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All sales help support Certified B Corp Best for the World™ company's effort to plant 4,000 avocado trees in El Salvador.
LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Avocado Day, Avocado Green — makers of certified organic and eco-luxury products — launched an epic sale, with up to $400 off mattresses, as well as savings on reclaimed wood bed frames, adjustable bed frames, organic certified linen sheets and pillows, certified organic towels, luxurious loungewear, and clean skin + body products.
As part of Avocado's Giving initiative, through which they donate 1% of all revenue to nonprofits through 1% For the Planet, all sales during the Avocado Day sale will support the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation's effort to plant 4,000 fruit trees in the central region of El Salvador.
For today only, customers can save up to $400 on Avocado's top-rated GOTS-certified organic Green and Vegan Mattress. Shoppers will also save 20% on all bedding, including Avocado's exceptionally soft, naturally breathable, GOTS-certified organic sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, and protectors. Avocado's Supercharged Reishi Body Melt and Alpaca Sweater Collection are 30% off and their Fleece Lounge Collection and GOTS-certified (CU863637) Organic Cotton Collection — sustainable, cozy layering pieces — are 50% off.
Over the five years Avocado has supported the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation for National Avocado Day, they've planted more than 14,000 fruit trees together, primarily in Latin America, where demand for sustainable livelihoods for farmers and low-income households is greater than ever.
"Working with Avocado has been a joy, allowing our shared visions of a greener and fairer future to come to fruition," said Lizzy Rainey, Development Manager for FTPF. "Food-producing trees, including avocados, are a simple yet very effective way to address environmental, economic, and nutritional injustices all at once."
As a Climate Neutral Certified brand — and one of B Corp's "Best for the World™" brands — Avocado reduces its footprint, invests in climate change solutions to compensate for its cradle-to-consumer emissions, and advocates for legislation that will help mitigate the climate crisis.
From the beginning, Avocado just wanted a new kind of mattress. One that was greener — better for people and the planet — affordable, and comfortable. It was a simple idea rooted in a much bigger vision. Five years later, Avocado continues to expand — from bedding, to furniture, to their skin + bath collection, and their line of responsible loungewear. As the company grows, Avocado continues to redefine what it means to be a sustainable, ethical brand. The company is a Certified B Corporation, a Climate Neutral® Certified business, and a member of 1% For the Planet, remaining true to its original purpose: to be one of the most sustainable companies on Earth. Learn more at AvocadoGreen.com.
If you would like more information, please contact Jessica Hann at jessica@avocadomattress.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Avocado Green Mattress
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/happy-national-avocado-day-celebrate-with-avocado-greens-sitewide-sale/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:37
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/happy-national-avocado-day-celebrate-with-avocado-greens-sitewide-sale/
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CHICAGO — A leading anti-abortion organization criticized Republican Ron DeSantis on Monday for not supporting a national ban on the procedure, calling the Florida governor’s position “unacceptable” as he seeks the GOP nomination for president.
“A pro-life president has a duty to protect the lives of all Americans. He should be the National Defender of Life,” she said. “Gov. DeSantis’s dismissal of this task is unacceptable to prolife voters. A consensus is already formed. Intensity for it is palpable and measurable. There are many pressing legislative issues for which Congress does not have the votes at the moment, but that is not a reason for a strong leader to back away from the fight. This is where presidential leadership matters most.”
DeSantis’ campaign called the statement unjustified.
“Governor DeSantis delivers results and acts, especially when it comes to protecting life. He did so in Florida by signing the heartbeat bill and will be a pro-life president,” Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said. “He does not kowtow to DC interest groups. This unjustified attack on him is another example of the DC political games that have seen conservatives falter in Washington while Governor DeSantis has produced unmatched conservative victories in Florida.”
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America was responding to a recent interview in which Megyn Kelly asked DeSantis if he would support a national abortion ban. The U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade, the roughly 50-year-old ruling that established a federal right to abortion. Susan B. Anthony has said it would not support any White House candidate in 2024 who did not at a minimum support a 15-week federal ban.
In the interview, DeSantis noted he signed legislation in Florida to ban abortion at six weeks of pregnancy but suggested that individual states should decide the issue. He said he is “pro-life” but added that he is “running on doing things that I know I can accomplish.”
The criticism from a powerful organization comes at a tenuous time for DeSantis, who is seen as the top rival to former President Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, but who has been running a distant second to Trump in public polling. DeSantis’ campaign has been working in recent weeks to improve his trajectory and reboot his campaign, including cutting staff.
He is not alone in drawing criticism from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, however. The group also was critical of Trump for not supporting the 15-week federal ban.
Trump has defended that position, noting he appointed the Supreme Court justices who made it possible for Roe v. Wade to be overturned.
Some other Republicans seeking the nomination support the national ban. Former Vice President Mike Pence said he would go further, endorsing a ban at six weeks of pregnancy, or before some women know they are pregnant.
He told The Associated Press that abortion should be banned when a pregnancy isn’t viable — a standard that would force women to carry pregnancies to term even when doctors have determined there is no chance a baby will survive outside the womb.
___
Associated Press reporter Michelle L. Price contributed from New York.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/31/republicans-abortion-desantis-2024/7e591dac-2fda-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:40
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ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor may add some artsy portable toilets downtown.
City officials have been discussing the need for more public restrooms for the past two years, and with the city eyeing Throne portable toilets as a solution, the city’s Public Art Commission sees it as an opportunity for artistic enhancement.
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/artsy-portable-toilets-among-11-public-art-projects-ann-arbor-is-considering.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:40
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/artsy-portable-toilets-among-11-public-art-projects-ann-arbor-is-considering.html
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As the back to school season approaches, experts say it’s important to check on your children’s mental health before the new school year begins.
Dr. Steven Rosenberg, psychotherapist and behavioral specialist practicing in suburban Philadelphia joined PHL17’s Kelsey Fabian to give us his expert tips.
Tips Dr. Rosenberg recommends:
- Find out how your child is feeling
- Talk to your child and ask how they feel about the new school year. Are they looking forward to it or dreading it? Listen to what they have to say and don’t invalidate their feelings.
- Anticipate problems and find solutions
- Think about the previous school year and if your child had any issues. Discuss with your child and work together to find a solution, so that it doesn’t become a problem again this year.
- For example, if your child had a problem with remembering assignments, add a weekly planner to your school supplies list. A weekly planner already has the day and date printed, so all your child has to do is just write the assignment for that day.
- Visit the school before the school year starts
- This is especially important if your child is going to a new school, such as moving from middle school to high school. Don’t just drive up to the school to see the building, make an appointment to see inside the school. Talk to the principal and, if possible, some of the teachers. Learn about extracurricular activities that your child can participate in.
- The School District of Philadelphia has a bus tour from July 31- August 18. You can find all the dates and stops here.
- If necessary, get professional help
- Some problems, such as depression and severe anxiety, call for the assistance of a psychologist. A psychologist can work with your child to develop coping strategies to help him or her navigate school and life.
You can find more useful tips and information about Dr. Rosenberg, here.
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https://phl17.com/phl17-news/the-importance-of-checking-your-kids-mental-health-this-back-to-school-season/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:41
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https://phl17.com/phl17-news/the-importance-of-checking-your-kids-mental-health-this-back-to-school-season/
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Ken Paxton’s lawyers seek to dismiss 19 of 20 articles of impeachment
Lawyers for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton requested Monday that all but one of 20 articles of impeachment be dismissed, arguing his removal would "override the will of the people" who elected him with knowledge of his alleged misconduct.
In a separate court filing, Paxton’s team also requested that his impeachment trial before the Texas Senate exclude any evidence of "any alleged conduct" that occurred prior to January 2023, when his third term in office began.
The second filing — which comes as all parties are under a strict gag order barring public comment on the proceedings and evidence — also blasted the House impeachment managers as "aggressive, reckless and misleading" with "little to no evidence whatsoever" to support the allegations against Paxton.
In their motion to dismiss, Paxton’s lawyers argued that almost all of the allegations outlined by House investigators were known to voters at the time of his most recent election, and that his impeachment would thus negate the will of Texas voters.
They also argued that Paxton’s impeachment would run afoul of the "prior-term doctrine," which they said bars statewide officials from being impeached for conduct that predates their most recent election.
"With only a single exception, the articles (of impeachment) allege nothing that Texas voters have not heard from the Attorney General’s political opponents for years," Paxton’s team wrote. "The alleged acts underlying 19 of the Articles took place before the Attorney General’s most recent election and were highly publicized."
If approved, the remaining article against Paxton would be related to the $3.3 million lawsuit settlement he reached with whistleblowers who were fired from his office after reporting Paxton to law enforcement for bribery and other alleged wrongdoing. The House’s investigation into Paxton began earlier this year, after he asked the Legislature to pay for the lawsuit settlement.
Paxton’s impeachment trial before Texas senators is set to begin Sept. 5.
Under rules previously adopted by the Senate, rulings on pretrial motions are expected to be made on the opening day of trial before opening statements. Approval of two-thirds of senators is required to dismiss an article of impeachment.
This article first appeared in the Texas Tribune. READ MORE: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/31/ken-paxton-dismiss-articles-impeachment/
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/ken-paxtons-lawyers-seek-to-dismiss-19-of-20-articles-of-impeachment
| 2023-07-31T19:54:43
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KILLEEN, Texas — A Killeen man is dead after he was shot on Rancier Avenue Sunday night, marking the eighth murder for the city this year, the Killeen Police Department said.
He was shot dead on Sunday, July 30, prompting police to rush to the scene of the crime, located at 3300 block of E. Rancier Avenue. The emergency call was received at around 8:54 p.m., reporting shots fired.
Officers found the victim suffering from gunshot injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
The man's identity has not been released to the public. Detectives are asking the public for any information that could lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible.
Those who may have witnessed anything or have any relevant information are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 254-526-TIPS (8477).
If information provided leads to the arrest of the suspect(s), the individual providing the tip could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash.
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https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/crime/killeen-faces-rising-violence/500-16bf6692-aad7-4612-9bc9-997f5c5e3138
| 2023-07-31T19:54:43
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama and ending months of politically fueled debate, according to senior U.S. officials.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision ahead of the announcement.
The president, they said, believes that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness that the move would cause, particularly as the U.S. races to compete with China in space. And they said Biden firmly believes that maintaining stability will help the military be better able to respond in space over the next decade.
Biden’s decision is sure to enrage Alabama lawmakers and fuel accusations that abortion politics played a role in the choice. The location debate has become entangled in the ongoing battle between Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville and the Defense Department over the move to provide travel for troops seeking reproductive health care. Tuberville opposed the policy is blocking hundreds of military promotions in protest.
Formally created in August 2019, the command was temporarily based in Colorado, and Air Force and Space Force leaders initially recommended it stay there. In the final days of his presidency Donald Trump decided it should be based in Huntsville.
The change triggered a number of reviews.
Proponents of keeping the command in Colorado have argued that moving it to Huntsville and creating a new headquarters would set back its progress at a time it needs to move quickly to be positioned to match China’s military space rise. And Colorado Springs is also home to the Air Force Academy, which now graduates Space Force guardians, and more than 24 military space missions, including three Space Force bases.
Huntsville, however, scored higher than Colorado Springs in a Government Accountability Office assessment of potential locations and has long been a home to some of earliest missiles used in the nation’s space programs, including the Saturn V rocket. It is home to the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command.
According to officials, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who ordered his own review of the matter, leaned toward Huntsville, while Dickinson was staunchly in favor of staying put. The officials said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin presented both options to Biden.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/31/space-command-biden-colorado-alabama/02b16e3e-2fda-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:44
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/31/space-command-biden-colorado-alabama/02b16e3e-2fda-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE IEEE Computer Society
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/ieee-computer-society-journals-claim-top-impact-honors/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:44
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/ieee-computer-society-journals-claim-top-impact-honors/
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A judge in Loudon County, Virginia rejected a plea bargain Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis reached to settle a reckless driving incident.
Davis was charged with driving 114 mph in a 45 mph zone in March 2022 and he pleaded not guilty in district court. He was found guilty, however, and sentenced to 30 days of jail along with a suspended license and a fine. Davis appealed that verdict and requested a jury trial to hear the appeal before, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, agreeing to a plea deal that called for “a maximum of eight days of active incarceration.”
Circuit Court Judge Stephen E. Sincavage rejected the deal and noted that Davis was driving in a busy area in the middle of the afternoon.
“He’s going through the legal process, and . . . we just got to be here and be supportive of him and understand that this is the legal process that he has to go through,” Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said on Monday.
Davis could also face league discipline as a result of the incident.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/judge-rejects-jamin-davis-plea-deal-in-reckless-driving-case
| 2023-07-31T19:54:46
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/judge-rejects-jamin-davis-plea-deal-in-reckless-driving-case
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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - In an off-year between midterm and presidential elections, Washtenaw County residents might not be showing up in droves to the polls.
But clerks’ offices are still buzzing with activity, with major shifts to the way Michiganders can vote on the horizon in 2024. That’s thanks to the implementation of Proposal 2, the measure voters passed in 2022 expanding voting rights and bringing in-person early voting to the state for the first time.
“This most recent constitutional amendment certainly is the biggest change that Michigan has seen in many, many years,” said Washtenaw County Chief Deputy Clerk and Elections Director Ed Golembiewski.
Read more: Here are 6 ways voting in Michigan will be different in 2024
He’s been working with city and township clerks to prepare for 2024, where the presidential primary will serve as a trial run for the option for voters to walk into a precinct, fill out a ballot and physically cast it through a tabulator during an at least nine-day period before election day.
For the vast majority of Washtenaw County’s more than two dozen municipalities — Ann Arbor and Milan excluded — that will mean partnering with the county, which plans to run a network of regional early voting centers, Golembiewski said.
While details are still being finalized, he anticipates five regions within the county, with the early vote sites located in public buildings in centralized locations for each respective region. Officials are striving to keep communities together, like pairing Ypsilanti and Augusta townships, as well as a Saline-area region involving Pittsfield Township, the elections director said.
Residents looking to vote early in-person could come to their regional site during the nine-day period between the second Saturday prior to each election and the Sunday before election day to cast a ballot.
The county will also run a centralized early voting location, slated for the Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center off Washtenaw Avenue between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. It will be available to all voters outside Milan and Ann Arbor, jurisdictions running their own early voting programs, according to Golembiewski.
The idea is to give voters an option where they live, as well as another in the Ann Arbor area where they might go for work or business, he said.
“We want to make this as convenient as possible to voters who overwhelmingly adopted Proposal 2, including this provision and right to early voting. We don’t want to just set up one early vote site in the center of the county and say here’s the option, we’re checking the box,” the elections director said.
Still, administering the voting sites is a significant task, especially for smaller townships of just 1,000 voters with a part-time clerk. “By banding together here, we’re going to be able to make this more cost effective,” Golembiewski said.
Two municipalities, Ann Arbor and Milan, won’t be part of the partnership.
For Milan, that has to do with differences in the kind of voting equipment used in each Washtenaw and Monroe counties, with the city split between the two, said city Clerk Lavonna Wenzel. She plans to host early voting at city hall, in city council chambers, she said.
Ann Arbor will also have no shortage of early voting options.
Ann Arbor City Clerk Jackie Beaudry said the city’s tentative plan is to have is to have full-service offices for voter registration, take-home absentee ballots and on-the-spot early voting at city hall and the University of Michigan’s Museum of Art and Duderstadt Center — the three locations where the city already has done early absentee voting in previous elections.
“In addition to these sites, the Ann Arbor District Library is partnering with us to offer early voting at the branches within the city,” she said, referring to the Westgate, Malletts Creek and Traverwood branch libraries.
There won’t be early voting at the AADL’s downtown branch due to its proximity to city hall, and the Pittsfield branch also won’t be used since it’s outside of city limits and used by Pittsfield Township as a polling place, the clerk said.
“We do not yet have firm plans on hours of operation, but we expect the libraries to be open for the full nine days of early voting, and city hall and campus may offer expanded days and times,” Beaudry said, adding additional drop-box locations are also planned for absentee ballots.
Golembiewski expects the voting changes will speed up the counting process.
The delays in reporting results that have stretched into the early morning hours in recent election cycles are because of the explosion in absentee voting. While he still expects many voters will continue to cast absentee ballots, officials will be able to pre-process ballots ahead of time, up to eight days prior to election day in larger municipalities, Golembiewski said.
Still, even with the early voting and ballot pre-processing, there will never be results published ahead of the close of the polls, by law, he said.
Other election-related changes are already going into effect, like the possibility for voters to sign up to permanently receive absentee ballots in future elections, an option added to absentee ballot applications in the communities that have had local elections this year, Golembiewski said.
Thanks to a change in state law, military and oversees voters also gained more time to return absentee ballots. They now have to be tabulated if they are postmarked by 8 p.m. on election night and received by the sixth day after election day, the elections director said.
The county is planning a communications push around the voting changes, and will be posting updates on its elections site, he said. Voters will also be notified by mail of their early voting sites.
Plans must be in place by the end of October, with everything finalized for the presidential primary, set to be moved up from March to Feb. 27 beginning in 2024 if legislation advanced by Michigan Democrats this year goes into effect. The countywide early voting partnership would then be in place for all elections, not just state and federal ones, Golembiewski said.
Read more: A February Michigan presidential primary may rest on legislature ending early
In Ann Arbor, the city clerk’s office also plans to build out a new city election center — a project the city has put $1 million in federal stimulus funds toward, though officials are still working on identifying a location, Beaudry said.
For many officials running elections, Golembiewski among them, Proposal 2 may bring some of the biggest election shifts of their careers.
“This is really a huge, structural change in how elections are administered in Michigan,” he said.
Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Ann Arbor” daily newsletter.
More from The Ann Arbor News:
‘We do not have to live like this.’ Ann Arborites air frustrations over DTE outages
2 boys find a home in Washtenaw County’s first in-person adoption since COVID-19 pandemic
101-year-old landmark Ypsilanti building will open as marijuana dispensary
Urgency of climate issue tops priority for 1st University of Michigan sustainability head
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/big-elections-changes-will-bring-network-of-early-voting-sites-to-washtenaw-county.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:46
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/big-elections-changes-will-bring-network-of-early-voting-sites-to-washtenaw-county.html
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Jason Lee talks all things Phillies with legendary player, manager, and coach, Larry Bowa.
Sports Scene airs every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. only on PHL17.
Watch more PHL17 Sports Scene here.
Jason Lee talks all things Phillies with legendary player, manager, and coach, Larry Bowa.
Sports Scene airs every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. only on PHL17.
Watch more PHL17 Sports Scene here.
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https://phl17.com/sports-scene/larry-bowa-joins-jason-lee-on-the-phl17-sports-scene/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:47
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https://phl17.com/sports-scene/larry-bowa-joins-jason-lee-on-the-phl17-sports-scene/
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Mega Millions winnings after taxes: How much the winner could actually take home in Texas
Tuesday night's Mega Millions jackpot has increased to an estimated $1.05 billion and plenty of people are rushing to get tickets.
If you beat the odds and match all six numbers you will take home much less than a billion dollars (not that you'd complain).
Winners can choose to have their prize money paid out in 30 payments over 29 years, or in a lump sum.
If there is a single winner of the $1.05 billion jackpot, those who pick the cash option will receive an estimated $527.9 million.
Then there are the taxes. The IRS immediately takes 24% of all lottery winnings over $5,000, dropping the total to approximately $400,520,000 for a winner choosing the lump sum.
READ MORE: States that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous
The winner will also likely owe more when they file their 2023 federal income taxes.
Texas is one of 10 states that does not tax lottery winnings at the state level.
Tuesday's drawing will be held at 10 p.m.
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/mega-millions-winnings-after-taxes-in-texas-august-1
| 2023-07-31T19:54:49
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/mega-millions-winnings-after-taxes-in-texas-august-1
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TEXAS, USA — It’s back-to-school time as the first district in the Houston area returns to class this week. By the time Sept. 1 rolls around, a series of new laws will affect how those schools are run.
State lawmakers in Texas only meet once every two years, so these new rules will last through at least 2025. Changes to public education were top priorities for the state’s governor and lieutenant governor.
Another school year is here and as your Education Station, KHOU 11 wants to hear from you. Use this survey to tell us what's important to you for the upcoming school year.
Most of these bills that passed will become law on Sept. 1. Here is a breakdown of the changes in your child’s classroom.
House Bill 567
One is the Crown Act.
It bans race-based hair discrimination in education, among other areas, and covers styles like locs and braids.
Two students from the Houston area inspired the change in law after they were told to cut their hair or face discipline.
Senate Bill 2565
Senate Bill 2565 will give parents access to the materials teachers use to teach their kids.
It’ll also set aside nearly $800 million to invest in open-source, high-quality instructional materials to save teachers planning time.
Senate Bill 1697
Senate Bill 1697 will let parents decide whether their child should repeat a grade up to eighth grade or a high school course unless they’ve met all graduation requirements.
House Bill 900
Finally, House Bill 900 brings a big change that will happen in school libraries.
By next April, book vendors will have to assign ratings to books based on depictions or references to sex.
Books deemed “sexually explicit” would be removed from bookshelves. Those deemed “sexually relevant” will require parents’ permission for the student to check out.
You might have heard about vouchers or education savings accounts recently.
Those “school choice” bills generated a lot of buzz during the legislative session but didn’t pass.
Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to call a special session, possibly in October, to tackle those issues.
Other bills that grabbed headlines this year but ultimately failed would have raised teacher pay, restricted discussion on LGBTQ people, and required the 10 Commandments to be posted in classrooms.
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https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/education/new-laws-in-texas-2023-back-to-school/285-885b439d-427a-4caf-b629-06622b417d9f
| 2023-07-31T19:54:49
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WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump ‘s mounting legal woes are burning through cash, leading his campaign to request a refund from a supportive super PAC and launch a new legal defense fund to help cover costs.
