text stringlengths 2 522k | url stringlengths 18 697 | crawl_date timestamp[ns, tz=UTC]date 2022-04-01 00:00:00 2022-04-13 01:15:24 |
|---|---|---|
When you buy a domain name at Dan.com, you’re automatically covered by our unique Buyer Protection Program. Read more about how we keep you safe on our Trust and Security page.
Next to our secure domain ownership transfer process, we strictly monitor all transactions. If anything looks weird, we take immediate action. And if the seller doesn't deliver on their part of the deal, we refund you within 24 hours.
98% of all domain ownership transfers are completed within 24 hours. The seller first delivers the domain to us, then we send you your tailored transfer instructions. Need help? Our domain ownership transfer specialists will assist you at no additional cost.
Pay by bank wire and get a 1% discount or use one of the most popular payment options available through our payment processor, Adyen. Adyen is the payment platform of choice for many leading tech companies like Uber & eBay.
No matter what kind of domain you want to buy, we make the transfer simple and safe.
Here’s how it works | https://dan.com/buy-domain/aaverse.com | 2022-04-01T00:55:41Z |
📡 Executing with useQuery
Time to execute our TRACKS
query from React! To do that, we'll use Apollo Client's useQuery
hook in src/pages/tracks.js
.
The useQuery
React hook is the primary API for executing queries in an Apollo application. We run a query within a React component by calling useQuery
and passing it our GraphQL query string. This makes running queries from React components a breeze.
When our component renders, useQuery
returns an object from Apollo Client that contains loading
, error
, and data
properties that we can use to render our UI. Let's put all of that into code.
First, we need to import useQuery
from the @apollo/client
package (we're already importing gql
):
import { useQuery, gql } from '@apollo/client';
Now, in our Tracks
functional component (below the opened curly brace), we'll declare three destructured constants from our useQuery
hook: loading
, error
, and data
. We call useQuery
with our TRACKS
query as its argument:
const { loading, error, data } = useQuery(TRACKS);
Below that, we'll first use the loading
constant:
if (loading) return 'Loading...';
As long as loading
is true
(indicating the query is still in flight), the component will just render a Loading...
message.
When loading
is false, the query is complete. This means we either have data
, or we have an error
.
Let's add another conditional statement that handles the error
state:
if (error) return `Error! ${error.message}`;
If we don't have an error, we must have data! For now, we'll just dump our raw data object with JSON.stringify
to see what happens.
<Layout grid>{JSON.stringify(data)}</Layout>
With all of that added, here's what the completed Tracks
component looks like. Make sure yours matches it!
const Tracks = () => { const { loading, error, data } = useQuery(TRACKS); if (loading) return 'Loading...'; if (error) return `Error! ${error.message}`; return <Layout grid>{JSON.stringify(data)}</Layout>;};
Code Challenge!
useQuery
hook with the SPACECATS
queryLet's restart our app. We first see the loading message, then a raw JSON response. The response includes a tracksForHome
object (the name of our operation), which contains an array of Track
objects. Looks good so far! Now, let's use this data in an actual view.
Rendering TrackCard
s
Conveniently, we already have a TrackCard
component that's ready to go. We'll need to import the component and feed the response data to it:
import TrackCard from '../containers/track-card';
Let's open /src/containers/track-card.js
to see how it works.
/** * Track Card component renders basic info in a card format * for each track populating the tracks grid homepage. */const TrackCard = ({ track }) => { const { title, thumbnail, author, length, modulesCount } = track; //...};
The component takes a track
prop and uses its title
, thumbnail
, author
, length
, and modulesCount
. So, we just need to pass each TrackCard
a Track
object from our query response.
Let's head back to src/pages/tracks.js
. We've seen that the server response to our TRACKS
GraphQL query includes a tracksForHome
key, which contains the array of tracks.
To create one card per track, we'll map through the tracksForHome
array and return a TrackCard
component with its corresponding track data as its prop:
<Layout grid> {data?.tracksForHome?.map((track) => ( <TrackCard key={track.id} track={track} /> ))}</Layout>
We refresh our browser, and voila! We get a bunch of nice-looking cards with cool catstronaut thumbnails. Our track title, length, number of modules, and author information all display nicely thanks to our TrackCard
component. Pretty neat!
Note: You might see a warning in the browser console saying something like, "Encountered two children with the same key, track_01
." This is happening because we're still mocking our track data, so every track has the same id
, but React wants each key
to be unique. This warning will go away after we update our server to use real track data (in Lift-off II), so we can safely ignore it for now.
Wrapping query results
While refreshing the browser, you might have noticed that because we return the loading
message as a simple string, we don't currently show the component's entire layout and navbar (the same issue goes for the error
message). We should make sure that our UI's behavior is consistent throughout all of a query's phases.
That's where our QueryResult
helper component comes in. This isn't a component that's provided directly by an Apollo library. We've added it to use query results in a consistent, predictable way throughout our app.
Let's open components/query-result
. This component takes the useQuery
hook's return values as props. It then performs basic conditional logic to either render a spinner, an error message, or its children:
const QueryResult = ({ loading, error, data, children }) => { if (error) { return <p>ERROR: {error.message}</p>; } if (loading) { return ( <SpinnerContainer> <LoadingSpinner data-testid="spinner" size="large" theme="grayscale" /> </SpinnerContainer> ); } if (!data) { return <p>Nothing to show...</p>; } if (data) { return children; }};
Back to our tracks.js
file, we'll import QueryResult
at the top:
import QueryResult from '../components/query-result';
We can now remove the lines in this file that handle the loading
and error
states, because the QueryResult
component will handle them instead.
We wrap QueryResult
around our map
function and give it the props it needs:
<QueryResult error={error} loading={loading} data={data}> {data?.tracksForHome?.map((track) => ( <TrackCard key={track.id} track={track} /> ))}</QueryResult>
Refreshing our browser, we get a nice spinner while loading, and then our cards appear!
How do we execute queries in our front-end app?
After all that code, the tracks.js
file should look like this:
import React from 'react';import { useQuery, gql } from '@apollo/client';import TrackCard from '../containers/track-card';import { Layout, QueryResult } from '../components';/** TRACKS gql query to retrieve all tracks */export const TRACKS = gql` query getTracks { tracksForHome { id title thumbnail length modulesCount author { name photo } } }`;/** * Tracks Page is the Catstronauts home page. * We display a grid of tracks fetched with useQuery with the TRACKS query */const Tracks = () => { const { loading, error, data } = useQuery(TRACKS); return ( <Layout grid> <QueryResult error={error} loading={loading} data={data}> {data?.tracksForHome?.map((track, index) => ( <TrackCard key={track.id} track={track} /> ))} </QueryResult> </Layout> );};export default Tracks;
And there you have it! Our homepage is populated with a cool grid of track cards, as laid out in our initial mock-up. | https://www.apollographql.com/tutorials/lift-off-part1/the-usequery-hook | 2022-04-01T00:55:42Z |
CARTHAGE — The Jefferson County man running for the Republican nomination to Congress against U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, has dropped out of the race after he was caught allegedly breaking petitioning rules.
The announcement by Lonny Koons that he was suspending his campaign for Congress came within an hour after the conservative online newspaper The Daily Caller released a story detailing how Koons, a Carthage-area trucker and veteran, had been caught allegedly filling out petition sheets fraudulently. Candidates are required to turn in petitions with signatures from their party’s voters in order to appear on the ballot.
In two videos posted to YouTube by a channel called “North Country Watch,” Koons can be seen in his vehicle at a Walmart, reading from something in the passenger seat. The location is identified as Ticonderoga, Essex County in the video titles.
In Koons' hand is a petition packet, and he can clearly be seen signing, dating and adding addresses for signature entries. It’s unclear where Koons got the information he is writing, but any petition to appear on the ballot must bear the authentic, original mark of the signer themselves, according to state election law.
People are also reading…
In both of the seconds-long videos, it appears Koons did not notice he was being filmed through his car window.
In a Thursday afternoon statement, Koons said his first reason for dropping out is that he doesn’t have the money to keep running the race
“I am doing this mainly because I cannot sustain a political campaign on my own,” he said. “I had stayed afloat by pulling out half of my 401k and that is not enough,” he said.
In his statement, Koons said he was unaware that filling out the date and city entries on a petition is illegal, but did not admit to signing the pages himself.
“I was unaware that by me filling in date and city cells as well as printing names of the signees after the fact that I was committing a fraudulent act,” he said. “I had obtained greater that the number of signatures required, but in order to have the paperwork filled out properly, I do not have the time.”
It is not illegal for a petitioner to fill in the date and location for a signer, according to state election law.
Koons said he has not yet decided if he will run for office again, but will decide within the coming weeks. He did not return a phone call requesting further comment Thursday night.
In a statement, Congresswoman Stefanik’s campaign said Koons' actions were an affront to election integrity and he should be prosecuted as a criminal.
“This is a serious crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the campaign statement said.
State Board of Elections officials could not be reached for comment Thursday night to answer if Koons has committed a crime that can be prosecuted. | https://poststar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/koons-ny-21-gop-candidate-drops-out-after-allegedly-filling-out-petitions-fraudulently/article_098d6a1a-b14a-11ec-9146-cf60f4c8353a.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:42Z |
- Loonie bulls seek a death cross to attain a dominant position.
- The RSI (14) in a bearish range of 20.00-40.00 adds to the downside filters.
- Auctioning below the ascending triangle formation is making the loonie bulls hopeful.
The USD/CAD pair is balanced in a range of 1.2430-1.2593 from the last three trading sessions after remaining imbalance due to an intensified sell-off from March 15 high at 1.2871.
On the daily scale, the USD/CAD has settled below the ascending triangle formation whose upper end is capped around 1.2960 while the ascending trendline is placed from 18 May 2021 low at 1.2013. A breaking below an ascending triangle formation is followed by volume and volatility expansion in the asset. The death cross from the 50 and 200-period Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) is in a queue and is likely to place around 1.2650.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) (14) has settled in a 20.00-40.00 range, which signals an impulsive way and a dominant position for the loonie bulls going forward.
Should the asset drops below Thursday’s low at 1.2464, the major will be dragged towards the round level support at 1.2400, followed by the 29 October 2021 low at 1.2328.
On the flip side, greenback bulls can become worthy if the asset surpasses last week’s high at 1.2624, which will send the asset towards March 11 low at 1.2694. Breach of the latter will send the pair towards round level resistance at 1.2800.
USD/CAD daily chart
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD: Bears prowl and are moving in with 0.7450 eyed
AUD/USD is under pressure below a wall of resistance on the daily chart and is in the hands of the bears leaving the focus on the downside. The prior resistance has a confluence with the 50% mean reversion target while the 21-day moving average is aligned in this area as well for additional confluence.
EUR/USD plunges near 1.1070 on higher EU Unemployment Rate and safe-haven appeal
EUR/USD tumbles on negative market tone as optimism on the Russia-Ukraine peace talks faded. Soaring inflation in Eurozone is advocating an interest rate hike by the ECB. EU’s Unemployment Rate is slightly higher at 6.8% than the expectation at 6.7%.
Gold struggles with resistance at $1950
The yellow metal benefited from the risk adverse environment but failed to overcome the $1950 resistance area. Gold rose by more than $100 during 1Q 2022, despite higher rates.
Polkadot price has a bullish target at $26, here’s what to expect next
Polkadot price has rallied 20% in the last two weeks, establishing a new swing high at $23.33. It was forecasted on March 15 that a triangle formation could project a 38% rally for the Polkadot price.
Alibaba moves dangerously close to $110
BABA is down more than 4% on Thursday, but the ecommerce behemoth has not dropped below $110.52 as of the late morning trade. $110 is a key support level. Below here, BABA will once again lose its bullish price action trajectory of recent weeks. | https://www.fxstreet.com/news/usd-cad-price-analysis-establishes-beneath-ascending-triangle-pattern-downside-near-12400-202203312321 | 2022-04-01T00:55:41Z |
George Darte has resigned his seat on regional council in a move that has left some of his colleagues shocked.
“It’s a private decision,” said Darte, who represented St. Catharines. “I am so sorry I cannot complete my term. I must do what I must do for me.”
This was Darte’s first term, having finished second place in 2018 among the six regional councillors elected for the city.
Asked if his decision would preclude him from running again in the Oct. 24 election, Darte replied, “That’s a safe assumption.”
St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik was stunned.
“George has been such a big contributor to the council,” he said. “He’s at every meeting, and he contributes and isn’t afraid to challenge council and staff.
“He’s been supportive of so many of the positive initiatives that the (Niagara) Region has undertaken, from transit to the protection of our environment.”
Lincoln Coun. Rob Foster said the resignation came as a complete surprise.
“George is both a friend and a colleague for whom I have so much respect,” Foster said. “We have worked together on several items for the good of all Niagara.
“I do not know the reasons for George leaving, but this is a loss for St. Catharines and Niagara.”
Darte informed his council colleagues of his decision by way of an email sent Wednesday evening.
In the email obtained by The Standard, Darte joked he will miss the butter tarts Region Chair Jim Bradley is renowned for sharing at meetings.
“This is obviously something I take very seriously, and I am sorry that I am not able to go for the full term,” Darte said.
“It has been a pleasure to work with you, all the members of council and the wonderful staff that I have been privileged to know and work with. Jim Bradley has been a truly positive breath of fresh air and has brought the Region back to an organization that any employee would like to work for.”
Later in the email, Darte said, “I am happy to chat with any of you if you wish, but I shall ask you to respect my privacy for my decision to resign. It is not something that I have decided on without having given much thought.”
Darte, a funeral planner, came to council without political experience but with deep ties to the community. His community service included with Rotary Club of St. Catharines, St. Catharines Rowing Club, United Way, St. Catharines hospital and Star of the Sea church.
Sendzik wouldn’t speculate on how city councillors will decide to fill the vacancy.
Local municipalities have two options for filling a regional council seat — byelection or appointment.
However, the Municipal Elections Act stipulates a byelection can’t be held if the seat becomes vacant after March 31.
The Region must fill the seat within 60 days.
Almost three months ago, Mat Siscoe was appointed by his St. Catharines city council peers to replace Sandie Bellows at the Region following her death.
Her seat was declared vacant on Nov. 18.
The decision to appoint Siscoe set off a local political firestorm. City councillors voted 7-6 against a staff recommendation to appoint Mike Britton, who finished eighth in the city’s regional councillor race.
Seventh-place finisher (first runner-up) Kelly Edgar has been appointed when Jim Bradley was elected regional chair by regional councillors at the start of this term.
City policy says when a vacancy occurs in the final year of a term, council shall appoint the next-place finisher if he or she received 70 per cent of the person’s votes before them.
Debate by St. Catharines city council turned on when the final year of the term officially ended.
Britton engaged a lawyer to look into what he called the city council’s “wrong and unjust” decision not to recommend him to fill the Bellows vacancy. The lawyer made a presentation to the regional council before it voted to accept the city’s recommendation and appoint Siscoe. | https://www.wellandtribune.ca/news/council/2022/03/31/darte-resigns-from-regional-council.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:42Z |
The 2022 area golf calendar, compiled from information provided on the golf course’s websites. Starting times listed are shotgun starts unless noted.
Course Legend
BB — Briarbrook Golf Course
Schif — Schifferdecker Municipal Golf Course
TH — Twin Hills Golf and Country Club
CMGC — Carthage Municipal Golf Course
NGC — Neosho Golf Club
April
2—Twin Hills Opening Day, a.m., TH
3—Joplin Golf Club 1-man scramble, noon, Schif
7—Joplin High Invitational, 8:30 a.m., TH
8—Papa John’s High School Match, 3:30 p.m., BB
9—Grand Slam Masters, a.m., TH
11—Joplin Golf Foundation Horton Smith High School Invitational, 8:30 a.m., Schif
16-17—Green and Grow, 8 a.m., tee times, BB
18—Ascent, 1 p.m., TH
18-19—Aeriate, Schif
21—Joplin HS junior varsity tournament, 8:30 a.m., Schif
21—Third Thursday Tournament, 2-person stableford, 9 a.m.
23—Joplin Golf Foundation Hall of Fame, 1 p.m., TH
25—Bird Dog high school invitational, 9 a.m., BB
29—Neosho Chamber of Commerce, 4-person scramble, 9:30 a.m.
30—CJ Booster Club, 4-person scramble, 9 a.m., BB
May
1—Joplin High School Project Graduation, 4-person scramble, 1 p.m., Schif
5—Rotary Community Clinic, 1 p.m., TH
6—CJ Chamber Tournament, 4-person scramble, tbd, BB
9—Children's Miracle, a.m. and p.m. start, TH
7—Mic’d Up Tournament, 4-person scramble, 8 a.m., Schif
15—NJCAA D-II practice, 1 p.m., TH
16—NJCAA D-II practice, 9 a.m., TH
17-20—NJCAA D-II National Championship, all day, TH
19—Third Thursday Tournament, 2-person scramble, 9 a.m., BB
21—Schaeffler Group Tournament, 4-person scramble, tbd, BB
22—JGC Big Cup 2, 2-person scramble, noon, Schif
30—Memorial Day Tournament, a.m., TH
30—Memorial Day Scramble, 4-person scramble, 8:30 a.m., BB
June
4-5—Joplin Golf Club 2-man best ball, 7:30 a.m., tee times, Schif
10-12—Briarbrook Invitational, 8 a.m., tee times, BB
11—Elks Tournament, 4-person scramble, 8 a.m., Schif
11—Hooked on Life Golf Tournament, 8:30 a.m., NGC
12—Joplin High School football fundraiser, 4-person scramble, 1 p.m., Schif
14—Joan Thomas Invitational, 8:30 a.m., TH
16—Joplin Boys & Girls Club, 1 p.m., TH
17—Tri-State Area Contractors, 4-person scramble, 9 a.m., BB
18—Joplin Park Day, 4-person scramble, 8 a.m., Schif
21—Harold Kirk Jr. Tournament, 8 a.m., Schif
21-23—Briarbrook Senior Cup, 8 a.m., BB
25—100th Anniversary Tournament, 4-person scramble, 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Schif
25-26—Show Me Classic, 7:30 a.m., tee times, TH
28—Central Links Senior Series, 8 a.m., TH
July
4—Independence Day Tournament, a.m., TH
4—4th of July Scramble, 4-person scramble, 10 a.m., BB
4—Red, White & Boom, 3-person scramble, 8 a.m., CMGC
9-10—Ozark Amateur, 7 a.m., tee times, Schif
16-17—Beauty and the Beat, 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., BB
22—Webb City Chamber Tournament, 4-person scramble, 1 p.m., BB
28—Junior Horton Smith matches, 8:30 a.m., tee times, TH
31—Joplin Area Championship, men’s individual and team, a.m, TH
August
6—Powers’ Memorial Tournament, 4-person scramble, 7:30 a.m., Schif
8—Springfield Senior Golf, noon, TH
11—SportsEdge League, 5:30 p.m., BB
13—KNEO Golf Tournament, 4-person scramble, 7 a.m., NGC
21—Horton Smith/Ky Laffoon Cup Matches, a .m., TH
22—Joplin Golf Club 2-man scramble, noon, tee times, Schif
27-28—Donnybrook, 8 a.m., tee times, BB
September
1—Ronald McDonald House of the Four States, 1 p.m. TH
9—Charles D. Jones Scramble, 4-person scramble 1:30 p.m., Schif
14—Ditto/Sapp Memorial Pro-Am, team pro-am, 12:30 p.m., TH
15—Neosho Chamber of Commerce, 4-person scramble, NGC
16—Joplin Workshops Inc., 4-person scramble, 8 a.m., Schif
17—Missouri Southern Baseball fundraiser, 4-person scramble 8 a.m., Schif
17-18—Joplin Golf club championships, noon, tee times, Schif
24-25—Harvest Moon, 2-person couples scramble, 8 a.m., tee times, TH
27—Nutcracker, women’s tournament, 9 a.m., BB
October
1—Joplin Little League, 8 a.m., Schif
8—Kings & Queens Couples Tournament, 8 a.m., Schif
13—Freeman, 1 p.m., TH
17-18—MSHSAA Girls State Championship, TH | https://www.joplinglobe.com/sports/local_sports/agate/2022-local-golf-calendar/article_4235fa6c-b136-11ec-b562-5f8416131e53.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:42Z |
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer suing Deadspin for defamation in coverage of sexual assault allegations
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, who was accused of sexual assault last spring, sued sports news site Deadspin Thursday on charges of defamation, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Deadspin “knowingly published false information” in news about the alleged sexual assault, Bauer claimed in the suit.
Bauer added that Deadspin “capitalized on a false accusation” that he had fractured the skull of a woman claiming sexual assault against him.
In fact, the woman suffered from an acute head injury rather than a skull fracture, but Bauer said Deadspin “pushed forward with the false narrative of a skull fracture” while other news outlets corrected initial reports after receiving further medical information.
Deadspin did later correct its claim that Bauer “allegedly cracked a woman’s skull,” clarifying that a CT scan failed to find acute fracture on the woman’s skull, although Bauer says that the correction was “wholly inadequate” and not publicized enough.
The article was “the culmination of a campaign to maliciously target and harass Mr. Bauer,” said the lawsuit.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney chose not to charge Bauer with any crime in February, after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied the woman accusing him a permanent restraining order in August.
Bauer was put on administrative leave from the Dodgers last summer when the sexual assault accusations were first made.
It is possible that Bauer could be suspended by Major League Baseball in the future due to domestic violence and sexual assault policies.
The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. | https://thehill.com/legal/596859-dodgers-pitcher-trevor-bauer-suing-deadspin-for-defamation-in-coverage-of-sexual/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:41Z |
SHANGHAI, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 51job, Inc. (Nasdaq: JOBS) ("51job" or the "Company"), a leading provider of integrated human resource services in China, announced today its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year of 2021 ended December 31, 2021.
Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights:
- Net revenues increased 15.7% over Q4 2020 to RMB1,345.2 million (US$211.1 million)
- Online recruitment services revenues increased 12.0%
- Other human resource related revenues increased 19.0%
- Income from operations was RMB304.6 million (US$47.8 million)
- Fully diluted earnings per share was RMB5.23 (US$0.82)
- Non-GAAP adjusted fully diluted earnings per share[1] was RMB5.99 (US$0.94)
Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Highlights:
- Net revenues increased 19.8% from 2020 to RMB4,420.4 million (US$693.7 million)
- Online recruitment services revenues increased 11.6%
- Other human resource related revenues increased 31.3%
- Income from operations was RMB551.3 million (US$86.5 million)
- Fully diluted earnings per share was RMB9.40 (US$1.47)
- Non-GAAP adjusted fully diluted earnings per share was RMB13.12 (US$2.06)
Fourth Quarter 2021 Unaudited Financial Results
Net revenues for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2021 were RMB1,345.2 million (US$211.1 million), an increase of 15.7% from RMB1,163.1 million for the same quarter in 2020.
Online recruitment services revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 12.0% to RMB617.7 million (US$96.9 million) compared with RMB551.6 million for the same quarter in 2020, primarily due to an improvement in hiring sentiment, demand and activity from employers in 2021.
Other human resource related revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 19.0% to RMB727.5 million (US$114.2 million) from RMB611.5 million for the same quarter in 2020. The growth was primarily driven by robust employer demand for seasonal campus recruitment, business process outsourcing and training services in 2021.
Cost of services for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 29.1% to RMB535.2 million (US$84.0 million) from RMB414.5 million for the same quarter in 2020, primarily due to higher employee compensation expenses, headcount additions and greater direct costs, such as venue rental, media production and technology support, incurred in providing campus recruitment services to employers. Gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 8.2% to RMB810.0 million (US$127.1 million) from RMB748.6 million for the same quarter in 2020. Gross margin, which is gross profit as a percentage of net revenues, was 60.2% in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with 64.4% for the same quarter in 2020.
Operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 28.9% to RMB505.4 million (US$79.3 million) from RMB392.0 million for the same quarter in 2020. Sales and marketing expenses for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 34.3% to RMB403.6 million (US$63.3 million) from RMB300.6 million for the same quarter in 2020, primarily due to higher employee compensation expenses, staff additions and greater spending on advertising and brand awareness campaigns. Advertising and promotion expenses increased 27.7% to RMB90.0 million (US$14.1 million) for the fourth quarter of 2021 from RMB70.5 million for the same quarter in 2020.
General and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 11.3% to RMB101.8 million (US$16.0 million) from RMB91.4 million for the same quarter in 2020, primarily due to higher employee compensation expenses
Income from operations for the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB304.6 million (US$47.8 million) compared with RMB356.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. Operating margin, which is income from operations as a percentage of net revenues, was 22.6% for the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with 30.7% for the same quarter in 2020. Excluding share-based compensation expense, operating margin would have been 24.9% for the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with 33.7% for the same quarter in 2020.
The Company recognized a loss from foreign currency translation of RMB10.9 million (US$1.7 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with RMB33.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, primarily due to the impact of the change in exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar on the Company's U.S. dollar cash deposits.
The Company recognized a mark-to-market, non-cash loss of RMB10.7 million (US$1.7 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with RMB9.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 associated with a change in fair value of listed equity securities investment in Huali University Group Limited, which is traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Company also recognized RMB3.4 million (US$0.5 million) in professional services fees and administrative expenses related to the proposed going-private transaction in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Other income in the fourth quarter of 2021 included local government financial subsidies of RMB98.6 million (US$15.5 million) compared with RMB14.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Net income attributable to 51job for the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB355.2 million (US$55.7 million) compared with RMB342.0 million for the same quarter in 2020. Fully diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB5.23 (US$0.82) compared with RMB5.01 for the same quarter in 2020.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, total share-based compensation expense was RMB29.9 million (US$4.7 million) compared with RMB35.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Excluding share-based compensation expense, loss from foreign currency translation and change in fair value of listed equity securities investment, as well as the related tax effect of these items, non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to 51job for the fourth quarter of 2021 was RMB406.7 million (US$63.8 million) compared with RMB420.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP adjusted fully diluted earnings per share was RMB5.99 (US$0.94) in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with RMB6.16 in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Fiscal Year 2021 Unaudited Financial Results
Net revenues in 2021 were RMB4,420.4 million (US$693.7 million), an increase of 19.8% from RMB3,689.0 million in 2020
Online recruitment services revenues in 2021 increased 11.6% to RMB2,396.2 million (US$376.0 million) from RMB2,147.3 million in 2020. The increase was primarily due to the improvement in business activity and more recruitment needs of employers in China in 2021.
Other human resource related revenues in 2021 increased 31.3% to RMB2,024.2 million (US$317.6 million) from RMB1,541.6 million in 2020, primarily due to resilient customer demand and usage of the Company's training, campus recruitment, placement and business process outsourcing services.
Cost of services in 2021 increased 32.9% to RMB1,676.7 million (US$263.1 million) from RMB1,261.7 million in 2020, primarily due to higher employee compensation expenses and headcount additions. Gross profit in 2021 increased 13.0% to RMB2,743.7 million (US$430.5 million) from RMB2,427.2 million in 2020. Gross margin was 62.1% in 2021 compared with 65.8% in 2020.
Income from operations in 2021 decreased 36.4% to RMB551.3 million (US$86.5 million) from RMB867.1 million in 2020, primarily due to the significant increase in sales and marketing expenses in 2021. Operating margin was 12.5% in 2021 compared with 23.5% in 2020. Excluding share-based compensation expense, operating margin would have been 15.9% in 2021 compared with 27.4% in 2020.
Net income attributable to 51job in 2021 was RMB640.7 million (US$100.5 million) compared with RMB1,097.3 million in 2020. Fully diluted earnings per share in 2021 was RMB9.40 (US$1.47) compared with RMB16.12 in 2020.
Excluding share-based compensation expense, loss from foreign currency translation, and changes in fair value of listed equity securities investment and long-term investment, as well as the related tax effect of these items, non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to 51job in 2021 was RMB894.4 million (US$140.4 million) compared with RMB1,243.9 million in 2020. Non-GAAP adjusted fully diluted earnings per share was RMB13.12 (US$2.06) in 2021 compared with RMB18.28 in 2020.
As of December 31, 2021, cash and short-term investments totaled RMB10,587.0 million (US$1,661.3 million) compared with RMB10,761.9 million as of December 31, 2020.
Currency Convenience Translation
For the convenience of readers, certain Renminbi amounts have been translated into U.S. dollar amounts at the rate of RMB6.3726 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate on December 30, 2021 in New York for cable transfers of Renminbi as set forth in the H.10 weekly statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), 51job uses non-GAAP financial measures of income before income tax expense, income tax expense, adjusted net income, adjusted net income attributable to 51job and adjusted earnings per share, which are adjusted from results based on GAAP to exclude share-based compensation expense, loss from foreign currency translation and changes in fair value of listed equity securities investment and long-term investment, as well as the related tax effect of these items. The Company believes excluding share-based compensation expense and its related tax effect from its non-GAAP financial measures is useful for its management and investors to assess and analyze the Company's core operating results as such expense is not directly attributable to the underlying performance of the Company's business operations and do not impact its cash earnings. The Company believes excluding loss from foreign currency translation and changes in fair value of listed equity securities investment and long-term investment, as well as the related tax effect, from its non-GAAP financial measures is useful for its management and investors as such translation, mark-to-market gain or loss is not indicative of the Company's core business operations and will not result in cash settlement nor impact the Company's cash earnings. 51job also believes these non-GAAP financial measures excluding share-based compensation expense, loss from foreign currency translation and changes in fair value of listed equity securities investment and long-term investment, as well as the related tax effect of these items, are important in helping investors to understand the Company's current financial performance and future prospects and to compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis. The presentation of these additional measures should not be considered a substitute for or superior to GAAP results or as being comparable to results reported or forecasted by other companies. The non-GAAP measures have been reconciled to GAAP measures in the attached financial statements.
About 51job
Founded in 1998, 51job is a leading provider of integrated human resource services in China. With a comprehensive suite of HR solutions, 51job meets the needs of enterprises and job seekers through the entire talent management cycle, from initial recruitment to employee retention and career development. The Company's main online recruitment platforms (http://www.51job.com, http://www.yingjiesheng.com, http://www.51jingying.com, http://www.lagou.com, and http://www.51mdd.com), as well as mobile applications, connect millions of people with employment opportunities every day. 51job also provides a number of other value-added HR services, including business process outsourcing, training, professional assessment, campus recruitment, executive search and compensation analysis. 51job has a call center in Wuhan and a nationwide network of sales and service locations spanning more than 30 cities across China.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "targets," "confident" and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about 51job's beliefs and expectations, as well as 51job's strategic and operational plans, are or contain forward-looking statements. 51job may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. All forward-looking statements are based upon management's expectations at the time of the statements and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: execution of 51job's strategies and business plans; growth and trends of the human resource services industry in China; market acceptance of 51job's products and services; competition in the industry; 51job's ability to control costs and expenses; 51job's ability to retain key personnel and attract new talent; relevant government policies and regulations relating to 51job's industry, corporate structure and business operations; seasonality in the business; fluctuations in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies; risks related to acquisitions or investments 51job has made or will make in the future; accounting adjustments that may occur during the quarterly or annual close or auditing process; and fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and globally, including the impact of the coronavirus or other pandemic. Further information regarding these and other risks are included in 51job's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release and based on assumptions that 51job believes to be reasonable as of this date, and 51job undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Contact
Investor Relations, 51job, Inc.
Tel: +86-21-6879-6250
Email: ir@51job.com
View original content:
SOURCE 51job | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/04/01/51job-inc-reports-fourth-quarter-fiscal-year-2021-financial-results/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:43Z |
Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DYN – Get Rating) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,680,000 shares, a decrease of 28.8% from the February 28th total of 2,360,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 235,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 7.1 days. Currently, 6.4% of the shares of the company are short sold.
In other news, insider Wildon Farwell sold 5,617 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.56, for a total value of $48,081.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,690 shares of company stock valued at $57,449. 42.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DYN. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in Dyne Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Citigroup Inc. lifted its position in shares of Dyne Therapeutics by 101.9% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 3,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 1,913 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in Dyne Therapeutics by 140.1% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 4,946 shares of the company’s stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 2,886 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Dyne Therapeutics by 3,595.2% during the 2nd quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,656 shares of the company’s stock worth $98,000 after acquiring an additional 4,530 shares during the period. Finally, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY grew its position in Dyne Therapeutics by 38.7% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 9,762 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,725 shares during the last quarter. 72.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Dyne Therapeutics (NASDAQ:DYN – Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 10th. The company reported ($1.00) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.99) by ($0.01). As a group, equities analysts expect that Dyne Therapeutics will post -3.91 EPS for the current year.
Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Dyne Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 16th. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $29.00 price target on shares of Dyne Therapeutics in a report on Friday, March 11th.
Dyne Therapeutics Company Profile (Get Rating)
Dyne Therapeutics, Inc, a muscle disease company, operates as a biotechnology company that focuses on advancing therapeutics for genetically driven muscle diseases in the United States. It develops various programs for myotonic dystrophy type 1, duchenne muscular dystrophy, and facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, as well as rare skeletal muscle, and cardiac and metabolic muscle diseases using its FORCE platform that delivers disease-modifying therapeutics.
