text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DELMAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Many across social media feel confused about Twitter rebranding its iconic bird logo to a simple “X” symbol. At his Albany, New York-area studio on Thursday, the artist behind the original logo talked about its creation and leaving the brand behind.
Phil Pascuzzo is hard at work in his quiet suburban home in Delmar, mainly designing the inviting covers that tempt you to pick up a good book. You’d never guess he’s the designer of the world-famous Twitter bird icon.
“It’s so interesting. Most people have no idea,” laughed Pascuzzo. “It’s kind of like how Milton Glaser created the ‘I love New York’ logo, but when you see the I ‘heart’ NY, it doesn’t feel like anybody did it. It’s just there.”
Pascuzzo has run Pepco Studio, his independent freelance design studio, for the last 20 years, but he said that his first graphic design job out of college was where he met Biz Stone, one of the three Twitter co-founders. “We were both junior designers, so we were lowest on the rank, but he would just after every subway ride have all these wild ideas and we would just talk about them,” Pascuzzo recollected with NEWS10’s Mikhaela Singleton. “I would do these little doodles on Post-it notes, and he just liked my drawings.”
He said that Stone approached him around 2005 looking for a unique bird-themed design. The iStock image by Simon Oxley that was used when Twitter first launched couldn’t be its official logo, as that would violate iStock’s terms of service.
“I started sketching different birds. We knew we were going with blue, which — it’s great for like, feeling optimistic, feels like the future, blue skies,” Pascuzzo explained. “[Stone] had a rough idea, but he really left it to me to get creative with. He’s got a great sense of humor so he had all these ideas for little things he wanted the bird to be doing.”
Pascuzzo said that first bird design took about 30 minutes and a chat between friends, landing him $500 for the work. “I was in an apartment in Arbor Hill at the time and thought, $500 will make rent so yeah let’s do it,” he said. “Twitter wasn’t some huge thing like it is now that everybody is on.”
For years, he continued creating many marketing items that helped Twitter take flight. Shifting the bird’s design to a silhouette, Pascuzzo then sold the design to the studio outright in 2010, when it took shape in the most recent version used from 2012 to 2023. He added that he did reapproach his friend and the company to renegotiate pay for the logo design when Twitter truly took off.
“When I realized the weight of what this icon had become, I went back with an intellectual property lawyer, and it was extremely cordial,” Pascuzzo said. “It didn’t give me anything close to Elon Musk money, but it was a down payment on a house.”
On the topic of Musk and the many changes since his takeover of the social media giant in October, Pascuzzo said the news to clip the bird’s wings for a simple “X” symbol came as a surprise. “I was like, ‘What?’ What is this white — because it’s just a Unicode symbol,” he said. “It’s not even a logo. Nobody even designed it.”
After 20 years in the business, he said that he’s learned not to get too attached to any creation, so he’s not sad to see the bird go. But he worries that Musk’s future for Twitter leaves behind much of what made the platform unique.
“He seems obsessed with the ‘X.’ I mean you look at his child with Grimes — X Æ A-Xii — he loves X. It’s everywhere. So in his world, it may make sense, but I think, in the Twitter world, it doesn’t really make much sense,” Pascuzzo concluded. “I feel he threw away a lot of brand equity. The name, the color, the language — it’s so ubiquitous. It’s part of our lexicon.” | https://pix11.com/news/us-world-news/original-designer-behind-twitter-bird-icon-talks-the-x-rebrand/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:05 | 1 | https://pix11.com/news/us-world-news/original-designer-behind-twitter-bird-icon-talks-the-x-rebrand/ |
RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — Samiera Brown had a dream come true, and she didn't even have to leave the campus at Eastern Kentucky University for it to happen.
The campus was transformed into a movie set for three weeks in July. Large portions of a made-for-TV movie were shot here. Producers used "extras" from the community, and Samiera – a Performing Arts major and aspiring actress and director – got two roles.
"I can't say (this experience) directed me to do both because I've always wanted to do both. But it definitely helped me get experience from both sides," Brown said two days after shooting wrapped.
Samiera said she couldn't reveal too many details about the film scheduled for release this winter. The movie does have a college-related theme, and she thinks it'll appeal to the masses. She also noted that it wouldn't be hard for those who know EKU to figure out where a lot of this film was shot.
"We did film right outside Powell on that balcony. Filmed there for like three hours," she said of the building on campus near the student union.
Brown said she was amazed at the commitment and work that goes into shooting even one scene, noting that it might take hours to shoot one scene. But nothing about the experience turned her off to pursue a career in the industry.
"Whether it was being an extra or a production assistant, both were amazing opportunities, so it was fun on both sides," Brown said.
Opportunities like this are usually reserved for students in Los Angeles or a select few other major cities, so to have it land on the EKU bypass was a stroke of good fortune.
"It is very hard to get opportunities like this," Brown said. | https://www.lex18.com/news/filmmaker-brings-project-to-eastern-kentucky-universitys-campus | 2023-07-28T22:50:05 | 0 | https://www.lex18.com/news/filmmaker-brings-project-to-eastern-kentucky-universitys-campus |
INDIANAPOLIS — Christmas came early for the children in Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent!
A “Christmas in July” party for young patients was hosted by the Ascension St. Vincent Foundation Young Professionals Board along with the Child Life team, according to a press release sent from the hospital.
At the extravaganza, kids were able to visit with Santa Claus, open presents, and play reindeer games.
“Bringing Santa Claus here and a little joy and a little gifts during their visit can just kind of lighten their day and bring in some brighter more happier memories of their time here,” said Katie Fischer RN, Ascension St. Vincent Foundation Young Professionals Board member.
“So we really hope they enjoyed themselves and just a little bright spot watching their smiles and their joy of turning the corner and seeing Santa has been really worth it,” said Fischer.
To learn more about the Ascension St. Vincent Foundation Young Professionals Board please view here. | https://fox59.com/indiana-news/christmas-in-july-party-for-the-kids-at-st-vincent/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:06 | 0 | https://fox59.com/indiana-news/christmas-in-july-party-for-the-kids-at-st-vincent/ |
It’s a Wednesday, and Myra Platt is in distress.
Not only is she coping with the shuttering of Book-It Repertory Theatre, the distinguished company she and Jane Jones helmed as co-artistic directors for three decades, but she is in the throes of COVID-19.
It’s as if the pandemic can’t leave her alone.
“I don’t know what the answer is. It’s a really bad day,” Platt said by phone, 10 days after the final performance of Book-It’s last show, “Solaris,” on July 9. Like so many theater companies, Book-It, which Platt refers to as her “firstborn” and as Jones’ “only child,” was leveled in part by the shutdown, the loss of audiences and money, and the struggle to get both back at a level sustainable for more than one season. A disagreement with the direction a new artistic director was taking the company didn’t help matters.
As the virus did with Platt and Jones, this news comes at a terrible time. Books, of all things, are under siege, like the climate and democracy. Cultural gathering spaces in Seattle and the region are in trouble. The connection everyone says they need right now is happening in airports and on Instagram, not in a darkened auditorium where patrons share a single purpose — respect for the written and spoken word.
Book-It was not alone in this fight. An excellent if soul-crushing New York Times piece details a similar situation nationwide, and lists Seattle’s ACT among companies that have been forced to cut back. Even shows at the powerhouse Mark Taper Forum in L.A. have been “indefinitely paused.”
Our region is different, we like to say. We’re just as smart, sophisticated, well-read and worldly as any big city. But you must remember this: Seattle was awarded UNESCO’s City of Literature designation in 2017, joining such bookworm-infested siblings as Edinburgh, Dublin, Iowa City and Durban.
Maybe we should give it back, if we can’t keep a theater based on literary homage afloat.
The plot that led to the fall of Book-It:
The pandemic, of course, not just reopening from the shutdowns but building up enough capital to stay open in these new times. For example, understudies were never a significant part of theater budgets, but now they are, Platt said. It costs double to ensure the show always goes on. Big, reliable donors are fading. Ticket sales and subscriptions, never enough to keep Book-It going, also withered as people shed their masks and moved on — to the surge of other activities, not to the theater.
“I don’t know what the audience for theater is in Seattle anymore,” Platt said. She and Jones, like artistic leaders across the region, struggled to reach potential patrons among the tech crowd and found it a “conundrum.”
“Plus, people don’t care. They don’t care about theater anymore. I think that people who are converts, really show up. I think people who experiment with going to the theater don’t realize what it means to be engaged,” she says.
She’s on to something.
When we find a product or service we like, we become repeat customers: the Pike Place Market vendor who always has the perfect gift, or the neighborhood coffee shop with perfectly roasted beans. Bookstores, even: Where do you take visitors and newcomers? Where do you go for some quiet time on the weekends? To your favorite bookstores. (Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone to a bookshop to buy a gift and come out with a pile of books, mostly for you.)
We can’t seem to do this with theater. Buying tickets online and making a trip to Seattle Center, where Book-It shared theater space, was too much. Platt said one night at a performance of “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Klay,” adapted from Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, a patron turned to her and said, “Oh my God, I could hardly find this place!”
But Book-It offered a chance to buy something you hold in your mind, not in your hand. Jones and Platt turned some of our most creative authors’ words into living, breathing things. Their scripts were faithful to prose, even the descriptions and narrative. What’s better than the words put down in “Double Indemnity” or “Snow Falling on Cedars” or “Cry, the Beloved Country” other than hearing them spoken aloud? In a cinematic universe of reboots, re-imaginings and revisits, Book-It was the real deal.
Make no mistake, Book-It was an employer, if you want to look at the hard economic stats. A full season provided work for hundreds of artists, stage crew, dialogue coaches — all the roles necessary to put on shows. Some were local regulars and others went to Broadway, Platt pointed out. That launchpad, and that regular employment, is gone. Keep in mind all that was done in a shared space on the bottom floor of Seattle Center. No matter how popular, shows could not be extended. The company had to make the choice between continuing with quality productions and expending time and effort on finding and paying for a permanent home for Book-It. In this city? You can’t do both.
You can’t talk about books without talking about efforts to ban them and to fight book bans, and Book-It did the latter, too. The company aimed lessons about the First Amendment and freedom to read at kids in the sixth through ninth grades, a critical age when reading gives way to other pursuits. The pandemic snuffed that out, Platt said. Local schools couldn’t take up that programming again because they are scrambling to catch up with the learning loss.
When it’s becoming a popular sport for just a few to decide what others get to read, this kind of literacy education is crucial. And for students that age, Platt correctly points out, banned books become “the cool books.” And cool books are the ones kids want to read, which makes efforts to ban them even more ridiculous.
What would it take to put all this back? The $2 million minimum has been bandied about. But when everything costs more every year, a company needs more than enough for just one season. Its leaders need enough money to plan and sustain the next season, and the one after that. A check made out to Book-It for the sum of $2 million would be first aid, not a full and healthy life. Single-donor systems are perilous, as many area arts organizations have found out when a donor’s priorities or circumstances change. Fewer people attend, fewer donors are available or willing to fund year in and year out and help companies thrive and grow on word-of-mouth, and here we are: A City of Literature with no Book-It. | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-tragedy-of-our-city-of-literatures-loss-of-book-it-repertory-theatre/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-28T22:50:06 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-tragedy-of-our-city-of-literatures-loss-of-book-it-repertory-theatre/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Justine Kenin is an editor on All Things Considered. She joined NPR in 1999 as an intern. Nothing makes her happier than getting a book in the right reader's hands – most especially her own.
Juana Summers is a political correspondent for NPR covering race, justice and politics. She has covered politics since 2010 for publications including Politico, CNN and The Associated Press. She got her start in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Mo., and also previously covered Congress for NPR. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2023-07-28/the-implications-of-the-recent-coup-in-niger | 2023-07-28T22:50:09 | 1 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2023-07-28/the-implications-of-the-recent-coup-in-niger |
BOULDER, Colorado (KDVR) — In less than a week, the popular doughnut shop Voodoo Doughnut is opening one of its newest U.S. locations and the fourth in Colorado. But this Boulder store will be missing the brand’s signature pink color.
Voodoo is known for its bright pink branding. Their boxes are even stamped with the slogan, “Good things come in pink boxes.” But Boulder’s location will not feature the bright color — instead, the exterior was painted gray.
On Oct. 13, the Voodoo Doughnut Instagram account posted a sneak peek of the Boulder building.
“You guessed it. The building has been painted pink and we’re coming for you, Boulder!” the post reads.
On June 11, Voodoo posted a new rendering of the building and instead of the eye-catching pink, the building appeared to be gray on the exterior with the pink painted on the inside.
“Hey Boulder. We’re still coming,” Voodoo said in its most recent update.
Cate Stanek, communication program manager for Boulder, told Nexstar’s KDVR that the city required the color change because the pink was a violation of the city’s sign code. The company had to repaint the building as required by its building permit.
The city’s sign code includes the use of branding colors in a signage area, said Stanek.
The violation was not a problem for Voodoo and the bakery will open, just in a different color scheme.
During the grand opening on August 1, doughnut fans will get to enjoy a featured “Golden Buffalo” doughnut that was created specifically for the event, according to Voodoo. | https://pix11.com/news/us-world-news/this-voodoo-doughnut-in-colorado-isnt-pink-why/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:11 | 1 | https://pix11.com/news/us-world-news/this-voodoo-doughnut-in-colorado-isnt-pink-why/ |
CINCINNATI — Bengals QB Joe Burrow will be out for several weeks with a strained calf, head coach Zac Taylor said Friday after training camp practice.
Burrow was carted off the field Thursday afternoon after a noncontact injury.
#Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor confirms Joe Burrow will be out “several weeks” with a calf strain.
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) July 28, 2023
“Joe got more days this July than he’s ever had, in the NFL.”@WCPO pic.twitter.com/3wnjVjgDfT
When asked about whether Burrow would be ready for the season, Taylor joked about Burrow's cursed preseasons thus far.
"Joe got more days this July than he;s ever had in his NFL career, so I feel really good about the progress he's made," Taylor said.
Taylor said Burrow was around camp on Friday, despite not practicing, and that he is taking the injury "in stride."
Video captured by WCPO shows Burrow hopping on one leg after an apparent injury while scrambling during 11-on-11. He drops to the ground, holding his right leg.
While leaving on the cart, Burrow could be seen giving a "thumbs up" to someone. ESPN NFL reporter Dianna Russini tweeted that sources with the Bengals confirmed Burrow is dealing with a strained calf.
Friday morning the Bengals said "Joey B will be back!"
They poked fun at the incident writing on Instagram and Twitter, "please stop calling and offering us your calf muscles... it doesn't work like that."
Burrow already had a sleeve on his leg during practice when he was hurt, but Taylor said he was feeling good throughout the day.
"This is football — guys go down with an injury that maybe is a (day-to-day) thing, who knows... there's a lot of guys who had soreness today that had reps cut down a little bit so that's just part of playing football and training camp," Taylor said.
When asked if the message was to not panic, Taylor said, "Sure."
Fans waiting outside the practice saw Burrow being carted to the locker room, hearing someone say over a walkie-talkie that the 26-year-old needed medical attention.
BREAKING: Joe Burrow was just carted to the locker room, after going down on a play during 11-on-11.
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) July 27, 2023
🎥 Video of the play, and Joe leaving the field:#Benagls @WCPO pic.twitter.com/FPl1PQ8O4c
Receiver Ja'Marr Chase said the two LSU alums exchanged a look after Burrow went down, saying he believes his QB will be fine.
"He's a strong guy — said OK, he's fine, and that was it," Chase said.
Burrow recently told reporters he was excited about where the team is as training camp starts. While it may be his fourth year in the NFL, 2023 marked Burrow's first "normal" training camp after COVID-19, an injury and an emergency appendectomy impacted previous seasons. At least until Thursday.
"I feel great," he said Wednesday. "This time last year I was sitting in a hospital bed a couple of days post-surgery, so it's good to be out there with the guys."
As for the quarterback situation in training camp, Taylor said he would rotate backup quarterbacks Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian in the coming days with the team's starters, noting that they are going to get a lot more reps than they otherwise would have with the first team. | https://www.lex18.com/sports/bengals-qb-joe-burrow-will-be-out-for-several-weeks-with-strained-calf | 2023-07-28T22:50:11 | 0 | https://www.lex18.com/sports/bengals-qb-joe-burrow-will-be-out-for-several-weeks-with-strained-calf |
MISHAWAKA, Ind. — In less than a month, the Praxis Landmark drug treatment facility in Mishawaka has faced:
- three patients dying in the facility
- being named in a civil suit by nine former patients
- having its state license revoked
The patient deaths occurred between July 3 and July 9. They are Seth Jones (age 19), William Breda (age 46), and William Harris (age 38). The St. Joseph’s County Coroner’s Office said their causes of death are still being investigated.
On Tuesday, nine former patients at the Mishawaka facility filed a lawsuit alleging Praxis Landmark “failed to prohibit individuals from bring (sic) drugs in the facility.”
One of the plaintiffs, Connor Spachtholz of Anderson, tells FOX59/CBS4 he routinely saw drug use at the treatment center during his one-week stay at the facility.
Also this week, Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration puled the operating license for the Mishawaka facility and for two other Praxis Landmark locations, in Bluffton and Carmel. Additionally, all three treatment centers were ordered to stop accepting new patients and to transfer existing patients to other treatment facilities by Aug. 17.
Responding to the license revocations Praxis Landmark said in a statement to the CBS affiliate in South Bend: “We respectfully disagree with this decision and believe it is based on misinformation. We are working with our legal counsel to explore the next steps including an appeal.” | https://fox59.com/indiana-news/praxis-landmark-sued-licenses-for-3-facilities-revoked/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:12 | 1 | https://fox59.com/indiana-news/praxis-landmark-sued-licenses-for-3-facilities-revoked/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas was suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball on Friday for intentionally throwing at Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was suspended for one game and fined as a result of Mikolas’ actions Thursday night. Mikolas appealed his penalties, while Marmol served his suspension Friday night against the Cubs.
In the first inning in the Cardinals’ 10-3 loss, Happ bloodied St. Louis catcher Willson Contreras when he hit him in the head with a long follow-through on a swing, then was soon hit himself by a pitch from Mikolas.
Andrew Knizner took over behind the plate for Contreras, and Mikolas brushed back Happ with the first pitch when play resumed to run the count to 3-1. With the next pitch, Mikolas hit Happ in the rear end.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mlb/cardinals-mikolas-suspended-5-games-and-fined-for-intentionally-throwing-at-cubs-happ/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-28T22:50:13 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mlb/cardinals-mikolas-suspended-5-games-and-fined-for-intentionally-throwing-at-cubs-happ/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
With more than 200 careers under her pink belt, Barbie has always been a hard worker. What can the types of professions Barbie's done tell us about women in the U.S. labor force? A lot, actually.
Copyright 2023 NPR
With more than 200 careers under her pink belt, Barbie has always been a hard worker. What can the types of professions Barbie's done tell us about women in the U.S. labor force? A lot, actually.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2023-07-28/what-barbies-professional-history-says-about-women-in-the-labor-force | 2023-07-28T22:50:15 | 0 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2023-07-28/what-barbies-professional-history-says-about-women-in-the-labor-force |
(The Hill) – Carlos De Oliveira was indicted on three criminal charges alongside former President Trump and his longtime aide Walt Nauda in a superseding indictment Thursday, part of the classified document investigation at Trump’s Florida club.
De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago Club’s property manager, allegedly assisted Trump and Nauta in attempting to delete security footage that showed the men moving boxes of classified documents around the property to hide them from federal authorities.
He was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, destroying evidence and lying to the FBI.
De Oliveira, 56, was hired as the Mar-a-Lago manager in January 2022, previously working there as a valet, according to the indictment.
Federal investigators claim De Oliveira helped Nauta move about 30 boxes of classified documents around Mar-a-Lago, and at one point told the club’s head of IT that “the boss” wants security camera footage deleted.
In October of last year, after federal investigators searched the club and found additional classified documents, De Oliveira allegedly drained one of the club’s pools causing flooding in the server room that contained the security camera footage. This happened not long after Trump told De Oliveira he would get him an attorney, the indictment says.
According to investigators, Nauta attempted to judge De Oliveira’s loyalty before that promise came, with De Oliveira telling him that nothing would get in the way of his relationship with Trump.
Trump now faces a total of 40 charges related to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, with three of those added this week in the superseding indictment. Nauta faces eight charges.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the classified documents probe, is also investigating Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on the Capitol.
Smith met with Trump’s defense on Thursday and sent him a target letter earlier this month, raising speculation that he could be indicted again for that separate investigation soon. | https://pix11.com/news/us-world-news/who-is-carlos-de-oliveira-trumps-mar-a-lago-resort-manager/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:17 | 0 | https://pix11.com/news/us-world-news/who-is-carlos-de-oliveira-trumps-mar-a-lago-resort-manager/ |
After a very eventful overnight stretch of terrible flooding weather, we have calmed down some though the heat is still as strong as ever. Temperatures have reached the mid 90s today. With dew point temperatures in the mid to upper 70s (oppressive) heat index values are well into the triple digits! Some reached the 110 degree level west of Lexington! We do have one more really hot day ahead for Saturday with high temperatures in the mid 90s again, but Sunday and beyond will begin the slight cool-down thanks to a cold front moving through early on Sunday. Though we do not have an official Heat Advisory in effect for Saturday, high temperatures will continue into the mid 90s with heat index values up to 105° again.
More rain and storm chances are here for the weekend, including a small chance for severe storms on Saturday afternoon/evening. This will help tremendously in the dropping of humidity levels and heat through late weekend and early next week. Do stay weather aware tomorrow as the risk for severe is Marginal but we still have a good chance for torrential rain and some strong winds. Next week, our high temperatures do come down some, but we are right back to the low 90s by late week. | https://www.lex18.com/weather/daily-forecast/one-more-really-hot-day | 2023-07-28T22:50:18 | 1 | https://www.lex18.com/weather/daily-forecast/one-more-really-hot-day |
INDIANAPOLIS — Traffic remains backed up on I-465 southbound as Indiana State Police are on the scene of a serious crash that has left one person seriously injured.
ISP confirmed that it is currently investigating a crash on I-465 southbound at mile marker 21 near West 79 Street and West 71 Street.
Two people have been transported to an area hospital for treatment with a passenger reportedly being ejected from the vehicle during the crash, ISP said.
The crash remains under investigation as ISP said they are looking into the possibility that impairment may have contributed to the crash.
The ISP crash reconstruction team has been requested to assist at the scene. Drivers can expect delays on the roadway for the next several hours. | https://fox59.com/news/1-person-seriously-injured-in-i-465-sb-crash/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:18 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/1-person-seriously-injured-in-i-465-sb-crash/ |
MIAMI (AP) —
Miguel Cabrera’s farewell tour has reached a special location.
The Detroit Tigers’ slugger is approaching the last two months of his major league career. And in his final season, Cabrera has received numerous tributes in visiting stadiums.
This weekend, the honors bring added significance.
The Tigers open a three-game series Friday in Miami against the Marlins. The 40-year-old Cabrera is returning to the city where he spent his first five seasons and is facing the organization that signed him shortly after his 16th birthday.
“It is very emotional because this is where it all started,” Cabrera, a native of Venezuela, said before Friday’s series opener. “To be back here is awesome.”
The Marlins brought up the then-20-year-old Cabrera two months into the 2003 season. Cabrera made an immediate impact, hitting a walk-off home run to help the Marlins beat Tampa Bay in his major league debut.
“I remember it well because in all the stadiums I’ve visited, that is the first video presented,” Cabrera said. “My teammates kid me because I was so skinny back then.”
It was a sign of things to come. Cabrera played a key role in the Marlins’ postseason run in 2003 that culminated with a World Series championship.
Cabrera was a four-time All-Star during his time with the Marlins. But the club, fearing it would lose Cabrera to free agency once he became eligible, dealt him to Detroit following the 2007 season.
“When I received that call, I had many questions on why I was being traded,” Cabrera said. “The club had a good young group and was growing tremendously. Had the group stayed together, we had a chance to contend for the division. They told me to be calm, that you’re going to a good club with a chance to win.”
Cabrera flourished in Detroit, becoming one of the game’s top hitters and a two-time AL MVP. In 2012, Cabrera won the AL Triple Crown, the first to accomplish the feat since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
But the offensive production, which included four AL batting titles, declined as Cabrera reached his late 30s. Nonetheless, Cabrera reached the career 3,000-hit and 500-homer milestones over the last two seasons.
Now limited to a parttime role, Cabrera will play the three games against Miami. The second game on Saturday also will be promoted as Venezuelan Heritage Day.
“It is going to be great for me and my family,” Cabrera said of the ceremony,” Cabrera said. “You have to enjoy this moment, every second, every minute. After that, you prepare for the game and do your best to help our team win.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mlb/miguel-cabreras-farewell-tour-makes-a-stop-miami-where-his-career-started-years-ago/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-28T22:50:19 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mlb/miguel-cabreras-farewell-tour-makes-a-stop-miami-where-his-career-started-years-ago/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
PHOENIX — The backup Uber driver for a self-driving vehicle that killed a pedestrian in suburban Phoenix in 2018 pleaded guilty Friday to endangerment in the first fatal collision involving a fully autonomous car.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge David Garbarino, who accepted the plea agreement, sentenced Rafaela Vasquez, 49, to three years of supervised probation for the crash that killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg. Vasquez told police that Herzberg "came out of nowhere" and that she didn't see Herzberg before the March 18, 2018, collision on a darkened Tempe street.
Vasquez had been charged with negligent homicide, a felony. She pleaded guilty to an undesignated felony, meaning it could be reclassified as a misdemeanor if she completes probation.
Authorities say Vasquez was streaming the television show "The Voice" on a phone and looking down in the moments before Uber's Volvo XC-90 SUV struck Herzberg, who was crossing with her bicycle.
Vasquez's attorneys said she was was looking at a messaging program used by Uber employees on a work cellphone that was on her right knee. They said the TV show was playing on her personal cellphone, which was on the passenger seat.
Defense attorney Albert Jaynes Morrison told Garbarino that Uber should share some blame for the collision as he asked the judge to sentence Vasquez to six months of unsupervised probation.
"There were steps that Uber failed to take," he said. By putting Vasquez in the vehicle without a second employee, he said. "It was not a question of if but when it was going to happen."
Prosecutors previously declined to file criminal charges against Uber, as a corporation. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded Vasquez's failure to monitor the road was the main cause of the crash.
"The defendant had one job and one job only," prosecutor Tiffany Brady told the judge. "And that was to keep her eyes in the road."
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement after the hearing that her office believes the sentence was appropriate "based on the mitigating and aggravating factors."
The contributing factors cited by the NTSB included Uber's inadequate safety procedures and ineffective oversight of its drivers, Herzberg's decision to cross the street outside of a crosswalk and the Arizona Department of Transportation's insufficient oversight of autonomous vehicle testing.
The board also concluded Uber's deactivation of its automatic emergency braking system increased the risks associated with testing automated vehicles on public roads. Instead of the system, Uber relied on the human backup driver to intervene.
It was not the first crash involving an Uber autonomous test vehicle. In March 2017, an Uber SUV flipped onto its side, also in Tempe when it collided with another vehicle. No serious injuries were reported, and the driver of the other car was cited for a violation.
Herzberg's death was the first involving an autonomous test vehicle but not the first in a car with some self-driving features. The driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in 2016 when his car, operating on its Autopilot system, crashed into a semitrailer in Florida.
Nine months after Herzberg's death, in December 2019, two people were killed in California when a Tesla on Autopilot ran a red light, slammed into another car. That driver was charged in 2022 with vehicular manslaughter in what was believed to be the first felony case against a motorist who was using a partially automated driving system.
In Arizona, the Uber system detected Herzberg 5.6 seconds before the crash. But it failed to determine whether she was a bicyclist, pedestrian or unknown object, or that she was headed into the vehicle's path, the board said.
The backup driver was there to take over the vehicle if systems failed.
The death reverberated throughout the auto industry and Silicon Valley and forced other companies to slow what had been a fast march toward autonomous ride-hailing services. Uber pulled its self-driving cars out of Arizona, and then-Gov. Doug Ducey prohibited the company from continuing its tests of self-driving cars.
