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Dr. John Whyte, who is the CMO of WebMD and author of Take Control of Your Diabetes Risk joins Gayle Guyardo the host of the nationally syndicated health and wellness show Bloom with the top 3 sugar swaps for a healthy Easter.
Top 3 sugar swaps for a healthy Easter | Take Control of Your Diabetes
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (StudyFinds.org) – Could pollen and seasonal allergens actually be protecting some people from COVID-19? Researchers in North Carolina found that people with allergic asthma are less likely to have a severe infection.
For people with allergic asthma, the same triggers which cause many people to sneeze when their allergies strike causes others to suffer an asthmatic attack. The study discovered the protective role interleukin-12 (IL-13) plays in the bodies of these individuals.
“We knew there had to be a bio-mechanistic reason why people with allergic asthma seemed more protected from severe disease,” says Camille Ehre, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine in a university release. “Our research team discovered a number of significant cellular changes, particularly due to IL-13, leading us to conclude that IL-13 plays a unique role in defense against SARS-CoV-2 infection in certain patient populations.”
Keeping COVID from spreading in the lungs?
Normally, researchers can’t use cytokines such as IL-13 in clinical treatments because they trigger inflammation. However, the researchers in the study still found it important to study their mechanism of action and how they protect cells from foreign invaders. Doing so has the potential to reveal new therapeutic targets beyond cytokine use.
The research team used genetic analysis of human airway cell cultures infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) to study the gene expression of human protein ACE2 on specific cell types and the amount of virus found in the cell population.
Scientists used electron microscopy to look at the amount of virus from infected ciliated cells, which move mucus along the airway surface. They also found massive changes inside human cells from viral infection. The changes accumulated in infected ciliated cells, causing the airway surface to gradually shed away.
“This shedding is what provides a large viral reservoir for spread and transmission of SARS-CoV-2,” Dr. Ehre says. “It also seems to increase the potential for infected cells to relocate to deeper lung tissue.”
A key protein may block the virus
Further experiments on infected airway cells uncovered a large reduction of the mucus protein MUC5AC. The team suggests the depletion may have come from excess protein secretion as cells tried to trap invading viruses. However, in a rampant viral infection, the cellular efforts were futile as the virus’s presence continued to grow.
The importance of MUC5AC drew interest from researchers who knew from previous studies that patients with allergic asthma overproduce MUC5AC and are less susceptible to severe COVID. Additionally, they also knew that when patients with asthma are exposed to an allergen, the cytokine IL-13 increases MUC5AC secretion in the lungs.
Mimicking the airways of people with asthma, they infected human airway cells and then treated them with IL-13. Their findings showed a significant decrease in the amount of virus in the lungs, the rate of infected cell shedding, and the number of infected cells. The reduction remained even when mucus was removed from the cell cultures, indicating IL-13 has multiple methods to defend against SARS-CoV-2.
RNA sequencing analysis showed the IL-13 upregulated genes involved in antiviral processes and airway immune defense. IL-13 also decreases ACE2 expression, which serves as the viral receptor.
“We think this research further shows how important it is to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection as early as possible,” Dr. Ehre concludes. “And it shows just how important specific mechanisms involving ACE2 and IL-13 are, as we try our best to protect patients from developing severe infections.”
The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. | https://www.wfla.com/community/health/coronavirus/having-allergic-asthma-actually-protects-people-from-a-severe-case-of-covid-19/ | 2022-04-15T15:40:50 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/community/health/coronavirus/having-allergic-asthma-actually-protects-people-from-a-severe-case-of-covid-19/ |
Twenty years ago, BOTOX® Cosmetic received FDA approval for temporarily improving the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines in adults making it the first product of its kind to enter the market. Looking back on the 20-year journey, the brand is celebrating all the people, including employees, partners, providers, and loyal patients, who have helped make BOTOX® Cosmetic what it is today.
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The brothers of the multi-Grammy winning duo For King + Country open up about the inspiration behind their newest album and how the COVID-19 pandemic redefined the message of their music. Joel and Luke Smallbone are also currently on a worldwide tour.
Grammy winners “For King + Country” express how the pandemic shaped their music
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Calling all cat owners, Lifestyle Expert Jennifer Bonner has discovered a new high protein line of food to give your kitty what they truly crave from Tiki Cat! Shop today at at your local Petco, Petsmart, independent pet specialty retailers, and online at Amazon and Chewy.com!
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A 32-year-old woman has been charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 5-year-old daughter during a high-speed chase.
The state attorney’s office in Jacksonville on Thursday filed formal charges against Pamela Cabrera. Police say she kidnapped the child late last month. When a police officer spotted her vehicle at a red light, she sped away and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase.
Her vehicle crashed into a retention pond along Interstate 95. The child’s body was found by divers outside of the vehicle at the bottom of the pond.
The child lived with her aunt and uncle after her mom was deemed unfit. | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-mom-charged-with-manslaughter-after-5-year-old-girl-killed-in-chase/ | 2022-04-15T15:41:27 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-mom-charged-with-manslaughter-after-5-year-old-girl-killed-in-chase/ |
MIAMI (AP) — A jury took just over an hour to convict a Miami-Dade officer of felony battery and official misconduct in the rough arrest of a Black woman who had called police for help.
Alejandro Giraldo was suspended after cellphone video circulated on social media in March 2019 showing him tackling Dyma Loving, who had called police to report that a neighbor had pointed a shotgun at her. Police body cameras also recorded the encounter.
“Police officers can put their hands on people to effectuate a lawful arrest. If the arrest is unlawful, they have no more rights than the rest of us. And he sure as heck can’t tackle her to the ground,” said prosecutor Tim VanderGiesen.
Giraldo insisted he acted lawfully in subduing an unruly woman who was interfering with an investigation.
“What you see there isn’t a crime. What you see there is a police officer working the streets, dealing with a situation and maybe his bedside manner was off,” his attorney, Andre Rouviere, told jurors. “When he arrested Dyma Loving, it was after warning after warning that she was being disruptive.”
Giraldo, who is Hispanic, faces up to five years in prison at sentencing. The jury consisted of two Black women, one Hispanic woman and three Hispanic men.
The video sparked outrage in a county where at least nine police officers from four different police agencies are awaiting trial on allegations they battered suspects while on duty, the Miami Herald reported. Three other officers have been acquitted since 2019 in excessive force cases.
The conviction of North Miami police Officer Jonathon Aledda was overturned by an appeals court in February. He had fired fired his weapon at an autistic man holding a silver toy truck, and hit the man’s caregiver. Prosecutors declined to try the case again.
In Giraldo’s case, video showed him pushing Loving into a fence and then taking her to the ground, where she was handcuffed. Loving was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. Those charges were later dropped.
The arrest report inaccurately said that Loving was “causing a scene” and was being “uncooperative,” prosecutors said.
Giraldo’s defense attorney countered that it was Loving and another woman at the scene who were out of control.
“We thought that we had established that they couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt the charges, but I guess the jury saw it a different way, and we have to accept the jury’s verdict,” Rouviere said after Giraldo was convicted on Thursday. | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-police-officer-convicted-in-womans-rough-arrest/ | 2022-04-15T15:41:33 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-police-officer-convicted-in-womans-rough-arrest/ |
The COVID-19 pandemic has truly changed the way we think about the nature of work, and in particular, where we live versus where we’re employed. Pre-pandemic, telecommuting or work-from-home situations existed, but they weren’t the norm. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans rarely or never telecommuted pre-pandemic. Months later, just over half of workers who could were telecommuting. Although vaccines were on the horizon—and with that, an imminent return to office life—many still preferred this new way of working.
Employees discovered that working from home certainly had an upside. No more long, stressful commute. They were more productive. Having more flexibility with time allowed them to better manage a household. For those who live in expensive real estate markets, the pandemic has provided an opportunity to make the leap to a more affordable city without sacrificing a big-city paycheck.
While many employers want to bring workers back to the office in some capacity, the work-from-home trend is likely here to stay. With it, smaller cities may continue to boom, as people leave larger cities for a different lifestyle. So, where in your state are people coming to settle and enjoy this new work-from-anywhere style of living? To find out, Stacker compiled a list of metros where the most people are finding new jobs in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Jobs-to-Jobs Flows. Metros are ranked by the number of people that started a new job in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL in the first quarter of 2021.
You may also like: Where people in Tampa are moving to most
1 / 20Carol Ann Mossa // Shutterstock
#20. Punta Gorda, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Punta Gorda in Q1 2021: 380
— #3 most common destination from Punta Gorda
– Started a new job in Punta Gorda from Tampa in Q1 2021: 379
— 0.9% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 1 to Tampa
2 / 20Andrew Bossi // Wikimedia
#19. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
– Started a new job in Tampa from Washington in Q1 2021: 403
— #32 most common destination from Washington
– Started a new job in Washington from Tampa in Q1 2021: 165
— 0.4% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 238 to Tampa
3 / 20Christopher & Amy Esposito // Wikicommons
#18. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
– Started a new job in Tampa from Chicago in Q1 2021: 423
— #51 most common destination from Chicago
– Started a new job in Chicago from Tampa in Q1 2021: 134
— 0.3% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 289 to Tampa
4 / 20FloridaStock // Shutterstock
#17. Naples-Marco Island, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Naples in Q1 2021: 437
— #4 most common destination from Naples
– Started a new job in Naples from Tampa in Q1 2021: 468
— 1.1% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 31 to Naples
5 / 20Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock
#16. Port St. Lucie, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Port St. Lucie in Q1 2021: 484
— #4 most common destination from Port St. Lucie
– Started a new job in Port St. Lucie from Tampa in Q1 2021: 580
— 1.4% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 96 to Port St. Lucie
You may also like: Highest paying jobs in Tampa that require a graduate degree
6 / 20Keizers // Wikimedia Commons
#15. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
– Started a new job in Tampa from Atlanta in Q1 2021: 498
— #27 most common destination from Atlanta
– Started a new job in Atlanta from Tampa in Q1 2021: 426
— 1.0% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 72 to Tampa
7 / 20User:DouglasGreen // Wikimedia
#14. Gainesville, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Gainesville in Q1 2021: 577
— #3 most common destination from Gainesville
– Started a new job in Gainesville from Tampa in Q1 2021: 651
— 1.6% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 74 to Gainesville
8 / 20UrbanTallahassee// Wikimedia
#13. Tallahassee, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Tallahassee in Q1 2021: 632
— #3 most common destination from Tallahassee
– Started a new job in Tallahassee from Tampa in Q1 2021: 623
— 1.5% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 9 to Tampa
9 / 20Canva
#12. Non-metropolitan area(s), FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Non in Q1 2021: 657
— #4 most common destination from Non
– Started a new job in Non from Tampa in Q1 2021: 653
— 1.6% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 4 to Tampa
10 / 20Blankfaze // Wikimedia Commons
#11. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Pensacola in Q1 2021: 662
— #4 most common destination from Pensacola
– Started a new job in Pensacola from Tampa in Q1 2021: 551
— 1.3% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 111 to Tampa
You may also like: Metros where people in Tampa are getting new jobs
11 / 20Luv24jmg // Wikimedia Commons
#10. Ocala, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Ocala in Q1 2021: 668
— #3 most common destination from Ocala
– Started a new job in Ocala from Tampa in Q1 2021: 652
— 1.6% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 16 to Tampa
12 / 20Yinan Chen // Wikimedia
#9. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Deltona in Q1 2021: 794
— #4 most common destination from Deltona
– Started a new job in Deltona from Tampa in Q1 2021: 829
— 2.0% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 35 to Deltona
13 / 20MicheleHaro // Wikimedia
#8. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Palm Bay in Q1 2021: 878
— #4 most common destination from Palm Bay
– Started a new job in Palm Bay from Tampa in Q1 2021: 867
— 2.1% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 11 to Tampa
14 / 20King of Hearts // Wikimedia
#7. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
– Started a new job in Tampa from New York in Q1 2021: 969
— #31 most common destination from New York
– Started a new job in New York from Tampa in Q1 2021: 330
— 0.8% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 639 to Tampa
15 / 20Sanibel Sun // WikiCommons
#6. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Cape Coral in Q1 2021: 1,305
— #3 most common destination from Cape Coral
– Started a new job in Cape Coral from Tampa in Q1 2021: 1,312
— 3.2% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 7 to Cape Coral
You may also like: Highest-rated steakhouses in Tampa, according to Tripadvisor
16 / 20Pat McGinley // Shutterstock
#5. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from North Port in Q1 2021: 2,538
— #2 most common destination from North Port
– Started a new job in North Port from Tampa in Q1 2021: 2,751
— 6.7% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 213 to North Port
17 / 20VisitCentralFL // Flickr
#4. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Lakeland in Q1 2021: 2,585
— #2 most common destination from Lakeland
– Started a new job in Lakeland from Tampa in Q1 2021: 2,868
— 7.0% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 283 to Lakeland
18 / 20AndrewAvitus // Wikicommons’
#3. Jacksonville, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Jacksonville in Q1 2021: 3,142
— #4 most common destination from Jacksonville
– Started a new job in Jacksonville from Tampa in Q1 2021: 3,037
— 7.4% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 105 to Tampa
19 / 20Kolossos // Wikimedia Commons
#2. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Miami in Q1 2021: 6,953
— #2 most common destination from Miami
– Started a new job in Miami from Tampa in Q1 2021: 6,937
— 16.9% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 16 to Tampa
20 / 20Songquan Deng // Shutterstock
#1. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
– Started a new job in Tampa from Orlando in Q1 2021: 7,410
— #2 most common destination from Orlando
– Started a new job in Orlando from Tampa in Q1 2021: 7,315
— 17.8% of total new out-of-metro jobs
– Net job flow: 95 to Tampa
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in Tampa, according to Tripadvisor | https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/people-from-these-metros-are-finding-new-jobs-in-tampa/ | 2022-04-15T15:41:39 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/people-from-these-metros-are-finding-new-jobs-in-tampa/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Would you get a chip implanted in your hand or arm to pay for things, instead of using a credit card or cash? For some, the answer is yes. A British-Polish tech startup, Walletmor, is giving customers the chance to leave their wallets at home through a microchip RFID payment device inserted under the skin.
“The implant can be installed in any part of the body under the skin, such as the hand,” Walletmor says in a promotional brochure. “It’s a replacement for a bulky wallet and is a convenient alternative to a credit card, or a device with a payment function, including a smartphone.”
The implant is not yet available in the United States, and only about 200 people have gotten the implant so far, Walletmor said.
While getting the implant in the U.S. isn’t possible yet, customers who have the implant can use it anywhere that accepts contactless payment. Right now, the implant is only available in Europe.
Kiosks, readers and cash registers that allow cards to be tapped or digital wallets from a phone will all work with the biotech implant.
So how’s it work and what’s it cost?
Walletmor’s website lists the cost of the implant at $299. The chip itself is about the size of a grain of rice, and uses a localized magnetic field to activate with payment scanners. The chip is coated in a “biopolymer,” what the company called a “medical plastic for the production of medical products” which they say has been tested for safety in a three-year period.
Installation of the device “is such a simple procedure that it can theoretically be done by yourself at home” with a kit that comes with the implant upon delivery. However, Walletmor recommends having the implant done at a hospital or medical facility “due to sanitary standards.” Medical clinics or body modification studios are also options for having the implantation performed, according to Walletmor, due to the potential need for local anesthesia.
“The implant is effective immediately after implantation,” and the “wound” from the process takes about four weeks to heal, Walletmor said. The process itself is only expected to take 15 minutes, with a “minimal skin incision.” Implant sites are recommended in the hand or just above the wrist.
Once installed, the chip can link with a third-party payment app. Walltemor’s press materials mention both iCard and Purewrist, though they say repeatedly that they are not officially involved with either company, and are not liable for issues with accounts for either one.
For payment, once you have an account with iCard or Purewrist, you load funds in through a bank transfer or card payment, similar to CashApp or Venmo.
“Once you link your Walletmor payment implant to your Purewrist wallet, it can be used to make payment using the funds in your account,” Walletmor said. “You can use a standard bank transfer or external debit or credit card to top up your Purewrist account.”
Part of the tech company’s pitch for people to get the implant is how it adds security. In addition to “not violat[ing] basic privacy principles,” the chip “does not track your location because it does not have GPS” or systems that could track user locations.
“Our payment implants use the same short-range near-field communication or NFC technology used by contactless payment cards,” according to Walletmor. “This means our implant has no battery and no power source of its own, nor does it transmit radio waves that could be intercepted.”
Additionally, it removes the risk of a stolen wallet or misplaced credit card or cash by being literally under the skin. The implant reportedly remains functional for five years, but Walletmor said they’ll soon offer an eight-year-long version. | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/no-wallet-needed-tech-company-implants-microchip-to-let-you-pay-with-your-hand/ | 2022-04-15T15:41:45 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/international/no-wallet-needed-tech-company-implants-microchip-to-let-you-pay-with-your-hand/ |
Yet again, the U.S. is trudging into what could be another COVID-19 surge, with cases rising nationally and in most states after a two-month decline.
One big unknown? “We don’t know how high that mountain’s gonna grow,” said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University.
No one expects a peak nearly as high as the last one, when the contagious omicron version of the coronavirus ripped through the population.
But experts warn that the coming wave – caused by a mutant called BA.2 that’s thought to be about 30% more contagious – will wash across the nation and push up hospitalizations in a growing number of states in the coming weeks. And the case wave will be bigger than it looks, they say, because reported numbers are vast undercounts as more people test at home without reporting their infections or skip testing altogether.
At the height of the previous omicron surge, reported daily cases reached into the hundreds of thousands. On April 14, the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases rose to 39,521, up from 30,724 two weeks earlier, according to data from Johns Hopkins collected by The Associated Press.
Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said the numbers will likely keep growing until the surge reaches about a quarter the height of the last “monstrous” one. BA.2 may well have the same effect in the U.S. as it did in Israel, where it created a “bump” in the chart measuring cases, he said.
Keeping the surge somewhat in check, experts said, is a higher level of immunity in the U.S. from vaccination or past infection compared with early winter.
But Ray said the U.S. could wind up looking like Europe, where the BA.2 surge was “substantial” in some places that had comparable levels of immunity. “We could have a substantial surge here,” he said.
Both experts said BA.2 will move through the country gradually. The Northeast has been hit hardest so far — with more than 90% of new infections caused by BA.2 last week compared with 86% nationally. As of Thursday, the highest rates of new COVID cases per capita over the past 14 days were in Vermont, Rhode Island, Alaska, New York and Massachusetts. In Washington, D.C., which also ranks in the top 10 for rates of new cases, Howard University announced it was moving most undergraduate classes online for the rest of the semester because of “a significant increase in COVID-19 positivity” in the district and on campus.
Some states, such as Rhode Island and New Hampshire, saw the average of daily new cases rise by more than 100% in two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Joseph Wendelken, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Health, said despite rising cases, hospitalizations remain relatively low, and that’s the metric they are most focused on right now. About 55 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, compared with more than 600 at one point in the pandemic.
Officials credit high vaccination rates. State statistics show 99% of Rhode Island adults are at least partially vaccinated and 48% have gotten the booster dose that scientists say is key in protecting against severe illness with omicron.
Vermont also has relatively high levels of vaccination and fewer patients in the hospital than during the height of the first omicron wave. But Dr. Mark Levine, the health commissioner there, said hospitalizations and the numbers of patients in intensive care units are both up slightly, although deaths have not risen.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that new hospital admissions of patients with confirmed COVID-19 were up slightly in New England and the New York region.
On the West Coast, modelers from Oregon Health & Science University are projecting a slight increase in hospitalizations over the next two months in that state, where cases have also risen steeply.
As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in the hospital.
Ray said government leaders must be careful to strike the right tone when talking to people about protecting themselves and others after COVID restrictions have largely been lifted. Philadelphia recently became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate after a sharp increase in infections. But Vermont’s Levine said there are no plans to bring back any of the restrictions that were imposed earlier during the pandemic.
The Health Report
“It’s going to be hard to institute restrictive, draconian measures,” Ray said. “Fortunately, we have some tools that we can use to mitigate risk. And so I hope that leaders will emphasize the importance for people to watch the numbers,” be aware of risks and consider taking precautions such as wearing masks and getting vaccinated and boosted if they’re not already.
Lynne Richmond, a 59-year-old breast cancer survivor who lives in Silver Spring, Md., said she plans to get her second booster and keep wearing her mask in public as cases rise in her state and nearby Washington, D.C.
“I never really stopped wearing my mask…I’ve stayed ultra-vigilant,” she said. “I feel like I’ve come this far; I don’t want to get COVID.”
Vigilance is a good strategy, experts said, because the coronavirus is constantly throwing curveballs. One of the latest: even more contagious subvariants of BA.2 found in New York state, known as BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. And scientists warn that new and potentially dangerous variants could arise at any time.
“We shouldn’t be thinking the pandemic is over,” Topol said. “We should still keep our guard up.”
Associated Press reporter Wilson Ring contributed from Stowe, Vermont.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/ct-aud-nw-covid-cases-rise-20220415-nvaxfmhuofen3eadjw4m6peeqq-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:41:50 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/coronavirus/ct-aud-nw-covid-cases-rise-20220415-nvaxfmhuofen3eadjw4m6peeqq-story.html |
OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) – An Alabama family said the man convicted in the capital murder of Auburn University graduate Lori Ann Slesinski in 2006 also killed his mother and stepfather back in 1993 in north Montgomery.
Records in the deaths of Derrill Richard Ennis ’ mother Dolly Flowers and stepfather Eddie Flowers are sealed since they were juvenile records. Lee County District Attorney Jessica Ventiere declined to comment on Ennis’ past criminal history stating she did not think she was allowed to under the law.
Donna Furr, Angela Flowers, and Tina Sexton are the daughters of Eddie Flowers. The sisters waited to speak publicly about what Derrill Richard Ennis did as a 12-year-old until a verdict and sentencing were handed down in the Slesinski case.
Now, the daughters are urging Alabama lawmakers to reconsider how juvenile murder cases are handled.
“Many people believe that children do not commit crimes such as murder, but we know that is not true,” a statement from the family said. “The daughters said in a statement. The violence that happens in this state and across this nation has no age limit. The courts shouldn’t be bound by a state law that says children less than 14 can’t be tried as adults. This case is living proof.”
There were newspaper articles that written about the case in 1993. Ennis’ defense team said they had no knowledge of the deaths.
Ennis was sentenced on Thursday inside a Lee County courtroom to spend the rest of his life behind bars without the possibility of parole for capital murder during a kidnapping and burglary of Lori Ann Slesinski. The sentencing comes as District Attorney Ventiere informed the judge Slesinkski’s mother decided the best option for her family is to not seek the death penalty and the lengthy appeals process associated with it.
Thursday, a Lee County jury found Ennis guilty in the slaying of the 24-year-old Auburn graduate who worked at East Alabama Mental Health. Under the law, jurors are not allowed to know about a defendants previous alleged crimes or convictions.
Prosecutors said Ennis was romantically obsessed with Slesinski and killed her when she refused to be more than friends. Investigators say Ennis was always a suspect, but an indictment didn’t happen in the case until 2018 after a cold case unit spent 18-months reviewing the 2006 murder. Slesinski’s body has never been found.
Forensic investigators testified the defendant’s semen and presumptive blood were inside Slesinski’s mobile home. Investigators located a phone, missing its long chord, in her bedroom. A rolled cigarette with Ennis’ DNA was found near Slesinski’s burned vehicle.
Ennis was the last person known to be with Slesinski when she was alive. When Ennis was questioned after Lori Ann vanished detectives took pictures of fresh scratches on his arms and hands. Prosecutors said located in his car was “a murderer’s tool kit” with cleaning supplies, a knife, and handcuffs.
Ennis testified in his own defense, saying he was good friends with Lori and they had consensual sex. He denied killing her and said the scratches came from his dog.
His defense team claims investigators bungled evidence in the case and can not prove beyond a reasonable doubt Ennis is the killer.
“We know Rick and we know he is innocent and he has our unconditional support,” said a note to reporters from supporters who gathered in the courtroom during the trial, verdict and sentencing.
Ennis plans on appealing.
Meanwhile, Arlene Slesinski said she waited 16 years for the man she knew killed her daughter to be held accountable for ending her life at just 24 years old.
Thursday, her mother says Lori Ann, along with her brother who died of cancer, and her father who died of COVID are celebrating justice in Heaven with Lori’s beloved dog Peanut.
Flowers’ daughters released the following statement to WRBL News 3:
“We would like to begin by sending our condolences to Lori Ann’s mom, family, and friends. We pray for you daily and hope today’s verdict will bring you some form of peace and closure. We want to thank the members of the Auburn Police Department, Lee County Sheriff Department, State Bureau of Investigation and its Cold Case Unit, US Marshalls, and all other agencies that were involved for the countless hours of work you put into this case. Without your hard work, Derrill Richard “Rick” Ennis, would still be walking the streets living his life as if nothing happened with the potential to take other lives. In March 1993, our lives were forever changed at the hands of Rick Ennis. He brutally murdered our father, Eddie Flowers, and stepmother (his mother), Dolly Flowers. Ennis was 12 years old at the time of their murders and was put into the Juvenile Justice System. By Alabama law, you must be at least 14 years old to be tried as an adult. As a result of this law, Ennis was released from the juvenile system when he turned 21 years old, only serving less than 9 years behind bars. During his time as a juvenile, Ennis escaped twice, and no other charges were brought against him. Many people believe that children do not commit crimes such as murder, but we know that is not true. The violence that happens in this state and across this nation has no age limit. The courts shouldn’t be bound by a state law that says children less than 14 can’t be tried as adults. This case is living proof. If Ennis would have received the punishment he deserved when he murdered 2 people at 12 years old, Lori Ann wouldn’t have lost her life at the hands of this evil person. The State of Alabama must change their laws! We have missed our daddy for 29 long years. He hasn’t been there for graduations, marriages, grandchildren and great grandchildren being born and the joy of watching them grow, loving and spoiling them, fishing trips, holidays, family gatherings, and the list could go on. So, today when Rick Ennis was found guilty on the charges of Capital Murder Burglary and Capital Murder Kidnapping and sentenced to Life Without the Possibility of Parole, our family could breathe a sigh of relief and know that justice has finally been served!”
Donna Furr, Angela Flowers, and Tina Sexton
Daughters of Eddie Flowers | https://www.wfla.com/news/man-who-murdered-woman-was-accused-of-killing-mom-stepfather-as-a-boy/ | 2022-04-15T15:41:51 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/man-who-murdered-woman-was-accused-of-killing-mom-stepfather-as-a-boy/ |
A large number of Orange County school bus drivers are absent today, and Orange County Public Schools warned parents early this morning that buses likely would be late for both morning and afternoon runs.
“Please have patience and if you can drive your student to school or carpool, that may be helpful,” said an emailed message to OCPS parents sent just after 7 a.m.
Public schools across the region, and Florida, have struggled with a bus driver shortage all school year, so a higher-than-normal amount of absent drivers would only make it harder for them to transport thousands of students to and from campuses.
OCPS said 16% of its bus drivers were absent today, compared to 10% typically. All students will be picked up and dropped off, but it might take longer than usual, said spokesperson Michael Ollendorff in an email.
The school district doesn’t know for sure why so many drivers took the day off but assumes “it is related to the fact that there are multiple holidays today [Good Friday, Passover and Ramadan],” Ollendorff said.
“Other transportation employees are covering the routes experiencing an absent driver and all students will be picked up, there might just be a delay,” he said. “Some routes were combined and others had drivers return back out to pick up additional stops after they drop off one group at school.”
On Wednesday, the Osceola County school district warned parents it expected higher than normal bus driver absences Friday, too, noting it would be Good Friday. “Parents should plan for buses to be late,” the message read.
But Dana Schafer, the district’s spokesperson, said in an email this morning that its driver absentees are no different than a typical Friday.
The Lake County school district reported a “slight uptick” in driver absences today but no problems as a result.
lpostal@orlandosentinel.com | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/os-ne-absent-drivers-late-buses-20220415-rzcfrwwmubd6pffzrdz4stt7hu-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:41:56 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/os-ne-absent-drivers-late-buses-20220415-rzcfrwwmubd6pffzrdz4stt7hu-story.html |
(The Hill) — Republicans are plotting out their messaging strategy in case the Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision authorizing abortion rights.
The GOP strategy is to lead with science-based arguments and portray those in favor of abortion rights as extremists.
The Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House, sent a messaging memo last week that advised members to communicate the message that “the Left holds the extremist position” on abortion.
“Today’s Left believes in a position even more extreme than Roe: taxpayer-funded abortion, on demand, until birth,” said the memo, first reported by National Review.
“The Left disregards the health and safety of women and makes false claims that the pro-life movement does nothing for mothers,” it added, citing a rise in emergency room visits related to chemical abortion pills over the last few decades.
It also put a focus on advances in science and understanding of fetal viability since 1973.
“Share what we know about the humanity of unborn babies. Roe was based on outdated science,” the memo said.
The Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade when it considers the constitutionality of a Mississippi law prohibiting abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.
It is doing so even though Supreme Court precedent prohibits states from banning abortions before viability, which is generally considered to be around 23 to 24 weeks into pregnancy.
If the landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion is overturned, much of the most consequential legislative and policy movement will happen in states with Republican control that will have new authority to restrict abortion procedures.
It also has the potential to shake up the midterm elections, when Republicans hope to win back majorities in the House and Senate.
Pro-abortion rights advocates warn that restricting access will disproportionally impact low-income women and put them at risk of seeking unsafe, unsanctioned abortions. A dozen states have “trigger” laws that would ban abortions if Roe is overturned, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.
“In many states, like Maryland, it will make no practical difference if Roe is overturned this June, since overturning Roe won’t ban abortions — it will just allow regulation at the state level, where it should be,” said Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), an anesthesiologist and a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. “In other states, where abortion will have some limits, you will see women finally having real choices, as pregnancy centers and other support services will grow to help women in crisis pregnancies choose life with the community help they need.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, spoke to GOP House members at a Republican Study Committee lunch last week about being prepared to lead on the issue, The Daily Wire reported. The press will turn to national Republicans to get their perspective if Roe is overturned, she said, and their constituents will also turn to them to get more information about abortion laws and alternate options in their states.
Members of the Susan B. Anthony List’s federal affairs team are also working directly with members of Congress to ensure “maximum preparedness” for a post-Roe environment.
“We’ve been engaged in a decades-long education battle to make Americans aware about this reality because that doesn’t jive with the majority of Americans,” said Mallory Carroll, vice president of communications for the group.