At the same time, Trump’s allies are creating a new legal defense fund that will help pay the soaring legal fees as Trump faces dozens of criminal charges stemming from indictments in New York and Florida, with more expected as soon as this week. The Patriot Legal Defense Fund, as it is called, is intended to raise money to defray costs for those “defending against legal actions arising from an individual or group’s participation in the political process,” according to a filing made last month with the IRS. The group will be run by Trump campaign senior advisers Susie Wiles and Michael Glassner.
“The weaponized Department of Justice and the deranged Jack Smith have targeted innocent Americans associated with President Trump,” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung. “In order to combat these heinous actions by Joe Biden’s cronies and to protect these innocent people from financial ruin and prevent their lives from being completely destroyed, a new legal defense fund will help pay for their legal fees.” The fund was first reported by The New York Times.
Smith is the special counsel leading the federal investigations of Trump. His team has expressed interest in the payment of legal fees for Trump-aligned witnesses in the investigations and has sought information about it, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing criminal probes.
Trump’s PAC has also requested that his super PAC, MAGA Inc., return some of the money that it transferred to seed the group to help cover costs. It is unclear whether money was actually transferred or how much.
A spokesman for the super PAC did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump launched his PAC, Save America, in the days after the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. For weeks, the group bombarded supporters with a nonstop stream of text messages and emails that purported to raise money for an “election defense fund” that would be used to contest the election’s outcome.
But the $170 million that the effort raised in less than a month was not used to contest the election, records show. Instead, it was used to pay down campaign debt and replenish the coffers of the Republican National Committee, with Trump also stockpiling another large chunk for his future political endeavors. Last year, the Justice Department issued a round of grand jury subpoenas that sought information about the political action committee’s fundraising practices.
Since then, Save America has served as a different sort of “defense fund,” covering the legal expenses for Trump operatives, allies and employees who have been ensnared in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation.
Some of Save America’s money has been used to boost other candidates, though it’s a pittance compared to how much Trump has spent on ballooning legal costs.
As the 2022 midterm elections approached, Trump pledged to back congressional candidates loyal to him. But of the roughly $65 million earmarked by Save America for political spending, only a fraction — about $20 million — was used to back midterm candidates through campaign contributions or paid advertising.
Save America requested to claw back much of the money. And much of the remaining cash Save America had was dedicated to a different sort of “defense fund” — paying dozens of law firms to represent the former president and his aides.
“Forty-million dollars — I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Paul S. Ryan, a longtime campaign finance attorney in Washington, referring to the sum the group spent on legal fees this year. “There’s no legal issue. It’s really just a question for his donors: Do they want to be funding lawyers?”
___
Colvin reported from New York.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/31/trump-legal-bills-pac-defense-fund-campaign-filing-2024/b5c936cc-2fd1-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:50
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/31/trump-legal-bills-pac-defense-fund-campaign-filing-2024/b5c936cc-2fd1-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Jackpocket
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jackpocket-celebrates-10th-anniversary-with-giveaway-attend-2023-iheartradio-music-festival-las-vegas/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:50
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jackpocket-celebrates-10th-anniversary-with-giveaway-attend-2023-iheartradio-music-festival-las-vegas/
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ANN ARBOR, MI - Police arrested a man Sunday for attempting to break into a downtown Ann Arbor residence.
Officers responded to reports of the attempted break-in around 4 a.m., July 30 in the 200 block of Ann Street, said the Ann Arbor Police Department.
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/drunken-man-attempts-break-in-at-ann-arbor-residence-police-say.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:53
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/drunken-man-attempts-break-in-at-ann-arbor-residence-police-say.html
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Jason Lee talks football with co-host of Bell and the Birdmen podcast, Vince Quinn.
Sports Scene airs every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. only on PHL17.
Watch more PHL17 Sports Scene here.
Jason Lee talks football with co-host of Bell and the Birdmen podcast, Vince Quinn.
Sports Scene airs every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. only on PHL17.
Watch more PHL17 Sports Scene here.
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Watch for us in your inbox.
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https://phl17.com/sports-scene/vince-quinn-joins-jason-lee-on-the-phl17-sports-scene/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:53
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https://phl17.com/sports-scene/vince-quinn-joins-jason-lee-on-the-phl17-sports-scene/
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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.kcentv.com/article/news/nation-world/pee-wee-herman-actor-paul-reubens-has-died/507-5aabe911-4a9a-428f-a97c-ff3099d3c5fc
| 2023-07-31T19:54:55
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https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/nation-world/pee-wee-herman-actor-paul-reubens-has-died/507-5aabe911-4a9a-428f-a97c-ff3099d3c5fc
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Attempted kidnapping of child in North Austin stopped by police
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin police officers stopped a kidnapping attempt in North Austin.
On July 25, the Austin Police Department says it responded to a check welfare call from a store in the 8000 block of Shoal Creek Boulevard.
Police say a child told a store employee that she had been kidnapped, and the kidnappers were still in the store.
When officers arrived, they found multiple suspects inside a vehicle in the parking lot, initiated a traffic stop and detained them.
Other officers went inside the store, and found another suspect.
One suspect was arrested and police say charges are pending against the others.
The child has been safely reunited with her family, police say.
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/police-kidnapping-attempt-shoal-creek-blvd-north-austin
| 2023-07-31T19:54:55
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/police-kidnapping-attempt-shoal-creek-blvd-north-austin
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Like many Republican presidential candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy has been outspoken about the role of faith and society. An enthusiastic second-generation Indian American, Ramaswamy also isn’t shy about talking about his own faith.
To reach evangelical Christians, the largest religious group skewing Republican, Ramaswamy has affirmed both his Hindu identity and the Judeo-Christian civic religion in which he was raised. Ramaswamy attended Catholic School where he studied the Bible, uniquely positioning him to use both faiths in his messaging.
Not everyone is happy with that message. Earlier this week, a conservative pastor went viral for his condemnation of Ramaswamy’s faith.
“If he does not serve the Lord Jesus Christ and stand primarily for Judeo-Christian principles, you will have a fight with God,” Hank Kunneman, of One Voice Ministries, said in a video tweeted by Right Wing Watch on July 24. “You are going to let him put all of his strange gods up in the White House and are we just supposed to blink because he understands policies? No.”
Hindu Americans across the country condemned the pastor’s remarks, including Democratic Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.) and Ro Khanna (Calif.). The United States-India Relationship Council, a political action committee dedicated to supporting political candidates who are pro-India, released a public statement.
“We need to expose and condemn this bigotry,” said Amit Desai, founder of the PAC. “By doing so, people will get educated.”
The ancient tradition of Sanatana Dharma — more commonly known as Hinduism — has long been misunderstood by unfamiliar audiences, especially in places like the United States, where Christianity predominates.
A tradition that has more than a billion adherents worldwide, Hinduism does not always fit neatly into categories understood by those more familiar with Abrahamic faiths like Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Hindus hold a pluralistic worldview in which many paths exist to experiencing the supreme, eternal spirit of reality known as Brahman.
Brahman, sometimes referred to as God, is a genderless and metaphysical concept, but Hindus believe it manifests itself in the sometimes human-like forms of gods and goddesses. Many Hindus can see the divine revealing itself in the holy people of other religious traditions.
Hindus worship at temples and within their homes to as many murtis, or embodied forms of God, as they wish. Families and communities within Hinduism can also have a patron deity, known as an Ishta Devata, that they especially venerate.
To help people from other backgrounds better understand his faith, Ramaswamy, like other American Hindus, has emphasized the elements of Hinduism that relate closely to Christianity — such as a focus on one God that all of humanity shares.
The Hindu American Foundation, the largest nonprofit representing the religious community, has started shifting away from using the word “idol,” instead using “deity,” so as to eliminate the chance of misunderstanding by Christians.
Suhag Shukla, the executive director of HAF, says that even though God might not necessarily be the appropriate word to equate to Brahman, saying God is the fastest way to communicate with other faith traditions.
“When your goal is to educate people who are wholly unfamiliar with a tradition or a philosophy or religion, you have to meet them where they are,” Shukla said. “The words that might have some resonance for Christians is a good starting point.”
Anantanand Rambachan, a Hindu theologian and author of “Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue,” says that, while it is not incorrect to say Hindus worship one divine being, practitioners should not shy away from explaining that this one being has infinite names and forms. The faith is neither polytheistic nor monotheistic, he says, but something entirely more complex.
“In communicating our tradition, we should not be afraid to be different,” Rambachan said. “To reduce the murtis (idols) only to a symbol is not to be faithful to centuries of a very sophisticated theology.”
When he became the first non-Christian chair of the religion department at St. Olaf College, a Lutheran school in Minnesota, in 2007, Rambachan has faced his share of backlash from critics who insisted he could not serve a largely Christian student body.
“Communicating the Hindu point of view in all of its richness and its integrity is possible, but it takes time,” Rambachan said. “Those who are formed and steeped in an exclusive theological position — it is not easy to open their hearts and minds.”
While Hindus have overwhelmingly voted Democrat, some in the community say they are disappointed with the party for not standing against anti-Hindu hatred they say is rampant.
For Desai, the leader of USIRC, Ramaswamy’s battle against what he calls “woke-ism” and his embracing of young voters is enough to sway his vote. He points to Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the U.K. and a member of the Conservative Party, as an example of someone who has held his Hindu faith on unapologetic display.
“I always believe that those who respect their own roots are respected by others,” Desai said.
Whether Hindu Americans will be voting for Ramaswamy in the upcoming primaries has yet to be seen. However, Desai and Shukla agree that Hindus need stronger political institutions that educate Hindus about the political process for future generations of Hindu candidates to join leadership positions.
“As a Hindu American, I never envisioned a future, at least not in my lifetime, that we would have candidates running for any office that would be so proud of their heritage,” Shukla said. “And that the teachings and values that they have inherited could serve as inspiration for their public service.” — Religion News Service
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/07/31/vivek-ramaswamy-hindu-christian-language/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:56
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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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Liberty HealthShare
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/liberty-healthshare-assemblies-god-general-council/
| 2023-07-31T19:54:57
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/liberty-healthshare-assemblies-god-general-council/
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ANN ARBOR, MI - A serious vehicle crash closed a major Ann Arbor street on Monday for an undetermined amount of time, police said.
The Ann Arbor Police Department announced at 3:10 p.m., July 31 that Jackson Road between Maple and Wagner roads is closed due to a “serious traffic crash.”
The area is near an I-94 ramp, as well as the city’s border with Scio Township. That stretch of Jackson Road will be closed “for some time,” so drivers should avoid the area, police said.
Officers are continuing to investigate the crash. This is a developing story.
Read more from The Ann Arbor News:
Drunken man attempts break-in at Ann Arbor residence, police say
11 people have been killed in Washtenaw County since June 1. What’s behind the rise in homicides?
2 boys find a home in Washtenaw County’s first in-person adoption since COVID-19 pandemic
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/07/serious-crash-to-close-major-ann-arbor-street-for-some-time-police-say.html
| 2023-07-31T19:54:59
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Sunnyvale deadly ambush video released, shooter caught on camera
SUNNYVALE, Texas - Sunnyvale police have released video of the car and the shooter involved in the ambush murder of a 27-year-old woman and there is now a $25,000 reward offered in the case.
The woman's brother and his three children were also injured in the shooting on June 4.
"We need more leads to kind of reinvigorate this investigation," said Sunnyvale Police Chief Bill Vegas.
The video released by police on Monday shows the car and shooter in the murder of Mesquite resident Tyseha Merritt.
Merritt was in a parking lot of Sunnyvale townhome complex when she was shot.
Footage also shows the suspect's car at Highway 80 and Belt Line before the shooting.
The car is a newer-model black Toyota Camry with tinted windows and 20-inch wheels.
"As the Camry pulls up, there's a horn honk and then the passenger front passenger exits the vehicle, and he approaches the driver side of the victim vehicle," said Vegas. "He's got a mask on. He runs up to the car and just unloads into the driver's window and into the rear window of the vehicle."
Merritt was hit several times in the torso.
Her brother can be seen running from the area in the video. He was hit in the lower back.
The brother's three children in the back seat were hurt, but lived.
The shooter jumped back in the Camry and quickly drove away.
"[The shooter is] about 6-foot, maybe a little bit taller, about 6'1" maybe 6'2". We believe he weighs about 230, 240. He's an African American male. He has a mask on, so you can't really see his face," said Vegas.
As the shooter gets back out of the Black Camry the driver blows the horn. That makes Chief Vegas think this was not road rage or random.
"There's theories about that, you know, one of the theories being that the reason there's a horn honk is because we want to get the attention of the driver and the passengers to make sure that we have the right car," he said.
The reward now stands at $25,000 after a $20,000 donation by the Town of Sunnyvale.
"Our town decided that $5,000 wasn't enough, that we needed to invest in this. We need to get answers," said Chief Vegas.
The incident was the first murder in Sunnyvale in 20 years.
If you have any information you can call North Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-877-373-8799 or the Sunnyvale Police Department at 972-203-0312.
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/sunnyvale-deadly-ambush-video-released-shooter-caught-on-camera
| 2023-07-31T19:55:01
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https://www.fox4news.com/news/sunnyvale-deadly-ambush-video-released-shooter-caught-on-camera
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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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LONDON — Wearing his familiar white headband, Stuart Broad roared in — knees pumping — to send down one last delivery in his brilliant cricket career.
It’s 604 test wickets and out for Broad after he took the match-clinching wicket to earn England a series-tying victory late in the last session of the fifth and final test against Australia on Monday.
England bowled out Australia for 334 and claimed a 49-run win to secure a 2-2 draw in an Ashes series that had pretty much everything.
“You wonder what your last ball will be,” said Broad, who announced Saturday that he would be retiring after this match to end his 18-year career, “so to take a wicket to win an Ashes test match is pretty cool.”
The Australians, who still haven’t won an Ashes series in England since 2001 but will return Down Under with the urn, lost their last seven wickets for 70 runs after looking good at 264-3, chasing 384 to win.
With two wickets still to get, England captain Ben Stokes turned to Broad one final time.
A number of balls slipped past the outside edge and Broad switched the bails at the non-striker’s end for good luck. The very next ball, he got an edge off Todd Murphy with an absolute beauty of an outswinger.
One wicket left and of course it was Broad who took it. When Alex Carey edged behind, again to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, Broad wheeled away in celebration and was soon engulfed by his teammates. His wife, holding their baby, looked on from the balcony as did his father, Chris, a former England international.
“It was written in the stars he was going to take the last two wickets,” Stokes said, “with two left-handers at the crease.”
Broad is fourth on the all-time list of wicket-takers in tests, behind Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and his great friend, England pacer Jimmy Anderson, who — at 41 — says he will continue to play.
Anderson didn’t have a say on Day 5. Instead, it was Chris Woakes (4-50), Moeen Ali (3-76) and ultimately Broad (2-62) who bowled England to victory.
The English will rue the rain that denied them a likely victory in the fourth test at Old Trafford — and therefore a chance at completing a series win at The Oval — but the team’s recovery from 2-0 down in a six-week stretch of five tests was another validation of its “Bazball” approach that is winning fans, if not quite the biggest series of them all.
The series got the denouement it deserved, even though a rain delay of nearly three hours — wiping out the entire middle session — threatened to ruin the final day.
Australia started the day on 135-0 but England finally found some seam movement and swing in cloudy conditions with a new ball, accounting for David Warner (60), Usman Khawaja (72) — both to Woakes — and Marnus Labuschagne (13) in an 11-over spell in which the tourists hit just 34 runs.
For Warner, it was a last innings in England ahead of what he hopes is the final innings of his career, in Sydney against Pakistan in January.
A 95-run stand between Steve Smith and Travis Head either side of the rain delay steadied the Australians, and even put them as the marginal favorite for a short time. In a dramatic incident, England’s players thought they had got Smith in the final over of the morning session but Stokes, who took a fine, leaping, one-handed catch off the batter’s glove, lost control of the ball as he brought his arm down and brushed his thigh. He was adjudged to have dropped the ball before having complete control.
Woakes and Ali turned the match around after the resumption, which came at 4.20 p.m. local time and gave England 47 overs to capture victory under what had quickly become a sunny sky in south London. They didn’t need them all.
Head sliced Ali on the drive to Joe Root at slip for for 43, Smith — having just reached his 25th fifty against England — edged Woakes to Zak Crawley at second slip for 54, and Mitch Marsh drew a stunning diving catch from Bairstow after an inside edge onto his pad off Ali.
England claimed a fourth wicket in 19 deliveries when Mitchell Starc edged Woakes to Crawley, again demonstrating safe hands, for a second-ball duck and Australia captain Pat Cummins (9) was the next to depart, top-edging Ali onto his pad and to Stokes coming round from leg-slip.
Stokes, mindful of his botched catch earlier in the day, held onto the ball with a broad grin on his face.
Then it was left to Broad, steaming in through the shadows in a scene familiar to many, to clean up the tail and he walked off the ground to a standing ovation and with a stump in his hand.
Australia was looking to complete the highest-ever chase at The Oval, where the team became world test champions by beating India in early June. It would have been the eighth highest chase in test history and the second highest by Australia.
“Going one further would have been nice,” Cummins said, “but in saying that I think we can be really proud of retaining the Ashes and the way we have played.”
As it was, England recovered for the 2-2 draw — just like in 2019.
It was a series that just kept on giving, from the first ball of the first test slapped for four by Crawley at Lord’s right through to Broad’s fitting finale.
“The ebbs and flows of this Ashes series have been incredible to be a part of and to watch,” Starc said, “and it didn’t disappoint.”
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/31/ashes-england-australia-cricket/c60385a6-2fd1-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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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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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/north-shore-animal-league-america-leads-worldwide-celebration-dogust-1st-official-birthday-all-rescue-dogs/
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Safety Damar Hamlin took another significant step in his bid to resume his NFL career under unprecedented circumstances, as he participated Monday in the first practice of the Buffalo Bills’ training camp in which players were in full pads.
Hamlin, 25, called taking part in the fully padded practice “a super big hurdle, as you can imagine” as he works his way incrementally back toward the level of on-field intensity associated with playing in an NFL game. Monday’s practice came nearly seven months after he collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest on the field, requiring emergency medical responders to resuscitate him, during a Jan. 2 game in Cincinnati.
We’re live with Damar Hamlin after our first padded practice of training camp.#BillsCamp | #BillsMafia https://t.co/DaNQj10mH7
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 31, 2023
“I pretty much lost my life playing this sport,” Hamlin said Monday. “So to come back and do it all over again, it’s all over the place. But I’m rooted in my faith. I’m rooted in the love that I receive from my family, my teammates and the love all around the world. It keeps me going. I’ve got goals that I still want to achieve within this game. And football teaches you so much about yourself. It teaches you so much about life. You learn so much about yourself through the game.”
Hamlin made what his doctors called a remarkable recovery. He consulted with specialists during the offseason and was cleared to resume his career. Hamlin announced in April that he intended to keep playing football. He said then that doctors had diagnosed that his cardiac arrest was caused by commotio cordis, a rare condition in which an impact to the chest results in an abnormal heart rhythm.
He participated in offseason practices and reported to training camp last week with the Bills. Monday’s practice represented a step up in the on-field intensity of his comeback. Hamlin said he “felt alive” and “felt like I’m here” with the “first little moment of contact” on the field, even while acknowledging that it was nothing like the magnitude of the hitting that occurs during a regular season game.
“Football, you can’t hit that field with no hesitation,” Hamlin said. “You’re putting yourself in more danger by doing that. So … I made the choice to play. But I’m processing a thousand emotions. I’m not afraid to say that. It crosses my mind, being a little scared here and there. But … my strength is rooted in my faith. And my faith is stronger than any fear.”
Members of Hamlin’s family attended Monday’s practice, which Hamlin called “another milestone” in a succession of medical and football-related markers of his progress.
“It’s going to be a long, long, long, long, long journey,” Hamlin said. “Some of these emotions will never leave. Whenever everybody’s not paying attention to me no more, I’ll still be processing these emotions myself. And I know that. It’s just another hurdle. It’s another thing we got over. And I’ve been doing a good job at pushing myself to get through these tough things. I never let myself just like shy away from them. I’ve been putting myself in uncomfortable situations. But we grow in those situations. I kind of look at it like a challenge.”
Damar Hamlin with his brother, Damir, parents, Mario and Nina, and his agent, Ira Turner, after practice. Really nice day and another step. https://t.co/SCEOblIDll pic.twitter.com/8wSTdxaNIn
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) July 31, 2023
The Bills say they are taking their cues from Hamlin as they attempt to help him balance his attempt to return to normalcy with managing the physical, mental and emotional challenges associated with his comeback.
“He has our full support and always will,” Coach Sean McDermott said last week. “And then we’ll continue to take it one day at a time, and we’ll go at his cadence.”
Back in pads. 🫶@HamlinIsland | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/yzmUq4Jz8y
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 31, 2023
Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs said last week: “It’s easy to come in and say, ‘Okay, he’s back on the football field.’ But to just see him just every day living, breathing, laughing and having a good time is really where you have your eye-opening like, ‘[Darn], look at that. God is good.’ So it’s not so much on the football end. I’m more so appreciating the person. … That type of stuff brings more smiles to my face. But I’ll have like a little extra smile if he gets back to doing what he loves to do at a very high level. Of course I’m going to be one of the main people cheering for him. But from the human standpoint, I’m just happy the guy is alive.”
Hamlin said he appreciates the support he receives from fans. He learned quickly, he said, that the episode had changed his life, and he had no choice but to have his comeback play out in public fashion.
“I wish I could do this process under a rock, just to myself, and pop out whenever I felt like I was super, super-duper ready to be a Pro Bowler,” Hamlin said. “But I think there’s power in being out here every day and doing my process in front of the world. And I always wanted to stand for something bigger than myself. That was my goal of my whole life. I had goals within this game. But life goals, that was the biggest thing: I wanted to stand for something bigger than myself. And I have the opportunity to do that now, and I’m going to fulfill that.”
