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CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian factions met Sunday in Egypt to discuss reconciliation efforts as violence in the occupied West Bank surged between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The main groups, Hamas and Fatah, have been split since 2007 and repeated reconciliation attempts having failed, so expectations for the one-day meeting were low.
Participants at the closed-door meeting gave no indication of what was discussed. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who initiated the session in the Egyptian city of el-Alamein on the Mediterranean Sea, said at its conclusion only that the meeting was a “first and significant step” in efforts to end the long-running division.
It came amid soaring violence in the West Bank, where Abbas and his Fatah group are based and exert limited self-rule. Israel has been staging near-nightly raids in Palestinian areas of the territory in what it says is an attempt to stamp out militancy, especially in areas where Abbas’ security forces have less of a foothold.
Those raids have led to some of the worst fighting in nearly two decades in the West Bank. Palestinians also say the Israeli raids undermine their own security forces and weaken their leadership.
The meeting in Egypt was chaired by Abbas, presenting the aging and longtime Palestinian leader with a chance to portray an image of control and statesmanship to both Palestinians and the international community at a time when he is deeply unpopular at home and his room for maneuver is constrained by the Israeli incursions.
The meeting was attended by other Palestinian leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip. Fatah and Hamas have been rivals since Hamas violently routed forces loyal to Abbas in Gaza in 2007, taking over the impoverished coastal enclave. Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade on the territory.
For Hamas, joining the meeting was an opportunity to show Gazans that it is making an effort to mend the rift, even if nothing changes as a result.
Another key group playing a central role in the fighting with Israel, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, boycotted the gathering to protest the detentions by the Palestinian Authority of its members, said to the group’s leader, Ziyad al-Nakhala.
Egypt has for years acted as a mediator in trying to end the infighting between Palestinian factions. It also helped broker truces in multiple rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas. | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-palestinian-factions-meet-in-egypt-to-try-to-reconcile-as-violence-surges-in-the-west-bank/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:28 | 0 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-palestinian-factions-meet-in-egypt-to-try-to-reconcile-as-violence-surges-in-the-west-bank/ |
SAN JOSE, Calif. — SAN JOSE, Calif. — SJW Corp. (SJW) on Monday reported earnings of $18.3 million in its second quarter.
SJW expects full-year earnings to be $2.40 to $2.50 per share.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SJW at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SJW | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/earns-sjw/c53f9fc0-2f8a-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:43:34 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/earns-sjw/c53f9fc0-2f8a-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. ("GEHI" or the "Company") (NYSE: GEHI), a leading early childhood education service provider in China, today announced that it will hold an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "EGM") at 3/F, No. 28 Building, Fangguyuan Section 1, Fangzhuang Fengtai District, Beijing 100078, People's Republic of China, at 10:00 a.m. (Beijing time) on September 11, 2023, for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, approving the transactions contemplated in the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated April 18, 2023, by and among the Company, Bright Sunlight Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub"), Best Assistant Education Online Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company ("Best Assistant") and a controlled subsidiary of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKEX: 0777, "NetDragon"), a Cayman Islands exempted company, and solely for purposes of certain named sections thereof, NetDragon. It is contemplated that Best Assistant will transfer the education business of NetDragon outside of the PRC to Elmtree Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares ("eLMTree") and currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Assistant. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into eLMTree with eLMTree continuing as the surviving company and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Merger").
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each ordinary share of eLMTree issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding the Dissenting Shares and the Excluded Shares, each as defined in the Merger Agreement) will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive a number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable ordinary shares of the Company in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933.
Shareholders of the Company will also be asked to consider and vote on certain additional Merger-related proposals at the EGM, including, among others:
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the fifth amended and restated memorandum and article of association of the Company be amended and restated by their deletion in their entirety and the substitution of in their place of the sixth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company (the "A&R MAA") effective immediately prior to the Effective Time of the Merger;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the name of the Company be changed from "Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc." to "Mynd.ai, Inc." effective immediately prior to the Effective Time;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, immediately prior to the Effective Time, the authorized share capital of the Company be varied as follows: (a) the authorized share capital of the Company shall be varied to US$1,000,000 divided into 1,000,000,000 shares comprising of (i) 990,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each (each a "ListCo Ordinary Share") and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of a par value of US$0.001 each of such class or classes (however designated) as the board of directors may determine in accordance with the A&R MAA, and (b) all Class A ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares") and all Class B ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares") in the authorized share capital of the Company (including all issued and outstanding ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares, and all authorized but unissued ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares) shall be re-designated as ListCo Ordinary Shares.
Holders of the Company's ordinary shares whose names are on the register of members of the Company at the close of business in the Cayman Islands on August 7, 2023, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the EGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Holders of the Company's American depositary shares ("ADSs") at the close of business in New York City on August 7, 2023, are entitled to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares and must act through Citibank, N.A., the depositary of the Company's ADS program.
The notice of the EGM, which contains the detailed proposals to be presented at the EGM, and the proxy statement related to the EGM, are being filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and can be obtained without charge from the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). These documents are also available in the "Financial Information" section of the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/. In addition, the proxy materials (including the proxy statement) will be mailed to the Company's shareholders and holders of ADSs.
SHAREHOLDERS AND ADS HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THE PROXY MATERIALS AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY CONTAIN VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, ELMTREE, THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS.
This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the transactions described above and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of eLMTree or the Company, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the pending transactions described herein, and the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Merger, including the equity values, the benefits of the Merger, expected revenue opportunities, anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates for growth, the expected management and governance of the combined company, and the expected timing of the transactions. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements.
Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) risks related to the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the Merger, including the risk that the transaction may not close due to one or more closing conditions to the transaction not being satisfied or waived, such as regulatory approvals not being obtained, on a timely basis or otherwise, or that a governmental entity prohibited, delayed or refused to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction or required certain conditions, limitations or restrictions in connection with such approvals; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the applicable transaction agreements; (iii) the risk that there may be a material adverse change with respect to the financial position, performance, operations or prospects of the Company or eLMTree; (iv) risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the Merger; (v) the risk that any announcements relating to the Merger could have adverse effects on the market price of the Company's securities; (vi) the risk that the Merger and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of eLMTree to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their suppliers and customers and on their operating results and businesses generally; (vii) any changes in the business or operating prospects of eLMTree or its businesses; (viii) changes in applicable laws and regulations; and (ix) risks relating to the combined company's ability to enhance its services and products, execute its business strategy, expand its customer base and maintain stable relationship with its business partners.
A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the proxy statement that will be filed with the SEC by the Company in connection with the Merger, and other documents that the parties may file with or furnish to the SEC, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and eLMTree, the Company and their subsidiaries and affiliates undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
The Company will file with the SEC and mail to its shareholders and ADS holders a proxy statement in connection with the Merger. Investors and security holders are urged to read the proxy statement when it becomes available because it will contain voting instructions and important information regarding the proposed arrangement. You may access the proxy statement (when available) and other related documents filed by the Company with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You also may obtain the proxy statement and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC relating to the proposed arrangement for free by accessing the Company's website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/ by clicking on the link for "Financial Information," and then clicking on the link for "SEC Filings."
CONTACT: Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc., Investor Relations, E-mail: ir@geh.com.cn
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SOURCE Gravitas Education Holdings Inc. | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:34 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ |
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish government researchers said Sunday they had identified 357 foreign fighters who went missing during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the conflict that foreshadowed World War II.
Researchers confirmed the names of 212 fighters from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, according to a statement from the government Sunday. Some 102 are of German origin, 70 Austrian and 40 Dutch. It gave no information on how many people of other nationalities had been identified.
The identified combatants fought within the International Brigades, military units set up by the Communist International to fight against General Francisco Franco’s fascist forces. Some 40,000 foreign men and women joined up as volunteers, fighting alongside the forces of the democratic Second Spanish Republic and against the rise of fascism in Europe in late 1930s.
The findings are based on a year of research in records held in documentary archives in Spain and Russia. Researchers combed through the daily lists of casualties and missing soldiers compiled by officers in the International Brigades.
The names of private soldiers were frequently omitted from the lists, making the research process more difficult. These lists are held in the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, in Moscow. Researchers also dipped into the main archives on the Spanish Civil War located in Spain.
By cross-referencing documents, researchers were also able to identify the likely area where the soldiers died or were badly wounded. It is an important step toward locating their remains inside mass graves scattered across the country.
This research provides “very valuable information that gives us the opportunity to contact the families of the missing combatants and, in the future, to intervene in the mass graves that have been located,” said Alfons Aragoneses, head of the project.
All those identified were part of the Thälmann Brigade, a Communist unit made up largely of anti-Nazi Germans. The battalion was active on the Ebro River front in northeastern Spain between March and September 1938, the site of the longest and deadliest battle of the war.
The research is ongoing and it is funded by Catalan regional government, with the aim of contributing to the country’s historical memory. The second phase of the project will try to identify missing militiamen from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States. The final step would require opening the graves in search of bodies.
Historians estimate nearly 10,000 foreign volunteers died in combat on Spanish soil during the war. How many are still unidentified, buried inside graves, remains unknown.
The Spanish Civil War served as a testing ground for Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy prior to World War II. This triggered an international outcry to try to save the Republic’s democratic government, which eventually succumbed to Franco in 1939. | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-spain-identifies-212-german-austrian-and-dutch-fighters-who-went-missing-during-spanish-civil-war/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:35 | 0 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-spain-identifies-212-german-austrian-and-dutch-fighters-who-went-missing-during-spanish-civil-war/ |
TOKYO — TOKYO — Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (SMFG) on Monday reported net income of $1.81 billion in its fiscal first quarter.
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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SMFG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SMFG | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/earns-sumitomo-mitsui/1b4dfa38-2f81-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:43:40 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/earns-sumitomo-mitsui/1b4dfa38-2f81-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
Recruiting Season Is in Full Swing for Professional Football Players to Join Virtual Fan Engagement Channel
NAPLES, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Notable Live is announcing that it has added three more Pro Football Hall of Fame players to the Notable Live line-up for the upcoming season. In addition to existing players Emmitt Smith and Ray Lewis, Notable Live is excited to add Cris Carter, Champ Bailey and Ed Reed to the Notable Live team. This comes as a fast follow to Notable Live's recent multi-year commercial agreement with eBay and its Series A financing round led by eBay Ventures.
Notable Live is a tech-enabled virtual engagement platform that connects fans to teams, leagues and players in a way they have always dreamed about through an immersive experience. Notable Live, co-founded in 2018 by Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and entrepreneurial veteran Mike Antonucci, helps players monetize their image and personal brands not just on game day, but every day.
Through one set of login credentials, the Notable Live platform unlocks an expansive catalog of one-to-many engagement experiences, including live events and on-demand content. On the platform's commerce-enabled exchange, players, teams and leagues can activate live auction or marketplace functions to sell physical memorabilia, digital content, in-person experiences or other unique offerings. All items offered on the Notable Live platform and its associated channels can be authentically bought and sold across the growing and loyal community of Notable Live fans.
"The multi-billion annual sports memorabilia market is rapidly evolving to include new digital experiences, and Notable Live continues to grow its comprehensive platform for both the college and professional sports markets. We are pleased to announce the continued expansion of our roster of NFL athletes on our platform," said Mike Antonucci, co-founder and CEO of Notable Live.
"The fans bring their passion for the game and for their favorite players, ensuring the memorabilia space remains more about the fans than about the athletes," added Emmitt Smith, co-founder of Notable Live. "We are excited to continue expanding our platform with fellow Hall of Famers and other athletes."
About Notable Live
Notable Live was co-founded in 2018 by avid sports fan Mike Antonucci and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to create a unique platform providing sports fans with unparalleled access to their favorite notables via virtual interactive events. Notable Live, a mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play, grants fans real access to notables by putting them "in the room" together for memorable virtual experiences. Connect with Notable Live at www.notable.live or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Threads for iOS and Threads for Google Play.
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SOURCE Notable Live | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:41 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ |
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Several thousand people briefly took to the streets across the Gaza Strip on Sunday to protest chronic power outages and difficult living conditions, providing a rare public show of discontent with the territory’s Hamas government. Hamas security forces quickly dispersed the gatherings.
Marches took place in Gaza City, the southern town of Khan Younis and other locations, chanting “what a shame” and in one place burning Hamas flags, before police moved in and broke up the protests.
Police destroyed mobile phones of people who were filming in Khan Younis, and witnesses said there were several arrests. Dozens of young supporters and opponents of Hamas briefly faced off, throwing stones at one another.
The demonstrations were organized by a grassroots online movement called “alvirus alsakher,” or “the mocking virus.” It was not immediately known who is behind the movement.
Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist, barring most demonstrations and quickly stamping out public displays of dissent.
The Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007 from the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a crippling blockade on the territory. Israel says the closure is needed to prevent Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, from building up its military capabilities.
The closure has devastated Gaza’s economy, sent unemployment skyrocketing and led to frequent power outages. During the current heat wave, people have been receiving four to six hours of power a day due to heavy demand.
“Where is the electricity and where is the gas?” the crowds shouted in Khan Younis. “What a shame. What a shame.”
Protesters also criticized Hamas for deducting a roughly $15 fee from monthly $100 stipends given to Gaza’s poorest families by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar.
There was no immediate comment from the Hamas authorities. | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:42 | 0 | https://pix11.com/ap-international/ap-thousands-take-to-streets-in-gaza-in-rare-public-display-of-discontent-with-hamas/ |
FRANKFURT, Germany — Europe’s economy has grown modestly after months of stagnation, but higher interest rates designed to fight inflation are casting a shadow as they make it more expensive for households and businesses to borrow, invest and spend.
That’s an improvement over zero growth in the first quarter and a slight decline in fourth quarter of last year — but not by much. Plus, one-time factors and an outsized bump from Ireland made things look better than they really were.
The eurozone got a boost by 0.5% growth in France and 0.4% in Spain, where lower inflation has helped lift consumer spending power.
Yet the French figure was increased by the delivery of one very large manufactured item — a cruise ship. That statistical quirk flattered French growth but does little to disguise weak demand for goods in the eurozone’s second-largest economy.
Ireland’s growth of 3.3%, largest in the eurozone, also distorted the overall picture. Its growth figures often show large swings due to major international companies housing their headquarters there, including tech giants like Meta, Google and Apple.
Without Ireland, euro-area growth would have been only 0.1%, said Franziska Palmas, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics.
The overall figure “was driven by a few country idiosyncrasies and masks an underlying momentum that is likely much closer to stagnation,” said Marc de Muizon, senior European analyst at Deutsche Bank Research.
Europe’s largest economy, Germany, struggled in the second quarter, recording zero growth after two straight quarters of falling output as it grappled with high energy costs tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Italy, the No. 3 economy, shrank by 0.3%.
The eurozone growth figures for the first quarter were revised from a decline of 0.1%, statistically erasing what had been two straight quarters of contraction — one definition of recession.
Inflation in the eurozone, meanwhile, continued its gradual decline, falling to 5.3% in July from 5.5% in June.
Europe is still struggling with the aftershocks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including Moscow cutting off most of its natural gas to the continent that sharply raised prices for the fuel and the electricity it generates.
In Germany, Europe’s manufacturing powerhouse, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck has proposed capping energy prices for industry with government help.
The worst of the price spike is over, but costs are still higher than before the war began. Energy has faded as a main driver of inflation, but price rises are hitting Europeans when they shop for groceries, clothes and more, and the rebound for services companies — such as hotels and restaurants that suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic — has mostly run its course.
Food prices rose 10.8% in July from a year earlier, an improvement from June and previous months but still a pain point for households. Energy, meanwhile, kept dropping, falling 6.1%. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, core inflation held steady at 5.5% — a key indicator that has not fallen as much as central bankers want.
In a bright spot for Europe, rebounding travel, especially in the Mediterranean countries that heavily rely on tourism, is expected to support growth in the upcoming third quarter as people flock to the beach for their summer holidays in Greece, Spain and Italy, despite recent heat waves and wildfires.
Other than that, prospects for the rest of the year are muted. Another drag on the economy is the rapid series of interest rate increases that the European Central Bank has unleashed to knock down inflation.
The ECB made its ninth straight hike Thursday, bringing its key deposit rate from minus 0.5% to 3.75% in just one year, a record pace since the creation of the euro in 1999. The result has been higher mortgage rates and canceled construction plans due to expensive or unavailable credit.
The central bank’s lending survey shows the lowest level of business loans and credit lines since the statistics started in 2003.
Bank President Christine Lagarde left open whether the bank will keep hiking rates at its next meeting on Sept. 14, saying the decision will depend on incoming inflation data.
Since the rate hikes began, inflation has steadily fallen from a peak of 10.6% in October, but July’s figure of 5.3% is still well above the ECB’s 2% target.
Bank officials say tough action now will spare even more painful restriction of credit later if inflation gets completely out of control. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/europe-economy-growth-inflation-interest-rates/cd2d3840-2f81-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:43:46 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/europe-economy-growth-inflation-interest-rates/cd2d3840-2f81-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
HOUSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutex Health Inc. ("Nutex Health" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NUTX), a physician-led, technology-enabled integrated healthcare delivery system comprised of 21 state-of-the-art micro hospitals in 8 states and primary care-centric, risk-bearing physician networks, today announced that its Clinigence Health advanced population health analytics platform has been selected by Varmed Management, a Puerto Rico-based medical management company, to enhance its population health capabilities and patient care.
Clinigence Health's partnership with Varmed Management honors the company's commitment to improving quality of life and health outcomes through implementing advanced analytics and cutting-edge technology. Together, they aim to deliver unparalleled solutions to patients, ensuring seamless, whole-person care while reducing costs.
Clinigence Health is thrilled to assist Varmed Management in its mission. Sophisticated population health management requires a platform like Clinigence Health that helps organizations enhance the care delivered to their patients by identifying opportunities to engage its physicians and its patients with data to drive continued quality improvement.
"The partnership creates an environment where high-quality care is accessible and affordable to everyone in our community. By integrating Clinigence Health's advanced analytics into our population health management strategy, we can provide even more personalized patient care," stated José J. Vargas, Chief Executive Officer of Varmed Management.
"The healthcare industry continues to experience the loss of billions of premium dollars to overutilization and inappropriate use of services to the detriment of patient care. The transition to value-based care models requires organizations to understand the patterns of care and best medical practices that allow quality care to be delivered cost-effectively," stated Lawrence Schimmel, M.D., Chief Medical Information Officer of Nutex Health, Inc.
"Clinigence is a pioneer in clinical data integration, clinical quality reporting and population health analytics. Our scalable, purpose-built cloud-based platform has clinical and claims data on over 3 million patients and is in use by multiple independent practice associations ("IPAs"), medical groups, accountable care organizations ("ACOs"), hospitals and physicians. We look forward to partnering with the talented team at Varmed," stated Warren Hosseinion, M.D., President of Nutex Health.
For more information, visit Clinigence Health at www.clinigencehealth.com or email info@clinigence.com for personalized information requests.
About Nutex Health Inc.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas and founded in 2011, Nutex Health Inc. (NASDAQ: NUTX) is a healthcare management and operations company with two divisions: a Hospital Division and a Population Health Management Division.
The Hospital Division owns, develops and operates innovative health care models, including micro-hospitals, specialty hospitals, and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). This division owns and operates 21 facilities in 8 states.
The Population Health Management division owns and operates provider networks such as Independent Physician Associations (IPAs). Through our Management Services Organization (MSO), we provide management, administrative and other support services to our affiliated hospitals and physician groups. Our cloud-based proprietary technology platform aggregates clinical and claims data across multiple settings, information systems and sources to create a holistic view of patients and providers, allowing us to deliver greater quality care more efficiently.
About Varmed Management
Varmed Management is a fully integrated healthcare solutions provider. As a population health management organization, we are committed to providing cutting-edge solutions to our clients, improving quality of life through patient empowerment, improving healthcare outcomes and reducing costs. www.varmedmanagement.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements and information included in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words or phrases "will", "will likely result," "expected to," "will continue," "anticipated," "estimate," "projected," "intend," "goal," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks, known and unknown, and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy, changes in laws or regulations, including the interim final and final rules implemented under the No Surprises Act , economic conditions, dependence on management, dilution to stockholders, lack of capital, the effects of rapid growth upon the Company and the ability of management to effectively respond to the growth and demand for products and services of the Company, newly developing technologies, the Company's ability to compete, conflicts of interest in related party transactions, regulatory matters, protection of technology, lack of industry standards, the effects of competition and the ability of the Company to obtain future financing. An extensive list of factors that can affect future results are discussed in the Current Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2023 under the heading "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item IA thereof, and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors could materially adversely affect the Company's financial performance and could cause the Company's actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed within this press release.
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SOURCE Nutex Health, Inc. | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nutex-health-announces-that-its-advanced-population-health-analytics-platform-has-been-selected-by-varmed-management-enhance-patient-care/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:47 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nutex-health-announces-that-its-advanced-population-health-analytics-platform-has-been-selected-by-varmed-management-enhance-patient-care/ |
At 24, Alberto Rodriguez has grandparents younger than Joe Biden. But he’s more interested in the 80-year-old president’s accomplishments than his age.
“People as young as me, we’re all focusing on our day-to-day lives and he has done things to help us through that,” Rodriguez, a cook at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, said of Biden’s support among young voters. Rodriguez pointed specifically to federal COVID-19 relief payments and government spending increases on infrastructure and other social programs.
Voters like him were a key piece of Biden’s winning 2020 coalition, which included majorities of young people as well as college graduates, women, urban and suburban voters and Black Americans. Maintaining their support will be critical in closely contested states such as Nevada, where even small declines could prove consequential to Biden’s reelection bid.
His 2024 campaign plans to emphasize messages that could especially resonate with young people in the coming weeks as the anniversary of the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act approaches in mid-August. That legislation includes provisions that the White House will embrace to argue that Biden has done more than any other president to combat climate change.
Such efforts, however, could collide with Biden’s personal reality — like when he recalled that, while attending a St. Patrick’s Day parade at age 14, he appeared in a photo with President Harry S. Truman.
“Purely by accident — I assume it was an accident — the photographer from the newspaper got a picture of me making eye contact with Harry Truman,” Biden said to chuckles last week at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium in Washington.
In 2020, 61% of voters under age 30 — and 55% of those between 30 and 44 — supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate.
It’s an age group with which Republicans hope to make inroads. Former President Donald Trump, who is the early front-runner in the GOP presidential primary and is only 3 1/2 years younger than Biden, said Friday, “We are hitting the young person’s market like nobody’s ever seen before.”
Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign, referred to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in arguing that “young people are acutely impacted by the issues front and center in this election, driven by the extreme MAGA agenda.” He said that included inaction on climate change, gun violence and student debt.
“We will meet younger Americans where they are and turn their energy into action,” Munoz said in a statement.
That might not defuse questions about age, though, when it comes to Biden or Trump.
“There’s a frustration and exhaustion that they feel with the rematch,” Terrance Woodbury, co-founder & CEO of the Democratic polling firm HIT Strategies, said of young voters.
“That’s more of a problem than either of those two candidates individually, is that a system can just keep reproducing,” Woodbury added. “And I think a lot of people just find that untenable.”
An April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 25% of Democrats under 45 said they would definitely support Biden in a general election, compared with 56% of older Democrats. A majority of Democrats across age groups said they would probably support him as the party’s nominee, however.
Biden’s campaign is relying heavily on the Democratic National Committee, which during last year’s midterms, hired campus organizers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and other battleground states and offered weekly youth coordinating meetings to encourage in-class contacts and “dormstorms.” The DNC sees young people as some of the most critical voters it will need to reach in 2024 and promises “significant investments” to mobilize them. Plans are underway to expand on its work last cycle, including trainings it held on how best to turn out voters.
The Republican National Committee is trying to use Biden’s age against him, posting online videos of Biden seeming frail or making verbal gaffes, such as when he declared in June “God save the queen,” nearly nine months after the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II.
Rodriguez shrugged off online attacks, “People can make all the hit pieces and memes and TikToks all they want.”
A starker contrast might be between the president and rising Democrats such as 46-year-old California Rep. Ro Khanna and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 41, one of Biden’s primary rivals in 2020. Neither seriously entertained running for the White House in 2024 and have backed Biden’s reelection.
“The only thing that really matters is your ability to do the job,” Buttigieg, who was 37 when he launched his 2020 presidential bid, said recently on CNN. Khanna told Fox News Channel that age will “obviously” be a 2024 factor, but suggested that Biden’s staff “overprotects” him and “the more he’s out there, the better.”
Other top young Democrats have lined up to back Biden. Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, who was elected to Congress last year at 26, is on the Biden campaign’s advisory board, as is Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, 44. New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, 33, recently endorsed Biden.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive who says strong turnout among young voters helped him win a runoff election this spring, said Biden’s policies transcend his age. Johnson noted that the president’s work “around climate justice speaks not just to this generation, but generations to come.”
“The excitement that I believe that we’re going to have is going to speak to the incredible work and organizing that we are committed to doing as a party,” said Johnson, 47. “And we’re looking forward to working with the president over the course of his next four years.”
Still, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, acknowledged that even the president’s supporters understand how demanding the White House can be.
“People worry about Joe Biden. They worry like you would worry about a beloved father or grandfather,” said Weingarten, 65. “What you normally hear from Democrats is this sense of, ‘OK, I just want him to be OK.’ And you’re hearing just the consternation of, ’This is a hard job.’”
Biden said he “took a hard look” at his age while deciding to seek a second term. But he’s also tried to suggest his age and experience are assets rather than liabilities by joking repeatedly about them. That’s a departure from 2020, when Biden called himself a “transition candidate” and pledged to be a “bridge” to younger Democrats.
Santiago Mayer, the founder of Voters of Tomorrow, which has 20-plus chapters nationwide and works to increase political engagement among young voters, argues that Biden is not defying his past promise by running for reelection, but keeping it.
“He just needs more time,” said Mayer, who graduated from California State University at Long Beach in May. “I think the second term is a very important part of that pledge. He’s building a progressive future for young people and he can’t actually pass the baton until that’s done.”
One key policy piece of Biden’s efforts to appeal to young voters, providing student debt relief, was recently struck down by the Supreme Court. The White House has launched a new effort, but it will take longer.
“Of course it’s going to dampen some of that because people are disappointed,” Weingarten said of the ruling’s effect on enthusiasm for Biden. But she said the decision could also motivate young Biden supporters anxious show their support for the president’s alternative plan.
“It is also about the fight,” Weingarten said “not just about the results.”
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AP polling director Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report. | https://pix11.com/ap-political/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:49 | 0 | https://pix11.com/ap-political/ap-joe-biden-americas-oldest-sitting-president-needs-young-voters-to-win-again-will-his-age-matter/ |
The conventional wisdom is that spectator activities are booming in America. Concertgoers have been packing arenas for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour; the pairing of Barbie and Oppenheimer just lifted weekend box office revenue to a four-year high; professional baseball has rediscovered its mojo; and Lionel Messi’s arrival in South Florida is creating a surge of interest in Major League Soccer.
Without a doubt, those events have made meaningful individual contributions to the consumer economy (with Swift even getting a favorable mention in the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s June Beige Book). But in a broad economic sense, the activity in arenas and movie theaters still looks more like a normalization from the pandemic disruptions than a meaningful change in American consumption of in-person entertainment.
On an inflation-adjusted basis, only live sporting events have experienced an increase over their pre-pandemic baseline, helped by big years in 2022 for both college and professional football and signs that Major League Baseball has dug itself out of it long slump. The former was buoyed by the expansion of alcohol sales in college stadiums, while the latter got a boost from a strategy overhaul, including measures to speed up the pace of the game.
Overall, real consumption of in-person events has only just returned to its pre-pandemic level, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data reported Friday. That’s a bit of a different story from the one we often hear, which suggests that the Covid experience unleashed a torrent of reckless spending on discretionary services. Sure, it felt that way for a while, but that was mostly because activity was surging back from extraordinarily low levels.
What has changed, of course, is the mix. Even on a nominal basis, movie theater spending is still down, and Americans are reallocating their movie budgets to live sports (at least as of the June data released Friday, which is admittedly pre-Barbenheimer.) Inflation has also made it seem as if we’re being more profligate than we used to be, but really we’re gobbling up about the same quantities of tickets.
What does all of this mean going forward?
In the big picture, consumption — which makes up about two-thirds of the US economy — has been carried by services spending for the past couple years, and a key question going forward is whether that can continue. If the past couple years have been mostly normalization, then the growth in recreation services probably won’t come as easily from here on out. Studios, artists and sports team will have to work that much harder in the year ahead to find continued growth.
Alternatively, a cooldown could come as a welcome development for the Federal Reserve. At his press conference on Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell once again singled out the non-housing core services sector (which includes the aforementioned concerts, games and movies) as a key part of the disinflation puzzle he’s trying to solve. In that sense, a moderation — or even a steadying — of consumption for such experiences may just help to deliver the elusive soft landing for the US economy. So while the conventional wisdom may be wrong about the recreation boom, that may not necessarily be a bad thing.
More From Bloomberg Opinion:
• Economy Is Rushing But Can Avoid a Speed Trap: Jonathan Levin
• FOMZZZ ... But an Inflation Spike Could Wake Us Yet: John Authers
• The Post-Covid Travel Boom Runs Out of Steam: Brooke Sutherland
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Jonathan Levin has worked as a Bloomberg News journalist in Latin America and the US, covering finance, markets and M&A. Most recently, he served as the company’s Miami bureau chief. He is a CFA charterholder.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/for-all-the-taylor-swift-hype-event-spending-is-tame/3bed7250-2f8b-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:43:52 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/for-all-the-taylor-swift-hype-event-spending-is-tame/3bed7250-2f8b-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
BALTIMORE, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Opteev Technologies, Inc., a pioneering technology company at the forefront of diagnostics, has filed a patent (Patent Application #63/513,007) for a revolutionary multiplex biochip for respiratory infection diagnostics. The groundbreaking polymer-based biochip offers the potential to test multiple pathogens responsible for respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and Influenza, and precisely identify the specific virus or bacteria in under 1 minute. This game-changing technology paves the way for an ultra-rapid, portable, and accurate syndromic diagnostic device to empower healthcare providers with immediate results at their fingertips.
The tiny biochip can directly detect whole viruses in real-time in both processed and unprocessed samples such as saliva or nasal swab and has demonstrated an unprecedented accuracy rate of 99.49% with an impressive limit of detection in its analytical performance evaluation. Furthermore, the biosensor achieves fine-tuned specificity by carefully selecting specific virus-binding peptides, enabling accurate identification of target viruses in complex samples. To ensure precise and reliable virus detection, the biochip utilizes artificial intelligence to optimize the frequency range effectively mitigating the impact of interfering noise signals.
Unlike conventional respiratory panels that cost tens of thousands of dollars and take days to provide results, Opteev's multiplex biochip will offer healthcare providers affordable syndromic testing with the ability to process samples at the point of care, allowing for the simultaneous detection and specific identification of multiple pathogens instantaneously. This breakthrough technology will eliminate the need for speculation by providing healthcare providers with the critical information needed to deliver the most effective treatment options at the point of care.
"With the development of our multiplex biochip, we are revolutionizing point-of-care diagnostics," said Dr. Mesfin Meshesha, Vice President of Virology & Diagnostics at Opteev Technologies. "The potential of this technology to transform patient care, streamline operations, and reduce costs is truly remarkable."
As Opteev Technologies continues to push the boundaries of point-of-care diagnostics, the company welcomes potential collaborations and partnerships to further develop and commercialize its multiplex biochip. "Together, we can shape the future of diagnostics and unlock the massive potential of our game-changing multiplex biochip," said Conrad Bessemer, Opteev's Chairman and Co-founder.
For more information about Opteev Technologies and its groundbreaking multiplex biochip, please visit www.opteev.com.
Opteev Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, is a pioneering technology company at the forefront of diagnostics. With a strong focus on respiratory pathogen detection, Opteev is committed to developing innovative solutions that revolutionize the field of point-of-care diagnostics. As a subsidiary of Novatec, Inc., a trusted manufacturer and supplier of machinery and sensor technology, Opteev leverages decades of experience to drive advancements in healthcare.
Media Contact:
Dana Gardner
Vice President
dgardner@opteev.com
Phone: 443-457-5214
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SOURCE Opteev Technologies, Inc | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:54 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/opteev-develops-worlds-first-multiplex-biochip-that-precisely-identifies-covid-flu-rsv-respiratory-pathogens-under-1-minute/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — At a moment of growing legal peril, Donald Trump ramped up his calls for his GOP rivals to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as he threatened to go after Republican members of Congress who fail to focus on investigating Democratic President Joe Biden.
Trump also urged a halt to Ukrainian military aid until the White House cooperates with congressional investigations into Biden and his family.
“Every dollar spent attacking me by Republicans is a dollar given straight to the Biden campaign,” Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night.
The former president and GOP front-runner said it was time for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others he dismissed as “clowns” to clear the field, accusing them of “wasting hundreds of millions of dollars that Republicans should be using to build a massive vote-gathering operation” to take on Biden in November.
The comments came two days after federal prosecutors unveiled new criminal charges against Trump as part of the case that accuses him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club and refusing to turn them over to investigators. The superseding indictment unsealed Thursday alleges that Trump and two staffers sought to delete surveillance at the club in an effort to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation.
The case is just one of Trump’s mounting legal challenges. His team is currently bracing for additional possible indictments, which could happen as soon as this coming week, related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election brought by prosecutors in both Washington and Georgia. Trump already faces criminal charges in New York over hush money payments made to women who accused him of sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Nevertheless, Trump remains the dominant early figure for the Republican nomination and has only seen his lead grow as the charges have mounted and as his rivals have struggled to respond. Their challenge was on display at a GOP gathering in Iowa Friday night, where they largely declined to go after Trump directly. The only one who did — accusing Trump of “running to stay out of prison” — was booed as he left the stage.
In the meantime, Trump has embraced his legal woes, turning them into the core message of his bid to return to the White House as he accuses Biden of using the Justice Department to maim his chief political rival. The White House has said repeatedly that the president has had no involvement in the cases.
At rallies, Trump has tried to frame the charges, which come with serious threats of jail time, as an attack not just on him, but those who support him.
“They’re not indicting me, they’re indicting you. I just happen to be standing in the way,” he said in Erie, adding, “Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it actually a great badge of honor…. Because I’m being indicted for you.”
But the investigations are also sucking up enormous resources that are being diverted from the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The Washington Post first reported Saturday that Trump’s political action committee, Save America, will report Monday that it spent more than $40 million on legal fees during the first half of 2023 defending Trump and all of the current and former aides whose lawyers it is paying. The total is more than the campaign raised during the second quarter of the year.
“In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Biden’s cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, the leadership PAC contributed to their legal fees to ensure they have representation against unlawful harassment,” said Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung.
At the rally, in a former Democratic stronghold that Trump flipped in 2016, but Biden won narrowly in 2020, Trump also threatened Republicans in Congress who refuse to go along with efforts to impeach Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said this past week that Republican lawmakers may consider an impeachment inquiry into the president over unproven claims of financial misconduct.
Trump, who was impeached twice while in office, said Saturday that, “The biggest complaint that I get is that the Republicans find out this information and then they do nothing about it.”
“Any Republican that doesn’t act on Democrat fraud should be immediately primaries and get out — out!” he told the crowd to loud applause. “They have to play tough and … if they’re not willing to do it, we got a lot of good, tough Republicans around … and they’re going to get my endorsement every singe time.”
Trump, during the 2022 midterm elections, made it his mission to punish those who had voted in favor of his second impeachment. He succeeded in unseating most who had by backing primary challengers.
At the rally, Trump also called on Republican members of Congress to halt the authorization of additional military support to Ukraine, which has been mired in a war fighting Russia’s invasion, until the Biden administration cooperates with Republican investigations into Biden and his family’s business dealings — words that echoed the call that lead to his first impeachment.
“He’s dragging into a global conflict on behalf of the very same country, Ukraine, that apparently paid his family all of these millions of dollars,” Trump alleged. “In light of this information,” Congress, he said, “should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles … the weapons stockpiles to Ukraine until the FBI, DOJ and IRS hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime family’s corrupt business dealings.”
House Republicans have been investigating the Biden family’s finances, particularly payments Hunter, the president’s son, received from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that became tangled in the first impeachment of Trump.
An unnamed confidential FBI informant claimed that Burisma company officials in 2015 and 2016 sought to pay the Bidens $5 million each in return for their help ousting a Ukrainian prosecutor who was purportedly investigating the company. But a Justice Department review in 2020, while Trump was president, was closed eight months later with insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
Trump’s first impeachment by the House resulted in charges that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on the Bidens while threatening to withhold military aid. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate. | https://pix11.com/ap-political/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ | 2023-07-31T10:43:56 | 1 | https://pix11.com/ap-political/ap-trump-amid-legal-perils-calls-on-gop-to-rally-around-him-as-he-threatens-primary-challenges/ |
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United announced a 10-year extension to its partnership with Adidas that the English club said Monday will be worth more than $1 billion.
“It is very natural for us to continue our cooperation,” Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said. “We will combine tradition and innovation to please both the players and the fans.”
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with one of the most iconic clubs in football.”
The deal for the club’s single biggest source of revenue provides stability at a time when it is up for sale, with United’s American ownership weighing up offers from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and English businessman Jim Ratcliffe.
Adidas supplied United’s uniform from 1980-1992 and the partnership started again at the beginning of the 2015-16 season.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/man-united-adidas-deal/c8d549c8-2f8a-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:43:58 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/man-united-adidas-deal/c8d549c8-2f8a-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
Many immigrant workers face a grim future without retirement benefits. A California bill could help
Whether in rain, raging winds or sweltering summer heat, José Villa can be seen on the streets of north Los Angeles, summoning smiles from children and adults alike. As the Mexican immigrant pushes a cart full of snow cones and popsicles, step by step the clang of his bells announces that his business is open to anyone who wants a sugary treat or immediate relief from the heat.
“I have a very sweet job because it makes a lot of people happy,” Villa said on one of his recent strolls through Highland Park. “But yes, my economic future could be very bitter. So for today I’m not going to think about it,” he added with a smile.
Villa wanted to retire at 62, but as an immigrant without legal documents, he can’t afford the luxury of resting at home. Immigrant workers of his legal status are ineligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits, even if they have paid taxes using an Individual Tax Identification Number, or ITIN, which is issued to people without a Social Security number for the sole purpose of filing federal taxes.
The native of Culiacán, in the northwest Mexican state of Sinaloa, came to the United States when he was 47. He’d grown up working in the fields, planting beans, peanuts, corn and sesame until he decided to try his luck across the border. With only a sixth-grade education, Villa was able to settle in Los Angeles and get a job as a restaurant cook. After 18 years of service, he was fired without explanation, he said.
With few job opportunities, Villa has been selling ice cream for seven years, but the money isn’t enough to rent an apartment or even a room, so he lives in a garage that his boss, the owner of the cart, has provided him indefinitely.
“I don’t know what fate has in store for me when my body gives up,” said the immigrant, adjusting his hat to screen out the sun. “I just have to have faith for a miracle to happen and the government to take pity on old people like me.”
Over the next decade, this bleak future looms for immigrants living in California without unemployment insurance, retirement benefits or another form of safety net, “in numbers unlike any state in modern history,” according to a UC Merced Community and Labor Center report released March 23. The report, titled “A Golden Age: California’s Aging Immigrant Workforce and Its Implications for Safety Net Policy,” asserts that in 2019, the noncitizen workforce in California was 2,984,821 migrant workers, of whom approximately 1,253,625 lacked legal work documents.
Among the noncitizen workers, 9,558 were then 75 or older, 67,960 were ages 65 to 74, and 316,539 were ages 55 to 64. Among workers without work documents ages 75 and older, there were 4,014 in 2019, while some 28,543 were 65 to 74 and 132,946 were 55 to 64 . These figures indicate that thousands of immigrant families will fall into extreme poverty, analysts and activists say.
With congressional action unlikely, some California politicians and immigrant activists are pushing legislation to bring relief to workers like Villa. The proposed AB 1536 would expand access to the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, or CAPI, to undocumented immigrants who, due to their immigration status, aren’t eligible for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled. Currently, the state-funded program provides a monthly cash benefit only to lawful permanent residents, refugees or asylum seekers.
Assemblyman Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale), who introduced the bill on March 2, said that this population deserves to retire with dignity like any other U.S. worker who has paid taxes.
“The idea is to provide these people with monetary assistance, because many of them have worked for decades and contributed for many years to strengthen the California economy,” Carrillo said. “It is time to recognize the hard work they do in the farm fields and in other service industries such as agriculture, landscaping, construction services and restaurant service, among many others.”
In 2019, according to the IRS, more than 2.5 million ITIN tax returns were filed, representing nearly $6 billion in taxes. A study by New American Economy, a research and advocacy organization, showed that undocumented immigrants contribute an average of $13 billion to Social Security and $3 billion to Medicare per year.
Currently the CAPI program provides $1,100 per month to qualified immigrants. People without legal documents would have similar benefits, depending on their current economic status, Carrillo said.
Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, a co-author of the bill, said it’s imperative for politicians to support this expansion, as no one wants to see more homeless people on the streets of California in years to come.
“Need knows no disease, nor old age,” Santiago said. “These elderly people live in our communities, they are not going anywhere. Many of them continue to work, so it is crucial to attend to them at the basic level to live, which means monetary help so that they can eat and at least have a roof.”
AB 1536 is scheduled to be taken up by the state Senate appropriations committee Aug. 14.
For Villa, the additional income he would receive would enable him at least to rent a one-bedroom apartment instead of living in a garage with only a sofa and a television.
While Villa sells popsicles in north Los Angeles, to the south Roberto González, 69, washes cars.
González is drenched in sweat as he wipes the windows of a Ford Ranger pickup truck and then cleans the steel wheels.
The native of Puebla, Mexico, suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis, which sometimes numbs the joints in his hands, making it difficult to work. But he aims to continue laboring at least five days a week so he can pool his meager earnings with one of his two children.
“The hot days are the hardest, but it is better to bear the sun than rain, because if that happens I no longer have a job,” said González, who has been cleaning cars for five years. The two years he initially planned to stay in the United States have stretched to 49.
“One says, ‘One more year and I’m gone,’ but all savings are spent on rent, bills and sending money to the family,” González said. “The truth is that I am afraid of being a burden to society, and especially to my two older children. Without being able to work, I would depend on them because I don’t have retirement benefits.”
González believes that if AB 1536 passed he could contribute to his son’s food bills and other household expenses.
Víctor Narro, project director and professor of labor studies at the UCLA Labor Center, said that although elderly undocumented immigrants urgently need help, strengthening Social Security seems to be a political non-starter, especially any plan that would extend it to immigrants who are undocumented.
“The state is facing an unprecedented crisis when it comes to its rapidly aging undocumented population,” Narro said. “Despite their efforts, pro-immigrant activists have failed to achieve immigration reform that would legalize these people after a 30-year struggle. This contributes to more people working under the table earning cash, while others manage to pay taxes that are not worth a retirement.”
Although Narro believes that political movement is essential to help elderly immigrant workers, he acknowledges that the bills face significant political hurdles. What’s more, he said, “Social Security has long been on shaky financial ground,” because as the U.S. population ages there are fewer workers supporting the growing number of Social Security beneficiaries, who as a group are living longer. Some analysts estimate that funds could run out as soon as 2034.
“People die without documents and without benefits, having given up their lives in a job,” said Angélica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, which supports AB 1536. “If we don’t push this type of law now, in the coming years we are going to see more elderly people with disabilities, unable to work.”
“This is a moral issue, one of dignity and respect for seniors,” she added.
For workers like Villa and González, California’s bill offers a measure of hope.
“We are all going to grow old, and the only thing that is going to concern us is being healthy and having a roof and food,” Villa said. “I ask for nothing more than some return on my contributions.”
In González’s view, “God blesses those who shake hands with those who need it. I hope that the politicians think of us and give us that helping hand that we need.”
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Mobile Visual Processing Solutions Coupled with Dedicated Game Tuning Services Take Mobile Gaming Experience to a Brand-New Level
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pixelworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: PXLW), a leading provider of innovative visual processing solutions, today announced the official launch of its new IRX gaming experience brand. As a brand targeted at smartphone users, IRX is grounded on Pixelworks' mobile visual processing solutions and coupled with in-depth game tuning services. This combination leverages Pixelworks' expertise to achieve ultra-smooth gaming experience and the highest picture quality for different types of games on mobile devices. In addition, it exercises effective control of power consumption, latency and other performance variables to ensure stable and long-lasting gaming with optimal visual performance, providing end users with unparalleled mobile gaming experiences.
The IRX gaming experience is enabled by a portfolio of technology advantages and product application experiences based on the Company's innovative distributed rendering architecture. More specifically, Pixelworks' ultra-low latency MotionEngine® technology, low power super-resolution technology, AI Always-on HDR and other technologies bring optimized rendering capabilities to smartphones that exceed what can be achieved by a traditional chipset. Together with Pixelworks' profound tuning experience for different games on various mobile devices the result is a meaningfully enriched visual experience for smartphone users, which is the core foundation for the IRX gaming experience.
The IRX gaming experience brand will be supported by a certification program for mobile devices that incorporates Pixelworks visual processors. The certification program will be backed by a suite of visual quality evaluation systems agreed upon with smartphone manufacturers to ensure that Pixelworks powered smartphones provide the most outstanding gaming performance and utmost visual quality for consumers.
The IRX branded certification program is comprised of both device certification and game tuning services. Pixelworks will optimize the rendering capabilities and display quality of top games on mobile devices based on its visual processors' capabilities as well as the devices' performance characteristics. Smartphones that meet the technical requirements as well as Pixelworks' visual processing standards will be granted the IRX branded certification, and games that meet Pixelworks' visual quality requirements will be included in the IRX-supported game list. To date, there are 20 top games being enlisted on the IRX-supported game list, which can be found on Pixelworks' official IRX gaming experience website. Furthermore, Pixelworks plans to establish expanded communication channels with consumers to help further educate end users on the benefits of the IRX gaming experience.
"IRX is a gaming experience brand from Pixelworks targeted directly towards mobile device users." said Ting Xiong, President of Pixelworks China. "Pixelworks would like to empower smartphone manufacturers to break the ceiling of mobile gaming experience from content optimization to performance enhancement with its innovative rendering technologies and years of game tuning and optimization experience. Additionally, we are also aiming to develop and promote consumer awareness around how to better evaluate visual display quality and the mobile gaming experience, enabling them to make smarter choices when purchasing a smartphone. By utilizing professional technologies and services to build more links across both products and users, we hope to drive mutual growth through in-depth interactions while bringing display performance and the mobile gaming experience to a brand-new level."
About Pixelworks
Pixelworks provides industry-leading content creation, video delivery and display processing solutions and technology that enable highly authentic viewing experiences with superior visual quality, across all screens – from cinema to smartphone and beyond. The Company has more than 20 years of history delivering image processing innovation to leading providers of consumer electronics, professional displays and video streaming services.
For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.pixelworks.com.
Note: Pixelworks, MotionEngine and the Pixelworks logo are trademarks of Pixelworks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — With less than a month to go until the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign, seven candidates say they have met qualifications for a spot on stage in Milwaukee.
But that also means that about half the broad GOP field is running short on time to make the cut.
To qualify for the Aug. 23 debate, candidates needed to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the Republican National Committee: at least 1% in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early-state polls, between July 1 and Aug. 21, and a minimum of 40,000 donors, with 200 in 20 or more states.
A look at who’s in, who’s (maybe) out and who’s still working on making it:
DONALD TRUMP
The current front-runner long ago satisfied the polling and donor thresholds. But he is considering boycotting and holding a competing event.
