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The Federal University, Lokoja has lost two of its students and two staff members of the institution within a space of one month.
The two students are late Mr Gerald Ojone M. Akor, a 400-level student, and Miss Ruth Fatima Ocheni, a 200-level student from the Department of Banking and Finance of the University, whose death occurred on 2nd and 11th August, 2022 respectively.
Sadly, the institution also lost two of its staff members namely Mr Abdulsalam Anate of the Environmental Health unit, and Mr Jeremiah Sunday, a Clerical Staff in the Dean’s office, Faculty of Arts.
Late Mr Anate whose shocking death occurred on 11th August, has since been buried according to Islamic rites.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi has prayed for God’s intervention over the increasing reports of death amongst staff and students of the University during this protracted industrial disharmony in the Nigerian Universities.
The Vice-Chancellor made the call after attending the requiem mass in honour of late Mr Gerald Ojone M. Akor, a 400-level student, and Miss Ruth Fatima Ocheni, a 200-level student from the Department of Banking and Finance of the University, whose death occurred on 2nd and 11th August, 2022 respectively.
Sadly again, and just as Professor Akinwumi along with members of Management was struggling to contain his already frayed emotions over the unfortunate events that have overtaken the University, he received another sad news of the demise of Mr Abdulsalam Anate of the Environmental Health Unit, and Mr Jeremiah Sunday, a Clerical Staff in the Dean’s office, Faculty of Arts.
The Vice-Chancellor who noted that the level of hardship in the country has reached an unbearable height sued for a speedy and amicable resolution of the current industrial actions by ASUU and other Unions in the Public Universities.
Professor Akinwumi lamented over the difficulties being faced by federal workers, particularly those in the education sector who are passing through unimaginable stress and financial burdens in providing for their families, as well as the students who are now exposed to all forms of peer pressure due to their idleness at home occasioned by the impasse between the Federal Government and all the University-based Unions.
The VC, however, encouraged the students to seize the opportunity and enroll in skills acquisition, and engage their minds in productive ventures while waiting for the strike to be called off.
Similarly, he admonished the university staff to be their brother’s keeper during this trying period, adding that those whom God has blessed and have little more than the other should extend kind gestures to those who have none, and be on a constant lookout for one another until the current imbroglio between the government and university unions is resolved.
Following the tragic demise of Gerald Ojone Akor, the Vice-Chancellor has announced the institutionalization of an award in honour of the late 400-level student – as the most disciplined student – to be awarded at every Convocation Ceremony of the University.
While grieving over these irreplaceable losses, Professor Akinwumi prayed for the repose of the departed souls and extended deep condolences to their respective families, friends, and colleagues, as well as the entire University Community.
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2023: Kwankwaso Will Not Be Deputy To Obi —NNPP | https://tribuneonlineng.com/federal-university-lokoja-loses-two-students-two-staff-in-one-month/ | 2022-08-14T10:36:16Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/federal-university-lokoja-loses-two-students-two-staff-in-one-month/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
THE Jigawa Central All Progressive Congress (APC) senatorial candidate, Alhaji Tijjani Ibrahim Kiyawa, is died.
He died in China hospital after being earlier admitted at a private clinic in the federal capital territory Abuja from where he was flowed to China.
Alhaji Tijjani Ibrahim is candidate of the ruling APC and was one time member, House of Representatives represented Dutse/Kiyawa federal constituency for two terms and later decamped to the ruling APC after losing election in 2015.
In his condolence massage, the Jigawa State governor, expressed shock over the news for the death of the senatorial candidate.
The governor described late Tijjani Gaya as “a man of honor, a great leader, and a role model to the younger generation, who has sacrificed his whole life to serve the common man.”
“The death of Tijjani Ibrahim Gaya has come with a serious shock to me and indeed to the people of Jigawa state. Every soul must taste death. Our prayer is always to have a good ending and no doubt our brother has ended in a good after battling a protracted illness,” the Governor said.
So far, many top politicians had sent their condolence massages, among which include the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Alhaji Mustapha Sule Lamido, Senator Sabo Muhammad Nakudu.
They all prayed to God Almighty for the deceased internal rest and pray that God gives his family the fortitude to bear the loss.
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How Workplace Sexual Harassment Forces Many Out Of Their Dream Jobs
Despite several laws prohibiting sexual harassment in Nigeria, many victims are forced to quit their dream jobs while others suffer depression as a result of unsolicited sexual advances from colleagues. FAITH ADEOYE reports.
If you want to keep your job and excel in your career, you need to do as I say,” Janet Abegunde’s boss said to her one fateful day. Miss Abegunde, a 24-year-old accountant who had just gotten her first job in one of the new generation banks, said she fell into depression after her boss sexually harassed her.
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2023: Kwankwaso Will Not Be Deputy To Obi —NNPP | https://tribuneonlineng.com/just-in-jigawa-central-apc-senatorial-candidate-dies/ | 2022-08-14T10:36:23Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/just-in-jigawa-central-apc-senatorial-candidate-dies/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One year ago this August, the Taliban raised their white flag over Afghanistan's capital for the second time, pulling down the tricolor flag of the republic that had endured for the two decades between.
Their victory gave the radical religious movement supreme power over a country with a median age of 18 — which means most citizens weren't alive for the Taliban's violent years in power from 1996-2001. The young people on the left of this photo above had never seen such a change of power. On the right, 62-year-old carpet seller Ahmed Shah Kashefi says he's lived through many upheavals and it's always hard.
The self-proclaimed Islamic emirate now controls government compounds, universities and other institutions surrounded by blast walls — concrete structures once built to keep out the Taliban, along with bombers from other extremist groups.
The Taliban also control rural villages, like this one in Wardak Province. Its few remaining residents say the old government bulldozed mud-walled homes as part of their ongoing battle with the Taliban for control of nearby Highway One.
Their single biggest prize is Kabul, a growing city in a mountain valley, where neighborhoods climb up the slopes on all sides.
At this used furniture store, Wahid Kashafi (left) and Abdul Kahar give a snapshot of life in the capital. Few people have money to buy furniture, but many are selling — as they prepare to leave the country, or to buy food.
Kabul's population is 4.5 million, about twice its population when the Taliban last ruled. In their previous reign there were almost no phones — and no television, except what residents watched on smuggled DVD's. Now the city is in instant communication with the world.
Kabul's economy is less connected. Taliban leaders face global economic sanctions. The U.S. froze the assets of the central bank, and other Afghan banks were unable to do business with the world.
Credit cards ceased to function; it even became hard for Afghans abroad to send money home.
At the airport, at taxi stands, and at bread shops it's not hard to find children seeking a handout.
Shop owners we met said business was bad, though some were philosophical and said it's always like this when the government changes.
So who is included in the Taliban's Afghanistan? The free media are still allowed to function. Some, such as TOLOnews, have endured the hard times, the loss of staff, and periodic Taliban demands to leave out inconvenient facts.
The role of women and girls is ambiguous at best. Younger girls are in school while those of junior high and high school age are not.
Some women are still working, while others are not. Muzhda Noor says that one year ago she was a university dean overseeing 19 male professors. After the takeover, a new chancellor ordered new restrictions on women, and told Noor she should no longer attend faculty meetings with men. She sought a transfer but eventually was dismissed from the university.
The political opposition has no formal space of its own. Gulalai Mohammadi was a member of the Afghan parliament that the Taliban declared defunct. She says she's now at home, with no way to exercise a cause she supported in the assembly — women's rights.
A former president, Hamid Karzai, remains in Kabul and is able to speak freely, as in a recent NPR interview, but has not been allowed to leave Afghanistan.
Many of the men who brought the Taliban to power have returned to their homes. They include these men in the Tangi Valley in rural Wardak Province. The fighters we met said they were pleased to live under their version of Islamic rule, but as we left the valley we also heard that residents wished their girls could return to school.
And it doesn't take long for a visitor to begin seeing the vast number of people in society who are obliged under the new rules to go unseen.
How do the Taliban mean to answer the uncertainties of their rule? Analyst Abdul Jabar Baheer was present this summer when Taliban leaders held a mass meeting, but reached no decisions on major policies or a permanent form of government. Hibatullah Akhundzada, described as the emir of Afghanistan, said he would not obey the West, but said little about what he intended to do.
We sought clarity at a famous compound in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It's the compound of Mullah Omar, who led the Taliban during their first rule. The U.S. and its Afghan allies later turned it into a base, and it's strewn with military equipment.
The compound is now home to Mullah Omar's son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, who has become defense minister in the Taliban's interim government.
Yaqoob said the Taliban take "seriously" the question of girls in school, and that he hopes for further announcements. He also said it's a "necessity" to adopt a formal constitution.
The Taliban said there will be no room in their system for democracy — and they have for the moment eliminated elections, elected offices and a formal opposition.
Yet they've inherited a complex society that now faces an economic crisis. Through the media, the few remaining independent political figures, and the demands of the people, they face democratic calls to govern effectively and inclusively.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-14/these-photos-show-who-is-and-isnt-included-in-the-talibans-afghanistan | 2022-08-14T10:45:08Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-14/these-photos-show-who-is-and-isnt-included-in-the-talibans-afghanistan | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In 1995, in my hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., two residents launched an event that would go further toward beautifying neighborhoods and promoting community pride than they ever imagined. They began with a simple truth: You almost can’t find a better way to relate to people than through their gardens.
Already members of a block club in their west side neighborhood, Marvin Lunenfeld and Gail McCarthy did some door-to-door networking and created the basic framework for the first Buffalo Garden Walk. Twenty-nine gardens, all within walking distance, were opened for two days on the last weekend in July for self-guided tours. There were 100 visitors that first year.
The founders were clear that Garden Walk was all about community, and not about competition. “We don’t see it as an elite ideal. There are no prizes for best garden. All you have to do is be proud of your little spot on Earth.”
The number of gardens on the walk grew, and by 2000, there were over 100. It didn’t take long for gardeners outside the city to want to get involved, and the National Buffalo Garden Festival was created to organize it all. The extravaganza now runs for five weeks and includes an array of garden tours, talks, workshops and seminars. Last year, an estimated 100,000 people toured over 400 gardens in the city and more than 1,000 in the Buffalo-Niagara region, come rain or shine. I was able to tour this year for a single day. It was magnificent.
Keep in mind that what has become the largest garden tour in the United States took root in a city that got 95.3 inches of snow last year, and where the first reliably frost-free date is Memorial Day weekend.
If you go to see rare, collectible plants, you’ll be disappointed. Think eclectic and funky. The vast majority of featured gardens were created with little professional help on shoestring budgets with repurposed materials (old bowling balls have been elevated to a garden art form) and very ordinary plants. What you will see is the fruits of boundless gusto and enthusiasm, never in short supply in Buffalo.
Most of the participating gardens are private, but from the beginning, an increasing number of community food plots, corporate gardens and church gardens have been featured.
Along the way, Garden Walk Buffalo has won regional and international garden tourism awards, rejuvenated streets, reenergized neighborhoods and increased property values. Local nurseries are thriving. It’s estimated that Garden Walk makes a $4.5 million annual impact on the local economy.
Even more remarkable is that the tickets have always been free. The work of managing and organizing the event is accomplished exclusively by volunteers. T-shirt sales, donations and corporate sponsorships have helped to pay infrastructure costs.
We’re proud of Yakima’s amazing gardens and welcoming neighborhoods. What are we waiting for? Let’s get garden walking. Maybe you have some new neighbors you wish you knew better, or some old ones you’ve been neglecting. Do some doorbelling and arrange an afternoon or evening of garden exploration in your own beautiful neighborhood.
Keep it as low-key and stress-free as possible. It’s not about the plants as much as it is about fellowship and building connections for stronger neighborhoods and a more beautiful city. Remember, if someone is yard-less but really proud of a single topsy-turvy tomato they’re growing on their patio, sign them up.
Who knows how far this idea may go? The originators of the first Buffalo Garden Walk were not thinking that far ahead. Let’s take it one year at a time.
On Sunday, Sept. 11, from noon until 4 p.m., several gardens in the Barge-Chestnut Neighborhood will be open for visits. This is the event’s third year, and of course it’s free. A list of gardens will be posted on the Barge-Chestnut Neighborhood Association website at www.bcnayakima.com and on their Facebook page after Sept. 4. Feel free to visit every garden on the list, or just a few, in any order that you choose. Golf carts and bicycles are welcome.
Do you live in the Barge-Chestnut Neighborhood and have a garden to share on Sept. 11? It’s not too late to get on the list. All you have to do is be proud of your little spot on Earth. Call me at 509-901-9018 for full instructions. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/barany-in-the-garden-lets-get-garden-walking/article_b26e8964-1821-11ed-8581-8fd6f5c7d730.html | 2022-08-14T10:49:37Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/barany-in-the-garden-lets-get-garden-walking/article_b26e8964-1821-11ed-8581-8fd6f5c7d730.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Thiruvananthapuram: The police officer who was suspended alleging that he misled the official vehicle of Minister P Rajeev has bagged the Kerala Chief Minister’s police medal for excellent service the very next day!
Control room Grade Sub Inspector S S Saburajan was suspended on Friday night, and the medal list released on Saturday carried his name.
The City Police Commissioner had suspended Saburajan and senior civil police officer N G Sunil, alleging that they changed the travel route of the minister in the city.
The minister’s vehicle was redirected from the usual route in Thiruvananthapuram city when he returned to Ernakulam from Neyyattinkara on Friday.
The suspended officers have explained that had redirected the minister's car to a better route after avoiding a route with several potholes and heavy traffic.
However, minister Rajeev said he didn’t complain regarding the alteration of the travel route. Later it was revealed that the action was taken following the complaint registered by the minister’s gunman over the phone.
"No one, including myself complained about the diversion. Let the police take a decision on their own," the minister clarified.
The action against the SI was taken by the Commissioner based on the report of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Control Room)
"The route deviation caused inconvenience to the minister. He was upset," states the report.
G Sparjan Kumar, Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner, promised to review the action. "Altering the route of a minister is not a grave issue. The officers were sidelined as part of the investigation. The action will be reassessed after speaking to the officers and complainants," the Commissioner said. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/14/cop-suspended-altering-minister-route-honors-list.html | 2022-08-14T10:58:02Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/14/cop-suspended-altering-minister-route-honors-list.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kottayam: A woman, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital here after being stabbed by her son, passed away on Sunday.
The deceased, Mary, 52, hailed from Puthussery in Angamaly.
Mary was being treated at Kottayam Medical College Hospital. Her son Kiran attacked her with a knife in the wee hours of August 1 after an altercation with her at their residence. He admitted her to the hospital soon after the incident.
Though her surgery was conducted at a private hospital in Angamaly, she was later shifted to the Kottayam MCH.
Kiran was remanded in judicial custody and is lodged at the Aluva Sub Jail. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/14/woman-stabbed-by-son-dies-at-kottayam-mch.amp.html | 2022-08-14T10:58:08Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/14/woman-stabbed-by-son-dies-at-kottayam-mch.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PORTAGE, Mich. — A road in Portage is closed due to flooding overnight.
Kalamazoo Central Dispatch reports that the 5600 block of Oakland Drive is closed until further notice.
The area is just south of the I-94 interchange.
FOX 17 will keep you updated when it reopens. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/road-closed-in-portage-due-to-flooding | 2022-08-14T11:04:14Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/road-closed-in-portage-due-to-flooding | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DELMARVA FORECAST
Sunday: Increasing clouds, but pleasant temperatures continue. Highs in the low to mid 80s. Light wind shifting to the southeast
Sunday night: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the low to mid 60s.
Monday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Highs around 80. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Tuesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially in the morning. Highs near 80°F. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: A few lingering showers, then becoming mostly sunny. Highs in the low 80s. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the low to mid 80s
Friday: Mostly sunny, but turning more humid. Highs in the mid 80s.
Saturday: A chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
FORECAST DISCUSSION
High pressure to the north will begin to exit the Mid-Atlantic region today. This will allow a shortwave disturbance from the Midwest to move in the direction of Delmarva. We'll notice increasing clouds on Sunday, but the pleasant temperatures will continue with light winds.
Our next round of showers and thunderstorms arrives on Monday as that shortwave arrives from the northwest. At this time the chance of severe weather is low, but we can't rule out at least some gusty downpours in some embedded thunderstorms. Any rain with non-severe storms will be welcome, as the latest drought monitor is indicating that some drought conditions are persisting in eastern Sussex County, and abnormally dry conditions are developing in Kent County, Del.
The shortwave won't move quickly, so scattered showers and thunder are likely to continue Monday night through at least midday Tuesday.
A few showers could linger into early Wednesday.
Then late next week, we'll enter a drier period once again with humidity slowly on the rise into next weekend. At this time, though, temperatures should remain reasonable, in the low to mid 80s.
Then another round of showers and thunder is possible next week.
In the tropics, a disturbance off the Louisiana coast has a low chance of developing into a tropical system, but at this time it looks like it will only bring some periods of heavy rain to coastal Louisiana and Texas. | https://www.wboc.com/weather/increasing-clouds-sunday/article_de3dd6d8-1bb6-11ed-8a57-5f95e5e94bd8.html | 2022-08-14T11:09:21Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/weather/increasing-clouds-sunday/article_de3dd6d8-1bb6-11ed-8a57-5f95e5e94bd8.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A long night at the State Capitol, where the staff and volunteers pulled an overnighter. The night ran fairly smoothly, with minor delays.
The Senate Chamber served as the counting center for the state races and the county of Honolulu. As ballots came in in small batches from districts, staff and Official Observers processed them.
The state's Chief Election Officer Scott Nago says there were small delays. "Every election has hiccupcs, it's a matter of how you deal with it, like the line situation at the Maui Voter Service Center, or making sure we got equipment in on time," he notes, adding most of the problems were issues voters wouldn't necessarily see.
The Wailuku Voter Service Center he's referring to had a long line of people waiting to vote when voting ended at 7 p.m., but anyone in line by that time could vote. The first printout is never released until after all votes are cast, which delayed the first printout. It was a long night for staff. Nago showed up for work at 7 a.m. Saturday and expects to pull a 24-hour day.
This is first year the state is going with its new scanning machine vendor, Hart Intercivic. "So far so good," notes Nago, who says the machines processed the ballots quickly. "I'm happy with it."
Something he's less happy with is the low voter turnout. "Every election is different. This wasn't a presidential race. But voters need a reason to vote," he says.
The state sent out 730,000 ballots to active registered voters. As of Saturday night they'd received under 300,000. That's in the low 30%.
But despite the long hours and the abysmal voter turnout, Nago loves his job. He's been with the elections office since 1998, and the Chief Officer since 2010. "It's the thrill of election night that we get to do every two years," smiles Nago.
He probably hasn't gone to sleep by the time this story ran on our Sunday morning show. And he'll be doing it all over again in November for the general election.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Diane is KITV4’s weekend evening anchor and weekday reporter. She hosts the Aging Well series on Tuesday evenings at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. She is a mother, a cat owner, and a yogi. | https://www.kitv.com/news/elections-official-says-primary-election-night-ran-fairly-smoothly/article_281bbeec-1bb6-11ed-b75f-838451bbf139.html | 2022-08-14T11:28:21Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/elections-official-says-primary-election-night-ran-fairly-smoothly/article_281bbeec-1bb6-11ed-b75f-838451bbf139.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Dozens of people were stuck for hours on top of the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico, after taking the tramway to the peak Sunday night.
Roxanne Scheuer was one of the passengers stuck through the early hours of the morning. After only 10 minutes of exploring the top of the mountain, lightning forced her to run inside for safety.
“It’s terrifying. It’s terrifying to feel like your options of getting down are so minimal,” said Scheuer.
A thunderstorm led to a power outage in the northeast heights region of Albuquerque, knocking out power to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway and leaving 210 people, including visitors and employees, stuck at the top where the weather was colder.
“Got to the top and immediately, right off the bat, [an employee] starts yelling ‘lighting’ and starts telling us to get indoors for your safety,” said Scheuer.
Scheuer, who went up with her family at around 6 p.m., said the lightning worsened and she was stuck at the top for over seven hours. The tram cars weren’t able to go up or down.
Scheuer said shuttle buses started to bring people back down to the city after about four hours, but she took the tramway back down once it was up and running again. She described it as a very scary 45-minute ride.
“It was kind of terrifying. We were just praying that ‘I hope it doesn’t stop,'” said Scheuer.
Many passengers weren’t prepared for the colder weather. Most didn’t have blankets or jackets with them.
“Every time a lightning struck and you heard it, people would get scared and gasp or feel terrified, like what’s next?” said Scheuer.
She said she thinks the company could improve on how they deal with these situations, including with better employee training.
“I just feel like if they were better equipped, whether it meant they had snacks in the emergency … or blankets like I had mentioned before or any number of those things to keep people better situated in that event. I feel like it could have gone a little bit better,” said Scheuer.
The general manager of Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway told KRQE that circumstances were out of their control, and the company did all it could to make sure guests were out of harm’s way while working with the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM).
According to PNM, the power outage in the northeast heights was caused by lightning damage to a power pole.
Sandia Peak did not offer the passengers refunds. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/over-200-stranded-on-top-of-new-mexico-mountains-after-storm-cuts-power-to-tram/ | 2022-08-14T11:28:47Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/over-200-stranded-on-top-of-new-mexico-mountains-after-storm-cuts-power-to-tram/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Local News Briefs
Ways and Means Committee to meet
ZANESVILLE − The Ways and Means Committee of Zanesville City Council will meet in regular session at 5 p.m. Monday in council chambers of city hall.
Ordinances for review include a professional services contract with Gossman Group for the Gateway District land uses and street scape design and amending appropriations.
For discussion will be the date for trick or treat for Halloween and the assessment of liens against certain properties with delinquent bills with delinquent payments impacting landlords and how to modify.
ODOT continues I-70 work
ZANESVILLE − The Ohio Department of Transportation has announced planned work related to the upgrades of Interstate 70 through Downtown Zanesville.
Fifth under I-70 will close Monday for demolition and reconstruction of the bridge. The eastbound and westbound on-ramps at State Street will be closed from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 2 a.m. Wednesday for pouring of the bridge deck. Licking Road will be closed daily from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Aug. 18 to 23 for bridge deck pours. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/local-news-briefs/65400641007/ | 2022-08-14T11:31:38Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/local-news-briefs/65400641007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Upgrades on display as Muskingum County Fair kicks off
ZANESVILLE — There will be several noticeable changes as the 176th annual Muskingum County Blue Ribbon Fair gets underway today and runs through Saturday.
The most notable upgrade will be new grandstand seating and lights on top and below the grandstands. Fair Board Secretary Doug Guinsler noted they received a $200,000 Capital Funding Grant from the state, thanks to the help of state representative Adam Holmes and state senator Tim Schaffer, to allow them to upgrade the grandstand. It was installed by G&M Construction in Zanesville, and it will seat just over 1,800 spectators.
The fair board also received a grant from the Visitors Convention Bureau to replace an old electrical transformer with a new unit, that cost around $45,000.
Other upgrades include new fencing around the Memorial Garden, a new hog scale in the hog barn, new water and sewer lines for the clean face facility and new hydrants near the animal barns.
"Those grandstands were originally built in 1958, and the seating and lighting below were still from when it was built. It was big to get that grant so we could update the grandstands," Guinsler said. "There was a lot of work to be done, and it's great to be able to get some needed repairs completed before the fair. We still have money from the Capital grant that we plan to use in the coming years."
Another change is online ticket sales. The Muskingum County Fair will use Hometown Ticketing for those purchases, and they are available through the website, muskingumcofair.com. General Admission tickets are $8 per person while children 5 and under get in free. All online tickets can be scanned from a phone at the gate.
Tickets for the Niko Moon show are also available on the fair's website with a limit of eight tickets per transaction. There is a $5 fee for those tickets.
However, ride tickets must be purchased on site. Each ticket is $1 apiece, with 12 for $10 or an unlimited ride wristband for $20. Wristbands are $15 if purchased by 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and most rides need four to five tickets to ride.
E-ticketing is an aspect the fair board hopes to use for more than just the fair. Guinsler noted more than 30 fairs in the state have gone to online ticket sales.
"The big thing is it allows us to keep track of how many people are entering the fair, and we can stay in contact with buyers for feedback and future events," Guinsler said. "The other 50 weeks here are just as important as these two. We have plans to get more use out of our facility, and this is a way to help us in that endeavor."
There will also be several new events on the West End of the grounds, highlighted by the Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean and Wheels of Agriculture Game Show. Both happen multiple times per day from Monday to Saturday.
Grandstand events include:
- Harness racing is at 6 p.m. Monday
- Sarge & Sons Demo Derby is at 8 p.m. Wednesday
- Rough truck is at 7 p.m. Thursday
- Antique and garden tractor pull is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday
- Great Lakes Championship rodeo bull riding and girls barrel racing at 8 p.m. Friday
- Horse pull is at 11 a.m. Saturday
- Truck, tractor and semi pull at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Full event calendar is located online at muskingumcofair.com/fair/event-information/.
bhannahs@gannett.com
Twitter: @brandonhannahs
Daily Highlights of the Fair
Sunday: Llama Show, Noon; Harness Racing, 1 p.m.; Grand Opening of Fair, 4:15 p.m.; Karaoke with Double R, 6 p.m.; Truck & Tractor Pull, 7:30 p.m.
Monday: Rooster Crowing Contest, 10 a.m.; Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean, 3 and 6 p.m.; Dance Express Studio Performance, 5:30 p.m.; Harness Racing, 6 p.m.; Pleasant Valley Boys, 8 p.m.
Tuesday: Junior Fair Dairy Judging & Showmanship Pee Wee Showmanship, 9 a.m.; Derby Bucks Auction, 1 p.m.; Magician John Louis, 10 a.m., 1, 3 & 6 p.m.; Junior Fair Steer Judging, 5 p.m.; Niko Moon, 8 p.m.
Wednesday: Junior Fair Market Hog Judging, 8 a.m.; Junior Fair Horse Judging, 9 a.m.; Character’s Express Appearances, 2 to 4 p.m.; Junior Fair Beef Showmanship, 4:30 p.m.; Junior Fair Goat Showmanship, 5 p.m.; Demo Derby, 8 p.m.
Thursday: Junior Fair Beef Breeding, 9 a.m.; Program by The Works, 1 & 3 p.m.; Pee Wee Sheep Showing, 2 p.m.; Junior Fair Market Sheep, Steer & Goat Sale, 5:30 p.m.; Rough Truck, 7 p.m.
Friday: Showman of Showmen Contest, 8 a.m.; Garden & Antique Tractor Pull, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Open Class Beef Show, 9 a.m.; The Columbus Zoo Exotic Animal, 11 a.m.; Junior Fair Market Hog Sale, 1 p.m.; MM Dance Studio Performance, 5:30 p.m.; Pedal Tractor Pull, 6 p.m.; Bull Riding, 8 p.m.
Saturday: Junior Fair Market Rabbit, & Poultry Sale, 9 a.m.; Horse Pull, 11 a.m.; Antique Tractor Parade, 4 p.m.; Truck,Tractor & Semi Pull, 5:30 p.m. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/upgrades-on-display-as-muskingum-county-fair-kicks-off/10109271002/ | 2022-08-14T11:31:44Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/14/upgrades-on-display-as-muskingum-county-fair-kicks-off/10109271002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ZDGA Seniors: Baker leading, but it's close
SOUTH ZANESVILLE — Another solid round from Brad Baker led to another chance to add more hardware on Sunday.
He's got some company, however.
Baker, aiming for his sixth straight Zanesville District Golf Association Seniors title, carries a two-shot lead into the final round over Troy Frazee and a three-shot lead over Rich Bubenchik following an even-par 70 in Saturday's second round at EagleSticks.
Baker, a Warsaw native and River View grad, is bidding to become the first player in any ZDGA event to win six consecutive times. Hall of Famer Scott Cope won five Amateurs from 1984-88.
Tom Crowley matched Baker and Frazee's 70 on Saturday and were topped only by Chris Luthi, who followed a first-round 85 with a 1-under 69 that included six birdies. Bubenchik, a perennial contender still seeking a championship breakthrough, shook off an early double bogey to shoot 71.
Baker is at 140, Frazee 142 and Bubenchik 143, while Kevin Terry shot 72 on Saturday and is alone in fourth at 148. Crowley (149) and Todd Hixson (78-73 — 151) round out the top six.
Bubenchik is no stranger to chasing Baker. He has done it much of the past decade since the latter became Senior-eligible in 2017. Now another strong player in Frazee is also in the mix.
Bubenchik and Frazee are bidding to be the first players other than Baker and Jim Spargrove, who won in 2015 and 2016, to win the Seniors since Russ Hull won in 2014.
"I always look forward to playing there because it's in great shape," Bubenchik said of ZCC. "I think if stick to my plan I will be okay, and if it falls it falls. I've shot 66 there before from the same tee boxes in this tournament, and came back, and finished second again. If I hit the ball well I'll be alright."
Luthi said he was aided by a better comfort level with his playing partners on Day 2. He lamented some missed chances on the front nine that could have allowed him to go even lower on the scorecard, but was anything but complaining.
"The course was great and the competition was great," said Luthi, a former U.S. Marine. "I pour concrete for a living, I'm not a golfer. The course was set up nice and the greens were nice. I played well."
He credited his fast start to his playing partners, but added the shorter setup of the course likely favored him as a longer hitter. He also enjoyed a good day with the putter, as evidenced by three straight birdies on holes 5-7 and two more on the back nine.
"Like I said, I pour concrete, I'm not a professional golfer," Luthi said. "It depends on the attitudes of the people I am with, stuff like that, more than anything. It's not my ability. It's how I get started and how I jell with the people I playing with."
It's even tighter in the 65-and-older Super Senior Division, where Dave Kennedy (145) fired a second-round 71 to open up a five-shot lead over former champion Jim Spargrove. The latter followed a 76 with a 74 that left him at 150.
James Hatcher (78-74 — 152) and Dick McPeck (74-78 — 152) are seven shots back and Mark Ballmer (81-73 — 154) and Dave Sheppard (83-72 —155) are also in striking distance.
The top 11 Seniors and top 10 Super Seniors advanced to the final round. Tee times begin at 11 a.m.
sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR
SCOREBOARD
Seniors
Brad Baker 70-70 — 140
Troy Frazee 72-70 — 142
Rich Bubenchik 72-71 — 143
Kevin Terry 76-72 — 148
Tom Crowley 79-70 — 149
Todd Hixson 78-73 — 151
Tom Bragg 78-75 — 153
Chris Luthi 85-69 — 154
Dave Durst 80-76 — 156
Ben Harris 79-77 — 156
Mike Walters 82-75 — 157
Missed the Cut
Dan McPeck 84-79 — 163
Charles King 83-83 — 166
Dan Rauch 84-85 — 169
Russ Hull 91-84 — 175
Matt Yinger 95-90 — 185
Freddie Fisher 108-84 — 192
Gene Jones 102-105 — 207
Super Seniors
Dave Kennedy 74-71 — 145
Jim Spargrove 76-74 — 150
James Hatcher 78-74 — 152
Dick McPeck 74-78 — 152
Mark Ballmer 81-73 — 154
Dave Sheppard 83-72 — 155
Carl Bayer 77-82 — 159
Doug Vousden 83-78 — 161
Rick Bonifant 87-75 — 162
Mark Redfern 85-78 — 163
Missed the Cut
Tommy Georgiades 82-84 — 166
Dennis Miller 91-87 — 178
J.C. McLendon 94-88 — 182
Dwight Parmiter 88-94 — 182
Bob Tokie 95-90 — 185
Butch Schockling 105-86 — 191
Final Round Tee Times
11 a.m. — Rick Bonifant, Mark Redfern
11:08 — Carl Boyer, Doug Vousden
11:15 — Ben Harris, Mike Walters
11:23 — Tom Bragg, Chris Luthi, Dave Durst
11:30 — James Hatcher, Mark Ballmer, Dave Sheppard
11:38 — Dave Kennedy, Jim Spargrove, Dick McPeck
11:45 — Kevin Terry, Tom Crowley, Todd Hixson
11:52 — Brad Baker, Troy Frazee, Rich Bubenchik | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/14/brad-baker-leading-at-zdga-senior-amateur-but-its-close/65401084007/ | 2022-08-14T11:31:50Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/14/brad-baker-leading-at-zdga-senior-amateur-but-its-close/65401084007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Aces high: Mark Vensil gets name on the board at Green Valley
Sam Blackburn
Zanesville Times Recorder
ZANESVILLE — Mark Vensil joined the hole-in-one fraternity on Saturday.
Vensil, the pride of Newman Street, used a pitching wedge to ace the 145-yard 13th hole during the annual Antonetz Outing at Green Valley.
It was the first hole-in-one for the Tri-Valley grad. He was playing Dan Bogle, Mark Antonetz, Brian Miller and Tim Gray. The shot was also witnessed by Joe Antonetz. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/14/mark-vensil-gets-name-on-the-board-at-green-valley-golf-course/65402980007/ | 2022-08-14T11:31:56Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/14/mark-vensil-gets-name-on-the-board-at-green-valley-golf-course/65402980007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Football preview: Aspirations high for senior-laden Philo
DUNCAN FALLS − A strong senior class is an asset for any program, and veteran Philo coach Dirk Lincicome has already seen the dividends.
The Electrics have 16 seniors on their roster, and that combination of experience and talent are crucial for a program with expectations.
"They bring great leadership, and it's about quality over quantity with this group," Lincicome said. "They will be playing key positions all over the field. Their examples will help accelerate our depth, and their leadership makes a positive impact on everyone.
"It's also more fun for coaches where you don't have to micromanage everything," he added. "They add to our culture, and their experience will allow us to capitalize on what we do well."
A pair of seniors will share the quarterbacking role left vacant by two-way threat Owen Smith, who graduated after accounting for more than 2,100 yards and 28 total touchdowns as a senior. Case Fink, who is coming off a major knee injury, and Demetrius Strickland have splits snaps throughout the summer.
Lincicome is confident in both, including Fink who led Philo to a Week 1 win at Athens last season.
"Case has played that spot before, but we don't want to rush him as we ease back from injury, while Demetrius is an athletic, intelligent player," Lincicome said. "We want to use them both in the right situations. They've both waited their turn, and we like what each brings to the table."
The Electrics will also be counting on new running backs to step in for Carter McCutcheon, another graduate. Senior Blake Linkous was the second back last season and will receive the bulk of the carries. Senior Max Zimmerman adds speed to the backfield, and seniors Drew Lincicome and Zack Savage will return as fullbacks.
Seniors Cade Searls and Griffin Wells highlight the receivers after the graduation of Jaxson Radcliffe. Seniors Dylan Carpenter and Brady Fox will also see time out wide, and junior Drew Wright and senior Kyler Nader are the expected contributors at tight end.
"We're going to have a different look after some of the guys we lost, but we have two good decision makers at quarterback," Lincicome noted. "Our seniors are a tight group so the chemistry is good. They play together and they play hard. They come to work every day, and I love their work ethic. Those are good qualities to have, especially with an offense featuring so many pieces."
The unit up front will provide a solid foundation for the offense. Seniors Mason Thomas and Slade Glaub return to their guard spots, while senior Luke Perkins steps into the left tackle role. A pair of juniors, Hayden Adolph and Damon Myers, will be the center and right tackle, respectively.
Three others, juniors Austin Tysinger and Ashton Shultz and sophomore Masen Runkle, are in the mix to fill out the rotation.
The examples sets by Thomas and Glaub will be a boost for the line, as it continues to gel.
"These guys lead by example. They know the difference between play and work, and they keep everything upbeat," Lincicome noted. "It helps the coaches when you have players like them on the field. They help us keep a good tempo in practice and provide that teaching to help the younger players come along."
Experience in the linebacker corps also has Lincicome excited about the Electrics' prospects. Drew Lincicome and Savage return to the middle linebacker spots, while Tysinger, junior Brayden Bleakney and sophomore Brayden Bernard are battling for time behind them.
The outside backers feature Linkous and senior Ty Moorehead in the starting roles with Carpenter, Hall and junior Bintzen Bateson figuring to be part of the rotation.
"Our linebackers are our strength, and they are why we run the scheme we do," Lincicome said. "They make us a better defense, and we'll be as good as they play. They bring a blend of experience and physicality needed, and we have high expectations because of them."
The defensive line will feature many of the same players as the offensive line. Nader, Thomas, Glaub and Wright will rotate in at defensive ends, while Perkins, Myers and Shultz will share reps at nose guard.
The secondary will be athletic with Searls at free safety and Strickland holding down one of the cornerback roles. Lincicome said the other side is still a battle with Fox, junior Seth Henning and sophomore Talon Preston in the mix.
Another spot with a new face will be in the kicking game. Lincicome noted freshman Braden Payton, who is trained by Matt McIntyre, will likely take on kicking and punting roles entering the season.
While that is one spot of inexperience, Philo has plenty to offset that area. Ultimately, the Electrics will determine their success by focusing on themselves, noted Lincicome.
"We need to take care of the football, especially in key situations, and win crucial moments," he said. "We struggled in those areas last season so we need to focus on ourselves. We also hope that we can gain some early-season success and translate that momentum into what we hope could be a special season."
It will not be an easy path for the Electrics. They open the season at home with Athens before traveling to Carrollton then taking on Morgan in non-league play. Being in the Big School Division, along with crossovers with West Muskingum and rival Crooksville, won't make life any easier.
"We always have high goals and competing for the MVL title is our first one. We know it will be a highly competitive league, and you have to bring it each night," Lincicome said. "Our non-league has two teams that will be improved in Athens and Morgan, and Carrollton has a kid who ran for 2,000 yards last season. We will see who we are early on.
"Our staff has been together for the long time so we're focusing on the fundamentals," he added. "We know what we do well, and for us to have success, we have to execute that each Friday night."
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2022/08/14/football-preview-aspirations-high-for-senior-laden-philo/65399128007/ | 2022-08-14T11:32:02Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2022/08/14/football-preview-aspirations-high-for-senior-laden-philo/65399128007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Everything Kyle Shanahan said the day after the 49ers’ preseason win vs. Packers
“San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters via a conference call the day after the team’s 28-21 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers. Here is everything he had to say.”
In Samuel Womack, 49ers may have uncovered another fifth-round draft gem (paywall)
“I’ve just been getting used to recognizing the plays and recognizing what’s coming at me, the speed and the different routes,” Womack said. “The routes are more complex, what they do at the top of the route, how they run their routes is more deceptive for sure. I’ve just been getting ready and getting used to that every day and just trying to get better at that.”
Kawakami: Trey Lance’s QB1 era opens with a slide, a sprint and a successful night (paywall)
“He’s learning. He’s desperately eager to learn. He’s also massively talented. And by every indication, Lance is already quite popular among his teammates. He’s not yet a leader of this team, because that title is earned over time through trial and sweat and in the toughest moments of the regular season and playoffs.
But Lance is a light-hearted, high-wattage star. He’s talkative. He’s dynamic. He listens to his teammates and coaches. Interesting things happen when he’s playing, and the 49ers’ offense simply is more interesting because he’s out there instead of Jimmy Garoppolo.”
Hutchinson: Projecting what the 49ers’ 53-man roster will look like
“Corner might be the toughest position to evaluate in general, and without having all-22 tape of practice, it’s really tough to know how players are doing unless you’re solely watching them....One question is whether the 49ers keep six here to potentially go huge on the defensive line with 12, maybe keeping Ridgeway initially, then putting him on injured reserve so he can return later in the year, without losing him. Seven seems like a safer bet, but it could be more about who they think they can cut and re-sign.”