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SoftwareReviews' latest Data Quadrant report highlights the top-rated CRM software solutions in the current market that are successfully harnessing the technological trends.
TORONTO, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - SoftwareReviews, a leading source for insights on the software provider landscape, has revealed its new 2023 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Data Quadrant Report, which highlights the top ten CRM solutions in the enterprise, midmarket, and small business spaces for the year.
In an era defined by digital transformation, organizations are strategically adapting to fortify their customer relationships, as corroborated by the recent 2023 Data Quadrant report from SoftwareReviews. The report and its list of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software points to the substantial expansion of the CRM industry as organizations strive to consolidate their customer experiences across various sectors, such as sales, marketing, and customer service.
"As digital technology and transformation further embed themselves into our personal and professional lives, our expectations for quality customer experience increase," says Robert Fayle, research advisory lead at Info-Tech Research Group. "With the advent of generative AI and other AI and machine learning technologies, customers now demand a personalized experience. To meet these demands, organizations need to procure CRM platforms that enable personal interactions and that are also heavily investing in the adoption of these new technologies."
Although CRM adoption has its challenges, including the need for organizational cultural shifts, extensive employee training, and stringent data privacy measures, the potential benefits are substantial. From improved customer service to streamlined marketing efforts and increased sales, well-executed CRM systems can be transformative.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is introducing a new dimension to CRM systems, automating routine tasks, predicting customer behaviors, and identifying potential sales leads. As the CRM industry continues to evolve rapidly, driven by technological advancements and the rising relevance of mobile and social CRM platforms, it underscores the importance of overcoming implementation challenges to fully harness the power of CRM in the digital economy.
The 2023 Enterprise Customer Relationship Management Software Gold Medalists are as follows:
- Zoho CRM, 8.6 CS, ranked high for ease of customization.
- Oracle PeopleSoft CRM, 8.4 CS, ranked high for business value creation.
The 2023 Midmarket Customer Relationship Management Software Gold Medalists are as follows:
- NetSuite CRM, 8.9 CS, ranked high for lead management.
- ActiveCampaign, 8.8 CS, ranked high for quality of features.
- Salesforce Sales Cloud Professional, 8.6 CS, ranked high for its breadth of features.
- Agile CRM, 8.6 CS, ranked high for ease of implementation.
- Sage CRM, 8.6 CS, ranked high for sales management.
The 2023 Small Business Customer Relationship Management Software Gold Medalists are as follows:
- ConvergeHub, 9.0 CS, ranked high for lead management.
- Less Annoying CRM, 8.9 CS, ranked high for usability and intuitiveness.
- Pipeliner CRM, 8.8, ranked high for ease of data integration.
Cloud-based CRM systems now offer the flexibility of remote access and management, while advanced analytics tools empower organizations to derive actionable insights from the overwhelming influx of customer data. Concurrently, mobile and social CRM platforms are gaining prominence as essential tools for successful customer engagement. As the digital landscape evolves, these innovative platforms will continue to redefine customer interaction and shape the future of customer relationship management.
The full report is now accessible on the firm's website, which is updated in real time to reflect new reviews and ratings.
User assessments of software categories on SoftwareReviews provide an accurate and detailed view of the constantly changing market. SoftwareReviews' reports are informed by data from users and IT professionals who have intimate experience with the software throughout the procurement, implementation, and maintenance processes.
For more information about SoftwareReviews, the Emotional Footprint, or the Data Quadrant, or to access resources to support the software selection process, visit softwarereviews.com
SoftwareReviews empowers organizations with the best data, insights, and advice to improve the software buying and selling experience.
For buyers, SoftwareReviews' proven software selection methodologies, customer insights, and technology advisors help maximize success with technology decisions. For providers, the firm helps build more effective marketing, product, and sales processes with expert analysts, how-to research, customer-centric marketing content, and comprehensive analysis of the buyer landscape.
SoftwareReviews is a division of Info-Tech Research Group, a world-class information technology research and advisory firm.
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https://www.cleveland19.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/top-2023-crm-vendors-embracing-ai-redefining-customer-experience-according-softwarereviews-users/
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KENTWOOD, MI – Three people are vying for the commissioner-at-large seat on the Kentwood City Commission in the August primary election.
Incumbent Maurice Groce, Lily Cheng-Schulting and JaWhan Jackson will square off Tuesday, Aug. 8, for one of two, four-year seats on the Kentwood City Commission as commissioner-at-large. The seat is non-partisan.
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https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/07/3-candidates-vie-for-kentwoods-commissioner-at-large-seat.html
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After HCA Healthcare announced this month that the personal identification data of roughly 11 million HCA patients in 20 states had been exposed in a breach, people may be justifiably concerned that their own medical data and identities could be stolen.
Consumers should realize that such “medical identity” fraud can happen in several ways, from a large-scale breach to individual theft of someone’s data.
Just ask Evelyn Miller. The first sign something was amiss was a text Miller received from an Emory University Hospital emergency department informing her that her wait time to be seen was 30 minutes to 1 hour. That’s weird, she thought. She no longer lives in Atlanta and hadn’t used that hospital system in years. Then she got a second text, similar to the first. Must be spam, she thought.
When she got a call the next day from an Emory staffer named Michael to discuss the diagnostic results from her ER visit, she knew something was definitely wrong. “It amazed me someone could get registered with another person’s name and no ID was checked or anything,” Miller said.
And while the name and date of birth the staffer had on record for her were correct, Miller’s address was not. She now lives in Blairsville, Georgia, a few hours north of Atlanta. Michael said he’d correct the problem. The next week, she got a bill from Emory for more than $3,600.
After an unsatisfactory conversation with someone in the hospital’s billing department, Miller sent a letter to the hospital’s privacy officer. Miller recalled writing: “I think there’s something going on, that someone is using my information, and the visit and the charges appear to be fraudulent.”
When contacted, Emory Healthcare spokesperson Janet Christenbury declined to comment on Miller’s case specifically but did say, “We take these matters seriously and work with our teams to ensure our processes and procedures are followed.”
Miller, 63, a retired health care administrator, was savvier than many about what might have occurred. The average person may have no idea a problem like this can arise until long after a theft occurs.
“The majority of victims find out when they’re trying to move on with their lives, if bills have gone to collections,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that provides free assistance to victims of identity theft. Someone may apply for a mortgage, for example, and learn their credit is ruined due to unpaid medical bills for care they didn’t receive.
It’s a double whammy. Unlike other forms of identity fraud, medical identity thieves may steal not only their victims’ personal data — Social Security number, date of birth, address — but also information about their medical records and care, potentially putting their health at risk.
“Sometimes people can’t get their prescriptions, if their records are mixed with someone else’s,” Velasquez said. “Maybe you won’t be able to get treatment that you need. There are serious implications.”
A theft may affect just one person whose insurance card gets stolen or “borrowed” to pay for health care, or it may result from a data breach, as HCA Healthcare experienced. Such large-scale breaches are more likely to be used in financial fraud schemes than to get medical care, experts say.
Compared with other types of identity fraud, medical identity theft is rare. In 2022, for example, the Federal Trade Commission received 27,821 reports of medical identity theft, while reports for identity theft related to new credit card accounts totaled more than 400,000.
Medical identity theft also presents itself in different ways.
One Thief, One Victim
If someone gets ahold of another person’s health insurance number and driver’s license or other ID, they may be able to use it to receive medical services in someone else’s name.
Busy hospital emergency departments may make an attractive target for fraudsters. Procedures typically require patients to present insurance and photo identification information at check-in, said Rade Vukmir, an emergency physician in Pittsburgh and a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians. But these facilities also don’t want to put people off from getting care, and people who are uninsured or disadvantaged might not have those documents.
“We want to treat that population,” he said. “We’re America’s safety net. We always provide care.”
Medical identity theft can happen if someone loses a wallet with their insurance card in it, for example, or a piece of mail from their insurer goes astray. But it doesn’t occur only among strangers. The victim often knows the thief and may even be in on the “friendly fraud,” as it’s called. According to one study, nearly half of people who failed to report medical identity theft said it was because they knew the thief.
For example, one person might have a higher copayment for emergency department visits, Vukmir said, so they let a family member, such as a cousin or a sibling, use their insurance card to get medical care.
“Usually, in those cases, it wasn’t an emergency,” said Vukmir.
Gangs of Thieves, Millions of Victims
In 2022, 707 health care data breaches affected nearly 52 million patients, according to an analysis of data from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights by the HIPAA Journal, which tracks compliance with health care data privacy law. Under federal law, health care organizations must notify individuals when their medical data has been exposed through a breach.
The largest health care data breach to date occurred in 2015, when nearly 80 million Anthem records were exposed. Though the 2022 figures for incidents among all health plans were slightly lower than the year before, there has been a clear upward trend in recent years in breaches, which are typically caused by hacking or IT incidents.
The American Hospital Association is “very concerned” about foreign-based hacking groups from countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, said John Riggi, the national adviser for cybersecurity and risk for the American Hospital Association.
Riggi said the personal information in people’s medical records may be sold in bulk to criminals who create phony providers to submit fraudulent claims on a mass scale that can result in hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid, Medicare, or other insurance fraud. Or they may use the information to create fake identities to apply for loans, mortgages, or credit cards.
“They flee with the money, and the individual is left to deal with it,” Riggi said.
Health plans could take lessons from the financial services industry to detect red flags, Riggi said. Financial institutions have sophisticated algorithms to identify purchasing and other patterns that are out of the ordinary, Riggi said. In health care, such mechanisms could be used to flag claims in which a provider is located more than 1,000 miles from where a patient lives, for example, or sees a patient for conditions that don’t jibe with their age or health status.
AHIP, an insurance industry trade group, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
What Consumers Can Do
Consumers should generally monitor the notices and bills they receive from insurers and providers and contact them immediately about anything suspicious.
In Miller’s case, it’s unclear whether her problem was due to an administrative snafu, such as another patient with the same name, or medical identity theft. But within a month of her initial call, the hospital removed the charges and assured her that her medical record had been disentangled from the other patient’s.
Other steps to take:
Go to the FTC’s identity theft site to learn about next steps and file an identity theft report, if appropriate.
If someone has used your name, contact every provider who may have been involved and ask for a copy of your medical records, then report any errors to your medical providers.
Notify your health plan’s fraud department and send a copy of the FTC identity theft report.
File free fraud alerts with the three major credit reporting agencies and get free credit reports from them. Consider filing a police report. If your health plan offers free credit or identity theft monitoring following a breach, take advantage of it.
“It’s best to proceed as if your data has been compromised and will be for sale,” said Velasquez, whose organization offers free assistance in recovering from identity theft. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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https://www.normantranscript.com/news/be-aware-someone-could-steal-your-medical-records-and-bill-you-for-their-care/article_b5014d84-2fcb-11ee-b214-3747b2867c32.html
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NIAMEY, Niger — Economic sanctions could severely hurt one of the world’s poorest nations after a coup unseated one of the West’s last democratic partners against Islamic extremists in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Niger’s neighbors are also threatening armed intervention against the junta run by the head of the presidential guard, although analysts say there is only a slim chance of the regional body successfully sending troops.
Both the United States and France have sent forces and hundreds of millions of military and humanitarian aid in recent years to Niger, which was a French colony until 1960. The French and the US train Nigerien forces, and the French military carries out joint operations in the north.
Since the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, people have been toting Russian flags and praising that country in pro-junta demonstrations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in March to strengthen ties and announce $150 million in direct assistance, calling the country “a model of democracy.” France pulled out of Mali last year and has some 1,500 troops in Niger.
The West African regional body known as ECOWAS announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger on Sunday over the coup and said they would use force if the coup leaders don’t reinstate him within one week.
Since the 1990s, the 15-nation bloc has unsuccessfully tried to protect democracies against the the threat of coups, with mixed success.
Niger relies heavily on foreign aid and sanctions could further impoverish its more than 25 million people. ECOWAS suspended all commercial and financial transactions between its member states and Niger, as well as freezing Nigerien assets held in regional central banks.
The sanctions could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, the country’s Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.
“When people say there’s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it’s extremely difficult for people ... Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,” he said.
Four nations are run by military governments in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war, one of the bloodiest conflicts in Africa and one that left many wary of intervening in internal conflicts. In 2017, ECOWAS intervened in The Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered the country, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues. The intervention was largely seen as accomplishing its mission.
If the regional bloc uses force, it could trigger violence not only between Niger and ECOWAS forces but also between civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.
“While this remains to be a threat and unlikely action, the consequences on civilians of such an approach if putschists chose confrontation would be catastrophic,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank.
Lyammouri also said he does not see a “military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger.”
Blinken on Sunday commended the resolve of the ECOWAS leadership to “defend constitutional order in Niger” after the sanctions announcement, and joined the bloc in calling for the immediate release of Bazoum and his family.
Breaking News Alerts
The military junta, which seized power on Wednesday when members of the presidential guard surrounded Bazoum’s house and detained him, is already cracking down on the government and civil liberties.
On Sunday evening it arrested four government officials, including Mahamane Sani Mahamadou, the minister of petroleum and son of former President Mahamadou Issoufou; Kassoum Moctar, minister of education; Ousseini Hadizatou Yacouba, the minister of mines, and Foumakoye Gado, the president of the ruling party. That’s according to someone close to the president, who was not authorized to speak about the situation, and a Nigerien analyst who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
The same night, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that all government cars must be returned by midday Monday and banned the use of social media to put out messages he describe as harmful to state security. He also claimed that Bazoum’s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum, allegations that were not confirmed.
Bazoum has yet to resign. He is still being detained and believed to be in his house in the capital, Niamey. The first photos of him since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad’s President Mahamat Deby, who had flown in to mediate between the government and the junta.
In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in Niamey, denouncing France, waving Russian flags and telling the international community to stay away.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Moscow’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear, but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The situation of this country is not good ... It’s time for change, and change has arrived,” said Moussa Seydou, a protester. “What we want from the putschists — all they have to do is improve social conditions so that Nigeriens can live better in this country and bring peace,” he said.
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https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/niger-sanctions-democracy-20230731-5zhmsaardjaz3bxqbb3noo7r6a-story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:55:04
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https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/niger-sanctions-democracy-20230731-5zhmsaardjaz3bxqbb3noo7r6a-story.html
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Dallas weather: North Texas could see record-high temperatures this week
This summer in Dallas-Fort Worth has been scalding, and this week some heat records could be tied or even broken.
Temperatures at DFW Airport are expected to reach 106 on Monday, which would tie an all-time high.
At midnight, temperatures will likely still be above 90 degrees!
READ MORE: High school football players practice early to beat the heat
Tuesday will be more of the same for heat.
Things are expected to start out warm and muggy on Tuesday morning
The high temperature on Tuesday is predicted to reach 107, which would also tie an all-time high.
An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for Monday and Tuesday and will likely be extended.
There is also a very high fire danger for much of North Texas, especially from the I-35 corridor to the west.
When temperatures are this hot be sure to keep an eye on your pets.
Sidewalks can be dangerous to paws and dog houses can quickly turn into hot boxes.
7-Day Forecast
The rest of the week is not expected to set records, but the start of August will still be very hot.
Highs are expected to hit 108, 107 and 106 degrees on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday respectively.
Late Sunday, into Monday morning there is a shot at some rain that could help cool some things down to below-normal temperatures.
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https://www.fox4news.com/weather/dallas-weather-north-texas-could-see-record-high-temperatures-this-week
| 2023-07-31T19:55:07
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https://www.fox4news.com/weather/dallas-weather-north-texas-could-see-record-high-temperatures-this-week
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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.kcentv.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665
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https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/verify/pop-culture/tom-hanks-shirt-keep-america-trumpless-fake/536-32a1a490-cd41-461a-ac00-c31cd234d665
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PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Of the thousands of emotions — trepidation among them — running through Damar Hamlin’s head Monday while he pulled on his pads for practice for the first time at training camp, the one that ultimately won out was joy.
“A super big hurdle as you can imagine. Like, I pretty much lost my life playing this sport,” Hamlin said at a news conference after practice.
“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,” he added. “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 that as long as your faith is stronger than your fear, you can get through anything.”
Though Hamlin was cleared to resume practicing in mid-April, he did so wearing a helmet and shorts with the rest of his teammates through their spring sessions and first four days of training camp, as mandated by NFL rules. The magnitude of the Bills’ first day in pads wasn’t lost on Hamlin, given it marked the first time he was in full uniform since collapsing on the field in Cincinnati on Jan. 2 after making what appeared to be a routine tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
“Ah man, it feels amazing. It’s a roller coaster of emotions. I was kind of all over the place just being back for the first time,” Hamlin said. “Just trying to keep everything as normal as possible.”
The normality of football struck him about an hour into practice when Hamlin took the field for the first time during a team red-zone running drill in which tackling was still not allowed.
On his second play, Hamlin showed no hesitation when bursting toward Damien Harris and wrapping him up with both arms. A play later, running back James Cook broke a tackle before Hamlin joined a teammate in wrapping him up just before the goal line.
Hamlin’s biggest contact came on the final play of practice, when he avoided a block to work his way into the backfield and help a teammate stop tight end Quintin Morris for what would have been a loss.
“That first little moment of contact, that was just letting me know. I felt alive, man. I felt like I’m here,” Hamlin said with a wide grin. “So it felt good. It was just that moment of: ‘All right, let’s settle in and let’s just take one play at a time. Let’s just keep going.’”
Hamlin’s only lament was not having any balls thrown in his direction during team drills, though he laughed when saying that might not be a bad thing.
“When the ball’s not coming my way, that makes you think you’re doing your job right,” Hamlin said. “But, you know, I would love some more opportunities to make a big play and turn practice up a bit.”
The 25-year-old from the Pittsburgh area is entering his third NFL season. Selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Pitt, he opened last season as a backup before starting 13 games after Micah Hyde sustained a season-ending neck injury.
This year, Hamlin is competing with offseason free agent addition Taylor Rapp for a backup role behind Hyde and Jordan Poyer. As for Hamlin’s next hurdle, it’ll come Aug. 12, when the Bills open their preseason schedule at home against Indianapolis.
Rapp, who spent his first four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, might be new to Buffalo but is impressed with how Hamlin has handled himself.
“How far he’s come and what he’s able to come back from late last season and just seeing how he goes about himself and attacks the rehab at the facility is nothing short of inspiring,” Rapp said.
A day earlier, coach Sean McDermott said he was walking a fine line in treating Hamlin much like any other player, while keeping in mind what he’s gone through.
“I think awareness is important, right? You’ve got X amount of guys out here and then you have Damar in there as well and trying to make it as a normal as possible,” McDermott said. “We’re going to support him through this, and to this point he’s done a phenomenal job.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/31/damar-hamlin-bills-first-padded-practice/c3a8f820-2fd3-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
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KYIV, Ukraine — Russian ballistic missiles slammed into an apartment complex and a university building in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown Monday, killing six people and wounding 75 others as the blasts trapped residents beneath rubble, Ukrainian officials said.
One of the two missiles that hit the central city of Kryvyi Rih destroyed part of an apartment building between the fourth and ninth floors, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. Video showed black smoke billowing from corner units and burned out or damaged cars on a tree-lined street.
The dead included a 10-year-old girl and her mother, according to Zelenskyy. More than 350 people were involved in the rescue operation, he said in a Telegram post.
The morning attack also destroyed part of a four-story university building.
The strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown, which has been hit in the past, happened a day after the Ukrainian president seemed to warn of more attacks inside Russia.
“Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia — to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process,” Zelenskyy said Sunday in his nightly video address.
It was not clear whether the missile strikes were in retaliation for his comments.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian artillery strike on the partially occupied Donetsk province killed two people and wounded six others in the regional capital, according to Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the illegally annexed province.
A bus was also hit as Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Donetsk multiple times Monday, Pushilin said.
Elsewhere, in the Russian-held part of the Zaporizhzhia region, three people were killed and 15 wounded in Ukrainian shelling that hit a store in the village of Basan, according to the Russia-backed acting regional governor Yevgeny Balitsky.
Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.
A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive, deploying weaponry supplied by Kyiv’s Western allies and aimed at driving Russian forces out of occupied areas, intensified last week. At the same time, Ukraine has sought to take the war deep into Russia, reportedly using drones to hit targets as far away as Moscow.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia and Moscow-annexed territory, especially Crimea, have become more frequent. The latest strike, on Sunday, damaged two office buildings a few miles (kilometers) from the Kremlin. Ukrainian officials did not acknowledge the attack.
Russia tightened security in the aftermath of that attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, describing the assault as an “act of desperation.”
“The Kyiv regime is in a very, very difficult situation,” Peskov said, “as the counteroffensive is not working out as planned.”
“It’s obvious that the multibillion-dollar resources that have been transferred by NATO countries to the Kyiv regime are actually being spent inefficiently,” Peskov said.
“This raises big questions in Western capitals and great discomfort among taxpayers in Western countries.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, analysts say, is wagering that Western support for Kyiv will wane as the war drags on and costs mount.
Another Ukrainian drone targeted a district police department early Monday in Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, but there were no casualties, the local governor said.
Bombarding populated areas with missiles, artillery and drones has been a hallmark of Moscow’s military strategy throughout the war, and that approach has continued during the Ukrainian counteroffensive that started in June.
Russian officials insist they take aim only at legitimate military targets, but Ukraine and its supporters say mass civilian deaths during previous attacks are evidence of war crimes.
“In recent days, the enemy has been stubbornly attacking cities, city centers, shelling civilian objects and housing,” Zelenskyy said. “But this terror will not frighten us or break us.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday that his forces have increased the intensity of attacks on Ukrainian military facilities.
It was not immediately clear which military facilities he was referring to, as Russia’s recent missile strikes have hit civilian infrastructure.