Campaign advisers have said the former president has not made a final decision about the debate. One noted that “it’s pretty clear,” based on Trump’s public and private statements, that he is unlikely to appear with the other candidates.
“If you’re leading by a lot, what’s the purpose of doing it?” Trump asked on Newsmax.
In the meantime, aides have discussed potential alternative programming if Trump opts for a rival event. One option Trump has floated is an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who now has a program on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
RON DESANTIS
The Florida governor has long been seen as Trump’s top rival, finishing a distant second to him in a series of polls in early-voting states, as well as national polls, and raising an impressive amount of money.
But DeSantis’ campaign has struggled in recent weeks to live up to the sky-high expectations that awaited him when he entered the race. He let go of more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
If Trump is absent, DeSantis may be the top target on stage at the debate.
TIM SCOTT
The South Carolina senator has been looking for a breakout moment. The first debate could be his chance.
A prolific fundraiser, Scott enters the summer with $21 million cash on hand.
In one debate-approved poll in Iowa, Scott joined Trump and DeSantis in reaching double digits. The senator has focused much of his campaign resources on the leadoff GOP voting state, which is dominated by white evangelical voters.
NIKKI HALEY
She has blitzed early-voting states with campaign events, walking crowds through her electoral successes ousting a longtime incumbent South Carolina lawmaker, then becoming the state’s first woman and first minority governor. Also serving as Trump’s U.N. ambassador for about two years, Haley frequently cites her international experience, arguing about the threat China poses to the United States.
The only woman in the GOP race, Haley has said transgender students competing in sports is “the women’s issue of our time” and has drawn praise from a leading anti-abortion group, which called her “uniquely gifted at communicating from a pro-life woman’s perspective.”
Bringing in $15.6 million since the start of her campaign, Haley’s campaign says she has “well over 40,000 unique donors” and has satisfied the debate polling requirements.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY
The biotech entrepreneur and author of “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam” is an audience favorite at multicandidate events and has polled well despite not being nationally known when he entered the race.
Ramaswamy’s campaign says he met the donor threshold earlier this year. He recently rolled out “Vivek’s Kitchen Cabinet” to boost his donor numbers even more, by letting fundraisers keep 10% of what they bring in for his campaign.
CHRIS CHRISTIE
The former New Jersey governor opened his campaign by portraying himself as the only candidate ready to take on Trump. Christie called on the former president to “show up at the debates and defend his record.”
Christie will be on that stage, even if Trump isn’t, telling CNN this month that he surpassed “40,000 unique donors in just 35 days.” He also has met the polling requirements.
DOUG BURGUM
Burgum, a wealthy former software entrepreneur now in his second term as North Dakota’s governor, has been using his fortune to boost his campaign.
He announced a program this month to give away $20 gift cards — “Biden Relief Cards,” as a critique of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy — to as many as 50,000 people in exchange for $1 donations. Critics have questioned whether the offer violated campaign finance law.
Within about a week of launching that effort, Burgum announced he had surpassed the donor threshold. Ad blitzes in the early-voting states also helped him meet the polling requirements.
MIKE PENCE
Trump’s vice president has met the polling threshold but has yet to amass a sufficient number of donors, raising the possibility that he might not qualify for the party’s first debate.
Pence and his advisers have expressed confidence he will do so, noting that most other Republican hopefuls took a month or two of being active candidates to meet the mark. Pence entered the race on June 7, the same day as Burgum and one day after Christie.
“We’re making incredible progress toward that goal. We’re not there yet,” Pence told CNN in a recent interview. “We will make it. I will see you at that debate stage.”
ASA HUTCHINSON
According to his campaign, the former two-term Arkansas governor has met the polling requirements but is working on satisfying the donor threshold. As of Wednesday, Hutchinson marked more than 11,000 unique donors.
Hutchinson is running in the mold of an old-school Republican and has differentiated himself from many of his GOP rivals in his willingness to criticize Trump. He has posted pleas on Twitter for $1 donations to help secure his slot.
FRANCIS SUAREZ
The Miami mayor has been one of the more creative candidates in his efforts to boost his donor numbers. He offered up a chance to see Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi’s debut as a player for Inter Miami, saying donors who gave $1 would be entered in a chance to get front-row tickets.
Still shy of the donor threshold, he took a page from Burgum’s playbook by offering a $20 “Bidenomics Relief Card” in return for $1 donations. A super political action committee supporting Suarez launched a sweepstakes for a chance at up to $15,000 in tuition, in exchange for a $1 donation to Suarez’s campaign.
Suarez’s campaign did not return a message seeking details on his number of donors or qualifying polls.
LARRY ELDER
The conservative radio host wrote in an op-ed that the RNC “has rigged the rules of the game by instituting a set of criteria that is so onerous and poorly designed that only establishment-backed and billionaire candidates are guaranteed to be on stage.”
His campaign last week declined to detail its number of donors, saying only that there had been “a strong increase the last few weeks.” He has not met the polling requirements.
PERRY JOHNSON
Johnson, a wealthy but largely unknown businessman from Michigan, said in a recent social media post that he had notched 23,000 donors and was “confident” he would make the debate stage. He added that all donors were “eligible to attend my free concert in Iowa featuring” country duo Big & Rich next month.
Johnson, who has reached 1% in one qualifying poll, has also offered to give copies of his book “Two Cents to Save America” to anyone who donated to his campaign.
WILL HURD
The former Texas congressman — the last candidate to enter the race, on June 22 — has said repeatedly that he would not pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee, a stance that would keep him off the stage even if he had the qualifying donor and polling numbers.
___
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP | https://pix11.com/ap-political/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:03 | 1 | https://pix11.com/ap-political/ap-whos-in-whos-out-a-look-at-which-candidates-have-qualified-for-the-1st-gop-presidential-debate/ |
NIAMEY, Niger — West African nations have given Niger's coup leaders one week to reinstate the country’s democratically elected president and have threatened to use force if the demands aren’t met.
“In the event the authority’s demands are not met within one week, (the bloc will) take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force,” said the statement.
The bloc also imposted strict sanctions, including suspending all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger and freezing of assets in regional central banks.
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 could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.
“When people say there’s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it’s extremely difficult for people ... Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,” he said.
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 governments in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war. In 2017, it intervened in Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues.
If the regional bloc uses force, it could trigger violence not only between Niger and ECOWAS forces but also civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.
“While this remains to be a threat and unlikely action, the consequences on civilians of such an approach if putschists chose confrontation would be catastrophic,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank.
“I believe economic sanctions are the ones to be imposed, but don’t see a military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger,” he said.
The military junta, which seized power on Wednesday when members of the presidential guard surrounded Bazoum’s house and detained him, is already cracking down on the government and civil liberties.
On Sunday, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that all government cars need to be returned by midday Monday and banned the use of social media to diffuse messages against state security. He also claimed that Bazoum’s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum. The Associated Press can’t verify his allegations.
In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in the capital, Niamey, denouncing its former colonial ruler, France, waving Russian flags and telling the international community to stay away.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Moscow’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 situation of this country is not good ... It’s time for change, and change has arrived,” said Moussa Seydou, a protester. “What we want from the putschists — all they have to do is improve social conditions so that Nigeriens can live better in this country and bring peace,” he said. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/niger-coup-west-africa-use-of-force/130b4a90-2f83-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:04 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/niger-coup-west-africa-use-of-force/130b4a90-2f83-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
Battle over legacy and donor admissions preferences to heat up. USC, Stanford could take hit
The battle over legacy and donor admissions to college — the practice of giving special treatment to family of alumni and contributors — is about to heat up in California as critics take aim at what they see as a long-standing barrier for less privileged students to access elite institutions.
State Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) plans to renew efforts to deny state financial aid to any college or university that gives an admissions advantage to such applicants, who research has shown are overwhelmingly white and affluent. Ting’s plan comes as the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down race-based affirmative action in college admissions reignited a national outcry over the use of preferential treatment for legacy applicants.
USC, Stanford and Santa Clara University are the largest providers of legacy and donor preferences in California, according to annual data they submitted to the state for the last four years.
USC accepted 1,740 applicants with legacy or donor connections, or 14.4% of the fall 2022 admitted class, according to data submitted to the state. Of those, 96% were relatives of alumni and nearly 4% were connected only to donors. Stanford offered admission to 287 students, or 13.8% of the class — with 92% related to alumni and 8% with ties only to donors.
Santa Clara admitted 1,133 students with alumni or donor connections, representing 13.1% of the class. Four other campuses that used preferences did so more sparingly, amounting to 1% to 3.6% of the fall 2022 admitted class. Their data were not disaggregated for alumni and donor-only connections in the Assn. of Independent California Colleges and Universities’ report to the state.
The University of California and California State University, as well as Caltech, Pomona College and most of the 77 private undergraduate members of the independent college association, do not consider family or donor ties in admission decisions.
“This is about educational access,” said Ting, chair of the powerful Assembly Budget Committee, who plans to launch his campaign against legacy admissions this fall. “We grow up thinking that merit gets us into Stanford or Harvard or any of these elite institutions; that it’s really about having the best grades. But what you see is that there’s a very big back door for people who can just write the check. We shouldn’t be subsidizing or condoning that kind of behavior.”
USC, Stanford and Santa Clara declined to respond to specific questions about the pros and cons of their legacy preferences and whether they were considering eliminating them. But in their state reports and statements to The Times, they said all applicants are evaluated holistically and meet rigorous academic standards, with connections to alumni and donors one of many considerations. They also said they admit more low-income students eligible for Federal Pell Grants — and provide substantial institutional financial aid — than those with privileged ties.
The Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action has triggered angst on campuses about how to promote diversity without considering race in admissions decisions.
“While we appreciate our alumni and donors and could not exist without them, those relationships do not guarantee admission to USC,” the university said in its report to the state last month. “In fact, those relationships will not help an unqualified applicant gain admission.”
The stakes are potentially high. At USC, 2,972 students received $26.6 million in Cal Grant financial aid in 2021-22, funding that could be jeopardized if Ting succeeds in penalizing institutions with legacy preferences. The lawmaker said they would need to offset the loss of state funds with their own philanthropy or risk turning away the low-income students who are eligible for Cal Grants.
At Stanford, 329 students received nearly $3 million in Cal Grants; at Santa Clara, 507 students received nearly $4.6 million, according to the California Student Aid Commission.
The California criticism is part of a broad reckoning for legacy preferences that could ultimately shake up college admissions and help reset who can access the top institutions that serve as gateways to some of the nation’s most prestigious, powerful and lucrative careers.
About 80% of 64 four-year colleges and universities with admission rates of 25% or less give children of alumni special treatment, according to a fall 2022 report by Education Reform Now. Overall, 787 institutions do so.
Most of those are private institutions in the Northeast, and Harvard is the top target for reform. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into whether Harvard is discriminating on the basis of race by using donor and legacy preferences in its undergraduate admissions process in violation of federal civil rights laws.
A Boston-based nonprofit, Lawyers for Civil Rights, filed the complaint on behalf of three Massachusetts advocacy organizations and all students of color who have been systematically excluded from Harvard due to the “unearned and unfair advantage” for legacy and donor-related applicants, 70% of whom are white. Only 6% of applicants with no legacy connection were admitted, compared with 33% of those with family ties to alumni, the complaint alleged, based on data Harvard was made to disclose in the affirmative action lawsuit. Eliminating those preferences would increase Black, Latino and Asian American admission rates by up to 5% for each group and reduce white rates by about 4%, the complaint said.
Harvard has defended its legacy policies as a way to cement ties with alumni, encourage financial support for them and build community.
But such preferences also serve to perpetuate privilege across generations, according to a new study by Harvard economists. Children of parents who earn more than $611,000 annually — the top 1% — were 55% more likely to be admitted to one of 12 Ivy League and similarly selective schools than middle-class students with similar test scores. The biggest reason: legacy preferences, the report said.
Critics of all political stripes have spoken out against such advantages. President Biden has said legacy admissions “expand privilege instead of opportunity.” Conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, in a concurring opinion on the affirmative action ruling last month, wrote that the preferences may be race-neutral on their face but “undoubtedly benefit white and wealthy applicants the most.”
The college essay, a crucial pitch in which applicants have limited words to describe who they are and why campuses should admit them, just got more stressful for students of color with the affirmative action ban.
Overall, 75% of American adults surveyed last year by the Pew Research Center said family ties should not be considered in admissions decisions — an increase from 68% in 2019. White people were most opposed to legacy admissions — 80% — compared with 67% for Latinos, 62% for Black respondents and 59% for Asians. More than three-fourths of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents opposed them, as did 72% of those who are Democrats or lean Democratic.
Last week, Democrats in Congress reintroduced legislation that would bar federal financial aid to colleges that favor legacy or donor applicants. Wesleyan College, an elite liberal arts college in Connecticut, announced it would drop those preferences.
Occidental College became the latest California campus to formally end legacy considerations, announcing last week that it would no longer ask applicants about family connections to alumni. The small liberal arts college has not in practice given legacy advantages to applicants for years, but leaders decided to formalize that stance while they were reviewing admission policies after the affirmative action ruling, said President Harry J. Elam Jr.
“What we want to do is ensure access and opportunity for all students,” Elam said in an interview last week. He added that campus community members, including alumni, have been “really positive” about the move and see it as Occidental’s commitment to justice, equality and public service.
More than 100 colleges and universities have dropped legacy preferences since 2015, according to the Education Reform Now report.
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One of them is Pomona College, a top-ranked liberal arts institution that formally announced in 2020 it would not use legacy preferences. Seth Allen, dean of admissions and financial aid, said that the college had not been admitting students based on alumni ties, but the campus had no official policy on the issue.
As other priorities grew — adding more students from low-income, first-generation or international backgrounds and those talented in the arts and athletics — “it became very very clear that we were having a hard time just managing all of the priorities that various parts of the college wanted to see in the class and there would be no way that we could accomplish that and also have something like a legacy policy,” he said.
Allen said there were mixed reviews of Pomona’s decision, including those who feared it would drive away alumni donations. But he said that has not happened, with financial support at or above past levels.
Legacy preferences first came into use in the Ivy League in the 1920s and 1930s — in part, some scholars argue, to bake in historical advantages for white, affluent, Protestant males as highly qualified Jews were beginning to earn more seats at Columbia, Harvard and Yale. Although both Republicans and Democrats have questioned legacy preferences for decades — the late Republican Sen. Bob Dole once called it an unseemly “caste system” in American education — change has been slow as many campuses have defended their legacy policies as a way to instill multigenerational loyalty and ensure alumni engagement and donations.
But the 2019 Varsity Blues admission scandal, which exposed how rich parents bribed their children’s way into elite colleges, prompted some efforts to reel in those advantages. And the ruling against affirmative action has sparked sharp questions over why campuses now barred from considering race in admissions should still be allowed to consider privileged connections to alumni and donors that disproportionately benefit white applicants.
Ting first attempted to cut off state financial aid to institutions giving special treatment to children of alumni and donors after the Varsity Blues scandal. But he watered down his legislation to a data collection bill after the higher education lobby and some fellow Democrats expressed concern that a funding cutoff would jeopardize the ability of low-income students to attend those schools if they could not access Cal Grant financial aid.
Federal prosecutors accused top CEOs, two Hollywood actresses and others of taking part in an audacious scheme to get their children into elite universities through fraud, bribes and lies.
Despite the law’s weaknesses, it compelled private undergraduate campuses that receive Cal Grant funding to publicly disclose their legacy and donor-related admissions data for the first time. Among 72 qualifying institutions, only seven reported that they gave such preferences for the fall 2022 admitted class: USC, Stanford, Santa Clara, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pepperdine University and Vanguard University of Southern California.
USC, in its state report, explained that some students with a connection to the university — through family members who are alumni, donors or potential donors — receive a “special interest tag” in their admission file. The tag does not guarantee acceptance or fast-tracking of their application, USC said. But it gives them a second review by a senior admissions official. That practice of special tags came under scrutiny during the Varsity Blues scandal, which led to criminal convictions against three USC athletics officials and some parents. USC disavowed any quid pro quo of admission for donations in its report to the state.
“Although philanthropy is necessary to sustain any university, there cannot be, and will not be, a system that permits any person to ‘buy’ admission to USC,” the university told the state.
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USC, Stanford and Santa Clara, in statements to The Times, highlighted work with low-income students to consider alongside its special treatment for privileged applicants. USC touted its long-standing program to annually prepare nearly 1,000 underserved middle and high school students for competitive college admissions. Stanford described how it has expanded financial support for students from lower- and middle-income families, including covering tuition, room and board for those with incomes of less than $100,000.
But equity advocates want more.
Shaun Harper, founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, said evidence makes “painfully clear” that beneficiaries of legacy admissions are overwhelmingly white and any unearned advantage is simply inequitable. USC and other prominent campuses need to end legacy admissions in order to accelerate the national campaign for full access and opportunity for all students, he said.
“One of these institutions has to step out first and I would be so proud if it were us,” the USC scholar said. “It’s time.”
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LONDON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Talking Tom and MrBeast just announced a unique collaboration for Talking Tom's 10th birthday party! Starting today, players of My Talking Tom 2, the popular virtual pet game, can unwrap an exclusive surprise from MrBeast himself — a one-of-a-kind outfit. Additionally, Talking Tom and MrBeast are also joining forces with a contribution to the Tebow CURE Hospital for underprivileged children in the Philippines.
"Our collaboration with MrBeast for Talking Tom's 10th anniversary demonstrates our commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences to our players," said Xinyu Qian, CEO of Outfit7. "By offering an exclusive MrBeast outfit and extending our support to the Tebow CURE Hospital, we aim not only to enhance the excitement within the game but also to make a meaningful difference in the lives of underprivileged children."
For a limited time of two weeks, the exclusive MrBeast outfit for Tom can be found in the bedroom wardrobe, or claimed through a pop-up gift box, either on the porch or in the bathroom. As part of the 10th birthday celebration, Tom has also given users a generous gift of 100,000 in-game gold coins, which are still attainable in the game.
In addition to the in-game collaboration, Talking Tom and MrBeast have joined forces to support the Tebow CURE Hospital, which provides assistance to underprivileged children in the Philippines. Together they will support the hospital's activities for a month, enabling them to carry out over 150 surgeries. To ensure sustainable care for the children, the hospital will also receive a year's supply of essential orthopaedic supplies.
Download My Talking Tom 2 now and claim the exclusive MrBeast outfit! It will be available for free in My Talking Tom 2 for a limited time, from July 30 to August 13, 2023.
ABOUT OUTFIT7: Outfit7 Limited is a dynamic force in mobile gaming, reaching a global audience of billions with its award-winning games. Powered by creativity and industry-leading expertise, the company's talented international team of around 400 people pushes the boundaries of the possible every day. Outfit7's 20+ games have now been downloaded worldwide over 21 billion times and up to 470 million fans play with them every month. Its portfolio also includes numerous chart-topping animated series, theme parks, and a licensing program. You can find more information at www.outfit7.com.
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LONDON — Britain said on Monday it will grant hundreds of new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea in a bid for energy independence, ignoring calls from the environmental campaigners and the United Nations to stop the development of new fossil fuel projects.
Sunak, who is traveling to Scotland to formally unveil the package, said Britain will still need fossil fuels even after the country reaches its net zero target. He said it is better to produce oil and natural gas at home rather than rely on foreign leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine sent global energy prices soaring around the globe.
“We have all witnessed how Putin has manipulated and weaponized energy — disrupting supply and stalling growth in countries around the world,’’ Sunak said in a statement. “Now more than ever, it’s vital that we bolster our energy security and capitalize on that independence to deliver more affordable, clean energy to British homes and businesses.’’
The plan comes as Sunak faces pressure to roll back expensive environmental commitments as his Conservative Party scrambles to attract voters amid opinion polls showing that the party is likely toward a crushing defeat in the next general election.
But U.N. scientists and environmental campaigners are calling on government’s around the world to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels after a summer of record high temperatures, drought and floods linked to man-made climate change. Burning oil and gas to power vehicles, factories and electricity generating stations releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide, the main driver of global warming.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised concerns that governments were backtracking on their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions at a time when they should accelerate their efforts.
“The problem is not simply fossil fuel emissions, it’s fossil fuels — period,” Guterres told reporters last month in New York.
“The solution is clear: The world must phase out fossil fuels in a just and equitable way — moving to leave oil, coal and gas in the ground where they belong — and massively boosting renewable investment in a just transition.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/oil-gas-exploration-climate-change/74c0b04a-2f83-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:11 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/oil-gas-exploration-climate-change/74c0b04a-2f83-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
Confession time: In addition to being a food columnist, I am also a member of the performers union SAG-AFTRA. The union went on strike this month, joining the Writers Guild of America in effectively bringing Hollywood to a halt.
I joined the union over a decade ago and am still a member. An inactive member, I should clarify. It’s tough to audition when you’re a full-time journalist. But I still have to abide by SAG-AFTRA rules all the same. Wanting to gauge my fellow performers’ moods following the decision to strike, I did what any good actor would: I headed to the bar.
And I had a 37-cent residuals check in my pocket.
A check for 37 cents isn’t going to get anyone’s blood pumping, but I was in a place where these slips of paper had outsize power: Residuals Tavern, the bar in Studio City popular with industry folks that will, with purchase, generously take your sub-$1 residuals check and give you a drink in return. For the non-actors in the room, a residuals check is a payment you get when a project you’ve done, like a TV show, continues to air after its initial release.
But aside from the walls with framed residuals checks on the way to the bathroom — yes, they do have that — Residuals is like any other neighborhood bar. Darts, jukebox, helpful bartenders and plenty of people sitting around catching the Dodgers game and chatting over their beers and mixed drinks. It just so happens a lot of the people happen to be actors, and many have the strike on their minds.
Strike blues at the bar
Bill Chott may be best known for playing the principal on Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place.” A union actor since 1994, he had been on the picket line earlier at Warner Bros. Chott said that, on the positive side, he’s been able to reconnect with old industry friends, something that became difficult during the pandemic. The negative?
“The negative is the fact that we have to stand out in the hot sun and beg for fair pay,” he said.
Chott said he’s seen a “very noticeable” decrease in his residuals payments over the years. “I used to make a living wage … In between jobs, [the money] I made with the residuals would keep me going and it’s not like that anymore,” he said.
Learn which jobs are impacted by the SAG-AFTRA strike, which movies and TV shows have shut down and where actors can get help.
Actor JJ Phillips, also a SAG-AFTRA member, echoed that sentiment, and called for a restructuring of the residuals system.
“I’ve worked on a few projects on the streaming platforms,” he said. “More often than not, as an actor you are paid less than you would [get] for sometimes even student film work you’ve done at the start of the career, and you receive no back-end pay.”
“These companies continue to make large sums of profit while the talent they’re using don’t really reap any of the benefits,” he said.
The menu at people-watching hangout the Ivy, open since 1980, is unfocused enough that it works in the restaurant’s favor. But did you really come for the food?
Leroy Edwards III, an actor and union member, showed up to the bar in a SAG-AFTRA shirt. He said he supported the strike.
“Residuals and the revenue that is generated for streaming platforms should be more transparent and more commensurate with the cost of living now,” he said. Edwards appeared in the popular Jeffrey Dahmer miniseries on Netflix, one of the streaming service’s most popular titles, which clocked a billion hours viewed in just 60 days.
But Edwards said he hasn’t been properly compensated.
“If the network is claiming a billion streams or two billions or whatever it is, if the platform is claiming that, my residuals should be commensurate with that and I don’t feel that it is,” he said.
Edwards also noted the importance of increasing wages “so that more actors can get access to healthcare.” Currently, members must have $26,470 in earnings in a 12-month period to qualify. “That’s a big thing,” Edwards said.
‘I’ve been scanned twice’
Then there’s the question of artificial intelligence, which some writers and performers (and frankly journalists) fear could threaten their livelihoods and, ultimately, put them out of work completely.
Actor Leah Caruana, who joined the union in 2017, has experienced it firsthand. Caruana works as a background and stand-in performer in major productions, often multiple times per week. “My bread-and-butter job is working on set,” she said.
“AI directly affects me,” Caruana said. “I’ve been scanned twice.”
Wait — scanned?
Caruana said that she’s undergone full body scans on sets as a background actor, ostensibly for the purposes of inserting her into other scenes when crowds need to be digitally created.
She described being rounded up with other actors and taken into a truck, one by one, and lifted up on a pedestal to be scanned by a sea of cameras.
“The cameras are all around you. Cameras up, down, probably 250 cameras around you. And it takes a picture all at once and then … all the photographs get loaded up into a database or whatever and then that’s it,” she said.
Caruana said she had no choice to opt out, and that she received no additional pay.
“There’s something sick about the whole situation, about being scanned and not having an option,” she said. On one production, she added, she managed to avoid scanning by hiding in the bathroom while it was being done.
Background actors are near the bottom of the entertainment hierarchy and were unlikely to question a practice like this for fear of losing work, she said.
“You’re not going to throw a fit. You’re not going to make a big deal out of something. You want to be called onset. You want to be the person that they call,” Caruana said.
Caruana firmly believes in the necessity of the strike. “The strike is something that needs to be done to get the attention that these issues deserve,” she said.
Domino effect on workers
Actors aren’t the only ones affected by the work stoppage.
Freelance production worker Eric Ligocki noted that while actors and writers are the ones most obviously affected by the strike, people who work behind the scenes, like him, suffer too. “I have nothing lined up right now,” he said.
Ligocki said the economic situation was stressful, but said that the strike “needs to be done.”
“There’s less work across the board, for everybody. Besides obviously the actors and the writers… you’ve got grips, electric, camera department, transportation, there’s no jobs happening right now. There’s no shows being shot. For every actor that’s striking and writer that’s striking, there’s 15 … crew members who aren’t working either,” he said.
The Hollywood writers strike affects a culinary ecosystem dependent on catering, private events and business lunches. Some restaurants face big losses, but many are still rallying behind the strike and sending food to picket lines.
As for me and my 37-cent check, it’s emblematic of the steadily decreasing stream of payments from a run of small parts on TV shows I did many years ago. Yes, I too have experienced residuals shrinkage.
I could once reliably expect a couple hundred bucks every so often after airings of episodes of “New Girl” or “Jane the Virgin” that I appeared in. My checks have gotten steadily smaller, and now I’m getting checks for 37 cents. Multiple times, I’ve gotten payments that, after deductions, amounted to a penny — or less. That’s right, I’ve received a check in the mail for zero before.
But now was not the time to focus on that: I was going to cash in on my nearly-free beverage. I walked up to the bar, check in hand, when I realized I’d made a mistake. I’d already deposited the check. The friendly bartender apologized — checks had to be uncashed.
It was just as well — I’m not much of a drinker anyway.
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-07-31/actors-strike-bar-residuals-los-angeles-sag-aftra-wga | 2023-07-31T10:44:12 | 1 | https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-07-31/actors-strike-bar-residuals-los-angeles-sag-aftra-wga |
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://pix11.com/business/ap-business/ap-you-pick-farms-lose-customers-and-crops-through-heat-drought-and-haze-in-iowa/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:11 | 0 | https://pix11.com/business/ap-business/ap-you-pick-farms-lose-customers-and-crops-through-heat-drought-and-haze-in-iowa/ |
Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here’s a look at that investigation
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 PHONE CALLS
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.
FAKE ELECTORS
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.
FALSE CLAIMS OF ELECTION FRAUD
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.
ALLEGED ATTEMPTS TO PRESSURE ELECTION WORKER
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.
ELECTION EQUIPMENT ACCESSED
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 RESIGNATION
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:13 | 1 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ |
16TH annual event features turtles named after characters in Disney's frighteningly fun adventure movie, "Haunted Mansion," now playing in theaters.
VERO BEACH, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the weekend at Disney's Vero Beach Resort, researchers from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) and Disney Conservation released two sea turtles as part of the 16th annual Tour de Turtles "migration marathon." Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational event that follows the migration of sea turtles from their nesting beaches to their feeding grounds and, ultimately, provides scientific data on how best to protect their species.
The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) and Disney Cruise Line are each sponsoring a turtle this year, whose names, Madame Leota and Harriet, are the names of characters in Disney's frighteningly fun adventure movie "Haunted Mansion," now playing in theaters. Not unlike Gabbie, another character in the film who enlists a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters – Tour de Turtles brings together a team of researchers from the STC and Disney Conservation annually to undertake a daunting mission - using satellite telemetry to track two female turtles to determine where and how far they swim during the migration season.
Each turtle swims to raise awareness about various threats to sea turtle survival. The turtle to swim the furthest distance will win the Tour de Turtles race.
"Disney's commitment to sea turtle conservation in Vero Beach spans 20 years, and we are very proud to have recently watched our 1.5 millionth sea turtle hatchling leave the nest and shuffle its way to the ocean," said Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney's Animals, Science and Environment. "Southeast Florida hosts one of the largest nesting aggregations of loggerhead sea turtles, making up to 40 percent of the global loggerhead population. The team has recorded more than 20,000 sea turtle nests on our survey route since the program began."
The data collected during Tour de Turtles helps researchers, conservationists and governing agencies make more informed decisions about sea turtle conservation and management. Since the launch of the event in 2008, STC and Disney have collaborated to study 29 sea turtles outfitted with satellite transmitters and released from Disney's Vero Beach Resort. Continuing its commitment to strengthen youth education programs in port communities around the world, Disney Cruise Line proudly supported local students from Club Esteem from Melbourne, Florida, to participate in this year's event. DCF also has directed more than $5.1 million to support global sea turtle conservation efforts.
"Disney is a fantastic collaborator," said David Godfrey, STC Executive Director. "Disney's commitment to conservation, passion for environmental education, and effectiveness at communicating with audiences have made the Tour de Turtles a fun and successful program since it was launched over a decade ago."
In addition to Tour de Turtles, the Disney Conservation team has dedicated nearly 19,000 hours to studying and monitoring sea turtle nests during the summer nesting season along the five-mile coastline at Disney's Vero Beach Resort. From approximately May to October, Disney Vacation Club members and resort guests also have the opportunity to assist the team by joining outings to observe real-time sea turtle research while learning how they can take action to protect sea turtles. So far this year, the Disney Conservation team has a record-breaking number of nests along their survey route – nearly 2,000 by August, well above the average 1,500 normally counted in an entire season.
Tour de Turtles is a research and education program of the Sea Turtle Conservancy and Disney's support is just one example of bringing Disney Planet Possible to life by taking action to make a happier, healthier planet possible for all. To learn more and follow the turtles' migration, visit the Tour de Turtles website at www.tourdeturtles.org
ABOUT DISNEY'S VERO BEACH RESORT
Disney's Vero Beach Resort, a Disney Vacation Club Resort, offers spacious vacation villas along the pristine Atlantic coastline. The resort is located less than a two-hour drive from the Walt Disney World Resort, and its design reflects the Treasure Coast region where it is situated. Disney Vacation Club, a leader in vacation ownership, debuted in 1991 with a flexible, vacation points-based system rather than the traditional fixed-week timeshare model. Disney Vacation Club Members are able to choose from among a variety of exciting vacation destinations, including a stay at any Disney Vacation Club Resort or one of thousands of other vacation options in destinations around the world.
ABOUT DISNEY'S "HAUNTED MANSION"
Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, Disney's "Haunted Mansion" is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.
Directed by Justin Simien, the film features an all-star cast ensemble including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon and Daniel Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost. The film's producers are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serving as executive producers.
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SOURCE Walt Disney World | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tour-de-turtles-celebrates-sea-turtles-supernatural-science-disneys-vero-beach-resort/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:14 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/tour-de-turtles-celebrates-sea-turtles-supernatural-science-disneys-vero-beach-resort/ |
Rarely has a movie timed the zeitgeist as perfectly as Oppenheimer, the story of a man, and all humanity, becoming “death, the destroyer of worlds.” Real life seems hell-bent on imitating art these days.
Putin has, over the past 500 days or so, destroyed each of the norms that developed during the Cold War to prevent an atomic arms race and Armageddon. First, he’s broken the nuclear taboo, by casually threatening the use of such diabolical weapons. Second, he’s undermined the consensus against nuclear proliferation, by demonstrating that foregoing nukes — as Ukraine did in the 1990s — leaves a nation vulnerable to people like him. Third, he’s chipped at the barrier between bad and good uses of fission, by turning the Ukrainian nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, occupied by his troops since last March, into a potential weapon of war.
Russian television, propaganda, intelligentsia and society have taken their leader’s cue and normalized atomic intimidation, sometimes with apocalyptic hysterics. Sergei Karaganov, once an esteemed Russian defense-policy pundit, launched a particularly disturbing debate by asserting that the way to restore the West’s diminished fear of Russia’s power was for the Kremlin to drop tactical atomic bombs — not on Ukraine, but on eastern European countries that belong to NATO. The US-led West, Karaganov is sure, won’t dare to retaliate.
No matter that Karaganov doesn’t speak for the Kremlin, or that other Russian voices tried to temper his Dr. Strangelove logic. What matters is that in the space of a year the tone of nuclear geopolitics has deteriorated in ways not even the pessimists, like me, considered possible. This year, Putin also suspended New START, the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia. And he placed tactical warheads in his neighboring quasi-vassal state of Belarus.
The growing importance of such tactical warheads, designed to win battles rather than incinerate nations, is what worries me most. Russia has more than 1,900 tactical nukes, roughly ten times more than the US. (The limitations of the START treaties applied only to longer-range “strategic” nukes.) And those are the weapons Putin has been menacing with. He appears to think that such “limited” nuclear warfare can compensate for his army’s revealed shortcomings in conventional warfare. And he seems to assume that tactical warheads, because they’re smaller, would blur the line at which the US would retaliate with its own nuclear strikes.
This assumption is unfathomably dangerous. It’s true that the US and its allies, in order to try to control escalation spirals, have decided to punish Putin for first use of a tactical nuke “only” with a debilitating conventional strike against Russian forces, probably those in Ukraine. But Putin or his successors, faced with catastrophic defeat and demise, would then have even more incentive to use additional tactical nukes. How would the West respond to those subsequent strikes, especially if they irradiate, or even hit, NATO territory?
The reality — and the factor that Karaganov willfully ignored — is that game theory cannot reliably forecast or quantify the risks of escalation once even the first warhead detonates. One scientific simulation modeled how a single Russian tactical strike, in the space of less than an hour, escalates into a full nuclear exchange that leaves 44 million dead and 57 million injured, not counting the radiation fatalities that come later. As US President Joe Biden put it, “I don’t think there’s any such thing as an ability to easily use a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.”
At first glance, the logic of deterrence might suggest that the US should try to close this gap in tactical nukes vis-a-vis Russia as part of the ongoing “modernization” of its atomic arsenal. Only $6 billion of the $756 billion that the Congressional Budget Office projects America will spend over the next decade on upgrading its nuclear forces is slated to go to tactical weapons, and only $3 billion to their modernization. That’s after the Biden administration canceled a program to build tactical nukes launched on cruise missiles from ships. Given what Putin is up to, isn’t that unwise?Not really. That, at least, is the near-consensus among many in the nuclear know. It’s a mistake to think that enemy powers could trade tactical strikes indefinitely, says Daryl Kimball, head of the Arms Control Association in Washington, DC. The damage would be so devastating so quickly that the conflict would either end or escalate to strategic nukes and Armageddon. So there’s no military rationale for having more than a few dozen tactical weapons.
The distinction between strategic and tactical nukes isn’t helpful, adds Jeffrey Lewis, a nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. The categories were created when the Soviets and Americans started negotiating about arms control during the Cold War, and wanted to include or exclude specific weapons they had. The logic of deterrence instead remains the same no matter the weapon: You need to persuade your adversary that any resort to nuclear warfare will never succeed and will be answered with unacceptable destruction.
This suggests that the US already has the appropriate strategy for situations such as Putin’s war of aggression and nuclear bluster. It is, first, to maintain conventional military prowess so overwhelming that Putin could never gain anything from dropping a tactical nuke — the US would obliterate his forces with non-nuclear firepower. Second, it is to remind Putin that any apocalyptic turn, including nuclear launches at the West, would be answered in kind. The Cold War logic of “mutual assured destruction” still holds.
What complicates the longer-term picture is that a new arms race is also underway. China, a relatively small nuclear power with about 410 warheads, plans to rapidly increase its stockpile to 1,000 this decade, with an ultimate goal of reaching parity with the US and Russia. That doesn’t mean China is a destabilizing factor yet. Its president, Xi Jinping, has done more than anybody else so far to restrain Putin, by telling his nominal “friend” face-to-face not to use a nuke, lest he lose Beijing’s support.
But China’s ambitions make arms control, never easy, fiendishly difficult. Even in the previous situation of two nuclear superpowers and seven middling or minor powers, the game theory of disarmament and nonproliferation negotiations has stretched human cognition to its limits. China joining the US and Russia as an atomic superpower will turn that constellation into a “three-body problem” — the kind that’s been driving scientists crazy ever since Isaac Newton tried and failed to go from modeling the earth and moon to considering those two and the sun as well.
For starters, should the US view Russia and China as separate threats, or potentially as one combined adversary? In that case, America would need to scale up its arsenal dramatically. That would be economically ruinous. It would also make the Chinese even more paranoid about US intentions, prompting them to accelerate their production.
Then there’s the prospect of proliferation. As North Korea adds to its nuclear stockpile, South Koreans become more likely to build their own nukes. If Iran crosses the atomic threshold and makes its own warheads, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and others in the region will eventually follow.
The surprising conclusion for the US, nonetheless, is that America already has the right strategy and should stick to it. That, too, is leadership — not to let wannabe tsars and tin-pot dictators provoke a superpower into runaway arms races. With the so-called Global South watching, it behooves Washington to demonstrate that it — not Beijing or Moscow — is the responsible actor in world affairs.
For purposes of deterring Russia, China and all other adversaries, the US doesn’t actually need all the nukes it already has, Jon Wolfsthal, the nuclear specialist on the National Security Council during the administration of Barack Obama, told me. So “modernization” is mainly about updating existing systems, from the warheads to the triad of delivery mechanisms on land, at sea and in the air. And that’s about right.
Beyond that, the US must signal that it’ll always stay open to negotiations, with Russia, China or any combination of countries. In time, and under different leaders in Moscow and other capitals, these talks could progress to encompass a global nuclear freeze, and eventually even the worldwide prohibition of nuclear weapons.
Until then, the US is right to deter, with conventional military superiority and the nuclear arsenal it has. Admittedly, even that thought doesn’t provide much comfort. The dirty secret of deterrence is that it works until it fails, and when it fails, it fails spectacularly.
Hence the anxiety ever present since 1945, when Robert Oppenheimer tested the first atomic bomb. While building it, the scientists worried that the blast might set off a chain reaction that would destroy the whole world, Oppenheimer tells Albert Einstein at the end of the new movie in cinemas now. “What of it?”, asks Einstein. “I believe we did,” replies Oppenheimer. And then the atoms start splitting.
More From Bloomberg Opinion:
•
NATO Convoys Can Protect Ukraine’s Grain Harvest From Putin: James Stavridis
•
Even a Small Nuclear War Would Mean Mass Famine: Faye Flam
•
Hiroshima Is the Place You Must Visit in Japan: Howard Chua-Eoan
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of “Hannibal and Me.”
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
©2023 Bloomberg L.P. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/russia-s-tactical-nukes-aren-t-a-game-changer-for-us-doctrine/f01c6832-2f84-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:17 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/russia-s-tactical-nukes-aren-t-a-game-changer-for-us-doctrine/f01c6832-2f84-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
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After gently placing the rockfish onto the table, Dwight Hwang paints the top layer of fish with a light layer of onyx Japanese sumi ink. Next, he carefully presses a delicate sheet of washi (mulberry paper) over the fish’s scaly surface to make a print in a video for Positively Groundfish, a nonprofit educating consumers about West Coast fisheries.
“It’s essentially the Japanese version of taxidermy,” says Hwang, a Korean American artist and fluent Japanese speaker, about the Japanese art form of gyotaku — “fish rubbing” in Japanese — a way that local fishermen would commemorate their catches before eating the fish. “Photography was limited, and this 19th-century practice is a faithfully recorded document.”
The art form is simple but difficult to master. First, paint one side of the fish with sumi ink, place washi paper atop, then use your fingers to press over the surface to make a print. Hwang sticks to three traditional ingredients to remain faithful to the classical technique he’s lovingly borrowed from another culture: “the ink, the paper, and the fish” and restricts himself from fixing mistakes or adding embellishments besides painting in the eye. His deceased fish models are mostly sourced from fishmongers and commercial captains such as Rex Ito at Primetime Seafood and Tommy Gomes.
His marine-focused art has gained fans among restaurateurs, art collectors and hotels such as the Four Seasons Sensei Lanai in Hawaii and Wynn Las Vegas. Through his work, he shares his passion for the sea and highlights the Japanese cultural love and admiration for simple, fleeting pleasures while sparking conversations about the vulnerability of marine life due to human interference and our changing oceans.
“I love anything fish related; it’s how I’m wired,” says Hwang. During a seven-year stint in Tokyo as a film storyboard artist, he was excited to discover gyotaku prints displayed in sushi restaurants and tackle shops. He became obsessed with the art form, learning techniques in his free time from YouTube videos. “It took about three years for me to finally get something that looked like a fish,” he said. “That’s when it started to get exciting.”
Finding this new passion made him realize that after working for more than 20 years in the movie industry, he was burnt out and rarely saw his kid. After his wife, Hazel Hwang, persuaded him to pursue gyotaku as a career, his first client was Patagonia, which purchased his “Trout Leaping Towards Dragonfly” piece for the book cover of “Simple Fly Fishing” in 2018.
Hwang’s naturalistic artwork reminds the fly-fishing reader to be more “mindful that fishing isn’t possible without a healthy river system,” says Karla Olson, books publisher at Patagonia. “We want readers to recognize the need to protect the places where they play — many of which are under threat.”
Chan Quach flies his macaws in L.A. parks, rides his bike with them and takes them out to eat. It’s all part of his mission to make L.A. love birds.
That first piece led to a multicity tour teaching gyotaku workshops at Patagonia stores, exposing new audiences to the art form. In Toronto, Hwang collaborated with local marine biologists and activists to highlight an epidemic of “salmon milking,” in which migrating female salmon are killed for their eggs. “I saw pictures of salmon carcasses with bellies ripped open, littering local riverbanks, parks and trails. Patagonia wanted us to print one of these desecrated salmon in front of an audience,” says Hwang.
That salmon was tough to print, with bloody exposed wounds and guts. With the help of his wife, he printed the fish from a bottom-angled perspective to highlight the cut belly, which is more complex than the traditional technique of printing the flattest side of the fish. The resulting piece is haunting; the delicate black and white fish deformed with jarring splotches of dangling brown guts.
Other times, his art is more uplifting, as with a print of California’s critically endangered giant sea bass.
“The artwork starts a wonderful dialogue, not only because of its endangered status but for the excellent conservation work,” says Hwang.
That conservation work has helped giant sea bass numbers rebound so much since 2004, when they were first listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, that some marine researchers have recommended reevaluating their status.
“I try to work with artists like Dwight who can translate our data in a way that’s accessible,” says Sarah L. Mesnick, ecologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries division Fisheries, who collaborates with artists to create educational and outreach materials. “Scientists can tell you about sardines, anchovy and mackerel, but it’s just a long list of names and data. By coupling our scientific work with artists, we can transmit messages in a format the public finds fun and fascinating, so I see art as a bridge between science and the public.”
Hwang made a particularly visceral piece in collaboration with scientists in 2022 after a rare and monstrous angler fish washed up in Newport Beach. There are only about 30 specimens in collections worldwide, but this was the third time one had appeared on a beach in California in a couple of years.
“The fish is bizarre, both cute and demonic, and the texture feels like you’re dipping your hands into jello covered in cactus spines. It’s really weird, and printing it is particularly challenging; it’s as if the fish doesn’t want to be printed,” says Hwang.
His work was displayed at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, inspiring discussion about why the anglerfish keeps washing up in California. “It also brings up the vast mysteries of the ocean and the world, reminding us that there is a larger world of organisms besides us,” says Hwang.
Malibu beaches lined with mansions may seem private, but they’re not. Here’s how to enjoy hidden spots with wonky access rules.
Besides the riddles of the ocean, Hwang’s work often hits closer to the heart, as when he and his wife went to La Jolla to print the eye of a deceased dolphin calf, which looks similar to a human eye.
At a Santa Barbara Maritime Museum exhibit featuring the eye print in 2019, Hwang observed visitors discussing the calf’s death. “Some mourned the baby dolphin, but plenty of folks related to the mother, who has to live with the memory of her baby’s death,” says Hwang.
Although his work is meant to remind viewers to value life’s fleeting moments, it’s also reoriented his own priorities.
“I’m my own boss and spend 24-7 with my wife and kid, a huge contrast from being on sets from 12 to 16 hours per day,” Hwang says.
His 10-year-old son Weston is also well-versed in gyotaku. “During public demos and workshops, he’s right next to me, helping out and advising,” Hwang says. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2023-07-31/dwight-hwang-gyotaku-japanese-art-form-fish-paintings | 2023-07-31T10:44:18 | 1 | https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2023-07-31/dwight-hwang-gyotaku-japanese-art-form-fish-paintings |
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://pix11.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:18 | 0 | https://pix11.com/entertainment/ap-entertainment/ap-the-barbie-bonanza-continues-at-the-box-office-oppenheimer-holds-the-no-2-spot/ |
The Nation's Largest Network for Affordable Housing Protects Consumers from Unfair Fees and Costs
BOCA RATON, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AffordableHousing.com today announced it will join the White House and a compendium of government agencies and other private sector companies in large-scale efforts to end junk fees and ensure that Americans are provided with honest, transparent pricing. More than 100 million property searches per year are performed on AffordableHousing.com–the largest platform for affordable housing in the nation.
"For decades, families have relied on us to help them find affordable housing," says Richard Cupelli, CEO at AffordableHousing.com. "We take pride in advocating for these families, so it was a natural fit for us to join forces with the Administration and other socially responsible companies to help protect consumers in our industry."
On July 19, 2023, the White House published a Fact Sheet announcing its crack-down on junk fees in the rental market, highlighting private-sector commitments supporting this initiative made by the three major rental housing platforms: AffordableHousing.com, Zillow, and Apartments.com.
Late last year, the President called on federal agencies, Congress, and private companies to take action to address junk fees across the economy. The initiative aims to ensure Americans are provided with honest, transparent pricing. By February 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced proposed rules limiting credit card late fees. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finalized a rule requiring cable and internet providers to list fees up front. And the Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed a requirement for airlines and booking services show the full price of a plane ticket, including baggage and other fees.
In March, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge released an open letter to housing providers and state and local governments, encouraging them to adopt policies promoting greater fairness and transparency of fees faced by renters. Substantial research shows such fees obstruct comparison shopping, impede competition, and lead to consumers paying more.
A long-standing resource for families seeking affordable housing, AffordableHousing.com has policies in place supporting this transparency and protecting its customers from unfair fees.
Renters can search available properties free on AffordableHousing.com, and property owners are required to be upfront about all refundable and non-refundable rental fees and costs. AffordableHousing.com also does not charge rental application fees.
"Our socially responsible technology platform has allowed us to establish the largest network of affordable housing in the nation," says Cupelli. "We understand the accountability that comes with our standing in the industry and the trust that our customers place in us."
As a hub for housing agencies across the nation, AffordableHousing.com also allows state and local governments to have their own customized website that serves their local community, enforces their specific regulatory requirements, centralizes all affordable housing, and simplifies the application and approval process.
