline-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. West
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s to lower 80s. Northwest
winds 5 to 15 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming
mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs
in the upper 60s to mid 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the mid to upper 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower
50s. Highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the
mid to upper 60s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
SFO Airport 58 75 55 70 /
Oakland 58 77 55 69 /
Fremont 60 81 54 73 /
Redwood City 59 81 55 75 /
Mountain View 60 78 56 70 /
$$
CAZ510-210100-
East Bay Interior Valleys-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. Light
winds.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. North winds around
5 mph...becoming northwest in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds around 5 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs around 80. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest
winds 5 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the lower 70s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s.
.SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...Clear. Highs in the lower 70s. Lows in
the upper 40s.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 50. Highs
in the mid 70s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the
lower 70s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Concord 57 88 54 80 /
Livermore 60 89 55 81 /
$$
CAZ513-210100-
Santa Clara Valley...including San Jose-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s. Light
winds.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs in the mid 80s to lower 90s. Light winds...becoming
northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds
5 to 10 mph in the evening...becoming light.
.FRIDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs
in the upper 70s. Southeast winds around 5 mph...becoming
southwest in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the upper 60s. Lows in
the upper 40s.
.MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 70s.
Lows around 50.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs around 70.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
San Jose 60 84 56 76 /
Morgan Hill 60 90 54 80 /
$$
CAZ512-210100-
Santa Cruz Mountains-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the 60s to lower 70s.
North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Highs in the lower to mid 80s. North winds 5 to 10 mph...becoming
west in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s to mid 60s.
Northwest winds up to 5 mph in the evening...becoming light.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs near 70. South winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the 50s to lower 60s. Southwest winds 5 to
10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the 40s to mid 50s.
.SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...Clear. Highs in the 60s to lower 70s.
Lows in the 40s to mid 50s.
.MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the
40s to upper 50s. Highs near 70.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the
60s.
$$
CAZ515-210100-
East Bay Hills-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 60s. Northwest
winds around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. North winds around
5 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 10 to
15 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Breezy. Lows in the upper 50s. Southwest winds 20 to
30 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the mid 60s. Lows
around 50.
.MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s.
Highs in the lower 70s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the
upper 60s.
$$
CAZ514-210100-
Eastern Santa Clara Hills-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s to lower
70s. Northwest winds around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds 5 to
10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s to upper 60s.
West winds around 5 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Southwest winds 5 to
10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Southwest winds 5 to
15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs around 60.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the 40s to lower 50s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the upper 50s. Lows in
the 40s to lower 50s.
.MONDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
.MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the
mid 40s to upper 50s. Highs in the mid 60s.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Highs in the
lower 60s.
$$
CAZ529-210100-
Northern Monterey Bay-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s.
Northwest winds around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s. Light winds...
becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Patchy dense fog after midnight.
Lows in the lower 50s. Southeast winds around 5 mph in the
evening...becoming light.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny.
Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the upper 60s. Light winds...
becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows in the lower 50s.
Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the lower 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper
40s. Highs in the mid 60s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper
40s. Highs in the lower to mid 60s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Santa Cruz 58 78 51 68 /
$$
CAZ530-210100-
Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s. North
winds around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 70s to mid 80s.
Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Patchy dense fog after midnight.
Lows in the mid 50s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. West winds around 5 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Lows around 50.
Highs in the lower 60s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower
50s. Highs in the lower 60s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Monterey 57 73 53 65 /
Big Sur 61 80 54 69 /
$$
CAZ528-210100-
Northern Salinas Valley...Hollister Valley...and Carmel Valley-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s to mid
60s. Light winds.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the 70s to upper 80s. East
winds around 5 mph...becoming northwest 5 to 15 mph in the
afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Patchy dense fog after midnight.
Lows in the mid 50s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph in the evening...
becoming light.
.FRIDAY...Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs
in the 60s to upper 70s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows in the lower to mid 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph...
becoming southwest around 5 mph after midnight.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the lower to
mid 60s. Lows in the mid 40s.
.MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 60s to
lower 70s. Lows in the upper 40s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s.
.WEDNESDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the 60s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Salinas 58 77 52 67 /
Carmel Valley 61 87 55 77 /
Hollister 58 86 52 75 /
$$
CAZ516-210100-
Southern Salinas Valley...Arroyo Seco...and Lake San Antonio-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Light
winds.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the mid 80s to lower 90s. Light winds...becoming
southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows around 50. North winds 5 to
10 mph in the evening...becoming light.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower to mid 80s. Light winds...
becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 40s. West
winds 5 to 15 mph in the evening...becoming light.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows around
40. Highs in the 60s to lower 70s.
.MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the 60s to
upper 70s. Lows in the lower 40s.
.WEDNESDAY...Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
King City 55 86 50 80 /
$$
CAZ517-210100-
Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s to lower
70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the 70s to 80s. North winds 5 to 15 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s to mid 60s.
Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s to lower 80s. West winds
5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly
cloudy. Lows in the 40s to mid 50s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 50s to upper 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s to mid 50s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the mid 50s to upper
60s. Lows in the lower 40s to mid 50s.
.MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...Clear. Highs in the lower 60s to mid
70s. Lows in the mid 40s to upper 50s.
.TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s to upper 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy.
Highs in the 60s to lower 70s.
$$
CAZ518-210100-
Mountains of San Benito and Interior Monterey County including
Pinnacles National Park-
301 AM PDT Thu Oct 20 2022
.REST OF TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy. Lows near 60. North winds 10 to
15 mph.
.THURSDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s to lower 90s. North winds 10 to
15 mph...becoming southwest in the afternoon.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the 50s to lower 60s.
West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s to mid 80s. Southwest
winds 5 to 10 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT...Clear in the evening then becoming partly cloudy.
Lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
.SATURDAY...Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly
cloudy. Highs in the mid 50s to lower 70s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the 50s to 60s. Lows
in the upper 30s to mid 40s.
.MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...Clear. Highs in the upper 50s to lower
70s. Lows in the 40s.
.TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Highs in the lower 60s
to mid 70s. Lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s.
.WEDNESDAY...Sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy.
Highs in the 60s to lower 70s.
TEMPERATURE / PRECIPITATION
Pinnacles NP 56 91 52 85 /
$$
Visit us at www.weather.gov/sanfrancisco
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_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-10-20T10:43:56+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/weather/article/CA-San-Francisco-Bay-Area-Zone-Forecast-17521644.php |
Two sexual assault charges were added Tuesday against a Midland man accused of assaulting a minor in August.
Philip Dale Acre, 58, is jailed on a $500,000 bond, is charged with several felonies. His charges include using computers with another to commit a crime; third-degree criminal sexual conduct with someone 13-15 years old; accosting a child for immoral purposes; distributing sexually explicit materials. Acre was arraigned in August after his arrest.
On Tuesday, Acre was arraigned in Midland’s 75th District Court on the two added charges of fourth-decree criminal sexual conduct against a person 13 to 16. Acre was bound to circuit court on the all the charges after standing mute.
Deputies were called to Greendale Township at 8 a.m. Aug. 9 regarding a 13-year-old runaway.
While investigating, deputies reportedly found the girl with Acre, who the girl reportedly met online.
During his first arraignment, Midland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Courtney Driscoll said Acre represented a danger to the public, thus suggested a higher bond. Driscoll further asked Ladwig during his August arraignment to order Acre to have no contact with electronics or children if he was released on bond.
Also, during the hearing, Ladwig noted he would be surprised if this was Acre’s if this was the defendant’s first offense of this nature. | 2022-11-30T20:26:28+00:00 | ourmidland.com | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/police_and_courts/article/Midland-man-heads-to-circuit-court-in-alleged-17621705.php |
MADRID, July 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LLYC (BME: LLYC). LLYC's (BME: LLYC) H1 FY23 results preview shows that the United States has become the company's third-largest market in terms of volume, behind only Spain and Mexico. This follows LLYC's March acquisition of San Diego-based BAM by LLYC, which specializes in providing PR and marketing services to venture-backed startups and tech companies. The report showed that LLYC USA accounted for 9% of operating revenue and 10% of recurring EBITDA, as well as 7% of total revenue and 8% of gross income.
The company also showed promising global outcomes in its results preview, reaching €39.9 million in operating revenue (+12% YOY), pending the audited final report. Total revenue grew 12% to €48.7 million, while recurring EBITDA rose 9% to €8.8 million. The company's performance for the first half of the year met the forecasted budget, and by the end of June, LLYC had achieved 50% of its revenue and EBITDA goals for the entire year.
"We are pleased with these outcomes, which were positive despite the complex global context," shared Alejandro Romero, Partner and Global CEO at LLYC. "We've seen a significant upswing in our numbers since Q2, and our digital and marketing solutions, as well as our focus on healthcare, give us every reason to remain optimistic about our future prospects. With LLYC's strength, diversification, and client trust, plus the commitment of our team of nearly 1,200 professionals, I know we will achieve our 2023 goals. It will be another year of double-digit growth."
The company's organic revenue growth was 8%, higher than what other communication companies reported. This was mainly due to volume growth in Madrid, Sao Paulo and Mexico.
LLYC's other business units account for:
- Deep Digital: 34% of operating revenue and 26% of recurring EBITDA.
- Europe: 34% of operating revenue and 40% of recurring EBITDA during H1.
- Latin America: 25% of operating revenue and 26% of recurring EBITDA.
Deep Digital, which encompasses digital marketing (creative, performance, and paid media), digital intelligence, and transformation solutions, has continued to grow both organically and through the acquisition of audio agency Voikers. Deep Digital's contribution to the firm's total revenue shows an upward trend. Overall, it increased its income by 25% in H1 FY23. This business unit is one of LLYC's 2023 Strategic Plan's most important assets.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2161482/Management_Team.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2058037/LLYC_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE LLYC | 2023-07-26T13:45:56+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/26/h1-2023-results-show-united-states-is-now-llycs-third-largest-market/ |
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Drunk Elephant is pleased to announce that House of Drunk Paris is coming to the Rive Gauche in the 5th arrondissement. Open to the public for two days only, from October 15 to 16, the event is a feast for the senses: Fans can touch, see, hear, and experience the world of Drunk Elephant.
The globally renowned skincare brand has been bringing its signature House of Drunk pop-up experience to fans since 2018. House of Drunk has previously been held in London, Singapore, and New York. Paris will be the most imaginative expression of Drunk Elephant to date. The city has long been a source of inspiration and adoration for brand founder and chief creative officer Tiffany Masterson. So there was no better place to host the first House of Drunk since 2019 and celebrate the brand's strong expansion throughout the EMEA region than the city of Love.
The two-story space will be dressed in the brand's colorful and playful motifs and will feature immersive experiences. Fans can discover the Drunk Elephant Difference, learn how to create a skincare smoothie, and sample the brand's biocompatible formulas for skin, hair, and body.
Installations include the Mixing Station, where guests can receive personalized smoothie consultations; the Ceramighty Tunnel for visitors to discover the recently launched Ceramighty AF Eye Balm; and much more. Attendees can select their favorite charms from the Charm Bar and shop the full collection in partnership with Sephora France.
Each day, the first 30 visitors will receive exclusive Drunk Life swag that is currently not available in France.
"I'm so excited to bring the world of Drunk Elephant to consumers and fans in Paris! Inside the House of Drunk, guests will be able to experience our unique philosophy and participate in fun Drunk Elephant moments," says Tiffany Masterson.
House of Drunk will be open Saturday, October 15, and Sunday, October 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Pavillon Rive Gauche, 6, rue Frédéric Sauton, 75005 Paris, France.
Drunk Elephant opened in France in March 2021 and is available at select Sephora stores and online at sephora.fr.
@drunkelephant #drunkelephant #houseofdrunk
We are committed to using only ingredients that either directly benefit the health of the skin or support the integrity of our formulations. We never take into account whether something is synthetic or natural, instead choosing ingredients based on biocompatibility. That's why we focus on healthy pH levels, formulations the skin recognizes, small molecular structure that's easily absorbed, and effective active ingredients that also support and maintain the skin's acid mantle. But what we leave out of our products is just as important as what we put into them, so you will never find what we call the Suspicious 6TM (essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes, SLS) in our line. We believe that these six ubiquitous ingredients are at the root of almost every skin issue, and when they're removed entirely from your routine— that is, when you take a Drunk Break™️—skin can reset and return to its healthiest, most balanced state. This ingredient-elimination diet benefits all skin types and inspired the #barewithus Instagram movement, a collection of bare-faced selfies that chronicles the Drunk Elephant journeys of people who have found not only healthier skin but more importantly, healthier self-confidence.
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SOURCE Drunk Elephant | 2022-10-10T13:41:38+00:00 | wlox.com | https://www.wlox.com/prnewswire/2022/10/10/drunk-elephant-brings-signature-pop-up-experience-house-drunk-france/ |
YAHIDNE, Ukraine (AP) — On the outskirts of a Ukrainian village stand the remnants of a small school that was partially destroyed in the early weeks of the Russian invasion.
Surrounded by tall pine trees, the school’s broken windows offer glimpses of abandoned classrooms that are unlikely to see students again anytime soon. It is just one of many buildings in Yahidne that were shattered by the war.
But this village and others are gradually returning to life a few months after Russian troops retreated from the northern Chernihiv region. Now people are repairing homes, and the sound of construction tools fills the air. Volunteers from all over Ukraine, and from other countries, are coming to help because there is so much to do before another winter approaches.
Among the workers are a copywriter and a cameraman who have been repairing the roof of the apartment block in front of the school for several days under a scorching sun.
Denys Ovcharenko, 31, and Denys Huschyk, 43, came from the capital, Kyiv. They joined a volunteer building organization called Dobrobat, a name that combines “dobro,” or kindness, with “bat” for battalion.
The men and 22 other volunteers help their compatriots return to their homes as soon as possible.
“While the guys are protecting us, we work here,” Huschyk said, referring to troops at the front.
No one in the village yet plans to rebuild the school, which was used by the Russians as a base. Villagers prefer not to mention the place at all.
Most of Yahidne’s residents — almost 400 people — spent a month in the school’s basement, where they were held around the clock as human shields to protect against an attack by the Ukrainian army.
Only occasionally did the Russian troops allow villagers to climb upstairs and enter the yard. But that was not enough. Ten people died in the dark, crowded basement. Survivors blame the lack of fresh air.
The Russians left the village at the end of March.
The Dobrobat group plans to repair the roofs of 21 houses in the coming weeks. The volunteers include teachers, athletes and programmers. About 80% of them have no experience in construction.
Yahidne is just one of the villages in northern Ukraine that suffered from Russia’s aggression. And Dobrobat is just one of the groups responding, sometimes drawing volunteers from beyond Ukraine.
A father and son from the Czech Republic decided to spend their annual family trip in Ukraine this year. Michal and Daniel Kahle see each other for only a few weeks each summer, as the son studies in the United States.
“We wanted to do something meaningful instead of just being tourists,” said Daniel, 21.
That’s how they came to the town of Makariv in the Kyiv region. Many buildings there were destroyed or damaged in the first weeks of the war.
Father and son joined the youth volunteer movement Building Ukraine Together, which since 2014 has helped restore damaged buildings in eastern Ukraine. For several days, together with young people from different parts of Ukraine, they worked to rebuild the Makariv fire department, which was hit by an artillery shell on March 12.
“It’s a long game. We cannot pause our lives, sit at home and wait for the war to end,” said Tetyana Symkovych, the volunteer group’s coordinator in Makariv.
Many Ukrainians volunteer because they want to be helpful. But that is not the only reason Yulia Kapustienko comes to the fire department every morning to putty the walls. At the end of April, the young woman left Mariupol after spending two months in the besieged port city.
“I saw dead bodies and burned houses. Still, when I see a normal house, I automatically imagine what will happen to it after the rocket hits,” she said. “It is impossible to erase this from your mind. But at the same time, I try not to get stuck in the past, so it is important for me to do something, to take responsibility.”
The 23-year-old is originally from Horlivka in the eastern Donetsk region. Her first experience of armed occupation was in 2014. After that, she cried for three years, unable to endure the loss of her hometown.
This time, she chose a different strategy.
“I know now that you need to do something,” Kapustienko said. “I don’t care what to rebuild. The main thing is for it to be in Ukraine.”
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | 2022-06-30T20:48:58+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/ap-top-headlines/we-cannot-pause-our-lives-ukrainians-begin-rebuilding/ |
The average price to cookout has increased over 10 dollars since last year
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – If you’ve started shopping for your 4th of July celebration, you’ve probably noticed the cookout is going to cost more this year.
Independence Day is one week away and people are already shopping for those holiday cook-outs. Of course, topping the list is the meat.
But this year, customers like Jamal Walker are walking in the stores prepared to feel the heat in their wallets.
“I think it’s going to be very expensive because the wings are going to be very high and the ribs and the main things that people like to eat are very high and I think it’s hard for people to afford it right now because when holidays come up and you go buy all of this food. What about after the holidays,” said Walker.
According to FB.org meat prices have increased by 17%.
In 2021 the average price to feed 10 people for a cookout cost $59.50.
Now the average cost is $69.68… That’s over 10 dollars.
Walker says that food has gotten so high, that it might be time for him to re-think the cookout.
“For the 4th of July, I don’t think people should be barbequing. you should cook yourself a Sunday meal and everybody has their family over and I think it will be fine. cooking all of this pork. pork is high. Everything is a too high man and the only thing that is cheap is a sack of potatoes to make potato salad baked beans and that’s it and everything else…high” said Walker.
John Kemp at Sunflower in Columbus says it’s not unusual to see changes this time of year.
“Prices for meat sometimes it will go up and sometimes it will go down and then usually you will pay more sometimes and then a couple of weeks later it will try to go back down,” said Kemp.
But, is that stopping people?
“It doesn’t seem like it’s slowed down very much especially when it comes to holidays because people are going to still have to come in and get their stuff regardless so I don’t see a downturn with that,” said Kemp.
Customers like James Henley agree.
“I’m going to celebrate the 4th of July. I’m going to be doing it with some other people and I’ve already been invited and after I get through playing golf, I’m headed to the picnic,” said Henley.
The average prices of chicken and baked beans have increased 33 percent since last year. | 2022-06-28T02:54:56+00:00 | wcbi.com | https://www.wcbi.com/the-average-price-to-cookout-has-increased-over-10-dollars-since-last-year/ |
HOUSTON and DALLAS and SAN ANTONIO and AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EZ Bath's trademark has been registered, completing the final step to becoming a franchise and developing beyond its Houston, Texas base to other cities in Texas and expanding all across the country.
With the registration of EZ Bath's trademark, this marked the final step of business owners Mitchell Clay and Paul Shutes' vision to franchise their brand of bathroom remodeling services.
Award-winning services for the Texan homeowner, and beyond…
Since its inception in 2015, EZ Bath has prioritized the homeowner and operated with the belief that people expect more out of the standard bathroom remodeling experience. To achieve this, EZ Bath crafted a one-stop-shop full-service bathroom remodeling company, eliminating the need for a separate architect, bathroom designer, and remodeling contractor. The result? An award-winning company!
A company with a combined 25 years of experience in the bathroom remodeling industry, EZ Bath has strived to perfect its work since its inception in 2015. They are fully equipped to deal with any bathroom remodeling services. Every project comprises a trained team of experts, such as designers, builders, master plumbers and master electricians.
Covering a wide variety of styles and colors, their approach to remodeling bathrooms encompasses a wide variety of tones and textures that always brings the customer closer to their dream vision of their ideal bathroom. Working with a methodical approach to remodeling bathrooms, the service is now at a logical place where Mitchell Clay and Paul Shutes can now work on expanding their services with their customer-first approach beyond Houston and show the rest of Texas and, eventually, the USA, exactly how EZ Bath can bring professional service to the bathroom remodeling experience.
With the trademark finally being registered, the final step of bringing EZ Bath from store to franchise is now complete. With a variety of services on offer, from tub to shower conversions, bathtub remodeling, custom vanities, walk-in tubs, and products as diverse as BCI Shower Systems and Onyx Collection, it is safe to say that EZ Bath's future looks to be in full flow!
More information is available from EZ Bath's press contact Mitchell Clay. To reach the company by phone, call 281-968-3000, or email at admin@ezbathremodel.com. Anyone looking for more information about EZ Bath's services can do so via the company website https://www.ezbathremodel.com. EZ Bath's postal address is 11246 Timber Tech Ave, Tomball TX 77375.
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SOURCE EZ Bath | 2022-09-01T00:48:56+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/ez-baths-franchise-is-ready-flow-beyond-its-houston-base/ |
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of June 24, Argentine Time, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez met with Li Zhen, chairman of Gotion High-tech, and his delegation at the presidential residence in Olivos, he explicitly supported Chinese investment in Argentina, and praised Gotion High-tech's multiple industrial investments will promote the development of Argentina's new energy industry. The two sides also had friendly exchanges on the "Targets of Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutralization" strategy, the new energy vehicle industry, the Sustainable Transportation Act and the joint venture between Gotion High-tech and Corven, a well-known American auto parts manufacturer, to establish electric bus batteries and other topics.
Alberto Fernández said, The world is already shifting to renewable energy. Argentina has made incentives for lithium, wind power, photovoltaic and other industries. The Development of Sustainable Transport Act, introduced last year, it aims to promote investment in electric vehicles, promote the electrification of transport and provide legal protection for investors in new energy.
We welcome Chinese investment in Argentina. Gotion High-tech's industrial investment activities in Argentina, it cover the development, processing and battery products of lithium resources, which accelerates the development of local lithium resources and it will help the development and progress of Argentina's new energy industry.
Li Zhen said, Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Argentina, leaders of the two countries have actively supported complementary advantages and economic cooperation between enterprises, especially the "Belt and Road" initiative. It provides strategic guidance, points out the direction and lays the foundation for inter-enterprise cooperation.
The third energy revolution with solar and wind power as the main body has come. To make full use of it, we must have energy storage technology. Gotion High-tech has been focusing on energy storage for 16 years. We plan to reach 300GWh battery production capacity in the world by 2025, which makes enterprises' demand for lithium resources more vigorous.
Argentina is the third largest economy in Latin America, with a harmonious social system and orderly development of resources, it provides a good external environment for enterprises to invest. We have partnered with Jujuy National Energy and Mining Company and we will work with Corven in Buenos Aires to develop downstream applications. In the next 100 years, new energy vehicles will certainly be a new engine for the world economy. Gotion is willing to work with visionary people in Argentina to jointly create a new era of energy industry.
Daniel Scioli, Argentina's minister of Production and Development, Ariel Schale, The industry minister, President Fernandez was accompanied by Cecilia Todesca, Minister of International Economic Relations, and Fernanda Avila, Minister of Mines, and communicated with the Gotion High-tech team on the development of the lithium industry.
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SOURCE Gotion High-Tech | 2022-06-28T08:24:37+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/argentine-president-fernandez-meet-with-gotion-high-tech-chairman-li-zhen/ |
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, May 15, 2022
_____
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Binghamton NY
510 PM EDT Sun May 15 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Cayuga,
west central Cortland and northeastern Tompkins Counties through 530
PM EDT...
At 509 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Sempronius, or 9 miles northwest of Cortland, moving southeast at 15
mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Cortland, Homer, Groton, Locke, Sempronius, South Cortland, East
Homer, Munsons Corners, Mc Lean and Cortland West.
This includes the following highway exits...
New York Interstate 81 between 11 and 12.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
LAT...LON 4265 7646 4275 7634 4267 7604 4251 7629
TIME...MOT...LOC 2109Z 304DEG 15KT 4267 7633
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
_____
Copyright 2022 AccuWeather | 2022-05-15T21:56:15+00:00 | sfgate.com | https://www.sfgate.com/weather/article/NY-WFO-BINGHAMTON-Warnings-Watches-and-17174627.php |
California regulators announced plans Wednesday to speed up the state’s clean-energy transition by cutting demand for fossil fuels by the end of the decade, including ending the construction of new gas-burning power plants — moves that would help combat climate change but could put the state at higher risk of power blackouts.
The proposal, which goes before the California Air Resources Board for a vote next month, lays out how the state could reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, one of the most ambitious timelines in the nation. While it does not have the force of a legal ban on new gas power plants, its approval would make clear to other state agencies, including the California Public Utilities Commission, the state’s current policy.
If California follows through on the proposed plan, planet-warming emissions are expected to fall by 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2045. California would also blow past its interim target, which requires that emissions fall by 40 percent by 2030. The new plan anticipates a cut of 48 percent by the end of the decade.
“The climate is changing before our eyes. We need to take action to reduce the worst impacts of a changing climate and there is only one way to do that, break forever our dependence on fossil fuels,” said Liane Randolph, chair of the air board. Yet she cautioned that reaching the state’s targets would be a challenge. The plan “calls for a build-out of renewable energy resources at a rate we have never seen before in this state,” she said.
Though an earlier proposal would have allowed the state to expand its use of gas, regulators said they ultimately struck this part at the urging of climate advocates speaking on behalf of disadvantaged neighborhoods near oil refineries and gas plants.
California’s aspirations of transitioning rapidly to clean energy have been frustrated by the continuing threat of rolling blackouts, especially on hot summer nights when air conditioners are buzzing and the state can’t tap power from solar farms.
In June, California lawmakers approved a contentious plan, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, that would extend the life of old natural gas power plants and the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant to help shore up the electricity grid. This week’s action by the air resources board would not affect that legislation, but it would prevent construction of any new natural gas plants, even those built with technology to limit emissions.
In addition, clean-air regulators in September announced a ban on new sales of natural gas heaters, water heaters and furnaces by 2030. That prohibition is part of a new, comprehensive blueprint to meet federal ozone standards over the next 15 years, but also will benefit the climate by reducing carbon emissions.
Under the plan put together by air board staff and announced Wednesday, many of the biggest cuts would come from the transportation sector. California has banned the sale of gas-burning cars by 2035, and the board is working on a proposal to end sales of diesel big rigs, delivery vans and other large vehicles within the next two decades.
But the proposal also calls for rapid electrification of buildings: 3 million all-electric homes by 2030 and 7 million by 2035. If the state is to meet its targets, officials estimate it will need 6 million heat pumps by 2030 and 20 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2045.
“The backbone of this transition is going to be having a clean grid,” said Rajinder Sahota, the board’s deputy executive director for climate change and research. Powering millions of cars, trucks and home appliances with electricity will require the state to nearly double its existing electricity generation and quadruple wind and solar power, she said.
Still, California does not expect to quit oil and gas. Older gas-burning cars and trucks will be on the road for years to come, and some of the hardest-to-transition industries, such as cement plants, are not expected to break free of fossil fuels anytime soon. “Existing fossil gas generation will continue to play a critical role in grid reliability” until other alternatives can be deployed, the plan notes.
To address these remaining sources of greenhouse gas, the proposal recommends use of technology to capture and store carbon. Environmental advocates have criticized this part of the state’s plan, saying it relies on unproven technology and would allow polluting industries to continue operating in parts of the state burdened with some of the worst air pollution in the country. | 2022-11-16T20:21:02+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/16/california-natural-gas-plants/ |
Less than two years after enacting a sweeping climate law, Massachusetts is at it again. On Thursday, Gov. Charlie Baker signed the so-called “Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind” bill into law.
The new law builds on the 2021 law by providing more details about how the state can meet its ambitious climate targets and clean energy goals for 2050 and beyond.
The full text of the legislation is almost 100 pages, and it’s pretty dense reading. If you’re looking for the highlights, we have you covered.
Here is what you should know about Massachusetts’ new climate law:
Clean energy
Invests in offshore wind industry
One of the main goals of this law is to aid and expand the offshore wind industry — and specifically, to do so in a way that maximizes and equitably distributes economic and environmental benefits. To this end, the law does several things.
It once and for all eliminates the “price cap,” a controversial rule that required every new offshore wind project to deliver cheaper electricity than previous projects. Critics of the cap argued that by prioritizing power prices, Massachusetts was sacrificing important economic development opportunities and possibly even disincentivizing wind developers from bidding on project solicitations.
