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17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:44:13 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T06:44:19 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:44:25 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:44:32 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T06:44:38 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:44:45 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
The following is a listing of all home transfers in Burlington County reported from July 24 to July 30. There were 145 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 1,370-square-foot home on Merritt Drive in Mount Holly that sold for $367,000.
Beverly
200 Cooper Street, Beverly, $250,000, 2,731 square feet, $92 per square-foot. | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-burlington-county-july-24-to-july-30.html | 2023-07-31T06:45:17 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-burlington-county-july-24-to-july-30.html |
The following is a listing of all home transfers in Monmouth County reported from July 24 to July 30. There were 41 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 2,090-square-foot home on Hedgewood Road in Howell that sold for $620,000.
Atlantic Highlands
235 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands, $715,000, 3,100 square feet, $231 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-monmouth-county-july-24-to-july-30.html | 2023-07-31T06:45:23 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-monmouth-county-july-24-to-july-30.html |
The following is a listing of all home transfers in Somerset County reported from July 24 to July 30. There were 42 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 1,458-square-foot home on Thompson Street in Bernardsville that sold for $675,000.
Basking Ridge
203 Alexandria Way, Basking Ridge, $330,000, 1,000 square feet, $330 per square-foot. | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-somerset-county-july-24-to-july-30.html | 2023-07-31T06:45:29 | 0 | https://www.nj.com/realestate-news/2023/07/see-all-homes-sold-in-somerset-county-july-24-to-july-30.html |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:46:36 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T06:46:43 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:46:49 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:16 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:16 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio di Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.
As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.
Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.
“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”
And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.
Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.
His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
“I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that ‘OK, now it’s mature’ and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members” with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.
To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.
Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.
After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades’ worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway.
Francis’ most important young “legacy” appointment was that of the Vatican’s new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez ,61. Francis’ theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.
Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis’ longer-term agenda: “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.
Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.
At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.
“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”
Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.
“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”
His words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and “make a mess.”
“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”
Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone farther than anyone could have imagined at the time.
“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis’ agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.”
___
AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-international/ap-as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:19 | 1 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-international/ap-as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/ |
Rantz: Shame on Seattle voters who fall for this Andrew Lewis scam
Jul 30, 2023, 5:55 PM
(Photo from Andrew Lewis for Seattle City Council)
City councilmember Andrew Lewis is trying to pull a fast one on Seattle voters. And shame on anyone in District 7 who is ignorant enough to fall for it for a second time.
Knowing that public safety, homelessness, and drug use are top issues voters care about, Lewis is doing an about-face. He’s not changing his views, he’s just changing what he tells you. In re-election campaign literature, Lewis paints himself as a fighter for public safety.
But the reality is quite the opposite. Lewis is a big reason why our city is so broken. He has a long track record of telling voters one thing, then quickly turning on them. He’s a radical with a soft-spoken demeanor meant to convince you he’s reasonable and logical. He’s neither.
More from Rantz: Seattle councilmember Andrew Lewis keeps claiming false campaign endorsement
Andrew Lewis is the enemy of public safety
When he ran for office, Lewis claimed to support police, vowing to hire more of them. At the time, he rightly noted that a lack of police presence allows for crime to flourish.
“We need to hire more police officers in the city,” candidate Lewis declared. “I see on a daily basis that there are parts of our city where we don’t have the staffing numbers to have effective community policing strategies and deter the kinds of crimes of opportunity that are prolific.”
After he was elected, he fought hard to successfully defund the police by 50%. As bad, he helped establish the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), showing up to a rally to help push the police out of the East Precinct. He got his wish, though stayed out of CHAZ after armed radicals took over six city blocks because he knew it was dangerous. Indeed, black teens were murdered there.
Lewis’s campaign mailer says he has a plan to make Seattle safe. But he doesn’t mention that plan. Instead, he points to an old idea to have unarmed social workers respond to some 911 calls instead of police. While it makes sense that the police defunder wants to remove officers from public safety roles, all Lewis is doing is sending social workers to get hurt or killed.
Meanwhile, he claims “we are turning the corner on [police] hiring,” bragging that “over half of our most recent recruiting class are people of color.” Both statements are false.
The city didn’t turn the corner on hiring. The department only brought in 41 recruits while losing 61 officers. And 23 of the recruits are white, so even his superficial virtual signaling about hiring “people of color” is wrong.
Seattle homelessness and drug use worse because of Andrew Lewis
Lewis lobbied against homeless sweeps, despite encampments being responsible for a disproportionate number of violent crimes. Only after public opinion started to turn did Lewis change his tune and start to walk back his position on encampments.
The councilmember spends much of his time pushing funding to his allies in the homeless industrial complex. Lewis is the council’s biggest proponent of the hands-off approach to homelessness. When they’re ready for help, he says we’ll be there for them. Meanwhile, his allies get larger budgets to do little to improve homelessness.
And as fatal overdoses skyrocket, putting the county on pace to exceed last year’s record high of 1,000 deaths, Lewis was the deciding vote to kill an ordinance to criminalize public drug use and possession. His district has been hit the hardest by the deadly drug epidemic, which is why he said he would support the ordinance. But when radicals showed up to a council meeting to yell at him, he cowered and voted the way they demanded. Andrew Lewis will always be beholden to the Radical Left, not his Seattle constituents.
Seattle City Council Candidate: Lewis voted out ‘would be a fantastic consolation prize’
We get the Seattle we deserve
Voters get the government and city they deserve. And if they re-elect Lewis, the crime, homelessness, and drug overdoses are precisely what we deserve.
We all know why the crises have worsened. Democrats may not want to admit that the policies that they backed helped create this mess, but they should at least try to course correct. Lewis cannot be part of righting this sinking ship. He’s one of the city officials who caused it. Mayor Bruce Harrell isn’t a fan, either. When he lets his guard down and speaks candidly, he lets us know what he thinks of Lewis.
“A couple of them [councilmembers]… their resumes are quite thin. I say that as a nice way to say they’re inexperienced,” Harrell told Seattle police of Lewis and his council ally Dan Strauss. (Strauss has benefited from attention placed on Lewis but is just as disastrous).
Seattle councilmember Andrew Lewis defunded police, stopped homeless encampment sweeps when they were nothing but drug dens, & killed an ordinance to criminalize drugs.
He claims to be leading the charge on public safety. He’s been as effective a leader as he is a speller. pic.twitter.com/1IjWiNGOnB
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) July 30, 2023
More from Rantz: Democrats shocked to learn their drug legalization plan is deadly
Seattle has options
There are two candidates in District 7 worth your time.
Olga Sagan is the owner of the bakery Piroshky Piroshky. As a small business owner, she knows the impact Lewis’ policies had on the city. It prompted her to run. Did she always take politics seriously? No. Then she realized the tragic results of not being engaged. She was forced to close her business because crime was rampant. And now, she wants to use her experience to help craft policy to make the city safe again.
Aaron Marshall is a Seattle police officer with first-hand experience dealing with the crises Lewis helped create. He sees the inhumane conditions Lewis keeps homeless addicts to live in. And his life is on the line thanks to the criminals Lewis emboldened. At a time when public safety is a top issue, Marshall comes with years of experience that Lewis resents.
It certainly would send a message to replace Lewis with a businesswoman he tried to put out of business or a cop he tried to defund. In a perfect world, both would advance, and Lewis would become a distant memory, someone we refer to as “that councilmember who ruined this city… what’s his name? I finally managed to block him from my memory.”
Let’s not forget his name just yet. He is Andrew Lewis, and he is a radical helping to destroy this city. We deserve better.
Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). He is the author of the book What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities. Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis. | https://mynorthwest.com/3914740/rantz-seattle-andrew-lewis-scam/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:18 | 1 | https://mynorthwest.com/3914740/rantz-seattle-andrew-lewis-scam/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:23 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:22 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (AP) — The dogs bark and stare as Kim Jong-kil approaches the rusty cages housing the large, short-haired animals he sells for their meat. Kim opens a door and pets one dog’s neck and chest.
Kim says he’s proud of the dog meat farm that has supported his family for 27 years, but is upset over growing attempts by politicians and activists to outlaw the business, which he is turning over to his children.
“It’s more than just feeling bad. I absolutely oppose these moves, and we’ll mobilize all our means to resist it,” Kim, 57, said in an interview at his farm in Pyeongtaek city, just south of Seoul.
Dog meat consumption is a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula and has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days. It’s neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea, but more and more people want it prohibited. There’s increasing public awareness of animal rights and worries about South Korea’s international image.
The anti-dog meat campaign recently received a big boost when the country’s first lady expressed her support for a ban and two lawmakers submitted bills to eliminate the dog meat trade.
“Foreigners think South Korea is a cultural powerhouse. But the more K-culture increases its international standing, the bigger shock foreigners experience over our dog meat consumption,” said Han Jeoungae, an opposition lawmaker who submitted legislation to outlaw the dog meat industry last month.
Prospects for passage of an anti-dog meat law are unclear because of protests by farmers, restaurant owners and others involved in the dog meat industry. Surveys suggest that one in three South Koreans opposes such a ban, though most people don’t eat dog meat anymore.
Dogs are also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, North Korea and some African countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria.
Earlier this month, Indonesian authorities announced the end of dog and cat slaughter at an animal market on the island of Sulawesi following a yearslong campaign by local activists and world celebrities. The Tomohon Extreme Market will become the first such market in Indonesia to go dog and cat meat-free, according to the anti-animal cruelty group Humane Society International.
South Korea’s dog meat industry receives more international attention because of its reputation as a wealthy, ultra-modern democracy. It is also the only nation with industrial-scale farms. Most farms in South Korea have more than 500 dogs, according to a dog farmers’ association.
During a recent visit, Kim’s farm, one of the country’s largest with 7,000 dogs, appeared relatively clean but there was a strong stench in some areas. All dogs are kept in elevated cages and are fed with food waste and ground chicken. They are rarely released for exercise and typically are sold for meat one year after they are born.
Kim said two of his children, age 29 and 31, are running the farm with him, and that business has been going pretty well. He said the dogs bred for their meat are different from pets, an idea opposed by activists.
It’s difficult now to find dog meat restaurants in Seoul’s bustling downtown, though many still exit in the countryside.
“I only earn one-third of the money I used to make. Young people don’t come here. Only ailing old people come for lunch,” said Yoon Chu-wol, 77, the owner of a dog meat restaurant in Seoul’s Kyungdong traditional market. “I tell my elderly customers to come and eat my food more frequently before it’s banned.”
Farmers also face growing scrutiny from officials and increasingly negative public opinion. They complain that officials visit them repeatedly in response to complaints filed by activists and citizens over alleged animal abuse and other wrongdoing. Kim said more than 90 such petitions were filed against his farm during a recent four-month span.
Son Won Hak, general secretary of the dog farmers’ association, said many farms have collapsed in recent years because of falling dog meat prices and weaker demand. He thinks that’s a result of activist campaigns and unfair media reports focusing on farms with inferior conditions. Some observers, however, say consumption of dog meat was already declining, with younger people staying away from it.
“Quite honestly, I’d like to quit my job tomorrow. We can’t confidently tell our children that we’re raising dogs,” Son said. “When my friends called me, they said ‘Hey, are you still running a dog meat farm? Isn’t it illegal?’”
The number of farms across South Korea has dropped by half from a few years ago to about 3,000 to 4,000, and about 700,000 to 1 million dogs are slaughtered each year, a decline from several million 10 to 20 years ago, according to the dog farmers’ association. Some activists argue that the farmers’ estimates are an exaggeration meant to show their industry is too big to destroy.
In late 2021, South Korea launched a government-civilian task force to consider outlawing dog meat at the suggestion of then-President Moon Jae-in, a pet lover. The committee, whose members include farmers and animal rights activists, has met more than 20 times but hasn’t reached any agreement, apparently because of disputes over compensation issues.
Agriculture officials refused to disclose the discussions in the closed-door meetings. They said the government wants to end dog meat consumption based on a public consensus.
In April, first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of current President Yoon Suk Yeol, said in a meeting with activists that she hopes for an end to dog meat consumption. Famers responded with rallies and formal complaints against Kim for allegedly hurting their livelihoods.
Han, the lawmaker, said she “highly positively appraises” influential figures speaking out against dog meat consumption.
Han said her bill offers support programs for farmers who agree to close their farms. They would be entitled to money to dismantle their facilities, vocational training, employment assistance and other benefits, she said.
Ju Yeongbong, an official of the farmers’ association, said farmers want to continue for about 20 more years until older people, their main customers, die, allowing the industry to naturally disappear. Observers say most farmers are also in their 60s to 70s.
Borami Seo, a director of the South Korea office of the Humane Society International, said she opposes the continued killing of millions of dogs for such a prolonged period. “Letting this silent cruelty to (dogs) be committed in South Korea doesn’t make sense,” Seo said.
“(Dog meat consumption) is too anachronistic, has elements of cruelty to animals and hinders our national growth,” said Cheon JinKyung, head of Korea Animal Rights Advocates in Seoul. | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-international/ap-south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-against-growing-moves-to-outlaw-their-industry/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:25 | 0 | https://www.wdtn.com/news/u-s-world/ap-international/ap-south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-against-growing-moves-to-outlaw-their-industry/ |
The West African nation Niger is under military rule following a coup in which President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown and held captive by members of his own guard.
