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United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crime-emergencies/duryea-police-seek-trio-of-wallet-thieves/article_e8874c97-e2fa-5d72-8d63-123ee2302163.html
| 2023-07-31T19:18:19
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crime-emergencies/duryea-police-seek-trio-of-wallet-thieves/article_e8874c97-e2fa-5d72-8d63-123ee2302163.html
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$1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot is among a surge in huge payouts due to more than just luck
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another day, another billion-dollar lottery jackpot.
At least, that’s how it seems ahead of Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing for an estimated $1.05 billion top prize.
It’s a huge sum of money, but such giant jackpots have become far more common, with five prizes topping $1 billion since 2021 — and one jackpot reaching $2.04 billion in 2022.
The massive prizes are due in part to chance, but it’s not all happenstance. Rising interest rates coupled with changes to the odds of winning are also big reasons the prizes grow so large.
HOW DO INTEREST RATES INCREASE JACKPOTS?
Nearly all jackpot winners opt for a lump sum payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million. The lump sum is the cash that a winner has actually won. The highlighted $1.05 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, which is funded by that lump sum and will be doled out annually over 30 years.
That’s where the higher interest rate becomes a factor, because the higher the interest rate, the larger the annuity can grow over three decades. The U.S. is in the midst of a remarkable run of interest rate increases, with the Federal Reserve raising a key rate 11 times in 17 months, and that higher rate enables a roughly $500 million lump sum prize to be advertised as a jackpot of about twice that size.
HOW DOES THE ANNUITY WORK?
A winner who chooses the annuity option would receive an initial payment and then 29 annual payments that rise by 5% each year. Opting for an annuity has some tax advantages, as less of the winnings would be taxed at the top federal income tax rate of 37%. It also could be an option for winners who don’t trust themselves to manage so much money all at once.
If lottery winners die before 30 years, the future payments would go to their beneficiaries.
WHY DO WINNERS SNUB THE ANNUITY OPTION?
The annuities pay out big money, but not nearly as big as taking the lump sum.
For example, a sole winner of Tuesday night’s Mega Millions could choose a lump sum of an estimated $527.9 million or an initial annuity payment of about $15.8 million. Of course, those annuity payments would continue for decades and gradually increase until the final check paid about $65.1 million, according to lottery officials.
In both cases, the winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Given all that, nearly all jackpot winners think they could make more money by investing the money themselves, or they simply want the biggest initial payout possible.
WHAT ABOUT THE ODDS OF WINNING?
That’s another factor that has created so many huge prizes for those who match all six numbers.
In 2015, the Powerball odds were changed from 1 in 175.2 million to 1 in 292.2 million. Mega Millions took a similar action in 2019 by lengthening the game’s odds from 1 in 258.9 million to 1 in 302.6 million.
For lottery officials, the hope was that by making it harder to win jackpots, the prizes would roll over for weeks and create truly massive pots of money that would in turn generate higher sales.
The result is that all of the billion dollar jackpots have come after the changes in the odds.
HOW LONG UNTIL THERE IS A WINNER?
Luck remains a big factor, as the odds of any ticket being a winner never changes. However, the more people who play Mega Millions, the more of the potential 302.6 million number combinations are covered.
For the last Mega Millions drawing on Friday night, 20.1% of possible number combinations were purchased. Typically, the larger the jackpot grows, the more people buy tickets and the more potential combinations are covered.
Tuesday night’s drawing will be the 30th since the last jackpot winner. That is inching closer to the longest Mega Millions jackpot drought, which reached 37 drawings from Sept. 18, 2020, to Jan. 22, 2021.
The longest jackpot run was for a Powerball prize that stretched over 41 drawings and ended with a record $2.04 billion prize on Nov. 7, 2022.
___
The top federal tax bracket has been corrected to 37%.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/105-billion-mega-millions-jackpot-is-among-surge-huge-payouts-due-more-than-just-luck/
| 2023-07-31T19:18:19
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https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/105-billion-mega-millions-jackpot-is-among-surge-huge-payouts-due-more-than-just-luck/
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Seasonably Warm This Week; Few Weekend Shower Chances
High temps will be in the low to mid-80s all week
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – We’re wrapping up July and kicking off the new work week today with some fantastic mid-summer weather in the area. Expect mostly sunny skies today with seasonably warm afternoon temperatures in the low 80s and a light easterly breeze. The area of high pressure that brought comfortable weather over the weekend is hanging around to start the week and it will keep things tranquil until the middle of the week.
After a generally clear and cool night, warmer air will begin to work its way into the region on Tuesday. Expect partly sunny skies with a slight south breeze and high temperatures will be in the mid-80s.
As a storm system approaches from the west in the midweek, humidity levels will begin to climb while temperatures reach the mid and upper 80s on Wednesday and Thursday. There will be a chance of showers or a stray thunderstorm early on Wednesday.
Slightly cooler air will settle back into the area on Friday and high temperatures will be in the low 80s. There will be a chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday as a weak storm system pushes through the Upper Mississippi Valley. With occasional sunshine in the area, high temperatures over the weekend will be in the low 80s.
Copyright 2023 KTTC. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/seasonably-warm-this-week-few-weekend-shower-chances/
| 2023-07-31T19:18:19
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https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/seasonably-warm-this-week-few-weekend-shower-chances/
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A Monroe County man accused of repeatedly stabbing a Nuangola woman while having an "adverse reaction" to edible marijuana cookies has pleaded no contest to third-degree murder.
Lavrius O'Brian Watson, 28, of Pocono Summit, was set to stand trial Monday on criminal homicide charges in the death of 41-year-old Elizabeth Bennett Leonard.
Prior to trial commencing, however, Watson pleaded no contest on Friday to a charge of third-degree murder. Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas accepted the plea and set sentencing for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 4.
Prosecutors said Watson was having a bad trip when he grabbed a kitchen knife and proceeded to stab Leonard in the stomach while her 10-year-old son was present in her Nuangola home at 58 Vandermark Ave. early on Oct. 16, 2021.
As he spoke to a police dispatcher, Watson was crying and requested an ambulance, saying "somebody got killed," prosecutors said.
When police arrived on scene, Watson came out through the back door covered in blood, collapsing on the lawn as he muttered "What did I do?" according to the charges.
Officers searched the home and found Leonard seated in a pool of blood against the front door with severe abdominal injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:37 a.m.
During questioning, Watson told state troopers that he had known Leonard for about seven years and that he had been babysitting for her for the previous two weeks.
Watson said he'd had an "adverse reaction" to marijuana edible cookies he had eaten prior to picking up a knife and stabbing Leonard about five times, according to prosecutors.
After accepting the plea, Lupas ordered Watson remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility pending sentencing.
Watson faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crime-emergencies/man-pleads-no-contest-to-murder-in-mountain-top-stabbing/article_e805518f-8bfc-5319-a824-fa6a35b63608.html
| 2023-07-31T19:18:20
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crime-emergencies/man-pleads-no-contest-to-murder-in-mountain-top-stabbing/article_e805518f-8bfc-5319-a824-fa6a35b63608.html
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Defective: After recalls, Americans continue to die and get injured as products remain on the in homes and for sale online
Watchdogs say companies don’t do enough to alert customers to dangerous household goods
Deer Park, New York (InvestigateTV) — P.J. Matzen was only 3 months old when he uttered his first words to his parents. “I love you,” he babbles in a video taken by his mother.
They were the only words he would ever say.
On Oct. 11, 2019, Phillip Matzen found his son blue, lifeless and face down in an inclined sleeper made by Kids2. P.J. died the following day.
His parents had no idea that six months earlier, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturers of two of these popular baby products had issued recalls for them.
The Matzens also had no idea the CPSC hired an independent doctor to review these products for possible danger. The month before P.J. died, that doctor declared “no inclined sleep products are safe” warning the design has an increased risk for suffocation because babies can roll and aren’t able to “self-correct.”
By then, millions of these sleepers had been sold.
But the April 2019 recalls of Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play did not stop the deaths. P.J. is one of at least a dozen infants who died in one of those inclined sleepers after the recalls, according to CPSC.
Because of the rising death toll — and the availability of those products on the secondary market — the CPSC and the manufacturers of those sleepers re-announced the recalls this past January.
“Unfortunately, today’s announcement highlights the fact that these products are still in too many homes, and babies continue to be put at risk,” CPSC chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric wrote in a statement accompanying the re-announcement.
However, the re-announcement of the Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is not an anomaly.
An InvestigateTV analysis of CPSC data shows that since 2000, the agency has had to re-announce the recall of at least 46 products because the original alert did not reach the ears of consumers and, in many cases, continued to cause harm.
The deaths of at least 16 children or adults were tied to a defective product that had been previously recalled, the analysis of the federal data shows. At least 300 were injured.
Consumer advocates such as Nancy Cowles with Kids in Danger say the government and the manufacturers need to do more to protect Americans — particularly infants and toddlers — from products they know are dangerous.
“Make sure that once you do the recall you actually get them out of homes,” said Cowles, who is the executive director of the Chicago nonprofit that advocates for safer baby products. “Most products — children’s products — that we’ve tracked . . . are still in homes. Nowhere near a majority of products that are recalled are taken out of homes.”
The story of the inclined sleepers epitomizes what consumers advocates say is a flawed recall system that leaves defective and deadly products in American homes and for sale on online marketplaces and at garage sales.
A family was unaware of a recall until it was too late
Kiara Matzen once told her mother — P.J.’s grandmother — that she feels as if her son’s life was nothing but a dream because it was cut so short.
“Every day, I’m still trying to process it,” Kiara said.
Kiara was 19 when she learned that she was pregnant. Friends and relatives showered her with many necessities for the baby, including a Kids2 Ingenuity Rock N’ Soothe Sleeper.
Kids2 began marketing its incline sleepers three years after Fisher-Price designed and launched its Rock ‘n Play in 2009, which was the first incline sleeper to hit the market and became instantly popular.
About 4.7 million Rock ‘n Plays were sold during its 10 years on the market. Kids2 sold nearly 700,000 inclined sleepers that had various different names.
Kiara doesn’t remember who gave her the sleeper, but P.J. slept in it every day from the time he was born.
On the morning of Oct. 11, 2019, Kiara escorted her mother, Lydia Calvacca, to a doctor’s appointment. While waiting to be seen, Kiara pulled up an app on her phone that connected her to cameras in her home.
She wanted to check on P.J.
“I saw something wasn’t right. He was on his stomach,” Kiara said.
Lydia also caught a glimpse of the image on Kiara’s phone.
“I saw the way he was laying in the bassinet. And I was an EMT for seven years and I knew it was not a normal sleeping position,” Lydia said. “I said to her, ‘Call your husband right now. Tell him to wake the baby up.’”
P.J.’s father immediately dialed 911 after finding his son lifeless. Police officers arrived before medics and rushed P.J. to the hospital.
He died the following day.
“That night that he was in the hospital, my whole family came to the hospital, and my sister-in-law said that ... ‘I think I heard that it was recalled,’” Kiara said.
It was the first time she had heard that P.J.’s inclined sleeper had been recalled.
“If they would have spent more time and attention, maybe even money to get that recall product, that it was recalled out, then, you know ... me and probably a bunch of other parents would have stopped using it,” Kiara said.
Both Kids2 and Fisher-Price posted about the original recall on their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, but neither has since mentioned the re-announcement of the recall made earlier this year on their social media accounts, based on a search of their posts on each platform. They did, however, place the re-announcements of the recalls on their websites.
Neither company responded to InvestigateTV’s requests for comment.
Despite the best efforts of the CPSC to alert consumers to recalls, the agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more.
CPSC publicizes recalls on its websites and social media platforms, but it doesn’t have the budget to launch campaigns about dangerous products.
“It would be much better if the companies actually used the same sort of marketing budget and marketing strategies that they initially used to sell the products to get these defective products off the markets,” said Daniel Mann, a product liability lawyer in Philadelphia who has represented dozens of families harmed by dangerous consumer goods.
After some recalls, Americans still are vulnerable to death and injury
The 46 products that have had re-announced recalls have been linked to at least 150 deaths and at least 800 injuries, with the majority of the harm coming before the recall.
In 2016, the CPSC re-announced the recall of trapeze rings on a backyard play house because so few of the products had been returned, meaning they likely were still in use. The agency received more than 100 reports of the rings breaking, leading to injuries. It did not indicate how many reports of breakage it received after the recall.
In 2012, a 7-month-old Houston baby died in a crib that had been recalled two years earlier.
Months after a 2008 recall of a bassinet that had been linked to strangulation and suffocations deaths, CPSC reported that two more babies had died.
And the problems aren’t just isolated to items for children.
Take the case of a bathrobe that was recalled in 2009 because of flammability failures: In the months after the recall, the CPSC learned that six elderly women died when the robes they were wearing caught fire. Most of them were cooking at the time.
Still, Mann, the Philadelphia attorney, said “the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is probably the most epic consumer product disaster in United States history.”
In June 2021, a Fisher-Price executive admitted to Congress during a hearing that it was aware of at least 97 infant deaths linked to a Rock ‘n Play.
At least eight more died after that, including a 4-month-old who died in September 2020 and a 2-month-old who died in March 2021.
Mann represents a family whose 4-month-old son died on Feb. 1, 2021 while in a Rock ‘n Play at a babysitter’s home. Neither his parents nor the babysitter were aware of the recall, Mann said.
“For those parents where their deaths occur after the recall,” Mann said, “it’s even more tragic.”
Federal law leaves CPSC without necessary authority to rid households of dangerous products
CPSC chairman Hoehn-Saric admits that his agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more in recalls.
The Consumer Product Safety Act tips the balance of power away from the government regulator and into the hands of the companies that make and market products.
When a defect is discovered, the companies decide when and how a recall will be conducted.
“We can push them,” he said, “but forcing them is a whole different matter.”
The CPSC’s so-called sister agencies — the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration — which also issue recalls, can alert the public on their own, without a company’s permission.
“We don’t know (of) other federal agencies subject to a law like this. Getting information out to consumers quickly is extremely important to prevent those unnecessary deaths and injuries,” Hoehn-Saric said.
But only Congress has the power to unlock the handcuffs that it has put on an agency that is supposed to regulate more than 15,000 categories of everyday products from appliances to tools to toys.
The CPSC can’t force a company to spend money to advertise a recall. It also can’t dictate what consumers will receive in exchange for returning a defective product.
Fisher-Price, for example, on its website offered consumers the choice of a potty chair, a stuffed Barney the dinosaur or a Thomas & Friends racetrack in exchange for the Rock ‘n Play, which cost between $50 and $150. The recall announcements mention that consumers should contact the company for a voucher or refund.
Kids2 offered a refund for its defective inclined sleepers.
Recalled products can be found on secondary marketplaces and at garage sales
The CPSC’s own reports show that many recalled products remain unaccounted for, leaving consumers at risk.
In its fiscal year 2021 report on its annual performance measures, the CPSC reported that 32% of products recalled during that period had been returned or the defective part had been corrected.
The agency noted that this rate meant that it had met its performance goals.
“The other issue that we have in terms of having hard metrics is some of the recalls, if it’s for a cheap product, that’s a buck, we may never know exactly what happens because a lot of people hear about those recalls and just throw the product away,” Hoehn-Saric said.
More dangerously, however, the products may end up on secondary marketplaces and in garage sales.
Hoehn-Saric has taken a particularly hard stance against Meta and its Facebook Marketplaces.
Rock ‘n Plays continue to show up for sale there.
InvestigateTV bought a Rock ‘n Play on Facebook Marketplace in December and found others for sale in early July. Consumers were also selling the Kids2 rocking sleeper on the platform in that month.
“You should never have seen that product on their marketplace. They’re in a position where they can see what’s going up on the marketplace before it gets to the public,” Hoehn-Saric said. “And that’s the best time to step in and say, ‘You can’t post that. There’s a recall on it.’”
When asked about finding recalled items on its marketplace, a spokeswoman for Meta issued a brief statement: “Like other platforms where people can buy and sell goods, there are instances of people knowingly or unknowingly selling recalled goods on Marketplace. We take this issue seriously and when we find listings that violate our rules, we remove them.”
It is illegal to sell a recalled product. Big box stores and online retailers such as Amazon generally are quick to remove recalled items from their shelves.
In 2022, TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Homegoods, agreed to pay a $13 million fine to the CPSC for knowingly selling inclined sleepers after the recall.
When the CPSC finds a recalled item on a secondary marketplace, the agency asks the platform to remove it — but it’s often a game of whack-a-mole: as one goes down, another comes up.
Consumers also sometimes disguise the products by failing to mention their specific names in the description. For example, “Rock ‘n Play” won’t return any results on Facebook Marketplace. But the product will turn up if searching for bassinets, sleepers or rockers.
Regarding the secondary marketplaces, Hoehn-Saric said that it is “very difficult for [CPSC] to require or force them to take action. I think that is important. And I think it’s good business for them to be able to protect their own customers.”
Grieving family members become disciples of safe sleeping practices
Since P.J.’s death, Kiara Matzen and Lydia Calvacca have turned their agony into advocacy through their social media channels.
They post about the importance of following safe sleep guidelines, where babies should be on their backs, on a firm surface with no blankets, pillows or stuffed toys in the crib or bassinet.
“There’s a [Facebook] page called safe infant sleep ... It’s a support group for moms that have lost their babies to unsafe sleep practices. And they are just wonderful. They’re wonderful. Every time I see a woman with a new baby, I always tell them about this page,” Calvacca said. “I have pictures of my grandson on my desk and ... I always tell them the story. I don’t just say, ‘Oh, that’s my grandson.’ I let them know what happened because I feel it’s my responsibility to educate people so this doesn’t happen to them.”
Kiara and Phillip now have two daughters. The youngest is just 2 months old.
The family sued Kids2 and reached a confidential settlement last year.
Calvacca said that when she keeps her granddaughters for overnight stays, she’s too afraid to sleep.
“It sucks. Because I want to be able to enjoy them the way I enjoyed P.J. without worrying and being nervous that something’s going to happen. And this incident has taken that away from me,” Calvacca said. “It’s taken some of my joy for my other grandchildren away from me, and that angers me.”
InvestigateTV associate producer Austin Hedgcloth contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/defective-after-recalls-americans-continue-die-get-injured-products-remain-homes-sale-online/
| 2023-07-31T19:18:21
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https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/defective-after-recalls-americans-continue-die-get-injured-products-remain-homes-sale-online/
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Tyler Herwig’s new single coming to radio soon
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 1:10 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Tyler Herwig is a country music singer based out of St. Paul with a new single coming to more than 1,000 U.S. radio stations in August.
Herwig worked with a Nashville recording label to produce “Living in the Last Days.”
Herwig performs more than 250 live shows and events each year.
To learn more about Tyler, his newest single or see where he is performing next, click here.
Copyright 2023 KTTC. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/tyler-herwigs-new-single-coming-radio-soon/
| 2023-07-31T19:18:26
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https://www.kttc.com/2023/07/31/tyler-herwigs-new-single-coming-radio-soon/
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A Wilkes-Barre man charged with murdering his girlfriend during an alcohol-fueled argument entered a plea of not guilty Monday.
Natanihel San Martin, 41, is charged with criminal homicide in the death of Carla Pina at their home in Wilkes-Barre early the morning of Feb. 12.
Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas accepted the not guilty plea Monday morning and was expected to issue a scheduling order setting a trial date at a later time.
Prosecutors said police responding to a domestic dispute arrived at the residence at 42 Darling St. shortly before 6 a.m. and found San Martin screaming for help, with Pina unresponsive and with no pulse.
The charges allege San Martin and Pina got into an argument after Pina came home from a casino having won $500.
The couple had been drinking with a third person, having a good time until San Martin downed nearly a full bottle of Hennessy cognac in the span of about 15 minutes, prosecutors allege.
San Martin then went into a bedroom and fired a shot from a handgun. When Pina went into the bedroom to see what was going on, the witness heard a second shot and then saw San Martin dragging a bloodied Pina out of the room, prosecutors said.
In addition to the criminal homicide charge, San Martin is charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child because two minors were present at the time of the shooting.
San Martin is being held without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility pending resolution of the case.
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crime-emergencies/wilkes-barre-murder-suspect-pleads-not-guilty/article_e003f513-290b-52ff-9e6e-1999c79fa07a.html
| 2023-07-31T19:18:29
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crime-emergencies/wilkes-barre-murder-suspect-pleads-not-guilty/article_e003f513-290b-52ff-9e6e-1999c79fa07a.html
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Firefighter dies from injuries after crash with cow while responding to call, department says
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 1:48 PM CDT|Updated: 29 minutes ago
PLANO, Texas (KXII/Gray News) – A firefighter injured in the line of duty earlier this month died Sunday morning.
Volunteer firefighter Evan Brown was in a crash July 9 and had been in intensive care at Medical City Hospital in Plano, Texas.
According to the Honey Grove Fire Department, Brown was responding to another crash call when he hit a cow on the road in his personal vehicle.
His vehicle rolled, ejecting Brown and causing severe injuries.
The Honey Grove Fire Department is arranging for first responders to stand watch by Evan at the funeral home.
The department set up a GoFundMe to help Brown’s family with medical bills and funeral costs.
Copyright 2023 KXII via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/firefighter-dies-injuries-after-crash-with-cow-while-responding-call-department-says/
| 2023-07-31T19:18:29
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https://www.kswo.com/2023/07/31/firefighter-dies-injuries-after-crash-with-cow-while-responding-call-department-says/
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/crime-emergencies/wilkes-barre-twp-police-seek-hit-and-run-driver/article_0da0f18f-773a-5db3-8e88-82853289bf95.html
| 2023-07-31T19:18:31
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IS claims responsibility for deadly suicide bombing at rally that killed 54 in northwest Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people including five children at a pro-Taliban cleric’s rally in one of the worst attacks in the country in recent years.
IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website. The statement said the attack was part of the group’s continuing war against forms of democracy it deems to be against Islam.
Hours earlier, hundreds of mourners in the northwestern town of Bajur carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites following the previous day’s attack at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
Officials said Sunday’s bombing killed 54 people, including at least five children, and wounded nearly 200.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections, according to police.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Hundreds of mourners in northwestern Pakistan carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills Monday after a suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing in Bajur that killed at least five children and wounded nearly 200 people.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people, according to police, were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, “and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, could be responsible, while a Pakistan security analyst pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district’s principal town.
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which police identified as a suspect in the attack, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
On Monday, female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman’s party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party’s senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China,” Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday’s bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:18:31
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Keystone Mission, a faith-based nonprofit that helps those experiencing homelessness in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region, has a new CEO and executive director.
Danielle O. Keith-Alexandre starts work as head of the organization this week, according to a news release issued Monday.
Former executive director Justin Behrens resigned earlier this year after he moved out of the area.
Keith-Alexandre has a background of more than 20 years working with individuals experiencing HIV+/AIDS, substance abuse, homelessness and other marginalized communities through non-profit programming and contract management.
“Her vision is ... for Keystone Mission to be a beacon of hope for the homeless and marginalized in Northeast PA,” the news release states. “Keystone Mission will remain steadfast in providing services and giving individuals the tools they need to be productive members of society.”
Keith-Alexandre most recently served as director of operations at Family Connection of Easton, Inc.
Her past roles included supervisory, program, and contract management at Family Services Network of New York, Inc., Philadelphia Public School Retired Employees Association and Resurrected Community Development Corporation.
She holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a master's degree in human and social services from Walden University.
“Overall, I am excited about working with our guests and residents whom we serve day in and day out, the staff, and all others who believe in the mission of Keystone,” Keith-Alexandre said, in a statement.
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/keystone-mission-appoints-new-ceo-executive-director/article_ffcccc11-8f66-5927-a81a-cf14ce7c8104.html
| 2023-07-31T19:18:31
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MLB Games Tonight: How to Watch on TV, Streaming & Odds - Monday, July 31
The MLB lineup today, which includes the Los Angeles Angels versus the Atlanta Braves, is sure to please.
Here you will find info on how to watch all of today's MLB action.
Watch MLB games and tons of other live sports without cable! Use our link to get a free trial to Fubo..
How to Watch Today's MLB Games
The Miami Marlins (57-49) play host to the Philadelphia Phillies (56-49)
The Phillies hope to get a road victory at LoanDepot park against the Marlins on Monday at 6:40 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- MIA Key Player: Luis Arraez (.377 AVG, 3 HR, 51 RBI)
- PHI Key Player: Bryson Stott (.306 AVG, 9 HR, 37 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Washington Nationals (44-62) take on the Milwaukee Brewers (57-49)
The Brewers will take to the field at Nationals Park versus the Nationals on Monday at 7:05 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- WSH Key Player: Lane Thomas (.285 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI)
- MIL Key Player: Christian Yelich (.286 AVG, 16 HR, 60 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Watch live MLB games on all your devices! Sign up now for a free trial to Fubo!
The New York Yankees (55-50) take on the Tampa Bay Rays (64-44)
The Rays hope to get a road victory at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees on Monday at 7:05 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: MLB Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 7:05 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- NYY Key Player: Gleyber Torres (.258 AVG, 16 HR, 44 RBI)
- TB Key Player: Wander Franco (.267 AVG, 12 HR, 49 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Toronto Blue Jays (59-47) take on the Baltimore Orioles (64-41)
The Orioles will hit the field at Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays on Monday at 7:07 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: MLB Network
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 7:07 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- TOR Key Player: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.270 AVG, 17 HR, 66 RBI)
- BAL Key Player: Adley Rutschman (.272 AVG, 14 HR, 47 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Buy gear from your favorite teams and players NOW at Fanatics!
The Atlanta Braves (67-36) host the Los Angeles Angels (55-51)
The Angels will look to pick up a road win at Truist Park against the Braves on Monday at 7:20 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- ATL Key Player: Ronald Acuña Jr. (.335 AVG, 24 HR, 61 RBI)
- LAA Key Player: Shohei Ohtani (.302 AVG, 39 HR, 81 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Chicago Cubs (53-52) play host to the Cincinnati Reds (58-49)
The Reds will look to pick up a road win at Wrigley Field versus the Cubs on Monday at 8:05 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- CHC Key Player: Nico Hoerner (.276 AVG, 7 HR, 57 RBI)
- CIN Key Player: Spencer Steer (.272 AVG, 15 HR, 58 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Houston Astros (59-47) take on the Cleveland Guardians (53-53)
The Guardians will hit the field at Minute Maid Park against the Astros on Monday at 8:10 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: SportsNet SW
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 8:10 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- HOU Key Player: Kyle Tucker (.299 AVG, 18 HR, 70 RBI)
- CLE Key Player: José Ramírez (.290 AVG, 18 HR, 63 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Colorado Rockies (41-64) play the San Diego Padres (52-54)
The Padres will hit the field at Coors Field versus the Rockies on Monday at 8:40 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: SportsNet RM
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 8:40 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- COL Key Player: Ryan McMahon (.257 AVG, 16 HR, 50 RBI)
- SD Key Player: Juan Soto (.268 AVG, 20 HR, 64 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The Seattle Mariners (54-51) host the Boston Red Sox (56-49)
The Red Sox will take to the field at T-Mobile Park versus the Mariners on Monday at 9:40 PM ET.
How to Watch
- TV Channel: ROOT Sports NW
- Stream Live: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply)
- Game Time: 9:40 PM ET
Hitters to Watch
- SEA Key Player: Julio Rodríguez (.251 AVG, 17 HR, 55 RBI)
- BOS Key Player: Justin Turner (.287 AVG, 17 HR, 70 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
The San Francisco Giants (58-48) play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks (56-50)
The Diamondbacks will hit the field at Oracle Park against the Giants on Monday at 9:45 PM ET.
How to Watch
Hitters to Watch
- SF Key Player: LaMonte Wade Jr (.268 AVG, 9 HR, 29 RBI)
- ARI Key Player: Corbin Carroll (.285 AVG, 21 HR, 57 RBI)
Check out the latest odds and place your bets with BetMGM Sportsbook. Use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!
Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:18:33
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Police were calling owner to shut down party when gunfire killed 1, wounded 17, chief says
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded early Sunday in a central Indiana city unfolded at an outdoor party attended by hundreds of revelers as police were calling the venue’s owner to shut down the gathering, authorities said Monday.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan said no arrests have been made in the shooting, which killed 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, whom the chief said was among those attending the large party in the city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
Sloan said police were aware that the owner of a business that periodically rents out space for events was hosting a block party that got “out of control,” with between 500 and up to 1,000 in attendance. Photos of the scene showed police tags marking what appeared to be dozens of bullets on the street.
Sloan said police were not at the scene at the time of the shooting just after 1 a.m. Sunday, but they were trying to get the business owner to end the party.
“We made a phone call to the owner and asked him to get things shut down. The streets were packed. Before we could make contact and get something done, before we could get that shut down, the gunfire erupted,” Sloan said during a news conference.
He said police were asking for any witnesses to the shooting or people with pictures or video of the incident to contact the Muncie Police Department. Sloan said some people at the scene refused to tell officers what had happened.
He declined to provide details of the investigation, including how many people may have fired weapons but described a scene of chaos as officers and first responders arrived at the location on Muncie’s east side.
“Our people were applying tourniquets, administering first aid, providing CPR. And they we were rushing people to the hospital in our police cars because we didn’t have time to wait,” Sloan said.
Mayor Dan Ridenour said one man was killed and 17 other people suffered gunshot wounds in Sunday’s shooting. He said the shooting had left the community “shaken to the core by violence” and choked up repeatedly during the news conference.
After the shooting, police had to separate people in a Muncie hospital’s parking lot who were arguing and officers had to clear a path at the hospital’s entrance for anyone needing medical attention to enter, said Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell.
She said that among the 17 who survived the shooting, eight remained hospitalized — five at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, and four others who were taken to Indianapolis hospitals.