And speaking of the solicitation process, the law also says that when the state is selecting new projects, it must give more weight to bids that promise manufacturing investments, employment opportunities for low income and minority workers, supply contracts with minority and women-owned small businesses, job training opportunities, project labor agreements and other environmental and socioeconomic benefits.
What’s more, the big investor-owed utilities like National Grid and Eversource will no longer play a role in helping to select winning bids. That power is now solely in the hands of the Department of Energy Resources and an independent evaluator.
The law also puts the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in charge of making sure the state has the necessary port infrastructure and job training programs. The center will also oversee the administration of new tax incentives, grants, loans, and other investment opportunities to help build a domestic supply chain, support new technologies and establish more job training programs.
Finally, the law directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to help schools across the state establish pilot programs for offshore wind job training. As part of this work, the department needs to track the number of low-income, English-langue learners and students with disabilities who complete a certificate program.
Solar panels in a field at Knowlton Farm, Grafton, Mass. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Updates solar rules
The law closes several solar “loopholes,” such as a rule that said only one solar installation per property could qualify for net metering. The law not only scraps that rule, but allows homeowners to be compensated for up to 25 kilowatts of solar power instead of just 10.
The law also makes it easier for farmers and ranchers to put up solar panels in fields where they grow food or raise livestock. And it establishes new incentives for solar projects that are paired with pollinator-friendly plants.
Catalogs energy storage
From various batteries to pumped hydro, the law directs the Department of Energy Resources to catalog all of the energy storage technologies available and under development in the state, and to issue recommendations by the end of 2023 about how to add more storage capacity to the grid.
Also, if the department deems it “beneficial to the commonwealth,” it may issue solicitations for up to 4,800 gigawatt-hours of storage — a substantial increase over what Massachusetts currently has in operation.
Invests in the electricity grid
Building renewable energy projects is one thing, but getting that power to households across the region is a whole other issue. New England’s transmission system — the high voltage wires that carry electricity long distances — is not ready for the energy transition we need to undertake to meet our climate goals. The law does a few things to address this.
It establishes a Clean Energy Transmission Working Group to study the best ways to work with other New England states to build new transmission capacity or upgrade existing lines. And it establishes a Grid Modernization Advisory Council, which will help ensure utilities make proactive and cost-effective transmission upgrades.
The law also authorizes the Department of Energy Resources to start soliciting bids from companies that want to build an offshore transmission system to help bring power from offshore wind projects to shore.
Declares biomass electricity isn’t renewable
Whether to give renewable energy credits to wood-burning biomass facilities has been a contentious topic in Massachusetts over the last few years. The new law supersedes the Department of Energy Resources’ controversial proposal to rewrite biomass rules.
Now, a woody biomass facility can only get credits for the electricity it generates if it was already getting those credits as of January 1, 2022. In practice, this just means that the two small combined-heat and power facilities in the state can continue to qualify.
Biomass is still eligible for credits under a different state program that rewards generators of “clean heat.”
Invests in other carbon-free energy
The law creates an investment fund that the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center can use to help support clean energy research, build relevant infrastructure and otherwise assist the growing industry.
It also, for the first time, gives MassCEC the ability to help companies working on nuclear fusion, networked geothermal and deep geothermal energy technology. And, in an effort to help people in underserved communities access clean energy jobs, the bill aims to help MassCEC expand its workforce development programs.
A rider boards the 23 bus in Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Transportation
Bans internal combustion vehicle sales
Massachusetts joins the growing list of states banning car dealerships from selling new gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles after 2035. (Used internal combustion engine vehicles can still be sold.)
Increases EV rebates
The current state rebate for a new electric vehicle is $2,500. The new law increases this amount to $3,500 for new and used vehicles costing $55,000 or less, and throws in an extra $1,000 for residents who trade in a gas powered car or truck. There are also some incentives for medium and heavy duty zero-emission vehicles.
Adds more EV chargers
The law makes it clear that in order to get more people to use electric vehicles, the state needs more charging infrastructure. To that end, it creates a single state council to oversee the deployment of public chargers, with an eye toward building out these stations in an equitable and accessible way.
The state Department of Transportation is also required to install chargers at all Mass Pike service plazas, five commuter rail stations, five subway stations, and at least one ferry terminal. The department will also need to collect and report data about issues with charging infrastructure.
Expands access to EVs
Electric vehicles aren’t cheap. Beyond the new rebates described above, the law allows lower-income residents to get an extra $1,500 on new and used EV purchases. It also mandates that the state do more outreach about EVs in lower income neighborhoods in and places with a lot of vehicular air pollution.
The state will need to track this effort and report annually about EV adoption among low- and moderate-income households and people of color. It will also need to build a website to help people find available EVs at car dealerships.
Greens public transit
Beginning in 2030, the MBTA can only buy zero-emission buses, and it must electrify the whole fleet by 2040.
What’s more, the MBTA needs to prioritize putting zero-emission vehicles on the road in environmental justice communities, and it needs to start factoring emissions and climate resiliency into its long-term planning.
Outside of the MBTA, the law requires various state agencies to help regional transit authorities develop electrification plans, study the challenges of electrifying all school buses and oversee emissions reductions from ride hailing programs like Uber and Lyft.
Pipelines at the Weymouth Natural Gas Compressor Station. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Fossil fuels and buildings
Lets some cities ban fossil fuels
One of the more controversial aspects of the original bill was a provision giving 10 municipalities the ability to ban fossil fuel hookups in new construction or major renovation projects. The governor said repeatedly that he had concerns about how this would affect housing prices and availability, and his amended version of the bill included a lot of changes in this section.
The legislature ignored his suggestions, and the pilot program remains the same as in the original bill: Only cities and towns that have met the state’s 10% affordable housing target can qualify, and the requirements won’t apply to health care facilities and science labs.
Additionally, participating municipalities must collect and report detailed data about emission reductions, construction costs and utility bills.
Incentivizes electric appliances
There are some big changes coming for Mass Save, the state’s energy efficiency program. Beginning in 2025, Mass Save can no longer offer incentives or rebates for fossil fuel-powered heating and cooling systems, unless they are a backup to an electric heat pump, or are being installed in low-income housing or some hard-to-electrify buildings like big commercial and industrial spaces. Mass Save will also be required to do more work in lower income neighborhoods and publish data annually about this effort.
The law also requires electric utilities to establish off-peak rates for EV charging — meaning you’d pay less for electricity you used to charge your car when demand is low.
And finally, the law directs the Department of Public Utilities to find ways it make it easier for residents and communities to install geothermal heating and cooling systems.
Targets large buildings and school
The law requires that all buildings over 20,000 square feet report their emissions annually. The state must also explore ways to make K-12 school buildings all electric, more energy efficient and improve indoor air quality.
Addresses future of natural gas
The law takes aim at the Department of Public Utilities’ ongoing work on the future of natural gas in the state. The department has been criticized for letting the utility companies write their own plans, and this law gives environmental groups and the public a bigger role in the planning process.
The law also explicitly directs the Department of Public Utilities to ensure that its program to replace aging and leaking natural gas pipelines doesn’t run counter to the state’s decarbonization goals. And for the first time, it enables utilities to use money from the program to install big geothermal heat projects.
Other gas related measures include a provision barring commercial, industrial and multifamily building owners from using the state’s Commercial PACE program loans to upgrade natural gas heating systems, or switch from oil to natural gas boilers. In addition, new language requires utilities experimenting with networked geothermal projects to submit detailed plans about how they could decommission their natural gas infrastructure throughout the state.
____
Correction: An earlier version of this post contained the wrong date for when Mass Save can no longer offer incentives for fossil fuel-powered heating and cooling systems. The story has been updated. We regret the error.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 WBUR. To see more, visit WBUR. | 2022-08-12T23:55:28+00:00 | nepm.org | https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2022-08-12/what-to-know-about-the-new-massachusetts-climate-law |
Growing up in the hills of western Massachusetts, Astrid Sheckels always had a knack for telling and drawing stories — and she’s managed to turn those skills into a full-time career.
Now an award-winning author and illustrator, Sheckels recently released "Hector Fox and the Raven’s Revenge" — the second book in her popular children’s series. Two more installments are also planned. Sheckels told NEPM's Connecting Point that her interest in storytelling through pictures began with her family.
Astrid Sheckels, author and illustrator: I do come from an artistic family. My dad's a furniture maker and designer. I think our whole home was just filled with art and filled with books. I grew up without a television. I think there are probably lots of kids now that don't actually have a TV in their house.
But we did spend a lot of time reading. I was read a lot to out loud when I was little and I loved books, especially picture books. I had difficulty learning to read, with dyslexia issues, so I gravitated naturally to books where the illustrations told the story, where you could just look at the book and the illustrations really carried the narrative.
And also, when I was little, I was always drawing and telling stories through my drawings, and my dad would draw with me. My mom very patiently would listen to all the stories I would tell. It was just something that was nurtured and developed while I was young and I just kept going with it.
Zydalis Bauer, NEPM: I know that you also mentioned that you felt right at home when creating this series. So how was that so and where did the idea come from for this four-part installment?
Along with drawing, I have always loved animals. So being able to take and create this world for a group of anthropomorphic animals that just go on these adventures just felt really — it did feel like coming home and I guess just developing characters that sort of break the stereotype.
The main character is a fox and he's not the typical storybook fox — you know, mean and about to eat everybody and and kind of creepy. Hector Fox is very he's kind and — he is smart — but he's kind and he's cultured and has paintings on his walls and just gets along really well with a whole group of animals. Many of them in the natural world would be his prey, but they get along really well.
It's very much from my own imagination. When I was first starting out doing books, everything was very realistic. And then here, with this series, just being able to let my imagination kind of run wild was really fun.
Yeah, it's just like the child inside of you that imagines you'd be in the forest and all these animals would be your friend and they talk to you, so I totally get that. And I know that your books are catered to young readers, So what is it that you enjoy most about writing and illustrating for children's books?
I love being able to share these fun, imaginative stories with children, especially through the illustrations and really letting the illustrations do the telling. With this kind of picture book, you really want the text and the artwork to work hand-in-hand. Like, if you take the illustrations away, the story isn't going to work.
And I would hope that this would encourage children to go outside and go exploring. And when they come across a tree say, "Hey, that could be Hector's tree." Or in the case of this new book, "Oh, there's a feather. What does this feather actually mean? Is there some meaning behind this feather I've just found?" And ask those kind of questions. Those kind of "what if" and then let your imagination go.
You've also said that children are often the toughest critics. And so how does that challenge you as a storyteller and an illustrator?
Because it really challenges me to stay true. Because children will totally pick up if an adult is preaching at them or talking down to them and or if there's something that doesn't ring true. So I have to continually ask myself, "OK, is this ringing true? And is this something that would click for kids?"
When I was looking through the illustrations in your book, immediately it transported me back into my childhood and — honestly — I had this like sense of this carefree feeling that you really only truly have when you're young. So, as an artist, what do you hope that readers see and feel when they're engaging with your work?
Well, I really hope that they will do what I've been doing and what the characters in the books do is go out and go exploring and just sort of keep an open mind and look for friends in unexpected places. And I also hope that it will be this kind of carefree, safe feeling. As in, when the characters are together, it doesn't really matter if they encounter a giant or if there's some kind of mystery they're needing to solve that's maybe a little scary, but it's not because they're together. And together they are in a safe place. | 2022-08-26T14:25:32+00:00 | nepm.org | https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2022-08-26/with-hector-fox-series-astrid-sheckels-urges-kids-to-explore-ask-questions |
Health care affordability innovator will be available to more than 100 hospitals and clinics in Iowa
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PayZen, a mission-driven fintech company tackling health care affordability for patients and providers with artificial-intelligence-powered financing solutions, announced a partnership with the Iowa Hospital Association and its subsidiary, ServiShare. The partnership solidifies PayZen as the top patient financing platform for IHA's network of 117 hospitals, 17 health systems and the patients they serve.
After a rigorous review process, IHA selected PayZen for its innovative approach to affordability and best-in-class financing solution, finding an essential opportunity to serve the critical needs of consumers statewide.. By offering flexible payment options, PayZen looks to eliminate medical debt for Iowans and make health care more affordable in the face of a recession, while enabling providers to improve performance and provide the essential care needed for their communities.
"PayZen not only met our standards of service for our members but also demonstrated the ability to work successfully with providers in rural settings," said Perry Meyer, executive vice president of IHA and SeriviShare. "Rural providers are under immense pressure to deliver quality care with limited resources, but with PayZen's unique approach to solving patient affordability, we can provide personalized financial solutions for all Iowans looking to access affordable health care across our member hospitals."
The partnership comes on the heels of a Kaiser Foundation study in June 2022 study in June that provided an in-depth look at the impact of medical debt and its reach across America's population. According to the study, Iowans owe an average of $582 in medical debt with more than 10% of the state's residents with medical debt in collections. PayZen reduces this debt for patients while also bringing in more revenue by boosting patient collections for hospitals struggling to keep their doors open, an issue IHA has highlighted in past reports.
"One of the ways our platform brings value to health care providers, large and small, is its flexibility and ease of integration,'' said Ed Young, vice president of solutions at PayZen. "Our platform can be used by organizations with limited resources and requires no IT investment to implement, while still giving every patient individualized payment options to fit their budgets. We are excited to work with IHA and their members to deliver a better financial experience to their patients."
Using PayZen's technology platform, both patients and providers achieve better financial outcomes. For Iowa hospitals offering PayZen, all patients who apply are automatically approved for PayZen's 0% interest, no-fee payment plans without a credit check. Payment options are determined by an AI algorithm that analyzes more than 30,000 financial data points to present customized monthly installments and terms up to 60 months. For providers, PayZen consistently produces 30% increases in patient collections with no recourse, which means accelerated cash flow, reduced days in accounts receivable and improvements to the bottom line.
To learn more about PayZen, visit www.payzen.com.
PayZen is a mission-driven health care fintech company that aims to tackle the growing patient payment responsibility problem with superior technology and a modern approach, "Care Now, Pay Later." By prioritizing the patient experience and cutting administrative burden, PayZen looks to improve the patient-provider relation and slice the impact of medical debt on both sides. PayZen is backed by leading equity and credit capital investors and is led by proven technology veterans with a successful track record of helping millions of Americans overcome financial struggles.
Headquartered in Des Moines, the Iowa Hospital Association is a voluntary membership organization representing hospital and health system interests to business, government and consumer audiences. IHA provides advocacy on behalf of Iowa's hospitals as well as educational programming and data services. All but one of Iowa's 118 community hospitals are IHA members. Those hospitals employ more than 76,000 people and create an $8 billion impact on the state's economy.
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SOURCE PayZen | 2022-08-09T13:45:37+00:00 | kcbd.com | https://www.kcbd.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/payzen-announces-partnership-with-iowa-hospital-association/ |
SELMA, Calif. (AP) — A police officer in California's Central Valley was shot and killed Tuesday and a suspect was arrested.
The Selma officer was patrolling in the small Fresno County city shortly before noon when someone flagged down his patrol car and said there was a suspicious person in a yard, KFSN-TV reported.
As the officer left his car, he was shot several times. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. His name wasn't immediately released.
A 23-year-old man was later found and arrested and a gun believed to have been used in the shooting was seized in the area, police said.
“I’m absolutely outraged. I am horrified right now,” Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz during a press conference.
The motive for the shooting was under investigation but may have been gang-related, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni said.
The man arrested had a criminal record that included robbery and gun possession charges and he was wanted by probation officers, authorities said. | 2023-02-01T02:13:44+00:00 | expressnews.com | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/california-central-valley-police-officer-shot-and-17755392.php |
Visit Included a Tour of Zum's San Francisco Bus Yard and Ride-Along on a Zum EV School Bus
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, David Turk, met with executives and staff at Zūm, the nation's leader in modern, sustainable student transportation.
The visit, which took place at Zum's San Francisco bus yard, included a tour of the facilities, a ride on one of Zum's electric buses, and a meeting with Zum leadership, including company founder and CEO, Ritu Narayan, and co-founder and COO, Vivek Garg, as well as Archie Fokin, Executive Director, Transportation Department, San Francisco Unified School District.
"We were honored to host Deputy Secretary Turk and discuss our shared commitment to sustainability, innovation and equity in student transportation," Narayan said. "Zum is proud to be leading an industry-wide shift in transitioning the nation's 500,000 school buses from diesel to electric. We commend our district partners and the Administration in supporting our vision for a zero-emission future."
The Deputy Secretary also met some of the Zum operations staff and drivers who serve more than 3,500 students and 200+ bus routes in the San Francisco Unified School District.
Zum serves thousands of schools nationwide, including the nation's second largest school district, Los Angeles Unified School District. Other innovative school districts that have partnered with Zum for their student transportation needs include Oakland Unified School District, Metro Nashville Public Schools and Seattle Public Schools.
Zum's solution addresses:
- Sustainability - Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and the U.S. student transportation system – the nation's largest mass transit system – costs $28 billion per year. As the first and only 100% carbon neutral student transportation company in the U.S., Zum is committed to transitioning school bus fleets to electric vehicles. Through its Net Zero Initiative, the company has already offset 100% of its fleet's carbon emissions.
- Efficiency - Zum's cloud-based routing platforms decrease commute times and costs. School districts and families are already seeing the benefits of working with Zum: San Francisco Unified School District is on track to save $15 million over the next five years. In Oakland, the number of students spending more than one hour on a bus has dropped from 70 percent to less than 10 percent.
- Transparency - Through the Zum app, parents receive real-time information about vehicle location and their child's pickup or drop off time and status. District administrators and operators are able to track rides, and routes are adjusted in real time to account for absent students or traffic issues.
- Safety - Through Zum's proprietary safety technology, driver training, and certification program, SafeGuard, all drivers not only meet and exceed all state and federal requirements but also are trained on and required to adhere to specific protocols while picking up or dropping off students and while driving.
- Equity - Modernizing transportation can address inequalities the current system exacerbates. Students with longer average times on buses report lower grades, fewer social activities and poorer study habits. Because low-income families, children of color and children with special needs are more likely to depend on school buses, they're disproportionately affected. Zum works to ensure equity and access for all students.
Zum's solution is built around the needs of students, families and the teachers, administrators and drivers committed to creating the best educational experience for children. For more information, visit: www.ridezum.com.
About Zūm
Zum has reimagined student transportation, the nation's largest mass transit system. Our robust operations and integrated end-to-end cloud-based platform provides a modern student transportation service for school districts purpose-built around the needs of kids and the expectations of their families. Zūm provides one seamless, real-time interface for parents, drivers, schools, districts, administrators and operators to transport children safely and with increased visibility and personalized care. Always investing in the wellbeing of the communities, Zum is also the only carbon neutral student transportation provider in the nation with plans to go Net Zero with EV transition. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.
CONTACT:
press@ridezum.com
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SOURCE Zūm | 2023-01-12T01:22:05+00:00 | witn.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2023/01/12/us-deputy-secretary-energy-david-turk-meets-with-zm-leader-sustainable-tech-enabled-student-transportation/ |
Iowa man who tried to vote twice charged with election misconduct
A man is charged with election misconduct after he allegedly completed an absentee ballot and later voted in person.
Police have charged 65-year-old Charles Hurd, of Winterset, with first-degree election misconduct, a class D felony.
According to court documents, Hurd requested an absentee ballot at the Madison County Courthouse on Oct. 19. The county auditor said he completed the ballot and turned it in that same day.
Then, Hurd went to the voting polls on Election Day on Nov. 8 and presented his identification card. Poll workers told Hurd he had already received a ballot. But Hurd allegedly told the workers that he had not voted in the election.
Court documents state Hurd was provided a State of Iowa Official Voter Registration Form that he signed in order to cast his second ballot. The registration form under the "Affidavit of Provisional Voter" states, "I have not voted and will not vote in any other precinct in this election."
Charges were filed on Dec. 19. | 2022-12-28T15:39:12+00:00 | kcci.com | https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-man-voted-twice-election-misconduct/42354447 |
Duke vs. Oral Roberts: Odds, spread, over/under and other Vegas lines - NCAA Tournament First Round
The No. 5 Duke Blue Devils (26-8) take on the No. 12 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (30-4) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, starting at 7:10 PM.
You can take a look at odds, spreads, over/unders and more across multiple sportsbooks for the Duke vs. Oral Roberts matchup in this article.
Duke vs. Oral Roberts Game Info
- When: Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 7:10 PM ET
- Where: Amway Center in Orlando, Florida
- How to Watch on TV: CBS
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Duke vs. Oral Roberts Odds, Spread, Over/Under
See the odds, spread and over/under for this matchup on several sportsbooks.
Duke vs. Oral Roberts Betting Trends
- Duke has covered 15 times in 34 matchups with a spread this season.
- A total of 14 out of the Blue Devils' 34 games this season have hit the over.
- Oral Roberts has won 13 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover or pushing 17 times.
- A total of 13 Golden Eagles games this year have hit the over.
Duke Futures Odds
- Odds to win the national championship: +3500
- Duke is 13th-best in college basketball in terms of its odds to win the national championship (+3500), but only 14th-best, according to computer rankings.
- The Blue Devils' national championship odds have fallen from +1600 at the start of the season to +3500, the 68th-biggest change among all teams.
- Duke's chances of winning the national championship, based on its odds, are 2.8%.
Oral Roberts Futures Odds
- Odds to win the national championship: +70000
- Based on its moneyline odds, Oral Roberts has a 0.1% chance of winning the national championship.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-17T14:42:30+00:00 | newschannel10.com | https://www.newschannel10.com/sports/betting/2023/03/16/duke-oral-roberts-college-basketball-odds-spread-over-under-ncaa-tournament-first-round/ |
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso’s former President Blaise Compaore returned to the West African country Thursday, the first time since being ousted in a popular uprising eight years ago.
The former leader arrived at the Ouagadougou airport, according to Western diplomats and the Emir of Lipatko, a traditional leader.
Compaore, who’s been in exile in neighboring Ivory Coast since 2014, came back to be part of an unprecedented meeting on Friday of former heads of state to discuss Burkina Faso’s future, said a statement by the government.
Compaore is to join past presidents Michel Kafando, Yacouba Isaac Zida, Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo and Roch Marc Christian Kabore, according to the statement.
It’s unclear how long Compaore will stay in the country.
Friday’s meeting has been called by the ruling junta led by Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba who seized power in a coup in January and has had himself appointed interim president.
The summit meeting of former leaders comes as Burkina Faso grapples with soaring jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that’s killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people.
Compaore, who seized power from his long-time friend and revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara in a 1987 coup, ruled Burkina Faso with an iron fist for nearly 30 years. He was known for both fuelling regional conflicts in West Africa and playing peacemaker, supporting warlords like Liberia’s Charles Taylor. However, Compaore was praised by the U.N. for contributing to peace and stability in Mali when the neighboring country was nearly overrun by jihadis a decade ago.
Compaore was ousted in 2014 after weeks of protests sparked by legislative proposals to remove term limits, which would have allowed him to extend his rule.
Compaore’s return has sparked mixed reactions.
He was recently tried in absentia and sentenced to life in prison after being found complicit in Sankara’s murder in 1987 and for undermining state security. Lawyers for the Sankara family have called for his arrest upon arrival, said a statement issued earlier this week seen by The Associated Press.
The military junta said Friday’s meeting doesn’t “hinder legal proceedings” against some of those attending, but didn’t elaborate on what that meant.
Compaore’s return is controversial and a step backward for the conflict-riddled nation, say conflict analysts.
“As much as current authorities are trying to make this look like part of reconciliation efforts, it also sends the wrong message,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan-based organization.
“Removing Blaise from power in 2014 was celebrated as a victory against an authoritarian regime, but his return is yet another step back in Burkina Faso and its fight for a better democracy,” said Lyammouri.
Compaore’s return and the unusual gathering of former leaders is a move by the ruling junta to increase its legitimacy and to get the influential former leaders to endorse its agenda, said a European diplomat in Burkina Faso who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Junta leader Damiba came to power promising to secure Burkina Faso from jihadi violence but is struggling to stem the increasing insurgency. Friday’s meeting is the latest of a series of initiatives to strengthen military operations and improve relations with neighboring countries and the international community.
Last week the junta agreed to a 24-month transition period to elections starting from July, reducing its original timeline of three years, which prompted the 15-nation West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, to drop its threat of sanctions.
Some residents tired of the current violence, see Compaore’s return as a chance to move the nation forward.
“We, the traditional and customary leaders, seek national reconciliation, social cohesion and peace. This is the best security for all,” Ousmane Amirou Dicko, the Emir of Liptako, told AP. “We are not for the spirit of revenge.” | 2022-07-08T15:40:37+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/ap-international/burkina-fasos-ex-leader-compaore-returns-for-crisis-meeting/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A magazine and website that has served Bruce Springsteen’s fans for 43 years is shutting down, with its publisher writing that he’s been disillusioned by the debate over ticket prices for their hero’s current tour.
Backstreets had been an unusually robust publication that imposed journalistic rigor on its writing and photography, while leaving no doubt of its fan worship.
But the complaints about high ticket prices left people there “dispirited, downhearted and yes, disillusioned,” publisher Christopher Phillips wrote late last week in a post announcing the shutdown.
“Disappointment is a common feeling among hardcore fans in the Backstreets community,” he wrote. Phillips did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Springsteen’s manager, Jon Landau, said that “we are very sorry to hear the news of Backstreets closing and want to thank Chris Phillips for his 30 years of dedication on behalf of Springsteen fans everywhere. “
There was an uproar among some Springsteen fans when tickets first went on sale last summer, particularly over Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model, which sent tickets soaring to $5,000 or more when there was high demand. At a congressional hearing last month following the fiasco over Ticketmaster’s handling of Taylor Swift tour tickets, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana suggested major artists like Springsteen and Swift should demand fee caps.
Springsteen’s team has defended the prices as being in line with what is charged today by many of his peers. Like many artists, he says he’s annoyed when unscrupulous ticket brokers — not the musicians — benefit from high markups.
Ticketmaster has said the vast majority of fans were able to buy tickets at face value, which averaged $202. The tour began Feb. 1 in Tampa, Florida.
Many Springsteen fans have been with him for decades, appreciating his working class New Jersey roots, and can remember when a ticket for a four-hour, high-energy show on the “Darkness on the Edge of Town” tour in 1978 could be had for $7.50.
That’s not reality anymore. Springsteen hasn’t backed down, telling Rolling Stone magazine that fans unhappy with the price after seeing the show can have their money back.
“You certainly don’t like to be the poster boy for high ticket prices,” he told the magazine, but said you have to own your decisions and do your best.
Phillips wrote that many Backstreets readers have lost interest because they can’t afford to go to the show.
He said he hadn’t given up on being a fan of Springsteen’s music, and that others shouldn’t, either.
“We simply realized that we would not be able to cover this tour with the drive and sense of purpose with which we’ve operated continuously since 1980,” he wrote. “That determination came with a quickening sense that we’d reach the end of an era.” | 2023-02-08T14:34:45+00:00 | pix11.com | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-after-ticket-flap-springsteens-fan-magazine-shutting-down/ |
3 injured in fiery train derailment caused by rockslide
SANDSTONE, W.Va. (AP) — An empty coal train hit a rockslide along tracks in West Virginia on Wednesday morning, causing a fiery derailment that injured three crewmembers, CSX Transportation said in a statement.
Four locomotives and 22 empty cars derailed in Summers County near the New River, CSX said. The lead locomotive, which carried a conductor, an engineer and an engineer trainee, caught fire and the crewmembers were being evaluated and treated for non-life threatening injuries, the company said.
CSX said an unoccupied locomotive was partially in the waterway where an unknown amount of diesel fuel and oil spilled, officials said. Environmental teams were deploying containment measures.
The derailment occurred in a remote area just south of Sandstone inside the New River National Park and Preserve, according to a statement from the West Virginia Emergency Management Division. Several state agencies are monitoring the situation and said public water systems downstream have been notified and are monitoring for any potential public health impacts.
