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Stanford, UConn women renew intense rivalry at Final Four
MINNEAPOLIS — Stanford and UConn have met on the biggest stage in women’s basketball many times over the past 27 years.
The rivalry between the two storied programs led by Hall of Fame coaches Geno Auriemma and Tara VanDerveer will resume Friday night in the Final Four, five years after their previous meeting. The winner advances to Sunday night’s championship game against either Louisville or South Carolina.
VanDerveer and Auriemma are 1-2 on the all-time coaching wins list in women’s basketball, combining for more than 2,300.
They have played in the Final Four or national championship game against each other five times, with UConn winning four of the meetings.
“We’ve been competing against each other for a long time, playing against each other,” VanDerveer said. “I like him and think we get along really well. I’ve never felt that we were adversaries in a negative way, but more competitors in a good way.”
The two teams met in the Final Four 27 years ago to the day in Minneapolis in 1995.
Auriemma’s Huskies came away with the 87-60 victory and went on to win their first national championship. They have won a record 10 more since then. Stanford returned to the Final Four 10 more times before winning the team’s third national championship last year.
No one on either team has played against the other in college. The two programs played at least once every year from 2007-2014 and then again in 2017. They haven’t played since.
“Always had great games with them. Some have been close and some had not been close,” Auriemma said. “I think like us they haven’t changed much over the years. They play the same style of play. When you watch them you know what you’re going to get. ... It’s the same Stanford team I remember 27 years ago playing them out here. It’s just different people.”
Stanford’s Haley Jones remembers growing up and watching the Cardinal play UConn. She said she is glad to be part of the matchup.
“I think the UConn-Stanford kind of bicoastal rivalry is a long-standing tradition,” she said. “I think each program you have Hall of Fame coaches, the two winningest coaches of all time. All these All-Americans, Olympians, WNBA players come from both these programs. So to be a part of it is huge.”
Stanford is two victories away from repeating as NCAA champion. The NCAA hasn’t had a repeat champion since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. The Huskies haven't reached the title game since 2016, losing in heartbreaking fashion a few times since then.
Homecoming
UConn sophomore star Paige Bueckers grew up 10 miles from Minneapolis and will have many friends and family at the game on Friday night. She isn’t worried about it being a distraction.
“I’m obviously super grateful to be home, but it doesn’t matter the location, where it is, we’re all excited to be at the Final Four and keep playing,” she said. “I’m hoping to see a lot of Minnesota basketball fans because it’s an awesome experience and opportunity for the state.”
Recovering Husky
Dorka Juhasz had surgery on her left wrist Wednesday, two days after she had fractured it in the Huskies’ double-OT win over N.C. State in the regional final.
“She’s in that state where everything is fine, everything is happy and making nothing but happy talk,” Auriemma said. “But once it wears off this afternoon, it’s going to be a different Dorka.”
Auriemma said they are hoping to have Juhasz in Minneapolis for the game Friday. He also said she’ll return for another season next year instead of potentially turning pro.
“I always expected she was coming back. One big reason she came to UConn is to experience something like this,” he said. “It was taken away from her. I think she’s coming to hopefully be in the same situation, but actually playing instead of watching.”
Staying out of foul trouble
One of the major keys to the game is which set of post players can stay on the court. Stanford’s Cameron Brink and UConn’s Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aaliyah Edwards have had been plagued by foul trouble for the entire tournament.
“I think the only thing that can stop Cam is when she gets too aggressive and fouls, and if she can stay in the game without fouling, then there’s no stopping her,” VanDerveer said.
Nelson-Ododa knows how important it is for her and Edwards to be on the court, especially with Juhasz sidelined, leaving the Huskies short in the post.
“I think that’s something Aaliyah and I have struggled with in this tournament,” Nelson-Ododa said. “We’re aggressive on the defensive end, but just knowing when to be smart about it is going to be key.”
She said it
“I call it hot dogs for the girls and steak for the boys. It will be a great time when you don’t need Title IX, but unfortunately in our world, there’s discrimination still against people, women and we need to keep battling.” — VanDerveer. | https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/stanford-uconn-women-renew-intense-rivalry-at-final-four/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:08Z |
Now that more people can receive an additional vaccine dose, should they get it? What are factors they might want to consider? Is there any downside to getting more shots? And does it make sense to wait until a big event such as international travel or a large wedding to get that booster?
CNN: Who is now eligible to receive an additional booster dose?
Dr. Leana Wen: Prior to the announcements this week by the FDA and CDC, people with moderate or severe immunocompromise were already eligible for an additional booster dose. Now, a much larger group is eligible.
This includes two subsets of people. First, people 50 and over who received three prior doses of either Pfizer or Moderna, and who are at least four months out from their last vaccine dose, are eligible for another mRNA booster – either Pfizer or Moderna.
Second, all adults – regardless of age – who received an initial Johnson & Johnson vaccine and then a booster at least four months ago are now able to receive a second booster dose with an mRNA vaccine, again either Pfizer or Moderna.
CNN: Now that a lot more people can get a second booster, should they?
All this says to me that the question of whether people should receive a fourth dose is not straightforward to answer. This cannot be a blanket recommendation to everyone, but rather nuanced guidance that’s tailored to each person’s individual medical circumstance.
CNN: What are factors people should consider in deciding whether to get the second booster shot?
Wen: First, consider your medical risk factors. If you are elderly and have multiple medical conditions, you are more likely to become severely ill due to Covid-19. Certainly, if you are moderately or severely immunocompromised, that should tip the scales in favor of getting the additional booster dose now.
On the other hand, if you are generally healthy, you are still very well-protected from severe illness due to the protection from the vaccine and the initial booster dose. It’s not as urgent to get the booster, and there may also be an advantage to waiting.
CNN: Why might someone decide to wait on the booster?
Wen: Right now, the level of Covid-19 in the US is pretty low. Experts have been keeping a close eye on BA.2 in case it causes another surge, but the current transmission rate in most parts of the country is the lowest it has been in months. Because the enhanced protective effect of the second booster may not last long, it might be better to wait until there are clear signs of a surge before getting it.
In addition, there are studies underway to develop an Omicron-specific booster. If you haven’t received any booster at all, I wouldn’t recommend waiting for that variant-specific booster, but if you already received one, and especially if you are not particularly vulnerable, it may be reasonable to hold off for now.
Another group of people who are probably better off waiting is those who were recently infected with Omicron. It’s unlikely that those individuals who were vaccinated and infected will be reinfected so soon. Especially if they are generally healthy individuals, I’d also advise them to wait a little longer before getting the additional booster.
CNN: Is there any known downside to getting the fourth dose?
Wen: Analyzes of extensive Israeli data have not identified new safety concerns from the fourth dose. Hypothetically, there is the concern that if someone gets constant boosters, their immune system may not fire up as well if they got exposed to Covid-19, but this is not proven. The main downside would be the issue of timing – is now the best time to get the fourth dose, or is it better to hold off? That will depend on each person’s medical risk factors as well as their tolerance of risk, and specifically how important it is to them to keep avoiding the coronavirus.
CNN: Some people might want to wait until a big event like international travel or a large wedding to get that extra shot. Is that a good plan?
Wen: Not really. If you have not yet had your initial booster, get it now, because that first booster is important to maintain strong protection against severe disease. Don’t wait on that first booster. I think it’s hard to time a second booster around an event, and it would make more sense to time it around an expected surge.
That said, I can understand why people would want to be better protected for big events. Remember that there are other tools at our disposal to do so. If you want to be extra cautious, requiring vaccines and then testing all guests prior to getting together indoors will substantially reduce risk.
Know where you could access treatment in case you do get infected. And let’s not forget masks – a high-quality mask (N95 or equivalent) protects you even if others around you are not masking. Boosters are one very important tool that can complement these other tools to help us reduce our individual risk. | http://thenewtoday.gd/2nd-covid-19-booster-dr-leana-wen-weighs-in/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:08Z |
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Russia/UkrainePhotos show Russian attacks on Ukraine grain storage - U.S. official (news.yahoo.com)
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[–]Detrumpification [score hidden] (4 children) | https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/ttdlxj/photos_show_russian_attacks_on_ukraine_grain/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:08Z |
Forgiveness is often defined as letting go of feelings of resentment, anger, or bitterness toward someone who has wronged you. Forgiving others can be tough. But we all can forgive. While you may be able to forgive others, how are you at forgiving yourself for mistakes you’ve made or wrongs you’ve committed?
Forgiving yourself requires empathy, compassion, kindness, and understanding. We all make mistakes. However, there is power in acknowledging, learning from, and moving beyond our mistakes.
Forgiving also impacts your physical health. Research shows that forgiveness can reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.
• Responsibility
• Remorse
• Restoration
• Renewal
Kendra Cherry, MS, offers further insight on Cornish’s approach to forgiving yourself. Here’s a summary of her work.
On the other hand, shame makes you feel like your whole self is wrong. Left unchecked, shame and feelings of worthlessness can lead to addiction, depression, or aggression.
Mistakes are just those: Mistakes. Remember that your mistakes don’t define you or make you a bad person.
One of my favorite movie lines is from “Batman Begins.”
Alfred looks at Bruce Wayne and, quoting Bruce’s father, says, “Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.”
Making mistakes is a normal part of life. We’re all guilty of it, but what matters is that we learn from our mistakes and move forward.
A little side note on self-forgiveness: Self-forgiveness is important when reflecting on your mistakes and ways you’ve wronged others. However, people who have suffered abuse, trauma, or loss may also feel shame and guilt even though they could not control what happened to them. Hear me say this: You are not responsible for forgiving yourself for what someone else did to you. If you need help, a counselor can help you walk through processing the guilt, shame, and pain you’ve experienced.
Mitchell Qualls is the Operations Director at First Things First. Contact him at mitchell@firstthings.org | https://www.dailypostathenian.com/opinion/article_2b469e13-3c6e-5cee-a5cb-d8690f6d8283.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:09Z |
There was little to smile about for those trading the ASX200 on April Fools' Day as the market seemed unwilling to stay above 7500 points.
The market eased marginally to 7489.9 points on Friday, a day after closing at 7499.5 points.
Most shares categories were lower after US markets fell by more than one per cent.
The ASX commodity shares of energy and materials were higher. Materials was the top category and gained one per cent.
Australia's inflation rate is expected to tick higher in the June quarter but the increase will be capped by a cut in the fuel excise.
The annual rate is expected to rise to 4.25 per cent for the March and June quarters, Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy told a post-budget Senate estimates hearing.
Wall Street was down after an inflation gauge closely monitored by the Federal Reserve jumped 6.4 per cent in February compared with a year ago.
The US Commerce Department figures showed the largest year-over-year rise since January 1982.
President Joe Biden made the largest release from the country's oil reserve in a bid to lower petrol prices that have soared during the war in Ukraine.
Oil prices dropped as a result. Brent crude oil traded for $US104.8 per barrel at 1200 AEDT.
The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 9.7 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 7489.9.
The index was a little more than 100 points from its record of August.
The All Ordinaries index was lower by 10.4 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 7779.2.
The mining giants were all higher. BHP improved one per cent to $52.28 and was a little more than $2 from its record price.
Fortescue was higher by one per cent to $20.94, and Rio Tinto was up about half a per cent to $119.80.
The big banks were all down. Bank of Queensland shed two per cent to $8.43.
In company news, property advertising group Domain is buying a real estate marketing technology provider and raising $180 million.
Domain will buy Realbase for the same value and may pay $50 million more if targets are achieved.
The share sale will be offered to professional and retail investors. Shares will be $3.80 each.
Domain shares were paused from trading but last sold for $4.01.
Embattled casino operator Star Entertainment has named former rugby and football boss John O'Neill as interim chairman.
Mr O'Neill will lead the business until a new chief executive is found.
Matt Bekier resigned as chief executive this week after an inquiry found Star workers failed in their responsibilities to prevent criminals using casinos.
Star was little changed at $3.25.
Ampol and petrol station operator EG have dropped legal claims against each other.
The two companies had disputed terms relating to EG's purchase of a Woolworths fuel business in 2019.
Ampol will be the exclusive supplier to stores within the EG Australian network.
Ampol was down less than half a per cent to $30.58.
Real estate and agricultural products provider Elders will sell its stake in livestock finance provider StockCo.
Elders will sell its 30 per cent stake for about $15 million. The company said the profit and loss implications were immaterial on an ongoing basis.
Elders was down less than half a per cent to $13.25.
The Australian dollar was buying 74.82 US cents at 1200 AEDT, lower from 74.85 US cents at Thursday's close. | https://www.perthnow.com.au/business/markets/asx-stagnant-inflation-concerns-persist-c-6285180 | 2022-04-01T01:53:08Z |
(WHTM) – A new WHTM/Emerson College Polling/The Hill poll shows Dr. Mehmet Oz and David McCormick virtually tied in the May 17 Pennsylvania Republican US Senate primary, but a majority of voters remain undecided.
In the poll of 373 Pennsylvania Republicans, the former television personality Oz received one more vote than McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO.
Oz finished first in the poll with 14.4% followed by McCormick at 14.3%.
Fox News contributor and former professor Kathy Barnette finished third at 6.4%, followed by former Danish ambassador under President Donald Trump, Carla Sands, at 5.7%.
Former Lt. Governor candidate Jeff Bartos rounded out the top five with 5.3% of the vote.
George Bochetto and Sean Gale each received less than 3% in the poll.
An overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanian Republican voters (50.5%) say they are still undecided in the crowded race.
Emerson College will be releasing a second poll of Republican voters in early April. Candidates who receive at least 5% in either poll can qualify for a debate hosted by Nexstar Media Inc. and our media partners, WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh.
The breakdown in support among younger and older voters is significant with Oz receiving no support from voters 18-29, but leading among the 50-64 age range.
McCormick leads or is tied among every other age group, tying Bartos among the 30-49-year-olds and Bochetto in the 18-29 range. The majority of voters are undecided regardless of age category.
White voters support McCormick by 0.4% over Oz, while Sands received the most support among seven candidates with African American voters.
McCormick also leads among male voters with 15.1%, while Oz has 15.1% support among women. Barnette received 10.8% support among men, followed by Sands at 9.1%. Fifty-nine percent of women are undecided compared to 41.9% of Republican men.
Among urban and city residents, McCormick had a double-digit lead over Oz with 25% support. Oz leads among suburban voters and McCormick has a slight 1.8% edge in rural voters. Nearly 59% of rural voters are undecided compared to 48.6% of suburban residents and 30.4% of those who live in urban/city areas.
More than 55% of Pennsylvania Republican voters with a post-graduate degree or higher are undecided in the race. McCormick leads Oz among those with a high school education or less, while support among those with college degrees or some college are closely split.
The elephant in the room is former President Donald Trump, who, at the time of polling, has not endorsed a candidate in the race. The poll finds 61% of Pennsylvanian Republicans are more likely to support a Trump-endorsed candidate, while 13.2 say they are less likely. Nearly 26% say an endorsement from Trump will not make a difference in their vote.
Republicans and Democrats are also largely in favor of their candidate living in Pennsylvania for a significant amount of time. Forty-six percent say it is very important how long a candidate has lived in Pennsylvania and 28.2% say it is somewhat important.
Both Oz and McCormick have drawn criticism from others in the race for not recently living in Pennsylvania. Oz has previously lived in New Jersey but went to school in Philadelphia.
Fifteen percent say they are unsure and 10.7% say residency is not very or not at all important in their decision. Nearly 64% of voters 65 and older say Trump’s endorsement will more than likely lead them to vote for that candidate.
“I’m very proud that I’m a Pennsylvanian,” Oz told abc27’s Dennis Owens. “They care much more for what I stand for than where I’m from.”
On This Week in Pennsylvania, McCormick highlighted his background as a “seventh-generation Pennsylvanian.”
“I’ve spent more of my life in Pennsylvania, more than half of my life in Pennsylvania. I grew up here in Bloomsburg on the family farm trimming Christmas trees and bailing hay.”
Nearly 91% of Republican voters 65 and older say they are very likely to vote in the race, compared to 84% 50-64, 64% of residents 30-49, and 75% of residents 18-29.
According to the poll, Democrats and Republicans disagree on whether Pennsylvania runs fair elections: 75% of Democrats think the state runs fair elections compared to 42% of Independents and just 28% of Republicans.
Polling methodology
The WHTM/Emerson College Polling/The Hill Pennsylvania poll was conducted from March 26-28, 2022. The general election sample consisted of registered voters in Pennsylvania, n=1,069 with a Credibility Interval (CI) similar to a poll’s margin of error (MOE) of +/- 3 percentage points. The Republican primary sample consisted of likely voters, n=372, with a Credibility Interval (CI) similar to a poll’s margin of error (MOE) of +/-5.0 percentage points. The Democratic primary sample consisted of likely voters, n=471, with a Credibility Interval (CI) similar to a poll’s margin of error (MOE) of +/-4.5 percentage points.
The data sets were weighted by gender, age, education, race, and region based on 2020 turnout modeling. It is important to remember that subsets based on gender, age, party breakdown, ethnicity, and region carry with them higher margins of error, as the sample size is reduced.
Data was collected using a cellphone sample of SMS-to-web, an online panel provided by Amazon MTurk, and an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system of landlines.
The full poll can be reviewed here. | https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/pennsylvania-governor-election-2022/pennsylvania-senate-primary-poll-oz-mccormick-tied-majority-undecided/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:09Z |
Oscars producer says police offered to arrest Will Smith
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscars producer Will Packer said Los Angeles police were ready to arrest Will Smith after Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage.
“They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment,” Packer said in a clip released by ABC News Thursday night of an interview he gave to “Good Morning America.” “They said we will go get him. We are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges, we can arrest him. They were laying out the options.”
But Packer said Rock was “very dismissive” of the idea.
“He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,” Packer said. “And even to the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish.’ The LAPD officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, ‘Would you like us to take any action?’ And he said no.”
The LAPD said in a statement after Sunday night’s ceremony that they were aware of the incident, and that Rock had declined to file a police report. The department declined comment Thursday on Packer’s interview, a longer version of which will air on Friday morning.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. Smith could be suspended, expelled or otherwise sanctioned.
The academy said in a statement that “Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television.”
Without giving specifics, the academy said Smith was asked to leave the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, but refused to do so.
Smith strode from his front row seat on to the stage and slapped Rock after a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, when he was on stage to present the Oscar for best documentary.
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18.
Rock publicly addressed the incident for the first time, but only briefly, at the beginning of a standup show Wednesday night in Boston, where he was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation. He said “I’m still kind of processing what happened.”
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wcax.com/2022/04/01/oscars-producer-says-police-offered-arrest-will-smith/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:09Z |
Deals combine to more than 292,000 square feet of medical industrial and office space, including the Crothall Healthcare industrial building in Gilroy, California
GILROY, Calif., March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohr Capital, a Dallas-based privately held real estate investment firm, sold $65 million of deals over the past 80 days. This includes the recent sale of a 102,466-square-foot industrial building in Gilroy, California, to Four Springs Capital Trust. Mohr Capital sold two additional office buildings in Florida and Wisconsin, totaling more than 292,000 square feet of space, leading into 2022.
Located at 8190 Murray Ave., the property is fully leased to Crothall Healthcare. This mission-critical facility provides state-of-the-art laundry processing services to Northern California hospital systems, enabling them to continue providing medical care to patients. Kevin Moul with Colliers San Jose represented Mohr Capital throughout the transaction.
"We are pleased to have worked closely with Four Springs Capital Trust on this transaction. As our third transaction with Four Springs over the last 12 months, this transaction speaks to our deep partnership with Four Springs that we hope continues," said Rodrigo Godoi, managing director of investments for Mohr Capital. "Mission-critical facilities that serve regional hospitals like this still provide value in a market where occupiers and investors are redeveloping dysfunctional R&D product to suit their needs. We're pleased with the performance of this property, and we hope to continue to invest in the Bay Area's bustling industrial market in the future."
Additionally, Mohr sold a two-story, 78,449-square-foot office building in Orlando's Lee Vista Center business park to Falcon Global Real Estate Advisors. Located at 6272 Lee Vista Blvd., the building is fully leased to Accredo Health Group Inc., an Express Scripts company and subsidiary of the global health service company, Cigna. Prior to the sale, Mohr Capital worked with CBRE and CIGNA to secure CIGNA's long-term occupancy while at the same time lowering its occupancy costs.
Mohr also sold Riverwood Corporate Center II in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, in an off-market transaction to IRA Capital. The office building is fully occupied by ProHealth Care, the largest healthcare provider between Milwaukee and Madison. Shortly after acquiring the building, Mohr Capital worked closely with ProHealth to secure its long-term occupancy at the property through 2032.
"These three transactions support our trajectory to be a leading investor in mission-critical industrial and office facilities for the healthcare field," said Bob Mohr, founder and CEO of Mohr Capital. "We are always on the lookout for cutting-edge investment opportunities, and these sales were a great start to 2022."
About Mohr Capital
Mohr Capital is a privately held real estate investment firm specializing in the acquisition, development and value enhancement of office, industrial and retail assets throughout the U.S. The Mohr Capital team has decades of experience in commercial real estate and has completed more than $1 billion in transactions. Guided by a value-driven strategy and an entrepreneurial spirit, the company relies on strong long-term relationships and possesses keen market insights needed to capitalize on undervalued or underperforming properties. With its family office structure, Mohr Capital can close quickly and has a proven track record of delivering the highest risk-adjusted returns. For more information, visit www.mohrcap.com or follow Mohr Capital on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Mohr Capital | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/03/31/mohr-capital-sells-65-million-deals-past-80-days/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:09Z |
NSW adds 331 previously unreported deaths to COVID-19 toll
By Mary Ward
Health authorities have added more than 300 deaths to the state’s COVID-19 toll following a review of data from Births, Deaths and Marriages, including 66 people who died from the virus in the home.
The 331 previously unreported deaths, which were certified by a doctor on the person’s death certificate as being caused by or contributed to by COVID-19, were added on Thursday.
NSW has now recorded 2433 deaths from COVID-19, including two – a man in his 50s from western NSW and a man in his 70s from the Central Coast, both with significant underlying health conditions – reported on Friday.
Of the previously unreported deaths, 270 occurred this year, 58 in 2021 and three were deaths from 2020, in the first year of the pandemic.
There were 131 previously unreported deaths in aged care facilities (39.6 per cent of the missing deaths). Another 98 (29.6 per cent) occurred in public hospitals, 66 (19.9 per cent) occurred at the person’s home and 22 (6.6 per cent) occurred in private hospitals.
“COVID-19 related deaths are notified to NSW Health from a range of sources, including public and private hospitals, aged care facilities, and the Coroner,” the ministry said in a statement, noting it was “usually” automatically notified when a death from COVID-19 occurred in a public hospital.
“To ensure NSW COVID-19 mortality data is as robust as possible, NSW Health has been cross-checking these deaths with all those identified in death certificates by the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages during this period.”
The deaths followed a similar geographic distribution to those authorities were already aware of. Thirty per cent – 102 deaths – occurred in South Western Sydney Local Health District, where about a quarter of the state’s virus deaths have been recorded.
In a report released by NSW Health on Thursday providing further information about the previously unreported deaths, the ministry said processes had been put in place such that deaths certified by a doctor as caused by COVID-19 would now be included in its figures.
“For people where an expected death occurred at home, for example an elderly person with significant underlying health conditions or people receiving palliative care, the doctor may not have reported the death through any channels other than the [registry],” the report stated.