On July 28, 2023, coup leaders named General Abdourahmane Tchiani as the new head of state, while international observers called for democratic norms to be reinstalled.
Where the coup leaves the country and what happens next is unclear. The Conversation turned to Leonardo A. Villalón, political scientist and West African expert at the University of Florida, for some answers.
How did this coup come about?
At first it was unclear whether this even was a coup. Although there have been indications of tensions both inside the military and between military and civilian leaders, a coup certainly wasn’t expected. I was in Niger last month, and there was nothing to suggest that a coup was about to take place. And in contrast to what happened in Mali or Burkina Faso in recent years, the coup wasn’t preceded by widespread protests or popular calls for a change in leadership.
So, when members of the presidential guard seized Bazoum on July 26, it wasn’t immediately clear what was going on, or whether their actions would be successful. The first real test for the coup leaders was whether the rest of the military would back their actions. If they hadn’t, it could have set off widespread fighting in the country. But it has turned out – so far, at least – to be a bloodless coup. After initial wrangling between different factions over who would take control, the country’s generals did back the coup.
Meanwhile, the democratically elected president continues to be held hostage under house arrest.
What are the consequences of the coup?
Although it has so far been a bloodless coup, the consequences are nonetheless catastrophic for Niger and for the region.
The nation is among the least developed on Earth, with high levels of poverty and a history of instability and coups.
But it has emerged in recent years as a relatively stable force in the region and as a key ally for the West in dealing with terrorism and violence that has spiraled since a coup in neighboring Mali in 2012. That event, itself triggered by the NATO intervention in Libya and the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, kick-started a decade of instability in the region.
Yet just two years ago, Niger saw its first ever democratic transfer of power from one elected president to the next. The election was by no means perfect, but it was rightly seen as a significant accomplishment. That is why this coup is particularly problematic: It represents a rolling back of the progress made in recent years in slowly building functional state institutions and democratic processes.
The coup also has major consequences for the region. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have broken away from former colonial power France, and the West in general, and moved toward Russia. Meanwhile Chad, another neighbor, is engaged in a problematic effort at a transition to an elected government. Against these countries, Niger represented a civilian-led pragmatic ally in international efforts to stem a tide of jihadist violence in the Sahel region. We have no clear indication at the moment how Niger’s new military leaders will align themselves in this context.
How does this differ from past coups in Niger?
That’s the really interesting thing. Niger is often described as prone to coups. But with each previous coup, circumstances have allowed coup leaders to justify their actions as necessary, or at least as justifiable and understandable by some rationale. But that doesn’t appear to be true for this latest takeover by the military.
Niger’s first coup in 1974 took place amid a backdrop of terrible drought and famine across the Sahel. That created a level of frustration and disappointment in the shortcomings of the country’s first post-independence government and provided a rationale for the military to overthrow it and to claim legitimacy with a renewed focus on development.
The subsequent coups in Niger – in 1996, 1999 and 2010 – were all triggered by specific political crises. In 1996, the new democratic regime that had been installed in 1993 found itself gridlocked by institutions that made it difficult for the executive and legislative branches to work together. The military justified the coup as a necessary step to unblock this gridlock. Three years later, those coup leaders failed to follow through on their promises and were themselves ousted – and soldier-turned-president Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara was killed – when they attempted to remain in power by rigging the elections.
As promised by the leaders of the 1999 coup, within a year Niger had adopted a new constitution and elected a new government. Unfortunately, after two terms and 10 years in power, President Mamadou Tandja attempted to extend his mandate beyond the constitutionally allowed limits, triggering a prolonged political crisis. In the end, the military again stepped in, and in 2010 soldiers attacked the presidential palace and captured Tandja after a bloody gun battle. The military justified this coup as a necessary step to end the crisis and stop the erosion of democracy.
All three of the previous coups in Niger could thus be presented as attempts to “press reset” on Niger’s progress toward democracy. And in each case they were justified by the coup leaders in those terms.
The same cannot be said about the latest coup. President Bazoum has only been in power for two years, and his 2021 election win, although contested, was in the end widely accepted. He came to power on a promise to improve the country’s security, invest in education and fight corruption – and some real progress has been made in that direction. And there was no obvious political impasse or institutional gridlock on a scale that would have justified a coup.
As such, it seems that this latest coup was very much driven by internal politics and dissatisfaction among parts of the military, rather than any clear triggering crisis.
How are the coup leaders justifying their actions?
Beyond a very general claim of “poor governance” and a “degraded security situation,” there hasn’t been a clear rationale articulated by those who are now in charge to justify the coup or to legitimize themselves as leaders. This marks a change not only from the coups of Niger’s past but also contrasts with those in neighboring Mali in 2021 and Burkina Faso the following year.
In each of those coups, military leaders claimed that they were ousting deeply unpopular regimes that were deeply corrupt and had proven ineffective at combating instability and violence. They presented themselves as leaders who would mark a break with existing political systems by establishing new alliances.
What happens next?
It is very difficult to see a coherent way out of this. The coup leaders have suspended the constitution and closed Niger’s borders. But it isn’t really clear yet what the long-term plan is.
In Mali and Bukina Faso, the ills of those countries were blamed on France, with coup leaders looking to Russia for support and accepting support from the Moscow-backed mercenary Wagner Group.
The fear among those in the West – and many inside Niger – is that in the need to articulate a rationale, the new military leaders now will present the Nigerien experiment with democracy itself as a failure and similarly seek support from Russia and the Wagner Group. Wagner’s mercenary boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has already offered Niger’s new leaders the support of his men, praising the coup as an anti-colonial struggle.
How big a blow is this for US interests in the region?
In recent years, Niger has been the partner of choice for Washington in regards to the Sahel. It is seen as a linchpin in the fight against terrorism in the region, and its importance has escalated significantly as Mali and Burkina Faso turned to Russia.
Neighboring Chad is also a key ally for the U.S. But Chad is problematic, having been led by the autocratic Idriss Déby for 30 years until his death in 2021, only to be succeeded by his son, Mahamat Déby – who is now himself leading a so-called transition that seems designed to keep him in power.
With Chad, the U.S. has had to hold its nose while doing business. Niger, by contrast, was presented as a democratic model and seen as open, pragmatic and friendly toward Washington.
We will have to see how things unfold, but it is clear that this coup could deal a serious setback to U.S. interests in the region. But above all, it is a terrible blow to Niger’s efforts at building stable democratic institutions and to fostering the peace and stability that could better the lives of people living in one of the world’s poorest countries.
Leonardo A. Villalón, Professor of Political Science and African Studies, University of Florida
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The post Niger Coup: Every Thing We Know About The Military takeover In West Africa appeared first on NewsOne.
Niger Coup: Every Thing We Know About The Military takeover In West Africa was originally published on newsone.com | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590543/niger-coup-every-thing-we-know-about-the-military-takeover-in-west-africa/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:26 | 1 | https://wzakcleveland.com/4590543/niger-coup-every-thing-we-know-about-the-military-takeover-in-west-africa/ |
BARBERA, India — Over the past three decades, India has installed thousands of mini solar grids across the country, mostly in remote villages yet to be reached by traditional electric power. Decentralized solar infrastructure — including panels on roofs, electric water pumps and streetlights and local distribution networks — has been touted as a way to electrify the poorest areas and augment the country’s transition away from fossil fuels.
India joins rush to renewables, but its rural solar systems fall off grid
A cautionary tale for a world racing into renewables: The large majority of mini-grids in India no longer work, an environmental group found
But maintaining these solar systems has proved to be more than the government can handle, leaving deserted panels and batteries far and wide.
India’s experience is a cautionary tale for a world that is racing into renewables, installing solar energy systems at a breakneck speed with scant planning for how to maintain them in the years to come.
“We are rushing to find solutions. I don’t think we are thinking through the unintended consequences of the solutions that we are promoting at this time,” said Anurag Danda, a director in the World Wide Fund for Nature in India. “We might be creating a second-order problem — fixing something here, but creating a problem somewhere else.”
About 4,000 solar mini-grids have been installed in India, of which 3,300 are government financed and owned, according to information collected early this year by Smart Power India, a subsidiary of the Rockefeller Foundation, and provided to The Washington Post. Only 5 percent of the government grids are operational, the group found.
With much publicity, the eastern state of Bihar launched its first “solar village” in 2014. By 2021, Mongabay-India reported that the village’s power station had been turned into a cattle shed. A study by Aviram Sharma, a university researcher in Bihar state, found that almost half of the village’s solar connections went out of use within two years. According to another report, by Mongabay-India, the first solar village in the nearby state of Odisha met a similar fate.
“There is a lot of sunken cost for the deployments which are not working,” said Abhishek Jain, a fellow and a director at the Indian think tank the Council on Energy, Environment and Water. “It’s a waste of public and philanthropic money — mainly because we didn’t manage the technology well.”
The equipment that has been installed is a combination of domestically produced and imported, primarily from China.
In Barbera, a remote hamlet of 300 Indigenous people in Jharkhand state hemmed in by railway lines and water channels, rows of solar panels stand out against the bright-green paddy fields. The blue sheen of the panels has faded with time, and the glass has been cracked for several years. Shrubs blooming with pink and yellow flowers are reclaiming their place amid the ruin.
The system, installed in 2017, worked for one or two days and then stopped, according to several local residents. The state’s renewable-energy authority confirmed that the grid was defunct.
“What will we do with this useless solar?” asked Salasuis Burh, an elderly man standing near the remains of the solar system, an array of panels looking like rows of resting dominoes. “We want real electricity.”
Young village boys have rejiggered the wires so a few phones at a time can be charged. The solar panels still generate energy, but the batteries to store the electricity and the network to distribute it no longer function.
India is not alone in facing the challenge of solar power maintenance. Nor is the issue a new one.
A team of Dutch researchers reported in 2017 that in a sample of 29 solar systems in sub-Saharan Africa, only three were fully working. “The reasons cited for failure always point to the same challenges: an absence of local maintenance expertise and a lack of acceptance,” researchers said in an article published by the Conversation.
An Indian solar expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share closed-door conversations, said that the Ugandan government is seeking international help because 80 percent of its 12,000 local solar connections in health-care centers are out of service. Journalistic reports from Nigeria depict a similar situation.
“If you look at our landfills at a global scale, this will lead to a … problem. The toxic material can leech out. And, wherever the panel is sitting, that piece of land will be wasted,” said Danda, of the World Wide Fund.
Danda had set up solar projects in the Sundarbans, a vast mangrove forest in West Bengal state, just as decentralized solar power was taking off in the 1990s. Of the 12 projects his team had installed, he said, only three are operating. Mongabay-India found that at least another dozen solar systems in the Sundarbans have been abandoned.
Danda said the problems began cropping up after five years, when the batteries used to store the solar-generated power needed to be replaced for the first time. Two of his solar battery charging stations completely disappeared, probably lost to theft, he said. Other systems went to waste because of neglect as the conventional electricity grid reached the area.
About 20 miles away from Barbera, a man carving a plow out of wood in the village Semariya complained that the mini-grid could light only a single bulb. A fallen tree was resting on an electrical wire connected to the solar plant. In the market, a solar street lamp was covered with cobwebs. Around the corner, students ate lunch under a solar grid that had been bent out of shape over the years, with several panels missing.
Even in Jharkhand’s capital, Ranchi, the solar roof panels at Ranchi University all were observed during a recent visit to have problems.
“The intent is there, but instead of solving a problem for the community, are we creating a problem for the community?” Jain asked.
In Jharkhand, at least 90 percent of the state’s more than 200 mini-grids are defunct, according to a consultant for the renewable-energy authority, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to comment freely about the mini-grids.
“Installing a plant is easy,” said Mukesh Prasad, an executive engineer in Jharkhand’s renewable-energy authority who is responsible for the mini-grids. “But there is no doubt that maintenance remains the difficulty. There are abandoned mini-grids.” He blamed a lack of local technicians and difficulties in obtaining spare parts.
“How will villagers trust us when it breaks down and there is no one to fix it? Why would they trust us?” Prasad asked.
Solar-power advocates and technicians say community distrust makes it harder to keep the systems up and running. Jain said he often hears local residents say that they “don’t need this baby grid or fake grid.”
He added that the government relies on private contractors for installation and maintenance but that the contractors often do not find it economically worthwhile to service the solar systems. Jharkhand, for example, holds onto 10 percent of the contract price after installation and releases the balance in annual installments to pay for maintenance. But this sum may not cover the cost of traveling to remote areas, so the technical crews often desert their contracts after installation.
Moreover, the government, in trying to keep electricity affordable for its customers, often lacks the revenue needed to pay for upkeep. Private providers have a better record in maintaining the systems because their revenue models are stronger.
“It’s not just creating the asset. It’s also looking at the entire life cycle of the asset,” said Vijay Bhaskar, the managing director of solar-energy company Hamara Grid. Over the life of the equipment, the business model often does not pay, he said. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/31/india-solar-energy/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:26 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/31/india-solar-energy/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
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AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:27 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:30 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
Blue blood from horseshoe crabs is valuable for medicine, but a declining bird needs them for food
Jul 30, 2023, 8:10 PM
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A primordial sea animal that lives on the tidal mudflats of the East Coast and serves as a linchpin for the production of vital medicines stands to benefit from new protective standards.
But conservationists who have been trying for years to save a declining bird species — the red knot — that depends on horseshoe crabs fear the protections still don’t go far enough.
