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The U.S. Department of Energy is banning the sale of energy inefficient light bulbs beginning Aug. 1, 2023. Given that incandescent and halogen light bulbs are far less energy efficient than LED light bulbs, many people are treating this as a ban on incandescent and halogen bulbs.
Incandescent and halogen lights have a wire within the bulb that heats up and produces light, while LED bulbs do not.
But light bulbs aren’t just used in floor lamps and ceiling fans. People in various online communities have asked how the light bulb ban affects them — including a question about halogen headlights in a Ram trucks subreddit, multiple questions about heat lamps in communities for reptile pet owners and a question about how the law affects lava lamps.
THE QUESTION
Is the U.S. government banning all incandescent and halogen light bulbs?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, the U.S. government is not banning all incandescent and halogen light bulbs.
WHAT WE FOUND
The new rule bans the manufacture and sale of inefficient “general service lamps,” which largely refers to the standard kinds of light bulbs you’d use to illuminate your home. Most incandescent and halogen light bulbs fail to meet these new energy efficiency standards, and are therefore banned by the rule.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has carved out exceptions for many different kinds of light bulbs in its ban on the manufacturing and sale of energy inefficient light bulbs.
“It does not ban the sale or manufacture of ALL incandescent bulbs, just those common household incandescent (and other) bulbs that are not energy-efficient,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says of the new ban. “Many bulbs, including specialty bulbs, three-way bulbs, chandelier bulbs, refrigerator bulbs, plant grow lights and others, are exempt from the law's requirements.”
The reason incandescent and halogen bulbs are less energy efficient than LED bulbs is because the incandescent and halogen bulbs create light by passing an electrical current through a tungsten filament, which also creates heat, General Electric says. The heat that’s released is usually wasted energy, although it can sometimes be useful for things like heat lamps.
The ban is a rule that has been in the making since 2007, when Congress passed and former President George W. Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The law required the Secretary of Energy to determine if there should be a rule with a “minimum standard of 45 lumens per watt for general service lamps.”
In Jan. 2017, the DOE adopted this rule, and planned to begin enforcing it in 2020. DOE withdrew this rule in Sept. 2019 and didn’t adopt it again until May 2022, regulations.gov says. Therefore, the enforcement date was moved to Aug. 1, 2023, a DOE document says.
According to the 2007 law, the rule only makes changes to the “Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles” within the U.S. code, meaning the ban does not apply to car lights, including headlights.
Additionally, the 2007 law required the rule to exempt a number of various bulbs from the ban. These include:
Appliance lamps (such as refrigerator lights)
Heat lamps, plant lights and bug lamps
Colored lights and black lights
Reflector lamps
Chandelier bulbs, Christmas lights and decorative bulbs of 40 watts or less
The EPA notes that the rule does not ban the use or purchase of incandescent or halogen lightbulbs, just the manufacture and sale of the bulbs. Therefore, individuals will not be penalized for continuing to use incandescent bulbs in their homes.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/verify/government-verify/incandescent-halogen-light-bulb-lamp-ban-phase-out/536-4cc9c8bb-bd10-4ca1-900e-e74df93f0ed8
| 2023-07-31T19:50:03
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/verify/government-verify/incandescent-halogen-light-bulb-lamp-ban-phase-out/536-4cc9c8bb-bd10-4ca1-900e-e74df93f0ed8
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ARKANSAS, USA — Walmart has announced a new membership option named Walmart+ Student, which would provide Arkansas college students with a 50% discount on their annual or monthly membership from July 28-September 7.
The Walmart+ membership includes free grocery delivery, free shipping with no order minimum, cashback on travel, savings on gas, a Paramount+ membership, returns from home, early access to new products of special prices, Pluto TV streaming, and mobile scan and go.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/life/shopping/discounted-walmart-memberships-to-arkansas-college-students/527-a91cec53-8c64-4d23-aa6a-45b81210125a
| 2023-07-31T19:50:04
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/life/shopping/discounted-walmart-memberships-to-arkansas-college-students/527-a91cec53-8c64-4d23-aa6a-45b81210125a
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IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (TPAMI) achieves highest impact factor among Computer Society journals
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The IEEE Computer Society (CS), the leading global computer science and engineering member community, announced today that its journal IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (TPAMI) earned the highest 2022 Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF™) of all IEEE CS publications, securing the top spot among artificial intelligence journals.
"Computer science and engineering represent some of the most prominent, promising areas of research today," said Nita Patel, president, IEEE CS. "As the number of papers in our field continues to climb, paper acceptance gets increasingly competitive, and our editors work tirelessly to ensure that only the top papers make their way into our journals. We're thrilled to, once again, hold top impact factor rankings, and we thank all of our volunteers for their commitment to excellence."
Impact factor measures the frequency with which the average article in a publication has been cited in a particular year. The calculation is based on a two-year period and involves dividing the number of times articles were cited by the number of articles that are citable. It offers a key metric to assess the overall strength and industry influence of a particular publication.
Overall, 11 IEEE CS journals now hold the coveted top impact factor ranking in their specialty field. The following four publications join TPAMI to round out the top five highest-ranked IEEE CS journals:
- IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing (TAC)
- IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering (TKDE), a new entrant to IEEE CS' top five journals
- IEEE Transactions on Services Computing (TSC)
- IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing (TMC), a new entrant to IEEE CS' top five journals
In addition, IEEE CS' fully open access publication, IEEE Open Journal of the Computer Society, received its first impact factor in Clarivate's Emerging Sources Citation Index™ (ESCI), which features newly launched, niche, and open access journals publishing high-quality research on a range of topics. This is the first year Clarivate included the multidisciplinary ESCI in its JIF review.
"We're thrilled that IEEE Open Journal of the Computer Society had the opportunity to be recognized this year," said Greg Byrd, IEEE CS VP of Publications. "With the innovative research it brings to the field, it is certain to have a long-standing impact on the computer science and engineering community."
Impact factor applies not only to scientific and engineering journals but to technical magazines as well. Those IEEE CS publications with the highest impact factor rankings include:
"One of the most important things about impact factor rankings is that they point to the most highly researched topics in the field," said Patel. "This year, there's a heavy focus on artificial intelligence, data science, and mobile computing. It will be interesting to watch the evolution of these topics and the advances that arise from papers presented in Computer Society publications."
JIF rankings are released annually in Clarivate's Journal Citation Reports™ (JCR™). These reports evaluate more than 21,500 high-quality academic journals from across more than 250 scientific and research disciplines.
To learn more about IEEE Computer Society journals and the research they offer, visit https://www.computer.org/publications.
About the IEEE Computer Society
Engaging computer engineers, scientists, academia, and industry professionals from all areas of computing, the IEEE Computer Society (CS) sets the standard for the education and engagement that fuels continued global technological advancement. Through conferences, publications, and programs, and by bringing together computer science and engineering leaders at every phase of their career for dialogue, debate, and collaboration, IEEE CS empowers, shapes, and guides the future of not only its members, but the greater industry, enabling new opportunities to better serve our world. Visit computer.org for more information.
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SOURCE IEEE Computer Society
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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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SOURCE Jackpocket
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jackpocket-celebrates-10th-anniversary-with-giveaway-attend-2023-iheartradio-music-festival-las-vegas/
| 2023-07-31T19:50:06
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On July 29, several accounts on Twitter, now called X, shared an image of actor Tom Hanks wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.” The image went viral, trending on the social media site, with some commenters questioning whether the image was real or manipulated.
The photo spread to other platforms, racking up hundreds of thousands of views across social media and photo sharing websites.
THE QUESTION
Is the photo of Tom Hanks wearing a “Keep America Trumpless” shirt real?
THE SOURCES
RevEye, a reverse image search engine
THE ANSWER
No, the photo of Tom Hanks in a ‘Keep America Trumpless’ shirt is fake.
WHAT WE FOUND
The photo of Tom Hanks in an anti-Trump shirt was edited. It was created using a photo taken in 2020 when Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were in Sydney, Australia.
VERIFY was able to find the original photo using RevEye, a reverse image search engine.
Photos posted on British tabloid The Sun’s website show Hanks walking down a Sydney sidewalk with Wilson ahead of their son, Truman.
Comparing the doctored image to the original image, you can see Truman wearing the same shirt behind Hanks, with the same watch and rolled-up sleeves. You can also see Hanks is wearing the same hat, sunglasses and has the same facial expression.
The only difference is the shirt. In the original, Hanks is wearing a solid navy shirt – not a “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS” shirt.
This is not the first time a photo of a celebrity was doctored to make it appear like he was wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.”
In June 2022, a doctored photo of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went viral claiming to show the wrestler-turned-actor wearing a shirt with the same slogan. That photo was fake, too.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665
| 2023-07-31T19:50:09
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Fayetteville Police Department will be hosting National Night Out at Walker Park on Tuesday, August 1 from 5:30-7 p.m.
According to the PD's posts about the event, National Night Out is meant to foster relationships between law enforcement and their communities. The National Night Out website claims communities across the country host events like block parties, parades, and seminars in order to bring police and communities together "under positive circumstances."
FPD has announced on social media some of the activities that will be available at the event. These will include a video game truck, face painting, police vehicles, fire trucks, police K9s, ice cream, and food.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/fayetteville-pd-hosting-national-night-out/527-180385fb-d9cf-40e1-ba51-0df81d5535f6
| 2023-07-31T19:50:10
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/fayetteville-pd-hosting-national-night-out/527-180385fb-d9cf-40e1-ba51-0df81d5535f6
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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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SOURCE Liberty HealthShare
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/liberty-healthshare-assemblies-god-general-council/
| 2023-07-31T19:50:13
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/liberty-healthshare-assemblies-god-general-council/
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NEW YORK — While the Las Vegas Aces are the class of the WNBA so far this season, their dominance may actually hurt them in final awards ballots.
Locked On Women's Basketball hosts Natalie Heavren and Em Adler discussed their WNBA awards ballots at the midway point of the season on the latest episode of the podcast, starting with likely runaway MVP Breanna Stewart, producing at an elite level in her first season in Brooklyn.
“I think if Stewie puts up a few more 40-point games … that’s probably a turning point," Adler said. "If New York cleans (clutch performance) up, then I think it will sort of be the difference in wins and losses that will convince a lot of people.”
Coming in second on the hosts' MVP ballots was Alyssa Thomas, the standout forward for the Connecticut Sun playing at her peak at age 30.
“I wasn’t necessarily expecting Alyssa Thomas to be so close to Breanna Stewart," Adler explained. "It could go either way, I think Alyssa Thomas is certainly deserving of that recognition, especially with how much she has led the team lately.”
Thomas was the hosts' pick to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Perhaps the most clear-cut winner of any WNBA award this season will be Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever, a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year.
“Aliyah Boston is obviously going to be Rookie of the Year," Adler said. "She is the one player consistently getting doubled from Indiana … it’s really hard to stop her one on one.”
The hosts also listed Chicago Sky reserve forward Alanna Smith as their Most Improved Player and went through the top coach and executive in the WNBA as well as how the race could evolve in the back half of the year.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c
| 2023-07-31T19:50:15
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https://www.kgw.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c
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FORT SMITH, Ark. — A local church is picking up the pieces of its prayer grotto after it was destroyed by a driver who allegedly crashed into it last week.
St. Boniface Catholic Church in Fort Smith posted these photos to their Facebook page saying the grotto protected the school from being damaged.
"As parishioners at St. Boniface, we have admired and prayed at the grotto in front of the school. We have asked the Blessed Mother to watch over our parish and us personally. Today Our Beautiful Lady protected the school from harm," the post read.
The statue of Mary had minimal damage, as you can see in the following photo.
The grotto was built in the early 1950's according to its website.
The church said there is an active investigation going on for this incident.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/vehicle-drives-historic-grotto-fort-smith-church/527-3686cc38-61d2-4d32-9836-f0301c997f78
| 2023-07-31T19:50:16
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/vehicle-drives-historic-grotto-fort-smith-church/527-3686cc38-61d2-4d32-9836-f0301c997f78
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Animal Shelters, Rescue Groups, and Happy Adopters, Nationally and Internationally, Encouraged to Celebrate the Role Adopted Dogs Play in Our Lives
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuesday, August 1st is DOGust 1ST ®– the official birthday for all rescue dogs – and North Shore Animal League America is encouraging animal lovers around the country and globe to join them in celebrating the incredible meaning our adopted animals add to our lives.
Since the actual dates of birth for most rescued dogs are unknown, Animal League America created DOGust 1st to celebrate rescue dogs (those adopted and those awaiting loving homes.) Since 2008, these "Mutt-i-grees" have had this day designated to honor the incredible impact they make on our lives.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate rescue dogs and the invaluable role they play in our lives, while raising awareness about the importance of rescue and adoption," said Joanne Yohannan, Senior Vice President, Operations, North Shore Animal League America.
In honor of DOGust 1st, North Shore Animal League America, and many of their shelter partners across the country, will be participating in DOGust 1st festivities throughout the week (August 1 – 7.) By encouraging adoption specials, birthday themed activities, and local media opportunities, even more rescue dogs are expected to find loving, responsible homes.
To find an adoptable pet at a shelter or rescue group in your area go to www.animalleague.org.
To find a participating DOGust 1st group near you visit www.animalleague.org/dogust1st.
For video highlights of DOGust 1st, visit: DOGUST 1ST ASSETS
Photo & Video Credit: North Shore Animal League America
MEDIA CONTACT:
KATHLEEN LYNN
Senior Director of Communications
Cell: (516) 528-7878
Email: KathleenL@animalleague.org
#DOGust1st #GetYourRescueOn
About NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA
Animal League America has saved more than 1.1 million lives. As the world's largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization, we understand that a rescue isn't complete until each animal is placed into a loving home. Our innovative programs provide education to reduce animal cruelty and advance standards in animal welfare. We reach across the country to rescue animals from overcrowded shelters, unwanted litters, commercial breeding facilities, natural disasters and other emergencies and find them permanent, loving homes. www.animalleague.org
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SOURCE North Shore Animal League America
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/north-shore-animal-league-america-leads-worldwide-celebration-dogust-1st-official-birthday-all-rescue-dogs/
| 2023-07-31T19:50:19
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DENVER — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
The 68-year-old covers his windows with mattress foam to insulate against the heat and sleeps in the concrete basement. He knows high temperatures can cause heat stroke and death, and his lung condition makes him more susceptible. But the retired brick layer, who survives on about $1,000 a month, says air conditioning is out of reach.
“Take me about 12 years to save up for something like that,” he said. “If it’s hard to breathe, I’ll get down to emergency.”
As climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses. Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival.
As Phoenix weathered its 27th consecutive day above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) Wednesday, the nine who died indoors didn’t have functioning air conditioning, or it was turned off. Last year, all 86 heat-related deaths indoors were in uncooled environments.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.”
It’s the poorest and people of color, from Kansas City to Detroit to New York City and beyond, who are far more likely to face grueling heat without air conditioning, according to a Boston University analysis of 115 U.S. metro areas.
“The temperature differences ... between lower-income neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and their wealthier, whiter counterparts have pretty severe consequences,” said Cate Mingoya-LaFortune of Groundwork USA, an environmental justice organization. “There are these really big consequences like death. ... But there’s also ambient misery.”
Some have window units that can offer respite, but “in the dead of heat, it don’t do nothing,” said Melody Clark, who stopped Friday to get food at a Kansas City, Kansas, nonprofit as temperatures soared to 101. When the central air conditioning at her rental house broke, her landlord installed a window unit. But it doesn’t do much during the day.
So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
As far as her two teenagers, she said: “They aren’t little bitty. We aren’t dying in the heat. ... They don’t complain.”
While billions in federal funding have been allocated to subsidize utility costs and the installation of cooling systems, experts say they often only support a fraction of the most vulnerable families and some still require prohibitive upfront costs. Installing a centralized heat pump system for heating and cooling can easily reach $25,000.
President Joe Biden announced steps on Thursda y to defend against extreme heat, highlighting the expansion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which funnels money through states to help poorer households pay utility bills.
While the program is critical, said Michelle Graff, who studies the subsidy at Cleveland State University, only about 16% of the nation’s eligible population is actually reached. Nearly half of states don’t offer the federal dollars for summer cooling.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.
As temperatures rise, so does the cost of cooling. And temperatures are already hotter in America’s low-income neighborhoods. Researchers at the University of San Diego analyzed 1,056 counties and in over 70%, the poorest areas and those with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations were significantly hotter. That's in part because those neighborhoods lack tree coverage.
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down.
The 37-year-old factory worker sometimes sits in her car with the air conditioner running. “Some people here spend every dollar for food, so air conditioning is something they can’t afford,” she said.
In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. Rebates are the kind of state and federal point-of-sale discounts that Amanda Morian has looked into for her 640-square-foot home.
Morian, who has a 13-week-old baby susceptible to hot weather, is desperate to keep her house in Denver's Globeville suburb cool. She got estimates from four different companies for installing a cooling system, but every project was between $20,000 and $25,000, she said. Even with subsidies she can’t afford it.
Instead, she bought thermal curtains, ceiling fans and runs a window unit. At night she tries to do skin-to-skin touch to regulate the baby’s body temperature.
“All of those are just to take the edge off, its not enough to actually make it cool. It’s enough to keep us from dying,” she said.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/climate-science/record-heat-waves-illuminate-plight-poorest-americans-suffer-without-air-conditioning/69-57be38b3-e8c4-4d74-bdd5-0456e292a605
| 2023-07-31T19:50:21
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FRISCO, Texas — The Frisco Police Chief is apologizing today to a family from Little Rock pulled over and held at gunpoint this past Sunday because the officers mistakenly believed they were in a stolen car: a mistake Frisco PD says happened because an officer entered the vehicle as being from Arizona, not Arkansas.
On Sunday, a Frisco police officer saw a black Dodge Charger with an out-of-state license plate leaving a hotel. Police said due to recent burglaries and vehicle thefts in which Chargers are frequently stolen, the officer conducted a computer check of the vehicle’s Arkansas license plate. However, when entering the information, the plate was mistakenly entered out of Arizona, according to police. The error resulted in an incorrect registration return, leading the officer to believe that the vehicle was possibly stolen.
The officer then reportedly initiated a "high-risk traffic stop" on the Dallas North Tollway, which police said is standard procedure for stolen vehicles.
The officer who pulled over vehicle waited inside her squad car for nearly four minutes until additional officers arrived. In body cam videos released Friday, the officers use their PA system to shout commands at the family.
"Everyone put their hands outside, do it now," an officer yells. "Walk a little faster. The tollway is shut down," the officer shouts at the female driver. "Keep walking backwards."
After the driver is out of the vehicle and placed in a squad car, officers yell at a teen in the back seat to get out next. He turns out to be the 6th grade son of the driver.
"If you reach in that car, you may get shot so be careful. Do not reach in the car," the officer shouts once they have been told, by the driver, that her licensed handgun is locked in the glove compartment.
Then, 10-minutes into the traffic stop, you can hear the officers in the body cam videos realizing their mistake.
"Are you serious," an officer asks.
"The wrong tag was written. This isn't a stolen vehicle," another officer tells him.
The passenger in the front seat, the driver's husband, breaks down in tears. The boys in the back seat are his son and a nephew. He is their basketball coach and they were headed to a youth basketball tournament and were supposed to be playing their first game at 9AM.
"Listen but we're just here for a basketball tournament," he tells the officers. "Man don't do this to my sons bro," he says as he beings to cry. "Y'all put a gun to my son for no reason."
"So it looks like I made a mistake," the officer who made the initial computer entry tells them.
"We're so sorry it happened like this," another officer says. "We're human as well and we make mistakes."
On her TikTok account the driver, who identifies herself as Demi Janale, recounted what she called a traumatizing encounter.
"It's just I can't make sense of it. And why my son was treated that way. Why he was not treated as a child," she said. "It's not OK. And I thank God that we were not physically injured but we have suffered a lot of mental and emotional trauma from this."
"I've cried so much today I don't know if I have any more tears to cry. Every time I see the video of my baby, I just can't believe it. I feel like this is a very bad dream."
“We made a mistake,” said Frisco Police Chief David Shilson in a written statement. “Our department will not hide from its mistakes. Instead, we will learn from them. The officer involved quickly accepted responsibility for what happened, which speaks to integrity. I’ve spoken with the family. I empathize with them and completely understand why they’re upset. I apologized on behalf of our department and assured them that we will hold ourselves accountable and provide transparency through the process. This incident does not reflect the high standard of service that our officers provide on a daily basis to our residents, businesses and visitors.”
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/frisco-police-department-high-risk-traffic-stop/287-29748062-cf70-48dc-91f3-38a90ee18c9e
| 2023-07-31T19:50:22
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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.
View original content:
SOURCE Society for Vascular Surgery
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/society-vascular-surgery-responds-new-york-times-article-overuse-interventions-vascular-surgery/
| 2023-07-31T19:50:26
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/society-vascular-surgery-responds-new-york-times-article-overuse-interventions-vascular-surgery/
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process that won't conclude until the end of next year with the help of heavy machinery and explosives.
But in some ways, removing the dams is the easy part. The hard part will come over the next decade as workers, partnering with Native American tribes, plant and monitor nearly 17 billion seeds as they try to restore the Klamath River and the surrounding land to what it looked like before the dams started to go up more than a century ago.
The demolition is part of a national movement to return the natural flow of the nation's rivers and restore habitat for fish and the ecosystems that sustain other wildlife. More than 2,000 dams have been removed in the U.S. as of February, with the bulk of those having come down within the last 25 years, according to the advocacy group American Rivers.
The removal of four hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River is the movement's greatest triumph and its greatest challenge. When demolition is completed by the end of next year, more than 400 miles (644 kilometers) of river will have opened for threatened species of fish and other wildlife. By comparison, the 65 dams removed in the U.S. last year combined to reconnect 430 miles (692 kilometers) of river.
The project will empty three reservoirs over about 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers) near the California-Oregon border, exposing soil to sunlight in some places for the first time in more than a century.