Vasquez had previously spent more than four years in prison for two felony convictions — making false statements when obtaining unemployment benefits and attempted armed robbery — before starting work as an Uber driver, according to court records.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-28/backup-driver-of-an-autonomous-uber-pleads-guilty-to-endangerment-in-pedestrian-death | 2023-07-28T22:50:22 | 0 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-28/backup-driver-of-an-autonomous-uber-pleads-guilty-to-endangerment-in-pedestrian-death |
New analysis finds that people in mobile or manufactured homes are more likely to be killed during a tornado than those in site-built homes.
The Associated Press analyzed tornado data going back to 1996 and found that 53% of all deaths at home during tornadoes occurred in mobile or manufactured homes.
But these mobile homes account for 6% of all housing units in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau.
In January, seven people died during a tornado in Alabama. All of those who died lived in mobile homes. Some of them were ultimately thrown more than 1,000 feet from where the building originally stood.
The worst damage done to a nearby site-built home, meanwhile, was some damage to its roof shingles.
Experts who study the effects of tornadoes on mobile homes told The Associated Press that the problems with mobile homes usually stem from weak connections to the ground, compared to the foundations of site-built homes.
When the bottom fails, the structure is free to move.
"The whole structure is rolling or flying through air. You've got dressers falling on top of you. You've got the entire structure that's trying to crush you," Auburn University engineering professor David Roueche told The Associated Press.
"You just have to be in some structure that’s attached to the ground," NOAA social scientist Kim Klockow-McClain said. "And then no matter what the tornado throws at you, you have really good odds."
SEE MORE: Tornado Alley Is Expanding, Hitting More Southern States Than Ever
The percentage of deaths from tornadoes in mobile homes is also increasing, a trend that may continue because of the way storms are shifting location in the U.S. Experts say new regions of the south are at increasing risk from tornadoes, because of altered weather patterns due to climate change and other factors.
Mobile homes in places like Alabama are often spread out, making centralized tornado shelters less practical. Tornadoes may also strike quickly, in a matter of minutes or seconds, which gives those in their path little time to prepare.
The experts who spoke to The Associated Press recommend extending federal rules that require better anchoring of mobile homes. There are laws in place for mobile homes in hurricane-prone areas, they say, that could make mobile homes everywhere safer if they were applied nationwide.
SEE MORE: Broken tornado sirens will be part of FEMA review in Congress
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.lex18.com/why-are-mobile-home-residents-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-a-tornado | 2023-07-28T22:50:24 | 0 | https://www.lex18.com/why-are-mobile-home-residents-more-likely-to-be-killed-by-a-tornado |
(The Hill) – President Biden on Friday made his first public remarks about his 4-year-old grandchild Navy, the daughter of his son Hunter Biden, after silence from the White House over the young girl amid legal disputes between her parents.
Biden said, in a statement exclusively provided to People, that his son and Lunden Roberts, the mother, are working to provide a life for her.
“Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,” the president said. “This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
The New York Times earlier this month published a piece about the child, writing that she’s never met Hunter Biden or her grandfather. After that was published, the White House dealt with questions in the briefing room from reporters asking whether Biden accepted Hunter Biden’s daughter in Arkansas as his granddaughter.
Roberts, who is in Arkansas, filed a paternity suit against Hunter Biden in May 2019, and the younger Biden appeared in court this May. In June, he reached a settlement in his child support case after he was ordered to sit for a deposition under oath to answer questions about his finances.
An anonymous source told People that the president and first lady Jill Biden have been “giving Hunter and Lunden the space and time to figure things out” and have been “following Hunter’s lead” throughout the legal proceedings involving the young girl.
Hunter Biden’s personal and legal troubles have been increasingly in the spotlight lately. He appeared in a Delaware court Wednesday, where his plea deal on federal tax and gun charges was put on hold by a judge who questioned the scope of the agreement. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/biden-offers-first-statement-on-hunters-4-year-old-daughter/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:24 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/biden-offers-first-statement-on-hunters-4-year-old-daughter/ |
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The sight of wide receivers Keith Kirkwood and Shaq Davis leaving practice early this week because of heat-related symptoms was nothing new for the New Orleans Saints, with the hot and humid Louisiana weather a test for even the best-conditioned athletes.
The unrelenting, record-breaking heat across the nation this year has made the opening of training camps even more challenging than usual, however, not only for the Saints but teams throughout the NFL.
Scientists have already calculated this will be the hottest July on record, with the Southwest and parts of the South especially hit hard. Most of the Midwest and East also have been affected. That means NFL teams have to be even more mindful than usual about keeping players safe while also getting as much work done as possible before the season begins in September.
Safety has been a centerpiece of the preseason since Minnesota offensive tackle Korey Stringer died on Aug. 1, 2001, after slipping and falling the previous day after a Vikings training camp practice. NFL teams at the time didn’t have medical training for exertional heat stroke.
Some teams are taking extra precautions this year, including more water breaks and early practice times.
“I don’t know all the science and all that stuff, but I do my best to understand it,” Saints quarterback Derek Carr said. “I’ve seen growth … from when I first came in the league to what we talk about now. It’s definitely a difference on the things we talk about, the way we practice, how long we do something … how much time you’re actually accumulating outside during the week.”
Carr is in his first season in New Orleans, so he’s acclimating to the wet, muggy conditions. He spent the previous three seasons with the Raiders in Las Vegas, where the air is dry but temperatures are considerably higher.
“It just feels like your skin is going to fall off,” Carr said of playing in Las Vegas. “It feels like it’s boiling.”
For their part, the Raiders have begun practicing at 8:30 a.m. to avoid the hottest parts of the day but still must contend with temperatures in the triple digits by the time they walk off the field.
The Raiders have an indoor facility but usually practice outside because it’s more spacious and the fields are grass rather than turf. Cool boxes are set up just off the 50-yard line near one of the three practice fields that players use, and coach Josh McDaniels said the team met before camp opened to discuss coping with the conditions.
McDaniels said the key was listening to medical professionals.
“They have a very scientific way to measure (weather and safety conditions) that I’m not really qualified to speak intelligently about,” McDaniels said. “But I understand when they tell me that we’ve entered into a zone where it’s dangerous to be out there with helmets, pads, etc., then we’ll do the right thing.”
Two warm weather teams avoid practicing in the heat altogether. The Arizona Cardinals use their indoor facility and the Dallas Cowboys hold camp in moderate Southern California.
Other teams, particularly those in the hottest parts of the country, have to adapt to the weather.
“The health and safety of the players is the most important thing for our team and our organization,” Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “Whatever we can do to help the players in that respect, that’s the most important thing. It’s going to be hot wherever you go, but you want to be smart.”
Caserio said some players wear hoodies and sweatpants so they can sweat “and let that heat leave your body. If you don’t, you can potentially be putting yourself at risk.”
For a second consecutive camp, coach Ron Rivera scheduled Washington Commanders practices for 9 a.m. as one way to try to beat the heat. A stretch of record temperatures last year contributed to several soft-tissue injuries, so the staff is taking further steps this time around, from more water breaks to a cooling tent that players are sent to if they begin to feel the effects.
“We’re constantly trying to get them to hydrate and get them focusing on hydrating prior to practice and post-practice,” Rivera said.
Other coaches take a different approach, knowing many early season games are played when temperatures are at their highest.
“You look at our first game against Pittsburgh last year here at home,” Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “On offense, there were over 100 snaps and you played an overtime game. … We want our guys to be ready for that, and we feel like we will.”
Few players go as hard as Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who spent part of the offseason sparring with a UFC fighter. He said part of his preparation for the heat is building up the body before camp begins.
“You can’t just train in the air conditioning and then go out and feel like you’re going to be fine in the heat,” Crosby said. “So we’ve done back and forth. I’ve trained inside, I’ve trained outside this offseason, just doing a bunch of different things to get ready for training camp.”
Much is at stake in camp, so players want to be on the field far more than in the cooling box or on the trainer’s table. They’re fighting for starting jobs and roster spots, and those players know that coaches and general managers are watching to see who best battles through adversity.
“The job’s got to get done,” Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Kendall Lamm said, “with or without the heat.”
___
AP Sports Writers Brett Martel in Metairie, Louisiana; Kristie Rieken in Houston; Mitch Stacy in Cincinnati; Alanis Thames in Miami Gardens, Florida; and Stephen Whyno in Ashburn, Virginia, contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nfl/nfl-teams-are-adapting-to-unrelenting-heat-as-training-camps-ramp-up/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-28T22:50:25 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nfl/nfl-teams-are-adapting-to-unrelenting-heat-as-training-camps-ramp-up/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Federal highway regulators have proposed new fuel economy standards that would require cars to improve their fuel economy by 2% every year, and light trucks by 4% each year, through 2032.
Environmental groups say the new rules are insufficiently ambitious, given the urgent need to fight climate change. The major automaker trade group says it's reviewing the proposal.
Under the proposed standards from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, fleet-wide fuel economy for new vehicles would be pushed close to 58 miles per gallon by 2032. That's up from the 49 mpg required by 2026 under the current iteration of the rules. (Because of how fuel economy is calculated for these regulations, the actual miles per gallon drivers would see on the road would be significantly lower, even for compliant vehicles.)
Automakers face hefty fees when they fall short of fuel economy requirements, which are known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards.
The proposal will be open for public comment for 60 days.
Rules come after EPA's ambitious push toward EVs
Vehicle fuel economy and emissions in the U.S. are regulated by three different bodies. California, a state with unique influence, sets increasingly stringent requirements that other states can choose to follow. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates vehicle emissions nationwide, including pollution and greenhouse gases. And NHTSA regulates fuel economy, with an original mandate of improving America's energy security by reducing reliance on oil.
At one point the three bodies coordinated to set shared standards, but they have since split back apart. But under the Biden administration, all three are pushing in the same general direction: EVs. Electric vehicles use no gasoline and have no tailpipe emissions, and even counting the emissions from manufacturing them and producing electricity, they are cleaner than similar hybrids, and significantly cleaner than conventional gas- and diesel-powered vehicles.
California is now pushing for 100% electric vehicles by 2035. As for the EPA, earlier this year it proposed standards for vehicle emissions that surprised the auto industry with their ambitious push toward electric vehicles. The EPA's standards, if approved, would result in electric vehicles making up 67% of new vehicle sales by 2032.
Currently, EVs make up just over 7% of sales. BloombergNEF recently projected they're on pace to hit 28% by 2026. That's rapid growth — but not on track to hit the EPA's target. Analysts have also found that even recent, significant announcements in charging infrastructure fall short of what a rapid transition to EVs would require.
Environmentalists and the EV industry largely celebrated the EPA's proposal, while the trade group representing legacy automakers has called the proposal "neither reasonable nor achievable."
As EVs increase, what about fuel economy?
The EPA rules were crafted so they would be essentially impossible to meet without producing zer0-emission vehicles. NHTSA's fuel economy standards, in contrast, have to be designed so they could be met just by making gas and diesel vehicles more efficient.
However, as manufacturers make more EVs, it will help them meet the fuel economy standards, which are calculated across a manufacturers' entire fleet.
Behind the new standards is a big question for the auto industry: how much money needs to be put into improving gas-powered vehicles if the future is mostly electric? Some automakers argue that money spent improving their gas-powered vehicles will just hamper their ability to switch to EVs. Currently, gas-powered vehicles are more profitable than electric ones for legacy automakers, and revenue from internal combustion vehicles is funding EV investments.
Environmental groups, meanwhile, say the industry needs to go electric and simultaneously make much greener gas-powered cars, given that gas-powered cars built today could drive for decades.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, while still parsing the rules, noted that it appears "at first glance" like NHTSA tried to align its standards with the EPA's standards. On the one hand, the Alliance has objected to those standards as unrealistic. On the other hand, the group does strongly prefer for the various standards to match up as much as possible.
Early feedback from environmental groups, meanwhile, argued NHTSA should push for faster improvements in gas-powered vehicles.
"Given the pace of technological change and urgent need to conserve energy, it's clear that these standards could be even more ambitious than NHTSA's proposal," Dave Cook, senior vehicles analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Clean Transportation Program, said in a statement.
Faster improvement for trucks
One element of the proposal has long been a focus for environmentalists: Stricter standards for trucks.
U.S. vehicles have gotten significantly more efficient over time. However, many of those gains were effectively erased as larger vehicles, like SUVs, replaced fuel-sipping sedans on America's roads.
Vehicle standards have helped drive that improved efficiency. But critics have noted that by having looser standards for larger vehicles, those same rules also contributed to the increase in SUVs and trucks.
The proposed new fuel economy standards would require SUVs and pick-ups to improve at a faster clip than smaller vehicles because there is "more room to improve" the fuel economy of larger vehicles, as NHTSA puts it — and because improved economy in those vehicles will have a disproportionate benefit given their popularity and the amount of fuel they consume.
Large, feature-packed, not-very-fuel-efficient trucks are a major money-driver for the Detroit 3. General Motors and Stellantis (formerly known as Fiat Chrysler) have each paid out more than $100 million in fees for CAFE non-compliance over the last six years, according to NHTSA's public data.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-28/biden-administration-proposes-new-fuel-economy-standards-with-higher-bar-for-trucks | 2023-07-28T22:50:28 | 0 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-28/biden-administration-proposes-new-fuel-economy-standards-with-higher-bar-for-trucks |
DELMAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Many across social media feel confused about Twitter rebranding its iconic bird logo to a simple “X” symbol. At his Albany, New York-area studio on Thursday, the artist behind the original logo talked about its creation and leaving the brand behind.
Phil Pascuzzo is hard at work in his quiet suburban home in Delmar, mainly designing the inviting covers that tempt you to pick up a good book. You’d never guess he’s the designer of the world-famous Twitter bird icon.
“It’s so interesting. Most people have no idea,” laughed Pascuzzo. “It’s kind of like how Milton Glaser created the ‘I love New York’ logo, but when you see the I ‘heart’ NY, it doesn’t feel like anybody did it. It’s just there.”
Pascuzzo has run Pepco Studio, his independent freelance design studio, for the last 20 years, but he said that his first graphic design job out of college was where he met Biz Stone, one of the three Twitter co-founders. “We were both junior designers, so we were lowest on the rank, but he would just after every subway ride have all these wild ideas and we would just talk about them,” Pascuzzo recollected with NEWS10’s Mikhaela Singleton. “I would do these little doodles on Post-it notes, and he just liked my drawings.”
He said that Stone approached him around 2005 looking for a unique bird-themed design. The iStock image by Simon Oxley that was used when Twitter first launched couldn’t be its official logo, as that would violate iStock’s terms of service.
“I started sketching different birds. We knew we were going with blue, which — it’s great for like, feeling optimistic, feels like the future, blue skies,” Pascuzzo explained. “[Stone] had a rough idea, but he really left it to me to get creative with. He’s got a great sense of humor so he had all these ideas for little things he wanted the bird to be doing.”
Pascuzzo said that first bird design took about 30 minutes and a chat between friends, landing him $500 for the work. “I was in an apartment in Arbor Hill at the time and thought, $500 will make rent so yeah let’s do it,” he said. “Twitter wasn’t some huge thing like it is now that everybody is on.”
For years, he continued creating many marketing items that helped Twitter take flight. Shifting the bird’s design to a silhouette, Pascuzzo then sold the design to the studio outright in 2010, when it took shape in the most recent version used from 2012 to 2023. He added that he did reapproach his friend and the company to renegotiate pay for the logo design when Twitter truly took off.
“When I realized the weight of what this icon had become, I went back with an intellectual property lawyer, and it was extremely cordial,” Pascuzzo said. “It didn’t give me anything close to Elon Musk money, but it was a down payment on a house.”
On the topic of Musk and the many changes since his takeover of the social media giant in October, Pascuzzo said the news to clip the bird’s wings for a simple “X” symbol came as a surprise. “I was like, ‘What?’ What is this white — because it’s just a Unicode symbol,” he said. “It’s not even a logo. Nobody even designed it.”
After 20 years in the business, he said that he’s learned not to get too attached to any creation, so he’s not sad to see the bird go. But he worries that Musk’s future for Twitter leaves behind much of what made the platform unique.
“He seems obsessed with the ‘X.’ I mean you look at his child with Grimes — X Æ A-Xii — he loves X. It’s everywhere. So in his world, it may make sense, but I think, in the Twitter world, it doesn’t really make much sense,” Pascuzzo concluded. “I feel he threw away a lot of brand equity. The name, the color, the language — it’s so ubiquitous. It’s part of our lexicon.” | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/original-designer-behind-twitter-bird-icon-talks-the-x-rebrand/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:30 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/original-designer-behind-twitter-bird-icon-talks-the-x-rebrand/ |
RENTON — Unlike last year, there is no quarterback competition in Seahawks’ camp, Geno Smith having long ago put that to rest with an excellent 2022 season as Russell Wilson’s replacement.
But Smith is trying to replicate the mindset that propelled him to the Pro Bowl after six seasons as an NFL backup. It takes some Jedi mind tricks, because Smith has a new $105 million contract in hand, and is ensconced with the No. 1 offense during training camp. He led a Seahawks’ team that most people thought would flounder in Wilson’s absence to an unexpected playoff berth despite a defense that couldn’t stop the run.
During his first press conference Thursday on the second day of training camp, Smith said he wants his dynamic with backup Drew Lock to be the same despite the lack of a battle for playing time.
“It is different because I am getting more reps, but to me, it’s the same thing,’’ he said. “We’ve worked at the same pace as last year and we are just continuing that, and nothing is going to change as far as our competition. We are going to work the same way but we are going to push each other to be better.”
Smith’s ability to keep his performance on the ascent will go a long way toward determining if the Seahawks’ can build on last year’s 9-8 season that ended with a 41-23 loss to San Francisco in the wild-card round of the playoffs. There was a raging debate about whether the Seahawks should invest long-term in a 32-year-old quarterback who some felt would be a one-year wonder. But the Seahawks showed enough faith in Smith to give him a three-year deal, albeit one loaded with incentive clauses and escalators and an opportunity for the Seahawks to get out of it after one year.
Smith, however, is on a mission to not only show that the contract was warranted, but that he deserves to serve its entirety. If he does that, Smith will be handsomely compensated, and presumably the Seahawks will benefit greatly as well.
After the playoff loss to the 49ers, in which the Seahawks were outscored 25-0 in the second half after leading 17-16 at halftime, Smith said that game would both haunt and motivate him throughout the offseason. He had a costly fumble in the red zone as the Seahawks were driving toward a touchdown.
I just had a really bad taste in my mouth after that playoff game,’’ Smith said Thursday. “I didn’t want it to end. I just went straight to work.”
Smith has shown up leaner than last year, having lost five to 10 pounds with a diet that he says is without red meat, chicken, dairy or sweets. He spent much of the offseason interacting with teammates in various parts of the country — throwing with first-round draft pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Miami, hanging with Tyler Lockett in Dallas (where he attended his wedding), then finishing up in California working out with DK Metcalf and Bobby Wagner at USC and UCLA.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll sees in Smith a guy who is comfortable in his own skin as a team leader after a season in which he threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns. Smith’s 69.8% completion rate led the NFL and helped him earn both the first Pro Bowl berth of his career and the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year Award.
“There really is a quality coming back,’’ Carroll said. “His seriousness about taking advantage of all the steps along the way to get prepared and to be right. He knows how he needs to connect with his teammates and players that he’s going to go to. … He’s just right in the heart of his time. He knows it, and nothing is going to catch him by surprise. He’s worked his butt off, but he’s still lean and mean right now, and he looks great. He’s just going to capture this moment and what it feels like.”
Smith waves off talk about the potential of the Seahawks’ offense (“we’ve got to prove it”) but he does acknowledge they have a preponderance of skill-position performers who could be dynamic playmakers.
“We have a whole onslaught of guys who bring it,’’ he said, before adding a cautionary, “Nothing we did last year is going to be able to help us this year except for the confidence.”
Of course, confidence can be a powerful force. So can the kind of resilience and will that allows one to seize his long-awaited opportunity, as Smith did last year.
He memorably downplayed his earlier struggles by saying, “My tough times would be a dream to someone else.” But after beating Wilson and the Broncos in the much-hyped opener last year, Smith gave his most famous quote about perseverance: “They wrote me off. I ain’t write back, though.”
On Thursday, when asked about being an inspiration to other NFL players who might have been cast aside for years, Smith referred to himself as “an overcomer.”
He’s already overcome the skepticism of those who dismissed his chances of being a competent replacement for Wilson. And to those who are writing off his chances of doing it again, Smith isn’t about to write back. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/why-geno-smith-an-overcomer-of-doubters-can-lead-the-seahawks-to-greater-heights-in-2023/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-28T22:50:31 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/why-geno-smith-an-overcomer-of-doubters-can-lead-the-seahawks-to-greater-heights-in-2023/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Trader Joe's has recalled its frozen falafel for potentially having rocks in it, after it recalled two of its cookie products for the same reason recently.
The company's supplier informed them of the concern, and Trader Joe's said in a statement Friday that "all potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed."
Customers who purchased the product should discard it or return it to a Trader Joe's location for a full refund, the company said.
The falafel, which is fully cooked and frozen, has the SKU number 93935 and is sold in Washington, D.C., and 34 states.
Last Friday, Trader Joe's said rocks could also possibly be found in its Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-28/trader-joes-recalls-its-frozen-falafel-for-possibly-having-rocks-in-it | 2023-07-28T22:50:35 | 1 | https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2023-07-28/trader-joes-recalls-its-frozen-falafel-for-possibly-having-rocks-in-it |
(The Hill) – Carlos De Oliveira was indicted on three criminal charges alongside former President Trump and his longtime aide Walt Nauda in a superseding indictment Thursday, part of the classified document investigation at Trump’s Florida club.
De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago Club’s property manager, allegedly assisted Trump and Nauta in attempting to delete security footage that showed the men moving boxes of classified documents around the property to hide them from federal authorities.
He was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, destroying evidence and lying to the FBI.
De Oliveira, 56, was hired as the Mar-a-Lago manager in January 2022, previously working there as a valet, according to the indictment.
Federal investigators claim De Oliveira helped Nauta move about 30 boxes of classified documents around Mar-a-Lago, and at one point told the club’s head of IT that “the boss” wants security camera footage deleted.
In October of last year, after federal investigators searched the club and found additional classified documents, De Oliveira allegedly drained one of the club’s pools causing flooding in the server room that contained the security camera footage. This happened not long after Trump told De Oliveira he would get him an attorney, the indictment says.
According to investigators, Nauta attempted to judge De Oliveira’s loyalty before that promise came, with De Oliveira telling him that nothing would get in the way of his relationship with Trump.
Trump now faces a total of 40 charges related to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, with three of those added this week in the superseding indictment. Nauta faces eight charges.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the classified documents probe, is also investigating Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on the Capitol.
Smith met with Trump’s defense on Thursday and sent him a target letter earlier this month, raising speculation that he could be indicted again for that separate investigation soon. | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/who-is-carlos-de-oliveira-trumps-mar-a-lago-resort-manager/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:36 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/national-world/who-is-carlos-de-oliveira-trumps-mar-a-lago-resort-manager/ |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Legacy admissions, in which universities give students related to alumni preference, could be on the chopping block after the U.S. Department of Education agreed to investigate the practice at Harvard University.
The Lawyers for Civil Rights advocacy group filed the complaint that prompted the investigation.
“It’s harmful to applicants of color,” Michael Kippins of the organization said of legacy admissions. “Donor and legacy preference overwhelmingly favor white applicants and many of them are not as qualified as applicants of color.”
Lawyers for Civil Rights’ complaint alleges applicants related to wealthy Harvard donors are seven times more likely to be admitted.
“This complaint targets Harvard specifically; however, the Department of Education has very broad power to ensure … programs and organizations that receive federal funding not discriminate,” Kippins said.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the practice is among many being examined to ensure equal access to higher education.
“Historically, universities have separated the haves and have-nots,” Cardona said. “We have to do better.”
Harvard said that following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision limiting affirmative action, it is working to ensure all its policies fall in line with the law.
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., and the Congressional Black Caucus are pushing a bill that would end all legacy admissions.
“Now without affirmative action, these discriminatory actions cannot be tolerated,” Scott said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., agreed legacy admissions don’t make sense, calling it a “silly policy.” But he said Congress should be focused on the biggest obstacle for all applicants: the high cost of tuition. | https://fox59.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/dept-of-education-looks-into-legacy-admissions/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:40 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/dept-of-education-looks-into-legacy-admissions/ |
Kayaker's body recovered from Kern River by Tulare County swiftwater dive rescue team
The body of a kayaker was pulled from the Kern River by Tulare County Sheriff's Department Swiftwater Dive Rescue Team.
The body had been in the water for more than a month.
On June 14, Tulare and Kern counties' swiftwater rescue teams headed toward Ant River Canyon near Kernville. Five kayakers were tossed out in the high flows of the river and fell out of their raft, according to sheriff's officials.
Deputies were able to rescue four people from the river, but one kayaker became stuck in a tree in the center of the river.
The sheriff's department didn't say where the people were from, and no identities have been released.
Several attempts were made to recover the victim since the day of the incident. However, those attempts were unsuccessful because of the river's "extremely high and fast flow," sheriff's officials stated.
For weeks, the swiftwater rescue team kept watch over the area to monitor flows and river conditions.
On Thursday, it was safe enough for the team to recover the body. Tulare County Fire Department and Kern County deputies also helped in the recovery.
"The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind the public to stay away from fast-moving waters as they are unpredictable and extremely dangerous," sheriff's officials stated this week.
Red Cross recommend taking these precautions when you’re around water (even if you’re not planning to swim):
- Know your limitations, including physical fitness, medical conditions.
- Never swim alone; swim with lifeguards and/or water watchers present.
- Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket appropriate for your weight and size and the water activity. Always wear a life jacket while boating, regardless of swimming skill.
- Swim sober.
- Understand the dangers of hyperventilation and hypoxic blackout.
- Know how to call for help.
- Understand and adjust for the unique risks of the water environment you are in, such as:
- River currents.
- Ocean rip currents.
- Water temperature.
- Shallow or unclear water.
- Underwater hazards, such as vegetation and animals. | https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2023/07/28/kayakers-body-recovered-from-kern-river/70485659007/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:46 | 1 | https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2023/07/28/kayakers-body-recovered-from-kern-river/70485659007/ |
Comedy legend Tommy Davidson to perform in Indianapolis!
Prepare to laugh until your sides ache as the incomparable Tommy Davidson joins us ahead of his highly anticipated comedy show at Helium Comedy Club this weekend. With a career spanning decades and a list of iconic roles, Tommy Davidson has solidified his place as one of the most talented and beloved comedians in the entertainment industry.
Many fans first fell in love with Tommy Davidson during his time on the groundbreaking sketch comedy show “In Living Color.” Premiering in the early 1990s, the show showcased the comedic brilliance of talents like Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, and of course, Tommy Davidson. His impressions, physical comedy, and witty humor became instant favorites, and he quickly became a standout on the show.
Following his success on “In Living Color,” Tommy Davidson continued to impress audiences with his versatile acting skills. One of his most notable roles was the voice of Oscar Proud on the animated series “The Proud Family.” His voice brought life and laughter to the beloved character, further cementing his status as a household name in the world of comedy.
Tommy Davidson’s comedic talent wasn’t confined to the small screen. He took his unique charm and humor to Hollywood, where he starred in several notable films. One of his most memorable roles was as the eccentric, scene-stealing Ace Ventura fan in the classic comedy “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.” His hilarious performance alongside Jim Carrey showcased his ability to shine alongside other comedic giants.
In addition to “Ace Ventura,” Tommy Davidson showcased his comedic chops in the sports comedy “Juwanna Man,” where he played the role of a flamboyant sports commentator. Fans and critics alike applauded his ability to infuse humor and heart into his characters, making every role he played unforgettable.
Tommy Davidson’s impressive career, from his early days on “In Living Color” to his numerous film roles, has earned him a special place in the hearts of comedy lovers worldwide. As he graces our studio ahead of his comedy show at Helium Comedy Club, there’s no doubt that his infectious humor and charismatic presence will leave a lasting impression.