Daniel Brunskill’s hamstring strain: More pressure on a new 49ers interior O-line (paywall)
“Brunskill’s recovery timeline likely puts Brendel, who didn’t allow a pressure over eight pass-blocking snaps, firmly into the driver’s seat to be the 49ers’ first-string center...It also means that the 49ers are now virtually certain to break in an entirely new trio of starting interior offensive linemen once the regular season begins.”
49ers’ Mike McGlinchey, Daniel Brunskill added to injury list (paywall)
“McGlinchey, who played eight snaps Friday in his first game action since he had surgery for a torn quadriceps in November, is dealing with knee irritation that will likely keep him sidelined for at least a week. Meanwhile, Brunskill, who is competing with Jake Brendel for the starting center job, suffered a hamstring injury and will be out a “few weeks.””
Samuel Womack makes two picks and a case for role in 49ers’ defensive backfield (paywall)
“I’ve just been getting used to recognizing what’s coming at me,” Womack said. “The routes are more complex, what they do at the top of the route, how they run their routes, it’s more deceptive for sure.”
Thompson: We’re back in the 49ers locker room, and it feels good (paywall)
“Finally, we could query who we wanted and not just who was randomly delivered to us in the interview room. We could ask deep questions, technical questions, random questions, and conversational questions.”
“This isn’t a referendum on Moore as a player. He’s definitely talented, but Friday night was a huge hit to his chances of starting at strong safety. He got cooked by Packers rookie wide receiver Romeo Doubs for Green Bay’s first touchdown, and in general he looked like a player still getting his legs back after returning from a torn Achilles. Moore should be fine down the road, but it’s hard to imagine him starting Week 1 given how he looked Friday.”
What we learned as Trey Lance, rookies shine in 49ers win over Packers
“The 49ers made a winning start to their preseason schedule against the Packers in a game that will likely breed plenty of confidence about the direction of the team going into 2022.”
Report: Wilson injury update cools Jimmy-to-Jets possibility
“An MRI on Saturday revealed the 23-year-old quarterback suffered a bone bruise and meniscus tear in his right knee. Wilson will miss two to four weeks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday, citing sources.” | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/8/14/23304897/49ers-news-drake-jackson-nick-bosa-preseason-packers-vikings-joint-practices-kyle-shanahan-injury-td | 2022-08-14T11:32:38Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/8/14/23304897/49ers-news-drake-jackson-nick-bosa-preseason-packers-vikings-joint-practices-kyle-shanahan-injury-td | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
From theatre owners, film industry insiders to audiences everyone had high hopes with this week's two big Hindi film releases -- Aamir Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha' and Akshay Kumar-led 'Raksha Bandhan'-- but their dismal day one earnings have dampened the spirits.
Released on Thursday, both the much-anticipated films received mixed to negative reviews amid boycott calls on social media.
On the first day, Aanand L Rai-directed 'Raksha Bandhan' raised Rs 8.20 crore at the domestic box office, which dropped to Rs 6.40 crore on Friday. Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha' had a comparatively better opening with Rs 12 crore, but the film also registered a dip on day two with earnings reported to be around Rs 7 crore.
Mumbai-based exhibitor Akshay Rathi, who runs theatres in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, said these are "turbulent times for box office".
“We all think that films of superstars like Aamir and Akshay should do better but these are turbulent times for box office. There is not enough equilibrium in the consumption patterns of audience, it is haphazard.
"These guys have the potential to open with big numbers but we haven't seen such strange figures come out for them in a long time. They are dismally low, Rathi told PTI.
In his theatres, Rathi said 'Laal Singh Chaddha' opened at about 25 per cent and 'Raksha Bandhan' at 15 to 20 per cent occupancy.
Directed by Advait Chandan, 'Laal Singh Chaddha' is the official remake of the Tom Hanks-starrer 'Forrest Gump' (1994), and follows the titular character's journey and how he overcomes many challenges of life, which coincides with the many iconic events from Indian history.
'Raksha Bandhan' is a story about Lala Kedarnath (Kumar) and his relationship with his four sisters. It focuses on his efforts to get his sisters married and tackles issues such as dowry and body shaming.
Reportedly, 'Laal Singh Chaddha' released in 3,500 screens across the country and 'Raksha Bandhan' opened in 2,500 screens.
Rajasthan-based distributor Raj Bansal of Entertainment Paradise, a multiplex chain in Jaipur, said the response has been below expectations and the numbers might drop further.
'Raksha Bandhan' being a big holiday we had some expectations but the opening for both the films has been low. Besides, there is a negativity for Hindi cinema but if a film is good then the negativity doesn't matter. We were hoping 'Laal Singh Chaddha' would open at Rs 17-18 crore and 'Raksha Bandhan' at Rs 10-12 crore but the numbers are less, Bansal said.
Popular single screen theatres in Mumbai such as Gaiety, Gemini and Maratha Mandir, have also witnessed a lacklustre performance despite affordable ticket prices, said executive director Manoj Desai.
We have low ticket rates such as Rs 130 for stall and Rs 160 balcony but still the shows are not housefull. People are saying 'Laal Singh Chaddha' is lengthy and slow while with 'Raksha Bandhan' people think the film did not justify the theme, Desai said.
"Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan join the list of recent star-led Hindi movies such as "Shamshera" (Ranbir Kapoor), "Jayeshbhai Jordaar"(Ranveer Singh Ranveer Singh), "Runway 34" (Ajay Devgn) and that have had a dull run at the box office.
Alia Bhatt's "Gangubai Kathiawadi" and Kartik Aaryan-starrer "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2" were the only Bollywood films to cross the Rs 100 crore mark.
Bansal said 2022 is turning out to be the worst year of Hindi cinema. It is a year where every actor's film has had the worst collection like Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, Tiger Shroff, he added.
The reason for poor performance of Hindi films is the lack of good content, according to Rajender Singh Jyala, Chief Programming Officer at INOX Leisure.
Content is king. 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2' did exceedingly well and similar was the case with films like RRR', KGF', Gangubai Kathiawadi'. If the content is good, then people will come and if the content is not good, then people don't come, Singh told PTI.
Trade analyst Amod Mehra believes easy access to movies on digital platforms, soon after their theatrical run, is another reason for less footfall in cinemas.
The collections are lower than yesterday. People are not interested in seeing both the films. It is because of the easy availability of films on OTT. Cinegoers between the age of 15 to 35 years are not coming to theatres, Mehra told PTI.
Rathi believes Hindi cinema has become 'elitist and too urban'. The filmmakers, he said, need to take stock of the situation.
"Hindi films have alienated themselves from ground level audiences. The storytelling style or the milieu, alienates a huge chunk of common people of India. Our cinema has become elitist and too urban to connect with audiences at large. Whereas south films are accessible to common people, he added. | https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2022/08/14/laal-singh-chaddha-raksha-bandhan-poor-performance-box-office-collections.html | 2022-08-14T11:41:29Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2022/08/14/laal-singh-chaddha-raksha-bandhan-poor-performance-box-office-collections.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's latest release 'Laal Singh Chaddha', which is a remake of the iconic Hollywood film 'Forrest Gump', got a thumbs up from The Academy.
The official Twitter account of The Academy, which recognises excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences, shared a video compilation of snippets from 'Forest Gump' and the Aamir Khan-starrer.
A tweet from The Academy called the Bollywood film a 'faithful Indian adaptation'.
"Robert Zemeckis and Eric Roth's sweeping story of a man who changes the world with kindness receives a faithful Indian adaptation in Advait Chandan and Atul Kulkarni's 'Laal Singh Chaddha' feat. Aamir Khan in the role made famous by Tom Hanks," read the tweet.
The Academy's twitter handle also mention the number of Oscars nominations 'Forest Gump' had.
"1994's 'Forrest Gump' was nominated for 13 Oscars including six wins for: Best Actor (Tom Hanks) ac Directing (Robert Zemeckis) ac Film Editing (Arthur Schmidt) ac Best Picture (Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch and Steve Starkey, Producers) ac Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth)".
Released on August 11, 'Laal Singh Chaddha' also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Naga Chaitanya and Mona Singh. | https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2022/08/14/the-academy-laal-singh-chaddha-hollywood-film-forrest-gump-movie-adaptation.html | 2022-08-14T11:41:42Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2022/08/14/the-academy-laal-singh-chaddha-hollywood-film-forrest-gump-movie-adaptation.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Harriet Hageman proudly wears Wyoming on her sleeve -- and wields it like a hammer against Liz Cheney.
"I know Wyoming. I love Wyoming. I am Wyoming," Hageman tells audiences as she travels across her state, entering the closing days of a bitter Republican duel in one of the highest-profile congressional races in the country.
"I am going to reclaim Wyoming's lone congressional seat from that Virginian who currently holds it," Hageman likes to say, casting aside the Cheney family's deep roots in the state and suggesting the three-term congresswoman is more at home in the Washington suburbs.
These days, signs of trouble for Cheney are easy to spot here in Wyoming. Hageman holds a commanding lead in the final weekend of a primary election that stands as yet another reminder of the Republican Party's evolution in the era of Donald Trump.
A University of Wyoming poll released this week found that Cheney is trailing Hageman by 29 points. Yet one question looming over the Republican primary is how many Democrats and independents will switch parties and vote for Cheney, which even her supporters acknowledge is her only chance to stay competitive.
"If it's a big Republican vote, there aren't enough Democrats to change it, even if we all crossed over," former Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan said in an interview Friday, noting that he is among the Democrats who have temporarily switched parties to support Cheney. "Out of honor and respect for her leadership, I cast my vote her way."
The venom in the Cheney-Hageman race comes alive in conversations with voters, dueling television ads and reports of stolen yard signs. Their relationship wasn't always acrimonious, when Hageman stood alongside Cheney and showered her with praise during Cheney's first bid for Congress in 2016.
"I am proud to introduce my friend Liz Cheney," Hageman said then. "I know Liz Cheney is a proven, courageous, constitutional conservative, someone who has the education, the background and experience to fight effectively for Wyoming on a national stage."
Today, that national stage is starkly different than it was six years ago, back when Cheney and Trump were elected on the same day. Now, the former President is at the center of her political fall in a state where he won 70% of the vote, his widest margin anywhere.
He traveled to Wyoming three months ago to put his stamp on the race.
"Liz, you're fired," Trump told thousands of admirers at a rally in Casper. "Wyoming deserves a congresswoman who stands up for you and your values, not one who spends all of her time putting you down and going after your president in the most vicious way possible."
Emphasizing ties to state
Yet here in Wyoming, Hageman is seen as far more than Trump's hand-picked candidate.
She grew up on her family's small ranch near Fort Laramie, population 207, not far from the state's border with Nebraska. Long before her fight with Cheney, Hageman gained prominence as a natural resources attorney, specializing on cases protecting the state's water, public lands and agriculture.
"One of the things, I think, we need to do is make the federal government largely irrelevant to our everyday lives," Hageman told voters this week during a stop at the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce luncheon, highlighting decades of legal work fighting against such policies as protecting gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act and broader plans of national forest conservation.
Hageman, 59, spent most of her career doing this work at her own law firm in Cheyenne. But now, she is a senior litigation counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a group based in Washington that battles environmental regulations, taxes, campaign finance restrictions and far more.
She has spent much of the last year driving around the state to build a campaign against Cheney, telling voters that she's traveled about 40,000 miles since announcing her campaign nearly a year ago. Yet in the final week of the primary here, she had no public campaign events, rather meeting privately with groups.
Hageman declined to answer questions when CNN caught up with her in Rock Springs, a coal mining town in the southwestern part of the state, saying only: "This race is about Wyoming, nothing else."
The race, of course, has become about far more. But several Wyoming voters this week said they appreciated the attention Hageman was devoting to energy, agriculture and other issues of direct importance to the state.
"We voted for Harriet," said Scott Vetter of Carpenter, who works in agriculture sales. "When you dive into the work that she's done, it's been stellar. She's close to agriculture, which is our bread and butter, and what we do to make a living."
He said he and his wife voted early, insisting it wasn't a knock against Cheney, but an affirmative vote for Hageman and her intense focus on Wyoming issues. He said Trump's endorsement was not the decisive factor in his decision.
"We're not Trump lovers, but we're not Trump haters," Vetter said, talking during the Laramie County Fair. "We just want to get the country moving again. I would say Harriet had our votes from the beginning."
Hageman made an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018. Even though she placed third in the Republican primary, the race elevated her profile across Wyoming. She went on to represent the state on the Republican National Committee, a position she resigned when she announced her campaign to challenge Cheney last year.
'We're fed up with Liz Cheney'
Hageman has sought to capitalize on the anger among Trump loyalists -- much of which is directed at Cheney and her leading role in the Congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
"We're fed up with the January 6 commission and those who think they can gaslight us," Hageman told a cheering crowd at the Trump rally in Casper in May. "And we're fed up with Liz Cheney."
For her part, Hageman has wavered about the outcome of the 2020 election.
During a contentious debate in June, Cheney pressed her rival, saying: "I think that she can't say that it wasn't stolen because she's completely beholden to Donald Trump. And if she says it wasn't stolen, he will not support her."
It wasn't until last week, during a campaign stop in Casper, that Hageman fully embraced the former President's baseless election denial rhetoric.
"Absolutely the election was rigged," Hageman said. "It was rigged to make sure that President Trump could not get reelected."
What Hageman doesn't tell her audiences is that she once opposed Trump -- and supported Ted Cruz in 2016. She was among the final wave of Republicans hoping to block Trump from clinching the party's nomination at the GOP convention in Cleveland.
It's a sign of her own transformation -- from Cheney ally to Trump loyalist -- with her sights now set on Washington.
"I will be taking that fight to DC," Hageman said, "just as soon as I defeat Liz Cheney."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/from-cheney-friend-to-foe-harriet-hageman-takes-command-of-wyoming-race-animated-by-trump/article_65cc6485-be2f-5e2d-a513-1a0c986e8e0b.html | 2022-08-14T11:43:26Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/from-cheney-friend-to-foe-harriet-hageman-takes-command-of-wyoming-race-animated-by-trump/article_65cc6485-be2f-5e2d-a513-1a0c986e8e0b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A woman has died in hospital after a crash near a retail park in Ashford. A black BMW was in a collision with a Citroen Berlingo van whilst travelling on the A2070 Bad Munstereifel Road.
The incident happened at around 11.35am on Tuesday, July 26. The black BMW was travelling on the A2070 when it was in a collision with a white Citroen Berlingo van travelling in the opposite direction.
The driver of the van was at the junction with Barrey Road and was turning into the retail park at the time of the incident. Police attended the incident along with the South East Coast Ambulance Service.
Read more: Police name man charged after Ramsgate crash that killed two and injured others
A woman in her 40s, who was travelling as a passenger in the BMW, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. She later died whilst in hospital.
Officers from Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing to any further witnesses, who have not yet come forward, who saw the incident, or who have dashcam footage that could help their enquiries, to contact them.
Anyone with information should call the appeal line on 01622 798538, quoting reference XX/VS/087/22. You can also email investigators on sciu.td@kent.police.uk
Get more news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE .
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Huge police presence in Gravesend after teenager, 17, stabbed | https://www.kentlive.news/news/woman-dies-hospital-after-ashford-7462102 | 2022-08-14T11:52:02Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/woman-dies-hospital-after-ashford-7462102 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This Week’s Huk Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Richmond Raceway … Austin Dillon’s best NASCAR Cup Series finish at Richmond Raceway is a fourth-place result he earned in the 2020 Fall race in the NASCAR Playoffs. He also has a pair of consecutive sixth-place finishes in April 2019 and September 2018. Most recently, he finished 10th at the track in April 2021 and 11th in September 2021. He has 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond Raceway, acquiring seven top-10 finishes and one pole award.
Welcome Back, Huk ... Huk is the fastest-growing performance clothing brand with an authentic passion for its products. Based in Charleston, S.C., at the confluence of three major rivers and a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean, Huk’s product developers enjoy a dizzying array of waterside opportunities that help shape and mold its purpose-built fishing gear. Huk clothing represents a fresh take and a unique understanding of the waterside lifestyle, offering functional products with wide reaching appeal that resonates with RCR’s fan base. Austin Dillon enjoys wearing Huk clothing during his every day life. Some of his favorite products include the Icon X Polo, Waypoint Pant and Vented Pursuit Hoodie. For more information, visit www.hukgear.com.
This is BassCar … This weekend at Richmond Raceway, Dillon’s No. 3 Camaro features Huk’s all-new “BassCar” paint scheme. Sporting an entirely new look, the Camaro will feature a Huk exclusive pattern and largemouth bass styling by artist KC Scott.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on Richmond Raceway?
“I actually love Richmond Raceway. There was a time in my career when I did not run well at Richmond at all. It was a thorn in my side, but over the years that has changed. Richmond has become a much better place than it used to be for me. We ran really well there last year, and I’m excited to get back there and see what we can do this time around in the Huk Chevy.”
Talk about your unique paint scheme this weekend …
“Yeah, Huk has designed one of the better-looking schemes of my career. Our team has nicknamed it the ‘BassCar.’ I got a sneak peak of the BassCar on the shop floor this week, and it made me even more excited to get to Richmond Raceway because it’s so unique. I appreciate all of the attention to detail that went into designing the car. It’s just as stylish as the Huk apparel that I wear. My team has put a ton of effort into getting the BassCar ready for Richmond, and I’ve been spending a lot of time preparing for the race in our simulator, watching race footage and strategizing with my team. We’re at a key point in our season, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to go out and try and get a win for everyone at Huk.”
This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Richmond Raceway ... Tyler Reddick will be making his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at Richmond this weekend. His best finish at the .75-mile Virginia speedway came in 2020 when he placed 11th. The driver of the 3CHI Chevrolet has completed all but four laps in four previous starts (1,596 of a possible 1,600 laps, 99.75 percent). Reddick scored a respectable 12th-place finish at Richmond earlier this season (race No. 7). He has three top-10 finishes in five NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Richmond, highlighted by a fourth-place finish with Richard Childress Racing in the 2019 spring event.
3CHI Blazed the Trail for Another Industry First … 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
What are your expectations entering Richmond this weekend?
“All things considered, things went pretty good for us at Richmond in the spring, considering how the weekend started. We unloaded and we were about 30th in practice and had some really odd issues under braking that really broke the whole corner apart for us. After practice and qualifying I was really worried we were going to lose a few laps in the race but we kept working on it and finished just outside the top-10. I’m hoping we’ll start off a little better this time around with our 3CHI Chevrolet. We know a little more about this Next Gen car and we’ve learned a little bit from Martinsville and Richmond from earlier in the year. It will be interesting to see how much some of these teams have improved from the first race there.”
Are you surprised there has been 15 different winners in the Cup Series this season?
“I mean, I’m not surprised but I mean I wouldn’t have at the beginning of the year sat down and said this is who is going to win these amount of races and in this order. To see the number of drivers win, for what this Next Gen car has brought to the table, I’m not surprised. Certainly, it’s put a lot of good teams in a difficult spot here with only a few races left before we get to the Playoffs.”
RCR PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72030-rcr-event-preview-richmond | 2022-08-14T12:08:51Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72030-rcr-event-preview-richmond | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Boo Boo Dalton gave the loyal fans at Ace Speedway a show in the track’s Limited Late Model feature on Friday evening.
The final 20 laps saw Dalton race side-by-side with fellow regular Dillon Harville for the lead, with neither driver giving the other an inch. A strong run by Dalton off Turn 4 on the final lap was enough for him to edge Harville and celebrate a victory in front of the exuberant crowd.
Dalton has always appreciated how cleanly Harville races him regardless of the track, but he said that the conclusion to Friday’s 40-lap Limited Late Model feature is a prime example of how a battle for the win should be determined at short tracks.
“To win back at the track I cut my teeth is always special,” Dalton said. “Dillon and I have become pretty good friends, so to battle it out with the amount of respect we had for one another is always a good time.”
With his win at Ace on Friday, Dalton now has seven wins at seven different venues across the southeast this year.
Dalton admitted that finding Victory Lane at Ace proved to be the most challenging of his season to date. He said that Harville has set the standard for efficiency in Limited Late Models at Ace over the past several years and knew his car would have to be perfect to have an opportunity at taking home the checkered flag.
Although Harville had the initial edge during the long green flag run, several late cautions turned fortunes in Dalton’s favor. Harville utilized the top side on the final restart and attempted to pin Dalton down on the bottom, but Dalton’s speed on the short run was enough to narrowly edge Harville at the finish line.
For Dalton, being able to fend off one of Ace’s best in Harville highlights all the strides he has made with his operation in 2022 alone. He expects to keep adding wins before the year concludes but said staying up front will require him and his crew to stay vigilant with their adjustments and setups.
“I’m so happy with where we are in our program,” Dalton said. “All my guys are doing such a great job. The help I’m getting from them, and my parents really has me satisfied about where things are going and hopefully, we can carry the momentum into [North] Wilkesboro [Speedway].”
Dalton will be a part of a stacked Limited Late Model field that will descend onto North Wilkesboro on Aug. 31 as he looks to add his name to the track’s storied record books as a winner.
Dalton would like to thank his parents, his crew, MPM Marketing and his loyal partners in Hudson Autoworks, Rough Signs and Clark’s Automotive Machine Shop.
MPM PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72028-boo-boo-dalton-edges-dillon-harville-in-thrilling-finish-at-ace-speedway | 2022-08-14T12:09:11Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72028-boo-boo-dalton-edges-dillon-harville-in-thrilling-finish-at-ace-speedway | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NASCAR announced today a new multi-year partnership with leading full-service logistics partner Worldwide Express, naming the company the “Official Logistics Partner of NASCAR”. The news comes on the morning of Worldwide Express’ entitlement race, the Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation at Richmond Raceway.
Since becoming a primary team sponsor earlier this year, Worldwide Express has expanded its presence in NASCAR, signing on as the entitlement sponsor for this weekend’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, announced earlier this summer. In addition to the NASCAR Official Partnership, Worldwide Express has also been designated the “Official Logistics Partner of Richmond Raceway.”
“As a full-service logistics provider, Worldwide Express knows the amount of hard work and dedication our teams, tracks and employees put into each race weekend,” said Daryl Wolfe, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at NASCAR. “Our sport is always on the go, so we’re thrilled to welcome a company like Worldwide Express who knows what it takes to deliver a winning race weekend to our fans.”
Worldwide Express and its sister brands, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, began partnerships earlier this year with NASCAR teams Trackhouse Racing and Niece Motorsports, with the company serving as a primary sponsor for both teams.
“We are incredibly excited to build on our successful involvement in NASCAR at the team and race level to now serve as the Official Logistics Partner for NASCAR as well as for Richmond Raceway,” said Worldwide Express President Rob Rose. “We are uniquely suited to help manage the logistical complexity that NASCAR and its teams deal with each week to host and compete in world-class races. We look forward to partnering with NASCAR to deliver exhilarating race weekends over the coming years.”
Founded in 1992, the Worldwide Express family of brands has become a top-ranked, full-service logistics provider and the second-largest privately held freight brokerage in North America, with customers spanning from SMBs to the Fortune 100. More than 115,000 shippers benefit from enhanced visibility and efficiency for their supply chains thanks to the company’s market-leading solutions for parcel, less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload shipping and managed transportation services, which are driven by proprietary technology, unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities. To learn more about Worldwide Express, visit wwex.com and for more information on Worldwide Express Racing, visit www.wwexracing.com.
NASCAR PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72031-worldwide-express-expands-nascar-presence-and-becomes-official-logistics-partner | 2022-08-14T12:09:18Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72031-worldwide-express-expands-nascar-presence-and-becomes-official-logistics-partner | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“There is such thing as Hell on Earth and it’s I-95N between Richmond and DC,” Richmond news anchor Elizabeth Holmes quipped in a recent tweet. The post went viral, echoing a sentiment felt by the countless drivers who regularly get caught in congestion between the two capitals.
Hoping to decrease driving delays, in June the Virginia Department of Transportation introduced variable speed limits between mile markers 115 and 130 south of Fredericksburg. The new electronic signs are meant to lower speeds when traffic gets thick, but in our era of increasingly dangerous driving, can such signs really improve safety?
For the past five years along Interstate 77 around Fancy Gap, VDOT has used similar signs to warn drivers of dense fog, resulting in what the agency says is a 73% reduction in crashes. The variable speed limit corridor south of Fredericksburg, however, won’t rely on weather reports for its updates, but rather on an algorithm assessing traffic volumes.
The aim of the 48 new electronic signs along I-95 is to “monitor in real-time what is going on in the corridor and reduce the speed limit before things get congested,” said Mena Lockwood, an assistant state traffic engineer with VDOT. “That way we can create an even speed throughout the corridor so folks travel at a free flow that may be slower than normal, but they won’t hit full-stop traffic.”
The problem variable speed limits seek to solve is called speed flow inversion – the phenomenon whereby even minor interruptions in vehicles’ movement cause extensive congestion due to the density of traffic. “This technology can help solve invisible traffic jams, backups that result from a chain effect of braking that ripples downstream rather than an actual crash,” said Eric Dumbaugh, associate director of the Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety at Florida Atlantic University.
From 2015 to 2019, VDOT estimates this stretch of I-95 witnessed over 70,000 person-hours of delay due to congestion. Of the wrecks that occurred along the corridor in that time frame, 55% were rear-end crashes.
In other states, variable speed limits have delivered on average a 5% reduction in travel times and an 8% decrease in crashes. Effectiveness varies based on the compliance of drivers, roadway geometry and how the system is set up, but VDOT is hoping its algorithm delivers better results than have been seen in other states.
Some road safety experts like Dumbaugh worry drivers won’t follow the variable speed limits and will undermine the system’s effectiveness. “As soon as you have someone ignoring the signs and cutting across lanes at a fast speed, you will once again trigger that ripple effect of downstream congestion.”
The first indications of whether VDOT’s $10 million investment is paying off should come in September, when the agency completes its first round of data on crash rates and types, the frequency of speed reduction, compliance and person-hours of delay. VDOT will also be conducting analyses at the six-month and full-year marks.
Should the pilot prove its worth, then similarly supersaturated corridors around the state could one day get their own variable speed limits.
For now, VDOT is asking for drivers’ assistance in improving the paved purgatory that is I-95 north of Richmond: “Drivers don’t like to be slowed down when they don’t need to be or else they won’t comply, so we want people to trust the system and know that we are only reducing the speed when it’s needed,” Lockwood said.
Wyatt Gordon covers transportation, housing and land use for the Virginia Mercury, where this commentary originally appeared (VirginiaMercury.com). He previously covered transportation as Greater Greater Washington’s Virginia correspondent. Contact him at wgordon@virginiamercury.com. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/column-will-variable-speed-limits-help-congestion/article_131ecfb8-1b78-11ed-9407-6315ecb2a2d5.html | 2022-08-14T12:10:32Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/column-will-variable-speed-limits-help-congestion/article_131ecfb8-1b78-11ed-9407-6315ecb2a2d5.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SOFTBALL UMPIRES NEEDED: The Northern Virginia Softball Umpires Association is seeking individuals interested in becoming certified umpires for high-school and recreational fastpitch softball in the local area. Complete training is provided. The pay is $67 to $90 per game.
For more information, email uic@nvsua.org or visit www.nvsua.org. Complete training provided. Schedules are flexible.
FOOTBALL OFFICIALS NEEDED: The Fairfax County Football Officiating Association needs more officials to cover all of its various youth, high-school and adult games, whenever they might be played. Candidates must be at least 16 years old and have reliable transportation. Training is provided. Contact the FCFOA at fcfoa1@gmail.com.
GAME OFFICIALS NEEDED: Northern Virginia Baseball Umpires is in need of officials for baseball, softball and volleyball.
Officials are needed in all communities across the metropolitan area for youth recreational leagues, men’s leagues, high schools and colleges.
Experience is helpful but not required. Formal classroom and on-the-job training will be provided. Visit www.umpires.org or call John Porter at (703) 978-3601 for more information. | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/referees-officials-needed-for-various-sports/article_20720e62-1bc0-11ed-a756-e3a70bce0275.html | 2022-08-14T12:10:38Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/referees-officials-needed-for-various-sports/article_20720e62-1bc0-11ed-a756-e3a70bce0275.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Beauty queen of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Happiness Odeh, was abducted and eventually killed by suspected kidnappers in Ogun State.
She was recently crowned queen of the state-owned institution on August 3, 2022.
The unfortunate incident was reported to have happened on her way to a film location in Ipara Remo area of the state.
The National Diploma two student was kidnapped on Thursday, raped and murdered in cold blood.
The incident was confirmed by the leadership of the Students Union of MAPOLY in a statement issued by the Students Union President, Sodiq Ajani and the Public Relations Officer, Joy Okolie.
“Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Students Union (MAPSU) announces the untimely death of Miss Happiness Odeh, a Mass Communication student of MAPOLY.
“According to reports, she was abducted along Iperu road to her destination. The deceased left Abeokuta three days ago to visit a movie location at Ipara, Ode-Remo, with the consent of her parents.
“Contrary to the rumours flying around, her death is not related to her status as the new Miss MAPOLY. She won the award on the 3rd of August and the movie location she attended has nothing to do with the beauty pageantry on campus.
“We commiserate with her family, friends and colleagues. May Almighty God grant us all the fortitude to bear this painful loss. Continue to rest in the bosom of the Lord,” the statement read.
The remains of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.
The mobile line of the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola, could not be reached at the time of this report.
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If you want to keep your job and excel in your career, you need to do as I say,” Janet Abegunde’s boss said to her one fateful day. Miss Abegunde, a 24-year-old accountant who had just gotten her first job in one of the new generation banks, said she fell into depression after her boss sexually harassed her.
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2023: Kwankwaso Will Not Be Deputy To Obi —NNPP | https://tribuneonlineng.com/kidnappers-abduct-murder-beauty-queen-in-ogun/ | 2022-08-14T12:20:29Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/kidnappers-abduct-murder-beauty-queen-in-ogun/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- Andrew Morse has been hired as Central Washington University’s new chief of staff, and will begin on Sept. 1.
Morse will help implement the university’s vision of creating a more equitable, more diverse campus experience for students and employees, CWU President Jim Wohlpart said in an Aug. 8 news release.
Morse comes to CWU from the University of Northern Iowa, where he has been chief of staff since 2017. He has more than 13 years of higher education experience in a variety of faculty and student success roles, said Wohlpart, who worked alongside Morse at UNI for four years, before coming to Ellensburg in June 2021.
The university also announced last week it has promoted Jonathon Henderson to interim executive director of institutional effectiveness (IE), research and planning. Henderson has been with Central since 2017, serving as the associate director of research for institutional effectiveness and developing a strong foundational background in CWU-specific data and research projects.
Henderson started his new role Aug. 1.
Technology
- Kolten Reynolds has joined Washington Broadband as a fiber/cable installer. He is the 15th full-time hire at the Yakima-based Internet company, which will soon pass more than 100 miles of wired Internet infrastructure in the Yakima Valley.
Media
- Four new employees have recently joined the Yakima Herald-Republic circulation team.
Crystal Peterson joined the team in August 2021 as lead district manager. A Yakima resident for 32 years, she previously worked as a bail bonds agent.
Carey Stanton joined the team in January as circulation clerk after working for the Downtown Association of Yakima for many years.
Christina Garza joined the team in February as district manager after working as a carrier since August 2021.
RabekalynJo Zachman joined the team in July as district manager after being a carrier for a few months. She lived in Yakima when she was younger, and recently moved back to closer to family. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/business/in_basket/in-basket-cwu-has-new-chief-of-staff-planning-director/article_ee6a253c-18d9-11ed-a991-172b9808e33d.html | 2022-08-14T12:23:36Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/business/in_basket/in-basket-cwu-has-new-chief-of-staff-planning-director/article_ee6a253c-18d9-11ed-a991-172b9808e33d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
From a bench in Tieton City Park, John Kobli had a 360-degree view of the town square that holds a million memories. A lifelong resident of Tieton, the 71-year-old could point to any spot in the area and recall what used to be there.
That orange barn-like structure that now serves as an events space for quinceañeras? That was a movie theater. Paper Hammer Studios used to be a pharmacy with hand-mixed sodas for a nickel. And Santos Bakery’s building used to have a beauty salon, barbershop and tavern. Kobli laughed as he recalled getting his hair cut as a kid and trying to peep inside the tavern.
Among Tieton residents, including those who moved there a few years ago and those whose families were among the first in town, the consensus is clear: Things have changed.
“What’s going to be the next change? We don’t know. It’s not going to go back to the little farming community it once was,” Kobli said.
Change is the story for most towns in America. But in Tieton it’s so plain to see. A dying farm town revived by an influx of artisan manufacturing businesses, as the tale goes.
For those who have watched the change happen, those who were part of it, those trying to preserve its history, the town seems more alive today than ever and primed for future growth.
Town Square
The smells of local favorite Mexican and Salvadoran restaurant Don Mateo waft to the sidewalk on the northwest side of the town square.
Owner Francisco Ochoa said he does good businesses in town, even though the summers can be slow, and he has to close early before it gets too hot. On the weekends, his restaurant attracts tourists coming to check out Tieton’s art scene. During the week, his customers are mostly warehouse and orchard workers, as the agriculture industry continues to play a vital role in Tieton.
Ochoa used to work in the Evans Fruit Warehouse, where he met his wife, Bessy, about eight years ago. They would work in the orchards and warehouses then she would cook food for their fellow laborers. They opened Don Mateo about three years later.
Their family lives just outside Tieton. The restaurant is named after his son, who attends the local schools. Ochoa likes the area and says it is a good place to raise a child.
“I can leave the doors open and nothing happens,” he said.
He plans to stay in the area until he retires.
Don Mateo is one of several booming businesses outlining the town square. It’s near the popular Santos Bakery. The Ochoas are friends with its owners. Other restaurants include Fernando’s Mexican food and the upscale 617. There are two convenience stores, an events space and artists’ studios.
It wasn’t always like this. The town was hit hard in 1980s and 1990s. Smaller orchard owners packed it in and sold to bigger companies. The proximity to Yakima made it easier to drive down to shop at bigger retailers. Local businesses could no longer survive.
“The town was dying,” lifelong resident Kobli said. “It was gonna dry up.”
Then Mighty Tieton came to town.
Mighty Tieton
The story of Mighty Tieton has traveled past the point of being just a local legend. In 2005, Seattle-based art books publisher Ed Marquand was riding through the area when he punctured his bicycle tires with goathead thorns. While he patched the wheels he looked around the empty storefronts of the once vibrant orchard town and was inspired to turn the economic trajectory of Tieton around.
Over a decade later, Mighty Tieton has served as an incubator for over a dozen small businesses, many in the artistic sphere, and attracted folks over from the west side.
Several locals credited Marquand and his partner Mike Longyear with reviving the town by encouraging and supporting new businesses.
A few artist spaces are housed inside the Mighty Tieton Warehouse, a former apple warehouse built by Kobli’s father near the town square. There’s the sound space of artist Trimpin with one-of-a-kind instrumental sculptures. Then there’s Tieton Mosaic studio, which worked on several public art projects for the town. Marquand leads tours of the warehouse each Saturday.
Inside the mosaic studio in July, artists were in the middle of two large public arts projects. One is a series of mosaic murals for Sound Transit meant to evoke the subway art in New York City. The other is a collection of welcome mats, signs and artistic “selfie stations” for Miller Park in Yakima.
One of the largest mosaics for Miller Park is a pair of butterfly wings made of about 6,000 pieces of black, orange and red glass. The swirling, sky-like blue glass used for the background let out a screech as mosaic worker Serena Martian scored it with a diamond-edged tool.
When someone stands in front of the mosaic it will look like that person has wings, she explained. Martian has worked at the studio for eight years. She grew up in Naches, but lives in Tieton now.
The studio is packed full of mosaic letter tiles, tools, glass scraps, plans, scale models and re-creations of famous art pieces using glass. There are also oddities like the sculpted head of tree-like Marvel superhero Groot, which won her father and fellow mosaic artist Steve Morgan, a prize at Yakima’s Central City Comic Con a few years ago.
“We’re running out of storage space,” she joked as she as she searched for a book of Portuguese tile art.
Walking around town, Martian recalled the creation of the fruit label mosaics installed in the past few years. The large mosaics recreate old apple labels, like Moon Brand Apples from the Lloyd Garretson Company, complete with a winking yellow moon. The mosaics blend the town’s agricultural history with its burgeoning artistic scene. At least one is visible from nearly any spot in the town square. Some were partly commissioned by orchard families who still work in Tieton, Martian said.
Martian herself recently bought an orchard with her husband and a friend. Some of the orchard owners who helped pay for the label mosaics have grown into her agricultural mentors she said. And she’d like to buy a home one day.
“We don’t mind putting down roots here,” she said.
City Hall
The growth of the town is a frequent topic of discussion at city government meetings. The town saw a 16% bump in residents between 2010 and 2020. That brought the total population to 1,389 people according to the Census.
The Tieton Planning Commission meets once a month to discuss the future of the town.
“As we all are recognizing, Tieton is poised for some pretty significant growth. So, we have to really think hard about how we’re going to be prepared for that,” said commission member and Mighty Tieton founder Mike Longyear during its July 19 meeting.
For years planned developments sat unfinished, commission member Jenny Korens said. But now new housing developments are going up on the edges of town and rentals fly off the market. Catholic Charities Housing Services also runs housing developments for farmworkers in the area.
But even in a growing town like Tieton, smaller matters still earn significant discussion.
At the July 26 City Council meeting, council members had updates on the upcoming Community Days Celebration. Council member Marquand spoke about his pamphlet about stray and barking dogs that is in the works. And a fallen tree in a disabled community member’s yard prompted a plan for council members to go check it out and see how to remove it.
“We’re a small town still,” said City Clerk and Treasurer Fred Muñoz during the meeting. “We try to help out residents when we can.”
Lupita Carrillo is the only Latino council member in a town that’s about 70% Latino, according to the 2020 census. She knows of only one other Latino council member before her. Most of the current council members are older than she is.
Representation was on her mind when she joined the council three years ago.
“I really wanted the perspective of a parent on City Council, a parent who has kids in school still. I really wanted the perspective from a person of color,” she said.
Services for families with children have sprung up in the past few years, which she was excited to see. There’s a new soccer field and plans for a playground. The creARTe program through Tieton Arts and Humanities offers summer and afterschool at classes for kids and teenagers.
Carrillo grew up in Tieton and knows people all over town. She spends time talking to her neighbors and other residents to get their perspectives on the work City Council is doing and what still needs to be done.
“We certainly have grown a lot, and very quickly,” she said. “I think Tieton is a very special place and I think a lot of people have recognized that.”
Tieton Farm and Creamery
The smell of goats is unmistakable at Tieton Farm and Creamery. Naturally, since Ruth and Lori Babcock keep a herd of more than 40 on their 21-acre farm, plus 60 sheep and additional cows, ducks, geese, turkeys and chickens.
Though summer is their busy season, Ruth Babcock has to take a break from tending to the animals during the hottest parts of the afternoon. During that time, she and Lori focus on the administrative side of the business. Real breaks are rare on the farm where there is always more to do. Ruth Babcock said it’s hard for people who do not do farm work to comprehend how busy it gets.