Polls consistently find that Americans think the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade. A 2021 Gallup poll found that 58 percent of Americans said that the ruling should stay in place.
But Americans’ answers get more nuanced when they are asked about the specifics of when abortion should be allowed. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that 48 percent of voters supported restrictions on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with 43 percent opposed.
“The action is going to be immediately focused in the states, but I think it would behoove federal lawmakers to have their own policy agenda in mind for what they plan to advocate for at the federal level,” Carroll said.
Anti-abortion legislation is extremely unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled House and Senate this year, and President Biden would likely veto any anti-abortion bill that came to his desk. But Republicans have teed up a number of messaging bills on abortion that could come up if the GOP takes back the House in 2022. Such bills could set the stage for major changes if Republicans win control of Congress and the White House in a few years.
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe, that could open the door for Congress to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks. Another proposed bill would require that a child who survives an attempted abortion receive the same standard of care as any other child.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), another co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, has a bill called the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act that would make permanent the restrictions on federal money funding abortions that are usually tacked on to annual appropriations bills each year with the Hyde amendment.
Republicans are keeping the focus on the issue in various ways.
Last week, dozens of House Republicans signed a letter led by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, demanding that the House change its vendor for member-issued credit cards after Citigroup said it would pay travel costs for employees seeking abortions.
“The Dobbs case presents the best opportunity in decades to finally correct the tragedy of Roe and return this fateful policy decision to the states where it always belonged,” Johnson said in a statement. “House Republicans will continue to fight for the sanctity of human life, defend the defenseless, and hold the Biden Administration accountable for any attempt to impede the policy decisions of pro-life states.”
Republican women will likely be key to the party’s messaging strategy if Roe is overturned. In a House hearing last year, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) shared a story about how “she would not be here” if her mother followed a doctor’s advice to have an abortion. She was the GOP answer to three Democratic women — Reps. Cori Bush (Mo.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), and Barbara Lee (Calif.) — sharing their own personal stories about getting abortions. | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/gop-readies-strategy-in-case-roe-v-wade-is-overturned/ | 2022-04-15T15:41:57 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/gop-readies-strategy-in-case-roe-v-wade-is-overturned/ |
A rap video uploaded to YouTube on Monday titled “Matt Gaetz” featured a surprising cameo of Joel Greenberg’s estranged ex-wife.
The video was made by YouTuber, Forgiato Blow, a St. Petersburg resident identified by various outlets as Kurt Jantz.
Jantz’s video designated U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who represents Florida, as the “chosen one” glorifying Gaetz’s position in conservative politics and among former President Donald Trump’s recognized stars. The video appears to have been partially filmed during the the February 2022 Orlando Conservative Political Action Conference, where Greenberg’s ex-wife, Abby, is seen in the video standing next to state Rep. Anthony Sabatini.
Sabatini confirmed to WKMG, he knew of Jantz as a rapper, and was aware of why he was being filmed. It is unclear if Abby Greenberg was aware of her cameo in the video or if she endorsed it, WKMG reported.
Abby Greenberg filed for divorce 2021, ending her marriage with the former Seminole County tax collector after nearly six years. Joel Greenberg; who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and other crimes last May, is awaiting his sentencing hearing on May 13, which was delayed three times. As part of a plea agreement, Greenberg agreed to cooperate with investigators in other federal cases. At least one investigation appears targeted at Gaetz.
Jantz has been releasing rap music videos for nine years on YouTube and has amassed 115,000 subscribers. The majority of his uploads have a conservative and pro-Trump focus to them with popular videos including “Lets Go Brandon” and “Trump Train.”
Read WKMGs full report here. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/florida/os-ne-rap-video-matt-gaetz-joel-greenberg-estranged-wife-20220415-63usyvmdrzhslmpdpu2bmjikwi-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:42:02 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/florida/os-ne-rap-video-matt-gaetz-joel-greenberg-estranged-wife-20220415-63usyvmdrzhslmpdpu2bmjikwi-story.html |
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Manatee County woman tasked with hauling away junk from a home under construction was accused of hauling over $25,000 in designer bags, gold jewelry, and other items instead, according to police.
Selah Ramirez, 25, of Bradenton, and another person were welcomed into a Pinellas County home construction site to load and haul away construction waste, arrest documents said. Ramirez was tasked with hauling away items which included insulation, baseboards, old flooring, and other types of waste.
When the homeowner discovered items missing from her home, she confronted Ramirez. Police said Ramirez tried to conceal over $25,000 worth of designer bags, wallets, gold jewelry, designer sunglasses, and miscellaneous clothing items in a 25-gallon black garbage bag which were being used to haul away junk.
After Ramirez was arrested, police said she denied intentionally taking the items and was “under the impression that the victim was moving away and the items were free to take,” the affidavit added.
Ramirez was charged with grand theft. Her bond was set at $10,000. | https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/manatee-junk-hauler-claims-25k-in-designer-items-were-free-to-take-police-say/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:03 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/manatee-junk-hauler-claims-25k-in-designer-items-were-free-to-take-police-say/ |
Brick, NJ detective breaks up theft ring
Our #BlueFriday honoree today is Brick Township Police Detective Brian Farnkopf.
After cops were called to the Target Store on Route 70 for a shoplifting suspect, Detective Farnkopf, who had been pursuing several other thefts and fraud cases in town, kicked into high gear.
He was able to link several similar crimes across New Jersey by employing his investigative skills and his determination to identify the crooks and get them off the street.
His efforts paid off in a big way. Three suspects were arrested and several crimes were connected.
Without the hard work and commitment to protect and serve, these perps would still be on the streets taking money and hurting unsuspecting victims.
Even though you don't see these hero cops doing the hard work late and night to identify criminals, they are doing just that, and our communities are safer as a result. Remember, there is a thin line between civilization and savagery and that line is Blue.
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. | https://nj1015.com/brick-nj-detective-breaks-up-theft-ring/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:06 | 1 | https://nj1015.com/brick-nj-detective-breaks-up-theft-ring/ |
JERUSALEM — Palestinians clashed with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Friday as thousands gathered for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan. Medics said more than 150 Palestinians were wounded in the most serious violence at the site in nearly a year.
The holy site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, has often been the epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian unrest, and tensions were already heightened amid a recent wave of violence. Clashes at the site last year helped spark an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The clashes come at a particularly sensitive time. Ramadan this year coincides with Passover, a major weeklong Jewish holiday beginning Friday at sundown, and Christian holy week, which culminates on Easter Sunday. The holidays are expected to bring tens of thousands of faithful into Jerusalem’s Old City, home to major sites sacred to all three religions.
Hours after the clashes began, the police said they had put an end to the violence and arrested “hundreds” of suspects. The mosque was re-opened, and some 60,000 people attended the main Friday prayers midday, according to the Waqf, the Islamic endowment that administers the site.
After prayers, thousands of Palestinians marched around the esplanade, chanting “with our souls, with our blood, we sacrifice for you, Al-Aqsa,” in addition to slogans in support of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza.
Less than a mile away, thousands of Christians marched in a procession retracing the traditional journey of Jesus to the cross in honor of Good Friday. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was open to visitors, who are returning to the Holy Land in large numbers for the first time since before the pandemic. The violence was confined to the mosque compound.
Israeli authorities said that before the unrest broke out they had negotiated with Muslim leaders to try to ensure calm. But the police say Palestinians stockpiled rocks and other objects inside the compound and hurled stones at the Mughrabi Gate, which leads to the Western Wall — a major Jewish holy site — triggering the violence.
Palestinian witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said a small group of Palestinians threw rocks at police, who then entered the compound in force, setting off a wider conflagration. Palestinians view any large deployment of police at Al-Aqsa as a provocation.
Palestinians threw rocks and fireworks, and police fired tear gas and stun grenades on the sprawling esplanade surrounding the mosque. Dozens of Palestinians barricaded themselves inside the mosque as they fought Israeli security forces.
Israeli police later entered the mosque and arrested people inside. The police rarely enter the building, which is seen by Palestinians as an escalation.
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it treated 152 people, many of them wounded by rubber-coated bullets or stun grenades.
Video footage showed police beating a photographer for the Waqf with batons before knocking him to ground and kicking him. The Waqf said the photographer, Rami Khatib, suffered a broken hand. There was no immediate comment from police.
The Israeli police said three officers were wounded from “massive stone-throwing,” with two evacuated from the scene for treatment.
Neighboring Jordan, which has custodianship over the holy site, and the Palestinian Authority issued a joint statement accusing Israel of “a dangerous and condemnable escalation that threatens to explode the situation.” Egypt also condemned the “Israeli raid.”
Israel’s public security minister, Omer Barlev, who oversees the police force, said Israel had “no interest” in violence at the holy site but that police were forced to confront “violent elements” who attacked them with stones and metal bars. He said Israel was committed to freedom of worship for Jews and Muslims alike.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said authorities “are working to calm things on the Temple Mount and throughout Israel. At the same time, we are prepared for any scenario.”
The mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. It is built on a hilltop in Jerusalem’s Old City that is the most sacred site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was the site of the Jewish temples in antiquity. It has been a major flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence for decades and was the epicenter of the 2000-2005 Palestinian intifada, or uprising.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, including the Old City, in the 1967 war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians want the eastern part of the city to be the capital of a future state including the West Bank and Gaza, which Israel also captured during the war nearly 55 years ago.
Tensions have soared in recent weeks following a series of attacks by Palestinians that killed 14 people inside Israel. Israeli troops have carried out a wave of arrests and military operations across the occupied West Bank, setting off clashes with Palestinians.
At least 25 Palestinians have been killed, according to an Associated Press count. Many had carried out attacks or were involved in the clashes, but an unarmed woman and a lawyer who appears to have been a bystander were also among those killed.
Breaking News
Weeks of protests and clashes in and around Al-Aqsa during Ramadan last year helped ignite a fourth Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. This year, Israel has lifted restrictions and taken other steps to try and calm tensions, but the attacks and the military raids are fueling another cycle of unrest.
Hamas condemned what it said were “brutal attacks” on worshippers at Al-Aqsa, saying Israel would bear “all the consequences.”
Earlier this week, Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza had called on Palestinians to camp out at the Al-Aqsa mosque over the weekend. Palestinians have long feared that Israel plans to take over the site or partition it.
Israeli authorities say they are committed to maintaining the status quo, but in recent years large groups of nationalist and religious Jews have regularly visited the site with police escorts.
A radical Jewish group recently called on people to bring animals to the site in order to sacrifice them for Passover, offering cash rewards for those who succeeded or even tried. Israeli police work to prevent such activities, but the call was widely circulated by Palestinians on social media, along with calls for Muslims to prevent any sacrifices from taking place.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall, issued a statement calling on Muslim leaders to act to stop the violence. He also noted that “bringing a sacrifice to the Temple Mount today is in opposition to the decision of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.”
Associated Press reporter Wafaa Shurafa in Gaza City, Gaza Strip contributed to this report. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-israel-palestinians-violence-20220415-n36p7g52uzdtbe7ezbgmsf66oi-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:42:08 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-israel-palestinians-violence-20220415-n36p7g52uzdtbe7ezbgmsf66oi-story.html |
(NewsNation) — Some colleagues of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., are reportedly worried about her “rapidly deteriorating” memory and whether she’s fit for the job, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
Feinstein, 88, is the oldest sitting U.S. senator, and in March 2021, she became the longest-serving U.S. senator from California.
“It’s bad, and it’s getting worse,” one anonymous Democratic senator told The Chronicle, adding that Feinstein has difficulty keeping up with conversations.
The newspaper states that Feinstein doesn’t seem to fully recognize longtime colleagues anymore and that one person had to reintroduce themselves to her multiple times during an interaction that lasted several hours.
Staffers also reportedly told The Chronicle that it appears Feinstein is no longer able to fulfill her job duties without the help of her staff.
NewsNation reached out to Feinstein for a response on the accuracy of the comments made by her colleagues and received the following statement:
“I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was re-elected in 2018: fight for Californians, especially on the economy and the key issues for California of water and fire.
“While I have focused for much of the past year on my husband’s health and ultimate passing, I have remained committed to achieving results and I’d put my record up against anyone’s.
“In the past few months, I successfully led the reauthorization of the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act, secured more direct government funding for my state than any other Democratic senator other than the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and secured additional funding to retain federal firefighters to help California prepare for the upcoming wildfire season.
“The real question is whether I’m still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am.”
The Chronicle also cited lawmakers who are defending Feinstein’s capabilities.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said it’s “unconscionable that, just weeks after losing her beloved husband of more than four decades and after decades of outstanding leadership to our city and state, she is being subjected to these ridiculous attacks that are beneath the dignity in which she has led and the esteem in which she is held.”
Journalist Eric Garcia, a senior Washington correspondent for The Independent, says it’s important to recognize that this isn’t about age.
“When she does answer questions, a lot of times it makes news because she’ll say something that is a little jarring,” Garcia said during an appearance Thursday night on NewsNation’s “Banfield.”
“She was sharp for a long time. I would say, even up to 2018 when she was running for reelection. That’s why it is so noticeable. This is a woman who is a pioneer in California politics,” Garcia added.
Conservative strategist Charmaine Yoast and Democratic strategist Bernard Whitman also shared their view on age limits in Congress during an appearance on “Banfield.” (See the video below.)
Feinstein’s term is set to expire in 2024. | https://www.wfla.com/news/politics/colleagues-question-sen-feinsteins-rapidly-deteriorating-memory/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:09 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/politics/colleagues-question-sen-feinsteins-rapidly-deteriorating-memory/ |
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale walked out of Sarasota Memorial Hospital Thursday and rang a bell signaling the end of his cancer treatment.
In a tweet, the 82-year-old announced he was finally cancer free after seven months.
“It was RING THE BELL TIME!” Vitale said in the tweet. “Yes it was a tough 7 months but it was super hearing Dr. Brown @SMHCS say that I have zero cancer currently.”
Vitale announced he was diagnosed with lymphoma in October. In December, Vitale said he would not broadcast any more college basketball games for the rest of the season.
Fans may not have seen much of him on TV, but he was very active on Twitter over the last seven months keeping fans updated on his treatment, prognosis and even his doctors’ college basketball takes.
“My national championship was to RING THE BELL Baby!” Vitale said.
Vitale said he was inspired by the famous words of his close friend and former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano at the 1993 ESPYs.
“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”
Valvano died of cancer 55 days after he gave the inspirational speech. He was 47.
Since then, Vitale has been very involved in fundraising for Valvano’s cancer research charity, the V Foundation. Vitale hosts the “Dick Vitale Gala” every year in Sarasota, which has raised over $44 million dollars for the foundation. | https://www.wfla.com/sports/ring-the-bell-baby-dick-vitale-is-cancer-free/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:10 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/sports/ring-the-bell-baby-dick-vitale-is-cancer-free/ |
WALL — Two young children from London were thrown from a car during a crash on the Garden State Parkway Thursday afternoon.
State Police Sgt. Philip Curry said the Toyota Sienna they were riding was sideswiped by a Honda Accord near Exit 98 around 2:40 p.m. The Honda went off the left side of the highway and hit two guard rail posts.
The driver of the Toyota went off the left side of the road and overturned ejecting the 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl, who were seriously hurt.
Three lanes were closed for most of the afternoon commute, causing a 7-mile delay approaching the crash scene.
No charges have been filed in the case.
Traffic was heavy on the Parkway Thursday afternoon as many had a three-day weekend because of Easter. A car fire blocked two lanes southbound approaching the Union toll plaza, creating a 9-mile rubbernecking northbound delay.
A trip to New Jersey doesn't have to be all about the beach. Our state has some incredible trails, waterfalls, and lakes to enjoy.
From the Pine Barrens to the Appalachian Trail to the hidden gems of New Jersey, you have plenty of options for a great hike. Hiking is such a great way to spend time outdoors and enjoy nature, plus it's a great workout.
Before you go out on the trails and explore some of our listeners' suggestions, I have some tips on hiking etiquette from the American Hiking Society.
If you are going downhill and run into an uphill hiker, step to the side and give the uphill hiker space. A hiker going uphill has the right of way unless they stop to catch their breath.
Always stay on the trail, you may see side paths, unless they are marked as an official trail, steer clear of them. By going off-trail you may cause damage to the ecosystems around the trail, the plants, and wildlife that live there.
You also do not want to disturb the wildlife you encounter, just keep your distance from the wildlife and continue hiking.
Bicyclists should yield to hikers and horses. Hikers should also yield to horses, but I’m not sure how many horses you will encounter on the trails in New Jersey.
If you are thinking of bringing your dog on your hike, they should be leashed, and make sure to clean up all pet waste.
Lastly, be mindful of the weather, if the trail is too muddy, it's probably best to save your hike for another day.
I asked our listeners for their suggestions of the best hiking spots in New Jersey, check out their suggestions:
School aid for all New Jersey districts for 2022-23
The state Department of Education announced district-level school aid figures for the 2022-23 school year on Thursday, March 10, 2022. They're listed below, alphabetically by county. For additional details from the NJDOE, including specific categories of aid, click here.
New Jersey high school graduation rates
The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%.
The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements.
Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy. | https://nj1015.com/crash-ejects-children-onto-garden-state-parkway-in-wall-nj/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:12 | 1 | https://nj1015.com/crash-ejects-children-onto-garden-state-parkway-in-wall-nj/ |
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Friday he plans to nominate Michael Barr, the dean of the University of Michigan’s public policy school, to be the Federal Reserve’s vice chairman of supervision.
The selection of Barr comes after Biden’s first choice for the Fed post, Sarah Bloom Raskin, withdrew her nomination a month ago in the face of opposition from Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Raskin’s critics had argued that she would apply the Fed’s regulatory authority to climate change and possibly discourage banks from lending to energy companies.
But with Barr, Biden noted the importance of politics in a Friday statement that said his nominee had previously cleared the Senate on a bipartisan basis.
“Michael brings the expertise and experience necessary for this important position at a critical time for our economy and families across the country,” Biden said.
The Democratic president said that Barr “has spent his career protecting consumers, and during his time at Treasury, played a critical role in creating both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the position for which I am nominating him.”
Barr is the dean of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. He was an assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions during the Obama administration who helped design the 2010 Dodd-Frank regulations after the devastating 2008 financial crisis.
Barr, a Rhodes Scholar who clerked for Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court, also served during the Clinton administration at the White House, the Treasury Department and the State Department.
Despite those credentials, some liberal critics last year blocked Barr’s candidacy to become the Biden administration’s comptroller of the currency, a position that is responsible for regulating national banks. These critics viewed with suspicion Barr’s role on the advisory boards of the financial firms Lending Club and Ripple Labs. They also asserted that he had helped dilute proposals for stricter bank regulations during the Obama administration.
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But Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Democratic chairman of the Banking Committee, voiced full support for Barr.
“Michael Barr understands the importance of this role at this critical time in our economic recovery,” Brown said. “I strongly urge my Republican colleagues to abandon their old playbook of personal attacks and demagoguery and put Americans and their pocketbooks first.”
Others offer strong praise for Barr and say he appears well suited for the Fed position.
David Dworkin, president of the National Housing Conference, which advocates for affordable housing, suggested that Barr’s understanding of Wall Street gives him the right mix of “centrist expertise and progressive policy views’' to win confirmation in a closely divided Senate.
Barr would be joining the Fed at an especially challenging and high-risk period for the central bank and the economy.
The Fed is set to raise interest rates aggressively in the coming months to try to reduce persistently high inflation. Yet it will be extraordinarily difficult for Fed Chair Jerome Powell — who is awaiting Senate confirmation for a second term — to slow inflation by raising borrowing costs without also weakening the economy and perhaps even causing a recession.
“This is about landing a very complicated plane on the runway smoothly,” Dworkin said. “It’s very hard to do.” | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-michael-barr-fed-20220415-3t6yqxsg4fc73czxwgtjsopwwi-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:42:15 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-michael-barr-fed-20220415-3t6yqxsg4fc73czxwgtjsopwwi-story.html |
Here are the NJ dispensaries where you can buy weed April 21
We’ve talked about it, we debated, it we’ve argued about it, and we even doubted it would ever happen. But here it is. Finally.
Gov. Murphy announced on Thursday that Starting on April 21, adults ages 21+ will be able to legally purchase cannabis and cannabis products without a medical card.
On Twitter, Murphy called this “a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry.”
So many people noted the irony of the start date for buying weed legally here in the state. After all, you would’ve expected it to be April 20, not April 21. Some speculate that April 20 would’ve caused too much chaos.
I believe it’s just that they did not want to play along. After all, the date 4/20 is too closely associated with illegal weed and “potheads” you knew in high school.
Either way, it’s about time. I don’t think anyone could have delayed this as long as New Jersey did. It is so New Jersey to create such a tangle of bureaucracy and red tape that we had to wait this long for this to happen.
I have been seeing all of these spanking new dispensaries sitting along the highway is it New Jersey, just waiting for the governor to wave his magic wand and allow the doors to open.
I’ve even seen people try the door at the Garden State dispensary in Eatontown and look through the windows, thinking it was already open. It’ll be really interesting to see what the crowds are like that day and how how all of this shakes out.
Murphy also provided a link in his tweet for all of the info about the law and the dispensaries at nj.gov. A handy dandy list of all of the New Jersey dispensaries is provided, too. But I thought I’d make it easier for all of you and round them all up here.
So for those of you who are excited to be able to partake legally in the state, and are wondering exactly where to purchase, here you go. And use responsibly. (That just seemed like the right thing to say)
- 1
Apothecarium, Phillipsburg
- 2
Apothecarium, Maplewood
- 3
Ascend, Maplewood
- 4
The Botanist, Egg Harbor township
- 5
The Botanist, Williamstown
- 6
The Cannabist, Deptford
- 7
Columbia Care NJ, Vineland
- 8
Curaleaf, Bellmawr
- 9
Curaleaf, Edgewater
- 10
Rise, Paterson
- 11
Rise, Bloomfield
- 12
Zen Leaf, Lawrence Township
- 13
Zen Leaf, Elizabeth | https://nj1015.com/here-are-the-nj-dispensaries-where-you-can-buy-weed-april-21/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:18 | 1 | https://nj1015.com/here-are-the-nj-dispensaries-where-you-can-buy-weed-april-21/ |
DETROIT — Two years after the pandemic tore through the economy, America’s auto market looks something like this: Prices are drastically up. Supply is drastically down. And gasoline costs drastically more.
The result? A widening disparity between the richest buyers and everyone else.
The most affluent buyers keep plunking down big money for new vehicles, including the least fuel-efficient among them — trucks, SUVS, large sedans.
As for the rest of America, millions are feeling increasingly priced out of the new-vehicle market. They are competing instead for a shrunken supply of used autos, especially smaller, less expensive ones that consume less fuel. The jump in pump prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has only intensified their urge to keep costs down.
They are people like Natalia Ponce De Leon of North Palm Beach, Florida. She had been leasing a Toyota Tacoma pickup she acquired as new four years ago and had been using for her custom drapery business. When it was time to replace it recently, she didn’t even consider a new vehicle.
Instead, she settled on a 9-year-old vehicle with 14,000 miles on it — a Toyota RAV4, a small SUV, that she bought at Earl Stewart Toyota in North Palm Beach. Though it cost her $23,000 to buy the SUV and pay off the remainder of her lease, Ponce De Leon is happy with her decision. For just under $400 a month for six years, she said, she has a vehicle that’s easier to drive than her old pickup yet spacious enough to carry a 6-foot ladder for her business.
Best of all, with gasoline having scaled $4 a gallon nationally, she’s enjoying superior fuel efficiency.
“I’m thinking I’m going to save, per month, between $100 and $200,” Ponce De Leon said — money that she plans to spend for online marketing to help grow her business.
The new-vehicle market is another story entirely. Among all purchases of new autos last month, nearly 79% were trucks and SUVs. A decade ago, that proportion was just 52%.
And that’s despite a whopping 22% jump in the average price of a new car since the pandemic struck two years ago — to more than $46,000, as of December.
Based on March prices and interest rates, the monthly payment on an average new vehicle would be $691 — far beyond the reach of what a household with a median gross income of $65,732 should spend, according to calculations by Cox Automotive and Moody’s.
Not so for many of the wealthier-than-average buyers who now dominate the new-vehicle market.
“Those that can afford it are still buying what they want,” said Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasting for LMC Automotive, a consulting firm.
Ivan Drury, a senior manager at the Edmunds.com auto site, has been surprised by the demand among affluent buyers for high-priced new vehicles.
“I can’t imagine a situation in which we’ve had so many people willing to spend so much money,” Drury said. “It’s just abnormal for someone to go out and spend (sticker price) or above. I can’t think of any other time period unless it was on specific models. And this is every car on the road.”
Left largely out of that pool, buyers of more modest means have been vying for the most fuel-efficient used vehicles — and forcing up their prices. At auctions where dealers buy many of their vehicles, the average price of a 2-to-8-year-old compact car rose 1.1% during the past three weeks to an average of $12,560. That’s an annual rate of nearly 20%. The price of older cars is up even more, according to data compiled by Black Book, which monitors such prices.
By contrast, over the same period, the average for a full-size 2-8-year-old SUV actually fell 2.3%, to $32,700.
“The demand is pushing dealers to buy smaller, more efficient, and older vehicles,” said Alex Yurchenko, chief data officer for Black Book.
Behind that trend lies an economic reality: Americans as a whole have less cash to spend. Although America’s job market is robust and many people have received pay raises in recent months, the acceleration of inflation has more than wiped out those gains in most cases.
Consumer prices have skyrocketed 8.5% over the past year, the fastest such pace in four decades. In addition, stimulus checks and other federal aid that most households received after the pandemic have long since expired.
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In many cases, too, households have drawn down much of the cash they had stockpiled during the pandemic. In response, Americans as a whole are going deeper into debt to pay their expenses.
“People in the lower price range are just jammed up,” Drury noted. “It’s weird to have so many people with so much money, and we have this other swath of consumers that say, ‘I’m tapped out.’ "
Further stressing the lower-priced market is the shrinking availability of leasing, which had long allowed ordinary households to keep monthly payments low. Leasing has nearly dried up because automakers are no longer offering attractive deals.
“They don’t have to,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist of Cox Automotive, “because (auto) supplies are low.”
Even among higher-income households, the run-up in gas prices has left more buyers focused on fuel efficiency. In particular, many have been snapping up electric vehicles, whose sales jumped 66% over the past year, Edmunds.com says. Even so, the EV share of the overall auto market remains only about 4%.
In the meantime, prices for both new and used vehicles have begun to fall or level off. From February to March, average prices for used cars and trucks actually fell nearly 4%. That may suggest, Drury said, that people have had it and won’t keep paying inflated prices. Automakers have even begun raise discounts on pickup trucks.
“They might have tapped out of consumers that pay any price to get what they want,” Drury said. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-new-vehicle-sales-20220415-uipcwoz6o5ca7ncjjbdr6y4nqa-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:42:21 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-new-vehicle-sales-20220415-uipcwoz6o5ca7ncjjbdr6y4nqa-story.html |
Study follows the science and finds Fla. beat NJ on handling COVID (Opinion)
When it comes to handling the past two years of lockdowns and mandates New Jersey literally had the worst showing among all 50 states.
This is according to a new study that dug deep into the economic impact of the lockdowns and mandates as well as the impact on education. The study also compared states on the level of mortality coming out of the pandemic. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, New Jersey was the worst-performing state overall.
The report was done by the "Committee to Unleash Prosperity" and is a comprehensive study that shows what I have been saying for two years: lockdowns make the problem worse.
Stephen Moore is arguably one of the smartest people I've read and he has offered some great advice and insight. One thing that we can point to is the very real-world example of how Sweden fared during and now after the world shut down. They rejected nearly all restrictions and as a result, have come out stronger and better than just about every other nation that opted for extreme measures.
Here's the pull quote from the article discussing the study:
The study, published by the Committee To Unleash Prosperity, graded states by comparing COVID-19 outcomes based on the number of deaths, the economy and impact on education.
Overall, the bottom 10 on the study’s “report card” were dominated by states that had the most severe pandemic lockdowns and were among the last to finally reopen schools.
“Shutting down their economies and schools was by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made during COVID, particularly in blue states,” Stephen Moore, one of the study’s authors and co-founder of the Committee To Unleash Prosperity, said Monday.
Stephen Moore will call into the show next week but for now, here is more information from freedomworks.com:
Stephen Moore is FreedomWorks’ Senior Economist. He communicates FreedomWorks’ vision for a pro-growth economic agenda to grassroots activists and media nationwide, as well as conducting original economic analysis. His columns have appeared in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, Forbes, Fox News, and National Review. He also served as a chief economist at the Heritage foundation and as a Senio economic analyst at CNN.
Education: B.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; M.A., George Mason University.
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. | https://nj1015.com/i-told-you-so-nj-gets-an-f-on-pandemic-lockdowns-opinion/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:25 | 0 | https://nj1015.com/i-told-you-so-nj-gets-an-f-on-pandemic-lockdowns-opinion/ |
WASHINGTON — The White House is hoping to stir up some “egg-citement” when the Easter Egg Roll returns on Monday after a two-year, coronavirus-induced hiatus.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden expect to welcome some 30,000 kids and their adult chaperones for the egg roll, an egg hunt and other activities.
The first lady, who is a teacher, is calling it the “Egg-ucation Roll,” aides said, and is turning the South Lawn into a school community with a variety of educational stations.
It’s the first Easter Egg Roll to be hosted by the Bidens, who are expected to address the crowd and join in some of the activities, although rain was in Monday’s weather forecast.
The COVID-19 pandemic led the White House to cancel the event in 2020 and 2021.
Besides the egg roll and hunt, the all-day event will include a schoolhouse activity area, a reading nook, a talent show, a place to teach children how farmers supply food, a photo-taking station, a physical “egg-ucation” zone with an obstacle course and other exercise stations, and a “cafetorium” where children and their families will learn to make and eat treats.
The “egg-stravaganza” will get a celebrity splash through the participation of “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, singer Ciara and actor-singer Kristin Chenoweth.
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More than two dozen costumed characters will roam the grounds, including Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, the Racing Presidents mascots for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball, Rosita and Cookie Monster from “Sesame Street” and Snoopy and Charlie Brown, among others.
Military families will be among the 30,000 participants, including crew members of the USS Delaware and their families. The first lady serves as sponsor of the nuclear attack submarine, which the president commissioned during a ceremony this month in Wilmington, Delaware.
Members of the general public received their tickets through an online lottery.
The egg roll will be the largest event to date at the Biden White House and will unfold in five waves beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m.