“As many of the deaths occurred recently, and there is sometimes a delay between a death occurring and it being reported to NSW Health, it is possible that NSW Health would have received a report of the death through the usual channels, but at a later date.”
NSW Health was aware of a positive test result for 256 of the 331 deaths, but did not receive a report of death. It did not have a record of a positive test result for the remaining 75.
The report said health authorities “do not yet know the details of why” the additional deaths in hospitals and aged care facilities had not been reported.
“It is known that some infections may have been identified by a rapid antigen test that was not registered with Service NSW and some may have had a diagnosis based on testing performed outside of NSW, or based on a clinical diagnosis without a laboratory test,” the report read.
“In some cases, it is possible the facilities may have assumed the death was already reported by another authority. Some deaths were associated with other significant conditions such as end-stage cancer or significant neurological conditions.”
NSW Health also plans to use excess mortality data over the pandemic to further assess the impact of the virus on the community.
There were 25,495 new local COVID-19 cases reported in NSW on Friday. The number of people in hospital who are COVID-positive is trending up: there are 1345 cases admitted to hospital including 43 in intensive care.
Stay across the most crucial developments related to the pandemic with the Coronavirus Update. Sign up to receive the weekly newsletter. | https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-adds-331-previously-unreported-deaths-to-covid-19-toll-20220401-p5a9zh.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national | 2022-04-01T01:53:09Z |
By Jordan Baker
In the past two years, Walgett Community College incident log has recorded almost 50 cases of violence at the school, ranging from student brawls and threats involving weapons to assaults on teachers. Police were notified or called almost 15 times and, on a handful of occasions, lockdown procedures were activated.
“Numerous students displayed aggressive and threatening behaviour on school grounds and a lockdown was implemented,” the log says of an incident in term one last year, in which police were called.
Another incident involved students breaking into a classroom and distributing the equipment, says the log, released under freedom of information laws. On another occasion, some students lit a fire, causing minor property damage. There were multiple fights between students that teachers tried to handle, but in some cases called police for support.
One time, six students approached a student who was leaving with their parent. “[They] assaulted the student,” it said.
Violence has become a fixture of Walgett High. There are deep disagreements over what to do about it; the elders say the students need more help for their disability and trauma and want police kept out, but others say the environment has become dangerous for both students and teachers.
It is not a new problem. Almost 10 years ago, then Education Minister Adrian Piccoli denounced the government’s neglect of Walgett, and rural schools like it, where most students are indigenous. He said Walgett Community College’s ruinous buildings made it the worst school in the state. “I think it is true to say that we as a community have treated Aboriginal people like rubbish.”
To turn the school around, the NSW government gave its buildings a $9 million makeover. It created a new governance structure - known as Connected Communities - to give parents and local leaders a greater voice in decisions made not only by Walgett Community College, but 15 schools with similarly high numbers of Indigenous children in other parts of the state. The department lured former Asquith high principal, Richard Rule, out of retirement to lead the new-look school.
More money, including Gonski funding, flowed over the next few years and gave Walgett the highest per capita funding of any school in the state. In 2020 - the most recent figures available - it received more than $44,500 for each student from state and federal governments.
None of it seems to have helped.
The high school now has its 31st principal in 24 years. Its attendance rate has been trending downwards from a low base since 2011. Last year it was 43.3 per cent, which was slightly higher than the year before, but far lower than the average across the state (90.7 per cent) or statistically similar schools (76.7 per cent), the freedom of information documents show. Just five of 151 students attended school more than 90 per cent of the time, compared with 31 per cent in similar schools.
In the five years to 2018, the average yearly staff turnover was 50 per cent. Potential recruits were deterred by the geographical isolation and the violence. Two female teachers have been on long-term leave due to severe injuries sustained while being assaulted by female students on school grounds, multiple sources say, and staff members have been hit, spat upon and had their cars damaged.
The turnover and vacancies mean, among other things, that there’s little educational continuity in a school where it’s particularly important. NAPLAN results show many of the students struggle with the basic skills they will need to function in society; the average year 9 score was below minimum standard in every subject but spelling and numeracy. In writing, the average year 9 student was functioning at year 3 level.
Some local families do not want to send their children there. They say they don’t learn, and the conflict makes them anxious.
Kathryn Sharpley’s daughter Caroline Ashby, who is 12, finds the work too easy - her mother says it’s often at year 5 level - and doesn’t like the violence. “Some days she doesn’t want to go, because of all the fights around the school,” her mother says. “She loves maths, it’s her favourite subject. Going there, they’re making her take a step back. I tell her, being Aboriginal doesn’t mean you can’t get somewhere in life.”
Mrs Sharpley could send Caroline to Queensland to live with relatives, or to a school in the nearby town of Lightning Ridge. “I’d prefer her to be close to us, than move a long way,” she says.
Local mother Rebecca Trindall has organised a daily bus to Lightning Ridge, which is about 45 minutes away, and is lobbying for Walgett children to be given automatic access to that school rather than having to lodge out of area applications. “Each year, families are forced to relocate from Walgett or send children away to simply be educated as there are no options available to them locally outside of Walgett Community College.”
One ongoing issue has been tension between principals and community leaders. Richard Rule, the principal installed as part of Dr Piccoli’s makeover, lasted two years. He says he came under pressure from the school reference group - community members who help make school decisions - to leave. Few principals since have lasted much longer.
“[They] were of the belief I was not running the school in the spirit of Connected Communities,” he says. “In Walgett’s case, the model just didn’t work. I wanted a well-run school where children stayed in the classroom and had a teacher in front of them and actually learned something in a stable environment.
“That did not seem to satisfy the reference group, who seemed to want some sort of cultural revolution in their school that was never going to happen while the school was unstable, with violence and teachers under threat.”
The Dharriwaa Elders lay the blame for continued dysfunction with the NSW Department of Education, which “continues to fail to provide what’s needed for Walgett students to succeed at school,” they said in a statement published on their website after the Herald requested an interview. They say they are being denied figures on suspension by Aboriginality, which, they say, means NSW Education wants to hide the link between school suspensions and a lack of support for disability and trauma.
They want the school to stop calling police “as their first response to behaviour incidents”, and say officers should be banned from bringing guns onto the school site. “Recently there was an escalation when five police cars attended the high school to arrest a young teenage girl,” their statement says. “ Walgett school leadership must train their staff to de-escalate behaviours in our young people and decommission their hotline to police. The criminalising of our young people when they aren’t well has to stop.
“We conclude that Walgett schools are not culturally or physically safe.”
Piccoli acknowledges the conflicting expectations of school staff and the community. “When incidents occur at school, and the school takes the disciplinary action it would take at any other school, sometimes the community doesn’t respond well to that,” he says. “Walgett is a very unique place. So it has to be a unique school.
“For example, having police - the community didn’t like that. They don’t want it to be seen as a justice precinct. It’s got to be an education precinct. And they’re right, but you have to be able to guarantee staff safety as well.”
The Connected Communities program was supposed to build bridges between schools and the community. The NSW Department of Education evaluated the program a few years ago, and its findings were ambivalent. On the plus side, most of the 15 schools were successfully introducing local Aboriginal language programs, and attempting to incorporate Aboriginal content into their curriculum.
However, the role of School Reference Groups lacked clarity, it says, and there was uncertainty - “and in some cases tension” - around their role in decision-making. The strategy has also, as yet, had little impact on academic outcomes or attendance at the secondary level. Attendance has gone backwards, and schools were still struggling to engage parents in students’ education. The NSW Department of Education has nevertheless expanded the number of schools involved in the program from the original 15 to 31.
Mark Banasiak is an upper house MP representing the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, and is also a former teacher. He has taken a particular interest in Walgett, and worries about the students. “People need to be held accountable for these failures to deliver,” he says.
“I’m turning my attention to people higher up, past the executive principal, who are supposed to be supporting the school. Until you address that core issue about why some elements of the community are not coming along with the school’s plan, you are never going to achieve the change you need. The tragedy is it’s the kids that suffer the most. Education should be a circuit breaker in this community, and a way for the community to grow and prosper, and at the moment that’s not happening.”
Asked about the issue in parliament, Education Minister Sarah Mitchell acknowledged there was more to do. “Part of it is the work we need to do to make sure that our staff feel supported, that they feel empowered and that we work not just with the school but also with the whole of the community,” she says.
“We know that some entrenched issues in the Walgett community have existed for years. These are things that multiple government agencies are working on together, and they will continue to do so.”
Mr Rule is sceptical about the whole-of-government approach. “I went to some of those meetings and there was a lot of rhetoric,” he says. “I don’t think I saw in the school one positive outcome from any of the state and federal agencies.”
The NSW Department of Education refused the Herald’s request to interview the school’s principal, who, some say, has brought relative stability in the past 11 months. It gave a statement saying that the Department of Regional NSW was working with community leaders to improve youth education, vocational training, employment and social outcomes.
There’s no easy solution for Walgett, says Piccoli. “There are deep social and historical issues there, that are difficult to change,” he says. Inter-agency collaboration was important, but often did not involve people senior enough to cut through the bureaucracy.
“If I had five minutes to talk to [Secretary of the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet] Michael Coutts-Trotter, I would say, ‘we need a minister for Walgett, or a deputy secretary’. It’s very hard to change human behaviour, but we can certainly provide the fundamentals and basics that most people take for granted ... that we haven’t got right there.
“The bottom line is you can never give up. You have to keep getting the best support you can there.”
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. | https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/violence-is-disrupting-learning-at-walgett-high-no-one-knows-what-to-do-about-it-20220330-p5a9gf.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national | 2022-04-01T01:53:10Z |
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.binghamtonhomepage.com/washington/washington-dc/bill-seeks-to-put-cap-on-overdraft-fees/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:10Z |
Do we have our ducks in a row?
Thursday, March 31, 2022Dear Editor,
The recent visit by Prince William has reignited conversations about Jamaica becoming a republic and being paid reparation.
While I have no problem with Jamaica being a republic, as I would want this to happen, and am indifferent about reparation, I have a bit of a problem with the people who are advocating for it.
Majority of the advocates are intellectual and cultural elites who reside in gated communities and have very little understanding of the average Jamaican, except for what they read in textbooks. These people seem to have lost sight of the fact that, for the most part, Jamaicans are disenfranchised, even after Independence, and disillusioned with national objectives as they have no stake in it, and are simply trying to survive.
How can we talk about a referendum when the general attitude among the population is that every man, woman, and child must look out for themselves?
The Bill Johnson poll has revealed that the majority of people find the electoral process to be a waste of time and money, and they would prefer British rule over their current station in life.
How can we talk about reparation when we have no idea how to make sure the money is spent for the benefit of all, instead of being hoarded and stolen by corrupt practices?
The reparation and republicanism activists should realise that to have effective and sustainable change, it should go from top to bottom and bottom to top, otherwise we run the risk of exchanging one head of State, thousands of miles away, symbolic of slavery and our colonial past, for another head of State, one mile away, symbolic of political corruption and everything that is wrong with Jamaica. Additionally, the reparation money, too, will not have its intended effect.
That is, if the majority votes for Jamaica to be a republic, given that a fair amount of citizens wants to keep The Queen as head of State or they just don't care.
Marcus White
whitemarc918@gmail.com
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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Some lawmakers are pushing to re-establish postal banking to help low-income families and rural communities.
“The U.S. Postal Service has the real estate, the workforce and the know-how to meet this need,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said.
Gillibrand introduced the Postal Banking Act, which would give access to services like savings and checking accounts, debit cards, and low-fee ATMs at the post office.
“More than 46 million adults are not having their needs met by the current banking system,” Gillibrand said.
Gillibrand says the move will help low-income Americans avoid high-fee lending and check cashing companies.
“Lack of proximity to local bank branches and lack of trust of banks pushing the unbanked towards risking often predatory alternative financial products,” Gillibrand said.
Gillibrand believes the bill could generate new business for the struggling postal agency.
“It will provide a much-needed source of revenue for the U.S. Postal Service,” Gillibrand said.
“The way we bank has changed,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said.
Capito says she hasn’t seen the legislation yet but believes it’s more important to develop models everyone can use.
“We have to look at banking too. The nature of banking has changed. I mean, we’re doing things on our phones that we never thought we could do,” Capito said.
Gillibrand hopes she can get the bill passed with Republican support before the end of the year. | https://www.kxan.com/news/washington-dc/sen-gillibrand-introduces-bill-that-would-give-access-to-bank-services-at-the-post-office/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:10Z |
Dillon Spring Indicted for Attempted Murder of Police Officers
March 31, 2022
(Anchorage, AK) – Yesterday, an Anchorage grand jury indicted 28 year-old Dillon Spring on six counts of attempted first-degree murder, eight counts of first-degree assault, and six counts of third-degree assault.
Spring is alleged to have attempted to cause the death of six Anchorage Police Department officers on March 18, 2022: Officer Dominick Eubank, Officer Brandon Schafer, Sergeant Justin Blake, Officer Bradley Breager, Officer Heather Mitzel, and Officer Jacob Raygor. Spring is also alleged to have caused serious physical injury to Officer Dominick Eubank as a result of the incident.
If convicted at trial, Spring faces a sentence of up to 99 years imprisonment for each of the attempted first-degree murder charges, up to 20 years for each of the first-degree assault charges, and up to 5 years for each of the third-degree assault charges.
These charges are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Spring is currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections (DOC). Bail is set at $300,000 cash performance, $300,000 cash appearance, electronic monitoring by the DOC Pre-Trial Enforcement Division, and Spring is required to have a 24/7 third-party custodian. He is scheduled to be arraigned before the Superior Court in Anchorage on April 1, 2022.
CONTACT: Anchorage Assistant Attorney General Patrick McKay at (907) 269-5100 or patrick.mckay@alaska.gov.
# # #
Department Media Contact: Assistant Attorney General Grace Lee or Assistant Attorney General Daniel Cacciatore. | https://www.einpresswire.com/article/567179179/dillon-spring-indicted-for-attempted-murder-of-police-officers | 2022-04-01T01:53:11Z |
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Nigeria has been in trouble since independence because of the failure of leadership, a former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, said on Thursday.
Obi condemned the practice of money politics by some politicians in the country, stressing that only competent leadership can unite the nation.
Nigerians, he said, must “resist the temptation by enemies of collective progress, as well as the influence of money bags as Nigeria prepares for the 2023 general elections.”
According to him, leadership inadequacy contributed in worsening the country’s problems, from widening the parochial divisions among the citizens to the plundering of the treasury.
He, therefore, called on the youth to take over the ownership of the country, stressing that their docility in the affairs of the nation contributed to their bane.
Obi stated these in his lecture titled ‘National development: Role of the Nigeria youths’ during the inauguration of the National Executive Council of Nigeria Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council which held in Abuja.
Read Also
He said, “Don’t think you are going to get anything out of incompetent leadership no matter how it benefits you personally. It will worsen the entire country and eventually worsen you.
“Let Nigeria’s next leadership from the local governments to the state and federal levels be people who have the capacity to govern; people who have integrity and managers of resources; people who know where to invest. The biggest assets of a country are human beings that live in that country. Nigeria as a nation has not invested in its people.
“It is good we have some physical infrastructure. But you cannot make physical infrastructure without investing in human development.”
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Contact: [email protected] | https://punchng.com/money-politics-fraudsters-hindering-nigeria-since-independence-peter-obi/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:13Z |
Final Four coaches feel transfer portal is “out of control”
Jeff Walz has had a lot of success getting players to transfer to Louisville over the last few years, including three starters on his Final Four team this season.
He’s not the only coach in the Final Four who has bolstered the roster by using the transfer portal as both South Carolina and UConn have found supplemental players from it.
Still Walz, Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma think the amount of players looking to change schools is getting out of control.
“I always like to say, ‘The grass is greener on the other side because it’s fertilized with a bunch of bull,’” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “I think there are a lot of players that will jump into the portal after one year that don’t really have a good grasp of why they’re doing it.”
Staley likened the portal to Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.
“It’s a big ol’ fad that just keeps continuing,” she said. “Is it out of hand? It absolutely is. I don’t know how you control it. But it’s their way. It’s their way of controlling their own destinies.”
Both Staley and Auriemma noted that there were currently more players seeking to transfer than there were scholarships available across the country.
“You know those 850 people in the portal? Three hundred of them are not going to find a school to go to because they’re going to realize it’s not the school they just left,” Auriemma said.
Despite the reservations, they’re still playing along. Emily Engstler (Syracuse), Kianna Smith (California) and Chelsie Hall (Vanderbilt) have been key for Louisville. Engstler and Hall just joined the program this season.
When Engstler was considering the Cardinals, Walz went to Mykasa Robinson to discuss how her role would likely shrink if Engstler were to come and gauge her comfort level.
“She looked at me, and she’s like, ‘I’m tired of guarding her. If we can get her, yes, because she likes to win, and she wants to play with other good players,’” Walz said.
SOUTH CAROLINA SUPPORT
The Gamecocks have led the nation in average attendance for seven straight years, buoyed by a base of more than 10,000 season tickets. Despite the 1,200-mile distance from campus to downtown Minneapolis, there will be plenty of garnet-and-black-clad South Carolina fans voicing their support on Friday night when the Gamecocks take on Louisville.
“They’ve been with us when we weren’t a popular team or we weren’t a whole lot to cheer about,” Staley said. “This is my 14th year being at South Carolina, but the last probably 10, the fans have given us a ride that’s kind of irreplaceable.”
One of the catalysts for the attendance boom was giving fans as much as access to the program as they could, to build relationships and let the locals get to know the players as people.
“You really feel the love in the community,” guard Brea Beal said. “You can go to the store and run into somebody and they’re like, oh my gosh, just freaking out. It’s like a family.”
FOND MEMORY
Walz spent one season at Minnesota on his climb up the coaching ladder, serving as an assistant under current Maryland coach Brenda Frese.
That was 20 years ago, when Hall of Fame finalist Lindsay Whalen was a sophomore for the Gophers on a breakthrough team that reached the Final Four two seasons later. The women’s team at that time played in a smaller gym, the Pavilion, next door to Williams Arena where the Minnesota men’s team has played since 1928.
A water pipe burst that winter, moving the women’s team into the bigger venue. The Gophers were on a roll, and the first game in the building known as “The Barn” was packed to the rafters.
“From that point on, we continued the rest of the season playing in the Barn in front of unbelievable crowds,” Walz said.
___
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
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Seeking to counter international fears over its new security alliance with China, the Solomon Islands said Friday it won't allow China to build a military base there.
But that insistence will do little to ease concerns about the pact from the nation's traditional partners that include New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
The leader of neighboring Micronesia added his voice to those expressing trepidation by invoking the bloody battles of World War II and warning that the pact could again see the South Pacific region become a battleground for much larger powers.
The Solomon Islands government said Thursday a draft agreement of the new security pact had been initialed by representatives from the Solomons and China and would be "cleaned up" and signed.
In a statement Friday, the Solomon Islands government said that “contrary to the misinformation promoted by anti-government commentators” the agreement did not invite China to establish a military base.
“Government is conscious of the security ramification of hosting a military base, and it will not be careless to allow such initiative to take place under its watch,” the statement said.
The statement seemed to more emphatically rule out the possibility of a base after Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare had earlier told parliament it had no intention of asking China to build a base.
Sogavare said his nation sought only peace and prosperity, citing its foreign policy mantra: “We are friends to all and enemies to none.” He said it wasn't a secret deal but a sovereign issue.
Under the terms of the draft agreement, China could send police, military personnel and other armed forces to the Solomon Islands “to assist in maintaining social order” and for a variety of other reasons. It could also send warships to the islands for stopovers and to replenish supplies, which had led to speculation about the possibility of China establishing a naval base on the South Pacific islands.
Micronesia President David Panuelo wrote a letter to Sogavare saying Micronesia had “grave security concerns” about the "novel and unprecedented" arrangement.
He said the two small nations had become battle grounds during World War II and that it could happen again as China, the U.S. and Australia asserted themselves in the region.
“And is it plausible that, once the spheres have been carved out, that our concerns about climate change — today’s problem — would manifest into all-too-real concerns about a war in our backyards, with our people, our islands, as the playground for children playing as adults?” Panuelo wrote to Sogavare.
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said Friday that while it respected the Solomons' sovereignty, the deal showed that China was acting aggressively in the region.
“We need to be very cautious here because the Chinese are incredibly aggressive, the tactics that they’re deploying into small island nations are quite remarkable,” he told Sky News.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern this week described the possibility of Chinese military forces stationed on the Solomon Islands as “the potential militarization of the region.” And the U.S. State Department said Washington did not believe China’s security forces and methods needed to be exported.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday that “relevant parties should see the China-Solomon Islands security cooperation objectively and rationally and stop making irresponsible remarks.”
“Attempts to provoke, obstruct and undermine China’s friendly relations with the island countries is not popular and will not succeed,” Wang told reporters at a daily briefing.
“China-Solomon Islands cooperation does not target any third party and is not in conflict with Solomon Islands’ cooperation with other countries. Instead, it complements the existing regional cooperation mechanisms in a positive way,” he added.
The Solomon Islands, home to about 700,000 people, switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 — a contributing factor to riots in November last year between residents of different islands within the country.
Australian police have been in the capital, Honiara, maintaining peace since then under a bilateral security treaty established in 2017. It provides a legal basis for the rapid deployment of Australian police, troops and associated civilians in the event of a major security challenge.
Chinese police are already on the islands conducting a training mission.
The Federated States of Micronesia is home to about 100,000 people. It has diplomatic relations and considers itself a “friend” of China, as well as having a close relationship with the U.S. under a compact of free association. | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Solomon-Islands-says-China-deal-won-t-include-17049939.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:13Z |
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Russell Knox recorded four straight birdies on the back nine and fired a 7-under 65 on Thursday for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.
Knox closed out his round with a seven-foot putt to save par at the par-5 18th at TPC San Antonio, and was one shot ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard.
Hojgaard fired a 66 despite a double bogey on his final hole. Matt Kuchar is another stroke back after an opening 5-under 67 and is among a group that includes Denny McCarthy, Aaron Rei and J.J. Spaun.
Defending champ Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy finished at even-par 72. They were outside the top 60 after one round and could flirt with the cut line on Friday.
Bryson DeChambeau had a 1-over 73. After holing a bunker shot for eagle on his 11th hole and following with a birdie on the next, he made bogey on four of his last six holes.
Knox, a 32-year-old Scotsman with two career PGA Tour wins, started his birdie streak at No. 12. All of his birdie putts were inside 10 feet. At the 15th, he was about 20 feet away from a back pin position following his approach and chipped in from the fringe. It was his second chip-in in the round.
“That was one of those kind of bonus birdies that you need when you’re going to have a good day,” Knox said. “Obviously thrilled with the round. It’s been more of the way I want to play.”
Hogjaard, a 21-year-old from Denmark and two-rime winner on the European Tour, had his sights on the first-round lead heading to his closing hole. But, his drive sailed well left of the fairway. It took him four shots to reach the green on the par-4 ninth.
“I had to chip sideways back into the fairway,” he said. “Just was a little too aggressive after that. Yeah, short-sided myself and I didn’t get up and down and suddenly you walk away with double-bogey. Yeah, that was a bit annoying, but it happens.”
Kuchar was 5 under after 11 holes. Thirty feet away from the pin on the next hole, he failed to get up and down and missed a seven-foot putt for par. He got a shot back with a birdie on his 14th hole, and parred out, falling short in a bid to match his season-best round of 64 at the Sony Open, where he finished in the top 10.
