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CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Coyotes are roaming around a Cape Coral neighborhood on Southwest 1st Place.
Laurie Harvey said she sees coyotes in the area almost daily. “And they’re not only out a night, which we expect. I’ve lived here in this neighborhood for 10 years. They’re also out at 2 o’clock in the afternoon,” said Harvey.
They’re also getting bolder. She said they don’t seem to be afraid of people.
Neighbors are concerned a massive proposed development could only make things worse.
Redfish Pointe could be built on these wetlands south of Rotary Park, forcing the coyotes out of their habitat. The plan is to add 800 homes, 300 hotel rooms, 38,000 square feet, and a 200-slip marina.
Neighbor Michael Lord said he’s concerned about the impact it will have on wildlife.
“When they start filing in that land, obviously, they have to go somewhere, so that is a great concern of mine,” said Lord.
Neighbors said the coyotes have not become aggressive yet, but they don’t want to wait for someone to get hurt for something to happen. | https://nbc-2.com/news/environment/2023/07/28/coyotes-getting-more-comfortable-in-cape-coral-neighborhood/ | 2023-07-29T02:59:00 | 0 | https://nbc-2.com/news/environment/2023/07/28/coyotes-getting-more-comfortable-in-cape-coral-neighborhood/ |
A residential fire Friday afternoon that started in an oversized one-car detached garage before traveling to the exterior of the house has been ruled as accidental, according to Robin Ericson, spokesperson with the Longmont Police Department.
The fire broke out at 2:07 p.m. Friday at 219 Grant Street, Ericson said.
While one person was said to be present at the time, no injuries were reported.
The home to the south of the property only sustained minimal damage due to the quick actions of Longmont Fire Department, Ericson said. | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/28/residential-fire-on-grant-street-in-longmont-ruled-accidental/ | 2023-07-29T02:59:40 | 1 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/28/residential-fire-on-grant-street-in-longmont-ruled-accidental/ |
ARKOMA, Okla. — According to the Arkoma Police Department (APD), a man is in custody after allegedly shooting a gun in his children's direction after they came in the house for popsicles.
The man is facing child abuse and related gun charges.
APD says that the man was taken into custody without incident, and investigators recovered five shell casings.
5NEWS will update this story as more information becomes available
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/crime/arkoma-man-facing-child-abuse-gun-charges-shooting-toward-kids/527-de0a6b6a-c412-4e1e-9d79-eb2dc52bd4be | 2023-07-29T02:59:40 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/crime/arkoma-man-facing-child-abuse-gun-charges-shooting-toward-kids/527-de0a6b6a-c412-4e1e-9d79-eb2dc52bd4be |
Time Warp Comics & Games could use a superhero of its own after someone broke in Friday morning and made off with tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.
Around 3:30 a.m. Friday, a suspect described as being “long and gangly” used a hammer to smash the front door of the comic shop on 28th Street in Boulder. The suspect broke into a glass case near the entrance containing more than $13,000 in comics.
“He definitely knew exactly what he came in here for,” said owner Wayne Winsett. “It’s obviously a customer or somebody that’s very familiar with the store. He had a backpack, knew exactly where to go, what to take fast and was in and out in less than two minutes.”
Winsett, the owner of the 39-year-old Boulder business, said he’s seen roughly a half dozen break-ins, but Friday’s theft was “definitely the hardest” the store has ever been hit.
Winsett said when the burglar alarm came in early in the morning, he slept through it and wasn’t aware of the situation until around 7 a.m. By the time he arrived at the store, police were already pulling fingerprints from the doorframe.
According to the store’s surveillance footage, Winsett said it didn’t appear that the suspect was wearing gloves. He was, however, wearing a hoodie and mask to conceal his face.
Surveillance also was able to capture the suspect’s white Acura in the parking lot, which has been dated between 2016 and 2018. Winsett said that while the footage couldn’t clearly identify the license plate number, he sent the tape to be analyzed by a video expert who specializes in clearing up images.
Surveillance footage also showed a second suspect enter the store a few minutes after the first suspect left the parking lot in the white Acura, however, Winsett doesn’t believe the two to be connected. Winsett said the second suspect can be seen walking around the side of the building and once they notice the broken door, they enter and take what money they can find before quickly leaving.
Winsett said that the theft couldn’t have been worse timing as actor/comedian and comics writer Brian Posehn is scheduled to make an in-store appearance from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, but added that he’s hopeful the event won’t be affected.
“We’re expecting a pretty decent sized crowd to tell you the truth because he’s (Posehn) a very popular comedian,” Winsett said. “It’s going to be business as usual.”
Winsett said that while the break-in is an unfortunate incident, he’s grateful for the amount of people within the community who have reached out to him to express their concern and offered their help and services.
“People are coming out of the woodwork right now contacting us. They’re worried about us, and I just appreciate everybody,” Winsett said. “This kind of stuff is happening to everybody all over the place. It’s really sad things have really changed in this world. I think since the pandemic, people are more desperate than they used to be.”
Dionne Waugh, spokesperson for the Boulder Police Department, said detectives are still in the early stages of the investigation, but are likely to release images from surveillance video after the weekend. Anyone with any information is asked to call dispatch at 303-441-3333 and reference case number 23-7195.
The list of stolen comics are as follows:
Marvel Family #2
Whiz Comics #117
Punisher #218 Photo Variant
Black Panther World of Wakanda #1 1:25
X-Men #2 Torn Cover
X-Men #12
Silver Surfer #1
Aquaman #29
Conan The Barbarian #1
Ultimate Fallout #4 2nd Print 9.6 Yellow Label (CGC 4022386002)
Signed Bendis and Pichelli
Stray Dogs #5 CGC 9.2 5th Printing 1:25 Yellow Label
Signed Fleecs and Forstner
Daredevil #168 6.0 Blue Label (CGC 2010734006)
Doc Savage #2 9.4 Blue Label (CGC 3697561005)
Amazing Spider-Man #361 CGC 9.6 Blue Label
Amazing Spider-Man #363 CGC 9.8 Blue Label
What If? #10 9.0 Blue Label (CGC 2020919002)
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 9.8 Blue Label (CGC 4151535007)
Spider-Man #11 9.8 Yellow Label Stan Lee Signature (CGC 1284253016)
Ms. Marvel #1 9.8 Blue Label (CGC 1259255004)
A-Force #2 9.8 Blue Label (CGC 1601175008)
Amazing Spider-Man #122 6.0 Blue Label (CGC 3893247003)
Amazing Spider-Man #300 CGC 9.8 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/28/time-warp-suffers-break-in-more-than-13k-in-comics-stolen/ | 2023-07-29T02:59:46 | 0 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/28/time-warp-suffers-break-in-more-than-13k-in-comics-stolen/ |
BENTON, Ark — Many rumors and stories are floating around that a Buc-ee's could be coming to Central Arkansas.
The buzz comes after My Saline reported that the Benton Advertising and Promotion Commission approved the purchase of land near the Haskell exit off Interstate 30.
"The anticipated commercial purpose will be a travel center with an investment of around $60 million," a Benton Advertising and Promotion Commission member said during a meeting on Thursday.
No one we spoke with from the City of Benton was able to officially confirm the famed travel center in those plans for the land.
However, we can connect some dots, and you can draw your own conclusions.
The company that purchased the land is CSMS Management, LLC, based in Pearland, Texas, in the same location as a corporate Buc-ee's store.
CSMS Management, LLC, paid nearly $80,000 per acre for the land off Haskell and Interstate 30. The proposal shows that they'll create 250 new jobs, pay between $16-$18 an hour, have a 401(k) plan, insurance and nearly three weeks of PTO.
A quick search on Buc-ee's website shows they offer those same benefits.
When we called CSMS Management, LLC., a Buc-ee's employee answered. The address for this company is 11200 W Broadway in Pearland, an address the Buc-ee's website shows jobs for.
While we wait for official confirmation, one thing is clear. If this travel center is built, it'll mean a lot more than just beaver nuggets and brisket.
"It's better than killing two birds with one stone because we got a lot more than two birds," one Benton Advertising and Promotion Commission member said during Thursday's meeting. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/is-arkansas-getting-a-buc-ees/91-03aa1754-6c6f-44c0-a2a0-5fcddcee7b88 | 2023-07-29T02:59:46 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/is-arkansas-getting-a-buc-ees/91-03aa1754-6c6f-44c0-a2a0-5fcddcee7b88 |
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a four-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.”
An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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.
Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born by his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the president's late son who died of cancer in 2015, leaving behind two children.
Biden's grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited his grandchildren with persuading him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020.
Biden's statement was first reported by People Magazine. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-acknowledges-seventh-grandchild-hunters-daughter/507-ad6442fa-448f-4603-bb7e-17493e4449f0 | 2023-07-29T02:59:52 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-acknowledges-seventh-grandchild-hunters-daughter/507-ad6442fa-448f-4603-bb7e-17493e4449f0 |
WASHINGTON — Nine senior Senate Democrats and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders urged the Biden administration Friday to withhold part of the United States' annual military aid to Egypt for a third consecutive year, calling it important to keep up the pressure on President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on human rights abuses.
More than 20 leading U.S. and international rights groups and think tanks separately made the same appeal, arguing that the U.S. practice of holding back some aid was leading el-Sissi to make “limited, albeit insufficient ” rights improvements in Egypt.
About a quarter of a $1.3 billion appropriation is at issue.
The request may be especially tough this year for President Joe Biden, who is focusing on keeping countries around the world, including Egypt, aligned behind Ukraine as it battles Russia's globally destabilizing invasion. Neither the State Department nor the Egyptian Embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment Friday.
The letters, addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, serve as an opening round in Democratic lawmakers' annual battle to trim aid funding as a way to pressure el-Sissi's government to curb rights abuses.
The State Department's annual human rights report has repeatedly faulted Egypt, even as an important strategic ally in the region, for extrajudicial killings and torture, detention of thousands of writers, reporters, advocates and other political prisoners, suppression of news media and other abuses.
The Washington Post, citing secret U.S. documents leaked online by a Massachusetts Air National Guard member, reported in April that U.S. officials had talked Egypt out of secretly providing rockets to Russia. Egypt agreed instead to provide the United States with artillery rounds for transfer for Ukraine, the Post reported, citing another leaked document.
Congress in recent years has made the U.S. payment of roughly $300 million of U.S. military aid contingent on Egypt’s government showing progress on rights, although the State Department can partially override that, on national security grounds.
While shared U.S.-Egyptian security objectives make it important for the U.S. to continue supporting Egypt’s military in general, the senators argued, “we can continue to support these objectives while enforcing the law to withhold $320 million in military aid to Egypt due to a lack of necessary progress on human rights.”
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut led the letter. Richard Blumenthal, also of Connecticut, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin of Maryland, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Tom Carper of Delaware also signed.
“As the administration’s decision to withhold a portion of Egypt’s $1.3 billion appropriation for each of the last two years demonstrates, the bilateral security relationship can be effectively sustained at a reduced level of assistance while upholding our values,” the senators wrote.
The administration is expected to make a decision on the matter next month, although the legal deadline is Sept. 30.
Egypt’s jailing and silencing of critics have drawn international condemnation and are points of friction between the North African country and the West. That includes the United States, the Egyptian military's most generous supporter.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, PEN International and other rights groups and think tanks in the other letter Friday credited the Biden administration's financial pressure with helping persuade Egypt to free more than 1,000 political detainees. At the same time, rights advocates say, Egypt has detained nearly 5,000 others, and renewed pretrial detentions of thousands more. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/senate-democrats-joint-letter-biden-egypt-military-aid/507-862fe9ba-2a72-4dc8-a9dc-8d5c5d557b8a | 2023-07-29T02:59:59 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/senate-democrats-joint-letter-biden-egypt-military-aid/507-862fe9ba-2a72-4dc8-a9dc-8d5c5d557b8a |
WASHINGTON — Trader Joe's is recalling frozen falafel sold in more than 30 states because it may contain rocks.
It's the second time in a week that the grocery chain has announced a recall related to rocks in food. It comes one day after it issued a recall for a broccoli cheddar soup that may contain insects.
According to the retailer, it was alerted to the issue by the supplier of its Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Falafel.
The recall specifically includes the frozen falafel product sold in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
Anyone who purchased or received the Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Falafel (SKU#93935) is urged to throw it out or return it to any Trader Joe's for a full refund.
Last Friday, the grocery chain announced it was recalling two cookie products because they may contain rocks. That recall impacts Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies and Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies with "sell by" dates ranging from October 17, 2023 to October 21, 2023. Lot codes for the recalled cookies and customer service contact information can be found on Trader Joe's website.
In a response to a request for comment, Trader Joe's said the close timing of the two situations was "coincidental."
"While there are aspects of our product supply chain beyond our direct control, we will never leave to chance the safety of the products we offer. In this case, there was a different issue in the each of the manufacturing processes," Public Relations Manager Nakia Rohde said. "We don’t take any chance when it comes to product safety and quality. We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues. We voluntarily take action quickly and aggressively—investigating potential problems and removing a product from sale if there is any doubt about its safety or quality."
On Thursday, Trader Joe's issued a recall on its "Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup" after discovering it could potentially contain insects. More than 10,000 cases of the 20-ounce product are being recalled, according to the FDA report. The soups were distributed in Florida, California, Texas, Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Illinois.
The Monrovia, California-based chain is privately held by the families that also own Aldi Nord, a German grocer. Trader Joe’s operates around 530 stores in the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/trader-joes-recall-falafel-rocks/507-6cb7a5ef-7171-41e5-8bc2-a1625a329f31 | 2023-07-29T03:00:05 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/trader-joes-recall-falafel-rocks/507-6cb7a5ef-7171-41e5-8bc2-a1625a329f31 |
My journey to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour began with five and a half hours in traffic from Portland to Seattle. Or maybe it started that fateful autumn day when my mom called to tell me that she was one of the lucky ones who made it out of Ticketmaster alive. But really, it all began 13 years ago, when my best friend showed me her new Taylor Swift CD, and I quickly realized this woman was going to be the soundtrack to the rest of my adolescence.
I didn’t just want to listen to Swift; I wanted to know her and someday be just like her. I begged my parents for a guitar that Christmas so I could learn her songs and perform them at bars just like she did. I sent her letters, watched every interview, and caught every cameo she made in a movie, and when kids at school said she was corny, I defended her like she was my parasocial big sister.
By the time I got to high school I traded in my desire to be the next multi-Grammy winning country pop singer/ songwriter sensation to be seen as cool. By the time Swift dropped her America’s sweetheart persona for an era filled with black sequins and snakes, I was halfway out the door. Similar to Swift’s rebellion against her good girl reputation; my rebellion against Swift didn’t last very long, and before I knew it, I was plotting how I could attend Loverfest, her music festival that would later get canceled due to COVID.
The pandemic stopped everyone in their tracks except Swift, who — when told she couldn’t tour — decided to “write as much music as humanly possible.” It has now been five years since she last toured, and since then Swift has written and produced four albums and re-recorded three of her former albums, including dozens of new bonus tracks.
July 22 was Swift’s first time performing in Seattle’s largest stadium, Lumen Field, since 2018. Gracie Abrams and HAIM introduced the five-hour show with a short and sweet set filled with hits like “Gasoline” and “My Song 5.” My sister and I seem to be some of the only die-hard HAIM fans as we were the only people standing up and dancing in our row. As the openers file off the stage a clock appears on the screens and the countdown till Swift begins. Every seat in the stadium is filled by the time the crowd chants “three, two, one!”
“It’s been a long time comin’,” Swift sings her first line in “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince ” as she pops up from under giant pink and purple canopies. The stadium shook with excitement, literally causing an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.3 on the Richter scale. Swift has always been about spectacle and theatrics. I vividly remember her flying around the Moda Center on a balcony in full Renaissance style garb, waving to fans during her Speak Now tour.
The three and a half hour long set takes fans through nearly every era of a career that spans over two decades with costume and set changes that reflect that. Starting with her Lover era, Swift sports a pink sparkly leotard with her signature red lipstick. The stage is adorned with pink canopies attached to dancers and fuschia-colored visuals across the screen. Swift gets the whole crowd to sing the pop anthem “Cruel Summer,” and ballroom dancers float around her as she sings her oh so romantic love ballad, “Lover.” The stage goes dark and Swift’s platform lowers beneath the stage while the audience anticipates her next era.
Swift is known for reinvention. Having started out as a country singer/songwriter with a knack for storytelling, Swift quickly realized her potential couldn’t be contained to one genre. Swift’s discography ranges from country to the synth pop sounds of 1989 and indie folk influences on Folklore. The Eras Tour gives Swift an opportunity to pay homage to every iteration of herself throughout her career.
The beginning of “Fearless” starts to play, and a wave of nostalgia engulfs the stadium. Swift comes out in her gold sparkly fringe dress that she wore for the duration of her 2010 Fearless tour and an acoustic guitar.
“And I don’t know how it gets better than this/ You take my hand and drag me headfirst / Fearless,” Swift sings as she twirls across the stage. Tears begin to roll down my cheek as I turn to my mom and sister standing next to me. Over a decade of screaming those lyrics in the car and watching the “Fearless” music video wondering what that tour must have been like and experiencing it firsthand with the people you love. It was magic.
Swift takes us through the moss-covered wilderness of Evermore and Folklore with a log cabin wheeled on stage while she prances about in a long white dress. The Haim sisters take the stage alongside Swift performing their country song “No Body, No Crime” for the first time. Swift takes the audience through her fictional storytelling with actors acting out scenes she describes in her songs. When Swift plays her emotional ballad “My Tears Ricochet,” by the end of the song she’s curled up in a ball on stage singing, “And you’re cursing my name, wishing I stayed/ Look at how my tears ricochet.”
Swift’s admiration for theater and performance, juxtaposed with her desire to connect with fans, is on full display throughout the entirety of the show. It’s not uncommon for Swift to talk between most of her songs giving words of wisdom to her crowd of 72,250 people or cracking a joke or accidentally coughing into the microphone and laughing about it later.
“If you see me staring at you, it’s just because I’m actively trying to memorize your faces — in the least creepy way possible,” Swift says during her Evermore set. “I just really want to soak it all in.”
The balancing act of performance and connection is one Swift nails time and time again. One moment snakes slither across the screen and fire explodes from all sides of the stage, and then a few minutes later Swift emerges in a pink ball gown to sing a song about falling in love. The audience is stunned by the theatrics but is moved by her storytelling.
In her documentary, “Miss Americana,” Swift says, “I know I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t write my own music — it’s my storytelling that got me where I am.” It’s her storytelling that manages to get hundreds of thousands of people to sing a 10-minute long song recalling intimate details of a relationship ending, “All Too Well (10-minute version).” My mother said it best on the way home, in reference to “All Too Well”: “Women remember every detail of their relationships. We hold on to those little moments.”
Looking around the stadium I noticed every age group is represented: little girls with signature “Swiftie” friendship bracelets on; millennial women holding Swift’s “Midnight Lemonade” cocktail; grandmas sitting with their grandkids and dads with teary eyes over how happy their daughters are. In my early days of listening to Swift my mom was like one of those parents weeping over her ecstatic daughter until she became a fan herself. Now, I get a call from her when Swift releases new music.
Nearly three hours into the show Swift’s favorite part of this tour commences: the surprise songs. Every show she plays two songs acoustically that are not in the set and can be from any part of her career. This night she played “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” which she says she has never played acoustically before. Her next song was off of Red, “Everything Has Changed.” The crowd sang along with her as she played with no crazy costumes, no set pieces, nobody else on stage, just her and her piano.
Swift ends the night with songs from her latest album, Midnights. Purple blossoms dance across the stage as Swift sings her “Lavender Haze,” and a sexy cellblock tango number for her song “Vigilante Shit” makes dads in the crowd wonder if they should avert their eyes. In true Swift fashion she manages to keep every generation in the crowd entertained. Her final song was “Karma,” which was to be expected given its popularity at the moment. Fireworks erupted into the sky, and as Swift leapt inside the stage I felt frozen in time.
The lyrics from “Long Live” — “And bring on all the pretenders/ One day we will be remembered” — echo in my brain as we all pile out of the stadium. “She was just like how I remembered her,” I recall saying to my mom and sister. She’s the same Taylor Swift who wrote 13 on her hands before every show in the same way I’m the same Emerson Brady that sang “Enchanted” at the fourth grade talent show. We’re all grown up now, but we did it together. | https://eugeneweekly.com/2023/07/28/long-live-taylor-swifts-eras-tour/ | 2023-07-29T03:01:16 | 0 | https://eugeneweekly.com/2023/07/28/long-live-taylor-swifts-eras-tour/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Fair is officially underway, and this year’s event comes with a few new rules.
For many guests, the state fair is an annual tradition. For others, it’s a brand new adventure.
“I like it,” said Laylee Waugh, who won first place showing her llama at her first Indiana State Fair this year. “It’s really cool and a lot bigger than the county fair — like a lot bigger.”
About 850,000 attend the state fair every year, so precautions are taken to ensure patrons’ safety.
“We are constantly reviewing our safety plan for our guests,” said Anna Whelchel, who works as the Indiana State Fair chief marketing and sales officer. “We watch what’s happening in the world, we watch what’s happening in the city, what’s happening in the state, and we’re constantly updating that plan.”
Guests may recognize the metal detectors at the gates as they enter, but there are also new bag restrictions in place this year.
Hard-sided coolers, messenger bags, camera bags and other bags larger than 9 x 10 x 12 will not be permitted on fairgrounds. Diaper bags and clutches, however, are allowed.
The biggest change to the fair rules pertains to minors.
“Starting at 6 p.m. every day at the state fair, all 18 days, a minor cannot get into the fair without their parent, chaperone or guardian,” Whelchel said.
Last year, police ejected a man with a disassembled rifle in his backpack. They also took a backpack containing three guns and ammo away from a teen outside the venue’s gates.
New safety policies and time restrictions aim to prevent similar incidents.
“This day and age, I think they need to do something,” said Angela Burleson, a fair visitor. “I mean, I could see how the kids might not be too happy about it, but I can see how the older folks who want to come out and not be scared or whatever would like it.”
Wherever you roam, you will find state police in every direction. More than 100 troopers help provide security over the course of 4 weeks.
“I totally feel safe,” Burleson said. “Not a problem at all. Never thought two things about it.”
Another major safety focus at the state fair this weekend is the heat.
“We want to remind guests you can bring in a sealed water bottle,” Whelchel said. “You can also bring in an empty water bottle and use our refill stations that we have.”
There are several refill stations throughout the fairgrounds, and some visitors said those watering holes are lifesavers.
“I wouldn’t come if they didn’t exist,” Burleson laughed. “I wouldn’t come here. Thought I was going to fall out just coming from the parking lot. So glad we have those.”
There are also buses around the fairgrounds that are used as mobile cooling stations. The state fair additionally includes around a million square feet of indoor options as well.
“Visit all the inside areas,” suggested fair visitor Adrenia Waugh. “They all have air conditioning. So, go in and see all the different exhibits and different animals.”
The state fair also added several portable fans and air conditioning units outdoors to help keep guests cool. | https://fox59.com/indiana-news/minors-not-allowed-in-indiana-state-fair-without-adult-after-6-p-m-starting-friday/ | 2023-07-29T03:01:43 | 0 | https://fox59.com/indiana-news/minors-not-allowed-in-indiana-state-fair-without-adult-after-6-p-m-starting-friday/ |
6-year-old girl dies after being hit by boat propeller at lake, authorities say
PEORIA, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say a young girl has died after she was hit by a boat propeller at Lake Pleasant Friday morning.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were called to the lake regarding a boat accident at about 11 a.m.
KPHO reports that a 6-year-old girl was pulled from the lake with a severe leg injury. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
According to Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, two families had arrived at the lake around 7 a.m. for swimming and wakeboarding. All 12 people, reported to be six adults and six children, were on the same boat.
Investigators said the child was injured when no one realized she was still in the water and her mother started to accelerate to pull another family member who was wakeboarding.
The young girl was then run over by the boat.
Because of poor cellphone service in that part of the lake, the family couldn’t reach emergency services.
Other boaters in the area helped get the child out of the water and brought her to the Pleasant Harbor Marina where fire crews were waiting.
Deputies don’t believe impairment was a factor in the accident.
Detectives are investigating and processing evidence, but Enriquez said the girl’s death is being treated as a tragic accident.
Authorities said there appeared to be no safety violations on the boat, which was equipped with proper life jackets, a fire extinguisher and other gear.
Enriquez also said the owners are experienced boat operators who live near the lake.
The families involved were not immediately identified.
Copyright 2023 KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-29T03:01:43 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ |
HOUSTON — Scientists have woken up a 46,000-year-old roundworm.
They said the roundworm, which was of a previously unknown species, spent those tens of thousands of years deep in the Siberian permafrost. According to the Washington Post, once it was revived, researchers said it started having babies!
The findings of this roundworm were detailed Thursday in PLOS Genetics.
“It’s kind of super fascinating finally to suddenly see life, living animals crawling out of a piece of soil that been deep frozen for 46,000 years,” Dr. Philipp Schiffer from the University of Cologne told CBS News.
The Washington Post said the roundworms, also called nematodes, were brought back to life by warming the soil they were in.
The species is now known as Panagrolaimus kolymaensis. They're able to suspend metabolism, which is known as cryptobiosis.
Right now, scientists are focused on how the species adapted through that time. Schiffer said it could teach us about conservation biology and how, at a molecular level, species can adapt through changing climates.
You can read a whole lot more about these nematodes in the Washington Post. | https://www.kvue.com/article/life/animals/roundworm-siberian-permafrost-wake-up/285-9496acf0-8843-40cc-afe4-ba01b4536f32 | 2023-07-29T03:01:43 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/life/animals/roundworm-siberian-permafrost-wake-up/285-9496acf0-8843-40cc-afe4-ba01b4536f32 |
WHITELAND, Ind. – It’s been four months since an EF-3 tornado ripped through Whiteland on March 31.
The tornado tore through hundreds of homes and about 50 were severely damaged.
The damage isn’t hard to find as plots of land still sit empty where houses once stood, and others are still trying to rebuild and repair their homes.
The impact is still felt daily by the community.
Friday night, people living in Whiteland came together to try and help those affected get back on their feet at the town’s annual “Community Night Out” event.
“Just to help maybe speed up the process. Getting people back to normal. That’s the big thing is normal,” said Whiteland resident, Jonathan Ross, whose home was damaged.
Normal.
That’s exactly what the town of Whiteland is trying to help people get back to.
Dozens showed up for the event on Friday evening in the parking lot of Whiteland Town Hall.
“Just to take their minds off of it… they still have the headaches of dealing with the tornado in whatever form or fashion, so this is just a night to bring everybody together,” said Carmen Young, the director of administration for the Town of Whiteland.
There were games, food and entertainment.
This year, all the proceeds go to tornado recovery efforts. The money will go to Johnson County’s Long Term Recovery Group.
It’s a cause organizers say is important as many hit by the tornado have had problems getting back on their feet.
Whether it’s issues with insurance, or as some in attendance told FOX59/CBS4, being denied help from federal agencies.
“Let’s say insurance will pay x amount and FEMA maybe paid x amount but there’s still a gap to get the project done and get the home built and so that’s where that donation management team and those funds will be raised to help cover that gap,” said Young. “We’re working to get our residents back home. We have issued quite a few building permits, so some people are already starting to rebuild.”
Whether it’s a dollar here or a dollar there for food or a game. Every little bit helps.
“It’s really devastating so our hearts really go out to the people who were affected by that and we want to be able to help them however we can,” said Susan Speigel, who resides in Whiteland.
And for those affected, seeing the community come together, is priceless.
“I’m grateful. To be honest, like I said, we’ve had such a great turnout with the community helping with the cleanup efforts and to see people still showing up the way they are it’s an amazing feeling. Makes me proud to be here in Whiteland,” said Ross.
If you’d like to donate, or if you still need help, contact the Johnson County Long Term Recovery Group:
Tina McAninch, Case Manager
Phone: 317-883-7102
Email: jcsupervisor2023@gmail.com
Potential Assistance:
- Construction costs
- Volunteer labor
- Home contents
- Temporary housing
- Emotional & mental health support resources
- Transportation
- Identify other available resources | https://fox59.com/news/community-night-out-aims-to-help-people-impacted-by-whiteland-tornado/ | 2023-07-29T03:01:49 | 0 | https://fox59.com/news/community-night-out-aims-to-help-people-impacted-by-whiteland-tornado/ |
‘Our hero is going home’: Police officer released from rehab 3.5 months after Ky. bank shooting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After 109 days, Louisville Metro police officer Nickolas Wilt has been released from Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and is going home.
Wilt has been hospitalized, receiving medical care for the last three and a half months after the Old National Bank mass shooting on April 10. Wilt was critically injured when he was shot in the head after responding to the shooting that ultimately killed five people.
The victims were identified as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Wilt was listed in critical condition for nearly a month. Officials with the University of Louisville Health said Wilt received multiple surgeries and underwent several procedures at University of Louisville Hospital and Jewish Hospital.