Still, the former westside tech workers said they love their new lives.
Tieton Farm and Creamery occupies the intersection of agriculture businesses that were historically important to the area and the businesses that came in after Mighty Tieton came to town.
The Babcocks came to Tieton around 2008. They’d been trying to raise some of their own food in Bellevue, but their ambitions outgrew their available space. When they started looking for land to start a small farm, they got on Ed Marquand’s radar. That’s how they learned about Tieton.
“This was the first piece of property we were shown, and we loved it,” Lori Babcock said.
Ruth Babcock grew up near Wenatchee and the farmland in Tieton reminded her of home. It certainly felt like home after the community came to support them on a few occasions.
Marquand and the folks at Mighty Tieton showed them a lot of support early on, Lori Babcock said. A few years ago, a barn collapse threatened to force them to close the farm. The community would not let them.
A community GoFundMe raised about $35,000, which covered a critical portion of the barn rebuild, Lori Babcock said.
Some local friends also stepped in to help run the booth at the Downtown Yakima Farmers Market Sunday mornings, Ruth Babcock said.
“Just the nicest group of people really,” Lori Babcock said. “And that’s what I always think about Tieton.”
She recently joined the city planning commission so she can give back to the community that has given so much to her.
Scout Hall Senior Center
Nowhere is the history of Tieton more alive than in Scout Hall.
Each Tuesday and Thursday morning it hosts a gathering of seniors, some born and raised in Tieton and some “newbies” who moved there this century. There’s coffee and conversation. Mostly it’s a place to gather, said Pat Biggers, who helped organize the group.
She grew up in Yakima but moved to Tieton more than 60 years ago when she got married. Her in-laws lived on a piece of land that belonged to one of the first white settlers in the area. She found herself looking into the old blueprints for the property and wanted to explore more of the area’s history.
The history of the town of Tieton is impossible to divorce from the history of other communities in the Upper Yakima Valley, especially nearby Cowiche and Naches Heights.
She began to talk to folks in town, armed with a notebook, pen and curiosity. One day, she walked into Vickie’s Café near the town square where a few women were already chatting.
“I just walked up to these women who didn’t know me from Eve and said what do you think about doing a history of this area of the world,” she said.
That was about 20 years ago. That proposition blossomed into a meeting place for around half a dozen seniors on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the old Scout Hall, so named because a Boy Scout Troop built it in the 1930s.
The pandemic slowed down their efforts a bit, but the mayor asked her to continue with the group, so she did.
There used to be an abundance of community spaces in Tieton, with Vickie’s Café being potentially the longest lasting and most popular, she said. That closed in 2013, but Biggers and fellow Tieton local Charlene Bateman felt the town needed something similar.
The group of seniors that gathers day remised on the way things used to be. They opined how everyone used to know their neighbors and laughed over the bitter rivalry between schools in Tieton and Cowiche that dried up once the Highland School District incorporated all area schools.
Biggers wants people to continue her archival and historic work even after she’s gone. But though she may be slowing down, she’s not stopping.
“I’m not giving it up,” Biggers said. “I’m keeping it until the Lord takes me out of here.” | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/things-have-changed-in-tieton-a-small-town-that-brings-together-agriculture-artists-and-families/article_a7f5c1cc-ba88-5270-9e2e-d5e0d1f13370.html | 2022-08-14T12:23:42Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/things-have-changed-in-tieton-a-small-town-that-brings-together-agriculture-artists-and-families/article_a7f5c1cc-ba88-5270-9e2e-d5e0d1f13370.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
UNION GAP — After being closed for most of July to install a new floor and do a bit of remodeling, longtime local restaurant Jean’s Cottage Inn has reopened to serve up its breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites.
The eatery, at 3211 Main St. in Union Gap, resumed its normal hours on Aug. 3 with a new dining room floor, renovated patio dining area and new service area, owner Allan Marks said. But never fear, the nearly 100-year-old till remains in place.
“Our customers are so loyal,” Marks said. “They stuck with us through the pandemic … and they noticed we took more than our usual two-week July vacation. They’ll notice the new floor, roomier patio area — we removed the A/C unit — and new service area.”
The restaurant dates back to 1946, when owner Bob Boyd opened it as the Tick Tock. It became Jean’s in 1962, when his wife, Jean, took over the business and her son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Betty Boyd, ran it.
Marks and his wife, Kristi, took over Jean’s Cottage Inn in 1997 and the restaurant continues to specialize in big breakfasts, steak and burgers, seasoned with Deccio’s spices that are available for sale at the restaurant and online.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. For more information, visit jeanscottageinn.com, visit their Facebook page or call 509-575-9709.
Consignment store opens on West Yakima Avenue
A family-friendly consignment store featuring infant, children’s and adult clothing, toys and a crafters’ boutique area recently opened on Yakima Avenue, just west of downtown.
Owner Bridgette Huard opened One More Time Around at 419 W. Yakima Ave. on July 16 and said she is pleased with the store’s reception thus far.
“We are very, very happy with the amount of consigners we have,” Huard said Wednesday. “And we wanted to make this someplace very special, someplace super welcoming and inviting.
“We wanted to make this a store that when people walk in, they say, ‘wow!’ And they do,” she added.
Huard said much of the credit goes to her good friend and store manager Katie Purves, who helped set up many of the store’s display racks and who, with her husband, helped design and build the front counter.
“Friendship got this store opened,” Huard said.
Family-friendly features include a large play area for children while their parents shop; room to push shopping carts through the store; a changing room to try on clothing; and even a private nursing area for breast-feeding mothers.
Although most clothing is sized for infants through school-aged children, there also are girls’ juniors, women’s clothing up to size 4X and boys clothing through small and medium men’s sizes.
The Crafters’ Corner features home décor, toys and gift items which are all handmade by Yakima Valley crafters, Huard said.
Purves said the business also has started a Community Compassion Project. Completely fueled by donations, it provides clothing, toys and supplies such as diapers and baby formula to families in need.
“It’s to help people get clothes for their children when they can’t afford to,” Purves said, noting she is encouraged by the amount of clothes, diapers and formula which already has been donated.
One More Time Around is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit their Facebook page or call 509-571-4413.
Business tidbits
• That’s How the Crumbl Cookies Department: Because I am asked about this at least once every week, a sign on the new Crumbl Cookies store in Yakima states they will open on Thursday, Aug. 18. The company, offering fresh-baked cookies in dozens of flavors, has more than 300 locations in 36 states, including the store in the Rainier Square shopping area at 24th Avenue and Nob Hill Boulevard.
• The city of Yakima issued a building permit last month for a new, multi-tenant commercial building at 402 N. Fifth Ave. A restaurant, beauty salon and retail store are planned.
• Construction has begun at a new medical clinic being built at the southeast corner of First Street and Chestnut Avenue in downtown Yakima. The building permit for 105 S. First St., Suite 100, includes adding patient rooms, a reception area, nurse station and medical room.
• The Caliber Home Loans office at 1415 Lakeside Court in Yakima (near Shari’s Café and Pies off Fruitvale Boulevard) has closed. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/the-current-jean-s-cottage-inn-reopens-in-union-gap/article_6991ff6e-18fd-11ed-8896-abf34833f04c.html | 2022-08-14T12:23:48Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/the-current-jean-s-cottage-inn-reopens-in-union-gap/article_6991ff6e-18fd-11ed-8896-abf34833f04c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Chicago mass shooting: 5 shot, 1 fatally, in Auburn Gresham
CHICAGO - Five people were shot, one fatally, in Auburn Gresham early Sunday.
The shooting occurred in the 1800 block of West 78th Street.
At about 12:20 a.m., multiple people were struck by gunfire, police said.
The offender may have been shooting from a vehicle.
A 19-year-old woman was shot in the chest and arm, and transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
A 17-year-old girl was shot in the back, and transported to an area hospital in serious condition.
An 18-year-old man was shot in the arm, and transported to an area hospital in fair condition.
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A 19-year-old man was shot in the arm, and transported to an area hospital in fair condition.
A 17-year-old boy was shot in the torso, and transported to an area hospital in fair condition.
No one is currently in custody. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-mass-shooting-5-shot-1-fatally-in-auburn-gresham | 2022-08-14T12:27:41Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-mass-shooting-5-shot-1-fatally-in-auburn-gresham | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One year after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan , the Taliban has remained in power with a promise, so far undelivered, to govern differently than it did before the American invasion in 2001.
In focus: These photos offer a glimpse into how life has changed for the millions of Afghans at home and abroad.
A girl studying in a secret school at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan on July 25, 2022. Girls and young women have been deprived of the chance of education since the Taliban returned to power. Photo: Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images Relocated to the U.S. after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Mohammad Khisraw Noori, seen here on February 24, 2022, and his family were evacuated from Afghanistan as the Taliban took over and threatened those who worked with the Americans and the Afghan government. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images A woman feeds pigeons outside Shah-e-Do Shamshira mosque in Kabul on August 7, 2022. Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images A vendor sells sunglasses in a market in Kabul on August 7, 2022. Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images Afghan men watch television in a restaurant in Kabul on August 9, 2022. Photo Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images A woman sits on the side of the road in Kabul on July 26, 2022. Photo: Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images Tolo News presenter Sonia Niazi presents the news at a Tolo TV station in Kabul on May 22, 2022. Women presenters on Afghanistan's leading news channels went on air with their faces covered, a day after defying a Taliban order to conceal their appearance on television. Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images Khalid Payenda, prays at his family home in Woodbridge, Virginia, on February 25, 2022, before starting his shift as an Uber driver. Khalid, who just finished a class he co-taught at Georgetown University on Afghanistan, was the Minister for Finance in Afghanistan in 2018. Photo: Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post via Getty Images Children play marbles on a hilltop in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 4, 2022. Photo: by Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/afghanistan-us-withdrawal-anniversary-taliban-photos | 2022-08-14T12:33:41Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/afghanistan-us-withdrawal-anniversary-taliban-photos | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
School districts across America will do anything for more teachers
School districts nationwide are turning to extraordinary measures in a desperate effort to get enough teachers in their classrooms before the academic year kicks off.
Why it matters: The teacher shortage — driven by burnout, low pay and ever-increasing demands — is a slow-motion crisis that's happening everywhere, and there's no easy way to reverse it.
- The wage gap between teachers and the rest of the comparably educated workforce was about 21% in 2018. That disparity was a much smaller 6% back in 1996, according to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, reports Axios' Erica Pandey.
State of play: As the school year approaches, everything from eye-popping financial incentives to suspensions of licensing requirements remains on the table, but there's no guarantee that they'll bring in the people needed — let alone provide a good environment for students.
Des Moines Public Schools is offering a $50,000 incentive to teachers, nurses and administrators who are nearing retirement to stay with the district through the 2022-2023 school year.
- Recipients must be 60 years old by June 30, 2023 and have a minimum of 15 years at DMPS to be eligible for the incentive.
- At least 58 have taken the offer so far, according to records obtained by Axios.
The Dallas Independent School District recently set aside $51 million for salary increases and $52 million for retention bonuses for 2022-2023. The district's starting pay for newly hired teachers is now $60,000 and the minimum wage for staff is $15.
- That kicked off a recruiting arms race among school districts in North Texas, where a population boom and rising costs of living have made it difficult for some to keep up.
The Florida Department of Education announced it would issue a temporary teaching certificate to veterans "who have not yet earned their bachelor's degree" after a new law took effect July 1.
- "I sure wouldn't want them to do something like this with my doctor," Barry Dubin, president of the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. "Are we going to just waive the bar [exam] for five years for veterans to practice law and see how they do?”
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law in 2017 permitting people without formal training to teach in the classroom, as long as they have at least five years of experience in a field that's relevant to their classroom subject.
- Ducey took things a step further this year with a law eliminating the requirement that teachers have a bachelor's degree, instead only requiring that they be enrolled in college.
The big picture: These scrambles don't even begin to address the damage that the pandemic has already done to students' educations, Axios' Erin Doherty reports.
- At the current rate, it may take years for some students to recover from pandemic-era learning loss, according to a NWEA report earlier this month.
- "If you're going to try to patch a hole, it's all about making sure that the size of the patches that you're using are big enough to cover the hole," said Thomas Kane, a Harvard economist who has done extensive research on the pandemic achievement loss.
The bottom line: The vast majority of these staffing strategies are a stopgap, not a solution — and there's no evidence that the teacher shortage is easing anytime soon.
Axios' Jason Clayworth, Jeremy Duda, Ben Montgomery and Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi contributed to this report.
Sign up for Axios Local, now publishing daily newsletters in 24 cities across the U.S. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/teacher-staffing-shortage-incentives-back-to-school | 2022-08-14T12:33:47Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/teacher-staffing-shortage-incentives-back-to-school | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The tragic passing of the writer, poet and filmmaker leaves the creative sector devastated and poorer.
ON Saturday, July 30, the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr Wale Okediran, sent a post entitled ‘Flashback’ to his WhatsApp contacts. It was a photo of himself and the writer/director, Biyi Bandele, accompanied by a caption which read: “Dr Wale Okediran, the then President, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) with Biyi Bandele (left in the above picture) at the launch of Biyi’s new book ‘Burma Boy’ at Lewisham Library, London, the UK on June 21 2007. The author later read from the book about the involvement of West African soldiers in World War 11. According to Biyi Bandele, the book was inspired by his father’s experience in Burma.” In a follow-up post, he added that the writer, editor and critic, Molara Wood, took the photograph.
Almost a week later, the news of Bandele’s passing broke. It was a short statement released by his daughter, Temi, that sent people in the creative sector into a tailspin. Many wept (some others are still weeping) over his untimely passing.
Despite Temi’s post, some found the news incredible. They queried its veracity late into Monday, wondering how it could be when he wasn’t poorly previously. Tributes have since been pouring in, with friends and associates lamenting the monumental loss.
Molara Wood said, “Biyi Bandele’s passing is a profound tragedy, and we already feel his absence so keenly. He was unique in the place he occupied in Nigerian writing, and we grieve because he was still in the afternoon of his days, he still had so much to give, many glories still lay ahead for him. We also grieve for ourselves because we will now have to do without this generational talent, and we are all the poorer for it. I would like to remind everyone that he was primarily a writer, and primarily a writer he remained. Brilliant and prolific, he left us outstanding novels and plays. It’s astonishing what he was able to achieve in a relatively short time. We must honour and uphold his legacy by reading his works.”
Okediran, who posted on July 30, explained his action: “I was browsing the internet researching an essay I was working on when I stumbled on a reference to Biyi Bandele. As I continued reading, a photograph I had taken with him during the launch of his book, ‘Burma Boy’, in London, UK, on June 21 2007, popped out. Fascinated by the discovery, I sent the picture to Biyi Bandele’s Facebook and Molara Wood, who had invited me to the event. A few days later, Biyi replied: ‘Wale Okediran, I remember that reading at Lewisham Library. In the days of my youth! You were there with a friend, I remember.’
“Apart from being devastated by the terrible news, I was puzzled on how I could have chatted with someone I last met 15 years ago, just eight days to his death. Was it a premonition or just a farewell message from one writer to another? He may have died young, but he lived a fulfilled life. May the good Lord rest him.”
Dr Sola Adeyemi of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, in a tribute entitled ‘For Biyi Bandele who snapped and snapped out’, also affirmed Bandele’s qualities. He highlighted the writer’s love of his Yoruba roots which made him insist on making ‘Elesin Oba’, the film adaptation of Professor Wole Soyinka’s ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ partly in Yoruba.
Bandele told the scholar: “Netflix has been a gift. I had to fight to allow them to make Elesin a Yoruba film (well, not quite totally Yoruba; all the English characters still speak English), and to their credit, they said go-ahead. The BBC would have sacked me and got someone who would shoot it in English. And no American studio would have gone anywhere near the project. Though, nationalism wasn’t even a factor when I decided to make it in Yoruba. I did so because I believed it would make it infinitely more accessible. I think it is.”
Aside from his impressive stride in literature and filmmaking, the writer, born in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, on October 13, 1967, was an inspiration to many, including one. Circa 1996, we would converge on Educare Trust, Coca-Cola, Ibadan to browse and borrow available creative works stocked at the youth centre established by Dr Tony Marinho. Some older colleagues, including Folorunsho Moshood, the late Wole Adejayan and the poet Kunle Okesipe, author of the newly released poetry collection, ‘Sometimes I Too Am a River’ would regale us with stories of Bandele’s achievements.
They told us how he left the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to study in London after winning a play competition and remained there. We wanted to be like that too. Go to the UK and churn out creative works that would make us household names among young Nigerians. Curiously, in almost two decades of arts and culture journalism, one never interacted with him one-on-one but followed his progress. One was excited to watch movies he directed, including ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and ‘Fifty’ and eagerly awaited ‘Elesin Oba’, set to premiere at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Sadly, the beat will now go on behind his back. Mo Abudu, the producer, continued with the publicity mere days after Bandele’s passing. She posted on Instagram during the week: “Always dream big because a piece of big is still better than a piece of small.” Quoting Les Brown in a somewhat insensitive graveyard analogy considering what had happened, she added: “The graveyard is the richest place on earth because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step.”
But then, as the Yoruba say, “bi onirese ko ti o fin igba mo, eyi to ti fin sile koni parun lailai”, meaning if the master carver decides to stop producing exquisite calabashes, the ones he previously made will not perish. The author of plays, including ‘Marching for Fausa’, ‘Resurrections in the Season of the Longest Drought’, ‘Two Horsemen’, ‘Death Catches the Hunter’, ‘Me and the Boys’, ‘Way Past Cool’, ‘Things Fall Apart (adapted from Chinua Achebe’s self-same title), ‘Rasselas’, ‘Oroonoko’, ‘Brixton Stories/Happy Birthday’ and ‘Mister Deka’ lives on.
We will continue to honour and uphold his legacy by reading his novels ‘The Man Who Came in from the Back of Beyond’, ‘The Sympathetic Undertaker and Other Dreams’, ‘The Street’ and ‘Burna Boy’. Though his passing is profoundly tragic, we will continue to revel in his works. They will never die.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/as-biyi-bandele-marches-with-angels/ | 2022-08-14T12:37:53Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/as-biyi-bandele-marches-with-angels/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Making a splash
Callum McGuire told David Hennessy about Red Fox Theatre’s Catch of the Day, a story that features the Queen, Eamon De Valera, some nuns and a fish. It comes to Soho Theatre this week.
Red Fox Theatre are bringing their Dingle- inspired play, Catch of the Day, to Soho Theatre.
Described as ‘a raucous and little-bit-political play with a lot of heart, a lot of laughs’, Catch of the Day is based on an unbelievable true story.
The play tells the story of an incredible day in 1966 when a very rare and valuable sturgeon fish was caught in Dingle.
One had not been caught in 400 years and has not been caught in Dingle since that day.
But a young boy who didn’t understand the occasion threw the fish, and the fortune it was worth, back into the sea much to the horror of the whole town.
Callum McGuire, who is a producer with Red Fox Theatre as well as one of the show’s creators and an actor in the show, told The Irish World: “It’s a cracking little story.
“I couldn’t believe I had never heard this story before.
“Back in 1966 in Dingle, they caught a sturgeon, the fish you get caviar from.
“It’s a really rare fish in Irish waters. One hadn’t been caught in 400 years. One hasn’t been caught since.
“The fish is caught and everyone’s really excited and everyone’s on the pier.
“There’s a wee little lad called John Brosnan, who has jumped down inside the boat and the whole town is saying, ‘Pop it over, toss it over’.
“And he picks it up and he throws it over back into the sea.
“He gets mixed up because everyone is saying, ‘Throw it over the side’.
“He throws it back in the sea. Half the town chase after him, and the other half try and chase after this fish which is worth about €4,000 in today’s money.”
The story then takes something of a political turn.
“And it turns out as well to be a royal fish which means if one is caught in Irish waters, it has to be given to the Queen of England.
“Of course, that’s not an option.
“The people of the town hatch a plan to send it to Eamon De Valera as sort of two fingers up to the Queen really.
“Somehow they had a contact for De Valera in the town. They call him up and he said, ‘Thanks very much but could you please give it to the poor Clare nuns in Kenmare’.
“The nuns were expecting this fish but of course, it’s been thrown back into the sea. There is no fish.
“However, later that day, another boat comes in with an even bigger sturgeon.
“One hadn’t been caught in 400 years and one hasn’t been caught since but on one day in Dingle in 1966, they caught two.
“The fishermen are like, ‘This is the answer to our prayers. We can just send this fish to the nuns’.
“However, for political reasons, because he was incarcerated by De Valera, the skipper of the second boat obviously doesn’t want to give the fish to Eamon De Valera.
“He decides to send the fish off to London to sell for the highest price.
“The story goes that the fish did go to London. Someone did buy it but then the person who bought it gave it to the Queen of England.
“So it’s just a fantastic story.
“As miraculous as it, it’s a true story. And it’s beautiful.”
Coming to the West End and Soho Theatre in particular is bringing the play ‘full circle’ or ‘home’ as it was in the theatre’s bar where Callum and others had the very first discussions about it.
“We’ve been given this opportunity which is fantastic because it was our goal.
“As soon as we set out with this show, our dream was to always have it on at the Soho.
“It’s been something we’ve been dreaming about to have the show on there for a long time.
“When we were first talking about it, when I was back in drama school, I got my friends together to sort of tell them about this idea.
“And weirdly enough, there’s a photo of us in our first ever meeting at the Soho Theatre, in the bar, discussing the show.
“It kind of feels like we’re going full circle, we were just talking about it over a couple of pints back in 2018 and now it’s actually on in the Soho.
“It feels amazing.”
Inspired by a documentary he had heard about the story, Callum shared the story with some drama school buddies at the Soho Theatre.
“I got some of my drama school buddies together and I just sort of told them about this idea.
“I had heard the RTE documentary and couldn’t believe that it was a true story.
“It was after one of our showcase shows at the Soho where you kind of perform to agents and it was during that hubub where people are meant to be going off and chatting to agents and people were just sat at the tables wanting to hear this story and wanting to get involved.
“It feels kind of almost like coming back home.
“It’s fantastic.
“It’s just amazing that we’re able to bring it full circle and all the guys back in Dingle are really excited.
“Bar one of the actors, we’ve got the original cast coming back for the London run.
“We’re all really, really excited because it means that it is kind of the original team back together.
“The Soho Theatre has been amazing.
“They have been very much mentoring us as well, which has been great.”
Callum’s family come from Kerry, and the play aims to educate the audience about Anglo-Irish relations and history.
“It’s been great for explaining Anglo- Irish relations.
“We use it as a vessel to educate our audiences on Anglo-Irish relations because people in Ireland would be aware but English audiences don’t necessarily know.
“A lot of people have come up to us saying, ‘I had no idea’, and that they want to educate themselves more from watching the show.
“This company sells itself as children’s theatre for adults.
“It’s not forcing it down someone’s throat. It’s just explaining it.”
During the show, the actors often break character and speak directly to the audience. They have been described as reminiscent of Monty Python and Horrible Histories.
“This show, not only is it educational, but it’s what I think everyone needs at the moment: Escapism.
“It gives you a night out where you can sort of forget the woes of the world, and just have a great night.
“Megan, the writer/director, says it’s like a secret vegetable.
“If you want your kids to eat their vegetables, you have to chop up the carrot and the celery and everything really small in that lasagne so they’ll eat it.
“So that’s kind of what we mean about the little political edge, that it just has a small bit of education in there, which people don’t feel it’s shoved down their throats, that they can kind of sit back and learn something whilst having a great night out.
“Megan, the writer/director, says the play is kind of her learning through Irish history herself.
“And I think that’s a really lovely way of doing it, we explore with the audience, and it’s a discussion as well.
“So it’s not just shoved down people’s throat, they can actually have a discussion with us.
“It’s a conversation as well.
“I think now with Brexit and things like that, it is more important now more than ever to kind of understand what’s going on and to listen as opposed to just shouting at people, just listening is a great way forward.”
Since its launch in 2018, Catch of the Day has had an award-nominated run at Edinburgh Fringe and critically acclaimed shows in London and Oxford.
Its West End run comes after sell-out UK and Irish tours and poignant performances in Dingle.
It has also had a sell out run for a week in Dublin at the Smock Alley Theatre.
But it is probably when it returned to Dingle that the shows were most poignant as the story was developed with the community of Dingle’s support and the testimony of those who still remember the famous day in the town’s history.
“We managed to take it back to Dingle back in 2019.
“It was one of the most special performances we’ve ever done in our careers because it was just so important for the town.
“And I think what’s been lovely about doing the project is that we felt so involved in the community of Dingle.
“The guys in Kerry had a say in how the show is made.
“We’re constantly changing the show. Someone will come up to us, ‘Oh, this person was a bit more like this’.
“Or, ‘Here’s a detail of what it was like in the town at the time’.
“So it was been lovely that they felt personally invested in it as well.
“It’s their story. It’s not our story.”
Callum admits it was nerve racking to bring the play back to Dingle but has been overwhelmed to see the town take it to their hearts.
“They were so lovely and so welcoming and they embraced the show so much.
“One of the wives, Maureen Walsh, came to see the show.
“Joe Walsh, who is one of the main characters, has been gone for quite a few years now.
“She was saying it brought him back to life for her.
“It was brilliant and it was everything he was like, she was saying.
“That was, I think, unbelievable.
“And it showed us actually how important it was to tell this story and for more people to hear about it.”
The play would have to return to Dingle again for a longer run due to high demand.
“What was fantastic was that people would come and see the show and then the next day you see them again but they’re bringing their kids saying, ‘This is important. It’s important that the kids see this’.
“There was a guy who drove all the way down from Tralee, just dropped off his kids and was like, ‘They need to watch this show. I watched it last night. I’ll be back to pick them up in an hour’.
“It was fantastic.
“It’s everything we wanted it to be.”
The play returned to Dingle again just in May.
“We did two nights in Dingle at the festival.
“It was quite funny. We had the actor John C. Reilly, the Hollywood actor, come along to see it which was great.
“He was great gas, he really enjoyed it.
“It was really lovely going back.
“It was really funny.
“Some of the guys were putting us up. They were talking about this show that had come to Dingle back in 2019, telling the story about the Dingle sturgeon story.
“We were like, ‘That’s us’.
“It was really funny how they completely changed. They were like, ‘It was great’.
“It was so funny how the town hadn’t really heard that we were coming back and as soon as they did, within a couple of hours the shows were sold out.
“They were so ecstatic that it was back and bringing more people.
“I was on Radio Kerry about two weeks ago, just before my wedding because I got married two weeks ago, but it was quite funny because I was on there and they got wind of it.
“They gave me a big congratulations and immediately after John Brosnan, who the story is about, gave me a phone call straightaway.
“He was giving me all his love and affection and was saying he can’t wait to come over (to London) to come and see it.”
Catch of the Day is at the Soho Theatre 15- 20 August.
For more information and to book, click here.
For more information on Red Fox Theatre, click here. | https://www.theirishworld.com/catch-of-the-day-2/ | 2022-08-14T12:37:53Z | theirishworld.com | control | https://www.theirishworld.com/catch-of-the-day-2/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scenes of a sexual nature
Harry Butler told David Hennessy about his play Changing the Sheets which is at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
A new play with an Irish writer and cast looks at how people get together and relate to each other in the age of hook-up apps like Tinder.
London-based Dublin writer and actor Harry Butler is bringing his play Changing the Sheets to the Edinburgh Fringe starring himself and Máiréad Tyers.
Written by Harry himself, Changing the Sheets finds two strangers in bed together after a first date.
As the two characters Patti and Robert act out their intimate encounter with words only, the gap between the romantic ideal and reality becomes clear.
Harry told The Irish World: “I had this idea of quite a simple play, that it would be everything a couple says to each other in the bedroom before, during and after sex but we would never do any of the sex.”
Harry, who only graduated from The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art in 2018, started writing to make something happen for himself with a part he could play but is now writing another project.
“The idea kind of came from a few different things.
“I just thought that was a strong idea.
“One of the things that I’m really interested in, and what the play’s interested in, is how you get to know someone in the bedroom and the kind of conversations you have in bed.
“It felt like a very interesting, specific type of conversation to focus on.
“Then in a real practical sense, it’s just easy. It’s just two people chatting in a bedroom.
“I did not have to think about how to get characters on or off stage or anything like that.
“I just thought, ‘Okay, we’ll just meet a couple and we’ll get to know them over the time that they get to know each other and through what they say to each other in the bedroom’.”
In the play one character is looking for a hook-up while the other wants something more serious.
This is not all that divides them as Patti is very cool while Robert is something of a nerd.
“They are a mismatch. They’re an odd couple, I suppose.”
The play might have sexual themes and content but it is all conveyed without showing any flesh.
“The play has sex in it but it’s not really it’s not really about sex.
“There’s sexual things in it, it’s not really about sex.
“That’ll make more sense if you see it, it’s not about sex.
“It’s more about young people getting to know each other.
“It is a little bit sexy.
“But it’s funny, it’s light hearted.
“I wanted it to be like ‘a pop play’, like a pop song where it was kind of short and easily relatable.
“And that’s one of the things that I’ve been pleased with.
“People are relating to it, ‘I’ve had that conversation’.
“I get a bit frustrated, as someone who loves the theatre. I never want to make or write a play or be put in plays that make people feel stupid or anything.
“It’s a very easy play to understand and hopefully, that doesn’t compromise on it having something to say.
“It’s a play where you’ll know what’s going on and hopefully what’s going on will make you laugh and hopefully pack a bit of a punch.
“That was my aim with it.”
An insight into dating and intimacy in the modern age, The Irish Independent described the play as ‘A clever anti-romantic comedy for our times’.
“It begins slightly from the point of view of hook up culture, the idea of casual sex.
“We’re all young and it’s accessible.
“We have this freedom but then when does that kind of run out? Or when do things start getting a bit serious or things change?”
Harry appeared in Deadly Cuts directed by Rachel Carey which closed the Irish Film London Festival 2021 as well as the Dublin International Film Festival.
Based in the Finsbury Park area, Harry moved to London last year for the purposes of developing the play.
“I kind of moved for that reason, but also just kind of get out of Dublin after the pandemic.
“It was a good decision.
“It does feel like the right call.”
This will the fifth time Harry has got to put the show on with runs in London, at Dublin Fringe and at Bewleys Café Theatre on Grafton Street already notches on Changing the Sheets’ belt.
“It’s been very enjoyable to work on.
“It’s always been really good fun. I’ve been really pleased with how it’s gone down.
“I get to travel with it, it’s bringing us up to Edinburgh.
“I have to say when we started doing it originally, I was just very anxious about it going well, and very nervous.
“When I was onstage acting in it, I was also worrying about it, ‘God, what are they going to think about me?’
“Or, ‘What are they going to think about the writing?’
“It felt very exposing.
“But now that it’s gone well and people have liked it and I’ve gotten good feedback, I feel like I can worry about that a bit less.
“Obviously, I still very much worry about it so very worried about Edinburgh, but I think I can have a bit more confidence in it, you know?”
In the past, Harry has been acting opposite Rachel Feeney.
Harry will be joined onstage in Edinburgh by Máiréad Tyers, the Cork actress who has been cast as the lead in Disney +’s forthcoming Extraordinary with Siobhan McSweeney leading the supporting cast.
We interviewed Máiréad, who had not even graduated from RADA when lockdown came in, in March last year when she was reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Dan Stevens and Rebecca Hall.
“Máiréad’s star is rising so maybe you’ll be interviewing her again in the future.”
Harry counts himself very lucky to have found not one but two great actresses to work with on this play where the chemistry between the two characters is so “really, really important”. Both Rachel and Máiréad featured in Kenneth Branagh’s Oscar-winning Belfast.
“I got so lucky with the two of them, Oh my God.
“I hadn’t met Máiréad at all before I started working on the play with her and we’ve since become very, very good friends.
“I was just looking to work with an Irish actress in London, and someone sent me her name.
“We chatted on Zoom for a bit, and turns out she’s amazing, and is a really good friend of mine now. So it’s been so lucky.
“I kind of knew of Rachel but again, oh my God.
“The chemistry, that dynamic, it’s just us two onstage the whole time.
“I feel like I struck gold getting to work with those two actresses.
“They’re both amazing. They really are.”
Harry has been pleased with how the female role has been received.
“The most satisfying thing I’ve heard about it is when people come up would be women saying, ‘Oh, you wrote her really well’.
“Because that is the thing you’d want to get right.
“I really didn’t want it to be a play where it was written by a guy, the guy who wrote it was in it and then the female character was two dimensional and sh*t and not interesting.
“I was so afraid of that, I still am afraid of that.
“If someone said that to me up in Edinburgh or whatever, I’d be heartbroken.
“But I think the thing I did with Patti is I made her kind of a bit more like me in many ways but just made it out of a girl’s mouth.
“And then that has ended up being quite truthful hopefully or resonant or whatever.”
Is there a similarity to Normal People in that way? While before any depictions of sex were from the point of male gratification, this seems more complex..
“I’d like to think so. That would be a compliment because I really rate what Sally Rooney has done.
“I’d like to think it’s exploring similar things or it’s trying to take a deeper look at intimacy.
“I loved Normal People, the sex scenes were scenes in themselves, and they were fascinating.
“And they were really truthful. I think that’s one of the many reasons why it resonated with so many people.
“It was showing a part of our personal lives that we weren’t used to seeing.”
Just like with Máiréad and Rachel, Harry must feel he stuck gold with the involvement of director Anthony Biggs.
Biggs has been the Co-Artistic Director of the Playground Theatre since it opened in 2017, where his directing credits include Gregory Evans’ Shirleymander with Jessica Martin, James Purdy’s ghost tale The Paradise Circus with Sophie Ward and Tim Woodward, The UK Premiere of The Jazz Age by Allan Knee and Finding Neverland with Hannah Tointon.
“I sent him this play, and I didn’t know him before either, and he has been so central to it happening and having a life.
“He is kind of the reason it’s been able to happen.
“And again, so lucky that I’ve met him and he’s directing it.
“If Anthony wasn’t on board, we wouldn’t be going to Edinburgh and a lot of other great things wouldn’t have happened with it either.
“He’s been amazing.
“I do really mean that about Máiréad and Rachel and Anthony because I think that’s one of the reasons why maybe the play’s happening again.
“It’s because we enjoy working with each other, it could be that simple.
“We want to do it again because it’s good fun to do.
“The hope would be Changing the Sheets would get, the dream would be that we’d get another go in London, we’d get to take it down to London and maybe Dublin again.
“I’d love to do it in London again, that would be the dream.”
Changing the Sheets can be seen at Edinburgh Fringe where it plays at the Assembly Rooms, The Drawing Room, until 28 Aug 2022 (not 16), at 9.15pm.
To book, click here.
For more information on Playground Theatre, click here. | https://www.theirishworld.com/changing-the-sheets/ | 2022-08-14T12:38:00Z | theirishworld.com | control | https://www.theirishworld.com/changing-the-sheets/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The last few days have been hectic for Afropop singer, Kizz Daniel, as he has been embroiled in a controversy that stemmed from his absence at a music concert in Tanzania where he was billed to perform.
Daniel, R learnt, was paid the sum of $60,000 to perform at the show but was said to have refused to perform despite arriving Tanzania from Uganda for his Afro classic tour.
The Buga singer was arrested and detained in Tanzania for failing to perform at the concert after the organizers claimed to have begged Daniel to kindly honour the agreement they had and save them from losing their investment.
While the singer was detained for a couple of hours before he was released, he, however, promised to hold a free concert to appeal to his fans and organisers of the show.
Speaking about what went wrong in Tanzania, Kizz Daniel’s road manager and brother, Folu Anidugbe, highlighted the mitigating factors for his debacle where he pinpointed the lack of coordination and proper arrangement of the slated event by promoters of the show.
He debunked allegations that he stayed away from the show because of clothes or ‘gold chain’ as the Nigerian promoter, Steve Uwa, earlier claimed saying that they all had agreed to reschedule the show before he came the next day.
He also stated that contrary to what was doing the round in the media about him being arrested, “I was only taken to the police for questioning due to vandalism and disruption of peace that happened at the show venue.
“We stayed in Nairobi for eight hours and waited at the Airport Lounge and eventually got a connecting flight and arrived Dar-es-Salam at 11.30 pm and the band went straight to the venue. While this was happening, the organisers assured my team and I that everything was in order and the fans were properly communicated to. We eventually arrived at the hotel at 1.30 am due to misplaced luggage and required documentation processes.
Ensuring everything was in place even after the delays and missing luggage at the airport, the singer made sure the band was present at the venue to do sound checks but they were cut off stage because fans were already standing by to be thrilled to a great show.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/my-tanzanian-ordeal-kizz-daniel/ | 2022-08-14T12:38:08Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/my-tanzanian-ordeal-kizz-daniel/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Murphys rule
ALL- BRITAIN INTERMEDIATE CAMOGIE FINAL
Father Murphy’s do it the hard way
Father Murphy’s…………………..2-11
Tara………………………………………3-5
(After extra-time)
By David Hennessy, at Greenford
It would take extra-time for them to do it but Father Murphy’s overcame Tara to become intermediate champions of Britain at Greenford on Saturday 30 July.
Having started slow, Murphy’s would have to overturn a 0-1 to 1-4 half-time score-line but played like absolute demons in a second half that saw them score 2-6 without reply after the re-start.
Although Tara would force extra-time with a late goal, Father Murphy’s would be ruthless enough to not let them back into it again.
It would be Tara who would open the scoring through Cora McEvoy from a free.
Cora would soon add another with a good score from play. With everything going through her, Cora McEvoy looked dangerous every time she got on the ball and would then score the first goal of the game.
When Cora floated in a free, it looked like it was going over the bar only to drop into the top corner of the net. Whether it was intended or not, Cora had fired Tara into a 1-2 to no score lead with only five minutes played.
Father Murphy’s looked to respond and it would be Aoife McCarthy who would open their account with a calmly taken point that came after a goalmouth scramble.
But Tara were still in free flow and Eleanor Harrison would find Aoife O’Meara who would run and point.
But McEvoy herself would have the last word of the first half with a free from the midfield area.
While Father Murphy’s were beginning to threaten, they weren’t quite threatening the Tara goal or troubling the scoreboard. Aoife McCarthy would force a save from Rachel Mulryan in the Tara goal but that would be as close as they would come in the first period with Tara bringing a 1-4 to 0-1 lead in at half-time.
However, if it was mostly one-way traffic in the first half, Father Murphy’s would come out looking like a different team in the second half.
Straight from the restart, Caitriona O’Brien would put a free in for Aoife McCarthy to strike for a well taken goal.
McCarthy would add a point just moments later. Murphy’s only trailed by two now. They were back in it and all of a sudden they were winning every ball.
Laura Cleary would level things up with a brace of points, the second being an excellent score where she proved just too hard for Tara to stop her on the solo run.
With roughly eight minutes of the second half played, the teams were now tied on 1-4 apiece and Tara had yet to score since the break.
Father Murphy’s would go ahead for the first time through Aoife McCarthy again, Caitriona O’Brien would add to this despite Tara’s best efforts to clear the ball.
Father Murpy’s led by two when Michelle Mangan spent some time down after taking a strike to the head. Although it was feared she may not be able to continue, Michelle was able to carry on.