"We are working with AffordableHousing.com to implement the Vermont Affordable Housing Hub, which will allow families to easily find and apply to all affordable housing in the state," says Kathleen Berk, Executive Director at Vermont State Housing Authority. "By utilizing AffordableHousing.com's custom housing hub to build our state-specific site, we can streamline compliance with state laws, which have strict application fee guidelines. We can also add safeguards to protect our families by providing the Clear and Fair Lease template for property owners to use. These leases will also comply with affordable housing programs, like Section 8."
AffordableHousing.com also rewards reputable property owners. Those with a history of good standing can qualify for a Trusted Owner Badge, which ensures their credibility to prospective renters on the site and increases consumer confidence. Trusted Owners also receive prominent listing status.
Earning and maintaining status as a Trusted Owner requires providing various levels of documentation to verify qualifications and authenticity, adhering to all relevant federal, state, and local laws, and complying with the site's reasonable fee guidelines.
Together with its research partner, Learning Collider (www.learningcollider.org), AffordableHousing.com is conducting research into the real cost of administrative fees, the impact of fee transparency in rental listings, and the effectiveness of platform features like the common application for rental and government programs—an endeavor that the company has been urging agencies to adopt for years.
"Our research partnership with AffordableHousing.com has allowed us to analyze the impacts of rental fees on low-income families in real-time," says Peter Bergman, Professor at UT Austin and Director of the Learning Collider research lab. "Together, we are advancing research to identify junk fees and establish transparent fee practices, easing the path to affordable rentals for families across the U.S."
The President announced in latest White House Fact Sheet, released on July 27, 2023, further plans to protect renters, naming AffordableHousing.com as an ally in the initiative and endorsing the site's plans to deploy additional consumer protection tools by the end of the year, including "Clear and Fair" digital leases, which will align with the principles outlined in the White House Blueprint for a Renter Bill of Rights. Property owners who use these "Clear and Fair" digital leases will be acknowledged on AffordableHousing.com.
About AffordableHousing.com: For more than 20 years, AffordableHousing.com has provided innovative technology and real solutions that help solve some of the most complex challenges impacting the availability of affordable housing in the United States. By simplifying access to available resources, AffordableHousing.com boosts participation in government programs, increasing the much-needed supply of affordable housing nationwide, and providing more homes to more families.
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SOURCE AffordableHousing.com | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:21 | 0 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/white-house-announces-partnership-with-affordablehousingcom-end-junk-fees/ |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An escalating dispute over a gas field in the Persian Gulf poses an early challenge to a Chinese-brokered agreement to reconcile regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that it would not tolerate any infringement on its rights, echoing remarks by the country’s oil minister the previous day. Last week, Kuwait’s oil minister told Sky News Arabia that his country would commence drilling and production without waiting for a deal.
Saudi Arabia has sided with Kuwait, saying the two countries have exclusive ownership of the field, and has called on Iran to return to negotiations.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have backed opposite sides in conflicts across the Middle East and accused each other of destabilizing the region, agreed in March to restore diplomatic relations following a seven-year freeze. They have since reopened embassies and welcomed senior officials on visits.
But they continue to back opposite sides in Yemen’s civil war, which is ongoing despite a 15-month cease-fire. Saudi Arabia is also in negotiations with the United States over potentially normalizing relations with Israel, which Iran’s leaders have said should be wiped off the map.
It’s unclear whether the dispute over the gas field, which goes back to the 1960s, will escalate beyond rhetoric. But tensions are already high in the Persian Gulf, where the U.S. is building up military forces in response to what it says is Iran’s unlawful seizure of oil tankers and harassment of commercial vessels.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed last year to jointly develop the gas field. Kuwait said at the time that they aimed to produce 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 84,000 barrels of liquefied gas per day. Iran denounced the agreement as illegal and said it should be included in any such plans. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/saudi-iran-kuwait-gas-field-dispute/1540df18-2f8e-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:23 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/saudi-iran-kuwait-gas-field-dispute/1540df18-2f8e-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
Letters to the Editor: Rescuing a dog is rewarding, but comes with challenges
To the editor: My heart goes out to the Karrers and Snoopy, their rescue dog who attacked a pit bull.
Loving a dog who has even sporadic aggression issues is like living with an alcoholic. You’re always looking for signs of trouble, and too often, those materialize.
The belief that no dog is genetically disposed to aggression is untrue. I know of several dogs from a non-aggressive breed, born years apart from the same parents, that have exerted very aggressive behavior, despite loving care from birth.
Often, people outside your household don’t understand. They see your calm dog for a few minutes or hours and remain convinced your dog isn’t capable of aggression.
Working with recommended trainers produced scant progress until I took my dog to a behaviorist. A “relaxation protocol” helped immensely. My dog and I now have a near normal relationship, but there are still signs of aggression. A “loaded gun with no safety” indeed. I know the feeling.
Ray McKown, Torrance
..
To the editor: I commend the writer for choosing to participate in canine antiaggression classes and for using all manner of reasonable precautions to do all he can to ensure that no future conflicts between his dog, Snoopy, and another dog will happen.
While it may be true that some rescue dogs found at our city shelters might come with issues, all of mine, while a tad shy at first, proved to be issue-free and companionable for the extent of their long lives. Each has its own individual character and particular personality — as do humans!
That some rescue dogs prove to be problematic is a truth which is born out in disturbing detail in some harrowing reports. It is understandable that insurance carriers do not choose to extend their services to various breeds given the history of some of these more troubling, even lethal incidents.
Dogs that are sourced from irresponsible breeders or puppy mills are possibly suspect, so one is always wise to investigate the history of an animal you bring into your home, as much as you can.
Let us hope that this can be a reminder to all readers of the seriousness and responsibility of being a good guardian to a rescued dog, and that all will continue to be well with the writer and Snoopy!
Elaine Livesey-Fassel, Los Angeles | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/story/2023-07-31/aggressive-dog-rescue-animals | 2023-07-31T10:44:24 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/story/2023-07-31/aggressive-dog-rescue-animals |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:26 | 0 | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-a-boom-in-apartment-construction-is-helping-to-curb-rents-but-not-all-renters-will-benefit/ |
Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here’s a look at that investigation
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 PHONE CALLS
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.
FAKE ELECTORS
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.
FALSE CLAIMS OF ELECTION FRAUD
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.
ALLEGED ATTEMPTS TO PRESSURE ELECTION WORKER
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.
ELECTION EQUIPMENT ACCESSED
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 RESIGNATION
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kold.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:26 | 1 | https://www.kold.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ |
- Revenue of RMB9,908 Million in the Second Quarter, Up 6.7% Year-over-Year;
Excluding COVID-19 Commercial Projects, Up 39.5% - Revenue of RMB18,871 Million in the First Half, Up 6.3% Year-over-Year;
Excluding COVID-19 Commercial Projects, Up 27.9% - Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company for the First Half Increased 14.6% to RMB 5,313 Million
- Diluted Earnings per Share (EPS) for the First Half Increased 20.9% to RMB1.79
- Adjusted Non-IFRS Net Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company for the First Half Increased 18.5% to RMB5,095 Million
- Adjusted Non-IFRS Diluted EPS for the First Half Increased 18.5% to RMB1.73[1]
- Free Cash Flow Achieved RMB2,926 Million for the First Half, Turned Positive and Grew Strongly
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi AppTec (stock code: 603259.SH / 2359.HK), a global company that provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients, is pleased to announce its financial results for the first half ending June 30, 2023 ("Reporting Period").
This release provides a summary of the results and is not intended to be a comprehensive report. For additional information, please refer to the 2023 Interim Report and other relevant announcements published on the websites of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (www.sse.com.cn) and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (www.hkexnews.hk), and the designated media for dissemination of the relevant information. Investors are advised to exercise caution and be aware of the investment risks in trading Company shares.
All financial information disclosed in this press release is prepared based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in currency of RMB.
The 2023 Interim Report of the Company has not been audited.
Second Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights
Revenue grew 6.7% year-over-year to RMB9,908 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 39.5%. This is primarily attributable to the Company's continued excellent execution of our unique Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) business model to achieve strong synergy and continuous growth:
- WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 2.6% year-over-year to RMB7,034 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 51.6%. Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 12.9% year-over-year to RMB3,216 million, with a gross profit margin of 45.7%.
- WuXi Testing revenue grew 23.6% year-over-year to RMB1,638 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 36.2% year-over-year to RMB640 million, with a gross profit margin of 39.1%.
- WuXi Biology revenue grew 17.5% year-over-year to RMB656 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 21.3% year-over-year to RMB 271 million, with a gross profit margin of 41.4%.
- WuXi ATU revenue grew 22.9% year-over-year to RMB389 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit was RMB(16) million, with a gross profit margin of (4.2)%
- WuXi DDSU revenue declined 17.9% year-over-year to RMB176 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew year-over-year 5.2% to RMB63 million, with a gross profit margin of 35.8%. Meanwhile, we received the first royalty income from customers in the second quarter, which is a breakthrough for DDSU.
Unit: RMB million
- IFRS gross profit increased 18.1% year-over-year to RMB4,030 million. Gross profit margin was 40.7%[2]
- Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit increased 16.4% year-over-year to RM4,177 million. Adjusted non-IFRS gross margin was 42.2%.
- Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 5.1% year-over-year to RMB3,145 million.
- Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 22.4% year-over-year to RMB2,753 million.
First-Half 2023 Financial Highlights
Revenue grew 6.3% year-over-year to RMB18,871 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 27.9%. This is primarily attributable to the Company's continued excellent execution of our unique Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) business model to achieve strong synergy and continuous growth:
- WuXi Chemistry revenue grew 3.8% year-over-year to RMB13,467 million, excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, revenue grew strongly by 36.1%. Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 14.9% year-over-year to RMB6,103 million, with a gross profit margin of 45.3%.
- WuXi Testing revenue grew 18.7% year-over-year to RMB3,091 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 26.1% year-over-year to RMB1,168 million, with a gross profit margin of 37.8%.
- WuXi Biology revenue grew 13.0% year-over-year to RMB1,233 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit grew 15.1% year-over-year to RMB511 million, with a gross profit margin of 41.5%.
- WuXi ATU revenue grew 16.0% year-over-year to RMB714 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit was RMB(40) million, with a gross profit margin of (5.7)%.
- WuXi DDSU revenue declined 24.9% year-over-year to RMB342 million and adjusted non-IFRS gross profit declined 26.2% year-over-year to RMB103 million, with a gross profit margin of 30.1%. Meanwhile, DDSU achieved a breakthrough in receiving the first royalty income from customers.
Unit: RMB million
- IFRS gross profit increased 17.6% year-over-year to RMB7,556 million. Gross profit margin was 40.0%[3].
- Adjusted non-IFRS gross profit increased 15.7% year-over-year to RMB7,855 million. Adjusted non-IFRS gross margin was 41.6%.
- Net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 14.6% year-over-year to RMB 5,313 million.
- Adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 18.5% year-over-year to RMB5,095 million.
- Diluted EPS increased 20.9% year-over-year to RMB1.79, while adjusted diluted non-IFRS EPS increased by 18.5% year-over-year to RMB1.73.
- Free cash flow achieved RMB2,926 million, turned positive and grew strongly year-over-year.
First-Half 2023 Business Operation Highlights
- As an industry innovation enabler, we grow together with our customers. In the first half of 2023, we added over 600 new customers, and in total we served more than 6,000 active customers over the past 12 months. Backlog grew 25% year-over-year excluding COVID-19 commercial projects. We continued to optimize our cross-platform synergies to better serve our customers worldwide, strengthen our unique competitive advantage as a fully integrated Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) and Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CTDMO) platform, and provide one-stop services for our customers from discovery to development and manufacturing. The diversified revenue streams from customers across regions ensure the stability and resilience of the Company's financial performance.
- WuXi Chemistry: Integrated CRDMO Business Model Drives Steady Growth, with Continued Expansion in New Modalities (WuXi TIDES)
- In the past 12 months, we successfully synthesized and delivered more than 420,000 new compounds to customers, which grew 20% year-over-year. Through our chemistry drug discovery services, we enabled our customers to accelerate their research while generating opportunities for our downstream business units. In the past 12 months, 120 molecules have transitioned from R to D&M, representing a year-on-year growth of 21%. Through our "follow-the-customer" and "follow-the-molecule" strategies, we established trusted partnerships with our global customers, supporting the sustainable growth of our CRDMO business.
- We continued executing our "long-tail" strategy. Demand from "long-tail" customers in discovery services of small molecule and new modalities continued to grow, with the number of new customers growing 17% year-over-year.
- In the first half of 2023, D&M services revenue grew 2.1% year-over-year to RMB9.67 billion. Excluding COVID-19 commercial projects, D&M services revenue grew strongly by 54.5%.
- In the first half of 2023, we added 583 molecules to our D&M pipeline. To date, our D&M pipeline consists of 2,819 molecules, including 56 commercial projects, 59 in phase III, 301 in phase II and 2,403 in phase I and pre-clinical stages, among which, 8 commercial and phase III projects were added in the first half of 2023.
- In the first half of 2023, TIDES revenue grew 37.9% year-over-year to RMB1.33 billion. As of June 30, 2023, backlog of TIDES grew strongly by 188% year-over-year. We expect revenue growth from TIDES business to exceed 70% in 2023.
- The number of TIDES D&M customers increased 25% year-over-year to 121, and the number of TIDES molecules increased 46% year-over-year to 207.
- WuXi Testing: Lab Testing Services Drive Steady Growth, Clinical Business Fully Recovered
- The Company provides a full range of laboratory testing services for our customers, including drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), toxicology, and bioanalysis for drug development testing, as well as medical device testing. We provide customers with high-quality services, realize "one report for global submission," and enable customers to save time, reduce costs and increase efficiency.
- H1 2023 revenue from drug safety evaluation services grew 24% year-over-year. We maintained our industry leadership position in Asia Pacific for drug safety evaluation services that meet global regulatory requirements. In the first half of 2023, new lab testing facilities in Qidong and Suzhou began operations as scheduled, ensuring the business growth to accelerate in the second half of 2023.
- Moreover, we continued to enhance capabilities related to new modalities, with comprehensive coverage such as target protein degradation, nucleic acids, conjugates, and cell and gene therapies (CGT), etc.
- SMO revenue grew strongly by 53.9% in Q2 2023 and 34.3% in H1 2023, maintaining a leadership position in China. In the first half of 2023, SMO supported 25 new drug approvals for customers.
- In the first half of 2023, clinical CRO enabled our customers to obtain 8 IND approvals and submit 3 NDA filings.
- WuXi Biology: Strong Contribution from New Modalities; Early Discovery Screening Platform Continued to Generate Downstream Opportunities
- WuXi ATU: CTDMO Business Model Drives Growth
- WuXi DDSU: the First Year to Receive New Drug Application (NDA) Approval of New Drugs Developed for Customers; Breakthrough to Receive the First Royalty Income
Our Commitment to ESG
As an industry innovation enabler, a trusted partner and a contributor to the global healthcare industry, the Company is committed to environmental protection and sustainability, and to being a good global corporate citizenship.
Our outstanding ESG performance has been recognized by major global ESG rating agencies, including MSCI, S&P Global, Sustainalytics, CDP and EcoVadis. In June 2023, we received the fourth "Silver" medal recognition from EcoVadis for our Couvet site in Switzerland.
By the first half of 2023, our carbon emission intensity, energy consumption intensity and water use intensity reduced by 20.1%, 18.4%, and 31.6%, respectively, as compared to the baseline year 2020.
As we continue to advance our sustainability strategy, we embrace our shared responsibility to be good stewards of the environment.
Management Comment
Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec, said, "We continued to achieve steady growth of revenue, net profit, and free cash flow in the first half of 2023. Our revenue increased 6.3% year-over-year to RMB18.87 billion, or 27.9% if excluding COVID-19 commercial projects. Our adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company increased 18.5% year-over-year, outpacing the revenue growth rate, and our free cash flow achieved RMB2.93 billion, as a result of the Company's pursuit of operational excellence and productivity."
"The Company's performance in the first half of 2023 demonstrated that WuXi AppTec's unique CRDMO and CTDMO business models can effectively meet the growing demands from customers worldwide and continue to drive solid growth for the Company. In 2023, we aim to deliver a 5-7% revenue growth, increase adjusted non-IFRS gross profit by 13-14%, and expand free cash flow by 750-850%. We remain committed to prioritizing our customers' needs and enhancing our capacity and capabilities as we support our customers' efforts to bring groundbreaking therapies to patients around the world. Together, we can realize our vision that 'every drug can be made and every disease can be treated'."
About WuXi AppTec
As a global company with operations across Asia, Europe, and North America, WuXi AppTec provides a broad portfolio of R&D and manufacturing services that enable the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry to advance discoveries and deliver groundbreaking treatments to patients. Through its unique business models, WuXi AppTec's integrated, end-to-end services include chemistry drug CRDMO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization), biology discovery, preclinical testing and clinical research services, cell and gene therapies CTDMO (Contract Testing, Development and Manufacturing Organization), helping customers improve the productivity of advancing healthcare products through cost-effective and efficient solutions. WuXi AppTec received an AA ESG rating from MSCI in 2022 and its open-access platform is enabling more than 6,000 customers from over 30 countries to improve the health of those in need – and to realize the vision that "every drug can be made and every disease can be treated." Please visit: http://www.wuxiapptec.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" which are not historical facts, but instead are predictions about future events based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to our management. Although we believe that our predictions are reasonable, future events are inherently uncertain and our forward-looking statements may turn out to be incorrect. Our forward-looking statements are subject to risks relating to, among other things, the ability of our service offerings to compete effectively, our ability to meet timelines for the expansion of our service offerings, our ability to protect our customers' intellectual property, unforeseeable international tension, competition, the impact of emergencies and other force majeure. Our forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law or listing rules. Accordingly, you are strongly cautioned that reliance on any forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by reference to the cautionary statements set forth in this section. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Use of Non-IFRS and Adjusted Non-IFRS Financial Measures
We provide non-IFRS gross profit and non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, which exclude share-based compensation expenses, issuance expenses of convertible bonds, fair value gain or loss from derivative component of convertible bonds, foreign exchange-related gains or losses, amortization of intangible assets acquired in business combinations, non-financial assets impairment, etc. We also provide adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company and earnings per share, which further exclude realized and unrealized gains or losses from our venture capital investments and joint ventures. Neither is required by, or presented in accordance with IFRS.
We believe that the adjusted financial measures used in this press release are useful for understanding and assessing our core business performance and operating trends, and we believe that management and investors may benefit from referring to these adjusted financial measures in assessing our financial performance by eliminating the impact of certain unusual, non-recurring, non-cash and non-operating items that we do not consider indicative of the performance of our core business. Such adjusted non-IFRS net profit attributable to owners of the Company, the management of the Company believes, is widely accepted and adopted in the industry the Company is operating in. However, the presentation of these adjusted non-IFRS financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. You should not view adjusted results on a stand-alone basis or as a substitute for results under IFRS, or as being comparable to results reported or forecasted by other companies.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Ruijia Tang (for investors)
IR Director
Email: tang_ruijia@wuxiapptec.com
Mr. Davy Wu (for media)
PR Director
Email: davy_wu@wuxiapptec.com
View original content:
SOURCE WuXi AppTec | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:27 | 1 | https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/wuxi-apptec-announced-strong-results-second-quarter-first-half-2023-top-an-exceptionally-strong-year-2022/ |
Davi Pedro could see it coming.
Suddenly, the lucrative round trips from his home outside Boston to Chicago or Milwaukee paid barely enough to cover his gas, tolls, insurance and repairs, leaving little profit to compensate him for the long days away from his family.
“The expenses are higher than what you’re making,” said Pedro. “It’s not worth my time.”
So this spring, Pedro, 42, found someone else to take over the monthly payments on his 2017 Freightliner, purchased in 2020 for $49,900. He quit hauling freight and took a job driving a dump truck for a local paving company.
Pedro is among several thousand drivers who have fled tractor cabs this year amid one of the harshest freight recessions in memory. As soon as Monday, Yellow Corp., the nation’s third-largest trucking company, is expected to file for bankruptcy in the industry’s largest failure to date, a development that would idle 30,000 workers.
The driver exodus represents a stark turnaround from 2021 when the White House mobilized to attract more men and women to haul road freight with paid apprenticeships and efforts to tap military veterans.
Since trucking was deregulated in 1980, the industry has cycled through regular boom-and-bust episodes every 18 to 24 months, according to Ken Adamo, chief of analytics for DAT Freight & Analytics in Akron. When times are good, new drivers flock to the business. The influx inevitably drives down rates, leading many of those new drivers to quit.
The covid chapter of this story was extreme. At its peak, roughly 8,000 trucking companies entered the market in a single month, compared with the long-term monthly average of about 700, Adamo said.
“There’s still more capacity than freight to be moved,” he added. “It’s a tough time to be a carrier.”
The freight slump is largely good news for consumers, who no longer must wait for goods they have ordered, and manufacturers that last year ran short of key materials such as semiconductors. Today, the nation’s supply chain is operating more smoothly than at any time since late 2008, according to an index maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
During the pandemic, there were too many goods and not enough ships, trucks and planes available to move them. Now, as merchandise consumption slowly returns to normal, the U.S. supply chain has more capacity than it needs.
“The freight recession is real and it stretches across modes, across air, trucking and rail,” said Phil Levy, chief economist for Flexport, a San Francisco-based supply chain company.
Like so much else, the roots of today’s freight slump can be traced to the pandemic. As the coronavirus disrupted activity first in China and then in Europe and the United States, chronic delivery delays and shipping cost hikes caused companies to rethink their just-in-time strategies and instead build up stockpiles of consumer goods and industrial parts, Levy said.
When consumers later began resuming their normal spending patterns – with fewer goods and more in-person services – companies were caught with overstuffed warehouses. Higher interest rates made a bad situation worse by increasing the cost of keeping idle supplies.
Major retailers in recent months have been ordering fewer items, focusing instead on reducing their stockpile of unsold goods. At Target, inventory in the first months of this year plunged 16 percent, led by apparel and home goods.
Shipping containers arriving at the Port of Los Angeles, ground zero for the pandemic-era woes, are down 23 percent from a year ago. Truckers are getting less than half their 2021 per-mile peak earnings, adjusted for inflation, even as their operating costs rise. And on Wednesday, Union Pacific, the nation’s second-largest railroad, said its profits fell more than 11 percent in the most recent quarter.
“I don’t know that we’ve ever seen freight demand fall this far, so fast and for so long, without an accompanying economic recession,” David Jackson, chief executive officer of Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, told investors this month.
Normally, a downturn in freight shipments would signal the approach of a broader downturn. But consumer spending, which accounts for 68 percent of the economy, isn’t collapsing. It’s gradually slowing and pivoting from merchandise to services, such as insurance and air travel. In the second quarter, consumer spending on services rose three times as fast as goods purchases, according to the Commerce Department.
This distinctive economic climate is making the freight recession more punishing than usual.
Lower freight volumes that are soon followed by a full-blown recession are ordinarily cushioned by falling gas prices, from weak demand, lower equipment costs and a soft labor market with wages under control.
None of those conditions apply today. Retail gasoline prices average $3.56-per-gallon, according to the Fed. That’s down about 18 percent from one year ago, but still high relative to most of the last five years. Likewise, inflation has pushed equipment prices up and the strong jobs market means that employers must compete for workers by offering higher pay.
The combination of lower freight demand and higher costs is eroding profit margins and driving smaller carriers like Pedro out of the business.
In late 2020, when Pedro decided to launch his one-man trucking company, he had been making a living behind the wheel since emigrating to the United States from Brazil in 1999. He drove a limousine, before getting a job driving a car hauler in 2007.
As work-from-home consumers overwhelmed supply chains, Pedro saw there was money to be made. Hoping to make enough to pay some bills and to renovate his Everett, Mass., home, he decided to get in.
But he understood the boom-and-bust nature of the trucking business, which anyone can join by buying a truck and anyone can leave by parking it.
“I knew it goes up and down, up and down,” he said.
He got a fixed-rate loan and bought a used Freightliner Cascadia 125 with 350,000 miles on it for $49,900. That was a good deal at the time, before the pandemic freight surge drove prices for similar vehicles above $80,000.
As Americans trapped at home kept spending, Pedro saw his earnings grow. In the first year, he grossed $272,000, which left him with after-tax income of about $86,000, he said.
On the road, hauling loads for customers such as Amazon and JB Hunt, he was his own boss. After a long day of driving, Pedro would look for a Planet Fitness outlet and get in a workout. Later, parked for the night, he’d cook a 10 ounce steak in an air fryer tucked in his cab rather than eat the carb-laden fast food sold at truck stops.
He kept a close eye on his bottom line, carefully measuring the cost of individual trips against the pay that was offered. But repair bills for the Freightliner – including one for $7,200 – ate into his earnings.
“You don’t want to stay out as an owner-operator for a really long time. All you do is put money into the truck,” he said.
As the economy crept closer to its pre-pandemic habits, his regular trips from Boston to the Midwest paid less and less. Runs that once earned him $6,000 or $7,000 were now paying less than $4,000.
Fellow drivers felt the same pinch. Earlier this year, a friend turned over to the bank four brand new Volvo trucks rather than continue making the loan payments, he said. Through April, Pedro’s gross earnings were down more than one-third and the outlook was grim.
“It just went down a hill at the beginning of this year,” Pedro said. “Next year is going to be worse. So I’m gonna get out now.”
Major freight carriers also are feeling the pain. Trucking giant Knight-Swift’s profits fell by 71 percent in the second quarter while Yellow is expected to file for bankruptcy protection within days, amid a pension plan dispute with the Teamsters union that has sent customers fleeing. The company received a controversial $700 million government loan in the early days of the pandemic, which a congressional oversight commission later assailed as unjustified.
Hardest hit by the freight slump are the new entrants who were lured to the business by the pay-any-price pandemic environment. Between December 2020 and December 2022, nearly 100,000 new owner-operators began hauling road freight, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
“Now we’re seeing the downside of that unbelievable run up,” said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. “It’s tough for these participants now that the tremendously increased volume is no longer there.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/truck-drivers-freight-industry-downturn/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:29 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/truck-drivers-freight-industry-downturn/ |
Letters to the Editor: Nothing compared to Sinéad O’Connor — if only we’d shown her that in her lifetime
To the editor: The death of politically and artistically visionary singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor rightly received front-page treatment in The Times, as well as thoughtful appreciations. O’Connor deserves these commemorations, as well as the countless tributes — by celebrities, fellow musicians and ordinary folks — currently flooding social media.
Yet, until the news of her passing broke, O’Connor continued to be mocked, reviled or simply ignored as a scandal-plagued, mentally unstable has-been.
I wonder what this astonishingly original artist and prescient social justice warrior, who could also brandish a pretty cutting sense of humor, would make of this (belated) outpouring. “SHE WAS RIGHT” declares one of your headlines — yes, in all caps.
How many of us bothered to acknowledge this during her lifetime?
Teddi Chichester, South Pasadena
..
To the editor: After Sinead O’Connor publicly attacked Pope John Paul in 1992 for concealing clergy sexual abuses, hers was a long and lonely path from vilification to vindication. But ultimately, of course, it became clear she was not only brave but also right.
Let this be a lesson to every celebrity who has a prominent platform: Stand up for what’s right, no matter what the risk or cost. And know that if you’re on the side of the victimized and vulnerable, both they and you will be validated.
Jeff Anderson, St. Paul, Minn. | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/story/2023-07-31/sinead-oconnor-death-appreciation-letters | 2023-07-31T10:44:30 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/story/2023-07-31/sinead-oconnor-death-appreciation-letters |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The discovery of four dead women in a drainage ditch just outside Atlantic City was shocking news in 2006.
International media flocked to the seaside gambling resort. More than 100 detectives and prosecutors were assigned to investigate. Casino guests worried about safety, and the victims’ fellow sex workers began carrying hidden knives.
But as the years passed, the public’s attention and fear faded, and the case of the “Eastbound Strangler” – so named for the direction the victims’ heads were facing – remained unsolved.
The arrest earlier this month of a man charged with killing three women whose remains were found on a Long Island beach in 2010 has breathed fresh life into another long-dormant case with obvious parallels; the Gilgo Beach serial killings involve a total of 11 victims, most of whom were young, female sex workers. Yet the recent breakthrough, and the rekindling of public interest, only highlights a painful truth: Many similar cases – like the one in Atlantic City — remain open.
The FBI would not say how many killings of sex workers in the U.S. remain unsolved. Media accounts and statements from local authorities show a long trail of open cases, from nine women whose bodies were found along highways in Massachusetts, to 11 found dead in New Mexico, and eight more found amid the crawfish farms and swamps of southern Louisiana. The killings of other sex workers in Chicago, New Haven, Connecticut and Ohio, among other places, also remain mysteries.
From the days of London’s Jack The Ripper in the 1880s, serial killers, particularly those preying on sex workers, have often gotten away with it, in part because their victims were easy targets living on the margins of society.
Gary Ridgway, the so-called Green River killer convicted of 49 killings in Washington state, said at during a 2003 court hearing in which he pleaded guilty that he chose sex workers as victims because he knew they would not be missed quickly, if at all.
“I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught,” he said.
Two women were out for an afternoon walk near Atlantic City in November 2006 when they found a body in a ditch. They called police, who quickly found three others nearby.
The $15-a-night motel in Egg Harbor Township behind which the four bodies were found is long gone. It was torn down in an attempt to clear a seedy area known for crime, drugs and disturbances – and the murders of Barbara Breidor, 42, Molly Jean Dilts, 20, Kim Raffo, 35, and Tracy Ann Roberts, 23.
Because it is near the ocean, like Gilgo Beach, the location has prompted much speculation by amateur detectives about a single killer, but some other online sleuths have pointed out that oceanside areas are often the remotest locations after hours on the densely packed East Coast. Gilgo Beach is about 3.5 hours drive from Atlantic City.
Gone in New Jersey are the four small wooden crosses someone erected on the site, along with the folded-up paper note bearing a Biblical quote promising justice that someone left there on one of the anniversaries of the discovery of the bodies.
For families left behind, each new day without word in the case of their loved one brings fresh pain.
“I kind of lost hope that anyone was even searching for the killer anymore,” said Joyce Roberts, whose daughter Tracy Ann was one of the four Atlantic City-area victims. “The first six months, the prosecutor did get on the phone with me and told me they were working on it.
“Then it just fell off the radar,” she said. “It was like nobody cared anymore.”
That is a sentiment echoed by Phoenix Calida, a former sex worker from Chicago who now advocates for them through the Sex Workers Outreach Project.
“Police departments often refer to it as an ‘NHI’ case: No humans involved,” she said. ”You feel like the only way you’ll be remembered is when they catch the serial killer who killed you, and then they’ll make five movies about him and no one will remember your name.”
Massachusetts State Police are investigating “nine unsolved homicides possibly committed by the same person,” said David Procopio, a spokesperson for the agency. He said two additional missing persons cases may be homicides related to the other nine.
Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said the New Mexico cases remain actively investigated, with “multiple detectives” working them. The 11 victims were all involved in drugs and prostitution, police said.
A reward of $100,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, which involved two victims who were just 15 years old.
Despite the decade-long efforts of a local, state and federal task force, Louisiana has at least eight unsolved apparent homicide cases involving sex workers between the ages of 17 and 30. Their bodies were found in marshy areas in Jennings, a small town in the area known as Cajun Country, between 2005 and 2009.
Prosecutors in New York’s Suffolk County investigating the Gilgo Beach cases have been in touch with multiple law enforcement agencies, but District Attorney Ray Tierney would not say which ones.
“Everything is being examined and looked at, and this is an active investigation,” said Anthony Carter, Suffolk County’s deputy police commissioner. He would not say if his agency was investigating any connection between Heuermann and the Atlantic City murders.
Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said the four cases from the drainage ditch outside Atlantic City remain active, with detectives assigned to them, but would not say how many. He declined comment on the Long Island case “as we are not involved.”
Joyce Roberts, the victim’s mother, said no one from law enforcement has called her since the arrest was made in the Long Island cases.
Police in Las Vegas, where Heuermann owns a time share, said they are investigating whether Heuermann may be involved in cases involving the killings of sex workers there.
In the months immediately after the bodies’ discovery near Atlantic City, the local prosecutor’s office and a dozen other law enforcement agencies had 140 people assigned to the cases, Ted Housel, who was prosecutor at the time, said in 2008. By the first anniversary, the total had fallen to 85, and those investigators were also working other cases.
Calida, the former sex worker from Chicago, said women involved the sex trade are frequently robbed by people who know they’re carrying cash, and are sometimes coerced into sexual activity by police in return for not being arrested.
She said an attacker “knows you can’t or won’t report it. You’re an easy target and they know it.”
Three of her friends who were also sex workers in Chicago also turned up dead.
“You see someone, you become friends with them and then one day they’re suddenly just not there,” she said. “We’d all go out asking around and looking for them, and then a few days later a body would be found. There’s always this specific fear that it’s a serial killer. Sometimes we never even get a body back to bury. And we wonder: Will law enforcement take it seriously because it’s ‘just another sex worker?’”
___
AP writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque; Steve LeBlanc in Boston; Julie Walker and Robert Bumsted in Suffolk County, New York; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this story.
Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:33 | 1 | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-breakthrough-in-long-island-serial-killings-shines-light-on-the-many-unsolved-murders-of-sex-workers/ |
Rent is finally cooling. See how much prices have changed in your area.
There’s good news for renters: Your too-high rent is finally not skyrocketing anymore.
Monthly asking prices shot up by 15 percent between 2020 and 2022, marking the fastest run-up in rents in nearly a century. But now costs are calming down.
Change in average rent,
June 2022 to June 2023
Hover over a county to view details
Price estimates are for multifamily rentals in counties with at least 1,000 units.
Rent growth around the country is back at pre-pandemic norms — growing about 1 to 3 percent per year, according to real estate data firm CoStar Group. In some recent hot spots, including Austin and Atlanta, prices are actually falling.
“The rental market is finally taking a breath,” said Igor Popov, chief economist at Apartment List. “This summer looks a lot different from the last two summers: We are getting to a more stable period, and in some parts of the country, renters are back in the driver’s seat.”
Overall, year-over-year asking rents rose 1.1 percent as of June 30, down from 2.8 percent in March, CoStar data shows.
The biggest reason for that slowdown: more housing. Nearly 1 million new apartment units — an all-time high — are under construction around the country, census data shows. Of those, 520,000 are expected to hit the market this year, with another 460,0000 to follow in 2024, according to CoStar.
At the same time, appetite for rentals is declining as Americans settle into post-pandemic living and spending patterns. Demand for apartments plummeted in 2022, falling to the weakest level since 2009, according to RealPage Market Analysis. Although rental activity has rebounded somewhat since, it is still markedly lower than it has been. Fewer people with roommates are branching out on their own. Young adults are staying put in their parents’ homes. And retirees who might’ve downsized from homeownership to rentals are waiting for the housing market to pick back up before relocating.
The result is a growing mismatch between available apartments and potential renters, which is tamping down price growth.
That’s especially the case in the Sun Belt, where developers have rushed to cash in on growing demand for rentals. An influx of new residents early in the pandemic — mostly white-collar workers leaving urban centers like New York and San Francisco in search of warmer weather and cheaper housing — led to a sudden rental boom in many Southern cities. Annual rents in Phoenix, Dallas and Miami rose as much as 16 percent between 2021 and 2022, CoStar data shows.
But now rent increases have come to a standstill — and are expected to drop even further — as new options inundate the market. In many areas of the Sun Belt region, such as Las Vegas, Austin and Nashville, prices have dropped 1 to 3 percent in the past year, according to CoStar.
“We’ve seen a surge of apartment units in the Sun Belt, and that’s because of the big bounce those states had early in the pandemic,” said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar. “Developers accelerated their plans to add units in those locations, and that’s what is coming online now.”
The majority of those new rentals — 70 percent of them, he said — are in luxury properties, with amenities such as rooftop swimming pools, co-working spaces and spas, meant to cater to recent transplants with large budgets.
But with demand cooling, those luxury apartments are also seeing the biggest price declines. Rents for high-end apartments have fallen 0.2 percent in the past year, while prices for mid- and lower-tier properties have risen by as much as 3 percent in the same period.
“We’re finally getting the supply that was built in response to the pandemic demand boom,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “That stock is finally here — and for higher-income renters, that means there’s a whole new buffet of options.”
Still, rents are considerably higher than they were in 2019 and unlikely to go back to pre-pandemic levels, even in the most volatile markets, according to experts.
In the Atlanta area, for example, rents rose 23 percent between 2019 and 2022. And although monthly costs have recently started to decline — by 2 percent, so far this year, to an average $1,648 — renters are paying about $330 more each month than they were before the pandemic.
Overall demand in the Atlanta area is steadily declining: More people moved out of apartments than into them in the first half of 2023, according to broker Oleg Konstantinovsky. Meanwhile, the market has added 7,000 new apartment units so far this year, he said, with another 50,000 under construction.
Many new buildings, he said, are offering perks, such as one or two months of free rent. That’s putting pressure on existing apartment complexes to keep rents steady — and is driving down overall price growth.
“Incentives are definitely coming back. People are getting a little bit of cost savings,” he said. But, he added, “although Atlanta is certainly not as affordable as it used to be.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2023/rent-prices-coming-down-near-me/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:35 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2023/rent-prices-coming-down-near-me/ |
Opinion: Long COVID is debilitating to me and 65 million other people. Where is the urgency to treat it?
In a world where most pandemic safety protocols have evaporated, where is the sense of urgency to treat, or at the very least support, people with long COVID?
Early in the pandemic, we saw significant mobilization of the healthcare infrastructure across the world to determine how to prevent and treat COVID-19, leading to substantial reduction in morbidity and mortality. Conversely, the response to long COVID has been muted. In the rush to declare the pandemic over, the low quality of life experienced by millions with long COVID has apparently been deemed acceptable. It is not acceptable.
My firsthand knowledge of long COVID began in July 2020. Social distancing protocols were still in effect, masks were mandated in most of the country, and vaccines for the “novel coronavirus” were a distant hope. This was when I contracted COVID-19. I had the usual symptoms of fever, loss of taste and smell, and shortness of breath. But as my symptoms lingered even weeks later, I wondered when I would recover. Weeks turned into months. And months eventually turned into years.
Three years later, I have learned to manage long COVID — which in my case includes extreme fatigue, near-constant headaches and the relentless need to restrict activities of daily living to avoid exacerbating symptoms. Long COVID can include a wide variety of other debilitating effects, including cardiac dysfunction and memory loss. To put it in perspective: It leaves many with a quality of life worse than what people with advanced cancer experience.
Studies have confirmed that these lingering symptoms are real and take a real toll. The next big step will be to figure out exactly what causes them.
There are at least 65 million people across the world and an estimated 6% of adults in the United States who live with long COVID, and new cases are added every day. It has left at least 4 million Americans unable to work. You can imagine why 20% of people with long COVID have difficulty paying for housing, including many whose disability claims are denied. Accompanying these devastating symptoms and lack of support is an increased suicide risk. If you think you don’t know anyone with long COVID, think again. Most people choose not to disclose it, even to close friends.
Three years into the pandemic, a modest number of clinical trials related to long COVID are underway or in the planning phases. Most of these trials have small sample sizes and therefore will be able to detect only large effects within their cohort. They are likely to miss more subtle and less common effects, which we expect to be prevalent given the broad range of presentations of long COVID. Even worse, many use graded exercise therapy as an intervention. This is well documented to be harmful to the 80% of long COVID patients whose symptoms worsen following even minor exertion.
The threat is very different in the U.S. in 2022 than it was when I was hospitalized two years ago. We should all dial back our panic accordingly.
Without near-term treatment, those of us with long COVID are left to choose between doing nothing to alleviate our suffering and using anecdotes to make our own treatment decisions. We often resort to taking experimental medications or requesting drugs off label, which can pose safety risks and have mixed results in improving quality of life. It’s understandable why many people with long COVID want to try anything that might help, but some researchers and physicians are unwilling to prescribe treatments without robust trials supporting their effectiveness.
Considering this mounting issue solely from an economic perspective, Congress should be incentivized to help people with long COVID improve their health and return to the workforce, which would improve economic productivity and reduce national healthcare costs. The estimated total economic cost of long COVID was $3.7 trillion as of July 2022. Funding a nationwide infrastructure to conduct better clinical trials would give patients real answers and would be significantly less expensive than letting us suffer — by hundreds of billions of dollars.
A physician-scientist explains why the emerging winter surge could be a really terrible one, plus more from the week in Opinion.
Unfortunately, our country’s (lack of) response to long COVID is not surprising, as we have a dark history of neglecting chronic conditions, particularly those that are more common in women. For example, myalgic encephalomyelitis (sometimes referred to as chronic fatigue syndrome) has been dismissed and under-researched for decades. The lack of research has perpetuated a limited understanding of the underlying biology, a lack of diagnostic testing, a lack of respect for patient experiences and an embarrassing lack of action. Research funding is extremely low relative to the burden of the disease and its prevalence.
About half of long COVID patients also meet the diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis. By our sheer number, our advocacy for more research and clinical trials should be harder to dismiss.
It is ironic that individuals with a severely energy-limiting disease are using their limited energy to protest and request help, even though such exertion can worsen our symptoms.
We cannot continue dismissing chronic diseases. We need much more help for long COVID patients now.
Many immunocompromised and older Americans feel abandoned. That’s a public health failure.
This help must come in many forms. First, the National Institutes of Health, philanthropy groups, the pharmaceutical industry and biotech companies can urgently dedicate funding to better clinical trials. Insurance companies and government programs could also provide adequate disability and medical coverage.
Honest public health communication is necessary as well to raise awareness about how debilitating this illness can be, so our society is cognizant of the ongoing risks that come with a COVID infection. And finally, members of the general public can provide support to the people in their lives who have long COVID, while joining efforts to advocate for change.
At a substantial personal cost, I have learned to accept my long COVID. But I am unwilling to accept the lack of action to help those with long COVID.
Julia Moore Vogel is a program director at Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla.
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-07-31/long-covid-prevalence-research-treatments | 2023-07-31T10:44:36 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-07-31/long-covid-prevalence-research-treatments |
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. (AP) — A massive wildfire burning out of control in California’s Mojave National Preserve was spreading rapidly amid erratic winds, while firefighters reported progress against another major blaze to the southwest that prompted evacuations.
The York Fire that erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the vast wildland preserve crossed the state line into Nevada on Sunday and sent smoke further east into the Las Vegas Valley.
Wind-driven flames 20 feet (6 meters) high in some spots charred more than 110 square miles (284 square kilometers) of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to an incident update. There was zero containment.
“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,” the update said. No structures were threatened.
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 community of Aguanga that is home to horse ranches and wineries.
Gusty winds and the chance of thunderstorms into Monday will heighten the risk of renewed growth, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement.
One firefighter was injured in the blaze, which was 5% contained. | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:40 | 0 | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-erratic-winds-challenge-firefighters-battling-two-major-california-blazes/ |
Airport bathrooms aren’t typically worth writing home about.
But BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport’s newest restrooms feature fully-enclosed stalls for privacy, technology that indicates toilet availability and occupancy, ample room for luggage and a sleek, modern design — luxuries that might earn them the title of greatest in the nation, if they can flush away the competition in this year’s “America’s Best Restroom” contest.
“We put a lot of effort into planning and designing these restrooms,” said Maryland Aviation Administration Executive Director and CEO Ricky Smith, who oversees operations at BWI. “Obviously, it would be neat to win. I think that would be a source of pride for a lot of people.”
As part of a $55 million renovation project for which construction kicked off in late 2021, three restroom sets have opened in concourses B, C and D. Another three will open by the end of this year, according to Smith.
In mid-July, Cintas Corporation — the cleaning and restroom supply company that sponsors the annual contest — announced that BWI’s new Concourse B restrooms were up against nine other finalists, from a hotel restaurant’s bubble-gum pink ladies’ room in Tennessee to one with colorful chandeliers in a Florida brewery.
Nominated public restrooms faced a panel of judges evaluating factors including cleanliness, aesthetic appeal and innovation before the vote — running through August 11 — was put to the people. Along with bragging rights, the winner will walk away with $2,500 to spend on Cintas products and services.
“There is one thing [the finalists] all have in common,” Cintas marketing manager Julia Walsh wrote in an email to The Baltimore Sun. “They go above and beyond with creating an exceptional restroom experience for their guests.”
Another Baltimore restroom inside The Grand, a downtown event venue, made it into Cintas’ competition in 2009. More recently, The Charmery, a Hampden ice cream shop, made the cut. Other local restrooms are covered in graffiti and some are known for providing enough privacy for X-rated activities.
But there are plenty more loos with sophisticated design, soothing perks and quirky back stories. For an intimate look at five that make freshening up more fun, read on.
A ‘dark and moody’ retreat
Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, Fells Point
Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, a luxury hotel that opened in 2017 on Recreation Pier, has an infinity pool overlooking the harbor, a courtyard sculpture of a horse by Colombian artist Fernando Botero and a red carpet stairway leading to a 1914 ballroom.
It also has spacious bathrooms that are “dark and moody,” as described by Morgan Benth, the Fells Point hotel’s public relations and marketing manager.
Men’s and women’s restrooms in the lobby and on the third floor — where there are two conference rooms in addition to the ballroom used for weddings and other events — feature hexagonal marble-tiled floors, orb-shaped lights over the mirrors and sleek accents, like black sink faucets. Additional bathrooms near the pool were crafted in a similar design.
“You want to judge a good hotel?” said Juan Webster, Sagamore Pendry Baltimore’s general manager. “Check out the bathrooms.”
All-gender johns named for John Waters
Baltimore Museum of Art, Charles Village
In 2019, filmmaker John Waters began talks with the Baltimore Museum of Art about bequeathing his artwork to the institution, said Leila Grothe, the museum’s associate curator of contemporary art.
He also had a request: “It was really important to John that we have a non-gendered bathroom named after him,” Grothe said. “He had the idea, and everyone [at the museum] was like, ‘Of course. Of course we’re doing that.’”
The John Waters Restrooms, which are the museum’s first all-gender johns, opened with a ribbon-cutting party attended by Waters in fall 2021. With four stalls tiled in different colors and no urinals, it’s “a really safe space for anyone to use,” Grothe said.
They were designed by architectural firm Quinn Evans, but having Waters’ name on the project “sure makes a bathroom fun,” Grothe added.
Toys on the walls and ceiling
Papermoon Diner, Remington
When artist and interior designer David Briskie first placed naked mannequins outside of Remington’s Papermoon Diner, not everyone was pleased, he said. Now, the diner is known for its eclectic assemblage of toys, tchotchkes and sculptural art.
It started with Briskie and the owner, Un Kim, merging their personal toy collections, Briskie said — and each corner promises an unusual find.
“Traffic, I call the ceiling,” Briskie said of the mass of miniature cars that can be seen when one looks up in the first-floor restroom. The walls are covered in rows and rows of Pez candy dispensers.
“I like people to come in and see something from their past,” Briskie said of the diner. “The best thing is to see little kids walk through the door and their eyes just get huge.”
He estimates that the decorations total in the thousands, and said he still spends at least 20 hours each week tweaking his design and tending to the garden outside the restaurant.
“This is where I get to play,” Briskie said.
A fully-stocked spa oasis
Even Keel Wellness Spa, Brewers Hill
At Even Keel Wellness Spa, in Baltimore’s Natty Boh Tower, scent diffusers and relaxing music evoke a sense of calm.
“We wanted to have a nice modern look, but also a Zen-like environment here,” said Christina Cirillo, the Baltimore manager of Even Keel, which also has an Annapolis location. “We wanted it to be tranquil and inviting.”
The spa opened on the outskirts of Canton in the spring of last year and offers beauty services including massages, facials, waxing, spray tanning and eyelash extensions. There’s also a retail section.