Drug and medical device makers are dependent on the valuable blue blood of the crabs — helmet-shaped invertebrates that have scuttled in the ocean and tidal pools for more than 400 million years — to test for potentially dangerous impurities. The animals are drained of some of their blood and returned to the environment, but many die from the bleeding.
Recent revisions to guidelines for handling the animals should keep more alive through the process, regulators said. The animals — not really true crabs but rather more closely related to land-dwelling invertebrates such as spiders and scorpions — are declining in some of their East Coast range.
“They were here before the dinosaurs,” said Glenn Gauvry, president of Ecological Research & Development Group, a Delaware-based nonprofit that advocates for horseshoe crab conservation. “And they’re having problems because the new kids on the block, us, haven’t learned to appreciate the elders.”
The harvest of horseshoe crabs, which are also caught for bait in the commercial fishing industry, has emerged as a critical issue for conservationists in recent years because of the creature’s role in coastal ecosystems. The crabs’ eggs are vitally important food for a declining subspecies of a bird called the red knot — a rust-colored, migratory shorebird listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The birds, which migrate some 19,000 miles (30,577 kilometers) roundtrip from South America to Canada and must stop to eat along the way, need stronger protection of horseshoe crabs to survive, said Bethany Kraft, senior director for coastal conservation with the Audubon Society. Kraft and other wildlife advocates said the fact the guidelines for handling crabs are voluntary and not mandatory leaves the red knot at risk.
“Making sure there is enough to fuel these birds on this massive, insanely long flight is just critical,” Kraft said. “There’s very clear linkage between horseshoe crabs and the survival of the red knot in the coming decades.”
The horseshoe crabs are valuable because their blood can be manufactured into limulus amebocyte lysate, or LAL, that is used to detect pathogens in indispensable medicines such as injectable antibiotics. The crabs are collected by fishermen by hand or via trawlers for use by biomedical companies, then their blood is separated and proteins within their white blood cells are processed. It takes dozens of the crabs to produce enough blood to fill a single glass tube with its blood, which contains immune cells sensitive to bacteria.
There are only five federally licensed manufacturers on the East Coast that process horseshoe crab blood. The blood is often described by activist groups as worth $15,000 a quart (liter), though some members of the industry say that figure is impossible to verify.
Regulators estimate about 15% of the crabs die in the bleeding process. In 2021, that meant about 112,000 crabs died, said Caitlin Starks, a senior fishery management plan coordinator with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The bait fishery for horseshoe crabs, which are used as bait for eels and sea snails, killed more than six times that, she said.
Still, the fisheries commission in May approved new best management practices for the biomedical industry’s harvesting and handling of the crabs. Those include minimizing exposure to sunlight and keeping crabs cool and moist, Starks said.
“The goal is to give the crabs that are bled a better chance of surviving and contributing to the ecosystem after they are released,” she said.
That’s exactly what the new guidelines will do, said Nora Blair, quality operations manager with Charles River Laboratories, one of the companies that manufactures LAL from horseshoe crab blood. Blair was a member of a working group that crafted the updated guidelines alongside other industry members, conservationists, fishery managers, fishermen and others.
Blair said the industry is working toward a synthetic alternative — an outcome conservationists have been pushing for years. However, for now the wild harvest of horseshoe crabs remains critically important to drug safety, Blair said.
“The critical role of horseshoe crab in the biopharmaceutical supply chain and coastal ecosystem makes their conservation imperative,” he said.
The Atlantic horseshoe crab, the species harvested on the East Coast, ranges from the Gulf of Maine to Florida. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as being “vulnerable” based on a 2016 assessment.
One of the most important ecosystems for horseshoe crabs is the Delaware Bay, an estuary of the Delaware River between Delaware and New Jersey. The bay is where the crabs breed and the red knots feed.
The density of horseshoe crab eggs in the bay is nowhere near what it was in the 1990s, said Lawrence Niles, an independent wildlife biologist who once headed New Jersey’s state endangered species program. Meanwhile, the population of the rufa red knot, the threatened subspecies, has declined by 75% since the 1980s, according to the National Park Service.
The birds need meaningful protection of horseshoe crab eggs to be able to recover, Niles said. He tracks the health of red knots and horseshoe crabs and has organized a group called Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition to advocate for conservation measures.
Niles and volunteers he organizes have been counting the horseshoe crab eggs since the 1980s and tagging birds since the 1990s. In mid-June, as he was wrapping up this year’s tracking in southern New Jersey, he described the eggs as “good and consistent” through the month.
“What we want is the harvest to stop, the killing to stop, and let the stock rebuild to its carrying capacity,” Niles said.
The horseshoe crabs have been harvested for use as bait and medicine from Florida to Maine over the years, though the largest harvests are in Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts and Virginia. According to federal fishery statistics, the crabs were worth about $1.1 million in total at the docks in 2021.
That figure is dwarfed by seafood species such as lobsters and scallops, which are routinely worth hundreds of millions of dollars. However, horseshoe crab fishers are dedicated stewards of a fishery that supplies a vital product, said George Topping, a Maryland fisherman.
“Everything you do in life comes from horseshoe crab blood. Vaccines, antibiotics,” he said. “The horseshoe crab stocks are healthy.”
___
Associated Press photographer Matt Rourke in Pickering Beach, Delaware, and video journalist Rodrique Ngowi in Middle Township, N.J., contributed to this report.
___
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://mynorthwest.com/3915031/blue-blood-from-horseshoe-crabs-is-valuable-for-medicine-but-a-declining-bird-needs-them-for-food/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:34 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3915031/blue-blood-from-horseshoe-crabs-is-valuable-for-medicine-but-a-declining-bird-needs-them-for-food/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:36 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:42 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:49 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Idaho mom Lori Vallow Daybell faces sentencing in deaths of 2 children and her romantic rival
Jul 30, 2023, 9:04 PM
(AP Photo/Kyle Green, File)
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho (AP) — Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison without parole Monday as she is sentenced in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece’s ex survived an attempt later that year.
Monday’s sentencing will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. Judge Steven W. Boyce is expected to hear testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell’s only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
The case began in July 2019, when Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self defense. He was never charged in the case and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell’s yard the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into “zombies,” including JJ and Tylee. | https://mynorthwest.com/3915045/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:49 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3915045/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:51 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:55 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:56 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T06:47:57 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:02 | 0 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:03 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
As work begins on the largest US dam removal project, tribes look to a future of growth
Jul 30, 2023, 9:05 PM
(AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process that won’t conclude until the end of next year with the help of heavy machinery and explosives.
But in some ways, removing the dams is the easy part. The hard part will come over the next decade as workers, partnering with Native American tribes, plant and monitor nearly 17 billion seeds as they try to restore the Klamath River and the surrounding land to what it looked like before the dams started to go up more than a century ago.
The demolition is part of a national movement to return the natural flow of the nation’s rivers and restore habitat for fish and the ecosystems that sustain other wildlife. More than 2,000 dams have been removed in the U.S. as of February, with the bulk of those having come down within the last 25 years, according to the advocacy group American Rivers.
The removal of four hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River is the movement’s greatest triumph and its greatest challenge. When demolition is completed by the end of next year, more than 400 miles (644 kilometers) of river will have opened for threatened species of fish and other wildlife. By comparison, the 65 dams removed in the U.S. last year combined to reconnect 430 miles (692 kilometers) of river.
The project will empty three reservoirs over about 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers) near the California-Oregon border, exposing soil to sunlight in some places for the first time in more than a century.
For the past five years, Native American tribes have gathered seeds by hand and sent them to nurseries with plans to sow the seeds along the banks of the newly wild river. Helicopters will bring in hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs to plant along the banks, including wads of tree roots to create habitat for fish.
This growth usually takes decades to happen naturally. But officials are pressing nature’s fast-forward button because they hope to repel an invasion of foreign plants, such as starthistle, which dominate the landscape at the expense of native plants.
“Why not just let nature take its course? Well, nature didn’t take its course when dams got put in. We can’t pretend this gigantic change in the landscape has not happened and we can’t just ignore the fact that invasive species are a big problem in the west and in California,” said Dave Meurer, director of community affairs for Resource Environmental Solutions, the company leading the restoration project. “Our goal is to give nature a head start.”
A power company, known today as PacifiCorp, built the dams starting in 1918 to generate electricity. The dams halted the natural flow of the river and disrupted the lifecycle of salmon, a fish that spends most of its life in the Pacific Ocean but returns to the chilly mountain streams to lay eggs. The fish are culturally and spiritually significant to a number of Native American tribes, who historically survived by fishing the massive runs of salmon that would come back to the rivers each year.
A combination of low water levels and warm temperatures in 2002 led to a bacterial outbreak that killed more than 34,000 fish, mostly Chinook salmon. The loss jumpstarted decades of advocacy from Native American tribes and environmental groups, culminating last year when federal regulators approved a plan to remove the dams.
“The river is our church, the salmon is our cross. That’s how it relates to the people. So it’s very sacred to us,” said Kenneth Brink, vice chairman of the Karuk Tribe. “The river is not just a place we go to swim. It’s life. It creates everything for our people.”
The project will cost $500 million, paid for by taxpayers and PacifiCorps ratepayers. Crews have mostly removed the smallest of the four dams, known as Copco No. 2. The other three dams are expected to come down next year after the reservoirs behind them are drained. That will leave some homeowners in the area without the picturesque lake they have lived on for years.
The Siskiyou County Water Users Association, which formed about a decade ago to stop the dam removal project, filed a federal lawsuit. But so far they have been unable to stop the demolition.
“I think it’s a huge mistake,” association President Richard Marshall said. “Unfortunately it’s a mistake you can’t turn back from.”
The water level in the lakes will drop between 3 feet and 5 feet (1 meter to 1.5 meters) per day over the first few months of next year. Crews will follow that water line, taking advantage of the moisture in the soil to plant seeds from more than 98 native plant species including wooly sunflower, Idaho fescue and Blue bunch wheat grass.
Tribes have been invested in the process from the start. Resource Environmental Solutions hired tribal members to gather seeds from native plants by hand. The Yurok Tribe even hired a restoration botanist.
Each species has a role to play. Some, like lupine, grow quickly and prepare the soil for other plants. Others, like oak trees, take years to fully mature and provide shade for other plants.
“It’s a wonderful marriage of tribal traditional ecological knowledge and western science,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit entity created to oversee the project.
The previous largest dam removal project was on Washington state’s Elwha River, which flows out of Olympic National Park into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Congress in 1992 approved the demolition of the two dams on the river constructed in the early 1900s. After two decades of planning, workers finished removing them in 2014, opening about 70 miles (113 kilometers) of habitat for salmon and steelhead.
Biologists say it will take at least a generation for the river to recover, but within months of the dams being removed, salmon were already recolonizing sections of the river they had not accessed in more than a century. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which has been closely involved in restoration work, is opening a limited subsistence fishery this fall for coho salmon, its first since the dams came down.
Brink, the Karuk Tribe vice chair, hopes similar success will happen on the Klamath River. Multiple times per year, Brink and other tribal members participate in ceremonial salmon fishing using handheld nets. In many years, there have been no fish to catch, he said.
“When the river gets to flow freely again, the people can also begin to worship freely again,” he said.
___
Associated Press writer Eugene Johnson in Seattle contributed. | https://mynorthwest.com/3915047/as-work-begins-on-the-largest-us-dam-removal-project-tribes-look-to-a-future-of-growth/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:05 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3915047/as-work-begins-on-the-largest-us-dam-removal-project-tribes-look-to-a-future-of-growth/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:09 | 1 | https://www.wagmtv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:10 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- J INTS BIO announced the successful dosing of the first patient in its global multi-center Phase 1/2 clinical study of 'JIN-A02' on 31st July at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
More clinical sites will follow suit, including seven more hospitals in Korea (National Cancer Center, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, St. Vincent Hospital, Asan Medical Center), two in the United States, and one in Thailand.
This global phase 1/2 clinical trial seeks to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor activity of "JIN-A02" in advanced NSCLC patients carrying EGFR mutations.
'JIN-A02' is a novel orally administered 4th Generation EGFR TKI, which is highly selective for and strongly inhibits NSCLC with C797S double or triple mutations, showing efficacy even against intracranial tumors by exhibiting high blood-brain barrier penetrance.
Anna Jo, CEO of J INTS BIO, said, "We expect the positive results of 'JIN-A02' in the pre-clinical studies to translate to positive outcomes for patients in the clinical trial" adding that, "We hope also to proceed with the application for designation of orphan drug, and thereby quickly occupy the global NSCLC therapy market through conditional use."
About J INTS BIO
J INTS BIO is a bio company specialized in developing innovative anti-cancer and orphan drugs to realize the goal of changing lives and improving health for patients around the world. J INTS BIO's teams have prior multi-year experience in multinational pharmaceutical companies and CROs and track records in medical, regulatory affairs, drug discovery and development.
About 'JIN-A02'
'JIN-A02' is a novel orally administered 4th Generation EGFR TKI targeting C797S mutations in NSCLC. Although 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generation EGFR TKIs have been used with some success, recurrence occurs in most patients including those on 3rd Generation TKIs such as Osimertinib. Currently, there are no approved therapies for patients who developed EGFR C797S mutations due to the use of 3rd Generation EGFR TKIs and with the high propensity of these cancers to metastasize to the brain, there is an urgent need to develop an effective drug with high blood-brain barrier permeability as well. 'JIN-A02', a novel oral EGFR TKI, which is effective against C797S double and triple mutations and have a high brain penetrance, is therefore expected to become the most promising Best-in-Class 4th-generation EGFR TKI in NSCLC patients with limited or no viable treatment options.
