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AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States arrived at the Women’s World Cup as the favorites to win an unprecedented third consecutive title. But after an underwhelming draw against the Netherlands, there’s a real chance the Americans can be eliminated in group play for the first time in tournament history.
The U.S. plays Portugal in the third and final match of Group E play, and if Portugal pulls off an upset Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, the Americans could be in big trouble.
The United States needs to either win or draw against Portugal, one of eight teams playing in its first World Cup, to ensure the Americans continue to play in this tournament.
“I think we feel like we have to win everything all the time,” said American star Megan Rapinoe. “That’s the expectation for ourselves. That’s the expectation playing for U.S. national team. It’s just kind of like, ‘Why would you come into the World Cup if you don’t think that you should win it, and if you don’t think that you can win it?’”
The United States sits atop the group after a 3-0 victory over Vietnam in the tournament opener, and a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands last Thursday in Wellington. The Dutch are tied with the U.S. on points, but the Americans have the tie-breaker on goals scored.
Portugal lost to the Dutch in its opener but then beat Vietnam 2-0. So if the Portuguese beat the United States, they’ll move on, and the Americans would then need Vietnam to beat the Dutch in Dunedin — while keeping their advantage on goal differential — to advance.
“One thing is for sure, that we have a job to do and that’s first and foremost to take care of our game, so our main focus right now it our performance, our team, and Portugal,” said U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski. “What happens on the other side is something we can’t control. We have to stay focused on the things we can control.”
Portugal could use a swarming defense to try to prevent the United States from scoring the way Vietnam — unsuccessfully — played the Americans in the opener.
Portugal defender Ana Borges said her team will be prepared.
“This is the stage where we want to be. It’s against these teams that we want to play because we’re going to learn and grow from them,” Borges said. “Not saying anything about the other team, but if we weren’t prepared for this challenge, we wouldn’t be playing football.”
CHINA-ENGLAND
England is in very good shape headed into its Group D finale against China, needing only a draw Tuesday night in Adelaide, Australia to win the group and advance to the round of 16.
Even a loss would be OK and push England through as group winners so long as Denmark doesn’t beat Haiti. If Denmark won and England lost, the group winner would be decided by FIFA tiebreakers.
England edged out a 1-0 victory over Haiti to open the tournament, then beat Denmark by the same score.
China lost 1-0 to Denmark in the opener but rebounded with a 1-0 win over Haiti and is now trying to keep its streak intact of advancing out of group play in all eight of its World Cup appearances.
It will be a tough task: China can advance to the round of 16 if the Chinese beat England. But if Denmark beats Haiti, coupled with a China win, then FIFA tiebreakers would come into a play. A loss would mean China’s only chance at advancing would be if Haiti beat Denmark.
England and China meet for just the fifth time, but first since a 2-1 China victory in 2015.
England has scored in each of its last 15 matches at the Women’s World Cup for a tally of 25 goals since 2015. A goal against China would make England the first team to score in 16 consecutive matches in the tournament.
China is looking to win consecutive World Cup games for the first time since 1999.
VIETNAM-NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands want to win every match in the Women’s World Cup but none more so than Tuesday’s game against Vietnam.
At stake: avoiding Sweden in the knockout round.
The Dutch, the tournament runner-up in 2019, need only a win or a draw in the Group E match played in Dunedin, New Zealand. And even a loss would be OK so long as the United States beats Portugal in a game being played simultaneously.
But the Netherlands has mapped out the tournament and wants no part of Sweden anytime soon.
“The first aim is always to win and get to the last 16 and then after that if we can score goals we will, of course,” said Dutch coach Andries Jonker. “But looking at our colleagues from the U.S. and Portugal, we’ve noticed it’s not all that easy. We’ve never shown any kind of arrogance, but if we get chances to score goals we will. We would prefer to play against the number two in this group and not Sweden.”
The Netherlands are tied with the United States for the top spot in the group after playing to a 1-1 draw against the Americans and a 1-0 win over Portugal.
Vietnam has already been eliminated from its first Women’s World Cup following losses to the United States and Portugal. Vietnam has lost its last five internationals by a combined score of 18-1.
“The Netherlands tries to have as many goals as possible, and I have to say we are at a low level,” said Vietnam coach Mai Duc Chung. “If we compare with Asia, we’re still at a low level. So if we compare with the world, we are still quite behind. It is a success for us already. In the past two matches we have tried our best. Great effort already.”
HAITI-DENMARK
First-time Women’s World Cup participant Haiti would like to stick around a bit longer but needs a miracle against in the Group D finale against Denmark to have any shot to advance.
Haiti needs to beat Denmark in the Tuesday match played in Perth, Australia, and hope England beats China. If both those things happen, Haiti’s only chance would still come down to FIFA’s tiebreaker system.
It’s very long odds for Haiti, which has played better in this tournament than its 0-2 record shows. Haiti held both England and China to one goal each in the first two matches.
Haiti is on a six-game losing streak headed into what is probably its final game of this tournament.
Denmark, meanwhile, is trying to advance to the group stage for the first time since 1995. Denmark was a 1-0 winner over China to start the tournament, then lost 1-0 to England and heads into the game tied for second in the group with China with three points each.
A win over Haiti pushes Denmark through to the next round so long as England doesn’t lose to China. That scenario would put tiebreakers into play.
The Danes, in the tournament for the first time since 2007, can also get through with a draw, but again, only if England beats China.
Denmark has won five of its last seven international matches.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.localsyr.com/sports-news/ap-us-needs-win-to-ensure-americans-avoid-elimination-in-group-play-for-first-time-in-womens-world-cup/ | 2023-07-31T16:17:22 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/sports-news/ap-us-needs-win-to-ensure-americans-avoid-elimination-in-group-play-for-first-time-in-womens-world-cup/ |
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WIVB) — Bills fans (and players) got an encouraging sight Monday morning at training camp — Damar Hamlin in pads.
This is the first time the safety, who’s entering his third year with the NFL, was spotted in pads since the late-season Cincinnati game this past January where the then-24-year-old collapsed on the field as a result of cardiac arrest.
Miraculously, that frightening night was not the end of Hamlin’s career. In fact, he was fully cleared to return to football just months later, following the end of the 2022 season.
Hamlin was intent on returning to the sport all along. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said in April that he was taking part in the team’s offseason workout program, which is voluntary. Back at practice in May, sans helmet, Hamlin took part in individual drills and stretching.
Hamlin had a combined 91 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the 2022 season. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/sports/buffalo-kickoff-live/damar-hamlin-practicing-in-pads-for-first-time-since-collapse/ | 2023-07-31T16:17:22 | 0 | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/sports/buffalo-kickoff-live/damar-hamlin-practicing-in-pads-for-first-time-since-collapse/ |
Federal prosecutors had to grant Hunter Biden blanket immunity for the multitude of felonies he so obviously committed. Otherwise, President Joe Biden’s leading role in his son’s multi-million-dollar international influence-peddling schemes would be fully exposed.
So, the feds wrapped up the absurdly lenient plea deal in a pretty bow and gifted it to Hunter as an early Christmas present. Fortunately, Judge Maryellen Noreika made out like Ebenezer Scrooge and declared, bah humbug!
Last week’s stunning events unfolded because Attorney General Merrick Garland’s foremost priority is protecting his boss —by hook or by crook— from a cavalcade of conspiracy crimes that grow stronger in evidence as the House Oversight Committee unravels the appalling graft endemic among Biden family members.
Their self-enrichment scams with our nation’s enemies constitute the most damning corruption scandal in the history of politics —a shameful selling out of America for profit.
HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS ASSOCIATE DEVON ARCHER TO TESTIFY AT HOUSE OVERSIGHT HEARING
Incriminating documents implicate the father as complicit in his son’s overseas cons and shakedowns. Together, they leveraged Joe Biden’s public office to confer foreign policy benefits to overseas entities and governments in exchange for cold hard cash funneled through a complex web of shell companies designed to hide the source of the payola.
Monday’s planned closed-door testimony of Hunter’s former business partner, Devon Archer, is expected to shed meaningful light on the elder Biden’s participation as more than a mere bystander who secretly sanctioned the lucrative "deals." No, he was the fulcrum without which the entire criminal enterprise could not succeed.
After all, Joe held the power as vice president when he was placed in charge of the very countries that bankrolled the Bidens. Promises of access and future influence were dependent on his willingness to exercise them for the benefit of adversaries and to the detriment of U.S. national security interests.
Archer’s testimony has sent shivers up the spines of Garland and his minions at the Justice Department. In a last-minute bid to scuttle Archer’s appearance before the Oversight Committee, the DOJ filed a letter on Saturday intended to intimidate the witness into clamming up. The threat won’t work.
It is anticipated that Archer will educate the committee on the details of how Hunter would often dial in his father on speakerphone during confidential meetings with his foreign partners, according to The New York Post. It happened some two dozen times. Other meetings with Joe Biden occurred in person. Archer is believed to have been a vital witness to all of it.
The Burisma scheme is a prime example. As reported by the Post, there is an email dated Nov. 2, 2015, in which a top Burisma executive demanded that Hunter wield his influence to "close down" a criminal investigation of the company that threatened to destroy its global aspirations.
HUNTER BIDEN’S PARTNER TESTIFIES: CONGRESS MUST NOT SKIP ONE CRUCIAL QUESTION
Thereafter, Hunter dutifully flew to Dubai to meet in person with Burisma CEO, Mykola Zlochevsky, who insisted that he get the vice president on the phone to join the conversation. Ever compliant, Joe did exactly as told.
It is no coincidence that Vice President Biden then traveled to Kyiv and conveyed his infamous extortion demand to the government that the prosecutor investigating the natural gas company be fired or the U.S. would withhold $1 billion in financial aid as a penalty. Within hours, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin was canned. Mission accomplished.
Later, Joe couldn’t resist bragging on camera about his machinations in an appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations. "Well, son of a bitch. He got fired!," boasted Joe. As usual, his hubris and stupidity did him in.
At the time of the hustle, Hunter was pocketing an exorbitant $83,000 per month from Burisma to sit on its board despite no experience in the energy industry and no familiarity with the language. It turns out that those monthly payments were mere chump change.
The FBI’s recently revealed FD-1023 form cites a "trusted and credible" confidential human source (CHS) as informing the bureau that the Bidens banked an extra $10 million for getting Shokin sacked.
Over the course of numerous conversations that stretched several years, Zlochevsky told the CHS that the Bidens "forced" him into shelling out $5 million for Hunter and an equal amount for "the Big Guy." The money transfers were concealed in a way that "it would take them (investigators) 10 years" to uncover the illicit payments, said Zlochevsky.
He added that "he has many text messages and ‘recordings’ that show he was coerced to make such payments," including a total of "17 recordings" involving the Bidens. Two of the covert tapes were with Joe, while 15 were with Hunter. Zlochevsky said he also maintained wire transfer statements and bank records as an insurance policy if the bribery scheme went south.
The FBI did its best to bury the damning FD-1023 document in a surreptitious effort to protect President Biden. But Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, obtained the record pursuant to legally protected disclosures by Justice Department whistleblowers. He then released it to the public for all to read. Take a moment to peruse it online. It’ll knock your socks off.
Naturally, the mainstream media dismissed it as a debunked conspiracy theory. Democrats chimed in by asserting that then-Attorney General Bill Barr closed the probe in 2020 for lack of evidence. Neither is true. Barr has since confirmed that he sent the case to the U.S. Attorney for Pittsburgh who reportedly found additional incriminating evidence that the FBI either overlooked or deliberately ignored.
Regrettably, the case was then forwarded for action to the Delaware U.S. Attorney, which is where all Biden corruption cases go to die. Under the stewardship of David Weiss, the office appears to have done nothing except cover it up. IRS whistleblowers testified that they were never given the FD-1023 document, and they were further prevented from asking any questions about Joe Biden’s unmistakable involvement.
Do the Burisma transactions constitute crimes? Most certainly. They appear to be quid pro quo or pay-to-play schemes which would clearly violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act that prohibits using a public office for personal financial gain to yourself or family members.
But it is also evidence of bribery, extortion, and conspiracy. If the wire transfers were, indeed, channeled through a series of opaque accounts, as alleged, this would run afoul of the money laundering felony statutes and, perhaps, racketeering.
Is it any wonder that prosecutors forbid IRS investigators from examining the evidence and pursuing it? That’s called obstruction of justice by the Department of Justice. And it’s the definition of corruption by Garland, Weiss, the FBI, and a host of others who contorted the law and disregarded the evidence to shield the Bidens.
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Inevitably, there is a paper trail. Through subpoenas, Congress has the ability to locate the evidence of skullduggery. Already, the Committee has identified wire transfers, bank records, hundreds of Suspicious Activity Reports at the Treasury Department, text messages, and smoking gun emails. If the purported voice recordings involving Hunter and Joe Biden still exist, perhaps they can be acquired.
But eyewitness testimony can be equally powerful and persuasive. In this respect, Devon Archer is capable of lifting the veil of secrecy and protection that has long insulated the Bidens from exposure and culpability.
We can easily anticipate that Democrats and their media handmaidens will attempt to sully Archer as an unreliable convicted felon who was found guilty for his role in a separate bond fraud. But let’s not forget how both Dems and journalists salivated over the testimony of convicted felon Michael Cohen after he was convicted of tax fraud and lying to Congress. They faithfully vouched for him as an honest broker of information only because he was willing to trash his former employer, Donald Trump.
Beyond the crimes identified herein, the actions of Joe Biden rise to the level of an impeachable offense. The U.S. Constitution specifically states that a president can be removed for treason and bribery. Both would apply if the accusations against him are true and supported by credible evidence.
As I have noted before, this is exactly what our Founding Fathers feared the most. They worried that a future president might violate his sacred oath of office by secretly conspiring with malign foreign actors to betray our nation for self-enrichment.
The evidence uncovered so far is a damning indictment of corruption at the highest level of government —the current occupant of the White House.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM GREGG JARRETT | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/hunter-s-ex-business-partner-devon-archer-could-blow-the-lid-off-joe-bidens-phony/article_87947b83-06ae-5c82-bd7b-ce4dc219fbcb.html | 2023-07-31T16:17:27 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/hunter-s-ex-business-partner-devon-archer-could-blow-the-lid-off-joe-bidens-phony/article_87947b83-06ae-5c82-bd7b-ce4dc219fbcb.html |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Here are the illnesses that area doctor’s offices are seeing this week.
Camillus
- Coxsackie virus
- Strep throat
- Sore throat
- Virus with fever
- Swimmer’s ear
Liverpool
- Coxsackie virus
- Stomach bug
- Strep throat
- Pink eye
Brighton Hill
- Strep throat
- Allergies
- Tick bites
- Swimmers ear
Pulaski
- Sore throat
- COVID-19 | https://www.localsyr.com/whats-going-around/whats-going-around-7-31-23/ | 2023-07-31T16:17:28 | 0 | https://www.localsyr.com/whats-going-around/whats-going-around-7-31-23/ |
Russian missiles strike an apartment building, killing at least 5 in Ukrainian leader’s hometown
Russian missiles slammed into an apartment complex and a university building in the hometown of Ukraine’s president on Monday, killing five people and wounding 64 others as the blasts trapped residents beneath rubble, Ukrainian officials said.
One of the two missiles destroyed a section of the apartment building between the fourth and ninth floors, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Video showed black smoke billowing from corner units and burned-out or damaged cars on a tree-lined street in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih.
The dead included a 10-year-old girl and her mother, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who comes from Kryvyi Rih. More than 350 people were involved in the rescue operation, he said in a Telegram post.
The morning attack also destroyed part of the four-story university building.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian artillery strike on partially occupied Donetsk province killed two people and wounded six in the regional capital, according to Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the illegally annexed province.
A bus was also hit as Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Donetsk multiple times Monday, Pushilin said.
Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive, deploying weaponry supplied by Kyiv’s Western allies and aimed at driving Russian forces out of occupied areas, intensified last week. At the same time, Ukraine has sought to take the war deep into Russia, reportedly using drones to hit targets as far away as Moscow.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia and Moscow-annexed territory, especially Crimea, have become more frequent. The latest strike, on Sunday, damaged two office buildings a few miles from the Kremlin.
Russia has tightened security in the aftermath of that attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, describing the assault as an “act of desperation.”
“The Kyiv regime is in a very, very difficult situation,” Peskov said, “as the counteroffensive is not working out as planned.”
Another Ukrainian drone targeted a district police department early Monday in Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, but there were no casualties, the local governor said.
In Kryvyi Rih, rescue crews searched Monday for people who were trapped in the wreckage of the two buildings. The Kremlin’s forces have occasionally targeted the city since they invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Bombarding populated areas with missiles, artillery and drones has been a hallmark of Moscow’s military strategy during the war, an approach that has continued during the Ukrainian counteroffensive that started in June.
The toll from a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Ukraine’s Dnipro makes it the deadliest single attack in one place since Sept. 30.
Russian officials insist they only take aim at legitimate military targets, but Ukraine and its supporters say mass civilian deaths during previous attacks provide evidence of war crimes.
“In recent days, the enemy has been stubbornly attacking cities, city centers, shelling civilian objects and housing,” Zelensky said in a statement on social media. “But this terror will not frighten us or break us.”
Russian shelling Monday also killed a 70-year-old woman in her home in a Kharkiv province village near Izyum, as well as a civilian in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local authorities said.
In eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province, one person was reported killed and seven people were injured after Russia shelled 12 cities and villages, according to Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Ukrainian officials didn’t acknowledge Sunday’s drone attacks in the Moscow region. In his nightly video address, Zelensky said: “Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia — to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process.”
Meanwhile, Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said Monday his Wagner Group is not currently recruiting fighters.
In an audio message published on a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner chief, Prigozhin said the company had suspended recruitment as there is currently “no shortage of personnel.”
Prigozhin previously agreed with Western estimates that he lost more than 20,000 men in the long battle for the Ukrainian city Bakhmut.
Prigozhin last month led a short-lived mutiny against Moscow, demanding a leadership change in the Russian military. In an attempt to control him, Russian authorities insisted that Wagner fighters can only return to Ukraine if they join Russia’s regular army.
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. | https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-07-31/russian-missiles-strike-an-apartment-building-killing-at-least-4-in-ukrainian-leaders-hometown | 2023-07-31T16:17:28 | 0 | https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-07-31/russian-missiles-strike-an-apartment-building-killing-at-least-4-in-ukrainian-leaders-hometown |
Search teams have recovered the body of an 18-year-old man who went missing Saturday in Lake Michigan off Indiana shore.
Emergency responders were sent to Miller Beach in Gary on Saturday afternoon, and dive teams from multiple agencies joined in the search for a missing man presumed to be in the lake, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said in a statement on Sunday.
Strong rip currents and waves up to six feet in height made the area dangerous for divers and slowed their efforts, the department said. Around 6 p.m., roughly three hours after responders began their search, a beachgoer spotted the man's body three-quarters of a mile from where he was last seen. Searchers recovered the body and pronounced the man dead.
MICHIGAN SHOOTING INJURES 5, 2 CRITICALLY; SEVERAL PERSONS OF INTEREST IN CUSTODY
The name of the man was being withheld pending notification of his family, and conservation officers were investigating the death. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/indiana-search-teams-recover-body-of-missing-18-year-old-in-lake-michigan/article_72371675-7935-54fc-adb4-c241cd46c0cd.html | 2023-07-31T16:17:33 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/indiana-search-teams-recover-body-of-missing-18-year-old-in-lake-michigan/article_72371675-7935-54fc-adb4-c241cd46c0cd.html |
'Them boys up there are different': Auburndale's Nate Gabriel soaks in wrestling nationals
It's been a stellar sports year for Auburndale's Nate Gabriel.
In March, he earned a heavyweight state wrestling championship for the first time. He continued that wrestling momentum a few weeks ago and journeyed up to Fargo, North Dakota, where he went 3-2 in freestyle and 5-2 in Greco in the 2023 USA Wrestling 16U National Championships.
But to Gabriel, it wasn't about any one moment; rather all of them.
"The best moment I had at nationals wasn't just a moment, but moments," Gabriel said. "The people I had around me made the moments and the experience there great for me. The moves I used wasn't really nothing special in nationals, just the same moves I would use in folkstyle, and (the) same as the mentality part."
More:Auburndale's Nate Gabriel goes with coaching decision, becomes state champion
Wrestler of the Year:Meet Auburndale's Nate Gabriel
But that's all he would need, as this is the best he's done since he's competed in nationals because this is his first time competing in the grand event.
Gabriel, though, found out as soon as he competed against his competition that the opponents breathed wrestling 24/7.
"Them boys up there are different," Gabriel said. "It's really a wrestling world when you go up there."
Gabriel worked tirelessly to stand a chance against stiff competition. He cut his weight, and then wrestled in Greco practice. In total, he cut 15 pounds in the span of four days in an effort to wrestle both styles, freestyle and Greco.
It was a tough training process for Gabriel. It was a lot of running and wrestling, but the challenge for Gabriel, he said, was overcoming not eating all day or having to take a laxative to cut weight. Gabriel also put salts in scorching water before sitting in the tub for 30 minutes, which assisted in cutting a lot of water weight.
Still, Gabriel learned quickly that there are always bigger fish in the sea.
"Everyone is there because they're trying to bring a championship back home. Stay locked in," Gabriel said.
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Gabriel has since traveled back to Polk County and quickly transitioned to Auburndale football — the sport he is trying to lock in a scholarship for.
And the experience at nationals has focused the all-county wrestler even more for both football and wrestling in his senior year.
"Nationals motivated me to never put my head down and to keep striving for the next big thing," Gabriel said. "And what it taught me was that there is always room for improvement. The sky is the limit." | https://www.theledger.com/story/sports/2023/07/31/auburndale-wrestler-nate-gabriel-finishes-wrestling-nationals/70444619007/ | 2023-07-31T16:17:35 | 0 | https://www.theledger.com/story/sports/2023/07/31/auburndale-wrestler-nate-gabriel-finishes-wrestling-nationals/70444619007/ |
While performing in Massachusetts this weekend, Jason Aldean took a moment to reflect on the backlash surrounding his song "Try That In A Small Town."
"We thought it was a really cool song. The message that we wanted to get out there has completely gotten overshadowed by all the bulls---," Aldean told the crowd in a Boston suburb of his track, which has been accused by some as being "pro-lynching" – a narrative he adamantly denies.
"I was laying in bed last night and I'm thinking to myself, you guys did this better than anybody, right? Because I remember a time, I think it was April of 2013, when the Boston Marathon bombings happened. You guys remember this, right? What I saw when that happened was a whole, not a small town – a big-a-- town – come together. No matter of your color, no matter anything," he said to a lively audience at the Xfinity Center in a fan-recorded video.
JASON ALDEAN'S 'SMALL TOWN' VIDEO CUT BY CMT, SONG SKYROCKETS TO NUMBER 1 AMID BACKLASH
"The whole country, especially Boston, came together to find these two p----- that did that, right? And anybody of you guys that would’ve found those guys before the cops did, I know you guys from Boston, and you guys would’ve beat the s--- out of [them]," he added, of imprisoned Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev and his deceased brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, both responsible for the act of terrorism.
"I've been trying to say this," he circled back to his song. "This is not about race. It's about people getting their s--- together. Acting right. Acting like you got some common sense."
"We are a country, the greatest one in the world. And I know you guys are like me, you want to be able to send your kids to school and not have to worry about something happening while they're at school. Or letting them go to a movie on the weekends, just like we all did growing up. And I have to worry about are they going to come home or not?"
JASON ALDEAN THANKS FANS FOR SUPPORT AFTER 'SMALL TOWN' BACKLASH: 'THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN'
"I don't give a s--- what color you are. If you're acting out, burning down buildings, costing taxpayers all this money, just so you can show that you're p----- off, to me, I just don't get that," he added.
In the "Small Town" music video, which was released earlier this month, Aldean's lyrics are sung while news coverage from the 2020 riots illustrates his message. "Cuss out a cop spit in his face / stomp on the flag and light it up," Aldean sings, along with footage of the described instances.
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He also sings in front of the Maury County Courthouse, which has an American flag hanging from it. The government building can be found in Columbia, Tennessee. It was previously the site of the lynching of Black man Henry Choate, in 1927.
TackleBox, the production company which produced Aldean's music video, shared in a statement to Fox News Digital that the location is a "popular filming location outside of Nashville," which Aldean did not select himself. "Any alternative narrative suggesting the music video’s location decision is false," it added.
Several movies and music videos have been filmed at the location, including the 2022 Lifetime Original movie "Steppin’ into the Holiday" with Jana Kramer and Mario Lopez, the 2022 Paramount holiday film, "A Nashville Country Christmas" with Tanya Tucker, and a Runaway June video for their 2019 track, "We Were Rich."
Aldean previously rejected claims of promoting divisiveness, insisting that the song "refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/jason-aldean-connects-small-town-message-to-bostons-resilience-after-marathon-bombings/article_f950279e-7986-51ce-8b39-a257b4abc384.html | 2023-07-31T16:17:39 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/jason-aldean-connects-small-town-message-to-bostons-resilience-after-marathon-bombings/article_f950279e-7986-51ce-8b39-a257b4abc384.html |
Competitive equity key as FHSAA task force looks beyond enrollment to classify schools
LAKE WALES — There's no guarantee that the new suburban-metro split for high school football in Florida will continue after the 2023 season, but the immediate challenge for the FHSAA is how schools will be classified for the next cycle.
FHSAA executive director Craig Damon discussed these issues Thursday, when he was a surprise guest at the 863 Heartland High School Football Media Day at Ambassadors Christian. Damon was in Polk County at an athletic directors compliance clinic at Davenport High School, then dropped by at the media day event.
Damon said he created the 17-member task force to look over various ways schools could be classified and come up with a proposal to present to the board of directors this fall.
"The charge for them is to examine all the different systems that are out there and see what system they feel best as a member school representative that will be best for classification," Damon said.
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'They expect big things.'Lakeland football's Larry Jones ready to impact Liberty football
How schools are reclassified could determine the fate of football's suburban-metro setup. Damon didn't address the future of football's playoff system and instead focused on the challenges of reclassifying high schools for athletics.
The task force met online for the first time in June, then met again Tuesday in Gainesville. McKeel athletic director Chuck Smith, a member of the task force, said there are four meetings remaining.
"The goal is to have something to present to me that I can give to the Board of Directors in November, as far as classification system to use in Florida," Damon said. "For 100-plus years, the staff in the office have been the ones who decided on the classification system and take it each year without necessary input from our member schools. So this gave us an opportunity to hear from our member schools. It's not going to be perfect, but at least it's something our member schools collectively said let's see if this works."
The task force is comprised of school athletic directors, coaches and county athletic directors. Smith and former FHSAA board member Bobby Johns, the football coach at Wewahitchka who coached at Lake Region in the late 1990s, are among the members of the task force.
"We have a very diverse group of individuals to come together and collaborate and try to come up with the final product," said Damon, who added he is not participating in these sessions. "I want them to decide on their own."
Associate executive directors Justin Harrison and Scott Jamison organize the meetings and FHSAA staff members are in attendance to answer questions.
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Competition is key for FHSAA reclassification
Damon said the first meeting was thought to be just an introductory meeting, yet the task force already came up with multiple ideas by the end of the day. Everything is on the table, Smith said, including population, suburban-metro-rural situations, competitive balance and even socioeconomic situations.
"What we're trying to do is add a competitive balance component to the reclassifications, as opposed to just going strictly off of population so that things are more equitable," Smith said. "I was pushing for this. We're trying to come up with a system that avoids that type of a scenario so that you have competitive balance and competitive equity within each sport, just like what they did in football with metro-suburban. Unless I'm missing something, the whole purpose of that was to try to come up with some competitive equity."
A few years ago, a proposal was made to create power rankings in each sport, and teams were to be classified through those rankings rather than enrollment, which would have put smaller schools that were powers in their sport in classifications with larger schools. The proposal received some support, but it was voted down.
Although discussions that involve the varying needs of schools across a diverse state like Florida have often become heated, Smith said that hasn't been the case thus far.
"They've been fantastic," Smith said. "There's been disagreements but not contentious. We just have people throw up an idea and then we either run with it or pick it apart but in a very professional way. Nobody's raised a voice, nobody's been antagonistic."
The task force has reached out to other states to see how they create classifications.
"They are definitely researching and turning over every stone to try to come up with what is best," Damon said. "What's difficult for the state of Florida is we are so unique compared to other state associations throughout the country where other state associations are more restrictive in how kids attend the schools they're zoned for. There is not as much as school choice. In Florida, it's wide open. When you throw that dynamic in on school choice, it makes things a little difficult in terms of classification."
Damon said that enrollment could change dramatically from the time enrollment is tabulated for classification purposes and when it goes into effect.
"Classification in the state of Florida, there are so many different things that are huge factors that we have no control over that makes it pretty difficult to come up with a system that will work best for everyone," Damon said. "It's not going to be perfect, but at least folks can say we heard our membership."
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Legislative changes going into effect
Damon acknowledged that athlete transfers are a hot issue but also acknowledged that Florida is school choice by state law for academics, athletics and extracurricular activities.
The FHSAA has been holding compliance clinics with athletic directors around the state on House Bill 225, which allows any student who doesn't attend a school traditionally to play for any program: public, charter, or private. If a charter or public school doesn't offer a sport, a student can go to a public school in their district, or a private school, to play that sport. Capacity doesn't matter.
Damon has just competed his first year as executive director, a turbulent year politically. In addition to student eligibility, the make-up of the board of directors will soon change with the governor's office in charge of appointing eight board members and schools voting for four on a new 13-member board of directors. The Department of Education will appoint one member. Previously, 12 members of a 16-member board were elected.
"I control what I can control," Damon said. "The folks in Tallahassee, they have a job to do. Once they establish state law, I follow it like everyone else. Things I have control over is how we treat our member schools, how we treat our student-athletes, make sure that we're doing our best promoting student-athletes in make sure they can be the best they can be, make we educate our athletic directors and instill all the rules of our association."
Damon said he wants to make sure he always remembers what it felt like to be an assistant coach and a head coach. At Thursday's athletic director seminar, he said he encouraged member schools to reach out to the FHSAA with their concerns.
"If there is something we can do better, tell me about it," he said. "We're not perfect, but I hope to be better today than we were yesterday."
Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco. | https://www.theledger.com/story/sports/high-school/2023/07/31/fhsaa-task-force-takes-on-challenge-of-reclassifying-florida-high-schools/70442798007/ | 2023-07-31T16:17:41 | 0 | https://www.theledger.com/story/sports/high-school/2023/07/31/fhsaa-task-force-takes-on-challenge-of-reclassifying-florida-high-schools/70442798007/ |
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 high in some spots charred more than 110 square miles of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, according to an incident update. There was zero containment.
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"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.
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To the southwest, the Bonny Fire was holding steady at about 3.4 square miles 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://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/massive-california-wildfires-continue-to-spread-due-to-erratic-winds/article_fc8d5b95-bf10-548b-b985-a3bfd3f0fbe5.html | 2023-07-31T16:17:46 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/massive-california-wildfires-continue-to-spread-due-to-erratic-winds/article_fc8d5b95-bf10-548b-b985-a3bfd3f0fbe5.html |
Here are the top Polk County football players who will be playing for a new school in 2023
One of the biggest player moves affecting Polk County football teams this offseason came in the spring when sophomore quarterback Zander Smith arrived at Lakeland High School after throwing for more than 1,600 yards for Palmetto in the fall of 2022.
Smith's arrival quickly answered the question of who would replace Zach Pleuss, who graduated after leading the Dreadnaughts to their eighth state championship.
Most of the transfers, however, were players transferring within Polk County. Here are the top Polk County players who have changed schools for the 2023 football season.
Top 10 Polk County Football Transfers
1. Carlos Mitchell, WR/DB/Senior.
Old school: Lake Wales
New school: Lakeland
The skinny: Mitchell was a first-team, all-county selection for state champion Lake Wales last season. He excels at wide receiver (28 catches, 815 yards, 12 TD) and defensive back (8 INT).
More:Meet The Ledger's 2022 All-County Offensive Football Team
More:Meet The Ledger's 2022 All-County Defensive Team
2. Rick Penick, WR/Senior
Old school: Ridge Community
New school: Winter Haven
The skinny: Penick has been one of the top wide receivers in the county the past two years with 31 catches for 684 yards as a junior and 39 catches for 686 yards as a sophomore.
3. John Kostuch, QB/Junior
Old school: Ridge Community
New school: Winter Haven
The skinny: Kostuch took over as Ridge's starting quarterback last season after Zach Pleuss transferred to Lakeland for his senior year and threw for 1,758 yards and 18 touchdowns on 120-of-225 passing. He followed head coach Carl White from Ridge to Winter Haven.
Making moves:What quarterback John Kostuch believes he can bring to Winter Haven football in 2023
4 Rashad Orr, RB/Senior
Old school: Victory Christian
New School: Lake Wales
The skinny: Orr went from Victory to Lake Wales for family reasons and helps fill a hole at running back with the graduation of Corey Harris Jr. and the transfer of Jordan Henderson. Orr rushed for 1,085 yards and 10 touchdowns.
5. Josh Petion, WR/Senior
Old school: Ridge Community
New school: Winter Haven
The skinny: Petion went with Kostuch and White in the move from Ridge to Winter Haven. He has been a top receiver at Ridge since his freshman season when he had 34 catches for 536 yards. In three season, he has 80 catches for 1,275 yards.
6. Jordan Henderson, RB/Junior
Old school: Lake Wales
New school: Lakeland
The skinny: Henderson was Lake Wales' second-leading rusher with 489 yards. He now becomes part of Lakeland's three-headed backfield with D'Marius Rucker and Markell Jonson.