No hazardous materials were being transported and there was no danger to the public, CSX said.
The company said employee and community safety was a top priority as it sends teams to assess the situation and develop a recovery plan.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-08T20:34:37+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/2023/03/08/3-injured-fiery-train-derailment-caused-by-rockslide/ |
A stampede at a Ramadan charity event in Yemen has killed scores of people. The tragedy was Yemen's deadliest in years that was not related to the country's long-running war.
Copyright 2023 NPR
A stampede at a Ramadan charity event in Yemen has killed scores of people. The tragedy was Yemen's deadliest in years that was not related to the country's long-running war.
Copyright 2023 NPR | 2023-04-20T09:29:36+00:00 | kpcc.org | https://www.kpcc.org/2023-04-20/deadly-stampede-in-yemen-comes-ahead-of-the-muslim-holiday-of-eid-al-fitr |
MONTREAL, Nov. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Find Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapies for autoimmune diseases, today announced the formation of a clinical advisory board to support its lead program, FTX-101, a novel remyelinating agent.
The clinical advisory board will guide the company in the development of its autoimmune programs in demyelinating diseases such as optic neuritis, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
"We are honored to work with such an esteemed group of highly accomplished clinicians and researchers," said Philippe Douville, Chief Executive Officer of Find Therapeutics. "Their deep knowledge of complex underlying disease processes and their understanding of patient needs will be instrumental as we advance our autoimmune programs. With the formation of our clinical advisory board, we have positioned ourselves to benefit from strategic insights from world leaders in demyelinating diseases."
"Similar to other members of Find's Clinical Advisory Board, I have dedicated my career to uncovering new notions of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and optic neuritis. I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the talented Clinical Advisory Board team working with Find to translate these exciting discoveries into new treatments for patients," said Dr. Mark Freedman.
The members of the clinical advisory board include:
- Douglas Arnold, MD – Dr. Douglas Arnold is a world leading expert and key opinion leader in neuroimaging. He is a Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, Director of the Magnetic Resonance Studies lab in the Brain Imaging Center at the Montreal Neurological Institute, and President of NeuroRx Research, a CNS imaging CRO dedicated to drug development for MS. He has special expertise in myelin-sensitive imaging and other advanced MRI acquisition and analysis techniques, particularly as they relate to understanding the evolution of multiple sclerosis and its response to drug therapy.
- Jeffrey Cohen, MD – Dr. Jeffrey Cohen is an internationally recognized expert in multiple sclerosis and is Professor of Neurology in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and holds the Hazel Prior Hostetler Endowed Chair. He received a BA from Connecticut College in 1976 and MD from the University of Chicago School of Medicine in 1980. He completed a Neurology Residency in 1984 then a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship in Neuroimmunology in 1987, both at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cohen has worked at Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for MS since 1994 and was Director 2014-2017. He currently is Director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program and the Clinical Neuroimmunology Fellowship.
Dr. Cohen has published extensively on clinical, immunologic, imaging, and therapeutic aspects of MS. He has had a leadership role in a large number of clinical trials of potential therapies for MS, translational studies, studies to validate outcome measures, and observational studies. He recently served as Chair of the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS and Co-Chair of the International Panel on Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis which developed the 2017 McDonald Diagnostic Criteria. He was President of ACTRIMS 2019-2022. - Jérôme De Sèze, MD, PhD – Professor Jérôme De Sèze is a world leader in neurology and professor in neurology and head of the neuroimmunological department at the University Hospital of Strasbourg, France. He has a PhD in immunology and is a specialist in multiple sclerosis and neuro-ophthalmology as well as head of the clinical investigation centre at the same University where he oversees phase I to III trials predominantly in the field of neurology.
Professor de Sèze's research interests include biopathology of myelin, imaging of animal models for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system and evaluation of new therapeutic targets in these animal models.
In 2007, Professor de Sèze founded the "alSacEP", a network to improve the provision of MS care in the French region of Alsace. He is the Past President of the French Multiple Sclerosis society. - Mark S. Freedman, MD – Dr. Mark Freedman is an internationally recognized neurologist and key opinion leader. He is Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at the University of Ottawa, Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit at the Ottawa Hospital-General Campus.
Dr. Freedman conducts extensive research in molecular neurochemistry, cellular immunology, and clinical studies in MS. His basic science interest concerns immune mechanisms of damage in MS, with a particular interest in the role of the innate immune system such as gamma-delta T-cells. His main clinical interests are cell-based therapies for MS. He was the lead investigator of the Canadian Bone Marrow Transplant Study in MS and he co-headed an international study of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of MS. He is the current President of ACTRIMS. - Maria Pia Sormani, PhD – Dr. Sormani is a leading expert in statistics for clinical trials in demyelinating diseases. She is Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Genoa, Italy. She received her Masters in Medical Biostatistics at the University of Milan, her Master in Medical Physics at the University of Pisa, and her PhD degree in Bio-Physics at the University of Genoa in Italy. She has a background in Oncology, but her main field of Research is in Multiple Sclerosis. She collaborated for more than ten years with the Neuroimaging Research Unit at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, studying the methodological issues related to the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis. She is now faculty member at the University of Genoa, where she teaches Biostatistics and Research Methods to students in medicine.
She serves on the US Multiple Sclerosis National Society Clinical Trials Advisory Committee, in the Multiple Sclerosis Outcome Assessment Consortium (MSOAC), is on the Editorial Board of Multiple Sclerosis Journal and has published more than 470 papers in peer reviewed journals, mostly on MS.
Find Therapeutics also announced the launch of its new website to reflect the company's dedication to bringing hope to people suffering from autoimmune diseases. Find's website can be found at https://www.findtherapeutics.com/.
Find Therapeutics is dedicated to the development of next generation therapies to treat inflammatory autoimmune diseases. The company was launched in 2020 with investments from CTI Life Sciences, adMare BioInnovations, Domain Therapeutics, and GPCR technology and know-how from Peptimimesis Pharma. https://www.findtherapeutics.com
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SOURCE Find Therapeutics | 2022-11-07T14:58:04+00:00 | wlbt.com | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2022/11/07/find-therapeutics-announces-formation-its-clinical-advisory-board/ |
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
News Summary:
- $12.8 billion in revenue, flat year over year; GAAP EPS $0.73, up 7% year over year, and Non-GAAP EPS $0.87, up 5% year over year
- Solid demand with product order growth up 8% year over year
- Progress on business model transformation with total Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) at $22.4 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2022, up 11% year over year
- Q3 Results:
- Flat year over year
- GAAP EPS increased 7% year over year
- Non-GAAP EPS increased 5% year over year
- Q4 Guidance:
- FY 2022 Guidance:
Cisco today reported third quarter results for the period ended April 30, 2022. Cisco reported third quarter revenue of $12.8 billion, net income on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis of $3.0 billion or $0.73 per share, and non-GAAP net income of $3.6 billion or $0.87 per share.
"We continued to see solid demand for our technologies and our business transformation is progressing well," said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco. "While Covid lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine impacted our revenue in the quarter, the fundamental drivers across our business are strong and we remain confident in the long term."
"We delivered healthy earnings despite unanticipated disruptions through strong pricing and disciplined spend management," said Scott Herren, CFO of Cisco. "Our product backlog is well over $15 billion and product ARR and RPO again grew double digits. The continued progress in our business model transformation reflects the success of our strategy and underpins our long-term confidence."
The third quarter of fiscal 2022 had 13 weeks compared with 14 weeks in the third quarter of fiscal 2021.
Reconciliations between net income, EPS, and other measures on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis are provided in the tables located in the section entitled "Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP Measures."
Financial Summary
All comparative percentages are on a year-over-year basis unless otherwise noted.
Q3 FY 2022 Highlights
Revenue -- Total revenue was flat at $12.8 billion, with product revenue up 3% and service revenue down 8%. Revenue by geographic segment was: Americas up 5%, EMEA down 6%, and APJC down 6%. Product revenue performance was led by growth in Secure, Agile Networks up 4%, Internet for the Future up 6%, End-to-End Security up 7%, and Optimized Application Experiences up 8%. Collaboration was down 7%.
The third quarter of fiscal 2022 had 13 weeks compared with 14 weeks in the third quarter of fiscal 2021. The total additional revenue associated with the extra week in the third quarter of fiscal 2021 was approximately 3% of revenue growth.
In March 2022, in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Cisco announced its intention to stop business operations in Russia and Belarus for the foreseeable future. The total negative impact to revenue was approximately $200 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2022. Historically, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine collectively, represented approximately 1% of our total revenue.
Gross Margin -- On a GAAP basis, total gross margin, product gross margin, and service gross margin were 63.3%, 61.8%, and 67.3%, respectively, as compared with 63.9%, 62.6%, and 67.4%, respectively, in the third quarter of fiscal 2021.
On a non-GAAP basis, total gross margin, product gross margin, and service gross margin were 65.3%, 64.1%, and 68.9%, respectively, as compared with 66.0%, 64.9%, and 68.7%, respectively, in the third quarter of fiscal 2021.
Total gross margins by geographic segment were: 64.8% for the Americas, 65.9% for EMEA and 66.4% for APJC.
Operating Expenses -- On a GAAP basis, operating expenses were $4.5 billion, down 4%, and were 35.1% of revenue. Non-GAAP operating expenses were $3.9 billion, down 5%, and were 30.7% of revenue.
Operating Income -- GAAP operating income was $3.6 billion, up 4%, with GAAP operating margin of 28.1%. Non-GAAP operating income was $4.5 billion, up 4%, with non-GAAP operating margin at 34.7%.
Provision for Income Taxes -- The GAAP tax provision rate was 19.9%. The non-GAAP tax provision rate was 19.0%.
Net Income and EPS -- On a GAAP basis, net income was $3.0 billion, an increase of 6%, and EPS was $0.73, an increase of 7%. On a non-GAAP basis, net income was $3.6 billion, an increase of 3%, and EPS was $0.87, an increase of 5%.
Cash Flow from Operating Activities -- $3.7 billion for the third quarter of fiscal 2022, a decrease of 6% compared with $3.9 billion for the third quarter of fiscal 2021.
Balance Sheet and Other Financial Highlights
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Investments -- $20.1 billion at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2022, compared with $24.5 billion at the end of fiscal 2021.
Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) -- $30.2 billion, up 7% in total, with 54% of this amount to be recognized as revenue over the next 12 months. Product RPO were up 13% and service RPO were up 3%.
Deferred Revenue -- $22.3 billion, up 7% in total, with deferred product revenue up 13%. Deferred service revenue was up 2%.
Capital Allocation -- In the third quarter of fiscal 2022, we returned $1.8 billion to stockholders through share buybacks and dividends. We declared and paid a cash dividend of $0.38 per common share, or $1.6 billion, and repurchased approximately 5 million shares of common stock under our stock repurchase program at an average price of $54.20 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $252 million. The remaining authorized amount for stock repurchases under the program is $17.6 billion with no termination date.
Acquisitions
In the third quarter of fiscal 2022, we closed the acquisition of Opsani, a privately held enterprise software company.
Guidance
Cisco expects to achieve the following results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022:
Cisco estimates that GAAP EPS will be $0.60 to $0.70 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022.
Cisco expects to achieve the following results for fiscal 2022:
Cisco estimates that GAAP EPS will be $2.75 to $2.85 for fiscal 2022.
Our fiscal 2022 has 52 weeks compared with 53 weeks in fiscal 2021 which is reflected in the guidance.
Our Q4 FY 2022 and FY 2022 guidance assumes an effective tax provision rate of 19% for GAAP and non-GAAP results.
A reconciliation between the Guidance on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis is provided in the tables entitled "GAAP to non-GAAP Guidance" located in the section entitled "Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP Measures."
Editor's Notes:
- Q3 fiscal year 2022 conference call to discuss Cisco's results along with its guidance will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Conference call number is 1-888-848-6507 (United States) or 1-212-519-0847 (international).
- Conference call replay will be available from 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time, May 18, 2022 to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time, May 25, 2022 at 1-800-388-4923 (United States) or 1-203-369-3800 (international). The replay will also be available via webcast on the Cisco Investor Relations website at https://investor.cisco.com.
- Additional information regarding Cisco's financials, as well as a webcast of the conference call with visuals designed to guide participants through the call, will be available at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time, May 18, 2022. Text of the conference call's prepared remarks will be available within 24 hours of completion of the call. The webcast will include both the prepared remarks and the question-and-answer session. This information, along with the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliation information, will be available on the Cisco Investor Relations website at https://investor.cisco.com.
Except as noted above, this guidance does not include the effects of any future acquisitions/divestitures, asset impairments, Russia-Ukraine war costs, restructurings, (gains) and losses on equity investments and significant tax matters or other events, which may or may not be significant unless specifically stated.
Forward Looking Statements, Non-GAAP Information and Additional Information
This release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding future events (such as our ability to manage through ongoing supply constraints, the success of our strategy and confidence in our long-term growth, the fundamental drivers across our business being strong, the strong demand resulting in record backlogs, our business transformation shifting to more software and subscriptions, and our strategic investments in innovation to capitalize on significant growth opportunities and expanding addressable markets) and the future financial performance of Cisco (including the guidance for Q4 FY 2022 and full year FY 2022) that involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors, including: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures; business and economic conditions and growth trends in the networking industry, our customer markets and various geographic regions; global economic conditions and uncertainties in the geopolitical environment; overall information technology spending; the growth and evolution of the Internet and levels of capital spending on Internet-based systems; variations in customer demand for products and services, including sales to the service provider market and other customer markets; the return on our investments in certain priorities, key growth areas, and in certain geographical locations, as well as maintaining leadership in Secure, Agile Networks and services; the timing of orders and manufacturing and customer lead times; significant supply constraints; changes in customer order patterns or customer mix; insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; variability of component costs; variations in sales channels, product costs or mix of products sold; our ability to successfully acquire businesses and technologies and to successfully integrate and operate these acquired businesses and technologies; our ability to achieve expected benefits of our partnerships; increased competition in our product and service markets, including the data center market; dependence on the introduction and market acceptance of new product offerings and standards; rapid technological and market change; manufacturing and sourcing risks; product defects and returns; litigation involving patents, other intellectual property, antitrust, stockholder and other matters, and governmental investigations; our ability to achieve the benefits of restructurings and possible changes in the size and timing of related charges; cyber-attacks, data breaches or malware; vulnerabilities and critical security defects; terrorism; natural catastrophic events (including as a result of global climate change); any other pandemic or epidemic; our ability to achieve the benefits anticipated from our investments in sales, engineering, service, marketing and manufacturing activities; our ability to recruit and retain key personnel; our ability to manage financial risk, and to manage expenses during economic downturns; risks related to the global nature of our operations, including our operations in emerging markets; currency fluctuations and other international factors; changes in provision for income taxes, including changes in tax laws and regulations or adverse outcomes resulting from examinations of our income tax returns; potential volatility in operating results; and other factors listed in Cisco's most recent reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K filed on February 22, 2022 and September 9, 2021, respectively. The financial information contained in this release should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Cisco's most recent reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K as each may be amended from time to time. Cisco's results of operations for the three and nine months ended April 30, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of Cisco's operating results for any future periods. Any projections in this release are based on limited information currently available to Cisco, which is subject to change. Although any such projections and the factors influencing them will likely change, Cisco will not necessarily update the information, since Cisco will only provide guidance at certain points during the year. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.
This release includes non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP gross margins, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income and margin, non-GAAP effective tax rates, non-GAAP interest and other income (loss), net, and non-GAAP net income per share data for the periods presented. It also includes future estimated ranges for gross margin, operating margin, tax provision rate and EPS on a non-GAAP basis.
These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for, measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. Cisco believes that non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with Cisco's results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and that these measures should only be used to evaluate Cisco's results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures.
Cisco believes that the presentation of non-GAAP measures when shown in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures, provides useful information to investors and management regarding financial and business trends relating to its financial condition and its historical and projected results of operations.
For its internal budgeting process, Cisco's management uses financial statements that do not include, when applicable, share-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, acquisition-related/divestiture costs, significant asset impairments and restructurings, significant litigation settlements and other contingencies, Russia-Ukraine war costs, gains and losses on equity investments, the income tax effects of the foregoing and significant tax matters. Cisco's management also uses the foregoing non-GAAP measures, in addition to the corresponding GAAP measures, in reviewing the financial results of Cisco. In prior periods, Cisco has excluded other items that it no longer excludes for purposes of its non-GAAP financial measures. From time to time in the future there may be other items that Cisco may exclude for purposes of its internal budgeting process and in reviewing its financial results. For additional information on the items excluded by Cisco from one or more of its non-GAAP financial measures, refer to the Form 8-K regarding this release furnished today to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Annualized Recurring Revenue represents the annualized revenue run-rate of active subscriptions, term licenses, and maintenance contracts at the end of a reporting period, net of rebates to customers and partners as well as certain other revenue adjustments. Includes both revenue recognized ratably as well as upfront on an annualized basis.
About Cisco
Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more at newsroom.cisco.com and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.
Copyright © 2022 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.
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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc. | 2022-05-18T21:20:17+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/cisco-reports-third-quarter-earnings/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Islamic State gunmen killed American college student Nohemi Gonzalez as she sat with friends in a Paris bistro in 2015, one of several attacks on a Friday night in the French capital that left 130 people dead.
Her family’s lawsuit claiming YouTube’s recommendations helped the Islamic State group’s recruitment is at the center of a closely watched Supreme Court case being argued Tuesday about how broadly a law written in 1996 shields tech companies from liability. The law, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, is credited with helping create today’s internet.
A related case, set for arguments Wednesday, involves a terrorist attack at a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2017 that killed 39 people and prompted a suit against Twitter, Facebook and Google, which owns YouTube.
The tech industry is facing criticism from the left for not doing enough to remove harmful content from the internet and from the right for censoring conservative speech. Now, the high court is poised to take its first hard look at online legal protections.
A win for Gonzalez’s family could wreak havoc on the internet, say Google and its many allies. Yelp, Reddit, Microsoft, Craigslist, Twitter and Facebook are among the companies warning that searches for jobs, restaurants and merchandise could be restricted if those social media platforms had to worry about being sued over the recommendations they provide and their users want.
“Section 230 underpins a lot of aspects of the open internet,” said Neal Mohan, who was just named senior vice president and head of YouTube.
Gonzalez’s family, partially backed by the Biden administration, argues that lower courts’ industry-friendly interpretation of the law has made it too difficult to hold Big Tech companies accountable. Freed from the prospect of being sued, companies have no incentive to act responsibly, critics say.
They are urging the court to say that companies can be sued in some instances.
Beatriz Gonzalez, Nohemi’s mother, said she barely uses the internet, but hopes the case results in it becoming harder for extremist groups to access social media.
“I don’t know much about social media or these ISIS organizations. I don’t know nothing about politics. But what I know is that my daughter is not going to vanish just like that,” Gonzalez said in an interview with The Associated Press from her home in Roswell, New Mexico.
Her daughter was a 23-year-old senior at California State University, Long Beach, who was spending a semester in Paris studying industrial design. Her last communication with her mother was a mundane exchange about money via Facebook, two days before the attacks, Gonzalez said.
The legal arguments have nothing to do with what happened in Paris. Instead, they turn on the reading of a law that was enacted “at the dawn of the dot-com era,” as Justice Clarence Thomas, a critic of broad legal immunity, wrote in 2020.
When the law was passed, 5 million people used AOL, then a leading online service provider, Tom Wheeler, the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, recalled at a recent conference at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Facebook has 3 billion users today, Wheeler said.
The law was drafted in response to a state court decision that held an internet company could be liable for a post by one of its users in an online forum. The law’s basic purpose was “to protect Internet platforms’ ability to publish and present user-generated content in real time, and to encourage them to screen and remove illegal or offensive content,” its authors, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and former Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., wrote in a Supreme Court filing.
Groups supporting the Gonzalez family say companies have not done nearly enough to control content in the areas of child sexual abuse, revenge porn and terrorism, especially in curbing computer algorithms’ recommendation of that content to users. They also say that courts have read the law too broadly.
“Congress never could have anticipated when it passed Section 230 that the internet would develop in the ways it has and that it would be used by terrorists in the ways it has,” said Mary McCord, a former Justice Department official who authored a brief on behalf of former national security officials.
Mohan said YouTube is able to keep people from seeing almost anything that violates the company’s rules, including violent, extremist content. Just 1 video in 1,000 makes it past the company’s screeners, he said.
Recommendations have emerged as the focus of the Supreme Court case. Google and its supporters argue that even a narrow ruling for the family would have far-reaching effects.
“Recommendation algorithms are what make it possible to find the needles in humanity’s largest haystack,” Kent Walker and Google’s other lawyers wrote in their main brief to the Supreme Court.
“If we undo Section 230, that would break a lot of the internet tools,” Walker said in an interview.
Some sites might take down a lot of legitimate content in a display of excessive caution. Emerging forces and marginalized communities are most likely to suffer from such a heavy hand, said Daphne Keller of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center, who joined with the American Civil Liberties Union in support of Google.
The justices’ own views on the issue are largely unknown, except for Thomas’.
He suggested in 2020 that limiting the companies’ immunity would not devastate them.
“Paring back the sweeping immunity courts have read into Section 230 would not necessarily render defendants liable for online misconduct. It simply would give plaintiffs a chance to raise their claims in the first place. Plaintiffs still must prove the merits of their cases, and some claims will undoubtedly fail,” Thomas wrote.
The Gonzalez family alleges that YouTube aided and abetted IS by recommending the group’s videos to viewers most likely to be interested in them, in violation of the federal Anti-Terrorism Act.
But nothing in the suit links the attackers who killed Gonzalez to videos on YouTube, and the lack of a connection could make it hard to prove the company did anything wrong.
If the justices would avoid the hard questions posed by the case, they could focus on Wednesday’s arguments involving the attack in Istanbul. The only issue is whether the suit can go forward under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
A ruling for the companies in that case, where the allegations are very similar to those made by the Gonzalez family, would end the lawsuit over the Paris attacks, too.
. | 2023-02-19T23:03:04+00:00 | wric.com | https://www.wric.com/business/us-world-business/ap-supreme-court-weighs-liability-shield-for-internet-giants/ |
With Mekhi Becton’s season-ending injury and the uncertainty on the offensive line as the backdrop, the Jets made the expected move and signed the veteran lineman Duane Brown, a source confirmed Thursday.
Brown is now the frontrunner to start at right tackle this season, although coach Robert Saleh labeled it an “open” battle Wednesday with Conor McDermott, Chuma Edoga and Max Mitchell also in the mix.
But Brown, who reportedly signed a two-year deal with the Jets, brings the highest pedigree and most experience to the position by far as a five-time Pro Bowl selection. Less than a month shy of 37 years old, he’s also a stopgap solution on a rebuilding squad.
“The most important thing, no offense to anybody on our team, is to protect the quarterback,” Saleh said. “So the person who is best prepared to protect the quarterback will be out there.”
The Jets and Brown had mutual interest even before Becton’s fractured his kneecap. The sides met over the weekend, and Saleh has a history with the Virginia Tech product as both got their NFL starts with the Texans in 2008.
“Any time you have a chance to add a Pro Bowler like him and add to the depth of our roster, we’ll look into it. We’re always going to search far and wide and there’s interest on both sides, obviously,” Saleh said before the signing. “And [Jets GM Joe Douglas] been working on that one for a little bit, but we’ll see where everyone’s at with regards to that conversation.”
“Getting a guy like Duane Brown is kind of being spoiled in a sense of having so much great talent at one position,” Saleh added later. “We do have faith in our backup offensive line. Anytime you get hurt, you have to test your depth. So it doesn’t create panic at all, in my mind, anyway. A guy like Duane is a bonus.”
Brown was a Pro Bowl selection with the Seahawks last season while protecting Russell Wilson, who, at least in stature and style, is similar to Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.
The Jets play their preseason opener Friday in Philadelphia, where Wilson and the starters are scheduled to play one or two series before handing it over to the backups.
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ST. LOUIS, July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ARCH) will discuss its second quarter 2022 financial results in an investor conference call that will be broadcast live on Thursday, July 28 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time.
Interested participants may access the conference call by dialing 800-289-0720 approximately five to 10 minutes prior to the start time. For participants calling from an overseas location, please dial +1 323-701-0160. No passcode is needed. The call will also be webcast and will be accessible via the "investor" section of the Arch website at http://investor.archrsc.com. Following the live event, a replay and an audio download will be available on the site.
Arch's second quarter 2022 earnings release will be distributed via PR Newswire before the market opens on July 28 and will be posted to the company's website at that time.
Arch Resources is a premier producer of high-quality metallurgical products for the global steel industry. The company operates large, modern and highly efficient mines that consistently set the industry standard for both mine safety and environmental stewardship.
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SOURCE Arch Resources, Inc. | 2022-07-12T21:12:39+00:00 | wagmtv.com | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/arch-resources-announce-second-quarter-2022-results-july-28/ |
MONTRÉAL, March 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) today announced the filing of its 2022 annual report on Form 40-F with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
BCE's Form 40-F includes audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, and is available on BCE's website at BCE.ca in the Investors section and on the SEC's website at SEC.gov.
Holders of BCE securities may receive a printed copy of BCE's audited financial statements at no charge by contacting BCE Investor Relations by phone at 1-800-339-6353, by email at investor.relations@bce.ca or by mail at 1, carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell, Building A, 8th Floor, Verdun, Québec H3E 3B3.
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet, media and business communication services throughout the country. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities with a commitment to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries:
Ellen Murphy
ellen.murphy@bell.ca
Investor inquiries:
Richard Bengian
richard.bengian@bell.ca
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SOURCE BCE Inc. | 2023-03-03T16:42:28+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2023/03/03/bce-files-2022-annual-report-form-40-f/ |
55, counselor for Tridek Group Home, died September 30 at Select Speciality Hospital in Miami Lakes. Viewing 4 - 7 p.m., Thursday at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Miami Gardens. Service 11 a.m., Friday at the church.
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Death Notices
- LOUIS E. BALKIN
- WAYMOND “TUB” MARSHALL
- KEITH CUNNINGHAM
- DOROTHY ANN CRAWFORD
- WILLIE MAE SANDERS
- LIONEL IVANHOE MCLEOD AKA TEDDY “DOC”
- ROBERT LEE PENN
- MOLLIE M. BROWN
- BAMBAM MANMAN JOHNSON
- ANTHONY G. DAWSEY
- ESSIE MAE SWINDLE
- PHYLLIS COLLINS - BACON
- SFC JEREMIAH SYKES SR. AKA J-BABY
- JOANNE GUNDY NIXON
- VERA JANE POITIER CHASE
- SANDRA BLACK POWELL
- VAL MAYES SR
- TRAVIS BERNARD HAWTHORNE
- MARJORIE YOUNG
- DECONESS GEARLDINE H. MORGAN
- EDDIE JAMES ALFORD
- ELEANOR STRINGER WATSON
- NEDRA HENRY-ALEXIS
- LADY ARPIE ALEXANDER
- MINISTER ADOLPH N. DAVIS, “LIL REV.” | 2022-10-07T08:18:43+00:00 | miamitimesonline.com | https://www.miamitimesonline.com/obituaries/nyya-r-finley/article_1771bab8-44c6-11ed-8cf1-f79b59cd5bb9.html |
Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, is on Capitol Hill Tuesday, testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subpanel on technology amid questions about artificial intelligence.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Cristiano Lima, a business reporter for The Washington Post who is covering the hearing.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-05-16T19:27:21+00:00 | nprillinois.org | https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-05-16/openai-ceo-faces-questions-about-chatgpt-ai-in-senate-subpanel-hearing |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is replacing leaky seals in its moon rocket at the pad in hopes of launching it on its first test flight by the end of this month.
Managers said Thursday they will conduct another test after the repairs to ensure all hydrogen fuel leaks are plugged. If that test goes well — and if the Space Force extends a flight safety waiver — then NASA could take another stab at launching the 322-foot rocket in late September. Otherwise, the rocket will return to the hangar for additional work, delaying liftoff until at least October.