Except in the case of a spray tan — which must be done sans clothing — spa guests are invited to slip into robes in the men’s and women’s locker rooms. There, they’ll find sprawling mirrors and essentials like blow dryers and toiletries, plus showers stocked with organic shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Unlike most restrooms, there’s also ample space to lounge and unwind.
“Everything they need is right at their fingertips,” Cirillo said.
Decked in recipes collected by mom
Woodberry Kitchen, Woodberry
At Woodberry Kitchen, the menu is “based on sourcing from local growers,” according to chef Spike Gjerde, who co-owns the events venue and restaurant with Amy Gjerde, his ex-wife. The rustic, industrial interior design — set amid tall windows and exposed brick — was pulled off with reclaimed accents, he said.
“One of the things that I salvaged was some stacks of ‘Gourmet’ magazines that were sitting in my parents’ basement at the time, and my mom was threatening to throw them away,” Gjerde said.
Instead, he said a professional faux finisher affixed pages from those magazines, collected in the 1970s and 1980s, to the walls of Woodberry Kitchen’s three bathrooms. There, they’ve stood the test of time.
“I still get to look up and see these ‘Gourmet’ magazines, including some little annotations that my mom made, at some point in her own personal culinary journey,” Gjerde said. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-fe-baltimores-best-bathrooms-20230731-36lkune7izdb3fxqbggixa5g4m-story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:40 | 0 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-fe-baltimores-best-bathrooms-20230731-36lkune7izdb3fxqbggixa5g4m-story.html |
Alaska’s newest gold rush: Seaweed
CORDOVA, Alaska — Dune Lankard piloted the gleaming gill-net fishing boat to Simpson Bay, where eight buoys bobbed in the sunlight. The bright orange inflatables, connected by lines and spread out across five acres, provided the only indication of the ocean farm that lay beneath the water’s surface.
A look at the new frontier of ocean exploration, and ways to harness the sea's power for regeneration.
Lankard, 64, spent decades fishing while running the Native Conservancy, a nonprofit that’s preserved millions of acres of land in this part of Alaska. But now, he raises kelp, a type of seaweed, as a way of buffering his communities and others from the dwindling numbers of wild salmon and other species they catch and hunt.
“I realized when the climate started changing, we didn’t have an answer for ocean acidification, and ocean warming, and ocean rise,” said Lankard, who holds back his long, slightly graying hair with a batik bandanna. “We had to figure out how to grow things on the land and in the sea.”
The act of raising sea plants and bivalves — known as mariculture — is accelerating across the globe. Once largely concentrated in Asia, the industry has expanded to Europe and the United States.
Everyone from Amazon to the European Union is pouring money into it. As climate change threatens crops and fisheries, some are hailing seaweed as “seawheat” — but with a much lower carbon footprint than its land counterpart. Seaweed is nutritious, rich in dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, and vitamins A, B, C and E. It does not require fertilizer or added nutrients, like most land crops, and absorbs carbon in addition to nitrogen as it grows.
While it does not sequester carbon dioxide like long-lived trees, companies are exploring whether it could store carbon on the seafloor if it’s buried. Scientists are also investigating other ways seaweed could help the planet, from reducing livestock’s methane emissions to replacing lettuce in salad and fossil fuels in plastics and fertilizer.
Alaska underscores both the urgency in developing the industry, and its promise. The communities here are losing their livelihoods and food faster than in many other places. In Alaska, ocean farming could chart a different path from the sort of extraction that’s defined it for more than two centuries.
For many Alaska Natives, who have lost ancestral land and have moved away from harvesting old-growth timber, cultivating sea plants that they have gathered in the wild for centuries could offer economic opportunity.
At the same time, Alaska’s cold waters are the next frontier for kelp farming as waters warm in places like New England and the Mediterranean.
“The sky’s the limit, because we have more coastline than the rest of the Lower 48 put together,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) said in a phone interview.
Alaska has already attracted large operators. Seagrove Kelp now ranks as the country’s largest active seaweed farm. There are nearly a dozen other applications pending for kelp farms of at least 100 acres submitted by a mix of Alaskan, out-of-state and overseas players.
“There is a new seaweed economy that can be created,” said Dan Lesh, deputy director of the Southeast Conference, a regional business group in Alaska that’s helping distribute tens of millions of federal dollars to help develop the industry.
It’s the kind of reinvention that has to take place if the agriculture industry is to shed its carbon-intensive ways. But Alaska’s nascent kelp industry also shows that growing the infrastructure and market for a new crop is not going to be easy, with everyone involved, including Lesh and Lankard, charting the path as they go along. In the process, the oceans could become more industrialized — and there could be more competition among locals, and with outsiders, for waters off its shores.
“It’s one of the first regenerative industries based on restoration, conservation and mitigation, rather than extraction of finite resources,” said Lankard, who is Eyak Athabaskan. “The concern that we have about the mariculture industry is that there’s no plan for Alaska, America and the world, for that matter. And it’s on fire.”
Jonny Antoni, who’s erected a $38,000 kelp farm 1o miles from Juneau, has a vision for what ocean farming could look like — if the anchors securing a network of ropes below the water’s surface would cooperate.
The setup for most ocean farms is simple. At least in theory.
In March, a few weeks before Antoni and his partners planned to harvest their sugar and bull kelp, two anchors on the edge of the farm ended up in the middle, tangling several lines. “It was a rat’s nest,” Antoni recalled. They lost 20 percent of their crop.
“So it’s been kind of interesting. It hasn’t been a straight path,” the 38-year-old reflected.
Antoni and his partners hope to sell value-added food products, like a kelp burger. Americans don’t eat plain seaweed in large volumes like Asian consumers, making the economics challenging.
(Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)
A tiny portion of the kelp they harvest is bull kelp, which proliferates in the wild off Alaska’s southern coast. But it’s much harder to cultivate: Sugar kelp, a yellow-brown marine algae, is easier to raise.
Antoni pulls the bull kelp from the water by attaching a long metal hook to a buoy and then grabbing the rope it’s attached to hand over hand. The kelp’s flexible stem, or stipe, trails downward as Lia Heifetz examines it.
This season, Sea Quester harvested a total of 8,025 pounds, most of which it sold to Barnacle Foods, a Juneau-based business that helped kick-start the state’s kelp industry. Heifetz and her husband, Matt Kern, founded Barnacle in 2016.
“There are not people knocking down our door trying to buy kelp,” Heifetz observed. “And that is because, I think, the mainstream consumers in our country, at least, don’t see it as a food source that they’re familiar with.”
So Barnacle has made it accessible through “gateway” items, she added, weaving it through hot sauce, salsa and dark chocolate, among other items.
For now, Sea Quester is just selling sugar kelp, which it piles up in plastic totes in primary colors on Antoni’s own boat, Frances G.
It has patched together a few deals to keep its business running as he works to scale up production. For all the enthusiasm among the region’s kelpers, “there’s not a whole lot of money in it to support them at this point,” he said. “Probably the most difficult part for me is I’ve invested all my savings into it. I’m hoping that it’ll be there. … There will be a place to land, because I feel like I’ve jumped.”
Globally, the outlook for seaweed farming is uncertain. The number of publicly disclosed seaweed start-ups rose last year compared with 2021, according to Phyconomy, a Belgium-based newsletter that tracks the industry. But the total amount invested in those deals dipped between 2021 and 2022, from more than $160 million to $120 million.
“There’s all these challenges. We’re trying to overcome them,” said Steven Hermans, Phyconomy’s editor.
In Europe, the near shore is crowded, and farming the ocean further offshore can be daunting, with high winds and waves. In South Korea, many farmers opt for a cooperative approach where they pool equipment and marketing resources, Hermans added, which helps lower the cost of operating. But they face the prospect of warming waters.
Kelp needs to be blanched and frozen, or dried, not long after being harvested, or it can degrade. For an operation near Juneau, this is doable. But for farms scattered throughout more remote parts of Alaska, this will require building new processing plants.
New England, the region that leads the nation’s kelp production right now, doesn’t face the same hurdles when it comes to getting its product to market.
“Maine’s producing the majority of the kelp in the United States, but they’ve got 130 million people within 24 trucking hours of them,” said Kodiak Island Sustainable Seaweed CEO Nick Mangini, who got the second permit in Alaska to farm kelp and began harvesting in 2017. “It’s a very exciting industry, with a ton of possibilities. But nobody’s doing that at scale yet” in Alaska.
To make it work, last year the Alaska Mariculture Cluster — a coalition that includes the Southeast Conference and that enjoys the support of a key tribal corporation, Sealaska — received a nearly $49 million Build Back Better grant to expand ocean farming.
The group pledged to distribute 50 percent of the money to underserved areas, with a quarter of the total funds going to Alaska Native communities.
In a small warehouse, not far from downtown Juneau, Kern, Heifetz’s husband, has unloaded the plastic tote of Sea Quester’s sugar kelp that came ashore less than an hour earlier, so it can be sorted and dried.
Given Alaska’s high-cost environment, turning a profit in the first few years of running a farm is close to impossible.
Sealaska President and CEO Anthony Mallott, whose tribal corporation invests in Barnacle Foods, said kelp farming will have to generate revenue and jobs now that other industries — like old-growth logging, which dominated the region for decades — are being phased out.
But he wants to ensure the economics work before too many people start growing kelp. “I have a fear that, what if small-scale farms aren’t viable? I’d rather know that now, than build out a bunch of small-scale farms that then are left.”
For Native Alaskans, especially, the stakes are high. Lankard’s community has been fighting the state and federal government for rights to their land and resources for more than half a century.
Lankard grew up in an abundant land, wedged between the Copper River Delta and Prince William Sound, immersed in the battles over what had been taken from the Eyak people. Eyak means “throat of the lake,” referring to the best place to catch salmon when they come in from the ocean to spawn and die. For centuries, the fish have provided food for animals and humans alike, while nourishing the hemlock and spruce trees that dominate the forests ringing the island. Lankard’s mother, Rosie Saska Zillsenoff, fought for her community’s rights to this bounty.
“By the time I was 10, she told me that I was the one that was going to help save our land, and our people, and our culture, and our language, and our wild salmon and our Eyak way of life,” Lankard recalled. “And I said, but I’m 10. Mama. What about Debbie, Linda, Don, Pam, Bruce and Joe? And she said, ‘No, you’re the one, because I know that you will not sell us out.’”
After the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound and polluted its pristine waters with crude oil, Lankard helped steer $1 billion of the settlement to give locals an alternative to clear-cutting.
In 2003, he founded his own conservation group and focused on keeping the region’s unspoiled areas intact. Now he sees kelp farming as a continuation of this work, by restoring ocean health and providing food security to Indigenous people.
Alaska’s current mariculture permitting program provides no preferences for Alaska Natives or state residents. Anyone involved in commercial fishing or a large operator, Lankard argued, has an automatic advantage.
“They have the boats, they have collateral. They know anchors, lines and buoys,” he said, adding that many Alaska Natives cannot afford to apply for a permit — only after which they can qualify for federal loans — let alone the $300,000 it costs for a boat. “I feel we’re set up for failure, for Indigenous peoples.”
Dunleavy said he does not see why Alaska Natives would get a preference when it comes to permitting. “There’s no bar to entry for any Alaska Native,” he said. “If you have a boat and investors, it doesn’t matter if you’re Alaska Native or not, you can enter this industry. And if you don’t have a boat and investors, it’s going to be tough.”
The Native Conservancy has set up its own program, to help any Indigenous kelp farmer get the permits and equipment they need. It’s started a boat-building business, to make them more affordable. By the time they’re done, 20 Alaska Native kelp farmers should have permits.
There’s also a steep learning curve. Three years ago, Tesia Bobrycki, the group’s OceanBack program director, “knew nothing about seaweed.” Today she’s helped develop their own seed nursery in a 40-foot shipping container and plans to train someone from a different island, Kake, so that they can develop their own test sites and kelp farms and then share that expertise with their neighbors.
For her and others in the group, farming kelp is more about giving communities tools to control their own resources. “There’s a lot of hope that kelp will be the one to save us,” Bobrycki said. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on one little species.”
Lankard can’t say whether his group’s 10 test sites and 22-acre research farm will succeed. But he intends to rename the fishing boat he recently bought from one of his best friends “OceanBack.” He’s planted kelp close to one of his ancestral village sites, near a cove called Hole in the Wall, where the Eyak people hid out to avoid being exterminated more than a century ago.
“If we don’t start evolving and adapting right now, we don’t stand a chance,” he said, as he steered the ship toward the cove. “At least we’re doing something. The jury’s still out. It’s about hope, more than anything.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2023/alaska-kelp-farming/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:41 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2023/alaska-kelp-farming/ |
Opinion: Orange County doesn’t want a needle exchange program. But it needs one
Opioid overdose deaths in Orange County are rising sharply, with annual deaths nearly tripling in the four years ending in 2021. It is no coincidence that for much of that time, and again today, Orange County is the most populous county in the country without a needle exchange program.
The program that local officials shut down last year, the Harm Reduction Institute in Santa Ana, applied to the state in January for permission to reopen as a home-delivery syringe service program. The city said in May that it “vehemently objects” to the application, citing general public health concerns.
Oregon is the first state to eliminate simple drug possession as a crime and to adopt the policy that drug treatment should be voluntary.
The public’s understanding of syringe service programs, and addiction itself, dangerously lags behind the science, often with fatal results. Research in public health and harm reduction has long shown that these programs are necessary for an effective response to the opioid epidemic and related HIV and hepatitis C transmission risks.
These healthcare providers are often called needle exchanges but really do so much more. They prevent overdose deaths by supplying fentanyl test strips, overdose recognition education, overdose reversal medicine, and access to opioid addiction medicine. In addition, they provide HIV, hepatitis and COVID-19 testing, access to sterile syringes, disposal of used syringes, and connections to medical providers and counseling.
The FDA just made access to Narcan easier to stop overdose deaths. Methadone also should be made more widely available to treat addiction.
In an age of surging fentanyl overdoses, which killed more people in 2021 than guns and cars wrecks combined, the services at these centers save lives and protect communities. And yet elected officials in Orange County have opposed these programs despite a spiking body count and decades of medical research that show they are safe and save lives. Studies indicate nearly every measure of health worsens when these programs are not available to people who use drugs.
Despite the endorsement of syringe service programs by the American Medical Assn., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, local residents and elected officials often oppose these programs because of misconceptions about these health services and stigma against the people being served.
Republicans want Newsom to veto the ‘drug den’ bill. What they are asking is for California to turn its back on people dying from preventable overdoses.
In 2018, such opposition shut down Orange County’s only needle exchange. The Harm Reduction Institute emerged as a successor but faced similar resistance and was forced to close in January 2022.
At a public hearing in September 2020, Santa Ana’s city attorney had suggested that after banning needle exchanges, the city could make the operation of medical offices or pharmacies that distribute syringes a zoning issue. She said the city could take other enforcement action against them, including “making sure they do have the proper licenses.” Two weeks later, the city started issuing zoning violations against the medical office where the Harm Reduction Institute operated.
Now that the institute is trying again to serve patients, the city will face some legal hurdles if it continues trying to block care.
One diagnosis can eclipse another, leading to a skewed approach. Integrating care and cross-training professionals shows promise.
Drug addiction is a disability protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Public entities, such as local governments, jails and hospitals, therefore cannot deny health services or services provided in connection with drug rehabilitation to people who use illegal drugs and are otherwise entitled to such services. This means that unless there is objective evidence that a program and its clients pose a risk of direct harm to others (not themselves), federal civil rights laws protect these healthcare providers and their patients from discriminatory zoning and safety rules. Courts are clear that generalizations about public safety risks will not suffice.
Illicit fentanyl is a scourge. It has poisoned the street drug supply and killed thousands of unwitting people.
Ensuring that people with drug addictions receive the health services they are entitled to under the nation’s civil rights laws is a top priority of the Department of Justice. Likewise, one of the key objectives in the White House’s 2022 National Drug Control Strategy is to increase the number of syringe programs across the country, especially in counties with none.
Orange County’s elected leaders should listen to the medical experts and not place stigma and stereotypes over science. They should support opening syringe programs, and when residents object, they should defend the programs’ right to exist. Doing so will save lives and protect neighborhoods — and it’s the law.
David Howard Sinkman is a senior associate at the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown University Law Center. He served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where he was the office’s opioid coordinator and civil rights coordinator. Ricky Bluthenthal is a professor of population and public health sciences and the associate dean for social justice in the Keck School of Medicine at USC. He co-founded the Oakland syringe service program in the 1990s.
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-07-31/orange-county-needle-exchange-program-overdose-hiv | 2023-07-31T10:44:42 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-07-31/orange-county-needle-exchange-program-overdose-hiv |
When Shawn Chopra and his wife Anne Morgan opened their cafe/design shop hybrid, Good Neighbor, in 2020, they wanted to create an inviting space where visitors could live among the products that stocked their shelves.
Customers can sip $5 coffees in mugs that cost several times more. Those mugs also happen to be available for purchase on the shop’s retail side, but you won’t get a sales pitch from any Good Neighbor employee.
“All the products are shoppable, without the pressure to shop,” Chopra said of the couple’s vision for a retail experience without the watchful eyes of a salesperson on your back.
In the three years since, Good Neighbor has become a popular spot to grab coffee and specialty toasts in artfully curated environs. Some customers have expressed a desire to linger a little longer.
“People keep saying ‘we’d love to stay here; I want my living room to look like this,’” Chopra said.
Now they can. This week, the couple will open Good Neighbor Guesthouse, a seven-room boutique hotel above the shop that expands upon Good Neighbor’s aesthetic and retail philosophy. The hotel’s booking system is scheduled to launch Aug. 2, with rooms available starting Aug. 15.
Rooms at the microhotel will range in price from $139 to $295 a night. And, like the coffee shop below, they will showcase furnishings, art and other goods that are for sale at Good Neighbor.
“We’re interested in the idea of reframing the retail experience,” said Justin Timothy Temple, the director of brand and marketing for Good Neighbor. “Getting people into a space and having them live with an object.”
The Guesthouse, formerly a residential space above the cafe, was designed over more than two years. Chopra, Morgan and their design team, which also includes design lead and project manager Ariana Grieu, drew inspiration from near and far, with décor that echoes Baltimore as well as Egypt and India, where Morgan and Chopra have family roots.
The hotel features floors made of reclaimed Douglas fir wood from Baltimore’s Brick & Board, artisanal Bejmat Zellige tiles from Spain and concrete counters and sinks crafted by Mark Melonas of LukeWorks in Hampden, among other touches.
In the lobby, a brick reception desk, painted the color of sand, combines multiple design influences. Bricks are a ubiquitous part of Charm City’s architecture and they are also a feature of Egypt’s pyramids of Giza as well as a staple of Indian design, where they are used to build dividers between spaces.
With its light woods and simple, airy spaces, the hotel also has echoes of the Scandinavian and Japanese influences featured in Good Neighbor’s coffee shop. Chopra dubs the combination a “heritage modern” style.
“We like a certain aesthetic, but we also feel like we can bring our own aesthetic,” he said. “There’s a sense of modernism we want to bring.”
Each room has a name and a subtle theme, from the plant-filled “Essence,” with plants styled by local green guru Hilton Carter to the movie-themed “So Far to Go,” which offers guests a curated Criterion film selection.
Contributions from locals can be found throughout: Chopra estimates that more than 25 Baltimore-based companies and artists are featured in the hotel, from the art on the walls to the Lor Tush toilet paper in the bathrooms. Guests can scribble notes on marbled stationery from Baltimore’s Odette Press and sip their morning coffee from mugs crafted by local ceramists. Good Neighbor developed its own line of towels and linens for the bathrooms and beds.
Chopra’s background as a physical therapist had an influence on the amenities, as well: “There are two types of pillows in every room,” he notes.
The local touches “just reaffirm our belief that Baltimore is a design city,” said Temple, who hopes that visitors will spread the word. “We want to continue to promote the truth we know exists.”
The Guesthouse will add a hotel offering to Hampden, which does not have much in the way of lodging for tourists despite being a popular destination. The boutique hotel will be listed on third-party websites like Airbnb and Booking.com. Chopra said he anticipates renting the entire space to wedding parties and artist residencies, in addition to individual room bookings.
Following Good Neighbor’s spirit of curation, the hotel will offer guests recommendations on everything from restaurants to local artists.
“We wanted to treat it as if your best friend’s coming over,” Chopra said. “The idea of welcoming someone into your home felt like a natural extension of Good Neighbor.” | https://www.baltimoresun.com/food-drink/bs-fo-good-neighbor-guesthouse-opens-20230731-shsvea63nfb6jji36qn3xn2oc4-story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:44 | 1 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/food-drink/bs-fo-good-neighbor-guesthouse-opens-20230731-shsvea63nfb6jji36qn3xn2oc4-story.html |
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A “mass shooting” at a large party in Indiana early Sunday morning left one person dead, police said. A hospital said 19 people were being treated for injuries at its facility.
Muncie police responded to multiple reports of gunfire on the city’s east side just after 1 a.m., The Star Press reported. Police said in a news release that there was no active threat to the community and that “multiple” victims were injured, including some critically.
“Due to the number of victims and nature of the incident, multiple agencies were contacted to assist,” Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell said in a statement sent to The Star Press.
Many police officers from the nearby town of Eaton were among those who provided assistance, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Eaton Police Chief Jay Turner called the incident a “mass shooting.”
Police did not say how many people were injured, but officials at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie told The Associated Press that 19 victims were treated in their emergency department for injuries related to the shooting, and 13 remained at the hospital in stabilized condition Sunday morning. Criswell said some victims sustained critical injuries and were transferred by medical helicopter to other facilities.
Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene identified the man who died as 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, The Star Press reported. | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:46 | 1 | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-one-person-is-dead-and-multiple-were-wounded-in-indiana-shooting-police-say/ |
After seeing there was limited affordable property for business owners in D.C., Angel Gregorio wanted to build a space to support other Black entrepreneurs like herself.
In December 2021, Gregorio bought a 7,500-square-foot lot in Northeast Washington’s Langdon Park neighborhood. The $1.1 million property, along with about $2.3 million in renovations, was financed through revenue from Gregorio’s business, the Spice Suite, and a government grant.
Black + Forth officially launched earlier this year — a strip mall of shipping containers transformed into commercial spaces that house Gregorio’s spice shop, as well as a natural hair care salon, a nail salon, a braiding studio and a wax studio, all owned and operated by Black entrepreneurs. It also offers a farmers market and classes for entrepreneurs.
“I want the space and I want my business to be known for supporting Black people relentlessly [and] for creating spaces intentionally for Black people in a city that is always changing and intensely gentrifying,” Gregorio said.
Each suite owner received a personal invitation from Gregorio to join. Previously, they’d worked out of other commercial spaces or out of their home.
“I feel a sense of pride. I feel a sense of community and sisterhood,” said Senna Minor, owner of the Braid Bar. “You know, we can tease each other and we joke and recommend each other’s businesses. It’s wonderful.
“We’re doing what people say Black girls don’t do — genuinely, healthily and effectively support each other,” Minor said.
Tinea Porter, a 40-year-old entrepreneur and owner of TGR Beauty, is another tenant. Her journey into the hair-care industry began after being laid off from her job as a high school teacher. Before getting a suite at Black + Forth, Porter worked at Sola Salons at Woodmore Towne Centre in Lanham. A longtime hair colorist for Gregorio, she was excited to be one of the spaces available in the strip mall.
“Black women are making a difference. We’re in this thing that we built, that we created,” Porter said. “With a lot of gentrification and most of us starting to be priced out of residential and commercial real estate, we were able to come in during the time that people are leaving out and make such a mark. That’s a big deal. Most people don’t have the confidence to even see visions like that through.”
Nicole Lovelace, 41, owner of PRMP, a brow and beauty studio, said she “couldn’t say no” when she was asked by Gregorio to join the studio. PRMP also has a location in Northwest Washington.
“Angel is really just making something that allows our growth to be more affordable because there’s no place in the city where we will be able to get this kind of space or this kind of community,” Lovelace said. “These offerings that she has are low to no cost. We are able to provide elevated services to the community.”
Gregorio launched the Spice Suite in 2015 after leaving her job as a school principal. Over time, it evolved into more than just a retail store; it became a space for female entrepreneurs, who were known as the “Spice Girls.” These women regularly have recurring pop-up spaces in the store to sell their products while also helping to run the shop.
One such entrepreneur is Andy Reyes, a 36-year-old accountant from New Haven, who traveled to D.C. to represent her and her husband’s company, Tierra Soap Co., in the Spice Suite’s storefront. The company specializes in soaps, bath bombs and salts.
Reyes said she sees D.C. as an ideal location for minority entrepreneurs to expand their businesses, build networks and establish connections with new people.
Reyes will return in September to participate in one of Black + Forth’s farmers markets, which take place on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. These farmers markets provide a direct platform for growers and farmers to engage with the community, supporting local produce sales, according to Gregorio.
Gregorio provides space in the pop-up shops and farmers markets free of charge. Black + Forth also offers free business school classes. Originally held on a monthly basis, the demand for these classes has surged, Gregorio said. Two or more classes are now available monthly. In a recent session, representatives from Mastercard gave lessons to more than a dozen people on the importance of data in business practices.
“Community Business School is built on the premise that I believe we have enough genius in our communities to grow our community,” Gregorio said. “So I invite my friends who are Black experts in things like marketing, branding and imagery. We try and offer everything you could think of.”
Gregorio said more expansions at Black + Forth are in the works, including plans to add a rooftop bar and offer pop-up events for Black bartenders. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/07/31/black-and-forth-spice-suite-angel-gregorio-black-businesses/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:47 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/07/31/black-and-forth-spice-suite-angel-gregorio-black-businesses/ |
Douglas Frank grinned as a high-pitched whine filled the sanctuary of a small Hemet church.
Holding an aluminum rod he said represented America, Frank quickly passed his fingertips over the metal, causing it to vibrate and build resonance.
The whine grew into a howl.
“There are lots of us patriots going around the country spreading truth in America. And while we’re spreading the truth ... it’s resonating,” said Frank, who left his job as an Ohio high school teacher to make scores of presentations across the country falsely claiming the 2020 election was rigged. “And it’s getting louder, county by county, state by state around the country.”
Frank’s demonstration followed a frenetic speech filled with baseless claims about suspicious voting trends and secret algorithms used to steal elections. He proposed a strategy for pressuring elected officials through protests and packed public meetings to abandon the use of election machines or resign.
“Problem with the truth is it’s annoying,” Frank said above the din, his audience of about 75 predominantly white, elderly attendees flinching from the noise made by his prop. “I can make this thing scream. I can make it unbearably loud. And you need to make the truth unbearably loud.”
Frank is convinced that American elections need saving and believes that to do so, people must take back the ballot box one county at a time. And though his allegations have been disproved and dismissed by election experts and fact checkers, he hasn’t been deterred from spending the last 2½ years on the road, spreading his message to any group that will host him.
“I’m fighting for the country that I grew up in that’s no longer here,” Frank said in an interview with The Times.
His more than 50 speeches in California and hundreds more across the country are part of a multi-pronged effort by the election denial movement to make a significant impact on future elections by changing state laws, training candidates and — in Frank’s case — organizing volunteers to challenge local results and voter rolls.
Paul Gronke, director of the Elections & Voting Information Center at Reed College in Portland, Ore., called Frank’s theories “fiction.”
“He’s a compelling presenter, but that doesn’t change the fact that what he’s saying are not facts,” Gronke said.
The morning of the Hemet event, Frank was hours away in Orange County, training activists how to uncover alleged election fraud. He spoke at a barbecue there the night before.
The next day, he held several events in the Central Valley and met with local officials. The day after that, he received a progress report from one of his local teams and gave a nearly two-hour talk to about 70 San Joaquin County residents at an Acampo Moose Lodge.
Frank’s decision to focus on deep-blue California may seem illogical. But when Shasta County, a conservative stronghold of 180,000 people, decided to stop using election machines, it drew national attention — and, Frank says, interest from activists who believe in his cause.
“People that I work with around the country were saying, ‘Well, gee, why are you spending all that time in California? You’re never going to be able to get anything to happen there,’” Frank said. “Now California is maybe one of the most important states and now they’re all saying, ‘Gee, when’s the next time you’re going to be out there?’”
How a team of cyber experts and lawyers came together in the days after the 2020 election to try to find information suggesting fraud, in an attempt to keep Trump in office despite his defeat.
Frank said he got involved in Shasta County’s efforts last fall. Local activists had already been knocking on doors to conduct their own election audit and were pressuring county supervisors to stop using Dominion Voting Systems machines. Sympathetic county supervisors were elected to the board in November and Frank visited the county several times to present his election fraud theories.
He said he “coached” some of the supervisors on strategy in daily phone calls and private meetings. The Shasta County Board of Supervisors ended its contract with Dominion in January, and went a step further in March when it voted to stop using electronic machines to tabulate ballots. Only a small number of the roughly 10,000 election jurisdictions in the U.S. have stopped using electronic voting machines since 2020.
Frank speaks of Shasta County in biblical terms, holding it up to audiences as an inspiration and template.
“Once David slew Goliath, then the Hebrew children, the Israelites, chased the Philistines out of the land. ... They suddenly all got brave, right? Shasta just slew Goliath. Now you all need to get brave,” he said in Hemet.
Election officials are worried Frank’s claims are being embraced by people who feel disenfranchised and oppose efforts to expand voter registration and voting by mail.
“Doug’s got the ability to persuade people to believe in the philosophy he’s trying to share,” Kings County Registrar of Voters Lupe Villa said. “There’s going to be people that are going to believe in that, and that can be very dangerous for a lot of us. It can be very dangerous to our democracy.”
An outsize amount of Frank’s travel has been to California.
Social media posts by Frank and associated so-called election integrity groups indicate he has made about 50 presentations at churches, bars, libraries and civic organizations in the state over the last year. Frank also holds private training sessions to teach local teams how to canvass and look for fraud, and presents his theories to sheriffs, registrars of voters and county supervisors when possible.
He made a 12-day swing through California in May. The next month, he appeared at an election reform summit in Rossmoor and spoke in Laguna Hills to a San Clemente Republican women’s group. Groups in the state have booked him multiple times over the next several months, including a Friday event in Lodi headlined by Trump ally Kari Lake, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Arizona governor last year.
Life on the road gave rise to a new nickname, Frank said: the “Johnny Appleseed of election fraud.”
“Instead of planting apple seeds, I think I’m going around starting little fires everywhere,” Frank said. “And then I come back and I throw gasoline on those fires.”
——
Frank is among a loosely linked network of people and organizations whose unfounded belief that fraud cost former President Trump the 2020 election has fueled a mission to disrupt how Americans vote.
Known as “Dr. Frank” to his supporters, he was born and raised in Sonoma County, studied chemistry at Westmont College in Santa Barbara and earned a doctorate in surface analytical chemistry from University of Cincinnati. Before transitioning full time to giving election fraud speeches, Frank served as chair of the math and science department at a Cincinnati private school.
Frank first got involved in trying to find fraud after the 2020 election, when he said he was among a handful of people asked by Trump supporters to look at Pennsylvania’s results. His work drew the attention of MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell, who helped raise Frank’s profile. Since then, Frank has appeared in Lindell’s election conspiracy films, is a frequent guest on Lindell’s streaming show and has emceed Lindell’s election denial conferences. In June 2021, Frank spoke at a televised rally for Trump in Ohio.
Frank has said that, like Lindell, he had his phone taken by the FBI. He said it happened in September 2022 as he stepped off a plane in Denver, and attributed it to his involvement in persuading former Mesa County, Colo., clerk Tina Peters to allow election deniers to copy restricted election information that was later widely shared online. (The agency has confirmed that a warrant was served in the Denver area, but typically does not provide further information unless charges are filed.) Peters was indicted last year on state charges of election tampering and official misconduct. Her trial is scheduled for October. Frank has not been charged in that ongoing case.
Federal law enforcement doesn’t appear to be investigating the former president’s allies’ attempts, some successful, to access election machines. Experts are alarmed.
Frank spent 2021 trying to convince state lawmakers and secretaries of state that he had evidence of fraud. When officials dismissed or ignored his claims, he began building a network of self-styled election integrity teams in an attempt to find evidence of fraud across the country, including in several California counties.
In addition to pushing counties to stop using election machines, which he believes are susceptible to manipulation, Frank wants to end vote by mail in most circumstances and supports hand counting all ballots, something states haven’t done on a large scale in at least 50 years. Many states, including California, perform partial audits or recount close races by hand. But Shasta is the only county in the state that has opted to count all ballots by hand.
Frank’s intensive travel schedule distinguishes him from election conspiracy theorists who primarily deliver their message online. Unlike those evangelizing keyboard warriors, he proselytizes in person to relatively modest crowds at community and civic centers, and is directly involved in setting up local teams of activists to investigate alleged voter fraud.
Stanford University Political Science Professor Justin Grimmer, whose work debunking Frank’s claims has made him the election denier’s primary foil, said he has focused on Frank in part because he doesn’t fit the expected mold.
“He is going place to place, small town to small town, giving the same talk, organizing people in the same way, applying pressure to these local officials who are then feeling the pressure in a way that other folks working in this space, who are advancing these sorts of fraud conspiracies, just either don’t have the resources or time to do,” Grimmer said.
In May, Frank took his presentation to a dive bar in Sherman Oaks, a church in Rancho Cucamonga, a public library in Palos Verdes and a theater in Ramona. Previous California speech venues included a Sizzler in Fullerton, a Mentone steakhouse, an El Segundo public library, a Laguna Niguel shooting range, the Clovis Memorial Hall and the Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks.
At the end of his events, organizers ask for donations to help pay for his travel costs. Frank said he does not charge for his appearances and that he covers some of the cost out of pocket, but it is unclear whether he receives other help covering his expenses.
Frank explains his California focus by saying that conservatives in the state already know something is off and are open to his message. He told The Times that his audiences are shocked that the effort to recall Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom failed and are unhappy with the policies coming out of Sacramento.
“You’re already awake because you have your state government kicking your beehive every day, right?” Frank said to an assembled group in Hemet, who erupted in peals of laughter.
Also key, he said, is the sheer population of California counties. Swaying a single California county to stop using machines or to clean its voter rolls affects more people than implementing those changes in some states.
“The counties here are as big as the states. L.A. is bigger than most states in the country,” he said.
His first invitation to speak in California came in July 2022 from a group that aims to split the Democratic stronghold into multiple states.
Attendees of Frank’s first speeches in California formed groups that now assist him. One of them, God, Guns, Government, books his appearances and handles his public relations in the state. Patriot Force CA President Urson Russell drives Frank around when he visits, and his group trains local teams how to canvass and implement Frank’s playbook.
“He’s putting his heart into this because the people are waking up and asking for some direction,” Russell said.
Frank’s presentation consists of lengthy stories about his background, his work in other states and with prominent right-wing figures. Always wearing a bow tie, he peppers his presentation with jokes, pop culture references and MAGA terms. He tells people to stop watching Fox News and rely on One America News Network and Lindell’s show.
His speeches assume his audience is steeped in false conspiracy theories, including that local sheriffs have more power than the state or federal government, a key component of his plan to stop counting ballots electronically.
Pinning alleged election fraud on an unnamed “they,” Frank dances around identifying who he thinks is manipulating elections. When pressed, he names a national nonprofit organization that provided election administration grants to thousands of local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and people who worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
“Until you take back the ballot box, your liberty is at risk,” Frank said.
It’s harmful for Frank to link taking action on his theories to protecting liberty, said Gowri Ramachandran, senior counsel in the Brennan Center’s Elections & Government Program.
Frank and his contemporaries have achieved less than they claim, she said. County officials often abandon plans to stop using election machines when they learn how much it will cost or that their actions would violate state law.
“There’s a lot of ... touting of success. And, you know, trying to try to build momentum to do something that is, it turns out, really, really just impractical to try to implement,” she said.
——
Frank’s hourlong to two-hour presentations dedicate little time to explaining where his data come from or how he reached his conclusions. The explanation of his analysis of election and voter data from California and Riverside County made up about 10 minutes of the nearly two hours he spoke in Hemet.
The speed at which Frank whips through his slideshow makes it nearly impossible to absorb the information.
He claims estimates of how many people will vote by age bracket constitute evidence of widespread fraud. He alleges that voter rolls are inflated because registration has outpaced estimated population growth. And he rattles off mathematical terms such as “correlation coefficient” and “sixth order polynomial” that might not be familiar to his audience. He repeatedly skips details that would explain how he reached his conclusion, instead telling attendees that what he found simply “ain’t natural, buddy.”
Frank told The Times that the data he used are publicly available and came from the U.S. Census Bureau, the California Secretary of State’s Office and various county registrars of voters, but he wouldn’t name the data sets for verification.
Grimmer, the Stanford professor who has studied and published papers about mathematical flaws in election denial theories, said Frank uses faulty equations and common statistical tricks in his analysis to present misleading conclusions.
“He dresses it up in a variety of ways. Some of those are red herrings. Some of that’s for the audience. Some of it is perhaps I don’t know if he knows what he’s quite doing,” Grimmer said.
Local officials have regularly asked Grimmer to counter Frank’s presentations, including in Shasta and Placer counties. That prompted him to build a website compiling data for 2,800 counties across the country to help them respond to Frank’s claims.
Grimmer said he watched videos of 10 Frank presentations before he was able to piece together where the data come from and how Frank reached his conclusions.
“Like a lot of people who are advancing these election fraud claims … [Frank didn’t] write up a nice academic paper that says, here’s where we got the data, here’s our statistical methodology, here’s our replication code,” Grimmer said.
Grimmer and his colleagues have submitted an article on flaws in Frank’s methodology and reasoning to Election Law Journal for peer review. Grimmer invited Frank to respond to their findings in December, sending him multiple requests. Frank told The Times in May that he would post a public response to Grimmer within a few days, but has not.
Frank mentions Grimmer in his presentations, calling him “this guy who’s never even left his stupid cubicle at Stanford.” He recounts the snarky comments he made about Grimmer’s statistical methodology when Grimmer testified about whether Frank was qualified to serve as an expert witness in an Oregon lawsuit.
What Frank doesn’t tell audiences is that the judge ruled he did not qualify.
Frank told The Times that Grimmer is too focused on the numbers and doesn’t address the alleged fraud that local teams find.
“I use the statistics that he’s talking about not as proof, I use the statistics as a smoke to find the fire. [Grimmer is] all hung up on the statistics, but he’s missing the whole point,” Frank said.
Placer County Registrar Ryan Ronco, who leads the California Assn. of Clerks and Election Officials, brought Grimmer and Frank together after learning that Frank made a presentation at a Lindell event that cited an analysis of Placer County’s elections and voter registration.
Ronco said anyone with concerns over election accuracy — including Frank — deserves an explanation of how the process works and why their information is wrong.
“At the end of the day, if your concerns are not valid, then you probably need to at least admit that the concerns were not founded,” Ronco said. “I don’t think that Dr. Frank is there yet.”
——
Frank warns his audiences against running to local elected officials in response to his presentation, saying they’ll be blown off as “conspiracy wingnuts.”
Instead, he encourages them to first follow the methods he’s outlined to find fraud so they can’t be dismissed. But, he reminds them, “it’s your fight, not mine.”
“I’m the arms dealer. And I’m coaching you and I’m helping you and I’m happy to fight alongside you when you need me,” Frank said at a Utah team planning meeting that was posted to his Telegram account and to Rumble, a video sharing website popular with election deniers.
In meetings that aren’t publicly advertised, Frank lays out a multi-step plan to build a local team. He encourages attendees to connect with groups that push disinformation about election fraud for coaching and resources used by professional political campaigns, such as the national change of address registry, the local death master file and voter registration rolls.
Frank instructs the teams to study state laws and regulations to tailor plans to their locality. He tells them which county officials to build relationships with, how to analyze voter data to identify alleged fraud — he cites as examples ballots returned for people who have died or moved out of state — and how to organize teams to knock on doors and ask questions. He details how to collect affidavits attesting to claims of fraud and prepare supporting documentation.
The next step for the team is to ask the local sheriff to open a case and investigate what they’ve found. Then, with a case number in hand, they begin putting pressure on county supervisors, Frank said.
“You go in there and you say, ‘I found fraud with my own hands and feet,’” Frank said to the Hemet audience. “You see how that works? See the difference between screaming bloody murder about fraud and having it in your hand? It’s a tremendous, empowering thing.”
Frank said five California teams have case numbers from local sheriffs and are preparing to demand that elected officials stop using election machines, but he would not identify them.
At his Acampo Moose Lodge presentation, Frank told attendees that San Joaquin County is poised to follow Shasta’s lead.
In February, Lodi City Councilmember Shakir Khan was arrested on multiple felony charges after the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office alleged that 41 mail-in ballots were found during a search of his home and about 70 names were registered to Khan’s home, his email or phone number. Khan’s first pretrial conference is in September, according to court records.
Frank told the audience the arrest came in part because the local team identified potential fraud and notified the sheriff.
As his speech wound down, Frank pulled out the aluminum rod. A familiar metallic wail enveloped the room.
“We have to stop being sweet, polite Republicans and we have to say we’re not going to tolerate our elections getting stolen from us anymore,” Frank said as applause began to drown him out. “You got to make [it] loud. You got to make it unbearable.”
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The Chesapeake Mermaid, Angela Rose Mitchell, will be making an appearance at The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum on Saturday. The environmentalist and author will be reading from one of her adventure books, “The Giants of the Bay,” which explores some of the biggest challenges facing our environment and what readers can do to help our world.
From 1-2 p.m., the program will include a story, movement, song, bay creature sign language, and a discussion on the wildlife and habitats in your own backyard. Stay from 2-3 p.m. to get photos and autographed books, and meet her wildlife friends.
The children will be seated on the floor; mermaid blankets and shark tails are welcome. Admission is $5 per child, adults are free during the event. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/harford/aegis/cng-ag-havre-de-grace-maritime-museum-chesapeake-mermaid-20230731-flzvht2z7zhkdn2qeopuia7fcq-story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:51 | 1 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/harford/aegis/cng-ag-havre-de-grace-maritime-museum-chesapeake-mermaid-20230731-flzvht2z7zhkdn2qeopuia7fcq-story.html |
Harford Community College recognized employees for their scholarly or creative publications and works at the college’s campus celebration and appreciation event that was held recently.
Each recognized author or artist received a framed certificate. A copy of the work will be housed in the library, when possible. A plaque, which is updated each year to honor new publications and creative work, is also on display in the library. This is the 14th year that employees have been recognized.
The list of this year’s recognized authors and artists and their works includes:
- Andrews, Faith, et al. “The Flipped Classroom: An Innovative Approach for Student Success.” Instructional Forum A Journal of Pedagogical Practices Across Maryland Community Colleges, vol. 36, no. 1, spring 2023, pp. 4-7.
- Fisler, Ben. Actor. “Body of Work,” directed by Rachel Borgo, 2022. “Beyond Your Consciousness,” directed by Rinoj Varghese, Gold Hive Media, 2022. “Macbeth,” Prince George’s Shakespeare in the Park, July 2022.
- Girardi, Amanda, et al. “The Flipped Classroom: An Innovative Approach for Student Success.” Instructional Forum A Journal of Pedagogical Practices Across Maryland Community Colleges, vol. 36, no. 1, spring 2023, pp. 4-7.
- Hallock, Stephanie. “Disruption in an Open-Access Institution.” Pandemic Pedagogy, edited by Andrew A. Szarejko, Cham., Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. Political Pedagogies.
- King, Supawan. “From Sour Chemistry to a Better Buy In.” NISOD Innovation Abstracts, vol. 45, no. 3, 16 Feb. 2023.
- Moll, Tonee. “You Cannot Save Here.” Washington Writers’ Publishing House, 2022.
- Neff, Heidi. “Crowd Control,” exhibition, Sept. 8-Oct. 2, 2022. Amos Eno Gallery, New York.
- Powers, Jessica, et al. “The Flipped Classroom: An Innovative Approach for Student Success.” Instructional Forum A Journal of Pedagogical Practices Across Maryland Community Colleges, vol. 36, no. 1, spring 2023, pp. 4-7.
- Johnson, Richard. Composer. “Susquehanna River,” October 2022.
- Wohlers, Tony. “Biopolitics at 50 Years: Founding and Evolution.” Emerald Publishing, 2022.
Read about all employees who have been recognized since the program began in 2010 at harford.libguides.com/scholarlypublications.
Harford receives state Perkins funding for career and technical education
Harford Community College has received funding from the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Career and College Readiness in the amount of $219,638. This funding is provided under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act of 2018, referred to as Perkins V.
Perkins V offers states and local education agencies a framework to create equity within Career and Technical Education (CTE). Marginalized communities and underrepresented student groups are the focus of the funding within community colleges’ existing or anticipated CTE programs.
Harford Community College will use the funds for biennial needs assessment; to conduct professional development training; hire a lab assistant; hire college and career navigators for teacher education majors and students in the Computer Support Technician Academy at the Edgewood Library; hire tutors for gateway and technology courses; pay for high-performance laptops for students in the P-TECH program at Joppatowne High School; purchase a bioreactor for the biotech program; and pay for exam fees for computer and technology credentialing.
The Business and Applied Technology division will be leading this program implementation enhancing career and technical education pathways at Harford. For more information: Marc Minnick, dean for Business and Applied Technology, at mminnick@harford.edu or 443-412-2382.
Summer information sessions and campus tours
Explore Harford’s 90+ degree and certificate programs and 40+ career and workforce programs by attending a summer information session with a campus tour.
These sessions give prospective students an overview of programs, support services and campus life, as well as information about financial aid and getting started. Select dates have additional information that applies to specific groups. All sessions offer a tour of Harford’s beautiful campus.
Upcoming information sessions with campus tours:
Friday, 10 a.m., Student Center, Room 243.
Friday, Aug. 11, 10 a.m., Student Center, Room 243 (focus on veterans and military).
Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2 p.m., Student Center, Room 243.
Additional tours are scheduled throughout the year. For more inforamtion: harford.edu/admissions. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/harford/aegis/cng-ag-hcc-happenings-0802-20230731-vj3pqn7x3rchfknib4wlcci6uu-story.html | 2023-07-31T10:44:52 | 1 | https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/harford/aegis/cng-ag-hcc-happenings-0802-20230731-vj3pqn7x3rchfknib4wlcci6uu-story.html |
If you’re craving cake, don’t wait for something to celebrate. And don’t think you need to buy a whole cake. Single cake slices are suitable for any occasion: for breakfast in lieu of a pastry, as a midday pick-me-up or to sweeten the end of a hearty dinner.
The eateries featured here offer the option of eating on-site or taking your slice to go, and they serve coffee, tea and other beverages that pair well with their freshly baked offerings. The next time a cake craving hits, consider yourself prepared.
Rose Ave Bakery, ube coconut cake
This award-winning Asian American bakery’s ube coconut cake is such a vibrant purple that it doesn’t look real. But there’s no need to be alarmed: The eye-popping color is characteristic of the cake’s main ingredient.
Ube is a naturally purple yam that’s often used in Philippine desserts. Although the Woodley Park bakery’s owner Rosie Nguyen is Vietnamese, her Filipino husband introduced her to the “deep vanilla chestnut flavor” found in ube. When Nguyen opened her shop two years ago, initially in a downtown D.C. food hall, she knew she wanted to incorporate ube into various Rose Ave menu items, including doughnuts and a latte.
In Rose Ave’s slice, bits of ube give the cake a slightly chewy texture and a sweetness that’s not overly sugary. It’s a nod to the traditional cakes you’d find in Asian bakeries, Nguyen said, but with a little extra sweetness. In between the cake’s starchy purple layers is a fluffy coconut Swiss meringue buttercream.