“A lot of good and bad that can happen here on this course,” Kuchar said. “I was kind of managing early on in the round and then found a little something on about the fifth or sixth hole. I started having some birdie chances and converted on a few late in my first nine.”
Kuchar has won nine times on the PGA Tour. McCarthy, Rai and Spaun are looking for their first.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/article/Knox-uses-4-birdie-run-for-a-one-stroke-lead-at-17049836.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:13Z |
Surgeries hang in the balance as COVID strikes down health staff
By Matt Dennien
Some Queensland hospitals could suspend elective surgeries as rising COVID cases and hospitalisations of health staff and infected patients place pressure on the health system.
Fifty extra pop-up vaccination clinics will be set up for the school holidays to make it easier for families and children to get the jab — with school-aged and booster rates lagging.
A total of 10,722 new infections were reported on Friday, with 403 people in the state’s public and private hospital system with the virus. Fourteen of these are in intensive care units.
The number of Queensland Health and ambulance staff off work because of infections or close contact requirements had also risen again to 3305, more than double the number of a week ago.
“This will put increasing pressures on our health systems,” Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.
“Each hospital and health service, based on their demand, can be looking at whether they need to suspend planned care - that means elective surgery.
“We are not at this stage looking at having a statewide suspension of elective surgery, and we hope not to need to do that in this current wave.”
Ms D’Ath said 2373 of the new cases were children, and she urged parents and carers to take advantage of the pop-up clinics set to spring up at shopping centres, amusement parks and schools.
More details were expected to be released on the Queensland Health website.
Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said the disproportionate number of children being infected was likely due to low vaccination rates among the cohort and less exposure to the previous wave of the virus in January.
He said the state was approaching the peak of the latest wave, meaning case numbers could soon decline, but hospitalisations and health workforce pressures would lag by one or two weeks.
Data suggested the wave would be about one-third the size of January’s peak owing to increased vaccination. But authorities were still unsure whether winter would bring another wave.
“Vaccination has completely transformed this pandemic,” Dr Gerrard said. “So it’s critical, of course, that people continue to get vaccinated.“
Queensland’s booster rate among the eligible population, at 61.4 per cent, is the lowest in the country.
And its vaccination rate among the five- to 11-year-old age group sits at only 43.3 per cent first-dosed.
The Morning Edition newsletter is your guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. | https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/surgeries-hang-in-the-balance-as-covid-strikes-down-health-staff-20220401-p5aa0b.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national | 2022-04-01T01:53:13Z |
Dope Dropper 500mg - Unflavored
by Dope Dog
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About this product
Meet the Dope Dropper...500mg of active CBD suspended in biologically appropriate MCT coconut oil
Supportive Formula used for:
Anxiety
Aggressive behavior
Epilepsy
Inflammation
Pain/Aging
Skin and GI tract issues
The Dope Dropper is formulated with Multi Chain Triglyceride (MCT) oil from organic coconuts. Dope Dog uses organic, industrial hemp grown in Colorado. Extracted by hydrocarbon method and purified by chromatography, making it top food grade. Guaranteed to be free of heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides. Every batch is 3rd-party lab tested to guarantee purity and safety.
Benefits of the Dope Dropper:
Quick release
Easy to administer
100% dosage control
Made with digestive-friendly MCT coconut oil
Non-psychoactive and safe for pets
Lab Tested
Non-GMO
Organic Hemp
Ingredients
500mg CBD Isolate, MCT Coconut Oil
Suggested Use
You know your dog best! Observe before and after administration to determine optimal dose. Recommended starting dose is 1mg per every 10lbs of body weight.
Supportive Formula used for:
Anxiety
Aggressive behavior
Epilepsy
Inflammation
Pain/Aging
Skin and GI tract issues
The Dope Dropper is formulated with Multi Chain Triglyceride (MCT) oil from organic coconuts. Dope Dog uses organic, industrial hemp grown in Colorado. Extracted by hydrocarbon method and purified by chromatography, making it top food grade. Guaranteed to be free of heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides. Every batch is 3rd-party lab tested to guarantee purity and safety.
Benefits of the Dope Dropper:
Quick release
Easy to administer
100% dosage control
Made with digestive-friendly MCT coconut oil
Non-psychoactive and safe for pets
Lab Tested
Non-GMO
Organic Hemp
Ingredients
500mg CBD Isolate, MCT Coconut Oil
Suggested Use
You know your dog best! Observe before and after administration to determine optimal dose. Recommended starting dose is 1mg per every 10lbs of body weight.
No product reviews
Have you tried this product? Be the first to leave a review! | https://www.leafly.com/brands/dope-dog-treats/products/dope-dog-treats-dope-dropper-500mg-unflavored | 2022-04-01T01:53:13Z |
NPR podcast explores how environmentalism overlaps with racism and Nazis
NPR's 'Consider This' claimed environmental movement 'founded on white supremacy'
An NPR podcast spent their Thursday show exploring how environmentalism overlaps with racism and Nazis.
During the "Consider This" podcast, host Ari Shapiro and his guests had a discussion which was titled, "The Growing Overlap Between The Far-Right And Environmentalism. " The pair explained connections between environmentalism and a violent white supremacist mindset.
CNN EXPERT ON GAS PRICES: ‘REALLY SMART STRATEGY’ WOULD BE TO ‘SIMPLY USE LESS GASOLINE’
"There’s this earlier, very nativist, very exclusionary, environmental thought. It was very much based on this idea of nature as a violent competitive hierarchical domain where, you know, White Europeans were at the top," Blair Taylor, researcher at the Institute for Social Ecology, said.
Shapiro noted that Taylor’s research found "in some ways the environmental movement was founded on ideas of white supremacy." Furthermore, there was even some connections to Nazism.
"The idea that natural purity translates into racial or national purity, that was one that was very central to the Nazis’ environmental discourse. 'Unspoiled’ forest goes hand in hand with racial purity or something like that. The Nazis saw themselves as environmentalists," Taylor said.
Researcher Alex Amend insisted that this side of environmentalism has been "rediscovered" by the alt-right and could be used in a form of eco-fascism.
"As climate change sort of turns up the heat, there’s going to be all sorts of political consternation around these issues," Amend said.
Dr. Dorceta Taylor, professor of environmental justice for Yale, further traced the beginnings of the environmental movement to backlash against integration and racial mixing.
MEDIA EMBRACE OF FREE SPEECH, ILLIBERALISM DEBATE ANGERS SOME ON THE LEFT
"We see the taking of Native American lands to turn into park spaces that are described as empty, untouched by human hands, pristine, to be protected. So this is where the language of preservation really crosses over into this narrative of exclusion," Taylor said.
She added, "White elite, especially white male elites, wanted to leave the spaces where there was racial mixing and this discomfort around racial and mixed neighborhoods infused the discourse of those early conservationist leaders."
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Earlier this month, MSNBC published a similar op-ed that tied fitness to the Nazi party.
"Physical fitness has always been central to the far right. In ‘Mein Kampf,’ Hitler fixated on boxing and jujitsu, believing they could help him create an army of millions whose aggressive spirit and impeccably trained bodies, combined with ‘fanatical love of the fatherland,’ would do more for the German nation than any ‘mediocre’ tactical weapons training," Miller-Idriss wrote. | https://www.foxnews.com/media/npr-podcast-racist-nazi-environmentalism | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
Dolphins come back from break with convincing victory
Spring Break could not have come at a better time for the Marathon High baseball team, as the Dolphins had lost four of six to fall back to .500 after starting the season with victories against rivals Palmer Trinity, Miami Country Day and Ransom Everglades.
The 10-day hiatus from game action seemed to correct the flow of the Dolphins as on Monday, March 28, Marathon returned with a convincing 10-0 victory against Westwood Christian.
It was the eighth consecutive road game for the Dolphins and it did not last long, as, by the time the fifth inning came to a close, Marathon was in front by the 10-run mercy rule.
The Dolphins scored four in each of their first two at-bats and then added runs in the third and fourth to go in front by double digits. Ryan Yalbon Dylan Ziels, Gavin Leal and Emanuel Polanco, all collected two hits, while Corbin Neller, Delvin Solis and Ben Hiller added base hits. Polanco, with three RBI, Leal with one RBI and Neller all had doubles.
That was more than enough for Marathon starting pitcher Dylan Ziels, who shut down the Westwood lineup to just two hits and allowed three walks but struck out seven to earn the win, with Yalbon tossing a scoreless fifth frame, with a walk and strikeout to close out the mercy-rule win.
It was extremely motivating,” Marathon coach Joey Gonzalez said about the win. “Especially against a conference and district opponent, this sets us up really well in the standings. We basically control our destiny from here on out.”
After spending nearly the entire month of March on the road, last playing in the Middle Keys on Feb. 28, Marathon is back at home on Thursday, March 31, against Academy of the Lakes at 6:30 p.m., which defeated the Dolphins, 6-4, just before the break but lost at Coral Shores, 1-0, on Monday, March 28.
“We have a tough stretch these next two weeks, but if we can ring off a few straight conference wins, I see us going in seed No. 1 or 2,” said Gonzalez. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556262022147/dolphins-come-back-from-break-with-convincing-victory | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
The counting is over in the second union election at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. But it's too close to call.
There were 993 "no" votes and 875 "yes" votes, but more than 400 contested ballots remain. According to the National Labor Relations Board, there will be a hearing within a few weeks to decide if any of the challenged ballots will be opened and counted.
More than 6,100 workers were eligible to vote in the do-over election, which was ordered after the NLRB found that Amazon had improperly interfered in last year's tally.
Turnout in this year's vote was down from last year when over half of eligible voters cast ballots. But among those who actually voted this time around, there was greater support for the union. Last year, workers voted more than 2-to-1 against joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a well-established national union.
"This time around we were able to educate more about unions," said Jennifer Bates, a warehouse employee, noting that organizers were able to get closer to workers now that the pandemic has eased.
The RWDSU called for every vote to be counted.
"The tenacity and courage of these workers never wavered in this unnecessarily long process," said RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum in a statement. "Workers will have to wait just a little bit longer to ensure their voices are heard."
Meanwhile in a separate Amazon union election on Staten Island in New York, the vote count will continue Friday morning. Roughly 8,000 workers were eligible to vote on whether to join the Amazon Labor Union, an upstart organization led by former and current Amazon warehouse employees. With ballots still to count, the union is in the lead, with 1,518 voting yes so far, and 1,154 voting no.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kalw.org/npr-news/2022-03-31/do-over-union-election-at-amazons-bessemer-warehouse-is-too-close-to-call | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Cash4Life" game were:
01-02-27-29-30, Cash Ball: 3
(one, two, twenty-seven, twenty-nine, thirty; Cash Ball: three)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Cash4Life" game were:
01-02-27-29-30, Cash Ball: 3
(one, two, twenty-seven, twenty-nine, thirty; Cash Ball: three) | https://www.thehour.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Cash4Life-game-17049899.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. | https://sportspyder.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers/articles/39012067 | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
Report: Saint Peter’s Looking at Rutgers Assistant Brandin Knight for Coaching Opening
Saint Peter’s has become quite the household name in college basketball after their historic Elite Eight run in the NCAA tournament this year.
Following their loss on Sunday to UNC, coach Shaheen Holloway left Saint Peter’s to take over the leading role at his alma mater, Seton Hall.
While Holloway’s official replacement has yet to be announced, Adam Zagoria reported on Thursday that the Peacocks are targeting Rutgers assistant Brandin Knight for the role.
Knight played for Pittsburgh from 1999—2003. In his junior season, he was named to the Wooden All-American team and was a second-team Sporting News All-American and third-team AP All-American. He was also the co-player of the year in the Big East. As a senior, he was an honorable mention AP All-American.
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Knight’s jersey was later retired by Pittsburgh. He also acted as an assistant coach for his alma mater from 2008–16 before joining the Scarlet Knights in 2016.
Rutgers went 18–14 this season. They lost to Notre Dame in their First Four game in the NCAA tournament.
The coach is originally from New Jersey, and currently coaches in Piscataway at Rutgers. Knight would only be traveling about 40 minutes to Saint Peter’s if he is officially given the new gig.
More CBB Coverage:
- Aliyah Boston, Kim Mulkey Win Associated Press Women’s Player, Coach of the Year
- The NCAA’s Existential Crisis Should Have Groundbreaking Answers Soon
- Armando Bacot Talks Motivation for Tar Heels Ahead of Final Four
- Daily Cover: Forty Years Ago an HBCU Played in the First Women’s Final Four. Today the Program Is Gone. | https://www.si.com/college/2022/04/01/saint-peters-coaching-search-brandin-knight-rutgers-shaheen-holloway-seton-hall | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
By Adam Cooper
Former Australian Test cricket captain Tim Paine says the woman he sexted also sent him explicit text messages, according to court documents in which he and three other men deny they sexually harassed her.
Cricket Tasmania has rejected allegations made by former staffer Renee Ferguson about the organisation and her past colleagues. Federal Court documents said the former receptionist sent explicit messages to Mr Paine and his brother-in-law, made sexualised comments at work and spoke of a drug problem.
The case could go to trial as recent mediation between the parties failed to settle the dispute.
Ms Ferguson has alleged Mr Paine sent her sexually explicit and unsolicited messages, including a photograph of his penis, on November 23, 2017. Mr Paine was to play in an Ashes Test that day but wasn’t captain at the time.
Ms Ferguson also alleges she was sexually harassed by Shannon Tubb – Mr Paine’s brother-in-law – in 2016 and 2017 while he was Cricket Tasmania’s high-performance manager, and that she was subjected to sexualised comments by two other managers at the organisation.
She is seeking about $900,000 from Cricket Tasmania to cover medical costs, pain and suffering and lost wages. She claims she lodged complaints of sexual harassment with five managers, but nothing was done.
In a written response filed with the court, Cricket Tasmania denies Ms Ferguson was sexually harassed at the organisation, and that four then-managers denied she made complaints to them.
It said a fifth manager offered to “escalate” Ms Ferguson’s report that she was sent an inappropriate picture in a text message, but that she declined the offer.
Cricket Tasmania’s response says Mr Paine denies the full exchange of messages between him and Ms Ferguson is detailed in her court papers, and that her version of the exchange is “incomplete and inaccurate”.
“Mr Paine said there were approximately 20 to 30 texts exchanged between him and the applicant. The applicant’s text messages to Mr Paine escalated such that they contained highly sexualised and explicit sexual content,” Cricket Tasmania’s documents say.
Mr Paine doesn’t deny he sent lewd messages. He resigned in tears as captain of the Test team last year when he learned details of the text messages were to become public. It later emerged he was cleared of misconduct in 2018 after a Cricket Australia investigation.
The Cricket Tasmania documents say Cricket Australia concluded Mr Paine had not engaged in any conduct that was non-consensual, unwelcome or unsolicited.
Mr Tubb denies he sexually harassed Ms Ferguson. He admits sending messages but said the exchanges were mutual and consensual.
“He estimates that he and the applicant would have exchanged around 1500 messages each. The applicant often initiated their exchanges and engaged in their ‘banter’,” the documents say.
“Mr Tubb said it had started as office banter which escalated to more sexual messages and extended into non-work hours.”
According to Cricket Tasmania, Mr Tubb said Ms Ferguson sent him explicit photographs, exposed her bra and the top of her breasts to him at the reception area, and made sexualised comments at work. The documents say Mr Tubb said Ms Ferguson had a drug problem and that they discussed it.
Two other men who were managers at Cricket Tasmania deny making inappropriate remarks at work. One said it was Ms Ferguson who initiated sexual innuendo.
Cricket Tasmania denies Ms Ferguson suffered financial loss, and that after she left she worked at a hotel in country Victoria.
Ms Ferguson worked at Cricket Tasmania from 2015 to 2017 and in her documents, said she left in December 2017 when suspended as the organisation investigated money that went missing.
She has since been charged with stealing and has pleaded not guilty in Hobart Magistrates Court. That case is to return to court next week.
The Federal Court case is due to return to court in May.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. | https://www.smh.com.au/national/tim-paine-says-woman-sent-him-explicit-messages-too-court-papers-claim-20220401-p5a9yt.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
(KMAland) -- Iowa sophomore Caitlin Clark and Iowa State senior Ashley Joens have both been named to the WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches All-America Team.
Iowa’s Monika Czinano and Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee were also named honorable mention.
View the complete release from the WBCA linked here. | https://www.kmaland.com/sports/iowas-clark-isus-joens-named-wbca-first-team-all-americans/article_f6e059fe-b153-11ec-808e-23e141e279d7.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
UI chancellor speaks out again after more 'hateful' flyers, including references to KKK, appear across campus
URBANA — For the second time this semester, UI Chancellor Robert Jones issued a forceful rebuke of "racist, hateful flyers" left at locations across campus.
Like in February, the flyers found Thursday afternoon were tucked inside plastic bags filled with rocks, this time referring to the KKK, Jones wrote in a mass mail to students, faculty and staff.
It read: "This round of messages uses references to the Ku Klux Klan to bring hateful and threatening attacks against people of color in our community. This invocation of an organization that is synonymous with white supremacy, hatred and racially motivated death and violence is a singularly unsettling and unacceptable demonstration of racism and bigotry.
"We are a university that prides itself on its efforts to foster inclusion and respect and we condemn these messages that are yet another divisive affront to our core and mutual values," Jones went on to write Thursday evening.
"This is the second time in just a few weeks when I have had to publicly speak out in response to the hateful actions of cowardly individuals who spend their lives secretively dropping sandwich bags filled with gravel and bile.
"I’m tired of sending these messages and I’m angry that such smallminded people continue these stupid and futile attempts to foster division in our community. But I will never tire of speaking loudly and publicly in defense of the values that guide us here at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign." | https://www.news-gazette.com/news/ui-chancellor-speaks-out-again-after-more-hateful-flyers-including-references-to-kkk-appear-across/article_22bdad52-3e9d-588a-9e4e-fc2818e38ccd.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Cash4Life" game were:
01-02-27-29-30, Cash Ball: 3
(one, two, twenty-seven, twenty-nine, thirty; Cash Ball: three)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the "Cash4Life" game were:
01-02-27-29-30, Cash Ball: 3
(one, two, twenty-seven, twenty-nine, thirty; Cash Ball: three) | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Cash4Life-game-17049899.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
Masks no longer required at SVSU starting May 9
SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM)- Masks no longer required at SVSU starting May 9
Saginaw Valley State University announced Thursday masks will no longer be required on campus in any setting starting May 9.
“I realize that this change may make some of you uneasy. Others would like to see the requirement removed immediately. I continue to see many students wearing masks in settings where they are not required. I know there are students with health conditions who would not have enrolled this semester if masks had not been required and who may not be able to attend classes if the mask requirement were lifted. I do not want to disrupt their academic progress, so we will maintain our current masking policy for classes and labs for the remainder of the Winter semester--just three weeks of classes and one week of final exams,” said President Donald Bachand in the written announcement.
In the announcement, Bachand said the number of COVID-19 cases in Bay, Midland and Saginaw Counties have been in the single digits for over two weeks. Bachand said there were zero cases in the SVSU community last week.
“We will continue to monitor health conditions and remain in regular communication with Covenant HealthCare and others, and we are prepared to make additional adjustments, as necessary,” Bachand said.
Copyright 2022 WNEM. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2022/04/01/masks-no-longer-required-svsu-starting-may-9/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
Alabama set for monster recruiting weekend
Arch Manning returns to Tuscaloosa
Will Alabama create more separation for five-star DE?
The best from the Peach State visiting the Crimson Tide
The nation's No.1 TE returning to campus
A few of the best from South Florida visiting this weekend | https://alabama.rivals.com/news/alabama-set-for-monster-recruiting-weekend-1 | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
Parents reach $250,000 settlement with Texas city after son, 3, dies after contracting brain-eating amoeba at splash pad
By Hannah Sarisohn, CNN
The parents of a 3-year-old boy who died last year after a contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba at a splash pad in Arlington, Texas, have reached a $250,000 settlement with the city.
Bakari Williams died last September after spending five days in the hospital with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and often fatal infection caused by an amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, according to previous reporting from CNN and affiliate KTVT.
Williams contracted the infection from a splash pad that officials later determined was improperly tested and maintained.
At a news conference, attorneys for Williams’ parents said the child’s death was preventable.
Family attorney Brian Hargrove said the $250,000 is the maximum economic recovery allowed against a city under the Texas Tort Claims Act, according to KTVT.
Arlington, in a statement, said the settlement will include a “significant investment in the installation of health and safety equipment and other improvements for our public pools and splash pads.”
The city will distribute a new policy manual, the Bakari Williams Protocol, that will guide staff on water treatment, according to Hargrove and the city. “We plan to share this information with other agencies in the aquatics industry so they can learn from our hard lessons,” the city said.
New technology will automatically shut off any splash pads where water readings are not in the acceptable ranges and the addition of QR codes will allow visitors to see real-time information about water quality, the statement, obtained by KTVT, said.
“We want you to know that Bakari was a sweet, beautiful and innocent child who did not deserve to die in the manner that he did. For us, this case has been about public awareness,” Williams’ mother, Kayla Mitchell, said at the news conference, according to the affiliate.
“We want to make certain that nothing like this ever happens again. We want to make certain that what happened to our son, what happened to our family, does not happen to anybody else,” said Mitchell.
Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in soil and in fresh warm water such as lakes, rivers and hot springs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can also be found in poorly maintained or unchlorinated pools.
The organism infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose, according to the CDC. The Naegleria fowleri amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue, the CDC says.
Investigation into the source of infection
City and Tarrant County officials were notified by the hospital September 5 of the child’s condition, according to a joint news release issued that month. The county health department started an investigation and determined two possible sources for the exposure to the amoeba — the family’s home in Tarrant County and the Don Misenhimer Park splash pad in Arlington.
The city immediately closed that splash pad, the news release says, and out of an abundance of caution closed the other three public splash pads for the remainder of the year.
On September 24, the CDC, according to the news release, determined the child was likely exposed to the organism at the splash pad after tests confirmed the presence of active Naegleria fowleri amoeba in water samples from the park.
“It breaks my heart. I’m a father of four, a grandfather of five kids from 2 to 7 years old. I cannot imagine having to bury a child or a grandchild like that,” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross told KTVT at the time
Low chlorine levels likely a factor
The city of Arlington conducted an investigation into the splash pad’s maintenance, equipment and water testing procedures. Officials determined the water quality testing data needed improvement.
“We have identified gaps in our daily inspection program,” Deputy City Manager Lemuel Randolph said in the 2021 news release. “Those gaps resulted in us not meeting our maintenance standards at our splash pads. All of the splash pads will remain closed until we have assurance that our systems are operating as they should, and we have confirmed a maintenance protocol consistent with city, county and state standards.”
Records from two of the splash pads, including the one at Don Misenhimer Park, showed employees did not consistently record, or in some cases did not conduct, water quality testing that is required before the facilities open each day, according to the news release. The testing includes checking for chlorine, which is used as a disinfectant.
A review of the logs determined that water chlorination readings were not documented two of the three days that the child visited the park in late August and early September, the news release said.