See Also
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Dyne Therapeutics (DYN)
- High-Yielding Walgreens Boots Alliance Goes On Sale
- 3 Mid-Cap Value Stocks Ready to Run
- Institutional Support Has Paychex On Brink Of New All-Time Highs
- Tough Comps and Declining Consumer Sales Makes McCormick a Hold
- These Are Rock Bottom Prices For Five Below
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
- 3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year
- The 10 Best Stocks to Own in 2022
- 7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
- 9 "MUST OWN" Growth Stocks
Receive News & Ratings for Dyne Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dyne Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. | https://www.etfdailynews.com/2022/04/01/short-interest-in-dyne-therapeutics-inc-nasdaqdyn-decreases-by-28-8/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:44Z |
News Treehugger Voices Minamata Convention Bans Mercury Satellite Propellants Mercury is cheap, heavy, and works well in ion thrusters. But it is also poisonous. By Lloyd Alter Lloyd Alter Facebook Twitter Design Editor University of Toronto Lloyd Alter is Design Editor for Treehugger and teaches Sustainable Design at Ryerson University in Toronto. Learn about our editorial process Published March 31, 2022 01:00PM EDT Fact checked by Katherine Martinko Fact checked by Katherine Martinko Twitter University of Toronto Katherine Martinko is an expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto. Learn about our fact checking process The Apollo Fusion ion thruster. R. Conversano / California Institute of Technology Share Twitter Pinterest Email News Environment Business & Policy Science Animals Home & Design Current Events Treehugger Voices News Archive The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury just wrapped up in Bali, Indonesia. COP meetings aren't just about climate: The Minamata Convention is "a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, a bio-accumulative neurotoxin. One major success at the conference was the ban of mercury satellite propellants used in electric rocket engines after a motion from Canada, the European Union, and Norway. According to the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), which has been fighting to prevent mercury from being used as propellants since 2018: “The Minamata Convention on Mercury seeks to eliminate all mercury uses where technically-achievable non-mercury alternatives are available,” said Elena Lymberidi-Settimo, ZMWG [Zero Mercury Working Group] Coordinator at the European Environmental Bureau. “In the case of satellite propulsion systems, mercury-free alternatives have been available and used for decades.” Lloyd Alter builds a rocket engine. The Globe and Mail I feel somewhat confident talking about electric propulsion systems because I tried to build one many years ago for a science fair project. All rockets work in much the same way, throwing stuff out the back at high speed to get an equal and opposite reaction that pushes the vehicle forward. In an electric satellite propulsion system, you ionize the propellant, giving it an electric charge, and then accelerate it with magnetic fields and shoot it out the back. Mercury is great for this; it is heavy and it is easy to ionize. This only works in a serious vacuum, so there is a mercury diffusion pump in the background to evacuate the bell jar covering the engine. I never got a chance to actually demonstrate it; the judges were shocked that I was proposing to boil mercury and closed it down. They knew better than I how dangerous mercury was. But what makes mercury great for an ion thruster makes it not so great for the planet that the satellites are orbiting. Some companies want to use it for low-orbit Internet satellites; mercury is really cheap compared to xenon or the krypton that is used in Elon Musk's Starlink satellites. According to the Norwegian submission to the conference: “Mercury is one of the cheapest and easiest to store propellants for electric propulsion. While some mercury released in Low Earth Orbit may escape Earth’s gravitational field, mercury emissions originating from many common orbital maneuvers will return to Earth. The environmental and human health implications of such releases have not been evaluated. Using an atmospheric chemical transport model, we simulate global deposition of mercury released from satellite propulsion systems. We estimate that 75% of the mercury falling back to Earth will be deposited in the world’s oceans, with potentially negative implications for commercial fish and other marine life.” The SERT-1 Satellite and its program manager, Raymond J. Rulis. NASA / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 NASA tested ion drive engines in the '60s. Mine was modeled on the little one in front of program manager Raymond Rulis. They dropped mercury because of its toxicity. According to the submission to the Convention: "Mercury was used as a propellant back in the 60s, primarily because of its high storage density (a lot of kilograms of mercury can be stored in a very small volume) which is attractive for the spacecraft. There were, however, a great deal of technical difficulties with mercury and health and safety concerns, for which NASA, the primary developer, abandoned the use of mercury and started using non-mercury alternatives." But Bloomberg reports that Apollo Fusion, the maker of the xenon thruster in the top photo, has proposed using it: "Propulsion experts say mercury is a tempting choice, despite the safety hazards, because its performance is better than that of alternatives like xenon or krypton." Bloomberg continues: "A case study on Apollo’s website [now a dead link] that the company calls a 'representative configuration' ideal for a low-orbit satellite would carry 20 kilograms of an unnamed propellant. Multiply that by 1,000, and the constellation of satellites could use 20,000kg, or 20 metric tons, of mercury, which would be released over the satellites’ estimated five to seven years in orbit. By comparison, the entire U.S. emits about 50 metric tons of mercury each year; the entire population of the world generates about 2,000 metric tons." No wonder the Minamata convention wanted to nip this in the bud. This thread of tweets from Kevin Bell of PEER is remarkable in its history of their work to bring this to fruition. And I am very relieved those judges shut me down so many years ago. | https://www.treehugger.com/minimata-convention-bans-mercury-satellite-propellants-5224133 | 2022-04-01T00:55:45Z |
ERA® Real Estate Expands Tennessee Presence With Affiliation Of Venture Real Estate Services
March 30, 2022 // Franchising.com // MADISON, N.J. - ERA® Real Estate today announced the affiliation of ERA Venture Real Estate. The company is based in Crossville, Tenn., and serves Eastern Tennessee with a focus on Cumberland County. Broker/owner Leslie Price started her real estate career in 2015...
www.franchising.com | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556600352290/era-real-estate-expands-tennessee-presence-with-affiliation-of-venture-real-estate-services | 2022-04-01T00:55:45Z |
When Apple released macOS Monterey 12.3 earlier this month, multiple users reported that they were no longer able to pair game controllers with their Macs over Bluetooth. Now with the macOS 12.3.1 update, which was released today to all users, Apple has finally fixed this bug.
According to the release notes for macOS Monterey 12.3.1, the update fixes an issue that could cause Bluetooth devices to unexpectedly disconnect from the Mac. Interestingly, Apple says that the bug was potentially triggered after playing audio through Beats headphones.
Based on user reports, the bug was affecting any Bluetooth game controller – including the Xbox Wireless Controller, PlayStation DualSense Controller, and other third-party joysticks.
Some users are finding controller support working for some games, but not all. A comment from a user on Apple’s Developer Forum said their Xbox controller works in apps like Steam and Pac-Man Party, but it is not working in Sonic Racing, Asphalt 8+, and others.
Now the bug seems to have been fixed, as you can read below:
macOS Monterey 12.3.1 includes bug fixes and security updates for your Mac. This update fixes the following issues:
– USB-C or Thunderbolt external display does not turn on when connected to Mac mini (2018) as a second display
– Bluetooth devices, such as game controllers, may disconnect from your Mac after playing audio through some Beats headphones
You can update your Mac by going to the Software Update menu in the System Preferences app. Let us know in the comments below if the update has fixed the Bluetooth bug on your Mac.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. | https://9to5mac.com/2022/03/31/macos-12-3-1-fixes-bug-affecting-game-controllers-and-other-bluetooth-devices/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:46Z |
On Monday, President Joe Biden unveiled his proposal for the next federal budget.
Though Congress has the final say in the annual budget, presidents create a proposal highlighting their fiscal priorities. Then, the president typically spends time advocating for their plan to the public, arguing for those priorities.
While promoting his latest proposal, Biden tweeted, “This year, my administration is on track to cut the deficit by more than $1.3 trillion… that would be the largest one-year reduction in the deficit in U.S. history.”
THE QUESTION
Would a $1.3 trillion reduction in the deficit be the largest single-year reduction ever?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, if the deficit shrinks by $1.3 trillion this year, that will be the largest single-year reduction in history.
WHAT WE FOUND
Both the Federal Reserve and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) track how much money the federal government takes in each year, and how much it spends. The Fed has records dating back to 1901, and the CBO dating to 1962.
If the government makes more than it spends, there’s a budget surplus. Since 1962, there have only been five years with a surplus, and none since 2001.
More commonly, the government spends more than it takes in. That’s a deficit, and it results in the U.S. borrowing money to make up the difference, which in turn adds to the federal debt.
According to the Fed and the CBO, the year in which the deficit shrank the most was 2013. In 2012, the budget was nearly $1.08 trillion in the hole, and in 2013, it was just under $679.8 billion. The deficit decreased by roughly $396.8 billion, more than in any other year in history.
If the deficit drops by $1.3 trillion in 2022 like Biden projected, it would indeed be the largest deficit reduction in American history, by a big margin.
The Fed and CBO track numbers on a fiscal-year basis, with the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30. So we won’t really know if Biden’s projections for 2022 are accurate until at least October.
But budget experts VERIFY spoke with agreed it’s likely the deficit reduction could wind up being more than a trillion dollars. However, they said that drop is mostly due to COVID-related spending programs expiring.
“It's not really due to any particularly aggressive policy action to, say, raise more revenue than we would have otherwise, or spend less. It's mostly just a factor of temporary things,” said Alex Muresianu, a federal policy analyst for the Tax Foundation.
“We had deficits that were over $3 trillion [in 2020], and one that was $2.8 trillion [in 2021]. That was as a result of a huge recession, and trillions of dollars that we were spending to fight COVID. So we will be dropping for sure. The deficit will be closer to a trillion dollars this year,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a non-profit group. “But that doesn't come from policies to reduce the deficit.”
More from VERIFY: No, Congress members did not give themselves a 21% pay raise in 2022 | https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/verify/money-verify/biden-projects-trillion-dollar-deficit-reduction-largest-ever/536-82b0158e-0851-49dd-a546-3dbef252c761 | 2022-04-01T00:55:45Z |
Artificial pancreas to revolutionise diabetes care in England
By Fergus Walsh
Medical editor
- Published
Nearly 900 patients with type 1 diabetes in England are testing a potentially life-changing artificial pancreas.
It can eliminate the need for finger prick tests and prevent life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks, where blood sugar levels fall too low.
The technology uses a sensor under the skin.
It continually monitors the levels, and a pump automatically adjusts the amount of insulin required.
Six-year-old Charlotte, from Lancashire, is one of more than 200 children using the hybrid closed loop system.
Her mother, Ange Abbott, told us it has made a massive impact on the whole family.
"Prior to having the loop, everything was manual," she said. "At night we'd have to set the alarm every two hours to do finger pricks and corrections of insulin in order to deal with the ups and downs of Charlotte's blood sugars."
About 400,000 people in the UK have type 1 diabetes, a condition where the body can't produce insulin, the hormone which regulates blood sugar levels.
NHS England says it is the first nationwide test of the technology in the world, and it comes 100 years after the first diabetes patient received insulin injections.
The hybrid system is not completely automated, because the amount of carbohydrates being eaten at mealtimes needs to be inputted.
Charlotte's consultant Dr May Ng, a paediatric endocrinologist at Ormskirk District General Hospital, thinks the new technology has huge potential.
"I think it's absolutely fantastic. I've been practising for 25 years in children's diabetes and it's a game-changer," she said.
"To be able to improve the quality of life, to be able to see that most of their blood glucose readings are within that target range, it's very exciting."
For Ange, the constant monitoring means that Charlotte can go back to being the child she was.
"She loves days out with her friends and sleepovers, but we had to stop these as soon as she was diagnosed because other people couldn't manage her diabetes.
"Now we can allow her to go out for these social occasions when we're not there."
Yasmin Hopkins, 27, from London, has also received an artificial pancreas as part of the pilot.
She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 15 years ago and had struggled to maintain her blood sugar levels.
Yasmin told us she finds the new technology liberating.
"I wake up now and I can do a normal day's work, or go on a dog walk without being concerned," she said.
"Before, I felt like I'd have been at risk from some of the long-term complications of diabetes, whereas now I don't see that happening."
If blood sugar levels are not kept under control, diabetes patients risk long-term damage to their heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
Prof Partha Kar, NHS national speciality adviser for diabetes, said: "Having machines monitor and deliver medication for diabetes patients sounds quite sci-fi like, but technology and machines are part and parcel of how we live our lives every day.
"It is not very far away from the holy grail of a fully automated system, where people with type 1 diabetes can get on with their lives without worrying about glucose levels or medication."
Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This technology has the potential to transform the lives of people with type 1 diabetes, improving both their quality of life and clinical outcomes."
To date, 875 patients have joined the pilot, which will enrol up to 1,000 people. The results will be part of an assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is considering where to roll out the technology more widely.
It comes after NICE recommended that everyone in England with type 1 diabetes be offered some form of continuous glucose monitoring via a sensor attached to the skin. | https://www.bbc.com/news/health-60133358 | 2022-04-01T00:55:46Z |
Newport City Council recently opted to hold all its public meetings in person effective April 4. This includes city council, planning commission, and all of the city’s standing advisory committees. This decision repeals previous policies related to COVID-19, and virtual meetings.
All city meetings will be held in the city council chambers of the Newport City Hall.
This allows meetings to be livestreamed and televised on Charter Channel 190. To access the livestream, visit the City of Newport website at www.newportoregon.gov. Once there, click on “City Government;” then click on “City Council” or “Committees (depending on the meeting of interest); click on the name of the committee; then an “in progress” note will appear if the meeting is underway; click on the “in progress” link to watch the livestream. It is not possible to access a meeting that will be livestreamed before the meeting starts.
To submit a written public comment for any City of Newport meeting, send the written comment to publiccomment@newportoregon.gov. For City Council and Planning Commission meetings, the e-mail must be received by noon on the scheduled date of the City Council or Planning Commission meeting. For standing committee meetings, the public comment must be received four hours prior to a scheduled meeting. For example, if a meeting is to be held at 3:00 P.M., the deadline to submit written comment is 11:00 A.M. If a meeting is scheduled to occur before noon, the written comment must be submitted by 5:00 P.M. the previous day.
For city council meetings, written comments received by the above noted deadlines will be included in the meeting materials, i.e., agenda packet. These comments will be acknowledged, at the appropriate time, by the Mayor or Council President, in the absence of the mayor. If a specific request is made to read written public comment into the record during a meeting, the City Recorder, or designee, will be provided a maximum of three minutes to read the comment during the meeting.
To provide virtual public comment during a city council, planning commission, or standing committee meeting, a request must be made to the meeting staff at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting. If a meeting is scheduled for a Monday, or day after a holiday, the 24-hour notice must occur on the last working day before the weekend or holiday.
Meeting staff will provide the requestor with a Zoom link at least two hours prior to the meeting. This provision applies to public comment and presenters outside the area and/or unable to physically attend an in-person meeting.
The public is welcome to attend any public meeting of the City of Newport subject to fire capacity limitations of the meeting room. Public comment sign-up forms will be available at the entrance to the City Council Chambers. Please complete the form, and submit it to a city staff person. | https://www.thenewsguard.com/news/city-of-newport-public-meetings-return-to-in-person/article_11ef312c-b134-11ec-9296-83869161b5d2.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:46Z |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tommy La Stella still says being ready to play on Opening Day is up in the air for him.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a change in that yet,” La Stella said.
But through two games of spring action so far, he’s making quite the case for himself.
As he comes back from Achilles surgery, La Stella had another action-packed outing even though he only played three innings, going 2-for-2 with a homer and playing second base for the first time in the spring.
“He swung the bat really well, obviously — Tommy-style at-bats,” Kapler said.
After going 1-for-2 with a well-hit flyout, a three-run double and a walk on Tuesday, La Stella started off Thursday by pulling a homer to right, just coming a few feet short of hitting the Charro Lodge. He added a single in the first and advanced station-to-station to score a run in the second, the fifth run in the Giants’ 13-2 win over the Rockies at Scottsdale Stadium on Thursday.
Playing at second base for the first time in a spring game, La Stella got tested in every which way in the third inning alone: running in to track a pop up, going to his left for a ground ball (that just went under his glove) and going to his right to snag a grounder on the run (though his throw back across his body to first was not in time for an out).
“Didn’t get cheated on defensively,” La Stella quipped before adding, “It was good to be out there and go side-to-side. And be able to rebound and come back on the next play. Whenever I am ready, that’s the stuff I’ve got to be able to do.”
Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford added, “I think he’d probably be the first one to say he probably wasn’t at his quickest out there, but just to get him moving around, that’s great.”
But Kapler said he was actually impressed in how La Stella — and other Giants veterans, too — has been able to not push himself and try to do too much, saying La Stella “was measured on both defense and on the bases, by design.”
“One of the things that I find really impressive is when a player is able to put a governor on [themselves],” Kapler said. “It makes us trust that, in that sort of situation in the regular season, we can understand that he’s not going to be beating out a ground ball, he’s not going to make a diving play up the middle or to his right and get up and throw a runner out. But then we’re going to get the high-quality at-bats.
If we need to do something like replace them on the bases or on defense, we’re willing to do that to have his bat around in shorter periods of time. He’s plenty capable of playing good defense, running the bases well, all of those things. But I think it’s worth noting that there are ways that we can protect him and we have protected him in the past.”
Even with those breaks in place, the swings are still looking sharp, which doesn’t come as a surprise to Crawford.
“He’s always had a pretty simple swing, so it’s probably not going to take him a whole lot of time in spring to get going,” Crawford said. “He has great eye-hand coordination and can handle the bat and is a great contact guy. To have him in the lineup is definitely a good thing for us.”
And as for the roster spot on Opening Day? “Nothing’s off the table,” Kapler said. “We keep everything on the table.”
Crawford’s tweaks at plate give instant pay-off
Right after La Stella’s first inning homer, Crawford stepped up next and added one of his own with a shot to right-center — even though he joked he wouldn’t have cared if it went out or not, given the time of year.
“I don’t really want to waste them in spring,” Crawford said.
But this particular one was a welcomed sight for Crawford, who entered Thursday 0-for-the-spring in 10 at-bats with six strikeouts. He finished the day with a .214 batting average after going 3-for-4 with the first inning homer, an RBI single in the second and an RBI double in the seventh.
Crawford said he worked on his swing on Wednesday and started feeling better during a live batting practice session right after. Seeing the tweaks carry over into the game was welcomed.
“Even if I hit a few balls hard and got out, honestly, I would have felt a lot better about where my swing is at, as far as timing and approach and swinging at the right pitches,” Crawford said. “Obviously, anything I’ll take a hit, but I prefer to hit the ball hard and feel good about my swing, confident about my swing.”
Wood welcomes the traffic in third spring outing
It’s only Logan Webb and Alex Wood who have made three starts in games this spring, and Wood’s Thursday outing came with the rapid pace he’s become known for.
But while the Giants offense was working the Rockies for five runs, six hits and four walks in the first two innings, Wood was anxiously waiting to get back out on the mound, reaching the rubber seemingly seconds after the final out of the bottom-half of the innings were recorded.
He finished the day throwing around 65 pitches in 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk and striking out four. He gave up both runs and all but one of his hits in the third, but he actually was just fine with having to deal with the traffic on the bases, a good check on his mechanics — and his rhythm — out of the stretch.
“I’ve made a conscious effort the last two seasons to make sure I’m looking at runners, whether they’re there or not,” Wood said. “I felt pretty comfortable with guys on, but it was definitely nice to have a little traffic out there and have to work a little bit harder than you would in a clean inning.”
But yet Wood was still able to get through the trouble and into the fifth and helped push the spring game’s time to under three hours, something that aligns with the Giants’ pitching philosophy of working fast and throwing strikes.
“Funny how that tends to correlate,” Kapler quipped postgame.
And why is Wood so quick to the plate?
“It’s probably my personality,” Wood said with a smile. “To be honest, I don’t like to wait around. I’m not a very patient person. That’s one of my faults as a human being.”
But what can be considered a fault in some aspects of life is a strength in others, and defenders absolutely love playing behind Wood, with La Stella saying Wood’s quickness is “on another level” compared to any other pitchers he’s played behind.
Wood is set to make one more start in Arizona before the season begins, aiming to get to around 80 pitches. But Wood wasn’t sure if he’d face the A’s on Tuesday, as the schedule currently lines him up to do.
Meanwhile, with Alex Cobb set to start on Friday, the rotation would typically indicate that Logan Webb would start Saturday, when the Giants have their lone spring game against the Dodgers.
But even with the abbreviated spring making the in-game repetitions more valued, there will be no rematch on Saturday. Kervin Castro was officially listed as the starter, with Webb instead pitching a simulated game. It’s a bit of gamesmanship that Kapler hinted was possible.
“I think there’s still time to play around with that a little bit, I just don’t think it can be the number one priority at this point,” Kapler said on Wednesday. “Number one priority is getting our pitchers the innings they need to be ready to go as deep into games as possible and to handle as many pitches as possible.
“Doesn’t mean that the competition element or the gamesmanship element goes out the window, but I think we just stay focused on the other side of that right now.”
The Giants didn’t shy away from starting Wood against the Rockies or Carlós Rodon against the Padres on Tuesday. But after their season-long battle last year, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Giants are treating the Dodgers differently.
Giants keep focus on mental health ahead of season opener
The Giants organization has continued its focus on mental health, designating Thursday as Mental Health Day in camp. It’s something that the manager strongly believes in.
“This is important because we believe that everybody in our player population is suffering with something,” Kapler said. “It could be something that’s going on at home, a family rift, it could be anxiety issues, it could be depressing issues. And those are elevated at different times for different players. And frankly, it’s not just our players – it’s also our staff, it’s also our front office.
“It’s every member of our organization.”
The team wore shirts with “Strength isn’t always mental” on the front and #EndTheStigma as part of their efforts to increase mental health awareness, and Drew Robinson and Dr. Shana Alexander both addressed the team earlier in the morning, reiterating that “everyone is suffering” message.
“It takes the edge off for the people that are listening,” Kapler said. “Because whatever it is that you’re dealing with from a mental health perspective, oftentimes you feel like you’re the only person — and especially in a historically competition-driven environment, showing any sort of weakness has always been seen as a lack of strength. In reality, we believe it is the direct opposite of that. It’s an indication of strength.”
Robinson, the former minor leaguer who lost an eye from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2020, is now in his capacity as a mental health advocate and Alexander — a clinical psychologist — as the Giants’ employee assistance program director. The Giants also have had Kellen Lee on staff since January 2020 as a minor league mental skills coach.
Kapler feels that the focus on mental health gives the Giants a leg up on the competition, but it’s one he’s happy to share with others.
“I think it’s definitely a competitive advantage, but also something we have to share because it’s the right thing to do,” Kapler said. “People are suffering, we can help them suffer less. There are some things that we want to keep quite proprietary. This is not one of them.”
Alexander was the one in charge of the t-shirts, which were initially just made for the team. But Kapler would be happy if the Giants decided to sell them: “No reason we wouldn’t want a lot of people wearing these shirts.” | https://www.marinij.com/2022/03/31/sf-giants-notebook-tommy-la-stellas-bat-is-making-it-hard-to-keep-him-off-opening-day-roster/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:46Z |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nearly five years ago, a Nashville father boarded a plane to Mexico and was never heard from again.
Terrance Reynolds called his family September 23, 2017, to let them know his flight was taking off and that was the last contact he had with them, according to Detective Matthew filter with Metro Nashville Police Department’s Cold Case Homicide Missing Persons Unit.
Reynolds was known to many as Terry and was 38-years-old when he vanished.
UNSOLVED TENNESSEE: Find more of the state’s cold cases, missing persons, and other mysteries →
“He facetimed with his mother. He was actually in San Diego, California on an airplane and he told his mother that he was flying into Mexico to a party. That was the last time any body ever heard from or had contact with him,” said Filter.
Filter admitted dealing with another country in an investigation is difficult.
“We’ve been in contact with the consulate down in Mexico trying to get any information to find out if maybe he got incarcerated down there, which is not the case – at least they’re claiming that he is not in their custody,” said Filter.
If you have any information regarding this case, you’re asked to contact Detective Filter at 615-862-7803. You can also call Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME (615-742-7463). Callers remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward.
News 2 investigates The Missing – digging deeper into renewed efforts to find Tennesseans who vanished. | https://www.wkrn.com/special-reports/tn-missing-flight-to-mexico-last-known-whereabouts-of-nashville-father/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:46Z |
What led woman to tip police about missing California lawyer
Ginger Miller worked at Larry McNabney’s Sacramento law office and first reported him missing. Miller told police McNabney’s wife Elisa and an assistant Sarah Dutra exhibited secretive practices.
Examined
Examined
The fight for Kyiv
Mar 11Examining extremism in the military
Apr 27Gun violence: An American epidemic?
Oct 25Border crisis: What’s happening at the US-Mexico border?
Jun 18Remembering George Floyd: A year of protest
May 25The source of COVID-19: What we know
Apr 07How did the GameStop stock spike on Wall Street happen?
Feb 12Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine?
Dec 10How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain
Sep 29Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot
Feb 232020 in review: A year unlike any other
Dec 22Examined: How Putin keeps power
Mar 12Why don’t the Electoral College and popular vote always match up?
Oct 29US crosses 250,000 coronavirus deaths
Nov 182nd Impeachment Trial: What this could mean for Trump
Feb 08Presidential transition of power: Examined
Dec 01How Donald Trump spent his last days as president
Jan 18How Joe Biden's inauguration will be different from previous years
Jan 15Belarus’ ongoing protests: Examined
Dec 04Trump challenges the vote and takes legal action
Nov 052020’s DNC and RNC are different than any before
Aug 17What is happening with the USPS?
Aug 20Voting in 2020 during COVID-19
Oct 13Disinformation in 2020
Oct 30
ABC News Specials on
24 Months That Changed the World
Have You Seen This Man?
Two Men at War
Putin's War: The Battle to Save Ukraine
Screen Queens Rising
X / o n e r a t e d - The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice
Homegrown: Standoff to Rebellion
Alec Baldwin: Unscripted
The Housewife and the Shah Shocker
City of Angels | City of Death
3212 UN-REDACTED
The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland
Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier
Wild Crime
Final Hours, America’s Longest War
Superstar
The Housewife and the Hustler
Tulsa's Buried Truth
GameStopped
24 Hours: Assault on the Capitol | https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/led-woman-tip-police-missing-california-lawyer-83795687 | 2022-04-01T00:55:46Z |
EPA upholds Trump-era decision not to regulate contaminant
Upholding a Trump-era environmental policy, the Environmental Protection Agency says it will not regulate a drinking water contaminant that has been linked to brain damage in infants
Upholding a Trump-era environmental policy, the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it will not regulate a drinking water contaminant that has been linked to brain damage in infants.
The agency said the Trump administration's decision in 2020 not to regulate perchlorate in drinking water was made with the “best available peer reviewed science.” The chemical is used in rocket fuel and fireworks.
At the time, Trump's EPA said perchlorate was not found widely enough in drinking water or "at levels of public health concern" to warrant federal regulation. The decision was one of many Trump-era rollbacks or eliminations of existing or pending public health and environmental protections. The Biden administration ordered a review of that decision at the start of his term.
EPA Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox said the agency was “applying the right tools to support public health protections.”
Environmental groups slammed the Biden administration’s decision.
“The Trump EPA gave perchlorate a pass; it was a bad decision then, and it’s a bad decision now,” said Erik Olson of the Natural Resources Defense Council advocacy group. “Tap water across America will remain contaminated by this toxic chemical.”
Perchlorate from runoff contaminates the drinking water of as many as 16 million Americans, the Obama administration said in 2011 when it announced the EPA would for the first time set maximum limits for the chemical compound. It has been used in the U.S. for decades, particularly by the military and defense industries, and is commonly found in munitions, fireworks, matches and signal flares.
Exposure to the compound can damage the development of fetuses and children and cause measurable drops in IQ in newborns, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in 2019, when it called for stringent federal limits. It damages human development by disrupting the functioning of the thyroid gland.
In its 2020 review, the EPA said state-level regulations and cleanup activities at contaminated sites had lowered the health risks posed by the compound. Massachusetts and California, for example, limit perchlorate in drinking water to 2 parts per billion and 6 parts per billion, respectively.
“But the problem is that for the rest of the country the states have not set standards,” said Olson of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
In the Southwest, perchlorate has been detected in groundwater that entered Lake Mead in Nevada. Manufacturing activities in Henderson, Nevada, were thought to be the source of the chemical. The EPA said cleanup activities at two industrial sites near Las Vegas between 2002 and 2006 resulted in reduced levels of perchlorate in samples provided since then by Nevada environmental and water agencies.
The EPA said Thursday it was considering other steps besides a federal drinking water limit, such as setting standards at open burning and detonation sites of waste explosives, where severe perchlorate contamination is known to exist.
But environmental advocates said such measures fall short of what's needed.
“Simply put, toxic chemicals used in rocket fuel do not belong in our drinking water," said John Rumpler, senior attorney with Environment America.
___
AP reporter Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
___
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/environment
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ap-trump-washington-american-academy-of-pediatrics-biden-b2048709.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:46Z |
Former President Trump senior adviser Jared Kushner provided "helpful" information to the Democratic-led House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a member of the panel said.
Kushner, married to Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, who was also a senior adviser, is the most high profile member of Trump's inner circle known to have appeared before the committee.
He voluntarily appeared for a remote interview that started at 10 a.m. and lasted at least into the early afternoon hours, several sources familiar with the committee's work said.
Kushner's meeting came two months after the panel asked Ivanka Trump to voluntarily appear before the committee. Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Ivanka Trump and the committee are engaged in conversations, but no final plan has been reached on her appearance.
"The expectation is that it will take place, as to when I can't tell you right now, I know we are engaging her as a committee," Thompson said on Wednesday.
Virginia Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria told NPR the conversation with Kushner was "helpful." She told MSNBC that Kushner was able to substantiate information and provide his own take on different reports on the Jan. 6 attack.
Luria said it's valuable to hear firsthand accounts from witnesses such as Kushner directly.
"I think that the committee really appreciates hearing information directly from people who have relevant facts about January 6, and the fact that Jared Kushner came as a witness is helpful to building the story of our investigation," Luria said.
One source familiar with the committee's discussions but unable to speak on the record said there were details that Kushner couldn't remember but the source noted that like other witnesses, it has been more than a year since the attack on the Capitol and it is not uncommon for some to not recall some specifics.
Kushner was traveling back from Saudi Arabia on Jan. 6, 2021, but Thompson said he believes that he could help the committee understand more about the events that led up to that day.
"We think because he was an integral part of the administration, it's, I think, important for us to find out if he knew anything about the planning before January 6 and to get it from him," Thompson said.
Thompson, who was not at House votes on Thursday and voted by proxy, had said a day earlier if Kushner's interview went well, the panel would ask for additional communication details, such as call and text message records.
Thompson had previously waved off interest in Kushner but said the committee's staff has continued to reach out to potential witnesses.
"We have an excellent staff, and staff has been actively engaging a number of witnesses, including individuals or their attorneys and Kushner's attorney will be the same," Thompson told NPR on Wednesday.
The White House on Wednesday said it had waived executive privilege claims for Kushner and Ivanka Trump, allowing them to share certain details with the panel.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/2022-03-31/jared-kushner-provided-helpful-details-to-the-jan-6-committee-a-panel-member-says | 2022-04-01T00:55:47Z |
Thousands of acres of Angeles National Forest closed by Bobcat Fire reopen this week
LOS ANGELES - Thousands of acres of the Angeles National Forest that have been off-limits since the 2020 Bobcat Fire are scheduled to reopen Friday.
The fire burned about 115,000 acres, but it led to the closure of 143,000 acres within the national forest for a combination of public safety and natural-resources restoration efforts.
About 60% of that area, or 86,000 acres, will reopen to the public on Friday. The areas being made accessible again are generally along the Angeles Crest Highway east of Shortcut Saddle, including Mount Waterman, Islip Peak Trail, Dawson Saddle Trail, Cloudburst Summit, Charlton Picnic Area and Devil's Canyon Trail.
SUGGESTED: Bobcat Fire possibly caused by vegetation contacting overhead conductor
Buckhorn Campground was expected to reopen, but forest officials said Thursday that area will remain closed due to snow.
"We know the public is anxious to revisit their favorite places in the forest and monument and appreciate the public's patience with the expiring closure order while we sought to ensure public safety and natural resource protection since the Bobcat Fire," Tom Torres, acting forest supervisor of the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, said in a statement. "We continue to ask visitors to exercise caution and recreate responsibly while they enjoy their public lands."
Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.
Forest officials urged visitors venturing into the areas to wear proper hiking boots and avoid trying to cross landslide areas or major sections of missing trails. They also warned people to be on the lookout for dead trees that could potentially fall.
Visitors should not venture into areas that are still closed. Forest officials some areas could remain closed for years due to safety hazards and efforts to restore the environment.
More information is available at fs.usda.gov/angeles.
Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.
Advertisement | https://www.foxla.com/news/thousands-of-acres-of-angeles-national-forest-closed-by-bobcat-fire-reopens-this-week | 2022-04-01T00:55:47Z |
😻 The Catstronauts homepage
We're at the end of the journey! Your app should now look something like this:
Task!
🏆 Course complete!
Congrats on completing the first feature of our Catstronauts app! 🚀
To build our homepage grid feature, we used a schema-first approach, meaning we considered data needs from the client's perspective before even starting to code.
We defined our schema and used Apollo Server to build a basic GraphQL endpoint that provides mocked responses.
We then used the Apollo Studio Explorer to interactively build queries from our development graph.
Finally, we developed the client side of our Catstronauts app. We used React, Apollo Client, and the useQuery
Hook to perform a query on our GraphQL server to display our tracks in a nice grid card layout.
In the following course, we'll connect our app to live data using a REST data source and write our first resolvers to provide that data to clients.
See you in the next mission, Lift-off II ! | https://www.apollographql.com/tutorials/lift-off-part1/wrap-up | 2022-04-01T00:55:48Z |
- Oil prices are settling below $100.00 on additional oil release from US’s SPR.
- An additional oil release of 180 million barrels is equivalent to about two days of global demand.
- The DXY has been underpinned ahead of the US Nonfarm Payrolls on Friday.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), futures on NYMEX, has tumbled below $100.00 on Thursday after US President Joe Biden announced a release of one million barrels per day for six months out of their Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) from May. Oil prices nosedive more than 6% on Thursday amid expectation of a less deviation in the demand-supply mechanism of the black gold.
To tame the galloping inflation, US President Joe Biden has urged oil drilling companies to exploit their unused capacities and pump more oil for bringing price stability to the oil market. This is the time to shift preference to the individuals and American families from prolonged investors. This is the third time in the last six months when the US administration has announced an oil release from the SPR. An additional oil release of 180 million barrels is equivalent to about two days of global demand, as per Reuters.
However, the additional oil release of one million barrels is unable to cover the three million barrels of oil from Russia and this kind of helicopter release of oil will not fix the structural deficit in global supply.
On the demand front, restrictions on men, materials, and machines in China amid lockdown measures due to the resurgence in Covid-19 has put a cumulative negative impact on the oil prices.
Meanwhile, the US dollar index (DXY) has climbed near 98.40 on negative market sentiment as investors are waiting for the US Nonfarm Payrolls, which are due on Friday.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD: Bears prowl and are moving in with 0.7450 eyed
AUD/USD is under pressure below a wall of resistance on the daily chart and is in the hands of the bears leaving the focus on the downside. The prior resistance has a confluence with the 50% mean reversion target while the 21-day moving average is aligned in this area as well for additional confluence.
EUR/USD plunges near 1.1070 on higher EU Unemployment Rate and safe-haven appeal
EUR/USD tumbles on negative market tone as optimism on the Russia-Ukraine peace talks faded. Soaring inflation in Eurozone is advocating an interest rate hike by the ECB. EU’s Unemployment Rate is slightly higher at 6.8% than the expectation at 6.7%.