For the past five years, Native American tribes have gathered seeds by hand and sent them to nurseries with plans to sow the seeds along the banks of the newly wild river. Helicopters will bring in hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs to plant along the banks, including wads of tree roots to create habitat for fish.
This growth usually takes decades to happen naturally. But officials are pressing nature’s fast-forward button because they hope to repel an invasion of foreign plants, such as starthistle, which dominate the landscape at the expense of native plants.
“Why not just let nature take its course? Well, nature didn’t take its course when dams got put in. We can’t pretend this gigantic change in the landscape has not happened and we can’t just ignore the fact that invasive species are a big problem in the west and in California,” said Dave Meurer, director of community affairs for Resource Environmental Solutions, the company leading the restoration project. “Our goal is to give nature a head start.”
A power company, known today as PacifiCorp, built the dams starting in 1918 to generate electricity. The dams halted the natural flow of the river and disrupted the lifecycle of salmon, a fish that spends most of its life in the Pacific Ocean but returns to the chilly mountain streams to lay eggs. The fish are culturally and spiritually significant to a number of Native American tribes, who historically survived by fishing the massive runs of salmon that would come back to the rivers each year.
A combination of low water levels and warm temperatures in 2002 led to a bacterial outbreak that killed more than 34,000 fish, mostly Chinook salmon. The loss jumpstarted decades of advocacy from Native American tribes and environmental groups, culminating last year when federal regulators approved a plan to remove the dams.
“The river is our church, the salmon is our cross. That's how it relates to the people. So it's very sacred to us,” said Kenneth Brink, vice chairman of the Karuk Tribe. “The river is not just a place we go to swim. It's life. It creates everything for our people.”
The project will cost $500 million, paid for by taxpayers and PacifiCorps ratepayers. Crews have mostly removed the smallest of the four dams, known as Copco No. 2. The other three dams are expected to come down next year after the reservoirs behind them are drained. That will leave some homeowners in the area without the picturesque lake they have lived on for years.
The Siskiyou County Water Users Association, which formed about a decade ago to stop the dam removal project, filed a federal lawsuit. But so far they have been unable to stop the demolition.
“I think it’s a huge mistake,” association President Richard Marshall said. “Unfortunately it’s a mistake you can’t turn back from.”
The water level in the lakes will drop between 3 feet and 5 feet (1 meter to 1.5 meters) per day over the first few months of next year. Crews will follow that water line, taking advantage of the moisture in the soil to plant seeds from more than 98 native plant species including wooly sunflower, Idaho fescue and Blue bunch wheat grass.
Tribes have been invested in the process from the start. Resource Environmental Solutions hired tribal members to gather seeds from native plants by hand. The Yurok Tribe even hired a restoration botanist.
Each species has a role to play. Some, like lupine, grow quickly and prepare the soil for other plants. Others, like oak trees, take years to fully mature and provide shade for other plants.
“It's a wonderful marriage of tribal traditional ecological knowledge and western science,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit entity created to oversee the project.
The previous largest dam removal project was on Washington state’s Elwha River, which flows out of Olympic National Park into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Congress in 1992 approved the demolition of the two dams on the river constructed in the early 1900s. After two decades of planning, workers finished removing them in 2014, opening about 70 miles (113 kilometers) of habitat for salmon and steelhead.
Biologists say it will take at least a generation for the river to recover, but within months of the dams being removed, salmon were already recolonizing sections of the river they had not accessed in more than a century. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which has been closely involved in restoration work, is opening a limited subsistence fishery this fall for coho salmon, its first since the dams came down.
Brink, the Karuk Tribe vice chair, hopes similar success will happen on the Klamath River. Multiple times per year, Brink and other tribal members participate in ceremonial salmon fishing using handheld nets. In many years, there have been no fish to catch, he said.
“When the river gets to flow freely again, the people can also begin to worship freely again,” he said.
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Associated Press writer Eugene Johnson in Seattle contributed.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/environment/largest-us-dam-removal-project-tribes-future-growth/283-a8c394d0-afb3-4344-bc8f-f1aa525ad81a
| 2023-07-31T19:50:27
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https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/environment/largest-us-dam-removal-project-tribes-future-growth/283-a8c394d0-afb3-4344-bc8f-f1aa525ad81a
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James Fork Regional Water District (JFRWD) has announced the implementation of Phase II water conservation for customers in Sebastian County on Monday, July 31. JFRWD says this is due to "extreme high temperatures and excessive water usage."
Here's what that means:
JFRWD advises residents to avoid the following:
- Lawn watering
- Car washing
- Filling pools
- Filling fountains
- Fire hydrant testing
- Hosing down hard surface areas such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways, patios, parking lots, or any "hard surface areas."
JFRWD says gardens, plants, trees, and shrubs should only be watered with a "handheld hose."
How long?
JFRWD says these recommendations will be in place "until further notice."
Stay with 5NEWS for updates.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/sebastian-moves-phase-2-water-conservation-county/527-2ef222d8-cae6-45f4-a3a6-460a672976ae
| 2023-07-31T19:50:28
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/sebastian-moves-phase-2-water-conservation-county/527-2ef222d8-cae6-45f4-a3a6-460a672976ae
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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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE SoftwareReviews
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/top-2023-crm-vendors-embracing-ai-redefining-customer-experience-according-softwarereviews-users/
| 2023-07-31T19:50:33
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https://www.wymt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/top-2023-crm-vendors-embracing-ai-redefining-customer-experience-according-softwarereviews-users/
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LOS ANGELES — 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.”
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.”
The actor's death was met with an immediate response from fans and fellow entertainers on social media.
"Paul Reubens was like no one else - a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time," wrote television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel. "He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met. My family and I will miss him."
"Love you so much, Paul," wrote actress Natasha Lyonne. "One in all time. Thank you for my career & your forever friendship all these years & for teaching us what a true original is."
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/pee-wee-herman-actor-paul-reubens-has-died/507-5aabe911-4a9a-428f-a97c-ff3099d3c5fc
| 2023-07-31T19:50:34
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/nation-world/pee-wee-herman-actor-paul-reubens-has-died/507-5aabe911-4a9a-428f-a97c-ff3099d3c5fc
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The U.S. Department of Energy is banning the sale of energy inefficient light bulbs beginning Aug. 1, 2023. Given that incandescent and halogen light bulbs are far less energy efficient than LED light bulbs, many people are treating this as a ban on incandescent and halogen bulbs.
Incandescent and halogen lights have a wire within the bulb that heats up and produces light, while LED bulbs do not.
But light bulbs aren’t just used in floor lamps and ceiling fans. People in various online communities have asked how the light bulb ban affects them — including a question about halogen headlights in a Ram trucks subreddit, multiple questions about heat lamps in communities for reptile pet owners and a question about how the law affects lava lamps.
THE QUESTION
Is the U.S. government banning all incandescent and halogen light bulbs?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, the U.S. government is not banning all incandescent and halogen light bulbs.
WHAT WE FOUND
The new rule bans the manufacture and sale of inefficient “general service lamps,” which largely refers to the standard kinds of light bulbs you’d use to illuminate your home. Most incandescent and halogen light bulbs fail to meet these new energy efficiency standards, and are therefore banned by the rule.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has carved out exceptions for many different kinds of light bulbs in its ban on the manufacturing and sale of energy inefficient light bulbs.
“It does not ban the sale or manufacture of ALL incandescent bulbs, just those common household incandescent (and other) bulbs that are not energy-efficient,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says of the new ban. “Many bulbs, including specialty bulbs, three-way bulbs, chandelier bulbs, refrigerator bulbs, plant grow lights and others, are exempt from the law's requirements.”
The reason incandescent and halogen bulbs are less energy efficient than LED bulbs is because the incandescent and halogen bulbs create light by passing an electrical current through a tungsten filament, which also creates heat, General Electric says. The heat that’s released is usually wasted energy, although it can sometimes be useful for things like heat lamps.
The ban is a rule that has been in the making since 2007, when Congress passed and former President George W. Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The law required the Secretary of Energy to determine if there should be a rule with a “minimum standard of 45 lumens per watt for general service lamps.”
In Jan. 2017, the DOE adopted this rule, and planned to begin enforcing it in 2020. DOE withdrew this rule in Sept. 2019 and didn’t adopt it again until May 2022, regulations.gov says. Therefore, the enforcement date was moved to Aug. 1, 2023, a DOE document says.
According to the 2007 law, the rule only makes changes to the “Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles” within the U.S. code, meaning the ban does not apply to car lights, including headlights.
Additionally, the 2007 law required the rule to exempt a number of various bulbs from the ban. These include:
Appliance lamps (such as refrigerator lights)
Heat lamps, plant lights and bug lamps
Colored lights and black lights
Reflector lamps
Chandelier bulbs, Christmas lights and decorative bulbs of 40 watts or less
The EPA notes that the rule does not ban the use or purchase of incandescent or halogen lightbulbs, just the manufacture and sale of the bulbs. Therefore, individuals will not be penalized for continuing to use incandescent bulbs in their homes.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/verify/government-verify/incandescent-halogen-light-bulb-lamp-ban-phase-out/536-4cc9c8bb-bd10-4ca1-900e-e74df93f0ed8
| 2023-07-31T19:50:40
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/verify/government-verify/incandescent-halogen-light-bulb-lamp-ban-phase-out/536-4cc9c8bb-bd10-4ca1-900e-e74df93f0ed8
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Ernesto Escobedo 2023 Mifel Open Odds
Ernesto Escobedo will begin the Mifel Open in Los Cabos, Mexico versus Jason Jung in the round of 32. He was knocked off by Brandon Holt in the qualification round 1 of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (his previous tournament). Escobedo has +8000 odds to be crowned champion 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.
Escobedo 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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Escobedo's Next Match
In his opener at the Mifel Open, on Tuesday, August 1 (at 9:00 PM ET) in the round of 32, Escobedo will play Jung.
Escobedo currently has odds of -120 to win his next contest against Jung. Check out the latest odds for the entire field at BetMGM.
Want to bet on Escobedo? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Escobedo Stats
- Escobedo came up short in his last match, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6 versus Holt in the qualifying round of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC on February 25, 2023.
- In five tournaments over the past 12 months, Escobedo is 4-5 and has yet to win a title.
- Escobedo is 4-5 on hard courts over the past year.
- Through nine matches over the past 12 months (across all court surfaces), Escobedo has played 25.6 games per match. He won 49.1% of them.
- In his nine matches on hard courts over the past year, Escobedo has played 25.6 games per match.
- Escobedo has won 19.7% of his return games and 80.6% of his service games over the past 12 months.
- Escobedo has claimed 80.6% of his service games on hard courts and 19.7% of his return games over the past 12 months.
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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https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/ernesto-escobedo-mifel-open-betting-odds/
| 2023-07-31T19:50:40
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https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/ernesto-escobedo-mifel-open-betting-odds/
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On July 29, several accounts on Twitter, now called X, shared an image of actor Tom Hanks wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.” The image went viral, trending on the social media site, with some commenters questioning whether the image was real or manipulated.
The photo spread to other platforms, racking up hundreds of thousands of views across social media and photo sharing websites.
THE QUESTION
Is the photo of Tom Hanks wearing a “Keep America Trumpless” shirt real?
THE SOURCES
RevEye, a reverse image search engine
THE ANSWER
No, the photo of Tom Hanks in a ‘Keep America Trumpless’ shirt is fake.
WHAT WE FOUND
The photo of Tom Hanks in an anti-Trump shirt was edited. It was created using a photo taken in 2020 when Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were in Sydney, Australia.
VERIFY was able to find the original photo using RevEye, a reverse image search engine.
Photos posted on British tabloid The Sun’s website show Hanks walking down a Sydney sidewalk with Wilson ahead of their son, Truman.
Comparing the doctored image to the original image, you can see Truman wearing the same shirt behind Hanks, with the same watch and rolled-up sleeves. You can also see Hanks is wearing the same hat, sunglasses and has the same facial expression.
The only difference is the shirt. In the original, Hanks is wearing a solid navy shirt – not a “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS” shirt.
This is not the first time a photo of a celebrity was doctored to make it appear like he was wearing a shirt that said “KEEP AMERICA TRUMPLESS.”
In June 2022, a doctored photo of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went viral claiming to show the wrestler-turned-actor wearing a shirt with the same slogan. That photo was fake, too.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665
| 2023-07-31T19:50:46
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665
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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.
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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https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/john-isner-mifel-open-betting-odds/
| 2023-07-31T19:50:47
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https://www.wymt.com/sports/betting/2023/07/28/john-isner-mifel-open-betting-odds/
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FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Fort Smith Public School District and Northside High School announced the hiring of McKenzie Pierce as Northside’s new varsity Head Boys Basketball Coach and Athletic Coordinator.
Coach Pierce joins Northside with an impressive coaching background. As a head coach, he brings a winning record of achievements reflecting an impressive:
● 74% winning percentage (220 wins and 77 losses); ● a season average win/loss record of 25 wins and nine losses; ● nine state tournament appearances; ● three district championships; ● five conference championships; ● four state semifinal appearances; and ● three state title appearances. Pierce’s additional accolades include five “Conference Coach of the Year” awards, five “Conference All-Star Coach” nominations, and most recently, the East Boys All-Star Head Coach (2023).
Coach Pierce looks forward to joining the Grizzly Nation and building upon its rich basketball history. Michael Beaumont, Director of Athletics & Student Activities, said Coach Pierce's achievements extend far beyond the numbers.
“ We are delighted to welcome Coach Pierce and his family to the FSPS family. We believe Coach Pierce’s commitment to athletic excellence and his dedication to education perfectly fit within our existing culture of putting kids first, believing in them, and fostering an environment where that student can thrive as part of the team. We have complete confidence in Coach Pierce and look forward to witnessing further success under his leadership.”
The reaction to Pierce’s hiring has been universally positive. Coach Mike Anderson, Former Men’s Basketball Head Coach at the University of Arkansas, responded to the hiring, saying, “I want to congratulate McKenzie on getting the opportunity to lead the Northside HS Grizzlies Basketball program. Without any questions, he will build on the great tradition that is Northside. McKenzie and his family joining the Fort Smith community is a win-win situation. Grizzly Nation, get ready!!”
Coach Kermit Davis, Former Men’s Basketball Head Coach at Ole Miss, also weighed in by stating, “McKenzie Pierce, without a doubt, is one of the very best High School coaches in Arkansas! He is the total package of teaching, creating great relationships with his players, and will be an outstanding connector of family to Fort Smith! Combine this with the tradition that is Northside Basketball, and McKenzie will be an absolute slam dunk!”
Prior to his appointment at Northside, Coach Pierce served as the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Blytheville High School, Head Boys' Basketball Coach at East Poinsett County, and as a Graduate Assistant for the Men’s Basketball program at the University of Arkansas. An accomplished scholar, Coach Pierce holds an M.A. in Physical Education and a B.S. in Physical Education, both from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. His educational background, combined with his experience, will undoubtedly prove invaluable in mentoring and nurturing his Northside High School team.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/sports/high-school/northside-high-school-names-new-varsity-head-coach-for-boys-basketball/527-a49e88d1-8557-4e2a-b6df-643666013350
| 2023-07-31T19:50:52
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/sports/high-school/northside-high-school-names-new-varsity-head-coach-for-boys-basketball/527-a49e88d1-8557-4e2a-b6df-643666013350
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NEW YORK — While the Las Vegas Aces are the class of the WNBA so far this season, their dominance may actually hurt them in final awards ballots.
Locked On Women's Basketball hosts Natalie Heavren and Em Adler discussed their WNBA awards ballots at the midway point of the season on the latest episode of the podcast, starting with likely runaway MVP Breanna Stewart, producing at an elite level in her first season in Brooklyn.
“I think if Stewie puts up a few more 40-point games … that’s probably a turning point," Adler said. "If New York cleans (clutch performance) up, then I think it will sort of be the difference in wins and losses that will convince a lot of people.”
Coming in second on the hosts' MVP ballots was Alyssa Thomas, the standout forward for the Connecticut Sun playing at her peak at age 30.
“I wasn’t necessarily expecting Alyssa Thomas to be so close to Breanna Stewart," Adler explained. "It could go either way, I think Alyssa Thomas is certainly deserving of that recognition, especially with how much she has led the team lately.”
Thomas was the hosts' pick to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Perhaps the most clear-cut winner of any WNBA award this season will be Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever, a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year.
“Aliyah Boston is obviously going to be Rookie of the Year," Adler said. "She is the one player consistently getting doubled from Indiana … it’s really hard to stop her one on one.”
The hosts also listed Chicago Sky reserve forward Alanna Smith as their Most Improved Player and went through the top coach and executive in the WNBA as well as how the race could evolve in the back half of the year.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c
| 2023-07-31T19:50:58
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/locked-on-womens-basketball/midseason-wnba-awards-breanna-stewart-mvp-aliyah-boston-roy/535-78390825-45c3-445f-b27e-019598b02f2c
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders have been named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award.
Jefferson and Sanders are two of 85 players on the preseason watch list for the award presented to the best player in college football. Arkansas is one of 16 schools and one of only three SEC programs with two players represented.
Jefferson, who became the first Razorback quarterback to earn preseason All-SEC accolades since 2012, is poised to rewrite a large portion of the Arkansas record book this fall as he heads into his third season as the Hogs’ full-time starter. The Sardis, Miss., product sits inside the career top 10 in school history in completions (436 – 7th), yards (5816 – 7th), touchdown passes (48 – 6th), 300-yard passing games (5 – 3rd), total plays (1028 – 6th), total yards (7245 – 5th) and touchdown responsibility (67 – 4th). Jefferson’s name is dotted throughout the school record book for numerous single-season records, including twice for completion percentage in 2021 (.673 – 3rd) and 2022 (.680 – 2nd).
Sanders, meanwhile, is coming off one of the greatest seasons by an Arkansas running back in recent memory after rushing for 10 touchdowns and 1,443 yards – fourth-most in a single season in school history – in 2022. The Rockledge, Fla., native, who became the first Arkansas running back to earn preseason first-team All-SEC recognition since 2012, became just the second Razorback to ever run for 1,400+ yards and return to school the following year, joining legendary Darren McFadden, who ran for a then school record 1,647 yards in 2006 before breaking his own record in 2007 with 1,830 yards. Sanders finished second in the SEC in rushing yards en route to being named First-Team All-SEC by the Associated Press and USA Today.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/sports/ncaa/university-of-arkansas/jefferson-sanders-land-on-maxwell-award-preseason-watch-list/527-96e071f1-2604-4792-ab9f-6d1074d08180
| 2023-07-31T19:51:04
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/sports/ncaa/university-of-arkansas/jefferson-sanders-land-on-maxwell-award-preseason-watch-list/527-96e071f1-2604-4792-ab9f-6d1074d08180
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INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis police officer is believed to be involved in a crash involving a cyclist on the city’s near east side, according to law enforcement officials.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department posted around 3 p.m. Monday on its official account that officers are on the scene of a cyclist struck in the 3400 block of E. 10th Street on the city’s near east side.
“Detectives believe an IMPD Officer was involved in a single-vehicle crash with the bicyclist,” the post read.
Police said traffic will be closed in multiple areas as detectives investigate.
“Drivers and pedestrians are asked to avoid 10th Street between La Salle & Olney,” IMPD said. “A portion of 10th will be closed off as the investigation continues.”
No other information was immediately provided by police. FOX59/CBS4 has a crew on the way to the scene and this article will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
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https://cbs4indy.com/indiana-news/impd-indy-police-officer-involved-in-crash-with-cyclist/
| 2023-07-31T19:51:12
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https://cbs4indy.com/indiana-news/impd-indy-police-officer-involved-in-crash-with-cyclist/
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LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A central Indiana middle school teacher has been arrested after accusations that he poked multiple students near their breasts, smacked a student’s buttocks, called female students “baby” and tickled them.
Peter Anders, a physical education teacher previously employed by the Tippecanoe School Corporation to work in middle schools, was arrested and charged last week with five counts of battery on a person less than 14 years old and two counts of battery.
An investigation into Anders began in late 2022 after multiple female students he taught at Southwestern Middle School accused the 45-year-old West Lafayette man of battery and inappropriate behavior, according to an affidavit for his arrest filed on July 24.
Court documents filed in Tippecanoe County Court state that seven victims, all students at Southwestern, came forward between November 2021 and December 2022 alleging that Anders had either touched their butts or chests, called them “baby,” or tickled them.
Specific allegations against Anders include him poking 5+ students in their ribs near their breasts, hitting or kicking students in the backside, calling female students “baby” and other pet names and lifting up a female student’s shirt while tickling her.
One such incident, court docs filed against Anders show, was allegedly captured on video by a student. Tippecanoe County prosecutors claim that in the video, which was filmed in November 2021, Anders is seen kicking a female student’s butt with his foot.
Investigators said they gained access to surveillance footage that also showed Anders hitting the student’s butt, according to the affidavit.
Police also interviewed victims who said that Anders made them feel “extremely uncomfortable” and that he began showing noticeable favoritism to female students shortly after he began teaching at the middle school.
“Victim 4 said Anders changed his behavior for a short period of time after they reported it, but then began to touch her more frequently than before,” court docs read.
Further evidence referenced in court docs includes Anders admitting to touching students in the chest when confronted by school officials in late 2021 and one educator’s testimony that the principal had “received reports of Anders inappropriately touching students” before Nov. 2021.
When asked for a statement on the investigation into Anders, the Tippecanoe School Corporation offered the following statement:
“Peter Anders is no longer an employee of the TSC. He was a health and physical education teacher at Southwestern Middle School from August 2021-February 2023.
After receiving the student complaint, the TSC immediately contacted law enforcement and the Department of Child Services. The TSC also began its own internal investigation, placed Anders on administrative leave and he later resigned during the investigation.“
Tippecanoe School Corporation
Online jail records show that Anders was arrested by police on Wednesday, July 26, and subsequently booked into Tippecanoe County Jail. Records show that he is still being held at the jail on a $2,000 bond.