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SOURCE J INTS BIO | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/j-ints-bio-novel-oral-4th-generation-egfr-tki-jin-a02-dosing-first-patient-global-multi-center-phase-12-clinical-study-began/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:16 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/j-ints-bio-novel-oral-4th-generation-egfr-tki-jin-a02-dosing-first-patient-global-multi-center-phase-12-clinical-study-began/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
Jul 30, 2023, 9:11 PM
(AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston. | https://mynorthwest.com/3915049/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:20 | 1 | https://mynorthwest.com/3915049/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-in-trumps-classified-documents-case-to-make-first-court-appearance/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:23 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:25 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:25 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:27 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:29 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:33 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here’s a look at that investigation
Jul 30, 2023, 9:23 PM
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia prosecutor is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began investigating more than two years ago, shortly after a recording was released of a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia’s secretary of state.
Willis has strongly hinted that any indictment would come between July 31 and August 18. One of two grand juries seated July 11 is expected to hear the case.
If Trump is indicted by a Georgia grand jury, it would add to a growing list of legal troubles as he campaigns for president. Trump is set to go to trial in New York in March to face state charges related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. And he has another trial scheduled for May on federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty in those cases.
The Justice Department is also investigating Trump’s role in trying to halt the certification of 2020 election results in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump said he’s been told he’s a target of that investigation, which likely has some overlap with the one in Georgia.
Details of the Georgia investigation that have become public have fed speculation that Willis is building a case under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which would allow her to charge numerous people in a potentially wide-ranging scheme.
Here are six investigative threads Willis and her team have explored:
The Georgia investigation was prompted by the Jan. 2, 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump suggested the state’s top elections official could help “find” the votes needed to put him ahead of Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump is heard saying on a recording of the call, which was leaked to news outlets. “Because we won the state.”
Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has repeatedly said the call was “perfect.”
Trump also called other top state officials in his quest to overturn his 2020 election loss, including Gov. Brian Kemp, then-House Speaker David Ralston, Attorney General Chris Carr and the top investigator in the secretary of state’s office.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, also called Raffensperger shortly after the November election. Raffensperger said at the time that Graham asked whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, which Raffensperger has said he interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.
Graham has denied wrongdoing, saying he just wanted to learn about the signature verification process.
Biden won Georgia by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. Just over a month after the election, on Dec. 14, 2020, a group 16 Georgia Democratic electors met in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol to cast the state’s Electoral College votes for him. They each marked paper ballots that were counted and confirmed by a voice roll call.
That same day, in a committee meeting room at the Capitol, 16 prominent Georgia Republicans — a lawmaker, activists and party officials — met to sign a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. They sent that certificate to the National Archives and the U.S. Senate.
Georgia was one of seven battleground states that Trump lost where Republican fake electors signed and submitted similar certificates. Trump allies in the U.S. House and Senate used those certificates to argue for delaying or blocking the certification of the election during a joint session of Congress.
Prosecutors in Fulton County have said in court filings that they believe Trump associates worked with state Republicans to coordinate and execute the plan.
The multi-state effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite public pressure from Trump and his supporters, then-Vice President Mike Pence refused on Jan. 6, 2021, to introduce the unofficial pro-Trump electors. After the attack on the U.S. Capitol put a violent halt to the certification process, lawmakers certified Biden’s win in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021.
At least eight of the fake electors have since reached immunity deals with Willis’ team. And a judge last summer barred Willis from prosecuting another one, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, because of a conflict of interest.
Republican state lawmakers held several hearings at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 to examine alleged problems with the November election. During those meetings, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies made unproven claims of widespread election fraud.
They alleged that election workers tallying absentee ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta had told outside observers to leave and then pulled out “suitcases” of unlawful ballots and began scanning them. The Trump allies played clips of surveillance video from the arena to support their allegations. State and federal officials investigated and said there was no evidence of election fraud at the site.
Some Trump allies also said thousands of people who were ineligible — including people convicted of felonies, people under the age of 18, people who had voted in another state — had cast votes in Georgia. The secretary of state’s office has debunked those claims.
Two of the election workers seen in the State Farm Arena surveillance video, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person as a result of the allegations made by Trump and his allies.
Giuliani last week conceded that statements he made about the two election workers were false.
In a bizarre episode detailed by prosecutors in court filings, a woman traveled from Chicago to Georgia and met with Freeman on Jan. 4, 2021. The woman initially said she wanted to help Freeman but then warned that Freeman could go to prison and tried to pressure her into falsely confessing to committing election fraud, prosecutors wrote in court filings last year.
Trump-allied lawyer Sidney Powell and others hired a computer forensics team to copy data and software on election equipment in Coffee County, some 200 miles southeast of Atlanta, according to invoices, emails, security video and deposition testimony produced in response to subpoenas in a long-running lawsuit.
The county Republican Party chair at the time — who also served as a fake elector — greeted them when they arrived at the local elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, and some county elections officials were also on hand during the daylong visit. The secretary of state’s office has said this amounted to “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into it at the secretary of state’s request.
Two other men who have been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results also visited Coffee County later that month and spent hours inside.
U.S. Attorney BJay Pak, the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta, abruptly resigned two days after Trump called Raffensperger and a day after a recording of that call was made public. During that conversation, Trump called Pak a “never-Trumper,” implying that he didn’t support the president.
In December 2020, then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr asked Pak to investigate allegations by Giuliani and other Trump allies of widespread election fraud. Pak, who had been appointed by Trump in 2017, reported back that he had found no evidence of such fraud.
In August 2021, Pak told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which was investigating Trump’s post-election actions, that he resigned on Jan. 4, 2021, after learning from Department of Justice officials that Trump did not believe enough was being done to investigate allegations of election fraud and wanted him gone as U.S. attorney. | https://mynorthwest.com/3915053/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-in-georgia-heres-a-look-at-that-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:35 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3915053/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-in-georgia-heres-a-look-at-that-investigation/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:35 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- J INTS BIO announced the successful dosing of the first patient in its global multi-center Phase 1/2 clinical study of 'JIN-A02' on 31st July at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
More clinical sites will follow suit, including seven more hospitals in Korea (National Cancer Center, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, St. Vincent Hospital, Asan Medical Center), two in the United States, and one in Thailand.
This global phase 1/2 clinical trial seeks to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor activity of "JIN-A02" in advanced NSCLC patients carrying EGFR mutations.
'JIN-A02' is a novel orally administered 4th Generation EGFR TKI, which is highly selective for and strongly inhibits NSCLC with C797S double or triple mutations, showing efficacy even against intracranial tumors by exhibiting high blood-brain barrier penetrance.
Anna Jo, CEO of J INTS BIO, said, "We expect the positive results of 'JIN-A02' in the pre-clinical studies to translate to positive outcomes for patients in the clinical trial" adding that, "We hope also to proceed with the application for designation of orphan drug, and thereby quickly occupy the global NSCLC therapy market through conditional use."
About J INTS BIO
J INTS BIO is a bio company specialized in developing innovative anti-cancer and orphan drugs to realize the goal of changing lives and improving health for patients around the world. J INTS BIO's teams have prior multi-year experience in multinational pharmaceutical companies and CROs and track records in medical, regulatory affairs, drug discovery and development.
About 'JIN-A02'
'JIN-A02' is a novel orally administered 4th Generation EGFR TKI targeting C797S mutations in NSCLC. Although 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generation EGFR TKIs have been used with some success, recurrence occurs in most patients including those on 3rd Generation TKIs such as Osimertinib. Currently, there are no approved therapies for patients who developed EGFR C797S mutations due to the use of 3rd Generation EGFR TKIs and with the high propensity of these cancers to metastasize to the brain, there is an urgent need to develop an effective drug with high blood-brain barrier permeability as well. 'JIN-A02', a novel oral EGFR TKI, which is effective against C797S double and triple mutations and have a high brain penetrance, is therefore expected to become the most promising Best-in-Class 4th-generation EGFR TKI in NSCLC patients with limited or no viable treatment options.
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SOURCE J INTS BIO | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/j-ints-bio-novel-oral-4th-generation-egfr-tki-jin-a02-dosing-first-patient-global-multi-center-phase-12-clinical-study-began/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:39 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/j-ints-bio-novel-oral-4th-generation-egfr-tki-jin-a02-dosing-first-patient-global-multi-center-phase-12-clinical-study-began/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:42 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:45 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
July keeps sizzling as Phoenix hits another 110-degree day and wildfires spread in California
Jul 30, 2023, 4:33 PM
(AP Photo/Matt York)
PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix sizzled through its 31st consecutive day of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) and other parts of the country grappled Sunday with record temperatures after a week that saw significant portions of the U.S. population subject to extreme heat.
The National Weather Service said Phoenix climbed to a high of 111 F (43.8 Celsius) before the day was through.
July has been so steamy thus far that scientists calculate it will be the hottest month ever recorded and likely the warmest human civilization has seen. The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on Thursday proclaimed July beyond record-smashing.
The historic heat began blasting the lower Southwest U.S. in late June, stretching from Texas across New Mexico and Arizona and into California’s desert.
On Sunday, a massive wildfire burning out of control in California’s Mojave National Preserve spread rapidly amid erratic winds, while firefighters reported progress against another major blaze to the south that prompted evacuations.
The York Fire that erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the preserve sent up a huge plume of smoke visible nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) away across the state line in Nevada.
Flames 20 feet (6 meters) high in some spots have charred more than 110 square miles (284 square kilometers) of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to a Sunday update.
“The dry fuel acts as a ready ignition source, and when paired with those weather conditions it resulted in long-distance fire run and high flames, leading to extreme fire behavior,” authorities said. No structures were threatened, but there was also no containment.
To the southwest, the Bonny Fire was holding steady at about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers) in rugged hills of Riverside County. More than 1,300 people were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday near the remote community of Aguanga, California.
Triple-digit heat was expected in parts of the central San Joaquin Valley through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
And in Burbank, California, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, the summer heat may have been responsible for some unusual behavior in the animal kingdom: Police in the city responded to a report of a bear sighting in a residential neighborhood and found the animal sitting in a Jacuzzi behind one of the homes.
As climate change brings hotter and longer heat waves, record temperatures across the U.S. have killed dozens of people, and the poorest Americans suffer the most. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”
It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metro areas.
Back in Phoenix, slight relief may be on the way as expected seasonal thunderstorms could drop temperatures Monday and Tuesday.
“It should be around 108 degrees, so we break that 110 streak,” meteorologist Tom Frieders said. “Increasing cloud cover will put temperatures in a downward trend.”
The relief could be short-lived, however. Highs are expected to creep back to 110 F (43.3 C) Wednesday with temperatures reaching 115 F (46.1 C) by the end of the week.
Phoenix has also sweated through a record 16 consecutive nights when the lows temperature didn’t dip below 90 F (32.2 C), making it hard for people to cool off after sunset.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas continues to flirt with its hottest July ever. The city is closing in on its 2010 record for the average of the high and low each day for July, which stands at 96.2 F (35.5 C).
The extreme heat is also hitting the eastern U.S, as soaring temperatures moved from the Midwest into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where some places recorded their warmest days so far this year. | https://mynorthwest.com/3915058/july-keeps-sizzling-as-phoenix-hits-another-110-degree-day-and-wildfires-spread-in-california/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:51 | 0 | https://mynorthwest.com/3915058/july-keeps-sizzling-as-phoenix-hits-another-110-degree-day-and-wildfires-spread-in-california/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:51 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho — (AP) — Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison without parole Monday as she is sentenced in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband's previous wife.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece's ex survived an attempt later that year.
Monday's sentencing will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. Judge Steven W. Boyce is expected to hear testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
The case began in July 2019, when Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self defense. He was never charged in the case and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell's previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell's former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into "zombies," including JJ and Tylee.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/idaho-mom-lori/IC66SJBPSRFCQNFFNUXAMWLE2Q/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:53 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/idaho-mom-lori/IC66SJBPSRFCQNFFNUXAMWLE2Q/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T06:48:57 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — The U.S. players diagnosed their debilitating ills before coaches had even reached the locker room. They jogged off a field in Wellington last Thursday after a dispiriting first half. As their Dutch counterparts strolled toward the tunnel, leading 1-0, the Americans moved with purpose, and then began hashing out flaws. Starters shared perspectives from the heat of battle. Reserves shared sideline viewpoints. Coaches eventually shared video. All involved were “very direct,” midfielder Andi Sullivan recalled. And although the conversations were nuanced, the overarching diagnosis was simple.
“We weren't in sync,” Sullivan admitted two days later.
They looked like a shell of their once-dominant selves because their press lacked coordination and aggression. The USWNT used to strangle teams by defending from the front. On Thursday, they attempted to press out of a mid-block, but "I saw indecision everywhere," former forward Tobin Heath said on her postgame show.
“We were looking for somebody else to do something,” Heath said. “Everybody was kinda looking around — like, ‘Who steps? Do you step? Do I step? How do we get the ball?’ And it looked like we were being toyed with.”