A series of hydrogen fuel leaks and other problems halted back-to-back launch attempts last week.
The Space Launch System rocket — the most powerful ever built by NASA — holds a crew capsule with three test dummies. The space agency wants to send the capsule into lunar orbit on a trial run, before putting astronauts on the next flight, in 2024. That around-the-moon mission would pave the way for the first human moon landing in 50 years, currently scheduled for 2025.
“We need to get the tanking test done and then we’ll have to look at what is the realism and schedule” to make a launch attempt as early as Sept. 23, said Jim Free, who’s in charge of NASA’s exploration systems development.
To launch in late September, NASA needs the OK from the Space Force in Cape Canaveral, which oversees the rocket’s self-destruct system. Batteries are needed to activate the system if the rocket veers off course toward populated areas. These batteries must be retested periodically, and that can only be done in the hangar. The military would have to extend the certification of those batteries by an extra two weeks or more to avoid moving the rocket back to the hangar.
But every time the rocket moves between the hangar and launch pad adds “routine wear and tear, and I don’t want to do that” unless necessary, said chief engineer John Blevins. There already have been three trips to the pad this year for practice countdowns and, most recently, the thwarted launch attempts of Aug. 29 and Saturday.
Engineers are hopeful that replacing a pair of seals in the hydrogen fuel lines at the bottom of the rocket will take care of any lingering leaks.
As an extra precaution, the launch team plans “a kindler and gentler approach to tanking” during the final phase of the countdown, slowing the flow of fuel at times to reduce stress on the seals, according to Mike Bolger, a program manager.
“We’re optimistic that we can knock this problem flat,” he told reporters.
Running years late and billions over budget, NASA’s new lunar exploration program is named Artemis after Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology. Twelve astronauts walked on the moon back in the late 1960s and early 1970s during NASA’s Apollo program.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2022-09-09T18:24:06+00:00 | upmatters.com | https://www.upmatters.com/science/ap-science/ap-nasa-fixing-moon-rocket-leaks-hoping-for-sept-launch-try/ |
Temporary warming shelter opening in Oconee Co. Christmas weekend
WALHALL, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Dure to expected freezing temperatures expected in the area, Oconee County Emergency Services is opening a temporary warming shelter for people seeking a warm place to sleep.
The warming shelter, located at the Seneca Church of God of Prophecy, 1016 Overbrook Drive, will open it’s door at 7 a.m. on Friday. Dec. 23 through 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 26. Daytime hours may vary.
The warming shelter will accept men, women and children who are seeking shelter from the cold weather. No pets, drugs, alcohol or weapons will be permitted.
Officials encourage anyone outside in the below freezing temperatures should wear layered clothing, mittens or gloves and a hat. Individuals should stay dry and change out of any wet clothing as frequently as possible.
“To avoid hypothermia, be aware of the wind chill,” said officials. “Seek shelter immediately if experiencing uncontrollable shaking, extreme tiredness, or numbness in the fingers, toes, ears or nose.”
For additional information about the warming shelter, contact 864-638- 4200.
MORE NEWS: Seneca man charged after stabbing family member in cheek, deputies say
Copyright 2022 WHNS. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-22T18:53:06+00:00 | foxcarolina.com | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/12/22/oconee-county-opening-temporary-warming-shelter/ |
Biden administration proposes phasing out fluorescent bulbs
(CNN) - Old-school lighting may soon fade into the dark.
On Monday the Biden administration will announce a proposed rule that basically phases out fluorescent bulbs in exchange for energy-saving LED lights.
The rule would more than double the minimum bulb efficiency level, and the Department of Energy hopes to have it set in stone before 2025.
According to the Department of Energy, LED bulbs often last three-to-five times longer than fluorescent bulbs.
LED bulbs also release minimal heat, which means less wasted energy.
Regardless of this proposed rule, LED bulbs have become more common over the past few years.
According to the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, close to half of the nation’s households already use them for in-house lighting.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | 2022-12-19T14:21:31+00:00 | kmvt.com | https://www.kmvt.com/2022/12/19/biden-administration-proposes-phasing-out-fluorescent-bulbs/ |
Pit stop at 7-Eleven turns man into instant millionaire
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Gray News) - A Florida man turned a stop at 7-Eleven into a $1 million winning scratch-off ticket.
According to the Florida Lottery, 41-year-old Jeffrey Voltaire purchased his winning lottery ticket from a 7-Eleven convenience store in Port St. Lucie.
Voltaire claimed his $1 million prize from playing the 500X The Cash scratch-off game at the Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee on Wednesday.
Lottery officials said Voltaire chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000.
The retailer who sold the winning scratch-off ticket will also receive a $2,000 bonus commission.
According to the Florida Lottery, The Cash scratch-off game costs $50 and features a top prize of $25 million — the largest ever offered on a Florida scratch-off game and the best odds to become an instant millionaire.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-17T00:38:36+00:00 | foxcarolina.com | https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/11/16/pit-stop-7-eleven-turns-man-into-instant-millionaire/ |
Background
HIV – one of the world's deadliest infectious disease killers – needs no introduction. It has killed almost 10 million people over the last 10 years.
What makes these facts even more worrisome is that there are effective treatments available and there is no reason anyone should die from HIV. Sadly, in emerging economies where HIV can have a prevalence rate in the range 3 to 20% of the population, up to 30% of adults and 40% of children who are HIV positive do not take their medications. There are 38.4 million people living with HIV, 70% in Africa. Kenya has one of the world's largest populations of people living with HIV/AIDs and approximately 30% are not taking treatment.
This study brings together key healthcare partners, resources, and technology to explore the impact of blockchain and crypto rewards in addressing the major challenge in improving survival and treatment rates of people living with HIV and AIDS
KAKAMEGA, Kenya, Sept. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Immunify.Life, a transformative blockchain-based healthcare ecosystem, in partnership with Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) – the premier science, technology, and innovation university in Kenya – has completed groundwork for a large-scale HIV/AIDS treatment outcomes study that is now formally launched. As part of the study, the Immunify.Life data capture and processing platform will be used to help empower patients, communities, and entire countries using token rewards that can improve medical regimen adherence rates in previously lapsed HIV/AIDS patients.
The HIV/AIDS treatment outcomes study is an elegant application of the Immunify.Life technology, and the results from the study will contribute to the future Strategic Direction on HIV treatment in Kenya
According to Department of Health coordinators in Kakamega County, there were more than 1,000 patients with high viral loads in July, which may be indicative of treatment failure. This means that this study is not only necessary, but also timely.
Immunify.Life CEO Guy Newing commented on the study by saying: "The technology that we are using at Immunify.Life is designed to address the challenges of HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and vaccination programmes. Blockchain technology is the cutting edge new frontier technology that will revolutionize healthcare in Africa."
Dr. Mutay, the Head of the Medical School at MMUST, said: "Our Vice Chancellor is keen on strengthening research capacity and has championed the setting up of research teams to write proposals in different areas. This project will therefore receive the required administrative support. We expect that this project can be used to touch lives and solve the problems of the community."
Project Coordinator of the Immunify.Life MMUST Dr. Tecla Jerotich Sum said: "Our greatness is determined by our service and EVERY LIFE counts. We are committed to improving the health outcomes and wellness of all people affected and infected with HIV and AIDS. We are using science, innovation, technology, and compassion to improve quality of care and avoid loss in the cascade of care."
Dr. Sum continued to describe the benefits of the system by saying "The project has critical components such as HIV and AIDS screening, laboratory tests, treatment, follow up care, peer group support, tracking of treatment outcomes, tracking of retention on treatment, and enhanced paperless data. I am excited about this project because its success will spread to the whole country and later to the whole continent."
Immunify.Life is a complete and fully-sustainable platform that can be used to incentivize patients, run health campaigns, and seamlessly integrate peripheral health-related data and data management tools for providers, patients, families, and more. By collaborating with relevant government health ministries and subsidiary entities, NGOs, partner health organizations, for-profit partners, donors, and more, Immunify.Life is in the business of unlocking the latent power and benefits of innovative technology in the healthcare space.
Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are often perceived as speculative, but inherent privacy, security, value-added incentives, seamless collaboration, and cross-platform integration that is possible using blockchain and cryptocurrencies would not be possible in any other way. As such, these are innovations that have unique use cases that Immunify.Life and its partners are exploring for the well-being and benefit of all.
About Immunify.Life
Immunify.Life is a transformative and self-sustaining healthcare ecosystem secured by blockchain. Its mission is to use blockchain technology to address the world biggest health issues by strengthening global health systems via an incentivized behavior change system and data capture tool. It provides an all-in-one platform and ecosystem to capture full, transparent health records of secured patient medical information and offers the patient direct access to personal data via a unique health identification tag with the ability to consolidate this data to enable Big Data for Health with a vision to empower all patients and emerging economies with the tools to own and manage their health future and data to collaboratively engage in the global health landscape.
About Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST)
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) is the premier science, technology, and innovation university in Kenya. It has approximately 17,000 students across its branches, with the main campus located in Kakamega Town. The university has a focus on international collaboration and has previously executed agreements with Save the Children Fund, a world-leading NGO with 25,000 dedicated staff across 117 countries.
explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thy2oK3MGSA
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SOURCE immunify life | 2022-09-26T19:18:07+00:00 | kxii.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/26/immunifylife-launches-groundbreaking-blockchain-based-hivaids-treatment-outcomes-study-kenya/ |
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RoboKiller Enterprise, a suite of FCC-compliant phone spam solutions to protect a business's reputation and put an end to robocalls on their business lines, today released the findings from its Mid-Year Telecom Phone Spam Threat Report. The report details the wide-ranging impact of phone spam on businesses, noting that robocalls and robotexts are projected to skyrocket by 19% and 68%, respectively, from 2021.
Spam calls and texts impact businesses, too.
Robocalls and robotexts are a well-known concern for Americans, broadly speaking, and now they've become a significant concern for businesses that rely on phone calls to generate revenue. That's largely because companies don't have the luxury of ignoring these risky calls and messages — they could be leads or other can't-miss communications. Scammers know this, and they're increasingly targeting enterprises as a result. With spam calls and spam texts on pace to shatter single-year records, businesses are feeling the impact on their bottom line.
One particular concern is brand imposter scams — scams in which scammers pretend to be well-known companies in an effort to defraud customers. According to a survey of RoboKiller users highlighted in the report, more than two-thirds of respondents had received a brand imposter scam call, and more than 80% had received a brand imposter scam text at some point. In turn, 20% (by call) and 14% (by text) of respondents made a purchase, and approximately half of respondents lost trust in the defrauded brand.
RoboKiller Enterprise protects businesses against these threats by providing them with industry-leading robocall and robotext protection and unique data insights to help protect their networks. The RoboKiller Enterprise team took a deep dive into spam calls and robotexts on carrier networks in the first half of 2022. Here are some additional insights for the Mid-Year Telecom Phone Spam Threat Report.
- Spoofed spam calls remain unchanged: Spoofed spam calls continue to remain a problem for businesses. STIR/SHAKEN was formally implemented in June 2021 by large phone carriers, and it had yet to make an impact one year later. However, most recently, smaller carriers implemented the framework, which means we could start to see better results from STIR/SHAKEN.
- Scammers target specific phone carriers: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile were among the top carrier networks scammers spammed. But, on a percentage basis, smaller carriers like Cricket, Xfinity Mobile, and Visible led the way. This is likely because large networks have a strong defense against scam calls, whereas smaller networks may be more vulnerable. No matter what carrier Americans use, their phone number will likely be a target for bad actors.
- At the corporate level, provide employees with a company-sponsored SIM and/or a phone with a different number for business use only.
- Provide a company-wide phone spam solution such as RoboKiller For Teams.
- Work with voice service/telecom providers to block unwanted calls at the network level. RoboKiller Enterprise's Blockade solution provides businesses using popular CPaaS systems for their telephony services with comprehensive, full-scale spam call protection built on RoboKiller's robust and ever-expanding scammer database.
Looking to comply with STIR/SHAKEN and institute a robocall mitigation plan to keep your network spam-free? Visit our website or speak to a member of our sales team at bizdev@teltech.co.
To download the full report for free, follow the link below:
Mid-Year Telecom Phone Spam Threat Report
About RoboKiller Enterprise
Created by Teltech, the minds behind the award-winning RoboKiller app, RoboKiller Enterprise is a suite of FCC-compliant robocall mitigation solutions designed to keep businesses spam-free. Using AI, machine learning, real-time decision-making, and other advanced technologies, your business is protected from potentially dangerous spam calls from day one. To learn more about RoboKiller Enterprise, visit robokiller.com/enterprise.
RoboKiller Enterprise, a Teltech brand, is a division of Mosaic Group, an IAC Company (NASDAQ: IAC).
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SOURCE RoboKiller Enterprise | 2022-09-08T15:23:40+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/robokiller-enterprise-releases-2022-mid-year-telecom-phone-spam-threat-report/ |
HANOI, Vietnam — A human rights advocacy group says it found allegations of dozens of labor and environmental abuses by Chinese-invested companies involved in mining or processing minerals used in renewable energy.
The report studied supply chains for nine minerals — cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel, zinc, aluminum, chromium and the so-called rare earth elements. All are vital for high-tech products such as solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles.
Indonesia, with 27 cases, had the highest, followed by Peru with 16 and the Democratic Republic of Congo with 12, Myanmar with 11, and Zimbabwe with 7.
Over two-thirds involved human rights violations, with Indigenous communities the most affected.
Many projects invested in or operated by Chinese companies were located in countries that had mineral wealth but “limited options for victims to seek remedy.”
To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the global guardrail set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the world needs to triple its clean energy capacity by 2030 from where it was last year, according to the International Energy Agency. That has triggered a scramble for so-called “transition minerals” like cobalt, copper, lithium and zinc that are needed in clean energy technologies.
China isn’t the only one — a separate tracker from the advocacy group notes similar alleged abuses by companies based out of the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Canada — but it plays a vital role in mining, processing, and refining these minerals, as well as making solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries. So its companies are central to ensuring equity and fairness in the world’s transition away from fossil fuels.
“The bottom line is if the energy transition is not fair, it will not be as fast as it needs to be and we will fail to meet our climate deadlines,” said Betty Yolanda, the organization’s Director of Regional Programs.
Climate change has an inordinate impact on the world’s poor, who have done the least to contribute to warming and now are bearing the brunt of the negative impacts of mining the minerals needed for the transition to renewables, she said, speaking on behalf of the authors of the report.
The report’s authors did not want to be identified publicly because of fears of retaliation.
Rich countries like Australia that have abundant mineral wealth don’t need foreign investments for extraction, though projects often do involve foreign investors. But copper-rich developing nations like Peru and nickel-exporting countries like Indonesia and the Philippines increasingly rely on Chinese investment and know-how to mine and process those minerals, generally with fewer regulatory safeguards.
“This is the time to not do the same mistakes of the past. The renewable energy transition must be done in a just and equitable way,” said Eric Ngang, global policy adviser for the Natural Resources and Governance Department of Global Witness, a UK-based non-profit not involved in the report.
Weak legal safeguards against such abuses facilitate corrupt practices that benefit companies and dishonest politicians at the expense of the environment and human rights.
About 42% of the human rights allegations detailed in the report were concentrated in Asia & the Pacific, 27% were in Latin America and 24% in Africa. More than half were cases of environmental damage, often loss of access to safe water supplies. More than a third involved allegations workers’ rights were violated, with the majority linked to health and safety risks at work.
Those are likely the “tip of the iceberg,” Yolanda said, since the report relies on publicly available information about alleged abuses committed by companies, cases where civil society has taken action, or where attacks against activists have been reported. “It is most difficult to receive information from countries with very little civic freedom and from conflict zones,” she added.
The report noted that improved safeguards are crucial as countries increasingly try to keep some of the value from their mineral wealth at home by requiring miners and companies downstream in the supply chain to build smelters and other infrastructure. For instance, Indonesia, which has the world’s largest nickel supply, is trying to set itself up as a hub for making electric vehicles and also make nickel-based batteries to create a complete nickel supply chain that involves Chinese investments.
Without safeguards, these ambitions “may be frightfully compromised” by the harm done to people and the environment, the report said.
Only 7 of the 39 Chinese mining companies mentioned in the report had published human rights policies and despite transparency commitments, only 4 of the 22 companies in the sector approached with the allegations responded to the Business and Human Rights Resource Center, the report said. The report doesn’t explicitly state what those responses were, apart from a November 2022 response from China’s Huayou Cobalt to allegations of environmental damage where it “responded by partly admitting social and environmental challenges and explaining its labor due diligence measures.”
China lacks laws to regulate the impacts of Chinese overseas businesses and supply chains and policies on such issues are mostly voluntary. Such problems are being addressed in the U.S. and Europe and the report said Japan and South Korea increasingly are making human rights and environmental due diligence a part of their regulatory frameworks.
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 2023-07-06T06:10:16+00:00 | washingtonpost.com | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/06/china-rights-minerals-renewable-abuse/ae6a27be-1bb9-11ee-be41-a036f4b098ec_story.html |
The Spearfish Sasquatch beat the Gem City Bison 4-2 on Thursday at Black Hills Energy Stadium in Spearfish for the three-game series sweep and their first three-game winning streak of the season.
Carson Green and Drew Biggerstaff both doubled and tallied two hits apiece for the Sasquatch (8-16), while Nicky Winterstein collected a pair of RBIs.
Connor Jones lasted six innings on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three. Kolby Schiffer earned the save in relief.
Spearfish hosts the Badlands Big Sticks on Friday. | 2022-06-24T04:53:36+00:00 | rapidcityjournal.com | https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/sasquatch-sweep-gem-city-on-first-3-game-winning-streak-of-season/article_116be598-86bc-5da7-bd6a-0d451229c1bc.html |
OLNEY, Md. (AP) — Virginia McLaurin, the centenarian who danced excitedly with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama during a 2016 White House visit, has died. She was 113.
McLaurin’s son, Felipe Cardoso Jr., said Tuesday that she died early Monday at her home in Olney, Maryland.
“Rest in peace, Virginia,” the Obamas wrote on Twitter. “We know you’re up there dancing.”
McLaurin visited the White House for a Black History Month reception in February 2016, when she was 106.
“Hi!” McLaurin squealed as she was introduced to the president.
“You want to say hi to Michelle?” Obama asked.
“Yes!” McLaurin said, moving quickly to give the first lady a hug.
“Slow down now!” the president said. “Don’t go too quick.”
The women then held hands as they went into an impromptu dance, the president holding McLaurin’s arm.
“I thought I would never live to get in the White House,” she said. “And I tell you, I am so happy.
“A Black president. A Black wife! And I’m here to celebrate Black history. Yeah, that’s what I’m here for.”
Video of the encounter quickly spread online, garnering international news coverage. After the brief meeting, McLaurin told reporters: “I could just die happy.”
Deborah Menkart, a friend who helped arrange McLaurin’s 2016 visit, said it dramatically changed her life. She said McLaurin was living “very frugally” at the time but her fame spurred people to donate to a care fund for her.
“She got a new wig, she got new teeth, she was able to move to a better apartment,” Menkart said.
Later that year McLaurin appeared at a Washington Nationals baseball game and was presented with a team jersey on the field.
McLaurin also used her fame to help others.
Born March 12, 1909, in South Carolina without a birth certificate, McLaurin had been unable to get an ID card. Shortly after the White House visit, Menkart suggested they contact the mayor’s office and the Washington Post, which interviewed her and published a story.
Washington city officials soon issued her a temporary card and announced new regulations giving residents 70 and older more options to get IDs.
“It changed her life for not only herself, but also the clout she had,” Menkart said.
A sharecropper’s daughter, McLaurin spent decades upon retirement doing volunteer work at schools. According to the Obama White House archives, she was a foster grandparent and a mentor to special-needs students, helping children with reading and social skills.
“She was just so carefree,” Cardoso said. “She said her secret to life was not to worry, so she never let things worry her. She just didn’t pay it no mind.”
Cardoso said McLaurin adopted him when he was 3.
“She loved and cared for everybody,” he said. “She definitely had a big heart for the kids.”
Cardoso said funeral arrangements were pending. | 2022-11-16T13:24:29+00:00 | wwlp.com | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/ap-virginia-mclaurin-who-danced-with-the-obamas-dies-at-113/ |
WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, May 3, 2023
_____
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Eastern Shackelford County in west central Texas...
* Until 445 PM CDT.
* At 356 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Albany,
moving southeast at 15 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage
to roofs, siding, and trees.
* This severe thunderstorm will be near...
Albany around 410 PM CDT.
Ibex around 445 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Us-
180 Near The Shackelford-Stephens County Line and Mccarty Lake.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Reeves,
northern Jeff Davis and east central Culberson Counties through 445
PM CDT...
At 358 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Kent, moving northeast at 5 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern
Reeves, northern Jeff Davis and east central Culberson Counties.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 10 between mile markers 179 and 191.
Interstate 20 between mile markers 0 and 6.
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
LAT...LON 3123 10411 3122 10408 3112 10393 3109 10391
3103 10405 3105 10407 3105 10408 3101 10410
3108 10421
TIME...MOT...LOC 2058Z 229DEG 6KT 3108 10411
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
_____
Copyright 2023 AccuWeather | 2023-05-03T22:02:48+00:00 | lmtonline.com | https://www.lmtonline.com/weather/article/tx-wfo-san-angelo-warnings-watches-and-18076993.php |
Vietnamese automaker VinFast reported last week that it had shipped its first batch of VF 8 electric SUVs for the U.S., with the first deliveries due before the end of the calendar year.
The shipment of 999 EVs departed Hai Phong, Vietnam, Nov. 25 for what is scheduled to be a 20-day voyage to California, where they’ll be offloaded and sent to customers, according to a company press release. Following delivery of the first batch of U.S.-market cars, VinFast plans to start deliveries of the VF 8 in Canada in Europe in early 2023.
The VF 8 will be followed to market by the larger VF 9, which will begin deliveries in Vietnam and other markets in the first quarter of 2023, VinFast said, confirming a delayed timeline first hinted at in September, when the first 100 VF 8 electric SUVs were handed over to customers in the automaker’s home market.
In the same release, VinFast noted that it signed a deal with subscription service Autonomy at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show for 2,500 VF 8 and VF 9 models, but didn’t specify whether any cars from the initial shipment would go toward that order. Earlier this year, Autonomy announced the fleet purchase of 23,000 EVs that it will then offer to customers on a subscription basis, and VinFast is one of the 17 automakers with vehicles included in the deal.
The VF 8 is 187.0 inches long, 76.1 inches wide, and 65.6 inches tall. It launches in Eco and Plus forms, both with dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrains. The Eco version makes 349 hp and about 369 lb-ft of torque, while the Plus version makes 402 hp and about 457 lb-ft. Based on the European/global WLTP cycle, VinFast claims a range of up to 260 miles for the Eco and up to 248 miles for the Plus.
As with Vietnamese-market models, VinFast is expected to offer a number of driver-assist features in the U.S., including adaptive cruise control, active lane control, automated parking, and a summon feature. VinFast also has a bundle of Smart Services, encompassing an app and features like voice recognition, and in-car online shopping and video games.
VinFast’s timeline in the U.S. has indeed been very fast. It established its U.S. headquarters just last November, and that same month displayed early prototypes of the VF 8 and VF 9—then named VF e35 and VF e36, respectively. A prototype drive showed the VF 8 had a long way to go, but the company has continued moving fast, spooling up production and opening its first U.S. retail stores in California in July. VinFast has said it will expand its retail footprint to other states in the future.
While initial deliveries for the U.S. are being sourced from Vietnam, VinFast is planning a factory in North Carolina to build U.S.-market VF 8 and VF 9 EVs starting in 2024. The company received $1.2 billion in incentives for the factory, which it claims is the largest economic incentive package ever from North Carolina.
In addition to the VF 8 and VF 9, VinFast said it will soon start reservations for smaller VF 5, VF 6, and VF 7 electric crossover models. A collaboration with Chinese battery supplier CATL may mean more EVs for emerging markets as well.
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- This tool reveals future EV fast-charging road-trip routes | 2022-11-30T13:12:56+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/automotive/internet-brands/first-us-bound-vinfast-evs-shipped-for-december-delivery/ |
WASHINGTON — A CIA drone strike has killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, according to five people familiar with the matter.
Current and former officials began hearing Sunday afternoon that al-Zawahri had been killed in a drone strike, but the administration delayed releasing the information until his death could be confirmed, according to one person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
White House officials declined to confirm al-Zawahri was killed but noted in a statement that the United States conducted a “successful” counterterrorism operation against a significant al-Qaida target, adding that "there were no civilian casualties.”
President Joe Biden is expected to discuss further details of the operation in a 7:30 p.m. EDT address to the nation.
An American ground team was present in Afghanistan to support the strike and has since pulled out, a senior intelligence official said.
Al-Zawahri’s loss eliminates the figure who more than anyone shaped al-Qaida, first as Osama bin Laden’s deputy since 1998, then as his successor. Together, he and bin Laden turned the jihadi movement’s guns to target the United States, carrying out the deadliest attack ever on American soil — the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijackings.
The attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon made bin Laden America’s Enemy No. 1. But he likely could never have carried it out without his deputy. Bin Laden provided al-Qaida with charisma and money, but al-Zawahri brought tactics and organizational skills needed to forge militants into a network of cells in countries around the world.
Their bond was forged in the late 1980s, when al-Zawahri reportedly treated the Saudi millionaire bin Laden in the caves of Afghanistan as Soviet bombardment shook the mountains around them.
Biden planned to speak from the balcony off the White House Blue Room as he remains in isolation in the residence while he continues to test positive for COVID-19.
Speaking on Aug. 31, 2021, after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan, Biden said the U.S. would not let up on its fight against terrorism in that country or elsewhere.
“We will maintain the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and other countries,” he said. “We just don’t need to fight a ground war to do it.” Previewing the strike that would occur 11 months later, Biden said at the time, “We have what’s called over-the-horizon capabilities, which means we can strike terrorists and targets without American boots on the ground — or very few, if needed.”
There have been rumors of al-Zawahri’s death on and off for several years. But a video surfaced in April of the al-Qaida leader praising a Indian Muslim woman who had defied a ban on wearing a hijab, or headscarf. That footage was the first proof in months that he was still alive.
A statement from Afghanistan’s Taliban government confirmed the airstrike, but did not mention al-Zawahri or any other casualties.
It said it “strongly condemns this attack and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement,” the 2020 U.S. pact with the Taliban that led to the withdrawal of American forces.
“Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan, and the region,” the statement said. | 2022-08-01T22:17:55+00:00 | wgrz.com | https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-to-speak-about-successful-operation-against-al-qaida/507-592b8117-451f-415d-9e9c-cb24562710e7 |
In ‘junk fee’ fight, US shares airlines’ rules for seating families
(AP) - The Transportation Department is rolling out a “dashboard” to let travelers see at a glance which airlines help families with young children sit together at no extra cost.
The announcement Monday comes as the department works on regulations to prevent families from being separated on planes.
It’s the latest salvo in the Biden administration’s efforts to clamp down on what it calls “junk fees” and to put pressure on airlines to improve service.
The dashboard rewards airlines with a green check if they guarantee that an adult family member can sit next to their young children if seats are available. On Monday, only three of the 10 U.S. airlines listed on the website received a green check: Alaska, American and Frontier.
The site also includes links to each airline’s customer policies.
“Parents traveling with young kids should be able to sit together without an airline forcing them to pay junk fees,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a release announcing the dashboard. He gave his department credit for pressuring airlines, “and now we’re seeing some airlines start to make this common-sense change.”
Airlines say they try and usually succeed at seating families together, but they have stopped short of making iron-clad promises. This year, several carriers have pledged to make changes in their seating policies.
Last month, Frontier Airlines said it would automatically seat at least one parent next to any child younger than 14.