Resumption of this Easter tradition is a sign that the White House is opening up again, despite a recent spurt of COVID-19 cases among members of the Cabinet, the White House staff, Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband and members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Some of those cases stemmed from the return this month of the Gridiron Club’s spring dinner.
Self-guided, public tours of the executive mansion are set to resume on Friday in a limited fashion, after they also were halted in 2020 because of the pandemic.
The White House Easter Egg Roll dates to 1878. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-white-house-easter-20220415-dx24lx46dzef5duqrdff2xxuty-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:42:27 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/ct-aud-nw-white-house-easter-20220415-dx24lx46dzef5duqrdff2xxuty-story.html |
NJ girl living her dream and spreading deliciousness
Last month we asked for people to call in who were pursuing their dream and a young lady named Emily called in. She is a one-woman bake shop creating and delivering amazing pastries and desserts in Central New Jersey.
Emily is only twenty-one years old and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.
After working for another local baking business, she decided to take her talents and try to strike out on her own. So far, she and her baked goods are a big hit. She not only delivers deliciousness but also does a bunch of events throughout the year.
You can see where she'll be next on her website. You can check out some of her amazing work on her Instagram. Her creativity, energy and product variety are endless.
There are quite a few talented culinary artists like Emily striking out on their own in different ways. There are plenty of food trucks and now there are brick-and-mortar facilities designed for people like Emily Gaston and other like her. She does her work alongside other talented chefs in a commercial kitchen called Cherry Street Kitchen in Trenton.
It's a trend that's growing around the country that allows talented chefs to ply their trade without their own retail location.
Jersey girl living her dream and spreading deliciousness
You can check out some of what Emily Gaston has to offer at some upcoming events:
May 1: Allentown Street Fair
May 7: McGalliard Elementary School
June 5-Sept. 25: Every Sunday Bordentown Farmers Market
July-August: Every Tuesday Robbinsville Farmers Market
It's worth the trip wherever she sets up shop.
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.
You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now: | https://nj1015.com/nj-girl-living-her-dream-and-spreading-deliciousness/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:31 | 1 | https://nj1015.com/nj-girl-living-her-dream-and-spreading-deliciousness/ |
A Central Florida man was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury convicted him for killing his 5-month-old son.
Jurors voted for the sentence at the end of Calib Scott’s trial, WESH reported on Thursday.
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In 2019, Scott abused the child by dropping him on the floor, picking him up by the throat, then hitting him while dangling him in the air.
The report said officials were called around 1:30 a.m. to an address on North Yonge Street after a caller said the boy was having trouble breathing, WESH reported.
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Officials took him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Scott confessed to authorities that he used “severe physical force” on his son, WESH reported.
Read the full report on wesh.com. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/volusia-county/os-ne-central-florida-man-receives-life-in-prison-for-killing-5-month-old-son-20220415-6hctp4bu55ftlkz35sjymcgj6y-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:42:33 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/volusia-county/os-ne-central-florida-man-receives-life-in-prison-for-killing-5-month-old-son-20220415-6hctp4bu55ftlkz35sjymcgj6y-story.html |
Princeton, NJ blows up with Hollywood celebrities this week
Yes, you read it right. A movie is being filmed right now in Princeton and some big celebrities have been spotted on the Princeton University campus this week.
The movie being filmed is called "Oppenheimer." It's about the development of the atomic bomb and it’s expected to come out in 2023. Not only is the movie itself directed by Christopher Nolan, but it’s starring iconic actors like Cillian Murphy, Robert Downy Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Florence Pugh.
The stars were spotted filming on the campus and there are pictures starting to circulate on Twitter now as everyone gets hyped up for this film to be released.
If you want to see some of the insider pics that the university students have been snagging for the fans, click here and here to check out some super sneak peeks of what could be the biggest movie of next year.
Sources are saying that all of the stars were spotted on campus filming this past Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but nothing is confirmed if anyone was spotted today yet.
If I hear anything else, I’ll for sure keep you posted on what I find. It’s not every day that stars this big are just stumbling through Mercer County, NJ, so everyone is on high alert to hopefully snag a selfie with one of the actors.
"Oppenheimer" is a movie that follows the story of the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer. It goes on to tell the story of his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
The leaked videos that are starting to circulate on Twitter are of them filmed by the library and by other historical buildings you can find throughout the campus.
If you plan on visiting Princeton sometime this weekend, make sure to keep one eye open for these celebs while you’re walking down Nassau Street. | https://nj1015.com/princeton-nj-blows-up-with-hollywood-celebrities-this-week/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:37 | 0 | https://nj1015.com/princeton-nj-blows-up-with-hollywood-celebrities-this-week/ |
After 14 spring practices open to guests and media, Hurricanes fans will finally get their first look at Mario Cristobal’s Miami team when UM takes the field for the spring game at noon on Saturday.
This is the first Hurricanes spring game open to fans since 2019. The 2020 game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 game was closed to the general public for the same reason. Although the Hurricanes went 7-5 last season, Cristobal’s hire and his new staff have generated a lot of buzz around the team.
Whether you’re one of the nearly 20,000 fans expected to fill Fort Lauderdale’s sold-out DRV PNK Stadium, or if you’re watching on ACC Network, here are five things to keep an eye on:
1. How does the offensive line look?
It’s cliché to say that the offensive line is the backbone of a team, but sometimes clichés are true. No one knows that better than Mario Cristobal, who is a former Hurricanes offensive lineman himself. Zion Nelson appears entrenched at left tackle, and Jakai Clark has earned a lot of praise from the coaches for his work at center. Expect several players to get into the mix and compete for roles at the other positions. D.J. Scaife, Logan Sagapolu, Ousman Traore and Justice Oluwaseun are among those who will also be in the mix on Saturday. Keep an eye out for the top performers on the line.
[ RELATED: ‘I think it’s really neat’ — Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal embracing NIL landscape ]
2. Big plays from backup quarterbacks
Tyler Van Dyke is Miami’s starting quarterback. There’s no controversy or debate about that. He followed up a breakout 2021 season with, by all accounts, a strong spring. But that doesn’t mean Jake Garcia and Jacurri Brown won’t impress on Saturday. Both have looked good in spring practice, with Brown’s improvement particularly noticeable.
“Coach Cristobal said [Thursday] was my best day,” Brown said Thursday, “and I’ve just got to have a better day on Saturday. All the lights are on, 18,000 people there. It’s going to be great.”
3. Who has the breakout?
A fun part of every team’s spring game is keeping an eye out for a new or under-the-radar player who bursts onto the scene in front of the fans. Henry Parrish Jr. is new to the Hurricanes, having transferred from Ole Miss. Parrish is a Miami native and has received many first-team reps in practice. Playing in a Hurricanes uniform for the first time and playing in South Florida again, he could have a big day. On the defensive side of the ball, lineman and Weston native Jake Lichtenstein, who transferred from USC, has gotten into the mix at defensive tackle. Brian Balom, a Miramar alumnus, has flown under the radar and could make some plays at safety.
4. Sticking to the basics
The spring game will be a good first look at the Hurricanes under Cristobal and his new staff. But the Hurricanes plan to keep a certain amount of their playbook under wraps, so they don’t give anything away to opponents. Of course, coaches who will face Miami this year will watch film on the Hurricanes from last season and the spring game, as well as Josh Gattis’ offense at Michigan and Kevin Steele’s defense at his previous stops. But the Miami staff doesn’t want to give opponents any new material in the spring game.
“Obviously, we’re a new staff, so we’re not going to open up our playbook,” Steele said. “We’re not going to put our scouting report on TV or the news. We’re going to leave a little bit of figuring for what we are and who we are. So that’ll be a challenge because you stand over there, and you want to make a certain call in a certain situation and you can’t do it because of the situation we’re in, so you bite your tongue and keep moving.”
5. Commitment watch?
The Hurricanes will host many top prospects on Saturday. There are many targets who will be in South Florida this weekend, including four-star safety Joenel Aguero, four-star offensive lineman Zechariah Owens and four-star tight ends Riley Williams and Jaxon Howard, among others. It’s a big chance for the Hurricanes to make an impression on visiting prospects. Four-star offensive lineman Antonio Tripp Jr., who committed to the Hurricanes in March, will also be visiting. He said he sees himself as a leader in the class. Will he get in the ear of any of the other players visiting and swing them toward Miami? | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/miami-hurricanes/fl-sp-um-spring-game-storylines-20220415-4xntygd2mbaqfaiy64c5k44joe-story.html | 2022-04-15T15:42:40 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/miami-hurricanes/fl-sp-um-spring-game-storylines-20220415-4xntygd2mbaqfaiy64c5k44joe-story.html |
Finally, we have a date for recreational marijuana sales in the state of New Jersey. The state couldn't even be cool enough to have it on 4/20 but they've decided on 4/21.
It only comes 534 days after the citizens of the state voted to make it legal. What do you expect? It's the government. Not only is it the government, it's the state of New Jersey. The initial sales will be coming from already established medical dispensaries.
There are plenty of people who already get cannabis for "medical use" and in some cases, it's a real need with positive results in relieving pain and or anxiety. However, the folks who purchase weed at these facilities have a lot of anxiety over the price. If prices remain at the level they are for "medicinal" purposes for the recreational stuff, we may have a problem.
It's doubtful that people who don't already partake will start going to these outlets, even though that was the fear of some of the people who were against legalization.
If you already use it in its many forms, from gummies to vape pens to good old "flower" as it's known by its users, would you go to the state-run store? The state-run store has overhead and its Mafia bosses (the state of New Jersey) who they have to pay tribute to.
Many people we talked to say the price will be too much for them to abandon their current source, which has no overhead and no taxes.
These places will have to spend a lot on advertising to attract already satisfied customers. What if the state's licensed stores can't compete? That would be a real bummer man.
Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.
You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now: | https://nj1015.com/will-people-buy-weed-from-the-nj-sanctioned-stores-or-their-friends-opinion/ | 2022-04-15T15:42:43 | 0 | https://nj1015.com/will-people-buy-weed-from-the-nj-sanctioned-stores-or-their-friends-opinion/ |
Orbit Room putting its own spin on the Bloomington bar scene, with beer, bands and pinball
Descend a set of stairs to join songwriters, musicians, comedians, imbibers and non-drinkers, arcade gamers and hot dog lovers — even vegan ones. It's on, or kind of under, Bloomington's downtown square. It's the Orbit Room.
The hot dog buns are soft and the games hard to resist. A pinball room, behind glass doors, greats patrons at the foot of the entry staircase. These machines are not your great aunt's pinball games.
More:Party in historic limestone mill to celebrate merger of theater, film groups
Bartender Amanda Korak served up some of the Orbit Room's unusual beers one evening late last month as people entered looking for coziness and repast.
"The owner, Mike, always brings in good bands," Korak said. One is Matixando. The stage, a black box type of setup, is behind the pinball room, in the main part of the restaurant-bar. Matixando played on it right before the pandemic.
David Davila Gonzales founded Matixando in Costa Rica in 2011. Today, in Bloomington, he leads the band and provides lead vocals, rhythm guitar and songwriting.
The Orbit Room's intimate feel allows bands to relate to the audience, Gonzales said in a text.
"The sound quality is always very good, and the people are always kind and really attentive and connected to the music."
The Orbit Room reminds Gonzales of a venue in San Jose, Costa Rica, called El Sótano ("the Basement"). With the possible exception of Bloomignton's Root Cellar, Gonzales couldn't think of any other regional venues with the Orbit's "essence."
"This place always reminds me of (Washington) D.C.," said Kerry McEvilly, who had come to meet his brother and his sister-in-law, Jeff and Lori McEvilly. "It's got that kind of vibe," Kerry said.
More:The Cade: Video and arcade gaming bar includes a side of trivia
Lori scanned the notable menu — for example, there's a hot dog named the Moira Rose (Netflix' "Schitt's Creek's" lead character). Although Lori has been to the Orbit Room before, this was her maiden hot dog-tasting voyage.
Songwriters meet monthly, and there are Karaoke and trivia nights. Another event was an escape room night, where patrons dressed from the 1920s. The stage is ringed with little red, yellow and blue lights, which tie in with the pinball machines' flashing illumination. Meanwhile, the staff oozes smiling warmth.
Michael Klinge and his partner, Katherine Novotny, opened the Orbit Room in October 2018. Klinge had lived in California for 10 years and moved back to Bloomington, where he and Novotny noticed a void. They felt Bloomington needed a space that wasn't just for the college crowd. A touring musician, Klinge has seen many bars in many states.
"I took some of my favorite attributes of those places and tried to give it our own twist," he said. Some of the venues that inspired the Orbit Room are Amnesia in San Francisco, the Cave in Chapel Hill, N.C., and Raccoon Motel in Davenport, Iowa. For the Orbit Room, they book both local and touring bands.
"Bloomington needed a smaller listening room and some tasty food that hits the spot at happy hour or at 30 minutes before closing."
Eric Hook, a comedian from Kentucky who said Bloomington has one of the best comedy scenes in the region, enjoys Neal Meyer's regular shows at the Orbit Room. Meyer runs a monthly Wednesday comedy show there, Dropkick Comedy, in which he uses a troupe of local comedians.
"(The Orbit Room) has a kind of dim-lit speakeasy vibe," Hook said.
"I couldn't' even believe a place like this even existed in Bloomington."
It does.
If you go
- What: The Orbit Room restaurant and bar with live entertainment and pinball.
- Where: 107 N. College Ave. #001, down an outdoor staircase; 812-369-4130; facebook.com/orbitroombtown/.
- When: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tuesdays feature trivia at 7 p.m. and karaoke at 8:30. Wednesdays offer live music, a DJ, Dropkick Comedy or the Cosmic Songwriters Club. Thursdays and Fridays have live music or a DJ.
- More: Find Dropkick Comedy at instagram.com/dropkickcomedy/. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/15/orbit-room-bloomington-downtown-square-bars-pinball-machines/7285883001/ | 2022-04-15T15:46:47 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/04/15/orbit-room-bloomington-downtown-square-bars-pinball-machines/7285883001/ |
Column: Collective feasting returns as Good Friday, Passover, Ramadan coincide
Now the queen of seasons, bright
with the day of splendor,
with the royal feast of feasts
comes its joy to render!
— “Come, Ye Faithful” (Easter hymn)
In 2022, Good Friday and Passover coincide exactly, which happens rarely, though Easter and Passover seasons often overlap. Ramadan is almost all of April. And though it is a time for Muslims to fast, each day ends with the Iftar feast! So feasting is in the air on this Good Friday/Passover.
Two local women represent the good that an open and hospitable table can bring — to religious congregations and their wider community. Kate Kroll is a mainstay in the First Christian Church, having moved here with her husband 70 years ago. Now a spry 95-year old, she is the “hostess with the mostest” in church and community. COVID forced her to pause some of her activities, but now her deep involvement with International students is strong again. In addition to family, for Easter dinner she’ll host students from at least six different countries, and she often takes them to ballgames and other events and activities.
During Lent, she traveled for an hour to Washington to see several family members in the small Indiana town take part in a dramatic representation of the life of Christ. And while her traditional “coffee fellowships” at the church were scuttled for two years, they are back — the first was on Palm Sunday, to be followed an even bigger “feast of feasts” for the season on Easter. Parishioners gather before church and then after for the best kind of “koinonia” fellowship. For a church known for its “open table,” Kroll's gift of hospitality makes that writ even larger. Feasts this weekend will be bigger and better than ever, and the meaning of “eucharistic” thanksgiving even more poignant.
Meanwhile, holding forth a unique Passover Seder tonight will be Lesley Levin, past president of Congregation Beth Shalom. Also an interfaith leader, Levin just finished a term as board chair for Monroe County United Ministries. Historically a largely Christian cooperative ministry, MCUM reached out to the Jewish community and Levin answered that need, providing stellar leadership.
For the first time in two years, she will be able to gather family and friends for tonight’s first Passover Seder, including 14 persons at the feast. It is typical, she says, for Jews to invite non-Jewish neighbors and friends to join them on this most important night of the year. Her menu reflects their inclusion.
As a longtime social worker, Levin is keenly aware of the needs of the local community and world. Her congregation is one of several in Bloomington providing help to Afghan refugee families. The needs of those suffering from the war in Ukraine are also uppermost in their minds, remembering that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish, and that the suffering of oppression and the desire for freedom is a strong theme of the Passover story.
Both Kroll and Levin are grateful that for the first time in many months they will be able to gather folks together to celebrate the Easter and Passover holidays in more traditional ways. Those celebrations, each in its own way, will remember the ancestry of the Jewish people and the remarkable admonition of the Hebrew Bible: “Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were once foreigners in Egypt." (Exodus 22:21)
And Passover even appears in a traditional Easter hymn:
Earth, tell it out abroad;
the Passover of gladness,
the Passover of God….
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein!
— John of Damascus, “The Day of Resurrection” | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2022/04/15/good-friday-passover-coincide-today-during-ramadan/7288293001/ | 2022-04-15T15:46:53 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2022/04/15/good-friday-passover-coincide-today-during-ramadan/7288293001/ |
New Indiana law is meant to protect free speech at universities. It may do the opposite.
Amidst a chorus of cheers, boos and "Let her finish" chants, conservative political commentator Ann Coulter walked off the Whittenberger Auditorium stage before college student Tara Layous finished asking her question.
Prior to its slightly fiery conclusion, the student action against Coulter's appearance at Indiana University early this month was relatively restrained. There were no protesters picketing outside the event. The nearby sidewalk's chalk work, sporting "Racist gathering" in bright pink letters with an arrow pointing toward the IMU, was the only prominent sign in the surrounding area. During Coulter's speech on the history of conservatism, the crowd's interruptions were sparse and far between.
More:IU waiting for instruction on Trump's campus speech order
It was only during the event's Q&A portion, when Coulter said Layous was taking too long to ask a question, that the mood shifted.
After a brief back and forth with a few audience members, Coulter left the stage. When asked why she was in such a hurry to shuffle along questions, Coulter responded she had a plane to catch. She noted the event, which was scheduled for 60 minutes, had already run over its allotted time.
Coulter later tweeted the event was "the funnest (sic) event I've done since COVID," with many questions from "the liberals, who were perfectly polite" until Layous' turn.
Immediately following the event, Layous, a senior at IU, told The Herald-Times she didn't come to the event as a protester. Layous said she didn't intend to prompt Coulter to leave and was disappointed the people after her didn't get to ask their own questions.
While Layous said she can't speak on whether free speech at Indiana University is protected as a whole, "I don't think it was (protected) today."
That's something state lawmakers sought to change during the most recent session of the Indiana General Assembly. Legislators intensified free speech protection on college campuses by passing House Bill 1190, which was later signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Under this legislation, universities must create and publish clear policies on free speech rights and protections for students, faculty members and staff. Universities cannot prohibit protected expressive activities at an outdoor, accessible area on campus, though they can enforce restrictions on the time, place and manner.
The new law also requires universities to submit an annual report of complaints to a higher education commission. If a student or student organization claims their right to free speech has been violated on campus, they can seek legal action, which could grant them up to $50,000, court costs and attorney's fees.
IU expert: law could 'chill free speech'
While the new law's stated purpose is to better protect speech, some have questioned whether its fine print will preserve or hinder a person's constitutional rights.
"The statute, whatever the intent of it might be, might actually chill protected speech instead of protect speech," said Joseph Tomain, a lecturer at IU's Maurer School of Law.
The legislation has drawn negative reactions from some IU faculty members, including Tomain. He describes himself as a fierce protector of free speech and has dedicated his time both as a lawyer and educator to the topic.
"It's better to have some false speech be protected than it is to risk having truthful speech be unprotected. There is a cost to the United States' strong free speech protections, but ultimately, I think it's a cost worth paying in order to ensure that we have a functional democracy," Tomain said, noting that democracies work best when there's a free marketplace of ideas.
There are some aspects of the new law Tomain appreciates, such as requiring universities to have accessible free speech policies and attempting to bar counter-protesters from using a "heckler's veto," which happens when a person or group who disagrees with a speaker's message is able to silence them through disruptive intervention.
Those positives aside, Tomain said he has some issues with the bill's language.
For example, the law defines "harassment" as speech or conduct that is unwelcome, severe, pervasive and "subjectively and objectively offensive" and results in a student being denied equal access to educational opportunities or benefits provided by the institution.
"The definition of harassment is most likely in violation of the First Amendment," Tomain said. According to Tomain, the First Amendment protects speech that is unwelcome, severe and pervasive while also noting "offensive" is too subjective to be used in this context.
The legislation also prohibits universities from requiring leaders or members of a student organization to comply with that organization's beliefs or standard of conduct.
"Once you start to put these kind of limits, these requirements that anybody can join any organization, that could be a unconstitutional interference with freedom of association," Tomain said.
Under the First Amendment's freedom of association, an organization can accept or decline membership based on certain criteria.
"Say, for example, you have a pro-life organization and you have pro-choice members that start to take it over. They become the president (and) they become members. Well, should we really require the pro-choice or the pro-life organization to include (members that have the inverse belief)?" Tomain said.
Tomain isn't the only one who has voiced reservations about the law. Speaking with Indiana education-focused publication Chalkbeat, Sheila Kennedy, a professor emeritus of law and public policy at IUPUI's Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said the legislation could encourage additional litigation and complicate the legal precedent of the First Amendment.
Tomain also took issue with the law's granting of legal proceedings if a student or student organization feels their right to free speech has been violated.
"The remedial provision here has the potential to chill speech if people start to be afraid that they're going to be sued, and not only have to pay for their own lawyers, but also potentially pay for the lawyers of the other side and the court costs," Tomain said.
While the statute explicitly states the university would cover the plaintiff's attorney fees if proven to be at fault, the statute does not limit who can be sued, according to Tomain.
While constitutional rights are protected against federal or state infringement, such as police, schools or Congress, Tomain noted it's possible for claims of free speech violations to be brought against private citizens or groups.
"I'm not certain that this is the best way to protect free speech," Tomain said.
New law won't change much at IU, spokesman said
IU's free speech policy is posted online at freespeech.iu.edu. The webpage features a note about campus diversity as well as a separate page answering frequently asked questions. Students can also contact faculty members who are considered experts on the First Amendment.
IU spokesman Chuck Carney said the webpage has been up for several years and was created after IU students began asking similar questions about their rights on campus.
"We wanted to have a central location to point people to in case they had questions," Carney said.
Since 2017, IU has enlisted the Demonstration Response and Safety Team, which includes volunteer faculty members and student affairs professionals, to attend demonstrations, rallies and protests held on campus.
At least two team members try to be at any demonstration on campus. The team members are passive observers who are there to answer any questions about a person's rights to free speech. They also ensure there are no disruptions, such as a heckler's veto, that prevent freedom of expression.
DRST is currently led by Kathy Adams Riester, associate vice provost for student affairs and executive associate dean of students, and Katie Paulin, assistant dean for student support and outreach. John Summerlot, the university coordinator of military and veteran services, previously led the team and still acts as a volunteer.
According to Summerlot, the team's formation was inspired by political scientist Charles Murray's controversial visit to IU's campus in April 2017. Murray, who identifies as a libertarian, has been accused of promoting racist views.
More:The price of free speech: Murray's visit and accompanying protests cost IU nearly $15,000
"We didn't have anybody versed in freedom of speech on campus," Summerlot noted.
According to Carney, the new law won't lead to any major changes at IU. The university already has some of the legislation's stipulations in place, such as the published free speech policy. The university also regularly updates its free speech policies and procedures to stay in adherence to best practices and guidelines, he said.
According to Carney, IU was ultimately supportive of the new law.
"We felt like this was something that we certainly were comfortable with, because we knew that we were already implementing many of the things that were put in place," Carney said.
Though the law could conceivably be challenged in court later on, it is currently in place for universities in Indiana.
Contact Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com or @RachelSmithNews on Twitter. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/15/indiana-free-speech-law-universities/7156929001/ | 2022-04-15T15:46:59 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/15/indiana-free-speech-law-universities/7156929001/ |
The MCCSC needs another referendum if it doesn't want to make cuts. How might it be done?
If voters in the Monroe County Community School Corp. district don’t approve another referendum this year, without some serious cutbacks the district's finances will be in the red within two years.
The MCCSC board heard a presentation Tuesday from consulting firm Baker Tilly about potential referendum options that would keep the district afloat.
People who live in the MCCSC district likely will vote on another six-year referendum proposal during the Nov. 8 election, as the one currently providing MCCSC with additional revenue from local property taxes is set to expire after this year. The school board will decide by June whether to place a referendum on the November ballot.
Referendum money funds some teacher and support staff salaries, extracurriculars and field trips, along with initiatives related to dual language, performing arts and science, technology, engineering and math. It does not fund principal or superintendent salaries or building renovations or repairs.
More:Many kids gained extra weight during the pandemic. It isn't necessarily a bad thing.
About 93% of referendum funds go toward salaries, MCCSC Superintendent Jeff Hauswald said. The corporation also wants to raise the minimum hourly wage to $15 an hour — about a $2.25 increase — using funding from the referendum, Hauswald said.
The MCCSC has relied on referendum funds since one was first approved in 2010, after then-Gov. Mitch Daniels ordered the state education budget be cut by $300 million and the MCCSC was forced to lay off more than 60 teachers.
“The reality is that this wouldn’t be a conversation if the funding was equitable and adequate across the state,” Hauswald said.
When the 2010 referendum passed, MCCSC restored much of what was lost in the initial cut and added programs and resources. The additional funding from a special property tax rate of up to 14 cents per $100 of assessed valuation was approved for six years.
Again, in 2016, voters in the MCCSC district approved a referendum that has helped fund the school system. The additional funding from a property tax rate of 11.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation runs through the end of this year.
Since 2010, referendum funds have brought in about $7.3 million annually, Hauswald said. But as inflation increases, this is no longer enough to fund salaries if the district wants to remain competitive, Hauswald said.
“We need to continue to increase our salaries … to attract and retain the best and most qualified teachers, as well as attract and retain our food service preparation workers, bus drivers and paraprofessionals.”
At the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, the MCCSC had about 10 open teaching positions and more than 100 open support staff positions, most in transportation and for special education paraprofessionals.
Potential tax levy options presented
Financial consultants from Baker Tilly presented three potential tax levy options to the board Tuesday. A property tax levy through a referendum is basically the district’s only choice if it wants to increase revenue, adviser Brock Bowsher said.
“In the state of Indiana, schools are afforded one opportunity to increase revenue: operating referendum,” he said. “You can’t do a use tax, can’t do a sales tax, can’t do a fee tax.”
The first option was to ask for 11.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, which is the same as the 2016 rate. This would bring in $11 million annually but without cutbacks would still leave the corporation with a negative cash balance by 2026.
The second option was to ask for 16.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, which would bring in $15.8 million annually. This would leave the corporation with a negative cash balance by 2028.
The third option was to ask for 21.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This would bring in $20.6 million annually and leave the corporation with a positive cash balance through 2030.
The three options are only suggestions, Hauswald explained, and the corporation can always choose to do something else entirely, including cutting services or limiting growth of salaries.
Others are reading:IU Bloomington graduate workers, supporters push back on administration's response
“There can be a hybrid between cuts and levies,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”
If the referendum is approved, regardless of the rate the corporation chooses, the uptick in property taxes would cost the average homeowner a few dollars per week, Hauswald said. For example, someone with a home with a market value around $250,000 would pay around an extra $160 per year with the highest suggested tax levy, or a little over $3 per week, according to Baker Tilly's estimated calculations.
"This is ... a weekly cup of coffee," Hauswald said. "We're not even talking about a daily cup of coffee."
The MCCSC has the eighth lowest total tax rate out of nearly 300 Indiana school districts, at 63 cents per $100 of property value, John Kenny, MCCSC director of business operations, said at a March committee meeting.
Corporation promises transparency in referendum campaign
After the 2010 referendum, some supporters criticized the MCCSC because they felt the final spending plan included extras they weren’t told about during the campaign.
In response, the 2016 referendum committee promised more transparency. And as the corporation works toward its June 2022 decision, it’s promising the same.
“We want to ask for the least amount possible to continue doing amazing work,” Hauswald said.
A referendum advisory committee, made up of community members and stakeholders, has met several times since March 2022 to discuss why the referendum is important and advise the school board on how to move forward.
Presentation notes and other information from the meetings, as well as other referendum information, is available on the MCCSC website.
Principals and district administrators will meet with staff members and attend PTO meetings in May to provide information and ask for feedback, Hauswald said.
Additionally, the corporation website will soon include a tax calculator where homeowners can input data about their home value and figure out how much more any proposal to raise the property tax rate in the new referendum might cost them, both annually and monthly.
A recording of Tuesday’s meeting can also be viewed through the MCCSC website.
Contact Herald-Times reporter Christine Stephenson at cstephenson@heraldt.com. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/15/monroe-county-community-school-2022-referendum/7287021001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:05 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/education/2022/04/15/monroe-county-community-school-2022-referendum/7287021001/ |
It's Your Business: Making your own luck takes hard work and funding
If you Google quotations about "making your own luck," results all follow the same basic idea: More often than not, luck is the result of hard work.
Despite the pandemic, Bloomington’s economy has recently been on a “lucky” streak. The community had significant cash reserves and reallocated $6 million through the mayor’s Recover Forward initiative to make counter-cyclical investments in our community — whether through climate investments, job training, programs to address housing insecurity, raises for our police, and investments in local food. Additionally, the city received $22.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, which is allocated from 2021 through 2023 and supports the same priorities: climate, housing, job growth and public safety.
Bloomington also has been lucky to be able to attract and grow significant job opportunities from large and smaller employers during this time. We are seeing wage growth that is outpacing our fellow cities across the state. But our lucky streak is the result of many years' worth of hard work and investment by a combination of public and private sector people and organizations all working together to help improve our city.
Previous It's Your Business:Sustaining southern Indiana's defense and agricultural economies
If you think about what you love most about Bloomington, your thoughts might land on our amazing park system or our growing network of bike and pedestrian paths. You might think about our cultural assets, so disproportionate with a city our size. You might recognize the community’s network of organizations supporting the most disadvantaged among us. You might point to the vast natural resources that surround us, whether the Hoosier National Forest, Lake Monroe or that neighbor’s beautiful garden down the street.
None of these quality-of-life assets were inevitable, and all are constantly at risk of decline. It not only took significant effort to put them in place, but it also takes significant effort to keep them vibrant. Like that neighbor’s garden, it takes daily care and feeding to keep our city thriving. In fact, the fertilizer of federal funding that was essential to our recent vibrancy through the pandemic will not continue beyond 2023.
As a result, the city council will consider an increase to local income tax and the implementation of general obligation bonds in support of our city’s future.