So, mark your calendars and prepare for a night of laughter as the legendary Tommy Davidson takes the stage at Helium Comedy Club. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness a comedic genius in action – it’s a show you won’t want to miss! | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/comedy-legend-tommy-davidson-to-perform-in-indianapolis/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:46 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/comedy-legend-tommy-davidson-to-perform-in-indianapolis/ |
WESTFIELD, Ind. – Life goes on without Jonathan Taylor, but the training-camp absence of the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive catalyst is noticeable.
Just ask Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly.
“You definitely feel it,’’ he said following Friday’s practice. “He is obviously our guy, a great running back and he’s been that way for a couple of years. So, it’s weird. I think it is kind of the same thing as missing any guy. They always say it’s a plug-and-play business, but when you’re missing a star player like that, it’s tough.’’
Taylor has been there as the Colts have gone through two camp practices. But instead of getting in sync with two new quarterbacks – rookie Anthony Richardson and veteran Gardner Minshew II – he’s stood in the background.
Taylor, 24, underwent surgery on his right ankle in January. Although he passed his pre-camp physical, he isn’t ready to practice and was placed on the physically unable to perform list (PUP).
There’s no timeline for his return.
That coincides with Taylor’s desire to receive an extension. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and due a base salary of $4.3 million.
Any thoughts of an extension were squashed Thursday evening when owner Jim Irsay told ESPN the Colts haven’t offered one and a contract offer won’t be extended until after the season.
“It’s just timing,’’ Irsay said. “When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid.’’
Irsay then made clear Taylor’s value to the team.
“We love Jonathan. We need Jonathan,’’ he said. “ . . . We’re really depending on Jonathan to team up with Anthony Richardson to try and pull together to have a great year.’’
First-year coach Shane Steichen has had conversations with Taylor.
“I’ll keep those private, but he’s here every single day,’’ he said. “We plan on him being here. As soon as he’s healthy, he will be back with the football team.’’
Until Taylor returns, the running game will revolve around veterans Zack Moss and Deon Jackson, rookies Evan Hull and Zavier Scott, and second-year back Jake Funk.
“Zack Moss is doing an incredible job,’’ Kelly said. “We’ve got some young guys in there who are really getting their chance to shine. Obviously we hope (Taylor) gets back out there soon.”
Every team adheres to a next-man-up approach in the NFL. When one player, even an All-Pro player, is out for whatever reason, and someone else steps in.
But it’s absurd to ignore the drop-off when Taylor is missing.
He had arguably the greatest season by a Colts’ running back in 2021 when he led the NFL with a franchise-record 1,811 rushing yards and added a league-best 2,171 yards from scrimmage. Taylor piled up 20 total touchdowns.
Despite his individual brilliance, the Colts finished 9-8 and failed to earn a playoff spot.
In his three seasons, Taylor ranks No. 4 in rushing yards (3,841), No. 3 in yards from scrimmage (4,643) and No. 4 in touchdowns (36).
In three seasons and 39 games, Moss has rushed 301 times for 1,282 yards. He was acquired in a November trade that sent Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills. In his final four games with Indy last season, Moss had 334 yards and one TD on 69 attempts (4.8 per carry). He saved his best for last: 114 yards and one TD on 18 carries in the Colts’ week 18 loss to Houston.
Jackson, meanwhile, has 267 yards in 25 games. The Colts signed him as an undrafted rookie in May 2021.
About the QBs
The roles were reversed on Friday. After Minshew handled all of the first-team reps during the Colts’ first camp practice Wednesday, it was Richardson’s turn. He took all 15 reps on a day the offense focused on the RPO chapter of the playbook. Minshew ran the No. 2 offense.
Richardson was 3-for-3 passing in team drills, but the highlight came during 7-on-7 work. He scrambled to his left to escape “pressure,’’ pulled up and flicked a 50-60-yard pass that Alec Pierce gathered in for a touchdown.
“Big plays come off scramble plays,’’ Steichen said.
Downs finally healthy
Josh Downs is already flashing his play-making talents. The third-round draft pick’s connection with Richardson probably is enhanced by being Richardson’s roommate during camp.
“We’re cool,’’ he said. “He’s my roommate right now for camp, so every night we talk a little bit about practice and things we are going to do tomorrow. I like having him as my roommate because I can tell him, ‘I’ll be open whenever and throw me the ball.’’’
Also, Downs has regained his health. He missed much of the Colts’ offseason work after aggravating a knee injury during rookie minicamp. It was an injury he had been dealing with since the first day of his final season at North Carolina.
“It was lingering around, so I had to get that dealt with,’’ Downs said.
So, surgery, or at least some type of procedure, was required?
“That’s between me and the team,’’ he said. “Issue’s taken care of.’’
Medical update
Defensive end Samson Ebukam missed Friday’s work with a hamstring issue. Rookie cornerback JuJu Brents missed his second straight practice, also with a hamstring injury.
This and that
The Colts are back on the practice field Saturday evening at 6. After players have Sunday off, they’ll have their first padded practice Monday at 10 a.m.
Dele Harding and Diego Ortiz have been added to the camp coaching staff as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellows.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51. | https://fox59.com/sports/colts/colts-notebook-its-weird-without-jonathan-taylor/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:46 | 0 | https://fox59.com/sports/colts/colts-notebook-its-weird-without-jonathan-taylor/ |
Couple writes activity book for family bonding
Today, we are thrilled to have Jay & Laura Laffoon, the authors of “Ultimate Dad Night,” join us via Zoom. They are here to share their invaluable tips and tricks for bringing families closer together without relying on technology. With their creative ideas and thoughtful insights, they aim to help families strengthen their bonds and create lasting memories through meaningful, technology-free activities.
The authors of “Ultimate Dad Night,” Jay & Laura Laffoon, have crafted an exceptional guide that transcends the boundaries of traditional family advice. Through their insightful Zoom session today, they share their collective wisdom to help families nurture stronger bonds, create cherished memories, and foster love and togetherness—all without the interference of technology. It is a testament to their passion for family life and their genuine desire to empower families to thrive in this ever-evolving digital era. So, let us embark on this journey of intentional unplugging and embark on the path to building lasting and meaningful connections with our loved ones. The magic of “Ultimate Dad Night” awaits us all. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/couple-writes-activity-book-for-family-bonding/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:52 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/couple-writes-activity-book-for-family-bonding/ |
E-Meals rolls out summer cocktails collection
We are thrilled to announce that E-meals nutritionist, Sarah Crawford, joined us via Zoom for an exciting event. During this virtual gathering, Sarah will be demonstrating E-meals’ latest and most delightful summer cocktails collection. As an expert in nutrition and culinary arts, Sarah will undoubtedly provide valuable insights into crafting refreshing beverages that not only tantalize our taste buds but also align with our health goals.
Get ready to sip and savor these delicious concoctions while enjoying Sarah’s expert guidance and expertise in the world of nutrition and mixology. Cheers to a delightful and informative evening ahead! | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/e-meals-rolls-out-summer-cocktails-collection/ | 2023-07-28T22:50:58 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/e-meals-rolls-out-summer-cocktails-collection/ |
Kid-ing with Kayla: Big boy clothes
One of the hardest parts of parenting is watching them grow. Unfortunately, our very own Kayla Sullivan is reporting on the wave of emotions that hit her while shopping for ‘big boy’ clothes.
According to standard sizing, Kayla’s 54-month-old son is no longer a toddler. How is it possible that big boy clothes even fit her son? Many spotted Kayla breaking down in the boys’ shoes aisle. Only time will tell if Kayla’s meltdown was reported to security.
Fellow parents on social media have comforted Kayla, sharing the same sadness over watching their babies grow. However, a few have stepped into remind her that bigger clothes are only the very beginning; and that there are still plenty of milestones to go… | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/kid-ing-with-kayla-big-boy-clothes/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:04 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/kid-ing-with-kayla-big-boy-clothes/ |
Tasty Takeout: Celebrating National Lasagna Day with Carabba’s Italian Grill!
July 29th is National Lasagna Day! What better way to celebrate a food-related holiday than with the food of honor? Chef Meredith Trauthwein joined us today to serve up Carabba’s famous layered lasagna!
Lasagna refers to the wide and flat noodles that make up the traditional ‘Lasagna’ we all know and love! The dish itself was made popular in Naples, Italy. However, it’s unknown exactly when lasagna originated. There’s evidence of the dish in the Middle Ages and even early traits of lasagna from ancient Greek recipes! Though nobody really can decide why July 29th is National Lasagna Day, we do know it’s a dish you can’t pass on!
Carabba’s Italian Grill was founded on December 26, 1986, by John Charles “Johnny” Carabba III and his uncle Damian Mandola. The first location is in Houston, Texas. Since then, it has grown to become a national chain. Their menu continues to evolve, and Chef Meredith Trauthwein is part of upholding classic recipes and delivering quality new ones.
If you need ideas on where you can celebrate National Lasagna Day, check out our article on Celebrating National Lasagna Day! | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/tasty-takeout-celebrating-national-lasagna-day-with-carabbas-italian-grill/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:11 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/allindiana/tasty-takeout-celebrating-national-lasagna-day-with-carabbas-italian-grill/ |
152 IPS teaching vacancies among 3,200 job openings at Indiana schools
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On Monday, school starts for Indianapolis Public Schools students.
Amid the excitement is a large number of vacant teaching positions.
Sandy Bombick, the school system’s director of human resources operations, IPS has around 150 classroom teaching vacancies. Substitute teachers will fill the open positions until IPS can make more permanent hires.
“We’re going to keep working hard to get back to 100%,” Bombick said.
In the last school year, IPS was the state’s second-largest school district with 22,100 students. Fort Wayne Community Schools is the largest with 28,700 students, and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. is the third-largest with 21,900.
Rebecca Estes is senior director of educator talent for the Indiana Department of Education. She says around 3,200 job openings exists statewide at schools, and more than half of the vacancies are teaching positions.
“We have high need across the state. Obviously, the school districts that have higher student populations are going to the need the largest amount of teachers to meet those student needs,” Estes said.
Principal Angel Jackson-Anderson of Believe Circle City High School says finding qualified teachers has become more challenging.
“Not a lot of people are running into education, unfortunately, or there’s a lot of people who have left the field and so it is very challenging at times to kind of fill the gaps,” Jackson-Anderson said.
Believe Circle City High School, with 214 students in the last school year, and other similar ones are benefiting from the online tool Nimble, which the Indiana Department Education started using in 2022 to make the hiring processes easier.
Jackson-Anderson said, “I’ve noticed that we’ve gotten quite a few hits for different positions because we’ve posted leadership roles. We’ve posted teaching roles. We’ve posted operation-based roles.”
Estes said, “I would just really encourage anybody that’s in that geographic location that has a passion for kids to get on that portal, create a candidate profile, and let us help you figure out how we can get you in serving in a classroom whether it be as a teacher or whether it be in a support role.” | https://www.wishtv.com/news/education/152-ips-teaching-vacancies-among-3200-job-openings-at-indiana-schools/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:17 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/education/152-ips-teaching-vacancies-among-3200-job-openings-at-indiana-schools/ |
Deputy town marshal program comes under fire from Henry County sheriff
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — There are at least 30 privately owned and unmarked police cars in Henry County, according to Henry County Sheriff John Sproles.
“This is phenomenal, this is scary as all get out,” Sproles said.
The owners of the cars are making deals with small-town police departments and are working as deputy town marshals with full Indiana police powers and minimal training.
Sproles said the owners are putting red and blue police lights on their cars and leasing the car back to the town for a dollar, in exchange for police license plates.
“There are people out there patrolling in a police car, with a badge, with full police powers, with a gun, probably with a rifle and a shotgun … who might have 30 hours of classroom training,” he said.
To combat the issue, Sproles eliminated the deputy town marshal program at his department when he took office this year.
He said there were close to 70 people with badges and full police powers in the county.
After removing the program, he told all of the small towns in the county that his department will not respond to nonemergency calls in towns with deputy town marshals.
There are 67 deputy town marshals within eight small towns.
“It needs to be controlled,” Shirley Town Marshal Brian Pryor said. There are three law enforcement officers in his department, including him.
He says without the deputy town marshal program, he would have a hard time covering the town.
Pryor said Sproles is trying to eliminate town marshals altogether. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/deputy-town-marshal-program-comes-under-fire-from-henry-county-sheriff/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:23 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/i-team-8/deputy-town-marshal-program-comes-under-fire-from-henry-county-sheriff/ |
Chris Stapleton surprises girl with a rare backstage meet and greet
(Circle) - Chris Stapleton made a little girl’s dream come true over the weekend.
Stapleton’s 2023 All-American Road Show has kept him on the go, performing night after night, but amongst all the shows, one truly stood out.
At his July 14 concert at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a heartwarming moment unfolded when a young fan named Lily held up a sign that read, “Will you take a picture with me?”
The simple question seemed to really catch Stapleton’s attention because the girl and her family were escorted backstage after the concert, where they patiently waited for Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, to join them.
In the TikTok video, Morgane asks the young fan if she created the sign. She nods and replies, “Yes,” proudly holding out a guitar pick she had received during the concert before the meet-and-greet.
“Well. We saw your sign, and we said, We’ve gotta do that,” Morgane added.
The fan’s successful meet and greet with Stapleton came as a surprise to many, given his reputation as a private person. He is well-known for his low-key status, rarely participating in interviews, let alone participating in meet and greets.
Stapleton also surprised some fans recently by announcing to the world that he will be releasing his 5th studio album, titled “Higher.”
The upcoming album will mark his first studio release since 2020 when he dropped his fourth studio album, “Starting Over,” which won him a Grammy for Best Country Album.
Originally appeared on Circle All Access. https://www.circleallaccess.com/
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/chris-stapleton-surprises-girl-with-rare-backstage-meet-greet/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:26 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/chris-stapleton-surprises-girl-with-rare-backstage-meet-greet/ |
Debate ensues over potential waterfront development in Jensen Beach
Citizens in Jensen Beach told WPTV they're torn over a new development potentially planned for waterfront.
According to preliminary plans from architect Marcela Camblor, the community would be called Riverlight, and would include a waterfront restaurant, a dog park, and much more.
The community would be built on a vacant plot of land, just south of Snook Nook tackle shop, a five minute walk north of downtown Jensen Beach.
Camblor said the waterfront lot used to have cottages and homes, but ever since the late 1970s, has been abandoned. It remains private property, and is still currently closed off to the public: technically.
If the plan goes through, that empty space would turn into two public plazas for the community, the abandoned building on the water would become a waterfront restaurant, and the space across the street, which used to be home to the Bridge View Apartments, would turn into dozens of single and multi-family homes, which Camblor said woud be built in Jensen Beach style.
"We wanted to keep the character, the beach town feel, the front porches, the Florida “cracker” style," Camblor said.
Still, not everyone was thrilled about it. Resident Angel Levenrock said she worries about the potential traffic and feared a loss of green space.
"Florida’s been losing a lot of that with everyone coming down, I liked Florida the way it used to be," Levenrock said. “I think Jensen is developed enough as it is. There’s a lot of traffic."
Camblor, however, addressed that concern.
“Even though it looks green and overgrown, there was development here before, all of it was private, and unless you lived here or you came to this development, you couldn’t use it," Camblor said. "What this project is going to do is make all these streets public. Make all these greens, including a dog park, publicly accessible."
She also said for decades there has been a vision to turn the site into a space for the community, and within five minutes of downtown, she said the economic benefits help the community and county.
'The investment here, the profit, the taxable value of the investment gets spent again in Jensen Beach," Camblor said.
Camblor also addressed the traffic concerns, and told WPTV, while development usually does create more traffic, she said the site plan will likely create more walkability.
"They will have a choice to walk to a grocery store, to walk to a downtown restaurant, to walk to entertainment or just walk to the waterfront and visit neighbors," she said. "It's a very different pattern of development."
At Snook Nook, General Manager Alec Baker said the tackle shop has certainly stood the test of time.
"Been here since 1949," he said. "Definitely seen it’s fair share of change."
For that reason, Baker said he could see both sides to the debate over yet another change.
"I think there’s going to be positives and negatives to it," he said. "A lot of the locals want to keep it that hidden little beach town."
Baker said he also sees several benefits to the potential development, and could get excited about it.
"It’s nice that we’re going to build something where the people that live here are going to have something to do," he said, "something to talk about, something to see, instead of just building homes."
At the end of the day, Baker added he feels change always comes with ups and downs, and knows if Snook Nook survived change this far, it most certainly will again.
"Yeah, I mean, where’s the ceiling? It can only go up," he said.
Right now, the project is by no means final. It's currently undergoing Martin County's review process.
However, the planners of it want the public's input. While there is no date set yet, they will at some point be scheduling public hearings to hear the community's questions and concerns.
Scripps Only Content 2023 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/debate-ensues-over-potential-waterfront-development-jensen-beach/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:29 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/debate-ensues-over-potential-waterfront-development-jensen-beach/ |
US announces $345 million military aid package for Taiwan
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Friday announced $345 million in military aid for Taiwan, in what is the Biden administration’s first major package drawing on America’s own stockpiles to help Taiwan counter China.
The White House’s announcement said the package would include defense, education and training for the Taiwanese. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters ahead of the announcement.
U.S. lawmakers have been pressuring the Pentagon and White House to speed weapons to Taiwan. The goals are to help it counter China and to deter China from considering attacking, by providing Taipei enough weaponry that it would make the price of invasion too high.
The package is in addition to nearly $19 billion in military sales of F-16s and other major weapons systems that the U.S. has approved for Taiwan. Delivery of those weapons has been hampered by supply chain issues that started during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been exacerbated by the global defense industrial base pressures created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The difference is that this aid is part of a presidential authority approved by Congress last year to draw weapons from current U.S. military stockpiles — so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales. This gets weapons delivered faster than providing funding for new weapons.
The Pentagon has used a similar authority to get billions of dollars worth of munitions to Ukraine.
Taiwan split from China in 1949 amid civil war. Chinese President Xi Jinping maintains China’s right to take over the now self-ruled island, by force if necessary. China has accused the U.S. of turning Taiwan into a “powder keg” through the billions of dollars in weapons sales it has pledged.
The U.S. maintains a “One China” policy under which it does not recognize Taiwan’s formal independence and has no formal diplomatic relations with the island in deference to Beijing. However, U.S. law requires a credible defense for Taiwan and for the U.S. to treat all threats to the island as matters of “grave concern.”
Getting stockpiles of weapons to Taiwan now, before an attack begins, is one of the lessons the U.S. has learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Pentagon deputy defense secretary Kathleen Hicks told The Associated Press earlier this year.
Ukraine “was more of a cold-start approach than the planned approach we have been working on for Taiwan, and we will apply those lessons,” Hicks said. Efforts to resupply Taiwan after a conflict erupted would be complicated because it is an island, she said.
China regularly sends warships and planes across the center line in the Taiwan Strait that provides a buffer between the sides, as well as into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, in an effort to intimidate the island’s 23 million people and wear down its military capabilities.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington, said in a statement Friday that Beijing was “firmly opposed” to U.S. military ties with Taiwan. The U.S. should “stop selling arms to Taiwan” and “stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Liu said. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/international/us-announces-345-million-military-aid-package-for-taiwan/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:29 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/international/us-announces-345-million-military-aid-package-for-taiwan/ |
Donald Trump appeals judge’s decision to keep hush-money case in New York state court
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump asked a federal appeals court Friday to reverse a federal judge’s decision to keep his hush-money criminal case in a New York state court that the former president claims is “very unfair” to him.
Trump’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan after U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein last week rejected his bid to move the case to federal court, where his lawyers were primed to argue he was immune from prosecution.
U.S. law allows criminal prosecutions to be moved from state to federal court if they involve actions taken by federal government officials as part of their official duties, but Hellerstein ruled that the hush-money case involved a personal matter, not presidential duties.
Trump’s appeal notice came at the end of another busy week of legal action for the twice-indicted Republican as he seeks a return to the White House in next year’s election. On Thursday, he was indicted on new criminal charges in a separate case in federal court in Florida involving allegations that he illegally hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the hush-money case and fought to keep it in state court, declined to comment on Trump’s appeal.
Trump pleaded not guilty April 4 in state court to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide reimbursements made to his longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen for his role in paying $130,000 to the porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.
Cohen also arranged for the National Enquirer to pay Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story about an alleged affair, which the supermarket tabloid then squelched in a dubious journalism practice known as “catch-and-kill.”
Trump denied having sexual encounters with either woman. His lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses and not part of any cover-up.
He is scheduled to stand trial in state court on March 25, 2024. In the meantime, his lawyers have asked the state court judge presiding over the case, Juan Manuel Merchan, to step aside, arguing that he’s biased in part because his daughter does political consulting work for some of Trump’s Democratic rivals. Trump has referred to Merchan as “a Trump-hating judge” with a family full of “Trump haters.” The judge has yet to rule on the request.
In seeking to try the hush-money case tried in federal court, Trump’s lawyers have argued that some of his alleged conduct amounted to official presidential duties because it occurred in 2017 while he was president, including checks he purportedly wrote while sitting in the Oval Office.
Moving the case from state court to federal court would have significant legal and practical consequences for Trump. In federal court, for example, his lawyers could then try to get the charges dismissed on the grounds that federal officials have immunity from prosecution over actions taken as part of their official job duties.
A shift to federal court would also mean a more politically diverse jury pool — drawing not only from heavily Democratic Manhattan, where Trump is wildly unpopular, but also from suburban counties north of the city where he has more political support.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/donald-trump-appeals-judges-decision-keep-hush-money-case-new-york-state-court/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:29 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/donald-trump-appeals-judges-decision-keep-hush-money-case-new-york-state-court/ |
Tornado debris pickup to end in Johnson County
FRANKLIN, Ind. (WISH) — Johnson County tree removal contractors will complete their roadside pickup of woody debris caused by a June 25 tornado on Monday, the Johnson County Highway Department announced Friday.
The pickup site, which includes much of the area between State Road 135 and County Road 144 in Johnson County, was named a Local Emergency Declaration area.
People should bring any remaining woody debris caused by the tornado to the roadside by Sunday. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/tornado-debris-pickup-to-end-in-johnson-county/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:35 | 0 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/tornado-debris-pickup-to-end-in-johnson-county/ |
‘Horrible conditions’: Nearly 30 dogs found dead in freezers; dog rescue owner charged
HAMILTON, Ohio (Gray News) - The owner of a dog rescue in Ohio is facing multiple charges after deputies found animals in unlivable conditions.
Authorities said deputy dog wardens were called to two properties in Butler County regarding a complaint this week.
The team found at least 30 deceased dogs on the properties along with about 90 living animals in “the most horrible conditions they have ever seen.”
According to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Rhonda Murphy, the owner of the properties, was operating a rescue under the name Helping Hands for Furry Paws.
When deputies and investigators searched the structures, multiple dogs’ bodies were found in refrigerators and freezers, with some of the coolers not working.
Other deceased canines were also found on the property, including puppies.
According to investigators, a garage housed about 25 living dogs, but they were kept in cages, some together, with no air conditioning or ventilation in the room. Temperatures were measured to be about 89 degrees inside.
Numerous animals were found without access to food or water, including a mother dog and her eight puppies.
Deputies said the odor was so strong that it burned their eyes and took away their breath as they checked the property.
Additionally, 11 more dogs were found in the main house living in the same deplorable conditions as others found on the property.
“Conditions were so horrendous that dog wardens had to leave the structure numerous times to catch their breath,” the sheriff’s office said.
All dogs were seized from the properties.
Authorities said Murphy is facing dozens of misdemeanor and felony charges that include neglect and cruelty to animals.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/horrible-conditions-nearly-30-dogs-found-dead-freezers-dog-rescue-owner-charged/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:35 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/horrible-conditions-nearly-30-dogs-found-dead-freezers-dog-rescue-owner-charged/ |
3 kids of Olympian Bode Miller, wife Morgan recovering after carbon monoxide poisoning
The children of Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller and his wife Morgan are recovering after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning two weeks ago, according to an Instagram post shared by the family.
The incident occurred when a crane was removing a broken hot tub from the family’s home and while the children stood nearby to watch the action, they were exposed to the harmful gas.
The couples’ twin sons Asher and Aksel, 3, and their daughter Scarlet, 19 months, were rushed to the emergency room where they received "high oxygen flow" for over four hours.
"It was a terrifying experience but thanking my lucky stars they are okay," Morgan wrote in her Instagram post on Friday.
Bode and Morgan, who is a professional volleyball player, have six children together which include two other children from previous relationships. In 2019, the couple tragically lost their 19-month-old daughter in a drowning accident.
FOX News contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles. | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/3-kids-of-olympian-bode-miller-wife-morgan-recovering-after-carbon-monoxide-poisoning | 2023-07-28T22:51:37 | 1 | https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/3-kids-of-olympian-bode-miller-wife-morgan-recovering-after-carbon-monoxide-poisoning |
BEE CAVE, Texas — Whataburger is going digital.
The San Antonio-based fast food company announced it will build its first digital kitchen near West Lake Hills, which is just west of Austin.
According to the Austin Business Journal, while details are still limited on Whataburger's new concept, the location will only offer online and walk-up kiosk orders.
READ MORE:
The building will still look like a regular Whataburger on the outside, and it will still have employees inside, but there will be no dining room and the traditional drive-thru will be substituted with a "digital pick-up lane."
Customers looking to get their Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit fix will order at one of two kiosks, or through the Whataburger app on their phone, then pick up their meal from a "food locker."
While the concept isn't new to fast food, critics of the digital kitchen say the lack of interaction with employees isn't very Texan.
The location is currently hiring and expected to open soon. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/life/food/whataburger-digital-kitchen-austin-texas/285-2f693c10-befc-46c7-ae21-1629a97e234e | 2023-07-28T22:51:37 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/life/food/whataburger-digital-kitchen-austin-texas/285-2f693c10-befc-46c7-ae21-1629a97e234e |
NEW YORK, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Official Committee of Talc Claimants (the "Committee"), which has been tirelessly pursuing justice for its constituency of talc victims' injury by Johnson & Johnson's ("J&J's") talc products, is pleased with the court's decision to dismiss the second bankruptcy attempt. We believe the decision of the Honorable Chief Judge Kaplan was thoughtful, well-reasoned, and well-supported by the facts and law. This outcome now frees tens of thousands of victims to seek their justice through the tort system either before juries of their peers or by settlement on terms acceptable to them. The Committee has consistently contended the tort system is the rightful place for these claims to be resolved. Today's ruling validates the Committee's belief that J&J manipulated the bankruptcy system by using the "Texas Two-Step" legal maneuver and wrongfully sought to manufacture financial distress in its "Legacy Talc Liabilities" (LTL) Management subsidiary, solely to carry out a bad faith bankruptcy case. The company will now face the full weight of its conduct in the appropriate judicial forums.
"This ruling sends a clear message: multibillion-dollar, wholly solvent companies like J&J should not be allowed to use and in fact abuse bankruptcy laws to avoid accountability," said Brown Rudnick's David Molton, one of the co-counsels representing the Committee. "We are reassured by the Bankruptcy Court's reaffirmation that it will not allow solvent corporations to abuse the system and impose coercive, low-value and cram-down solutions on nonconsenting claimants. Justice should and now will triumph over corporate greed and legal chicanery."
"The claimants have waited long enough. Untold numbers of cancer victims have died while Johnson & Johnson attempted to manipulate the bankruptcy system to limit its liabilities," added Molton. "Now victims and their families can seek justice through the tort system – by presenting their case before a jury of their peers in courts of their own choosing."