7 Brycen Levidiotis, QB/Junior
Old school: Auburndale
New school: Lake Wales
The skinny: Levidiotis began the season as Auburndale's No. 1 quarterback and passed for nearly 700 yards in four games. However, he didn't finish the season and is now at Lake Wales.
8. Quavion Bird, DT/Senior
Old school: Bartow
New school: Lake Wales
The skinny: Bird was the fifth-leading tackler last season. A 6-foot-1, 264-pound defensive tackle, he'll fill a hole left with the graduation of Terrell James.
9. Jaydon Williams, DB/Senior
Old school: Lake Gibson
New school: Bartow
The skinny: The 5-foot-11, 181-pound defensive back can play cornerback and free safety. He was the Braves fourth-leading tackler. He joins the Yellow Jackets secondary for his senior year.
10. Josh Bellamy, RB/Junior
Old school: Mulberry
New school: Lakeland Christian
The skinny: Bellamy went from Mulberry to Lakeland Christian after the second semester following two years of varsity football. He rushed for 610 yards in 12 games over two season, including a 209-yard performance in the season-opener of his freshman year. | https://www.theledger.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2023/07/31/heres-are-the-top-polk-football-players-who-transferred-to-new-school/70442824007/ | 2023-07-31T16:17:47 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2023/07/31/heres-are-the-top-polk-football-players-who-transferred-to-new-school/70442824007/ |
Marine 1st Lt. Harvey "Barney" Barnum jumped to the ground when he came under fire during an ambush in Vietnam that killed his radio operator and commander.
Collecting himself, Barnum realized he was now the highest-ranking officer of a rifle company he'd just joined. He called in artillery and, amid gunfire, dragged the commander to safety, where he died in Barnum’s arms. Then he proceeded to mount a counterattack, oversee evacuation of the wounded and lead the unit’s eventual break out to rejoin the battalion.
The Medal of Honor recipient, now 83, watched Saturday as his wife smashed a bottle of sparkling wine against the bow to christen the future U.S. Navy destroyer that'll bear the name Harvey C. Barnum Jr.
He said he was speechless when he learned that a warship would bear his name. "As anybody that knows Barney Barnum knows, I’ve never been speechless," he joked before the event.
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The ceremony on Saturday at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works was a tribute to the Vietnam War hero who during his first firefight was foisted into leadership of Marines who didn’t yet know his name because he’d just joined them a few days earlier.
Dignitaries included Maine's governor and senators, as well as Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who praised Barnum's humility and generosity, in addition to being a war hero who inspired fellow Marines.
Gen. Eric Smith, the acting Marine Corps commandant whose nomination to lead the Marine Corps is being blocked by a Republican senator, called Barnum "an icon, a legend, a Marine."
In an interview, Barnum said the combat was harrowing on that day, Dec. 18, 1965, during Operation Harvest Moon. His unit was outnumbered, caught off guard and separated from the larger battalion outside the village of Ky Phu in Quang Tin Province.
The ship's namesake said he was scared like everybody else but he tried not to show it. The other Marines were looking to him, an artillery spotter, after their commander died, he said.
To launch a counterattack, he brandished a .45-caliber handgun and told the others to follow him. They did.
"It’s a tough business. But when it gets tough, the tough get going and that’s what Marines do," he said. "We came together as a team. And, you know, there’s no fury unleashed that's greater than that of a bunch of Marines that know that their buddies have been shot."
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Barnum later became the first Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam conflict to return for another tour. He retired from the Marine Corps as a colonel after nearly three decades of service and served the secretary of defense as principal director of drug enforcement policy, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for reserve affairs, and acting assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs.
Barnum, of Reston, Virginia, was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, and studied at Saint Anselm College, a Benedictine college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The school’s abbot, Mark Cooper, delivered the invocation on Saturday.
The event was a family affair for Barnum, who now lives in Virginia.
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His wife, Martha Hill, served as the ship’s sponsor. At the event Saturday, she was in a wheelchair; Barnum has been her care provider since she had a stroke about five years ago. Her daughter; two granddaughters, one of whom sang "God Bless America;" and an 11-year-old great-granddaughter were also participants at the event. Other family and friends were present.
Displacing 9,500 tons, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is built to simultaneously wage war against submarines, aircraft and missiles, and other warships. The newest versions are being equipped for ballistic missile defense.
The 510-foot (155-meter) guided-missile destroyer was in dry dock for the ceremony as work continues to prepare the ship for delivery to the Navy. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/medal-of-honor-recipient-christens-future-us-navy-destroyer-that-will-bear-his-name/article_b1ec8980-895e-57e2-b16d-8af6c6dbc014.html | 2023-07-31T16:17:52 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/medal-of-honor-recipient-christens-future-us-navy-destroyer-that-will-bear-his-name/article_b1ec8980-895e-57e2-b16d-8af6c6dbc014.html |
At least two tribal nations are expected to open Minnesota’s first recreational marijuana dispensaries in August as recreational marijuana becomes legal to possess and grow in the state on Tuesday.
Following a council vote on Friday, the White Earth Nation in northwestern Minnesota legalized recreational cannabis and will begin selling it sometime in the first half of August, Minnesota Public Radio reported. Both tribal members and non-tribal adults 21 years and older would be able to purchase from the nation’s dispensary.
Weeks earlier, NativeCare — a tribal-run medical marijuana provider — announced a recreational marijuana dispensary expected to open shortly on Red Lake Nation once the new law takes effect, the Star Tribune reported. The nation is also in northwestern Minnesota.
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The band could've started selling recreational marijuana at that time but decided to wait until Minnesota’s new marijuana law legalizes possession statewide.
"Our intention is to be a good partner and ultimately fill the void for people who intend to use cannabis," Red Lake tribal secretary Sam Strong told the Star Tribune.
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The state's Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a massive marijuana legalization bill this year, which Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed in May.
White Earth Nation and Red Lake Nation plan to take advantage of their sovereignty and allow sales right away. But the state projects most legal retail sales won’t begin until early 2025, while it creates a licensing and regulatory system for the new industry.
Minnesota is the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana, more than a decade after Colorado and Washington did so. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/minnesotas-first-recreational-pot-dispensaries-expected-to-be-opened-by-2-tribal-nations/article_342abace-a8f6-522c-9370-3e67337af862.html | 2023-07-31T16:17:58 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/minnesotas-first-recreational-pot-dispensaries-expected-to-be-opened-by-2-tribal-nations/article_342abace-a8f6-522c-9370-3e67337af862.html |
Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has finally broken his silence more than a month after his in-laws and nephew were tragically killed in a suspected murder-suicide in Oklahoma.
Johnson, who was recently named as a nominee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2024, said he was "devastated" over the June 26 killings in a brief statement posted to Instagram on Friday.
"Our family is devastated by the profound loss of Lynn, Jack, and Dalton Janway," the statement read.
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"We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion."
Jack Janway, 69, and his wife, Terry Janway, 68, were the parents of Chandra Janway, Johnson’s wife.
They, along with her 11-year-old nephew, were found dead inside a Muskogee home on June 26 after law enforcement received a 911 call over reports of a disturbance and someone with a gun.
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The Muskogee Police Department said in a statement at the time that officers responded to the scene and saw a person "laying in the hallway inside the front door." Shortly after, they heard a gunshot inside the home.
Police body cam footage released earlier this month revealed the horrifying scene where officers described seeing a victim through a window who was seen covered with a "blanket." Just before law enforcement entered an unlocked front door, the single gunshot could be heard.
Additional information later provided by the Muskogee Police Department revealed that Jack Janway’s body was identified as the victim near the front door. Terry Janway was later located on a couch positioned "next to a handgun."
The final victim was found in a bedroom.
Police told Fox News Digital at the time that they were investigating the fatal shooting as a possible murder-suicide and that Terry Janway was being looked at as a possible suspect. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nascar-driver-jimmie-johnson-breaks-silence-after-in-laws-nephew-killed-in-apparent-murder-suicide/article_2b7b21c2-8a3d-5b41-9fe9-9bd7318f15df.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:04 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nascar-driver-jimmie-johnson-breaks-silence-after-in-laws-nephew-killed-in-apparent-murder-suicide/article_2b7b21c2-8a3d-5b41-9fe9-9bd7318f15df.html |
FIRST ON FOX: Republican 2024 presidential hopeful Nikki Haley is expanding her plan to combat the threat from communist China -- including a pledge to roll back Biden-era green energy mandates, which she says are a giveaway to Beijing.
Haley has called for years for the U.S. to be more aggressive in combating the threat from Beijing and in June called for a fundamental change in the U.S. outlook to the threat from the East.
On Monday, her campaign is announcing the expansion of that strategy both in terms of sanctioning China and changing policies she believes are aiding the geopolitical foe.
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At the top of the list is a call to end green energy mandates implemented by the Biden administration to transition off from fossil fuels and onto electric vehicles and solar panels, which Haley and other critics argue are dominated by China and Chinese companies.
If elected president, Haley would end the mandates, as well as related subsidies. She also calls for a ban on states and cities from using federal taxpayer money to purchase Chinese tech -- including drones used by police and emergency services, which are often made in China. She would also ground Chinese drones, while replacing Chinese tech with that made in the U.S.
A Haley administration would also combat Chinese involvement in the U.S. fentanyl crisis -- illicit fentanyl is made in Mexico using Chinese precursors and moved across the border. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently said China "bears responsibility" for its role in the crisis.
Specifically, she would block Chinese instant messaging and payment apps used between Chinese and Mexican criminals and end loopholes in U.S. customs rules.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the Chinese balloon fiasco -- in which the Chinese sent a surveillance balloon across the U.S. before it was eventually shot down by the administration -- Haley is calling for the U.S. to pull out of the Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The partnership will soon expire, but could be renewed by the administration. Haley’s campaign cites a 2018 project that cooperated on launching weather balloons as an example of how the collaboration could be used by the Chinese.
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Haley’s expanded plan also calls for anti-China sanctions to remain in place, citing reported delays by the Biden administration on human rights-related sanctions and a potential deal regarding fentanyl that would see sanctions lifted. Haley’s plan rules out any such softening.
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"Americans want a president who will lead from a position of strength—not weakness," campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso told Fox News Digital. "Nikki Haley is the strongest and most vocal candidate in this race confronting Beijing’s many crimes and atrocities. She is China’s worst nightmare, and Xi Jinping knows it."
The plan is in line with Haley’s hawkish stance toward Beijing. Her June speech called for increased military ties with regional allies including Japan and South Korea, greater assistance to Taiwan as well as blocking exports to China, a ban on Chinese lobbying in the U.S. and a revocation of normal trade relations if the fentanyl crisis continues.
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Republicans have taken aim at the administration for allegedly being too soft on China, and last week passed a bill that would block DHS from using drones at the southern border made in China.
Haley had tackled China on the world stage when she served as U.N. ambassador during the Trump administration. Since then, she has remained outspoken on China, calling for the U.S. to ban TikTok and to boycott the Olympics in Beijing, while blasting corporations who do business with Chinese for hypocrisy on their stances on human rights. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nikki-haley-pledges-to-target-key-biden-era-mandates-in-extended-plan-to-combat-the/article_735a8639-e666-50a0-9926-6346b6cd9895.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:10 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nikki-haley-pledges-to-target-key-biden-era-mandates-in-extended-plan-to-combat-the/article_735a8639-e666-50a0-9926-6346b6cd9895.html |
Four people found clinging to the hull of an overturned boat off New Jersey were rescued and taken to a hospital, authorities said.
Coast Guard officials in New York say Coast Guard crews and New York police and fire units were deployed to the area off Sandy Hook after receiving a distress call about 1 a.m. Sunday over VHF Channel 16 from the sailing vessel Eagle, which reported having run aground and was taking on water.
Petty Officer Logan Kaczmarek told the Asbury Park Press that rescue crews found a floating debris field of items from the boat. They then found the four people about 2:15 a.m. Sunday holding onto the floating hull near the Romer Shoal Light Station about 2½ nautical miles from the tip of Sandy Hook.
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Crews from Station Sandy Hook pulled two people from the water while the other two were rescued by New York fire crews. All four, who had all been wearing life jackets, were taken to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch for treatment. There was no immediate word on their conditions. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nj-ny-rescue-crews-save-4-people-who-were-clinging-to-hull-of-overturned-boat/article_56ed6d55-c03d-5f83-b47f-e89387b2f8bf.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:16 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/nj-ny-rescue-crews-save-4-people-who-were-clinging-to-hull-of-overturned-boat/article_56ed6d55-c03d-5f83-b47f-e89387b2f8bf.html |
An Ohio man has been convicted of abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering in the case of a Kentucky teenager whose body was found in Ohio a decade after she disappeared.
Jurors in Clermont County deliberated for more than nine hours over two days before convicting 35-year-old Jacob Bumpass last week of both charges he faced in the death of 17-year-old Paige Johnson of Florence, Kentucky. Defense attorneys immediately vowed to appeal the verdict and seek a new trial.
Johnson's remains were found in 2020 by a hiker in East Fork State Park, about 20 miles east of Cincinnati, near the area investigators had searched after the teen disappeared in September 2010. A cause of death was never determined.
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Authorities had questioned Bumpass, a friend, at the time and believed he was the last person to have seen her alive. Prosecutors cited DNA evidence and records indicating that the defendant’s phone was pinged by a cell tower just over a mile away from where the body was found and then by one near a bridge leading back to northern Kentucky.
Defense attorney Louis Sirkin posed the idea that Johnson’s body was planted in the East Fork Lake area sometime after her disappearance, saying that if her remains were there all along they would have been spotted by workers at a nearby farm and people who used the area for illegal dumping.
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Paige Johnson’s mother, Donna Johnson, said after the verdict that it had been "a long wait and that part has been very hard," since her daughter's remains have been held in evidence pending the trial. Now, she said, "I get to bring my baby home and give her the dignity she has deserved this whole time and has had to wait for."
"I will always want to know what happened. I don’t think he’s ever gonna tell us," Johnson said. "This sadness will stay with me forever."
Bumpass is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 7. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/ohio-man-convicted-of-abusing-corpse-evidence-tampering-in-case-of-missing-kentucky-teen/article_feef65cc-65ab-5097-a8dd-1a256b246b6f.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:23 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/ohio-man-convicted-of-abusing-corpse-evidence-tampering-in-case-of-missing-kentucky-teen/article_feef65cc-65ab-5097-a8dd-1a256b246b6f.html |
Deputies in Oregon made the largest fentanyl bust in their county history last week, seizing tens of thousands of pills and powder packed into gallon-sized plastic bags, authorities said.
The bust happened Tuesday as investigators were watching a wanted person in Portland's Goose Hollow neighborhood, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies took the person into custody "at the opportune time" after watching him walk to a vehicle.
Deputies with the sheriff’s Special Investigations Unit obtained a search warrant for the individual’s car and apartment, finding gallon-sized plastic bags stuffed with fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder, a manual-operated pill press, a commercial grade pill press, $5,000 in cash and a stolen handgun, the sheriff's office said.
The bags held approximately 58,000 individual fentanyl pills and 16 pounds of fentanyl powder, according to authorities.
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Deputies determined that 10 of the 16 pounds of powder was ready to be pressed into an estimated 50,000 pills using the machines. The remaining six pounds of powder, which would have yielded about 30,000 additional pills, was meant to be sold in powder form, officials said.
In total, deputies estimate that their effort prevented approximately 138,000 pills from hitting Portland-area streets. The combined street value of the seizure was estimated to be between $320,000 and $400,000.
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Officials said that six out of 10 pills seized contained a potentially lethal 2 milligram dose of fentanyl.
The identity of the individual was not immediately released due to investigative reasons, the sheriff’s office said.
The bust comes just one year after the agency’s last historic fentanyl bust, when deputies seized 92,000 fentanyl pills and other drugs during a coordinated traffic stop in Clackamas County. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/oregon-deputies-make-largest-fentanyl-bust-in-county-history/article_e311f1a2-2163-5acd-b553-4099f624bd6e.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:29 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/oregon-deputies-make-largest-fentanyl-bust-in-county-history/article_e311f1a2-2163-5acd-b553-4099f624bd6e.html |
(Our Auto Expert) – The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is here to redefine the legacy of the world’s best-selling sports car. As the latest addition to the Mustang family, this remarkable vehicle marks a new chapter in its 59-year history. With its powerful engine, cutting-edge technology, and captivating design, the Mustang Dark Horse is set to wow both existing fans and a new generation of sports car enthusiasts.
The Mustang Dark Horse boasts the first new Mustang performance series title in 21 years. It is also the most powerful non-Shelby edition ever created, thanks to its unique 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine that churns out an impressive 500 horsepower. However, the Dark Horse is not just about raw horsepower; it is a vehicle designed for both street and track use.
Equipped with available carbon fiber wheels from Carbon Revolution and the Handling Package, the Mustang Dark Horse is the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever produced. Its performance is further enhanced by the specially designed blue ember metallic paint, adding exclusivity to this exceptional vehicle.
The Mustang Dark Horse exudes a menacing presence with its bold shadow graphic surrounding the darkened LED headlamps, lower side skirts, rear fixed rear wing, new race-inspired diffuser, and darkened quad exhaust tips. Its design is a testament to the Mustang’s storied motorsports history, combining aggression and elegance in one stunning package.
This powerhouse of a car comes equipped with a full suite of next-gen technology specifically designed to enhance performance. The standard MagneRide shocks, capable of monitoring wheel and tire movement 1,000 times per second, ensure an unparalleled driving experience. The Mustang Dark Horse is not just a pretty face; it’s a technologically advanced beast.
For those who prefer manual control, the Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission and a special Mustang Dark Horse transmission oil cooler to keep the stallion cool under pressure. Alternatively, there is the option to choose Ford’s advanced 10-speed automatic transmission for seamless gear changes.
The Mustang Dark Horse is not just a car; it’s a symbol of Mustang’s storied motorsports history. With its unique design, powerful engine, and advanced technology, it is set to make history itself. This street and track performance Mustang is sure to be a fan favorite for years to come.
Conclusion:
If you’re in search of a car that combines style, performance, and innovation, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the ultimate choice. Its powerful engine, track-ready capabilities, and advanced technology are a testament to the Mustang’s legacy. Whether you’re an existing fan or a new sports car lover, the Mustang Dark Horse is sure to ignite your excitement. Get ready to experience the thrill of the road like never before. | https://www.wowktv.com/automotive/ford-introduces-the-most-powerful-non-shelby-mustang-ever/ | 2023-07-31T16:18:34 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/automotive/ford-introduces-the-most-powerful-non-shelby-mustang-ever/ |
Elizabeth Feldman
May 4, 1945 - July 28, 2023
EAGLE LAKE, Minn. - Elizabeth Feldman, 78, Eagle Lake, formerly Mitchell, S.D., died Friday, July 28, in her home under hospice care.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, at Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell. A funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at First United Methodist Church in Mitchell. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell.
Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel. | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/obituaries/obits/elizabeth-feldman-5e9a10c48f0bab3912bdf5c4-64c6a45092d49e4652cedbcd | 2023-07-31T16:18:34 | 1 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/obituaries/obits/elizabeth-feldman-5e9a10c48f0bab3912bdf5c4-64c6a45092d49e4652cedbcd |
More than 80 private and parochial schools in Arkansas have so far applied to participate in the state’s new school voucher program that allows eligible students to use taxpayer funds to help pay tuition, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
The newspaper said that dozens of schools and more than 4,900 students have so far applied to participate in the program.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in March signed an education bill that included the creation of the new school voucher program. Over three years, it will phase in an "education freedom account" to pay for private- and home-schooling costs equal to 90% of the state’s per-student funding for public schools, which is currently $7,413.
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS ARKANSAS LAW BANNING LIBRARIANS FROM EXPOSING MINORS TO 'HARMFUL' MATERIAL
The legislation came as part of a renewed push for such voucher programs following the COVID-19 pandemic and fights over school curriculum.
The newspaper reports that eligibility this year is limited to those who either will be entering kindergarten, attended a state F-graded school last year, have a disability, are children of active military personnel or have experienced homelessness or foster care. The student eligibility criteria will expand over the next two years.
The newspaper reported that more than 4,900 students had opened applications for the vouchers of $6,672 to be used this school year. The student number includes approved applications, those in review, and those in the draft process, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education spokesperson Kimberly Mundell said. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/over-80-arkansas-private-parochial-schools-have-applied-to-participate-in-states-new-school-voucher/article_4f75abbe-6162-58cc-bf77-ab758ca1ac53.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:35 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/over-80-arkansas-private-parochial-schools-have-applied-to-participate-in-states-new-school-voucher/article_4f75abbe-6162-58cc-bf77-ab758ca1ac53.html |
President Biden will tout his administration’s work to combat climate change in a trip out West, which has faced scorching — and in some cases, record-breaking — temperatures this month.
In a trip next week to Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, Biden is expected to discuss Democrats’ climate, tax and health care bill and the ways in which it bolstered climate-friendly energy and U.S. manufacturing.
Later, on Aug. 16, Biden will host a White House event to celebrate the Inflation Reduction Act.
The southwestern U.S. has faced a sweltering heat wave over the past several weeks, with Phoenix seeing 31 days in a row of temperatures above 110 degrees.
Last week, Biden gave a speech about climate change, which exacerbates heat waves and other extreme weather events, and said he would take actions aimed at protecting workers from the hazardous heat.
The upcoming White House moves are part of broader efforts to promote that bill and other legislation the administration has passed.
This week, Vice President Harris and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will visit Wisconsin to talk about broadband investments that were part of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Oregon to discuss grants aimed at addressing wildfires and to Washington state to talk about climate-related investments in Agriculture. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi will visit Puerto Rico to engage on issues related to grid resilience. And Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will go to California to talk about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for water recycling.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit Illinois to talk about clean energy investments and Houston for a ribbon cutting for a port. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will visit Las Vegas, Nevada and Oregon to talk about efforts to lower health care costs. | https://www.wowktv.com/hill-politics/biden-to-tout-climate-investments-in-trip-to-sweltering-west/ | 2023-07-31T16:18:40 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/hill-politics/biden-to-tout-climate-investments-in-trip-to-sweltering-west/ |
The parents of an Alabama woman who died in the U.S. Virgin Islands are suspicious their daughter's former employer may be involved in her mysterious death as they desperately search for answers.
Lily Ledbetter, 22, was found unresponsive at her St. John home in June. Since her death, her parents Patrick Ledbetter and Sharon Thrash said they have received little information on the investigation.
They said they are suspicious her former employer could have something to do with the tragedy during "Fox & Friends First" as they continue to fight for justice for Lily.
VIRGIN ISLANDS DEATHS: AMERICANS FACE CRIME, VIOLENCE AMID RISING CONCERNS OVER US TERRITORY'S POLICING
"She had been introduced to a man named William Tuttle there to possibly take on a good opportunity, possibility as a first mate on a charter boat for the charter company," Ledbetter told Carley Shimkus Monday.
Lily's parents claim she worked under Tuttle at Yellow Bird Charters, where she was initially excited about the opportunity in the hospitality industry.
However, shortly thereafter, things changed and Lily expressed her fear to her loved ones, saying the people she was working with were not good people, and she needed to leave the island.
"We feel that basically this guy was a sexual predator. He manipulated our daughter. We have lots of information regarding him, the relationship between himself and our daughter," Ledbetter said. "It seems as though if this was a relationship or something here in the States... He would already be a major suspect, and to this day, I don't think he's even being questioned."
Tuttle has not been named a suspect in the case, according to Lily's parents.
VIRGIN ISLANDS OFFICIALS MUM ON US SWIM CHAMP AUTOPSY RESULTS AS SPRING BREAK VACATIONS BEGIN
Tuttle released a statement to Fox News on Lily's passing, writing, "Lillys [sic] passing is a terrible loss! Lily was suggested to me by a friend as I was looking for a first mate and, as luck would have it, I have never had a better assistant on the boat for the three weeks that she was working for me, I have never found a person that learned so quickly and adaptly as Miss Lily."
"Her ability to maneuver and dock the dinghy for instance, was perfect by day two end she was clearly enjoying the hospitality industry and the day charter experience," he continued. "She will be missed!"
However, Lily's mother was not satisfied with Tuttle's reaction, saying the opportunity with the charter company was "not what she thought" it was initially going to be.
"I don't know how to react to that after seeing and hearing from Lily, and I think she started out, and it was just that. She loved her job," Thrash said. "She loved what she thought were going to be her opportunities, but at the end it was not what she thought. She was wanting to get away. She was wanting to leave the island."
Even after the autopsy, Lily's parents still have major questions.
BOYFRIEND OF US SWIM CHAMP FOUND DEAD IN VIRGIN ISLANDS CONVICTED IN PENNSYLVANIA TOURIST'S 2007 BEATING DEATH
"It was basically a negative autopsy," Dr. Francisco Landron told Fox News Digital. "There is no injury, nothing to explain the cause of the death."
They are still waiting on toxicology results, but if those do not reveal any answers, Landron said the next step would be "microscopic studies on tissues such as the heart."
They claim officials on the island have not been helpful in their daughter's case, saying they were not able to identify Lily's body until the week after she died.
A detective assigned to Lily's case who was helping her parents get information was allegedly shot and killed after their daughter's tragic death, according to Thrash and Ledbetter.
"We were told that our autopsy could take anywhere from two to five months by the attorney general's office," Ledbetter said. "I asked about who was questioned… who was possible suspects, any of that information, and we haven't received anything."
The former Auburn University student had been living on the popular tourist island of St. John in the town of Cruz Bay and was working at a local animal shelter when she died suddenly.
Officials have come under fire in recent years for their handling of suspicious deaths amid concerns about the rate of violent crime in the tropical paradise.
In February, retired U.S. swimming champion Jamie Cali, 42, died after her boyfriend found her unresponsive in her home on St. John.
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media.
Fox News' Rebecca Rosenberg, Ashley Papa and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/parents-of-alabama-woman-who-mysteriously-died-in-us-virgin-islands-fear-former-employer-could/article_84e279ee-7b00-5b9c-be6f-ace9d2d75f17.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:41 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/parents-of-alabama-woman-who-mysteriously-died-in-us-virgin-islands-fear-former-employer-could/article_84e279ee-7b00-5b9c-be6f-ace9d2d75f17.html |
A super PAC that works to help Democrats get elected to the House is calling on them to promote the economy and the party’s successes as Congress goes on recess for the next month.
House Majority PAC said in a memo to congressional Democrats on Monday that the party must emphasize its accomplishments at the national and local level heading into the 2024 election. The memo said the PAC conducted research showing Democrats “dramatically” improve their position when they are proactive in speaking about the economy.
“Go on offense, and build the contrast with the MAGA House Republicans immediately,” it states.
The memo, which was first reported by Politico, references several key legislative accomplishments of the Biden administration, including the bipartisan infrastructure package, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The chips legislation provided billions of dollars in incentives for manufacturers to build domestic semiconductor plants, while the Inflation Reduction Act made significant investments in climate programs, allowed Medicare to negotiate on some drug prices and raised taxes on large corporations, among other initiatives.
The memo also states that “month after month” has shown President Biden’s “Bidenomics” economic policy is working.
The push to highlight economic issues comes as Biden’s approval rating, especially on the economy, remains underwater. A CNBC All-America Economic Survey earlier this month found that 37 percent of Americans approved of Biden’s handling of the economy, compared to 58 percent who disapproved.
The PAC said Democrats need to point to continued job growth that dropped the unemployment rate to 3.6 percent last month and declining inflation as evidence of the party’s success.
The memo also urges Democrats to target Republicans as “extremist” and threatening economic progress. It said they should note the battle over raising the debt ceiling in the spring and the potential government shutdown in September if Congress does not pass the 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the government.
The PAC also called on Democrats to go on offense over abortion, pointing to the annual defense bill the Republican-controlled House passed that would prohibit the Department of Defense from reimbursing service members who travel to receive an abortion. | https://www.wowktv.com/hill-politics/top-house-democratic-pac-urging-members-to-lean-into-economy/ | 2023-07-31T16:18:46 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/hill-politics/top-house-democratic-pac-urging-members-to-lean-into-economy/ |
The dogs bark and stare as Kim Jong-kil approaches the rusty cages housing the large, short-haired animals he sells for their meat. Kim opens a door and pets one dog’s neck and chest.
Kim says he’s proud of the dog meat farm that has supported his family for 27 years, but is upset over growing attempts by politicians and activists to outlaw the business, which he is turning over to his children.
"It’s more than just feeling bad. I absolutely oppose these moves, and we’ll mobilize all our means to resist it," Kim, 57, said in an interview at his farm in Pyeongtaek city, just south of Seoul.
Dog meat consumption is a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula and has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days. It's neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea, but more and more people want it prohibited. There's increasing public awareness of animal rights and worries about South Korea’s international image.
SOUTH KOREANS FACE HEAT WAVE BY DINING ON DOG MEAT
The anti-dog meat campaign recently received a big boost when the country’s first lady expressed her support for a ban and two lawmakers submitted bills to eliminate the dog meat trade.
"Foreigners think South Korea is a cultural powerhouse. But the more K-culture increases its international standing, the bigger shock foreigners experience over our dog meat consumption," said Han Jeoungae, an opposition lawmaker who submitted legislation to outlaw the dog meat industry last month.
Prospects for passage of an anti-dog meat law are unclear because of protests by farmers, restaurant owners and others involved in the dog meat industry. Surveys suggest that one in three South Koreans opposes such a ban, though most people don’t eat dog meat anymore.
Dogs are also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, North Korea and some African countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria.
Earlier this month, Indonesian authorities announced the end of dog and cat slaughter at an animal market on the island of Sulawesi following a yearslong campaign by local activists and world celebrities. The Tomohon Extreme Market will become the first such market in Indonesia to go dog and cat meat-free, according to the anti-animal cruelty group Humane Society International.
South Korea's dog meat industry receives more international attention because of its reputation as a wealthy, ultra-modern democracy. It is also the only nation with industrial-scale farms. Most farms in South Korea have more than 500 dogs, according to a dog farmers’ association.
COUNTRIES THAT EAT DOG
During a recent visit, Kim’s farm, one of the country’s largest with 7,000 dogs, appeared relatively clean but there was a strong stench in some areas. All dogs are kept in elevated cages and are fed with food waste and ground chicken. They are rarely released for exercise and typically are sold for meat one year after they are born.
Kim said two of his children, age 29 and 31, are running the farm with him, and that business has been going pretty well. He said the dogs bred for their meat are different from pets, an idea opposed by activists.
It's difficult now to find dog meat restaurants in Seoul’s bustling downtown, though many still exit in the countryside.
"I only earn one-third of the money I used to make. Young people don’t come here. Only ailing old people come for lunch," said Yoon Chu-wol, 77, the owner of a dog meat restaurant in Seoul’s Kyungdong traditional market. "I tell my elderly customers to come and eat my food more frequently before it’s banned."
Farmers also face growing scrutiny from officials and increasingly negative public opinion. They complain that officials visit them repeatedly in response to complaints filed by activists and citizens over alleged animal abuse and other wrongdoing. Kim said more than 90 such petitions were filed against his farm during a recent four-month span.
Son Won Hak, general secretary of the dog farmers' association, said many farms have collapsed in recent years because of falling dog meat prices and weaker demand. He thinks that's a result of activist campaigns and unfair media reports focusing on farms with inferior conditions. Some observers, however, say consumption of dog meat was already declining, with younger people staying away from it.
"Quite honestly, I'd like to quit my job (as a farmer) tomorrow. We can’t confidently tell our children that we’re raising dogs," Son said. "When my friends called me, they said ‘Hey, are you still running a dog meat farm? Isn’t it illegal?’"
The number of farms across South Korea has dropped by half from a few years ago to about 3,000 to 4,000, and about 700,000 to 1 million dogs are slaughtered each year, a decline from several million 10 to 20 years ago, according to the dog farmers’ association. Some activists argue that the farmers’ estimates are an exaggeration meant to show their industry is too big to destroy.
In late 2021, South Korea launched a government-civilian task force to consider outlawing dog meat at the suggestion of then-President Moon Jae-in, a pet lover. The committee, whose members include farmers and animal rights activists, has met more than 20 times but hasn’t reached any agreement, apparently because of disputes over compensation issues.
Agriculture officials refused to disclose the discussions in the closed-door meetings. They said the government wants to end dog meat consumption based on a public consensus.
In April, first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of current President Yoon Suk Yeol, said in a meeting with activists that she hopes for an end to dog meat consumption. Famers responded with rallies and formal complaints against Kim for allegedly hurting their livelihoods.
Han, the lawmaker, said she "highly positively appraises" influential figures speaking out against dog meat consumption.
Han said her bill offers support programs for farmers who agree to close their farms. They would be entitled to money to dismantle their facilities, vocational training, employment assistance and other benefits, she said.
Ju Yeongbong, an official of the farmers’ association, said farmers want to continue for about 20 more years until older people, their main customers, die, allowing the industry to naturally disappear. Observers say most farmers are also in their 60s to 70s.
Borami Seo, a director of the South Korea office of the Humane Society International, said she opposes the continued killing of millions of dogs for such a prolonged period. "Letting this silent cruelty to (dogs) be committed in South Korea doesn’t make sense," Seo said.
"(Dog meat consumption) is too anachronistic, has elements of cruelty to animals and hinders our national growth," said Cheon JinKyung, head of Korea Animal Rights Advocates in Seoul. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-as-politicians-push-to-eliminate-the-industry/article_6865d554-5865-5a35-8773-66272a7b03ad.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:47 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/south-korean-dog-meat-farmers-push-back-as-politicians-push-to-eliminate-the-industry/article_6865d554-5865-5a35-8773-66272a7b03ad.html |
Alleged participants in a Texas human smuggling network accused of harboring hundreds of migrants in squalid conditions were hit with new money laundering charges Friday, as federal prosecutors claim compensation for trafficking illegal immigrants across the border was concealed as payments for phony construction jobs.