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https://cbs4indy.com/indiana-news/indiana-teacher-accused-of-touching-students-butts-calling-middle-schoolers-baby-and-tickling-them/
| 2023-07-31T19:51:18
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https://cbs4indy.com/indiana-news/indiana-teacher-accused-of-touching-students-butts-calling-middle-schoolers-baby-and-tickling-them/
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FOUNTAINTOWN Ind. — A motorcyclist has been transported to the hospital after a crash that included a semi overturning.
According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to the area of N. State Road 9 and County Road 1100 North — just south of Fountaintown — on Monday afternoon on report of a crash involving a semi and a motorcycle.
The Indiana Department of Transportation reported that all lanes of State Road 9 between U.S. 52 and 1000 North were closed due to the semi overturning.
The sheriff’s department said the motorcyclist has been transported to an area hospital. The severity of the motorcyclist’s injuries are not known at this time.
Drivers are asked to avoid the area as the investigation continues.
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https://cbs4indy.com/indiana-news/motorcyclist-injured-after-semi-overturns-in-shelby-county/
| 2023-07-31T19:51:24
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https://cbs4indy.com/indiana-news/motorcyclist-injured-after-semi-overturns-in-shelby-county/
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After moving from Brooklyn to North Texas 11 years ago, JM Rizzi became one of Dallas’ more notable artists, with publicly and privately funded murals and sculptures across the globe.
Rizzi's murals decorate massive walls across DFW, from Trinity Groves to University Trail, Mockingbird Station, Sylvan Pass and the Toyota headquarters. They also span the nation, from his home state of New York to California, Florida and Chicago, to name a few. His artwork can be found much farther away too; he’s done murals and large-scale sculpture installations in China, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Sweden and other countries.
But Rizzi’s humble disposition hasn’t been tainted — though his paint-tattered shoes may be. Kicked back in baggy jeans and a plain, oversized T-shirt, he still carries the style and swag of a New Yorker, his accent remaining marked by a cool cadence and a vernacular true to a Northeasterner.
“There were not many artists in my life as a kid,” says Rizzi, “but there was a comic book store that opened up in my neighborhood. So many people who worked in there were aspiring comic artists, so I got to see them drawing. I used to copy a lot of comic books. That was what brought some attention to me. I was the artist in my family, in my school, in my neighborhood. It kind of became a thing I did."
Rizzi's family moved homes quite a bit, but art was one constant in his life, he says.
“We moved a few times when I was young at a few pivotal points, so making art became a big thing," he says. "I was a skater, and in Staten Island where we moved, at that point there were no skaters out there, and I was into art, and I was into music. Those were the three things I had: art, music and skateboarding. I could control those things.”
There are elements in his work that trace back to his upbringing in New York, where graffiti and tagging are prominent. Recognizable by sweeping, intersecting lines with defined borders, his style is inspired by what he calls “asemic writing,” a type of writing with no actual meaning.
“It definitely has roots in writing," he says. "My work is probably more asemic, and it’s a type of writing that has no semantic value. Then mix that in with the graffiti movement and tagging, and ink, and taking that style, and instead of writing a word, creating abstract compositions.”
Referencing artists Cy Twombly and Franz Kline as inspirations, Rizzi recalls one of the moments that shaped him while studying art and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.
“I saw these things, these Kline drawings in an art history class from like the 40s, and I thought, oh shit, if that’s art then what I’m thinking fits," he says. "OK, that’s considered art, then it’s like, game on.”
His highly distinctive style often represents swirling lines imitating cursive letters that cover large tapestries and smaller canvases, even massive sculptures that, though three-dimensional, are still immediately recognizable as his work.
“There’s always letters in there,” he says. “Those letters can change over time and they sort of come out organically. I tend to have a lot of circles in there, and I’ll use these dots as anchor points in the artwork. It helps to kind of anchor the movement I’m trying to convey in the paintings. It’s interesting, when I take those out, the piece has a different feel. It’s almost like the dots move your eye around the composition.”
The artist say that his method almost always starts with drawings. Whether it's a large canvas or smaller sketchbook, he starts with his asemic writings, copies and digitizes them, then magnifies deep within to find the areas he wants to expand in a larger medium.
“My go-to is just black ink on paper or canvas,” he says. “And from there I kind of find compositions, and then I experiment with all sorts of different materials, from spray paint to acrylic, to oil paint, to collage. The drawings act as the seeds to ideas. Then I get really experimental.”
Non-representational in nature, Rizzi’s works are abstract expressionism above all else. His art contains scaling lines, abstract shapes and sharp boundaries with vivid color interactions, making them highly sought after when it comes to decorative murals.
“So many muralists nowadays are super representational,” he says. “I did this mural festival in Sacramento and everybody was doing these hyper-realist designs, you know animals with feathers, really detailed. And that’s not my lane. So I went the opposite and just went 'boom.' It allows people to create their own experience. As opposed to me saying, this is what it is, this is what you should see and be aware of."
While street art also serves as a means of expression for justice or social reform, Rizzi is content with art that stands on its own merit.
“There’s no political narratives," he says. "I don’t try to do that, I just try to express human expression. It’s just art for the form of human expression. I live in this time period and this is what I did in that time period. There’s connections to different lineages and different art movements. I’m just adding my voice to the conversation that is art.”
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-artist-jm-rizzi-is-painting-walls-across-the-globe-17136864
| 2023-07-31T19:52:24
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-artist-jm-rizzi-is-painting-walls-across-the-globe-17136864
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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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https://www.ksn.com/entertainment/jason-aldean-boston-exemplified-try-that-in-a-small-town-response-after-marathon-bombing/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:27
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https://www.ksn.com/entertainment/jason-aldean-boston-exemplified-try-that-in-a-small-town-response-after-marathon-bombing/
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Health regulators in the United States are working to respond to a potential tuberculosis outbreak that's linked to a company's tainted bone graft products.
Three new cases of the highly unusual and deadly disease were identified in the U.S. last week, bringing the total number of cases to five, according to Politico. At least one person has died.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the cases appear to be linked to a single product sold by Aziyo Biologics Inc. that's used in surgical and dental procedures.
Shipments of the product were sent to over a dozen facilities in California, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. Regulators said product from the contaminated lot was implanted in at least 36 other people.
"CDC and FDA are working with state and local health departments, hospitals, surgical centers, and dental offices in the affected states to ensure patients are rapidly evaluated and treated, prevent further patient harm, and determine if additional measures can be taken to prevent similar outbreaks in the future," the agency said in a statement.
SEE MORE: Authorities arrest woman refusing tuberculosis treatment
Aziyo issued a voluntary recall notice for the tainted product earlier this month and the CDC says all of the unused units have been removed from inventory.
"We are taking immediate action to safeguard patients by implementing a full product recall as we work with the CDC to investigate this event," Aziyo president and CEO Dr. Randy Mills said in a statement. "The people of Aziyo care deeply about the patients we serve and will continue to work with the medical community, patients, and regulatory authorities as we gather additional information."
However, this isn't the first time the company has been linked to a deadly outbreak of the rare disease. In 2021, a different bone graft product sold by Aziyo was responsible for a tuberculosis outbreak in at least 87 patients, eight of which died.
SEE MORE: Tick bites likely causing thousands to develop meat allergy
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that primarily affects an infected person's lungs, but can also target other parts of the body, such as the brain, spine, or kidneys. It is transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, releasing tiny droplets that contain the bacteria.
Tuberculosis is treatable and curable, but requires a specific course of antibiotics taken over several months to ensure all bacteria has been eliminated from the body. Preliminary data from the CDC shows that the number of cases in the U.S. increased by 5% in 2022 to 8,300 cases, specifically among children under 4 years of age, those who are incarcerated, and people who have immigrated from parts of the world with high rates of the disease.
The U.S. has one of the lowest tuberculosis rates in the world, thanks to large investments into domestic programs and control efforts.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kgun9.com/deadly-tuberculosis-outbreaks-in-us-linked-to-tainted-bone-grafts
| 2023-07-31T19:52:27
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https://www.kgun9.com/deadly-tuberculosis-outbreaks-in-us-linked-to-tainted-bone-grafts
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Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct what was stolen. We regret the error.
BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) — A 6-year-old boy’s lemonade stand was burglarized 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 snacks, drinks and equipment from the 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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https://www.ksn.com/news/dont-miss-this/biker-groups-community-support-6-year-old-boy-after-thieves-target-lemonade-stand/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:29
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As school starts to get underway across the U.S. in the coming weeks, many students and teachers will undergo mass shooting drills.
These types of drills have become more popular in recent years due to a number of notable mass shooting incidents at schools throughout the U.S.
While many experts say it's important to be prepared for such incidents, there are concerns that some drills can also cause psychological harm.
SEE MORE: Back-to-school spending higher as sales of electronics rise
Do drills work?
A study published in 2022 in the Journal of School Violencesaid schools that successfully implemented lockdowns had 60% fewer total casualties, with 79% reductions in victims pronounced dead at the scene, even after controlling for other variables during shooting incidents.
Other studies have shown similar results, reaffirming that successful lockdowns reduce casualties.
"There has never been a case where an armed assailant has, you know, breached a locked classroom door. When they've gotten in, it was either unlocked or they were able to like, shoot through glass, like a glass window and get in," said Franci Crepeau-Hobson, training director with the Colorado School Psychology Internship Consortium. "So knowing that kind of informed this idea in part that standard lockdown procedures are effective."
But experts expressed concerns that higher-intensity drills might lead to more harm than good.
One popular program is ALICE Training, which involves training that reportedly goes beyond lockdown-only drills.
"In the chaos of a violent critical incident, every second counts, and ALICE strategies equip civilians with life-saving options that go beyond the traditional and inadequate lockdown-only response," ALICE Training said in a press release.
Representatives for ALICE Training could not be reached for comment. The company's website said it uses "age-appropriate" training for students. Part of that training includes teaching kids how to distract assailants during incidents.
The training has been used at 5,500 schools across the U.S., Alice Training says.
SEE MORE: Secrets to save on back-to-school clothes and other items
Psychological impacts
It is when drills go beyond preparing for lockouts that concerns some experts. Of particular concern are when drills are done without any advanced warning.
"I guess you can kind of imagine that would be traumatic for a child to go through," said Crepeau-Hobson. "I mean, people thought they were gonna die and there was actual trauma. It was that it was that kind of harm that we were really concerned about and also, you know, engaging in, practices that there's no evidence that says these are actually helpful in terms of increasing school safety."
Dr. David J. Schonfeld, who directs the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, echoes Crepeau-Hobson's concerns. He said oftentimes trainings are done from the perspective of first responders who may not fully understand child development when developing their training.
"Children and sometimes the staff are not informed or aware that it's actually an exercise and feel that it is a real event," Schonfeld said. "This is a kind of extreme way to, to bring realism to the drill and it obviously can have significant emotional distress because the individual feels they're actually under attack."
Schonfeld said some of these drills can become way too realistic for young kids to handle.
"There really are simulations that are meant to mimic the actual advance, but they don't, they don't require deception, but they try and recreate the experience of being in an active shooter drill to varying degrees," he said. "So that might mean that they use actual weapons, they might use the sound of gunshots, hopefully blanks, as opposed to live ammunition. They will have individuals that maybe have makeup, to kind of mimic wounds or to mimic blood, they would have predatory and aggressive acting.
"So they might have someone not just go and check to see if the door knobs are locked in the various classrooms, but act as if they're trying to get into the door in a way that, you know, simulates someone who's actually trying to break in. And so we feel that those kind of exercises and drills are not necessary."
Tips for parents, teachers
With many students going through lockdown and active shooter trainings in the coming weeks, Crepeau-Hobson said there are a few things parents and teachers should be looking for.
For instance, there are questions parents can ask of administrators.
"I would ask, you know, is there a specific program you're using? Have the adults been trained? Is there evidence that this works? Have the kids been informed? Have the staff been informed? I'm assuming they would if the parents know what have you told the kids about it? Have you explained what's going to happen? Have you explained why you do this?" Crepeau-Hobson said.
"Because we know when we have those conversations with kids and explain this is why we do these drills, that actually helps to increase perceptions of safety and security."
Teachers may also have to deal with questions about drills immediately after such trainings.
"We can typically identify kids who might have a harder time, maybe kids who already have special needs or they have some kind of mental health challenge or something going on," Crepeau-Hobson said said. "And so we might be particularly careful with them, but if we do it right and we talk about it ahead of time, then we have a chance to talk about it afterwards, telling teachers it's OK to process it with your kids."
Schonfeld also suggests that educators understand children may not always be forthright with showing their feelings after such drills.
"I do think teachers if they're empathic and supportive can convey a culture or climate in a classroom where kids know they can come forward and talk to them and or talk to others in the school if they have distress from things that have happened or are happening in their lives, but we can't assume that they're going to disclose 100% of those experiences or feelings," he said.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kgun9.com/do-some-school-active-shooting-drills-do-more-harm-than-good
| 2023-07-31T19:52:29
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The Steve Miller Band returned to Dos Equis Pavilion, in Miller's hometown of Dallas, for a sweet homecoming show Sunday night. One of the most successful rock bands in history, the Steve Miller Band can still bring the heat.
On-the-rise blues guitar phenom Christone "Kingfish" Ingram kicked off the night. The thermometer read 100 degrees outside but the heat was just starting. It was clear that Kingfish was carefully chosen as an opener. When the Steve Miller Band hit the stage, the group gave the fans exactly what they came for: all the hits. With a whopping 19 songs that charted on the Billboard charts and three No. 1 songs (perennial radio fodder such as "The Joker") it almost felt like every song Miller played was familiar whether you'd heard it or not.
After running through a large portion of the show, Miller brought Kingfish back onto the stage for three songs, and Miller raved about the opener, saying Kingfish was stepping into the shoes of legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King, but now he's "stepping into his own shoes" and making a name for himself.
What stood out most, however, was Steve Miller's voice. At 79, his vocals are stronger than ever, and his lead guitar solos were just as intense.
The band was originally called the "Steve Miller Blues Band" until they released their first album — and that was a subplot of this show. Miller's voice was crystal clear on the Rabon Tarrant cover of "Blues With a Feeling." The song also showcased the greatness of Kingfish on guitar.
Another highlight was when the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer did the Paul Pena song he made famous, "Jet Airliner." The band had already played the song close to album version earlier in the set, but Miller did an acoustic solo reprise that could not have been sweeter.
If you're American, you probably grew up hearing Steve Miller band songs to the point that you may take them for granted. But in his hometown on Sunday, Miller brought them to life again, reminding us why we loved the music in the first place.
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/steve-miller-returned-home-to-dallas-for-a-sunday-show-at-dos-equis-17155099
| 2023-07-31T19:52:30
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/steve-miller-returned-home-to-dallas-for-a-sunday-show-at-dos-equis-17155099
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Lori Vallow Daybell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Monday for the murders of her two youngest children and conspiring to kill her husband's first wife, bringing a close to the so-called "Doomsday Cult Mom" case.
This is the maximum sentence possible for Vallow Daybell, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges against her in her five-week trial. It ended in May, when a jury unanimously found the Idaho mom guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
The case centered on bizarre claims Vallow Daybell made about her two kids, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow. After meeting her husband at a conference in Oct. 2018, the couple used religious beliefs to justify their killings, saying the two kids were "dark" and she was "light" and that she was God's vessel to rid the world of their kind.
Prosecutors read testimony from representatives of multiple relatives of the kids before the sentencing Monday, including a victim impact statement from Vallow Daybell's estranged oldest son, Colby Ryan.
"Tylee will never have the opportunity to become a mother, wife or have the career she was destined to have. JJ will never be able to grow and spread his light with the world the way he did," the statement said. "I've lost the opportunity to share life with the people I love the most. I have lost my sister, father, brother and my mother. "I pray for healing for everyone involved, including those who took the lives of everyone we loved."
Vallow Daybell's husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same charges. His trial is expected to begin April 1, 2024.
SEE MORE: Lori Vallow Daybell sentencing: Here's what to expect
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kgun9.com/lori-vallow-daybell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-of-2-kids
| 2023-07-31T19:52:34
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https://www.kgun9.com/lori-vallow-daybell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-of-2-kids
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Wichita City Council will consider on Tuesday issuing $60 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds and a 100% 10-year tax abatement to construct a new 300,000-square-foot building for Air Capital Flight Line LLC.
The company intends to construct the building on 40 acres of land at 3800 S. Oliver. The building is being built for use as an office and manufacturing by Spirt AeroSystems and will be leased by Spirit.
The facility will contain cranes, furnaces, specialized equipment and improvements, air compressor systems, autoclave buildings, clean room, and offices, among other items.
Spirit anticipates creating 150 new jobs over four years with annual wages of more than $100,000 per employee.
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https://www.ksn.com/news/local/60m-in-irbs-requested-for-new-spirit-aerosystems-building/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:34
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https://www.ksn.com/news/local/60m-in-irbs-requested-for-new-spirit-aerosystems-building/
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Wichita City Council on Tuesday will consider rezoning a residential area in east Wichita near Wesley Medical Center.
The area of rezoning runs from north of East Central Avenue to Elm Street between Chautauqua and Lorraine.
An applicant requests the zone change of 14 properties to construct a new medical office.
According to city documents, the existing structures will be demolished, and a new proposed building and parking will be constructed. The proposed building measures 189 feet by 120 feet, for 22,680 square feet.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission has recommended approving the application, and District Advisory Board 1 recommended denial of the application.
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https://www.ksn.com/news/local/city-council-to-consider-rezoning-residential-area-near-hospital/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:35
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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell has been sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival.
The case has included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, ages 7 and 16, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, who was previously married to Vallow Daybell’s fifth husband.
The judge heard testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell’s only surviving son.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece's ex survived an attempt later that year.
At the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, Judge Steven W. Boyce heard testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
“Tylee will never have the opportunity to become a mother, wife or have the career she was destined to have. JJ will never be able to grow and spread his light with the world the way he did,” Ryan wrote in a statement read by prosecuting attorney Rob Wood. “My siblings and father deserve so much more than this. I want them to be remembered for who they were, not just a spectacle.”
Ryan also wrote about his own grief.
“I’ve lost the opportunity to share life with the people I love the most. I have lost my sister, father, brother and my mother," he wrote. “I pray for healing for everyone involved, including those who took the lives of everyone we loved.”
The murder scheme and Tammy Daybell’s death left a deep rift in her family, Tammy’s sister Samantha Gwilliam told the court.
“Why? Why plan something so heinous? You are not exalted beings, and your behavior makes you ineligible to be one,” Gwilliam said, referring to the unusual religious claims. “Because of the choices you made, my family lost a beloved mother, sister and daughter.”
Tammy Daybell’s mother was fighting cancer, and spent the last months of her life watching the murder trial, Gwilliam said. The family has also been hounded by media and others drawn by “all of the salacious scandal you stirred up,” Gwilliam told Vallow Daybell, who looked down as she sat between her defense attorneys.
“I miss my sister every day. I will grieve her, and the loss of my mother, every single day of my life,” Gwilliam said. “As for you, I choose to forget you and as I leave the courtroom here today, I choose to never think of you again.”
Wood told the judge that Vallow Daybell should be sentenced to a fixed life sentence without parole for each of the murders of Tylee and JJ and the conspiracy to murder Tammy Daybell, and that she serve them one after the other rather than at the same time. Under that sentencing recommendation, Vallow Daybell would never leave prison.
Wood pointed to the two Arizona cases as well as the three murders in six weeks in Idaho.
“A defendant who is willing to murder her own children is willing to murder anyone," Wood said. "Society can only be protected from this defendant by a sentence of life in prison without parole.”
Vallow Daybell was committed multiple times for treatment to make her mentally competent for the court proceedings. But Wood said there is no evidence that her crimes were impacted by her “alleged mental illness” — which includes delusional disorder with grandiose features, according to reports referenced in court.
“The evidence is overwhelming that she did know right from wrong,” Wood said, noting testimony from several people who said she lied to them about the deaths.
In July 2019, Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self-defense. He was never charged and later died of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published writer of doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard the following summer.
During the trial, experts said Tylee appeared to have been stabbed and her body burned before it was buried in a pet cemetery, Wood said.
JJ’s head was wrapped in tape and plastic, asphyxiating him, Wood said, speculating that his last thoughts must have “been filled with fear and betrayal.”
Tammy Daybell’s body was bruised, suggesting she fought back as she was asphyxiated in her bed, Wood said.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell's previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into “zombies,” including JJ and Tylee.
——
By Rebecca Boone (Associated Press)
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https://www.kgun9.com/news/state/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-sentenced-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival
| 2023-07-31T19:52:35
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https://www.kgun9.com/news/state/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-sentenced-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival
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Brandon Pertzborn is just as surprised by his career trajectory as you are.
The new drummer for The Offspring will return to his hometown when the band comes to Dos Equis Pavilion on Aug. 13 with Sum 41 and Simple Plan, but the journey home has been as improbable as it has been incredible.
“I started taking drum lessons in sixth grade,” Pertzborn says over the phone from his home in Los Angeles, “but I hated it because they were trying to teach me rudiments, and that was boring to me. I quit, developed my own style, and then I went back [to taking lessons] just to refine and improve on it.”
Pertzborn spent his high-school years going back and forth between Colleyville Heritage High School and homeschool as he developed a love for drumming.
“I went to Colleyville Heritage, 10th and half of 11th grade, but the second half of 11th and my senior year, I was homeschooled because I didn't care about anything else except music,” he says with a laugh. “My parents were beyond accommodating and beyond understanding to allow me to focus on drums full-time.”
After graduating in 2013, Pertzborn decided that he was going to teach drum lessons for a living while playing in some bands around Dallas, one of them being alt-rock band Drayter.
“We definitely played some shows in Deep Ellum and a venue in Southlake,” he remembers, “but nothing major. They weren't serious bands by any means. They were just bands with high school friends playing for fun.”
Pertzborn placed an ad on Craigslist in 2014 advertising himself as a drum teacher looking to give lessons.
“I'm sure I mentioned there that I can play in the studio, I can tour, I can do anything, but I know it was primarily meant to get me more students for drum lessons,” he says.