In the southern city of Odesa, Russian strikes in recent weeks targeted port infrastructure and grain silos, after Moscow broke off an export agreement for Ukrainian grain. The Ukrainian foreign ministry estimated Monday that about 180,000 metric tons of grain have been destroyed by Russia in the past nine days.
Russian shelling Monday also killed four civilians and wounded 17 in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. A 70-year-old woman was killed by shelling in her home in a Kharkiv province village near Izyum, authorities said.
Breaking News Alerts
In eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province, one person was reported killed and seven people were injured after Russia shelled 12 cities and villages, according to Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.
In other developments Monday, China introduced restrictions on the export of long-range civilian drones. Authorities cited the war in Ukraine and concern that drones could be converted for military purposes.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government is friendly with Moscow, but says it’s neutral in the war. It has been stung by reports that both sides might be using Chinese-made drones for reconnaissance and possibly attacks.
Meanwhile, Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said Monday that his Wagner Group is not currently recruiting fighters.
In an audio message published on a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner chief, Prigozhin said the company had suspended recruitment as there is currently “no shortage of personnel.”
Prigozhin previously agreed with Western estimates that he lost more than 20,000 men in the long battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
Prigozhin last month led a short-lived mutiny against Moscow, demanding a leadership change in the Russian military. In an attempt to control him, Russian authorities insisted that Wagner fighters can only return to Ukraine if they join Russia’s regular army.
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https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/russia-missile-ukraine-zelenskyy-20230731-xzkctpcmlbcw7jnotuwt6qoyyq-story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:55:11
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https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/russia-missile-ukraine-zelenskyy-20230731-xzkctpcmlbcw7jnotuwt6qoyyq-story.html
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KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI – Both directions of U.S. 131 are closed because of a crash Monday afternoon.
Northbound and southbound U.S. 131 are closed between Lyons and Eliza streets as of 2:30 p.m., July 31 in the village of Schoolcraft because of a crash, the Michigan Department of Transportation said.
The crash happened along the stretch of U.S. 131 that is a highway and about 9 miles south of the I-94 interchange.
One person was killed in the crash between a pedestrian and a semitrailer, Michigan State Police said. The road is closed for processing and cleanup, police said.
Two lane closures on northbound U.S. 131 started Monday morning as part of a $51 million construction project, according to MDOT.
No additional information is available at the time of publication.
The Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive now offers free email news alerts. Click here to sign up for alerts or for the daily “3@3 Kalamazoo” roundup of news. Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page here.
More on MLive:
‘Significant delays’ expected with I-94 lane closure
Man sentenced to life in prison for murder of Southwest Michigan jogger
Man drowns after boat sinks in Southwest Michigan pond
RibFest brings 90′s hip-hop, dance favorites to Kalamazoo this weekend
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https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/crash-causes-full-closure-of-us-131-in-kalamazoo-county.html
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ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers had a strange weekend that was both good and bad.
It was a bad weekend because they traveled to San Diego to play the Padres, who have had an up-and-down, disappointing season and yet swept the Rangers in three games. The Rangers ran into the Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, and Blake Snell combo and couldn’t do much against them. They were outscored 16-4 and were shut out on Saturday.
The team also put starter Nathan Eovaldi, who stepped up in a big way in Jacob deGrom’s absence, on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain over the weekend, so things were not looking good.
Then the team made a flurry of big moves ahead of the trade deadline on Tuesday by acquiring starting pitchers Max Scherzer from the New York Mets on Saturday and Jordan Montgomery from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
BE SURE to listen and subscribe to Locked On Rangers wherever you find your podcasts!
Host Brice Paterik of Locked On Rangers discussed the wild weekend for the Rangers and gave his thoughts about the trades they made.
“The Montgomery trade makes me a little nervous about the Eovaldi injury. Maybe this is just precautionary. Maybe this is something the Rangers were going to do anyway before they announced him (Eovaldi) going on the IL,” Paterik said. “I thought it was a smart (because) it was a move they needed to make to bolster the starting rotation and add guys with playoff experience.”
The Scherzer move on Saturday let everyone around baseball know the Rangers were going all in this season. They currently lead the AL West by one game thanks to that sweep by the Padres, and they needed pitching reinforcements.
Texas’ General Manager Chris Young said about Scherzer, “Max's pedigree is of a future Hall of Fame pitcher,” He added, “The winner that he is, is a perfect fit for what we need right now. I’ve always said that you can never have enough starting pitching. And to add somebody of Max's caliber is just a great addition to our club. We landed the player that we felt like is going to help us get where we want to go this year.”
As for Montgomery, Young said, “Jordan Montgomery is having a tremendous year. We felt like he was one of the better starters on the market. And given where we are, that we needed to continue to upgrade our rotation. We addressed that.”
Montgomery wasn’t the only pitcher the Rangers got from the Cardinals. Reliever Chris Stratton was also part of the package. Montgomery is 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts. Stratton has appeared in 42 games and he’s 1-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save.
Scherzer, who was the big get for the Rangers over the weekend, is 9-4 with a 4.01 ERA in 19 starts.
The Rangers traded two prospects and a reliever for Montgomery and Stratton; INF prospect Thomas Saggese, RHP prospect Tekoah Roby, and LHP John King.
They traded INF prospect Luisangel Acuña, who is Ronald Acuña Jr.’s brother, to the Mets in exchange for Scherzer and cash.
The Rangers’ rotation, which is still one of the best in the league, has struggled since June 1, posting a collective 4.60 ERA. Scherzer is essentially replacing deGrom, who they signed to be their ace over winter and who was lost to Tommy John surgery earlier this season.
BE SURE to listen and subscribe to Locked On Rangers wherever you find your podcasts!
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https://www.kcentv.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-dallas/rangers-show/texas-rangers-all-in-trade-max-scherzer-jordan-montgomery-new-york-mets-st-louis-cardinals/535-6088ae59-5c51-4b55-b8d9-a8b14cfd7d57
| 2023-07-31T19:55:13
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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs need look no further than last season’s playoffs, and the sight of Patrick Mahomes hobbling to the sideline against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a high ankle sprain, to understand the importance in protecting their quarterback.
The big blow was the departure of left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., for whom the Chiefs paid the Ravens handsomely in a trade, when the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a long-term deal.
But nearly as painful was the loss of right tackle Andrew Wylie, who had gone from an afterthought fighting for a job to one of the more reliable players along the offensive line.
Rarely do the Chiefs make such moves without a plan, though. General manager Brett Veach acted quickly to sign ex-Tampa Bay tackle Donovan Smith to handle the left side and former Jacksonville tackle Jawaan Taylor to handle the right, then Veach used a third-round pick on Oklahoma’s Wanya Morris to create instant competition at both positions.
So far, Chiefs coach Andy Reid — an old offensive line coach — has liked what he’s seen.
“You’re never sure exactly what you’re going to get there,” Reid said, “but they’re competing and that’s important. That’s an important part of this, that you’re able to push through these practices, run and pass. I like the way they work their game.”
The decision to put Mahomes’ health in the hands of Smith and Taylor is a gamble, though. Neither of them graded out particularly well last season, depending on the metric you use, though both of them have shown flashes of high-level play in the past.
Smith, for example, ranked No. 66 among 81 offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus. Taylor was just one spot better.
But the Chiefs have established a track record of unlocking the potential in relatively unheralded players, particularly along the offensive line, where assistant coach Andy Heck is among the best in the business.
Wylie is a prime example: He was undrafted out of Eastern Michigan and wound up earning two Super Bowl rings in Kansas City before signing with Washington.
“All of us have played a lot of football and a lot of big games, tough games,” Taylor said. “We’re all smart mentally, physically. It’s just more so we’re tying in each and every individual aspect of who we are and how we play and tying it together and figuring out what works, what meshes. You know, just the many things we bring to the table per guy I would say is our strength.”
Another strength is having one of the best interior offensive lines in the NFL. Left guard Joe Thuney is considered one of the top five in the league at his position, right guard Trey Smith is likewise considered a top-tier guard, and center Creed Humphrey was picked for the Pro Bowl in just his second season in the league.
It also helps having Mahomes calling out the signals.
“Just a great leader man. He brings that energy every day, you know? He holds everybody accountable,” Donovan Smith said. “You mess up, we are going to redo it. Even in the walk-throughs and the learning periods, we always slow it down and we get to learn the offense. That’s been helping me a lot with the walk-throughs and learning the things they like doing here.”
The Chiefs were fortunate to overcome Mahomes’ ankle injury in the playoffs. He returned in the second half to lead them past Jacksonville in the divisional round, and he hobbled through an AFC title game-thriller against Cincinnati, before hurting the ankle again in the Super Bowl — and then leading the Chiefs past Philadelphia for the Lombardi Trophy.
The pressure is on the Chiefs’ new offensive tackles to prevent the same such stress this season.
NOTES: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire returned to practice Monday after missing the previous two with an illness. ... TE Jody Fortson (shoulder), WR Kadarius Toney (knee) and DE Mike Danna (calf) were among those that remained out. P Tommy Townsend also spent time in the medical tent, though no reason was given by the Chiefs. ... DT Chris Jones continued his holdout. He has been fined $50,000 for each day missed, which brings the total to $550,000. ... The Chiefs had a short practice Monday after three consecutive workouts in pads. They are off Tuesday before resuming camp Wednesday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/2023/07/31/kansas-city-chiefs-patrick-mahomes/54bfeb02-2fd4-11ee-85dd-5c3c97d6acda_story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:55:16
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The proposed demolition of several townhouses across the street from the Greek Orthodox Church on West Preston Street would be a travesty (”Mount Vernon neighbors want their historic Preston Street homes saved from demolition,” July 29). The handsome structures built in 1892 grace the block with their unity of design and elegance. To replace them with a prayer garden reveals a lack of urban responsibility.
Over the years, Baltimore has lost many historic buildings. We should treasure those that remain. I do not need a prayer garden to pray that they remain intact and the idea of demolishing some of them be put to rest permanently.
— Janet Heller, Baltimore
The writer is a board member emerita of the Peale Center for Art and Architecture.
Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.
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https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-rr-preston-street-letter-20230731-nxvn5imwvfh75hnsqtfmrbvtxy-story.html
| 2023-07-31T19:55:17
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VAN BUREN COUNTY, MI – A man was sentenced to life in prison after a jury convicted him of murder.
Colby Delea Martin, 31, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for one count of premediated first-degree murder on Monday, July 31, by Van Buren County Circuit Judge Kathleen Brickley.
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https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-of-southwest-michigan-jogger.html
| 2023-07-31T19:55:17
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https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-of-southwest-michigan-jogger.html
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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.kcentv.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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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild signed goalie Filip Gustavsson to a three-year, $11.25 million contract on Monday, avoiding salary arbitration after his strong first season with the club.
Gustavsson, who is from Sweden, was acquired a year ago in a trade with Ottawa for goalie Cam Talbot. He was 2-3 in five starts in the playoffs, including a 51-save performance in a double overtime win over Dallas in Game 1 of the first-round series.
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KALAMAZOO, MI -- After numerous delays, Western Michigan University’s new student center officially opened to the public on Monday, July 31.
Community members can experience the space during this soft-opening period prior to the grand opening in late August.
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MADRID — A judge has decided to indict Dani Alves following an investigation into sexual assault accusations against the Brazilian soccer player, a Spanish court said Monday.
Alves will be formally indicted after being informed of the judge’s decision in court on Wednesday. Prosecutors will then specify the charges, and a trial date will be set for later this year or early in 2024.
The former Barcelona defender has denied wrongdoing and said that sex with the accuser was consensual. His lawyers did not immediately respond a request for comment on Monday.
Alves is expected to remain in jail awaiting the trial. His bail requests have been denied because he is considered a flight risk. The player had offered to turn in his passports and wear a tracking device.
A judge ordered Alves to be jailed after analyzing the initial probe by authorities and hearing testimony from the alleged victim, witnesses, and Alves.
Alves’ lawyers unsuccessfully tried to discredit testimony by the alleged victim and other witnesses by presenting security camera footage showing that Alves and the victim were flirting with each other at the nightclub. The court had said that the flirting should not “in any way justify an eventual sexual assault.”
Under Spain’s sexual consent law passed last year, sexual assault takes in a wide array of crimes from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different possible punishments. A case of rape can carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.
The 40-year-old Alves won 42 soccer titles, including three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and two Copa Americas with Brazil. He played in his third World Cup last year in Qatar.
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Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI – A woman is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from a vulnerable adult.
Laurie Geneva Laskovy, 61, of Decatur, was arraigned Friday, July 28, on one felony count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of $100,000 or more in Kalamazoo County District Court.
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https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/07/woman-allegedly-embezzled-100k-from-vulnerable-adult-in-southwest-michigan.html
| 2023-07-31T19:55:29
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PRAGUE — Jaqueline Cristian upset top-seeded Marie Bouzková 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to eliminate the defending champion in the first round of the Prague Open on Monday.
In an all-Ukrainian match, eighth-seeded Kateryna Baindl defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
In other first-round games, Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch beat Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria 6-2, 6-4 and Japan’s Nao Hibino edged Italy’s Sara Errani 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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| 2023-07-31T19:55:30
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GRAND HAVEN, MI — U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten is hosting a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 in Grand Haven at Central Park Place, 421 Columbus Ave.
Scholten, a Democrat from Grand Rapids who is serving her first term in Congress, will speak about her legislative priorities, constituent casework efforts and more during the event. The town hall is scheduled to run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Scholten will take questions from the audience.
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| 2023-07-31T19:55:41
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WASHINGTON — A poster hanging at the DC Open site shows Frances Tiafoe — a competitor in the field from nearby Maryland — flanked by other men such as Andy Murray and Taylor Fritz and women such as Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
While ostensibly that puts the men and women on equal footing in Washington — where players both will be trying to win a trophy and to prepare for the U.S. Open, the year’s last Grand Slam tournament — it still is not equal all the way around.
Most notably: The men’s champion receives a check for $353,445; the women’s champion earns $120,150. That is not an anomaly. There are other stops on the professional tennis tours that include female and male players but do not pay them evenly.
“Our main goal is to work toward equal prize money. That is what we want on the WTA side and what we think is fair. Especially at the combined events, we don’t want to see a discrepancy there. We want to see that we’re earning the same at the same event,” said Pegula, an American who is No. 3 in the rankings and seeded No. 1 in Washington and a member of the women’s tour’s player council. “The fans are coming to watch both of us, and we should be making the same.”
All four Grand Slam tournaments offer equal prize money across the board, something the U.S. Open started doing 50 years ago and others as recently as 2007. That won’t happen at the DC Open until 2027 as part of a wider plan the WTA recently announced to get equal paychecks at certain events by that year and at others by 2033.
“That will give everyone a chance to hopefully get revenues to grow to be able to afford it,” said Mark Ein, who has been the tournament chairman since 2019 and is part of the group that recently bought the NFL’s Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder.
“When we took over the tournament, one of my top goals was to secure a women’s event at an equal level as our men’s,” Ein said. “One of the things I love about tennis is it’s really the only sport where athletes of both genders compete on the same playing surface at the same time.”
There are other discrepancies between the men’s and women’s brackets in Washington.
The men’s field is 48 players; the women’s is 28. The rankings points available are nearly the same, but the men’s champion gets 500, the women’s 470.
Like Pegula, three-time major champion Murray, who is seeded 15th in Washington, said that all players “at the same event, on the same courts,” should be vying for the same payouts.
“But I think for it ever to become like truly equal, the WTA and the ATP are actually going to have to come together and work as one before that’s the case, because I don’t think it’s that straightforward just now that both tours have different sponsors, different TV deals and all of that stuff, too,” Murray said. “There is a few things that still need to change, but I feel like things are going in the right direction, like with the move to this event becoming a 500 for both. Can obviously still get better.”
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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BRADENTON, FL — In the fall of 2019, two Bay City men drove a rental car south across the Michigan border. Their multistate trek came to a violent end as they robbed and fatally shot a man in his Florida apartment.
Nearly four years on, the triggerman has been convicted of murder and sentenced to decades in a Sunshine State prison.
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https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2023/07/bay-city-man-gets-25-years-in-florida-prison-for-killing-man-in-2019-robbery.html
| 2023-07-31T19:55:47
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SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The U.S. on Monday imposed sanctions on four ranking Bosnian Serb officials for undermining a 1995 peace agreement that ended a war that left more than 100,000 dead and millions homeless.
The four are alleged to have taken part in drafting a law that U.S. and other international officials say undermines the unity of Bosnia by ignoring the decisions of the country’s constitutional court.
The Bosnian Serb parliament has passed the law to not recognize or implement any decisions by Bosnia’s multi-ethnic Constitutional Court.
“This action threatens the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the hard-won peace underpinned by the Dayton Peace Agreement,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “This behavior further threatens the country’s future trajectory and successful integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.”
The Bosnian War started in 1992, pitting mostly Muslim Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats against each other. It ended with the U.S.-sponsored Dayton accords that created two regions, the Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation.
The Bosnian Serb ruling party, SNSD, said that the latest U.S. sanctions were “shameful” and “hypocritical” and would not “stop us from doing our job.”
The pro-Russian Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, has openly been striving to separate Bosnian Serb territories from the rest of Bosnia and join them with neighboring Serbia.
Because of that, he was also sanctioned by the U.S., in 2017.
On Monday, the U.S Treasury said that “as a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported.”
The U.S. recently also imposed sanctions on the pro-Russian head of Serbia’s security agency, Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of involvement in illegal arms shipments, drug trafficking and misuse of public office.
There are widespread fears that Serbia, an ally of Russia, could inflame tensions in the Balkans to divert at least some of the world attention from the war in Ukraine.
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RICHLAND TOWNSHIP, MI — Parents, students and staff received an early look at the new gymnasium planned for Hemlock High School.
On the Hemlock Public School District Facebook page this weekend, officials shared the latest illustrated rendering of the planned gym, showing an interior view.
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| 2023-07-31T19:55:53
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UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief on Monday welcomed Kenya’s offer to “positively consider” leading a multinational police force to help combat Haiti’s gangs and improve security in the violence-wracked Caribbean nation.
Kenya’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday said its offer includes a commitment to send 1,000 police to help train and assist the Haitian National Police “restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations.” The ministry said it was responding to a request from the Friends of Haiti group of nations.
“Kenya stands with persons of African descent across the world, including those in the Caribbean, and aligns with the African Union’s diaspora policy and our own commitment to Pan Africanism, and in this case to `reclaiming of the Atlantic crossing,’” the ministry said.
Haiti’s gangs have grown in power since the July 7, 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and are now estimated to control up to 80% of the capital. The surge in killings, rapes and kidnappings has led to a violent uprising by civilian vigilante groups.
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Guterres “welcomes Kenya’s positive response to his call” and expresses gratitude to Kenya for its “solidarity.”
The secretary-general calls on the U.N. Security Council to support a non-U.N. multinational operation in Haiti “and encourages member states, particularly from the region, to join forces from Kenya” in supporting the country’s police, Haq said.
Kenya’s Foreign Ministry said its proposed deployment will crystalize once the Security Council adopts a resolution giving a mandate for the force, and other Kenyan constitutional processes are undertaken.
A Kenyan task force plans to undertake an assessment mission to Haiti within the next few weeks which “will inform and guide the mandate and operational requirements of the mission,” it said.
Guterres, who visited Haiti in early July, called afterward for a robust international force to help the Haitian National Police “defeat and dismantle the gangs.”
He said the estimate by the U.N. independent expert for Haiti, William O’Neill, that up to 2,000 additional anti-gang police officers are needed is no exaggeration. O’Neill, who concluded a 10-day trip to Haiti in July, is an American lawyer who has been working on Haiti for over 30 years and helped establish the Haitian National Police in 1995.
The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on July 14 asking Guterres to come up with “a full range of options” within 30 days to help combat Haiti’s armed gangs, including a non-U.N. multinational force, a possible U.N. peacekeeping force, additional training for the Haitian National Police and providing support to combat illegal arms trafficking to the country.
Compounding the gang warfare, which has spread outside the capital, is the country’s political crisis: Haiti was stripped of all democratically elected institutions when the terms of the country’s remaining 10 senators expired in early January.
The Security Council resolution, co-sponsored by the United States and Ecuador, “strongly urges” all countries to prohibit the supply, sale or transfer of weapons to anyone supporting gang violence and criminal activities.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Kenyan President William Ruto on Monday including about Kenya’s positive consideration to leading a multinational force in Haiti, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
The United States takes over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council for August on Tuesday, and Miller said the U.S. and Ecuador, as a first step, are going to introduce a resolution to authorize a non-U.N. multinational mission.
The second step is an assessment mission by Kenya, “which they plan to do in the coming days,” and then there will be talks with other countries about what additional assistance is needed, he said.
“We are committed to finding the resources to support this multinational force,” Miller said. “We’ve been a large humanitarian donor to relief efforts in Haiti for some time, and we have worked behind the scenes to find the lead nation to run this multinational force and are pleased that that has been successful.”
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Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report from Washington and Evelyne Musambi from Nairobi
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At least two high-profile conservatives known for pushing unproven conspiracy theories about U.S. elections will speak at a Michigan Republican Party statewide conference.
Filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza and former Arizona GOP governor candidate Kari Lake were announced in recent days as speakers for the Michigan GOP’s annual Leadership Conference scheduled for Sept. 22-24 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
Their attendance is the MIGOP’s latest embrace of voting conspiracies since election denier Kristina Karamo, who never conceded last November’s secretary of state race, was elected party chair in February. Karamo, D’Souza and Lake have all falsely claimed that Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election because of widespread voter fraud.
The MIGOP’s announcement of Lake on Monday came with a tease of “more” speakers to be released in the future.
“They will challenge the status quo,” the party’s conference website says of the speakers. “As we prepare to win in 2024 these conversations will push our party to a new level of excellence and cultural understanding.”
Advancing election denialism, however, may be a losing strategy. Nationwide last fall, election deniers won fewer than 1 in 6 races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, according to nonpartisan watchdog States United Action.