$6 per slice. 2633 Connecticut Ave. NW. roseavebakery.com.
Kyoto Matcha, passion fruit crepe layer cake
Entering Kyoto Matcha’s Rockville location, customers must immediately choose their own adventure. Walk to the right, and you’re faced with a menu of matcha drinks: lattes, lemonade, boba and frappuccinos. Shuffle to the left and you’re greeted by a selection of desserts: soft serve, mochi ice cream and, of course, cake.
It doesn’t matter which path you choose initially, but you should incorporate the delightfully fragrant passion fruit crepe cake slice if a tart yet sugary confection is your intended final destination. The gel-like top layer of passion fruit is a punch of flavor, tactfully mellowed by the cream and crepe.
While passion fruit was a personal favorite, you can’t go wrong with any of the other crepe cake flavors: tiramisu, peach oolong, chocolate, ube and matcha. All of Kyoto Matcha’s slices are visually stunning and come in varied shapes and bright hues: spongy roll cakes, cylindrical milk cap cakes, square mousse cakes, and log-shaped towel cakes dusted with matcha or ube. No matter what choice you make, the ending will always be sweet.
$9.50 per slice. Locations in Rockville, Bethesda, Ellicott City, Hunt Valley and Towson. kyotomatcha.us.
Sharbat, honey cake
If you’re looking to up your cake-tasting game and try more creative cake slices, look no further than Sharbat, an Azerbaijan bakery in Adams Morgan.
Owner Ilhama Safarova arrives each day at 5 a.m. to prepare freshly baked pastries from scratch by 10 a.m. “My goal is to introduce Azerbaijani cuisine to the world, and … to bring happiness to people,” she said. “When I see people trying it and experiencing it and loving it, that gives me a lot more energy to keep going.”
Try Sharbat’s cake slice with the most buzz, medovik (honey cake). Sharbat’s recipe deviates from its Russian equivalent. It has about 17 layers of thin crepe, and one cake takes Safarova about two hours to make. It’s easy to identify it in the Sharbat display case from the honeycomb pattern atop the cake. The slice has the texture and taste of a soft graham cracker, and the homemade cream is refreshing.
$5.99 per slice. 2473 18th St. NW. sharbat-bakery.business.site.
A Baked Joint, Naked Mama Love cake
This vanilla cake slice with fresh strawberries, typically available to order once a week, is on the slightly gooey side and has a homey taste, just like Mama would make. And Mama did make it: Co-owner “Mama T,” also known as Teresa Velazquez, said the slice is the cake form of sister bakery Baked & Wired’s best-selling strawberry cupcake.
Velazquez’s Mama Love cupcake made its debut around Valentine’s Day 2013, with chocolate ganache frosting to replicate the flavor of chocolate-covered strawberries. The “naked”-ness of the slice, which means it’s barely covered by a thin coat of frosting, comes from Velazquez’s niece, who asked for a naked strawberry cake for her wedding.
Sometimes, store-bought bakery items truly put the “ice” in icing, resulting in a hard, crackled frosting. But the cream cheese frosting and Valentine’s Day heart sprinkles give the Naked Mama Love slice a reinvented look and welcome moistness at the casual food spot. That’s true of all of A Baked Joint’s rotating cake selections, which you can eat with the shop’s sandwiches, soups or salads.
$7.25 per slice. 430 K St. NW. abakedjoint.com.
Eclairons, white chocolate raspberry cake
This elegant Arlington cafe is known for top-notch pastries in the French tradition, particularly its white chocolate génoise cake, which combines white chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries. The smooth mousse is delightfully creamy, while the raspberry seeds give the cake a satisfying crunch with every bite.
For those who are part of the white-chocolate-hater contingent, not to worry: Eclairons also offers a dark chocolate version of the cake with a slightly more bitter taste. To grab the bakery’s breakfast, lunch or the espresso macchiato ($3.75 to go, $4.50 dine-in) that goes well with the dessert, be sure to stop by before 2 p.m.
The shop’s name, a portmanteau of éclairs and macarons, is an ode to owner Toni Srour’s favorite desserts. Srour, who’s spent more than four decades as a pastry maker, opened the Rosslyn bakery in 2020, his second cafe after opening Pastry Xpo Café in Falls Church’s Mosaic District in 2008.
$7.25 per slice. 1737 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. eclairons.com.
Café Georgetown, lemon poppy artisan loaf
If you’re a no-frills kind of person who loves cake but hates icing, you’ll agree that the miniature loaf-style cake is one of the best inventions since sliced bread. And if that is the case, you’ll need to sit down with a slice of Café Georgetown’s lemon poppy loaf cake. (Want some frills? The cafe carries traditional chocolate and carrot cake slices as well.)
The lemon pound cake is divinely soft with a tart taste. And the poppy seeds add just the right amount of mellow flavor and crunch. Cafe owner Emel Bayrak loves pairing the flavor-packed loaf with a cortado or an espresso macchiato.
Signs at the cafe inform customers that the eatery is a “laptop-free zone” and extol the virtues of focusing on your dining companions. But even if you’ve come alone, you’ll want to stow the electronics and give this simple but satisfying dessert your undivided attention.
$5 per loaf. 3141 N St. NW. cafegeorgetown.com. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/07/31/dc-area-great-cake-slices/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:53 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/07/31/dc-area-great-cake-slices/ |
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Voting rights activists are returning to court to fight Alabama’s redrawn congressional districts, saying state Republicans failed to follow federal court orders to create a district that is fair to Black voters.
Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case filed a written objection Friday to oppose Alabama’s new redistricting plan. They accused state Republicans of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it” and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state.
A special three-judge panel in 2022 blocked use of the the state’s existing districts and said any new congressional map should include two districts where “Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority” or something close. That panel’s decision was appealed by the state but upheld in June in a surprise ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which concurred that having only one Black-majority district out of seven — in a state where more than one in four residents is Black — likely violated federal law.
The plaintiffs in the case, represented by the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and other groups, asked the three-judge panel to step in and draw new lines for the state.
“Alabama’s new congressional map ignores this court’s preliminary injunction order and instead perpetuates the Voting Rights Act violation that was the very reason that the Legislature redrew the map,” lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case wrote.
The new map enacted by the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature maintained one-majority Black district but boosted the percentage of Black voters in the majority-white 2nd Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Barry Moore, from about 30% to 39.9%
Lawyers representing plaintiffs in the case wrote Friday that the revamped district “does not provide Black voters a realistic opportunity to elect their preferred candidates in any but the most extreme situations.” They accused state Republicans of ignoring the courts’ directive to prioritize a district that would stay under GOP control “pleasing national leaders whose objective is to maintain the Republican Party’s slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Alabama has maintained the new plan complies with the Voting Rights Act, and state leaders are wagering that the panel will accept their proposal or that the state will prevail in a second round of appeals to the Supreme Court. Republicans argued that the map meets the court’s directive and draws compact districts that comply with redistricting guidelines.
The state must file its defense of the map by Aug. 4. The three judges have scheduled an Aug. 14 hearing in the case as the fight over the map shifts back to federal court.
The outcome could have consequences across the country as the case again weighs the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. It could also impact the partisan leanings of one Alabama congressional district in the 2024 elections with control of the U.S House of Representatives at stake.
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement that Alabama’s new map is a “brazen defiance” of the courts.
“The result is a shameful display that would have made George Wallace—another Alabama governor who defied the courts—proud,” Holder said in a statement. | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ | 2023-07-31T10:44:53 | 1 | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-urge-judges-to-toss-alabamas-new-congressional-map/ |
USWNT takes on Portugal in a match that touches Savannah DeMelo’s heart
Near the bar at the D.E.S. Portuguese Hall in Artesia there are two famed photos.
One is a picture of a young Cristiano Ronaldo wearing a red No. 17 Portuguese national team uniform while running toward the camera. The other is a woman in a pink headband and a blue U.S. kit, pumping her first after scoring in the 2018 U-20 World Cup. That’s Savannah DeMelo.
Ronaldo is the greatest scorer in soccer history, winner of five Ballon d’Or, three world player of the year awards, a European championship and a starter in five World Cups. DeMelo has two international appearances with the U.S. senior national team.
Guess which one the folks in Artesia are most proud of?
“Judging by attendance and the atmosphere at the sports bar, there seems to be more excitement and hope for Savannah to do well,” said Roger Silveira, a coach with Artesia D.E.S. Futebol Clube, which plays in the third-tier National Independent Soccer Association.
That might be tested Tuesday when DeMelo and the U.S. face off against Portugal, which is essentially an elimination game at the women’s World Cup. With a win or a draw, the U.S. advances to the knockout phase and Portugal goes home. A Portuguese victory, on the other hand, would knock the Americans out of the tournament in the group stage for the first time.
Kickoff is at midnight and Silveira said there’s talk the bar may stay open for breakfast.
A few months ago, none of this seemed possible. Portugal had never qualified for a women’s World Cup and DeMelo, an All-American at USC, had never played for the senior national team. But in February, Portugal beat Cameroon on Carole Costa’s penalty kick in stoppage time to claim the 31st of 32 berths in this summer’s tournament. Four months later DeMelo was chosen for the U.S. team, becoming the first woman in 20 years to make the roster without ever having played for the team.
Her first appearance came as a starter in the World Cup opener against Vietnam.
“It’s been a crazy roller coaster of emotions,” she said. “It’s just been an awesome experience and I’m taking it game by game.”
That DeMelo, a 25-year-old midfielder from Bellflower, would still be playing soccer, much less with the national team in a World Cup, was in doubt four years ago. In USC’s final training session of the 2019 spring semester, DeMelo tore her Achilles tendon. The pop, she said, sounded like a gunshot. Her junior season — and maybe her career — was over.
But DeMelo turned the setback into a step forward.
“It just kept me super hungry to come back, and not just to come back the player I was, but even better,” she said. “I’m super proud of myself because I think I did do that, and I wouldn’t really have believed it if you told me that back then that I would be better than before I got injured.”
After graduating USC with a nursing degree, DeMelo, who also has a master’s in public health, was taken by Racing Louisville with the fourth pick of the 2022 NWSL draft. None of that was supposed to happen either. Although her father Robert played soccer for two decades in his native Portugal, and coaches the game in the U.S., he didn’t push any of his three daughters into the game. If anything, he pushed them away from it.
“My parents really wanted me to do it all,” DeMelo said. “Soccer was my favorite, but my mom and dad really wanted me to have that balanced life. I played volleyball and basketball just for fun. I wasn’t that great.”
What she was great at — well, as great as you can be in the third grade — was gymnastics. But on the way home from her first soccer practice, the 8-year-old DeMelo told her grandmother she was quitting that sport for soccer.
“I didn’t like that it was individual,” she said of gymnastics. “My dad was a soccer player, so I loved the lifestyle of it and I kind of grew up with my dad always watching soccer [and] Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Ronaldo, she said, was a god at her house. Now DeMelo’s picture hangs next to his at the D.E.S. hall.
Once she made that choice, her father began training Savannah and her two younger sisters, Makayla, who plays for Racing Louisville’s USL W League team, and Skylar, who plays for her father at Beach FC.
“Years back — probably 10 years ago now — when I was training our men’s Artesia team, Robert would always text me asking if he could use part of the field to train Savannah,” said Silveira, 49. “He would take out this massive heavy goal that we built ourselves from metal to have Savannah shoot on goal. I remember telling him during one of those trainings ‘for all that work, she better go to the top.’ Sure enough, she did.”
Under different circumstances, DeMelo could have been wearing a red Portugal kit in that portrait at the D.E.S. hall instead of the U.S. blue. As a dual citizen, she was eligible to play for her father’s country, which would have put her on the other side in Tuesday’s game.
“I always had the option,” she said. “But it’s kind of just always been a dream for me to play for the U.S. My heart was always with the U.S.”
On Tuesday, her father’s heart will be there as well.
A look at how Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn and Julie Ertz had the support of U.S. Soccer, coaches and teammates to become moms while continuing careers.
“My dad is, for sure, cheering for the U.S.,” DeMelo said. “I’m not even going to ask him.”
And if the Americans win, her father might wind up having been an unwitting contributor to Portugal’s demise. Although DeMelo doesn’t speak Portuguese fluently, she heard her parents speak it often enough at home to understand it. So anything the Portuguese players say Tuesday night can and will be used against them.
“I’ll definitely be listening,” DeMelo said.
At the D.E.S. Portuguese Hall in Artesia, Silveira expects they’ll be watching, although it really doesn’t matter who wins. If the U.S. and DeMelo do, the large Portuguese community in southeast L.A. County will have a player of their own to cheer in the knockout rounds. If Portugal wins, they’ll have an entire team to follow.
“Whatever happens,” Silveira said, “we win.”
Columnist Helene Elliott contributed to this report. | https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-07-31/uswnt-portugal-womens-world-cup-samantha-demelo | 2023-07-31T10:44:55 | 1 | https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2023-07-31/uswnt-portugal-womens-world-cup-samantha-demelo |
Courtney took her first marijuana puffs at 17. Two decades later, she was raising a toddler son and hiding her dependence from most family members. She would light her pipe more than a dozen times a day, sneaking to the garage of her Missouri home while her son napped.
Marijuana addiction is real. Those struggling often face skepticism.
“It’s been frustrating because you’re not taken seriously,” Courtney said. “People say it’s not as severe as meth, or alcohol, that it’s not that bad. They think it’s not an addiction.”
At a time when marijuana has been legalized for recreational and medicinal use in more than 20 states — and the potency of the drug has been increased — many experts believe that most people can use it without significant negative consequences, not unlike enjoying occasional alcoholic drinks. But for users like Courtney, the struggles to quit are real and complicated by the powerful cultural perception that marijuana is natural and therapeutic, not a substance that can be addicting.
Courtney’s story reflects broader tensions about marijuana’s health consequences.
For decades, weed’s deleterious health effects were exaggerated, experts said, leading to excessive criminalization. But as legal recreational sales have expanded — Maryland in July became the latest state to permit sale of marijuana products for recreational use — the suggestion that marijuana is addictive has often met with derision, especially because science isn’t always clear on the benefits and harms. There can be reluctance to seek treatment. And other substances stir deeper fears and greater attention: Opioids are driving an overdose crisis killing more than 100,000 people each year in the United States.
“Because there are so many mixed messages in our society about cannabis, I think it’s very easy for people to minimize and rationalize problematic use of cannabis,” said Aaron Norton, a Florida mental health counselor who supports legalization of recreational and medical marijuana but believes it should be more tightly regulated.
Courtney and other marijuana users interviewed by The Washington Post spoke on the condition that only their first name or initials be used because they fear being stigmatized or because relatives or employers are not aware of their use.
Twenty-three states and D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana, and all of those states except for Virginia and Minnesota have recreational sales up and running. Medical use is lawful in 38 states.
The number of regular users has increased. According to a 2019 federal government survey, an estimated 31.6 million people age 12 or older used marijuana within the past month, up from 22.2 million five years earlier. The estimate rose to 36.4 million in 2021, although the numbers are not directly comparable because researchers changed how they collect data.
Medical experts and even many proponents of legalized marijuana acknowledge it can be addictive — akin to alcohol or some prescription drugs. Estimates vary on the prevalence of what is known as cannabis use disorder. One study from researchers at Columbia University and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that nearly 3 in 10 users in 2012-2013 experienced cannabis use disorder.
“The majority of people who use cannabis products in general can handle it,” said Adrianne Trogden, a Louisiana addiction counselor. “But there are still people who cannot — and they need help.”
Darren Weiss, president of Verano, a cannabis company operating in 14 states, agreed that public health and industry officials should not dismiss the potential for cannabis to be abused, but maintained that concerns are often overwrought.
“Addiction is a fact of life,” Weiss said. “There are folks who are addicted to caffeine, to sex, to all sorts of different things.”
The rise in marijuana use among teens has been highly publicized, along with concerns about the effects of more potent products on the developing adolescent brain. In May, the National Institute on Drug Abuse published a study asserting that young men with cannabis-use disorder have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, although critics have pointed to other studies that cast doubt on the extent of the role marijuana plays in psychotic episodes.
Further fueling concerns among some experts: In the 1990s, THC, the psychoactive compound responsible for inducing a high, constituted about 5 percent of a typical joint or smoke from a bong or pipe, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Today, the THC content in smokable marijuana in recreational products can range between 15 and 21 percent, while products popular with young people such as edibles and oils can contain well over 50 percent.
Higher THC levels could increase the risk the brain will get conditioned to want more of the high-potency marijuana, said Nora Volkow, NIDA’s director. Last year, a study published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry found that higher potency THC was associated with an increased risk of cannabis use disorder.
Weiss questioned claims that higher potency marijuana is more likely to cause addiction. Still, he acknowledged that companies market to cannabis enthusiasts who will pay more for higher-potency products — because of the economics of the industry.
If marijuana could be sold by pharmacy chains or liquor stores, Weiss said there would be more incentive to sell lower-potency products marketed at casual consumers. More sales of lower-octane marijuana to a broader customer base would equal higher revenue, he said.
“There are a lot of people who demonize industry and think we are pushing high potency, similar to what the tobacco industry did, as a way of hooking consumers … and it couldn’t be further from the truth,” Weiss said.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates at least 16.3 million people in the United States had a cannabis-use disorder in 2021, putting it behind only alcohol. The agency’s yearly estimates rose in 2020 after it incorporated broadened American Psychiatric Association criteria on diagnosing substance use disorders.
Most cannabis-use disorder cases were characterized as mild, which means patients experience just two or three of 11 benchmark symptoms, such as increased tolerance, intense cravings or repeated attempts to stop marijuana use. An estimated 26 percent of cases are considered moderate, while 16 percent are severe, according to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
“It’s the second-most common addiction Americans are struggling with, but nobody hears about it,” said James H. Berry, a psychiatrist and addiction expert at West Virginia University.
Still, experts caution that mild cases of cannabis-use disorder may not fit under what the public generally considers “addiction.” The effect on users’ lives may be less severe — perhaps marijuana smoking has merely caused friction with a spouse. For those patients, interventions are typically geared toward minimizing the drug’s harm, said Trogden, the Louisiana counselor: “Maybe some counseling sessions, [introducing] some coping strategies, or education on how to use responsibly,” she said.
For people who consume medical marijuana, the risk of being misdiagnosed with a use disorder is a real threat, said Tammy Chung, an addiction researcher at Rutgers University. They can meet criteria for a use disorder, such as developing withdrawal symptoms and a higher tolerance for THC, despite being under the supervision of a medical provider.
“The threshold for cannabis-use disorder is relatively low,” said Chung, who has recommended revamping how the disorder is diagnosed.
E.H., a 44-year-old San Francisco-area schoolteacher, was never formally diagnosed with cannabis use disorder but had a medical marijuana card for years. He believes his decades of smoking marijuana day and night affected his life in profound ways. His habit was costing up to $300 a week, and he obsessed about needing to stay high. E.H. stopped using marijuana for a few years — until California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016. He waited in line at a dispensary for hours to buy a celebratory joint, then quickly spiraled back into daily use.
Today, he said he has been sober for nearly a year after joining Marijuana Anonymous. But he’s sheepish about telling people about his struggle lest they chide him for betraying the California counterculture cool of his youth.
“It feels like if you don’t smoke marijuana, you’re one of the sellouts,” E.H. said.
It’s not unusual for people to turn to recreational marijuana products, believing they treat assorted ailments — and doing so without a doctor’s guidance. Smita Das, an addiction psychiatrist at Stanford University, said she encounters patients who use marijuana to treat anxiety.
“But what we know is that actually [the marijuana] is probably worsening their anxiety over time,” Das said.
People with more serious addiction issues confront challenges in seeking care, including a lack of affordable treatment and few beds in rehabilitation centers, said Eric A. Voth, a retired addiction specialist and member of the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis, an organization of doctors that educates about the potential harms of marijuana.
Voth said that while criminal courts often mandate treatment, for others living on the streets, “there’s really no one pressing you to get into treatment.”
He recalled a 24-year-old man in Colorado living under a bridge and dealing with psychiatric problems exacerbated by marijuana. He was finally accepted into a rehabilitation program that specializes in the intersection of addiction and mental health disorders and improved, but later relapsed on cannabis and then fentanyl.
The man’s mother said early recovery was complicated by doctors dismissive of THC playing a role in her son’s mental health crises.
“He gets mixed messages in the recovery world and in society, he sure does, too,” said the mother, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her son’s privacy. “Young people are being told it’s totally safe.”
Ben Cort, who leads the Colorado center where the man was treated, acknowledged that activists sounding alarms about the health consequences of cannabis have a credibility problem following a history of racially disparate enforcement of drug laws and exaggerated claims about marijuana’s harmful effects.
“‘Reefer Madness’ comes out, then the stiff penalties and everybody’s like, ‘It’s weed. What’s the big deal?’” Cort said. “You went from this huge overstatement of risk to this dramatic understatement of risk.”
Unlike with opioids, alcohol and even tobacco use disorders, no medication exists to treat marijuana addiction — although that could soon change. On June 8, French biopharmaceutical company Aelis Farma announced promising research on a drug that blocks harmful signals sent by THC to key receptors in the brain, without disrupting those receptors enough to cause harmful psychiatric effects.
Volunteers taking the drug reported marijuana had less of an effect, without experiencing withdrawal, said Meg Haney, director of the Cannabis Research Laboratory at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who ran the NIDA-funded study. She said the drug could one day help compulsive users. “There’s evidence to show if you can go from being a daily smoker down to two, three, even four days a week, you already show important changes in your quality of life,” Haney said.
For now, treatment revolves around behavioral therapy. The Veterans Health Administration offers patients gift cards for canteen services if they forgo marijuana, a treatment known as contingency management. Health records show the rate of veterans under age 35 diagnosed with the disorder more than doubled between 2005 and 2019.
M.B., a 24-year-old from Southern California, credits her recovery to Marijuana Anonymous, modeled after 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Even within those groups, M.B. said, people with marijuana addictions aren’t always taken seriously.
“The problems that come up with cannabis-use disorder are very real. This was not always something that was talked about,” she said. “We were sort of laughed out of 12-step spaces.”
She smoked daily throughout her teen years before she was diagnosed with cannabis-use disorder when she was about 20. At rock bottom, M.B. said, she smoked or used a vape pen roughly every hour, often waking up at night to take hits. M.B. said she believes her habit led to at least one psychotic episode and to the draining of her finances, even as she lived at home with her parents. She spent so much buying weed that she stole money from family to pay bills.
M.B. joined the program online in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, although the withdrawals weren’t easy. For about a week, she couldn’t keep down food, suffered intense headaches and felt so uncomfortable that she showered constantly.
“I was really angry, crying all the time,” M.B. said. “I had really intense dreams that I was smoking.”
For Courtney, the young mother from Missouri, quitting wasn’t made easier after the state in fall 2022 became the 21st to legalize recreational marijuana. Missouri’s nascent weed industry has boomed — combined sales of recreational and medical marijuana could top $1 billion this year.
“You smell it in the air when you’re sitting at a stoplight,” Courtney said.
She tried Marijuana Anonymous meetings online, but it wasn’t the right fit. She considered an outpatient treatment center, but the nearest was 45 minutes away — too far to drive while raising a toddler.
Instead, her group therapy came in the form of a Reddit forum dedicated to supporting people who want to stop consuming marijuana products. The forum is dotted with stories on the effects of withdrawal, including panic attacks, insomnia and bouts of crying, but also triumphs: long anxiety-relieving walks, regular yoga, improved family time.
A few days after detailing her struggles to a reporter, Courtney reflected on the future. Did she want her son growing up to see her smoking marijuana so often? So she smashed her glass pipe and flushed her remaining weed.
The cravings weren’t as bad as she feared. But she has suffered irritability, headaches, a loss of appetite, night sweats and vivid dreams. “I still feel like the worst is ahead of me,” Courtney said after five days without using.
She and her husband earlier bought tickets to attend a three-day music festival, where the smell of marijuana wafting in the air would be a certainty. They decided to forge ahead with a plan: If she felt uncomfortable, they would leave.
The last night of the festival, Courtney relapsed with a smoke. But since then, Courtney says, she has been clean for two months.
“I’m doing really well,” she said. “I feel clearheaded and more present.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/07/31/marijuana-addiction-legal-recreational-sales/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:00 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/07/31/marijuana-addiction-legal-recreational-sales/ |
DENVER (AP) — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
The 68-year-old covers his windows with mattress foam to insulate against the heat and sleeps in the concrete basement. He knows high temperatures can cause heat stroke and death, and his lung condition makes him more susceptible. But the retired brick layer, who survives on about $1,000 a month largely from Social Security, says air conditioning is out of reach.
“Take me about 12 years to save up for something like that,” he said. “If it’s hard to breathe, I’ll get down to emergency.”
As climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
As Phoenix weathered its 27th consecutive day above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) Wednesday, the nine who died indoors didn’t have functioning air conditioning, or it was turned off. 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. metros.
“The temperature differences … between lower-income neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and their wealthier, whiter counterparts have pretty severe consequences,” said Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization. “There are these really big consequences like death. … But there’s also ambient misery.”
Some have window units that can offer respite, but “in the dead of heat, it don’t do nothing,” said Melody Clark, who stopped Friday to get food at a nonprofit in Kansas City, Kansas, as temperatures soared to 101, and high humidity made it feel like 109. When the central air conditioning at her rental house went on the fritz, her landlord installed a window unit. But it doesn’t do much during the day.
So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. She’s taken the bus to the library to cool off. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
As far as her two teenagers, she said: “They aren’t little bitty. We aren’t dying in the heat. … They don’t complain.”
While billions in federal funding have been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, experts say they often only support a fraction of the most vulnerable families and some still require prohibitive upfront costs. Installing a centralized heat pump system for heating and cooling can easily reach $25,000.
President Joe Biden announced steps on Thursday to defend against extreme heat, highlighting the expansion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which funnels money through states to help poorer households pay utility bills.
While the program is critical, said Michelle Graff, who studies the subsidy at Cleveland State University, only about 16% of the nation’s eligible population is actually reached. Nearly half of states don’t offer the federal dollars for summer cooling.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.
While frigid temperatures and high heating bills birthed the term “heat or eat,” she said, “we can now transition to AC or eat, where people are going to have to make difficult decisions.”
As temperatures rise, so does the cost of cooling. And temperatures are already hotter in America’s low-income neighborhoods like Gallegos’ Denver suburb of Globeville, where people live along stretches of asphalt and concrete that hold heat like a cast-iron skillet. Surface temperatures there can be roughly 8 degrees hotter than in Denver’s wealthier neighborhoods, where a sea of vegetation cools the area, according to the environmental advocacy group American Forests.
This disparity plays out nationwide. Researchers at the University of San Diego analyzed 1,056 counties and in over 70%, the poorest areas and those with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations were significantly hotter.
About one in 10 U.S. households have no air conditioning, a disparity compounded for marginalized groups, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Less than 4% of Detroit’s white households don’t have air conditioning; it’s 15% for Black households.
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down.
The 37-year-old factory worker pours water on her head, freezes towels to put around her neck, and sits in her car with the air conditioner on. “Some people here spend every dollar for food, so air conditioning is something they can’t afford,” she said.
Shannon Lewis, 38, lived in her Detroit home for nearly 20 years without air conditioning. Lewis’s bedroom was the only place with a window unit, so she’d squeeze her teenager, 8-year-old and 3-year-old-twins into her queen-size bed to sleep, eat meals and watch television.
“So it was like cool in one room and a heat stroke in another,” Lewis said. For the first time, Lewis now has air conditioning through a local non-profit, she said. “We don’t have to sleep or eat in the same room, we are able to come out, sit at the dining room table, eat like a family.”
After at least 54 died during a 2021 heat wave, mostly elderly people without air conditioning, in the Portland area, Oregon passed a law prohibiting landlords from placing blanket bans on air conditioning units. By and large, however, states don’t have laws requiring landlords to provide cooling.
In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. For people like Gallegos, who doesn’t pay taxes, the available credits are worthless.
The law also offers rebates, the kind of state and federal point-of-sale discounts that Amanda Morian has looked into for her 640-square-foot home.
Morian, who has a 13-week-old baby susceptible to hot weather, is desperate to keep her house in Denver’s Globeville suburb cool. She bought thermal curtains, ceiling fans and runs a window unit. At night she tries to do skin-to-skin touch to regulate the baby’s body temperature. When the back door opens in the afternoon, she said, the indoor temperature jumps a degree.
“All of those are just to take the edge off, it’s not enough to actually make it cool. It’s enough to keep us from dying,” she said.
She got estimates from four different companies for installing a cooling system, but every project was between $20,000 and $25,000, she said. Even with subsidies she can’t afford it.
“I’m finding that you have to afford the project in the first place and then it’s like having a bonus coupon to take $5,000 off of the sticker price,” she said.
Lucy Molina, a single mom in Commerce City, one of Denver’s poorest areas, said her home has reached 107 degrees without air conditioning. Nearby, Molina’s two teenage children slurped popsicles to cool off, lingering in front of the open freezer.
For Molina, who bustled around her kitchen on a recent day when temperatures reached 99 degrees outdoors, it’s hard to see any path to a cooling respite.
“We’re just too poor,” she said.
____
Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Kansas, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.
——
Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:00 | 0 | https://pix11.com/news/national-news/ap-national/ap-record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-of-poorest-americans-who-suffer-without-air-conditioning/ |
When Hailey Buchanan was a little kid in the 2000s, other kids at school teased her for having freckles. She hated it. She came to hate the freckles themselves.
Earlier this year, Buchanan added semi-permanent fake freckles to her menu of services. The freckles are similar in application to the eyebrow-tattooing procedure known as “microblading,” and can last up to three years before fading. This summer, Buchanan has done the procedure — which can take more than an hour and costs up to $225 — for about two clients every week.
America has done a 180 on freckles. Freckle filters started to pop up on Snapchat and Instagram around 2019, adding the tiny sun-dappled dots to a photo subject’s image with the help of machine learning. Since then, technology aimed at adding faux freckles on the actual face has proliferated, in both studios like Buchanan’s and in American beauty-retail chains. When you search “freckle” on Ulta’s website, the results are a surreal mix of “dark spot clearing” serums and freckle-creation tools. (In the latter group: the Lime Crime Freckle Pen, the Nabla Freckle Maker and a tiny pointed detail brush with a perfectly freckle-sized tip.) And Freck, the self-identified original freckle-pen product introduced in 2017, has become the best-known name in the faux-freckle game, arriving in Sephora stores in 2021.
In a relatively short time, in other words, freckles have transformed from an imperfection to an acceptable trait to, now, a booming cosmetic industry. In part, that’s because attitudes — toward bodies, toward skin, toward certain so-called “flaws” — have changed. It’s also because, despite all that, beauty as a business hasn’t changed; it continues to decide and decree what is beautiful then profit from consumers’ desire to have it.
Freckles have had a bad reputation for pretty much ever, according to Susan Stewart, a Scottish librarian and the author of “Painted Faces: A Colourful History of Cosmetics.” In the 17th century, she notes, “they were considered the mark of the devil.” On a more practical level, too, freckles indicated that a person had been exposed to the sun — suggestive of working outside. “If you had a pale face, you were probably upper class, elite,” Stewart says, “so that’s where makeup came in. White makeup, to cover up [freckles and create] their sort of ideal complexion: pale with a hint of rosy cheeks.”
So for much of history, people have been trying to get rid of their freckles. Medieval Arabic texts indicate that bitter almond was sometimes used to fade freckles and other discolorations, Stewart points out. And a 16th-century English writer and inventor named Sir Hugh Plat, Stewart notes, recommended washing one’s face “in the wane of the moon with a spunge,” and “with the distilled water of elder leaves letting the same dey into the skinne” to fade freckles. Jane Austen even mentions Gowland’s Lotion, a corrosive face treatment, as a freckle remedy in her posthumously published 1817 novel “Persuasion.”
Two hundred and six years later, actress Megan Fox posed in a bikini on a sandy island for the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 2023 swimsuit issue, released in May, her usually uniform complexion dusted with a smattering of light brown freckles. Immediately, “Glamour” published a guide on how to emulate the look.
Makeup artist Jenna Kristina, who added a multitude faux freckles to Fox’s sprinkling of natural ones for the shoot (and has also recently used them on actress Zoey Deutch when she was on the cover of Vogue Thailand), tends to think of freckles as similar to a tan. When you come home from a wonderful summer vacation, makeup-free and rested, Kristina says, “you have freckles. And it’s almost like a mark of happiness, a mark of joy, a mark of a good time had.”
Similarly, the rise of self-tanning lotions — and oils, and mousses and foams — may help explain the rise of the faux freckle. That industry has been steadily expanding since 2021, a development often attributed to increasing awareness of skin health and the risks posed by real UV rays. Fake freckles may be one more way to enjoy a sun-kissed look without having to get the sun involved.
Kristina believes certain celebrities with natural freckles have boosted the movement toward acceptance — figures such as Lucy Liu, Gisele Bündchen, Alicia Keys and model Adwoa Aboah (whose face was the main image in a 2015 Vogue story about Black women who were embracing their freckles). Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has called seeing her freckles Photoshopped out in magazines her “pet peeve.” Kristina also credits the body-positivity movement of the 2010s — which overlaps neatly, she says, with the last time a client asked her to cover up their freckles.
“I have friends that are models and when they were younger, they couldn’t get booked to save their lives,” Kristina says. “Everybody would be like, ‘Can you cover their freckles?’But ever since the mid-2010s, her freckled friends’ likenesses have been in high demand. Freckled models were likely considered a subversive creative choice at first, but have since been described as a hallmark of the clean, pleasant, naturalistic direct-to-consumer marketing aesthetic that dominated the mid-2010s, alongside sans serif fonts. Of course, the great irony of the radical-acceptance era’s embrace of models with so-called skin imperfections is that it led to the creation and proliferation of yet another beauty product, one that retails at $22 per .045 ounce. It took a long time for the beauty industry to buy into freckles; now, it’s selling them back with a markup.
This past spring, Christen Stevenson, a 29-year-old media buyer in Bloomfield, N.J., finally bought a tube of Freck after she and her friends had been exposed to tutorial after tutorial on TikTok for applying fake freckles. With a pointed felt tip like that of a liquid eyeliner, Freck’s freckle pen darkens the skin within seconds. Best practices, according to the website and many users, are to make a natural-looking sequence of spots, give them five to 10 seconds, then blot the tiny constellation with a fingertip and “copy-paste” it elsewhere on the face. The technology is easy to navigate; varying size and opaqueness enough to avoid looking like a Cabbage Patch doll is considerably harder.
On days when she doesn’t feel like wearing makeup, Stevenson says, freckles offer a little something extra — a way to enjoy her own face without investing a full-glam amount of time in it. “When everyone’s doing it, you know, you want to do it, too,” she says with a laugh. “I do like it, though. I think they’re cute. I wish they were real.”
That said, Stevenson has no plans to shell out for permanent fake ones. Long-lasting freckle tattoos, she says euphemistically, are “a choice.”
Indeed, microbladed brows and semipermanent freckles can linger for years — plenty long enough for, say, trends in brow shape to change. Or for freckles to go out of style again, leaving multitudes of fake-freckled consumers with a brand-new, age-old problem. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/07/29/freckles-faux-fake-pen-freck/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:06 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/07/29/freckles-faux-fake-pen-freck/ |
Rare Beauty products by Selena Gomez are going viral
Since its debut in 2019, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty company has taken the makeup industry by storm, mostly by dominating social media. The brand offers tinted moisturizer, bronzer, highlighter, setting powder, blush and other facial products; eye makeup such as eyeshadow, mascara and eyebrow pencils; products to enhance the lips, including lipstick, lip liner, lip oil and more. We researched the trendiest, most popular products from this celebrity-owned beauty brand worth adding to your makeup routine.
Shop this article: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, and Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
About Rare Beauty
Selena Gomez’s vision for Rare Beauty breaks down unrealistic standards of perfection in the makeup industry. The brand’s mission is to help wearers celebrate the rarity that is their individuality, the main objective being “to create a safe, welcoming space in beauty — and beyond — that supports mental well-being across age, gender identity, sexual orientation, rare, cultural background, physical or mental ability and perspective,” according to the Rare Beauty site.
Rare Beauty products are cruelty-free, meaning they were developed without experimentation on animals. Depending on the product type, they’re also ophthalmologist- and/or dermatologist-tested. Many of the products have noncomedogenic ingredients that won’t clog or block pores, and there are various options for sensitive skin. Rare Beauty has a selection of vegan products, as well. They’re a skin-friendly, self-aware brand that wants to make the world a better place.
Top Rare Beauty products, according to customers
Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lipstick
This buttery matte lipstick comes in 10 pigment-rich shades ranging from natural to bold. Suitable for sensitive skin, the creamy formula lasts all day while keeping lips soft and moisturized throughout wear.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Kind Words Matte Lip Liner
This creamy, waterproof lip liner defines and shapes the lips while staying put all day — it’s perfect for outlining the lips or coloring them in. The lightweight formula keeps the lips feeling soft and won’t smudge. It features a built-in sharpener and comes in the same 10 shades as the Kind Words Matte Lipstick for effortless color matching.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
This lush liquid blush is Rare Beauty’s top-seller, having received Allure’s Best of Beauty award in 2022. The lightweight, buildable formula gives you a soft flush of color with long-lasting pigments for all-day wear. It’s suitable for sensitive skin and has 13 beautiful matte and dewy finishes.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer
This medium-coverage concealer hides blemishes, dark circles, redness and fine lines while evening out skin texture. It’s made with botanical ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin. The creamy formula is lightweight, buildable and sweat-resistant, with 48 shades to match virtually every skin tone.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation
This liquid foundation feels like a serum with a layerable, medium-coverage formula and a blend of botanical ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin. It’s best used with normal and combination skin types, available in 48 shades that accommodate nearly every skin tone.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer
This silky liquid highlighter feels like a second skin, creating a dewy, healthy-looking glow with superfine, light-catching pearls. Botanical ingredients have a soothing and nourishing effect on the skin. It layers well over makeup and provides all-day coverage with seven luminous shades.
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Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick
This cream bronzer gives you a sun-kissed glow and adds gentle warmth to the skin with its natural finish. The formula is buildable, water-resistant and won’t clog your pores. It features Rare Beauty’s signature botanical ingredients for a calming and hydrating effect on the skin. The brand sells seven natural-looking shades, and the stick application makes it easy to use.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Always an Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder
This loose setting powder smooths skin texture, blurring the look of pores and controlling shine for a radiant yet natural finish. It helps makeup stay in place all day and is especially useful for those who struggle with oily skin. The container has a locking sifter for keeping the application process and storage mess-free. This setting powder comes in five sheer shades.
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Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
This volumizing mascara was created for all lash types, featuring castor oil that conditions and nourishes your lashes. The unique curvy brush design combines long bristles that add length and short bristles for increasing volume. It’s an ultra-black, buildable, water-resistant formula that performs well all day. This mascara is safe for those with sensitive eyes and contact lenses.
Sold by Sephora
Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener
If you struggle with dark circles or discoloration under the eyes, this liquid brightener will visibly brighten and smooth out the under-eye area for a refreshed look. The lightweight formula is enriched by hydrating white peony and vitamin E extracts. It’s easy to blend and layer using your fingertip, with six shades covering various skin tones.
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Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer
This tinted moisturizer blurs and evens skin tone while minimizing the look of pores and fine lines. It offers glowy, light to medium coverage, with a hydrating formula containing vitamin E and SPF 20 broad-spectrum sunscreen. The long-lasting moisturizer is nongreasy and comes in 24 flexible shades.
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Rare Beauty Always an Optimist 4-In-1 Mist
This unique facial mist contains a layer of water-based active ingredients and another with nourishing oils that work together to hydrate, prime and set the skin. The refreshing mist boosts the foundation’s performance, and the natural, radiant finish won’t feel greasy. Suitable for sensitive skin, this versatile product comes in 0.12- and 2.87-fluid-ounce bottles.
Sold by Sephora
Worth checking out
- With a glossy finish and gentle plumping effect on the lips, the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil is a beauty-lover favorite.
- If you prefer using a powder highlighter, the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter is an excellent option for a soft, natural-looking glow.
- The award-winning Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush offers a natural satin finish with a subtle blurring effect.
- The Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Longwear Gel Eyeliner is a waterproof product that will stay in place — even on the waterline — with a built-in sharpener for precise application.
- The waterproof Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Precision Pencil is another stellar pick among fans for fuller-looking, more defined brows.
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Amy Evans writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/makeup-palettes-sets-br/these-are-the-most-popular-rare-beauty-products/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:07 | 0 | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/makeup-palettes-sets-br/these-are-the-most-popular-rare-beauty-products/ |
When it came to highlighting the “confusing mess” created by New York’s attempt at bail reform, a judge invoked the power of rock-and-roll — literally.
“Clearly, the bass player and lyricist of the Grateful Dead have never read New York’s bail reform statutes,” Zimmerman continued. “Instead of direction, the statutes provide judges with obfuscation and legislative sleight of hand.”
The Dead-infused court decision meant to explain why Zimmerman reduced bail for Edward Santiago, who was charged with attempted murder and gun possession and was initially held on a $335,000 bond. But it also offered a “very truncated history” of the state’s attempts at bail reform — with Zimmerman laying out the inconsistencies found in a system that prohibits judges from considering community safety when setting bail, while simultaneously requiring them to do so when it comes to alleged violent crimes.
In New York, the statute overhaul came in 2019, when the state moved to eliminate cash bail for most misdemeanors and some nonviolent felonies. When it came to “qualifying offenses,” or more serious crimes, the law mandated courts to find “the least restrictive alternative” to ensure a defendant’s return to court.
The idea was to stop punishing poor people who can’t afford to post bail while they’re awaiting trial and to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Soon after, though, the state’s legislature began weakening the law, following outcry over public safety.
Since 2020, the law has been amended three times to add more bail-qualifying crimes, including violent felonies, sex offenses and terrorism charges, and, most recently, to remove “the least restrictive alternative” provision — something Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) touted in April as a way to give judges “more authority to set bail and detain dangerous defendants” who may be committing other crimes after posting bail.
The result, however, has been “a Swiss cheese of a sanction,” said Elizabeth Glazer, former director of the New York Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, “because it’s a confusing and opaque system with a free-for-all of standards.”
“We need a clear system in which everybody knows what the factors are that are being used and what the true reasons are,” said Glazer, who now heads Vital City, a policy journal that addresses public safety issues. “States like New Jersey, that have done this thoughtfully and carefully and have provided judges with the right tools, have seen reductions in their detained population and reductions in pretrial offending.”
Zimmerman’s July 24 court opinion, she added, “masterfully highlighted that we don’t have a rational law, and it makes it virtually impossible to write a clear decision.”
In explaining his reasoning in setting bail for Santiago, Zimmerman said he considered the combination of factors required by the law: whether Santiago is a flight risk, whether he has a criminal record and whether he allegedly caused serious harm. Santiago is charged with weapons possession and firing a gun at three men in an incident that was captured by video.
An attorney for Santiago declined to comment. In court, though, she argued that Santiago didn’t cause serious harm because the bullets missed their intended targets.
Zimmerman found that Santiago is a flight risk and that his alleged actions caused serious harm but balanced those factors with Santiago’s lack of a previous adult criminal record to ultimately reduce his bond to $200,000.
Though Zimmerman’s use of the Grateful Dead was reduced to a lyric from “Box of Rain,” there’s another song in the band’s repertoire that touches on their run-ins with the law: “Truckin’” from the same 1970 album, “American Beauty.”
That song immortalizes the wee hours of a Saturday in New Orleans in 1970 when the Grateful Dead were infamously busted down on Bourbon Street and arrested on drug charges.
It would take a couple of hours for their manager to arrange a combined bail of $37,500, equivalent to what the band had earned for the previous night’s gig. The charges were eventually dismissed.
The Dead stayed around for two extra nights — one of which was used to raise a bail fund for other artists who might face a similar situation. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/07/31/judge-grateful-dead-bail-reform/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:12 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/07/31/judge-grateful-dead-bail-reform/ |
Bouldering equipment for beginners
Bouldering is gaining in popularity throughout the world. It’s an exciting and rewarding way to strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility and improve coordination. It lets you explore new locations and meet new people. Though it may seem intimidating when starting out, one of the best aspects of bouldering is the minimal equipment required. By investing in a few core pieces of climbing gear, you can tackle your next adventure and work your way up a challenging route.
Shop this article: La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Climbing Shoe, Black Diamond Circuit Crash Pad and Sukoa Chalk Bag
Bouldering vs. rope climbing: what’s the difference?
There are a few main differences between bouldering and traditional rock climbing. Most importantly, bouldering doesn’t require the use of any ropes since most routes are less than 15 feet in height. If you do happen to fall, you land on either a cushioned gym floor or a crash pad in outdoor situations. Traditional climbing requires the use of ropes, a harness, carabiners and often a partner to help belay while you make your ascent.
Bouldering also often uses different techniques and climbing moves compared to big wall climbs. It can be a great way for beginner climbers to build up their stamina and endurance before attempting longer routes or “boulder problems.”
Bouldering tips to get started
Here are five tips for bouldering.
- Know the scales: Most bouldering routes have a rating that corresponds to their difficulty. The two most common grading scales are V-scale and Font scale. V-scale is the system most commonly used in the United States and grades the difficulty on a scale of V0 to V16. While V0 is usually considered the easiest, you may sometimes encounter a route rated as VB, meaning it is for beginners.
- Start slow: As with most new sports or athletic activities, it’s always a good idea to start off slow and work your way up as you gain strength and experience. While it may seem tempting to tackle a hard boulder problem right out of the gate, overdoing it can lead to an increased risk of injury.
- It’s fine to fall: Always take all safety precautions seriously and always use proper safety gear, such as a crash pad when bouldering outdoors. However, the occasional fall while attempting a climb is only natural. As long as you have the proper safety equipment, each fall can be a learning experience, helping you improve your climbing abilities.
- Practice different moves: Don’t get stuck climbing in one style. Trying out different moves and varying your grip can help improve your skills. This is especially important for beginners starting out in a gym setting before transitioning to outdoor climbs.
- Legs are important: It may seem like bouldering is all about arm strength for beginners, but that isn’t the case. Your legs and core muscles are equally important. Your legs can help tightly grip footholds and push your body upwards without relying solely on arm strength.
Beginner bouldering gear
The three main pieces of gear you need to start bouldering are climbing shoes, a crash pad and a chalk bag to keep your hands dry. Besides the big three, there are several accessories that can improve your bouldering experience.
Best climbing shoes
La Sportiva Men’s TarantuLace Climbing Shoe
These bouldering shoes are perfect for both beginner and intermediate climbers. The high-traction Frixion sole means you can grip the rock face with confidence. The quick-lacing system provides a comfortable fit.
Sold by Amazon
Scarpa Origin Women’s Climbing Shoe
These women’s climbing shoes are a great beginner option. They use a flat last and heel system that reduces pressure and tension so they aren’t painful on your feet after a full day spent bouldering.
Sold by Backcountry
Best crash pads
Black Diamond Circuit Crash Pad
This crash pad is great for transporting to your favorite bouldering spot without being too heavy or bulky. The closed-cell PE foam is ideal for cushioning falls from various heights. It has backpack straps and easy-to-carry handles.
Sold by Amazon
This protective crash pad features 5 inches of padding and can even serve as a comfortable chair when not in use. You can choose between several fun colors.
Sold by Amazon
Best chalk bags and chalk
This budget-friendly chalk bag is great for beginners. It features two built-in pockets, letting you store important items while bouldering. The main compartment uses water-resistant materials. It’s spacious enough to accommodate larger hands.
Sold by Amazon
This simple chalk bag with a drawstring closure makes it easy to access your chalk with one hand. It is also available in several color options.