She said that among the four taken to Indianapolis, one remains in critical condition, two are listed as stable and the fourth had been discharged from a hospital.
Criswell said that two of the people wounded in Sunday’s shooting were minors, and that a nineteenth person who was injured may have been struck by a car.
IU Health spokesperson Neil Gifford said five people remained hospitalized at the Muncie hospital, down from 13 who were being treated on Sunday morning. He said he could not provide conditions of the five patients without being provided with their names.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:18:37
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/pit_progress/blogs/the_optimist/only-two-rules/article_62a2041c-45cc-5829-97a0-f6a6bca6dad9.html
| 2023-07-31T19:18:39
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https://www.citizensvoice.com/pit_progress/blogs/the_optimist/only-two-rules/article_62a2041c-45cc-5829-97a0-f6a6bca6dad9.html
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Actor Paul Reubens — best known as the character Pee-wee Herman — died Sunday of cancer. He was 70.
"Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness," read a statement on his Instagram. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."
The story of "a guy and his bike" made a cultural splash when the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure — directed by Tim Burton — premiered in 1985. Suddenly, a raft of childhood phrases were everywhere:
I know you are but what am I? I know you are but what am I?
That's my name! Don't wear it out!
Reubens created Pee-wee in 1977 as a member of Los Angeles improvisational group The Groundlings. And the character went on to have a long life in a stage and TV show before the film.
Pee-wee's childish but big-hearted antics became beloved — but Reubens himself was more troubled. In 1991 he pleaded no contest to indecent exposure in an adult movie theater; about a decade later, he pleaded guilty to possessing an obscene image of a minor. His reputation as a sweet, children's performer never recovered.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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In a way, Jorge Goldstein hasn’t gone very far since the day 57 years ago when he first set foot in Washington, stepping off a bus at the old Greyhound bus terminal at 1100 New York Ave. NW and striding across the canine mosaic set into the floor.
After all, Goldstein has walked through that same lobby countless times.
But in other ways, Goldstein has traveled vast distances — both literally and psychologically. He immigrated to the United States from Argentina. He excelled in college. He went to law school. He became a partner at a law firm that for 30 years has had offices in the building that grew behind the art deco bus station. And he grew something he’d long been denied: a family.
Last week, that law firm — Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox — packed up to move to new digs two blocks away, and Goldstein reflected on the ways the neighborhood had changed and the ways he had.
“You need to face life,” Goldstein’s Uncle Jack told him the summer he was 17. “Your father’s going to pass away soon.”
Jack Davis, his mother Rebecca’s brother, lived in New York City. Their family had fled Vienna in 1938, just as Austria was being annexed by the Nazis. Goldstein’s father, Moritz, had left Turkey in the 1920s, choosing to leave Smyrna after it was destroyed by the forces of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The couple met in Buenos Aires, married and had Jorge. His mother died when he was 11. In 1966, as Goldstein’s father grew ill, Uncle Jack invited his nephew to visit. Goldstein flew to Kennedy Airport on a Pan Am 707. During that stay, the pair took a bus to Washington, alighting at the Greyhound station.
Goldstein was hungry, so they walked across New York Avenue to a McDonald’s. “This is American food, my boy,” Jack exclaimed.
Goldstein wasn’t sure what the big deal was — he’d been raised on the beef of the Pampas — but that hamburger and fries tasted like the start of belonging.
Soon there would be nothing left for him in Argentina. When his father died a year later, Goldstein moved to America. He studied chemistry at Rensselaer Polytechnic and earned a PhD at Harvard. He went to George Washington University for law school. Today, he’s a leading authority on intellectual property in the biotech industry.
When Goldstein joined Sterne Kessler, its offices were near Dupont Circle. When it moved in 1993 to New York Avenue, no one was sure what to expect. The neighborhood was so sketchy the firm provided guards to walk employees to the Metro after 5 p.m.
The neighborhood blossomed around them. For a few days in 1993, a crew from Hollywood used the firm’s offices to film scenes for a thriller. Partner Rob Esmond knew they’d be shooting in the kitchen, so he printed out an “Employee of the Month” poster with his picture and hung it there as a joke. Look closely during “True Lies” and you’ll see it.
There are a lot of memories in the old building. And there’s still a McDonald’s nearby.
I asked Goldstein what the teenage Jorge wanted when he first came to the United States.
“My goals were to forget what had happened to me,” said Goldstein, 74.
It was easy to lose himself in his studies.
“Getting close to somebody was much tougher,” he said. “I was afraid of losing people. I shied away from intimacy.”
That wasn’t healthy for him, and it wasn’t healthy for his first marriage, which failed. Goldstein credits years spent “on a Freudian couch” with saving his mental health.
The analyst, he said, “forced me to come to grips with the fact that I lost my parents, that I couldn’t deny it, that I needed to deal with it, that I needed to mourn them.”
I asked Goldstein why the boy who wanted to be a research scientist chose law instead.
“Science requires a temperament that can delay gratification for a long time,” he said. “You don’t get results sometimes for years. In law, you plead, you go to court, you win, you lose, you move on. That fits my temperament better than long-term research.”
Goldstein and his second wife, Sandy, live in Bethesda. He has three daughters from his first marriage. Sandy also has three daughters.
“We raised six daughters and 14 grandchildren,” he said.
His granddaughters helped him pack his office for the move to the firm’s new building.
Greyhound buses no longer swarm the old bus station, but as we stood under its distinctive entrance, Goldstein thought about his first trip to America, his first trip to Washington and everything that’s happened since.
“It was unbelievable for me to go from a single kid who arrived here with nobody except my uncle to now having a clan for whom I am the paterfamilias,” he said. “I’ve come a long way.”
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A rising star in American cycling, 17-year-old Magnus White, has died after a driver hit him while he was cycling on the shoulder of a highway in his hometown of Boulder, Colo.
White had been preparing to head to Glasgow, Scotland, to compete in the Junior Men's Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships next week.
A member of USA Cycling's junior men's national team, White won the 2021 USA Cyclocross Junior Men's National Championship. He represented the U.S. in his first cyclocross world championship last year in Fayetteville, Ark., and competed in his second earlier this year in the Netherlands. (USA Cycling describes cyclocross as a combination of "road cycling, mountain biking and steeplechase.")
White grew up in Boulder and trained with Boulder Junior Cycling. He was also an avid skier and a committed student who aspired to attend business school, according to his website. He planned to graduate from high school a semester early so he could focus on international competition in spring 2024.
He is survived by his parents Jill and Michael, and his brother Eero. A family friend has set up a GoFundMe to support the family, USA Cycling confirms.
"Magnus was taken from us while doing what he loved most, riding his bike," writes Christine Lipson, the fundraiser's organizer.
"He began cycling when he was eight and quickly rose through the cycling ranks. Magnus's journey in cycling was driven by a tireless work ethic and a deep desire to achieve his personal best. He was proud to represent his community and country around the world," writes Lipson, whose son was a close friend and teammate of White's.
White was riding on the shoulder of Highway 119, known as the Diagonal, in Boulder on Saturday afternoon when he was hit by a 23-year-old woman driving a Toyota Matrix. The driver crossed from the righthand lane onto the shoulder, striking White from behind before she crashed into a fence, according to an incident report from the Colorado State Patrol. White was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead. The car's driver was uninjured.
Neither drugs, alcohol nor excessive speed are suspected factors in the crash, according to the state patrol.
USA Cycling said in a statement Sunday that White was a rising star in off-road cycling and "his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community."
"We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time," the statement continued. "We ride for Magnus."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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Will Southern California see relief from the heat wave this week?
Southern California will see cooler temperatures and possibly thunderstorms this week, getting a reprieve from the “heat dome” that has broiled the region for weeks.
But the relief won’t last long. Temperatures are expected to heat back up over the weekend.
This week through Wednesday and Thursday, high temperatures are expected to be in the 80s for downtown Los Angeles and the mid-80s to mid-90s in the valleys, according to the National Weather Service. But temperatures will likely warm up to around the mid-to-upper 90s and toward 100 over the weekend, with the Antelope Valley possibly seeing highs up to 105 degrees.
High pressure has remained situated over the Southwest for the past few weeks, resulting in a persistent heat dome over Southern California, leading to record high temperatures.
The heat wave was “unusual in the sense of how long it’s lasted” and “in the wide area that it covers,” according to National Weather Service meteorologist David Sweet.
There’s a chance for showers and thunderstorms for the coasts and valleys in Los Angeles County until noon Monday, Sweet said. There’s moisture instability resulting from monsoonal flows pushing into San Diego and Orange counties. There’s a 20% chance of showers near Los Angeles County’s borders with Orange and Riverside counties through Monday afternoon and into the evening.
Monday marks the last day of elevated wildfire conditions, according to Sweet. While fuel moisture — how much water brush and vegetation have left —remained about 100% through May and June, levels have gone down to 80% to 90% during the recent heat wave.
As the levels drop, the vegetation can serve as fuel for fires. “Critical” conditions are when the levels drop to around 60%, which is usually reached in July and continue through November.
“It’s getting to the point where fires are becoming more of a concern,” Sweet said.
Several fires have broken out across Southern California during the record-breaking heat and low humidity levels.
The York fire, which had scorched 77,000 acres and was 9% contained Monday morning, first sparked near the New York Mountains in the Mojave National Preserve in eastern San Bernardino County before spreading into Nevada on Sunday.
The Bonny fire also ignited last week near Aguanga east of Temecula and was 5% contained as of Saturday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department.
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Fantasy football analyst Matt Harmon hands out grades to every NFL team based on their fantasy juice for 2023. Check out the AFC South grades below — go here for his full AFC rundown.
Houston Texans: D+
The Texans finally have a real quarterback solution in town with C.J. Stroud. It's refreshing for a team that's been lost at sea for multiple seasons. Rookie quarterbacks may struggle to post above-average stats but he gives them a chance to actually evaluate their players.
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Dameon Pierce showed himself to be a strong rusher as a rookie. He wore down a bit but the presence of Devin Singletary will help matters while still giving Pierce enough leash to run the show. Nico Collins is the most interesting breakout bet on this offense. He has all the prototypical X-receiver traits and gets open with great flexibility on in-breaking routes. The rest of the receiver corps is mostly role players but Dalton Schultz at tight end should provide a nice safety blanket for Stroud.
Tennessee Titans: C+
The Titans' grade would have been even less favorable had they not signed DeAndre Hopkins. While he's not the player he was at his peak, Hopkins can still function as the top receiver on an offense, can get open short and has the same old vice-grip hands. The rest of the receivers are a huge question mark. Treylon Burks is a limited player but fits better as a No. 2 for now. Chigoziem Okonkwo has breakout potential at tight end after some flashes as a rookie. Neither is an established player and the rest of the roster doesn't offer much juice.
The main holdovers will reprise their same old roles in Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. The Titans have obviously been actively looking for Tannehill's replacement but he remains a solid starting quarterback, albeit with durability concerns.
Henry is a tricky case. He’s at the axis of age and career workload where we worry about running backs. But he’s quite literally built different than any other back.
Overall, this offense is more interesting with Hopkins in the fold but the ceiling is still low unless Henry breaks the age model to a striking degree.
Indianapolis Colts: C+
Full disclosure: I am so high on the Colts skill position players as future bets. I could see them being in the B+ territory by next year but I wanted to remain realistic for now.
The receiver room is one of the most slept-on units in the NFL. Michael Pittman is a true No. 1 receiver and separates with ease on crucial short to intermediate routes. He just needs a quarterback to unlock him. Alec Pierce is a nice vertical option and rookie Josh Downs is a perfect fit between those two hulking wideouts in the slot.
Jonathan Taylor got banged up last year but is still a very effective runner and focal point of this attack. Unfortunately, he's now mired in a contract dispute; the Colts are reportedly considering him a candidate for the NFI list with a "back injury" — an injury Taylor himself is apparently surprised about. The recent Zack Mossinjury will undoubtedly make things even more spicy — fantasy managers have to watch this situation closely.
The tight end room is the only one I consider truly "light," but Jelani Woods is a massive athlete who can change that perspective.
It all comes down to Anthony Richardson. He is a rare athlete and can attack defenses in the vertical game. I think he will start all year but it may take time for him to get comfortable in the offense. He's in a position to succeed with this underrated set of skill-position players but an inexperienced rookie quarterback puts a ceiling on your grade.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B
The Jaguars are one of, if not the most, exciting up-and-coming unit in the NFL. It starts with Trevor Lawrence. He showed off top-10 quarterback ability in spurts last year and is ready to make the leap into the top tier of passers. Jacksonville beefed up the pass-catching corps with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram last year; all quality players in the right roles. Now they'll add Calvin Ridley to the mix. It's been a minute since we've seen him but at his best he was a No. 1 wideout who could beat press and man coverage at a high rate. That's exactly what they needed.
The running game should be a heavy dose of Travis Etienne Jr. with a sprinkling of Tank Bigsby. Etienne may not be the pass catcher some fantasy folks forecasted but he's an explosive runner.
Jacksonville could be a top-five offense this year. The talent is there at every level.
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Defective: After recalls, Americans continue to die and get injured as products remain on the in homes and for sale online
Watchdogs say companies don’t do enough to alert customers to dangerous household goods
Deer Park, New York (InvestigateTV) — P.J. Matzen was only 3 months old when he uttered his first words to his parents. “I love you,” he babbles in a video taken by his mother.
They were the only words he would ever say.
On Oct. 11, 2019, Phillip Matzen found his son blue, lifeless and face down in an inclined sleeper made by Kids2. P.J. died the following day.
His parents had no idea that six months earlier, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturers of two of these popular baby products had issued recalls for them.
The Matzens also had no idea the CPSC hired an independent doctor to review these products for possible danger. The month before P.J. died, that doctor declared “no inclined sleep products are safe” warning the design has an increased risk for suffocation because babies can roll and aren’t able to “self-correct.”
By then, millions of these sleepers had been sold.
But the April 2019 recalls of Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play did not stop the deaths. P.J. is one of at least a dozen infants who died in one of those inclined sleepers after the recalls, according to CPSC.
Because of the rising death toll — and the availability of those products on the secondary market — the CPSC and the manufacturers of those sleepers re-announced the recalls this past January.
“Unfortunately, today’s announcement highlights the fact that these products are still in too many homes, and babies continue to be put at risk,” CPSC chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric wrote in a statement accompanying the re-announcement.
However, the re-announcement of the Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is not an anomaly.
An InvestigateTV analysis of CPSC data shows that since 2000, the agency has had to re-announce the recall of at least 46 products because the original alert did not reach the ears of consumers and, in many cases, continued to cause harm.
The deaths of at least 16 children or adults were tied to a defective product that had been previously recalled, the analysis of the federal data shows. At least 300 were injured.
Consumer advocates such as Nancy Cowles with Kids in Danger say the government and the manufacturers need to do more to protect Americans — particularly infants and toddlers — from products they know are dangerous.
“Make sure that once you do the recall you actually get them out of homes,” said Cowles, who is the executive director of the Chicago nonprofit that advocates for safer baby products. “Most products — children’s products — that we’ve tracked . . . are still in homes. Nowhere near a majority of products that are recalled are taken out of homes.”
The story of the inclined sleepers epitomizes what consumers advocates say is a flawed recall system that leaves defective and deadly products in American homes and for sale on online marketplaces and at garage sales.
A family was unaware of a recall until it was too late
Kiara Matzen once told her mother — P.J.’s grandmother — that she feels as if her son’s life was nothing but a dream because it was cut so short.
“Every day, I’m still trying to process it,” Kiara said.
Kiara was 19 when she learned that she was pregnant. Friends and relatives showered her with many necessities for the baby, including a Kids2 Ingenuity Rock N’ Soothe Sleeper.
Kids2 began marketing its incline sleepers three years after Fisher-Price designed and launched its Rock ‘n Play in 2009, which was the first incline sleeper to hit the market and became instantly popular.
About 4.7 million Rock ‘n Plays were sold during its 10 years on the market. Kids2 sold nearly 700,000 inclined sleepers that had various different names.
Kiara doesn’t remember who gave her the sleeper, but P.J. slept in it every day from the time he was born.
On the morning of Oct. 11, 2019, Kiara escorted her mother, Lydia Calvacca, to a doctor’s appointment. While waiting to be seen, Kiara pulled up an app on her phone that connected her to cameras in her home.
She wanted to check on P.J.
“I saw something wasn’t right. He was on his stomach,” Kiara said.
Lydia also caught a glimpse of the image on Kiara’s phone.
“I saw the way he was laying in the bassinet. And I was an EMT for seven years and I knew it was not a normal sleeping position,” Lydia said. “I said to her, ‘Call your husband right now. Tell him to wake the baby up.’”
P.J.’s father immediately dialed 911 after finding his son lifeless. Police officers arrived before medics and rushed P.J. to the hospital.
He died the following day.
“That night that he was in the hospital, my whole family came to the hospital, and my sister-in-law said that ... ‘I think I heard that it was recalled,’” Kiara said.
It was the first time she had heard that P.J.’s inclined sleeper had been recalled.
“If they would have spent more time and attention, maybe even money to get that recall product, that it was recalled out, then, you know ... me and probably a bunch of other parents would have stopped using it,” Kiara said.
Both Kids2 and Fisher-Price posted about the original recall on their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, but neither has since mentioned the re-announcement of the recall made earlier this year on their social media accounts, based on a search of their posts on each platform. They did, however, place the re-announcements of the recalls on their websites.
Neither company responded to InvestigateTV’s requests for comment.
Despite the best efforts of the CPSC to alert consumers to recalls, the agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more.
CPSC publicizes recalls on its websites and social media platforms, but it doesn’t have the budget to launch campaigns about dangerous products.
“It would be much better if the companies actually used the same sort of marketing budget and marketing strategies that they initially used to sell the products to get these defective products off the markets,” said Daniel Mann, a product liability lawyer in Philadelphia who has represented dozens of families harmed by dangerous consumer goods.
After some recalls, Americans still are vulnerable to death and injury
The 46 products that have had re-announced recalls have been linked to at least 150 deaths and at least 800 injuries, with the majority of the harm coming before the recall.
In 2016, the CPSC re-announced the recall of trapeze rings on a backyard play house because so few of the products had been returned, meaning they likely were still in use. The agency received more than 100 reports of the rings breaking, leading to injuries. It did not indicate how many reports of breakage it received after the recall.
In 2012, a 7-month-old Houston baby died in a crib that had been recalled two years earlier.
Months after a 2008 recall of a bassinet that had been linked to strangulation and suffocations deaths, CPSC reported that two more babies had died.
And the problems aren’t just isolated to items for children.
Take the case of a bathrobe that was recalled in 2009 because of flammability failures: In the months after the recall, the CPSC learned that six elderly women died when the robes they were wearing caught fire. Most of them were cooking at the time.
Still, Mann, the Philadelphia attorney, said “the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is probably the most epic consumer product disaster in United States history.”
In June 2021, a Fisher-Price executive admitted to Congress during a hearing that it was aware of at least 97 infant deaths linked to a Rock ‘n Play.
At least eight more died after that, including a 4-month-old who died in September 2020 and a 2-month-old who died in March 2021.
Mann represents a family whose 4-month-old son died on Feb. 1, 2021 while in a Rock ‘n Play at a babysitter’s home. Neither his parents nor the babysitter were aware of the recall, Mann said.
“For those parents where their deaths occur after the recall,” Mann said, “it’s even more tragic.”
Federal law leaves CPSC without necessary authority to rid households of dangerous products
CPSC chairman Hoehn-Saric admits that his agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more in recalls.
The Consumer Product Safety Act tips the balance of power away from the government regulator and into the hands of the companies that make and market products.
When a defect is discovered, the companies decide when and how a recall will be conducted.
“We can push them,” he said, “but forcing them is a whole different matter.”
The CPSC’s so-called sister agencies — the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration — which also issue recalls, can alert the public on their own, without a company’s permission.
“We don’t know (of) other federal agencies subject to a law like this. Getting information out to consumers quickly is extremely important to prevent those unnecessary deaths and injuries,” Hoehn-Saric said.
But only Congress has the power to unlock the handcuffs that it has put on an agency that is supposed to regulate more than 15,000 categories of everyday products from appliances to tools to toys.
The CPSC can’t force a company to spend money to advertise a recall. It also can’t dictate what consumers will receive in exchange for returning a defective product.
Fisher-Price, for example, on its website offered consumers the choice of a potty chair, a stuffed Barney the dinosaur or a Thomas & Friends racetrack in exchange for the Rock ‘n Play, which cost between $50 and $150. The recall announcements mention that consumers should contact the company for a voucher or refund.
Kids2 offered a refund for its defective inclined sleepers.
Recalled products can be found on secondary marketplaces and at garage sales
The CPSC’s own reports show that many recalled products remain unaccounted for, leaving consumers at risk.
In its fiscal year 2021 report on its annual performance measures, the CPSC reported that 32% of products recalled during that period had been returned or the defective part had been corrected.
The agency noted that this rate meant that it had met its performance goals.
“The other issue that we have in terms of having hard metrics is some of the recalls, if it’s for a cheap product, that’s a buck, we may never know exactly what happens because a lot of people hear about those recalls and just throw the product away,” Hoehn-Saric said.
More dangerously, however, the products may end up on secondary marketplaces and in garage sales.
Hoehn-Saric has taken a particularly hard stance against Meta and its Facebook Marketplaces.
Rock ‘n Plays continue to show up for sale there.
InvestigateTV bought a Rock ‘n Play on Facebook Marketplace in December and found others for sale in early July. Consumers were also selling the Kids2 rocking sleeper on the platform in that month.
“You should never have seen that product on their marketplace. They’re in a position where they can see what’s going up on the marketplace before it gets to the public,” Hoehn-Saric said. “And that’s the best time to step in and say, ‘You can’t post that. There’s a recall on it.’”
When asked about finding recalled items on its marketplace, a spokeswoman for Meta issued a brief statement: “Like other platforms where people can buy and sell goods, there are instances of people knowingly or unknowingly selling recalled goods on Marketplace. We take this issue seriously and when we find listings that violate our rules, we remove them.”
It is illegal to sell a recalled product. Big box stores and online retailers such as Amazon generally are quick to remove recalled items from their shelves.
In 2022, TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Homegoods, agreed to pay a $13 million fine to the CPSC for knowingly selling inclined sleepers after the recall.
When the CPSC finds a recalled item on a secondary marketplace, the agency asks the platform to remove it — but it’s often a game of whack-a-mole: as one goes down, another comes up.
Consumers also sometimes disguise the products by failing to mention their specific names in the description. For example, “Rock ‘n Play” won’t return any results on Facebook Marketplace. But the product will turn up if searching for bassinets, sleepers or rockers.
Regarding the secondary marketplaces, Hoehn-Saric said that it is “very difficult for [CPSC] to require or force them to take action. I think that is important. And I think it’s good business for them to be able to protect their own customers.”
Grieving family members become disciples of safe sleeping practices
Since P.J.’s death, Kiara Matzen and Lydia Calvacca have turned their agony into advocacy through their social media channels.
They post about the importance of following safe sleep guidelines, where babies should be on their backs, on a firm surface with no blankets, pillows or stuffed toys in the crib or bassinet.
“There’s a [Facebook] page called safe infant sleep ... It’s a support group for moms that have lost their babies to unsafe sleep practices. And they are just wonderful. They’re wonderful. Every time I see a woman with a new baby, I always tell them about this page,” Calvacca said. “I have pictures of my grandson on my desk and ... I always tell them the story. I don’t just say, ‘Oh, that’s my grandson.’ I let them know what happened because I feel it’s my responsibility to educate people so this doesn’t happen to them.”
Kiara and Phillip now have two daughters. The youngest is just 2 months old.
The family sued Kids2 and reached a confidential settlement last year.
Calvacca said that when she keeps her granddaughters for overnight stays, she’s too afraid to sleep.
“It sucks. Because I want to be able to enjoy them the way I enjoyed P.J. without worrying and being nervous that something’s going to happen. And this incident has taken that away from me,” Calvacca said. “It’s taken some of my joy for my other grandchildren away from me, and that angers me.”
InvestigateTV associate producer Austin Hedgcloth contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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More students are taking on paid internships, but new numbers show there’s still a gender gap when it comes to interns who are in roles that are unpaid.
Now, the National Association of Colleges and Employers is calling for federal action to ensure all interns are compensated for their time.
Here & Now‘s Deepa Fernandes learns more with Mary Gatta, NACE’s director of research and public policy.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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A new effort involving Purdue University, the Indiana University School of Medicine, and medical device company Cook Medical is aiming to accelerate the development of innovative medical devices for children.
The Crossroads Pediatric Device Consortium will work to bridge the unique challenges of developing devices for pediatric patients and devote more attention to the unmet need.
“Infants and children are not scaled-down versions of adults,” George Wodicka, a Purdue professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue, said in written remarks. “They have different diseases and clinical problems, so the research and development of pediatric devices is a distinct undertaking with a unique set of challenges.”
Purdue will provide expertise in engineering research, while the IU School of Medicine will provide knowledge in pediatrics research and clinical care. Cook Medical will provide input on product design, regulatory approval, and manufacturing.
“There is a huge need and opportunity to develop more options for pediatric care,” said Blayne Roeder, senior director, corporate development at Cook Medical. “With expertise from all three organizations, we have more resources and more bright minds to innovate new technologies for this underserved patient population.”
Roeder noted that less than 12% of the National Institutes for Health budget funds pediatric research and that less than 10% of all health spending is for pediatrics.
Consortium members said their effort already has attracted interest from additional clinical and company partners that could further increase the breadth of childhood diseases that could be addressed.
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Don’t get stuck in traffic. How to take public transit to see Taylor Swift at SoFi Stadium
Driving to one of Taylor Swift’s shows at SoFi Stadium could be migraine-inducing, with Sepulveda Pass-level traffic jams and parking spaces selling for far more than the thrift-store dress you bought to celebrate Swift’s “Evermore” era.
So to cling to at least a shred of your humanity, you might decide to take mass transit to the show. It’s by far the least expensive and most environmentally friendly way to travel to the stadium in Inglewood from your home, hotel or short-term rental.
You’ll still need plenty of patience while pining in anticipation of the show — and again when you’re trying to go back home.
The central issue here is the mismatch between the number of Swift fans who will be at SoFi and the number of people who can fit onto a bus or train car. With roughly 70,000 people arriving and departing the stadium within a few hours each day — and all of it funneled to a handful of train and bus lines — you can expect to find far more people trying to catch a ride than the light rail cars, shuttles and buses can carry.
So give yourself extra time in case you can’t fit into the first train or bus that pulls up.
How to get to SoFi via L.A. Metro
At $1.75 per ride, Metro’s prices are hard to beat. Even better, Metro is offering a free shuttle bus from its two closest stations — Hawthorne/Lennox on the C (formerly Green) line and Downtown Inglewood on the K (formerly Crenshaw) line. The buses will run from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. before the show and for 90 minutes afterward.
And to accommodate Swifties, Metro is running trains later into the evening — as late as 2 a.m.
One other option with extended service hours: Metro’s 117 bus, which runs east-west between Century Boulevard near LAX and Downey, will also continue offering rides for about 90 minutes after the show. The stop at West Century Boulevard and Yukon Avenue is a little more than half a mile from SoFi.
Taylor Swift brings her blockbuster, career-spanning Eras Tour to Los Angeles, and Metro has added service to get fans to the show.
Now for the caveats.
You can get to these stations from almost anywhere in L.A. County, but it is likely to involve one or more (free) transfers from a different Metro bus or rail line. The C line connects directly to the north-south A (formerly Blue) line, which runs from Azusa to Long Beach; the K link links to the east-west E (formerly Expo) line, which runs from Santa Monica to East L.A.
That means the trip will almost certainly take longer than driving to SoFi would on the typical travel day. To find the right bus or train routes and transfer points, as well as the best times to start your trip, Metro suggests consulting Google Maps, Apple Maps, the Transit or Moovit apps or Metro.net.
Meanwhile, the shuttles to and from SoFi are buses, not ocean liners — each one handles a few dozen people, not a few hundred. So that’s probably going to be a bottleneck on your trip to and fro. By the way, it’s about a 40-minute walk from either of the closest train stations to the stadium.
But chances are good that you don’t live within easy walking distance of a Metro train station or a stop on the 117 bus route. So if you’re going car-free, you may need to take a bus to the bus or the train, using Google Maps or one of the other sites above to find the right routes.
But here’s the really important cautionary note: Make sure to check the schedule for the bus you use to connect to Metro, because it might be out of service by the time Swift walks away from the mic stand for the last time that evening.
Otherwise, you could use a ride-hailing service to get to the train or the bus, or you could drive and park. Many Metro train stations have parking, and some don’t charge for it; Metro has a helpful web page devoted to parking near its stations.
Why are concert tickets so expensive and how can I get a cheaper ticket?
Other ways to leave your car at home
You can hire a car service, a taxi or a ride-hailing driver to drop you off and pick you up near SoFi; the city of Inglewood is reserving Kareem Court near the stadium for post-concert pick-ups.
If you’re trying to avoid cars but a public train or bus line doesn’t work for you, another option is Rally, a “bus rideshare” start-up that’s offering rides to and from SoFi on chartered buses. The service lists 110 pick-up and drop-off points, mainly in and around Los Angeles County but also in San Diego and the Bay Area.
The rides cost considerably more than a Metro bus trip — it’s $80 for a round-trip booking from many points in and around Los Angeles, although the fee is higher in some spots. But the buses take you into the stadium’s parking lot, where they wait for you until the show’s over.
More important, the company says the rides are not guaranteed until about two dozen riders buy tickets for that pick-up point. The site will tell you before you make a reservation whether the route you’re interested in has been confirmed.