United Airlines said it would let families with children younger than 12 to pick adjoining seats at no extra cost starting in early March in certain fare classes. The announcement seemed to fall short of Transportation standards, however, because the department issued a notice last July that it intends to ban extra charges to have a family adult sit next to children up to age 13.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | 2023-03-06T16:36:02+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/03/06/junk-fee-fight-us-shares-airlines-rules-seating-families/ |
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cooper Rush had no choice but to smile as he embraced offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after the winning kick for the Dallas Cowboys.
Dak Prescott’s backup now has a 2-0 career record filling in, with winning drives on his final possession both times. That was enough to let the emotion flow for the normally stoic Rush, at least for a few moments.
“It’s actually exciting to see him be excited after he won a game,” coach Mike McCarthy after a 20-17 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday. “To get a charge out of it because he is so, so consistent.”
Rush led the drive to Brett Maher’s 50-yard field goal as time expired, and the Cowboys held on after losing a two-touchdown halftime lead.
Joe Burrow got the defending AFC champion Bengals even at 17-17 by leading a 19-play, 83-yard drive in the fourth quarter, throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins and finding Tyler Boyd for the 2-point conversion.
Cincinnati (0-2) erased the same 17-3 deficit in the opener against Pittsburgh, only to miss two chances to win on a PAT kick in the final seconds of regulation and a short field goal in overtime of the 23-20 loss.
Now the Bengals are the first defending AFC champion to start 0-2 since 1999, when Denver was coming off consecutive Super Bowl victories and started 0-4 after John Elway retired.
“You just can’t let it affect you,” said defensive end Sam Hubbard, who had the only sack of Rush. “People look to you and your demeanor, how you handle yourself and all you can do is go back to work. And I’m excited to get back to work.”
After the Cowboys stopped the Bengals with about a minute remaining, Rush got the defending NFC East champs in range for Maher. This after his only previous NFL start last year, when the sixth-year pro threw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute of a 20-16 win at Minnesota.
Rush got the winning drive going with a 12-yard completion to Noah Brown, who had his first NFL touchdown on the opening drive and finished with a career-high 91 yards receiving. A 10-yarder to CeeDee Lamb put the Cowboys (1-1) in range for Maher, who kicked a 54-yarder in the first half.
“I felt like I put a good stroke on it to see it go in,” said Maher, a former Dallas kicker who rejoined the club late in training camp when both kickers competing for the job flopped. “It was just mayhem, to be honest with you.”
Prescott, who wore a headset with a long-sleeve shirt and frequently implored the crowd to make noise, just missed the one start last season with a strained calf. He will be out multiple games this time with a fracture near his right thumb.
Rush directed 75-yard touchdown drives on the first two possessions for Dallas after the Cowboys went without a TD in the opener against Tampa Bay. The Cowboys didn’t find the end zone again, but didn’t need to on the final possession after Trevon Diggs stopped Boyd 2 yards short on third-and-3, forcing a punt with 1:09 remaining.
“It got a little choppy, kinda got out of rhythm there in the third,” said Rush, who was 19 of 31 for 235 yards with a touchdown. “You just keep playing. When you’re out there, that’s all you’re really thinking about is next play, next play, next play.”
The Cowboys sacked Burrow six times in the first three quarters after he went down seven times in the opener against the Steelers. But the revamped offensive line protected him well enough to help the Bengals get even.
On the tying drive that consumed nearly nine minutes, Burrow converted a fourth-and-6 with a completion to Ja’Marr Chase after three third-down conversions.
“We’d like to start faster, but the defenses that we’re getting earlier are always different than the ones that are on the film,” said Burrow, who was 24 of 36 for 199 yards with a touchdown. “That probably plays a part in it, but we’ve just got to do a better job of adjusting faster.”
TRY, TRY AGAIN
Tony Pollard had a 46-yard catch on a shovel pass, taking the ball from behind the line of scrimmage to just inches shy of the goal line on a play that was originally ruled at touchdown. He got the short carry for a 14-3 Dallas lead in the first quarter.
TWO-FER SACKS
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons had two sacks along with Dorance Armstrong for Dallas. Parsons has at least two sacks in five of the first 18 games of his career, joining Mark Anderson, Joey Bosa, Elvis Dumervil, Clay Matthews and Aldon Smith among players with five such games among their first 20.
INJURIES
Bengals TE Drew Sample was ruled out with a right knee injury after going down awkwardly on a tackle on a catch for a 4-yard loss in the second quarter. … WR Tee Higgins played after being listed as questionable with a concussion.
UP NEXT
Bengals: At the New York Jets next Sunday. Cincinnati has lost 10 of its past 11 road games against the Jets.
Cowboys: The defending NFC East champs play their first division opponent, visiting the New York Giants (2-0) on Sept. 26.
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | 2022-09-19T21:21:53+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/sports/ap-maher-kick-lifts-rush-cowboys-over-burrow-bengals-20-17/ |
- NEAR Foundation signed a strategic partnership with MARBLEX, a blockchain-focused subsidiary of Netmarble Corp.
- NEAR Protocol aims to mutually grow within the gaming space as the first to integrate with WARP Bridge
- With heavy emphasis on Korean Hub, NEAR Protocol strives to lead the fast-growing Korean Web3 industry
SEOUL, South Korea, June 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NEAR Foundation announced a strategic partnership with MARBLEX, a blockchain specialized subsidiary under Netmarble Corp., to further expand Web3 ecosystem.
NEAR Foundation and MARBLEX plan to achieve mutual growth by linking with WARP Bridge to enable interactive collaboration, promoting global joint marketing events, and enhancing brand awareness through the signing of this strategic partnership.
NEAR Protocol will be the first to integrate with MARLBEX via WARP Bridge. Both MARBLEX existing and to-be launched games will be onboarded as a result. Users will be able to enjoy a variety of games and contents combined with NEAR Protocol's innate high user convenience. As such, the two companies plan on continuously collaborating to expand the Web3 ecosystem.
MARBLEX, which has signed a business agreement with NEAR Protocol, is a blockchain-powered subsidiary of Netmarble Corp, a well-established developer and publisher of mobile games, comprising more than 6,000 experts from across the globe. MARBLEX aims to bring the highest quality blockchain games to market by providing key services such as a cryptocurrency wallet, decentralized exchange, token staking and an NFT marketplace.
Junki Moon, Business Division Director of MARBLEX, added: "We, MARBLEX expect the NEAR Protocol's core narrative to play a pivotal role in bolstering the overall MBX 3.0 ecosystem. Through the collaborative integration of the NEAR Foundation's extensive technical expertise with content prowess of the MBX ecosystem, we will maintain our position as pioneers in the ever-evolving landscape of global blockchain trends."
Robbie Lim, GM, Partners and International at NEAR Foundation, stated, "This collaboration with MARBLEX will be an important milestone in promoting various use cases based on NEAR's Blockchain Operating System (BOS). We will continuously advance the gaming ecosystem of NEAR Protocol as well as attract numerous users to enter the Web3 scene by onboarding high-quality MBX content."
NEAR Korea Hub, which oversees business development in Korea and Asia, played a key role in this strategic partnership. Although NEAR Protocol is a relatively late entrant to the Korean market, the addition of Kakao Games' web3 arm BORA and WEMADE, and now Netmarble's MARBLEX to the NEAR ecosystem, has made it a significant player in the domestic Web3 game market this year.
Scott Lee, General Manager, NEAR Korea Hub, commented: "NEAR Protocol provides user experience similar to Web2 using Fast Auth account abstraction feature, greatly lowering the initial entry barrier to Web3. We will continue to seek out partnerships with excellent domestic companies such as Netmarble's subsidiary MARBLEX to implement a user-centered ecosystem where consumers can easily enjoy all services."
More information can be found on the NEAR Protocol's official Website, Medium, and Twitter.
Press Contacts
Luis Shin / Manager
NEAR Korea Hub
Luis@nearkorea.org
NEAR Foundation
The NEAR Foundation is a Swiss non-profit that oversees the governance and development of the NEAR protocol, a high-performance blockchain that is designed to be super-fast, incredibly secure, and infinitely scalable.
The NEAR team comprises world-class engineers and business development experts who have built a blockchain mainnet that is highly usable, scalable, and environment-friendly. NEAR Protocol has been recognized for its technical capabilities and has attracted investment from leading investors such as a16z, Coinbase Ventures, Multi Coin Capital, and Hashed. It also manages an ecosystem fund of $800 million to enhance the NEAR ecosystem.
NEAR Korea Hub
NEAR Korea Hub is a multi-function regional hub that manages the overall business in Korea and East Asia. Specifically, NEAR Korea Hub supports project onboarding, fostering developer community, marketing, and more.
MARBLEX
MARBLEX is a blockchain-powered subsidiary of Netmarble Corp. Netmarble Corp. is a well-established developer and publisher of mobile games, comprised of more than 6,000 game industry veterans and blockchain technology experts from across the globe. MARBLEX aims to bring the highest quality blockchain games to market by providing key services such as a cryptocurrency wallet, decentralized exchange, token staking and an NFT Marketplace. MBX, a proprietary blockchain ecosystem launched by MARBLEX, allows gamers to advance their experiences through organic engagement and rewards for participation. The MBX ecosystem can be enjoyed as part of popular Netmarble titles, such as A3: Still Alive, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The King of Fighters Arena.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE NEAR Foundation | 2023-06-05T02:08:39+00:00 | ksla.com | https://www.ksla.com/prnewswire/2023/06/05/near-protocol-continues-accelerate-market-share-korean-web3-gaming-industry-by-becoming-first-ever-integrate-with-netmarbles-subsidiary-marblex-warp-bridge/ |
BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. is voluntarily recalling four (4) lots of Quinapril Tablets to the patient (consumer/user) level due to the presence of a nitrosamine impurity, N-Nitroso-Quinapril, observed in recent testing above the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) level. To date, Lupin has received no reports of illness that appear to relate to this issue.
Lupin discontinued the marketing of Quinapril tablets in September 2022.
Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines. These impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels over long periods of time.
Quinapril tablet USP is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. Quinapril Tablets USP 20mg, and 40mg is packaged in 90 count bottles and was distributed nationwide in the US to wholesalers, drug chains, mail order pharmacies and supermarkets. The recalled lots are included in the table below:
Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. is notifying its wholesalers, distributors, drug chains, mail order pharmacies and supermarkets by phone and through recall notification and is arranging for the return of all the recalled product lots.
Patients taking, Quinapril Tablets USP, 20mg, and 40mg are advised to continue taking their medication and contact their pharmacist, physician, or medical provider for advice regarding an alternative treatment.
Wholesalers, distributors and retailers that have Quinapril Tablets USP, 20mg, and 40mg that are being recalled should discontinue distribution of the recalled product lots immediately.
Consumers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers with questions regarding this recall should contact Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc. at (877) 538-8445 Monday – Friday 09:00 am to 05:00 pm EST. For reimbursement, please have the recalled lots returned to Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc.; the lot number can be found on the side of the bottle label.
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.
- Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
- Regular Mail or Fax: Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178.
This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Product Label:
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1972938/Lupin_20mg.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1972937/Lupin_40mg.jpg
About Lupin Pharmaceuticals
Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the U.S. based wholly-owned subsidiary of Lupin Limited and is the 3rd largest pharmaceutical company in the U.S. based on total prescriptions. Together, all Lupin-owned entities combine to make up the 8th largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world by revenue size. Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is dedicated to delivering high-quality medications across many treatment areas. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s branded pharmaceuticals division, is the provider of products designed to help prevent and manage women's health conditions with serious health consequences.
© 2020 Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All rights reserved.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 2022-12-21T18:25:31+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/12/21/lupin-pharmaceuticals-inc-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-four-lots-quinapril-tablets-due-potential-presence-n-nitroso-quinapril-impurity/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Saturday that Republican negotiators were “closer to an agreement” that would resolve the looming debt crisis, but had not reached a deal with President Joe Biden.
He said there was no firm timeline for a final compromise that would raise the nation’s borrowing limit and avoid a catastrophic default while also making spending cuts that House Republicans are demanding. House negotiators left the Capitol after 2 a.m. and returned hours later.
“We’ll get it when it gets right,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said as he arrived on Capitol Hill.
McCarthy’s comments echoed the latest assessment from Biden, who said Friday evening that bargainers were “very close.”
Their optimism came as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress that the United States could default on its debt obligations by June 5 — four days later than previously estimated — if lawmakers do not act in time to raise the federal debt ceiling. The extended “X-date” gives the two sides a bit of extra time as they scramble for a deal.
The president, spending part of the weekend at Camp David, continued to talk with his negotiating team multiple times a day, signing off on offers and counteroffers. Biden was upbeat as he departed the White House on Friday evening, saying: “It’s very close, and I’m optimistic.”
Both sides have suggested one of the main holdups is a GOP effort to expand existing work requirements for recipients of food stamps and other federal aid programs, a longtime Republican goal that Democrats have strenuously opposed. The White House said the Republican proposals were “cruel and senseless.”
They also are hearing from other lawmakers, particularly Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
McCarthy, who dashed out before the lunch hour and arrived back at the Capitol with a big box of takeout, declined to elaborate on those discussions. One of his negotiators, Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves, said there was “not a chance” that Republicans might relent on the work requirements issue.
Americans and the world were uneasily watching the negotiating brinkmanship that could throw the U.S. economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation’s leadership,
Failure to lift the borrowing limit, now $31 trillion, to pay the nation’s incurred bills, would send shockwaves through the U.S. and global economy. Yellen said failure to act by the new date would “cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests.”
Anxious retirees and others were already making contingency plans for missed checks, with the next Social Security payments due next week.
Biden and McCarthy have seemed to be narrowing on a two-year budget-cutting deal that would also extend the debt limit into 2025 past the next presidential election. The contours of the deal have been taking shape to cut spending for 2024 and impose a 1% cap on spending growth for 2025.
The Republican proposal on work requirements would save $11 billion over 10 years by raising the maximum age for existing standards that require” able-bodied adults who do not live with dependents to work or attend training programs.
Current law applies those standards to recipients under the age of 50. The GOP plan would raise the age to include adults 55 and under. It would lower the number of exemptions that states can grant to some recipients subject to those requirements.
Biden has said the work requirements for Medicaid would be a nonstarter. He initially seemed potentially open to negotiating minor changes on food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, but his position has appeared to harden.
Any deal would need to be a political compromise in a divided Congress. Many of the hard-right Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress have long been skeptical of the Treasury’s projections, and they are pressing McCarthy to hold out.
Lawmakers are not expected to return to work from the Memorial Day weekend before Tuesday, at the earliest, and McCarthy has promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting.
The Democratic-held Senate has stayed out of the negotiations, leaving the talks to Biden and McCarthy. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has pledged to move quickly to send a compromise package to Biden’s desk.
Weeks of talks have failed to produce a deal in part because the Biden administration resisted for months on negotiating with McCarthy, arguing that the country’s full faith and credit should not be used as leverage to extract other partisan priorities.
But House Republicans united behind a plan to cut spending, narrowly passing legislation in late April that would raise the debt ceiling in exchange for the spending reductions.
___
Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Zeke Miller, Stephen Groves, Fatima Hussein, Farnoush Amiri, Seung Min Kim and videojournalist Rick Gentilo contributed to this report. | 2023-05-27T19:33:24+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/business/ap-business/ap-mccarthy-says-negotiators-are-closer-to-an-agreement-on-debt-crisis-but-no-deal-yet/ |
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another teenager accused in a fatal shooting near an Iowa high school has admitted to the crime, marking the fifth guilty plea among the 10 people charged.
Daniel Hernandez, 18, pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree murder and two counts of willful injury, the Des Moines Register reported. He had previously been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of willful injury.
Ten teenagers were charged in the shooting that happened March 7 outside Des Moines’ East High School. Fifteen-year-old Jose Lopez died. His sister, 16-year-old Jessica Lopez, along with 18-year-old Kemery Ortega, were badly injured. Jose Lopez was not a student at the school, but the two injured teens were.
Eight defendants were initially charged as adults with first-degree murder and other crimes while the remaining two were sent to juvenile court. Those accused ranged in age from 14 to 18 at the time of the crime.
Hernandez said in a court hearing on Friday that he was involved in a “caravan” of three vehicles that fired shots as it rolled past the school. He didn’t say what prompted the gunfire. The victims were standing near a sidewalk when they were struck.
The first suspect to be sentenced was 16-year-old Kevin Martinez, who pleaded guilty to intimidation with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Two other suspects have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges. Another pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and weapons charges. | 2022-12-10T17:40:47+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/fifth-teenager-pleads-guilty-in-shooting-near-iowa-school/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
"Millions of people face catastrophic health care costs after seeking treatment for infertility, making this a major equity issue and all too often, a medical poverty trap for those affected,” said Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization. “Better policies and public financing can significantly improve access to treatment and protect poorer households from falling into poverty as a result.”
For men, infertility is most commonly caused by problems in the ejection of semen, absence or low levels of sperm, or abnormal shape and movement of the sperm, the WHO said. For women, it is most commonly caused by abnormalities in the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes and the endocrine system, according to the WHO.
SEE MORE: What's the risk of bird flu spilling over to larger human populations?
The World Health Organization released updated statistics indicating that 1 in 6 people across the world are affected by infertility.
The global health organization said on Tuesday that there is an “urgent need to increase access to affordable, high-quality fertility care for those in need.” The WHO noted that most fertility treatments are funded out-of-pocket.
The report found that adults living in high-income countries were slightly more likely to suffer from infertility. However, the WHO stated that those living in low-income countries spend a higher percentage of their income on fertility treatment.
“The report reveals an important truth: infertility does not discriminate,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at WHO. “The sheer proportion of people affected shows the need to widen access to fertility care and ensure this issue is no longer sidelined in health research and policy, so that safe, effective, and affordable ways to attain parenthood are available for those who seek it.”
The WHO defines infertility as a failure to become pregnant after 12 months of regular unprotected sex.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 19% of women in the US ages 15-49 who have not had a past birth are unable to get pregnant within 12 months of trying. | 2023-04-06T10:57:32+00:00 | ksby.com | https://www.ksby.com/news/national/infertility-just-as-much-a-problem-in-us-as-poorer-nations |
HAVANA (AP) — Eighteen former Latin American and Caribbean leaders have signed a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden asking the United States to remove its six-decade embargo on Cuba in the wake of devastation inflicted by Hurricane Ian.
The letter, shared with The Associated Press ahead of its Wednesday release, also requests that Biden remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism for providing refuge to leaders of a guerrilla group that is now set to reenter peace talks with Colombia, an American ally.
The letter comes as Cuba is suffering its worst economic, political and energy crises of the century so far, spurring a migratory exodus from the island. It was exacerbated by Hurricane Ian, which walloped western Cuba before hitting southern Florida late last month.
“We ask you, Mr. President, to take into account this dramatic situation that thousands of Cubans are experiencing and do whatever is necessary to lift those restrictions that affect the most vulnerable,” the letter reads.
Among the signatories are former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, two former Colombian leaders — Juan Manuel Santos and Ernesto Samper — and former leaders from Bolivia to Belize.
All of the signers are leftists or centrists. Notably absent were signatures from right-wing politicians, underscoring the deep divisions that the Caribbean island still provokes in the region.
The United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to vote this week on a resolution to condemn the trade embargo and it is expected to pass again for the 30th consecutive year.
Yet former Colombian President Ernesto Samper told The Associated Press in an interview that he doesn’t want the letter to be viewed as a political statement.
“At this moment, what worries us is that the ones paying the cost … are Cubans who are going without food, medicine or electricity,” Samper told the AP.
The trade embargo was imposed in 1962 as the Cuban revolution veered toward socialism. It has restricted Cuba's access to a vast array of products, as well as international aid, and financial resources.
Island officials say the restrictions have made it harder to recover from the hurricane, which destroyed 14,000 homes and caused long-term damage to the country’s electrical grid.
While the Obama administration eased many sanctions, they came back into full force under the Trump administration, which justified the sanctions by re-designating Cuba as a state sponsor for terrorism for its refusal to extradite 10 leaders of Colombia’s biggest remaining guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army.
But that order was lifted when Colombia’s first leftist leader was inaugurated in August and announced new peace talks with the group. The rebel leaders recently left Cuba to hold negotiations in Venezuela.
Biden has eased a few measures, but has also been sharply critical of the Cuban government’s harsh treatment of protesters last year — which also hardened sentiment against concessions to the Cuban government among Cuban-Americans, a key voting bloc in Florida.
But the administration recently made a few friendly gestures, offering $2 million in emergency relief to help with hurricane recovery.
Fully lifting the embargo also would require authorization by Congress at a time deep of political division in the U.S., only made more difficult by approaching midterm elections in which Florida is a swing state. | 2022-11-01T22:23:21+00:00 | daytondailynews.com | https://www.daytondailynews.com/nation-world/former-latin-american-leaders-urge-us-change-on-cuba/XEEO7IUXBZHQXKHP6TZQOHYTIQ/ |
Engineered to improve outgoing order quality, PackVIEW provides real-time goods fulfillment feedback and historical photographic records
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vimaan today announces PackVIEW, a one-of-a-kind, patent pending fulfillment solution which leverages the power of computer vision to provide an unparalleled level of order fulfillment accuracy, loss prevention and quality control for warehouses and fulfillment centers. PackVIEW automatically records and validates items during the order packing process, helping support improved operator efficiency, order quality and customer satisfaction.
The ongoing surge in eCommerce has placed a strain on already taxed order fulfillment solutions. Most warehouses and fulfillment centers still require manual entry and validation during order assembly, which slows processes down and introduces several points of failure. Additionally, increases in online orders have contributed to fulfillment inaccuracies, lower quality output and customer disputes. Without the use of a digital archive, warehouses lack evidence that orders were satisfactorily assembled and fulfilled as required.
"We hear from companies both big and small that there is a direct correlation between order volume and increasing quality challenges," stated Philip Archambault CRO and VP of Sales for Vimaan. "Warehouses and fulfillment centers have needed a quality assurance solution for some time now that both validates items prior to packing and audits the physical fulfillment activity as it is happening. That is exactly why we have engineered PackVIEW."
In production at multiple customer sites already, PackVIEW is platform agnostic and performs audits against order manifests from WMS, ERP and other inventory management systems or even extracts data directly from a physical pick order. Order packers use the PackVIEW interface to validate SKUs and volumes from manifests and are alerted in real time when orders are inaccurate and/or incomplete. "This added level of quality assurance ensures that packed orders are 100% correct before being shipped to customers. Additionally, PackVIEW provides a digital and photographic record of all fulfilled orders to resolve customer disputes easily and efficiently," added Archambault. "We believe this is a highly differentiated solution because we are optimizing the entire workflow and recording evidence of every order fulfilled. We are thrilled to see the quantifiable benefits our customers are already receiving from PackVIEW."
Engineered to support easy integration on top of existing workflows, all Vimaan solutions require little to no infrastructure changes or training for the warehouse workforce. Like PickTRACK, StorTRACK and DockTRACK, Vimaan's previously announced solutions for inventory tracking, PackVIEW leverages Vimaan's powerful platform of sensors, cameras, sophisticated computer vision algorithms, a WMS integration layer, and an intuitive, easy to use app, ViewDeck, that is accessible by inventory management personnel. Together, Vimaan's product portfolio delivers an unparalleled level of inventory tracking and validation within the four walls of the warehouse. For more information please visit: www.vimaan.ai
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Vimaan's team comprises computer vision and hardware technologists and warehousing domain experts with a rich and successful history in technology startups. Vimaan's primary mission is to deliver computer vision and machine learning solutions to solve long-standing inventory visibility, accuracy and quality challenges experienced in the supply chain.
Media Contact: Craig Dowley VP, Marketing
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SOURCE VIMAAN | 2022-06-23T14:38:16+00:00 | mysuncoast.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/vimaan-announces-packview-an-unparalleled-solution-warehouse-order-packing-validation/ |
German authorities said Thursday that a 16-year-old boy has died after being shot in the head by an 81-year-old neighbor.
Prosecutors said the teen died of his injuries in the hospital late Wednesday, a day after the shooting took place in the northern town of Bramsche.
The gunman, an Italian citizen, also shot at the teen’s mother, but missed, before turning the gun on himself. He suffered serious injuries.
Prosecutors said the man, who remains hospitalized, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted manslaughter.
Authorities said there appeared to have been quarrels among the neighbors, but it wasn’t clear yet whether this was the motive for the shooting.
The suspect, a hobby marksman, used a small caliber pistol in the killing, they said. | 2023-03-03T00:48:10+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/news/world/ap-international/ap-germany-teen-dies-after-being-shot-by-81-year-old-neighbor/ |
As primary ballots were mailed last month, state House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox laid down metrics for Republicans looking to win a majority in the chamber for the first time in more than two decades.
To have a shot this fall, Wilcox wrote in an email to supporters, GOP candidates ideally should “put the election away” by getting 55% or more in the primary. Failing that, Wilcox said, candidates “have to achieve 48% to be viable.”
When ballots were tallied in the Aug. 2 primary, Republicans fell well short of those expectations.
In a dozen state House races identified by the GOP as top pickup opportunities, none of the candidates backed by the House GOP’s campaign arm reached 48% in the primary.
Wilcox, R-Yelm, acknowledged the “suboptimal results” in a postelection email to backers, saying “It would be silly to say I didn’t have higher aspirations for election night.”
He also vented about a lack of party discipline, noting Republicans in some races filed for office at the last minute, with little preparation, and wound up siphoning off support from better candidates.
“This is the sign of an unserious party, selfish candidates and can have dire consequences for us all,” Wilcox wrote.
In addition to legislative races, Wilcox pointed to the secretary of state race, in which a glut of Republicans split the vote, leaving the GOP off the general election ballot for a position the party had held since the 1960s. (Washington’s top-two primary has the two leading candidates advance, regardless of party.)
The Wilcox campaign emails obtained by The Seattle Times, which were sent to lobbyists and donors, provide a window into the GOP’s unmet expectations in the Aug. 2 primary, when many in the party had expected to see signs of Republican momentum in a midterm election.
Wilcox, in an interview, conceded the disappointing results probably put the state House majority out of reach this year. “I think our best case scenario probably was eliminated, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to work hard,” he said.
In two races targeted by the House GOP, the totals looked more positive for the party. In both House races in the 42nd Legislative District around Bellingham, the combined GOP vote for multiple candidates was over 50%, with Democrats at around 48%.
Democrats hold a 57-41 majority over Republicans in the state House, and 28-20 in the state Senate.
Party operatives were still poring over the results, but Wilcox said the Supreme Court’s decision striking down federal abortion protections played a role.
“I think in a nutshell, Republicans turned out, Democrats turned out and independent voters who really were motivated by the Supreme Court decision turned out,” Wilcox said.
Democrats were celebrating the primary totals, but not taking the November election for granted.
“I don’t think anything is ever is a slam dunk, and we don’t look at it that way. It’s a race to the finish,” said Tina Podlodowski, chair of the state Democratic Party. “I think that the Republicans, however, spent an inordinate amount of money in the primary convinced that there was a red wave in Washington state. I don’t think there was even a red drop.”
Podlodowski agreed that recent Supreme Court decisions by the conservative court majority are motivating Democrats and independents, saying volunteers are hearing about the ruling as they knock on doors.
“I have never heard ‘choice’ as much as we heard it on the doors around the state,” she said.
She pointed to possible Democratic pickup chances, noting, for example, that state Rep. Greg Gilday, R-Camano Island, placed second in the primary to Democratic challenger Clyde Shavers.
A signature flop for House Republicans came in the 47th Legislative District of South King County, where three Republican candidates split the vote, resulting in Democrats Chris Stearns and Shukri Olow advancing to the November election.
Carmen Goers, a Republican backed by Wilcox and other GOP leaders, placed dead last in the primary, with 14% of the vote.
The disappointing showing came despite Goers’ campaign raising more than $200,000 and getting backed with an additional $20,000-plus in independent PAC spending.