New charges were filed against Erminia Serrano Piedra, 32, also known as Irma or "Boss Lady" and Oscar Angel Monroy Alcibar, 40, also known as Pelon, both of Elgin, Texas; Pedro Hairo Abrigo, 34, of Killeen, Texas; and Juan Diego Martinez-Rodriguez, 38, also known as Gavilan, of Dale, Texas.
According to the superseding indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas, the four defendants "conspired to engage in financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of ill-gotten proceeds of illicit human smuggling and the unlawful harboring and transportation of undocumented aliens."
"Boss Lady" and the other three allegedly recruited and used straw persons to accept human smuggling proceeds in their bank accounts, and then transferred these proceeds to the leaders under the pretense of "work" payments for construction, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release.
SENATE REPUBLICANS CITE 'SOUND OF FREEDOM' TO DEMAND HEARINGS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, BIDEN'S BORDER POLICIES
The leaders of the organization also allegedly used businesses and business accounts to transfer the human smuggling proceeds. They allegedly recruited individuals to accept human smuggling proceeds in the form of cash in exchange for checks from the recruited individuals’ business bank accounts. The superseding indictment also mentions criminal forfeiture of three properties with values currently estimated at approximately $2.275 million, $515,000, and $344,000, as well as money judgments amounting to at least $2,945,027.
Three of the four defendants previously were charged with human smuggling in an indictment filed in the Southern District of Texas and unsealed on Sept. 13, 2022.
That indictment was the culmination of a significant enforcement operation that resulted in the arrests of 14 alleged human smugglers said to be members of an organization led by Piedra "that facilitated the unlawful transportation and movement of hundreds of migrants within the United States and harbored and concealed those migrants from law enforcement detection," the Justice Department said.
SUCCESS OF ‘SOUND OF FREEDOM’ PROVES THAT AUDIENCES ARE ‘HUNGRY’ FOR ENTERTAINMENT WITH VALUES, CRITIC SAYS
The migrants were citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, and they or their families allegedly paid members of the human smuggling organization to help them travel unlawfully to and within the United States. According to the indictment, the organization used drivers to pick up migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border and transport them into the interior of the United States, often harboring them at "stash houses" along the way in locations such as Laredo and Austin, Texas.
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Drivers for the human smuggling organization allegedly hid migrants in suitcases placed in pickup trucks and crammed migrants in the back of tractor-trailers, covered beds of pickup trucks, repurposed water tankers, and wooden crates strapped to flatbed trailers. These methods allegedly placed the migrants’ lives in danger because they were frequently held in confined spaces with little ventilation, which became overheated, and they were driven at high speeds with no vehicle safety devices. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/texas-human-trafficking-ring-accused-of-smuggling-hundreds-of-migrants-in-squalid-conditions-faces-new/article_cca7a661-c6ec-5e96-af48-d7dfa8a996fa.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:47 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/texas-human-trafficking-ring-accused-of-smuggling-hundreds-of-migrants-in-squalid-conditions-faces-new/article_cca7a661-c6ec-5e96-af48-d7dfa8a996fa.html |
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea (AP) — The dogs bark and stare as Kim Jong-kil approaches the rusty cages housing the large, short-haired animals he sells for their meat. Kim opens a door and pets one dog’s neck and chest.
Kim says he’s proud of the dog meat farm that has supported his family for 27 years but is upset over growing attempts by politicians and activists to outlaw the business, which he is turning over to his children.
“It’s more than just feeling bad. I absolutely oppose these moves, and we’ll mobilize all our means to resist it,” Kim, 57, said in an interview at his farm in Pyeongtaek city, just south of Seoul.
Dog meat consumption is a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula and has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days. It’s neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea, but more and more people want it prohibited. There’s increasing public awareness of animal rights and worries about South Korea’s international image.
The anti-dog meat campaign recently received a big boost when the country’s first lady expressed her support for a ban and two lawmakers submitted bills to eliminate the dog meat trade.
“Foreigners think South Korea is a cultural powerhouse. But the more K-culture increases its international standing, the bigger shock foreigners experience over our dog meat consumption,” said Han Jeoungae, an opposition lawmaker who submitted legislation to outlaw the dog meat industry last month.
Prospects for passage of an anti-dog meat law are unclear because of protests by farmers, restaurant owners and others involved in the dog meat industry. Surveys suggest that one in three South Koreans opposes such a ban, though most people don’t eat dog meat anymore.
Dogs are also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, North Korea and some African countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria.
Earlier this month, Indonesian authorities announced the end of dog and cat slaughter at an animal market on the island of Sulawesi following a yearslong campaign by local activists and world celebrities. The Tomohon Extreme Market will become the first such market in Indonesia to go dog and cat meat-free, according to the anti-animal cruelty group Humane Society International.
South Korea’s dog meat industry receives more international attention because of its reputation as a wealthy, ultra-modern democracy. It is also the only nation with industrial-scale farms. Most farms in South Korea have more than 500 dogs, according to a dog farmers’ association.
During a recent visit, Kim’s farm, one of the country’s largest with 7,000 dogs, appeared relatively clean but there was a strong stench in some areas. All dogs are kept in elevated cages and are fed with food waste and ground chicken. They are rarely released for exercise and typically are sold for meat one year after they are born.
Kim said two of his children, age 29 and 31, are running the farm with him, and that business has been going pretty well. He said the dogs bred for their meat are different from pets, an idea opposed by activists.
It’s difficult now to find dog meat restaurants in Seoul’s bustling downtown, though many still exit in the countryside.
“I only earn one-third of the money I used to make. Young people don’t come here. Only ailing old people come for lunch,” said Yoon Chu-wol, 77, the owner of a dog meat restaurant in Seoul’s Kyungdong traditional market. “I tell my elderly customers to come and eat my food more frequently before it’s banned.”
Farmers also face growing scrutiny from officials and increasingly negative public opinion. They complain that officials visit them repeatedly in response to complaints filed by activists and citizens over alleged animal abuse and other wrongdoing. Kim said more than 90 such petitions were filed against his farm during a recent four-month span.
Son Won Hak, general secretary of the dog farmers’ association, said many farms have collapsed in recent years because of falling dog meat prices and weaker demand. He thinks that’s a result of activist campaigns and unfair media reports focusing on farms with inferior conditions. Some observers, however, say consumption of dog meat was already declining, with younger people staying away from it.
“Quite honestly, I’d like to quit my job (as a farmer) tomorrow. We can’t confidently tell our children that we’re raising dogs,” Son said. “When my friends called me, they said ‘Hey, are you still running a dog meat farm? Isn’t it illegal?’”
The number of farms across South Korea has dropped by half from a few years ago to about 3,000 to 4,000, and about 700,000 to 1 million dogs are slaughtered each year, a decline from several million 10 to 20 years ago, according to the dog farmers’ association. Some activists argue that the farmers’ estimates are an exaggeration meant to show their industry is too big to destroy.
In late 2021, South Korea launched a government-civilian task force to consider outlawing dog meat at the suggestion of then-President Moon Jae-in, a pet lover. The committee, whose members include farmers and animal rights activists, has met more than 20 times but hasn’t reached any agreement, apparently because of disputes over compensation issues.
Agriculture officials refused to disclose the discussions in the closed-door meetings. They said the government wants to end dog meat consumption based on a public consensus.
In April, first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of current President Yoon Suk Yeol, said in a meeting with activists that she hopes for an end to dog meat consumption. Famers responded with rallies and formal complaints against Kim for allegedly hurting their livelihoods.
Han, the lawmaker, said she “highly positively appraises” influential figures speaking out against dog meat consumption.
Han said her bill offers support programs for farmers who agree to close their farms. They would be entitled to money to dismantle their facilities, vocational training, employment assistance and other benefits, she said.
Ju Yeongbong, an official of the farmers’ association, said farmers want to continue for about 20 more years until older people, their main customers, die, allowing the industry to naturally disappear. Observers say most farmers are also in their 60s to 70s.
Borami Seo, a director of the South Korea office of the Humane Society International, said she opposes the continued killing of millions of dogs for such a prolonged period. “Letting this silent cruelty to (dogs) be committed in South Korea doesn’t make sense,” Seo said.
“(Dog meat consumption) is too anachronistic, has elements of cruelty to animals and hinders our national growth,” said Cheon JinKyung, head of Korea Animal Rights Advocates in Seoul. | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/eat-my-food-dog-meat-farmers-in-s-korea-resist-push-to-ban-industry/ | 2023-07-31T16:18:52 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/eat-my-food-dog-meat-farmers-in-s-korea-resist-push-to-ban-industry/ |
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, the former defense minister of Ukraine, spoke with Fox News Digital about the Ukrainian counteroffensive, offering insight into how Russian mines have slowed the Ukrainian military and what to expect as the war continues.
Zagorodnyuk said Russian mines have significantly slowed the counteroffensive and in some instances, mines are only a few feet apart making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to travel short distances quickly.
"They are looking more carefully about where to move and how to open up because we're talking about approximately 2 million mines," he said. "There’s intense mining in some areas."
Zagorodynyuk explained that the demining process takes a long time, and in newly liberated areas, a team of humanitarian deminers needs to come in to clear the area of potential mines.
He added that demining in areas under fire from the Russian military is "extremely difficult."
"We can explode mines, we can send in some kind of bombs to explode the mines or something like that. But it's extremely tough. So there's no magic solution to demining in this case," he told Fox News Digital.
PUTIN WAGES ‘ECONOMIC TERRORISM’ IN UKRAINE THROUGH MINING OPERATION: OFFICIAL WARNS
The former defense minister said a larger supply of spare parts would help Ukraine substantially because maintenance is a "huge issue right now."
The U.S. agreed in January to send 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and Germany and Poland committed to sending Leopard tanks.
Zagorodnyuk said the different makes and models and the different spares from different countries are "like a nightmare of its own."
"To kind of supply us [with] more spares and supplies, maybe a chance to make spares at home, you know, because we can do manufacturing at home and so on… that would substantially improve the situation because that would mean that the maintenance would be going much faster," he explained.
The distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center told Fox News Digital that Ukrainian counteroffensive plans were made without contingencies for aviation because conversations regarding F-16s were still taking place.
John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, told "The Story" in late July that F-16s would probably get to Ukraine "towards the end of the year." "But it’s not our assessment that the F-16s alone would be enough to turn the tide here," Kirby said.
Zagorodnyuk said F-16s would provide the Ukrainians with long-range power fire and would allow them to create more NATO-centric planning operations, relying on air supremacy to strike enemy targets.
"Right now what we do is a complete innovation. Nobody did that before… so nobody knows how to fight [the] war like ours without aviation," he said. "There are no rule books written for the war like we're fighting now."
PENTAGON WILL TRAIN UKRAINIANS TO FLY F-16 JETS, BUT WARNS ‘THERE ARE NO MAGIC WEAPONS’
"And that's why... yeah, it may go not as fast as somebody wanted, but we are having a substantial challenge," Zagorodnyuk continued.
Bryan Stern, a former counterintelligence officer and the founder of Project Dynamo, told Fox News Digital that U.S. armor operations are predicated on using tanks and close air support in tandem.
"If you're a U.S. Army instructor training a bunch of Ukrainians on how to do tank warfare, we've left out half the manual with them. That makes no sense. That's just kind of silly," Stern said.
"And then we're going to cry when all the tanks get blown up by the Russians? And we're going to say ‘Well we gave them all these tanks, what a waste of money.’ Well, probably all we had to do was follow our own rulebook and give them what they need to be effective with joint integrated fires." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/ukrainian-military-needs-more-spare-parts-to-help-win-the-war-ex-minister-of-defense/article_7496bd79-2332-5bfb-94e6-fb02bc40a622.html | 2023-07-31T16:18:53 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/ukrainian-military-needs-more-spare-parts-to-help-win-the-war-ex-minister-of-defense/article_7496bd79-2332-5bfb-94e6-fb02bc40a622.html |
HIALEAH, Fla. (WFLA) — A federal judge in Florida has thrown out a multi-million dollar lawsuit involving microwavable mac and cheese.
The $5 million lawsuit claimed the Kraft Heinz Food 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 woman from Hialeah, Florida, 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.
The lawsuit had claimed Amanda Ramirez bought the product for a “premium price” of $10.99 “between October and November 2022, among other times.” However, it did not say how long it actually took Ramirez to prepare the mac and cheese.
The suit described Ramirez as someone who “looks to bold statements of value when quickly selecting groceries”, and “like many consumers who seek to stretch their money as far as possible when buying groceries.”
Despite the arguments, a Miami district judge threw out the lawsuit. | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/florida-judge-tosses-5-million-lawsuit-over-microwavable-mac-and-cheese/ | 2023-07-31T16:18:58 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/florida-judge-tosses-5-million-lawsuit-over-microwavable-mac-and-cheese/ |
A small plane crash-landed in front of a crowd on a beach over the weekend in New Hampshire, with a bystander capturing the whole thing on video.
Footage showed water splash into the air as the single engine aircraft came down into the waves at Hampton Beach on Saturday and appeared to flip over.
"On arrival, Engine 4 reported a single aircraft in the water, approximately 30 yards offshore," Hampton Fire Rescue said in a statement, adding that the sole occupant of the plane was assisted by state lifeguards and evaluated by an arriving ambulance.
"Notifications were made to United States Coast Guard, the FAA, NH DOT Bureau of Aeronautics, NH State Police and NH Department of Environmental Services," they also said. "Other agencies on scene assisting were Hampton Police and NH State Police Marine Patrol."
NEW HAMPSHIRE NURSE, HER CHILD KIDNAPPED IN HAITI, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATION SAYS
What caused the plane to crash into the ocean was not immediately clear.
Images later released by Hampton Fire Rescue showed personnel pushing the plane along the beach after it was removed from the water.
"Deputy Fire Chief William Paine responded to the scene and remained on scene until the FAA Investigator responded and cleared the scene," Hampton Fire Rescue said. "FAA Investigator turned the plane back over to the property owner."
Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno told WMUR that the plane was carrying a banner and that the pilot did not suffer any injuries.
NEW HAMPSHIRE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE JOINS INVESTIGATION INTO GAY COUPLES’ ASSAULT
The station reported that the plane had taken off from nearby Hampton Airfield and made a few laps along Hampton Beach and Salisbury Beach before flight tracking ended around noon local time.
Hampton Fire Rescue said it started receiving "multiple emergency phone calls" reporting a crash a few minutes later.
In October last year, a single engine plane crashed into a multifamily building in Keene, New Hampshire, killing everyone on board, authorities said.
Keene Mayor George Hansel told The Associated Press at the time that two people on the plane died. He said the plane hit a two-story barn connected to a multifamily apartment building. All eight people were evacuated from the apartment building due to a subsequent fire.
"We are very fortunate in some ways that the plane didn’t hit a part of the building where people were," Hansel said. "This obviously could have been much worse but any loss of life is a tragedy."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/video-captures-plane-crash-landing-at-new-hampshire-beach/article_90e43ebe-64d2-533d-934a-39adf18d8626.html | 2023-07-31T16:19:00 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/video-captures-plane-crash-landing-at-new-hampshire-beach/article_90e43ebe-64d2-533d-934a-39adf18d8626.html |
HAZLET, N.J. (WPIX) – A New Jersey family is suing a movie theater chain after the mother and her son, who has autism, were thrown out.
Their offense? The mother took her son into the women’s restroom when he needed to go to the bathroom.
“All this time, it was humiliating and scary for my son,” Christine Gallinaro, of Holmdel, told WPIX.
It was supposed to be a fun trip to the movies for Gallinaro and her 15-year-old son, John.
Gallinaro‘s husband wasn’t with them, so when John, who is nonverbal, had to go to the bathroom, she took him into the ladies’ room at Cinemark‘s Hazlet 12. There was no family restroom.
Gallinaro said no one in the ladies’ room complained. She said many understood that her son has special needs and needed an adult to help him. But the theater manager let her and her son know she disapproved.
“I asked her if there was a problem. I explained that he was disabled, and she said a grown man should not be in this bathroom,” Gallinaro said.
Gallinaro said the manager called security and then the police to eject them from the movie theater. On the cellphone video, Gallinaro said it was clear to her that the security and police were sympathetic to her plight.
The Gallinaros filed a lawsuit last week against the movie theater chain.
“What happened that day was unlawful, wrong, and bizarre,” said Austin Tobin, the Gallinaro family’s lawyer.
“Since this happened and has been made public, there has been an overwhelming response of support, particularly from mothers of disabled children,” Gallinaro said.
A few days after the June 16 incident, Gallinaro said the movie theater regional manager reached out to offer a refund, but the mother said the humiliation was too great.
WPIX contacted the movie theater for comment on the allegations but did not receive a response. | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/humiliating-mom-son-with-autism-thrown-out-of-nj-theater-for-using-ladies-room/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:04 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/humiliating-mom-son-with-autism-thrown-out-of-nj-theater-for-using-ladies-room/ |
Baby, it's hot outside.
Right on cue, a New York Times headline links this surge in temperatures to "climate change."
Temperatures have climbed to well over 100 F in Las Vegas, Arizona, much of Texas, and New Mexico in recent weeks. In Phoenix, the heat wave is the worst since 1974.
Is The New York Times right? Is this climate change? Of course, yes. The climate on Earth has been changing since the Big Bang created this giant rock orbiting the sun.
IT'S NOT CLIMATE CHANGE THAT'S CAUSING HEAT WAVES THIS SUMMER BUT NO ONE WANTS TO EXPLAIN WHY
We had multiple ice ages and heat waves long before we had coal mines, gas-guzzling automobiles and air conditioning. Or human-made CO2 emissions. Or human-made anything.
The biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions has been Mother Nature. Forest fires and volcano eruptions have been some of the leading causes of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. The forest fires in California last year and Canada this summer have undone almost all the "progress" in reducing carbon emissions from the green energy fad. Instead of outlawing cars, how about better forest management?
You've probably heard some of the preposterous scaremongering from politicians and the media. CNN declared in big, bold letters that "global temperatures are likely highest in at least 100,000 years."
According to whom? "One scientist told CNN." Gee, that sounds authoritative.
Yet other major news outlets, including the Washington Post "fact-checkers," assured us this was true.
MINNESOTA HIGHWAY BUCKLES AMID US HEAT WAVE
Huh? Does any sane person think anyone has scientifically reliable daily temperature data from 1,000 years ago, let alone 100,000 years ago? Is it really beyond doubt that the temperature this summer is hotter than in, say, July 90,000 B.C.?
One of my favorite climate change "fact-checkers," Steve Milloy, who runs the blog JunkScience, has noted in a brilliant rebuttal that "reliable satellite temperature data for the planet didn't even exist a century ago."
But what we do know well is that the planetary temperature over the past 25 years shows no trend line toward extreme heat waves despite this year's scorcher.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Then, if we look at the thermostat data climate researchers at the Heartland Institute have documented, the famous heat wave of the mid-1930s was at least on par with the current surge in temperatures and probably worse.
This begs the question: Was the 1930s heat blast due to "human-made climate change," too?
That would be a virtual impossibility. The yearslong oppressive heat blasts during the Great Depression happened before 90% of the global CO2 emissions were belched into the Earth's atmosphere.
We also know that death rates from extreme weather conditions have rarely, if ever, been lower than they are today.
That's because what is different now than at any other time in history is we have refrigeration and air conditioning and cars and airplanes (to take us north during the summertime). Those on the left have everything upside down. They think it's cars and planes and air conditioners and fossil fuels that are heating the planet. Wrong -- these are the things that keep us cool, even when the thermostat hits 112 in Tucson.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM STEPHEN MOORE | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/were-having-a-heat-wave-but-the-hot-air-is-coming-from-a-predictable-swamp/article_cfe9eda1-51c2-5623-969b-9a7cbd7d9a14.html | 2023-07-31T16:19:07 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/national/were-having-a-heat-wave-but-the-hot-air-is-coming-from-a-predictable-swamp/article_cfe9eda1-51c2-5623-969b-9a7cbd7d9a14.html |
(The Hill) — The Department of Education released a beta website on Monday for the Biden administration’s new income-driven student loan repayment plan, known as the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.
“A beta version of the updated [Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)] application is now available and includes the option to enroll in the new SAVE Plan – the most affordable repayment plan yet,” the department said on the site.
Previously, the administration had numerous IDR options for borrowers, which advocates have said led to a confusing system for borrowers.
The new SAVE plan will replace the Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment (REPAYE) plan, one of the most widely used out of the four IDR options available to borrowers. The other three IDR plans will be phased out by the department or limited in the future.
The SAVE plan will make three significant changes this year compared to the REPAYE option. The first raises the income exemption from 150 percent above the poverty line to 225 percent, meaning a single person earning less than $32,800 would have $0 monthly payments under the plan.
The plan also won’t allow unpaid interest to grow if a person is making their monthly student loan payments. Lastly, spousal income for borrowers who are married and file separately will not be included.
The website – first reported by CNN — shows a demo of the application process, where some information such as tax returns can be automatically inserted due to information the government has on file for a borrower.
“We will be able to show borrowers their exact monthly payment amount and give them the ability to choose the most affordable repayment plan for them,” one official told CNN.
Officials told the network the full website launch will happen in August after the department has time to assess the site’s performance during the beta launch. Those who apply for SAVE during the beta period will not have to reapply after the full launch.
Those on the previous REPAYE IDR plan will be automatically enrolled in the new plan and do not need to use the launched application.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Education for comment on the beta launch.
Other aspects of the SAVE program will be implemented next year such as payments getting reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent of income above 225 percent of the poverty line for undergraduate loans.
The SAVE plan, touted as the most generous IDR plan by the administration, is expected to cost between $150 billion to $350 billion a year, according to varying estimates.
The launch of the SAVE plan comes two months before borrowers end their three-year-long pause on student loan payments and begin President Joe Biden’s “on-ramp” repayment system.
Under the system, interest will still accrue, but borrowers will not be penalized in other ways such as credit score ratings for not paying their student loan payments up until Sept. 2024. | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/new-income-driven-student-loan-repayment-plan-available-to-borrowers/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:10 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/new-income-driven-student-loan-repayment-plan-available-to-borrowers/ |
Afternoon Weather Monday, July 31st Jul 31, 2023 1 hr ago Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tags Localweather Recommended for you 71° Mostly Cloudy Brewer 71° Partly Cloudy Hampden 71° Dedham 67° Mostly Cloudy East Millinocket 72° Sunny Mount Desert 71° Mostly Cloudy Dover-Foxcroft Currently in Bangor 72° Light Rain73° / 56° 1 PM 74° 2 PM 70° 3 PM 71° 4 PM 68° 5 PM 69° Trending Articles Videos ArticlesResearchers give advice on hand-picking Japanese BeetlesResearchers track new feeding pattern for invasive Japanese BeetleA once in a life time estate sale is happening in NewburghMassachusetts men attempt to steal entire Bank of America ATM with chain, leads officers on chaseThree arrested after investigation into drug trafficking in Washington CountyBangor movie theater reopens under new ownershipPolice arrest man for detaining a woman against her willWoman arrested following alleged police standoffHollywood comes to MaineU.S. Marshals in Maine warn of recent phone scams Videos What's on Tonight? Fox Bangor Image Time Programme 7:00 pm Family Feud 8:00 pm Master Chef 10:00 pm Fox 22 News at 10 11:00 pm Dateline WVII Image Time Programme 7:00 pm Wheel of Fortune 7:30 pm Jeopardy! 8:00 pm The Connors 8:30 pm The Goldbergs 9:00 pm Abbott Elementary 9:30 pm Home Economics 10:00 pm Press Your Luck 11:00 pm ABC 7 News at 11 11:30 pm Jimmy Kimmel | https://www.foxbangor.com/weather/afternoon-weather-monday-july-31st/article_0d2dfbd2-2fb4-11ee-9d15-b7fcdaba2f67.html | 2023-07-31T16:19:14 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/weather/afternoon-weather-monday-july-31st/article_0d2dfbd2-2fb4-11ee-9d15-b7fcdaba2f67.html |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — This year Whitney Houston would have turned 60, and a special celebration to raise money for a good cause is being planned for her birthday.
Houston’s estate, Sony and Primary Wave Music will host the second annual Whitney Houston Legacy of Love on Aug. 9, which will benefit the late singer’s foundation aimed at helping young people.
Houston’s close friends BeBe Winans and Kim Burrell will perform at the gala at Atlanta’s St. Regis Hotel, as will Whitney’s brother, Gary, who toured with her for three decades.
“When I turned 50, Whitney gave me two celebrations — one in Ireland and one in London. I always tell everyone now that one of them was for her,” says Pat Houston, Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law and the executor of her estate. Houston died in February 2012 at age 48. “This year is Whitney at 60 — we’re all looking forward to being a part of the power of love in that room.”
Founded by the singer in 1989, the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children aims to empower youth, by providing resources to unhoused children, giving out college scholarships, and raising funds for charities like the Children’s Defense Fund and St. Jude Children’s Research.
A charity auction will raise money for the foundation.
“We’re going to auction off a beautiful lavender dress Dolly Parton wore when she sang ‘I Will Always Love You’ at Country Music Television’s ‘100 Greatest Love Songs of Country Music’ special in 2004,” says Pat Houston. “This dress is particularly special because it’s lavender, and lavender is Whitney’s favorite color.”
The song, originally written by Parton, was recorded by Houston and became one of her great, everlasting hits. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it diamond early last year, which means the track has sold and streamed 10 million equivalent units in the United States. It became her first diamond single and made Houston the third woman to ever achieve diamond status with both a single and an album, following Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift.
Clive Davis will serve as honorary chairman. Recording Academy President Harvey Mason jr. is scheduled to attend. Also expected are Gamma’s Larry Jackson and Whitney Houston’s musical director Rickey Minor.
“I always tell people, Whitney is the star,” Pat Houston said. “Everybody in that room is royalty, but she’s loyalty — and she’s still showing that.” | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/whitney-at-60-houston-estate-announces-2nd-annual-gala/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:16 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/whitney-at-60-houston-estate-announces-2nd-annual-gala/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Trucking company Yellow Corp. has shut down operations and is headed for a bankruptcy filing, according to the Teamsters Union and multiple media reports.
After years of financial struggles, reports of Yellow preparing for bankruptcy emerged last week — as the Nashville, Tennessee-based trucker saw customers leave in large numbers. Yellow shut down operations on Sunday, according to the Wall Street Journal, following the layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday.
In an announcement early Monday, the Teamsters said that the union received legal notice confirming Yellow was ceasing operations and filing for bankruptcy.
“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government,” Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry.”
The Associated Press reached out to Yellow for comment on Monday. No bankruptcy filings had gone live as of the early morning.
The bankruptcy reports have renewed attention around Yellow’s ongoing negotiations with unionized workers, a $700 million pandemic-era loan from the government and other bills the trucker has racked up over time. Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The company’s reported closure puts 30,000 jobs at risk.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT WOULD BANKRUPTCY MEAN FOR YELLOW?
According to Satish Jindel, president of transportation and logistics firm SJ Consulting, Yellow handled an average of 49,000 shipments per day in 2022. Last week, he estimated that number was down to between 10,000 and 15,000 daily shipments.
With customers leaving — as well reports of Yellow stopping freight pickups last week — bankruptcy would “be the end of Yellow,” Jindel told The Associated Press, noting increased risk for liquidation.
“The likelihood of them surviving and remaining solvent diminishes really by the day,” added Bruce Chan, a research director at investment banking firm Stifel.
Yellow declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Friday. In a Wednesday statement to The Journal, the company said it was continuing “to prepare for a range of contingencies.” On Thursday, Yellow said it was in talks with multiple parties about selling its third-party logistics organization.
Even if Yellow was able to sell its logistics firm, it would “not generate a sufficient amount of cash to keep them operational on any sort of permanent basis,” Chan said. “Without a major equity injection, it would be very difficult for them to survive.”
HOW MUCH DEBT DOES YELLOW HAVE?
As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.
In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. Last month, a congressional probe concluded that the Treasury and Defense Departments “made missteps” in this decision — and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”
The government loan is due in September 2024. As of March, Yellow had made $54.8 million in interest payments and repaid just $230 million of the principal owed, according to government documents.
Yellow’s current finances and prospect of bankruptcy “is probably two decades in the making,” Chan said, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”
In May, Yellow reported a loss of $54.6 million, a decline of $1.06 per share, for its first quarter of 2023. Operating revenue was about $1.16 billion in the period.
A Wednesday investors note from financial service firm Stephens estimated that Yellow could be burning between $9 million and $10 million each day. Using a liquidity disclosure from earlier this month, Yellow had roughly $100 million in cash at the end of June, the note added — estimating that the company has been burning through increasing amounts of money through July.
“It is reasonable to believe that the Company could breach its $35 mil. liquidity requirement at any moment,” Stephens analyst Jack Atkins and associate Grant Smith wrote.
DID THE COMPANY JUST AVERT A STRIKE?
Last week’s reports of bankruptcy preparations arrived just days after a strike from the Teamsters, which represents Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, was averted.
A series of heated exchanges have built up between the Teamsters and Yellow, who sued the union in June after alleging it was “unjustifiably blocking” restructuring plans needed for the company’s survival. The Teamsters called the litigation “baseless” — with O’Brien pointing to Yellow’s “decades of gross mismanagement,” which included exhausting the $700 million federal loan.
On July 23, a pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, averting a strike — and giving Yellow “30 days to pay its bills,” notably $50 million that Yellow failed to pay the Central States Health and Welfare Fund on July 15, the union said. While the strike didn’t occur, talks of a walkout may have caused some Yellow customers to pull back, Chan said.
“The financial struggles of Yellow are not related to the union and the contracts,” Jindel said, pointing to management’s responsibility around its services and prices. He added the union wages from Yellow are “lower than any competitor.”
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YELLOW WENT UNDER?
As Yellow customers take their shipments to other carriers, like FedEx or ABF Freight, prices will go up.
Yellow’s prices have historically been the cheapest compared to other carriers, Jindel said. “That’s why they obviously were not making money,” he added. “And while there is capacity with the other LTL carriers to handle the diversions from Yellow, it will come at a high price for (current shippers and customers) of Yellow.”
Chan adds that we’re in an interesting time for the LTL marketplace — noting that, if Yellow liquidates, “the freight would find a home” with other carriers, which may not have been true in recent years.
“It may take time, but there’s room for it to be absorbed,” he said. | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/yellow-trucking-shutdown-bankruptcy-heres-what-to-know/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:22 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/national-news/yellow-trucking-shutdown-bankruptcy-heres-what-to-know/ |
SCIOTO COUNTY, OH (WOWK) – A Scioto County man has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of an elderly woman.
Matthew Vansickle, 58, appeared in court Monday, July 31, in Portsmouth, Ohio. He is charged with involuntary manslaughter following the alleged abuse and the death of Patricia Vansickle, 79, both from Franklin Furnace.
In court, Vansickle’s bail was set to $150,000. He will appear in court again for a bond hearing Aug. 2, 2023, with a preliminary hearing on Aug. 3.
In a news release, the Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman said the alleged abuse was first brought to their attention on Wednesday, July 26, when the victim was brought in for treatment at the Southern Ohio Medical Center.
Following an investigation, Matthew Vansickle was arrested for failure to provide for a functionally impaired adult. He signed his own bond for that charge on Thursday, July 27; however, after the death of the victim on Saturday, July 29, he was re-arrested on the additional involuntary manslaughter charge.
Thoroughman said this weekend that the investigation is ongoing and more charges could be added at a later date. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/ohio/scioto-county-oh/scioto-county-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-manslaughter/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:28 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/ohio/scioto-county-oh/scioto-county-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-manslaughter/ |
PORT ANGELES, Wash. — An 8-year-old suffered minor injuries after being attacked by a cougar while camping at Lake Angeles in the Olympic National Park on Saturday.
The cougar "casually abandoned" the attack after the child's mother yelled at it, according to the National Park Service.
"Luckily, the mom responded perfectly and quickly and started yelling and screaming at this cougar. It let the kid go and walked away," said Amos Almy, acting public information officer for Olympic National Park.
Park personnel responded and escorted the child and their family back to the trailhead. The child was then taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. It was confirmed the child only had minor injuries.
"Minor abrasions, scrapes, punctures, stuff like that," said Almy. "I think they realized that it was a pretty scary incident... we're so happy that it was not a huge incident, and that the kid is safe."
All remaining campers in the Lake Angeles area have been evacuated and access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas are closed to the public until further notice.
“Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity,” said Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist Tom Kay. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Lake Angeles Trail, Heather Park Trail, Switchback Trail, and the entire Klahhane Ridge Trail are closed until further notice.”
Almy said those areas will remain closed until the cougar is found or they're certain the cougar has moved to another area of the park.
Law enforcement and wildlife personnel specializing in cougar tracking were dispatched to the cougar's last known location Sunday morning. If the cougar is located it will be euthanized and removed for necropsy, according to the National Park Service.
Almy said people should keep in mind that cougar sightings are extremely rare, and cougar attacks even rarer.
"That almost never happens, and it's a sign of very, very unusual behavior," Almy said. "And when you have an animal like that behaving so unusually, you have to kind of take extreme measures and for this, unfortunately, it will be euthanization if that cougar is found. It's also important to remember, we're park rangers, we're wildlife biologists, we don't enjoy killing wildlife. That is not why we signed on to this job. But in circumstances like this, it is warranted."
The Olympic National Park is considered cougar territory. The National Park Service recommends visitors do not hike or jog alone and to keep children within sight and close to adults.
Cougar/human interactions are rare in the northwest. But if you encounter one, officials say to do the following:
- Do not run
- Make noise and appear large
- If attacked, fight back
- Carry bear spray
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/cougar-attack-child-olympia-national-park/281-102e0158-a488-48ac-aea0-54a5578d0a36 | 2023-07-31T16:19:33 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/cougar-attack-child-olympia-national-park/281-102e0158-a488-48ac-aea0-54a5578d0a36 |
WASHINGTON, USA — Fires sparking throughout the state have kept fire crews busy this summer.