Not long after posting the ad, he got a response by none other than the founder and guitar player for legendary punk band Black Flag, Greg Ginn, who asked Pertzborn to come to Austin and audition for the band.
One audition and little over a week later, Pertzborn was a member of Black Flag, getting ready to tour the country.
“I'm sure you can imagine, that was completely life-changing from just a normal high schooler from Grapevine to essentially overnight be playing with Black Flag,” he says.
After touring with Black Flag, Pertzborn found his way into LA band With Our Arms to the Sun, but he didn’t stay with them long after the band opened for Doyle from The Misfits and John 5 of Marilyn Manson.
Pertzborn went on to tour with Doyle and play on Doyle II: As We Die in 2017. This was in between recording and touring with rap punk band Ho99o9 (pronounced “horror”). And in 2019, John 5 called Pertzborn to let him know that Manson was looking for a new drummer for his tour. Pertzborn not only got the gig, he also recorded on Manson’s We Are Chaos in 2020 after the tour. He’s also played with Limp Bizkit, Corey Taylor and Suicidal Tendencies — each one navigated through word of mouth and video evidence of his drumming chops.
Watching Pertzborn is hypnotic. While many drummers approach their equipment with stoic control, Pertzborn throws his whole body into it, striking the drums by instinct rather than coordination, disconnecting his mind from his body and letting the back beat take control.
“That’s how I feel the emotion of the music,” he says. “When I see anyone play, I want to see them convey the emotion. That's how I just convey the emotion of the song. It's not something I really think about.”
Since the beginning of his life on the road, Pertzborn has spent some of his free time uploading drum covers onto YouTube and Instagram as a way to learn more about the craft from other artists' material — typically from bands that he grew up with.
In January 2023, Pertzborn posted a drum cover of The Offspring song “Hammerhead” on YouTube.
“I really didn’t think anything of it, but then, in the very beginning of March, I get a call from The Offspring’s manager,” he says. “They gave me probably four songs to learn, and I went [to the audition] having learned almost the whole set so I would be prepared if they threw anything out at me, I could say, yep, I know it. Got it.”
By late April, Pertzborn was attending his first rehearsal with his new band getting ready for a European tour.
It’s all a little unbelievable, isn’t it?
“Believe me, that's still how I feel about it,” Pertzborn says. “It still doesn't make any sense to me. I just went from a completely normal high schooler in Grapevine to … is this real?” he says laughing. “How did this happen?”
One reason may be Pertzborn’s absolutely fearless approach to taking the stage with so many well-established bands.
“I love the pressure,” he says. “I love the responsibility. I love the time crunch. I love when I get the call, I have to learn X amount of songs in X amount of days. And I love the adrenaline of stepping on stage for the first time.”
That kind of confidence can only come through dedicated practice and a deep appreciation for the responsibility he is taking on.
“They are established bands and you need to play the parts a certain way, but I think most of that is just respecting the parts,” Pertzborn says. “Growing up, I listened to every style of music from rock to punk, to metal to jazz, to reggae, to anything in between. So, anytime I'm jumping from one project to another — whether it's Manson or Suicidal Tendencies or Offspring or anything in between — my approach isn't much different at all because I've grown up listening to all styles of music.”
It's having this wide-open ear to all genres that Pertzborn credits with his ability to move through all of these bands with ease, and it’s his first bit of advice for aspiring drummers.
“In the very early stages, and this sounds so cliché, but just play as much as possible, play as many styles of music as possible, " he says. "And even if you don't like particular styles or genres of music, try to find something about those styles that you can take from.”
Pertzborn also stresses the importance of playing with as many people as possible.
“That was huge for me,” he says. “You can play in your room all day long. You can be the best drummer in the world in your room. All of that goes out the window when you start playing with other musicians.”
Pertzborn has also proven that a drummer can move to the front of the stage and expand their audience in many ways inside and outside of the performance space.
“Just put yourself out there,” he says. “For me, that was finding kids at school who played music, and then it was posting on Craigslist. It was putting up YouTube videos, just any medium to get yourself out there.”
And it doesn’t require millions of followers. Pertzborn’s YouTube shows just under 15,000, and just under 38,000 follow him on Instagram. Clearly, it’s about who you reach and not how many. Building that personal connection is Pertzborn’s final bit of advice.
“What I always tell people when they get into the touring world is that it is just as important to be a good musician as it is to be a cool person,” he says. “When you think about it, on tour, you're only playing for an hour to 90 minutes a day. That leaves another 23 hours that you're just hanging out with people and the guys in your band. Even if you're the best drummer in the world, if it were to get around that you're not cool to hang with, you're not going to get any calls.”
Former bandmates, like Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir, would agree. In April, when it was clear that Pertzborn would be leaving Suicidal Tendencies to join The Offspring, Muir took to the band's official Facebook page writing, "Being in Suicidal I've had the honor of being on stage and recording with some absolutely amazing musicians. Having Brandon Pertzborn on drums the last couple of years has been such a pleasure. ST has had so many incredible drummers and he just STepped up and killed it behind the kit. But away from the drums he was such an absolute joy to work with and be around. Always a smile, no situation every got him down, always up for every challenge. I will definitely miss touring with him, but I'm extremely happy for him as he goes off to a new challenge."
While everyone in The Offspring is looking forward to the U.S. tour after tightening up together on the European tour, Pertzborn says Dallas “is the show I'm looking forward to the most.”
The homecoming gives Pertzborn time to reflect on where he came from and how far he’s come since his high-school days attending shows at The Door in Deep Ellum.
“I think that's where I went to one of my first shows, and I remember thinking when I was a teenager, if I could ever play The Door, I've made it,” he says. “Like there's nothing bigger than this. This is it.”
Though he can look back and explain how it happened to him, Pertzborn really has no explanation for why it all happened to him.
"When I was spending most of my time in Dallas, my whole dream was just to be able to tour, but I didn't know how to get into the world," he says. "It's kind of like the Wild West out here. There's not a blueprint. The fact that somehow it worked out for me, and I'm coming back to Dallas and playing Dos Equis, I’m absolutely thrilled."
Pertzborn is sincere when he says that. Hearing him speak, one can easily sense the boyish excitement, He's still filled with awe and immense gratitude for what he gets to do every day.
"I don't feel any different than I felt as a 19-year-old right out of high school from Colleyville Heritage," he says. "I'm still the same exact dude. Believe me, none of it's lost on me."
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/the-offsprings-new-drummer-is-grapevine-native-brandon-pertzborn-his-journey-is-improbable-17122645
| 2023-07-31T19:52:37
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/the-offsprings-new-drummer-is-grapevine-native-brandon-pertzborn-his-journey-is-improbable-17122645
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A woman from New Hampshire who works for a nonprofit organization in Haiti and her young daughter have been reported as kidnapped as the U.S. State Department issued a "do not travel advisory" in the country and ordered nonemergency personnel to leave there amid growing security concerns.
Alix Dorsainvil, a nurse for El Roi Haiti, and her daughter were kidnapped on Thursday, the organization said in a statement Saturday. El Roi, which runs a school and ministry in Port au Prince, said the two were taken from campus. Dorsainvil is the wife of the program's director, Sandro Dorsainvil.
"Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family," El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in the statement. "Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus."
A State Department spokesperson said in a statement Saturday it is "aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti," adding, "We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners."
In its advisory Thursday, the department said that "kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens."
It said kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed.
Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defense Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the U.N. Security Council met to discuss Haiti's worsening situation.
WMUR-TV reported that Dorsainvil is from Middleton, New Hampshire, and went to Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti.
"It doesn't surprise me that Alex chose to get involved in this type of service work," Regis College president Toni Hays told the station. "She was amazing. She was passionate, she was compassionate."
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
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https://www.kgun9.com/us-mother-and-daughter-kidnapped-in-haiti-people-warned-not-to-go
| 2023-07-31T19:52:38
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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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https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/ap-1-05-billion-mega-million-jackpot-is-among-a-surge-in-huge-payouts-due-to-more-than-just-luck/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:38
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Two homeless individuals, a community organizer and a University of Texas at Arlington assistant professor are all plaintiffs in the suit. They went to federal court in April asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver to halt enforcement of the ordinance until there was a ruling on its constitutionality.
On Thursday, Tolver recommended allowing the city to move forward with enforcement because she believes the ordinance is constitutional, according to The Dallas Morning News. She argues that the ordinance is too narrowly tailored to be a First Amendment violation. Because there are alternative areas open to people, such as sidewalks, public parks and medians wider than 6 feet, Toliver wrote in her recommendation, “The court finds that the ordinance thereby passes constitutional muster.”
The recommendation will now go to the judge over the case, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown, to make a final determination on whether to halt the ordinance until the case is resolved.
The city has claimed that the edict is a public safety measure meant to protect pedestrians. However, in some discussion about the ordinance before it was passed last October, it was suggested as a means to deter panhandlers. There are also some reasons to believe the homeless may also be a target. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that panhandling is considered protected speech.
Last year, Dallas police Chief Eddie Garcia said his officers would use discretion when enforcing the ordinance, and the interim city marshal said at the time that officers wouldn’t be patrolling medians. Instead, the marshals would likely enforce the ordinance when helping the City Homeless Solutions and Crisis Management team provide services to the homeless.
Alton Waggoner and Teri Heishman, the two homeless people named in the suit, say they stand on medians narrower than 6 feet to panhandle. Waggoner said at the time the lawsuit was filed that he lives in constant fear of police harassment and enforcement of the median ordinance.“The court finds that the ordinance thereby passes constitutional muster.” – U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver
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Kawana Scott, a community organizer and chair of the DFW Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression who is also a plaintiff, claims the ordinance could interfere with her activism work in Dallas. This is because that work sometimes involves organizing protests where people may stand or walk on medians narrower than 6 feet.
UTA assistant professor Hannah Lebovits is another plaintiff in the suit. She claims her research on homelessness brings her to places that would be affected by the ordinance. The recent recommendation by Toliver hasn’t deterred Lebovits’ confidence in the suit. “I am confident that we will continue with this case and that we will show that the intent is to attack First Amendment speech rights,” Lebovits said. “I do believe that when we have the opportunity to go further into this, that will become clear as it certainly was to all of us.”
Dustin Rynders, director of Texas Civil Rights Project, the organization that filed the suit, said the group is disappointed in the recommendation and plans to file objections this week. He said that at hearings on the case, the city informed the judge that it had yet to issue any citations under the ordinance. Citations could lead to fines of up to $500. Rynders said he wasn’t sure whether the city had started enforcing the ordinance since the hearings or if it planned to after this most recent recommendation from Toliver.
Next, the district judge will review the recommendation and issue an order on it. From there, the case will move on to discovery, when evidence will be produced. “These cases can take years to litigate, but we remain committed to fighting for our clients as long as it takes,” Rynders said. “We believe justice will ultimately prevail.”
He added: “While the case goes on, the city of Dallas could always decide to invest in real solutions to these human problems. After all, it doesn't take a court decision to understand that fining people so poor they panhandle is senseless, cruel and a waste of city resources.”
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/judge-says-dallas-should-be-allowed-to-ban-standing-on-medians-17135560
| 2023-07-31T19:52:43
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/judge-says-dallas-should-be-allowed-to-ban-standing-on-medians-17135560
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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell has been sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife. Vallow Daybell will serve three life sentences one after the other, the judge said.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece’s ex survived an attempt later that year.
At the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, Judge Steven W. Boyce heard testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell’s only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
“Tylee will never have the opportunity to become a mother, wife or have the career she was destined to have. JJ will never be able to grow and spread his light with the world the way he did,” Ryan wrote in a statement read by prosecuting attorney Rob Wood. “My siblings and father deserve so much more than this. I want them to be remembered for who they were, not just a spectacle.”
Ryan also wrote about his own grief.
“I’ve lost the opportunity to share life with the people I love the most. I have lost my sister, father, brother and my mother,” he wrote. “I pray for healing for everyone involved, including those who took the lives of everyone we loved.”
The murder scheme and Tammy Daybell’s death left a deep rift in her family, Tammy’s sister Samantha Gwilliam told the court.
“Why? Why plan something so heinous? You are not exalted beings, and your behavior makes you ineligible to be one,” Gwilliam said, referring to the unusual religious claims. “Because of the choices you made, my family lost a beloved mother, sister and daughter.”
Tammy Daybell’s mother was fighting cancer, and spent the last months of her life watching the murder trial, Gwilliam said. The family has also been hounded by media and others drawn by “all of the salacious scandal you stirred up,” Gwilliam told Vallow Daybell, who looked down as she sat between her defense attorneys.
“I miss my sister every day. I will grieve her, and the loss of my mother, every single day of my life,” Gwilliam said. “As for you, I choose to forget you and as I leave the courtroom here today, I choose to never think of you again.”
Wood pointed to the two Arizona cases as well as the three murders in six weeks in Idaho.
“A defendant who is willing to murder her own children is willing to murder anyone,” Wood said. “Society can only be protected from this defendant by a sentence of life in prison without parole.”
Vallow Daybell was committed multiple times for treatment to make her mentally competent for the court proceedings. But Wood said there is no evidence that her crimes were impacted by her “alleged mental illness” — which includes delusional disorder with grandiose features, according to reports referenced in court.
“The evidence is overwhelming that she did know right from wrong,” Wood said, noting testimony from several people who said she lied to them about the deaths.
In July 2019, Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self-defense. He was never charged and later died of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published writer of doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell’s yard the following summer.
During the trial, experts said Tylee appeared to have been stabbed and her body burned before it was buried in a pet cemetery, Wood said.
JJ’s head was wrapped in tape and plastic, asphyxiating him, Wood said, speculating that his last thoughts must have “been filled with fear and betrayal.”
Tammy Daybell’s body was bruised, suggesting she fought back as she was asphyxiated in her bed, Wood said.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into “zombies,” including JJ and Tylee.
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https://www.ksn.com/news/national-world/ap-idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:47
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Plus, education advocates say the long-awaited property tax cut package likely won’t make things better for the state’s schoolhouses.
The deal won’t result in schools seeing more money, said Patty Quinzi, director of public affairs and legislative counsel at Texas AFT teachers union.
“They're basically just buying down the amount of taxes that homeowners will pay, so it's only going to be, of course, homeowners that get the benefit of this,” she said.
For the folks at Texas AFT, Quinzi said, it’s been frustrating to hear Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tout the deal as a bonus for teachers.
“But if you've met a teacher recently, especially if they're on the younger side, homeownership is far out of reach,” she said. “So this is not the raise that they were expecting and that they deserve.”
Some advocates continue to warn of a looming teacher shortage. Lawmakers vowed to tend to educators’ needs during the 88th Legislature, but the session mostly left them feeling unsatisfied.
Quinzi fears that this year will be among the worst for teacher shortages largely because of the “lack of respect” shown by state legislators in the recent session. She likened it to a “slap in the face” for overextended teachers who’ve seen their salaries dwindle as inflation balloons.
Educators hoped that lawmakers would act on delivering raises, especially because the state’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force recommended significant salary increases. On top of that, Texas enjoyed a record $32.7 billion budget surplus this year.
Yet the tax deal won’t provide any new funding for schools, despite the state’s relatively low ranking in per-student spending, according to The Texas Tribune. The package was recently signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, but voters will need to approve it at the ballot box in November.
“I think teachers are really kind of thinking twice, you know: Can they afford to keep doing this? Is this worth it?” Quinzi said. “It's really sad and disheartening because we know some fabulous, phenomenal teachers who are retiring or who are seeking work elsewhere.”
The property tax deal is going to hinder districts’ local ability to raise revenue, Quinzi said. Texas AFT is concerned that it’s not a sustainable tax cut in the long term.
Looking ahead, Texas AFT fears that districts will need to start dipping into their reserve funding, which is needed for rainy days, she said. Some are already doing so to provide raises since the Legislature didn’t.
Lawmakers’ inaction on public education is taking a toll.
“[S]chool districts are having to get very, very creative, and they’re really finding money in every nook and cranny they can to give raises because they know what's on the line,” Quinzi added. “They're losing teachers too quickly.”
On the day that the property tax cut deal was announced, state Rep. John Bryant, a Dallas Democrat, blasted it as doing “nothing for public education.” Conversely, a proposal filed by Bryant and backed by other Democratic lawmakers would have, in part, boosted teacher pay annually by $4,300 and increased funding for public education by $15 billion.“Our educators are really tired of just getting scraps left over.” – Rena Honea, Alliance/AFT
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Following news of the deal, the Texas State Teachers Association slammed lawmakers for announcing an “$18 billion package of tax cuts with not an additional penny for the needs of educators and their students.”
Still, the lieutenant governor has claimed that state leaders will act on teacher raises eventually.
“The House decided they wanted just to keep that separate from the property tax bill, and I respected that,” Patrick said, according to The Dallas Morning News. “We will address that in a later session and, look, we’re going to get teachers a pay raise.”
Rena Honea, president of Dallas’ Alliance/AFT teachers union, explained that the property tax cut plan is only good for two years. During the next legislative session, lawmakers will have to look at it again.
The way she sees it, the Legislature didn’t address Texas’ greatest resource: the state’s kids.
Education is typically the last agenda item during each session, she added: “Our educators are really tired of just getting scraps left over.”
Districts must have their budgets in place each June for the following school year, Honea said. Some school boards have had to pass deficit budgets because of a new state law requiring armed security on every campus.
Legislators advertised that law as an improvement to school safety, but Honea noted that it’s also costing districts money. To bring on such security personnel, some districts may have to let other employees go.
Honea said that Abbott will likely call a special session in September or October to consider educational funding. She thinks that the timing is intentional “because they got tired of seeing educators in the hallways at the Capitol.
“They think, ‘These people are back in school. They're not going to be able to come down here and be in our faces and in our offices,’” she said. “Little do they know, we have a plan to. We'll be there, and we’ll be there much more than they expect, I do believe.”
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/property-tax-cut-deal-does-little-for-texas-teachers-education-17134815
| 2023-07-31T19:52:49
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SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) — Salina and Abilene Police are warning about a variation of the “Fugitive” game.
The “Fugitive” game is played after dark between two groups, one often labeled Fugitives, the other as Police. The game combines elements of Tag, Capture the Flag, Cops, and Robbers, and Hide and Seek.
The goal of the “Fugitives” is to make it from one point to another without being caught by the “Police.” This can be a short distance or several miles.
Local high schoolers have reportedly been playing “Fugitive” for several years now in Abilene. However, recently the game has changed with reports of violence and organized fighting.
Police say the latest incident led to injuries and there will likely be criminal charges filed. They are asking parents to talk to their children about the “Fugitive” game and warn them about the potential dangers and unintended consequences involved.
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https://www.ksn.com/news/state-regional/police-in-salina-and-abilene-warn-about-fugitive-game/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:53
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One tried-and-true thing about the Dallas food scene is this: there’s no shortage of a good meatless burger. From the new Slutty Vegan burgers that ooze with tangy Slut Sauce to the ultra-crispy Meati “chicken” sandwiches at Birdcall, Dallas restaurants have found a way to shove just about anything vegetarian between burger buns and, most importantly, make it taste good. With more options on the map than ever, we’ve compiled a list of Dallas’ meatiest burgers, without the meat, of course.
Slutty Vegan (Vegan)
2707 Main St.Slutty Vegan's specialty, the One Night Stand burger, is more than just a one-night meal. It oozes in a wildly addicting Slut Sauce that drips out of the burger in all the right places. Loaded to the brim and then wrapped in a flimsy parchment paper, the beast of a burger is anything but easy to eat. It comes stuffed almost superfluously with lettuce, tomatoes and plant-based bacon strips that fall out of the burger at each bite. The greasy “meat” patty that sits in the middle adds a subtle smokiness to the burger. Paired with sweet vegan Hawaiian rolls, the burger strikes a nice balance between tangy, sweet and greasy. Oh, and it comes with a side of slutty fries, too.
Nuno’s Vegmex (Vegan)
8024 Spring Valley Road If you’ve sampled
Nuno’s plant-based tacos, quesadillas or Oatly shakes, it’ll come as no surprise that this hole-in-the-wall shop serves up a pretty mean vegan burger too. Try the Mexican chopped cheeseburger, stuffed with vegan bistec ranchero protein, grilled onions and fried jalapenos. A blanket of vegan cheese adds another colorful layer to the two-patty wonder. The Michael Scott Fishless burger has a vegan fish cutlet topped with homemade tartar sauce. Barbecue, American ham and fried chicken burgers spruce up the menu as well. They’re all nested inside Nuno’s signature buttery brioche buns.
TLC's vegan burger drips with vegan chili and cheese.
Anisha Holla
Tastes Like Chicken Vegan Chicken (Vegan)
1930 N. Coit Road, RichardsonAlthough best-known (and branded) for its ultra crispy "tastes like chicken” soy meat,
TLC has a lot more going for it than just the vegan chicken. The larger-than-life chili burger is served with either a Better Balance, an Impossible or a bean patty, seared on the grill to achieve a smokey flavor before being shoved into a vegan hamburger bun. Layers of house-made chili and vegan queso drip out the sides. Since chef Troy Gardner opened the TLC brick-and-mortar in November 2022, you can enjoy the monstrosity of a burger in-house, without having to worry about a messy take-out order. Currently, you can enjoy this guilty (vegan) pleasure every day but Tuesday and Wednesday.
click to enlarge The barbecue sandwich at El Palote Panaderia.
El Palote Panaderia
El Palote Panaderia (Vegan)
2537 S. Buckner Blvd.This small red building tucked away near Pleasant Grove is a hidden gem. Pushed by customer demand and their own vegan lifestyle, owners Aurelio and Lily Arias decided in 2016 to convert their bakery into an all-vegan daytime eatery. Today, it goes by the name
El Palote Panaderia. Tacos filled with vegan meats, tortas stuffed with tofu queso and enchiladas floating in pools of refried beans are all tributes to the couple’s own Mexican heritage. Inhale one or two of the tacos ($3.50) or enchiladas ($2.75) as a precursor to the meal. But you’ll find the real star of the show in the burgers. The famous barbecue sandwich is the couple’s own take on a burger made with a jackfruit “pulled pork,” drenched in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, topped with pickles and held together loosely by a giant burger bun. It’s heavy, so wash it all down with a glass of the house vegan horchata.