Gold struggles with resistance at $1950
The yellow metal benefited from the risk adverse environment but failed to overcome the $1950 resistance area. Gold rose by more than $100 during 1Q 2022, despite higher rates.
Polkadot price has a bullish target at $26, here’s what to expect next
Polkadot price has rallied 20% in the last two weeks, establishing a new swing high at $23.33. It was forecasted on March 15 that a triangle formation could project a 38% rally for the Polkadot price.
Alibaba moves dangerously close to $110
BABA is down more than 4% on Thursday, but the ecommerce behemoth has not dropped below $110.52 as of the late morning trade. $110 is a key support level. Below here, BABA will once again lose its bullish price action trajectory of recent weeks. | https://www.fxstreet.com/news/wti-plunges-below-10000-on-bidens-180-million-barrel-oil-release-202203312354 | 2022-04-01T00:55:48Z |
WEST CHESTER, Pa. — The Adirondack Northstars 19U and 16U girls hockey teams both opened the USA Hockey Girls Tier II national championship tournament with victories Thursday.
Julia Amodio, Emma Lemery, Brianna Anslow and Lauren Willis each scored for the Northstars 19U team in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Little Flyers. Brigid Duffy added two assists and Danika Lindsay had 23 saves in goal for Adirondack.
The Northstars 19U team faces the San Diego Angels on Friday at 9 a.m.
On Thursday morning, Bayley Duffy scored twice to lead Adirondack's 16U team to a 5-2 win over Premier Prep Purple of Minnesota. Madison Macaulay, Lillian Willis and Jillian Willis also scored for the Northstars. Jillian Willis added two assists and Ava Reynolds racked up 34 saves in goal.
The Northstars 16U team plays the Philadelphia Little Flyers on Friday at 4:55 p.m.
Games are available on livestream on HockeyTV.com via a paid subscription. | https://poststar.com/sports/adirondack-northstars-girls-hockey-teams-open-with-wins/article_991f4dde-b149-11ec-baf4-db59207686be.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:48Z |
When you buy a domain name at Dan.com, you’re automatically covered by our unique Buyer Protection Program. Read more about how we keep you safe on our Trust and Security page.
Next to our secure domain ownership transfer process, we strictly monitor all transactions. If anything looks weird, we take immediate action. And if the seller doesn't deliver on their part of the deal, we refund you within 24 hours.
98% of all domain ownership transfers are completed within 24 hours. The seller first delivers the domain to us, then we send you your tailored transfer instructions. Need help? Our domain ownership transfer specialists will assist you at no additional cost.
Pay by bank wire and get a 1% discount or use one of the most popular payment options available through our payment processor, Adyen. Adyen is the payment platform of choice for many leading tech companies like Uber & eBay.
No matter what kind of domain you want to buy, we make the transfer simple and safe.
Here’s how it works | https://dan.com/buy-domain/abble.cn | 2022-04-01T00:55:48Z |
St. Catharines city council has given the green light to allow a 61-unit development on a former rail right-of-way off Vine Street South.
The strip of property south of Yale Crescent was designated in the city’s official plan as parkland and open space but council heard the city has never had any intention of turning it into a park.
Planning and building services director Tami Kitay said the original rationale for the designation was to ensure the land could serve as a connection to future trails — a goal that can still be achieved with a two-metre sidewalk along Yale Crescent.
“None of the city’s parks master plans have ever identified an actual park in this area, it was only ever for a trail connection,” she said.
The 1.07-hectare property at 60 Vine St. S. is south of Yale Crescent between Vine and Berryman Avenue. It’s surrounded by businesses, including a construction equipment supplier, residences, Connaught Public School and an active Gio Rail Railway.
The land was a former rail right-of-way used for transporting goods for industrial uses in the area. It’s no longer used for rail activity. A section of track on the property will be removed.
A staff report said environmental assessments and remediation works are underway and a building permit won’t be issued until a record of site condition cleared by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks is submitted.
Kitay said council approval would not set a precedent for turning other greenspaces into residential lands, adding, “Every single application is reviewed and evaluated on its own merits.”
Council approved the official plan and zoning bylaw amendments to change the lands to medium density residential to allow the development of a two-storey triplex dwelling and 10 two-storey apartment buildings.
The buildings will look like 11 two-storey townhouse blocks but will be divided vertically and horizontally, with 36 ground floor units and 25 upper-storey units. Each block will have three to eight units.
The site will have 81 parking spaces in four areas and bicycle parking.
Applicant Tim Kenny told council the price range would be in the lower 25 per cent of new home sale prices in St. Catharines and the units will be part of a condominium corporation.
A public information session with detailed designs of the site will be held by city staff as part of the site plan process.
Mayor Walter Sendzik said it is an “innovative” project to bring housing to the community.
“This looks to be a good adaptive reuse of space that will also clean up the land that is adjacent to an elementary school.”
The motion passed by council included a direction from Merritton Coun. Lori Littleton, who noted residents have raised the issue of closing of Berryman Avenue to through traffic in that area because of traffic concerns.
She asked that staff be directed to review the need and opportunity to close Berryman Avenue to through traffic at a point between Richmond Avenue and Yale Crescent, following the appropriate consultation process and provincial legislation. | https://www.wellandtribune.ca/news/council/2022/03/31/subdivision-planned-for-former-rail-land-in-central-st-catharines.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:48Z |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chin-ups, lunges, blaring music and some good-natured banter at 10 p.m.
The Phoenix Suns held off the Golden State Warriors in a hard-fought, playoff-type furious finish, then went right back to work after the final buzzer like they do every game — home and away.
“That’s who we are. We are a work team. Even though the studies show that lifting after a game helps with recovery, I think they really enjoy being around each other and they enjoy the work,” coach Monty Williams said. “… As I’ve said before, our guys are chasing something. When you’re chasing something, you don’t want to get to whatever you’re chasing and not be ready.”
Devin Booker’s two free throws with 34.2 seconds left put Phoenix ahead, Draymond Green traveled to turn it over before Chris Paul made a short jumper, and the NBA-best Suns beat the Warriors 107-103 on Wednesday night in a back-and-forth battle between Western Conference rivals.
Jordan Poole scored a season-best 38 points to match his career high and also contributed nine rebounds and seven assists. He had five free throws over the final 1:20.
Poole drew a loose ball foul on Booker with 39.8 seconds to go and converted two free throws before Booker came through for the Suns (62-14) in their ninth straight victory.
The Suns matched the franchise record with 62 wins, of which Booker said, “it means a lot.”
“We know what we’re working for, strength and conditioning is a big part of the game,” he said.
Paul hit a key jumper with 1:37 to play and finished with 15 points and eight assists, Mikal Bridges scored 22 points and Deandre Ayton added 16 points and 16 rebounds for Phoenix.
“We felt like we’ve been there before,” Paul said of the atmosphere. “Obviously this is an exciting environment playing in here, the crowd going crazy and all that but we’ve been playing a ton of games like that.”
Green had a three-point play to tie it with 2:25 left, the Suns committed a three-second violation on the other end but Golden State didn’t capitalize that sequence and Paul scored. Green and Jae Crowder had some words near mid-court after the final buzzer.
Booker scored 22 points but shot 5 for 21 — 2 of 8 from long range — while Torrey Craig missed all four of his 3-point tries.
The Warriors played better defensively while again without reigning scoring champion Stephen Curry, who is nursing a foot injury that has cost him seven games.
Poole shot 11 for 22 with seven 3s as Golden State returned home from a 123-95 loss at Memphis on Monday night.
“The tough part about Jordan is he’s learning how to play like Steph,” Williams said before the game.
Klay Thompson shot just 5 for 21 and missed nine of his 10 3-point attempts in Golden State’s fourth straight loss, seventh in eight and third in a row at Chase Center.
The Warriors had won the previous two matchups with the Suns, who have an eight-game road winning streak. Phoenix overcame shooting 7 for 28 on 3-pointers.
The teams split the season series at two games apiece.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr told his team during a morning meeting how well the Warriors played defense in previous meetings with Phoenix and that they were capable of doing so again despite the recent struggles.
“Draymond took a step tonight,” Kerr said of the improvements on both ends.
CURRY UPDATE
Curry is yet to resume on-court basketball activities while working back from a sprained left foot, but has been working on a treadmill in the water and in the weight room. He could be back to shooting soon.
“Trending in a good direction,” Kerr said.
Golden State dropped to 1-6 without him during this stretch.
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix won on the Warriors’ home floor for the first time in four tries since a 121-110 victory on Oct. 30, 2019. … The Suns won last season’s matchups 2-1 for their first victorious season series since taking all four meetings in 2010-11. Phoenix is 19-3 on the road vs. the Western Conference. … Cam Johnson missed his 13th game straight game with a right quad contusion. … JaVale McGee remained out because of a non-COVID illness, missing his second in a row and this one against his former team.
Warriors: Gary Payton II left for the locker room with 8:43 remaining but returned at the 4:54 mark to provide a key defensive presence down the stretch. … The Warriors came off a stretch with five games over eight days to now having three games in an eight-day stretch during which they won’t have to leave the state.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Grizzlies on Friday night having won two straight in Memphis.
Warriors: Host Jazz on Saturday night having won the last three meetings with Utah at home before finishing a home-road back-to-back at Sacramento on Sunday.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.fox44news.com/sports/booker-paul-deliver-at-end-suns-hold-off-warriors-107-103/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:48Z |
The Missouri Southern track and field teams will compete this weekend as it heads to Bolivar to take part in the Bearcat Invitational hosted by Southwest Baptist.
The Southern women enter the meet ranked 13th nationally as the first regular-season ratings were released by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) this week.
In the early going, the Lions have three NCAA provisional qualifying Marks, including a pair of national-best marks in the outdoor season. Kiara Smith took home the title at Emporia State this past weekend and is the No. 1 ranked women's 100m hurdler.
Elizabeth Pomatto won the women's javelin two weeks ago at ESU and is ranked tops in Division II so far this year in that event. Claire Luallen won the long jump at ESU this past weekend and ranks fourth nationally in that event.
The Southern men have a pair of NCAA provisional qualifying marks on the season as Peyton Barton ranks 10th in the hammer throw and Trey Beachler ranks 11th in the javelin.
Events on Friday will start at 3 p.m. with the men's javelin and women's hammer throw. The men's and women's 5k will be run on Friday night with the women starting at 7 p.m. and the men following.
Saturday events begin at 10:30 a.m. with the pole vault. Running events begin at 11:30 and a rolling schedule will be utilized. The men's and women's hurdles are the first events on the track.
Southern will be back in action on April 9 as the Lions travel to Pittsburg Sate. | https://www.joplinglobe.com/sports/local_sports/mssu-track-and-field-heads-to-sbu/article_77788cfc-b137-11ec-8cb3-a3a6d9c537c3.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:49Z |
STAMFORD — A New Canaan woman pleaded guilty Thursday to charges stemming from a string of armed robberies in the city in 2020.
Nadiya Bowles, 28, pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and criminal attempt at first-degree robbery at Stamford Superior Court Thursday morning as a part of a deal with state prosecutors.
In return for her guilty pleas, Bowles received a 10-year jail sentence that will be suspended after three years. She will also be required to serve a mandatory minimum of 10 years of probation following her release from prison.
Bowles, a mother of five, was facing three counts each of first-degree robbery and criminal attempt at first-degree robbery that stemmed from at least three different armed robberies targeting pedestrians walking on sidewalks in Stamford.
Bowles was arrested in October 2020, about a month after her co-defendant, 30-year-old Francisco Olivencia, was arrested as the two were leaving a party together.
According to their arrest affidavits, Bowles and Olivencia were suspects in three separate armed robberies together. Olivencia was also suspected in a fourth armed robbery in which he allegedly also fired a gunshot.
The first robbery occurred on Aug. 29, 2020, when Bowles allegedly helped Olivencia rob a man who was unloading tools from his vehicle in front of his home on Rose Park Avenue on Aug. 29, according to their arrest warrants.
The victim told police he had been robbed of $1,300 in cash from his wallet by two people who got out of a silver SUV.
Two days later, on Aug. 31, 2020, police said the robbers struck again — twice.
In the first of the second set of robberies, police responded to reports of a man who had jumped out of a car on East Walnut Street in Stamford’s South End and robbed another man at gunpoint.
Minutes later, police responded to reports of another robbery by a man fitting the same description around the corner on Woodland Avenue. According to warrants, two people there said they had just been robbed by a skinny man with a gun.
According to the warrants, police recovered camera footage taken by a Tesla parked near one of the robberies and later linked the car used in the three robberies, a silver Ford Explorer, to Bowles.
After being arrested by police, Olivencia said he had given some some of the cash from the robberies to Bowles, who he said was in financial need at the time, according to the warrants.
Bowles did not admit to playing a role at the time of the arrest, according to her warrant.
She is now scheduled to be sentenced on June 6.
Olivencia’s case is still pending before the court. He faces four first-degree robbery charges, as well as four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to commit robbery and a single count each of attempted first-degree assault, reckless endangerment and illegal discharge of a firearm.
He is next scheduled to appear in court on June 9. | https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/New-Canaan-woman-28-pleads-guilty-in-Stamford-17048899.php | 2022-04-01T00:55:49Z |
Council moves forward with review into firefighter resources, response time
'We hope that come budget time we will no longer be the lowest staffed metropolitan fire department in Canada'
Article content
A new city report will assess what steps are needed to ensure the Calgary Fire Department meets national standards amid growing staffing pressures and rising response times.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Council voted Wednesday evening in favour of the motion, led by Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness. She said the motion is meant to give council information on the costs and benefits of increasing fire resources so they can make a decision on next steps during budget deliberations this fall.
“Calgary has the weakest response standard of any major city in Canada when it comes to fire,” Wyness said.
“The fire department is under pressure. They have the opioid crisis to respond to, they have to fill gaps within EMS, as EMS has been under red alert a lot more frequently and that requires CFD to stay on scene longer.”
Current national fire standards include target response times of six minutes for medical calls and six minutes and 20 seconds for fires; Calgary’s current target response time is seven minutes.
Advertisement 3
Article content
Calgary Firefighters Association president Codey McIntyre said he was encouraged to see council’s support of the motion. He said he views it as a first step in addressing challenges faced by city firefighters.
“We hope that come budget time we will no longer be the lowest staffed metropolitan fire department in Canada. The City of Calgary is growing rapidly, and we need the tools to do our job,” McIntyre said in a statement.
“Fires across Calgary are up 47 per cent, the opioid crisis continues, and we are seeing more and more natural disasters that are being driven by climate change.”
Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean supported the motion but said he doesn’t want to see the city spending “millions and millions of dollars” on new fire stations, saying he would rather see investments into existing infrastructure.
The motion passed with councillors Andre Chabot and Sean Chu opposed.
In a statement, fire Chief Steve Dongworth said the fire department was happy to collaborate with council on the motion and pledged to report back with a “thoughtful review.”
The city will present its review of firefighting resources to council’s executive committee by the end of June.
— With files from Brittany Gervais
Twitter: @jasonfherring | https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/council-moves-forward-with-review-into-firefighter-resources-response-time | 2022-04-01T00:55:49Z |
Australia to send armoured vehicles to Ukraine
Australia will send some of its Bushmaster armoured vehicles to Ukraine following a request from the war-torn nation’s president Volodymyr Zelensky in his address to Parliament.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed on Friday morning that some of the Australian-made four-wheel-drive armoured vehicles would be sent over to Ukraine, along with a further $25 million worth of military support announced on Thursday.
“We are not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, ammunitions, humanitarian aid, all of this, our body armour, all of these things,” he said.
“We will send our armoured vehicles, our Bushmasters, as well, and we will fly them over there in our C-17s to make sure they can be there to support.”
Defence officials separately told a Senate estimates hearing there had been discussions throughout the night about how the Bushmasters could be supplied after Mr Zelensky specifically asked for them in his address to Parliament on Thursday evening.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said this included considering whether there were any in place in countries geographically closer to Ukraine which could be moved to the war zone faster than shipping them from Australia.
More to come. | https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/federal/australia-to-send-armoured-vehicles-to-ukraine-20220401-p5a9yl.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_politics_federal | 2022-04-01T00:55:49Z |
The cost of living crisis will deepen for many households as energy bills are set to skyrocket due to an increase in the price cap. However, higher energy prices are not the only way households and businesses are set to feel the pinch.
From the start of the month, a raft of tax rises and reductions in state pandemic support will increase costs for businesses and, ultimately, lead to higher prices for their customers.
Here are the tax changes which could impact your wallets.
– VAT increases
The cost of buying a pub meal, soft drink or hotel stay could become more expensive from April as VAT levels across the hospitality sector lift back to 20%. The industry saw VAT dropped to 5% to support its recovery during the pandemic.
It rebounded back to 12.5% in October last year as restrictions eased, but from Friday has returned to 20%.
Despite the initial fall in tax, few pub groups, restaurants and leisure businesses were able to pass on the benefits of the tax break – which covered soft drinks, food, events tickets, accommodation and other areas – to customers due the financial impact of the pandemic.
Bosses said that lengthy Covid disruption, significant debts and soaring cost inflation in recent months mean the reduced tax level has been used to help absorb costs. However, industry chiefs, including Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin and Young’s boss Patrick Dardis, said prices would now have to increase significantly for customers as a result of reduced VAT support.
Leaders warned the Government that the VAT increase would contribute to a “cliff edge” on Friday as wages and business rates changes also come into force.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said the VAT rate increase alone is expected to cost UK pubs more than £500 million over the next year. UKHospitality boss Kate Nicholls said it “might prove fatal” for business owners.
– Business Rates
Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses were supported during the pandemic with financial help including a break to the business rates property tax. The tax break in England has been steadily unwound with businesses receiving a 66% reduction of their rates up to £2 million per firm over the past nine months.
However, this has now reduced to a 50% reduction with a cap of £110,000 per business.
The reduction, and even sharper declines from previously more generous schemes elsewhere in the devolved regions, means business across the UK will face a £7.1 billion increase in rates for the year. This could lead to firms increasing prices to help cover higher property costs.
Robert Hayton, UK president of real estate adviser Altus Group, said: “The government and devolved administrations are acting as if there hadn’t been a pandemic and seem oblivious to the cost of doing business crisis. The tapering off of business rates relief takes away vital breathing space for high street businesses.”
Business leaders across the retail and hospitality sectors are continuing calls for widespread reform of the business rates system, which is still linked to property valuations from 2015.
– National Insurance
On April 6, the Government’s proposed National Insurance tax rise will come into force. Ministers have said the plan is to use the extra revenues to fund the NHS, health and social care. It will see employees, employers and the self-employed all pay 1.25p more in the pound for NI.
For employees they would previously pay 12% on earnings up to £50,270 and 2% on anything above that. From April 6, the rate goes up to 13.25% and 3.25% respectively. For the self-employed, rates will go up from 9% and 2% to 10.25% and 3.25%.
Payments will only be collected on wages above £9,880, although this rises to £12,570 in July – a threshold rise announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak at the recent Spring Statement.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea. | https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/energy-price-cap-rises-hit-6890681 | 2022-04-01T00:55:49Z |
Jury reaches verdict in 2015 Philadelphia Amtrak crash case
A Philadelphia jury found an Amrtrak train engineer not guilty on all counts following a 2015 derailment that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, according to multiple reports.
Brandon Bostian, 38, was acquitted on the charges of causing a catastrophe, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, Fox 29 reported.
The jury weighed the charges against Bostian on Thursday after a weeklong trial. The group resumed deliberations on Friday after a juror had a family emergency and was replaced with an alternate, according to the local outlet.
News of the verdict comes after eight people died and more than 200 sustained injuries from the 2015 crash on the New York City-bound train from Washington, D.C., according to NBC 10.
After the event, federal investigators determined that Bostian was going well over the speed limit on an S-curve, and had lost “situational awareness” on the track. However, they found no evidence that Bostian was impaired or using his cellphone at the time.
Lawyers for Bostian argued during the trial that the engineer was a train buff and had an exemplary record until he had gotten distracted by people throwing rocks at trains.
Prosecutors, however, said that he acted with disregard for the safety of the train’s passengers, according to NBC 10.
In 2016, Amtrak paid $265 million to settle claims made by those injured and their families.
Following the crash, Fox 29 reported that Amtrak installed speed controls on all its tracks that go from Boston to Washington, D.C.
The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. | https://thehill.com/legal/596918-jury-reaches-verdict-in-2015-philadelphia-amtrak-crash-case/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:49Z |
News Treehugger Voices The Joy of Discovering My Own Backyard Writer Neeti Mehra discovers the pleasures of staying at home. By Neeti Mehra Neeti Mehra Neeti is a freelance writer for Treehugger who covers sustainability and conscious living. She has edited three magazines during her career and she is currently a columnist and is a contributor to a host of publications. Learn about our editorial process Published March 31, 2022 02:00PM EDT Fact checked by Haley Mast Fact checked by Haley Mast LinkedIn Harvard University Extension School Haley Mast is a freelance writer, fact-checker, and small organic farmer in the Columbia River Gorge. She enjoys gardening, reporting on environmental topics, and spending her time outside snowboarding or foraging. Topics of expertise and interest include agriculture, conservation, ecology, and climate science. Learn about our fact checking process Sameer Nawab / EyeEm / Getty Images Share Twitter Pinterest Email News Environment Business & Policy Science Animals Home & Design Current Events Treehugger Voices News Archive For years, I lived out of a suitcase, ever ready to get on a flight whenever I got a chance. Discovering the world through the eyes of a writer, I diligently annotated every experience, committing it to paper for when memory faded, always eager for the next destination. This nomadic existence derailed slightly when I took on work that tied me to a desk, but not sufficiently that I would be pigeonholed among four walls. The pandemic brought all my flights of fancy to a screeching halt, as it did for everyone else. With the world locked down for months, the flicker of desire for travel in me waned. What place was better than home? But what really was home? Having lived across cities, homes, and suitcases, I had to rediscover my own backyard. A Fresh Pair of Eyes I was born in the coastal city of Mumbai, named after the goddess Mumba Devi who was worshipped by the city’s earliest inhabitants, the Kolis or fishermen. The city, per the last census, has a population of over 20 million people, all packed densely into a narrow sliver. Having lived here for 15-odd years, there were parts I knew minutely and loved, and others beyond my comfort zone, which I hadn’t explored. I decided to become a tourist, seeing the city anew through the eyes of a visitor, rather than my jaded ones as a local. I tagged behind out-of-town friends to tourist spots such as the Gateway of India, watching the sunset from the Queen’s Necklace on Marine Drive. I went on a sunset cruise for the first time on a tiny sailboat on the magical Arabian Sea. I attended sushi-making, origami, and an ikebana class, picking up a smattering of five Japanese words. Revisiting the roads that I’d trod on so many times, I noticed nuggets of history from British-era times, recently restored milestones tucked into inconspicuous nooks and crevices. I noticed our fabulous single-screen Art Deco film theaters sitting forlornly amidst gleaming skyscrapers. This exploration would have been meaningless without food. Dining out, which was surveyed as the most desired activity last year by a McKinsey survey, took me to much-loved seafood haunts and meals under a starry sky. Staying at Home But most of the time we spent indoors. In the U.S., during the peak of the pandemic, nearly 50% of the population spent more than 18 hours a day in their homes. Cooped up at home for hours, days, and weeks on end, suddenly all the overlooked warts and ignored wobbles became noticeable—a tiny, cramped workspace, under-utilized vintage chairs, a stained mirror, and a closet hanging with clothes that had not seen the light of the day since the start of the pandemic. Selling off the furniture on thrift sites, I donated the clothes, bought a sturdy, functional desk and chair, and over a dozen house plants. Creating a space I really enjoyed being in, I spent long evenings watching "Rick Steves' Europe" in my own tropical jungle from a comfy chair. The First Trip According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2020 was the worst year for tourism with international arrivals decreasing by 73%. The UNWTO said the biggest challenge of pandemic travel is the uncertainty and the smorgasbord of different rules in different countries to adhere to. I finally got on a plane to make it to the closest destination possible to us by flight—the sunshine state of Goa, less than an hour away from Mumbai. Putting my toe into soft powdery sand was precious, even after a lifetime of exotic travel. After a week of bliss on the beach, though, I was relieved to be back home. Ever since, I have made a few short journeys but the travel bug seems to have been squashed, at least for now. But even as tourists will be flocking all over as revenge travel takes over (if you're tempted, read about regenerative travel and outdoorsy, active tours here before booking anything), I have realized that despite chasing sunsets all over the world, there is no place quite like home. View Article Sources "Impact Assessment of the Covid-19 Outbreak on International Tourism." United Nations World Tourism Organization. | https://www.treehugger.com/the-joy-discovering-own-backyard-5224272 | 2022-04-01T00:55:51Z |
Short Film Chronicles the Quinceañera Dream of One Woman
NEW YORK, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking International Transgender Day of Visibility, Pantene today released a documentary-style short film chronicling the Quinceañera of a transgender woman, Isa, denied one as a teenager. Longtime agency Grey New York created the campaign.
Against great odds (see stats), from job discrimination to systemic violence, transgender women have made significant progress in Latin America, holding elective office and as business leaders.
People begin understanding their gender identity as early as three years old. But many transgender people don't know or share this about their gender until later in life due to safety and issues of cultural acceptance.
"It doesn't matter when or at what age someone knows who they are, whether at 15 or 44. Whenever they feel comfortable being themselves and sharing that truth is a moment to celebrate," said Martina Brubacher, Director of Communications for Pantene for Latin America, "As a brand, we know the power of hair and how it can be a statement for expressing one's true self, so it's important for us to feature stories like Isa's, a transgender woman who celebrates her journey."
The Quinceañera is a dream come true for many Latina girls as they turn fifteen. But this rite of passage to womanhood, celebrated by family and community, has often excluded transgender women from this cultural milestone.
Pantene has partnered with Isa, a transgender woman in her forties, to give her the Quinceañera she never had. The film tells her poignant story and follows her preparations leading up to and including the day with her friends and family. (Link to the film)
"For all the times I had to hide my identity and deny my existence - today I say, I am here. I am Isa," said Isa
The integrated digitally-led campaign includes online video, social media, influencers, and public relations. The brand once again worked with GLAAD, which accelerates the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people by sharing stories and accessing all forms of media to uplift members of the community.
"The team chose to launch this film on International Day of Trans Visibility – to inspire every young transgender person. Anything is possible; happiness and acceptance is something everyone deserves," said Javier Bonilla, Executive Creative Director at Grey.
Please see statistics on the challenges transgender people face:
- Since Statista started collecting data, 2021 is the year with the highest number of deaths of transgender and gender-diverse people, with 375 murders recorded between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. Most of the murders took place in Brazil (125), Mexico (65), Honduras (53), and the United States (53).
- According to the data reported by Sin Violencia LGBTI, between the years 2014 and 2020, 1403 people from the LGBTI community were murdered for reasons related to prejudice against their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- 94% of the transgender population In Brazil reports suffering some form of violence motivated by discrimination due to their gender identity
- 175 transgender people were murdered in Brazil in 2020, 41% more than in 2019 (the country leads the ranking of murders of trans people in the world)
Source
1. Roa, M. M. (2021, November 18). Infografía: Los países con más asesinatos de personas trans. Statista Infografías. Retrieved March 30, 2022, from
https://es.statista.com/grafico/23552/personas-trans-y-genero-diversas-asesinadas-yhttps://es.statista.com/grafico/23552/personas-trans-y-genero-diversas-asesinadas-y-paises-con-mas-victimas/paises-con-mas-victimas/
2.3.4 Sin Violencia LGBTI. "Des-Cifrando La Violencia En Tiempos De Cuarentena." Sin Violencia LGBT, June 2021, https://sinviolencia.lgbt/des-cifrando-la-violencia-entiempos-de-cuarentena/.
About P&G
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For other P&G news, visit us at www.pg.com/news.
About Grey
Grey, the global communications network, is part of AKQA Group. Its parent company is WPP (NYSE: WPP). Under the banner of "Grey Famously Effective" the agency serves a blue-chip roster of many of the world's best-known companies: Procter & Gamble, Google, Volvo, Amazon, GlaxoSmithKline, Kellogg's, Netflix, the NBA, Pfizer, YouTube, Canon, Nestlé and Applebee's. In recent years, Grey has been named ADWEEK'S "Global Agency of the Year" twice; ADVERTISING AGE's "Agency of the Year" and CAMPAIGN magazine's "Global Network of the Year" in recognition of its creative and business performance (www.grey.com).
Contact: Owen Dougherty
Owen.dougherty@grey.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Grey | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/04/01/pantene-celebrates-transgender-visibility-latin-america/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:50Z |
LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA – Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,840,000 shares, an increase of 42.6% from the February 28th total of 1,290,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 614,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Currently, 2.3% of the company’s shares are short sold.
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of LPL Financial in a research report on Thursday. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of LPL Financial in a research report on Thursday, December 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $184.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $195.00 to $193.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 4th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $243.00 to $258.00 in a research report on Friday, February 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $253.00 to $246.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $191.63.
LPLA stock traded down $3.02 on Thursday, reaching $182.68. 802,707 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 662,210. LPL Financial has a 12 month low of $127.03 and a 12 month high of $196.29. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $175.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $167.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.61 billion, a PE ratio of 32.45, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.75.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 15th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 14th. LPL Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.76%.
In related news, Director William Francis Glavin, Jr. purchased 1,760 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 8th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $141.59 per share, for a total transaction of $249,198.40. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director George Burton White sold 80,368 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.18, for a total transaction of $14,561,074.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 150,890 shares of company stock valued at $27,336,818. Corporate insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LPLA. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in LPL Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $313,205,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of LPL Financial by 313.4% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,325,082 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $212,133,000 after purchasing an additional 1,004,582 shares in the last quarter. Darlington Partners Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of LPL Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $148,343,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of LPL Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $112,643,000. Finally, abrdn plc acquired a new stake in shares of LPL Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $111,468,000. 98.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About LPL Financial (Get Rating)
LPL Financial Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides an integrated platform of brokerage and investment advisory services to independent financial advisors and financial advisors at financial institutions in the United States. Its brokerage offerings include variable and fixed annuities, mutual funds, equities, retirement and education savings plans, fixed income, and insurance, as well as alternative investments, such as non-traded real estate investment trusts and auction rate notes.
Further Reading
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on LPL Financial (LPLA)
- High-Yielding Walgreens Boots Alliance Goes On Sale
- Tough Comps and Declining Consumer Sales Makes McCormick a Hold
- 3 Mid-Cap Value Stocks Ready to Run
- Institutional Support Has Paychex On Brink Of New All-Time Highs
- These Are Rock Bottom Prices For Five Below
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
- 3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year
- The 10 Best Stocks to Own in 2022
- 7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
- 9 "MUST OWN" Growth Stocks
Receive News & Ratings for LPL Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LPL Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. | https://www.etfdailynews.com/2022/04/01/short-interest-in-lpl-financial-holdings-inc-nasdaqlpla-increases-by-42-6/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:51Z |
Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE:SIG – Get Rating) insider Stash Ptak sold 421 shares of Signet Jewelers stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total value of $33,680.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.
SIG stock traded down $3.23 on Thursday, hitting $72.70. 1,044,109 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,356,690. Signet Jewelers Limited has a 12-month low of $54.38 and a 12-month high of $111.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $77.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $85.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.80. The stock has a market cap of $3.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 2.52.
Signet Jewelers (NYSE:SIG – Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 17th. The company reported $5.01 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $5.01. The business had revenue of $2.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.77 billion. Signet Jewelers had a return on equity of 51.76% and a net margin of 9.84%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.15 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Signet Jewelers Limited will post 11.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
A number of brokerages have weighed in on SIG. StockNews.com raised Signet Jewelers from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 26th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Signet Jewelers from $90.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 18th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on Signet Jewelers from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Signet Jewelers presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $100.86.
Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Spire Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Signet Jewelers by 396.6% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the period. USA Financial Portformulas Corp acquired a new position in shares of Signet Jewelers in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Signet Jewelers in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. First Quadrant L P CA acquired a new position in shares of Signet Jewelers in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Signet Jewelers by 54.4% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 585 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. 93.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Signet Jewelers Company Profile (Get Rating)
Signet Jewelers Limited operates as a diamond jewelry retailer. It operates through three segments: North America, International, and Other. The North America segment operates jewelry stores in jewelry stores in malls, mall-based kiosks, and off-mall locations in the United States and Canada primarily under the Kay Jewelers, Kay Jewelers Outlet, Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry, Jared Vault, Zales Jewelers, Zales Outlet, Diamonds Direct, James Allen, Banter by Piercing Pagoda, and Peoples Jewellers names, as well as operates online through JamesAllen.com and Rocksbox.
Featured Articles
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Signet Jewelers (SIG)
- High-Yielding Walgreens Boots Alliance Goes On Sale
- Tough Comps and Declining Consumer Sales Makes McCormick a Hold
- These Are Rock Bottom Prices For Five Below
- 3 Mid-Cap Value Stocks Ready to Run
- Institutional Support Has Paychex On Brink Of New All-Time Highs
Receive News & Ratings for Signet Jewelers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Signet Jewelers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. | https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2022/03/31/signet-jewelers-limited-nysesig-insider-stash-ptak-sells-421-shares.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:51Z |
Covid: Nurses' boss wants life assurance scheme extended for NHS staff
- Published
The government has been called "disrespectful" for ending a UK-wide scheme that provided financial support to families of deceased health and social care workers in the pandemic.
Families of staff who contract Covid at work and then die are no longer entitled to the £60,000 compensation.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says it is not the right time to stop.
Ministers say the scheme was always intended to be time-limited and there are other death in-service benefits.
But the RCN has written to Health Secretary Sajid Javid calling for an extension of life assurance payments.
Although vaccines are helping to protect people, including NHS staff, against severe Covid, some deaths are still occurring.
Official records for England, Scotland and Wales say 304 NHS staff have died from Covid following workplace exposure, including 10 since the start of December 2021.
RCN chief executive Pat Cullen said: "Ending this scheme now is disrespectful to staff continuing to work under pandemic conditions in health and social care."
Her letter to Mr Javid says: "The overriding principle must be that no member of nursing staff who loses their life this year should be afforded any less respect and family support than one who died in 2020 or 2021.
"The pandemic is far from over.
"I urge you to delay the end of the scheme until a time when nursing staff and all health and care workers are assured that their lives are not at such risk from the pandemic."