An effective press requires 11 in-sync players. It requires understanding and trust. Forwards read certain “triggers” — a back-pass, for example, or a loose touch — and sprint at opposing defenders; teammates take those cues and follow, shutting off passing lanes, and suffocating opponent attacks before they begin. A coordinated effort can force turnovers, and disrupt an opponent’s coordinated movements or dissuade fluidity.
But the U.S. did hardly any of that in Thursday’s first half, especially after the opening 10 minutes. It failed to get pressure on the ball, which permitted the Dutch time and space to create midfield overloads. One of those overloads created a goal — and sparked all sorts of questions about the USWNT’s tactical readiness at this 2023 World Cup.
“We knew that the Netherlands — they weren’t gonna be a massive threat,” Heath, a two-time World Cup winner and soccer junkie, said. “I thought we were more of a threat to ourselves, with our decision-making defensively, than they could’ve been to us.”
How the Netherlands broke down the USWNT
The Netherlands set up in a 3-5-2 that, on paper, matched the USWNT’s 4-3-3 player-for-player. The U.S. defended with forwards on center backs, fullbacks on wingbacks, center backs on strikers, and midfield three versus midfield three.
But the U.S. knew that Lieke Martens (No. 11), a playmaker shoehorned into a striker role, would drop into midfield to create something of a 3-4-2-1 shape. Players were prepared for this, Sullivan said — “we watch a lot of film.”
Their apparent plan to cope with it was multifaceted. Sullivan would shuttle side to side, between Martens and Dutch No. 10 Daniëlle van de Donk, as best she could. Her midfield partners would also shut off passing lanes; fullbacks could pinch in from the weak side; center backs could step in to prevent Martens or van de Donk from turning.
All of those solutions, however, depended on U.S. forwards putting pressure on the ball.
Without that pressure, the Dutch had time to swing the ball side-to-side and manipulate the U.S. midfield. Martens had time to sneak into pockets of space; defenders had time to pick their heads up and find her. And all of that happened in the critical 16th minute.
The Dutch dragged the U.S. to the far sideline. Sullivan slid over, shadowing van de Donk, leaving Martens on the weak side, seemingly inaccessible.
But then the Dutch swung the ball back to center back Stefanie van der Gragt. U.S. forwards rotated without urgency. Van der Gragt had space to stride into, and time to pick up her head. When she did, she saw U.S. right back Emily Fox pulled toward the sideline by her opposite number, and Sullivan stretched between van de Donk and Martens, leaving the latter free.
Martens received the ball on the half-turn and skipped by Sullivan, into acres of space. Orange jerseys flooded forward, and pretty soon led 1-0.
NETHERLANDS STRIKES FIRST 🇳🇱
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 27, 2023
Jill Roord fires it into the bottom corner of the net! pic.twitter.com/E3eWRb3GmL
Sullivan acknowledged two days later that, “honestly, I needed to do my job better, and just commit and get over faster. I think that happened a few times in the first half that I would wanna fix.”
But she also needed help from teammates. A coherent press would have given her time to get over, and would’ve allowed the USWNT to get a grip on the game. Instead, the U.S. lost touch with it; the Dutch dictated it. The goal wasn’t an isolated incident. For long stretches, the U.S. front five couldn’t even get close to the ball.
“We got a little bit stretched, and weren't getting that much pressure on them,” defender Naomi Girma said.
The result was an overwhelmed midfield, “but I think that starts with our front line,” Heath noted. And it’s what the players hustled into halftime knowing they needed to sort out.
'It was more about being in sync with one another'
They largely did sort it out, and improved in the second half, and earned a 1-1 draw — though an injury to van der Gragt and some conservative Dutch tweaks helped.
“In the second half, we came out a lot more on the same page,” midfielder Savannah DeMelo said. “We all needed to go together or we all needed to stay together. And it was more about being in sync with one another.”
The worry, though, is that they failed to adjust on the fly and failed to get it right from the start.
Some players have cited their relative unfamiliarity with one another. In 2019, the USWNT’s starting 11 was essentially set nine months in advance; four years later, it’s been in flux. “A lot of other years, we've had a consistent group in the whole time,” forward Megan Rapinoe said Sunday. Whereas this time around, “we've had players coming back from injury, we've had different lineups, we've had players playing with a lot of different people around them, and not having that consistency.
“So, I don't think this is anything that anybody was really worried about,” she added. “We knew we were gonna have to build into the tournament, and just understand that's where we are.”
But the time for building has almost elapsed. The time to get in sync is now. The U.S. likely won’t win this World Cup without a coordinated press. Systematizing it requires communication but also shared understanding and belief. Forwards must know and trust that midfielders and defenders will follow their lead — but midfielders and defenders can only follow instinctively when forwards trigger the press consistently at agreed-upon moments.
“It's always like a chicken-egg situation, right?” Sullivan explained. “Like, if you don't step high enough, then it's hard for people behind you to read. And if people behind you aren't reading it, then it's hard for you to go.”
All of that, for 11 players that had never shared the field as a single unit until this month, is “definitely a challenge that we're going through,” Sullivan said.
Portugal, on Tuesday, in a game that the U.S. can't afford to lose, likely isn't talented enough to expose the Americans like the Dutch did. It's also "a lot more conservative than aggressive," U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski said Monday. A more impactful fix in Tuesday's game, Rapinoe argued, will be attacking width. "I think we got quite narrow against the Netherlands, and it enabled them, even when they got tired towards the end of the game, to still get players around the ball, and stop our creative flow quite a bit," she said. "Positional discipline" in the attacking phase will spread the Portuguese defense and unlock space in which the USWNT can "playmake" and flourish.
Before long, though, more elite opponents will come knocking. Some, such as Spain, would be far more potent than the Netherlands. The U.S. can’t afford 45 minutes of indecision and discombobulation.
Andonovski, when asked Monday about how he plans to synchronize things moving forward, noted that Rose Lavelle's introduction as a second-half substitute "helped with some of those triggers and aggressive pressing." Lavelle, who has been on a minutes restriction since recovering from a knee injury, should start against Portugal and beyond.
But Andonovski seemed to believe that the U.S. problems stemmed from the Dutch goal. "I think actually it started well in the beginning," he said. "The moment we got scored on, there was a little bit of hesitation. And when you go in to press, if one player hesitates, that kills the press. So, it just became a chain effect. One player hesitated, and then that affects the next player, so the next player starts hesitating, and obviously it results in the way it did, where Netherlands just took the game over." | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/uswnt-diagnosed/XIW67ISJ7K5O4JSVHI775QDTJY/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:00 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/uswnt-diagnosed/XIW67ISJ7K5O4JSVHI775QDTJY/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:04 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:05 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
Sunday's Yankees-Orioles game was a microcosm of the AL East season as Baltimore blasted last-place New York, 9-3 to extend its lead in baseball's best division.
It was a rough night for most Yankees players, but in particular for starter Luis Severino, who lasted just 3 1/3 innings before being pulled. Even then, it was probably too late.
Severino opened the game with a disastrous first inning that saw the Orioles jump out to a 7-0 lead. The entire Orioles lineup batted in the inning with Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson each getting two turns at the plate. Severino served up seven hits including two doubles and a three-run home run by Adam Frazier.
UP AND ADAM pic.twitter.com/VswokyGTwp
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 30, 2023
He walked one and allowed a stolen base that set up the seventh run of the inning.
He settled down for scoreless second and third innings. But his night was over after a wild pitch and pair of earned runs in the the fourth.
X marks the spot. pic.twitter.com/PVX3Z2Cqby
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 31, 2023
Severino's final line: 3 1/3 innings pitched, 10 hits allowed, 9 runs allowed (all earned), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts and 1 home run allowed.
After the game, he did not go easy on himself.
"Right now I feel like the worst pitcher in the game," Severino said, per Newsday. "No doubt about it. ... Nothing that I do is working."
It's been a rough go for the former two-time All-Star whose seasons of late have been scuttled by injury. Sunday's outing ballooned his ERA from 6.46 to 7.49. It was his fourth game since June 1 that he's surrendered seven earned runs or more. He has a 2-5 record to show for it.
Severino, of course, is not the heart of the Yankees problems. An offense that went stagnant when Aaron Judge was sidelined with a toe injury in early June continued to struggle on Sunday. After he sparked the offense in the second game of his return with three hits and two RBI in an 8-3 win over the Orioles on Saturday, Judge returned to the bench for rest on Sunday. Yankees batters struck out 18 times to help Orioles pitchers to a new franchise record.
the Orioles struck out 18 batters tonight, the most in a 9-inning game in franchise history
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 31, 2023
Despite their struggles and their last-place standing, the Yankees have plenty to play for. At 55-50, they're easily the best last-place team in baseball. They're nine games behind the 64-41 Orioles, but only 3.5 games behind in the wild-card race.
If they're going to make the postseason, their bats need to wake up. A turnaround from Severino would also help. | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/yankees-p-luis/S3NJRBNTOMV64LZ6UVJ3R7V67Q/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:06 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/national/yankees-p-luis/S3NJRBNTOMV64LZ6UVJ3R7V67Q/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:11 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
VATICAN CITY — (AP) — When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio di Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a "mess" in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.
As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.
Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.
“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”
And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia's war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.
Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.
His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
"I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that 'OK, now it's mature' and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members" with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.
To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.
Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.
After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades' worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway.
Francis' most important young "legacy" appointment was that of the Vatican's new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez ,61. Francis' theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.
Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis' longer-term agenda: “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.
Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.
At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.
“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”
Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.
“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”
His words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and "make a mess."
“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”
Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone farther than anyone could have imagined at the time.
“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis' agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.”
___
AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/news/world/pope-heads-portugal/AEARHPZ7GTZOHXUA3LJ5JWN4PI/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:12 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/world/pope-heads-portugal/AEARHPZ7GTZOHXUA3LJ5JWN4PI/ |
U.S. Capitol reopens doors to visitors that were closed during pandemic
At the peak of Washington, D.C., tourism season, there are more signs of a post-COVID return of crowds and workers on Capitol Hill.
In testimony before senators and House members this week, Capitol Hill administrators reported they had completed the reopening of more of the office building doors, access points and entrances that were shuttered during COVID, while the campus was largely closed to visitors. As a result, the Capitol police chief acknowledged the reopening is adding some urgency to the agency’s efforts to recruit officers to staff the checkpoints.
The Senate sergeant at arms said in a submission to the legislative committees Wednesday, “We have reopened the Capitol Visitor Center on Saturdays, so that the American people are able to safely and easily visit their seat of government. On the Senate side, we have reopened all doors that were open prior to COVID.”
The architect of the Capitol released an estimate to a Senate panel stating that the peak population of workers on the grounds has again reached 30,000 people.
But U.S. Capitol Police acknowledge a stubborn staffing shortage, even as the Capitol complex experiences a return of crowds and restored access to visitors. As of this past Friday, a report from the agency said the department is approximately 110 officers below its authorized staffing levels. In a written report to the Senate Rules Committee, Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger wrote, “Adequately staffing a campus door requires three to four officers per shift to ensure a proper level of security… Long lines are not only an inconvenience to Members, staff, and for visitors, they represent a security risk that, in these increasingly volatile times, the Department must address. While big picture reforms are significant and important, staffing daily mission requirements are vital.”
But Manger said last week at a joint House-Senate hearing that some new recruitment efforts have been productive in “attracting good quality folks.”
“This is a unique police department,” Manger told lawmakers. “We are appealing to folks who want to serve their country.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has frequently credited Congressional administrators with re-opening the grounds fully to visitors this year. McCarthy periodically greets and poses for photos with tourists before holding media events. Earlier this month, his office announced a “pop-up photo line” with tourists inside the Capitol.
The Capitol complex was closed, fully or partially, to visitors for more than a year during the COVID pandemic. | https://www.wsgw.com/u-s-capitol-reopens-doors-to-visitors-that-were-closed-during-pandemic/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:15 | 1 | https://www.wsgw.com/u-s-capitol-reopens-doors-to-visitors-that-were-closed-during-pandemic/ |
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio di Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a "mess" in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.
As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.
Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.
“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”
And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia's war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.
Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.
His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
"I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that 'OK, now it's mature' and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members" with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.
To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.
Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.
After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades' worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway.
Francis' most important young "legacy" appointment was that of the Vatican's new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez ,61. Francis' theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.
Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis' longer-term agenda: “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.
Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.
At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.
“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”
Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.
“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”
His words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and "make a mess."
“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”
Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone farther than anyone could have imagined at the time.
“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis' agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.”
___
AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/DHNEP4BQZNADFMMIV4UNXC4PCU/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:15 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/DHNEP4BQZNADFMMIV4UNXC4PCU/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:18 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
SYDNEY — (AP) — The Women's World Cup is taking shape with shocks and highlights as it nears the end of the group stage.
Some players have established themselves as ones to watch, like Colombia star Linda Caicedo, who has made her team one of the tournament surprises. Colombia picked up an upset win over Germany, and Nigeria upset co-host Australia — just two of the games that showed the gap has closed at top level women’s soccer.
But co-host New Zealand was eliminated, and other big teams are in danger of not advancing headed into the final few days of group play.
The Associated Press takes a look at some of the highlights and lowlights so far:
GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT
There have been a number of contenders and Bia Zaneratto's strike against Panama after a sweeping move from Brazil stands out as the most complete goal so far.