Vegan Food House (Vegan)
832 W. Seventh St. (Oak Cliff)Vegan Food House opened its doors in 2019 with a focus on plant-based Creole food. Plant-based brunches, bites, salads and flatbreads are just some of the things that have made the place so popular since then. Fried “ricotta” lasagna, “clam” strips and “beefy” chimichangas feed into the deep-fried scents that waft out of the kitchen. But the most slept-on part of the four-page menu might just be the burgers. A signature MAC burger has a plant-based Impossible patty, topped with house-made mac and cheese. Thick coatings of vegan gouda and cheddar cheese make a loaded burger even cheesier. Its siblings on the menu include an Uptown Burger dressed in smoky ranch and a mushroom burger with grilled portobello. Enjoy them with a side of Vegan Food House fries, tossed in a Creole seasoning. And perhaps indulge in an oat milk shake or coffee while you're there.
click to enlarge Red and green burger buns seem like a Christmas-time festivity.
Anisha Holla
Wulf Burger (Vegan)
Multiple LocationsRed and green burger buns not only make for a good Christmas-time offering but a surprisingly good burger too. With multiple locations dotted around the Dallas area,
Wulf Burger isn’t necessarily known for its meatless menu. But ask and you shall receive. The Wulf Vegan Special comes with an Impossible patty, vegan aioli and soft green burger bun (colored with all-natural avocado extract). It's smaller than its counterparts on the list, so you may want to ask for the double-patty version, which is stuffed with double the protein, toppings and grease.
click to enlarge DogHaus allows customers to substitute any of the meat patties with Impossible meat. The burger isn't fully vegan, but it's completely meat-free.
DogHaus
Dog Haus (Vegetarian)
Multiple LocationsHailing from California, this German Biergarten concept offers an adventurous menu of burgers, hot dogs and 10 different varieties of German beer. From crispy chicken sandwiches to beer-battered corn dogs, the menu is all about smoky, juicy, German-sized meat. But almost every glorious serving of German meat you’ll find on the menu comes with a plant-based alternative. Sub an Impossible patty into any of
Dog Haus' six signature burgers, all served on buttered sweet Hawaiian rolls. Each burger comes with its own combination of toppings — from sliced avocado to crispy onion rings. Even the “absolute wurst” hot dogs can be made with vegetarian sausage upon request.
click to enlarge Birdcall's 'Meati' burger comes with a vegetarian "chicken" cutlet stuffed inside.
Anisha Holla
Birdcall (Vegetarian)
3232 E Hebron Pkwy., CarrolltonA Denver-based fried chicken chain,
Birdcall satiates any and all cravings for a chicken-less chicken burger. While the majority of its menu is chicken-based, the popular “Meati” burger presents a deceivingly crispy chicken cutlet made with a chicken-less soy protein. Bite into layers of soft burger buns, crispy plant-based chicken and a tangy Asian coleslaw for a crunch at the end. It’s served with a creamy Sriracha aioli on buttery burger buns. The plant-based chicken cutlet can be substituted into any of the nine other burgers too. Different slaws, vegetables and house-made sauces all make the meatless meal worth the drive.
click to enlarge The Bacun jalapeño burger on the Vegan Vibrationz menu is intentionally misspelled.
Vegan Vibrationz
Vegan Vibrationz (Vegan)
7800 Windrose Ave., PlanoVegan Vibrationz is the cream of the crop when it comes to vegan food in Dallas. Plant-based wraps, nachos and wings all come topped with different plant-based creams, dressings and sauces. It’s the brainchild of chef Jovan Cole, who’s been peddling burgers from the back of his truck since 2021. A new location in Plano’s Legacy Food Hall this year marks the vegan eatery’s first brick-and-mortar spot. And we suspect that the top-notch burger is partly responsible for the lines. Vegan Vibrationz’s "bacun" jalapeño cheddar burger starts with a meatless patty, grilled with a slice of vegan cheddar on top and doused in a spicy chipotle mayo. This customer favorite is finished off with layers of plant-based bacon and crispy onion. A barbecue burger features jackfruit-based meat with a tangy barbecue sauce and mayonnaise. Fluffy burger buns sponge up extra grease, fat, sauce and just about everything in between.
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/best-meatless-vegetarian-burgers-in-dallas-17034271
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A few scattered showers are moving across northern Kansas this afternoon. As high pressure creates a heat bubble over the state, it also shoves moisture to the edge of its influence. Showers and storms will ride along the edge of this bubble through the rest of the day.
Excessive heat alerts are in place for most of the region this afternoon. Heat Advisories and Heat Warnings last through 9 PM Tuesday as temperatures remain warm. Heat indices will inch closer to 110 degrees for those under Heat Warnings in southcentral Kansas over the next two days.
Temperatures this afternoon soar to the triple digits across central Kansas. Those out west will be just shy of 100 degrees, but it will be a scorcher of a day nonetheless.
We fall into the 70s overnight, with winds remaining out of the south. It is going to be a beautiful night.
A few showers will be possible for the far northwestern corner of the region late tonight. The rest of the state will stay dry and warm with mostly clear skies.
A Marginal Risk for severe weather is in place for portions of Cheyenne and Dundy counties tonight. Storms in these areas could produce gusty winds and large hail.
More rainfall arrives late Tuesday as another wave of energy moves off the Rockies and across the region. Showers and thunderstorms will arrive along the state line by 10 PM and continue to track east before falling apart in the morning.
Sizzling temperatures will be the trend for the next few days, but relief is in sight. We slide back into the low 90s on Friday as a cold front cuts across the region. By the weekend, highs will be comfortably in the upper 80s.
This cold front will also increase our rain chances. Scattered showers litter the forecast for the weekend and the beginning of next week as we see much-needed moisture return to the region.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Lucy Doll:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 102 Wind: SW 8-18
Tonight: Mostly clear. Lo: 76 Wind: S 5-15
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, breezy. Hi: 104 Wind: S/SW 10-20
Tomorrow Night: Mostly clear. 10% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 79 Wind: S 8-18
Wichita Weekly
Wed: Hi: 103 Lo: 79 Mostly sunny, windy.
Thu: Hi: 100 Lo: 72 Mostly sunny.
Fri: Hi: 92 Lo: 70 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Sat: Hi: 89 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 88 Lo: 68 Mostly sunny.
-Meteorologist Lucy Doll
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https://www.ksn.com/weather/weather-blog/storm-track-3-forecast-toasty-temps-today-cooler-temps-arrive-this-weekend/
| 2023-07-31T19:52:59
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https://www.ksn.com/weather/weather-blog/storm-track-3-forecast-toasty-temps-today-cooler-temps-arrive-this-weekend/
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William James Norman started his own produce business some 25 years ago. Norman, or “Mr. Norman” as he was known by customers, passed away in 2018.
Today, Mr. Norman’s legacy carries on. His grandson, 34-year-old Christian Luckett-Palmer, carries that torch in the form of PawPaw’s Produce & Co.
You can often find Christian with a truck bed crammed full of immaculate, freshly-picked watermelons, along with various other garden selections (primarily fruit), depending on the time of year.
Aside from the freshest and juiciest watermelons you’d ever find, there may be peaches, plums, mangos, pineapples, cantaloupes – and even brightly colored Kool-Aid-brined pickles.
Most of the produce is sourced straight from South Texas and East Texas, and all is 100% organic. Christian knows the sellers personally — nothing is bought from stores.
In terms of freshness, anything offered out of Christian’s truck will be tough to beat. But the headliners are the red and yellow watermelons. Fresh loads of 150 watermelons are handpicked and driven into the city, often near the 2200 block of Ledbetter, where Christian parks his black pickup amidst the unforgiving Texas heat and awaits customers to swoop in (such as ourselves). And swoop in, they do.
“I’ve probably sold anywhere from two to three thousand watermelons since the beginning of summer,” said Christian, who was born and raised in Dallas. “They go pretty fast.”
When we asked the age-old question of how to best pick a ripe watermelon, Christian gave us a tutorial.
“The pat is everything. When patting a watermelon, is the sound hollow? Or is the sound flat? If the sound is flat, the melon is probably juicier. If it’s hollow, then it usually means a crispier, crunchier melon,” Christian told us. A trained eye like Christian’s can also tell by examining the watermelon’s stem.
As for the difference between a yellow and traditional red watermelon, Christian notes that “yellow watermelons are milder, but a little sweeter with a more candied flavor.”
We picked up one of each. And we can attest that these melons, priced between $10 and $15 depending on the size, are legit. And they'll run circles around any chain grocery store watermelon.
One final question we had for Christian, who’s about as friendly a guy as you’d ever meet, was salt or no salt?
“I prefer no salt. Just give me the watermelon as is. I want to taste the sweetness of it,” said Christian.
We’re with him on that. But he followed that up with a pro tip to try that blew our minds: watermelon with a glaze of honey and lemon. Which we tried. Dude. GAME-CHANGER.
PawPaw's Produce & Co., 2206 E. Ledbetter Drive. Hours vary so check PawPaw's Facebook page for updates.
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/pawpaws-produce-is-a-roadside-fruit-stand-gem-in-dallas-wait-honey-and-lemon-on-a-watermelon-17123865
| 2023-07-31T19:53:01
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https://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/pawpaws-produce-is-a-roadside-fruit-stand-gem-in-dallas-wait-honey-and-lemon-on-a-watermelon-17123865
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Major League Baseball’s trade deadline falls on TUESDAY, AUGUST 1ST AT 6 P.M. ET.
While a few trades were already completed last week (and we’ll mention those below), our live blog is set to take you through all of the deals made in the final 42 hours between Monday morning and the imaginary alarm that goes off to tell general managers that time is up and they need to put their phones down.
While this live blog will be focused primarily on completed trades and both their real-life and fantasy implication, we will be updating all of the news and rumors over on our Player News page, so make sure to keep that open in its own tab on your browser.
D.J. Short will also be hosting a live Q&A on Tuesday at Noon ET, so you can stream that on YouTube and ask any questions as moves are (hopefully) unfolding.
While it’s more confusing than ever to identify which teams are “buying” or “selling” at the deadline due to the expanded playoff format keeping so many teams in the hunt, the following is the most accurate list we can come up with of teams that are looking o acquire MLB-ready talent at the deadline, teams that are looking to trade it away, and a few teams that are looking to do both.
BUYERS
Los Angeles Dodgers
Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels
Atlanta Braves
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Marlins (maybe already done)
Baltimore Orioles (allegedly)
Cincinnati Reds (allegedly)
San Diego Padres (as of Monday morning)
Trade Deadline update:
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 31, 2023
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. @MLBNetwork
SELLERS
Chicago White Sox
New York Mets
St. Louis Cardinals
Kansas City Royals
Colorado Rockies
Washington Nationals
Detroit Tigers
BUYING AND SELLING
Boston Red Sox
Seattle Mariners
Minnesota Twins
UNCLEAR
Tampa Bay Rays
Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Yankees
July 31
KC gets:
Taylor Hearn (RP)
ATL gets:
Nicky Lopez (INF)
LAA get:
Randal Grichuk (RF)
C.J. Cron (1B)
COL gets:
Jake Madden (RP)
Mason Albright (SP)
July 30
TEX gets:
Jordan Montgomery (SP)
Chris Stratton (RP)
STL gets:
John King (RP)
Thomas Saggese (SP)
Tekoah Roby (SP)
TOR gets:
Jordan Hicks (RP)
STL gets:
Adam Kloffenstein (P)
Sem Robberse (P)
July 29th
TEX gets:
Max Scherzer (SP)
NYM get:
Luisangel Acuna (SS) - MLB Pipeline #44 overall prospect
Infielder Luisangel Acuña, ranked as the #2 prospect in the @Mets system by MLB Pipeline and the #44 overall prospect in Major League Baseball, is expected to be assigned to Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday.
— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) July 31, 2023
Read more 🧵 pic.twitter.com/S7qTzKVvUd
July 28
CWS get:
Korey Lee (C)
HOU gets:
Kendall Graveman (RP)
CWS get:
Nick Nastrini (P)
Jordan Leasure (P)
Trayce Thompson (CF)
LAD get:
Lance Lynn (SP)
Joe Kelly (RP)
NYM get:
Ronald Hernandez (C)
Marco Vargas (MIF)
MIA gets:
David Robertson (RP)
July 27th
MIL gets:
Carlos Santana (1B)
PIT gets:
Jhonny Severino (SS)
Jhonny Severino will be the return for Carlos Santana.
— Kody Duncan (@KodyDuncanPGH) July 27, 2023
He is just 18 years old but has 4HRs in 48 at bats this season with an OPs of .871 in rookie ball.
Definition of a lottery ticket
pic.twitter.com/bQArS9a2fy
LAD gets:
Amed Rosario (SS)
CLE gets:
Noah Syndergaard (SP)
CWS gets:
Ky Bush (SP)
Edgar Quero (C)
LAA gets:
Lucas Giolito (SP)
Reynaldo Lopez (RP)
July 26th
MIN gets:
Dylan Floro (RP)
MIA gets:
Jorge Lopez (RP)
July 25th
BOS gets:
Justin Hagenman (P)
Nick Robertson (P)
LAD gets:
Enrique Hernandez (SS)
July 24th
ATL gets:
Pierce Johnson (RP)
COL gets:
Victor Vodnik (RP)
Tanner Gordon (SP)
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https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/live/mlb-trade-deadline-live-blog
| 2023-07-31T19:53:06
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https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/live/mlb-trade-deadline-live-blog
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18-year-old from ‘Brainy Bunch’ family graduates with master’s degree
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA/Gray News) – At age 18, most people are just heading into their freshman year of undergraduate studies. But one 18-year-old from Alabama is graduating with her master’s degree.
Marianna Harding is graduating from Auburn University with a master’s degree in agriculture at the age of 18.
She also graduated from high school at age 11.
Harding comes from a Montgomery family known as “The Brainy Bunch” – she is one of 10 children, most of whom started college by the age of 12. One of the boys even graduated law school at 19.
All the children grew up homeschooled. Harding is the eighth child in the family.
She said there was always healthy competition between siblings.
“We all had different interest levels, and most of us different colleges,” she said.
In 2022, Harding earned her bachelor’s degree virtually from a university in Nebraska. Shortly after, she was off to Auburn’s campus to get her master’s degree.
“Although my focus was very much on studies, there was no lack of fun times,” she said.
While on campus, Harding was part of multiple clubs, a campus employee, and kept active in her church. She hopes that her story will encourage others to go after their goals no matter their age.
Now that she has graduated, Harding will begin working for the Lee County Extension where she’ll teach others about agriculture.
Parents Kip and Mona Lisa Harding made an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show” in 2014 to discuss their book, “The Brainy Bunch: The Harding Family’s Method to College Ready by Age Twelve.” They also have a YouTube channel.
“My kids are not any smarter than anybody else’s, they’re really motivated and they’re very hard working, but really feel like anyone can get these kinds of results,” Mona Lisa Harding said during a 2021 interview.
Copyright 2023 WSFA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
| 2023-07-31T19:53:10
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https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
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In a locker room with young stars but a lot of questions about direction — and trade rumors flying about — having a stabilizing veteran influence is a smart move.
Which is why the Raptors are bringing in guard Garrett Temple for what will be his 14th NBA season, a story Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke.
Free agent F Garrett Temple has agreed on a one-year, $3.2M deal with the Toronto Raptors, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Temple — who spent the past two years with the Pelicans — will be playing his 14th NBA season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 31, 2023
This contract is for the veteran minimum and puts the Raptors at the max of 15 guaranteed contracts heading into training camp. This is bad news for Jeff Dowtin, who now is on the outside looking in at that last roster spot. With Fred VanVleet gone to Houston, the Raptors signed Dennis Schroder for the point, with Malachi Flynn backing him up. There could be minutes for Temple, the solid veteran, in that rotation.
What Temple really brings to the table is a steady form of leadership every team can use. He expressed it best a year ago when Christian Clark of the Times-Picayune interviewed Temple and asked about his longevity in the NBA.
The Raptors could use all those things this season, and at the veteran minimum this is a solid pick-up.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/garrett-temple-signs-with-toronto-raptors-on-one-year-deal
| 2023-07-31T19:53:16
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/garrett-temple-signs-with-toronto-raptors-on-one-year-deal
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Humane Society of Sarasota County launches ‘Clear the Shelters’ campaign
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Adoption fees will be waived for all adult cats and medium-and-large-sized adult dogs on Tuesday, August 1 at the Humane Society of Sarasota County as part of NBCUniversal’s ‘Clear the Shelters’ campaign.
“Nationally, we’ve seen adult cats and dogs staying in care longer as adoptions have declined. We hope that taking part in a fee-waived adoption event will create more visibility and offer an incentive to adopt these great pets into loving homes,” said David Lynch, HSSC Senior Director of Operations. “Fee-waived adoptions allow families to save more resources to spoil their new family member.”
To support Clear The Shelters, Hill’s Pet Nutrition will provide adoption kits to help new pet parents and their pets get a healthy start on their new life together. These kits will include starter bags of Hill’s science-led nutrition, coupons, pet-parenting tips and other supplies will be available at select shelters during the campaign.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition will also match donations dollar for dollar up to $25,000. Donations can be made here.
Since 2015, NBCUniversal Local’s ‘Clear The Shelters’ campaign has helped more than 860,000 pets find new homes. The 2022 campaign established a new single-year record with more than 161,000 adoptions, while also raising more than $540,000. Nearly 1,400 animal shelters and rescues covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam participated in last year’s campaign.
“Our goal for this event is to celebrate more than 200 adoptions from HSSC,” said Lynch. To date, HSSC has adopted out 1,168 cats and dogs in 2023.
For more information on ‘Clear The Shelters,’ including participating shelters and rescues and details on local events, click here.
Copyright 2023 WWSB. All rights reserved.
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https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/humane-society-sarasota-county-launches-clear-shelters-campaign/
| 2023-07-31T19:53:16
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https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/humane-society-sarasota-county-launches-clear-shelters-campaign/
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Trader Joe’s falafel recalled because it may contain rocks
(Gray News) – Trader Joe’s is recalling a cooked falafel product because it “may contain rocks.”
The grocery chain announced Friday that the supplier of its Fully Cooked Falafel (SKU# 93935) warned it about the product possibly containing rocks.
Trader Joe’s said the recalled falafel is sold in its stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
“All potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed,” Trader Joe’s said in its announcement.
Customers are urged to discard the falafel and return it to any Trader Joe’s location for a full refund.
Trader Joe’s also announced Friday that it was recalling some of its cookies because they also may contain rocks, and the chain recently recalled its broccoli cheddar soup because it may contain insects.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/trader-joes-falafel-recalled-because-it-may-contain-rocks/
| 2023-07-31T19:53:23
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https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/31/trader-joes-falafel-recalled-because-it-may-contain-rocks/
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Free agent running back Derrick Gore is re-joining the Commanders.
Washington announced it has signed Gore, putting its roster back up to 90 players.
Gore, an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Alabama, Louisiana-Monroe and Coffeyville Community College, was with the Commanders’ practice squad in 2019. He has been a free agent since May when the Saints cut him.
He also has spent time with the Chargers and Chiefs in his career.
Gore is the latest player to reunite with Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The Chiefs waived him as part of their final roster cut in 2021, but he re-signed with Kansas City’s practice squad.
Gore was elevated to the active roster and made his debut against Washington in Week 6 of that season. Gore appeared in 11 games in 2021, mostly as a special teams contributor, but he did rush for 256 yards and two touchdowns on 51 attempts. He also caught eight passes for 105 yards.
That remains his only regular-season action.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/commanders-sign-derrick-gore
| 2023-07-31T19:53:26
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/commanders-sign-derrick-gore
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Bills safety Damar Hamlin practiced in pads today for the first time since going into cardiac arrest on the field during a game last season, and he said afterward that he had gone through a “roller coaster of emotions.”
Hamlin said his first day in pads was tough, and he admitted that he felt some fear about it, but he also said he thinks he has a higher purpose of using the platform of being an NFL player to spread awareness of the importance of learning CPR and the importance of having defibrillators available at all sporting events.
“In football, you can’t hit that field with no hesitation,” Hamlin said. “You’re putting yourself in more danger by doing that. I made the choice to play, but I’m processing a thousand emotions. I’m not afraid to say that it crosses my mind of being a little scared here and there. But like I say, my strength is rooted in my faith, and my faith is stronger than any fear. That’s what I want to preach up here, and that’s the message I want to spread on to the world. As long as your faith is stronger than your fear, you can get through anything. So that’s what I’m living by right now.”
Hamlin said he feels incredibly grateful to be back on the field.
“I’m just thankful,” Hamlin said. “I’m just blessed to be able to do what I wanted to do as a kid.”
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/damar-hamlin-felt-roller-coaster-of-emotions-at-practice-says-hes-a-little-scared
| 2023-07-31T19:53:36
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/damar-hamlin-felt-roller-coaster-of-emotions-at-practice-says-hes-a-little-scared
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Benchmark U.S. crude oil for September delivery rose $1.22 to $81.80 a barrel Monday. Brent crude for September delivery rose 57 cents to $85.56 a barrel.
Gold for December delivery rose $9.30 to $2,009.20 an ounce. Silver for September delivery rose 47 cents to $24.97 an ounce and September copper rose 8 cents to $4.01 a pound.
The dollar rose to 142.29 Japanese yen from 141.00yen. The euro fell to $1.0999 from $1.1023.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/financial-markets-commodities-dollar-glance/b6eab908-2fd7-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:53:43
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/financial-markets-commodities-dollar-glance/b6eab908-2fd7-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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18-year-old from ‘Brainy Bunch’ family graduates with master’s degree
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA/Gray News) – At age 18, most people are just heading into their freshman year of undergraduate studies. But one 18-year-old from Alabama is graduating with her master’s degree.
Marianna Harding is graduating from Auburn University with a master’s degree in agriculture at the age of 18.
She also graduated from high school at age 11.