Speaking at a Covid death memorial service held last week for NHS frontline workers, Rev Paul Nash, chaplain at Birmingham and Women's Children Hospital, said staff and carers sacrificed their "mental and physical health", with many paying the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.
"We will never, ever forget and we will be forever grateful," he said.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Every death from this virus is a tragedy, and our deepest sympathies go out to anyone who has lost a loved one.
"The Life Assurance Scheme was introduced to recognise the exceptional risk faced by frontline NHS and social care staff working at peak periods of the pandemic, and was always intended to be time-limited.
"NHS staff continue to be eligible for death in-service benefits through the NHS Pension Scheme, including a twice-salary lump sum and pensions for a surviving partner and dependants."
- 19 September 2020 | https://www.bbc.com/news/health-60943913 | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
Cameron Brink was 8 years old when she whispered in the ear of Stephen Curry, a star college basketball player at the time and a close family friend she considered a “god-brother.”
A decade away from becoming a college basketball star herself at Stanford – which will compete Friday in the NCAA women’s Final Four – Brink was mainly interested back then in drawing pictures and wearing dresses.
Their mothers were best friends since college, and her family was in Detroit to cheer on Curry in his burst-onto-the-national-stage NCAA tournament run as a player for Davidson College.
Before the team left the hotel for its Sweet 16 game, Cameron’s mother witnessed the earnest, intimate moment. She gets choked up remembering it.
“What did she say to you?” Shelly Bain-Brink asked Curry.
“She said, ‘if you believe in yourself, you can be somebody,’” he responded.
They laugh about it now. Curry is one of the NBA’s all-time greats who has led the Golden State Warriors to three NBA championships.
But he never won an NCAA title, his family reminds him.
Cameron Brink could win her second this weekend.
“That’s an accolade that Stephen and (his NBA brother) Seth can’t brag about,” their mother, Sonya Curry, said in an interview Thursday.
Cameron didn’t even want to play sports until fifth or sixth grade. And when the Currys would bring it up, “she would say, ‘I’m an artist,’” Sonya Curry said. “So to see what she’s doing now is totally incredible.”
Stephen, who is nursing a foot injury, plans to watch the game with his family from home. But Sonya Curry will be in the stands with the Brinks in Minneapolis Friday when the Cardinal take on the legendary Connecticut women’s basketball team for a chance to move on to Sunday’s national title game. Sonya is godmother to the Brinks’ two children, and Shelly is godmother to the Curry boys.
“We laugh because we put these monikers like godsister, godbrother, which are not real, but to us, it’s our way of explaining how connected we are to them,” Shelly Brink said. The three Curry children – Steph, Seth and sister, Sydel, have “always been like big brothers and sisters.”
The families are so close that for every Stanford home game, the Brinks travel from their home in the Portland area to stay as houseguests of Steph and Ayesha Curry in Atherton. (“We call it ‘Spa Curry,’” Brink says.) Cameron and her boyfriend, Stanford rower Ben Felter, are frequent dinner guests there as well.
The bond between the families started at Virginia Tech, where Shelly played basketball and Sonya played volleyball and they became roommates. Their future husbands, Dell Curry and Greg Brink, both basketball players, lived in the men’s wing of their dorm.
Steph’s and Cameron’s close relationship is captured in scores of photos that Shelly Brink keeps on her phone and taped to her refrigerator. There’s 13-year-old Steph holding baby Cameron in her white baptismal gown. There he is again five years later, giving Cameron and her pink purse a piggyback ride across the Davidson campus.
Image after image follows the two families at graduations and bridal showers and basketball games.
Cameron wasn’t available for an interview Thursday. But her mother said there’s the photo she hates, when she was 10 with glasses and braces as Steph taught her how to hold a basketball and the mechanics of a jump shot. And there are the ones she loves, of Steph and her back to back, when she was 12 and just shy of his 6-foot-3 height, and the one two years later, when she eclipsed him at 6-foot-4 – and Steph stood on a chair next to her for laughs.
The Currys started their family a decade before the Brinks, and all three Curry children were in the Brinks’ wedding. They’ve lived in different states and countries over the past 20 years – especially as Dell Curry’s own NBA career took him to five teams and the Brinks pursued their careers with Nike – but they always visited each other. When the photo of the bespectacled Cameron was taken, she was on summer vacation from Amsterdam, where the Brinks were living at the time, and was cajoled into joining Dell Curry’s annual basketball camp in Charlotte, N.C.
“We didn’t really think this was going to be about changing her mind or making her like basketball anymore. It was just something to do,” Sonya Curry said. “So she went the first day and she came back bruised up, hair all over the place and was like, ‘I don’t want to do this’.”
But the Currys encouraged her. “Just go back. One more day. Half a day. And then if you don’t like it, we’ll come pick you up and no big deal. And she was like, ‘OK.’ And she never looked back after that.”
The summer after seventh grade, when the Brink family had settled in Beaverton, Ore., and Cameron was nearing Stephen’s height, she was offered a scholarship to Stanford’s summer basketball camp, a shock to the Brinks.
“We thought perhaps she had potential,” said Shelly, who is 6-foot-3 to her husband’s 6-foot-7 and whose son, Cy, is 6-foot-9, “but never at this level, especially that early on.”
When Cameron was in high school, Stephen invited her to his elite summer basketball camp, one of only two girls to play. And last summer, between Cameron’s freshman and sophomore years, Stephen asked her to train with him at the Woodside Priory gym – a privilege that her mother says was both exciting and nerve racking.
“He’s a mega basketball star and he’s incredibly authentic. What you see is what you get off the court with Stephen,” Shelly said. But with her daughter, “there’s still that level of ‘I’m not worthy.’ She feels that she is in the presence of greatness and she doesn’t want to disappoint him.”
But for the Cardinal, Cameron is more than proving herself. This season, she was named the media’s Pac-12 player of the year, and a finalist for the Naismith trophy as the nation’s top defensive player. After a particularly rough game earlier this season, where she struggled with fouls, she sought advice from Stephen.
Shelly was in the kitchen of the Curry’s Atherton house “with one ear open,” she said, while Stephen and Cameron sat at the kitchen table.
“He talked to her about how he’s even struggled with that and how to keep your head in the game and stay positive and stay consistent with your work ethic,” Shelly said. “It’s really authentic and subtle and she soaks it all in.”
But something else special is happening at the Curry house when Cameron visits. She’s bonding with the Currys’ three children the way Steph and his siblings bonded with her and her brother. And like Cameron in her early years, Riley, 9, Ryan, 7 and Canon, 3, seem less interested in the basketball court than the trampoline.
On Friday night in Minneapolis, Sonya and Shelly – the enduring friends who have raised their children together from miles apart – will be there rooting on Cameron and the Cardinal women. They will look for the right moment to flash an “I love you” hand signal down to the court – the same one Cameron has tattooed on her ribcage.
Then they will hope, like they always do, that Cameron will look up and flash one back. | https://www.marinij.com/2022/03/31/when-she-was-8-she-told-steph-curry-believe-in-yourself-now-shes-starring-for-stanford-in-the-final-four/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – For some people, overdraft fees are a frustrating inconvenience. For others, they pose crippling costs. Some lawmakers now want to change how they’re charged altogether.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney introduced legislation called the “Overdraft Protection Act.” The bill includes provisions to cap the amount and number of fees a bank can charge.
“My bill tries to cut down on these unfair and deceptive practices,” the New York Democrat said.
Advocates like Elyse Crawford-Hicks with Americans for Financial Reform say overdraft fees hit low-income families and people of color the hardest.
“Overdraft fees are paid the most by people who can least afford them,” Crawford-Hicks said.
Others say over-drafting is a useful service because it can function like a short-term loan. Paul Kundert is the CEO of UW Credit Union, which recently reduced their overdraft fees and put more limits on how they charge them.
“When prices are fair, we believe consumers do benefit from access to the credit provided by overdraft fees,” Kundert said.
Recently, major banks like Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Bank of America have made changes themselves, by reducing their overdraft fees or eliminating them altogether.
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, says that demonstrates the legislation is unnecessary.
“The market is naturally, naturally taking care of the issue without government intervention. And we do not need more rules from Washington,” Williams said.
Because banks make billions of dollars in revenue from overdraft fees, George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law Todd Zywicki argues the proposed changes would cost consumers.
“We’ll see higher bank fees, we’ll see higher minimum monthly deposits as basically insurance against over-drafting and we will see a loss of access to free checking,” Zywicki said.
Lawmakers like Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., are promising to continue pushing for the reforms.
“How can we perform such an abusive and predatory practice that punishes people simply for being poor?” Pressley said. | https://www.wkrn.com/washington/washington-dc/bill-seeks-to-put-cap-on-overdraft-fees/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
Lincoln County will begin accepting applications on April 1 for the 2022-2023 Nonprofit Social Service Agency Grant. Applications are due by 8 a.m. Monday, May 16.
Over the last 24 years, local social service nonprofits have received more than $3.5 million in funding. During the past five years, the fund has averaged about $180,000 annually and provided funding to an average of 23 social service organizations each year.
The grant reflects the county’s recognition that local nonprofits are critical partners in meeting community needs. The grant offers general operating funding that organizations can use where it is most needed.
To qualify to apply for the Nonprofit Social Service Agency Grant, an organization must be a 501(c)3 providing social services in Lincoln County that respond to community needs. Applications are reviewed by a local volunteer Grant Review Committee. Recommendations are then made to the Board of Commissioners.
The criteria the review committee and board of commissioners will generally use to review the applications and prioritize allocations include the following:
• Provider of direct social services to citizens within Lincoln County
• Record of service in the County
• Evidence of community need and community support
• Historical support by Lincoln County of agency’s operations and activities
• Demonstrated sound financial and administrative capabilities
• Avoidance of duplication of services from governmental or other nonprofit agencies
• Experience in coordinating services with other agencies across spectrum of social services provided in the County
• Accessibility of programs and facilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Commitment to the values of diversity, equity and inclusion as articulated in the Board of Commissioners Resolution #19-11-9A
Grant funds are limited, and numerous requests are expected. While there is no limit on the amount of funding awarded, most awards are typically between $5,000 and $10,000 per recipient.
The mission of Lincoln County is to provide essential public services, both legally required and locally desired, in an efficient, effective, and respectful manner. The Nonprofit Social Service Agency Grant delivers on that mission by distributing grants to social service nonprofit organizations who provide social services to the general population of Lincoln County or targeted segments of that population.
A previous grant recipient noted this grant “supports local nonprofits, keeps dollars local, and helps vulnerable populations in our county.” By investing in nonprofits providing these important social services, the county is extending its reach and helping ensure a wide array of programs exist to respond to community needs.
Additional details and grant portal links are available online at: https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/boc/page/nonprofit-social-service-agency-allocations
Questions? Contact Asia Richardson at - arichardson@co.lincoln.or.us – 541.265.4100 | https://www.thenewsguard.com/news/county-accepting-applications-for-nonprofit-social-service-agency-grant/article_8b4ff8f2-b13f-11ec-bb79-f3181ac15846.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
Rediscover Refreshment at Scooter's Coffee
March 30, 2022 // Franchising.com // Prepare to be showered with amazing Quenchers in Strawberry Acai, Peach Mango, and Kiwi Lime Prickly Pear, plus our mad popular Butterscotch Cold Foam and super fave Caramelicious®. Check out our April Menu below!. Strawberry Acai. Best of the berries. Say hi...
www.franchising.com | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556600436774/rediscover-refreshment-at-scooter-s-coffee | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
Key lessons from the Ukraine conflict about conventional warfare
The Ukrainian military’s use of weapons systems and tactics on top of Russia’s tactical failures have allowed Ukraine to outperform the more powerful Russian military.
Examined
Examined
The fight for Kyiv
Mar 11Examining extremism in the military
Apr 27Gun violence: An American epidemic?
Oct 25Border crisis: What’s happening at the US-Mexico border?
Jun 18Remembering George Floyd: A year of protest
May 25The source of COVID-19: What we know
Apr 07How did the GameStop stock spike on Wall Street happen?
Feb 12Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine?
Dec 10How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain
Sep 29Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot
Feb 232020 in review: A year unlike any other
Dec 22Examined: How Putin keeps power
Mar 12Why don’t the Electoral College and popular vote always match up?
Oct 29US crosses 250,000 coronavirus deaths
Nov 182nd Impeachment Trial: What this could mean for Trump
Feb 08Presidential transition of power: Examined
Dec 01How Donald Trump spent his last days as president
Jan 18How Joe Biden's inauguration will be different from previous years
Jan 15Belarus’ ongoing protests: Examined
Dec 04Trump challenges the vote and takes legal action
Nov 052020’s DNC and RNC are different than any before
Aug 17What is happening with the USPS?
Aug 20Voting in 2020 during COVID-19
Oct 13Disinformation in 2020
Oct 30
ABC News Specials on
24 Months That Changed the World
Have You Seen This Man?
Two Men at War
Putin's War: The Battle to Save Ukraine
Screen Queens Rising
X / o n e r a t e d - The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice
Homegrown: Standoff to Rebellion
Alec Baldwin: Unscripted
The Housewife and the Shah Shocker
City of Angels | City of Death
3212 UN-REDACTED
The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland
Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier
Wild Crime
Final Hours, America’s Longest War
Superstar
The Housewife and the Hustler
Tulsa's Buried Truth
GameStopped
24 Hours: Assault on the Capitol | https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/key-lessons-ukraine-conflict-conventional-warfare-83797376 | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
No jail for LA building owner over explosion that hurt 12
The owner of a downtown Los Angeles building where an explosion injured 12 firefighters has been allowed to enter a judicial diversion program that allows him to avoid jail time
No jail for LA building owner over explosion that hurt 12
Show all 2The owner of a downtown Los Angeles building where an explosion injured 12 firefighters has been allowed to enter a judicial diversion program that allows him to avoid jail time and potentially have all charges dismissed.
A court commissioner on Wednesday granted the diversion request for Steve Sungho Lee. He and his companies must pay more than $125,000 in investigative fees, make sure the property meets fire and building codes and arranging for Fire Department training.
Lee owned a commercial building on East Boyd Street in the city's Toy District that caught fire on May 16, 2020. Firefighters had to run for their lives when a ball of flames shot out the building and scorched a fire truck across the street.
Firefighters inside the building had to run through a wall of flames he estimated as 30 feet (9 meters) high and wide, and those on the roof scrambled down a ladder that was engulfed in fire.
Fire officials said the building was a warehouse for Smoke Tokes, a wholesale distributor of supplies for smoking and vaping products including butane hash oil, a concentrated cannabis extract that can be eaten, smoked or vaped. Highly flammable butane is used in the manufacturing process.
Most of the injured firefighters still haven't returned to work and one, Capt. Victor Aguirre, was hospitalized for more than two months and all of his fingers had to be partially amputated, according to a lawsuit he filed against the building and business owners.
Aguirre alleged that the area contained “hundreds of illegally and improperly stored butane canisters and thousands of illegally and improperly stored nitrous oxide cylinders.”
A fire department report concluded that the blaze, which spread to a nearby building, was fueled by an “excessive quantity” of the containers.
Investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives concluded that the fire started under a storage rack in the building and that a worker with a lit cigarette was seen in the area. The cause of the fire was ruled accidental.
However, city prosecutors filed more than 300 misdemeanor charges of violating fire and safety codes against Lee, his companies and owners of businesses in the building and nearby properties. That included more than 160 counts against Lee and his companies.
If Lee meets all conditions of his judicial diversion program for two years, the charges will be dismissed.
“Mr. Lee will be deemed by law to have never been charged," said his attorney, Blair Berk. “The exhaustive federal investigation of the tragic fire objectively concluded that the cause was accidental, and there was no finding of any wrongdoing by Mr. Lee or his companies.”
City Attorney Mike Feuer opposed diversion for Lee, noting the severity of the fire, the injuries suffered by the firefighters and Lee's alleged failure “to take steps which could have mitigated the extent of the blaze."
The owners of Smoke Tokes and another business, Green Buddha, agreed in November 2020 to pay $139,000 each to cover investigative costs and to move out of the building. Charges against them were later dismissed.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-b2048703.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Scenes of old Florida are around nearly every corner near Crescent City.
"We love it," Dick Morrison smiled. He built his house so he can see a lake with lily pads on it. It's a lake he believes could be tainted if a neighbor carries out with his plans.
Morrison's property is just across the railroad tracks from 500 acres that Larry Downes owns.
Downes wants state and county permission to spread fertilizer in the form of human waste on 47 acres of that land.
Downes has the American BioClean operation in nearby Volusia County, a wastewater treatment plant treating septic, sludge, and grease, according to its website.
"They have had no DEP complaints down there," Mike Holloway said. He is the Consulting Engineer for Downes' project.
Downes wants the okay to spread a truckload-a-day of human waste fertilizer onto land in Putnam County.
In Putnam County, the application of biosolids is allowed on agricultural land.
"You’re not allowed to dump that in a lot of areas in Florida," Janet Sornberger is with the grass roots opposition group called 'Don’t Poop On Putnam'.
“I care because I live across the street and I want my children to have a nice inheritance," Sornberger told First Coast News. "But you should care because it’s going to affect your water."
Many people who oppose the project are concerned about what it could do to nearby waterways like a creek next to the property, to bigger lakes such as Crescent Lake, and even the St. Johns River on the western edge of the county.
Ecologist for the project, Jody Sist, told county officials, "The proposed application is not within 200 feet of any surface water of the state."
Downes' team of attorneys and scientists say plans are in place so waterways will not be impacted. One of those plans includes a two-foot-tall berm around the land to prevent runoff.
"There’s just no way any of it will get into the wetland or any surface water transport," Holloway said.
The Putnam County Zoning Board of Adjustments denied the request to apply biosolids on this land, and now Downes is appealing that decision in circuit court.
A property appraiser told county leaders that based on his research, property values will see no negative effects with this project.
However, Morrison disagrees with that.
"That’s crazy. Everybody knows it will," Morrison said. | https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/tech/science/environment/fight-over-fertilizer-in-the-form-of-treated-human-waste/77-f3f1246e-f119-44c8-a7b8-d18b8b6a0fce | 2022-04-01T00:55:52Z |
Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest superhero is not, in the conventional sense, either "super" or a "hero," but he does have an unorthodox ailment and a weird skill-set to separate him from mere mortals. His name is Morbius, and while watching his origin story, you may get the feeling that somewhere in the cinematic multiverse, wires got crossed.
The film begins with a helicopter, transporting a cage to the sort of mist-shrouded isle you half expect King Kong to be inhabiting. But Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) is looking to capture smaller game as he approaches the mouth of a cave, hobbling with difficulty on two crutch-like canes.
Positioning himself behind the wires of the cage, he slices open the palm of his hand and, as a roar of batwings echoes from inside the cave, murmurs to the copter pilot "if you're gonna run, do it now."
A rare blood disease treated with a bit o' bat
It's tempting to say "consider yourself warned," but the film's first hour or so, while unremarkable, is decently crafted.
Born with a rare blood disease, Michael Morbius has spent his entire life working on two things — a cure, and origami paper-folding. Natch, it occurs to him to fold together bat and human DNA.
Because the FDA would be unlikely to approve human trials, he and his beautiful co-researcher Martine (Adria Arjona) head in a cargo ship for international waters off the coast of Long Island in the company of eight thuggish mercenaries — think bloodbags — and once Morbius has been injected with bat DNA, it's just a matter of time before things go vampiric.
Let it be said that some side-effects from dabbling in "chiropter-y" are less ghastly than others. Bat DNA evidently gives you great cheekbones and abs to go with increased strength and speed.
Less salutary effects include new fangs that sprout from his gums with decades of decay baked in, and claws that erupt from his fingers pre-filthed. I mean, sure...why not? Except this is a man whose hair has the kind of sheen that comes from brushing it three times a day.
One other thing: he now needs to drink human blood every six hours. Happily, on his way to declining a Nobel Prize, Dr. Morbius invented "artificial blood," though that only fools his system for a while.
Color coded smoke effects for a Jekyll and his Hyde
If you're expecting a conventional Marvel movie, you should be aware going in that what Director Daniel Espinoza and his writers have come up with is more a horror flick with Marvel bells and whistles.
That means Leto's Morbius gets purplish smoke effects to go with those fang-baring snarls as he's riding air currents in subway tunnels, while the similarly afflicted Hyde to his Jekyll – a schoolboy chum played as an adult by an amusingly hopped-up Matt Smith, gets blue-ish vapor trails and snappier lines.
But there isn't much tension to their story. Or logic. At one point, Morbius overhears some counterfeiters passing fake $100s, and commandeers their printing press to make what appears to be an artificial-blood machine — because the technologies for fake-bills and fake-blood match up? Maybe that works better in a comic book.
Bat guys everywhere you look
Speaking of which, when the DC Extended Universe first announced that Twilight star Robert Pattinson would play the lead in The Batman in their corner of the superhero multiverse, it seemed like a nice inside joke — from Vampire-teen to Bat-man. But now that the Marvelverse has Leto going full Dracula, it seems as if the casting maybe could've gone the other way 'round.
Leto is as persuasively haunted by the dark side of vigilantism as Pattinson was, and as a result of corporate positioning, is maybe more determined to avoid being a villain. Not unlike Venom, Morbius was a bad guy when he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man comics, back in the 1970's. He needs to be at least an anti-hero now, if a franchise is to be built around him.
But bad guy/bat guy...who's to say? As the trailers reveal, another DC bat-guy, Michael Keaton, shows up in his non-batty baddie Marvel persona Adrian Toomes, just to mess with the heads of anyone trying to keep cinematic universes straight.
But bloodlines will have to be clarified in more robust "Morbius" episodes to come, this origin story being merely adequate, and by Marvel standards, slightly anemic.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/2022-03-31/jared-leto-is-marvels-bat-man-in-the-vampiric-morbius | 2022-04-01T00:55:53Z |
Mar 29, 2022
10 lessons
26m
Journey of a GraphQL query
3m
Exploring our data
3m
Apollo RESTDataSource
3m
Implementing our RESTDataSource
2m
The shape of a resolver
3m
Implementing query resolvers
4m
Connecting the dots in server-land
2m
Querying live data
2m
Errors! When queries go sideways
2m
Journey's end
2m
We'll walk through the journey of a GraphQL query and learn how to use resolvers and a `RESTDataSource` to connect our Catstronauts app to live data!
JavaScript, React | https://www.apollographql.com/tutorials/lift-off-part2/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:54Z |
A 15-year-old boy who pulled a knife on a classmate who was bullying a female student has been granted an absolute discharge.
“A knife has no place in a schoolyard,” Judge Donald Wolfe told the youth in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines.
The teen, who was 14 at the time of the offence and cannot be named under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in court Thursday for sentencing on a charge of assault with a weapon.
Court was told a group of teens were in the yard of a St. Catharines high school in September 2021 when the offender confronted the complainant.
Following a verbal argument over the boy’s treatment of a female student, the teen removed a four-inch folding knife and held it toward the boy’s chest.
What happened next was what the Crown described as a 10-minute standoff between the two males.
No injuries occurred and the youth later surrendered the knife to school officials.
“He has been described as being particularly protective of (the female) and she had been bullied by the victim in this matter,” the judge noted.
“While that doesn’t excuse his behaviour, it certainly gives some explanation and some background into what took place.”
Assistant Crown attorney Henry Limheng told court the teen has taken full responsibility for his actions, and that he also faced extra judicial consequences because he was suspended from school after the incident.
“He has shown full recognition, remorse and understanding of his mistake,” he said.
Defence lawyer Sarah Ramahlo said at an earlier court appearance the teenaged girl had been bullied by the complainant for quite some time prior to the knife incident.
“It has not been a very welcoming and warm environment at that school,” she said of her young client’s experience at the school.
Ramahlo also told the judge there is a page on a social media network that features videos of students fighting at the high school. | https://www.wellandtribune.ca/news/crime/2022/03/31/student-who-pulled-knife-on-girls-bully-granted-discharge.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:54Z |
When you buy a domain name at Dan.com, you’re automatically covered by our unique Buyer Protection Program. Read more about how we keep you safe on our Trust and Security page.
Next to our secure domain ownership transfer process, we strictly monitor all transactions. If anything looks weird, we take immediate action. And if the seller doesn't deliver on their part of the deal, we refund you within 24 hours.
98% of all domain ownership transfers are completed within 24 hours. The seller first delivers the domain to us, then we send you your tailored transfer instructions. Need help? Our domain ownership transfer specialists will assist you at no additional cost.
Pay by bank wire and get a 1% discount or use one of the most popular payment options available through our payment processor, Adyen. Adyen is the payment platform of choice for many leading tech companies like Uber & eBay.
No matter what kind of domain you want to buy, we make the transfer simple and safe.
Here’s how it worksMaking finding and buying a brand name easier since 2007.
See seller profile | https://dan.com/buy-domain/ablemeasure.com | 2022-04-01T00:55:55Z |
Yamnuska Trail closed until further notice due to slippery conditions
'Yamnuska Trail was observed to be wet and muddy, which puts both the environment and hikers at risk'
Article content
A popular hiking spot at Mount Yamnuska in Kananaskis has been temporarily closed to the public because of conditions created by recent warmer weather in the province.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Alberta Parks said on Twitter on Thursday that the Yamnuska Trail and Yamnuska climbing area would be closed.
While higher temperatures have thawed the ground near the base, there is still a considerable amount of snow at higher elevations, an Alberta Parks spokesperson wrote in a statement to Postmedia.
“Hiking and engaging in other kinds of outdoor recreational activities on wet trails during shoulder season can create slippery conditions and cause erosion and other damage to the landscape,” the statement reads.
“Yamnuska Trail was observed to be wet and muddy, which puts both the environment and hikers at risk. As we begin to experience warmer weather, snow will continue melting and trails will begin to dry and harden. We look forward to welcoming Albertans back to Yamnuska soon.”
Advertisement 3
Article content
The closure is expected to remain in place for at least five weeks, and staff will reassess the condition of the trail on a weekly basis.
In the meantime, hikers can now return to Tunnel Mountain.
Banff National Park reopened Tunnel Mountain trails to the public on Thursday. A closure order had been issued in December while cougars, wolves and coyotes were active in the area.
Twitter: @BrittGervaisAB | https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/yamnuska-trail-closed-until-further-notice-due-to-slippery-conditions | 2022-04-01T00:55:55Z |
TODAY
STELLA: Dinner and dance, 6 p.m., Stella Senior Center. Dance begins at 7 p.m. Cost: $5. Details: 417-628-3314.
SATURDAY
CARTHAGE: Art class for all ages, noon to 2 p.m., Cherry’s Custom Framing and Art Gallery, 311 S. Main St. Cost: $30. Details: 417-358-2707.
GALENA, KAN.: Farmers market, 8 a.m. to noon, 217 W. Seventh. Details: 620-762-1359.
JOPLIN: Table Talk Toastmasters, 8 to 9:30 a.m., Celebration Church, 1302 S. Duquesne Road. Professional development group meets each Saturday morning to improve communication and leadership skills. Details: David Wells, 417-385-3191, tabletalktoastmasters@gmail.com.
JOPLIN: Joplin Empire Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 931 E. Fourth. Holiday market featured. Features fresh produce, fresh-baked bread and pastries, local honey, gourmet food trucks, live music, artisan goods and more. Details: 417-501-9649, joplinempiremarket.com.
SENECA: Bad Knees Band concert, 7 p.m., Pam’s Place, 2097 Marla. Doors open at 6 p.m. Details: 417-455-3735.
PITTSBURG, KAN.: Farmers market, 8 a.m. to noon, 11th and Broadway. Vendors offer seasonal fruits and vegetables, meats, baked goods and more. Details: 620-231-8310.
WEBB CITY: Bingo, 5:30 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7630 and American Legion Post 322, 1000 N. Webb. Bingo starts at 6:30 p.m., with smoking and nonsmoking rooms available. Details: 417-673-1474, 417-434-7287.
WEBB CITY: Webb City Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon, market pavilion, 106 E. Tracy. Produce, breakfast, music and more. Details: 417-438-5833.
SUNDAY
JOPLIN: First Sunday gospel sing, 5 p.m., Forest Park Baptist Church, Seventh and Range Line. Greg Black and Hometown and The McCrackens will be featured. Details: 417-529-3655.
JOPLIN: Line dance lessons, 5 to 7 p.m., 1801 W. Second. Cost: $5. Beginners and up. Details: 417-483-3077.
MONDAY
JOPLIN: JOMO Toastmasters meeting, 6 p.m., St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 706 S. Byers. For professional development and public speaking. Details: 417-388-3290.
JOPLIN: Line dance lessons, 1 to 3 p.m., 1801 W. Second. Cost: $5. Beginners and up welcome. Details: 417-483-3077.
JOPLIN: Parkinson’s disease support group, 3:30 p.m., Mercy Hospital Joplin, 100 Mercy Way. Details: 417-556-8760.
JOPLIN: Joplin Table Tennis Club practice, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Memorial Education Center, 825 S. Pearl. Open to all ages and skill levels. Details: 417-319-1441.
JOPLIN: Tanglefooters Dance Club, 7 p.m., 1802 W. Second. Coed ballroom dancing lessons followed by dance at 8:30 p.m. Details: kstamdance@gmail.com.
WEBB CITY: Take Off Pounds Sensibly meeting, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, 5 S. Pennsylvania. Weigh-in begins at 4:30 p.m. First meeting free, continued meetings require membership. Details: 417-392-7356.
TUESDAY
JOPLIN: Weight Watchers, 10 and 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Granny Shaffer’s, 2802 N. Range Line. First meeting free, continued meetings require membership. Details: 417-838-2022.
JOPLIN: Kiwanis Club meeting, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Twin Hills Country Club, 2019 S. Country Club. Will include new program each week. Lunch cost: $13. Details: 417-483-6089.
JOPLIN: Co-dependents Anonymous, 5:45 p.m., St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 706 S. Byers. Details: 417-673-8313.
JOPLIN: Civil Air Patrol, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., General Aviation Building, Joplin Regional Airport. The group is open to anyone age 12 or older. Details: 417-529-5251.
JOPLIN: Ozark Gateway Barbershop Chorus meeting, 7 p.m., Forest Park Baptist Church, Seventh and Range Line. Details: 417-680-4882.
WEDNESDAY
JOPLIN: Joplin Table Tennis Club practice, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Memorial Education Center, 825 S. Pearl. Open to all ages and skill levels. Details: 417-319-1441.
PITTSBURG, KAN.: Pittsburg Farmers Market, 4 to 6 p.m., 11th and Broadway. Details: 620-231-8310.
THURSDAY
CARTHAGE: Take Off Pounds Sensibly meeting, 5:30 p.m., 2209 Benjamin Drive. First meeting free, continued meetings require membership. Details: 417-358-7057.
CARTHAGE: Take Off Pounds Sensibly 1157 meeting, 10 to 11 a.m., First Baptist Church, 631 S. Garrison. Weigh-in starts at 9:30 a.m. First meeting free, continued meetings require membership. Details: 417-952-0300.
COLUMBUS, KAN.: Columbus Farmers Market, 4 to 6:30 p.m., 202 N. East. Seasonal produce, pasture-raised meats, baked goods, honey, spa products and more. Monthly music, activities for kids, cooking demonstrations and food trucks. Details: 620-674-1459.
JOPLIN: Take Off Pounds Sensibly meeting, 10 to 11 a.m., Royal Heights Methodist Church, 1612 Euclid. Weigh-in begins at 9 a.m. First meeting free, continued meetings require membership. Details: 417-623-6172.
JOPLIN: Bingo, 6:45 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 534, 110 N. Veterans Way. Proceeds go to local veterans. Details: 417-623-5174.
JOPLIN: Heartland Concert Band rehearsal, 7 p.m., Memorial Education Center, 825 S. Pearl. Details: 417-499-1481. | https://www.joplinglobe.com/zz_styling/calendar/friday-calendar/article_3d6ad670-b144-11ec-8c49-9715f318f4f5.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:55Z |
‘Incorrect’: Minister mistaken on carbon farming endorsement, green group says
By Mike Foley
The Australian Conservation Foundation has rejected a claim made by Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor that it had “backed away” from its warning about fake credits being issued under a taxpayer-funded scheme for carbon farming.
The designer of the Emissions Reduction Fund’s (ERF) carbon credit scheme, Professor Andrew Macintosh, last week alleged most of the money for carbon farming, such as protecting trees or planting vegetation, was being spent on fake carbon reductions.
The scheme has so far paid out about $1 billion for 100 million carbon credits, which are generated by farmers for protecting forests and replanting vegetation, and sold to polluting companies that want to offset their emissions and reduce their carbon footprint.
Professor Macintosh published studies that said up to 80 per cent of the funds were spent on carbon sequestration that was “devoid of integrity” and represented a “fraud on taxpayers”.
“I believe these criticisms are completely unfounded,” Mr Taylor told a forum hosted by the Carbon Market Institute on Friday.
“It is telling that groups like the ACF (Australian Conservation Foundation) have backed away from this latest round of attacks on the ERF and are no longer promoting the claims that have been refuted by the regulator.”
ACF chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy said on Friday that the organisation stood by its claims and endorsed Professor Macintosh’s findings.
“Any speech given by the Energy Minister that claims otherwise is incorrect,” Ms O’Shanassy said.
“Our own investigation are consistent with Professor Macintosh’s revelations about the scheme’s deep flaws.”
A study released in September by the Australia Institute and Australian Conservation Foundation analysed $300 million of credits issued for protecting forests, known as avoided deforestation. It found land clearing in far-western NSW would have needed to have been at least 750 per cent higher to justify the payments made to farmers not to remove trees.
“We found one in five carbon credits issued by the federal government’s $4.5 billion Emission Reduction Fund do not represent real abatement,” Ms O’Shanassy said.
Mr Taylor also told the forum that new ministerial powers had been created that allow the federal government to block new carbon projects to grow native vegetation on farmland if they are deemed damaging to the regional community.
Mr Taylor and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud issued a joint statement that said native vegetation projects that were either larger than 15 hectares, or occupied more than one third of a farm, required ministerial approval from April 8.
“We don’t want to see entire farms locked up, becoming havens for weeds and feral animals as families leave the land,” Mr Littleproud said.
“I support well planned projects that involve the farmer and manage the land, I hope that there will be many projects that present no risk to community.” | https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/federal/incorrect-minister-mistaken-on-carbon-farming-endorsement-green-group-says-20220401-p5a9zj.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_politics_federal | 2022-04-01T00:55:55Z |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In one of his tried-and-true motivational speeches, Mike Krzyzewski outlined his four pillars of team building: making everyone feel important, taking ownership in the team, adapting to setbacks and playing with feeling.