Ireland's Katie McCabe scored directly from a corner kick against Canada, and England's Lauren James curled in a long range effort against Denmark.
Even so, Caicedo's solo goal in Colombia's dramatic 2-1 win against Germany is the pick of the bunch. With a flash of skill, she beat two German players in the box before lashing a shot into the top corner as the Sydney crowd dominated by Colombia fans went wild.
MOMENT OF THE TOURNAMENT
It has to be Manuela Vanegas' late winner for Colombia against Germany. Alexandra Popp seemed to position two-time champion Germany for a draw with an 89th-minute penalty.
But Vanegas' header in the 97th minute gave Colombia a World Cup upset.
COMEBACK
Norway looked down and out after an opening game loss to co-host New Zealand and a goalless draw against Switzerland. With star player Ada Hegerberg injured, the odds were beginning to stack up against the Norwegians going into their final Group A match against the Philippines.
But three goals within 31 minutes set up a 6-0 rout that saw Norway advance to the knockout rounds in second place. The Norway win knocked New Zealand out of the tournament, making the Football Ferns the first host to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.
EMERGING STARS
Caicedo's standout performances isn't a surprise to those who have followed her carer. The Real Madrid forward has long-been tipped to be one of the biggest stars in women's soccer.
She hasn't disappointed in her first World Cup and has inspired Colombia to back-to-back wins with goals in each game.
England coach Sarina Wiegman unleashed Chelsea forward James from the start in the Lionesses' second game against Denmark, and she made a quick impression. Collecting the ball outside the area after six minutes, she swept a curling effort past Lene Christensen.
Haiti's Melchie Dumornay has shown flashes of the talent that earned her a move to French powerhouse Lyon, while 19-year-old Aoba Fujino has become the youngest player to score at a World Cup for Japan's men's or women's teams.
Casey Phair, a 16 year old, became the youngest-ever player to appear in a senior soccer World Cup when she was a second-half substitute for South Korea against Colombia.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
While youngsters have capitalized on their chance to shine, some of the established names have yet to make their mark.
There have been differing reasons for that.
Sam Kerr's calf injury robbed Australia of its star striker for its opening two games, while Hegerberg's groin injury has cut her playing time for Norway.
Alex Morgan, who was the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, is still finding her footing in the United States' new look attack.
Record international scorer Christine Sinclair was benched for Canada's second game and is still waiting for her first goal of the tournament, while Brazil great Marta has also been used sparingly.
SURPRISES
New Zealand kicked the tournament off with a 1-0 win against Norway, but couldn't keep up its momentum and went on to lose by the same score to the Philippines to set up the co-host's early exit.
Jamaica's 0-0 draw with fifth-ranked France was described by its coach Lorne Donaldson as the country's greatest soccer result, for men or women. But the biggest surprise could be yet to come if Jamaica can avoid defeat against Brazil to advance to the round of 16.
Colombia's dramatic late winner against Germany, meanwhile, was one of the great upsets.
ENTERTAINERS
The goals have been flowing for Spain and Japan, teams that both advanced from the group stage with a game to spare. Both teams secured 5-0 wins against Zambia and both have produced technically excellent displays.
Germany was on a high after its 6-0 rout of Morocco, but was humbled by Colombia.
Sweden routed Italy 5-0, while Norway found its scoring touch just in time against the Philippines.
ONES TO WATCH
Some of the favorites have made underwhelming starts. The two-time defending champion United States, England, Germany and France have stumbled in group play and the tournament still looks wide open.
Colombia looks legitimate, and with Kerr back in action, Australia could become a contender.
The Netherlands look like serious contenders, while Spain and Japan have impressed. Brazil has shown flashes, but faces a fight to advance from the group stage.
Nigeria has shown it is dangerous, and Sweden has picked up back-to-back wins.
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
More AP Women's World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.wftv.com/sports/womens-world-cup-has/EGI5EYJ3QSVNPU7B5G4V4NQV2A/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:19 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/sports/womens-world-cup-has/EGI5EYJ3QSVNPU7B5G4V4NQV2A/ |
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho (AP) — Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison without parole Monday as she is sentenced in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband's previous wife.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece's ex survived an attempt later that year.
Monday's sentencing will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. Judge Steven W. Boyce is expected to hear testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
The case began in July 2019, when Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self defense. He was never charged in the case and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell's previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell's former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into "zombies," including JJ and Tylee.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/3TVTHZW2ZFEXNLCJMBB7SBBWRY/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:22 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/3TVTHZW2ZFEXNLCJMBB7SBBWRY/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:25 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
SYDNEY (AP) — The Women's World Cup is taking shape with shocks and highlights as it nears the end of the group stage.
Some players have established themselves as ones to watch, like Colombia star Linda Caicedo, who has made her team one of the tournament surprises. Colombia picked up an upset win over Germany, and Nigeria upset co-host Australia — just two of the games that showed the gap has closed at top level women’s soccer.
But co-host New Zealand was eliminated, and other big teams are in danger of not advancing headed into the final few days of group play.
The Associated Press takes a look at some of the highlights and lowlights so far:
GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT
There have been a number of contenders and Bia Zaneratto's strike against Panama after a sweeping move from Brazil stands out as the most complete goal so far.
Ireland's Katie McCabe scored directly from a corner kick against Canada, and England's Lauren James curled in a long range effort against Denmark.
Even so, Caicedo's solo goal in Colombia's dramatic 2-1 win against Germany is the pick of the bunch. With a flash of skill, she beat two German players in the box before lashing a shot into the top corner as the Sydney crowd dominated by Colombia fans went wild.
MOMENT OF THE TOURNAMENT
It has to be Manuela Vanegas' late winner for Colombia against Germany. Alexandra Popp seemed to position two-time champion Germany for a draw with an 89th-minute penalty.
But Vanegas' header in the 97th minute gave Colombia a World Cup upset.
COMEBACK
Norway looked down and out after an opening game loss to co-host New Zealand and a goalless draw against Switzerland. With star player Ada Hegerberg injured, the odds were beginning to stack up against the Norwegians going into their final Group A match against the Philippines.
But three goals within 31 minutes set up a 6-0 rout that saw Norway advance to the knockout rounds in second place. The Norway win knocked New Zealand out of the tournament, making the Football Ferns the first host to be eliminated in group play in tournament history.
EMERGING STARS
Caicedo's standout performances isn't a surprise to those who have followed her carer. The Real Madrid forward has long-been tipped to be one of the biggest stars in women's soccer.
She hasn't disappointed in her first World Cup and has inspired Colombia to back-to-back wins with goals in each game.
England coach Sarina Wiegman unleashed Chelsea forward James from the start in the Lionesses' second game against Denmark, and she made a quick impression. Collecting the ball outside the area after six minutes, she swept a curling effort past Lene Christensen.
Haiti's Melchie Dumornay has shown flashes of the talent that earned her a move to French powerhouse Lyon, while 19-year-old Aoba Fujino has become the youngest player to score at a World Cup for Japan's men's or women's teams.
Casey Phair, a 16 year old, became the youngest-ever player to appear in a senior soccer World Cup when she was a second-half substitute for South Korea against Colombia.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
While youngsters have capitalized on their chance to shine, some of the established names have yet to make their mark.
There have been differing reasons for that.
Sam Kerr's calf injury robbed Australia of its star striker for its opening two games, while Hegerberg's groin injury has cut her playing time for Norway.
Alex Morgan, who was the co-leading scorer at the last World Cup, is still finding her footing in the United States' new look attack.
Record international scorer Christine Sinclair was benched for Canada's second game and is still waiting for her first goal of the tournament, while Brazil great Marta has also been used sparingly.
SURPRISES
New Zealand kicked the tournament off with a 1-0 win against Norway, but couldn't keep up its momentum and went on to lose by the same score to the Philippines to set up the co-host's early exit.
Jamaica's 0-0 draw with fifth-ranked France was described by its coach Lorne Donaldson as the country's greatest soccer result, for men or women. But the biggest surprise could be yet to come if Jamaica can avoid defeat against Brazil to advance to the round of 16.
Colombia's dramatic late winner against Germany, meanwhile, was one of the great upsets.
ENTERTAINERS
The goals have been flowing for Spain and Japan, teams that both advanced from the group stage with a game to spare. Both teams secured 5-0 wins against Zambia and both have produced technically excellent displays.
Germany was on a high after its 6-0 rout of Morocco, but was humbled by Colombia.
Sweden routed Italy 5-0, while Norway found its scoring touch just in time against the Philippines.
ONES TO WATCH
Some of the favorites have made underwhelming starts. The two-time defending champion United States, England, Germany and France have stumbled in group play and the tournament still looks wide open.
Colombia looks legitimate, and with Kerr back in action, Australia could become a contender.
The Netherlands look like serious contenders, while Spain and Japan have impressed. Brazil has shown flashes, but faces a fight to advance from the group stage.
Nigeria has shown it is dangerous, and Sweden has picked up back-to-back wins.
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
More AP Women's World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup
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Credit: AP | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/the-womens-world-cup-has-produced-some-big-moments-these-are-some-of-the-highlights-lowlights/5EI3IG74QZGT5P2P3ISRJJHRYY/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:28 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/nation-world/the-womens-world-cup-has-produced-some-big-moments-these-are-some-of-the-highlights-lowlights/5EI3IG74QZGT5P2P3ISRJJHRYY/ |
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- J INTS BIO announced the successful dosing of the first patient in its global multi-center Phase 1/2 clinical study of 'JIN-A02' on 31st July at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
More clinical sites will follow suit, including seven more hospitals in Korea (National Cancer Center, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, St. Vincent Hospital, Asan Medical Center), two in the United States, and one in Thailand.
This global phase 1/2 clinical trial seeks to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and anti-tumor activity of "JIN-A02" in advanced NSCLC patients carrying EGFR mutations.
'JIN-A02' is a novel orally administered 4th Generation EGFR TKI, which is highly selective for and strongly inhibits NSCLC with C797S double or triple mutations, showing efficacy even against intracranial tumors by exhibiting high blood-brain barrier penetrance.
Anna Jo, CEO of J INTS BIO, said, "We expect the positive results of 'JIN-A02' in the pre-clinical studies to translate to positive outcomes for patients in the clinical trial" adding that, "We hope also to proceed with the application for designation of orphan drug, and thereby quickly occupy the global NSCLC therapy market through conditional use."
About J INTS BIO
J INTS BIO is a bio company specialized in developing innovative anti-cancer and orphan drugs to realize the goal of changing lives and improving health for patients around the world. J INTS BIO's teams have prior multi-year experience in multinational pharmaceutical companies and CROs and track records in medical, regulatory affairs, drug discovery and development.
About 'JIN-A02'
'JIN-A02' is a novel orally administered 4th Generation EGFR TKI targeting C797S mutations in NSCLC. Although 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generation EGFR TKIs have been used with some success, recurrence occurs in most patients including those on 3rd Generation TKIs such as Osimertinib. Currently, there are no approved therapies for patients who developed EGFR C797S mutations due to the use of 3rd Generation EGFR TKIs and with the high propensity of these cancers to metastasize to the brain, there is an urgent need to develop an effective drug with high blood-brain barrier permeability as well. 'JIN-A02', a novel oral EGFR TKI, which is effective against C797S double and triple mutations and have a high brain penetrance, is therefore expected to become the most promising Best-in-Class 4th-generation EGFR TKI in NSCLC patients with limited or no viable treatment options.
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SOURCE J INTS BIO | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/j-ints-bio-novel-oral-4th-generation-egfr-tki-jin-a02-dosing-first-patient-global-multi-center-phase-12-clinical-study-began/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:31 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/j-ints-bio-novel-oral-4th-generation-egfr-tki-jin-a02-dosing-first-patient-global-multi-center-phase-12-clinical-study-began/ |
The Springfield community has a busy month ahead as two service prominent clubs will host their major downtown events in August.
The Springfield Kiwanis Club will host the Jazz and Blues Festival, and the Springfield Rotary Club will host the annual Gourmet Food Truck Competition. Here’s a look at both events.
Springfield Jazz and Blues Festival
The second annual festival will be held Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11 and 12, at the National Road Commons park stage and Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co.’s stage.
“The Springfield Jazz and Blues Festival will be a celebration of America’s greatest art form, giving those who love this music the opportunity to share it with others,” according to its website.
The event is presented by the Kiwanis Club and by Springfield native John Legend, an EGOT winner for receiving Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
The festival will include award-winning jazz and blues artists on two stages, locally-brewed beer from Mother Stewart’s, food trucks, historic neighborhoods and architecture, and a free children’s zone.
Friday’s line up at Mother Stewart’s starts at 4 p.m. with the Champion City Trio, Liquid Crystal Project, Pharez Whitted and Marquis Knox; the Commons Stage starts at 5 p.m. with Mother’s Jazz Collective, Todd Stoll Septet, Tammy McCann and Aaron Diehl Trio.
Saturday’s line up at Mother Stewart’s starts at 2:30 p.m. with Connor Smith Trio, Mike Wade and the Nasty Natti Brass Band, Joshua Strange Quartet, Joe Waters and Brianna Thomas; the Commons Stage starts at 3 p.m. with Such Sweet Thunder, Dayton Salsa Project, Theron Brown Trio and Alexa Tarantino, Bobby FLoyd with Walter Blanding, and Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra with Catherine Russell.