Harding comes from a Montgomery family known as “The Brainy Bunch” – she is one of 10 children, most of whom started college by the age of 12. One of the boys even graduated law school at 19.
All the children grew up homeschooled. Harding is the eighth child in the family.
She said there was always healthy competition between siblings.
“We all had different interest levels, and most of us different colleges,” she said.
In 2022, Harding earned her bachelor’s degree virtually from a university in Nebraska. Shortly after, she was off to Auburn’s campus to get her master’s degree.
“Although my focus was very much on studies, there was no lack of fun times,” she said.
While on campus, Harding was part of multiple clubs, a campus employee, and kept active in her church. She hopes that her story will encourage others to go after their goals no matter their age.
Now that she has graduated, Harding will begin working for the Lee County Extension where she’ll teach others about agriculture.
Parents Kip and Mona Lisa Harding made an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show” in 2014 to discuss their book, “The Brainy Bunch: The Harding Family’s Method to College Ready by Age Twelve.” They also have a YouTube channel.
“My kids are not any smarter than anybody else’s, they’re really motivated and they’re very hard working, but really feel like anyone can get these kinds of results,” Mona Lisa Harding said during a 2021 interview.
Copyright 2023 WSFA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
| 2023-07-31T19:53:43
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https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
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Guardians trade Aaron Civale to Tampa Bay
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 3:44 PM EDT|Updated: 7 minutes ago
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Cleveland Guardians, already thin in starting pitching, have traded Aaron Civale to Tampa Bay.
Civale is 5-2 this season with a 2.34 ERA.
He’s making $2.6 million with 2 more years of team control remaining before he hits free agency in 2026.
Cleveland is already missing injured starters Shane Bieber, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie.
The Guardians are 53-53, a half-game back of first-place Minnesota.
Noah Syndergaard, newly acquired from the Dodgers, makes his Guardians debut tonight in Houston.
Copyright 2023 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/31/guardians-trade-aaron-civale-tampa-bay/
| 2023-07-31T19:53:45
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https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/31/guardians-trade-aaron-civale-tampa-bay/
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NEW YORK — Major League Baseball has paid its $185 million settlement of a lawsuit by minor leaguers alleging violations of minimum wage laws.
Minor leaguers unionized last September and agreed this spring to a five-year labor contract that more than doubled player salaries.
The settlement covers all players with minor league contracts who played in the California League for at least seven straight days starting on Feb. 7, 2010, through the settlement’s preliminary approval last Aug. 26; players who participated in spring training, extended spring training or instructional leagues in Florida from Feb. 7, 2009, through last Aug. 26; and players who participated in spring training, extended spring training or instructional leagues in Arizona from Feb. 7, 2011, through last Aug. 26.
The suit was filed in 2014 by first baseman/outfielder Aaron Senne, a 10th-round pick of the then-Florida Marlins in 2009 who retired in 2013, and two other retired players who had been lower-round selections: Kansas City Royals infielder Michael Liberto and San Francisco Giants pitcher Oliver Odle. They claimed violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state minimum wage and overtime requirements for a work week they estimated at 50 to 60 hours.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/mlb-minor-leaguers-lawsuit/9db690da-2fda-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:53:45
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/mlb-minor-leaguers-lawsuit/9db690da-2fda-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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Trey Lance spent the offseason working with private quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen, who retooled Lance’s throwing motion this offseason. It has eliminated Lance’s ongoing arm soreness.
Lance said last week that from his rookie year to where he is now is like “night and day.”
49ers General Manager John Lynch said Monday that he also sees a difference in Lance.
“A lot’s been chronicled of him working with Jeff Christensen, and there’s all kinds of different gurus and specialists for these guys to go through,” Lynch said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “I was really proud Trey took the initiative. I’ve talked with Trey. I won’t get into the details because I’m not exactly sure on how it all happened, but I was proud that it was something that he sought out.
“And then, I think in the past, maybe Trey was working with multiple people. It’s like trying to work with multiple golf coaches. Signals can get mixed. And I think he decided, ‘All right, I’ve got to find one that I vibe with the best and roll with that.’ And I think they did some great work.”
The No. 3 overall pick in 2021 has played only eight games, with four starts. Because of injuries, Lance has seen only 262 regular-season snaps.
Instead of being the unquestioned starter as he was going into last season, Lance is competing with Sam Darnold for the backup job behind Brock Purdy.
The 49ers insist they haven’t given up on Lance and are happy with the progress he made this offseason.
“I think he’s throwing the football a lot better,” Lynch said. “His base is better, some of his mechanics are better. Those things are showing up on the field. So I’m not just proud of him for his attitude and his leadership, his resiliency. I’m proud for what I’m seeing out there.
“And I know there’s been a lot of talk about the opportunities he’s not getting. I’m proud of him for what he’s doing with the opportunities he is getting. And there’s a plan. He’ll continue to earn these opportunities, and he’ll have plenty to show who he is. He can’t get enough, there’s no doubt about that.”
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/john-lynch-lauds-improvement-trey-lance-made-this-offseason
| 2023-07-31T19:53:46
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/john-lynch-lauds-improvement-trey-lance-made-this-offseason
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Trader Joe’s falafel recalled because it may contain rocks
(Gray News) – Trader Joe’s is recalling a cooked falafel product because it “may contain rocks.”
The grocery chain announced Friday that the supplier of its Fully Cooked Falafel (SKU# 93935) warned it about the product possibly containing rocks.
Trader Joe’s said the recalled falafel is sold in its stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
“All potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed,” Trader Joe’s said in its announcement.
Customers are urged to discard the falafel and return it to any Trader Joe’s location for a full refund.
Trader Joe’s also announced Friday that it was recalling some of its cookies because they also may contain rocks, and the chain recently recalled its broccoli cheddar soup because it may contain insects.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/31/trader-joes-falafel-recalled-because-it-may-contain-rocks/
| 2023-07-31T19:53:47
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https://www.cleveland19.com/2023/07/31/trader-joes-falafel-recalled-because-it-may-contain-rocks/
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ISLAMABAD — 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.
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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https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/07/31/pakistan-china-vice-premier-cpec-anniversary/c972f0f4-2fd2-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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RYE BROOK, N.Y., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Belle Haven Investments is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work® for the second year in a row. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Belle Haven Investments. This year, 93% of employees said it's a great place To Work – 36 points higher than the average U.S. company.
Great Place To Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.
"Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience," says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, the Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasizes that Certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. "By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Belle Haven Investments stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees."
Matt Dalton, CEO & CIO, expressed his excitement emphasizing "We owe the Firm's continued success to our dedicated and awesome employees. We celebrate and thank them for all they do to earn this incredible recognition."
About Belle Haven Investments
Belle Haven Investments is an independent, employee-owned asset manager that focuses exclusively on fixed income. They prioritize service, reliability, and customization, nurturing long-term partnerships with their clients. Their core values - trust and communication - permeate both external client relationships and internal team dynamics. The autonomy given to employees fosters trust, driving them to deliver their best work daily. To learn more, visit: https://www.bellehaven.com/
About Great Place to Work Certification™
Great Place To Work® Certification™ is the most definitive "employer-of-choice" recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report about their workplace experience – specifically, how consistently they experience a high-trust workplace. Great Place to Work Certification is recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognizing outstanding employee experience. Every year, more than 10,000 companies across 60 countries apply to get Great Place To Work-Certified.
Contact:
Nicole Robbins
robbinsn@bellehaven.com
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Hunter Biden, the son of US president Joe Biden, has a way of staying in the headlines. His work in Ukraine was a topic of the 2019 phone call that led to the first impeachment of then-President Donald Trump. Emails and photographs taken from his abandoned laptop computer spurred a dispute over whether social media companies censor legitimate news. Most recently, a plea deal he reached with the Justice Department over unpaid taxes and a lie he told on a firearms application prompted cries of unequal justice because it would spare him any jail time. That plea was in limbo following a July 26 court hearing.
1. What are Republicans investigating?
The chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer of Kentucky, says the Biden family “sold access for profit around the world to the detriment of American interests.” He also says the Justice Department gave Hunter Biden preferential treatment while investigating his past. And Comer has raised questions about Hunter Biden’s latest career turn, as a painter. Biden has offered prints and paintings for sale, some listed for hundreds of thousands of dollars, raising questions about whether buying his art could be seen as a way to curry favor with his father.
2. Why so much attention to a president’s son?
Hunter Biden, 53, has led a troubled life. “I’ve bought crack cocaine on the streets of Washington, DC, and cooked up my own inside a hotel bungalow in Los Angeles,” he wrote in his 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things. “In the last five years alone, my two-decades-long marriage has dissolved, guns have been put in my face, and at one point I dropped clean off the grid, living in $59-a-night Super 8 motels off I-95 while scaring my family even more than myself,” he wrote. A lawyer by training, Biden pursued business opportunities with foreign parties after his father became vice president in 2009, often in ways that intersected with his father’s work.
3. What proof have Republicans turned up?
It’s clear that Hunter Biden made money from foreign companies and individuals while Joe Biden was Barack Obama’s vice president. But there’s no proof that Joe Biden influenced or was aware of those dealings. Congressional Republicans say the Federal Bureau of Investigation received an allegation that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden each received a $5 million bribe. The FBI report documenting the allegation, released to the public on July 20, cites recollections by a confidential source between late 2015 and June 2022. Joe Biden dismissed that allegation as “a bunch of malarkey.” Comer’s committee plans to interview a onetime Hunter Biden business partner, Devon Archer, about any knowledge Joe Biden might have had about his son’s overseas business dealings. Also, citing testimony from two employees of the Internal Revenue Service, Republican lawmakers allege the Department of Justice interfered with the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden’s unpaid taxes. Attorney General Merrick Garland has denied interfering in the probe, which was conducted by a Trump appointee, David Weiss, the US attorney in Delaware.
4. What was the result of the criminal probe?
Hunter Biden was accused of failing to pay more than $200,000 in income taxes in 2017 and 2018 and of lying when filling out a federal form before purchasing a handgun in 2018. (To a question about whether he was “an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance,” he answered “no.”) Under a deal disclosed on June 20, he was to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges, avoid prison and avert prosecution on the felony gun charge. (He’s already paid his back taxes.) Republicans complained that the proposed punishment is too light and is evidence of a two-tiered justice system when contrasted with the criminal charges Trump is facing. At the July 26 hearing on the proposed plea deal, a federal judge directed prosecutors and defense lawyers to clarify the scope of immunity that will be granted to Hunter Biden.
5. What sort of work did Hunter Biden do?
Much of it involved corporate deal-making and consulting. In 2013, for instance, after flying to China with his father aboard Air Force Two, Biden joined the board of an investment fund co-founded by a Chinese private equity investor trying to raise $1.5 billion. Entities controlled by Hunter Biden and his uncle, James Biden, who ran a consultancy called the Lion Hall Group, were paid $4.8 million in 2017 and 2018 by Chinese conglomerate CEFC China Energy in relation to energy projects that never came to fruition, the Washington Post reported. A September 2020 report released by Republican members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee concluded that Hunter Biden’s foreign work had created a potential conflict of interest for his father — especially as it related to US policy toward Ukraine — but didn’t allege that any laws had been broken. That was one in a series of voluminous reports by Republican senators suggesting wrongdoing by the president’s son, in some cases with thin evidence.
6. What did Hunter Biden do in Ukraine?
Burisma Holdings, one of the largest private natural gas companies in Ukraine, named Biden to its board in 2014. He served until 2020, and records suggest he earned at least $50,000 a month. In 2016, his father, as the Obama administration’s point person on Ukraine, pressed successfully for the ouster of Viktor Shokin as prosecutor general. US allies, the International Monetary Fund and many Ukrainians had called for Shokin to be replaced on the grounds that he had failed to pursue corruption cases. But Trump and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, alleged that Biden had targeted Shokin to derail an investigation into Burisma. Burisma issued a statement in 2017 saying that the investigation had been closed and that it had paid an extra 180 million hryvnias ($7 million) in taxes. In hindsight, Hunter Biden said, serving on Burisma’s board may have been “poor judgment.”
7. How did that connect to Trump’s impeachment?
In a July 2019 phone call, Trump asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to “look into” Hunter Biden and whether Joe Biden as vice president had shut down the investigation of Burisma. That call came just days after Trump announced he was withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine — prompting Democrats to allege that Trump was using the assistance as leverage to pressure Zelenskiy into releasing damaging information about the Bidens. Trump denied extorting the Ukrainian leader, describing the call as “perfect.” Democrats in the US House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. In the Senate, Democrats fell well short of the two-thirds super-majority needed to convict Trump and remove him from office.
8. What happened with Hunter Biden’s laptop?
The owner of a computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware, says Biden dropped off but never reclaimed a damaged MacBook Pro that included explicit photos and videos of Biden taking drugs and engaging in sex acts. The owner says he turned the laptop over to the FBI and a copy of the hard drive to Giuliani, who shared it with the New York Post during the final weeks of the 2020 presidential election. The Post’s front-page article focused on emails suggesting that Biden may have arranged for Ukrainian business associates to meet his father when he was vice president; the Post also published several unflattering photos taken from the hard drive. Citing concerns over the private nature of the material and whether it had been hacked, Twitter Inc. and Facebook (now part of Meta Platforms Inc.) restricted the ability of users to share the Post story. Subsequent reporting by other news organizations backed the authenticity of the material cited by the Post, fueling criticism that social media platforms and mainstream media had suppressed legitimate news. In one of his early moves as Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk released internal emails showing there was dissension within the company over restricting access to the Post article.
9. What does President Biden say about all this?
He has denied knowledge or involvement in his son’s business dealings and said he is proud of his son’s recovery from addiction. “I love him and he’s on the straight and narrow, and he has been for a couple of years now,” Biden told CNN in October. After Hunter Biden struck his plea agreement with the Justice Department, the president denied ever discussing the case with Garland, the attorney general he appointed. Following criticism that he’d shunned a 4-year-old Alabama girl Hunter Biden fathered by not counting or treating her like his grandchild, Biden acknowledged her as family in a statement to People magazine in late July.
--With assistance from Billy House.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
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PHOENIX — A hellish and historic 31-day run of temperatures cracking 110 degrees (43 degrees Celsius) in Phoenix appeared headed for a welcome end on Monday, as monsoon rains moved through the region from Mexico.
“It’s not going to last more than a couple of days, but I’m enjoying this break,” said Christine Bertaux, 76, who was cooling off Monday at a downtown day center for older people who are homeless.
“It has been REALLY hot here!” said Jeffrey Sharpe, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was in town for a long weekend that on Monday included watching his son’s poodles frolic in a grassy dog park. “But today it was about 85 degrees, more like Wisconsin.”
High heat blasted much of the Southwest all through July, ranging from West Texas to eastern California. But Phoenix and its suburbs sweltered to new records, including three days where the high reached 119, and overnight lows stayed above 90 more than half the month. Concerts and other outdoor events were cancelled throughout the month because of the heat and busy parts of the city became ghost towns as people stayed indoors to avoid the heat.
Health officials have so far confirmed 25 heat-related deaths in Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous and home to Phoenix, in July, although that number seems certain to rise. Another 249 deaths are under investigation for links to heat.
Rudy Soliz, who manages the center where Bertaux was cooling off, said those who visit to get a meal and cool off out of the sun “have been having a very hard time this summer.”
“Older people have a harder time with the heat, there are a lot of diabetics, people who take medicines,” he said.
“The heat has been pretty bad this summer. We’ve made at least five 911 calls from here this July for people who got heat stroke,” said Soliz. “They’ve found a couple of bodies around here this month but it’s not clear yet if they died from the heat.”
Although there is no excessive warning for city, the National Weather Service said Phoenix residents should take precautions to stay cool and safe from the heat.
“Even though it’s going to be cooler than it has been, it’s still going to be warmer than normal. And the heat definitely can still affect a large portion of the population,” said Matthew Hirsch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix. “So we’re still urging people to take the necessary precautions, such as remaining hydrated and limiting outdoor activity.”
Phoenix’s previous record for days of 110 degrees or more was 18 straight, set in 1974, nearly two weeks shorter than the new record.
Hirsch said July 2023 was the city’s hottest month on record. The previous hottest month on record was August 2020.
And August could be even hotter than July, Hirsch said. He said there is a slightly higher chance of temperatures that are above normal in August and there’s an equal chance for the region to get more or less rain than average.
R. Glenn Williamson, a businessman who was born in Canada but has lived in Phoenix for years, said he really noticed a temperature difference Monday morning as he washed his car in his driveway.
“Now we have to get rid of the humidity!” Williamson said. “But honestly, I’d rather have this heat than a Montreal winter.”
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Costley reported from New Orleans.
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Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2023/07/31/heat-warming-climate-environment-temperature-phoenix-arizona/6f014b92-2fce-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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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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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Four hikers that experienced heat exhaustion and dehydration were rescued from the Organ Mountains in Las Cruces Saturday. The Las Cruces Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Team, the New Mexico State University Fire Department, Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue, and Organ Mountain Technical Rescue all participated in the eight-hour-long rescue.
Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority received a call late Saturday, that the hikers were stranded and in distress. One hiker experienced severe cramps and extreme fatigue and could not descend the mountain. Two hikers were treated for dehydration, and one was transported to the hospital for further medical care, according to the Las Cruces Fire Department.
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SOUTH HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. — A quick-service chain is coming soon, and another is proposed on a main thoroughfare in Berks County.
Construction on a Popeyes restaurant is underway on Lot No. 5 of the Members First Subdivision on Route 422 in South Heidelberg Township. The site is located just west of Green Valley Road, next to the recently approved Tommy's Car Wash, according to an announcement on the township's Facebook page.
The 2,311-square-foot eatery, with a single-lane drive-thru, is expected to open in the fall or early winter of this year.
Also, a 2,400-square-foot Starbucks is proposed on Lot No. 1 of the Members First Subdivision on Route 422/Penn Avenue.
The plan, which calls for a Starbucks with a drive-thru and dine-in service, will be reviewed as part of the South Heidelberg Township Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Popeyes, known for its fried chicken, biscuits and other Southern favorites, originated in New Orleans in 1972. The chain is part of Restaurant Brands International Inc., which also owns Burger King, Tim Hortons and Firehouse Subs.
Popeyes has more than 3,700 restaurants globally, including other regional Popeyes locations on North Fifth Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township, East High Street in Pottstown, North Broad Street in Hatfield Township, South West End Boulevard in Quakertown, North Ninth Street in Stroudsburg, Hanover Avenue in Allentown, and MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County.
The region's newest Popeyes restaurant opened in late December at 1935 S. Fourth St. in Allentown, and another Popeyes restaurant with a drive-thru has been proposed at 701 N. 19th St. in Allentown.
Menu highlights include a wide array of chicken options, including nuggets, tenders, sandwiches and signature chicken boxes and meals; seafood selections such as a classic flounder fish sandwich and quarter-pound popcorn shrimp meal; and sides such as coleslaw, homestyle mac and cheese and mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy.
Coffee shop chain Starbucks, connecting with millions of customers daily in more than 80 markets, opened its first store - offering fresh-roasted coffee beans, tea and spices from around the world - in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market in 1971.
The business' name was inspired by the classic Herman Melville novel "Moby-Dick," evoking the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders. In the 1851 tale, Starbuck was the name of the first mate on the whaling ship Pequod.
Starbucks serves up a vast selection of specialty drinks, including lattes such as chestnut praline and cinnamon dolce; mochas such as peppermint and toasted white chocolate; Frappuccino blended beverages such as caramel brulee and java chip; and Starbucks Refreshers, made with fruit juice and lightly caffeinated with green coffee extract, such as pineapple passionfruit and strawberry acai.
Customers also can enjoy various food offerings, including sous vide egg bites, breakfast sandwiches and wraps, lunch sandwiches and bakery items such as bagels, brownies, croissants and danishes.
In addition to the proposed Starbucks and under-construction Popeyes, other Route 422 land development includes a Stor4U indoor storage facility that's been approved on Lot No. 4 (next to Popeye's) and a Tommy's Car Wash that's been approved on Lot No. 3.
Construction on the 5,315-square-foot car wash is underway with a scheduled opening of fall/early winter 2023, according to the township's announcement.
Construction on the 40,000-square-foot indoor storage facility, with climate-controlled self-storage units, is currently not planned in 2023.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - A popular Carbon County doughnut shop - dishing out unique varieties like caramel churro, Nutella maple bacon and pistachio raspberry cheesecake – is almost ready to welcome customers at its second regional location.
Donerds Donuts, specializing in handmade, artisanal doughnuts at 76 Broadway in Jim Thorpe, will hold a grand opening of its new shop at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, at 3 E. Fourth St. in south Bethlehem.
Grand opening festivities will include music, an appearance by the Lehigh University mascot and a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce at 9 a.m. Also, the first 30 people to take a selfie in front of the business’ cartoon wall, share it on their social media and tag the business will get a free doughnut.
Husband and wife co-owners Andrew Underwood and Annabel Figueroa had originally planned to open the new shop a couple of weeks ago, but more time was needed to prepare for its debut.
“It’s been a long time coming, and it’s also been a lot of fun getting everything ready at this new location, and we are just about there!” Underwood said on Monday.
Underwood and Figueroa have noticed a large segment of Lehigh Valley customers frequenting their Carbon County store and wanted to offer a more convenient option for them.
The new Bethlehem shop will occupy a former laundromat space next to a Subway eatery.
"We're super pumped," Underwood said. "It's a great spot to be in, and we think it's going to be really fun. A lot of cool things are happening on the South Side."
Underwood and Figueroa originally started selling their doughnuts in 2015 out of a refurbished 1981 Volkswagen bus in Santiago, Chile.
Figueroa is a Santiago native, while Underwood is from New Jersey, and the pair met and fell in love while Underwood was traveling in the South American country.
The couple's doughnuts exploded in popularity, leading them to open their first brick-and-mortar location in Chile in October 2019. Currently, two Donerds franchises operate in the country.
"There was an opening in the market as nobody was really doing doughnuts in Chile at the time," Underwood said. "So, we decided to start making doughnuts, and it just grew really quickly from there."