Residents may not equally value every aspect of the proposed funding plans. Some residents might be more interested in helping underserved members of our community develop job skills; other residents might be most passionate about investments in climate preparedness or support for our artists; still others might be focused first and foremost on our housing challenges or the public transportation system or public safety. Like the diversity of people and interests in our community, the proposed new funding plans include a broad range of investments, all of which are needed.
But together each of these plans contributes to a greater whole that helps Bloomington continue to evolve and thrive. It will help the city retain and attract the next generation of citizens that will be as committed to the community’s future as past generations were to building it.
This new funding will help us stay lucky well into the future.
Alex Crowley is director of Bloomington's Economic and Sustainable Development Department. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/15/bloomingtons-lucky-streak-economy-result-hard-work-funding/7303018001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:11 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/15/bloomingtons-lucky-streak-economy-result-hard-work-funding/7303018001/ |
Thunderstorm causes power outage, generator fire, sewer overflow north of Bloomington
A power outage and a small generator fire at a local utility plant caused about 260,400 gallons of a wastewater/stormwater mixture to be discharged into a field northwest of Bloomington.
During Wednesday’s thunderstorm, the electrical grid at the Blucher Poole Wastewater Treatment Plant went down, a spokeswoman for City of Bloomington Utilities said. A backup generator started as intended, but when grid power returned, the generator did not shut off, causing it to overheat, catch fire and short out power again.
The plant, about five miles north of Ind. 46, lost power for about an hour, compromising its ability to handle wastewater during that period. The wastewater backed up in the pipe that feeds the plant. Rainwater poured in and caused the sanitary sewer to overflow, ejecting the sewerage/stormwater mix through a manhole and into a field adjacent to North Bottom Road.
More:Vernal Pike, Profile Parkway connector project set to begin construction next spring
The utility estimates that about 260,400 gallons escaped. For comparison, the city’s Bryan Park Pool contains about 330,000 gallons of clean water. According to CBU, the Blucher plant on average treats more than 4.5 million gallons of wastewater per day.
Holly McLauchlin, spokeswoman for CBU, said the fire at the Blucher plant was very small and caused no injuries.
Jason Allen, public information officer for the Monroe Fire Protection District, said crews were dispatched at 6:43 p.m. Wednesday but saw no flames when they arrived. Firefighters left after using a heat-detecting camera to make sure no danger lingered.
McLauchlin said a damage estimate on the camper-sized generator was not yet available. It had been scheduled for routine maintenance next week. Details on the generator weren't immediately available, but officials believe it to have an output of 650 watts. They estimated its replacement cost at $80,000.
McLauchlin said the utility reported the overflow to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management as required.
Wednesday’s overflow was the second CBU reported this year. The utility sent out an emergency alert on March 7 to inform residents near Jackson Creek Park, south of Bloomington, about an overflow on South Rogers Street between Charles Street and South Old Ind. 37.
Others are reading:The MCCSC needs another referendum if it doesn't want to make cuts. How might it be done?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, such overflows can “contaminate our waters, causing serious water quality problems, and back-up into homes, causing property damage and threatening public health.”
The agency estimates that up to 75,000 such overflows happen in the country every year, excluding sewage backups into buildings.
McLauchlin said CBU does its best to avoid overflows, but they can happen occasionally for reasons including rain, mechanical failures or a clogged pipe.
The utility provides historical data about overflows at tinyurl.com/48hhh3nj
Boris Ladwig is the city government reporter for The Herald-Times. Contact him at bladwig@heraldt.com. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/15/thunderstorm-causes-bloomington-power-outage-fire-sewer-overflow/7325612001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:17 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/15/thunderstorm-causes-bloomington-power-outage-fire-sewer-overflow/7325612001/ |
Vernal Pike, Profile Parkway connector project set to begin construction next spring
A project meant to relieve congestion and reduce the risk of vehicle-train collisions northwest of Bloomington is moving along after Monroe County officials approved $1 million for construction supervision.
The project, set to begin work next spring, will link Vernal Pike with Profile Parkway and Gates Drive by extending Sunrise Greetings Court.
Jim Shelton, a member of Monroe County Redevelopment Commission, spoke in favor of the project at Wednesday's county commissioners meeting. Shelton said the project will improve traffic flow as well as provide better access to Ivy Tech Community College and nearby shopping centers. The project also aims to reduce the risk of vehicle-train collisions at the Curry Pike railroad crossing.
In total, construction of the new 0.42 mile roadway is projected to cost around $13 million. The county received a little over $7 million from the Indiana Department of Transportation to help fund the work, with the county expected to cover the remaining cost.
Nearby development:Officials hope Profile Parkway extension will ease traffic, spur economic development
At Wednesday's commissioners meeting, the county hired consulting company Beam, Longest and Neff to supervise the construction site in a $1 million agreement. According to highway director Lisa Ridge, federally funded projects like this are required to have inspection services, which commonly make up a percentage of the overall cost of construction.
Ridge said the highway department has worked with the company before and selected Beam, Longest and Neff for its experience in bridge construction. As part of this project, the construction crew will build a bridge over a portion of the Indiana Rail Road tracks located behind Kohl's in the Whitehall Crossing shopping center.
Eastside construction:What's happening at the old Kmart site on Bloomington's east side?
County personnel are still working on the project's preliminary design work and right of way acquisition. The project is expected to go out for bid in November with construction slated for spring 2023.
Contact Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com or @RachelSmithNews on Twitter. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/15/vernal-pike-profile-parkway-traffic-construction-bloomington-monroe-county/7303941001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:23 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/15/vernal-pike-profile-parkway-traffic-construction-bloomington-monroe-county/7303941001/ |
Column: Response to IU’s anti-union statement from the perspective of a unionized student
Graduate student employees choose to come to IU for an education, but IU chooses to take them in order to profit. The academic component of being a graduate student — "attending class, conducting research and writing dissertations" — provides the expertise that lets IU justify charging undergraduates exorbitant tuition to have a significant portion of their credit-hours be taught by fellow students. The university administrators pretends they have have some alternate labor source of PhD-educated workers ready to teach full time for poverty wages, and keep appointments at part-time out of the goodness of their heart. Well, I'm sure this undercover team of would-be professors willing to work for graduate student wages will come in handy during the strike.
Read more:IU Bloomington graduate workers, supporters push back on administration's response
A union would not "alter (graduate student workers') status from students to employees." The university admits that these workers perform "paid academic work." Many would use the term "employee" to describe those who perform "paid work" with regular job duties assigned by the university (giving instruction, writing exams, grading) on timelines scheduled by the university (discussions are taught at fixed times, grades are due on fixed dates) under the supervision of the university professors.
Having a union would not change anyone's focus. In fact, I imagine that graduate students would have a lot more time to focus on their education if they did not worry about paying for food and shelter. Historically, academia has thrived when its participants are neither homeless nor starving. Indeed, the only thing that threatens to shift the workers' focus from education to work is being overworked by their employer. Luckily, there exists a great mechanism to defend against unexpected workload increases — unions!
The university will be delighted to know that a union would not prevent the application of their 5% stipend increase. The university's desire to have "open and active dialogue" with the graduate students would be greatly facilitated by a dedicated group of graduate students to speak with regularly about graduate student needs — dare I say, a bargaining committee?
The other side:Indiana University dean makes case against graduate students unionizing
The university also seems worried about "the elimination of academic freedom protections and insurance coverage and tuition waivers" after unionization. Strangely, no mention is made of who, exactly, would choose to eliminate these benefits. It would be quite surprising for unionized graduate students to demand to worsen their compensation and rights. Since the university is so dedicated to preserving these rights, they would surely be glad to include them in their first contract with the union. So there seems to be nothing to fear — unless, of course, the university is threatening to revoke those rights itself...
And finally, perhaps the university has not heard of the graduate students at other R1 institutions — for instance, Washington, California, Harvard, Columbia, Michigan, UIUC, and, as of mere days ago, MIT — who are represented by majority-supported labor unions. Unsurprisingly, university administrators at these schools repeated the same tired anti-union arguments that we see in this letter.
Just as unsurprisingly, workers at these schools trusted their lived experiences over the rhetoric of bureaucrats being paid 20 times what they make. I only hope that IU leadership is not so naïve as to believe their own propaganda, or else they'll have quite a shock when graduate students cease instruction. Then again, perhaps the many thousands of tuition-paying undergraduates won't notice that their classes aren't meeting and work isn't being graded — after all, graduate student workers aren't at IU as employees, apparently, so how could they be doing any work to begin with? Or so the story goes.
Nathan Kenshur, a graduate of BHS North, worked as a unionized math tutor while an undergrad at the University of California, Berkeley. He served as a steward in UAW Local 2865, the union for Academic Student Workers at the University of California, until his graduation last May. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2022/04/15/column-indiana-university-stance-grad-workers-anti-union/7330128001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:29 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2022/04/15/column-indiana-university-stance-grad-workers-anti-union/7330128001/ |
Column: Real and perceived self-interests distort perceptions of the truth
The number of books, articles, and essays that have been written attempting to describe and understand the current divisions in American public life must number in the tens of thousands. I have yet to read anything that fully satisfies, however. And I’m unpersuaded that any well-intentioned effort at bipartisanship or political dialogue is likely to achieve a more united citizenry.
One thing seems abundantly clear. Our deep societal divide has a great deal to do with what we perceive to be the truth. Unfortunately, what people believe to be the truth is not determined solely by evidence, or facts, or logic, or reason. People tend to believe what they want to believe. They tend to want to believe what they perceive to be in their self-interest. They tend to regard their self-interest in ways that justify or legitimize their way of life, the choices and investments they have made, the judgments they have expressed, the loyalties they have forged, and various other characteristics that make them who they are.
Previous Banger column:Today's 'higher' standard of living requires an end to consumer society
So we disagree about global climate change, about the pandemic and vaccinations, about abortion, about the historical roles and current legacy of genocide and racism in America, about the results of the recent presidential election, about the events surrounding and including the events at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2020, and a whole lot more.
In a democratic society, it has long been considered virtuous to agree to disagree about important matters. But with many of the issues facing us today, that is a luxury we can hardly afford.
The planet does not care what we believe about climate change. It is happening now, and will get worse. The best we can do is understand what is happening and why, and do everything possible to mitigate its effects.
The coronavirus does not care what we believe. The virus can obviously kill. We need to decide and act according to our best judgments regarding the value of human life and how best to protect it.
Abortion probably cannot (nor should it) ever be an entirely private matter. Pregnancies don’t just happen. And fetuses, though not persons by any reasonable stretch of law or language, are nascent human lives, not simply bodily tissue.
Genocide and racism have deeply scarred American history. The evidence is incontrovertible. Those who disagree, or now believe that’s all in the past, are in denial about major empirical realities of contemporary American life.
Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in an election that was about as fair and free as any in history. No evidence exists to the contrary.
The events of Jan. 6 did not constitute “legitimate political discourse,” despite the unanimous vote of the Republican National Committee on Feb. 4. Understand, however, that someone who truly believes the presidential election was stolen by Biden and the Democrats could feel justified in trying to reverse that outcome, even by violent means. The Declaration of Independence calls for revolt against an unjust tyrant. But in this case calling an insurrection “legitimate political discourse” was a disingenuous distraction from the real issue, namely the undocumented, patently false belief that the former president was illegally unseated by a fraudulent election.
Again, the great divide in our society closely parallels what is perceived to be the truth. Even truly legitimate political discourse based on facts, evidence, logic and reason has proven insufficient to overcome our differing perceptions of reality. We must also confront and address the enormous and wide-ranging empirical differences in our real and perceived self-interests if we are to make much headway toward the realization of our common good.
Byron Bangert is a retired minister living in Bloomington. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2022/04/15/self-interests-distort-our-perceptions-truth/7234584001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:35 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2022/04/15/self-interests-distort-our-perceptions-truth/7234584001/ |
Krull: Working through grief on the back roads of America
ON THE ROAD — The state highway twists and turns like a piece of tangled string.
I’m in eastern Illinois. I’d come over to the small town in western Indiana where my late brother once worked to settle some of his affairs.
It also was a town where we lived with my grandfather for a summer when I was a boy, more than 50 years ago. I parked near the news stand/soda fountain Grandpa used to take me to when I was in elementary school.
I left the town haunted by memories of my brother, my grandfather and my own young self. I ambled the streets there thinking of moments good and bad I’d shared with them when they both walked this earth and I strolled beside them.
Then I did what I so often have done when the past troubles me.
I hit the road and let the miles covered help me sort things out.
More from John Krull:A tribute to my little brother, a devoted uncle and fighter for the downtrodden
I’m headed to St. Louis, a city where I passed a formative part of my young manhood. I’m going to hang out with old friends and reconnect with an earlier life.
But there’s no hurry in getting there. Instead of barreling toward the interstate, I seek out the old roads and point the car west. I drive over small state highways, past fields that were farms when my grandfather was a child. The heavy rains of the past few weeks have started to turn the grass to that deep green that occurs in the heart of spring.
Grief is a strange thing. It attunes one to loss — to the things and people that depart, to the pieces of one’s own life that come to live only in memory.
When my grandfather was a boy, land such as this was America. Ours was a rural, agrarian society then. All his ancestors had lived on farms and drawn their livings from the earth.
He was part of the generation that changed that.
He burned with an eagerness to learn. He worked his way through college, often walking more than 30 miles from his family home in the hills of southern Indiana to the small liberal arts school where he got his degree.
In the process, he charted a different course for those who followed him. His grandchildren went on to become CEOs, corporate executives, ministers, nurses, lawyers, teachers and, yes, writers.
The wheels roll. I cruise past a farm with an antique tractor parked near an ancient barn —and a cell tower in a field adjacent to the house.
As the cliché goes, the only constant in life is change.
My brother balanced himself uneasily between our birth family’s rural past and urban and suburban present. He graduated from a major university and earned a law degree from the same August institution. When he was young, he sought out the challenges cities presented.
But small towns always spoke to him. He spent the bulk of his career as a reporter and editor for a series of small daily newspapers. The rhythms of life in old and tightly knit communities touched parts of him that nothing else could.
He and I took road trips together. I think of him now as my car glides through the Midwestern countryside. I recall his gift for wry asides and the joy he took in seeing something new or unexpected.
I also think about my grandfather and my apprentice road voyages in the back seat of his old Buick. He liked to talk as he drove. Some of the most fundamental truths I know I first heard as he wheeled us from place to place.
I still can hear his voice, higher pitched than mine with a slow southern Indiana accent.
As my car glides through a small town that seems asleep on this late afternoon, I wonder what my grandfather would make of the world we now inhabit. I ponder the paths that led him away from the farm and my brother back to small towns.
That’s the thing about journeys. No matter how much we plan, they always take us to places we couldn’t entirely expect.
The road in front of me presents a sweeping turn through a small stand of trees.
I motor on, eager, as always, to see what lies around the bend and where the voyage will take me.
John Krull is director of Franklin College's Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2022/04/15/working-through-grief-back-roads-america/7237035001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:41 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2022/04/15/working-through-grief-back-roads-america/7237035001/ |
Letter: Cost of housing a problem for IU students, others
I am writing to you today to speak and advocate on behalf of all low-income college students, non-students and families in Bloomington.
Personally, I am a college student that has had to rely on stimulus checks, financial aid and other supports in order to get by in Bloomington. There are many reasons why, but the main issue that affects students is housing prices. Many of the apartments within Bloomington are very highly priced yet very small. One would think that if the price is higher, the space is bigger, but that is not always the case.
As a college student who is just trying to get to class on time and become successful later in life, it is difficult and extremely disappointing to have to pay an arm and a leg simply to avoid homelessness in a town where college students are the majority. A solution would be to lower the cost of housing in Bloomington due to the fact that college students are already typically low income.
There is no empathy involved within the housing situation in Bloomington. I urge readers to contact the Bloomington Housing Authority and ask them to aid in the fight for more affordable housing.
Arielle Hoffer, Bloomington | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/letters/2022/04/15/letter-cost-housing-problem-iu-students-others/9516539002/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:47 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/letters/2022/04/15/letter-cost-housing-problem-iu-students-others/9516539002/ |
Letter: Food from plants answer to high meat prices
Can you believe the meat price increases predicted by USDA Economic Research Service? 15% for red meat and 11% for fish and eggs! Way over the predicted 8% inflation rate, already the highest in four decades.
The obvious solution recommended by nutritionists — fresh vegetables. They contain all the nutrients required for healthy living and no saturated fats, cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics loaded in animal products. They do contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. They offer vastly reduced risk of contracting heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and obesity.
Fresh vegetables are going up only 4.3% — way below the 8% inflation rate.
But there is more …
A University of Michigan research report found that replacing 50% of animal products with plant-based foods would prevent more than 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gasses by 2030 — President Joe Biden’s target date for a 50% reduction in emissions.
In an environmentally sustainable world, we need to replace meat and other animal products with vegetables, fruits and grains, just as we replace fossil fuels with wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources.
This outrageous meat price increase may be our blessing in disguise.
Bruce Hicks, Bloomington | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/letters/2022/04/15/letter-food-plants-answer-high-meat-prices/9535649002/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:53 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/letters/2022/04/15/letter-food-plants-answer-high-meat-prices/9535649002/ |
After overcoming an injury, Connor Thummel looks like an ace for Edgewood baseball
ELLETTSVILLE — Connor Thummel sure looked right at home.
That shouldn't be such a surprise for a senior. Then consider it had been 11 months since he'd been on his own mound, facing down enemy batters. Even when he had pitched last May, it took a lot of work to get his arm ready to go after an injury.
"I was doing (physical therapy the last month of the seaosn just to be able to play in a game, let alone throw," Thummel said.
This spring, unfavorable weather meant Edgewood's baseball team has held just two practices on its own diamond. He missed the first three games waiting to get enough practices in, so he had pitched just once, last week at Bloomington South.
More:Top 12 Bloomington area high school baseball players to watch in 2022
More:New IHSAA classifications bringing big changes to Edgewood sports
Wednesday's long-awaited home opener and Western Indiana Conference lid-lifter was rained out then rescheduled for a sunny but blustery Thursday. Finally. But Thummel looked anything but anxious, dominating is more like it, in the shocking 17-1, five-inning rout of Indian Creek.
"Definitely super eager," Thummel said. "It was tough watching the team play. I had to just sit there and wait for my chance to get in.
"Against South, it was my first game, so I had to get the nerves out pretty much. For this game, I got to show out. It was just fun to get back in it."
A now healthy Thummel fired a one-hitter over four innings and also got in no the 14-hit fireworks at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run and seven RBI. The Mustangs (2-4, 1-0) piled up 13 runs in the second and third innings to make his mound work pressure free.
"Good pitching performance by Connor," Edgewood coach Bob Jones said. "I thought today, over his other performance, he walked the first kid on five pitches, then he adjusted.
"They've never pitched off this mound this year. Even in practice. He had the ball down in the zone. Last time, he had the ball up, but he got away with it."
Swing and a miss
Thummel struck out eight and worked out of two jams.
He walked the leadoff hitter, who stole second and went to third on a ground out. The next batter bounced to third but Carson Druckrey didn't throw across the diamond. He came home instead and got the runner hung up and into a rundown.
More:Big shoes to fill: Mallory Shelton overcoming diabetes, follows in big brother's footsteps
The game in photos:Bloomington South, Edgewood meet in Monroe County rivalry
In the fourth, Indian Creek (4-4, 1-1) had a single and double with one out, but Thummel fanned the next two batters to end the inning, giving way to Jacob Boggs to close it out.
Edgewood picked off another hesitant runner between third and home to end it.
"All around good play by our kids," Jones said. "Hitting the cut-off man is something we talk about. We tell the kids there's a good chance you can do more with that than throwing all the way to the plate."
Drawing an ace
With Luke Hayden's graduation and ascension to Indiana University, the Mustangs needed a new ace and Thummel (1-1) could be one of the answers.
"Against harder teams, I've already had to step up and throw in year's past," said Thummel, 4-2 with a 2.39 ERA last year while batting .312. "So it's not really out of my element to to have to step up to the plate. As a senior, it's my obligation to take that role and do well.
"It's not really out of anyone's element. I'm sure anyone in the pitching staff could come out and do what they're supposed to do."
More:Zaleski stays hot as Bloomington South baseball faces Edgewood in Monroe County matchup
More:Bloomington South softball takes on Edgewood in Monroe County rivalry game
Thummel has a variety of pitches, two fastballs, a curve, slider and changeup, but focus is the key.
"Just blocking out the fans really," Thummel said. "Just throwing the ball to the glove. Just taking practice seriously and coming out and being able to perform how you practice definitely helps."
Big bat bust out
Edgewood set a season high for hits, getting at least one from eight players.
Leadoff man Cam Ingalls went 2-for-2, scoring three times, Brayden Ault broke the game open with a bases clearing double in the second inning for a 7-0 lead after starter Nolan Ankney had already been chased.
Lefty Mack Headdy, filling in in right for his brother Gabe, went 3-for-3 in the No. 8 spot, making like Rod Carew with three singles in between short and third.
"You don't have to swing hard," Jones said. "Just put it out there."
Ziggy Teran, coming off a complete game win over Terre Haute North on Tuesday, smacked his first and the team's first homer of the season. It was a two-run shot in a seven-run third that made it 14-0.
Thummel capped things off with his first career homer, a three-run blast that rode the breeze over the fence in left center.
"No, I thought it was a lineout for sure," Thummel said. "I wasn't even looking at it. Just put the bat out."
Up next
Edgewood will head to Bedford North Lawrence looking to get on the kind of roll it did last year after a 3-5 start.
More:Top 10 Bloomington area high school baseball games you won't want to miss
"We've been playing bigger schools and seeing some decent pitching," Jones said. "I was shocked. (Indian Creek was) behind Sullivan (on Tuesday) and came back and won, 7-3, which kind of scared me."
But it was Thummel turned out to be the most frightening thing on the field, giving his team a big lift.
"For sure brought up the morale of the team," Thummel said. "Start off 0-4, you just need a win."
Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.
EDGEWOOD 17, INDIAN CREEK 1
Indian Creek (4-4, 1-1 WIC) 000 01— 1 4 2
Edgewood (2-4, 1-0) 167 3x—17 14 0
W: Connor Thummel (1-1). L: Nolan Ankney (2-2). 2B: Arjun Lothe (IC), Brayden Ault (E). HR: Ziggy Taran (E), Thummel (E). | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/sports/2022/04/15/thummel-looks-like-ace-edgewood/7299147001/ | 2022-04-15T15:47:59 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/sports/2022/04/15/thummel-looks-like-ace-edgewood/7299147001/ |
Where do Edgewood, Eastern Greene baseball teams stack up in conference races?
When looking to sort out the baseball race in the Western Indiana Conference, its best to start, and finish, with the Big 3: West Vigo, Northview and Edgewood.
Of the 21 league titles won, that trio has had a hand in 19. Sullivan's crowns in 2017-18 the exception, with Brown County (2007) and Owen Valley (2000) each grabbing a share.
West Vigo won its WIC best 11th title last season. Northview has won six and Edgewood five. Here's how the 2022 figures to shape up. Hint: it's a familiar scene.
CONTENDERS
West Vigo (23-7, 10-0)
The lineup: West Vigo lost just one starter off last year's team. Back are Indiana State commit Carter Murphy, his big bat and his arm as a closer; SS Peyton Clerk, LF Nick Lindsey, CF Ben Kearns, RF Kaleb Marrs, C Jerome Blevins and 1B Josh Sigler. The pitching staff includes Kearns, Marrs, Shaffer and Sigler. Vikings (6-1) are on a 40-1 scoring tear over their last three games, so tab them the favorites to repeat.
Big games: at Edgewood (April 26); at Northview (May 17).
Northview (18-5, 7-2)
The lineup: Seven seniors graduated, including top hurlers Dylan Zentko and Gavin Morris, leaving Rockhurst signee Landon Carr as the new ace in addition to playing shortstop. Also back are Gavin Jones, Nate Rissler, Coy Edwards and Peyton Lear. Games have been hard to come by. Runs have not, with the Knights scoring 12 in a loss to Shakamak and 11 in a no-hitter with 14 Ks by Carr.
Big games: vs. Edgewood (May 4); West Vigo (May 17).
Edgewood (19-9, 9-1)
The lineup: Edgewood rode ace Luke Hayden to a runner-up finish last year, keeping him off the mound in the 6-1 loss to West Vigo. (Hayden beat the Vikes in their sectional rematch). The Mustangs will need some new arms to step up this year and will have to recover from another slow start (0-4). Edgewood went on 13-3 run into sectional last year. The Mustangs picked up a big win at Terre Haute North behind a complete game from Ziggy Teran. Getting Connor Thummel back in the lineup has also made a difference.
More:Back for more: Area high school baseball teams return several young players
Big games: West Vigo (April 26); at Northview (May 4).
KEEP AN EYE ON...
Owen Valley (12-11, 4-6)
The lineup: The program has swollen to 26 players, led by five seniors and there's a bunch of experience back, making the Patriots a candidate for most improved team in the conference. They'll need to find more consistency on offense after the bats went dry at the end of last year. They've been as wet as the weather this year, producing 39 runs during a 3-0 start that includes a 16-2 pasting of WIC foe South Putnam.
Big games: Northview (April 19); at Edgewood (May 10); Indian Creek (May 11).
Indian Creek (8-14, 4-5)
The lineup: A young Braves team struggled on offense and on the mound last year, with now sophomore Carter Modlin the only hitter over .300. But there's been an infusion of talent. The new ace is 6-4 junior lefty and Center Grove transfer Arjun Lothe (1.72 ERA, 33Ks in 20 IP), a potential college quarterback. Freshman Jagger Bray is batting .455 and sophomore Nolan Ankney has a 3.50 ERA.
Big games: at Edgewood (PPD); Northview (April 26); at West Vigo (April 27).
Sullivan (13-15, 6-4)
The lineup: Sullivan threw a lot of freshmen and sophomores into the fray last year and will hope all that experience pays off. The roster still features just three seniors so maybe the Arrows are still a year away. Tyler Kellett is the staff ace, with 26 Ks in his first 15 IP. But they're off to a 2-4-1 start that includes a WIC loss to Indian Creek.
Big games: Edgewood (April 20); at West Vigo (May 4); at Owen Valley (May 17).
WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR
The rest of the field
Greencastle was 19-8, 7-3 last year but lost big to Northview, Edgewood and West Vigo and then lost nine seniors to graduation. The Cubs started league play by being no hit by Northview.
North Putnam (10-16, 2-7) had seven pitchers with ERAs above 6.00, South Putnam (5-15, 2-8) hit .237 last year as a team, Cloverdale (1-9, 1-6) battled low numbers and lack of pitching all season and Brown County (0-14, 0-9) was starting from scratch with a new coach and new players coming out of COVID.
SWIAC
With no seemingly dominant team on hand, North Daviess, Shakamak, Linton and Bloomfield start off as SWIAC favorites until they sort themselves out. All received some votes in the preseason coaches 1A and 2A polls. Shakamak and Linton have some turnover to deal with, including the Miners head coach.
CONTENDERS
Shakamak (19-10, 5-2)
The lineup: State runner-up last year in 1A, is just 2-3 but the Lakers have also faced the likes of Jasper, Northview and Bloomington North, so they'll be ready when conference play comes. Seven seniors were lost, and three will lead the way this time, including Oscar Pegg and the Lakers coach, Jeremy Yeryar, likes his pitching depth.
North Daviess (19-9, 5-2)
The lineup: The Cougars are ranked seventh in 1A so voters expectations are high. And school spirits has to be high as well after the boys' state basketball title. North Daviess is 2-1 to start the year. The Cougars were close last year, with their only league losses last year were to Shakamak and Linton (by a 1-0 score).
Linton (13-8, 6-0)
The lineup: Linton has a new coach in Jacob Hardin and plenty of talent back from a sectional champion. Vincennes recruit Bracey Breneman, Ancilla College signee Japheth House and track/football standout Gabe Eslinger form the senior class. IU Kokomo commit Luke McDonald is back as the staff ace. The swings have been wild so far: 18-2 loss to 4A Castle, 13-0 win over Mitchell and a 16-6 loss to rival Sullivan.
Bloomfield (14-13, 5-2)
The lineup: Bloomfield was receiving votes in the initial 1A poll, after a turnaround season in which the Cards beat Shakamak and played tough with league champ Linton. But Bloomfield stands 0-2 after losses to Mitchell (9-1) and Owen Valley (11-1) to start the year and may struggle until Butler commit, junior ace and slugger Brett Sherrard, is healthy enough to pitch again.
Big games: Linton at Bloomfield (April 16); North Daviess at Bloomfield (April 20); North Daviess at Linton (April 27); Bloomfield at Eastern Greene (May 6); Shakamak at Linton (May 7); Shakamak at North Daviess (May 9); Shakamak at Bloomfield (May 12).
REST OF THE FIELD
Clay City (7-14, 3-6) has stormed out of the gate this year, 5-0, beating Eastern Greene, then blowing out Loogootee, Cloverdale and Sullivan by a 29-6 margin. But any questions whether Clay City is for real will be answered against Linton, Bloomfield and Shakamak in the next couple of weeks.
Eastern Greene (4-20, 0-7) has to be much improved over last year now that all the freshmen and sophomores are juniors and seniors, so cracking into the top half of the league is a step to shoot for.
White River Valley (4-11, 2-4) has a new coach in Mark Walton and six seniors back, including ace Parker Stone. North Central (5-16, 1-6) started 0-10 last year with a team that lacked pitching depth beyond its top two, including returning junior Kameron Fagg.
Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/sports/2022/04/15/where-does-edgewood-eastern-greene-baseball-stack-up-conferences/7286205001/ | 2022-04-15T15:48:05 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/sports/2022/04/15/where-does-edgewood-eastern-greene-baseball-stack-up-conferences/7286205001/ |
Flash flood warning for Palm Beach County until 12:15 p.m.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A flash flooding warning has been issued for parts of Palm Beach County — including West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, and Palm Beach — until 12:15 p.m. Friday.
The National Weather Service is warning people to immediately move to higher ground and avoid walking or driving through floodwater.
Heavy rain moved through West Palm Beach Friday morning, causing street flooding east of U.S. 1.
Pictures and video from the area of 45th Street and North Flagler Drive showed cars driving through several inches of floodwater.
Larger vehicles were able to get through the flooded streets, but smaller cars turned around to avoid getting stuck.
West Palm Beach crews are now clearing drains and blocking flooded roads.
WPTV First Alert Chief Meteorologist Steve Weagle said between two and four inches of rain have already fallen in parts of Palm Beach County as of Friday morning, and another one to two inches of rain are possible throughout the day.