On May 10, one month after the shooting, Wilt was transferred to Frazier Rehabilitation Institute to begin neuro and physical rehabilitation after seeing an improvement in his condition. Over the course of the last three and a half months, doctors and family of Wilt have called his journey remarkable.
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear shared a photo with Wilt ahead of his release.
“Kentucky, our prayers were heard. @LMPD Officer Nick Wilt is headed home with his family. Officer Wilt is a hero who ran toward danger to save the lives of several of my friends. I am forever grateful for him and his bravery. Let’s keep praying for him.”
Wilt was honored as he left the halls of Frazier Rehab. He was accompanied by family as well as some fellow officers.
After leaving the rehab facility, Wilt was driven to Southeast Christian Church on Blankenbaker Parkway where he was driven past a line of well-wishers. The van then headed for Oldham County where community members were invited to gather along Highway 53 in La Grange to greet Wilt.
LMPD shared their sentiment on their social media, honoring the heroic actions of Wilt.
“Resilience, strength, courage. Those are just a few words to describe Ofc. Nickolas Wilt. April 10th, innocent lives were lost. Ofc. Wilt, just 10 days on the job, answered the call to help stop an active shooter. Today, our hero is going home. He’s ready. #WiltsWarriors”
Louisville Metro Police Foundation has created a donation site to help pay for Wilt’s medical expenses.
To make a donation, click or tap here.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ | 2023-07-29T03:01:49 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ |
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a four-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.”
An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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.
Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born by his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the president's late son who died of cancer in 2015, leaving behind two children.
Biden's grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited his grandchildren with persuading him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020.
Biden's statement was first reported by People Magazine. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-acknowledges-seventh-grandchild-hunters-daughter/507-ad6442fa-448f-4603-bb7e-17493e4449f0 | 2023-07-29T03:01:50 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-acknowledges-seventh-grandchild-hunters-daughter/507-ad6442fa-448f-4603-bb7e-17493e4449f0 |
DES MOINES, Iowa — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed “I will get the job done” but shied away from attacking former President Donald Trump as the two top rivals for the Republican presidential nomination were making rare appearances at the same Iowa campaign event on Friday night.
Despite Trump being charged a day earlier with additional counts over his retention of classified documents that could shake up the race, DeSantis stuck to his standard campaign speech, mostly targeting President Joe Biden. The Florida governor also repeated his frequent promise to halt the “weaponization” of the Justice Department, an allusion to Trump's legal troubles, but offered no specific thoughts on the cases against him. That's despite Trump also bracing to be charged soon in Washington over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
“The time for excuses is over. We must get the job done," DeSantis said. "I will get the job done."
Trump frequently avoids attending multicandidate events in person, questioning why he would share a stage with competitors who are badly trailing him in polls. But with Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus less than six months away, the former president joined a dozen other GOP hopefuls in speaking to about 1,200 GOP members and activists at the Lincoln Day Dinner.
He also opened an Iowa campaign office in Urbandale, outside Des Moines, prior to the main event — and wasn't shy about slamming his competitors around the same time DeSantis was taking the stage at the dinner.
“I understand the other candidates are falling very flat ... it’s like death,” Trump said, adding, “There’s no applause, there’s no nothing.”
More than 100 people packed the small office, many wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and shirts. They had waited in 100-degree weather to enter, and the poorly ventilated office quickly became sweltering. Staff handed out water bottles, and people fanned themselves with campaign handouts. Some used paper towels to wipe away sweat.
DeSantis is Trump’s strongest primary competitor but has been trying to reset his stalled campaign for two weeks. He's increasingly focusing on Iowa in its efforts on trying to derail Trump.
The governor's stumbles have raised questions about whether another candidate might be able to emerge from the field and catch the former president. Some evangelicals, who can be determinative in the state’s caucuses, have pointed to South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s upbeat message and pulpit-style delivery as strengths that could help him rise there.
Scott, who also spoke Friday night and didn't mention Trump or the cases against him, held a town hall the previous day in Ankeny with Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. Afterward, Scott took a swipe at DeSantis over the Florida governor's support for new standards that require the state's teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”
The only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, Scott said all Americans should recognize how “devastating” slavery was. “There is no silver lining” to slavery, he added.
DeSantis has also faced criticism from teachers and civil rights leaders, as well as mounting pushback from some of his party's most prominent Black elected officials. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds said he hoped officials might “correct” parts of the curriculum addressing lessons on the developed skills of enslaved people. Texas Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt and Will Hurd, a former Texas congressman now also running in the GOP presidential primary, have also criticized DeSantis.
Still, the governor continued to dig in on the issue, saying at a pre-dinner event in Oskaloosa on Friday, “D.C. Republicans all too often accept false narratives, accept lies that are perpetrated by the left." The governor has defended the new school curriculum, saying, “I think it’s very clear that these guys did a good job on those standards."
John Niemeyer, 52, from Kalona, Iowa, attended DeSantis' event and was impressed. But, as a high school teacher, he’s not a fan of some of the governor's positions on education policy.
“I don’t want to make our classrooms a political battlefield,” he said, adding that it would be a “mistake” to make the issue the forefront of his campaign.
Vice President Kamala Harris made her own Iowa stop on Friday, seeking to draw a contrast with the Republicans as she looked to lift President Joe Biden's reelection campaign. Harris met in Des Moines with activists and discussed abortion rights, after Reynolds recently signed a ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
“I do believe that we are witnessing a national agenda that is about a full-on attack on hard won freedoms and hard won rights,” the vice president said.
Hours later, many Lincoln Day Dinner attendees wore “Trump Country” stickers, including 72-year-old Diane Weaver of Ankeny, Iowa.
“I think he makes America great," said Weaver, a retiree who plans to caucus for Trump. “I think he did it once and I think he can do it again.”
West Des Moines resident Jane Schrader chose to wear her “Trump Country” sticker on her pants instead of at eye level. “I’m not quite dyed-in-the-wool. I’m a supporter, but not that kind,” said the retired physician, explaining her sticker placement.
Trump did face criticism from some rivals, including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison, who in his speech declared, "As a party, we need a new direction for America and for the GOP.” The crowd offered only a muted reaction — but refrained from booing, which Trump critics at Republican primary events often face.
DeSantis, meanwhile, ducked chances Friday to criticize Trump over the additional charges he faces even before his speech.
“We have engaged when appropriate,” DeSantis told reporters in Oskaloosa, adding that he's not interested in "relitigating the latest superseding indictment.”
The governor has pledged to eventually visit all of Iowa’s 99 counties and is in the midst of a two-day state bus tour organized by a super PAC supporting his run. But he faces fresh questions about his strategy and path forward.
After his fundraising reports showed him burning through donations, the governor cut more than a third of his campaign staff.
DeSantis' cash crunch seems to be driving the campaign to rely even more on the efforts of the super PAC Never Back Down to take up the work typically done by campaign staff. Super PACs can receive unlimited sums from donors but are barred under federal rules from donating to candidates or coordinating with campaigns on how their money is spent.
While presidential campaigns have been supplemented before by the work of super PACs, which frequently use deeper coffers to run expensive television ads, the work Never Back Down has done to promote DeSantis has been more expansive. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-desantis-republican-iowa-lincoln-day-dinner/507-35b0317a-5fff-4915-b243-aee60a360db2 | 2023-07-29T03:01:56 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-desantis-republican-iowa-lincoln-day-dinner/507-35b0317a-5fff-4915-b243-aee60a360db2 |
AUSTIN, Texas — A “shopping cart corral” is happening Saturday morning at Shoal Creek.
The event, put on by the Shoal Creek Conservancy, comes in light of a 2022 report by the Watershed Protection Department about Austin's creeks.
"A surprise fact [is] that over 500 carts were found. In Shoal Creek alone, we are setting out to collect the 36 shopping carts identified in the just this one creek," said Shoal Creek Conservancy executive director, Ivey Kaiser.
Shoal Creek spans 11 miles in Austin, running from Highway 183 and the MoPac Expressway to Lady Bird Lake.
"It’s incredibly important for all Austinites [to know], not only is the creek a place to come and enjoy the Shoal Creek trail [and] enjoy a shady spot near the water in the City. It poses a lot of environmental benefits for wildlife, for plant species and for our urban tree canopy," Kaiser said.
There will be 75 volunteers at Saturday’s event. HEB and other local grocery stores will also help out and reclaim shopping carts, as well as also picking up trash.
"Concern with litter in the creek, whether it’s from a chemical standpoint [or not], it's an ingestion risk for wildlife. When we look at shopping carts, we look at the risk of capturing debris, capturing large items and becoming a blockade in the creek bed that could back water up and become a flood risk in the future," Kaiser said. | https://www.kvue.com/article/tech/science/environment/shopping-cart-corral-being-held-at-shoal-creek/269-87573bbe-2e3a-4d2f-a8b4-639290f2511a | 2023-07-29T03:02:02 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/tech/science/environment/shopping-cart-corral-being-held-at-shoal-creek/269-87573bbe-2e3a-4d2f-a8b4-639290f2511a |
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The death of a 16-year-old in a Mississippi poultry plant earlier this month offered another reminder that children remain vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace in the United States, senior Labor Department officials said Wednesday.
Duvan Perez became the third teenager to die in an industrial accident this summer. Those deaths occurred amid a push by lawmakers in some states to loosen child labor regulations in order to meet growing demands for workers, though none of the deaths occurred in states where new laws have been enacted.
Perez was working on a sanitation crew at Mar-Jac Poultry on July 14 when he became entangled in a conveyor belt he was cleaning, according to records obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. Before authorities arrived at the meat processing plant, Perez’s coworkers had tried to extract him from the equipment, which stretched to the plant’s ceiling. Police found the teenager dead, and Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict said in a text message that Perez died from traumatic asphyxia and blunt force trauma.
In a statement, Mar-Jac Poultry blamed an unnamed staffing company for hiring Perez to work at the plant and said Perez’s paperwork appeared to misrepresent his age.
“We are devastated at the loss of life, and deeply regret that an underage individual was hired without our knowledge. The company is undertaking a thorough audit with the staffing companies to ensure that this kind of error never happens again,” the statement said.
Michael Schuls, 16, died in early July after he became entangled in a wood-stacking machine at the northern Wisconsin sawmill where he worked. Will Hampton, also 16, died in June when he was pinned between a semi-truck and its trailer at a landfill in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
State and federal child labor laws prohibit minors from working in meat processing plants. The hazards were highlighted over the past year by one of the worst child labor cases in the department’s history. In that case, children as young as 13 were found cleaning dangerous equipment like skull splitters and bone saws in slaughterhouses across the country while working for a Wisconsin-based cleaning contractor. Several of them suffered chemical burns while working overnight shifts and attending school during the day.
Packers Sanitation Services Inc. agreed to pay $1.5 million and reform its hiring practices after investigators found more than 100 children working for the company at meatpacking plants in eight states.
That case and the overall increase in child labor violations in recent years prompted officials to launch a broad effort to investigate such cases more vigorously. Those efforts include training workers from other departments to spot child labor concerns as they work with refugees and other groups while ensuring that the Labor Department is communicating with the Justice Department about potential criminal prosecutions. Labor Department officials discussed the issue generally in a background briefing but declined to comment on specific cases criminal investigators are reviewing.
Nadia Marin-Molina, workers' rights program coordinator at the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said the Mississippi incident is a microcosm of the dangers faced by workers at similar facilities around the country that rely on low-wage labor.
“This is not the first death at this facility, and it’s also emblematic of conditions at other poultry plants. These conditions are widespread," she said. "You can’t understand or even investigate what happened here without understanding the level of fear that exists in the communities around these plants and among the workers who are there.”
Perez is the third employee in the past three years to be killed on the job at the Hattiesburg plant. Over that period, there was also an amputation at the plant. OSHA previously cited Mar-Jac Poultry in 2020 and 2021 for four safety violations in three separate incidents.
The Labor Department's Wage and Hours Division, which enforces child labor laws, is investigating the employers of all three child workers who died this summer. Officials have said that child labor violations have increased nearly 70% nationwide since 2018.
Senior Labor Department officials on Wednesday touted the results of their expanded enforcement efforts, saying the department has completed 765 child labor investigations and identified 4,474 children employed in violation of federal child labor laws since the current fiscal year began on Oct. 1.
Most of those cases involved routine violations like teens working more hours than allowed rather than children working in dangerous environments like meatpacking plants. However, two teens were also found working in a Minnesota meat processing plant run by Monogram Foods earlier this year.
The number of children flagged for working illegally was up from the 3,876 illegally employed minors that investigators found in the entire 2022 fiscal year. The Labor Department has also increased its use of monetary penalties, fining employers roughly $6.6 million since October, up from nearly $4.4 million in 2022.
Most recently, the department announced Tuesday that it had fined McDonald's franchises in Louisiana and Texas for employing teen workers for longer hours than allowed by law and letting 14- and 15-year-olds operate manual deep fryers and trash compactors. Such work is prohibited for employees under age 16.
More than 700 other child labor investigations are ongoing.
“These are work environments that are unfit for adults, much less for minors,” said Wendy Cervantes, director of immigration and immigrant families at the Center for Law and Social Policy. “Duvan’s tragic story is unfortunately too common, and too many kids like him are continuing to work in inappropriate settings across the country in direct violation of our child labor laws.”
Teen employment rates typically peak in July, according to federal labor statistics, when many students are working summer jobs. A vast majority of child labor violations do not involve hazardous occupations and instead pertain to issues such as the hours that minors are allowed to work, which are more limited during the school year.
Lawmakers in several states have pushed in recent years to let children work in more hazardous occupations and for longer hours. The proposals from mostly Republican authors are intended to address worker shortages and include allowing 14-year-olds to serve alcohol, letting 14- and 15-year-olds work past 9 p.m. during the school year and removing age-verification requirements when hiring children.
Labor Department officials said Wednesday that new laws enacted by states cannot legally violate minimum federal standards.
___
Goldberg reported from Jackson, Mississippi. Venhuizen reported from Madison, Wisconsin. Associated Press writer Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska. ___
Goldberg and Venhuizen are corps members for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/mississippi-teens-death-in-poultry-plant-shows-child-labor-remains-a-problem-feds-say | 2023-07-29T03:02:09 | 1 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/26/mississippi-teens-death-in-poultry-plant-shows-child-labor-remains-a-problem-feds-say |
AUSTIN, Texas — The operator of Austin airport's South Terminal is now staring at a potential legal battle from an airline.
This week, Allegiant Air filed a 215-page lawsuit against LoneStar Airport Holdings LLC, the company that operates the airport's South Terminal, alleging that LoneStar has been making deals with the City of Austin in secret, affecting the airline's overall operations.
Allegiant Air moved its operations to Austin in 2021 and built infrastructure at ABIA to support its move, but the lawsuit claims that LoneStar entered into a secret license agreement with the City of Austin that involved the land Allegiant was using for its new infrastructure.
Allegiant also claimed that LoneStar hasn't been transparent with the airline regarding plans to sell the South Terminal to the city. The airline alleges that it was not given copies of transcripts from February hearings in which a panel of three Special Commissioners discussed how much Austin should pay LoneStar for the South Terminal land.
Ultimately, the City has agreed to pay $88 million for the South Terminal. Attorneys for Allegiant Air claim they are not receiving any of that money, despite having infrastructure on the land.
KVUE reached out to LoneStar for comment, in which a spokesman replied:
"Lonestar Airport Holdings strongly disputes these claims and looks forward to getting them dismissed."
The South Terminal is slated to be closed so the City can work on expanding the airport's main terminal. | https://www.kvue.com/article/travel/airline-suing-south-terminal-operator/269-efa77655-b20f-4fda-add5-503014b5b3c6 | 2023-07-29T03:02:08 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/travel/airline-suing-south-terminal-operator/269-efa77655-b20f-4fda-add5-503014b5b3c6 |
CALDWELL, Idaho — A 46-year-old Boise man was killed and a 78-year-old Middleton man was injured in a three-vehicle crash in Caldwell Friday afternoon, Idaho State Police reported.
The Boise man was riding a Yamaha motorcycle when he collided with a Toyota Rav4 at the intersection of Midland Boulevard and US20-26. The crash occurred as the Toyota – driven by the Middleton man – "proceeded past the stop sign and through the intersection," police said in a news release.
The Yamaha was headed east on US20-26 when it hit the Toyota, which was traveling south on Midland Boulevard. After the initial collision, the Toyota sideswiped a Jeep, driven by a 74-year-old Caldwell man.
According to ISP, the Boise man on the motorcycle died at the scene of the crash. He was wearing a helmet.
The 78-year-old Middleton man in the Toyota was taken to an area hospital by ground ambulance. Friday's news release did not indicate whether the Caldwell man driving the Jeep was injured in the incident.
Friday's collision happened around 2:25 p.m. The intersection of US20-26 and Midland Boulevard was blocked for roughly three hours.
The crash is under investigation by Idaho State Police.
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Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-man-killed-three-vehicle-crash-caldwell/277-a0be40de-c18a-4e92-bba0-4e37352c3364 | 2023-07-29T03:03:22 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-man-killed-three-vehicle-crash-caldwell/277-a0be40de-c18a-4e92-bba0-4e37352c3364 |
ABSECON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- The family of an 8-year-old boy who was killed in a New Jersey car crash earlier this week wants to know why the driver has not been arrested.
"It is about my kid, but the main focus should be why this man is still free," said the mother of Javier Velez, Kaylah Smith.
Her oldest son and entertainer of the family, 8-year-old Velez, was on a fishing trip with his dad in Absecon on July 23.
READ | 8-year-old boy sleeping in parked vehicle killed by driver in South Jersey
Velez had been sleeping in the family's parked car when police say a driver veered off the road and plowed into their vehicle.
Velez was taken to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
"I have a picture of the car and where it was. It was not on the highway, it was not on the shoulder of the highway. It was not near the highway. That guy steered off into him," said Smith. "At the same exact spot. For years. Same exact spot. Nothing like that had ever happened. Ever. Ever."
Police say 25-year-old Edward Johnston of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, was given several motor vehicle citations following the crash on White Horse Pike.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says charges could be filed once the cause of the crash is determined.
"It's murder. He killed my kid. My kid is gone, and this man is free. Uninjured. That man's car flipped upside down and he's alive, but my kid is gone. It's not fair," said Smith.
As they process the sudden void, family members are honoring Velez's love of art through tattoos of his drawings and his face.
"He was so funny, he liked to dance. He liked to sing. He was loved. He was loved by many people, a lot of people. That's what kind of gets me through the day," said Smith.
A vigil was held outside the family's Logan home earlier this week.
They are planning a memorial at the crash site sometime in the future. | https://6abc.com/javier-velez-kaylah-smith-edward-johnston-new-jersey-car-crash/13565822/ | 2023-07-29T03:03:26 | 0 | https://6abc.com/javier-velez-kaylah-smith-edward-johnston-new-jersey-car-crash/13565822/ |
LATAH COUNTY, Idaho — Idaho State Police (ISP) are investigating a deadly head-on crash on Highway 95 that took the life of a 21-year-old man from Clarkston, Washington.
Police say evidence found at the scene suggests alcohol may have been involved in the crash.
According to ISP, the crash occurred around 2:40 a.m. near Thorn Creek in Latah County. Police say a 35-year-old man from Harvard, Idaho, was driving southbound on Highway 95 while the 21-year-old was driving northbound.
Preliminary details in the investigation say the 21-year-old was traveling northbound in the southbound lane before striking the 35-year-old driver's car head-on. Both drivers were taken to the hospital, where the 21-year-old succumbed to his injuries moments later.
Traffic was blocked in the southbound lanes for approximately 2 hours while emergency responders cleared debris from the scene.
ISP says the incident remains under investigation. No details on the 35-year-old driver's condition have been mentioned.
This is a developing news story and we will provide more updates as we receive them.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho/deadly-head-on-crash-thorn-creek-latah-county-idaho-state-police/293-67559d19-cb55-49cc-a2b0-cfdb7e8d7e39 | 2023-07-29T03:03:28 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho/deadly-head-on-crash-thorn-creek-latah-county-idaho-state-police/293-67559d19-cb55-49cc-a2b0-cfdb7e8d7e39 |
NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa Police Department is looking for help from homeowners in the fight against crime. The department is asking people with home security cameras, such as Ring doorbells, to consider registering in a new program.
Cameras on front doors and porches are seen around many neighborhoods. Some of the videos and images captured from these cameras have been invaluable to local law enforcement agencies. As a result, Nampa Police introduced the City Protect Camera Registry Program.
"It's a way that we feel we can work with the community and the citizens to better serve them and to really get better information, faster information, on crimes that are happening in their neighborhoods," Interim Nampa Police Chief Curt Shankel said.
How does this program work and how can the community lend a hand?
“The individual will go on to register as far as what their address is, an email, and a phone number,” Shankel said. “It does ask, can you give an idea of where that camera points, so you know, front of the house into the street, or it catches the part of the park across the street."
The registering process can be done on the Nampa Police Department's website. They say this will provide the department with a list of public-facing cameras that officers and detectives can use as an extra resource to help with investigations.
"So, if 123 Main Street has a crime occur, we can look and say, 'hey, 124 Main Street has a camera that catches the roadway,'" Shankel said.
Nampa Police made the announcement of the new program on Facebook on Wednesday, and noticed that some of the comments expressed concerns with the idea of registering the cameras through a government agency.
"We do not have any access to pull up someone's camera to view any of their camera feeds or anything,” Shankel said. “All it does is it lets us know who has a camera, what their address is and how to contact them."
The Nampa Police Department wanted to emphasize that privacy is of the utmost importance and it is completely voluntary to participate.
"We're always trying to find better ways to work with the community, partner with the community, because law enforcement can't do it all alone,” Shankel said. “We need the eyes, we need the help from our community and that's one thing that's great about Nampa is the support and this community really pulls together to help each other out."
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Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/nampa-police-new-camera-registry-program/277-00f02f80-5c1f-4c7f-a37a-6b4b163e4cdb | 2023-07-29T03:03:34 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/nampa-police-new-camera-registry-program/277-00f02f80-5c1f-4c7f-a37a-6b4b163e4cdb |
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, a four-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.”
An attorney for Roberts did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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.
Hunter Biden has four other children, including a son, Beau, born by his wife Melissa Cohen in 2020. He was named after the president's late son who died of cancer in 2015, leaving behind two children.
Biden's grandchildren have played a distinctive role in his presidency, often accompanying the president or first lady on trips and making regular visits to the White House. The president has also credited his grandchildren with persuading him to challenge then-President Donald Trump for the White House in 2020.
Biden's statement was first reported by People Magazine. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-acknowledges-seventh-grandchild-hunters-daughter/507-ad6442fa-448f-4603-bb7e-17493e4449f0 | 2023-07-29T03:03:40 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-acknowledges-seventh-grandchild-hunters-daughter/507-ad6442fa-448f-4603-bb7e-17493e4449f0 |
Each year, the Phoenix Rescue Mission hands out more than 600,000 bottles of water to people living on the streets.
Every day, case managers with PRM, like Sergio Armendariz, load up a PRM Hope Coach with lifesaving essentials to hit the city's streets. Those essentials include water, snacks, and some basic necessities, like deodorant and a toothbrush.
"Especially in Phoenix, you could go down any area, and I can go through pretty much all or most of my hygiene and water just because of the amount of people who are living on the street," Armendariz said.
"This is typically a spot where there's always a lot of people," he said.
One man he came across, David, said he'd been experiencing homelessness for about two years.
"It's just tough out here," David said. "I can barely walk, or get out of bed."
He told Armendariz that he wanted to get out of the hot Phoenix sun that day. Armendariz called some of his contacts at PRM and other local non-profit organizations to see what was available.
A lot of times, that's not a quick or easy task for him because of the number of people experiencing homelessness looking to get off the streets.
"I think, with this job, that's the toughest part about it is being able to find bed space," Armendariz said. "Sometimes, it's just not enough. That's why I'm huge on more shelter space."
SEE MORE: How much heat is too much for the human body?
David ended up not wanting to start a year-long recovery program, which would have gotten him a space at a shelter that had room that week.
Armendariz understands why making the decision to make a change can be difficult for some people. Five years ago, he was in the same place as the people he now serves.
"Every day, I get to wake up and I give thanks to God for having a place to sleep, a shelter, restoration with my family, restoration with my kids, with my extended family," he said.
"It's just been amazing, really. Freedom - the freedom to just live my life, go to work every day, and do something that I really enjoy doing, and it has its difficulties, but, ultimately, I'm here to help."
Phoenix Rescue Mission is currently doing its "Code:Red Summer Heat Relief" campaign through the end of August.
If you'd like to help or donate, visit their website.
This story was originally published by Amelia Fabiano at Scripps New Phoenix.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.abcactionnews.com/advocates-rush-to-help-those-living-with-homelessness-in-record-heat | 2023-07-29T03:03:40 | 1 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/advocates-rush-to-help-those-living-with-homelessness-in-record-heat |
‘Our hero is going home’: Police officer released from rehab 3.5 months after Ky. bank shooting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After 109 days, Louisville Metro police officer Nickolas Wilt has been released from Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and is going home.
Wilt has been hospitalized, receiving medical care for the last three and a half months after the Old National Bank mass shooting on April 10. Wilt was critically injured when he was shot in the head after responding to the shooting that ultimately killed five people.
The victims were identified as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Wilt was listed in critical condition for nearly a month. Officials with the University of Louisville Health said Wilt received multiple surgeries and underwent several procedures at University of Louisville Hospital and Jewish Hospital.
On May 10, one month after the shooting, Wilt was transferred to Frazier Rehabilitation Institute to begin neuro and physical rehabilitation after seeing an improvement in his condition. Over the course of the last three and a half months, doctors and family of Wilt have called his journey remarkable.
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear shared a photo with Wilt ahead of his release.
“Kentucky, our prayers were heard. @LMPD Officer Nick Wilt is headed home with his family. Officer Wilt is a hero who ran toward danger to save the lives of several of my friends. I am forever grateful for him and his bravery. Let’s keep praying for him.”
Wilt was honored as he left the halls of Frazier Rehab. He was accompanied by family as well as some fellow officers.
After leaving the rehab facility, Wilt was driven to Southeast Christian Church on Blankenbaker Parkway where he was driven past a line of well-wishers. The van then headed for Oldham County where community members were invited to gather along Highway 53 in La Grange to greet Wilt.
LMPD shared their sentiment on their social media, honoring the heroic actions of Wilt.
“Resilience, strength, courage. Those are just a few words to describe Ofc. Nickolas Wilt. April 10th, innocent lives were lost. Ofc. Wilt, just 10 days on the job, answered the call to help stop an active shooter. Today, our hero is going home. He’s ready. #WiltsWarriors”
Louisville Metro Police Foundation has created a donation site to help pay for Wilt’s medical expenses.
To make a donation, click or tap here.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ | 2023-07-29T03:03:40 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ |
DES MOINES, Iowa — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed “I will get the job done” but shied away from attacking former President Donald Trump as the two top rivals for the Republican presidential nomination were making rare appearances at the same Iowa campaign event on Friday night.
Despite Trump being charged a day earlier with additional counts over his retention of classified documents that could shake up the race, DeSantis stuck to his standard campaign speech, mostly targeting President Joe Biden. The Florida governor also repeated his frequent promise to halt the “weaponization” of the Justice Department, an allusion to Trump's legal troubles, but offered no specific thoughts on the cases against him. That's despite Trump also bracing to be charged soon in Washington over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
“The time for excuses is over. We must get the job done," DeSantis said. "I will get the job done."
Trump frequently avoids attending multicandidate events in person, questioning why he would share a stage with competitors who are badly trailing him in polls. But with Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus less than six months away, the former president joined a dozen other GOP hopefuls in speaking to about 1,200 GOP members and activists at the Lincoln Day Dinner.
He also opened an Iowa campaign office in Urbandale, outside Des Moines, prior to the main event — and wasn't shy about slamming his competitors around the same time DeSantis was taking the stage at the dinner.
“I understand the other candidates are falling very flat ... it’s like death,” Trump said, adding, “There’s no applause, there’s no nothing.”
More than 100 people packed the small office, many wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and shirts. They had waited in 100-degree weather to enter, and the poorly ventilated office quickly became sweltering. Staff handed out water bottles, and people fanned themselves with campaign handouts. Some used paper towels to wipe away sweat.
DeSantis is Trump’s strongest primary competitor but has been trying to reset his stalled campaign for two weeks. He's increasingly focusing on Iowa in its efforts on trying to derail Trump.
The governor's stumbles have raised questions about whether another candidate might be able to emerge from the field and catch the former president. Some evangelicals, who can be determinative in the state’s caucuses, have pointed to South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s upbeat message and pulpit-style delivery as strengths that could help him rise there.
Scott, who also spoke Friday night and didn't mention Trump or the cases against him, held a town hall the previous day in Ankeny with Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. Afterward, Scott took a swipe at DeSantis over the Florida governor's support for new standards that require the state's teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”
The only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, Scott said all Americans should recognize how “devastating” slavery was. “There is no silver lining” to slavery, he added.