Rally Chief Executive Numaan Akram said the company’s service relies on crowdsharing, counting on riders to spread the word about the service and recruit more passengers. If a pick-up point hasn’t drawn enough riders by three days before the event, he said, Rally will cancel the route.
Rally is carving out a niche serving big events, including NASCAR races and NFL games in addition to Swift’s Eras tour, Akram said. “We’ve moved tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans,” he said, adding, “We’re doing every single city because the Swifties really love it, and they keep sharing.”
About The Times Utility Journalism Team
This article is from The Times’ Utility Journalism Team. Our mission is to be essential to the lives of Southern Californians by publishing information that solves problems, answers questions and helps with decision making. We serve audiences in and around Los Angeles — including current Times subscribers and diverse communities that haven’t historically had their needs met by our coverage.
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame will formally welcome its Class of 2023 on Saturday. This week, Yahoo Sports is highlighting each member of the nine-man class, leading up to the big ceremony.
Although Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ken Riley was never selected to play in an AFL All-Star Game or a Pro Bowl after the AFL and NFL merger, his impact on the game went beyond those accolades.
A four-year starter in college, Riley was a quarterback at Florida A&M who brought the Rattlers to three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and a 23-7 record. He also shined academically, earning Rhodes Scholar candidacy.
Riley was selected in the sixth round of the 1969 Common Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he would spend all 15 years of his professional career. Hall of Fame head coach Paul Brown converted Riley to a cornerback since the Bengals selected quarterback Greg Cook with the fifth overall pick of the draft.
"We were stereotyped then," Riley told The Ledger in 2008 of Black players. "Everything down the middle — the quarterback, the center, the middle linebacker — those positions required thinking, so they didn't put us there."
However, Riley excelled at his new position.
Riley’s impact on defense was clear — he made his first career interception in his fifth game.
"Kenny was a splendid player and still holds the Bengals record for most interceptions over a career," team owner Mike Brown said in 2022. "It would be a wonderful thing if he were selected for the Hall of Fame."
Riley's team record of 65 career interceptions has yet to be broken. He also held other Bengals records, such as most seasons played (15) and most interceptions in a single season (nine).
"I don't know how you put a number on intelligence," Riley's former Cincinnati teammate Cris Collinsworth said. "And I don't know how many touchdowns he saved the Bengals because he knew what was coming."
"Ken showed tremendous leadership as a student and a quarterback," Florida A&M Sports Hall of Fame chairman Alvin Hollins said to the Tallahassee Democrat in 2020. "The only regret is that he didn't get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame before he passed. Several of the players he coached made it to the NFL. We had great success with him as a coach and athletics director."
After his retirement from the NFL, Riley spent two years with the Green Bay Packers as an assistant coach. He eventually returned to his alma mater and served as Florida A&M's head coach from 1986-1993, earning two MEAC conference titles. Riley also served as FAMU's athletic director from 1994-2004.
He died in 2020 at the age of 72 from a heart attack.
Although this honor comes after his death, Riley believed that his work would eventually speak for itself. He never complained or sought public recognition.
"Your work speaks for you," Riley once said about the possibility of receiving the honor. "If it's God's will, maybe one day it will happen."
Riley’s widow, Barbara, will represent him in Canton when he is officially enshrined.
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Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with New York Times reporter Corey Kilgannon about Gilgo Beach, New York, and the suspect in a spree of killings there.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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Firefighter dies from injuries after crash with cow while responding to call, department says
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 1:48 PM CDT|Updated: 30 minutes ago
PLANO, Texas (KXII/Gray News) – A firefighter injured in the line of duty earlier this month died Sunday morning.
Volunteer firefighter Evan Brown was in a crash July 9 and had been in intensive care at Medical City Hospital in Plano, Texas.
According to the Honey Grove Fire Department, Brown was responding to another crash call when he hit a cow on the road in his personal vehicle.
His vehicle rolled, ejecting Brown and causing severe injuries.
The Honey Grove Fire Department is arranging for first responders to stand watch by Evan at the funeral home.
The department set up a GoFundMe to help Brown’s family with medical bills and funeral costs.
Copyright 2023 KXII via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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The deadly heatwave that has hung over south Europe is beginning to cool, but wildfires still persist in southern parts of Italy and Greece. Serious storms are due to hit Italy in the coming weeks.
Financial Times correspondent Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli is in Tuscany and joins host Robin Young to talk about the latest on the heat, the wildfires, and the impact on Italy and its people.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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The It List is Yahoo's weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. Here are our picks for July 31-Aug. 6, including the best deals we could find for each.
STREAM IT: Controversial YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul kicks off Season 3 of Untold
The Season 3 premiere of Netflix's anthology documentary series, Untold, passes the mic to Jake Paul to tell his true Hollywood story. After a turbulent childhood in Ohio, Paul and his brother, Logan, found an outlet for their antics on social media, which led them to fame and fortune in Los Angeles as the influencer era kicked off in earnest. But their careers careened off track following a serious case of sibling rivalry, accusations of sexual harassment and controversial content choices. At that point, Jake Paul entered the boxing ring... and he hasn't left. Paul speaks candidly about his various controversies as well as his outsized ego, which has made him a fighter that people enjoy rooting against. — Ethan Alter
Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child premieres Tuesday, Aug. 1 on Netflix.
STREAM IT: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty returns for another exhilarating run
The new season of one of HBO's most successful original sports dramas promises to keep the ball rolling, using the same formula that made the show's first season a slam dunk. The seven-episode Season 2 focuses on the intense NBA rivalry between the L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics while revisiting basketball's greatest personal conflict in the 1980s. Reprising his role as Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Quincy Isaiah proclaims in the trailer that "Magic is back" and sends a warning to opponents. "You better watch out," Magic told reporters gathered around the locker room. After tasting his first championship at the conclusion of Season 1, Magic is hungry for more. Standing in the way is his hardwood nemesis Larry Bird. Sean Patrick Small is very convincing as Larry Legend, and he's got the chops to make the basketball scenes look real. He even mirrors Bird's signature chicken wing shooting form. Whether you're a basketball fan or not, Winning Time delivers plenty of commanding performances, especially John C. Reilly's fantastic portrayal of flamboyant Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Once you're part of the viewing team, you'll be hooked. — Joel Huerto
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Season 2 premieres Sunday, Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. on HBO and streaming on Max.
STREAM IT: Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food wants to change the way you think about what you eat
In the vein of Super Size Me and other documentaries that take down the food industry, Poisoned digs into the government regulation — or lack of it — that results in 48 million people getting sick from a foodborne illness each year. Family members of some of the victims tell their affecting stories, while experts explain why it's vitally important for the government to take action to protect citizens from an industry that, like many others, appears to value profits above all. At one point, a voice disguised to protect an interviewee explains that, "Customers would really be shocked at some of the stories that we could tell them." — Raechal Shewfelt
Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food premieres Wednesday, Aug. 2 on Netflix.
WATCH IT: Physicist who worked with Oppenheimer, shared secrets with Soviets gets doc treatment in A Compassionate Spy
Watching Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, you get the feeling any of the countless atom bomb-developing scientists portrayed in the filmmaker's riveting dramatic thriller could be worthy of their own film. Case in point: Ted Hall is barely a footnote in it. With this week's A Compassionate Spy, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve James devotes a full doc to the physicist who, fearing a U.S. monopoly on nuclear weaponry, shared Manhattan Project intel with the Soviet Union. As IndieWire notes, James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) essentially poses the question: Is there such thing as a sympathetic cause for treason? Check out an exclusive clip from the film above. — Kevin Polowy
A Compassionate Spy opens in theaters (visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information) and on video on demand Friday, Aug. 4.
WATCH IT: Former Mad Man Jon Hamm moves into a new Corner Office
Jon Hamm may not be a Sterling Cooper employee anymore, but he hasn't given up his Corner Office. The former Mad Men star headlines Joachim Back's Office Space-esque comedy as Orson, a sad-sack white collar employee for a personality-free conglomerate. While seeking a way to break up the day-to-day drudgery of office life, Orson happens upon a seemingly empty executive suite that becomes his secret hideout. But as he comes to learn, there may be no exit from TPS reports and forced birthday celebrations. This exclusive clip from the film finds Orson learning the ropes of his new gig, courtesy of his co-worker — and Community star — Danny Pudi. — E.A.
Corner Office premieres Friday, Aug. 4 in theaters (visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information) and on most VOD and figital services.
WATCH IT: Randall Park's Shortcomings isn't your average anti rom-com
Randall Park adds "director" to his extensive resume — which also includes TV dad and Marvel Cinematic Universe scene stealer — with the Sundance-approved comedy Shortcomings, the story of a self-absorbed jerk and the girl he lets get away. With his filmmaking ambitions stymied, Ben (Justin H. Min), has been marking time as the manager of a failing movie theater. Meanwhile, his long-suffering girlfriend, Miko (Ally Maki), is fed up with his sullen attitude and wandering eye and decides to take their relationship to the next level... separately. Suddenly single, Ben throws himself into the dating pool only to discover that he's routinely getting tossed back. This exclusive clip from the film finds him spying on his ex and realizing there may not be a happily ever after in their future. — E.A.
Shortcomings premieres Friday, Aug. 4 in theaters; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
WATCH IT: Brother charts the diverging lives of two Toronto-based siblings
One of the most acclaimed discoveries at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian auteur Clement Virgo's latest film adapts David Chariandy's hit novel about two siblings whose lives take strikingly different paths. Raised in an immigrant family, Caribbean-born brothers Frances (Lamar Johnson) and Michael (Aaron Pierre) cling tight to each other during their childhoods, but are later pulled apart by external circumstances in their adopted home — circumstances that include criminal temptations. This exclusive clip from the film showcases the strong bond the brothers share before they're pulled apart. — E.A.
Brother premieres Friday, Aug. 4 in theaters; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
STREAM IT: Johnson is back for fresh episodes on Bounce
Bounce on back to Atlanta for the return of Bounce's breakout series, Johnson, which counts Cedric the Entertainer among its producing team. Season 3 kicks off Aug. 5 and features fresh stories about the show's central quartet of pals as the continue to navigate fatherhood, relationships and everything in between. D.L. Hughley is also back in his recurring role, and appears in this exclusive clip from the new season. — E.A.
Johnson Season 3 premieres Saturday, Aug. 5 on Bounce.
WATCH IT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a tubular time
Are we entering the golden age of animated action movies? Between Across the Spider-verse (not to mention Into the Spider-verse) and this week's Mutant Mayhem, a good case could be made. Like those Spidey movies, Mutant Mayhem is visually dazzling, hip, funny, thrilling — and all set to a kick-ass soundtrack (here with a half-dozen perfect '90s hip-hop needle drops). The filmmakers made some brilliant decisions in the latest try at a big-screen TMNT venture, from casting actual teenagers as the heroes in half-shells (and encouraging them to just riff at points) to reimagining April O'Neil as an awkward high schooler. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg leave their sharp comedic prints all over this one. — K.P.
Teenage Mutant Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opens in theaters Friday, Aug. 4; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
WATCH IT: DJs got us falling in love in Mixtape doc
Before TikTok, Bandcamp or Soundcloud, there were mixtapes — the primary method for aspiring and underground hip-hop artists to build a buzz, with DJs serving as tastemakers, trendsetters and ambassadors of the (sub)culture. In the new Def Jam Recordings documentary Mixtape, 2 Chainz, A$AP Rocky, DJ Khaled, DJ Whoo Kid, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Funkmaster Flex, the Game, KRS-One, Lil Wayne, Mark Ronson and even Mike Tyson and Tommy Hilfiger reflect on how the mixtape became a genre in and of itself and changed the rap game forever. — Lyndsey Parker
Mixtape premieres Tuesday, Aug. 2 on Paramount+.
STREAM IT: Like Big Little Lies? Try The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
Amazon's new, seven-episode series is based on a book of the same name that, like the hit HBO series, is based on a best-selling book by an Australian author, in this case Holly Ringland. Part of it is also set by the sea, and it's filled with an intense series of events. Alice Hart follows the title character (played, at different ages by Fear the Walking Dead's Alycia Debnam-Carey and teen Alyla Browne, of Nine Perfect Strangers, whose parents are killed in a mysterious fire when she's still a child. Alice goes to live with her grandmother (the always fantastic Sigourney Weaver) at a flower farm, where she learns about secrets in her ancestral past that continue to drive her as a young adult, when she suffers another crushing loss and then meets a dangerous man disguised as a charmer. Expect beautiful scenery in addition to all the drama. — R.S.
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart premiers Friday, Aug. 4 on Prime Video.
HEAR IT: Quavo honors late bandmate Takeoff on grief-fueled Rocket Power
The second solo album by Migos co-founder Quavo arrives nine months after the shooting death of his bandmate and nephew, Takeoff. In a statement last month announcing the album, which is the follow-up to 2018's The Last Rocket, the rapper said: "This album is embodying all my emotions. Through the process of healing I've learned to turn tragedy into triumph. I had to dig deep into my purpose and find the power to keep striving. To my fans, thanks for being patient wit' me and supporting us. To my FAMILY, even when times get hard we know our MAIN mission is to keep the Rocket name ALIVE. TIL INFINITY." In an interview posted last week on his YouTube page, Quavo opened up further about the record's tragic inspiration, saying, "Rocket Power means a lot to me, it means everything to me. Just being fueled by my brother, Take, and just bottling all these emotions, all the pain, all the hard times, all the times I cried, all the times I made music just to pull up and try to play songs and he's not there. I'm just trying to get this fuel from my bro." —L.P.
Rocket Power by Quavo is available Friday, Aug. 4 to download/stream on Apple Music.
HEAR IT: Rick Springfield is Automatic for the people
The 23rd studio album by powerpop icon Rick Springfield comprises 20 tracks that he has described as being "stylistically somewhere between" his 1981 breakthrough WorkingClass Dog and 1985's experimental synthrock classic Tao. Springfield says he made the ambitious record — on which he handed all writing, production, guitar and keyboard duties – with a "goal" to create "solid three-minute tunes with the biggest hooks I could come up with." Considering that this is the man who wrote "Love Is Alright Tonite," "Love Somebody" and, of course, "Jessie's Girl," it's not surprising that he was totally up for the task. —L.P.
Automatic by Rick Springfield is available Friday, Aug. 4 to download/stream on Apple Music.
PLAY IT: Bring the screams home with you courtesy of Funko's Scream tabletop game
It's not your imagination... the call really is coming from inside the house. Scream franchise boogeyman, Ghostface, calls you directly courtesy of Funko Games's Scream: The Game, a fast-paced party game that'll have you looking in the dark corners of your home. Download the custom game app and you'll start hearing from Ghostface as you pass cards and navigate the board. Celebrity cameos not included. — E.A.
Scream: The Game is available now at most major retailers, including Amazon.
WATCH IT: Problemista pairs former SNL writer Julio Torres with a madcap Tilda Swinton
It's hard to transition from Saturday Night Live to movies. Many have tried, some of succeeded, others have failed. Julio Torres is following an unconventional path: Though he earned four Emmy nominations as part of its writing staff from 2016-2019, he wasn't on-camera. Yet Torres wrote, directed and stars in the new A24 comedy Problemista, playing an awkward wannabe toy designer from El Salvador who goes to desperate lengths to maintain an American work visa, mainly assisting a mercurial art critic played by Tilda Swinton. An amicable Torres proves he belongs onscreen in this whimsical tale, but the Wrecking Ball Swinton is damn-near Oscar-worthy. — K.P.
Problemista opens in theaters Friday, Aug. 4; visit Fandango for showtimes and ticket information.
HEAR IT: Mammoth WVH is unchained
Mammoth WVH initially began as the eponymous solo project of the late Eddie Van Halen's son, former teenage Van Halen replacement bass player and Twitter-troll destroyer Wolfgang Van Halen — with "Distance," a tribute single released the month after Eddie's 2020 death, and an acclaimed self-titled debut album recorded entirely by Wolfgang. (Wolfgang drew inspiration from Dave Grohl, who was the sole member of the Foo Fighters in that band's early post-Nirvana era.) But now Mammoth WVH is a full-fledged group, with a lineup that includes guitarists Frank Sidoris and Jon Jourdan, bassist Ronnie Ficarro and drummer Garrett Whitlock — and they're ready to unleash their sophomore album, Mammoth II, and embark on a tour with Metallica and Alter Bridge starting this week. — L.P.
Mammoth II by Mammoth WVH is available Friday, Aug. 4 to download/stream on Apple Music.
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IS claims responsibility for deadly suicide bombing at rally that killed 54 in northwest Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people including five children at a pro-Taliban cleric’s rally in one of the worst attacks in the country in recent years.
IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website. The statement said the attack was part of the group’s continuing war against forms of democracy it deems to be against Islam.
Hours earlier, hundreds of mourners in the northwestern town of Bajur carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites following the previous day’s attack at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
Officials said Sunday’s bombing killed 54 people, including at least five children, and wounded nearly 200.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections, according to police.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Hundreds of mourners in northwestern Pakistan carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills Monday after a suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing in Bajur that killed at least five children and wounded nearly 200 people.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people, according to police, were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, “and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, could be responsible, while a Pakistan security analyst pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district’s principal town.
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which police identified as a suspect in the attack, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
On Monday, female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman’s party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party’s senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China,” Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday’s bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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There’s a youth orchestra in Salinas made up mostly of students from lower-income, underserved communities. The focus isn’t just on turning local young people into classical musicians — it’s also about giving them life skills they’ll carry with them into adulthood.
On a typical rehearsal day, some 200 students go in and out of the Salinas Youth Orchestra, each going to separate classes for their respective instrumental groups: upper strings, lower strings, brass, and woodwinds.
The program is open to all students in the Salinas area, and ranges from 1st to 12th graders. About 90% of the students enrolled come from low-income households, which plays a huge role in why YOSAL emphasizes not just the experience, but also the quality of their music.
“Unfortunately, society doesn't generally have very high expectations of this demographic: of underserved, at-risk, low income, Hispanic people,” said Executive Director Ameena Khawaja. “There's really a prejudice against it and there's just not a lot of expectation. You know, it's great if you graduate high school, it's amazing if you go to college, right? Whereas in other demographics, that's just expected — and that's what you do.”
Khawaja said that’s the key to understanding why the organization cares so much about producing good musicians: because they have been denied the privilege of expectation.
“Being able to have a Youth Orchestra that is just blowing things out of the water quality wise and is made up of this demographic not only shows the community that they better have expectations, but it also teaches our students and our families to have expectations of themselves," she said. "Because if society doesn't have that of you then it's hard to have that of yourself, right?”
Khawaja says a lot of the students had no musical experience before joining the program, let alone with classical music — which is why it’s so fulfilling when they end up mastering an instrument they may have never had access to otherwise.
Iván Pineda Barajas is one of those students. He’s in 10th grade, and he’s been taking classes at YOSAL for 11 years, starting when he was six years old.
“Well originally, I'm pretty sure it’s because my mom was like, ‘I don't want to deal with y'all after school, so that’s an opportunity y’all to, like, do something productive,’” he said.
Iván plays the horn, the trombone, the tuba, and the trumpet. He’s learned all of it at YOSAL, and now he’s considering a career as a musician.
He recently played a few pieces alongside professional musicians at California State University Monterey Bay as a part of a program called the California Orchestra Academy, which YOSAL is a fiscal sponsor of. One of the songs was an original piece written by Eliodoro Vallecillo, a brass specialist who’s also an instructor at YOSAL.
Vallecillo has been teaching at YOSAL for about five years. He’s the one who taught Iván how to play the tuba. And, just like Iván, he’s a Salinas native. He comes from a world impacted heavily by gang violence, and he said that music has changed his life.
“If it wasn't for music, I wouldn't have known the world outside of Salinas or met any people outside of this community. And, really, music for me… it was a life-saving kind of gift,” he saic. “I come from a neighborhood that was heavily impacted by gang violence. My brother was murdered and he was part of that world. And so kind of what I saw growing up was just that world.”
Now, Vallecillo uses his teaching position at YOSAL to give the gift of music back to his community. It goes further than just the music, though. He said what the organization really wants to do is empower their students to become better people — on and off the stage.
“It just kind of makes you a more well-rounded individual, really. Not just a great musician, but it just helps you all-around as well with, like, discipline,” he explained. “I've noticed that a lot of students here, especially with Iván. He's been really stepping up to the plate and just taking on different things. Whether it's trumpet, horn, tuba… he does it all.”
Vallecillo and Iván are good friends now. And it seems like Iván is taking his lessons to heart.
“The bar is always getting higher because you can never stop learning how to play,” Iván said. “Because… you can always be better.”
For more information about YOSAL, including how to join, you can visit YOSAL.org.
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Police were calling owner to shut down party when gunfire killed 1, wounded 17, chief says
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded early Sunday in a central Indiana city unfolded at an outdoor party attended by hundreds of revelers as police were calling the venue’s owner to shut down the gathering, authorities said Monday.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan said no arrests have been made in the shooting, which killed 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, whom the chief said was among those attending the large party in the city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
Sloan said police were aware that the owner of a business that periodically rents out space for events was hosting a block party that got “out of control,” with between 500 and up to 1,000 in attendance. Photos of the scene showed police tags marking what appeared to be dozens of bullets on the street.
Sloan said police were not at the scene at the time of the shooting just after 1 a.m. Sunday, but they were trying to get the business owner to end the party.
“We made a phone call to the owner and asked him to get things shut down. The streets were packed. Before we could make contact and get something done, before we could get that shut down, the gunfire erupted,” Sloan said during a news conference.
He said police were asking for any witnesses to the shooting or people with pictures or video of the incident to contact the Muncie Police Department. Sloan said some people at the scene refused to tell officers what had happened.
He declined to provide details of the investigation, including how many people may have fired weapons but described a scene of chaos as officers and first responders arrived at the location on Muncie’s east side.
“Our people were applying tourniquets, administering first aid, providing CPR. And they we were rushing people to the hospital in our police cars because we didn’t have time to wait,” Sloan said.
Mayor Dan Ridenour said one man was killed and 17 other people suffered gunshot wounds in Sunday’s shooting. He said the shooting had left the community “shaken to the core by violence” and choked up repeatedly during the news conference.
After the shooting, police had to separate people in a Muncie hospital’s parking lot who were arguing and officers had to clear a path at the hospital’s entrance for anyone needing medical attention to enter, said Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell.
She said that among the 17 who survived the shooting, eight remained hospitalized — five at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, and four others who were taken to Indianapolis hospitals.
She said that among the four taken to Indianapolis, one remains in critical condition, two are listed as stable and the fourth had been discharged from a hospital.
Criswell said that two of the people wounded in Sunday’s shooting were minors, and that a nineteenth person who was injured may have been struck by a car.
IU Health spokesperson Neil Gifford said five people remained hospitalized at the Muncie hospital, down from 13 who were being treated on Sunday morning. He said he could not provide conditions of the five patients without being provided with their names.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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The Indianapolis Colts' running back saga has taken yet another turn.
Backup running back Zack Moss sustained a broken arm at training camp Monday, NFL Network's Mike Garofolo reports. Colts insider Mike Chappell reports that Moss slammed his helmet to the ground after sustaining the injury during a morning practice and required help from the field from trainers. He's expected to be sidelined for six weeks, per the reports.
Moss' injury arrives as Colts starting running back Jonathan Taylor remains embroiled in a contract dispute. Taylor reportedly requested a trade during a meeting with team owner Jim Irsay last week. Irsay told NFL Network via text: "We're not trading Jonathan. ... end of discussion. Not now and not in October!"
An All-Pro and the NFL's rushing champion in 2021, Taylor is due $4.3 million on the final year of his four-year rookie contract this season. He's seeking an extension that would pay him considerably more annually. The Colts have declined to offer him an extension.
Meanwhile, Irsay's engaged in a social media dispute criticizing a campaign by top NFL running backs lamenting the position's lack of relative financial stability after Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard all failed to secure long-term contracts during the offseason.
NFL Running Back situation- We have negotiated a CBA,that took years of effort and hard work and compromise in good faith by both sides..to say now that a specific Player category wants another negotiation after the fact,is inappropriate. Some Agents are selling ‘bad faith’..
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) July 26, 2023
Taylor's agent responded to Irsay's tweet with one of his own declaring that Irsay is "not paying your top offensive player."
Bad faith is not paying your top offensive player https://t.co/ZYvrLhxygG
— malki kawa (@malkikawa) July 27, 2023
The conflict escalated over the weekend. Chappell reported that the Colts are considering placing Taylor on the non-football injury (NFI) list, a designation that would allow them to withhold his entire 2023 salary if he remained on the list through the season. Per the report, the designation would be related to a back injury Taylor sustained while working out in Arizona.
Taylor started training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, a designation that would not impact his pay. Taylor's recovering from offseason ankle surgery related to an injury sustained last season. If Taylor is deemed to have sustained an injury away from the team not related to football, the NFI designation could be in play. That would allow the Colts to withhold his salary for 2023 and toll the remaining $4.3 million of his contract to the 2024 season — the year that Taylor is seeking a pay increase.
Taylor denied Sunday night that he's experienced or reported any back pain.
1.) Never had a back pain.
— Jonathan Taylor (@JayT23) July 31, 2023
2.) Never reported back pain.
Not sure who “sources” are, but find new ones 🤔
As long as Taylor's sidelined, Moss projected as the Colts primary ball-carrier. The Colts obtained Moss in a midseason trade last year that sent then-backup running back Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills. His injury projects to potentially sideline him through the start of the regular season. The Colts open their season on Sept. 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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| 2023-07-31T19:19:25
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Police were calling owner to shut down party when gunfire killed 1, wounded 17, chief says
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded early Sunday in a central Indiana city unfolded at an outdoor party attended by hundreds of revelers as police were calling the venue’s owner to shut down the gathering, authorities said Monday.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan said no arrests have been made in the shooting, which killed 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, whom the chief said was among those attending the large party in the city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
Sloan said police were aware that the owner of a business that periodically rents out space for events was hosting a block party that got “out of control,” with between 500 and up to 1,000 in attendance. Photos of the scene showed police tags marking what appeared to be dozens of bullets on the street.
Sloan said police were not at the scene at the time of the shooting just after 1 a.m. Sunday, but they were trying to get the business owner to end the party.
“We made a phone call to the owner and asked him to get things shut down. The streets were packed. Before we could make contact and get something done, before we could get that shut down, the gunfire erupted,” Sloan said during a news conference.
He said police were asking for any witnesses to the shooting or people with pictures or video of the incident to contact the Muncie Police Department. Sloan said some people at the scene refused to tell officers what had happened.
He declined to provide details of the investigation, including how many people may have fired weapons but described a scene of chaos as officers and first responders arrived at the location on Muncie’s east side.
“Our people were applying tourniquets, administering first aid, providing CPR. And they we were rushing people to the hospital in our police cars because we didn’t have time to wait,” Sloan said.
Mayor Dan Ridenour said one man was killed and 17 other people suffered gunshot wounds in Sunday’s shooting. He said the shooting had left the community “shaken to the core by violence” and choked up repeatedly during the news conference.
After the shooting, police had to separate people in a Muncie hospital’s parking lot who were arguing and officers had to clear a path at the hospital’s entrance for anyone needing medical attention to enter, said Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell.
She said that among the 17 who survived the shooting, eight remained hospitalized — five at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, and four others who were taken to Indianapolis hospitals.
She said that among the four taken to Indianapolis, one remains in critical condition, two are listed as stable and the fourth had been discharged from a hospital.
Criswell said that two of the people wounded in Sunday’s shooting were minors, and that a nineteenth person who was injured may have been struck by a car.
IU Health spokesperson Neil Gifford said five people remained hospitalized at the Muncie hospital, down from 13 who were being treated on Sunday morning. He said he could not provide conditions of the five patients without being provided with their names.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Gender-affirming care bans are undergoing intense legal scrutiny and testing federal courts in new ways, setting up battles that may go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Morgan Watkins of Louisville Public Media reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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Updated July 31, 2023 at 3:06 PM ET
Judge Steven Boyce sentenced Lori Vallow Daybell to multiple fixed life terms in prison with no possibility of parole on Monday, handing down punishment for murdering two of her children and conspiring to murder a romantic rival.
The judge ordered Vallow Daybell to serve the prison terms consecutively rather than concurrently, saying it is important for her to be punished for each death.
Vallow Daybell, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in May, as a jury agreed with prosecutors who said she wanted to eliminate her youngest children as part of a plan to embark on a new life with Chad Daybell, as well as conspiring to murder Daybell's previous wife.
"You chose the most evil and destructive path possible," despite having a wealth of better, less harmful, options, Boyce told Vallow Daybell. He juxtaposed her enjoyment of a honeymoon in Hawaii with her children lying in shallow graves in Idaho.
Her children — Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow — had been "burned, mutilated and dismembered, and buried like animals," Boyce said.
The judge noted the "disgust" he saw on jurors' faces during the trial. The scene was horrific, Boyce said, adding that while law enforcement, jurors and he himself will be haunted by images of the children's bodies, he saw no sign that Vallow Daybell feels any remorse.
For the first time, Vallow Daybell gave an accounting of her own actions — but she insisted she is not guilty of murder and said that her victims have visited her in spiritual form and are happy and busy in the afterlife.
"Jesus knows me, and Jesus understands me," she said, adding that she mourns those who died. But, she added, "Jesus Christ knows that no one was murdered in this case."
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.
Monday's sentencing hearing included four main phases: five victim impact statements; the prosecution's sentencing recommendation; the defense's sentencing recommendation; and the chance for Vallow to address the court.
Judge Boyce handed down his sentence after hearing victim impact statements from relatives of Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow, Vallow Daybell's children, whose bodies were found in 2020; and from relatives of Tammy Daybell, the previous wife of Chad Daybell — who also faces charges in all three deaths.