Sold by Amazon
This non-toxic chalk prevents any type of moisture from interfering with your climb, keeping your hands dry and your mind focused.
Sold by Amazon
Best climbing accessories
Using climbing tape can be helpful when getting your fingers and hands used to rough rock surfaces. This tape uses durable cotton and can prevent painful scrapes and scratches while building up callouses.
Sold by Amazon
Metolius Simulator 3D Training Board
An at-home training board can help you practice your grips on days when the weather isn’t cooperating, and you can’t make it to the gym. This Metolius model can be installed above your door frame and features a variety of holds in different sizes.
Sold by Amazon
PETZL Unisex Boreo Climbing Helmet
Not all people who boulder choose to wear a helmet, but they can help prevent a serious head injury in the event of an unexpected fall. This helmet has ventilation holes for breathability and sports a soft, comfortable headband.
Sold by Backcountry
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/gear-br/beginners-guide-to-bouldering-equipment-what-you-need-to-get-started/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:13 | 0 | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/gear-br/beginners-guide-to-bouldering-equipment-what-you-need-to-get-started/ |
ATLANTA — For more than two years, people here and across the country have watched and waited for clues that the high-profile Georgia investigation into whether former president Donald Trump and his allies broke the law in their attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state was winding to an end.
That speculation hit fever pitch in recent days with the installation of orange security barriers near the main entrance of the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta. It was the most visible sign yet of the looming charging decision in a case that has ensnared not only Trump but several high-profile Republicans who could either face charges or stand witness in a potential trial unlike anything seen before in this Southern metropolis.
It is one of several investigations into attempts to reverse Trump’s loss in 2020, including a sprawling Justice Department probe overseen by special counsel Jack Smith that has sparked its own intensifying waiting game in recent days. Smith and his team have interviewed or sought information from several witnesses also key to the Georgia investigation. Trump has said he received a letter from the Justice Department saying he could face criminal charges for his efforts after the election that preceded the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
While the pace of Smith’s investigation has been unpredictable, Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis took the unusual step of publicly telegraphing that she plans to announce a charging decision in the Georgia case during the first three weeks of August, a period that opens Monday.
In Atlanta, local, state and federal law enforcement officials have been privately meeting for months to plan enhanced security measures in anticipation of that decision.
All eyes are now on two criminal grand jury panels sworn in on July 11 — one group that meets on Mondays and Tuesdays, the other that meets on Thursdays and Fridays. One of the panels is likely to decide whether charges should be filed in the closely watched election interference case — a decision that could put Trump, who is now under indictment in two other criminal cases, in even more legal peril.
Willis (D) has strongly hinted for months that she will seek multiple indictments in the case, using Georgia’s expansive anti-racketeering statutes that allow prosecutors not only to charge in-state wrongdoing but to use activities in other states to prove criminal intent in Georgia. In court filings, Willis has described her probe as an investigation of “multi-state, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the November 2020 elections in Georgia and elsewhere.”
At least 18 people were informed by prosecutors last year that they were targets of the investigation. That list that includes former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who acted as Trump’s personal attorney after the election, and several Georgia Republicans who served as alternate Trump electors and falsely signed documents claiming Trump won Georgia — though some have since been granted immunity.
But Willis’s scope is believed to be larger than that. Georgia law does not require individuals to be formally notified they are targets of an investigation.
Behind the scenes, law enforcement officials have already been discussing how it could all play out — including the anticipated crush of media and curious onlookers and potential protests that officials fear could be disruptive in a key part of downtown Atlanta.
Officials are also considering the logistics of how potential high-profile defendants might surrender for arrest, according to a person familiar with the preparations who, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private meetings or sensitive plans. People who are indicted in Fulton County usually are arrested and processed for fingerprints at the Fulton County Jail before making their first court appearance.
But the decrepit condition of the jail — including crowding and unsanitary conditions — recently sparked a Justice Department civil rights investigation into the facility. That has led to speculation that Trump, if indicted, could be processed at the courthouse or another location for security reasons — a request that could come from his attorneys or the Secret Service.
The Fulton County Courthouse sits directly across the street from the Georgia Capitol building, where hundreds of Trump supporters, some armed, gathered in anger in the aftermath of his 2020 election loss. State officials at the time received death threats related to the fraud claims posed by Trump and his allies. Atlanta City Hall sits adjacent to both buildings, while the Richard B. Russell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is located a few blocks away.
The county courthouse has already been subject to enhanced security because of ongoing threats to Willis and her staff — including racist, threatening phone calls related to the election investigation, according to two people familiar with the threats. It’s an issue that Willis, who is often accompanied by armed bodyguards during public appearances, has raised both privately and publicly.
In January 2022, just days after she received approval to impanel a special grand jury to investigate the case, Willis, the first Black woman elected as Fulton County district attorney, sent a letter to the head of the FBI’s Atlanta field office requesting a risk assessment of the courthouse, citing “alarming” rhetoric from Trump.
In the letter, Willis pointed to remarks Trump had made at a Texas rally the previous weekend, where he attacked unnamed prosecutors investigating him in cities including Atlanta as “racist” and “mentally sick.” Willis also cited “communications” she and her staff had received from “persons unhappy” with the investigation.
Since then, Trump has escalated his attacks, describing Willis’s probe as a “political witch hunt” and repeatedly referring to her as the “racist D.A. from Atlanta.” Willis has largely declined to comment on Trump’s remarks. “It’s ridiculous in nature,” Willis told Atlanta’s WSB-TV in April. “But I respect his right to be protected by the First Amendment and say what he likes.”
But Willis has continued to raise concerns about security, which some have read as a hint that Trump may be among those who are charged in her investigation.
In an April letter to Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, Willis offered her appreciation for additional security at the courthouse — including increased officers and new metal detectors that were installed amid jury selection in another high profile case involving rapper Jeffery Lamar Williams, known as Young Thug. But Willis said “the need for vigilance will increase” and urged “heightened security and preparedness” ahead of her announcement in the election case.
“Open-source intelligence has indicated the announcement of decisions in this case may provoke a significant public reaction,” Willis wrote in her letter. “We have seen in recent years that some may go outside of public expressions of opinion that are protected by the First Amendment to engage in acts of violence that will engage the safety [of] our community. As leaders, it is incumbent for us to prepare.”
Similar letters were also sent to the chief of the Atlanta Police Department and other top law enforcement officials in the region — prompting meetings between local, state and federal law enforcement and other local officials about security around potential indictments and possible arraignments, according to two people familiar with the preparations.
Labat, who oversees security at the courthouse and the jail, has spearheaded much of the planning process, according to two people familiar with those plans. In April, the sheriff dispatched two deputies to observe proceedings in New York, where Trump was indicted on charges related to hush money payments made to an adult film actress. Fulton County deputies also traveled to Miami, where Trump was arraigned in June on federal charges tied to his handling of classified documents.
Labat, who could not be reached for comment, told Atlanta’s WXIA-TV in June that he dispatched deputies to New York and Miami understand “the gravity of it” as the agency made its own preparations in advance of Willis’s announcement.
The Atlanta Police Department, which has jurisdiction over the city streets around the courthouse, also sent an officer to Miami during the Trump arraignment, according to a spokeswoman who otherwise declined to comment on the department’s planning.
Those agencies have been coordinating with the Georgia State Patrol, which oversees security on the capitol grounds. Officials with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the FBI and Secret Service have attended security meetings, according to a person familiar with the plans. All agencies declined to comment — though a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office confirmed the coordinated efforts.
“The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is proactively coordinating with local, state and federal agencies to enhance security during provide high profile legal proceedings at the Fulton County Courthouse,” Natalie Ammons, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said in an email. “Some of the measures we are deploying, such as barriers that will limit parking near the courthouse, will be obvious to the public. For security reasons, other measures being deployed will not be as obvious.”
Under Georgia law, a defendant does not have to be present when an indictment is unsealed — meaning the grand jury’s decision could be made public as soon as it is delivered to a presiding judge, who will read the charges in open court.
Anyone charged in an indictment would then negotiate with the sheriff’s office on when to surrender to authorities for processing. An initial court date could occur immediately upon surrender or at a later date. If Willis does charge multiple defendants as part of an anti-racketeering case, it is not expected they would make their first appearance in court together but would likely have joint hearings at a later date.
In her letters to Labat and other law enforcement officials in April, Willis initially presented a seven-week period beginning in mid-July of when she would announce her charging decision in the election case.
She later narrowed that window even further, announcing in a letter to the chief judge in Fulton County and copied to other top county officials that much of her staff would work remotely during the first three weeks of August. Noting that many judges were already scheduled to be at a conference the first week of August, Willis asked that no trials or in-person proceedings be held at the courthouse between Aug. 7 and 18 — though the courthouse remains open to the public.
Willis’s suggested charging window opens as Trump’s attorneys are still seeking to disqualify Willis and her office from investigating the former president and block prosecutors from using evidence gathered by a special grand jury that investigated the case.
On July 20, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville recused the entire judicial bench in Fulton County from hearing Trump’s motion, asking an administrative court to assign a judge outside the division to hear the case. Judge J. Stephen Schuster, a senior judge in Cobb County Superior Court, north of Atlanta, was assigned last week to the case. Schuster has scheduled a hearing for Aug. 10 — in the middle of Willis’s charging window. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/07/31/georgia-2020-election-investigation-trump/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:15 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/07/31/georgia-2020-election-investigation-trump/ |
Which product helps prevent thigh chafing best?
Do you find your sense of style forever or athletic endeavors in conflict with the possibility of uncomfortable thigh chafing? You’re not alone. Sometimes a great outfit can be rendered completely unusable because you know your thighs will be left feeling red and raw after a little while. The same goes for people who do a lot of running or swimming. Fortunately, you no longer have to choose between what you want to do or wear and the toll it will take on your skin. There are creams, clothes and even creative accessories designed to soothe skin and prevent thigh chafing so you can live your life comfortably.
Shop this article: Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel, Body Glide Skin Glide Anti-Friction Cream and Undersummers by CarrieRae Women’s Shortlette
What causes thigh chafing?
The friction produced between the thighs when they rub together causes thigh chafing. It can make the skin red and cause irritation or even pain. Chafing, in general, is often considered an athlete concern, but it can be especially problematic for anyone during seasons when skirts and dresses are popular. Long pants usually lessen friction by providing a barrier of fabric between your thighs, which is why it’s often less of a problem when temperatures drop. Though inconvenient and uncomfortable, you can address thigh chafing and lessen or prevent it in a variety of ways.
What solutions are available?
These days, there are a few preventative measures you can take to avoid thigh chafing. There are rub-in creams or roll-on palms designed to do the trick, but if you’d prefer something wearable, there are shorts and bands that serve the same purpose.
Best rub-in thigh chafing preventatives
Monistat Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel
This is a non-greasy, fragrance-free formula that’s gentle on sensitive skin and combines the best of lotion and powder care. It protects skin, relieves irritation and is reliable for everyday use. It can be used for thigh chafing as well as underarm or breast chafing.
Sold by Amazon
Body Glide Skin Glide Anti-Friction Cream
This hypoallergenic hydrating cream doesn’t leave a greasy residue and creates a smooth barrier that protects sensitive skin. It won’t clog pores and washes off easily in the bath or shower. The cream prevents thigh chafing in both humid and dry climates.
Sold by Amazon
Though Aquaphor is mostly used for cracked skin, chapped lips and even tattoo care, it also makes for an excellent thigh chafing preventative. It’s incredibly nourishing for sensitive skin and it’s fragrance-free. A little goes a long way, and so a large jar like this one will last a while.
Sold by Amazon
Chamois Butt’r Original Anti-Chafe Cream
This anti-chafe cream is great for athletes or anyone experiencing uncomfortable thigh chafing. It’s gluten-free, paraben-free and has no artificial fragrances or colors in it. It also rubs into the skin smoothly and evenly.
Sold by Amazon
Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream
This anti-chafing cream is called a “sports” cream but is made for anyone and includes natural tea tree oil. It’s water/sweat resistant, making it great for those planning on swimming or even just walking around on a hot day. It’s not greasy and won’t stain your clothes either.
Sold by Amazon
Best stick/roll-on thigh chafing preventatives
Vaseline All Over Body Balm Jelly Stick
This anti-friction jelly stick really nourishes dry skin. It can prevent chafing before it happens or soothes skin already sore from it. You can even use it on chapped lips or dry, cracked hands.
KT Tape KT Performance+ Anti-Chafing Stick
Here is a gel stick that is sweat-resistant, water-resistant and made to last up to 24 hours. It’s not sticky and holds up in both humid and dry climates. There are no sulfates, parabens, petroleum or dyes included in this formula.
Sold by Amazon
Zone Naturals Chub Rub All Natural Anti-Chafing Stick
This anti-chafing stick is made with all-natural ingredients that include coconut oil, Shea butter and aloe. It helps to protect and hydrate skin with the bonus of being paraben-free and fragrance-free.
Sold by Amazon
Squirrel’s Nut Butter All Natural Anti Chafe Salve Stick Applicator
Here is a salve popular with men and women for dry/sensitive skin. It’s in stick applicator form and great at preventing thigh chafing but can also be used for eczema, dry skin, diaper rash, razor burn and tattoo recovery.
Sold by Amazon
This anti-friction stick is designed specifically for thighs but you can use it anywhere to prevent chafing. It is made with aloe, pomegranate seed extract, Vitamin E and other natural ingredients. It’s sulfate, aluminum, paraben and phthalates-free.
Sold by Ulta Beauty
Best wearable thigh chafing preventatives
Hanes Men’s Comfort Flex Fit Total Support Pouch 3-Pack
Available in long leg or regular leg sizes, this package comes with three comfortable and breathable boxer briefs in assorted colors. They are made from a polyester/spandex blend and won’t ride up the thigh even after going through the washing machine.
Sold by Amazon
Wirarpa Women’s Anti Chafing Cotton Underwear
This set of three comes available in several color combinations and provides a comfortable fit for chafe-free thighs. The underwear is made from a cotton/spandex blend and it’s machine washable (though you should hang dry).
Sold by Amazon
Bandelettes Patented Trademarked Original Elastic Anti-Chafing Thigh Bands
Available in several colors and styles, this set of nylon/spandex blend bands is perfect for those who want their thighs protected but don’t want to wear long underwear or shorts beneath their clothes. They look delicate and flirty but are hand-wash only and line dry.
Sold by Amazon
Undersummers by CarrieRae Women’s Shortlette
This stretchy polyester/spandex shortlette protects thighs without causing extra friction that can be painful to the skin. It doesn’t ride up and comes in three colors (ecru, beige and black).
Sold by Amazon
Chicky Chaps Stretch-Mesh Breathable Thigh Bands
These mesh and lace thigh bands clip onto underwear to not fall and come in seven colors and styles. They aren’t the most durable chafe preventative, but if you’re looking for something sexier that looks like lingerie, these bands fit the bill. They are hand-wash only and line dry.
Sold by Amazon
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Emily Verona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/medical-supplies-equipment-br/15-products-that-help-prevent-thigh-chafing/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:15 | 1 | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/medical-supplies-equipment-br/15-products-that-help-prevent-thigh-chafing/ |
I confess that I never watch those shows where the showbiz glitterati give awards to each other, but I know they overlooked the most compelling performance of recent years. That came in the 2017 internet classic “A Millennial Job Interview” in which a talented young woman played Amy, a 20-something job applicant who personified hilariously a host of traits now widely prevalent among that age group.
Asked whether her claimed proficiency in technology includes tools such as Excel or PowerPoint, Amy reveals that no, she meant Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat — “You know, the big ones.” She blithely assures the interviewer she can meet all the company’s research requests by asking Siri.
She is dumbfounded by his announcement that the work day starts at 8 a.m. “I don’t understand. Like, 8 in the morning? That kind of doesn’t work for me,” she says, because she is up texting her boyfriend in Paris until all hours, and doesn’t even get to Starbucks until 10, so 10:45 would be her ideal starting time. When the employer politely tells her that no job offer will be coming, she is shocked at his “hostility,” his lack of “validation” that makes her feel “not very safe,” and demands to see someone from the HR department about taking a “mental health day.”
Humor aside, job openings are even more plentiful today (about 10 million) than when the video was made (6.4 million), including for 20-somethings — a group that now includes the tail end of Millennials and members of Gen Z.
Lack of a traditional education won’t stop them. Employers for years have been seeing that the college diplomas they had assumed were evidence of readiness for adult job responsibilities were unreliable. More and more have dropped the application requirement of a bachelor’s degree. Enlightened state governments, such as Maryland’s under Republican Gov. Larry Hogan before he was term-limited out of office this year, have largely eliminated such prerequisites in hiring state employees. Increasingly, some demonstration of relevant job skills is valued over a sheepskin that might connote little real academic training or job readiness.
Talk to employers these days, amid the millions of job openings, and you hear that qualities even more basic are becoming prized in young applicants. Mere punctuality, the reliability to show up each scheduled workday, any sense of the responsibility to perform productively and honestly — these characteristics, once nonnegotiable assumptions, can now be enough to win a job.
Employers such as Suresh at the laundry I patronize, Melanie at her small software start-up, Hank at his heavy equipment rental business — all tell similar stories of young applicants whom they were more than willing to train, but had to turn away or let go because of their unreliability, irresponsibility or self-centered demands.
It isn’t just beleaguered small businesses that are dealing with this problem. A Fortune 50 CEO told the Wall Street Journal in March that today’s new hires have a very different concept of “full time”: “Who works 40 hours a week? No one under 35 suddenly does.”
It’s sometimes overlooked that businesses are our second, often remedial, institutions of higher education. Last year, business spending on training exceeded $100 billion for the first time, averaging over $1,200 per employee. Companies desperate for productive workers are willing to take on the burden of teaching the skills of their enterprise, if only they can find new hires with values once considered obvious and given, a price of entry for any new job.
Of course, a declining work ethic is neither a new phenomenon nor one confined to the young. Political scientist Charles Murray, with his 2012 book “Coming Apart,” and other writers have reported and quantified a major drop in industriousness among the prime working-age population.
But recent evidence suggests that the same colleges whose lack of rigor is producing those suspect diplomas might be disserving their student customers in a second way. A survey by a team from the Mary Christie Institute, Morning Consult, American Association of Colleges and Universities, the Healthy Minds Network and the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that nearly 40 percent of young professionals, ages 22 to 28, with at least a bachelor’s degree, say their college “did not help them develop skills to prepare them for the emotional or behavioral impact of the transition to the workplace.”
Surveys of those entering college almost invariably report that the No. 1 reason given for enrolling is to increase their earning potential — in other words, to become prepared for success in the world of work. Though that is clearly happening for many, the coddling culture that has grown up at too many schools might actually be setting some young people back instead of readying them to launch the careers to which they aspire. That won’t produce a workforce built for prosperity — for any of us. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/college-student-workplace-preparation/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:21 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/college-student-workplace-preparation/ |
Smart thermostats
Smart thermostats save you time, money and energy by creating heating and cooling schedules and monitoring your usage. You can even make adjustments from your phone. But these aren’t the only features of smart thermostats.
Shop this article: Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Thermostat, Ecobee SmartSensor Two-Pack and Nest Thermostat Wall Plate
How does a smart thermostat work?
Smart thermostats use Wi-Fi connectivity to connect to your smart home network. They can also connect to your smartphone, laptop, tablet or smartwatch. This lets you use those devices to monitor, make adjustments to and set schedules for the temperature in your home. This is usually through a smart thermostat’s companion app. They can also adjust temperatures with algorithms that track your routines, lifestyle and the weather.
For example, a smart thermostat can learn that you come home at 5 p.m. every day. It can then adjust your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to ensure your home is at a comfortable temperature when you arrive. Some smart thermostats can also turn off your heat or AC when you depart each day.
How can a smart thermostat save me money?
Some manufacturers claim their smart thermostats can save you up to 25% on utility bills. This is partly accomplished by improving your heating, ventilation and AC system’s performance and reducing energy consumption. Another way is by letting you monitor and make adjustments to temperature settings remotely. If you forget to turn off your heat before leaving, for example, you could use your smart thermostat’s companion app to turn it off without returning. Being able to set schedules and take advantage of algorithmic learning also helps.
Many smart thermostats, such as the Nest Learning Thermostat or Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Thermostat, also generate reports on energy usage and heating and cooling patterns. By reviewing your usage data you can make informed decisions about how you consume energy.
What do I need to consider when choosing a smart thermostat?
Existing heating, ventilation and AC system
The smart thermostat you buy must be compatible with your home’s existing heating, ventilation and AC system. Many popular smart thermostat models include compatibility checkers on their websites. Smart thermostats also often require a C-wire, enabling the continuous flow of power to the thermostat. This is necessary for features like Wi-Fi connectivity and touch screens. Some thermostat ports aren’t equipped with C-wires because many older thermostats don’t need them.
If you don’t have a C-wire, you can hire an electrician to install one. You can also choose a smart thermostat designed to work without a C-wire, such as the Emerson Sensi. Alternatively, you can buy a C-wire adapter to install near your heating, ventilation and AC system’s control board.
Compatibility with your existing smart home system
If you already have smart home devices, select a smart thermostat that is compatible with your system. If you use Apple HomeKit, for example, select a model you can control from the platform such as the Carrier Cor or the Hive. For an IFTTT smart home system, consider the Google Nest Learning Thermostat.
What you need to buy to go with your smart thermostat
These sensors work with the Ecobee Smart Thermostat to detect motion to adjust the temperature in rooms that are in use.
Sold by Amazon
Match your Nest Thermostat to the other design elements of your living space. Wall plates come in a variety of colors including white, silver, black and bronze.
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Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/home-br/heating-cooling-air-quality-br/how-do-smart-thermostats-work/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:22 | 0 | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/home-br/heating-cooling-air-quality-br/how-do-smart-thermostats-work/ |
Picture this: You finish a drink from a red Solo cup, and before throwing it out, you check the bottom of the cup to see the iconic recycling symbol. That means it can be tossed in the recycling bin, right?
OpinionYou’re probably recycling plastic wrong. And it’s not your fault.
Red Solo cups
Mostly not accepted
for recycling.
(Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
Red Solo cups
Mostly not accepted
for recycling.
(Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
Red Solo cups
Mostly not accepted
for recycling.
(Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
The core of the problem is that there is no recycling system in the United States; there are upward of 20,000 of them. As a result, it’s nearly impossible to say which items are actually recyclable. Without stricter standards, consumers will continue to be confused, seriously hampering the effort to divert waste from landfills.
Just because something can be recycled in theory doesn’t make it recyclable in practice. Solo cups are a case in point: Only a small portion of curbside waste services collect them. (While the packaging notes this, the cups themselves do not.) For the cups to be turned into new products, most consumers would need to collect them separately and deliver them to specialty services. Unsurprisingly, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that a “negligible” number make it through this cumbersome process.
Mostly, people see the recycling symbol and assume or hope the item will be recycled somehow. This “wishcycling” contaminates the waste stream, making the system more costly and less effective. In fact, the Recycling Partnership estimates that more than 15 percent of the plastic bottles that are most readily recyclable end up in landfills because plants struggle to sort them from other plastic waste.
Samples of plastic items that
are inconsistently or rarely
accepted by recycling plants
Portion of facilities that accept these plastic items for recycling.
Plastic cups
9%
Plastic tubs
labeled number 5
52%
Plastic food
wrappers
0%
Plastic cuttery,
straws and stirrers
0%
Coffee pods
0%
Plastic lids
and plates
2%
Plastic bags
1%
Source: Greenpeace’s survey of 375 American
recycling facilities in 2022.
Samples of plastic items that are
inconsistently or rarely accepted
by recycling plants
Portion of facilities that accept these plastic items for recycling.
Plastic cups
9%
Plastic tubs
labeled number 5
52%
Plastic food
wrappers
0%
Plastic cuttery,
straws and stirrers
0%
Coffee pods
0%
Plastic lids
and plates
2%
Plastic bags
1%
Source: Greenpeace’s survey of 375 American
recycling facilities in 2022.
Samples of plastic items that are inconsistently or
rarely accepted by recycling plants
Portion of facilities that accept these plastic items for recycling.
Plastic
bags
Plastic
cups
Plastic cuttery,
straws and stirrers
9%
0%
1%
Plastic lids
and plates
Plastic food
wrappers
Plastic tubs
labeled number 5
Coffee
pods
52%
0%
2%
0%
Source: Greenpeace’s survey of 375 American recycling facilities in 2022.
Some people find the labels so confusing that they simply don’t recycle anything. In one 2019 poll, almost a quarter of Americans said recycling is more complicated than filling out their taxes.
And who could blame them? Unlike in countries such as Germany, which has standardized what can be collected for recycling and enforced presorting of waste, U.S. policymakers never sat down to figure out how to make this easy on consumers. In fact, it was the plastics industry that created the system of resin codes that include the “chasing arrows” and a number between 1 and 7 to denote the primary material included.
Nowadays, the only plastic items that are consistently recycled are bottles and jugs made out of polyethylene terephthalate (which is labeled with a “1”) and high-density polyethylene (labeled with a “2”), as a survey of recycling facilities by Greenpeace shows. Recycling plants typically reject almost everything else, meaning it ends up in landfills.
This wasn’t always the case. For years, the United States was able to send its plastic waste to China for recycling. But that changed in 2018, when China stopped accepting the material from the United States. No alternative destination has since emerged, yet plastics still regularly feature those codes with the recycling symbol.
There has been an effort in recent years to clamp down on these misleading labels. In 2021, California passed a law to ban the use of the recycling symbol on products unless they are collected for recycling in at least 60 percent of the state’s communities. Since companies tend to market their products nationally, most will have to change their labeling to note when recycling might not be available for their products. The Federal Trade Commission is also currently updating its guidelines.
But these efforts are unlikely to change consumer behaviors on their own. Many people simply won’t read the fine print on labels, and most will not “check locally” to see if their area collects products.
One rule should govern waste management: Keep it simple. Determining whether a majority of local waste systems collect certain items for recycling is difficult, not just for consumers but for businesses and policymakers, too. More important is determining whether there’s a substantial market to turn items into something new. That should play a key role in labeling something as recyclable, as the EPA has advocated.
Doing so would likely disqualify all but a few plastic products from bearing the recycling symbol, which would likely anger many businesses. But the government should stand firm. Forcing companies to be honest about whether their products are recyclable could spur innovation to make that the case.
Beyond labeling, the government needs to do more to prevent plastics that cannot be recycled from reaching the market in the first place. There are many ways to do this, from forcing companies to pay for their plastic pollution to banning single-use items, as Canada and many other countries have already done.
Overall, the government’s goal should be to move the onus of figuring out recycling away from consumers and onto industries. Americans consistently say they want to do their part to build a sustainable economy. That needs to be a whole lot easier. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/how-recycle-plastic-labels/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:27 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/how-recycle-plastic-labels/ |
Make your own pasta at home
Making pasta by hand looks impressive, but the truth is, homemade pasta is surprisingly simple to create. You can get started with just three ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Even if the only tools you have are a rolling pin and a chef’s knife, you can feed your family and friends a satisfying and delicious meal made entirely from scratch. All you’ll need is a recipe, a couple of hours, and just a little bit of practice.
Shop this article: Fox Run Polished Marble Rolling Pin with Wooden Cradle, Spring Chef Bench Scraper and OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Egg Separator
Is homemade pasta better?
You won’t just get a sense of accomplishment from making your own pasta — it tastes better, too. Fresh pasta has a more tender texture and a more pronounced eggy flavor than commercial-dried pasta. The pasta’s springiness holds up equally well, whether it goes into lasagna or straight onto the plate with some butter. You can even try making pasta dough with unusual ingredients like spinach or saffron for an extra-special meal.
How to get started making pasta
Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor
Making the pasta dough
There are as many fresh pasta recipes as there are people who make pasta, but to get started, it’s best to stick with a simple pasta dough that uses just a few ingredients: unbleached all-purpose flour, eggs, and a bit of salt.
If you want, you can use semolina durum flour, which is a more authentic pasta flour with a higher protein content and a coarser texture that helps sauces stick. However, if all-purpose flour is all you have in your pantry, it’ll turn into wonderful pasta.
Place 10 ounces of flour on a clean work surface and make a well. Add two eggs plus four egg yolks to the well and gently start incorporating the flour using a fork, gradually scraping in flour from the sides of the well. Switch to a bench scraper when it becomes too difficult to use a fork and mix until it’s fully combined by scraping and folding over the dough, turning it 45 degrees each time.
Kneading and rolling the pasta dough
You’ll know the dough is ready for kneading when it stops sticking to your hands and holds its shape when rolled into a ball. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and satiny, then shape it into a ball. Let it rest, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 30 to 60 minutes to let gluten develop.
Use the bench scraper to cut the ball into four equal portions and cover them with a towel to keep them from drying out. Working with one portion at a time, roll out the dough into an oblong shape between a quarter-inch and half-inch thick.
Making pasta by hand vs. using a stand mixer
If your arms aren’t up to the task of all that kneading, you can use a powerful food processor or a stand mixer. Simply place all the ingredients in the work bowl and run the machine (using a dough hook if you’re using a stand mixer) until a large, smooth ball forms.
How to shape homemade pasta
CucinaPro Pasta Maker Deluxe Set
Making pasta shapes with a pasta machine
Roll out your dough by hand or use a pasta maker. Some pasta machines can create extruded shapes like penne, while others deliver smooth sheets and strands of lasagna or fettuccine. Following the manufacturer’s instructions for the type of pasta you want to make, feed your rolled-out dough between the rollers until it reaches the right thickness.
At this point, you can trim it by hand to make filled pasta or lasagna or run it through the pasta machine to cut it into strands. As the cut pasta strands emerge from the machine, carefully catch them, dust them with flour, shape them into nests, and keep them covered until you’re ready to cook or dry them.
A stand mixer offers another advantage here: after you’ve whipped up a batch of pasta dough in the bowl, use the mixer’s pasta-making attachment to roll out, cut, or shape pasta.
How to make filled pasta
For filled pasta, make sure your filling is relatively dry so you can seal up your pasta and avoid leaking or soggy dough. Avoid the temptation to overload your pasta — follow your recipe’s guidance for the amount of filling to use in each pasta shape.
Depending on the type of stuffed pasta you’re making, you can use a pasta stamp, a pastry wheel, biscuit cutters, or even a chef’s knife to create rounds or squares. Seal the pasta by brushing the edges with a little water, then using gentle pressure to close the shapes. Make sure the filling is fully enclosed and that no air is trapped inside.
How to cook homemade pasta
Weston Bamboo Pasta Drying Rack
Cooking fresh pasta
Homemade pasta cooks very quickly — depending on the shape, it will need only two to four minutes in boiling water, and slightly longer for stuffed pasta. Salt your cooking water generously to amplify your pasta’s flavor, especially if your dough recipe doesn’t call for salt. Serve it immediately.
How to dry fresh pasta
Alternatively, you can dry your uncooked pasta to serve at a future date. Leaving egg-based food out in the open can feel counterintuitive, but when properly dried and stored, there should be no moisture remaining to encourage bacteria.
Toss the pasta shapes in flour, then lay the strands in a single layer on a drying rack or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the pasta dry uncovered and away from heat and sunlight, or use a food dehydrator for more consistency, especially if it’s a humid day. When the pasta snaps instead of bending, it’s ready for storage. Keep it in a dry, airtight container in your pantry or freezer.
FAQ
Q. How long does homemade pasta last?
A. Homemade pasta has a much shorter shelf life than commercially made pasta. Uncooked pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for just one day. Properly dried homemade pasta can be stored in your pantry for up to six weeks. Alternatively, before you cut your pasta shapes, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to one month.
Q. What sauces go with homemade pasta?
A. How you serve your pasta may come down to personal preference, but the shape of the pasta is a contributing factor. Pair fettuccine or tagliatelle with a homemade alfredo sauce or pesto. Wider pasta like pappardelle is great with slow-simmered meat sauces. You can also highlight the flavor of your fresh pasta (especially ravioli) by simply tossing it in browned butter and high-quality Parmesan.
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Laura Duerr writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2023 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/utensils-gadgets-br/how-to-make-homemade-pasta/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:28 | 1 | https://pix11.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/utensils-gadgets-br/how-to-make-homemade-pasta/ |
UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A man considered armed and dangerous is facing two attempted murder charges after he allegedly broke into a Unicoi County house on Sunday evening.
The Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Lower Creek Road where Sheriff Mike Hensley says a man broke into, shot at people inside and assaulted a man inside the house.
The suspect, identified by Hensley as Tony Myers, allegedly fled on foot while armed with two handguns.
Hensley stated Myers had been in a previous relationship with a woman that lived at the house. The man involved in the alleged assault was reportedly taken to the hospital for injuries.
Myers is facing two attempted 2nd-degree murder charges and one especially aggravated burglary charge, according to Hensley.
Myers is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/crime/man-wanted-on-attempted-murder-charges-in-unicoi-county/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:31 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/crime/man-wanted-on-attempted-murder-charges-in-unicoi-county/ |
When you see some of the positions taken by the Republicans running for president on issues that touch upon race, it can be hard to ascribe to them anything but the ugliest motives.
Some will simply answer, “Racism.” But there’s a more complicated answer that better explains what’s happening on the right. The true commitment of today’s Republican Party is not to racism (though there are plenty of genuine racists who thrill to what the GOP offers, and especially to former president Donald Trump). It is to what is best described as anti-antiracism.
In a sense, anti-antiracism is its own ideology. It holds that racism directed at minorities is largely a thing of the past; that whatever racism does exist is a product only of individual hearts and not of institutions and systems; that efforts to ameliorate racism and promote diversity are both counterproductive and morally abhorrent; and, most critically, that those efforts must not only be stopped but also rolled back.
Listen to conservative rhetoric on book banning, affirmative action, teaching history or any of the ways race touches their war on “wokeness,” and you hear this theme repeated: We must stop talking and thinking about racism, and most of all we must stop trying to do anything about racism.
Virtually all racists, of course, would also be anti-antiracists. But there are also millions of people who are not racist yet who are fervent anti-antiracists. That’s the conclusion of some fascinating research from a pair of political scientists, Rachel Wetts and Robb Willer.
Their research explores people’s agreement with ideas such as “As a country, we have done everything that we should do to equalize wealth and income between Black people and White people,” and “People these days can’t speak their minds without someone accusing them of racism.”
Adherence to these kind of anti-antiracist ideas has become “a matter of partisan identity,” going to the core of “what it means to be a Republican,” Wetts told me. “More than 80 percent of White Republicans endorse these views at very high levels.” In fact, in Wetts and Willer’s analysis, the only variable that predicted support for Trump more strongly than anti-antiracism was whether you identified as a Republican.
That helps explain why Republican candidates are so determined to call attention to their efforts to dictate what can be said about race in classrooms, to punish companies for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), or even to undo attempts to stop honoring the Confederacy.
Those efforts are happening on both the national and local levels. In Missouri, for instance, a new conservative majority on a suburban school board last week revoked a resolution the board had passed in 2020 to “promote racial healing.” It might not have much practical impact, but they were determined to make a point.
For some people, “opposition to antiracism is a way of expressing racial animus without explicitly endorsing it,” Wetts said. For others it’s about “distaste, anger and frustration with antiracists themselves,” an expression of revulsion against liberals and everything they want to do. Anti-antiracism is one more way to own the libs.
Feelings have become central to the way conservatives think about race; it’s no accident that many of the laws regarding critical race theory passed in conservative states explicitly outlaw discussions in schools that could make students feel “guilt” or “discomfort.” Anti-antiracism is fueled by White people’s unease with the growing diversity of American society, the knowledge that they’ve lost their dominant position — and to boot, liberals keep trying to make them feel bad.
But most of the anti-antiracism efforts are meant to win the support of people who have little or no personal experience with the supposed excesses of antiracism.
Their primary audience is “people whose life experiences never collide with this kind of antiracism stuff,” says Ashley Jardina, a political scientist and author of “White Identity Politics.” The states that have passed laws limiting discussions of race in the classroom “have long had pretty conservative school boards and state legislatures that dictate what’s being taught” in public schools, Jardina says, so students were already getting an extremely thin education on America’s racial history. The party’s base is White people without college degrees; most of them never took a class on Black history or had to sit through DEI training.
This is a vital part of the anti-antiracism picture: Though anti-antiracists are convinced they are beset on all sides by liberals demanding they atone for racism they believe is an artifact of history, they’re only likely to encounter critical race theory or DEI when watching Fox News or listening to conservative talk radio. Wetts and Willer’s research shows that anti-antiracism is highly correlated with consumption of right-wing media.
It is easy to see why Republican politicians think anti-antiracism is so potent. It allows people to claim a commitment to equality while opposing policies meant to achieve actual equality. It enables them to proclaim their own victimhood, which has become absolutely central to the conservative worldview. And it reinforces borders of racial identity, which can be a powerful motivating force in politics.
Which is why all the GOP presidential candidates — even the non-White ones — will trumpet their commitment to anti-antiracism, even if they won’t call it by name. By now, the Republican base expects nothing less. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/racism-antiracism-republicans-2024/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:33 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/racism-antiracism-republicans-2024/ |
The winners of the 2023 Women Photograph grants were recently announced. And out of more than 2,000 applications, five were awarded. In addition, one person was awarded the Women Photograph + Leica award. The five awardees will receive $5,000 each while the Women Photograph + Leica award comes with a $10,000 prize. We’re taking a look at all the grantees here today.
Starting off with the Women Photograph + Leica Grant, this year’s recipient is Farrah van Wyk from South Africa and the Netherlands. Van Wyk’s project, “Die lewe is nie reg vir my nie” is an exploration of South Africa’s gang culture and strives to “counter its perception as male violence and show deeper layers as it is a means of survival and brotherhood.”
Women Photograph summarizes her project by saying:
“Some men step into the gang as there are no real employment opportunities and others step out of the gang for a better future for their children. Being racially classified as Coloured, too, but having moved to The Netherlands at a young age, van Wyk uses portraiture as a means to decolonize the unjust image of the community she was born into.”
Next, we’ll take a look at the Women Photograph Project grants which were awarded to Spandita Malik, Camille Farrah Lenain, Anique Jordan, Dolores Medel and Jean Jasper Gruis.
Malik is from India and the United States, and her project focuses on misogyny in India. Here’s how she describes her project: “While misogyny is hardly exclusive to one country or culture, India bears particularly ghastly symptoms. Women are in real danger there: the frequency of domestic violence in the country is impossible to ignore”
Malik collaborated with women who are part of self-help groups for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, and she invited them to use their embroidery skills to “weave their creative voices right into the surface of their own portraits, embellishing and personalizing the images.”
Camille Farrah Lenain’s project “Made of Smokeless Fire” explores LGBTQIA+ identities in France’s Muslim culture. Lenain describes her project in the following way:
“This project is an homage to my uncle Farid who passed away in 2013. France has the largest proportion of Muslims in the Western world, estimated at 8.8% or the population, or 5.57 million. But still, islamophobia is omnipresent. At the intersection of layered discriminations, Made Of Smokeless Fire introduces portraiture and personal testimonies to highlight these experiences and the communities redefining their cultural and religious heritage.”
Next up is Canadian photographer Anique Jordan. She describes her project, “Underbelly” with the following words:
“The responses to the pandemic offered us a window into new possibilities. Intricate systems of mutual care, a fierce spotlight on abolition and anti-Black racism, and the public celebrations of caregivers and educators took precedence. We learned to collectively imagine that something else was indeed possible. UNDERBELLY is concerned with this “something else.” It centers upon the dreamworld, the imagination, and the spiritual and cultural connections that fuel ways of understanding the world that do not simply rely on the structures built through processes of conquest and extraction.”
Mexican photographer Dolores Medel takes a look at Afro-Mexican communities in Veracruz, Mexico. Her project aims to “investigate the role and lives of often erased Black Mexican women throughout history, intertwining historical and fictional stories with oral tradition, as well as myths and legends of transatlantic voyages that were imposed on them.”
Photographer Jean Jasper Gruis is next with their project documenting the transient nature of construction sites in rural Mosselbay, South Africa. Their project is a “long-form meditation on racialised and exploited labour as it is converted into summer houses for the rich and white on one side of the national highway and housing projects for the black and poor on the other, a lethargic attempt to address the country’s housing crisis….Gruis documents the lives and agency of the workers on site – and how they create their own spaces even as their labour constructs property for the powerful. Construction work is stereotypically rendered as brute male labour, but Gruis’s method of absence explores how tenderness and domesticity are found in these heartlands of masculinised work. Subverting the style of architectural and commercial photography, their work unveils who made the space rather than comically trying to hide it.”
You can find out more about Women Photograph and all that they do here. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2023/07/31/meet-this-years-women-photograph-grantees/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:35 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2023/07/31/meet-this-years-women-photograph-grantees/ |
Can you fertilize a lawn in the summer?
Few things can add or detract as much from a home’s curb appeal as the landscaping, and your grass is a significant aspect of that. Healthy and well-manicured grass gives a home a welcoming feeling, while a dead or overgrown yard makes everything look unkempt.
Fertilizing is vital to keeping your lawn looking its best, but it must be done correctly and at the right time of the year. Many people often wonder if they can fertilize their yard in the summer. To clear up that confusion once and for all, we’ve put together this handy guide that covers everything you need to know.
Shop this article: Scott’s Natural Lawn Food, Scotts EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader and Flexzilla Garden Hose
What is the best time to fertilize your lawn?
You should be fertilizing your lawn at least twice a year. However, if you pick the wrong season or the wrong fertilizer, you can cause excessive weed growth or even burn the grass. Part of knowing when to fertilize your yard is about knowing what type of grass you have. You should fertilize your lawn when it is actively growing. If you have cool-season grass, early spring, when the temperatures are between 60-75 degrees is the optimal time for the first feeding.
Warm-season grasses tend to start sending up green shoots a bit later in the spring when the temperatures reach 80 degrees or higher. When you see this start happening, it’s time to sprinkle your fertilizer.
You should also fertilize both cool- and warm-season grasses in the fall. This helps ensure healthy roots during the winter months, which results in healthier, greener grass the following spring.
How often should you fertilize your lawn in the summer?
While the most important times to fertilize your lawn are the spring and fall, these shouldn’t necessarily be the only times. For both types of grasses, a second feeding should follow about six weeks after the first. Depending on the date of your first round of fertilizing, this might be very late spring or early summer. However, make sure to read the manufacturer’s guidelines on the fertilizer you use, as the recommended interval between feedings may be longer or shorter.
It is usually best to avoid fertilizing during the hottest months, but if you have to do it, make sure to use the correct fertilizer type.
Choosing the right fertilizer
Synthetic fertilizers come in slow- and fast-release formulas. In addition to the essential nutrients of nitrogen, potassium and phosphate, they may also contain calcium, magnesium, sulfur and other ingredients.
While synthetic fertilizers are a good choice for spring and fall use, you should avoid them during the summer. This is because they typically have a very high nutrient content and are likely to burn the grass.
Organic fertilizers are made from fish meal, compost, manure and other natural ingredients. It has a lower nutrient content, which makes it gentler and ideal for summer use. Organic fertilizer tends to break down slowly too, so it will continue feeding the grass for months after application.
Fertilizing your lawn in the summer heat
Prepare your yard in advance
To get the best results, mow your lawn a day or two before you plan on applying the fertilizer. This helps ensure the fertilizer spreads evenly and falls to the soil, rather than sitting atop the blades of grass where it can potentially burn them. After the mowing, heavily water your lawn to saturate the soil thoroughly.
Do it at the right time of day
Later afternoon or early evening is the best time to apply fertilizer. Never do it in the middle of the day under direct sun, or you may burn the grass.
Use the right equipment
It is essential to spread fertilizer evenly across the yard. Too little in one place, and it won’t grow as well as the rest of the lawn. Too much in one spot, and it can harm or even kill the grass. The best way to ensure an even spread is by using a broadcast spreader.
Water after fertilizing
After applying fertilizer, lightly water your lawn. This is to wash any fertilizer that may have landed on the blades of grass down to the soil. Make sure not to overly saturate the soil, though, as you want to give it some time to absorb the nutrients. If you water it too heavily, you run the risk of washing the fertilizer away.
What you need to buy for fertilizing
This all-natural fertilizer is safe to use around kids and pets and is suitable for all grass types and seasons. A single bag covers a 4000-square-foot lawn.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Scotts EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader
A reliable and reasonably-priced model, this broadcaster spreader is a good choice for many homeowners. It offers easy-to-use rate control and doesn’t require any assembly.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Scotts Wizz Hand-held Spreader
If your yard is too small for a wheeled broadcast spreader, or you simply find a handheld model to be more convenient, the Wizz is a suitable option. It is lightweight and features 23 flow-rate settings.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
The Flexzilla garden hose comes in several lengths ranging from 10-100 feet, so there is certainly one that will perfectly fit your needs. It retains its flexibility in all weather conditions and has a rugged build that should last through many seasons.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Luster Leaf 1601 Rapitest Test Kit for Soil
Though unnecessary for fertilizing your lawn, having a soil test kit like this is a brilliant idea. It helps you identify what nutrients your soil is lacking, or has an excess of, so you can make sure to buy the right fertilizer.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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The inside scoop on D.C. weather
Install the Flash Briefing from the Amazon skill store or say, "Alexa, enable Capital Weather Gang." Then say, "Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?" or "Alexa, what's the news?"
In the Google Home app, select Menu > More Settings > News > Add news sources. Find and enable "Capital Weather Gang" in the Local section. Then ask, "Okay Google, what's in the news?"
The inside scoop on D.C. weather | https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/capital-weather-gang/july-31-morning-weather-update-2/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:41 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/capital-weather-gang/july-31-morning-weather-update-2/ |
Become a lawn master
Knowing how to plant a new lawn is a useful skill to have, no matter if you’re moving into a new house, sprucing up your current one, or you just want to develop your green thumb. A lush green lawn is often the first thing people notice about your home, and well-manicured grass can greatly increase the value of your property. With a few personal touches, you can make it your own.
While it may seem like a daunting task at first, planting or renovating your lawn is relatively simple when broken down into a few easy-to-follow steps.
Shop this article: Tillers, Fertilizers and Lawn Rollers
Sod vs. seed
First, you must decide whether you want to use grass seed or sod on your lawn.
Let’s start with sod, as grass seed is relatively self-explanatory. Sod, also known as instant lawn or turf grass, is rolled grass that offers several benefits over grass seed. The most obvious is that it’s much faster to establish and gives the look of a finished lawn instantly. In addition, quality sod has few or no weed seeds present, which can save major headaches (and backaches) down the road. Also, because it’s heartier than young grass, sod can be installed nearly any time of year, so long as the ground isn’t frozen or exposed to extreme heat. However, it’s not without disadvantages.
Due to its convenience, sod is initially more expensive than grass seed and requires labor to install. Your grass choices are restricted as well, because most sod farmers grow their products in full sun. That means if your lawn is shaded by houses or large trees, sod may not thrive as well as seed designed for those environments. Shade blend sod is available in some areas, but it’s not always easy to find.
By contrast, grass seed is simpler, cheaper, less labor-intensive at the onset, and offers more choice when it comes to grass variety. It requires more consistent maintenance, though, and the chance for weed contamination is higher. Perhaps the most notable drawback is this method has a defined window for success, as extreme temperatures can lead to patchy results or complete seed failure.
How to prepare lawn for new grass
No matter which method you choose to grow your new lawn, the initial preparation is relatively consistent. Follow these steps:
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First, remove debris and any existing vegetation, i.e. weeds and grass. You can do this physically, with a flame torch, using a home remedy, or with a non-selective herbicide. If you use chemicals, remember to wait for the compounds to become inert before planting (check product labels for this info).