“Documents show that chlorination levels two days before the child’s last visit were within acceptable ranges,” reads the release. “However, the next documented reading, which occurred the day after the child visited, shows that the chlorination level had fallen below the minimum requirement and that additional chlorine was added to the water system.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Amanda Jackson, Amir Vera and Lauren M. Johnson contributed to this report. | https://ktvz.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/03/31/parents-reach-250000-settlement-with-texas-city-after-son-3-dies-after-contracting-brain-eating-amoeba-at-splash-pad/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:14Z |
As predicted, Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing was pretty boring. Almost yawn-worthy. She’s a fairly boring person to begin with, which I suppose is a good thing since we don’t need to worry about high school classmates popping up with lurid stories about Michelob parties, etc.
I’m very glad that there is no way to attack the character of Ketanji Brown Jackson, because I was truly disgusted in the lack of humanity displayed by people who inhabit the same modern country I do, but who adopted the values of the old Mongol warriors. When Brett Kavanaugh was the nominee, they unsheathed their spears and went for the jugular. It was ugly, unfair, and dishonest.
But just because it was a few boring few days in the Senate trenches, that doesn’t mean it was completely uneventful. Sen. Ted Cruz lobbed some questions about Brown’s support for “critical race theory,” as did Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Later in the hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley highlighted the fact that Brown has a rather spotty history on sentencing those convicted of child pornography, departing downward from the sentencing guidelines on many occasions. And she willingly, with a full heart, represented Guantanamo detainees.
Defending the constitutional rights of truly repellent people like suspected terrorists might not be everyone’s cup of tea (I’d never do it) but it’s still well within the ethical standards of the legal profession. In fact, some people think it’s an honorable thing to do.
And the whole critical race theory thing, while troubling in most contexts, is probably not that relevant to a judge who has been very open about her political views. Brown is a liberal activist, the sort of judge who will never please a Trump voter, a Bush voter and maybe not even a (Bill) Clinton voter. None of us expected her to, after Joe Biden was intimidated into bowing down, supine, to the extreme left of his sinking party. Brown is exactly what we were promised, so the critical race theory stuff is philosophical fluff at this stage.
But the child pornography thing is troubling, and the fact that the left is going on the offensive about it is quite telling. They have tried to place her conduct in context, noting that many judges give light sentences to those who’ve been convicted of child porn offenses, depending upon the circumstances of their involvement. They’ve even pointed out, correctly, that a lot of those judges are Republicans. That’s true.
They have justified her approach as therapeutic, trying to deal with criminals as criminals, and sick people as sick people. And they have attacked anyone who raises the issue as a liar, a sexist, a racist, and all other sorts of things. I was attacked for saying that Josh Hawley was right to focus on this issue, because ignoring relevant conduct by a sitting judge is senatorial malpractice.
Or to put it another way, if having a few beers as a high school senior makes you a rapist, what does having sympathy for a child pornographer make you? Just asking, which is what Hawley did, and what he was supposed to do under the whole principle of advise and consent.
Of course, we then have Sen. Jon Ossoff coming out and comparing this questioning to “cruelty,” which must have Justice Kavanaugh running to the bathroom because he’s laughing so hard. Cruelty, indeed.
In the end, none of this is going to derail the nomination. There are too many “yes” votes this time around, and that’s fine. That’s how Trump was able to get three justices of his own on the court, simple math (and a very brave moment by Sen. Susan Collins, who ignored liberal attacks and death threats and voted to confirm Kavanaugh).
But I am delighting in watching liberals try and joust with shadows, and with the ghosts of their own prior villainy. They remember what they did to Kavanaugh, and to a lesser extent to Amy Coney Barrett, and are projecting their own hatred and despicable conduct onto their GOP colleagues. That makes it easy for them to attack people like Cruz, Blackburn and Hawley for doing what any senator worth his paycheck should be doing — asking the questions that need to be answered.
Just because they don’t want to hear the answers doesn’t mean they can enforce an artificial silence.
Because that would be so boring, wouldn’t it?
Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Delaware County Daily Times, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com | https://www.dailypostathenian.com/opinion/article_697528a1-be60-507b-b28e-281100e24126.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:15Z |
New video of Will Smith’s Oscars slap has emerged, revealing Jada Pinkett Smith’s reaction in the moments after the incident that has rocked Hollywood.
It shows her sitting back and apparently laughing in her chair after her husband hit comedian Chris Rock for cracking a joke about her hair.
Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, appeared at the awards show with a shaved head and rolled her eyes when Rock joked she would star in GI Jane II. It was after this that Smith stormed the stage.
The fresh video appears to have been taken by an attendee at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood is taken from a different angle of the incident to the one beamed around the world and which has since broken YouTube records.
It was uploaded on TikTok where it went viral.
Though her face cannot be seen clearly, Pinkett Smith appears to laugh in the immediate aftermath of the slap, as Rock reacts by saying: “Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me”.
The actress, 50, glances briefly at her husband as he shouts for the first time: “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth”.
However, she keeps her eyes fixed on Rock as Smith repeats his demand at a louder volume.
Pinkett Smith then appears to chuckle again as Rock by saying: “The greatest night in the history of television”.
Rock on Wednesday night told an audience at his sold-out comedy show in Boston that he was ‘still processing’ being slapped on stage by Smith at the Oscars, in his first public response to Sunday’s shocking incident.
Dressed all in white, Rock, 57, took to the stage at the Wilbur Theatre and asked the excited crowd: “Sooooo, how was your weekend?”
With the crowd all handing over their cell phones before the show began, the former Saturday Night Live star was greeted with a long standing ovation in the first of two sets he performed Wednesday as part for his Ego Death Tour.
However, the usually-uninhibited funnyman quickly shut down any hopes he would crack jokes about the slap heard round the world to the 3000 fans in the audience, some of whom reportedly paid nearly $1000 for a ticket.
“Let me be all misty and s***,” he said, with tears in his eyes.
“I don’t have a bunch of s*** to say about that, so if you came here for that...” he said, and paused.
“I had written a whole show before this weekend.
“I’m still processing what happened, so at some point I’ll talk about that s***. It’ll be serious. It’ll be funny, but right now I’m going to tell some jokes.”
Rock skirted the subject again in his second set but seemingly confirmed that he has not spoken with Smith since being smacked in the jaw on live television.
“I haven’t talked to anyone, despite what you heard,”Rock said.
— with Daily Mail UK | https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/will-smith-oscars-slap-new-video-reveals-jadas-surprising-reaction-after-husband-storms-stage-c-6283893 | 2022-04-01T01:53:15Z |
Superintendent Dwyer to represent state insurance regulators nationally
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Executive Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has appointed Beth Dwyer, Superintendent of Banking and Insurance for Rhode Island's Department of Business Regulation, to serve as NAIC members' representative on the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). She will succeed recently retired Maine Bureau of Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa and will provide the Council with critical expertise and the perspective of state insurance regulators.
"Ensuring financial stability nationwide requires trust, clear communication, and close collaboration between the states and the federal government. Superintendent Dwyer has a proven track record, thorough knowledge of the regulatory landscape, and a tireless commitment to protecting consumers and markets, making her a great choice to help FSOC fulfill its mission," said NAIC President and Director of the Idaho Department of Insurance Dean L. Cameron.
Since taking office in January 2016, Superintendent Dwyer has served in several leadership capacities with the NAIC and is currently the vice chair of the Financial Condition (E) Committee, co-vice chair of the Climate and Resiliency (EX) Task Force, and secretary/treasurer of the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) Board of Directors.
FSOC was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Council comprises ten voting members and five non-voting members and monitors the safety and stability of the nation's financial system, identifies risks to the system, and coordinates responses.
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SOURCE National Association of Insurance Commissioners | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/03/31/naic-executive-committee-appoints-beth-dwyer-financial-stability-oversight-council/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:16Z |
'$50,000 a week'
Chang says youth being given options from life of crime
Thursday, March 31, 2022CHAPELTON, Clarendon — Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang is optimistic that by providing youngsters with jobs that pay $50,000 weekly, in some cases, the Government will be able to break the cycle of continuous criminal activities across the country.
He told Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters at a meeting at the Clarendon North Central constituency conference�on Sunday that a programme has already started in St James.
“We are taking young men off the street, literally, to operate heavy-duty equipment. If you drive a trailer truck from Kingston to Montego Bay five times for the week you can make $50,000 for the week. That's the kind of money that will prevent them from wanting to run behind criminals. If we provide our young men with a better quality of life to earn decently and honestly, they will take it; and that is a part of the mission of the Government,” he said, adding that strengthening the police with the necessary resources will also aid in this process.
The minister said while measures already implemented to decrease crime are working, more still needs to be done to ensure greater results.
“We have to strengthen the police and get the murder rate down, we have to stop the killing now. When we have the states of emergency, we do it faster, we ...will continue to provide the tools that will allow the police to work with the citizens to save lives. And in the long run we are going to ensure that our young men who are getting into criminality will be provided with a life with different opportunities to make them grow to be honest, productive people,” Chang, Member of Parliament for St James North Western and deputy prime minister, told his audience.
“Wi fighting crime on two legs to provide you with a police force that has the power, resources and numbers to overcome the active criminals. When I talk to the young men in my community… all of them don't want a BMW and overnight riches, they want a future for their children and themselves and a safe community. Because when the gun a fire, the bullets fly through window and kill people who don't even know what is happening on the outside,” he added.
The security minister also spoke of the importance of ensuring effective communication and Internet connectivity for every poor child in achieving quality education because, he said, “that's how we are going to break the cycle of crime in Jamaica”.
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed Justin Berry for the House District 19 race.
On Thursday, Abbott announced the endorsement, stating that Berry had a history of serving his community as a member of law enforcement. Berry is a police officer with the Austin Police Department.
“Police officer Justin Berry’s strong conservative values and experience stopping violent crime are exactly what we need in the Texas House. I am proud to endorse conservative Justin Berry and look forward to working with him to secure our border, cut property taxes, and stop the radical left’s harmful agenda,” said Abbott in a press release.
Berry and Ellen Troxclair both advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary.
District 19 covers the entirety of Blanco, Burnet, Gillespie and Kendall Counties, as well as areas in and around Lakeway and Lago Vista in western Travis County. Troxclair received 38.25% of the vote, while Berry received 35.38%.
In March’s Republican primary, Berry had his strongest showing in Travis County, where he won 47.97% of the vote. He received a majority of all votes in seven of the county’s 18 precincts in the district.
Troxclair, a former Austin City councilmember, won three of the five counties in the district, performing best in Burnet County, and winning a majority of the precincts in both Burnet and Kendall counties, but just one in Travis County.
Austin Police officer indictments
Berry was among the 19 Austin police officers indicted in Travis County, accused of criminal conduct during the May 2020 racial injustice protests.
All 19 officers are accused of harming a total of 10 people during the chaos of the protests, according to official indictment documents. Each officer faces two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant.
Berry released a statement on Twitter at the time of the initial indictments, stating that “DA [Jose] Garza is now using his office to try and influence my election. The timing is not just suspect, it is obvious.”
Troxclair and Berry will face off in the runoff election on May 24. | https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/gov-greg-abbott-endorses-apd-officer-justin-berry-for-hd-19-race/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:18Z |
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The Nigerian Communications Commission, through its Computer Security Incidents Response Team for the telecoms sector, has identified two new cyber threats targeting Windows Platforms and some routers separately.
This was contained in a statement issued by the NCC on Thursday, titled ‘NCC uncovers Cyber Threats to Windows Platforms, Routers’.
The statement read in part, “The Computer Security Incidents Response Team set up by the Nigerian Communications Commission for the telecoms sector, has discovered two new separate cyber threats targeting Windows Platforms and a particular kind of routers respectively.”
Ransomware called Lokilocker was discovered to attack Windows platforms, leading to data loss and denial of service.
“The first cyber threat is a ransomware known as ‘Lokilocker’, which is capable of wiping data from all versions of Windows systems or platforms. It causes data loss, and denial of service, which reduces users’ productivity.
“Lokilocker is a relatively new ransomware that has been discovered by security researchers and belongs to the ransomware family. Lokilocker operates by encrypting user files and renders the compromised system useless if the victim does not pay the demanded ransom in time,” it read.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected] | https://punchng.com/ncc-alerts-nigerians-to-new-cyber-threats-targeting-windows-routers/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:19Z |
Islanders use strong third period to top Blue Jackets 5-2
Kyle Palmieri scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period to lift the New York Islanders to a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist, and Sebastian Aho, Oliver Wahlstrom and Ryan Pulock also scored as New York improved to 7-1 in their last eight home games dating to a 6-0 win against the Blue Jackets on March 10.
Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves in his second consecutive start and third straight appearance with Ilya Sorokin sidelined with an upper-body injury.
Emil Bemstrom and Justin Danforth scored for Columbus, which lost its fifth straight. Elvis Merzlikins made 31 saves.
Palmieri broke a 2-2 tie at 3:16 of the third period with his 12th goal of the season. The 31-year-old winger breezed by Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine and roofed a wrist shot to give New York a one-goal advantage. Merlikins was unable to close off the short side and Palmieri took advantage of the opening.
Barzal stretched the Islanders’ lead to 4-2 with a pretty breakaway deke after he blew by two Blue Jackets defenders in the neutral zone at 9:52 of the third period.
Pulock added an empty-net goal in the final minute.
The Blue Jackets erased a two-goal deficit in a span of 1:39 midway through the second period. The Islanders left Bemstrom all alone at the top of the crease and he finished a pass from Eric Robinson at 8:47. Jake Bean also assisted on the play.
Danforth tied it at 2 with his fifth goal of the season. Yegor Chinakov skated into the offensive zone and found Vladislav Gavrikov in the slot after Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara prevented the forward from getting behind him. Varlamov stopped the initial shot from Gavrikov, but was unable to hold onto the rebound and Danforth was able to capitalize.
The Islanders took a 2-0 lead with two goals in 11 seconds midway through the first period.
Aho opened the scoring when he stopped short and wired a wrist shot over the glove of Merzlikins at 8:39. Brock Nelson extended his point streak to six games with an assist on the play.
Wahlstrom extended the Islanders lead to 2-0 after he buried a feed from Zach Parise at 8:50. Barzal started the sequence with a floating backhand that Parise was able to corral in the offensive zone.
New York outshot Columbus 10-0 in the first half of the opening frame.
90 YEARS YOUNG
The Islanders honored hockey historian and veteran journalist Stan Fischler at the game to celebrate his 90th birthday. “The Hockey Maven” has been a hockey television personality in the northeast since the early 1970s and has authored over 100 books. He began his career with the New York Rangers in the 1950s, working in the team’s public relations department.
COVID IN COLUMBUS
Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen and assistant coach Steve McCarthy were placed in the COVID-19 protocols and each missed their second straight game. Associate coach Pascal Vincent led the team behind the bench. ... D Zach Weresnki missed his second straight game after he sustained a hit to the head late in the late first period of Saturday night’s 3-2 overtime loss against Minnesota.
MARCH MAYHEM
The Islanders closed out a hectic March schedule with a 10-6-1 record. The 17 games New York played in March are the most the franchise has played in a single month in franchise history.
DIVISION FOES
Nine of the final 16 games remaining in the Islanders’ regular season are against division opponents. The Islanders are 8-2-1 against Metropolitan teams since returning from the holiday break.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Visit the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
Islanders: Visit the New York Rangers on Friday night.
—
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. | https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/national/story/2022-03-31/islanders-use-strong-third-period-to-top-blue-jackets-5-2 | 2022-04-01T01:53:19Z |
White House chief of staff Ron Klain mocked for cheering Biden tapping into oil reserve
One person noted that 'historic' isn't a good thing, when it comes to Biden's actions
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain was mocked Thursday for celebrating the Biden administration taking an unprecedented amount of oil out from the federal emergency reserve.
Klain tweeted out a Yahoo News article reporting on the president’s attempt to lower gas prices, with an all-caps caption, "HISTORIC."
However, critics had a different take on the administration further depleting the nation's emergency oil reserves.
CRITICISM PILES UP FOR WH CHIEF OF STAFF RON KLAIN AMID SETBACKS FOR ADMINISTRATION
"You guys are actually bragging about having to release record amounts of oil from the strategic reserves," Stephen Miller, contributing editor at The Spectator, tweeted.
Commentary Magazine associate editor and MSNBC contributor Noah Rothman reminded Klain that "historic" isn’t always a good thing.
"Akin to the ‘historic’ airlift from Afghanistan. The Biden admin’s ‘historic’ events are unprecedented in their terribleness," he said.
Conservative commentator RB Pundit expressed frustration in his tweet that read, "This. Is. Not. What. The. Strategic. Oil. Reserves. Is. For."
President Biden blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and oil companies for surging gas prices during his "historic" announcement Thursday.
Gas prices are at record highs, with the national average Thursday running $4.22 a gallon, according to AAA. Compared to last year, the average price for a gallon of gas was significantly lower at $2.87 a gallon.
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This isn't the first time Klain has received backlash over his frequent tweeting.
Last October, Klain cheered another's post saying that inflation and economic woes were a "high class problem." | https://www.foxnews.com/media/ron-klain-mocked-cheering-biden-tapping-into-oil-reserve | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Pick 10" game were:
03-06-07-17-21-23-32-42-47-52-54-59-61-65-66-67-69-78-79-80
(three, six, seven, seventeen, twenty-one, twenty-three, thirty-two, forty-two, forty-seven, fifty-two, fifty-four, fifty-nine, sixty-one, sixty-five, sixty-six, sixty-seven, sixty-nine, seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty) | https://www.thehour.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-10-game-17049898.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. | https://sportspyder.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers/articles/39012231 | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
The United States Department of Agriculture released an update to its Food Price Outlook for 2022 and found that nearly everything one might ingest – whether it comes from the grocery store or restaurant – is going up in price.
And yes, that's on top of the price increases consumers have already been forced to endure in the last year.
"All food prices are now predicted to increase between 4.5 and 5.5%," the USDA's Economic Research Service explained in the March report.
While the overall increase is alarming, a closer look at various food categories show just how expensive shoppers can expect items to get, according to the USDA:
As for take-out or dine-in menus, the USDA said those prices are predicted to go up between 5.5 and 6.5% for the remainder of this year.
Additionally, food prices climbed 7.9% for the year ending in February 2022.
This was "the largest 12-month advance since July 1981," according to the department.
The report also noted current global events that will only add to the uncertainty of food affordability, saying, "The impacts of the conflict in Ukraine and the recent increases in interest rates by the Federal Reserve are expected to put upward and downward pressures on food prices, respectively. The situations will be closely monitored to assess the net impacts of these concurrent events on food prices as they unfold."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kalw.org/npr-news/2022-03-31/food-prices-are-going-up-and-at-levels-americans-havent-seen-in-decades | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
Kevin Durant Wants Thunder, Warriors to Retire His Jersey
Kevin Durant would like to see his jersey retired, but not just by one NBA franchise.
Durant is currently playing on his third team in his 14-year career. After being drafted by the Seattle Supersonics (which turned into the Thunder) he played there for nine seasons and was a seven-time All-Star.
The 33-year-old then went to the Warriors, where he played for three seasons. He won two rings with Golden State, and he won the NBA finals MVP both of those years before joining the Nets.
In an interview with The Ringer, the 12-time All-Star said he thinks his jersey should be retired in Oklahoma City and San Francisco.
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“OKC has to retire my jersey,” Durant said. “It wouldn’t even be good for the game of basketball if they didn’t. The same with Golden State. I’m still doing what I’m doing here in Brooklyn, but if I continue on what I’m doing four or five years, then I’ll feel the same way about this program. I better have a home. Because I feel like I am basketball. I breathe it. This is my DNA. I put in the time and respect and love for each one of these programs on and off the floor to get that type of recognition. If I don’t do it, then it’s personal.”
Durant is confident that he will be a basketball Hall of Famer, and he wants his previous teams to recognize what he did for their organizations.
“Every one of these places I played is my home,” Durant said. “I can imagine me when I’m done, and I don’t think any one of these franchises would be like, ‘No, K, what you did here is not a part of our history.’ I’m going to be a Hall of Famer when I’m done, one of the greatest to ever play. If you don’t want me to be a part of your program when I’m done playing, then that’s personal.”
Before Durant can focus about the future, he trying to take the Nets to the playoffs. They sit in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference two weeks before the regular season ends.
More NBA Coverage: | https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2022/04/01/kevin-durant-thunder-warriors-nets-retire-jersey-interview | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
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(KMAland) -- Nodaway Valley edged Rock Port in walk-off fashion, South Holt rolled to a win and Plattsmouth was dominant in KMAland baseball action on Thursday.
Nodaway Valley 6 Rock Port 5
Nodaway Valley scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to pick up a walk-off win. The Thunder had just one hit, but they took advantage of nine walks and four errors. Mason Chitwood had the only hit, walked twice and scored once, and Kayden Conn had an RBI. Conn also threw five innings before Hunter Dawson tossed the final two frames to get the win.
Jarrett Hunter had two hits and two RBI for Rock Port in the defeat. Hunter struck out 11 and gave up just one hit and five unearned runs in five innings for the Jays.
South Holt 15 North Nodaway 0
Hayes Weller threw a five-inning one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts to lead South Holt in the win. Kendall Noland had a hit, four RBI and two runs scored, and Zachary Schuman Cade Kurtz, Weller and Garrett Guyer all drove in two runs apiece. Cole Medsker pitched in a team-best two hits.
Aydan Blackford doubled for North Nodaway’s only hit of the game.
Lafayette 6 Maryville 5
Maryville’s Cooper Loe threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits while striking out six. Loe also led at the plate with a double and two RBI. Kort Watkins also had two hits for the Spoofhounds offense.
Plattsmouth 11 Auburn 1
TJ Fitzpatrick went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs to lead Plattsmouth in the dominant win. Gabe Villamonte threw five innings, struck out seven and gave up just one run on two hits for the Blue Devils. Villamonte added two hits at the plate, and Gage Olsen finished with a double and two RBI.
Auburn had just two hits, getting a home run from Landon Casey and a single from Kael Clark. Travon Shaw threw the first four innings and struck out four for the Bulldogs.
Holton 5 Falls City 4 (10 inn)
Carson Bredemeier had two doubles and two RBI for Falls City in the heartbreaking 10-inning defeat. Bredemeier also threw the first six innings with eight strikeouts and three runs allowed. Charlie McNeely tossed the final four frames, striking out five and giving up two runs. | https://www.kmaland.com/sports/kmaland-baseball-3-31-nodaway-valley-grabs-walk-off-win-south-holt-plattsmouth-roll/article_08e74f90-b159-11ec-9463-6f7c9a2dd400.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
Oscars producer says police offered to arrest Will Smith
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscars producer Will Packer said Los Angeles police were ready to arrest Will Smith after Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage.
“They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment,” Packer said in a clip released by ABC News Thursday night of an interview he gave to “Good Morning America.” “They said we will go get him. We are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges, we can arrest him. They were laying out the options.”
But Packer said Rock was “very dismissive” of the idea.
“He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,” Packer said. “And even to the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish.’ The LAPD officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, ‘Would you like us to take any action?’ And he said no.”
The LAPD said in a statement after Sunday night’s ceremony that they were aware of the incident, and that Rock had declined to file a police report. The department declined comment Thursday on Packer’s interview, a longer version of which will air on Friday morning.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. Smith could be suspended, expelled or otherwise sanctioned.
The academy said in a statement that “Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television.”
Without giving specifics, the academy said Smith was asked to leave the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, but refused to do so.
Smith strode from his front row seat on to the stage and slapped Rock after a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, when he was on stage to present the Oscar for best documentary.
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18.