Vendors at Mother Stewart’s will include Cupzilla (Saturday only), Christian Brothers, Cray Cray Cajun (Saturday only), Freddie’s Franks, Los Mariachis, Ol School (Saturday only) and Tortilla Street Food (Friday only). Vendors at Commons Park will include EAT, Heidelberg Beer and Wine Truck, Peanut Shoppe, Kore 4 Soul, Riddles Ribs, Ron Stephens’ Hats and Young’s Jersey Dairy.
For more information, visit www.springfieldjazzbluesfest.com or www.facebook.com/Springfieldjazzbluesfest.
Gourmet Food Truck Competition
The ninth annual competition will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19 at Veterans Park.
It will feature mobile cuisine from well-known trucks; a beer garden with craft beer from from Springfield’s Mother Stewart’s Brewery, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light and White Claw; and live entertainment by Mike Manley and Katie Harford, Andy Fox, The Factory Line and Terrapin Moon.
“This isn’t your ordinary food truck rally,” said Eddie Bell, president of Springfield Rotary. “It’s about coming together for a good cause and raising money for local charities to benefit local people with disabilities and educational scholarship funds, which are two of Springfield Rotary’s major passion areas.”
Nearly 30 food trucks will compete this year, with a panel of celebrity judges scoring their signature dishes. The first place winner will receive $5,000, a runner-up will receive $2,500 and third place will receive $1,500. All signature dishes and other menu items will also be available for attendees to purchase.
The chef judges include: Jenn Disanto, chef/owner of Fresco by Chef Jenn Disanto (Dayton) and executive chef/Partner at SageCraft Catering (Kettering); Lisa Freeman, chef/owner of Crust & Company, Salato Deli, Le Torte Dolci and Ironworks Waffle Cafe (Springfield); Doug McGregor, owner of Seasons Kitchen (Springfield); Armando Soto, co-owner of Casa del Sabor (Springfield); and Elizabeth Wiley, (Retired) chef/owner of Meadowlark Restaurant and Wheat Penny Oven and Bar (Dayton), and partner of SageCraft Catering (Kettering).
All attendees can vote for their favorite to receive a $1,000 “People’s Choice” award through the Springfield Food Truck mobile app. All winners will be announced on stage at 4:30 p.m. They can also make donations in-person or through the mobile app to help support the rotary club.
Attendees are asked to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. For more information, visit springfieldfoodtruck.com, facebook.com/springfieldfoodtruck, or download the Springfield Food Truck mobile app.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/springfield-service-clubs-to-host-major-downtown-events/YDRATGAHDFHMBCLC4TQGKS64NY/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:35 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/springfield-service-clubs-to-host-major-downtown-events/YDRATGAHDFHMBCLC4TQGKS64NY/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:38 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
DHAKA, Bangladesh, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nagad, a popular mobile money carrier based in Bangladesh, has emerged as a unicorn startup only in four years of its journey – the fastest in Bangladesh to reach this remarkable feat.
In recognition of the achievement, Tanvir A Mishuk, founder and managing director of Nagad Ltd., received the "Fastest to Unicorn Award" from Honourable Prime Minister of People's Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina at the inaugural ceremony of the two-day "Bangladesh Startup Summit 2023" in Hotel InterContinental Dhaka on 29 July 2023, hosted by Startup Bangladesh Ltd., the flagship venture capital company of the Government of Bangladesh's ICT Division.
Nagad has reshaped the country's MFS industry with one after another disruptive innovation and inspired confidence among people to embrace its products and services that are convenient and affordable. In this way, the state-owned mobile money carrier has established itself as the fastest unicorn startup in Bangladesh.
Presenting a keynote at the startup summit, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak lauded Nagad's contribution to building a smart economy in Bangladesh.
Founder and Managing Director of Nagad Ltd. Tanvir A Mishuk said, "The way Digital Bangladesh is marching ahead we should have achieved the unicorn status much earlier. Now, our challenge is to take our company's valuation to USD 2 billion."
Increasing the valuation is not Nagad's main target, rather, it has embarked on its journey mainly to bring unbanked people under financial inclusion and get them used to digital payments, he also, adding, "We have already come a long way in meeting our target."
The way payments continue to evolve in keeping with people's changing lifestyle, there is no denying the fact that cashless is the future. Bangladesh government has taken many initiatives to attract people to digital payments. To complement the country's digital vision, Nagad is also working relentlessly to introduce new products and services required to accelerate the country's transition to a cashless society.
To grow into a complete financial solution, the MFS provider is going to establish a digital bank that will make available all financial services on a single platform. The mobile money carrier has already prepared itself accordingly.
"If we get the licence for digital bank, we will introduce collateral-free loans for small informal businesses who now take loans from moneylenders at 40% interest rate per day," said the Nagad MD.
If everything continues to go in the right direction, Bangladesh will emerge as a Smart Nation by 2041, envisioned by PM Sheikh Hasina.
About Nagad Ltd (https://www.nagad.com.bd/)
Nagad Limited is one of the leading MFS operators in Bangladesh's payment industry with 80 million registered customers and an average daily transaction of about USD 112 million. The digital payment platform, known as a successful public-private partnership between Bangladesh Postal Department and the private sector, was inaugurated in 2019 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
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SOURCE Nagad Limited | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nagad-becomes-bangladeshs-fastest-unicorn/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:45 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nagad-becomes-bangladeshs-fastest-unicorn/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:51 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T06:49:58 | 1 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T06:50:04 | 0 | https://www.kswo.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
A Georgia prosecutor is expected to seek a grand jury indictment in the coming weeks in her investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the former president's 2020 election loss.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began investigating more than two years ago, shortly after a recording was released of a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia's secretary of state.
Willis has strongly hinted that any indictment would come between July 31 and August 18. One of two grand juries seated July 11 is expected to hear the case.
If Trump is indicted by a Georgia grand jury, it would add to a growing list of legal troubles as he campaigns for president. Trump is set to go to trial in New York in March to face state charges related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. And he has another trial scheduled for May on federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty in those cases.
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The Justice Department is also investigating Trump’s role in trying to halt the certification of 2020 election results in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Trump said he's been told he's a target of that investigation, which likely has some overlap with the one in Georgia.
Details of the Georgia investigation that have become public have fed speculation that Willis is building a case under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which would allow her to charge numerous people in a potentially wide-ranging scheme.
Here are six investigative threads Willis and her team have explored:
The Georgia investigation was prompted by the Jan. 2, 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump suggested the state's top elections official could help “find” the votes needed to put him ahead of Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump is heard saying on a recording of the call, which was leaked to news outlets. “Because we won the state.”
Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has repeatedly said the call was “perfect.”
Trump also called other top state officials in his quest to overturn his 2020 election loss, including Gov. Brian Kemp, then-House Speaker David Ralston, Attorney General Chris Carr and the top investigator in the secretary of state's office.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, also called Raffensperger shortly after the November election. Raffensperger said at the time that Graham asked whether he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots, which Raffensperger has said he interpreted as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.
Graham has denied wrongdoing, saying he just wanted to learn about the signature verification process.
Biden won Georgia by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes. Just over a month after the election, on Dec. 14, 2020, a group 16 Georgia Democratic electors met in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol to cast the state's Electoral College votes for him. They each marked paper ballots that were counted and confirmed by a voice roll call.
That same day, in a committee meeting room at the Capitol, 16 prominent Georgia Republicans — a lawmaker, activists and party officials — met to sign a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. They sent that certificate to the National Archives and the U.S. Senate.
Georgia was one of seven battleground states that Trump lost where Republican fake electors signed and submitted similar certificates. Trump allies in the U.S. House and Senate used those certificates to argue for delaying or blocking the certification of the election during a joint session of Congress.
Prosecutors in Fulton County have said in court filings that they believe Trump associates worked with state Republicans to coordinate and execute the plan.
The multi-state effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite public pressure from Trump and his supporters, then-Vice President Mike Pence refused on Jan. 6, 2021, to introduce the unofficial pro-Trump electors. After the attack on the U.S. Capitol put a violent halt to the certification process, lawmakers certified Biden's win in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021.
At least eight of the fake electors have since reached immunity deals with Willis' team. And a judge last summer barred Willis from prosecuting another one, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, because of a conflict of interest.
Republican state lawmakers held several hearings at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 to examine alleged problems with the November election. During those meetings, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies made unproven claims of widespread election fraud.
They alleged that election workers tallying absentee ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta had told outside observers to leave and then pulled out “suitcases” of unlawful ballots and began scanning them. The Trump allies played clips of surveillance video from the arena to support their allegations. State and federal officials investigated and said there was no evidence of election fraud at the site.
Some Trump allies also said thousands of people who were ineligible — including people convicted of felonies, people under the age of 18, people who had voted in another state — had cast votes in Georgia. The secretary of state's office has debunked those claims.
Two of the election workers seen in the State Farm Arena surveillance video, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person as a result of the allegations made by Trump and his allies.
Giuliani last week conceded that statements he made about the two election workers were false.
In a bizarre episode detailed by prosecutors in court filings, a woman traveled from Chicago to Georgia and met with Freeman on Jan. 4, 2021. The woman initially said she wanted to help Freeman but then warned that Freeman could go to prison and tried to pressure her into falsely confessing to committing election fraud, prosecutors wrote in court filings last year.
Trump-allied lawyer Sidney Powell and others hired a computer forensics team to copy data and software on election equipment in Coffee County, some 200 miles southeast of Atlanta, according to invoices, emails, security video and deposition testimony produced in response to subpoenas in a long-running lawsuit.
The county Republican Party chair at the time — who also served as a fake elector — greeted them when they arrived at the local elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, and some county elections officials were also on hand during the daylong visit. The secretary of state's office has said this amounted to “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into it at the secretary of state's request.
Two other men who have been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results also visited Coffee County later that month and spent hours inside.
U.S. Attorney BJay Pak, the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta, abruptly resigned two days after Trump called Raffensperger and a day after a recording of that call was made public. During that conversation, Trump called Pak a “never-Trumper,” implying that he didn't support the president.
In December 2020, then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr asked Pak to investigate allegations by Giuliani and other Trump allies of widespread election fraud. Pak, who had been appointed by Trump in 2017, reported back that he had found no evidence of such fraud.
In August 2021, Pak told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which was investigating Trump's post-election actions, that he resigned on Jan. 4, 2021, after learning from Department of Justice officials that Trump did not believe enough was being done to investigate allegations of election fraud and wanted him gone as U.S. attorney. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-in-georgia-heres-a-look-at-that-investigation/4549777/ | 2023-07-31T06:52:26 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/politics/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-in-georgia-heres-a-look-at-that-investigation/4549777/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T06:52:55 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T06:52:59 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:00 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:01 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:07 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:15 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:15 | 1 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:21 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:22 | 0 | https://www.kbtx.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:26 | 0 | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:27 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
22-month-old girl dies after being trapped under dresser
WILLIAMSTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina/Gray News) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a 22-month-old girl from Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, died Sunday after a dresser overturned on her.
The victim was identified by the coroner’s office as Jalaya Bryant.
Anderson County officials said Bryant was at her grandparents’ house in Williamston, South Carolina, when she was discovered by a family member underneath the furniture that fell.
According to Anderson County Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown, it appeared the child was trying to climb the dresser when it fell over and trapped her.
Bryant was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries shortly after noon.
The coroner’s office said Bryant died from asphyxiation and there appears to be no signs of foul play.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Copyright 2023 WHNS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:27 | 0 | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/31/22-month-old-girl-dies-after-being-trapped-under-dresser/ |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:29 | 0 | https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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Barnhart, Richard Lee "Dick"
Richard Lee "Dick" Barnhart, 68, of New Carlisle, passed away on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Visitation will be held Thursday, August 3, 2023, from 10am-12pm, with the service to honor Dick beginning at 12:00pm at New Carlisle First United Methodist Church. Arrangements have been entrusted to Trostel, Chapman, Dunbar & Fraley Funeral Home. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.trostelchapman.com.
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Funeral Home Information
Trostel, Chapman, Dunbar & Fraley Funeral Home
507 W. Jefferson Street
New Carlisle, OH
45344 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/obituaries/barnhart-richard/SBG64ME3AJBFTHCZ2ORLP335E4/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:36 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/obituaries/barnhart-richard/SBG64ME3AJBFTHCZ2ORLP335E4/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:40 | 0 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
Hurley (Sheets), Linda S.
Age 79, of Germantown, OH, passed away July 28, 2023. Funeral Service 12 p.m., Friday August 4, 2023 Dalton Funeral Home, Germantown, OH.
View the obituary on Legacy.com
Funeral Home Information
Dalton Funeral Home - Germantown
6900 Weaver Rd
Germantown, OH
45327
http://www.daltonfuneralhome.net/?utm_campaign=legacytraffic&utm_source=legacy&utm_medium=referral | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/obituaries/hurley-linda/6LEPZNE4QZBJBKMXEZKTA6H5I4/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:42 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/obituaries/hurley-linda/6LEPZNE4QZBJBKMXEZKTA6H5I4/ |
YONGIN, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to specialty plasma-derived therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Company's resubmission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for its GC5107B (Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) for patients with primary humoral immunodeficiency (PI).
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is January 13, 2024. If approved, GC Biopharma would be able to provide more treatment options for patients with PI in the U.S.
GC Biopharma aims to enter the U.S. market in the second half of 2024 if GC5107B is approved by the FDA as anticipated.