Soon after their Chilean expansion, Figueroa and Underwood moved to Jim Thorpe, where they opened their first regional store in early 2021.
Customers can enjoy classics like glazed, Boston cream and raspberry jelly, along with more unique varieties such as blueberry French toast, Oreo cheesecake and peanut butter cup (covered with half chocolate and half peanut butter with a peanut butter cup in the center). Most doughnuts are priced between $2 and $4.
There are also seasonal specials such as hot cocoa in the winter, strawberry rose in the spring, Key lime pie in the summer and apple cider pecan and pumpkin brulee in the fall.
The couple and their pastry chefs dub themselves "mad scientists" as they love creating new and exciting flavors.
"The cannoli doughnut is very popular as well as the blueberry cheesecake," Underwood said. "We've also got a Zombie Brain doughnut that we do for Halloween. That's a big hit."
Donerd’s catalogue of doughnut varieties totals around 100, Underwood said, and the south Bethlehem store - with seating for around 12 customers - will serve about 16 doughnut varieties daily, in line with the Jim Thorpe location, Underwood said.
“We’re always introducing new varieties, and we’re open to suggestions, too,” Underwood said. “If customers have cool suggestions for doughnuts that they’d like to see, they can let us know, and we’ll try our best to incorporate them into our lineup.”
Donerds also offers made-on-site macarons and specialty coffee drinks, including caramel macchiato, pistachio cream iced lattes and nitro cold brew coffee available in flavors such as caramel French toast, Snickers, and s'mores.
The business uses coffee from popular roaster Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago, and Donerds also recently debuted its own blend, a medium roast featuring fresh, naturally processed coffees from Ethiopia and Brazil.
For all of its drinks, the business offers Pocono Organics CBD infusions, which help people relax when drinking tea and stay focused when drinking coffee.
In Bethlehem, customers should also anticipate specialty coffee beverages such as lattes and cappucino.
"It'll be the same menu that we have in Jim Thorpe, although we will have espresso-based drinks that we don't have in Jim Thorpe," Underwood said.
The south Bethlehem store will operate 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
For the latest Donerds Doughnuts' updates, follow the business' pages on Facebook and Instagram. Info: donerdsdonuts.com.
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The greatness of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes comes in large part from his ability to extend plays, by running around behind the line of scrimmage while always looking for an opening to deliver the ball in the blink of an eye, or faster.
He wants that to change.
Specifically, he wants to be able to know what’s going to happen before a given play begins.
Mahomes explained to Albert Breer of SI.com that he’s looking to learn more about how Tom Brady did it. Mahomes’s has a resource this year, in former Brady backup Blaine Gabbert.
“Talking to Blaine, who’s been with Tom for the last few years now, to see how advanced Tom was, it’s just knowing that I can get there one day. I just got to continue to work and ask Coach [Andy] Reid questions, ask Blaine questions,” Mahomes told Breer. “It just makes the game a lot easier when you can plan, and you know exactly what a defense is gonna do. Every year I come back, I want to take that next step on the mental side of the game.”
Gabbert told Mahomes that Brady always had an answer, for every look he saw.
“There’s sometimes, even to this day, you get into a coverage, you just don’t see it,” Mahomes said. “Luckily for me, I’ve been able to scramble and make plays happen. To be able to, pre-snap, always have an answer and make the game even easier. This is a hard game where defenses are doing a lot of different stuff. You rarely saw Tom get tricked. . . . That’s where I want to get to, instead of having to rely on scrambles. That all looks cool, but I want to be able to have the answer even before the snap of the ball.”
It’s an important skill to develop, because eventually Mahomes won’t be as nimble as he now is, long before the magic ages its way out of his arm.
The legs always go before the arm. Brady used his knowledge of defenses to accelerate his delivery of the ball after the snap. That’s how it will change for Mahomes, in time.
He won’t be running around with his hair on fire and throwing from every body position and arm angle. He will still be firing the ball quickly and decisively, executing the throw before the walls close in.
And, once he knows what’s happening before the ball is snapped, he’ll lay the foundation to play deep into his forties.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/next-goal-for-patrick-mahomes-know-whats-happening-before-the-play-starts
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A plan for 317 apartments on land straddling the Bethlehem/Allentown border will go back to Bethlehem's Zoning Hearing Board on Aug. 16.
That neighborhood may be getting a bit more crowded. The "Hanover Apartments" development is seven blocks east of the former Allentown State Hospital, where a "master-planned community" has been proposed by City Center Investment Corp. More details on that development, dubbed "Northridge," will be provided at an open meeting Saturday.
Developer Norton Herrick's plan for the border is for four buildings on 8.74 acres at the site of a former auto dealership, where Hanover Avenue in Allentown meets West Broad Street, Bethlehem, a couple blocks south of the Lehigh Shopping Center. Most of the "Hanover Apartments" land is in Bethlehem.
The proposal has raised complaints from people on both sides of the border. Concerns about traffic, noise, and water runoff have been brought up at earlier meetings.
The developer wants variances to put up apartment buildings 290 feet long, where zoning allows nothing longer than 180 feet. A variance is also sought to allow parking at street level along Broad Street, instead of the commercial use required in the Limited Commercial zoning district.
The plan encompasses four parcels of land: 2211 W. Broad St., 2235 W. Broad St. and 2220 Florence St. in Bethlehem, and 2300 Hanover Ave. in Allentown.
Herrick is the developer behind the plan to convert the former Martin Tower site in Bethlehem into more than 1,000 housing units.
The Bethlehem Zoning Hearing Board will meet at 6 p.m. on Aug. 16 at the City Hall Rotunda, 10 E. Church St. The meeting will also be broadcast on the Internet. The agenda and a link are posted on the city website. Agendas are subject to change.
Plan for 317 apartments on border with Allentown goes back to Bethlehem zoning board Aug. 16
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| 2023-07-31T19:53:57
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Thursday was a partly sunny, seasonably warm, and sticky day with highs mostly in the mid 80s, and just a few spotty thundershowers here and there. An isolated shower or storm will remain possible through an otherwise mainly dry evening. But the night will end rather stormy with a much better chance of a line of gusty downpours and storms sweeping through the area between midnight tonight and sunrise Friday morning. Gusty winds and heavy rain are possible in any storm later tonight, with some localized flooding possible. On Friday, the humidity will linger as we'll await for a cold front to sweep it away for the weekend, and an additional opportunity for a few scattered thunderstorms are possible from midday Friday into the afternoon, although not everyone gets wet. However, everyone will reap the benefits behind our front over the weekend, one of the nicer weekends we've seen this summer with comfortably warm sunshine and low humidity. Let's just hope the wildfire haze stays away. The humidity returns for most of next week with highs building into the upper 80s as the week progresses. Outside of a few thunderstorms later Monday and Tuesday, next week looks drier and less stormy than recent ones.
DETAILED FORECAST
Coming soon...
TRACK THE WEATHER:
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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.
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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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DENVER — A Colorado teenager pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of attempting to support a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State group.
David Kaplan, Meyer’s attorney, declined to comment on the case. The trial is not yet scheduled.
In November, after he turned 18, Meyer began communicating over the internet with someone he believed was an IS facilitator, and another who presented themselves as an ISIS travel facilitator, according to the arrest affidavit, but both were actually undercover informants.
In a previous court hearing, Meyer’s mother, Deanna Meyer, testified that her son wouldn't have tried traveling to the Middle East if not for the support of people he met who shared his views, including the FBI informants.
This was in response to a judge’s question about whether her son — who was diagnosed with autism — understood the gravity of the situation, given his condition.
The prosecutor, assistant U.S. attorney Melissa Hindman, argued that the young man was already committed to radical Islam before the informants spoke with him.
During Monday’s hearing, prosecutors didn’t speak about the allegations and the U.S. Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment after the hearing.
Deanna Meyer had reached out to law enforcement when Davin was 17 over concerns about his escalating “radical Islamic beliefs” and openly expressing violent intentions, according to court documents. The FBI was later notified, it said.
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Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2023/07/31/islamic-state-terrorism-colorado-teen-trial/44f8d41c-2fda-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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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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SOURCE Virgin Hotels
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A year after the NFL imposed an 11-game suspension on Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for sexual misconduct during massage-therapy sessions, the league has enhanced the Personal Conduct Policy.
Via Jenny Vrentas of the New York Times, the revised policy expands the offenses that could result in more serious punishment to include sexual assault “involving threats or coercion.” The new policy also includes “a pattern of conduct” and “offenses that involve planning” as specific factors that could enhance punishment.
“We annually review our policies and programs with an eye toward continuous improvement based off previous experiences,” an NFL spokesperson told Vrentas.
Watson’s defense hinged in part on the notion that there was no evidence of physical force. His punishment was determined by Judge Sue L. Robinson.
The changes were made, as Vrentas notes, without bargaining with the NFL Players Association, because the broader authority to avoid conduct detrimental to the league falls within the Commissioner’s general purview. The league last revised the Personal Conduct Policy in 2014, after the Ray Rice fiasco.
The problem in the Watson case was that the Personal Conduct Policy didn’t specifically envision a situation like his, and it wasn’t crafted broadly enough to encompass the unique and unprecedented facts of Watson’s case. Now, if there’s ever a similar circumstance involving an NFL player (and hopefully there never will be), the policy will contain the flexibility to impose a much longer suspension.
That said, there’s a lingering belief in some league circles that some owners wanted Watson to be suspended for less than a full season, since that exhausted the first year of his five-year, fully-guaranteed deal. If he had been suspended for a full year, the Browns would have Watson under contract through 2027, not 2026.
As it stands, the pressure is on the Browns to get a return ASAP on their massive investment, since the relationship is entering year two of five.
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MUNCIE, Ind. — 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.
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.
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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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Brand USA
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HAMPTON BEACH, N.H. — 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 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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| 2023-07-31T19:54:16
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Free agent linebacker Deion Jones has found a new home.
Jones agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Panthers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Jones worked out for the team Monday morning.
Jones appeared in 11 games with five starts for the Browns last year, totaling 44 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception. He was traded to Cleveland midseason after spending time on Atlanta’s injured reserve list at the beginning of the year.
A second-round pick in 2016, Jones played 85 games with 83 starts for Atlanta through 2021.
Jones, 28, was a Pro Bowler in 2017 after finishing third in AP defensive rookie of the year voting.
In 96 career games with 88 starts, Jones has 11 sacks, 12 interceptions, 47 passes defensed and five forced fumbles.
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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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ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions had Marvin Jones back at practice before their off day, activating the veteran wide receiver from the non-football injury list.
Jones (back) had been looking fine through the previous week while out of action, running on the sideline and working with trainers ahead of his return. He’ll serve an important role for the Lions this season, with Jameson Williams suspended for six games and standing as the veteran leader and a proven red-zone threat.
“It’s always -- when you’re on the sideline looking at everybody having fun, you’re like, ‘ah.’ I knew it was going to come soon, so, yeah,” Jones said after Monday’s session. “It just felt good overall to be out there. Being in the flow. Listening to the plays and all that stuff.
“Doing just the same way, in the same way. Just whatever the team needs from me. If that’s big plays, third downs, red zone, obviously, I plan on doing the same thing that I’ve done when I was here. I’m just excited. I’m excited to be here with this team. Obviously, it’s a new look from a while ago. And it’s a great look. Just excited.”
Related: ‘I belong here’: Marvin Jones returns home to Detroit, only now he’s rocking No. 0
Related: Marvin Jones energized by young roster, developing bond with Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jones returned to the Lions on a one-year deal after spending two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a new world this time, with Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes building them into a preseason favorite for the NFC North.
“It’s definitely a different vibe. Definitely a different vibe,” Jones said. “Everybody just together. The camaraderie is there. Coaches on down. It’s good to be a part of. It’s fun to be in meetings. Yeah, so, overall, it’s just a great time.”
The wideout returns as the second-oldest on the roster and one of just four sitting north of 30 years old. And while his role shrunk last season for the Jaguars, Jones still managed 46 receptions for 529 yards and three touchdowns. It’s worth noting that Jones sits third all-time on the franchise leaderboard for touchdown receptions, trailing only Calvin Johnson and Herman Moore.
Jones has five years of experience on the next closest wideout, and he’s made himself a sounding board for everyone in that room. Jameson Williams called the 33-year-old his “big brother,” while Jones has already pointed to his blossoming bond with star pass-catcher Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“It’s always important for me (to mentor). I think that’s ever since I got into the league,” Jones said. “Even being young, I’ve always wanted to help. So, my second year, I was helping the rookies. You always want to help bridge that gap. Especially with someone the potential that he (Williams) has, the big-play ability that he has. It’s been great just to be in that room with him and teaching him or showing him or telling him whatever I know to get him going as fast as possible. It’s a good room, in general. A great room. We all respect each other. And we all are competitive and we all lean on each other. Whatever anybody needs, we give. That’s always been my goal to teach, and I’ll always do that.
“We’re a receiver group. We’re together every day. Most definitely, especially once the season starts, we’ll be together a lot. That’s important, too. To have that, to be together off the field, so yeah, that’s what we do.”
Jones isn’t just here to be a guiding light and wise voice in a youthful locker room, though. The Lions are looking for him to make those tough contested catches and to be a problem in the red zone in their versatile attack.
He rejoins Ben Johnson, who was an offensive quality control and the tight ends coach during his first stint around these parts. And Jones also is getting used to catching passes from starting quarterback Jared Goff. The veteran wideout said Goff’s anticipation really sticks out through these early practices together. Jones said the quarterback’s dedication and leadership from the meeting rooms translates to the field and lifts the rest of the offense.
But as for Johnson? Jones knew the rising offensive coordinator had something special going on in his head through his first time with the Lions.
“I’ve known Ben for a long time,” Jones said. “And he’s always been one of the smartest in the room. Even when he didn’t have this position, when get got up there and talked, everything was precise. That’s how he is. That’s how he goes about his business. Yeah, it’s great to just be out there. Especially when you know we’re doing move the ball period and to see what he’s thinking and all the direction that he goes. He has a lot going on in his mind. It’s great to see.”
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) rolled out his economic policy plan at a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Monday, dubbing the plan “a declaration of economic independence.”
“We will declare our economic independence from the failed elites that have orchestrated American decline, from the reckless federal spending that has inflated prices and plunged this nation to the brink of bankruptcy,” DeSantis told a crowd in Rochester, N.H., at Prep Partners Group, which handles logistics, including warehousing and distribution for companies.
The plan particularly takes aim at China by putting an end to the country’s preferential trade status and banning import goods made by stolen intellectual property.
The 10-part economic plan includes getting to 3 percent growth, making America energy independent, reining in the Federal Reserve, pushing back on “wasteful federal spending” and reforming the education system for working-class Americans.
The Democratic National Committee was quick to attack DeSantis over the plan, dubbing it “extreme.”
“It remains a mystery why DeSantis would try to reboot his dumpster fire of a campaign by promising to bring his failures as governor nationwide, but by all means, we welcome Republicans to continue reminding the American people how catastrophic the MAGA agenda is for the economy,” said Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the DNC.
Last week DeSantis’s campaign declared a “reset” in a memo to donors, noting that the themes of its “Great American Comeback” message will be the economy, border, China and culture.
However, polling still shows DeSantis in second place behind former President Trump, with a new New York Times/Siena College survey showing the former president leading the Florida governor by 37 points.
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PITTSBURGH — 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.
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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LANSING, MI -- A Traverse City woman’s life change in an instant recently as she won a $1 million prize playing the Michigan Lottery’s Diamond Wild Time instant game.
“Winning means a fresh start for my husband and I,” said the 49-year-old winner who chose to remain anonymous. “We can buy a new home and invest in starting a business, which has always been a dream of ours.”
The winner bought her ticket at the Village Pantry, located at 2001 North Garfield Road in Traverse City visited Lottery headquarters in Lansing recently to claim her prize.
“I stopped on my way to visit family, and the purple Diamond Wild Time ticket stood out,” said the player, who chose to remain anonymous. “I decided to buy one and scratched it in the car.
“When I revealed the star symbol and then the ‘1MIL’ prize amount, I turned so red and couldn’t stop shaking. My heart was thumping so hard, I thought it was going to come out of my chest!”
The winner elected to receive her money as a one-time lump-sum payment of $634,000 rather than the annuity.
For the latest on Michigan Lottery, check out the official Michigan Lottery site, which also offers more information on instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.
The last players from Michigan to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is the Wolverine FLL lottery club which claimed a $1.05 billion jackpot in March 2021. With their winnings, the group plans to give back to the community.
And while they were lucky winners, it’s smart for players to check their tickets immediately as a winner worth $1 million sold in Warren 2021 went unclaimed. The money instead went to the state’s School Aid Fund.
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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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By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer
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.
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 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 TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
Herman 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. HBO would air the show as a special.
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 such as 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.”
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Associated Press Writer Alicia Rancilio and Film Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report.
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Former Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer said during closed-door testimony that Hunter included President Biden on a number of phone calls that presumably included business associates, according to one lawmaker’s account of the testimony, a revelation that is likely to fuel Republican attempts to link the president to his son’s business dealings.
But the Democratic lawmaker said that Archer’s testimony to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee did not show that the president was involved in Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
“The witness indicated that Hunter spoke to his father every day, and approximately 20 times over the course of 10 year relationship, Hunter may have put his father on the phone with any number of different people, and they never once spoke about any business dealings,” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said.
“As he described it, it was all casual conversation, niceties, the weather, ‘What’s going on?’” Goldman said, adding that, “There wasn’t a single conversation about any of the business dealings that Hunter had.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who was also in the interview, told reporters that Archer had revealed new information but declined to elaborate further.
The readout of the testimony appears to partially back up House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s (R-Ky.) statement to the New York Post last week that he expected Archer to discuss the times he “has witnessed Joe Biden meeting with Hunter Biden’s overseas business partners when he was vice president, including on speakerphone.”
Asked last week about allegations that the president had communicated directly with his son’s foreign business associates, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the president “was never in business with his son.”
The interview follows a letter from the Department of Justice over the weekend, regarding Archer’s sentencing for an unrelated matter, that is adding to GOP claims of government obstruction of their investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings — even as Archer’s attorney beat down the speculation.
The Justice Department (DOJ) in its letter requested that a judge set a date for Archer to start his one-year prison sentence for his conviction for defrauding a Native American tribe, despite Archer’s counsel saying it was “premature” to do so because of an anticipated appeal and an “error” in sentencing.
That set off alarm bells in the GOP.
“I don’t know if this a coincidence, or if this is another example of the weaponization of the Department of Justice,” Comer said Sunday on Fox News.
Other Republicans went further, accusing the DOJ of explicit interference in the GOP-led investigation. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said lawmakers should return from an August recess for emergency hearings if Archer did not show up.
But Archer’s attorney stressed the letter would not impact his planned interview, which had been rescheduled multiple times since Comer subpoenaed him in June.
“We are aware of speculation that the Department of Justice’s weekend request to have Mr. Archer report to prison is an attempt by the Biden administration to intimidate him in advance of his meeting with the House Oversight Committee on Monday,” Archer’s lawyer Matthew Schwartz said in a Sunday statement, first provided to Politico. “To be clear, Mr. Archer does not agree with that speculation. In any case, Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to do all along, which is to show up on Monday and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the Congressional investigators.”
The DOJ said in a subsequent letter that it was not requesting that Archer surrender before his expected congressional testimony.
His appearance went on as scheduled. A smiling Archer did not answer shouted questions as he arrived at the interview with his lawyer Monday morning.
The interview will consist of four hours of questioning divided evenly between Republicans and Democrats and is expected to end mid-afternoon. In addition to Jordan and Goldman, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) attended the Archer interview.
“I believe he can tell us things we haven’t heard before,” Biggs said.
Goldman cast doubt on the GOP attempts to link the president to his son’s business dealings.
“We’re all waiting for any pin, whether it be a linchpin or other pin, to figure out how this is connected at all to President Biden,” Goldman said.
Updated at 2:02 p.m.
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MUNISING, MI – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued five people from a burning vessel in Lake Superior.
The crew from Station Marquette was dispatched to an area near the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising on Sunday.
The vessel had up to 250 gallons of diesel onboard, but investigators have determined that it burned in the fire and no pollution threat exists.
The vessel’s owner is working with local authorities on a salvage plan. Commercial salvage is on site Monday.
The National Park Service also responded to the scene. No injuries were reported.
READ MORE:
Crews use rescue boat to evacuate injured woman from Pictured Rocks beach
Teen drowns in Lake Michigan while swimming at Indiana beach
Florida man leads police on high-speed chase across multiple U.P. counties
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https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/07/us-coast-guard-rescues-5-people-from-burning-boat-near-pictured-rocks.html
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MACKINAW CITY, MICH. -- One of Michigan’s premier stargazing spots is asking for some help with a mission this month.
Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City is inviting residents and businesses in communities around Northern Michigan, and anyone else who’d like to join in for solidarity, to participate in its annual “Lights Out” outreach initiative by turning out their lights for one hour on August 16, from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Park officials say this annual event raises awareness about the effects of light pollution, but there’s also a special objective this year: to obtain the darkest sky-quality reading ever recorded at The Headlands.
During the Lights Out hour, the park will be using a special meter to record the darkness of its night skies. This measurement must be taken monthly to maintain the Headlands’ certification as an international dark sky park, and organizers are attempting to set a new record.
“It’s pretty dark out here, but we want to see if we can get it darker,” said Park Manager Jamie Westfall.
Residents of Emmet, Cheboygan, and Mackinac Counties, and anyone else in Michigan who would like to join in, can participate by shielding, dimming, or simply turning out all non-essential indoor and outdoor lighting from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on August 16 in a show of solidarity and support for the dark-sky preservation movement, said Austin LaVigne, the park’s programming coordinator.
Efforts to protect the night sky and to push for more thoughtful outdoor lighting have been gaining momentum in recent years; advocates say there’s a growing body of research showing that too much artificial light at night can have deterimental health effects on humans, wildlife and even plants.