Thomas urged Boyce to impose on his client a 20-year fixed term with an "indeterminate" life sentence.
Prosecutor Rob Wood asked for the maximum sentence — several fixed life terms without the possibility of parole — saying Vallow Daybell had betrayed her children's trust in a horrific manner.
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.
Tammy Daybell's family speaks out
In a victim impact statement, Samantha Gwilliam, Tammy Daybell's sister, said her family has been "ripped apart," thrust into grief, suspicion and sadness by Tammy's unexpected death at 49. It deepened, she said, when the family learned Chad Daybell was remarrying just weeks later, in a Hawaii ceremony with Lori Vallow.
The more she learned about Vallow, Gwilliam said, she found only "lies" — from Vallow Daybell's claim that her most recent husband had died of a heart attack to her saying she and Chad would be "empty nesters," with no young children.
It was only when Tammy Daybell was disinterred and an autopsy was performed, Gwilliam said, that the family began to "get some answers and some truth, after so many lies." That truth, she added, was that Tammy Daybell was both an obstacle for Vallow Daybell and a way to profit from her death, through an insurance policy.
Weeping in court, Gwilliam described how her family's relationships with Chad and Tammy Daybell's children has become strained. She also read a statement from Tammy's father, recounting the toll Vallow Daybell's actions took on his wife, who died earlier this year.
At one point, Gwilliam compared her sister, a librarian and educator, to Vallow Daybell.
"Because of the choices you made, my family lost a beloved mother, sister, aunt and daughter. She is irreplaceable," she said. "She was 1,000 times the woman you will ever dream of being."
Defense team says Vallow Daybell is 'misunderstood'
"I think Lori Daybell is probably the most hated person in America right now," said Bonneville County Public Defender John Thomas, who is one of Vallow Daybell's attorneys.
But, he said, she is a "very misunderstood person" who is truly "about love" and has been defined by complicated circumstances.
He asked the judge to use his sentence to impart a sense of "hope" that would both punish Vallow Daybell and encourage her to become a model inmate and grow as a person and become "a better version of Lori Daybell."
Thomas urged Boyce to impose on his client a 20-year fixed term with an "indeterminate" life sentence and have terms running concurrently, making her eligible for parole when she is in her 70s.
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.
Other criminal cases are still pending
Chad Daybell is expected to undergo his own murder trial for the same three deaths in the spring of 2024.
Other criminal cases are also pending for Vallow Daybell in Arizona, where she previously lived.
She's under indictment there on conspiracy murder charges for allegedly arranging for one of her brothers to shoot and kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in July 2019. That brother, Alex Cox, died in December 2019, of what was determined to be natural causes. She's also accused of conspiring with Alex to murder her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, who was shot at in 2019 but who survived.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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Congress expanded work requirements for food assistance during the debt ceiling negotiations, a move that would normally happen in the Farm Bill. But the state of Kansas already tightened its food aid requirements recently, Eva Tesfaye of Harvest Public Media reports/
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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NAPLES, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bramshill Investments, an award-winning alternative asset management firm, releases its Monthly Insights: A Closer Look at Office Commercial Real Estate & Investment Opportunities within Securitized Products.
Office properties in the U.S. Commercial Real Estate ("CRE") Market have been garnering much of the attention from the markets and media, especially after the fallout from the regional banking crisis that was largely stemmed earlier in 2023. We wanted to delve deeper into the subject to discuss our thoughts and the potential opportunities within the sector. To begin, we want to discuss the size of the sector and related sub sectors. Below is an overview of how the property types of the U.S. CRE market breaks down across the approximate $10.9 trillion market value. As shown below, Offices represent approximately one quarter of the market as of the end of 2022…
Click here to read the article.
Contact me today to learn more about our report. Bramshill's team of experts is available to answer your questions.
Media Contact:
Danielle Van Calcar
1-646-993-1648
danielle@bramshillinvestments.com
About Bramshill Investments
Bramshill Investments, LLC, is a fixed income investment manager with over $4.4 billion in assets under management (as of (6/30/2023) The firm was co-founded in 2012 by former GLG portfolio manager, Arthur DeGaetano. The team's core investment strategy has an established combined track record of over fourteen years with an absolute return objective that can be accessed through various vehicles. Bramshill also offers other alternative investment strategies. Bramshill is an investment adviser registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration as an investment advisor with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training of Bramshill or its employees. References to awards should not be construed as testimonials for our advisory services. For more information, please visit: https://bramshillinvestments.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Bramshill Investments, LLC
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17-year-old American cyclist Magnus White died Saturday after he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado, USA Cycling said in a statement Sunday.
He was scheduled to compete at the upcoming Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on August 10, 2023.
"He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community," USA Cycling said.
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the news that 17-year-old Magnus White has passed away in a training accident.
— USA Cycling (@usacycling) July 30, 2023
Please read USA Cycling's statement in Memory of Magnus White: https://t.co/vZryL710K8 pic.twitter.com/q8CCkJnYdL
He was wearing a helmet as he rode south on the shoulder of Colorado State Highway 119 when a 23-year-old Colorado woman in a Toyota Matrix drove onto the shoulder from the right lane and hit him from behind, Colorado Highway Patrol told The New York Post. The impact reportedly threw White off the bike as the Toyota continued to move off the right side of the road and down an embankment before it was stopped by a fence, according to the report.
White died at the hospital. The driver was reportedly not injured.
The crash is still being investigated and authorities do not believe alcohol, drugs or speeding were involved, according to The Post.
Racing at the national level since he was a 10-year-old, White was already a decorated cyclist. He won the Junior 17-18 Cyclocross national championship in 2021 and went on to compete for the USA Cycling National Team for the European Cyclocross racing season. He was selected to represent the US again at the 2023 cyclocross World Championships in the Netherlands in February.
Mountain biking was a new avenue for White, around which he was set to center his entire summer.
White is survived by his brother, Eero, and his parents, Jill and Michael. A GoFundMe in his memory surpassed $80,000 on Monday.
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For the full story, click here.
We revisit Robin Young’s November 2022 interview with musical icon Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. The two wrote the kids book, “The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi” which tells the story of the 11th-century monk who invented a system of musical notation that we use today.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvia.org/2023-07-31/music-legend-julie-andrews-and-daughter-emma-walton-hamilton-tell-kids-the-history-of-do-re-mi
| 2023-07-31T19:19:33
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Host Deepa Fernandes speaks with NPR’s Elise Hu about her book “Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital,” which looks at the South Korean beauty industry which is the third largest cosmetic and skin care exporter in the world.
Elise Hu. (Courtesy of Emily Cummings)
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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| 2023-07-31T19:19:34
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Actor Paul Reubens — best known as the character Pee-wee Herman — died Sunday of cancer. He was 70.
"Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness," read a statement on his Instagram. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."
The story of "a guy and his bike" made a cultural splash when the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure — directed by Tim Burton — premiered in 1985. Suddenly, a raft of childhood phrases were everywhere:
I know you are but what am I? I know you are but what am I?
That's my name! Don't wear it out!
Reubens created Pee-wee in 1977 as a member of Los Angeles improvisational group The Groundlings. And the character went on to have a long life in a stage and TV show before the film.
Pee-wee's childish but big-hearted antics became beloved — but Reubens himself was more troubled. In 1991 he pleaded no contest to indecent exposure in an adult movie theater; about a decade later, he pleaded guilty to possessing an obscene image of a minor. His reputation as a sweet, children's performer never recovered.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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DALLAS, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Hotels Dallas, the 260 room luxury lifestyle hotel located in the Dallas Design District, is proud to announce that it has been honored with the Equity Leadership award presented by D CEO at their annual Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship award ceremony. The Equity Leadership award is given each year to a corporation in the Dallas community that supports efforts that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Since the hotel opened in 2019, Virgin Hotels Dallas has supported local organizations that champion diversity and equity such as Cafe Momentum, Unlock Potential, and My Possibilities. Through these initiatives, the hotel has been able to provide mentorship and employment opportunities to justice-involved youth as well as adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"It is an honor for Virgin Hotels Dallas to be recognized as a leader in diversity within the Dallas community," says Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group. "Creating an inclusive environment where our guests and teammates always feel welcomed to be who they are has always been our priority at Virgin."
Looking ahead, Virgin Hotels Dallas is dedicated to continuing to evolve their diversity program with new partnerships, teammate training, and more. The Dallas Design District boutique hotel is committed to being Autism Double Checked by the end of 2024. According to the online autism training company, over 20 million people are parents to one or more children with autism. Due to the current landscape and lack of autism-friendly travel experiences, 87% of parents of autistic children currently do not travel or take family vacations. However, 93% of parents with autistic children said they would travel if autistic-friendly travel experiences were available.
With the certification, teammates at Virgin Hotels Dallas will undergo neurodiversity training and guests with special needs will receive a detailed visitors guide ahead of their stay that highlights potential sensory issues such as crowds, temperature, noise, body awareness and more.
In addition to the property's Autism Double Checked commitment, Virgin Hotels Dallas will also implement a new policy with Hidden Disabilities that will allow teammates and guests to wear a sunflower lanyard that indicates that they have a non-visible disability and may need more time, assistance, etc.
The brand's commitment to diversity goes beyond external partnerships. Internally, Virgin Hotels strives to hire individuals that are reflective of the world and encompass a variety of racial backgrounds, genders, etc. In an effort to be the most inclusive employer in the hotel industry, Virgin Hotels launched the J.E.D.I program which stands for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The idea behind this people-focused approach is to implement new guidelines for community partners, recruitment, and training in a phased approach. Currently, the brand is in its third phase which involves a complete demographic analysis to identify gaps in our workforce. Future phases will include J.E.D.I committees at each hotel, unconscious bias training, and more.
"I am so proud of the team at Virgin Hotels Dallas for leading the charge in diversity within the Dallas community and hospitality industry as a whole," says James Bermingham, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Hotels Collection. "Their efforts are a testament to the brand's purpose of 'everyone leaves feeling better'. We are so thankful to have an amazing team that prioritizes our dedication to being an inclusive and comfortable environment."
For more information on Virgin Hotels diversity & inclusivity commitment, visit https://virginhotels.com/diversity-and-inclusivity/.
About Virgin Hotels Dallas
Virgin Hotels Dallas is the second property from Virgin Hotels - the lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. The property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture that fuses with the local landscape, providing an inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Located in the Dallas Design District on 1445 Turtle Creek Blvd, the hotel features 260 Chambers (rooms) and two Penthouse Suites. Dining and drinking outlets include Commons Club the brand's flagship restaurant and bar, Funny Library Coffee Shop and The Pool Club. Reservations accepted and can be made directly on the hotel's website, www.virginhotels.com/dallas or by calling 469.359.7003.
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Subscribe to The College Football Enquirer
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Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde break down the fallout from last week’s news of Colorado leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12.
Now that the dust has settled on Colorado’s exodus to the Big 12, the guys discuss which team could leave the Pac-12 next. The University of Arizona seems to be the most logical program to join a new conference, but the Pac-12 may not be willing to let another member go. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has shown his savvy this offseason by keeping his foot on the pedal to acquire talented programs so it doesn’t look like he will stop until the Big 12 has 14 teams.
A new article came out from University of Minnesota players critiquing PJ Fleck and the culture of the football program. The show dissects the article and determines how much weight it does and should carry. PJ Fleck is an interesting character for sure, but there doesn’t seem to be much evidence of a toxic environment for student athletes.
New Ohio State commit Aaron Scott, Jr. took a moment to troll Michigan fans during his recruitment video. Scott revealed an Ohio State jersey that was pulled out of a University of Michigan backpack, giving the Michigan faithful a quick glimmer of hope before taking it away.
Hugh Freeze had a big week on the recruiting trail with a couple highly touted prospects committing to Auburn, including flipping a 5-star wideout from Alabama. Aside from football, Freeze won the first golf flight at the Auburn University Club. After some extensive investigative journalism, the podcast deduces that Hugh Freeze may in fact be a very good golfer.
Lastly, an Ohio State player isn’t as focused on NIL money, but rather farming supplies.
1:00 - What is the Pac-12's next move?
23:56 Do the Minnesota Golden Gophers have a toxic program?
45:00 Aaron Scott Jr commits to Ohio State over Michigan
48:40 Auburn is recruiting exceptionally well in Alabama right now
57:39 Ohio State’s Cade Stover has a unique NIL request
Follow Dan @DanWetzel
Follow Pat @ByPatForde
Follow Ross @RossDellenger
Check out all the episodes of the College Football Enquirer and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts
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WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, announces the impending retirement of Chris Thompson as President and CEO, effective May 31, 2024. After a successful tenure of leading the organization, Thompson has decided to step down and pursue life beyond work.
During his time as President and CEO, Thompson has played a pivotal role in promoting the United States as a premier travel destination. Under his leadership, Brand USA has achieved remarkable milestones, including increased international visitation, and enhanced global awareness of the diverse offerings across the country.
Thompson's strategic vision and unwavering commitment to excellence have been instrumental in driving Brand USA's success. His dedication to fostering partnerships with industry stakeholders, government agencies, and international organizations has strengthened the organization's position as a global leader in destination marketing.
"It has been an incredible privilege to serve as President and CEO of Brand USA," said Thompson. "I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am confident that the organization will continue to thrive under new leadership."
The Brand USA Board of Directors expressed their gratitude to Thompson for his exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the organization. "Under Chris's strategic guidance, the Brand USA team has kept the USA the preferred travel destination in the world", stated Todd Davidson, Chair of the Brand USA Board and CEO of Travel Oregon. "Chris's integrity, tenacity, passion and belief in the power of the travel and tourism industry to bring prosperity to all Americans, fueled the advancement of the US travel and tourism industry and established an organizational foundation of innovation, resiliency and future-focused confidence. We all wish him the very best in his retirement."
The search for a new President and CEO is commencing, and Brand USA is committed to finding a successor who will build upon Thompson's legacy and continue to drive the organization forward. The Board of Directors will work closely with an executive search firm to identify a candidate with the necessary expertise, vision, and passion for promoting the United States as a global travel destination.
About Brand USA
Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. travel policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the United States in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past ten years Brand USA's marketing initiatives have helped welcome 8 million incremental visitors to the United States, benefiting the U.S. economy with more than $58 billion in total economic impact and supporting, on average, more than 37,000 incremental jobs a year.
For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com. To discover more about the USA and the boundless diversity of American travel experiences and authentic, rich culture, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com and follow Visit The USA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Contact:
Colleen Mangone
Director, Public Affairs Communications
cmangone@thebrandusa.com
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Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, made his first court appearance on Monday after being charged by the Justice Department in an alleged plot with Donald Trump and Walt Nauta, the former president's personal aide, to illegally keep classified documents at the Palm Beach, Fla., estate.
De Oliveira wascharged with four counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators.
Appearing in federal court in Miami, De Oliveira was informed of the charges against him but did not enter a plea because did not have a lawyer listed who is able to practice in Florida, where the case will be tried. He was released on a $100,000 bond pending trial and the arraignment was rescheduled for Aug. 10.
Chief Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ordered De Oliveira to turn over his passport and said he cannot travel outside south Florida without permission.
[CNN: Mar-a-Lago property manager makes first court appearance in classified documents case]
De Oliveira was charged in a superceding indictment against Trump and Nauta, which was unsealed Thursday. It alleged that Trump tried to have security video deleted after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for the footage in June 2022. According to prosecutors, De Oliveira asked an information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee that “the boss” wanted it deleted.
More Trump indictments looming
The new charges come as Trump braces for indictments in two other cases stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Last week, Trump said that he received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith informing him that he was a target of the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation into his efforts to hold onto power following his loss in the 2020 election, including his actions leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump is reportedly facingthree potential criminal charges: conspiracy to commit an offense against or defraud the United States; deprivation of rights; and witness tampering.
On Thursday, the former president’s lawyers met with prosecutors in Washington, D.C., while a grand jury was hearing evidence in the case. They were told that Trump should expect to be charged in the case but were not given any indication of when an indictment would be brought.
Barricades go up in Georgia
In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has signaled that indictments are possible in the next few weeks as a grand jury convenes to consider possible charges against the former president and others who tried to persuade Georgia election officials to reverse Trump's narrow loss to President Biden in the state.
Biden carried Georgia by just 11,779 votes.
[AP: Trump could be indicted soon in Georgia. Here's a look at that investigation.]
Barricades were placed outside the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta on Thursday ahead of possible charges against Trump and his associates.
Georgia judge skewers Trump
On Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said it's too soon for Trump or his allies to seek to prohibit state prosecutors from continuing to investigate him.
"[W]hile 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," McBurney wrote in anine-page ruling. "And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, a la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic."
Trump is the prohibitive frontrunner in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. And Trump's leadership PAC has already spent more than $40 million on his legal fees.
Trump’s ‘Big Lie’ suit against CNN dismissed
Meanwhile, a federal judge in Florida has dismissed Trump's defamation lawsuit against CNN. The suit had alleged that "the Big Lie" — the label given by the cable network to Trump's false claims of election fraud — was tantamount to comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
But U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal, who was appointed by Trump, disagreed.
“CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie' in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people,” Singhai wrote in his decision.
Moreover, the judge ruled that the references made by the network’s hosts were opinions and not factual statements, and therefore protected by the First Amendment.
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Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto is a true-story, Coen brothers-esque caper about a California desert town that tried to revive its economy by turning to legal cannabis sales.
Copyright 2023 Fresh Air
Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto is a true-story, Coen brothers-esque caper about a California desert town that tried to revive its economy by turning to legal cannabis sales.
Copyright 2023 Fresh Air
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Plane pulled from Lake Winnebago, 2nd victim recovered
T-6 Texan pilot Devyn Reiley was the daughter of two-time Super Bowl champion Bruce Collie. She was also co-founder of the Texas Warbirds Museum.
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - A second victim was recovered from Lake Winnebago following a plane crash Saturday morning during EAA AirVenture. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said Monday the “vast majority” of the T-6 Texan has been recovered from the lake.
The T-6 went into the lake at about 9 a.m. with two people onboard. EAA publicly identified them identified Sunday as Devyn Reiley, 30, of Guadalupe, Texas, and Zach Colliemoreno, 20. The plane went down on the northern edge of Oshkosh’s city limits.
Reiley was the daughter of two-time Super Bowl champion Bruce Collie. He posted photos of her on his Facebook page, writing, “I trust You my King... ALL THINGS to work together for good.”
A skilled Warbird pilot, she was co-founder of the Texas Warbird Museum, which is described as a history museum and aviation school on its Facebook page. She was also a children’s book author, publishing “Courageous the Unicorn” in 2013.
A GoFundMe account was set up for her family’s immediate needs.
The sheriff’s office says the scene is no longer active, but they’re working with NTSB investigators to determine if any more dives or searches are going to be required.
The Coast Guard said the plane was “rapidly maneuvering before rapidly descending from about 3,000 feet altitude.” The Coast Guard confirmed seeing an oil slick and debris floating on the water. The majority of the plane was completely submerged.
People with boats rushed to attempt a rescue. One witness, Scott Vanasten, said, “We heard a big bang, I got turned around at the time, I did not see anything, so I took off with the rest of the boats. When we got on the scene, all we really saw was just a lot of debris floating in the water, aviation fuel and stuff. We were not able to find anybody.”
Sheriff’s Lt. Darin Rice said the plane’s position made it difficult to recover the second body.
The Winnebago County Marine Units with Dive Rescue/Recovery Team members were assisted by the Oshkosh and Winneconne fire departments, Neenah Menasha Fire Rescue, Calumet County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin DNR, US Coast Guard, and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Copyright 2023 WBAY. All rights reserved.
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Here & Now‘s Deepa Fernandes speaks with Kalyn Belsha, a national reporter for Chalkbeat, about her investigation into the online tutoring company Paper.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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LONDON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CosmosAI, the global smart computing power network project, is making significant strides through negotiations to acquire prominent Nasdaq-listed companies. The discussions focus on acquiring platforms and businesses in diverse sectors like sports betting AI services, smart retail, and intelligent security solutions. These strategic acquisitions are set to accelerate CosmosAI's growth and provide capitalization opportunities for investors.
These ongoing negotiations emphasize CosmosAI's commitment to becoming a transformative force in smart computing networks. Leveraging the expertise and market presence of Nasdaq-listed companies, CosmosAI aims to drive innovation and expand its intelligent connectivity solutions.
In the sports betting AI services industry, the potential acquisition promises to enhance user experiences and streamline betting operations. A Nasdaq-listed sports betting platform would enable CosmosAI to offer cutting-edge solutions for sports enthusiasts and industry stakeholders.
Similarly, in the smart retail sector, the integration of smart computing power can revolutionize the shopping experience. By acquiring a Nasdaq-listed smart retail company, CosmosAI envisions driving advancements in personalized shopping, inventory management, and customer analytics.
Addressing the importance of security, CosmosAI recognizes smart computing's role in safeguarding individuals, businesses, and public spaces. The potential acquisition of a Nasdaq-listed intelligent security firm would enhance CosmosAI's ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions for video analytics, facial recognition, and smart surveillance.
Aligned with its vision of a smarter and connected society, CosmosAI accelerates its development with Nasdaq-listed companies' expertise and resources. Investors can expect enhanced value and returns as CosmosAI expands into new sectors and markets, unlocking significant shareholder value.
CosmosAI remains dedicated to realizing a future of intelligent connectivity and shaping a smart society. The potential acquisitions strengthen CosmosAI's market position and fulfill its mission of revolutionizing global computational resource sharing.
About CosmosAI:
CosmosAI is a global smart computing network project dedicated to building the future of intelligent connectivity. By integrating computing devices worldwide, CosmosAI provides strong and fair computing support for AI development, promoting digitization on a global scale. For more information, please visit the official website: https://ai-cosmo.com
Media Contact:
Nadine Hwu
Email: info@ai-cosmo.com
+1 (937) 551-5555
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2166180/CosmosAI.jpg
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More than a decade after an injury rendered him mostly immobile, a paralyzed man is using his mind to walk again, thanks to an innovative technology that connects his brain and his spinal cord.
Gert-Jan Oskam, a native of the Netherlands, was involved in a motorcycle crash 12 years ago when he was living in China, damaging his spinal cord in his neck. He was paralyzed from the hips down and partially paralyzed in his arms, according to an Al Jazeera report.
While Oskam is excited to walk again, he is just as thrilled to be able to stand and share a beer at a bar with friends: "This simple pleasure represents a significant change in my life," he said.
Oskam was treated at a hospital in Switzerland, but researchers in the U.S. are working on similar technology to help people with paralysis.
“Several research institutions, universities and private companies in the U.S. are conducting cutting-edge studies and clinical trials in this field of brain-spinal interface to develop solutions that can improve the quality of life for individuals with paralysis and other neurological conditions,” Shashank Agarwal, senior decision scientist at CVS Health, told Yahoo News.
These institutions include Johns Hopkins University; DARPA, a research agency under the Department of Defense; and BrainGate, a company that develops neurotechnologies, Agarwal said.
The researchers who helped Oskam published a study in May in the medical journal Nature, in which they described the implants that provided a "digital bridge" between Oskam's brain and his spinal cord, bypassing the injured sections.
"We've captured the thoughts of Gert-Jan, and translated these thoughts into a stimulation of the spinal cord to re-establish voluntary movement," Grégoire Courtine, a spinal cord specialist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne who was one of the lead researchers, said at a press briefing reported by the New York Times.
Jocelyne Bloch, a neuroscientist who placed the implant in Oskam, added at the press briefing, “It was quite science fiction in the beginning for me, but it became true today.”
What researchers in the U.S. are doing
“By establishing this digital bridge between the brain and the spinal cord, the brain-spinal interface allows individuals with paralysis to bypass the damaged or nonfunctioning neural pathways and regain control over their limbs,” Agarwal told Yahoo News.
One of the American companies Agarwal mentioned, BrainGate, is developing and testing medical devices aimed at restoring communication, mobility and independence to people affected by neurologic disease, paralysis or limb loss.
The company says on its website that early clinical research has shown that the technology provides intuitive control over advanced prosthetic limbs and provides people with paralysis with "easy control over powerful assistive movement and communication devices."
It further says BrainGate ultimately aims to “enable naturally-controlled movements of paralyzed limbs.”
A deeper dive into the technology
According to Agarwal, the brain-spinal interface (BSI) is the technology being deployed to help Oskam walk again through the “digital bridge.”
The BSI contains a brain-computer interface that establishes direct communication between the brain and an external device, in this case the spinal cord.
“In some cases, brain-spinal interfaces involve the implantation of microelectrode arrays or neural implants directly into the brain,” Agarwal said. “These implants are designed to detect and record neural activity from specific areas of the brain responsible for movement intention. They can pick up electrical signals from the brain’s motor cortex, where motor commands are generated.”
The neural signals are recorded, then decoded and translated into commands that can be understood by the spinal cord or motor neurons.
“Once the decoded neural signals are obtained, they are used to stimulate the spinal cord below the level of the injury,” Agarwal said. “Electrical impulses are delivered to specific regions of the spinal cord, activating motor neurons and neural circuits responsible for coordinating movement.”
According to the Times, the EPFL research enabled Oskam to stand, walk and ascend a steep ramp with only the assistance of a walker. Video captured the stunning feat. A year later, he has maintained these abilities and has shown breakthrough signs of neurological recovery, maneuvering with crutches even when the implant was turned off.
“I treat many patients with spinal cord injuries. The motor problems are only the [tip] of the iceberg,” Dr. Georgios Matis, a neurosurgeon at the University Hospital Cologne in Germany who specializes in functional neurosurgery, told Yahoo News via direct message.
“Such patients also have chronic pain, sensory problems and problems of the autonomic nervous system (blood pressure problems, bladder & bowel problems),” Matis said. “I would expect in the future that this digital bridge can help physicians treat many more problems of patients with [spinal cord injuries].”
Has this worked with anyone else?
“[Oskam] is a pioneer in the field. As far as I know, his team was the first and only with published results in such an esteemed journal,” Matis said.
Research regarding the connecting of the brain to the spinal cord can be attributed back to 2016, when a group of scientists led by Courtine restored a paralyzed monkey's ability to walk. Another test helped a man with a paralyzed hand regain control over it.
Then, in 2018, Courtine led a different group of scientists to help find a way to stimulate the brain through electrical-pulse generators, enabling partially paralyzed people to ride bicycles and walk.
Now, with the latest advancements, people are regaining the ability to walk, swim and cycle within a single day of treatment because of the brain stimulation and the device connecting the brain to the body.
What does the future hold for this technology?
Researchers in the U.S. and abroad are looking to strengthen the technology and enhance it to the point where patients are able to fully walk and maneuver through their thoughts.
On this point, Matis added: “This is the goal and I strongly believe we will achieve this goal in the next 10 to 20 years. It is about optimizing the algorithms we are using to: one, more accurately detect and translate the brain signals, and two, apply the right combination of root stimulation patterns so that the movement becomes more ‘natural.’ The role of intensive rehabilitation (which should last years) must be highlighted!”
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NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Debevoise & Plimpton LLP announced today the release of its 2023 Private Equity Midyear Outlook, a helpful summary of the various forces shaping the industry and the strategies market participants are using during this dynamic time.
At the beginning of the year, we noted in our Private Equity Report: 2023 Outlook the considerable macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges facing private equity. As we pass the year's midpoint, those challenges continue to hang over the private equity industry like a stalled weather system, refusing to dissipate, as existing obstacles have solidified and new hurdles have emerged. While the crisis around the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank and Signature Bank was not protracted, it nonetheless compounded an already difficult liquidity environment. Fundraising remains highly competitive. The polarization around ESG in the United States has intensified, resulting in a patchwork of wildly different state legislation. The SEC continues to take aim at private fund practices, while in the EU, new regulations stand to complicate both fundraising and the M&A landscape. In this environment, caution rules the day for both sponsors and investors.
And yet, with creativity and persistence, deals are getting done. Lenders are adjusting their balance sheet exposures. Direct lending and co-investments, as well as innovative deal structures, help to fill the financing gaps caused by the pull-back in syndicated debt financings. Brand-name funds are weathering fundraising headwinds by offering incentives and flexibility with terms, while first-time managers are building track records by raising capital deal-by-deal. And through it all, bright spots have begun to appear. The U.S. IPO market is showing early signs of thawing. In Latin America, proactive monetary policy, the move toward nearshoring and a spate of welcomed governmental reforms give reason for optimism. And while investors continue their caution regarding China, other Asian markets such as Japan, Australia and India are showing healthy levels of activity.
The full report is available here.
About the Debevoise Private Equity Group
Debevoise is a trusted partner and legal advisor to a majority of the world's largest private equity firms, and has been a market leader in the Private Equity industry for over 40 years. The firm's Private Equity Group brings together the diverse skills and capabilities of more than 400 lawyers around the world from a multitude of practice areas, working together to advise our clients across the entire private equity life cycle. The Group's strong track record, leading-edge insights, deep bench and commitment to unified, agile teams are why, year after year, clients quoted in Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 and PEI cite Debevoise for our close-knit partnership, breadth of resources and relentless focus on results.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients' most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.
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Updated July 31, 2023 at 3:06 PM ET
Judge Steven Boyce sentenced Lori Vallow Daybell to multiple fixed life terms in prison with no possibility of parole on Monday, handing down punishment for murdering two of her children and conspiring to murder a romantic rival.
The judge ordered Vallow Daybell to serve the prison terms consecutively rather than concurrently, saying it is important for her to be punished for each death.
Vallow Daybell, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in May, as a jury agreed with prosecutors who said she wanted to eliminate her youngest children as part of a plan to embark on a new life with Chad Daybell, as well as conspiring to murder Daybell's previous wife.