Caitriona O’Brien would stretch Murphys’ lead to three with a brace of frees.
And O’Brien would soon strike again but not for just a single point. When O’Brien put another free into the danger zone from far out on the wing, it wasn’t dealt with and ended up in the net.
With little more than fifteen minutes to play, Father Murphy’s led by 2-7 to 1-4 and Tara, who were so in control at half-time, still had to score since the break.
But that woman Cora McEvoy would see to that with another long range free that dropped just under the bar. It was very like her first half goal and you had to wonder if it was intended but it had brought Tara back into the game.
Cora would cut the deficit further still with a close range free. Tara now only trailed by two points.
Caitriona O’Brien would supply Aoife McCarthy to stretch the Murphy’s lead to three again.
With time running out, Tara knew they needed a goal and pushed for it to be rewarded with a dramatic last gasp Emma Hogan goal.
With the scores 2-8 to Father Murphy’s and 3-5 to Tara at the final whistle, we were set for extra-time.
Heading into the first period of extra-time, Caitriona O’Brien would make no mistake with a free to restore Father Murphys’ lead.
Aoife McCarthy would then produce a good score to stretch that lead to two.
These would be the only two scores of the first half.
Tara continued to struggle to score as the extra-time wore on.
As time ticked away, Laura Cleary’s score for Murphy’s would be the only additional point. Murphy’s led by three again and Tara found themselves in the same position they were in near the end of normal time: They needed a goal.
Cora McEvoy would have an attempt but see her shot stopped by Caitriona Donnellan in the Father Murphy’s goal, the co- captain and leader who would make sure there was no escape for Tara this time.
When the final whistle blew after extra-time, there was an outpouring of emotion from all involved with Father Murphy’s.
They had done it the hard way, but they had done it.
There were some excellent performances from individuals but it was a team effort that dragged them back into it. Knowing they underperformed at the start, they came out like a different team in the second half and even Tara’s late equalizer could not shake them then.
By contrast, Tara will be disappointed they could not maintain their excellent start or drive on having pulled off what could have been something of a great escape by forcing extra-time.
Father Murphy’s will now go on to represent Great Britain in the All- Ireland.
Father Murphy’s co- captain Caitriona Donnellan told The Irish World after the match: “We’re elated.
“That was such a hard game and we started so badly.
“We just about hung on for that first half and (then) we came alive.”
Father Murphy’s goal scorer Caitriona O’Brien added: “Darren (Howlin, manager)’s speech at half-time really changed the game.
“He gave us some home truths and that’s what you need because it’s hurling and camogie at the end of the day.”
Caitriona Donnellan continued: “We knew what we had to do in the second half.”
Laura Cleary added: “Even at the end of the game when that goal went in, we could have easily let the heads drop but we came out in extra-time fighting like dogs.
“We just kept going.
“We knew we could do it.”
Father Murphy’s co- captain Aisling Dunphy said: “It wasn’t just the 15, it’s a panel.
“That’s what we had this year that we didn’t have other years.
“Who’s ever won an All- Britain final and not been happy girls?”
Laura Cleary, who scored the point that levelled things for Murphy’s having trailed by so much, added: “It’s only the start.”
Father Murphy’s: Caitriona Donnellan, Caitriona O’Brien (1-3, 3F), Aisling Dunphy, Grainne Waters, Bernice Kealey, Michelle Mangan, Aoife McCarthy (1-5), Laura Cleary (0-3), Moira O’ Flaherty, Siobhan Condon, Kelly Devine, Lauren Kearns, Sarah Costello. Subs: Brenda Kerr for Bernice Kealey, Aisling Murphy for Lauren Kearns, Laura Fitzgerald for Kelly Devine.
Tara: Rachel Mulryan, Claire Flynn, Emer Kelly, Joni Traynor, Mary Desmond, Shannon McPartland, Eleanor Harrison, Aoife O’Meara (0-1), Sarah Crowley, Cora McEvoy (2-4, 5F), Emma Hogan (1-0), Rachel Barry, Megan McGuire. | https://www.theirishworld.com/father-murphys/ | 2022-08-14T12:38:08Z | theirishworld.com | control | https://www.theirishworld.com/father-murphys/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Joe Deacy: Five years and still no justice
By David Hennessy
This Saturday 13 August, it is five years since 21-year- old Joe Deacy of the St Colmcilles GAA club in St. Alban’s died tragically while on holiday in Mayo.
It has been five years without justice as to this day no one has been charged.
To mark the occasion this Saturday will see a special memorial football match between The Hammers and St Colmcilles at the Connacht GAA Air Dome in Co Mayo.
A yearly match in Joe’s honour has been played every year since his passing.
However, this will be the first time it will be played in Mayo since the first anniversary of his death in 2018.
Joe’s father Adrian told The Irish World the occasion will be tough but that he and everyone who loved Joe will continue in their fight for justice as long as it takes.
Adrian said: “The boys who play, they always said if we had to do it up to year five, they’d like to take it over there for year five.
“That’s why we’re going this year. The boys wanted to make more of an impact being the fifth anniversary.”
A small number of Joe’s relatives and friends will also walk to the spot where Joe was found.
“The match is tough but it’s not as solemn as the walk.
“The majority of the emotion will be on the walk.
“I mean, the whole day will be a nightmare for me anyway because it falls on his anniversary.
“Wherever I am, wherever I would be, it would have been a nightmare. It just so happens that it’s in Ireland this time.
“It’s never going to get any easier.
“He’s always going to be dead.
“He’s always going to be my murdered son.
“But it would be nice if there was some justice.
“I dread the thought of going back there.
“But I’m not going on the walk.
“Charlotte, Alison and I are going over.
“We’re not going on the walk. We’re not going up to that house.
“I did it once and I still remember it like it was yesterday.
“Joe was loved by everyone. My brothers and sisters are going and they are going on the walk.
“They detest it. They go every year but it’s a horrendous thing.
“They absolutely can’t stand it. But they have to do it to show their support and highlight the fact that his murderers are still walking the streets in Mayo.”
Joe Deacy was on holiday when he was found with head injuries outside a house in Swinford, Co. Mayo, at 6.30am on 12 August 2017.
He died the following day at Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital.
The inquest into Joe’s killing can not take place until the Garda investigation concludes.
Gardai believe three people have knowledge of Joe’s death.
During the night he was murdered, Joe had spoken with his cousin on social media at 3.45am after a night out.
Detectives believe he was attacked following this call. He was found lying outside the property at 6am by a cyclist.
Only one of the three main “persons of interest” was arrested. The other two were questioned but did not provide any information.
However while people with information don’t come forward the family’s torment goes on.
How can these people live with themselves? “That’s the $64,000 question, how can they live with themselves?
“They do, without a care in the world.
“They’re still engaged in the local GAA scene.
“I’m only going on what I’m hearing from my cousins who live over there, and they thought they didn’t have a care in the world.
“I know, obviously, when the curtains are shut at night, it might be a different picture.
“But the outward image they present is no worries in the world.
“How they live with themselves, I don’t know.
“And the ironic thing is it would be manslaughter.
“If they had owned up, they would be out of prison in a couple years from now, they wouldn’t have got that long a sentence.
“We thought someone would say something.
“It’s a very tight knit group of people who may be responsible for this, we thought maybe they would tell someone and then that someone would tell someone else.
“And once you tell someone, the ripple effect would spread and then hopefully we thought someone would tell someone and then that someone would tell the police.
“But apparently not.”
Gardai have been unable to establish a motive for the murder or what happened to Joe between 4am and when he was found.
“No one knows,” Adrian says.
“There was an hour and a half.
“Everyone knows what happened up to half four in the morning.
“He was on social media with his cousins joking away.
“And then half six or whatever the guy’s cycling past and raised the alarm.
“There is an hour and a half there. The coppers call it the black hole.
“I don’t know how far they have discovered what’s in the black hole yet or if they’re just the same as they were five years ago.
“No one knows what happened.
“Obviously some people do, but they’re not telling.
“You’re hoping something will touch someone’s conscience somewhere, that’s all you can hope for.
“And with the match going to Mayo, it brings it closer to home for these people.
“They might see us in local papers and think, ‘It’s not going away’.
“That’s all we can hope for.”
Although there is support from Ireland as well, the family have encountered some opposition to their campaign.
“The support in the local village hasn’t been fantastic.
“In the local, rural communities, there is a part of people that are saying, ‘I wish this would all go away’.
“We’ve encountered some of that as well.
“I mean, genuine decent people wherever you are in the world would want to see justice.
“Getting it is the hard part.
“But it will be interesting to see how many other people are going (to the match) from the local community.”
Adrian says the family have had their hopes raised and then dashed by the Garda over the five years.
“They were saying, ‘Yeah, we’re doing our best, we’re doing this, that and other’.
“So you would walk out of there with renewed hope.
“And then you would wait another six months and the hope would go down because you haven’t heard from them.
“We’d ask for another meeting and they’d say, ‘Well, actually, nothing’s happened. We’re still doing this, that and the other’.
“And then eventually, it was, ‘We haven’t got sufficient evidence to charge anyone’.
“So we thought that would be the end of it, we would have the inquest.
“They then changed the investigation team.”
Hopefully they can get somewhere..
“We’re now five years down the line, and you’re repeating exactly where I’m at: Hopefully. That’s all we can, hope.
“You’re never going to give up hope.
“We will never give up trying for him.”
While they now get updated by the Garda, this has not always been the case.
“The first three and a half years: Shambolic.
“Now whether that was because we were in England and they were in Ireland and thought, ‘Tough sh*t, I don’t know’.
“But honestly you couldn’t make it up how poor they were.
“You know you read whenever God forbid people get murdered over here and police are comforting the relatives or liaising or whatever? That never happened.
“We never had any sort of police liaison officer at all.
“Couldn’t make it up how ridiculous it is.
“It doesn’t really matter. If I was looking for support, I wouldn’t necessarily go to the police looking for support anyway.”
Adrian says the St Colmcille’s Club have been tremendous in their support of the family ever since it happened.
“They have been magnificent.
“They are unreal. They have been unbelievable from day one.
“I don’t remember because obviously it’s a bit of a fog to me, but from their involvement in the funeral and what they did to this day still, they are unbelievable.
“Joe played football and he went there off his own back because I have never played Gaelic in my life.
“I think he just decided he wanted to go when he was 16 and he loved it, the game but he equally loved the social aspect.
“He absolutely adored it.
“Colmcilles, I can’t ever speak highly enough of them.
“Obviously there’s a lot of them going over next weekend.
“I don’t think they’re the greatest football team in the world.
“Without a doubt they must be the greatest for the support they’ve given.”
Although Adrian hopes there does not have to be another match in five years’ time because some justice has been delivered, the family will go on looking for justice as long as it takes.
“There’s not a hope in Hell, it wouldn’t enter anyone’s mind to give up.
“It’s not a battle because there is no other option.
“There is no other alternative, end of story.
“It’s a real emotional wrench anyway but this year I’m dreading it.
“Please God if they get someone, the lads might have a match just to celebrate but we won’t be doing the walk if they get someone.
“As long as the current situation stays as it is then yeah, it definitely will continue.”
Throw- in for the memorial game will be at 3.20pm this Saturday 13 August with the memorial walk starting with N5 Kinaffe turning at 12pm. | https://www.theirishworld.com/joe-deacy/ | 2022-08-14T12:38:15Z | theirishworld.com | control | https://www.theirishworld.com/joe-deacy/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Good Sunday morning! Areas of patchy fog are present across South Georgia and the Big Bend. Otherwise, it is a quiet and dry start to the day. Sunday will feature plenty of sunshine with a few clouds popping up later today. Finally, some drier air has worked into the region from the north. Therefore, expect limited rain chances today especially in South Georgia and inland locations. The Big Bend will likely see a few scattered showers and rumbles of thunder during the afternoon hours, but it certainly won't be as wet as we've been as of late. High temperatures will be in the low 90's with a small drop in humidity in our South Georgia communities. Low temperatures should drop into the upper 60's to low 70's.
One more drier day will unfold on Monday with rain chances only around 20% across the area. High temperatures will top out in the lower 90's. Moisture begins to creep back in Tuesday so rain and storm opportunities are going to gradually increase through midweek. By Thursday, a soggy and wet pattern is expected to become established over the region which may linger into next weekend. | https://www.wtxl.com/weather/sunday-morning-first-to-know-forecast-08-14-22 | 2022-08-14T12:39:48Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/weather/sunday-morning-first-to-know-forecast-08-14-22 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Editor's note: Author Qasim Rahimi writes primarily in Dari/Persian. He wrote parts of this essay in English with assistance, including the use of Google Translate. It was then edited by C.J. Janovy.
As usual, I reached the office at 8 in the morning. A journalist by training, I now served as as director of information and public awareness at the National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan.
I supervised a staff of 21 people: Our job was to provide public information to protect the environment and manage climate change. That morning, I looked at the daily schedule and assigned duties to my employees.
It was Aug. 15, a Sunday. Afghanistan was going through difficult times. Every day, news of provinces falling to the Taliban and the surrender of the Afghan National Army intensified people’s anxiety. That day, the office seemed chaotic.
I could see confusion on my coworkers’ faces. All the employees, especially the women, were panicking. During the Taliban’s first period of ruling of Afghanistan and their anti-government activities while the United States forces were present, the Taliban committed many crimes.
They killed women, youth, journalists and hundreds of other people. Everyone knew this.
One of my colleagues requested that female employees be allowed to leave. By 11 a.m., rumors of the Taliban's arrival at the gates of Kabul intensified. We decided to leave the office.
The roads of Kabul were filled with terrified people. Everyone was trying to escape from the city. It took me a long time to make it home.
I had built a beautiful house with five residential units, which I rented out to several other families. I was well-known and trusted by local residents because of my position in the government.
As soon as she saw me, my mother calmed down a little. She insisted that I leave the house — we were worried that the Taliban would search our home and I would be arrested. So I hid in a neighbor's house. It was a rough night; I was up until midnight, trying to find news about what was happening. All the domestic media of Afghanistan stopped their broadcasts or broadcasted repeated programs of the past.
BBC was the only media covering what was happening in Afghanistan. Former President Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the political partner of former Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, appeared on the TV screen. Both talked about the president’s escape and the Taliban's entry into the presidential palace.
Al Jazeera's pictures of the Taliban's entry into the presidential palace circulated on social media. The fall of Afghanistan was officially confirmed by the Taliban.
My anxiety intensified. I barely made it through the night and left the place in the morning wearing different clothes than usual so I wouldn’t be easily recognized.
In search of escape
It was promising to hear that people under threat were being transferred out of the country by international forces through Hamid Karzai International Airport. My two older brothers, one of whom was a journalist and the second of whom worked with international forces, had received calls to leave Afghanistan.
After a few days in hiding, I left Afghanistan with my brother Arif Rahimi, his wife and three children, and my younger brother, Asif Rahimi. It was painful to leave my mother alone, but I entrusted her to God.
The roads leading to the airport were crowded with people who did not know their destination. Everyone was looking to escape.
We tried for several hours to enter the airfield, but each time we retreated. The crowd was so dense it was hard to get enough air, which increased the risk to children. The Taliban also used tear gas to disperse people. At 2 a.m., we managed to enter the airfield and present ourselves to the international forces.
At 9 a.m. on Aug. 20, my older brother and his family were allowed to fly; they were informed that in a few minutes, Spanish military forces would take them to Spain. But I waited another 24 hours for permission to fly.
Life in the USA
Escaping from the terror of the Taliban was good news for me. But losing my homeland and being away from my family and friends was bothering me.
Living in a military camp with no idea what would happen to me and fear of the future tortured my soul more than anything else. But there were also things that gave hope to me and hundreds of other Afghans living in the camp.
The kind and human treatment of the soldiers living in the Fort McCoy camp was instructive for me. Their behavior was very different from the soldiers I had met in Afghanistan.
Dealing with thousands of Afghan refugees in one day is not an easy task, but the staff of Fort McCoy camp and the soldiers living there listened patiently, kindly and respectfully to each and every problem of the immigrants. In the first few days there were problems in preparing and distributing meals because of the number of people, but gradually this problem was solved.
Afghan women and children living in the camp felt the most freedom. Deprivation of women's freedom and abuse of children, even within families, is not uncommon in Afghanistan. But I also observed men who treated their women and children like they had in Afghanistan — they did not allow their women in public without a burqa.
New challenges
After two months, with the help of aid organizations, I left Fort McCoy for Mission, Kansas, in early November 2021. My sister’s family had lived there since 2018 because my brother-in-law had been eligible for a special immigrant visa for Afghans who had worked for the United States.
I had chosen Kansas to continue living in America, although I still don't know where the wave of my life will take me. Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, an organization that takes care of some Afghan immigrants in Kansas City, helped me to prepare documents. In the first week, I managed to get a work permit, but I waited months to get Social Security.
Many people volunteered to help me solve my problems and didn't let me feel left out. Volunteers Barbara and Eli Durante, Mary Sexton and Shawn Cooper, as well as Catholic Charities employees Greg Bole and Jennifer Kornfeld, are names that I will never forget. They took my hand and helped me at the height of my poverty and need.
I started my first job in America assembling eyeglasses for Duffens Optical in Lenexa. I had to stand for eight hours a day. For a person who used to work with a pen, desk and computer, this kind of work was not easy. In the first few days, my legs hurt from exhaustion and I was not able to sleep. I was realistic and tried to look to the future.
I continued my work in this department for nearly four months. Respect, honesty, patience and hard work were among the lessons I learned in this process. In my opinion, the shortest definition of life in America is work, work and work.
I am very happy now that I am working as an employee in the immigration department of a charity organization. I have friendly and lovely colleagues, I learn from them every day.
I found the people of Kansas City big-hearted and friendly to immigrants. I still have a lot to see and learn here.
I am safe here, I am respected, I have enough food to eat. But I cannot forget that my compatriots in Afghanistan do not have enough food. I am far from my family, friends and colleagues. They are now enduring great suffering.
I am worried about my family and my wife. The husbands of my two sisters are still in Afghanistan, and both have worked at the American Embassy in Kabul and for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Both of them are qualified for special immigrant visas. Their lives are threatened. Most of their colleagues have managed to leave Afghanistan, and I hope the U.S. will help them.
My wife, Samia Tahiri, has been an immigrant in India for more than five years. She went to India to study and has not been able to return to Afghanistan since 2018, the year we got married.
Samia supported me a lot during this time. I hope we will be together soon and make our dreams come true. I hope my friends in the United States will help me move her from India, and my mother, Fatima Rahimi, and my sisters from Afghanistan. I really appreciate my wife, my family and all my friends.
I want to be a journalist as I was before, but I have to be patient. I know the media experience I brought from Afghanistan is different from what I will need to join this profession in the United States. I hope I will have the opportunity to continue my education. I was a war correspondent for many years, so I know the pain and suffering caused by war.
Afghanistan lost everything: human rights, women's rights, civil liberties, the national army, the national police. But the future can still be ours. The people of Afghanistan are still waiting for the international community and the United States of America. An unstable Afghanistan with a terrorist regime is not in the interest of the future of the world.
I want to be the voice of Afghanistan, a voice to be heard. Afghanistan does not have good neighbors — everyone sees Afghanistan with greedy eyes. But the future is in the hands of us humans. We have different experiences, but what we have in common is our future. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-14/an-afghan-journalist-now-a-refugee-is-rebuilding-life-in-big-hearted-kansas-city | 2022-08-14T12:42:13Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-14/an-afghan-journalist-now-a-refugee-is-rebuilding-life-in-big-hearted-kansas-city | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Kansas City design firm is taking asphalt art to dangerous intersections across the city in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities across the city.
Riding the success of their initial design concept at the Midtown intersection of Westport Road and Wyandotte, Street Smart Design + Build are improving streets in two other metro neighborhoods.
As of August 4, Kansas City has seen 15 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, according to KCTV 5.
Principal founder of Street Smart, DuRon Netsell, is promoting a concept called traffic calming, which uses curb extensions to create a funnel into the intersection for incoming traffic, slowing speeds considerably. Colorful art painted directly on the asphalt also serves to extend curbs and make the intersection more vibrant.
Reclaiming 4,500 square feet of pavement from motor vehicles, the Westport space is filled with half-ton boulders and native trees in poly-resin planters. The paint is 100% acrylic for durability and the color palette is limited to maintain a uniform color scheme for projects.
“The first aspect of our design there and often in many intersections is creating a four-way stop. So we're forcing cars to stop before they move through the pod, through the intersection, which forces them to move in much slower rate,” Netsell told KCUR’s Up To Date. “It gives pedestrians the priority and it makes it safer for everyone in Westport.”
The program started with a $25,000 grant to upgrade the Westport intersection. Now, they have $250,000 to expand to other intersections across the city.
Street Smart has been with Midtown KC Now, the Kansas City Artist Coalition, and other community groups. Local artists can submit their work to a community selection panel curated from the neighborhoods involved.
Once the selections are made, the artist consults with neighborhood associations to create a design unique to them.
Kansas City’s second Asphalt Art project at Benton Blvd and 12th St. is nearly complete!
— Mayor Quinton Lucas (@MayorLucasKC) August 12, 2022
We’ve seen firsthand how these art installations on intersections can make streets safer and make our neighborhoods more vibrant. pic.twitter.com/P2L0s9EkD9
The Lykins and Independence Plaza neighborhoods became the newest builds outside of Westport, where they started with a simple concept to improve the lives of citizens who used public transit in that community.
“Since we’ve been observing 12th and Benton every day, we've been watching people stand at the bus stop and it's just heartbreaking to see people standing in the sun,” Netsell said. “So we built two bus stop benches and asked one of the runner up artists who was not selected for the asphalt to paint her design on that bench or those two benches.”
An additional upgrade to that neighborhood for pedestrians are two median islands that provide a respite within the busy intersection for non-drivers.
The company's overall goal is to think about the pedestrian first — making Kansas City neighborhoods safer for non-drivers.
“We decreased average traffic speeds by 45 percent and reduced the crossing distance in half for our pedestrians,” said Netsell. “An interesting bit of data is we also lowered the average noise of the intersection by about 11 decibels."
Learning lessons from the initial project, they are now incorporating more sustainable paints and protection methods to extend the life spans of each design.
“Our crew came in and we sealed the asphalt with the driveway sealer. And so the combination of that along with the expensive paint, I think is gonna allow this artwork to last quite some time,” said Netsell.
Now that they have secured funding for the Westport design to become permanent, Netsell hopes to secure more funding for additional temporary projects, since they only cost a tenth of construction cost for permanent design builds. | https://www.kcur.org/podcast/up-to-date/2022-08-14/how-a-group-of-artists-is-making-these-kansas-city-intersections-brighter-and-safer | 2022-08-14T12:42:19Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/podcast/up-to-date/2022-08-14/how-a-group-of-artists-is-making-these-kansas-city-intersections-brighter-and-safer | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Around 6:41 AM Sunday, the Holyoke Fire Department were called to a house fire on Olive Ave on upper Dwight Street.
On arrival, the fire crews encountered heavy fires on the rear porches. They were able to knock down the fires and enter the buildings to check for extension.
It was discovered that fire had reached the eaves, but it was quickly put out. A tenant was transported for a minor injury, no other injuries were reported.
The fire remains under investigation. 22News will update this story as more information becomes available. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/holyoke-fire-crew-put-out-house-fire-on-dwight-st/ | 2022-08-14T12:45:33Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/holyoke-fire-crew-put-out-house-fire-on-dwight-st/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Aviva (GB:AV) posted its interim results for the first half of 2022 – and the company painted a pleasing picture depicting the company’s profitability and sound health.
Shareholders celebrated news of the company returning more capital to its shareholders. For income investors, the dividends are sustainable and flourishing, well-supported by a solid balance sheet and cash inflows.
Aviva: solid sales and profit
Amanda Blanc, the chief executive, said, “Sales are up, operating profit is higher, and our financial position is stronger. This has been an excellent six months for Aviva. “
The leading insurer saw its operating profit increase by 14% to £829 million, as compared to £725 million in the half year of 2021. This was mainly driven by general insurance segment growth and cost efficiency measures.
On the flip side, the company reported an IFRS loss after tax of £633 million. However, the company mentioned it as an outcome of adverse market movements, which does not affect cash outflow.
The solvency II coverage ratio, which assesses the financial health of the company, was at 213%, up from 186% last year. This ratio helped the company to push its interim dividend and return more to its shareholders.
Aviva: attractive dividends
The company increased its interim dividend by 40% to 10.3p, as compared to 7.3p in the half year of 2021. The dividends are on track with the guidance of 31p in 2022 and 32.5p in 2023.
The company’s dividend yield of 7% is much higher than the sector average of 2.1%.
Investor pressure
The company aims to launch a share buyback along with its final results in 2022. The size of the buyback depends on the board’s approval, considering the financial situation of the company.
Activist investor Cevian Capital, which holds more than a 6% stake in the company, will surely be happy with the news. Cevian has been putting pressure on the company for higher returns to shareholders for quite some time now. Cevian had previously requested £5 billionby the end of 2022.
TipRanks Smart Score
Aviva’s shares have a perfect smart score of 10 which means they are more likely to outperform the market averages going forward.
Smart Score is a TipRanks scoring system, which is based on various factors such as analysts’ ratings, blogger opinions, investor sentiment, and more. The stock is analysed on these factors and a score is assigned between 1 and 10.
This tool can guide investors in choosing profitable stocks with the potential to outperform the market.
Analyst views
James Pearse of Jefferies commented on the results, “Aviva has reported a remarkably strong Solvency II capital ratio, allowing the company to confirm that it will commence additional capital returns to shareholders with its full-year 2022 results.”
“This is in line with our expectations, where we are forecasting a recurring £250 million buyback from the full year 2022 results onwards.”
View from the City
According to TipRanks’ analyst rating consensus, Aviva stock has a Moderate Buy rating, based on eight analyst ratings. It includes five Buy and three Hold recommendations.
It has an average price target of 476p, which represents a 2.85% change in the price from the current level. The price has a low and high forecast of 420p and 553p, respectively.
Conclusion
Aviva has a fundamentally strong business, attractive dividends, and an optimistic outlook for the next few years. What’s not to like?
The company is well positioned to achieve its guidance numbers amid challenging economic conditions. The company’s first-half performance will restore shareholder confidence and will be reflected in share prices as well. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/aviva-stock-is-for-your-long-term-insured-returns | 2022-08-14T12:52:35Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/aviva-stock-is-for-your-long-term-insured-returns | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SUNDAY
Unexpected Company Senior Theatre meets: 1 p.m., Alice Hardie Stevens Center. Agenda includes planning for a fall production. Anyone age 50 and older is invited to participate on or off stage.
New Life Church Back2School Giveaway: 3-6 p.m., Albany County Fairgrounds. Free school supplies and shoes, while supplies last.
Laramie Connections free Meet and Eat dinner and faith gathering: 4:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 E. Canby St.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
MONDAY
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
TUESDAY
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
WEDNESDAY
UW Board of Trustees meets: 7:30 a.m., via teleconference. On the agenda is consideration of the University of Wyoming’s supplemental budget request for the 2023 legislative session and begins with an executive session. The public part of the meeting will begin after, about 8:30 a.m. and livestreamed at wyolinks.uwyo.edu/trusteesaugust/.
Laramie Tai Chi and Tea meets: 1:30 p.m. at outdoors Harbon Park, North 14th and Gibbon streets. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Unexpected Company Senior Theatre auditions for “Six Stages of Life”: 2 p.m., Alice Hardie Stevens Center, 603 E. Ivinson Ave. Participants must be at least 50 years old, no experience necessary.
Ivinson’s women’s health team hosts prenatal education: 5:30 p.m. in the Summit conference room. For more information and registration, visit ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
Laramie Chamber Business Alliance Business After Hours: 5:30-7 p.m., hosted by ANB Bank, 3908 Grand Ave. Members can enjoy a pig roast and games at this family friendly event.
THURSDAY
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 5:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
FRIDAY
Open house for renovated LFD training facility: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Laramie Fire Department drill grounds, 2451 County Shop Road.
Downtown Laramie Farmers Market: 3-7 p.m., parking lot north of Depot Park on South 1st Street.
SATURDAY
‘The Legacy of Wyoming’ performed by Buffalo Bill and Dr. Jo: 5-8 p.m., Wyoming Territorial Prison. For tickets, call 307-745-6161.
Revive the Wyo fundraiser: 5-9 p.m., historic train depot in downtown Laramie. Enjoy a cajun-themed meal and entertainment. Cost $35 a person. For tickets, visit https://htru.io/Ssrf.
Aug. 21
Walk with a Doc: 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Washington Park west shelter No. 3. Bring walking shoes and a friend. For more information, email questions@ivinsonhospital.org.
Laramie Connections free Meet and Eat dinner and faith gathering: 4:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 E. Canby St.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
Aug. 22
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
Aug. 23
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Aug. 24
Laramie Tai Chi and Tea meets: 1:30 p.m. at outdoors Harbon Park, North 14th and Gibbon streets. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Aug. 25
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 5:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
Aug. 26
Downtown Laramie Farmers Market: 3-7 p.m., parking lot north of Depot Park on South 1st Street.
Aug. 27
Thrown-Out Bones performs: 5:30-7p.m., Washington Park band shell, 18th and Sheridan streets. Popcorn, pretzels and beer.
UW Planetarium presents “Back to the Moon For Good”: 8 p.m., UW Planetarium. What’s up in the sky around Wyoming.
Aug. 28
Laramie Connections free Meet and Eat dinner and faith gathering: 4:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 E. Canby St.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
Aug. 29
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
Aug. 30
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Aug. 31
Laramie Tai Chi and Tea meets: 1:30 p.m. at outdoors Harbon Park, North 14th and Gibbon streets. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/announcements/whats-happening-aug-14-2022/article_cd7ca458-78ce-593b-89e7-a43d83b13b8d.html | 2022-08-14T12:52:36Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/announcements/whats-happening-aug-14-2022/article_cd7ca458-78ce-593b-89e7-a43d83b13b8d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shares of plant-based meat substitute maker Beyond Meat (BYND) have left a bad taste in the mouths of shareholders over the past year, with a stock that shed over 90% of its value from peak to trough before recovering ever so mildly. Today, at around $36 per share, the name is far from its peak of around $240. It’s been a catastrophic implosion, making Beyond Meat stock a relic of the 2020-21 speculative run-up in markets.
Now that the stock has crashed and burned, the risk/reward seems to be tilted back in favor of venturesome investors willing to take a chance on a product they love and believe in.
Despite the negatives, headwinds, and cash bleed, I remain bullish on shares of Beyond Meat, primarily because of the depressed valuation.
Moving Beyond the McPlant
Now, there are many issues with Beyond Meat right now. The fundamentals have weakened considerably over the past year. Of late, Beyond Meat has made a habit of missing quarterly estimates. The company had reported a wider-than-expected loss for four consecutive quarters. With the recent flop of the McDonald’s (MCD) McPlant, questions linger as to whether alternative meats are genuinely ready for mainstream audiences (not just vegans or vegetarians but also meat eaters).
Indeed, the ditching of the much-anticipated McPlant is not a good sign for Beyond Meat or the plant-based meat substitute industry. It’s a devastating blow that leaves Beyond Meat in a tough spot as it looks to find new catalysts to re-excite shareholders and reignite sales.
There aren’t easy options for Beyond Meat at these depths. Independent research firm New Constructs recently rang the alarm bell on the stock, warning that a plunge to $0 per share was not out of the cards in a bear-case scenario.
Nobody wants to be caught holding a so-called “zombie company” on the way down. However, I think it’s a stretch to refer to Beyond Meat as such a firm, given the innovative technologies underneath the hood.
Further, Beyond Meat’s product has still hit the spot with many consumers and could find itself in the burgers of other big-league restaurant chains. McDonald’s may be the biggest game in town, but it’s not the only one.
Yum! Brands (YUM) and Beyond Meat have teamed up on alt-meat products before, and they could continue to create intriguing new menu items that could fuel a resurgence in the shares of both companies. For those unfamiliar with Yum! Brands, it’s the firm behind a trio of fast-food heavyweights in KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.
As YUM looks to add Beyond across a diverse range of items, there’s a chance that a new product could stick and even hold more potential than the McPlant would ever have. If Beyond Meat can make its plant-based chicken even better than it tastes right now, then KFC alone could help bring out the best in Beyond Meat stock again and prove the doubters wrong.
Great Product, Subpar Fundamentals
I think it’s too soon to give up on the plant-based meat substitute market. The field is still in its early stages and could fuel many years of high double-digit growth. Despite competition from Impossible Foods, Maple Leaf (TSE: MFI), and many other players, Beyond Meat still looks to have a comfortable front-row seat in the nascent market.
Arguably, Beyond’s flagship product is the closest thing to replicating the taste of meat. As new updates to existing products and new product categories roll out, I do think many could regain an appetite for Beyond Meat again, as taste, texture, and nutritional value look to improve. In any case, there are serious concerns with the excessive cash bleed.
Amid hefty food price inflation, Beyond hasn’t been able to raise the price of its product that much. Beyond Meat already cost more than the real thing. Undoubtedly, many flexitarians (part-time vegetarians) likely switched back to real beef amid recent inflationary pressures.
Over time, I do think inflation’s effect will pass. For now, though, inflation and a waning economy are likely to continue weighing Beyond’s medium-term growth prospects heavily.
Make no mistake – Beyond Meat is still very much a growth stock. It has innovative capabilities to turn the ship around. At just 5.1 times sales, I’d argue the risk/reward is pretty good for investors with faith in management and the product.
In the meantime, Beyond is likely to continue clocking in considerable losses. With rising interest rates, such losses will hurt that much more. Inflation and a potential 2023 recession are just salt in the wounds of a firm that cannot seem to catch any breaks of late.
Is BYND Stock a Buy or Sell? Analysts Weigh In
Turning to Wall Street, BYND stock comes in as a Moderate Sell. Out of 12 analyst ratings, there are zero Buys, seven Holds, and five Sell recommendations.
The average Beyond Meat price target is $21.29, implying downside potential of 42%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $10.00 per share to a high of $30.00 per share.
Conclusion: Most Storm Clouds Have Passed
I think the firm’s innovative capabilities will shine through in due time. Beyond Meat is taking steps to do its best to improve upon its lackluster margins. It won’t be easy to make it through the coming economic hailstorm. However, I think most of the looming storm clouds have already impacted the stock. Shares are down around 85% from their peak, after all.
For now, I’m not buying that Beyond Meat is a zombie company. Sure, there are challenges, and the valuation got a bit out of hand in the months following the stock’s IPO. That said, there’s real innovation going on at the firm, and if it can ease margin pressures, perhaps some of its non-McDonald’s partnerships can bear fruit.
For now, volatility is pretty much a guarantee. Zero analysts view the stock as a Buy, with a Street-low price target of $10 per share — implying much more pain ahead. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/beyond-meat-stock-solid-value-even-after-mcplant-flop | 2022-08-14T12:52:42Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/beyond-meat-stock-solid-value-even-after-mcplant-flop | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...Portions of south central Wyoming and southeast Wyoming,
including the following areas, in south central Wyoming, Shirley
Basin. In southeast Wyoming, Central Laramie County, Central
Laramie Range and Southwest Platte County, East Platte County,
Laramie Valley, North Laramie Range, South Laramie Range and South
Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...Through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
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Sara Bursac treats a patient with the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association protocol, which uses up to five needles to relieve stress through an ear acupuncture treatment. People are invited to attend free weekly acupuncture clinics at the Albany County Public Library.
Sara Bursac prepares a table for patients attending the Free Stress Relief Clinic at the Laramie branch of the Albany County Public Library on July 21, 2022.
This patient with five points of acupuncture in her ear while undergoing a treatment during a free weekly stress relief clinic last month at the Albany County Public Library.
In collaboration with the Wyoming Free Stress Relief Clinic, the Albany County Public Library's location on 8th Street provides acupuncture treatment for addiction and mental health issues. These two issues are some of the most common concerns of Laramie residents based on a survey from Ivinson Memorial Hospital.
Sara Bursac prepares a table for patients attending the Free Stress Relief Clinic at the Laramie branch of the Albany County Public Library on July 21, 2022.
In collaboration with the Wyoming Free Stress Relief Clinic, the Albany County Public Library's location on 8th Street provides acupuncture treatment for addiction and mental health issues. These two issues are some of the most common concerns of Laramie residents based on a survey from Ivinson Memorial Hospital.
Research-based substance withdrawal treatments offered at Albany County Public Library provide an important option for people seeking relief from anxiety and depression.
The library hosts a weekly ear acupuncture clinic that relieves stress and supports dealing with addiction. Each Thursday, Wyoming Free Stress Relief Clinics brings equipment and volunteers to offer a group acupuncture session. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association Protocol is research-based with evidence that it can assist in reducing substance withdrawal symptoms.
“The history of this protocol is really quite tremendous and varied, and it comes out of public movement,” said Sara Bursac, a licensed social worker and former NADA executive director. “It has always been, I think, kind of revolutionary.”
Bursac said the protocol requires acupuncturists administer up to five “points” in each ear. A point is an area where a needle is placed, and in the practice of acupuncture these points are considered to be connected to particular conditions of a person’s body or mind. It typically takes less than 15 minutes for people to feel the effects.
While the program is technically aimed at withdrawal relief, Bursac says it has other commonly reported benefits for people dealing with any form of stress.
“There is an assumption of what’s called a depletion of yin — or a depletion of your internal support and foundation — that we consider everyone having to some degree,” Bursac said.
As a result, the NADA protocol understands all people to be experiencing a similar problem and treats them, typically in group settings, to provide relief.
Mental health and substance abuse issues are no stranger to most people. As both a college town and a growing city, Laramie is certainly no exception. As the city of Laramie works to address mental health, other local organizations have partnered to offer free support to anyone willing to block out an hour in their schedules. NADA’s main goal in using this protocol is to help supplement or completely eliminate the need for medications in treating withdrawal.
Bursac said that offering it at libraries and other easy-access points is a crucial part of providing meaningful, community-wide stress and withdrawal relief. As the clinic is offered each week, those benefiting from the program can find more relief each week.
“Anybody can come, it’s not exclusionary in any way — economically, culturally, etc.,” Bursac said of the library environment and the non-verbal nature of the protocol.
In addition to being free and easy to access for those living near the library, it also doesn’t require the same emotional work from participants as therapy, which may ask a person to open up about painful subjects.
While those recovering from addiction may attend other support groups and regularly be expected to discuss the damage caused by their addiction and identify themselves as someone with substance abuse issues, these clinics don’t require any form of disclosure. Since the library advertises them specifically as stress relief, there is less shame for those seeking the protocol for addiction issues.
In Ivinson Memorial Hospital’s 2020 Community Health Needs Assessment, survey respondents said mental health was their top health need, with substance abuse support the fifth-most frequently referenced need in Laramie.
With these issues often being expensive to treat, the same report labeled financial literacy and affordable health care as the second-most commonly referenced need. Free stress relief clinics through the two organizations may offer a way to address mental health and addiction without financial barriers. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/library-offers-acupuncture-based-stress-relief/article_a96ae587-adc3-5f45-ab9a-a469d5bcf367.html | 2022-08-14T12:52:42Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/library-offers-acupuncture-based-stress-relief/article_a96ae587-adc3-5f45-ab9a-a469d5bcf367.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TipRanks’ website traffic screener tracks changes in consumer behavior and helps gauge the impact of those changes on a company’s financials and stock price. Furthermore, the tool tracks all of a company’s domains and subdomains (which are sections of the company’s main website and relevant to its financials), which is unique to TipRanks.