Rock publicly addressed the incident for the first time, but only briefly, at the beginning of a standup show Wednesday night in Boston, where he was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation. He said “I’m still kind of processing what happened.”
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wnem.com/2022/04/01/oscars-producer-says-police-offered-arrest-will-smith/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Pick 10" game were:
03-06-07-17-21-23-32-42-47-52-54-59-61-65-66-67-69-78-79-80
(three, six, seven, seventeen, twenty-one, twenty-three, thirty-two, forty-two, forty-seven, fifty-two, fifty-four, fifty-nine, sixty-one, sixty-five, sixty-six, sixty-seven, sixty-nine, seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty) | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-10-game-17049898.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Amanda Eppy, Key West
A: How long have you been dancing?
A: I started when I was 6.
Q: Did you ever play any other sports growing up?
A: Yes, I played hockey, soccer and lacrosse.
Q: Why did you decide to focus on just Conchettes in high school?
A: The other sports weren’t really my thing, because I knew dance would be my thing.
Q: How much training do you do per day or week on a yearly basis?
A: About five days a week, we have an hour and a half of practices and our season is all school year long. Then we also do a week in the summer.
Q: Do you really have downtime away from sports?
A: Yeah, the summer is my downtime.
Q: Is that time off important?
A: Yes, because I don’t really have time to rest, so when I do have time to do nothing, it’s nice.
Q: Rating the sports you play versus academics, what’s more important in your life?
A: I think academics are definitely more important because that’s where my future lies, and I don’t know how much I will dance in college compared to studying.
Q: Besides sports, in what way are you uniquely gifted?
A: I’m fairly smart, I take all AP and DE classes.
Q: What skills do sports teach you that you apply to life?
A: The No. 1 thing for me is confidence, and keep pushing through even when I’m feeling pushed down.
Q: What goals do you have for your senior year, academically and/or athletically?
A: Applying to and getting into college. That’s one of the most nerve-wracking things about senior year.
Q: What are your personal dreams?
A: I want to own my own business. I’m not sure what type yet, but I’m thinking of a boutique.
Q: What has been your best high school sports moment?
A: Every Capers we have at the end of the year. It’s a really important time for all of us and bring the whole team together.
Q: Any coaches, teachers or family members who have helped you get to this point?
A: My coach, Mrs. Stacy Saunders, had had such a big impact on me and has taught me everything, life-wise and dance-wise. My mom has always pushed me to be better in school and sports and has always helped my confidence.
Q: What advice would you give to the next generation of Conchs?
A: Keep pushing, even if you feel like your hard work isn’t getting you anywhere, it will at some point.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve received?
A: Probably the same, that advice had gotten time tough everything, because I sometimes feel discouraged, but know that if I keep trying I will get there.
Q: Having invested so much time — physically, mentally and emotionally — in your sport, in what way can you have proper closure during your senior year?
A: I don’t want to let anything hold me back. There’s no reason not to do something I want to do.
Q: Anywhere in the world you want to visit?
A: Greece, it looks so beautiful there. That’s been my dream place to go since I was little.
Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of sports?
A: Dance is my hobby and I work in retail and I enjoy what I do, so I guess that’s a hobby, too.
Q: What are some challenges you’ve faced as a student-athlete?
A: No time to do anything other than school and sports.
Q: If you could add one hour to your day, what would you do with it?
A: Sleep or just do nothing, because I never feel like I have time to rest.
Q: What are your plans for after high school?
A: I plan on going to college and hopefully owning a business after that. I want to go to college for business.
Q: Do you plan on joining a dance team in college?
A: Probably not part of anything in the school, but maybe something on the side.
Q: What is something you would tell your college roommate about the Keys?
A: The traditions here are like nothing else. The things we do are so different, and I think the community is so important here, too.
Q: On your first trip back home, what will be the meal you ask for?
A: Probably a bacon, egg and cheese from Kim’s Kuban and a con leche.
Q: You talked about wanting to own your own business. What interests you in that career path?
A: I’m really into fashion and clothes, and I like interacting with people and working in retail. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556262025657/senior-spotlight-amanda-eppy-key-west | 2022-04-01T01:53:20Z |
Crooked River Natl. Grasslands rerouting Cole Loop Trail to ease conflicts with shooting area
BEND, Ore.-- (KTVZ)-- The Crooked River National Grassland said Thursday it plans to reroute the Cole Loop Trail after hikers and horseback riders expressed concern about the proximity of a target shooting area.
Forest Service officials said they believe it's the best solution to the conflicts and will allow people to use and enjoy the area without such worries.
The grassland also plans to designate the Skull Hollow Trailhead as a day-use site, prohibiting overnight camping there, while rerouting about two miles of the Cole Loop Trail, located about 16 miles north of Prineville. More information is available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=59134
Temporary closures will happen along the trail, but it should not affect access to the area.
Recreational shooting is open throughout the grasslands and cannot be moved, since it doesn't have a set location, said Lauren Durocher, public affairs officer for the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River Grassland.
For the shooting area, people need to follow certain rules and regulations in place to be able to shoot there safely. One of the shooting rules is to not put others in harm's way and keep everyone safe.
"To close areas to recreational shooting, hunting or fishing in the national forests or national grasslands is a very robust process," Durocher said. "In addition to the normal public comment that we take through the regular NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) process, there's another set of rules and regulations that we would have to follow to close any areas to recreational shooting, hunting or fishing, as well."
The reroute of the trail is expected to be completed in May by volunteers and trail crews, and they will decommission the old trail route. Crews will be using hand tools, to reduce the impact on plants and animals.
An environmental impact study found there will be little impact on the landscape. | https://ktvz.com/news/outdoors/2022/03/31/crooked-river-natl-grasslands-rerouting-cole-loop-trail-to-ease-conflicts-with-shooting-area/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:21Z |
I’m glad there’s widespread confusion about what a woman is. I’ve been confused my entire life.
In the most basic sense, the difference between a male and a female is that a female has two X chromosomes and a male has an X and a Y chromosome — or, in my experience, a “WHY” chromosome?
I was raised an only boy with five sisters. All my sisters ever said to me was:
Why did you eat all the graham crackers?
Why can’t you stop picking your nose?
Why don’t you ever change the toilet paper roll when the toilet paper runs out?
I love my sisters, and we had lots of laughter growing up in our lively house, but I was an agitation to them most of the time — especially when they caught me using their toothbrushes.
They refused to sit next to their “icky, stinky” brother in our station wagon, so my Dad banished me to the third seat — the one that faced backwards, which kept me in a perpetual state of motion sickness.
To his credit, my father advanced gender neutral clothing four decades before it was fashionable — though he was motivated by cost savings.
Despite my having five sisters, he made me wear hand-me-downs. It wasn’t too bad most of the year, but I must tell you, Easter Sunday was unpleasant.
Do you know how hard it is to outrun the neighborhood bully with your panty hose bunching up on you and your bonnet flopping in the wind?
When I grew up in the ‘70s, bullies were everywhere in our suburban neighborhood.
Since I had no older brother to teach me how to fight, my sisters taught me.
I’ll never forget my first scuffle. After a bully shoved me, I looked him dead in the eye and I said, “You are soooooooo immature!”
Luckily, my sister, Kris, blossomed into one of the toughest street fighters in our neighborhood.
When Terry Leper busted up my go-cart, she pummeled him until he blubbered like a baby.
She was barely 5’3” and 100 pounds against Leper’s 6-foot 180-plus pound frame. How she overpowered him is anyone’s guess, but Leper’s reign of terror ended that day.
Then the next day Kris tattled on me for failing to put the toilet seat down.
The point is, I never knew what was coming from my sisters. Every day brought new surprises. But I was never as perplexed as my dad was.
He was forever saying things that caused my sisters and mother to get angry with him. He never understood what he did wrong.
When the feathered Farrah Fawcett look was in style — and my sisters persuaded me to be the first kid at St. Germaine to sport teen-pop-star David Cassidy’s famous shag haircut — all of us spent way too much time shampooing and conditioning our hair in the shower.
The water, gas and electric bills were astronomical.
When my dad pleaded for the umpteenth time for us to cut back on our shower time, one or more of my sisters would storm out of the room, slamming a door or two.
“For godssakes, Betty, what did I do?” my dad said, hopelessly befuddled by the women in his life.
So it’s refreshing that so many others, including a Supreme Court nominee, are now as confused as my father and I have long been about what a woman is.
Tom Purcell, author of “Misadventures of a 1970’s Childhood,” a humorous memoir available at amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist. | https://www.dailypostathenian.com/opinion/article_d2f97c92-7423-508c-8f19-78fdbc403042.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:21Z |
Imagine getting a pep talk from none other than Thor before your first day of work.
For Luke Van Os, the younger cousin of Chris, Liam and Luke Hemsworth, who made his debut as Xander Delaney on Home and Away on Thursday night, he doesn’t have to imagine.
Long-time fans of the Channel Seven drama will remember Chris’ stint as sandy-haired surfer Kim Hyde from 2004 to 2007 before he was known as the hammer-wielding Hollywood hunk.
“We always had it (Home and Away) on in the house and it was a massive deal when my cousin, Chris, got the job on the show,” Van Os told AAA.
“Chris has always spoken so highly of the show and I think that the most important thing he said (to me) is to have fun. Just keep working hard.”
The 25-year-old is taking his famed cousins’ advice to heart, but he’s in no hurry to fly to Tinseltown as many of the show’s stars have gone on to do.
“For the last 10 years, all I’ve wanted to do is just be able to pay my bills as an actor and not have to work in a bar and now I’m doing that, I’m in no rush to look at what’s next. I’m hoping to stay here as long as they’ll keep me,” he said.
Van Os plays a young paramedic who arrives in town with his sister, Rose (Kirsty Marillier), with the hopes of connecting with his half sister, Jasmine Delaney (Sam Frost).
“It’s so awesome to have such an action-packed career in the bay to learn this medical stuff . . . being able to do something that I would never do in the real world,” he said.
“My first day on set was with Lynne (McGranger) and she’s great. We get along really well and that’s the weirdest thing, I don’t know how to explain it. But watching someone on screen when you’re growing up, and then working with them, it’s a good weird feeling.” | https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/home-and-away/chris-hemsworths-cousin-luke-van-os-joins-home-and-away-c-6261947 | 2022-04-01T01:53:21Z |
FRESNO, Calif., March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The State of California recently launched its TECH Clean California initiative which is a $120 million program funded by California gas corporations to implement low emissions space and water heating units for single and multifamily homes.
For some homeowners considering a new air conditioning system, this California rebate can save them up to $7,000. Unlike solar incentives that require the homeowner to apply for the incentive with the State of California after the system is installed, the homeowner realizes the savings upfront with the TECH Clean California Initiative. The HVAC company that installs the system is then required to apply for reimbursement with the State.
To qualify, an electric heating and cooling unit must be installed by an approved HVAC company. Simon DeLaCerda, General Manager of Valley Air Conditioning and Repair has been installing these systems upon the launch and states, "I am pleased to offer the opportunity, we've seen incredible savings for homeowners and urge other homeowners to take advantage of this amazing deal".
The Switch Is On, is an educational campaign that has been launched to promote the TECH initiative and the benefits of home electrification. Learn more about the campaign through their site.
About Valley Air Conditioning
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SOURCE Valley Air Conditioning & Repair | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/03/31/new-california-rebate-enables-valley-air-conditioning-amp-repair-help-community-save-7000-ac-systems/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:23Z |
Former police chief wants 'clean sweep' of criminals in constabulary
Thursday, March 31, 2022REAR Admiral Hardley Lewin, a former commissioner of police, who also served as chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, said “it is no secret that there are criminals in the constabulary force”, and called Wednesday for a “clean sweep”, following last Friday's arrest of four cops suspected of being gang members.
“From the recent incident, my takeaway from it is a positive one because it is no secret that there are criminals in the force, they did not join as criminals, they morphed,” Lewin told Wednesday's launch of the Annual State of Justice Report at the Jamaica Pegasus in St Andrew.
According to the former police chief, he had long indicated the state of affairs in the police force, but had been lambasted for doing so.
“I addressed the Jamaica Employers Federation in 2008, and I said emphatically that there are criminals in the force, and I was pilloried and harangued by all sorts of people, but I didn't relent. My takeaway from this incident is a positive one: discover them, clean them out, and clear them out,” he said emphatically.
The Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations (C-TOC) Branch of the constabulary on Friday announced the arrest of four constables suspected of being members of the Clarendon-based Ronko Gang.
The criminal outfit is also said to be headed by a police constable, who was arrested on a previous occasion.
Lewin, who made his remarks while commenting on the issue of the police being empowered to investigate their own through bodies such as the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), had prefaced his declaration by saying, “An individual who has the powers of a constable is amongst the most powerful persons in Jamaica. A criminal who has the powers of a constable is amongst the most dangerous persons in Jamaica.”
On Wednesday, director of the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security at The University of the West Indies, retired Professor Anthony Harriott, wading in on the issue of the police investigating their own, said, “The police have a responsibility to investigate their own. They ought to be the persons most vested in safeguarding their integrity.So I don't believe in denying them the capacity so to do. I believe we should hold them to account in doing it. But the society needs a second line of defence, that is why we now have INDECOM. So the issue is not to diminish [it] but to better enable INDECOM to cope with the role.”
Meanwhile, commissioner of INDECOM Hugh Faulkner, in responding to concerns raised by Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) in its report about INDECOM being donor-funded and fears that it might affect its independent functioning, said, “We have assistance, but we do not have trespass.”
“Firstly, donors are contributors to the work of INDECOM. The Government of Jamaica is the major contributor to the work of INDECOM, but I will be pressing for additional funding to strengthen INDECOM in our first quarter report for this calendar year,” Faulkner said.
“INDECOM has a partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that provides us with funding, and I must say that this has been helpful in assisting our resource needs, our technical needs, and our equipment needs, and the legislative policy of INDECOM is the exclusive domain of the Jamaican Parliament. The operational aspects of INDECOM are the exclusive domain of INDECOM,” he added.
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — It appears that Courtney Ramey has played his last game as a Longhorn. On Ramey’s father’s twitter account, he says he will declare for the NBA draft but will maintain his college eligibility and enter the transfer portal.
In the tweet Ramey wrote, “I want to thank you for welcoming me into the program, I am forever grateful. I also want to thank the coaches for giving me the opportunity to play. I will always remember the relationships I have formed with my teammates.”
Ramey started 107 of his 129 games at Texas. Ramey averaged 9.4 points per game this past season and turned into one of the team’s top defenders. The St. Louis native had his best scoring season in his junior year when he 12.2 points per game while shooting 41% from three-point range. Ramey finishes his Texas career with 1,255 points which ranks 24th All-Time.
Senior Brock Cunningham and senior Christian Bishop have announced that they will return to Texas for the 2022-2023 season. | https://www.kxan.com/sports/ramey-declares-for-nba-draft-and-enters-transfer-portal/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:24Z |
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OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A $64.1 billion supplemental state budget that spends on statewide programs ranging from homelessness and behavioral health to the ongoing COVID-19 response was signed Thursday by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
The supplemental plan builds off of the $59 billion, two-year spending plan adopted by the Legislature last year, and benefited from the significant influx of revenues the state has seen over the past year. Additionally, lawmakers used more than $1 billion in remaining pandemic-related federal relief funds in the budget.
More than $800 million is allocated for homelessness and housing, including $50 million to transition unhoused people from unsanctioned camps to housing.
Inslee specifically called out the efforts on addressing homelessness, saying that lawmakers “gave us relief that is big, that is bold, and that is fast.”
While there are no general tax increases in the plan, there are also no across-the-board tax cuts, something Republicans had argued for throughout the legislative session that ended March 10.
“It’s been easy to explain to my constituents why Republicans opposed this budget – all I have to do is point to how the costs of living have continued to rise in the weeks since it was adopted, and the huge revenue surplus the Democrats had available,“ Republican Sen. Lynda Wilson said in a statement.
A small business tax credit was included that would affect about 125,000 small businesses in the state, and was among the bills signed by Inslee Thursday.
Starting in January, businesses making less than $125,000 a year would pay no state business taxes, and those making up to $250,000 a year, business taxes will be cut in half.
The supplemental operating budget also spends state or federal money on things like adding more social supports like nurses and counselors for students, increasing rates to vendors providing services to people with developmental disabilities or long-term care needs and shoring up the state’s paid family leave program, which officials warned was nearing a deficit.
It also allots funding for raises for state workers. According to the Office of Financial Management, about 63,800 general government employees will get a 3.25% general wage increase, about 6,700 state corrections workers will get a 4% general wage increase and about 1,200 state patrol officers will get a 10% general wage increase. The last general wage increase for represented employees was July 1, 2020.
The operating budget also transfers more than $2 billion to the nearly $17 billion, 16-year transportation revenue package that Inslee signed last week. The plan leaves about $3 billion in total reserves.
Inslee had several full or partial vetoes of bills, including a section of a bill that would have expanded the state’s existing warehouse sales and use tax to include smaller warehouses of at least 100,000 square feet. In his veto notice, Inslee said that while he understood the importance of manufacturing and warehousing to rural economies, he said the tax incentives in the bill were overly broad.
Inslee on Thursday also signed a $1.5 billion state construction budget that spends on areas ranging from housing, homelessness, behavioral health facilities, and seismic upgrades at public schools. | https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Washington-governor-signs-64-1-billion-17049827.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:25Z |
THE Federal Government has said there are about 70 to 90 online lending applications currently operated by various firms in Nigeria.
The Executive Vice Chairman, Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission, Babatunde Irukera, made the disclosure in Lagos on Thursday, during a collaborative engagement with the media to review and analyse the state of the market.
He said some of the online apps were legitimate while others were operating illegally.
“Not all the online loan applications are illegal. Some are completely illegitimate; some are legitimate but illegitimate in their approach to tracking debtors. We are against the illegitimate works,” Irukera said.
The FCCPC boss urged companies to be responsible and responsive to customer care services.
According to him, the government is more accessible and easier to find than private individuals because individuals want to make a profit.
Irukera said, “Government for all its inefficiencies is more accessible, easier to find than private individuals who just sell to make a profit.
“Industry must prioritise responsiveness and responsibility to their customers. Customers responsiveness is a core to business and FCCPC owes this as a responsibility.”
He said the media is a critical infrastructure in the constitution obligation of the government to protect the consumers’ interest.
“What we intend to achieve is to educate people of their rights,” he said.
Irukera also said that one of the challenges in the telecommunication sector is transparency in billing.
He said, “Challenge in the telecommunication is transparency in billing. With data, it is difficult to see transparency in data billing, transparency is better with voice calls than with data.”
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Contact: [email protected] | https://punchng.com/nigeria-has-over-70-online-lending-apps-fccpc/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:25Z |
Isles’ Aho, Hurricanes’ Aho score goals at almost same time
Whoa! It’s a Double Aho!
Both NHL players named Sebastian Aho — one a defenseman for the New York Islanders, the other a forward for the Carolina Hurricanes — scored goals for their teams Thursday night.
And at nearly the exact same time.
According to Sportsnet Stats, the Islanders’ Aho scored his first goal of the season at 7:14 p.m. EDT in New York against Columbus.
Just 34 seconds later — and more than 500 miles away — the Hurricanes’ Aho scored his 31st goal in Carolina against Montreal. Both gave their teams 1-0 leads in the first period.
It’s not the first time the two have combined on a statistical oddity. In 2018, New York’s Aho committed a hooking penalty on Carolina’s Aho, causing MSG Networks Islanders play-by-play broadcaster Brendan Burke to exclaim: “A little Sebastian Aho-on-Sebastian Aho crime.”
The two Ahos are not related, by the way. The Islanders’ Aho, Sebastian Johannes Aho, is 26 and from Sweden. He has three career NHL goals in limited action.
The Hurricanes’ Aho, Sebastian Antero Aho, is 24 and from Finland. He’s a two-time NHL All-Star and has 176 career goals.
___
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You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. | https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/national/story/2022-03-31/isles-aho-hurricanes-aho-score-goals-at-almost-same-time | 2022-04-01T01:53:25Z |
Biden family business dealings are out of a ‘spy novel’: China expert
He says appearances are everything in DC
Dr. Michael Pillsbury explained to "Jesse Watters Primetime" on Thursday how, if indicted, the evidence against Hunter Biden could be enough to potentially leave President Biden at risk.
DR. MICHAEL PILLSBURY: Appearances are everything in Washington, D.C., and the appearance of two different Chinese operations with him. It's pretty clear from today's Washington Post. The first operation is in 2012, when the speech takes place, and Hunter is receiving at that point the money that President Trump has criticized, the $1.5 billion. That doesn't seem to be the issue right now with the grand jury, according to The Post article. It's the second operation that's of concern. And that's when somehow, Patrick Ho, this Hong Kong businessman and former attorney general in Hong Kong, he somehow gets advance notice that he's going to be arrested, and they pay a million dollars to Hunter and his uncle to represent Patrick Ho.
The Post found this document that Hunter is cosigned, that he has this million dollars. I accept Hunter's a lawyer, so he can do that. But how in the world does Patrick Ho know in advance of his arrest by almost six months, that this is going to happen and you're going to need Hunter Biden of all people? When he is arrested, the first phone call goes to Hunter's uncle and then to Hunter. So we have this strange appearance here. There's something out of a spy novel that over and over at least twice, perhaps more often, money changes hands — a lot of money, and then something happens that helps China fight against this China threat theory that they hate so much in our country that we're not supposed to use the word "China threat," according to Beijing. So Hunter seems to be there each time, but not quite enough evidence is there unless he gets indicted, and then we can all read the indictment.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE: | https://www.foxnews.com/media/this-is-something-out-of-a-spy-novel-china-expert | 2022-04-01T01:53:26Z |
LEBANON, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania police officer was killed and two others injured Thursday during a shooting that occurred while responding to a domestic disturbance call, Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello said.
Police officers went to a home in the city at about 3:30 p.m. for the disturbance call. Nearly an hour later gunfire broke out and officers radioed in they were hit, Capello said at a brief news conference.
All three officers were taken to hospitals. One of them has been pronounced dead. A second was in critical condition, but stable, and a third was in stable condition, Capello said.
“This is an extremely difficult moment for everyone,” Capello said.
The suspect, a 34-year-old man from Lebanon, was killed in the shooting, Lebanon Police Chief Todd Breiner said.
“As one can imagine, it's clearly a traumatic event,” Breiner said. “Our guys are strong, but we're human and we have families.”
The slain officer's name is being withheld pending notification of extended family members.
Police did not release further details. | https://www.thehour.com/news/article/1-officer-killed-2-others-shot-in-Pennsylvania-17049870.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:26Z |
You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. | https://sportspyder.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers/articles/39012237 | 2022-04-01T01:53:26Z |
Former Auburn Tiger Devan Cambridge transfers to Arizona State
Former Auburn small forward Devan Cambridge has transferred to Arizona State, per Jon Rothstein.
He played for the Tigers for three seasons before announcing his decision to transfer out of the program days after Auburn lost to Miami in the NCAA Tournament.
Cambridge, a former three-star prospect, played high school ball in Phoenix, Arizona before committing to the Tigers in 2019. He will be joined by his brother, Desmond, at Arizona State. The two entered the portal around the same time and informed everyone that they were a "package deal" on social media.
During his three seasons at Auburn, Cambridge averaged 6.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. His best season came in 2020, where he started 19 games for the Tigers and averaged 8.9 points.