DeSantis has also faced criticism from teachers and civil rights leaders, as well as mounting pushback from some of his party's most prominent Black elected officials. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds said he hoped officials might “correct” parts of the curriculum addressing lessons on the developed skills of enslaved people. Texas Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt and Will Hurd, a former Texas congressman now also running in the GOP presidential primary, have also criticized DeSantis.
Still, the governor continued to dig in on the issue, saying at a pre-dinner event in Oskaloosa on Friday, “D.C. Republicans all too often accept false narratives, accept lies that are perpetrated by the left." The governor has defended the new school curriculum, saying, “I think it’s very clear that these guys did a good job on those standards."
John Niemeyer, 52, from Kalona, Iowa, attended DeSantis' event and was impressed. But, as a high school teacher, he’s not a fan of some of the governor's positions on education policy.
“I don’t want to make our classrooms a political battlefield,” he said, adding that it would be a “mistake” to make the issue the forefront of his campaign.
Vice President Kamala Harris made her own Iowa stop on Friday, seeking to draw a contrast with the Republicans as she looked to lift President Joe Biden's reelection campaign. Harris met in Des Moines with activists and discussed abortion rights, after Reynolds recently signed a ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
“I do believe that we are witnessing a national agenda that is about a full-on attack on hard won freedoms and hard won rights,” the vice president said.
Hours later, many Lincoln Day Dinner attendees wore “Trump Country” stickers, including 72-year-old Diane Weaver of Ankeny, Iowa.
“I think he makes America great," said Weaver, a retiree who plans to caucus for Trump. “I think he did it once and I think he can do it again.”
West Des Moines resident Jane Schrader chose to wear her “Trump Country” sticker on her pants instead of at eye level. “I’m not quite dyed-in-the-wool. I’m a supporter, but not that kind,” said the retired physician, explaining her sticker placement.
Trump did face criticism from some rivals, including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison, who in his speech declared, "As a party, we need a new direction for America and for the GOP.” The crowd offered only a muted reaction — but refrained from booing, which Trump critics at Republican primary events often face.
DeSantis, meanwhile, ducked chances Friday to criticize Trump over the additional charges he faces even before his speech.
“We have engaged when appropriate,” DeSantis told reporters in Oskaloosa, adding that he's not interested in "relitigating the latest superseding indictment.”
The governor has pledged to eventually visit all of Iowa’s 99 counties and is in the midst of a two-day state bus tour organized by a super PAC supporting his run. But he faces fresh questions about his strategy and path forward.
After his fundraising reports showed him burning through donations, the governor cut more than a third of his campaign staff.
DeSantis' cash crunch seems to be driving the campaign to rely even more on the efforts of the super PAC Never Back Down to take up the work typically done by campaign staff. Super PACs can receive unlimited sums from donors but are barred under federal rules from donating to candidates or coordinating with campaigns on how their money is spent.
While presidential campaigns have been supplemented before by the work of super PACs, which frequently use deeper coffers to run expensive television ads, the work Never Back Down has done to promote DeSantis has been more expansive. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-desantis-republican-iowa-lincoln-day-dinner/507-35b0317a-5fff-4915-b243-aee60a360db2 | 2023-07-29T03:03:46 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-desantis-republican-iowa-lincoln-day-dinner/507-35b0317a-5fff-4915-b243-aee60a360db2 |
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said he is "fine" since he froze up mid-sentence during a press conference on Wednesday. And now his office is trying to tamp down speculation that he might not fill out his term as leader because of his health.
In a statement, his office said McConnell appreciates the continued support of his colleagues and "plans to serve his full term in the job they overwhelmingly elected him to do."
The statement, first reported by Politico, comes after McConnell, 81, has suffered health problems in recent months.
At his weekly press conference this week, he froze and stared vacantly for about 20 seconds before his GOP colleagues standing behind him grabbed his elbows and asked if he wanted to go back to his office. He later returned to the news conference and answered questions as if nothing had happened.
When asked about the episode, he said he was "fine" - a statement he repeated in a hallway to reporters later that day.
Neither McConnell nor his office would answer questions about whether he got medical help afterward.
SEE MORE: Feinstein corrected, told to 'just say aye' at Senate hearing
Even as McConnell tried to brush off the concerns, the episode raised new questions among his colleagues about his health and also whether McConnell, who was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and has served as Republican leader since 2007, might soon step aside from his leadership post.
He was elected to a two-year term as leader in January by a large majority of his conference, despite an insurgent challenge from Florida Sen. Rick Scott.
He would be up for re-election as leader again after the 2024 elections. By then, he will have to decide also if he wants to run again for another Senate term. He is up for re-election in 2026.
In March, McConnell suffered a concussion and a broken rib after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a hotel. He didn’t return to the Senate for almost six weeks.
He has been using a wheelchair in the airport while commuting back and forth to Kentucky. And his speech has recently sounded more halting. But McConnell, famously reticent and often private about his personal life and health, has said very little about what is going on.
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said after, Wednesday’s episode, that McConnell’s job as leader calls for more transparency than it would for others.
"We should find out, you know, fairly soon what happened and how serious it is," Cramer said. "But I don’t have to tell you, Mitch is also, as an individual, a pretty private guy. So we’ll see."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he talked to McConnell on Wednesday night and he seemed "strong and alert." But, he said, what happened at the news conference on Wednesday was disturbing to watch.
"Mitch is strong, he’s stubborn as a mule," Cruz said. "My prayers are with them. I hope that - we’re going into the August recess - I hope he has time to fully recuperate."
GOP senators who are seen as potential successors have been cautious in their reaction.
"He’s fine, he’s back to work," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican and one of the senators standing behind McConnell when he froze up."
"I support Senator McConnell as long as he wants to serve as leader," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, another potential replacement.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Senate Republican and a former orthopedic surgeon, guided McConnell back to his office to rest during the news conference. Afterwards, he told reporters that he has been concerned since McConnell was injured earlier this year, "and I continue to be concerned."
Barrasso then added: "I said I was concerned when he fell and hit his head a number of months ago and was hospitalized. And I think he’s made a remarkable recovery, he’s doing a great job leading our conference and was able to answer every question the press asked him today."
Several other GOP senators projected confidence in the Republican leader.
"I do have confidence in his leadership," said Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis. "At lunch yesterday, he spoke. He was completely on his game using numbers that were pulled out of his head and he was completely with it. So I don’t know what precipitated the freeze, but he’ll be careful to evaluate his own capabilities."
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said he was "a little concerned" after the news conference.
"He said that he got a little overheated, a little dehydrated," said Marshall, who is also a doctor.
"That’s what it looks like to me. I can tell you, he’s got a strong, strong voice in our conference. He’s providing steady leadership. And I think he’s doing a great job as leader."
McConnell had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, he also tripped and fell four years ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery.
The Republican leader carried on with his full schedule after the episode on Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he spoke with his Republican counterpart at an event Wednesday evening for Major League Baseball owners.
"I said I’m so glad you’re here," Schumer said. "And he made a very good speech."
The Republican leader is one of several senators who have been absent due to health issues this year. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, 90, was out of the Senate for more than two months as she recovered from a bout of shingles. And, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., 53, took leave for several weeks to get treatment for clinical depression.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.abcactionnews.com/mcconnell-to-serve-his-full-term-as-gop-leader-amid-health-worries | 2023-07-29T03:03:47 | 1 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/mcconnell-to-serve-his-full-term-as-gop-leader-amid-health-worries |
BEIJING, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chengdu Universiade officially kicked off Friday night in the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, known as the hometown of giant pandas and one of the most vibrant Chinese cities.
Ahead the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games, Chinese President Xi Jinping has engaged himself in a flurry of face-to-face high-level meetings with foreign leaders attending the ceremony over the past couple of days.
Behind the tight diplomatic schedule, Xi has highlighted the importance of solidarity, cooperation and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, three key messages shared by the visiting leaders of Indonesia, Guyana, Georgia, Mauritania and Burundi.
Solidarity
In a toast at a welcoming banquet on Friday noon, Xi said the Games, since its inception, has always been "a celebration of youth, solidarity, and friendship."
"We should promote solidarity through sports, build up positive energy across the international community, join hands to tackle global challenges such as climate change, food crisis and terrorism, and shape a better future through cooperation," he urged.
Solidarity, unity and togetherness were also one of the hot topics during the Chinese president's separate meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
During the meeting with the Burundian leader, for instance, Xi stressed the importance of solidarity between China and Africa in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and the international fairness and justice.
Cooperation
During the meetings of the leaders, China and the five countries agreed to further cooperation, such as on trade, infrastructure and people-to-people exchanges.
In a meeting with Xi on Thursday, Widodo said Indonesia is willing to continue to enhance cooperation with China in areas including investment, marine fisheries, food security and healthcare. The leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents following the meeting.
China and Georgia will issue a joint statement and announce the establishment of strategic partnership during Garibashvili's historic visit. Xi hailed the remarkable achievements in cooperation in various fields between the two countries over the past 31 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, while the Georgian prime minister said the elevation of bilateral relations will bring more opportunities to his country.
On Friday, China and Mauritania also signed a cooperation plan on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to enhance bilateral ties.
A community with a shared future for mankind
The term of building a community with a shared future for mankind was repeatedly highlighted during the leaders' meetings, with Indonesia, Guyana, Georgia, Mauritania and Burundi also expressing support for China-proposed initiatives.
While meeting with Xi on Friday afternoon, Ghazouani said Mauritania supports the BRI, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, saying that these initiatives are in line with the norms governing international relations that respect countries' independence and sovereignty and exchanges between different civilizations.
Addressing the welcoming banquet, Xi stressed the importance of deepening exchanges and mutual learning to promote harmony without uniformity in the spirit of inclusiveness and seeing different cultures with an attitude of mutual appreciation and mutual learning.
"The Chengdu Games should be an opportunity for us to champion the common values of humanity and write a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for mankind," said Xi.
In an interview with CGTN, Ali, the Guyanese president, said the Games goes beyond the competitions among the young athletes.
"They can share the experiences, they can share culture, [and] they can share who they are in building a stronger family of humanity," he said.
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SOURCE CGTN | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/cgtn-solidarity-vowed-xi-hosts-foreign-leaders-amid-chengdu-universiade/ | 2023-07-29T03:03:48 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/cgtn-solidarity-vowed-xi-hosts-foreign-leaders-amid-chengdu-universiade/ |
Analysis by real estate firm Redfin finds that in 2021 and 2022, more people moved into regions that are at risk of flooding, wildfire or extreme heat events.
Nearly 400,000 more people moved into the counties in the U.S. that are most prone to flooding. Nearly 450,000 more moved to places where fire is a big risk, and nearly 630,000 more people will have to deal with the risks of extreme heat, according to Redfin's numbers.
In all three of those risk categories, the rate of people moving to the areas increased over the rates from 2019-2020.
Refdin crunched numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and from the climate risk assessment scores by First Street Foundation.
It found more people are moving into flood-prone counties than out. The most popular was Florida's Lee County — where roughly half of homes are at high flood risk.
Riverside County, California, where homes are at high risk from wildfires, saw a net population increase. So did Maricopa County, Arizona, where extreme heat is a regular risk, and is currently baking the region in an unprecedented heatwave. Redfin says Maricopa County gained the most residents of any in the U.S. in 2022.
Separate data from moving van company U-Haul showed the same: more people moved to the Southeast and Southwest in 2022 than anywhere else. Texas and Florida were the top two destinations, respectively.
SEE MORE: Why are insurance companies pulling out of some states?
As for why — real estate is relatively affordable in many of these destinations, Redfin says. Construction in Florida's Lee County is still buzzing to meet demand.
Research into the phenomenon published last year also found natural amenities and socioeconomic factors can play a big role: people often moved toward bodies of water, for example, or away from regions that had high unemployment. That study, too, warned that people were increasing their risk of encountering hazards like wildfire.
Meanwhile, certain short- and long-term costs of living are changing along with the climate.
Residents in Phoenix, Arizona, are facing steep utility bills due to air conditioning demand.
And some major home insurance companies are starting to back out of the Florida market, saying that recent disasters like last year's Hurricane Ian are pushing their operating costs too high.
Average home insurance in Florida now runs $6,000 a year — roughly three times he national average.
SEE MORE: What are some health complications from extreme heat?
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.abcactionnews.com/more-and-more-americans-are-moving-into-high-risk-climate-zones-why | 2023-07-29T03:03:53 | 1 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/more-and-more-americans-are-moving-into-high-risk-climate-zones-why |
NEW YORK, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sooth, an industry-leading strategic marketing insights platform and consultancy, is excited to announce a dynamic partnership with Kestrel Consulting. This collaboration brings Sooth's founder, Ian Baer, and his innovative methodologies and expertise into Kestrel's broad network, promising to enrich Kestrel's client marketing and branding initiatives with fresh perspectives and deeper understanding.
Recognized for its patent-pending method that fuses data, AI, and human intellect, Sooth deciphers the intricacies of human decision-making, mapping emotional drivers and receptivity of diverse consumer and business audiences. Now part of Kestrel's network, Sooth's unique, sophisticated approach will bolster client marketing initiatives, offering a powerful toolset to unlock new avenues for connection, empathy, and understanding that is proven to increase customer lifetime value by four times or more.
As Kestrel's preferred provider of brand strategic services, Sooth will also accelerate its own growth by working on branding and marketing projects for clients and partners within the Kestrel network.
"Kestrel Consultants helps leadership teams, founders, entrepreneurs, and enterprises fly higher and achieve strategic outcomes through its exclusive partnership network of fractional executives and boutique business consultants," the company said in a statement. "We're proud to welcome Sooth into our exclusive partnership and referral network. We've admired Ian Baer's work for years, and his exceptional talent is a real complement to our network's other areas of expertise. We're excited to collaborate on new projects together."
This partnership represents a convergence of Sooth's methodologies and Kestrel's expansive network. By bringing together Sooth's unparalleled insights and Kestrel's team of skilled executives and consultants, they aim to empower Kestrel's clientele with deeper understanding and fresh perspectives, enabling them to achieve their marketing goals.
"Changes in consumer and business culture over the past several years have irrevocably changed how marketing works at an elemental level," said Ian Baer, Founder and Chief Soothsayer at Sooth. "With 90 percent of all decisions now determined by each person's unique emotional priorities, we're able to roadmap success for brands by unlocking an in-depth understanding of the factors that create connection between these brands and the customers they serve. Kestrel's model brings together complementary innovators to help companies elevate their game across a broad spectrum of business and marketing interdependencies. I could not be more excited to align with the talented leaders of Kestrel Consultants to bring clients high-impact business solutions at the speed and efficiency of modern commerce."
About Sooth
Sooth is an industry-leading strategic marketing insights platform and consultancy. Using a unique, patent-pending method that synergizes data, artificial intelligence, and human intellect, Sooth decodes the intricacies of consumer decision-making and maps the emotional motivators of diverse audiences with unparalleled precision. Sooth is committed to making marketing strategies more effective, intuitive, and emotionally engaging, empowering brands with the insights they need. www.SoothBeTold.com
About Kestrel Consultants
Kestrel Consultants helps leadership teams, founders, entrepreneurs, and enterprises fly higher and achieve strategic outcomes through its exclusive partnership network of fractional executives and boutique business consultants. Learn more at KestrelConsultants.com.
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SOURCE Sooth | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/ian-baer-brings-sooths-brand-strategy-mastery-kestrel-consultings-executive-network/ | 2023-07-29T03:03:54 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/ian-baer-brings-sooths-brand-strategy-mastery-kestrel-consultings-executive-network/ |
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department (TPD) has confirmed a shooting incident on East Shadowlawn Avenue, between 36th and 37th streets.
Four people were shot, police said.
According to TPD, the victims are currently in serious condition and were taken to a nearby hospital in two private cars.
As of now, no further details have been made available. | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/four-people-shot-in-serious-conditions-on-shadowlawn-avenue | 2023-07-29T03:03:59 | 0 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/four-people-shot-in-serious-conditions-on-shadowlawn-avenue |
BEIJING, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Tarena International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEDU) ("Tarena" or the "Company"), a leading provider of IT professional education and IT-focused supplementary STEAM education services in China, today announced that it received a written notification from the Staff of the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq") dated July 28, 2023, indicating that the Company no longer meets the continued listing requirement of minimum Market Value of Publicly Held Shares ("MVPHS") for the Nasdaq Global Select Market, as set forth in the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(C), because the Company's MVPHS for the last 30 consecutive business days was below the minimum MVPHS requirement of US$15,000,000.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the applicable grace period to regain compliance is 180 calendar days, or until January 24, 2024. The Company can cure this deficiency if its MVPHS closes at US$15,000,000 or more for a minimum of ten consecutive business days during the compliance period. The Company's management is looking into various options available to regain compliance and maintain its continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. In the event the Company does not regain compliance prior to the expiration of the compliance period, it will receive written notification that its securities are subject to delisting. Alternatively, the Company may apply to transfer the Company's securities to The Nasdaq Capital Market, subject to the Nasdaq Capital Market's continued listing requirements.
About Tarena International, Inc.
Tarena is a leading provider of IT professional education and IT-focused supplementary STEAM education services in China. Through its innovative education platform combining live distance instruction, classroom-based tutoring and online learning modules, Tarena offers professional education courses in IT and non-IT subjects. Its professional education courses provide students with practical skills to prepare them for jobs in industries with significant growth potential and strong hiring demand. Tarena also offers IT-focused supplementary STEAM education programs, including computer coding and robotics programming courses, etc., targeting students between three and eighteen years of age. Aiming to encourage "code to learn," Tarena embraces the latest trends in STEAM education and technology to develop children's logical thinking and learning abilities while allowing them to discover their interests and potential.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Tarena may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including any business outlook and statements about Tarena's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Many factors, risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but not limited to the following: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak; Tarena's goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; its ability to continue to attract students to enroll in its courses; its ability to continue to recruit, train and retain qualified instructors and teaching assistants; its ability to continually tailor its curriculum to market demand and enhance its courses to adequately and promptly respond to developments in the professional job market; its ability to maintain or enhance its brand recognition, its ability to maintain high job placement rate for its students, and its ability to maintain cooperative relationships with financing service providers for student loans.
Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in Tarena's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and Tarena does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations Contact
Tarena International, Inc.
Email: ir@tedu.cn
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SOURCE Tarena International, Inc. | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/tarena-announces-receipt-nasdaq-notification-regarding-minimum-market-value-publicly-held-shares/ | 2023-07-29T03:04:01 | 1 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/tarena-announces-receipt-nasdaq-notification-regarding-minimum-market-value-publicly-held-shares/ |
TAMPA, Fla — Recent changes to Florida's public school curriculum are creating a backlash.
The concern this time centers around the newly passed social studies standards for middle schoolers, including a section teaching kids that enslaved people developed skills that could be "applied for their personal benefit."
Earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis explained the change while on the 2024 presidential campaign trail.
"I think that they're probably going to show some of the folks that eventually parlayed being a blacksmith into doing things later in life," he said.
But the folks withFaith in Florida aren't buying that. So they've created an online toolkit with links to resources on African American history.
"People came to this country with skills, okay? And those people developed skills despite slavery, not because of slavery," said the organization's Research and Policy Coordinator, Linda Wiggins-Chavis.
And they're not stopping there. The organization is also developing a curriculum, and they plan to work with churches across the state to teach it.
It hopes to reach as many people as possible, but they're especially hoping to reach kids.
"When you tell middle school children that slavery provided advantages to people. They're going to think, 'Oh, so it wasn't that bad,'" said Wiggins-Chavis.
Wiggins-Chavis is a former teacher leading the charge on that toolkit and curriculum. And she tells ABC Action News it's work of the utmost importance.
"We have to learn that history not only so that we know where we came from but so that we don't repeat the past," she said. | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/statewide-faith-group-offering-african-american-history-toolkit | 2023-07-29T03:04:05 | 0 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/statewide-faith-group-offering-african-american-history-toolkit |
LONDON, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPORESSO, a leading innovator in the vaping industry, has received well-deserved recognition at this year's London Design Awards, with four of its groundbreaking products being awarded for their exceptional design. The London Design Awards is an international competition that recognises exceptional designs and outstanding creative projects worldwide, celebrating the vibrancy and diversity of the international design community.
The four distinguished products from VAPORESSO - the COSS, ECO NANO, LUXE XR, and XROS 3 NANO - have showcased the brand's formidable innovative prowess and have also been recognized with awards from many organizations. VAPORESSO's latest groundbreaking offering, the VAPORESSO COSS, is regarded as a game-changer in the vaping industry. It tackles existing issues with a thoughtful design that seamlessly caters to user habits. Its slogan, 'Convenient Operating, Smart Supplying', perfectly encapsulates the product's core values of INNOVATION, RELIABILITY, and STYLE.
"Winning these awards is a testament to the creativity, skill, and dedication of our team," said Jimmy Hu, Vice President of VAPORESSO, "We are thrilled to have our efforts recognised on such a prestigious global platform. It validates our commitment to delivering innovative, high-quality products that enhance the vaping experience for our customers."
The London Design Awards, held annually, applauds outstanding design achievements across various creative sectors. It acknowledges exemplary projects, products, and professionals who demonstrate innovation, creativity, and excellence within their respective industries. Meanwhile, the London Design Awards not only honours design excellence but also fosters creativity, encourages innovation, and facilitates collaborations between designers and design-driven businesses. The awards have grown in stature and popularity since their inception, attracting a wide range of participants from various design fields.
The recognition from the London Design Awards underscores VAPORESSO's dedication to creating products that exceed customer expectations and further solidifies its position as a thought leader in the industry. It also acts as an external validation of VAPORESSO's capabilities and quality of work, building trust and confidence among potential customers.
About VAPORESSO
Established in 2015, VAPORESSO is committed to creating a smoke-free world and enhancing the quality of life for its users. Through continuous innovation, stringent quality control, and substantial commitment, VAPORESSO produces products that cater to all levels and styles of vapers.
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SOURCE VAPORESSO | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/vaporesso-wins-big-london-design-awards-2023-with-four-innovative-vaping-products/ | 2023-07-29T03:04:08 | 0 | https://www.wbtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/29/vaporesso-wins-big-london-design-awards-2023-with-four-innovative-vaping-products/ |
On Friday, Washington, D.C. metro rail authorities announced that the city's commuter train lines would be slowed down to 35 mph on above-ground tracks because of extremely hot weather.
The service said that passengersshould expect delays, which had the possibility of causing issues in Washington's many open-air stations without air conditioning.
The issue is not unique to just the U.S. capital, as other major cities have expressed worry that high temperatures could cause major issues for commuter rail operations.
In Los Angeles, officials called extreme heat the "most pervasive risk that metro faces," the LAist reported in 2019.
The heat could cause failures with signal switches, station elevators and other mechanical equipment.
SEE MORE: Biden to sign executive order to encourage more US-made inventions
In a study that included researchers from Northwestern University's engineering school, Professor Alessandro Rotta Loria stated, "Subsurface temperature rises can also cause transportation infrastructure and public health issues, such as overheated subway rails that force trains to slow down or stop to avoid incidents with significant economic costs associated with the delay of public transportation services."
The study authors wrote, "Urban areas increasingly suffer from subsurface heat islands: an underground climate change responsible for environmental, public health, and transportation issues. Soils, rocks, and construction materials deform under the influence of temperature variations and excessive deformations can affect the performance of civil infrastructure."
In New York City, officials tried the short-term solution of placing fans in subway stations to try and create more breeze, and cool down subsurface temperatures.
Masoud Ghandehari, a professor at NYU of Urban Systems Engineering said he doesn't believe it's "financially viable" to ventilate the subway system in that city, and said it may not be physically possible.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com | https://www.abcactionnews.com/washington-among-cities-slowing-metro-rail-amid-hot-weather | 2023-07-29T03:04:11 | 0 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/washington-among-cities-slowing-metro-rail-amid-hot-weather |
SCAT bus involved in crash near the intersection of 53rd Ave W and 14th St W
Published: Jul. 28, 2023 at 10:17 PM EDT|Updated: 46 minutes ago
BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - A Sarasota County Area Transit bus and another vehicle were involved in a crash near the intersection of 53rd Avenue West and 14th Street West Friday night.
The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. Authorities have all lanes near the intersection blocked off.
Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash. ABC7 will update this story as more information is received.
Copyright 2023 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/29/scat-bus-involved-crash-near-intersection-53rd-ave-w-14th-st-w/ | 2023-07-29T03:04:12 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/29/scat-bus-involved-crash-near-intersection-53rd-ave-w-14th-st-w/ |
‘Our hero is going home’: Police officer released from rehab 3.5 months after Ky. bank shooting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After 109 days, Louisville Metro police officer Nickolas Wilt has been released from Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and is going home.
Wilt has been hospitalized, receiving medical care for the last three and a half months after the Old National Bank mass shooting on April 10. Wilt was critically injured when he was shot in the head after responding to the shooting that ultimately killed five people.
The victims were identified as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Wilt was listed in critical condition for nearly a month. Officials with the University of Louisville Health said Wilt received multiple surgeries and underwent several procedures at University of Louisville Hospital and Jewish Hospital.
On May 10, one month after the shooting, Wilt was transferred to Frazier Rehabilitation Institute to begin neuro and physical rehabilitation after seeing an improvement in his condition. Over the course of the last three and a half months, doctors and family of Wilt have called his journey remarkable.
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear shared a photo with Wilt ahead of his release.
“Kentucky, our prayers were heard. @LMPD Officer Nick Wilt is headed home with his family. Officer Wilt is a hero who ran toward danger to save the lives of several of my friends. I am forever grateful for him and his bravery. Let’s keep praying for him.”
Wilt was honored as he left the halls of Frazier Rehab. He was accompanied by family as well as some fellow officers.
After leaving the rehab facility, Wilt was driven to Southeast Christian Church on Blankenbaker Parkway where he was driven past a line of well-wishers. The van then headed for Oldham County where community members were invited to gather along Highway 53 in La Grange to greet Wilt.
LMPD shared their sentiment on their social media, honoring the heroic actions of Wilt.
“Resilience, strength, courage. Those are just a few words to describe Ofc. Nickolas Wilt. April 10th, innocent lives were lost. Ofc. Wilt, just 10 days on the job, answered the call to help stop an active shooter. Today, our hero is going home. He’s ready. #WiltsWarriors”
Louisville Metro Police Foundation has created a donation site to help pay for Wilt’s medical expenses.
To make a donation, click or tap here.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ | 2023-07-29T03:04:12 | 1 | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ |
Weather Actions Facebook Tweet Email Forecast: More rains in the afternoon Florida's Most Accurate Forecast Prev Next WFTS - ABC Action News By: Denis Phillips Posted at 10:03 PM, Jul 28, 2023 and last updated 2023-07-28 22:03:47-04 Storms move inlandABC Action Weather 24/7Interactive Radar7-day forecastHurricane Center Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Report a typo Sign up for the Morning Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. now signed up to receive the Morning Headlines Newsletter. Click here to manage all Newsletters | https://www.abcactionnews.com/weather/forecast-more-rains-in-the-afternoon | 2023-07-29T03:04:17 | 0 | https://www.abcactionnews.com/weather/forecast-more-rains-in-the-afternoon |
The 2023 Formula 1 World Championship continues this weekend with round 13, the Belgian Grand Prix, which takes place at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit and will see the Saturday Sprint race return.
The Spa circuit is nestled within the beautiful Ardennes hills and features a long, unrelenting track that serves as a stern test for car and driver. The average speed approaches 145 mph, making it one of the fastest laps of the season, and drivers experience over 5 g in some of the turns, such as Turn 10, known as Pouhon. The cars also run at full throttle for almost 80% of the lap.
Stretching 4.35 miles, Spa has the longest track on the calendar, resulting in the race lasting only 44 laps—the lowest on the calendar. The track is so big that it’s not unusual to have varying weather conditions at different parts. For example, rain at one end and sunshine at the other. The current forecast calls for heavy rain throughout the weekend, which has already resulted in some calls for the race to possibly be canceled.
The first and third sectors at Spa feature long straights and flat-out sections, but the second sector is twisty. This makes it challenging to find the right balance and set-up compromise, particularly with the wing level.
The track surface is on the abrasive side, meaning tires get quite the workout. Pirelli has nominated its mid-range compounds: the C2 as the White hard, C3 as the Yellow medium, and C4 as the Red soft.
The Belgian round will mark 2023’s third running of the Saturday Sprint race, after the Azerbaijan and Austrian Grands Prix. This season, the Sprint race has been made a standalone event rather than the qualifier for the main race, as was previously the case. It still has championship points on the table for both drivers and teams, however.
The round is the last stop before the summer break and will see some teams run upgrades, including Mercedes-Benz AMG whose cars will feature a new design for the side pods.
Going into the weekend, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2023 Drivers’ Championship with 281 points. Fellow Red Bull driver Perez is second with 171 points and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is third with 139 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull leads with 452 points, versus the 223 of Mercedes and 184 of Aston Martin in second and third places. Last year’s winner in Belgium was Verstappen, driving for Red Bull.