Duke perfected the first three to help Coach K reach his 13th and most amazing Final Four. Next comes the “feeling” part.
Now that the record-setting, 75-year-old coach is in New Orleans, he knows he must walk a fine line between enjoying the moment and letting it overwhelm both him and his team.
“I’ve always thought that shared emotion is the best,” Krzyzewski said Thursday, as his team settled in for its run at the coach’s sixth national title.
The Blue Devils (32-6) meet archrival North Carolina on Saturday in a national semifinal matchup plucked straight from a screenwriters’ script.
When Duke lost two games over the span of a week in early March, starting with the 94-81 setback to the Tar Heels in Krzyzewski’s final home game, the thought he might be coaching at the Final Four this weekend felt like a dream only a Blue Devils fan could believe.
But once the NCAA Tournament began, Duke started playing better. Wins over Cal-State Fullerton and Michigan State propelled the Blue Devils into the Sweet 16. There, they knocked off Texas Tech, then Arkansas. Krzyzewski passed John Wooden by qualifying for his record 13th Final Four. On Saturday he looks to improve on a record he already holds, by notching a 1,203rd career victory.
One of Krzyzewski’s keys to the turnaround was convincing his players that the rest of this season was about them, not him.
“This is our season, too,” Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr., said before the team’s win over Michigan State.
In many ways, Coach K’s final team is fulfilling the vision he shared back in 2015 when, fresh off a championship after his 12th run to the Final Four, he gave the keynote address to a gathering of U.S. Olympic athletes and administrators in Colorado Springs.
“You are not paying rent. You’re here, it’s yours,” Krzyzewski told the rapt audience as he moved through his four pillars of team building.
He talked about his first Olympic experience, back in 1992, when he was an assistant to Chuck Daly on the Dream Team. Krzyzewski was coming off back-to-back titles with Duke and thought he was a “hot ticket.”
His eyes were opened when none other than Michael Jordan approached him after a practice one day. Krzyzewski braced for the inevitable smack talk from the best player in the game, one who happened to have played at North Carolina. Instead, Jordan asked if the coach could work with him on some of his offensive moves.
In his speech, Krzyzewski said he realized something after that workout.
“It’s like a totem pole,” the coach said. “Michael Jordan was at the top of the totem pole. And I was near the bottom.”
But, Coach K said, ”Michael Jordan had a horizontal totem pole, where everybody was important.”
Though there certainly is a pecking order on this year’s version of the Blue Devils — freshmen Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin look like NBA lottery picks — at least four players have scored double figures in each of Duke’s four NCAA victories. Five players average in double figures for the Blue Devils this season.
In his news conference Thursday, the coach spoke about the players taking ownership in their fate as the season wore on.
“When you go into competition, if you haven’t worked, you have a hard time trusting yourself,” he said. “But if you’ve worked, you can trust, but you also own it. You own it more.”
In his keynote address, Krzyzewski said his first two building blocks lead to the third, which is adaptability. In 2022, it played out after the losses to North Carolina, then one week later to Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, forced Krzyzewski to take a long look in the mirror.
“I just had a good meeting with myself. I said that I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to help in some way, and part of it was my approach with them,” Krzyzewski said before Duke’s win over Arkansas in the Elite Eight.
Coach K described using the first five minutes of halftime during the Michigan State game to do something different by “just pull(ing) out a chair, and I sit with them for about five minutes and just, ‘OK, here’s where we’re at, and just talk to them.’”
Duke overcame a late, five-point deficit in that one, and now, Krzyzewski has led his team across his proverbial bridge that only a few lucky teams cross. They made it to college basketball’s biggest stage.
In his motivational speech, Krzyzewski said one method of getting a room full of superstars to “feel” the mission they were on at the Barcelona Olympics each night was to play the soulful version of the national anthem sung by Marvin Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
The promise, the U.S. coaches told the Dream Team, was that they would hear that song twice on the day of the title game — once beforehand, then again while they were standing on the podium receiving their gold medals.
The song that closes out March Madness is “One Shining Moment.” Whether Duke will bask in confetti when that song plays at the end of the title game is a big part of the drama that will unfold between now and Monday night.
Whether or not it happens, everyone at Duke is feeling it at this point — even if the coach insists he’s been focusing on basketball.
“I didn’t do this season to have a storybook,” Krzyzewski said. “I did it because I wanted to coach one more year and I wanted to have a good succession plan for our program. And we’ve won 32 games, and my guys have been terrific.”
___
More AP college basketball: http://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://www.fox44news.com/sports/coach-k-builds-blue-devils-into-his-final-final-four-team/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:54Z |
Photos of the Week: State of the Union, Ukraine vigil and Batman
A man dressed as Elvis Presley runs with others along the Las Vegas Strip during the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon half marathon on Feb. 27 in Las Vegas. Associated Press/John Locher
The Krewe of Bacchus, an all-male Mardi Gras parade founded in 1968, rolls down St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans on Feb. 27. The 2022 Carnival season is the first celebrated since 2020, the year the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States. Bonnie Cash/UPI Photo
People use small boats to travel through flood water in Lismore, Australia, on Feb. 28. Heavy rain is bringing record flooding to some east coast areas and has claimed seven lives, while the flooding in Brisbane, which has a population of 2.6 million, experienced its worst flooding since 2011, when the city was inundated by what was described as a once-in-a-century event. Jason O’Brien/AAP Image via AP
A man dressed as superhero Batman stands on top of a pod on the London Eye on Feb. 28 ahead of the release of “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz in cinemas across Britain on March 4. Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP
Washington, D.C., Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, from left, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and artist Gordon Kray unveil a statue of Pierre L’Enfant on Feb. 28. Greg Nash
A Virginia Senate staff member helps remove COVID-19 barriers after the session at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Feb. 28. The barriers were up since last year’s special session. Associated Press/Steve Helber
Kashmiri Muslims pray as the head priest displays a relic at the Hazratbal shrine on Mehraj-ul-Alam, believed to mark the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven, in Srinagar, India-controlled Kashmir, on March 1. Associated Press/Mukhtar Khan
Los Angeles school children run to see a giant puppet porcupine named Percy at Elysian Park in Los Angeles on March 1. Percy, a two-story puppet created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is modeled on the prehensile-tailed porcupine native to South America, has a circumference of nearly 40 feet and has 2,000 foam quills. Percy was let out to celebrate next week’s opening of the zoo’s new Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. Associated Press/Richard Vogel
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) speaks on the conflict in Ukraine during a press conference on Tuesday. Anna Rose Layden
President Biden gives his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on March 1. Julia Nikhinson
Ukrainians prepare Molotov cocktails outside their homes in Lviv, Ukraine, on March 2. Russian troops entered Ukraine on Feb. 24, triggering a Ukrainian resistance and a series of announcements by Western countries to impose severe economic sanctions on Russia. Oleksandr Khomenko/UPI Photo
Stuffed toys and animals, reportedly brought by diplomats to represent how a vote on a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will impact future generations, are present on some desks as the Eleventh Emergency Special Session on the Ukraine-Russia conflict continues in General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York City on March 2. John Angelillo/UPI Photo
Jon Stewart takes a selfie with Brian Willette, sergeant-at-arms of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, following a press conference discussing the Honoring Our PACT Act on March 2. Anna Rose Layden
People hold candles as they take part in a prayer vigil to protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on March 2. Associated Press/Andrew Medichini
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) speaks to Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) as Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) addresses reporters during a press conference on March 3 to introduce the Banning Russian Energy Imports Act. Greg Nash
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson meets with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in her office on March 3. Anna Rose Layden
President Biden hands a pen to journalist, author and female empowerment advocate Gretchen Carlson after signing into law H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, in the East Room at the White House on March 3. Leigh Vogel/UPI Photo
A couple crosses the medieval Charles Bridge as snow falls in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 4. Associated Press/Petr David Josek
A deer eats silk cotton flower inside the Kaziranga National Park east of Gauhati, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, on March 4. Declared a national park in 1968 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kaziranga National Park is famous for the one-horned rhino habitat apart from other animals and birds. Associated Press/Anupam Nath
Photos curated by Greg Nash, Anna Rose Layden and Madeline Monroe.
{mosads}
The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. | https://thehill.com/media/596904-photos-of-the-week-state-of-the-union-ukraine-vigil-and-batman/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:57Z |
MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI – Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,340,000 shares, a decrease of 27.6% from the February 28th total of 1,850,000 shares. Approximately 2.9% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 717,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days.
Several research analysts have weighed in on MELI shares. Jefferies Financial Group lowered MercadoLibre from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $2,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a research report on Friday, January 7th. BTIG Research lowered their price target on MercadoLibre from $1,930.00 to $1,550.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 18th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on MercadoLibre from $1,600.00 to $1,400.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 23rd. StockNews.com upgraded MercadoLibre from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 24th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on MercadoLibre from $1,675.00 to $1,685.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,757.00.
Shares of NASDAQ:MELI traded down $20.37 during trading on Thursday, reaching $1,189.48. 404,773 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 737,734. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,070.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,301.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.97 billion, a PE ratio of 705.60 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46. MercadoLibre has a 52 week low of $858.99 and a 52 week high of $1,970.13.
In other MercadoLibre news, Director Emiliano Calemzuk sold 75 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,008.61, for a total value of $75,645.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP La Serna Juan Martin De acquired 50 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $931.00 per share, with a total value of $46,550.00. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders acquired 205 shares of company stock valued at $188,950 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.
Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MELI. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 30.5% during the 1st quarter. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. now owns 14,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,361,000 after buying an additional 3,392 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 30.5% during the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,110,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MercadoLibre during the 3rd quarter worth $230,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 30.8% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 676 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,135,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wolff Wiese Magana LLC acquired a new position in MercadoLibre in the 3rd quarter worth about $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.18% of the company’s stock.
MercadoLibre Company Profile (Get Rating)
MercadoLibre, Inc operates online commerce platforms in Latin America. It operates Mercado Libre Marketplace, an automated online commerce platform that enables businesses, merchants, and individuals to list merchandise and conduct sales and purchases online; and Mercado Pago FinTech, a financial technology solution platform, which facilitates transactions on and off its marketplaces by providing a mechanism that allows its users to send and receive payments online, as well as allows users to transfer money through their websites or on the apps.
Read More
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on MercadoLibre (MELI)
- High-Yielding Walgreens Boots Alliance Goes On Sale
- 3 Mid-Cap Value Stocks Ready to Run
- Institutional Support Has Paychex On Brink Of New All-Time Highs
- These Are Rock Bottom Prices For Five Below
- Tough Comps and Declining Consumer Sales Makes McCormick a Hold
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
- 3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year
- The 10 Best Stocks to Own in 2022
- 7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
- 9 "MUST OWN" Growth Stocks
Receive News & Ratings for MercadoLibre Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MercadoLibre and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. | https://www.etfdailynews.com/2022/04/01/short-interest-in-mercadolibre-inc-nasdaqmeli-drops-by-27-6/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:57Z |
HOUSTON, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Ruby Pipeline, L.L.C. (Ruby), a natural gas pipeline joint venture between Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) and Pembina Pipeline Corporation (NYSE: PBA) that extends from Wyoming to Oregon, filed to reorganize under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in response to an upcoming debt repayment obligation. In recent months, the joint venture owners have been working diligently with Ruby's bondholders in an effort to work out a mutually satisfactory resolution. While those efforts will continue, Ruby's current financial condition necessitates this filing.
KMI will continue to operate the pipeline as chapter 11 permits daily operations to continue. Ruby's customers should notice no difference in its operations.
We will continue to keep Ruby's customers and other stakeholders informed of developments relating to Ruby's reorganization process. The voluntary petition was filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington. The case number is 22-10278. Additional information regarding Ruby's petition and claim procedures is available through the following website: https://cases.primeclerk.com/rubypipeline.
Important Information Relating to Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements. Generally the words "expects," "believes," anticipates," "plans," "will," "shall," "estimates," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements in this news release include express or implied statements concerning the anticipated operations of Ruby and potential continued negotiations with Ruby's bondholders. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management, based on information currently available to them. Although Ruby believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance as to when or if any such forward-looking statements will materialize or their ultimate impact on Ruby's operations or financial condition.
Media Contact:
RubyTeam@Primeclerk.com
View original content:
SOURCE Ruby Pipeline, L.L.C. | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/04/01/ruby-pipeline-files-reorganize-under-chapter-11-bankruptcy-code/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:57Z |
In pictures: Behind the shop facade
- Published
Maurice Dorfman ran Jeannette Fashions, a traditional haberdashery shop and the longest-surviving independent shop on Clapham High Street, south London.
His death, in February last year, aged 87, brought to an end a remarkable 60 years of family trading in the heart of Clapham.
And for the past 18 months, Clapham photographer Jim Grover has been piecing together Dorfman's life.
"More than 60 people have shared their stories, old photographs, and mementoes with me, such is the breadth and depth of affection for Maurice in the local community and the desire to help me create a fitting tribute," Grover says.
"He was still opening his shop, every day, in his 80s."
Dorfman's parents came from Jewish tailoring families - and in the late 1950s, the family moved into 20-22 Clapham High Street, an enormous four-storey building, five windows wide, with two shopfronts.
In the "swinging 60s", the first two floors were a dressmaking factory.
Dorfman delivered the dresses to London's fashion shops.
And the family lived above the business.
Grover photographed the objects and pictures he found on fabrics from Dorfman's shop.
And among the many items restored especially for the exhibition is an early 1960s Kodachrome slide showing Dorfman and his mother, Jeanette, with their Harley-Davidson motorbikes.
"This tribute to Maurice is also a piece of social history, bringing back memories of some of the popular pleasures of the 1960s such as motorcycling rallies, ballroom dancing, camping holidays, and sailing, all of which were a big part of Maurice's life," Grover says.
The death of his mother, in 1982, made Dorfman give up his job, as a cutter in the West End, and return to run the family business, which had been turned into Jeannette Fashions.
Catering to the needs of the numerous local seamstresses, costumiers, knitters, crocheteers and dressmakers, it thrived.
And some of Dorfman's customers from the 1980s still have their dress patterns.
"I had every type of fabric you could want," he told Grover, in 2016, "silks… satins… jacquards… wedding-dress fabrics… everything... anything.
"People used to buy the patterns and then they'd buy the fabric.
"I used to have to chain the pattern books to the table because people used to pinch the bloody books."
In the 60s, Dorfman's girlfriend was Margaret (pictured above, on the left), originally a dressmaker and seamstress, whom he met at a ballroom-dancing lesson in a small studio on the High Street.
And as part of this project, Grover tracked down her daughter, Anne (on the right), a successful wedding photographer, in the US.
"He was so kind," she said, "he included me in everything.
"When he took her to the theatre and romantic dinners I went too - my poor mother."
One of the many dog owners who made regular visits to Dorfman's shop told Grover: "He absolutely loved my dog and vice versa.
"I couldn't actually walk past the shop if I had the dog without being dragged in for a biscuit.
"He always had a biscuit for my dog and a sweetie for my son."
Following the death of his father, in 1992, Dorfman lived a modest life, alone for 30 years in the enormous flat above the shop, with few of the conveniences of modern life, such as central heating.
"His home is a beautiful time capsule from a bygone era," Grover says.
From the windows of his flat, Dorfman witnessed the profound changes to the High Street over six decades.
The photographs above show the junction with Aristotle Road, in the 1960s and this year.
Many contributors mentioned Dorfman's generosity and kindnesses in the local community - but reciprocal offers of help and support as he grew older were frustratingly rebuffed.
One customer made him a pair of fingerless mittens with the green wool that he stocked and remembers Dorfman asking what he was supposed to do with them.
Although after a while, he came to admit they were "actually pretty good".
Two bouts of cancer, his advancing age and the general challenges facing independent High Street shops gradually took their toll.
The annual rates bill alone exceeded the shop's sales, in its final years.
It was no longer a commercial enterprise - but Dorfman continued to open up every day, giving purpose to his life.
Stock levels dwindled and the shop became a pale shadow of its glory years.
"It was a bit run-down but it looked colourful and it looked exciting and you could go in there and you could feel comfortable," one of Dorfman's customers of many years said.
"The shop had a wonderful homemade feel to all of the various fittings," Grover says.
"I had never noticed the handmade clapper on the ceiling above his cutting room table - but someone who once worked there, back in the 1980s, told me that if the shop got busy, then Maurice would pull the cord which would bang the ceiling, summoning help from the home upstairs."
After Dorfman died, Grover filled the shop window with portraits of him - as a tribute and to communicate his death to the community.
"The display of affection for this man, and the recognition of the valuable role he had fulfilled in the community for so long, made me realise that I needed to do something more," Grover says.
"And so began my 18-month journey of discovery - an immense journey I never intended or anticipated and a journey filled with surprises and discoveries.
"But for me, Maurice was one of life's unsung heroes who richly deserves to be celebrated and recognised."
Behind the Shop Facade: The Life of Maurice Dorfman is at Clapham Library throughout April. | https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-60905538 | 2022-04-01T00:55:58Z |
The Newport City Council will hold a public hearing on the use of the Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Fund (CSLRF) monies which are part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that provides direct assistance to state, local, and tribal governments across the country to support the response to, and recovery from, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public hearing will be held during the city council meeting at 6 p.m. April 4 in the city council chambers of the Newport City Hall.
The city council previously established a preliminary list of projects for the use of ARPA funds. These projects include:
Upper Big Creek Dam repairs - $220,000
Big Creek Dam Preliminary Design - $800,000
Soccer Field Development - $500,000
Minnie Street Pump Station - $300,000
Water and Wastewater Master Plan - $200,000
Wastewater Plant Improvements - $190,613
Homelessness Match Funding - $200,000
These projects total $2,410,613, which is the city’s funding allotment. Overall, the allocation will benefit a number of areas in the community.
The city appreciates the role of its federal officials in working together to develop a funding program that will make meaningful differences in Newport and communities across the nation.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the public hearing, at city hall on April 4. Questions may be directed to p.hawker@newportoregon.gov. | https://www.thenewsguard.com/news/newport-to-hold-public-hearing-on-use-of-arpa-funds/article_084453d4-b146-11ec-bcb6-430e2669376d.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:58Z |
Northern Lights dance over Canada
Spectacular timelapse footage captures the Northern Lights dancing in the sky over an abandoned farmhouse in Saskatchewan.
Examined
Examined
The fight for Kyiv
Mar 11Examining extremism in the military
Apr 27Gun violence: An American epidemic?
Oct 25Border crisis: What’s happening at the US-Mexico border?
Jun 18Remembering George Floyd: A year of protest
May 25The source of COVID-19: What we know
Apr 07How did the GameStop stock spike on Wall Street happen?
Feb 12Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine?
Dec 10How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain
Sep 29Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot
Feb 232020 in review: A year unlike any other
Dec 22Examined: How Putin keeps power
Mar 12Why don’t the Electoral College and popular vote always match up?
Oct 29US crosses 250,000 coronavirus deaths
Nov 182nd Impeachment Trial: What this could mean for Trump
Feb 08Presidential transition of power: Examined
Dec 01How Donald Trump spent his last days as president
Jan 18How Joe Biden's inauguration will be different from previous years
Jan 15Belarus’ ongoing protests: Examined
Dec 04Trump challenges the vote and takes legal action
Nov 052020’s DNC and RNC are different than any before
Aug 17What is happening with the USPS?
Aug 20Voting in 2020 during COVID-19
Oct 13Disinformation in 2020
Oct 30
ABC News Specials on
24 Months That Changed the World
Have You Seen This Man?
Two Men at War
Putin's War: The Battle to Save Ukraine
Screen Queens Rising
X / o n e r a t e d - The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice
Homegrown: Standoff to Rebellion
Alec Baldwin: Unscripted
The Housewife and the Shah Shocker
City of Angels | City of Death
3212 UN-REDACTED
The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland
Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier
Wild Crime
Final Hours, America’s Longest War
Superstar
The Housewife and the Hustler
Tulsa's Buried Truth
GameStopped
24 Hours: Assault on the Capitol | https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/northern-lights-dance-canada-83799059 | 2022-04-01T00:55:59Z |
Ex-minor leaguer ran major league sports betting operation
Federal prosecutors say a former minor league pitcher was the ringleader of an illegal sports betting operation in California that used former pro athletes as bookies and active players as clients
A former minor league pitcher ran a major league illegal sports betting operation in California that used other former pro athletes to take bets and took wagers from players still in the game, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
Wayne Nix, who threw for Oakland Athletics farm teams, used his connections to recruit three former Major League Baseball players and a former pro football player as fellow bookies, prosecutors said.
The MLB began looking into the matter when it learned of it Thursday, but was unaware any of those involved other than Nix, a spokesman said.
Court records offered no names of the players who worked for Nix or those who placed bets with his business, but they provide a glimpse of the kind of money being wagered, earned and lost.
A professional football player paid Nix $245,000 for gambling losses in 2016. An MLB coach paid $4,000 in losses that same year. It was not disclosed if either bet on their own games or their own sports.
MLB prohibits players from betting on baseball or gambling illegally on sports. They can bet on other sports if it’s legal. The National Football League policy bars all personnel from betting on football games.
A Los Angeles check cashing business that has agreed to plead guilty to failing to prevent money laundering in the scheme cashed over $18 million in checks from two single bettors, prosecutors said.
One client wagered $5 million on the Super Bowl but it was not revealed if that gambit paid off.
Sports betting is legal in 30 states, but not in California. However, voters will have a chance to legalize it at the polls in November.
Nix, 45, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to run an illegal gambling operation and faces up to eight years in prison. He also admitted he failed to report $1.4 million in income in 2017 and 2018. He has agreed to pay back taxes and interest of $1.25 million and forfeit $1.3 million seized from bank accounts.
Nix began the sports bookmaking business about 20 years ago after his six-year minor league career — with stops in Arizona, Texas and California — ended, prosecutors said.
His client list was created from contacts he had made in the sports world and included current and former pro athletes. The agents he hired helped expand that clientele.
The operation eventually began using a Costa Rican business, Sand Island Sports, to create accounts where bets could be placed and tracked and credit limits set, prosecutors said. Bets were placed online or through a call center, though Nix paid winners and kept most of the money from losing bets.
Those who exceeded credit limits were shut off, though exceptions were made, according to court documents.
A sports broadcaster's account was reactivated in February 2019 after he told Nix he was refinancing his home mortgage to pay off his gambling debts.
In September 2019, Nix increased the credit limit to a baseball player with debts so he could make additional bets.
In November, 2019, Nix's partner, Edon Kagasoff, told a business manager for a professional basketball player that he would increase the maximum wager he could place to $25,000 per NBA game.
Kagasoff, 44, faces the same conspiracy charge as Nix. He also agreed to plead guilty and forfeit over $3 million in funds seized from his home and bank accounts.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-major-league-baseball-california-los-angeles-oakland-athletics-b2048707.html | 2022-04-01T00:55:59Z |
COVINGTON, La. (WGNO) — A new festival is coming to the Northshore this year!
The inaugural St. Tammany Hamburger Festival is scheduled to take place in Southeast Louisiana in May.
The festival, founded by the Team of Twenty Productions, LLC is bringing their prevalent experience in festival productions on to the Northshore. “Bringing something innovative and different to the community is
a great way for everyone to come together from all walks of life.”I’m excited to do this for this remarkable parish!”Joe Freeman, Vice President of Team of Twenty Productions
The festival is set to kick off Friday, May 20, and go through May 22 at the St. Tammany Parish Fair Grounds.
A crowd of over 40, 000 people is expected at the event.
Amanda Shaw, Tommy G., Sam Warren, Sharon Rock, Connie G, Soul Revival Band, T Broussard, and more musical acts have been scheduled to perform non-stop on 2 stages throughout the festival weekend.
Planted across the grounds will be 30 hamburger stands, carnival rides, local arts, and handmade crafts, various food vendors, and fun activities for both kids and adults.
The festival starts on Friday, May 20th, and Sunday, May 21st is 4:00 p.m., and 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 21.
Local businesses are encouraged to sponsor or participate as vendors in the first of many festivals.
Registration is happening now for the best burger contest with a $1000 cash prize to go along with the winning title and, of course, a year’s worth of bragging rights.
For more information and to register, click here. | https://wgno.com/community/events/are-you-hungry-satisfy-your-taste-buds-at-the-st-tammany-hamburger-festival/ | 2022-04-01T00:55:59Z |
Five a.m. emergency rooms. Too many magic mushrooms. The phone call that knocks you to your knees. Know what burns into your brain while they’re happening? The nothing things. The flavor of gum you were chewing when the surgeon came into the waiting room. The song that was on the first time your heart broke. Who can imagine what we’ll remember when it all goes to hell?
The 2022 New York Knicks often feel more like they’re in purgatory than hell. With their tragic number at 1 after losing 125-114 to the Charlotte Hornets, at least this season can finally move somewhere new. Where that is, what comes next...no one knows. Tonight we’re here to bury the Knicks, not to praise them.
How come New York lost? Charlotte’s 39 assists on 49 buckets, for starters. Five fingers form a firm fist.
THAT’S ️!@PJWashington | @HornetsOnBally | @drpepper pic.twitter.com/CR0i3slR4e
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 31, 2022
DON'T POKE THE MILES‼️ ✈️@MilesBridges | @HornetsOnBally | @Drpepper pic.twitter.com/IYL7qgQIcl
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) March 31, 2022
The Hornets were up much of the night; the Knicks kept it close but never felt like a threat to take the game back. Charlotte was quicker, more athletic, better shooting, better passing. One team has some buzz going, feels like they’re entering a nice little run of years. The other is the Knicks.
New York was +3 at the foul line, +12 on 3s. Usually those numbers point to a win. Not when you finish -26 on 2s. Not when the coach of a team with a plus bench plays all five starters 34+ minutes. Not when their best player of late is on the bench the majority of the game.
This game wasn’t hopeless. It wasn’t a nightmare. The worst part was the hopelessness. There was no singularly obvious factor to explain the loss. Neither was there a sense or spark of life. There wasn’t much worth remembering.
This year wasn’t hopeless. It wasn’t a nightmare. The worst part was the hopelessness. There was no singularly obvious factor to explain the losses. Neither was there a sense or spark or life. There wasn’t much worth remembering.
This recap is shorter than usual, homage to a season that, as far as relevance/contention, was far too short. There’s another homage, not in the content but the form — the biggest reason the Knicks lost the game is the only letter in the alphabet you won’t see anywhere in the recap. Quoth Zhu: “Better luck next game!” That game is a matinee, with the Knicks hosting the Cavaliers in 59 hours. Five games to go. | https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2022/3/31/23004235/hornets-125-knicks-114-better-luck-next-game?src=rss | 2022-04-01T00:55:59Z |
Skippy Foods, LLC has recalled more than 9,000 cases of peanut butter "due to the possibility that a limited number of jars may contain a small fragment of stainless steel from a piece of manufacturing equipment," the company said in an announcement Thursday.
The specific Skippy brands included Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread, Skippy Reduced Fat Chunky Peanut Butter Spread and Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter Blended With Plant Protein all with "best if used by dates" of early May 2023. Those dates are located at the top of the lid.
The company said there have been no consumer complaints related to this issue and the recall is voluntary.
All retailers that received these particular products have been notified, the company said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/2022-03-31/recall-issued-for-thousands-of-skippy-peanut-butter-cases-due-to-steel-fragments | 2022-04-01T00:55:59Z |
Free coronavirus testing has ended for millions of people in England, with the Health Secretary insisting people must “learn to live with Covid”. Sajid Javid said it was right to “focus resources” on those people who still most needed testing, including some hospital patients and those at a high risk of severe Covid.
Most people will now need to shop on the high street for paid-for tests if they want them. Mr Javid said: “We are one of the most open and free countries in the world now, and that’s because of decisions that we’ve taken as a country… and it is right also as we learn to live with Covid that we withdraw free testing - universally… if it’s not needed any more, but we focus those resources on the people that need it most."
Carers UK and the Alzheimer’s Society are among those who have criticised the move, with the latter saying it “risks gambling” with the lives of people living with dementia in care homes. The Alzheimer’s Society has been campaigning to keep lateral flow tests free for all people visiting loved ones in care settings.
James White, head of public affairs and campaigns at the charity, said: “With the end of Covid rules, people may well assume infections are dwindling. But the reality is that cases have been soaring which means scrapping all isolation rules and ending free tests is a dangerous gamble."
Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said: “Having borne the brunt of the pandemic and gone to extraordinary lengths to protect their relatives, unpaid carers are now being asked to pay in order to protect those they care for who are at risk of Covid.”
While free testing ends in England, it will continue during April in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and until the summer in Wales. Ministers in England argue that even though infection levels have been rising, vaccines and antivirals are working to protect the vast majority of people.
The most recent data shows there were 15,632 people in hospital in England with Covid-19 as of Wednesday, up 18% week on week and the highest since January 19. Asked on Thursday if it was the right time to end free Covid testing, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) chief executive Dr Dame Jenny Harries said the UK must be prepared for the pandemic to “remain unpredictable”.
She said: “The pandemic takes its own course and it will remain unpredictable to a large extent for the next say 18 months to two years. We will have to be continuously alert to monitor those rates and to respond appropriately to any new variants."
The Government has set out the groups who are still eligible for free testing when they have symptoms of the virus. These include some hospital patients, some people at high risk of severe Covid, and some who live or work in “high-risk settings” including some NHS and social care units or prisons. Those who are positive, or have symptoms, are being urged to stay at home.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea. | https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/free-coronavirus-testing-ends-millions-6890684 | 2022-04-01T00:55:59Z |
It seems more and more celebrities are jumping on the exciting band wagon and lending their iconic voices to the growing genre of audiobooks. These fantastic celebrity-narrated audiobooks include modern tales, classical literature, as well as children’s stories.
Claire Danes
“‘It’s so poetic,’ Danes said of Atwood’s writing via Audible’s YouTube channel quoted by Tampa Bay Times. ‘I think the words are really served by being spoken out loud. It was just some phrases of hers that were exquisite. I would have to stop and go, how did she do that?'”
The Handmaid’s Tale By Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid’s Tale is the unusual story of a woman names Offred, who’s had her personal identity stripped and is being forced to work as a surrogate for rich and powerful couples in a near-future dystopia reality called the Republic of Gilead. This thrilling award winning story examines intense and timely themes of misogyny, tyranny, authoritarianism, and morality through poetic and exquisite narration.
The Odyssey By Homer
The Odssey centers on Odysseus and his journey to reach his home in Ithaca. Because of his long absence, Odysseus is presumed dead and after seven years of confinement by the nymph Calypso, Odysseus undertakes an taxing journey home. Along the way, he meets many creatures and Beings including; the six-headed monster Scylla, the witch-goddess Circe, the sea monster Charybdis and finds himself in the land of the Sirens.The Odyssey is an epic tale of an ordinary man’s battle against forces beyond his control which try to prevent him from being reunited with his family and home.
The Snow Queen By Michael Cunningham
The year is 2004 and Barrett Meeks’ heart is broken having, yet again, lost love. On a stroll through Central Park he is inspired to glance up at the sky; there he spots a translucent, pale light which seems to be looking back at him. Barrett doesn’t believe in apparitions, spirituality or God, however he can’t deny contest what he’s witnessing and feeling. Barrett, haunted by the light, turns unexpectedly to religion to seek answers.
At the same time, Tyler, Barrett’s older brother, a struggling musician living in Brooklyn, is trying to write a wedding song for his soon to be wife Beth, who is tragically very ill. Tyler is determined to write a song that will be a lasting proclamation of love. Frustrated with his lack of progress, Tyler starts to think that taking drugs is the only way to release his creativity. Meanwhile, Beth is trying to face her mortality with as much grace and courage as she can. This story follow these three conflicted characters with empathy and compassion as they all search for meaning, and a deeper understanding of life.
Miss. Rymphius by Barbara Cooney
This story centers around young Alice Rumphius, who has always wanted to see the world, live in a house by the sea, and participate in making the world more beautiful. As such, Alice decides to plant lupines in the wild, allowing the seeds to blow far and wide, making everything more bright, lovely and full of floral scents.
Viola Davis
Award winning actress and producer, Davis can also add voice narrator to her vast and impressive resume.
“Vanity destroys your work. That’s the one thing you have to let go of as an actor. I don’t care how sexy or beautiful any woman is. At the end of the day, she has to take her makeup off. At the end of the day, she’s more than just pretty.” —The New York Times Magazine
Corduroy, Corduroy Lost and Found, and Corduroy Takes a Bow By Don Freeman
These three books are part of a loveable series taking the hearts and minds of children and adults by a storm.
Corduroy is about a small teddy bear who is patiently waiting in a department store for a child to choose him and form a lastly friendship. Luckily, little Lisa sees his value, and they make a heart centered connection.
Corduroy Lost and Found: To find a birthday present for Lisa, Corduroy the teddy bear slips out very early one morning to go looking for the perfect gift. He see a yellow balloon up in the sky and chases it, sure it would the right present for his friend. However, as the sun comes up, the “balloon” is nowhere to be found. In his excitement, Corduroy has strayed far from home and is now lost. Can he find his way back home, reunite with his best friend and give her the perfect birthday present?
Corduroy Takes a Bow: When Lisa and Corduroy go to the theater for the very first time, it’s so amazing that Corduroy cannot help the urge to go exploring. From the dressing rooms, to the orchestra pit, Corduroy sees it all. Feeling empowered and entranced Corduroy cannot help but wonder if there could be a place for Corduroy on stage, too?
Jesse Eisenberg, Kaitlyn Dever, and Finn Wolfhard
“Writer, director, and Oscar-nominated performer Jesse Eisenberg brings his trademark intensity to this sharp and evocative story of an emotionally lost family in search of itself. Together, the narrators demonstrate how powerful and entertaining top-notch audio drama can be.” – AudioFile
When You Finish Saving the World by Jessie Eisenberg
This story is about family, connection and three individuals working to try to understand themselves and one another better. This tale follows Rachel, Nathan and Zigggy, wife, husband and son respectfully, through a varity of stages in their lives. The various shifts between time frames in these characters’ experiences manage to flow effortlessly and beautifully capture the complexities of having children, growing up and trying to fit in.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep’s voice is iconic and can do no wrong. For a little laugh, check out this clip of Ellen Degeneres challenging Streep read a bland baking recipe and make it “sexy”.