Officials with the state's Fire Marshal's Office believe this could be just the beginning of an extended wildfire season.
"The second half is the most challenging,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “We're heading into the most difficult we always have. And I'll tell you it's already been a very busy fire season."
It's not even August yet and the Department of Natural Resources has already had its fair share of wildfires to respond to.
"We've already had 1,000 fires to date, 80,000 acres burnt," said Franz.
The Washington Fire Marshal's Office is also reporting an early start to fire response this year, providing a helping hand to DNR crews and local fire agencies.
“Our fire season for mobilization usually starts after Father's Day, it started in May," said Gregory Baruso, the public information officer with the Fire Marshal's Office.
The Fire Marshal’s office has already responded to 150,000 burned acres throughout the state.
"But the acres are going up,” said Baruso. “When folks talk about climate change and global warming, it's here."
Franz said her biggest concern is where some of these fires are taking place. "I think one of the things that's really concerning for us is a lot of the fires we've had to date are in the west side of the state, we don't usually see that many fires this early on the west side," said Commissioner Franz.
Both agencies said they’re concerned for a potentially extended fire season. "I expect it to be a little bit warmer, we're probably going to see more still and our season doesn't stop mobilization until the first week until October, so that gives you an idea where we're at," said Baruso. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/wildfire/increased-fire-danger-washington-august/281-6c9ce532-ef4c-4ded-b264-9ec621d50303 | 2023-07-31T16:19:34 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/wildfire/increased-fire-danger-washington-august/281-6c9ce532-ef4c-4ded-b264-9ec621d50303 |
UPDATE: (11 A.M. July 31, 2023) – The Boone County Sheriff’s Office says a man is in stable condition after being shot Sunday night.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were called to the scene of Jackson Avenue in Madison between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Sunday, July 30, regarding a shooting. Deputies say when they arrived on scene, they found a man who had been shot in the abdomen.
The victim was flown to a Charleston area hospital and is currently in stable condition, according to the BCSO.
Deputies and West Virginia State troopers say one man was detained for questioning a short time later. However, no arrests have been made at this time. The BCSO, WVSP and Madison Police Department are all investigating.
The sheriff’s office says they will present the case to the prosecutor’s office for further “review and direction.
BOONE COUNTY, WV. (WOWK) – Madison Chief of Police, Chet Burgess tells 13 News a person was shot in Madison, Sunday night.
Chief Burgess says it happened around 10:00 p.m. on the corner of Jackson Avenue and Griffith. He says the victim was life-flighted to the hospital and no one is in custody at this time.
This is still an active investigation. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/boone-county-wv/person-shot-and-life-flighted-to-hospital-in-boone-county/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:34 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/boone-county-wv/person-shot-and-life-flighted-to-hospital-in-boone-county/ |
ST ANTHONY, Idaho — Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison without parole Monday as she is sentenced in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece's ex survived an attempt later that year.
Monday's sentencing will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. Judge Steven W. Boyce is expected to hear testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
The case began in July 2019, when Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self-defense. He was never charged in the case and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell's previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into “zombies,” including JJ and Tylee. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/nation-world/idaho-mom-faces-sentencing-for-killing-2-children-romantic-rival/507-85d31015-17a1-4484-b80a-f56c1fc8b407 | 2023-07-31T16:19:36 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/nation-world/idaho-mom-faces-sentencing-for-killing-2-children-romantic-rival/507-85d31015-17a1-4484-b80a-f56c1fc8b407 |
Scientists have discovered a worm that managed to stretch its short life expectancy — by tens of thousands of years.
A tiny roundworm was revived after it was frozen in Siberian permafrost 46,000 years ago, when Neanderthals still walked the Earth.
The worm, a previously unknown species of nematode, survived after entering a dormant state known as cryptobiosis, during which the animal doesn't eat and lacks a metabolism. The finding was detailed in a recent study published in the journal PLOS Genetics.
The most stunning part of the discovery was the length of time the worm had endured cryptobiosis, said Philipp Schiffer, one of the study's authors and a group leader at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Cologne in Germany.
Nematodes are among the planet's most ubiquitous life forms. Scientists had known that some could survive long periods of suspended animation in subzero environments. One Antarctic species spent over 25 years in frozen moss before resuscitation, the previous longest record of cryptobiosis recorded for a nematode.
"Nobody had thought that this process could be for millennia, for 40,000 years — or even longer," Schiffer said. "It's just amazing that life can start again after such a long time, in the stage between life and death."
Scientists used radiocarbon dating to determine that the soil from the permafrost sample was 46,000 years old.
Some nematodes are also known to survive parched climates, like in Chile's Atacama Desert, the driest nonpolar desert on Earth. One species was revived after spending nearly 40 years desiccated in a dry herbarium.
"Everything seems to be possible for these animals and that's what makes them so fascinating," the scientist said.
Schiffer says his worm lab in Cologne was able to analyze and identify the novel worm, which researchers named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, using genome sequencing.
The nematode was found about 130 feet deep within the permafrost inside a burrow once home to Arctic gophers. After the chunk of frozen sediment was taken to the lab to thaw, the resurrected nematode crawled out and started making babies. The nematode, a female-only species, reproduces asexually, after about eight to 12 days.
The original worm, found five years ago, has died. Scientists are using its descendants to continue their research on the species, which will primarily involve investigating the genetic machinery behind these organisms to learn how these worms evolve to adapt in extreme environments.
That work could reveal how other animals might harbor the genetic superpowers to adapt to extreme environments today, as climate change drives more frequent heat waves and uninhabitable environments, Schiffer says.
"You might learn a lot about how and what's happening right now on Earth, and maybe even inform protection of endangered species," he said.
One challenge in researching the DNA sequences of this particular species, he adds, is how quickly the nematode evolves during its short life. The lifespan of Panagrolaimus kolymaensis is just one to two months.
Unless, of course, it happens to get frozen in time.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists | 2023-07-31T16:19:39 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/a-worm-that-survived-46-000-years-in-permafrost-wows-scientists |
FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – Eight different fire crews from Kanawha County and Fayette County fought a large fire for hours on Saturday night at the former Montgomery Auto Repair shop along Morris Drive and Fayette Pike.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and West Virginia State Fire Marshals will be on the scene on Monday investigating the fire.
“I turned around and looked, and this horrible black cloud, and I looked down and I could see the flames, and the garage was on fire,” Montgomery resident Fred Lockard said.
“You could even see metal flying up with the smoke, and it was coming down on the properties and stuff. I actually went inside because I was scared it was going to come down on me,” Montgomery resident Shaina Hanson said.
Mayor Greg Ingram told WOWK that the shop had not been in business for several years, but it was filled with oil, tires and other stored automotive items that allowed the fire to burn for hours.
Montgomery residents who witnessed the fire said they were worried for their safety because of how big the fire was.
“I called my mom. I was a little worried because I was hoping I wouldn’t have to leave my house or anything. It was getting bigger and bigger by the minute. It took hours for it to finally get a little more contained,” Hanson said.
Officials said the fire broke out around 8 p.m. on Saturday night. No injuries were reported.
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection personnel were also on the scene to prevent any oil inside the auto shop from contaminating the area.
However, some residents say their water had a black tint to it Saturday night, but was back to normal Sunday.
“I went in there to brush my teeth and I noticed the water was not white. It was not clear in my sink. It had a tint to it, and it looked dirty,” Hanson said.
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection officials said they do not regulate drinking water in the state. They sent a statement to 13 News following residents’ concerns about their tap water.
“WVDEP had staff on-site last night and did not observe any off-site impacts stemming from the fire,” WVDEP Chief Communications Officer Terry Fletcher said.
Lockard used to be a Montgomery firefighter, and he said considering how long the fire burned, he was proud of the response of all the involved fire crews.
“It’s a bad situation. There’s no doubt about it, but I feel like that this was the best that could have been made out of a bad situation,” Lockard said. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/fayette-county-wv/montgomery-residents-react-to-auto-shop-fire/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:40 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/fayette-county-wv/montgomery-residents-react-to-auto-shop-fire/ |
Can someone be too old to hold office?
That age-old question was front and center last week after awkward episodes from two of the oldest members of the U.S. Senate.
On Wednesday, Sen. Mitch McConnell, 81, abruptly froze for over 30 seconds during his weekly news conference. A day later, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, had to be reminded by a colleague to "Just say, 'Aye' " while casting her vote for the military budget.
Both incidents were brief, but chances are they won't be the last. The median age of U.S. senators is 65 — a record high — while the median age of representatives in the House is 58. In the White House, President Biden, 80, is the oldest president elected in U.S. history, and he hopes to remain in office until 86.
People age at different rates, but concerns over life expectancy and mental fitness will likely keep resurfacing as Congress gets older and there are few legal options to address gerontocracy.
Why do we have an age minimum but not an age maximum to hold office?
Maximum age limits are considered unconstitutional. Part of the reason that's true dates back to 1995. At the time, Arkansas attempted to deny ballot access to prospective U.S. representatives who had already served three terms and prospective U.S. senators who had already served two terms.
That case was argued in front of the Supreme Court in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton. The court ruled that the Framers could have created term limits for lawmakers in Congress but chose not to, suggesting that they did not intend for term limits to be part of the Constitution.
The same could be argued against maximum age limits, according to Jeremy Paul, who teaches at Northeastern University School of Law.
"Whether you're talking about adding term limits or whether you're talking about a maximum age, you're still changing the qualifications that are set out in the Constitution," Paul said.
Could there be age limits in the future for politicians in Washington?
The military, commercial pilots and, in some states, judges all follow a mandatory age for retirement. But imposing an age limit for the president or lawmakers serving in Congress would be a much harder lift.
Essentially, it would require Congress to add a new amendment to the Constitution. Doing so generally requires the support of two-thirds of both chambers of Congress, as well as three-quarters of the state legislatures. The last time Congress added an amendment was over 30 years ago.
Even if there was widespread support for setting a retirement age, Paul said it would be a complicated feat to settle on what age that should be.
"Whatever age you pick, there will be arbitrariness to it," he said.
Why do we keep electing older adults?
In elections, age does not tend to play a big, decisive role, according to Damon Roberts, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder who has researched whether voters prefer older or younger candidates.
In an online survey with 1,000 respondents, Roberts found that both young and older people were equally supportive of a 23-year-old candidate, a 50-year-old candidate and a 77-year-old candidate — even if they believed stereotypes that old age is associated with forgetfulness and closed-mindedness.
Instead, a candidate's political party, race, gender and where they stood on specific issues held more sway.
"We have other things that are really salient in American politics that people use quite strongly to base their voting decisions off," Roberts said.
The case for and against term limits
For some, being a senator or representative in Congress is a full-time career. That can be a good or bad thing, according to Northeastern University's Paul.
Some argue that term limits are the best way to address gerontocracy. With more turnover comes new ideas and a chance to challenge the status quo in Washington.
But critics say multiple terms help elected officials gain institutional knowledge and build relationships needed to become more effective in passing legislation. Paul said that seniority also plays a major role on Capitol Hill and that longtime lawmakers in Congress tend to be more influential in their party, as well as lead important committees.
"There's really no substitute for experience," Paul said.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/after-mcconnells-and-feinsteins-episodes-should-age-limits-be-on-the-table | 2023-07-31T16:19:45 | 1 | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/after-mcconnells-and-feinsteins-episodes-should-age-limits-be-on-the-table |
Updated July 31, 2023 at 11:18 AM ET
The sentencing hearing for Lori Vallow Daybell began in Idaho at 9 a.m. MT (11 a.m. ET) Monday, as she faces punishment for murdering two of her children and conspiring to murder a romantic rival — crimes of which she was found guilty in May.
Vallow Daybell, 50, faces a punishment ranging up to life in prison without parole. The sentencing hearing will be livestreamed from the Fremont County Courthouse — you can watch video of the hearing below.
The lengthy trial was full of strange and shocking moments, Prosecutors say Vallow Daybell was motivated by arcane religious beliefs about "dark energy" and the "end times," and by her desire to pursue a life with her new husband, Chad Daybell — including conspiring to kill his late wife.
Judge Steven Boyce will hand down his sentence after the court hears victim impact statements from loved ones of Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow, Vallow Daybell's children whose bodies were found in 2020; and Tammy Daybell, the previous wife of Chad Daybell, who also faces charges in all three deaths.
The children's bodies were found in 2020
A jury found Vallow Daybell guilty of killing her two youngest children, Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow. Tylee was nearly 17 when she and JJ, 7, were last seen alive in September 2019. The children's bodies were found in June 2020, buried on property in Rexburg, Idaho, owned by Chad Daybell.
Even before the remains were found, Vallow Daybell was charged with felony desertion of a child and obstruction. Prosecutors said she didn't report her children missing so she could keep collecting benefit payments.
Vallow Daybell was also found guilty of conspiring to murder Tammy Daybell, Chad's then-wife, who was found dead in her home in October 2019 — less than one month before he and Vallow got married in Hawaii. He is Vallow Daybell's fifth husband.
'Zombie' beliefs arose during trial
In court documents, Vallow Daybell's close friend Melanie Gibb described hearing her say that Tylee had become a zombie — a concept Vallow Daybell had picked up from Daybell.
Gibb said she heard Vallow Daybell call Tylee a zombie after Tylee had refused to babysit JJ — to which Tylee replied, "Not me, mom," according to a police affidavit. Gibb said Vallow Daybell later concluded that JJ had also become a zombie.
Prosecutors also said Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell portrayed themselves as religious figures called "James and Elaina." And they purported to be able to "rate" people, detecting whether they might be under the thrall of an evil spirit's dark energy.
The case depicted a love affair that turned deadly
Prosecutors say Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell's relationship was entwined in a deadly criminal conspiracy they sought to justify with fantastical beliefs. Rather than simply starting a new life together after they met in October 2018, the prosecution said, the couple plotted to kill their closest relatives and benefit from their deaths through insurance payouts and Social Security benefits.
Vallow Daybell's defense attorney, James Archibald, has said his client was in the thrall of a man she sees as a messiah and her eternal soulmate. He has also argued that the prosecution has produced little direct evidence to tie Vallow Daybell to her children's deaths.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/watch-lori-vallow-daybell-is-sentenced-for-killing-her-children-in-zombie-murders | 2023-07-31T16:19:48 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/watch-lori-vallow-daybell-is-sentenced-for-killing-her-children-in-zombie-murders |
"I don't think it's caught up to me yet — how much my life has changed," says Emma Hardyman, singer of the 2023 Tiny Desk Contest-winning band Little Moon. The Utah-based band recently wrapped up the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, headlining eight sold-out shows across the country. While on the road, Hardyman caught up with NPR to reflect on the life-changing win and also share the story behind Little Moon's winning song, "Wonder Eye."
Hardyman tells NPR the song was written during the time her mother-in-law was in hospice care. The melody came to Hardyman as she and her husband Nathan Hardyman, who is also part of Little Moon, drove from Utah to Idaho to visit his mother.
During this difficult time, Emma and Nathan Hardyman were also in the process of leaving the Mormon church in which they had grown up.
"And pretty quickly, just because of the circumstances, I realized that this song, this melody, was about death," says Emma Hardyman, who wrote the structure of the song before asking Nathan Hardyman to write the lyrics.
The couple were also observing the disintegration of many of the building blocks their Mormon belief systems were built on. "I've grieved past versions of myself throughout my whole life," Emma Hardyman shares.
"I really love where Mormonism brought me," Emma Hardyman says. "It introduced me to teachings that are supposed to love everybody, that are supposed to incorporate everybody. [But] it couldn't follow me to how much I wanted to take [those teachings] seriously," she adds, noting that many of the Little Moon band members are queer. She says Mormonism didn't align with how she wants to treat people 'without conditions.'
Emma Hardyman also shares that she had many self-doubts about herself as an artist when she and Nathan Hardyman met — but that he believed in her from their very first date. And in "Wonder Eye," the two even find peace in not having all the answers. Emma sings: "Is there a knowledge that is found not in knowing?" as she's met with the warm hums of the band.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest | 2023-07-31T16:19:49 | 0 | https://www.kvpr.org/npr-news/npr-news/2023-07-31/the-power-and-heartbreak-behind-the-song-that-won-the-tiny-desk-contest |
US customers can now experience Angel Aligner with over two decades of superior aligner technology, transforming a million healthy smiles
SANTA ANA, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology Inc., is excited to announce the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into the U.S. market. Angelalign Technology is a leading global provider of clear aligner dental technology and evidence-based clinical expertise. With 1 million smiles treated,1 the company is now expanding its expertise and global footprint.
Since 2003, Angelalign Technology has maintained productive scientific collaborations with orthodontists and universities around the world, enabling the company to build a large database of complex orthodontic cases. State-of-the-art research and development (R&D) and customized production facilities are now globally positioned to bring a fresh perspective and technological advancements to clear aligner manufacturing and customer service.
The company is dedicated to research and development, with an average of 11% of annual revenue invested into R&D every year. Innovative highlights include:
- angelButton™ – Manufactured directly into the aligner to provide an additional anchorage point to support the use of elastics and TADs, these buttons can be added and/or adjusted anywhere on the arch and are designed with high structural integrity to facilitate efficient tooth movement via elastics.
"Angel Aligner solved the problems of having buttons. The buttons are built into the aligners, which will reduce emergencies, and additional appointments can be avoided."
Dr. Amanda Cheng, Orthodontist, California
- iOrtho™ – A secure cloud-based service platform housing patient management data for Angel Aligner™ treatments. The treatment planning software has user-friendly 3D controls, allowing doctors to customize and review Angel Aligner case designs.
"Working with the iOrtho software has been amazing and the turnaround time has been great in our practice."
Dr. Stephen Bradford, Orthodontics by Bradford, Florida
- Intelligent Root System (IRS) – Get an accurate 3D digital representation of the patient's tooth, root and jawbone relationship that uses CBCT data and IO scans and adjusts throughout the course of treatment via an Intelligent Root System (IRS).
- masterControl S (MCS) – A soft multi-layered polymer material with gentle but long-lasting orthodontic force design for more efficient tooth movement. MCS exhibits enhanced tear and stain resistance, mechanical stability and unique reflective properties.
- angelAttach – Optimized and conventional attachments are designed for better orthodontic force and more effective and accurate tooth movement.
Angel Aligner™ has a large specialized team of technicians with over 3.5 years of tenure, orthodontically attuned to precision case designs with specialized knowledge in complex malocclusions. They're ready to support treatment planning needs with high-quality case designs and 10-day turnaround times.
"The treatment plans coming back are excellent. I don't have to do a lot of modifying."
Dr. James Crouse, The Brace Place, Maryland
Angel Aligner™ delivers a simple approach, innovative products and tools and experienced customer support to continuously push the edge of technology, product development and service to better serve orthodontic professionals and ultimately, their patients.
"We're excited to combine two decades of research, development and clinical expertise in clear aligner technology with the seasoned experience of our leadership, sales and integration specialists in the North American market," said Jason Tabb, General Manager, North America.
About Angel Aligner™
Angelalign Technology Inc., a leading global provider of clear aligner technology and clinical expertise, has announced the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into new markets worldwide. With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology has treated 1 million smiles and offers unparalleled customer service and state-of-the-art production facilities.
1As of June 30, 2023, the total number of cases of any and all the products and services provided by all entities owned or controlled by Angelalign Technology Inc. has exceeded one million.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Angel Aligner | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ | 2023-07-31T16:19:58 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), with support from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, today announced the launch of The AAPI Nonprofit Database. This interactive database addresses the historical inequity of funding directed towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by providing a platform where anyone looking to donate, volunteer, or get involved can more easily locate and support AAPI nonprofit organizations across the country.
With less than 0.2% of philanthropic giving going to AAPI nonprofits and causes, the community remains underfunded and under-resourced. TAAF is working to help fill this critical gap, and the database is a necessary first step to meeting the need. The database will feature nonprofits of all sizes, giving visibility and driving donations to grassroots organizations who have been working tirelessly to support underrepresented AAPI communities throughout the country.
"In the face of continued Anti-Asian hate and rhetoric, it is now more important than ever to invest in resources to support the diverse needs of AAPI communities," said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. "We know people want to support AAPI causes, especially following the horrific events impacting our community, but they may not always know where to begin or which organizations are aligned with their interests. Impactaapi.org will make AAPI nonprofits and causes accessible through one interactive tool to remove the barriers to entry and help combat the chronic underfunding and under-resourcing that AAPI organizations have faced."
At launch, the database will feature over 600 nonprofit organizations focused on serving AAPI communities. The AAPI Nonprofit Database will allow users to filter by location, focus area, population served, budget size or years in service, among others. Users will have the opportunity to make donations directly to the nonprofit of their choice or learn how to get more involved. If users need help to get started, a feature will allow visitors to take a short quiz, matching them to a curated list of organizations based on their interests.
Nonprofits have the opportunity to opt-in, get listed, and update their profile pages, including linking directly to their donation pages or website. Organizations whose data has been updated in the past year will have "verified" status indicating current data.
"Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have been long-time supporters of the AAPI community and are thrilled to support The Asian American Foundation in launching The AAPI Nonprofit Database," said Kimberly McGee, Senior Manager for the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. "As a founding AAPI Giving Challenge supporter, we are focused on driving access and resources to advance equity in the AAPI nonprofit community. The AAPI Nonprofit Database brings us closer to that goal by putting power into the hands of the broader public, whether by driving donations or getting more involved."
The AAPI Giving Challenge was launched in May 2021 with over 130 corporations, foundations, and individual donors committed $1.1 billion in funding and in-kind resources directly to AAPI communities, organizations, and relevant causes over five years. The AAPI Nonprofit Database highlights the commitment of corporate partners to work with the AAPI community to drive towards solutions together.
TAAF acknowledges Asian Pacific Fund and AAPI Data for their collaboration in providing guidance on the creation of this database.
The AAPI Nonprofit Database can be found at https://impactaapi.org. Nonprofit organizations interested in being listed can submit a request here.
ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION (TAAF)
The Asian American Foundation serves the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in its pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence. Founded in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and address the long standing underinvestment in AAPI communities, TAAF funds best in class organizations working to mobilize against hate and violence, educate communities, and reclaim our narratives through our core pillars of Anti-hate, Education, Narrative Change, and Resources & Representation. Through our grants, high-impact initiatives and events, we're creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org.
Media Contact:
Joy Moh
joy.moh@taaf.org
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SOURCE The Asian American Foundation | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:05 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ |
WAYNE, Pa., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Balanced Bridge Funding was named one of 2023's Best Places to Work by The Philadelphia Business Journal. It is a prestigious award given to those companies that treat their employees well and create a hospitable work environment. Joseph Genovesi, CEO of Balanced Bridge Funding and its subsidiary Accel Real Estate Commission Advance, says, "it is an honor for Balanced Bridge Funding to be recognized by The Philadelphia Business Journal as one of 2023's Best Places to Work."
According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the companies that are named to the list are based exclusively on the responses from the employees. The companies on the list can use the award as a recruiting tool for future employees and for promotional marketing uses. As workplaces evolve, job satisfaction continues to rank higher on the list of importance for current and prospective employees. The popularity of websites like Glassdoor, where current and ex-employees can leave their opinion, means an award like Best Places to Work can be a tipping point for people evaluating their employment choices. Genovesi says, "One of my goals when I started my company was for the environment at the workplace to be open, inclusive, and flexible to the needs of my employees. I think we have achieved that and this award speaks to that accomplishment."
Balanced Bridge Funding is a specialty finance company that provides funding to different kinds of sectors; contract advances to professional athletes, legal funding to plaintiffs and plaintiffs' attorneys, advances to first year big law attorneys, account receivable funding to Big Law firms, factoring to truck drivers and trucking companies, fee advances to class action recovery companies, contract advances to local, state, and federal government contractors, loans to fix and flip operators, loans on luxury assets, account receivable funding to small businesses, and commission advances to insurance brokers and insurance agents on their expected fees.
Accel Real Estate Commission Advance is a subsidiary of Balanced Bridge Funding. It is a finance company specifically designed to provide advances to real estate professionals on their expected commissions. Real estate brokers and agents can sometimes face delayed commissions due to a number of factors. Accel was created to provide funding on those commissions so brokers and agents can access a portion of their fee and avoid the waiting period for their money.
CONTACT:
info@balancedbridge.com
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SOURCE Balanced Bridge Funding | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/balanced-bridge-funding-named-one-2023-best-places-work-by-philadelphia-business-journal/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:12 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/balanced-bridge-funding-named-one-2023-best-places-work-by-philadelphia-business-journal/ |
Elon Musk’s X threatens to sue researchers who documented the rise in hateful tweets
WASHINGTON (AP) — X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has threatened to sue a group of independent researchers whose research documented an increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk.
An attorney representing the social media site wrote to the Center for Countering Digital Hate on July 20 threatening legal action over the nonprofit’s research into hate speech and content moderation. The letter alleged that CCDH’s research publications seem intended “to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.”
Musk is a self-professed free speech absolutist who has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform, which he renamed X earlier this month. But the billionaire has at times proven sensitive about critical speech directed at him or his companies.
The center is a nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. It regularly publishes reports on hate speech, extremism or harmful behavior on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Facebook.
The organization has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership, detailing an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase. The letter from X’s attorney cited one specific report from June that found the platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from verified users that violated the platform’s rules.
In the letter, attorney Alex Spiro questioned the expertise of the researchers and accused the center of trying to harm X’s reputation. The letter also suggested, without evidence, that the center received funds from some of X’s competitors, even though the center has also published critical reports about TikTok, Facebook and other large platforms.
“CCDH intends to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims,” Spiro wrote, using the platform’s former name.
Imran Ahmed, the center’s founder and CEO, told the AP on Monday that his group has never received a similar response from any tech company, despite a history of studying the relationship between social media, hate speech and extremism. He said that typically, the targets of the center’s criticism have responded by defending their work or promising to address any problems that have been identified.
Ahmed said he worried X’s response to the center’s work could have a chilling effect if it frightens other researchers away from studying the platform. He said he also worried that other industries could take note of the strategy.
“This is an unprecedented escalation by a social media company against independent researchers. Musk has just declared open war,” Ahmed told the Associated Press. “If Musk succeeds in silencing us other researchers will be next in line.”
Messages left with Spiro and X were not immediately returned Monday.
It’s not the first time that Musk has fired back at critics. Last year, he suspended the accounts of several journalists who covered his takeover of Twitter. Another user was permanently banned for using publicly available flight data to track Musk’s private plane; Musk had initially pledged to keep the user on the platform but later changed his mind, citing his personal safety. He also threatened to sue the user.
He initially had promised that he would allow any speech on his platform that wasn’t illegal. “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Musk wrote in a tweet last year.
X’s recent threat of a lawsuit prompted concern from U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who said the billionaire was trying to use the threat of legal action to punish a nonprofit group trying to hold a powerful social media platform accountable.
“Instead of attacking them, he should be attacking the increasingly disturbing content on Twitter,” Schiff said in a statement.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/elon-musks-x-threatens-sue-researchers-who-documented-rise-hateful-tweets/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:14 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/elon-musks-x-threatens-sue-researchers-who-documented-rise-hateful-tweets/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A legal advocacy group for journalists wants to get involved in Disney’s free speech lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says a win by the Florida governor could embolden other governments across the U.S. to take actions against journalists and other media when they exercise their First Amendment rights.
The group on Friday asked a judge for permission to file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the claims brought by Disney against DeSantis, his appointees to a special district board governing Disney World and a state economic development agency. The lawsuit claims the Florida governor violated the company’s free speech rights by taking control over the district in retaliation for Disney’s public opposition to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The committee said that the impact of a DeSantis win would be felt beyond the 39 square miles (101 square kilometers) of the Disney World property governed by the new appointees picked by the Florida governor to the governing district’s board.
“If Defendants prevail in this case, those on whose behalf the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press advocates will be first in the line of fire given the nature of reporting and the press’s role in our constitutional system,” the committee said in its request to file the supporting brief in federal court in Tallahassee. “As such, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’s proposed brief provides a voice to those not directly involved, but undoubtedly impacted by this case.”
DeSantis and Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity have argued that Disney’s case should be dismissed because of sovereign immunity protection against being sued for conducting government business, and that Disney hasn’t shown how it has been hurt so it lacks standing to sue the state government defendants.
DeSantis has used the fight with Disney to burnish his “anti-woke” credentials and demonstrate his ability to push a conservative agenda during his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
The DeSantis appointees took over the Disney World governing board earlier this year following a yearlong feud between the company and DeSantis. The fight began last year after Disney, beset by significant pressure internally and externally, publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”
As punishment, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels.
If the retaliatory actions by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers are left unchecked, it poses a threat to watchdog journalism and press coverage of public issues “to the detriment to the free flow of information on matters of public concern that has long been the hallmark of our democratic system of government,” the committee said.
Before the new board came in, Disney made agreements with previous oversight board members who were Disney supporters that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and development. The DeSantis-appointed members of the governing district have sued Disney in state court in a second lawsuit stemming from the district’s takeover, seeking to invalidate those agreements.
Disney had asked for the case be dismissed or delayed pending the outcome of the federal lawsuit. However, Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber in Orlando on Friday refused to toss or postpone the case, saying among other reasons that to do so would have created “an undue delay” for the district, which still must continue governing. ___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/group-desantis-win-in-disney-lawsuit-could-embolden-actions-against-journalists/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:14 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/group-desantis-win-in-disney-lawsuit-could-embolden-actions-against-journalists/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Elon Musk’s X threatens to sue researchers who documented the rise in hateful tweets
WASHINGTON (AP) — X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has threatened to sue a group of independent researchers whose research documented an increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk.
An attorney representing the social media site wrote to the Center for Countering Digital Hate on July 20 threatening legal action over the nonprofit’s research into hate speech and content moderation. The letter alleged that CCDH’s research publications seem intended “to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.”
Musk is a self-professed free speech absolutist who has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform, which he renamed X earlier this month. But the billionaire has at times proven sensitive about critical speech directed at him or his companies.
The center is a nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. It regularly publishes reports on hate speech, extremism or harmful behavior on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Facebook.
The organization has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership, detailing an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase. The letter from X’s attorney cited one specific report from June that found the platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from verified users that violated the platform’s rules.
In the letter, attorney Alex Spiro questioned the expertise of the researchers and accused the center of trying to harm X’s reputation. The letter also suggested, without evidence, that the center received funds from some of X’s competitors, even though the center has also published critical reports about TikTok, Facebook and other large platforms.
“CCDH intends to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims,” Spiro wrote, using the platform’s former name.
Imran Ahmed, the center’s founder and CEO, told the AP on Monday that his group has never received a similar response from any tech company, despite a history of studying the relationship between social media, hate speech and extremism. He said that typically, the targets of the center’s criticism have responded by defending their work or promising to address any problems that have been identified.
Ahmed said he worried X’s response to the center’s work could have a chilling effect if it frightens other researchers away from studying the platform. He said he also worried that other industries could take note of the strategy.
“This is an unprecedented escalation by a social media company against independent researchers. Musk has just declared open war,” Ahmed told the Associated Press. “If Musk succeeds in silencing us other researchers will be next in line.”
Messages left with Spiro and X were not immediately returned Monday.
It’s not the first time that Musk has fired back at critics. Last year, he suspended the accounts of several journalists who covered his takeover of Twitter. Another user was permanently banned for using publicly available flight data to track Musk’s private plane; Musk had initially pledged to keep the user on the platform but later changed his mind, citing his personal safety. He also threatened to sue the user.
He initially had promised that he would allow any speech on his platform that wasn’t illegal. “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Musk wrote in a tweet last year.
X’s recent threat of a lawsuit prompted concern from U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who said the billionaire was trying to use the threat of legal action to punish a nonprofit group trying to hold a powerful social media platform accountable.
“Instead of attacking them, he should be attacking the increasingly disturbing content on Twitter,” Schiff said in a statement.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/elon-musks-x-threatens-sue-researchers-who-documented-rise-hateful-tweets/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:14 | 0 | https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/elon-musks-x-threatens-sue-researchers-who-documented-rise-hateful-tweets/ |
Hunter Biden’s former business partner appears for closed-door interview with GOP-led committee
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden’s former business partner appeared Monday for closed-door testimony on Capitol Hill, with Republicans planning to question him about claims that President Joe Biden was directly involved in his younger son’s financial dealings.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee was conducting a transcribed interview with Devon Archer as part of its expanding congressional inquiry into the Biden family businesses as the GOP explores a potential impeachment inquiry into the president.
Archer, who served with Hunter Biden on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, has been seen by Republicans as a key witness in their so-far fruitless search to directly connect the president to his son’s various international business transactions.
Rep. James Comer, the GOP chairman of Oversight Committee, issued a subpoena to Archer in June, saying he “played a significant role in the Biden family’s business deals abroad, including but not limited to China, Russia, and Ukraine.” He said Archer’s testimony would be critical to the committee’s investigation.
Republicans have focused much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. The claim, which first emerged in 2019, was that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, an oil-and-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board. GOP lawmakers and staff present at Monday’s interview were also expected to question Archer about several business meetings and conversations Hunter Biden had during which he is said to have invoked his father’s name.
Democrats on the committee, including Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking minority member, have reiterated that the Justice Department investigated the Burisma claim when Donald Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” that it was true. Democrats have also highlighted the transcript of an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s co-founder, in which he denied having any contact with Joe Biden while Hunter Biden worked for the company.
“Mr. Zlochevsky’s statements are just one of the many that have debunked the corruption allegations,” Raskin said.
On top of his relationship with Hunter Biden, who is currently facing federal tax charges, Archer has his own legal troubles stemming from a 2018 felony conviction for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. That conviction was overturned later that year, but then the court of appeals in New York reinstated it in 2020. His sentencing in the case has been repeatedly delayed by appeals.