Spreading the Big Lie, as Trump’s false claims have come to be known, cost election-denying Republican candidates an average of more than 2 percentage points in the midterms, according to a Stanford University working paper.
Go deeper: Election deniers fail in battleground states, but ‘Act III’ awaits in 2024
D’Souza is best known as director, writer, producer and star of “2000 Mules,” a film released last spring that claims a vague network of absentee ballot “mules” in swing states like Michigan used drop boxes to steal the election from Trump.
The movie has been widely debunked, including by cybersecurity and elections experts MLive spoke to last year in a deep fact-check of the film’s central claims.
“It’s not a credible belief that is subject to evidence anymore,” said Josh Pasek, an associate professor of communication and media and political science at the University of Michigan. “People just want to be able to wave something that helps validate their feelings.”
Read more: ‘2000 Mules’ fact check: Michigan experts debunk election fraud claims
Prior to the film, D’Souza spread conspiracy theories that included President Barack Obama was born outside the U.S. and President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton had people assassinated. D’Souza was pardoned by Trump in 2018 after being convicted of a campaign finance felony.
Lake was a former news anchor in Arizona who ran for governor there in 2022 as a Republican and lost by 17,000 votes to Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Even after losing in court multiple times trying to challenge her defeat, Lake continues to falsely claim her election was stolen.
Read more from MLive:
Michigan Capitol eyes implementing total gun ban around Labor Day
Michigan crash survivors injured before 2019 no-fault law retain full care, Supreme Court rules
Meet the Michigan legislature’s first Black woman overseeing state spending
Your Michigan driver’s license could move from your wallet to your smartphone
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| 2023-07-31T19:55:59
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CAIRO — Security authorities in eastern Libya freed at least 385 Pakistani migrants who were held in trafficking warehouses in an overnight raid, a migrant rights group said Monday.
Esreiwa Salah, an activist with al-Abreen, told The Associated Press the Pakistani migrants arrived in Libya intending to travel to Europe but were detained by smugglers who demanded a ransom for their release. No further details were given.
Several pictures posted on al-Abreen’s Facebook page showed dozens of purportedly freed Pakistani migrants sitting outside of a warehouse.
Libya is the dominant transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to make it to Europe. The country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Oil-rich Libya has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of militias and foreign governments.
Human traffickers have benefited from the decade of instability, smuggling migrants across borders from six nations, including Egypt, Algeria and Sudan. They then pack desperate migrants seeking a better life in Europe into ill-equipped rubber boats and other vessels for risky voyages on the perilous Central Mediterranean Sea route.
A vessel that departed from Libya carrying an estimated 700 migrants, including about 350 Pakistanis, sank of the Greek coast in June. Only 104 people, including 12 Pakistanis, were rescued.
Pakistan is experiencing an economic crisis that is driving thousands of mostly young men to seek work abroad. Many travel to Libya with the hope of eventually reaching European shores.
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| 2023-07-31T19:56:02
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The Honey girlies want to know: If you were to be matched to a reality tv dating show, which one would you be? From Love Island to Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard, Love is Blind to the Ultimatum, you can count on us to keep you chronically online girlies easily entertained with our newest quiz.
Are you a hopeless romantic looking for your forever love? Wondering why your friend is never introducing you to their friends? Or are you just out here looking for a summer fling? Take this quiz to find out which show is your perfect match. Then sign up for our newsletter so we can dish on the findings together, k?
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| 2023-07-31T19:56:05
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BEIRUT — Iraq’s foreign minister called Monday for the Organization for Islamic Cooperation to form a committee for talks with the European Union over its member countries permitting the desecration of the Quran and to enlist volunteers to file lawsuits to halt the practice.
Hussein made his statement during an emergency online meeting of foreign ministers from the Jeddah-based organization to discuss recent incidents in which the Islamic holy book was burned or otherwise defaced at officially permitted protests in Sweden and Denmark.
The body did not issue any decision or official statement after Monday’s meeting.
Ahead of the meeting, two men who had previously burned a copy of the Quran in Sweden did so once again, in front of a crowd of a few dozen onlookers and about 20 counter-protesters.
In both Sweden and Denmark, t here is no law against blasphemy, and freedom of expression is generally held in high regard.
But as the recent Quran burnings have sparked angry demonstrations and diplomatic backlash in Muslim countries, officials in the Scandinavian countries have begun to consider whether there should be curbs on public defacement of holy books or other religious symbols.
Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said Sunday in an interview with Danish public broadcaster DR that the government is seeking a “legal tool” to prohibit such inflammatory acts without compromising freedom of expression.
In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sunday on Instagram that his government is analyzing the legal situation regarding desecration of the Quran and other holy books, given the animosity such acts are stirring up against Sweden.
Before Monday’s meeting, the OIC had already suspended the status of Sweden’s special envoy over the Quran burnings.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said in a statement that he spoke in recent days with counterparts in OIC countries to explain how Sweden’s freedom of expression works and that police make independent decisions on protest applications. He added that “the government is very clear in its distance from the Islamophobic acts carried out by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden.”
The Danish foreign minister said his “government condemned and denounced the insult” to the Quran and “that it is studying this issue with great interest.”
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Keyton reported from Stockholm. Associated Press staff writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.
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| 2023-07-31T19:56:09
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Shop now for Lululemon back-to-school deals. You’ll discover savings on backpacks, shorts, leggings, jackets and more.
Whether you’re stepping out for exercise class or class on campus, you’ll enjoy Lululemon tech gear, with sweat wicking comfort while you’re on the move.
Upgrade your wardrobe and accessories with hard to find Everywhere belt bags. Stock up on shorts, High-Rise Pants, Wunder Train Tights and more.
Check out a few Lululemon Back to school deals for under $100:
Hotty Hot High-Rise Lined Short 4″ $68
Double-Handle Canvas Tote Bag 19L $48
City Adventurer Backpack Micro 3L $78
Find deals on all back to school Lululemon tech gear:
Dance Studio Mid-Rise Full Length Pant
New Venture Classic-Fit Long-Sleeve Shirt
Double-Handle Canvas Tote Bag 19L
Daily Multi-Pocket Canvas Tote Bag 20L
City Adventurer Backpack Micro 3L
Hotty Hot High-Rise Lined Short 4″
Groove Super-High-Rise Flared Pant Nulu
lululemon Align™ High-Rise Pant 25″
Wunder Train High-Rise Tight 25″
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https://www.mlive.com/shopping/2023/07/lululemon-back-to-school-deals-everywhere-belt-bags-for-38-shorts-leggings-backpacks-and-more.html
| 2023-07-31T19:56:11
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Looking to discover L.A.’s Mexican history? Check out these 10 places
The history of Los Angeles is complicated, and there’s no better example of this than Olvera Street. Located downtown in the L.A. Plaza Historic District, the popular marketplace is lined with Mexican restaurants, stores and kiosks selling everything from T-shirts to pottery to statues of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
For decades, many have believed that Olvera Street was the historic Mexican center of Los Angeles. In reality, it was created in 1930 by Northern California transplant Christine Sterling, who fell in love with a romanticized Old Mexico filled with strolling guitar players in sombreros and women in colorful peasant dresses.
The city’s first Mexican immigrants came to L.A. from the states of Sinaloa and Sonora in Mexico during the Gold Rush and settled in an area that became known as Sonora Town. It wasn’t located on Olvera Street but several blocks away, in what is now Chinatown.
What happened to Sonora Town? Like so many Latino neighborhoods, transportation and rising real estate prices pushed residents to other parts of L.A. when the Southern Pacific Railroad put its depot nearby.
Historic monuments all over the city and county tell a story of Los Angeles from the people who settled here, not necessarily those who existed here until their land was taken away.
We can’t forget that California belonged to Mexico until it became a state in 1850 after the Mexican-American War. For centuries before that, California was home to hundreds of thousands of Indigenous people until the Spanish arrived in 1769 and wiped out many of them through violence, enslavement and disease. The Indigenous communities that survived faced another horrific challenge when in 1851, California’s first governor, Peter Hardeman Burnett, declared war against them “... until the Indian race becomes extinct …” resulting in more than 100,000 more deaths.
There’s so much hidden history to be found. So where can you go in Los Angeles to uncover these stories? Here are 10 places to learn or think about L.A.’s Mexican history.
Ávila Adobe
Pico House & Los Pobladores
Alta California’s last governor, Pío Pico, opened Pico House in 1870. Pico, who was of Spanish, African and Indigenous Mexican descent, was one of the most powerful men of the 19thcCentury and had a major L.A. thoroughfare named after him.
If it’s surprising that one of California’s richest and most influential 19th century men was Afro-Mexican in a time of great racial unrest, you may want to visit the Los Pobladores plaque on the southwest side of the Plaza. It honors the 11 families (44 adults and children) from Sinaloa and Sonora that the Spanish government persuaded to travel 1,000 miles to settle in the new pueblo of Los Angeles in 1781. Nearly half of the adults identified as Black or mixed race.
La Placita (La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles)
The Spanish Bishop of Monterey, Calif., took the martyred Saint Vibiana’s remains to Los Angeles, made her the patron saint of L.A. and built a grand cathedral in her honor. The original cathedral was damaged in the Northridge earthquake and the Catholic Church tried to demolish it in 1996. The L.A. Conservancy sued to stop the demolition and won. The original cathedral was renovated to its former glory and is now Redbird restaurant and the stunning Vibiana event space.
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The United States are one of the few powerhouses that are looking to secure spots in the FIFA Women’s World Cup knockout stage, as the final set of group matches continues on Tuesday.
- Watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup on FuboTV (7-day free trial) and Peacock
GROUP E
Similar to what we saw with Group B, a draw featuring the group’s top two clubs have opened the door for a third squad to be in the advancement conversation.
After both the United States and the Netherlands started things off with a win, the Dutch pushed the U.S. last Thursday for the first time in a long time. The Americans had to come back from a 1-0 deficit to salvage a draw in the rematch of the 2019 Final, ending the U.S.’ run of 17 consecutive WC matches where they did not trail.
Portugal was handled by the Netherlands in their tournament opener, but came back to beat Vietnam on Matchday #2, effectively eliminating the newcomers, and keeping them in line to move in their first World Cup appearance. Granted, they would need to pull off an incredible upset.
Portugal (1-0-1) vs. United States (1-1-0)
- When: Tuesday, August 1
- Time: 3 a.m. ET
- Where: Eden Park (Auckland, N.Z.)
- Channel: FOX, Telemundo
- Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream, Peacock
The Americans are undefeated, and unscathed, in 10 meetings with Portugal.
Vietnam (0-2-0) vs. Netherlands (1-1-0)
- When: Tuesday, August 1
- Time: 3 a.m. ET
- Where: Dunedin Stadium (Dunedin, N.Z.)
- Channel: FOX Sports 1, NBC Universo
- Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream, Peacock
The Vietnamese and Dutch have never faced-off on the pitch.
Clinching Scenarios
USA advances with: Win vs. Portugal, OR draw vs. Portugal AND Netherlands loss/draw vs. Vietnam, OR loss vs. Portugal (by less than three goals) AND Netherlands loss vs. Vietnam
Netherlands advances with: Win vs. Vietnam, OR draw vs. Vietnam AND Portugal draw/loss vs. USA, OR loss vs. Vietnam AND Portugal loss vs. USA
Portugal advances with: Win vs. USA, OR draw vs. USA AND Netherlands loss vs. Vietnam
- Watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup on FuboTV (7-day free trial) and Peacock
GROUP D
A controversial win for China over Haiti on Friday helped keep their hopes of moving on to the knockout stage for an eighth time. Their gutsy 1-0 win over the Haitian side, where they had to play with just 10 players for over an hour, helped the Chinese stay level with Denmark coming into Tuesday.
The Danish were not able to take advantage of their chances against England in their second match, as Lauren James’ goal in the opening minutes of the match gave the Three Lionesses the jolt they needed to grab their second win in the group stage. While this is their first World Cup appearance in 16 years, Denmark has not moved on beyond the group stage since 1995.
China and Denmark come completely even into the final matchday, as both teams have a win and a loss, the same goal differential (0), and the same amount of goals for (1).
Haiti (0-0-2) vs. Denmark (1-0-1)
- When: Tuesday, August 1
- Time: 7 a.m. ET
- Where: Perth Rectangular Stadium (Perth, Australia)
- Channel: FOX Sports 1, NBC Universo
- Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream, Peacock
Like their other group opponents, Haiti has never had a match against Denmark.
China (1-0-1) vs. England (2-0-0)
- When: Tuesday, August 1
- Time: 7 a.m. ET
- Where: Hindmarsh Stadium (Adelaide, Australia)
- Channel: FOX, Telemundo
- Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream, Peacock
This will be the first-ever match between China and England in women’s football (soccer).
Clinching Scenarios
England advances with: Win/draw vs. China, OR loss vs. China AND Denmark loss/draw vs. Haiti, OR loss vs. China AND Denmark wins vs. Haiti by less than two goals
Denmark advances with: Win/draw vs. Haiti AND China draw/loss vs. England, OR Win vs. Haiti and China win vs. England by more than two goals
China advances with: Win vs. England by more than two goals, OR win vs. England AND Denmark draw/loss vs. Haiti, OR draw vs. England AND Denmark loss vs. Haiti
Follow the Women’s World Cup here
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We want to hear how you navigated the costly housing market in L.A. Tell us your story
Two sisters, Jennifer Nazario and Paula Nazario, wrote an Opinion essay on the cost of housing in Los Angeles that kept them and their parents in a cramped studio for 25 years. Only after incredible perseverance saving money and finding a low down payment mortgage were they able to buy a house with more space for their family.
We want to hear about your experiences searching for affordable housing in and around L.A. Tell us about your struggles and successes. Send your stories to oped@latimes.com with the subject line “My search for housing.” Please include your name and contact information so we can reach out to you.
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| 2023-07-31T19:56:19
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It took Chloe Ricketts just four appearances in the top women’s soccer league in the U.S. to make history once again.
The 16-year-old Dexter native made history on Friday night when she became the youngest player to score a goal in a National Women’s Soccer League game.
Ricketts solidified the Washington Spirit’s Challenge Cup win over NJ/NY Gotham FC with a goal in the 69th minute of the victory.
Ricketts became the youngest player to ever sign with a NWSL team in March – though that record now belongs to San Diego Wave FC’s Melanie Barcenas, who signed with the team at 15.
Still, Ricketts has continued to showcase the potential that helped her make the Spirit’s roster, and now the younger soccer star can add another historic achievement to a seemingly growing list.
MORE:
Michigan teen soccer star Chloe Ricketts inks historic deal with Adidas
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https://www.mlive.com/sports/ann-arbor/2023/07/teen-soccer-phenom-from-michigan-makes-nwsl-history-with-record-setting-goal.html
| 2023-07-31T19:56:23
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Hunter Biden’s former business partner appears for closed-door interview with GOP-led committee
Hunter Biden’s former business partner appeared Monday for closed-door testimony on Capitol Hill, with Republicans planning to question him about claims that his father, President Biden, was directly involved in his younger son’s financial dealings.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee was conducting a transcribed interview with Devon Archer as part of its expanding congressional inquiry into the Biden family businesses as the GOP explores a potential impeachment inquiry into the president.
Donald Trump and other Republicans have criticized the Justice Department deal with President Biden’s son on tax and gun charges. They’re off-base as usual.
Archer, who served with Hunter Biden on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, has been seen by Republicans as a key witness in their so-far fruitless search to directly connect the president to his son’s various international business transactions.
Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the GOP chairman of Oversight Committee, issued a subpoena to Archer in June, saying he “played a significant role in the Biden family’s business deals abroad, including but not limited to China, Russia, and Ukraine.” He said Archer’s testimony would be critical to the committee’s investigation.
Republicans have focused much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. The claim, which first emerged in 2019, was that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, an oil-and-gas company on whose board Hunter Biden sat. GOP lawmakers and staff present at Monday’s interview were also expected to question Archer about several business meetings and conversations Hunter Biden had during which he is said to have invoked his father’s name.
Democrats on the committee, including Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking minority member, have reiterated that the Justice Department investigated the Burisma claim when Donald Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” that it was true. Democrats have also highlighted the transcript of an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s co-founder, in which he denied having any contact with Joe Biden while Hunter Biden worked for the company.
“Mr. Zlochevsky’s statements are just one of the many that have debunked the corruption allegations,” Raskin said.
On top of his relationship with Hunter Biden, who is currently facing federal tax charges, Archer has his own legal troubles stemming from a 2018 felony conviction for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. That conviction was overturned later that year, but then the court of appeals in New York reinstated it in 2020. His sentencing in the case has been repeatedly delayed by appeals.
Archer’s appearance before lawmakers had been scheduled and canceled several times since June. Republicans suggested it was about to be delayed again after the Justice Department over the weekend asked a judge to schedule a date for Archer to surrender to prison and begin serving out his one-year sentence in the fraud case.
Republicans — led by Comer — criticized that delay, calling it an effort by the Justice Department to intimidate a witness. But the Justice Department in a follow-up memo to the court noted Archer’s surrender was not imminent and asked a judge to ensure that he testified to Congress before reporting to prison.
“Mr. Archer will do what he has planned to do all along, which is to show up this morning and to honestly answer the questions that are put to him by the congressional investigators,” said Archer’s attorney, Matthew Schwartz, who is a managing partner at New York-based firm Boies Schiller Flexner.
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The 2022 campaign was one of the best the Northwest football team has had in years. The Mounties went 5-4 (their first winning season since 2013), won their first two games of the season (the first time they had done that since 2013), picked up a shutout win (for the first time since 2010) and won on Homecoming (for the first time in 15 years).
The goals don’t end there for the Mounties heading into the 2023 campaign.
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https://www.mlive.com/sports/jackson/2023/07/after-major-improvements-in-2022-northwest-looks-to-take-the-next-step.html
| 2023-07-31T19:56:29
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https://www.mlive.com/sports/jackson/2023/07/after-major-improvements-in-2022-northwest-looks-to-take-the-next-step.html
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Israel’s full high court to hear petitions against judiciary law in September
Israel’s Supreme Court said Monday that a full panel of 15 justices would hear petitions in September against a contentious law that was passed last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and that has spurred mass protests.
The law was one of a series of proposed changes to Israel’s judiciary put forward by Netanyahu’s government earlier this year that seek to curb the power of the Supreme Court. The judicial overhaul plan has been met with months of sustained mass protest against the legislation and drawn criticism from the White House.
Critics of the overhaul say that the package of laws would concentrate power in the hands of the ruling coalition and erode the system of checks and balances between branches of government. Proponents say the measures are necessary to limit the power of unelected judges who they say are overly activist.
Israel’s parliament has passed the first of several laws proposed as part of a contentious judicial overhaul that has sparked massive public protests.
Netanyahu and his allies passed a law last week that removes the high court’s ability to annul government decisions considered “unreasonable.” The “reasonableness standard” was implemented by the Supreme Court earlier this year to thwart the appointment of a Netanyahu ally as interior minister after he had recently pleaded guilty to tax offenses.
The court said the hearing concerning the law striking down the “reasonableness standard” would take place Sept. 12 with a full bench of 15 justices. The Supreme Court typically hears cases with smaller panels of justices, but appears to have opted for a full complement of judges because of the highly delicate nature of the matter.
The Netanyahu administration’s push to overhaul the judiciary has deeply divided an already highly polarized country and sparked the longest sustained protests in the country’s history.
Netanyahu and his allies took office in December after the country’s fifth election in less than four years, most of them referendums on the longtime leader’s fitness to serve while on trial for corruption.
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| 2023-07-31T19:56:31
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July was a very wet month for almost all locations over southern Michigan. The high-resolution rainfall map for July shows the big soaker, for most of us.
On the July rainfall map above there are a few very wet spots which show up in purple. (pinch zoom on mobile phone). The purple spots around Stanton, Alma, south of Mount Pleasant, Marlette, Brown City and Richmond had between 10 inches and 15 inches of rain in just the past 30 days. Much of southern Lower Michigan had over five inches of rain in July. Parts of Lapeer County, St. Clair County, north of Lansing and south of Grand Rapids had over eight inches of rain.
But if you live in Oakland County you might be wondering what the heavy rain talk is all about. Around Rochester Hills and Troy there have only been two to three inches of rain in the past month.
The next map below shows you how abnormal the rainfall was this July. (Pinch zoom to see greater detail)
Eastern Montcalm County had rainfall totals over eight inches above normal. Much of southern Lower was at least three to five inches wetter than normal.
But again we can find a few small spots that actually had right around normal rainfall for July. The gray squares around Auburn Hills signify normal July rainfall.
Here are some exact rainfall amounts for July:
- Grand Rapids - 5.77 inches
- Lansing - 6.24 inches
- Muskegon - 4.07 inches
- Kalamazoo - 6.56 inches
- Jackson - 5.80 inches
- Detroit - 5.20 inches
- Flint - 5.03 inches
- Saginaw/Bay City - 6.90 inches (which looks to be a new July rainfall record)
The weather pattern can flip-flop quickly and did so from a very dry May and June at most southern Lower Michigan locations.
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Niger faces sanctions, adding to woes for more than 25 million people
Economic sanctions could severely hurt one of the world’s poorest nations after a coup unseated one of the West’s last democratic partners against Islamic extremists in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Niger’s neighbors are also threatening armed intervention against the junta run by the head of the presidential guard, although analysts say there is only a slim chance of the regional body successfully sending troops.
Both the United States and France have sent forces and hundreds of millions of military and humanitarian aid in recent years to Niger, which was a French colony until 1960. The French and the U.S. train Nigerien forces, and the French military carries out joint operations in the north.
Since the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, people have been toting Russian flags and praising that country in pro-junta demonstrations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visited Niger in March to strengthen ties and announce $150 million in direct assistance, calling the country “a model of democracy.” France pulled out of Mali last year and has some 1,500 troops in Niger.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West to battle jihadists linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State in Africa’s Sahel region. A coup endangers that.