A WPTV viewer snapped a photo around 9 a.m. Friday of a possible funnel cloud or waterspout forming in Palm Beach County.
Alberto Santos said he was driving south on Interstate 95 and was about a mile from the 45th Street exit in West Palm Beach when he saw the formation in the sky.
Santos said it didn't appear the funnel ever touched down.
FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Radar | Alerts | 7-Day Forecast | Hourly Forecast
According to WPTV First Alert Meteorologist Steve Villanueva, high temperatures will be in the mid 80s Friday afternoon with showers and storms lining up along the seabreeze, then pushing inland by late afternoon.
"All of this will develop along the east coast metro area through about 2 p.m. And then it's gonna start to move farther inland, eventually towards the lake and then eventually onto the western side of the lake as we head toward the evening hours," Villanueva said.
For the weekend, high temperatures will be in the mid 80s. It will be partly sunny, and some inland showers and storms are possible.
Monday will bring scattered showers and storms ahead of a weak cool front. Highs will be in the mid 80s.
Tuesday, some showers in the morning, then clearing skies throughout the afternoon. Highs in the low 80s.
Wednesday and Thursday, breezy with less humidity. Highs in the low 80s and only a slim chance of an isolated shower.
Scripps Only Content 2022 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/flash-flood-warning-palm-beach-county-until-1215-pm/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:11 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/flash-flood-warning-palm-beach-county-until-1215-pm/ |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Several high school students were taken to the hospital after a suspected overdose at a military ball in Broward County, NBC 6 reported.
Students from Coral Springs and Northeast High Schools were attending an Air Force JROTC Military Ball at the Signature Grand in Davie when six Northeast students suddenly became ill, the school district said.
“I saw everybody crying and grieving and I think I saw one having a seizure,” one witness, Lorenzo Toafa told CBS Miami.
“It was a fun night basically until that happened,” he said. “Kids just felt dizzy, they started throwing up real bad.”
Other students said their drinks might have been spiked with something.
“They laced the drinks or put something in the drinks,” one told WPLG Local 10 News.
“The water at one of our tables, it had drugs in them. People started putting drugs in them,” another student, Earl Cayo said. “We don’t know exactly who or how many people did it, but for the kids who drank it. They got high and everything.”
The Davie Fire Rescue said the students had “ingested an unknown substance” and were taken to a hospital. Four were released, and two remain in the hospital as of Friday.
Further information was not immediately available. | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-teens-hospitalized-in-suspected-overdose-at-jrotc-military-ball/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:13 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-teens-hospitalized-in-suspected-overdose-at-jrotc-military-ball/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — Netflix's new documentary "Our Father" tells the story of a Zionsville fertility doctor who secretly used his own sperm to inseminate dozens of patients.
Dr. Donald L. Cline pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in 2017 and admitted that he inseminated patients without their knowledge in the 1970’s and 1980’s. He was arrested after some of his adult children learned that Cline was their biological father through at-home DNA testing services.
“I got a Facebook message from several of our sisters saying, ‘we’re matching as close relatives on Ancestry’ and somehow mentioned the name Cline,” Heather Woock told WRTV in May 2019.
Cline, who was 79 at the time of his conviction, was handed a one-year suspended sentence and served no jail time.
Paternity tests filed as evidence in his criminal case showed Cline was the biological father of at least two of his patients' children. The trailer for the new documentary suggests he may have fathered more than 90 kids.
"Our Father" premieres on Netflix on May 11.
More: Victims hopeful new law will protect against fertility fraud | Fertility doctor gets no jail time for lying about using his own sperm
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc. | https://www.wrtv.com/entertainment/netflix-documentary-our-father-unravels-twisted-story-of-zionsville-fertility-doctor | 2022-04-15T15:53:13 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/entertainment/netflix-documentary-our-father-unravels-twisted-story-of-zionsville-fertility-doctor |
VALMY, Nev. — Jan Morrison can see a lot of potential in the Valmy Coal Plant in Humboldt County, Nevada.
"It's going to be vibrant and it's going to be a vital part of our energy grid. It'll remain a vital part. So that's a win all the way," she said.
Morrison, the economic development officer at the plant, said it's the last of its kind in Nevada.
However, it won't be burning coal for much longer. The plan is to turn the plant into a solar wind farm.
"It is miles and miles and miles of desert, so it's a perfect opportunity to develop solar fields," said Morrison.
According to Brookings, some existing fossil fuel infrastructure, like the Valmy Plant, happens to be right where the strongest potential for renewable energy generation lies. Another plus of transitioning existing infrastructure to renewables is that the connections are already there.
"What's really unique about the Valmy power plant is that it has the infrastructure on the Western grid. I mean, it is a major, major hub, and so when you look at all the investment into that, why would you let that go," said Morrison.
According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institure, in 2019, the nation saw the second highest number of coal plant closures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that coal mining employment has dropped by more than half since 2012. Switching existing infrastructure to renewables can help save jobs, but for many communities, the switch is costly.
The billions of dollars in the infrastructure bill should bring about more incentives for these transitions, potentially allowing a majority of the 1.7 million people who work in fossil fuels to keep their jobs.
As for Morrison, she’s excited that her community gets to be on the front lines of the transition to a greener future.
"The concept of renewable energy is very welcome out here," she said. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national-politics/the-race/energy-transitions-can-help-move-america-toward-renewable-energy-goals | 2022-04-15T15:53:19 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national-politics/the-race/energy-transitions-can-help-move-america-toward-renewable-energy-goals |
GOP lawmakers aided Trump election challenge before warning against it, texts show
(CNN) - Two Republicans, once former President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress, called on the administration to stand down after the 2020 election.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Chip Roy of Texas went from encouraging the White House efforts to overturn the results to ultimately warning about the consequences.
Dozens of private texts to Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, obtained by CNN, show how they were trying to help initially, but by the end, they raised concerns to Trump’s top deputy about his campaign’s effort to stand in the way of the election’s certification.
“We’re driving a stake in the heart of the federal republic,” Roy warned Meadows in a text Jan. 1.
The texts, starting right after the election and going through early January 2021, are now in the possession of the House Jan. 6 select committee.
Roy’s stark warning came after weeks of begging Meadows for hard evidence of election fraud and concerns that the lack of specific evidence was a real problem for the Trump legal team.
“We must urge the president to tone down the rhetoric,” he wrote to Meadows on Nov. 9.
Roy did believe that there were problems with the election. In early December, he went to the House floor imploring his colleagues to look into the thin examples of fraud.
“The American people are raising legitimate questions about the election, and this body is missing in action and doing nothing,” he said Dec. 9.
Lee also started out hopeful there was a path to challenge the election results. In early November, he touted the work of conservative lawyer Sydney Powell, encouraging Meadows to get her an audience with the president and calling her a “straight shooter.”
Less than two weeks later, Powell appeared with Rudy Giuliani in what would become an infamous news conference where the duo made wild, baseless claims.
Lee then changed his tune, calling Powell a “liability” and turning his focus to touting attorney John Eastman.
Lee pushed a plan to convince state legislatures to offer up a set of alternate electors. When that plan fizzled, he decided he was no longer on board.
He texted Meadows on Dec. 16, “I think we’re now passed the point where we can expect anyone will do it without some direction and a strong evidentiary argument.”
Lee and Roy ultimately chose not to join other Republicans to vote against certifying the election.
“Our job is to open and then count, open then count. That’s it. That’s all there is,” Lee said on the Senate floor Jan. 6.
Privately, they were even more emphatic about the Trump team’s efforts.
“The president should call everyone off. It’s the only path,” Roy texted Meadows on Dec. 31.
Lee argued the effort to challenge the election certification was on dangerous constitutional ground.
Three days before Jan. 6, he warned, “I know only that this will end badly for the president unless we have the Constitution on our side.”
They did not, but the Trump team and a group of loyal Republicans went ahead with their plan anyway.
As it became clear their effort would not be successful, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in protest.
As the violence was raging, Roy texted Meadows, “Fix this now.”
He then went to the House floor and placed the blame squarely at Trump’s feet.
“The president should never have spun up certain Americans to believe something that simply cannot be,” Roy said Jan. 6.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/gop-lawmakers-aided-trump-election-challenge-before-warning-against-it-texts-show/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:17 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/gop-lawmakers-aided-trump-election-challenge-before-warning-against-it-texts-show/ |
Ryan Poe and Jenival Santos live nearly 1,200 miles apart but they are facing similar struggles.
Their livelihoods rely on wheat.
Poe grows it on his Washington State farm and Jenival uses it in almost everything on his menu at City Bakery Cafe in Denver.
Wheat prices have gone up since Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine. The countries are two major global wheat producers.
Selling crops at a higher price can be good news for farmers, but Poe says what’s different today is how much his expenses, like the cost of fertilizer and the fuel, have increased.
The diesel fuel that goes into one 10,000-gallon tank on his farm costs more than $4.00 a gallon.
"Then you look back to a year ago, paying $2, so essentially it’s almost $20,000 more to fill this tank today versus a year ago,” Poe said.
Not only are costs impacting how crops are grown, but also how they're sent down the supply chain.
In the first two weeks of March, as the War in Ukraine was just beginning, diesel prices soared. The USDA says the cost of transporting grain by truck rose more than 20% between March 2 and March 16.
At Santos' cafe, the costs from a strained supply chain are rolled into ingredients like his bread.
"We used to pay $13 to $14 for a bag of flour," he said. "Now, we pay for a bag of flour— $23-$24 a bag."
Santos raised his menu prices only once during the pandemic. He feared raising the prices more would drive people away.
Business at both ends of the supply chain can be unforgiving.
"If you’re looking at a loaf of bread at a grocery store that costs an average of $4, the farmer, out of that $4 loaf, is receiving $0.17 a loaf," Poe said, “So if that price goes up from $4, we’re still basically getting those $0.17 and that's what kind of makes the other challenges, yeah, tricky.”
But, both the farmer and cafe owner, are keeping their faith in what they see as the true product of their work.
“As a farmer I mean you know that you’re feeding the world," Poe said.
“I like to see people's faces, you know when they feel the taste and come out in their face," Santos said of his love of making food. "I mean, you can see it clear, the people's happiness in the face when you see people eating and enjoy the food. That's what makes me happy.” | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national-politics/the-race/how-high-wheat-prices-are-impacting-those-on-both-ends-of-the-supply-chain | 2022-04-15T15:53:25 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national-politics/the-race/how-high-wheat-prices-are-impacting-those-on-both-ends-of-the-supply-chain |
It’s not over: COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in US
(AP) - Yet again, the U.S. is trudging into what could be another COVID-19 surge, with cases rising nationally and in most states after a two-month decline.
One big unknown? “We don’t know how high that mountain’s gonna grow,” said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University.
No one expects a peak nearly as high as the last one, when the contagious omicron version of the coronavirus ripped through the population.
But experts warn that the coming wave – caused by a mutant called BA.2 that’s thought to be about 30% more contagious – will wash across the nation and push up hospitalizations in a growing number of states in the coming weeks. And the case wave will be bigger than it looks, they say, because reported numbers are vast undercounts as more people test at home without reporting their infections or skip testing altogether.
At the height of the previous omicron surge, reported daily cases reached into the hundreds of thousands. On April 14, the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases rose to 39,521, up from 30,724 two weeks earlier, according to data from Johns Hopkins collected by The Associated Press.
Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, said the numbers will likely keep growing until the surge reaches about a quarter the height of the last “monstrous” one. BA.2 may well have the same effect in the U.S. as it did in Israel, where it created a “bump” in the chart measuring cases, he said.
Keeping the surge somewhat in check, experts said, is a higher level of immunity in the U.S. from vaccination or past infection compared with early winter.
But Ray said the U.S. could wind up looking like Europe, where the BA.2 surge was “substantial” in some places that had comparable levels of immunity. “We could have a substantial surge here,” he said.
Both experts said BA.2 will move through the country gradually. The Northeast has been hit hardest so far — with more than 90% of new infections caused by BA.2 last week compared with 86% nationally. As of Thursday, the highest rates of new COVID cases per capita over the past 14 days were in Vermont, Rhode Island, Alaska, New York and Massachusetts. In Washington, D.C., which also ranks in the top 10 for rates of new cases, Howard University announced it was moving most undergraduate classes online for the rest of the semester because of “a significant increase in COVID-19 positivity” in the district and on campus.
Some states, such as Rhode Island and New Hampshire, saw the average of daily new cases rise by more than 100% in two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Joseph Wendelken, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Health, said despite rising cases, hospitalizations remain relatively low, and that’s the metric they are most focused on right now. About 55 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, compared with more than 600 at one point in the pandemic.
Officials credit high vaccination rates. State statistics show 99% of Rhode Island adults are at least partially vaccinated and 48% have gotten the booster dose that scientists say is key in protecting against severe illness with omicron.
Vermont also has relatively high levels of vaccination and fewer patients in the hospital than during the height of the first omicron wave. But Dr. Mark Levine, the health commissioner there, said hospitalizations and the numbers of patients in intensive care units are both up slightly, although deaths have not risen.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that new hospital admissions of patients with confirmed COVID-19 were up slightly in New England and the New York region.
On the West Coast, modelers from Oregon Health & Science University are projecting a slight increase in hospitalizations over the next two months in that state, where cases have also risen steeply.
As the wave moves across the country, experts said states with low rates of vaccination may face substantially more infections and severe cases that wind up in the hospital.
Ray said government leaders must be careful to strike the right tone when talking to people about protecting themselves and others after COVID restrictions have largely been lifted. Philadelphia recently became the first major U.S. city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate after a sharp increase in infections. But Vermont’s Levine said there are no plans to bring back any of the restrictions that were imposed earlier during the pandemic.
“It’s going to be hard to institute restrictive, draconian measures,” Ray said. “Fortunately, we have some tools that we can use to mitigate risk. And so I hope that leaders will emphasize the importance for people to watch the numbers,” be aware of risks and consider taking precautions such as wearing masks and getting vaccinated and boosted if they’re not already.
Lynne Richmond, a 59-year-old breast cancer survivor who lives in Silver Spring, Md., said she plans to get her second booster and keep wearing her mask in public as cases rise in her state and nearby Washington, D.C.
“I never really stopped wearing my mask…I’ve stayed ultra-vigilant,” she said. “I feel like I’ve come this far; I don’t want to get COVID.”
Vigilance is a good strategy, experts said, because the coronavirus is constantly throwing curveballs. One of the latest: even more contagious subvariants of BA.2 found in New York state, known as BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. And scientists warn that new and potentially dangerous variants could arise at any time.
“We shouldn’t be thinking the pandemic is over,” Topol said. “We should still keep our guard up.”
___
Associated Press reporter Wilson Ring contributed from Stowe, Vermont.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/its-not-over-covid-19-cases-are-rise-again-us/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:25 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/its-not-over-covid-19-cases-are-rise-again-us/ |
CHICAGO — In most states, it is common practice to strip convicted felons of their voting rights while they serve their sentences. In some cases, the right to vote can be rescinded permanently. But Illinois could become the first in the nation to restore voting rights to prisoners through legislative action.
For Renaldo Hudson, the lock hanging from a light in his apartment is a symbol and constant reminder of the 37 years he spent behind bars.
“Every time I come in my kitchen, or I turn on this light, I feel that I know they'll never, ever, ever because of my doing lock me up again,” he said.
In 1983, when Hudson was just 19 years old, he took a man’s life.
“I committed the act of murder, robbery. I was a teenage drug addict who simply wanted to be high. I did not have a sense of my ability to act in a way that I should have,” said Hudson.
Originally sentenced to die by lethal injection, the sentence was commuted to life in prison where Hudson learned to read, got his bachelor’s degree in divinity, and was eventually granted clemency. Today, he’s the director of education for the Illinois Prison Project.
“The death penalty of execution is one thing. Death by incarceration exists because people in prison don't have the right to vote,” said Hudson.
In 37 states, felons lose their eligibility to vote while incarcerated. In Maine, Vermont and Washington D.C. they’ve never lost the right. And in 11 states. the right to vote can be permanently stripped.
“In 2015, I was wrongfully convicted, and I served about four years in federal prison. And during that time, I was unable to vote,” said Avalon Betts-Gaston, project manager for the Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice.
For Gaston, disenfranchisement while incarcerated meant a loss not only of her own political voice but as an advocate for her young children.
“We're not just hurting that person, we're actually hurting their family and as an extension, their community,” she said. “Because we're saying your voice doesn't matter and you're no longer part of this community.”
According to the Sentencing Project, in 2020, 5.2 million Americans were disenfranchised because of a felony conviction.
“Individuals who are in prison and committed felonies are individuals who have shown basically complete contempt for the laws and rules that all the rest of us have agreed on to govern our civil society,” said Hans Von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.
Allowing inmates serving felony sentences to vote he says is bad policy.
“Judges and prosecutors are elected. And you're going to give individuals who break the law the ability to choose who those prosecutors, judges are. Again, not a good idea,” said Spakovsky.
But Illinois is poised to become the first in the nation to restore those voting rights with Senate Bill 828, The Voting in Prison Bill.
“It's a bill that would re-enfranchise community members in prison,” said Ami Gandhi, senior counsel at advocacy group Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.
Gandhi says the bill is about bringing equity to those unduly impacted by imprisonment.
“Black people have been very disproportionately affected by our mass incarceration system and as a result have been disproportionately disenfranchised as well,” said Gandhi.
Gandhi says while Black people make up about 15% of the state's population, they account for more than half of Illinois’ prison population.
For Renaldo Hudson voting for the first time in decades after being released in 2020 was empowering beyond his imagination.
“It was amazing, man. It was like, imagine, like dreaming of being a part of the electoral process and then all of a sudden, it just being put into your hands,” he said.
It’s why activists like him and Gaston are waging a fight to restore those rights.
“When you don't have power at the ballot box, then you don't have power over your everyday conditions. And so, people who are incarcerated lack that necessary power,” said Gaston.
Taking away that power for any reason they argue fits within the paradigm of punitive justice but not in the space of restorative justice. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/activists-fight-for-voting-rights-of-convicted-felons-serving-time | 2022-04-15T15:53:31 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/activists-fight-for-voting-rights-of-convicted-felons-serving-time |
Miss Ukraine International reflects on war while living in Palm Beach County
Miss Ukraine International Elena Dunder came to Palm Beach County to work and raise money for her charity. Now, she can’t return to family and the country she loves as Ukraine is being attacked by Russian forces.
Dunder works in the glamorous fields of fashion, modeling and television, but right now her heart is heavy with concern for her family and friends back home.
“It’s been horrific to be honest,” she said.
If you ask, Dunder knows the exact number of days and hours it’s been since the Russian attacks began.
“This is a very bright example of barbarism, of unreasonable cruelty and aggression,” she said.
Dunder arrived in West Palm Beach in the fall of 2021 to work and raise money for her charity, "The Soul's Beauty." It had focused entirely on children struggling with disease and displacement. Now, she wants to extend help to all Ukranians who are without bare basics, and are racing to safety. She is planning a fundraiser that is likely to be held in May 2022.
She was raised in Odessa, Ukraine, which cradles the coastline of the Black Sea. It’s a major seaport, transportation hub, and now a Russian target.
“Very, very hard and stressful time even for me to realize I have no more home, I have no more place to go to,” she explained.
The Russian siege has crept across the country for weeks, now bearing down on her home city.
“A couple of days ago, I got a call from my family that the bombs, that they heard the sound of bombs in Odessa,” she said.
Almost every day, Dunder uses FaceTime to connect with her parents, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins. She’s concerned the communication could be disconnected at some point. At this time, her family refuses to leave their home.
“They will just get the weapons and stay and protect their houses, everything they’ve been working for their whole life, they don’t want to leave it for somebody to rope, to steal and to destroy, they want to protect it,” she said.
Dunder says her best focus for now will be on charity, and standing more proudly in her title as Miss Ukraine International than ever before.
“Ukrainians are shoulder to shoulder like never before, we have never been as united as we are right now,” she said.
To learn more about Dunder's charity, click here.
To learn other ways to help the people of Ukraine, click here.
Scripps Only Content 2022 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/miss-ukraine-international-reflects-war-while-living-palm-beach-county/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:31 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/miss-ukraine-international-reflects-war-while-living-palm-beach-county/ |
High up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Andrew Schwartz is gathering data that tells us a lot about snowpacks and their importance to the overall water supply.
“We have seen just massive weather whiplash up here,” Andrew Schwartz, Station Manager and Lead Scientist at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, said. He’s referring to the record-breaking December snowfall – almost 18 feet – followed by the record longest period from January to mid-February with no precipitation.
“It’s looking like it could be another drought year in which we don't have enough water to go around,” he said.
These mountains hold a very important water source for California. At the Central Sierra Snow Lab, they measure and research all things atmosphere, especially snow.
“Particularly this year we are seeing ahead of schedule melt,” Schwartz said. “When it came to our April 1 measurement this year, which typically tells us how much water we’re going to have for use throughout the year, we were only at 38%. Well below, of course, where we would hope to be and well below recent years.”
The amount of snow up in the mountains has a direct impact downstream.
“Any water shortage is ultimately going to mean we’re all gonna have to pinch on our water usage,” Schwartz said.
“Because of shortages, we have to fallow ground. We have to leave the ground idle. So this year, my farm has got 200 acres that's been left fallow, because we don't have enough water to farm it,” Bill Diedrich, a farmer in California’s San Joaquin Valley, said. He grows everything from almonds, to grapes for raisins, and processing tomatoes.
“Our focus is primarily on water supply as a result of what has happened over the last 30 years in water supply in California,” he explained. Diedrich said it’s due to regulatory changes, climate change, and infrastructure issues with collecting and transporting water. “It’s forced us to change our farming practices.”
“If you're in New York or Boston or Miami or North Dakota and you’re putting pizza sauce on a pizza or dipping a chip in some salsa, chances are the tomatoes that went into that product are from California,” Mike Wade, the executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, said. Wade said the coalition is expecting around 800,000 acres of farmland in California to sit idle this year. A number, he said, is unprecedented.
“If you are a farmer and you live to make things grow, that opportunity is becoming more and more difficult to maintain,” Diedrich said.
“We’re looking potentially at 40 to 45% of farmland having little or no water at all,” Wade said.
This will impact availability and prices on certain foods.
“We’re already seeing price increases for fresh produce and it's going to be worse this year because of the reduced production that’s coming from the state,” Wade said.
While the snowpack is not the only water supply in California, it tells experts a lot about future water availability.
“We're seeing wetter wet years and dryer dry years than we did 20 years ago,” Wade explained.
“Given where we are in time, we’re at a tipping point,” Schwartz said. “There’s going to have to be some hard decisions moving into the future. Where is somebody's livelihood more important than someone's right to water?” | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/california-snowpack-levels-are-low-now-its-affecting-farmers-and-grocery-prices | 2022-04-15T15:53:37 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/california-snowpack-levels-are-low-now-its-affecting-farmers-and-grocery-prices |
Palm Beach art exhibit brings light to bipolar disorder
The word “bipolar” is often shrouded in stigma, but two parents are hoping to lead a shift toward understanding through a traveling art exhibit.
About 3 million Americans are living with bipolar disorders.
At the John Surovek Gallery on Palm Beach, you can see the work of 25 bipolar artists in a juried exhibition.
Daniel Pichney is one of the artists who was selected to share his work. His self portrait in pencil portrays one of his first major depressive episodes, when he was in his 20s. The struggle he was facing at the time is portrayed in his eyes.
“It’s both sad and uplifting at the same time. And it certainly was encouraging to me to keep going and to improve my art, and not to be embarrassed about admitting that I am bipolar. And tell other people,” he said.
Pichney is using the show as an opportunity to share his perspective with the world, as well as his closest friends, many who are learning about his diagnosis for the first time.
“I’ve had like three major depressions in my life that - I lost - I wouldn’t say that I lost, but almost the same as losing years of my life. But I never gave up, I found some good doctors, I take my medication. That’s what I would recommend to anybody who is bipolar. Stick to those medications."
The hand-selected artists each receive a grant, and their pieces join a permanent collection that tours the country through the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation. The organization was founded by the parents of Ryan, Joyce and Dusty Sang. They describe their son as extraordinarily creative and courageous. He passed away while facing bipolar disorder.
“He was artist and a musician and a writer. And we always knew he had a body of work. He was like a brain on fire and after he passed away, Joyce suggested we start the foundation so that other parents wouldn’t have to be us and other kids wouldn’t have to be Ryan,” Dusty said.
Now, the Sang family wants to support research for developments that would offer earlier detection.
“The artist should not be identified by their illness, there’s much more to a person than their illness,” Joyce said.
The exhibit features large planks with handwriting, Ryan’s contribution to the display.
“After Ryan passed away we found in a little small book he had written these things and there’s an artist in West Palm beach who helped to create these planks,” Dusty explained.
“In his handwriting,” Joyce added.
“And it’s fascinating to watch people respond to them,” Dusty said.
The show, titled, “Insights IV: An Art Exhibition of Creativity and the Bipolar Brain,” continues through April 30. It is free to view at 349 Worth Avenue, 8 Via Parigi, at the Surovek Gallery. None of the artwork is for sale.
The next competition for artists is underway now.
“This has been a thrill ride all the way through,” Pichney said. “I just feel so humbled to have been accepted, I mean these are really exceptional artists. The other 25 or so people here are just unbelievably good.”
There is a large variety of work included in the exhibit.
“You have to recognize that we have to remove the stigma from it. And it was quite a stigma for me too,” Pichney said.
The hope is that all who visit will gain a better understanding, while also seeing incredible work from creative minds.
“To know that when you are with people, they might be relatives, they might be friends, you might know that they have bipolar disorder. But to realize that they are exceptional people and to accept them and love them. And know they have a big contribution to make to the world,” Pichney said.
Learn more at the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation.
Scripps Only Content 2022 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/palm-beach-art-exhibit-brings-light-bipolar-disorder/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:37 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/palm-beach-art-exhibit-brings-light-bipolar-disorder/ |
The newest member of Orlando Health Hospital team isn't a doctor or nurse. In fact, he's not even human. But, he's already making a difference with some impressive skills and his ability to capture hearts in the hallways.
Parks, a two-year-old Labrador retriever, is the first "facility dog" for Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
He trained with Canine Companions, an organization that provides its service and facility dogs at no cost. It has 475 active facility dog teams, with 70 of them now working in a hospital setting.
Now, Parks works full time, Monday through Friday, visiting patients in the children's hospital.
His handler, child life specialist Kimberly Burbage, says Parks knows dozens of commands to help patients and perform tasks, and he's learning even more ways to help, from brightening days to aiding in rehab.
"He's learned how to get into a wagon so that way the kids can pull him in that, so that's a new command," Burbage said. "We're working on getting kids things like bowling, working on getting a t-ball set that's lightweight he can hold, hit the ball and play with the kids that way."
Parks graduated from his training program after months of learning to help patients, including tasks specialized to a hospital— like moving around beds, pulling wheelchairs or picking up dropped items.
The dogs are different from many other therapy dogs because they undergo more training to be able to help either the person they're working with or the place they're working in.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/dogs-are-helping-hospitals-lift-spirits | 2022-04-15T15:53:43 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/dogs-are-helping-hospitals-lift-spirits |
St. Lucie County man wins $1 million playing Florida Lottery scratch-off game
Published: Apr. 15, 2022 at 11:27 AM EDT|Updated: 24 minutes ago
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WFLX) - A man from Fort Pierce is $1 million richer this week! According to the Florida Lottery, Saxon Murphy, 32, claimed a $1 million prize from the new 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off game at the Lottery’s Orlando District Office.
The Lottery said that Murphy purchased the winning ticket from the 7-Eleven on Edwards Road in Fort Pierce. The store will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The new $50 game, 500X THE CASH, features a top prize of $25 million—the largest ever offered on a Florida Scratch-Off game—and the best odds to become an instant millionaire! The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-4.50.
Copyright 2022 WFLX. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/st-lucie-county-man-wins-1-million-playing-florida-lottery-scratch-off-game/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:44 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/st-lucie-county-man-wins-1-million-playing-florida-lottery-scratch-off-game/ |
New York City Mayor Eric Adams honored members of the city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority on Friday following this week’s mass shooting.
Frank R. James is accused of wounding 10 people in the New York subway. He was arrested on Wednesday and faced a judge Thursday.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber credited those in the subway system for assisting each other.
“But we also saw in that moment of emergency, the way New Yorkers respond,” he said during an interview on MSNBC. “You saw people helping people who are wounded. You saw people standing over people to try to make sure they had the best chance of recovery and looking after each other.”
John Samuelson, a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, credited transportation workers for evacuating trains during an interview with NPR.
“These New York City transit workers that acted so heroically today, evacuating the multiple train stations - whether any of them got hurt. And also, thankfully, none of the workers were injured,” he said. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/nyc-honors-transit-heroes-following-subway-attack | 2022-04-15T15:53:49 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/nyc-honors-transit-heroes-following-subway-attack |
Two people win $1 million prize playing 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off from Florida Lottery
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WFLX) - Two people in South Florida are celebrating their good fortune this week! The Florida Lottery announced that Martina Soto, 43, of Fort Lauderdale and James Bruno, 55, of North Palm Beach, each claimed a $1 million prize.
Both winners won the prize by playing the new 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off game and claimed their winnings at the Lottery’s West Palm Beach District Office.
Soto chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000.00. She purchased her winning ticket from Pompano Discount Liquor, located at 652 East McNab Road in Pompano Beach. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
Bruno also chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000.00. He purchased his winning ticket from 7-Eleven, located at 2490 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The new $50 game, 500X THE CASH, features a top prize of $25 million. That’s the largest ever offered on a Florida Scratch-Off game! The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-4.50.
Copyright 2022 WFLX. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/two-people-win-1-million-prize-playing-500x-cash-scratch-off-florida-lottery/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:50 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/two-people-win-1-million-prize-playing-500x-cash-scratch-off-florida-lottery/ |
JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinians have clashed with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a major holy site in Jerusalem.
More than 150 Palestinians were wounded.
Israeli authorities say Palestinians threw rocks at police after dawn prayers on Friday, igniting the clashes.
Palestinians view the deployment of Israeli police at the site as a provocation.
Order was later restored and tens of thousands of worshippers attended Friday prayers at midday.
Tensions have soared in recent weeks amid a series of deadly attacks in Israel and military raids across the occupied West Bank.
According to the New York Times, there had been expectations that tensions would rise surrounding the rare convergence of Ramadan, Passover and Easter.