Archer’s appearance before lawmakers had been scheduled and canceled several times since June. Republicans suggested it was about to be delayed again after the Justice Department over the weekend asked a judge to schedule a date for Archer to surrender to prison and begin serving out his one-year sentence in the unrelated fraud case.
Republicans — led by Comer — criticized that delay, calling it an effort by the Justice Department to intimidate a witness. But the Justice Department in a follow-up memo to the court noted Archer’s surrender was not imminent and asked a judge to ensure that he testified to Congress before reporting to prison.
“Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to do all along, which is to show up this morning and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the congressional investigators,” said Archer’s attorney, Matthew Schwartz, who is a managing partner at New York-based firm Boies Schiller Flexner.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/hunter-bidens-former-business-partner-appears-closed-door-interview-with-gop-led-committee/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:15 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/hunter-bidens-former-business-partner-appears-closed-door-interview-with-gop-led-committee/ |
(Our Auto Expert) – The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is here to redefine the legacy of the world’s best-selling sports car. As the latest addition to the Mustang family, this remarkable vehicle marks a new chapter in its 59-year history. With its powerful engine, cutting-edge technology, and captivating design, the Mustang Dark Horse is set to wow both existing fans and a new generation of sports car enthusiasts.
The Mustang Dark Horse boasts the first new Mustang performance series title in 21 years. It is also the most powerful non-Shelby edition ever created, thanks to its unique 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine that churns out an impressive 500 horsepower. However, the Dark Horse is not just about raw horsepower; it is a vehicle designed for both street and track use.
Equipped with available carbon fiber wheels from Carbon Revolution and the Handling Package, the Mustang Dark Horse is the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever produced. Its performance is further enhanced by the specially designed blue ember metallic paint, adding exclusivity to this exceptional vehicle.
The Mustang Dark Horse exudes a menacing presence with its bold shadow graphic surrounding the darkened LED headlamps, lower side skirts, rear fixed rear wing, new race-inspired diffuser, and darkened quad exhaust tips. Its design is a testament to the Mustang’s storied motorsports history, combining aggression and elegance in one stunning package.
This powerhouse of a car comes equipped with a full suite of next-gen technology specifically designed to enhance performance. The standard MagneRide shocks, capable of monitoring wheel and tire movement 1,000 times per second, ensure an unparalleled driving experience. The Mustang Dark Horse is not just a pretty face; it’s a technologically advanced beast.
For those who prefer manual control, the Mustang Dark Horse comes standard with a unique six-speed TREMEC manual transmission and a special Mustang Dark Horse transmission oil cooler to keep the stallion cool under pressure. Alternatively, there is the option to choose Ford’s advanced 10-speed automatic transmission for seamless gear changes.
The Mustang Dark Horse is not just a car; it’s a symbol of Mustang’s storied motorsports history. With its unique design, powerful engine, and advanced technology, it is set to make history itself. This street and track performance Mustang is sure to be a fan favorite for years to come.
Conclusion:
If you’re in search of a car that combines style, performance, and innovation, the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the ultimate choice. Its powerful engine, track-ready capabilities, and advanced technology are a testament to the Mustang’s legacy. Whether you’re an existing fan or a new sports car lover, the Mustang Dark Horse is sure to ignite your excitement. Get ready to experience the thrill of the road like never before. | https://phl17.com/automotive/ford-introduces-the-most-powerful-non-shelby-mustang-ever/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:16 | 1 | https://phl17.com/automotive/ford-introduces-the-most-powerful-non-shelby-mustang-ever/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has threatened to sue a group of independent researchers whose research documented an increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk.
An attorney representing the social media site wrote to the Center for Countering Digital Hate on July 20 threatening legal action over the nonprofit’s research into hate speech and content moderation. The letter alleged that CCDH’s research publications seem intended “to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.”
Musk is a self-professed free speech absolutist who has welcomed back white supremacists and election deniers to the platform, which he renamed X earlier this month. But the billionaire has at times proven sensitive about critical speech directed at him or his companies.
The center is a nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. It regularly publishes reports on hate speech, extremism or harmful behavior on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Facebook.
The organization has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership, detailing an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase. The letter from X’s attorney cited one specific report from June that found the platform failed to remove neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content from verified users that violated the platform’s rules.
In the letter, attorney Alex Spiro questioned the expertise of the researchers and accused the center of trying to harm X’s reputation. The letter also suggested, without evidence, that the center received funds from some of X’s competitors, even though the center has also published critical reports about TikTok, Facebook and other large platforms.
“CCDH intends to harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims,” Spiro wrote, using the platform’s former name.
Imran Ahmed, the center’s founder and CEO, told the AP on Monday that his group has never received a similar response from any tech company, despite a history of studying the relationship between social media, hate speech and extremism. He said that typically, the targets of the center’s criticism have responded by defending their work or promising to address any problems that have been identified.
Ahmed said he worried X’s response to the center’s work could have a chilling effect if it frightens other researchers away from studying the platform. He said he also worried that other industries could take note of the strategy.
“This is an unprecedented escalation by a social media company against independent researchers. Musk has just declared open war,” Ahmed told the Associated Press. “If Musk succeeds in silencing us other researchers will be next in line.”
Messages left with Spiro and X were not immediately returned Monday.
It’s not the first time that Musk has fired back at critics. Last year, he suspended the accounts of several journalists who covered his takeover of Twitter. Another user was permanently banned for using publicly available flight data to track Musk’s private plane; Musk had initially pledged to keep the user on the platform but later changed his mind, citing his personal safety. He also threatened to sue the user.
He initially had promised that he would allow any speech on his platform that wasn’t illegal. “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means,” Musk wrote in a tweet last year.
X’s recent threat of a lawsuit prompted concern from U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who said the billionaire was trying to use the threat of legal action to punish a nonprofit group trying to hold a powerful social media platform accountable.
“Instead of attacking them, he should be attacking the increasingly disturbing content on Twitter,” Schiff said in a statement. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/musk-threatens-to-sue-researchers-who-documented-the-rise-in-hateful-tweets/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:15 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/musk-threatens-to-sue-researchers-who-documented-the-rise-in-hateful-tweets/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If you believe Janelle Monae ’s hyper-sexual expression is a front, think again.
These days, Monae is unapologetically living her truth in a bold manner while trying to avoid negativity. The star, once known for sporting custom-made suits, has shed that attire (at least for now) to nearly bare all, like on the cover of her latest studio album, “The Age of Pleasure,” where she’s seen swimming topless in a pool. It’s her first release since 2018’s “Dirty Computer,” which was nominated for album of the year at the Grammys.
In recent months, Monae hasn’t been afraid of risque looks and nudity. She revealed herself during an event celebrating the release of her single “Lipstick Lover” and again onstage at an Essence Music Festival set — which drew some social media criticism including from singer India Arie and rapper Uncle Luke. She also attended the 2023 Met Gala in a barely-there outfit.
For Monae, this is her time to be free.
Monae spoke recently with The Associated Press about her supportive mother, side-stepping criticism and teasing her upcoming North American tour, which kicks off Aug. 30 in Seattle. Other tour stops include New York and Nashville and she’ll wrap in Los Angeles in mid-October.
___
AP: Since you haven’t toured since 2019, was your recent Essence Festival performance a tune up for your upcoming tour?
MONAE: Yeah, we’re testing out the songs. You‘re getting them in your body. Right now, we don’t have a lot of muscle memory with the new songs. We haven’t toured them. I know if you come into the show, you’ll love the songs. But hearing them live is a different experience, especially when you’re putting them with songs from previous work. We’re basically just putting a show together based on what we feel is good. Sometimes you just don’t know until you get on stage.
AP: What do you want people to take away from your show?
MONAE: Tap into your free (expletive) energy. That’s rooted in self-love — not arrogance. Tap into that space and then take care of each other. That’s what I hope. With the shows that I do, and when I look out, it’s an experience. It’s like our own church. You want to take care of each other.
Even if your freedom doesn’t look like that person’s freedom, you understand that we’re fighting against something much bigger than us. We’re systemically fighting against something much bigger than us, so we got to band together, we got to stick together. We have to make sure that we’re showing up for each other. If we have privilege in certain areas, making sure that we’re lending a hand, lending a voice, amplifying a message.
AP: How has it been to walk in your truth while facing criticism about your racy performances from people like Arie and Uncle Luke?
MONAE: That has absolutely nothing to do with me. I love everybody. I’m in the age of pleasure.
AP: When did you feel comfortable with living life the way you want without caring about others’ opinions?
MONAE: It’s not like I don’t care what people think. I care what some people think. I don’t care what everybody thinks. That’s the same when it comes to music. When you make a new song, I can’t go soliciting everybody’s opinions about the song. By the time I get back to the second pass of it, it’s all over the place. Everybody’s going to have an opinion. For me, it’s like, whose voice do I trust? Who do I know that loves me, cares about me, whose taste do I like, who actually is evolved enough to even understand what it is that I’m doing? Who understands nuance?
You shouldn’t care what anybody has to say. You just care what the right people have to say and everything else is muted.
AP: Who are those right people for you?
MONAE: Family. Close friends.
AP: In your journey, your mother has been a huge supporter. Whenever you have fallen under certain criticisms, how has she helped you navigate the critics?
MONAE: My mom is like ride or die. I have to tell her like “Mom, you don’t need to defend me. You don’t need to defend my life or my decisions.” For her, I’m her baby. Like any mama bear, you might get punched in the eye if you say something. You might. But I’ve calmed her down over the years. For the most part, we mostly respond to love. It’s a lot of people that love where I am and who I am and what I’m doing, and they feel really empowered and inspired by it, and that makes my mom proud, and it makes me happy.
AP: How do you avoid the naysayers?
MONAE: I’m too busy living life to be distracted. The positive things are always amazing too, but I also don’t go fishing for that. One of the things about being in the age of pleasure is being present and making sure that I’m dipping in on social media, saying what I need to say, showing love, saying “thank you,” putting up my art and leaving, going to go create more things and make more memories and more experiences.
I’m in the middle of putting together a tour for North America. We haven’t been on tour since 2019. For me, I have a lot of things that keep me busy. I’m practicing guitar. I’m having the best sex of my life. I’m happy. Even in the middle of all that’s going on in this world, I’m finding time to steal joy and to center joy and to stay surrounded by the people that bring me joy and that I can bring joy too.
AP: How did “Age of Pleasure” define where you are in life?
MONAE: I wanted to create a soundtrack to our lifestyle. I think this album like all my albums reflect exactly where I am at that time. Each album will let you know where I was in my evolution process, what things I had to unlearn, what things I learned. I love that. I love that you can always look at an artist working, sort of see what they were on at that time. | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/qa-janelle-monae-talks-about-freedom-how-new-album-defines-her-and-getting-ready-to-tour-again/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:16 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/qa-janelle-monae-talks-about-freedom-how-new-album-defines-her-and-getting-ready-to-tour-again/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
‘Our hero’: Police K-9 dies unexpectedly during surgery for sudden illness
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Gray News) – A police K-9 in Georgia died while undergoing surgery for a sudden illness earlier this month.
According to the Lawrenceville Police Department, K-9 Hyro died unexpectedly on July 20 during surgery at UGA Veterinary Hospital in Athens.
The police department said K-9 Hyro began showing signs of illness in the days before the surgery. Officials didn’t give further details about the illness.
The day after his death, K-9 Hyro was taken to his final resting place at Oakrest Pet Gardens Funeral Home and Crematory in Bethlehem.
Police said K-9 Hyro received a farewell from hundreds of police officers across several departments.
On Monday morning, Lawrenceville police held K-9 Hyro’s funeral, including a procession route.
Police said K-9 Hyro was a “very active” police dog with an “impressive career” with Lawrenceville police. He was deployed hundreds of times during his career and assisted dozens of agencies.
“K-9 Hyro will be greatly missed. Hyro, our hero,” police wrote in a Facebook post.
Lawrenceville is located about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/our-hero-police-k-9-dies-unexpectedly-during-surgery-sudden-illness/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:16 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/our-hero-police-k-9-dies-unexpectedly-during-surgery-sudden-illness/ |
Betr Picks is now available to play in the Betr Fantasy & Sportsbook iOS app for real money in 24 jurisdictions, including California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, which represent the majority of the U.S. adult population
Betr, the Official and Exclusive Sports Betting and Fantasy Partner for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, will also feature a special Paul vs. Diaz free-to-play picks game, which will offer users a chance to win their share of up to $1M in prizes
MIAMI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Betr Holdings, Inc. ("Betr" or the "Company"), today announced the launch of Betr Picks, a pick 'em style fantasy game to complement its existing real money and free-to-play online sports betting (OSB) product, Betr Sportsbook. The simple and intuitive real money fantasy pick 'em experience allows users to select "More" or "Less" from a wide array of player projections to build a lineup with as few as 2 and up to a total of 8 players. Users have the potential to win up to 100x their initial entry if they get 8 picks correct. Betr Picks is now available in 24 jurisdictions* (including California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, and North Carolina) which collectively represent over half of the U.S. adult population, and the Company is planning to further expand its fantasy reach to at least 30 total jurisdictions by the end of 2023. The Betr Fantasy & Sportsbook app is currently available on iOS with plans to launch on Android soon. This launch marks the first time that sportsbook and fantasy will operate within a single app.
Fantasy sports is the latest extension of Betr's real money gaming business, which already has an established OSB business with live operations in Ohio and Massachusetts and plans to launch OSB in Virginia in the coming weeks and additional jurisdictions in the months ahead. Betr Picks offers a differentiated pick 'em experience, including the ability to pick up to 8 players, higher payout multiples (up to 100x), and no pushes. Betr's signature focus on simple and intuitive product design, along with its bespoke integrations with Betr Media, will further distinguish the Betr Picks experience from the broader fantasy sports gaming market. To celebrate the launch of Betr Picks, Betr, the Official and Exclusive Sports Betting and Fantasy Partner for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, will feature a special Paul vs. Diaz free-to-play picks game, which will offer users a chance to win their share of up to $1M in prizes. The game is available now until August 5th when the first bout of Most Valuable Promotions and Real Fight Inc.'s Paul vs. Diaz pay-per-view begins live on DAZN and ESPN+ in the U.S.
Betr Picks represents the first time Betr Gaming is able to more fully capitalize on the nationwide media audience and brand of Betr Media. As the fastest growing sports betting media brand in the United States, Betr Media has already surpassed 1.5 billion impressions on social media less than a year after launch. Betr Media is focused predominantly on original and short-form content, which the Company believes will be the primary form of sports media consumption for the 21-34-year-old male demographic outside of consuming live sporting events themselves. Betr Media will also be launching the @betrpicks sub-brand on social media, giving fans a more targeted community-driven vertical for fantasy and picks content. The channel will be led by rising social media star Derek Sullivan (aka BetrDerek) with consistent appearances from Betr's robust talent network such as Jake Paul, Marco Piemonte, Haley and Hanna Cavinder, Bo Nickal, Handshake Bets and more.
The launch comes shortly after Betr announced the acquisition of the Chameleon platform from FansUnite (TSX: FANS), which enabled Betr to enhance and accelerate its product roadmap. The Chameleon acquisition allows the company to develop its upcoming V1 OSB product, which will feature sportsbook capabilities including pre-match and in-play core markets, parlays, same game parlays, futures, props, and other bet types, along with over 20 additional sports. The Company's current OSB product, which it refers to internally as V0, is a beta product that will continue to operate in Ohio, Massachusetts, and soon Virginia until V1 launches in H1 2024.
"We are thrilled to expand the Betr Gaming business by introducing our real money fantasy sports vertical with the launch of Betr Picks," said Joey Levy, Founder and CEO of Betr. "Betr Picks allows us to acquire and engage real money gaming users across the United States, enabling Betr Gaming to more fully capitalize on the nationwide presence of Betr Media for the first time, all while providing a complimentary pre-match experience to our in-play focused OSB product. We believe Betr Picks already features a strong core user experience relative to existing pick 'em products, and we have several material enhancements that will be released over the coming weeks and months including more sports, game modes, media integrations, deposit and withdrawal capabilities, and more."
Betr's proactive industry leadership in safe and responsible play will continue with Betr Picks, which also features the same Responsible Gaming-focused tenets the Company has rolled out for its OSB product, including a 21+ age requirement to play, a ban on credit card deposits for all users, and restrictions on the monthly deposit amounts for young consumers aged 21-25 years old. Betr Picks is backed by legal opinions from both nationwide and state-specific experts in the gaming space and is only available in jurisdictions where fantasy gaming has been legalized by statute or is permitted via case law and/or legal precedent.
*Betr Picks is available in California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Carolina, Kentucky, Oregon, Oklahoma, Utah, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Washington D.C., Vermont, and Wyoming.
About Betr
Founded in 2022 by Joey Levy and Jake Paul, Betr is a leading sports betting and sports media company through Betr Gaming and Betr Media, respectively. Betr Gaming is an online sports betting and gaming business focused on a unique product experience with a simplified user experience that is catered to the casual sports fan, enabling Betr to capture more of the underpenetrated online gaming addressable market. Betr Gaming began with a microbetting-only online sports betting (OSB) product, allowing users to bet on individual plays and events – such as pass or rush on the next play in football or the outcome of the next pitch in baseball, and is expanding its OSB product offering to include additional markets with full sportsbook capabilities, as well as planning to expand into other real money gaming verticals. Betr Media is the fastest growing sports betting media brand in the United States that has grown to over 1.5 million followers, 1.5 billion impressions, and 77 million engagements across its social channels since publicly launching in August 2022. Betr is creating a unique flywheel by investing in content creators to drive brand awareness and affinity, which drives more audience and engagement with the Betr brand, allowing Betr to monetize its user base through a suite of gaming products which then enables further investment in content and brand affinity.
For more information on Betr, visit betr.app or follow @betr on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. To learn more about responsible play, please visit betr.app/responsibility.
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SOURCE Betr Holdings, Inc. | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/betr-introduces-real-money-fantasy-sports-vertical-with-launch-betr-picks-across-united-states/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:18 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/betr-introduces-real-money-fantasy-sports-vertical-with-launch-betr-picks-across-united-states/ |
US customers can now experience Angel Aligner with over two decades of superior aligner technology, transforming a million healthy smiles
SANTA ANA, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology Inc., is excited to announce the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into the U.S. market. Angelalign Technology is a leading global provider of clear aligner dental technology and evidence-based clinical expertise. With 1 million smiles treated,1 the company is now expanding its expertise and global footprint.
Since 2003, Angelalign Technology has maintained productive scientific collaborations with orthodontists and universities around the world, enabling the company to build a large database of complex orthodontic cases. State-of-the-art research and development (R&D) and customized production facilities are now globally positioned to bring a fresh perspective and technological advancements to clear aligner manufacturing and customer service.
The company is dedicated to research and development, with an average of 11% of annual revenue invested into R&D every year. Innovative highlights include:
- angelButton™ – Manufactured directly into the aligner to provide an additional anchorage point to support the use of elastics and TADs, these buttons can be added and/or adjusted anywhere on the arch and are designed with high structural integrity to facilitate efficient tooth movement via elastics.
"Angel Aligner solved the problems of having buttons. The buttons are built into the aligners, which will reduce emergencies, and additional appointments can be avoided."
Dr. Amanda Cheng, Orthodontist, California
- iOrtho™ – A secure cloud-based service platform housing patient management data for Angel Aligner™ treatments. The treatment planning software has user-friendly 3D controls, allowing doctors to customize and review Angel Aligner case designs.
"Working with the iOrtho software has been amazing and the turnaround time has been great in our practice."
Dr. Stephen Bradford, Orthodontics by Bradford, Florida
- Intelligent Root System (IRS) – Get an accurate 3D digital representation of the patient's tooth, root and jawbone relationship that uses CBCT data and IO scans and adjusts throughout the course of treatment via an Intelligent Root System (IRS).
- masterControl S (MCS) – A soft multi-layered polymer material with gentle but long-lasting orthodontic force design for more efficient tooth movement. MCS exhibits enhanced tear and stain resistance, mechanical stability and unique reflective properties.
- angelAttach – Optimized and conventional attachments are designed for better orthodontic force and more effective and accurate tooth movement.
Angel Aligner™ has a large specialized team of technicians with over 3.5 years of tenure, orthodontically attuned to precision case designs with specialized knowledge in complex malocclusions. They're ready to support treatment planning needs with high-quality case designs and 10-day turnaround times.
"The treatment plans coming back are excellent. I don't have to do a lot of modifying."
Dr. James Crouse, The Brace Place, Maryland
Angel Aligner™ delivers a simple approach, innovative products and tools and experienced customer support to continuously push the edge of technology, product development and service to better serve orthodontic professionals and ultimately, their patients.
"We're excited to combine two decades of research, development and clinical expertise in clear aligner technology with the seasoned experience of our leadership, sales and integration specialists in the North American market," said Jason Tabb, General Manager, North America.
About Angel Aligner™
Angelalign Technology Inc., a leading global provider of clear aligner technology and clinical expertise, has announced the launch of its custom-made clear aligners into new markets worldwide. With over 20 years of experience and a commitment to research and digital innovation, Angelalign Technology has treated 1 million smiles and offers unparalleled customer service and state-of-the-art production facilities.
1As of June 30, 2023, the total number of cases of any and all the products and services provided by all entities owned or controlled by Angelalign Technology Inc. has exceeded one million.
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SOURCE Angel Aligner | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:19 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/angel-aligner-launches-game-changing-clear-aligner-technology-us-markets/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — When actor Casey Likes watched “Back to the Future” growing up, his mom would always say he reminded her a lot of the film’s star, Michael J. Fox. Something in the universe agrees: He’s taken on Fox’s classic movie role on Broadway.
The rising stage star plays Marty McFly for a musical adaptation of the beloved 1985 sci-fi comedy about a time-traveling duo who go back to the 1950s in a souped-up, gull-winged DeLorean.
“I remember growing up and just really, really loving the film. It kind of sat in that realm of like ‘E.T.’ and ‘Close Encounters’ — movies that came at a time when film was magical,” says Likes, 21. “I hope we accomplish something kind of similar with Broadway.”
The show, which won the Olivier Award for best new musical last year in London, arrives at the Winter Garden Theatre this summer with a story by Bob Gale, who previously co-created and co-wrote the movie with Robert Zemeckis. It hews very closely to the original, including having a DeLorean onstage and the shout “Great Scott!”
Broadway veteran and Tony Award-winner Roger Bart takes on Christopher Lloyd’s role of Doc Brown, the oddball scientist with a knack for inventions. Bart recalls seeing “Back to the Future” in his early 20s when it first appeared in movie theaters. He watched with three friends from theater school and they were all secretly jealous of Fox.
“None of my friends — even knowing each other as well as we did — none of them, including my mother, ever nudged me and said, ‘No, no, kid. You’re Doc Brown. Just be patient,’” the Tony-winner says laughing.
Like the film, the musical centers on Marty McFly traveling back to his hometown in 1955. Once there, he gets caught up in the soap opera lives of his own teenage parents, including his mom, who develops a crush on her future son. He must reconnect mom and dad or he risks disappearing from history.
“We feel like it’s very important – I’m sure Casey would agree — for the public to come to the show and recognize that they are seeing that story in a different form but with all of its charms very deeply intact,” says Bart, whose Broadway credits include “The Producers,” “Disaster!” and “Young Frankenstein.”
New songs have been crafted by the film’s composer Alan Silvestri and songwriter and producer Glen Ballard. Some Huey Lewis and the News songs from the movie also have been included, like the theme tune “The Power of Love” and “Back in Time,” as well as Marty McFly’s futuristic rendition of “Johnny B. Goode.”
“We go back to the ‘50s, you get some songs that sound like ’Grease,’ like ‘Bye Bye Birdie.’ And then we have some ‘80s moments in there that are very ’Footloose,’” says Likes. “It feels kind of like the greatest hits of not only rock ‘n’ roll, but of musical theater.”
While both men are fans of the films — and both got to meet the original stars at a gala last week — neither Bart nor Likes want to straightjacket themselves into the way Fox and Lloyd performed their roles.
“I don’t want to impersonate the movie. I want to remind you of the movie,” says Likes, who made his Broadway debut last year as the Cameron Crowe-inspired lead character of the musical “Almost Famous.”
“There’s a lot of things that Roger is doing that are similar, and there’s a lot of things that I’m doing that hopefully are similar to Michael. But we’re really just reminding you of their brilliance. Hopefully, at the same time, you’re able to kind of go along the journey with our Marty and Doc.”
In addition to being a cultural touchstone, “Back to the Future” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry and the American Film Institute listed it as the No. 10 best science-fiction film. Bart thinks the movie’s staying power is because it manages to straddle many worlds.
There’s a time travel story and one about getting to know your parents as peers. There’s a love story between Marty’s parents and there’s also a buddy movie — Marty and Doc putting their friendship on the line.
“Between all of these elements, it answers so many of the things that we love about that era of moviemaking and storytelling,” says Bart. “I think that’s one of the reasons why it is has sort of stuck around so long.”
Not to mention the fact that audiences can appreciate the story at different parts of their lives. Kids can enjoy the thrills and special effects; adults can be moved by the notion of meeting their own moms and dads. “Part of its sustaining power is the fact that it can mean one thing at one age and another at another,” says Bart.
Likes also adds another reason: Marty initially only wants to get back to his own time period to reconnect with his girlfriend. But his reasons start to change — save Doc, save his family, save the world.
“As the show goes on, there’s more stacked up reasons as to why he has to get back. And I think that’s a really interesting thing to think about in our own life,” he says. “What would be our reasons to to get back to our current life?”
___
Mark Kennedy can be reached at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/the-stars-of-broadways-back-to-the-future-musical-happily-speed-into-the-past-every-night/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:20 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/the-stars-of-broadways-back-to-the-future-musical-happily-speed-into-the-past-every-night/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), with support from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, today announced the launch of The AAPI Nonprofit Database. This interactive database addresses the historical inequity of funding directed towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by providing a platform where anyone looking to donate, volunteer, or get involved can more easily locate and support AAPI nonprofit organizations across the country.
With less than 0.2% of philanthropic giving going to AAPI nonprofits and causes, the community remains underfunded and under-resourced. TAAF is working to help fill this critical gap, and the database is a necessary first step to meeting the need. The database will feature nonprofits of all sizes, giving visibility and driving donations to grassroots organizations who have been working tirelessly to support underrepresented AAPI communities throughout the country.
"In the face of continued Anti-Asian hate and rhetoric, it is now more important than ever to invest in resources to support the diverse needs of AAPI communities," said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. "We know people want to support AAPI causes, especially following the horrific events impacting our community, but they may not always know where to begin or which organizations are aligned with their interests. Impactaapi.org will make AAPI nonprofits and causes accessible through one interactive tool to remove the barriers to entry and help combat the chronic underfunding and under-resourcing that AAPI organizations have faced."
At launch, the database will feature over 600 nonprofit organizations focused on serving AAPI communities. The AAPI Nonprofit Database will allow users to filter by location, focus area, population served, budget size or years in service, among others. Users will have the opportunity to make donations directly to the nonprofit of their choice or learn how to get more involved. If users need help to get started, a feature will allow visitors to take a short quiz, matching them to a curated list of organizations based on their interests.
Nonprofits have the opportunity to opt-in, get listed, and update their profile pages, including linking directly to their donation pages or website. Organizations whose data has been updated in the past year will have "verified" status indicating current data.
"Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have been long-time supporters of the AAPI community and are thrilled to support The Asian American Foundation in launching The AAPI Nonprofit Database," said Kimberly McGee, Senior Manager for the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. "As a founding AAPI Giving Challenge supporter, we are focused on driving access and resources to advance equity in the AAPI nonprofit community. The AAPI Nonprofit Database brings us closer to that goal by putting power into the hands of the broader public, whether by driving donations or getting more involved."
The AAPI Giving Challenge was launched in May 2021 with over 130 corporations, foundations, and individual donors committed $1.1 billion in funding and in-kind resources directly to AAPI communities, organizations, and relevant causes over five years. The AAPI Nonprofit Database highlights the commitment of corporate partners to work with the AAPI community to drive towards solutions together.
TAAF acknowledges Asian Pacific Fund and AAPI Data for their collaboration in providing guidance on the creation of this database.
The AAPI Nonprofit Database can be found at https://impactaapi.org. Nonprofit organizations interested in being listed can submit a request here.
ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION (TAAF)
The Asian American Foundation serves the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in its pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence. Founded in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and address the long standing underinvestment in AAPI communities, TAAF funds best in class organizations working to mobilize against hate and violence, educate communities, and reclaim our narratives through our core pillars of Anti-hate, Education, Narrative Change, and Resources & Representation. Through our grants, high-impact initiatives and events, we're creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for millions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org.
Media Contact:
Joy Moh
joy.moh@taaf.org
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SOURCE The Asian American Foundation | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:20 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/asian-american-foundation-launches-interactive-aapi-nonprofit-database-unlock-resources-support-aapi-focused-organizations/ |
One of the biggest ways to gain equity in your home is a kitchen remodel. Gutting the entire kitchen and getting brand new cabinets and countertops, though, is expensive.
For more homeowners, that’s a remodel you save up for years for. You may not want to deal with the challenge of living through an entire kitchen remodel, either, where your fridge spends a few weeks in your dining room and you’re cooking off a hot plate for weeks on end.
There are easier ways to update your kitchen’s look without breaking the bank and destroying your routine, according to designer Leslie Gallant of Ridgewood Design in Hartford.
A few coats of paint: Greens are in, greys are out
“The biggest bang for your buck is paint,” Gallant said. “Change up the paint color on the walls or if you have dark kitchen cabinets, you might consider painting them a neutral color.” Some of the colors Gallant suggests are a white or neutral for top cabinets or perimeter cabinets and a fun color on an island such as olive green or hunter green.
“Greens are what’s trending in kitchen color,” Gallant said. “Gray is on the way out. Olive green, hunter green and rich, historic greens are very popular. Go with oatmeal instead of gray.”
Gallant said the cream family is very classic if you’re in New England.
“It is never going to go out of style,” she said. “It’s coming back in and you can’t go wrong. White cabinets are also a classic New England style.”
If you’re ready to tackle the project of painting cabinets yourself, Gallant said to be sure to go to the local paint store and get the right products.
“It’s mostly the way you prep,” she said. “You cannot use any old paint on your cabinets.”
If painting the cabinets isn’t your thing, she also suggested swapping some panels out for glass or using some open shelving to change up the overall look and feel of the kitchen.
“Add plates or little succulents and small accessories to open shelving,” Gallant said.
Spice up your lighting with rattan patterns and basket weave materials
Another way to change up the feel of the kitchen is in your lighting options.
“What’s popular right now is the rattan looking pendants or basket weave material,” she said. “Perhaps putting a pendant light in if you have tall enough ceilings or a faux beam.”
For window treatments to work with the lighting, Gallant suggests woven wood blinds.
“It adds a lot of texture and depth to a negative space,” she said. “In a kitchen, most of the surfaces are hard and don’t really have many opportunities to create softness and coziness.”
She said adding cushions to chairs can help add an element of comfort to the kitchen.
Bust out the wallpaper
Peel and stick wallpaper is multi use, she said.
“It’s inexpensive and can change the look and add some personality,” Gallant said.
You can try using wallpaper on one of the walls in the kitchen or as an alternative to backsplash.
“It’s inexpensive as opposed to real tile,” she said. “If you don’t have a backsplash, peel and stick wallpaper can be great.”
Get crafty with hardware
Never forget the hardware on your cabinets. Changing out those little knobs and pulls can make a huge impact in your kitchen.
Gallant stressed changing the hardware is inexpensive and allows a more modern look to the kitchen. As a kitchen ages, the hardware gets dirty and old. A simple bar pull or something a bit shinier than you currently have may be an easy way to change up a kitchen’s personality. | https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/at-home/transform-your-kitchen-with-a-little-sweat-equity/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:21 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/at-home/transform-your-kitchen-with-a-little-sweat-equity/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
President Biden will tout his administration’s work to combat climate change in a trip out West, which has faced scorching — and in some cases, record-breaking — temperatures this month.
In a trip next week to Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, Biden is expected to discuss Democrats’ climate, tax and health care bill and the ways in which it bolstered climate-friendly energy and U.S. manufacturing.
Later, on Aug. 16, Biden will host a White House event to celebrate the Inflation Reduction Act.
The southwestern U.S. has faced a sweltering heat wave over the past several weeks, with Phoenix seeing 31 days in a row of temperatures above 110 degrees.
Last week, Biden gave a speech about climate change, which exacerbates heat waves and other extreme weather events, and said he would take actions aimed at protecting workers from the hazardous heat.
The upcoming White House moves are part of broader efforts to promote that bill and other legislation the administration has passed.
This week, Vice President Harris and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will visit Wisconsin to talk about broadband investments that were part of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will visit Oregon to discuss grants aimed at addressing wildfires and to Washington state to talk about climate-related investments in Agriculture. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi will visit Puerto Rico to engage on issues related to grid resilience. And Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will go to California to talk about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for water recycling.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit Illinois to talk about clean energy investments and Houston for a ribbon cutting for a port. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will visit Las Vegas, Nevada and Oregon to talk about efforts to lower health care costs. | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/biden-to-tout-climate-investments-in-trip-to-sweltering-west/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:22 | 1 | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/biden-to-tout-climate-investments-in-trip-to-sweltering-west/ |
Alliance supports Black Tech Street's ambition to digitally transform Black Wall Street to
Black Tech Street through cyber-centered talent and innovation initiatives
TULSA, Okla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Black Tech Street announced an unprecedented alliance with Microsoft for Historic Greenwood, the neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, given the moniker, "Black Wall Street," by Booker T. Washington for its abundance of affluent Black entrepreneurs.