Her two Republican rivals, Ted Cooke and Barry Knowles, raised about $10,000 between them.
Goers, a Kent resident and commercial lender with lengthy volunteer service, said she was floored when the primary numbers came in.
“The results were a hard hit. More like a bullet,” Goers said. She and family members worked the race hard, including her stepbrother doorbelling 300 houses on a 90-degree day.
“My strategy was working on getting out to moderate and swing and independent voters, knowing I had Republicans on my side,” she said.
But her two rival Republicans both ran to her right, accusing her of being a “RINO” (Republican in name only.) Both had run unsuccessfully for office multiple times before.
Goers, who is Black, said race came up in the primary, too, as Cooke decried identity politics at a GOP meeting and said he’d been pressured not to run against her because he is a white man.
“I said this is not about my race. I have served my community,” Goers said.
Cooke did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Wilcox, who had promoted Goers as a top Republican prospect, said he thought it was “silly” for the two GOP rivals to have stepped in and doomed the party to not having a shot there in November.
Notwithstanding the primary results, Wilcox sees signs of a possible turnaround, pointing to past years when Republicans had reversed disappointing primaries to salvage some races.
“That’s our job. I should be fired if I was going to give up,” he said. | 2022-08-18T13:50:20+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/internal-emails-show-wa-republicans-fell-far-short-of-legislative-primary-targets/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news |
Elon Musk says Twitter is still losing cash because advertising has dropped by half.
In a reply to a tweet offering business advice, Musk tweeted Saturday, “We’re still negative cash flow, due to (about a) 50% drop in advertising revenue plus heavy debt load.”
“Need to reach positive cash flow before we have the luxury of anything else,” he concluded.
Ever since he took over Twitter in a $44 billion deal last fall, Musk has tried to reassure advertisers who were concerned about the ouster of top executives, widespread layoffs and a different approach to content moderation. Some high-profile users who had been banned were allowed back on the site.
In April, Musk said most of the advertisers who left had returned and that the company might become cash-flow positive in the second quarter.
In May, he hired a new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, an NBCUniversal executive with deep ties to the advertising industry.
But since then, Twitter has upset some users by imposing new limits on how many tweets they can view in a day, and some users complained that they were locked out of the site. Musk said the restrictions were needed to prevent unauthorized scraping of potentially valuable data.
Twitter got a new competitor this month when Facebook owner Meta launched a text-focused app, Threads, and gained tens of millions of sign-ups in a few days. Twitter responded by threatening legal action. | 2023-07-16T13:39:25+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/technology/ap-technology/ap-musk-says-twitter-is-losing-cash-because-advertising-is-down-and-the-company-is-carrying-heavy-debt/ |
WASHINGTON — Jennifer Seeley was glued to her phone, safe at home but terrified nonetheless.
There was an active shooter at the Texas mall where she works as an assistant store manager. And she was searching desperately for information, praying. Was the gunman dead? Were her coworkers dead? What was happening?
So with law enforcement in the Dallas area town of Allen releasing information slowly on that horrible May 6 afternoon, she turned to social media for answers, stumbling across videos showing the bodies of some of the eight who were slain. Desperately she texted her coworkers.
“That’s where all of my information came from was what I saw on Twitter. And, you know, nobody was really releasing any information on what actually happened,” she says now, nearly two weeks later.
The shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets this month has law enforcement public information officers from around the country talking. Social media, they say, has accelerated everything. Now everyone can post images from their phone. That means if police don’t talk, reporters and the public will simply go online, as happened in Allen.
And that presents a major problem, says Katie Nelson, social media and public relations coordinator for the Mountain View Police Department in northern California. Nelson teaches about crisis management and social media best practices. And these days, she says, when it comes to responding, “The luxury of time does not exist."
POLICE APPROACHES HAVE EVOLVED
Police began to harness social media a decade ago, most famously after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. The four-day manhunt ended with police tweeting: “CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody.”
It was groundbreaking at the time, says Yael Bar Tur, a police communication consultant and former director of social media for the New York City police department. Now, she says, that it is the basic level expected of law enforcement.
“It’s not enough just to be on social media, you have to be good at it,” she says. “At the end of the day, you know, we have to use this tool because if you don’t, it is going to be used against you.”
In Allen, the mall shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. Allen police sent their first tweet around 4:20 p.m., announcing simply that police were at the mall and that an active investigation was underway. Seeley continued to fear that her coworkers at the Crocs store were hiding and the gunman was still on the loose.
At nearly 7 p.m., police in Allen said an officer had “neutralized the threat.” That meant he was dead. But the often-used term can be confusing to the public, says Julie Parker, a former broadcast journalist and law enforcement public information officer who now advises government agencies on how to respond to critical incidents.
“Normal people who don’t work in law enforcement don’t know what the word neutralized means,” Parker says.
Adding to the situation, the initial news conferences were brief and infrequent. One lasted less than two minutes, and police took no questions.
Eventually she learned that her coworkers had survived, but a security guard she knew was among the dead. Twenty-year-old Christian LaCour had helped jump start a customer’s car just a few days earlier.
“Very anxiety-inducing,” Seeley said of the whole experience.
MAKING THE BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
How to harness social media in the best ways — and quickly — was on everyone’s mind last week as public information officers gathered at a midyear conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“You had a little more time to get information out five or six years ago. The expectation wasn’t there that it would be immediate, and I think it is now,” says Sarah Boyd, who is on the executive board of the association’s group on public communication.
She says her colleagues often text each other to discuss how communications are handled after tragedies. The responsibility weighs on her; she is well aware that the messages police tweet in the midst of a mass shooting might be read by someone hiding from the shooter.
“All they’ve got is their phone, and that tweet is their lifeline," says Boyd, a former newspaper reporter. She is now the public relations manager at the Clay County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office in the Kansas City area.
This newest crop of public information officers, who like Boyd are much more likely to be former reporters themselves than in the past, also are demanding to have a seat at the table when officers are planning how to respond to mass casualty events and police shootings.
They note that the flow of information can go both ways, generating tips from the public, who might have cell phone or Ring doorbell video that could help investigators.
It can be challenging, though, with police nationally struggling to regain the public's trust in the wake of George Floyd's killing in 2020 and the protests that followed. Many factors — for example is the suspect still on the loose? — play a role in what can be released. And even if the suspect is killed, the investigation isn’t over; law enforcement still must determine whether the shooter acted alone, says Alex del Carmen, an associate dean of the school of criminology at Tarleton State University in Texas.
Missteps after the mass shooting at Uvalde, when law enforcement released shifting and at times contradictory information, show the importance of getting details right.
“People were just scratching their heads on the second or third day,” del Carmen says. He has sympathy, though, for the officers faced with communicating the unimaginable; entire careers can be defined by moments like these.
A MODEL FOR QUICKER INFORMATION
The bulk of the nation’s police forces are small, and there are vast differences in what each state allows them to release. In Missouri, for instance, 911 recordings are inaccessible to the public.
The public itself has no such restrictions, though.
After a man killed 10 people at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, in March 2021, an independent, part-time journalist began livestreaming on his YouTube channel before officers even arrived. The effect can be instantaneous — and, for authorities, quite dizzying.
“We’re putting out information quicker than I’ve ever seen before,” says Boulder police public information officer Dionne Waugh. Given the speed of social media, she says, there's simply no choice.
Amid a crush of media, each victim's family was assigned its own public information officer. All the while, what had happened was hitting Waugh personally; the victims included police Officer Eric Talley, a friend who died rushing into the store.
Though she described the experience as “life-changing” and “horrible,” she has led trainings in the years that have followed. She hopes that reliving it will help others.
Sadly, it wasn't long after Nashville Police Department spokesperson Don Aaron asked her to speak that he faced his own mass shooting. In March, a shooter killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in his city before being gunned down by police.
The police tweets were fast. The very first one announced that the shooter was dead. Surveillance video was released before the 10 p.m. nightly newscast. Body camera footage came out the following morning, in line with the department's policy of releasing such video quickly. The stream of information was fast, continual and generally accurate.
“As we have made decisions about releasing body cam in police-shooting situations, I have said to some of my colleagues across the country, especially when this first started, that I was flying a jet trying not to crash it,” says Aaron, a 32-year police veteran. “And so far, it hasn’t crashed.” | 2023-05-19T23:46:45+00:00 | newscentermaine.com | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/nation-world/police-social-media-response-mass-shootings/507-1a7a411c-b494-419b-834d-2d11240c1fd0 |
MUMBAI, India — As world leaders gather in London today for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – head of the Commonwealth's most populous country – is absent.
Seventy-five years after it cast off British colonial rule, India sent its ceremonial president – a woman from one of the country's indigenous tribes – to its former monarch's funeral. As head of state, Indian President Droupadi Murmu's presence adheres to protocol, even though a mix of other prime ministers (heads of government) and presidents and royals (heads of state) are in attendance. Murmu also paid her respects to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace separately, before the service.
Modi's absence could be seen as a sign of his political priorities. Last week, he attended a security summit in Uzbekistan with Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping. But he's skipping a chance to meet President Biden and others at the queen's funeral, as well as the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
A mixed reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth II
It's also a sign of the mixed reaction to the queen's death in India. There was some mourning, some anti-colonial anger – but mostly indifference.
There are no major public screenings of the funeral footage. It's barely on local TV. "I did not think anything, actually!" Richa Mahapatra, a 26-year-old chartered accountant, told NPR when asked what she thought about the queen's death. "I did not have a lot of respect for her. So it didn't make any change for me, frankly speaking."
Mahapatra says she never thought much about the queen while she was alive either, and isn't grieving.
It's a sign of just how much relations have changed between Britain's royals and their former colonies. India removed the U.K. monarch as its head of state shortly after it became independent in 1947. The Caribbean country of Barbados recently did the same. Several other Commonwealth countries say they'll follow suit.
For many of the queen's former colonial subjects, her life and death are a reminder of a painful history of exploitation and racism. Some bitterness certainly persists.
"She benefited from the wealth and enslavement of colonized people and never did anything to rectify that," says Priya Atwal, a historian of empire and monarchy at Oxford University.
Since India won its freedom from the British 75 years ago, it has been changing Anglicized or European place names to indigenous ones. (Bombay became Mumbai; Madras became Chennai.)
On Sept. 8, before word of the queen's death spread, Modi was renaming a street in New Delhi that's long been known as Rajpath, or "King's Way" – originally meant to honor Queen Elizabeth's grandfather King George V. Its new name is "Kartavya Path," using the Hindi word for duty.
"King's Way, or Rajpath, the symbol of slavery, has become a matter of history from today and has been erased forever," Modi told a cheering crowd that day. "A new history has been created."
On her trips to India, Queen Elizabeth II was met mostly with flag-waving – but also some riots
The queen visited India three times while on the throne: in 1961, 1983 and 1997. She rode many elephants, posed in front of a dead tiger shot by her husband and waved at Indians from countless convertible cars.
But on her final visit, in 1997, a royal stop in Amritsar triggered some riots.
Protesters wanted the queen to apologize for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre – one of the worst atrocities of the British Empire. On April 13, 1919, a British general ordered troops to open fire on thousands of Indian civilians in a public park. Hundreds were killed.
On her 1997 visit, the queen laid a wreath at the massacre site, but stopped short of apologizing. Instead, she told attendees at a banquet in Delhi the night before that she found Jallianwala Bagh's history "distressing."
"People kept straining their ears, but she never apologized – not for Jallianwala Bagh nor for any colonial crimes," says Aparna Vaidik, a historian at India's Ashoka University.
Vaidik says the queen was the product of a racist colonial regime and era.
"She grew up in an era where India was a colony. So those attitudes would persist. It's not like she's having her prejudices questioned," she says. "Her world remained the same."
But the rest of the world has changed.
For Britain and India, the tables have turned
One of Mumbai's most ornate landmarks is a train station that used to be named Victoria Terminus, after Queen Victoria – the so-called "Empress of India" and Elizabeth's great-great-grandmother. The station has since been renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, after a 17thcentury Indian ruler. But its British-built flying buttresses and gargoyles remain.
At the station this past weekend, travelers told NPR they'd heard news of the queen's death. But they were more excited to discuss other news they'd heard recently: That this month, India's economy surpassed that of its colonial master. India's GDP is now the fifthh largest in the world, ahead of Britain's.
"They ruled us, but we'll never let that happen again," says Bipul Verma, 36, a member of the Indian Navy. "What happened in the past doesn't matter. We have to look forward."
Atwal, the Oxford historian, says the Indian economy would have surpassed Britain's much earlier if British colonial rulers hadn't extracted so much of India's wealth and resources.
Nevertheless, India is now arguably the more powerful entity in British-Indian relations — especially since Britain voted to leave the European Union, Atwal says.
"Now Britain is going through a period of a major flux. Since the Brexit referendum, Britain is the one looking for trading partners," she says. "Britain is looking to India for deals and assistance and a future economic partnership."
There is one thing some Indians would like to make a deal with Britain for: The Kohinoor diamond. It's a massive, 105-carat jewel that was mined in southern India centuries ago. Now valued at more than $500 million, it's part of the incalculable wealth extracted by the British in India, over time.
It's currently embedded in one of the British royal family's crowns.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-09-19T15:49:02+00:00 | nprillinois.org | https://www.nprillinois.org/2022-09-19/india-reacts-to-queen-elizabeth-iis-death-with-grief-anger-but-mainly-indifference |
Pierrot, the sad clown, is one of art history's most enduring characters, a stock figure whose humanity makes it painful to watch him play the fool. On "The Clown," the first single off Mega Bog's forthcoming album, End of Everything, Erin Birgy wipes her circus makeup off for good. Bellowing from the top of a staircase of glistening new-wave synths, Birgy experiences an off-kilter a-ha moment, embracing all of her contradictions rather than settling for the condescension given to a lovable buffoon. "Oh how do you see me now? / Am I still the clown / you found so charming?," Birgy roars at a "young man" who's made the mistake of taking her for granted. She has described the track as "about the terrible, sensual, and chaotic release of merging one's own multitudes," and on "The Clown" she becomes an undeniable force no one could possibly laugh at.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-02-16T15:43:51+00:00 | kosu.org | https://www.kosu.org/music/2023-02-16/mega-bog-the-clown |
The anti-CRT slate of Hamilton Southeastern school board candidates
Some suburban school districts are seeing a slate of candidates that support a similar goal of getting “back to academics” claiming that schools are focusing too much on social emotional learning, or using diversity, equity and inclusion work as a guise for introducing critical race theory into schools.
Many of these candidates are following a trend seen in Indiana where school board candidates are hoping to accomplish what the anti-CRT bill meant to do but failed to pass during the last regular legislative session.
The slate of school board candidates in Hamilton Southeastern school district backed by anti-CRT groups include Tiffany Pascoe, Juanita Albright, Dawn Lang and Ben Orr.
2022 Election:Meet the school board candidates for Hamilton Southeastern
The Friends of Fishers political action committee has given $2,000 to each of the four candidates and is a PAC that says it focuses on academic excellence, commitment to transparency with parents and guardians, reward employees based on metric-based academic performance goals, and a commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Among its priorities, the PAC also lists that it wants to evaluate diversity, equity and inclusion practices and “lost learning dollar application and effectiveness to identify future application or resources.”
Fishers One is a community-based organization that is also endorsing the four candidates and emphasizes on its website a desire to get back to “traditional education standards” and says it wants to minimize distractions attributed to non-core curriculum programs.
HSE 1
There is one position open for the Hamilton southeastern district 1 seat. Tiffany Pascoe is the candidate running for that seat and it is the second time she has run for this position. In 2020, Pascoe participated in a demonstration in front of a school board meeting, asking that the schools return to in-person learning. Outside of HSE, Pascoe has served in multiple volunteer positions including as a volunteer for the Fishers Arts Council, a Meals on Wheels volunteer, an Indy Zoo Council member and a volunteer for the Hamilton County GOP. Pascoe is a self-identified fiscal conservative, focusing on school curriculum and is running on a platform that focuses on not creating new taxes and emphasizing parents’ voices.
Pascoe is running against Brad Boyer and Jackie Howell. Edward Gedeon will also be on the ballot but he is no longer seeking to be elected.
More:Anti-CRT, other PACs back school board candidates. Here's why you should care.
HSE 2
There is one position open for the Hamilton Southeastern district 2 seat. Juanita Albright is the candidate running for that seat. She has been a practicing physician in the Fishers area since 2005 and currently works as an internal medicine doctor with Ascension St. Vincent. Albright’s platform focuses on promoting transparency between schools and families, steering away from divisive issues and working with law enforcement to promote safety in schools.
Albright is running against Janet Pritchett for the seat.
HSE 3
There is one position open for the Hamilton Southeastern district 3 seat. Dawn Lang is the candidate seeking that seat and is the president of her consulting firm Perception Access Inc., an advisor for the communication app How’s Mom and is the vice president of strategic partnerships for the software company VisionThree, according to her LinkedIn page. Lang’s platform focuses on parents’ rights in education, curriculum transparency for families and focusing less on controversial political topics. Lang also identified herself as conservative on her website.
Lang is running against Carla Cork for the seat.
More on school board candidates:'We're not giving up': Failed 'anti-CRT' legislation fueling school board races
HSE 4
There is one position open for the Hamilton Southeastern district 4 seat. Benn Orr is the candidate seeking that seat and is a commercial insurance agent for Shepherd Insurance in Carmel, IN. Orr's platform focuses on extending time during meetings for public comment, encouraging parents’ involvement and being more communicative with the community. In 2020, Orr plead guilty to driving while intoxicated and served a year on probation. In a statement sent to IndyStar responding to this situation, Orr said, "Like all of us, I certainly have things about which I wish I'd made better decisions. A few years ago, I was cited in my own neighborhood after driving home from a dinner with my wife. I've learned from it and am a better husband and father because of it."
Orr is running against Julie Chambers and Harry Delks for the seat.
Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.
Caroline is also a Report for America corps member with the GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world.
Report for America, funded by both private and public donors, covers up to 50% of a reporter's salary. It’s up to IndyStar to find the other half, through local community donors, benefactors, grants or other fundraising activities.
If you would like to make a personal, tax-deductible contribution to her position, you can make a one-time donation online or a recurring monthly donation via IndyStar.com/RFA.
You can also donate by check, payable to “The GroundTruth Project.” Send it to Report for America, IndyStar, c/o The GroundTruth Project, 10 Guest Street, Boston, MA 02135. Please put IndyStar/Report for America in the check memo line. | 2022-11-01T18:29:27+00:00 | indystar.com | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2022/11/01/hamilton-southeastern-school-board-could-get-these-anti-crt-candidates/69607791007/ |
The Famous Slam-Dunking Skullman® Tie-Dyed Tees are Still Popular After 30 Years and are a Much Sought After Collectible
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lithuanian Tie Dyed Skullman Jerseys became an international household icon when seen on the world stage of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. They were created by a New York fashion designer so the Lithuanian Olympic Men's basketball team could have something fun to wear during the Olympics. But they ended up wearing them at the bronze medal ceremonies for the world to see.
Immediately the public wanted to know where they came from and where they could buy one. The way-out warmups, created by New York fashion designer Greg Speirs, started selling and became a hot collectible. Speirs saw it as great opportunity to help the team and chose to donate all of what would have been his profits to the team. Instead of receiving any royalties he let 100% go to the team, at that point becoming the major funder of the team.
https://www.pr.com/press-release/448933
The story was also documented in the 2012 movie "The Other Dream Team" highlighting Lithuanians' experiences behind the Iron Curtain, where elite athletes were subjected to brutalities of communism. Lithuania's basketball stars shared a common goal – to utilize their athletic gifts to help free their country. Aside from the hardships on the road to the 92' Olympics, the film celebrates the artist's famous Skullman tie-dyed uniforms, now an historic piece of Olympic history.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3998173/
Listen to the interview:
http://www.gregspeirs.com/greg-speirs-audio-interview-by-the-other-dream-team-documentary-film/
Skullman was also enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993:
http://www.lithuaniatshirt.com/basketball%20hall%20of%20fame.htm
"The 1992 Lithuanian Basketball Team represents what happens in freedom...people excel. Winning bronze medal was not only a victory in sports but symbolized triumphing over communism itself. Skullman symbolized coming up from the ashes. It's about freedom and free enterprise," added Speirs.
Marketed and sold consistently for 30 years, the brand's collectability is the reason for its popularity and longevity. The 2022 Official 30th Anniversary Lithuania Tie Dye® Tees and Hoodies are available from www.skullman.com
"The story was a major news event impacting popular culture, taking its place in history. It had a major influence on the future of sports fashion, changing the way it was perceived and viewed. The Tie Dyed Slammin® Skullman® became a legendary household icon." said Mike Thompson of Slammin Sports®.
https://sgbonline.com/original-1992-skullman-basketball-uniforms-return-to-lithuania/
1992 © Copyright & ® Trademark property of Greg Speirs. Lithuania Tie Dye®, Lithuanian Slam Dunking Skeleton® are official trademarked brands of Greg Speirs. Official Licensor/Original Source/All rights reserved. www.skullman.com
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SOURCE Skullman.com | 2022-11-16T15:25:18+00:00 | wafb.com | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2022/11/16/iconic-lithuania-tie-dye-slammin-skullman-t-shirt-uniforms-30th-anniversary-1992-2022-still-most-sought-after-collectible/ |
Billings School District 2 has created a new position in response to growing needs for safety and communication across its schools.
Former Billings Police officer Jeremy House was announced as the district’s first safety coordinator during last month’s regular board of trustees meeting following their approval of the new position in January. He began work Monday, marking the first full-time position of its kind in any Montana school district.
The development of the new position has been discussed by the board over the past year, with a safety committee forming last summer to explore school safety improvements. It was agreed that a new position was needed to establish a culture within the district and community prioritizing safety.
“Very excited to move forward with this and start talking with staff, the faculty and students and get a plan of action going on what direction we want to go with the safety,” he told the board.
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House retired last year after 30 years with the Billings Police Department in various positions including assistant police chief. He’s also served as a DNRC wildland firefighter over the past five summers and is currently a volunteer firefighter with the Fuego Volunteer Fire Company. His responsibilities with the school district will include creating and overseeing safety protocols and improving emergency preparedness.
The position is an entry-level administrative role and intended to be for 12 months per year due to the amount of training that will likely take place over the summer and with incoming new staff. The salary comes from the district's general fund, but multiple grant opportunities were identified to assist in funding when researching the feasibility of the position.
Prior to the coordinator position, school safety duties were assigned to the district’s activities director that proved to be too much additional work. School resource officers are currently assigned to each of SD2’s high schools and career center and its six middle schools. One officer serves for all its elementary schools.
In addition to any needed security and law enforcement at the schools, SROs work with students and faculty to provide counseling, mentoring and education to prevent potential incidents.
Along with supplementing this work, House will provide updates and maintain communication with school staff, police and administration during emergency situations. The hope expressed by the board is that he will also be able to meet with the public to answer any questions and work in collaboration with community volunteers.
During the meeting, Superintendent Greg Upham said one of the areas the district could improve regarding school safety was effectively debriefing staff and faculty following emergency situations like a school lockdown.
He added that, since SD2 is the largest district in the state and the first to hire a coordinator, they would need to establish a model that other districts could look to going forward.
“This position needs to be in the forefront in our state…We need to be at the forefront of carrying the message forward about not only building safety, but social and emotional safety and what that means,” Upham said.
House said one of the first things he would implement is a peer-support group model similar to what is used currently in the police department, citing the mental health benefits for those involved in an emergency incident.
"When they come out of there, they say, 'thank you' because it helps them so much," he said. "And I think we should implement that here...peer support training so if we go through lockdown or some type of incident, the teachers, the faculty or whomever have someone to go to and speak with."
The position comes following an increased need for public school safety across the country in recent decades. Similar positions have become popularized in other state school districts, university campuses and other organizations.
This year, the district’s high schools have gone into lockdowns as precautionary measures in response to drug overdoses, shooting threats found by students and a statewide swatting call.
Following a fight that broke out at a Riverside Middle School dance last month, SRO Sergeant Matthew Chaney told the board there would be an increased police presence at all events going forward. Upham added that Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito has increased the number of charges filed against students behind the recent shooting threats, which impact the severity of the schools' punishment of the students.
Regarding the current procedure with charging or disciplining students, Upham explained that they are not allowed, by law, to publicly discuss specific student discipline and that multiple factors play into how each case is handled.
In the case of a student arrest linked to a shooting threat in November, Chaney explained it immediately qualified as a felony charge rather than a misdemeanor due to its direction against an entire school.
“But when you make a smart comment on TikTok towards one person that’s taken the wrong way, your intent wasn’t to harass or intimidate an entire community,” Billings SRO Sergeant Matthew Chaney said.
With the addition of House, trustees also hope is that he will relay these procedures and explanations to community members unaware of the current process. Board trustee Jennifer Hoffman thanked the officers for the discussion at the meeting, noting parents who have expressed concerns over a lack of information or response to recent events.
“It’s one I don’t feel like we have often enough and, unfortunately, I feel like we need to have it more frequently because we have a lot of parents in the community who think nothing happens,” she said. | 2023-03-08T19:41:28+00:00 | billingsgazette.com | https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/sd2-hires-first-school-safety-coordinator/article_ddae4d16-bd18-11ed-92c1-5f6ffae2d783.html |
J.K. Rowling, who rose to fame as the author of the Harry Potter series, is known for writing about magical subjects and fantasy worlds. But her latest book bears more than a passing resemblance to reality — and, critics say, not in a good way.
The Ink Black Heart is the sixth installment of Rowling's thriller series Cormoran Strike, which she penned under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The 1,024-page tome started raising eyebrows as soon as it hit stores on Tuesday.
Observers noted that the plot appears to mirror Rowling's own experience of taking heat and losing fans for expressing transphobic views in recent years. Rowling has said publicly that the book was not based on her own life, even though some of the events that take place in the story did in fact happen to her as she was writing it.
"Although I have to say when it did happen to me, those who had already read the book in manuscript form were [like] – are you clairvoyant?" Rowling wrote in a Q&A on Galbraith's website. "I wasn't clairvoyant, I just – yeah, it was just one of those weird twists. Sometimes life imitates art more than one would like."
In the book, a popular artist gets harassed for her opinions
The book centers the story of Edie Ledwell, a popular cartoonist who, according to the official description, is "persecuted by a mysterious online figure" — and ultimately found dead — after her cartoon was criticized for being racist, ableist and transphobic (at least partly over a bit involving "a hermaphrodite worm," Rolling Stone reports).
"The book takes a clear aim at 'social justice warriors' and suggests that Ledwell was a victim of a masterfully plotted, politically fueled hate campaign against her," the magazine continues, adding that the character gets doxxed — with "photos of her home plastered on the Internet" — and faces threats of rape and death because of her opinions.
Parts of the story seem to mirror Rowling's experience
Rowling has made her own opinions known, particularly in regards to the transgender community, over the last several years.
She faced backlash in 2019 for publicly supporting Maya Forstater, a researcher who had lost her job over transphobic tweets. The following year, Rowling posted several controversial tweets, including one opinion piece that mocked the term "people who menstruate" ("I'm sure there used to be a word for those people," she tweeted. "Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"), and published a long statement expressing her concerns with "the consequences of the current trans activism."
Rowling said in November that she's received death threats. She also publicly accused three activists of doxxing her when they posted photos of themselves holding pro-trans rights signs outside of her house in Scotland, "carefully positioning themselves to ensure that our address was visible," she said.
The activists, who had been demonstrating in honor of International Transgender Day of Remembrance, later deleted the photo and deactivated their accounts because of the amount of transphobic backlash they had received online. Scottish police later investigated the so-called doxxing and determined no crimes had been committed (notably, Rowling's home is a popular tourist attraction, as Them points out).
Critics say the book is self-serving and "beyond parody"
News of Rowling's book release has taken Twitter by storm, even prompting dueling hashtags – #IStandWithJKRowling and #ICantStandJKRowling.