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Repeat the first step, till the soil, and check it again to make sure all remaining seeds are gone. Doing this will ensure a weed-free lawn in the long term.
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Once the area is free of vegetation, you are ready to plant.
How to plant a lawn with sod
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Till the first two inches of soil with a tiller or rake. If needed, add seeding soil to the top of your existing soil.
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Level soil. Any dips or bumps could stay there for years and can look unsightly.
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If you do not use seeding soil (these generally have starter fertilizer mixed in), apply a starter fertilizer, water, and till in.
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Roll out sod. Keep edges snug against each other but don’t overlap them.
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Use a lawn roller to smooth out and firm the sod, connecting it with the ground below and facilitating root contact. Keep sod moist for the first two weeks after application to further assist root growth.
How to plant a lawn with seed
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Till the first two inches of soil with a tiller or rake. If needed, add seeding soil to the top of your existing soil.
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Level soil. Any dips or bumps could stay there for years and can look unsightly.
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If you do not use seeding soil (these generally have starter fertilizer mixed in), apply a starter fertilizer, water, and till in.
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Divide your seed into two equal portions. Spread one half going one direction, with the other half going at a right angle in the other direction. This crisscross pattern guarantees even coverage across your lawn. For higher accuracy, use a drop spreader.
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Tamp seed down with a lawn roller. For added protection, cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of peat moss or compost. This prevents the seeds from washing away, stops birds from eating them, and also holds in moisture.
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Gently soak the soil about six inches deep after seeding, and keep the seeds moist until grass has germinated. This should take approximately two weeks. Continue to lightly water three to four times a day until the grass is about a half-inch high, then maintain as normal.
How to take care of new grass
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A watering rule of thumb: Once the grass is high enough to mow, water at approximately one inch per week.
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Water your lawn early in the morning. Doing it at night keeps the water stagnant, which raises the risk for mold and fungus, and watering midday increases evaporation risk. In addition, water deeply and infrequently as opposed to lightly and more often, as this improves root health.
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Keep your mower blades sharp, and don’t cut more than a third of the grass blade at a time to prevent shocking the grass.
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Fertilize every four to six weeks with lawn fertilizer.
Lawn care shopping list
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Planting a new lawn is incredibly rewarding, but it takes a toll on your hands. Invest in some high-quality gardening gloves to stay safe from thorns, sharp sticks, sunlight, and abrasions.
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A sturdy rake or cultivator will help you till your lawn before planting. This is a necessary step to remove unwanted vegetation, loosen up dirt, and aerate the soil.
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A lawn roller is the most efficient way to both tamp down new grass seeds and secure sod to the soil below. Fill your lawn roller with water if more weight is needed to finish the job. Choose between tow models that hook up to powered equipment or simple push/pull versions.
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Drop spreaders are extremely helpful in evenly distributing grass seed over an area. Available in rolling and handheld versions, these spreaders are adjustable for different drop rates. Great for grass seed or fertilizer!
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Fertilizer is necessary to keep a lawn healthy and full. Lawn fertilizers are typically rich in nitrogen, which is very water-soluble and promotes green, leafy growth.
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Your lawn won’t survive without water, and an adjustable rotating sprinkler helps it stay irrigated at the seedling stage as well as when it’s fully developed. Interested in even more control? Consider a multi-zone irrigation controller.
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Bob Beacham writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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Good morning, Early Birds. Former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld turns 78 today. Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick turns 67 today. No other former Massachusetts governor will celebrate a birthday until November, when Michael Dukakis will turn 90. Tips: earlytips@washpost.com.
In today’s edition … What we’re watching: Ron DeSantis’s economic speech … All eyes on Atlanta … but first …
On the Hill
Democrats bemoan “a cancer spreading” in the Senate
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who huddled on the Senate floor last Tuesday with Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), was working to gain support to force a vote to confirm Gen. Eric Smith to be commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Smith is one of the 301 military positions that Tuberville has blocked over the Defense Department’s abortion policy. Tuberville has met with Smith and supports his confirmation, according to an aide to Tuberville.
But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged Sullivan not to move ahead, according to three people familiar with the interaction, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to divulge private conversations.
The maneuver Sullivan proposed — known as a cloture petition — would set a precedent that would be abused by Democrats when they are in the minority, McConnell warned, adding that it’s possible that Republicans could take back the Senate in next year’s midterm elections. (Right now cloture petitions are used rarely by the minority party and almost never by rank-and-file members such as Sullivan.)
Sullivan backed down. (McConnell declined to comment; Sullivan didn’t provide a comment.)
Growing tensions over nominations
Sullivan’s effort came as tension mounts over the hundreds of nominees throughout government waiting to be confirmed.
It’s not just Tuberville who is blocking swift confirmation of nominees.
At least a half-dozen senators are preventing nominees for posts across the administration — including but not limited to the Justice Department, State Department, Commerce Department, Defense Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency — from being confirmed.
Senators are holding up the process for various reasons. Sometimes they have to do with the nominee, but more often they don't.
“Hopefully it forces people to come to the table and be responsive,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who is holding up all Energy Department nominees until he gets an action plan from the Biden administration on cleaning up radioactive waste in St. Louis.
Critics acknowledge that blocking nominees is a useful tactic to cut a deal, but they warn that the high number of holds from such a large number of senators threatens the art of the deal.
- “There is a cancer spreading in the United States Senate,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said. “The Senate has never abused this power in this way prior to this Republican minority, and it's a sign of how fundamentally broken our rules are.”
More holds
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) is holding up two U.S. attorneys — and says he will also hold up future Justice Department nominees — until Attorney General Merrick Garland “promises to do his job and stop going after his political opponents.”
Vance is also holding up State Department nominees, including 22 ambassadors, until he confirms they won’t implement “woke” policies. He sent a questionnaire to all ambassador nominees, Politico’s Joe Gould and Nahal Toosi reported last week.
“We’re asking people questions, we’re trying to understand statements they’ve made, things that they’ve done,” Vance told us on Thursday. “And if we think their answers are satisfactory, then we'll release the hold. And if we don't, we don't.”
Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma said that not confirming the ambassadors poses a national security threat.
- “In these 22 posts that will remain open, our adversaries have not ceded the field — they are in these capitals promoting a very different and often dangerous vision for our world,” Verma told The Early in a statement. “They don't do politics, and we would urge the Senate to allow them, and in many cases their families too, to serve their country abroad.”
The Senate confirmed 16 ambassadors before they left town for five weeks on Thursday after Verma reached a deal with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) for Paul to remove his holds.
Paul tweeted that he released his holds because the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development “agreed to release documents” on research conducted in at the Wuhan lab in China.
Even more holds
Graham said it is senators’ prerogative on when and if they place holds, but he said there is fallout from the move. “It’s certainly having an effect on the ability to have a presence in places,” Graham said. “It is definitely having an effect.”
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) has a hold on a Veterans Affairs deputy secretary nominee, Tanya J. Bradsher.
Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) is holding up Commerce Department nominees that move through the Commerce Committee, on which he is a ranking Republican.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) won’t hold a confirmation hearing on Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health and pledges to block all health nominees until President Biden delivers him a “comprehensive” plan to reduce drug costs.
Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) has pledged to vote against any nominees for Environmental Protection Agency positions until the administration agrees to “halt their government overreach” on a “radical climate agenda.”
Republican say Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) can bring up each nomination for a vote to overcome a senator’s hold, but Democrats say that would paralyze the floor and probably eat up every hour the Senate is in session through the end of the year.
Schumer has been prioritizing judicial nominations. September is likely to be filled with debate on spending bills.
The data
The average number of days a nominee must wait for Senate confirmation has doubled over the past two decades, according to the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that tracks nominations.
President George W. Bush’s nominees (excluding judges, U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals) waited about 80 days on average at this point in his presidency. President Barack Obama’s waited about 96 days and President Donald Trump’s waited about 138 days.
- Biden’s have waited 166 days on average.
The slowdown, even as the filibuster for most nominees were eliminated 2013, has resulted in the confirmation of just 649 of Biden’s nominees as of July 23. That’s fewer than the 841 nominees confirmed at this point in Bush’s presidency or the 757 confirmed at this point in Obama’s, although more than the 566 confirmed at this point in the Trump administration.
“This body’s going to be majoritarian institution pretty soon,” Murphy said. “The filibuster is going to disappear, and this will be part of the story as to why we get rid of it.”
What we're watching
On the trail
In his ongoing campaign reset that includes discussing issues beyond culture-war politics, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will deliver a “Declaration of Economic Independence” speech on the economy today in New Hampshire. His remarks are expected to focus beyond inflation, which has continued to decline since it peaked last year.
He’ll also talk about decoupling from China and embrace a populist economic message.
Today is also the deadline for the super PACs backing Trump, DeSantis and the other Republican presidential candidates to file their campaign finance reports. We’ll be watching to see how much they raised, how much cash they have on hand and who’s writing the checks — although any contributions made since June 30 won’t be revealed for months.
On the Hill
Hunter Biden’s former business partner, Devon Archer, is scheduled to sit for a deposition today before the House Oversight Committee.
One wrinkle: Archer was sentenced to prison last year after being convicted of fraud, but his appeals have delayed the day he must report to prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York sent a letter to the trial judge in the case on Saturday asking her to set a date for Archer to go to prison, prompting Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to cry foul.
But the court isn’t expected to make a decision before today’s deposition, Politico’s Kyle Cheney and Jordain Carney report, meaning it can move forward.
At the beach
President Biden is on vacation this week at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del. He’ll leave for Wilmington, Del., on Friday.
From the courts
All eyes on Atlanta
Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis has strongly hinted for months that she’ll seek multiple indictments in her investigation into whether Trump and his allies broke the law in their attempt to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.
The recent installation of orange security barriers near the Fulton County Courthouse is “the most visible sign yet of the looming charging decision in a case that has ensnared not only Trump but several high-profile Republicans who could either face charges or stand witness in a potential trial unlike anything seen before in this Southern metropolis,” our colleague Holly Bailey reports from Atlanta:
- “It is one of several investigations into attempts to reverse Trump’s loss in 2020, including a sprawling Justice Department probe overseen by special counsel Jack Smith that has sparked its own intensifying waiting game in recent days. Smith and his team have interviewed or sought information from several witnesses also key to the Georgia investigation.”
- “While the pace of Smith’s investigation has been unpredictable, [Willis] took the unusual step of publicly telegraphing that she plans to announce a charging decision in the Georgia case during the first three weeks of August, a period that opens Monday.”
Here’s what to expect as those weeks commence:
- “All eyes are now on two criminal grand jury panels sworn in on July 11 — one group that meets on Mondays and Tuesdays, the other that meets on Thursdays and Fridays,” Holly writes. “One of the panels is likely to decide whether charges should be filed in the closely watched election interference case — a decision that could put Trump, who is now under indictment in two other criminal cases, in even more legal peril.”
The Media
Must reads from The Post:
- Democrats worry their most loyal voters won’t turn out for Biden in 2024. By Colby Itkowitz, Sabrina Rodriguez and Michael Scherer.
- Trump gains advantage as states set delegate selection rules. By Maeve Reston and Michael Scherer.
- Rent is finally cooling. See how much prices have changed in your area. By Hanna Zakharenko, Abha Bhattarai and Janice Kai Chen.
From elsewhere:
- Why Biden’s team soured on Dems’ election lawyer. By Axios’s Alex Thompson and Hans Nichols.
- Meet Carlos De Oliveira and Walt Nauta, Trump’s co-defendants. By the New York Times’s Alan Feuer, Maggie Haberman and Ben Protess.
Viral
For our readers who’ve seen “Barbie” …
His job is… beach https://t.co/OwYRpEZXI6
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) July 30, 2023
Thanks for reading. You can also follow us on Twitter: @LACaldwellDC and @theodoricmeyer. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/31/inside-senates-nomination-slowdown/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:47 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/31/inside-senates-nomination-slowdown/ |
Tips and tricks for protecting your home from the elements
If you like learning new skills and having a to-do list that never ends, there’s no better investment than purchasing a home. But becoming a homeowner isn’t just the biggest financial commitment you’ll ever make, it’s also a pledge to take care of something, for better or worse, as long as you both shall live. Or at least until you decide it’s time to move.
Along with the bills, repairs, and perpetual upkeep, one of the biggest tasks you face as a homeowner is your never-ending battle with Mother Nature. Just when you think you’ve reshingled your last roof and can rest easy when it comes to leaks, you find a small pond in the basement after the latest storm. This list will walk you through everything you need to know in order to best protect your home from the elements.
But first, it’s important to review your insurance policy so you are aware of what is and isn’t covered. Your homeowner’s insurance policy might not cover floods and damage caused by the elements. Take a few minutes, read over your policy, call your agent and make the needed changes to get the peace of mind you deserve.
Shop this article: Tempera 9′ Outdoor Market Patio Table Umbrella, Deconovo Blackout Curtains and Jegs 3-Drawer Toolbox
What are the elements?
It’s not just water — which causes mold and rot — that you have to worry about. Wind, snow, hail, cold and heat can also do substantial damage to your home. Here are just a few examples of the havoc the elements can wreak on your home.
Wind
A gentle breeze is refreshing, but a gale-force wind? Anything over 50 or 60 mph can be devastating. From hurling projectiles and prying loose shingles to stripping away siding and shearing off the entire roof, strong winds can dismantle a house in a matter of minutes.
Snow
It’s pristine, and it twinkles as if infused by magic. Snow is beautiful. But it’s also heavy. On average, a square foot of snow weighs a little over 12 pounds. If you have a house that’s 2,000 square feet and it snows 12 inches, that’s roughly an extra 24,000 pounds — 12 tons — on your roof. See how this could cause a little trouble? Especially if the snow is resting on large tree branches or that evergreen that’s already leaning toward your house.
Hail
Hail is Mother Nature’s mischievous child. They enjoy causing trouble. Got cracked shingles? Divots in the lawn? Broken windows? Dents in your car? Damaged outdoor furniture? You’ve got hail!
Cold
Cold is the silent destroyer of homes. If you’ve ever had a pipe burst, you already know this. But beyond that, cold can create ice dams in your gutters that force water beneath your shingles, thereby ruining the items under your roof. And if water gets into any tiny crack, be it in your driveway or your foundation, it will expand when it freezes, turning that tiny crack into a crevasse.
Heat
Excessive moist heat can warp hardwood floors and accelerate deterioration in other areas, such as your attic and roof. Excessive dry heat can suck the moisture out of the ground, making it shrink and taking away some much-needed support from your home’s foundation.
Best strategies for keeping your home safe
Indeed, the elements can be devastating to your home. Thankfully, there are a number of quick and easy things you can do to protect it from the elements. Following is a list of the best (and most effortless) strategies.
Strategy 1: Bring items inside
Tempera 9′ Outdoor Market Patio Table Umbrella
Lawn chairs, watering cans, bicycles, scooters, patio umbrellas, and other loose items that you keep outside need to be brought inside before a storm. After all, the wind can turn anything that’s not fastened down into a destructive projectile.
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Strategy 2: Close the curtains
If anything flies into your window during a storm, having your blinds drawn and your drapes closed can help block some of the broken glass and other debris from entering your home.
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Strategy 3: Use your garage
If you don’t want dings in your car, put your vehicle in the garage before all hail breaks loose — along with anything else that could be damaged should the sky begin to pelt ice at your property. If your garage is full of clutter, however, this might not be as simple as it is supposed to be. Take time to organize and store your tools before the storm, and you could be thanking yourself later.
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Strategy 4: Rake the roof
When snow piles up on your house, it can get beneath your shingles as it melts, damaging your roof. When it’s safe to do so, grab a roof rake and clear your roof so melting snow can flow away without much damage. Note: always leave a thin layer of snow on your roof, because too much scraping could damage your shingles.
Strategy 5: Seal your driveway
Those tiny cracks in your driveway become bigger cracks when they fill with water which then freezes. Be proactive and seal your driveway — or at the very least, fill those cracks in with gravel — before winter arrives.
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Strategy 6: Run a dehumidifier
All that humidity in the summer can really mess with the wood in your house. It can also make everything feel quite sticky. To remedy the situation (and save your hardwood floors), turn on a dehumidifier and let it work its magic.
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Strategy 7: Use a sprinkler
During those hot, rainless periods of summer when the ground dries up and pulls away from your house, weakening its foundation, don’t fret. Instead, turn on your sprinkler and put some moisture back into the soil. Don’t add too much, though, because excess water near your home’s foundation has a way of seeping into your basement or crawlspace.
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Extra tips for protecting your home from weather damage
The following tips involve a little more than a quick fix, but they are much cheaper than full-blown repairs.
Anchor down your large items
If you have a storage shed, a grill, trash cans, or any large item that doesn’t have a permanent foundation or isn’t securely fastened, anchor it down. You can use straps, anchors, or bolts. In strong winds, this will help minimize dangerous projectiles. In a flood, it will help keep your valuables from drifting away.
Remove trees that pose a threat
Rain can make the ground soggy, allowing trees to lean. Once tilted, wet snow or strong winds can be all it takes to topple even the mightiest oak. Consider having any trees within striking distance of your home taken down before the next storm.
Bring in the reinforcements
A home is only as safe as its weakest spots. If you live in an area prone to severe weather, you need to do something about those spots. Get a professional out to reinforce your garage door, and consider installing storm shutters over your windows and glass doors.
The elements can be brutal on your home. From minor inconveniences to major repairs, Mother Nature really knows how to dish out the damage. But you aren’t helpless. Your best defense is a strong offense. Stay vigilant, smart, and proactive, and your home will be able to weather any storm.
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Elina Svitolina had more incentive to play the DC Open this year — beyond the hot and humid Washington weather that serves as ideal preparation for the sweltering U.S. hard-court swing. This week’s tournament at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center offers the recent Wimbledon semifinalist a chance to play on the same courts as her husband, French player Gaël Monfils, in the same best-of-three-set format at an event of equal prestige.
A merger of what was formerly known as the Citi Open and the San Jose-based Silicon Valley Classic elevated the women’s event in Washington, now known as the DC Open, from a WTA 250 to a WTA 500-level tournament — same as the men’s ATP 500 event taking place concurrently. That means, for the first time, Svitolina and her colleagues on the women’s tour will compete for about the same number of rankings points as Monfils and his colleagues on the men’s tour.
“It’s great opportunity, I guess, for the fans and for players as well,” Svitolina said. “It’s always nice, the combined events.”
The major difference between Svitolina’s and Monfils’ work this week? The payout.
The total financial commitment for this week’s ATP event is $2,178,980, while the WTA event’s is $780,637, a disparity the tournament lays at the feet of the tennis tours. In recent years, this tournament has aimed to create a schedule that treats women as favorably as men, featuring, for example, WTA matches in prime time and in nighttime slots on its biggest show court even though the ATP event was of a higher stature.
But equal prize money will have to wait. Tournament chair Mark Ein said at a news conference Sunday that the event is committed to equal pay by 2027, which is the timeline the WTA outlined in its equal pay commitment last month.
“I think one of the things about tennis that’s so special, obviously, is it’s the one sport where men and women compete on the same court at the same time, same playing surface, but it never felt right that they were different-level events. I’m really proud we were able to pull this off, make it the first combined 500 in the world,” Ein said. “We committed to equal prize money by 2027. The event, if it stayed as a stand-alone, it was 2033. So I think it’s a great step forward for tennis and for this event.”
The gender pay gap is nothing new in tennis; many ATP and WTA combined events offer men more money. After the tournament in Washington, many players will head to the Western & Southern Open outside of Cincinnati and the National Bank Open in Canada. Neither of those prominent pre-U.S. Open tournaments offer equal pay.
Part of the issue is the disparate nature of tennis. The WTA and ATP are separate organizations, distinct from the four Grand Slam tournaments and the International Tennis Federation, the sport’s global governing body, all of which have individual sponsorship deals, television contracts and rules for mandating player appearances at tournaments that dictate player payouts.
Yet there are WTA-ATP combined tournaments that feature equal prize money simply because they choose to. All four Grand Slams now award equal payouts, as do the Miami Open, the Madrid Open and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.
In Washington, players see the elevation of the women’s event as the first step toward equal treatment.
“It’s more fun to play alongside [than], you know, not have the best women in the world playing alongside the best men,” said Jessica Pegula, who sits at No. 4 in the world and won this event in 2019. “I think it is a great look and I think fans really enjoy that, so I think the atmosphere always seems to be better.”
WTA players are also enjoying having the option to play a prestigious tournament in the Eastern time zone, where most of the pre-U.S. Open swing takes place. Before this year, if a player wanted to compete in a 500-level tournament in the United States this week, San Jose was the only option.
“I think it will make the transition a little bit easier [than] coming from coast to coast. But also I think I just love being in cities like D.C. better than the West Coast. I mean, I’m an East Coast girl,” said Coco Gauff, who grew up in Georgia and Florida. “And it being a 500 this week, I think it gives an opportunity for more players to kind of play at a higher level. … If you look at the [qualifying tournament], there are so many Americans playing.”
As the tournament grows in prestige, Ein said he has had conversations with the city and the National Park Service, which administers Rock Creek Park Tennis Center, about expanding its footprint. Ein said his team has just two to three weeks to construct the multiple structures that make up the tournament grounds. Parking and traffic around the grounds are issues yearly, too.
But Ein, a Maryland native who is part of the Josh Harris-led group that recently purchased the Washington Commanders, believes the site remains the proper place for the tournament — with some caveats.
“I think it needs some real investment in its permanent facility so not everything is temporary,” he said. “ … I’d love to keep it here, where [founders] Arthur Ashe, Donald Dell and John Harris put it. But if we are going to do that, it definitely needs a bunch of investment. [It] needs some flexibility around some of the rules, moving in and out. We are at capacity. The event has sold out every session for the past two years, and it’s pretty much sold out already for the entire tournament. There’s a couple tickets left.
“We are hitting the limits of what we can be here, and hopefully we’ll find a solution.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/31/dc-open-prize-money/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:53 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/31/dc-open-prize-money/ |
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — All this week, from Perth to Sydney and across the North and South islands of New Zealand, World Cup teams are facing the prospect of moving on or heading home.
Anxious days, indeed.
The U.S. women’s national team is no exception, even though it arrived here as the tournament favorite. A closer-than-expected victory in the opener against Vietnam and a harrowing draw against the Netherlands in the second act have left the two-time defending champion in good position to advance — good, but not airtight.
On Tuesday — evening here at Eden Park and in the sleepy hours back home — the world’s top-ranked team will play Portugal (1-1-0). A victory or draw would secure passage to the round of 16. A defeat almost surely would eliminate the United States at the earliest point since the competition was born 32 years ago.
By finishing first in the group, the Americans would earn a matchup with, in all likelihood, Italy. That also would allow them to avoid Sweden, the likely Group G winner and one of the few teams with historical success against the United States.
Beating Portugal might not be enough to clinch first place, though. A blowout victory by the Netherlands (1-0-1) over Vietnam (0-2-0) could push the Dutch ahead of the United States in the first tiebreaker, goal differential. At the moment, the United States is plus-3, the Netherlands plus-1.
The group winner will move to Sydney for the round of 16, the runner-up to Melbourne. Both matches will take place Sunday. The United States has finished second in World Cup group play once — in 2011, when it advanced to the championship game anyway.
It’s all quite complicated but also rather simple for the United States: Just win, and let the permutations and calculations settle the rest.
“It’s like a pressure moment,” forward Megan Rapinoe said. “And that’s what the tournament is. Now every single game from here on out is that pressure moment and the best part of being in the World Cup.”
The Americans face a bit of a pressure because they were not at their best in their first two matches. In the opener, a failure to capitalize on a wealth of scoring opportunities left a respectable final margin of 3-0 against first-timer Vietnam and undermined plans to beef up its goal differential.
Five days later, they conceded an early goal and managed only Lindsey Horan’s equalizer in a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands despite creating several quality chances in the second half.
“I don’t think we were very happy with our last performance, and we’re okay with that,” said midfielder Savannah DeMelo, whose first two career starts have come at this tournament. “We’re just an honest group, but we’re very hopeful, and we know we’re going to get the job done.”
Multiple players have cited open and direct communication in working through issues and solving problems.
“We’re very direct when something’s not going the way we want it to go,” midfielder Andi Sullivan said. “You have to be direct and clear and honest and loud. People asking questions, figuring things out, like: ‘Hey, this is working. Hey, this isn’t working.’ It’s just constantly reviewing, communicating and encouraging.”
After the imperfect performance against the Netherlands, DeMelo said the team quickly pivoted.
“We’re like, ‘Okay, this wasn’t good, but now we have this to do,’ ” she said. “That’s one of the honest conversations. I know it comes from a place of we all want to win. And I know that’s the standard, and I like being pushed to the highest standard. So the directness is nice, and I think it leaves no room for questions.”
One area the team has addressed is the speed of play.
“We’re going to need to play fast and score a lot of goals,” Sullivan said. “We also just want that for ourselves regardless of the game situation because we know our first two performances have been solid, but we know we have more to give, especially in putting goals up. And so that conversation has kind of been bubbling.”
Rapinoe said the team needs to make better use of the flanks and its speed.
“If we keep the width, we just open up so much more,” she said. “Obviously, speed is one of our greatest strengths, but everybody knows we’re fast. Just because you’re faster than someone else, it’s like they know that, too. So how do you use that to maybe punish people?”
What remains unclear is Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s lineup. He used the same group in the first two matches and, after making all five possible subs in the opener, opted for just one in the second game. (Rose Lavelle entered for DeMelo at halftime.)
Andonovski has yet to summon winger Lynn Williams or attacking midfielder Ashley Sanchez. He has ramped up Lavelle’s minutes, from 28 to 45, and might start her for the first time since she recovered from a knee injury that sidelined her for more than three months. Lavelle’s influence on the Netherlands match was profound, and she assisted on Horan’s goal with a well-placed corner kick.
“Of course, there’s a little bit of anxiousness anytime there’s a result that needs to be had,” Rapinoe said. “But I think that’s exciting. I think everybody knows that, too. Everybody’s like, ‘Okay, we have to perform better, and we have to get this result.’ ” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/31/uswnt-portugal-womens-world-cup-pressure/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:55 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/31/uswnt-portugal-womens-world-cup-pressure/ |
HIALEAH, Fla. (WFLA) — A federal judge in Florida tossed a multi-million dollar lawsuit involving the Kraft Heinz Food Company’s microwavable mac and cheese.
The $5 million lawsuit claimed the company misled the public about the time it takes to prepare Velveeta microwavable mac and cheese cups.
According to court records, a West Palm Beach-based law firm filed the lawsuit on behalf of a Hialeah woman on Nov. 18.
The lawsuit alleged that the Kraft Heinz Food Company violated federal law by saying the mac and cheese cups take 3½ minutes to prepare, arguing that the time limit does not include the time it takes to remove the lid, add water and stir in the cheese sauce.
A Miami district judge tossed the lawsuit. | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-judge-tosses-5-million-lawsuit-over-microwavable-mac-and-cheese/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:56 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-judge-tosses-5-million-lawsuit-over-microwavable-mac-and-cheese/ |
Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here’s a look at that investigation
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 PHONE CALLS
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.
FAKE ELECTORS
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.
FALSE CLAIMS OF ELECTION FRAUD
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.
ALLEGED ATTEMPTS TO PRESSURE ELECTION WORKER
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.
ELECTION EQUIPMENT ACCESSED
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 RESIGNATION
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.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:56 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/trump-could-be-indicted-soon-georgia-heres-look-that-investigation/ |
TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward was placed on the 10-day injured list with facial fractures on Sunday, a day after he was hit by a 91 mph pitch from Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah.
Ward was taken to a Toronto hospital after being struck in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 6-1 loss. He was released from hospital Saturday evening.
Before Sunday’s game, Angels manager Phil Nevin said Ward did not have vision damage. Surgery is an option for Ward, but no decision has been made. It was not clear when Ward would be able to return to California. The Angels play a three-game series at Atlanta this week before returning home Thursday to host Seattle.
To replace Ward, the Angels selected the contract of infielder Kevin Padlo from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Batting with the bases loaded, Ward was hit by a 2-0 pitch from Manoah. The ball appeared to strike Ward next to his next left eye, knocking off his batting helmet.
Plate umpire Andy Fletcher motioned to the Angels’ dugout for the trainer as Ward went down, blood running down his face. Angels staff rushed to the plate and held a towel to Ward’s face. After a couple of minutes, Ward got to his feet and left the field on a cart. His left eye appeared to be swollen shut.
A six-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the Angels, Ward is batting .253 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 97 games.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-placed-on-il-with-facial-fractures-after-being-hit-in-head/ | 2023-07-31T10:45:56 | 0 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-angels-outfielder-taylor-ward-placed-on-il-with-facial-fractures-after-being-hit-in-head/ |
In a week when their division rivals made big moves prior to the trade deadline, the Houston Astros added some key players from within when Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve returned from the injured list.
It’s been easy to overlook the Astros despite the fact that they’re the defending World Series champions. There’s been no shortage of remarkable stories in the American League this year, from Tampa Bay’s terrific start to Baltimore’s wealth of young talent. Even in its own division, Houston has been overshadowed a bit by the Rangers and their aggressive front office, as well as the amazing Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels.
The stretch run, however, should be fascinating for the Astros, who are close to the top of their division but also not that far from being out of playoff position entirely. They’re tied for the second wild card with Toronto, and Boston is 2 1/2 games back of those two.
Texas acquired Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery to help its rotation this week. The Angels added right-handers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López, then traded for C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk to bolster their offense as they try to make the postseason before Ohtani can become a free agent.
Houston still has time to make its own moves before Tuesday’s deadline, but Altuve and Alvarez are nice additions. They were both out with oblique injuries, and Altuve began the season late because of a broken thumb.
TRIVIA TIME
The Astros have been to the League Championship Series six consecutive seasons. That’s a record unless you count Atlanta’s streak of eight in a row from 1991-99, which was interrupted by the 1994 strike that wiped out the postseason.
Aside from the Astros and Braves, which three teams have made the LCS at least four years in a row?
RISING
The Chicago Cubs may have come to life just in time to avoid a deadline sell-off. Their eight-game winning streak was snapped Sunday, but they’re now only four games out of first place in the NL Central and 3 1/2 behind a wild card.
Only the Braves, Rangers, Rays, Dodgers and Padres have a better run differential than Chicago’s plus-57, so the potential for improvement was always there for the Cubs. (And San Diego just swept Texas, so perhaps the Padres still can’t be counted out either.)
FALLING
It’s been a swift decline for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who led the NL West by three games July 3 but have gone 6-15 since. If the postseason began today, the Diamondbacks wouldn’t even merit a wild card.
LINE OF THE WEEK
Will Ohtani ever run out of unprecedented feats? He pitched a one-hit shutout in the opener of a doubleheader at Detroit on Thursday, then hit two homers in the second game.
Tigers right-hander Matt Manning said it may have been the greatest day of baseball anyone’s ever seen.
COMEBACK OF THE WEEK
Down by four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday night against Toronto, the Los Angeles Dodgers stormed back and tied it on a two-out, two-run single by Chris Taylor. James Outman won it 8-7 with a 10th-inning double.
The Dodgers had a win probability of 1.2% at one point in the ninth, according to Baseball Savant.
TRIVIA ANSWER
The Oakland Athletics from 1971-75, the New York Yankees from 1998-2001 and the St. Louis Cardinals from 2011-14.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
___ | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/31/houston-astros-alvarez-altuve/687806da-2f88-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:46:01 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/2023/07/31/houston-astros-alvarez-altuve/687806da-2f88-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Hurricane Center is watching two tropical waves in the Atlantic.
A disturbance near the Leeward Islands has a 70% chance of development over the next two days.
Forecasters believe conditions are “marginally favorable” for development over the next few days. The NHC said a tropical depression will likely form over the next day.
Meteorologists are also watching a tropical wave just off the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. Forecasters said a “short-lived” tropical cyclone could develop before the system merges with a frontal boundary over the next day or so.
The tropical wave has a 30% chance of development over the next two days.
Max Defender 8 meteorologist Leigh Spann said neither tropical wave should have much of an impact on the U.S. Both storms will likely stay in open water. | https://www.wfla.com/weather/tracking-the-tropics/tropical-wave-in-atlantic-has-70-chance-of-development/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:02 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/weather/tracking-the-tropics/tropical-wave-in-atlantic-has-70-chance-of-development/ |
SHANGHAI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 111, Inc. (NASDAQ: YI) ("111" or the "Company"), a leading tech-enabled healthcare platform company committed to digitally connecting patients with medicine and healthcare services in China, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023, before the U.S. market opens on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
111's management team will host an earnings conference call at 7:30 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 24, 2023 (7:30 PM Beijing Time on the same day).
Details for the conference call are as follows:
Conference Topic: 111, Inc. Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call
Registration Link: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10032701-ygfhis.html
All participants must use the link provided above to complete the online registration process in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a set of participant dial-in numbers, the Direct Event passcode, and a unique Registration ID, which can be used to join the conference call.
Please dial in 15 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the Direct Event passcode and unique Registration ID you have received upon registering to join the call.
A telephone replay of the call will be available after the conclusion of the conference call until August 31, 2023
United States: +1 855 883 1031
Mainland China: 4001 209 216
Hong Kong: 800 930 639
International: +61 7 3107 6325
Conference ID: 10032701
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the website at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/iw7ck9oc
About 111, Inc.
111, Inc. (NASDAQ: YI) ("111" or the "Company") is a leading tech-enabled healthcare platform company committed to digitally connecting patients with medicine and healthcare services in China. The Company provides consumers with better access to pharmaceutical products and healthcare services directly through its online retail pharmacy, 1 Pharmacy, and indirectly through its offline virtual pharmacy network. The Company also offers online healthcare services through its internet hospital, 1 Clinic, which provides consumers with cost-effective and convenient online consultation, electronic prescription service, and patient management service. In addition, the Company's online platform, 1 Medicine Marketplace, serves as a one-stop shop for pharmacies to source a vast selection of pharmaceutical products. With the largest virtual pharmacy network in China, 111 enables offline pharmacies to better serve their customers with cloud-based services. 111 also provides an omni-channel drug commercialization platform to its strategic partners, which includes services such as digital marketing, patient education, data analytics, and pricing monitoring.
For more information on 111, please visit: http://ir.111.com.cn/.
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SOURCE 111, Inc. | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/111-announce-second-quarter-2023-unaudited-financial-results-august-24-2023-conference-call-follow/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:03 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/111-announce-second-quarter-2023-unaudited-financial-results-august-24-2023-conference-call-follow/ |
FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) — Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh should be a star at next year’s Paris Olympics, and she showed why Sunday on the closing day of the swimming world championships in Japan.
The 16-year-old McIntosh won her second gold of the event, taking the 400-meter individual medley after winning the 200 butterfly gold on Friday.
That made up for a slow start for the young Canadian, who finished fourth in the 400 free, where she held the world record until Australia’s Ariarne Titmus took it back. She also took bronze in the 200 free, at least getting a medal.
“Going into tonight I just wanted to see how hard I could push myself,” McIntosh said.
She did just that. Her time of 4 minutes, 27.11 seconds was the third fastest ever, not far off her world record of 4:25.87. She was also the defending world champion. American Katie Grimes took the silver in 4:31.41, with Jenna Forrester of Australia picking up the bronze in 4:32.30.
“It was definitely motivating,” McIntosh said of her first few days. “I try to turn everything that goes wrong into motivation somehow.”
Asked about Paris, she replied: “Right now I’m just thinking about a little break.”
McIntosh should be joined by other young stars in Paris like 21-year-old Frenchman Leon Marchand and Australia’s 22-year-old Kaylee McKeown. Marchand and McKeown each won three individual golds.
The Americans also closed fast.
After winning only four gold medals during the first seven days, they picked up three on the eighth and final day for a total of seven golds and 38 overall. The gold total is still their lowest in a worlds going back for around 20 years. They won only eight in the 2015 worlds.
Australia finished with 13 gold and 20 overall, and China had five gold and 16 overall.
“This is the cherry on top,” said American Regan Smith, part of the winning 4×100 women’s medley relay. “I love racing with these girls and I love relays so much and brining home a gold in the last event for Team USA means so much to me and all of us.”
The Americans finished in 3:52.08, followed by Australia (3:53.37) and Canada (3:54.12).
The United States also won the men’s 4×100 medley in 3:27.20, ahead of China (3:29.00) and Australia (3:29.62), and added another gold with Hunter Armstrong in the 50-meter backstroke (24.05).
Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden made history with her victory in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. The gold gave Sjostrom 21 medals in individual races in the world championships, surpassing Michael Phelps who had 20.
Sjostrom, who set the world record in the semifinals on Saturday, powered home in the final 25 meters for the win, clocking 23.62. Shayna Jack of Australia picked up the silver in 24.10, while Zhang Yufei of China earned the bronze in 24.15.
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania set a world record on the way to winning gold in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke in 29.16. She equaled the old world mark of 29.30 the night before in the semifinals.
Meilutyte grabbed the early lead and was never challenged. American Lilly King claimed the silver in 29.94, while Benedetta Pilato of Italy picked up the bronze in 30.04. She shared the old record of 29.30 with Meilutyte.
Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia added the men’s 1,500-meter free gold to the 800 free he won earlier in the worlds, prevailing in an epic battle with American Bobby Finke that went down to the wire.
The 20-year-old Hafnaoui, the defending 400 free Olympic champion, captured the gold in 14:31.54, with Finke clocking 14:31.59 for silver. Sam Short of Australia rounded out the podium with the bronze in 14:37.28.
The mark was just off the world record by Sun Yang of China, 14:31.02, set in 2012. Sun has been suspended for a doping violation.
“Bobby (Finke) is so fast at the end of the race. he pushed us to do the 14.31,” Hafnaoui said. “It was so close to the world record. I mean I enjoyed the race and thanks Bobby for pushing me.”
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-canadian-summer-mcintosh-16-gets-second-gold-medal-at-swimming-worlds-in-japan/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:03 | 1 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-canadian-summer-mcintosh-16-gets-second-gold-medal-at-swimming-worlds-in-japan/ |
The nights before games were always the toughest times for Darrelle Revis.
Over and over until he’d fall asleep.
He’d wake up mentally prepared — and that brief anxiety would be replaced by supreme confidence.
“Restless nights, I’d say to start with,” Revis said. “Covering some of the greatest wide receivers in the game and future Hall of Famers at that time, I was probably the most nervous out of anybody on the field if I had that assignment.
“For me, it’s kind of looking at yourself in the mirror and saying to yourself, ‘It’s either me or him. I just have to stand up to the challenge.’ For me, I just took on the responsibility to take that assignment and try to shut him down.”
Revis did exactly that for most of his brilliant 11-year NFL career, including eight seasons over two stints with the New York Jets.
So much so, he earned the popular “Revis Island” nickname, a fitting tribute to how he’d single-handedly make many receivers disappear — lost on an island — from opponents’ game plans.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime type corner,” former Jets coach Rex Ryan once said. “And that’s a fact.”
Tough to argue, and voters for the Pro Football Hall of Fame made Revis a first-ballot inductee following a career during which he routinely locked down one side of the field with his air-tight coverage.
He also gave plenty of opposing offensive coordinators plenty of restless nights of their own.
“I just felt I had the ability and skill set and the coaching staff who believed in me that I had the ability to shut them down,” Revis said.
That was perhaps most evident during the 2009 season, when Revis had arguably the greatest year at his position.
Ever.
Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne and Roddy White were all non-factors against the Jets that season — because they couldn’t shake Revis.
“I shouldn’t have even suited up,” Wayne said after having just a 1-yard catch in Indianapolis’ playoff loss to New York that season.
Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award that year, but Ryan insisted Revis should’ve been the choice after having “the best year a corner has ever had.”
Revis had six interceptions and set an NFL record that still stands with 31 passes defensed that season. He never really came close to matching those marks in any season the rest of his career — because teams simply stopped throwing his way.
That was the ultimate sign of respect.
“It was a very comforting thing as a player that we’d have a guy that can take away the greatest weapon of the other team’s offensive players,” former Jets center and long-time teammate Nick Mangold said. “So it was very much like a security blanket, like, we’ve got him, so we’re good.”
Revis was drafted by the Jets out of the University of Pittsburgh with the 14th overall pick in 2007 when they traded up 11 spots to add a player they believed could change their defense. And he certainly delivered, making an instant impact under coach Eric Mangini before thriving as the heart of Ryan’s defense.
“One of the highlights for me is just being drafted,” Revis said. “Just fulfilling that dream. Just the hills I had to run at an incline, the abs, the pushups, the overtime, just put into everything to try to even dare myself to be one of the best or one of the greatest or amount to be somewhat of the next Deion Sanders, in a way.”
The comparisons quickly became a regular thing for Revis, whose abilities were often measured up against the likes of Sanders, Woodson, Rod Woodson, Ty Law, Champ Bailey and Mel Blount.
Until the debates began about whether Revis was actually the best cornerback ever.
That’s subjective, of course, with some pointing out Revis’ relatively short period of greatness. A knee injury wiped out his 2012 season and a contract dispute — he had a few of those, helping set the market for cornerbacks — ended with him being traded to Tampa Bay the following offseason.
Revis won a Super Bowl the next year with New England, irking Jets fans, but he returned to New York in 2015 and played two more seasons for his original team. After a short stint with Kansas City in 2017, Revis retired. He was inducted into the Jets' ring of honor last year.
His playing legacy came with his performance in games, but he built a reputation for striving to be great with his intense approach during practice. Revis would get on teammates who weren’t giving their all, and his goal was to not give up a catch to anyone.
And if he did, Revis would be ticked off. About catches that didn’t even count — to everyone other than Revis.
“Every practice, to him, was a game,” Mangold said. “So he was going out there and no one was going to catch a ball on him. It was the result of his competitive nature. He was always working to win.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/31/darrelle-revis-jets-hall-of-fame/31649194-2f89-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:46:07 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/31/darrelle-revis-jets-hall-of-fame/31649194-2f89-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
NEWARK, N.J. and NANJING, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Biosion USA, Inc. (Biosion), a global clinical-stage R&D biotechnology company, today announced the phase 2 study initiation for the evaluation of BSI-045B, an anti-TLSP mAb, in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) .
"We are pleased to have initiated this important Phase 2 trial, which brings us closer to delivering a new treatment option for patients with atopic dermatitis," said Hugh M. Davis, Ph.D. Chief Business and Development Officer & President, Biosion USA. "This marks another important clinical milestone for Biosion in our effort to develop more high value treatment options for patients."
The phase I study of BSI-045B demonstrated its potential to be a first-in-class treatment for AD due to its single dose activity in a cohort of AD patients, excellent PK and favorable safety profile. The phase II study is designed to assess the efficacy of BSI-045B as monotherapy as well as in combination therapy with Dupixent® to further increase therapeutic effectiveness for patients who are suffering from AD.
For additional information on this trial (NCT05114889), please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov
About BSI-045B
BSI-045B is a high-affinity, humanized monoclonal antibody, targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a cytokine that is implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, asthma and other eosinophilic and Th2 immune-related diseases. Biosion's collaboration partner - CTTQ, a China-based pharmaceutical company with rights to BSI-045B (TQC2731) for China development and commercialization, is currently conducting a Phase II clinical trial of BSI-045B in China for the treatment of severe uncontrolled asthma.
About Biosion
Biosion is a global, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing antibody-based therapies to improve patient outcomes for the treatment of immune and oncologic diseases. Established in 2017, Biosion has built a pipeline of innovative biologics through its internally derived proprietary technologies including the H³ antibody discovery platform, SynTracer® high-throughput endocytosis platform, and Flexibody® bispecific platform. Biosion's lead asset, BSI-045B (anti-TSLP mAb), is currently in phase-II for severe asthma and phase-I for atopic dermatitis. Biosion and partners have plans to progress the immune-oncology and antibody drug conjugate-based portfolio into clinical trials for oncology indications over the next year. Biosion has operations in the US, Australia, and China.To learn more about Biosion, please go to www.biosion.com.
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SOURCE Biosion, Inc. | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/biosion-announces-phase-ii-study-start-anti-tslp-mab-bsi-045b-atopic-dermatitis-adamant/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:09 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/biosion-announces-phase-ii-study-start-anti-tslp-mab-bsi-045b-atopic-dermatitis-adamant/ |
STAMFORD, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Emeren Group Ltd ("Emeren" or the "Company") (www.emeren.com) (NYSE: SOL), a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator, recently announced the successful sale of an 11.5 MWp PV project to the Swiss-based energy company MET Group. The project was sold at the Ready-to-Build ("RTB") stage and MET Group will complete the construction and operate the power plant. This is the first project developed to RTB stage by Emeren Germany GmbH, the Berlin-based subsidiary of Emeren Group, since its entry into the market in early 2021. Capcora, a German consulting company, acted as the exclusive sell-side M&A advisor to Emeren.
The new PV power plant will be located in Kentzlin nestled in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the commercial operations are expected to start in the second half of 2024.
Yumin Liu, CEO of Emeren Group, commented, "This project is an important milestone for our business in Germany and represents our commitment to developing renewable energy infrastructure in the region. We look forward to continuing to work with our local partners to build a more sustainable future."
Bernd Wollwerth-Carl, Director of Emeren Germany GmbH, added, "We are delighted to have sold our first RTB project in Germany. Starting from scratch in 2021, we managed to grow quickly in a competitive German PV market, establishing partnerships and building a pipeline of medium and large-scale ground mounted PV plants. With MET, we found a reliable and competent partner and we look forward to further expanding our cooperation."
Christian Hürlimann, Renewables CEO of MET Group, commented, "The Kentzlin project fits well into MET's strategic vision to enter the highly competitive German renewables market, as well as to further expand its renewables portfolio across Europe and particularly in Western Europe. Emeren Group's expertise in renewable energy was instrumental in achieving this milestone, and we anticipate future collaboration on additional projects."
Henning Prigge, Director at Capcora, adds: "We are delighted to have played a pivotal role in Emeren's successful project sale to MET Group, a prominent integrated European energy company. Our long-standing partnership with Emeren has allowed us to witness their growth and success, and we couldn't be happier to have been a part of this milestone. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to providing top-notch support and solutions to our valued clients."
About Emeren Group Ltd
Emeren Group Ltd (NYSE: SOL) is a leading global solar project developer, owner, and operator with a pipeline of projects and IPP assets totaling over 3 GW, as well as a storage pipeline of over 6 GWh across Europe, North America, and Asia. The Company focuses on solar power project development, construction management and project financing services with local professional teams across multiple countries. For more information, go to www.emeren.com.
About MET Group
MET Group is an integrated European energy company, headquartered in Switzerland, with activities and assets in natural gas and power markets. MET is present in 14 countries through subsidiaries, 30 national gas markets, and 22 international trading hubs. MET has extensive experience in operating green (renewable) and flexible (conventional) energy assets, thus providing the widest possible support to energy transition. In 2022, MET Group's consolidated sales revenue amounted to EUR 41.5 billion, the total traded volume of natural gas was 109 BCM including futures, total traded electricity 67 TWh including futures.
About Capcora
Capcora is an independent financial advisory boutique specializing in M&A and project finance services to accelerate the energy transition in Europe. Founded in 2015, the Frankfurt-based company helps its clients succeed in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors by advising them on sell-side and buy-side transactions, and by raising mezzanine, unitranche or senior debt.
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Chris Buescher was already in good position to qualify for NASCAR’s playoffs.
Now, even something remarkable over the last four races of the regular season won’t keep him out.
Buescher pulled away on a restart with three laps to go to win at Richmond Raceway on Sunday and snag one of the final spots in NASCAR’s playoff field.
Buescher led 88 laps and was ahead by nearly 6 seconds when a caution came out with under 10 laps to go. That erased his lead over Virginia native Denny Hamlin, who was booed by his hometown crowd before the race.