The TCC filed its motion to dismiss on April 24, 2023, alongside several other movants, including the Office of the United States Trustee, numerous State Attorneys General, and other plaintiff groups, who shared a vision for this outcome. Chief Judge Kaplan's Opinion can be viewed on the case docket, available at: https://document.epiq11.com/document/getdocumentbycode?docId=4202926&projectCode=LCN&source=DM
About The Official Committee of Talc Claimants
The Official Committee of Talc Claimants (TCC), appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee (UST), an arm of the US Department of Justice, represents and acts as a fiduciary for all mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims, as well as all subrogation claimants who have claims based on or derivative to the victims' talcum powder claims. For more information about the TCC, please view our website at https://www.ltltalccommittee.org/
The TCC is advised by counsel, an investment banker, a financial advisor, and claims estimation experts well-versed in mass tort, asbestos, talc, bankruptcy, and victim advocacy. These entities include Genova Burns L.L.C., Brown Rudnick L.L.P., Otterbourg PC, Massey & Gail L.L.P., Miller Thomson L.L.P., MoloLamken L.L.P., Compass Lexecon, FTI Consulting, and Houlihan Lokey.
Media Contact
questions@ltltalccommittee.org
View original content:
SOURCE Official Committee of Talc Claimants | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/official-committee-talc-claimants-applauds-decision-dismiss-ltl-management-second-bankruptcy-attempt/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:37 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/official-committee-talc-claimants-applauds-decision-dismiss-ltl-management-second-bankruptcy-attempt/ |
EAST HARTFORD, Conn., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, continues to receive positive support for various F135-related program items on the path toward finalizing the 2024 appropriations bill. On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME), passed a bipartisan bill that included:
- $497 million for the development of the F135 engine core upgrade (ECU), the DoD's chosen F-35 engine modernization effort.
- $264 million above the President's budget request for F135 engine spares and repair parts.
- A prohibition against integrating any alternate engine on any F-35 variant.
- $280 million for the development of future engine technology that could be used on 6th generation tactical aircraft.
"I want to personally thank Senators Tester and Collins for their leadership on this effort, because it's essential to ensuring our limited DoD funds go to the most urgent, high-priority needs," said Jeff Shockey, senior vice president of RTX Global Government Relations. "I also want to express my gratitude to the Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and the entire Connecticut and Maine delegations for their support and advocacy."
The F135 supports nearly 55,000 jobs across 41 states and more than 260 domestic suppliers. In March 2023, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy chose to upgrade the F135 versus replace it with an entirely new engine. The decision was announced as part of the administration's 2024 budget proposal.
"The Senate Appropriations Committee's full funding of the Engine Core Upgrade program, its addition of $280 million for future-generation propulsion technologies, and language prohibiting integration of an alternate engine on any F-35 variant are critically important," said Jill Albertelli, president of Military Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "Our collective focus should be on maximizing the performance of all three variants of the F-35, while prioritizing the advancement of sixth-generation solutions that serve our highest, most urgent national defense priorities."
About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. To learn more visit prattwhitney.com. To receive press releases and other news directly, please sign up here.
About RTX
RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
Pratt & Whitney
+1 (860) 565-9600
media@prattwhitney.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE RTX | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/pratt-amp-whitneys-f135-engine-receives-full-funding-support-senate-appropriations-committee/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:38 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/pratt-amp-whitneys-f135-engine-receives-full-funding-support-senate-appropriations-committee/ |
Judge denies Disney's motion to dismiss lawsuit
A judge in Florida on Friday refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Gov. Ron DeSantis' appointees against Disney's efforts to neutralize the governor's takeover of Disney World's governing district.
The judge in state court in Orlando denied Disney's motion in the lawsuit that says the company wrongly stripped appointees of powers over design and construction at Disney World when it made agreements with predecessors, who were supporters.
The case is one of two lawsuits stemming from the takeover, which was retaliation for the company's public opposition to the so-called Don't Say Gay legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. In the other lawsuit, in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney says DeSantis violated the company's free speech rights.
The governor has touted his yearlong feud with Disney in his run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, often accusing the entertainment giant of being too "woke." Disney has accused the governor of violating its First Amendment rights.
Attorneys for Disney had argued that any decision in state court would be moot since the Republican-controlled Legislature already has passed a law voiding agreements that the company made with a prior governing board made up of Disney supporters that gave design and construction powers to the company.
The entertainment giant had asked that the state court case be put on hold if it's not dismissed until the federal lawsuit in Tallahassee was resolved since they covered the same ground and that lawsuit was filed first.
In that case, Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in an effort to stop the takeover, saying the governor was violating the company’s free speech and "weaponizing the power of government to punish private business."
DeSantis wasn’t a party in the state court lawsuit.
The fight between DeSantis and Disney began last year after the company, facing significant pressure internally and externally, publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call "Don't Say Gay."
As punishment, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels. But before the new board came in, the company made agreements with previous oversight board members who were Disney supporters that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and construction.
In response, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers passed the legislation that repealed those agreements.
Disney announced in May that it was scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development. Disney had planned to build the campus about 20 miles from the giant Walt Disney World theme park resort.
DeSantis' press secretary Jeremy T. Redfern released the following statement regarding the ruling:
"We are pleased to see that Disney will have to defend themselves on the merits instead of having the corporate press spike the football on their behalf. Disney has no right to its own government and special privileges. Governor DeSantis will ensure that there will be a level playing field for businesses in Florida."
Scripps Only Content 2023 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/judge-denies-disneys-motion-dismiss-lawsuit/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:40 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2023/07/28/judge-denies-disneys-motion-dismiss-lawsuit/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — On Friday, the Austin Habitat for Humanity broke ground on their largest project yet, Persimmon Point.
Persimmon Point will be a community of 126 affordable homes in southeast Austin.
"This is a density that we have not built at before, and we know that density is one of the tools that helps us create affordability, and we're using every tool in the toolbox to make this possible,” said Billy Whipple, the senior vice president of Construction, Austin Habitat for Humanity.
The idea started 10 years ago to combat the affordable housing crisis in Austin.
"What is the key critical need in Austin, Texas? And that is making sure that people can afford to live in this place that we all call home,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Earlier this week at the Austin Board of Realtors Central Texas Summit, housing economist Dr. Clare Losey said that over the last few months, less than 10% of homes sold in Austin have been under $300,000.
Habit for Humanity is trying to change that, with the new homes in Persimmon Point projected to cost just under $200,000.
"We're trying to really fill that gap of giving people that option to stay, that want to stay,” Whipple said. “There are folks that are moving out and we want to make sure that they're doing that on their own accord and not because there's no option for them.”
The mix of town homes and condos will range from 900 to 1,300 square feet. The neighborhood will also have an amphitheater, a promenade and several green spaces. The project is projected to cost around $35 million.
The project started from a collaboration with Perez Elementary, Austin Habitat for Humanity and the City to construct Meadow Lake Boulevard, the road that will connect the neighborhood to the community and school.
The first units will emerge in 2024, with the first homes being delivered to families by October 2025.
"The idea that, you know, the kids don't have to worry about where they go to school next year, they're not chasing the cheaper rent throughout the city, they can get in, they settle, they have a mortgage, an affordable mortgage that they can really set their roots and build that community and find that support system,” Whipple said.
The project is expected to be completed by 2027.
For homeowners who are interested in buying one of these homes, there will be an opportunity to attend financial education and volunteer 200 hours of sweat equity at other projects in the community.
Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown. | https://www.kvue.com/article/money/economy/boomtown-2040/habitat-for-humanity-affordable-homes/269-fe5d4411-eaf4-44d6-a199-e30354619d6d | 2023-07-28T22:51:41 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/money/economy/boomtown-2040/habitat-for-humanity-affordable-homes/269-fe5d4411-eaf4-44d6-a199-e30354619d6d |
Biden openly acknowledges 7th grandchild, daughter of son Hunter and Arkansas woman
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old girl fathered by his son Hunter with an Arkansas woman, Lunden Roberts, in 2018.
“Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,” Biden said in a statement.
It was his first acknowledgement of the child.
“This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter,” he said. “Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
Hunter Biden’s paternity was established by DNA testing after Roberts sued for child support, and the two parties recently resolved outstanding child support issues. The president’s son wrote about his encounter with Roberts in his 2021 memoir, saying it came while he was deep in addiction to alcohol and drugs, including crack cocaine.
“I had no recollection of our encounter,” he wrote. “That’s how little connection I had with anyone. I was a mess, but a mess I’ve taken responsibility for.”
The president, who has made a commitment to family central to his public persona, has faced increasing criticism from political rivals and pundits for failing to acknowledge the granddaughter. According to a person familiar with the matter, he was taking the cue from his son while the legal proceedings played out. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private matters.
Biden’s statement was first reported by People Magazine. | https://www.wishtv.com/news/politics/biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-arkansas-woman/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:41 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/news/politics/biden-openly-acknowledges-7th-grandchild-daughter-of-son-hunter-and-arkansas-woman/ |
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented collaborative endeavor, Slovenia's Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, in partnership with Global Footprint Network, announces a critical date for the planet: this year's Earth Overshoot Day lands on August 2nd.
The date, calculated by Global Footprint Network each year using National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, marks when humanity's demand for biological resources exceeds the Earth's capacity to regenerate them within that year. To spotlight this issue, the Ministry and Global Footprint Network are organizing a high-level event on August 1st, held in Ljubljana and online, to discuss the implications of overshoot. The high-level event enjoys support from key figures including President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 and IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak, and Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel at UNEP Dr. Janez Potočnik.
"Slovenia, as the first EU country, joins the ranks of countries such as Ecuador, Japan, the Philippines, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates, leveraging Ecological Footprint data and officially endorsing the metric as a useful tool to steer environmental policy," affirms Bojan Kumer, Slovenia's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy. He further elucidates that efforts to reduce Slovenia's Ecological Footprint by 20% by 2030 will spur greater opportunities for the country amid a future marked by climate change and resource constraints.
Razan Al Mubarak notes the Ecological Footprint's utility, "With this metric in hand, any country, region, city, or company can assess its current standing and determine how it can contribute to postponing this date (Earth Overshoot Day)." It provides valuable insights for forward-thinking strategies that address resource security and enable the transition towards a sustainable economy.
Earth Overshoot Day coincides with the European Parliament's recent vote on the Nature Restoration Law. The persistence of overshoot has led to land and soil degradation, fish stock depletion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas accumulation. These symptoms are becoming more prominent every day across the planet, with unusual heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and floods, exacerbating the competition for food and energy.
"The biggest risk, apart from ecological overshoot itself, lies in complacency towards this crisis. Entities that act now are not just safeguarding the environment but future-proofing their economy and the wellbeing of their residents," underlines Steven Tebbe, CEO of Global Footprint Network.
Contacts
Watch event https://video.sta.si/
View original content:
SOURCE Republic of Slovenia Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/slovenias-ministry-environment-climate-energy-global-footprint-network-host-high-level-event-mark-earth-overshoot-day-2023/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:41 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/slovenias-ministry-environment-climate-energy-global-footprint-network-host-high-level-event-mark-earth-overshoot-day-2023/ |
TEXAS, USA — Editor's note: This story was originally published in the Texas Tribune here. WFAA reached out to U.S. Capitol Police about the potential for an office in Texas. Their response is included in the Tribune story below.
In response to increasing threats against members of Congress, the U.S. Capitol Police is considering opening a regional field office in Texas.
Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger announced the plans at a joint oversight hearing of the Capitol Police Board, describing a 300% increase in threats to members of Congress over the past seven years.
In addition to an office in Texas, the agency plans to open field offices in Milwaukee and Boston, Manger told the committee Wednesday. A Texas location has not yet been determined, a department spokesperson said.
WFAA reached out to U.S. Capitol Police and were given the following statement:
"USCP is exploring options of opening field offices in regions across the country, to include Texas. This is to ensure our department resources are adequately dispersed to safeguard Members of Congress and to investigate threats when in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. The location and plans for these field offices are still being discussed. These regional locations will have a small number of agents housed in local and state fusion centers and will be investigating threats against Members of Congress."
The Capitol Police department, which is responsible for protecting Congress and its members, opened its first field offices in Florida and California after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. The offices have helped his officers respond to threats more quickly and efficiently, Manger said.
“Due to the increased threat environment, our protective responsibilities have increased, requiring additional protection details, increased coverage of CODELs [official travel by members of Congress] and field hearings, as well as other enhancements to our current protective details,” he said in his written testimony to the committee.
According to the police department, the new offices will “ensure our department resources are adequately dispersed to safeguard Members of Congress and to investigate threats when in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere.”
Recent attacks on lawmakers, their families and staffers have made threats more visible.
“We had, tragically, a Senate staffer repeatedly stabbed in broad daylight here in Washington, D.C., just a couple blocks from this hearing room,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said during the hearing, raising concerns about the “explosion of threats of violence against members of both parties.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was attacked in their California home last October, and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, was assaulted in the elevator of her apartment building in February.
Manger said his agency is addressing threats by expanding intelligence-gathering operations, increasing the number of investigative agents and working with state and local law enforcement.
“We need to do a better job at protecting members when they’re home, their families,” Manger said. “We’ve got to make sure that we’ve got security measures in place in home district offices, in homes, so that it raises everybody’s level of security.”
More Texas headlines: | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/us-capitol-police-texas-field-office/287-30464869-e09f-4817-9111-1a80dfbc7a94 | 2023-07-28T22:51:43 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/us-capitol-police-texas-field-office/287-30464869-e09f-4817-9111-1a80dfbc7a94 |
Tampa General is recognized nationally in the top 100 of the Best Employers for Women list and ranks #1 among Best Employers for Women in Florida in the Healthcare and Social category.
TAMPA, Fla., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital has been named one of America's Best Employers for Women by Forbes for 2023, ranking in the top 100 of organizations nationally and as the Best Employer for Women in Florida in the Healthcare and Social category. The academic health system is also ranked #3 overall in the state. Tampa General has been included on Forbes America's Best Employers for Women list every year since 2020.
"The health and well-being of our team at Tampa General is our top priority and critical to our success as an organization as well as our ability to provide the highest level of care to our community and beyond. We continue to nurture a human-centered culture that both empowers everyone to be their whole, authentic selves at work and ensures every individual feels seen, heard and valued," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "As an academic health system, we are committed to prioritizing not only the personal and professional development of all team members through education opportunities, but we also work to ensure that they have all the support they need."
Forbes partnered with the market research company Statista to identify organizations committed to the advancement of women in and out of the workplace. More than 60,000 American employees were surveyed, including 40,000 women working for companies employing at least 1,000 people within the United States. Survey responses were evaluated against various criteria, including atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, workplace, diversity, family support, flexibility, representation and pay equity.
Tampa General routinely gauges the needs of team members through annual evaluations conducted by a third-party professional survey company.
"When we talk about providing world-class care at Tampa General, that includes taking care of our team members as well as our community," said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer at Tampa General Hospital. "To make this a reality, our academic health system embodies a culture of belonging and fairness. Our steadfast commitment to our team members' growth and well-being is essential to recruiting and retaining high-quality and diverse talent, which results in better experiences and outcomes for the patients we serve."
Aligning with Tampa General's culture focused on helping all team members thrive personally and professionally, the academic health system has developed and continues to introduce new programs and initiatives that provide support to women team members such as:
- Flexibility: Tampa General offers a competitive time-off policy as well as remote working options and flexibility for part-time positions. Over the past two years, the academic health system's team members have increasingly expressed a desire for part-time work schedules and those have been accommodated through offering seasonal contracts and part-time opportunities, where possible.
- Growth and Development: In addition to competitive tuition reimbursement, skills reimbursement and scholarships, Tampa General also offers free access to career, leadership and personal development through courses in Organizational Development, such as Crucial Conversations. Through clinical and non-clinical ladders, the academic health system also offers structured systems to advance career development while the team member remains in a current position.
- Health, Wellness and Benefits: Along with competitive medical benefits, team members receive access to wellness activities and fitness tracking through a free app, an on-site gym and online classes through the TGH Fitness Center. The academic health system also provides free access to virtual behavioral health support that provides access to a trained mental health counselor within 72 hours. It is also available to dependents with TGH insurance. Additionally, there is a team member lounge in the hospital that includes massage chairs to allow team members to decompress.
- Family Support: An on-site daycare center provides families with an education and development curriculum for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Understanding that family support looks different for every team member, through the TGH Foundation, the academic health system offers an annual school supply giveaway, which includes computers and an emergency fund to support team members in crisis. Other support includes gas cards to team members when gas prices skyrocketed, as well as grants to help team members rebuild their homes after sustaining hurricane damage. Tampa General offers a generous maternity leave package. All team members who give birth are guaranteed 12 weeks of job-protected leave post-delivery, regardless of whether they qualify for Family Medical Leave (FMLA) or have exhausted their FMLA entitlement for the year. In addition, Tampa General provides several options to team members needing financial assistance, including ATO leave sharing and short-term disability. TGH also provides a supportive environment to enable breastfeeding team members to express milk during work hours. Private lactation rooms or designated nursing space is available throughout the hospital and every TGH location.
- People Development Institute: Tampa General has invested heavily in the continued education and professional development of all team members with programs such as its People Development Institute (PDI), which offers classes through a partnership with the University of South Florida (USF) Muma College of Business at no charge. Among the program's most impactful success stories are those of women who have leveraged PDI offerings to broaden their career horizons. One example is Stephanie Jackson, who started as a parking attendant at Tampa General and pursued advanced degrees and PDI courses to become a director for the academic health system.
- AKTiVe Leadership Initiative: Through the PDI program, the AKTiVe Leadership Initiative involves all TGH leaders in their leadership development. The AKTiVe Leadership Model embodies four qualities of leaders: Authenticity, Kindness, Transparency and Vulnerability. When enacted through the behaviors of leaders, these qualities create a positive environment for leaders, team members and patients.
- LEAD TGH: LEAD (Leadership, Enrichment and Development) TGH provides a platform for emerging leaders to share ideas, overcome challenges and foster personal and professional development. The free program spans 12 months and creates career pathways while identifying future leaders.
- Modern Advances in Leadership: Facilitated through the University of Tampa's Sykes College of Business, the series provides transformative and interactive learning experiences to advance the skills of current and future leaders.
Inclusion on the Forbes America's Best Employers for Women list is the latest among several high-profile recognitions for Tampa General for its supportive work environment:
- Forbes' Best Employers for New Graduates (Top 20) – May 2023
- Becker's Hospital Review's 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare – April 2023
- Glassdoor's Employee's Choice Award – January 2023
- Newsweek's America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity – January 2023
- Forbes' America's Best Employers by State (Top 10 Employer in Florida) – August 2022
ABOUT FORBES
Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 140 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE and Forbes Virtual events, custom marketing programs and 32 licensed local editions in 71 countries. Forbes Media's brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For more information, visit the Forbes News Hub or Forbes Connect.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital in the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR
Senior Communications Specialist
(727) 510-6363 (cell)
ehardy@tgh.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Tampa General Hospital | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/tampa-general-hospital-named-one-americas-best-employers-women-2023-by-forbes/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:42 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/tampa-general-hospital-named-one-americas-best-employers-women-2023-by-forbes/ |
Tracking a stormy Friday night, brief relief from the heat ahead
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We’re tracking an active Friday night with severe weather potential. Then, we’ll eventually make our way towards a little bit of relief from the miserable heat and humidity.
Heat advisories are expected to expire at midnight tonight. Excessive heat warnings will last until 9-10 PM EDT tonight as well.
Friday night: Showers and storms look to develop mainly after sunset in northern Indiana. Activity will gradually move southward into central during the overnight hours.
Scattered severe storms are possible tonight. There is an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) for areas along and north of a Rensselaer-Rochester line. A Slight Risk (level 2/5) sits in place from around interstate 70 up into northern Indiana. Damaging winds and hail are the primary threats.
Another very stuffy night ahead with lows only in the mid 70s.
Saturday: Scattered showers and storms will be ongoing through daybreak Saturday. Rain and storms will be on and off for Saturday with re-development in the afternoon/evening hours that may carry into Saturday night.
Central Indiana is no longer under a severe risk at this time for Saturday.
Expect a miserably muggy day with highs in the upper 80s/low 90s. Heat index values may top out at 100-105 for some spots.
Sunday: A much more calm day will arrive for the back half of the weekend. Although humidity values will still be in the uncomfortable range, they won’t be as high as Saturday’s numbers. Expect mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid 80s.
8-Day Forecast: The start to the new workweek will feature refreshing and below normal weather for the final day of July with highs only in the low 80s. However, temperatures will quickly find theirselves back in the upper 80s by Wednesday with higher humidity values. Storm chances look to return in the latter half of next week. | https://www.wishtv.com/weather/weather-blog/tracking-a-stormy-friday-night-brief-relief-from-the-heat-ahead/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:46 | 1 | https://www.wishtv.com/weather/weather-blog/tracking-a-stormy-friday-night-brief-relief-from-the-heat-ahead/ |
NEW YORK, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Official Committee of Talc Claimants (the "Committee"), which has been tirelessly pursuing justice for its constituency of talc victims' injury by Johnson & Johnson's ("J&J's") talc products, is pleased with the court's decision to dismiss the second bankruptcy attempt. We believe the decision of the Honorable Chief Judge Kaplan was thoughtful, well-reasoned, and well-supported by the facts and law. This outcome now frees tens of thousands of victims to seek their justice through the tort system either before juries of their peers or by settlement on terms acceptable to them. The Committee has consistently contended the tort system is the rightful place for these claims to be resolved. Today's ruling validates the Committee's belief that J&J manipulated the bankruptcy system by using the "Texas Two-Step" legal maneuver and wrongfully sought to manufacture financial distress in its "Legacy Talc Liabilities" (LTL) Management subsidiary, solely to carry out a bad faith bankruptcy case. The company will now face the full weight of its conduct in the appropriate judicial forums.
"This ruling sends a clear message: multibillion-dollar, wholly solvent companies like J&J should not be allowed to use and in fact abuse bankruptcy laws to avoid accountability," said Brown Rudnick's David Molton, one of the co-counsels representing the Committee. "We are reassured by the Bankruptcy Court's reaffirmation that it will not allow solvent corporations to abuse the system and impose coercive, low-value and cram-down solutions on nonconsenting claimants. Justice should and now will triumph over corporate greed and legal chicanery."
"The claimants have waited long enough. Untold numbers of cancer victims have died while Johnson & Johnson attempted to manipulate the bankruptcy system to limit its liabilities," added Molton. "Now victims and their families can seek justice through the tort system – by presenting their case before a jury of their peers in courts of their own choosing."
The TCC filed its motion to dismiss on April 24, 2023, alongside several other movants, including the Office of the United States Trustee, numerous State Attorneys General, and other plaintiff groups, who shared a vision for this outcome. Chief Judge Kaplan's Opinion can be viewed on the case docket, available at: https://document.epiq11.com/document/getdocumentbycode?docId=4202926&projectCode=LCN&source=DM
About The Official Committee of Talc Claimants
The Official Committee of Talc Claimants (TCC), appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee (UST), an arm of the US Department of Justice, represents and acts as a fiduciary for all mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims, as well as all subrogation claimants who have claims based on or derivative to the victims' talcum powder claims. For more information about the TCC, please view our website at https://www.ltltalccommittee.org/
The TCC is advised by counsel, an investment banker, a financial advisor, and claims estimation experts well-versed in mass tort, asbestos, talc, bankruptcy, and victim advocacy. These entities include Genova Burns L.L.C., Brown Rudnick L.L.P., Otterbourg PC, Massey & Gail L.L.P., Miller Thomson L.L.P., MoloLamken L.L.P., Compass Lexecon, FTI Consulting, and Houlihan Lokey.
Media Contact
questions@ltltalccommittee.org
View original content:
SOURCE Official Committee of Talc Claimants | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/official-committee-talc-claimants-applauds-decision-dismiss-ltl-management-second-bankruptcy-attempt/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:46 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/official-committee-talc-claimants-applauds-decision-dismiss-ltl-management-second-bankruptcy-attempt/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — After a recent survey found that almost 50 EMS and fire stations lacked a proper source of backup power. This has led to dozens of Austin’s emergency centers being set to receive new generators, according to a report from Community Impact.
The generators will cost upwards of $20 million in a measure that was approved by the city council on July 20. The new generators will be funded through the Austin Building Services Department and money given to the American Rescue Plan Act.
ATCEMS stations infamously lost power during winter storms Uri and Mara, causing the emergency services to deal with a high volume of calls which led to a backlog without backup power available. First responders were also busy working extended shifts without access to hot showers, microwaveable meals or a warm break room.
While the new generators have been approved, it may likely be a number of years before they arrive, as generators are currently in high demand throughout the U.S. from what City documents showed that were obtained by Community Impact. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-ems-fire-stations-to-get-generators/269-03bd5fca-4bad-4691-b41f-ba8dbbfcae9f | 2023-07-28T22:51:47 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-ems-fire-stations-to-get-generators/269-03bd5fca-4bad-4691-b41f-ba8dbbfcae9f |
HOOVER, Ala. — Authorities in Alabama said Friday they filed criminal charges against a woman who confessed to fabricating a story that she was kidnapped after stopping to check on a toddler she saw walking on the side of an interstate highway.
Carlee Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said. Russell turned herself in to jail Friday and was released on bond, he said.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” he said. “Numerous law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, began working tirelessly not only to bring Carlee home to her family but locate a kidnapper that we know now never existed. Many private citizens volunteered their time and energy in looking for a potential kidnapping victim that we know now was never in any danger.”
Derzis said he was frustrated that Russell was only being charged with two misdemeanors despite the panic and disruption she caused, but he said the law did not allow for enhanced charges.
Russell, 25, disappeared after calling 911 on July 13 to report a toddler wandering beside a stretch of interstate. She returned home two days later and told police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle.
Her disappearance became a national news story. Images of the missing woman were shared broadly on social media.
“We don’t see this as a victimless crime," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said at a Friday news conference. “There are significant hours spent, resources expended as a result of this investigation.”
Marshall's office was asked to handle the prosecution because of the attention the case received, Derzis said. Marshall said he intends to “fully prosecute” Russell and said his office will take into account the police investigation to see whether additional charges are warranted.
Russell, through her attorney, Emory Anthony, acknowledged earlier that she made the story up.
In a statement read by police on Monday, Anthony said Russell was not kidnapped, did not see a baby on the side of the road, did not leave the city and acted alone. He said Russell apologized and he asked for prayers and forgiveness as she “addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter.”
A message left Friday at Anthony’s office was not immediately returned.
Russell told detectives she was taken by a man who came out of the trees when she stopped to check on the child, put in a car and an 18-wheel truck, was blindfolded and was held at a home where a woman fed her cheese crackers, authorities said at a news conference last week. At some point, Russell said she was put in a vehicle again but managed to escape and run through the woods to her neighborhood.
“This story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings,” Derzis said.
He said police have not determined where Russell went during the 49 hours she was missing. They plan to talk to the attorney general's office about recovering some of the money spent on the investigation. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/carlee-russell-charges-kidnapping-hoover-police/507-57a5c2ab-a857-45a3-9c87-5cd0a8138655 | 2023-07-28T22:51:49 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/carlee-russell-charges-kidnapping-hoover-police/507-57a5c2ab-a857-45a3-9c87-5cd0a8138655 |
More Than 1,175 Higher Education Workers Gain Teamster Representation
OAKLAND, Calif., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers at the University of California (UC) have joined Teamsters Local 2010. The 1,175 newest members of Local 2010 in Oakland will now bargain for higher pay, reduced benefit costs, overtime pay, job security, and respect in the workplace.
"It's great to be represented again! I feel secure knowing someone is fighting for us to receive better pay and protect our rights," said Azalia Maldonado, a facilities management specialist at UC Berkeley.
"I'm so happy to be a Teamster again!" said Michelle Belden, a research administrator at UC Davis who was Teamster Shop Steward in her previous job of Blank Assistant 4 in the CX Unit. "There is power in our solidarity."
"I am excited to be a part of a strong union that advocates for members' rights and interests," said Patricia Passalacqua, an ambulatory care administration coordinator at UC San Diego. "All of the Teamsters' hard work and tenacity is evident. Knowing we have the support of Teamsters from all industries to help us protect our rights has lifted a weight off our shoulders. I look forward to connecting with other members in the future."
Workers in the titles of Ambulatory Care Administration Coordinator, Facilities Management Specialist, Health Professional Education Specialist, and Research Administrator had been misclassified by the UC in an effort to deny union-negotiated wages and benefits, including the right to strike. The Public Employment Relations Board issued unit modification orders on June 22, 2023.