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- 2023 F1 standings: Verstappen grows title lead while McLaren shows resurgence | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/2023-f1-belgian-grand-prix-preview/ | 2023-07-29T03:06:16 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/2023-f1-belgian-grand-prix-preview/ |
Anyone looking to take delivery of Lamborghini’s Revuelto supercar better be prepared to wait (or pay hefty markups on the used market) as the car’s production run for the next two years is already allocated, the automaker announced this week.
Despite an upgrade to Lamborghini’s plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese to accommodate more automated processes, production of the Revuelto is still very much a hands-on affair, with plenty of traditional handcrafted skills retained, ensuring production will remain limited. According to Lamborghini, around 500 staff are dedicated to the car’s production.
The Revuelto was revealed in March as the successor to the Aventador. It’s Lamborghini’s first plug-in hybrid and is powered by a sophisticated setup combining a newly developed V-12 and three electric motors for a combined output of 1,000 hp.
The Revuelto isn’t just an Aventador with more power, though. It represents a ground-up redesign that in addition to electrification includes a new carbon-fiber tub, a new 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and that new V-12.
Lamborghini quotes performance numbers of 2.5 seconds in the 0-62 mph run and a top speed of 218 mph.
Lamborghini hasn’t announcing pricing for the Revuelto in the U.S., but in other markets the car is priced from 500,000 euros (approximately $548,700). Deliveries are scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Lamborghini’s Urus will be the automaker’s next plug-in hybrid. The SUV will go the electrified route starting in the first half of 2024. A plug-in hybrid successor to the Huracán will then arrive toward the end of 2024. Further out, Lamborghini plans to launch an electric vehicle in 2028. It was confirmed by the automaker in April as a 2+2 grand tourer.
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- “Wanted: The Escape Of Carlos Ghosn” debuts Aug. 25—watch the trailer | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/lamborghini-revuelto-already-sold-out-for-next-2-years/ | 2023-07-29T03:06:24 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/lamborghini-revuelto-already-sold-out-for-next-2-years/ |
EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A community in Brooklyn is mobilizing and vowing to take back their streets from crime in a neighborhood that has seen more than its share.
Two people were shot and wounded in East Flatbush on Thursday night - a 27-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl. There are no arrests yet, but it took just hours for the community to come together.
Residents and volunteers have been at this for a decade - often scoring wins against violent crime, only to see it rise back up.
On Thursday, a 27-year-old private security guard got off a bus around midnight to find a group of young men blocking his way.
"He notices a firearm - he flees. Shots were fired, he was struck, and the unintended 16-year-old was struck, too," said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.
The 16-year-old girl was minding her own business across the street. Both she and the 27-year-old are expected to survive.
Locals heard the news - and wanted to take action.
"So you meet them where they're at, ask them the resources they need, and then that way we can work to reduce the gun violence in a particular area," said Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman.
East Flatbush was making a lot of progress with violent crime - then came a series of killings last year. So, as residents hit the streets Friday night, activists are reminded of how quickly things can change.
Among the victims then was a 12-year-old honors student named Kade Lewin. His death hit the community especially hard.
There is a street named after Lewin now, and there is not a day he is not talked about.
"We have to have a response to what's going on. You can't do nothing when the violence is occurring, and everybody has a part to play. That includes the communities," said NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Friday's March comes with the acknowledgment that police cannot do it all or be everywhere at once.
Right now, they are looking for surveillance video of Thursday's shooting. So far, no arrests have been made.
ALSO READ | City investigating 'unique' crane fire, collapse in Manhattan
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Mercedes-Benz has introduced an update to its mid-size van family to help keep the vehicles fresh until the arrival of successor models based on a dedicated electric vehicle platform later this decade.
The sole mid-size van Mercedes currently sells in the U.S. is the Metris. In other markets, the Metris is known as the Vito and is sold alongside a luxury version called the V-Class. The Vito and V-Class also come in electric form, known as the eVito and EQV respectively.
While the Vito has been updated, there are no plans to bring it to the U.S. as an updated Metris. The current Metris is still available to U.S. buyers but will be phased out later this year.
The updates to the mid-size van family include tweaks to the exterior styling highlighted by an enlarged grille and new light signatures for the headlights. There’s also a new dash design that adopts a single panel integrating both a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment screen in the plush V-Class and EQV. In the Vito and eVito commercial models, the dash sticks to analog gauges with a 5.5-inch screen in the center, plus a 10.3-inch infotainment screen. Buyers also have five new colors to choose from, along with various wheel patterns ranging from 17-19 inches in diameter.
Mercedes has also added new digital services and safety features, one of which is an updated Active Brake Assist feature that now functions in intersections. Active Brake Assist is a collision warning system that supports the driver by automatically adding extra braking pressure when necessary, and activating automatic emergency braking if the driver fails to apply the brakes.
No change has been made to the powertrains meaning buyers have a series of diesels to choose from, including 4- and 6-cylinder options, plus an electric powertrain in the eVito and EQV.
While the U.S. will soon lose the Metris, Mercedes in May said it will bring a luxury mid-size van to this market later this decade. It will be based on the new Van.EA platform. The dedicated EV platform will spawn its first model in 2026, though Mercedes hasn’t revealed the model’s identity.
Mercedes said it expects electric vans to account for 50% of its van sales by 2030.
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- 2024 Porsche Panamera spy shots and video | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/mercedes-updates-v-class-ahead-of-dedicated-ev-successors-arrival/ | 2023-07-29T03:06:32 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/mercedes-updates-v-class-ahead-of-dedicated-ev-successors-arrival/ |
Porsche earlier this week revealed more than just a first look at its lounge-like road-trip fast-charging stations, to be laid out along some top routes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Within details for these design-savvy charging oases there was a bigger technology reveal: Its EVs in the future, it hinted, may charge above 300 kw and perhaps closer to 400 kw.
That message came within how the automaker explained the charging hardware situated at these Porsche Charging Lounges. They’ll be “perfectly tailored to the requirements of Porsche drivers on long journeys,” the company explained. That means a current max charge power of 300 kw from the Alpitronic hardware at those stations, it explained, but it then stated: “By the start of next year, 400 kw per charging point should be possible.”
Since its launch, the Porsche Taycan has been capable of 800-volt DC fast-charging up to 270 kw—made more reproducible for 2022—offering a 5-80% charge in as little as 22.5 minutes.
The 2024 Porsche Macan Electric, which is due to go on sale in the first half of 2024 and built on the PPE platform jointly developed by Porsche and Audi, will inherit the Taycan’s 800-volt charging. But Porsche has suggested that PPE may be capable of a bit more.
While the Macan may stretch closer to 300 kw, it has to be another future vehicle that fast-charges at an even higher rate, taking advantage of those 400-kw connectors.
But the charger announcement may be teasing a product that’s yet to come and farther in the future. Will that be the Boxster-inspired electric sports car, which might include the 718 badge; a production version of the 900-volt Mission X concept the brand recently revealed; or another new EV from the sports-car brand? Or all of the above?
Porsche has said that by 2030 over 80% of the vehicles it delivers globally will be fully electric—although it’s suggested that the last gasoline model it will make will be the 911.
That said, a model that might take advantage of a 400-kw connector might top out higher than the Lucid Air, which reaches a max just over 300 kw, and the GMC Hummer EV with the largest dual-layer pack, which can at times pull the full power from a 350-kw connector.
Such a model tapping the potential of a 400-kw connector might not be coming until 2025 or 2026, but when it does, then Porsche looks prepared with the infrastructure.
The Taycan is already approaching its intended gas-station refueling times—if the infrastructure’s there. With some carefully planned charging stops, one crossed the U.S. last year at real-world highway speeds with just 2.5 hours of charging.
As for those lounges, Porsche aims to place them close to “busy routes with significant traffic flow,” make them open 24/7, barrier-free, and part of the Ionity network, and provide centralized billing and a very comfortable environment. If the images provided, showing woodgrain finishes, bright interiors, workout areas, and rooftop solar cells are any indication, it looks like a very pleasant environment compared to the edge of the Walmart parking lot or strip-mall access road.
Although Porsche has no plans to build these charging oases in the U.S. as of yet, fellow VW Group entity Electrify America offers 350-kw connectors at many of its 809 U.S. fast-charging locations. And the national fast-charging network set to be bankrolled by seven automakers, announced earlier this week, with 350-kw connectors as a baseline, will help support these even-faster-charging EVs.
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- 2018-2023 Nissan Leaf EV recalled for cruise-control acceleration flaw | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/porsche-hints-a-future-ev-may-utilize-400-kw-fast-charging/ | 2023-07-29T03:06:40 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/automotive/internet-brands/porsche-hints-a-future-ev-may-utilize-400-kw-fast-charging/ |
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Fresno resident was arrested after police found concealed arms in their vehicle following a traffic stop for DUI, the Fresno Police Department says Friday.
According to the social media post by the Fresno Police Department, motor officers stopped a vehicle and investigated the driver for suspicion of driving under the influence.
Officers say they searched the suspect’s vehicle and they discovered two illegally concealed firearms.
The Fresno Police Department states the driver was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of DUI and possession of two illegally concealed firearms.
According to investigators, the vehicle was impounded. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/crime/pd-1-arrested-following-a-traffic-stop-for-dui-in-fresno/ | 2023-07-29T03:06:56 | 1 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/crime/pd-1-arrested-following-a-traffic-stop-for-dui-in-fresno/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Signs that inflation pressures in the United States are steadily easing emerged Friday in reports that consumer prices rose in June at their slowest pace in more than two years and that wage growth cooled last quarter.
Together, the figures provided the latest signs that the Federal Reserve’s drive to tame inflation may succeed without triggering a recession, an outcome known as a “soft landing.”
A price gauge closely monitored by the Fed rose just 3% in June from a year earlier. That was down from a 3.8% annual increase in May, though still above the Fed’s 2% inflation target. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.2% from May to June, up slightly from 0.1% the previous month.
Last month’s sharp slowdown in year-over-year inflation largely reflected falling gas prices, as well as milder increases in grocery costs. With supply chains having largely healed from post-pandemic disruptions, the costs of new and used cars, furniture and appliances also fell in June.
The cost of some services, though, continued to surge. Average prices of movie tickets rose 0.5% from May to June, and are up 6.2% from a year earlier. Veterinary services, up 0.5% last month, are 10.5% higher than a year ago. And restaurant meal prices increased 0.4% in June; they’re up 7.1% from 12 months earlier.
A measure of “core” prices, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, did remain elevated even though it also eased last month. Economists track core prices because they are considered a better signal of where inflation is headed. Those still-high underlying inflation pressures are a key reason why the Fed raised its short-term interest rate Wednesday to a 22-year high.
Core prices were still 4.1% higher than they were a year ago, well above the Fed’s target, though down from 4.6% in May. From May to June, core inflation was just 0.2%, down from 0.3% the previous month, an encouraging sign.
A separate report Friday from the Labor Department showed that a gauge of wages and salaries grew more slowly in the April-June quarter, suggesting that employers were feeling less pressure to boost pay as the job market cools.
Employee pay, excluding government workers, rose 1%, down from 1.2% in the first three months of 2023. Compared with a year earlier, wages and salaries grew 4.6%, down from 5.1% in the first quarter.
The Fed is closely watching the pay gauge, known as the employment cost index. Smaller wage increases should slow inflation over time, because companies are less likely to need to raise prices to cover their higher labor costs.
Taken together, Friday’s data “will provide further support to the view that the economy is in the midst of a soft landing,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide. The softer wage data, she suggested, “will be welcomed by Fed officials.”
Americans’ average paychecks are still growing briskly, boosting their ability to spend and underscoring the economy’s resiliency. The inflation report that the Commerce Department issued Friday showed that consumer spending jumped in June, despite two years of high inflation and 11 Fed rate hikes over 17 months. From May to June, consumer spending rose 0.5%, up from 0.2% the previous month.
“Better push out those recession forecasts by another quarter,” Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at investment bank Santander, wrote in a research note.
The inflation gauge that was issued Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, is separate from the better-known consumer price index. Earlier this month, the government reported that the CPI rose 3% in June from 12 months earlier.
The Fed prefers the PCE index because it accounts for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps — when, for example, consumers shift away from pricey national brands in favor of cheaper store brands. And housing costs, which are among the biggest inflation drivers but many economists think aren’t well-measured, carry about half the weight in the PCE than the CPI.
With inflation now steadily cooling, consumers are becoming more optimistic about the economy, a trend that could lead them to keep spending and driving growth.
On Friday, the University of Michigan reported that its consumer sentiment index rose in June to its highest level since October 2021, though it has still recovered only about half of the drop caused by the pandemic. And earlier this week, the Conference Board, a business research group, said its consumer confidence index rose this month to its highest point in two years.
The U.S. economy is in a hopeful but precarious place: A solid job market is bolstering hiring, lifting wages and keeping unemployment near a half-century low. Yet inflation is weakening rather than rising, as it typically does when unemployment is low. That suggests that the Fed may be able to achieve a soft landing.
The Fed’s policymakers, though, are concerned that the steadily growing economy could help perpetuate inflation. This can occur as persistent consumer demand enables more companies to raise prices, thereby keeping inflation above the Fed’s target and potentially causing the central bank to raise rates even higher.
The latest evidence of the economy’s resilience came Thursday, when the government reported that it grew at a 2.4% annual rate in the April-June quarter — faster than analysts had forecast and an acceleration from a 2% growth rate in the first three months of the year.
At a news conference Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell suggested that the Fed’s benchmark short-term rate, now at about 5.3%, was high enough to restrain the overall economy and likely tame inflation over time. But Powell added that the Fed would need to see more evidence that inflation has been sustainably subdued before it would consider ending its rate hikes.
Powell declined to offer any signal of the central bank’s likely next moves. In June, Fed officials had forecast two more rate hikes this year, including Wednesday’s.
“I would say it is certainly possible that we would raise (rates) again at the September meeting, if the data warranted,” Powell said Wednesday, “and I would also say it’s possible that we would choose to hold steady at that meeting.” | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-an-inflation-gauge-that-is-closely-tracked-by-the-fed-falls-to-its-lowest-level-in-more-than-2-years/ | 2023-07-29T03:06:55 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-an-inflation-gauge-that-is-closely-tracked-by-the-fed-falls-to-its-lowest-level-in-more-than-2-years/ |
MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Mariposa County man is now in custody after 10 malnourished and neglected dogs were discovered at his home near Don Pedro.
The man, 25-year-old Malik Nickelberry, has been charged with felony animal cruelty and a probation violation.
The Mariposa County Sheriff says deputies found the dogs without food or water; key evidence that helped lead to the arrest of Nickelberry.
“No food. No water. Outside in the sun in a cage. It’s truly horrible and unfair that somebody would put animals through a situation like that,” said Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese.
The images released by the sheriff’s office paint a tragic picture, three dogs and seven puppies practically skin and bone. Sheriff Briese says each of the dogs recovered weighed less than half of its normal healthy weight.
“These animals needed immediate attention, so we worked as quickly as possible. And like I said, we went into the night and much of the evening to make sure the animals were safe, and that the individual was in custody,” said Briese.
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has teamed up with Friends of the Animal Community in neighboring Tuolumne County to rehab the animals and find them the loving homes they deserve.
“When the animal control officers went out there and got them a bowl of water they were fighting over the water because they were just so depleted. Their skin was literally crawling with fleas,” said Darlene Mathews, founder of Friends of the Animal Community.
The dogs, as shown by Mathews in pictures just days after they were confiscated, had improved greatly, as they were moved into foster homes.
“They won’t even stay alone. She’s gonna, they’re gonna have 24/7 attention,” said Mathews.
Mathews says she wants Nickelberry to pay for what he’s done.
“I really think this is a, uh, it is a felony. And I’m hoping that the person responsible for this gets a maximum sentence.”
Mathews confirmed the dogs weren’t fed for at least two weeks before they were found. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/10-neglected-dogs-recovered-in-mariposa-co-deputies-say/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:02 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/10-neglected-dogs-recovered-in-mariposa-co-deputies-say/ |
Tesla is ramping up efforts to open showrooms on tribal lands where it can sell directly to consumers, circumventing laws in states that bar vehicle manufacturers from also being retailers in favor of the dealership model.
Mohegan Sun, a casino and entertainment complex in Connecticut owned by the federally recognized Mohegan Tribe, announced this week that the California-based electric automaker will open a showroom with a sales and delivery center this fall on its sovereign property where the state’s law doesn’t apply.
The news comes after another new Tesla showroom was announced in June, set to open in 2025 on lands of the Oneida Indian Nation in upstate New York.
“I think it was a move that made complete sense,” said Lori Brown, executive director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, which has lobbied for years to change Connecticut’s law.
“It is just surprising that it took this long, because Tesla had really tried, along with Lucid and Rivian,” she said, referring to two other electric carmakers. “Anything that puts more electric vehicles on the road is a good thing for the public.”
Brown noted that lawmakers with car dealerships that are active in their districts, no matter their political affiliation, have traditionally opposed bills allowing direct-to-consumer sales.
The Connecticut Automotive Retail Association, which has opposed such bills for years, says there needs to be a balance between respecting tribal sovereignty and “maintaining a level playing field” for all car dealerships in the state.
“We respect the Mohegan Tribe’s sovereignty and the unique circumstance in which they operate their businesses on Tribal land but we strongly believe that this does not change the discussion about Tesla and other EV manufacturers with direct-to-consumer sales, and we continue to oppose that model,” Hayden Reynolds, the association’s chairperson, said in a statement. “Connecticut’s dealer franchise laws benefit consumers and provide a competitive marketplace.”
Over the years in numerous states, Tesla has sought and been denied dealership licenses, pushed for law changes and challenged decisions in courts. The company scored a victory earlier this year when Delaware’s Supreme Court overturned a ruling upholding a decision by state officials to prohibit Tesla from selling its cars to directly customers.
At least 16 states have effectively changed their laws to allow Tesla and other direct-to-consumer manufacturers to sell there, said Jeff Aiosa, executive director of the Connecticut dealers association. He doesn’t foresee Connecticut changing its law, noting that 32 “original equipment manufacturers,” a list that includes major car companies like Toyota and Ford, currently abide by it.
“It’s not fair to have an unlevel playing field when all the other manufacturers abide by the state franchise laws and Tesla wants this exception to go around the law,” he said. “I would suggest their pivoting to the sovereign nation is representative of them not wanting to abide by the law.”
Tesla opened its first store as well as a repair shop on Native American land in 2021 in New Mexico. The facility, built in Nambé Pueblo, north of Santa Fe, marked the first time the company partnered with a tribe to get around state laws, though the idea had been in the works for years.
Brian Dear, president of the Tesla Owners Club of New Mexico, predicted at the time that states that are home to tribal nations and also have laws banning direct car sales by manufacturers would likely follow New Mexico’s lead.
“I don’t believe at all that this will be the last,” he said.
Tesla’s facility at Mohegan Sun, dubbed the Tesla Sales & Delivery Center, will be located at a shopping and dining pavilion within the sprawling casino complex. Customers will be able to test drive models around the resort. and gamblers will be able to use their loyalty rewards toward Tesla purchases.
Tesla also plans to exhibit its solar and storage products at the location. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-automaker-tesla-is-opening-more-showrooms-on-tribal-lands-to-avoid-state-laws-barring-direct-sales/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:03 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-automaker-tesla-is-opening-more-showrooms-on-tribal-lands-to-avoid-state-laws-barring-direct-sales/ |
(The Hill) — A federal judge in Montana issued a temporary restraining order on Friday, blocking the state from enforcing a law that bans certain drag performances, writing in an order that the law likely suffers from “constitutional maladies.”
Montana’s House Bill 359, passed by the state’s majority Republican legislature and signed into law by GOP Gov. Greg Gianforte in May, prohibits schools or libraries that receive state funding from hosting a drag story hour or “sexually oriented performance.” Performances are also prohibited from taking place in public or in the presence of a minor.
A group of 10 plaintiffs challenged the law in federal court earlier this month, arguing that the bill is “breathtakingly ambiguous and overbroad.” Plaintiffs include Adria Jawort, a transgender and two-spirit author whose lecture at a public library in Butte was canceled last month after officials determined that having her speak posed “too much of a legal risk” under the new law.
Montana Pride, the host of an annual LGBTQ Pride celebration in Helena, joined the lawsuit last week, arguing that city officials — as a result of the law — have withheld permits that are needed for this year’s Pride festival, which is slated to run from July 30 to August 6.
“The thirtieth annual Montana Pride is slated to begin in less than two days,” Chief Judge Brian Morris wrote in Friday’s order. “Plaintiffs, along with the approximately 15,000 Montanans who wish to attend the events, cannot avoid chilled speech or exposure to potential civil or criminal liability under H.B. 359 in the absence of the extraordinary remedy of a [temporary restraining order.]”
Republicans in the state legislature this session had argued the law was necessary to protect children from “mature themes” and obscene material.
But “Montana law already protects minors from obscene material,” Morris wrote Friday.
On top of that, the state conceded during a July 26 hearing that the statutory text of House Bill 359 regulates speech and expression outside of what is considered “legally obscene.”
The law additionally “contains no carveout for speech or expression with serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value,” Morris argued, and the First Amendment protects “at least some of the speech and expression” regulated by the law.
Morris noted in the order that the only two other district courts to have considered First Amendment challenges to similar state drag bans in Tennessee and Florida “have confirmed that those laws constitute facially content-based restrictions” and are therefore discriminatory.
A federal judge in June ruled that a Tennessee law banning drag shows in public or where children could view them is unconstitutional. The same month, a federal judge in Florida temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a similar ban on drag performances.
Attorneys for the state had sought to distinguish the Montana law from those of Florida and Tennessee on the basis that those laws failed to define “lewd.” But Morris on Friday argued that Montana’s drag ban also failed to define it.
The measure also fails to define “lascivious,” “flamboyant or parodic persona,” “salacious dancing” and “sexual manner,” Morris wrote. “The absence of definitions for these terms raises concerns for the Court about vagueness and overbreadth.”
In a statement to the Montana Free Press following Friday’s order, Montana Pride’s lead organizer, Kevin Hamm, said the court “got it right.”
“As I said throughout the legislature, drag is art. And drag bans not only infringe on free speech, but they are crafted (by design) to be so broad to allow for discrimination against trans & nonbinary people as well,” state Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr posted Friday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in response to Morris’s decision.
Zephyr, one of two openly transgender lawmakers in Montana, was censured by House Republicans in April after she said legislators who voted to pass a bill banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors would have “blood on your hands.”
In a statement to The Hill, Emily Flower, a spokesperson for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R), who is a defendant in the case, said the state will present its response at an upcoming preliminary injunction hearing.
“We look forward to presenting our written response and full argument at the upcoming preliminary injunction hearing to defend the law and protect minors from sexually oriented performances,” she said. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/u-s-world/federal-judge-halts-montana-ban-on-drag-performances/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:08 | 1 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/u-s-world/federal-judge-halts-montana-ban-on-drag-performances/ |
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe’s banking sector could withstand a severe economic downturn without depleting their financial buffers against losses, the European Central Bank said Friday.
A survey of 98 large and medium-sized banks done by the ECB’s supervisory arm in conjunction with the European Banking Authority showed that even in the most adverse scenario — a fall of almost 10% in economic outpoint over three years — banks would still have enough capital to cover losses and then some.
The stress test was not a pass-fail exercise for banks in the 20 countries that use the euro currency. Rather, results for individual banks will be used by banking regulators in determining how much capital they need to hold in reserve.
Banks are crucial to the European economy because companies get most of their financing from them, instead of from financial markets — the opposite of the situation in the U.S.
The ECB took over supervision of the biggest banks after the eurozone debt crisis more than a decade ago, when bank losses led to heavy bailout costs for governments. National supervisors were perceived to have been less than vigilant on developing risks.
Scrutiny of bank finances has grown after the failure of three U.S. banks amid rising interest rates that led to losses on investments and mass withdrawal of deposits. The financial turmoil then hit Credit Suisse, a globally significant bank that had long-running problems, leading the Swiss government to engineer an emergency takeover by rival UBS to prevent further banking chaos.
Switzerland is not part of the European Union, where some of the safeguards instituted after the 2008-2009 global financial crisis were more widely applied. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-europes-banks-could-survive-a-drastic-economic-downturn-stress-test-shows/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:11 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-europes-banks-could-survive-a-drastic-economic-downturn-stress-test-shows/ |
MILAN (AP) — French luxury conglomerate Kering has reached a cash deal to purchase a 30% stake in Italian fashion house Valentino for 1.7 billion euros from a Qatari investment firm.
With the purchase, Kering is seeking to shore up its revenue stream as it struggles to turn around former powerhouse Gucci. Kering on Thursday reported first-half revenues of 10.1 billion euros, up 2%, as Gucci sales stagnate.
Under the deal announced Thursday, Kering has the option to buy 100% of Valentino no later than 2028. The partnership could lead to the Qatari investment firm, Mayhoola, becoming a shareholder in Kering, as well as other potential “joint opportunities,” the statement said.
Kering Chairman and CEO Francois-Henri Pinault expressed admiration for “the evolution of Valentino under Mayhoola ownership,” which Kering said turned Valentino “into one of the most admired luxury houses in the world.”
“I am very pleased of this first step in our collaboration with Mayhoola to develop Valentino and pursue the very strong strategic journey of brand elevation,’’ citing the role of Valentino CEO Jacopo Venturini, who “will continue to lead.”
Gucci, which accounts for nearly half of Kering revenues, is in the throes of a relaunch, with a new management team and a new creative director, Sabato De Sarn o, who will unveil his first collection during Milan Fashion Week in September.
Valentino, founded by Valentino Garavani in 1960, recorded revenues of 1.4 billion euros in 2022. Pierpaolo Piccoli has been creative director at Valentino since 2008, working alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri from 2008-16. With its corporate base in Milan and design studio in Rome, the fashion house is a mainstay of Paris fashion week with its womenswear and couture collections while recently returning menswear to Milan. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-french-luxury-group-kering-to-buy-30-stake-in-valentino-for-1-7-billion-euros-cash/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:19 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-french-luxury-group-kering-to-buy-30-stake-in-valentino-for-1-7-billion-euros-cash/ |
TOKYO (AP) — An official in charge of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says the upcoming release of treated radioactive water into the sea more than 12 years after the reactors’ meltdown marks “a milestone,” but is still only an initial step in a daunting decades-long decommissioning process.
Junichi Matsumoto, the corporate officer in charge of treated water management for Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi plant, also pledged to conduct careful sampling and analysis of the water to make sure its release is safely carried out in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency standards.
The water is being treated with what’s called an Advanced Liquid Processing System, which can reduce the amounts of more than 60 selected radionuclides to government-set releasable levels, except for tritium, which the government and TEPCO say is safe for humans if consumed in small amounts.
“The release of the ALPS-treated water into the sea is a major milestone for us, as well as for the decommissioning of the plant,” Matsumoto said in an interview with The Associated Press at TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo.
“In order to steadily advance decommissioning, the ever-growing amounts of water was a pressing issue that we could not put off, and we had a sense of crisis,” said Matsumoto, a nuclear engineering expert. “We still have to tackle far more challenging and higher-risk operations such as removal of melted debris and spent fuel” from the damaged reactors, he said.
Another task for TEPCO is combatting the damage to the reputation of Fukushima fisheries caused by the water release, he said.
A massive March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water, which has since leaked continuously. The water is collected, filtered and stored in around 1,000 tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024.
Large amounts of fatally radioactive melted nuclear fuel remain inside the reactors. Robotic probes have provided some information about its status, but it remains largely unknown.
The government and TEPCO say the water must be removed to make room for the plant’s decommissioning, and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks because much of the water is still contaminated and needs retreatment.
The release plan has faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organizations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the accident. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a political and diplomatic issue.
Matsumoto said the key to gaining understanding is to patiently explain the situation by providing scientific evidence.
“It is difficult, but we hope to make it as easy to understand as possible,” he said. “If we describe (the water release) in one word, it’s safe.”
“As the operator responsible for the accident, we must admit TEPCO is a company that is not fully trusted. We must keep up the effort and sincerely respond to any concern,” Matsumoto said. “It is our responsibility to demonstrate we can carry out the water release as planned, and that’s how we can regain public trust.”
The government said the release is set to start this summer but hasn’t set the date amid protests. TEPCO has obtained safety permits for all of the equipment needed for the release and is currently carrying out training so the water release team can begin work at any time, Matsumoto said.
“It’s not like just turning a faucet to run tap water,” he said.
Scientists generally agree that the environmental impact of the treated wastewater would be negligible, but some call for more attention to dozens of low-dose radionuclides that remain in it, saying data on their long-term effects on the environment and marine life are insufficient and the water requires close scrutiny.
The treated water will be diluted with massive amounts of seawater and will be released gradually over many years.
Matsumoto acknowledged that treated water that came in contact with the damaged nuclear fuel contains radionuclides such as uranium and plutonium that are not in water that is routinely released from healthy nuclear plants around the world.