The West African regional body known as ECOWAS announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger on Sunday over the coup and said they would use force if the coup leaders don’t reinstate him within one week.
Since the 1990s, the 15-nation bloc has unsuccessfully tried to protect democracies against the the threat of coups, with mixed success.
Niger relies heavily on foreign aid and sanctions could further impoverish its more than 25 million people. ECOWAS suspended all commercial and financial transactions between its member states and Niger, as well as freezing Nigerien assets held in regional central banks.
The sanctions could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, the country’s Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.
“When people say there’s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it’s extremely difficult for people ... Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the country’s president this week threatens Washington’s economic support to the African nation.
Four nations are run by military governments in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.
In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war, one of the bloodiest conflicts in Africa and one that left many wary of intervening in internal conflicts. In 2017, ECOWAS intervened in the Gambia to prevent the new president’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal entered the country, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis on peace and security issues. The intervention was largely seen as accomplishing its mission.
If the regional bloc uses force, it could trigger violence not only between Niger and ECOWAS forces but also between civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.
“While this remains to be a threat and unlikely action, the consequences on civilians of such an approach if putschists chose confrontation would be catastrophic,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank.
Lyammouri also said he does not see a “military intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger.”
Niger’s president defiantly declared that democracy would prevail, a day after mutinous soldiers detained him.
Blinken on Sunday commended the resolve of the ECOWAS leadership to “defend constitutional order in Niger” after the sanctions announcement, and joined the bloc in calling for the immediate release of Bazoum and his family.
The military junta, which seized power on Wednesday when members of the presidential guard surrounded Bazoum’s house and detained him, is already cracking down on the government and civil liberties.
On Sunday evening it arrested four government officials, including Mahamane Sani Mahamadou, the minister of petroleum and son of former President Mahamadou Issoufou; Kassoum Moctar, minister of education; Ousseini Hadizatou Yacouba, the minister of mines, and Foumakoye Gado, the president of the ruling party. That’s according to someone close to the president, who was not authorized to speak about the situation, and a Nigerien analyst who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
The same night, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that all government cars must be returned by midday Monday and banned the use of social media to put out messages he describe as harmful to state security. He also claimed that Bazoum’s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum, allegations that were not confirmed.
As America increases its military footprint in some of Africa’s most dangerous trouble spots, confronting extremist affiliates of Al Qaeda and Islamic State, the risk of intelligence failures and more combat deaths is mounting.
Bazoum has yet to resign. He is still being detained and believed to be in his house in the capital, Niamey. The first photos of him since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad’s President Mahamat Deby, who had flown in to mediate between the government and the junta.
In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in Niamey, denouncing France, waving Russian flags and telling the international community to stay away.
Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Moscow’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear, but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The situation of this country is not good ... It’s time for change, and change has arrived,” said Moussa Seydou, a protester. “What we want from the putschists — all they have to do is improve social conditions so that Nigeriens can live better in this country and bring peace.”
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| 2023-07-31T19:56:37
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July was a very wet month for half of northern Lower Michigan and very dry for the other half. The high-resolution rainfall map for July shows the big soaker for some and the big dustbowl for others.
On the July rainfall map above there are a few very wet spots which show up in purple. (pinch zoom on mobile phone). The purple spots around Rose City, south of Mio and Barton City had between 10 inches and 15 inches of rain in just the past 30 days. Much of northeast Lower Michigan had over four inches of rain in July.
But if you live in northwest Lower Michigan including some of the Traverse City area you might be wondering what the heavy rain talk is all about. The green shaded areas in Grand Traverse County, Leelanau County, Benzie County, Manistee County, Mason County and Antrim County had only 1.5 inches to two inches of rain in July. That lower rain amount is also after a very dry June and dry May.
So while some areas of northern Lower Michigan are soaked, some areas are still in severe drought.
The next map below shows you how abnormal the rainfall was this July. (Pinch zoom to see greater detail)
The bright purple areas in northeast Lower had eight inches more rain than normal. In big contrast the yellow shaded areas around the Grand Traverse Bay region were one to two inches below normal for July rainfall.
Here are some specific July rainfall totals:
Traverse City - 1.91 inches
Houghton Lake - 2.86 inches
Alpena - 5.61 inches
Sault Ste. Marie - 4.01 inches
Cadillac - 3.61 inches
Charlevoix - 3.05 inches
Gaylord - 3.17 inches
Petoskey - 3.09 inches
Some parts of northern Lower Michigan are now mowing grass every few days with all the rain while other parts are still just mowing off the tops of the drought tolerant weeds in the lawn.
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Ryan Day’s revelation that talks are ongoing about moving up the annual Michigan-Ohio State game took some by surprise.
And while nothing is finalized, the likelihood of a rematch between the two rivals in the Big Ten championship game grew exponentially when the league eliminates divisions in 2024.
It’s forced the athletic directors of the two schools to discuss alternative situations, Day said, and opened up the possibility of moving the game off the final week of college football’s regular season.
Speaking at Big Ten Media Days last week, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t sound bothered by the idea of moving “The Game” up, saying his team is prepared to play it “whenever it’s scheduled.”
“We know we’re going to play it every season, at least once,” Harbaugh, whose team has won the rivalry the last two years, said. “But I don’t have a particular opinion of when it should be played. Right now, it’s been played the last game of the season. I think everyone’s used to that.”
In fact, the Michigan-Ohio State game has been played in mid-to-late November every year since 1933, except for the 2020 season when the matchup was called off due to the COVID-19 season, suggesting a move away from the final week of the regular season would be a major departure.
More: Ohio State still reeling after Michigan loss: ‘It hurts — it always does’
Day didn’t go into too many details, suggesting the game could be played in Week 10 or Week 11 instead, minimizing the likelihood of the two schools playing on back-to-back weeks. If the Big Ten had played without divisions in each of the last two seasons, the two teams would have done just that — and potentially met a third time in the College Football Playoffs.
“I don’t have no preference,” Michigan running back Blake Corum said. “It doesn’t bother me to play Week 1 or Week 7, or 12. I think ‘The Game’ is always going to be ‘The Game.’ I like where it’s at, right around the Thanksgiving time.
“If you’re going into The Game like, ‘Oh, we’re going to play them next week so it doesn’t matter if we lose this week.’ Come on. What type of mindset is that? That’s a loser’s mindset.”
In a recent interview, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel confirmed that he’s had conversations with Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith on the topic — but sounded committed to keeping the annual game where it is.
The Big Ten recently inked a seven-year, $7 billion multimedia rights deal that calls for football games to air on FOX and its affiliated networks along with newcomers CBS and NBC, the latter of which has pushed for more night games later in the season.
“I don’t think it matters,” Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil said. “Whatever date that game falls under, that’s when it should be played. We’re ready to rock-and-roll at any time.”
Read more U-M football coverage from MLive:
Two Michigan players on watch list of college football’s best
Hype continues to QB J.J. McCarthy — can he live up to it?
Michigan set to enter camp with battles along offensive line
Jim Harbaugh calls for ‘mutual respect’ in heated Michigan-MSU rivalry
Players rally behind Jim Harbaugh ahead of looming suspension
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https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2023/07/jim-harbaugh-players-react-to-ryan-days-michigan-ohio-state-suggestion.html
| 2023-07-31T19:56:47
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https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2023/07/jim-harbaugh-players-react-to-ryan-days-michigan-ohio-state-suggestion.html
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The results are in and only one state will be crowned the winner of the 2024 “Best-looking Cruiser” competition.
From July 17 through July 30, nearly 1 million votes poured into the American Association of State Troopers’ annual “Best-looking Cruiser” competition. The friendly contest was designed to raise awareness and funds for the AAST Foundation, which pays higher educational scholarships for member dependents.
“Numerous states including Florida seemed to have a fantastic time with the back-and-forth challenging and good-hearted ribbing,” AAST Executive Director John Bagnardi said.
The Florida Highway Patrol’s submission depicting an alligator in front of an FHP cruiser edged past the California Highway Patrol to take home the top spot.
Rounding out the top three was Nevada. Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, Michigan, Nebraska, and Iowa made up the rest of the top 10.
“We can’t thank the public enough for their participation with the voting and fun contest rhetoric,” Bagnardi added. “We truly enjoyed reading the back and forth of everyone supporting their state and their favorite cruiser photo!”
- Florida – 181,071
- California – 142,220
- Nevada – 122,489
- Indiana – 101,605
- Kentucky – 76,417
- Georgia – 57,387
- Missouri – 27,787
- Michigan – 24,679
- Nebraska – 24,236
- Iowa – 23,839
- Massachusetts – 20,713
- Tennessee – 19,194
- New Hampshire – 16,018
- South Carolina – 15,867
- Kansas – 15,598
- North Carolina – 10,636
- Alabama – 9,754
- West Virginia – 8,144
- Ohio – 7,968
- Alaska – 7,852
- Texas – 7,432
- Arkansas – 7,128
- Virginia – 6,862
- Minnesota – 6,068
- Vermont – 5,679
“Now, we look forward to everyone purchasing a calendar with the top 13 finishers highlighted on their respective months,” AAST said. More information can be found by clicking here.
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https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-highway-patrol-takes-home-top-spot-on-best-looking-cruiser-contest/
| 2023-07-31T19:57:17
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https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-highway-patrol-takes-home-top-spot-on-best-looking-cruiser-contest/
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For the first time since 2019, the Buccaneers are preparing for a season without Tom Brady on the team.
Linebacker Anthony Nelson, who was in camp for each of the Brady years, likes one thing about it.
“Honestly, just like less buzz,” Nelson said on WDAE radio, via JoeBucsFan.com.
Nelson said that, during Brady’s time with the team, a media frenzy was “surrounding us constantly the last three years just because of Tom.”
As a result, Nelson welcomes the reduced glare.
“I kind of like that,” Nelson said. “It was amazing playing with Tom but with that comes a bunch of buzz. I think just being under the radar is going to be good for us. . . . Inside the building, it feels the same [without Brady], a lot of guys like ready to go to work. We still got the same culture. [Todd] Bowles has made sure of that and he’s done a really good job of that so far. It’s been mostly outside the building that’s been the difference.”
It makes sense. The Bucs had been one of the hottest teams in football, from 2020 through 2022. Now, without Brady, they’re being overlooked.
That could be a mistake. They have plenty of players who played on the Super Bowl-winning team, and if quarterback Baker Mayfield can get back to playing like he did in 2020, the Bucs could still be very dangerous in a wide-open division.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/anthony-nelson-likes-the-reduced-buzz-with-tom-brady-gone-from-the-buccaneers
| 2023-07-31T19:57:17
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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/anthony-nelson-likes-the-reduced-buzz-with-tom-brady-gone-from-the-buccaneers
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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.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
| 2023-07-31T19:57:17
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https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
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BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sergeant is on administrative leave following an arrest on Sunday.
Brendan Fitzgerald, 52, was charged with obstruction without violence after an argument over a parking spot in Bradenton Beach.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office did not give any additional details about the arrest, as it was conducted by the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
“Sergeant Fitzgerald’s behavior is inexcusable,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “He will now face the consequences for his actions.”
Fitzgerald has been placed on administrative leave.
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https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/hcso-sergeant-arrested-after-argument-over-parking-spot-in-bradenton-beach/
| 2023-07-31T19:57:23
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https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/hcso-sergeant-arrested-after-argument-over-parking-spot-in-bradenton-beach/
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Biden has decided to keep Space Command in Colorado, rejecting move to Alabama, officials tell AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has decided to keep U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, overturning a last-ditch decision by the Trump administration to move it to Alabama and ending months of politically fueled debate, according to senior U.S. officials.
The officials said Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership, who studied the issue at length and determined that relocating to Huntsville, Alabama, was the right move.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision ahead of the announcement.
The president, they said, believes that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness that the move would cause, particularly as the U.S. races to compete with China in space. And they said Biden firmly believes that maintaining stability will help the military be better able to respond in space over the next decade.
Biden’s decision is sure to enrage Alabama lawmakers and fuel accusations that abortion politics played a role in the choice. The location debate has become entangled in the ongoing battle between Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville and the Defense Department over the move to provide travel for troops seeking reproductive health care. Tuberville opposed the policy is blocking hundreds of military promotions in protest.
Formally created in August 2019, the command was temporarily based in Colorado, and Air Force and Space Force leaders initially recommended it stay there. In the final days of his presidency Donald Trump decided it should be based in Huntsville.
The change triggered a number of reviews.
Proponents of keeping the command in Colorado have argued that moving it to Huntsville and creating a new headquarters would set back its progress at a time it needs to move quickly to be positioned to match China’s military space rise. And Colorado Springs is also home to the Air Force Academy, which now graduates Space Force guardians, and more than 24 military space missions, including three Space Force bases.
Huntsville, however, scored higher than Colorado Springs in a Government Accountability Office assessment of potential locations and has long been a home to some of earliest missiles used in the nation’s space programs, including the Saturn V rocket. It is home to the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command.
According to officials, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who ordered his own review of the matter, leaned toward Huntsville, while Dickinson was staunchly in favor of staying put. The officials said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin presented both options to Biden.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/biden-has-decided-keep-space-command-colorado-rejecting-move-alabama-officials-tell-ap/
| 2023-07-31T19:57:24
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https://www.wcjb.com/2023/07/31/biden-has-decided-keep-space-command-colorado-rejecting-move-alabama-officials-tell-ap/
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‘Old ladies’ welcome: How senior swimmers clean up Cape Cod’s ponds
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| Falmouth, Mass.
The pond is silent – until the first cry: “Found something!” A septuagenarian swimmer ducks into the water. She emerges, fist first, clutching a pair of bright-blue children’s swimming goggles. These are passed to a kayaker, who waggles them overhead, like a prize, before stowing them in a laundry basket for safekeeping.
Over the next hour, the team of 15 – all over age 65, all women – hunts for trash across Mares Pond, a 28-acre kettle hole near Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onThe goal, says the founder of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, is to show that older women, working as a team, can do a lot more than people might think. The experience, participants say, is one of reverence.
They turn up wooden planks, silty beer cans, a plastic container lid, a mud-caked fishing rod, and a cement block. The day’s pièce de résistance, though, is a 12-foot segment of aluminum flashing. It requires the combined efforts of several divers to hoist on the back of a kayak.
These are the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage. Since 2017, the group has removed trash, by hand, from ponds across Cape Cod.
Ostensibly, the group’s primary goal is conservation. But this isn’t all the group is about. As founder Susan Baur puts it: “The litter is the tip of the iceberg.”
“Over 65, if you’re healthy enough to do what we’re doing, it is the age of gratitude,” Dr. Baur says. “You are so grateful that you can still do this. You’re just grateful anyway, grateful for the trees and grateful for clean water.”
The pond is silent – until the first cry: “Found something!” A septuagenarian swimmer ducks into the water. She emerges, fist first, clutching a pair of bright-blue children’s swimming goggles. These are passed to a kayaker, who waggles them overhead, like a prize, before stowing them in a laundry basket for safekeeping.
Over the next hour, on a cloudy Saturday morning in July, the team of 15 – all over age 65, all women – hunts for trash across Mares Pond, a 28-acre kettle hole near Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, at depths of up to 8 feet.
They turn up wooden planks, silty beer cans, a plastic container lid, a mud-caked fishing rod, a cement block, and countless other bits of garbage. The day’s pièce de résistance, though, is a 12-foot segment of aluminum flashing. It requires the combined efforts of several divers to hoist on the back of a kayak.
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onThe goal, says the founder of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, is to show that older women, working as a team, can do a lot more than people might think. The experience, participants say, is one of reverence.
When the team returns to shore, they are smiling and laughing. They crack jokes about the dive and their haul. “We didn’t even know what it was,” giggles one swimmer, referencing the blueberry-cheesecake-flavored electronic cigarette they found. “We have to ask a young person.”
These are the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage (OLAUG). Since 2017, the group – which accepts only older women as members – has removed trash, by hand, from ponds across Cape Cod.
Ostensibly, the group’s primary goal is conservation: It aims to keep the ponds pure for the benefit of both the ecosystem – which includes everything from turtles and herons to grasses and microbes – and its human visitors. But this isn’t all the group is about. As founder Susan Baur, a retired psychologist, puts it: “The litter is the tip of the iceberg.”
Although removing trash is itself valuable work, the women have found another sense of value in the experience of entering, restoring, and then departing a pond. But it’s not exactly easy to put into words.
“I call it the wonderland effect,” Dr. Baur says.
“For most of your life, you have some idea of what you’re doing. You go to a store. ... Cars drive on roads – you know what to expect,” she says. “When you are underwater, it’s like flying. You’re in a different world. And you’re in a world that, in fact, is not an empty bowl of water, [that] is an entire ecosystem which is self-sustaining. Everything fits together.”
The group’s existence is owed to a moment of spontaneity by Dr. Baur. A lifelong nature enthusiast, she had begun swimming in ponds on the cape as a safer alternative to the ocean. However, she found that she “didn’t like them at all.” Between mud, darkness, and snapping turtles, the world of the pond was at first one of anxiety for her.
The only way she could keep her courage up was to rely on markers: “I’d swim to the golf ball, and then swim to the drowned tree, and then swim to the beer can. I love beer cans – they’re easy to spot.”
Eventually, Dr. Baur realized she didn’t need the markers anymore – and that they were multiplying. In 2017, on a whim, she rounded up two friends and approached a stranger with a kayak, and together they cleared “half a bushel” of litter from a pond.
“We thought that was fabulous,” Dr. Baur says. (Today, OLAUG wouldn’t bother with a pond with so little trash, she adds.)
In 2019, after Dr. Baur moved to Falmouth, she and her friends dove for trash in a few more ponds. It was during the pandemic, however, that things took off. “It just bloomed,” Dr. Baur says. “Nobody was doing anything but meeting outside. So my entire social life was diving for garbage and walking the dog.”
Peter Donahue is the treasurer of the association for Jenkins Pond, to which OLAUG has now made several visits. “I think they’re incredible,” he says. “They’re very professional. They’re serious about their work, but at the same time, they have lots of fun.”
The cleanups, he adds, have doubled as community events. Dozens of people come out to watch the swimmers work. “What they provide is a tremendous service that any pond would benefit from,” Mr. Donahue says. “And not just from the physical aspect of it, but the community aspect of it, because of their joy and their energy in what they do, and their belief in what they’re doing.”
Like Dr. Baur, the other swimmers have found a sense of wonder in the pond cleanups. “We literally immerse ourselves,” says Robin Melavalin, who was one of the group’s first members. “And it’s a completely different world under the surface. You see fish of all different sizes. You see a bunch of turtles. It’s beautiful. It’s all underwater miracles.”
OLAUG’s efforts began to garner attention. Local news organizations – the Cape Cod Times, then CBS Boston, then NPR on Cape Cod – picked up the story. And with the publicity came a bevy of outsider opinions on the group’s work.
Many expressed their gratitude, but a sizable contingent criticized the group’s name – that they referred to themselves as “old ladies.”
“You should call yourselves the Lovely Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, or the Mermaids Against Glitter Litter,” Dr. Baur, smirking, recalls being told. Others said she should open the group to all ages, to men.
Although she admits that it wasn’t initially a conscious choice, she now believes that the “old lady” identity is a crucial part of what the group is about.
“Over 65, if you’re healthy enough to do what we’re doing, it is the age of gratitude,” Dr. Baur says. “You are so grateful that you can still do this. You’re just grateful anyway, grateful for the trees and grateful for clean water.”
The result, Dr. Baur says, is an environment free of competition, focused on cultivating respect for the pond. “It’s more reverential.”
Dr. Baur notes that “women over 65 tend to feel the constriction of aging.” They lose power and social standing, she says. Part of the goal of OLAUG is to demonstrate that older women, working as a team, can do a lot more than people might think.
Criticism aside, the most common response was one of inspiration: in Dr. Baur’s words, “I want to join you.”
As the group added more like-minded women to its ranks, it also began to take a more systematic approach to cleanups. Rather than just showing up at a pond, OLAUG developed relationships with local pond associations, which supply it with extra kayaks.
In late June, the group held its first “tryouts.” The event was open to any woman over age 65 who identifies with the adventurous spirit of the group. Rather than being a competition, the tryouts ensured that the new recruits could comfortably swim in a pond, dive down, and lug out tires, hunks of wood, and whatever else they found.
The team added 15 new “old ladies,” more than tripling in size. “I have to learn to do spreadsheets,” Dr. Baur says with a sigh.
The cleanup at Mares Pond was the first outing for the new recruits.
Julia Benz, another longtime member and OLAUG’s resident swimming expert, says that the veterans supported the newbies when they struggled. “We had a person today who was ready to give up. We kind of talked her down,” she says. “We’re not looking for the fastest, the best. We’re looking for people who can share each other’s strength to make a good team.”
One of the new members, Maggie Megaw, had a “fantastic” time. “It’s kind of meditative, really, to be swimming with the fish, the turtles and looking at the aquatic plants,” she says.
As the adrenaline of the dive dwindles, the team enjoys Mares Pond-shaped sugar cookies and the newbies receive their very own neon-orange beanies emblazoned “OLAUG.” Their faces spell their glee.
To Dr. Baur, the new swimmers’ excitement makes perfect sense. “They come up and they have just swum farther than they’ve ever swum. They’ve lifted more than they’ve ever lifted. They’ve seen stuff that they’ve never seen. And they’ve done good,” she says. “They come back with their hearts beating.”
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https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2023/0731/Old-ladies-welcome-How-senior-swimmers-clean-up-Cape-Cod-s-ponds?icid=rss
| 2023-07-31T19:57:28
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https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2023/0731/Old-ladies-welcome-How-senior-swimmers-clean-up-Cape-Cod-s-ponds?icid=rss
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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.kold.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
| 2023-07-31T19:57:28
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https://www.kold.com/2023/07/31/18-year-old-brainy-bunch-family-graduates-with-masters-degree/
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CUMMING, Ga. (AP) — A 24-year-old man died after being electrocuted when he jumped off a dock into Lake Lanier on Thursday, news outlets reported.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources told news outlets that a neighbor was able to pull the man from the water. The man was taken to Northside Forsyth Hospital where he later died.