But Hamlin got a poor final restart and Buescher easily pulled away for his first Cup Series win of the season, third of his career.
“I knew that last restart was going to be tough, but I knew we had the speed in this thing,” Buescher said.
He and RFK Racing teammate Brad Keselowski led a combined 190 of the 400 laps in their Fords. Keselowski, now a part owner of the team, led 102 laps on the 0.75-mile oval.
Buescher started 26th and had to drive through the field for the win that locked him into the 16-driver playoff field. Buescher became the 13th race winner this year and there are three playoff spots up for grabs over the next month.
It was the 139th Cup win for primary team owner Jack Roush, second since Keselowski joined the ownership group.
Ford now has 723 wins in NASCAR’s top Cup Series.
“Everybody at RFK Racing who has worked so hard to get us to this point,” said Buescher.
Hamlin, winner last week at Pocono, finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Busch was third in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, followed by the Fords of Joey Logano from Team Penske and Ryan Preece of Stewart-Haas Racing.
“One win is good, but you get three or four or five and then you feel a lot better,” Keselowski said. “It sure beats not having any at all, but we want to keep going. It’s nice to have one car locked in the playoffs. We need to get both cars locked in the playoffs. We have a good points gap, but we want wins and this is where we need to be.”
Keselowski, despite being winless this season, is still mathematically in contention for the playoffs.
The race was slowed just three times by caution flags, with the final yellow sending the leaders to pit road for four tires with eight laps to go. When the green flag was shown again, Buescher used the inside line to pull away for his third career victory.
Hamlin’s bid for the victory ended on the second lap of the final sprint when he drove in too deep in the first turn and slid up the track. He finished 0.549-seconds behind Buescher.
“I got a bad restart,” Hamlin said. “I had to recover too much ground from what I lost on the front stretch. Almost got to the outside, and then in turn four, almost got to the outside again, and then in turn one, I was like ‘I’m just going to ship it in there and try to get to the outside one more time’ and I just carried way too much speed and locked up the left front tires.”
LARSON-HAMLIN
Kyle Larson, angered last week when Hamlin caused him to hit the wall while leading while Hamlin went on to win, was running a few laps down when he nudged Hamlin out of the way with 70 laps to go during Sunday’s race.
Larson, who won at Richmond in April, finished 19th.
“I think he was having a frustrating day,” Hamlin said. “It’s all good.”
SCORCHER
With temperatures in the mid-80s, it was about 15 degrees cooler than Saturday, when the temperature approached 100 and the heat index was at least 105.
Nevertheless, points leader Martin Truex Jr. still struggled.
“It was definitely really, really hot,” he said. “It felt longer than 400 laps. I’ll be honest, when we got to the end of stage two —– I thought there was no way. I thought that was the checkered flag. It just felt really, really long.”
Truex finished seventh.
CLEAN RACE
All 36 cars that started the race were still running at the end.
UP NEXT
The series moves to Michigan where Kevin Harvick, winless so far in this his final season, is the defending champion.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-chris-buescher-wins-at-richmond-and-secures-spot-in-nascar-playoffs/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:10 | 0 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-chris-buescher-wins-at-richmond-and-secures-spot-in-nascar-playoffs/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc. ("GEHI" or the "Company") (NYSE: GEHI), a leading early childhood education service provider in China, today announced that it will hold an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (the "EGM") at 3/F, No. 28 Building, Fangguyuan Section 1, Fangzhuang Fengtai District, Beijing 100078, People's Republic of China, at 10:00 a.m. (Beijing time) on September 11, 2023, for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, approving the transactions contemplated in the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated April 18, 2023, by and among the Company, Bright Sunlight Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("Merger Sub"), Best Assistant Education Online Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company ("Best Assistant") and a controlled subsidiary of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKEX: 0777, "NetDragon"), a Cayman Islands exempted company, and solely for purposes of certain named sections thereof, NetDragon. It is contemplated that Best Assistant will transfer the education business of NetDragon outside of the PRC to Elmtree Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company limited by shares ("eLMTree") and currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Assistant. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into eLMTree with eLMTree continuing as the surviving company and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Merger").
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each ordinary share of eLMTree issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (excluding the Dissenting Shares and the Excluded Shares, each as defined in the Merger Agreement) will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive a number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable ordinary shares of the Company in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933.
Shareholders of the Company will also be asked to consider and vote on certain additional Merger-related proposals at the EGM, including, among others:
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the fifth amended and restated memorandum and article of association of the Company be amended and restated by their deletion in their entirety and the substitution of in their place of the sixth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company (the "A&R MAA") effective immediately prior to the Effective Time of the Merger;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, the name of the Company be changed from "Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc." to "Mynd.ai, Inc." effective immediately prior to the Effective Time;
- that, subject to and conditional upon the Merger becoming effective, immediately prior to the Effective Time, the authorized share capital of the Company be varied as follows: (a) the authorized share capital of the Company shall be varied to US$1,000,000 divided into 1,000,000,000 shares comprising of (i) 990,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each (each a "ListCo Ordinary Share") and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of a par value of US$0.001 each of such class or classes (however designated) as the board of directors may determine in accordance with the A&R MAA, and (b) all Class A ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares") and all Class B ordinary shares of the Company prior to the adoption of the A&R MAA, par value US$0.001 per share ("ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares") in the authorized share capital of the Company (including all issued and outstanding ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares, and all authorized but unissued ListCo Class A Ordinary Shares and ListCo Class B Ordinary Shares) shall be re-designated as ListCo Ordinary Shares.
Holders of the Company's ordinary shares whose names are on the register of members of the Company at the close of business in the Cayman Islands on August 7, 2023, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the EGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Holders of the Company's American depositary shares ("ADSs") at the close of business in New York City on August 7, 2023, are entitled to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares and must act through Citibank, N.A., the depositary of the Company's ADS program.
The notice of the EGM, which contains the detailed proposals to be presented at the EGM, and the proxy statement related to the EGM, are being filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and can be obtained without charge from the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). These documents are also available in the "Financial Information" section of the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/. In addition, the proxy materials (including the proxy statement) will be mailed to the Company's shareholders and holders of ADSs.
SHAREHOLDERS AND ADS HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THE PROXY MATERIALS AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY CONTAIN VOTING INSTRUCTIONS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, ELMTREE, THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS.
This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the transactions described above and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of eLMTree or the Company, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the pending transactions described herein, and the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Merger, including the equity values, the benefits of the Merger, expected revenue opportunities, anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates for growth, the expected management and governance of the combined company, and the expected timing of the transactions. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements.
Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) risks related to the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the Merger, including the risk that the transaction may not close due to one or more closing conditions to the transaction not being satisfied or waived, such as regulatory approvals not being obtained, on a timely basis or otherwise, or that a governmental entity prohibited, delayed or refused to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction or required certain conditions, limitations or restrictions in connection with such approvals; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the applicable transaction agreements; (iii) the risk that there may be a material adverse change with respect to the financial position, performance, operations or prospects of the Company or eLMTree; (iv) risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the Merger; (v) the risk that any announcements relating to the Merger could have adverse effects on the market price of the Company's securities; (vi) the risk that the Merger and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of eLMTree to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with their suppliers and customers and on their operating results and businesses generally; (vii) any changes in the business or operating prospects of eLMTree or its businesses; (viii) changes in applicable laws and regulations; and (ix) risks relating to the combined company's ability to enhance its services and products, execute its business strategy, expand its customer base and maintain stable relationship with its business partners.
A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the proxy statement that will be filed with the SEC by the Company in connection with the Merger, and other documents that the parties may file with or furnish to the SEC, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and eLMTree, the Company and their subsidiaries and affiliates undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
The Company will file with the SEC and mail to its shareholders and ADS holders a proxy statement in connection with the Merger. Investors and security holders are urged to read the proxy statement when it becomes available because it will contain voting instructions and important information regarding the proposed arrangement. You may access the proxy statement (when available) and other related documents filed by the Company with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You also may obtain the proxy statement and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC relating to the proposed arrangement for free by accessing the Company's website at https://ir.geh.com.cn/ by clicking on the link for "Financial Information," and then clicking on the link for "SEC Filings."
CONTACT: Gravitas Education Holdings, Inc., Investor Relations, E-mail: ir@geh.com.cn
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SOURCE Gravitas Education Holdings Inc. | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:12 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gehi-hold-extraordinary-general-meeting-shareholders-september-11-2023/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jason Brownlee’s phone provides a constant reminder of how far he has come in his football journey.
“I’m definitely going to get it framed,” a smiling Brownlee said after practice Sunday.
The undrafted free agent from Southern Miss has been among the early standouts in training camp, regularly making plays and impressing his new quarterback and coaches.
He might appear buried on the depth chart behind the likes of Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Corey Davis, Mecole Hardman and Randall Cobb. But being an underdog doesn’t faze Brownlee. It never has.
“I’ve been through this type of situation before where I had to start all over and build from the ground up,” Brownlee said in an interview with The Associated Press. “So I know what it’s going to take — hard work and dedication — so I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.
“And real soon, you’re going to see something real special.”
Brownlee is already showing signs of that.
With Wilson and Lazard dealing with recent injuries and Davis out with an illness, Brownlee saw increased snaps with the starting offense. Last Thursday, Rodgers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brownlee in 11-on-11 team drills, a play during which the young receiver got past cornerback Sauce Gardner, last season’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Later, Brownlee had another TD catch, this time on a toss from Chris Streveler between two defenders.
“Really like where he’s going,” coach Robert Saleh said. “He still has a lot to prove, but he’s trending in that right direction.”
Not bad for a kid who didn’t play football until he was in middle school, when he started focusing on sports “because I used to get in trouble a lot growing up.”
The football field provided a safe haven for Brownlee, who played in junior high as a 5-foot-8 cornerback.
“I kept asking my mom, ‘When am I gonna get my growth spurt?’” Brownlee said with a laugh. “It didn’t happen until like 10th or 11th grade.”
That’s when Brownlee grew to almost his current 6-3 height at West Point High School in West Point, Mississippi.
“I shot up and got real tall, but I was skinny, though,” said Brownlee, who’s now listed at 198 pounds. “So I started playing receiver and told my coach, ‘Put me at receiver,’ because I liked scoring touchdowns.
“Ain’t nothing like scoring a touchdown. I love it.”
He was good at it, too. Brownlee scored 11 as a senior while helping lead West Point to back-to-back state titles.
But even with that success, he drew little interest from big-time Division I football programs. So he went to East Mississippi Community College, where he led junior college players with 75 catches for 1,055 yards and 12 TDs in his second season.
Southern Miss came calling and Brownlee quickly made his mark there, too. He led the Golden Eagles in catches, yards and TD receptions in his first two seasons, and then schools such as Ole Miss and Mississippi State asked him to transfer.
But Brownlee declined.
“I was like, no, I’m sticking with the school that stood beside me,” Brownlee said. “So I just kept putting on for my school and showed them loyalty. And everything wasn’t easy there, either, because I played with like 20 different quarterbacks over my college career so I had to make the most of every opportunity.”
Despite a big final season at Southern Miss during which he had 55 catches for 891 yards and eight TDs, Brownlee went undrafted in April.
“I told my mom, ‘Don’t hold your head down, I got it,’” Brownlee recalled. “I told her, ‘I’m going to go prove everybody wrong.’”
Then he got a call from the Jets, who had recently traded for Rodgers. Saleh said Brownlee was in the Jets’ discussions throughout the final day of the draft.
“Knowing that Aaron Rodgers was going to be my quarterback? I was like, ‘There ain’t no way I’m not going to the Jets to play with a Hall of Fame quarterback,” Brownlee said.
Then came that moment during practice in June, when Rodgers sidled over to Brownlee and broke down the route he had just run — a curl during which he turned back a little too quick.
“Just be under control, really, that’s what he was telling me and don’t come in there real fast,” Brownlee said. “If I’m coming in fast and he’s throwing it fast and I’m running fast, it isn’t going to be good. It might go straight through my hands.”
That hasn’t happened much during his first NFL training camp.
Brownlee is soaking up everything Rodgers — who singled him out in June for having an impressive spring — and his coaches tell him. And he’s determined to make his mark in what he calls “the perfect offense” for him.
“It’s just a great opportunity, man,” Brownlee said. “I’m still trying to get my head around everything and soak it all in. But I’ve been having the best time of my life since I’ve been here.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/31/new-york-jets-jason-brownlee-southern-miss/c65c14fe-2f87-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:46:13 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/31/new-york-jets-jason-brownlee-southern-miss/c65c14fe-2f87-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
Recruiting Season Is in Full Swing for Professional Football Players to Join Virtual Fan Engagement Channel
NAPLES, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Notable Live is announcing that it has added three more Pro Football Hall of Fame players to the Notable Live line-up for the upcoming season. In addition to existing players Emmitt Smith and Ray Lewis, Notable Live is excited to add Cris Carter, Champ Bailey and Ed Reed to the Notable Live team. This comes as a fast follow to Notable Live's recent multi-year commercial agreement with eBay and its Series A financing round led by eBay Ventures.
Notable Live is a tech-enabled virtual engagement platform that connects fans to teams, leagues and players in a way they have always dreamed about through an immersive experience. Notable Live, co-founded in 2018 by Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and entrepreneurial veteran Mike Antonucci, helps players monetize their image and personal brands not just on game day, but every day.
Through one set of login credentials, the Notable Live platform unlocks an expansive catalog of one-to-many engagement experiences, including live events and on-demand content. On the platform's commerce-enabled exchange, players, teams and leagues can activate live auction or marketplace functions to sell physical memorabilia, digital content, in-person experiences or other unique offerings. All items offered on the Notable Live platform and its associated channels can be authentically bought and sold across the growing and loyal community of Notable Live fans.
"The multi-billion annual sports memorabilia market is rapidly evolving to include new digital experiences, and Notable Live continues to grow its comprehensive platform for both the college and professional sports markets. We are pleased to announce the continued expansion of our roster of NFL athletes on our platform," said Mike Antonucci, co-founder and CEO of Notable Live.
"The fans bring their passion for the game and for their favorite players, ensuring the memorabilia space remains more about the fans than about the athletes," added Emmitt Smith, co-founder of Notable Live. "We are excited to continue expanding our platform with fellow Hall of Famers and other athletes."
About Notable Live
Notable Live was co-founded in 2018 by avid sports fan Mike Antonucci and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to create a unique platform providing sports fans with unparalleled access to their favorite notables via virtual interactive events. Notable Live, a mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play, grants fans real access to notables by putting them "in the room" together for memorable virtual experiences. Connect with Notable Live at www.notable.live or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Threads for iOS and Threads for Google Play.
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SOURCE Notable Live | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:16 | 1 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/notable-live-adds-three-gold-jackets/ |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Dalvin Cook got an up-close view of Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets while watching practice from the sideline Sunday.
The free agent running back has to see if he’ll spend the rest of training camp in their backfield — or elsewhere.
Cook spent Sunday meeting with the Jets as he ponders the next stop of his playing career. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was released by the Vikings on June 8 for salary cap savings, according to a person familiar with Minnesota’s decision.
The Jets are the first team Cook has officially visited as a free agent, with his hometown Miami Dolphins also among possible suitors. New York also must consider whether to make him an offer before he leaves the team’s practice facility.
Cook, who turns 28 on Aug. 10, was greeted by chants of “Dal-vin Cooook! Sign that contract!” from fans in the stands as he walked onto the field. He later responded to the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a green heart emoji.
Several Jets players, including Rodgers, greeted Cook and he spent a few moments chatting with owner Woody Johnson.
“He’s a good young man, a very good young man,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We didn’t interact too much. There’s a lot of stuff going on, especially when it’s open to the public. But it was good to say hello.”
Cook has talked up the Jets in TV interviews in recent days, telling NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Friday they “are right at the top of the list” and the odds of him signing with them were “pretty high.”
“It’s a unique situation because I think they’re building something special over there,” Cook told “Good Morning Football” during the interview. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.
“That’s what I’m looking to do.”
He reiterated those comments Saturday during an interview with ESPN, saying he thinks “the coaching staff, I think everything about what they got going on, just says winning.”
But Cook, a former Florida State star, also said in the interview he was interested in the Dolphins and it would be “a Cinderella story” to play for his hometown team.
He was the guest of the Jets on Sunday, though. And now they have to wait to see if they offer Cook a deal and he accepts — or explores his options.
Both sides have expressed interest, and the Jets wanted Cook to take a physical to be sure his surgically repaired shoulder is healthy.
“That’s pretty much it,” Saleh said. “Call it a meet and greet.”
Cook, who has run for at least 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, was scheduled to count more than $14.1 million against the Vikings’ salary cap before he was released. He’s third on Minnesota’s career rushing list with 5,993 yards in six seasons.
With the Jets, Cook could give New York some insurance in the backfield with Breece Hall working his way back from a knee injury that cut short a promising rookie season. New York also has Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Damarea Crockett, fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda and undrafted free agent Travis Dye at the position.
NOTES: Saleh said WR Garrett Wilson has a lower right ankle injury and the Jets are being cautious by holding him out of practice. Wilson appeared to have a slight limp and his right ankle was wrapped. … WR Corey Davis remains out with an illness, but Saleh said he could return to practice Monday. … WR Randall Cobb was activated from the physically unable to perform list and participated in practice. … Saleh said the starters aren’t expected to play Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game against Cleveland in Canton, Ohio. Among those players who will play include QB Zach Wilson and OT Mekhi Becton.
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AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Rob Maaddi contributed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-dalvin-cook-visits-with-the-jets-and-watches-practice-as-he-considers-his-options/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:17 | 0 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-dalvin-cook-visits-with-the-jets-and-watches-practice-as-he-considers-his-options/ |
Melbourne, Australia — Australia striker Sam Kerr was benched again but Canada captain Christine Sinclair returned to the starting lineup for a pivotal Women’s World Cup group-stage finale Monday between the co-hosts and the Olympic champions.
While Kerr was included on the bench and had indicated she’d be available for the match against Canada, Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson suggested the decision to play Kerr would always “come down to the wire.”
Despite missing their captain, the Matildas won their first match against Ireland 1-0 in Sydney. A 3-2 upset loss to Nigeria in Brisbane meant Australia’s match against Canada was a virtual must-win situation for the hosts.
Sinclair, international soccer’s all-time leading scorer, returned to the starting 11 after only playing half of Canada’s 2-1 win over Ireland. Canada head coach Bev Priestman confirmed at Sunday’s pre-match news conference that Sinclair would be available for the match.
Sinclair started in Canada’s group opener, a 0-0 draw against Nigeria, then went on as a substitute at halftime in Canada’s win over Ireland.
After having a penalty saved against Nigeria, Sinclair is still aiming to become the first player to score in six World Cups.
Australia’s Mary Fowler, who scored the Matildas’ winning goal against Ireland, has returned to the starting lineup after a mild concussion sustained at practice forced her out of the match against Nigeria.
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Emily Dozier and Cassidy Hettesheimer are students at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/31/womens-world-cup-canada-australia-kerr-sinclair/7a6eb82c-2f86-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:46:19 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/31/womens-world-cup-canada-australia-kerr-sinclair/7a6eb82c-2f86-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Frank Clark has reunited with Russell Wilson in Denver and now the outside linebacker has former teammate Patrick Mahomes in his sights instead.
The 30-year-old outside linebacker signed with Denver after being jettisoned by the Kansas City Chiefs in a cost-cutting move this offseason and the Broncos are counting on him to add some oomph to their pass rush.
Still in the AFC West, Clark gets two opportunities at beating his former team this season, something the Broncos haven’t done since 2015. Their 15-game skid against the Chiefs is the fourth longest by one team to a single opponent in NFL history.
Unlike his reunion with Wilson, revenge and rivalry aren’t top of mind for Clark as he embraces his fresh start in the Rocky Mountains.
“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry. A rivalry is competitive,” Clark interjected in his first public comments since signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Denver last month. “I’m (with) the Broncos now. I’ve been on the other side. We didn’t call it a rivalry then.”
And before anyone around Denver can call it that the Broncos will have to beat Mahomes, something they have a better shot at doing with Clark on their side.
The Chiefs parted ways with Clark just a year after signing him to a two-year, $30 million extension. The Broncos haven’t had a fearsome pass rush since trading Von Miller two years ago. And with Baron Browning sidelined by a knee injury and Randy Gregory coming off an injury-filled debut season in Denver, first-year head coach Sean Payton eagerly welcomed the veteran with 58 1/2 sacks.
Clark had 23 1/2 sacks in four seasons in Kansas City and another 10 1/2 in the playoffs, helping the Chiefs go 10-2 in the postseason and make three trips to the Super Bowl.
“What we did in Kansas City was special,” Clark said. “Four-year run, two Super Bowl (rings), three AFC titles. It was fun, but at the end of the day all good things come to an end.”
Bad things, too, he hopes. Such as Denver’s 15-game skid to the Chiefs.
One thing Clark insists isn’t nearing the finish line in his proclivity for getting after the passer even though his five sacks in 2022 and two-game suspension for gun possession incidents a year earlier meant an end to his three-year run as a Pro Bowler.
“I wouldn’t say it was the end” in Kansas City last season, Clark said. “It’s never the end when you get the job finished.”
Now he aims to help the Broncos and Wilson bounce back in 2023.
“He’s still dangerous. Don’t get it twisted,” Clark said of Wilson, whom he played with in Seattle from 2015-18. “Russ is a veteran. He’s a guy that’s won on multiple levels. … I was a part of Seahawks teams that were successful; I was a part of teams where we didn’t make the playoffs. But it was the same Russ.
“So don’t think a bad season’s going to shake a guy like Russ,” Clark added. “Naw, bro, we start fresh every year. Every summer’s a fresh start.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ex-chiefs-linebacker-frank-clark-reunites-with-russell-wilson-in-denver/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:25 | 1 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-ex-chiefs-linebacker-frank-clark-reunites-with-russell-wilson-in-denver/ |
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Japan scored three times from lightning breaks in the first half, once in the second and defended resolutely to trounce Spain 4-0 on Monday and top Group C at the Women's World Cup.
Mina Tanaka came off the bench to score the last in the 82nd minute as Japan, with only 22% of possession, turned on a counter-attacking master class in front of 21,000 fans.
“While the other side had the ball, in that duel and once we recovered the ball we tried to have maximum speed,” Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said. “I think we were quite effective.”
Both teams had already clinched places in the round of 16, Japan for the fourth World Cup in succession and Spain for the second. Both had beaten Zambia 5-0 and Spain had the better goal differential after both teams beat Costa Rica. A draw would have been enough to see Spain finish atop a group for the first time in its history.
But Spain has struggled against Asian teams in World Cup matches, losing to South Korea in 2015 and drawing with China in 2019. The loss Monday was its first against Japan and its heaviest in 11 years.
Japan now will play Group A runner-up Norway on Saturday in the round of 16 and Spain will play Group A winner Switzerland.
Spain coach Jorge Vilda admitted his team’s failings were not only in defense but also on attack — it had to wait almost to the end of the first half for its first corner.
“We have not seen the best of the Spain team and I’m sure against Switzerland we will react positively,” he said. “The team is together and in a few days we have to play a round of 16 game.”
Japan played with a strong and cold wind at its back in the first half and that added carry to long balls forward which helped catch the Spain defense in retreat.
Spain had an overwhelming majority of possession in the half; by the 25-minute mark it had enjoyed 68% and had more than 230 completed passes to Japan’s 43. But it was timid, reluctant to go forward and played mostly around the middle of the field, keeping the ball on the ground in the face of the wind .
Japan was content to defend in depth and to counter-attack. It sprang the trap for the first time in the 12th. From just inside the Spain half and wide on the left Jun Endo sent a long, curling ball forward which fell for Miyakawa, who neatly slipped her shot past Misa Rodriguez.
In the 23rd Moeka Minami cleared from the edge of the Japan area. Ueki nodded the ball back for Nagano to send Miyazawa away on the right. She passed across the goal to Ueki, who took the ball on her left foot, propped to her right and unleashed a shot which deflected off Irene Paredes and ballooned over Rodriguez.
Ueki celebrated the goal a day after her 24th birthday.
In the 40th it was Ueki’s turn to deliver for Miyazawa. She broke incisively on the left, passed across to the right as the Spain defense, backpedaling, tried to regroup and Miyazawa finished clinically with her left foot.
Each goal fell into the same pattern and each was executed with the same precision. Spain had few chances before halftime, perhaps its best was Jennifer Hermoso’s header from Ona Batlle’s cross.
Tanaka’s goal was a magnificent solo effort. She beat Rocio Galvez near halfway, eluded Batlle and Paredes and then drove the ball powerfully into the top left corner. Japan’s four goals came from only five attempts.
Among the fans at Sky Stadium were some from Palmerston North, the provincial town 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Wellington which was Spain’s base until they quit it suddenly last week.
Japan was a surprise winner of the World Cup in 2011 and was runner-up to the United States in 2015. With 11 goals from three group matches this time, they again loom as a title contender.
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More AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/31/womens-world-cup-japan-spain-match-summary/99c69bcc-2f81-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:46:25 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/31/womens-world-cup-japan-spain-match-summary/99c69bcc-2f81-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
HAMILTON, New Zealand — Lushomo Mweemba scored the fastest goal at this year’s Women’s World Cup, and Barbra Banda added the 1,000th goal in tournament history, as tournament newcomer Zambia earned its first ever win with a 3-1 victory Costa Rica on Monday.
The Copper Queens’ opening goal, the first in their history, came after just 2 minutes and 11 seconds off Avell Chitundu’s corner kick. Mweemba lofted a volley into the roof of the net over goalkeeper Daniela Solera.
Banda scored the milestone goal in the 31st minute on a penalty kick. The referee gave the penalty after the 23-year-old striker appeared to be taken down in the box by Katherine Alvarado.
The referee handed out five yellow cards and called a total of 30 fouls in the fast-paced match.
In the 47th minute, Melissa Herrera knocked a cross over the line with her chest for Costa Rica’s lone goal. Costa Rica later saw both a potential penalty and a goal taken away by offsides calls.
More than 8,000 spectators were at Waikato Stadium, which holds 18,009.
KEY MOMENTS
Zambia wasted no time against Costa Rica, scoring its first-ever tournament goal just 131 seconds into the match. Mweemba’s one-timer changed the momentum of the match as the Copper Queens controlled much of the first half and got their second goal on Banda’s penalty.
Rachael Kundananji sealed the victory three minutes into injury time. Banda’s through ball set up the forward, who scored easily.
WHY IT MATTERS
Zambia returns home having won a match in its first appearance at the Women’s World Cup. It ended the tournament in third place of Group C with three points.
Las Ticas are still in search of their first World Cup win after failing to get a victory both this year and in 2015, their only other appearance.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“I was confident, but at the same time I was nervous, but I just had to have courage because I was carrying thousands of people back home so it was an honor for me,” Banda said about her penalty kick.
“We knew yesterday it was going to be an open match, a hard match, and those who made fewer mistakes won the match,” Costa Rica coach Amelia Valverde said.
WHAT’S NEXT
Zambia’s next match is scheduled for Oct. 23 against Mali in the second round of Olympic qualifiers.
Costa Rica bounces out of its second Women’s World Cup in fourth place in the group.
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Luke Vargas is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/31/womens-world-cup-zambia-costa-rica/6ae6e1fc-2f83-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html | 2023-07-31T10:46:31 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/07/31/womens-world-cup-zambia-costa-rica/6ae6e1fc-2f83-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by critical comments Payton, the Denver Broncos’ head coach, recently made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton told USA Today for a story published Thursday that Hackett’s 15-game stint with the Broncos last season ”was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.″
Payton also said there were “20 dirty hands” around Russell Wilson’s career-worst season, and took some shots at the Jets — Hackett’s new team where he and Rodgers are reunited after enjoying success together in Green Bay.
“It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers told NFL Network on Sunday. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Green Bay, said Hackett is “arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL.” The pair was together for two of Rodgers’ four NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
During the interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, Payton also criticized the Jets being the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason” — something he said the Broncos under Hackett tried to do and were “embarrassed.”
Jets coach Robert Saleh said Thursday “Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job here” when asked about Payton’s comments. He also said the Jets are just focused on themselves, but recognizes “there’s a lot of people that are hatin’ on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail.”
Payton on Friday said he regretted his comments in which he disparaged Hackett, and said he would reach out to Hackett and Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a year’s sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Rodgers told NFL Network he thought Payton’s initial comments “were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach.”
Meanwhile, the back-and-forth made the Jets’ matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his comments “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Englewood, Colorado, contributed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:31 | 0 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-jets-aaron-rodgers-defends-nathaniel-hackett-and-fires-back-at-the-broncos-sean-payton/ |
For some people, reading is a solitary pursuit. For others, it’s a social extravaganza.
Social isolation during the pandemic pushed many of us to look for community online, a pattern that repeats in accounts from children, the elderly and everyone in between. Book clubs — unlike live shows or pickleball — lend themselves especially well to digital gatherings, participants say. And with bookish communities popping everywhere from TikTok to Craigslist, joining one from your home is easier than ever.
After a 75-year-old Help Desk reader wrote in asking for help finding a book club that fits his literary interests, I went on the hunt. Here are the best tech-enabled destinations I found to hang out with other book lovers. Want help finding an online or in-person community of your own? Shoot me an email at tatum.hunter@washpost.com.
A book club app
After downloading Fable, use the main tab to browse online clubs by category, like “free books,” “science fiction and fantasy” or “romantic and spicy.” Use the “sort” and “genres” buttons at the top to refine your results. If you’re already reading something, scroll to the bottom and choose “browse by book” to check if any clubs have it on the docket.
Once you choose a club, tap the “join” button. The group’s page will show what it’s currently reading. (Don’t forget about library apps such as Libby and Hoopla, which offer free e-books and audiobooks for rent.) Below that, you’ll see two tabs, “discussion” and “schedule.” Under “discussion,” you can introduce yourself in the club lobby, participate in (spoiler-free) chapter discussions or rate and review the latest group read.
On the Bookclubs app, hit the “join a book club” button, then “browse book clubs.” If you want an in-person group, search by your location. Otherwise, skim those helpful filter buttons. For example, I tapped on “genre-focused,” then “science fiction” to see groups that share my interest in robots and aliens.
Once you find a group you’re into, tap the “join” button. Then select “explore” to see what the club is currently reading, its upcoming meetings and latest messages. You can post your own message with observations or analysis about a book, as well as direct message other group members.
Keep in mind you can start your own club on either app if you’ve got a group of reading buddies or an idea that inspires you.
Meetup
Meetup is an app for organizing get-togethers, both in person and online. Depending on the size of your city, you can find everything from professional networking to live-action role-playing.
To find a book club, create an account and use the top search bar to punch in “book club.” Then use the filter button (three horizontal lines at the top left) to narrow your search by when and where the club meets. If you’re looking for a group that gathers online, for instance, scroll down to “venue type” and select “online.”
Any app that lists community gatherings is likely to have book clubs among its offerings.
Reddit
There are many book clubs on Reddit — some are even location-based and meet in person. If you’re not sure where to begin, check out the flagship r/bookclub. Each month’s lineup of books is listed in the right-hand sidebar. Choose one or two, then check out this calendar, which shows which books the community will discuss on which days.
On the days your book is scheduled, go to the subreddit’s homepage, click on the “posts” tab at the top, then select “new” to see the latest posts. The discussion thread will stay up, so you can always go back and catch up if you miss it in real time.
Not sure how to “discuss” a book or what to say first? No worries, said Charlie, a moderator on the forum who goes by the handle fixtheblue and asked to withhold her last name for safety. No comment is too simple or too deep, she said, and you’re always free to share what you thought about while you read, which character was your favorite or what the story reminded you of.
“Don’t be afraid to speak up if you come visit us, because no one’s going to shame you or judge you,” Charlie said. “We don’t care who you are or where you come from. We just want to talk about books.”
The community also has a Discord chatroom, if you prefer instant messaging.
TikTok
Social media has long been a destination for book communities, but “BookTok” — where TikTok creators and their audiences laugh, cry and debate about books — has grabbed attention for its enthusiasm.
Like the rest of TikTok, BookTok often trades in memes and challenges. You might not want to film yourself sobbing over Colleen Hoover’s novel “It Ends With Us” or commit to finishing Samuel Richardson’s 1,500-page “Clarissa.” But thanks to the diversity of BookTok creators and their literary interests, you’re almost guaranteed to find creators and comment sections that suck you in.
If you’re new to the app, start with the search bar in the top right corner of the For You Page (where you watch videos). Search for a particular book, or punch in “booktok,” plus a genre or audience. For instance, a search for “queer booktok” brought me to the creator @zoes_reads and her roundups of favorite books with queer authors and characters.
Follow a creator and you’ll start seeing more of their videos in your For You Page, as well as content from similar accounts.
Goodreads
Goodreads, an app owned by Amazon, is one of the most popular spots for readers to leave book reviews. You can also reply to other people’s reviews and log your past, current and future reads. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post. Interim chief executive Patty Stonesifer sits on Amazon’s board.)
To find a book club on Goodreads, download the app from the Apple or Google app store. Once you’re set up, tap the “more” icon in the bottom menu. Choose “groups,” then open the search bar at the top right. You can search by your desired genre or audience, or just start with the term “book club.”
Join a group by tapping “join” in the top right corner, and find book discussion threads under the “discussions” section.
Goodreads makes it easy to keep track of your reading itinerary but outdated software and insufficient attention from Amazon can make the app buggy and difficult to use.
Furthermore, Goodreads has earned a reputation for hostility — users “review bomb” works they don’t like with one-star ratings, and it’s tough to discern when that treatment is deserved. Before you dive in, know you’ll encounter some strong opinions and concerted reviewing. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/31/book-club-online-in-person/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:35 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/31/book-club-online-in-person/ |
HOUSTON (AP) — Quarterback C.J. Stroud, taken second overall in this year’s draft, isn’t worried that the Panthers picked No. 1 selection Bryce Young as their starter on Day 1 of training camp while the Houston Texans are making him compete for the job.
“I’m happy for him, but his situation is his situation, and my situation is mine,” Stroud said Sunday. “So, I know that I’ve got to work on my end and do whatever I’ve got to do to make this team better. It’s not about the starter (or) who’s not the starter, it’s about getting better for Week 1 against Baltimore.”
Stroud is vying with Davis Mills to be the team’s quarterback. The Texans have split first-team snaps between the two in the first few days of camp.
Houston drafted Stroud after Mills struggled as the team’s starter for the past two years after Deshaun Watson sat out following a trade request before being shipped to Cleveland before last season.
Mills went 5-22-1 in 28 games, including 26 starts, as the Texans were among the NFL’s worst teams.
Stroud is just the third quarterback the Texans have drafted in the first round, joining Watson, taken 12th in 2017 and David Carr, the team’s first draft pick who was taken first overall in 2002.
After using such a high pick on Stroud it’s hard to imagine that he won’t end up as the team’s starter. But for now, new coach DeMeco Ryans is adamant that it’s an open competition between the former Ohio State star and Mills.
While Ryans won’t answer questions about what Stroud will have to do to win the job, he’s had plenty to say about the dedication the 21-year-old has shown since joining the team.
“What you see about C.J. is the work and preparation that he does when he’s not here,” Ryans said. “He’s a true football junkie. He loves football, always watching football, always asking for extra cut-ups from our coaches. I’m so impressed with the mental part of him and just how much he loves the game of football. When a guy has that much love for the game of football, he’s (only) going to continue to get better.”
Stroud was a two-year starter for Ohio State, where he threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions as the Buckeyes went 21-4. His 85 touchdowns over two seasons broke a Big Ten record held by Drew Brees.
Despite competing with Mills for the job, the rookie said that he and fellow quarterback Case Keenum have both helped him a lot as he’s made the jump from college to the pros.
“I’ve learned everything from Davis,” Stroud said. “Davis and Case are great vets. And just because we may be competing against each other, doesn’t mean that we’re not going to learn from each other. I’ve had a really great time being in the room with those guys.”
Stroud certainly knows what’s at stake for him in this camp, but he’s trying not to let the competition change how he approaches his job day to day.
“I feel like when you try to have a different mindset you confuse yourself,” he said. “So, for me, I just try to keep my head down and I work — just try to work harder and harder every day. Just trying to … be the best person I can be on and off the field.”
As Stroud prepares for his first NFL season, he certainly has plenty of goals. However, his approach to goals has never been to list only lofty, far down the road ones.
“I have goals written down,” he said. “I did it in college and I’ll do it now. But I have a lot of things that I put down, like really small goals. I think the more you can accomplish small goals in your life, the big ones can come kind of natural. And they come as you get the small ones checked off.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:35 | 1 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-no-2-pick-stroud-competes-with-mills-for-starting-qb-job-with-houston-texans/ |
HOUSTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutex Health Inc. ("Nutex Health" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NUTX), a physician-led, technology-enabled integrated healthcare delivery system comprised of 21 state-of-the-art micro hospitals in 8 states and primary care-centric, risk-bearing physician networks, today announced that its Clinigence Health advanced population health analytics platform has been selected by Varmed Management, a Puerto Rico-based medical management company, to enhance its population health capabilities and patient care.
Clinigence Health's partnership with Varmed Management honors the company's commitment to improving quality of life and health outcomes through implementing advanced analytics and cutting-edge technology. Together, they aim to deliver unparalleled solutions to patients, ensuring seamless, whole-person care while reducing costs.
Clinigence Health is thrilled to assist Varmed Management in its mission. Sophisticated population health management requires a platform like Clinigence Health that helps organizations enhance the care delivered to their patients by identifying opportunities to engage its physicians and its patients with data to drive continued quality improvement.
"The partnership creates an environment where high-quality care is accessible and affordable to everyone in our community. By integrating Clinigence Health's advanced analytics into our population health management strategy, we can provide even more personalized patient care," stated José J. Vargas, Chief Executive Officer of Varmed Management.
"The healthcare industry continues to experience the loss of billions of premium dollars to overutilization and inappropriate use of services to the detriment of patient care. The transition to value-based care models requires organizations to understand the patterns of care and best medical practices that allow quality care to be delivered cost-effectively," stated Lawrence Schimmel, M.D., Chief Medical Information Officer of Nutex Health, Inc.
"Clinigence is a pioneer in clinical data integration, clinical quality reporting and population health analytics. Our scalable, purpose-built cloud-based platform has clinical and claims data on over 3 million patients and is in use by multiple independent practice associations ("IPAs"), medical groups, accountable care organizations ("ACOs"), hospitals and physicians. We look forward to partnering with the talented team at Varmed," stated Warren Hosseinion, M.D., President of Nutex Health.
For more information, visit Clinigence Health at www.clinigencehealth.com or email info@clinigence.com for personalized information requests.
About Nutex Health Inc.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas and founded in 2011, Nutex Health Inc. (NASDAQ: NUTX) is a healthcare management and operations company with two divisions: a Hospital Division and a Population Health Management Division.
The Hospital Division owns, develops and operates innovative health care models, including micro-hospitals, specialty hospitals, and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). This division owns and operates 21 facilities in 8 states.
The Population Health Management division owns and operates provider networks such as Independent Physician Associations (IPAs). Through our Management Services Organization (MSO), we provide management, administrative and other support services to our affiliated hospitals and physician groups. Our cloud-based proprietary technology platform aggregates clinical and claims data across multiple settings, information systems and sources to create a holistic view of patients and providers, allowing us to deliver greater quality care more efficiently.
About Varmed Management
Varmed Management is a fully integrated healthcare solutions provider. As a population health management organization, we are committed to providing cutting-edge solutions to our clients, improving quality of life through patient empowerment, improving healthcare outcomes and reducing costs. www.varmedmanagement.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements and information included in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words or phrases "will", "will likely result," "expected to," "will continue," "anticipated," "estimate," "projected," "intend," "goal," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks, known and unknown, and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy, changes in laws or regulations, including the interim final and final rules implemented under the No Surprises Act , economic conditions, dependence on management, dilution to stockholders, lack of capital, the effects of rapid growth upon the Company and the ability of management to effectively respond to the growth and demand for products and services of the Company, newly developing technologies, the Company's ability to compete, conflicts of interest in related party transactions, regulatory matters, protection of technology, lack of industry standards, the effects of competition and the ability of the Company to obtain future financing. An extensive list of factors that can affect future results are discussed in the Current Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2023 under the heading "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item IA thereof, and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors could materially adversely affect the Company's financial performance and could cause the Company's actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed within this press release.
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SOURCE Nutex Health, Inc. | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nutex-health-announces-that-its-advanced-population-health-analytics-platform-has-been-selected-by-varmed-management-enhance-patient-care/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:36 | 0 | https://www.wcjb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/nutex-health-announces-that-its-advanced-population-health-analytics-platform-has-been-selected-by-varmed-management-enhance-patient-care/ |
The National Weather Service is working on making a final determination after a tornado reportedly touched down in northeastern Connecticut Saturday.
A tornado warning was issued for Windham County just before 7:30 that night.
The National Weather Service initially confirmed the tornado based on radar and also from photo and video reports of the tornado on the ground, later saying they would need to make a final determination after not finding any damage themselves in Windham County.
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The storm traveled east and there were multiple tree damage reports through the county.
State Senator Jeff Gordon said the severe weather seems to have mostly impacted Hampton near the Pomfret line, further north on Route 97.
U.S. & World
In total, Gordon said about 50 people lost power. It has since been restored.
Gordon said it didn't look like the tornado caused a lot of property damage or structure damage. No injuries were reported.
According to the NWS, they were in Windham County on Sunday surveying the damage from Chaplin to Killingly Sunday, including possible wind damage in Mansfield, Chaplin, and surrounding towns.
Tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale). The scale ranges from EF0 to EF5 and is based on the damage the tornado caused. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/national-weather-service-to-survey-windham-county-after-tornado-touchdown/4550056/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:40 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/national-weather-service-to-survey-windham-county-after-tornado-touchdown/4550056/ |
The 7
Monday briefing: Deadly strike in Ukraine; Carlos De Oliveira; rent prices; how to watch U.S. vs. Portugal; and more
- What does the law do? Makes it a crime for librarians and booksellers to give minors materials deemed “harmful” to them. It was set to take effect tomorrow.
- The latest: A federal judge temporarily blocked the law on Saturday. He sided with bookstores and libraries that argued in a lawsuit that parts of the law were unconstitutional.
5
Rent prices are finally cooling.
- What to know: Rent increases have returned to pre-pandemic norms, growing between 1% and 3% per year, according to new data. See how prices are changing in your area here.
- It’s a relief: Between 2020 and 2022, monthly rents shot up by 15% — the fastest increase in nearly a century. New housing construction has helped to calm rising costs.
6
The U.S. will play Portugal at the women’s World Cup overnight.
- Where things stand: The U.S. faces a tricky path to the next stage of the tournament after a win over Vietnam and a draw with the Netherlands.
- What’s needed: A win or draw would take the U.S. to the knockout round. A loss would most likely mean the team’s earliest World Cup exit.
- Set your alarm: The match starts at 3 a.m. Eastern on Fox or Telemundo.
7
Scientists discovered how to induce virgin birth in fruit flies.
- What to know: Fruit flies that normally must mate to reproduce can be genetically modified to give birth asexually for generations to come, a new study found.
- Why animals do it: Virgin birth, or parthenogenesis, can be a survival strategy to keep species alive when they face unfavorable conditions, like a lack of mates.
- Why it matters: Modern farming methods may be creating the conditions for virgin births in crop pests, making them harder to eliminate.
And now … chemical, mineral or tinted? Here’s how to pick the best sunscreen for your skin.
Want to catch up quickly with “The 7” every morning? Download The Post’s app and turn on alert notifications for The 7 or sign up for the newsletter. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/the-seven/2023/07/31/what-to-know-for-july-31/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:41 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/the-seven/2023/07/31/what-to-know-for-july-31/ |
ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson says it’s no mystery why he’s leading the majors in RBIs.
In Atlanta’s powerful lineup, Olson is often hitting with runners on base.
Olson drove in five runs with two homers, including a two-run shot in the eighth, and the Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-6 on Sunday to cap their sweep of the high-scoring series.
Olson has 35 homers, tops in the NL, and 88 RBIs. The Braves scored 29 runs in the three-game sweep in the matchup of NL contenders.
“There’s always dudes on base,” Olson said. “I feel like I’m rarely taking at-bats with the bases empty.”
The only player in the majors with more homers than Olson is Shohei Ohtani, with 39. Ohtani will bring the Los Angeles Angels into Atlanta for a series beginning Monday night.
With the sweep, the Braves won five of six against the Brewers in the last two weeks, including two of three in Milwaukee on July 21-23.
“You know you’re probably not shutting them out,” said Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich, who homered and drove in two runs.
Yelich said a “back-and-forth game” is likely against Atlanta. Sure enough, the Brewers lost despite holding leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 6-5.
“To keep roaring back, it’s a testament to how tough these guys are,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Atlanta (67-36) leads the NL East by 11 1/2 games over Miami. Milwaukee’s loss coupled with Cincinnati’s win at the Dodgers dropped the Brewers (57-49) into second in the NL Central.
Orlando Arcia led off the eighth with a double to left against Milwaukee’s Joel Payamps (4-2). With one out, Olson’s tiebreaking 35th homer landed in the Atlanta bullpen in right-center.
Payamps entered with a string of 17 consecutive scoreless appearances. He had allowed just seven hits in his last 18 innings.
Kirby Yates (5-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Raisel Iglesias earned his 20th save by striking out the side in the ninth.
Olson’s three-run homer lifted the Braves to a 5-3 lead in the third. He drove in Ronald Acuña Jr., who singled and stole second, and Austin Riley, who walked.
Collin McHugh blew the 5-3 lead by giving up three runs in the sixth. William Contreras doubled in two runs for Milwaukee.
Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna tied the game at 6 with his homer off Hoby Milner.
Riley continued his power surge for Atlanta by hitting his eighth homer in the last 11 games in the first, giving him 24 on the year. The two-run shot off Colin Rea carried 463 feet to left-center.
Rea allowed five runs in five innings.
Carlos Santana, acquired from Pittsburgh on Saturday, hit his first homer with the Brewers in the third. The liner over the right-field wall gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead. Yelich led off the third with his 16th homer.
TRADE
Atlanta added veteran infielder Nicky Lopez in a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The Braves sent left-hander Taylor Hearn to Kansas City for the 28-year-old Lopez, who can play shortstop, second base and third.
ROOKIE RETURNS
Atlanta rookie AJ Smith-Shawver, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, allowed three runs and four hits in five innings.
“He’s got a great way about him,” Snitker said of the 20-year-old right-hander. “There’s no panic in him. … There’s tremendous upside for him as he figures things out.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Thanks to Riley’s homer, the Braves have scored 109 first-inning runs, the most in the majors by any team in any inning. The Texas Rangers’ 90 fourth-inning runs are second on the list.
“We come in ready to swing and ready to do damage,” Ozuna said.
TRAINING ROOM
Brewers: LHP Wade Miley (left elbow) will come off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday night at Washington. … RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) will pitch for Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. … RHP Julio Teheran (right hip impingement) was placed on the 15-day IL. RHP Peter Strzelecki was recalled from Nashville.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes (9-6, 3.46 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at Washington against RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.96 ERA).
Braves: Atlanta opens an interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night. Braves RHP Charlie Morton (10-8, 3.57 ERA) faces RHP Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.46 ERA). Morton is 4-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP–Sports | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-olson-drives-in-5-with-2-hrs-including-go-ahead-shot-as-braves-sweep-brewers-8-6/ | 2023-07-31T10:46:43 | 0 | https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-olson-drives-in-5-with-2-hrs-including-go-ahead-shot-as-braves-sweep-brewers-8-6/ |