Statistically, he progressed shooting free throws, but regressed shooting beyond the arc. The bouncy 6-foot-6 forward shot 34.2% from three during his freshman season, 28.7% during his sophomore season, and 22.1% in his junior season.
His athleticism was what made him a valuable asset to the Tigers. Cambridge grabbed 1.7 offensive rebounds per contest during this season. He also caught a number of ridiculous lobs and threw down some vicious dunks.
Arizona State went 14-17 this past season and finished eighth in the Pac-12. Their offense ranked 208th nationally according to KenPom. The Sun Devils could use the Cambridge brothers and their offensive game. Devan's brother Desmond averaged 16.4 points during his four-year collegiate career.
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Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials! | https://www.si.com/college/auburn/basketball/devan-cambridge-desmond-cambridge-transfer-to-arizona-state | 2022-04-01T01:53:26Z |
The House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve legislation that would limit cost-sharing for insulin under private health insurance and Medicare. The vote was 232-193, with 12 Republican members joining their Democratic colleagues to pass the measure.
The Affordable Insulin Now Act would cap insulin prices at either $35 a month or 25% of an insurance plan's negotiated price — whichever is lower. The legislation aims to take effect in 2023 but its fate in the Senate remains unclear.
"This is a kitchen table issue, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said to reporters ahead of the bill's passage on Thursday.
"One in four Americans is forced to skip or ration doses of insulin and that's life-threatening," she said, noting the legislation "paves the way" for further action on negotiating lower drug prices beyond insulin.
Advocates of the legislation point to data from the Health Care Cost Institute, an independent nonprofit that studies health care prices, which shows prices for insulin doubled between 2012 and 2016.
"No one should have to choose between taking their medication as prescribed and putting food on the table or a roof over their head," said Rep. Dan Kildee, one of three Democratic lawmakers who sponsored the legislation.
"As a father of a type 1 diabetic, I have seen firsthand how the high price of prescription drugs like insulin can harm patients and harm families," the Michigan Democrat said during debate on the House floor. "When my daughter turned 26 and got her own health insurance, there were months where she spent a third of her take home pay because she's diabetic on staying alive."
Critics of the bill argue the cap alone doesn't do enough to solve the underlying problem of rising prescription drug prices.
"We want lower prices for drugs, particularly for insulin," said Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga, during debate. "But instead of fixing a broken system, this bill aims to control it," he adding, calling the bill a "socialist plan."
House Democrats passed legislation in November as part of a broader spending package that would have enabled Medicare to negotiate lower prices for various prescription drugs.
Because that package remains stalled in the Senate, Democrats are working to more narrowly tackle making common drugs like insulin more affordable.
There is a similar bipartisan effort under way in the Senate but its path is unclear as Republicans have traditionally been opposed to price caps.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kalw.org/npr-news/2022-03-31/house-passes-bill-to-cap-insulin-prices | 2022-04-01T01:53:26Z |
(KMAland) -- The Maryville boys cruised to a 9-0 win over Lafayette to move to 2-0 on the season.
Six of the wins for the Spoofhounds were by forfeit with Carson Kempf and James DiStefano winning at No. 1 and 2 singles before Kason Teale and Jaxson Staples teamed up to win at No. 1 doubles.
View the complete rundown below:
SINGLES
Carson Kempf 8-0 Christopher Arias
James DiStefano 8-0 Caeden Bayer
Jaxson Staples win by forfeit
George Groumoutis win by forfeit
Colby Bowles win by forfeit
Collin Sowards win by forfeit
DOUBLES
Kason Teale/Jaxson Staples 8-0 Arias/Bayer
Groumoutis/Bowles win by forfeit
Sowards/Landon Baker win by forfeit | https://www.kmaland.com/sports/kmaland-boys-tennis-3-31-maryville-cruises-to-9-0-win-over-lafayette/article_2af9ff64-b155-11ec-b895-77ded18067d6.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:26Z |
LEBANON, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania police officer was killed and two others injured Thursday during a shooting that occurred while responding to a domestic disturbance call, Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello said.
Police officers went to a home in the city at about 3:30 p.m. for the disturbance call. Nearly an hour later gunfire broke out and officers radioed in they were hit, Capello said at a brief news conference.
All three officers were taken to hospitals. One of them has been pronounced dead. A second was in critical condition, but stable, and a third was in stable condition, Capello said.
“This is an extremely difficult moment for everyone,” Capello said.
The suspect, a 34-year-old man from Lebanon, was killed in the shooting, Lebanon Police Chief Todd Breiner said.
“As one can imagine, it's clearly a traumatic event,” Breiner said. “Our guys are strong, but we're human and we have families.”
The slain officer's name is being withheld pending notification of extended family members.
Police did not release further details. | https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/1-officer-killed-2-others-shot-in-Pennsylvania-17049870.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
LITCHFIELD - The Women’s Forum of Litchfield welcomes Sandra Boynton to the Litchfield Community Center at 2:30 p.m. April 7.
The center is located at 421 Bantam Road in Litchfield. Masks are encouraged.
Boynton is a popular American cartoonist, children’s author, songwriter, producer, and director.
“Since 1974, Boynton has written and illustrated over sixty children’s books and seven general audience books, including five New York Times bestsellers,” according to a statement.
More than 70 million of her books have been sold, mostly to friends and family, according to Boynton. With Michael Ford, she has also co-written and produced six albums of children’s music. Three of her six albums have been certified Gold, with more than 500,000 copies sold. The album “Philadelphia Chickens”, nominated for a Grammy, has been certified Platinum, with more than one million copies sold.
Boynton has also directed 12 music videos of her songs, including the award-winning “One Shoe Blues” starring B.B. King, “Alligator Stroll” starring Josh Turner, and “Tyrannosaurus Funk” (animated) sung by Samuel L. Jackson. She lives in rural New England, and her studio is in a barn with perhaps the only hippopotamus weathervane in America, according to the statement.
The event is open to non-members for a $10 fee at the door, which includes a High Tea reception. For more information, call 860-567-3966 or go to womensforumoflitchfield.org | https://www.registercitizen.com/entertainment/article/Women-s-Forum-of-Litchfield-presents-talk-with-17049318.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
A more infectious version of the omicron variant continues to gain traction in Los Angeles County, public health officials said Thursday, March 31. And while that traction has not yet translated into an upwards spike in hospitalizations, it has sparked caution amid the recent slow pace of congressional action vital to battling the disease, officials said.
BA.2 — a more infectious variant of COVID-19 — is on the rise in the county, detected in 32% of COVID infections sequenced during the week of March 12, according to County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
That doesn’t make it the dominant strain compared to its older sibling, omicron, which raged through the county in January, but it is definitely cause for caution, Ferrer said.
“This is double the percentage that was identified for the prior week (ending March 5),” Ferrer said. “And given that BA.2 is more infectious than the previous omicron strains, we expect that BA.2 now accounts for an even higher proportion of COVID-19 cases in L.A. County.”
As a result, Ferrer asked local residents to be prepared for the possibility that a new variant could provoke additional interventions and mitigation measures. Especially since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated this week that BA.2 is now the dominant variant in the United States.
In the meantime, however, the good news is that as of March 27 only 3% of emergency department encounters have been classified as COVID-related, reflecting a broader, steep decline in hospital admissions due to the disease.
The number of COVID-positive patients in county hospitals fell to 308 on Thursday, down from 325 on Wednesday. The number of those patients being treated in intensive care was 47, down from 51 a day earlier.
But like much in the pandemic era, good news often comes with a caveat. Thursday’s was that the county is beginning to see a leveling off of the declines in COVID case numbers that have marked the past several weeks, with the county now averaging about 660 cases per day.
“The rate of decline has been slower, and this week we’re not seeing any declines in the cases,” Ferrer said.
She said it’s too early to call that leveling-off a “concern,” but she termed it “notable.”
“At some point we knew that it was likely we were going to stop declining,” she said. “We know there’s still transmission. … Personally, I wish we were at a lower level when we’re doing this plateauing, but we have seen a significant decrease, and that’s the good news.”
It’s not unfamiliar territory in a two-year battle with the virus in which public health officials see declining numbers, they lift mandates only to see the numbers hit a baseline and then rise again.
Ferrer noted that the slowing of the decline could be related to the recent lifting of COVID health measures, such as indoor masking requirements. The county on Friday, along with the state, will lift the vaccine or negative-test verification requirement at indoor mega-events, such as sporting events and concerts.
“Every single time we have reduced the restrictions or levels of protection that are required, we have always seen an uptick (in cases),” Ferrer said. “The slowing of the decline can also be seen in some ways as an uptick.”
Los Angeles County Public Health reported 16 deaths due to COVID-19 and 784 new cases, slightly more than the region’s recent average of 600, a number that hasn’t been seen since July 2021, Ferrer said. The county’s rate of 66 new cases per 100,000 people is yet another positive sign of lower transmission.
Still, Ferrer encouraged residents to take steps now to maximize protection against spread of future variants of concern. This includes getting vaccinated, wearing a mask indoors and possibly talking to your provider about Evusheld, a new therapeutic for people 12 years and older.
Los Angeles County this week began offering second booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine, following approval of the additional Pfizer and Moderna shots by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The additional boosters were authorized for people who are age 50 and over, and who received their last booster shot at least four months ago.
Boosters are also available for younger people who are considered immunocompromised and at higher risk of severe illness from the virus.
“The truth is that given the threat of a more infectious virus circulating widely across the county, those who are unvaccinated, those that aren’t up to date on their boosters, those who are immunocompromised, those with underlying health conditions, and those with more exposures at work and in the community are at higher risk of getting infected, hospitalized and even dying,” Ferrer warned. “So taking time now to get vaccinated and boosted not only protects the person that’s going to get vaccinated, but it also reduces the risk of increased transmission across the county.”
To date, nearly three out of four residents ages five and older in L.A. County are fully vaccinated, which is good news. But Ferrer reminded the public that booster coverage remains disappointingly low in some of the county’s hardest hit communities, and these gaps “create a lot of risk.”
And while public health works with its vaccination partners to take steps to speed the pace of vaccination and boosters, Ferrer urged residents who aren’t sure whether they should get a second booster to discuss any questions with their providers.
“But if you are eligible for the second booster dose and you do want to increase your chances of not getting infected with COVID-19, you may want to go ahead and get that second booster dose now,” Ferrer said. “This is a time for everyone to use the tools at hand to increase levels of protection that can decrease personal and community risk.”
Those tools, particularly in low-income communities, where federally funded resources have ensured access to vaccines and to testing. But for weeks, Congress has stalled on measures that would provide fresh COVID-funding and federal reimbursements at local clinics.
Congress is being pressured to provide immediate funding to ensure the continued supply of vaccines, personal protective equipment, and other tools needed in the fight against coronavirus make it to providers of newly approved booster doses.
The Biden administration and other Democrats have warned the government is running out of money to counter the pandemic at a time when a new variant is spreading.
Since the pandemic began, Congress has approved more than $5 trillion to address the economic and health crises it produced.
But only a small fraction of that has been for public health programs like vaccines.
Lawmakers on Thursday appeared close to a deal on a scaled-back bipartisan compromise providing an infusion of $10 billion to combat COVID-19, a deal that could set up final congressional approval next week, according to the Associated Press.
But the slow pace of an agreement has been troubling for local public health experts battline omicon at the same time a new subvariant is gaining strength.
“It really is shameful, in the middle of a pandemic, that we’re all worrying about not having enough money to make sure that those folks with the least resources are going to have good access to what it takes to add on layers of protection from COVID,” Ferrer said . “We should have learned a lot of lessons by now.”
City News Service cand the Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.sgvtribune.com/2022/03/31/as-ba-2-covid-19-subvariant-gains-strength-la-countys-ferrer-laments-shameful-pace-of-federal-funding/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
Harle-Tsu effects
Reported by real people like you
259 people told us about effects:
- Feelings
- Negatives
- Helps with
Relaxed
77% of people report feeling relaxed
Happy
47% of people report feeling happy
Uplifted
44% of people report feeling uplifted
Dry mouth
15% of people report feeling dry mouth
Dry eyes
7% of people report feeling dry eyes
Dizzy
3% of people report feeling dizzy
Pain
50% of people say it helps with pain
Stress
42% of people say it helps with stress
Anxiety
39% of people say it helps with anxiety
THC Strength
0% | very low
CBD Strength
11% | medium
No product reviews
Have you tried this product? Be the first to leave a review! | https://www.leafly.com/brands/double-delicious/products/double-delicious-harle-tsu-rso-solvent | 2022-04-01T01:53:26Z |
Georgia Living Senior Home Care Announces Rebranding, Appoints New CEO
Georgia Living Senior Home Care, a leading private home care company, announced preparations today to rebrand its visual identity and name to Abide Home Care. The rebranding signifies a continued dedication to client care and trust in an ever-changing world. Along with the new brand, the Board of Directors is announcing...
savannahceo.com | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556262057319/georgia-living-senior-home-care-announces-rebranding-appoints-new-ceo | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
Democrats grow worried about Biden immigration move as midterms loom
By Lauren Fox and Priscilla Alvarez, CNN
A number of Democratic senators are growing increasingly wary of the administration’s plan to repeal Trump-era pandemic restrictions on the US-Mexico border that effectively blocked migrants from entering the US, setting up a rare clash between President Joe Biden and some members in his own party.
Known as Title 42, the pandemic-era order allowed US border officials to turn migrants back to Mexico or their home countries immediately, citing a public health crisis. But, the authority — which has stayed in place throughout Biden’s presidency — has also been blasted by immigration advocates and progressive members who argue it has endangered immigrants who otherwise would have been able to remain in the US while their asylum cases were being processed.
The Biden administration is expected to rescind the rule in May, but many Democrats on Capitol Hill fear it is not enough time for the administration to establish an adequate plan to handle the uptick in migrant crossings that’s expected to come with it.
“Until there is a plan, you got to have secure borders,” Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said. “To do something that might invite a doubling, tripling, quadrupling of numbers at the border, that is not in the best interest of America, that is not in the best interest of the administration, or the people who are trying to go through the process.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, told reporters Thursday that he thought the administration should rethink the decision entirely.
“I think we should reconsider” removing it, Manchin said, adding, “Maybe that would get us to spur us to get a good immigration policy that works for America, secure our borders. The borders have to be secure.”
Leading the charge, two border state senators — Arizona’s Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly — sent a letter to the President last week, arguing that Title 42 needed to remain in place until the administration had demonstrated a clear plan to manage the number of migrants that would come across the border.
“Given the impacts that changes to Title 42 could have on border communities, border security and migrants, we urge your administration not to make any changes to title 42 implementation until you are completely ready to execute and coordinate a comprehensive plan that ensures a secure, orderly and humane process at the border,” they wrote.
The end of the Trump-era pandemic restrictions would mean a return to traditional protocols, which might include releasing migrants into the US while they go through their immigration proceedings, detaining migrants, or removing them if they don’t have an asylum claim.
The Department of Homeland Security has been actively planning for a potential surge of migrants when pandemic restrictions lift, DHS officials told reporters this week, including increasing capacity on the border, lining up contracts for transportation, and deploying hundreds of personnel to assist.
Kelly doubled down Thursday, telling CNN he still hadn’t seen enough evidence the administration had put a plan together.
“We need to make sure we don’t line up a situation that is unmanageable,” said Kelly, who’s facing a competitive reelection this year.
Republicans have already signaled they’ll make a repeal of Title 42 a cornerstone of their midterm campaign strategy especially if the numbers at the border surge and images of packed facilities and an unmitigated crises play out in the media. This week, the GOP conference circulated a series of talking points to their members on how to attack the administration’s history on immigration.
“I think everybody is justifiably freaked out about what’s going to happen at the border. Right now, Title 42 is holding back about 50% of the global flow. So if you take that away, and you have 50% more people coming in on a daily basis … how are they going to manage that? They have no idea,” Sen. John Thune, the GOP whip, told CNN. “I think it’s crazy. Crazy politically too.”
Kelly is staring down his own reelection in a state where immigration policy is front and center in a statewide campaign.
But, it’s not just border state Democrats who are carefully navigating the administration’s actions on Title 42.
“I’m not happy about it,” Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan said. “We have no follow-on plan. We are sort of planning to be overwhelmed at the border.”
Slotkin said when she saw reports on plans to rescind Title 42, she swiftly put in a call to administration officials to figure out what the plan was going to be to ensure there wasn’t a surge.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from New Hampshire up for reelection, tweeted Wednesday she too was worried the administration hadn’t put in place an effective plan yet that would enable them to successfully repeal Title 42 without severe repercussions at the border.
“I am concerned that there is not a sufficient plan in place to address the steep increase in border crossings that could result from this reported decision,” Hassan said. “This preemptive repeal threatens border security at a time when the administration should be focused on strengthening it.”
Other Democratic senators facing elections in November declined to comment. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia told CNN he had no comment on reported plans to repeal Title 42.
One moderate Democrat, who asked not to be named so they could freely discuss how the decision could affect the midterms, put it simply.
“I think it’s gonna be a problem,” the member said. “If there is a huge surge and mainstream (news) covers it, it’s a problem. It fits into the whole gestalt of how we are soft.”
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN’s Ali Zaslav, Manu Raju and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report. | https://ktvz.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2022/03/31/democrats-grow-worried-about-biden-immigration-move-as-midterms-loom/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
A Virginia resident was sentenced today to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to federal charges resulting from a lengthy investigation into a significant multi-state dogfighting conspiracy.
According to court documents, Raymond L. Johnson, 41, of Henrico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Beginning in November 2019, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in dogfighting based out of Richmond, extending into Baltimore, Maryland. In late 2020, law enforcement agents executed three residential search warrants in Virginia and one residential search warrant in Maryland and seized numerous dogs that were being used for organized dogfighting, together with dogfighting paraphernalia, firearms, and ammunition.
During the investigation, Johnson communicated with his co-conspirators about breeding and fighting dogs, past dog fights, coordination of upcoming dog fights, and other topics detailing the business and the brutality of dogfighting. Johnson hosted two dog fights at his residence, videos of which were recovered by law enforcement. Agents executed a search warrant at Johnson’s Henrico residence on Nov. 19, 2020, and recovered nine pit bull terrier-type dogs with scarring consistent with dogfighting. Agents also seized other evidence of dogfighting activities at Johnson’s residence, including dog collars, medications, supplies and supplements, and a treadmill used to train dogs for fighting.
Agents also recovered firearms and ammunition from Johnson’s residence, including an AK47-style rifle. As a convicted felon, it was illegal for Johnson to possess those firearms and ammunition.
“Raymond Johnson actively participated in a multi-state criminal enterprise that caused the needless suffering of innocent animals,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Johnson’s sentence demonstrates that dogfighting is a serious crime, which deserves a substantial penalty.”
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador for the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General Animal Law Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, and Henrico County Police Animal Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Banu Rangarajan and William Shapiro of Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case. | https://www.kttn.com/defendant-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison-for-multistate-dogfighting-conspiracy-and-illegal-possession-of-firearms/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
• Treena Myers, no age or address listed, was arrested on March 27 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department on a warrant. She was being held on $14,000 bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 28.
• Tracy Ware, 33, of County Road 67, Riceville, was arrested on March 27 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department on an Athens Police Department warrant. He was released on $1,000 bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 28.
• Nicholas Rusinko, 50, of Miller Rd., Fairview, N.C., was arrested on March 27 by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and charged with driving under the influence, implied consent, leaving the scene of a crash, failure to report a crash, possession of a firearm while under the influence and due care. He was released and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 28.
• Daniel G. Cox, no age listed, of County Road 802, Etowah, was arrested on March 27 by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and charged with driving under the influence. He was released on $1,000 bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 28.
• Danielle Stevens, 23, of Highway 411, Madisonville, was arrested on March 28 by the Athens Police Department and charged with a warrant for violation of probation, two counts of possession of a schedule II drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. No bond amount listed. She faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 28.
• Joshua R. Dixon, 30, of Martin St., Niota, was arrested on March 28 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with driving under the influence. No bond amount listed. He faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 28.
• Crystal McDonald, 39, of Sullins Rd., Athens, was arrested on March 28 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with violation of probation. She was being held on a $3,708.80 cash bond plus five days in jail and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Jess Sisson, 44, of County Road 492, Etowah, was arrested on March 28 by the Etowah Police Department and charged with failure to appear. He was being held on $2,000 bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Donald Call, 43, of County Road 158, Riceville, was arrested on March 28 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with failure to appear. He was being held on $2,000 bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Logan Harris, 26, of Steeple Circle, Cleveland, was arrested on March 28 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with theft over $10,000. He was being held on $15,000 bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Issac Roderick, 22, of 18th St., Cleveland, was arrested on March 28 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with failure to appear and violation of probation. He was being held on $4,705.40 bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Holly Braun, 49, no address listed, was arrested on March 28 by the Athens Police Department and charged with disorderly conduct. No bond amount listed. She faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• David Reynolds, 31, of Woolen St., Cleveland, was arrested on March 28 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with violation of probation. He was released on a $782.95 cash bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Rodney Roberts, 51, of County Road 213, Athens, was arrested on March 28 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with violation of probation. He was being held on a $2,084.45 cash bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Jeremy S. Ledbetter, 39, of Sherwood Ave., Athens, was arrested on March 29 by the McMinn County Sheriff's Department and charged with violation of probation. He was being held on a $2,778.90 cash bond and faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 29.
• Elmo Shepard, 77, of County Road 617, Athens, was arrested on March 29 by the Etowah Police Department and charged with manufacturing, delivery, sale of a schedule II drug. No bond amount listed. He faced a date in General Sessions Court on March 30. | https://www.dailypostathenian.com/police_reports/article_edad526c-02c6-57ad-9d07-7d12e166a976.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:28Z |
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN9) — We first told you about 32-year-old Martin Villalobos who went missing in February. His family growing desperate as each day passed without a sign from him.
Villalobos had been riding his motor bike on a dirt road off I-10 and Ina. He crashed into a hole and after waking up from a blackout, knew he had suffered a back injury.
He was stuck in the hole for four days, until a homeless man found him.
"Once you get desperate you start doing stuff," Villalobos said. "Like regardless you start doing stuff for survival...And I couldn't move honestly, I had my pants, my phone was in my cargo pants for riding and my phone ended up falling into this pocket. So it took me a whole day to figure out a way to stretch without hurting myself to get my phone out."
By the time he managed to grab his phone, it was dead. He says he knew every day, was a day of survival.
"The other thing is I had four broken ribs. So I had to put pressure on here and then scream for help," Villalobos said. "And then talk to God honestly. I told him save me or if not take me, the last day because it was so bad, no water."
With the nights and early morning dropping down to 40 degree temps, he says his riding gear luckily kept him warm enough.
ONLY ON 9: Martin Villalobos crashed his motor bike and got stuck in a hole for 4 days. His family reported him missing. He’s now back home. I talk to him about his road to recovery and how he survived. That story on @kgun9 at 5pm. #Tucson #Inspirational pic.twitter.com/Q16jysDcEi
— Denelle Confair (@DenelleConfair) March 31, 2022
"So, then I found rocks and I started putting rocks in my mouth and it sort of triggered saliva," Villalobos said. "So, that's what kept my mouth moist."
On the fourth day, he says he heard a man ask him about his bike. He knew it would be his only chance to get help.
"I'm literally going to die if you don't help me and he left me a flashlight and he left it on and said I'll be back," Villalobos said.
That good Samaritan, a homeless man, went to a nearby gas station and got help. The next few days and weeks would be a time of healing and recovery.