Last year, protests and clashes in and around Al-Aqsa helped ignite an 11-day Gaza war. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/palestinians-clash-with-israeli-police-at-major-holy-site | 2022-04-15T15:53:55 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/palestinians-clash-with-israeli-police-at-major-holy-site |
Wheels reportedly fall off school bus while it’s in motion
DETROIT (WXYZ) - A middle school bus in Michigan broke down on the side of the road after two wheels apparently detached from the bus while it was in motion.
Fortunately, no one was injured.
A photo of the L’Anse Creuse Middle School bus is making rounds on social media and sparking concern and frustration with parents.
“Nobody said anything to any of us,” Tammy Caparo said. She has a granddaughter in the seventh grade that attends that school.
She says there was no email, phone call or alert to tell families what happened.
Caparo picks her granddaughter up from school, but on social media parents who say their children were on the bus are reporting they didn’t hear from school officials.
“I would hope the school would do more about the safety of the children and reach out to the parents and let them know that they are doing everything they can to make the buses more safe for their children to get on,” Caparo said.
After the incident, many are left wondering how the wheels just rolled off a moving bus.
According to a L’Anse Creuse school official, it appears it was caused by a mechanical failure involving a bolt.
“The district has not had any other issues of this nature in the past,” the official said.
They went on to say that “extensive bouncing” caused by road conditions, such as potholes, could have played a part.
“Wheels just don’t come off of school buses,” said Andy Didorosi, owner of the Detroit Bus Company.
He’s repaired buses for years.
He said they are one of the safest vehicles, and it’s unlikely Michigan roads are to blame for wheels detaching.
“School buses are made to take hundreds of thousands of pounds of force on their axles,” he said. “They are extremely, extremely tough vehicles.”
Didorosi said it’s likely the bolts or lug nuts loosened over time, and the daily inspector missed it.
“And frequently drivers give a vehicle a quick visual inspection, which is oftentimes not enough,” he said.
WXYZ asked L’Anse Creuse if the bus had recently been repaired, as well as when it had its last state inspection, but did not get a response.
Copyright 2022 WXYZ via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/wheels-reportedly-fall-off-school-bus-while-its-motion/ | 2022-04-15T15:53:56 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/15/wheels-reportedly-fall-off-school-bus-while-its-motion/ |
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on their first joint visit to the U.K. since they gave up formal royal roles and moved to the U.S. more than two years ago.
The couple’s office says they met with Harry’s grandmother Thursday on their way to the Netherlands to attend the Invictus Games.
Harry is a founder and patron of the international sports competition for wounded military veterans.
Harry and Meghan are expected to attend a reception in The Hague on Friday for the games, which run from Saturday to April 22.
Harry was noticeably absent from the memorial service last month for his late grandfather, Prince Phillip.
The 95-year-old queen has battled health issues recently. She contracted COVID-19 earlier this year and is not expected to attend the royal family’s Easter Sunday church service. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/prince-harry-meghan-make-surprise-visit-to-the-queen-at-windsor | 2022-04-15T15:54:02 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/prince-harry-meghan-make-surprise-visit-to-the-queen-at-windsor |
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one thousand people impacted by frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), the most common dementia under 60, came together to connect, learn, and engage with a community that understands the disease at the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's (AFTD) first-ever hybrid Education Conference, on Friday, April 8.
Persons diagnosed with FTD, care partners, caregivers, researchers, health care professionals, and industry experts attended the 2022 Education Conference, both at the BWI Airport Marriott near Baltimore, as well as virtually. Nearly 200 people attended in Baltimore for the first in-person conference experience since 2019, while more than 1,000 registrants from 29 different countries joined via livestream.
The day consisted of presentations focusing on the latest strides in FTD research, the diverse FTD care partner experience, and the language of dementia, presented by experts in the FTD/dementia field. Both in-person and virtual attendees were able to take part in interactive breakout sessions that took an in-depth look at the key aspects of the FTD journey.
AFTD's Persons with FTD Advisory Council, a group of people living with FTD who help to inform AFTD's work, shared their perspective on living with the disease. Later, AFTD Board member Rita Choula, MA, the director of caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute, delivered the conference's keynote address, sharing her mother's journey with FTD and how her family navigated the experience. Ms. Choula sent out a call for individuals and persons impacted by FTD to "be bold" in advocating for care, both for their loved ones and themselves.
AFTD founder Helen-Ann Comstock, AFTD CEO Susan L-J Dickinson, and AFTD Board chair David Pfeifer delivered the conference's closing remarks, in which they reflected on the organization's history as AFTD approaches its 20th anniversary.
Additional featured speakers at this year's event included AFTD Medical Advisory Council member Chiadi Onyike, MD, MHS; David Irwin, MD, principal investigator of the Penn Digital Neuropathology Lab; Tania Gendron, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Florida; Angela Taylor, senior director of research and advocacy at the Lewy Body Dementia Association; and Laynie Dratch, ScM, CGC, of the University of Pennsylvania's FTD Center.
About Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) and AFTD
Unlike Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is a dementia that primarily affects personality, behavior, language, and movement. It most commonly onsets between the ages of 45 and 64. Currently there are no approved disease-modifying treatments for FTD, which affects more than 60,000 people in the United States and today is always fatal.
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) is the leading nonprofit devoted to helping families affected by FTD today, and driving research to foster accurate diagnosis, treatments, and a cure. Our volunteer-founded organization – driven by thousands of volunteers and donors – reflects a community's determination to #endFTD.
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SOURCE Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/1200-people-impacted-by-young-onset-dementia-gather-aftds-annual-education-conference/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:02 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/1200-people-impacted-by-young-onset-dementia-gather-aftds-annual-education-conference/ |
TRENTON, N.J. — Recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey for those 21 and older will begin April 21.
That's according to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
The governor's announcement in a tweet comes just three days after state regulators green-lighted permits for seven facilities that already sell medical cannabis to begin retailing recreational marijuana.
It will now be up to the medical marijuana dispensaries to decide when they’ll begin recreational marijuana sales.
Customers in New Jersey will be able to purchase up to 1 ounce of recreational marijuana in a single transaction.
The news comes about a year after the state’s regulatory commission started operating, and a year and a half after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to permit recreational marijuana for people 21 and older.
New Jersey is one of 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have legalized recreational marijuana. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/recreational-marijuana-sales-in-new-jersey-slated-to-begin-april-21 | 2022-04-15T15:54:08 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/recreational-marijuana-sales-in-new-jersey-slated-to-begin-april-21 |
ST. PAUL, Minn., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M's Safety and Industrial Business Group and the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) have announced the winners for the Skilled Trades - 3M Transformational Scholarship for students with a focus in skilled trades. This scholarship will allow schools to help students from diverse backgrounds pursue their dreams in skilled trades while also bridging the gaps of inequality in our communities.
3M and NC3 awarded 50 students, who participated in the NC3 National Career and Technical Education Letter of Intent Signing Day, with a $1,000 scholarship. Created by NC3 in 2014, this event is modeled after the NCAA's National Signing Day for athletes. It is designed to honor students who are entering a technical field and to celebrate the dignity of work. 3M is proud to sponsor this scholarship, as it reflects the company's commitment to lifting diverse perspectives and developing the next generation of leaders. Both are important elements in the Safety and Industrial Business Group's mission of transforming the way work gets done today and into the future.
"We are excited to celebrate these exceptional students and provide support for their continuing education through the Skilled Trades – 3M Transformational Scholarship," said Martha Bennett, global vice president, 3M Safety and Industrial Business Group. "The skilled trades are in high demand among our customers and in all communities where we do business and encouraging diverse perspectives and representation reflects our values and who we are."
This year, over 65 institutions participated in this event across the country. High school students attended the signing ceremonies committing to enter into a skilled trade or career and technical education program for the 2022-23 school year.
"NC3 National Career Technical and Education Letter of Intent Signing Day is one of our most important events of the year because it focuses on the students - those who are our future and will make a great impact on tomorrow's workforce. We are honored to partner with 3M on The Skilled Trades – 3M Transformational Scholarship to support students across our nation achieve their dreams in the skilled trades," said NC3 Executive Director, Roger Tadajewski.
To learn more about NC3 Signing Day and view the recipients of The Skilled Trades – 3M Transformational Scholarship, please visit www.nc3.net/signingday.
ABOUT 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews.
ABOUT NC3
NC3 was established to help build a workforce prepared to meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's industries by connecting employers and educational institutions in synergistic partnerships that foster effective training, elevation of skilled careers, and employment opportunities. In fulfilling its mission, NC3 builds deep industry-educational partnerships and develops, implements and sustains industry-recognized portable certifications built on national skills standards. We envision an industrial labor market where all workers have jobs they need to thrive and all companies have well-trained employees they need to operate and grow. Learn more at www.nc3.net.
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SOURCE 3M | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/3m-national-coalition-certification-centers-award-national-scholarships/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:08 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/3m-national-coalition-certification-centers-award-national-scholarships/ |
Nearly 30,000 Ukrainians are returning to Ukraine daily, posing new challenges for relief workers in the region, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said earlier this week.
Since the start of the battle in February, the UN agency said 870,000 Ukrainians have returned to the nation The agency said an increasing number of women and children are returning to Ukraine.
The office said that the return of Ukrainians poses new challenges as people will need support reintegrating into communities. The UN said some communities remain unviable for people to return to.
Since the start of the conflict, the UN estimates 4.7 million have fled the nation. The majority of refugees— some 2.7 million — have fled to Poland. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/nearly-30-000-ukrainians-return-to-ukraine-daily-un-says | 2022-04-15T15:54:14 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/nearly-30-000-ukrainians-return-to-ukraine-daily-un-says |
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Coalition (ACGP) announced today the addition of Blueprint Medicines to its coalition of companies advocating for coverage of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for patients living with advanced cancer by U.S. health insurers.
"The addition of Blueprint Medicines upholds the collective commitment from the diagnostics companies, laboratory services providers, and pharmaceutical companies of ACGP to increase access to comprehensive profiling for people living with cancer," said Jim Almas, MD, vice president and national medical director of clinical effectiveness at Labcorp, and the chairman of ACGP. "Blueprint Medicines plays a major role in the fields of oncology and precision therapy and their support of our efforts is welcomed."
CGP testing performed soon after a diagnosis of advanced cancer better informs medical management, including treatment decisions and patient care, which can improve clinical outcomes. In advocating for coverage of CGP, ACGP seeks to educate health insurers and other healthcare stakeholders about the clinical utility and economic value of CGP.
All companies that offer CGP tests or offer a product with CGP are eligible for consideration of membership in ACGP. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member, please contact us here.
About Blueprint Medicines
Blueprint Medicines is a global precision therapy company that invents life-changing therapies for people with cancer and blood disorders. Applying an approach that is both precise and agile, we create medicines that selectively target genetic drivers, with the goal of staying one step ahead across stages of disease. Since 2011, we have leveraged our research platform, including expertise in molecular targeting and world-class drug design capabilities, to rapidly and reproducibly translate science into a broad pipeline of precision therapies. Today, we are delivering approved medicines directly to patients in the United States and Europe, and we are globally advancing multiple programs for systemic mastocytosis, lung cancer and other genomically defined cancers, and cancer immunotherapy. For more information, visit www.BlueprintMedicines.com and follow us on Twitter (@BlueprintMeds) and LinkedIn.
About the Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Coalition
Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (ACGP) is a collaborative coalition of leading molecular diagnostics companies and laboratories that aims to raise awareness about comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for advanced cancer patients.
For more information, visit: http://www.accesstoCGP.com
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SOURCE Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/access-comprehensive-genomic-profiling-coalition-welcomes-blueprint-medicines-member/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:17 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/access-comprehensive-genomic-profiling-coalition-welcomes-blueprint-medicines-member/ |
Until a few days ago, Volodymyr Musyak was on the front lines defending Ukraine from Russia’s devastating assault on his nation.
Now he’s preparing to pick up a bow and arrow in the Invictus Games archery competition. The sporting event for active service personnel and veterans who are ill, injured or wounded opens Saturday and ends April 22 in The Hague which calls itself the global center of peace and justice.
Those concepts seem a world away to the team of 19 athletes from Ukraine and their supporters as they settle in The Hague for the games.
According to Team Ukraine, most of the members of the team are active service members.
“Because of their stories, what they have seen and experienced from their own experience - they will tell the international community about the act of inhuman aggression by an unprovoked war that kills Ukrainian military and civilians,” Team Ukraine said.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered his support to the team.
“The Ukrainian team will participate in the international sports competition 'Invictus Games.’ Members of the team include current service members who are defending Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “To win every day and everywhere is important for us today.
“We are proud that, at this time, you represent our country. You are showing the rebellious spirit of the Ukrainian people. Support you. Victory to you!”
The competition was originally scheduled for 2020, but pushed back two years due to the pandemic. The competition was last held in 2018.
The competition of service members was spearheaded by Prince Harry. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/team-ukraine-represents-countrys-military-at-invictus-games | 2022-04-15T15:54:20 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/team-ukraine-represents-countrys-military-at-invictus-games |
SCOTRUN, Pa., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After a vigorous review process spanning several months, Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery has been chosen as an approved in-network substance use disorder treatment facility by Aetna. Effective April 15, 2022, Aetna members will receive in-network coverage at Brookdale's one-of-a-kind facility situated in the stunning Pocono Mountains.
As part of Brookdale's strategic growth plan, the addition of Aetna in-network coverage will make world-class addiction treatment available to more individuals struggling with addiction. Brookdale is currently in-network with Highmark BCBS, Geisinger Health Plans, and Cigna, and accepts many more insurance providers.
"Our commitment is to provide a better patient experience and to make high-quality treatment available to those suffering from substance use disorder," says Ed Allen, Chief Marketing Officer, and VP of Operations.
Due to tremendous growth and success, Brookdale is set to begin Phase-2 of construction this summer increasing its residential capacity to treat more patients. The sprawling 100-acre campus is currently capable of treating 34 detox and 76 residential patients.
"The addition of Aetna expands our reach to more than 22 million members and is a testament to our goal of making world-class treatment available to as many patients as possible," says Allen. "We saw a gap between the services that were available to most people and what was needed and, more importantly, effective in treating this chronic disease. The pandemic has shown us that services like ours are more needed than ever, as more families deal with the devastating impact of addiction."
About Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery
Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery opened in 2019 and sits lakeside on 100 acres in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. The premier addiction treatment facility is most known for innovative clinical services with exclusive amenities including 5-star cuisine, hair salon, recreation/fitness center, indoor/outdoor pools, tennis and volleyball courts, basketball, fishing, and hiking trails. Brookdale offers an easy way to verify your insurance benefits through a secure, online form.
For more information, please contact Ed Allen, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Operations at (877) 620-1410.
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SOURCE Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/aetna-partners-with-leading-addiction-treatment-provider/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:23 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/aetna-partners-with-leading-addiction-treatment-provider/ |
Two cases of bird flu have been confirmed in U.S. zoos, but officials said they won’t order widespread euthanasia of zoo birds the way they have on farms.
Agriculture Department spokesman Mike Stepien declined to release any details about the zoo cases Thursday.
Many zoos across the country have closed down their aviaries and moved birds inside whenever possible to help protect them from bird flu that officials believe is primarily being spread by the droppings of wild birds.
At many zoos, visitors are only allowed to see penguins because they’re usually the only birds that are kept behind a glass, where they’re shielded from spreading diseases.
That makes it harder for the bird flu to reach them.
Some zoos have taken steps to keep the bird flu from spreading.
They’re requiring zoo employees to change into clean boots and wear protective gear when entering bird areas.
Nearly 27 million chickens and turkeys have been slaughtered in 26 states to limit the spread of bird flu during this year’s outbreak.
Officials order entire flocks to be killed when the disease is found on farms. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/two-bird-flu-cases-confirmed-in-u-s-zoos | 2022-04-15T15:54:26 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/two-bird-flu-cases-confirmed-in-u-s-zoos |
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are making more moves, this time signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a two-year contract, according to ESPN.
The five-time Pro-Bowler's deal is worth $23 million sources tell ESPN.
Gilmore joins the list of new Colts signees including quarterback Matt Ryan and safeties Armani Watts and Rodney McLeod.
Along with new players for the upcoming season, the Colts also added several additions to their coaching staff last month including former Colts Reggie Wayne and Cato June.
The new coaching additions announced in early March were:
- John Fox: Senior defensive assistant
- Brian Bratton: Offensive quality control coach
- Ron Milus: Defensive backs coach
- Mike Mitchell: Assistant defensive backs coach
- Nate Ollie: Defensive line coach
- Richard Smith: Linebackers coach
- Tyler Boyles: Offensive quality control coach and assistant to the head coach
- Parks Frazier: Pass game specialist/assistant quarterbacks coach
- Matt Raich: Assistant defensive line coach
TOP STORIES: IUPUI commencement ceremony subject of uproar as some students won't be able to walk | Gainbridge concertgoers say they were denied access to rescheduled Elton John show; told tickets invalid | Meteor likely cause of mysterious explosion-like noise that rattled parts of Indiana, AMS says | Carvana building demolished to clear way for construction of new I-465 interchange | Apple to pay $14.8M to iCloud subscribers over breached contract | https://www.wrtv.com/sports/colts/espn-colts-sign-cb-stephon-gilmore-to-2-year-deal | 2022-04-15T15:54:32 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/sports/colts/espn-colts-sign-cb-stephon-gilmore-to-2-year-deal |
Podcast by attorney Jeffrey B. Simon will reveal how Big Pharma deceived the public about the dangers of prescription opioids
Guests include Purdue Pharma whistleblower Carol Panara, addiction specialist Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a mother who lost her son to an overdose, and attorney Larry Francis Taylor
DALLAS, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jeffrey B. Simon, a founding shareholder at the law firm of Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC and a lead negotiator in Texas's efforts to sanction drug manufacturers and distributors for their role in the nationwide opioid epidemic, has launched his podcast "Outside Counsel," which draws on his more than 30 years of experience to reveal the scope and impact of the opioid crisis, as well as the tactics his firm and other legal teams are employing in the fight against Big Pharma. The first ten episodes are available now on all major podcast platforms including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
"America's opioid epidemic is worsening, despite recent efforts to hold drug manufacturers and distributors accountable. Informing the public about the multilayered deceptions and systemic failures within the pharmaceutical industry is an important step in combating that epidemic," Simon said. "With the help of my podcast guests and fellow experts, I connect the dots and create a holistic picture of the crisis for listeners, as well as illuminate the path forward as we navigate and innovate within the civil justice system to seek remedy for those who are suffering due to the disease of opioid addiction."
Topics discussed on "Outside Counsel" include the misinformation and misleading tactics executed by certain drug manufacturers and wholesale distributors, political influence that further enabled corporate malfeasance, historical perspectives on addiction, past and current legal strategies–including Simon's firm's innovative use of public nuisance law in opioid cases–and more. Simon also speaks with guests including Carol Panara, a whistleblower at Purdue Pharmaceutical; Dr. Andrew Kolodny, an addiction specialist and co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University; Larry Francis Taylor, an attorney at the Cochran Firm attorney and Simon's co-counsel for Dallas County's upcoming jury trial against various pharmaceutical companies; and Christy Couvillier, whose brave and heartbreaking obituary for her son made national headlines in early 2022.
"Outside Counsel" is produced by Shannon McDeez of Revel & Convey and Larry Chavana. An overview and episode guide can be found at https://jeffreybsimon.com/podcast.
About Jeffrey B. Simon
Jeffrey B. Simon is a lead negotiator in legal proceedings that seek to hold certain prescription opioid manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and retail pharmacies responsible for their role in fueling and profiting from the nationwide opioid epidemic. He has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly each year for 17 years as well as an America's Top 100 Civil Trial Lawyer for five years, and currently co-chairs the Perrin National Opioid Litigation Conference. For more information, visit www.jeffreybsimon.com.
Media Contact:
Alli Cooke, Lambert & Co.
704.953.3633
acooke@lambert.com
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SOURCE Jeffrey B. Simon | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/americas-worsening-opioid-crisis-investigated-new-podcast-outside-counsel/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:32 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/americas-worsening-opioid-crisis-investigated-new-podcast-outside-counsel/ |
SAN ANTONIO, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Instilled with an innovative entrepreneurial spirit since childhood, San Antonio native Andrew Barlowe applies his past experience and drive for empowering people of all ages in his new interactive self-help book Make It Happen. In it, Barlowe highlights important insights he's learned on his journey and provides readers with applicable tools, step-by-step resources, and open-ended response questions with room for readers to write personalized answers. Filled with personality, humor, and real-world sensibility, Make It Happen takes a unique spin on what it means to make your dreams happen.
Perfect as a motivational resource tool for individuals and small organizations, this short and powerful read is especially impactful for those looking to boost their current initiatives and curriculum.
Organizations based in:
- Education (College+)
- Women and Minority Empowering
- Veteran Assistance Programs
- Business Advancement
Author Andrew Barlowe's journey to success has been anything but ordinary. With only a paper full of ideas and some solid business partners, Barlowe took the entrepreneurial world by storm with his business Barlowe Ventures. Barlowe Ventures serves as a resource for aspiring entrepreneurs, enabling them with tools to convert their ideas to visions, and their visions into reality. By performing services like real estate development, business consulting, and more, Barlowe's Ventures provide individuals and businesses alike the tools they need to spark growth and innovation within their communities.
"Become the best version of yourself you can be. Be someone with character and perseverance. The world has no shortage of smart people."
- Excerpt from Make It Happen
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Join Andrew Barlowe for a book signing event on Thursday April 21st from 6 - 8 pm at Brasão Brazilian Steakhouse. Get the opportunity to purchase your copy of Make It Happen and get it signed by the author himself.
Make It Happen by Andrew Barlowe can be purchased for $20.99 on Amazon. For more information please visit ReadMakeItHappen.com or for press inquiries email info@cranecreatives.com.
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SOURCE Andrew Barlowe | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/andrew-barlowes-new-book-make-it-happen-your-guide-personal-success/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:39 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/andrew-barlowes-new-book-make-it-happen-your-guide-personal-success/ |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. , April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Authparency, an initiative of OncoSpark Inc. a leader in value-based-technology enabled services, is focused on transforming the prior authorization process through intelligent workflow and automation. Authparency, built upon more than a decade of clinical and administrative prior authorization intelligence, has been selected for the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, which will enable further development and application. The platform was built with features and modules that leverage subject matter experts and interoperability for both medical procedures and drugs/infusion.
Microsoft for Startups brings together the technology, guidance, and support that we need to continue to strategically and fundamentally influence the value to patients and healthcare. Jordan Johnson, Chief Innovation Officer of OncoSpark, said, "This program serves as the foundational catalyst that is needed to harness confidence and speed in our solution that is imperative for patients and providers as we define less restrictive value based clinical pathways."
Authparency was created with the input and experience of 100+ clinicians, patient advocates, benefit navigators and other stakeholders that understand the need for better alignment of patient, payer, and provider. The data collected from the platform is influencing pharma, industry, and health policy as it relates to transparency and access to care, while helping build clinical decision support approval pathways. Authparency has numerous relational modules that create a standardized, transparent, and integrated authorization ecosystem.
Manish Jain, co-founder of OncoSpark, said, "The onerous prior authorization requirements burden practices with a variety of barriers, including issues submitting documentation through disparate health plan web portals. This remains a major problem in healthcare as we are seeing an increase in those seeking specialty care and an even greater increase in barriers to this care. By standardizing the process and creating relational data, we are able to work directly with payers and pharmaceutical companies to drive optimization and value."
As providers and practices operate on razor thin margins and struggle with staffing, bringing tracking, payer connectivity, direct submission, insurance validation, HUB enrollment, and assistance pathways in one integrated platform ensures viability, sustainability, and optimal resource allocation.
Jordan Johnson added, "The commitment and values of the Microsoft and Oncospark teams allow us to serve communities, patients, and providers to reduce barriers in a dynamic and changing environment."
About OncoSpark
OncoSpark is a 400+ member team that is committed to value-based care driven by technology-enabled services through integrated data. OncoSpark's combination of clinical, administrative, and industry expertise has established them as one of healthcare's most trusted partners for practices, payers, providers, and vendors that seek a more effective approach and strategy to the current ineffective operational and financial processes. Contact OncoSpark directly at jordanj@oncospark.com to learn more about our at-risk strategies, RCM management, data solutions, and platforms.
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SOURCE OncoSpark | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/authparency-selected-by-microsoft-startups-remove-friction-prior-authorization-process-eliminate-barriers-healthcare/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:46 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/authparency-selected-by-microsoft-startups-remove-friction-prior-authorization-process-eliminate-barriers-healthcare/ |
TAMPA, Fla., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), the preeminent leader in one-to-one youth mentoring, appoints Ad Council Chief Equity Officer Elise James-DeCruise, and National Corn Growers Association Chief Executive Officer Jon Doggett to its Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Council, designed to support the organization's longstanding commitment to empower all young people.
James-DeCruise is an award-winning Learning & Development professional and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practitioner with over 20 years of global experience in the marketing, strategy, design and delivery of programs and experiences for clients, partners and industry professionals within the workforce, marketplace and community. As CEO of the Ad Council, a leading nonprofit that uses the power of communications to drive social change, James-DeCruise oversees the organization's ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion – ultimately informing every aspect of the Ad Council's mission, workplace culture and public-facing communications.
Doggett brings a wealth of knowledge and public policy experience to the JEDI Council. Prior to becoming CEO of the National Corn Growers Association in 2018, Doggett served as the organization's executive vice president from 2014-2018, and prior to that he served as vice president of public policy for over 12 years, where he managed the organization's Washington, D.C. office and led its public policy efforts.
"I am pleased to welcome Elise and Jon to Big Brothers Big Sisters' JEDI Council. Their collective experience in public policy and diversity, equity and inclusion are welcome additions to the council," said Interim JEDI Council Co-Chair Jana Brown. "I look forward to working alongside them to create more equitable outcomes for the Big Brothers Big Sisters workforce, community, and young people."
Founded in 2021, BBBSA's JEDI Council supports the organization's long-standing commitment to empower all youth. The group, made up of business and nonprofit leaders and experts, brings their expertise and compassion to BBBSA to cultivate strategies, curate concepts, and advise on JEDI issues affecting young people, staff, volunteers, and communities across the country. The formation of this cohort is part of BBBSA's responsibility to create a nondiscriminatory and anti-racist approach to dismantle any inequities within its policies, systems, programs, and services, so all young people can experience a strong mentoring relationship in their lives.
"With youth empowerment at the center of all we do, BBBSA is committed to tailoring our approach to meet the diverse and evolving needs of the young people we serve. The JEDI Council helps us make sure that we continue to pursue our values of upholding justice, equity, diversity and inclusion," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America President and CEO Artis Stevens. "I am grateful to Elise and Jon for sharing their invaluable expertise with us and look forward to working with them as new members of the JEDI Council."
"I am thrilled to bring my expertise to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America as a new member of the JEDI Council," said Ad Council Chief Equity Officer Elise James-DeCruise. "The organization's commitment to providing a fulfilling and equitable experience for Bigs and Littles is commendable. I look forward to working with the JEDI Council to help Big Brothers Big Sisters examine and enhance its policies and practices to best support the communities they serve."
"I am beyond excited to join Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's JEDI Council," said National Corn Growers Association Chief Executive Officer Jon Doggett. "The nonprofit has an outstanding reputation and I look forward to sharing my public policy experience to help the organization be the most diverse, mission-driven, youth empowerment organization in the country."
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's JEDI Council visit: https://www.bbbs.org/justice-equity-diversity-inclusion/.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the largest and most experienced youth mentoring organization in the United States. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters' evidence-based approach is designed to create positive youth outcomes, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and improved relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters has over 230 local agencies serving more than 5,000 communities across all 50 states. For more information, visit: www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.
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SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters of America | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/big-brothers-big-sisters-america-appoints-new-members-justice-equity-diversity-inclusion-council-continued-pursuit-create-more-equitable-outcomes-all-young-people/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:53 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/big-brothers-big-sisters-america-appoints-new-members-justice-equity-diversity-inclusion-council-continued-pursuit-create-more-equitable-outcomes-all-young-people/ |
Charities, Individuals and Companies Use Technology to Amplify Generosity and Provide Humanitarian Aid
CHARLESTON, S.C., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world's leading cloud software company powering social good, is pleased to share how its customers are unleashing incredible generosity and raising funds for humanitarian relief to help the people of Ukraine.
"We are in awe of the critical work our customers are doing in this time of crisis and the ways people around the world are getting involved," said Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, Blackbaud. "We applaud the organizations and individuals that are contributing their money, time and resources to causes for Ukraine. Blackbaud's vision has always been to create an Ecosystem of Good® that builds a better world. With nonprofits, individuals and companies all working together as a force for good, we can make a real difference in the countless lives that have been upended by this devastation. We are honored to power giving to help those in need, and our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine."
Nonprofits and Charitable Organizations Providing Critical Funds and Services
Since the start of the conflict on February 24, Blackbaud's nonprofit customers have rallied their staff and supporters to quickly react to the evolving situation—from raising funds to deploying teams and resources on the ground in Ukraine and surrounding countries.
Examples of organizations leveraging Blackbaud technology to engage supporters and raise funds for humanitarian relief include:
- CARE, which is providing food, water, supplies and services for families fleeing Ukraine. CARE's crisis relief efforts have a goal of reaching four million people in need.
- Direct Relief, which has worked with Ukraine's Ministry of Health and other on-the-ground partners to provide critical shipments of 164 tons of medical aid, including insulin supplies, critical care medications, oxygen concentrators and other essential resources.
- TiKVA Children's Home, whose mission is to provide aid and education for at-risk Jewish children and impoverished families in Odessa, Ukraine. TiKVA has successfully evacuated over 3,000 people out of Ukraine and currently has 950 refugees in their care, including 350 orphans.
Individuals Showing Incredible Generosity
On Blackbaud's JustGiving platform, more than $55 million has been raised for Ukraine-related causes through individual giving, with approximately $43 million going direct to charities and $12 million going to people in need or personal causes. More than 14,500 fundraising appeal pages have been created.
Touching examples of generosity through JustGiving include:
- Louenna Hood, a nanny who is crowdfunding to give essential supplies—like diapers, wipes, blankets, clothes and food—to Ukraine refugees in Moldova and has raised more than £170,000 so far
- Deanston Bakery in Glasgow, Scotland, which held a bake sale for Ukraine and raised over £88,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal
- Reuben, a five-year-old boy who played his violin on the streets in London to raise almost £2,000 for Save the Children's Ukraine appeal
- Raj Singh, owner and chairman of the Hartlepool United Football Club in England, who personally donated £250,000 to the club's crowdfunding appeal for Ukraine—the largest single individual contribution in JustGiving history
Companies Stepping Up for the Cause
One in three Fortune 500 companies relies on Blackbaud's YourCause® CSRconnect® solution to power their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, including employee giving, matching gifts and volunteering. With the start of the conflict, Blackbaud quickly launched resources to help customers build response programs for the crisis, providing a list of verified organizations focused on humanitarian relief for Ukraine that companies and their employees could give to. Since February 24, nearly $12 million has been raised for those organizations from hundreds of companies through employee donors, spanning nearly 70 countries.