RELATED: Skies dark enough for stargazing are disappearing. A new Michigan group wants to change that
At the same time, night-sky tourism is also on the rise, as artificial light has made stargazing increasingly difficult across the globe. A 2016 study found that 80 percent of Americans can no longer see the Milky Way at night due to light pollution.
“Dark skies make Northern Michigan a premier astro-tourism destination,” Westfall said. “People visit here from around the world to experience this resource we protect, and it’s something to cherish; another awesome feature of this special place we call home.”
The park at the tip of Michigan’s mitten became Michigan’s first international dark sky park in 2011, and is open for free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for stargazing and hiking its nature trails.
The Headlands’ Lights Out event is timed to coincide with the August new moon, when the sky will be at its darkest for that month. Businesses, organizations, and individuals are encouraged to tag Headlands International Dark Sky Park on social media and use the hashtag #LIGHTSOUT2023 with a photo of you or your team, and the light (or lights) you turned out. All photos tagged will be shared with a “thank you” on the park’s Facebook page, officials said.
Participants can join the Facebook event page here. To view details of this event and other events happening at Headlands International Dark Sky Park, please visit midarkskypark.org/programs-events/headlands-events-schedule/ or visit the park on Facebook.
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Northern Michigan stargazing park is also a gorgeous waterfront wedding venue
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https://www.mlive.com/news/2023/07/why-this-michigan-dark-sky-park-wants-everyone-to-turn-out-their-lights-on-august-16.html
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Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick’s return from last year’s torn ACL hit a major obstacle on Monday.
Patrick had to be carted off the field at training camp after suffering a non-contact injury to his lower left leg. Head coach Sean Payton didn’t share any confirmed diagnosis of the injury, but he did say it looks like a serious one for the wideout.
“Hopefully, we get some good news but it appears it’s his left Achilles,’' Payton said, via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Payton said “it’s always difficult” to see a player get injured like that and it’s doubly true of Patrick as he may be looking at having a second straight season completely wiped out by injury.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/sean-payton-on-tim-patrick-it-looks-like-an-achilles-injury
| 2023-07-31T19:54:26
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/sean-payton-on-tim-patrick-it-looks-like-an-achilles-injury
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is under intense pressure from the right to do all he can to protect Donald Trump from justice and accountability. The former president’s backers want McCarthy (R-Calif.) to direct the House to defund Justice Department prosecutions of Trump and to impeach President Biden, apparently to muddy the waters around Trump’s culpability.
A new poll from the New York Times and Siena College helps explain why McCarthy might struggle to resist this pressure. Large percentages of likely GOP primary voters appear convinced of Trump’s innocence — and a big reason for this appears to be Fox News and right-wing media.
The poll’s top-line finding is that Trump leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by overwhelming margins among these voters, which include registered Republicans and GOP-leaning independents. But it also finds:
- 71 percent of these voters don’t think Trump committed serious federal crimes.
- 75 percent say that in trying to overturn the 2020 election, he was merely exercising his right to contest the outcome.
- 71 percent say Republicans must stand by Trump.
On all these questions, there’s a notable split based on these voters’ media consumption. Huge majorities of those who turn to Fox News as their main source believe all those things, while sizable percentages of those who rely on mainstream news sources do not:
- 91 percent of those who rely on Fox do not think Trump committed serious crimes. Only 5 percent think he did. Among those who rely on mainstream sources, those numbers are 52 percent and 38 percent.
- 83 percent of those who rely on Fox think Trump merely exercised his right to contest his 2020 loss, vs. only 12 percent who say he threatened American democracy. Among voters who rely on mainstream news, those numbers are 58 percent and 37 percent.
- 85 percent of those who rely on Fox say Republicans must stand by Trump, vs. only 9 percent who disagree. Among those who rely on mainstream sources, those numbers are 49 percent and 46 percent.
A large percentage of these GOP primary voters — over 40 percent, according to Siena’s polling director — rely on Fox and/or other right-wing media sources for their news. And voters who rely on other right-wing sources give answers similar to those of Fox viewers.
Through Trump’s two impeachments, through our reckoning over the Jan. 6 insurrection, through the investigation and indictment of him over national security secrets, Fox News figures have relentlessly insisted that the real criminals are those who would hold Trump accountable, not Trump himself. With numbing regularity across all Trump scandals, as Media Matters’ Matt Gertz details, Fox has depicted all this as primarily a reflection of the corruption of our political system, and not the alleged criminality of Trump.
McCarthy — or “my Kevin,” as Trump aptly christened him — and other GOP leaders and elected Republicans followed the same tack, adopting the position that all law enforcement or congressional investigative activity involving Trump is inherently illegitimate. So where has that left all of them?
Well, as Punchbowl News reports, the intensifying charges against Trump have led him and his supporters to demand more from the House GOP: They want Biden impeached, more probes of the Biden family’s supposed crimes, Attorney General Merrick Garland held in contempt of Congress and more.
But those things could lead to tough votes for vulnerable members. So McCarthy and GOP leaders are fending off this pressure by tentatively supporting a mere precursor inquiry to the impeachment of Biden and letting House GOP committees run wild with lurid tales of Trumpian persecution. As Punchbowl notes, this effort to “walk a very narrow line” will get harder as the indictments mount.
A version of this has also afflicted Trump’s 2024 GOP primary rivals. Over the weekend, DeSantis gamely insisted that Trump wouldn’t be “in the mess that he’s in right now” if he had “drained the swamp like he promised,” which some media coverage is depicting as criticism of Trump over his legal travails.
But that’s not what it is: DeSantis is still blaming the system — not Trump’s penchant for stomping all over norms, laws and the peaceful transfer of power — for the former president’s perils. Even most of the other 2024 candidates, who acknowledge the seriousness of the charges, still contort themselves to blame the system, obviously calculating that the GOP base will reject anything that straightforwardly holds Trump accountable for his own alleged lawlessness.
We will never know whether the GOP primary electorate would have been this in thrall to the doctrine of Trump’s absolute innocence if Republican leaders had condemned his conduct at earlier points. But the role of Fox News and right-wing media in this disaster for democracy seems painfully clear.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/fox-trump-indictment-poll-desantis/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:28
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/fox-trump-indictment-poll-desantis/
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Nine state residents and the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee filed a lawsuit Monday to stop the nation’s first openly religious charter school from operating.
Oklahoma’s Statewide Virtual Charter School Board had voted 3-2 last month to approve the application of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.
The plaintiffs, represented by organizations including Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union, are arguing the board violated the Oklahoma Constitution, the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act and several of its own regulations when it approved St. Isidore.
Among the reasons the lawsuit says the school is unlawful are policies that could deny students admissions for sexual orientation or a difference in beliefs. It says St. Isidore will provide a religious education “and indoctrinate its students in Catholic religious beliefs.”
“A school that claims to be simultaneously public and religious would be a sea change for American democracy. It’s hard to think of a clearer violation of the religious freedom of Oklahoma taxpayers and public-school families than the state establishing a public school that is run as a religious school,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
“We’re witnessing a full-on assault on church-state separation and public education – and religious public charter schools are the next frontier. America needs a national recommitment to church-state separation,” Laser added.
The residents filed in the District Court of Oklahoma County to stop funding to St. Isidore and block the charter school board from doing business with the school.
The Hill has reached out to St. Isidore for comment.
Ryan Walters, state superintendent of public instruction for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, said in response to the lawsuit that “It is time to end atheism as the state sponsored religion.”
“Suing and targeting the Catholic Virtual Charter School is religious persecution because of one’s faith, which is the very reason that religious freedom is constitutionally protected,” Walters said in a statement.
“A warped perversion of history has created a modern day concept that all religious freedom is driven from the classrooms. I will always side for an individual’s right to choose religious freedom in education,” he added.
The lawsuit had been expected as the proposed school caused quite a stir when it was approved, even among other charter school advocates.
“This decision runs afoul of state law and the U.S. Constitution. All charter schools are public schools, and as such must be non-sectarian. Charter schools were conceived as, and have always been, innovative public schools that provide an alternative for families who want a public school option other than the one dictated by their ZIP code,” Nina Rees, president of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools, said after the board voted.
St. Isidore went through a months-long process to get approved, with its application originally rejected by the charter school board. The school has already indicated it is ready to take a lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court.
“We’re not surprised by the threat of a suit, but we will be preparing if they choose to file one,” Brett Farley, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, said back in June. “This is a question that ultimately needs to be answered by the courts, perhaps by the US Supreme Court.”
—Updated at 3:24 p.m.
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https://phl17.com/hill-politics/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-first-religious-charter-school-in-the-us/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:28
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https://phl17.com/hill-politics/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-first-religious-charter-school-in-the-us/
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Former President Trump predicted Monday that he would be indicted “any day now” as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his conduct after the 2020 election.
“I assume that an Indictment from Deranged Jack Smith and his highly partisan gang of Thugs, pertaining to my ‘PEACEFULLY & PATRIOTICALLY Speech, will be coming out any day now, as yet another attempt to cover up all of the bad news about bribes, payoffs, and extortion, coming from the Biden ‘camp,’” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This seems to be the way they do it. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT!”
Smith is investigating Trump’s attempts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election, which culminated with Trump delivering a speech Jan. 6, 2021, in which he repeated false claims about the election being rigged. Trump supporters then violently stormed and ransacked the Capitol in a bid to halt the certification of the election results.
Anticipation over a potential indictment of Trump has been building for weeks after the former president shared that he had received a letter from the Justice Department notifying him he was a target of their investigation.
Target letters typically indicate prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to bring charges against an individual.
In addition, a handful of former Trump officials have reportedly testified in recent weeks as part of Smith’s investigation into the former president’s actions after the 2020 election. Prosecutors are said to have been interested in whether Trump acknowledged that he lost the election despite his public claims that it was fraudulent and could be overturned.
Trump pursued a multi-pronged plan to remain in office following the 2020 election, turning to the DOJ, state officials and even his own supporters, who violently ransacked the Capitol after then-Vice President Mike Pence refused Trump’s request to overturn the results.
The former president’s attorneys met last week with officials from Smith’s office. Trump called it a “productive” meeting, and he indicated his representatives sought to make the case against bringing charges.
A federal grand jury hearing evidence in the case meets Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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https://phl17.com/hill-politics/trump-expects-to-be-indicted-on-jan-6-charges-any-day-now/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:29
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https://phl17.com/hill-politics/trump-expects-to-be-indicted-on-jan-6-charges-any-day-now/
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WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – Two United States senators had issues last week that’s prompting conversations about whether they are mentally and physically fit to serve and is leading some politicians to suggest the idea of mental competency tests.
During a committee yes or no vote, Senator Dianne Feinstein gave a wandering speech instead and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell froze mid-sentence and had to be escorted away from a press conference.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons says McConnell appears to be okay for now but both McConnell and Feinstein have had prior health scares.
“I feel like he’s going to be the Republican leader through the rest of this Congress, and what happens after that, I don’t know,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said.
Republican Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley is suggesting testing to ensure people are fit to serve.
“We need to have term limits in Congress, and we need to have mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75,” Haley said.
Members of Congress aren’t the only one’s she’s concerned about.
“When you go and you look at Biden, he was in the week before and he can’t say it,” Haley added. “When you go and see him falling asleep with leaders, that’s concerning. And I know when I was at the United Nations, leaders watch the health status of other leaders.”
But Asa Hutchinson, another Republican presidential candidate, dismissed the idea of mental competency tests outright.
“The tests are not constitutional. And so, it’s really something that’s a throwaway line that catches people’s attention,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson also said that determining whether politicians are fit to serve is up to the voters.
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https://phl17.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/feinstein-mcconnell-health-scares-leading-some-to-suggest-competency-tests/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:30
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https://phl17.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/feinstein-mcconnell-health-scares-leading-some-to-suggest-competency-tests/
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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
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Go Mini's
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/go-minis-sees-impressive-growth-through-first-half-2023/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:30
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/go-minis-sees-impressive-growth-through-first-half-2023/
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Ohio’s government, with Republicans in charge of the legislature and the governor’s office, has cut taxes. It’s a dog-bites-man story, which is why you probably haven’t heard about it. But it’s worth noting because it runs counter to a common claim about Donald Trump’s Republican Party.
Except, Republican legislators keep doing what they always do: cutting taxes. Alabama is instead cutting the sales tax on food and is sending out tax rebates. Five states — Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa and Mississippi — are adopting flat taxes.
We’re often told that the Republican embrace of Trumpism has put Reaganism in the ash heap of history — along with the associated idea of “fusionism,” which seeks to pursue free-market and social-conservative goals simultaneously. There is no more fusionist policy idea than school vouchers. Libertarian economist Milton Friedman first popularized them, and religious conservatives have been among their strongest supporters.
And now this Reaganite alliance between libertarians and social conservatives is making faster legislative progress in the states than ever. In the past two years, eight states have passed expansive school-choice programs that include private and religious schools. Ohio’s new tax-cutting budget includes such a program. Even Pennsylvania, with a Democratic governor, has come close to enacting one.
Republicans’ major victories during the Trump administration also fit neatly within the old fusionist paradigm. Trump cut taxes, restrained regulation and appointed conservative judges. The continuity with previous Republican policies could perhaps be dismissed as the result of Trump’s having been outmaneuvered by old-school Republicans such as Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan.
But even now, with Ryan out of Congress and Trump well ahead in the Republican primary race, much of the old consensus endures. Some of the advocates of a less market-oriented conservatism think Republicans should go easier on labor unions. Meanwhile, the percentage of workers in unions keeps declining, and Republicans keep cheering the trend — and helping it along. The Republican governments of Arkansas and Florida have, for example, stopped deducting union dues for state workers.
Why, then, has the notion of a great Republican transformation on limited government become so entrenched? Partly because Republicans really have moved on some issues. These days they sound less deferential to business (which also, not coincidentally, has a different political slant than it once did). The party has a stronger protectionist wing than it used to, and it has cooled on trade with China especially. The new economic plan from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis largely sticks to the script of cutting taxes, spending and regulation, departing from it just long enough to endorse new restrictions on imports from China.
The purity of the party’s past free-market convictions has also been exaggerated. Reagan-era conservatives were, if anything, more in favor of restricting trade with the country’s main adversary of the time, the Soviet Union, than today’s are of restricting trade with China. Republican politicians have almost always been skittish about reforming Social Security and Medicare. Ryan had to overcome a lot of resistance to get the party to consider such reforms nearly a decade ago. When Republicans shy away from the issue now, they aren’t reflecting a new Trump-era consensus. They’re reverting to type.
Nearly everyone in politics has an interest in not seeing this continuity. People who want Trump to have actually turned Republicans into a workers’ party play up the idea of a revolution; so too do former Republicans who left the party out of disgust with Trump, and Democrats who want to court them. But the biggest changes in the party since the 2016 presidential campaign don’t have to do with how it thinks about the size and scope of government. They can be found, rather, in the party’s tolerance of conspiracy theories and its view of the importance of character in officeholders.
It’s true that Trump’s rise has been sufficiently disorienting to Republicans that they are not always sure what they stand for. But when Republicans act, the old instincts are as strong as ever.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/trump-republicans-reagan-policies-free-market/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:34
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/31/trump-republicans-reagan-policies-free-market/
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Buccaneers edge rusher Shaquil Barrett and his family suffered a terrible loss in May when Barrett’s two-year old daughter Arrayah drowned in the swimming pool at the family’s house.
Barrett joined the team for minicamp in the spring and spoke to reporters for the first time since Arrayah’s death on Monday. Barrett said his daughter was “everything” to him and that it remains difficult to get through each day without her.
“This is a daily battle. Tough battle,” Barrett said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “Today I felt it heavier today than I did the last couple days. Her smile — I just miss her so much. Her energy, just like putting her to bed every night, reading stories. She just brought so much brightness and wholeness and completeness to our lives. And we most definitely have a big, big, big, big, big hole in our hearts and our lives that we won’t be able to fill.”
Barrett and his wife Jordanna are expecting another child, which Barrett calls “bittersweet” because Arrayah would have been “the best big sister.” They are also starting a foundation called Arrayah Hope that intends to provide free swim lessons to children in the Tampa area in hopes of avoiding other tragedies in the future.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/shaquil-barrett-every-day-is-a-battle-after-my-daughters-death
| 2023-07-31T19:54:36
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/shaquil-barrett-every-day-is-a-battle-after-my-daughters-death
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Idaho mom Lori Vallow Daybell sentenced in deaths of 2 children and her romantic rival
BOISE, Idaho - Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell has been sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife. Vallow Daybell will serve three life sentences one after the other, the judge said.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece's ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece's ex survived an attempt later that year.
At the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho, Judge Steven W. Boyce heard testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
A parent killing their own children "is the most shocking thing really that I can imagine," Boyce said.
Vallow Daybell justified the murders by "going down a bizarre religious rabbit hole, and clearly you are still down there," the judge said.
"I don’t think to this day you have any remorse for the effort and heartache you caused," he said.
Boyce heard testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell's only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
"Tylee will never have the opportunity to become a mother, wife or have the career she was destined to have. JJ will never be able to grow and spread his light with the world the way he did," Ryan wrote in a statement read by prosecuting attorney Rob Wood. "My siblings and father deserve so much more than this. I want them to be remembered for who they were, not just a spectacle."
Ryan also wrote about his own grief.
"I’ve lost the opportunity to share life with the people I love the most. I have lost my sister, father, brother and my mother," he wrote. "I pray for healing for everyone involved, including those who took the lives of everyone we loved."
The murder scheme and Tammy Daybell’s death left a deep rift in her family, Tammy’s sister Samantha Gwilliam told the court.
"Why? Why plan something so heinous? You are not exalted beings, and your behavior makes you ineligible to be one," Gwilliam said, referring to the unusual religious claims. "Because of the choices you made, my family lost a beloved mother, sister and daughter."
Tammy Daybell’s mother was fighting cancer, and spent the last months of her life watching the murder trial, Gwilliam said. The family has also been hounded by media and others drawn by "all of the salacious scandal you stirred up," Gwilliam told Vallow Daybell, who looked down as she sat between her defense attorneys.
"I miss my sister every day. I will grieve her, and the loss of my mother, every single day of my life," Gwilliam said. "As for you, I choose to forget you and as I leave the courtroom here today, I choose to never think of you again."
Boyce also heard from Vallow Daybell before handing down the sentence. She quoted Bible verses about how people should not judge each other. She said she too mourned the deaths of her children and Tammy Daybell but knew they would be together in the afterlife.
She claimed she is regularly visited by the spirits of her dead children, as well as the spirit of her "eternal friend," Tammy Daybell, and suggested that the three weren’t murdered at all.
"Jesus Christ knows that no one was murdered in this case," she said. "Accidental deaths happen. Suicides happen. Fatal side effects from medication happen."
Wood pointed to the two Arizona cases as well as the three murders in six weeks in Idaho.
"A defendant who is willing to murder her own children is willing to murder anyone," Wood said. "Society can only be protected from this defendant by a sentence of life in prison without parole."
Vallow Daybell was committed multiple times for treatment to make her mentally competent for the court proceedings. But Wood said there is no evidence that her crimes were impacted by her "alleged mental illness" — which includes delusional disorder with grandiose features, according to reports referenced in court.
"The evidence is overwhelming that she did know right from wrong," Wood said, noting testimony from several people who said she lied to them about the deaths.
In July 2019, Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self-defense. He was never charged and later died of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published writer of doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's yard the following summer.
During the trial, experts said Tylee appeared to have been stabbed and her body burned before it was buried in a pet cemetery, Wood said.
JJ’s head was wrapped in tape and plastic, asphyxiating him, Wood said, speculating that his last thoughts must have "been filled with fear and betrayal."
Tammy Daybell’s body was bruised, suggesting she fought back as she was asphyxiated in her bed, Wood said.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell's previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his "weird" apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a "sexual goddess" who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into "zombies," including JJ and Tylee.
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-deaths-of-2-children-tammy-daybell
| 2023-07-31T19:54:37
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-deaths-of-2-children-tammy-daybell
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An investigation is underway after two teens were shot Monday afternoon in Fairfield.
The shootings happened shortly before 1:30 p.m. on 40th Place behind Fairfield High Preparatory School. Authorities said the shooting was not linked to the school.
An 18-year-old was taken to UAB Hospital. The other victim, under the age of 18, was taken to Children’s of Alabama.
Neither sustained life-threatening injuries, said Jefferson County sheriff’s Lt. Joni Money. Both were alert and talking when they left the scene to be taken to the hospital.
Money said there is no further threat to the community in connection with this incident.
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https://www.al.com/news/2023/07/2-teens-injured-in-fairfield-shooting.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:37
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https://www.al.com/news/2023/07/2-teens-injured-in-fairfield-shooting.html
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GATESVILLE, Texas — A man who reportedly attacked his ex-girlfriend and doused her in gasoline at Hidden Valley RV Park is dead after he was stabbed Sunday night, according to the Gatesville Police Department.
Police received an emergency call at around 10:30 p.m. on July 30 from Coryell Memorial Health Hospital, alerting them to an adult male who was admitted with a stab wound. The man later died due to his injuries. His identity remains confidential.
The event unfolded at 246 FM 116 in Gatesville. Witness accounts suggest that the man was transported to the hospital by friends after he was stabbed, police said. Following this, officers were dispatched to the RV Park to investigate.
Witness statements revealed a sequence of events that led to the stabbing. The victim reportedly arrived at the RV park with friends and pursued his ex-girlfriend, holding a gas can filled with gasoline, police said. The man allegedly doused the woman with the gasoline while restraining her, police said. In an attempt to protect the woman from the attack, another individual intervened and stabbed the man in the chest, police said.
Police have identified the individual who intervened as Kenneth Wayne Zahirniak, a 31-year-old Gatesville resident. It was found that Zahirniak had an outstanding warrant for an unrelated crime, which led to his arrest. He is now being held at the Coryell County Jail.
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https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/crime/gatesville-man-dead-after-confrontation/500-52a113b4-963d-438f-8661-8985ecb3770d
| 2023-07-31T19:54:37
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https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/crime/gatesville-man-dead-after-confrontation/500-52a113b4-963d-438f-8661-8985ecb3770d
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