Dubbed by Black Tech Street, "The Digital Transformation of Black Wall Street", the alliance aims to restore Greenwood's position as a national hub for Black talent and innovation. Founded in 2021, Black Tech Street's mission is to rebirth Black Wall Street as a Black innovation economy by securing Black tech-focused economic and industry development opportunities for the Greenwood community.
"Since its inception, Black Tech Street's focus has been on securing transformative partnerships capable of addressing deeply-rooted economic inequities stemming from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre at scale. Our partnership with Microsoft is a perfect example of such an opportunity and reflects the very essence of both our organizations," said Tyrance Billingsley II, Black Tech Street Founder and Executive Director.
"We are grateful for Microsoft's support and engagement that is game changing for Greenwood, and sends a clear message that Black Wall Street will continue to be a national leader of Black innovation in the 21st century."
One cornerstone of the alliance is that Black Tech Street has been named as the Microsoft TechSpark Fellow for the State of Oklahoma. The TechSpark Community Engagement Fellowship program empowers community organizations with a combination of funding, programming, hands-on mentorship, and training, and focuses on digital access, computer science education, digital skills, and digital transformation.
"Microsoft believes digital inclusion is core to ensuring everyone on the planet benefits from advances in technology, and that programming and opportunities must be created for those with the potential to be left behind," said Ann Johnson, corporate vice president for security business development at Microsoft. "We are pleased to work with Black Tech Street, local government leaders, and community organizations to help build and further reinforce Greenwood and Tulsa as centers for technology vision, leadership, and entrepreneurship."
Black Tech Streets Ambition: Creating 1000+ Black Cyber Professionals in Tulsa
The first phase of this collaboration will include a series of community and Microsoft-supported investments aimed at raising the capacity of the Tulsa ecosystem to produce, attract, and support Black cyber talent. Black Tech Street's goal is to leverage Microsoft's programmatic support/resources alongside other national partners to create and employ 1000 Black Tulsans in Cyber and adjacent fields. Black Tech Street's aim is to accomplish this by 2030. Investing in the cybersecurity workforce has been a priority for Microsoft, as they aim to support the estimated gap of 1.6 million cyber professionals in North America alone. Black Tech Street will leverage its alliance with Microsoft in the following areas to contribute towards reaching its goal:
Workforce and Skilling
- Microsoft Cybersecurity Scholarship Program: Tulsa Community College (TCC) was accepted into Microsoft's Cybersecurity Scholarship Program, providing cash scholarships to the highly diverse students receiving training at TCC's Cyber Skills Center.
- Employment Partner and Sponsor Consortium: Black Tech Street, with Microsoft support, will lead a nationwide consortium for connecting employers looking to hire Black Cyber talent in Tulsa for local and remote roles. The program will also fund scholarships for Black students interested in cyber. A critical strategy for BTS is to ensure skilled tech talent stays in Tulsa, contributing to the local economy. Microsoft embraces flexible work, including schedule and work location flexibility, that supports individual work styles while balancing business needs.
Education and Digital Access
- Microsoft TechSpark-Digital Education Access: Black Tech Street's participation in the Microsoft TechSpark program will include, among many other components, a comprehensive suite of services and technology platforms for educators, students, and school systems on multiple levels.
- High School Tech Education: Black Tech Street, the University of Tulsa, and Microsoft, will collaborate on a plan to accelerate Computer Science and related tech education to north Tulsa secondary school students.
Innovation Research and Thought Leadership
- The University of Tulsa and Microsoft: Black Tech Street plans to pilot studies in cyber research and experiential learning that leverage cutting-edge technology from Microsoft's investments in generative AI cybersecurity alongside the University of Tulsa as part of the alliance to better position the ecosystem in cyber-AI innovation. The University of Tulsa's nationally recognized cyber university, with its NSA affiliated Cyber Corps program, as well as a suite of successful cyber partnerships with high schools and community colleges, made cyber an obvious choice for partnership.
- Black Tech Street Cyber Summit: In 2024, Black Tech Street and Tulsa Innovation Labs will host the first Black Tech Street Cyber Summit. This summit will be a gathering of the foremost cyber experts from corporations, academia, and government. This summit is meant to serve as a meeting of the minds as it relates to charting a more effective national narrative and plan as it relates to mobilizing Black Americans into cyber en masse. Microsoft will host its "Into the Breach" gamified learning experience to test cybersecurity skills for Black Tulsans.
Microsoft's initial support via this alliance will anchor the first portion of a larger strategy by Black Tech Street to establish Greenwood as a national leader in the three critical technology areas of Cyber Security, Business Intelligence/Data Analytics, and Equitable Artificial Intelligence (See ED Tyrance Billingsley's op-ed What's Next? Black Wall Street's Innovation Ambitions).
Black Tech Street will also be supported in the execution of these Microsoft supported initiatives by local anchor partner Tulsa Innovation Labs, a philanthropic organization dedicated to building industrial clusters around sectors where Tulsa has distinct advantages.
The alliance has also garnered the support of City officials.
"I am excited about this new alliance between Black Tech Street and Microsoft in Tulsa," Mayor G.T. Bynum said. "This partnership will help increase cyber talent in our city, as well as promote tech education and workforce readiness for the incredible talent we have in our community."
This is the start of a long-term relationship between Black Tech Street, Greenwood, and Microsoft, and will redefine what is possible for communities and cities willing to simultaneously invest in people and in technology.
The announcement of this alliance was also included in the Biden-Harris Administration's announcement of its National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy to Unleash America's Cyber Talent:
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/07/31/fact-sheet-biden-%E2%81%A0harris-administration-announces-national-cyber-workforce-and-education-strategy-unleashing-americas-cyber-talent/)
Black Tech Street is an organization founded to rebirth Black Wall Street as a Black Innovation Economy and catalyze a movement that sees Black people embrace technology as a means to build wealth and impact the world. Black Tech Street architects and secures Black tech focused economic and industry development opportunities for the Greenwood community and serves as a chief storyteller for Black Wall Street's 21st century rebirth.
Contact:
Tyrance Billingsley II
tyrance@blacktechstreet.com
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SOURCE Black Tech Street | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/black-tech-street-announces-alliance-with-microsoft-digitally-transform-historic-greenwood/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:25 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/black-tech-street-announces-alliance-with-microsoft-digitally-transform-historic-greenwood/ |
A Georgia judge has rejected former President Trump’s efforts to quash an investigation into his efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.
“The movants’ asserted ‘injuries’ that would open the doors of the courthouse to their claims are either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in the nine-page ruling.
“They are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation.”
The ruling is the second roadblock for Trump in his efforts to dismiss the probe, after the state’s Supreme Court earlier this month rejected another suit seeking to block it.
That court had in part rejected Trump’s arguments while noting the matter before McBurney.
McBurney presided over the grand jury who were presented evidence by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) who has advised court officials she could bring charges in the high-profile case the second or third week of August.
Trump has also sued Willis and McBurney in another third suit filed alongside his petition to the state supreme court — an additional attempt to nix the investigation beyond the matter McBurney addressed Monday.
“Petitioner’s every attempt to seek redress in the normal course have been ignored, and the District Attorney has given every indication that the injury is imminent,” Trump wrote in the petition earlier this month.
McBurney also determined that Trump didn’t have standing to sue to quash the investigation, noting that the former president can only “theorize” that he will be named in an indictment.
“The professed injuries are also speculative and unrealized because there is, as of yet, no indictment that creates the genuine controversy required to confer standing,” McBurney wrote.
—Updated at 12:04 p.m. | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/georgia-judge-rejects-trump-effort-to-quash-fulton-county-investigation/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:28 | 0 | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/georgia-judge-rejects-trump-effort-to-quash-fulton-county-investigation/ |
Presentation about how AI makes malvertising more powerful - video on-demand
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Confiant, the anti-malvertising leader for the ad tech industry, announces the on-demand availability of its AdMonsters Ops presentation AI + Malvertising = ? The presentation examines how AI makes malvertising increasingly more troublesome for advertisers and the ad tech ecosystem.
Watch the video now (https://hubs.la/Q01XXq2l0)
Because of its reach and impact, AI has become virtually impossible to ignore in every industry, and is becoming increasingly troublesome in the ad tech sector because threat actors use it to enhance their malware, phishing, and scams.
In this session Jerome Dangu, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Confiant, and Louis-David Mangin, CEO and Co-Founder, Confiant discuss the AI revolution, how AI is affecting ad tech, what to look out for, and how to keep users safe.
Confiant, the cybersecurity leader in detecting and stopping Malvertising attacks, has built hundreds of integrations directly into the web's ad tech infrastructure. Confiant has unparalleled visibility to the malware, scams, and fraud serving through ads today. This presentation from their founders exposes how AI is already being used to exploit the ad tech marketplace.
About Confiant
Confiant is the cybersecurity leader in detecting and stopping Malvertising attacks. Having built hundreds of integrations directly into the web's ad tech infrastructure, Confiant has unparalleled visibility to the malware, scams, and fraud serving through ads today. Leveraging our security expertise, we deliver complete control over ads to publishers and ad platforms, also remediating quality issues, privacy violations, and mis-categorized ads. In publishing the industry's leading ad quality benchmark report and mapping the threat actors that use ads-as-an-attack-vector at Matrix.Confiant.com, Confiant is leading the charge in protecting users from criminals hijacking the ad tech supply chain. Trusted by customers like Microsoft, Paramount, and Magnite, we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year.
Follow us on Social
@Weareconfiant or visit www.confiant.com
for more information.
SOURCE: CONFIANT
Contact Information:
Media Relations
(646) 397-4198
marketing@confiant.com
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SOURCE Confiant | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/confiant-admonsters-ops-ai-malvertising/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:31 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/confiant-admonsters-ops-ai-malvertising/ |
Russia has entered a dangerous new phase of its war against Ukraine since it exited the Black Sea grain deal earlier this month, weaponizing global food exports, stepping up attacks on Ukrainian ports and cities and increasing the risk of spillover into NATO countries.
Russia’s escalation is unlikely to deter the U.S. and allies from following through on delivering F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles to Ukraine in the coming months, which Moscow has repeatedly warned against.
But it comes as Ukraine is struggling to make major gains in its grinding counteroffensive, and Russia’s strategy appears aimed at straining U.S. and European partners who have provided billions in assistance to Ukraine over the course of 16 months.
“Certainly, it’s an escalation,” said Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations and who served as a senior director for Russia on the National Security Council under former President George W. Bush.
“Russia, I think, is clearly making an effort to continue to deepen the damage to the Ukrainian economy,” he added. “It has implications for Ukraine’s ability to continue the war effort, it raises concerns about attacks on NATO territory … so it’s a reason to be concerned.”
Since pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal July 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin has targeted attacks on Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa, damaging the seaport and grain storage facilities and hitting residential and historical buildings, including an Orthodox cathedral.
The grain deal, negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey, allowed for the export of Ukrainian grain through a Russian blockade on the Black Sea, clearing the way for 33 million metric tons of foodstuffs to move across the world, largely to developing countries, since it took effect in July 2022.
But now, Putin is warning he views commercial ships in the Black Sea as legitimate military targets. The U.S. and the United Kingdom are warning Russia is plotting “false flag operations,” covertly mining the sea with the purpose of blaming Ukraine for any explosions.
NATO and member countries bordering Ukraine are on high alert.
“Russia bears full responsibility for its dangerous and escalatory actions in the Black Sea region,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday during a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.
“Russia’s actions also pose substantial risks to the stability of the Black Sea region, which is of strategic importance to NATO,” he added. “Allies are stepping up support to Ukraine and increasing our vigilance. We remain ready to defend every inch of Allied territory from any aggression.”
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday condemned a Russian attack on a civilian port on the Danube River in Ukraine near his country, tweeting that the “escalation pose[s] serious risks to the security in the Black Sea.”
And Putin last week delivered a threat to NATO member Poland, accusing Warsaw of having designs on Belarus and saying an attack against Minsk would trigger a response from Moscow.
Poland is dispatching an additional 1,000 troops to its borders with Belarus, concerned over Wagner mercenary forces exiled to the country after retreating from a short-lived rebellion against Moscow in June.
Mary Beth Long, who served as assistant secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush administration, said Russia is seeking to maximize pressure on Kyiv and its allies in the lead-up to a slowdown of military operations by the winter.
“You can’t escalate your way in or out of this, I think both sides know that. But there’s more consequences to Ukraine because Russia is bigger, Russia is willing to strike civilians and its infrastructure, and it has shown that it can successfully do so,” she said.
“There’s no real consequences to Russia, from Ukraine or NATO, there’s no penalty to be paid for that, so that clears the way for him [Putin] to continue to not only strike against critical infrastructure and these nodes but to expand it.”
Long warned that Russia views the month of August as the best opportunity to inflict the most damage without a coherent response from the West, as American lawmakers are absent from Capitol Hill, European capitals are similarly quiet and NATO has no major meetings.
“I think Russia’s made the assessment that it has freedom of movement, in the next couple of months in particular,” she said. “It is doing everything it can to set the playing field before winter and it will continue to do so.”
While Russia is ramping up military tensions in the Black Sea, experts said its withdrawal from the grain deal is focused on the economic realm: sanctions relief and increasing trade.
“Russia really wants to make a deal,” said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the International Security Program of the Center for Security and International Security (CSIS).
“The difficult trade-offs for the U.S. and the West are not going to be the military equipment ones, but the ones about economics and sanctions. Are we willing to ease those restrictions in the interests of opening up grain shipments?” he asked.
Putin has long criticized the deal as failing to meet his demands for the export of Russian grains and fertilizer and has given little to no signal that he’s open to rejoining the agreement.
During a meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg on Thursday, the Russian president committed to delivering nearly 300,000 tons of grain to six African countries “free of charge.”
The Russian president is also calling for sanctions relief on Russia’s agricultural bank, Rosselkhozbank, wanting it reconnected to the SWIFT international payment network.
Absent Moscow’s cooperation, the options for shipping grain out of Ukraine are not attractive.
While Ukraine is shipping grain and foodstuffs by rail and road, that amount is hundreds of thousands of tons less than can be moved through the Black Sea.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense tweeted Wednesday that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is altering its position in preparation to enforce a blockade against Ukraine, warning the “potential for the intensity and scope of violence in the area to increase.”
Still, Cancian from the CSIS was optimistic that a solution surrounding grain exports from Ukraine would be reached in a relatively short time frame.
“They’re likely to make a deal in a week or so,” he said. “This is, I think, unlikely to sort of linger for weeks or months.” | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/russia-takes-a-dangerous-turn-in-its-war-on-ukraine/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:34 | 1 | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/russia-takes-a-dangerous-turn-in-its-war-on-ukraine/ |
About two months ago, I wrote about the perils of using paving brick made from concrete. These pavers fade in color over time as the thin cement paste that gives them their color succumbs to Mother Nature and high-pressure water cleanings.
At my son’s house, we installed perhaps the best paving brick known to man. They’re made from clay and are so durable they can be used to build roadways. The color will never fade, and if one of the bricks gets chipped, the color and texture inside the brick match what you see on the brick’s surface. The pavers we’re using are made from clay and fired in a kiln until they’re as hard as rock.
I’ve used clay paving brick at two of my previous homes. My son learned to walk on the last clay brick patio I built in the backyard of the stunning Queen Anne Victorian home I built. Twenty years before that, I had installed a similar patio at the second house my wife and I owned. That patio looks as good today as the day I installed it back in the late 1970s.
I was introduced to clay paving brick by my mother-in-law. When I was dating my future wife, I noticed two pallets of used, salvaged paving brick sitting in the driveway. I asked about them and soon discovered they were destined to form a wonderful patio in the rear of her house under two magnificent shade trees.
I volunteered to install the brick under the guidance of my future father-in-law, who was far too busy with his medical practice. Among other things, he taught me how to create a baseline to ensure the bricks would be installed in a perfectly straight line.
You should be attracted to clay because it’s an abundant natural resource. Brick technology dates back thousands of years. It’s a time-tested building material. Thousands of miles of roadways have been paved with hard-fired clay brick. Just weeks ago, one of my newsletter subscribers sent me one of the thick, dark-brown clay pavers used to build the famous Old Brick Road in Florida. That historic brick is now sitting on a shelf in my office. Throughout the U.S., towns and cities of all sizes retain beautiful brick-paved streets, alleys and walkways.
Instead of using thick, traditional paving brick, my son and I are using a split paver that measures just under 4 inches wide by just under 8 inches long and only a little over an inch thick. You can set it in a sand/cement base, but I’m going the extra mile and mortaring each brick on top of a steel-reinforced concrete pad. Once it’s complete, you could drive a truck onto my son’s patio and it would not crack.
The remarkable thing about this system is the ease of installation. You might think it’s not DIY friendly. In fact, it’s the opposite. The only really hard thing about the job, in my opinion, is getting the concrete slab poured correctly.
It’s vital the slab be in the same plane and flat. This means there can’t be any humps or deep furrows in the concrete. Any decent concrete mason can screed the concrete to achieve this goal. I poured my son’s concrete 5 inches thick and put the 1/2-inch steel rebars 2 feet on center in both directions. The steel looked like a piece of giant graph paper before it was entombed in the wet concrete.
Over the years, I’ve discovered the best way to install a brick patio is to install the border bricks first. This is especially true if your patio or sidewalk is going to have curves. A square or rectangular patio is by far the easiest to build, as it requires minimal cuts. We have a mix of straight and curved edges at my son’s house, but I made sure that the overall size of the patio will have full-sized brick requiring no cuts. It just so happens that three rows of the brick we’re using equals 12 inches. His patio will end up having 45 rows.
The mortar mix is easy to make. He mixed three parts of fine sand to one part of Portland cement. I have him mix just 2 or 3 gallons at a time in a wheelbarrow. Just enough water is added to make the mix resemble wet applesauce.
I lay each brick in enough mortar so it oozes up the sides about 1/2 inch. The rest of the joint is filled at the end of the job, once all the bricks are in place. I use a special big bag (just like bakers use to decorate a cake, without the icing!) I blend one part very fine sand to one part Portland cement to make my grout.
The grout would probably test out in excess of 12,000 pounds per square inch. It wears like iron and will resist freezing weather for decades. I’m in the process of recording several in-depth videos of the installation process. You’ll be able to watch these at AsktheBuilder.com early this fall.
Tim Carter has worked as a home improvement professional for more than 30 years. | https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/at-home/why-clay-bricks-will-stand-the-test-of-time-in-your-paving-project/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:34 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/at-home/why-clay-bricks-will-stand-the-test-of-time-in-your-paving-project/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
WAYNE, Pa., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Balanced Bridge Funding was named one of 2023's Best Places to Work by The Philadelphia Business Journal. It is a prestigious award given to those companies that treat their employees well and create a hospitable work environment. Joseph Genovesi, CEO of Balanced Bridge Funding and its subsidiary Accel Real Estate Commission Advance, says, "it is an honor for Balanced Bridge Funding to be recognized by The Philadelphia Business Journal as one of 2023's Best Places to Work."
According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the companies that are named to the list are based exclusively on the responses from the employees. The companies on the list can use the award as a recruiting tool for future employees and for promotional marketing uses. As workplaces evolve, job satisfaction continues to rank higher on the list of importance for current and prospective employees. The popularity of websites like Glassdoor, where current and ex-employees can leave their opinion, means an award like Best Places to Work can be a tipping point for people evaluating their employment choices. Genovesi says, "One of my goals when I started my company was for the environment at the workplace to be open, inclusive, and flexible to the needs of my employees. I think we have achieved that and this award speaks to that accomplishment."
Balanced Bridge Funding is a specialty finance company that provides funding to different kinds of sectors; contract advances to professional athletes, legal funding to plaintiffs and plaintiffs' attorneys, advances to first year big law attorneys, account receivable funding to Big Law firms, factoring to truck drivers and trucking companies, fee advances to class action recovery companies, contract advances to local, state, and federal government contractors, loans to fix and flip operators, loans on luxury assets, account receivable funding to small businesses, and commission advances to insurance brokers and insurance agents on their expected fees.
Accel Real Estate Commission Advance is a subsidiary of Balanced Bridge Funding. It is a finance company specifically designed to provide advances to real estate professionals on their expected commissions. Real estate brokers and agents can sometimes face delayed commissions due to a number of factors. Accel was created to provide funding on those commissions so brokers and agents can access a portion of their fee and avoid the waiting period for their money.
CONTACT:
info@balancedbridge.com
View original content:
SOURCE Balanced Bridge Funding | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/balanced-bridge-funding-named-one-2023-best-places-work-by-philadelphia-business-journal/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:34 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/balanced-bridge-funding-named-one-2023-best-places-work-by-philadelphia-business-journal/ |
The following data is supplied by Colorado Weekly Homebuyers List Inc., 303-744-2020. Listed are the buyer, the seller and the amount.
Broomfield
Sara Wakely: 13456 Via Varra Unit 234, William Compton, $358,000.
Gavin Laing: 21 Evergreen St., Brett M Baiotto, $375,000.
Vickie Blanford: 1140 Opal St. Unit 104, Joyce and Larry Miller, $396,500.
Charles and Joann Johnston: 14300 Waterside Lane Unit A1, Clarissa Hageman, $430,000.
Zhiqiang Han: 12877 King St., Michael Weaver, $463,000.
William and Maha Cantello: 49 Douglas Drive S, Elizabeth Cullen, $556,000.
Benjamin and Kristi Gager: 12656 Pronghorn St., Jim and Laura Messmer, $571,000.
Leann Larson: 12417 James Court, Mark and Anne Caban, $617,500.
David and Kimberly Dzumba: 2406 W 167th Lane, Meritage Homes Colo. Inc., $625,000.
Gretha Honsvald: 2402 W 167th Lane, Meritage Homes Colo. Inc., $670,000.
Karen and John Ingraham: 495 Bellaire Court, Joanna Lane, $684,000.
Kelly and Kevin Brachle: 2184 W 166th Ave., Weekley Homes LLC, $726,900.
Charles and Larissa Johnson: 1198 Ash St., Courtney Tatum, $750,000.
Kruthika Srinivasan: 16670 Tejon Lane, Weekley Homes LLC, $776,800.
Weiwei Wang: 655 Olive St., Lennar Colo. LLC, $790,000.
Alysia and Gina Nelson: 2807 Potosi Place, Ellen M Lenkiewicz, $870,000.
Ivette and Danny Plaza: 16619 Turret Way, Wk Holdings Colo. LLC, $990,000.
Debra Spence: 14060 Turnberry Court, James and Dawn Lynch, $1,015,000.
Esther Walker: 14056 Kahler Place, Jared Thompson, $1,260,000.
Sonal and Ashish Bablani: 1170 Maddox Court, Michael and Erika Biba, $1,905,000.
Drake
Mary Gosscrowson: 2457 US Highway 34, Michael Fitzgerald, $365,000.
Marvin and Lynn Weakly: 2458 US Highway 34, Khin Khin Tun, $444,000.
Erie
G and Kelly Strauch: 2291 Dogwood Circle, Drew and Marisa Shields, $600,000.
Zachary and Caitlin Cagley: 1168 Highlands Drive, William and Christin Heuston, $605,000.
Ying and Sachin Bhandari: 1966 Marlowe Circle W, Lennar Colo. LLC, $610,000.
Scott and Denise Bishel: 2175 Lupine Place, William P Wagner, $632,000.
David Rokisky: 775 Golden Peak Drive, Richmond Am Homes Colo. Inc., $633,000.
Jacob and Carrie Bucher: 541 Bear Peak Court, Julie and Laura Arroyobonney, $670,000.
Daniel Devries: 131 Pear Lake Way, Sk Real Estate LLC, $700,000.
Kent Hutchison: 174 Pipit Lake Way, Rodrigo and Margaret Sanchez, $720,000.
Krishna and Palpasa Ghimire: 1964 Merrill Circle E, Lennar Colo. LLC, $730,000.
Ish Ghai: 926 Twin Sister Circle, Noreen and Jose Rodriguez, $770,000.
Chamaal Karunaweera: 1880 Marlow Circle E, Lennar Colo. LLC, $859,300.
Meredith and Adam Holzmeister: 547 Polaris Circle, Kyle C Devan, $885,000.
John Bevis: 1928 Marlow Circle E, Lennar Colo. LLC, $935,000.
Longmont
Fidel Flores: 10656 Forester Place, John J Valdez, $455,000.
Jessica Esinhart: 12854 Park Creek Way, Daniel and Nicole Dewey, $515,000.
Joseph and Rebecca Eshleman: 13720 Siltstone St., Melody Homes Inc., $565,000.
Lyons
Terence Gill: 995 Kiowa Road, Don and Martha Mccarver, $888,000. | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/boulder-county-area-home-sales-july-31-2023/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:37 | 1 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/boulder-county-area-home-sales-july-31-2023/ |
Paloma Taco & Tequila to open second location in Bay View
Plans are underway for a second location of a popular Washington Heights taqueria.
Paloma Taco & Tequila will open another location in retail space on the ground level of the KinetiK Apartments building, 2154 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Bay View, adding another dining option to the bustling northern corridor of Kinnickinnic Avenue.
Owner Pattie Ford said she looks forward to having more space to work with after the success of Paloma’s first location at 5419 W. North Ave. in Washington Heights, which opened in July 2020.
That location will stay, but Ford said she’s excited to have another place to serve customers.
“It’s been really busy and overwhelming,” Ford said. “This will give us a kitchen we can work with a little bit more, just to help with the volume we’ve been doing in our current space."
Ford said Paloma could be open in the first quarter of 2024.
Hours will be expanded, as well. Ford plans to keep the restaurant open seven days a week and serve brunch Fridays through Tuesdays.
“We’ll have an emphasis on our Monday brunch so we can be open for the service industry,” she said.
When the restaurant opens, customers can expect to see their favorites from the menu at the Washington Heights location, including bean and queso dip, multiple taco styles, burritos, tortas, tostadas and desserts. A bar will serve cocktails, mocktails and beer.
Being on the ground floor of a large apartment building in a high-traffic area of Bay View, Ford expects the restaurant to be busy from the start.
“We want to start with what we know and what we can execute well,” she said. But eventually she’d like to open the menu to new options, especially enchiladas.
“My chef and sous chef make better enchiladas than I’ve ever had anywhere else,” she said.
Three Sixty Design, which designed Paloma’s Washington Heights space, as well as area restaurants such as 1033, Uncle Wolfie’s, Centraal Grand Café & Tappery, Hacienda Taproom and Dandan, will design the interior for the Bay View location.
“I’ve seen some designs, and it’ll be stunning,” Ford said.
Customers can also count on outdoor seating on the restaurant’s patio, which will be adjacent to Bay View’s Zillman Park. The park is slated to undergo an extensive renovation beginning this summer.
“This has been in the works since February,” Ford said. “I’m so excited it’s finally happening.”
Rachel Bernhard joined the Journal Sentinel as dining critic in June 2023. She’s been busy exploring the Milwaukee area food scene to share her favorite finds with readers along the way. Like all Journal Sentinel reporters, she buys all meals, accepts no gifts and is independent of all establishments she covers.
What should she cover next? Contact her atrseis@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at@rachelbernhard or on Instagram at@rach.eats.mke. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2023/07/31/paloma-taco-tequila-to-open-second-location-in-bay-view/70497658007/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:37 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2023/07/31/paloma-taco-tequila-to-open-second-location-in-bay-view/70497658007/ |
Provides DUI/DWI Solutions and Free Virtual Continuing Education
DES MOINES, Iowa, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Safety Technology, a leader in safety and detection products and services, announced today it has been named the Official DUI/DWI Services Sponsor for The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL). The expanded partnership will provide continuing education seminars and exclusive benefits to support FACDL attorneys and their clients.
FACDL is the only statewide organization in Florida dedicated solely to criminal defense attorneys. A not-for-profit corporation, FACDL was formed for scientific and educational purposes and is affiliated with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"Expanding our partnership with FACDL reinforces our commitment to supporting criminal defense attorneys across the state," said Kathy Boden Holland, CEO, CST. "By offering members valuable continuing legal education content and access to products and services for every step in the DUI process, we aim to enhance their expertise and effectiveness in representing clients."
CST's suite of comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions includes Intoxalock, the leading ignition interlock brand in the US, and trusted partner to attorneys and monitoring authorities. Through the partnership, FACDL members can easily address multiple client needs with products and services covering the entire DUI process, not just one area.
- Intoxalock – Intoxalock devices are approved in Florida and meet all state criteria for court-ordered devices. With VIP support from Intoxalock, FACDL member's clients will receive expedited assistance. www.intoxalock.com
- Breathe Easy - High-risk insurance coverage is often a requirement following a DUI or DWI conviction. Breathe Easy insurance brokerage works with several providers, and FACDL members can rely on Breathe Easy representatives to find the best coverage for the lowest price on behalf of their clients. https://www.breatheeasyins.com/
- New Directions - Assessments that DUI and DWI defendants can use to strengthen their case in court. As part of the partnership, FACDL members will receive priority scheduling for assessments. All clients will receive a customized assessment tailored to their unique situation and needs. New Directions also offers a money-back guarantee if the assessment is not accepted in court. https://www.ndsbs.com/
Key FACDL event dates:
- October 4, 2023 - Ignition Interlock 101: The 5 Most Common Mistakes Clients – FACDL members will learn more about ignition interlock devices and the benefits, requirements, and technical aspects of the device.
- November 16-17, 2023 - CST will serve as the top-tier sponsor for the DUI Defense Seminar, Blood, Breath & Tears, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida.
For more information on how FACDL attorney members can join the Intoxalock Select Attorney Network and get instant access to client savings materials visit the FACDL and Intoxalock Partner page.
About Consumer Safety Technology
Consumer Safety Technology (CST) is a leader in safety and detection products and services that help people live responsibly and make communities safer. A force for good for more than 30 years, CST and its family of leading brands serve as a trusted partner to both individuals and authorities. CST's portfolio features comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions that uniquely cover the entire DUI process and include: Intoxalock, the number one ignition interlock brand in the US; Breathe Easy, specialized and low-cost insurance; and New Directions, virtual court and employer accepted assessments. Driven by a commitment to delivering reliable and exceptional service, combined with innovative technology that makes positive change, CST has achieved sustained growth and success. CST is a portfolio company of L. Catterton and was named Best Place to Work for Working Parents in 2022 and 2023. For more information visit www.consumersafetytechnology.com or via LinkedIn.com.
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SOURCE Intoxalock | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:38 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ |
A super PAC that works to help Democrats get elected to the House is calling on them to promote the economy and the party’s successes as Congress goes on recess for the next month.
House Majority PAC said in a memo to congressional Democrats on Monday that the party must emphasize its accomplishments at the national and local level heading into the 2024 election. The memo said the PAC conducted research showing Democrats “dramatically” improve their position when they are proactive in speaking about the economy.
“Go on offense, and build the contrast with the MAGA House Republicans immediately,” it states.
The memo, which was first reported by Politico, references several key legislative accomplishments of the Biden administration, including the bipartisan infrastructure package, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The chips legislation provided billions of dollars in incentives for manufacturers to build domestic semiconductor plants, while the Inflation Reduction Act made significant investments in climate programs, allowed Medicare to negotiate on some drug prices and raised taxes on large corporations, among other initiatives.
The memo also states that “month after month” has shown President Biden’s “Bidenomics” economic policy is working.
The push to highlight economic issues comes as Biden’s approval rating, especially on the economy, remains underwater. A CNBC All-America Economic Survey earlier this month found that 37 percent of Americans approved of Biden’s handling of the economy, compared to 58 percent who disapproved.
The PAC said Democrats need to point to continued job growth that dropped the unemployment rate to 3.6 percent last month and declining inflation as evidence of the party’s success.
The memo also urges Democrats to target Republicans as “extremist” and threatening economic progress. It said they should note the battle over raising the debt ceiling in the spring and the potential government shutdown in September if Congress does not pass the 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the government.
The PAC also called on Democrats to go on offense over abortion, pointing to the annual defense bill the Republican-controlled House passed that would prohibit the Department of Defense from reimbursing service members who travel to receive an abortion. | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/top-house-democratic-pac-urging-members-to-lean-into-economy/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:40 | 1 | https://phl17.com/hill-politics/top-house-democratic-pac-urging-members-to-lean-into-economy/ |
The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is showcasing some of the best soccer on the planet — and some of the best photographs. Associated Press photographers are covering every match at the month-long tournament, including Zambia’s Lushomo Mweemba celebrating a goal against Costa Rica and Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina becoming the first senior-level Women’s World Cup player to compete wearing a hijab.
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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.seattletimes.com/nation-world/ap-photos-womens-world-cup-highlights-4/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:40 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/ap-photos-womens-world-cup-highlights-4/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Betr Picks is now available to play in the Betr Fantasy & Sportsbook iOS app for real money in 24 jurisdictions, including California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, which represent the majority of the U.S. adult population
Betr, the Official and Exclusive Sports Betting and Fantasy Partner for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, will also feature a special Paul vs. Diaz free-to-play picks game, which will offer users a chance to win their share of up to $1M in prizes
MIAMI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Betr Holdings, Inc. ("Betr" or the "Company"), today announced the launch of Betr Picks, a pick 'em style fantasy game to complement its existing real money and free-to-play online sports betting (OSB) product, Betr Sportsbook. The simple and intuitive real money fantasy pick 'em experience allows users to select "More" or "Less" from a wide array of player projections to build a lineup with as few as 2 and up to a total of 8 players. Users have the potential to win up to 100x their initial entry if they get 8 picks correct. Betr Picks is now available in 24 jurisdictions* (including California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, and North Carolina) which collectively represent over half of the U.S. adult population, and the Company is planning to further expand its fantasy reach to at least 30 total jurisdictions by the end of 2023. The Betr Fantasy & Sportsbook app is currently available on iOS with plans to launch on Android soon. This launch marks the first time that sportsbook and fantasy will operate within a single app.