He said the total concentration of radionuclides in the water meets government standards after treatment, and after dilution the wastewater will be fully safe and have a minimal environmental impact, according to the IAEA, which has provided assistance in evaluating the release plan.
Matsumoto said he has struggled to manage the massive amounts of contaminated water to keep it from escaping into the environment and safely stored at the plant since the accident.
There were instances in which plant workers had no other choice but to dump some into the sea or temporarily put it inside a basement or in temporary water tanks, Matsumoto recalled.
Now, after taking measures to minimize the seeping of rainwater and groundwater into the reactor buildings and establishing a stable water management system, the amount of contaminated water has come down to less than one-fifth of what it used to be, he said. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-fukushima-plant-official-says-the-coming-release-of-treated-water-a-milestone-for-decommissioning/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:27 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-fukushima-plant-official-says-the-coming-release-of-treated-water-a-milestone-for-decommissioning/ |
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German economy is still failing to grow, figures showed Friday, as the country that should be the industrial powerhouse for all of Europe struggles with high energy prices, rising borrowing costs and a lagging rebound from key trading partner China.
Economic output in Germany stagnated in the April-to-June quarter, the Federal Statistics Office said. That follows a decline of 0.1% in the first three months of the year and a drop of 0.4% in the last three months of 2022 as the energy shock from Russia’s war in Ukraine echoed through Europe’s largest economy.
It comes after the International Monetary Fund forecast this week that Germany would be the globe’s only major economy to shrink this year, even with weak economic growth around the world amid rising interest rates and the threat of growing inflation.
In Germany, the economy has been buffeted by several challenges. Above all, its long-term dependence on Russian natural gas to fuel industry backfired when the invasion of Ukraine led to the loss of most of Moscow’s supply and to higher costs for energy-intensive industries such as metals, glass, cars and fertilizer.
Higher interest rates from the European Central Bank have weighed on construction projects that depend on borrowing. Meanwhile, the rebound in China, Germany’s largest trade partner, after the end of drastic COVID-19 restrictions has been less than many had hoped for.
The second-quarter economic performance was “far from satisfactory,” said Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck.
He urged action on his proposal to cap energy prices for industry with government help, which has run into skepticism in parts of the governing coalition, and more investment in future-oriented technology such as renewable energy.
“What Germany needs is a targeted impulse for investment and breathing room for our energy-intensive industry,” he said.
Longer-term factors such as an aging population, lagging use of digital technology in business and government, excessive red tape that holds back business launches and public construction projects, and a shortage of skilled labor also have weighed on the economy.
Yet the slowdown does not resemble a classic recession because jobs are abundant, with companies competing for workers and complaining of skills shortages. The unemployment rate was only 2.9% in May, well below the eurozone’s 6.5% — one of the lowest rates on record.
Carsten Brzeski, chief eurozone economist at ING, has described Germany’s situation as a “slowcession,” with the economy “stuck in the twilight zone between stagnation and recession.”
He said Friday that recent data “do not bode well for economic activity in the coming months.”
“In fact, weak purchasing power, thinned-out industrial order books, as well as the impact of the most aggressive monetary policy tightening in decades, and the expected slowdown of the U.S. economy, all argue in favor of weak economic activity,” Brzeski said in a note.
Germany’s woes are calling forth comparisons with the late 1990s, when high labor costs held back the country’s competitiveness. A series of labor market reforms under former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in 2003-2004 helped restore economic growth and Germany’s position as an export powerhouse selling industrial machinery and vehicles to the rest of the world.
Germany’s current account surplus of $290 billion, the broadest measure of foreign trade, was the highest in the world in 2019, according to the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. It remained above 7% of GDP for six straight years but fell to 4.2% last year. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-germany-used-to-be-the-worlds-export-powerhouse-now-its-not-growing-what-happened/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:36 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-germany-used-to-be-the-worlds-export-powerhouse-now-its-not-growing-what-happened/ |
NEW DELHI (AP) — India and Japan explored collaborating in critical technologies, including semiconductors and resilient supply chains, as part of plans to reach a target of $35.9 billion Japanese investment in the country by 2027, officials said on Friday.
Foreign Ministers of India and Japan, S. Jaishankar and Yoshimasa Hayashi, met in New Delhi on Thursday and also discussed ways to deepen defense equipment and technology cooperation. Hayashi is on a two-day visit to the Indian capital.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has disrupted the global supply of parts and raw materials needed to complete a variety of products – from cars to computer chips.
Hayashi and Jaishankar also emphasized the crucial role of a strong partnership between India and Japan in ensuring an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that is inclusive and rules-based, a statement by India’s External Affairs Ministry said.
They discussed cooperation under multilateral and plurilateral frameworks, including the Quad grouping that also includes the United States and Australia, the statement said. The grouping aims at countering the growing challenge posed by an aggressive China in the region.
Japan considers India an indispensable partner in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hayashi said at a meeting with business leaders from the two countries.
He said he has been encouraging Japanese companies to invest in 15 key sectors identified by India as eligible for subsidies. These include telecommunications equipment, automobiles, and applied chemical batteries.
“All of this has led to the remarkable growth in Japanese investment into crucial technologies such as medical equipment, electronics, and household electric appliances,” Hayashi said.
Jaishankar and Hayashi expressed satisfaction at the strengthening of defense and security cooperation between the two countries, including regular exercises and talks between all three services, the statement said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitions to build a chipmaking industry suffered a potential setback earlier this month as electronics giant Foxconn backed out of a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with Indian mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd.
In February last year, the two companies announced their joint venture to manufacture chips and display panels in India.
India has made building a chipmaking sector a national priority as part of a self-reliance policy to secure stable supplies. It is offering financial incentives of up to 50% of project costs under a $10 billion plan for semiconductor and display manufacturing projects.
India and Japan share strong economic ties. Trade between the two was worth $20.57 billion in fiscal year 2021-2022. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-india-and-japan-look-to-collaborate-in-building-semiconductors-and-resilient-supply-chains/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:44 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-india-and-japan-look-to-collaborate-in-building-semiconductors-and-resilient-supply-chains/ |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A merger that would have created one of the largest health service companies in the Upper Midwest has been scrapped.
Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services and Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Sanford Health announced Thursday that they would not proceed with the merger they had been discussing since late last year. It would have created a system with more than 50 hospitals and about 78,000 employees.
This is the second time in a decade that the two companies considered a merger but failed to complete it, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
The latest attempt drew fierce opposition at the University of Minnesota, which has a partnership with Fairview. The university sold its teaching hospital to Fairview in 1997 and opposed the idea of an out-of-state entity owning the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis. The merged system would have been based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s largest city.
Statements from the two companies’ CEOs stated that without support from stakeholders, it was determined that the merger couldn’t move forward.
The companies first considered merging in 2013 but met with strong political opposition.
Minnesota lawmakers this spring gave the state attorney general additional power to scrutinize health care mergers, including the Sanford-Fairview proposal.
The affiliation between Fairview and the University of Minnesota includes financial support from Fairview for the school’s academic medicine mission. This agreement continues through 2026, but both parties have an option to signal by the end of this year if they want to end the partnership. Fairview has said the current agreements are not financially sustainable. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-merger-talks-end-between-large-health-care-systems-in-minnesota-south-dakota/ | 2023-07-29T03:07:52 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-merger-talks-end-between-large-health-care-systems-in-minnesota-south-dakota/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Procter & Gamble reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits and revenue, showing that the appetite for established brands like Crest toothpaste, Tide detergent and Charmin toilet paper is still strong even as the consumer products company pushes up prices.
P&G increased prices by about 7% across various brands from the same period last year, less than the 10% increase in third quarter. Global volume fell 1% in the quarter, however, still an improvement over a 3% drop in volume during the third quarter, and a 6% drop in the second quarter.
During a call with analysts Friday, Chairman and CEO Jon Moeller said higher prices are tied to company innovations and aren’t going away.
Examples include Cruiser 360 diapers, made for babies that move around a lot. Sales have increased 33% over the past 12 months, according to Andre Schulten, the company’s chief financial officer. And a detox body wash sold in China called Safeguard goes for twice the market average price. Sales have almost doubled in the past year.
“When you have a strong innovation program, it compels consumers to try even better performing products,” Moeller said.
During the fourth quarter prices for fabric care, as well as home and health care, went up 6% and grooming products rose 9%. Beauty items rose 8%.
Pricing has been a boost to sales growth in nearly all of P&G’s past 51 quarters, Moeller said.
The easing of volume declines may be encouraging news for P&G and other producers after recent evidence of a pushback by shoppers to seemingly relentless price hikes coming from a broad spectrum of retailers and companies the make products for them.
Conagra Brands, which makes Slim Jim beef jerky, Duncan Hines cake mix and more, said this month that smaller price increases have not translated to higher sales volume. The company raised prices 15% in the quarter before that and it didn’t dent demand.
Also this month, PepsiCo said higher prices lifted the company’s revenue in the second quarter but snack food volumes fell 3% in the April-June period, while beverage volumes dropped 1%. The company said that price increases could start to moderate in the second half of this year.
Overall inflation continues to slow and on Friday, the U.S. reported that the consumer price index, which is followed closely because it accounts for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps, rose in June at the slowest pace in more than two years.
Procter & Gamble Co., based in Cincinnati, reported net income of $3.39 billion, or $1.37 per share, in the quarter ended June 30. That compares with $3.06 billion, or $1.21 per share, in the year-ago quarter.
Sales rose 5% to $20.6 billion from $19.51 billion in the quarter.
Analysts were expecting $1.32 per share on sales of $20.01 billion, according to FactSet.
P&G expects fiscal 2024 sales growth in the range of 3% to 4% versus the prior year. The company expects organic sales growth, which excludes deals and currency moves, to be in the range of 4% to 5%.
P&G expects net earnings per share growth in the range of 6% to 9% for the current year. This outlook equates to a range of $6.25 to $6.43 per share, with a mid-point estimate of $6.34, or an increase of 7.5%. Analysts were expecting $6.37 per share.
Shares rose more than 3% Friday.
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Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-pgs-better-than-expected-4q-results-show-consumers-appetite-for-iconic-brands-despite-price-hikes/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:00 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-pgs-better-than-expected-4q-results-show-consumers-appetite-for-iconic-brands-despite-price-hikes/ |
6-year-old girl dies after being hit by boat propeller at lake, authorities say
PEORIA, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say a young girl has died after she was hit by a boat propeller at Lake Pleasant Friday morning.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were called to the lake regarding a boat accident at about 11 a.m.
KPHO reports that a 6-year-old girl was pulled from the lake with a severe leg injury. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
According to Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, two families had arrived at the lake around 7 a.m. for swimming and wakeboarding. All 12 people, reported to be six adults and six children, were on the same boat.
Investigators said the child was injured when no one realized she was still in the water and her mother started to accelerate to pull another family member who was wakeboarding.
The young girl was then run over by the boat.
Because of poor cellphone service in that part of the lake, the family couldn’t reach emergency services.
Other boaters in the area helped get the child out of the water and brought her to the Pleasant Harbor Marina where fire crews were waiting.
Deputies don’t believe impairment was a factor in the accident.
Detectives are investigating and processing evidence, but Enriquez said the girl’s death is being treated as a tragic accident.
Authorities said there appeared to be no safety violations on the boat, which was equipped with proper life jackets, a fire extinguisher and other gear.
Enriquez also said the owners are experienced boat operators who live near the lake.
The families involved were not immediately identified.
Copyright 2023 KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:02 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ |
‘Our hero is going home’: Police officer released from rehab 3.5 months after Ky. bank shooting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After 109 days, Louisville Metro police officer Nickolas Wilt has been released from Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and is going home.
Wilt has been hospitalized, receiving medical care for the last three and a half months after the Old National Bank mass shooting on April 10. Wilt was critically injured when he was shot in the head after responding to the shooting that ultimately killed five people.
The victims were identified as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Wilt was listed in critical condition for nearly a month. Officials with the University of Louisville Health said Wilt received multiple surgeries and underwent several procedures at University of Louisville Hospital and Jewish Hospital.
On May 10, one month after the shooting, Wilt was transferred to Frazier Rehabilitation Institute to begin neuro and physical rehabilitation after seeing an improvement in his condition. Over the course of the last three and a half months, doctors and family of Wilt have called his journey remarkable.
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear shared a photo with Wilt ahead of his release.
“Kentucky, our prayers were heard. @LMPD Officer Nick Wilt is headed home with his family. Officer Wilt is a hero who ran toward danger to save the lives of several of my friends. I am forever grateful for him and his bravery. Let’s keep praying for him.”
Wilt was honored as he left the halls of Frazier Rehab. He was accompanied by family as well as some fellow officers.
After leaving the rehab facility, Wilt was driven to Southeast Christian Church on Blankenbaker Parkway where he was driven past a line of well-wishers. The van then headed for Oldham County where community members were invited to gather along Highway 53 in La Grange to greet Wilt.
LMPD shared their sentiment on their social media, honoring the heroic actions of Wilt.
“Resilience, strength, courage. Those are just a few words to describe Ofc. Nickolas Wilt. April 10th, innocent lives were lost. Ofc. Wilt, just 10 days on the job, answered the call to help stop an active shooter. Today, our hero is going home. He’s ready. #WiltsWarriors”
Louisville Metro Police Foundation has created a donation site to help pay for Wilt’s medical expenses.
To make a donation, click or tap here.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:09 | 1 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ |
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s lawmakers voted Friday to approve an amended but divisive law on Russian influences believed to be targeting the opposition and criticized by the U.S. and the European Union.
The law was proposed in May by Poland’s ruling right-wing Law and Justice party and critics see it as primarily targeting opposition leader and former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, before a parliamentary election scheduled for this fall. Following criticism, President Andrzej Duda proposed urgent amendments to tone it down.
The lower house, or Sejm, voted 235-214 with four abstentions to reject the Senate’s veto to the draft law amended by Duda. It only now requires Duda’s signature to take effect.
The amended bill calls for a commission to check whether between 2007 and 2022 politicians have taken decisions under Russia’s influence that could threaten Poland’s security. Duda has said it is needed for transparency’s sake and to prevent Russia from influencing Poland’s stability in the future.
Poland is supporting neighboring Ukraine to fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion and is supplying weapons, humanitarian aid and political backing for Kyiv. That has drawn harsh comments from Moscow.
The previous, more restrictive law is currently in effect, but the commission members haven’t been chosen yet.
When it takes effect, the law will create a powerful committee by experts but not lawmakers to investigate Russian influence in Poland and name politicians who allegedly allowed them, thus barring them in practice from holding public positions. However, critics say it is primarily targeting Tusk, who also served as a top EU official.
Law and Justice accuses Tusk of having been too friendly toward Russia and President Vladimir Putin as prime minister between 2007 and 2014, and making gas deals favorable to Moscow before he went to Brussels to be the president of the European Council between 2014 and 2019.
Law and Justice party leader Jarosław Kaczyński and Tusk are longtime political rivals.
Critics say the law violates the Polish Constitution and could keep government opponents from holding public office by having a negative effect on their eligibility, especially in a parliamentary election later this year. Amendments by Duda, who holds a law doctorate, allowed for the commission verdict to be appealed to court.
The U.S. State Department and EU authorities have strongly criticized the law in its first version and expressed concerns about Poland’s democracy. The 27-member EU, which Poland joined in 2004, also threatened to take measures, if it became fully clear that such a law would undermine democratic standards.
When Duda proposed the amendments in June, he also bowed partially to critics and sent the bill to the Constitutional Tribunal for a review for conformity with the supreme law. That verdict is still pending. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-polands-lawmakers-approve-a-divisive-law-on-russian-influence/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:08 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-polands-lawmakers-approve-a-divisive-law-on-russian-influence/ |
Sunny and comfortable weekend
Highs in the lower 80s
Published: Jul. 28, 2023 at 9:54 PM CDT|Updated: 12 minutes ago
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – After a hot and muggy week, temperatures will drop near seasonal averages for the upcoming weekend.
High temperatures on Saturday will be in the lower 80s and upper 70s. The wind will be out of the north around 5-10 mph. Dew points should sit steady in the lower 60s and upper 50s. Sunday will be a repeat of Saturday. Highs will be in the lower 80s with mostly sunny skies. The wind will be out of the north around 5-10 mph and dew points will be in the 50s.
High temperatures will be in the lower 80s with partly cloudy skies most of next week. Moisture will build throughout the week with thunderstorm chances returning to the forecast on Wednesday.
Have a great weekend!
Nick
Copyright 2023 KTTC. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/sunny-comfortable-weekend/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:15 | 1 | https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/29/sunny-comfortable-weekend/ |
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin courted leaders from Africa at a summit on Friday, hailing the continent’s growing role in global affairs and offering to expand political and business ties.
Addressing the Russia-Africa summit for a second day, Putin said Moscow would closely analyze a peace proposal for Ukraine that African leaders have sought to pursue.
“This is an acute issue, and we aren’t evading its consideration,” the Russian leader said, emphasizing that his government was treating the African initiative with respect and “looking at it attentively.”
He encouraged the African leaders to talk to Ukraine, which has refused to engage in talks until Russian troops pull back. “I believe it’s necessary to also talk to the other side, although we are grateful to our African friends for their attention to the issue,” Putin said at the St. Petersburg summit.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said African leaders were looking forward to engaging further with Putin later Friday on their peace proposal.
“It is our hope that constructive engagement and negotiation can bring about an end to the ongoing conflict,” Ramaphosa, who leads sub-Saharan Africa’s most developed country, said, adding in South Africa, “our own history has taught us that this is indeed possible.”
Without specifically mentioning the fighting in Ukraine, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni denounced those who foment ideologically-driven military conflicts as “time and opportunity wasters,” adding that “human history will move on, whether they like it or not.”
“The only justified wars are the just wars, like the anti-colonial wars,” Museveni said. “Wars of hegemony will fail and waste time and opportunity. Dialogue is the correct way.”
In the public portion of a late night meeting Friday about the peace proposal, Putin repeated to the African leaders his explanations for the conflict’s origins and Russia’s actions in it, without giving any specific reaction to their suggestions. The African leaders said they expected to hear Putin’s detailed reactions in a subsequent closed part of the meeting.
In his speech, Putin reaffirmed his pledge that Russia will maintain steady supplies of grain and other agricultural products to the continent after its withdrawal from a deal allowing grain shipments from Ukraine. Moscow’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative has fueled concerns of a global food crisis.
“Russia will always be a responsible international supplier of agricultural products and will continue to support the countries and region in need by offering free grain and other supplies,” the Russian leader said.
He declared at the summit’s opening Thursday that Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic each will receive 25,000 to 50,000 tons of Russian grain in the next three to four months.
In comparison, the U.N. World Food Program shipped 725,000 tons of grain to several countries, including Somalia, under the Black Sea deal.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres responded to Putin’s pledge of no-cost grain shipments by noting that such donations of grain can’t compensate for the impact of Moscow cutting off grain exports from Ukraine, which along with Russia is a top supplier to the world market.
Guterres said the U.N. was in contact with Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and other countries to try to reestablish the year-old agreement, under which Ukraine exported more than 32 million tons of grain. The resumption of shipments from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports allowed global food prices to drop significantly from the levels they reached after Putin sent troops into the neighboring country.
The deal brokered a year ago by the U.N. and Turkey reopened Ukrainian Black Sea ports blocked by fighting and provided assurances that ships entering them wouldn’t be attacked. Russia declined to renew the agreement last week, complaining that its own exports were being held up.
Putin used the summit to repeat his accusations against the West of obstructing the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, including proposed no-cost supplies of fertilizers to Africa.
The Russia-Africa summit marks a renewed Kremlin effort to bolster ties with a continent of 1.3 billion people that is increasingly assertive on the global stage. Africa’s 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Only 17 heads of state were at the summit, compared to 43 at the first Russia-Africa summit in 2019, a sharp drop in attendance that the Kremlin has attributed to what it described as “outrageous” Western pressure to discourage African countries from showing up.
Putin hailed Africa’s role in the emerging “multipolar world order,” noting that “the era of hegemony of one or several countries is receding into the past, albeit not without resistance on the part of those who got used to their own uniqueness and monopoly in global affairs.”
“Russia and Africa are united by an innate desire to defend true sovereignty and the right to their own distinctive path of development in the political, economic, social, cultural and other spheres,” he said.
He said Russia plans to expand trade and economic ties with Africa and continue efforts to relieve their debt burden by writing off another $90 million of their debts.
Putin noted that Moscow also stands ready to bolster defense ties with African countries by helping train their military and expanding supplies of military equipment, some of them on a no-cost basis.
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This story corrects the amount that Ukraine exported under the Black Sea deal to 32 million tons.
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Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow and Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya contributed to this report. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-putin-woos-african-leaders-at-a-summit-in-russia-with-promises-of-expanding-trade-and-other-ties/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:16 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-putin-woos-african-leaders-at-a-summit-in-russia-with-promises-of-expanding-trade-and-other-ties/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s rally got back on track Friday following more encouraging profit reports and the latest signal that inflation is loosening its chokehold on the economy.
The S&P 500 rose 1% to its highest close in more than 15 months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 176 points, or 0.5% after breaking a 13-day winning streak the day before. The Nasdaq composite jumped 1.9% as Big Tech stocks led the market.
Stocks have been rising recently on hopes high inflation is cooling enough to get the Federal Reserve to stop hiking interest rates. That in turn could allow the economy to continue growing and avoid a long-predicted recession. The S&P 500 closed out its third straight winning week and its ninth in the last 11.
A report on Friday bolstered those hopes, saying the inflation measure the Fed prefers to use slowed last month by a touch more than expected. Perhaps just as importantly, data also showed that total compensation for workers rose less than expected during the spring. While that’s discouraging for workers looking for bigger raises, investors see it adding less upward pressure on inflation.
The hope among traders is that the slowdown in inflation means the Federal Reserve’s hike to interest rates on Wednesday will be the final one of this cycle. The federal funds rate has leaped to a level between 5.25% and 5.50%, up from virtually zero early last year. High interest rates work to lower inflation by slowing the entire economy and hurting prices for stocks and other investments.
Critics, though, say the stock market’s rally may have gone too far, too fast. The full effects of the Fed’s rate hikes have yet to make their way fully through the system. Other parts of the economy could still crack under the pressure, like the three U.S. bank failures this spring that shook confidence. Plus, inflation remains above the Fed’s target level, and the central bank could have to keep the brakes on the economy a while to get it down to target.
“Don’t underestimate central bank commitment to 2% inflation,” Bank of America economists wrote in a BofA Global Research report.
Still, hopes for a halt to rate hikes helped technology stocks and others seen as big beneficiaries from easier rates to rally and lead the market Friday.
Microsoft, Apple and Amazon each rose at least 1.4% and were the three strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500.
Companies also continued to deliver stronger profits for the spring than analysts expected. Roughly halfway through the earnings season, more companies than usual are topping profit forecasts, according to FactSet.
Intel rose 6.6% after reporting a profit for the latest quarter, when analysts were expecting a loss.
Food giant Mondelez International climbed 3.7% after reporting stronger results for the spring than expected. The company behind Oreo and Ritz also raised its forecasts for financial results for the full year.
On the losing end was Exxon Mobil. It fell 1.2% and was the heaviest single weight on the S&P 500. It reported weaker profit for the spring than expected, though its revenue topped forecasts.
All told, the S&P 500 rose 44.82 points to 4,582.23. The Dow added 176.57 to 35,459.29, and the Nasdaq jumped 265.55 to 14,316.66.
In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.4% after the Bank of Japan made moves that could allow longer-term interest rates to rise. Stocks rose in China and were modestly higher across Europe.
In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.95% from 4.00% late Thursday. It helps set rates for mortgages and other important loans.
The two-year Treasury, which moves more on expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, fell to 4.87% from 4.92%.
Yields dipped after a survey said sentiment among U.S. consumers wasn’t quite as high in July as thought, though it was still the strongest reading since October 2021.
The report from the University of Michigan also said expectations for inflation inched up in July but remain well below where they were last year. The Fed wants to keep such expectations anchored because it fears a vicious cycle where expectations for high inflation only worsen it.
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AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-stock-market-today-asian-shares-mixed-tokyo-falls-as-bank-of-japan-adjusts-bond-purchase-policy/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:25 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-stock-market-today-asian-shares-mixed-tokyo-falls-as-bank-of-japan-adjusts-bond-purchase-policy/ |
The Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor HHS) appropriations bill and accompanying report on July 27, 2023. The Labor HHS appropriations bill includes funding for U.S. global health programs provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and funding for global health research activities provided to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Total global health funding at CDC and NIH through the Labor HHS bill is not yet known, as funding for some programs at NIH is determined at the agency level rather than specified by Congress in annual appropriations bills. Funding for global health programs at CDC totals $693 million, flat compared to the FY 2023 enacted level, $72 million (9%) below the President’s FY24 request ($765 million), and $322 million (87%) above the House level ($371 million). See the table below (downloadable table here) for additional detail on global health funding. See other budget summaries and the KFF budget tracker for details on historical annual appropriations for global health programs.
The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search. | https://www.kff.org/news-summary/senate-appropriations-committee-approves-fy-2024-labor-health-and-human-services-education-and-related-agencies-labor-hhs-appropriations-bill/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:33 | 0 | https://www.kff.org/news-summary/senate-appropriations-committee-approves-fy-2024-labor-health-and-human-services-education-and-related-agencies-labor-hhs-appropriations-bill/ |
6-year-old girl dies after being hit by boat propeller at lake, authorities say
PEORIA, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say a young girl has died after she was hit by a boat propeller at Lake Pleasant Friday morning.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were called to the lake regarding a boat accident at about 11 a.m.
KPHO reports that a 6-year-old girl was pulled from the lake with a severe leg injury. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
According to Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, two families had arrived at the lake around 7 a.m. for swimming and wakeboarding. All 12 people, reported to be six adults and six children, were on the same boat.
Investigators said the child was injured when no one realized she was still in the water and her mother started to accelerate to pull another family member who was wakeboarding.
The young girl was then run over by the boat.
Because of poor cellphone service in that part of the lake, the family couldn’t reach emergency services.
Other boaters in the area helped get the child out of the water and brought her to the Pleasant Harbor Marina where fire crews were waiting.
Deputies don’t believe impairment was a factor in the accident.
Detectives are investigating and processing evidence, but Enriquez said the girl’s death is being treated as a tragic accident.
Authorities said there appeared to be no safety violations on the boat, which was equipped with proper life jackets, a fire extinguisher and other gear.
Enriquez also said the owners are experienced boat operators who live near the lake.
The families involved were not immediately identified.
Copyright 2023 KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:33 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The fate of U.S. trucking company Yellow Corp. isn’t looking good.
After years of financial struggles, Yellow is reportedly preparing for bankruptcy and seeing customers leave in large numbers — heightening risk for future liquidation. While no official decision has been announced by the company, the prospect of bankruptcy has renewed attention around Yellow’s ongoing negotiations with unionized workers, a $700 million pandemic-era loan from the government and other bills the trucker has racked up over time.
Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company has some 30,000 employees across the country.
Here’s what you need to know.
Not yet. But industry experts suspect that a bankruptcy filing could come any day now.
People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that the company could seek bankruptcy protection as soon as this week — with some noting that a significant amount of customers have already started to leave the carrier.
Meanwhile, according to FreightWaves, employees were told to expect the filing Monday. Yellow laid off an unknown number of employees Friday, the outlet later reported, citing a memo that stated the company was “shutting down its regular operations.”
According to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting, Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022. As of this week, he estimates that number is down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.
With customers leaving — as well reports of Yellow stopping freight pickups earlier this week — bankruptcy would “be the end of Yellow,” Jindel told The Associated Press, noting increased risk for liquidation.
“The likelihood of them surviving and remaining solvent diminishes really by the day,” added Bruce Chan, a research director at investment banking firm Stifel.
Yellow media contacts did not immediately respond to the Associated Press’ requests for comment on Friday. In a Wednesday statement to The Journal, the company said it was continuing “to prepare for a range of contingencies.” On Thursday, Yellow said it was in talks with multiple parties about selling its third-party logistics organization.
Even if Yellow was able to sell its logistics firm, it would “not generate a sufficient amount of cash to keep them operational on any sort of permanent basis,” Chan said. “Without a major equity injection, it would be very difficult for them to survive.”
As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.
In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. Last month, a congressional probe concluded that the Treasury and Defense Departments “made missteps” in this decision — and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”
The government loan is due in September 2024. As of March, Yellow had made $54.8 million in interest payments and repaid just $230 million of the principal owed, according to government documents.
Yellow’s current finances and prospect of bankruptcy “is probably two decades in the making,” Chan said, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”
In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period.
A Wednesday investors note from financial service firm Stephens estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added — estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July.
“It is reasonable to believe that the Company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,” Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote.
The reports of bankruptcy preparations arrive just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, was averted.
A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was “unjustifiably blocking” restructuring plans needed for the company’s survival. The Teamsters called the litigation “baseless” — with general president Sean O’Brien pointing to Yellow’s “decades of gross mismanagement,” which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan.
On Sunday, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike — and giving Yellow “30 days to pay its bills,” notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union said. While the strike didn’t occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said.