Using this website traffic tool, let’s look at the 10 most-visited bargain retail websites in July. Learn how Website Traffic can help you research your favorite stocks.
This is important, as looking at websites that scored the most visits compared to the prior year could be a solid starting point to identify top businesses that are outgrowing others.
Moreover, we have combined web visits with TipRanks’ other valuable datasets, such as analysts’ recommendations and insider and hedge fund signals, to shed more light on these bargain retail companies’ business growth.
Top 10 Most-Visited Websites in July 2022
Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO)
Rank: #10
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 43.74%
Academy is a leading sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer. While its comparable sales remain weak due to inflation, supply-chain bottlenecks, and tough year-year comparisons, its e-commerce sales grew 18.8% in Q1.
While management expects comparable sales to remain weak in 2022 due to the challenges mentioned above, TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that the momentum in its e-commerce business has been sustained. Per the tool, the number of visits to academy.com increased 43.74% year-over-year in July 2022. Moreover, traffic has grown by 36.94% quarter-to-date (Q2 – May-July).
Stephens analyst Daniel Imbro has a Buy recommendation on ASO stock. Further, their average price target of $72 implies 54.84% upside potential.
While Imbro is bullish about ASO stock, hedge funds and retail investors have reduced their holdings due to macro headwinds and tough comps. Hedge funds decreased their holdings in ASO stock by 1.5M shares in the last three months. Further, in one month, 0.7% of TipRanks’ investors decreased their exposure to ASO stock. ASO stock has a Neutral Smart Score of 6 out of 10.
Stitch Fix (NASDAQ:SFIX)
Rank: #9
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 47.74%
Stitch Fix offers an online personal shopping and styling service. The company is battling the negative impact of Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) privacy changes, which are affecting its traffic and customer acquisitions.
However, TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that SFIX’s efforts to mitigate the challenges are gaining ground. Per the tool, the number of visits to stitchfix.com increased 47.74% year-over-year in July 2022. Moreover, traffic has grown by 40.17% quarter-to-date (Q4 – May-July).
Given the ongoing challenges, SFIX stock has a Hold rating consensus on TipRanks based on one Buy, 14 Hold, and two Sell recommendations. Further, the average analysts’ price target of $7.28 implies 1.11% upside potential.
While analysts remain sidelined, SFIX stock has received positive signals from hedge funds and insiders. Hedge funds increased their holdings in SFIX by 944.1K shares in the last three months. Further, insiders bought SFIX stock worth $5.4M during the same period. SFIX stock has a Neutral Smart Score of 7 out of 10.
The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX)
Rank: #8
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 50.98%
TJX Companies is an off-price home fashion and apparel retailer. Its value proposition continues to appeal to consumers, driving its traffic despite the challenging retail environment. This is well reflected in its website visit trends.
TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that visits to tjmaxx.com and its two other websites grew 50.98% year-over-year in July 2022. Further, traffic has increased by 49.48% quarter-to-date (Q3 – May-July).
Thanks to the ongoing momentum in its business, TJX stock has received 13 Buy and three Hold recommendations for a Strong Buy rating consensus. Moreover, analysts’ average price target of $75.27 implies 16.86% upside potential.
Along with analysts, TJX stock has received a positive signal from hedge funds, who bought 483.1K shares in the last three months. However, insiders sold TJX stock worth $7 million. Nevertheless, TJX stock has an Outperform Smart Score of 9 out of 10.
Caleres (NYSE:CAL)
Rank: #7
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 64.86%
Caleres owns a diverse portfolio of consumer-driven footwear brands. CAL started the year on a solid note with strong consumer demand.
TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that visits to Caleres’ famousfootwear.com and its seven other websites grew 64.86% year-over-year in July 2022. Further, traffic has increased by 57.94% quarter-to-date (Q2 – May-July). The website traffic trend indicates that momentum in its business has been sustained in Q2.
Seaport Global analyst Mitch Kummetz has rated CAL stock a Buy. Further, the analyst’s price target of $35 implies 17.61% upside potential.
CAL stock has positive indicators from hedge funds and retail investors. Hedge funds have bought 128.8K CAL shares in the last three months. Further, 7.8% of TipRanks’ investors raised their exposure to CAL stock in one month. CAL stock has an Outperform Smart Score of 9 out of 10.
Boot Barn Holdings (NYSE:BOOT)
Rank: #6
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 84.42%
Boot Barn is a leading western and work-related footwear, accessories, and apparel retailer. Its solid merchandise and marketing strategies, coupled with the expansion of its omnichannel capabilities, are driving full-price selling in stores and online, which is encouraging.
TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that the momentum in its business has been sustained in Q2. Per the tool, the number of visits to bootbarn.com increased 84.42% year-over-year in July 2022.
BOOT stock sports a Strong Buy rating consensus on TipRanks based on eight Buy and one Hold recommendations. Further, analysts’ average price target of $101.11 implies 44.92% upside potential.
While analysts are bullish about BOOT stock, it has negative signals from hedge funds and retail investors. Hedge funds sold 346.5K BOOT shares in the last three months. Further, 1.8% of TipRanks’ investors decreased their exposure to BOOT stock in one month. However, insiders bought BOOT stock worth $175.8K last quarter. BOOT stock has an Outperform Smart Score of 8 out of 10.
Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR)
Rank: #5
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 90.62%
Dollar Tree operates discount stores under the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar brands. Its pricing, value proposition, and convenience continue to drive traffic.
TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that Dollar Tree continues to attract consumers looking for a bargain. According to the tool, the number of visits to dollatree.com increased 90.62% year-over-year in July 2022. Moreover, traffic has grown by 86.44% quarter-to-date (Q2—May—July).
DLTR stock has received nine Buy, five Hold, and one Sell recommendations for a Moderate Buy rating consensus. Further, analysts’ average price target of $172.14 implies 4.09% upside potential.
While analysts are cautiously optimistic about DLTR stock, Hedge funds sold 1.7M DLTR shares in the last three months. However, 1.2% of TipRanks’ investors increased their exposure to DLTR stock in one month. DLTR stock has an Outperform Smart Score of 9 out of 10.
America’s Car-Mart (NASDAQ:CRMT)
Rank: #4
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 101.77%
America’s Car-Mart operates automotive dealerships and is a leading automotive retailer in the U.S. It operates dealerships mostly in smaller cities, sells used vehicles, and provides financing.
While rising interest rates, high inflation, and demand-supply imbalance continue to pose challenges, CRMT is benefitting from a high average sales price and strong sales volume productivity.
TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that the number of visits to car-mart.com increased 101.77% year-over-year in July 2022. Moreover, traffic has grown by 97.79% quarter-to-date(Q1-May-July). The spike in web traffic indicates that CRMT could deliver improved financials in the coming quarter.
CRMT stock has received one Buy, one Hold, and one Sell recommendation for a Hold rating consensus. Further, analysts’ average price target of $115.33 implies 1.11% upside potential.
While analysts remain sidelined, Hedge funds bought 356.1K CRMT shares in the last three months. However, 3.1% of TipRanks’ investors decreased their exposure to CRMT stock in one month. CRMT stock has a Neutral Smart Score of 7 out of 10.
Buckle (NYSE:BKE)
Rank: #3
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 127.26%
Buckle is a fashion retailer selling apparel, footwear, and accessories. Its sales are chugging along nicely despite macro concerns. Furthermore, TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that BKE could continue to deliver improved sales.
TipRanks’ website traffic tool shows that the number of visits to buckle.com increased 127.26% year-over-year in July 2022. Moreover, traffic has grown by 94.67% quarter-to-date (Q2 – May-July).
BKE stock has positive signals from hedge funds and insiders. Hedge funds bought 146.4K BKE shares in the last three months. Further, insiders bought BKE shares worth $5.8K during the same period. Blogger sentiment is also optimistic about BKE stock. Overall, BKE stock has a maximum Smart Score of 10.
Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY)
Rank: #2
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 137.35%
Casey’s General Stores operates convenience store chains. It offers self-service gasoline, grocery items, and freshly prepared food items.
It continues to deliver healthy same-store sales and is confident that the momentum will likely sustain in FY23. Management’s guidance is in line with its web traffic trends. Per TipRanks’ website traffic tool, visits to caseys.com grew 137.35% in July 2022. Furthermore, traffic has increased by 91.21% quarter-to-date (Q1 – May-July).
CASY stock has received four Buy, one Hold, and one Sell recommendations for a Moderate Buy rating consensus. Further, analysts’ average price target of $229.50 implies 11.19% upside potential.
While analysts are cautiously optimistic, Hedge funds sold 5.5K CASY shares in the last three months. Moreover, 1.4% of TipRanks’ investors decreased their exposure to CASY stock in one month. Nevertheless, it has positive indicators from bloggers and sports an Outperform Smart Score of 9 out of 10.
Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST)
Rank: #1
Year-over-year Traffic Growth: 137.35%
Ross Stores operates Ross Dress for Less, off-price apparel, and a home fashion chain. Tough year-over-year comparisons and a challenging macro environment led management to take a conservative approach. However, management expects sales and profitability to improve as the year progresses.
Per TipRanks’ website traffic tool, visits to rossstores.com increased 298.99% in July 2022. Furthermore, traffic has grown by 142.72% quarter-to-date (Q2 – May-July). The solid improvement in web visits indicates that Ross Stores could deliver a better-than-expected top line in Q2.
Given the challenges, ROST stock has a Moderate Buy rating consensus on TipRanks based on 11 Buy and six Hold recommendations. Moreover, analysts’ average price target of $94.76 implies 7.50% upside potential.
Hedge funds sold 191.8K ROST shares in the last three months. Moreover, insiders sold ROST shares worth $81.5K during the same period. However, 1% of TipRanks’ investors increased their exposure to ROST stock in one month. It has a Neutral Smart Score of 7 out of 10.
Bottom Line
The website traffic trends show consumers have turned to bargain hunting as high inflation and rising interest rates pose challenges. However, supply bottlenecks and macro headwinds remain a drag for these corporations.
Built with the help of TipRanks’ stock comparison tool, here is the summary of how these bargain retail stocks stack up on TipRanks’ valuable datasets.
Continue to watch this space for updated website visit data for these bargain retail companies. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/consumers-go-bargain-hunting-here-are-the-10-best-performing-bargain-retail-stocks | 2022-08-14T12:52:48Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/consumers-go-bargain-hunting-here-are-the-10-best-performing-bargain-retail-stocks | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It appears the Republican primary election contest for Wyoming’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is a two-candidate race between incumbent Liz Cheney and top challenger Harriet Hageman. According to recent polling data, the race is likely Hageman’s to lose.
Hageman, a water and natural resources attorney, had a mid-July 22-point lead in a Casper Star-Tribune poll of likely voters, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy.
Yet, Cheney seems oddly unconcerned about the polls, investing more in ads featuring her conservative supporters — including her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney — than doing appearances.
Meanwhile, Hageman refuses to slow her exhausting roll across the Cowboy State to make in-person appearances despite the lead.
Both candidates claim to be proven conservatives, and many of their platform planks are similar. Where they obviously part ways is their support for former President Donald Trump. Hageman is backed by Trump and has embraced his insistence the 2020 election was stolen.
“There’s all kinds of things that I think that we have the right to get to the bottom of and to find out what impact [Democrats] had in the four years of screaming ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ at the top of [their] lungs,” she said last week in an interview with the Tribune.
Hageman said she still has questions about the 2020 vote in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, “and what we saw in Georgia,” she said.
She claims “the video that we saw in Georgia has never been explained,” despite the fact both Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, and Gabriel Sterling, Raffensperger’s deputy — both Republicans — have defended their process and have said publicly that all claims of fraud had been investigated and found to be baseless. Still, Hageman isn’t convinced.
Cheney fell out of favor with the right wing of the Republican Party after voting to impeach Trump and accepting the role as vice-chair of the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
“You can either defend the Constitution and make sure people know the truth about Donald Trump. Or you can lie in order to make sure that you can continue your political representation of people in Wyoming,” Cheney said. “I have to choose the Constitution and the truth. I believe the people of Wyoming fundamentally believe in the Constitution and the truth. But there are too many politicians today who put their own political survival ahead of their obligation and their duty. And, I won’t do that.”
Cheney also said her opponents are simply using talking points about the election to ignite their base. “There are people that I’m running against in my race who are lying about the election — who know [the election] wasn’t stolen, but tell people that it is.”
She said her mission has been to make sure people understand that Donald Trump has “absolutely betrayed and lied to people.”
“He’s trying to prey on their patriotism,” she insists.
Neither of the candidates has spent much time in Powell. Hageman has been making more in-person appearances in the county, frequenting Cody more often than Powell. She made an appearance in Cody in early July. And she was in Powell in April, one of 160 campaign stops she has made over the past months.
She said Cheney has never been keen on meeting voters in the state.
“[Cheney] uses Wyoming’s seat to further her own agenda. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m running. She doesn’t come to Wyoming. She really never did. Wyoming isn’t her home state. Wyoming was a means to an end.”
Cheney’s last visit near Powell was just over a week ago at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center for the groundbreaking of the new Mineta-Simpson Institute. It wasn’t a campaign event.
She hasn’t been in Powell during the current campaign, and it has been years since last visiting, according to Tribune records. Yet, she remains popular with some voters — even in a county that “fired” her over her continuing attacks on Trump.
Leaders of the Park County Republican Party voted overwhelmingly to “fire” U.S. Rep. Cheney a year ago, telling her in a letter that they will no longer recognize her as the official Republican Congressional representative.
At Heart Mountain, Cheney was driven to tears by an extended standing ovation which included her father and ardent supporter, former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson.
“It’s very humbling to have that kind of an outpouring from people,” she said after the event.
She attributed her emotions to her father being in the audience, as well as family friends (including the families of Simpson and former Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta who died earlier this year), as well as many others at the event who were incarcerated at the confinement facility during WWII.
Simpson said despite what happens in the primary, Liz Cheney isn’t through with politics.
“Whatever happens on Election Day, it won’t have a thing to do with the future of Liz Cheney,” he said of the congresswoman’s prospects.
“As an American citizen, she’s loaded for bear and it will continue on into the night. The purpose of that will be to bring down the charlatan, the emperor without any clothing whatsoever,” he said, adding “he probably won’t look quite as good in the nude.”
While Cheney may have fallen out of favor with many voters in Wyoming, her exposure on the select committee has raised her profile with others nationally, some suggesting she should run for president.
Hageman’s largest national exposure came May 28 as Trump held a rally in support of her candidacy in Casper.
“Liz Cheney hates the voters of the Republican Party, and she has for longer than you would know,” Trump told thousands of supporters at the Ford Wyoming Center. “Wyoming deserves a congresswoman who stands up for you and your values, not one who spends all of her time putting you down and going after your president in the most vicious way possible.”
But Hageman also made national news last week when, for the first time, she said the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
Locally, Park County state sen. Tim French thinks it’s time to move on from Cheney and is supporting Hageman. “With [Hageman’s] legal background, she’s going to be a real fighter for the state. And I think she’ll be excellent,” he said on Aug. 4. “I think the state of Wyoming has moved on past Liz. They’re looking for something new. And Harriet can bring that to the table.”
Hageman said, “We need to take back our government. We need to make clear to the government that it does belong to us,” she told a small, but lively crowd at the Big Horn County Fair. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/the-showdown-tuesdays-election-will-have-national-ramifications/article_098124ad-5933-524f-a207-e784513f19a7.html | 2022-08-14T12:52:48Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/the-showdown-tuesdays-election-will-have-national-ramifications/article_098124ad-5933-524f-a207-e784513f19a7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DoorDash (DASH) was flying high during the pandemic, growing in tandem with its underlying business. With pandemic tailwinds fading away, DoorDash is finding it tough to maintain margins amidst the challenging macroeconomic backdrop. The stock trades at close to five times forward sales, a figure completely divorced from its fundamentals. Therefore we are bearish on DASH stock.
The market has slowed down remarkably over the past eight months, and the delivery giant is feeling the effects. Despite the surge in sales over the past couple of years, the company was unsuccessful in milking a profit. With the inflationary pressures and the pandemic fade, it’s tough to see how things wouldn’t get worse. Hence, I side with my colleague Joey Frenette in suggesting that it’s best to avoid the stock for now.
Is the Food-Delivery Business Inherently Unprofitable?
No one can argue over the success of the food delivery business during the pandemic. DoorDash and its peers experienced massive expansion during the period, but they remain unprofitable. Hence, it beckons the question of whether the industry itself is structurally unprofitable. All evidence shows that the companies in the sector are likely to have it tough due to reasons discussed later in the section.
From 2019 to 2020, DASH’s gross order volume shot up from $8 billion to a whopping $24.7 billion, representing over a 200% increase. A year later, orders increased by a dumbfounding 70%. It was able to solidify its position in the niche and become a massive player.
Nevertheless, profitability remained elusive despite the eye-catching performance in the past couple of years. If a company such as DoorDash can’t generate profits under incredibly favorable conditions, it’s tough to see how it could ever generate a profit.
One of the main issues with the food delivery services business is that exceptionally low switching costs categorize it with no difference in terms of service quality amongst peers. Sadly enough, the company actually burnt more money when its business was thriving. DASH posted a net loss of $461 million and $468 million in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Another example is the second quarter, where it yet again posted a quarterly loss despite a solid jump in revenues.
Things Will Only Get Worse from Here
The global economy is in a mess amidst rising inflation and interest rates. Moreover, geopolitical tensions due to the Ukraine War and re-opening headwinds have further complicated things. Though the current market situation is tough for virtually every company, loss-making entities such as DASH will likely suffer a lot more.
We discussed earlier how the business couldn’t generate a profit in the most conducive of market conditions. The market is in a slump, with minimal economic growth and investors gravitating toward less risky investment options. Hence, it’s a double-whammy for DASH and its peers.
The delivery services industry hasn’t witnessed a recession in its relatively short history, but it will now be under the pump for the first time. Inflation is eating away at disposable incomes and is likely to limit consumer spending significantly.
Moreover, there is the element of wage inflation which is perhaps an even bigger dent in the company’s business model. Delivery service companies have found it remarkably tough to attract workers over the past several years, and the current market downturn will create more challenges in that department.
Therefore, DoorDash can’t maintain its margins in such awful market conditions. The lack of profitability is perhaps not a question of scale. The firm has almost a billion in annual deliveries, yet it is far from profitable.
DASH is left with the equities market to bail it out from its current predicament. There was a time when the company flew high due to positive investor sentiment surrounding the stock. However, all that has changed dramatically, as investors are looking to value capital and profitability instead of lofty management claims. Hence, DoorDash will have it incredibly tough to raise funds during the market downturn.
Is DASH a Buy or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, DASH stock maintains a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Out of 17 total analyst ratings, 10 Buys, seven Holds, and zero Sells were assigned over the past three months. The average DoorDash price target is $110, implying 42.1% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $67 per share to a high of $185 per share.
Takeaway – The Cracks in DoorDash’s Business Model Have Accentuated
DoorDash has it remarkably tough in a market that is as tough as it gets. The cracks in its business model have accentuated, and investors are taking note. DASH stock has shed a truckload of value as investors look toward more profitable companies to invest in the current bear market.
Profitability remains elusive for the company, and you probably shouldn’t count on it to flip the script at this time. However, the real question is whether it could ever turn a profit considering it couldn’t achieve that feat during its best years.
There is a flip side to the coin, though. The market’s appetite for risky investments might grow, and it could potentially continue as a loss-making entity. It might get the funding it needs to continue pushing forward without making a dollar profit. Moreover, there’s always the element of mergers and acquisitions, where DASH could become a much bigger force in the market.
However, there are a lot of ifs and buts with DASH’s bull case, and with it trading at close to five times forward sales, you wouldn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/dash-stock-dash-away-on-a-bleak-outlook-ahead | 2022-08-14T12:52:54Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/dash-stock-dash-away-on-a-bleak-outlook-ahead | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shares of online travel business Expedia Group (EXPE) have been buzzing after reporting robust second-quarter results, which handily beat analyst expectations. The company benefitted immensely from a rather busy travel season, where lodging bookings were a company record. Moreover, after the recent market correction, EXPE stock is attractively priced with rock-solid fundamentals. Hence, we are bullish on EXPE stock and its long-term prospects.
Expedia has bounced back exceedingly well from the pandemic-led headwinds and is now pushing forward on healthy travel demand. It presents an excellent proposition for investors looking at reopening plays to add to their portfolios. Although some experts have assigned hold ratings, we feel there is plenty to like about the business as a long-term play.
EXPE Stock Reported Spectacular Earnings Results
Expedia posted stellar operating results for its second quarter on the back of robust travel demand. Several of the top companies in the travel and hospitality space have seen an uptick in demand in recent months. EXPE is no different and notched up an incredible quarter, generating double-digit revenue growth.
Expedia’s adjusted earnings per share of $1.96 came in $0.39 ahead of analyst expectations. Additionally, its strong EPS comfortably reversed the loss of $1.13 in the same period last year. Expedia’s Revenues improved by an impressive 51% from the prior-year period to $3.2 billion, $190 million above estimates. Gross bookings shot up 26% from the prior year to $26.14 billion in the quarter.
Another bright point from the company’s second-quarter results is its balance sheet. Expedia wrapped up the quarter with a whopping $5.6 billion in cash against $6.7 billion in debt. It has paid close to $1 billion in debt since the beginning of the year, and cash flows are likely to be on the higher side through the third quarter.
EXPE’s Management hasn’t provided any financial guidance so far, but it remains highly optimistic for the year. There’s a clear message that demand will remain strong with consumers traveling in massive numbers despite the macroeconomic challenges.
CEO Peter Kerm states, “Currently, we are seeing a robust summer with Q3 lodging bookings pacing ahead of 2019. The same is true for pacing for the remainder of the year, but it’s still early with the majority of bookings for the back half of the year yet to be made”.
Encouraging Outlook Ahead for EXPE Stock
After a blow-out second quarter, investors will be keenly following how the company performs in the upcoming quarter. All evidence suggests that the third quarter will be an encouraging one, with EXPE’s Management commenting on how third quarter bookings are pacing ahead of pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, analysts expect EPS of $4.12 for the third quarter, which is significantly higher than last year’s result.
CEO Ed Bastian of Delta Air Lines, one of the top legacy carriers, feels strong pent-up demand for air travel despite market headwinds. Moreover, he states that satisfying the heightened demand in the space of the summer will be mighty difficult. Therefore, there is a lot more demand to come.
Furthermore, Morgan Stanley’s Travel Survey showed how corporate travel is likely to recover roughly 84% of 2019 levels by the year’s second half.
Also, you have the heartening July U.S. payrolls report, indicating a record low unemployment rate, which effectively brushes aside concerns of deeper economic trouble. Layer that up with the decline in gas prices over the last several weeks, and you have an ideal scenario where EXPE can turn on the afterburners.
Another key element for the company’s success will be platform innovations and B2B initiatives. Its Management focuses on delivering more profitable growth moving forward through stronger unit economics. Nevertheless, 2022 is still a transitional year for EXPE and its peers, with a sense that things will fully normalize by the conclusion of 2023.
Is EXPE Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, EXPE stock maintains a Moderate Buy consensus rating. Out of 21 total analyst ratings, 10 Buys, 11 Holds, and zero Sells were assigned over the past three months. The average EXPE price target is $144.16, implying 27.1% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $108 per share to a high of $216 per share.
Takeaway – EXPE Stock Likely to Continue Its Business Momentum
There’s plenty to like about Expedia, especially after its second-quarter results. Travel demand is finally back, and the company is already reporting tremendous top and bottom-line results. In all likelihood, the upcoming quarters will continue the momentum it built over the past couple of quarters and help wrap up the year in style.
Of course, there is the risk of further deterioration in the economic backdrop. In that case, the company might feel pressure to maintain its margins. However, despite record high inflation rates, the company has done exceedingly well in dishing out some amazing results.
Therefore, there isn’t a need for analysts to reset their expectations. Looking ahead, it would be imperative for investors to monitor booking levels along with average daily rates. Overall, EXPE is an excellent pick at this time, with it trading at multi-year lows. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/expes-bull-case-widens-post-a-stellar-second-quarter | 2022-08-14T12:53:00Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/expes-bull-case-widens-post-a-stellar-second-quarter | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – The owners of newly rebranded and relocated Funky Monkey Rescued Treasures thrift store are planning to go the extra mile when it comes to their local impact.
Five months ago, co-owner Lowell Harp was climbing a stepladder to trim the canopy shrouding the roof of Collectible and Thrift, the original thrift store location on Cleveland Avenue that he ran with partner Tori Wilder. The space was too small, too obscure, and when the opportunity arose to open a warehouse of antiques in May, they seized the moment.
They went from 3,500 square feet, to about 9,000 square feet on 3151 Nationway Suite A1 – and the space is quickly filling up.
“Our vision down the road is a local Goodwill on steroids,” Harp said.
Right now, the warehouse is filled with a random array of items, from high-priced European furniture to chipped dining tables, sporting equipment, old movies and books, knives in a display case, lawn items and entire living room sets.
In a two-month turnaround, it’s one of the biggest antique stores here. Harp and Wilder still have three storage lockers to unload from items they collected while operating a junk removal and estate cleaning service.
“I would probably say 90% of the store came out of junk jobs and estate clean-outs,” Harp said. “Throughout everything in here, I don’t think we spent more $1,000 on anything.”
This is where the “steroids” enter the idea.
For years, Wilder operated a junk removal business, emptying out vacated home and apartments, disposing of many items. Slowly, he and Wilder began to collect anything that caught their eye until, years later, they realized they were sitting on eight storage lockers full of antiques worth reselling.
Funky Monkey will continue this junk removal service for a flat fee, something that, to their knowledge, no other nearby businesses offer. In turn for helping people clean out their homes, they get first pick from the haul.
They also accept in-store donations. (Call ahead.)
“I’ve wanted a nonprofit junk service for years, where people can, instead of complaining about what they’re doing, you’re at least making some sort of a help and an effort towards a cause,” Harp said.
More in store
There’s more to Funky Monkey. This place is going to be fairly unique once they’re done unloading all their supplies, if things progress according to plan.
In the entryway, the owners will erect a coffee bar featuring brews from local roasters, as well as locally baked pastries and snacks for purchase. In the back, past the cash register, they’re in the process of setting up a local art gallery where work will be displayed for purchase.
The same room also has tables set up to host events. It could be an arts and craft class, a meeting or lunch space, youth classes or monthly vendor flea markets and farmers markets. They say these are the type of community events the east side rarely has the opportunity to enjoy.
Their end goal is to create a one-stop location for community involvement, particularly with the elderly and special needs client bases. With three special needs children of their own, they understand the demand for such a service.
A distant goal for Wilder is to actually operate a special needs program known as a “dayhab,” where special needs community members are provided activities on a daily basis. It could be a trip to the movies, an art class, a day in nature or a job working around the antique store.
The nonprofit program would be held out of a different location, funded through Funky Monkey.
“We’ll start small, and if we can get the right clients, we’ll just start out renting a house or renting an apartment or anywhere where somebody can be there with (clients) at any given time,” Harp said. “So it might be small, but we’ve been approached by 27 families over the last two and a half years to try to help because all the programs in town have been so concentrated.”
They also plan to host similar programs for the elderly.
Funky Monkey Rescued Treasures is open Mondays, noon-5:30 p.m.; Tuesdays, noon-5 p.m., and Wednesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/funky-monkey-aims-to-be-more-than-another-antique-store/article_7e61c062-aac8-5d71-a866-8a2047330463.html | 2022-08-14T12:53:00Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/funky-monkey-aims-to-be-more-than-another-antique-store/article_7e61c062-aac8-5d71-a866-8a2047330463.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Snowflake (SNOW) could potentially have an incredibly bumpy road ahead, given the firm’s usage-based revenue recognition model. Nevertheless, I think the long-term growth profile and secular tailwinds are more than enough reasons to give Snowflake the benefit of the doubt. Shares have been gaining considerable ground in recent weeks. Still, the stock is well off its peak of around $400 per share, leaving it ample upside potential.
At writing, the wildly-volatile data-cloud innovator is up around 50% from its bottom hit in June 2022. Indeed, investors have eased over rising interest rates and the implications of the next recession.
Although the share price has collapsed from its highs, the $57 billion big-data play remains quite expensive at 36 times sales, well above the industry average, just north of 10 times. With the ability to continue posting impressive growth through a recession without having to reinvest heavily, I think Snowflake is one of few technology stocks out there that’s actually worth a multiple north of 40 times sales.
I remain incredibly bullish on Snowflake stock as shares look to melt up again.
Economic Weakness Likely to Impact IT Spending
As we head into a recession or period of economic weakness, IT spending could take a bit of a hit. Undoubtedly, most layoffs, hiring freezes, and rescinded job offers have been concentrated within the tech sector. Even the resilient big-tech firms (think the FAANG companies) have been more cautious with their hiring practices going into the second half of 2022.
Undoubtedly, the tech-focused weakness does not bode well for the broader batch, especially firms like Snowflake that may not be seen as essential to day-to-day operations. Further, the usage-based revenue recognition model will not do the firm’s coming quarters any favors.
As I noted in prior pieces, the usage-based model could go from volatility exacerbator to revenue accelerator. No subscriptions or lock-in makes firms more willing to try and discover what Snowflake’s cloud-based offering can provide.
If they like what they see, they don’t need to be “locked in” to stay aboard. In this regard, Snowflake has a moat surrounding its user base. It’s not in the form of “contractual obligations” but in the customers’ willingness to stick around.
The usage-based model has its cons, though, and as the economy grinds to a slowdown, these cons will heavily outweigh the pros.
Charging customers based on usage could make revenue growth look incredibly ugly once firms begin to cut back. As IT budgets contract, Snowflake’s revenue growth deceleration could easily give the impression that the firm’s best days are behind it.
Though the usage-based model is bound to induce volatility, it could pay off with a “snowballing” effect down the road once the next bull market roars and the magnitude of data swell at an exponential rate.
In short, volatility works both ways.
For Snowflake, more client data means more usage of storage and analytics solutions, which, in turn, means more sales. As Snowflake continues adding to its tech arsenal, use could rebound sharply.
Ahead of a downturn, it’ll work against Snowflake. However, come the next expansionary cycle (markets may soon begin to look past the 2023 economic storm clouds), Snowflake could find itself storming out of the gate stronger than ever.
Snowflake Likely to Come Out of a Recession Stronger
As the old saying goes, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Truly wonderful businesses treat a recession not as a setback but as an opportunity to gain ground on rivals and strengthen their market position. Snowflake has a nice headstart in its nascent industry, and it’s well-equipped to widen the gap as firms recognize the phenomenal growth from platforms and tools that unlock the full potential of data sets.
Data is a commodity and a very precious one in the digital age. I view Snowflake as akin to a commodity player in the midstream and downstream. Indeed, refining, moving (or sharing), and storing data is where Snowflake shines.
Snowflake faces stiff competition from the big tech in the realm of data warehousing and analytics. Further, up-and-comer Databricks is hungry to take a sizeable bite out of the data cloud. Snowflake has stayed on its toes, and it’s likely to continue doing so as times get tougher.
Snowflake will be busy improving as the economic tides go out, all while the digital transformation secular trend encourages firms to migrate their troves of data to the cloud.
What is the Target Price for Snowflake Stock?
Turning to Wall Street, Snowflake has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 21 Buys, six Holds, and two Sells assigned in the past three months. The average Snowflake price target of $184.80 implies 9.8% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $120.00 per share to a high of $295.00 per share.
Takeaway – Snowflake Stock is Not Like Other Tech Stocks
Snowflake isn’t cheap at around 40 times sales, with a lack of profits to show today or anytime in the near future. However, the secular tailwinds at the firm’s back are so powerful that I think Snowflake doesn’t deserve to be grouped with the rest of its fallen speculative tech peers. The company’s days of high double-digit growth are far from over. While a recession could weigh over coming quarters, the long-term trend is still a friend of the firm. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/heres-why-snowflake-stock-has-plenty-of-room-to-run | 2022-08-14T12:53:06Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/heres-why-snowflake-stock-has-plenty-of-room-to-run | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
We’ve all seen the headlines lately, about Russia cutting back its natural gas exports to Germany – and to Western Europe generally. The cuts come in response to Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, but the result is a scramble in Germany to find alternative fuels sources. The continent is coping with a record heatwave, and the cold winter months are not so far away.
The upshot is that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has bumped up its estimates for oil demand by 22%, increasing the 2022 growth estimate by 380,000 barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels daily by year’s end. The agency also foresees total daily European oil consumption rising by 500,000 barrels per day later this year and into 2023.
One thing is clear – if demand goes up, the oil companies and energy stocks will gain. With this in mind, we’ve used the TipRanks database to find two Buy-rated stocks that are well positioned to benefit from an increased appetite for crude oil. Let’s take a closer look.
Enerplus (ERF)
We’ll start with a Canadian firm, Calgary-based Enerplus. This company focuses on existing oil and natural gas plays in North America, exploiting known reserves in proven formations. Enerplus has operations in the Waterfloods region of Saskatchewan and Alberta, where it uses enhanced extraction techniques to maximize production from hydrocarbon plays that have finished their primary activities. The company also operates, on a larger scale, in the US, in the Marcellus share of Pennsylvania and the Bakken formation of North Dakota.
A look at Enerplus’s second quarter numbers will give a good snapshot of the company’s overall position. The company reported $580.4 million in total revenues for 2Q22, and a net income of $244.4 million. These numbers represented significant growth from the year-ago quarter, of 238% at the top line. The bottom line was a dramatic turnaround from a $50 million quarterly loss. Per share, the company reported a diluted EPS of 99 cents, up from the 20-cent EPS loss one year ago.
Looking forward, Enerplus sees its strong operational performance supporting an increase in total production for this year, and the company has pushed its 2022 guidance up from range of 96,000 BOE/day – 101,000 BOE/day (barrels of oil equivalent daily) to a new range of 97,500 BOE/day – 101,500 BOE/day.
Enerplus has also made a point of maintaining its dividend. The company’s dividend has been reliable for the past 22 years – an enviable record – and management has prioritized that reputation. The payment, of 5 cents per common share quarterly, annualizes to 20 cents and gives a modest yield of 1.5%.
Writing for BMO Capital, 5-star analyst Randy Ollenberger lays out a strong case for buying into this stock now: “Enerplus has continued to consolidate its position in the Bakken through accretive acquisitions and organic growth, while being a leader when it comes to capital discipline and shareholder returns. We believe that the company is in an advantaged position to accelerate returns to shareholders due to its strong balance sheet, impressive free cash flow profile, and the sale of its non-core assets. These factors, coupled with Enerplus’ discounted valuation, present a compelling entry point for shareholders.”
Ollenberger’s Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating and $20 price target should come as no surprise given those bullish comments. His price target suggests ~42% upside in the next 12 months. (To watch Ollenberger’s track record, click here)
This mid-cap energy producer has picked up 6 recent analyst reviews – and they are all positive, making the Strong Buy consensus rating unanimous. The shares are trading for $14.07 and the $24.86 average price target indicates a strong 77% upside potential on the one-year time frame. (See Enerplus forecast on TipRanks)
Marathon Oil Corporation (MRO)
Next on our list is Marathon Oil, which, with a market cap of $16 billion, is one of the industry’s giants. Marathon Oil is the hydrocarbon exploration and production arm of the 2011 Marathon Petroleum spinoff, that saw the parent company split its E&P and midstream businesses. Based in Houston, Texas, Marathon Oil operates in some of the richest oil and natural gas basins in the US, including the Bakken of North Dakota, the Eagle Ford shale of South Texas, the north Delaware basin on the Texas-New Mexico border region, and the Stack/Scoop plays in Oklahoma.
Last year, Marathon Oil’s assets generated approximately 274,000 BOE/day, and the company saw its revenue and earnings rise in each quarter of the year. For all of 2021, MRO brought in $5.6 billion in total revenue.
Looking at the most recent quarterly financials, for 2Q22, we find that the company is keeping up its high performance. Total revenues came in at $2.3 billion, and adjusted income was reported at $1.32 per diluted share. On a year-over-year basis, these numbers represent gains of 27% and 29% respectively. Based on these strong results, Marathon Oil also generated a record quarterly free cash flow of $1.2 billion, and year-to-date has been able to return some $1.7 billion to shareholders through a combination of dividends and share buybacks. Overall, Marathon Oil has been returning approximately 75% of adjusted free cash flow to its investors.
On the dividend front, MRO pays out 8 cents per common share, with the last payment made at the end of May. This common share dividend annualizes to 32 cents, and yields 1.5%. MRO has a history of keeping reliable dividend payments going back to 1962.
Truist’s Neal Dingmann, rated 5-stars by TipRanks, sees Marathon as a Buy, and describes it as an outperformer in its league: “Unlike all other larger E&Ps to date, the company maintained both its 2022 production and CAPEX guidance as it was able to keep costs contained despite the current environment. MRO continues to lead with a CFO levered shareholder return that should give investors more comfort as capital spending plans ramp across the industry for various reasons. The company remains focused on a maintenance capital program that is capable of delivering continued notable shareholder returns.”
Dingmann’s upbeat comments back up his Buy rating on MRO shares, and his price target, of $43, implies a one-year upside potential of 79%. (To watch Dingmann’s track record, click here)
In recent weeks, Marathon Oil has picked up 12 reviews from the Street’s analyst corps, breaking down to 8 Buys, 2 Holds, and 2 Sells – for a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The stock is selling for $23.95 and its average price target of $32.92 indicates it has ~37% gain ahead of it in the next 12 months. (See MRO stock forecast on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for energy stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/iea-raises-oil-demand-estimate-for-2022-here-are-2-energy-stocks-that-stand-to-benefit | 2022-08-14T12:53:19Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/iea-raises-oil-demand-estimate-for-2022-here-are-2-energy-stocks-that-stand-to-benefit | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
University of Wyoming redshirt junior wide receiver Gunner Gentry, right, missed the entirety of last season after tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee. Associated Press
LARAMIE – It’s been a long road to recovery for Gunner Gentry, but the redshirt junior receiver’s return to the field has almost arrived.
Gentry was expected to be a key factor in the University of Wyoming’s passing attack last season. However, a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that he suffered in the spring of 2021 put those plans on hold.
There have been some moments of uncertainty in terms of when and how much he would be able to contribute this fall after missing all of last year. With the season opener at Illinois just under two weeks away, though, UW coach Craig Bohl is confident Gentry will make a significant impact in 2022.
“Gentry had come back from an injury, and in the middle of the summer I had some real concerns if he would be up to speed,” Bohl said. “Even a week before fall camp, you started to wonder. Our sports medicine head trainer said, ‘I think he’ll be there, (but) it’s going to take a little bit.’ He’s a little bit ahead of schedule, so he’s a guy that’s really capable of making some plays.”
Gentry hauled in the Cowboys’ only touchdown catch of the 2020 season, a 22-yard reception against Nevada, and recorded six catches for 130 yards in 2019. This year, he’ll be looking to provide a boost for a position group that lost 77.7% of its receiving production from last season.