Fantasy sports is the latest extension of Betr's real money gaming business, which already has an established OSB business with live operations in Ohio and Massachusetts and plans to launch OSB in Virginia in the coming weeks and additional jurisdictions in the months ahead. Betr Picks offers a differentiated pick 'em experience, including the ability to pick up to 8 players, higher payout multiples (up to 100x), and no pushes. Betr's signature focus on simple and intuitive product design, along with its bespoke integrations with Betr Media, will further distinguish the Betr Picks experience from the broader fantasy sports gaming market. To celebrate the launch of Betr Picks, Betr, the Official and Exclusive Sports Betting and Fantasy Partner for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, will feature a special Paul vs. Diaz free-to-play picks game, which will offer users a chance to win their share of up to $1M in prizes. The game is available now until August 5th when the first bout of Most Valuable Promotions and Real Fight Inc.'s Paul vs. Diaz pay-per-view begins live on DAZN and ESPN+ in the U.S.
Betr Picks represents the first time Betr Gaming is able to more fully capitalize on the nationwide media audience and brand of Betr Media. As the fastest growing sports betting media brand in the United States, Betr Media has already surpassed 1.5 billion impressions on social media less than a year after launch. Betr Media is focused predominantly on original and short-form content, which the Company believes will be the primary form of sports media consumption for the 21-34-year-old male demographic outside of consuming live sporting events themselves. Betr Media will also be launching the @betrpicks sub-brand on social media, giving fans a more targeted community-driven vertical for fantasy and picks content. The channel will be led by rising social media star Derek Sullivan (aka BetrDerek) with consistent appearances from Betr's robust talent network such as Jake Paul, Marco Piemonte, Haley and Hanna Cavinder, Bo Nickal, Handshake Bets and more.
The launch comes shortly after Betr announced the acquisition of the Chameleon platform from FansUnite (TSX: FANS), which enabled Betr to enhance and accelerate its product roadmap. The Chameleon acquisition allows the company to develop its upcoming V1 OSB product, which will feature sportsbook capabilities including pre-match and in-play core markets, parlays, same game parlays, futures, props, and other bet types, along with over 20 additional sports. The Company's current OSB product, which it refers to internally as V0, is a beta product that will continue to operate in Ohio, Massachusetts, and soon Virginia until V1 launches in H1 2024.
"We are thrilled to expand the Betr Gaming business by introducing our real money fantasy sports vertical with the launch of Betr Picks," said Joey Levy, Founder and CEO of Betr. "Betr Picks allows us to acquire and engage real money gaming users across the United States, enabling Betr Gaming to more fully capitalize on the nationwide presence of Betr Media for the first time, all while providing a complimentary pre-match experience to our in-play focused OSB product. We believe Betr Picks already features a strong core user experience relative to existing pick 'em products, and we have several material enhancements that will be released over the coming weeks and months including more sports, game modes, media integrations, deposit and withdrawal capabilities, and more."
Betr's proactive industry leadership in safe and responsible play will continue with Betr Picks, which also features the same Responsible Gaming-focused tenets the Company has rolled out for its OSB product, including a 21+ age requirement to play, a ban on credit card deposits for all users, and restrictions on the monthly deposit amounts for young consumers aged 21-25 years old. Betr Picks is backed by legal opinions from both nationwide and state-specific experts in the gaming space and is only available in jurisdictions where fantasy gaming has been legalized by statute or is permitted via case law and/or legal precedent.
*Betr Picks is available in California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Carolina, Kentucky, Oregon, Oklahoma, Utah, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Washington D.C., Vermont, and Wyoming.
About Betr
Founded in 2022 by Joey Levy and Jake Paul, Betr is a leading sports betting and sports media company through Betr Gaming and Betr Media, respectively. Betr Gaming is an online sports betting and gaming business focused on a unique product experience with a simplified user experience that is catered to the casual sports fan, enabling Betr to capture more of the underpenetrated online gaming addressable market. Betr Gaming began with a microbetting-only online sports betting (OSB) product, allowing users to bet on individual plays and events – such as pass or rush on the next play in football or the outcome of the next pitch in baseball, and is expanding its OSB product offering to include additional markets with full sportsbook capabilities, as well as planning to expand into other real money gaming verticals. Betr Media is the fastest growing sports betting media brand in the United States that has grown to over 1.5 million followers, 1.5 billion impressions, and 77 million engagements across its social channels since publicly launching in August 2022. Betr is creating a unique flywheel by investing in content creators to drive brand awareness and affinity, which drives more audience and engagement with the Betr brand, allowing Betr to monetize its user base through a suite of gaming products which then enables further investment in content and brand affinity.
For more information on Betr, visit betr.app or follow @betr on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. To learn more about responsible play, please visit betr.app/responsibility.
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SOURCE Betr Holdings, Inc. | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/betr-introduces-real-money-fantasy-sports-vertical-with-launch-betr-picks-across-united-states/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:41 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/betr-introduces-real-money-fantasy-sports-vertical-with-launch-betr-picks-across-united-states/ |
'Last Week Tonight' host John Oliver books his first Milwaukee show in 11 years
Piet Levy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
It's still uncertain when late-night talk shows will resume with new episodes with the writers and actors strikes continuing, but Milwaukee fans will be able to see one popular talk show host live this fall.
John Oliver is coming to the Miller High Life Theatre Sept. 29, the Pabst Theater Group announced Monday. This will be Oliver's first Milwaukee appearance since 2012, and first since the former "Daily Show" correspondent became the host of the Emmy-winning "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver."
Tickets, priced between $69.50 and $129.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at pabsttheater.org. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/07/31/last-week-tonight-host-john-oliver-books-first-milwaukee-show-in-11-years/70498028007/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:43 | 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/07/31/last-week-tonight-host-john-oliver-books-first-milwaukee-show-in-11-years/70498028007/ |
CALGARY, AB, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) (CPKC) today published its 2023-2024 Grain Service Outlook Report, which outlines the company's plan to safely and reliably transport Canada's grain crop for export to international markets.
"As we look toward the upcoming 2023-2024 crop year, CPKC is once again well prepared to move Canada's grain crop to market, just as we have throughout our 142-year history," said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. "We have the capacity and the team to deliver for our grain customers and the Canadian economy during the upcoming crop year."
The report outlines CPKC's strong commitment to our grain customers and unique position to supply rail transportation to Canada's agricultural sector as the first transnational railway that provides a single-line connection between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. This powerful new rail network provides Canada's grain shippers with access to markets across North America, including many new markets in Mexico, and enhanced routing options for shipping Canadian grain and grain products overseas. Additionally, CPKC has completed its more than $500 million investment to purchase 5,900 new higher-capacity grain hopper cars.
Notwithstanding CPKC's robust preparation and investments, there are several factors constraining Canada's export-driven grain supply chain, including:
- The recent strikes at port terminals across B.C., including at the Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest port, once again demonstrated the damaging and compounding impact of labour disruptions on supply chains. The prolonged duration of the strike means that supply chain recovery will stretch into 2024, potentially impacting grain transportation this fall.
- The federal government's commitment to introduce legislation prohibiting replacement workers by the end of 2023 would lead to even more frequent and longer labour disruptions at Canada's railways and ports.
- The persistent challenge of loading grain onto vessels during periods of rain or snow in Vancouver must be resolved to maximize supply chain capacity and reliability.
- The government's decision to resurrect extended interswitching on the prairies risks undermining rail efficiency and capacity. This policy incentivizes inefficiencies, causing higher transportation costs for all users of the rail network, and drives Canadian investment dollars and jobs to the U.S.
- Low demand for Canadian grain transportation at certain times during the 2022-2023 crop year, and in particular throughout the spring period, resulted in significant unused capacity on CPKC's rail network, undermining Canada's ability to maximize grain exports to global markets. Maximizing Canada's grain exports requires customers to use the available supply chain capacity throughout the entirety of the crop year.
Despite these avoidable headwinds, CPKC has the capacity and the team to deliver for grain customers during the 2023-2024 crop year. To read the full report, please visit cpkcr.com.
Forward-looking information
This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws in both the U.S. and Canada. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, assumptions and statements about possible future events, conditions, and results of operations or performance. Forward-looking information may contain statements with words or headings such as "financial expectations", "key assumptions", "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "will", "outlook", "guidance", "should" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. This news release contains forward-looking information relating, but not limited, to statements concerning CPKC's ability to transport grain during the 2023-2024 crop year, the success of our business, the realization of anticipated benefits and synergies of the CP-KCS combination, and the opportunities arising therefrom, our operations, priorities and plans, business prospects and demand for our services and growth opportunities.
The forward-looking information in this news release is based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, having regard to CPKC's experience and its perception of historical trends, and may include, among others, expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions relating to: changes in business strategies, North American and global economic growth and conditions; commodity demand growth; sustainable industrial and agricultural production; commodity prices and interest rates; performance of our assets and equipment; sufficiency of our budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out our business plan; geopolitical conditions, applicable laws, regulations and government policies; the availability and cost of labour, services and infrastructure; the satisfaction by third parties of their obligations to CPKC; and carbon markets, evolving sustainability strategies, and scientific or technological developments. Although CPKC believes the expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking information presented herein are reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Current conditions, economic and otherwise, render assumptions, although reasonable when made, subject to greater uncertainty.
Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking information. By its nature, CPKC's forward-looking information involves inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, the following factors: changes in business strategies and strategic opportunities; general Canadian, U.S., Mexican and global social, economic, political, credit and business conditions; risks associated with agricultural production such as weather conditions and insect populations; the availability and price of energy commodities; the effects of competition and pricing pressures, including competition from other rail carriers, trucking companies and maritime shippers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico; North American and global economic growth and conditions; industry capacity; shifts in market demand; changes in commodity prices and commodity demand; uncertainty surrounding timing and volumes of commodities being shipped via CPKC; inflation; geopolitical instability; changes in laws, regulations and government policies, including regulation of rates; changes in taxes and tax rates; potential increases in maintenance and operating costs; changes in fuel prices; disruption in fuel supplies; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; compliance with environmental regulations; labour disputes including the impact of the port workers' strike and resolution of the strike in British Columbia; changes in labour costs and labour difficulties; risks and liabilities arising from derailments; transportation of dangerous goods; timing of completion of capital and maintenance projects; sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out business plans; services and infrastructure; the satisfaction by third parties of their obligations; currency and interest rate fluctuations; exchange rates; effects of changes in market conditions and discount rates on the financial position of pension plans and investments; trade restrictions or other changes to international trade arrangements; the effects of current and future multinational trade agreements on the level of trade among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico; climate change and the market and regulatory responses to climate change; anticipated in-service dates; success of hedging activities; operational performance and reliability; customer, regulatory and other stakeholder approvals and support; regulatory and legislative decisions and actions; the adverse impact of any termination or revocation by the Mexican government of Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V.'s Concession; public opinion; various events that could disrupt operations, including severe weather, such as droughts, floods, avalanches and earthquakes, and cybersecurity attacks, as well as security threats and governmental response to them, and technological changes; acts of terrorism, war or other acts of violence or crime or risk of such activities; insurance coverage limitations; material adverse changes in economic and industry conditions, including the availability of short and long-term financing; the pandemic created by the outbreak of COVID-19 and its variants and resulting effects on economic conditions, the demand environment for logistics requirements and energy prices, restrictions imposed by public health authorities or governments, fiscal and monetary policy responses by governments and financial institutions, and disruptions to global supply chains; the realization of anticipated benefits and synergies of the CP-KCS transaction and the timing thereof; the satisfaction of the conditions imposed by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in its March 15, 2023 final decision; the success of integration plans for KCS; other disruptions arising from the CP-KCS integration; estimated future dividends; financial strength and flexibility; debt and equity market conditions, including the ability to access capital markets on favourable terms or at all; cost of debt and equity capital; improvement in data collection and measuring systems; industry-driven changes to methodologies; and the ability of the management of CPKC to execute key priorities, including those in connection with the CP-KCS transaction.
The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. These and other factors are detailed from time to time in reports filed by CPKC with securities regulators in Canada and the United States. Reference should be made to "Item 1A – Risk Factors" and "Item 7 – Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Forward Looking Statements" in CPKC's annual and interim reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q.
Any forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, CPKC undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information, or the foregoing assumptions and risks affecting such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of México to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC. CP-IR
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SOURCE CPKC | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/cpkc-publishes-annual-grain-service-outlook-report/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:44 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/cpkc-publishes-annual-grain-service-outlook-report/ |
SAN DIEGO — With temperatures in Mexicali reaching as high as 120 degrees this week, the border city, located about 120 miles east of Tijuana, has experienced 28 heat-related deaths so far this year.
In both 2021 and 2022, 27 people died due to the hot weather.
According to city officials, most of the victims were homeless or people who lived in shacks made out of wood or carton. And they say what makes it unusual, is that most of the victims were found dead in the heart of the city where help was available.
The city continues to urge residents who don’t have access to air conditioning to seek relief from the heat at one of hundreds of so-called hydration centers in the region.
These include large tents, city buildings and even private homes that are set up to handle people and migrants who walk off the streets. They are given water and food, and are provided with beds to rest for as long as they like. Showers are also available.
Officials fear more deaths will occur as the month of August and its humidity loom in the coming weeks.
The medical examiner in Mexicali is also in the process of determining the cause of death for three men recently found dead on the streets. It’s believed they too succumbed to the intense heat. If so, it would bring the total of heat-related deaths in Mexicali this year to 31. | https://phl17.com/national-news/28-have-died-in-mexicali-this-year-due-to-extreme-heat/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:46 | 1 | https://phl17.com/national-news/28-have-died-in-mexicali-this-year-due-to-extreme-heat/ |
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — In a new policy plan unveiled Monday, Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis is taking aim at China with a “Declaration of Economic Independence” that also targets taxes, regulations, spending and education.
Speaking in a New Hampshire warehouse, the Florida governor promised to boost the economy and fight for the middle class.
“We will take back control of our destiny — and ensure that our future is as proud, independent and free as our past,” he said at Prep Partners Group, which coordinates warehousing, distribution and other logistics for other companies.
DeSantis said he would wrest economic control from China by ending the nation’s preferential trade status, banning imports of goods made from stolen intellectual property and preventing companies from sharing critical technologies with China.
The 10-point economic plan is the third major policy proposal put forth by DeSantis, whose campaign has struggled in recent weeks. Although long seen as the top rival to former President Donald Trump, DeSantis shed more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
On Monday, he focused on the federal government’s reckless spending, however. His plan describes him as a “new sheriff in town” who will veto wasteful spending and mandate work requirements for welfare programs. He also claimed he could achieve 3% annual economic growth by keeping taxes low, eliminating bureaucracy and incentivizing investment.
On the education front, DeSantis said he will stop incentivizing “useless degrees” by making universities responsible for the loans their students accrue. His plan also would promote vocational and apprenticeship programs that educate “artisans and engineers” instead of “politicized administrators and bureaucrats.” | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/desantis-unveils-new-economic-policy-that-targets-china-taxes-and-regulations/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:47 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/desantis-unveils-new-economic-policy-that-targets-china-taxes-and-regulations/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Alliance supports Black Tech Street's ambition to digitally transform Black Wall Street to
Black Tech Street through cyber-centered talent and innovation initiatives
TULSA, Okla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Black Tech Street announced an unprecedented alliance with Microsoft for Historic Greenwood, the neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, given the moniker, "Black Wall Street," by Booker T. Washington for its abundance of affluent Black entrepreneurs.
Dubbed by Black Tech Street, "The Digital Transformation of Black Wall Street", the alliance aims to restore Greenwood's position as a national hub for Black talent and innovation. Founded in 2021, Black Tech Street's mission is to rebirth Black Wall Street as a Black innovation economy by securing Black tech-focused economic and industry development opportunities for the Greenwood community.
"Since its inception, Black Tech Street's focus has been on securing transformative partnerships capable of addressing deeply-rooted economic inequities stemming from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre at scale. Our partnership with Microsoft is a perfect example of such an opportunity and reflects the very essence of both our organizations," said Tyrance Billingsley II, Black Tech Street Founder and Executive Director.
"We are grateful for Microsoft's support and engagement that is game changing for Greenwood, and sends a clear message that Black Wall Street will continue to be a national leader of Black innovation in the 21st century."
One cornerstone of the alliance is that Black Tech Street has been named as the Microsoft TechSpark Fellow for the State of Oklahoma. The TechSpark Community Engagement Fellowship program empowers community organizations with a combination of funding, programming, hands-on mentorship, and training, and focuses on digital access, computer science education, digital skills, and digital transformation.
"Microsoft believes digital inclusion is core to ensuring everyone on the planet benefits from advances in technology, and that programming and opportunities must be created for those with the potential to be left behind," said Ann Johnson, corporate vice president for security business development at Microsoft. "We are pleased to work with Black Tech Street, local government leaders, and community organizations to help build and further reinforce Greenwood and Tulsa as centers for technology vision, leadership, and entrepreneurship."
Black Tech Streets Ambition: Creating 1000+ Black Cyber Professionals in Tulsa
The first phase of this collaboration will include a series of community and Microsoft-supported investments aimed at raising the capacity of the Tulsa ecosystem to produce, attract, and support Black cyber talent. Black Tech Street's goal is to leverage Microsoft's programmatic support/resources alongside other national partners to create and employ 1000 Black Tulsans in Cyber and adjacent fields. Black Tech Street's aim is to accomplish this by 2030. Investing in the cybersecurity workforce has been a priority for Microsoft, as they aim to support the estimated gap of 1.6 million cyber professionals in North America alone. Black Tech Street will leverage its alliance with Microsoft in the following areas to contribute towards reaching its goal:
Workforce and Skilling
- Microsoft Cybersecurity Scholarship Program: Tulsa Community College (TCC) was accepted into Microsoft's Cybersecurity Scholarship Program, providing cash scholarships to the highly diverse students receiving training at TCC's Cyber Skills Center.
- Employment Partner and Sponsor Consortium: Black Tech Street, with Microsoft support, will lead a nationwide consortium for connecting employers looking to hire Black Cyber talent in Tulsa for local and remote roles. The program will also fund scholarships for Black students interested in cyber. A critical strategy for BTS is to ensure skilled tech talent stays in Tulsa, contributing to the local economy. Microsoft embraces flexible work, including schedule and work location flexibility, that supports individual work styles while balancing business needs.
Education and Digital Access
- Microsoft TechSpark-Digital Education Access: Black Tech Street's participation in the Microsoft TechSpark program will include, among many other components, a comprehensive suite of services and technology platforms for educators, students, and school systems on multiple levels.
- High School Tech Education: Black Tech Street, the University of Tulsa, and Microsoft, will collaborate on a plan to accelerate Computer Science and related tech education to north Tulsa secondary school students.
Innovation Research and Thought Leadership
- The University of Tulsa and Microsoft: Black Tech Street plans to pilot studies in cyber research and experiential learning that leverage cutting-edge technology from Microsoft's investments in generative AI cybersecurity alongside the University of Tulsa as part of the alliance to better position the ecosystem in cyber-AI innovation. The University of Tulsa's nationally recognized cyber university, with its NSA affiliated Cyber Corps program, as well as a suite of successful cyber partnerships with high schools and community colleges, made cyber an obvious choice for partnership.
- Black Tech Street Cyber Summit: In 2024, Black Tech Street and Tulsa Innovation Labs will host the first Black Tech Street Cyber Summit. This summit will be a gathering of the foremost cyber experts from corporations, academia, and government. This summit is meant to serve as a meeting of the minds as it relates to charting a more effective national narrative and plan as it relates to mobilizing Black Americans into cyber en masse. Microsoft will host its "Into the Breach" gamified learning experience to test cybersecurity skills for Black Tulsans.
Microsoft's initial support via this alliance will anchor the first portion of a larger strategy by Black Tech Street to establish Greenwood as a national leader in the three critical technology areas of Cyber Security, Business Intelligence/Data Analytics, and Equitable Artificial Intelligence (See ED Tyrance Billingsley's op-ed What's Next? Black Wall Street's Innovation Ambitions).
Black Tech Street will also be supported in the execution of these Microsoft supported initiatives by local anchor partner Tulsa Innovation Labs, a philanthropic organization dedicated to building industrial clusters around sectors where Tulsa has distinct advantages.
The alliance has also garnered the support of City officials.
"I am excited about this new alliance between Black Tech Street and Microsoft in Tulsa," Mayor G.T. Bynum said. "This partnership will help increase cyber talent in our city, as well as promote tech education and workforce readiness for the incredible talent we have in our community."
This is the start of a long-term relationship between Black Tech Street, Greenwood, and Microsoft, and will redefine what is possible for communities and cities willing to simultaneously invest in people and in technology.
The announcement of this alliance was also included in the Biden-Harris Administration's announcement of its National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy to Unleash America's Cyber Talent:
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/07/31/fact-sheet-biden-%E2%81%A0harris-administration-announces-national-cyber-workforce-and-education-strategy-unleashing-americas-cyber-talent/)
Black Tech Street is an organization founded to rebirth Black Wall Street as a Black Innovation Economy and catalyze a movement that sees Black people embrace technology as a means to build wealth and impact the world. Black Tech Street architects and secures Black tech focused economic and industry development opportunities for the Greenwood community and serves as a chief storyteller for Black Wall Street's 21st century rebirth.
Contact:
Tyrance Billingsley II
tyrance@blacktechstreet.com
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SOURCE Black Tech Street | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/black-tech-street-announces-alliance-with-microsoft-digitally-transform-historic-greenwood/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:47 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/black-tech-street-announces-alliance-with-microsoft-digitally-transform-historic-greenwood/ |
Boulder should see highs in the 80s today with partly sunny skies, according to the National Weather Service.
Today’s forecast calls for partly sunny skies with a high near 87 and an overnight low around 61, with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 p.m.
Tuesday’s forecast calls for cloudy skies with a high near 84 and an overnight low around 61, with a 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Wednesday’s forecast calls for partly sunny skies with a high near 85 and an overnight low around 61, with a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon.
Thursday’s forecast calls for partly sunny skies with a high near 86 and an overnight low around 60, with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Friday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a high near 86 and an overnight low around 58, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon.
Five-day forecast
Check out what weather is in store for the Boulder County area here
National Weather Service
See what the National Weather service is predicting here
24-Hour satellite
Watch NOAA’s 24-hour satellite image here
Real-time conditions
See what Boulder’s weather is like now at the National Center for Atmospheric Research here | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/boulder-weather-high-of-87-with-partly-sunny-skies-likely/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:49 | 0 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/boulder-weather-high-of-87-with-partly-sunny-skies-likely/ |
Ruth Foundation, among nation's largest arts givers, to develop new Walker's Point center
A Milwaukee-based foundation that's one of the nation's largest givers to the arts plans to redevelop a Walker's Point building as its new headquarters.
Ruth Foundation for the Arts, also known as RDK Foundation, plans to spend $800,000 transforming a former tool and die shop, at 325 W. Florida St., into offices, artist studios, and space for cultural events for up to around 50 people.
That's according to the foundation's application for a special use permit filed with the Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals.
Ruth Foundation, which has a $440 million endowment, plans to use the building to support its grant making operations, the application said.
Along with offices, the one-story, 5,250-square-foot building would be used for making and exhibiting art, research and education programs, and invitation-only talks, it said.
The facility would be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., from April to December, it said. It also could host special events that would likely end by 10 p.m.
The Ruth Foundation's building needs a special use permit because it would include an assembly hall. The zoning board's next meeting is Sept. 7.
The arts center would be just east of a six-story, 65-unit apartment building that New Land Enterprises LLC plans to develop at 412 and 418 S. Fourth St.
Ruth Foundation executives didn't immediately respond to the Journal Sentinel's request for more information about their development plans.
The foundation, located nearby at 234 W. Florida St., was launched in 2022. It was funded by a bequest from the late Ruth DeYoung Kohler II, who died in 2020 and was director of Sheboygan's John Michael Kohler Arts Center from 1972 to 2016.
The Kohler Arts Center was recognized internationally as a leader in studying and preserving artist-built environments, such as the late Mary Nohl's home in Fox Point.
Kohler also worked to help develop Art Preserve, a facility for artist-built environments that opened in 2021 in Sheboygan. She was a major shareholder in privately held Kohler Co.
The foundation in May launched its second year of giving with $1.25 million in grants to 56 U.S. arts and cultural organizations.
That included three Milwaukee recipients: Black Arts MKE, based at the Marcus Performing Arts Center at 929 N. Water St.; Walker's Point Center for the Arts, 839 S. Fifth St.; and Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E. Locust St.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2023/07/31/ruth-foundation-to-redevelop-milwaukee-site-as-art-center-office/70496818007/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:49 | 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2023/07/31/ruth-foundation-to-redevelop-milwaukee-site-as-art-center-office/70496818007/ |
DW's Business News offers a global perspective of the most important economic events of the day in 13 minutes. Informative reports and up-to-date assessments by our correspondents guide our viewers through the constant flow of information. Compelling stories show the human being behind businesses and the economy. | https://www.dw.com/en/dw-business/video-66399721 | 2023-07-31T16:20:50 | 0 | https://www.dw.com/en/dw-business/video-66399721 |
Reimagined Ship Sets Sail in Marseille With Updated Spaces and Exceptional Experiences
MIAMI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Crystal officially relaunches under the new guardianship of A&K Travel Group, as Crystal Serenity sets sail following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment. Departing on its inaugural voyage today from Marseille, the cruise line's largest vessel accommodates 740 guests and is the first of two ships returning to service this summer.
With an industry-leading space-to-guest ratio (1 to 93.1 cu. ft.) and nearly one staff member per guest, Crystal Serenity fosters endless opportunities for inspiration and enrichment, complemented by unparalleled service. Larger, redesigned suites, award-winning specialty dining restaurants and restorative public spaces further expose passengers to heightened experiences enroute to the world's most sought-after destinations around the world.
"Crystal has been recognized for decades for exceptional experiences and we are excited to welcome guests back onboard for its new gilded era," said A&K Travel Group CEO, Cristina Levis. "In just one year, we've been able to revitalize the ships, a feat nearly unheard of in our industry. It is an honor to be signaling this new chapter better than ever and right on schedule, all while retaining 80% of Crystal's beloved crew on board."
Itineraries
After the first voyage from Marseille to Lisbon, Crystal Serenity will sail towards Northern Europe unearthing the most alluring locales including, UK, Ireland, and Iceland. The ship then travels to the Americas offering experiences as north as Canada to as south as Cartagena, Colombia, before beginning the 2024 World Cruise. Sailing from San Diego or Miami over the course of 125 nights, this highly anticipated voyage visits 29 countries and 62 breathtaking destinations and iconic landscapes.
Suites & Guest Rooms
Crystal enlisted leading cruise ship architectural firm, GEM, to guide the redesign of select guestrooms and suites. Accommodations feature neutral tones and high-end fixtures, complemented by subtle hues of pastel colors that resonate with the color of the ocean. Elevated details, contemporary craftsmanship, and artisanal finishes embody modern refinement, while the spacious layouts maximize in-room relaxation.
As part of the ship's refurbishments, there are two new guest room categories – the Jr. Crystal Penthouse Suite and Single Guest Room with Ocean View – that serve as an option for solo travelers without the worry of paying additional single supplements. These new categories will also increase the availability of the popular Sapphire Suite category.
- Single Guest Room with Ocean View: Cozy bedroom (up to 215 sq ft) redesigned in 2023, with welcoming and comfortable detailing, butler service, and ocean views.
- Sapphire Veranda Suite: Spacious suite (up to 430 sq ft) with living area, elegant finishings and private veranda, accompanied by attentive butler service. Sapphire suites are available to book in new and classic design.
- Junior Crystal Penthouse Suite: Redesigned in 2023, this large suite (up to 645 sq ft) includes spacious rooms with separate dining and living areas looking onto a private veranda, also accompanied by attentive butler service.
Dining
With eleven distinct dining options, including 24-hour in-suite dining service, guests have access to unparalleled culinary experiences:
- Umi Uma: The return of legendary Master Chef Nobuyuki (Nobu) Matsuhisa's Umi Uma – the only Nobu dining concept at sea where guests can enjoy award-winning, innovative Japanese-Peruvian cuisine.
- Osteria D'Ovidio: Fine Italian cuisine, featuring original menus and dishes created by talented Crystal chefs.
- Waterside Restaurant: Crystal's main dining room features open seating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- The Bistro: A modern café and coffee bar with light snacks such as fresh pastries, bagels and fruit in the morning and a selection of international cheeses, pâtés, prosciutto, smoked salmon, and dessert delicacies throughout the afternoon.
- Trident Grill: Set poolside, Trident Grill features classic delights like burgers, melts, salads and more.
- Scoops Ice Cream Bar: Crystal's sumptuous desert bar features authentic Italian gelato with fresh toppings, frozen yogurt, homemade cookies and more.
- The Vintage Room: Offers intimate guided pairings and dinners highlighting the vast selection of wines in the ship's onboard cellar.
- Tastes Kitchen & Bar: Globally inspired cuisine and casual "family style" dining experience, Tastes offers tapas-style cuisine for guests to enjoy on their own or with newfound friends.
- Marketplace: A buffet style dining wrapped in floor to ceiling windows and a chic open air dining area.
Wellness
Crystal's new spa concept, Aurōra, is set to be the most serene wellness destination at sea with a new design boasting light-bright neutral colors, an illuminated fiber optic starlight ceiling, organic materials and a natural salt crystal and silk brushed slate stone. The extensive treatment offerings include more signature facials, massage treatments and a full-service Salon. Highlights include:
- The Aurōra LED and Cryo Facial Experience that instantly plumps and tones the skin.
- Biotec 2.0 The Ultimate Facial designed to reveal a youthful appearance after just one treatment.
- The Aurōra Stone Signature Massage which incorporates hot stones for relaxed muscle.
Furthermore, Crystal recently announced the appointment of Dalila Roglieri as Head Nutritionist for the brand, rounding out the holistic wellness experience for guests.
Crystal Serenity's sister ship Crystal Symphony is currently undergoing renovations and will resume service for its inaugural voyage in Athens on Sept. 1.
Book a Crystal itinerary by contacting your travel advisor, visiting https://www.crystalcruises.com/grand-journeys or calling 1-800-446-6620.
Additional imagery can be found HERE.
About Crystal
For more than three decades Crystal has been synonymous with exceptional, award-winning voyages. In 2022 A&K Travel Group acquired the Crystal brand and its two vessels, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, ushering in a new era of Exceptional at Sea. The globally renowned cruise line offers discerning travelers' industry-leading, authentic, and enriching experiences both onshore and at sea. Crystal's pioneering partnership with Abercrombie & Kent provides guests with unparalleled access to the most sought-after experiences, destinations, and the latest cultural makers around the world. The reimagined ships will boast larger, updated suites with artisanal finishes, new cutting-edge wellness offerings, spectacular entertainment, and complimentary world-class dining - including the return of UMI UMA - the only dining experience by Michelin-Star Chef Master Chef Nobuyuki (Nobu) at sea. With a legacy of unrivaled service and commitment to sophistication and elegance at every touchpoint, once on-board passengers feel as if they are perfectly at home.
Join our exceptional community at:
Facebook: @CrystalCruises
Instagram: @CrystalCruises
Twitter: @CrystalCruises
LinkedIn: @CrystalCruises
For media inquiries, please contact:
Robyn Fink | RFink@crystalcruises.com
Mikaela Caldera | MCaldera@crystalcruises.com
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SOURCE Crystal | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/crystal-serenity-returns-service-heralding-new-era-cruising/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:51 | 0 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/crystal-serenity-returns-service-heralding-new-era-cruising/ |
(WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com)– A City of Erie police officer is in stable condition after being shot while responding to a report of shots fired early Sunday morning.
Calls came in around 5:00 a.m. Sunday, July 30 for shots fired in the 500 block of East 22nd Street in the City of Erie. While Erie Police were investigating one suspect fired at the officers.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, one Erie Police officer was shot and was transported to UPMC Hamot.
The suspected shooter has been taken into custody and police continue to investigate.
Residents have been asked to avoid the area while the investigation takes place and anyone with related information or video evidence is asked to contact PSP Erie at 814-898-1641.
This is a developing story, updates will be provided as they become available. | https://phl17.com/national-news/city-of-erie-police-officer-shot-early-sunday-morning/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:52 | 1 | https://phl17.com/national-news/city-of-erie-police-officer-shot-early-sunday-morning/ |
The Mega Millions jackpot prize has grown to $1.05 billion ahead of Tuesday’s drawing.
The prize is the fifth-largest in game history, according to Mega Millions, and the cash value is estimated to about $527.9 million.
Tuesday’s drawing with be the 30th in the current sequence. The last jackpot, in which a player had all six matching numbers, was won on April 18.
Five tickets, had the five matching numbers worth the $1 million prize, according to the Mega Millions. Those tickets were purchased in Arizona, California, New York and Pennsylvania. One of the two Pennsylvania winners won an additional multi-million dollar Megaplier prize.
Drawings are at 10 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. PDT) Tuesdays and Fridays. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/mega-millions-jackpot-surpasses-1-billion-ahead-of-tuesday-drawing/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:53 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/mega-millions-jackpot-surpasses-1-billion-ahead-of-tuesday-drawing/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Presentation about how AI makes malvertising more powerful - video on-demand
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Confiant, the anti-malvertising leader for the ad tech industry, announces the on-demand availability of its AdMonsters Ops presentation AI + Malvertising = ? The presentation examines how AI makes malvertising increasingly more troublesome for advertisers and the ad tech ecosystem.
Watch the video now (https://hubs.la/Q01XXq2l0)
Because of its reach and impact, AI has become virtually impossible to ignore in every industry, and is becoming increasingly troublesome in the ad tech sector because threat actors use it to enhance their malware, phishing, and scams.