WAGA-TV reported that the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as Thomas Milner.
The sheriff’s office told the news outlet that neighbors took a boat over to try to help Milner and one person jumped in the water. That person said that he felt a burning sensation that he recognized as electrical shock. He swam ashore, turned off the power, and then re-entered the water to help Milner.
Electric shock drowning can occur when electrical current leaks into surrounding waters, causing a swimmer to become incapacitated, according to the Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and educating people on the risks of electric shock in water.
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https://www.wfla.com/news/national/man-dies-after-being-electrocuted-at-lake-lanier/
| 2023-07-31T19:57:29
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https://www.wfla.com/news/national/man-dies-after-being-electrocuted-at-lake-lanier/
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Defective: After recalls, Americans continue to die and get injured as products remain in homes and for sale online
Watchdogs say companies don’t do enough to alert customers to dangerous household goods
Deer Park, New York (InvestigateTV) — P.J. Matzen was only 3 months old when he uttered his first words to his parents. “I love you,” he babbles in a video taken by his mother.
They were the only words he would ever say.
On Oct. 11, 2019, Phillip Matzen found his son blue, lifeless and face down in an inclined sleeper made by Kids2. P.J. died the following day.
His parents had no idea that six months earlier, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturers of two of these popular baby products had issued recalls for them.
The Matzens also had no idea the CPSC hired an independent doctor to review these products for possible danger. The month before P.J. died, that doctor declared “no inclined sleep products are safe” warning the design has an increased risk for suffocation because babies can roll and aren’t able to “self-correct.”
By then, millions of these sleepers had been sold.
But the April 2019 recalls of Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play did not stop the deaths. P.J. is one of at least a dozen infants who died in one of those inclined sleepers after the recalls, according to CPSC.
Because of the rising death toll — and the availability of those products on the secondary market — the CPSC and the manufacturers of those sleepers re-announced the recalls this past January.
“Unfortunately, today’s announcement highlights the fact that these products are still in too many homes, and babies continue to be put at risk,” CPSC chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric wrote in a statement accompanying the re-announcement.
However, the re-announcement of the Kids2 rocking sleepers and the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is not an anomaly.
An InvestigateTV analysis of CPSC data shows that since 2000, the agency has had to re-announce the recall of at least 46 products because the original alert did not reach the ears of consumers and, in many cases, continued to cause harm.
The deaths of at least 16 children or adults were tied to a defective product that had been previously recalled, the analysis of the federal data shows. At least 300 were injured.
Consumer advocates such as Nancy Cowles with Kids in Danger say the government and the manufacturers need to do more to protect Americans — particularly infants and toddlers — from products they know are dangerous.
“Make sure that once you do the recall you actually get them out of homes,” said Cowles, who is the executive director of the Chicago nonprofit that advocates for safer baby products. “Most products — children’s products — that we’ve tracked . . . are still in homes. Nowhere near a majority of products that are recalled are taken out of homes.”
The story of the inclined sleepers epitomizes what consumers advocates say is a flawed recall system that leaves defective and deadly products in American homes and for sale on online marketplaces and at garage sales.
A family was unaware of a recall until it was too late
Kiara Matzen once told her mother — P.J.’s grandmother — that she feels as if her son’s life was nothing but a dream because it was cut so short.
“Every day, I’m still trying to process it,” Kiara said.
Kiara was 19 when she learned that she was pregnant. Friends and relatives showered her with many necessities for the baby, including a Kids2 Ingenuity Rock N’ Soothe Sleeper.
Kids2 began marketing its incline sleepers three years after Fisher-Price designed and launched its Rock ‘n Play in 2009, which was the first incline sleeper to hit the market and became instantly popular.
About 4.7 million Rock ‘n Plays were sold during its 10 years on the market. Kids2 sold nearly 700,000 inclined sleepers that had various different names.
Kiara doesn’t remember who gave her the sleeper, but P.J. slept in it every day from the time he was born.
On the morning of Oct. 11, 2019, Kiara escorted her mother, Lydia Calvacca, to a doctor’s appointment. While waiting to be seen, Kiara pulled up an app on her phone that connected her to cameras in her home.
She wanted to check on P.J.
“I saw something wasn’t right. He was on his stomach,” Kiara said.
Lydia also caught a glimpse of the image on Kiara’s phone.
“I saw the way he was laying in the bassinet. And I was an EMT for seven years and I knew it was not a normal sleeping position,” Lydia said. “I said to her, ‘Call your husband right now. Tell him to wake the baby up.’”
P.J.’s father immediately dialed 911 after finding his son lifeless. Police officers arrived before medics and rushed P.J. to the hospital.
He died the following day.
“That night that he was in the hospital, my whole family came to the hospital, and my sister-in-law said that ... ‘I think I heard that it was recalled,’” Kiara said.
It was the first time she had heard that P.J.’s inclined sleeper had been recalled.
“If they would have spent more time and attention, maybe even money to get that recall product, that it was recalled out, then, you know ... me and probably a bunch of other parents would have stopped using it,” Kiara said.
Both Kids2 and Fisher-Price posted about the original recall on their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, but neither has since mentioned the re-announcement of the recall made earlier this year on their social media accounts, based on a search of their posts on each platform. They did, however, place the re-announcements of the recalls on their websites.
Neither company responded to InvestigateTV’s requests for comment.
Despite the best efforts of the CPSC to alert consumers to recalls, the agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more.
CPSC publicizes recalls on its websites and social media platforms, but it doesn’t have the budget to launch campaigns about dangerous products.
“It would be much better if the companies actually used the same sort of marketing budget and marketing strategies that they initially used to sell the products to get these defective products off the markets,” said Daniel Mann, a product liability lawyer in Philadelphia who has represented dozens of families harmed by dangerous consumer goods.
After some recalls, Americans still are vulnerable to death and injury
The 46 products that have had re-announced recalls have been linked to at least 150 deaths and at least 800 injuries, with the majority of the harm coming before the recall.
In 2016, the CPSC re-announced the recall of trapeze rings on a backyard play house because so few of the products had been returned, meaning they likely were still in use. The agency received more than 100 reports of the rings breaking, leading to injuries. It did not indicate how many reports of breakage it received after the recall.
In 2012, a 7-month-old Houston baby died in a crib that had been recalled two years earlier.
Months after a 2008 recall of a bassinet that had been linked to strangulation and suffocations deaths, CPSC reported that two more babies had died.
And the problems aren’t just isolated to items for children.
Take the case of a bathrobe that was recalled in 2009 because of flammability failures: In the months after the recall, the CPSC learned that six elderly women died when the robes they were wearing caught fire. Most of them were cooking at the time.
Still, Mann, the Philadelphia attorney, said “the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play is probably the most epic consumer product disaster in United States history.”
In June 2021, a Fisher-Price executive admitted to Congress during a hearing that it was aware of at least 97 infant deaths linked to a Rock ‘n Play.
At least eight more died after that, including a 4-month-old who died in September 2020 and a 2-month-old who died in March 2021.
Mann represents a family whose 4-month-old son died on Feb. 1, 2021 while in a Rock ‘n Play at a babysitter’s home. Neither his parents nor the babysitter were aware of the recall, Mann said.
“For those parents where their deaths occur after the recall,” Mann said, “it’s even more tragic.”
Federal law leaves CPSC without necessary authority to rid households of dangerous products
CPSC chairman Hoehn-Saric admits that his agency is largely powerless to force companies to do more in recalls.
The Consumer Product Safety Act tips the balance of power away from the government regulator and into the hands of the companies that make and market products.
When a defect is discovered, the companies decide when and how a recall will be conducted.
“We can push them,” he said, “but forcing them is a whole different matter.”
The CPSC’s so-called sister agencies — the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration — which also issue recalls, can alert the public on their own, without a company’s permission.
“We don’t know (of) other federal agencies subject to a law like this. Getting information out to consumers quickly is extremely important to prevent those unnecessary deaths and injuries,” Hoehn-Saric said.
But only Congress has the power to unlock the handcuffs that it has put on an agency that is supposed to regulate more than 15,000 categories of everyday products from appliances to tools to toys.
The CPSC can’t force a company to spend money to advertise a recall. It also can’t dictate what consumers will receive in exchange for returning a defective product.
Fisher-Price, for example, on its website offered consumers the choice of a potty chair, a stuffed Barney the dinosaur or a Thomas & Friends racetrack in exchange for the Rock ‘n Play, which cost between $50 and $150. The recall announcements mention that consumers should contact the company for a voucher or refund.
Kids2 offered a refund for its defective inclined sleepers.
Recalled products can be found on secondary marketplaces and at garage sales
The CPSC’s own reports show that many recalled products remain unaccounted for, leaving consumers at risk.
In its fiscal year 2021 report on its annual performance measures, the CPSC reported that 32% of products recalled during that period had been returned or the defective part had been corrected.
The agency noted that this rate meant that it had met its performance goals.
“The other issue that we have in terms of having hard metrics is some of the recalls, if it’s for a cheap product, that’s a buck, we may never know exactly what happens because a lot of people hear about those recalls and just throw the product away,” Hoehn-Saric said.
More dangerously, however, the products may end up on secondary marketplaces and in garage sales.
Hoehn-Saric has taken a particularly hard stance against Meta and its Facebook Marketplaces.
Rock ‘n Plays continue to show up for sale there.
InvestigateTV bought a Rock ‘n Play on Facebook Marketplace in December and found others for sale in early July. Consumers were also selling the Kids2 rocking sleeper on the platform in that month.
“You should never have seen that product on their marketplace. They’re in a position where they can see what’s going up on the marketplace before it gets to the public,” Hoehn-Saric said. “And that’s the best time to step in and say, ‘You can’t post that. There’s a recall on it.’”
When asked about finding recalled items on its marketplace, a spokeswoman for Meta issued a brief statement: “Like other platforms where people can buy and sell goods, there are instances of people knowingly or unknowingly selling recalled goods on Marketplace. We take this issue seriously and when we find listings that violate our rules, we remove them.”
It is illegal to sell a recalled product. Big box stores and online retailers such as Amazon generally are quick to remove recalled items from their shelves.
In 2022, TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Homegoods, agreed to pay a $13 million fine to the CPSC for knowingly selling inclined sleepers after the recall.
When the CPSC finds a recalled item on a secondary marketplace, the agency asks the platform to remove it — but it’s often a game of whack-a-mole: as one goes down, another comes up.
Consumers also sometimes disguise the products by failing to mention their specific names in the description. For example, “Rock ‘n Play” won’t return any results on Facebook Marketplace. But the product will turn up if searching for bassinets, sleepers or rockers.
Regarding the secondary marketplaces, Hoehn-Saric said that it is “very difficult for [CPSC] to require or force them to take action. I think that is important. And I think it’s good business for them to be able to protect their own customers.”
Grieving family members become disciples of safe sleeping practices
Since P.J.’s death, Kiara Matzen and Lydia Calvacca have turned their agony into advocacy through their social media channels.
They post about the importance of following safe sleep guidelines, where babies should be on their backs, on a firm surface with no blankets, pillows or stuffed toys in the crib or bassinet.
“There’s a [Facebook] page called safe infant sleep ... It’s a support group for moms that have lost their babies to unsafe sleep practices. And they are just wonderful. They’re wonderful. Every time I see a woman with a new baby, I always tell them about this page,” Calvacca said. “I have pictures of my grandson on my desk and ... I always tell them the story. I don’t just say, ‘Oh, that’s my grandson.’ I let them know what happened because I feel it’s my responsibility to educate people so this doesn’t happen to them.”
Kiara and Phillip now have two daughters. The youngest is just 2 months old.
The family sued Kids2 and reached a confidential settlement last year.
Calvacca said that when she keeps her granddaughters for overnight stays, she’s too afraid to sleep.
“It sucks. Because I want to be able to enjoy them the way I enjoyed P.J. without worrying and being nervous that something’s going to happen. And this incident has taken that away from me,” Calvacca said. “It’s taken some of my joy for my other grandchildren away from me, and that angers me.”
InvestigateTV associate producer Austin Hedgcoth contributed to this story.
Copyright 2023 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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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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| 2023-07-31T19:57:31
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DURANT, Okla. — A couple North Texas residents had a lucky week.
An Anna resident won $4 million in a Mega Millions lottery drawing on July 25, and a Lancaster woman took home a $1 million prize from Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma.
The lottery winner, who chose to remain anonymous, purchased a ticket at a 7-Eleven at 1510 W. White St. in Anna and matched all five of the white numbers drawn on July 25: 3-5-6-44-61.
The ticket missed the Mega Ball number of 25, but the ticket was still good for $4 million. But that also means the biggest Mega Millions prize is still up for grabs, with the next drawing Tuesday at 10:12 p.m. The estimated jackpot is now $1.05 billion.
At the Choctaw casino, Rose Guia, of Lancster, on Sunday won the casino's monthly million-dollar drawing. The drawing is part of the casino's "3 months. 3 millionaires" giveaway promotion this summer.
Guia, a grandmother of 12 who works at an embroidery company, had won big before at Choctaw, taking home a $41,000 prize in 2017.
“I still can’t believe it. I can’t believe it because of how much it is. I know it’s real because I won $1 million tonight,” Guia said in a Choctaw press release. “I’m not sure what I am going to do with the money, but I have four children and 12 grandchildren. I think I will take them somewhere."
Choctaw's final $1 million drawing of the summer will be announced Aug. 26.
More North Texas news coverage:
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| 2023-07-31T19:57:31
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Ben Shelton 2023 Citi Open Odds
After bowing out in the round of 32 of the Truist Atlanta Open in his last tournament (losing to Juncheng Shang), Ben Shelton will start the Citi Open versus Shang (in the round of 32). Shelton has +2800 odds to win this tournament at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.
Find all the latest odds for the 2023 Citi Open and place your bets with a new user bonus from BetMGM.
Shelton at the 2023 Citi Open
- Next Round: Round of 32
- Tournament Dates: July 28 - August 7
- Venue: William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center
- Location: Washington, District of Columbia
- Court Surface: Hard
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Shelton's Next Match
Shelton will play Shang in the round of 32 of the Citi Open on Tuesday, August 1 at 7:00 PM ET.
Want to bet on Shelton? Head to BetMGM using our link for a bonus bet special offer for new players!
Shelton Stats
- In his most recent tournament, the Truist Atlanta Open, Shelton was eliminated in the Round of 32 by No. 156-ranked Shang, 4-6, 4-6.
- Through 20 tournaments over the past 12 months, Shelton has gone 12-20 and has yet to win a title.
- In 10 tournaments on hard courts over the past year, Shelton has gone 8-10.
- Over the past year (across all court surfaces), Shelton has played 32 matches and 29.8 games per match.
- Shelton, in 18 matches over the past year on hard courts, has played 30.1 games per match and won 49.3% of them.
- When it comes to serve/return winning percentages over the past 12 months, Shelton has won 82.1% of his games on serve, and 15.4% on return.
- As far as serve/return winning percentages on hard courts over the past year, Shelton has won 85.2% of his games on serve and 14.8% on return.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved.
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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.
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved.
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(The Hill) — A popular narrative suggests young people are liberal and getting more liberal. Thus, social media buzzed when a chart surfaced in spring that seemed to suggest that 12th-grade boys had become overwhelmingly conservative.
As with many Reddit posts and viral tweets, the truth was more complicated. But the numbers do say this: Twelfth-grade boys are nearly twice as likely to identify as conservative versus liberal, according to a respected federal survey of American youth.
In annual surveys over the last three years, roughly one-quarter of high school seniors self-identified as conservative or “very conservative” on the Monitoring the Future survey, a scholarly endeavor that dates to the 1970s. Only 13 percent of boys identified as liberal or very liberal in those years.
The figures represent a striking shift in the political views of boys. As recently as the late 2000s, liberal boys occasionally outnumbered conservatives. Back in the Carter era, both boys and girls leaned liberal.
Nowadays, it is girls who are drifting to the left. The share of 12th-grade girls who identified as liberal rose from 19 percent in 2012 to 30 percent in 2022. Only 12 percent of girls identified as conservative in last year’s survey, administered by the University of Michigan.
Young women, too, are trending liberal. Women ages 18 to 29 are more likely to identify as liberal now than at any time in the past two decades, according to Gallup surveys. Young women are almost twice as likely as young men to claim the liberal tag, a widening gender gap in political beliefs.
The political leanings of young men have changed little over the past two decades, according to an analysis by the Survey Center on American Life. Last year, 43 percent of young men identified as moderate, 31 percent as conservative and 24 percent as liberal. Twenty years earlier, the numbers were more or less the same.
But the leftward drift of young women alone has sufficed to move the needle on young adults as a whole. Generation Z favors liberalism over conservatism by a 48-to-33 margin, according to NBC News polling from 2022. Ten years earlier, young adults split evenly between the two political camps.
The rightward drift of high school boys is comparatively subtle. Indeed, when it comes to politics, most boys seem reluctant to pick a side. In the 2022 Monitoring the Future survey, the largest group of senior boys, more than two-fifths, claimed no politics at all, answering the liberal-conservative question with “none of the above” or “I don’t know.” Nearly one-fifth identified as moderate. Only 36 percent selected liberal or conservative as an ideology, and only there did the trend emerge.
Jean Twenge, an author and professor of psychology at San Diego State University, presented the data in her new book, “Generations.” To spotlight the growing gender gap, she couched the numbers in a chart that split boys and girls along ideological lines, omitting moderates and the undecided.
“Among liberals, the future is female,” she wrote. “And among conservatives, the future is male.”
In April, someone posted Twenge’s chart to Reddit. The image also circulated widely on Twitter, the platform formerly known as X. Other researchers took note.
The chart gave the impression, at least on first glance, that two-thirds of 12th-grade boys were now conservative. In the small print beneath, Twenge noted that she had omitted moderates.
The full story is messier and murkier. High school seniors, boys and girls alike, are more likely to claim no political identity than to throw in with either liberals or conservatives.
Much has been written about the liberal drift of young women. The Donald Trump presidency mobilized millions of women, outraged over words and alleged deeds that, to Trump’s critics, suggested unrepentant misogyny. More women embraced liberal politics in response to the conservative drift of the U.S. Supreme Court, a movement emblemized by a 2022 ruling that struck down the constitutional right to abortion.
Less has been said about the politics of 12th-grade boys.
Trump himself may be a key to the conservative trend in that group. The 45th president energized male voters with his rhetoric: his “overt hypermasculinity,” as one NPR analysis put it, and his frequent use of language one might overhear in a high school cafeteria.
“Donald Trump talks like a high school student. Maybe there’s a connection there,” said Robert Palacios, 21, a student at the Catholic University of America and president of District of Columbia College Democrats.
“If you grew up playing video games that were not age-appropriate, and you were sitting in the [virtual] lobby, screaming at the mic, Trump was your president,” said Ethan Benn, also 21, a student at the George Washington University (GWU). “He really channeled that energy.”
More broadly, the conservative wing of the Republican party has made pointed appeals to disaffected men of all ages.
Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other conservative beacons have derided “woke” ideology, accusing the left of overreach in seeking redress for injustices involving race, gender and sexual orientation.
Liberal politicians, of course, are just as eager to win the vote of young men. Yet, the progressive agenda seeks equality in gender and race, a platform that costs them some male support, especially among white people. In the 2020 election, Black and Hispanic men voted for Joe Biden at much higher rates than non-Hispanic white people, according to Pew Research data.
As one recent Politico article put it, Democrats have a masculinity problem.
“I believe that traditional notions of masculinity are much more accepted within conservativism,” while feminist values “are clearly one of the driving forces of liberalism,” said Delano Squires, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
“I could see male and female students saying, ‘I’m choosing sides.’ Do you want matriarchy, or do you want patriarchy?”
Defenders of the patriarchy reach young men where they live, on social media and in gaming circles. Benn, the GWU student, notes a “sort of intersection of Internet culture and gaming culture with conservative politics” that draws some apolitical young men into conservatism.
Conservative icons Dennis Prager, Ben Shapiro and Steven Crowder boast millions of followers on YouTube, a platform whose ads and viewing suggestions make it easy for a young, male YouTuber “to get sucked into a very conservative sphere of politics and media,” Benn said.
“You could be watching a video about the latest Star Wars movie, and then the next video would be, ‘Here’s how women are ruining Star Wars,’” he said, referencing his own experience. “Even if you aren’t seeking it out, it will come and find you.”
That said, Benn doesn’t remember many of his high school friends talking much about politics.
Neither does Tyler Brown-Dewese, 20, a student at American University (AU).
Brown-Dewese identifies as a “Bill Clinton Democrat.” Back in high school, however, he was a conservative.
“I went to an all-boys Catholic school in New York, and so, a majority of us were Republicans,” he said. Classmates took their cues from parents, friends and social media sites such as Millennial Republicans. “That’s an Instagram page I still follow,” Brown-Dewese said.
But that is not to say he and his friends spent the lunch hour discussing politics. “A lot of them weren’t politically active,” he said. “They didn’t want to talk politics. But if you brought it up, they were going to defend Trump.”
Brown-Dewese’s own politics drifted left when he arrived at AU. “What changed me was, I go to the most liberal university,” he laughed. “Had I known that, I probably wouldn’t have gone.”
Though he is now a Democrat, Brown-Dewese doesn’t really like the word “liberal,” and he suspects other young men feel the same way. Generations of conservatives have equated liberalism with weakness.
Asked to estimate the quotient of liberal women at AU, he laughed again.
“Oh, my goodness. All of them?”
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Firefighter dies from injuries after crash with cow while responding to call, department says
Published: Jul. 31, 2023 at 2:48 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
PLANO, Texas (KXII/Gray News) – A firefighter injured in the line of duty earlier this month died Sunday morning.