Sophomore receiver Alex Brown believes Gentry will do just that.
“That’s huge for us,” Brown said. “For me personally, Gunner was kind of the upperclassman who took me under his wing, him and Ayden (Eberhardt). Just being out there with him gives all of us a feel-good side, just seeing him out there and being able to make plays. It’s really good for him, and really good for our receiving corps and offense as a whole.”
Potential starters emerge
The Cowboys have yet to release a depth chart for the upcoming season, but with the final 30 minutes of Friday’s practice being open to the media, there were some indications on who might start on offense.
Utah State transfer Andrew Peasley was leading the first-team offense at quarterback during this half-hour stretch, while redshirt freshmen Emmanuel Pregnon and Jack Walsh received action with the starters at the guard spots.
Cox out with hip injury
While Bohl is pleased with where his team is at from a health standpoint, the Pokes did suffer one notable loss recently. Bohl noted after Friday’s practice that defensive end Keelan Cox will likely miss at least two months with a hip injury.
Sabastian Harsh and DeVonne Harris appear set to start on the edge for UW, but Cox – who is listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds – was expected to provide size to a smaller defensive end group after transferring in from Alabama this off-season. Regardless, Harris says the growth of redshirt freshmen Braden Siders and Oluwaseyi Omotosho is a point of optimism at the position heading into the season.
“They’re miles from (where they were) in the spring and last year,” Harris said. “They’ve been playing their keys. Olu, instead of being a pass rusher, he’s getting there to (where he is) an every down player that can stop the run on first and second down, and go get a sack on third down.”
Josh Criswell covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at jcriswell@wyosports.net or 307-755-3325. Follow him on Twitter at @criswell_sports. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/gentry-ahead-of-schedule-with-season-approaching/article_6659a436-0389-538f-8c63-52843ac044f1.html | 2022-08-14T12:53:19Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/gentry-ahead-of-schedule-with-season-approaching/article_6659a436-0389-538f-8c63-52843ac044f1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Following the extraordinary devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, few other consumer-facing industries have desired to return to normal quite like cineplex operators. While the relaxing of restrictions has resulted in people swarming back to the box office, the volume isn’t quite up to snuff against pre-crisis levels. Still, a bright spot in the sector could be Imax (IMAX), a leader in immersive film projection systems. I am bullish on IMAX stock.
A few years before the global health crisis, Imax represented a frustrating investment. Throughout much of 2017-19, IMAX stock meandered in a sideways consolidation pattern, only offering occasional opportunities for swing traders. Otherwise, the narrative lacked directional fortitude, in large part because of the competition that streaming services imposed.
After collapsing in 2020 due to severe government mandates aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19, IMAX stock initially poked its head above water in early 2021. However, the momentum was rather short-lived, with shares again fading into another consolidation pattern. While people were eager to regain control of their normal activities, Imax struggled in the mad rush for consumer dollars.
However, as the resounding success of Top Gun: Maverick demonstrated, people are eager to pay a nice premium for escapism, so long as the underlying product warrants it. Given that the Top Gun sequel reflects wider changes in the cineplex industry, Imax’s unique immersive projector technology could turn out to be a bright spot in the segment over the long run.
Imax Stock Analysis
On TipRanks, IMAX has a 7 out of 10 Smart Score rating. This indicates strong potential for the stock to outperform the broader market.
Shifting Tides in the Cineplex Scene
On the surface level, investors might be tempted to believe that streaming services have forever changed the game when it comes to broadcasted entertainment content. In some ways, they would be correct. With more companies piling into the space, from the consumer’s perspective, no shortage of options exists. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t assume that IMAX stock is irrelevant. Indeed, the shifting tides in the cineplex operator industry embolden this opportunity.
Primarily, the nature of big-ticket Hollywood fare has changed dramatically over the last several years. For instance, the top billings for the domestic box office in 2000 featured a wide variety of genres. In fact, How the Grinch Stole Christmas actually beat out the much-hyped Mission: Impossible II, coincidentally another Tom Cruise-starring hit.
From action to comedies to horror to family-friendly entertainment, the top 10 films of 2000 had it all. Perhaps most conspicuously, Erin Brockovich – a biopic of the namesake American activist – provided the caboose in the diverse offerings of Hollywood’s best for that year.
Contrast this diversity with the domestic box office for 2019, the year before the pandemic. While there were a few family-oriented names like Frozen II, the main takeaway is that the big dogs like Disney (DIS) dominated sales with their marquee comic-book or science-fiction franchises.
Put another way, the big screen still knows how to churn out big sales. However, consumers no longer go to the cineplex for genres like comedies or human-interest pieces. Instead, if they do go to the box office, they want to be entertained with something from the Star Wars franchise or its ilk.
Fortunately, that’s really where IMAX stock and its underlying advanced projector business come to life.
Consumers Will Spend If They Have Reason to Do So
People are willing to open their wallets. Yes, inflation — even with the latest reduction in the consumer price index to 8.5% from 9.1% — is still high. Households have made painful spending cuts to stay afloat. Nonetheless, consumers saved a lot of money during the worst of the pandemic, helped in large part by government stimulus checks. People will spend money. They just need a compelling reason to do so.
For the travel sector, its organic marketing message was that families could finally take the vacation they were dreaming about after being locked down by the pandemic. Put another way, demand for unique experiences soared. No matter how much e-commerce shopping people did, the itch to enjoy new experiences never faded.
In the same vein, IMAX stock could benefit as the underlying company fills a major opportunity gap. For instance, moviegoers flocked to the Top Gun sequel not necessarily for its storyline but for the cinematic experience – representing one of the most ambitious projects in Hollywood history.
While any big screen can deliver a rousing experience relative to a home-based TV, nothing compares to the immersive attributes of Imax-powered projection technologies. Therefore, as the moviemaking industry focuses almost exclusively on the thrills-and-spills genre, IMAX stock can really stand above the rest.
Focusing on IMAX’s Financials
While the narrative for IMAX stock may be compelling, investors must conduct a deep dive into the financials before making their decision. Here, the company presents somewhat of a mixed bag. On the pessimistic side of the spectrum, following several consecutive years of positive net income, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed a devastating blow on the projector firm, leading to a net loss of $143.8 million in 2020. In 2021, the net loss picture improved, with Imax “only” being $22.3 million in the red.
Still, critics will point out that even with the fanfare of major Hollywood releases, Imax’s second quarter of 2022 report disclosed a net loss of $2.9 million.
However, on the optimistic front, Imax’s growth trek (relative to the pandemic-related disruptions) is impressive. In Q2 2022, sales of $74 million represented a year-over-year lift of 45%. Moreover, its trailing-12-month revenue of $299.2 million is within 25% of its 2019 sales.
Yes, it’s got some ways to go to reach parity. Nevertheless, it’s a realistic goal, not some absurd fantasy.
Is IMAX Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, IMAX stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on five Buys assigned in the past three months. The average IMAX price target is $23.50, implying 39.1% upside potential.
Takeaway – IMAX Stock is an Interesting Idea for Patient Investors
It must be said that any investment related to the cineplex operator sector is risky, again in large part to the streaming competition. However, it’s also clear that today’s moviegoers desire escapism and a compelling experience. Imax can easily provide that over the standard box office fare, making IMAX stock an interesting idea for patient investors. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/imax-stock-one-bright-spot-cineplex-industry | 2022-08-14T12:53:25Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/imax-stock-one-bright-spot-cineplex-industry | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A strange thing happened to Roblox (RBLX) after the online gaming platform “missed earnings” in its fiscal Q2 2022 financial report on Tuesday. First, Roblox stock plunged 10% as investors learned that quarterly earnings were worse than the expected $0.23 per share loss. Roblox actually lost $0.30 per share — and revenues were worse than expected, too. But then, Roblox recovered all its losses, and actually ended the day up 1.4%.
Commenting on Roblox’s earnings, BTIG analyst Clark Lampen encouraged investors to “not overcomplicate this” report, urging them to focus on Roblox’s “accelerating growth,” wide expanses of “runway” remaining for more growth in the future, and the company’s “very manageable” needs for additional investment.
On the first point, Roblox may not have made the $644.4 million in Q2 revenue that Wall Street had hoped for, but the $591.2 million in revenue that it did collect was still up 30% year over year. While “bookings” (i.e. purchases of “Robux” by users) were down 4% year over year at $639.9 million, that was pretty close to the quarterly target for revenues. Also, average daily active users on the Roblox site grew 21% year over year to 52.2 million, and “hours engaged” (how long those players were playing) grew 16% year over year.
It’s just that all those new users, playing all those more hours, didn’t spend quite as freely post-pandemic as they did earlier in the health crisis, when many people were still working or studying from home.
That’s not good news, but it could get better. As Lampen pointed out, Roblox’s user base is still growing, and as users continue “aging-up” (i.e. growing older, and with age comes income), there’s at least the potential that these users will spend more over time. Additionally, Lampen argues that new revenue streams are emerging at Roblox, advertising being one of the more important ones, that could improve revenue growth rates going forward.
Looking ahead, Lampen is forecasting that Roblox will grow its bookings number 16% from $2.8 billion this year to $3.3 billion next year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), unfortunately, is another story, with the analyst forecasting a steep decline from $232 million in 2022 EBITDA to just $83 million in 2023. Similarly, free cash flow estimates are now “down substantially.” Lampen previously projected Roblox would generate positive free cash flow of $21 million this year. Now, $233 million in negative free cash flow looks more likely.
Overall, Lampen seems unconcerned, pointing out that with $3 billion in cash on hand, Roblox has the money it needs to make the investments it must, even if that means that FCF will run negative for a time. Long-term, the analyst still believes that Roblox stock is a “buy,” and predicts the shares will hit $58 over the course of the next 12 months — a 14% gain from current levels. (To watch Lampen’s track record, click here)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/is-roblox-stock-a-buy-after-earnings-this-is-what-you-need-to-know | 2022-08-14T12:53:44Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/is-roblox-stock-a-buy-after-earnings-this-is-what-you-need-to-know | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After a blockbuster debut, Certara, Inc. (NASDAQ: CERT) has not been able to keep its promise of giving strong returns to its investors. Shares of the drug simulation software maker have declined about 46.5% since its listing.
The company is exposed to various headwinds like the COVID-19 pandemic, regulatory issues, and foreign exchange fluctuations. Also, overall pessimism in the market, due to the rising interest rate environment, might have weighed on the company’s share price.
What Does Certara Do?
Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, Certara provides biosimulation software and technology to biopharmaceutical companies. According to Certara, its integrated end-to-end platform is used by more than 2,000 biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions across 62 countries. Furthermore, 17 global regulatory authorities, including the U.S. FDA, have access to the company’s biosimulation software for several applications.
A Snapshot of CERT’s IPO
Certara became a member of the Nasdaq after an upsized initial public offering (IPO) of its 29,055,000 shares of Class A common stock at $23 per share. Through the IPO, the company raised $316.3 million in net proceeds (after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions but before offering costs).
Shares of the company closed at $38.08 on the first day of trading (on December 11, 2020), up nearly 65.6% from the IPO price. CERT’s stock touched its all-time high closing price of $45.21 in November 2021.
Presently, Certara commands a market capitalization of $3.25 billion.
Recent Developments Give Mixed Signals
Certara recently reported mixed second-quarter 2022 results. Its adjusted earnings per share came in at nine cents, missing the consensus estimate of 10 cents. It had posted earnings of seven cents in the same quarter last year.
Meanwhile, total revenues came in at $82.8 million, rising 18% year-over-year on a reported and 21% on a constant currency basis. The upside is largely driven by the company’s strength in technology-driven services and software product portfolio.
However, facing a slowdown in the regulatory services business, the company has revised its guidance for the full-year 2022. It now expects to report revenues between $325-$335 million against the previously stated range of $350-$360 million. The adjusted earnings are also estimated between 43 cents and 48 cents, comparing unfavorably with the range of 48-53 cents provided earlier.
Moving on, the company has recently introduced two new software solutions, Simcyp Discovery Simulator and the Pinnacle 21 Data Exchange product, to expand its portfolio offerings.
Certara has also entered into a two-year partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to develop new biosimulation software, a Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy biosimulation platform.
Is Certara Stock a Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts seem to be optimistic about CERT, which has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on five Buys.
Similarly, financial bloggers are 100% Bullish on Certara. Hedge funds, too, are positive about the stock, as they have collectively bought 77,000 shares of CERT in the last quarter.
Key Takeaways for CERT Investors
Certara is making efforts to expand its portfolio offerings and grow inorganically. The management remains confident about the company’s long-term growth potential and profitability. The stock also has upside potential of 21.8%. However, the company is facing several headwinds like softness in regulatory services and foreign exchange. Lastly, with Certara lowering its guidance for the full-year 2022, investors might want to observe the stock for some time.
Read full Disclosure. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/lets-talk-about-recently-listed-certara-stock | 2022-08-14T12:53:50Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/lets-talk-about-recently-listed-certara-stock | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Vaccine maker Moderna (MRNA) has seen its stock rise recently due to the broader market’s rally and stellar quarterly results that came in better than expected. Despite canceled orders from COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access), Moderna stands by its original vaccine sales guidance. Vaccine demand could persist as new variants may pose a threat to the public, going forward. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has been tough, but it’s not gone yet. Even when COVID-19 ends, Moderna could still thrive.
Regarding COVID-19, the rapid rate of mutation and seasonal surges could pave the way for many years worth of vaccine demand. That’s good news for Moderna’s business. However, COVID-19 remains the company’s single source of failure. This begs the question: what happens to Moderna once COVID-19 does end?
Moderna has an extensive non-COVID-related mRNA pipeline. Indeed, there’s a lot of promise in mRNA’s treatment of other diseases, including cancer.
Personalized cancer vaccines could show tremendous promise. However, such vaccines are still in the earlier trials and may be years away from full approval. While I wouldn’t discount the potential blockbusters in the Moderna pipeline, it’s hard to gauge what will hit and will miss.
Indeed, the biotechnology industry is full of hits and misses. In any case, I expect Moderna to continue to put its COVID-19 cash flows to good use while they last. Given so many uncertainties, I remain neutral on the stock.
Moderna Stock: Too Much Post-COVID-19 Risk Baked In?
I have no idea when COVID-19 vaccine demand will plunge to zero. Given the likelihood that this pandemic could persist for some time, there’s a real chance that Moderna’s COVID-19 cash cow may not be so quick to disappear. Currently, the 5.3x trailing earnings multiple suggests Moderna over-earned in the past and could be in a tough spot once COVID-19 vaccine demand gradually falls.
Unlike the more-diversified Pfizer (PFE), Moderna faces considerable downside if the pandemic ends and COVID-19 vaccine demand falls to zero. Moderna’s cash flow stream may be overly dependent on COVID-19. However, the pipeline is diversified and could start yielding intriguing products gradually over the coming years.
Further, like Pfizer, Moderna has been reinvesting heavily in its business to focus on the next big drug or treatment. With such expertise in mRNA technology, Moderna has the capacity to create even more revolutionary products to help combat various diseases. The timeline of when pipeline products will launch remains quite hazy. In an era of rising rates, investor patience for forward-looking growth stocks is at a low point.
In any case, I think COVID-19 boosters can hold up the fort until Moderna pulls the curtain on its next significant innovation. Make no mistake – Moderna is innovating at a rapid pace. It’s hard to gauge the magnitude of future cash flows at this juncture, given the nature of the industry and the fact that many of us haven’t heard of the company in the years leading up to 2020.
With around 29 mRNA clinical study candidates in development, the odds of something major coming from the pipeline over the next 10 years are high. At current valuations, such developments seem discounted by the market, with too much emphasis on the deterioration of the COVID-19 business.
Preparing for an Omicron Variant Surge
Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants are spreading and may be the source of a fall-season outbreak. Moderna is ready, with bivalent booster shots that show a superior antibody response against omicron variants. Come fall 2022, demand for such boosters could surge sharply depending on the severity of the next wave.
With new regulations allowing for younger people — Health Canada gave the green light for those between the ages of six and 11 to be vaccinated — to get boosters, the next wave could propel COVID-19 vaccine sales numbers at a higher-than-expected rate.
Indeed, Moderna remains upbeat on COVID-19 vaccine demand, and it may still be conservative by standing by its original full-year sales guidance of $21 billion.
Though more people may be willing to get the jab come fall and winter of 2022, other COVID-19 vaccine makers could begin to take share. Vaccine maker Novavax (NVAX) is an intriguing rival that could surprise to the upside, with the bar now lowered following the firm’s 50% haircut to its original revenue guidance. Further, Pfizer is gearing up for the next seasonal surge of COVID-19, with omicron-adapted deliveries coming in October.
Is MRNA Stock a Good Buy? Analysts Weigh In
Turning to Wall Street, MRNA stock comes in as a Moderate Buy. Out of 10 analyst ratings, there are four Buys, five Holds, and one Sell. The average Moderna price target is $217.89, implying upside potential of 27.3%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $74.00 per share to a high of $506.00 per share.
Conclusion: There’s Value for Long-Term Investors
Moderna stock looks to be stabilizing, with a recent 47% surge off its bottom in June. Though COVID-19 will continue to be a make or break for the stock, I think there’s value for long-term investors in looking to the firm’s innovative mRNA pipeline. It’s full of potential and could kick in well before the COVID-19 business sees sales fall to zero.
Given the nature of this pandemic, I don’t think the COVID-19 business will ever fall to zero. The world may have to live with the disease, with people having to roll up their sleeves every autumn. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/moderna-stock-ready-for-a-post-covid-environment | 2022-08-14T12:53:56Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/moderna-stock-ready-for-a-post-covid-environment | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Inflation has been making headlines all year, and rightly so; it’s at 40-year high levels, driven by sharp increases in the prices of gasoline and diesel fuels. But oil and its various refined products have come down in recent weeks, and so – the July inflation numbers weren’t as bad as had been feared. The overall year-over-year price increase for the month came to 8.5%, still awful, but less than the 8.7% economists had been predicting. Markets these days are rallying in response.
Whether this rally will be long-lasting or ephemeral is up in the air, and depends much on how economic indicators develop through the rest of the year, but for now, Wall Street’s top investment firms are busy picking out stocks that are poised for wins no matter what. So let’s follow one of these major banks, Morgan Stanley, and find out what stocks its analysts are choosing.
Just in recent days, that firm’s analysts have tapped two stocks they see with double-digit upside for the coming months, on the order of 40%, or more. Using TipRanks’ database, we’ve pulled up the latest details on these Morgan Stanley choices. Let’s find out what the analysts have to say.
DraftKings (DKNG)
First up is DraftKings, a leader among online fantasy sports league and sports betting venues. The company stands at the cutting edge of online sports and betting activities, offering its users a range of products including the best in fantasy sports leagues, comprehensive sportsbook betting, online casino gaming, and even a marketplace for NFTs.
Given the popularity of both sports and betting, it should come as no surprise that DraftKings saw its revenues rise in the most recent quarter. The top line for 2Q22 was reported at $466 million, for a year-over-year gain of 57%. This result was driven by the company’s B2C activity, which grew 68% year-over-year to reach $455 million.
DraftKings’ solid revenues found support from the drill downs in regard to users. A key metric, monthly unique payers (MUPs) saw 30% y/y growth to reach 1.5 million. A related metric, the ARPMUP, or average revenue per MUP, also grew 30% y/y and hit $103. These gains indicate success in both customer acquisition and retention, as well as success in promoting customer engagement.
Morgen Stanley’s Ed Young feels that DraftKings is fully capable of continuing its recent growth, and writes: “We continue to believe DKNG is executing on its plan of narrowing EBITDA losses and moving towards profitability as more states mature and generate positive contribution profit… Management mentioned on the call its continued growth in users and having seen no material impact on the business from macro-economic conditions. In our view, online gambling is a proven profitable business globally and we think it is nascent enough in the US that the broader economic outlook will have minimal near-term impact on the industry.”
“We also think the company’s greater emphasis on cost control is a welcome shift in tone, albeit this shift remains in its early stages. We expect the prospects for CA legalization (ballot 8 Nov) and its potential ramifications on capital requirements to remain a key catalyst for the stock,” the analyst added.
To this end, Young puts an Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating here, and a $30 price target that indicates the chance of ~47% upside in the year ahead. (To watch Young’s track record, click here)
Overall, this stock keeps a Moderate Buy consensus rating from the Street, based on 16 analyst reviews that include 9 to Buy and 7 to Hold. The shares are priced at $20.40 and their average price target, at $23.07, suggests ~13% upside this year. (See DraftKings stock forecast on TipRanks)
Guardant Health (GH)
The second stock on Morgan Stanley’s radar is Guardant Health, a biotech company that’s taking a unique approach to the sector. Rather than work on new therapeutic agents or medications, Guardant has focused its research and development efforts on the development of new blood tests and lab methodology for the improvement of diagnosis and treatment in precision oncology. In short, the company recognizes that proper treatment requires early and accurate diagnostics – and it is working on tests that will allow drug companies to create better targeted therapies. To date, Guardant boasts that more than 9,000 doctors have used more than 200,000 of its blood tests.
Guardant currently has a portfolio of tests and test kits available for patients with both early and late stage cancers, and for cancer screening. The company’s two leadings tests are the Guardant360 CDx, the first complete genomic test approved by the FDA, able to provide doctors with full genomic results for all solid cancers via a simple blood draw; and the Guardant360 TissueNext, a simplified biopsy test used when tissue testing is more appropriate than blood draws. Guardant’s tests have found widespread acceptance from medical professionals, providers, and payers, and are broadly covered by Medicare and private payers, which combined represent a potential patient base some 200 million strong.
Guardant hasn’t rested on its laurels, and is developing new tests and new test procedures. The company is currently conducting the ECLIPSE clinical trial, a study of the Shield blood test for the detection of early stage colorectal cancer. The company expects to have initial data readouts – and to make the PMA submission to the FDA – from ECLIPSE later this year.
Medical testing is big business, and Guardant’s Q2 revenue came in at $109.1 million, for a 19% year-over-year increase. The company indicated that clinical and biopharma volumes drove the revenue gains; clinical testing was up 40% and biopharma use up 65% y/y. Guardant reported having $1.2 billion in cash and liquid assets available as of the end of 2Q22.
Covering this stock for Morgan Stanley, analyst Tejas Savant comes down firmly with the bulls, writing: “GH remains extremely well positioned in the attractive liquid biopsy vertical, with room for multiple competitors in the space in light of the low levels of penetration today, in our view. While near-term, we see building evidence of clinical utility and adoption set to drive additional payor coverage for G360, we see GH rapidly transitioning into a platform play offering both tissue and liquid biopsy testing… We view current levels as affording a highly opportunistic entry point for patient investors.”
In line with his bullish stance, Savant rates GH a Buy, and his $80 price target implies room for ~47% upside potential in the next 12 months. (To watch Savant’s track record, click here)
The Street’s opinion on this test-oriented biotech is clear: all 7 of the recent analyst reviews are positive, giving GH shares a unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating. The stock is selling for $54.48 and its average price target of $87.50 implies ~61% upside in the next 12 months. (See Guardant stock forecast on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/morgan-stanley-bullish-on-these-2-stocks-for-40-upside-or-more | 2022-08-14T12:54:02Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/morgan-stanley-bullish-on-these-2-stocks-for-40-upside-or-more | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Social media platform Snap (SNAP) continued its run of posting nightmarish earnings with its most recent Q2 results. The weak economy, cut-throat competition, and privacy changes from Apple (AAPL) have stopped it in its tracks. As a result, SNAP stock has shed a whopping 85% of its value in the past year and now trades at a more attractive multiple. Despite its troubles, it has an excellent growth runway ahead, which investors should ignore. Hence, we are bullish on SNAP stock over the long haul.
Most investors have abandoned SNAP after another disappointing quarter. Its growth rates have normalized, and those hoping for the lofty growth rates it achieved in the past are likely to be disappointed.
On the flip side, there are positives from its recent performances, which point to the depth of its business. Its stock will likely pull back some more, considering a weak outlook in the interim. However, it might be an interesting time to pick up the stock at multi-year lows.
The Good
It’s not all gloom and doom with Snap’s quarterly results. Though its results mostly came in weaker than expected, plenty of bright spots point to a strong growth runway. Some of these areas include its growing daily active user (DAU) base, sound financial positioning, and opportunities in the Rest of World (ROW) region.
During the second quarter, Snap’s DAUs grew by 18% from the prior-year period to 347 million. Moreover, the number came in 1% higher than the market consensus of 343 million. Also, the company expects DAUs to come in at 360 million for the upcoming quarter, representing a healthy 18% bump on a year-over-year basis.
Snap’s management stated that the “overall time spent watching content globally grew” during the second quarter. Particularly, its latest TikTok-like feature, Spotlight, saw time spent on the platform increasing by 59% on a year-over-year basis in Q2.
The key growth driver was Snap’s ROW region, which saw a healthy 35% year-over-year increase in DAUs to 162 million. It shows that SNAP is succeeding in overseas markets. Moreover, it has the opportunity to expand its user base in non-U.S. markets.
Furthermore, Snap currently has a tremendous $2.3 billion in cash and another $2.57 billion in investments, comfortably covering its long-term debt of $3.74 billion. Hence, its liquidity requirements are effectively covered by its cash base. Fundamentally, Snap is a relatively sound company with positive free cash flow.
The Bad – Why Has Snap Stock Crashed?
Now, onto the bad, and there’s much to cover here. Snap’s revenues grew modestly compared to past quarters and came in well below estimates. Moreover, Apple’s privacy changes have weighed on Snap’s operating results.
Secon-quarter sales rose 12% to $1.11 billion, falling short of estimates of $1.14 billion. On top of that, it reported an adjusted EBITDA of just $7 million compared to $117 million in the prior-year period. Moreover, its net loss widened to $422 million, compared to a net loss of $151.6 million.
CEO Evan Spiegel states that the results hardly reflect the company’s ambitions. It’s looking to foster new revenue sources to diversify its top line. It will take time for the management’s plans to come to fruition, though.
In tackling Apple’s recent changes, Snap has implemented three main strategies to improve the advertiser experience. These measures involve improving privacy-preserving first-party (1P) measurement tools and ensuring Snap’s performance is represented well in third-party (3P) measurement solutions.
Again, it will take time to see the results of these measures, but Snap must take action, as it generates the bulk of its sales from advertising. However, bloggers like my TipRanks colleague Joey Frenette feel that ad fears have been overblown.
Furthermore, it doesn’t help that Snap is more leveraged than ever before. Its $3.7 billion in debt is well over its five-year average debt level of $1.2 billion. Consequently, its debt to equity ratio has risen over to 122%, significantly higher than its historical averages.
Is Snap Stock a Buy or Hold? Analysts Weigh In
Turning to Wall Street, SNAP stock maintains a Hold consensus rating. Out of 36 total analyst ratings, 10 Buys, 22 Holds, and four Sell ratings were assigned over the past three months.
The average SNAP price target is $14.93, implying 28.5% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $8 per share to a high of $35 per share.
Conclusion: Look Past Snap’s Near-Term Headwinds
Snap and its shares have taken a beating over the past several months. Its operating performance has been underwhelming, while its stock price has dropped at an alarming pace. However, if we look past its near-term headwinds and consider its strong future outlook and attractive price point, SNAP stock seems like an interesting Buy at this stage.
Overall, the business is financially sound, although it is not yet profitable on the earnings side. Its debt situation is well under control and shouldn’t pose much of a problem, at least in the near term. Growth prospects aren’t comparable to the past four years but remain relatively stable amid a challenging business outlook.
Perhaps the most attractive aspect of SNAP is its attractive share price. Its stock has been torn to shreds and trades at 4.2x forward 2022 sales. Its five-year average is at over 18x forward sales, representing a steep drop in value for SNAP stock. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/snap-stock-remains-a-buy-for-the-long-haul | 2022-08-14T12:54:08Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/snap-stock-remains-a-buy-for-the-long-haul | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shares of newly-merged media firm and streaming contender Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) were under a considerable amount of selling pressure this past week following the release of some bleak second-quarter numbers. The quarter was dreadful, but with ambitious plans to cut costs and combine HBO Max and Discovery+, I do think there’s a lot to gain by giving Zaslav the benefit of the doubt at these depressed valuations.
WBD stock finds itself down almost 46% year-to-date and down over 50% over the past 12 months.
In the world of streaming, content is king. Though innovative and intuitive streaming user interfaces are nice to have, it’s clear that there really is no substitute for incredible content. As Netflix (NFLX) looks to defend its turf from media-firms-turned-video streamers like Warner Bros. Discovery, I do think the table seems to be subtly tilted in favor of Netflix’s rivals.
Undoubtedly, Warner Bros. Discovery has a lot of irons to wrinkle out before it can even be considered a contender for that number-one spot in streaming. Though investors are no fan of Warner Bros. Discovery’s cost-cutting mindset, I do think it’s a necessary move before the firm can re-focus on content that sticks.
Transitioning from cable to streaming is never a pain-free process. It’s an expensive endeavor requiring a bit of patience from investors. Fortunately, Warner Bros. won’t be in cut mode forever. Once Zaslav is finished reaching for the lowest hanging fruit, the firm could easily get aggressive and begin taking share away from streaming incumbents.
Warner Bros. Discovery may not have the financial flexibility to make a massive splash in streaming over the near to medium-term, given its heavy debt load. However, the firm has the brands that could help Warner Bros. Discovery produce a competent Netflix competitor.
At writing, the stock trades at a mere 0.6 times book value and 1.7 times sales, both well below industry averages. With such a wide discount to book value, I’d argue that Warner Bros. Discovery’s merged streaming platform does not have to be in the top two for WBD stock to rally much higher from current levels. With such a low bar set by investors, I am incredibly bullish on Warner Bros. Discovery stock at $14 and change per share.
These depressed valuations simply do not do the firm justice.
WBD Stock’s Awful Numbers and Uncertain Growth Plan Rattle Investors
WBD stock is down over 20% in just a few trading sessions. That’s a steep drop and likely an overreaction to a harsh Q2 result. Sure, the quarter marks a weak start for the media juggernaut, but there are catalysts farther out as the firm makes it through what’s shaping up to be a choppy rest of the year.
For the merged firm’s very first quarter, revenue contracted 1% year-over-year, while management shed light on its long-term streaming plans. Investors and analysts were unenthused. Following the tough quarter, Wells Fargo (WFC) slashed its recommendation (to Hold from Buy) and price target to $19 from $42 — one of the biggest cuts I’ve seen.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Plans to Launch a Combined Platform
Indeed, a combined streaming platform makes a lot of sense. Though HBO Max and Discovery+ cater to completely different audiences, there’s no shame in bringing them together in one convenient place for its diverse range of viewers.
If Disney (DIS) can bring together cartoons and National Geographic documentaries on the same streaming platform, Warner Bros. Discovery can mix DC superheroes with the latest hit reality TV shows.
In prior pieces, I stated that the streaming platform with the greatest quality and quantity of content would be a force to be reckoned with in the streaming market. At the end of the day, more content gives customers a greater value. In such a wildly-competitive market, Warner Bros. Discovery needs to amp up its value proposition if it’s to take share away from some pretty deep-pocketed rivals.
With north of $55 billion in debt as of the end of last quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery seems to lack the content-spending capacity of its bigger brothers in the space.
To thrive, the firm needs to trim away its debt load while being very selective when it comes to content creation. It has a relatively limited budget to make something stick. As a part of the company’s recent cuts, two HBO max productions, Scoob! Holiday Hunt and Batgirl were axed.
At this juncture, it seems like the company is looking to focus on the quantity of older content (from the deep libraries of Warner Bros. and Discovery), at least in the initial stages. As debt levels come down, count me as unsurprised if Warner Bros. Discovery starts ramping up the production of original content again.
What Will be the Price of WBD Stock?
Turning to Wall Street, WBD has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on eight Buys, seven Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months. The average WBD price target of $25.50 implies 86.4% upside potential.
Takeaway – WBD Stock Has Ambitious Goals
Streaming is a market where you’ve got to spend money to make money. That said, it will be interesting to see how WBD’s combined streaming platform fares, even if the pipeline of new releases isn’t nearly as full as the likes of Netflix. Looking way ahead, the company sees global streaming EBITDA at $1 billion, with 130 million subscribers by 2025. That’s an ambitious target that may be subject to upgrades if its quantity-focused strategy pays off. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/warner-bros-discovery-stock-deep-value-after-steep-quarterly-flop | 2022-08-14T12:54:16Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/warner-bros-discovery-stock-deep-value-after-steep-quarterly-flop | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
British quarterly GDP figures fell for the first time since the start of 2021, shrinking in the three months to June – although the slump was less than some analysts had feared.
GDP fell 0.1%, compared to 0.8% growth in the first three months of the year, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In the month of June alone, output fell 0.6%.
It was the biggest contraction since January 2021 – but fell short of the 1.3% drop predicted in a poll of economists conducted by news agency Reuters.
Britain’s services sector shrank 0.4%, but production output and construction output both rose in the quarter.
Cost-of-living crisis
Sectors most exposed to the worsening cost-of-living crisis such as retail and restaurants, struggled.
In recent weeks, British companies pared back profits and earnings forecasts as consumers tightened their belts, with delivery unicorn Deliveroo (GB:ROO) cutting its revenue guidance.
As consumers shun big-ticket purchases, furniture retailer Made.com (GB:MADE) also slashed its earnings and sales forecasts for the coming months.
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research warned last month that the Bank of England would need to raise interest rates to 3% to bring down inflation.
Platinum Jubilee
Public holidays had been expected to exert a drag on the economy in June, as the month contained two bank holidays for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Samuel Tombs, economist from consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics said, “It’s impossible to tell whether this reflects a smaller than usual hit from the Jubilee, or evidence that the economy has considerable underlying momentum.” | https://www.tipranks.com/news/britains-economy-contracts-0-1-amid-inflation-and-recession-fears | 2022-08-14T12:54:22Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/britains-economy-contracts-0-1-amid-inflation-and-recession-fears | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Energy giant Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) recently revealed that the company’s renewable energy subsidiary, Chevron Renewable Energy Group, will provide biofuels for cooking solutions provider, Restaurant Technologies.
Following the news, shares of the company gained 2.66% in yesterday’s trading session to close at $159.97 in extended trade.
The Partnership Entails Carbon Footprint Reduction
The partnership is aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of Restaurant Technologies’ commercial vehicle fleet. Interestingly, the biofuels will be made from the millions of gallons of used cooking oil from Restaurant Technologies’ major restaurant chains across the U.S.
With the goal of creating a working circular economy, the used oil will act as a raw material to produce biodiesel and renewable diesel. The fuels, which are lower carbon alternatives to traditional petroleum diesel, are traditionally utilized as a blend. This may include the two fuels being blended with one another to produce a 100% renewable fuel.
Initially, Restaurant Technologies will use a B30-B50 blend, 30-50% InfiniD (biodiesel), with the remainder being petroleum diesel.
Is Chevron a Good Stock to Buy Now?
With a dividend yield of 3.55%, which is higher than the sector average of 3.095%, top investors remain bullish and are loading up on Chevron stock.
TipRanks’ Stock Investors tool shows that top investors currently have a Very Positive stance on CVX. Further, 8.1% of the top portfolios tracked by TipRanks, increased their exposure to CVX stock over the past 30 days.
Overall, the Wall Street community remains cautiously optimistic about the stock with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 10 Buys, five Holds, and one Sell. The CVX average price forecast of $178.94 implies the stock has an upside potential of 12.1% from current levels. Shares have gained 55.5% over the past year.
Key Takeaways
Chevron continues to benefit from a persistent rise in energy prices globally. However, renewable energy sources will ultimately prevail. In that regard, Chevron’s partnership with Restaurant Technologies will not only contribute to the objective of a reduced carbon footprint but will also enable the company to improve its renewable energy capabilities.
Read full Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/chevron-cvx-to-ramp-up-biofuel-supply-with-new-partnership | 2022-08-14T12:54:28Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/chevron-cvx-to-ramp-up-biofuel-supply-with-new-partnership | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Luke 17 begins with Jesus instructing His disciples. He said to them, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
While Jesus was talking to His disciples about what to expect when encountering others, He warns and prepares them for times when there would be various hurts, emotional injuries and injustices committed by others to them.
He says, “Offenses will come.”
Offenses are an element of life where we live in a fallen world; where unbelievers will oppose the truths we hold dear and some will seek to cause us harm. Offenses is defined as a breach of a law or rule, an illegal act.
Jesus lets us know that in this life they cannot be avoided. They are certain and sure. He warns us so that we will be prepared when they do come. But He also would warn and instruct His disciples so that they personally would not be used to bring an offense or be a cause of offense to others.
He goes on to say, “Woe to him through whom they do come.” In other words, do not be the source of an offense coming through our heart and mouth to harm others. The seriousness of this offense is qualified by the one-syllable word, “Woe!”
It is further illustrated by the graphic illustration of a millstone hung around the neck of the guilty one and he then cast into the sea. Actually, Jesus is telling us in light of the seriousness of the crime that it would be better to be cast into the sea than to offend one of His children.
After the warning given in Luke 17:3 and 4 to “Take heed to yourselves,” Jesus gives clear instruction of what to do to seek reconciliation and forgiveness. It begins with repentance. He says, “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.”
We can see that in our relationships with others, there will be times where we must be forgiving of others; just as God has been with us. There will always be offenses. Let us be prayerful as we seek God to continue His workmanship in us so that stumbling blocks that come our way will be ultimately used as steppingstones on this Christian journey.
Velma J. Sanders is founder and president of “God’s Word, Alive, Inc., a Biblical teaching ministry. This article was first published in The Omaha Star. | https://www.stlamerican.com/religion/inspirational_message/stumbling-blocks-stepping-stones/article_784ffae6-1bc4-11ed-ab98-7bb54623559d.html | 2022-08-14T12:58:00Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/religion/inspirational_message/stumbling-blocks-stepping-stones/article_784ffae6-1bc4-11ed-ab98-7bb54623559d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New York: Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie remained hospitalized on Saturday with serious injuries a day after he was repeatedly stabbed at a public appearance in New York state, while police sought to determine the motive behind an attack that drew international condemnation.
The accused attacker, 24-year-old Hadi Matar of Fairview, New Jersey, entered a not guilty plea at a court appearance on Saturday, his court-appointed lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, told Reuters.
Rushdie, 75, was set to deliver a lecture on artistic freedom at Chautauqua Institution in western New York when police say Matar rushed the stage and stabbed the Indian-born writer, who has lived with a bounty on his head since his 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses" prompted Iran to urge Muslims to kill him.
Following hours of surgery, Rushdie was on a ventilator and unable to speak as of Friday evening, according to his agent, Andrew Wylie.
The novelist was likely to lose an eye and had nerve damage in his arm and wounds to his liver, Wylie said in an email.
Wylie did not respond to messages requesting updates on Rushdie's condition on Saturday.
The stabbing was condemned by writers and politicians around the world as an assault on freedom of expression.
Police said on Friday they had not established a motive for the attack. An initial law enforcement review of Matar's social media accounts showed he was sympathetic to Shi'ite extremism and
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), although no definitive links had been found, according to NBC New York.
The IRGC is a powerful faction that controls a business empire as well as elite armed and intelligence forces that Washington accuses of carrying out a global extremist campaign.