The newly organized workers will join more than 16,000 administrative, paraprofessional, and skilled trades workers who provide critical public services at every University of California and California State University campus, medical center, and laboratory throughout the state, as well as 1.2 million Teamster members in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, with Public Services being one of the largest Teamster divisions.
"Teamsters Local 2010 welcomes our new sisters and brothers," said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010. "We are especially pleased that they will immediately see the benefits of being Teamsters — guaranteed raises that are higher than those for non-union workers, this year and every year of our contract — plus all the rights at work and benefits of Teamster representation."
The group will soon assemble a bargaining team to begin the bargaining process for salary ranges, step placement, on-call and shift differential pay, as well as other bonus eligibility and pay.
Teamsters Local 2010 is a union of 15,000 hardworking employees in California higher education. We are affiliated with the 1.2 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing members throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. We stand together to win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. We strive to protect workers' rights through direct action and determined labor representation.
Contact
Aimee Baror, (213) 220-0538
abaror@teamsters2010.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Teamsters Local 2010 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/university-california-workers-join-teamsters-local-2010/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:49 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/university-california-workers-join-teamsters-local-2010/ |
WASHINGTON — The conference of champions appears to be in crisis.
Colorado's announcement Thursday that it will return to the Big 12 comes a little more than a year after Southern California and UCLA said they were ditching the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten. The departure of all three next year leaves the league that has won more NCAA championships than any other facing an uncertain future.
Still without a media rights contract to replace ones that expires next summer, Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff keeps promising that all will be well. It is becoming harder to sell that no news on a deal is good news.
“We are focused on concluding our media rights deal and securing our continued success and growth,” the Pac-12 said in a statement after CU's announcement. “Immediately following the conclusion of our media rights deal, we will embrace expansion opportunities and bring new fans, markets, excitement and value to the Pac-12.”
Pac-12 presidents and chancellors, athletic directors and Kliavkoff were expected to meet Thursday to discuss next moves for the conference, two people with knowledge of the meeting told AP on condition of anonymity because the conference was not making its internal discussion public.
Colorado's exit alone is not a death blow for the Pac-12. Losing a school that has been fielding one of the worst Power Five football programs for most of the last decade is recoverable, even with new coach and retired NFL star Deion Sanders grabbing headlines in Boulder.
However, there is no way to spin this latest hit as anything but a loss for a conference that has been the power center of West Coast college sports for decades. Colorado is a newbie, but USC’s membership dates to 1922, UCLA’s to 1928. The roots of the Pac-12 date to 1915 and its sports alumni include such names as Jackie Robinson, John Elway, Marcus Allen, Reggie Miller, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Jenny Thompson, Bill Walton and Barry Bonds.
To survive, the Pac-12 will almost surely try to add new member schools.
The questions now: Can the Pac-12 stop bleeding membership? And if not, does it trigger conferences beyond the Big 12 to target its schools? Will CU's move trigger another wide-ranging round of realignment?
“I don't believe it does” said former Fox Sports executive Bob Thompson. “A lot of that comes down to how fast the Big 12 wants to expand. I don't see the SEC, the Big Ten, the ACC doing anything at this point.”
Under previous Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, the Big Ten still had eyes out west, with Oregon and Washington having the most appeal of the remaining Pac-12 schools. But Warren is gone now and his replacement said the Big Ten isn't eager to expand more.
“All the direction I’m getting from leadership ... is to focus on USC and UCLA. We have a lot of work to do there,” new Commissioner Tony Petitti said at Big Ten football media days earlier this week.
The continuing threat to the Pac-12 is primarily the Big 12, despite Kliavkoff's dismissals (“The truth is we have bigger fish to fry,” he said last week in Las Vegas at football media day.)
Brett Yormark has outmaneuvered Kilavkoff since being named Big 12 commissioner a day before USC and UCLA announced they planned to switch conferences. He has envisioned a 16-team league that covers all time zones.
The Big 12 jumped the Pac-12 in line last year and grabbed a deal with ESPN and Fox that probably could have been the Pac-12's. While Kliavkoff was trying to figure out a way to close the revenue gap on the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten, Yormark realized survival was at stake for the other Power Five conferences.
The Big 12 replaced the star quality brands of Texas and Oklahoma with quantity and reach (BYU, Houston, UCF and Cincinnati all joined this year). The Big 12 will never catch up at the bank to the SEC and Big Ten, but it has more stability and harmony than the beleaguered Pac-12 and anxious Atlantic Coast Conference.
“What CU did is ensure their future. Whether the Pac-12 implodes now or whether the Pac-12 implodes in 2030 or whether the Pac-12 stays together, CU is set,” Thompson said.
Adding Arizona, Arizona State and Utah from the Pac-12 to join Colorado would make Yormark's vision a reality, but those schools are still publicly committed to their current conference.
Arizona President Robert Robbins said in June the preference is to remain in the Pac-12, but until he knows exactly what a media rights deal pays, nothing is certain.
“We’re not going to get a Big Ten deal. We’re not going to get an SEC deal,” Robbins said then. “I’ve never thought that winning the bronze medal was a great aspirational goal. But if we win a bronze medal, I think we’d all declare victory.”
Thompson said as ESPN and other traditional networks deal with a changing financial model because of shrinking cable TV subscribers, they have become more selective and frugal when it comes to buying the right to broadcast games.
Still, less traditional networks for sports like the CW and Ion could provide a home and enough revenue to keep what's left of the Pac-12 together for at least one more deal, Thompson said.
“They've just got to get a deal done,” he said.
The best-case scenario for the Pac-12 is that it finally lands a TV contract comparable to the Big 12's (about $2 billion over six years) and the remaining members stay put.
Swapping out Colorado for, say, San Diego State, which awkwardly tried to position itself to exit the Mountain West in 2024 earlier this month, would mitigate the damage. The Aztecs and SMU have already been on the Pac-12's radar to replace USC and UCLA.
The worst-case scenario? The Pac-12 losses all the four corner schools to the Big 12, the Big Ten is motivated to reverse course and add some combination of Oregon, Washington, Stanford and California. If not all of them. Instead of the Pac-12 absorbing Mountain West schools, the Mountain West could go on the offensive.
The Pac-12 dates back 108 years with the formation of the Pacific Coast Conference. Over a century, it went from the Pac-8 to the Pac-10 to the Pac-12, accumulating more than 500 NCAA championships .
That prestigious legacy is no guarantee of its future. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/colorado-returns-to-big-12-can-pac-12-survive/507-cb211702-e82f-47d3-9237-cacf22987db0 | 2023-07-28T22:51:53 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/colorado-returns-to-big-12-can-pac-12-survive/507-cb211702-e82f-47d3-9237-cacf22987db0 |
EAST HARTFORD, Conn., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, continues to receive positive support for various F135-related program items on the path toward finalizing the 2024 appropriations bill. On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME), passed a bipartisan bill that included:
- $497 million for the development of the F135 engine core upgrade (ECU), the DoD's chosen F-35 engine modernization effort.
- $264 million above the President's budget request for F135 engine spares and repair parts.
- A prohibition against integrating any alternate engine on any F-35 variant.
- $280 million for the development of future engine technology that could be used on 6th generation tactical aircraft.
"I want to personally thank Senators Tester and Collins for their leadership on this effort, because it's essential to ensuring our limited DoD funds go to the most urgent, high-priority needs," said Jeff Shockey, senior vice president of RTX Global Government Relations. "I also want to express my gratitude to the Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and the entire Connecticut and Maine delegations for their support and advocacy."
The F135 supports nearly 55,000 jobs across 41 states and more than 260 domestic suppliers. In March 2023, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy chose to upgrade the F135 versus replace it with an entirely new engine. The decision was announced as part of the administration's 2024 budget proposal.
"The Senate Appropriations Committee's full funding of the Engine Core Upgrade program, its addition of $280 million for future-generation propulsion technologies, and language prohibiting integration of an alternate engine on any F-35 variant are critically important," said Jill Albertelli, president of Military Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "Our collective focus should be on maximizing the performance of all three variants of the F-35, while prioritizing the advancement of sixth-generation solutions that serve our highest, most urgent national defense priorities."
About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. To learn more visit prattwhitney.com. To receive press releases and other news directly, please sign up here.
About RTX
RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
Pratt & Whitney
+1 (860) 565-9600
media@prattwhitney.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE RTX | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/pratt-amp-whitneys-f135-engine-receives-full-funding-support-senate-appropriations-committee/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:52 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/pratt-amp-whitneys-f135-engine-receives-full-funding-support-senate-appropriations-committee/ |
WASHINGTON — Lottery players will have another shot at a huge Mega Millions jackpot Friday night and a chance to break a stretch of more than three months without a big winner of the game.
The estimated $940 million prize has been building since someone last matched all six numbers and won the jackpot April 18. Since then, there have been 28 straight drawings without a jackpot winner.
The jackpot is now the eighth-largest ever in the U.S. It comes a little over a week after someone in Los Angeles won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. It's still a mystery who won that prize.
Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.
The $940 million prize would be for a sole winner choosing to be paid through an annuity with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $472.5 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, while many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What are the largest lottery jackpots ever?
- $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022 (one ticket, from California)
- $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)
- $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket, from South Carolina)
- $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023 (one ticket, from Maine)
- $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022 (one ticket, from Illinois)
- $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023 (one ticket, from California)
- $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021 (one ticket, from Michigan)
- $940 million, Mega Millions (estimated), July 28, 2023
- $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, from Wisconsin)
- $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts) | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/mega-millions-jackpot-friday-july-28-drawing/507-c39e96af-2206-46a4-ba9d-26dad8acda42 | 2023-07-28T22:51:55 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/mega-millions-jackpot-friday-july-28-drawing/507-c39e96af-2206-46a4-ba9d-26dad8acda42 |
Junior's Rolls Out a Dessert Fit for The King: Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana is Winner of National Cheesecake Day Flavor Contest
BROOKLYN, N.Y., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Elvis Presley is the original rock 'n' roll legend, and Junior's is the original cheesecake legend. So, it is more than appropriate that peanut butter chocolate and banana – inspired by Elvis' favorite sandwich -- is now the newest limited edition Junior's cheesecake flavor, the result of a national flavor contest held in the lead-up to National Cheesecake Day, this coming Sunday, July 30.
Out of more than 5,000 entries across the country, Thomas Zahorec, from Greenville, South Carolina, channeled his inner King when submitting the winning flavor.
"Elvis had his numerous number one hits, and we have ours," said Alan Rosen, owner of Junior's. "So, I can't think of a better way to celebrate National Cheesecake Day than by creating this new flavor to honor the King, himself. Because just as you 'can't help falling in love' with Elvis, I know you won't be able to resist this peanut butter chocolate banana cheesecake. My deepest congratulations goes to Mr. Zahorec for inspiring our 25th flavor."
Rosen said that in addition to a $2500 cash prize, Zahorec will win a cheesecake a month for a year, including one of the new flavor, of course. And Junior's lovers around the country are also winners because the peanut butter chocolate banana cheesecake will be available for a limited time in Junior's restaurants and by mail order. This limited edition flavor will be available in various sizes through Labor Day.
About Junior's
Since the 1950s, Junior's Restaurant and Bakery in Brooklyn, New York has been famous for great food, great fun, great service, and, of course, the World's Most Famous Cheesecake. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, Junior's Restaurant and Bakery's menu features New York and Brooklyn comfort food dishes ranging from classic New York deli sandwiches piled high, famous 10 oz. steak burgers, salads, jumbo half pound hot dogs, fresh seafood and a full-service bar. For more information, visit juniorscheesecake.com.
Instagram: @JuniorsCheesecake, Facebook: @JuniorsCheesecake
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Junior's | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/viva-las-cheesecake/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:57 | 0 | https://www.wbrc.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/viva-las-cheesecake/ |
HOUSTON — Houston police released a series of reports Friday into the investigation of what happened during the deadly Astroworld Festival tragedy. The incident left 10 people dead, including a 9-year-old boy, and roughly 300 other people injured.
The more than 1,200 pages of reports released Friday morning came almost a month after a Harris County grand jury didn't find anyone, including Travis Scott, criminally responsible, for those who died during the music festival in November 2021.
Though there will be no criminal charges, numerous civil lawsuits have been filed on behalf of victims and their families.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said they would release the report in an effort to be transparent about their investigation.
The documents were released on the same day as Scott dropped his latest album. HPD said that was just a coincidence.
The full report can be read here.
Victims' families react to Astroworld Festival final report
Attorneys representing the families of Astroworld Festival victims call HPD's final report of the incident further proof of negligence.
They plan to use it as evidence in civil cases.
"Families are still feeling exactly what they felt the day after the tragedy occurred," attorney Alex Hilliard said.
Hilliard represents about 700 concertgoers who've filed a lawsuit over the event. He also represents the family of Ezra Blount, the youngest victim who died.
"There are some days when you can't get out of bed," Hilliard said. "There are some days when there's pure grief, pure shock, pure anger."
He said that was especially true when families found out no one would be criminally charged. But Hilliard said the extensive police report, which includes excruciating witness accounts, will be evidence in an ongoing civil litigation aimed, in part, at preventing future tragedies.
In a statement, another attorney representing victim's families said:
"The report, while important for the public to see, simply confirms what we already feared and have discovered in the course of the lawsuit. That the organizers and promoters of the concert failed to properly plan, valuing profitability over the obvious safety concerns that proved fatal."
More coverage on the Astroworld Festival tragedy
- 'This tragedy was preventable' | Victims' attorneys send experts to study Astroworld setup
- What is compression asphyxia? Houston doctor explains cause of death for Astroworld victims
- Travis Scott sits with Charlamagne Tha God during first interview since Astroworld tragedy
- 'Faucet of unimaginable pain': Astroworld victim's family declines Travis Scott's funeral cost offer
- Astroworld Festival tragedy: The impact on Travis Scott's career didn't last
- Texas Task Force on Concert Safety releases final report in wake of deadly Astroworld Festival | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/special-reports/astroworld-tragedy-police-report/285-b880a0e5-1845-46e5-98b2-02f1d32984a6 | 2023-07-28T22:51:59 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/special-reports/astroworld-tragedy-police-report/285-b880a0e5-1845-46e5-98b2-02f1d32984a6 |
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented collaborative endeavor, Slovenia's Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, in partnership with Global Footprint Network, announces a critical date for the planet: this year's Earth Overshoot Day lands on August 2nd.
The date, calculated by Global Footprint Network each year using National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, marks when humanity's demand for biological resources exceeds the Earth's capacity to regenerate them within that year. To spotlight this issue, the Ministry and Global Footprint Network are organizing a high-level event on August 1st, held in Ljubljana and online, to discuss the implications of overshoot. The high-level event enjoys support from key figures including President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 and IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak, and Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel at UNEP Dr. Janez Potočnik.
"Slovenia, as the first EU country, joins the ranks of countries such as Ecuador, Japan, the Philippines, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates, leveraging Ecological Footprint data and officially endorsing the metric as a useful tool to steer environmental policy," affirms Bojan Kumer, Slovenia's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy. He further elucidates that efforts to reduce Slovenia's Ecological Footprint by 20% by 2030 will spur greater opportunities for the country amid a future marked by climate change and resource constraints.
Razan Al Mubarak notes the Ecological Footprint's utility, "With this metric in hand, any country, region, city, or company can assess its current standing and determine how it can contribute to postponing this date (Earth Overshoot Day)." It provides valuable insights for forward-thinking strategies that address resource security and enable the transition towards a sustainable economy.
Earth Overshoot Day coincides with the European Parliament's recent vote on the Nature Restoration Law. The persistence of overshoot has led to land and soil degradation, fish stock depletion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas accumulation. These symptoms are becoming more prominent every day across the planet, with unusual heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and floods, exacerbating the competition for food and energy.
"The biggest risk, apart from ecological overshoot itself, lies in complacency towards this crisis. Entities that act now are not just safeguarding the environment but future-proofing their economy and the wellbeing of their residents," underlines Steven Tebbe, CEO of Global Footprint Network.
Contacts
Watch event https://video.sta.si/
View original content:
SOURCE Republic of Slovenia Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/slovenias-ministry-environment-climate-energy-global-footprint-network-host-high-level-event-mark-earth-overshoot-day-2023/ | 2023-07-28T22:51:59 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/slovenias-ministry-environment-climate-energy-global-footprint-network-host-high-level-event-mark-earth-overshoot-day-2023/ |
Tampa General is recognized nationally in the top 100 of the Best Employers for Women list and ranks #1 among Best Employers for Women in Florida in the Healthcare and Social category.
TAMPA, Fla., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital has been named one of America's Best Employers for Women by Forbes for 2023, ranking in the top 100 of organizations nationally and as the Best Employer for Women in Florida in the Healthcare and Social category. The academic health system is also ranked #3 overall in the state. Tampa General has been included on Forbes America's Best Employers for Women list every year since 2020.
"The health and well-being of our team at Tampa General is our top priority and critical to our success as an organization as well as our ability to provide the highest level of care to our community and beyond. We continue to nurture a human-centered culture that both empowers everyone to be their whole, authentic selves at work and ensures every individual feels seen, heard and valued," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "As an academic health system, we are committed to prioritizing not only the personal and professional development of all team members through education opportunities, but we also work to ensure that they have all the support they need."
Forbes partnered with the market research company Statista to identify organizations committed to the advancement of women in and out of the workplace. More than 60,000 American employees were surveyed, including 40,000 women working for companies employing at least 1,000 people within the United States. Survey responses were evaluated against various criteria, including atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, workplace, diversity, family support, flexibility, representation and pay equity.
Tampa General routinely gauges the needs of team members through annual evaluations conducted by a third-party professional survey company.
"When we talk about providing world-class care at Tampa General, that includes taking care of our team members as well as our community," said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer at Tampa General Hospital. "To make this a reality, our academic health system embodies a culture of belonging and fairness. Our steadfast commitment to our team members' growth and well-being is essential to recruiting and retaining high-quality and diverse talent, which results in better experiences and outcomes for the patients we serve."
Aligning with Tampa General's culture focused on helping all team members thrive personally and professionally, the academic health system has developed and continues to introduce new programs and initiatives that provide support to women team members such as:
- Flexibility: Tampa General offers a competitive time-off policy as well as remote working options and flexibility for part-time positions. Over the past two years, the academic health system's team members have increasingly expressed a desire for part-time work schedules and those have been accommodated through offering seasonal contracts and part-time opportunities, where possible.
- Growth and Development: In addition to competitive tuition reimbursement, skills reimbursement and scholarships, Tampa General also offers free access to career, leadership and personal development through courses in Organizational Development, such as Crucial Conversations. Through clinical and non-clinical ladders, the academic health system also offers structured systems to advance career development while the team member remains in a current position.
- Health, Wellness and Benefits: Along with competitive medical benefits, team members receive access to wellness activities and fitness tracking through a free app, an on-site gym and online classes through the TGH Fitness Center. The academic health system also provides free access to virtual behavioral health support that provides access to a trained mental health counselor within 72 hours. It is also available to dependents with TGH insurance. Additionally, there is a team member lounge in the hospital that includes massage chairs to allow team members to decompress.
- Family Support: An on-site daycare center provides families with an education and development curriculum for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Understanding that family support looks different for every team member, through the TGH Foundation, the academic health system offers an annual school supply giveaway, which includes computers and an emergency fund to support team members in crisis. Other support includes gas cards to team members when gas prices skyrocketed, as well as grants to help team members rebuild their homes after sustaining hurricane damage. Tampa General offers a generous maternity leave package. All team members who give birth are guaranteed 12 weeks of job-protected leave post-delivery, regardless of whether they qualify for Family Medical Leave (FMLA) or have exhausted their FMLA entitlement for the year. In addition, Tampa General provides several options to team members needing financial assistance, including ATO leave sharing and short-term disability. TGH also provides a supportive environment to enable breastfeeding team members to express milk during work hours. Private lactation rooms or designated nursing space is available throughout the hospital and every TGH location.
- People Development Institute: Tampa General has invested heavily in the continued education and professional development of all team members with programs such as its People Development Institute (PDI), which offers classes through a partnership with the University of South Florida (USF) Muma College of Business at no charge. Among the program's most impactful success stories are those of women who have leveraged PDI offerings to broaden their career horizons. One example is Stephanie Jackson, who started as a parking attendant at Tampa General and pursued advanced degrees and PDI courses to become a director for the academic health system.
- AKTiVe Leadership Initiative: Through the PDI program, the AKTiVe Leadership Initiative involves all TGH leaders in their leadership development. The AKTiVe Leadership Model embodies four qualities of leaders: Authenticity, Kindness, Transparency and Vulnerability. When enacted through the behaviors of leaders, these qualities create a positive environment for leaders, team members and patients.
- LEAD TGH: LEAD (Leadership, Enrichment and Development) TGH provides a platform for emerging leaders to share ideas, overcome challenges and foster personal and professional development. The free program spans 12 months and creates career pathways while identifying future leaders.
- Modern Advances in Leadership: Facilitated through the University of Tampa's Sykes College of Business, the series provides transformative and interactive learning experiences to advance the skills of current and future leaders.
Inclusion on the Forbes America's Best Employers for Women list is the latest among several high-profile recognitions for Tampa General for its supportive work environment:
- Forbes' Best Employers for New Graduates (Top 20) – May 2023
- Becker's Hospital Review's 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare – April 2023
- Glassdoor's Employee's Choice Award – January 2023
- Newsweek's America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity – January 2023
- Forbes' America's Best Employers by State (Top 10 Employer in Florida) – August 2022
ABOUT FORBES
Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 140 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE and Forbes Virtual events, custom marketing programs and 32 licensed local editions in 71 countries. Forbes Media's brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For more information, visit the Forbes News Hub or Forbes Connect.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital in the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR
Senior Communications Specialist
(727) 510-6363 (cell)
ehardy@tgh.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Tampa General Hospital | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/tampa-general-hospital-named-one-americas-best-employers-women-2023-by-forbes/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:00 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/tampa-general-hospital-named-one-americas-best-employers-women-2023-by-forbes/ |
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A New Hampshire man celebrating his birthday on the ocean with his three daughters captured video of something so rare that even marine scientists are jealous — three humpback whales leaping from the water in near perfect unison.
“It was such an uplifting thing to see. Just incredible," Robert Addie said.
The Portsmouth man, now a home remodeler, spent decades on the water as a commercial fisherman in Massachusetts and Alaska. In that time, he has seen thousands of whales.
But he never witnessed anything like Monday's whale encounter on a tuna fishing trip off Cape Cod. The excursion with his daughters was for his 59th birthday, as well as to celebrate his safe return from a humanitarian aid trip to Ukraine where he came under heavy artillery fire.
He'd been trying to film some humpback whales about 300 yards (275 meters) from their boat and was having no luck, until he got what he called a “whale ballet.”
“A triple breach is unheard of and a synchronized triple breach is even rarer,” he said. “It’s once in a lifetime. Just very fortunate. I feel God shined down on me to allow me to to capture that.”
To add to the thrill, seconds after the three whales breached and twisted together, a juvenile whale did the same thing. Whale experts have told him the aerial maneuvers may have been an attempt to remove parasites or aid digestion.
Addie has another theory: “I have a feeling that maybe they were teaching or training” the younger whale.
Those same experts also know how rare the spectacle was.
“Even some of the whale experts that have reached out to me, they’re all jealous because they’ve never seen it," he said. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/whale-ballet-humpbacks-jump-in-unison/507-c2f2ec93-cf1b-4c25-8e0d-9a0398b7035b | 2023-07-28T22:52:01 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/nation-world/whale-ballet-humpbacks-jump-in-unison/507-c2f2ec93-cf1b-4c25-8e0d-9a0398b7035b |
When you get a stomachache, you may reach for a glass of ginger ale to help feel better. It is a common home remedy for nausea or other gastrointestinal issues. However, some people online are wondering if their mom’s go-to cure actually works.
THE QUESTION
Does ginger ale help with stomachaches?
THE SOURCES
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- A study published in Nutrients in 2020
- Emma Slattery, RDN, in a post on Johns Hopkins Medicine
- A blog post by Matthew Goldman, M.D., on Cleveland Clinic
- Seagram’s
- Schweppes
- Canada Dry
THE ANSWER
While ginger root can help stomachaches, many popular brands of ginger ale do not contain any real ginger. The sugar and high carbonation may also worsen digestive problems.
WHAT WE FOUND
Ginger ale could help relieve stomachaches for some people, but only if it contains real ginger. A scientific review of more than 100 studies on the effects of ginger show moderate effectiveness in relieving nausea.
Emma Slattery, a registered dietician at Johns Hopkins Medicine, explains in a blog post that “eating ginger encourages efficient digestion, so food doesn’t linger as long in the gut.” This can help you cut down on bloating and constipation as ginger improves “the rate at which food exits the stomach and continues along the digestive process.”
But while “ginger” may be in the name of the fizzy drinks you find in stores, many brands of ginger ale do not actually contain any real ginger.
VERIFY looked at the ingredients list of Seagram’s ginger ale and found that the soda contains “ginger extract with other natural flavors.” Schweppes, Canada Dry and Great Value ginger ale do not include ginger in their ingredient list and instead only say “natural flavors.” According to the FDA, “natural flavors” can refer to a wide variety of ingredients whose “significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
Ginger ale often contains large amounts of sugar, which may create further issues for your stomachache. In a blog post for the Cleveland Clinic, Matthew Goldman, M.D., says, “If a person has bloating, gas or indigestion, the carbonation and sugar may make it worse. Even diet ginger ale can be harmful because our bodies may not digest artificial sugars as well.”
Another aspect of ginger ale believed to assist with stomachaches is carbonation. But that might not be helpful for everyone.
Baptist Health explains, “Some people find that the bubbles in carbonated drinks help soothe an upset stomach, in part, by making it easier for them to burp and release stomach pressure. For others, gas and acidity can make matters worse.” Baptist Health recommends that you drink heavily carbonated drinks with caution if you are not sure how they affect you.
So how can you best take advantage of ginger’s soothing effects when you’re feeling sick? Cleveland Clinic recommends getting ginger root from the grocery store and mixing it with decaf tea or warm water.
Some ginger sodas do have real ginger in the ingredient list. Reed’s sells a ginger ale with 2 grams of ginger in a 12 oz bottle and ginger beer that contains 17 grams of ginger per bottle. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/verify/health-verify/ginger-ale-no-help-stomachache-because-no-ginger/536-b21c22d9-743a-4f5a-a9d6-a570ef090627 | 2023-07-28T22:52:05 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/verify/health-verify/ginger-ale-no-help-stomachache-because-no-ginger/536-b21c22d9-743a-4f5a-a9d6-a570ef090627 |
More Than 1,175 Higher Education Workers Gain Teamster Representation
OAKLAND, Calif., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers at the University of California (UC) have joined Teamsters Local 2010. The 1,175 newest members of Local 2010 in Oakland will now bargain for higher pay, reduced benefit costs, overtime pay, job security, and respect in the workplace.
"It's great to be represented again! I feel secure knowing someone is fighting for us to receive better pay and protect our rights," said Azalia Maldonado, a facilities management specialist at UC Berkeley.
"I'm so happy to be a Teamster again!" said Michelle Belden, a research administrator at UC Davis who was Teamster Shop Steward in her previous job of Blank Assistant 4 in the CX Unit. "There is power in our solidarity."
"I am excited to be a part of a strong union that advocates for members' rights and interests," said Patricia Passalacqua, an ambulatory care administration coordinator at UC San Diego. "All of the Teamsters' hard work and tenacity is evident. Knowing we have the support of Teamsters from all industries to help us protect our rights has lifted a weight off our shoulders. I look forward to connecting with other members in the future."
Workers in the titles of Ambulatory Care Administration Coordinator, Facilities Management Specialist, Health Professional Education Specialist, and Research Administrator had been misclassified by the UC in an effort to deny union-negotiated wages and benefits, including the right to strike. The Public Employment Relations Board issued unit modification orders on June 22, 2023.