Talks between Yellow and the Teamsters, which also represents UPS’s unionized workers, are ongoing. The current contract expires in March 2024.
“The financial struggles of Yellow are not related to the union and the contracts,” Jindel said, pointing to management’s responsibility around its services and prices. He added the union wages from Yellow are “lower than any competitor.”
If Yellow files for bankruptcy and customers continue to take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up.
Yellow’s prices have historically been the cheapest compared to other carriers, Jindel said. “That’s why they obviously were not making money,” he added. “And while there is capacity with the other LTL carriers to handle the diversions from Yellow, it will come at a high price for (current shippers and customers) of Yellow.”
Chan adds that we’re in an interesting time for the LTL marketplace — noting that, if Yellow declares bankruptcy and liquidates, “the freight would find a home” with other carriers, which may not have been true in recent years.
“It may take time, but there’s room for it to be absorbed,” he said. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-trucking-company-yellow-corp-is-reportedly-preparing-for-bankruptcy-heres-what-you-need-to-know/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:33 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-trucking-company-yellow-corp-is-reportedly-preparing-for-bankruptcy-heres-what-you-need-to-know/ |
Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker
On July 28, 2023, CMS released the first set of state unwinding data as required by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA). As part of a broad set of unwinding reporting requirements, states are required to submit monthly reports to CMS that will be used to monitor unwinding metrics through June 2024. The data released by CMS come from these monthly reports and include:
- The number of renewals due each month;
- The number of people whose coverage was renewed, including through ex parte processes and through renewal forms;
- The number of disenrollments broken out by those who were determined ineligible and those disenrolled for procedural reasons; and
- The number of renewals that remain pending.
Figure 1 below shows the cumulative renewal outcomes as reported by CMS. CMS has indicated it will release additional data each month during the unwinding period; we will update the figure below as new data become available.
Data released by CMS may differ from data posted on the State Enrollment and Unwinding Data Tab of the KFF Unwinding Tracker for a number of reasons including the following:
- CMS has worked with states to address reporting discrepancies and standardize reporting. Some states have updated data they previously posted to reflect the reporting changes requested by CMS, but other states have not.
- The Overview and State Enrollment and Unwinding Data sections of the KFF tracker may include more timely data from state websites, where available.
- Data for some states are pulled from state dashboards and not the CMS monthly reports; consequently, the specific metrics and reporting timeframes may differ. | https://www.kff.org/report-section/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker-national-unwinding-data/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:39 | 0 | https://www.kff.org/report-section/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker-national-unwinding-data/ |
‘Our hero is going home’: Police officer released from rehab 3.5 months after Ky. bank shooting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After 109 days, Louisville Metro police officer Nickolas Wilt has been released from Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and is going home.
Wilt has been hospitalized, receiving medical care for the last three and a half months after the Old National Bank mass shooting on April 10. Wilt was critically injured when he was shot in the head after responding to the shooting that ultimately killed five people.
The victims were identified as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Wilt was listed in critical condition for nearly a month. Officials with the University of Louisville Health said Wilt received multiple surgeries and underwent several procedures at University of Louisville Hospital and Jewish Hospital.
On May 10, one month after the shooting, Wilt was transferred to Frazier Rehabilitation Institute to begin neuro and physical rehabilitation after seeing an improvement in his condition. Over the course of the last three and a half months, doctors and family of Wilt have called his journey remarkable.
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear shared a photo with Wilt ahead of his release.
“Kentucky, our prayers were heard. @LMPD Officer Nick Wilt is headed home with his family. Officer Wilt is a hero who ran toward danger to save the lives of several of my friends. I am forever grateful for him and his bravery. Let’s keep praying for him.”
Wilt was honored as he left the halls of Frazier Rehab. He was accompanied by family as well as some fellow officers.
After leaving the rehab facility, Wilt was driven to Southeast Christian Church on Blankenbaker Parkway where he was driven past a line of well-wishers. The van then headed for Oldham County where community members were invited to gather along Highway 53 in La Grange to greet Wilt.
LMPD shared their sentiment on their social media, honoring the heroic actions of Wilt.
“Resilience, strength, courage. Those are just a few words to describe Ofc. Nickolas Wilt. April 10th, innocent lives were lost. Ofc. Wilt, just 10 days on the job, answered the call to help stop an active shooter. Today, our hero is going home. He’s ready. #WiltsWarriors”
Louisville Metro Police Foundation has created a donation site to help pay for Wilt’s medical expenses.
To make a donation, click or tap here.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:40 | 1 | https://www.wbrc.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ |
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two taxi drivers have been arrested in the Mexican city of Cancun for assaulting a van carrying foreign tourists, prosecutors said Friday.
The events in the Caribbean coast resort on Thursday were the latest in a months-long string of assaults on vehicles that medallion-cab drivers suspect of being operated by ride-hailing apps such as Uber.
Prosecutors in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said such behavior will not be tolerated.
“Strong action will be taken to ensure that the state is a safe destination for local inhabitants and visitors,” the state prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Local residents posted video on social media showing at least two uniformed cab drivers bashing a Chevy Suburban with poles and other objects.
The van driver attempts to escape with the vehicle’s tailgate open, according to the footage, and the tourists’ luggage spills into the street. Three women can later be seen retrieving their luggage from the street.
“What are you doing?” cries one woman in English as belligerent cabbies mill around the scene, carrying what looked like improvised cudgels. “That is not okay.”
A local business owner who filmed the incident invited the women to take refuge in her store. The video shows the taxi drivers chasing the driver of the Suburban down the street until he reached a police officer.
The state prosecutors’ office said two taxi drivers were charged with robbery, and causing damage and injuries.
Local media reported the Suburban was not run through a ride-hailing app but by a local, non-medallion limousine service. Past incidents of taxi drivers attacking private vehicles in Cancun were based on the mistaken assumption they were Uber cars.
Cancun residents organized a boycott of medallion taxis in January following a week of blockades and violent incidents by drivers protesting the ride-hailing app Uber.
Road blockades, stone throwing and cabbies physically getting in the way had prevented tourists from boarding Uber vehicles. The U.S. issued a travel advisory warning that “past disputes between these services and local taxi unions have occasionally turned violent, resulting in injuries to U.S. citizens in some instances.”
Ride-hailing app s were blocked in Cancun until January, when a court granted an injunction allowing Uber to operate. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-two-taxi-drivers-arrested-in-mexican-resort-of-cancun-for-assaulting-van-carrying-foreign-tourists/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:41 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-two-taxi-drivers-arrested-in-mexican-resort-of-cancun-for-assaulting-van-carrying-foreign-tourists/ |
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government wants to raise the fuel economy of new vehicles 18% by the 2032 model year so the fleet would average about 43.5 miles per gallon in real world driving.
The proposed numbers were released Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which eventually will adopt final mileage requirements.
Currently the fleet of new vehicles must average 36.75 mpg by 2026 under corporate average fuel economy standards adopted by the administration of President Joe Biden, who reversed a rollback made by former President Donald Trump.
The highway safety agency says it will try to line up its regulations so they match the Environmental Protection Agency’s reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. But if there are discrepancies, automakers likely will have to follow the most stringent regulation.
In the byzantine world of government regulation, both agencies essentially are responsible for setting fuel economy requirements since the fastest way to reduce greenhouse emissions is to burn less gasoline.
“I want to make clear that EPA and NHTSA will coordinate to optimize the effectiveness of both agency standards while minimizing compliance costs,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said.
A large auto industry trade group which includes General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Stellantis and others said requirements from the agencies should be lined up. “If an automaker complies with EPA’s yet-to-be-finalized greenhouse gas emissions rules, they shouldn’t be at risk of violating CAFE rules (from NHTSA) and subject to civil penalties,” John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said in a statement.
However the alliance has said the EPA’s proposed cut in carbon emissions will require a huge increase in electric vehicle sales that’s not attainable by 2032. The EPA says the industry can reach the greenhouse gas emissions goals if 67% of new vehicles sold in 2032 are electric. Currently, EVs make up about 7% of new vehicle sales.
NHTSA said its proposal includes a 2% annual improvement in fuel mileage for passenger cars, and a 4% increase for light trucks. It’s proposing a 10% improvement per year for commercial pickup trucks and work vans. Automakers can meet the requirements with a mix of electric vehicles, gas-electric hybrids and efficiency improvements in gas and diesel vehicles.
The agency says the new regulations will save more than $50 billion on fuel over the vehicles’ lifetimes and save more than 88 billion gallons of gasoline through 2050 if NHTSA’s preferred alternative is adopted. The standards would cut new-vehicle fuel consumption nearly in half by the 2035 model year, and benefits will exceed costs by $18 billion, the agency said.
NHTSA will take comments from the public for 60 days before drafting a final regulation. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-us-proposes-18-fuel-economy-increase-for-new-vehicle-fleet-from-2027-through-2032/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:49 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-us-proposes-18-fuel-economy-increase-for-new-vehicle-fleet-from-2027-through-2032/ |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesotans can legally possess and grow their own marijuana for recreational purposes starting Tuesday, Aug. 1, subject to limits meant to keep a lid on things while the state sets up a full-blown legal cannabis industry.
The Democratic-controlled Minnesota Legislature approved a massive legalization bill and Democrat Gov. Tim Walz signed it in May.
At least one Minnesota tribe plans to take advantage of its sovereignty and allow sales right away. But the state projects most legal retail sales won’t begin until early 2025, while it creates as licensing and regulatory system for the new industry.
Legalization followed a debate between critics who fear for the impacts on public safety and young people, and supporters who argue that prohibition of the drug had failed. Backers of the law framed legalization noted that people of color were more likely than whites to be arrested for minor offenses, and to suffer lasting consequences in employment and housing.
Minnesota is the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana, more than a decade after Colorado and Washington did so.
It comes as New York struggles to end the illicit trade while failing to quickly license legal shops with a focus on “social equity” and New Mexico punishes retailers for illegally selling weed sourced from California — amid wider gluts and plummeting prices for pot farmers.
Farmers, like members of the public, can’t legally move cannabis across state lines amid the ongoing federal ban.
Here’s a look at what will and won’t change in Minnesota as of Aug. 1:
WHAT’S LEGAL
Adults 21 and older can possess and travel in the state with 2 ounces of cannabis flower, 8 grams of concentrate and 800 milligrams worth of THC-containing edible products such as gummies and seltzers. They can have up to 2 pounds of cannabis flower at home.
Low-potency edibles made with THC from industrial hemp were legalized last year. They’ve been subject to a 10% marijuana tax since July 1.
That tax will apply to other marijuana products as they become licensed for sales, but not on sovereign tribal lands.
It remains illegal under federal law to bring marijuana in from out of state.
RETAIL WEED
The Red Lake Nation plans to sell recreational marijuana at its existing medical cannabis dispensary starting Aug. 1. But that’s on its remote reservation in northwestern Minnesota. It’s not clear yet if other tribes will follow.
While states like New Mexico managed to legalize and regulate marijuana within a year of legalization, Minnesota will take a bit longer.
Like New York, the Minnesota law gives priority to social equity considerations for awarding licenses. That can mean applicants from low-income areas that have felt disproportionate effects from marijuana being illegal, people whose convictions have been expunged, and military veterans who lost their honorable status due to a marijuana-related offense, to name a few.
That includes a long list of license categories for cannabis-related businesses, with application fees ranging from $250 for delivery services to $10,000 for growers and product manufacturers.
Local governments can’t ban cannabis sales, but they can limit the number of retailers to one per 12,500 residents.
MINNESOTA GROWN
Adults can grow up to eight plants at home, with no more than four flowering at a time. The plants must be grown in an enclosed, locked space that’s not open to public view, whether that’s indoors or in a garden.
Retailers can start selling marijuana seeds if they comply with labeling and other requirements set by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
WHERE AND WHERE NOT TO TOKE
Cannabis can be legally consumed on private property, including private homes. Eventually it will be allowed at special events where organizers have permits.
But it’s still illegal to smoke or vape cannabis anywhere that tobacco smoking is prohibited, including most businesses, apartment buildings and college campuses. Nothing in the state law prohibits smoking it on a public sidewalk, but local ordinances might.
Cannabis use remains illegal in all forms while driving, in public schools, on school buses, in state prisons, and on federal property. It can’t be smoked or vaped where a minor could inhale it.
GUNS AND GANJA
Federal law still bars cannabis consumers from owning firearms or ammunition.
That’s despite Second Amendment-friendly provisions in the Minnesota law. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has said that regardless of Minnesota’s new law, a “current user” of marijuana is defined as an “unlawful user” for federal purposes. That means people following state law are still prohibited from having guns and ganja.
Gun purchasers must fill out an ATF form saying whether or not they use marijuana. Lying on the form is a felony under federal law.
CLEANING SLATES
Minor marijuana convictions, like possession of small amounts, will began to be automatically expunged starting in August. More than 60,000 Minnesotans could benefit, but the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says the process could take up to a year to clear everyone’s record.
A special Cannabis Expungement Board will be formed to review felony convictions to determine eligibility case by case.
REGULATING IT
The Office of Cannabis Management will oversee the cannabis industry in Minnesota. It’s starting to list job positions, with applications for the office’s first executive director open through July 31.
The office will also take over the running of Minnesota’s medical marijuana program, which won’t be taxed.
Tribal governments will set their own rules. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-what-to-know-as-recreational-marijuana-becomes-legal-in-minnesota-on-aug-1/ | 2023-07-29T03:08:57 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-what-to-know-as-recreational-marijuana-becomes-legal-in-minnesota-on-aug-1/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — While Nashville International Airport hums to the tune of live music in a terminal filled with tourists and locals alike, this trendy gateway to Tennessee has quietly confronted an identity crisis.
Under a new state law, there is no clear agreement now about who’s in charge of airport operations. The confusion comes at a time when the airport is booming, its annual passengers having more than doubled over the past decade to 21.8 million by the 2023 fiscal year.
The nonprofit Metro Nashville Airport Authority and state officials argue that a new group of state appointees has lawfully taken over the authority’s board. But federal officials and the city contend the old board picked by Nashville’s mayor still has power.
Both boards met at the same time last week across town from each other.
The dispute heads to a hearing Friday in a state court in Nashville.
Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers approved plans for the state to make enough appointments to control the airport’s board starting in July. The change was among several passed by legislators seeking to curtail the power of the heavily Democratic city, whose metro council sunk a bid to bring the 2024 Republican National Convention to Nashville.
The city has filed suit against the state over the changes to the airport authority, which manages, operates, finances and maintains the international airport and a smaller one in Nashville. In the meantime, the authority installed the new board members on July 1, saying it can’t defy state law without a court order.
Citing the Tennessee Constitution, the city’s lawsuit argues the state violated home rule protections by singling out Nashville without requiring either a local referendum or a two-thirds vote of the metro council for the change.
The state responded that Nashville can’t make its claims because the airport authority is independent of the local government.
City leaders, however, reached out and received input from the Federal Aviation Administration, which can veto certain changes to the airport’s governance. The federal agency said it would keep recognizing the pre-July 1 board until a court decides the lawsuit.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper, a Democrat, has cried foul on the Republican change.
“Nashville’s airport has grown very successfully over the years by the direction of this board, and that’s unquestionable,” Cooper said during a recent meeting of the board he selected. “Any state action is purely about politics.”
Tennessee’s situation isn’t unprecedented. Due to FAA and court action, North Carolina’s 2013 law to shift control of Charlotte Douglas International Airport from the city to a separate regional board never came to fruition. Mississippi’s 2016 law to reconfigure Jackson’s airport remains blocked by an ongoing legal challenge. Georgia lawmakers flirted with flipping the Atlanta airport’s governance in 2019 but opposition sank the proposal.
Nashville officials say the state is upending an airport board without complaints about its performance, even during a time of extensive expansion.
In the 2023 budget year, the airport unveiled a new lobby, added more restaurants and live music, opened an additional parking garage and made progress toward an onsite hotel. The airport hosts country, jazz and bluegrass concerts in its terminals and exhibits the work of local artists.
The facility has endured growing pains, too, marked by passenger pickup lines sometimes stretching well past a nearby interstate exit.
Lawmakers passed the change despite predictions in April by former FAA official Kirk Shaffer that it would create competing boards in “a messy and costly stalemate that damages all involved,” possibly jeopardizing federal grant money.
So far, the fight is largely unfolding in court filings. The city says lost grant money could halt projects to accommodate more flights, spurring cancellations and delays. The state and the airport authority argue the grants aren’t in jeopardy. The authority said Nashville officials are making “sky-is-falling” exaggerations.
Republican lawmakers contend the state deserves more say over the growing airport because of its regional impact. House Speaker Cameron Sexton said lawmakers created “the legally sanctioned board.”
As an intervenor in the lawsuit, the airport authority has remained neutral on whether the new law is unconstitutional. Updates to the FAA have never resulted in the federal agency directing the authority to stop following the state law, while even worse disruptions would result from an order to temporarily return to the preexisting board, the authority wrote.
The state-majority board met at the airport on Wednesday, conducting standard-fare business on contracts and reports. At the same time, the members of the mayoral-picked board gathered in city hall, reiterating that the FAA still acknowledges them while criticizing the state law and approving an outside attorney hire.
In a letter to the Nashville community at large, the authority’s CEO has acknowledged the “frustration and confusion” caused by the dispute. But he said the authority is responsible for staying legally compliant.
“As an airport authority, we do not take political positions,” airport authority President and CEO Doug Kruelen wrote in the July 6 letter. | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-whos-in-charge-of-nashvilles-airport-us-and-tennessee-officials-disagree-under-a-new-state-law/ | 2023-07-29T03:09:05 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/business/ap-business/ap-whos-in-charge-of-nashvilles-airport-us-and-tennessee-officials-disagree-under-a-new-state-law/ |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two weeks into the the actors strike, Max Greenfield is urging the studios and their CEOs to return to the bargaining table.
“Be the heroes, come to the table, make a deal,” said Greenfield, who co-stars in the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood.” “My hope is these guys get organized and have a real conversation with both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA so that we can get to a resolution,” he said, referencing the unions for the writers and actors, respectively.
Greenfield spoke at a charity ping pong event at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, joined by his co-star Cedric the Entertainer.
“We struck because our deal was up and it’s time to adjust to what has changed in the business. To make a minor adjustment feels disproportionate to what has obviously changed in a massive, massive way,” Greenfield said. “Until we feel like we’re getting fair compensation and we feel like we’re protected, this is going to continue to go on.”
Bryan Cranston, who had fiery words for Disney CEO Bob Iger at a New York rally on Tuesday, acknowledged things are “going very, very slowly.”
“Until we’re able to get back to the table, which we are more than willing to do and we’ve told them so, we want to keep talking through this strike,” he said. “We want to end this as soon as possible.”
On July 14, actors joined striking screenwriters who walked out in May. The stoppage has shuttered nearly all film and television production.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Writers Guild of America are striking for fair pay and protections involving the use of artificial intelligence, among other issues.
There has reportedly been no negotiating between the unions and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers since shortly after the actors hit the picket lines.
“I think when people realize that the artists are the people that are making this and nothing is going to get made without the actors and the writers, maybe that will force a little more flexibility in the negotiations,” Oscar-winning actor Casey Affleck said.
Actor and entrepreneur Danny Trejo urged the studios to look beyond Hollywood’s highest-paid actors and consider the financial plight of those working behind the scenes.
“One of the problems is people on top are making a lot of money right now and they don’t want to share,” he said. “We’ve got people that are in SAG that can’t even afford to live in LA. It’s like, wait a minute guys, we got to just be fair.
“Figure if one of your kids was trying to get into the movies and was working as an extra or just made it into SAG, they couldn’t live in LA,” Trejo said, imagining the offspring of a Hollywood CEO. “Oh no wait, yes they could. They could live in Beverly (expletive) Hills with you, punk.”
Trejo filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy earlier this year and owes over $2 million in back taxes to the IRS, according to a report by KABC-TV.
“I make good money, but right now I’m buried in taxes, so I have to work that out,” he said. “This strike is killing me. I can’t pay what I’m supposed to be paying for my taxes, so man, imagine the guy that’s making $18 an hour and not working all the time.”
Actor Holly Robinson-Peete, a SAG member since 1977, said it’s important for the actors’ union to communicate the economic issues behind the strike.
“We’re not just a bunch of spoiled people that want more and we’re greedy,” she said. “The majority of our union are people who are not working very often, can’t really make a living at this. It’s going to take an incredible amount of patience and messaging, and we just got to stick to it.” | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-actor-max-greenfield-urges-studio-ceos-to-be-the-heroes-and-make-a-deal-in-hollywood-strikes/ | 2023-07-29T03:09:14 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-actor-max-greenfield-urges-studio-ceos-to-be-the-heroes-and-make-a-deal-in-hollywood-strikes/ |
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Adidas said Friday that it is releasing a second batch of high-end Yeezy sneakers after cutting ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as the German sportswear brand seeks to unload the unsold shoes while donating to groups fighting antisemitism.
The online sale, to start Wednesday through Adidas smartphone apps and its website, follows an earlier set of sales in May. Models that will be available include the Yeezy Boost 350 V2, 500, and 700 as well as the Yeezy Slide and Foam RNR.
The company cut ties with Ye in October after he made antisemitic and other offensive remarks online and in interviews. That left Adidas holding 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of unsold Yeezys and searching for a responsible way to dispose of them.
Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden said in May that selling the popular sneakers and donating some of the profits was the best solution to deal with the unsold inventory and make a difference. He said the company spoke with nongovernmental organizations and groups that were harmed by Ye’s comments and actions.
Part of the profits from the sales of the Yeezy shoes will go to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, run by social justice advocate Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd.
Shoes sold directly by Adidas in North America will include blue square pins established by Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism as a symbol of solidarity in rejecting antisemitism, the company said.
The Anti-Defamation League calls the sale “a thoughtful and caring resolution” for the unsold merchandise and that “any attempt to turn the consequences of (Ye’s) actions into something that ultimately benefits society and the people he has hurt is most welcome.”
Adidas declined to give details on numbers of shoes that would be released for sale and how much of the proceeds would be donated. Asked if Ye would receive royalties from the sales, the company would only say that “we will honor our contractual obligations and enforce our rights but will not share any more details.”
The company said Monday that the first sale of Yeezy shoes helped its preliminary second-quarter financial results and contributed to it raising its outlook for the year — from a high single-digit decline in revenue to a mid-single digit decline.
That would still amount to an operating loss of 450 million euros (more than $494 million) this year, instead of a loss of 700 million euros.
Adidas, which reports its earnings for the first half of the year on Thursday, said it expected future Yeezy sales to further boost its results. | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-adidas-to-release-second-batch-of-yeezy-sneakers-after-breakup-with-ye/ | 2023-07-29T03:09:23 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-adidas-to-release-second-batch-of-yeezy-sneakers-after-breakup-with-ye/ |
DALLAS (AP) — The combat boots and dog tags Alan Alda wore while playing the wisecracking surgeon Hawkeye on the beloved television series “M-A-S-H” sold at auction Friday for $125,000.
Alda held onto the boots and dog tags for more than 40 years after the show ended but decided to sell them through Heritage Auctions in Dallas to raise money for his center dedicated to helping scientists and doctors communicate better.
The buyer’s name wasn’t released.
Alda, 87, said he wore the boots and dog tags for the 11-season run of the show about a Korean War medical unit. His character, Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, was a talented surgeon who helped ease the stress of working in a war zone with quips and practical jokes. The show’s final episode, which aired in 1983 and was written and directed by Alda, was the most watched TV show in U.S. history.
The boots and dog tags, given to him by the costume department, “made an impression on me every day that we shot the show,” said Alda, who won five Emmys for his work on the sitcom.
Alda said auctioning off the dog tags and boots now made sense. “I saw this as a chance to put them to work again,” he said.
The money raised from the auction will go to the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University in New York, which aims to help scientists and doctors communicate better through the use of improvisational exercises and other strategies.
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Associated Press writer Ken Miller in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-boots-and-dog-tags-alan-alda-wore-on-m-a-s-h-sell-at-auction-for-125000-that-will-go-to-charity/ | 2023-07-29T03:09:31 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-boots-and-dog-tags-alan-alda-wore-on-m-a-s-h-sell-at-auction-for-125000-that-will-go-to-charity/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — 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 (30 kilometers) from the giant Walt Disney World theme park resort.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-lawsuit-against-disneys-efforts-to-neutralize-governing-district-takeover/ | 2023-07-29T03:09:38 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-lawsuit-against-disneys-efforts-to-neutralize-governing-district-takeover/ |
The 75th Emmy Awards are the latest production to be put on pause due to the Hollywood strikes and will not air as planned in September.
A person familiar with the postponement plans but not authorized to speak publicly pending an official announcement confirmed the delay Friday. No information about a new date was immediately available.
The Emmy Awards were scheduled to be broadcast on Fox on Sept. 18. Rules laid out by the actors’ union, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, say stars cannot campaign for the Emmys or attend awards shows while on strike.
Writers are also not permitted to work on awards shows until the strike ends.
Whenever the next Emmy Awards are held, HBO will walk in as the leading contender. The network is up for 74 awards for three of its top shows: “ Succession,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us.”
“Ted Lasso” has the most comedy category nominations with 21, including best comedy series and best actor for Jason Sudeikis.
Roughly 65,000 SAG-AFTRA actors and 11,500 Writers Guild of America screenwriters are on strike, calling for better pay, structure with residual payments and protection from the use of artificial intelligence. | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-emmy-awards-are-postponed-due-to-the-hollywood-actors-and-writers-strike-source-says/ | 2023-07-29T03:09:46 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-emmy-awards-are-postponed-due-to-the-hollywood-actors-and-writers-strike-source-says/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Travis Scott has released “Utopia,” his first album in five years and his first major release since 10 people died at his 2021 Astroworld music festival.
The star-studded 19-track “Utopia” features Beyoncé, SZA, Drake, Sampha, Young Thug, Playboi Carti, Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Future, Bon Iver, James Blake, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage, and many more.
The LP, Scott’s fourth full-length, was originally announced back in 2020 and follows 2018’s “Astroworld.” In November 2019, 10 people died as a result of compression asphyxia during a massive crowd surge during Scott’s Astroworld festival. A grand jury declined to file charges against Scott earlier this year.
Also Friday, Houston police released files that showed that some workers were concerned about the crowd conditions at the show. The 1,300-page report also included a summary of an interview with Scott in which he said he did not hear calls from the crowd to stop the show.
The first track from the album, the popetón -adjacent “K-pop”, was released on July 21 and features the Weeknd and Bad Bunny. The release spans genres — an eclectic mix of autotune ambient ballads (“My Eyes”), ferocious bars (“Looove”), futuristic trap (“Lost Forever,” Telekinesis”), and beyond.
In addition to the album, Scott hosted a one-night-only release of his feature film, “Circus Maximus” at select theaters on Thursday night.
“Utopia” was originally scheduled to be celebrated with a livestreamed concert at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, but was canceled due to “complex production issues,” Live Nation said in a statement. | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-travis-scott-drops-utopia-his-first-album-since-the-astroworld-festival-tragedy/ | 2023-07-29T03:09:54 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-travis-scott-drops-utopia-his-first-album-since-the-astroworld-festival-tragedy/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — The entertainment publication Variety, under fire this week for an article it published about former CNN chief Jeff Zucker’s interest in his old employer, revised the piece on Friday to reflect some of the complaints about it.
None of its changes affected what was written about Zucker, however. He has called for the story to be retracted.
The article by Tatiana Siegel, which initially ran online Tuesday, depicted Zucker as badmouthing his successor at CNN, Chris Licht, while simultaneously trying to buy the news organization that fired him in early 2021. Licht’s unsuccessful run atop the struggling news network ended with his firing in May.
The dispute also points to the dangers inherent in the use of confidential sources by journalists. There are at least a dozen claims made in the story that Variety did not attribute to a named source that were denied on the record, either in the story or after publication, leaving it up to readers to decide who to believe.
“There used to be a time when Variety held its content and its reporters to a high standard of truth and facts in journalism, but those days are clearly over,” said Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for Zucker. “It is stunning to read a piece that is so patently and aggressively false. On numerous occasions, we made it clear to the reporter and her editors that they were planning to publish countless anecdotes and alleged incidents that never happened. They did so anyway. The piece is a total joke.”
Variety’s co-editor-in-chiefs, Cynthia Littleton and Ramin Setoodeh, said in a statement Friday that they have been carefully following the conversation about the story.
“The story was heavily vetted and deeply sourced,” they said. “Everyone included in the story was asked to comment and given the chance to respond. We stand by our reporting and our award-winning reporter.”
The piece is also critical of two reporters who have covered CNN, Tim Alberta of The Atlantic and Dylan Byers of Puck. Both of those news organizations complained of inaccuracies and, in the changes made on Friday, Variety added their specific denials.
Zucker’s team hasn’t sought to hide ill feelings toward Licht, but strongly denied he has tried to buy CNN.