Volunteer firefighter Evan Brown was in a crash July 9 and had been in intensive care at Medical City Hospital in Plano, Texas.
According to the Honey Grove Fire Department, Brown was responding to another crash call when he hit a cow on the road in his personal vehicle.
His vehicle rolled, ejecting Brown and causing severe injuries.
The Honey Grove Fire Department is arranging for first responders to stand watch by Evan at the funeral home.
The department set up a GoFundMe to help Brown’s family with medical bills and funeral costs.
Copyright 2023 KXII via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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| 2023-07-31T19:57:36
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PORT ANGELES, Wash. — An 8-year-old suffered minor injuries after being attacked by a cougar while camping at Lake Angeles in the Olympic National Park on Saturday.
The cougar "casually abandoned" the attack after the child's mother yelled at it, according to the National Park Service.
"Luckily, the mom responded perfectly and quickly and started yelling and screaming at this cougar. It let the kid go and walked away," said Amos Almy, acting public information officer for Olympic National Park.
Park personnel responded and escorted the child and their family back to the trailhead. The child was then taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. It was confirmed the child only had minor injuries.
"Minor abrasions, scrapes, punctures, stuff like that," said Almy. "I think they realized that it was a pretty scary incident... we're so happy that it was not a huge incident, and that the kid is safe."
All remaining campers in the Lake Angeles area have been evacuated and access to the Lake Angeles and Heather Park areas are closed to the public until further notice.
“Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity,” said Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist Tom Kay. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Lake Angeles Trail, Heather Park Trail, Switchback Trail, and the entire Klahhane Ridge Trail are closed until further notice.”
Almy said those areas will remain closed until the cougar is found or they're certain the cougar has moved to another area of the park.
Law enforcement and wildlife personnel specializing in cougar tracking were dispatched to the cougar's last known location Sunday morning. If the cougar is located it will be euthanized and removed for necropsy, according to the National Park Service.
Almy said people should keep in mind that cougar sightings are extremely rare, and cougar attacks even rarer.
"That almost never happens, and it's a sign of very, very unusual behavior," Almy said. "And when you have an animal like that behaving so unusually, you have to kind of take extreme measures and for this, unfortunately, it will be euthanization if that cougar is found. It's also important to remember, we're park rangers, we're wildlife biologists, we don't enjoy killing wildlife. That is not why we signed on to this job. But in circumstances like this, it is warranted."
The Olympic National Park is considered cougar territory. The National Park Service recommends visitors do not hike or jog alone and to keep children within sight and close to adults.
Cougar/human interactions are rare in the northwest. But if you encounter one, officials say to do the following:
- Do not run
- Make noise and appear large
- If attacked, fight back
- Carry bear spray
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
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Related video: 2 hurt in shooting at Sarasota vacation rental
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection to a shooting at a vacation rental home in Sarasota last week.
The teenager, who is from Punta Gorda, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for the July 24 incident.
Sarasota police responded to the intersection of Jackson Drive and South Washington Drive, near St. Armands Circle, just before 1 a.m. Two adults were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“The investigation continues as detectives work to determine if others were
involved in this shooting,” Sarasota police said in a release. “This was an isolated incident and the public is not believed to be in any danger.”
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| 2023-07-31T19:57:41
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IS claims responsibility for the bombing that killed 54 at a pro-Taliban election rally in Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — An Afghan branch of Islamic State on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people at a pro-Taliban party’s election rally, in one of the region’s worst attacks in recent years.
Islamic State in Khorasan Province made the claim in a statement posted on its Amaq website. It said the attacker detonated an explosive vest, and that the bombing in the northwestern town of Bajur was part of the group’s continuing war against forms of democracy it deems to be against Islam.
Hours earlier, hundreds of mourners in Bajur carried caskets draped in colorful cloths to burial sites following the previous day’s attack at the election rally for the Jamiat Ulema Islam party. Officials said Sunday’s bombing killed 54 people, including at least five children, and wounded nearly 200.
The attack appeared to reflect divisions between Islamist groups, which have a strong presence in the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. The Jamiat Ulema Islam party has ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
At least 1,000 people were crowded into a tent near a market for the rally ahead of fall elections, according to police.
“People were chanting God is Great as the leaders arrived,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent, “and that was when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.”
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances arrived and began taking the wounded away.
Police had suggested in their initial investigation that Islamic State in Khorasan Province was a suspect. The group is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida.
Pakistan security analyst Mahmood Shah also previously had said that breakaway factions of the Pakistani Taliban could be possible suspects, though the group distanced itself from the attack.
The Pakistani military spent years fighting the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, in Bajur before declaring the district clear of militants in 2016. But the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman, has remained a potent political force.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the district’s principal town.
Female relatives and children wailed and beat their chests at family homes Monday as the dead were taken for funerals, following local customs. Hundreds of men followed the caskets to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then into the hills for burial.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who had lesser injuries were discharged from hospital, while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as some critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Gul Akbar, the father of an 11-year-old boy who was wounded in the attack, told The Associated Press that his entire family was in a state of shock after hearing about the bombing Sunday. He said he first went to the scene of the attack, and later found his son Taslim Khan being treated in a hospital in Khar.
“What would I have done if he had also been martyred? Five children died in this barbaric attack, and we want to know what our children did wrong,” he said.
Rehman’s party is preparing to contest elections, which are expected in October or November. Abdul Rasheed, one of the party’s senior leaders, said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Rehman’s party is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. Khan condemned the bombing Sunday, as did the U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad.
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the bombing, saying that it was intended to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, wrote in a tweet that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in Islamabad, where he signed new agreements to boost trade and economic ties to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which China has invested $10 billion in Pakistan over 10 years, according to Sharif.
“We will not tolerate any obstacles in the way of friendship with China,” Sharif said, as he stood next to He.
But the government canceled a cultural event that had been arranged in honor of He, according to Sharif, while the nation mourns.
Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, survived at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Sunday’s bombing was one of the worst in northwestern Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this story from Islamabad.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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IRVING, Texas — A Silver Alert is now active to help find a missing 74-year-old man from Irving.
Police say Nghi Si Huynh was last seen on Sunday, July 30, at 6:45 a.m. in the 3200 block of Country Club Drive West near Belt Line Road.
Huynh only speaks Vietnamese. He also has been diagnosed with dementia and other health conditions that require daily medication.
Mr. Huynh is about 5 feet tall and weighs around 130 pounds. He has gray hair and was last seen on foot wearing a black shirt, gray shorts and slides.
Anyone with information on Huynh's whereabouts should call Irving PD at 911 or 972-273-1010.
Other local news:
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The knock on the door came while Rondé Barber watched a soccer game on television with friends. It’s not unusual for the Barber family to receive guests at different times of the day, only this time, the guest was sporting a gold jacket from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
At his door stood Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend and Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks – he was there to tell his friend, Rondé, that he’d been elected to the Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Years of waiting and wondering ended with a show of emotion and appreciation.
“The initial emotion I had was relief,” Barber said. “I saw three of my teammates go through it. I wasn’t with them, but I felt what they were going through.”
Rondé Barber was on the Hall of Fame ballot six times. This year was his third year as a finalist.
The person with the most influence in Barber’s Hall of Fame case is Ira Kaufman, a Buccaneers writer who covered Barber’s entire playing career while writing for the Tampa Tribune.
However, Kaufman is also a Hall of Fame voter, with the ability to present protentional candidates from past Bucs teams. Barber knew the difficulty involved in getting the votes he needed to reach Canton.
“My peer group was two first-ballot hall of famers, Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey,” Barber said. “His challenge was to differentiate me from what the current group of Hall of Fame voters sees is a Hall of Fame corner.”
Don’t miss the story of Barber’s life and career in “Rondé’s Road to Canon” Friday evening on WFLA News Channel 8 at 7:00 p.m.
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| 2023-07-31T19:57:47
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ST ANTHONY, 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 said the search for the missing children, the discovery of their bodies and the evidence photos shown in court left law enforcement and jurors traumatized, and he would never be able to get images of the slain children out of his head.
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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Police were calling owner to shut down party when gunfire killed 1, wounded 17, chief says
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded early Sunday in a central Indiana city unfolded at an outdoor party attended by hundreds of revelers as police were calling the venue’s owner to shut down the gathering, authorities said Monday.
Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan said no arrests have been made in the shooting, which killed 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, whom the chief said was among those attending the large party in the city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
Sloan said police were aware that the owner of a business that periodically rents out space for events was hosting a block party that got “out of control,” with between 500 and up to 1,000 in attendance. Photos of the scene showed police tags marking what appeared to be dozens of bullets on the street.
Sloan said police were not at the scene at the time of the shooting just after 1 a.m. Sunday, but they were trying to get the business owner to end the party.
“We made a phone call to the owner and asked him to get things shut down. The streets were packed. Before we could make contact and get something done, before we could get that shut down, the gunfire erupted,” Sloan said during a news conference.
He said police were asking for any witnesses to the shooting or people with pictures or video of the incident to contact the Muncie Police Department. Sloan said some people at the scene refused to tell officers what had happened.
He declined to provide details of the investigation, including how many people may have fired weapons but described a scene of chaos as officers and first responders arrived at the location on Muncie’s east side.
“Our people were applying tourniquets, administering first aid, providing CPR. And they we were rushing people to the hospital in our police cars because we didn’t have time to wait,” Sloan said.
Mayor Dan Ridenour said one man was killed and 17 other people suffered gunshot wounds in Sunday’s shooting. He said the shooting had left the community “shaken to the core by violence” and choked up repeatedly during the news conference.
After the shooting, police had to separate people in a Muncie hospital’s parking lot who were arguing and officers had to clear a path at the hospital’s entrance for anyone needing medical attention to enter, said Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell.
She said that among the 17 who survived the shooting, eight remained hospitalized — five at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, and four others who were taken to Indianapolis hospitals.
She said that among the four taken to Indianapolis, one remains in critical condition, two are listed as stable and the fourth had been discharged from a hospital.
Criswell said that two of the people wounded in Sunday’s shooting were minors, and that a nineteenth person who was injured may have been struck by a car.
IU Health spokesperson Neil Gifford said five people remained hospitalized at the Muncie hospital, down from 13 who were being treated on Sunday morning. He said he could not provide conditions of the five patients without being provided with their names.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year's cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year's cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in the statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time."
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| 2023-07-31T19:57:56
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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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ATLANTA (AP) — The first new U.S. nuclear reactor to be built from scratch in decades is sending electricity reliably to the grid, but the cost of the Georgia power plant could make it a dead end instead of a path to a carbon-free future.
Georgia Power Co. announced Monday that Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta, has completed testing and is now in commercial operation, seven years late and $17 billion over budget.
At its full output of 1,100 megawatts of electricity, Unit 3 can power 500,000 homes and businesses. A number of other utilities in Georgia, Florida and Alabama are receiving the electricity, in addition to the 2.7 million customers of Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power.
“This hadn’t been done in this country from start to finish in some 30-plus years," Chris Womack, CEO of Atlanta-based Southern Co. said Monday in a telephone interview. “So to do this, to get this done, to get this done right, is a wonderful accomplishment for our company, for the state and for the customers here in Georgia.”
A fourth reactor is also nearing completion at the site, where two earlier reactors have been generating electricity for decades. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday said radioactive fuel could be loaded into Unit 4, a step expected to take place before the end of September. Unit 4 is scheduled to enter commercial operation by March.
The third and fourth reactors were originally supposed to cost $14 billion, but are now on track to cost their owners $31 billion. That doesn’t include $3.7 billion that original contractor Westinghouse paid to the owners to walk away from the project. That brings total spending to almost $35 billion.
The third reactor was supposed to start generating power in 2016 when construction began in 2009.
Vogtle is important because government officials and some utilities are again looking to nuclear power to alleviate climate change by generating electricity without burning natural gas, coal and oil. But most focus in the U.S. currently is on smaller nuclear reactors, which advocates hope can be built without the cost and schedule overruns that have plagued Vogtle. For its part, Womack said Southern Co. isn't looking to add any more reactors to its fleet.
“In terms of us making additional investments, at this time is not something that we’re going to do, but I do think others in this country should move in that direction,” Womack said.
In Georgia, almost every electric customer will pay for Vogtle. Georgia Power currently owns 45.7% of the reactors. Smaller shares are owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp., which provides electricity to member-owned cooperatives, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton. Oglethorpe and MEAG plan to sell power to cooperatives and municipal utilities across Georgia, as well in Jacksonville, Florida, and parts of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Georgia Power’s residential customers are projected to pay more than $926 apiece as part of an ongoing finance charge and elected public service commissioners have approved a monthly rate increase of more than $4 a month for residential customers as soon as the third unit begins generating power. That could hit bills in August, two months after residential customers saw a $16-a-month increase to pay for higher fuel costs.
The high construction costs have wiped out any future benefit from low nuclear fuel costs in the future, experts have repeatedly testified before commissioners.
“The cost increases and schedule delays have completely eliminated any benefit on a life-cycle cost basis,” Tom Newsome, director of utility finance for the commission, testified Thursday in a Georgia Public Service Commission hearing examining spending.
The utility will face a fight from longtime opponents of the plant, many of whom note that power generated from solar and wind would be cheaper. They say letting Georgia Power make ratepayers pay for mistakes will unfairly bolster the utility’s profits.
“While capital-intensive and expensive projects may benefit Georgia Power’s shareholders who have enjoyed record profits throughout Vogtle’s beleaguered construction, they are not the least-cost option for Georgians who are feeling the sting of repeated bill increases,” Southern Environmental Law Center staff attorney Bob Sherrier said in a statement.
Commissioners will decide later who pays for the remainder of the costs of Vogtle, including the fourth reactor. Customers will pay for the share of spending that commissioners determine was prudent, while the company and its shareholders will have to pay for spending commissioners decide was wasteful.
Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said the company hasn't decided how much it will ask customers to pay.
“That will be determined as we move closer and closer to our prudence filing, but we have not made a final determination," Greene said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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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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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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HUARINA, Bolivia (AP) — A 70-year-old man's feet sink into the soil as he passes abandoned boats where there used to be the water of Lake Titicaca. The highest navigable lake in the world has receded to what Bolivian authorities say are critically low levels due to a persistent drought.
“It’s completely dry,” Jaime Mamani said in exasperation while walking along the new shoreline in Huarina, a farming town 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of La Paz where he is a community leader.
The National Service of Naval Hydrography declared an alert this week for the iconic lake after its surface fell 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) below the drought warning stage, or 3,807.8 meters (12492.7 feet) above sea level. But the agency says this is just the beginning of a situation that is worrying Indigenous Aymara communities that rely on the lake for their livelihoods and fear the dry spell could permanently impact the region’s flora and fauna.
The hydrology unit of Bolivia’s navy warned that water levels could reach historically low levels in the coming months. By December, there is a “high probability” Lake Titicaca will be 64 centimeters (more than 25 inches) below the drought alert level, breaking a low water record set in 1998 by 33 centimeters (almost 13 inches).
“In three months, the water has decreased by 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), and considering that radiation is much stronger during this time of the year … we expect it to keep decreasing,” Carlos Carrasco, a hydraulic engineer for the hydrography service said.
The drought is the result of a combination of factors, including natural phenomena like La Niña and El Niño, which arrived unusually early this year and have been particularly strong due in part to climate change, according to Lucía Walper, who heads up the Hydrological Forecasting Unit at Bolivia's National Meteorology and Hydrology Service.
But the vast lake is vital for this region of the Bolivian highlands, where hundreds of Aymara rural communities have relied on the blue body of water for millennia to practice subsistence farming and raise livestock.
Authorities in the Peruvian city of Puno also issued a warning about the declining water levels and expressed concern about the potential impact on tourism.
“We’re reaching a critical point. There will be a significant loss of water,” said Juan José Ocola, president of the Binational Authority of Lake Titicaca. The lake serves as the border between Bolivia and Peru.
Mateo Vargas, 56, a fisherman who has lived off the Lake Titicaca for 28 years, said he used to catch “lots” of fish daily. Now he considers himself lucky if he can catch six.
Vargas’ wife, Justina Condori, shares his concerns.
“The fish have vanished,” Condori, 58, said, predicting there will be famine if the current conditions persist.
Condori makes a living by renting boats to tourists. She worries fewer people will come to visit the lake, which at an elevation of 3,810 meters above sea level, is the largest body of freshwater in the Andes mountain range.
Evidence of the receding lake is seemingly everywhere. Women who sell fried fish and other snacks by the lake face rising costs for ingredients. Those who make a living transporting people from one side of the lake to the other are altering their routes because their rafts and boats no longer reach their usual docks.
Livestock farmers who rely on the plants that grow on the shores of the Titicaca to feed their animals are also seeing their livelihoods threatened.
The economic hardship is causing many residents of Huarina to migrate to other areas of the country, leaving behind mostly older townspeople, Mamani said. The waters of the Titicaca have always been shallow around the town, so the drought is even more visible there.
“There is a detriment to the economy of the inhabitants of the region,” he said.
Vargas, the fisherman, is also concerned about what the declining water levels will mean for the future.
“It looks like it will continue to decrease, day by day,” he said. “We’re worried because if we continue like this, what’s going to happen to our children?”
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Follow AP's coverage of the climate and environment at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with New York Times reporter Corey Kilgannon about Gilgo Beach, New York, and the suspect in a spree of killings there.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A New Hampshire man celebrating his birthday on the ocean with his three daughters captured video of something so rare that even marine scientists are jealous — three humpback whales leaping from the water in near perfect unison.
“It was such an uplifting thing to see. Just incredible," Robert Addie said.
The Portsmouth man, now a home remodeler, spent decades on the water as a commercial fisherman in Massachusetts and Alaska. In that time, he has seen thousands of whales.
But he never witnessed anything like Monday's whale encounter on a tuna fishing trip off Cape Cod. The excursion with his daughters was for his 59th birthday, as well as to celebrate his safe return from a humanitarian aid trip to Ukraine where he came under heavy artillery fire.
He'd been trying to film some humpback whales about 300 yards (275 meters) from their boat and was having no luck, until he got what he called a “whale ballet.”
“A triple breach is unheard of and a synchronized triple breach is even rarer,” he said. “It’s once in a lifetime. Just very fortunate. I feel God shined down on me to allow me to to capture that.”
To add to the thrill, seconds after the three whales breached and twisted together, a juvenile whale did the same thing. Whale experts have told him the aerial maneuvers may have been an attempt to remove parasites or aid digestion.
Addie has another theory: “I have a feeling that maybe they were teaching or training” the younger whale.
Those same experts also know how rare the spectacle was.
“Even some of the whale experts that have reached out to me, they’re all jealous because they’ve never seen it," he said.
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Imagine stepping on stage with your favorite artist in VR from your browser. Discover secret rooms, join live Q&As with other fans, shop for merch, and more. Connect with your audience like never before.
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BR Marketing Group, a leading luxury brand marketing agency in NYC, is excited to offer its new Web Virtual Reality (WebVR) service to clients worldwide. With this service, clients can create memorable marketing experiences in WebVR. WebVR is a technology that allows users to enjoy virtual reality from their browsers, without any extra hardware or software.
BR Marketing Group has a team of creative experts who design and promote WebVR experiences that capture the unique essence of each brand. Whether it's a concert, a store, a gallery, or more BR Marketing Group can bring it to life in WebVR.
"Our service stands out because we embrace the future. We know how innovative technologies like WebVR can transform the customer experience," said Andrea Canas, CEO of BR Marketing Group.
- Drake, global superstar, has recently taken his concerts and online store to the next level by adding immersive technology for an interactive virtual experience. He is not alone. Luxury brands and artists are following suit.
- Revenue in the VR Advertising market is projected to reach US$161.70m in 2023, revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 2.33%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$177.30m by 2027, according to a recent study.
WebVR is still a new and fast-growing tech, able to give immersive, interactive, awe-inspiring experiences. WebVR also connects with IRL events, enabling users to explore real-world objects, locations, and people through VR.
To get more info on WebVR or work with BR Marketing Group for your next virtual or IRL event, visit us at brmarketgroup.com or call 332-600-4466.
About BR Marketing Group
As one of the first creative agencies to offer WebVR immersive services, BR Marketing Group combines its web development, design, and marketing skills to create amazing VR events that connect the virtual and physical worlds.
BR Marketing Group is a leading luxury brand marketing agency in NYC, led by Andrea Cañas, a visionary Latina leader. She and her team of creative experts' craft captivating and unforgettable marketing experiences that bring out the unique essence of each brand they work with.
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Salvage crews were preparing Saturday to tow a car-carrying cargo ship that has been burning for days to an anchor point in the North Sea after flames and smoke on board subsided, the Dutch government said.
Fire erupted in the Fremantle Highway late Tuesday night near a chain of islands in the northern Netherlands and has been blazing ever since. The ship is carrying 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric vehicles, the company that chartered the vessel said.
One crew member died and others were injured after the fire broke out on the ship that was heading from Bremerhaven in Germany to Singapore. The crew was evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday. The cause of the fire has not been established.
Measurements Friday showed that heat, flames and smoke had subsided enough for salvage experts to board the ship for the first time and establish a strong towing connection with a tugboat, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said.
It will be towed, likely over the weekend, to a new position 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the island of Schiermonnikoog , the ministry said in a statement. The timing of the operation that is expected to take 12-14 hours depends on smoke development and weather, the ministry added. The aim is ultimately “once conditions on board allow,” to tow the ship to a port, though the destination has not yet been decided.
The ministry said the ship is stable and intact below the waterline.
The burning vessel is close to the shallow Wadden Sea, a World Heritage-listed area that is considered one of the world’s most significant habitats for migratory birds. It’s also near the Netherlands’ border with Germany, whose environment minister, Steffi Lemke, has warned of "an environmental catastrophe of unknown proportions,” if the ship were to sink.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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