The newly organized workers will join more than 16,000 administrative, paraprofessional, and skilled trades workers who provide critical public services at every University of California and California State University campus, medical center, and laboratory throughout the state, as well as 1.2 million Teamster members in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, with Public Services being one of the largest Teamster divisions.
"Teamsters Local 2010 welcomes our new sisters and brothers," said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010. "We are especially pleased that they will immediately see the benefits of being Teamsters — guaranteed raises that are higher than those for non-union workers, this year and every year of our contract — plus all the rights at work and benefits of Teamster representation."
The group will soon assemble a bargaining team to begin the bargaining process for salary ranges, step placement, on-call and shift differential pay, as well as other bonus eligibility and pay.
Teamsters Local 2010 is a union of 15,000 hardworking employees in California higher education. We are affiliated with the 1.2 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing members throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. We stand together to win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. We strive to protect workers' rights through direct action and determined labor representation.
Contact
Aimee Baror, (213) 220-0538
abaror@teamsters2010.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Teamsters Local 2010 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/university-california-workers-join-teamsters-local-2010/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:06 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/university-california-workers-join-teamsters-local-2010/ |
HOUSTON — Houston police released a series of reports Friday into the investigation of what happened during the deadly Astroworld Festival tragedy. The incident left 10 people dead, including a 9-year-old boy, and roughly 300 other people injured.
The more than 1,200 pages of reports released Friday morning came almost a month after a Harris County grand jury didn't find anyone, including Travis Scott, criminally responsible, for those who died during the music festival in November 2021.
Though there will be no criminal charges, numerous civil lawsuits have been filed on behalf of victims and their families.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said they would release the report in an effort to be transparent about their investigation.
The documents were released on the same day as Scott dropped his latest album. HPD said that was just a coincidence.
The full report can be read here.
Victims' families react to Astroworld Festival final report
Attorneys representing the families of Astroworld Festival victims call HPD's final report of the incident further proof of negligence.
They plan to use it as evidence in civil cases.
"Families are still feeling exactly what they felt the day after the tragedy occurred," attorney Alex Hilliard said.
Hilliard represents about 700 concertgoers who've filed a lawsuit over the event. He also represents the family of Ezra Blount, the youngest victim who died.
"There are some days when you can't get out of bed," Hilliard said. "There are some days when there's pure grief, pure shock, pure anger."
He said that was especially true when families found out no one would be criminally charged. But Hilliard said the extensive police report, which includes excruciating witness accounts, will be evidence in an ongoing civil litigation aimed, in part, at preventing future tragedies.
In a statement, another attorney representing victim's families said:
"The report, while important for the public to see, simply confirms what we already feared and have discovered in the course of the lawsuit. That the organizers and promoters of the concert failed to properly plan, valuing profitability over the obvious safety concerns that proved fatal."
More coverage on the Astroworld Festival tragedy
- 'This tragedy was preventable' | Victims' attorneys send experts to study Astroworld setup
- What is compression asphyxia? Houston doctor explains cause of death for Astroworld victims
- Travis Scott sits with Charlamagne Tha God during first interview since Astroworld tragedy
- 'Faucet of unimaginable pain': Astroworld victim's family declines Travis Scott's funeral cost offer
- Astroworld Festival tragedy: The impact on Travis Scott's career didn't last
- Texas Task Force on Concert Safety releases final report in wake of deadly Astroworld Festival | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/special-reports/astroworld-tragedy-police-report/285-b880a0e5-1845-46e5-98b2-02f1d32984a6 | 2023-07-28T22:52:07 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/special-reports/astroworld-tragedy-police-report/285-b880a0e5-1845-46e5-98b2-02f1d32984a6 |
On July 26, the House Oversight subcommittee held a hearing titled: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency.” An “unidentified anomalous phenomena” – or UAPS – is known more casually as UFOs.
According to some of the testimony, the U.S. is allegedly concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers UFOs. A former military major testified that at least one UFO has crashed, U.S. government officials retrieved it and found other non-human objects along with it, but then concealed that information from the American public.
Clips from the testimony went viral on social media, with people wondering if this means aliens exist and if the government knows about them.
Even singer Lizzo got in on the action, writing, “Aye.. I know there’s a lot of pop culture news and memes going on rn but… THE GOVERNMENT JUST STATED *UNDER OATH* THAT THEY ARE IN POSSESSION OF UFOs AND NON-HUMAN ALIEN BODIES YALL”
Other people on social media made similar claims. We looked into those viral posts to clear up some confusion, and several VERIFY viewers asked us what was revealed at the hearing.
QUESTION #1
Did the U.S. government say under oath they are in possession of UFOs?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, the U.S. government didn’t say under oath they are in possession of UFOs.
WHAT WE FOUND
U.S. government officials did not testify before the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs on July 26. The testimony referenced in the viral posts came from retired Maj. David Grusch, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, who referred to himself during the hearing as a whistleblower.
Grusch said he was asked in 2019 by the head of a government task force on UAPs to identify all highly classified programs relating to the task force’s mission. At the time, Grusch was detailed to the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency that operates U.S. spy satellites.
Grusch said he felt the need to come forward as a whistleblower to expose what he calls a government cover-up regarding the existence of UFOs.
“I became a whistleblower … following concerning reports from multiple esteemed and credentialed current and former military and Intelligence Community individuals that the U.S. Government is operating with secrecy - above Congressional oversight - with regards to UAPs,” Grusch told the committee.
“My testimony is based on information I have been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country – many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation, and classified oral testimony,” Grusch said.
Later in the hearing, Grusch was asked if he believed the U.S. was in possession of UAPs. He responded, “Absolutely,” adding that he knew the locations based on information he retrieved after conducting interviews with more than 40 people with firsthand knowledge of where the spacecrafts are held.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Defense Department spokeswoman Sue Gough said investigators have not discovered “any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently.”
QUESTION #2
Did someone testify that the U.S. was in possession of alien bodies?
THE SOURCES
- Original testimony from the hearing
- Food & Drug Administration
- Labroots, a scientific website that connects scientists across the world
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence annual report on unidentified aerial phenomena
THE ANSWER
No, no one said during the hearing that the U.S. was in possession of alien bodies. Retired Maj. David Grusch said there was evidence of “non-human biologics” under evaluation, and that’s not the same thing.
WHAT WE FOUND
Several hours into the hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) questioned Grusch about allegations the government is in possession of “non-human spacecraft.”
Here is a transcript:
Mace: You’ve stated that the government is in possession of potentially non-human spacecraft. Based on your experience and extensive conversations with experts, do you believe our government has made contact with intelligent extraterrestrials?
Grusch: Something I can’t discuss in public setting.
Mace: OK, and I can’t ask when you think this occurred. If you believe we have crashed craft stated earlier, do we have the bodies of the pilots who piloted this craft?
Grusch: As I’ve stated publicly already in my NewsNation interview, biologics came with some of these recoveries, yeah.
Mace: Were they, I guess, human or non-human biologics?
Grusch: Non-human. And that was the assessment of people with direct knowledge on the program I talked to, that are currently on the program
The Food & Drug Administration defines a biologic – which are found on Earth – as a wide range of products, including blood and blood components, allergenics, cells, tissues, proteins, sugars and acids. A biologic could be a complex combination of those and can even be living entities as cells and tissues.
Biologics can be produced from living organisms or contain components of living organisms, according to Labroots, a scientific website that connects scientists across the world.
The term ‘non-human’ is defined by Merriam-Webster as a “being other than a human being” or “not belonging to, appropriate to, or produced by human beings.” For example, any material from animals, plants, fungi or other organisms would be considered non-human. Non-human does not mean “not from Earth.”
In January 2023, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declassified an annual report on unidentified aerial phenomena.
The report said as of Aug. 30, 2022, there were a total of 510 UAP reports since they started tracking the phenomena in 2005. Nowhere in the report does it say extraterrestrials or aliens were seen or recovered. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/verify/national-verify/the-us-government-didnt-say-found-aliens-bodies-ufo-testimony-fact-check/536-a4fd2326-7596-4cbc-8dc3-ffb152e19a3a | 2023-07-28T22:52:11 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/verify/national-verify/the-us-government-didnt-say-found-aliens-bodies-ufo-testimony-fact-check/536-a4fd2326-7596-4cbc-8dc3-ffb152e19a3a |
When you get a stomachache, you may reach for a glass of ginger ale to help feel better. It is a common home remedy for nausea or other gastrointestinal issues. However, some people online are wondering if their mom’s go-to cure actually works.
THE QUESTION
Does ginger ale help with stomachaches?
THE SOURCES
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- A study published in Nutrients in 2020
- Emma Slattery, RDN, in a post on Johns Hopkins Medicine
- A blog post by Matthew Goldman, M.D., on Cleveland Clinic
- Seagram’s
- Schweppes
- Canada Dry
THE ANSWER
While ginger root can help stomachaches, many popular brands of ginger ale do not contain any real ginger. The sugar and high carbonation may also worsen digestive problems.
WHAT WE FOUND
Ginger ale could help relieve stomachaches for some people, but only if it contains real ginger. A scientific review of more than 100 studies on the effects of ginger show moderate effectiveness in relieving nausea.
Emma Slattery, a registered dietician at Johns Hopkins Medicine, explains in a blog post that “eating ginger encourages efficient digestion, so food doesn’t linger as long in the gut.” This can help you cut down on bloating and constipation as ginger improves “the rate at which food exits the stomach and continues along the digestive process.”
But while “ginger” may be in the name of the fizzy drinks you find in stores, many brands of ginger ale do not actually contain any real ginger.
VERIFY looked at the ingredients list of Seagram’s ginger ale and found that the soda contains “ginger extract with other natural flavors.” Schweppes, Canada Dry and Great Value ginger ale do not include ginger in their ingredient list and instead only say “natural flavors.” According to the FDA, “natural flavors” can refer to a wide variety of ingredients whose “significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
Ginger ale often contains large amounts of sugar, which may create further issues for your stomachache. In a blog post for the Cleveland Clinic, Matthew Goldman, M.D., says, “If a person has bloating, gas or indigestion, the carbonation and sugar may make it worse. Even diet ginger ale can be harmful because our bodies may not digest artificial sugars as well.”
Another aspect of ginger ale believed to assist with stomachaches is carbonation. But that might not be helpful for everyone.
Baptist Health explains, “Some people find that the bubbles in carbonated drinks help soothe an upset stomach, in part, by making it easier for them to burp and release stomach pressure. For others, gas and acidity can make matters worse.” Baptist Health recommends that you drink heavily carbonated drinks with caution if you are not sure how they affect you.
So how can you best take advantage of ginger’s soothing effects when you’re feeling sick? Cleveland Clinic recommends getting ginger root from the grocery store and mixing it with decaf tea or warm water.
Some ginger sodas do have real ginger in the ingredient list. Reed’s sells a ginger ale with 2 grams of ginger in a 12 oz bottle and ginger beer that contains 17 grams of ginger per bottle. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/verify/health-verify/ginger-ale-no-help-stomachache-because-no-ginger/536-b21c22d9-743a-4f5a-a9d6-a570ef090627 | 2023-07-28T22:52:14 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/verify/health-verify/ginger-ale-no-help-stomachache-because-no-ginger/536-b21c22d9-743a-4f5a-a9d6-a570ef090627 |
Junior's Rolls Out a Dessert Fit for The King: Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana is Winner of National Cheesecake Day Flavor Contest
BROOKLYN, N.Y., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Elvis Presley is the original rock 'n' roll legend, and Junior's is the original cheesecake legend. So, it is more than appropriate that peanut butter chocolate and banana – inspired by Elvis' favorite sandwich -- is now the newest limited edition Junior's cheesecake flavor, the result of a national flavor contest held in the lead-up to National Cheesecake Day, this coming Sunday, July 30.
Out of more than 5,000 entries across the country, Thomas Zahorec, from Greenville, South Carolina, channeled his inner King when submitting the winning flavor.
"Elvis had his numerous number one hits, and we have ours," said Alan Rosen, owner of Junior's. "So, I can't think of a better way to celebrate National Cheesecake Day than by creating this new flavor to honor the King, himself. Because just as you 'can't help falling in love' with Elvis, I know you won't be able to resist this peanut butter chocolate banana cheesecake. My deepest congratulations goes to Mr. Zahorec for inspiring our 25th flavor."
Rosen said that in addition to a $2500 cash prize, Zahorec will win a cheesecake a month for a year, including one of the new flavor, of course. And Junior's lovers around the country are also winners because the peanut butter chocolate banana cheesecake will be available for a limited time in Junior's restaurants and by mail order. This limited edition flavor will be available in various sizes through Labor Day.
About Junior's
Since the 1950s, Junior's Restaurant and Bakery in Brooklyn, New York has been famous for great food, great fun, great service, and, of course, the World's Most Famous Cheesecake. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, Junior's Restaurant and Bakery's menu features New York and Brooklyn comfort food dishes ranging from classic New York deli sandwiches piled high, famous 10 oz. steak burgers, salads, jumbo half pound hot dogs, fresh seafood and a full-service bar. For more information, visit juniorscheesecake.com.
Instagram: @JuniorsCheesecake, Facebook: @JuniorsCheesecake
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Junior's | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/viva-las-cheesecake/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:13 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/viva-las-cheesecake/ |
OXNARD, Calif. — With the first few days of training camp in the books for the Dallas Cowboys. It’s official, football is back!
There’s nothing like the excitement of a new season, and the beginning of camp came with the traditional press conference from owner Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy. The forum usually makes for some funny quotes, but the real work begins when the team takes the field.
Although the first two workouts in Oxnard didn’t include pads, that doesn’t mean the practices weren’t intense and the Cowboy got in some good work. Here are the highlights from the early portion of training camp:
Who’s missing
With camp just beginning, perhaps the biggest storyline right now is the absence of All-Pro guard Zack Martin. It was a surprise for Martin to announce that he wanted a new deal, but even more shocking was the timing. Dropping the news just before the Cowboys were about to embark on a new season was not something fans expected.
However, as Martin’s representatives mentioned, they’ve been asking for a new contract for most of the offseason, so it shouldn’t have been as big a revelation. Either way, the Cowboys would love to have their starting All-Pro right guard back, especially considering he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the league. Being as such, it would behoove the organization to pay him. Currently, Martin is the 10th highest paid guard in the league (according to Spotrac.com) at $14 million annually. Martin’s deal has him earning over $6 million per season behind the top guard in the NFL, which makes it understandable for why he is requesting a new contract.
This feels like an easy fix for the Cowboys, in an offseason where they’ve put themselves in the best position to compete for a Super Bowl, they should extend Martin with a contract to make him happy. Martin has re-worked his deal numerous times since signing an extension prior to
the 2018 season that allowed the team to stay under the salary cap. Martin remains an elite player at a position where they have no alternative options.
Who’s in and out
When Dallas began their camp workouts, there were two players missing, and notably, two players practicing. Missing was cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who had a foot injury that caused him to miss games last year, and second-round rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker, who has been dealing plantar fasciitis. Lewis was expected, but the hope was that Schoonmaker would be able to be ready for camp.
Lewis is a veteran who should be able to work his way back easily, the bigger issue is Schoonmaker. The rookie has been dealing with the injury for most of the offseason and falling behind at a position that is difficult to adjust to at the pro level is less than ideal. The Cowboys used a high pick on Schoonmaker, and instead of working his way into the rotation, he hasn’t seen the field. That’s a big problem.
On the positive side, the Cowboys were happy to see running back Tony Pollard and right tackle Terence Steele practicing and not on the PUP list when camp opened. Both had late year injuries and the hope was that both would be ready to practice, which turned out to be the case. With Pollard ready to be the starter at RB and Steele the unquestioned best RT on the roster, it was a pleasant surprise to have them both available.
Who’s hurt
The worst part of training camp is always the injuries, it crushes the excitement of a new campaign, and the Cowboys couldn’t get through the first session without having two scares.
Starting safety and the recently re-signed Donovan Wilson exited the teams first practice on a cart, which sent panic throughout Cowboys Nation. Wilson’s injury turned out to be a strained calf, which isn’t a long-term thing, but it is one that is expected to keep him out for the entirety of camp.
Calf strains can be an injury that lingers, but with Wilson likely ready to go Week 1 it feels like the Cowboys dodged a bullet.
Wilson going down might not have been as big of a deal if one of his top replacements, third-year man Israel Mukuamu, hadn’t gone down with a hamstring issue as well. Mukuamu is listed as a safety, but Dan Quinn lined him up as CB last year and he became one of the defenses more versatile pieces by the end of the season. Big things were expected from Mukuamu in 2023 and now he’s out, possibly until the start of the regular season as well.
The absences now give second-year safety Markquese Bell an opportunity to earn a larger role. He made the roster as an undrafted free agent last year and he can work his way into more playing time with a good camp.
Who’s opened eyes
There has been limited work through two days without pads, but that hasn’t stopped a few players from standing out. Prescott has connected with new wide receiver Brandin Cooks on a few long passes to build their chemistry for the regular season and pass rusher Micah Parsons had an impressive Day 2 with would-be sacks on back-to-back plays, but his elite play is expected.
However, receiver Jalen Tolbert has stood out. Tolbert is answering a disappointing rookie season with a great start to his sophomore year.
It has been a great offseason for Tolbert, who is determined to prove that his rookie season was just growing pains. If Tolbert becomes the WR that the team expected when they drafted him in the third-round last year, it could be among the deepest receiving groups in the league.
Rookie first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith has also displayed his impressive power early in camp. We’ll see if that continues when the pads come on and the physicality is allowed to be ramped up, but Smith’s shown the traits that made him Dallas’ top pick.
Who’s happy
The Cowboys got one important contract out of the way when they extended their emerging cornerback to a deal worth up to $104 million. Diggs’ deal was one of a handful of contracts that the team needs to get done and he agreed to the five-year, $97 million deal with $42.3 million guaranteed. The deal put Diggs among the highest paid corners in the league, but didn’t break the bank, a win-win for the team and the player.
Getting Diggs extended was a great way to start camp, with a positive feeling for one of the Cowboys’ best players getting rewarded. There should be more to come.
Do you think the Cowboys will make it to Week 1 relatively unscathed? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi. | https://www.kvue.com/article/sports/nfl/cowboys-camp-roundup-injuries-blemish-first-days-in-oxnard-2023/287-30aefe79-966b-43b3-9722-c9a1261956de | 2023-07-28T22:52:17 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/sports/nfl/cowboys-camp-roundup-injuries-blemish-first-days-in-oxnard-2023/287-30aefe79-966b-43b3-9722-c9a1261956de |
On July 26, the House Oversight subcommittee held a hearing titled: Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency.” An “unidentified anomalous phenomena” – or UAPS – is known more casually as UFOs.
According to some of the testimony, the U.S. is allegedly concealing a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers UFOs. A former military major testified that at least one UFO has crashed, U.S. government officials retrieved it and found other non-human objects along with it, but then concealed that information from the American public.
Clips from the testimony went viral on social media, with people wondering if this means aliens exist and if the government knows about them.
Even singer Lizzo got in on the action, writing, “Aye.. I know there’s a lot of pop culture news and memes going on rn but… THE GOVERNMENT JUST STATED *UNDER OATH* THAT THEY ARE IN POSSESSION OF UFOs AND NON-HUMAN ALIEN BODIES YALL”
Other people on social media made similar claims. We looked into those viral posts to clear up some confusion, and several VERIFY viewers asked us what was revealed at the hearing.
QUESTION #1
Did the U.S. government say under oath they are in possession of UFOs?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, the U.S. government didn’t say under oath they are in possession of UFOs.
WHAT WE FOUND
U.S. government officials did not testify before the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs on July 26. The testimony referenced in the viral posts came from retired Maj. David Grusch, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, who referred to himself during the hearing as a whistleblower.
Grusch said he was asked in 2019 by the head of a government task force on UAPs to identify all highly classified programs relating to the task force’s mission. At the time, Grusch was detailed to the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency that operates U.S. spy satellites.
Grusch said he felt the need to come forward as a whistleblower to expose what he calls a government cover-up regarding the existence of UFOs.
“I became a whistleblower … following concerning reports from multiple esteemed and credentialed current and former military and Intelligence Community individuals that the U.S. Government is operating with secrecy - above Congressional oversight - with regards to UAPs,” Grusch told the committee.
“My testimony is based on information I have been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country – many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation, and classified oral testimony,” Grusch said.
Later in the hearing, Grusch was asked if he believed the U.S. was in possession of UAPs. He responded, “Absolutely,” adding that he knew the locations based on information he retrieved after conducting interviews with more than 40 people with firsthand knowledge of where the spacecrafts are held.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Defense Department spokeswoman Sue Gough said investigators have not discovered “any verifiable information to substantiate claims that any programs regarding the possession or reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past or exist currently.”
QUESTION #2
Did someone testify that the U.S. was in possession of alien bodies?
THE SOURCES
- Original testimony from the hearing
- Food & Drug Administration
- Labroots, a scientific website that connects scientists across the world
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence annual report on unidentified aerial phenomena
THE ANSWER
No, no one said during the hearing that the U.S. was in possession of alien bodies. Retired Maj. David Grusch said there was evidence of “non-human biologics” under evaluation, and that’s not the same thing.
WHAT WE FOUND
Several hours into the hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) questioned Grusch about allegations the government is in possession of “non-human spacecraft.”
Here is a transcript:
Mace: You’ve stated that the government is in possession of potentially non-human spacecraft. Based on your experience and extensive conversations with experts, do you believe our government has made contact with intelligent extraterrestrials?
Grusch: Something I can’t discuss in public setting.
Mace: OK, and I can’t ask when you think this occurred. If you believe we have crashed craft stated earlier, do we have the bodies of the pilots who piloted this craft?
Grusch: As I’ve stated publicly already in my NewsNation interview, biologics came with some of these recoveries, yeah.
Mace: Were they, I guess, human or non-human biologics?
Grusch: Non-human. And that was the assessment of people with direct knowledge on the program I talked to, that are currently on the program
The Food & Drug Administration defines a biologic – which are found on Earth – as a wide range of products, including blood and blood components, allergenics, cells, tissues, proteins, sugars and acids. A biologic could be a complex combination of those and can even be living entities as cells and tissues.
Biologics can be produced from living organisms or contain components of living organisms, according to Labroots, a scientific website that connects scientists across the world.
The term ‘non-human’ is defined by Merriam-Webster as a “being other than a human being” or “not belonging to, appropriate to, or produced by human beings.” For example, any material from animals, plants, fungi or other organisms would be considered non-human. Non-human does not mean “not from Earth.”
In January 2023, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declassified an annual report on unidentified aerial phenomena.
The report said as of Aug. 30, 2022, there were a total of 510 UAP reports since they started tracking the phenomena in 2005. Nowhere in the report does it say extraterrestrials or aliens were seen or recovered. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/verify/national-verify/the-us-government-didnt-say-found-aliens-bodies-ufo-testimony-fact-check/536-a4fd2326-7596-4cbc-8dc3-ffb152e19a3a | 2023-07-28T22:52:20 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/verify/national-verify/the-us-government-didnt-say-found-aliens-bodies-ufo-testimony-fact-check/536-a4fd2326-7596-4cbc-8dc3-ffb152e19a3a |
East Texas herpetology club educates community on reptiles
LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - The East Texas Herpetology Club focuses on educating the public about the proper care and awareness of reptiles.
Vice President Jason Pixley said they hold events for teaching opportunities.
“We’re going to teach people about native species, kind of what they look like, we’re also going to teach them what to do in a scenario where you do come across a snake in your yard.”
Pixley said the solution is simple.
“Just walk away from it, that snake is not going to attack you, the only time it will get defensive and there’d be a risk of you getting bit is you trying to move that animal or antagonize that animal.”
President Shoshanah Campbell, said if more people were aware, snakes might not get such a bad rep.
“We really want to break that stigma of people having a fear of snakes because they’re just really misunderstood. They’re actually really cool creatures, fun to watch, they play an important part of the ecosystem, and once you get to talking to people, they actually start to kind of understand.”
Pixley has some advice for those who may be wanting a reptile as a pet.
“If you are thinking about getting an animal, definitely do your research, there are a lot of resources online to help you out, that and just ask, that’s what the purpose of this club is for.”
You can find the East Texas Herpetology Club president every Saturday morning at the Angelina County farmers market, providing information about amphibians and reptiles.
To learn more or to join the club, please click the link. You’ll find it in the big red box.
Copyright 2023 KTRE. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/28/east-texas-herpetology-club-educates-community-reptiles/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:19 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/28/east-texas-herpetology-club-educates-community-reptiles/ |
Nick Fortes Player Prop Bets: Marlins vs. Tigers - July 28
Published: Jul. 28, 2023 at 5:23 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
Nick Fortes is available when the Miami Marlins take on Reese Olson and the Detroit Tigers at LoanDepot park Friday at 6:40 PM ET.
He returns to action for the first time since July 23, when he went 2-for-3 against the Rockies.
Nick Fortes Game Info & Props vs. the Tigers
- Game Day: Friday, July 28, 2023
- Game Time: 6:40 PM ET
- Stadium: LoanDepot park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Tigers Starter: Reese Olson
- TV Channel: BSFL
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -149)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +775)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +210)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +165)
Looking to place a prop bet on Nick Fortes? Check out what's available at BetMGM and use bonus code "GNPLAY" when you sign up with this link!
Explore More About This Game
Nick Fortes At The Plate
- Fortes is batting .212 with three doubles, four home runs and 13 walks.
- In 47.7% of his games this season (31 of 65), Fortes has picked up at least one hit, and in 11 of those games (16.9%) he recorded at least two.
- He has homered in 6.2% of his games this year, and 1.8% of his chances at the plate.
- Fortes has driven in a run in 17 games this year (26.2%), including two games with multiple runs batted in.
- He has scored at least one run 17 times this year (26.2%), including one multi-run game.
Ready to play FanDuel Daily Fantasy? Get in the game using our link.
Nick Fortes Home/Away Batting Splits
Tigers Pitching Rankings
- The pitching staff for the Tigers has a collective 8.4 K/9, which ranks 21st in MLB.
- The Tigers' 4.52 team ERA ranks 22nd across all MLB pitching staffs.
- Tigers pitchers combine to rank 19th in baseball in home runs allowed (124 total, 1.2 per game).
- Olson makes the start for the Tigers, his eighth of the season. He is 1-4 with a 4.53 ERA and 45 strikeouts through 43 2/3 innings pitched.
- The righty last pitched on Friday against the San Diego Padres, when he tossed five innings, allowing five earned runs while giving up seven hits.
- In 10 games this season, the 23-year-old has put up a 4.53 ERA and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .226 to opposing hitters.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/nick-fortes-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:20 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/nick-fortes-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
Healthy snacking company That's it. aims to simplify back-to-school nutrition with curated shopping lists
LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The new school year is approaching, and with it, parents are preparing for the accompanying stress of the back-to-school season. Amongst the biggest stressors for parents of school-aged children? Managing after school activities (24%), followed by finding healthy snack options (23%) and packing lunches / food prep (20%)1.
With 43% of parents' top stressors coming in as nutrition-related, That's it. has partnered with childhood nutrition expert Rachel Rothman, MS, RD, CLEC to take the guesswork out of shopping for healthy back-to-school snacks by creating two curated snack shopping lists for Target and Walmart. (Seventy percent of parents indicated that they will do the majority of their back-to-school shopping at one of these two retail giants2.)
"The best part about these snacks is the variety of ingredients and nutrients," said Rothman. "They all contain key nutrients, and are made from whole foods, without the use of flavors or additives. These snacks are all shelf-stable and can be eaten as a quick, nutritious snack, or as part of a more diverse meal to keep your kids fed as the weather cools off and fall schedules heat back up."