"You chose the most evil and destructive path possible," despite having a wealth of better, less harmful, options, Boyce told Vallow Daybell. He juxtaposed her enjoyment of a honeymoon in Hawaii with her children lying in shallow graves in Idaho.
Her children — Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow — had been "burned, mutilated and dismembered, and buried like animals," Boyce said.
The judge noted the "disgust" he saw on jurors' faces during the trial. The scene was horrific, Boyce said, adding that while law enforcement, jurors and he himself will be haunted by images of the children's bodies, he saw no sign that Vallow Daybell feels any remorse.
For the first time, Vallow Daybell gave an accounting of her own actions — but she insisted she is not guilty of murder and said that her victims have visited her in spiritual form and are happy and busy in the afterlife.
"Jesus knows me, and Jesus understands me," she said, adding that she mourns those who died. But, she added, "Jesus Christ knows that no one was murdered in this case."
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.
Monday's sentencing hearing included four main phases: five victim impact statements; the prosecution's sentencing recommendation; the defense's sentencing recommendation; and the chance for Vallow to address the court.
Judge Boyce handed down his sentence after hearing victim impact statements from relatives of Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow, Vallow Daybell's children, whose bodies were found in 2020; and from relatives of Tammy Daybell, the previous wife of Chad Daybell — who also faces charges in all three deaths.
Thomas urged Boyce to impose on his client a 20-year fixed term with an "indeterminate" life sentence.
Prosecutor Rob Wood asked for the maximum sentence — several fixed life terms without the possibility of parole — saying Vallow Daybell had betrayed her children's trust in a horrific manner.
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.
Tammy Daybell's family speaks out
In a victim impact statement, Samantha Gwilliam, Tammy Daybell's sister, said her family has been "ripped apart," thrust into grief, suspicion and sadness by Tammy's unexpected death at 49. It deepened, she said, when the family learned Chad Daybell was remarrying just weeks later, in a Hawaii ceremony with Lori Vallow.
The more she learned about Vallow, Gwilliam said, she found only "lies" — from Vallow Daybell's claim that her most recent husband had died of a heart attack to her saying she and Chad would be "empty nesters," with no young children.
It was only when Tammy Daybell was disinterred and an autopsy was performed, Gwilliam said, that the family began to "get some answers and some truth, after so many lies." That truth, she added, was that Tammy Daybell was both an obstacle for Vallow Daybell and a way to profit from her death, through an insurance policy.
Weeping in court, Gwilliam described how her family's relationships with Chad and Tammy Daybell's children has become strained. She also read a statement from Tammy's father, recounting the toll Vallow Daybell's actions took on his wife, who died earlier this year.
At one point, Gwilliam compared her sister, a librarian and educator, to Vallow Daybell.
"Because of the choices you made, my family lost a beloved mother, sister, aunt and daughter. She is irreplaceable," she said. "She was 1,000 times the woman you will ever dream of being."
Defense team says Vallow Daybell is 'misunderstood'
"I think Lori Daybell is probably the most hated person in America right now," said Bonneville County Public Defender John Thomas, who is one of Vallow Daybell's attorneys.
But, he said, she is a "very misunderstood person" who is truly "about love" and has been defined by complicated circumstances.
He asked the judge to use his sentence to impart a sense of "hope" that would both punish Vallow Daybell and encourage her to become a model inmate and grow as a person and become "a better version of Lori Daybell."
Thomas urged Boyce to impose on his client a 20-year fixed term with an "indeterminate" life sentence and have terms running concurrently, making her eligible for parole when she is in her 70s.
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.
Other criminal cases are still pending
Chad Daybell is expected to undergo his own murder trial for the same three deaths in the spring of 2024.
Other criminal cases are also pending for Vallow Daybell in Arizona, where she previously lived.
She's under indictment there on conspiracy murder charges for allegedly arranging for one of her brothers to shoot and kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in July 2019. That brother, Alex Cox, died in December 2019, of what was determined to be natural causes. She's also accused of conspiring with Alex to murder her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, who was shot at in 2019 but who survived.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.knkx.org/2023-07-31/lori-vallow-daybell-is-sentenced-to-multiple-life-terms-for-killing-her-children
| 2023-07-31T19:19:58
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Actor Paul Reubens — best known as the character Pee-wee Herman — died Sunday of cancer. He was 70.
"Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness," read a statement on his Instagram. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."
The story of "a guy and his bike" made a cultural splash when the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure — directed by Tim Burton — premiered in 1985. Suddenly, a raft of childhood phrases were everywhere:
I know you are but what am I? I know you are but what am I?
That's my name! Don't wear it out!
Reubens created Pee-wee in 1977 as a member of Los Angeles improvisational group The Groundlings. And the character went on to have a long life in a stage and TV show before the film.
Pee-wee's childish but big-hearted antics became beloved — but Reubens himself was more troubled. In 1991 he pleaded no contest to indecent exposure in an adult movie theater; about a decade later, he pleaded guilty to possessing an obscene image of a minor. His reputation as a sweet, children's performer never recovered.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.knkx.org/2023-07-31/pee-wee-herman-creator-paul-reubens-dies-at-70
| 2023-07-31T19:19:59
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Alt.Latino pays tribute to the father of bossa nova through his music and the words of his fellow musicians.
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The Brazilian singer and guitarist, who won wide acclaim for his abundant technical skill and minimalist style, was behind one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time, 1964's Getz/Gilberto.
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https://www.knkx.org/tags/joao-gilberto
| 2023-07-31T19:19:59
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Nicki Minaj readys the release of Pink Friday 2 by teasing fans with what's to come from the forthcoming album.
"Y'all, I'm not even kidding," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "In 111 days… Pink Friday 2 is coming to save & restore hope in mankind omg barbz I love you I dooooo!"
She added, "Like when y'all have this masterpiece y'all gon be on [cloud 9]. Omg I love it so much y'all.."
Nicki plans to release the new album on November 17, just a few days before its prequel, Pink Friday, dropped on November 22, 2021.
Last month, she informed fans she'd be pushing the album from its original October release date to the new November date.
"Dear Barbz, I've been trying to find the right time to tell you this for a few days," she wrote on Instagram. "Due to some really exciting news that I'll share with you guys @ a later time, I've shifted the album date just a tad bit. Trust me, it'll be WELL WORTH THE WAIT."
The "Super Bass" rapper also tweeted that she recently worked on her "Top 2 songs" off Pink Friday 2, adding that fans will experience "eargasms" while listening to the new tracks.
Following Nicki's fourth album, Queen, Pink Friday 2 will be the first full studio project from the rapper in five years.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:20:04
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NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Deerpath Capital Management, LP ("Deerpath"), one of the largest private credit managers in the U.S. lower-middle market, has announced the reset and upsize of Deerpath CLO 2020-1, a $403.3 million collateralized loan obligation (CLO).
The CLO was originally sized at $330 million and priced in March 2020. This upsize and repricing represents the eighth CLO issued by Deerpath since 2018 and brings the firm's total CLO assets under management to approximately $2.4 billion.
This is Deerpath's second CLO issuance in 2023, having closed Deerpath CLO 2023-1 at $504 million in March. Like all of the firm's existing CLOs, Deerpath CLO 2020-1 is secured by a portfolio of senior secured loans to middle market, private equity-backed companies, which have been primarily directly originated by the firm.
Deerpath sold securities rated from AAA through BBB- to third-party institutional investors, including insurance companies, pension funds, banks, and asset managers. Deerpath's managed funds purchased 100 percent of the subordinated notes issued by the CLO. The transaction is set to close on July 31, 2023 and the reinvestment period is four (4) years.
Derek Dubois, Managing Director and Treasurer said, "Deerpath has continued to access the CLO market during 2023, despite the ongoing volatility in the broader markets. This is our second CLO transaction of 2023. We are very excited to have locked in attractive long term portfolio financing for our fund investors."
GreensLedge Capital Markets LLC served as Lead Placement Agent, Structuring Agent and Bookrunner. NatWest Markets served as Co-Placement Agent.
About Deerpath Capital Management, LP
Founded in 2007, Deerpath Capital Management, LP is one of the largest providers of customized, cash-flow based senior debt financing to lower-middle market companies across diverse industries. The firm currently manages approximately $6 billion of assets under management. For more information, please visit www.deerpathcapital.com.
Media:
Aidan O'Connor
Prosek Partners (On behalf of Deerpath Capital)
(646) 818-9283
aoconnor@prosek.com
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SOURCE Deerpath Capital Management, LP
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/deerpath-capital-successfully-resets-2020-collateralized-loan-obligation/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:04
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Patrick Braxton became mayor of Newbern, Alabama, in 2020 — but says he has been fighting to hold onto his title after the white former mayor and his council members held a special election and reappointed themselves to their positions.
Now, Braxton is suing in a federal civil rights lawsuit that accuses the town officials of conspiring to deny his civil rights and position due to his race. We hear from Aallyah Wright, a rural issues reporter for Capital B News.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvia.org/2023-07-31/power-struggle-unfolds-between-alabama-towns-1st-black-mayor-and-white-officials
| 2023-07-31T19:20:08
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Cannestra recognized again on the 100-person list, representing the most influential leaders of the corporate venture capital community
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Corporate Venturing (GCV), a prominent industry association, has named Tony Cannestra of DENSO to its 2023 Powerlist. Cannestra, who is the director of Corporate Ventures at the leading mobility supplier, has now earned the honor several times, reflecting his many contributions to the corporate venture capital community throughout his 20-plus year career.
GCV releases its powerlist annually to highlight 100 corporate venturing professionals who are, as the association says, "at the top of their profession," out of more than 6,000 corporate venturing units operating globally.
"While I'm grateful for the recognition, DENSO's corporate venturing success stems from the deep collaboration between our internal teams and portfolio companies," said Cannestra. "This approach is especially important as we prioritize early-stage startups. In our work together, we strive to quickly build trust, establish a shared vision and accelerate the development of technology that contributes to a green, safe and more seamless world."
Cannestra has led DENSO's Corporate Venture Capital team for nearly 10 years from the company's Silicon Valley Innovation Center in San Jose, California. During his tenure, he's led the acquisition of a startup and invested in over 25 more.
Though DENSO actively invests in many focus areas – including electrification, connectivity and robotics – Cannestra is particularly interested in the following categories: computer vision technologies, such as advanced radar and LiDAR; next-generation semiconductor technologies; additive manufacturing; and automotive cybersecurity.
He also serves as a board director for a number of DENSO portfolio companies, including Blaize, Canatu, Dellfer, MetaWave and Quadric.
If you want to learn more about DENSO's approach to corporate ventures, or how to get in touch with its team, go here.
For those interested in working at an innovation leader committed to bettering the world through in-house R&D and unique collaborations while offering fulfilling paths to success, visit densocareers.com.
GCV provides the global corporate venturing community and their ecosystem partners with the information, insights and access needed to drive impactful open innovation. Across its services – News & Analysis, Community & Events, and the GCV Institute – the association creates a network-rich environment for global innovation and capital to meet and thrive.
About DENSO
Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO is a $47.9 billion leading mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in around 200 facilities worldwide to produce cutting-edge electrification, powertrain, thermal and mobility electronics products, among others, that change how the world moves. In developing such solutions, the company's 165,000 global employees pursue rewarding careers while paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents and preserves the environment. DENSO spent around 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. For more information about DENSO's operations worldwide, visit https://www.denso.com/global.
In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 27,000+ engineers, researchers, and skilled workers across nearly 50 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,500+ employees across 14 states (and the District of Columbia) at 41 sites. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, DENSO in North America generated $11.3 billion in consolidated sales. DENSO is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion inside the company and beyond – a principle that brings together unique perspectives, bolsters innovation and pushes DENSO forward. To learn more about DENSO operations in the region and to review current career opportunities, please visit https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/.
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SOURCE DENSO
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/densos-tony-cannestra-named-global-corporate-venturing-2023-powerlist/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:11
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After Democrats performed better than expected in the 2022 midterms, both political parties are looking to rural areas to recruit or retain voters ahead of a crucial presidential election.
NPR’s Ximena Bustillo reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvia.org/2023-07-31/republicans-and-democrats-look-to-rural-voters-in-2024
| 2023-07-31T19:20:15
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Leading HBCU scholarship program to provide 132 incoming college freshmen $40,000 awards
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives of The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) today welcomed 132 new scholarship recipients from 26 states across the nation. The students will begin school at 26 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) this Fall and will major in more than a dozen science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. They join nearly 300 current FOSSI scholarship recipients.
Established in 2020 to help reduce financial barriers to higher education and enhance workforce diversity in the chemical sector, FOSSI provides $40,000 scholarships to students pursuing preferred STEM degrees. Scholarship recipients are individually matched with one of more than 70 corporate sponsors committed to helping them achieve their goals and receive skills training, mentorship, and internship opportunities. Notably, this robust support has led to an approximately 95% student retention rate since FOSSI welcomed its first class in 2021, with those scholars scheduled to graduate in 2025.
FOSSI has an ambitious goal of supporting 1,000 students through 2025 and has raised nearly $30 million to support 595 students to date.
Program leaders welcomed the new scholars during a virtual celebration featuring keynotes from Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC) and Dr. Dietra Trent, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs.
FOSSI Advisory Board Chair Jim Fitterling, chair and chief executive officer of Dow, shared, "I am proud to welcome these 132 talented and ambitious scholars to the FOSSI family. From their academic performance to the contributions they have made to their schools and communities, these scholars have distinguished themselves as some of the best and brightest across the nation. We can't wait to see what they accomplish in their chosen fields."
Applications for the Fall of 2024 will open September 22, 2024. To learn more about FOSSI, visit www.FutureOfSTEMScholars.org.
About the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative
The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative was founded in 2020 by the American Chemistry Council, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), The Chemours Company, and the HBCU Week Foundation. FOSSI is a national chemical industry-wide program which provides scholarships to students pursuing degrees in relevant science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), helping to eliminate financial barriers for historically under-represented groups. Sponsored by chemical manufacturers and related industry stakeholders, FOSSI provides scholarship recipients $10,000 per year for four years and connects these students to leadership development, mentoring and internship opportunities at participating companies. Learn more at FutureofSTEMscholars.org.
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SOURCE American Chemistry Council
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/future-stem-scholars-initiative-announces-2023-hbcu-scholarship-recipients/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:17
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The extreme heat that has been blanketing parts of the country for the last month is just one of the extreme weather events we’ve seen this summer.
In late June, wildfires in Canada sent so much particulate matter to the northeast that parts of New York spent at least one day in virtual darkness. And now, Vermont continues to clean up and rebuild after severe flooding in July destroyed streets and buildings across the state.
While it’s impossible to predict with certainty where the next event will be, it is possible to take precautions to help ensure safety and quick recovery for those in affected areas.
New York Times tech writer J.D. Biersdorfer joins host Robin Young to discuss some of the ideas in her recent article “A Tech Checklist for the Dark Side of Summer Weather” that details how technology, from apps to scanners, can help during crises.
Resources:
- Crank chargers
- Solar chargers
- Weather alerts
- National Hurricane Center
- Air quality index
- Apps for scanning documents
- Apps for creating a digital wallet
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvia.org/2023-07-31/staying-safe-during-weather-events-theres-an-app-for-that
| 2023-07-31T19:20:21
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Growing Mobile Storage Brand Looks to Build Off Impressive Start to 2023 with Continued National Expansion
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Go Mini's - the portable storage franchise that offers containers for moving, storage, renovation, and restoration needs - has seen consistent growth throughout the first half of 2023 as the brand looks to continue the momentum for the remainder of the year. With six new Go Mini's territories awarded in 2023 already, the brand looks to further expand and bring portable storage solution to communities across the nation. In the second half of the year, Go Mini's expects to sign more franchise deals, further expanding the brands footprint, as well as further execute and implement the brands new long distance moving service, Go MINI's Miles. In addition, the brand is looking to further invest in their growing franchisee network by expanding and investing in robust advertising strategies to increase consumer traffic.
"What we have accomplished as a brand up to this point has been remarkable," said Go Mini's CEO and President, Chris Walls. "The conceptualization and gradual implementation of Go MINI's Miles was a turning point for our brand this year as we aim to further expand throughout the nation and service more customers with their moving and portable storage needs. I am tremendously proud of everyone within our network for their commitment and determination to making Go Mini's a growing national brand that continues to get stronger."
To further its development and success into 2024, the brand is looking at new ways in which they can utilize the existing trucks and containers to innovate with the industry. With the addition of new and robust marketing strategies, Go Mini's looks to cement themselves as a leader within the moving and portable storage industry.
Go Mini's offers a complete support system for their franchisees who have everything they need to hit the ground running, including a proprietary operating system. Each territory is protected with no need for a warehouse or retail space due to the product's superior construction and durability in all outdoor conditions. The business model requires minimal staffing with a simple concept, and the corporate office works closely with owners to analyze and fully understand their market's potential to maximize profits. Go Mini's is one of the few franchised portable storage concepts where franchisees benefit from a scalable opportunity to operate as a locally owned company with deep ties to the communities they serve.
"Today, with the ever-changing housing market and continued economic uncertainty, portable storage services remain in-demand," continued Walls. "As the industry grows, Go Mini's has the necessary infrastructure and systems to keep pace and provide customers with the best experience possible. Our continued success is dependent on our franchisee's success, so we have created a business model that is designed to thrive in any market. We are looking forward to the second half of the year and hope to end just as successfully as we began."
Go Mini's currently has 114 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico with additional available territories. For more information on franchising with Go Mini's, visit: https://www.gominisfranchise.com/
About Go Mini's:
Founded in 2002, Go Mini's® has become one of the fastest-growing portable storage and moving companies in North America with locations in 41 states in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In 2012, the brand converted into a franchise model and now has 114 locations within the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Go Mini's is proud to have been recognized by Franchise Business Review as a Top Franchise in 2017, as well as being ranked 16th by Entrepreneur Magazine in their list of 2017's Top New Franchises. Go Mini's Franchising LLC. was recently named a Top Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review. Got a Project? Get a Mini. For more information, please go to https://www.gominis.com/.
Contact: Hunter Devereux, Franchise Elevator PR, (914) 486-0330, hdevereux@franchiseelevator.com
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/go-minis-sees-impressive-growth-through-first-half-2023/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:24
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Russia shot down military drones that struck buildings in Moscow Monday. While Ukraine didn’t claim the strikes, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday night that “the war is returning to the territory of Russia.”
We get the latest from the Washington Post’s John Hudson.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvia.org/2023-07-31/ukrainian-president-claims-war-coming-back-to-russia-after-moscow-drone-attack
| 2023-07-31T19:20:27
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All sales help support Certified B Corp Best for the World™ company's effort to plant 4,000 avocado trees in El Salvador.
LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Avocado Day, Avocado Green — makers of certified organic and eco-luxury products — launched an epic sale, with up to $400 off mattresses, as well as savings on reclaimed wood bed frames, adjustable bed frames, organic certified linen sheets and pillows, certified organic towels, luxurious loungewear, and clean skin + body products.
As part of Avocado's Giving initiative, through which they donate 1% of all revenue to nonprofits through 1% For the Planet, all sales during the Avocado Day sale will support the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation's effort to plant 4,000 fruit trees in the central region of El Salvador.
For today only, customers can save up to $400 on Avocado's top-rated GOTS-certified organic Green and Vegan Mattress. Shoppers will also save 20% on all bedding, including Avocado's exceptionally soft, naturally breathable, GOTS-certified organic sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, and protectors. Avocado's Supercharged Reishi Body Melt and Alpaca Sweater Collection are 30% off and their Fleece Lounge Collection and GOTS-certified (CU863637) Organic Cotton Collection — sustainable, cozy layering pieces — are 50% off.
Over the five years Avocado has supported the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation for National Avocado Day, they've planted more than 14,000 fruit trees together, primarily in Latin America, where demand for sustainable livelihoods for farmers and low-income households is greater than ever.
"Working with Avocado has been a joy, allowing our shared visions of a greener and fairer future to come to fruition," said Lizzy Rainey, Development Manager for FTPF. "Food-producing trees, including avocados, are a simple yet very effective way to address environmental, economic, and nutritional injustices all at once."
As a Climate Neutral Certified brand — and one of B Corp's "Best for the World™" brands — Avocado reduces its footprint, invests in climate change solutions to compensate for its cradle-to-consumer emissions, and advocates for legislation that will help mitigate the climate crisis.
From the beginning, Avocado just wanted a new kind of mattress. One that was greener — better for people and the planet — affordable, and comfortable. It was a simple idea rooted in a much bigger vision. Five years later, Avocado continues to expand — from bedding, to furniture, to their skin + bath collection, and their line of responsible loungewear. As the company grows, Avocado continues to redefine what it means to be a sustainable, ethical brand. The company is a Certified B Corporation, a Climate Neutral® Certified business, and a member of 1% For the Planet, remaining true to its original purpose: to be one of the most sustainable companies on Earth. Learn more at AvocadoGreen.com.
If you would like more information, please contact Jessica Hann at jessica@avocadomattress.com.
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/happy-national-avocado-day-celebrate-with-avocado-greens-sitewide-sale/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:31
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Updated July 31, 2023 at 3:06 PM ET
Judge Steven Boyce sentenced Lori Vallow Daybell to multiple fixed life terms in prison with no possibility of parole on Monday, handing down punishment for murdering two of her children and conspiring to murder a romantic rival.
The judge ordered Vallow Daybell to serve the prison terms consecutively rather than concurrently, saying it is important for her to be punished for each death.
Vallow Daybell, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in May, as a jury agreed with prosecutors who said she wanted to eliminate her youngest children as part of a plan to embark on a new life with Chad Daybell, as well as conspiring to murder Daybell's previous wife.
"You chose the most evil and destructive path possible," despite having a wealth of better, less harmful, options, Boyce told Vallow Daybell. He juxtaposed her enjoyment of a honeymoon in Hawaii with her children lying in shallow graves in Idaho.
Her children — Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow — had been "burned, mutilated and dismembered, and buried like animals," Boyce said.
The judge noted the "disgust" he saw on jurors' faces during the trial. The scene was horrific, Boyce said, adding that while law enforcement, jurors and he himself will be haunted by images of the children's bodies, he saw no sign that Vallow Daybell feels any remorse.
For the first time, Vallow Daybell gave an accounting of her own actions — but she insisted she is not guilty of murder and said that her victims have visited her in spiritual form and are happy and busy in the afterlife.
"Jesus knows me, and Jesus understands me," she said, adding that she mourns those who died. But, she added, "Jesus Christ knows that no one was murdered in this case."
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.
Monday's sentencing hearing included four main phases: five victim impact statements; the prosecution's sentencing recommendation; the defense's sentencing recommendation; and the chance for Vallow to address the court.
Judge Boyce handed down his sentence after hearing victim impact statements from relatives of Tylee Ryan and Joshua Jaxon "JJ" Vallow, Vallow Daybell's children, whose bodies were found in 2020; and from relatives of Tammy Daybell, the previous wife of Chad Daybell — who also faces charges in all three deaths.
Thomas urged Boyce to impose on his client a 20-year fixed term with an "indeterminate" life sentence.
Prosecutor Rob Wood asked for the maximum sentence — several fixed life terms without the possibility of parole — saying Vallow Daybell had betrayed her children's trust in a horrific manner.
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.
Tammy Daybell's family speaks out
In a victim impact statement, Samantha Gwilliam, Tammy Daybell's sister, said her family has been "ripped apart," thrust into grief, suspicion and sadness by Tammy's unexpected death at 49. It deepened, she said, when the family learned Chad Daybell was remarrying just weeks later, in a Hawaii ceremony with Lori Vallow.
The more she learned about Vallow, Gwilliam said, she found only "lies" — from Vallow Daybell's claim that her most recent husband had died of a heart attack to her saying she and Chad would be "empty nesters," with no young children.
It was only when Tammy Daybell was disinterred and an autopsy was performed, Gwilliam said, that the family began to "get some answers and some truth, after so many lies." That truth, she added, was that Tammy Daybell was both an obstacle for Vallow Daybell and a way to profit from her death, through an insurance policy.
Weeping in court, Gwilliam described how her family's relationships with Chad and Tammy Daybell's children has become strained. She also read a statement from Tammy's father, recounting the toll Vallow Daybell's actions took on his wife, who died earlier this year.
At one point, Gwilliam compared her sister, a librarian and educator, to Vallow Daybell.
"Because of the choices you made, my family lost a beloved mother, sister, aunt and daughter. She is irreplaceable," she said. "She was 1,000 times the woman you will ever dream of being."
Defense team says Vallow Daybell is 'misunderstood'
"I think Lori Daybell is probably the most hated person in America right now," said Bonneville County Public Defender John Thomas, who is one of Vallow Daybell's attorneys.
But, he said, she is a "very misunderstood person" who is truly "about love" and has been defined by complicated circumstances.
He asked the judge to use his sentence to impart a sense of "hope" that would both punish Vallow Daybell and encourage her to become a model inmate and grow as a person and become "a better version of Lori Daybell."
Thomas urged Boyce to impose on his client a 20-year fixed term with an "indeterminate" life sentence and have terms running concurrently, making her eligible for parole when she is in her 70s.
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.
Other criminal cases are still pending
Chad Daybell is expected to undergo his own murder trial for the same three deaths in the spring of 2024.
Other criminal cases are also pending for Vallow Daybell in Arizona, where she previously lived.
She's under indictment there on conspiracy murder charges for allegedly arranging for one of her brothers to shoot and kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in July 2019. That brother, Alex Cox, died in December 2019, of what was determined to be natural causes. She's also accused of conspiring with Alex to murder her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux, who was shot at in 2019 but who survived.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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https://www.wvia.org/news/news/npr-national/2023-07-31/lori-vallow-daybell-is-sentenced-to-multiple-life-terms-for-killing-her-children
| 2023-07-31T19:20:34
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#1 Lottery App's* New Feature Allows Users to Enter Exclusive Giveaways
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackpocket, America's #1 lottery app*, is turning 10! To celebrate, Jackpocket is giving fans the chance to win an all-inclusive trip to attend the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, 2023.
Jackpocket and iHeartRadio are teaming up to send one lucky winner and a guest to watch iconic performances at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The full lineup can be viewed here. The prize package includes:
- 2 VIP tickets to both nights of the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival
- 2 round-trip flights to Las Vegas, Nevada
- 2 nights' stay at New York-New York Hotel & Casino
- Ground transportation to and from Las Vegas airport
- $500 gift card for food, beverage, and other expenses
To enter, visit the Giveaways section of the app by tapping the Gold Ticket on the Jackpocket home screen and activate the iHeartRadio Vegas Getaway. This new app feature allows users to earn an entry for every $1 spent on Jackpocket lottery ticket orders—up to 100 entries per day. The number on the Gold Ticket counter is personalized to the user, showing them their total number of entries for all their activated Giveaways. No purchase is necessary to enter.
"It's amazing to see how much Jackpocket has grown and innovated over the past 10 years to bring lottery fans a convenient and accessible way to participate in their favorite games," said Peter Sullivan, Jackpocket founder and CEO. "Our new Giveaways feature lets Jackpocket users enter to win prizes and experiences like never before. Even if your Powerball ticket doesn't win a lottery prize, it could still win you a trip to Vegas, VIP sports tickets, and more. It's all part of our goal to give lottery fans the very best user experience possible."
The winner of the iHeartRadio Vegas Getaway will be randomly selected on or about August 31, 2023 and announced in September. For more information, including free entry methods and complete Official Rules, visit: https://jackpocket.com/sweepstakes/iheartradio-vegas-getaway/.
Founded in 2013, Jackpocket is the first-licensed lottery courier app in the United States. Now available in 17 states, Jackpocket provides an easy, secure way to order official state lottery tickets. Over $300 million in total lottery prizes have been won by Jackpocket users to date. In July, an Ohio Powerball winner became the 30th person to win a lottery prize worth $1 million or more using the Jackpocket app.
*According to data from AppFollow.
**ABBREVIATED RULES. No purchase necessary. A purchase does not increase your odds of winning. Must be 18+ (21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE) and physically present in AR, AZ, CO, ID, MA, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, NJ, NY, OH, OR, TX, WV or D.C. to enter. Void where prohibited. Entries require a valid Jackpocket account and accounts are subject to the full terms of service at jackpocket.com/tos. Registering for a Jackpocket account is free. See Official Rules for details. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, residents of NY call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369); residents of MA call 1-800-327-5050; residents of OR call 1-877-MYLIMIT; all others, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
About Jackpocket
Jackpocket is on a mission to create a more convenient, fun, and responsible way to take part in the lottery. The first licensed third-party lottery courier app in the United States, Jackpocket provides an easy, secure way to order official state lottery tickets. Jackpocket is currently available in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C., and West Virginia, and is expanding to many new markets. Download the app on iOS and Android or participate via desktop. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jackpocket-celebrates-10th-anniversary-with-giveaway-attend-2023-iheartradio-music-festival-las-vegas/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:37
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CANTON, Ohio, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty HealthShare® is blessed to be an exhibitor at the Assemblies of God 60th General Council to be held July 31 through August 4 in Columbus, Ohio.
Ministers, church delegates and college presidents from across the country are expected to attend the Pentecostal Christian church's biennial gathering to worship, vote in legislative sessions and attend workshops.
"We are excited to have the opportunity to take part in the Assemblies of God General Council and be in fellowship with people of faith, sharing information about the biblical values of our ministry and how Liberty HealthShare might help them choose more-affordable healthcare options," said Pastor Wes Humble, Liberty HealthShare's executive director of Ministry, Community Relations and Events.
Liberty HealthShare is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable Christian medical cost-sharing ministry focused on members helping each other in times of need. The faith-based program, which facilitates healthsharing for its members, is a caring community of health-conscious individuals and families who choose to support one another and agree to the Christian values of stewardship to make healthcare affordable for all.