Many companies are running dedicated response programs for Ukraine on the YourCause platform. Of those, 40% have created special match campaigns for the crisis to maximize employee impact, with 20% offering a 2:1 match for employee contributions.
Wells Fargo employees have donated more than $330,000 to the Ukrainian relief effort. The company encouraged donations by featuring relief organizations in their YourCause portal and rewarding employee donations through a grant program. "Wells Fargo has a deep commitment to supporting communities and to responding in times of need," said Anna Bard, senior vice president, head of employee volunteerism and charitable giving, Wells Fargo. "Using the YourCause platform, Wells Fargo rewards employees' contributions through our Community Care Grants program, which provides grants to employees of up to $2,000 annually for their volunteer service and charitable giving and these grants are donated to the charity of their choice. As part of our support for the people of Ukraine, we temporarily increased our employee grants program by 50%, for a maximum of up to $3,000 that employees can direct to charities. We have also pledged $1 million to support humanitarian relief and U.S. service members in the region."
Blackbaud's Commitment
Blackbaud is dedicated to helping social good organizations around the world engage supporters and donors to achieve their critical missions. Our teams are working to enable customers to quickly respond to the crisis in Ukraine, stand up fundraising campaigns, process donations and spread awareness of their efforts.
Blackbaud has made a donation to the International Rescue Committee, which helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. In addition, we are encouraging our employees to leverage our matching gift program, which is designed to support employees' choice. Blackbaud will match employee donations to 501c3 charities, ensuring that individual contributions go further.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG), school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than four decades, Blackbaud is a remote-first company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, with operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com
Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organizations; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
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SOURCE Blackbaud, Inc. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/blackbaud-customers-come-together-raise-millions-ukraine/ | 2022-04-15T15:54:59 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/blackbaud-customers-come-together-raise-millions-ukraine/ |
BOSTON, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Hemp Inc, one of largest Delta-8 and hemp wholesalers in the United States, has acquired High Life Holdings LLC, expanding their already extensive market share within the industry. The acquisition would especially raise Boston Hemp's profile in the vape sector, further expanding their HHC, Delta-8, THC-O, and CBD selection, and making them one of the largest online retailers for vape carts and disposable vape products in the industry.
Boston Hemp is located just south of Boston, MA and services over 15,000 stores nationwide. This merger will surely expand Boston Hemp's wholesale network, and in particular, elongate their already visible footprint in the Delta-8 and HHC market. "From a business standpoint, it was a no brainer," said John Lamparelli, CFO at Boston Hemp Inc. "We have been doing business closely together for years and have built a solid relationship, so when the opportunity presented itself, we made the conscious decision of acquiring the brand and expanding our market share extensively" he added.
Outside of its wholesale network, Boston Hemp is a leading online retailer in the industry specializing in hemp derived cannabinoids. As an online dispensary, they have the unique opportunity of servicing all 50 states under the Farm Bill Act signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2018. Every product is hemp-derived and meets the federal regulations of <0.3% Delta-9 THC. Alongside vape carts and disposables vape products, they offer flower, hash, shatter, wax, oils, edibles and essentially any other product available at your traditional marijuana dispensary. As the industry continues to grow and thrive, Boston Hemp has lead the way in terms of innovation, revolutionizing the marijuana industry through the introduction of cutting-edge cannabinoids such as HHC and compliant hemp-derived Delta-9 THC edibles.
The addition of High Life LLC will certainly add to their rapid growth and innovative product line. You can browse their entire lineup of products on the Boston Hemp website.
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SOURCE Boston Hemp Inc. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/boston-hemp-inc-acquires-delta-8-high-life-holdings-llc-28-million-hemp-industry-acquisition/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:08 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/boston-hemp-inc-acquires-delta-8-high-life-holdings-llc-28-million-hemp-industry-acquisition/ |
TOKYO, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KLab Inc., a leader in online mobile games, announced that its head-to-head football simulation game Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team would debut new players wearing FC Barcelona uniforms starting Friday, April 15. There will be various in-game campaigns held in celebration. See the original press release (https://www.klab.com/en/press/) for more information.
FC BARCELONA Official Campaign Overview
Login Bonus
Users can get fantastic rewards such as SSR Overus (Catalonia) and Dreamballs by logging into the game during the event period.
Special Event: Carve a History of Intense Battles
During the event period, users can replay these special scenarios over and over again to collect FC BARCELONA II Medals. These Medals can be exchanged for fantastic items.
FC BARCELONA Selection Transfer
Josep Grandios, Luikal, Payol wearing the FC BARCELONA official kit debut as new players in this Transfer.
Daily Scenario
Users can complete these limited scenarios once a day during the event period. Clear the scenario to receive Tsubasa Point Rewards and exchange them for great rewards.
Event Mission
During the event period, complete the Event Missions to earn great rewards such as Dreamballs, Tamotsu Ide, Black Ball (SSR)s, and more.
Dreamball Exchange
The Dreamball Exchange is getting an update with the FC BARCELONA home, away, GK uniforms. Users can exchange Dreamballs to collect them!
Overview of Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team
Download here:
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1293738123
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.klab.captain283.global
AppGallery: https://appgallery.huawei.com/#/app/C105375049
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SOURCE KLab Inc. | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/captain-tsubasa-dream-team-debuts-new-players-fc-barcelona-wearing-official-uniforms/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:15 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/captain-tsubasa-dream-team-debuts-new-players-fc-barcelona-wearing-official-uniforms/ |
LOS ANGELES, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) is releasing the first ever video series in which top Los Angeles mayoral candidates answer questions on how they will address important issues to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. This video series is a component of CAUSE's VOTE Initiatives, a series of efforts designed to help Asian Pacific Americans have the resources to cast an informed ballot, be civically engaged, and be leaders in their communities.
With nearly two dozen candidates interested in being Los Angeles' next mayor, CAUSE recognized a need for voter education and to raise awareness of this particular race that may affect the entire Southern California region. The new representative elected as the Mayor of Los Angeles will represent over 430,000 AAPI residents, home to one of the largest AAPI communities in the United States.
CAUSE Executive Director Nancy Yap interviewed five of the leading mayoral candidates, including Congresswoman Karen Bass, Los Angeles Councilmember Joe Buscaino, real estate developer Rick Caruso, Los Angeles Councilmember Kevin De León, and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, on homelessness, public safety, economic recovery, and anti-Asian hate crimes.
The interview topics were selected from a community survey CAUSE conducted to gauge which issues matter most to the AAPI community. This is an unprecedented interview series that directly asks the top mayoral candidates specifically how their plans and administration, if elected, would address these critical issues in relationship to the AAPI community and ensure that the AAPI community is represented in their administration.
"The Mayor of Los Angeles has the power to impact policy beyond the city limits, influencing groundbreaking efforts across the country. Because Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the nation, it is imperative that the mayor understands the needs of these communities. Through this video series, CAUSE was able to have conversations with candidates to ensure they include our communities in their plans for the city and find ways to address challenges facing us such as the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes," said Nancy Yap, CAUSE Executive Director.
Visit: https://bit.ly/cause-lamayor
Contact: Farrah Su, CAUSE Marketing and Communications Manager
Phone: (213) 269-5716 | Email: farrah@causeusa.org
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SOURCE Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/cause-releases-2022-los-angeles-mayoral-video-series-first-ever-mayoral-interview-series-created-by-aapi-community/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:22 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/cause-releases-2022-los-angeles-mayoral-video-series-first-ever-mayoral-interview-series-created-by-aapi-community/ |
(The Conversation) – In late March 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a second booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines for vulnerable populations in the U.S., a move that was soon after endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People ages 50 years and older and certain immunocompromised individuals who are at higher risk for severe disease, hospitalization and death are eligible four months after receiving the initial booster shot.
A second booster shot is equivalent to a fourth dose for people who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA series or a third dose for those who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
In Israel, people in these same vulnerable categories began receiving fourth doses in January 2022. The U.K. recently started administering a fourth dose for people 75 years and older and coined it a “spring booster.” In Germany, those over 60 years old are now eligible for a fourth shot of the mRNA series.
I am an epidemiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health and founder and author of Your Local Epidemiologist, a newsletter translating the latest public health science for everyday use.
The latest recommendations have left many wondering about the importance of boosters for protection against COVID-19. Does the third shot wane over time? Is a fourth dose necessary? What if you’ve had a previous infection?
After reviewing the mounting body of research on how the immune system shifts over time following each dose, it is clear that another booster for vulnerable populations has meaningful benefit with very little risk.The FDA’s authorization provides the option of a second booster shot for vulnerable populations, but the agency stopped short of making it a broad recommendation.
Vaccine effectiveness following the first booster dose
There is clear evidence that a third dose of the mRNA series – or the first booster dose – was and still is critical for ensuring a robust immune response against the omicron variant for all age groups. This is in part because the immune response wanes over time and also in part because omicron has proved to be partially effective at evading immunity from the existing COVID-19 vaccines and from prior infections.
But then the question becomes: How well is immunity from the first booster holding up over time?
The best real-time data to follow on vaccine effectiveness over time is in the U.K. The U.K. Health Security Agency currently has follow-up data for 15 weeks after the third dose, or first booster shot. In its latest report, the effectiveness of vaccines against infection wanes significantly after a third dose. In the U.K. report, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization is holding up much better compared to effectiveness against infection. But even protection against hospitalization is slightly decreasing over time. While this data is insightful, 15 weeks of follow-up data isn’t very helpful in the U.S. because many Americans got their third dose up to 24 weeks ago.
A recent study assessed the durability of a Moderna third dose after six months. Researchers found waning levels of neutralizing antibodies six months after the booster. The CDC also found significant waning protection against emergency department and urgent care visits five months after the first booster. Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization decreased a little but largely held up five months after the booster.
The studies mentioned above pooled all age groups. But researchers know that older adults don’t mount as durable an immune response as younger people. This explains why breakthrough infections have occurred at a much higher rate among people ages 65 and up. A recent study in the Lancet assessed the durability of a third dose among people ages 76 to 96 years old. Researchers found that the third dose improved neutralizing antibodies, but in the face of omicron, antibodies still dropped substantially following a booster.President Biden gets his second booster shot on camera, and Dr. Anthony Fauci discusses the benefits of a booster.
Data on the second booster dose/fourth shot
Now that Israel has been delivering a fourth dose for several months, researchers have some data to rely on to assess its effectiveness. There are three studies that have been released so far, one which has not yet been peer-reviewed.
In one study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists assessed the rates of infection and severe illness after a fourth dose – or second booster – among more than a million people ages 60 and older in Israel. The researchers found that after a fourth dose, the rate of COVID-19 infection was two times lower than after a third dose. However, this protection quickly waned after six weeks. They also found the rate of severe disease was four times lower compared to those who received only three doses. It’s important to note, though, that hospitalizations among both groups were very low.
Importantly, another study assessed the effectiveness of a fourth dose among younger health care workers in Israel. The results confirmed that antibody levels dropped significantly five months after the third dose. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the fourth dose was no different from the effectiveness of a third dose in this population of younger health care workers. In other words, there may not be meaningful benefit of a second booster of the same formula for young, healthy populations.
Researchers carried out a third study, one that has not yet been peer-reviewed, at a large health care system in Israel among people aged 60 to 100 years. Among 563,465 patients in the health care system, 58% received a second booster. During the study period, 92 people who received the second booster died compared to 232 people who had only the first booster. In other words, the second booster equated to a 78% reduction in death compared to the first booster alone.
What if you had a COVID-19 infection with omicron?
The combination of being both vaccinated and having experienced a COVID-19 infection is called “hybrid immunity.” More than 35 studies have shown that hybrid immunity offers complimentary and broad protection. This is because immunity from the vaccines targets the spike protein – after which the COVID-19 vaccines were designed – and infection-induced immunity aims more broadly at the whole virus.
[Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.]
So, it is not unreasonable to skip a second booster with a confirmed infection of omicron. This doesn’t mean that people should purposefully get SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But it is clear that hybrid immunity is a viable path to protection.
In short, there is strong evidence that a fourth dose – or second booster – provides meaningful protection among vulnerable populations, including people over 60. So another booster is reasonable for some groups. And while a fourth dose may benefit a select group, it is far more important that people receive their first, second and third doses. | https://www.wane.com/community/health/coronavirus/do-you-need-a-second-booster-shot-an-epidemiologist-scoured-the-latest-research-and-has-some-answers/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:27 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/community/health/coronavirus/do-you-need-a-second-booster-shot-an-epidemiologist-scoured-the-latest-research-and-has-some-answers/ |
WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein defended her position as senior senator representing California following a news report published Thursday that lawmakers she serves with are concerned about her memory and ability to serve in the Senate.
RELATED: Colleagues worry Sen. Dianne Feinstein no longer mentally fit to serve: Report
"I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was re-elected in 2018: fight for Californians, especially on the economy and the key issues for California of water and fire," she said in a statement obtained by CNN. "While I have focused for much of the past year on my husband's health and ultimate passing, I have remained committed to achieving results and I'd put my record up against anyone's."
Her statement comes after the San Francisco Chronicle reported four unnamed senators, including three Democrats, as well as three former Feinstein aides and a California Democratic member of Congress spoke with the Chronicle, saying her mental health has gotten worse recently.
Feinstein added in response to the Chronicle report: "The real question is whether I'm still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am."
The report notes their comments came before Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum, died in February following "a long battle with cancer."
After the report, Feinstein called the editorial board and defended her capacity as senator.
RELATED: Bruce Willis 'stepping away' from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, family says
"I meet regularly with leaders," Feinstein said Thursday in the call with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board leaders. "I'm not isolated. I see people. My attendance is good. I put in the hours. We represent a huge state. And so I'm rather puzzled by all of this."
Feinstein has faced questions about her ability to serve for a few years. CNN reported in 2021 she faced growing questions about her ability to do her job, losing her post as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee after her Democratic colleagues privately complained about her performance during the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court.
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California Sen. Dianne Feinstein defends service after report about deteriorating memory
Feinstein's husband died earlier this year | https://abc7ny.com/senator-dianne-feinstein-news-health-problems/11751490/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:27 | 0 | https://abc7ny.com/senator-dianne-feinstein-news-health-problems/11751490/ |
SAN FRANCISCO, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- While most 16-year-old kids are scrolling through Instagram, Charlie Mitchell was discovered on it by two executive producers from ESW Management.
And by one of the biggest producers in the music business.
Charlie Mitchell's rendition of his YouTube cover of the Billie Eilish song "When The Party's Over" caught the ear of music producer Narada Michael Walden after another artist he produces saw the young crooner on Instagram and brought him to the legendary producers attention.
Walden, known for producing 57 #1 hits that include his productions of Whitney Houston, George Michael, Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey and the list goes on, also produced the Whitney Houston vehicle "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, which remains the best-selling soundtrack of all time.
"Charlie is a prodigy. This new song brings hope, and it's really dedicated to the loss of our loved ones. It was written in a very interesting way, with the first verse speaking from the perspective of the one who lost someone, and the second verse and the bridge spoken by that lost loved one to you…even after," says Walden.
The single, entitled "Even After," is set for pre-sales on iTunes on April 20th, and distributed to radio through Play MPE to 22 countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and more than 18 Latin American countries on May 3rd. A link to iTunes pre-sales link will be added to Mitchell's website on April 20.
"The song will be distributed throughout Europe as well shortly thereafter," says Walden.
Mitchell, who was born and lives on the Gold Coast in Australia, is working on new material with Walden and the executive producers of the album, Jesse Stenger and Brian Evans, who co-wrote the new song about to be released. Mitchell created the melody on the song.
"The way Charlie can interpret a song at just 16 years old, so naturally, is something that you just don't see every day. The moment I heard him, we agreed this was a superstar in the making," says Walden.
Charlie Mitchell, prior to being produced by Walden, would perform publicly on sidewalks and private events.
Mitchell is already preparing new recordings to be produced by Walden, with the executive producers also co-writing.
"This is just the beginning. There's much more to come," says Walden.
Charlie Mitchell's website is charliemitchellmusic.com
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SOURCE ESW Management | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/charlie-mitchell-release-first-single-under-grammy-award-winning-producer-narada-michael-walden-may-3rd/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:31 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/charlie-mitchell-release-first-single-under-grammy-award-winning-producer-narada-michael-walden-may-3rd/ |
CHICAGO (WGN) — A Chicago man says a falling skyscraper window narrowly missed him as he was walking on the street Thursday evening.
Dustin Curtis got quite a shock while walking near State and Superior amid high winds.
He said a huge piece of falling glass landed right in front of him, leaving Curtis frozen in place. It came from the new One Chicago building.
“Oh yeah, big chunk of it landed right before me and another girl walking,” Curtis said. “I’ve been thinking about it all day, a few moments; a different life or a shorter life.”
He said he saw people around him looking up and pointing out a missing window in the building.
Feeling lucky to be alive, Curtis said, “I’m gonna be buying a lottery ticket, and I think the beer is gonna taste a lot better.”
Some trees were reported down around the area as a high wind warning expired at 7 p.m.
Evanston resident Jim Blachowicz watched a tree come down next to his garage. Power was knocked out and it left a number of birds homeless.
“We’ve had about 30 birds come to our feeder since it fell down,” he said.
Gusts around 65 mph were recorded in the area as a cold front continued to hover. | https://www.wane.com/dont-miss/chicago-man-walking-on-street-narrowly-avoids-falling-skyscraper-window/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:33 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/dont-miss/chicago-man-walking-on-street-narrowly-avoids-falling-skyscraper-window/ |
BOSTON (AP) — Jacky Hunt-Broersma runs like a woman possessed. And in a way, she is: The amputee athlete is trying to run at least 102 marathons in 102 days.
Last month, a little more than two-thirds toward her goal of setting a new world record for back-to-back marathons, the South Africa native posted something on Twitter that got people talking.
“The first thing I did after my run today was take off my leg. Felt so good,” she tweeted. “Marathon 69 done. 31 marathons to go.”
That was last month, and she’s still running — covering the classic 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) marathon distance day in, day out, rain or shine, occasionally on a treadmill but mostly on roads and trails near her home in Gilbert, Arizona. If her streak remains intact heading into the Boston Marathon on April 18, it’ll be marathon No. 92.
Unlike the 30,000 others running the storied course, Hunt-Broersma, 46, will have done a marathon the day before. Somehow, she’ll have to rally body and soul to run another the day after. And another after that. And then eight more.
All on a carbon-fiber blade that’s been her left leg ever since she lost the real thing below the knee to a rare cancer.
“You make peace with pain,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think my pain threshold is probably quite high at the moment. It’s one step at a time.”
Boston is the only certified marathon she’s including in her quest. The others she’s running on one of two loops near her home or indoors on a treadmill — a monotonous machine many runners derisively call the “dreadmill.”
In 2001, while she and her Dutch husband were living in the Netherlands, Hunt-Broersma was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer more typically seen in children. Overnight, a golf ball-sized bulge appeared on an old scar that had become tender. A biopsy confirmed the worst, and within weeks, her leg was amputated below the knee.
“The biggest struggle was accepting that part of my body was gone,” she said. (She’s since made peace with that: A favorite T-shirt reads, “A Zombie Chewed It Off.”)
Until five years ago, she wasn’t at all athletic, but getting started was expensive. Carbon-fiber blades designed for running cost around $10,000 and aren’t covered by health insurance. Survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three spectators and wounded 260 others, ran into the same problem when they sought to reclaim their lives.
“Running really changed my life,” she said. “It helped me accept myself as an amputee. It gave me a sense of freedom. I fell in love with the process of pushing my body further just to see what I could do.”
Subsequent marathons led to ultrarunning over extended distances, including a 100-mile (160-kilometer) race. So when Hunt-Broersma learned that Alyssa Amos Clark,a nondisabledrunner from Bennington, Vermont, covered the marathon distance 95 days in a row in 2000, an idea was born: She’d do 100. That plan got foiled this week when British runner Kate Jayden completed 101 marathons in as many days, so Hunt-Broersma has a new goal: “Now I’m going for at least 102.”
“I hoped it would inspire a lot of people to get out of their comfort zone and push a little bit farther,” she said.
She worried her stump would become raw and painful, and the first two weeks were rough. Since then, though, she’s gotten into a sustainable rhythm, taking care to ice and massage the stump. When it became swollen, she switched to a running prosthesis with a little more room.
But there have been mental challenges as well on the road to 102, which began on Jan. 17. On a recent outing, Hunt-Broersma — who’s been averaging a little over five hours per marathon — felt near collapse at 15 miles (24 kilometers) and burst into tears. Suddenly the entire odyssey was in doubt.
“I had a total emotional breakdown. I was like, ‘I just can’t do this. What was I thinking?’” she said. “The trick for me is just to break it down into little goals. Just get to the next mile. And then the next one.”
Her support team is her husband and their two young children, but she’s also gained a large social media following.
This week, after logging marathon No. 85, well-wishers offered virtual applause. “You just seem to eat marathons for breakfast,” one person tweeted. “In such bleak times, thank you for serving as an inspiration,” commented another.
As she nears the end of her epic quest, Hunt-Broersma hopes she inspires a singular thought in others, regardless of their own physical challenges:
“You’re stronger than you think — and you’re capable of so much more.” | https://www.wane.com/dont-miss/woman-with-one-leg-attempting-to-run-102-marathons-in-102-days/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:39 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/dont-miss/woman-with-one-leg-attempting-to-run-102-marathons-in-102-days/ |
Recovery from negative impacts of pandemic set to propel demand gains in 2022
CLEVELAND, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- US plastic foam demand is forecast to see 2.1% annual growth in volume terms through 2026, according to Plastic Foams: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Suppliers are projected to benefit from expanding production of plastic packaging, building products, mattresses, and motor vehicles. Faster gains will be prevented by efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic foams due to environmental considerations.
Demand is projected to increase 3.3% in 2022 as the economy continues to rebound from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, up from 2.4% growth in 2021. Construction expenditures in real terms fell 2.3% in 2021, but are projected to expand 1.2% in 2022, helping boost demand in one of the largest markets for plastic foams. In addition, production of motor vehicles – another major market – is forecast to grow 9.0% in 2022, up from 4.2% in 2021.
These and other key insights are featured in Plastic Foams: United States. This report forecasts to 2022 and 2026 US plastic foam demand in pounds. Total demand is segmented by plastic foam type in terms of:
- polyurethane foam
- polystyrene foam
- other plastic foams such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, and vinyl
Total demand is also segmented by market as follows:
- packaging
- construction
- appliances and furniture
- motor vehicles
- other markets such as industrial; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); transport equipment other than motor vehicles; and electrical and electronic products
To illustrate historical trends, total demand and the various segments are provided in annual series from 2011 to 2021.
More information about the report is available at:
https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Plastic-Foams-United-States-FF55013/?progid=91541
About Freedonia Focus Reports
Each month, The Freedonia Group – a division of MarketResearch.com – publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Materials & Chemicals reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com.
Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including:
- total historical market size and industry output
- segmentation by products and markets
- identification of market drivers, constraints, and key indicators
- segment-by-segment outlook in five-year forecasts
- a survey of the supply base
- suggested resources for further study
Press Contact:
Corinne Gangloff
+1 440.842.2400
cgangloff@freedoniagroup.com
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SOURCE The Freedonia Group | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/construction-motor-vehicle-markets-boost-plastic-foam-demand/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:37 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/construction-motor-vehicle-markets-boost-plastic-foam-demand/ |
WARNING: The following story contains graphic content not suitable for all readers
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – They walk into the north side furniture store acting like customers at first, but when they get the man away from his co-workers they begin to grill him.
“You don’t recognize my face?” the woman says.
“You told me you masturbated to me several times,” she says.
“I look a little older, huh?” she adds.
“I have every single message,” she tells him.
The man does not recognize her, but he denies nothing.
He admits to sending sexual photos to someone he met over the internet. He admits to asking her to meet multiple times. He admits to fantasizing about this person, telling her about it and calling her gorgeous. He acknowledges he once sent her a message saying he “wants” her.
He admits to believing whoever he was talking to was only 14 years old.
All while the entire interaction is livestreamed over the internet.
The man in the video is now identified as 47-year-old Jeffrey Michael Vernace, who Allen County prosecutors formally charged with two felony counts of child solicitation earlier this week, partly due to the efforts to members of a group who confronted him at the Kittle’s Furniture store on Coliseum Boulevard where he worked.
That group, PCI: Predator Catchers Indianapolis, is one of many that have been popping up throughout the country.
They are private citizens banding together to gather evidence against those who are trying to prey upon children through various social media apps.
They use decoys to interact online with people seeking to exploit minors, and then they confront those people with the plethora of messages or photos they’ve collected – usually with a camera recording everything.
It’s very much in the style of the former NBC reality show “To Catch a Predator.”
While many of these sting operations have led to charges and arrests, some law enforcement experts caution about what these groups are doing and how they are operating.
They warn these groups may be taking undue risks with people who could react violently or that, because they are not trained in law enforcement, they might not properly know the ins and outs of the justice system.
“There’s a reason we have a police department and a detective bureau,” said Allen County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Michael McAlexander. “The concern is, if (an investigation) is done improperly, it could essentially defeat what the good-intentioned people are doing. It could mess up a case so it would be harder to prosecute.”
Aware of the risks
His daughter had a cell phone at 13.
When the man called “Boots” once took a look at it and saw a man in his 20s trying to exploit his child and threatening her if she did not comply with the things he wanted her to do, it changed the direction of his life.
“The biggest thing is, they shouldn’t have cell phones,” said Boots, referring to children and teenagers. “If you think you’re checking their device and they are safe, there are ways around that.”
Boots is now the president of the Goshen-based group Bikers Against Predators. He did not want his identity revealed due to safety concerns connected to what the group does – which is set up stings to try and catch potential sexual predators.
Like many of the organizations operating all over the country, members of Bikers Against Predators set up online decoy accounts over various social media platforms. Then they sit back and wait.
“Our first rule is, we never reach out to anybody,” said a woman, who also did not want to be identified for safety reasons, who acts as one of Boots’ decoys. “They have to reach out to us first.”
The decoys also must say whatever age they are using multiple times. For instance, they have to tell someone they are 13, or 14, or whatever they decide, and make that clear. If the person chatting with them tells them they have no interest in talking to someone underage, those decoys terminate the conversation immediately and do not engage with that person again.
If the conversation continues, though, the decoys are not to turn any of the talk sexual. The other person must do that first. Likewise, the decoys never ask to meet in person. It’s up to the other person to make that suggestion first.
When they collect enough evidence, they confront that person and livestream it over the internet. They’ve done this to people in Fort Wayne, Goshen, Warsaw and other parts of Indiana.
“Here’s the thing, in our organization, we are fully aware of the safety,” said the woman who works as one of Boots’ decoys. “We are fully aware of the safety. We don’t go in there thinking nothing is ever going to happen. We know things might go wrong, but to us it’s such an important issue.”
As chief deputy prosecutor in Allen County, McAlexander and others in law enforcement understand the sentiment.
He raved about newer technology that has helped in prosecuting crimes, noting that people’s willingness to come forward with surveillance footage from homes or doorbell cameras have assisted law enforcement like never before.
Still, he cautioned that in almost every sense, the police are better trained to gather evidence and approach these types of people that might be involved in these types of crimes.
“The practical side is, if you’re right and they’ve targeted a person who is doing these kinds of acts, confronting them up close and personal could turn out very bad,” he said. “You don’t know if they have a weapon, and I’m guessing their knowledge of this person’s criminal history is very limited.”
“I would encourage them, if they reach a certain point in their investigation, contact law enforcement to cover the final stages,” McAlexander added.
Allen County Sheriff spokesman Capt. Steve Stone said a lot of things could go wrong in such a confrontation.
Police officers are trained to handle situations that go bad, and they do have information about potential suspects and criminal histories that the public might not. Plus, there are always the danger of mistaken identity.
“How do you know you’re confronting the right person,” Stone said.
Those involved in these predator hunting groups, though, say they know what they’re doing, and that they always turn over all their evidence to police and prosecutors whenever they are finished. Livestreaming interactions keeps members safe, according to Boots, as someone is not as likely to get violent or do harm in front of a camera.
Plus, they said they do their due diligence in following the law and verifying who people are before any confrontation begins.
“Our cases are rock solid,” Boots said.
Help is still help
At one point in the video, Jeffrey Michael Vernace is sitting on the edge of a bed at the furniture store.
He holds a phone in his hand. His wife is on speaker phone. She is crying.
“I’m a horrible person,” he says.
The video keeps going. For 40 minutes anyone with an internet connection can watch the breakdown of people’s lives.
At some point, Fort Wayne Police are called. A detective arrives – off camera – and an investigation begins. Nearly eight months later, Allen County prosecutors file felony charges against Vernace, who has previous sex crime convictions in Missouri.
Despite his caution against such investigation tactics, McAlexander understands and is appreciative when a crime is uncovered.
“When we ask for the public’s help, we can’t turn around and say we don’t want you to do this,” McAlexander said. “By the same token, crime is crime. We would prefer, if they have a reason to believe someone has done something, they notify the police and let them take over the investigation.”
It’s hard to gauge success of such sting operations in terms of charges and convictions, according to some of these groups.
Boots said some of the people they’ve confronted are facing charges in Kosciusko County and Elkhart, and added that some of their confrontations have not led to charges yet. But, he measures success in another way.
“We’ve saved upwards of 97 children,” he said. “These are children who could’ve been victims.”
And for people like Boots, who had someone close preyed upon, that is huge. | https://www.wane.com/news/in-the-sex-predator-hunt-law-enforcement-experts-urge-private-citizens-use-caution/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:45 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/in-the-sex-predator-hunt-law-enforcement-experts-urge-private-citizens-use-caution/ |
LAKE CITY, S.C., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The cotton gin facility on Daniels Road outside of Lake City and warehouse facilities on Church Street in Lake City are set to be sold via sealed bid auction with bids due on May 25th at 2:00 PM EDT.
Offering one is the turnkey cotton gin is being sold with the cotton gin equipment, including all rolling stock and complete equipment inventory of South East Cotton Inc. The property is 29.64± acres and is enhanced with a 12,000± sqft metal building housing the ginning equipment, Fairbank 60' truck scales, and a 1996 mobile home used as an office.