Keep reading for Rothman's hand-selected healthy picks:
Target:
- That's it. Mango & Blueberry Mini Fruit Bars
- Whisps Cheese Crisps
- Chomps Snack Sticks
- Simple Mills Crackers
- Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame
Walmart:
- That's it. Apple + Strawberry Mini Fruit Bars
- Terra Sweet Potato Chips
- Kars Nuts Second Nature Wholesome Medley Trail Mix
- BOOMCHICKAPOP Sea Salt Popcorn
- Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna pouches
That's it. Mini Fruit Bars are made from two ingredients: Fruit + fruit. These shelf-stable Mini Fruit Bars contain no juices, purees, concentrates or added sugars, and are all-natural, gluten-free, non-GMO, and free from all top food allergens – making them the perfect back-to-school snack for the whole family.
About That's it.
That's it. makes delicious, convenient, plant-based super snacks from only the purest ingredients, and completely free from the top 12 allergens. Since 2012, it has been innovating the natural foods category in the United States with its portfolio of simple and nutritious snacks made from real, whole foods. All That's it. products transparently contain six real ingredients or less, and absolutely no natural or artificial flavors, sugar alcohols, or artificial colors. Its flagship Fruit Bars, now the #1 fruit bar in America, contain only two ingredients: fruit + fruit. You can find That's it. nationwide at your local Starbucks, at major retailers such as: Target, Whole Foods, Costco, Sam's Club, 7-Eleven, Walmart, VONS, CVS and Kroger, and online at Amazon and www.thatsitfruit.com. Learn more on Instagram and TikTok.
Media Contact:
Chief Marketing Officer
That's it.
1 About Suzy Survey:
The "Parents' Plates" study surveyed 1,000 parents of school-aged children in the U.S. in July 2023. Survey was conducted via real-time consumer insights platform Suzy.
2 About Suzy Survey:
The "Back-to-School" study surveyed 2,706 parents of school-aged children in the U.S. in June 2023. Survey was conducted via real-time consumer insights platform Suzy.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE That’s it Nutrition | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/dietitians-top-walmart-target-picks-back-to-school-snacking/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:26 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/dietitians-top-walmart-target-picks-back-to-school-snacking/ |
Yuli Gurriel Player Prop Bets: Marlins vs. Tigers - July 28
Published: Jul. 28, 2023 at 5:23 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
On Friday, Yuli Gurriel (batting .214 in his past 10 games) and the Miami Marlins play the Detroit Tigers, whose starting pitcher will be Reese Olson. First pitch is at 6:40 PM ET.
He racked up two hits (going 2-for-4 with a double) in his last appearance against the Rays.
Yuli Gurriel Game Info & Props vs. the Tigers
- Game Day: Friday, July 28, 2023
- Game Time: 6:40 PM ET
- Stadium: LoanDepot park
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
- Tigers Starter: Reese Olson
- TV Channel: BSFL
- Hits Prop: Over/under 0.5 hits (Over odds: -208)
- Home Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 home runs (Over odds: +825)
- RBI Prop: Over/under 0.5 RBI (Over odds: +195)
- Runs Prop: Over/under 0.5 runs (Over odds: +145)
Looking to place a prop bet on Yuli Gurriel? Check out what's available at BetMGM and use bonus code "GNPLAY" when you sign up with this link!
Discover More About This Game
Yuli Gurriel At The Plate
- Gurriel has 11 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 21 walks while batting .265.
- Gurriel has gotten at least one hit in 56.9% of his games this season (37 of 65), with at least two hits 17 times (26.2%).
- In 4.6% of his games this season, he has hit a long ball, and 1.2% of his trips to the dish.
- In 18 games this season, Gurriel has picked up an RBI, with more than one RBI once.
- In 21 of 65 games this season, he has scored, and three of those games included multiple runs.
Ready to play FanDuel Daily Fantasy? Get in the game using our link.
Yuli Gurriel Home/Away Batting Splits
Tigers Pitching Rankings
- The Tigers pitching staff is 21st in MLB with a collective 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Tigers have a 4.52 team ERA that ranks 22nd across all league pitching staffs.
- Tigers pitchers combine to rank 19th in baseball in home runs given up (124 total, 1.2 per game).
- The Tigers are sending Olson (1-4) out for his eighth start of the season. He is 1-4 with a 4.53 ERA and 45 strikeouts through 43 2/3 innings pitched.
- The righty last pitched on Friday against the San Diego Padres, when he tossed five innings, allowing five earned runs while giving up seven hits.
- The 23-year-old has an ERA of 4.53, with 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, in 10 games this season. Opposing hitters have a .226 batting average against him.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/yuli-gurriel-mlb-player-prop-bets/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:27 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/yuli-gurriel-mlb-player-prop-bets/ |
NEW YORK, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Official Committee of Talc Claimants (the "Committee"), which has been tirelessly pursuing justice for its constituency of talc victims' injury by Johnson & Johnson's ("J&J's") talc products, is pleased with the court's decision to dismiss the second bankruptcy attempt. We believe the decision of the Honorable Chief Judge Kaplan was thoughtful, well-reasoned, and well-supported by the facts and law. This outcome now frees tens of thousands of victims to seek their justice through the tort system either before juries of their peers or by settlement on terms acceptable to them. The Committee has consistently contended the tort system is the rightful place for these claims to be resolved. Today's ruling validates the Committee's belief that J&J manipulated the bankruptcy system by using the "Texas Two-Step" legal maneuver and wrongfully sought to manufacture financial distress in its "Legacy Talc Liabilities" (LTL) Management subsidiary, solely to carry out a bad faith bankruptcy case. The company will now face the full weight of its conduct in the appropriate judicial forums.
"This ruling sends a clear message: multibillion-dollar, wholly solvent companies like J&J should not be allowed to use and in fact abuse bankruptcy laws to avoid accountability," said Brown Rudnick's David Molton, one of the co-counsels representing the Committee. "We are reassured by the Bankruptcy Court's reaffirmation that it will not allow solvent corporations to abuse the system and impose coercive, low-value and cram-down solutions on nonconsenting claimants. Justice should and now will triumph over corporate greed and legal chicanery."
"The claimants have waited long enough. Untold numbers of cancer victims have died while Johnson & Johnson attempted to manipulate the bankruptcy system to limit its liabilities," added Molton. "Now victims and their families can seek justice through the tort system – by presenting their case before a jury of their peers in courts of their own choosing."
The TCC filed its motion to dismiss on April 24, 2023, alongside several other movants, including the Office of the United States Trustee, numerous State Attorneys General, and other plaintiff groups, who shared a vision for this outcome. Chief Judge Kaplan's Opinion can be viewed on the case docket, available at: https://document.epiq11.com/document/getdocumentbycode?docId=4202926&projectCode=LCN&source=DM
About The Official Committee of Talc Claimants
The Official Committee of Talc Claimants (TCC), appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee (UST), an arm of the US Department of Justice, represents and acts as a fiduciary for all mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims, as well as all subrogation claimants who have claims based on or derivative to the victims' talcum powder claims. For more information about the TCC, please view our website at https://www.ltltalccommittee.org/
The TCC is advised by counsel, an investment banker, a financial advisor, and claims estimation experts well-versed in mass tort, asbestos, talc, bankruptcy, and victim advocacy. These entities include Genova Burns L.L.C., Brown Rudnick L.L.P., Otterbourg PC, Massey & Gail L.L.P., Miller Thomson L.L.P., MoloLamken L.L.P., Compass Lexecon, FTI Consulting, and Houlihan Lokey.
Media Contact
questions@ltltalccommittee.org
View original content:
SOURCE Official Committee of Talc Claimants | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/official-committee-talc-claimants-applauds-decision-dismiss-ltl-management-second-bankruptcy-attempt/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:32 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/official-committee-talc-claimants-applauds-decision-dismiss-ltl-management-second-bankruptcy-attempt/ |
EAST HARTFORD, Conn., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, continues to receive positive support for various F135-related program items on the path toward finalizing the 2024 appropriations bill. On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME), passed a bipartisan bill that included:
- $497 million for the development of the F135 engine core upgrade (ECU), the DoD's chosen F-35 engine modernization effort.
- $264 million above the President's budget request for F135 engine spares and repair parts.
- A prohibition against integrating any alternate engine on any F-35 variant.
- $280 million for the development of future engine technology that could be used on 6th generation tactical aircraft.
"I want to personally thank Senators Tester and Collins for their leadership on this effort, because it's essential to ensuring our limited DoD funds go to the most urgent, high-priority needs," said Jeff Shockey, senior vice president of RTX Global Government Relations. "I also want to express my gratitude to the Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and the entire Connecticut and Maine delegations for their support and advocacy."
The F135 supports nearly 55,000 jobs across 41 states and more than 260 domestic suppliers. In March 2023, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy chose to upgrade the F135 versus replace it with an entirely new engine. The decision was announced as part of the administration's 2024 budget proposal.
"The Senate Appropriations Committee's full funding of the Engine Core Upgrade program, its addition of $280 million for future-generation propulsion technologies, and language prohibiting integration of an alternate engine on any F-35 variant are critically important," said Jill Albertelli, president of Military Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "Our collective focus should be on maximizing the performance of all three variants of the F-35, while prioritizing the advancement of sixth-generation solutions that serve our highest, most urgent national defense priorities."
About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. To learn more visit prattwhitney.com. To receive press releases and other news directly, please sign up here.
About RTX
RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
Pratt & Whitney
+1 (860) 565-9600
media@prattwhitney.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE RTX | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/pratt-amp-whitneys-f135-engine-receives-full-funding-support-senate-appropriations-committee/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:39 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/pratt-amp-whitneys-f135-engine-receives-full-funding-support-senate-appropriations-committee/ |
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented collaborative endeavor, Slovenia's Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, in partnership with Global Footprint Network, announces a critical date for the planet: this year's Earth Overshoot Day lands on August 2nd.
The date, calculated by Global Footprint Network each year using National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, marks when humanity's demand for biological resources exceeds the Earth's capacity to regenerate them within that year. To spotlight this issue, the Ministry and Global Footprint Network are organizing a high-level event on August 1st, held in Ljubljana and online, to discuss the implications of overshoot. The high-level event enjoys support from key figures including President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 and IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak, and Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel at UNEP Dr. Janez Potočnik.
"Slovenia, as the first EU country, joins the ranks of countries such as Ecuador, Japan, the Philippines, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates, leveraging Ecological Footprint data and officially endorsing the metric as a useful tool to steer environmental policy," affirms Bojan Kumer, Slovenia's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy. He further elucidates that efforts to reduce Slovenia's Ecological Footprint by 20% by 2030 will spur greater opportunities for the country amid a future marked by climate change and resource constraints.
Razan Al Mubarak notes the Ecological Footprint's utility, "With this metric in hand, any country, region, city, or company can assess its current standing and determine how it can contribute to postponing this date (Earth Overshoot Day)." It provides valuable insights for forward-thinking strategies that address resource security and enable the transition towards a sustainable economy.
Earth Overshoot Day coincides with the European Parliament's recent vote on the Nature Restoration Law. The persistence of overshoot has led to land and soil degradation, fish stock depletion, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas accumulation. These symptoms are becoming more prominent every day across the planet, with unusual heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and floods, exacerbating the competition for food and energy.
"The biggest risk, apart from ecological overshoot itself, lies in complacency towards this crisis. Entities that act now are not just safeguarding the environment but future-proofing their economy and the wellbeing of their residents," underlines Steven Tebbe, CEO of Global Footprint Network.
Contacts
Watch event https://video.sta.si/
View original content:
SOURCE Republic of Slovenia Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/slovenias-ministry-environment-climate-energy-global-footprint-network-host-high-level-event-mark-earth-overshoot-day-2023/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:46 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/slovenias-ministry-environment-climate-energy-global-footprint-network-host-high-level-event-mark-earth-overshoot-day-2023/ |
Todd Monken takes his time answering questions from the media.
Several times during his post-practice session Friday at the Ravens’ training facility in Owings Mills, the offensive coordinator began to address an inquiry before pausing, contemplating, and then shifting the wording of his reply.
Monken’s careful perspective contrasted the way the offense has been running under his supervision. During the first three days of training camp, the unit has been breaking from the huddle in a matter of seconds and getting to the line of scrimmage with as much as 25 seconds left on play clocks installed around the practice fields.
“The idea is to leave the quarterback enough time at the line of scrimmage to assess the defense and make changes and be in control,” Monken said. “I’m a firm believer that if you want your quarterback to play his best, you’ve got to empower him. It goes from here [raising his hand to chest level] to here [raising his hand to shoulder level]. ‘I’m a part. I want to help with the game plan. I want to see things they’re doing defensively.’ If that is getting to the line quicker, then so be it.
“If it’s a situation where we’ve got some sort of a run-pass option or run-run or pass-pass, then so be it. But I do believe in getting to the line quicker. I think that gives us more time at the line of scrimmage to assess — for the quarterback.”
With the players practicing without pads, passing judgment on the offense is premature. The unit has had moments of success, but it appears the defense has fared better thus far.
Coach John Harbaugh sounded encouraged about the offense’s progress.
“I think they’re on their way,” he said Thursday. “It’s kind of hard to put a grade on it. We really don’t try to do that right now. We just look at everything that we need to correct.”
The offense has executed few big plays against the defense, often settling for short-to-intermediate curls and passes to running backs in the flats. But Monken said there is plenty of time in camp to continue to refine the plays.
“We’re not where we want to be yet, but we shouldn’t be,” he said. “That’s why we practice, that’s why we meet, that’s why you get out there. There are some things where you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s the way it looks.’ And then there’s others where you’re like, ‘That isn’t anything like we want it to look.’ That’s part of what you do, and then you fix that and you get better on that, and then you find what your pieces do best, and you try to fit that within your scheme.”
On Wednesday, Jackson confirmed that he is not wearing a wristband with plays recorded on it as he had in previous years. Monken said the intent is for the quarterback to immerse himself in the playbook to relay the calls to his teammates.
“One of the most important things is the ability to communicate the calls, and the best way for that to happen is to not start with wristbands,” he said. “He has to hear what I say, he has to process the call, he has to regurgitate it to the players, he has to get the cadence. We can always go to wristbands. Wristbands are easy. You just read it. Harder is learning the offense and being able to process and make the calls.”
It might take all of camp leading up to the season opener against the Houston Texans on Sept. 10 for the offense to unlock its potential. In that sense, Monken said the offense will be as successful as the coaches who direct it and the players who run it.
“Execution trumps everything,” he said. “So no matter what we run, the only thing that really matters is that our guys play with confidence, get lined up, and execute at a high level.”
Ott ‘a blessing’ as replacement at long snapper
Replacing an All-Pro isn’t easy, especially at long snapper. But the Ravens got some luck when they were able to sign 2020 Pro Bowl selection Tyler Ott on Monday after Nick Moore tore his Achilles tendon.
Moore had been the Ravens long snapper for the previous three seasons, developing a rapport with six-time Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker and second-year punter Jordan Stout. But special teams coordinator Chris Horton said Ott has made a smooth transition to that kicking unit.
Baltimore Ravens Insider
“Tyler’s come in here, and he’s done a great job,” Horton said Friday. “This guy’s a pro, and he’s played a lot of football. I think when what happened with Nick, [special teams coach/specialists] Randy [Brown] and I along with Harbs [coach John Harbaugh] and [director of player personnel] George [Kokinis], we kind of got together, we got on the phone, and we just tried to figure out who was out there and just tried to get the best guy here that we think fits what we do well. Tyler’s come in the past few days, and he’s done a very good job for us.”
Ott had spent five full years with the Seattle Seahawks before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the entire 2022 season. On Thursday, Harbaugh called Ott’s availability “a blessing for us.”
“And we appreciate it,” he said. “He’s a pro. He’s one of the best in the business, and he had an injury last year, and now he’s fully healed. We love Nick. The timing was tough. It was an unfortunate deal, but he’ll come back with flying colors. But Tyler just got right in there seamlessly. There are a few things to learn, but he stepped right in. He’s a really good fit for what we do with our punt protection. So we’re happy about it.” | https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-todd-monken-offense-ravens-training-camp-20230728-afi6sa2stncl7eet2vz3bwvj4e-story.html | 2023-07-28T22:52:48 | 1 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-todd-monken-offense-ravens-training-camp-20230728-afi6sa2stncl7eet2vz3bwvj4e-story.html |
Tampa General is recognized nationally in the top 100 of the Best Employers for Women list and ranks #1 among Best Employers for Women in Florida in the Healthcare and Social category.
TAMPA, Fla., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital has been named one of America's Best Employers for Women by Forbes for 2023, ranking in the top 100 of organizations nationally and as the Best Employer for Women in Florida in the Healthcare and Social category. The academic health system is also ranked #3 overall in the state. Tampa General has been included on Forbes America's Best Employers for Women list every year since 2020.
"The health and well-being of our team at Tampa General is our top priority and critical to our success as an organization as well as our ability to provide the highest level of care to our community and beyond. We continue to nurture a human-centered culture that both empowers everyone to be their whole, authentic selves at work and ensures every individual feels seen, heard and valued," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "As an academic health system, we are committed to prioritizing not only the personal and professional development of all team members through education opportunities, but we also work to ensure that they have all the support they need."
Forbes partnered with the market research company Statista to identify organizations committed to the advancement of women in and out of the workplace. More than 60,000 American employees were surveyed, including 40,000 women working for companies employing at least 1,000 people within the United States. Survey responses were evaluated against various criteria, including atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, workplace, diversity, family support, flexibility, representation and pay equity.
Tampa General routinely gauges the needs of team members through annual evaluations conducted by a third-party professional survey company.
"When we talk about providing world-class care at Tampa General, that includes taking care of our team members as well as our community," said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer at Tampa General Hospital. "To make this a reality, our academic health system embodies a culture of belonging and fairness. Our steadfast commitment to our team members' growth and well-being is essential to recruiting and retaining high-quality and diverse talent, which results in better experiences and outcomes for the patients we serve."
Aligning with Tampa General's culture focused on helping all team members thrive personally and professionally, the academic health system has developed and continues to introduce new programs and initiatives that provide support to women team members such as:
- Flexibility: Tampa General offers a competitive time-off policy as well as remote working options and flexibility for part-time positions. Over the past two years, the academic health system's team members have increasingly expressed a desire for part-time work schedules and those have been accommodated through offering seasonal contracts and part-time opportunities, where possible.
- Growth and Development: In addition to competitive tuition reimbursement, skills reimbursement and scholarships, Tampa General also offers free access to career, leadership and personal development through courses in Organizational Development, such as Crucial Conversations. Through clinical and non-clinical ladders, the academic health system also offers structured systems to advance career development while the team member remains in a current position.
- Health, Wellness and Benefits: Along with competitive medical benefits, team members receive access to wellness activities and fitness tracking through a free app, an on-site gym and online classes through the TGH Fitness Center. The academic health system also provides free access to virtual behavioral health support that provides access to a trained mental health counselor within 72 hours. It is also available to dependents with TGH insurance. Additionally, there is a team member lounge in the hospital that includes massage chairs to allow team members to decompress.
- Family Support: An on-site daycare center provides families with an education and development curriculum for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Understanding that family support looks different for every team member, through the TGH Foundation, the academic health system offers an annual school supply giveaway, which includes computers and an emergency fund to support team members in crisis. Other support includes gas cards to team members when gas prices skyrocketed, as well as grants to help team members rebuild their homes after sustaining hurricane damage. Tampa General offers a generous maternity leave package. All team members who give birth are guaranteed 12 weeks of job-protected leave post-delivery, regardless of whether they qualify for Family Medical Leave (FMLA) or have exhausted their FMLA entitlement for the year. In addition, Tampa General provides several options to team members needing financial assistance, including ATO leave sharing and short-term disability. TGH also provides a supportive environment to enable breastfeeding team members to express milk during work hours. Private lactation rooms or designated nursing space is available throughout the hospital and every TGH location.
- People Development Institute: Tampa General has invested heavily in the continued education and professional development of all team members with programs such as its People Development Institute (PDI), which offers classes through a partnership with the University of South Florida (USF) Muma College of Business at no charge. Among the program's most impactful success stories are those of women who have leveraged PDI offerings to broaden their career horizons. One example is Stephanie Jackson, who started as a parking attendant at Tampa General and pursued advanced degrees and PDI courses to become a director for the academic health system.
- AKTiVe Leadership Initiative: Through the PDI program, the AKTiVe Leadership Initiative involves all TGH leaders in their leadership development. The AKTiVe Leadership Model embodies four qualities of leaders: Authenticity, Kindness, Transparency and Vulnerability. When enacted through the behaviors of leaders, these qualities create a positive environment for leaders, team members and patients.
- LEAD TGH: LEAD (Leadership, Enrichment and Development) TGH provides a platform for emerging leaders to share ideas, overcome challenges and foster personal and professional development. The free program spans 12 months and creates career pathways while identifying future leaders.
- Modern Advances in Leadership: Facilitated through the University of Tampa's Sykes College of Business, the series provides transformative and interactive learning experiences to advance the skills of current and future leaders.
Inclusion on the Forbes America's Best Employers for Women list is the latest among several high-profile recognitions for Tampa General for its supportive work environment:
- Forbes' Best Employers for New Graduates (Top 20) – May 2023
- Becker's Hospital Review's 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare – April 2023
- Glassdoor's Employee's Choice Award – January 2023
- Newsweek's America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity – January 2023
- Forbes' America's Best Employers by State (Top 10 Employer in Florida) – August 2022
ABOUT FORBES
Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 140 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE and Forbes Virtual events, custom marketing programs and 32 licensed local editions in 71 countries. Forbes Media's brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For more information, visit the Forbes News Hub or Forbes Connect.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital in the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR
Senior Communications Specialist
(727) 510-6363 (cell)
ehardy@tgh.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Tampa General Hospital | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/tampa-general-hospital-named-one-americas-best-employers-women-2023-by-forbes/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:52 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/tampa-general-hospital-named-one-americas-best-employers-women-2023-by-forbes/ |
More Than 1,175 Higher Education Workers Gain Teamster Representation
OAKLAND, Calif., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers at the University of California (UC) have joined Teamsters Local 2010. The 1,175 newest members of Local 2010 in Oakland will now bargain for higher pay, reduced benefit costs, overtime pay, job security, and respect in the workplace.
"It's great to be represented again! I feel secure knowing someone is fighting for us to receive better pay and protect our rights," said Azalia Maldonado, a facilities management specialist at UC Berkeley.
"I'm so happy to be a Teamster again!" said Michelle Belden, a research administrator at UC Davis who was Teamster Shop Steward in her previous job of Blank Assistant 4 in the CX Unit. "There is power in our solidarity."
"I am excited to be a part of a strong union that advocates for members' rights and interests," said Patricia Passalacqua, an ambulatory care administration coordinator at UC San Diego. "All of the Teamsters' hard work and tenacity is evident. Knowing we have the support of Teamsters from all industries to help us protect our rights has lifted a weight off our shoulders. I look forward to connecting with other members in the future."
Workers in the titles of Ambulatory Care Administration Coordinator, Facilities Management Specialist, Health Professional Education Specialist, and Research Administrator had been misclassified by the UC in an effort to deny union-negotiated wages and benefits, including the right to strike. The Public Employment Relations Board issued unit modification orders on June 22, 2023.
The newly organized workers will join more than 16,000 administrative, paraprofessional, and skilled trades workers who provide critical public services at every University of California and California State University campus, medical center, and laboratory throughout the state, as well as 1.2 million Teamster members in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, with Public Services being one of the largest Teamster divisions.
"Teamsters Local 2010 welcomes our new sisters and brothers," said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010. "We are especially pleased that they will immediately see the benefits of being Teamsters — guaranteed raises that are higher than those for non-union workers, this year and every year of our contract — plus all the rights at work and benefits of Teamster representation."
The group will soon assemble a bargaining team to begin the bargaining process for salary ranges, step placement, on-call and shift differential pay, as well as other bonus eligibility and pay.
Teamsters Local 2010 is a union of 15,000 hardworking employees in California higher education. We are affiliated with the 1.2 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing members throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. We stand together to win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. We strive to protect workers' rights through direct action and determined labor representation.
Contact
Aimee Baror, (213) 220-0538
abaror@teamsters2010.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Teamsters Local 2010 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/university-california-workers-join-teamsters-local-2010/ | 2023-07-28T22:52:59 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/university-california-workers-join-teamsters-local-2010/ |
Junior's Rolls Out a Dessert Fit for The King: Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana is Winner of National Cheesecake Day Flavor Contest
BROOKLYN, N.Y., July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Elvis Presley is the original rock 'n' roll legend, and Junior's is the original cheesecake legend. So, it is more than appropriate that peanut butter chocolate and banana – inspired by Elvis' favorite sandwich -- is now the newest limited edition Junior's cheesecake flavor, the result of a national flavor contest held in the lead-up to National Cheesecake Day, this coming Sunday, July 30.
Out of more than 5,000 entries across the country, Thomas Zahorec, from Greenville, South Carolina, channeled his inner King when submitting the winning flavor.
"Elvis had his numerous number one hits, and we have ours," said Alan Rosen, owner of Junior's. "So, I can't think of a better way to celebrate National Cheesecake Day than by creating this new flavor to honor the King, himself. Because just as you 'can't help falling in love' with Elvis, I know you won't be able to resist this peanut butter chocolate banana cheesecake. My deepest congratulations goes to Mr. Zahorec for inspiring our 25th flavor."
Rosen said that in addition to a $2500 cash prize, Zahorec will win a cheesecake a month for a year, including one of the new flavor, of course. And Junior's lovers around the country are also winners because the peanut butter chocolate banana cheesecake will be available for a limited time in Junior's restaurants and by mail order. This limited edition flavor will be available in various sizes through Labor Day.
About Junior's
Since the 1950s, Junior's Restaurant and Bakery in Brooklyn, New York has been famous for great food, great fun, great service, and, of course, the World's Most Famous Cheesecake. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, Junior's Restaurant and Bakery's menu features New York and Brooklyn comfort food dishes ranging from classic New York deli sandwiches piled high, famous 10 oz. steak burgers, salads, jumbo half pound hot dogs, fresh seafood and a full-service bar. For more information, visit juniorscheesecake.com.
Instagram: @JuniorsCheesecake, Facebook: @JuniorsCheesecake
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Junior's | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/viva-las-cheesecake/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:05 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/prnewswire/2023/07/28/viva-las-cheesecake/ |
Black farmers make up a small, aging part of the farming population. Some worry traditions may die with them. So there's an effort in Mississippi to cultivate the next generation of Black farmers.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Black farmers make up a small, aging part of the farming population. Some worry traditions may die with them. So there's an effort in Mississippi to cultivate the next generation of Black farmers.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/cultivating-the-next-generation-of-black-farmers-in-mississippi | 2023-07-28T22:53:26 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/cultivating-the-next-generation-of-black-farmers-in-mississippi |
Bay Area man fatally stabbed woman and posted video of it on Facebook, police say
SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) — A man allegedly stabbed a woman to death in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday and then posted a video of the slaying to Facebook, authorities said.
The footage helped police track down the suspect, who was later identified as 39-year old Mark Mechikoff. He was arrested about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of where the victim was found dead in a San Mateo apartment complex.
“While the motive for stabbing the victim is still under investigation, we do know Mechikoff mercilessly filmed the last moments of the victim’s life and posted the video to Facebook, then fled the area,” San Mateo police said in a statement.
Prosecutors identified the victim as Claribel Estrella. The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office on Friday charged Mechikoff with a single count of murder with enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury and the use of a knife.
He appeared in court but did not enter a plea. His arraignment was postponed for a week while his court-appointed attorney is chosen, District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said in an email.
Mechikoff knew the victim but the extent of their relationship was unclear and the motive was under investigation, the district attorney said.
The stabbing was first reported to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada when a caller said she saw video of it on Facebook. The sheriff’s office “pinged” the phone number associated with the Facebook page and traced it to a large San Mateo apartment complex.
It was Mechikoff’s cellphone and his Facebook page and the video apparently has been taken down, the district attorney said.
Officers went door-to-door at the San Mateo apartment complex and found Estrella nearly three hours later inside a unit, authorities said.
Mechikoff was arrested two hours later in San Jose.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/bay-area-man-fatally-stabbed-woman-posted-video-it-facebook-police-say/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:26 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/bay-area-man-fatally-stabbed-woman-posted-video-it-facebook-police-say/ |
Berlin's conservative mayor ran on a pledge to stand up for car drivers against encroachment from bicyclists. But bike-riders have pushed back, forcing the government to backpedal.