As it is not insurance, Liberty HealthShare enrollment is available year-round with no requirement for special life events to qualify. For more information about its healthcare sharing programs visit libertyhealthshare.org or call (855) 585-4237.
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| 2023-07-31T19:20:44
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ROSEMONT, Ill., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), the leading medical organization dedicated to advancing quality in vascular health care, has issued a response to a recent New York Times article detailing allegations of overuse of interventions to treat patients with peripheral vascular disease. SVS sent a strong message that it is inaccurate and a disservice to patients to paint all providers treating vascular patients with the same broad brush. There are important differences all patients and health reporters should know:
An estimated 10-12 million Americans have peripheral artery disease. Left untreated, vascular disease can affect quality of life and potentially threaten patients' limbs and lives — as can delayed care due to lack of education, financial barriers, or mistrust of qualified physicians. The actions of a few outliers, while important to address, must not tarnish the reputation of the 98% of physicians that are providing excellent patient care.
As in all professions, there are health care providers practicing outside the norms established by evidence-based guidelines. SVS is dedicated to addressing this issue through high quality science, education, and policy. The individuals described in the Times' investigation are not board-certified vascular surgeons or SVS members. Creating the impression that all providers of vascular care are the same is a disservice to patients seeking credible and reliable information to make good health care decisions.
Vascular surgeons are defined and certified by rigorous national standards ( ABMS ABS definition and ACGME specialties ) as the primary specialty trained to provide comprehensive care across the full spectrum of vascular disease states. While vascular care may often be team-based, vascular surgeons are irreplaceable on such teams because of their depth of understanding of the entire spectrum of vascular disease and its wide range of treatment options, including the full range of medical management, non-operative options, minimally invasive endovascular therapy (angioplasty, stents) and major surgical reconstructions.
SVS also emphasizes that while individual providers are responsible and accountable for the care of their patients, efforts to better align health and medico-economic policies to drive, reinforce, and incentivize appropriate care are long overdue.
"We stand against the inappropriate use of interventions and appreciate the Times' efforts to raise patient awareness, promote quality and advocate for safety in the delivery of vascular care," says Dr. Joseph Mills, SVS President. "The Society for Vascular Surgery's mission and code of ethics is rooted in prioritizing patient wellbeing, ensuring the best outcomes for those under our care. No procedure should be recommended or performed if not primarily and solely for a patient's benefit and best interests – period."
SVS members place a strong emphasis on medical therapy and lifestyle changes for patients. This approach aligns with the SVS mission to educate individuals to seek care early and prioritize lifestyle and nonsurgical interventions. Building trusting relationships between patients and their doctors, along with regular visits, plays a crucial role in achieving best outcomes.
SVS members prioritize adherence to best practices and evidence-based guidelines to ensure the delivery of optimal patient care. In fact, SVS established its Patient Safety Organization to monitor outcomes of patient care with Vascular Quality Initiative registries, and – in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons – recently launched its Vascular Verification Program, setting standards of quality across vascular care, regardless of site of service.
SVS agrees industry-wide reform is needed and urges action, with Dr. Mills saying: "It's incumbent upon the entire health care system to address underlying health care policy drivers contributing to inappropriate use."
The Society for Vascular Surgery always emphasizes quality and safety in patient care and is fully committed to tackling these issues and promoting best practices through scientific research, guidelines and patient registries.
About the Society for Vascular Surgery:
The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) seeks to advance excellence and innovation in vascular health through education, advocacy, research and public awareness. The organization was founded in 1946 and has a membership of more than 6,300. SVS membership is recognized in the vascular community as a mark of professional achievement.
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/society-vascular-surgery-responds-new-york-times-article-overuse-interventions-vascular-surgery/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:51
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SoftwareReviews' latest Data Quadrant report highlights the top-rated CRM software solutions in the current market that are successfully harnessing the technological trends.
TORONTO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - SoftwareReviews, a leading source for insights on the software provider landscape, has revealed its new 2023 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Data Quadrant Report, which highlights the top ten CRM solutions in the enterprise, midmarket, and small business spaces for the year.
In an era defined by digital transformation, organizations are strategically adapting to fortify their customer relationships, as corroborated by the recent 2023 Data Quadrant report from SoftwareReviews. The report and its list of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software points to the substantial expansion of the CRM industry as organizations strive to consolidate their customer experiences across various sectors, such as sales, marketing, and customer service.
"As digital technology and transformation further embed themselves into our personal and professional lives, our expectations for quality customer experience increase," says Robert Fayle, research advisory lead at Info-Tech Research Group. "With the advent of generative AI and other AI and machine learning technologies, customers now demand a personalized experience. To meet these demands, organizations need to procure CRM platforms that enable personal interactions and that are also heavily investing in the adoption of these new technologies."
Although CRM adoption has its challenges, including the need for organizational cultural shifts, extensive employee training, and stringent data privacy measures, the potential benefits are substantial. From improved customer service to streamlined marketing efforts and increased sales, well-executed CRM systems can be transformative.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is introducing a new dimension to CRM systems, automating routine tasks, predicting customer behaviors, and identifying potential sales leads. As the CRM industry continues to evolve rapidly, driven by technological advancements and the rising relevance of mobile and social CRM platforms, it underscores the importance of overcoming implementation challenges to fully harness the power of CRM in the digital economy.
The 2023 Enterprise Customer Relationship Management Software Gold Medalists are as follows:
- Zoho CRM, 8.6 CS, ranked high for ease of customization.
- Oracle PeopleSoft CRM, 8.4 CS, ranked high for business value creation.
The 2023 Midmarket Customer Relationship Management Software Gold Medalists are as follows:
- NetSuite CRM, 8.9 CS, ranked high for lead management.
- ActiveCampaign, 8.8 CS, ranked high for quality of features.
- Salesforce Sales Cloud Professional, 8.6 CS, ranked high for its breadth of features.
- Agile CRM, 8.6 CS, ranked high for ease of implementation.
- Sage CRM, 8.6 CS, ranked high for sales management.
The 2023 Small Business Customer Relationship Management Software Gold Medalists are as follows:
- ConvergeHub, 9.0 CS, ranked high for lead management.
- Less Annoying CRM, 8.9 CS, ranked high for usability and intuitiveness.
- Pipeliner CRM, 8.8, ranked high for ease of data integration.
Cloud-based CRM systems now offer the flexibility of remote access and management, while advanced analytics tools empower organizations to derive actionable insights from the overwhelming influx of customer data. Concurrently, mobile and social CRM platforms are gaining prominence as essential tools for successful customer engagement. As the digital landscape evolves, these innovative platforms will continue to redefine customer interaction and shape the future of customer relationship management.
The full report is now accessible on the firm's website, which is updated in real time to reflect new reviews and ratings.
User assessments of software categories on SoftwareReviews provide an accurate and detailed view of the constantly changing market. SoftwareReviews' reports are informed by data from users and IT professionals who have intimate experience with the software throughout the procurement, implementation, and maintenance processes.
For more information about SoftwareReviews, the Emotional Footprint, or the Data Quadrant, or to access resources to support the software selection process, visit softwarereviews.com
SoftwareReviews empowers organizations with the best data, insights, and advice to improve the software buying and selling experience.
For buyers, SoftwareReviews' proven software selection methodologies, customer insights, and technology advisors help maximize success with technology decisions. For providers, the firm helps build more effective marketing, product, and sales processes with expert analysts, how-to research, customer-centric marketing content, and comprehensive analysis of the buyer landscape.
SoftwareReviews is a division of Info-Tech Research Group, a world-class information technology research and advisory firm.
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https://www.wistv.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/top-2023-crm-vendors-embracing-ai-redefining-customer-experience-according-softwarereviews-users/
| 2023-07-31T19:20:57
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| 2023-07-31T19:22:40
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Defective: After recalls, Americans continue to die and get injured as products remain on the in homes and for sale online
Watchdogs say companies don’t do enough to alert customers to dangerous household goods
Deer Park, New York (InvestigateTV) — P.J. Matzen was only 3 months old when he uttered his first words to his parents. “I love you,” he babbles in a video taken by his mother.
They were the only words he would ever say.
On Oct. 11, 2019, Phillip Matzen found his son blue, lifeless and face down in an inclined sleeper made by Kids2. P.J. died the following day.
His parents had no idea that six months earlier, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturers of two of these popular baby products had issued recalls for them.
The Matzens also had no idea the CPSC hired an independent doctor to review these products for possible danger. The month before P.J. died, that doctor declared “no inclined sleep products are safe” warning the design has an increased risk for suffocation because babies can roll and aren’t able to “self-correct.”
By then, millions of these sleepers had been sold.
But the April 2019 recalls of Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play did not stop the deaths. P.J. is one of at least a dozen infants who died in one of those inclined sleepers after the recalls, according to CPSC.
Because of the rising death toll — and the availability of those products on the secondary market — the CPSC and the manufacturers of those sleepers re-announced the recalls this past January.
“Unfortunately, today’s announcement highlights the fact that these products are still in too many homes, and babies continue to be put at risk,” CPSC chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric wrote in a statement accompanying the re-announcement.
However, the re-announcement of the Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is not an anomaly.
An InvestigateTV analysis of CPSC data shows that since 2000, the agency has had to re-announce the recall of at least 46 products because the original alert did not reach the ears of consumers and, in many cases, continued to cause harm.
The deaths of at least 16 children or adults were tied to a defective product that had been previously recalled, the analysis of the federal data shows. At least 300 were injured.
Consumer advocates such as Nancy Cowles with Kids in Danger say the government and the manufacturers need to do more to protect Americans — particularly infants and toddlers — from products they know are dangerous.
“Make sure that once you do the recall you actually get them out of homes,” said Cowles, who is the executive director of the Chicago nonprofit that advocates for safer baby products. “Most products — children’s products — that we’ve tracked . . . are still in homes. Nowhere near a majority of products that are recalled are taken out of homes.”
The story of the inclined sleepers epitomizes what consumers advocates say is a flawed recall system that leaves defective and deadly products in American homes and for sale on online marketplaces and at garage sales.
A family was unaware of a recall until it was too late
Kiara Matzen once told her mother — P.J.’s grandmother — that she feels as if her son’s life was nothing but a dream because it was cut so short.
“Every day, I’m still trying to process it,” Kiara said.
Kiara was 19 when she learned that she was pregnant. Friends and relatives showered her with many necessities for the baby, including a Kids2 Ingenuity Rock N’ Soothe Sleeper.
Kids2 began marketing its incline sleepers three years after Fisher-Price designed and launched its Rock ‘n Play in 2009, which was the first incline sleeper to hit the market and became instantly popular.
About 4.7 million Rock ‘n Plays were sold during its 10 years on the market. Kids2 sold nearly 700,000 inclined sleepers that had various different names.
Kiara doesn’t remember who gave her the sleeper, but P.J. slept in it every day from the time he was born.
On the morning of Oct. 11, 2019, Kiara escorted her mother, Lydia Calvacca, to a doctor’s appointment. While waiting to be seen, Kiara pulled up an app on her phone that connected her to cameras in her home.
She wanted to check on P.J.
“I saw something wasn’t right. He was on his stomach,” Kiara said.
Lydia also caught a glimpse of the image on Kiara’s phone.
“I saw the way he was laying in the bassinet. And I was an EMT for seven years and I knew it was not a normal sleeping position,” Lydia said. “I said to her, ‘Call your husband right now. Tell him to wake the baby up.’”
P.J.’s father immediately dialed 911 after finding his son lifeless. Police officers arrived before medics and rushed P.J. to the hospital.
He died the following day.
“That night that he was in the hospital, my whole family came to the hospital, and my sister-in-law said that ... ‘I think I heard that it was recalled,’” Kiara said.
It was the first time she had heard that P.J.’s inclined sleeper had been recalled.
“If they would have spent more time and attention, maybe even money to get that recall product, that it was recalled out, then, you know ... me and probably a bunch of other parents would have stopped using it,” Kiara said.
Both Kids2 and Fisher-Price posted about the original recall on their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, but neither has since mentioned the re-announcement of the recall made earlier this year on their social media accounts, based on a search of their posts on each platform. They did, however, place the re-announcements of the recalls on their websites.
Neither company responded to InvestigateTV’s requests for comment.
Despite the best efforts of the CPSC to alert consumers to recalls, the agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more.
CPSC publicizes recalls on its websites and social media platforms, but it doesn’t have the budget to launch campaigns about dangerous products.
“It would be much better if the companies actually used the same sort of marketing budget and marketing strategies that they initially used to sell the products to get these defective products off the markets,” said Daniel Mann, a product liability lawyer in Philadelphia who has represented dozens of families harmed by dangerous consumer goods.
After some recalls, Americans still are vulnerable to death and injury
The 46 products that have had re-announced recalls have been linked to at least 150 deaths and at least 800 injuries, with the majority of the harm coming before the recall.
In 2016, the CPSC re-announced the recall of trapeze rings on a backyard play house because so few of the products had been returned, meaning they likely were still in use. The agency received more than 100 reports of the rings breaking, leading to injuries. It did not indicate how many reports of breakage it received after the recall.
In 2012, a 7-month-old Houston baby died in a crib that had been recalled two years earlier.
Months after a 2008 recall of a bassinet that had been linked to strangulation and suffocations deaths, CPSC reported that two more babies had died.
And the problems aren’t just isolated to items for children.
Take the case of a bathrobe that was recalled in 2009 because of flammability failures: In the months after the recall, the CPSC learned that six elderly women died when the robes they were wearing caught fire. Most of them were cooking at the time.
Still, Mann, the Philadelphia attorney, said “the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is probably the most epic consumer product disaster in United States history.”
In June 2021, a Fisher-Price executive admitted to Congress during a hearing that it was aware of at least 97 infant deaths linked to a Rock ‘n Play.
At least eight more died after that, including a 4-month-old who died in September 2020 and a 2-month-old who died in March 2021.
Mann represents a family whose 4-month-old son died on Feb. 1, 2021 while in a Rock ‘n Play at a babysitter’s home. Neither his parents nor the babysitter were aware of the recall, Mann said.
“For those parents where their deaths occur after the recall,” Mann said, “it’s even more tragic.”
Federal law leaves CPSC without necessary authority to rid households of dangerous products
CPSC chairman Hoehn-Saric admits that his agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more in recalls.
The Consumer Product Safety Act tips the balance of power away from the government regulator and into the hands of the companies that make and market products.
When a defect is discovered, the companies decide when and how a recall will be conducted.
“We can push them,” he said, “but forcing them is a whole different matter.”
The CPSC’s so-called sister agencies — the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration — which also issue recalls, can alert the public on their own, without a company’s permission.
“We don’t know (of) other federal agencies subject to a law like this. Getting information out to consumers quickly is extremely important to prevent those unnecessary deaths and injuries,” Hoehn-Saric said.
But only Congress has the power to unlock the handcuffs that it has put on an agency that is supposed to regulate more than 15,000 categories of everyday products from appliances to tools to toys.
The CPSC can’t force a company to spend money to advertise a recall. It also can’t dictate what consumers will receive in exchange for returning a defective product.
Fisher-Price, for example, on its website offered consumers the choice of a potty chair, a stuffed Barney the dinosaur or a Thomas & Friends racetrack in exchange for the Rock ‘n Play, which cost between $50 and $150. The recall announcements mention that consumers should contact the company for a voucher or refund.
Kids2 offered a refund for its defective inclined sleepers.
Recalled products can be found on secondary marketplaces and at garage sales
The CPSC’s own reports show that many recalled products remain unaccounted for, leaving consumers at risk.
In its fiscal year 2021 report on its annual performance measures, the CPSC reported that 32% of products recalled during that period had been returned or the defective part had been corrected.
The agency noted that this rate meant that it had met its performance goals.
“The other issue that we have in terms of having hard metrics is some of the recalls, if it’s for a cheap product, that’s a buck, we may never know exactly what happens because a lot of people hear about those recalls and just throw the product away,” Hoehn-Saric said.
More dangerously, however, the products may end up on secondary marketplaces and in garage sales.
Hoehn-Saric has taken a particularly hard stance against Meta and its Facebook Marketplaces.
Rock ‘n Plays continue to show up for sale there.
InvestigateTV bought a Rock ‘n Play on Facebook Marketplace in December and found others for sale in early July. Consumers were also selling the Kids2 rocking sleeper on the platform in that month.
“You should never have seen that product on their marketplace. They’re in a position where they can see what’s going up on the marketplace before it gets to the public,” Hoehn-Saric said. “And that’s the best time to step in and say, ‘You can’t post that. There’s a recall on it.’”
When asked about finding recalled items on its marketplace, a spokeswoman for Meta issued a brief statement: “Like other platforms where people can buy and sell goods, there are instances of people knowingly or unknowingly selling recalled goods on Marketplace. We take this issue seriously and when we find listings that violate our rules, we remove them.”
It is illegal to sell a recalled product. Big box stores and online retailers such as Amazon generally are quick to remove recalled items from their shelves.
In 2022, TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Homegoods, agreed to pay a $13 million fine to the CPSC for knowingly selling inclined sleepers after the recall.
When the CPSC finds a recalled item on a secondary marketplace, the agency asks the platform to remove it — but it’s often a game of whack-a-mole: as one goes down, another comes up.
Consumers also sometimes disguise the products by failing to mention their specific names in the description. For example, “Rock ‘n Play” won’t return any results on Facebook Marketplace. But the product will turn up if searching for bassinets, sleepers or rockers.
Regarding the secondary marketplaces, Hoehn-Saric said that it is “very difficult for [CPSC] to require or force them to take action. I think that is important. And I think it’s good business for them to be able to protect their own customers.”
Grieving family members become disciples of safe sleeping practices
Since P.J.’s death, Kiara Matzen and Lydia Calvacca have turned their agony into advocacy through their social media channels.
They post about the importance of following safe sleep guidelines, where babies should be on their backs, on a firm surface with no blankets, pillows or stuffed toys in the crib or bassinet.
“There’s a [Facebook] page called safe infant sleep ... It’s a support group for moms that have lost their babies to unsafe sleep practices. And they are just wonderful. They’re wonderful. Every time I see a woman with a new baby, I always tell them about this page,” Calvacca said. “I have pictures of my grandson on my desk and ... I always tell them the story. I don’t just say, ‘Oh, that’s my grandson.’ I let them know what happened because I feel it’s my responsibility to educate people so this doesn’t happen to them.”
Kiara and Phillip now have two daughters. The youngest is just 2 months old.
The family sued Kids2 and reached a confidential settlement last year.
Calvacca said that when she keeps her granddaughters for overnight stays, she’s too afraid to sleep.
“It sucks. Because I want to be able to enjoy them the way I enjoyed P.J. without worrying and being nervous that something’s going to happen. And this incident has taken that away from me,” Calvacca said. “It’s taken some of my joy for my other grandchildren away from me, and that angers me.”
InvestigateTV associate producer Austin Hedgcoth contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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BREAKING: Lori Vallow Daybell to serve three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional life sentence for conspiracy and grand theft
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, who was previously married to Vallow Daybell’s fifth husband.
FREMONT COUNTY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Lori Vallow Daybell was sentenced Monday morning at the Fremont County Courthouse in front of Judge Steven Boyce. The sentencing hearing was streamed live through Judge Boyce’s YouTube page.
The sentencing hearing began with a series of emotional victim impact statements from Colby Ryan - Tylee’s older brother, Kay Woodcock - JJ’s grandmother, Samantha Gwilliam -Tammy’s sister, and Vicky Hoban - Tammy Daybell’s aunt.
Following the victims impact statements, the court then heard from the State, who submitted a sentencing recommendation of life in prison without any chance of release for each of the counts that she is found guilty of. The maximum penalty under Idaho law.
Prosecutors believe that, due to her actions, and lack of remorse for her actions, rehabilitation is not possible.
The State also requested fines of up to $250,000 be paid as restitution to next of kin of the victims and the Department of Treasury for repayment of funds stolen.
Following a short break, after the State delivered their recommendations, court resumed a little before noon with the Defense submitting their recommendations.
The Defense argued on the behalf of “hope” for Lori Vallow Daybell, requesting a 20-year fixed sentence with life indeterminate.
Lorri Vallow was then given the opportunity to speak on her own behalf before Judge Boyce reached his sentencing.
WATCH LORI VALLOW DABELL’S STATEMENT BELOW
Following Lori Vallow Daybell’s Statement, Judge Boyce took the time to address the history and facts of the case, outlining the multiple different actions Vallow Daybell could have taken to avoid what took place.
Judge Boyce, in the interest of justice, sentenced Lorri Vallow Daybell to three consecutive life sentences for the murders of JJ Vallow, Tylee Ryan and the conspiracy to commit the murder of Tamara Daybell. Judge Boyce also handed down a concurrent life sentence for the conspiracy to commit murder charges of JJ and Tylee and grand theft.
Vallow Daybell must also pay restitution and fine to the state and next of kin.
Lori Vallow Daybell will now be handed over to the Idaho Department of Corrections. She is still awaiting trial in Arizona on more conspiracy to commit murder charges.
The Maricopa County, Arizona Prosecutor is seeking a conviction in the death of Lori’s previous husband Charles Vallow, and a conviction in the charge of conspiring to kill and attempted shooting of Brandon Boudreaux.
Chad Daybell is facing the same charges as Lori, and his trial will be in Boise and is set to begin on April 1, 2024, exactly one year to the day when Lori’s trial began in Boise.
Copyright 2023 KMVT. All rights reserved.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another day, another billion dollar lottery jackpot.
At least, that’s how it seems ahead of Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing for an estimated $1.05 billion top prize.
It’s a huge sum of money, but such giant jackpots have become far more common, with five prizes topping $1 billion since 2021 — and one jackpot reaching $2.04 billion in 2022.
The massive prizes are due in part to chance, but it’s not all happenstance. Rising interest rates coupled with changes to the odds of winning are also big reasons the prizes grow so large.
HOW DO INTEREST RATES INCREASE JACKPOTS?
Nearly all jackpot winners opt for a lump sum payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million. The lump sum is the cash that a winner has actually won. The highlighted $1.05 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, which is funded by that lump sum and will be doled out annually over 30 years.
That’s where the higher interest rate becomes a factor, because the higher the interest rate, the larger the annuity can grow over three decades. The U.S. is in the midst of a remarkable run of interest rate increases, with the Federal Reserve raising a key rate 11 times in 17 months, and that higher rate enables a roughly $500 million lump sum prize to be advertised as a jackpot of about twice that size.
HOW DOES THE ANNUITY WORK?
A winner who chooses the annuity option would receive an initial payment and then 29 annual payments that rise by 5% each year. Opting for an annuity has some tax advantages, as less of the winnings would be taxed at the top federal income tax rate of 37%. It also could be an option for winners who don’t trust themselves to manage so much money all at once.
If lottery winners die before 30 years, the future payments would go to their beneficiaries.
WHY DO WINNERS SNUB THE ANNUITY OPTION?
The annuities pay out big money, but not nearly as big as taking the lump sum.
For example, a sole winner of Tuesday night’s Mega Millions could choose a lump sum of an estimated $527.9 million or an initial annuity payment of about $15.8 million. Of course, those annuity payments would continue for decades and gradually increase until the final check paid about $65.1 million, according to lottery officials.
In both cases, the winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Given all that, nearly all jackpot winners think they could make more money by investing the money themselves, or they simply want the biggest initial payout possible.
WHAT ABOUT THE ODDS OF WINNING?
That’s another factor that has created so many huge prizes for those who match all six numbers.
In 2015, the Powerball odds were changed from 1 in 175.2 million to 1 in 292.2 million. Mega Millions took a similar action in 2019 by lengthening the game’s odds from 1 in 258.9 million to 1 in 302.6 million.
For lottery officials, the hope was that by making it harder to win jackpots, the prizes would roll over for weeks and create truly massive pots of money that would in turn generate higher sales.
The result is that all of the billion dollar jackpots have come after the changes in the odds.
HOW LONG UNTIL THERE IS A WINNER?
Luck remains a big factor, as the odds of any ticket being a winner never changes. However, the more people who play Mega Millions, the more of the potential 302.6 million number combinations are covered.
For the last Mega Millions drawing on Friday night, 20.1% of possible number combinations were purchased. Typically, the larger the jackpot grows, the more people buy tickets and the more potential combinations are covered.
Tuesday night’s drawing will be the 30th since the last jackpot winner. That is inching closer to the longest Mega Millions jackpot drought, which reached 37 drawings from Sept. 18, 2020, to Jan. 22, 2021.
The longest jackpot run was for a Powerball prize that stretched over 41 drawings and ended with a record $2.04 billion prize on Nov. 7, 2022.
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The top federal tax bracket has been corrected to 37%.
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Defective: After recalls, Americans continue to die and get injured as products remain on the in homes and for sale online
Watchdogs say companies don’t do enough to alert customers to dangerous household goods
Deer Park, New York (InvestigateTV) — P.J. Matzen was only 3 months old when he uttered his first words to his parents. “I love you,” he babbles in a video taken by his mother.
They were the only words he would ever say.
On Oct. 11, 2019, Phillip Matzen found his son blue, lifeless and face down in an inclined sleeper made by Kids2. P.J. died the following day.
His parents had no idea that six months earlier, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturers of two of these popular baby products had issued recalls for them.
The Matzens also had no idea the CPSC hired an independent doctor to review these products for possible danger. The month before P.J. died, that doctor declared “no inclined sleep products are safe” warning the design has an increased risk for suffocation because babies can roll and aren’t able to “self-correct.”
By then, millions of these sleepers had been sold.
But the April 2019 recalls of Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play did not stop the deaths. P.J. is one of at least a dozen infants who died in one of those inclined sleepers after the recalls, according to CPSC.
Because of the rising death toll — and the availability of those products on the secondary market — the CPSC and the manufacturers of those sleepers re-announced the recalls this past January.
“Unfortunately, today’s announcement highlights the fact that these products are still in too many homes, and babies continue to be put at risk,” CPSC chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric wrote in a statement accompanying the re-announcement.
However, the re-announcement of the Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is not an anomaly.
An InvestigateTV analysis of CPSC data shows that since 2000, the agency has had to re-announce the recall of at least 46 products because the original alert did not reach the ears of consumers and, in many cases, continued to cause harm.
The deaths of at least 16 children or adults were tied to a defective product that had been previously recalled, the analysis of the federal data shows. At least 300 were injured.
Consumer advocates such as Nancy Cowles with Kids in Danger say the government and the manufacturers need to do more to protect Americans — particularly infants and toddlers — from products they know are dangerous.
“Make sure that once you do the recall you actually get them out of homes,” said Cowles, who is the executive director of the Chicago nonprofit that advocates for safer baby products. “Most products — children’s products — that we’ve tracked . . . are still in homes. Nowhere near a majority of products that are recalled are taken out of homes.”
The story of the inclined sleepers epitomizes what consumers advocates say is a flawed recall system that leaves defective and deadly products in American homes and for sale on online marketplaces and at garage sales.
A family was unaware of a recall until it was too late
Kiara Matzen once told her mother — P.J.’s grandmother — that she feels as if her son’s life was nothing but a dream because it was cut so short.
“Every day, I’m still trying to process it,” Kiara said.
Kiara was 19 when she learned that she was pregnant. Friends and relatives showered her with many necessities for the baby, including a Kids2 Ingenuity Rock N’ Soothe Sleeper.
Kids2 began marketing its incline sleepers three years after Fisher-Price designed and launched its Rock ‘n Play in 2009, which was the first incline sleeper to hit the market and became instantly popular.
About 4.7 million Rock ‘n Plays were sold during its 10 years on the market. Kids2 sold nearly 700,000 inclined sleepers that had various different names.
Kiara doesn’t remember who gave her the sleeper, but P.J. slept in it every day from the time he was born.
On the morning of Oct. 11, 2019, Kiara escorted her mother, Lydia Calvacca, to a doctor’s appointment. While waiting to be seen, Kiara pulled up an app on her phone that connected her to cameras in her home.
She wanted to check on P.J.
“I saw something wasn’t right. He was on his stomach,” Kiara said.
Lydia also caught a glimpse of the image on Kiara’s phone.
“I saw the way he was laying in the bassinet. And I was an EMT for seven years and I knew it was not a normal sleeping position,” Lydia said. “I said to her, ‘Call your husband right now. Tell him to wake the baby up.’”
P.J.’s father immediately dialed 911 after finding his son lifeless. Police officers arrived before medics and rushed P.J. to the hospital.
He died the following day.
“That night that he was in the hospital, my whole family came to the hospital, and my sister-in-law said that ... ‘I think I heard that it was recalled,’” Kiara said.
It was the first time she had heard that P.J.’s inclined sleeper had been recalled.
“If they would have spent more time and attention, maybe even money to get that recall product, that it was recalled out, then, you know ... me and probably a bunch of other parents would have stopped using it,” Kiara said.
Both Kids2 and Fisher-Price posted about the original recall on their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, but neither has since mentioned the re-announcement of the recall made earlier this year on their social media accounts, based on a search of their posts on each platform. They did, however, place the re-announcements of the recalls on their websites.
Neither company responded to InvestigateTV’s requests for comment.
Despite the best efforts of the CPSC to alert consumers to recalls, the agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more.
CPSC publicizes recalls on its websites and social media platforms, but it doesn’t have the budget to launch campaigns about dangerous products.
“It would be much better if the companies actually used the same sort of marketing budget and marketing strategies that they initially used to sell the products to get these defective products off the markets,” said Daniel Mann, a product liability lawyer in Philadelphia who has represented dozens of families harmed by dangerous consumer goods.
After some recalls, Americans still are vulnerable to death and injury
The 46 products that have had re-announced recalls have been linked to at least 150 deaths and at least 800 injuries, with the majority of the harm coming before the recall.