“The 2013 audiobook, read by Meryl Streep, is what ‘Heartburn’ always ought to have been. ‘The novel was never really a novel, and certainly was never supposed to be a movie: it’s a five-and-a-half-hour comedic monologue.'”- Helen Rosner The New Yorker
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
This tale is about the complications that can arise when a shocking revelation comes to the surface. Rachel Samstat is seven months pregnant and is completely stunned to find out her husband is in love with someone else. Throughout the story, Rachel wobbles between wanting her husband to wither and die, and her deep urges to win him back. The one constant providing solace to Rachel is her intense love of food, and her faith that a great recipe can solve any problem! Heartburn is a laugh-out-loud audiobook, made even better by the captivating and beautiful narration of Meryl Streep. | https://goodereader.com/blog/audiobooks/celebrity-narrated-audiobooks-worth-exploring | 2022-04-01T00:55:59Z |
We know where our data is, and we understand how it's structured. Awesome. Now to access it from our resolvers!
Our GraphQL server needs to access that REST API. It could call the API directly using fetch
, or we can use a handy helper class called a DataSource
. This class takes care of a few challenges and limitations that come with the direct approach.
To better understand those challenges and limitations, let's start with fetch
before we create a DataSource
.
When making calls to a REST API in a Node.js environment, we might use a library like axios
or node-fetch
. These provide easy access to HTTP methods and nice async behavior.
Using node-fetch
, retrieving all tracks from our /tracks
endpoint looks like this:
fetch('apiUrl/tracks').then(function (response) { // do something with our tracks JSON});
This gives us our array of tracks, but we're still missing author information. For each track in the array, we need to call the /author/:id
endpoint like so:
fetch(`apiUrl/author/${authorId}`).then(function (response) { // this is the author of our track});
Let's say our /tracks
endpoint returns 100 tracks. Then we'd make one call to get the array, followed by 100 additional calls to get each track's author info.
Now, what if our 100 tracks were all made by the same author? We'd make one call for the tracks, retrieve our 100 tracks, then make 100 calls to get the exact same author.
Sounds pretty inefficient, right? We'd end up making 101 calls where we could have made only 2.
This is a classic example of the N+1 problem. "1" refers to the call to fetch the top-level tracks
field and "N" is the number of subsequent calls to fetch the author subfield for each track.
{ tracks { # 1 title author { # N calls for N tracks name } }}
What makes the N + 1 problem inefficient?
Additionally, in the context of our app and this specific query, we're not expecting the homepage to change very frequently. Maybe a new track is added every few weeks. It would be nice to make use of a cache to avoid unnecessary calls to our REST API. Conveniently, our REST API already sets cache headers for its endpoints.
With GraphQL, one query is often composed of a mix of different fields and types, coming from different endpoints, with different cache policies. So how should we deal with caching in this context?
We're starting to really feel the limits of our simple fetch
approach.
To solve these problems, we need something specifically designed for GraphQL, that will efficiently handle resource caching and deduplication for our REST API calls.
And because it's a very common task to fetch data from REST when building a GraphQL API, Apollo provides a dedicated DataSource
class for just that: the RESTDataSource
.
By implementing a RESTDataSource
on your server, all of the challenges we just saw are taken care of out of the box.
How might a resource cache be useful for our data source?
Let's look at how to extend and implement this RESTDataSource
in our Catstronauts app. | https://www.apollographql.com/tutorials/lift-off-part2/apollo-restdatasource | 2022-04-01T00:56:00Z |
Last month, the provincial government announced new legislation eliminating licence plate sticker renewal fees for most Ontario drivers. It is now in the process of mailing refunds to thousands of motorists whose fees have been paid, retroactive to March 2020.
Refunds will continue into April, but a number of questions remain, including how this works, who is eligible for a refund and what happens to licence plate stickers?
Here’s what you need to know.
What is the new legislation?
Effective March 13, the Ontario government eliminated licence plate renewal fees and the requirement to have a licence plate sticker for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds.
Saving Ontario drivers about $120 a year — $60 in Northern Ontario — the Premier Doug Ford government said cutting renewal fees will make life more affordable for families as the cost of living increases. It is a “concrete way we can put and keep more money in the pockets of hard-working Ontarians.”
The move, which comes months before the June 2 election, is expected to cost the government about $1.1 billion annually.
Who is eligible for a refund?
Anyone who paid renewal fees for an individually owned passenger vehicle, light-duty truck motorcycle or moped between March 1, 2020, and March 12, 2022, is eligible for a refund, as long as their address is up-to-date and do not owe defaulted fees, fines or tolls.
Renewal fees were eliminated for vehicles registered to companies or businesses, however, they will not receive retroactive payments for licence sticker renewal fees already paid.
Fees and requirements for heavy commercial vehicles and snowmobiles remain unchanged.
Ontarians can get a refund for a snow vehicle validation sticker if the sticker has not been used.
How do I receive my refund?
There is no need to apply for a refund. Eligible motorists can expect to receive a cheque in the mail by the end of April.
Vehicle owners who recently moved needed to update their address and pay any outstanding fines by March 7 to receive their refund cheque at the correct location by the end of April.
Vehicle owners who have yet to update their information should do so at Ontario.ca/AddressChange. They can expect a delay (into the summer or fall) in receiving their refund.
How does the refund work?
The amount refunded depends on when a licence plate sticker was last renewed, and how much was paid.
Southern Ontario motorists paid $120 for a one-year sticker and $240 for a two-year renewal.
For example, a motorist in Niagara who last renewed their licence plate sticker for two years in June 2020 can expect to receive a refund (from June 2020 to June 2022) of about $240 at $10 per month.
Do I still have to renew my licence plate?
Motorists will still be required to renew their plates either once a year, or every two years, to verify insurance information and pay outstanding fines and tolls, but there will be no charge moving forward.
Drivers must continue to renew their driver’s licence every five years online and pay the $90 fee.
What happens to licence plate stickers?
Physical licence plate stickers will no longer be issued by ServiceOntario for passenger and light commercial vehicles.
Ontario said it is investing in Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology, a tested technology that can read thousands of licence plates per minute. It is in use by some Ontario police services.
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Northwest Territories have removed physical licence plate stickers.
Once the renewal process is completed online or in-person, the province said law enforcement will be “instantly aware the plate has been renewed.”
Refund scams
ServiceOntario is warning people about text message phishing scams.
Individuals should not open or click any link claiming a licence plate renewal refund through text message as it is not authorized by ServiceOntario.
The government said it will not contact any driver directly to get a licence plate sticker refund. | https://www.wellandtribune.ca/news/niagara-region/2022/03/31/explainer-ontario-eliminates-licence-plate-stickers-and-renewal-fees.html | 2022-04-01T00:56:01Z |
'You are not alone': Calgary raises flag at city hall to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility
'Understand that you are not alone. You're not in the wrong for wanting to be who you are'
Article content
A blue, white and pink flag representing transgender pride and rights was raised outside Calgary city hall to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Calgarians gathered at the municipal plaza to listen to speakers and recognize the city’s transgender community days after a rainbow Pride flag was vandalized outside a Calgary church.
Advocates say the day of celebration serves as a reminder for transgender people that they are recognized and loved for who they are.
“Transgender Day of Visibility means hope. It means an opportunity to celebrate and amplify transgender, two-spirit, gender diverse individuals,” said Anna Murphy, advocate for the LGBTQ community.
“But it’s also an opportunity for folks to grow in their allyship, to learn to engage with individuals. We need to make sure that everyone feels safe and affirmed in who they are.”
Murphy said that as she was writing her speech, she thought about how transgender rights are being eroded by lawmakers in the United States and how many transgender children are relentlessly bullied.
Advertisement 3
Article content
“I recognize myself in these kids, and they need someone to stand up for them,” she said. “This work involves everyone. Everyone has to get on the same page.”
Almost 65 per cent of transgender youth between the ages of 19 and 25 have considered suicide in Alberta, according to a 2017 national survey from the University of British Columbia. Eighty-one per cent of youth reported their family did not understand them at all, or only understood them a little when it came to their identity.
Neil, a 15-year-old transgender male, came to the celebration in Calgary with his family. He said he was thrilled to see how many people came to support the city’s transgender community, but knows more work needs to be done.
“I have friends who weren’t able to come down here today because of the family situation, and it’s upsetting. On a day that’s meant to celebrate and recognize them, they can’t be here because they’re in unsafe situations,” he said.
Advertisement 4
Article content
When Neil first began his journey, he said it made all the difference to have the support of his family, his friends and organizations in Calgary such as the Skipping Stone Foundation.
Neil said he wants other transgender youth to know they have the right to be who they are.
“Understand that you are not alone. You’re not in the wrong for wanting to be who you are. It might be a slow and long and confusing process but, you know, that’s all part of it.”
Pam Krause, president of the Calgary Centre for Sexuality, said there needs to be systemic change to create equity for transgender and non-binary people.
She pointed to the anti-trans bills passed by lawmakers in Texas that banned access to medical treatment for transgender youth by constituting it as “child abuse.”
Advertisement 5
Article content
“When we see what is happening in the U.S., it feels like they’re trying to erase an entire population. It makes you really realize how important it is that we have visibility, that we really do understand their vulnerability,” she said.
“It’s the transgender population, non-binary, gender non-conforming (community), that really continue to struggle and need our services.”
Last week, the LGBTQ Pride flag outside of Scarboro Church in southwest Calgary was burned and damaged with “repent” written in black marker.
When asked about the incident, Murphy said Calgary’s gender and sexually diverse community “will not be pushed back into the closet by ignorance, hate and intolerance.”
“We will not cower in the face of weaponized ideology,” she said. “Our existence is not open for debate. Period. We are here. We have been here.”
Twitter: @BrittGervaisAB | https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/you-are-not-alone-calgary-raises-flag-at-city-hall-to-recognize-transgender-day-of-visibility | 2022-04-01T00:56:01Z |
SingularDTV (SNGLS) traded flat against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 19:00 PM Eastern on March 31st. During the last week, SingularDTV has traded flat against the US dollar. SingularDTV has a market capitalization of $177,612.76 and $127.00 worth of SingularDTV was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One SingularDTV coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.0003 or 0.00000000 BTC on exchanges.
Here’s how other cryptocurrencies have performed during the last 24 hours:
- Binance USD (BUSD) traded 0% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00002188 BTC.
- Polygon (MATIC) traded 3.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.63 or 0.00003555 BTC.
- Polygon (MATIC) traded 1% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.65 or 0.00004286 BTC.
- Crypto.com Coin (CRO) traded up 5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.41 or 0.00001075 BTC.
- Dai (DAI) traded 0% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00002184 BTC.
- Chainlink (LINK) traded down 1% against the dollar and now trades at $17.01 or 0.00037169 BTC.
- Parkgene (GENE) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $25.59 or 0.00045023 BTC.
- DREP (DREP) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $1.96 or 0.00003398 BTC.
- DREP [old] (DREP) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $1.96 or 0.00003399 BTC.
- FTX Token (FTT) traded 4.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $49.03 or 0.00107140 BTC.
SingularDTV Coin Profile
According to CryptoCompare, “SingularDTV (S-DTV) is a decentralized and tokenized content creating and distributing platform that will create, acquire and distribute film and television content in an innovative way, generating revenue for its token holders in a completely transparent and decentralized manner. SNGLS are tokens built on Ethereum and represent a share in the SingularDTV platform, which is comprised of four key elements: ‘SINGULAR’ – a mini Sci-fi television series about decentralization and technological advancements in a futuristic setting, comprised of 3 episode seasons. The S-DTV DOCUMENTARY DIVISION – A Documentary Division that will focus on producing documentary films about blockchain technology. THE S-DTV RIGHTS MANAGEMENT PLATFORM – A digital rights, revenue and royalty management platform for all the content produced and acquired by SingularDTV. THE S-DTV TRANSACTION VIDEO-ON-DEMAND (TVOD) PORTAL – A TVOD Portal to distribute SingularDTV content via GooglePlay, AppleTV iTunes, and Vimeo. SNGLS tokens will also generate dividends for its holders, depending on the revenue gathered by the SingularDTV platform. 1 Billion SNGLS tokens will be issued, which will be distributed in the following way: 500M SNGLS will be distributed to investors in an initial coin offering period. Each token will cost the ETH equivalent of $0.015. 400M SNGLS will be kept in a vault, and the dividends generated by the tokens will be used to further develop the S-DTV ecosystem. 100M SNGLS will be given to S-DTV's core investors. The Vault where 400M tokens are kept will be managed by the Workshop. The Workshop will not only spend and convert ETH to build new projects or to work on existing ones, but it will also collect cryptocurrency and fiat revenue to deposit back in the safe. “
Buying and Selling SingularDTV
It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as SingularDTV directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire SingularDTV should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as GDAX, Changelly or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy SingularDTV using one of the aforementioned exchanges.
Receive News & Updates for SingularDTV Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and updates for SingularDTV and related cryptocurrencies with MarketBeat.com's FREE CryptoBeat newsletter. | https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2022/03/31/singulardtv-market-capitalization-hits-177612-76-sngls.html | 2022-04-01T00:56:01Z |
is for sale
Your burning questions about domain sales, answered.
No matter what kind of domain you want to buy, lease or rent, we make the transfer simple and safe. It works like this:
Step 1: You buy, rent or lease the domain name
You will find the available purchasing options set by the seller for the domain name ac888.cc on the right side of this page.
Step 2: We facilitate the transfer from the seller to you
Our transfer specialists will send you tailored transfer instructions and assist you with the process to obtain the domain name. On average, within 24 hours the domain name is all yours.
Step 3: Now that the domain is officially in your hands, we pay the seller.
And we’re done! Unless you require our assistance. Our transfer team is available for free post-transfer assistance. | https://dan.com/buy-domain/ac888.cc | 2022-04-01T00:56:01Z |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A bunch of one-and-done phenoms brought together by Kentucky coach John Calipari stepped onto the floor into the spotlight of the cavernous Superdome 10 years ago, oozing with the kind of NBA potential that made it clear their college basketball careers were about to end at the Final Four.
Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and the rest of them went out on top, too, beating Kansas in the Big Easy to deliver the Wildcats their eighth national championship and Calipari the first of his career.
Fast-forward to the present, and the return of the Final Four to New Orleans, and there is a much more old-school feel to the national semifinals as each of the the participants — Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Villanova — benefited in one way or another from COVID-19 waivers, medical redshirts and the explosion of the transfer portal.
“It’s the oldest that college basketball has ever been,” acknowledged Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, “so as a result of that, it’s going to be tougher to win. I mean, I think (Shane) Battier played the most games here, 130-something. We’re playing against guys that have played 160 games, sometimes three of them are on the other team. That’s a lot.”
Indeed, all four teams in the Big Easy have the kind of savvy veterans once seemed endangered in the world of big-time college hoops, and together they are proving on the game’s biggest stage that experience still matters.
“That’s why we shouldn’t be shocked at anything that’s happened in the tournament,” the retiring Krzyzewski said, “because the age differential is so dramatic. For us, it’s been dramatic.”
Yes, the Blue Devils are the youngest team in New Orleans, but everything is relative. They still feature senior Joey Baker and fifth-year senior Theo John, who began his career at Marquette and is about to play in his 162nd game.
The experience has paid off. Young, talented teams such as Memphis were bounced early out of the NCAA Tournament, while hardened teams such as Providence, Saint Peter’s and Miami made runs into the second weekend.
“It takes a significant amount of time to get everyone to buy into your program,” explained Jayhawks coach Bill Self, who has had more success with veteran teams than with one-and-dones such as Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid.
“But,” Self cautioned, “I would say that talent plus experience is what wins.”
Good luck finding a team more experienced than Kansas.
— Backup guard Jalen-Coleman Lands will play in his 171st game spanning stints at Illinois, DePaul and Iowa State when the Jayhawks face Villanova, trailing Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon and USC’s Chevez Goodwin for the most in Division I history.
— Mitch Lightfoot will play in his 167th game and second Final Four after making it with the Jayhawks in 2018.
— Arizona State transfer Remy Martin and big man David McCormack will have surpassed 130 games by the time their season ends, while All-American guard Ochai Agbajiis about to play his 121st game for Kansas.
In fact, the Jayhawks’ top eight scorers have appeared in 965 games — almost certainly a record for a Final Four team.
Maybe for any team.
The Jayhawks aren’t alone. Brady Manek spent four seasons at Oklahoma, transferred to North Carolina for one more, and will play in his 160th game against Duke in the second semifinal Saturday night. Villanova has two players, Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels, who have played more than 150 games apiece, and two more who have topped 100.
Over the years, the Wildcats have become the poster program for winning with experience.
When they captured the national championship in 2016, they had four starters that had played at least 100 games, led by seniors Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu. The top six scorers on coach Jay Wright’s 2018 title team, which romped past Lightfoot and the Jayhawks in the Final Four, included four juniors along with senior Phil Booth.
“Everyone should applaud what they’ve built there, and of course Jay is the ringmaster of that,” Self said, “and how they develop their guys and fundamental they are. You have to beat them; they don’t beat themselves. And when you have older players, I do think a culture can exist, and they would be the top of our profession.
“When you look at our situation,” Self said, “we had Josh (Jackson) who was one-and-done, and I guess Wiggs and Jo were one-and-dones. That’s going back to 2014. But we’ve done it with older kids, too. We’ve done it with the Frank Masons and the Devonte Grahams and Landon Lucas. We’ve had comparable success with, you know, older guys.”
Everyone in this year’s Final Four has older guys, though.
The combined experience of Duke, again the youngest of the bunch, still far outpaces that 2012 Kentucky team or another collection of one-and-done national champs: the Blue Devils of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow.
Their title in 2015 might have been the high-water mark of the one-and-done championship era, though. The rise of the G League, Overtime Elite and more overseas opportunities are providing alternative pathways to some of the best prep prospects. As a result the talent level of programs relying primarily on freshmen and sophomores is not quite the same, and in many cases, they can no longer rely on pure ability to beat teams that have been together for years.
Meanwhile, the recent passage of NIL legislation is allowing college athletes to earn endorsement money in college, giving them another reason to stick around when they might otherwise chase a professional career.
“Some of these teams, they’ve got kids, some of them are in their sixth year of school, because maybe they redshirted and now they’ve got the COVID year,” Florida Gulf Coast athletic director Ken Kavanagh said. “You’ve got older teams and they are maybe not good enough (players) to go to the NBA, but they’re really good, talented players who can make a difference.
“Older teams that have been playing together are usually more experienced than kids who are 17, 18 years old.”
Four of those older teams are the last ones standing in New Orleans this week.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Kavanagh said.
___
AP Basketball Writers Aaron Beard and John Marshall contributed to this report.
___
More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://www.fox44news.com/sports/final-four-gets-experience-boost-from-transfer-portal-covid/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:02Z |
Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR – Get Rating) and KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF – Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation and risk.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
55.9% of Whitestone REIT shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.9% of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.2% of Whitestone REIT shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.3% of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
This table compares Whitestone REIT and KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has higher revenue and earnings than Whitestone REIT. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Whitestone REIT, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Volatility and Risk
Whitestone REIT has a beta of 1.2, meaning that its share price is 20% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a beta of 0.65, meaning that its share price is 35% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Dividends
Whitestone REIT pays an annual dividend of $0.43 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust pays an annual dividend of $1.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 8.3%. Whitestone REIT pays out 165.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust pays out 78.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Whitestone REIT has increased its dividend for 2 consecutive years. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.
Profitability
This table compares Whitestone REIT and KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings for Whitestone REIT and KKR Real Estate Finance Trust, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
Whitestone REIT presently has a consensus target price of $13.00, indicating a potential downside of 1.89%. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a consensus target price of $22.38, indicating a potential upside of 8.56%. Given KKR Real Estate Finance Trust’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe KKR Real Estate Finance Trust is more favorable than Whitestone REIT.
Summary
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust beats Whitestone REIT on 12 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.
Whitestone REIT Company Profile (Get Rating)
Whitestone REIT engages in the operation of commercial properties in culturally diverse markets of major metropolitan areas. The company was founded on August 20, 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Company Profile (Get Rating)
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc., a mortgage real estate investment trust, focuses primarily on originating and acquiring senior loans secured by commercial real estate (CRE) assets. It engages in the origination and purchase of credit investments related to CRE, including leveraged and unleveraged commercial mortgage loans, and commercial mortgage-backed securities. The company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust and would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
- 3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year
- The 10 Best Stocks to Own in 2022
- 7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
- 9 "MUST OWN" Growth Stocks
Receive News & Ratings for Whitestone REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitestone REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. | https://www.etfdailynews.com/2022/04/01/whitestone-reit-nysewsr-vs-kkr-real-estate-finance-trust-nysekref-financial-analysis/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:03Z |
UK farmers call for weedkiller ban over Parkinson’s fears
By Claire Marshall & Malcolm Prior
BBC Environment & Rural Affairs Team
- Published
Some British farmers are calling for a ban on the UK production of toxic weedkiller Paraquat, saying studies suggest it could be a factor in the onset of Parkinson's Disease. It comes as hundreds of US farm workers pursue a legal case against its manufacturer, alleging it knew the risk and failed to warn them.
Andy Pollard was once a farm manager who could leap into his tractor cab. But now his limbs are rigid and his body contorts with spasms. He has advanced Parkinson's Disease, and can no longer control his own movements.
He spent decades spraying herbicides on his land and, unaware of any danger, didn't use protective equipment.
"Paraquat was a really good thing to use - or so we thought," his wife Sue says. "Andy would be driving around the fields and the spray would be going everywhere."
She had thought it was a coincidence that the only people she knew with Parkinson's were farm workers, then read about the potential connection with the chemical.
"Why hasn't it been regulated and stopped?" she asks. "We've got a lot of people in the same situation."
Paraquat was first manufactured in the UK in the early 1960s and is sold globally - 377 companies have registered it for sale.
It is one of the world's most popular and effective herbicides, millions of farmers have used it to kill weeds. But it is also one of the most dangerous and has caused thousands of poisoning deaths.
Its manufacturer Syngenta says claims of a link between Paraquat and Parkinson's are not supported by scientific evidence, stating it has undergone more than 1,200 safety studies.
Andy regularly visits a Dorset farm run by charity Countrymen UK, founded by Julie Plumley after her father John was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
The 30-acre working farm sells beef and lamb. In the yard, instead of tractors is a fleet of mobility scooters. "The farmers come here not because they're ill," Julie explains, "but because they want to get on with living."
Parkinson's Disease is believed to be the world's fastest-growing neurological condition. It affects neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra.
It is degenerative, gradually leading to tremors and stiffness in the limbs. Global studies show rural, agricultural areas often have higher rates of the disease.
Julie explains her childhood farm was owned by the local council, so her father had to meet certain conditions. "He had to use chemicals, because if you got too many dock leaves or thistles, they could take money away from you. Paraquat was the pesticide all the farmers used."
He would carry a backpack filled with the chemical and spend hours hand-spraying the fields. "He would have his sleeves rolled up, his arms bare, the liquid dripping down."
John developed the disease in his 40s and always believed there was a connection to the chemicals. His suspicion deepened when his neighbour Ken Barnes was diagnosed around the same time - he was also in his 40s and had also been using Paraquat for years.
Ken now visits Julie's farm. He has a twinkle in his eye, but his clarity of speech has gone. "It's a horrible disease," says his wife Sue. "It's taken his life away."
She says its manufacture in the UK and export should be stopped. "I wouldn't want my son, who's got farming qualifications, ending up like his father."
Paraquat has not been authorised for use in the EU since a court ruling in 2007. That is still the case in the UK after Brexit but it is still made - under the brand name Gramoxone - at Syngenta's plant in Huddersfield. It is exported to countries such as the US, Japan and Australia, with a fifth of exports going to the developing world.
In the US, nearly 900 farmers and field workers have joined forces to sue the manufacturer, claiming not only is there a link between Paraquat and Parkinson's, but that Syngenta has deliberately hidden the health risks from the authorities.
Syngenta rejects the claims made in the remaining multidistrict litigation case, which is due to come to court later this year.
The company's most recent financial statement shows that the company has already paid $187.5bn into a settlement fund. But it said the company believes that all of these claims are without merit and the payment is simply to keep the claims from going any further.
Toxicologist Prof John Heylings worked for Syngenta and its predecessor companies for more than 20 years. After retiring, he turned whistleblower, and has given evidence as an expert witness in the US legal action.
He said farmers who used it without protective equipment, damaging their skin, should be worried. "If they went out the next day and actually used it again, and the next day, you could absorb more Paraquat through the skin, into the blood and then into the brain," he says.
"The issue is really does it actually cause Parkinson's when it gets into the brain? That's one of the key issues around the whole exposure. And if this chemical does cause Parkinson's, who is responsible?"
There is no scientific consensus and many conflicting studies on any possible association between Paraquat and Parkinson's.
In the UK, research charity Cure Parkinson's said exposure was "a well-recognised environmental risk factor" but Parkinson's UK said studies show "a small increased risk" at most.
In the US, a 17-year-long study found Paraquat contributed to Parkinson's onset and progression. And research by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - part of the US Department of Health - found people who used Paraquat developed Parkinson's two-and-a-half times more often than non-users.
But there are scientists who believe Syngenta is putting profit before product safety and public health.
Prof Heylings has a Syngenta regulatory strategy document from 2003 written while Paraquat was still being used by UK farmers. Its author acknowledges a growing number of studies "citing a correlation between incidence of Parkinson's Disease and herbicide use, including Paraquat".
He explains: "Syngenta are trying to influence researchers who are working on Paraquat and also influence the direction of the research because the last thing Syngenta wants is a big blow up on Parkinson's. So the strategy was to downplay anything to do with the potential neurotoxicity of Paraquat that could lead to Parkinson's."
It said: "In our view, Jon Heylings is technically not qualified to comment on Paraquat and Parkinson's Disease. He is certainly not aware of Syngenta's research on the issue, which was mostly conducted from 2008 onwards, after he left the company. We spent tens of millions of dollars investigating Paraquat and Parkinson's disease - and this figure doesn't include the monetary value of internal expert time."
In a statement, Syngenta said it had invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the product lifetime to ensure its safety.
"Paraquat has been the subject of more than 1,200 safety studies submitted to, and reviewed by, regulatory authorities around the world. Recent thorough reviews performed by the most advanced and science-based regulatory authorities including the United States and Australia continue to support the view that Paraquat is safe."
Photos by Claire Marshall
See the full story on Countryfile on BBC1 at 17:30 BST on 3 April and afterwards on the iPlayer. | https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60836892 | 2022-04-01T00:56:04Z |
NEW YORK, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), a leading provider of financial market indices, and MSCI Inc. (MSCI), a leading provider of research-based indices and analytics, have conducted their annual review of the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) structure.
The annual GICS methodology review is intended to ensure that the GICS structure continues to appropriately represent the global equity markets and, thereby, enable asset owners, asset managers and investment research specialists to make consistent global comparisons by industry. The GICS structure revision is the result of a consultation with market participants.
Based on the consultation feedback received, S&P DJI and MSCI have concluded that the proposed changes related to the reclassification of renewable energy companies and the consolidation of Diversified Banks and Regional Banks will not be implemented due to lack of market consensus. All other changes proposed in the consultation will be implemented.
The changes to the GICS structure will be implemented in GICS Direct and S&P DJI's indices after the close of business (ET) on Friday, March 17, 2023. A select list of large market capitalization companies affected by the changes will be announced no later than June 30, 2022. The full list of companies affected by these changes will be made available to clients no later than December 15, 2022. MSCI will consult with clients regarding implementation in their indexes.
The results of the consultation and changes to the GICS structure in 2023 are summarized below.
CLASSIFICATION OF RETAILERS
The retail landscape has evolved over the years as retailers are opting to pursue an omni-channel approach to sell their products rather than sticking with mainly brick-and-mortar retail or purely online channels. The demarcation between General Merchandise Stores and Department Stores has diminished as well, since both formats are comprised of retail spaces primarily selling consumer discretionary goods. Retailers that are generating a majority of revenue or earnings from consumable staple items such as food, household, and personal care products warrant a consolidation under the Consumer Staples Sector.
Market feedback concerning the proposals for retailers was generally favorable. S&P DJI and MSCI will discontinue Internet & Direct Marketing Retail and classify companies according to the nature of goods sold, merge General Merchandise Stores and Department Stores into a new Sub-Industry called Broadline Retail, shift consumable merchandise sellers to the Consumer Staples Sector, and update the GICS nomenclature for select Retail classifications by replacing the word "Stores" with "Retail".
CLASSIFICATION OF DATA PROCESSING & OUTSOURCED SERVICES
Companies classified as Data Processing & Outsourced Services offer services either customized for select industries such as human resources or travel or to diverse industries, as is the case with transaction and payment processing companies offering payment related transaction and payment processing services by connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, digital partners, businesses, and other organizations. These support activities are closely aligned with the business support activities covered under the Industrials Sector rather than the Information Technology Sector, and with the Financials Sector in the case of payment processors.
Market feedback concerning the proposal for Data Processing & Outsourced Services was generally favorable. Data Processing & Outsourced Services Sub-Industry under the Information Technology Sector will be discontinued and will be moved to the Industrials Sector with an updated definition. In addition, transaction and payment processing companies will be reclassified to a newly created Sub-Industry called Transaction and Payment Processing Services under the Financials Sector. Payroll processing companies will be moved to the Industrials Sector under the Human Resource & Employment Services Sub-Industry with an updated definition. Companies offering travel related data processing and outsourced services will be moved to the Consumer Discretionary Sector under the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines Sub-Industry.
CLASSIFICATION OF BANKS AND THRIFTS & MORTGAGE FINANCE
The Banks Industry Group comprised of Diversified Banks, Regional Banks, and Thrifts/Savings Banks has evolved over the years with respect to the geographic footprints of these businesses, the laws governing them, and the variety of services being offered. Further, Mortgage Finance, where revenue is more fee-based than interest income based, are distinct from Banks as they mainly offer mortgage finance related products & services for commercial & residential real estate properties. In order to capture these changes, it was proposed to merge Diversified Banks, Regional Banks, and Thrifts/Savings Banks into a single Sub-Industry. And it was proposed to discontinue the Thrifts & Mortgage Finance Sub-Industry under the Banks Industry Group and create a new Commercial & Residential Mortgage Finance Sub-Industry under the Diversified Financials Industry Group (to be renamed Financial Services).
Market feedback concerning the proposal for Banks was mixed, but favorable for the Thrifts & Mortgage Finance. Most clients expressed a desire to retain a distinction between Diversified Banks and Regional Banks, although they found merit in merging Thrifts and Savings Banks into an expanded Regional Banks Sub-Industry. In addition, feedback was in favor of discontinuing the Thrifts & Mortgage Finance Sub-Industry under the Banks Industry Group and creating a new Commercial & Residential Mortgage Finance Sub-Industry under the Diversified Financials Industry Group (to be renamed Financial Services). Hence, the proposal will be partially adopted. There will be no change to the Diversified Banks Sub-Industry, Thrifts/Savings banks will be merged with Regional Banks, and the change for Thrifts and Mortgage Finance Sub-Industry will be implemented as proposed.
CLASSIFICATION OF EQUITY REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITs)
The companies structured as REITs generally focus on distinct property types such as retail properties, data centers, telecom towers, etc., and only a small percentage of these companies invest in diverse property types.
Market feedback concerning the proposal for Equity REITs was generally favorable. Clients confirmed that there is interest in creating additional granularity for REITs to help investors track the increased specialization in the REITs space. It was proposed that Residential REITs will be split into 2 distinct Sub-Industries and Specialized REITs will be split into 5 Sub-Industries. In addition, 8 Industries for REITs and a new Industry Group for Equity REITs will be created. A new Real Estate Management & Development Industry Group and Industry will also be created. Since the consultation feedback concerning the proposals for Equity REITs was largely favorable, the changes will be implemented as proposed.
CLASSIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION
The Trucking Sub-Industry includes a mix of companies providing cargo/goods and passenger ground transportation services. The passenger ground transportation business has evolved over the years through the development of online apps and marketplaces for taxis and on-demand ride sharing, as well as consumer bicycle and scooter rental platforms. In addition, these companies are distinct from those offering cargo/goods ground transportation services.
Market feedback supported the reasoning behind separating passenger land transportation from cargo/goods land transportation. The Trucking Sub-Industry will be split into two new Sub-Industries to be called Passenger Ground Transportation and Cargo Ground Transportation. For additional clarity, the Airlines Industry and Sub-Industry will also be renamed as Passenger Airlines to better reflect the companies classified there.
CLASSIFICATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANIES
The consultation proposals related to the classification of renewable energy companies will not be adopted at this time. Although there is a rapid growth in investment and capacity in the renewable energy generation space that is transforming the competitive landscape of both the Energy and Utilities Sectors, with renewable energy generation sources becoming significant competitors to traditional energy source providers, feedback from clients and additional internal analysis suggests that there is not a consensus yet on how to reflect these changes in the GICS structure. It is likely that this topic will be revisited in a future structure review by S&P DJI and MSCI.
UPDATE TO GICS DEFINITION: CLASSIFICATION OF CANNABIS
The cannabis industry has expanded rapidly in recent years due to an ease in regulations and increased discovery of uses for a variety of applications. The legality of recreational usage is still inconsistent globally, whereas legal medicinal use is more widespread. Additional uses are still in a nascent stage. In addition, market feedback was also mixed and hence, the Pharmaceuticals Sub-Industry definition will not be updated at this time.
ADDITIONAL UPDATES IN SELECT GICS INDUSTRY AND SUB-INDUSTRY NAMES
Various GICS Industry and Sub-Industry names will be updated to increase clarity and consistency across the GICS structure, in addition to above changes.
The new GICS structure will consist of 11 Sectors, 25 Industry Groups, 74 Industries and 163 Sub-Industries.
For a detailed document covering the upcoming changes, please visit S&P Dow Jones Indices' web site at www.spdji.com and MSCI's web site at www.msci.com.
ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES
S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes that have helped define the way investors measure and trade the markets.
S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji.
For more information:
S&P Dow Jones Indices:
Index_services@spglobal.com
Media Inquiries:
spdji_communications@spglobal.com
ABOUT MSCI
MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 50 years of expertise in research, data and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process.
For more information, visit us at www.msci.com
Sam Wang +1 212 804 5244
Melanie Blanco +1 212 981 1049
Laura Hudson +44 20 7336 9653
EMEA Client Service + 44 20 7618.2222
Americas Client Service +1 888 588 4567 (toll free)
Asia Pacific Client Service + 852 2844 9333
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER
This document has been prepared by MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its affiliates ("S&P Dow Jones Indices") solely for informational purposes. All of the information contained herein, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, charts (collectively, the "Information") is the property of MSCI, S&P Dow Jones Indices, or their respective affiliates. The Information may not be reproduced or redisseminated in whole or in part without prior written permission from MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices.