Copyright 2023 NPR
Berlin's conservative mayor ran on a pledge to stand up for car drivers against encroachment from bicyclists. But bike-riders have pushed back, forcing the government to backpedal.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/cyclists-and-car-drivers-in-berlin-fight-over-road-space | 2023-07-28T22:53:32 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/cyclists-and-car-drivers-in-berlin-fight-over-road-space |
Chris Stapleton surprises girl with a rare backstage meet and greet
(Circle) - Chris Stapleton made a little girl’s dream come true over the weekend.
Stapleton’s 2023 All-American Road Show has kept him on the go, performing night after night, but amongst all the shows, one truly stood out.
At his July 14 concert at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a heartwarming moment unfolded when a young fan named Lily held up a sign that read, “Will you take a picture with me?”
The simple question seemed to really catch Stapleton’s attention because the girl and her family were escorted backstage after the concert, where they patiently waited for Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, to join them.
In the TikTok video, Morgane asks the young fan if she created the sign. She nods and replies, “Yes,” proudly holding out a guitar pick she had received during the concert before the meet-and-greet.
“Well. We saw your sign, and we said, We’ve gotta do that,” Morgane added.
The fan’s successful meet and greet with Stapleton came as a surprise to many, given his reputation as a private person. He is well-known for his low-key status, rarely participating in interviews, let alone participating in meet and greets.
Stapleton also surprised some fans recently by announcing to the world that he will be releasing his 5th studio album, titled “Higher.”
The upcoming album will mark his first studio release since 2020 when he dropped his fourth studio album, “Starting Over,” which won him a Grammy for Best Country Album.
Originally appeared on Circle All Access. https://www.circleallaccess.com/
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/chris-stapleton-surprises-girl-with-rare-backstage-meet-greet/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:33 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/chris-stapleton-surprises-girl-with-rare-backstage-meet-greet/ |
After a month of record-breaking heat, are we past calling it a heat "wave?" NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Duke heat expert Ashley Ward.
Copyright 2023 NPR
After a month of record-breaking heat, are we past calling it a heat "wave?" NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Duke heat expert Ashley Ward.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/dont-call-it-a-heat-wave-expert-weighs-in-after-a-month-of-record-breaking-heat | 2023-07-28T22:53:38 | 1 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/dont-call-it-a-heat-wave-expert-weighs-in-after-a-month-of-record-breaking-heat |
Donald Trump appeals judge’s decision to keep hush-money case in New York state court
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump asked a federal appeals court Friday to reverse a federal judge’s decision to keep his hush-money criminal case in a New York state court that the former president claims is “very unfair” to him.
Trump’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan after U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein last week rejected his bid to move the case to federal court, where his lawyers were primed to argue he was immune from prosecution.
U.S. law allows criminal prosecutions to be moved from state to federal court if they involve actions taken by federal government officials as part of their official duties, but Hellerstein ruled that the hush-money case involved a personal matter, not presidential duties.
Trump’s appeal notice came at the end of another busy week of legal action for the twice-indicted Republican as he seeks a return to the White House in next year’s election. On Thursday, he was indicted on new criminal charges in a separate case in federal court in Florida involving allegations that he illegally hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the hush-money case and fought to keep it in state court, declined to comment on Trump’s appeal.
Trump pleaded not guilty April 4 in state court to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide reimbursements made to his longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen for his role in paying $130,000 to the porn actor Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.
Cohen also arranged for the National Enquirer to pay Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story about an alleged affair, which the supermarket tabloid then squelched in a dubious journalism practice known as “catch-and-kill.”
Trump denied having sexual encounters with either woman. His lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses and not part of any cover-up.
He is scheduled to stand trial in state court on March 25, 2024. In the meantime, his lawyers have asked the state court judge presiding over the case, Juan Manuel Merchan, to step aside, arguing that he’s biased in part because his daughter does political consulting work for some of Trump’s Democratic rivals. Trump has referred to Merchan as “a Trump-hating judge” with a family full of “Trump haters.” The judge has yet to rule on the request.
In seeking to try the hush-money case tried in federal court, Trump’s lawyers have argued that some of his alleged conduct amounted to official presidential duties because it occurred in 2017 while he was president, including checks he purportedly wrote while sitting in the Oval Office.
Moving the case from state court to federal court would have significant legal and practical consequences for Trump. In federal court, for example, his lawyers could then try to get the charges dismissed on the grounds that federal officials have immunity from prosecution over actions taken as part of their official job duties.
A shift to federal court would also mean a more politically diverse jury pool — drawing not only from heavily Democratic Manhattan, where Trump is wildly unpopular, but also from suburban counties north of the city where he has more political support.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/donald-trump-appeals-judges-decision-keep-hush-money-case-new-york-state-court/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:39 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/donald-trump-appeals-judges-decision-keep-hush-money-case-new-york-state-court/ |
(The Hill) – President Biden on Friday made his first public remarks about his 4-year-old grandchild Navy, the daughter of his son Hunter Biden, after silence from the White House over the young girl amid legal disputes between her parents.
Biden said, in a statement exclusively provided to People, that his son and Lunden Roberts, the mother, are working to provide a life for her.
“Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,” the president said. “This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
The New York Times earlier this month published a piece about the child, writing that she’s never met Hunter Biden or her grandfather. After that was published, the White House dealt with questions in the briefing room from reporters asking whether Biden accepted Hunter Biden’s daughter in Arkansas as his granddaughter.
Roberts, who is in Arkansas, filed a paternity suit against Hunter Biden in May 2019, and the younger Biden appeared in court this May. In June, he reached a settlement in his child support case after he was ordered to sit for a deposition under oath to answer questions about his finances.
An anonymous source told People that the president and first lady Jill Biden have been “giving Hunter and Lunden the space and time to figure things out” and have been “following Hunter’s lead” throughout the legal proceedings involving the young girl.
Hunter Biden’s personal and legal troubles have been increasingly in the spotlight lately. He appeared in a Delaware court Wednesday, where his plea deal on federal tax and gun charges was put on hold by a judge who questioned the scope of the agreement. | https://phl17.com/nmw/biden-offers-first-statement-on-hunters-4-year-old-daughter/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:44 | 1 | https://phl17.com/nmw/biden-offers-first-statement-on-hunters-4-year-old-daughter/ |
BREAKING NEWSLarge hay fire fills Casa Grande with smokeArizona RepublicA large hay fire was burning northwest of Robson Ranch in Casa Grande on July 28, 2023.Eloy Fire DistrictA large hay fire was burning northwest of Robson Ranch in Casa Grande on July 28, 2023.Eloy Fire DistrictA large hay fire was burning northwest of Robson Ranch in Casa Grande on July 28, 2023.Eloy Fire District | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/pinal-breaking/2023/07/28/large-hay-fire-fills-casa-grande-with-smoke/70488741007/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:44 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/pinal-breaking/2023/07/28/large-hay-fire-fills-casa-grande-with-smoke/70488741007/ |
With the WGA strike entering it's third month and SAG-AFTRA strike heading into its third week, L.A. workers reflect on what the Hollywood stoppage means for the local economy.
Copyright 2023 LAist 89.3
With the WGA strike entering it's third month and SAG-AFTRA strike heading into its third week, L.A. workers reflect on what the Hollywood stoppage means for the local economy.
Copyright 2023 LAist 89.3 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/economic-anxiety-grows-in-los-angeles-as-hollywood-strikes-continue | 2023-07-28T22:53:44 | 1 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/economic-anxiety-grows-in-los-angeles-as-hollywood-strikes-continue |
‘Horrible conditions’: Nearly 30 dogs found dead in freezers; dog rescue owner charged
HAMILTON, Ohio (Gray News) - The owner of a dog rescue in Ohio is facing multiple charges after deputies found animals in unlivable conditions.
Authorities said deputy dog wardens were called to two properties in Butler County regarding a complaint this week.
The team found at least 30 deceased dogs on the properties along with about 90 living animals in “the most horrible conditions they have ever seen.”
According to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Rhonda Murphy, the owner of the properties, was operating a rescue under the name Helping Hands for Furry Paws.
When deputies and investigators searched the structures, multiple dogs’ bodies were found in refrigerators and freezers, with some of the coolers not working.
Other deceased canines were also found on the property, including puppies.
According to investigators, a garage housed about 25 living dogs, but they were kept in cages, some together, with no air conditioning or ventilation in the room. Temperatures were measured to be about 89 degrees inside.
Numerous animals were found without access to food or water, including a mother dog and her eight puppies.
Deputies said the odor was so strong that it burned their eyes and took away their breath as they checked the property.
Additionally, 11 more dogs were found in the main house living in the same deplorable conditions as others found on the property.
“Conditions were so horrendous that dog wardens had to leave the structure numerous times to catch their breath,” the sheriff’s office said.
All dogs were seized from the properties.
Authorities said Murphy is facing dozens of misdemeanor and felony charges that include neglect and cruelty to animals.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/horrible-conditions-nearly-30-dogs-found-dead-freezers-dog-rescue-owner-charged/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:46 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/horrible-conditions-nearly-30-dogs-found-dead-freezers-dog-rescue-owner-charged/ |
Former President Trump on Friday appealed a judge’s ruling that mandated his hush money criminal case be tried in state court in New York.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a President Clinton appointee, ruled last week that the 34-count indictment was not connected to Trump’s role as president, rejecting his request to move the case to federal court in favor of prosecutors’ objections.
Trump attorneys Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles filed a notice of appeal Friday afternoon, the first step in taking the dispute to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Trump sought to remove the state case to federal court, arguing it must be transferred because it involves important federal questions, including whether he should face charges for alleged crimes that occurred while he was in office. Doing so would increase the potential jury pool, which is currently limited to the heavily-Democratic population of Manhattan.
“This case is unprecedented in our nation’s history,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in the nine-page filing when first seeking to remove the case in May. “Never before has a local elected prosecutor criminally prosecuted a defendant either for conduct that occurred entirely while the defendant was the sitting President of the United States or for conduct that related to federal campaign contribution laws.”
Hellerstein dismissed that argument when ruling on the case in July.
“The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the matter was a purely a personal item of the President — a cover-up of an embarrassing event. Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a President’s official acts. It does not reflect in any way the color of the President’s official duties,” he wrote.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over his alleged role in a hush money scheme ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He pleaded not guilty.
Hush money by itself is legal; Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) is prosecuting Trump over the manner in which he reimbursed his then-fixer, Michael Cohen, for making the $130,000 hush payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
Bragg is connecting the allegedly falsified records to purported violations of campaign finance laws.
When reached out to, Bragg’s office declined to comment.
A trial in the case is currently set for March 2024. Trump’s lawyers have a deadline late next month to file any motions in state court to dismiss the charges ahead of trial.
Earlier Friday, Bragg suggested during a radio interview on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show,” however, that the trial timeline could be delayed as a result of the other criminal investigations the former president faces.
“If our trial judge is reached out to by another judge, we will obviously consider everything in its totality,” Bragg said.
Special counsel Jack Smith’s office charged Trump with three additional counts in the classified records federal case Thursday, and prosecutors have signaled an indictment could be close in their probe over the transfer of power following the 2020 election.
In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) has signaled any charges against Trump would likely come in early August.
“In matters like this, judges will confer,” Bragg told WNYC.
“And I take a very broad lens on justice,” he continued. “We’ll obviously follow the directives of our court but won’t sit on ceremony in terms of what was charged first or things like that, if and when that’s presented.” | https://www.kron4.com/hill-politics/trump-appeals-decision-keeping-hush-money-case-in-state-court/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:48 | 0 | https://www.kron4.com/hill-politics/trump-appeals-decision-keeping-hush-money-case-in-state-court/ |
DELMAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Many across social media feel confused about Twitter rebranding its iconic bird logo to a simple “X” symbol. At his Albany, New York-area studio on Thursday, the artist behind the original logo talked about its creation and leaving the brand behind.
Phil Pascuzzo is hard at work in his quiet suburban home in Delmar, mainly designing the inviting covers that tempt you to pick up a good book. You’d never guess he’s the designer of the world-famous Twitter bird icon.
“It’s so interesting. Most people have no idea,” laughed Pascuzzo. “It’s kind of like how Milton Glaser created the ‘I love New York’ logo, but when you see the I ‘heart’ NY, it doesn’t feel like anybody did it. It’s just there.”
Pascuzzo has run Pepco Studio, his independent freelance design studio, for the last 20 years, but he said that his first graphic design job out of college was where he met Biz Stone, one of the three Twitter co-founders. “We were both junior designers, so we were lowest on the rank, but he would just after every subway ride have all these wild ideas and we would just talk about them,” Pascuzzo recollected with NEWS10’s Mikhaela Singleton. “I would do these little doodles on Post-it notes, and he just liked my drawings.”
He said that Stone approached him around 2005 looking for a unique bird-themed design. The iStock image by Simon Oxley that was used when Twitter first launched couldn’t be its official logo, as that would violate iStock’s terms of service.
“I started sketching different birds. We knew we were going with blue, which — it’s great for like, feeling optimistic, feels like the future, blue skies,” Pascuzzo explained. “[Stone] had a rough idea, but he really left it to me to get creative with. He’s got a great sense of humor so he had all these ideas for little things he wanted the bird to be doing.”
Pascuzzo said that first bird design took about 30 minutes and a chat between friends, landing him $500 for the work. “I was in an apartment in Arbor Hill at the time and thought, $500 will make rent so yeah let’s do it,” he said. “Twitter wasn’t some huge thing like it is now that everybody is on.”
For years, he continued creating many marketing items that helped Twitter take flight. Shifting the bird’s design to a silhouette, Pascuzzo then sold the design to the studio outright in 2010, when it took shape in the most recent version used from 2012 to 2023. He added that he did reapproach his friend and the company to renegotiate pay for the logo design when Twitter truly took off.
“When I realized the weight of what this icon had become, I went back with an intellectual property lawyer, and it was extremely cordial,” Pascuzzo said. “It didn’t give me anything close to Elon Musk money, but it was a down payment on a house.”
On the topic of Musk and the many changes since his takeover of the social media giant in October, Pascuzzo said the news to clip the bird’s wings for a simple “X” symbol came as a surprise. “I was like, ‘What?’ What is this white — because it’s just a Unicode symbol,” he said. “It’s not even a logo. Nobody even designed it.”
After 20 years in the business, he said that he’s learned not to get too attached to any creation, so he’s not sad to see the bird go. But he worries that Musk’s future for Twitter leaves behind much of what made the platform unique.
“He seems obsessed with the ‘X.’ I mean you look at his child with Grimes — X Æ A-Xii — he loves X. It’s everywhere. So in his world, it may make sense, but I think, in the Twitter world, it doesn’t really make much sense,” Pascuzzo concluded. “I feel he threw away a lot of brand equity. The name, the color, the language — it’s so ubiquitous. It’s part of our lexicon.” | https://phl17.com/nmw/original-designer-behind-twitter-bird-icon-talks-the-x-rebrand-2/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:50 | 1 | https://phl17.com/nmw/original-designer-behind-twitter-bird-icon-talks-the-x-rebrand-2/ |
ARIZONAGas prices increase in ArizonaArizona RepublicChevron marquee advertises regular gasoline for $3.99 per gallon in cash or $4.09 per gallon, paid with credit or debit card on July 28, 2023, near N. 44th Street and E. McDowell Road in Phoenix.Megan Mendoza/The RepublicCircle K marquee advertises Unleaded fuel for $3.69 per gallon on July 28, 2023, near W. McKellips Road and N. Center Street in Mesa.Megan Mendoza/The RepublicCircle K and Shell marquee advertises Regual gasoline for $3.99 per gallon on July 28, 2023, near E. McDowell Road and N. 68th Street in Scottsdale.Megan Mendoza/The RepublicQuickTrip marquee advertises both unleaded gasoline and diesel for $3.89 per gallon on July 28, 2023, near N. Scottsdale Road and E. McKellips Road in Tempe.Megan Mendoza/The RepublicQuickTrip marquee advertises both unleaded gasoline and diesel for $3.89 per gallon on July 28, 2023, near N. Scottsdale Road and E. McKellips Road in Tempe.Megan Mendoza/The Republic | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/arizona/2023/07/28/photos-gas-prices-across-metro-phoenix/70489754007/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:50 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/arizona/2023/07/28/photos-gas-prices-across-metro-phoenix/70489754007/ |
Hulu's 'The Fool' gives a working class perspective of life in Los Angeles By Gabriel J. Sánchez, Sarah Handel Published July 28, 2023 at 2:48 PM PDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 4:16 Comedian and actor Frankie Quiñones talks about the second season of the show This Fool, now streaming on Hulu. Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/hulus-the-fool-gives-a-working-class-perspective-of-life-in-los-angeles | 2023-07-28T22:53:50 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/hulus-the-fool-gives-a-working-class-perspective-of-life-in-los-angeles |
Taylor: Joe Burrow to be out for ‘several weeks’ with calf strain
CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor spoke to the media Friday about Joe Burrow’s status following a calf strain suffered during Thursday’s training camp.
Taylor said Burrow will be out for “several weeks.”
When asked again he said, “Several weeks is several weeks.”
Taylor said Burrow has seen the doctors and has been resting up.
When asked how he was doing, Taylor said, “Joe always takes it in stride.”
The coach said Burrow has had more practice days this July than he’s ever had.
“I think he looked great out there yesterday,” Taylor said.
The coach said there was no conversation before yesterday that Burrow was limited.
As far as Burrow wearing a compression sleeve during Thursday’s practice, Taylor said the trainers do everything they can to be precautionary.
Taylor would not say if Burrow would be ready for the season opener on September 10.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2023 WXIX. All rights reserved. | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/taylor-joe-burrow-be-out-several-weeks-with-calf-strain/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:53 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/28/taylor-joe-burrow-be-out-several-weeks-with-calf-strain/ |
(The Hill) – President Biden on Friday made his first public remarks about his 4-year-old grandchild Navy, the daughter of his son Hunter Biden, after silence from the White House over the young girl amid legal disputes between her parents.
Biden said, in a statement exclusively provided to People, that his son and Lunden Roberts, the mother, are working to provide a life for her.
“Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,” the president said. “This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter. Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.”
The New York Times earlier this month published a piece about the child, writing that she’s never met Hunter Biden or her grandfather. After that was published, the White House dealt with questions in the briefing room from reporters asking whether Biden accepted Hunter Biden’s daughter in Arkansas as his granddaughter.
Roberts, who is in Arkansas, filed a paternity suit against Hunter Biden in May 2019, and the younger Biden appeared in court this May. In June, he reached a settlement in his child support case after he was ordered to sit for a deposition under oath to answer questions about his finances.
An anonymous source told People that the president and first lady Jill Biden have been “giving Hunter and Lunden the space and time to figure things out” and have been “following Hunter’s lead” throughout the legal proceedings involving the young girl.
Hunter Biden’s personal and legal troubles have been increasingly in the spotlight lately. He appeared in a Delaware court Wednesday, where his plea deal on federal tax and gun charges was put on hold by a judge who questioned the scope of the agreement. | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/biden-offers-first-statement-on-hunters-4-year-old-daughter/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:54 | 0 | https://www.kron4.com/news/national/biden-offers-first-statement-on-hunters-4-year-old-daughter/ |
(The Hill) – Carlos De Oliveira was indicted on three criminal charges alongside former President Trump and his longtime aide Walt Nauda in a superseding indictment Thursday, part of the classified document investigation at Trump’s Florida club.
De Oliveira, the Mar-a-Lago Club’s property manager, allegedly assisted Trump and Nauta in attempting to delete security footage that showed the men moving boxes of classified documents around the property to hide them from federal authorities.
He was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, destroying evidence and lying to the FBI.
De Oliveira, 56, was hired as the Mar-a-Lago manager in January 2022, previously working there as a valet, according to the indictment.
Federal investigators claim De Oliveira helped Nauta move about 30 boxes of classified documents around Mar-a-Lago, and at one point told the club’s head of IT that “the boss” wants security camera footage deleted.
In October of last year, after federal investigators searched the club and found additional classified documents, De Oliveira allegedly drained one of the club’s pools causing flooding in the server room that contained the security camera footage. This happened not long after Trump told De Oliveira he would get him an attorney, the indictment says.
According to investigators, Nauta attempted to judge De Oliveira’s loyalty before that promise came, with De Oliveira telling him that nothing would get in the way of his relationship with Trump.
Trump now faces a total of 40 charges related to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, with three of those added this week in the superseding indictment. Nauta faces eight charges.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the classified documents probe, is also investigating Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on the Capitol.
Smith met with Trump’s defense on Thursday and sent him a target letter earlier this month, raising speculation that he could be indicted again for that separate investigation soon. | https://phl17.com/nmw/who-is-carlos-de-oliveira-trumps-mar-a-lago-resort-manager/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:56 | 0 | https://phl17.com/nmw/who-is-carlos-de-oliveira-trumps-mar-a-lago-resort-manager/ |
Senate approves expanding compensation for Navajo Nation uranium miners, downwinders
A measure to compensate more people exposed to radiation from uranium mining and nuclear weapons tests has passed the Senate and now awaits negotiations with the House, raising hopes that the aid will become available across a wider area of Arizona and the Southwest.
The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would authorize additional coverage for individuals exposed to radiation during the Cold War era while working in uranium mines or living downwind from atomic weapons tests.
The changes would expand the coverage area to allow more potential victims, such as people who lived downwind from above-ground atomic weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s, to file for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the defense spending bill with the amendments to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, but must now resolve differences with the House, where the bill included a number of Republican-supported measures opposed by Democrats.
The original RECA program only covered people who lived in parts of Utah, Nevada and Arizona. The latest amendment would expand the geographic downwinder eligibility to include then-residents of Idaho, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Guam.
The amendment also extends the program for 19 years, expands it to include uranium mine workers employed through 1990 and expands the use of affidavits in determining eligibility claims.
“We are already in the game of helping our people on Navajo,” said Phil Harrison, who leads the Navajo Uranium Radiation Victims Committee, about the post-1971 uranium mine workers who weren’t covered by RECA. With this new amendment, those uranium miners will be covered.
“Indian Health Service does not have expertise in providing anything for lung disease or lung cancer, or it costs too much, (miners) are referred out and it’s a long distance travel to have our miners treated,” he said.
Amendment would bring fairness to more workers
RECA was first enacted in 1990, then amended in 2000, to provide one-time compensation to the veterans of and communities impacted by America's uranium industry and nuclear development program.
This amendment has been long sought after by many Navajo miners who worked in uranium mines after 1971, and uranium miner families. In 2019, nearly 400 former Navajo uranium miners came to the Phil Thomas Performing Arts Center in Shiprock to testify in hopes their voices could be heard on why the government should expand provisions to include benefits for victims of nuclear fallout, known as “downwinders," and post-1971 uranium mine workers.
One of those miners at the 2019 event was LeRoy Becenti, who attended uranium mining school and became a utility miner for Kerr-McGee in Church Rock, New Mexico.
“I was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Becenti said in 2019. “They are telling me it’s from the uranium.”
But because Becenti did not work in the mines until after 1971, he, as well as hundreds of other Navajo uranium miners, was not eligible for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
“It’s not fair for some of us that worked underground,” said Becenti, who started working for Kerr-McGee right after he graduated from high school. “The ones that were drilling, digging and taking out ore.”
Becenti’s older brother had died of cancer, which he got from working in the uranium mines.
A poisoned legacy:Navajo community residents wary of 'devastating' plan to move uranium tailings nearby
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and Crystalyne Curley, speaker of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, were both in Washington, D.C., this week to advocate for the RECA expansion.
Curley said the community she represents of Tachee/Blue Gap still has open uranium mine pits and her grandfather was a uranium miner. She was never able to meet him because of the illness he succumbed to from working in the uranium mines.
“Not only do we talk about the health impact of our people, there is also another story that goes along with this and that is the cultural impact,” Curley said. “When we talk about our nation, we really value our people, culture, language and our history. But when we don't have those great pillars like our grandfathers, our grandmothers, that aren’t there with us we lose that ability of carrying on our culture and traditions.”
She acknowledged that the miners and families who are dealing with the consequences of uranium mining have to use their own funds most of the time to travel long distances to get the medical care they need. Often, families ask for donations or fund-raise so they can pay for expenses.
U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo championed the RECA amendment included in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed 86-11. The Senate passed the RECA amendment by a 61-37 bipartisan vote.
“Far too many innocent victims have been lost to cancer-related deaths from Cold War-era above-ground weapons testing,” said Crapo, R-Idaho. “The Senate’s passage of this amendment is an important step toward future enactment of this legislation, which will mean Idahoans and Americans who have suffered the health consequences of exposure to fallout from nuclear weapons testing will finally start to receive the compensation they rightfully deserve.”
'We are all forgotten':Residents await long-delayed cleanup of uranium waste near Cameron
With attention on 'Oppenheimer,' lawmaker wants justice for miners
The Atomic Energy Commission announced in 1948 that it would guarantee a price for and purchase all uranium ore mined in the United States. Uranium was discovered in Cove, on the Navajo Nation, and then elsewhere on Navajo lands in the region. Four centers of mining and milling operated near Shiprock, New Mexico, in Monument Valley, Utah, at Church Rock, New Mexico, and near Kayenta in northern Arizona.
Decades later, open uranium mine pits still are scattered throughout the Navajo Nation. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified 523 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation, and of these, 111 are in the western region of the Navajo Nation. Even with the mines identified by the EPA, there are an estimated 1,000 or more abandoned uranium mine shafts on Navajo Nation.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., noted the 78th anniversary of the explosion of the atomic bomb at Trinity, as well as the popularity of a movie about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was director of the Los Alamos Laboratory and responsible for the research and design of an atomic bomb. She said people should not forget about the sacrifice of downwinders and uranium miners.
“As we understand more about the brilliance of this man, we should also understand the sacrifice that has been made by the downwinders of New Mexico as well as the miners, and the majority were uranium miners of Navajo,” she said. “They were also miners who came from the Pueblo of Laguna, Pueblo of Acoma, Grants, Hispano families. It is not right we only bring light to Oppenheimer without actually bringing compensation and justice to the uranium miners and downwinders.”
In Washington this week, another advocate for RECA expansion was also on hand. Leslie Begay, a Vietnam veteran who in 2015 had to start using an oxygen tank, had worked in the uranium mines on the Navajo Nation for eight years after he got out of the Marines, causing him to develop lung cancer.
As he met with tribal leaders in 2019, to get ready to travel to Washington to meet with congressional leaders then and lobby for an expansion on RECA, he said his medication was out of stock at Tsehootsoi Medical Center in Fort Defiance. This was common for him because the medication was expensive, and he said he was told he was the only patient at the center who received that medicine. Better health care for veterans and miners has always been his priority.
"A lot of the post-'71 (miners) have lung disease. The mines that they worked at was the same condition like pre-1971," said Harrison, leader of the Navajo Uranium Radiation Victims Committee. "The toxic substance was there and I know people are hurting. When this thing passes, my brother here, Leslie, will have medical benefits. Their livelihood will improve."
Arlyssa Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/07/28/senate-approves-expanding-help-for-navajo-uranium-miners-downwinders/70487537007/ | 2023-07-28T22:53:56 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/07/28/senate-approves-expanding-help-for-navajo-uranium-miners-downwinders/70487537007/ |
This month, members of the mid-Columbia River tribes set off from Oregon on an annual intertribal canoe journey to Seattle. It's especially poignant this year after a three-year hiatus due to COVID.
Copyright 2023 NPR
This month, members of the mid-Columbia River tribes set off from Oregon on an annual intertribal canoe journey to Seattle. It's especially poignant this year after a three-year hiatus due to COVID.
Copyright 2023 NPR | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/intertribal-canoe-trip-from-oregon-to-seattle-will-set-out-for-first-time-since-covid | 2023-07-28T22:53:57 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/2023-07-28/intertribal-canoe-trip-from-oregon-to-seattle-will-set-out-for-first-time-since-covid |