While the U.S. immunoglobulin market size is estimated at about US$ 10.4 billion in 2022 (as per MRB[1] 2022), there have been sporadic shortages as there are only a small number of immunoglobulin manufacturers considering the need for a massive investment in facility and sophisticated production know-hows.
About GC5107B
GC5107B is a liquid solution containing 10% immunoglobulin G (100 mg/mL) for intravenous infusion, manufactured from pooled human plasma from US donors. The manufacturing process includes three steps to reduce the risk of virus transmission. The steps are "Fractionation I+III, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment, and Nanofiltration."
About Primary Humoral Immunodeficiency
Primary humoral immunodeficiency disease comprises a large, heterogenous group of disorders resulting from inborn errors of immunity. Patients with PI are unable to mount an immune response to pathogens and can experience recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections as a result. Global estimates project that up to 6 million people may be living with PI, but only 650,000 people worldwide have been diagnosed[2],[3],[4].
About GC Biopharma
GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company that delivers life-saving and life-sustaining protein therapeutics and vaccines. Headquartered in Yongin, South Korea, GC Biopharma is one of the leading plasma protein and vaccine product manufacturers globally and has been dedicated to quality healthcare solutions for more than half a century.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule.
GC Biopharma Contacts (Media)
Sohee Kim
shkim20@gccorp.com
Yelin Jun
yelin@gccorp.com
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SOURCE GC Biopharma | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ | 2023-07-31T06:53:46 | 1 | https://www.kalb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-fda-accepts-biologics-license-application-gc-biopharmas-gc5107b-immune-globulin-intravenous-human-10-liquid/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Monday after Wall Street got back to climbing following more encouraging profit reports and the latest signal that inflation is loosening its chokehold on the economy.
Sentiment also has been boosted by revived hopes for more stimulus from Beijing for the sluggish Chinese economy. Chinese factory activity contracted in July as export orders shrank, a survey showed, adding to pressure on the ruling Communist Party to reverse an economic slowdown.
A purchasing managers’ index issued by the national statistics agency and an industry group improved to 49.3 from June’s 49 on a 100-point scale but was below the 50-point level that shows activity contracting.
“The PMI surveys suggest that China’s economic recovery continued to lose momentum in July,” Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a commentary. “Looking forward, policy support is needed to prevent China’s economy from slipping into a recession, not least because external headwinds look set to persist for a while longer.”
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong rose 1.5% to 20,208.78 while the Shanghai Composite index advanced 0.6% to 3,296.58.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index was up 1.1% at 33,133.39. In Seoul, the Kospi climbed 0.7% to 2,626.86.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% lower, to 7,399.00 and the SET in Bangkok was up 0.6%. The Sensex in India was little changed.
On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 1% to 4,582.23, closing out its ninth winning week in the last 11. The Dow added 0.5% to 35,459.29 and the Nasdaq climbed 1.9% to 14,316.66 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.
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 Wednesday’s hike to interest rates on by the Federal Reserve 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.
Though critics say the stock market’s rally may have gone too far, too fast, 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.
In other trading on Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil gave up 42 cents to $80.16 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 49 cents to $80.58 on Friday.
Brent crude, the international standard, shed 47 cents to $83.94 a barrel.
The U.S. dollar rose to 141.87 Japanese yen from Friday’s 141.01 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1012 from $1.1019. ___
AP Business Writer Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed. | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-stock-market-today-asia-shares-gain-after-wall-st-rally-as-investors-pin-hopes-on-china-stimulus/ | 2023-07-31T06:54:48 | 0 | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-stock-market-today-asia-shares-gain-after-wall-st-rally-as-investors-pin-hopes-on-china-stimulus/ |
BRIGHTON, Iowa (AP) — You-pick farms are struggling through heat, drought and haze as customers cancel picking appointments and crops across Iowa refuse to grow.
These farms offer visitors the chance to harvest their own produce straight from the tree, bush or ground.
But this summer marks Iowa’s third year in a row of drought. And that is hurting farmers who grow water-intensive crops like blueberries and strawberries that are particularly sensitive to heat and drought, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported.
Kim Anderson told The Gazette that her well started faltering during last summer’s heat and drought at her 5-acre Blueberry Bottom Farm near Brighton in southeastern Iowa.
Many of her blueberry bushes became parched. And recently, for the first time in the farm’s five-season history, she had to cancel a day of picking appointments because there weren’t enough ripe berries.
“I just never anticipated something like this, that the well wouldn’t have enough water,” she said.
Similarly, Dean Henry told The Gazette that these are the worst conditions he has seen in his 56 years of operating the Berry Patch Farm in Nevada in central Iowa.
Henry said the Iowa Department of Natural Resources restricted his well water usage from 20 acres a day to 1 acre a day. But his strawberry plants need lots of water.
This year, his entire crop failed.
The heat has affected customers too. Some you-pick farms reported a decrease in customer visits, according to The Gazette. If people do come, they aren’t staying as long as normal to take in the entertainment at the farms, like picnic tables or games.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires also caused Iowa skies to grow hazy and air quality to be poor several times this summer. Customers canceled their appointments on especially hazy days, Anderson said. | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-you-pick-farms-lose-customers-and-crops-through-heat-drought-and-haze-in-iowa/ | 2023-07-31T06:54:54 | 0 | https://who13.com/business/ap-business/ap-you-pick-farms-lose-customers-and-crops-through-heat-drought-and-haze-in-iowa/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A week later, the “Barbenheimer” boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” conspired to set box office records, the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. “Barbie” took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Oppenheimer” stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably — well shy of the usual week-two drops.
“Barbenheimer” has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it “a touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.”
“Having two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other’s fortunes — both box-office wise and it terms of their profile — I don’t know if there’s a comp for this in the annals of box-office history,” said Dergarabedian. “There’s really no comparison for this.”
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of “Barbie” saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
“Barbie” has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it’s played, “Barbie” has made at least $20 million.
And the “Barbie” effect isn’t just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It’s the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
“That’s a crazy number,” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “There’s just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world.”
Amid the frenzy, “Barbie” is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing — and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes — the sensations of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” have showed what’s possible when everything lines up just right.
“Post-pandemic, there’s no ceiling and there’s no floor,” Goldstein said. “The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time.”
Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer,” meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan’s drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, “Oppenheimer” has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. “Oppenheimer” has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film’s run through Aug. 13.
The week’s top new release, Walt Disney Co.’s “Haunted Mansion,” an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. “Haunted Mansion,” directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People,” “Bad Hair”) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
“Talk to Me,” the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received terrific reviews from critics (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it’s been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,” which debuted the week before the arrival of “Barbenheimer,” grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film starring Cruise and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit “Sound of Freedom” has been the best performing non-“Barbenheimer” release in theaters. The Angel Studios’ release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Barbie,” $93 million.
2. “Opppenheimer,” $46.2 million.
3. “Haunted Mansion,” $24.2 million.
4. “Sound of Freedom,” $12.4 million.
5. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” $10.7 million.
6. “Talk to Me,” $10 million.
7. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $4 million.
8. “Elemental,” $3.4 million.
9. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $3.2 million.
10. “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” $1.6 million.
___
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP | https://who13.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:00 | 0 | https://who13.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ |
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing France, the country’s former colonial power, waving Russian flags, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighboring Mali, and under Putin Russia has expanded its influence in West Africa. The new junta’s leaders have not said whether they intend to ally themselves with Moscow or stick with Niger’s Western partners.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated and anyone who attacks French citizens will see an immediate response.
Niger, a French colony until 1960, had been seen as the West’s last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africa’s Sahel region. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
At an emergency meeting Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorized the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government.
Shortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the Chad state radio station.
ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the region’s political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960.
Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday that they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasn’t able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence. But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles.
“We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there’s no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power,” Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press.
He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said.
Niger’s dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
Some taking part in Sunday’s rally warned outside bodies to stay away.
“I would like also to say to the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS, please, please stay out of our business,” Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration. “It’s time for us to take our lives, to work for ourselves. It’s time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty.”
Niger has the most at stake of any country in the Sahel if it turns away from the West, given the millions of dollars of military assistance it has received from abroad.
On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the continued security and economic cooperation with the U.S. hinges on the release of Bazoum — who remains under house arrest — and “the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
Macron said he’d spoken to Bazoum and his predecessor on Sunday. On Saturday France suspended all development and financial aid to Niger.
The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has unsuccessfully tried to restore democracies in nations where the military took power in recent years. Four nations are run by military regimes in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
While the bloc has struggled to have much impact, the measures placed on Niger Sunday show the gravity of the situation, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute.
“The strenuous measures they have put in place or threatened to put in place show not only how seriously they are taking this crisis, but also the urgency the regional body and larger international community feel in trying to force a return to normal that will likely prove elusive,” he said.
The response from the bloc towards Niger differs from how it dealt with recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which did not involve the threat of force if constitutional rule wasn’t reinstated.
In the last few decades it has sent troops into member countries a handful of times.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017 it intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Approximately 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues.
Economic sanctions could have a deep impact on Nigeriens, who live in the third-poorest country in the world, according to the latest U.N. data. The country relies on imports from Nigeria for up to 90% of its power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The sanctions would suspend all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger.
In a televised address Saturday, Col. Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a “plan of aggression” against Niger and said the country would defend itself.
“Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, potentially military force,” said Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher in conflict resolution and peace missions at the Centre FrancoPaix. “Many actors are also trying to negotiate, but the outcome is unclear.”
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Associated Press reporters Angela Charlton in Paris and Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria and Edouard Takadji in N’Djamena, Chad contributed. | https://who13.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:08 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/ap-top-headlines/ap-as-regional-and-global-powers-decry-nigers-coup-the-countrys-future-remains-uncertain/ |
BEIRUT (AP) — Fighting raged Sunday in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp near the southern port city of Sidon, killing at least five people and wounding seven, Palestinian officials said.
UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, put the death toll at six, and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said two children were among those wounded.
The Palestinian officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the fighting broke out after an unknown gunman tried to kill Islamist militant Mahmoud Khalil, killing a companion of his instead.
Later, Islamist militants shot and killed a Palestinian military general from the Fatah group and three escorts as they were walking through a parking lot, another Palestinian official told AP.
Ein el-Hilweh is notorious for its lawlessness and violence is not uncommon. The U.N. says about 55,000 people live in the camp, which was established in 1948 to house Palestinians displaced by Israeli forces during the establishment of Israel.
On Sunday, factions blazed away with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers and lobbed hand grenades in the camp as ambulances zoomed through its narrow streets to take the wounded to the hospital.
The fighting stopped for several hours in the morning, though state media said there was still sporadic sniper fire, but fighting erupted again after the killing of the Palestinian general and his escorts.
Some residents in Sidon neighborhoods near the camp fled their homes as stray bullets hit buildings and shattered windows and storefronts. The public Sidon General Hospital evacuated its staff and patients.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that a mortar shell hit a military barracks outside the camp and wounded one soldier, whose condition is stable. Military commandos deployed near the camp’s entrances as clashes continued into the night.
UNRWA said two of its schools that serve some 2,000 students were damaged in the fighting. It said it suspended all its operations in Ein el-Hilweh.
Fatah in a statement condemned the killing of its security official, saying the attack was part of a “bloody scheme that targets the security and stability of our camps.” It vowed to hold the “perpetrators accountable.”
In Ramallah, the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a statement decrying violence in a camp for Palestinian refugees.
“No one is allowed to intimidate our people and tamper with their security,” it said. “We support what the Lebanese government is doing to impose law and order, and we affirm our commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, including the Palestinian refugee camps, and maintaining security and the rule of law.”
Late in the day, the factions said in a joint statement that they had agreed to a ceasefire during a mediation meeting hosted by the Lebanese Shiite Amal movement and militant Hezbollah group in Sidon. But local media said fighting continued. A spokesperson from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told AP that the groups were working to implement the truce.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the clashes. “We call on the Palestinian leadership to cooperate with the army to control the security situation and hand over those meddling with security to the Lebanese authorities,” Mikati said in his statement.
Palestinian factions in the camp for years have cracked down on militant Islamist groups and fugitives seeking shelter in the camp’s overcrowded neighborhoods. In 2017, Palestinian factions engaged in almost a week of fierce clashes with a militant organization affiliated with the extremist Islamic State group.
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Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:15 | 1 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-1-killed-6-wounded-in-overnight-clashes-in-crowded-palestinian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ |
MOSCOW (AP) — Ten people — including three children — died after high winds tore through central Russia, emergency services and a local official reported Sunday.
Eight of the dead were part of a group of tourists camping close to Lake Yalchik in the Mari-El region when the storm hit Saturday, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
The strong winds caused a large number of trees to fall in the area, including where the group’s tents had been pitched on a stretch of wild beach inside the Mariy Chodra National Park, regional leader Yuri Zaitsev wrote on social media. He said that three children were among the dead. Russia’s investigative committee has opened a criminal case to determine whether unsafe or sub-standard services provided by the park’s management company contributed to the deaths.
Across the wider Volga Federal District, 76 people were injured in the storm, with thousands of households losing power, emergency services said. | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ | 2023-07-31T06:55:21 | 0 | https://who13.com/news/international-news/ap-international/ap-9-die-including-3-children-as-strong-winds-hit-tourist-camp-in-central-russia-officials-say/ |