The Information may not be used to create derivative works or to verify or correct other data or information. For example (but without limitation), the Information may not be used to create indices, databases, risk models, analytics, software, or in connection with the issuing, offering, sponsoring, managing or marketing of any securities, portfolios, financial products or other investment vehicles utilizing or based on, linked to, tracking or otherwise derived from the Information.
The user of the Information assumes the entire risk of any use it may make or permit to be made of the Information. NEITHER MSCI, S&P DOW JONES INDICES, S&P, NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION (OR THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE USE THEREOF). TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, MSCI, S&P DOW JONES INDICES, S&P AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE) WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION.
Without limiting any of the foregoing and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall MSCI, S&P Dow Jones Indices, S&P or any of their respective affiliates have any liability regarding any of the Information for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential (including lost profits) or any other damages even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Information containing any historical information, data or analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance, analysis, forecast or prediction. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
None of the Information constitutes an offer to sell (or a solicitation of an offer to buy), any security, financial product or other investment vehicle.
The Information does not, and is not intended to, recommend, endorse, approve or otherwise expresses any opinion regarding any issuer, security, financial product or trading strategy and none of the Information is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such.
View original content:
SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/04/01/sampp-dow-jones-indices-msci-announce-revisions-global-industry-classification-standard-gics-structure-2023/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:04Z |
Skippy recalls products over possible steel fragments
Skippy Foods voluntarily recalled 161,692 pounds of peanut butter due to the possibility of a limited number of jars containing a small fragment of stainless steel.
Examined
Examined
The fight for Kyiv
Mar 11Examining extremism in the military
Apr 27Gun violence: An American epidemic?
Oct 25Border crisis: What’s happening at the US-Mexico border?
Jun 18Remembering George Floyd: A year of protest
May 25The source of COVID-19: What we know
Apr 07How did the GameStop stock spike on Wall Street happen?
Feb 12Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine?
Dec 10How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain
Sep 29Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot
Feb 232020 in review: A year unlike any other
Dec 22Examined: How Putin keeps power
Mar 12Why don’t the Electoral College and popular vote always match up?
Oct 29US crosses 250,000 coronavirus deaths
Nov 182nd Impeachment Trial: What this could mean for Trump
Feb 08Presidential transition of power: Examined
Dec 01How Donald Trump spent his last days as president
Jan 18How Joe Biden's inauguration will be different from previous years
Jan 15Belarus’ ongoing protests: Examined
Dec 04Trump challenges the vote and takes legal action
Nov 052020’s DNC and RNC are different than any before
Aug 17What is happening with the USPS?
Aug 20Voting in 2020 during COVID-19
Oct 13Disinformation in 2020
Oct 30
ABC News Specials on
24 Months That Changed the World
Have You Seen This Man?
Two Men at War
Putin's War: The Battle to Save Ukraine
Screen Queens Rising
X / o n e r a t e d - The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice
Homegrown: Standoff to Rebellion
Alec Baldwin: Unscripted
The Housewife and the Shah Shocker
City of Angels | City of Death
3212 UN-REDACTED
The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland
Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier
Wild Crime
Final Hours, America’s Longest War
Superstar
The Housewife and the Hustler
Tulsa's Buried Truth
GameStopped
24 Hours: Assault on the Capitol | https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/skippy-recalls-products-steel-fragments-83799202 | 2022-04-01T00:56:05Z |
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On March 30, 2022, United State Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that a grand jury found a man guilty of the murder of a Loomis Armored Guard, Hector Trochez in 2013.
According to court documents, 30-year-old Curtis Johnson Jr. from New Orleans is charged with Conspiracy to Obstruct and Obstruction of Commerce by Robbery, Murder, and Violations of the Federal Gun Control Act.
Records show that the incident happened on the morning of December 18, 2013, at the intersection of S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenues.
According to reports, Curtis Johnson, George, Ofomata, and Jeremy Esteves robbed a Loomis armored vehicle at the location as it was making a delivery of approximately $265,000 to the Chase Bank.
Documents say, the victim, Hector Trochez prepared to make a delivery when George and Ofomata, both armed, exited the vehicle and ordered Trochez to give up the money.
After the threat, Trochez reportedly fired at the robbers. Ofomata and George fired their weapons in Trochez’s direction.
After that, Johnson reportedly, fired at the Loomis truck to keep the driver inside.
Trochez was fatally struck on the left side of his forehead and suffered a graze wound to his elbow.
One of the robbers ran towards the rear of the Loomis truck and took possession of the money bag before re-entering a Tahoe.
The robbers fled the Chase Bank parking lot.
The New Orleans Police Department recovered Tahoe the suspects fled in and searched it.
During the search, FBI Agents located two screwdrivers on the floorboard and a bandana on the console to test the DNA.
According to the Agents, DNA from one of the screwdrivers was from George, and the DNA recovered from the bandana was confirmed was Curtis Johnson Jr.
Johnson faces a maximum term of life imprisonment and will be sentenced on July 13, 2022. | https://wgno.com/news/crime/jury-finds-man-guilty-of-2013-murder-of-loomis-armored-guard/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:05Z |
WWF report says online wildlife trade on rise in Myanmar
A report by the World Wildlife Fund shows illegal trading in wildlife online is growing in Myanmar in a threat both to public health and to endangered species
WWF report says online wildlife trade on rise in Myanmar
Show all 6A report by the World Wildlife Fund shows illegal purchases of wildlife online are growing in Myanmar in a threat both to public health and to endangered species.
The report released Friday found that enforcement of bans on such transactions has weakened amid political turmoil following a 2021 military takeover.
The number of such dealings rose 74% over a year earlier to 11,046, nearly all of them involving sales of live animals. For the 173 species traded, 54 are threatened with global extinction, the report said.
Researchers identified 639 Facebook accounts belonging to wildlife traders. The largest online trading group had more than 19,000 members and dozens of posts per week, it said.
The animals bought and sold included elephants, bears and gibbons, Tibetan antelope, critically endangered pangolins and an Asian giant tortoise. The most popular were various species of monkeys, often bought as pets.
Most of the animals advertised for sale were taken from the wild. They also included civets, which along with pangolins have been identified as potential vectors in the spread of diseases such as SARS and COVID-19.
Shaun Martin, who heads the WWF's Asia-Pacific regional cybercrime project, said monitoring of the online wildlife trade shows different species being kept close together, sometimes in the same cage.
“With Asia’s track record as a breeding ground for many recent zoonotic diseases, this sharp uptick in online trade of wildlife in Myanmar is extremely concerning,” he said.
The unregulated trade in wild species and resulting interactions between wild species and humans raise the risks of new and possibly vaccine-resistant mutations of illnesses such as the COVID-19 that could evolve undetected in non-human hosts into more dangerous variants of disease, experts say.
COVID-19 is one of many diseases traced back to animals. The killing and sale of what is known as bushmeat in Africa was thought to be a source for Ebola. Bird flu likely came from chickens at a market in Hong Kong in 1997. Measles is believed to have evolved from a virus that infected cattle.
“Illegal wildlife trade is a serious concern from the point of view of biodiversity preservation and conservation and its potential impact on health security," said Mary Elizabeth G. Miranda, an expert on zoonotic diseases and illness and CEO of the Field Epidemiology Training Program Alumni Foundation in the Philippines.
Social media and other online platforms have joined a worldwide effort to crack down on the thriving trade in birds, reptiles, mammals and animal parts. In Myanmar, much of the trade in wildlife is through Facebook, which as a member of the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking online has taken action to block or remove accounts of people engaged in such transactions.
But as is true elsewhere, new accounts often pop up just as soon as old ones are shut down, hindering enforcement, the report noted. Easy online access to the animals also is driving up demand, worsening the problem.
Discussions of purchases of protected species often took place in open Facebook groups, suggesting that such dealings remain “largely risk-free,” the report said. Since payments and deliveries often are done using messenger apps, controlling the problem is doubly difficult.
Highlighting the lack of enforcement, people in the illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar often use rudimentary methods of moving the animals and animal products around — with buses being the usual form of transport.
The study by WWF in Myanmar focused on trade online of animals and other creatures inside the country, though there were some imports from neighboring Thailand, mainly of birds such as hornbills and salmon crested cockatoos, and of crocodiles, to India.
Some deals might involve animals or parts being sent into China, it said.
The conservation group said it plans future studies to better understand Myanmar’s role in the global trade in endangered species.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/facebook-ap-wwf-ceo-social-media-b2048705.html | 2022-04-01T00:56:05Z |
How Sen. John Thune can rescue the GOP from Trump in 2024
Last year when writing about the 2022 midterm elections, I spoke with Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Chairman Matt Schlapp, who proclaimed, “If Trump runs again, he is essentially the incumbent.”
Fast forward to last week’s CPAC gathering, where former President Trump practically announced his run for what I call “re-relection,” boasting, “We did it twice. And we’ll do it again.”
CPAC’s straw poll results confirmed Trump’s predominance for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination among the 2,500 Trump-loyal attendees who voted. Even though he was twice-impeached and twice lost the popular vote, Trump won 59 percent at CPAC — more than double the 28 percent of votes earned by his closest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
During that September conversation with Schlapp, I asked the influential CPAC leader if he thought “Trump would have primary opposition or be crowned the nominee without a fight?” Schlapp’s answer was politically sound:
“I think Trump will have primary opponents, a lane of never-Trump, and I don’t know how many there will be. President Trump should want these opponents because he is much better in the ring when competing against somebody. I don’t know if I can see him just getting coronated. I don’t know how he would react to that — he is so used to fighting! But Trump will be a better candidate if he has to take someone on immediately. I believe primaries can be a good thing.”
Yes, presidential primaries have always been a “good thing” because sometimes leading candidates don’t filter well when running through strainers.
However, if Trump is “essentially the incumbent,” who wants to risk their political career and party standing by angering a cult-like base of Trump worshippers? Who will be brave enough to get in the ring and bloody the nose of the world’s heavyweight bully? Are any prominent Republican leaders willing to “primary” Trump — if only to prevent him from arguing that primaries are a waste of time and money and should be canceled?
May I suggest someone absent from CPAC and their 2024 presidential candidate straw poll? His name is Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). Who? If you are unfamiliar with Thune, he is the minority whip and second-ranking GOP senator strongly allied with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Popular among his colleagues, Thune is a potential successor to McConnell — if, at age 80, McConnell retires before his term ends in January 2027.
What follows is the political rationale for Thune 2024 — even though he is virtually unknown to most Republicans and Americans. Let’s begin with Thune’s historic Senate election.
From Jan. 3, 1995, until Jan. 3, 2005, Senate Democrats were led by a Washington powerhouse from South Dakota named Tom Daschle. Sen. Daschle ruled as either minority or majority leader. By 2004, a half-century had passed since a Senate leader of either party had been defeated by his home-state voters. More reason why Republicans rejoiced on Nov. 2, 2004, when Daschle was defeated by John Thune, a former three-term congressman. Sen. Thune was welcomed to the Senate as a rising star and giant-slaying hero. Moreover, at 6’4” and ruggedly handsome, Thune ranked #9 on The Hill’s 2005 “Most Beautiful People” list.
Today, Sen. Thune ranks first on the “list” of most powerful but nationally unknown Senate Republican leaders. That is quite a feat at a time when senators work overtime spewing nonsense to increase their social media following and cable TV bookings. And double overtime when up for reelection — as Thune is for his fourth term in November. Nonetheless, Thune should cruise to victory according to his solid red ranking on the Cook Political Report.
In part, the answer to why Thune should contest Trump is attributed to legendary baseball manager Yogi Berra: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” My former party is at that fork, stuck in Trump’s mud. Therefore, if willing, Thune could be a compromise candidate able to attract long-time GOP voters like me back into the party to imagine a future without Trump. As a Senate leader, he understands the potential insanity of a Trump run and is deaf to the bullying.
For example, in December 2020, when Trump’s loyal GOP House and Senate members were planning to overturn the Electoral College, Thune said, “it would go down like a shot dog.” On cue, Trump resorted to name-calling on Twitter threatening Senate Minority Whip Thune, writing: “RINO [Republican In Name Only] John Thune, ‘Mitch’s boy,’ should just let it play out. South Dakota doesn’t like weakness. He will be primaried in 2022, political career over!!!” Thune ignored the president’s rant.
Thune could brand himself as a “post-Trump era, no drama” Republican presidential candidate who knows his way around Capitol Hill from his Senate leadership perch. Just imagine Thune with Trump on a primary debate stage. The senator could offer primary voters a safe, knowledgeable alternative to a legally-challenged, reelection sore loser who threatened our democratic system but still controls the GOP through fear and intimidation.
Moreover, Thune could remind the public why Joe Biden defeated Trump in 2020 — the promise of a return to normalcy without the daily upheaval. Although Biden is unpopular, if Trump is careening toward the nomination, Thune might craft a campaign message based on electing the GOP version of a stable, experienced adult.
Thune speaks out against Trump but only in small doses and usually in a group of GOP senators. On Tuesday, Leader McConnell and Sen. Thune were out front pushing back hard on Trump’s praise of Putin while voicing support for Ukraine and NATO.
Unlike Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Thune is not the Senate’s anti-Trump, go-to-media-man — a smart move befitting what could be a political rationale not to alienate Trump supporters who may be seeking an off-ramp.
For the early lead-up to the 2024 presidential campaign, Thune is off-stage, avoiding taking “the fork in the road.” But if Republicans want an even-keeled, no-nonsense, well-versed, conservative leader to stop Trump, John Thune might offer a path through the fork. And remember, never underestimate a man who earned his Senate seat by toppling a Washington giant. Like Trump, Thune knows how to fight.
Myra Adams writes about politics and religion for numerous publications. She is a RealClearPolitics contributor and served on the creative team of two GOP presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008. Follow her on Twitter @MyraKAdams.
The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. | https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/596836-how-sen-john-thune-can-rescue-the-gop-from-trump-in-2024/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:03Z |
An Evening with Judy Heumann: Internationally Renowned Disability Rights Advocate
Judy Heumann is an international disability and civil rights activist, as well as ‘the activist star’ in the Academy Award Nominated Documentary, Crip Camp. Ms. Heumann has made...
events.uiowa.edu | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556600841017/an-evening-with-judy-heumann-internationally-renowned-disability-rights-advocate | 2022-04-01T00:56:05Z |
We've got our resolvers and data source ready, but they don't know yet how to work together.
Apollo Server is where all the elements we've built previously (the schema, the resolvers, and the data sources) come together in perfect coordination.
In server/src/index.js
, where we configured our Apollo Server in Part I, we can now replace our mocks with resolvers.
Let's remove the mocks
object, as well as the mocks
property in the ApolloServer
constructor.
Next, let's import our resolvers
file at the top.
const resolvers = require('./resolvers');
And then add it to the ApolloServer
options.
const server = new ApolloServer({ typeDefs, resolvers});
1234
That's the resolvers taken care of.
Next, just below our resolvers
import, we'll require track-api
, our data source file (extending RESTDataSource
), and call it TrackAPI
(note the PascalCase convention, as we're dealing with the class here).
const TrackAPI = require('./datasources/track-api');
To connect our server with our TrackAPI
, we'll add the dataSources
key. This is what enables us to access the dataSources.trackAPI
(and its methods) from the context
parameter of our resolvers. Apollo Server takes care of all the plumbing for us, pretty neat!
To learn more about the options that ApolloServer
can receive, check out the documentation.
This is what our server configuration will look like when it's finished:
const server = new ApolloServer({ typeDefs, resolvers, dataSources: () => { return { trackAPI: new TrackAPI() }; }});
123456789
Code Challenge!
ApolloServer
options with the dataSources
key for a RestDataSource
Class named SpaceCatsAPI
, that we need to access at dataSources.spaceCatsAPI
from our resolver. (Watch out, this is case sensitive!)Why do we need to configure the dataSources
key in ApolloServer
options?
Our server is now fully configured to work with live data. | https://www.apollographql.com/tutorials/lift-off-part2/connecting-the-dots-in-server-land | 2022-04-01T00:56:06Z |
The Hernder family is weighing its options in the wake of Saturday’s fire that caused $7 million in damage to its west St. Catharines winery, while the community reaches out with offers to help.
The family posted a statement on social media Wednesday evening, saying it is “extremely thankful to share everyone is safe,” after four people were sent to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
They have since been released and are recovering at home, the family reported.
Although the cause of the blaze that destroyed the winery’s banquet halls, wine store, offices, kitchen and workers apartments at 1607 Eighth Ave. Louth is classified as unknown, the family said foul play has been ruled out.
“We don’t yet know what’s next, but we will update here (on the winery’s Facebook page) when we know,” the statement said.
The family said it is “still processing this life-changing event as a family and we appreciate everyone respecting our privacy at this time.”
Meanwhile, the community and local agriculture industry is doing what it can to help the family that was quick to respond when others have faced adversity.
After a fire devastated a 4,645-square-metre greenhouse complex at Pioneer Farms in August 2019 — including the homes and possessions of roughly 50 migrant labourers — the Hernder family immediately took action, collecting donations to help the displaced workers.
“They’re our neighbours,” Fred Hernder said at the time. “If the shoe was on the other foot, they’d be doing it for us.”
Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the neighbouring business has not forgotten the Hernder family’s generosity.
Pioneer Farms controller Rose Davison said the business is providing accommodations to Hernder Estate Wines workers who had been living in the apartments destroyed by Saturday’s late-night fire.
“They were displaced so we’re helping out with that,” she said, while recalling the support Pioneer Farms received following its fire.
“It was nice to see the community come together, like Hernders,” she said.
Although Pioneer Farms “lost pretty much everything” in its fire, Davison said the businesses has since fully recovered.
“We’re 100 per cent up and running since last year, and we have a beautiful new place. Out of that came something a little bit positive, I guess, but I know what they’re going through. It’s devastating. It’s horrible to see all your life’s work just go up in flames.”
Grape Growers of Ontario chief executive officer Debbie Zimmerman said her organization has reached out to the Hernder family as well.
“We have many members who are related and family, so it is a work in progress to make sure you don’t overstep your bounds, but we’ll work with the family and see what we can do,” Zimmerman said.
“We need to do the same thing as we always have as a community — come together to provide some support where it’s most needed.”
Zimmerman said the fire was discussed at this week’s Grape Growers of Ontario board meeting.
“They’re part of our community ... It’s not just the grape growers and wine makers. Like Pioneer Farms, they’re part of that intricate fabric that makes up Niagara and we’re an agricultural community.”
In its statement, the Hernder family thanked emergency responders “for their diligent efforts,” as well as neighbours for their support “during the fire and always, and all of you for your outpouring of support, prayers and love.”
“For everyone who is concerned for our barn cats, please know they are all fine and still being fed,” the family added.
Although the fire destroyed Hernder’s main wine store, its products are still available at its Hernder on 4th location inside Harvest Barn fruit and vegetable market at 1179 Fourth Ave.
The family is asking customers, such as wedding parties, impacted by the fire to send email to fire@hernder.com, and include their names, function date and the location where the event was to be held.
“Due to the fire destroying all documents, computers, hard drives, etc. we, unfortunately, have no way of contacting individuals and organizations impacted,” the statement said.
“Emails will be responded to as soon as possible, but may take time as we are still navigating everything. We appreciate your understanding and patience.” | https://www.wellandtribune.ca/news/niagara-region/2022/03/31/impacted-customers-wedding-parties-asked-to-send-emails.html | 2022-04-01T00:56:07Z |
NDP calls for transparency for private insurance company reporting
'Now they have free rein to raise it as much as they want and no one is questioning it,' said Notley
Article content
Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley is accusing the UCP of hiding information about the profits of car insurance companies for the past two years.
Advertisement 2
Article content
The province has traditionally made the information readily available through a report produced by the superintendent of insurance, an official at Alberta Finance.
Notley said that though not required by legislation, the province has produced the report for 107 years but failed to do so in 2020 and 2021, which coincides with the government ending the cap on insurance increases.
“Now they have free rein to raise it as much as they want and no one is questioning it,” Notley said at a news conference Thursday. “Having a more clear picture of how much it has gone up definitely would happen if this report was produced.”
While in government, the NDP installed a five per cent cap on annual premium increases to slow the growth of the cost of insurance. The UCP government removed the cap in 2019 and Notley said that since then the cost of premiums has shot up, in some cases as high as 30 per cent. However, without the report it is difficult to see by how much and if it is justified — which she argues during two years of lockdowns claims should have decreased.
Advertisement 3
Article content
The NDP filed a freedom of information request for the 2020 report but received an email from a FOIP co-ordinator saying that due to “various factors, the Superintendent has chosen not to complete a report for 2020 and will likely not do so for 2021 either.”
The Insurance Act indicates only that the minister “may prepare and publish a report respecting the insurance undertaken by each licensed insurer during the previous year.”
The 107th annual superintendent of insurance report was published in November 2020, detailing the 2019 finances of private insurance companies in Alberta, covering all forms of insurance. The government’s online archive goes back to 2000. The reports include breakdowns of the premiums written and total claims for each insurance provider in each category. For auto insurance, it includes 81 different companies in 2019, writing $5.4 billion worth of premiums for $4.3 billion worth of claims.
Advertisement 4
Article content
Finance Minister Travis Toews said in an emailed statement on Thursday the financial information from federally incorporated insurance companies operating in Alberta can be found on the website of the federal Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Because of this, the superintendent gave notice in February that he was pausing the production of future reports. Additional information is available on request from his office.
The federal site produces the entire individual company’s financial statement, but the companies are not broken down by province or type of insurance. As of Thursday afternoon the site was not producing reports for download, citing complications from the pandemic.
Advertisement 5
Article content
Toews also said rates are no longer increasing, pointing to the Automobile Insurance Rate Board’s website, which is reporting a weighted average of approved rate changes over the previous 12 months (as of Feb. 28, 2022) of -0.66 per cent for private passenger vehicles and 0.01 per cent for commercial vehicles. The AIRB site, however, does not detail claims paid out by insurers and notes the rates will vary depending on jurisdiction within the province.
“The Automobile Insurance Rate Board is responsible for regulating rates,” he said. “We understand that the Automobile Insurance Rate Board is not approving further rate increases, unless an application demonstrates a rate change is absolutely necessary for an insurer to return to, or remain in, an adequate operating position.”
Twitter: @JoshAldrich03 | https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/ndp-calls-for-transparency-for-private-insurance-company-reporting | 2022-04-01T00:56:07Z |
is for sale
Your burning questions about domain sales, answered.
No matter what kind of domain you want to buy, lease or rent, we make the transfer simple and safe. It works like this:
Step 1: You buy, rent or lease the domain name
You will find the available purchasing options set by the seller for the domain name accordfire.co.uk on the right side of this page.
Step 2: We facilitate the transfer from the seller to you
Our transfer specialists will send you tailored transfer instructions and assist you with the process to obtain the domain name. On average, within 24 hours the domain name is all yours.
Step 3: Now that the domain is officially in your hands, we pay the seller.
And we’re done! Unless you require our assistance. Our transfer team is available for free post-transfer assistance. | https://dan.com/buy-domain/accordfire.co.uk | 2022-04-01T00:56:08Z |
It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these and we had a pretty miserable outing last time. We went 3/10 on results, the bettors went 4/10, For the season we are at 5.07 correct results per week to the bettors 5.31.
Matchday 30
Seeing that ‘30’ on the matchday always signals in my brain that we are down to the short rows of the season. Time is running out and if teams are going to make a move in any of the relevant races now is the time to do them. Villarreal is favored over a very desperate Levante team and both teams need a win there pretty badly. I think it should make for good and intense football. Cadiz is favored over Valencia, Getafe and Mallorca are supposed to draw, and other than that the home teams are favored across the board. The biggest favorites this week are Barcelona being given an 87% chance to win at home versus Sevilla, which is a result that would put the Culers above the Andalusian side in the table. Sevilla are unbeaten in their last 15 La Liga matches, but seven out of the last ten have been draws. Xavi’s side, meanwhile, have been playing the best football in La Liga over the last couple months and obliterated El Clasico rivals Real Madrid their last time out.
If Espanyol could upset the prediction and get a result against Real Sociedad, it would be a massive boost to Villarreal. We need to stay within touching distance of La Real because in matchday 37 we go head to head in what very well may determine 6th place barring a Real Betis collapse. Depending on how Betis vs Valencia goes in the April 23rd Copa Del Rey final, 7th place could be out of Europe entirely. | https://www.villarrealusa.com/2022/3/31/23004447/la-liga-matchday-30-odds-bets-predictions-barcelona-real-betis-madrid-sociedad-sevilla-villarreal | 2022-04-01T00:56:09Z |
The Grand, Oshkosh Arena and a downtown wine walk offer plenty of entertainment options this spring
OSHKOSH – The birds are chirping, the temperatures are — somewhat — rising, and as precautionary measures are loosened with COVID-19 cases declining, it's possible to consider in-person entertainment again this spring.
Fortunately, there are plenty of options for those ready to venture out in Oshkosh.
Downtown Saturday Night series continues
The Grand Oshkosh debuted its Downtown Saturday Night series as a way to fill their open weekends with an affordable night on the town in February.
The series continues with Green Bay singer-songwriter Amelia Ford, who will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2.
Other Downtown Saturday Night performers this spring include:
- Matt Peters and The Nerdweasels, a new project from the pop-punk band Page 2's front man, Matt Peters, on April 16.
- The Cheese Doodles, a new duo featuring former RPM members Chris Okkerse and Mark Budwit, on April 30.
- Americana singer-songwriter and Wisconsin native Rob Anthony, on May 7.
- Local duo Sundae + Mr. Goessl's "Dreamland" album release with vocalist Kate Voss and guitarist Jason Goessl on May 21.
All tickets for the Downtown Saturday Night Series are $10. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Learn more and purchase tickets at thegrandoshkosh.org.
MORE:Five things to know about Oshkosh's 2022 State of the City address
Oshkosh Arena hosts rockers — and cornhole competition
A backyard barbecue, day-drinking summer staple gets competitive this June when the Oshkosh Arena, 1212 S. Main St., hosts the American Cornhole Organization's Pro Invitational June 17 and 18.
The tournament will host a number of events for ACO pros and ACO members, with various cash prizes. Tickets to participate range from $30 to $80.
If a tour through time is more your thing, the arena's May 7 Decades of Decadence show will deliver. Tribute bands That Arena Rock Show and The Classic Rock Experience will cover songs from popular artists through the '70s and '80s such as AC/DC, Def Leppard, Pink Floyd, Journey and more. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show. Tickets are $25.
Or, check out the Australian-English rock duo Air Supply, who will be stopping at the Oshkosh Arena on May 14 as part of the group's Lost In Love Experience tour, featuring some of their most popular hits from several recent albums. The Doors open at 6 p.m.
Learn more and purchase tickets for any Oshkosh Arena events at oshkosharena.com/events.
Shop and sip with downtown businesses
Enjoy discounts at downtown businesses while sampling wine with Downtown Oshkosh's Spring Wine Walk: Derby Day from 2 to 6 p.m. May 7.
The event features up to 20 2-ounce wine samples at different businesses, which will offer specials. There are also opportunities to win prizes and each guest will receive a souvenir wine glass.
Attendees must be 21 years of age or older to participate and a valid ID is required. The cost is $35 or $10 for designated drivers.
Laugh out loud with husband-and-wife duo, local farce
Husband-and-wife comedy duo Tim Harmston and Mary Mack combine their national comedy headlining performances for a co-hosted show at 7:30 p.m. April 29 at The Grand Oshkosh, 100 High Ave.
Harmston and Mack each perform solo sets and end with a final "rebuttal," combined comedy set.
Tickets are $25 to $35 for general admission or $48 for suite seats and can be purchased at thegrandoshkosh.org. A livestream purchase option is also available.
The Oshkosh Community Players will present "Drop Dead!" May 26-28 at The Grand. The show is a farce that combines murder mystery with acting for what's sure to be a fun night.
"A group of washed-up actors are getting a second chance at a theater that needs a second chance itself," according to the show's description. "Join them on their journey as they take the stage once again, while trying to hold on to their careers ... and their lives."
Show times are at 7:30 p.m. May 26 and 27 and 2 p.m. May 28. Tickets are $15 for general admission or $21 for suite seats.
Visit thegrandoshkosh.org to purchase tickets or call 920-424-2350.
Enjoy tributes to your favorite artists
Several tribute bands and artists will be stopping at The Grand this spring.
Depending on your music tastes, there's something for everyone:
- American Idol finalist Tristan McIntosh performs the Linda Rondstadt Experience at 7:30 p.m. on April 7. Tickets are $23 or $33.
- James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash is a recreation of Cash's biggest hits at 7:30 p.m. April 9. General admission tickets range from $28 to $40.
- ACG presents Billy Prine & the Prine Time Band's Songs of John Prine on April 15. John Prine's younger brother, Billy, leads this tribute concert. Tickets are $35.50.
- TUSK, the "world's #1 tribute to Fleetwood Mac," performs on April 22. General admission is $29 or $39.
- The "only Liverpool-born Beatles tribute band," The Mersey Beatles, brings an all-new for 2022 tribute show on May 12. Tickets are $25 to $47.
- Chicago-based The Four C Notes recreate the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on May 14. General admission cost is $25 or $35.
Catch a female country group
The all-female country group named after a famous Bob Dylan Song, Farewell Angelina, performs at 7:30 p.m. April 23 at The Grand.
Each band member built her own solo career before coming together with their "stellar blend of heart-stopping harmonies." They've been among Rolling Stone's New Artists You Need to Know and Roughstock's Ones to Watch and this year are headlining their own Women & Wine Tour.
Tickets are $25 or $35 and can be purchased at thegrandoshkosh.org or by calling 920-424-2350. A livestream purchase option is also available.
Contact Katy Macek at kmacek@thenorthwestern.com or 920-426-6658. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMacek. | https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/31/grand-oshkosh-arena-offer-spring-entertainment-options/7167539001/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:09Z |
Parent of transgender child speaks out after Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signs anti-trans bills
PHOENIX - Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has signed bills banning transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams and prohibiting gender reassignment surgeries for minors.
The governor described Senate bills 1138 and 1165 as legislation to "protect female athletes" and "to ensure that individuals undergoing irreversible gender reassignment surgery are of adult age."
"This legislation is common-sense and narrowly-targeted to address these two specific issues — while ensuring that transgender individuals continue to receive the same dignity, respect and kindness as every individual in our society," Ducey said in a Twitter thread.
Two GOP governors last week bucked conservatives in their party and vetoed bills in Indiana and Utah requiring trans girls to play on boys sports teams.
Republicans have said blocking transgender players from girls sports teams would protect the integrity of women’s sports, fearing that trans athletes would have an advantage.
Many point to the transgender collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas, who won an individual title at the NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming and Diving Championship last week.
But there are few trans athletes in Arizona schools. Since 2017, about 16 trans athletes have received waivers to play on teams that align with their gender identities out of about 170,000 school-based athletes in the state, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
"This bill to me is all about biology," said Republican Rep. Shawnna Bolick, who said she played on a coed team in the 1980s but could not have made the high school boys team. "In my opinion, its unfair to allow biological males to compete with biological girls sports."
RELATED: Arizona lawmakers move forward with bill banning transgender girls on women's sports teams
Critics said the legislation dehumanizes trans youth to address an issue that hasn’t been a problem.
"We’re talking about legislating bullying against children who are already struggling just to get by," said Democratic Rep. Kelli Butler. fighting back tears.
Until two years ago, no state had passed a law regulating gender-designated youth sports. But the issue has become front-and-center in Republican-led statehouses since Idaho lawmakers passed the nation’s first sports participation law in 2020. It’s now blocked in court, along with another in West Virginia.
"This bill is creating a pointless and harmful solution to a non-existent issue," Skyler Morrison, a 13-year-old transgender girl, told lawmakers during a committee hearing earlier this month. "It’s obvious this bill is just an excuse to discriminate against transgender girls."
Republicans around the country have leaned into culture war issues including transgender rights. The debate and vote on the transgender sports legislation came the same morning the House considered and passed a ban on abortions after 15-week gestation. Republicans said little during debates on all three bills.
‘It is irreversible’
Arizona is one of 20 states that have considered legislation to restrict gender-affirming health care. The bill originally would have banned all such care for minors but was scaled back to restrict only irreversible procedures, such as surgeries related to gender reassignment.
Similar legislation passed the Idaho House earlier this month but it died in the Senate amid concerns from some Republicans about restricting parental rights.
Supporters of the Arizona bill said it would prevent children from making permanent decisions that they might later come to regret. Republican Rep. John Kavanagh compared the vote to the Legislature’s unanimous decision in years past to ban genital mutilation.
"We should stand the same way today because this is mutilation of children," Kavanagh said. "It is irreversible. It is horrific."
Critics said the decision should be left to parents, their children and the health care team caring for them. They said surgeries are only performed after extensive care and therapy.
"We’re talking about our kids, who are already going to be taking the proper steps with their parents to be able to be who they are," said Democratic Rep. Andres Cano.
The bill originally would have banned all gender-affirming care, including hormone therapies and puberty blockers but was scaled back in the Senate.
Similar legislation passed the Idaho House earlier this month but died in the Senate, where some Republicans said they were concerned about restricting parental rights.
Parents, advocates speak out
On March 30, a day after the bills were signed into law by Gov. Ducey, parents and advocates expressed their devastation.
"It was a punch," said Ai Binh Ho. "It takes away our rights to make decisions together with our children."
Ho's four-year-old daughter is transgender.
"For me to say ‘you’ll never be part of a team,' I just don’t even know what to say, how to tell her that," said Ho. "It takes away that hope that we have for her."
President Joe Biden, meanwhile, promised his administration will stand up for the transgender community.
"The onslaught of anti-transgender state laws attacking you and your families is simply wrong," said the President.
On March 30, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to states, warning it will go after states that practice unlawful discrimination based on gender identity. In response, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich tweeted ‘See you in court (again).'
In the meantime, some parents are now thinking about leaving Arizona, for the sake of their kids.
"You know when she reaches the age where she wants the surgery, and is ready for the surgery -- we know that the surgery decreases suicide, it is a lifeline for her -- I think we will have to move," said Ho.