In 2016, the CPSC re-announced the recall of trapeze rings on a backyard play house because so few of the products had been returned, meaning they likely were still in use. The agency received more than 100 reports of the rings breaking, leading to injuries. It did not indicate how many reports of breakage it received after the recall.
In 2012, a 7-month-old Houston baby died in a crib that had been recalled two years earlier.
Months after a 2008 recall of a bassinet that had been linked to strangulation and suffocations deaths, CPSC reported that two more babies had died.
And the problems aren’t just isolated to items for children.
Take the case of a bathrobe that was recalled in 2009 because of flammability failures: In the months after the recall, the CPSC learned that six elderly women died when the robes they were wearing caught fire. Most of them were cooking at the time.
Still, Mann, the Philadelphia attorney, said “the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is probably the most epic consumer product disaster in United States history.”
In June 2021, a Fisher-Price executive admitted to Congress during a hearing that it was aware of at least 97 infant deaths linked to a Rock ‘n Play.
At least eight more died after that, including a 4-month-old who died in September 2020 and a 2-month-old who died in March 2021.
Mann represents a family whose 4-month-old son died on Feb. 1, 2021 while in a Rock ‘n Play at a babysitter’s home. Neither his parents nor the babysitter were aware of the recall, Mann said.
“For those parents where their deaths occur after the recall,” Mann said, “it’s even more tragic.”
Federal law leaves CPSC without necessary authority to rid households of dangerous products
CPSC chairman Hoehn-Saric admits that his agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more in recalls.
The Consumer Product Safety Act tips the balance of power away from the government regulator and into the hands of the companies that make and market products.
When a defect is discovered, the companies decide when and how a recall will be conducted.
“We can push them,” he said, “but forcing them is a whole different matter.”
The CPSC’s so-called sister agencies — the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration — which also issue recalls, can alert the public on their own, without a company’s permission.
“We don’t know (of) other federal agencies subject to a law like this. Getting information out to consumers quickly is extremely important to prevent those unnecessary deaths and injuries,” Hoehn-Saric said.
But only Congress has the power to unlock the handcuffs that it has put on an agency that is supposed to regulate more than 15,000 categories of everyday products from appliances to tools to toys.
The CPSC can’t force a company to spend money to advertise a recall. It also can’t dictate what consumers will receive in exchange for returning a defective product.
Fisher-Price, for example, on its website offered consumers the choice of a potty chair, a stuffed Barney the dinosaur or a Thomas & Friends racetrack in exchange for the Rock ‘n Play, which cost between $50 and $150. The recall announcements mention that consumers should contact the company for a voucher or refund.
Kids2 offered a refund for its defective inclined sleepers.
Recalled products can be found on secondary marketplaces and at garage sales
The CPSC’s own reports show that many recalled products remain unaccounted for, leaving consumers at risk.
In its fiscal year 2021 report on its annual performance measures, the CPSC reported that 32% of products recalled during that period had been returned or the defective part had been corrected.
The agency noted that this rate meant that it had met its performance goals.
“The other issue that we have in terms of having hard metrics is some of the recalls, if it’s for a cheap product, that’s a buck, we may never know exactly what happens because a lot of people hear about those recalls and just throw the product away,” Hoehn-Saric said.
More dangerously, however, the products may end up on secondary marketplaces and in garage sales.
Hoehn-Saric has taken a particularly hard stance against Meta and its Facebook Marketplaces.
Rock ‘n Plays continue to show up for sale there.
InvestigateTV bought a Rock ‘n Play on Facebook Marketplace in December and found others for sale in early July. Consumers were also selling the Kids2 rocking sleeper on the platform in that month.
“You should never have seen that product on their marketplace. They’re in a position where they can see what’s going up on the marketplace before it gets to the public,” Hoehn-Saric said. “And that’s the best time to step in and say, ‘You can’t post that. There’s a recall on it.’”
When asked about finding recalled items on its marketplace, a spokeswoman for Meta issued a brief statement: “Like other platforms where people can buy and sell goods, there are instances of people knowingly or unknowingly selling recalled goods on Marketplace. We take this issue seriously and when we find listings that violate our rules, we remove them.”
It is illegal to sell a recalled product. Big box stores and online retailers such as Amazon generally are quick to remove recalled items from their shelves.
In 2022, TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Homegoods, agreed to pay a $13 million fine to the CPSC for knowingly selling inclined sleepers after the recall.
When the CPSC finds a recalled item on a secondary marketplace, the agency asks the platform to remove it — but it’s often a game of whack-a-mole: as one goes down, another comes up.
Consumers also sometimes disguise the products by failing to mention their specific names in the description. For example, “Rock ‘n Play” won’t return any results on Facebook Marketplace. But the product will turn up if searching for bassinets, sleepers or rockers.
Regarding the secondary marketplaces, Hoehn-Saric said that it is “very difficult for [CPSC] to require or force them to take action. I think that is important. And I think it’s good business for them to be able to protect their own customers.”
Grieving family members become disciples of safe sleeping practices
Since P.J.’s death, Kiara Matzen and Lydia Calvacca have turned their agony into advocacy through their social media channels.
They post about the importance of following safe sleep guidelines, where babies should be on their backs, on a firm surface with no blankets, pillows or stuffed toys in the crib or bassinet.
“There’s a [Facebook] page called safe infant sleep ... It’s a support group for moms that have lost their babies to unsafe sleep practices. And they are just wonderful. They’re wonderful. Every time I see a woman with a new baby, I always tell them about this page,” Calvacca said. “I have pictures of my grandson on my desk and ... I always tell them the story. I don’t just say, ‘Oh, that’s my grandson.’ I let them know what happened because I feel it’s my responsibility to educate people so this doesn’t happen to them.”
Kiara and Phillip now have two daughters. The youngest is just 2 months old.
The family sued Kids2 and reached a confidential settlement last year.
Calvacca said that when she keeps her granddaughters for overnight stays, she’s too afraid to sleep.
“It sucks. Because I want to be able to enjoy them the way I enjoyed P.J. without worrying and being nervous that something’s going to happen. And this incident has taken that away from me,” Calvacca said. “It’s taken some of my joy for my other grandchildren away from me, and that angers me.”
InvestigateTV associate producer Austin Hedgcoth contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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ISLAMABAD (AP) — China has invested $25.4 billion in Pakistan over the past decade for projects ranging from roads to power plants, China’s vice premier said Monday, as the two countries celebrated the 10th anniversary of the so-called Belt and Road Initiative.
The initiative, also called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor program, is China’s global endeavor to reconstitute the ancient Silk Road trade routes and link China to all corners of Asia.
In Pakistan, the CPEC has been billed as an opportunity to bring new prosperity to the South Asian nation. Since 2013, thousands of Chinese construction workers and engineers have been working in this impoverished Islamic nation as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s initiative.
However, work on some projects has since slowed down or been briefly suspended for multiple reasons, including a 2021 militant attack in which 13 Chinese workers were killed by a suicide bomber targeting a bus carrying them in the northwest.
In his televised remarks, Chinese Vice Premier He Lefing said Pakistan’s southwestern town of Gwadar was once just a fishing town but because of the construction of a deep-water port there by China it has become a city and hub for regional connections.
He said because of the completion of several CPEC-related projects, Pakistanis were now facing fewer power outages and hoped that Pakistanis “will create a better future with their own hands” in the years to come.
His comments came days after China rolled over a $2.4 billion loan for Pakistan in a move aimed at helping the country overcome a serious economic crisis. China recently played a key role in helping Pakistan avoid a default on a debt payment.
Loans from Beijing to Pakistan have continued pouring in since December, when the International Monetary Fund delayed the revival of a bailout for Islamabad until June, when a breakthrough came following talks between the International Monetary Fund and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The IMF deposited the first installment of $1.2 billion in Pakistan’s central bank earlier this month.
On Monday, Sharif, in the presence of the Chinese vice premier at a gathering, said he wouldn’t forget the recent Chinese financial help, which came at a very crucial time. Since coming to power in April 2022, Sharif has blamed alleged corruption under former Prime Minister Imran Khan for Pakistan’s economic downturn.
He said Pakistan will “emulate the Chinese model” of hard work to overcome one of the worst economic crises his country has faced in recent months. Sharif also said he wanted to see an end to relying on foreign loans.
“We have to move away from these borrowed loans and handouts, and have to stand on our feet to show to the world that our people are great, energetic, and capable of facing difficult challenges,” he said.
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Firefighter dies from injuries after crash with cow while responding to call, department says
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 2:48 PM EDT|Updated: 34 minutes ago
PLANO, Texas (KXII/Gray News) – A firefighter injured in the line of duty earlier this month died Sunday morning.
Volunteer firefighter Evan Brown was in a crash July 9 and had been in intensive care at Medical City Hospital in Plano, Texas.
According to the Honey Grove Fire Department, Brown was responding to another crash call when he hit a cow on the road in his personal vehicle.
His vehicle rolled, ejecting Brown and causing severe injuries.
The Honey Grove Fire Department is arranging for first responders to stand watch by Evan at the funeral home.
The department set up a GoFundMe to help Brown’s family with medical bills and funeral costs.
Copyright 2023 KXII via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:23:37
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials said Monday they are investigating a recent close call between an Allegiant Air plane and a private jet in which pilots of both aircraft received collision-threat warnings and took evasive action.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the incident happened July 23 near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. It’s the latest in a series of close calls that led the FAA to convene a special safety summit earlier this year.
The FAA said an air traffic controller in Miami told the crew of Allegiant flight 485 that had taken off from Fort Lauderdale to turn east at 23,000 feet, and it crossed in front of a Gulfstream business jet that was heading north.
Pilots of the Allegiant Airbus A320 took evasive action after getting an automated alert about another aircraft at the same altitude. The pilot of the Gulfstream jet got a similar warning and also took evasive action.
The Allegiant plane returned to the Fort Lauderdale airport, and a flight attendant was treated for injuries, the FAA said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that it was gathering information about the incident before deciding whether to open an investigation.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating about a half-dozen incidents this year in which planes came closer together than they should. In many cases, one or both planes were still on the ground.
The closest occurred in February, when a FedEx cargo plane coming in to land passed over the top of a Southwest Airlines that had been cleared to take off from the same runway. The head of the NTSB said the planes came within about 100 feet of each other.
The number of close calls in rapid succession led the then-acting administrator of the FAA to convene a “safety summit” in March. The official, who has since left the FAA, defended the nation’s safety record, but he called for more data about the incidents and cautioned everyone in aviation to pay more attention to safety procedures.
The last fatal crash involving a U.S. airline was in 2009.
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| 2023-07-31T19:23:39
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Firefighter dies from injuries after crash with cow while responding to call, department says
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 12:48 PM MDT|Updated: 35 minutes ago
PLANO, Texas (KXII/Gray News) – A firefighter injured in the line of duty earlier this month died Sunday morning.
Volunteer firefighter Evan Brown was in a crash July 9 and had been in intensive care at Medical City Hospital in Plano, Texas.
According to the Honey Grove Fire Department, Brown was responding to another crash call when he hit a cow on the road in his personal vehicle.
His vehicle rolled, ejecting Brown and causing severe injuries.
The Honey Grove Fire Department is arranging for first responders to stand watch by Evan at the funeral home.
The department set up a GoFundMe to help Brown’s family with medical bills and funeral costs.
Copyright 2023 KXII via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kmvt.com/2023/07/31/firefighter-dies-injuries-after-crash-with-cow-while-responding-call-department-says/
| 2023-07-31T19:23:39
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IS claims responsibility for deadly suicide bombing at rally that killed 54 in northwest Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people including five children at a pro-Taliban cleric’s rally in one of the worst attacks in the country in recent years.
IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website. The statement said the attack was part of the group’s continuing war against forms of democracy it deems to be against Islam.
Hours earlier, hundreds of mourners in the northwestern town of Bajur carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites following the previous day’s attack at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
Officials said Sunday’s bombing killed 54 people, including at least five children, and wounded nearly 200.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections, according to police.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Hundreds of mourners in northwestern Pakistan carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills Monday after a suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing in Bajur that killed at least five children and wounded nearly 200 people.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people, according to police, were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, “and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, could be responsible, while a Pakistan security analyst pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district’s principal town.
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which police identified as a suspect in the attack, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
On Monday, female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman’s party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party’s senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China,” Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday’s bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:23:39
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Man sentenced to prison for intent to deliver fentanyl
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A man was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Damon Shawn Bailes Jr., also known as “Paper,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, will also have four years of supervised release after serving seven years in prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Bailes around 19th Street and Rural Road in Huntington on a warrant for a parole violation.
Officers found 76 grams of fentanyl, $365, and a loaded SIG Sauer SP2022 handgun on Bailes’ person.
Bailes admitted that he possessed fentanyl and intended to sell it.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information.
Copyright 2023 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:23:41
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IS claims responsibility for deadly suicide bombing at rally that killed 54 in northwest Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people including five children at a pro-Taliban cleric’s rally in one of the worst attacks in the country in recent years.
IS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website. The statement said the attack was part of the group’s continuing war against forms of democracy it deems to be against Islam.
Hours earlier, hundreds of mourners in the northwestern town of Bajur carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites following the previous day’s attack at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
Officials said Sunday’s bombing killed 54 people, including at least five children, and wounded nearly 200.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections, according to police.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
Hundreds of mourners in northwestern Pakistan carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites in the hills Monday after a suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing in Bajur that killed at least five children and wounded nearly 200 people.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. It targeted the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people, according to police, were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, “and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate, a rival of the Taliban, could be responsible, while a Pakistan security analyst pointed to breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban as possible suspects.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district’s principal town.
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which police identified as a suspect in the attack, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
On Monday, female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman’s party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party’s senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China,” Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday’s bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:23:41
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Native American tribes in Oklahoma will get to keep their existing agreements on how they share money from tobacco sales with the state.
The Oklahoma House voted on Monday to override Gov. Kevin Stitt’s veto of a bill that extends agreements on selling tobacco for another year. In a bipartisan vote during a special session, the Republican-controlled House met the two-thirds vote needed to override. The Senate overrode the governor’s veto last week.
As a result, any tribe with an existing agreement on tobacco sales can opt to extend the terms of that agreement until Dec. 31, 2024. Leaders from several of the state’s most powerful tribes were in the gallery for Monday’s vote.
The override is the latest development in an ongoing dispute between the Republican governor and several Oklahoma-based tribes. Stitt, himself a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, has said he wants to adjust the compact language to make sure tribes don’t expand where they sell tobacco as a result of a landmark 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that determined the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s historical reservation still existed.
Since that decision, lower courts have determined the reservations of several other Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole, are still intact.
The current tobacco compacts, which allow the state and tribes to evenly split the tax revenue on the sale of tobacco on tribal land, generate tens of millions of dollars each year in revenue for both the state and tribes.
Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat said last week he wants to give the governor more time to renegotiate the terms of the deal and has been openly critical of Stitt’s disputes with the tribes. Treat, a Republican, also said he would consider changing state law to give the Legislature a greater role in compact negotiations if the governor doesn’t negotiate in good faith.
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| 2023-07-31T19:23:41
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Police were calling owner to shut down party when gunfire killed 1, wounded 17, chief says
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded early Sunday in a central Indiana city unfolded at an outdoor party attended by hundreds of revelers as police were calling the venue’s owner to shut down the gathering, authorities said Monday.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan said no arrests have been made in the shooting, which killed 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, whom the chief said was among those attending the large party in the city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
Sloan said police were aware that the owner of a business that periodically rents out space for events was hosting a block party that got “out of control,” with between 500 and up to 1,000 in attendance. Photos of the scene showed police tags marking what appeared to be dozens of bullets on the street.
Sloan said police were not at the scene at the time of the shooting just after 1 a.m. Sunday, but they were trying to get the business owner to end the party.
“We made a phone call to the owner and asked him to get things shut down. The streets were packed. Before we could make contact and get something done, before we could get that shut down, the gunfire erupted,” Sloan said during a news conference.
He said police were asking for any witnesses to the shooting or people with pictures or video of the incident to contact the Muncie Police Department. Sloan said some people at the scene refused to tell officers what had happened.
He declined to provide details of the investigation, including how many people may have fired weapons but described a scene of chaos as officers and first responders arrived at the location on Muncie’s east side.
“Our people were applying tourniquets, administering first aid, providing CPR. And they we were rushing people to the hospital in our police cars because we didn’t have time to wait,” Sloan said.
Mayor Dan Ridenour said one man was killed and 17 other people suffered gunshot wounds in Sunday’s shooting. He said the shooting had left the community “shaken to the core by violence” and choked up repeatedly during the news conference.
After the shooting, police had to separate people in a Muncie hospital’s parking lot who were arguing and officers had to clear a path at the hospital’s entrance for anyone needing medical attention to enter, said Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell.
She said that among the 17 who survived the shooting, eight remained hospitalized — five at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, and four others who were taken to Indianapolis hospitals.
She said that among the four taken to Indianapolis, one remains in critical condition, two are listed as stable and the fourth had been discharged from a hospital.
Criswell said that two of the people wounded in Sunday’s shooting were minors, and that a nineteenth person who was injured may have been struck by a car.
IU Health spokesperson Neil Gifford said five people remained hospitalized at the Muncie hospital, down from 13 who were being treated on Sunday morning. He said he could not provide conditions of the five patients without being provided with their names.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:23:42
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Police were calling owner to shut down party when gunfire killed 1, wounded 17, chief says
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded early Sunday in a central Indiana city unfolded at an outdoor party attended by hundreds of revelers as police were calling the venue’s owner to shut down the gathering, authorities said Monday.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan said no arrests have been made in the shooting, which killed 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, whom the chief said was among those attending the large party in the city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
Sloan said police were aware that the owner of a business that periodically rents out space for events was hosting a block party that got “out of control,” with between 500 and up to 1,000 in attendance. Photos of the scene showed police tags marking what appeared to be dozens of bullets on the street.
Sloan said police were not at the scene at the time of the shooting just after 1 a.m. Sunday, but they were trying to get the business owner to end the party.
“We made a phone call to the owner and asked him to get things shut down. The streets were packed. Before we could make contact and get something done, before we could get that shut down, the gunfire erupted,” Sloan said during a news conference.
He said police were asking for any witnesses to the shooting or people with pictures or video of the incident to contact the Muncie Police Department. Sloan said some people at the scene refused to tell officers what had happened.
He declined to provide details of the investigation, including how many people may have fired weapons but described a scene of chaos as officers and first responders arrived at the location on Muncie’s east side.
“Our people were applying tourniquets, administering first aid, providing CPR. And they we were rushing people to the hospital in our police cars because we didn’t have time to wait,” Sloan said.
Mayor Dan Ridenour said one man was killed and 17 other people suffered gunshot wounds in Sunday’s shooting. He said the shooting had left the community “shaken to the core by violence” and choked up repeatedly during the news conference.
After the shooting, police had to separate people in a Muncie hospital’s parking lot who were arguing and officers had to clear a path at the hospital’s entrance for anyone needing medical attention to enter, said Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell.
She said that among the 17 who survived the shooting, eight remained hospitalized — five at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, and four others who were taken to Indianapolis hospitals.
She said that among the four taken to Indianapolis, one remains in critical condition, two are listed as stable and the fourth had been discharged from a hospital.
Criswell said that two of the people wounded in Sunday’s shooting were minors, and that a nineteenth person who was injured may have been struck by a car.
IU Health spokesperson Neil Gifford said five people remained hospitalized at the Muncie hospital, down from 13 who were being treated on Sunday morning. He said he could not provide conditions of the five patients without being provided with their names.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose character Pee-wee Herman became a cultural phenomenon through films and TV shows, has died. He was 70.
Reubens died Sunday night after a six-year struggle with cancer that he did not make public, his publicist said in a statement.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement released Monday with the announcement of his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
The character with his too-tight gray suit, white chunky loafers and red bow tie was best known for the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and the television series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
The Pee-wee character would become a cultural constant for much of the 1980s, though an indecent exposure arrest in 1991 would send him into entertainment exile for years.
Reubens created Pee-wee when he was part of the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings in the late 1970s. The live “Pee-wee Herman Show” debuted at a Los Angeles theater in 1981 and was a success with both kids during matinees and adults at a midnight show.
The show closely resembled the format the Saturday morning TV “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” would follow years later, with Herman living in a wild and wacky home with a series of stock-character visitors, including one, Captain Karl, played by the late “Saturday Night Live” star Phil Hartman. In the plot, Pee-wee secretly wishes to fly.
HBO would air the show as a special.
“Pee Wee got his wish to fly,” Steve Martin tweeted after his death. “Thanks Paul Reubens for the brilliant off the wall comedy.”
Reubens took Pee-wee to the big screen in 1985’s “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” The film, in which Pee-wee’s cherished bike is stolen, was said to be loosely based on Vittorio De Sica’s Italian neo-realist classic, “The Bicycle Thief.” The film, directed by Tim Burton and co-written by Phil Hartman of “Saturday Night Live,” sent Pee-wee on a nationwide escapade. The movie was a success, grossing $40 million, and continued to spawn a cult following for its oddball whimsy.
A sequel followed three years later in the less well-received “Big Top Pee-wee,” in which Pee-wee seeks to join a circus. Reubens’ character wouldn’t get another movie starring role until 2016’s Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” for Netflix. Judd Apatow produced Pee-wee’s big-screen revival.
His television series, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” ran for five seasons, earned 22 Emmys and attracted not only children but adults to Saturday-morning TV.
Both silly and subversive and championing nonconformity, the Pee-wee universe was a trippy place, populated by things like a talking armchair and a friendly pterodactyl. The host, who is fond of secret words and loves fruit salad so much he once married it, is prone to lines like, “I know you are, but what am I?” and “Why don’t you take a picture; it’ll last longer?” The act was a hit because it worked on multiple levels, even though Reubens insists that wasn’t the plan.
“It’s for kids,” Reubens told The Associated Press in 2010. “People have tried to get me for years to go, ‘It wasn’t really for kids, right?’ Even the original show was for kids. I always censored myself to have it be kid-friendly.
“The whole thing has been just a gut feeling from the beginning,” Reubens told the AP. “That’s all it ever is and I think always ever be. Much as people want me to dissect it and explain it, I can’t. One, I don’t know, and two, I don’t want to know, and three, I feel like I’ll hex myself if I know.”
Jimmy Kimmel posted on Instagram that “Paul Reubens was like no one else — a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time. He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met.”
Reubens’ career was derailed when he was arrested for indecent exposure in an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida, where he grew up. He was handed a small fine but the damage to the character was incalculable.
He became the frequent butt of late-night talk show jokes and the perception of Reubens immediately changed.
“The moment that I realized my name was going to be said in the same sentence as children and sex, that’s really intense,” Reubens told NBC in 2004. “That’s something I knew from that very moment, whatever happens past that point, something’s out there in the air that is really bad.”
Reubens said he got plenty of offers to work, but told the AP that most of them wanted to take “advantage of the luridness of my situation”,” and he didn’t want to do them.
“It just changed,” he said. “Everything changed.”
In 2001, Reubens was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of child pornography after police seized images from his computer and photography collection, but the allegation was reduced to an obscenity charge and he was given three years probation.
Born Paul Rubenfield in Peekskill, New York, Reubens, the eldest of three children, grew up primarily in Sarasota before going to Boston University and the California Institute of the Arts.
Reubens would also act as non-Pee-wee characters including in Burton’s 1992 movie “Batman Returns,” the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” film and a guest-star run on the TV series “Murphy Brown.”
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Associated Press Writer Alicia Rancilio and Film Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report.
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(The Hill) – President Biden is opening up about the crummiest advice he’s ever gotten, saying holding grudges “gets you nowhere.”
“I guess the worst advice I’ve ever received was holding a grudge — because lots of times when people do something that is really not good, it’s because they were fearful when they did it. Not fearful of you, but their circumstance,” Biden said in an interview on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast released Monday.
“It gets you nowhere, which means people will doubt that I’m really Irish,” Biden quipped.
“But all kidding aside,” the 80-year-old president continued, “Remembering is important, but holding a grudge is not helpful.”
The best advice Biden said he’d been given was to “show up.”
“My mother used to say, ‘Joey, get up. Never bow, never bend. Just get up.’ But showing up, that’s a big part,” he said.
In the wide-ranging chat focused on grief and mental health, Biden also revealed he’s definitely not serving as the country’s TV viewer in chief.
Asked which TV show set in the world of politics and Washington is the most accurate and which is the least, he cracked, “’Mission Impossible.’”
“Look, one of the problems I have is I don’t — and I should — I don’t watch much television,” Biden said.
“And it’s not because I’m above it or anything like that,” he told Shetty during the pair’s conversation at the White House. Biden blamed decades of commuting between D.C. and Delaware as a senator for cutting into potential TV time.
“And so when I get home, there wasn’t much to watch,” Biden said, noting he’d focus his energy on spending time with his then-young children.
“So I’ve been back and forth so much I just haven’t watched many programs,” the 46th president said after describing his usual Amtrak train commute while in the Senate.
“There’s a lot of good stuff, I’m sure. I mean, every once in awhile I turn it on,” Biden said of current television fare.
Living at the executive mansion, which is equipped with a movie theater, has helped his viewing habits, according to Biden.
“I get this list what movies are in and we have the new one,” Biden said of “Oppenheimer,” adding that he’s yet to see the summer box office hit starring Cillian Murphy as the famed real-life Manhattan Project physicist.
“They’re the movies I see these days,” Biden said of the films screened at the White House. “I get to see them at night every once in awhile.”
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Arizona Diamondbacks MLB trade deadline 2023 updates, speculation, rumors, news
The 2023 MLB trade deadline is Tuesday at 3 p.m. Arizona time.
Will the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks make any moves? What moves could they make?
Speculation and rumors are swirling around the Diamondbacks before Tuesday's trade deadline, with pitchers a hot topic of conversation for the team as well as speculation about the team potentially trading from its outfield surplus and chatter about the team possibly changing its 2023 MLB trade deadline strategy amid its post-MLB All-Star Game struggles.
What could the Diamondbacks do before the 2023 MLB trade deadline?
Check out the latest MLB trade speculation and MLB trade rumors surrounding the Arizona Diamondbacks and this year's deadline for MLB teams to make deals:
More:Previous Arizona Diamondbacks trade updates, speculation, rumors
Fansided: Diamondbacks open to trading outfield surplus
Robert Murray wrote: "The Arizona Diamondbacks have been open to discussing their outfield surplus in trade talks, rival executives say. They have been searching for rotation and bullpen reinforcements. Entering Sunday, one league source believed the Diamondbacks would land Jordan Hicks before he was ultimately traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. They have inquired on many available relievers, with the Pirates’ David Bednar being a player of high interest. But every indication out of Pittsburgh is that the asking price is extremely high, making a deal unlikely."
CBS Sports: Diamondbacks a potential landing spot for Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez
R.J. Anderson wrote: "Rodriguez has fully recovered after an unusual first season in Detroit. His time with the Tigers could be drawing to an end one way or another, be it through trade or clause in his contract that allows him to opt out this winter. Rodriguez would need to feel confident that he can clear the three years, $49 million left on his current deal. That seems like a safe bet given his performance this season."
USA TODAY Sports: Diamondbacks 'desperately' looking for closer
Bob Nightengale wrote: "The free-falling Arizona Diamondbacks, who have lost 17 of their last 24 games, are desperately looking for a closer. They would love to get their hands on All-Star David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but few envision that he’ll be available, and should instead be bidding for Padres closer Josh Hader."
Fansided: Diamondbacks' options at closer dwindling
Kevin Henry wrote: "Arizona’s options became more limited over the weekend when the San Diego Padres swept the Texas Rangers at Petco Park, reportedly putting the Padres into the buyer category, which will keep All-Star closer Josh Hader in brown and gold."
More:Shohei Ohtani trade speculation with Los Angeles Angels includes Arizona Diamondbacks
CBS Sports: Diamondbacks a potential landing spot for Padres pitcher Josh Hader
R.J. Anderson wrote: "Will the Padres actually trade Hader, an impending free agent? Who knows. We feel obligated to include him anyway. Hader suppresses quality of contact; he misses bats; and he walks just enough batters to keep things interesting. The last reliever to receive a qualifying offer was Raisel Iglesias. Hader will change that if he hangs around San Diego for the rest of the season."
The Arizona Republic: Knockout closer would put Diamondbacks in playoffs
Greg Moore wrote: "If pitchers are like boxers, having a closer with an overpowering fastball is like having Mike Tyson in his prime. Pittsburgh’s David Bednar and Washington’s Carl Edwards Jr. could be targets. So could a lot of other guys. Hazen will know a lot better than me. But I want to see him land a flamethrower in an attempt to get the Diamondbacks to the playoffs for the first time since 2017."
MLB.com: Diamondbacks will trade for Jack Flaherty
Anthony Castrovince wrote: "Arizona is more inclined to find controllable options, but two franchises that came to terms on a big deal before (the Paul Goldschmidt trade) will find common footing again to bring the D-backs the rotation depth they need behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly as they look to make their first playoff push since 2017. (Wherever Flaherty lands, it will be interesting to see if another organization can untap his upside down the stretch before he hits the open market.)"
More:August could make or break struggling Diamondbacks as schedule shifts to division foes
The Arizona Republic: Slump won't stop Diamondbacks from being MLB trade deadline buyers
Greg Moore wrote: "Despite a recent slump, Hazen wants to make a deal — or deals? — that will help the franchise make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. He wants to go for it. It’s a risky call, but it’s the best news possible for fans of an underdog franchise that every year has to contend with some of the biggest spenders in baseball just to get out of its own division."