Bounty on his head
Rushdie, who was born into a Muslim Kashmiri family in Bombay, now Mumbai, before moving to Britain, has long faced death threats for "The Satanic Verses," viewed by some Muslims as containing blasphemous passages. The book was banned in many countries with large Muslim populations.
In 1989, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran's supreme leader, pronounced a fatwa, or religious edict, calling on Muslims to kill the author and anyone involved in the book's publication for blasphemy.
Hitoshi Igarashi, the Japanese translator of the novel, was stabbed to death in 1991 in a case that remains unsolved.
There has been no official government reaction in Iran to the attack on Rushdie, but several hardline Iranian newspapers praised his assailant.
Iranian organizations, some linked to the government, have raised a bounty worth millions of dollars for Rushdie's murder.
Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said as recently as 2019 that the fatwa was "irrevocable."
(With inputs from agencies) | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/14/salman-rushdie-attacker-pleads-not-guilty.html | 2022-08-14T13:04:29Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/14/salman-rushdie-attacker-pleads-not-guilty.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mayville: "The Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie was taken off a ventilator and able to talk on Saturday, a day after he was stabbed as he prepared to give a lecture in upstate New York.
Rushdie remained hospitalised with serious injuries, but fellow author Aatish Taseer tweeted in the evening that he was "off the ventilator and talking (and joking)." Rushdie's agent, Andrew Wylie, confirmed that information without offering further details.
Earlier in the day, the man accused of attacking him on Friday at the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education and retreat centre, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a "preplanned" crime.
An attorney for Hadi Matar entered the plea on his behalf during an arraignment in western New York. The suspect appeared in court wearing a black-and-white jumpsuit and a white face mask, with his hands cuffed in front of him.
A judge ordered him held without bail after District Attorney Jason Schmidt told her Matar, 24, took steps to purposely put himself in position to harm Rushdie, getting an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early bearing a fake ID.
"This was a targeted, unprovoked, preplanned attack on Mr Rushdie," Schmidt said.
Public defender Nathaniel Barone complained that authorities had taken too long to get Matar in front of a judge while leaving him "hooked up to a bench at the state police barracks".
"He has that constitutional right of presumed innocence," Barone added.
Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, Wylie said on Friday evening. He was likely to lose the injured eye.
The attack was met with shock and outrage from much of the world, along with tributes and praise for the award-winning author who for more than 30 years has faced death threats for "The Satanic Verses".
Authors, activists and government officials cited Rushdie's courage and longtime advocacy of free speech despite the risks to his own safety. Writer and longtime friend Ian McEwan called Rushdie "an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world", and actor-author Kal Penn cited him as a role model "for an entire generation of artists, especially many of us in the South Asian diaspora toward whom he has shown incredible warmth".
US President Joe Biden said on Saturday in a statement that he and first lady Jill Biden were "shocked and saddened" by the attack.
"Salman Rushdie -- with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced -- stands for essential, universal ideals," the statement read. "Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear. These are the building blocks of any free and open society."
Rushdie, a native of India who has since lived in Britain and the US, is known for his surreal and satirical prose style, beginning with his Booker Prize-winning 1981 novel "Midnight's Children", in which he sharply criticised India's then-prime minister, Indira Gandhi.
"The Satanic Verses" drew death threats after it was published in 1988, with many Muslims regarding as blasphemy a dream sequence based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad, among other objections. Rushdie's book had already been banned and burned in India, Pakistan and elsewhere before Iran's Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie's death, in 1989.
Khomeini died that same year, but the fatwa remains in effect. Iran's current supreme leader, Khamenei, never issued a fatwa of his own withdrawing the edict, though Iran in recent years has not focused on the writer.
Investigators were working to determine whether the suspect, born a decade after "The Satanic Verses" was published, acted alone.
Schmidt alluded to the fatwa as a potential motive in arguing against bail.
"Even if this court were to set a million dollars bail, we stand a risk that bail could be met," Schmidt said.
"His resources do not matter to me. We understand that the agenda that was carried out yesterday is something that was adopted and it is sanctioned by larger groups and organisations well beyond the jurisdictional borders of Chautauqua County," the prosecutor said.
Barone, the public defender, said after the hearing that Matar has been communicating openly with him and that he would spend the coming weeks trying to learn about his client, including whether he has psychological or addiction issues.
Matar is from Fairview, New Jersey. Rosaria Calabrese, manager of the State of Fitness Boxing Club, a small, tightly-knit gym in nearby North Bergen, said Matar joined April 11 and participated in about 27 group sessions for beginners looking to improve their fitness before emailing her several days ago to say he wanted to cancel his membership because "he would not be coming back for a while".
Matar was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon, the mayor of the village, Ali Tehfe, told The Associated Press.
Flags of the Iran-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah are visible across the village, along with portraits of leader Hassan Nasrallah, Khamenei, Khomeini and slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Journalists visiting Yaroun on Saturday were asked to leave. Hezbollah spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/14/salman-rushdie-medical-update.amp.html | 2022-08-14T13:04:35Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/14/salman-rushdie-medical-update.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mayville: "The Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie was taken off a ventilator and able to talk on Saturday, a day after he was stabbed as he prepared to give a lecture in upstate New York.
Rushdie remained hospitalised with serious injuries, but fellow author Aatish Taseer tweeted in the evening that he was "off the ventilator and talking (and joking)." Rushdie's agent, Andrew Wylie, confirmed that information without offering further details.
Earlier in the day, the man accused of attacking him on Friday at the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education and retreat centre, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a "preplanned" crime.
An attorney for Hadi Matar entered the plea on his behalf during an arraignment in western New York. The suspect appeared in court wearing a black-and-white jumpsuit and a white face mask, with his hands cuffed in front of him.
A judge ordered him held without bail after District Attorney Jason Schmidt told her Matar, 24, took steps to purposely put himself in position to harm Rushdie, getting an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early bearing a fake ID.
"This was a targeted, unprovoked, preplanned attack on Mr Rushdie," Schmidt said.
Public defender Nathaniel Barone complained that authorities had taken too long to get Matar in front of a judge while leaving him "hooked up to a bench at the state police barracks".
"He has that constitutional right of presumed innocence," Barone added.
Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, Wylie said on Friday evening. He was likely to lose the injured eye.
The attack was met with shock and outrage from much of the world, along with tributes and praise for the award-winning author who for more than 30 years has faced death threats for "The Satanic Verses".
Authors, activists and government officials cited Rushdie's courage and longtime advocacy of free speech despite the risks to his own safety. Writer and longtime friend Ian McEwan called Rushdie "an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world", and actor-author Kal Penn cited him as a role model "for an entire generation of artists, especially many of us in the South Asian diaspora toward whom he has shown incredible warmth".
US President Joe Biden said on Saturday in a statement that he and first lady Jill Biden were "shocked and saddened" by the attack.
"Salman Rushdie -- with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced -- stands for essential, universal ideals," the statement read. "Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear. These are the building blocks of any free and open society."
Rushdie, a native of India who has since lived in Britain and the US, is known for his surreal and satirical prose style, beginning with his Booker Prize-winning 1981 novel "Midnight's Children", in which he sharply criticised India's then-prime minister, Indira Gandhi.
"The Satanic Verses" drew death threats after it was published in 1988, with many Muslims regarding as blasphemy a dream sequence based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad, among other objections. Rushdie's book had already been banned and burned in India, Pakistan and elsewhere before Iran's Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie's death, in 1989.
Khomeini died that same year, but the fatwa remains in effect. Iran's current supreme leader, Khamenei, never issued a fatwa of his own withdrawing the edict, though Iran in recent years has not focused on the writer.
Investigators were working to determine whether the suspect, born a decade after "The Satanic Verses" was published, acted alone.
Schmidt alluded to the fatwa as a potential motive in arguing against bail.
"Even if this court were to set a million dollars bail, we stand a risk that bail could be met," Schmidt said.
"His resources do not matter to me. We understand that the agenda that was carried out yesterday is something that was adopted and it is sanctioned by larger groups and organisations well beyond the jurisdictional borders of Chautauqua County," the prosecutor said.
Barone, the public defender, said after the hearing that Matar has been communicating openly with him and that he would spend the coming weeks trying to learn about his client, including whether he has psychological or addiction issues.
Matar is from Fairview, New Jersey. Rosaria Calabrese, manager of the State of Fitness Boxing Club, a small, tightly-knit gym in nearby North Bergen, said Matar joined April 11 and participated in about 27 group sessions for beginners looking to improve their fitness before emailing her several days ago to say he wanted to cancel his membership because "he would not be coming back for a while".
Matar was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon, the mayor of the village, Ali Tehfe, told The Associated Press.
Flags of the Iran-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah are visible across the village, along with portraits of leader Hassan Nasrallah, Khamenei, Khomeini and slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Journalists visiting Yaroun on Saturday were asked to leave. Hezbollah spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/14/salman-rushdie-medical-update.html | 2022-08-14T13:04:41Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/14/salman-rushdie-medical-update.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
If a 25-year-old Brahmin youth had not attempted to finish off Travancore's autocratic Dewan, C P Ramaswami Iyer, a few days before India declared Independence, would the history of Travancore have taken a completely different course?
If not an Independent country, would Travancore at least have become an autonomous region within India with special privileges like Jammu and Kashmir? Or would Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru have moved the army into Travancore, like he did in the case of the small princely state of Junagadh in Gujarat whose ruler, Nawab Mohammad Mahabat Khanji III, wanted to accede to Pakistan even though his principality did not share a border with Pakistan?
Even three days before the Brahmin youth, K C S Mani, made an attempt on his life on July 25, 1947, it looked like C P Ramaswami Iyer, better known by his acronym CP, had no intention of giving up on his ambition of securing Independence for Travancore from India.
Travancore-Pakistan treaty
After a meeting with the Dewan in Delhi on July 22, 1947, here is what Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, the man chosen by the Crown to supervise a dignified transfer of power, had stated in his official report: “He (CP) declared that Travancore could never accede to the Dominion of India: he had indeed made preliminary terms with Mr Jinnah, including a trade agreement.”
CP had feared that India would impose economic sanctions as a retaliatory measure and, as cover, he opened a channel with Jinnah. In fact, as historian Ramachandra Guha had said in an article, Jinnah too had “egged on” CP to keep Travancore separate from India.
Guha writes that Jinnah wired Iyer on June 20, 1947, to say that Pakistan was “ready to establish relationship with Travancore which will be of mutual advantage”. This was just two days after the Travancore king made his 'Declaration of Independence' for Travancore on June 18. CP, in turn, proposed a treaty between “the independent sovereign state of Travancore and the Government of Pakistan”.
'Immoral' Gandhi, 'repulsive' Communists
During the July 22 meeting, when CP spoke of his deal with Jinnah, the Viceroy said the Dewan had nothing but utter contempt for Indian national leaders. He told Mountbatten that Gandhi was a “sex maniac who could not keep his hands off young girls”, and called Jawaharlal Nehru “unstable”.
It was clear CP could not stand the thought of being part of India. A week before he met Mountbatten, CP had written to British Prime Minister Clement Attlee on July 14, arguing why it was impossible for Travancore to go with India. The letter also revealed CP's deep disgust for the Soviets and the Communists.
“Travancore cannot be forced to join a dominion whose leaders have at this critical juncture in world history established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Republic. This step cannot but be followed by the establishment of Russian embassies and consulates all over India with results that need not be detailed. Within 50 miles of Travancore are the main centres of Communist influence in India,” CP, who at that time was busy using indiscriminate force to quell Communist rebellions, told the British PM.
Nation called Travancore
It was on February 18, 1947, that British Prime Minister Clement Atlee made the historic declaration of his country's intention to transfer power to India. The proposals for transfer of power to India and Pakistan was made public on June 3, 1947. The fate of the 500-odd princely states was left vague. It was simply said that the 'Crown's Paramountcy' over them would lapse.
On June 11 itself, CP announced that “In law as well as in fact, Travancore will become an independent country” the moment Britain officially relinquishes power.
A week later on June 18, Travancore ruler Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma made the official 'Declaration of Independence' through Trivandrum Radio Station at 8.45pm. “On and from 15th August, 1947, Travancore will reassume its independence and sovereignty in full measure"
It was not as if CP had sudden visions of Independent Travancore after Atlee made Britain's intentions clear. Though historians had called Atlee's declaration “stunning”, CP had seen it coming. He had by then struck secret bilateral deals with big nations hoping that these would give him the bargaining power to haggle out a separate Travancore once the British decides to leave India.
Briefly put, CP behaved like a potentate of an independent kingdom long before Attlee's declaration.
Lure of atomic bomb
If princely states like Hyderabad, Gwalior, Baroda and Patiala had immeasurable wealth, Travancore had monazite. This mineral was coveted by world powers because it consisted of thorium, a fissile material that goes into the making of nuclear bombs.
Travancore was one of the biggest suppliers of monazite in the world and, on top of it, the monazite mined from the Travancore coast was said to be of a considerably higher quality than that of its closest competitor Brazil.
CP had the realisation that he was sitting on perhaps the world's most valuable treasure. The world, he knew, was entering a period of atomic revolution. A few days after the Americans exploded the atom bomb over Nagasaki and Hiroshima, CP wrote to his king: “If thorium can be utilised for the manufacture of atomic bombs (there is no reason why it should not be) — Travancore will enjoy position very high in the world.”
So when the newly formed board for Atomic Energy Research of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) announced in early 1946 that they would soon begin a survey of Travancore’s thorium deposits, CP objected.
He said Travancore was under no obligation to surrender control of its thorium deposits to any outside agency, including the British Crown. And then, in a demonstration of unprecedented brinkmanship, he concluded bilateral agreements with monazite-extracting companies in Britain and, as Guha noted, had invited the minerals attache of the US Embassy to survey Travancore's monazite sands so that bids would come from the US, too.
Nehru's anger, Britain's cunning
When Nehru came to know of CP's secret moves, he was scandalised. At a cabinet meeting of the interim Government of India in April 1947, a livid Nehru had reportedly said he did not mind using air power against Travancore to make the princely state fall in line. The threat worked and Travancore backed out of its agreement with the UK company.
But then it was just a tactical retreat. CP did not care for Indian leaders. He assumed that as long as he had monazite, the British would do his bidding. At that point, America had snubbed Britain's request for atomic bombs and Britain was keen to develop one.
Top British politicians had also acknowledged the strategic importance of Travancore and wanted Britain to be in the good books of CP. Take John Charles Wilmot, who was minister for aircraft production and also minister of supply under Clement Attlee.
He said that the richest deposit of monazite was in Travancore, and added that “our chances of getting monazite from Travancore ultimately depend on the goodwill of the state government and the Dewan in particular”.
So by the time he came to visit Mountbatten on July 22, CP was under the impression that he was in a position to dictate terms. In fact, right after he returned from Delhi and minutes before he was attacked by Mani near the entrance of the Swathi Thirunal Music College on July 25, the dewan had proudly told the audience at the music college of the “new era of sovereign independent status for Travancore”.
Only royalty worshippers, like most people at the music college event on July 25, were excited. Everyone else wanted Travancore to accede to India.
Despot with blood on his hands
As his ambitions soared, so did the public revulsion for the Dewan.
Few months back, in October 1946, CP had ruthlessly crushed the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. Coir, agricultural and fish workers who had mobilised under the Communist party had rejected a power sharing formula mooted by the Dewan.
Called the 'American Model', it seemed participatory in a superficial way but at the functional level had most of the power concentrated in the princely state, meaning CP himself.
The 'American model' was the prototype of the legislative structure CP wanted for Independent Travancore. Both the Congress and the Communists were outraged by CP's attempts to centralise power and also his ambition to have a country separate from India.
The Dewan, in an attempt to make the workers fall in line, unleashed a reign of terror. In retaliation, the workers organised into camps and armed themselves with crude locally-made weapons like wooden spears. In certain areas, police stations were attacked.
The counterattack was disproportionately brutal. Machine guns were fired at workers. Noted historian Sreedhara Menon estimated that nearly 1000 people were killed.
Mani's revenge
It was this mindless killing that made K C S Mani, a young man with socialist leanings, volunteer to annihilate the Dewan. He used a cunningly acquired pass to enter the music college. Mani had hidden a machete, the kind with a curved end that workers use to cut down shrubs and small trees, under the khakhi shorts he wore beneath a 'mundu'.
The legendary Carnatic musician Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer was on stage. Just before Semmangudi finished his recital, the Dewan walked out with the police in tow. Mani was seated at the left end of the hall through which the Dewan was about to exit. As the Dewan neared, he stood up. Finding that his 'mundu' was preventing him from pulling out his machete, Mani unwrapped it and threw it away. Now just in his khakhi shorts, he lifted the machete from under it and started hacking at the Dewan with a mad man's fury. Some of his wild swings missed, some struck flesh and bone. Just then the lights went off and Mani escaped.
The surgeon general of Travancore put out a bulletin that said the Dewan had seven wounds. The cut on the left cheek was serious, causing serious bleeding. The back of the neck too had a deep cut, and some of his fingers on his left hand were nearly severed. The others, though big wounds, were not dangerous.
Attack and complete surrender
Two days later on July 28, when he had reasonably recovered, CP wrote a letter to his king from his hospital bed. He said there were just two options: join India or declare Independence. He told the king to brace for a bloody battle if Travancore opted to remain independent. He said a civil war would erupt in six months, and that Congress leaders would be massacred before the end of the year. He also reminded the king that these scenarios were laid before him even earlier but the king had then decided to fight it out.
Then, he comes to the point. He tells the king that unlike before death is now pushing its way through the palace gates. “The events that have happened (the assassination attempt on him) must have made a great impression on you. They have not changed my mind (on independence for Travancore) but made me fully realise that your lives are in jeopardy and those of persons near and dear to you. It is either death or victory.”
Two days later, on July 30, the Travancore Maharaja telegraphed his acceptance of the Instrument of Accession to the Viceroy. “They sheepishly changed their minds,” is how historian Manu S Pillai puts it in 'The Ivory Throne', his highly feted book on the House of Travancore.
If the most feared man in the whole of Travancore, and perhaps its most protected, could be so daringly attacked, the royals knew better than to hold on to their dreams of an independent country called Travancore. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/how-cp-ramaswamy-iyers-assassination-bid-dramatically-altered-kerala-history-live.amp.html | 2022-08-14T13:12:40Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/how-cp-ramaswamy-iyers-assassination-bid-dramatically-altered-kerala-history-live.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Pete Buttigieg wasn't quite feeling it.
It was late and White House aides had given him the cryptic guidance during their prep call for his Sunday show appearances on July 24: "We're not taking any swings."
That last weekend in July, the transportation secretary was -- like most Democrats -- still reeling from the latest death of a reconciliation bill tackling climate change that he and so many others had hoped for. The potential loss of the electric vehicles tax credits he had worked on most closely, and the bigger goals like carbon emissions cuts had Buttigieg feeling dejected, despondent.
The circle of those in the know had been kept so tight that even Buttigieg, one of the Cabinet secretaries closest to President Joe Biden who was managing some of the policies involved -- and a top TV pitchman -- didn't know how much was on the cusp of changing.
"There was a sense that things had stalled," acknowledged a top Biden adviser. "People felt that they weren't seeing what they thought they were going to see."
The upside to a year and a half of false starts and breakdowns, Democrats say: They stumbled into having a pile of good news right before midterm campaigning really picks up, and just as the average gas price has fallen below $4 and Donald Trump's last week included having the FBI search Mar-a-Lago and invoking the Fifth Amendment hundreds of times to the New York attorney general.
Three days after Buttigieg's TV appearances, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Biden to tell him that he'd landed the deal with Manchin and brought the President's agenda back to life.
With that deal, which included deficit reductions and the biggest investments in combating climate change the US has ever made, now through Congress and headed to the President's desk, Biden and his team are rushing to reset the image they allowed to settle in of a doddering president wiling away his days in the Oval Office as time passed him by.
Three dozen White House aides, members of Congress and top staff as well as top political operatives spoke to CNN about Biden's race against time to change perceptions of his presidency. It's a sprint aimed at defying history by salvaging the Democratic majorities in Congress in the November midterms and -- just as critically for the President -- staving off any more defections from within his own party as he looks toward the reelection campaign that he is indeed planning to launch early next year.
While some even within the administration see the West Wing trying to put a rosy spin on a President who wasn't doing much, aides who were most deeply involved point to calibrated, multi-dimension, simultaneous strategies often overlooked by those focused only on Biden jawboning his way through Oval Office meetings.
There was making sure Buttigieg held back in those Sunday show interviews. There was deploying Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for intense national security briefings about China on the Hill to push through the CHIPS and Science Act. There was the group of aides who huddled by the sofa in the Roosevelt Room about how to feed an echo chamber of prominent liberals blasting Senate Republicans for initially refusing to pass the veterans burn pits health bill out of anger at the reconciliation deal -- and then get the tweets they helped generate in front of wavering Democrats to convince them to give up their objections for the sake of helping mess with Republicans.
And there was the quiet coordination with Manchin and Schumer as Biden held off declaring the climate emergency that many activists and Democratic officials were demanding, though they knew that would once again mean the President getting raked on social media by his own supporters. Though several options were prepared for how to declare a climate emergency, Biden aides say that gamble captures their approach: As disappointed as many of Biden's supporters were in the moment, passing a law produced a much bigger result that can't just be rescinded by a future president.
What came together "was not an overnight thing," the adviser said. Biden "plays the long game and really does have the ability to look ahead and know you're going to go through the rocky periods to get there."
Biden's caution not to make huge demands on any of the bills -- not calling for universal background checks in the gun reform, or for his full Build Back Better agenda to make it through reconciliation, was also key. "This President, by not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, helped make so many of these things happen," said a senior Senate Democratic aide.
The climate provisions are a perfect example of where the White House feels Biden's role in setting the direction is being under-appreciated: Manchin wouldn't have been the 50th vote without Schumer, but they say there wouldn't have been 49 out of 50 votes there without Biden. Obama, they'll note, didn't get 50 out of 59 of his Senate Democrats on his cap-and-trade plan.
But by focusing on investments in clean energy projects that brought labor on board -- and tending to a network of unions to keep speaking up in support, much like the network of veterans' groups they were in touch with on the burn pits bill -- instead of carbon fees, Biden "built a climate plan that fused 49 (Democrats) together and the fusion stuck all the way," said a senior White House aide. "Obviously, not enough without Manchin. But without Biden's approach, you aren't even one vote away."
Still, when Schumer finished the negotiations, his first stop was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, telling they had to talk with no staff in the room to keep it secret. She agreed to the terms. Biden, who'd given Schumer his sign off during a call a week and a half earlier, was the next call, to hear that it was done.
Along the way, close advisers say, Biden has proven his theory of his presidency: that major legislation can still actually move through Washington, that it can happen with bipartisan agreement even amid simultaneous partisan fights, that what may seem like outdated rules of governing and politics actually still matter in the age of instant gratification. That the answer to people yelling or threatening isn't to yell back, no matter what was said about him by Republicans or his own party.
In this wave of momentum inside the White House, aides often bring up the people who called Biden "naïve," just to swat that notion down. The phrase Biden and his aides return to often is that he and his allies have "met this moment." Some in the West Wing have been sending around a line from his South Carolina victory speech in 2020, when luck and circumstance and strategy and perseverance suddenly resurrected then-candidate Biden after he seemed like he was finished: "For those that have been knocked down, counted out, left behind, this is your campaign."
"We can't do it all the time, and we can't do it a lot of the time, but there are occasions when we can come together, and we should. And that's an important signal for the country," a senior White House official said late last week.
Summertime frustrations
Before they cautioned Buttigieg against going too hard, Biden's aides had been planning his own big speech at the end of July, in Wisconsin -- until aides to Gov. Tony Evers, who's in a tight reelection fight, urged him not to come so they could avoid being together. White House aides had decided to go through with it anyway, until they realized that the necessary security measures would force them to cancel the local favorite Oshkosh Air Show.
Now that big Biden speech is being planned for shortly after Labor Day. Aides are preparing a hard-hitting kick off for midterm campaigning, with the President touting tangible, long-talked-about wins like lowering prescription drug costs and gun restrictions while hammering Republicans for being extremists who are in the pocket of special interests.
The hole Biden is hoping to crawl out of is deep, and it's dark. Around the time when the Wisconsin speech would have happened, top Democratic operatives were quietly passing around numbers that left them depressed but not surprised. Biden's disapproval rating was higher than his approval rating in Delaware -- the state he represented for 36 years in the Senate, where they named the main rest stop and the train station for him years before he was elected president.
The numbers have been worse elsewhere. In state after state, district after district, with as much as a 20- to 25-point gaps between voters' feelings about Biden and their feelings about the Democratic candidates for governor, Senate and House. For the August special election for a House district where Biden edged out Trump in 2020, the Democratic candidate is ahead in two internal polls, but Biden's approval is in the mid-30s.
All summer long, Democratic focus groups across the country came back with a consistent complaint about Biden: He didn't seem like he was even trying to deal with inflation or really anything else.
Approval ratings circled the drain -- "there's no bottom," one operative in a high-profile race said late last month. Asked about Biden's numbers, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly insisted he didn't know how bad they were. Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, another one of Democrats' most endangered incumbents, ducked answering a question about whether she'd be dragged down by Biden's low approval rating by saying, "I can just tell you I don't take Nevadans for granted."
"It's a time where everybody's has been through so much, and even though their own personal situation may be fine, there's a lot of anxiety in the country," said Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, trying to explain how much people had turned on Biden, even as other Democrats and the Democratic agenda remained popular.
In the weeks after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and nothing else was going right, that disenchantment started leeching into the Oval Office too.
"When you're the president, you're the vessel for that frustration. And it's hard, when you're the most powerful person in the world, and you can't do anything about it," said another White House aide.
A change in the political winds
Getting the guns bill passed in the wake of the horrible school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, was an important hinge moment, aides say.
Not only did it show that Republicans and Democrats could make a deal on an intractable issue, but it showed the passion in Biden that had not been evident in prior weeks. The issue has been personally important to the President ever since he was the senator who shepherded through the last major gun legislation 30 years ago.
Killing Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, aides said, was another important jolt internally, though largely lost in the cascade of other news. An adviser called that a "proof of concept" moment for a President whose long résumé lacked much of that commander-in-chief experience.
"The Beltway crowd dismissed him as out of touch," said New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic Caucus chairman. "The agenda that he oversaw was widely popular with the American people. ... Now these wins will only allow President Biden's approval rating to catch up with the popularity of the agenda he's put forward."
If Biden can start to climb up a few points, hopeful Democratic operatives say, then candidates who were holding even against Republicans while he was in the 30s might really have a shot at winning. They're not sure there's enough time to turn public perception around, though, and Republicans are still looking to make him an anchor.
"None of them want to say they're with Biden," said Florida Sen. Rick Scott, the chair of the Senate GOP campaign arm. "I think they're I think they're trying to separate themselves from Biden all the time."
The vibe shift in the last two weeks can be overstated. Pockets of staff dysfunction persist. The close klatch of aging advisers remains largely impenetrable for the rest of the staff, and even several high-level aides say they're mystified about why decisions are so hard to make or why the President is sticking with his sparse public schedule.
Internal chatter a few weeks ago that the author Jon Meacham was about to officially join the West Wing as a top communications staffer encapsulated aides' sense of ideas being flung against the wall. A decision on student loan cancellation that was originally promised in the spring will, in true Biden fashion, almost certainly be pushed all the way to the deadline on August 31 and, no matter where it lands, will end up frustrating some on the left for not going far enough.
Still convincing his party over 2024
Raul Ruiz, a physician and California congressman who was a key proponent of the burn pits legislation, stood outside the White House after the bill signing on Wednesday recalling how he'd started talking with Biden about the issue all the way back in 2018, a few minutes before a speech to buck up the House Democrats during the Trump years.
"People are going to start to realize this is Joe Biden's doing. The difficulty is that, of course, there's always a lag time to implementation," Ruiz said. "But he will still be in office for the next two years. And once all these benefits start kicking in and lives have been improved, then he will be in office another four years."
Biden still has convincing to do even among other Democratic leaders. Two New York members of Congress facing off in a primary against each other were both caught hesitating on supporting Biden for reelection in their primary debate. Both quickly backtracked, but one, Rep. Jerry Nadler, has told people that he believes the question is a Republican trap, getting Democrats talking about the future of an unpopular President rather than the more immediate questions about the Democratic agenda and what he sees as the Republican threat.
Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, meanwhile, told CNN that as excited as he is about all Biden's recent successes, he stands by comments he made late last month arguing that Biden shouldn't run for reelection.
He said "tens" of colleagues have reached out to him to say they agreed, with several members also telling CNN privately that they worry about a rush of similar announcements urging Biden to step aside if Republicans still come out of the midterms with big victories.
"It has not changed my perspective or feelings one iota," Phillips said. "This is the perfect time. The president himself used the term 'bridge,' that he would be a generational bridge. I'd like to see Joe Biden go out on top after having served as the most important, remarkable bridge at a time when the country was literally teetering."
Comments like that leave Biden and his orbit wondering -- after winning the presidency when few thought he could and scoring a legislative record few modern presidents can match -- what it will take to get his own party to cheer him into reelection rather than continuing to circulate doubts.
"People should take him at his word. He generally is someone who tells you exactly what he's going to do," the top Biden adviser said. "This record of achievements and accomplishments—that is the kind of record you run on."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/joe-biden-got-the-vibe-shift-he-needed-now-hes-looking-to-make-it-count/article_caf0c166-c102-55ea-b66f-0ff811b60728.html | 2022-08-14T13:15:13Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/joe-biden-got-the-vibe-shift-he-needed-now-hes-looking-to-make-it-count/article_caf0c166-c102-55ea-b66f-0ff811b60728.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lt. Gov. Josh Green will win the Democratic nomination for governor in Hawaii, CNN projects.
As of 7 a.m. ET Sunday, Green was winning 63.7% of the vote, while former Hawaii first lady Vicky Cayetano had 21.4% and Rep. Kai Kahele had 13.7%.
CNN also projects that former state Sen. Jill Tokuda will win the Democratic nomination for the state's open 2nd Congressional District, and Republican Joe Akana will win his party's nomination for the seat. As of 7 a.m. ET Sunday, Tokuda was winning 58.6% of the vote while State Rep. Patrick Branco had 24.6%.
Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz will win renomination and face Republican Bob McDermott in November, and Democratic 1st Congressional District Rep. Ed Case will win renomination and will face Republican Conrad Kress, CNN projects.
Green, a former emergency room doctor who served in the Hawaii state House and Senate, defeated Rep. Kai Kahele and former Hawaii first lady Vicky Cayetano to clinch the nomination.
Green was born in New York and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A part of the National Health Service Corps, he moved to Hawaii where he was stationed in 2000. He served in the Hawaii state legislature from 2004 to 2018. He was elected lieutenant governor in 2018 and in 2020 became the state's Covid-19 liaison, according to his bio.
In a debate held in July, Green called out Kahele for serving one term in Congress and then retiring to return to Hawaii and run for governor, Hawaii News Now reported at the time.
Kahele, who was elected to Congress in 2020 to replace Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, came under fire earlier this year for his part-time work as a commercial pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, which raised questions of whether he was breaking any ethics rules for continuing his work with the airline.
Questions about Kahele's work with Hawaiian Airlines arose after the Honolulu Civil Beat published an in-depth story looking into his attendance at the US Capitol this year and his personal income since he entered office. The report found that Kahele had voted by proxy at least 120 times from the start of the year through early April, meaning another lawmaker has cast his votes for him.
Kahele's office at the time defended his part-time work with Hawaiian Airlines and said his decision to vote by proxy was motivated by concerns over new coronavirus variants, given that the congressman lives in a multigenerational family home. His office said he remained committed to his work in Washington, DC.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/lt-gov-josh-green-wins-hawaii-democratic-gubernatorial-nomination-cnn-projects/article_3398cfc6-cc1a-5dba-b53c-a02c378e30fb.html | 2022-08-14T13:15:19Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/lt-gov-josh-green-wins-hawaii-democratic-gubernatorial-nomination-cnn-projects/article_3398cfc6-cc1a-5dba-b53c-a02c378e30fb.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Former President Donald Trump left office over a year and a half ago, and yet he is still dominating the news. Whether it be the FBI searching Mar-a-Lago or the Republican primaries in August, you might forget that President Joe Biden is the one who currently lives at the White House.
Speaking of those primaries, another Republican member of Congress who voted to impeach Trump went down to defeat this week when Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler conceded.
We'll begin our roundup of the week in electoral politics with a different Republican who voted to impeach Trump and has been at the forefront of anti-Trump Republicans in Congress: Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.
Cheney looks on the precipice of big loss
I'm going to cut right to the chase and say that it will take a small miracle for Cheney for her to win Tuesday's Republican primary for Wyoming's lone House seat. Statistically improbable things happen, but Cheney has both the polling and history against her.
The truth is that Cheney has been an underdog for re-election since she voted to impeach Trump at the beginning of 2021. Trump is the dominant figure in the GOP and voting to impeach Trump has turned out to be a sin in the voters' minds that many have not forgiven.
For Cheney specifically, you can see this is in the CES polls of Wyoming voters taken in late 2020 and then late 2021. Cheney's disapproval rating in this deeply Republican state went from 26% before her vote to impeach to 72% afterward.
Cheney's high unpopularity led to a rush of primary challengers. The one who emerged from the pack and garnered Trump's endorsement, attorney and former Republican National Committeewoman Harriet Hageman, looks to be a heavy favorite on Tuesday.
Based on my reading of all the data out there, Hageman is most likely going to win by somewhere north of 20 points. The betting markets put Hageman at more than a 95% favorite to be Wyoming's next House member.
You can see the momentum behind Hageman in Wyoming in other data points as well. Although Cheney has raised over $9 million out-of-state to Hageman's over $1 million, Hageman has more than doubled Cheney's fundraising in-state (nearly $800,000 to more than $300,000).
It could be argued that Cheney might have stood a better chance if she hadn't been consistently defiant of Trump. She's the vice chair of the January 6 House select committee, after all. I'm not sure, though, it would have mattered what Cheney did after her vote to impeach Trump.
There were 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. Four announced their retirements before having to face the voters again. Three have been defeated in primaries and two managed to make it to the general election.
A look at the two who made it to the general election (California Rep. David Valadao and Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse) doesn't provide a lot of encouragement for Cheney. Both got about 25% of the vote and advanced to the general election in primary systems where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, ran on the same ballot with the top two vote-getters advancing to November -- which means there were a lot of non-Republicans voting.
Just one candidate will advance to the general election in Cheney's primary, and 25% of the vote is likely not going to be enough to win.
And unlike California and Washington, Wyoming's primary is partisan. You have to choose a Republican ballot to vote in the primary. Cheney has tried to encourage non-Republicans to pick up that ballot, but over two-thirds of Wyoming's registered voters are Republicans. The effort is almost certainly a futile one.
The fact is about two-thirds of Republicans nationwide have said that the party should not be at all or not too accepting of Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, according to the Pew Research Center.
Unless something dramatic happens in the next few days, that number, more than anything else, will tell the story of why Cheney's days in Congress are numbered.
Democratic turnaround in special elections
You might have noticed that I mixed polling and real world data in our last section. That's because I'm always looking for examples of what we're seeing in the polling playing out when voters are casting ballots.
When it comes to whether Democrats have been picking up momentum nationally, recent special elections seem to be confirming what the polling is showing. Both show Democrats in better shape now than they have been in a long while.
Last week, Republican Brad Finstad defeated Democrat Jeff Ettinger in Minnesota's 1st district special House election. His win, however, was by a mere 4 points. Trump had won in the district by 10 points. This was, in other words, a 6-point overperformance for Democrats compared to the 2020 baseline.
Interestingly, this was the second special election since late June where Democrats had encouraging news. The Democratic candidate outperformed the 2020 baseline by 6 points in the Nebraska 1st district special election on June 28.
What makes these elections unusual is that Democrats had, on the whole, been underperforming the 2020 baseline in special elections this Congress. Instead of Democrats doing 6 points better than the 2020 baseline, as they have in the last two special elections, they had been doing about 6 points worse on average in previous special elections.
It would be easy to dismiss these data points as outliers, but Democrats getting a sudden boost in support lines up with polling data and events.
Democrats trailed on the national generic congressional ballot by an average of 3 points a few months ago. That ballot test is now tied.
This comes as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which polling shows was an unpopular decision. We saw that in Kansas, where voters in that deep red state overwhelmingly decided to uphold the right to an abortion.
Additionally, the unpopular Trump has been dominating the headlines because of the January 6 House select committee hearings and now the search of Mar-a-Lago.
Whether Democrats are able to keep up this momentum in the weeks and months to come is unknown at this point. We will get a few tests this month, though, with Alaska's lone House district having a special election on Tuesday and two congressional districts in New York holding special elections a week from Tuesday.
For your brief encounters: WNBA playoffs begin this week
It may be hard to believe, but the WNBA began 25 years ago. This week, the regular season of the women's professional basketball league comes to an end as the playoffs start up.
Ratings for the WNBA playoffs hit their highest level since 2017 last year with an average of more than 500,000 fans tuning in. We'll see if that can be topped this season.
Like with their male counterparts, the highest-rated professional final game is actually outdrawn by the college final game. About 5 million people tuned in to watch the NCAA women's basketball final earlier this year.
Leftover data
Facebook is no longer cool: Just 32% of American teens say they ever use Facebook, according to a new Pew study. From 2014 to 2015, 71% said they did. The sites and apps with over 50% usage among teens are YouTube (95%), TikTok (67%), Instagram (62%) and Snapchat (59%).
Americans aren't cool with e-cigarettes: A new Gallup poll finds that 61% of Americans want the laws and regulations covering e-cigarettes to be more strict compared to 7% who say less strict and 30% who believe they should be kept as they are now. A majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans think they should be more strict.
More go hungry worldwide: Gallup now projects that about 10% of people were undernourished in 2021. If that projection ends up being reality, it would be the highest undernourished rate worldwide in over a decade.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/why-liz-cheney-is-likely-on-her-way-to-a-major-defeat/article_d9ecf0c7-bbfa-5fc5-8837-fc670e1f9972.html | 2022-08-14T13:15:31Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/why-liz-cheney-is-likely-on-her-way-to-a-major-defeat/article_d9ecf0c7-bbfa-5fc5-8837-fc670e1f9972.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The darker the Berry, the sweeter the juice and this fine wine is only getting better with time.
An iconic look. Stunning beauty. With accolades in spades. There is only one Halle Berry. The model and actress, who has been one of the highest paid artists in Hollywood, has shown that sometimes people do just get better—and hotter—with time.
With some of the fiercest red carpet looks and costumes, Berry, 56, has found a way to throw lightning in franchises like “X-Men” from 20th Century Fox, unsheathe her claws as Catwoman and come swinging punches in films like “Bruised.” Having finally found the love of her life, Van Hunt, the actress and producer has set her sights on new horizons going forward.
So was she always meant to soar the skies like a hurricane and crawl the alleyways like a cat? Was her historic Oscars win the first of many more to come? Will she and her new love last forever? Join me as we dive into her stars because I’m a pop culture astrologer and I can see it all.