Critics have decried the book as "hilariously self-persecuting" and "beyond parody," with some drawing attention to the real-world problems facing transgender people, deriding its length ("500 pages longer than Dune, 300 pages longer than Infinite Jest and 100 pages longer than the Bible," wrote one) and calling for people to boycott her work.
Lark Malakai Grey, co-host of the queer Harry Potter podcast "The Gayly Prophet" told NPR over email that he finds the situation "deeply embarrassing" for Rowling.
"She has published a 1,000-page self-insert fanfiction where she's the victim—it's the kind of behavior that you'd expect from a petulant teenager, not a grown adult with immense wealth and power," he added. "I have no idea what she expected, but seeing the internet fill with jokes about the book has been an absolute joy after all the harm she has caused my community over the past several years."
Rowling's transphobic comments have lost her many fans
Rowling's stance has alienated many in her fanbase — which includes a large number of LGBTQ people — as well as a slew of prominent Harry Potter cast members: Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are among those who have condemned her comments and expressed their support for the trans community.
Rowling was noticeably absent from the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special, a de facto reunion for much of the franchise's cast and crew that aired on New Year's Day 2022. She told Graham Norton's "Radio Show" podcast on Saturday that she was invited to participate in the special but chose not to come because she saw it as "about the films more than the books."
In that same interview, she stressed that she had written her new book before the events of the past year.
"I said to my husband, 'I think everyone is going to see this as a response to what happened to me,' but it genuinely wasn't," she said. "The first draft of the book was finished at the point certain things happened."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2022-09-16T06:43:04+00:00 | iowapublicradio.org | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/news-from-npr/2022-08-31/j-k-rowlings-new-book-about-a-character-accused-of-transphobia-raises-eyebrows |
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators and shippers are questioning Union Pacific’s decision to temporarily limit some businesses’ shipments as part of its effort to clear up congestion across the railroad.
The head of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, Martin Oberman, said Wednesday he’s concerned about Union Pacific’s increasing use of the embargoes because they disrupt operations of the businesses that rely on the railroad, and they haven’t seemed to help its performance significantly.
Union Pacific has ordered companies to remove some of their railcars from the network more than 1,000 times this year, up from 140 times in 2018, according to the transportation board.
An embargo can force a business to consider cutting production or resorting to more expensive shipping options, like trucking, if that’s even an option. And they can make it harder for other businesses to get the key products, such as shipments of chlorine used to treat water, or grain for feeding animals.
“The customer is bearing the brunt of the pain. You guys are still making money,” Surface Transportation Board member Robert Primus said, addressing Union Pacific executives during two days of board hearings this week.
For much of this year, Union Pacific and the other major freight railroads have struggled to deliver products on time and handle all the shipments companies want to move because they were short on crews coming out of the pandemic. The railroads have been improving throughout the year as they hired more workers, but regulators say they’re still lagging behind where they should be. Union Pacific is using significantly more embargoes than any other railroad.
At the hearings, Union Pacific executives defended their practices, arguing that their embargoes are needed to help get the railroad running better. CEO Lance Fritz said the embargoes are targeted and temporary measures that shouldn’t place an undue burden on individual businesses.
“We only use embargoes when necessary and when no longer necessary, we end them,” Fritz said.
But several shippers and trade groups testified that the embargoes are hurting their businesses.
Cargill executive Brock Lautenschlager said Union Pacific’s actions make it hard to plan. Last month, the railroad told Cargill it needed to pull 130 railcars it owns from the network within a week or face shipment limits at five of its plants. The agribusiness giant complied because it worried that an embargo could force it to shut down a plant.
“We believe embargoes should be the exception not the norm,” Lautenschlager said.
It’s accepted practice for railroads to temporarily place limits on shipments in extreme conditions when something outside their control, like a flood or bridge fire, hurts their ability to haul freight. Business groups, however, say they believe deep cuts in UP’s workforce are a major reason the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad is having so much trouble meeting customer expectations.
Oberman said there seems to be a direct correlation between the sharp drop in Union Pacific employees since 2018, as it overhauled its operations, and the increased use of embargoes. The number of train crews the railroad employed went from roughly 18,000 in 2018 to about 13,000 today and that includes all the hiring the railroad has done since the economy started to rebound from the pandemic.
Greg Twist with grain processor Ag Processing Inc. compared the situation to going shopping at a grocery store and finding that the store refuses to hire more than one clerk, and then the store’s manager tells him he must come back at a certain time of day if he wants service. And unlike with groceries, his company generally can’t shop around to ship its goods because Union Pacific is the only railroad that serves several of its plants.
Twist said Ag Processing should have “the freedom to decide how we operate our facilities” without having the railroad dictate how much they can produce with its shipping limits. | 2022-12-15T01:19:56+00:00 | seattletimes.com | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/regulators-and-shippers-complain-about-ups-shipping-limits/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Through games of Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023
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___ | 2023-02-28T16:25:44+00:00 | seattlepi.com | https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/nhl-leaders-17810409.php |
The NBA’s social justice coalition announced Tuesday that no games will be played on Election Day, Nov. 8, to encourage people to vote.
The league will officially announce its schedule on Wednesday, but revealed its decision not to host games on Election Day a day earlier.
It added that the decision “came out of the NBA family’s focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement.”
In a statement, the league added that it hopes this will encourage fans to make a plan to vote during midterm elections.
The move was first reported by NBC News.
“We don’t usually change the schedule for an external event,” James Cadogan, the executive director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, told NBC News.
“But voting and Election Day are obviously unique and incredibly important to our democracy,” the Obama Justice Department alum added.
The NBA will also see all 30 teams compete the day before the midterms in a special election-themed night, NBC reported.
Previously, eight teams played on the day of the 2018 midterm elections, 12 teams had scheduled games in 2016 and 16 teams competed on Election Day in 2014.
In 2020, NBA teams, in partnership with local governments, turned their empty arenas into polling locations on Election Day.
The NBA’s social justice coalition, which is made up of current players, coaches and team executives, was created in November 2020 after the league became more involved with social justice issues amid the pandemic.
Players and the league have also spoken out about social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement in the aftermath of the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd that year. | 2022-08-17T12:26:23+00:00 | wdtn.com | https://www.wdtn.com/sports/nba/nba-no-games-on-election-day/ |
A new authorized branded distributor initiative with Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ supports the company's commitment to sustainable energy solutions
NEWS SUMMARY
- World Fuel Services (World Fuel) is now an authorized branded distributor of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™, with the first supply location at Paris-Le Bourget (LFPB).
- This new initiative builds on World Fuel's long history of providing access to SAF in Europe, expanding existing supply points in the UK, Germany, and France.
- Supplying lower-emission fuels reflects World Fuel's ongoing commitment to developing innovative sustainability solutions for the aviation industry.
HOUSTON, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- World Fuel Services (World Fuel) has announced they are now an authorized branded distributor of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ (SAF). Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LFPB/LBG) in France is the first location where the company delivered Neste's SAF as the authorized branded distributor.
"As a European airport leader for business aviation, Paris-Le Bourget airport has always been a pioneer in the aviation world; through this enthusiastic initiative led by World Fuel with Neste, we stay at the forefront of innovation and decarbonization," said Sébastien Couturier, managing director, Paris-Le Bourget Airport within Groupe ADP. "This new service will allow us to complete the biofuel offer available on our platform, putting us in a unique position in Europe. This is an excellent signal, which attests to the transition underway in business aviation."
Becoming an authorized branded distributor builds on World Fuel's ongoing commitment to developing innovative sustainability solutions for the aviation industry, which is exemplified by supporting customers in Europe with solutions and services such as:
- As one of the first companies to have blended SAF in the UK, World Fuel provides Farnborough Airport (EGLF) in Hampshire, England, with a supply of SAF from Neste.
- World Fuel managed Bremen Airport's (EDDW) fuel storage facility upgrade by converting an existing Avgas tank into a SAF tank and supplying a dedicated refueller asset to support Airbus' Beluga flight operations.
- At Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (LFBO), the company supported Airbus by delivering blended and 100% SAF for engine testing.
- World Fuel supplied SAF to the Royal Air Force Brize Norton in support of the Autumn Royal Tour and provided Boeing with SAF for flights related to the UK and the Middle East.
"World Fuel is committed to the industry's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 50%. Working together with Neste to expand the global supply chain of SAF furthers that commitment," said Duncan Storey, vice president, supply aviation Europe, World Fuel Services. "We will continue to invest in creating innovative solutions and expanding renewable and lower-emission fuels and energy offerings."
Neste's market-leading Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ is fully certified for use and produced from 100% renewable and sustainable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. In its neat form and over its life cycle, Neste's SAF can reduce GHG emissions up to 80%* compared to fossil jet fuel use.
"SAF is a key element in achieving the aviation industry's emission reduction goals. Neste is leading the transformation to SAF and increasing its global SAF production capacity to 1.5 million tons per annum in 2023," said Jonathan Wood, vice president Europe, renewable aviation, Neste. "Partnering with World Fuel at Paris-Le Bourget Airport underlines our commitment to business aviation and supports the French government's ambitions for a more sustainable aviation industry."
Since 2015, World Fuel has delivered more than 27 million gallons of SAF to business and commercial aviation customers worldwide. Becoming an authorized branded distributor of Neste's SAF furthers the broader adoption of cleaner fuels that will help advance the industry on its path to net zero.
*Calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology
To learn more about World Fuel's efforts to create a more sustainable world, please visit https://aviation.World Fuelcorp.com/sustainability.
Headquartered in Miami, Florida, World Fuel Services is a global energy management company involved in providing supply fulfillment, energy procurement advisory services, and transaction and payment management solutions to commercial and industrial customers worldwide. World Fuel Services sells and delivers liquid fuels, natural gas, electricity, renewable energy, and other sustainability solutions to its clients at more than 8,000 locations in more than 200 countries and territories through its Marine, Aviation, and World Kinect Energy Services divisions. For more information, visit www.wfscorp.com or www.world-kinect.com.
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. We refine waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. We are the world's leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. We aim at helping customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. Our ambition is to make the Porvoo oil refinery in Finland the most sustainable refinery in Europe by 2030. We are introducing renewable and recycled raw materials such as liquefied waste plastic as refinery raw materials. We have committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, and we will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040. We also have set high standards for biodiversity, human rights and supply chain. We have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world's most sustainable companies. In 2021, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 15.1 billion. Read more: neste.com
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SOURCE World Fuel Services | 2022-06-28T10:22:11+00:00 | kalb.com | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/world-fuel-services-expands-customer-access-sustainable-aviation-fuel/ |
BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, Brooklyn — A man was crushed to death in the garbage compactor of a Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment building early Friday, according to authorities.
The man somehow ended up in the garbage chute of the building on Gates Avenue near Marcus Garvey Boulevard around 4:05 a.m., officials said. He then entered the compactor, where he was crushed, police said.
Someone called 911 after hearing the victim, authorities said, but by the time first responders arrived, it was too late. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police had not determined the man’s identity or whether he lived in the building as of Friday morning, but he was believed to have been in his 50s. It also remained unclear why the man entered the garbage chute, but authorities said that criminality did not appear to be involved. | 2022-08-12T19:14:28+00:00 | wjhl.com | https://www.wjhl.com/news/national/man-crushed-to-death-in-garbage-compactor-of-brooklyn-building/ |
NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson about the future of abortion access after the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson about the future of abortion access after the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
Copyright 2022 NPR | 2022-06-24T21:04:26+00:00 | mainepublic.org | https://www.mainepublic.org/2022-06-24/head-of-planned-parenthood-on-whats-next-in-the-fight-for-abortion-rights |
New year, new savings opportunity: Today’s 30-year mortgage rates plunge a quarter point | Jan. 3, 2023
Our goal here at Credible Operations, Inc., NMLS Number 1681276, referred to as "Credible" below, is to give you the tools and confidence you need to improve your finances. Although we do promote products from our partner lenders, all opinions are our own.
Check out the mortgage rates for Jan. 3, 2023, which are largely down from last Thursday. (Credible)
Based on data compiled by Credible, mortgage rates for home purchases have fallen for three key terms and risen for one term since last Thursday.
- 30-year fixed mortgage rates: 6.375%, down from 6.625%, -0.250
- 20-year fixed mortgage rates: 6.500%, up from 6.125%, +0.375
- 15-year fixed mortgage rates: 5.875%, down from 6.250%, -0.375
- 10-year fixed mortgage rates: 5.875%, down from 5.990%, -0.115
Rates last updated on Jan. 3, 2023. These rates are based on the assumptions shown here. Actual rates may vary. Credible, a personal finance marketplace, has 5,000+ Trustpilot reviews with an average star rating of 4.7 (out of a possible 5.0).
What this means: Rates for a 30-year mortgage fell a quarter point over the weekend, bringing rates for this popular repayment term to their lowest levels in four days. Borrowers who want to save the most on interest may want to consider 10- and 15-year rates, which are the lowest available at 5.875%. But with 30-year rates now lower than 20-year rates, borrowers who want a longer repayment term should stick with a 30-year mortgage.
To find great mortgage rates, start by using Credible’s secured website, which can show you current mortgage rates from multiple lenders without affecting your credit score. You can also use Credible’s mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payments.
Based on data compiled by Credible, mortgage refinance rates have fallen for three key terms and risen for one term since last Thursday.
- 30-year fixed-rate refinance: 6.375%, down from 6.625%, -0.250
- 20-year fixed-rate refinance: 6.500%, up from 6.125%, +0.375
- 15-year fixed-rate refinance: 5.875%, down from 6.250%, -0.375
- 10-year fixed-rate refinance: 5.875%, down from 5.990%, -0.115
Rates last updated on Jan. 3, 2023. These rates are based on the assumptions shown here. Actual rates may vary. With 5,000 reviews, Credible maintains an "excellent" Trustpilot score.
What this means: Mortgage refinance rates fell across three key terms today, giving homeowners another opportunity to save on interest. At 6.375%, a 30-year term offers a desirable blend of a relatively low interest rate and manageable monthly payments. Homeowners looking to refinance to a longer term may want to lock in a rate now, ahead of likely increases.
How mortgage rates have changed over time
Today’s mortgage interest rates are well below the highest annual average rate recorded by Freddie Mac — 16.63% in 1981. A year before the COVID-19 pandemic upended economies across the world, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for 2019 was 3.94%. The average rate for 2021 was 2.96%, the lowest annual average in 30 years.
The historic drop in interest rates means homeowners who have mortgages from 2019 and older could potentially realize significant interest savings by refinancing with one of today’s lower interest rates. When considering a mortgage refinance or purchase, it’s important to take into account closing costs such as appraisal, application, origination and attorney’s fees. These factors, in addition to the interest rate and loan amount, all contribute to the cost of a mortgage.
Are you looking to buy a home? Credible can help you compare current rates from multiple mortgage lenders at once in just a few minutes. Use Credible’s online tools to compare rates and get prequalified today.
Thousands of Trustpilot reviewers rate Credible "excellent."
How Credible mortgage rates are calculated
Changing economic conditions, central bank policy decisions, investor sentiment and other factors influence the movement of mortgage rates. Credible average mortgage rates and mortgage refinance rates reported in this article are calculated based on information provided by partner lenders who pay compensation to Credible.
The rates assume a borrower has a 740 credit score and is borrowing a conventional loan for a single-family home that will be their primary residence. The rates also assume no (or very low) discount points and a down payment of 20%.
Credible mortgage rates reported here will only give you an idea of current average rates. The rate you actually receive can vary based on a number of factors.
Factors that influence mortgage rates (and are in your control)
Many factors affect what mortgage interest rate you can qualify for, and some of them are within your control. Improving these factors could help you qualify for a lower interest rate.
- Credit score — Generally, the lowest interest rates go to borrowers with the highest credit scores.
- Debt-to-income ratio — DTI is a percentage that compares your total debts with your income. To calculate DTI, divide your monthly gross income by the total of all your monthly minimum debt payments. Generally, lenders prefer a DTI of 35% or less.
- Down payment amount — Generally, lenders (and many sellers) look favorably on a higher down payment amount. If you put down less than 20% of the home’s purchase price, many lenders will require you to pay for private mortgage insurance, which protects the lender (not you) if you fail to repay the mortgage.
- Home location/price — Interest rates can vary depending on what state you live in and where in the state you’re buying. Likewise, if you need to borrow a lot more than average (a jumbo loan) or very little, you may get a higher interest rate.
- Repayment term — The lowest rates typically come with 10- or 15-year terms, while 30-year terms usually have the highest interest rates.
If you’re trying to find the right mortgage rate, consider using Credible. You can use Credible's free online tool to easily compare multiple lenders and see prequalified rates in just a few minutes.
Have a finance-related question, but don't know who to ask? Email The Credible Money Expert at moneyexpert@credible.com and your question might be answered by Credible in our Money Expert column. | 2023-01-03T22:21:57+00:00 | wogx.com | https://www.wogx.com/money/todays-mortgage-rates-january-3-2023 |
WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – Friday marks two years since the attack on the U.S. Capitol as law enforcement officers, veterans and lawmakers in Washington call for more accountability and security.
On the eve of the second anniversary of the attack, former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone is calling for change.
“Two years since the day I almost died defending the Capitol,” Fanone recalled. “The worst part is that our elected leaders allowed this to happen.”
He called for specific members of Congress to condemn political violence.
“Representative Matt Gaetz, who encouraged voters to arm themselves at the polls or newly sworn in, or soon to be sworn in, Representative Derrick Van Orden who breached police barricades with the insurrectionist mob,” Fanone said.
Congress recently passed a bill to make it harder to overturn election results and many other Republicans on Capitol Hill already condemn the attack.
“Yes, there’s blame to go around there and, again, I think it’s reflecting on those issues and what incited that,” Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) said.
Indiana Republican Larry Bucshon says one lesson learned is that rhetoric matters.
“It’s a dark day in American history, that we don’t want to repeat,” Bucshon said. “I think it’s unfortunate, I think there shouldn’t have been a rally on the National Mall that day.”
Meanwhile, Colorado Democrat Jason Crow says political violence doesn’t have a simple solution.
“While Donald Trump bears the majority of the responsibility, it wasn’t him alone that led us there. It’s years of division and disinformation and misinformation…and lies,” Crow said.
Lawmakers say a lot remains to be done to fight those problems. | 2023-01-06T00:03:57+00:00 | ksn.com | https://www.ksn.com/news/washington-dc/fanone-lawmakers-call-for-accountability-ahead-of-jan-6-anniversary/ |
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Phanes Therapeutics, Inc. (Phanes), an emerging leader in innovative discovery research and clinical development in oncology, announced today that the first patient has been dosed in the phase 1 clinical study (NCT05431270) of PT199, an anti-CD73 monoclonal antibody (mAb) for the treatment of multiple advanced solid tumors.
PT199 is an anti-CD73 mAb with a differentiated mechanism of action and is designed to counter the adenosine-mediated immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). PT199 fully inhibits both soluble and membrane-bound CD73, unlike some other CD73 inhibitors which exhibit incomplete inhibition. Moreover, at higher concentrations, no loss of inhibition or "hook effect" is observed with PT199. Hence, PT199 addresses the limitations of current CD73 inhibitors and is expected to increase antitumor immune activation, and potentially offer a new treatment option for cancer patients.
"The CD73 pathway represents a very promising target for addressing the immunosuppressive TME and we are pleased to open this study and bring this potential best-in-class mAb to cancer patients who have few treatment options." said Dr. Ming Wang, Founder and CEO of Phanes Therapeutics.
The multi-center Phase I clinical trial of PT199 is evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of PT199, alone and in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors that have progressed after all available standard therapy or for which standard therapy has proven to be ineffective, intolerable, or is considered inappropriate. Enrollment in the trial is open to individuals aged 18 years and older who have measurable disease with at least 1 lesion amenable to response assessment per RECIST 1.1 criteria, adequate organ function, and an ECOG performance status of 0 to 1.
For more information on the study please visit ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05431270).
Phanes Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotech company focused on innovative drug discovery in oncology. Based in San Diego, California, the company's management team members previously held senior managerial and R&D positions in leading global pharmaceutical and biotech companies with extensive experience in R&D and commercialization. The company's bispecific antibody platform is PACbody™, a proprietary approach for constructing native IgG-like bispecific antibodies, SPECpair™, which allows mAb-like manufacturability of bispecific antibodies with native IgG-like structures, and ATACCbody™, a proprietary technology for targeting solid tumors using immuno-oncology molecules with modulated activities and thus minimal risk of cytokine release syndrome.
For more information, please visit www.phanesthera.com.
For business development or media inquiries please contact bd@phanestx.com or media@phanestx.com, respectively.
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SOURCE Phanes Therapeutics | 2022-08-23T12:02:41+00:00 | wbrc.com | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/phanes-therapeutics-announces-first-patient-dosed-phase-1-study-pt199-advanced-solid-tumors/ |
With the cost of eggs rising, people have been starting to wonder if it's worth it to raise their own chickens.
Lisa Steele, a fifth-generation chicken keeper and author of the FreshEggsDaily Blog, shares the top things people need to know before making the investment in raising chickens.
Learn more chicken-farming tips and egg recipes by following Lisa on Instagram at @fresheggsdaily. | 2023-03-02T18:43:02+00:00 | fox17online.com | https://www.fox17online.com/morning-mix/5th-generation-chicken-farmer-lisa-steele-shares-what-you-need-to-know-before-raising-chickens |
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will be making it easier for anyone struggling in a crisis to get the help they need.
Starting on July 16th, you’ll only have to dial 988 to get the help you need, instead of remembering the full 10 digits.
Being highly memorable and similar to 911, staff at the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network hopes this new number makes hard conversations on suicide easier to have.
“We should be able to talk about suicide like we do peanut butter and jelly, said Elizabeth Timmons, Director of Clinical Services at the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network. “It should be that common of a conversation that we might have with people if it’s needed, and not be afraid to ask a question.”
Timmons says they run their own hotline crisis number and have several therapists constantly working to help others.
“I have eight therapists and they are all working hard and have people waiting to see them, and I think our case managers as well providing those services,” said Timmons.
Highlighting COVID-19 death rates and an increase in substance abuse cases, Timmons says this new number is needed.
“It’s not any of us who can say we came out of this without any problem at all. It was just another day in the life, because I think we’ve all been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and just being a part of that situation,” said Timmons.
Texas Health and Human Services has five suicide lifelines centers around the state you can call.
When asked about changes they’re making with the new number answering calls ,they responded via email saying they’ve received additional federal funding to expand their capacity.
Receiving 24/7 free and confidential emotional support in a suicide crisis and emotional distress, Timmons says the number supports their initiative of having zero suicides across the state.
“I think a lot of times people think if they ask people about suicide, then that will put the thought in their head that that’s something that they should do, and that is not the case ever,” said Timmons. “When we fail to ask, we fail to provide the CPR needed for that crisis.”
The new number will also have services available to help veterans and active duty military in similar circumstances. | 2022-07-06T19:38:54+00:00 | texomashomepage.com | https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/texas-prepares-for-new-mental-health-hotline-number/ |
Two soccer match officials have been found guilty of negligence by an Indonesian court in connection with one of the deadliest stadium stampedes in history.
Match official Abdul Haris was sentenced to 18 months in prison and security officer Suko Sutrisno was sentenced to 12 months by the court in Surabaya, according to news services.
Both men worked for Arema FC — one of the two teams playing in the Oct. 1 2022 match at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java. The game ended with a stampede that killed 135 people, including some children, after police fired tear gas into the crowd.
Arema FB was defeated 3-2 in the match by opposing team Persebaya Surabaya — Arema FB's first home loss to their rival in 23 years. Witnesses reported that some 42,000 Arema FB supporters ran onto the pitch after the match, prompting police to fire tear gas into the crowd. Authorities told reporters that many of the dead were crushed or suffocated as they raced for the stadium exits, and that more than 300 people were injured.
Following the incident, a fact-finding team appointed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo that included government officials, security experts and soccer officials. The team found that the tear gas had been used indiscriminately and that police had used "excessive" measures, Benar News reported at the time.
The team also found out that the police on duty that day didn't know that tear gas was a banned crowd control measure by FIFA, soccer's governing body. The stadium may have been over-capacity for the match, investigators also found.
Widodo has ordered the stadium demolished.
Reuters reported that Haris and Satrisno will take time to look at the ruling before taking any further legal steps.
The stampede ranks as one of the deadliest soccer stampedes in history.
The deadliest happened in Lima, Peru, in 1964 during a match between Peru and Argentina at Estadio Nacional when the crowd attacked stadium police for assaulting a fan who had run onto the pitch to express disappointment with a referee's decision, the BBC reported. The police fought back, firing bullets and tear gas into the crowd. More than 320 people died, according to officials, as the crowd ran toward the exits, but experts think this might be an underestimate.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | 2023-03-10T07:37:18+00:00 | delawarepublic.org | https://www.delawarepublic.org/npr-headlines/2023-03-10/2-indonesian-soccer-officials-found-guilty-in-one-of-the-deadliest-stadium-stampedes |
Hockey Canada ousted CEO Scott Smith on Tuesday and the board of directors also resigned due to a series of scandals that have rocked the sport’s national federation to its core.
Smith spent nearly three decades climbing the ladder at Hockey Canada and lasted just three months at the top, unable to survive the fallout related to how Hockey Canada handled sexual assault allegations and how the organization paid out settlements.
Hockey Canada said in a statement that an interim management committee will be put in place to guide the organization until a new board, which is set to be elected in December, appoints Smith’s successor. The organization also said the outgoing board recognized “the urgent need for new leadership and new perspectives” in stepping down.
Federal Minister of Sport Pascal St-Onge called Tuesday’s changes “the right decision” and “a step toward restoring Canadians’ confidence in the organization.”
“The interim management committee must be made up of people who want to make real change,” she said in a statement posted to Twitter. “We expect Hockey Canada to actively work towards a team whose expertise will contribute to better support and training for players, and an environment exempt from sexual violence and discrimination.”
Former board chair Michael Brind’Amour resigned in August and interim chair Andrea Skinner stepped down Saturday after politicians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, called for leadership change and corporate sponsors jumped ship.
Smith took over from outgoing CEO Tom Renney on July 1 after a succession plan was announced in April. But Hockey Canada’s world started to come crashing down shortly thereafter.
TSN was first to report in May that an undisclosed settlement had been paid to a woman who alleged in a $3.55 million lawsuit she was sexually assaulted by eight players — including members of the country’s world junior team — after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ontario.
Police in London later said they would reopen the investigation into the 2018 incident, and the NHL is also conducting an investigation because many of the players from that junior team are now in the league.
Then there was the revelation that Hockey Canada had a secretive fund partly maintained by minor hockey registration fees to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual assault and abuse claims.
A Hockey Canada official testified in July that the organization had doled out $7.6 million in nine settlements related to sexual assault and abuse claims since 1989 — not including this year’s payout to the London plaintiff. The majority went to the victims of disgraced former junior hockey coach Graham James.
The organization also has said members of the 2003 men’s world junior team are being investigated for a group sexual assault. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Hockey Canada has had its federal funding cut off.
Also Tuesday, Bauer Hockey paused its partnership as the official equipment provider for Hockey Canada’s men’s teams and its sponsorship of men’s tournaments, calling the repeated breach of trust by the national organization’s leadership “extremely disturbing.”
Bauer said Hockey Canada will be able to purchase gear for men’s programs, with profits being invested in hockey programs for girls, women and other underrepresented communities. It also will continue to supply equipment to the women’s programs.
Bauer’s move follows similar announcements by sponsors including Nike, Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons. But it’s unclear whether an overhaul of Hockey Canada’s boardroom and management will be a significant enough change to address corporate concerns.
“It’s really the policy and strategy (change) and a revised charter and focus that we believe needs to evolve before we would feel comfortable jumping back in,” Bauer CEO Ed Kinnaly said in an interview before the resignations were announced.