"Anything changes quick so just learn how to enjoy life and appreciate the little things God gives you and life gives you in general," Villalobos said.
Villalobos is now back at home, determined to heal and walk again.
"You know how many times I heard doctors saying you're not going to walk no more, like kinda this is going to be your wheel chair life, this and that," Villalobos said. "I'm like you ain't going to tell me. You know why? Just because you go off the book, but technically I shouldn't be alive after four days either right?"
Villalobos went on to say he thought of his 14 -year-old daughter every day he was in that hole. Knowing he needed to fight to survive so he could see her again.
——-
Denelle Confair is a reporter for KGUN 9. Denelle is proud to call Southern Arizona home. It's been her dream to tell your stories for the past decade. She is extremely curious and wants to continue to use her storytelling for the greater good.
Share your story ideas and important issues with Denelle by emailing denelle.confair@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, and Twitter.
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- Follow us on Twitter | https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/tucson-man-details-being-stuck-in-hole-for-4-days | 2022-04-01T01:53:28Z |
SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Coast Guard Thursday seized more than $223 million worth of cocaine and marijuana in international waters, which were then offloaded in San Diego.
The drug seizures was a team effort between three Coast Guard crews: Coast Guard Cutter Kimball, Coast Guard Cutter Legare, Coast Guard Cutter Spencer and one Canadian ship, Her Majesty Canadian Ship Yellowknife.
“These drugs were seized in international waters off the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and represent eight interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessels between February and March of 2022,” said U.S Coast Guards Public Affairs Officer.
“To all who are involved, in the dangerous and illegal drug trafficking business, you cannot hide your crimes on the high seas,” said Randy Grossman, U.S District Attorney for the Southern California Region.
“Whether you are a kingpin or a crew member, you are on our radar, and it is just a matter of time before you are caught and brought to justice.”
According to Grossman, the seizures are important to prosecute those involved in smuggling illegal drugs into the U.S.
Grossman attributed a recent drug seizure by a Coast Guard crew which was able to help them indict a Guatemalan kingpin.
“Illicit drugs cost our country nearly $100 billion every year in crime, health, safety and lost productivity,” Pacific Area Commander Michael McAllister said.
Thursday’s seizure was the first drug-offload for San Diego this year, according to Coast Guard Affairs. The offload was medium size compared to other years.
The drugs were handed off to the DEA to be processed and destroyed. | https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/223m-worth-of-cocaine-marijuana-seized-by-us-coast-guard/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:28Z |
REPORT: UCLA equity officer hopes for Clarence Thomas' death
Clarence Thomas was hospitalized in Washington, D.C. on Mar. 18 with an infection after experiencing 'flu-like symptoms.'
'No one wants to openly admit [we all] hope Clarence Thomas dies,' Jonathan Perkins tweeted, going on to say, 'This whole rule we’re not to wish ill on people is silly.'
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Director for Race and Equity Johnathan Perkins ranted against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently, going as far as wishing for his death.
Clarence Thomas was hospitalized in Washington, D.C. on Mar. 18 with an infection after experiencing “flu-like symptoms.” The staff at Sibley Memorial Hospital treated him with intravenous antibiotics.
“No one wants to openly admit [we all] hope Clarence Thomas dies,” Perkins tweeted, going on to say, “This whole rule we’re not to wish ill on people is silly.”
Perkins went on to call the only black Supreme Court Justice a “sexist token” and referred to him as “Uncle Thomas,” a derogatory epithet historically used to disparage black people.
After receiving blowback on Twitter, the UCLA Race and Equity Director doubled down, posting “Clarence Thomas can choke as far as I’m concerned,” claiming that Thomas “deserves it for undoing generations of legal civil rights progress.”
[RELATED: Biden’s court packing committee contains an army of profs open to altering Supreme Court]
This diatribe against Clarence Thomas comes as his wife, Ginni Thomas, faces backlash after being accused of lobbying President Donald Trump’s chief of staff to take action in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Perkins called Ginni Thomas “treasonous” based on these accusations and attacked the Supreme Court Justice as he took part in the consideration of whether the Supreme Court would hear cases surrounding alleged election fraud and did not recuse himself from the process.
Following media reporting from outlets such as Fox News and Townhall covering the controversy. Perkins has since made his Twitter account private, limiting who can view his Tweets.
However, the replies to his Tweets are not private, and many of them expressed disagreement with the language Perkins used including one popular Twitter user who commented, “Uncle Thomas? GTFO you POS.”
Conversely, other replies expressed support for Perkins, including self-described tech entrepreneur Tim Maliyil, who tweeted “100% agree. We all would've be better off if Thomas died this week, and a Justice Jackson would've been able to take his place next month.”
100% agree. We all would've be better off if Thomas died this week, and a Justice Jackson would've been able to take his place next month.
— Tim Maliyil (@tim_maliyil) March 26, 2022
Maliyil was referring to Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee to replace Stephen Breyer, whose confirmation hearings began on March 21.
That tweet received just 19 likes, but also received 500 mostly angry replies, including several who reminded Maliyil of a previous tweet in which he wrote, “The problem with Trump supporters is that they don’t care about others. They don’t possess empathy nor do they know what that is.”
Clarence Thomas has since been discharged from the hospital after a week-long stay.
Perkins is a "public academic, higher education attorney, lecturer and podcast co-host of black&," according to his website. "His activism and academic work are rooted in antiracist allyship and the effects of individual and institutional bias."
Vice-Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UCLA Anna Spain Bradley told Campus Reform "This tweet does not reflect my or UCLA EDI's views."
Campus Reform has reached out to Johnathan Perkins for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
Follow @PeterCordi on Twitter | https://campusreform.org/article?id=19276 | 2022-04-01T01:53:28Z |
Bell's fibre optic network completion 'monumental' for Amherstburg
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The completion of installation of Bell’s pure fibre internet service to homes and businesses in Amherstburg puts the municipality in an enviable position, town officials say.
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“Bell Canada’s investment in our community has put Amherstburg at the forefront of municipalities offering high-speed communications everywhere,” said Mayor Aldo DiCarlo, during a Thursday morning news conference at town hall.
“(It’s) making fast, high-capacity, 100 per cent fibre connections with up to 1.5-gigabits per-second internet connection speeds available.
“Those considering future investment in Amherstburg now know this small town has positioned itself as a big player in the digital world.”
Darin Meek, senior manager network provisioning for Bell, said the company’s investment “enables all the residents of Amherstburg to be in touch with the latest technology available.”
Meek didn’t have a cost figure for the work done in Amherstburg but said it is part of Bell’s commitment of $1.7 billion in capital expenditures over two years across the country to roll out broadband fibre, 5G and rural networks that was announced last year.
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It was November 2017 when it was reported Bell Canada would bring its fibre optic network to Amherstburg but it was the COVID-19 pandemic that exposed the need for speed.
“The pandemic is really what lit it up,” DiCarlo said. “Before that it was nice for the government to finally call it an essential service but at the time they used 50 megabits per second, which is a good connection really, depending on how many people you have in the house and who needs it for what.
“But when everybody’s in the house and including work, teaching and you know I’ve got kids too, gaming and all the other social communications they use, it is … I think the term was used, we’re future proof now.”
DiCarlo said of course there will be new technologies in the future, but “it’s hard to beat a physical connection that doesn’t care what the weather is, doesn’t care how far away you are from the node or the trunk. It goes at the speed of light.
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“It’s such a broad signal that I don’t know anyone who’s had a problem with what they want to do with it.”
He hopes other companies will come forward with the service and regionally he’d like to see everyone connected.
Meek said Bell installation of fibre networks is complete in LaSalle, work in Windsor and Tecumseh is being completed and Lakeshore is underway.
“This is the kind of thing that will draw people to Amherstburg,” DiCarlo said, calling it a monumental announcement.
“The recently completed fibre optic-based internet network will ensure reliable connectivity, support e-commerce and make people’s lives better in every part of Amherstburg,” he said.
“That does include urban and rural residential, commercial businesses and industry, farms and even an island.” | https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/bell-canada-brings-fibre-optic-network-to-amherstburg | 2022-04-01T01:53:28Z |
Opinion
Toxic masculinity or protective and caring? Can violence ever be justified?
Kate Halfpenny
Regular columnistLadies out there, honesty time. What did you really think when you saw Will Smith slug Chris Rock at the Oscars over his Jada Pinkett Smith haircut jibe? Was there a frisson of “I wish someone did that for me” or were you repulsed?
The slap has been endlessly dissected as everything from toxic masculinity and intergenerational trauma to an adult lost child wrestling with his past who “snapped”. It’s way too analytical. A man whacking another to save face or salve feelings was overbearing, terrible behaviour that shouldn’t be dressed up as anything else or excused away with deep dives into – save us – triggers.
It was a bloke hijacking a situation involving the little woman and turning it into a crusade to make him look bigger. Stand back love, think of shopping and SNS nails, I’ll take it from here.
That’s just me, though. How did you see it, sexy or stupid?
Do you love it when partners turn into slappy swear bears to defend you or do you see it as retrograde assholery that removes your power (which includes being able to run countries and make people)? No right or wrong answer, I’m genuinely curious.
Smith tried to cover his tracks by tearfully claiming he’s a protector of women: “Love will make you do crazy things.”
That self-serving dross makes me feel like smacking myself in the face. Tell family violence victim Hannah Clarke’s grieving family that love makes you crazy. What her murderous husband did isn’t love, and neither was what Will Smith did.
Different ends of the spectrum, obviously, but same root cause. Possessiveness should be at the top of every woman’s Run Away Now list of relationship red flags.
When I first married at 24, my beautifully cautious, wise friend Lynne asked why I was so sure of my choice: “If I was hanging off a cliff by my fingernails, and he said he would save me, he would.”
Minus cliffs, that was borne out – he was like MacGyver in terms of ingenuity and keeping his word. Yet pledging my heart second time around at 48, my husbandly wish list was different. Brains, black humour, pink heart, footy knowledge.
The last thing I wanted was to be rescued by anyone.
Still, my husband had a few good cracks at it. Saddling up for a Berlin bike tour in 2016, a trainee rider crashed and knocked me over. All he gave was a rueful look before wobbling off, my incensed, roaring husband in pursuit: “You, come back! Apologise!”
On the same holiday, Chris fronted an unlikely nemesis, the octoganerian hiring out banana lounges on Italy’s Cinque Terre. A day earlier, he’d thrown me off a chair when I lost my ticket. Suddenly, amid an end-of-days downpour, the only people at the fast-flooding train station were us and the beach ticket man.
He was frantically searching his pockets for something. Chris pounced: “Oi! Where’s your f---ing ticket?”
I’ll admit both times I felt not just queasiness at someone fighting my corner when it wasn’t asked for but quietly thrilled he was prepared to do it. There was also something comedic going on. I would have hated it though had he started throwing haymakers – that’s the line between being protective and possessive which Smith spectacularly crossed.
My friend Nicola has been married to Tom for 34 years. They met at Rocktober in ’79. She says what makes a good husband isn’t getting punchy: “Compassion, encouragement and intelligence. Also, that look he gives me – happy to see me naked even though I’ve gained some kilos.”
Will Smith must wish he could turn back time and react differently. Laugh at the joke (as he actually did), then when he clocked his wife’s stink eye, yell “man, that’s lame – Jada, you’re so beautiful” and give her a smooch.
But he can’t and will remain a living cautionary tale for what not to do if you want to look like a fabulous partner or, even more radical, be one. | https://www.smh.com.au/national/toxic-masculinity-or-protective-and-caring-can-violence-ever-be-justified-20220331-p5a9tx.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national | 2022-04-01T01:53:28Z |
The Razzies have rescinded the satirical award they had created poking fun at Bruce Willis for his body of work in 2021 after his family announced he was retiring from acting due to the cognitive disorder aphasia.
The awards' founders also rescinded a worst actress nomination for Shelley Duvall in the 1980 film The Shining because of reported mistreatment by late director Stanley Kubrick.
The Golden Raspberry Awards, or Razzies, skewer what they consider Hollywood's worst films and performances on the eve of the Oscars ceremony each year.
They created a special category for Willis this year, nominating him eight times for "worst performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie" for each of his movies, but rescinded the award given his recently disclosed diagnosis.
"If someone's medical condition is a factor in their decision making and/or their performance, we acknowledge that it is not appropriate to give them a Razzie," Razzie co-founders Mo Murphy and John Wilson said in a statement.
The Willis family made the announcement on Wednesday, four days after the Razzies. The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that co-workers on film sets raised concerns about Willis' health in recent years and that filmmakers reduced his roles because of his diminished capacity.
Aphasia's symptoms vary widely and can affect speech, comprehension and reading ability, said Brenda Rapp, a professor of cognitive science at Johns Hopkins University.
The Razzies also said "extenuating circumstances" led them to rescind Duvall's nomination because of "Stanley Kubrick's treatment of her throughout the production".
Kubrick was known for demanding long hours and shooting an extraordinary number of takes. Duvall told The Hollywood Reporter last year the experience was traumatising.
Asked if Kubrick had been unusually cruel or abusive, Duvall said, "He's got that streak in him. He definitely has that." | https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/razzies-take-back-bruce-willis-award-c-6284242 | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
2 servings of avocado a week helps your heart health, study says
Published: Mar. 30, 2022 at 9:56 AM CDT
(CNN) - Good news if you like avocados; eating them is a great way to help out your heart health.
A new government study found eating at least two servings a week, which adds up to one avocado, reduced the risk of having a heart attack by 21%.
It also said that eating avocado instead of eggs, yogurt, cheese, margarine, butter, or processed meats, like bacon, was especially beneficial.
Experts said anything you can do to improve your heart health is a step in the right direction.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated heart disease takes a life every 36 seconds.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wtok.com/2022/03/30/2-servings-avocado-week-helps-your-heart-health-study-says/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:27Z |
Calabar, St Jago clash in quiz finals
Thursday, March 31, 2022CALABAR High School and St Jago High School will showdown for the final of the 2022 Schools' Challenge Quiz today. Both team captains — Matthew Aiken of Calabar and Leroy Cassanova of St Jago — are ecstatic their teams have advanced to the finals and look forward to victory.
Both schools have won the competition five times since its inception in 1969.
Calabar won in 1989, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2012. St Jago won in 1988, 1990, 2008, 2010, and 2019.
Aiken, 17, told the Jamaica Observer that the experience has been “interesting”.
“This team is identical to last year's team, so we were already familiar with each other, and having boarded together for roughly a year accumulatively, we are something of a family; even if a mismatched and turbulent one. The main thing that I think we're all forced to come to terms with is that each of us is accountable to the other and to the unit as a whole. One person's actions affect everyone,” he said last week.
“I've been asked this before and I continue to say that we're pleased, but not surprised, and certainly not satisfied. It was always our plan to make it this far, and we're continuing the hard work in hopes to go all the way. Our coaches are definitely quite elated, along with our family members, seeing that they know first-hand of the sacrifices. Our friends are happy for us as well, and excited for what it means for our school,” Aiken continued.
The most challenging match this season, Aiken added, was facing Campion College in the third round.
“We were playing a tough opponent, and while we were solid enough initially, we were a bit unhinged in the buzzer and I think we had to show a lot of composure to come through victorious in the end,” he recalled.
Also speaking to the Observer on Thursday, his opponent, 18-year-old Cassanova added, “Simply put, these are the high points of my life to date. The preparation is tough, but work conquers all. We have always had great support from family, friends, school, coach, the community, and the parish. They are pleased that our hard work has gotten us to this point, and they continue to pray for our success.”
Cassanova, who hails from Ewarton in St Catherine, has been at the quiz final for three consecutive years — 2018, 2019, and 2020.
“This will be my fourth finals. At this point I have experienced the agony and the ecstasy of it all. So I am doing my best to use the lessons learnt from my previous experiences in the finals for my preparation for this one,” he said, noting that having to play against the Queen's School was most challenging because both schools had trained together during the season.
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Association Announces Next-Gen Leaders
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House Association released a new episode of the 1600 Sessions podcast today, "The Next Generation: What the White House Means to Me," to announce its inaugural program, Next-Gen, a group of more than fifty influential young professionals from a wide variety of fields, bound together by a passion for history, civics, and education.
The Next-Gen Leaders include presidential descendants, members of Forbes' 30 Under 30, CEOs, military officers, a White House correspondent, a former Miss America, and several other individuals held in high esteem in their respective fields. Members will take part in a year-long cohort and attend Association events, in-person and virtual programming, and quarterly meetings.
In this podcast episode, White House Historical Association President and podcast host Stewart McLaurin speaks with eight of the Association's new Next-Gen Leaders.
Next-Gen Leaders were chosen either by recommendation or by research, vetted according to demonstrated dedication to education, history, and civics, accomplishments within their field, social media presence, and embracing the Association's nonpartisan mission.
The 1600 Sessions is available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and Stitcher.
To watch or listen to the full episode, visit The1600sessions.org.
For more information, please contact press@whha.org.
Visit whitehousehistory.org to learn about the current Next-Gen group.
About The 1600 Sessions
In this podcast series, White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin interviews luminaries, historians, and eyewitnesses to history about America's most famous residence and office—the White House. Each episode includes a prominent guest or guests to discuss varying facets of White House history, including insights from former staff and many other topical issues.
About The White House Historical Association
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. In 1961, the White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion's legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association's mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the White House Historical Association has contributed more than $50 million in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit www.whitehousehistory.org.
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SOURCE White House Historical Association | https://www.kmvt.com/prnewswire/2022/03/31/new-episode-1600-sessions-podcast-next-generation-what-white-house-means-me/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:29Z |
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Longtime Miami associate head coach Chris Caputo has accepted a contract offer to become the new coach at George Washington, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday night.
The school and Caputo were working out final contract details including length of the deal, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because George Washington had not announced the hiring.
Caputo replaces Jamion Christian, who was 29-50 in three seasons at the school.
Caputo has been an integral part of Miami coach Jim Larranaga’s staff for two decades, including helping George Mason to the Final Four in 2006 and the Hurricanes to the Elite Eight this season. He has been associate head coach at Miami since May 2015, overseeing much of the team’s recruiting efforts and serving as the team’s defensive coordinator.
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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://www.mrt.com/sports/article/AP-source-Miami-s-Chris-Caputo-accepts-offer-to-17049942.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:32Z |
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Cracks in the Kremlin
Putin's inner circle, which once appeared to be in lockstep about the war, is split quite dramatically
It's been said more than once in recent days that Russian President Putin has likely been misinformed by his security and military services about the war in Ukraine--from the initial prospects for victory to progress on the ground. To date, no one suggests this is part of a conspiracy but rather the result of advisors being afraid to tell Putin things he doesn't want to hear.
It may be that now finally, Putin has become clear-headed, seeing that a month in, Russia has not achieved its goals that were supposed to have come with lightning speed. It did not take Ukraine in a couple of days. Without regrouping or changing tack, the path ahead looks long and uncertain.
And now Putin's inner circle, which once appeared to be in lockstep about the war and the officially declared reasons for it, is split quite dramatically between those who want to cut Russia's losses and run and those who want to fight until the bitter end, to deliver Ukraine in its entirety to the Russian people. "Some think that Russia should be realistic about its goals and about its resources," Oleg Ignatov of the International Crisis Group, told Fox News.
He added that some of the elites actually think taking that position is tantamount to failure: "They would never say this in public, but if you read carefully some statements or posts on Telegram or on other social networks, and if you talk to people, you can see it. "
STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS RUSSIAN SECURITY OFFICIALS ‘MAY BE SINGLING OUT US CITIZENS’
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey this week set off a firestorm of reaction from those not afraid to talk.
"Nice talks in Turkey!" sarcastically bellowed one of Russia's top propagandists, TV personality Vladimir Solovyev on his Wednesday show, apparently railing against Russia's negotiator who had come out of the meetings with positive statements about prospects for a deal, for compromise, with Ukraine.
He went on: "My friend failed to consider that any negotiation with the Nazis, as long as your boot is not on their throat, is perceived as weakness. And you must not shake the hand of this scum. And you must not exchange different formulas with them, ask ‘How you are doing?’, have small-talk. In principle, you don't have to meet them or talk to them."
"This is what I think. This is my personal opinion. Don't mislead and try to demoralize our people and our troops with such crazy messages like yesterday. The task has been set, and it must be accomplished in its full scope. The task is set in our country only by the Commander-in-Chief. And you will listen to him only," Solovyov said.
Skeptics find it hard to believe that any opinion expressed on Russian TV is personal. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, whose fighters feature prominently in the war in Ukraine, expressed similar sentiments about going all the way.
"Kyiv, I assure you, if you don't come to us on your own, if you don't fulfill all the demands of our Commander in Chief, our President, there will be no mercy for you, for the government, for Rada [Ukraine's parliament ]… for [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy. Europe and the West will not save you, because you are criminals, you have killed tens of thousands of people. You will not be left alive. If there's any justice in this world, you're done."
"Better today to come and ask forgiveness, first from the Ukrainian people, then from the Russian people," a wild-looking Kadyrov ranted on his Telegram channel, before signing off with "Allahu Akhbar!"
Oleg Ignatov believes this could all be part of theater staged by the Kremlin to show that those who want to continue on to Kyiv and not confine fighting to the Donbas, as now appears stated strategy, are people just like Kadyrov. But Ignatov actually believes the divergences of opinions among Russia's power players may be more genuine.
STATE DEPARTMENT WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE SECURITY AID FOR UKRAINE EMBASSY STAFF, FAMILIES
The independent and widely read news website Meduza ran with a long story Thursday about how Russia's presidential administration is struggling with the idea of a climb-down, a scaling back of ambition to the taking of Donbas, and how to project that idea to the public, to package it as something positive, even victorious.
"Citizens were overheated by propaganda. Suppose a decision is made to stop on the territory of Donbas. What about the Nazis then? Are we no longer fighting them? This word has been hammered into people so much that I can’t imagine how one can stop in Donbas without losing ratings," Meduza quoted one source, apparently consulting with the presidential administration, as saying.
Meduza's sources say the Kremlin is alarmed by those who think talking with Ukraine this week was admission of defeat. Another quote from another supposedly relevant but unnamed strategist was this: "So much coal was thrown into the locomotive’s furnace, it won’t be possible to stop it right away."
According to Meduza, the Kremlin wants secret polls for their own people and supporters to truly understand what the inner circle and core Russian supporters/believers feel about the war and what it needs to achieve in order to minimize fallout from a climb-down.
And Oleg Ignatov of the Crisis Group says actually those purges — that "cleansing" Putin talked about last week — may not be just for dissident voices in society and the "foie gras addicted" fans of gender choice.
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Purges, cleansing, "clearances" as Ignatov calls them, may well be aimed largely at the elite to clear the way for Putin's political preservation. He can't win another election or two without them on board.
"If a peace deal with Ukraine is not in favor of Russia," Ignatov says, "it means that he will make decisions inside Russia, so he will have to consolidate power. Yes, he will make some clearances. He will have to clear his team." | https://www.foxnews.com/world/cracks-kremlin | 2022-04-01T01:53:32Z |
5-star power forward Yohan Traore commits to the Auburn Tigers
Bruce Pearl adds a massive five-star to his roster. 5-star power forward Yohan Traore committed to Pearl and the Auburn basketball team Thursday night.
Traore, a 6-foot-10, 225 pound forward from Glendale, Arizona is listed as a consensus top-ten player in the 2022 class across all major recruiting services.