The story begins with an anecdote about Zucker, “with tears in his eyes,” approaching David Zaslav in Miami Beach in March. Zaslav is CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, current owners of CNN, and Variety said Zucker complained that Licht was unfairly maligning him in the press. Zaslav wanted to know if Zucker was trying to assemble investors to buy CNN.
Byers, writing for Puck, said “multiple sources” said no such run-in at the Faena Hotel ever took place and Zucker’s spokeswoman said that anecdote wasn’t checked with them.
The story outlines several specific efforts made by Zucker, or on his behalf, to convince investors to join him in buying CNN. The story includes his denials: “Any allegation or insinuation that Jeff has made any effort to purchase CNN is unequivocally false,” Heller said. Zucker is now head of a private equity firm, RedBird IMI.
At one point, Variety also floated the theory that a secret group of investors was using Zucker’s name without his knowledge to approach Warner Bros. Discovery about buying CNN.
In a June 4 article, The New York Times reported that Zucker was not in talks to buy CNN, although “he has told some associates he would be interested in acquiring the network” if it came up for sale one day, the newspaper said.
The Variety article “struck me as utterly implausible and sophomoric,” Byers wrote for Puck this week.
Variety’s piece called Byers “a former Zucker disciple at CNN who, by his own admission, wrote about Licht incessantly and even took a victory lap after his exit.” The piece described Byers as a writer of “Zucker fan fiction” and criticized him for a conflict of interest in not disclosing in any of his articles that Zucker once had discussions about funding Puck, an online subscription news service.
In its revision on Friday, Variety quoted Puck’s co-founder, Jon Kelly, saying the discussions with RedBird were not disclosed by Byers because “Dylan was intentionally unaware of them.”
For The Atlantic, Alberta wrote a widely-read story that seen by many as being instrumental in Licht’s dismissal by Zaslav. Variety was critical of Alberta, and accused the reporter of using material in his story that he had agreed to keep off the record — a serious charge of malfeasance against a journalist.
As with Byers, Variety didn’t change what it had written about Alberta. But it added a paragraph to its story using some of what Alberta had written on social media, including a denial that he had used off-the-record material, and disputing Variety’s claim of how many times he had met with Licht while reporting the story.
The story was reposted on Variety’s home page. The only indication that it had been changed was a note at its end: “This story was updated on July 28 to reflect new statements from Kelly and Alberta.” | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:00 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-variety-revises-article-on-former-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-that-was-sharply-criticized/ |
Thandiwe Newton starring in a thriller, the return of the TV family wrestling drama “Heels” and a new album from Post Malone are among the new television, movies, music and games now available on a device near you.
Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are comedian Chris Estrada’s series “This Fool” returning for a second season and Zach Galifianakis starring in a movie about the creation of the ultra-collectable Beanie Babies.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
— Zach Galifianakis takes on a different kind of role in “The Beanie Bubble,” playing Ty Warner, the founder of Ty, Inc. and creator of the Beanie Babies, which in the mid-1990s surged in popularity, and resale value, for several years. The film is not exactly about him however. Based on Zac Bissonnette’s “The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute,” directors Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash Jr. look at the women around Ty — his business partner, played by Elizabeth Banks; a single mother he dates, played by Sarah Snook; and a temp who puts his company online at the beginning of the e-commerce age, played by Geraldine Viswanathan. “The Beanie Bubble” is available on Apple TV+ starting Friday.
— Thandiwe Newton plays a former New Orleans cop-turned-college professor living in a remote part of Montana who catches two hunters trespassing on her property in the thriller “God’s Country,” streaming on Hulu on Friday. Based on James Lee Burke’s short story “Winter Light,” the Julian Higgins-directed film debuted last year at Sundance to largely favorable reviews. In the Los Angeles Times, Robert Daniels wrote that “’God’s Country’ is a film that wants to disarm you at every turn, and it often succeeds with a transfixing, acute spirit of retribution against society’s toxic racial and gender power dynamics.”
— And in honor of “Oppenheimer” debuting in theaters, the programmers over at the Criterion Channel have waived the subscription fee and made Jon Else’s riveting 1981 documentary “The Day After Trinity” available for free until July 31. J. Robert Oppenheimer had died by the time the filmmakers started on this endeavor, but the film features interviews with an army of names that anyone who watched the movie, or read “American Prometheus,” will recognize. They include his brother Frank Oppenheimer, Haakon Chevalier, Hans Bethe, Isidor Rabi and more, reflecting on Oppenheimer and what they created at Los Alamos. It’s an essential historical document and fascinating companion piece to Christopher Nolan’s film.
— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— The music week belongs to Post Malone, whose new album “Austin,” signals a move away from rap. There’s already been the excellent single synth-pop tune “Chemical,” the hungover ballad “Mourning” and the power rock of ”Overdrive,” where he sings “I’ll remove my tattoos if that’s cool to you/I’ll do anything to be cool to you.” Post Malone says he played guitar on all of the 17-tracks and posted on Instagram: “It’s been some of the funnest music, some of the most challenging and rewarding music for me, at least — trying to really push myself and really do some cool stuff.”
— The Rolling Stones are reissuing their stuffed 2002 album “Forty Licks” digitally for the first time on Wednesday. It’s got over 2 1/2 hours of top-level Stones, including “Satisfaction,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,” “Paint It, Black,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Get Off of My Cloud” and “Angie.” “Forty Licks” would sell seven million copies around the world, and has come to be seen as the definitive anthology of the band’s recording career, bringing together songs from their early days via Decca UK and London US through to the establishment of their own Rolling Stones Records.
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
NEW SERIES TO STREAM
— Comedian Chris Estrada’s “This Fool” drops its 10-episode second season Friday on Hulu. The show is a working-class comedy about Estrada’s character, Julio, living in South Los Angeles, who has the best of intentions but often finds himself in absurd situations. When we first met him in season one, Julio is living with his mother and grandmother, still using his childhood bedroom, and working for a gang rehabilitation group called Hugs not Thugs. In season two, Hugs not Thugs has shuttered. Julio, along with his ex-con cousin and now roommate Luis, and former support group boss, a minister played by Michael Imperioli, decide to open a coffee shop and name it Mugs not Thugs, which employs ex-felons.
— Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig’s family wrestling drama “Heels” is back two years after its debut on Starz. The actors play brothers, Jack and Ace Spade, who are professional wrestlers in a small Georgia town called Duffy, where their drama and rivalry extends outside the ring. Ace, who is the hero character (known as “the face” in wrestling-speak) has the potential to leave their Duffy Wrestling League for the big time while Jack — the villain known as “the heel” — also dreams of stardom but carries the burden of keeping the family business afloat. Season one followed the breakdown of the brothers’ relationship and in season two, debuting Friday on Starz, the two must come together to restore the Duffy Wrestling League. Amell, who starred as Oliver Queen in The CW’s “Arrow,” has said he never thought he would find a role as satisfying as that, and playing Jack is like lightning striking twice.
— Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
— Disney’s Castle of Illusion, from 1990, was a charming adventure that could have turned Mickey Mouse into the next Mario. Alas, the Mouse House let the series wither, but England’s Dlala Studios has dusted off Mickey’s white gloves for the new Disney Illusion Island. It’s a two-dimensional romp in which Mickey, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy run, jump and bounce across the island in search of three magical books. Parents and kids can team up to play all four characters at once — you can boost a teammate’s health meter with a hug — or you can explore solo. The animation looks more like the Rayman series than classic Disney, but it’s vivid and lively. The frolicking begins Friday on Nintendo Switch.
— Lou Kesten
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Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment. | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-what-to-stream-this-weekend-post-malone-beanie-bubble-this-fool-rolling-stones-and-heels/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:08 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-what-to-stream-this-weekend-post-malone-beanie-bubble-this-fool-rolling-stones-and-heels/ |
Father of missing Sauk Co. teen frustrated with investigation, offers own theories
BARABOO, Wis. (WMTV) - Almost seven weeks after 13-year-old James Yoblonski went missing in Baraboo, his father feels frustrated with investigators and feels like he’s being treated as a suspect.
William Yoblonski still gets tips about his missing son’s whereabouts, though not as many as he would like. Regardless, he plans to search the bluffs in Baraboo and Devil’s Lake State Park on Friday and over the weekend.
William recently put out a $10,000 reward for information leading to James, who went missing on June 12, 2023. National news outlets like Fox News and People ran stories about James on Wednesday.
“I just want him home,” William said. “People care and that’s what I wanted. The story pretty much died until I put the reward out and now it’s back in the news.”
William also sees social media comments that point the finger at him.
The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office has not stated that they have a suspect or that they are investigating anyone. Since the investigation started with a two week long search of the bluffs, investigators maintained that they believe James set out to live off the grid as a survivalist on his own.
William said the survivalist theory could be true, but also said he thinks someone kidnapped his son and may have set up a camp site to distract investigators.
On Friday, William said he believes police view him as a suspect.
“Oh yeah most definitely,” he said. “It’s hurtful for one. I love my kids and I would do anything for them. I wouldn’t do something like this. I didn’t hurt my son. No way. I’m strict with my kids. My boys will tell you the same thing, I’m very strict, but I want them to succeed and do better than I did.”
William feels like a suspect because he heard that the sheriff’s office was contacting his distant and estranged relatives, including a daughter currently living in prison.
“You’re looking in the wrong spot,” he said. “Find my son. You’re wasting time, money and resources. Start looking where you should be, not at these spots here.”
He maintained that he’s complied with every request from the police.
“I’ve done everything,” he said. “I’ve been open and honest with the officers. I’ve turned over all of my memory cards from cameras at my house, my business and everything.”
When asked directly by NBC15 News if William knows where his son James is, he responded with the following statement:
“No. If I did he’d be home right now. That’s why I put out the reward because the tips had stopped pretty much and I just want him home,” he said. “I will do whatever it takes to get my son home safe.”
William asks that anyone with information call 9-1-1 or the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office at 608-355-3508.
Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister and Lieutenant Steve Schram were out of the office on Friday, but sent a statement Thursday night saying they’re continuing to search for James.
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Copyright 2023 WMTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/2023/07/28/father-missing-sauk-co-teen-frustrated-with-investigation-offers-own-theories/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:09 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/2023/07/28/father-missing-sauk-co-teen-frustrated-with-investigation-offers-own-theories/ |
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Four air crew members were missing after an Australian army helicopter ditched into waters off the Queensland state coast during joint military exercises with the United States, officials said Saturday.
The MRH-90 Taipan helicopter went down near Hamilton Island, a Great Barrier Reef tourist resort, at about 10:30 p.m. Friday, Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
A search was underway to find the crew, and their families had been notified, officials said.
A rescue helicopter reported spotting debris Saturday morning near Dent Island in the Whitsunday Islands group.
The Taipan was taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial joint U.S.-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland. This year’s exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
Marles said the helicopter ditched, which refers to an emergency landing on water. He said it was taking part in a mission that involved a second helicopter, which immediately started a search and rescue operation.
“Defense exercises, which are so necessary for the readiness of our defense force, are serious. They carry risk,” Marles told reporters in Brisbane. “As we desperately hope for better news during the course of this day we are reminded about the gravity of the act which comes with wearing our nation’s uniform.”
Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell said Queensland state authorities, members of the public and U.S. military personnel were taking part in the search.
“Our focus at the moment is finding our people and supporting their families and the rest of our team, “ Campbell said. “This is indeed a terrible moment.”
It is the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan this year, after one ditched into the sea off the New South Wales state coast in March. That helicopter was taking part in a nighttime counterterrorism training exercise when it ran into trouble. All 10 passengers and crew members were rescued.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Brisbane for a meeting on Saturday and is due to travel with Marles to north Queensland on Sunday to see the exercise.
The exercise has been paused by the search.
Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid tribute to the missing air crew at the outset of a meeting with their Australian counterparts, Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“It’s always tough when you have accidents in training, but … the reason that we train to such high standards is so that we can be successful and we can protect lives when we are called to answer any kind of crisis,” Austin said.
“Our guys tend to make this look easy and they make it look easy because they’re so well exercised and rehearsed and trained, and this is unfortunately a part of that, what it takes to get them to where we need them to be,” Austin added.
Blinken said, “We’re so grateful to them for their dedication, for their service, for everything they’ve been doing to stand up for the freedom that we share and that is what unites us more than anything else.”
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Find more of AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-australias-coast/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:14 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-4-air-crew-members-are-missing-after-australian-army-helicopter-ditched-off-australias-coast/ |
A British court ruled Friday against London suburbs that tried to block a pollution tax on older cars as green policies become a hot political issue in the U.K. amid increasingly dramatic impacts of global climate change.
The High Court ruled that Mayor Sadiq Khan had the authority to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, which charges drivers of older gas and diesel vehicles 12.50 pounds ($16) a day they operate, to the city’s outskirts next month.
Five conservative councils challenged Khan’s right to impose the measure. They criticized the expansion to an area where there are fewer public transport options and people are more reliant on cars, and because of a disproportionate impact on lower-income drivers who can’t afford newer, cleaner cars.
Khan said the ruling would allow the expanded zone to take effect Aug. 29 and help reduce air pollution. He said he would also expand a program that provides financial assistance to some families and small businesses to scrap older cars.
“The ULEZ has already reduced toxic nitrogen dioxide air pollution by nearly half in central London and a fifth in inner London,” said Khan, a member of the Labour Party. “The coming expansion will see 5 million more Londoners being able to breathe cleaner air.”
The five councils that challenged the zone issued a joint statement saying they were “hugely disappointed”. While they accepted that Khan may have the legal right to implement the measure, they questioned whether it was morally right.
“It is evident that the mayor of London and (Transport for London) do not realize the damage the extension will have to the lives of residents and businesses in outer London as well as those outside of its borders,” the group said.
The city’s transportation agency said most gas vehicles under 16 years old and diesel vehicles less than 6 years old comply with the standard.
In April, a study from London City Hall found levels of nitrogen dioxide exceeded the legal limit in 14 of the city’s 32 boroughs. Khan argued he had a statutory responsibility to take measures to improve air quality.
Nine out of 10 cars on the road in outer London on an average day comply with standards, Transport for London said. The Royal Automobile Club said nearly 700,000 licensed cars in London are unlikely to comply.
Fury over the the ULEZ expansion was credited last week with helping Tories hold one of three seats in Parliament in a special election. Conservatives had been expected to lose all three but they retained their seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Interestingly, the emissions charge was first imposed in 2015 by then-Mayor Boris Johnson, the Conservative who went on to become prime minister before resigning last year amid several scandals and quitting Parliament last month. It was his House of Commons seat Tories retained in the by-election.
The issue has now caused a crisis for the Labour Party, which is seen as likely to return to power next year after being ousted by Conservatives in 2010.
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said there was no doubt ULEZ cost them the Uxbridge election and said Khan should “reflect” on the policy.
Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair was widely quoted this week in a New Statesman magazine interview in which he cautioned: “Don’t ask us to do a huge amount when frankly whatever we do in Britain is not really going to impact climate change.” The interview was conducted before the special elections.
The dust-up over how to control emissions comes as July is on target to be the hottest month in recorded human history and the effects of a warming planet can be seen in catastrophic wildfires, flooding and alarming ocean temperatures. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres this week declared: “The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.”
While the by-election has caused consternation for Labour over how best to stick to a green agenda, it is also sparking a rethink for Conservatives who have been accused recently of backing away from pledges to combat climate change.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signaled this week he was open to revisiting net-zero policies, saying he’d take a pragmatic approach that didn’t add more hassles or costs to people’s lives. He caused confusion by not recommitting to a ban on gas and diesel cars by 2030, though cabinet minister Michael Gove later insisted that deadline was firm. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-a-pollution-tax-on-older-cars-can-be-extended-to-londons-suburbs-after-a-british-court-ruling/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:16 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-a-pollution-tax-on-older-cars-can-be-extended-to-londons-suburbs-after-a-british-court-ruling/ |
6-year-old girl dies after being hit by boat propeller at lake, authorities say
PEORIA, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say a young girl has died after she was hit by a boat propeller at Lake Pleasant Friday morning.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were called to the lake regarding a boat accident at about 11 a.m.
KPHO reports that a 6-year-old girl was pulled from the lake with a severe leg injury. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
According to Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, two families had arrived at the lake around 7 a.m. for swimming and wakeboarding. All 12 people, reported to be six adults and six children, were on the same boat.
Investigators said the child was injured when no one realized she was still in the water and her mother started to accelerate to pull another family member who was wakeboarding.
The young girl was then run over by the boat.
Because of poor cellphone service in that part of the lake, the family couldn’t reach emergency services.
Other boaters in the area helped get the child out of the water and brought her to the Pleasant Harbor Marina where fire crews were waiting.
Deputies don’t believe impairment was a factor in the accident.
Detectives are investigating and processing evidence, but Enriquez said the girl’s death is being treated as a tragic accident.
Authorities said there appeared to be no safety violations on the boat, which was equipped with proper life jackets, a fire extinguisher and other gear.
Enriquez also said the owners are experienced boat operators who live near the lake.
The families involved were not immediately identified.
Copyright 2023 KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:23 | 0 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ |
6-year-old girl dies after being hit by boat propeller at lake, authorities say
PEORIA, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say a young girl has died after she was hit by a boat propeller at Lake Pleasant Friday morning.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were called to the lake regarding a boat accident at about 11 a.m.
KPHO reports that a 6-year-old girl was pulled from the lake with a severe leg injury. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
According to Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, two families had arrived at the lake around 7 a.m. for swimming and wakeboarding. All 12 people, reported to be six adults and six children, were on the same boat.
Investigators said the child was injured when no one realized she was still in the water and her mother started to accelerate to pull another family member who was wakeboarding.
The young girl was then run over by the boat.
Because of poor cellphone service in that part of the lake, the family couldn’t reach emergency services.
Other boaters in the area helped get the child out of the water and brought her to the Pleasant Harbor Marina where fire crews were waiting.
Deputies don’t believe impairment was a factor in the accident.
Detectives are investigating and processing evidence, but Enriquez said the girl’s death is being treated as a tragic accident.
Authorities said there appeared to be no safety violations on the boat, which was equipped with proper life jackets, a fire extinguisher and other gear.
Enriquez also said the owners are experienced boat operators who live near the lake.
The families involved were not immediately identified.
Copyright 2023 KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:24 | 1 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/6-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-hit-by-boat-propeller-lake-authorities-say/ |
BEIRUT (AP) — An impasse at the United Nations over a border crossing with Syria’s last rebel-held enclave is putting 4.1 million Syrian there in danger, the president of the International Rescue Committee warned this week.
David Miliband’s comments came more than two weeks after the U.N. Security Council failed to renew the mandate for the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey, which secures aid for Syrians in the enclave.
The vast majority of people in northwestern Syria live in poverty and rely on aid to survive — a crisis that was further worsened by a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria in February. The earthquake killed more than 50,000 people, including over 6,000 in Syria, according to the United Nations. The quake also displaced hundreds of thousands of others.
“The people of northwest Syria can ill afford a new wave of suffering, having lived through the trauma of the earthquake,” Miliband told The Associated Press in an interview on Tuesday.
He urged the Security Council to “do its job” and resume the humanitarian border crossing.
The council earlier in July failed to adopt one of two rival resolutions on the crossing. Russia, a top ally of the Syrian government in Damascus, vetoed a Swiss-Brazilian compromise resolution backed by Western countries that renewed authorization for the crossing of aid through Bab al-Hawa for six months. Moscow’s draft resolution with additional requirements — including increasing aid delivery to the opposition enclave through Damascus — only received China’s backing.
The paralysis also comes as donor fatigue has led to aid cuts in aid to both northwestern Syria and neighboring countries hosting millions of Syrian refugees who fled the ongoing conflict, now in its 13th year.
Syrian President Bashar Assad opened two additional crossing points from Turkey at Bab al-Salameh and al-Rai to increase the aid flow to the quake victims. The U.N. says that some 85% of its aid to northwestern Syria goes through Bab al-Hawa, a more efficient route.
For the moment, Miliband said the International Rescue Committee is trying to cope by using other crossings and finding other ways of getting aid into the enclave.
“Our point of view is that interference with the humanitarian crossing point poses severe danger to the efficiency and the effectiveness of humanitarian aid,” he explained.
Additionally, the United States said Monday that it has joined major donors in demanding the U.N. be able to deliver aid through Bab al-Hawa independently and to everyone in need — a rejection of conditions set by Syria and backed by its ally Russia that Damascus control all aid and banning U.N. communications with rebels in the region.
The Security Council initially authorized aid deliveries in 2014 from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan through four border crossing points into rebel-held areas in Syria.
However, Russia, backed by China, over the years successfully applied pressure to reduce the authorized crossings to just Bab al-Hawa, and the mandates from a year to six months.
Moscow alleges that militant groups in the northwestern province of Idlib are taking the aid and preventing it from reaching families in need. Russia and China have been calling for all aid to be routed through Damascus instead.
But Syrians in the northwestern enclave, as well as Western countries critical of Assad, say they are skeptical of the push.
“There’s a lot of danger for people in need in northwest Syria,” Miliband said. “And it’s very important that they’re not forgotten.” | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-aid-group-official-warns-that-impasse-at-the-un-on-border-crossing-puts-4-1-million-syrians-at-risk/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:25 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-aid-group-official-warns-that-impasse-at-the-un-on-border-crossing-puts-4-1-million-syrians-at-risk/ |
Cowboys Camp: Parsons the heart and soul of defense
OXNARD, California (KLTV) - Forcing turnovers were part of the Cowboys defensive identity last year, leading the league 33 turnovers, 16 of them interceptions.
And while there’s the talking point of Dak Prescott’s picks here in training camp, you have to give the defensive identity last year, leading the league 33 turnovers, 15 of them interceptions.
“It all starts with the football, you know anytime we get out they want to showcase that not only just interceptions, force, fumbles, or whatever to create a turnover; we want to lead that way,” said safety Malik Hooker.
“We led it the last two years since I’ve been here all of us just preaching ball, ball, ball. We watch, every week we’re watching turnovers ... we watched turnovers in the room. How the ball comes out, we watch every turnover an opponent had,” said linebacker Micah Parsons.
Parsons is the heart and soul of the Cowboys defense. He says the defense can be elite.
“The best defenses are usually very good tacklers and guys who have a really good ball hawking awareness,” said defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Cowboys will have to use their depth to replace safety Donovan Wilson, an expected starter at safety, and is expected to miss the Giants opener. Also injured: Israel Mukamu.
“As you seen yesterday, we lost two major pieces. Obviously Dono, Izzy. And you know those guys Juaryeh and Bird, they stepped in tremendously.”
Copyright 2023 KLTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/cowboys-camp-parsons-heart-soul-defense/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:30 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/cowboys-camp-parsons-heart-soul-defense/ |
‘Our hero is going home’: Police officer released from rehab 3.5 months after Ky. bank shooting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After 109 days, Louisville Metro police officer Nickolas Wilt has been released from Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and is going home.
Wilt has been hospitalized, receiving medical care for the last three and a half months after the Old National Bank mass shooting on April 10. Wilt was critically injured when he was shot in the head after responding to the shooting that ultimately killed five people.
The victims were identified as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Wilt was listed in critical condition for nearly a month. Officials with the University of Louisville Health said Wilt received multiple surgeries and underwent several procedures at University of Louisville Hospital and Jewish Hospital.
On May 10, one month after the shooting, Wilt was transferred to Frazier Rehabilitation Institute to begin neuro and physical rehabilitation after seeing an improvement in his condition. Over the course of the last three and a half months, doctors and family of Wilt have called his journey remarkable.
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear shared a photo with Wilt ahead of his release.
“Kentucky, our prayers were heard. @LMPD Officer Nick Wilt is headed home with his family. Officer Wilt is a hero who ran toward danger to save the lives of several of my friends. I am forever grateful for him and his bravery. Let’s keep praying for him.”
Wilt was honored as he left the halls of Frazier Rehab. He was accompanied by family as well as some fellow officers.
After leaving the rehab facility, Wilt was driven to Southeast Christian Church on Blankenbaker Parkway where he was driven past a line of well-wishers. The van then headed for Oldham County where community members were invited to gather along Highway 53 in La Grange to greet Wilt.
LMPD shared their sentiment on their social media, honoring the heroic actions of Wilt.
“Resilience, strength, courage. Those are just a few words to describe Ofc. Nickolas Wilt. April 10th, innocent lives were lost. Ofc. Wilt, just 10 days on the job, answered the call to help stop an active shooter. Today, our hero is going home. He’s ready. #WiltsWarriors”
Louisville Metro Police Foundation has created a donation site to help pay for Wilt’s medical expenses.
To make a donation, click or tap here.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:30 | 1 | https://www.wnem.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ |
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia’s authorities on Friday called on the country’s international allies to put pressure on Azerbaijan after accusing it of carrying out a three-day blockade of humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The accusations mark another flashpoint in the tense relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan which have fought over the breakaway region for decades.
The Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister, Vahan Kostanyan, accused Azerbaijan of blocking the so-called Lachin Corridor and demanded international allies step in to allow 19 trucks with 400 tons of humanitarian aid to pass. According to Armenian authorities, the trucks have been stuck there since the evening of July 26.
“The additional pressure of our international partners on Baku is very important. We have heard statements from our various colleagues, but we don’t think this is enough,” he said.
Kostanyan previously also accused Azerbaijan of ignoring a ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering Azerbaijan authorities to ensure unimpeded movement in the Lachin Corridor, the only road from Armenia into Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ongoing dispute over the road has impeded food supplies to the region and aggravated tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have fought two wars since the end of Soviet rule.
Nagorno-Karabakh had substantial autonomy under the Soviet Union and came under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military in 1994 at the end of years of separatist fighting. Armenian forces also took sizable territory surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh itself.
In 2020, Azerbaijan regained most of that surrounding territory and pieces of Nagorno-Karabakh itself in a war which killed about 6,800 soldiers. Under a Russia-brokered armistice, transit along the Lachin Corridor was to continue under the guarantee of Russian peacekeepers.
According to Armenian media, trucks and foreign diplomats are currently in the village of Kornidzor on Armenia’s border with Nagorno-Karabakh, which is at one end of the Lachin Corridor.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said that it viewed Armenia’s attempt to send a convoy to Nagorno-Karabakh “under the guise of ‘humanitarian aid’” as a violation of Azerbaijan’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Azerbaijan also accuses Armenia of smuggling weapons into Nagorno-Karabakh.
The latest flare-up comes weeks following talks in Brussels and Washington aimed at calming tensions between the two countries after Azerbaijan opened a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor in April. At that point, the road had already been blocked for four months by demonstrators who were protesting what they claimed to be illegal mining and other ecological abuses by Armenians in the area. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-armenia-calls-on-allies-to-help-get-aid-to-nagorno-karabakh-during-tensions-with-azerbaijan/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:31 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-armenia-calls-on-allies-to-help-get-aid-to-nagorno-karabakh-during-tensions-with-azerbaijan/ |
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus on Friday jointly appealed for information that could lead to the buried remains of people who vanished amid violence and war decades ago, a task with increasing urgency as eyewitnesses die.
Cyprus’ Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Ersin Tatar, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots, made the appeal in a symbolic move aiming to show that the purely humanitarian issue should stay above the complex and often bitter politics of the nearly half-century ethnic split.
It also sought to inject some fresh urgency into efforts to resume deadlocked peace talks. A deal has eluded Cypriot leaders since a 1974 coup aiming at union with Greece triggered a Turkish invasion that entrenched that division.
Both Christodoulides and Tatar toured the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) that has, since 2006, been tasked with locating, unearthing and identifying the remains of individuals who vanished during clashes in the early 1960s and the 1974 invasion.
“This is a humanitarian issue, therefore this is something which is outside politics,” Tatar told reporters. “What ever we can do to improve, as I saw the discovery of missing persons is something that we owe to the families.”
Christodoulides echoed a shared commitment to collect more information, but added that progress on this issue would also send a “clear political message” about building trust between the two sides that haven’t engaged in direct talks in six years.
Information is now at a premium, said Paul-Henri Arni, the U.N. appointed member of the tripartite committee that also includes a Greek and Turkish Cypriot representative.
Arni told The Associated Press that the CMP has found, identified and returned to relatives the remains of 51.5% of all missing persons.
But having the leaders nudge anyone with information to step forward is essential to resolving the most difficult remaining cases, in which individuals were killed at one spot and buried elsewhere without witnesses.
According to CMP figures, of 1,510 Greek Cypriots and 492 Turkish Cypriots who are missing, 769 and 200 respectively have not been found.
“The issue is access to new information at the moment where witnesses are passing away,” Arni said. “And so we’ve discussed with the leaders ways they could help us through the own networks, also with specific former combatants.”
Work is slow as the chances of finding remains at excavated sites currently stands at 10% — far below the 50% when the CMP began work in earnest in 2006.
Arni said another key source of information are archived witness accounts which have been digitized for easer access, as well as sifting through 900,000 pages of U.N., U.K. and International Committee of the Red Cross archives which produced 3,740 documents of actionable data.
Christodoulides told reporters following the visit to the CMP premises that access to Turkey military archives is still restricted.