In this session Jerome Dangu, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Confiant, and Louis-David Mangin, CEO and Co-Founder, Confiant discuss the AI revolution, how AI is affecting ad tech, what to look out for, and how to keep users safe.
Confiant, the cybersecurity leader in detecting and stopping Malvertising attacks, has built hundreds of integrations directly into the web's ad tech infrastructure. Confiant has unparalleled visibility to the malware, scams, and fraud serving through ads today. This presentation from their founders exposes how AI is already being used to exploit the ad tech marketplace.
About Confiant
Confiant is the cybersecurity leader in detecting and stopping Malvertising attacks. Having built hundreds of integrations directly into the web's ad tech infrastructure, Confiant has unparalleled visibility to the malware, scams, and fraud serving through ads today. Leveraging our security expertise, we deliver complete control over ads to publishers and ad platforms, also remediating quality issues, privacy violations, and mis-categorized ads. In publishing the industry's leading ad quality benchmark report and mapping the threat actors that use ads-as-an-attack-vector at Matrix.Confiant.com, Confiant is leading the charge in protecting users from criminals hijacking the ad tech supply chain. Trusted by customers like Microsoft, Paramount, and Magnite, we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year.
Follow us on Social
@Weareconfiant or visit www.confiant.com
for more information.
SOURCE: CONFIANT
Contact Information:
Media Relations
(646) 397-4198
marketing@confiant.com
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SOURCE Confiant | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/confiant-admonsters-ops-ai-malvertising/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:53 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/confiant-admonsters-ops-ai-malvertising/ |
About 3,000 We Energies customers are still without power, but it should be restored by end of day
About 3,000 We Energies customers were still without power Monday morning, but the energy company said all power should be restored by the end of the day.
"Our crews will continue working around the clock until all customers have their power back on," said We Energies spokesman Brendan Conway. "We appreciate all the kind words, thank yous and horn honks our crews are getting as they are working non-stop."
Outages on the We Energies out-of-service map peaked at about 70,000 early Saturday following the Friday night storm. By Sunday afternoon 20,000 outages could still be seen on the map, but by Monday morning that number had shrunk to less than 3,000.
For the remaining customers, the energy company cited damage to essential infrastructure as the reason why power has not been restored. Most of the remaining outages can be found in Waukesha and Jefferson counties, both areas that were heavily impacted by storms on Friday. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2023/07/31/power-outages-across-wisconsin-now-down-to-3000/70497671007/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:55 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2023/07/31/power-outages-across-wisconsin-now-down-to-3000/70497671007/ |
This will be my last column for the Daily Camera. In fact, by the time this is published, my wife, Abra, and I will be on our way back to be closer to our family in California.
When I tell people that I am moving to San Francisco, I generally get one of two strong reactions: “San Francisco is a mess! Crime and homelessness are out of control, downtown has lost all of it’s workers, no one is doing anything”, it goes on. The other reaction is that “San Francisco is simply one of the greatest cities in the world”. I believe both things are true.
My time in Boulder, which in many ways was defined by the pandemic, was quite possibly the most difficult time for downtown’s business community in at least a generation. I arrived in the later half of 2019 and no sooner than I got my feet on the ground, the ground was pulled out from under all of us. Leading the Downtown Boulder Partnership was challenging, frustrating and often disheartening. It was also singularly amazing. There is so much to celebrate about this place, and the people who love it.
The natural beauty in and around Boulder is unequaled. Our proximity — tucked between the Rocky Mountains and Denver, the cultural and economic assets provided by CU’s flagship, the legacy of the thoughtfully designed and expertly managed Pearl Street Mall. The long list of assets afford Boulder opportunities “beyond our weight class.”
Last week, I offered my own SWOT analysis for Downtown Boulder Partnership’s Boards of Directors as they currently prepare to select my replacement. As strange as it may sound, our strengths are our weaknesses. Our opportunities are our threats.
What makes this such a desirable place is also the root of what makes this place unaffordable and inaccessible for so many. The impact of affordability goes beyond the fact that many people can’t live here. Ecosystems require diversity to survive. Downtown Boulder has thrived for decades, in no small part because it has maintained certain types of diversity; A strong mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment, professional services and of course, the public space that is the mall. This mix of uses brings different people to downtown at different times, and for different reasons. That’s a healthy ecosystem.
Where we are threatened is the areas that we lack diversity and the examples are plenty. The daytime economy has been largely limited to one type of user in office users and other employees. Now, people who work from home will go out to lunch in their neighborhood. Office culture will likely never be the same and without that good mix of housing in and around downtown, we’ve lost a significant daytime economy. Beyond types of use, there are strong arguments for supporting all kinds of diversity. We need diverse sizes of commercial buildings, diverse architectures, diverse mobility options, even diversity in our governing structures and planning processes. And most importantly, racial, socio-economic, and cultural, diversity all make for a healthier community.
Downtown Boulder has many assets that are strong. We welcome as many or more visitors as we ever have. We are a premiere retail destination and we have many of the region’s most exciting restaurants.
A big part of why leaving this place is so hard for me is because the immediate future holds so much potential. The opportunities coming to University Hill, the Civic Area, to Downtown and all of Boulder in the next few years is generational. We do have big challenges and serious threats to contend with in the coming years, affordability and diversity in my opinion are on the top of the list along with climate preparedness.
It is true that there is a lot of difficult work ahead for this community. It is also true that Boulder Colorado is simply one of the greatest cities in the world. It has been an honor and a joy to be a part of it. Thank you for welcoming me, and as always, I’ll see you downtown.
Chip has served as the CEO for the Downtown Boulder Partnership from 2019 through this week. Beginning August first he will begin a position as the West Division Vice President for Block by Block, a national public space service management organization. | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/chip-fond-farewell-to-a-city-with-strengths-weaknesses/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:55 | 1 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/chip-fond-farewell-to-a-city-with-strengths-weaknesses/ |
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he is clamping down on irregular immigration with laws that will make it harder for businesses to hire undocumented people. The state could lose up to 10% of its workforce in labor-intensive industries, according to the Florida Policy Institute. | https://www.dw.com/en/florida-risks-losing-workers-under-immigration-rules/video-66398599 | 2023-07-31T16:20:56 | 1 | https://www.dw.com/en/florida-risks-losing-workers-under-immigration-rules/video-66398599 |
Luxury resort connects guests with Hawaii's vibrant culture through an array of added complimentary activities set for September 1 – November 17, 2023
WAILEA, Hawaii, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As travelers look ahead to the upcoming fall season, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea invites resort guests to immerse themselves in the newly launched 'Getaway' experience from September 1 – November 17, 2023.
Designed for those seeking meaningful ways to connect to the tropical destination and its extraordinary culture, Four Seasons Resort Maui's Getaway experience features a variety of complimentary activities available daily. From new activities like a Poi Pounding Workshop and a round-robin Pickleball Power Hour to tried-and-true seasonal experiences like evening Hawaiian Star Stories and a Poke Pop-Up party, there is something for every kind of traveler.
"We are excited to reintroduce our Getaway experiential programming that provides guests with an authentic connection to the destination and culture," says General Manager Ben Shank. "With a variety of new activities, as well as a few guest favorites, we're certain these experiences will provide lifelong memories."
The robust Getaway schedule, which includes complimentary experiences from cultural to culinary to wellness to environmental, is offered in addition to the Resort's always full calendar of activities, allowing travelers of all interests and ages a personalized island getaway at Maui's premier luxury resort destination.
2023 GETAWAY EXPERIENCE:
Puka Perri Pop-Up Jewelry Bar
Meet one of Maui's favorite jewelry designers, Puka Perri, who will handcraft a design that is uniquely for you, using ocean treasures like Maui-picked puka shells and hand-selected pearls with earth elements like gold and diamonds.
Hawaiian Star Stories
Talk story with famed navigator Kala Babayan Tanaka as she recounts the history of Polynesian wayfinders who used the stars, wind, and swells to journey to the Hawaiian Islands.
Poke Pop-Up
Sample different variations of one of Hawaii's most beloved dishes: poke. Paired with Maui Brewing Co.'s handcrafted beer, this not-to-be-missed pop-up featuring the Resort's talented culinary team is a guest favorite.
Boot Camp
Start the day with a freestyle cardio and strength class that incorporates intervals, circuits, drills, weights, core, and functional moves.
Art of Botanical Block Printing
Drawing inspiration from the island's natural beauty, design a botanical stamp and print stationery with fine art block artist Susanna Cromwell.
Wine Tasting
Learn how your palate works and discover new wines in a tasting experience led by Resort Wine Director Aaron Wood-Synderman.
Coral Reefs 101
Learn about the delicate ocean ecosystem and how to restore and protect it through an onshore class and a snorkel experience led by the experts from Maui Undersea Adventures.
Pickleball Power Hour
Join a round-robin power hour of pickleball with other guests. This easy-to-play game is open to all levels and will begin with a short lesson.
Sunrise Photo Walk
Join award-winning fine art landscape photographer Scott Reither for an interactive 90-minute photo workshop along the picturesque Wailea Beach path.
Poi Pounders Workshop
Sample Hawaii's famous staple food, poi, in an interactive poi pounding demonstration that highlights kalo (taro), a "canoe plant" first brought to Hawaii by Polynesians wayfinders.
Available throughout the Getaway experience, the Resort also looks forward to welcoming the nationally acclaimed mezcal brand Dos Hombres to its sunny shores for guests, visitors, and residents to experience the 'Dos Hombres Cocina' pop-up from August 25 – December 2, 2023. Diners and visitors to the Resort will be able to enjoy a unique culinary journey for the senses set in the lush tropical gardens of the Fountain View Lawn. The Oaxacan-inspired menu will utilize the freshest local Hawaiian-grown ingredients effortlessly paired with inspired Dos Hombres craft cocktails.
To make reservations to experience a Getaway at Four Seasons Resort Maui, guests can reserve directly via the Concierge team at concierge.maui@fourseasons.com or call (808) 874-8000.
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SOURCE Four Seasons Resort Maui | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/four-seasons-resort-maui-announces-ten-ways-perfect-fall-getaway/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:57 | 1 | https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/four-seasons-resort-maui-announces-ten-ways-perfect-fall-getaway/ |
McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Developing and growing economic relationships between U.S. and Mexican businesses and institutions on the South Texas border in the Rio Grande Valley is crucial to securing the financial growth of the region, experts said at an economic conference on Friday.
The first-ever MXLAN International Economic Summit was held Friday as part of MXLAN, an annual bicultural event that typically celebrates Latino entertainment and lifestyle on both sides of the border.
But this year the economic summit was added to kick off the weekend festival to stress the importance of financial growth needed in this border region, McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez told Border Report on Friday.
“We continue at work at improving the quality of life in McAllen and MXLAN is one of those things. What we really wanted to do this time is to elevate MXLAN — not only make it about entertainment and food — but talk about businesses and the amazing talent that’s along the border on both sides on the United States and Mexico,” Rodriguez said. “We understand that our economy is intertwined with Mexico. We’re them and they’re us.”
The summit was sold out with over 325 participants attending two morning panels, on entrepreneurship and banking, and nearly 1,000 for a luncheon keynote on U.S. and Mexican relationships.
And the buzz word that came up most was “nearshoring.”
Nearshoring is the practice of outsourcing a business operation to a nearby country, like Mexico or the U.S., to expand production.
“When we talk about the maquiladora industry and NAFTA, that was the beginning but what’s happening now in nearshoring. That’s a game-changer. That will attract businesses here to the border,” Adrian Villarreal, president of the International Bank of Commerce, a panelist, told the audience.
Nearshoring can be especially useful for the maquiladora manufacturing industry along the border, as products and services flip flop north and south of the Rio Grande.
“It’s creating an infrastructure from the RGV and South Texas and actually what that is is bringing all the manufacturing and plant equipment in from Mexico into the United States so getting that offshore,” David Deanda Jr., president of Lone Star National Bank told Border report.
A younger workforce in the growing Rio Grande Valley with a population of over 1.4 million is a big selling point to drawing industry, experts touted.
“No one ever considered south of San Antonio before,” Deanda said. “And when they started coming down here just to visit, they’re totally impressed with what they see. They never expected to see the growth, the employment, the young workers.”
The cost of living also is lower here than other Texas cities and the ability to transfer jobs and products across the border makes the region an attractive place for business, experts said.
“Partnerships are developing because they realize the economic vitality here,” Villarreal said. “It’s important here along the border that we market ourselves so people understand the potential here.”
Large industries like SpaceX, LNG and the expansion of the Brownsville Port are some big financial wins that experts say are improving the RGV economy.
But managing changes in regulations and the strength of the dollar vs. the peso are challenges that industries face as they balance business on the border, they added.
Current interest rates in Mexico on the peso are averaging 14%, while in the U.S., interest rates are only about 5%
“We can’t pay obviously 14% interest rates here, but the risk is, will the peso continue to stay stable and strong?” Deandra said. “The safety and security of the U.S. dollar is what attracts Mexican investors to come to the United States.”
Eduardo Caso, a senior vice president at Texas Regional Bank, said his job is to attract Mexican investors.
“Right now rising interest rates in the United States and inflation has given an advantage to the power of the peso,” he said.
Border safety due to rising immigration rates and reports of violence also was brought up. And dispelling the perception that the border is dangerous is necessary to attract investors, they said.
“The area is exploding with opportunity in Mexico and the Valley, and making awareness is a big part of it,” said Larry Gonzalez, president of Plains Capital Bank and a member of the Starr County Industrial Foundation.
“Mexico is the U.S.’s largest trading partner today — more than China. And Texas is the state with the largest exports,” Villarreal said. “So right now we’re seeing with these investments here. We’re seeing everything coming together. It’s really a very, very exciting time.” | https://phl17.com/national-news/financial-ties-between-rgv-and-mexico-touted-at-mxlan-economic-summit/ | 2023-07-31T16:20:58 | 0 | https://phl17.com/national-news/financial-ties-between-rgv-and-mexico-touted-at-mxlan-economic-summit/ |
Drag performance has become a part of the cultural mainstream. Programs like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and influencers on Instagram and TikTok are making the performance style a part of our collective consciousness. Earlier this month, thousands of drag lovers descended upon London’s streets for the largest drag convention anywhere on the globe.
While queens can often be found in the spotlight, the stories and experiences of drag kings are sometimes overlooked. They are typically paid less than queens and often face discrimination at the clubs where they perform.
The history of male impersonation dates back thousands of years to the Tang Dynasty in China. The traditions continued with performers in the U.K. and the U.S. through the 19th and 20th centuries, with performers like Madam Vestris and Florence Hines (featured below) pioneering the art form in the West.
Mo B. Dick has been performing as a drag king for decades and is now based on the West Coast. Dick told The New York Times that audiences, “don’t necessarily see the comedy in a woman putting on a suit. Female masculinity is still scary to some people.”
We assemble a panel of drag kings from across the U.S. to discuss the politicization of their craft, their commercial challenges, and more.
“Dr. Wang” Newton is a Taiwanese-born American performance artist and producer specializing in the art of masculine drag. (Credit: Eric Jukelevics)
King Molasses is a non-binary drag king and performing artist based in Washington D.C. (Credit: King Molasses)
An 1830s photo of Madam Vestris, an English actress and performer in Drag.
Florence Hines was a pioneering Black drag performer in the late 19th century. Hines was featured in The Creole Show, a touring act of all Black performers.
Copyright 2023 WAMU 88.5 | https://www.kasu.org/2023-07-31/ask-a-drag-king-rebroadcast | 2023-07-31T16:20:58 | 1 | https://www.kasu.org/2023-07-31/ask-a-drag-king-rebroadcast |
Provides DUI/DWI Solutions and Free Virtual Continuing Education
DES MOINES, Iowa, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Safety Technology, a leader in safety and detection products and services, announced today it has been named the Official DUI/DWI Services Sponsor for The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL). The expanded partnership will provide continuing education seminars and exclusive benefits to support FACDL attorneys and their clients.
FACDL is the only statewide organization in Florida dedicated solely to criminal defense attorneys. A not-for-profit corporation, FACDL was formed for scientific and educational purposes and is affiliated with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"Expanding our partnership with FACDL reinforces our commitment to supporting criminal defense attorneys across the state," said Kathy Boden Holland, CEO, CST. "By offering members valuable continuing legal education content and access to products and services for every step in the DUI process, we aim to enhance their expertise and effectiveness in representing clients."
CST's suite of comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions includes Intoxalock, the leading ignition interlock brand in the US, and trusted partner to attorneys and monitoring authorities. Through the partnership, FACDL members can easily address multiple client needs with products and services covering the entire DUI process, not just one area.
- Intoxalock – Intoxalock devices are approved in Florida and meet all state criteria for court-ordered devices. With VIP support from Intoxalock, FACDL member's clients will receive expedited assistance. www.intoxalock.com
- Breathe Easy - High-risk insurance coverage is often a requirement following a DUI or DWI conviction. Breathe Easy insurance brokerage works with several providers, and FACDL members can rely on Breathe Easy representatives to find the best coverage for the lowest price on behalf of their clients. https://www.breatheeasyins.com/
- New Directions - Assessments that DUI and DWI defendants can use to strengthen their case in court. As part of the partnership, FACDL members will receive priority scheduling for assessments. All clients will receive a customized assessment tailored to their unique situation and needs. New Directions also offers a money-back guarantee if the assessment is not accepted in court. https://www.ndsbs.com/
Key FACDL event dates:
- October 4, 2023 - Ignition Interlock 101: The 5 Most Common Mistakes Clients – FACDL members will learn more about ignition interlock devices and the benefits, requirements, and technical aspects of the device.
- November 16-17, 2023 - CST will serve as the top-tier sponsor for the DUI Defense Seminar, Blood, Breath & Tears, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida.
For more information on how FACDL attorney members can join the Intoxalock Select Attorney Network and get instant access to client savings materials visit the FACDL and Intoxalock Partner page.
About Consumer Safety Technology
Consumer Safety Technology (CST) is a leader in safety and detection products and services that help people live responsibly and make communities safer. A force for good for more than 30 years, CST and its family of leading brands serve as a trusted partner to both individuals and authorities. CST's portfolio features comprehensive alcohol and impairment solutions that uniquely cover the entire DUI process and include: Intoxalock, the number one ignition interlock brand in the US; Breathe Easy, specialized and low-cost insurance; and New Directions, virtual court and employer accepted assessments. Driven by a commitment to delivering reliable and exceptional service, combined with innovative technology that makes positive change, CST has achieved sustained growth and success. CST is a portfolio company of L. Catterton and was named Best Place to Work for Working Parents in 2022 and 2023. For more information visit www.consumersafetytechnology.com or via LinkedIn.com.
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SOURCE Intoxalock | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ | 2023-07-31T16:21:00 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/consumer-safety-technology-announces-expanded-partnership-with-florida-association-criminal-defense-lawyers/ |
At about summer’s halfway point, the record-breaking heat and weather extremes are both unprecedented and unsurprising, hellish yet boring in some ways, scientists say.
Killer heat. Deadly floods. Smoke from wildfires that chokes.
And there’s no relief in sight.
Expect a hotter than normal August and September, American and European forecast centers predict.
“We are seeing unprecedented changes all over the world,” said NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt. “The heat waves that we’re seeing in the U.S. and in Europe, in China are demolishing records left, right and center. This is not a surprise.”
Imperial College of London climate scientist Friederike Otto said examining what’s causing heat waves is “boring” in a way since it keeps happening. Yet she added that it matters “because it shows again just how much climate change plays a role in what we are currently experiencing.”
“This story, these impacts, are going to continue,” Schmidt said. “We’re going to be seeing this pretty much this year and into next year” with a natural El Nino warming of the Pacific adding to the overwhelming influence of human-caused climate change largely from the burning of coal, oil and gas.
Here’s a rundown of the summer of Earth’s discontent.
RECORD-SHATTERING HEAT
Globally, June this year was the hottest June on record — and scientists say July has been so hot that even before the month was over they could say it was the hottest month on record. But it’s individual places where people live that the heat has stuck around and killed.
Phoenix, where the last day of June and each day of July has been at least 110 degrees (43 degrees Celsius), set records for the longest mega-heat streak and longest stretch when the temperatures didn’t go below 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) at night.
El Paso, Texas, had 44 days of 100 degree (37 degree) heat. Schools closed in Nuevo Leon state in northern Mexico a month earlier than usual as temperatures reached 113 degrees (45 Celsius).
Farther east, Miami added humidity to high heat for 46 straight days of feels-like temperatures of 100 or more.
Beijing had its own record streak with at least 27 days of 95 degrees (35 Celsius) in July, after a three-day streak of at least 104 (40 Celsius) in June. And the country set it’s all-time highest temperature on July 16 in remote Sanbao township with 126 degrees (52.2 Celsius).
Heat records fell all over southern Europe. Sardinia, Italy, hit 117 (47 Celsius). Palermo in Sicily broke a record that goes back to 1791 by a whopping 3.6 degrees (2 degrees Celsius). Temperatures hit 115 (46 Celsius) in Gytheio, Greece.
Spain reported nearly 1,000 excess deaths from the heat, mostly among the elderly, by mid July.
In Argentina, where it’s mid-winter, temperatures were above 89.6 (32 Celsius) four straight days in June in the northern part of the county. One July night in Buenos Aires didn’t get below the 70s (low 20s Celsius).
TOO MUCH RAIN
More than 10,000 people had to be evacuated in central Hunan province in China where heavy rainfall caused at least 70 houses to collapse. In Yichang, rain triggered a landslide that buried a construction site and killed at least one person.
Australia’s Queensland outback got 13 times its normal monthly July rain in just one day.
Thousands of people were evacuated from Delhi in India as rains caused flash floods and landslides. Elsewhere in the country at least 100 people were killed by the downpours.
In the United States, sudden heavy rain killed people in Vermont, Connecticut and Pennsylvania with tragic stories of children washed away in flooding.
WILDFIRES AND SMOKE
Too little rain in Greece and Spain fed wildfires that proved difficult to fight. In the Canary Islands, a fire caused 4,000 people to evacuate, others to wear face masks and had 400 firefighters battling it.
Hot and dry conditions caused about 160 wildfires to break out in Israel in early June.
But what really brought fires home happened in parts of Canada where few people live. Rare far northern Quebec wildfires triggered nasty smoke that inflicted the world’s dirtiest air on cities like New York and Washington, then switched to the Midwest.
As of late July more than 600 wildfires were out of control in Canada. A record 47,490 square miles (123,000 square kilometers) burned, and fire season isn’t near done. That’s an area larger than the state of Pennsylvania or North Korea.
WATER TEMPERATURES
Water temperatures in the Florida Keys and off the Everglades hit the high 90s (high 30s Celsius) with Manatee Bay breaking 100 degrees twice in what could be an unofficial world record for surface water temperature, although that’s in dispute.
The North Atlantic had hot spots that alarmed scientists. The world’s oceans as a whole were their hottest ever in June and got even hotter in July. In Antarctica, sea ice smashed record-low levels.
Ocean temperatures take a long time to warm up and cool down, said University of Northern Illinois meteorology professor Victor Gensini. So it doesn’t look good for the rest of the summer, he said.
A HOT FORECAST
“We are favoring above normal temperatures for the next three months,” said NOAA Climate Prediction Center meteorologist Matt Rosencrans.
The only potential relief he sees, especially in the hot Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, is if a hurricane or tropical storm moves through.
The peak of hurricane season in September hasn’t even started.
When going through the litany of this summer’s weather extremes so far, University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann had one question: “How on God’s Earth are we still burning fossil fuels after witnessing all this?”
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Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report from New York. ___
Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
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Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/heres-how-hot-and-extreme-the-summer-has-been-and-its-only-halfway-over/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all | 2023-07-31T16:20:59 | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/heres-how-hot-and-extreme-the-summer-has-been-and-its-only-halfway-over/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Typically, big law firms specialize in sending threatening letters. But given how the U.S. Supreme Court upended a string of precedents in its recent term, perhaps it should come as no surprise that law firms these days are receiving them.
In letters to 51 major law firms earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton warned that they and their clients who maintain diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are courting trouble.
Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, informed some of the world’s highest-powered lawyers that Supreme Court conservatives had voted to end race-conscious admissions policies at U.S. colleges and universities — just in case they missed that much-publicized decision. The ever-helpful Cotton, who has little experience in private practice despite graduating from Harvard Law School, further advised the firms about how they should manage their clients in the aftermath of the June ruling.
“Your firm has a duty to fully inform clients of the risks they incur by making employment decisions based on race,” Cotton wrote. “To the extent that your firm continues to advise clients regarding DEI programs or operate one of your own, both you and those clients should take care to preserve relevant documents in anticipation of investigations and litigation.”
Three years after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis prompted private employers to expand their diversity programs, how the tables have turned.
You can tell the status quo is alive and well when a senator from a former Confederate state feels emboldened to threaten law firms that themselves have mostly failed to advance attorneys of diverse backgrounds into higher-level jobs. Black attorneys, for instance, represent just 2.5% of all law-firm partners, according to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Other surveys put the number closer to 2%.
Some of Cotton’s letters were addressed to diverse partners associated with the firms’ DEI programs. It’s easy to imagine an intern in Cotton’s office going through law firm directories to ensure these hostile missives were targeting those lawyers.
In a sign of the times, the letters arrived a week after GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama doubled down on his defense of white nationalism, arguing with a TV host who said a white nationalist is a racist, by definition. “Well, that’s your opinion,” the former football coach-turned-politician shot back, saying he thinks of them simply as his fellow Americans. He eventually tried to backtrack, after criticism from other Republicans.
Cotton’s letters also arrived as attorneys general from 13 GOP-dominated states threatened the CEOs of Fortune 100 companies with “serious legal consequences” over race-based employment and diversity policies. Illinois’ Kwame Raoul and 20 other attorneys general from Democrat-run states sent a counter-letter supporting DEI initiatives. Companies seemingly can’t avoid getting caught in the middle of today’s divisive culture wars.
So, if a private employer takes steps to diversify its workforce, is that really grounds for high-ranking public officials to investigate and sue? Based on the employment law advice that some law firms have published in recent weeks to aid their clients, the answer is “maybe.”
At Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, for example, where Cotton sent his letter to partner and Chief Diversity Officer Zakiyyah Salim-Williams, the firm wrote that the Supreme Court decision on college admissions does not change existing law governing employers’ use of race in employment matters.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission echoed that conclusion, saying that federal employment law regarding nondiscrimination by race has long been more restrictive than the law governing higher education that the Supreme Court directly addressed. “It remains lawful for employers to implement diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs that seek to ensure workers of all backgrounds are afforded equal opportunity in the workplace.”
But the high court’s ruling does have “important strategic and atmospheric consequences for employers’ diversity efforts,” Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher concluded. Companies should prepare for additional litigation, not only from public officials but also plaintiffs’ firms and conservative public-interest groups likely to bring reverse-discrimination claims against those with high-profile diversity programs.
Employers also should prepare for greater resistance from inside their companies, among those who feel empowered to contest publicly stated corporate values and commitments.
We believe that, just as with college admissions, employers can stay within the law, offer equal opportunity to everyone and still deploy the tools they need to improve the diversity of their staffers. The Supreme Court decision doesn’t prohibit colleges and universities from evaluating individual applicants in greater depth, with the goal of achieving the best class possible. As Chief Justice John Roberts noted, “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”
The same opportunity exists for employers, at least those who focus on individual applicants and employees, not crude racial groupings, and who have the stomach to stick with their principles despite the intimidation tactics of the country’s Cottons.
—The Chicago Tribune | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/editorial-gop-sen-tom-cotton-overreaches-in-sending-a-warning-to-big-law-firms-about-dei-efforts/ | 2023-07-31T16:21:01 | 0 | https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/07/31/editorial-gop-sen-tom-cotton-overreaches-in-sending-a-warning-to-big-law-firms-about-dei-efforts/ |
Vice President Kamala Harris coming to Wisconsin to tout Biden administration's broadband efforts
Mixing policy and politics, Vice President Kamala Harris is headed to Wisconsin Thursday with appearances in Pleasant Prairie and Milwaukee.
Accompanied by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Harris will talk up the administration's broadband and affordable connectivity efforts during a stop in Pleasant Prairie.
She's then due to be in Milwaukee where she'll deliver remarks at two campaign receptions, according to a White House official.
Harris' visit comes just over a month after the administration announced that Wisconsin will receive more than $1 billion in federal funds to expand high-speed internet access throughout the state. The money comes from Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program funds approved in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.
The campaign stops in Wisconsin are the first for Harris in the 2024 election cycle, where Wisconsin is once again a key battleground in the path to the White House. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an election handicapper, rated Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona and Georgia as four "toss up" states for 2024.
Harris last visited Wisconsin ahead of the 2022 midterms. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/31/kamala-harris-coming-to-wisconsin-to-tout-biden-broadband-efforts/70497029007/ | 2023-07-31T16:21:01 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/07/31/kamala-harris-coming-to-wisconsin-to-tout-biden-broadband-efforts/70497029007/ |
Nature and EnvironmentPakistanUrban forest combats Karachi's extreme heatTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoNature and EnvironmentPakistanManaf Siddique in Karachi1 hour ago1 hour agoA heat wave in Pakistan's Karachi city in 2015 killed hundreds of people. Ever since then, one man has been on a quest to minimize the impact of such extreme weather.https://p.dw.com/p/4UbaCAdvertisement | https://www.dw.com/en/the-urban-forest-combating-karachis-extreme-heat/video-66399656 | 2023-07-31T16:21:02 | 0 | https://www.dw.com/en/the-urban-forest-combating-karachis-extreme-heat/video-66399656 |
A rowdy and energetic crowd of Trump supporters eagerly awaited his arrival to Erie insurance arena.
When the former president finally arrived, he was met with roars and cheering.
Trump said his trip back to Erie will be the first of many as he looks to get back on the campaign trail.
The former president addressed many topics, including the recent indictment charges he’s facing.
“They waited two and a half, almost three years, so that they could bring this up right in the middle of my presidential election because it’s election interference. They’re crooked people,” Former President Trump said. “You know they’re not indicting me; they’re indicting you. I just happen to be standing in their way that’s all it is.”
Trump doubled down on his claims regarding the Biden family. . . Pointing the finger at recent investigations into international relations.
“Until the FBI, DOJ, and IRS hand over every scrap of paper they have on the Biden Crime Families corrupt businesses dealings. We have to know, and the public deserves to know,” Trump said.
Election reform was another talking point of the former president who is still saying that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
Trump said if he returns to office, his goal is to have one day voting with only paper ballots.
Former President Trump was receiving support from all over Pennsylvania including U.S. Representative Mike Kelly.
“I’m asking you to put in your mouthpiece, pull down your helmet, tighten your chin strap, and let’s go out and win. Win, let’s go win, let’s go win! This is Trump Country; this is a Trump nation,” Representative Kelly said.
At Saturday night’s rally, Trump vowed tackle several issues including inflation, the housing market, wages, gas prices, defend Pennsylvania energy jobs and end a war on fracking amongst other things.
“And we will make America Great Again. Thank you, Pennsylvania,” Trump said.
Trump’s full speech can be watched here. | https://phl17.com/national-news/former-president-trump-talks-indictment-election-fraud-more-in-return-to-erie/ | 2023-07-31T16:21:04 | 1 | https://phl17.com/national-news/former-president-trump-talks-indictment-election-fraud-more-in-return-to-erie/ |
Here's a look ahead and a roundup of key developments from the past week.
What to watch
Conflict analysts are looking for further signs that Ukraine may have entered a new, bolder phase of its counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Saudi Arabia will host Ukraine peace talks this weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported and Ukrainian officials confirmed, but Russia is apparently not invited.
The United States will take over the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for August, with a focus on food security following Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
A panel tasked with investigating allegations that South Africa provided weapons to Russia is due to report its findings to the country's president soon.
Friday will mark one year since U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was sentenced to prison in Russia. After months of negotiations with the U.S., Russia released her in December in exchange for the U.S. freeing a Russian arms dealer.
What happened last week
Ukrainian forces launched a heavy assault in the Zaporizhzhia region, leading to news reports saying Ukraine could be stepping up its counteroffensive. They recaptured a small village, Staromaiorske, from Russian forces. Ukrainian forces are fighting on at least three major fronts in the south, east and northeast.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian drones damaged buildings in Moscow. "Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, though Ukraine has not officially claimed the drone attacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a summit with African leaders, promising free delivery of tens of thousands of tons of grain to Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Mali, Somalia and Zimbabwe. But he did not accede to the African leaders' requests to resume the Black Sea grain deal allowing Ukrainian exports — a deal that Russia terminated earlier this month.
Russian lawmakers passed a higher age limit for military conscription. Starting in January, men 18 to 30 will have to carry out military service or training for one year, up from the current age cap of 27. They also approved a measure to ban draftees from leaving the country, after a draft order last year set off a mad rush out of Russia.
The United States will provide $400 million in military assistance for Ukraine, the 43rd time President Biden is using his drawdown authority to support Ukraine against Russia's invasion.
U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed was injured while fighting in Ukraine. Reed had been imprisoned in Russia and was freed as part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. last year. At some point he wound up joining Ukrainian forces, but the U.S. government said Reed was not fighting on its behalf.
Ukraine decided to let its athletes take part in competitions in which Russians and Belarusians will be competing under neutral flags and not publicly support the war against Ukraine.
In-depth
Ukraine's troops are slowly pushing Russian forces out of occupied land.
Ukraine struggles to rebuild a navy destroyed by Russia.
Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar discusses Putin, Zelenskyy and the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. and Europe search for new Ukraine export routes after Russia leaves the grain deal.
On the State of Ukraine podcast: Nobel Peace Prize winners say Ukraine needs more weapons to prevail against Russia.
Special report
Russia's war in Ukraine is changing the world: See our report on its ripple effects in all corners of the globe.
Earlier developments
You can read past recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR's coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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