More Arizona politics news
- Proposed Arizona law would ban cities from charging home rental taxes
- Arizona election audit: Final report finds no Maricopa County data issues
- Arizona Senate GOP revives controversial election bill
Tune in to FOX 10 Phoenix for the latest news
Advertisement | https://www.fox4news.com/news/parent-of-transgender-child-speaks-out-after-arizona-governor-doug-ducey-signs-anti-trans-bills | 2022-04-01T00:56:09Z |
Anti-social behaviour: Two million police reports go unattended
- Published
Nearly two million anti-social behaviour reports have gone unattended by 34 police forces in England and Wales over the past three years, new figures show.
The figures were released to the Liberal Democrats, who accused the government of being "soft on crime".
They show that 55.2% of all anti-social behaviour incidents recorded between 2019 and 2021 were not responded to.
The BBC has asked the Home Office to comment.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said the Conservative government had "let anti-social behaviour run rampant" after years of failing "to give police forces the officers or resources to tackle this scourge properly".
Funding for police forces in England and Wales has increased since 2016 after years of cuts, Home Office data shows.
In March, the government said it would allocate £150m over the next three years to help police and local authorities curb crime and anti-social behaviour.
It said previous rounds of funding had been invested in neighbourhood watch groups, increased CCTV and introducing wardens to undertake community engagement.
At the time, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the money would improve "the safety and security of areas blighted by crime".
In mid-2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out further measures to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour including more electronic tagging of burglars after release.
But, according to the Lib Dems, "too many people feel unsafe just walking down their own streets".
"Priti Patel can try to sound tough on crime, but the facts speak for themselves," Sir Ed said. "The Conservatives are soft on crime and they are letting our communities down."
The Lib Dems used Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to obtain the figures.
They showed that, in six police force areas, officers did not even attend one in three incidents of anti-social behaviour.
Surrey had the worst record with just 27.7% of anti-social behaviour incidents attended by an officer, followed by Humberside (28.5%), Bedfordshire (30%), Hertfordshire (30.4%), Cambridgeshire (32.3%) and Avon & Somerset Police (32.7%).
Only 14 of the 34 forces had an officer attend half or more of the incidents they recorded.
Other findings include:
- About 1.6 million of the 3.5 million incidents of anti-social behaviour reported to 34 police forces were attended by an officer (44.8%)
- 630,244 incidents of anti-social behaviour of the 1,434,150 reported to 34 police forces in 2020 were attended by an officer (43.9%)
- The five police forces with the most reports of anti-social behaviour in the three-year period were the Metropolitan Police (1,006,063), Lancashire (219,087), British Transport Police (157,176), Northumbria (154,443) and West Yorkshire (138,349) | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60947149 | 2022-04-01T00:56:10Z |
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Naomi Osaka’s eyes welled with tears when her match ended, an all-too-familiar scene for her in recent years.
These were of the happy variety.
For the former world No. 1, that’s major progress.
The unseeded Osaka defeated No. 22 Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday in the Miami Open semifinals. She’s in a championship match for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open, and will meet either No. 16 Jessica Pegula or No. 2 Iga Swiatek on Saturday.
“Damn, I’m almost crying,” Osaka said.
Maybe not even almost. She hid her face in an orange towel a few times right after the match ended, at least one tear clearly making its way down her right cheek. Osaka entered this tournament ranked No. 77 in the world, will leave Miami no worse than 36th and would be back in the top 30 if she wins the title.
It has been a long, trying and often emotional ride for Osaka since her win in the 2018 U.S. Open final over Serena Williams. She was rattled during a loss at Indian Wells on March 12 following a derogatory shout from a spectator, withdrew from last year’s French Open to address her mental state and left last year’s U.S. Open in tears.
But in South Florida, one of the places she considers home, it’s been all support from the fans.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Osaka told them in her on-court interview.
Pegula and Swiatek — who will replace the now-retired Ashleigh Barty as the No. 1-ranked women’s player in the world next week — were meeting in the other women’s semifinal on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev came into the tournament as the No. 2-ranked men’s player in the world. Hubert Hurkacz ensured he will stay there.
Hurkacz — the No. 8 seed and defending Miami champion — wore down the top-seeded and cramp-riddled Medvedev 7-6 (7), 6-3 on Thursday in a men’s quarterfinal.
“Every muscle just went ‘cramp, cramp, cramp, cramp,'” Medvedev said.
Had Medvedev prevailed, he would have overtaken Novak Djokovic on Monday and returned to No. 1 in the world rankings. Instead, the Russian will stay No. 2 in the world and find out who wins the Miami title on Sunday like everyone else.
“For me, it was more important in a way just to win the match itself than to become No. 1,” Medvedev said. “Winning the match, I saw it more as a bonus.”
Hurkacz, who is from Poland, will next meet either No. 14 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain or unseeded Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia in the semifinals. Kecmanovic and Alcaraz play in the last quarterfinal later Thursday.
“I was returning pretty well, I was putting some pressure on his serves and that was helping my game,” Hurkacz said. “I was able to get some free points on my serve and that was pretty big.”
The other semifinal pits sixth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway against unseeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.
Hurkacz has played Medvedev four times, and Medvedev has been ranked No. 2 in the world in each of those meetings — which they’ve now split. Hurkacz improved to 14-5 this year, and his record in Miami is 12-1 all-time.
“Coming here is so much fun,” Hurkacz said.
___
More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.fox44news.com/sports/hurkacz-wears-down-medvedev-in-miami-denies-him-no-1-rank/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:09Z |
ZENZO (ZNZ) traded down 3.5% against the US dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 20:00 PM ET on March 31st. Over the last week, ZENZO has traded 47.4% higher against the US dollar. One ZENZO coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.0132 or 0.00000029 BTC on exchanges. ZENZO has a total market cap of $391,433.01 and $2.00 worth of ZENZO was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.
Here’s how related cryptocurrencies have performed over the last 24 hours:
- Cardano (ADA) traded down 3.8% against the dollar and now trades at $1.14 or 0.00002509 BTC.
- Avalanche (AVAX) traded up 1% against the dollar and now trades at $97.21 or 0.00212982 BTC.
- TerraUSD (UST) traded down 0% against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00002195 BTC.
- Cronos (CRO) traded down 2.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.46 or 0.00001011 BTC.
- NEAR Protocol (NEAR) traded 5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $13.44 or 0.00029438 BTC.
- Uniswap (UNI) traded down 3.7% against the dollar and now trades at $11.37 or 0.00024920 BTC.
- Algorand (ALGO) traded up 0.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.94 or 0.00002057 BTC.
- Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $0.36 or 0.00000629 BTC.
- Hedera (HBAR) traded down 6.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.24 or 0.00000522 BTC.
- Elrond (EGLD) traded down 5.4% against the dollar and now trades at $188.13 or 0.00412200 BTC.
ZENZO Coin Profile
Xevan
hashing algorithm. It was first traded on September 30th, 2018. ZENZO’s total supply is 83,000,000 coins and its circulating supply is 29,667,006 coins. ZENZO’s official message board is medium.com/@zenzo_ecosystem. The Reddit community for ZENZO is https://reddit.com/r/ZENZO and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. ZENZO’s official Twitter account is @zenzo_ecosystem and its Facebook page is accessible here. The official website for ZENZO is www.zenzo.io.
According to CryptoCompare, “ZENZO is an all-encompassing ecosystem designed specifically for gamers and game developers. The foundation is the dedicated Proof of Stake gaming blockchain, known as ZENZO Blockchain. The multi-faceted driving force within this network is the ZENZO Coin, known as ZNZ. “
ZENZO Coin Trading
It is usually not currently possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as ZENZO directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade ZENZO should first purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Gemini, Coinbase or Changelly. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to purchase ZENZO using one of the aforementioned exchanges.
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
- 3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year
- The 10 Best Stocks to Own in 2022
- 7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
- 9 "MUST OWN" Growth Stocks
Receive News & Updates for ZENZO Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and updates for ZENZO and related cryptocurrencies with MarketBeat.com's FREE CryptoBeat newsletter. | https://www.etfdailynews.com/2022/04/01/zenzo-znz-price-reaches-0-0132-on-major-exchanges/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:10Z |
Custodian from Ukraine gets surprise from students
Lana Gazhenko, the beloved custodian of Oak Hill Elementary School in Covington, Georgia, received drawings and paintings of sunflowers - Ukraine’s national flower.
Examined
Examined
The fight for Kyiv
Mar 11Examining extremism in the military
Apr 27Gun violence: An American epidemic?
Oct 25Border crisis: What’s happening at the US-Mexico border?
Jun 18Remembering George Floyd: A year of protest
May 25The source of COVID-19: What we know
Apr 07How did the GameStop stock spike on Wall Street happen?
Feb 12Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine?
Dec 10How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain
Sep 29Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot
Feb 232020 in review: A year unlike any other
Dec 22Examined: How Putin keeps power
Mar 12Why don’t the Electoral College and popular vote always match up?
Oct 29US crosses 250,000 coronavirus deaths
Nov 182nd Impeachment Trial: What this could mean for Trump
Feb 08Presidential transition of power: Examined
Dec 01How Donald Trump spent his last days as president
Jan 18How Joe Biden's inauguration will be different from previous years
Jan 15Belarus’ ongoing protests: Examined
Dec 04Trump challenges the vote and takes legal action
Nov 052020’s DNC and RNC are different than any before
Aug 17What is happening with the USPS?
Aug 20Voting in 2020 during COVID-19
Oct 13Disinformation in 2020
Oct 30
ABC News Specials on
24 Months That Changed the World
Have You Seen This Man?
Two Men at War
Putin's War: The Battle to Save Ukraine
Screen Queens Rising
X / o n e r a t e d - The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice
Homegrown: Standoff to Rebellion
Alec Baldwin: Unscripted
The Housewife and the Shah Shocker
City of Angels | City of Death
3212 UN-REDACTED
The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland
Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier
Wild Crime
Final Hours, America’s Longest War
Superstar
The Housewife and the Hustler
Tulsa's Buried Truth
GameStopped
24 Hours: Assault on the Capitol | https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/custodian-ukraine-surprise-students-83795730 | 2022-04-01T00:56:11Z |
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The Louisiana Department of Insurance says two individuals have received cease-and-desist orders and license suspensions after reportedly violating insurance code.
LDI says it issued a cease-and-desist order and license suspension to Kim Marie Holmes on March 11. The week before her arrest, Holmes was charged with insurance fraud in Ascension Parish on March 3 for allegedly attempting to defraud an insurance company for over $15,900.
State Police investigation into Holmes discovered she had allegedly made material misrepresentations on her renter’s insurance policy after Hurricane Ida by increasing the price of items claimed as damaged or never purchasing items claimed as damaged from the places reported in the claim, according to LDI.
In a statement, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon commented on the suspension, saying:
“Providing fictitious information to an insurance company for personal gain is a clear indication that Ms. Holmes cannot be trusted to conduct insurance business. I took this action to protect consumers in our state from her participation in the industry.”
Read LDI’s full report of Holmes in the reader below.
Another cease-and-desist order and license suspension was issued to Arkansas resident Andrea R. Ceballos on March 21 after she allegedly stole $13,000 from an insurance agency in Union County. The Louisiana Department of Insurance says Ceballos held a non-resident license in Louisiana. | https://wgno.com/news/crime/ldi-suspends-womans-license-for-reporteldy-filing-nearly-16k-in-false-hurricane-ida-claims/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:11Z |
SnowGem (XSG) traded flat against the U.S. dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 19:00 PM E.T. on March 31st. One SnowGem coin can currently be purchased for $0.0441 or 0.00000231 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including Graviex, Mercatox and STEX. SnowGem has a total market capitalization of $1.36 million and approximately $45,383.00 worth of SnowGem was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last seven days, SnowGem has traded flat against the U.S. dollar.
Here is how other cryptocurrencies have performed over the last 24 hours:
- Safe (SAFE) traded up 22.6% against the dollar and now trades at $18.63 or 0.00040703 BTC.
- Beam (BEAM) traded 1.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.39 or 0.00000846 BTC.
- FABRK (FAB) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $0.0010 or 0.00000003 BTC.
- Vidulum (VDL) traded 20.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.14 or 0.00000311 BTC.
- Grimm (GRIMM) traded 7.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0009 or 0.00000002 BTC.
- Defis (XGM) traded 18.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0001 or 0.00000000 BTC.
- Litecash (CASH) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $57,178.12 or 0.00000007 BTC.
- SaveToken (SAVE) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $1,430.94 or 0.00000000 BTC.
- 0cash (ZCH) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $28,628.59 or 0.00000004 BTC.
About SnowGem
Equihash
hashing algorithm. SnowGem’s total supply is 30,907,160 coins and its circulating supply is 30,830,068 coins. SnowGem’s official website is snowgem.org. The Reddit community for SnowGem is /r/SnowGem and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. SnowGem’s official Twitter account is @snowgemofficial and its Facebook page is accessible here.
According to CryptoCompare, “Snowgem is a Masternode cryptocurrency based on the Equihash algorithm. “
Buying and Selling SnowGem
SnowGem can be traded on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: Mercatox, Graviex and STEX. It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as SnowGem directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to acquire SnowGem should first buy Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as GDAX, Coinbase or Changelly. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to buy SnowGem using one of the aforementioned exchanges.
Receive News & Updates for SnowGem Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and updates for SnowGem and related cryptocurrencies with MarketBeat.com's FREE CryptoBeat newsletter. | https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2022/03/31/snowgem-reaches-market-capitalization-of-1-36-million-xsg.html | 2022-04-01T00:56:11Z |
Silver Dawn becomes the cruise line's third new ship to debut in nine months
LISBON, Portugal, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Silversea Cruises, the leading ultra-luxury cruise line, officially named its 10th ship, Silver Dawn, in Lisbon on March 31. Executives from Royal Caribbean Group®, Silversea Cruises, and Fincantieri, as well as local dignitaries and esteemed guests, celebrated the milestone with a formal ceremony and gala dinner. An expression of Silversea's rapid expansion, Silver Dawn becomes the cruise line's third new ship to debut in nine months. The launch of Silver Dawn also marks the debut of Otium, travel's most indulgent new wellness programme, as well as the next iteration of Silversea's S.A.L.T. culinary programme.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8948652-silversea-christens-silver-dawn-in-lisbon-otivm-wellness-programme/
FIRST: THE NAMING CEREMONY MARKS SILVER DAWN'S OFFICIAL DEBUT
After Royal Caribbean Group's customary bagpipe performance, which opened the formal naming ceremony, performers took to the stage, entertaining attendees with a performance that weaved a narrative from the 2021 launch of Silver Moon to the modern day debut of Silver Dawn. Singers recited the national anthems of the U.S.A., Italy, and Portugal, before a religious leader blessed the ship and dignitaries delivered speeches. The newly named Godmother of Silver Dawn, Nilou Motamed—an influential food and travel editor, tastemaker, and television personality—subsequently cut the ribbon to trigger a champagne bottle to smash on the ship's hull, signalling the end of the ceremony.
"Celebrating the naming of Silver Dawn in Lisbon marked an incredibly proud moment for all involved," said Jason Liberty, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. "I thank and congratulate Roberto Martinoli and our entire team, including Captain Failla and the crew, as well as everyone at Fincantieri, our ship building partners. Silver Dawn is a jewel in the Silversea fleet and speaks to Royal Caribbean Group's commitment to delivering the best vacation experiences in a responsible way."
"An evolution of our unique take on luxury, Silver Dawn is the third Silversea ship to be named in the last nine months," said Roberto Martinoli, President & CEO, Silversea Cruises. "As well as S.A.L.T., our immersive culinary programme, Silver Dawn enriches guests' travels with Otium, our indulgent new wellness programme, which is inspired by the ancient Roman lifestyle. She really is magnificent. I extend my gratitude to Jason Liberty and all involved at Royal Caribbean Group, as well as to the team at Silversea, Fincantieri, and Captain Failla and his crew—our most valuable asset. Moreover, I proudly welcome Nilou Motamed as the Godmother of Silver Dawn."
NILOU MOTAMED: GODMOTHER OF SILVER DAWN
An Emmy-nominated television personality and former editor-in-chief of some of the world's leading culinary brands, including Food & Wine and Epicurious, Nilou Motamed has been shaping the conversation in food and travel for more than 20 years. Born in Iran, raised in Paris and New York, Motamed is fluent in four languages — and believes "food is a language of its own, one in which everyone can find comfort, compassion, and community." Her passion for culinary adventures and far-flung cuisines has found a perfect match in Silversea's S.A.L.T. programme, which the New York resident first experienced with its launch in 2021.
"It's a great honour to have been selected as the Godmother of Silver Dawn and to have been on board for her naming ceremony in Lisbon," says Motamed. "Growing up in multiple countries has helped me recognize that one of our deepest common bonds, wherever we go, is food. Like many of Silversea's guests, I always pair my cultural explorations with culinary ones. That's why I've loved seeing the world through Silversea's S.A.L.T. programme. I've dedicated my career to celebrating authentic, local cuisines and cultures. For me, nothing is more rewarding than connecting with people over a shared meal."
"An authority in the world of food and drink, Nilou is a curious, intelligent traveller," continues Martinoli. "Her mission to delve deeper into cultures through food, to truly understand places and their people, reflects that of Silversea's culinary programme, S.A.L.T.. It is this strong spirit of discovery, this commitment to self-enrichment and complete cultural immersion, that makes Nilou the perfect Godmother for our newest ship. Aboard Silver Dawn, our guests will discover the world with purpose, while journeying in Silversea's trademark level of comfort."
SILVER DAWN AND THE OTIVM WELLNESS PROGRAMME
Silver Dawn becomes the latest ship in Silversea's popular Muse class. The most discernible difference between Silver Dawn and her sister ships, Silver Muse® and Silver MoonSM, is the new Otium wellness programme, which launches as a unique innovation. It is the only wellness programme at sea that incorporates champagne, chocolate and other gourmet snacks; signature cocktails; bespoke in-suite experiences; a Roman-influenced spa; and a wellness journey that extends throughout the ship. Grounded in the philosophy and traditions of the ancient Roman lifestyle, in which otium was a period of time dedicated exclusively to leisure, the Otium wellness programme is built on principles of indulgence, pleasure, and pampering. Spanning almost 800m2 on deck six, Silver Dawn's spa has been completely redesigned for a more seamless wellness journey.
Silver Dawn departs on her inaugural voyage on April 1, sailing from Lisbon to Barcelona. She is scheduled to sail in the Mediterranean until November, when she will cross the Atlantic Ocean, via the Canary Islands, to unlock the Caribbean and Central America for guests.
Silver Dawn's media kit:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fqw01ry3zal9ev0/AAB2P40-DmLY3eOO_dclyYMRa?dl=0
Otium media kit:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/upusb70v71w576g/AADzlCltZ9j0D-tXpFvLMvgea?dl=0
Our latest blog post on Otium offers more details. Read it here:
https://discover.silversea.com/ships/silver-dawn/silver-dawn-otium-preview/
Find out more information about Silver Dawn, including her upcoming voyages:
https://www.silversea.com/ships/silver-dawn.html
About Silversea Cruises
Silversea Cruises is recognized as an innovator in the ultra-luxury cruise industry, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Dawn, Silver Shadow®, Silver Whisper®, Silver Spirit®, Silver Muse®, and Silver MoonSM – all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the inclusion of the expedition ships Silver Origin®, Silver Wind®, Silver Explorer®, and Silver Cloud®, Silversea's itineraries encompass all seven continents and feature worldwide luxury cruises to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Galápagos, both Polar Regions, and hundreds of fascinating destinations in between. Silversea is also looking forward to the launch of two new ultra-luxury Nova-class ships. Browse Silversea's blog, Discover, and subscribe to receive the latest content directly into your inbox. Silversea Cruises is one of five cruise brands owned by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group. (NYSE: RCL)
About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is one of the leading cruise companies in the world with a global fleet of 61 ships traveling to more than 800 destinations around the world. Royal Caribbean Group is the owner and operator of three award winning cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises, and it is also a 50% owner of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Together, the brands have an additional 12 ships on order as of December 31, 2021. Learn more at www.royalcaribbeangroup.com or www.rclinvestor.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Silversea Cruises | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/04/01/silversea-christens-silver-dawnsm-lisbon-introducing-otivm-travels-most-indulgent-new-wellness-programme/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:10Z |
Latinos can’t accept a ‘return to normal’ that turns back the clock on progress
As we enter the third year of the pandemic, nearly half of Americans feel that we need to “learn to live” with COVID-19 and get back to normal. The Build Back Better Act (BBB) — which put forward a vision of an inclusive recovery from the pandemic — has stalled in Congress.
Amid efforts to reset his agenda, President Biden used his State of the Union address to lay out parts of his plan for moving the country forward. Congress must now tackle the urgent health and food security needs of the country by passing elements of BBB into law.
Any discussion about a “return to normal” must recognize that “normal” is what led to the disproportionate suffering Latinos and other communities of color experienced. Latinos are nearly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 compared to non-Hispanic whites. As Congress debates what to do next, more than 152,000 Latinos have died from the pandemic and Latinos make up nearly 1 in 4 cases.
“Normal” was a world where Latinos had the second-highest rate for those without health insurance, the rate of uninsured Latino children was moving in the wrong direction and immigrant restrictions on programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act Marketplace disproportionately impacted Latinos’ access to health coverage.
To make matters worse, the Trump administration stigmatized access to benefits through restrictive changes such as the public charge rule — which penalized immigrants using certain types of public aid when they applied for lawful permanent residence — and drastically cut outreach to help enroll those who are eligible for coverage, including forms of outreach that Latinos rely on more than other groups. Equally important, “normal” was a world where more than 2 million Americans, including more than 610,000 Latinos, lived in the Medicaid coverage gap, with no viable pathway to affordable health coverage.
Prior to COVID-19, more than 15 percent of Latino households were food insecure — nearly twice the rate of white households. This disparity only grew worse during the pandemic. One reason may be that adults in immigrant or mixed-status families are continuing to avoid public benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program due to the public charge rule’s chilling effects (even though the rule has since been changed).
Federal relief eased the burden for many. The American Rescue Plan Act made key improvements to health coverage and food security which have benefited Latinos. The act made it possible for millions of Americans to receive increased financial assistance to lower their premiums. Previous relief also included the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program, which has been a lifeline for students throughout the pandemic.
This was consequential, and the president can and should take a victory lap, considering the gains in health equity under his watch. More than 3 million uninsured Latino adults qualify for low-premium coverage as a result of the act, including 2.6 million who now qualify for plans with fully subsidized premiums. When the American Rescue Plan’s enhanced subsidies became available during part of the special enrollment period that President Biden opened in January, more than 560,000 Latinos enrolled in coverage (with Latinos making up a larger share of new enrollments than the year before). Yet these improvements will expire after this year. And while P-EBT is a temporary program, children’s need for healthy food during school breaks (e.g., the summer months) is not. At the same time, a health coverage cliff is approaching, which could jeopardize coverage for millions of Latinos unless Congress acts. The BBB contains key policies to help the country recover from the pandemic and improve children’s access to food.
A return to normal without adequate investments in health coverage and food security also ignores the fact that COVID-19 has left us with new challenges. Due to the systemic failures on the front end, Latinos are more likely to contract COVID-19, leaving them at greater risk of developing “long COVID.” The pandemic also worsened Latinos’ mental health. Inasmuch as a return to normal means the end of the Medicaid disenrollment freeze, this shift would risk dramatically increasing the number of uninsured Latinos and further driving up medical debt for families already impacted by higher food and gas prices. Investments in affordable health care can help Latinos struggling to meet many needs as our economy recovers.
Congress also has a rare opportunity to deliver concrete and long-overdue relief for the Americans who fall into the Medicaid coverage gap. While not a long-term solution, Build Back Better’s marketplace-based proposal to close the coverage gap would have better positioned more Americans to recover from the health and economic crises of the last two years.
For the Latino community, a so-called return to normal means returning to a world where more people were hungry, uninsured and less healthy. We cannot recover from a pandemic while being cautious about health coverage expansions or failing to tackle the hunger disparities exacerbated by the past two years. Whatever the political complexities, we cannot simply go back to the world that preceded COVID-19. Not only is it unrealistic, it’s undesirable.
Matthew Snider is a senior health policy analyst at UnidosUS, formerly the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.
The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. | https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/596869-latinos-cant-accept-a-return-to-normal-that-turns-back-the-clock-on/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:11Z |
Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are effective in treating positive symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZ). However, they have a substantial impact on postmortem studies. As most cohorts lack samples from drug-naive patients, many studies, rather than understanding SCZ pathophysiology, are analyzing the drug effects. We hypothesized that comparing SCZ-altered and APD-influenced signatures derived from the same cohort can provide better insight into SCZ pathophysiology. For this, we performed LCMS-based proteomics on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) samples from control and SCZ subjects and used statistical approaches to identify SCZ-altered and APD-influenced proteomes, validated experimentally using independent cohorts and published datasets. Functional analysis of both proteomes was contrasted at the biological-pathway, cell-type, subcellular-synaptic, and drug-target levels. In silico validation revealed that the SCZ-altered proteome was conserved across several studies from the DLPFC and other brain areas. At the pathway level, SCZ influenced changes in homeostasis, signal-transduction, cytoskeleton, and dendrites, whereas APD influenced changes in synaptic-signaling, neurotransmitter-regulation, and immune-system processes. At the cell-type level, the SCZ-altered and APD-influenced proteomes were associated with two distinct striatum-projecting layer-5 pyramidal neurons regulating dopaminergic-secretion. At the subcellular synaptic level, compensatory pre- and postsynaptic events were observed. At the drug-target level, dopaminergic processes influenced the SCZ-altered upregulated-proteome, whereas nondopaminergic and a diverse array of non-neuromodulatory mechanisms influenced the downregulated-proteome. Previous findings were not independent of the APD effect and thus require re-evaluation. We identified a hyperdopaminergic cortex and drugs targeting the cognitive SCZ-symptoms and discussed their influence on SCZ pathology in the context of the cortico-striatal pathway. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556600851944/anatomy-and-cell-biology-departmental-seminar | 2022-04-01T00:56:12Z |
Our Catstronauts app development has been going pretty smoothly. But we know that things don't always go that way in the real world.
There are more than a few ways things can go south. In our query journey, when the server is validating the query AST against the schema, it could run into invalid fields or malformed selections. With that, the query's journey is cut short and returned to client land with errors.
Let's look at an example where we try to query for the numberOfViews
field, because we want to add that piece of data to our tracks card on the homepage. We know that it exists in our data source because we even saw the /tracks
endpoint return it!
That is true, but the numberOfViews
field is not a part of our GraphQL schema. And if we try to add it to the query, the Explorer shows us with a helpful red squiggly that something is wrong with our query.
We can still attempt to run the query, and it will start its journey. But that journey will be cut short at the server validation step, at which point it will be sent back.
In the response that's sent back, we'll see that the data
we receive is null
, as well as a new key: errors
.
Code Challenge!
tracksForHome
to just 'numberOfViews'. Copy-paste the whole response below.errors
is an array containing each error that occurred as the server tried to execute the query. So yes, there could be multiple! ApolloServer
provides error codes that will help to narrow down what caused the issues.
In our case, we only have one error with the code GRAPHQL_VALIDATION_FAILED
, and it even tells us exactly which field is invalid against our schema.
Within a server response, what keys can you expect to find in the JSON object?
To fix the error, we know we need to fix our query, or ask our back-end team to iterate on the schema and perhaps add the new field.
Other errors can be particularly helpful when handled properly on the frontend, to inform the user on the nature of what went wrong, such as an invalid user input.
Finally, note that sometimes when a query returns an error, it can still return some of the data you requested. We'll cover working with partial results like this in a future course.
When you query a field that is not in the schema, what error code will the server send? | https://www.apollographql.com/tutorials/lift-off-part2/errors-when-queries-go-sideways | 2022-04-01T00:56:13Z |
Niagara Falls officials are not expecting the tourism floodgates to immediately open from Americans, despite Friday being the day fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter Canada.
“I believe it will take time, much like we saw (when) the domestic market started to get more comfortable with travel,” said David Adames, chief executive officer of Niagara Parks.
“I think the same thing with the American market — it will take some time for communication to spread that it’s easier to come across the border. I think we’ll see it continue to increase late spring and through the summer and into fall.”
The federal government eliminated the costly pre-arrival PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers at the end of February, allowing travellers to show a less costly rapid antigen test result instead.
But as more restrictions get lifted Friday, Adames said Niagara Parks officials are “very hopeful that we’ll see a healthy return of American visitation” in due time.
“For Niagara Parks, in our best years, Americans represented about 50 per cent of our revenue base to our revenue-producing operations like our attractions and restaurants, etc.,” he said.
“The American customer is very important to us.”
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said while Friday’s change is a “step in the right direction,” there’s another “hurdle” he would like removed.
Diodati said there remains frustration and confusion about the ArriveCan system. Travellers will still need to provide mandatory travel information through its app or website before arriving.
“It’s an unnecessary level of bureaucracy that’s going to discourage people from coming to Canada and spending their leisure dollars,” said Diodati.
“It’s something that we’re pressing the federal government to remove. It doesn’t make us any safer. It just adds another level of frustration and complication for anybody trying to travel, and that includes Canadians.”
Diodati said he has received “all sorts” of messages from Canadians, most of them seniors, who are “very frustrated and upset” because they don’t have the technology to use ArriveCan or have trouble understanding how to navigate it.
Diodati said it’s important the federal government continue to ease cross-border requirements, especially for a community like Niagara Falls, which is the “No. 1 leisure destination in Canada.”
“There are tens of thousands of tourism workers that are counting on tourism to feed their families, to pay their mortgages, their rent, their car payments,” he said.
“It’s essential for them. Many of them are way behind, they’re well into their lines of credit and they need us to make the right decisions.”
He expects the impact of Friday’s easement “to be gradual, like getting into a hot bath.”
“There will be the initial rush for people that are just so happy to get across, and that will happen, no question, but we don’t anticipate it being significant.”
Random testing at the Canadian border will continue, but people who are tested will not be required to quarantine while awaiting their result.
Pre-entry rules will not change for partially or unvaccinated travellers.
Niagara Falls Tourism president Janice Thomson said the local industry welcomes Friday, but that it’s not the “100 per cent open border and that’s what we’ve been dealing with as various restrictions have been lifted.”
“We understand they’re all public health driven, which is so critical, but it’s never been (during the pandemic) that we can just say it’s easy to cross the border because we’re not at that point, yet,” she said.
Thomson said Niagara Falls Tourism’s office is getting “a lot” of enquiries from potential visitors asking what requirements are to visit Canada.
“The interest in travel is certainly there, and we’re making sure that we get the right information (to people),” she said.
“I think that’s the important part, that we all have the clarity of what is it we actually need and how can people be best prepared when they come to the border.” | https://www.wellandtribune.ca/news/niagara-region/2022/03/31/niagara-falls-tourism-officials-dont-expect-immediate-impact-from-fridays-covid-testing-change-at-border.html | 2022-04-01T00:56:13Z |
When you buy a domain name at Dan.com, you’re automatically covered by our unique Buyer Protection Program. Read more about how we keep you safe on our Trust and Security page.
Next to our secure domain ownership transfer process, we strictly monitor all transactions. If anything looks weird, we take immediate action. And if the seller doesn't deliver on their part of the deal, we refund you within 24 hours.
98% of all domain ownership transfers are completed within 24 hours. The seller first delivers the domain to us, then we send you your tailored transfer instructions. Need help? Our domain ownership transfer specialists will assist you at no additional cost.
Pay by bank wire and get a 1% discount or use one of the most popular payment options available through our payment processor, Adyen. Adyen is the payment platform of choice for many leading tech companies like Uber & eBay.
No matter what kind of domain you want to buy, we make the transfer simple and safe.
Here’s how it works | https://dan.com/buy-domain/accreditedphysicians.com | 2022-04-01T00:56:14Z |
Jenny Kush effects
Reported by real people like you
151 people told us about effects:
- Feelings
- Negatives
- Helps with
Happy
70% of people report feeling happy
Relaxed
68% of people report feeling relaxed
Uplifted
62% of people report feeling uplifted
Dry mouth
20% of people report feeling dry mouth
Dry eyes
7% of people report feeling dry eyes
Paranoid
3% of people report feeling paranoid
Stress
29% of people say it helps with stress
Depression
28% of people say it helps with depression
Anxiety
23% of people say it helps with anxiety
THC Strength
28% | high
CBD Strength
0% | very low
No product reviews
Have you tried this product? Be the first to leave a review! | https://www.leafly.com/brands/warehouse-13/products/warehouse-13-jenny-kush-pre-roll-1g-pre-rolls | 2022-04-01T00:56:14Z |
Oshkosh school board approves plan to save $9.2 million by refinancing 2020 referendum debt
OSHKOSH – The Oshkosh Area School District will save a little over $9 million by refinancing some of its debt related to a November 2020 referendum.
The school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to convert $42 million of its debt from a 20-year bond to a five-year bond. District officials anticipate the move will save taxpayers $9.2 million in interest.
During discussion, board members expressed they were thrilled to approve this, with all members chiming in after a brief presentation.
In November 2020, Oshkosh voters approved a referendum that gave $107 million toward implementing the district's long-range facilities plan to eventually consolidate 20 schools into 14.
RELATED:Oshkosh Area School District will make face coverings optional starting Feb. 26
Much of that funding will be used to build the new Vel Phillips Middle School, which is set for completion in fall 2023, and a new elementary school in fall 2024.
The new middle school wound up about $4.6 million over initial budget projections because of rising material costs and, with projections that costs will continue to increase, the district said it was looking for "ways to absorb the higher prices."
By paying off the debt in five years as opposed to 20, the district can also ask for new debt while "softening the blow" of a tax levy increase, said Drew Niehans, the district's executive director of business services.
The measure will set the district up better for the second phase of its facilities plan, Niehans said, creating an opportunity to borrow $150 million in 2026-27 to consolidate Perry Tipler and Carl Traeger middle schools and build a new South Park Middle School.
"This does not make phases move faster but if timed correctly, can have less impact on taxpayers while still allowing the district to invest in its students, schools and the community," Niehans said.
The board also approved paying off $2.1 million in debt using available funds, saving $118,597 in total interest.
Contact Bremen Keasey at 920-570-5614 or bkeasey@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Keasinho. | https://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/education/2022/03/31/oshkosh-school-board-save-9-million-after-refinancing-referendum-debt/9446625002/ | 2022-04-01T00:56:15Z |