His size and natural ability will offer an instant impact as Auburn will attempt to defend its SEC regular-season championship next season.
Traore visited Auburn earlier this month after he decommited from the LSU Tigers and then received a visit from Bruce Pearl and Wes Flanigan.
Traore selected the Auburn Tigers over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Michigan Wolverines, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Traore's commitment is obviously huge for the Auburn Tigers but with Jabari Smith likely going pro and Walker Kessler's future at Auburn still undecided, Pearl will need help building a presence underneath the basket. This commitment answers some of those questions as Traore will be an instant starter for Auburn with one-and-done type upside.
Auburn now has three members as a part on the 2022 basketball signing class. Point guard Tre Donaldson and combo guard Chance Westry have signed their national letters of intent. Adding Traore to the class gives Auburn even more young talent to work with next season.
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Knox uses 4-birdie run for a one-stroke lead at Texas Open
Russell Knox recorded four straight birdies on the back nine and fired a 7-under 65 on Thursday for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.
Knox closed out his round with a seven-foot putt to save par at the par-5 18th at TPC San Antonio, and was one shot ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard.
Hojgaard fired a 66 despite a double bogey on his final hole. Matt Kuchar is another stroke back after an opening 5-under 67 and is among a group that includes Denny McCarthy, Aaron Rei and J.J. Spaun.
Defending champ Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy finished at even-par 72. They were outside the top 60 after one round and could flirt with the cut line on Friday.
Bryson DeChambeau had a 1-over 73. After holing a bunker shot for eagle on his 11th hole and following with a birdie on the next, he made bogey on four of his last six holes.
Knox, a 32-year-old Scotsman with two career PGA Tour wins, started his birdie streak at No. 12. All of his birdie putts were inside 10 feet. At the 15th, he was about 20 feet away from a back pin position following his approach and chipped in from the fringe. It was his second chip-in in the round.
“That was one of those kind of bonus birdies that you need when you’re going to have a good day,” Knox said. “Obviously thrilled with the round. It’s been more of the way I want to play.”
Hogjaard, a 21-year-old from Denmark and two-rime winner on the European Tour, had his sights on the first-round lead heading to his closing hole. But, his drive sailed well left of the fairway. It took him four shots to reach the green on the par-4 ninth.
“I had to chip sideways back into the fairway,” he said. “Just was a little too aggressive after that. Yeah, short-sided myself and I didn’t get up and down and suddenly you walk away with double-bogey. Yeah, that was a bit annoying, but it happens.”
Kuchar was 5 under after 11 holes. Thirty feet away from the pin on the next hole, he failed to get up and down and missed a seven-foot putt for par. He got a shot back with a birdie on his 14th hole, and parred out, falling short in a bid to match his season-best round of 64 at the Sony Open, where he finished in the top 10.
“A lot of good and bad that can happen here on this course,” Kuchar said. “I was kind of managing early on in the round and then found a little something on about the fifth or sixth hole. I started having some birdie chances and converted on a few late in my first nine.”
Kuchar has won nine times on the PGA Tour. McCarthy, Rai and Spaun are looking for their first.
___
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Updated March 31, 2022 at 9:31 PM ET
Oscars' guests and viewers are still reeling over Will Smith's surprising and infamous onstage slap of comedian Chris Rock, who joked about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair. Shortly after, Smith went onstage to accept the Best Actor Oscar for his role in King Richard.
Will Packer, producer of the Academy Award, ceremony told the ABC News show Good Morning America that Los Angeles police officers were ready to arrest Will Smith if Rock wanted to press charges.
"They were saying, 'This is battery.' That was the word they used in that moment," Packer told T.J. Holmes, in an exclusive interview that was teased during ABC's World News Tonight. "They said, 'We will go get him. We are prepared. We will go get him right now. You can press charges. We can arrest him. They were laying out the options. And as they were talking, Chris was, he was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, 'No, I'm fine.' He was like, 'no, no, no.' And even to the point where I said, 'Rock, let them finish.'"
In the clip, Packer said after the officers finished laying out what Rock's options were, "they said, 'Would you like us to take any action? And he said no.'"
Packer also said he did not speak to Smith at all on Oscar night. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement saying Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused.
In his acceptance speech, Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees for the incident, but not Rock. On Instagram the following day, Smith wrote that he was embarrassed by his behavior and told Rock he was sorry. Still, the Academy began disciplinary proceedings against Smith-- which could include "suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted."
SAG-AFTRA is also weighing sanctions against Smith.
On Wednesday night, Rock was onstage in Boston with a new comedy routine. He didn't say much about the slap. "I'm still kind of processing what happened," he said, adding that at some point he will talk about it "and it will be serious and funny."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kalw.org/npr-news/2022-03-31/the-lapd-was-ready-to-arrest-will-smith-after-the-slap-will-packer-says | 2022-04-01T01:53:33Z |
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday, March 31, he has joined forces with public defenders and nonprofit organizations to establish a pilot diversion program for human trafficking victims to help restore their lives outside the criminal justice system.
The county’s first Human Trafficking Diversion Court program will be launched at the Pomona courthouse, with the hope of expanding it to other areas of Los Angeles County plagued by human trafficking, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
“The purpose of this program is very simple,” Gascon said during a news conference. “It is to divert victims of human trafficking away from the criminal justice system and into a trauma-informed holistic system of care. Adults and children alike are forced into human trafficking and become vulnerable and repeatedly extorted. Their hopes vanish and their confidence is repeatedly trampled upon and too far often they are over-criminalized. But together with our guidance and all of these groups coming together we can make a difference.”.
Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo García joined Gascón in announcing the pilot court program, which is in session every Thursday at Pomona Superior Court.
“For far too long young people forced into labor, sexual exploitation and sex work for the profit or the benefit of others have been victimized by harsh treatment in our criminal legal system,” Garcia said. “In the past there was a belief and a practice that only criminal charges and incarceration were the appropriate answers for their exploitation-based conduct. As public defenders, we have seen the destruction of far too many lives due to these ideas and practices.”
Variety of services
The diversion program will offer a variety of services, including individual and group counseling for alcohol and substance abuse, mental health treatment, job training, career opportunities, educational and financial planning, resume services and criminal record clearing.
“Research shows that providing counseling, education and skills training to persons involved in human trafficking redirects these individuals to a brighter and more productive path and also prevents recidivism in great numbers,” Garcia said.
Those sentiments were echoed by Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender Erika Anzoategui, whose office represents defendants charged with a crime who cannot afford to hire a private attorney and where Garcia’s office has a conflict of interest.
”This is a historic moment and a long-needed program to help people,” she said. “I am glad we have come together in a collaborative fashion to actually look at the needs of our clients instead of just incarceration. Incarceration is not the answer to trauma.”
Individuals who have been identified as trafficking victims and face misdemeanor or non-serious, non-violent felony charges are eligible for the program. Participants are referred to Human Trafficking Court by defense attorneys, prosecutors or law enforcement agencies.
A judge will approve the suitability of each participant, who will be assigned to a community-based organization for treatment and services. After completion of the diversionary program, a judge can dismiss and vacate the person’s arrest, convictions and probation violations.
Most have no criminal history
Pallavi Garg, an attorney for Free to Thrive, a nonprofit that provides trafficking victims legal and support services, said about 90% of the agency’s clients have a criminal record tied to their trafficking experience. Most had never been arrested before they were trafficked, she added.
“That is exactly why this (trafficking) courtroom is essential,” Garg said. “When we talk to survivors, they universally say the same thing, that nobody — not the police officers, not the defense attorneys, not the prosecutors, not the judges — ever stop to ask them why (they have no previous criminal history). That allows traffickers to continue to recruit, groom and victimize more people while their other victims are serving out long sentences.”
Claremont Mayor Jed Leano applauded the program, adding that human trafficking is the biggest public safety threat facing his city.
”This program is the right step forward to try to create an unfettered and direct pipeline for victims of trafficking and the services that can end the cycle of violence and coercion,” he said. | https://www.sgvtribune.com/2022/03/31/da-gascon-announces-diversion-program-for-human-trafficking-victims/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:33Z |
WINSTED — A female moose that was first seen at the sewer plant off North Main Street in February is still around, and officials are asking people to give it space.
Facebook users were posting photos on and around Feb. 17 after the moose was first sighted, said Town Manager Josh Kelly.
“It’s been over a month now, since it was first seen at the sewer plant, and last week, it showed up again,” he said. “It’s been over by the sewer plant for some time now.”
As word spread about the new resident, curious townspeople started stopping on the road or driving slowly past the plant, hoping for a glimpse of her. Others got out of their cars, and Kelly was told that at least once, several people went into the woods “to try and seek it out,” he said.
“That is not encouraged,” he said. “It’s strongly discouraged.”
Mayor Todd Arcelaschi also posted on a Winsted Facebook page recently, asking people to leave the moose alone.
“DEEP went out Sunday or Monday to assess the situation, because there were a lot of concerns from the police,” Kelly said. “Lots of people were stopping to take photos.”
“People have been told that the moose needs to be left alone — the question is, will they leave it alone?” he said.
Will Healey, DEEP’s director of communications, said staff members have received multiple calls about Winsted’s moose.
“DEEP staff have been to the area multiple times to check on her,” Healey said. “EnCon Police and Wildlife Division staff were both in the area (Wednesday).”
EnCon was helping to keep folks away while a wildlife biologist assessed the moose, he said.
“The moose is an adult female that is relatively approachable with no obvious signs of injury or illness,” he said. “Our staff will check on her weekly to make sure the health status doesn’t change. Local (police) will monitor the situation to make sure there are no traffic issues. The best thing we can do is give her space.”
Kelly has encountered moose a few times, including while hiking on a trail in Maine, when he saw a full-grown male with huge antlers.
“For the one here in Winsted, I stopped and saw her near the sewer plant when I heard that she was back,” he said. “To my knowledge, they move very quickly, and I’ve heard some real horror stories about what happens if you get too close to them. They can really do some damage.”
To the curious, he advised caution and for people to “stay a respectful distance.”
“But don’t go looking for her,” Kelly said. “Don’t approach her. That’s a fast, wild, deadly animal if she’s provoked.”
Healey offered some general recommendations for people when they encounter wildlife.
“Resist the temptation to move closer to get a photograph or better view,” he said. “Give wildlife plenty of space with a wide escape route.”
People should also be alert for changes in the animal's normal behaviors, such as if it moves away from you or is looking at you.
“If it reacts or freezes, you are too close and should back away,” Healey said. “What an animal needs most is likely more space and some privacy. Respect these amazing animals by knowing when to leave.”
If people want to see and photograph animals, Healey recommended using binoculars or spotting scopes, or upgrading camera equipment with a strong zoom lens to maintain a safe distance.
Other suggestions from Healey:
Be respectful to both wildlife and people who are also wildlife watching or participating in other outdoor activities nearby.
Consider mentoring others — offer those new to wildlife viewing a peek through your spotting scope or glimpse through binoculars.
Always respect private property and do not trespass to observe wildlife.
Be aware of your surroundings — avoid blocking traffic, park safely, and follow any local rules.
Never feed wildlife. Feeding wildlife is dangerous for wildlife and people. Sharing your food can sicken an animal or encourage it to approach humans in the future, expecting a snack.
Model good wildlife viewing ethics and lead by setting good examples of ethical behavior.
More information on moose in Connecticut is available at portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Fact-Sheets/Moose | https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/DEEP-police-urge-residents-to-leave-Winsted-17047851.php | 2022-04-01T01:53:33Z |
KINGSTON — Meigs County baseball dropped a 12-4 decision at Kingston on Tuesday.
The loss means Kingston, a District 3-2A opponent, swept the series over the Tigers as Kingston won 12-9 in eight innings on Monday in Decatur.
On Tuesday, the game wasn’t as close, but was more competitive than the final score indicated.
“We knew coming in that they were a good hitting club,” Meigs Coach Tyler Roberts said. “When going up against a club like that you have to hope they have an off night or they hit it right at you.
“Our hitters did a good job. We maximized the few opportunities we had, we just didn’t maximize as much as Kingston did.”
The Tigers (4-3, 2-2) will host Notre Dame on Thursday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 when Payton Armour singled home Luke Pendergrass.
The Yellow Jackets went up 4-2 in the bottom of the third and Meigs was playing catchup from that point on.
Meigs added one run in the fourth. Pendergrass led off with a single and advanced to third when Hunter Davis was hit by a pitch and Ethan Meadows walked.
Armour then earned an RBI when he drew a bases loaded walk to bring home Pendergrass.
Kingston then added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 8-3.
The Tigers’ final run came in the fifth when Matthew Boshears singled and later cored on a double by Pendergrass to make it 8-4.
Kingston put the game away in the sixth with four more runs to make it 12-4.
Meigs finished with eight hits. Mason had three hits while Boshears and Pendergrass finished with two. Armour had two RBIs while Mason and Pendergrass each drove in one run.
Then Kingston hit a three-run home run in the top of the 8th for a decisive advantage. Meigs threatened in the bottom of the 8th, but couldn’t score.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way tonight,” Meigs Coach Roberts said. “Payton (Armour) pitched well enough for us to stay in the game and win. We challenged them (Kingston) in the 7th and their center fielder made a great play. Then their No. 9 hitter hits the home run.”
Meigs, down 2-0, scored a single run to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first when Armour walked and later scored on an error off a ball hit by Logan Carroll.
Meigs then went up 4-2 in the second inning.
Nate Levy led off the bottom of the second with a walk and then Pendergrass also drew a walk. Levy later scored on a wild pitch and Paxton and Pendergrasss scored on a single by Paxton.
After the Yellow Jackets made it 4-3, Meigs added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the third to make it 5-3.
There were fireworks in both frames of the fourth. Kingston scored four times to go up 7-5 in the top of the inning.
Meigs countered with a pair of runs to tie the game at 7-7 with Armour scoring on a fielder’s choice and Jackson Shaver scoring on an error.
The Tigers went up 9-7 in the fifth with Pendergrass and Levi Caldwell scoring, but the Yellow Jackets tied the game at 9-9 in the sixth.
Meigs had a chance to plate the winning run in the seventh, but a Tiger runner that tagged up at third on a fly ball was thrown out at the plate.
Kingston then hit a three-run homer in the top of the 8th to go up 12-9. Meigs had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th with two outs, but couldn’t push any runs across the plate in the 12-9 loss.
Armour led the Tigers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. He also stole three bases.
Paxton, Logan Carroll an Meadows each drove in a run. Mason hit a double.
Armour started the game for the Tigers, giving up seven runs on 11 hits, with one of those runs unearned, in five innings to earn the no decision. He struck out seven and walked three.
Carroll came into the game in the sixth. He gave up five runs on five hits, striking out two and walking three. | https://www.dailypostathenian.com/sports/article_9a38ff45-e59f-5942-b242-b6254686f942.html | 2022-04-01T01:53:34Z |
SAN DIEGO — An Air Force veteran who survived getting shot down in World War II and went on to help Chuck Yeager break the sound barrier was laid to rest in San Diego Thursday after his death earlier this month.
Brig. Gen. Robert “Bob” Cardenas died on March 10, his 102nd birthday. Born in Mexico, Cardenas attended high school and college in San Diego and later helped create Miramar National Cemetery, where he was buried. The ceremony featured full military honors and a flyover by a B-2 Spirit, commonly known as the “Stealth Bomber.”
Cardenas was piloting a B-24 bomber when Axis forces shot him down over Germany in March 1944, according to his Air Force biography. He suffered head wounds from flak but managed to make his way back to safety. His time as a combat leader for WWII bombing missions earned him the Air Medal and two oak leaf clusters.
After returning to the United States, Cardenas worked as an experimental test pilot, including at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He flew the launch aircraft that released an experimental rocket plane piloted by Charles “Chuck” Yeager, helping him become the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound.
Cardenas was never as famous as Yeager, who was the subject of many books and films. But those who knew Cardenas said the lack of fame suited him just fine, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. He was remembered Thursday as a humble man of immense accomplishment.
“Despite a truly remarkable military career that earned him a long list of medals and honors, Cardenas is known almost universally for being mostly quiet about his achievements,” David Garrick wrote in an obituary for the paper.
Cardenas’s service was organized in part by Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. In a statement sharing details of the funeral, base officials said: “On behalf of the over 11,000 Marines, Sailors and Civilians that live and work aboard the base, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar extends their condolences to the family of one of the most influential military minds of the 20th century.”
A statue of Cardenas in his flight helmet and uniform stands before the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park.
In 2008, he was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. You can read more of his biography on the museum’s website. | https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/pioneering-military-aviator-laid-to-rest-in-san-diego/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:34Z |
Cal State system ditches SAT/ACT, citing 'equity and fairness,' 'high-stress'
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school system suspended the consideration of standardized test scores for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years.
California State University will now use students' GPAs as the 'primary consideration for admission.'
The California State University system will no longer be considering standardized SAT and ACT test scores as part of its admissions process, citing “equity and fairness” as part of its deliberations.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school system suspended the consideration of standardized test scores for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years, but on Mar. 22 the university announced the changes would be permanent.
California State University, which is the largest public university system in the country, will implement a “multi-factored admission criteria” to determine student eligibility bereft of standardized testing scores to use for consideration.
California State University's Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Toni Molle told Campus Reform that the school "draws its students from the top third of California’s high school graduates" and that grade point averages (GPA) will be the "primary consideration for admission."
[RELATED: University of California ditches SAT requirements after students sue]
The goal for eliminating the school’s reliance on a “high-stress, high-stakes test” in the admissions process is to “level the playing field and provide greater access to a high-quality college degree for students from all backgrounds," according to Acting Chancellor Steve Relyea.
The school’s Admission Advisory Council (AAC) recommended the use of standardized testing be permanently discontinued in the admissions process in January 2022, and the changes were unanimously approved by the CSU Board of Trustees in March.
The AAC considered “pandemic-related hardships,” “equity and fairness” and the school’s Graduation Initiative 2025 which places an “emphasis on equity.”
Graduation Initiative 2025 is “CSU’s determined effort to ensure that all students regardless of racial, ethnic or financial background have an equal opportunity to earn a college degree.”
[RELATED: WATCH: 'Secular progressive' curriculum is hurting public education]
The Cal State Students Association (CSSA) and the Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) have both previously supported amendments to discontinue the consideration of standardized testing in admission.
Students will be able to submit their SAT and ACT scores to be used in academic placement.
Previously, the University of California discontinued its consideration of standardized testing scores for admission following a 2019 lawsuit that argued that the entrance tests are “biased” against low-income and minority students.
A lawyer representing the students who sued the university told the New York Times that the SAT and ACT are “racist metrics.”
In January, the College Board announced that its SAT test would be going digital and would last for two hours, instead of three, with more time added to process each question.
Campus Reform reached out to California State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
Follow @PeterCordi on Twitter | https://campusreform.org/article?id=19279 | 2022-04-01T01:53:34Z |
Hostage survivor testifies in trial of ISIS member accused in deaths of several Americans
By Holmes Lybrand, CNN
A hostage taken by the ISIS terror cell known as the “Beatles” testified Thursday in a trial against one of the alleged members, El Shafee Elsheikh, who is accused of assisting in the kidnapping, torture and death of several Americans, Europeans and other foreign nationals from 2012 to 2015.
During the second day of trial, Italian aid worker Federico Motka told the jury how he was captured, imprisoned and tortured by the terror cell alongside other hostages who were eventually killed, including Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.
The so-called Beatles — as the hostages came to call them because of their British accents — were the primary handlers of the hostages and, according to the Department of Justice, Elsheikh is the last of the group to stand trial. His co-defendant pleaded guilty in September and the other member, Mohamed Emwazi, was killed in a drone strike in 2015.
Motka told the jury he was captured in 2013 along with British aid worker David Haines on a trip to Syria to better understand the needs of refugees in the area.
“I think we’re getting kidnapped,” Motka testified that he told his boss on the phone as masked men armed with guns surrounded their car, eventually pulling them out and pushing them in the trunk of their cars.
Motka was moved around to several different locations during the 14 months he was held captive, one of which was a small room with a low roof the hostages nicknamed “the Box.” It was there that they endured what Motka called “the regime of punishment.”
Beatings, hunger and execution
The Beatles, along with someone the hostages called “the Punisher,” would beat and torture Haines, Motka, journalist Foley — one of the Americans named in the charges against Elsheikh — and his colleague, British journalist John Cantlie.
Motka said that the group differentiated the Beatles — who they called John, George and Ringo — by their preferred style of beatings.
“George was more into boxing. John, he kicked a lot,” Motka said, adding that Ringo, who prosecutors say is Elsheikh, “liked wrestling (and) headlocks.” One of those headlocks caused Foley to pass out, Motka testified Thursday.
According to Motka, the hostages were kicked, punched and beaten with a cable regularly by the Beatles and made to “hold stress positions for hours.” They were also forced, Motka testified, to fight one another for their entertainment.
“We barely had the muscle strength to lift our arms,” Motka said.
According to Motka, the Beatles waterboarded him and several other hostages. “That was by far the worst thing that had happened,” he said, after describing losing oxygen, inhaling water and panicking. “There wasn’t a minute’s peace.”
The hostages lost 50 to 70 pounds by the time of the waterboarding, later becoming fully emaciated, Motka said. When they did get food, they couldn’t keep it down. During one long transport in an ISIS caravan, the hostages survived off dates for several days in the back of a truck, he testified.
The courtroom was also shown a video of a Syrian hostage being shot in the head, kneeling at the edge of a pre-dug grave.
Motka identified himself among the group of hostages, who were shown kneeling on the other side of the grave and each holding handwritten signs demanding ransom for their release.
One of the Beatles, Motka testified, asked him what he thought about the execution.
“It’s horrific,” Motka said.
The Beatle, Motka testified, replied: “That’s a good answer.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://ktvz.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2022/03/31/hostage-survivor-testifies-in-trial-of-isis-member-accused-in-deaths-of-several-americans/ | 2022-04-01T01:53:33Z |
Big Hats and High Tea returns to LaSalle
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The Rotary Club of LaSalle Centennial has announced the in-person return of its annual Big Hats and High Tea Event for 2022. The event will be held at Essex Golf and Country Club May 1, from 2 until 4:30 PM. Tickets to the event are $60.
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The club is also offering a High Tea Box for those who are more comfortable enjoying tea at home in the company of their immediate circle. Each box includes: a blueberry scone, two tea varieties, honey, jam, macarons, candies, and a vintage bone china cup. All items are locally sourced to support local businesses.
The boxes are $60 each and can be ordered online until April 20. Quantities are limited.
Tickets and Tea Boxes can be purchased at: rotary-club-of-lasalle-centennial.square.site/
Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Border City Athletics.
The first Big Hats and High Tea event took place in 2014. Since that time the event has raised thousands of dollars for local groups that assist members of the community with a focus on peace and conflict prevention, maternal and child health, education, literacy and economic/community development. | https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/big-hats-and-high-tea-returns-to-lasalle | 2022-04-01T01:53:34Z |
SCCPSS Students Bring Home Honors From Annual Science Fair
Georgia College hosted the 5th Annual Georgia College Primary and Elementary Division Science and Engineering Fair in Milledgeville, Georgia on March 10, 2022, for students across the state in grades K-5. Twenty-one elementary students from Savannah-Chatham County Public School System were among the more than 300 Georgia students who participated in...
savannahceo.com | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2556262314248/sccpss-students-bring-home-honors-from-annual-science-fair | 2022-04-01T01:53:34Z |