CBS Sports: Diamondbacks a potential landing spot for Guardians pitcher Aaron Civale
R.J. Anderson wrote: "Shane Bieber's injury would seem to reduce the likelihood of him getting dealt this summer. The Guardians still have other arms they can move, including Civale, who won't qualify for free agency until after the 2025 season. He's sporting a shiny ERA despite striking out fewer batters, walking more batters, and allowing harder average contact than he did last season. He's also cracked the 100-inning threshold just once so far in his first four seasons. Hm. The pitching market is such that some team might roll the dice."
More:Diamondbacks plunge further into slump, drop series to Mariners
Draft Kings: Diamondbacks could trade for Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez
Chris Landers wrote: "The Tigers might now find themselves in the catbird seat, with both Rodriguez and Lorenzen arguably the two best pitchers still available pending Verlander’s status. Rodriguez is fully recovered from his finger injury, and he’s a mortal lock to opt out of his deal this winter — meaning Detroit would be crazy not to get something for him prior to the deadline, especially given the price for quality starters right now."
CBS Sports: Diamondbacks a potential landing spot for Tigers pitcher Michael Lorenzen
R.J. Anderson wrote: "Lorenzen began his career in the rotation before spending the next six seasons in the bullpen. He returned to starting games last year, and he recently made his first All-Star Game (albeit in part because the Tigers were strapped for good candidates). Lorenzen doesn't have the flashiest profile, but it's clear he's put in the work to maximize his game. In addition to prioritizing his four-seamer and his slider, he's tinkered their shapes: the heater now features more rise, and the slider has reduced sweep but added depth. Whatever you think of Lorenzen's season to date and his chances of being more than a back-end starter moving forward, you have to respect any player willing to reinvent themselves in their ninth big-league season."
Sports Illustrated: Should the Diamondbacks still be buyers at MLB trade deadline?
Jack Sommers wrote: "The fact that no trade has transpired may be an indication that other teams are simply not interested in D-backs prospects outside of those top three. Their internal boards may look a lot different than Baseball America's or MLB Pipeline's. The lack of movement to this point could also be an indication that the D-backs are backing away from buyer mode and may stand pat. It's unlikely they flip to seller, and truth be told, they told have much in the way of rental players to sell anyway. But in these circumstances does it make sense for them to be strong buyers?"
More:In a miserable July, slipping Diamondbacks' fundamentals as much to blame as leaky bullpen
CBS Sports: Diamondbacks a potential landing spot for Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty
R.J. Anderson wrote: "Flaherty, another impending free agent, isn't the pitcher he was earlier in his career, when he received both Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Award consideration. These days, he doesn't throw hard; he doesn't miss bats; and he doesn't throw an extreme amount of strikes. He relies, almost entirely, on suppressing quality of contact. To his credit, that's worked out to roughly a league-average ERA+ the last two seasons. Flaherty's next employer might tinker with his pitch mix, perhaps asking him to throw more curveballs, but there's a non-zero chance he ends up on the outside of a playoff rotation."
Draft Kings: Diamondbacks could trade for Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty
Chris Landers wrote: "Speaking of pending Cardinals free agents! Flaherty isn’t nearly the pitcher he once was, relying far more on suppressing quality of contact than missing bats or throwing hard. To his credit, he’s made it work, and it’s possible that a change of scenery and/or pitch mix will help him maximize what’s left of his arsenal. Either way, everyone needs pitching, and St. Louis will be motivated to move a guy who’s been a roughly league-average arm whose contract is up in two months."
MLB Network: Diamondbacks among teams involved in starting pitching market
Jon Morosi wrote: "Trade Deadline update: A substantial number of teams remain involved in the market for starting pitching. Sources say buyers include LAD, BAL, HOU, SFG, TBR, ARI, CIN, MIA, PHI, ATL. This explains why sellers -- like the Tigers -- have maintained high prices."
More:Knockout closer would put Diamondbacks in the playoffs
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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Aleksandar Kovacevic 2023 Mifel Open Odds
After bowing out in the round of 32 of the Hall of Fame Open in his most recent tournament (losing to Jordan Thompson), Aleksandar Kovacevic will open the Mifel Open versus Omni Kumar (in the round of 32). Kovacevic currently is +3300 to win it all at Cabo Sports Complex.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 Mifel Open and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Kovacevic at the 2023 Mifel Open
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 6
- Venue: Cabo Sports Complex
- Location: Los Cabos, Mexico
- Court Surface: Hard
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Kovacevic's Next Match
In the round of 32 of the Mifel Open, on Monday, July 31 (at 11:40 PM ET), Kovacevic will play Kumar.
Kovacevic currently has odds of -350 to win his next matchup versus Kumar. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
Want to bet on Kovacevic? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Kovacevic Stats
- In his last match, Kovacevic came up short 0-6, 1-6 against Thompson in the Round of 32 of the Hall of Fame Open.
- Kovacevic is 9-14 over the past 12 months, with no tournament victories.
- Kovacevic is 7-9 on hard courts over the past 12 months.
- Kovacevic, over the past 12 months, has played 23 matches across all court types, and 25.2 games per match.
- On hard courts, Kovacevic has played 16 matches over the past year, and 25.6 games per match.
- When it comes to serve/return winning percentages over the past 12 months, Kovacevic has won 76.7% of his games on serve, and 17.0% on return.
- On hard courts over the past year, Kovacevic has been victorious in 17.6% of his return games and 78.6% of his service games.
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A Georgia judge on Monday forcefully rejected an effort by former President Donald Trump to throw out evidence collected by a special grand jury and to remove the current prosecutor from the investigation into Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state.
Judge Robert C.I. McBurney of the Fulton County Superior Court wrote in a nine-page order that Trump did not have the legal standing to make such challenges before indictments were handed up. The judge said the “injuries” that Trump claimed to have suffered from the 2-1/2-year investigation “are either insufficient or else speculative and unrealized.”
The order comes on the cusp of the investigation’s culmination. The office of the Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, a Democrat, is expected to present potential indictments in the matter to a regular grand jury by mid-August.
A “special purpose” grand jury, which did not have indictment power, interviewed dozens of witnesses and subpoenaed documents over the course of roughly seven months. Then, the jury issued an advisory report that recommended the indictment of a number of people for violations of Georgia laws, according to the jury foreperson.
The specifics of those recommendations have not yet been made public, although the foreperson, in an interview with The New York Times, strongly hinted that Trump was among those recommended for indictment.
McBurney, in Monday’s ruling, seemed to have little patience for the arguments from Trump’s legal team, and he suggested that Trump’s lawyers were gumming up the legal process with frivolous filings.
“In the future, counsel is encouraged to follow the professional standard of inquiring with Chamber’s staff about timing and deadlines before burdening other courts with unnecessary and unfounded legal filings,” McBurney wrote.
To the Trump team’s assertions that Trump would be injured by an indictment, McBurney appeared to allude to the fundraising that Trump’s campaign had done, highlighting the criminal cases against him.
“For some, being the subject of criminal investigation can, a la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic,” he wrote in a footnote. “Regardless, simply being the subject (or target) of an investigation does not yield standing to bring claim to halt that investigation in court.”
A representative for Willis’ office declined on Monday to comment on the judge’s ruling. Lawyers for Trump could not immediately be reached for comment.
In July, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously rejected a filing with a similar aim from Trump’s Georgia legal team. That filing argued, among other things, that the special grand jury’s proceedings were “blatantly unconstitutional” and that Willis had made biased public statements.
Trump’s challenge in superior court was joined by Cathy Latham, one of 16 Republicans who tried to cast bogus Electoral College votes for Trump in December 2020, and who has been named as a target of the investigation by prosecutors. McBurney also rejected Latham’s filing in his order Monday.
In addition to finding that Trump’s and Latham’s challenges were premature, McBurney pushed back against Trump’s contention that prosecutors had been improperly biased. The judge also appeared to criticize the former president for his attacks on Willis, who is Black, and whom Trump has called a “local racist Democrat district attorney” who is seeking to harm him politically.
“The drumbeat from the district attorney has been neither partisan (in the political sense) nor political, in marked and refreshing contrast to the stream of personal invective flowing from one of the movants,” the judge wrote.
A third challenge from Trump’s lawyers is set to be considered by a judge in Cobb County, Georgia, in a hearing scheduled for Aug. 10. The matter was moved to the county, which is an Atlanta suburb, after the chief judge in Fulton County Superior Court ruled that he and his fellow Fulton County judges were recused from ruling on that motion. McBurney wrote on Monday that the challenge in Cobb County should now be considered moot.
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NAPLES, Fla., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bramshill Investments, an award-winning alternative asset management firm, releases its Monthly Insights: A Closer Look at Office Commercial Real Estate & Investment Opportunities within Securitized Products.
Office properties in the U.S. Commercial Real Estate ("CRE") Market have been garnering much of the attention from the markets and media, especially after the fallout from the regional banking crisis that was largely stemmed earlier in 2023. We wanted to delve deeper into the subject to discuss our thoughts and the potential opportunities within the sector. To begin, we want to discuss the size of the sector and related sub sectors. Below is an overview of how the property types of the U.S. CRE market breaks down across the approximate $10.9 trillion market value. As shown below, Offices represent approximately one quarter of the market as of the end of 2022…
Click here to read the article.
Contact me today to learn more about our report. Bramshill's team of experts is available to answer your questions.
Media Contact:
Danielle Van Calcar
1-646-993-1648
danielle@bramshillinvestments.com
About Bramshill Investments
Bramshill Investments, LLC, is a fixed income investment manager with over $4.4 billion in assets under management (as of (6/30/2023) The firm was co-founded in 2012 by former GLG portfolio manager, Arthur DeGaetano. The team's core investment strategy has an established combined track record of over fourteen years with an absolute return objective that can be accessed through various vehicles. Bramshill also offers other alternative investment strategies. Bramshill is an investment adviser registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration as an investment advisor with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training of Bramshill or its employees. References to awards should not be construed as testimonials for our advisory services. For more information, please visit: https://bramshillinvestments.com.
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BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) — A 6-year-old boy’s lemonade stand was robbed last week in Belen, New Mexico, while he was trying to raise money for a good cause. After news spread about the theft, the community stepped up and rallied around him.
Connor Brock had a goal: raise $250 to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of their “Lemonade Stand in July” challenge.
His parents were also raising money for Connor’s benefit: “Connor has autism level two, and we’ve used the lemonade stand not only to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital but also to teach Connor responsibility, to recognize the one dollar bill, the president on it, how to count money,” said Abbegale Brock, Connor’s mother. She wanted to teach him about things like empathy and compassion.
That all came to a halt when thieves stole the money Connor raised and cleared out his lemonade stand.
“I was just dumbfounded because we weren’t gone long. Went to get something to eat, and it didn’t make any sense. It was items that you wouldn’t even think anyone would take,” Brock recalled.
Brock said she had to explain to Connor what had happened: “I just told him somebody else must have needed it more than we did.”
This weekend, Connor found himself back in business when two motorcycle groups rallied dozens of bikers Saturday and Sunday to help out.
“We heard the unfortunate situation that happened to him last week, and we just wanted to stand behind him and come show some support and just let him know that we’re here, and we got his back,” said Marcos Jaramillo, president of Moose Riders Belen 1680.
Cup after cup, from Saturday to Sunday, donations came pouring in.
“I contacted all my folks, and we put it out there four days ago. Four days ago, we put this out there, and I believe we had over 56 bikes show up this morning,” said Andrew Witham, with Rogue Biker Life, “If you’re not a part of the solution, you’re definitely a part of the problem, and if we can help in any way shape or form, we’re going to.”
“As a biker community, what we’re saying as bikers is, we’re going to be there,” explained Toby Gutierrez, owner of Rogue Biker, “If you’re going to come out and do this, you can expect to see us.”
An anonymous donation of lemonade jars for Connor was also dropped off at the Belen Police Department, and Brock said the New Mexico Gas Company donated money and built him a new lemonade stand to use.
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Ben Shelton 2023 Citi Open Odds
After bowing out in the round of 32 of the Truist Atlanta Open in his last tournament (losing to Juncheng Shang), Ben Shelton will start the Citi Open versus Shang (in the round of 32). Shelton has +2800 odds to win this tournament at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.
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Shelton at the 2023 Citi Open
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 7
- Venue: William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center
- Location: Washington, District of Columbia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Shelton's Next Match
Shelton will play Shang in the round of 32 of the Citi Open on Tuesday, August 1 at 7:00 PM ET.
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Shelton Stats
- In his most recent tournament, the Truist Atlanta Open, Shelton was eliminated in the Round of 32 by No. 156-ranked Shang, 4-6, 4-6.
- Through 20 tournaments over the past 12 months, Shelton has gone 12-20 and has yet to win a title.
- In 10 tournaments on hard courts over the past year, Shelton has gone 8-10.
- Over the past year (across all court surfaces), Shelton has played 32 matches and 29.8 games per match.
- Shelton, in 18 matches over the past year on hard courts, has played 30.1 games per match and won 49.3% of them.
- When it comes to serve/return winning percentages over the past 12 months, Shelton has won 82.1% of his games on serve, and 15.4% on return.
- As far as serve/return winning percentages on hard courts over the past year, Shelton has won 85.2% of his games on serve and 14.8% on return.
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SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The U.S. on Monday imposed sanctions on four ranking Bosnian Serb officials for undermining a 1995 peace agreement that ended a war that left more than 100,000 dead and millions homeless.
The four officials sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury include Zeljka Cvijanovic, a Serb member of the tripartite collective Bosnian presidency, as well as the prime minister of the Serb entity in Bosnia, Radovan Viskovic.
The four are alleged to have taken part in drafting a law that U.S. and other international officials say undermines the unity of Bosnia by ignoring the decisions of the country’s constitutional court.
The Bosnian Serb parliament has passed the law to not recognize or implement any decisions by Bosnia’s multi-ethnic Constitutional Court.
“This action threatens the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the hard-won peace underpinned by the Dayton Peace Agreement,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “This behavior further threatens the country’s future trajectory and successful integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.”
The Bosnian War started in 1992, pitting mostly Muslim Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats against each other. It ended with the U.S.-sponsored Dayton accords that created two regions, the Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation.
The Bosnian Serb ruling party, SNSD, said that the latest U.S. sanctions were “shameful” and “hypocritical” and would not “stop us from doing our job.”
The pro-Russian Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, has openly been striving to separate Bosnian Serb territories from the rest of Bosnia and join them with neighboring Serbia.
Because of that, he was also sanctioned by the U.S., in 2017.
On Monday, the U.S Treasury said that “as a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported.”
The U.S. recently also imposed sanctions on the pro-Russian head of Serbia’s security agency, Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of involvement in illegal arms shipments, drug trafficking and misuse of public office.
There are widespread fears that Serbia, an ally of Russia, could inflame tensions in the Balkans to divert at least some of the world attention from the war in Ukraine.
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DALLAS, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Hotels Dallas, the 260 room luxury lifestyle hotel located in the Dallas Design District, is proud to announce that it has been honored with the Equity Leadership award presented by D CEO at their annual Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship award ceremony. The Equity Leadership award is given each year to a corporation in the Dallas community that supports efforts that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Since the hotel opened in 2019, Virgin Hotels Dallas has supported local organizations that champion diversity and equity such as Cafe Momentum, Unlock Potential, and My Possibilities. Through these initiatives, the hotel has been able to provide mentorship and employment opportunities to justice-involved youth as well as adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"It is an honor for Virgin Hotels Dallas to be recognized as a leader in diversity within the Dallas community," says Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group. "Creating an inclusive environment where our guests and teammates always feel welcomed to be who they are has always been our priority at Virgin."
Looking ahead, Virgin Hotels Dallas is dedicated to continuing to evolve their diversity program with new partnerships, teammate training, and more. The Dallas Design District boutique hotel is committed to being Autism Double Checked by the end of 2024. According to the online autism training company, over 20 million people are parents to one or more children with autism. Due to the current landscape and lack of autism-friendly travel experiences, 87% of parents of autistic children currently do not travel or take family vacations. However, 93% of parents with autistic children said they would travel if autistic-friendly travel experiences were available.
With the certification, teammates at Virgin Hotels Dallas will undergo neurodiversity training and guests with special needs will receive a detailed visitors guide ahead of their stay that highlights potential sensory issues such as crowds, temperature, noise, body awareness and more.
In addition to the property's Autism Double Checked commitment, Virgin Hotels Dallas will also implement a new policy with Hidden Disabilities that will allow teammates and guests to wear a sunflower lanyard that indicates that they have a non-visible disability and may need more time, assistance, etc.
The brand's commitment to diversity goes beyond external partnerships. Internally, Virgin Hotels strives to hire individuals that are reflective of the world and encompass a variety of racial backgrounds, genders, etc. In an effort to be the most inclusive employer in the hotel industry, Virgin Hotels launched the J.E.D.I program which stands for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The idea behind this people-focused approach is to implement new guidelines for community partners, recruitment, and training in a phased approach. Currently, the brand is in its third phase which involves a complete demographic analysis to identify gaps in our workforce. Future phases will include J.E.D.I committees at each hotel, unconscious bias training, and more.
"I am so proud of the team at Virgin Hotels Dallas for leading the charge in diversity within the Dallas community and hospitality industry as a whole," says James Bermingham, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Hotels Collection. "Their efforts are a testament to the brand's purpose of 'everyone leaves feeling better'. We are so thankful to have an amazing team that prioritizes our dedication to being an inclusive and comfortable environment."
For more information on Virgin Hotels diversity & inclusivity commitment, visit https://virginhotels.com/diversity-and-inclusivity/.
About Virgin Hotels Dallas
Virgin Hotels Dallas is the second property from Virgin Hotels - the lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. The property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture that fuses with the local landscape, providing an inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Located in the Dallas Design District on 1445 Turtle Creek Blvd, the hotel features 260 Chambers (rooms) and two Penthouse Suites. Dining and drinking outlets include Commons Club the brand's flagship restaurant and bar, Funny Library Coffee Shop and The Pool Club. Reservations accepted and can be made directly on the hotel's website, www.virginhotels.com/dallas or by calling 469.359.7003.
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(The Hill) – Country singer Jason Aldean defended his controversial song “Try That in a Small Town” in Massachusetts over the weekend, saying the message of the track was demonstrated by the city of Boston after the devastating marathon bombing 10 years ago.
Speaking to fans at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, about 40 miles from where the terrorist attack occurred, killing three and injuring hundreds, Aldean told fans the message of his song has been “overshadowed by all the bulls—.”
“I was lying in bed last night and I was thinking to myself, you guys would get this better than anybody, right,” Aldean said, according to NBC News. “Because I remember a time, I think it was April 2013, when the Boston Marathon bombings happened, you guys remember this right?” he asked the audience.
“The last time that happened was a whole, not a small town, a big-ass town came together, no matter your color, no matter anything,” he continued. “No matter if you’re anything. The whole country and especially Boston came together to find” the culprits.
Aldean has faced growing backlash for his song and the music video for what some consider racially charged lyrics and images. The song, which was released in May, tells protesters who “cuss out a cop, spit in his face, stomp on the flag and light it up” they could see retribution from small town residents.
Others expressed outrage over the location where the video was shot: outside a courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., where a Black man was lynched in the 1920s and which almost became the lynching spot of Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court’s first African American justice.
After some accused the song of glorifying sundown towns, or all-white neighborhoods where Black people were discouraged from being after dark through white violence, the music video pulled from CMT.
Republicans, however, have stood behind the song, with former President Trump, whom Aldean supported in 2020, defending the singer and calling him a “fantastic guy.”
Aldean has vehemently denied accusations that “Try That in a Small Town” carries racist undertones, and on Saturday he told concert-goers the song has nothing to do with race but about punishing those who threaten America, just as Bostonians would have if they had caught the 2013 bombers, brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
“And anybody, any 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— outta them, either one of ‘em,” Aldean said. “And I’ve been trying to say, this is not about race, it’s about people getting their s— together and acting right, acting like you’ve got some common sense.”
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John Isner 2023 Mifel Open Odds
John Isner, off a loss in the round of 32 of the Truist Atlanta Open (to Dominik Koepfer) in his previous tournament, will open the Mifel Open in Los Cabos, Mexico versus Rinky Hijikata in the round of 32. Isner's odds are +1400 to win this event at Cabo Sports Complex.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 Mifel Open and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Isner at the 2023 Mifel Open
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 6
- Venue: Cabo Sports Complex
- Location: Los Cabos, Mexico
- Court Surface: Hard
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Isner's Next Match
In the round of 32 of the Mifel Open, on Monday, July 31 (at 10:20 PM ET), Isner will meet Hijikata.
Isner is currently listed at -160 to win his next contest against Hijikata. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
John Isner Grand Slam Odds
- US Open odds to win: +12500
- Mifel Open odds to win: +1400
Want to bet on Isner? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Isner Stats
- In his most recent tournament, the Truist Atlanta Open, Isner was eliminated in the Round of 32 by No. 88-ranked Koepfer, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7.
- Isner is 12-14 over the past 12 months, with no tournament titles.
- Isner is 9-10 on hard courts over the past year.
- Isner, over the past year, has played 26 matches across all court surfaces, and 29.2 games per match.
- On hard courts, Isner has played 19 matches over the past year, and 28.3 games per match.
- Isner has won 11.0% of his return games and 88.1% of his service games over the past 12 months.
- On hard courts over the past year, Isner has been victorious in 10.3% of his return games and 89.8% of his service games.
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PITTSBURGH (AP) — A jury is set to deliberate whether to impose the death penalty or a sentence of life in prison without parole on a man who spewed antisemitic hate before fatally shooting 11 worshippers at a synagogue in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.
The same jurors who convicted 50-year-old Robert Bowers in June on 63 criminal counts listened to closing arguments Monday in the penalty phase of his federal trial, held nearly five years after the truck driver from suburban Baldwin perpetrated the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.
Bowers defiled a place of worship when he entered the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, shooting everyone he could find in a mass murder clearly motivated by religious hatred, said U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan.
Bowers raved incessantly on social media about his hatred of Jewish people — using a slur for Jewish people some 400 times on a social media platform favored by the far right — and remains proud that he killed Jews, the prosecutor reminded jurors,
“Do not be numb to it. Remember what it means. This defendant targeted people solely because of the faith that they chose,” Olshan said.
He added: “This is a case that calls for the most severe punishment under the law: the death penalty.”
The defense was expected to deliver its closing argument later Monday.
Bowers’ attorneys have argued that he has schizophrenia, a serious brain disorder whose symptoms include delusions and hallucinations, and that Bowers attacked the synagogue out of a delusional belief that Jews were helping to bring about a genocide of white people by coming to the aid of refugees and immigrants. The defense has also presented evidence of Bowers’ difficult childhood.
Olshan disputed the defense experts’ diagnosis of schizophrenia, asserting Bowers was not suffering psychosis but had chosen to believe white supremacist rhetoric. And while acknowledging there’s no question that Bowers was a depressed, neglected child, Olshan downplayed the significance of it, noting that Bowers had held jobs, paid bills, and was an otherwise functioning adult.
“He was not a child, he was a grown man. He was responsible for his actions, not his family and things that happened decades earlier. He was, he is responsible for his actions,” Olshan said.
In order to impose death, jurors must find that aggravating circumstances, which make the crime especially heinous, outweigh mitigating factors that could be seen as diminishing his culpability. Those aggravating circumstances could include the vulnerability of Bowers’ elderly and disabled victims and his targeting of Jewish people.
Olshan played a composite of 911 calls made from inside the synagogue, including audio of people being shot and a survivor’s horrified screams.
He said Bowers had taken “11 people, 11 full lives, 11 people who loved their families, 11 people who loved their friends, 11 people who were loved. … How do you measure the impact of all of that loss?”
The prosecutor spoke about 75-year-old Joyce Fienberg’s care for her family and 65-year-old Richard Gottfried’s devotion to his faith. He said Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, had the ethos of a country doctor: “He loved delivering babies but he never delivered judgment.” David Rosenthal, 54, and Cecil Rosenthal, 59, intellectually disabled brothers, “loved life,” Olshan said. “But maybe more than anything, they loved Tree of Life.”
The other deceased victims were Rose Mallinger, 97; Bernice Simon, 84, and her husband, Sylvan Simon, 86; Dan Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87; and Irving Younger, 69.
The attack also wounded seven people, including five responding police officers. Bowers was shot three times before surrendering when he ran out of ammunition.
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Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania.
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WASHINGTON, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, announces the impending retirement of Chris Thompson as President and CEO, effective May 31, 2024. After a successful tenure of leading the organization, Thompson has decided to step down and pursue life beyond work.
During his time as President and CEO, Thompson has played a pivotal role in promoting the United States as a premier travel destination. Under his leadership, Brand USA has achieved remarkable milestones, including increased international visitation, and enhanced global awareness of the diverse offerings across the country.
Thompson's strategic vision and unwavering commitment to excellence have been instrumental in driving Brand USA's success. His dedication to fostering partnerships with industry stakeholders, government agencies, and international organizations has strengthened the organization's position as a global leader in destination marketing.
"It has been an incredible privilege to serve as President and CEO of Brand USA," said Thompson. "I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am confident that the organization will continue to thrive under new leadership."
The Brand USA Board of Directors expressed their gratitude to Thompson for his exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the organization. "Under Chris's strategic guidance, the Brand USA team has kept the USA the preferred travel destination in the world", stated Todd Davidson, Chair of the Brand USA Board and CEO of Travel Oregon. "Chris's integrity, tenacity, passion and belief in the power of the travel and tourism industry to bring prosperity to all Americans, fueled the advancement of the US travel and tourism industry and established an organizational foundation of innovation, resiliency and future-focused confidence. We all wish him the very best in his retirement."
The search for a new President and CEO is commencing, and Brand USA is committed to finding a successor who will build upon Thompson's legacy and continue to drive the organization forward. The Board of Directors will work closely with an executive search firm to identify a candidate with the necessary expertise, vision, and passion for promoting the United States as a global travel destination.
About Brand USA
Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. travel policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the United States in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past ten years Brand USA's marketing initiatives have helped welcome 8 million incremental visitors to the United States, benefiting the U.S. economy with more than $58 billion in total economic impact and supporting, on average, more than 37,000 incremental jobs a year.
For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com. To discover more about the USA and the boundless diversity of American travel experiences and authentic, rich culture, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com and follow Visit The USA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Contact:
Colleen Mangone
Director, Public Affairs Communications
cmangone@thebrandusa.com
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SOURCE Brand USA
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BOISE, Idaho (KTVX) – Lori Vallow Daybell, convicted of murdering her children, among other crimes, was sentenced to five life sentences in prison Monday with no possibility of parole. This sentencing brings closure to nearly four years of investigation and a trial.
Daybell, 49, was found guilty of murder, and conspiracy to commit murder of her children Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 16. She was also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Tammy Daybell, the former wife of her husband, Chad Daybell. Additionally, Lori was found guilty of grand theft.
Lori was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole, three of which will run consecutively, for her involvement in their murders and the conspiracy to commit murder. While many called for the death penalty, it was ruled out by a judge in March 2023 prior to her murder trial.
The case began in 2018 when Lori and Chad met at a religious conference in St. George. They became close friends, and even lovers, though both were married to other people. In July 2019, Lori’s husband Charles Vallow was killed by her brother, and it was declared self-defense, but later identified as a homicide.
Then in late-2019, Lori’s two children went missing — a case that captivated the United States. And while investigators were frantically searching for the kids, Lori and Chad were in Hawaii getting married.
Chad’s wife Tammy died a few weeks before Lori and Chad ran to Hawaii, but after the children went missing. Her death was originally ruled natural causes but later declared asphyxiation at the hands of another after her body was exhumed.
In February 2020, Lori was arrested on charges of desertion and nonsupport of dependent children. In April, Lori and Chad were both under investigation for conspiracy, attempted murder, and murder. They both pleaded not guilty.
During the final stages of the investigation leading up to their scheduled trials in January 2023, Tylee and JJ’s remains were found buried on Chad’s property.
Because of the large amount of evidence discovered, and the fact that Chad waived his right to a speedy trial, he will face his charges in April 2024. However, Lori did not waive her right to a speedy trial and appeared in court on April 2023, where she was found guilty on all charges.
Now, in July 2023, nearly four years after Lori’s children were murdered, she was sentenced to life in prison on all counts.
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HAMPTON BEACH, N.H. (AP) — A small plane that crashed into the ocean just off a New Hampshire beach over the weekend flipped upside down when it hit the water before slowly rolling back into an upright position.
The pilot of the single-engine Piper PA-18 plane that had been pulling a banner advertising a concert made his own way out of the aircraft after Saturday’s noontime crash and was assisted ashore by Hampton Beach lifeguards who moments before had been keeping a close eye on swimmers.
The pilot was evaluated at the scene but was not hurt, police said.
The plane had been buzzing over the crowded beach all morning dragging a banner for an Eagles tribute band playing Saturday night at a local venue, said Tammy Nowlan of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, who was at the beach with her boyfriend and caught video of the crash on her phone.
When the plane dropped the banner, she knew something was wrong.
“I remember my boyfriend saying, ‘Looks like something fell off that plane,'” Nowlan said on Monday.
She grabbed her phone and captured the plane hitting the water about 30 yards (27 meters) off the shore and somersaulting over.
“It was the craziest thing,” she said. “It just slowly glided in like something from a movie. I saw the pilot get out and he was safe, and I said, ‘Thank goodness.’”
Authorities did not release the pilot’s name but the aircraft is registered to the owner of Sky Lines Aerial Advertising, based at nearby Hampton Airfield, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Voicemail messages were left with the company on Monday.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
According to preliminary information released by the FAA on Monday, the aircraft crashed “for unknown reasons.”
The plane was hauled onto the sand and eventually turned over to the owner.
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