“If Hockey Canada were a business, they would be failing,” he added. “The number of kids getting involved in hockey in Canada is spiraling downward … but nobody’s talking about that. Instead, people are pointing to national team victories.”
___
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | 2022-10-11T22:15:11+00:00 | fox44news.com | https://www.fox44news.com/sports/ap-hockey-canada-ceo-smith-out-board-of-directors-resigns/ |
Joe from Denver writes, “What's driving you crazy? At the intersection of northbound Sheridan & Morrison Rd & Mississippi Ave, there is a stop line right before Mississippi with Morrison just feet past. Is it legal to make a right on red at this intersection onto Morrison? You would need to drive past Mississippi a bit in order to do it.”
That is a tricky spot Joe. Like you said, when you come to a stop in the right turn lane on northbound Sheridan you are next to Mississippi Ave. Mississippi at that point only allows for eastbound traffic as it is a one way to Zenobia Street.
I spent some time there across several days watching how traffic flowed and according to my observations, about 3 of every 5 drivers made that right turn to eastbound Morrison Road. One particular time, a driver was starting to make the right at the same time as someone was turning left from southbound Sheridan to eastbound Mississippi and they almost collided. After some honking, both drivers were on their way, but it shows the one major potential conflict during that movement.
I talked with Sean Towle from the Denver Police Department who says drivers should not be making that turn onto Morrison Road. “It is not legal to make a right turn onto Morrison Road during a red light. It would be legal to turn onto Mississippi, but you cannot cross a street while making a right turn on a red light.”
MORE: Read more traffic issues driving people crazy
Vanessa Lacayo with Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) tells me they agree with DPD, drivers are only allowed to turn right onto Mississippi from northbound Sheridan on red. “Because the stop bar is behind the intersection of Mississippi and Sheridan as opposed to Morrison and Sheridan, it is not okay to make a right turn onto Morrison from NB Sheridan on red.”
After bringing this issue to their attention, I asked if DOTI would add a no turn on red sign for drivers trying to get to Morrison Road. I was told they are going to refer this to their area engineer to take a look.
While officially the turn to Morrison Road is not legal, many long-time residents don’t know that so they will still be making that turn until DPD increases enforcement or DOTI installs a no right on red sign. Also, don’t be frustrated waiting behind someone who doesn’t make the turn. While it is legal to make a right on red at most intersections, it isn’t required. I wrote all about how some drivers don’t like to make that right on red in a previous Driving You Crazy story.
Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook,Twitter or Instagram or listen to his Driving You Crazy podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Spotify or Podbean. | 2023-05-23T11:43:34+00:00 | denver7.com | https://www.denver7.com/traffic/driving-you-crazy/driving-you-crazy-is-it-legal-to-make-a-right-on-red-frm-northbound-sheridan-onto-morrison-road |
We don't need to tell you that inflation is continuing; you feel it every time you go shopping.
Unfortunately, some economists predict inflation won't be where it usually is until 2024.
But that doesn't mean help isn't on the way for some Americans.
COST-OF-LIVING RAISES
It may sound dry, but if you are an older American on social security, you are well aware of cost-of-living adjustments.
Cost-of-living adjustments are the increase in pay Americans on social security get each year.
Cost-of-living adjustments are based on the consumer price index, which measures inflation and has been at 40-year highs for most of the year.
Right now, the expectation is the adjustment in 2023 will be 8.7%.
That's according to the Senior Citizens League.
How much is that? If you get a $1,000 check every month, that's $87 more.
Right now, it's just an estimate of the increase.
The October consumer price index will be a key factor in determining the exact amount.
That report is expected on Oct. 13.
Of course, many older Americans yearly have cost-of-living adjustments wiped out by Medicare increases.
However, there may be some relief on that front too.
President Joe Biden announced last week that Medicare Part B premiums would go down next year for the first time in over a decade. | 2022-10-03T10:08:03+00:00 | kivitv.com | https://www.kivitv.com/news/national-politics/cost-of-living-increases-for-social-security-set-to-increase-significantly-in-2023 |
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Republic Title Insurance Group, one of the largest title insurance groups in the United States, and ClosingLock, the leading wire fraud prevention platform for the real estate industry, are now working together to help combat wire fraud for Old Republic Title's agents.
"Old Republic Title is one of the largest and most respected brands in the title insurance industry. We are excited to be working with them to help combat wire fraud in the real estate industry." says Andy White, CEO and co-founder of ClosingLock.
ClosingLock is modernizing the real estate world's way of transferring information to eliminate wire fraud. The company provides a secure, easy-to-use platform for title companies, law firms, and other financial services to protect themselves and their clients from wire fraud. ClosingLock has protected over $100 billion in real estate funds to date.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Old Republic Title is comprised of a multitude of title and related services companies, including one of the largest title insurers in the United States. Its underwriters are Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, formed in 1907, and American Guaranty Title Insurance Company, dating back to 1899. The Company has a national network of more than 275 branch and subsidiary offices, and roughly 8,000 independent, authorized policy-issuing title agents.
For more information please contact:
Abigail White, VP of Communications, abigail@closinglock.com
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SOURCE ClosingLock | 2022-08-09T17:24:27+00:00 | kcrg.com | https://www.kcrg.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/old-republic-title-insurance-group-closinglock-working-together-help-combat-wire-fraud/ |
Southern Comfort drops new line of ‘drinking pants’ for holiday season
(Gray News) – Southern Comfort, a brand best known for its whisky, is venturing into fashion with a new product: pants!
The whisky company is releasing what its calling “drinking pants” ahead of the nationwide Thanksgiving Eve homecomings.
According to a news release, the pants are a one-of-a-kind line of unisex custom trousers specifically designed to make the most of the holiday season’s conviviality.
Sara Saunders, Southern Comfort’s vice president of global marketing, said the company conducted detailed market research that lead them to an important conclusion.
“Pants today are missing a few crucial elements that would improve lives everywhere, a key one being a shot glass pocket,” she said.
The company said it added a perfectly-sized shot glass pocket so wearers can easily take the fun with them wherever they might go, along with a reversible “fancy pants” option for those who don’t mind wearing the same pair of pants two days in a row.
According to the company, the reversed side is better suited to be worn at formal gatherings, like Thanksgiving dinner with the family.
The pants will also have a fully adjustable waistband to accommodate the Thanksgiving festivities.
The pants are expected to be available for purchase from Nov. 14 at 8 a.m. EST to Nov. 21 or as long as supplies last. They’ll cost $11.23 to mark Thanksgiving Eve 2022, according to Southern Comfort.
Click here for more information.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | 2022-11-10T02:28:15+00:00 | fox5vegas.com | https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/11/10/southern-comfort-drops-new-line-drinking-pants-holiday-season/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The shooter who opened fire at a Nashville private school has been identified as a 28-year-old Nashville woman, Police Chief John Drake confirmed Monday afternoon.
Drake said the woman, Audrey Hale, identifies as transgender and was also believed to have been a student at The Covenant School, the small Christian school where officers say she killed six people.
Hale allegedly entered the building by shooting through a side door, Drake noted, adding that the shooting was targeted.
The shooter was armed with two “assault-style” weapons — a rifle and a pistol — as well as a handgun, authorities said. At least two of them were believed to have been obtained legally in the Nashville area.
Hale was shot and killed by police minutes after they arrived on scene, Drake said.
When police entered the school’s first story, they heard gunshots coming from the second floor, police spokesperson Don Aaron said. They immediately “went to the gunfire,” he said, where they found the woman armed with two assault rifles and a handgun who was firing.
The responding officers on the second floor were part of a five-member team, according to Aaron. Two of those officers opened fire on the shooter.
“By 10:27 the shooter was deceased,” he said in a press conference Monday morning.
While police initially said the shooter appeared to be “in her teens,” police later confirmed she was 28 years old.
During a Monday evening press conference, Drake said authorities are still working to determine a motive but that detailed maps with information on surveillance and entrances were found after the shooting.
A manifesto and writings believed to be related to the shooting are also being reviewed. Authorities have spoken with Hale’s father.
Female active shooters are rare, according to FBI data. Of the 61 incidents categorized as active shooting incidents in 2021, the FBI reported only one suspect was female.
A typical day at The Covenant School would see 209 students and approximately 42 staff members in attendance, according to police.
Three of those staff members and three students were killed Monday. No other major injuries were reported.
One officer reportedly sustained an injury from cut glass, but Aaron said he was not aware of any other injuries to officers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 2023-03-27T21:54:46+00:00 | kfor.com | https://kfor.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/nashville-school-shooter-ided-as-28-year-old-woman-former-student-heres-what-we-know/ |
CLEVELAND (WJW) — No one has won a Powerball jackpot in the new year, and it just keeps on getting larger.
The jackpot has now reached $653 million with a $350.5 million cash option after Monday night’s drawing led to no jackpot winners.
The winning numbers for Monday night were 1, 4, 12, 36, 49 and the Powerball 5. The Power Play was 2X.
The Powerball jackpot was last won on Nov. 19, 2022, when a ticket in Kansas matched all five white balls and the red Powerball to win a $92.9 million jackpot, according to the Powerball website.
In all, there were seven Powerball jackpots won last year, including the world record $2.04 billion jackpot that was hit by a single ticket in California on Nov. 7, 2022.
Top 10 Powerball Jackpots:
$2.04 billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
$1.586 billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
$768.4 million – March 27, 2019 – WI
$758.7 million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA
$731.1 million – Jan. 20, 2021 – MD
$699.8 million – Oct. 4, 2021 – CA
$687.8 million – Oct. 27, 2018 – IA, NY
Est. $653 million – Feb. 1, 2023
$632.6 million – Jan. 5, 2022 – CA, WI
$590.5 million – May 18, 2013 – FL
Powerball winning numbers are announced every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Tickets are $2.
Find out more about the jackpot here. And if you’re looking for more information about the Mega Millions, head here. | 2023-01-31T14:02:43+00:00 | kron4.com | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/powerball-jackpot-climbs-to-653m-after-no-winner/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — A dinosaur exhibition linked to the Jurassic Park movie franchise has temporarily closed its Atlanta location after police say people broke in and caused more than $250,000 in damage.
Atlanta police say they responded Monday to a burglary call at the exhibition, which had just opened Friday at Pullman Yards, an event space east of downtown Atlanta.
The general manager told police that four people broke in around 9:30 p.m. Surveillance footage showed one person sitting atop of one of the animatronic dinosaurs while “ripping off the skin covering,” according to an incident report obtained by local news outlets.
A suspect also stole four custom-made dinosaur shirts valued at $6,000 each, the report said.
A security guard took a picture of an intruder at 6:30 a.m. Monday at a restaurant on the property. Atlanta police later identified and arrested 19-year-old Acauan Carvalho Van Deusen, charging him with second-degree burglary. It’s unclear if Van Deusen has a lawyer who could speak for him.
None of the other suspects have been publicly identified.
The publicist for the exhibition said organizers hope to reopen June 7, saying people who had bought tickets have been sent emails on how to rebook.
“We are excited to host everyone once the exhibition has reopened,” organizers said in a statement.
Everette Wadley told WANF-TV that the damage ruined a special occasion for her child.
“It was a little disappointing because it was supposed to be a surprise, but we are going to make the best of it,” Wadley said. “Can you imagine trying to tell an 8-year-old we’re not going to be able to see that today?”
Promoters earlier told WAGA-TV that Animax Designs of Nashville, Tennessee, took 18 months to design and build the animatronic dinosaurs included in exhibition, which draws on six Jurassic Park movies and an animated Netflix series.
Two other similar exhibitions are currently running near Toronto and in Cologne, Germany, part of a group that has been touring world cities since 2016. | 2023-05-31T09:52:06+00:00 | myfox8.com | https://myfox8.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-dinosaur-exhibition-temporarily-closes-in-atlanta-after-intruders-cause-expensive-damage/ |
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Changes to a pair of intersections in the heart of Sioux Falls could become permanent.
“We’ve had a lot of feedback from the Cathedral neighborhood on wanting to try to do different things to slow traffic down through the neighborhood,” said Heath Hoftiezer, traffic operations engineer with the City of Sioux Falls.
A circle in the middle of the intersection at 9th Street and Duluth Avenue just west of downtown is catching some Sioux Falls drivers by surprise.
“I just think it’s probably in a weird spot,” Cassie Boyd of Sioux Falls said. “Random, I guess.”
But there’s a reason why it’s here.
“We’re trying out some different traffic circles in the core of the city right now in attempt to try to calm traffic, slow traffic down and get people to kind of think about how they’re driving through the area,” Hoftiezer said.
There’s a second traffic circle nearby at the intersection of 9th Street and Prairie Avenue; the circles went in on Monday. An element to note about them is that if drivers want to take a left as they approach the circle, they have to go all the way around if they’re going to go that direction.
“They operate like a roundabout where we have yield signs as you’re approaching them,” Hoftiezer said. “There’s a little circular intersection in the center, and you basically go to your right and you travel around the circle to whichever direction you want to exit at.”
They’re temporary now but could become permanent fixtures.
“What we gather from data from the cameras and from the speed data that we’re going to be gathering in the next couple of weeks, we’re going to use that to determine if we should proceed with a project to put these in place permanently,” Hoftiezer said. | 2023-04-13T02:12:52+00:00 | keloland.com | https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/circles-could-become-permanent-fixtures-of-9th-street-traffic-in-central-sf/ |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)Baker Mayfield isn’t sure how things will shake out when Sam Darnold’s 21-day window to return from injured reserve closes on Tuesday.
The Carolina Panthers will then have to make a difficult decision on what to do at quarterback.
NFL teams rarely keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster anymore, let alone activate three on game day.
Mayfield knows that.
With P.J. Walker making his fourth straight start on Sunday at Cincinnati and seemingly holding down the starting spot with the offense improving, it’s unclear if the Panthers will keep three QBs on the roster or waive Mayfield or Darnold.
”I think that has kind of been the looming question, but that is not for us to handle,” Mayfield said. ”We are just worried about one day at a time and I think that is just how the QB room has been – and how it has been handled. We will see when that time comes to be honest with you. I don’t have the right answer.”
Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks said earlier in the week that he didn’t want to discuss hypotheticals when asked about the impending decision on Darnold and how it impacts the quarterback room.
”So I’m going to wait and see exactly what happens at that time and my decision will be the best decision for this team,” Wilks said.
Mayfield struggled in his first five starts this season, going 1-4 with four interceptions and four TD passes. He lost his starting job after injuring his ankle in a Week 5 loss to San Francisco, but is healthy now.
Mayfield said his goal now is to be the best teammate he can be.
He couldn’t contain his excitement when Walker completed a 62-yard desperation pass to D.J. Moore that tied the game at 34-34 with 12 seconds remaining last Sunday at Atlanta.
He raced onto the field to congratulate the starting QB.
”Well, hell yeah,” Mayfield said. ”I mean have you seen a throw like that? Because I haven’t. I mean he let that thing go. … That is heck of a play at a crucial moment when not a lot of people gave him a chance.”
Mayfield said the Panthers have a tight quarterback room and everyone has been supportive of each other.
He doesn’t expect that to change.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft admits that being a backup quarterback wasn’t what he envisioned when he threw for 3,653 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2020 and led the Cleveland Browns to an 11-5 record and a playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
”No, but that’s the way of this league,” Mayfield said. ”There are ups and downs. You hit adversity and you hit the crossroads, but it’s how you handle it. How you handle it speaks volumes about your character and what you’re trying to do.”
”I have always been about winning and I truly mean that,” he added.
—
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL | 2022-11-04T19:35:56+00:00 | valleycentral.com | https://www.valleycentral.com/nfl/nfl-dallas/mayfield-unsure-how-panthers-handle-looming-question-at-qb/ |
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – According to multiple reports, the Green Bay Packers have signed head coach Matt LaFleur, general manager Brian Gutekunst, and executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball to contract extensions.
As reported first by ESPN, these extensions came during this past offseason.
During the Packers’ shareholders meeting on Monday afternoon at Lambeau Field, president/CEO Mark Murphy did not confirm the reported extensions to Gutekunst, LaFleur, and Ball, but Murphy did say that he’s “confident” that each of them will continue to be Packers’ employees for years to come. | 2022-07-25T23:40:15+00:00 | wearegreenbay.com | https://www.wearegreenbay.com/packers/report-packers-extend-lafleur-gutekunst-and-ball/ |
Michael W. Clarkson — 10 a.m. at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home in Rapid City
John "Buddy" Coyle — 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Philip
Bobbie Crane — 1:30 p.m. at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis
Daryl L. Helmerick — 10:30 a.m. at Genesis Lutheran Church in Piedmont
Joan Schaff Kettlewell — 10 a.m. at St. Charles Catholic Church in Bowman, N.D.
James Frank Klancnik — 10 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Rapid City
John D. Kuchenbecker — 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Philip
Jeavene "Bena" Marie Running Shield — 10 a.m. at On Common Ground in Rapid City
Paul Ray Wilhelm — 3 p.m. at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis | 2022-07-15T00:01:09+00:00 | rapidcityjournal.com | https://rapidcityjournal.com/obits/services-for-july-15/article_b3c0e9a5-d647-507f-afdc-f03c7835721a.html |
Miami-Dade County suspended transit services Wednesday due to impacts from Hurricane Ian.
The county said that all Metrobus, Metrorail, Metromover and Special Transit Services would be suspended until further notice.
Riders are advised to click on this link for service and scheduling updates. | 2022-09-28T10:25:18+00:00 | nbcmiami.com | https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-dade-county-suspends-transit-services-due-to-hurricane-ians-impacts/2869559/ |
Leveraging Evommune's human tissue-based discovery platform, Dr. Patel will oversee all aspects of the Company's research and nonclinical activities
PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evommune, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing new ways to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointment of Jeegar Patel, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer.
"We are thrilled to welcome Jeegar to our team," said Luis Peña, President and Chief Executive Officer of Evommune. "Jeegar is a highly skilled executive with an outstanding track record and translational expertise in the discovery of therapies for inflammatory diseases. He will oversee all aspects of early-stage programs, as well as our human tissue-based discovery engine."
Dr. Patel joins Evommune with significant scientific and biotech industry experience, with a focus on drug discovery, toxicology and the clinical translation of therapeutics from target selection to registrational filing. Dr. Patel most recently served as Senior Vice President, Research and Nonclinical Development at Kadmon Holdings, Inc., a Sanofi Company, where he held positions of increasing responsibility and led the research and development organization with a therapeutic focus in fibrosis, immunology and immuno-oncology. He has directly contributed to IND and NDA filings across multiple therapeutic areas, including the development and approval of Rezurock® (FDA Approved July 2021) which led to Sanofi's $1.9 billion acquisition of Kadmon in late 2021, with Dr. Patel leading Kadmon's R&D activity integration into Sanofi. Prior to joining Kadmon, Dr. Patel was a Nonclinical Development Project Leader at ImClone Systems (Acquired by Eli Lilly in 2008) and led nonclinical development activities supporting the approval of Cyramza® (aVEGFR2 Mab), Portrazza® (aEGFR Mab), and Lartruvo® (aPDGFb Mab). Dr. Patel began his career as a nonclinical development project toxicologist at Abbott Laboratories and Aventis. Dr. Patel received his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and his Doctorate in Pharmacology and Physiology (Ph.D.) from Drexel University, College of Medicine.
"I'm excited to join the team at Evommune as we work to advance our pipeline of novel therapies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases," said Dr. Patel. "Contributing to the advancement of multiple novel therapeutic approaches for patients across a wide range of diseases who are in need of better treatment options is a unique opportunity. I'm inspired by the energy and focus of the team and the potential to make a difference for patients."
About Evommune, Inc.
Evommune, Inc. is a private R&D company creating game-changing science to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The company is evolving immunology through its unique human tissue-based approach to discovering, developing and delivering therapies that address symptoms and halt progressive disease. Evommune was founded in 2020 by an industry-leading team of R&D experts and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information, please visit Evommune.com.
Media Contact:
Sheryl Seapy
949-903-4750
sseapy@realchemistry.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Evommune, Inc. | 2022-10-03T13:43:47+00:00 | kswo.com | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2022/10/03/evommune-announces-appointment-dr-jeegar-patel-chief-scientific-officer/ |
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government on Friday formally endorsed the safety of Japanese plans to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean as it tried to calm people’s fears about food contamination.
Seoul’s assessment was based on a 22-month review by government-funded scientists and aligned with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s views. The agency greenlit the Japanese discharge plans this week, saying the treated wastewater would meet international safety standards and pose negligible environmental and health impacts.
South Korea’s review focused on any impact the wastewater release might have on South Korea, and “the result showed that its effect on our waters would be insignificant,” Bang Moon-kyu, the minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said during a news conference.
Even before Friday’s announcement, South Korean officials were actively working to reduce public unease about the wastewater release, holding daily briefings to address what they described as “excessive fears” and expanding radiation tests on fish imported from Japan or caught in nearby seas.
Conservative lawmakers from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ruling party have even toured a seafood market to drink sea water fetched from fish tanks in a bizarre gesture to certify food safety, although no wastewater has been pumped out from Fukushima yet.
Public concerns persist as retailers report an increase in sea salt sales, apparently driven by consumers looking to stock up ahead of the release.
Liberal opposition lawmakers, who control the majority in South Korea’s parliament, have vowed an all-out fight against the Japanese discharge plans and accuse Yoon’s government of putting the nation’s health at risk by desperately trying to improve relations with Tokyo.
“Japan says there are no problems science-wise, but I am still a little concerned,” said Yang Ok-ryeo, a 56-year-old fishmonger at Seoul’s Noryangjin seafood market, where lawmakers drank from fish tanks last week.
Lim Young, a 55-year-old consumer at the market, expressed similar worries.
“I think it’s dangerous,” she said about Japan’s discharge plans. “Even with fish (caught in South Korea), I would still have doubts on whether they would be safe to eat.”
During their news conference in Seoul, South Korean government officials and scientists repeatedly insisted the contamination levels of the Fukushima plant’s wastewater would be within acceptable safety standards as long as the Japanese treatment systems work as designed.
“We confirmed that if the water release is carried out as planned, the discharge standard and target level (of radiation) would be consistent with international standards,” said Yoo Guk-hee, chairperson of South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.
The safety of Fukushima’s wastewater has been a sensitive issue for years between the U.S. allies, who have been working in recent months to repair relations long strained over wartime historical grievances to address shared concerns, like the North Korean nuclear threat and China’s assertive foreign policy.
South Korea’s assessment was partially based on observations by a team of government scientists led by Yoo who were allowed to tour the Fukushima plant in May to review the discharge plans. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to that visit during a May 7 summit with Yoon in Seoul, in a show of his desire for improved ties.
Yoo said his team focused on verifying the capacities of the plant’s advanced liquid processing system, or ALPS, which is designed to reduce dozens of types of radioactive isotopes in the contaminated water to safe levels.
In a fiery speech Friday, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, attacked the credibility of the IAEA assessment and urged Yoon to call out the report as unacceptable.
Lee also urged Yoon’s government to demand Japan to accept a joint inspection by South Korea and other nations in the Pacific over the wastewater concerns, and put its release plans on hold until there’s “scientific, objective and neutral verification.”
“(Yoon’s government) is putting the lives and safety of its citizens on the line,” Lee said.
A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima plant’s cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holding, which operates the facility, has been storing the ALPS-treated water in hundreds of tanks that now cover most of the plant and are nearly full. Japanese officials say the tanks must be removed to make room to build facilities for the plant’s decommissioning and to minimize the risk of leaks in case of another major disaster. The tanks are expected to reach their capacity of 1.37 million tons in early 2024.
Japan first announced plans to discharge the treated water into the sea in 2018, saying that the treated water will be further diluted by seawater before being released in a carefully controlled process that will take decades to complete.
___
AP video journalists Yong-ho Kim and Yong Jun Chang contributed. | 2023-07-07T18:36:00+00:00 | mytwintiers.com | https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/world-news/ap-international/ap-south-korea-endorses-the-safety-of-japanese-plans-to-release-treated-wastewater-from-fukushima-plant/ |
Raiders change vaccine rules for games at Allegiant Stadium
Updated May 4, 2022 - 4:42 pm
Fans attending Raiders home games at Allegiant Stadium will no longer have to be vaccinated or wear masks.
The team announced in an email sent to season-ticket holders Wednesday afternoon that neither COVID-19 safety measure would be in place for the 2022 NFL season.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have followed the advice and guidelines of federal and state medical professionals to create a safe environment for our staff, players and fans,” the team said. “Based on the latest information, we are confident that we can provide that safe environment without the extra precautions of vaccinations and masks.”
The Raiders were one of the first NFL clubs to require all fans be vaccinated for the coronavirus before the 2021 season. The team set up onsite vaccines for fans who wanted to attend games, but had yet to receive their first dose.
Those fans were allowed to attend, but had to wear a mask until they were fully inoculated. Fully vaccinated fans were allowed to attend games without masks.
The Raiders allowed season-ticket holders who opted to not attend games because of the vaccine policy to either receive a refund or to roll over their 2021 season-ticket fees to the 2022 season. Just 250 season-ticket holders opted for a refund, Raiders owner Mark Davis said last year.
During the 2021 season, the first with fans allowed in Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders averaged an announced crowd of 61,185 paid fans per game.
The Raiders decision to end its vaccine and mask requirements comes on the heels of of Gov. Steve Sisolak in early March ending the statewide mask mandate.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter. | 2022-05-05T00:49:08+00:00 | reviewjournal.com | https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/raiders/raiders-change-vaccine-rules-for-games-at-allegiant-stadium-2571560/ |
Today marks another “fall back” daylight saving time tradition. Did you sleep in a little? Celebrate the bonus hour at the bar?
Note I didn’t ask about resetting the clocks, as so many of our smartphones, smart houses, smart cars and smart watches magically leap and fall on their own.
Yet even with all this automation, even with the frequency that Daylight Saving Time happens (twice annually for a half-century or so), even though we’ll complain about being tired and “off” all week, we’re not tired of talking about it.
I’m falling back to DST because it’s still a hotly contested issue. Also, there’s a bill in play that may make it permanent starting November 2023.
In our country, time is set by the federal government, which mandated temporary “war time” or DST during World Wars I and II to save energy. It became permanent in the fuel shortages of the ‘70s — the idea being that adding an hour to the end of our spring/summer days would make us more productive, able to make more hay while sun shines.
In northern Michigan, it means going to work in the dark, working all day, and going home in the dark for about six months.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, which would make DST permanent, passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent last March — though several senators afterward said they didn’t realize quite what was happening. The vote happened on March 15, two days after everyone “sprang forward” on March 13.
Perhaps they were still suffering the after-effects of the time change.
The whole thing feels like a morning person/evening person debate. When do you like your sun? In the morning or at night?
Advocates argue passionately on both sides. Morning people have the circadian rhythms, the safety in getting to school and work; night people have energy savings and dips in crime. Then there are the denizens and researchers who say most of the time change problems are caused by change itself, no matter which way it goes.
For now, the Sunshine Protection Act hasn’t passed the House, nor received President Joe Biden’s signature. If it does, as written, permanent daylight saving time would take effect on Nov. 5, 2023. We’d spring forward in March, and never look back.
Me? I enjoy the twice-annual reminder that time is literally what we make of it. As a traveler, it never stopped being funny to leave yesterday, and arrive tomorrow. At one point, before my time at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, they set the clocks to Denver’s Mountain Time, “to make things easier” for the subcontractor and program. It reminds me that Chronos, the Greek god of time, is often depicted as an “old callous man” with a long gray beard and often mistaken for the other Cronos, the titan who ate his kids.
Today we channel a god-like power as we turn our clocks back and expect the world to fall in. We may not get to exercise this power next year, so please enjoy it, and know that I’m smiling in the dark and I hope you are, too. | 2022-11-06T17:36:17+00:00 | record-eagle.com | https://www.record-eagle.com/news/lifestyles/allison-batdorff-fall-back-into-daylight-debating-time/article_552b63a2-593b-11ed-a9d5-17d92fd380b0.html |
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