Offering two are the warehouses in Lake City, situated on 10.61± acres with 103,546± sqft of warehouse space in two buildings. Building one has 58,612± sqft, and building two has 44,934± sqft.
Prospective buyers will have the opportunity to inspect the properties on May 5, 6, 14, and 15 from 11 AM to 3 PM.
Bidders may bid on either offering individually or submit a combined offer for both properties. For more information and to submit a bid, please contact Woltz & Associates Inc. at 800-551-3588 or Murray Wise Associates LLC at 800-607-6888.
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SOURCE Murray Wise Associates LLC | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/cotton-gin-warehouse-assets-set-sealed-bid-sale/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:46 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/cotton-gin-warehouse-assets-set-sealed-bid-sale/ |
Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana’s Facebook page was hacked, and the nonprofit organization which sends veterans on trips to Washington D.C. has asked those who support the mission to follow a new temporary page.
Honor Flight officials said its official Facebook page was hacked last month, and it lost access. The organization uses the page to communicate news and events to veterans and families.
It has set up a new page HERE for supporters to follow.
“We have family from all over the country that have people live here, the veterans and so they use our Facebook to follow our photos and our live streams and our videos that we post on our different trips,” said Michael Thena of Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana. “And we’ve had almost 10,000 followers over the course of the many years and we’ve been doing these trips and well now we’ve lost all that so we need to get that rebuilt right away so people can follow along here in 12 days with our April flight.”
Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana will take its 35th flight to Washington, D.C., on April 27. It will be the first flight since October 2019. | https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/honor-flights-facebook-page-was-hacked/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:51 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/honor-flights-facebook-page-was-hacked/ |
MORRISTOWN, N.J., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Covanta Holding Corporation ("Covanta" or the "Company") will host a conference call at 11:00 AM (Eastern) on Friday, April 22, 2022 to discuss its 2021 financial results.
Qualified fixed income investors and securities analysts can register for access to the conference call and related materials on the Debt Investor Information section of Covanta's Investor Relations website.
Covanta is a world leader in providing sustainable waste and energy solutions. Annually, Covanta's modern Waste-to-Energy facilities safely convert approximately 21 million tons of waste from municipalities and businesses into clean, renewable electricity to power one million homes and recycle 600,000 tons of metal. Through a vast network of treatment and recycling facilities, Covanta also provides comprehensive industrial material management services to companies seeking solutions to some of today's most complex environmental challenges. For more information, visit covanta.com.
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SOURCE Covanta Holding Corporation | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/covanta-holding-corporation-schedules-2021-results-conference-call/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:52 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/covanta-holding-corporation-schedules-2021-results-conference-call/ |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The Rescue Mission is set to serve one of its largest holiday meals of the year on Easter Sunday.
The organization said it expects to serve 2,500 meals on Sunday at its 404 E. Washington Blvd. shelter.
The meal will be served between noon and 3 p.m., and will be carry-out only. There is no cost and meals are available to anyone. There will be a limit of four meals per person.
“Easter is a time to celebrate the sacrifice and loving gift Jesus Christ gave to all when he died on the cross. But, for the most vulnerable in our community, Easter is another day of struggle to fulfill their basic needs,” said Rescue Mission President Donovan Coley. “A meal can provide warmth, comfort, and we hope a chance to experience the love of Jesus Christ on this important holiday.” | https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/rescue-mission-expects-to-serve-2500-meals-on-easter/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:57 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/rescue-mission-expects-to-serve-2500-meals-on-easter/ |
D2iQ's DKP Enterprise helps customers to scale and manage multicluster container workloads
SAN FRANCISCO, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- D2iQ, a leading independent Kubernetes platform, today announced the selection of D2iQ's DKP Enterprise in the Amazon Web Service (AWS) Partner Network Container Competency subcategory: Enterprise Container Management Solutions. With the launch of the new category, DKP Enterprise is among the solutions AWS customers can use to manage their container infrastructure and workloads across multiple locations with proper security, compliance, and operational controls.
AWS selected D2iQ as a launch partner to deliver provisioning, governance, security, and observability with any of the AWS orchestrators, such as Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS).
The D2iQ Kubernetes Platform (DKP) provides a single, centralized point of control to build, run, and manage applications across any infrastructure. The latest update of DKP improves automation for development operations (DevOps) to enable more efficient operations while enhancing the power and flexibility of Kubernetes. With full integration of GitOps workflows for easier management of Kubernetes clusters in production environments, DKP 2.1 reduces the operational loads on developer teams.
"As organizations rapidly adopt open-source technologies like Kubernetes to realize the application agility that drives innovation, they are facing increasing complexities when scaling deployments in production environments," said Tobi Knaup, Chief Executive Officer at D2iQ. "With DKP Enterprise included in the Enterprise Container Management Solution Category, we are able to pair our proven solutions and expert guidance with the flexibility, convenience, and choice organizations are looking for when deploying a multicluster container management solution."
In addition to the new Enterprise Container Management Solutions category, D2iQ is also a featured solution provider in AWS Marketplace for Containers Anywhere offering, enabling AWS customers to deploy DKP from AWS Marketplace on Kubernetes clusters in any environment.
The DKP suite, including DKP Enterprise, is available now in the AWS Marketplace. For more information about DKP and D2iQ, visit www.D2IQ.com.
About D2iQ
D2iQ is a leading provider of enterprise-grade cloud platforms that enable organizations to embrace open-source and cloud-native innovations while delivering smarter Day 2 operations. With unmatched experience driving some of the world's largest cloud deployments, D2iQ empowers organizations to better navigate and accelerate cloud-native journeys with enterprise-grade technologies, training, professional services and support. Whether you are deploying your first Kubernetes workload, optimizing your business analytics with Spark or Jupyter, or looking to educate your developers on the benefits of cloud native, D2iQ has the expertise, services, and technology to enable you on the journey. D2iQ is headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices in London and Hamburg, Germany. D2iQ investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Khosla Ventures, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Microsoft, and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Find us at https://d2iq.com/
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SOURCE D2iQ | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/d2iq-selected-launch-partner-aws-enterprise-container-management-solutions-category-container-competency/ | 2022-04-15T15:55:59 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/d2iq-selected-launch-partner-aws-enterprise-container-management-solutions-category-container-competency/ |
(The Hill) — Republicans are plotting out their messaging strategy in case the Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision authorizing abortion rights.
The GOP strategy is to lead with science-based arguments and portray those in favor of abortion rights as extremists.
The Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House, sent a messaging memo last week that advised members to communicate the message that “the Left holds the extremist position” on abortion.
“Today’s Left believes in a position even more extreme than Roe: taxpayer-funded abortion, on demand, until birth,” said the memo, first reported by National Review.
“The Left disregards the health and safety of women and makes false claims that the pro-life movement does nothing for mothers,” it added, citing a rise in emergency room visits related to chemical abortion pills over the last few decades.
It also put a focus on advances in science and understanding of fetal viability since 1973.
“Share what we know about the humanity of unborn babies. Roe was based on outdated science,” the memo said.
The Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade when it considers the constitutionality of a Mississippi law prohibiting abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.
It is doing so even though Supreme Court precedent prohibits states from banning abortions before viability, which is generally considered to be around 23 to 24 weeks into pregnancy.
If the landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion is overturned, much of the most consequential legislative and policy movement will happen in states with Republican control that will have new authority to restrict abortion procedures.
It also has the potential to shake up the midterm elections, when Republicans hope to win back majorities in the House and Senate.
Pro-abortion rights advocates warn that restricting access will disproportionally impact low-income women and put them at risk of seeking unsafe, unsanctioned abortions. A dozen states have “trigger” laws that would ban abortions if Roe is overturned, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.
“In many states, like Maryland, it will make no practical difference if Roe is overturned this June, since overturning Roe won’t ban abortions — it will just allow regulation at the state level, where it should be,” said Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), an anesthesiologist and a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. “In other states, where abortion will have some limits, you will see women finally having real choices, as pregnancy centers and other support services will grow to help women in crisis pregnancies choose life with the community help they need.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, spoke to GOP House members at a Republican Study Committee lunch last week about being prepared to lead on the issue, The Daily Wire reported. The press will turn to national Republicans to get their perspective if Roe is overturned, she said, and their constituents will also turn to them to get more information about abortion laws and alternate options in their states.
Members of the Susan B. Anthony List’s federal affairs team are also working directly with members of Congress to ensure “maximum preparedness” for a post-Roe environment.
“We’ve been engaged in a decades-long education battle to make Americans aware about this reality because that doesn’t jive with the majority of Americans,” said Mallory Carroll, vice president of communications for the group.
Polls consistently find that Americans think the Supreme Court should not overturn Roe v. Wade. A 2021 Gallup poll found that 58 percent of Americans said that the ruling should stay in place.
But Americans’ answers get more nuanced when they are asked about the specifics of when abortion should be allowed. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that 48 percent of voters supported restrictions on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with 43 percent opposed.
“The action is going to be immediately focused in the states, but I think it would behoove federal lawmakers to have their own policy agenda in mind for what they plan to advocate for at the federal level,” Carroll said.
Anti-abortion legislation is extremely unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled House and Senate this year, and President Biden would likely veto any anti-abortion bill that came to his desk. But Republicans have teed up a number of messaging bills on abortion that could come up if the GOP takes back the House in 2022. Such bills could set the stage for major changes if Republicans win control of Congress and the White House in a few years.
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe, that could open the door for Congress to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks. Another proposed bill would require that a child who survives an attempted abortion receive the same standard of care as any other child.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), another co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, has a bill called the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act that would make permanent the restrictions on federal money funding abortions that are usually tacked on to annual appropriations bills each year with the Hyde amendment.
Republicans are keeping the focus on the issue in various ways.
Last week, dozens of House Republicans signed a letter led by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, demanding that the House change its vendor for member-issued credit cards after Citigroup said it would pay travel costs for employees seeking abortions.
“The Dobbs case presents the best opportunity in decades to finally correct the tragedy of Roe and return this fateful policy decision to the states where it always belonged,” Johnson said in a statement. “House Republicans will continue to fight for the sanctity of human life, defend the defenseless, and hold the Biden Administration accountable for any attempt to impede the policy decisions of pro-life states.”
Republican women will likely be key to the party’s messaging strategy if Roe is overturned. In a House hearing last year, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) shared a story about how “she would not be here” if her mother followed a doctor’s advice to have an abortion. She was the GOP answer to three Democratic women — Reps. Cori Bush (Mo.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), and Barbara Lee (Calif.) — sharing their own personal stories about getting abortions. | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/gop-readies-strategy-in-case-roe-v-wade-is-overturned/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:03 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/gop-readies-strategy-in-case-roe-v-wade-is-overturned/ |
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a legislative session with a fourth consecutive balanced budget, funding for Illinois youth, and economic relief for Illinois families, House Democrats are also celebrating a strong quarter of fundraising in which they are poised to outraise all other legislative leaders and Illinois caucuses.
While adjusting to new state ethics laws, House Democrats reported raising over $1.3 million during the first quarter of 2022. Speaker Welch raised $139,900.00 for Democrats for the Illinois House, while The People for Emanuel "Chris" Welch raised $1,177,275.00.
Funds raised will be used in the 2022 primary and general elections. As the first African-American Speaker of the House, Welch says funds will be used to continue to shape Illinois into a great state to raise a family where the government is inclusive and works for the people.
"Democrats in the House have come together like we've never seen to get things done for Illinois families," said Welch. "Our supporters see that. You can see it in the legislation we pass focusing on the people, and how we come together to get things done. We are going to build on that momentum by electing more Democrats to the House. We are the party working to serve Illinoisans. I am extremely proud of our fundraising efforts, and I'm thankful to the supporters who believe in our work. We have a lot more work ahead."
In addition to the totals raised, individual members have also had a successful fundraising quarter with the support of the house democratic caucus fundraising team.
To support Democrats for the Illinois House visit DemsForILHouse.com.
About Democrats for the Illinois House: We are a political organization supporting Democrats for the Illinois House in fighting for equality, justice, and opportunity for all. Under the leadership of House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch, Democrats for Illinois House (DIH) is dedicated to promoting the excellent work of the caucus, protecting incumbents, winning competitive races, and serving Illinoisans with integrity. The Illinois House Democratic Caucus is one of the most diverse in the nation representing African-American (22), Latinx (10), Asian American (4), Women (39) and LGBTQ+ (4) members. DIH is committed to creating an environment across the state that is inclusive and welcoming to all people.
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SOURCE Democrats for the Illinois House | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/democrats-illinois-house-house-speaker-emanuel-chris-welch-raise-over-13-million-keep-working-people-illinois/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:05 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/democrats-illinois-house-house-speaker-emanuel-chris-welch-raise-over-13-million-keep-working-people-illinois/ |
WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein defended her position as senior senator representing California following a news report published Thursday that lawmakers she serves with are concerned about her memory and ability to serve in the Senate.
RELATED: Colleagues worry Sen. Dianne Feinstein no longer mentally fit to serve: Report
"I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was re-elected in 2018: fight for Californians, especially on the economy and the key issues for California of water and fire," she said in a statement obtained by CNN. "While I have focused for much of the past year on my husband's health and ultimate passing, I have remained committed to achieving results and I'd put my record up against anyone's."
Her statement comes after the San Francisco Chronicle reported four unnamed senators, including three Democrats, as well as three former Feinstein aides and a California Democratic member of Congress spoke with the Chronicle, saying her mental health has gotten worse recently.
Feinstein added in response to the Chronicle report: "The real question is whether I'm still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am."
The report notes their comments came before Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum, died in February following "a long battle with cancer."
After the report, Feinstein called the editorial board and defended her capacity as senator.
RELATED: Bruce Willis 'stepping away' from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, family says
"I meet regularly with leaders," Feinstein said Thursday in the call with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board leaders. "I'm not isolated. I see people. My attendance is good. I put in the hours. We represent a huge state. And so I'm rather puzzled by all of this."
Feinstein has faced questions about her ability to serve for a few years. CNN reported in 2021 she faced growing questions about her ability to do her job, losing her post as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee after her Democratic colleagues privately complained about her performance during the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court.
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California Sen. Dianne Feinstein defends service after report about deteriorating memory
Feinstein's husband died earlier this year | https://abc11.com/senator-dianne-feinstein-news-health-problems/11751490/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:09 | 1 | https://abc11.com/senator-dianne-feinstein-news-health-problems/11751490/ |
(The Hill) – The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled $800 million in military equipment to Ukraine as Russia prepares to launch an offensive in the eastern part of the country.
The U.S. has rushed over $3.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including $2.6 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Following a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last week, Ukraine’s foreign minister tweeted: “I came here today to discuss three most important things: weapons, weapons, and weapons.”
The most recent round of U.S. security assistance includes a mixture of arms and other supplies that Washington has already provided Kyiv, as well as new capabilities that had not previously been sent over.
Here is everything the U.S. has sent to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
155 mm howitzers
As part of the Wednesday’s weapons package, the U.S. will for the first time send Ukraine 18 155mm howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds.
The howitzer, which weighs 10,000 pounds, is a towed field artillery piece that can hit targets up to 30 kilometers, or 18 miles, away.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Ukraine specifically asked for fire support and artillery support, and said the Howitzers are “reflective of the kind of fighting the Ukrainians are expecting to be faced with” in more confined geographic areas.
Mi-17 Helicopters
The $800 million package also includes 11 Mi-17 helicopters. Prior to Wednesday, the U.S. sent Ukraine five Mi-17 helicopters, bringing the total committed up to 16.
The Mi-17 is a Soviet-era transport helicopter that can also function as a helicopter gunship. It can carry as many as 30 passengers or 9,000 pounds of cargo.
The helicopters had originally been earmarked for Afghanistan, Kirby said. It was originally unclear whether Ukraine wanted them, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week, but they were ultimately included after Ukraine said they wanted them.
Switchblade drones
The U.S. has sent hundreds of Switchblade drones to Ukraine in separate installments since the middle of March.
A package announced on March 16 included “100 tactical unmanned aerial systems,” which were later revealed to be Switchblade drones.
The Pentagon provided more of the drones on April 3 as part of a $300 million security assistance package, and this week’s package includes an additional 300 switchblade drones.
There are two types of Switchblade drones manufactured by AeroVironment. The Switchblade 300, which is intended to target personnel and light vehicles, weighs less than five pounds and can fly roughly six miles and can hover over targets for about 15 minutes.
The Switchblade 600, a more advanced version of the drone meant to target tanks, weighs about 50 pounds, can fly over 24 miles, and can stay in the air for roughly 40 minutes.
The U.S. has provided both to Ukraine, though it’s unclear how many of each.
Radars
The $800 million weapons package announced Wednesday includes two different types of radars — ten AN/TPQ-36 counter-artillery radars and two AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air surveillance radars.
The AN/TPQ-36 counter-artillery radar is a light-weight mobile radar set that can automatically detect and track incoming mortar, artillery and rocket-fire. When it detects a projectile, it can compute its location and be used to direct counter-fires
The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air surveillance radars is a 3-D radar that can alert and cue short range air defense weapons to the locations of hostile targets approaching front-line forces. They can track and identify cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft.
Stingers and Javelins
The U.S. has sent thousands of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.
The weapons, which can be deployed by ground troops to hit targets within short ranges, have been crucial in Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, U.S. defense officials have said.
“The Javelin, the Stingers have proven to be very, very effective in this fight,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the House Armed Services committee on April 5.
Here are other types of military equipment sent to Ukraine:
- Coastal defense drones
- Grenade launchers
- Rifles
- Pistols
- Machine guns
- Shot guns
- Body armor
- Helmets
- Patrol boats
- Medical equipment
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment
- Demining equipment | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/here-are-all-the-weapons-the-us-is-sending-to-ukraine/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:11 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/here-are-all-the-weapons-the-us-is-sending-to-ukraine/ |
Agreement Brings Zero-Emission Air Travel Closer to Reality
ARLINGTON, Wash., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eviation Aircraft, a global manufacturer of all-electric commuter aircraft, and Massachusetts-based Cape Air, one of the largest commuter airlines in the United States, have announced a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the purchase of 75 all-electric Alice commuter aircraft.
With this engagement, Cape Air aims to set up an unparalleled regional electric fleet, taking a pioneering step into the sustainable era of aviation.
Eviation's all-electric Alice aircraft can accommodate nine passengers and two crew. Cape Air flies more than 400 regional flights a day to nearly 40 cities in the Northeast, Midwest, Montana and the Caribbean. Deploying a fleet of all-electric Alice aircraft will significantly reduce carbon emissions, as well as maintenance and operational costs for the airline, and provide a smoother and quieter flight experience for passengers.
"Truly sustainable aviation not only reduces the impact of air travel on the environment but also makes business sense," said Jessica Pruss, Vice President of Sales at Eviation. "We are proud to support Cape Air, a recognized leader in regional air travel, to chart a new path in delivering innovative solutions that benefit airline operators, passengers, communities and society."
"Cape Air remains committed to sustainability, growth, and innovation, and our partnership with Eviation allows for these commitments to become a reality," said Cape Air President and CEO Linda Markham. "Our customers will be at the forefront of aviation history and our communities will benefit from emission-free travel."
The Eviation Alice is the world's leading fully electric aircraft, designed to fly 440 nautical miles on a single charge and has maximum cruise speed of 250 knots. Alice will operate in all environments currently serviced by piston and turbine aircraft. The advanced electric motors have fewer moving parts to increase reliability and reduce maintenance costs. Alice's operating software constantly monitors flight performance to ensure optimal efficiency.
"Cape Air has always maintained a deep commitment to social responsibility. As an early supporter of all-electric air travel, we are dedicated to leading the industry towards a sustainable future," said Cape Air Board Chairman, Dan Wolf. "Together with Eviation, we are creating the next generation of air travel, in which electric flight will be the industry standard."
About Cape Air
Now in its 33rd year, Cape Air is one of the largest commuter airlines in the United States, serving nearly 40 cities in the US and the Caribbean. The employee-owned company, based in Hyannis, Massachusetts, has grown from three flights a day between Provincetown and Boston in 1989 to a fleet of 100 aircraft, with more than 400 flights a day. Cape Air was recognized as "One of the Top Ten Small Airlines in the World" by Condé Nast Traveler.
About Eviation Aircraft
Based in Washington State, Eviation Aircraft Inc. develops and manufactures efficient electric aircraft to deliver a competitive and sustainable solution for the regional mobility of people and goods. Its electric propulsion units, high-energy-density batteries, mission-driven energy management, and innovative airframe are designed from the ground up for electric flight. Please visit us at www.eviation.co.
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SOURCE Eviation | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/eviation-signs-deal-with-cape-air-75-all-electric-alice-commuter-aircraft/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:12 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/eviation-signs-deal-with-cape-air-75-all-electric-alice-commuter-aircraft/ |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic ushered in what may be the most rapid rise in homeschooling the U.S. has ever seen. Two years later, even after schools reopened and vaccines became widely available, many parents have chosen to continue directing their children’s educations themselves.
Homeschooling numbers this year dipped from last year’s all-time high, but are still significantly above pre-pandemic levels, according to data obtained and analyzed by The Associated Press.
Families that may have turned to homeschooling as an alternative to hastily assembled remote learning plans have stuck with it — reasons include health concerns, disagreement with school policies and a desire to keep what has worked for their children.
In 18 states that shared data through the current school year, the number of homeschooling students increased by 63% in the 2020-2021 school year, then fell by only 17% in the 2021-2022 school year.
Around 3% of U.S. students were homeschooled before the pandemic-induced surge, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The rising numbers have cut into public school enrollment in ways that affect future funding and renewed debates over how closely homeschooling should be regulated. What remains unknown is whether this year’s small decrease signals a step toward pre-pandemic levels — or a sign that homeschooling is becoming more mainstream.
Linda McCarthy, a suburban Buffalo mother of two, says her children are never going back to traditional school.
Unimpressed with the lessons offered remotely when schools abruptly closed their doors in spring 2020, she began homeschooling her then fifth- and seventh-grade children that fall. McCarthy, who had been working as a teacher’s aide, said she knew she could do better herself. She said her children have thrived with lessons tailored to their interests, learning styles and schedules.
“There’s no more homework ’til the wee hours of the morning, no more tears because we couldn’t get things done,” McCarthy said.
Once a relatively rare practice chosen most often for reasons related to instruction on religion, homeschooling grew rapidly in popularity following the turn of the century before leveled off at around 3.3%, or about 2 million students, in the years before the pandemic, according to the Census. Surveys have indicated factors including dissatisfaction with neighborhood schools, concerns about school environment and the appeal of customizing an education.
In the absence of federal guidelines, there is little uniformity in reporting requirements. Some states, including Connecticut and Nevada, require little or no information from parents, while New York, Massachusetts and some others require parents to submit instruction plans and comply with assessment rules.
The new surge in homeschooling numbers has led state legislatures around the country to consider measures either to ease regulations on homeschool families or impose new ones — debates have gone on for years. Proponents of more oversight point to the potential for undetected cases of child abuse and neglect while others argue for less in the name of parental rights.
All of the 28 state education departments that provided homeschooling data to the AP reported that homeschooling spiked in 2020-21, when fears of infection kept many school buildings closed. Of the 18 states whose enrollment data included the current school year, all but one state said homeschooling declined from the previous year but remained well above pre-pandemic levels. (The exception, South Dakota, recently changed the way it collects data).
Minnesota, for example, reported that 27,801 students are being homeschooled now, compared to 30,955 during the last school year. Before the pandemic, homeschool figures were around 20,000 or less.
Black families make up many of the homeschool converts. The proportion of Black families homeschooling their children increased by five times, from 3.3% to 16.1%, from spring 2020 to the fall, while the proportion about doubled across other groups, according to U.S. Census surveys.
Raleigh, North Carolina, mother Laine Bradley said the school system’s shortcomings became more evident to families like hers when remote learning began.
“I think a lot of Black families realized that when we had to go to remote learning, they realized exactly what was being taught. And a lot of that doesn’t involve us,” said Bradley, who decided to homeschool her 7-, 10- and 11-year-old children. “My kids have a lot of questions about different things. I’m like, ‘Didn’t you learn that in school?’ They’re like, ‘No.’”
Bradley, who works in financial services, converted her dining room into a classroom and rearranged her work schedule to take over her children’s education, adding lessons on financial literacy, Black history and Caribbean history important to her heritage.
“I can incorporate things that I feel like they should know,” she said. Her husband, Vince, who retired from the Air Force last year, steps in at times. The couple also have a 14-month-old. They plan to continue homeschooling for as long as their children want it. Her social media posts about her experience have drawn so much interest that Bradley recently created an online community called Black Moms Do Homeschool to share resources and experiences.
Boston University researcher Andrew Bacher-Hicks said data showed that while homeschool rates rose across the board during the last school year, the increase was greater in school districts that reverted to in-person learning, perhaps before some parents were ready to send their children back.
He said the same health concerns that drove those increases are likely behind the continued elevated rates, despite additional upheaval in schools as parents and policy-makers debate issues surrounding race and gender and which books should be in libraries.
“It’s really hard to disentangle those two things because all of this is kind of happening at the same time,” he said. “But my my guess would be that a large part of the decisions to exit from the system do have to do with COVID-related issues as opposed to political issues, because those things come up frequently and we’ve never seen an increase in homeschooling rates like this before.”
He said parents also may be concerned about the quality of education delivered by schools that have had to rely heavily on substitute teachers amid pandemic-caused staffing shortages.
McCarthy, the mom from suburban Buffalo, said it was a combination of everything, with the pandemic compounding the misgivings she had already held about the public school system, including her philosophical differences over the need for vaccine and mask mandates and academic priorities.
The pandemic, she said, “was kind of — they say the straw that broke the camel’s back — but the camel’s back was probably already broken.”
“There are kids that don’t know basic English structure but they want to push other things on children, and it can be blatant but it can be, and mostly is, very subtle, very, very subtle,” McCarthy said. “So we were ready to pull them and will never send them back to traditional school. It’s just not a fit for us.”
“It’s just a whole new world that is a much better world for us,” she said. | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/homeschool-surge-continues-despite-schools-reopening-widely-available-vaccines/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:17 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/homeschool-surge-continues-despite-schools-reopening-widely-available-vaccines/ |
FNM-HPI Measured Home Price Growth at Annual Rate of 20.0% in Q1 2022
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) announced today the publication of the Fannie Mae Home Price Index (FNM-HPI), a national, repeat-transaction home price index measuring the average, quarterly price change for all single-family properties in the United States, excluding condos. The FNM-HPI accelerated in Q1 2022 to its fastest annual pace in the 47-year history of the index, measuring 20.0 percent year over year, non-seasonally adjusted, up from the 19.1 percent annual rate recorded in Q4 2021. On a quarterly basis, home prices rose a seasonally adjusted 4.8 percent in Q1 2022.
"We're pleased to begin sharing the Fannie Mae Home Price Index with external audiences. We have long used this index within the company, including as part of our quarterly financial disclosures, and we believe it will be a highly accurate, timely indicator for measuring home price growth for both economists and housing industry stakeholders alike," said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. "After decelerating toward the end of 2021, the FNM-HPI sped up in the first quarter due to continued strong homebuying demand and a lack of inventory. We believe recent homebuying demand was augmented by many homebuyers pulling forward their home purchase plans in anticipation of rising mortgage rates. Now, with rates having sharply risen since the start of the year – and some of that homebuying demand now met – we expect price growth to begin cooling as the year progresses."
The FNM-HPI is produced by aggregating county-level data to create both seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted national indices that are representative of the whole country and designed to serve as indicators of general single-family home price trends. Beginning today, the FNM-HPI will be publicly available at the national level as a quarterly series with a start date of Q1 1975 and extending to the most recent quarter, Q1 2022. Fannie Mae plans to publish the FNM-HPI approximately mid-month during the first month of each new quarter.
For more information on the FNM-HPI, including a description of the methodology and the Q1 2022 data file, please visit our Research & Insights page on fanniemae.com.
To receive e-mail updates regarding future FNM-HPI updates and other housing market research from Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group, please click here.
Fannie Mae's home price estimates are based on preliminary data available as of the date of index estimation and are subject to change as additional data become available. Opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views of Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) group included in these materials should not be construed as indicating Fannie Mae's business prospects or expected results, are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to change without notice. How this information affects Fannie Mae will depend on many factors. Although the ESR group bases its opinions, analyses, estimates, forecasts, and other views on information it considers reliable, it does not guarantee that the information provided in these materials is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. Changes in the assumptions or the information underlying these views could produce materially different results. The analyses, opinions, estimates, forecasts, and other views published by the ESR group represent the views of that group as of the date indicated and do not necessarily represent the views of Fannie Mae or its management.
About Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. We enable the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drive responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. To learn more, visit:
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SOURCE Fannie Mae | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/fannie-mae-announces-publication-national-home-price-index/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:21 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/prnewswire/2022/04/15/fannie-mae-announces-publication-national-home-price-index/ |
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle this week during their first joint visit to the U.K. since they gave up formal royal roles and moved to the U.S. more than two years ago.
The couple’s office says they visited the 95-year-old queen, Harry’s grandmother, Thursday on their way to the Netherlands to attend the Invictus Games. Harry is a founder and patron of the international sports competition for wounded military veterans.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals and moved to North America in 2020, citing the unbearable pressure of their roles and racist attitudes of the British media.
Since then Harry has made solo trips to the U.K. to attend the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip, in April 2021 and to unveil a statue of his late mother Princess Diana last July.
The couple, also known as the duke and duchess of Sussex, lost their taxpayer-funded police guard when they walked away, and Harry is suing the British government for refusing to let him pay for his own police security on his visits to the U.K. His lawyers say Harry wants to bring his children — Archie, who is almost 3, and 10-month-old Lilibet — to visit his home country but that it is too risky without police protection.
Harry and Meghan are expected to attend a reception in The Hague on Friday for the Invictus Games, which run from Saturday to April 22.
The visit to the queen came on Maundy Thursday, a day in the week before Easter that the queen for decades marked by distributing silver coins known as “Maundy money” to pensioners at a church service. This year the queen, who has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and came down with COVID-19 in February, did not attend. She was represented by her eldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla.
The monarch also is expected to miss the royal family’s Easter Sunday church service. She has continued to perform royal duties, including virtual audiences with politicians and diplomats. | https://www.wane.com/news/prince-harry-meghan-visit-queen-in-surprise-stop-at-windsor/ | 2022-04-15T15:56:23 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/prince-harry-meghan-visit-queen-in-surprise-stop-at-windsor/ |