Some 80% of the CMP’s 3.2 million euro ($3.5 million) annual budget is funded by the EU and Arni said additional funding would enable the committee to augment is current number of seven excavation teams to speed up work on 65 new sites.
Christodoulides said it would be a “shame” for more information becoming available but without additional teams to act on them, adding that he would formally ask the EU for more funding. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-divided-cyprus-rival-leaders-appeal-for-information-on-the-missing-as-eyewitnesses-die/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:37 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-divided-cyprus-rival-leaders-appeal-for-information-on-the-missing-as-eyewitnesses-die/ |
‘Our hero is going home’: Police officer released from rehab 3.5 months after Ky. bank shooting
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - After 109 days, Louisville Metro police officer Nickolas Wilt has been released from Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and is going home.
Wilt has been hospitalized, receiving medical care for the last three and a half months after the Old National Bank mass shooting on April 10. Wilt was critically injured when he was shot in the head after responding to the shooting that ultimately killed five people.
The victims were identified as Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Josh Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Wilt was listed in critical condition for nearly a month. Officials with the University of Louisville Health said Wilt received multiple surgeries and underwent several procedures at University of Louisville Hospital and Jewish Hospital.
On May 10, one month after the shooting, Wilt was transferred to Frazier Rehabilitation Institute to begin neuro and physical rehabilitation after seeing an improvement in his condition. Over the course of the last three and a half months, doctors and family of Wilt have called his journey remarkable.
On Friday, Governor Andy Beshear shared a photo with Wilt ahead of his release.
“Kentucky, our prayers were heard. @LMPD Officer Nick Wilt is headed home with his family. Officer Wilt is a hero who ran toward danger to save the lives of several of my friends. I am forever grateful for him and his bravery. Let’s keep praying for him.”
Wilt was honored as he left the halls of Frazier Rehab. He was accompanied by family as well as some fellow officers.
After leaving the rehab facility, Wilt was driven to Southeast Christian Church on Blankenbaker Parkway where he was driven past a line of well-wishers. The van then headed for Oldham County where community members were invited to gather along Highway 53 in La Grange to greet Wilt.
LMPD shared their sentiment on their social media, honoring the heroic actions of Wilt.
“Resilience, strength, courage. Those are just a few words to describe Ofc. Nickolas Wilt. April 10th, innocent lives were lost. Ofc. Wilt, just 10 days on the job, answered the call to help stop an active shooter. Today, our hero is going home. He’s ready. #WiltsWarriors”
Louisville Metro Police Foundation has created a donation site to help pay for Wilt’s medical expenses.
To make a donation, click or tap here.
Copyright 2023 WAVE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:44 | 0 | https://www.ktre.com/2023/07/29/our-hero-is-going-home-police-officer-released-rehab-35-months-after-ky-bank-shooting/ |
BUCKS COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A socialite from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who was convicted of being the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar insurance fraud has died.
Claire Risoldi was sentenced in May 2019 for setting three fires at her Buckingham Township estate.
She was accused of trying to cheat her insurance company by filing fraudulent claims.
Rislodi was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison but never served a day due to appeals.
She was 71 years old when she died. | https://6abc.com/claire-risoldi-bucks-county-multi-million-dollar-insurance-fraud-buckingham-township-estate-fires/13565796/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:47 | 1 | https://6abc.com/claire-risoldi-bucks-county-multi-million-dollar-insurance-fraud-buckingham-township-estate-fires/13565796/ |
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Pope Francis urged governments to do more to fight climate change and protect “our common home” as improving weather conditions Friday helped firefighters contain wildfires in Greece, Italy and other countries in southern Europe.
Francis, who has been outspoken on environmental issues, sent a telegram of condolences to Greece, where wildfires killed five people over the past week, including the pilots of a water-dropping aircraft.
The pope noted that successive heat waves have exacerbated the dangers of the summer fire season. He offered his prayers for firefighters and emergency personnel in particular.
“(I hope) that the risks to our common home, exacerbated by the present climate crisis, will spur all people to renew their efforts to care for the gift of creation, for the sake of future generations,” Francis said.
Fueled by the heat waves and strong gusts of wind, wildfires in Europe’s Mediterranean region have kept travelers and residents on alert. In Greece, fires scorched hundreds of square kilometers of land outside Athens, on the island of Rhodes and elsewhere this month.
As the situation improved considerably on Friday, Greece’s minister for the police unexpectedly stepped down, citing “personal grounds.” Greek media said Notis Mitarachi’s resignation was requested after it emerged he had been on a family holiday during the wildfire crisis.
The main opposition Syriza party issued a statement accusing the center-right government of using “personal grounds” as a euphemism for “(Mitarachi’s) holidays while the country was burning from end to end.”
In central Greece, authorities maintained an exclusion zone around one of the country’s largest air force bases after a wildfire triggered powerful explosions at a nearby ammunition depot Thursday. Fighter jets stationed at the 111th Combat Wing base were moved to other facilities.
The depot blasts near the central city of Volos shattered windows in nearby towns and prompted the evacuation of more than 2,000 people. Local news broadcasts showed a ground-shaking fireball erupting.
Residents were rushed onto private boats mobilized by the coast guard and taken to a conference center in Volos, some 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) from the weapons storage site. A civilian traffic ban and evacuation order remained in effect Friday within a 3-kilometer (2-mile) radius of the depot.
The explosions did not affect flights at Volos international airport, officials told The Associated Press.
A drop in temperatures and calmer winds helped firefighters get a handle on the blazes in Greece and all major fires were contained by midday Friday, Greek Fire Service officials said.
Conditions also improved elsewhere in Europe’s Mediterranean regions thanks to cooler temperatures, allowing firefighters to contain wildfires along the Croatian coast and in Sicily.
Firefighting teams in Turkey also brought a wildfire burning close to the southern Mediterranean resort of Kemer under control, four days after it erupted, Ibrahim Yumakli, the country’s forestry minister, said.
The governments of the countries hit by heat waves and fires have steered public debate away from the potential impact on tourism. Rhodes, where a fire last weekend required about 19,000 people to be evacuated from several locations on the island, was promised state support Friday for its international advertising campaign.
In Germany, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach sought Friday to address Italian irritation over a mid-July social media post in which he described the heat wave he encountered on a visit to Italy as “spectacular” and added that “if it goes on like this, these vacation destinations will have no future in the long term.”
Lauterbach told reporters in Berlin that he wasn’t warning against vacations in southern Europe and plans to visit Italy again himself.
“Of course, it is more difficult now for the southern countries to organize heat protection in such a way that it is also accessible for every tourist, but I think those countries will know exactly what they have to do,” he said.
Vassilis Kikilias, the Greek minister for climate change and civil protection, said fires had burned 400 square kilometers (155 square miles) of land in the country in July alone, while the recent average is 500 square kilometers (nearly 200 square miles) in a year.
“Is the situation any better in other countries bordering the Mediterranean? It’s a fair question … but the answer is no,” Kikilias said.
“The climate crisis that brought us this unprecedented heat wave is here. It’s not a theory. It is our actual experience,” he said. “This is not something that will just occur this year. It will last and we have to face the consequences of what that means.”
___
Winfield reported from Rome. Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, Geir Moulson in Berlin, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey contributed.
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Follow AP’s coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-exclusion-zone-set-up-around-greek-military-base-after-wildfires-trigger-powerful-explosions/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:45 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-exclusion-zone-set-up-around-greek-military-base-after-wildfires-trigger-powerful-explosions/ |
Authorities say Two inmates and a correctional officer were arrested Thursday after an inmate died in Elmore, Alabama.
Officials report 31-year-old Sgt. Demarcus Sanders and inmates 60-year-old Frederick Gooden, and 35-year-old Stefranio Hampton are each charged with murder following the death of inmate 38-year-old Rubyn James Murray.
The department said Murray was injured during a fight with correctional officers outside his cell Wednesday. As a result, Murray was waiting in a holding area to be taken to a medical facility.
Gooden and Hampton entered the area at some point without authorization. Murray was later found “unresponsive.”
Murray was taken to a local hospital where he died. He was serving a 20-year sentence at Elmore Correctional Facility for a robbery out of Montgomery County. An autopsy is underway to determine the cause of death.
Sanders is being held in the Elmore County Detention Facility without bond. The inmates remain in ADOC custody. | https://www.wvasfm.org/wvas-local/2023-07-28/inmates-and-officer-arrested-after-inmate-dies | 2023-07-29T03:10:51 | 1 | https://www.wvasfm.org/wvas-local/2023-07-28/inmates-and-officer-arrested-after-inmate-dies |
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Lightning, thunder, and rain dampened the mood at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia Friday night as fans were forced to clear the stands and take cover about halfway through the Luke Combs concert.
Many left the stadium entirely, even after spending the whole day in the heat.
From bottled water to handheld fans to buckets of ice, thousands of people found a way to stay cool and hydrated for the performance.
READ | Doctors warn hot temperatures can bring health issues
Some even decided the fewer the clothes, the better, and took off their shirt.
"Lots of water and every now and again a beer," said Hawk Thompson from Reading. "It's a good time. Everyone is having fun."
Action News meteorologists said temperatures reached 94 degrees with a heat index value over 100 in Philadelphia.
Because of the excessive heat, Lincoln Financial Field allowed guests to bring in one unopened bottle of water.
"If I can find pockets of shade, I do," said Eileen Zul from Huntingdon Valley. "I also brought a little fan. Hot air, but it's some air."
There was also some love in the air.
"I proposed to my girlfriend, and now she's my fiancé," said Matthew Coakley.
"I'm just giggles and just happy and happy to be here," said his new fiancé Kelsey Tule.
These now fiancés agree life is better together, and so did a team of Barren Hill volunteer firefighters.
"We have some cool gear, we have some shade," said David Cox from Lafayette Hill. "But nonetheless, we're here and ready to party, and ready to have fun."
Fans proved the heat is no competition when it comes to a Luke Combs show.
"We love Luke Combs," Zul cheered before the show.
Fans will be back Saturday night cheering again for Luke Combs.
The K lot opens at noon. The show begins at 5:45 p.m. | https://6abc.com/luke-combs-concert-lincoln-financial-field-storms-philadelphia/13566037/ | 2023-07-29T03:10:53 | 1 | https://6abc.com/luke-combs-concert-lincoln-financial-field-storms-philadelphia/13566037/ |
BENGALURU, India (AP) — The final meeting of climate and environment ministers from the world’s largest economies ended without an agreement or joint statement Friday despite pleas from leading figures for nations to show a united front on climate change as weather records shatter across the globe.
In a gathering in Chennai in India, ministers from the Group of 20 countries — who emit around 80% of the world’s planet-warming gases — failed to agree on four of 68 points of discussion.
A document published by the group shows countries did not agree on aiming to peak emissions by 2025, moving to clean energy and a tax on carbon as a way to reduce emissions.
“We couldn’t get a consensus but we agreed on a lot,” said Canada’s climate minister Steven Guilbeault at a virtual press conference after the meeting.
The ministers’ decisions will now be passed on to country leaders ahead of a summit in New Delhi in September this year. It will be the group’s last chance to issue a joint statement on climate this year.
On Thursday, the president of the upcoming United Nations climate talks Sultan al-Jaber and the U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell attended the Chennai meeting to urge countries to issue an ambitious statement that will make sure the world is on track to keep global warming within the agreed temperature limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
The world has currently warmed around 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times and effects are already being felt all over the world, with hosts India especially vulnerable. Earlier this year, more than 100 people died during a heat wave in the center of the country and last week at least 27 people died in western India due to landslides triggered by heavy rains.
Since India took over the G-20 presidency last December, none of the meetings that deal with various policy areas like foreign affairs, finance, energy and climate change have come out with a joint communique but their announcements may form part of a final document released at the leaders’ summit in September.
Earlier this month, a meeting of finance chiefs and central bank governors of the G-20 leading economies ended in Gandhinagar in the western state of Gujarat without a consensus because of differences between countries over the war in Ukraine.
Similarly, a meeting of energy ministers in Goa last week ended unsuccessfully with the final summary failing to mention a phase down of fossil fuels and ministers did not agree to raise ambition to treble renewable energy targets.
The meeting in Chennai was the last of four meetings of G-20 climate ministers. They had earlier met in Bengaluru, Gandhinagar in Gujarat and Mumbai.
___
Follow Sibi Arasu on Twitter at @sibi123
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-g20-ministers-reach-agreement-on-most-but-not-all-climate-issues/ | 2023-07-29T03:11:00 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-g20-ministers-reach-agreement-on-most-but-not-all-climate-issues/ |
BERLIN (AP) — A leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany on Friday urged members of the country’s main opposition conservative bloc to break down a “firewall” meant to isolate his party, which is at record levels in polls.
The 10-year-old Alternative for Germany, or AfD, gathered in the eastern city of Magdeburg for a convention stretching over the next two weekends at which it plans to choose candidates and set its policy platform for next June’s European Parliament election.
Recent polls put support for AfD at 19-22%, behind only the main conservative opposition bloc. Earlier this week, the latter’s main leader, Friedrich Merz, insisted that there would be no cooperation even at the local level between his Christian Democratic Union and AfD, after his apparent suggestion that they might work together prompted criticism from fellow conservatives.
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla told delegates that “polls aren’t results” and they should view recent surveys with “humility.” But he pointed to his party’s prospects of winning three state elections in eastern regions next year, and said that “we could take on government responsibility.”
The first AfD candidates recently won elections in eastern Germany to lead a county administration and become the full-time mayor of a municipality.
Chrupalla mocked Merz, who recently described his conservative bloc as an “alternative for Germany with substance.” He said that “we are the original,” and argued that Merz has recognized “it was wrong to put up a firewall against our party.”
“I call on all patriots in the CDU: tear down this … wall,” he said.
Chrupalla spent large parts of his speech assailing the environmentalist Green party, part of the center-left coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and also underlined his party’s opposition to weapons deliveries to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. He asserted that today’s European Union is “responsible for a disastrous migration policy, with sanctions policies that are harmful to the economy.”
The AfD convention will, probably several days in, address the party’s position on the EU and whether Germany should leave. The party’s other co-leader, Alice Weidel, told ZDF television Friday that it favors a dismantling of EU areas of responsibility, but didn’t specify whether the bloc should be dissolved. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-german-far-right-leader-urges-conservatives-to-break-down-firewall-against-his-party/ | 2023-07-29T03:11:08 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-german-far-right-leader-urges-conservatives-to-break-down-firewall-against-his-party/ |
The Alabama woman who admitted staging her own alleged kidnapping in a two-day disappearance that attracted national media attention is facing criminal charges of two misdemeanors, according to a new report.
Carlee Russell, who earlier this month called 911 to report that there was an unaccompanied toddler walking alongside a busy interstate highway in the city of Hoover, has been “charged” with “falsely reporting an incident and “making a false statement to police,” AL.com public safety reporter Carol Robinson tweeted on Friday afternoon.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city and even across the nation as the concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said about Russell at a news conference on Friday.
Video footage posted to social media showed Russell, 25, leaving her attorney’s office on Friday morning.
The latest developments came days after Russell’s lawyer said in a statement that she was never kidnapped.
AL.com previously reported that Russell could face up to a year behind bars or a year of labor in the county if she is convicted of the offenses. She is also facing a $6,000 fine.
“Under state law, one is guilty of the Class A misdemeanor of false reporting to law enforcement authorities if he or she ‘knowingly makes a false report or causes the transmission of a false report to law enforcement authorities of a crime,’” AL.com wrote. “Under another section of Alabama law, a person commits the crime of falsely reporting an incident if ‘he or she initiates or circulates a false report or warning of an alleged occurrence.’”
On Monday, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis during a press conference read a statement from Russell’s attorney admitting to the kidnapping hoax:
Dear Chief Derzis, my client has given me permission to make the following statement on her behalf: There was no kidnapping on July 13, 2023. My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident, but this was a single act done by herself,’’ Anthony wrote. “My client was not with anyone or at any hotel during the time she was missing.
In the statement, Russell’s attorney said his client wished to issue a public apology and planned to “address her issues.”
My client apologizes for her actions to the community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police Department and other agencies, as well as to her friends and family. We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and intends to move understanding that she made a mistake. Carlee again asks for your forgiveness and prayers.
What happened to Carlee Russell?
On July 13, Russell disappeared after calling 911 to report a missing toddler walking along Interstate 459. She was driving in Hoover, a city just a few miles south of Birmingham. According to the police, Russell called a family member after she reported the lone toddler, but when she went to check on the missing child, she lost contact with her family member. According to a report issued by the Hoover Police, Russell let out a scream before the call dropped. Officers arrived at the scene to find her vehicle with all of her belongings inside, but Russell and the child were nowhere to be found. Before the incident, police said they did not receive any reports about a missing child, let alone one wandering along the interstate.
Miraculously, on July 15, authorities were notified that Russell had returned to her parents’ home on foot. She was taken to a local hospital for an evaluation, treated and released.
Russell’s mother Talitha Robinson-Russell and her father Carlos Russell spoke briefly to NBC News about what happened when their daughter returned home.
“We tried to hug her as best we could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state,” Talitha said as tears began to well up in her eyes.
Talitha said they could not share specifics about what happened to their daughter due to the ongoing investigation, but they do believe Carlee’s “abductor” is still at large. She also mentioned that the 25-year-old had to “fight for her life” to break free from her kidnapper.
“There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life and there were moments where she had to mentally fight for her life,” the matriarch added.
Carlee is healing from her traumatic kidnapping day by day, but her father Carlos said she’s currently struggling with “bad dreams” and “moments where some things make her cringe, afraid,” including loud noises. “Just different things that trigger,” Carlos added.
“She’s having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her,” Talitha added. “Carlee has given detectives her statement so that they can continue to pursue her abductor.”
Days later, Hoover Police held a press conference where authorities presented some surprising facts, including a report that prior to her alleged abduction, Russell used her phone to search for information about Amber Alerts, one-way bus tickets and Taken, the blockbuster film starring Liam Neeson about a pair of women that are kidnapped by human traffickers.
In the early morning hours of the day Russell was reported missing, a search on her phone was performed for the term “how to take money from a register without being caught.”
Derzis suggested Russell stole a bathrobe and other items belonging to her employer in the hours before she was reported missing. Russell also picked up food she ordered from a Greek restaurant, bought snacks from a Target store and stayed in the parking lot there until she drove to the highway where she reported the unaccompanied toddler, Derzis said.
However, when officers arrived at the side of Interstate 459 South, they only saw Russell’s car idling with one door open and her phone, watch and purse still inside. While the Greek food was also still there, the snacks and the bathrobe were not, Derzis said.
Derzis told reporters that Russell claimed she was kidnapped by a white man with orange hair, forced over a fence and into an 18-wheeler truck, where she was blindfolded but not bound and could hear the sounds of a baby and a woman’s voice. Derzis said Russell also told police that she was able to flee before being captured again. No physical or sexual contact was alleged, Derzis said. But Russell told police that when she was placed into another vehicle, she was able to escape by running through the woods until she emerged near her parents’ home.
Derzis said he noticed Russell has a small cut on her lip, a torn shirt and $107 in her right sock.
After the bombshell revelations were made, Russell’s boyfriend deleted a post on his Instagram that went viral in part because how he described her condition as being physically dire. Thomar Latrell Simmons’ post claimed Russell “was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours” and she was not “physically & mentally stable” as a result of her ordeal with “her kidnapper.”
One day later, Simmons said on Instagram that he was “disgusted” by Russell’s kidnapping hoax.
This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.
SEE ALSO:
Search History In Carlee Russell’s Phone Revealed Amid Investigation Into Disappearance
The post Carlee Russell ‘Booked’ In Alabama Jail After Faking Own Kidnapping: Report appeared first on NewsOne.
Carlee Russell ‘Booked’ In Alabama Jail After Faking Own Kidnapping: Report was originally published on newsone.com | https://wzakcleveland.com/4589793/carlee-russell-booked-in-alabama-jail-after-faking-own-kidnapping-report/ | 2023-07-29T03:11:18 | 0 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4589793/carlee-russell-booked-in-alabama-jail-after-faking-own-kidnapping-report/ |
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong judge on Friday denied a government request to ban a popular protest song in a landmark decision after Google had resisted official pressure to alter internet search results for the city’s anthem.
The development was a setback for Hong Kong leaders who are trying to crush a pro-democracy movement. They have been embarrassed when “Glory to Hong Kong” — written during mass protests against the government in 2019 — was mistakenly played at international sporting events instead of China’s national anthem, “March of the Volunteers.”
Critics have warned that granting the request to prohibit broadcast or distribution of the song would add to a decline in civil liberties since Beijing launched a crackdown following the 2019 protests. They said that might disrupt internet companies and hurt the city’s appeal as a business center.
But some analysts cautioned the court’s decision on Friday does not mean that foreign tech giants can from now on let down their guard in Hong Kong, and said that political challenges surrounding their operations in the financial hub still linger.
Judge Anthony Chan said he considered whether a ban of the song would act as a wider deterrence than the city’s criminal law already in place. That includes a National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020 under which many of the city’s leading activists have been arrested.
“I cannot be satisfied that it is just and convenient to grant the injunction,” he wrote in a ruling.
The government went to the court after Google resisted pressure to display China’s national anthem as the top result in searches for the city’s anthem instead of “Glory to Hong Kong.”
Google had asked that a ruling prove the song violated the law before it could be removed, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong told a local broadcaster earlier. Google did not reply to a request for comment on its earlier exchanges with officials.
The city’s leader, Chief Executive John Lee, told reporters he had asked government lawyers to study the judgment and decide how to respond.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and was promised that it could keep its Western-style civil liberties intact for 50 years after the handover. But the security law and other changes since the 2019 protests have shrunk the openness and freedoms that were once hallmarks of the city.
The city’s secretary for justice sought the injunction last month after the song was mistakenly played as the city’s anthem at international events. And a mix-up in an ice hockey competition in February resulted in the city’s top sports body reprimanding the Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association, which appealed for forgiveness for what it called an “independent and unfortunate” event.
In seeking the court order, the government wanted to target anyone who uses the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China. It also sought to ban actions that use the song to incite others to commit secession and to insult the national anthem, including online.
However, Friday’s ruling will not mean the end of the controversy for tech giants, said George Chen, former head of public policy for Greater China at Meta.
He said it was a new beginning for the platforms and the government to work together on content-related issues, given there was “zero chance” that the government would just leave all versions of the protest song online.
“Now the ball is back to the government but it doesn’t mean platforms can relax,” said Chen, who now works as a managing director for business advisory firm The Asia Group.
He said the city is now a “highly political place” and many lawmakers were surprised by the ruling, predicting that the political pressure on content removal on tech platforms will remain.
“It may feel more like Season 1 of a long series,” he said.
Eric Lai, visiting researcher of King’s College London’s School of Law, said that the government was trying to abuse the legal system by using an injunction to tackle a political matter when it sought the court order. The ruling reflects that the court still wants to defend the integrity of the city’s legal system, Lai said.
“Had this injunction been granted by the court, it would further create a more restrictive environment for both the internet and the public,” he said.
Lai cautioned that it’s a worrying trend to see that the secretary for justice “is so eager to politicize the court and the legal proceedings” to suppress the opposition camp and dissenting opinions, adding that he would monitor how the government would respond to the decision.
The government earlier said the lyrics contain a slogan that could constitute a call for secession. The song was already banned at schools. It said that it respected freedoms protected by the city’s constitution, “but freedom of speech is not absolute.”
The 2019 protests were sparked by a proposed extradition law that would have allowed Hong Kong criminal suspects to be sent to the mainland for trial. The government withdrew the bill, but the protesters widened their demands to include direct elections for the city’s leaders and police accountability. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-hong-kong-court-rejects-government-requested-ban-on-protest-song-glory-to-hong-kong/ | 2023-07-29T03:11:17 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-hong-kong-court-rejects-government-requested-ban-on-protest-song-glory-to-hong-kong/ |
Imagine being such a dedicated racist that you end up spending nearly a decade in prison because you just couldn’t stand to keep your hateful bigotry in the confines of your heart and away from Black people and people of color no matter how many times you were warned to by courts of law.
Such is the case for 54-year-old Suzanne Craft of Louisville, Kentucky. According to WHAS 11, Craft was sentenced to nine years behind bars followed by three years of supervised release for sending threatening letters to neighbors in Lake Forest of eastern Jefferson County for no discernable reason besides those neighbors failing to be born Caucasian.
In 2020, Craft mailed numerous threats of violence and racial slurs to an interracial couple and their children who lived in the same neighborhood. She was convicted of five counts of mailing threatening communications, and this was after she had been caught vandalizing at least two homes with swastikas and the N-word, for which she was reportedly sentenced to seven days of home incarceration. (Craft is her name, and arts and KKKrafts are, apparently, her game.)
From WHAS:
In 2020, Louisville Metro Police served Craft a criminal summons after two homes in the Lake Forest neighborhood were vandalized.
She then appeared in court in August later that year for violating a no-contact order from a different incident in June.
Michela Pineda testified Craft was caught on camera using chemicals and bleach to burn a swastika into the Pineda family’s lawn, weeks after the no-contact order was issued.
The Pineda family also say Craft was the person who spray-painted racial slurs on their driveway in June 2020.
It’s unclear if the threatening letters the FBI says Craft sent in 2020 were to the Pineda’s or a different family.
Vanessa Cantley, the attorney for Michaela and Connie Pineda, told the Courier-Journal that the letters, not only contained racial slurs, but the envelopes also contained bullets. Those letters, again, came after the alleged vandalism, which came after the no-contact order was issued, and she had been found guilty of contempt of court twice for violating that order. Again, this woman was simply bound and determined to be a bigot.
“This sentence sends a clear message regarding our commitment to ending hate-motivated violence and threats of violence,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in civilized society for violent threats based on race.”
And if Craft hasn’t gotten that message by now—and it’s entirely possible that she still hasn’t considering her track record—at least she’ll be learning it behind bars.
SEE ALSO:
What Happened To Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens? White Woman Kills Unarmed Black Mother Of 4
White Woman Facing Hate Crime Charges After Racist Rant In Pizzeria Caught On Video
The post Racist Louisville Woman Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison For Terrorizing Interracial Couple appeared first on NewsOne.
Racist Louisville Woman Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison For Terrorizing Interracial Couple was originally published on newsone.com | https://wzakcleveland.com/4589794/racist-louisville-woman-sentenced-to-9-years-in-prison-for-terrorizing-interracial-couple/ | 2023-07-29T03:11:24 | 1 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4589794/racist-louisville-woman-sentenced-to-9-years-in-prison-for-terrorizing-interracial-couple/ |
HONG KONG (AP) — The Chinese government on Friday demanded the United States invite Hong Kong’s leader to an economic conference following a news report that Chief Executive John Lee would be barred due to his role in crushing the city’s pro-democracy movement.
The conflict threatens to complicate Washington’s efforts to revive relations that are at their lowest level in decades due to disputes about security, technology, human rights and other irritants.
The Washington Post, citing unidentified U.S. officials, said Lee would be barred from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in San Francisco in November due to sanctions imposed on him in 2020. Lee oversaw the crackdown as Hong Kong’s top police official before he was named chief executive last year.
The United States and other governments have accused Beijing of violating promises of autonomy and Western-style civil liberties after the former British colony returned to China in 1997.
The foreign ministry demanded Washington lift the “illegal and unreasonable” sanctions on Lee, which it called “bullying that seriously violates the basic norms of international relations.” It accused Washington of “undermining the solidarity and cooperation” of the regional forum.
“We demand that the U.S. side immediately correct its wrong move, lift the sanctions against the chief executive and other officials of the SAR, fulfil the due responsibility as APEC host, invite Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to the meeting,” said a ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning.
Lee’s office in Hong Kong said the United States is “obliged to fulfil its basic responsibilities as a host” and should follow the usual APEC practice by inviting him.
“APEC meetings do not belong to any country or economy,” the office said in a statement.
Lee later said in a press briefing that the city would attend the meeting according to APEC rules and guidelines, saying he hoped that the host of the meeting could handle it in accordance with such norms.
The Washington Post cited U.S. officials as saying Hong Kong could send another representative to APEC.
Washington has launched a flurry of diplomatic missions to restore dialogue suspended by Beijing, mainly over U.S. support for the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan, which the mainland’s ruling Communist Party claims as part of its territory.
Officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and climate envoy John Kerry have traveled to China for meetings.
Chinese officials have demanded concessions, including changes in U.S. dealings with Taiwan, but have given given no indication Beijing might change trade, strategic or other policies that irk Washington and China’s Asian neighbors and other trading partners.
In a July 20 meeting with Henry Kissinger, a former U.S. secretary of state who has been used by Beijing to convey messages to Washington, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said both sides need to make decisions that could result in stable ties and joint success and prosperity.
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Associated Press video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-hong-kongs-leader-may-be-barred-from-a-key-economic-summit-the-city-says-that-breaks-conventions/ | 2023-07-29T03:11:25 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-hong-kongs-leader-may-be-barred-from-a-key-economic-summit-the-city-says-that-breaks-conventions/ |