Halle Berry’s birth chart shows why she is so popular and beloved
Halle Berry was born on August 14, 1966. This makes her a charismatic Leo Sun with a fiery Leo Moon. When it comes to elemental energy, she is heavily composed of Water, which is what brings her deep emotions and tremendous sensitivity. After that, Fire and Earth are equally balanced, which is what helps level her out a bit when it comes to her emotional intensity. She is certainly driven by passion, and surprisingly, she has no Air placements within her birth chart whatsoever. This is what shows me that she’s ruled by her heart and desires rather than her mind.
When it comes to key themes that run through her birth chart, there is one that consistently rises above: Halle Berry is so popular and likeable because she is infused with an innate love for life. This energetic pattern is woven into her soul, personality and physical beauty repeatedly. She’s optimistic, kind, loving, charming and softhearted. Her Moon, ruling her inner emotional life, is united with Mercury, bringing her great honesty and a vivid imagination, as well as Venus, the planet of charm, which makes her social, refined and attractive.
Her Mars links to Neptune, bringing her tremendous personal magnetism and a sexual allure that captivates others. Her Mars is also exactly united with Jupiter, the planet of expansion, which brings her great levels of independence, luck and vibrant energy. Then with Venus also embracing both Mars and Jupiter, it infuses her with so much sensuality, elegance and sexual attraction that she is practically an embodiment of the feminine divine.
The next major theme is that she is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to her creativity. Many astrological aspects consistently speak of her being a natural visionary talent, able to bring a fresh approach to all that she does and try to make it her own. Her Sun, connected to her life force, is exactly linked to Neptune, the planet of fantasy, which enhances her inherent artistic abilities. Neptune also stands opposite her Ascendant, bringing her a majestic and ethereal quality as seen by others. Venus, the planet of art and beauty, stands opposite her Midheaven, or height of fame, further enhancing the fact that she was meant to be an artist, actress and model.
Uranus, the planet of rebellion, links to Neptune, bringing her a future-oriented perspective when it comes to her life and work, too. She certainly has strong aspects in her birth chart that also speak of ambition and tenacity, but the best part of her sky is that she doesn’t need to fight tooth and nail simply to prove something like so many other people or celebrities do. She has absolutely worked relentlessly to get where she is, but she’s naturally beloved by the universe so it shows she was meant to rise and enjoy the blessings that the world could offer.
What are predictions for Halle Berry?
So what lies ahead for Ms. Halle Berry? Let’s take a peek. First and foremost, until nearly 2024, she is experiencing a period of stillness, reflection and healing. While this may sound like she isn’t going to continue to soar, that isn’t what I’m saying, technically speaking. Her inner emotional and spiritual life will become more important to her, as if she is being guided by the universe or even a guardian angel.
She has incredible levels of intuition and this will stimulate immense creativity and development of projects. She’s also going to refine some of her most important aspirations going forward between 2022 and 2026. This is because Saturn will be activating some important karmic life lessons for her, especially as she nears her second Saturn return.
During this period, she will revel in what she has built toward as well as let go of anyone or anything that isn’t speaking to her soul. On a personal level, I certainly see why she has been falling in love—this was also triggered by powerful karmic eclipses—and there is a high likelihood that she will see her family and romantic love grow. She’s such a bright light. I hope I get to tell her that in person someday soon. You heard it here first.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses?
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
Kyle Thomas is a globally recognized pop culture astrologer who has been featured in “Access Hollywood,” E! Entertainment, NBC & ABC television, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Hulu, Bustle, Elite Daily, Marie Claire and more. He is known for his cosmic guidance for celebrities, business executives and prominent influencers. His work harnesses the power of the stars in regards to entertainment lifestyle and trends affecting people worldwide. For more information, visit KyleThomasAstrology.com. | https://nypost.com/article/halle-berrys-birth-chart-reveals-sexy-oscar-winners-passion/ | 2022-08-14T13:17:11Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/article/halle-berrys-birth-chart-reveals-sexy-oscar-winners-passion/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Monday, Aug. 15 marks two years since Anthony McClain was shot and killed by police officers during a routine traffic stop in Pasadena.
Community leaders, residents and loved ones of the deceased father are still fighting to ensure a similar incident never happens again. Meanwhile, progress toward refining police oversight in the aftermath of the shooting has moved painstakingly slowly.
McClain, 32, of Pasadena, was shot and killed near La Pintoresca Park after he fled a traffic stop over a missing front license plate initiated by Officer Edwin Dumanguindin and partner Ryan Mulrooney near Raymond Avenue and Grandview Street.
The passenger in the car, identified as McClain, stepped out of the vehicle, and immediately began to sprint away from the officers, according to police.
Then-police Chief John Perez released video taken from an officer-worn body camera before the state’s 45-day time limit for making video of critical incidents public.
Perez, who has since retired, also released the name of the officer.
In the edited eight-minute video, which uses a combination of body-worn and dashboard video to construct a narrative of what occurred, police contend an object McClain held in his waistband and later, in his left hand, was a handgun. That’s why shots were fired, according to police.
An autopsy report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner released after the incident revealed two shots hit the right side of McClain’s lower back.
McClain’s death came on the heels of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, so news of the shooting spread swiftly, becaming part of the national defund-the-police movement.
The shooting also influenced a slate of local changes that continue to take shape two years later.
Attorneys for the McClain family dispute there was a gun and sued the city.
The City of Pasadena settled one of the three outstanding lawsuits last November when lawyers representing McClain’s three minor children agreed to a $7.5 million settlement, according to a statement from the city.
“This settlement, with no admission of guilt or wrongdoing, will prevent further prolonged and expensive proceedings,” the statement reads.
Aside from the civil cases, city leaders pointed to individual investigations – including a Los Angeles County District Attorney criminal inquiry and a Police Department administrative review, which will determine whether the officers followed department policy in the officer-involved shooting.
The city has also retained OIR Group to conduct an independent review of the shooting, but their review cannot commence until the criminal investigation and administrative review have been completed.
One step in the chain of bureaucratic processes was completed in April when Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón determined the office would not bring charges forward against the officer responsible for the shooting.
The D.A.’s Justice System Integrity Division found that there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer( Edwin) Dumaguindin did not act in lawful self-defense when he fatally shot McClain during a traffic stop as McClain fled the scene.
Gascón pointed to a high bar for prosecutors to convict officers — a burden that would involve having to prove that the police were not acting in self-defense when they shot at McLain from behind as he fled the scene of the traffic stop on Aug. 15, 2020.
Investigators also noted varying interpretations based on the video, but which were deemed “insufficient quality to be determinative.”
In the end, it meant that prosecutors did not have enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s decision to shoot “was unreasonable.”
The decision ended more than a year of waiting on the status of the investigation, and the fate of an officer over a shooting that has sparked fierce criticism over police tactics.
However, questions remain about the remaining reviews. So much so, dozens of residents call in weekly to City Council meetings to comment and question city leaders about the subject.
Max Boyle, a pastor at Pasadena Foursquare church, has highlighted how he and a few dedicated members of his congregation have spent most Monday since August 2020 at La Pintoresca Park listening to neighborhood residents, tending to McClain’s memorial and praying that justice will prevail.
He noted in April, shortly after Gascon’s announcement, that some in the community find it hard to trust its police department.
“How can it be that the two most important cameras that would solve a lot of the discrepancies in Anthony’s case were allowed to be turned off – first being the officer who shot Anthony, second being the officer who claims to find a gun associated with Anthony,” Boyle said. “This is not acceptable and we need real real leadership right now.”
Others agree, including Esprit Jones – an ear-witness to the McClain shooting, who rushed outside within minutes of McClain hitting the ground.
Jones now finds herself a member of the 11-seat Community Police Oversight Commission and part of the very change with which Pasadena is grappling.
Debate around forming Pasadena’s Police Oversight Commission consumed the community for decades, but Jones and her peers on the city’s civilian police commission were two weeks out from completing orientation at this time last year.
The 11-member commission tasked with police accountability and oversight would meet for the first time a few months later in October 2021. Three meetings later though, the group found itself without an independent police auditor after former IPA Brian
Maxey opted to return to the Seattle Police Department to serve as its Chief Operating Officer at the beginning of this year.
The IPA is tasked with researching critical incidents, reviewing investigations of personnel complaints relating to bias-based policing, and recommending changes to Pasadena Police Department policies, procedures and officer training.
So the loss, according to members of the Civilian Oversight Police Commission, hampered their ability to fully operate.
City leaders hope the recent selection of Richard Rosenthal, a former public corruption prosecutor who was involved in uncovering the LAPD Rampart Scandal, lays the foundation for a future of better policing in all of Pasadena’s communities.
But because the group is undergoing “a bit of a restart,” Rosenthal said during his inaugural meeting with the oversight commissioners, he encouraged the public and the police to have a little patience while the commission looks to construct a system that can stand the tests of the future.
More shootings have happened in the weeks since Rosenthal’s hiring, but the McClain matter remains a top priority for many in the city.
Jones was handpicked by Councilman Tyron Hampton to sit on the commission. Just as she has, he has repeatedly taken issue with the deliberate of the trio of reviews.
The timing remains a thorn in Hampton’s side because he’s been told public officials can’t have a heart-to-heart about the McClain death until after the probes are complete.
Still, the councilman continues to try to hold city leaders accountable for whether or not they should employ those who don’t follow department and city policy.
Hampton contends Dumanguindin is not in compliance with Pasadena Police Department procedure because he didn’t have his body camera on.
During the Council’s most recent meeting on Monday, Aug. 8, Hampton again questioned the timing of the administrative review — which was supposed to be completed in July — would be able to be viewed by the public.
“There were some things that we became aware of during the investigation that meant that some of the interviews needed to continue,” Interim City Manager Cynthia Kurtz said, noting she didn’t have a scheduled completion date. But would be glad to find one as the city nears the two-year anniversary of the shooting.
“We are going to make sure this is the most complete administrative review that we can possibly defend,” Kurtz said, “and it just means sometimes we need to go back and redo things.”
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Childhood in Kent and the south east brings a lot of experiences that many of us have been through on at least one occasion. From balancing life surrounded by countryside with busy, urban life, there is plenty to say about it.
Having grown up in Crowborough, near the border with Sussex, I've delved back through the memories of my childhood in the town. They range from fond memories of school life to nostalgia of old, now long-gone, shops in the high street.
In all honesty, growing up in Crowborough was great. We were spoilt with the countryside, had mates round the corner and were lucky to have a safe and friendly community to live in.
Read more: Concerns over traffic increase in Tonbridge after Iceland Food Warehouse opening
Below are six things you'll only know if you grew up in Crowborough.
Woolworths
Famously, now WHSmith. Woolworths was one of the best things about Crowborough as a kid. When it shut down, I remember they sold things off that usually would cost a bomb like WWE action fingers. Oddly specific, I know, but still to this day, I am bitter I missed the day before closing!
To get anywhere is a pain
Before I could drive, I remember being at that awkward age of 16, when the only things to do were hanging out in weird spots or the skate park. What a weird time.
If you wanted to go anywhere, you had two options - waiting for the unreliable bus or walking, in my case, to the other side of town to get a train to Uckfield.
As I got older, nights out especially were annoying. I usually went out in Brighton, and I remember running a few times to get a bus at 9pm after my shift had finished.
Not to mention getting back from Brighton and slightly hungover, navigating my way back from wherever I had ended up that night.
Lloyds Bank Lobby was an odd place past 10pm
For some reason, I remember being out when I was about 16, and people were always just hanging out in the lobby of Lloyds. I guess because it was winter, it was the only warm place where you could do what you liked, but your parents weren't around.
There used to be a cinema…well, not anymore
Older people always go on about this, but not having a cinema super close by, is super frustrating, especially with the combination of poor public transport to add to it. However, once upon a time, Crowborough had a cinema, probably called the pictures then.
Crowborough used to get thick snow every year
Living in the highest point in the southeast, there are disadvantages and advantages regarding the weather. I remember as a kid, we would have thick snow every year, and I would eagerly listen out for my school to be closed.
There would be cars cautiously driving up the road, some would make it, and some would have to drive back. One year we even had people skiing down our road.
Walking home
I know this isn't exclusive to Crowborough, but for every kid, even to this day, walking home with a group of friends can make or break your childhood expectations of what made a “good day at school”.
When I didn't live near the school, during Primary at Fermor, I would walk to my nan's down the track next to beacon’s sports fields. I would sometimes stop off at Poundfield, where they would sell sweets for 2p each!
Another memory is in primary school, trying desperately to fit in, begging my mum to drop me off at beaches to walk with my friends back home. It came to secondary going to Beacon; I would walk through town with a group of friends, usually happy I was out of school and on the way home.
Crowborough Residents
To get a bit of community spirit, I asked Crowborough residents their memories of the town; here are some of my favourite.
Karen said: “I may have missed it on here already, but Mrs Moore's sweet shop on Western Road. The chimneys near the railway are being demolished. To me, the feelings I remember were that it was like lots of small close communities, each little close or estate. To be playing outside knowing all the neighbours and being able to play in the Ghyll. The amount of green space now slowly disappeared to Montargis and the others. Being somewhere that when you said your name, they'd say 'oh, you're Tom Izzard's daughter' because it felt like everyone knew everyone, especially families that had been here for generations.”
Caroline said: “Taking part in the Crowborough carnival…The Harecombe residents association decorating up the lorry each year and being one of the noisiest lorries with our loud music and singing along, waking up the neighbours on our way back down our street. Friday and Saturday night out in the Con club on Whitehill road. Pete Harvey with his great discos and country and Western nights. Living at the top of a hill, watching the cars getting stuck in the snow during winter, listening to their wheels spinning.”
Lewis said: “Friday night coffee bar at the church getting someone to buy you merry down cider from unwinding and puking up in the white heart car park . Roller disco at the leisure centre and having beef with anyone from Uckfield.”
Joe said: “Meeting up in the library car park. If you know, you know.”
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The warning issued to Folkestone beachgoers advising them not to go into the water has now been lifted. Swimmers were advised to stay out of the water following the alleged release of wastewater on Thursday (August 11).
Beachgoers took to social media to express their anger, many saying that the warning was not clear enough. Some people had been swimming on Friday, saying they were unaware the warning was in place.
Southern Water later concluded that there had been 'no impact on water quality at any bathing water sites'. The full statement posted to their Twitter page said: "On the night of 11 August our Broomfield Bank wastewater treatment site experienced high gas levels, activating a safety system and halting pumps in order to protect the site and the working environment for our staff.
Read more: Kent braced for 3 days of thunderstorms and rain as new Met Office warning issued
"This resulted in the release of wastewater via the long sea outfall 2.7km out to sea for approx. 170 minutes. Our team responded quickly and safely to rectify the situation, and restarted the pumps.
"We wish to reassure people that we carried out extensive modelling, taking into consideration tides, wind and the volume of the release. It concludes that there is no impact on water quality at any bathing water sites.
"We have done beach walks just as a matter of precaution and as expected they are clear. We’re sorry that this happened and are undertaking an investigation to prevent this from happening again."
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The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will meet tonight to consider putting a measure on the Nov. 8 ballot to “pursue the county’s fair share of state and federal resources.”
That’s a restatement of an argument made by real estate developer Jeff Burum at the board’s July 26 meeting, when he argued that San Bernardino County should secede from California.
The proposed ballot measure is more moderate, and echoes the comments of Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.
“We cannot continue to beg, and crawl and (grovel) … to get resources for our county,” she said on July 26. “We have millions of citizens that have needs.”
As currently drafted, the proposed ballot measure asks: “Do the citizens of San Bernardino County want the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to study all options to obtain its fair share of state and federal resources, up to and including secession?”
The special meeting is scheduled to be held at 6:15 p.m. today in the county’s County Government Center, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino. The meeting will be live streamed and the public can comment even if they are unable to attend in person.
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MELBOURNE, Fla. — For most of his 15 years, Levi Draheim led a beachy life on a barrier island on Florida's east coast, swimming, surfing and sailing in the nearshore waves. He dreamed of someday becoming a marine biologist. But Levi's world is changing.
Warming temperatures led to widespread Sargassum seaweed and harmful algae blooms in the Atlantic Ocean and 156-mile Indian River Lagoon, which together encircle the island. The seaweed and algae blooms have left beaches stinking with rotting seaweed and dead marine life. In the Indian River Lagoon, the algae blooms have killed seagrass, leading to an unprecedented die-off of manatees that consume the marine plants. On some days, Levi wore a mask at the beach to guard against the smell.
Warming temperatures also have contributed to more frequent and damaging storms, and in 2017 a series of storms including Hurricane Irma, which wrought billions of dollars in damage across the state, caused floodwaters to rise 18 inches in Levi's front yard. His family had to fortify the home with sandbags to prevent further damage. After Levi's mother became pregnant with his half-sister Juniper, a curious 2-year-old with sparse blond hair and big brown eyes, the family decided to abandon the island and move to the mainland.
"It's kind of disappointing not being able to live on the barrier island anymore, because there's so much fun stuff that I could do. Most of my friends, they live on the barrier island," says Levi, now in Melbourne, Fla. "It's a mix of disappointment and also frustration, frustration with leaders."
Earlier this year, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced a plan to put the state on a path toward cleaner energy, cutting the emissions Florida contributes to the climate disruptions that are already battering it. Behind the plan was a focused campaign by some 200 young Floridians all under the age of 25. Levi was the youngest.
Young Floridians filed a petition
The young Floridians had found something in state statutes, with help from Our Children's Trust, an advocacy group, that Florida leaders, including Fried, apparently had overlooked: that Fried's department is mandated to set goals for enhancing renewable energy use in the state. In Florida, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services oversees the state's Office of Energy.
The young Floridians filed a petition for rulemaking in January admonishing the state leaders and especially Fried for ignoring the statutory mandate. The petition called on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Fried to set goals for moving Florida toward 100% clean energy by 2050. Levi felt proud of holding elected leaders accountable but felt they were capable of more.
"I'm glad that they're doing something instead of not doing anything. But still, I feel like they could have done better," Levi says about the rule, which was finalized on Aug. 9. "Like with a parent, that they know that their kid just ran this race and placed fairly decently. They placed third. But they knew that their kid has the potential to do more. I guess it's, in some ways, it's sort of like that. Because I know that there's more that they can do. But I'm glad that they did their best, and I'm glad they did something."
Florida's new goals call for 100% renewable energy by 2050
Nearly half of states, along with Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, have goals for moving toward 100% clean energy by midcentury, a benchmark scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. The Biden administration is aiming for 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035.
Florida is among the states most vulnerable to climate change and yet until now has lacked any real plan to address the main cause behind warming temperatures and wean the state from fossil fuels.
Most of Florida's electricity comes from natural gas plants. Republicans who control the state have been hostile to such goals, leaving some local governments to step in with goals of their own. In 2021, the Republican-controlled state Legislature struck back with a measure effectively banning most local goals.
Agriculture Commissioner Fried, a Democrat, is running in the state primary Aug. 23 to ultimately take on Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, in this year's gubernatorial race, and she has railed against the governor for his inaction on the issue. DeSantis has focused instead on resilience projects, saying he is "not a global warming person."
Florida's new goals call on utilities to move toward 40% clean energy by 2030, 63% by 2035, 82% by 2040 and 100% by 2050. The goals are the same as those proposed by the young Floridians in their petition and are based on a study by Evolved Energy Research, a consulting firm that did similar studies for other states.
The young Floridians' 121-page petition relies on state policy dating back some 15 years to when former Gov. Charlie Crist, then a Republican, was in office. Crist, now a Democratic congressman representing the Tampa area, is running against Fried this month in the Florida Democratic primary.
"We read the law, literally," says Andrea Rodgers, senior litigation attorney at Our Children's Trust, about the Crist-era statute. The group filed the petition on behalf of the young Floridians, including Levi. "When we saw that, that was a mandatory duty that had not been fulfilled, that's when we came up with a strategy to file the petition for rulemaking."
The Crist administration's clean energy goals effectively were abandoned in 2011 when his successor — former Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican and now U.S. senator — took office.
Since DeSantis took office in 2019, he has strived to make some environmental issues administration priorities. The governor, a potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate, has put millions of dollars toward the Everglades and other treasured but troubled waterways. But he has faced criticism for doing little about Florida's biggest environmental threat: climate change.
"I have a light inside me"
Now on the mainland, Levi lives with his mother, stepfather, half-sister Juniper and dog Basil, a Staffordshire terrier and treeing Walker coonhound mix with one brown eye and one blue eye. His mom, Leigh-Ann Draheim, raises Juniper, home-schools Levi and works at the family's church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard in West Melbourne.
Stepdad James Kilby is a professional photographer and tends the family's elaborate home garden, aimed at protecting fragile local waters from harmful lawn fertilizers and also sustaining the family. At the moment he is raising fruits, vegetables and herbs, with plans for more.
Levi is an affable teen with a bright smile and hair that usually he wears in a "giant Afro," which he describes as a "big part of who I am," although when we meet his hair is closely shorn. He is an accomplished unicycler and spends his spare time sailing in the Indian River Lagoon and also volunteering at the Brevard Zoo. He now dreams of becoming a search-and-rescue dog handler, because he loves animals and loves helping people.
"My mom says that, I don't know how she usually describes it, that I have a light inside me," he says with his mom beside him at the kitchen table. Works of art adorn the walls throughout the home, colorful eclectic paintings from local artists. Many, like one of a fish skeleton and blue-and-green Earth, share a common theme of the environment..
"I don't know what that means exactly," Levi continued about the light inside him, "but my mom says I have a light inside of me that helps me be a better person."
Leigh-Ann Draheim stepped in to help clarify. "He's always had this really good energy about him that people are drawn to," she says. "Even when he was very little, people would talk to him at the grocery store or at the library or whatever. He just had this sort of energy about him. So I think when he fell into this role I think it was a good thing for him, because people are, for whatever reason, interested in Levi."
Levi got involved with Our Children's Trust through his church. In 2015, he was among 21 young plaintiffs from across the country to file a lawsuit against the Obama administration and later, the Trump administration, challenging the federal government's development of fossil fuels. At 8 years old Levi was the youngest. The plaintiffs contended that the system violated their constitutional rights to freedom, life and property. In 2020, an appeals court judge threw out the case.
Levi attended all the court hearings in Eugene, Ore., and traveled to Washington, D.C., to talk with congressional leaders about the lawsuit. His mom chaperoned. The other plaintiffs became like siblings for Levi, but the hardest part was sitting still through the hearings and meetings, his mom recalled.
"He would sit there frustrated going, 'Don't you see what's happening? There's hurricanes. We've had to evacuate my house,'" she says. "He didn't understand all the legal stuff. He just understood that his environment was being affected, and that's what he cared about."
In 2018, Levi joined another lawsuit with other young Floridians against the Scott administration challenging the state's energy system. In 2021, an appeals court dismissed that case, too. But the young Floridians were not ready to give up. The attorneys went back to the statutes and discovered the mandate involving the Department of Agriculture and renewable energy goals.
For Florida, climate change means hotter temperatures, rising seas and more frequent and damaging storms. By 2045, the DeSantis administration predicts some $26 billion in residential property statewide will face chronic flooding.
Levi has found his involvement in the litigation rewarding but also frustrating, in a Republican-led state that has taken almost no action on climate change for about a decade. Most of his friends have been supportive of his activism, but a few do not get it, he says. One friend asked why not speak up about "bigger" issues, like racism and homophobia.
Levi says he feels a unique responsibility about climate change as a person of color. He points out low-income communities and communities of color often are more vulnerable to impacts.
"African-American people sometimes, most of the time we don't live in as safe, or as strong a neighborhood," Levi says. "Or if we do, then it's in the area that is more greatly affected than some other people that may have better opportunities."
After spending half of his life involved in climate litigation aimed at holding federal and state leaders accountable on fossil fuels, Levi says he wouldn't have it any other way.
"If you were given an opportunity to stop an explosion that would kill everyone, and you're given that opportunity to stop it. If you don't take that opportunity and you survive, that's something that will always be there, that you'll always know that you didn't do something that you could've done," he says. "So I think that if you think about it that way, that if I didn't, if I don't take action, then that will be something that will hang with me, that I'll know that I didn't do something that I could have done."
This story was produced in partnership with Inside Climate News.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-14/meet-the-teenager-who-helped-push-florida-toward-cleaner-energy | 2022-08-14T13:47:43Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-14/meet-the-teenager-who-helped-push-florida-toward-cleaner-energy | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Why China is reasserting its right of control over Taiwan Published August 14, 2022 at 6:10 AM PDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 5:35 NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Jessica Drun of the Atlantic Council Global China Hub about China's newly aggressive posture towards Taiwan. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-14/why-china-is-reasserting-its-right-of-control-over-taiwan | 2022-08-14T13:48:31Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-14/why-china-is-reasserting-its-right-of-control-over-taiwan | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One year ago this August, the Taliban raised their white flag over Afghanistan's capital for the second time, pulling down the tricolor flag of the republic that had endured for the two decades between.
Their victory gave the radical religious movement supreme power over a country with a median age of 18 — which means most citizens weren't alive for the Taliban's violent years in power from 1996-2001. The young people on the left of this photo above had never seen such a change of power. On the right, 62-year-old carpet seller Ahmed Shah Kashefi says he's lived through many upheavals and it's always hard.
The self-proclaimed Islamic emirate now controls government compounds, universities and other institutions surrounded by blast walls — concrete structures once built to keep out the Taliban, along with bombers from other extremist groups.
The Taliban also control rural villages, like this one in Wardak Province. Its few remaining residents say the old government bulldozed mud-walled homes as part of their ongoing battle with the Taliban for control of nearby Highway One.
Their single biggest prize is Kabul, a growing city in a mountain valley, where neighborhoods climb up the slopes on all sides.
At this used furniture store, Wahid Kashafi (left) and Abdul Kahar give a snapshot of life in the capital. Few people have money to buy furniture, but many are selling — as they prepare to leave the country, or to buy food.
Kabul's population is 4.5 million, about twice its population when the Taliban last ruled. In their previous reign there were almost no phones — and no television, except what residents watched on smuggled DVD's. Now the city is in instant communication with the world.
Kabul's economy is less connected. Taliban leaders face global economic sanctions. The U.S. froze the assets of the central bank, and other Afghan banks were unable to do business with the world.
Credit cards ceased to function; it even became hard for Afghans abroad to send money home.
At the airport, at taxi stands, and at bread shops it's not hard to find children seeking a handout.
Shop owners we met said business was bad, though some were philosophical and said it's always like this when the government changes.
So who is included in the Taliban's Afghanistan? The free media are still allowed to function. Some, such as TOLOnews, have endured the hard times, the loss of staff, and periodic Taliban demands to leave out inconvenient facts.
The role of women and girls is ambiguous at best. Younger girls are in school while those of junior high and high school age are not.
Some women are still working, while others are not. Muzhda Noor says that one year ago she was a university dean overseeing 19 male professors. After the takeover, a new chancellor ordered new restrictions on women, and told Noor she should no longer attend faculty meetings with men. She sought a transfer but eventually was dismissed from the university.
The political opposition has no formal space of its own. Gulalai Mohammadi was a member of the Afghan parliament that the Taliban declared defunct. She says she's now at home, with no way to exercise a cause she supported in the assembly — women's rights.
A former president, Hamid Karzai, remains in Kabul and is able to speak freely, as in a recent NPR interview, but has not been allowed to leave Afghanistan.
Many of the men who brought the Taliban to power have returned to their homes. They include these men in the Tangi Valley in rural Wardak Province. The fighters we met said they were pleased to live under their version of Islamic rule, but as we left the valley we also heard that residents wished their girls could return to school.
And it doesn't take long for a visitor to begin seeing the vast number of people in society who are obliged under the new rules to go unseen.
How do the Taliban mean to answer the uncertainties of their rule? Analyst Abdul Jabar Baheer was present this summer when Taliban leaders held a mass meeting, but reached no decisions on major policies or a permanent form of government. Hibatullah Akhundzada, described as the emir of Afghanistan, said he would not obey the West, but said little about what he intended to do.
We sought clarity at a famous compound in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It's the compound of Mullah Omar, who led the Taliban during their first rule. The U.S. and its Afghan allies later turned it into a base, and it's strewn with military equipment.
The compound is now home to Mullah Omar's son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, who has become defense minister in the Taliban's interim government.
Yaqoob said the Taliban take "seriously" the question of girls in school, and that he hopes for further announcements. He also said it's a "necessity" to adopt a formal constitution.
The Taliban said there will be no room in their system for democracy — and they have for the moment eliminated elections, elected offices and a formal opposition.
Yet they've inherited a complex society that now faces an economic crisis. Through the media, the few remaining independent political figures, and the demands of the people, they face democratic calls to govern effectively and inclusively.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-08-14/these-photos-show-who-is-and-isnt-included-in-the-talibans-afghanistan | 2022-08-14T13:49:26Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/npr-news/2022-08-14/these-photos-show-who-is-and-isnt-included-in-the-talibans-afghanistan | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lexington doctor discusses CDC’s COVID guideline changes, concerns with other viruses
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Just as many Kentucky students head back to school, the CDC has relaxed its COVID guidelines. Doctor Jeff Foxx says this is still a fluid situation that could see further changes, particularly as Kentucky’s children return to classrooms.
″We don’t know what’s going to happen when the kids go back to school,” said Dr. Foxx. “Are we going to see a bigger surge? Are we going to see a new variant?”
But at this time, he believes the CDC has likely made the right choice with its latest guidance. It means that quarantine of exposed persons is not recommended, and the organization also dropped social distancing and other guidelines - moves which Dr. Foxx says will be more compatible with our lifestyles.
“We’re now into what we call a chronic phase, now we have learned to manage it,” Dr. Foxx said.
Dr. Foxx still recommends people wear masks in high-risk situations. But with other viruses like monkeypox arriving in the commonwealth, his concern is not just focused on COVID anymore.
“As a physician, I worry about what is going to be the next pandemic, what is going to be the next virus?” said Dr. Foxx. “We’ve got one coming, it’s just a question of what it’s going to be.”
Doctors are predicting a strong flu season, so he implores parents to get their children vaccinated to reduce their risks with a variety of viruses.
“I do think because people aren’t wearing masks as much, not only flu is easier to catch, but any disease is easy to catch,” Dr. Foxx said.
Dr. Foxx also discussed the recent detections of polio in New York. He says while he’s hopeful the incidents are isolated, he believes one of the reasons we’re seeing that virus come back is due to people’s lack of vigilance when it comes to getting vaccinated.
Copyright 2022 WKYT. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/14/lexington-doctor-discusses-cdcs-covid-guideline-changes-concerns-with-other-viruses/ | 2022-08-14T13:52:30Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/14/lexington-doctor-discusses-cdcs-covid-guideline-changes-concerns-with-other-viruses/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Discussions about the potential merger of Yakima Valley Memorial hospital with the MultiCare Health System are continuing longer than originally estimated.
A statement issued Friday by Lori Meyers, external communications director with Tacoma-based MultiCare, said officials with the two health care providers continue to consider the merger.
“MultiCare Health System and Yakima Valley Memorial are still in the due diligence and information sharing process to determine strategic and operational alignment,” Meyers said in an email to the Yakima Herald-Republic. “We plan to wrap up this process within the next couple of months.”
A similar statement was issued last month by Memorial officials.
In a May 9 news release, officials from the two organizations said they signed a letter of intent to explore the merger. A two-month due diligence process was announced to determine if the merger would advance both organizations’ missions, expand local access to health care and improve the quality of care for the Yakima Valley community.
“Over the past two years, Memorial has successfully navigated the closure of Astria (Regional hospital), the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasingly costly and complex health care environment,” Memorial CEO Carole Peet said in May. “We are now evaluating a new strategy to guarantee continued access to outstanding local health care for our community for decades to come.”
Memorial and MultiCare have a shared goal of ensuring that high-quality health care remains locally accessible, the news release stated.
“Joining MultiCare would allow Memorial to accelerate its ability to invest in new programs, implement an integrated electronic health record, and provide a sustainable future for Yakima’s only hospital,” the news release stated.
Memorial officials said joining MultiCare could strengthen YVM’s role as the leading health care hub in Central Washington.
MultiCare is a not-for-profit, secular health care system established in 1882. It is the largest locally owned health system in the state, and its network of care includes 11 hospitals and hundreds of clinics in both the Puget Sound and Inland Northwest region.
The potential relationship would build upon a 2021 partnership between the two organizations to help expand oncology services in Yakima County, the release stated.
Yakima Valley Memorial is a health care system that includes Yakima’s only acute-care center, a 226-bed, nonprofit, community hospital serving Central Washington’s Yakima Valley. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/yakima-valley-memorial-multicare-officials-extend-timeline-for-merger-discussions/article_0fd17aa8-1a70-11ed-b540-039e3e9d0b72.html | 2022-08-14T13:57:34Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/yakima-valley-memorial-multicare-officials-extend-timeline-for-merger-discussions/article_0fd17aa8-1a70-11ed-b540-039e3e9d0b72.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (WWLP) – The Department of Public works will be conducting road work on Monday from 6:30 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon on Allen Street.
The road will be closed to thru traffic between Daniel Shays highway and Fletcher Avenue. Emergency vehicles and residents will have access to the road when needed but the public is being advised to avoid the area if possible | https://www.wwlp.com/news/road-closure-expected-monday-in-belchertown/ | 2022-08-14T14:12:32Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/road-closure-expected-monday-in-belchertown/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ellie Joyce’s summer diving season included another significant achievement in what already was an accomplished career in the sport.
The member of Arlington’s Dominion Hills summer team won each Northern Virginia Swimming League competition she entered, including the renowned Wally Martin Memorial 3-meter meet as well as the events synchronized division, then recorded her biggest accomplishment with second- and third-place finishes at the girls USA Diving Junior National Championships in Midland, Texas.
Competing at nationals for the Dominion Dive Club, Joyce was second in the 1-meter girls age 16-18 event with a 447.15 score (456.05 was the winning total), and placed third in the 3-meter with 477.45 in the same age group. The winning mark was 505.35 and second was 479.35.
As a result of that performance, Joyce, who will dive for the University of North Carolina women’s team, qualified for the FINA Junior World Championships for the first time as a member of the United States’ junior national team. That competition will be held later this year in Montreal.
Joyce had competed in junior nationals many times, but had her biggest success this season.
Last summer, Joyce was disappointed in her performance at the junior nationals, when she said she performed poorly, finishing near the bottom of one- and three-meter competitions. This season, she was poised to significantly improve.
“This was a big step up from last year. I was more prepared and consistent and had a better mindset,” Joyce said. “Last year I tried to be too perfect. This year I wanted to just dive and have fun. I got off to a good start and kept up that energy.”
During her 1-meter competition, Joyce said what helped clinch second place was scoring a 60.3 on one particular inward 21/2 dive.
“That was big to get,” she said.
The junior national meet and the NVSL’s individual all-star diving competition had conflicting early-August dates, so Joyce was unable to participate for Dominion Hills at the NVSL event. A number of other top NVSL divers missed the all-star meet as well because of junior nationals.
Top divers not at all-stars often consider the earlier Wally Martin meet their biggest local competition of the summer campaign.
Joyce won the Wally Martin 3-meter girls age 15-18 division with a 272.1 score. She teamed with Amanda Stalfort of Sideburn Run pool to win the synchronized event with a 163.29 total at the girls 13-and-over age group. Stalfort is a teammate of Joyce’s at Dominion Dive Club and a diver for Westfield High School.
During the five-week regular-season portion of the 2022 NVSL season, Joyce won the senior girls division at each meet, helping the team finished tied for second in Division IV with a 3-2 record.
This fall, Joyce will be a rising senior for the Washington-Liberty Generals diving team. During the 2021-22 high-school season, she won the girls Liberty District and 6D North Region meets, but came down with COVID three days prior the Class 6 state meet and was unable to attempt to defend her championship. As a sophomore she won district, region and state crowns, and as a freshman she was fourth in the region and fifth in the state.
Joyce now looks ahead to the junior world meet, where she could compete in multiple events.
“I’m super-excited about it,” she said. “I have never represented the United States before, and I’m thankful for the chance to compete.” | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/arlington-diver-enjoys-successful-summer-season/article_40828366-1bc1-11ed-a074-5f2f46172fbf.html | 2022-08-14T14:20:34Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/arlington-diver-enjoys-successful-summer-season/article_40828366-1bc1-11ed-a074-5f2f46172fbf.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NewsNation) — Amazon has acquired the vacuum cleaner maker iRobot for $1.7 billion, scooping up another company to add to its collection of smart home appliances amid broader concerns from privacy advocates about the tech giant’s power and ability to gain deeper insights into consumers’ lives.
iRobot sells its products worldwide and is most famous for the circular-shaped Roomba vacuum, which would join voice assistant Alexa, the Astro robot, Ring security cameras and others in the list of smart home features Amazon offers.
The acquisition also adds to Amazon’s vast store of consumer data — leading tech experts to raise the alarm that the tech giant could use this business deal to vacuum up personal information from inside users’ homes.
So, is Amazon’s purchase just another way to spy on consumers?
Advanced Roomba vacuums have internal mapping technology that could benefit Amazon. The technology allows the devices to learn the floor plan of a user’s home. Devices can remember up to 10 floor plans “so users can carry their robot to another floor or a separate home, where the robot will recognize its location and clean as instructed,” press releases by iRobot say. Some models have low-resolution cameras to avoid obstacles and aid in mapping.
“Now they can actually know the layout of your home and products that are in your home to target you for further purchases for really anything — any consumer goods,” said Rick Jordan, CEO and founder of Reachout Technology.
Amazon hasn’t had much success with household robots, but the iRobot acquisition and the company’s strong market reputation provide a “massive foothold in the consumer robot market” that could help Amazon replicate the success of its Echo line of smart speakers, said Lian Jye Su, a robotics industry analyst for ABI Research.
“If I was looking at this from Amazon’s perspective of wanting to provide a complete, connected home it’s a good ambitious goal in and of itself, it’s fairly ethical,” Jordan said. “However, there has to be a lot of transparency to consumers as far as what data they’re collecting and what they’re going to use it for.”
Amazon’s Alexa can already warm users’ homes, control the lights, keep track of schedules and add vacuuming to its list.
“This tech makes life easier for lazier people. I would include myself in that because of certain tasks I don’t like doing,” Jordan said. “That’s fine, but how do we give up so much privacy just to obtain a little more convenience?”
Here’s a glimpse at the data Roombas have already collected on users:
- Billing information
- Mailing address
- Social media accounts, if you signed up through one
- Any data from other devices you’ve connected to, including your smartphone
If you want to better protect yourself from targeted ads, check your privacy settings on your Amazon account. There, you can limit Amazon’s permission to track.
These privacy concerns come after the tech giant was previously in hot water for listening in through its devices like Alexa. Last month, Amazon admitted to providing Ring, the company’s security-surveillance doorbell, footage to law enforcement 11 times this year without the user’s permission. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/what-personal-data-could-amazon-get-from-buying-roomba/ | 2022-08-14T14:23:38Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/what-personal-data-could-amazon-get-from-buying-roomba/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
53 mins ago - Politics & Policy
1 killed, 17 injured after car strikes people attending community fundraiser
A man in Pennsylvania has been arrested after allegedly plowing his car into a community event, killing one person and injuring 17 others, before driving off and fatally beating a woman in a nearby town, Pennsylvania State Police said in a press release Sunday.
Driving the news: Community members in Berwick, Pa. were holding an all-day fundraiser on Saturday to benefit the victims and families of a deadly house fire in nearby Nescopeck earlier this month, WNEP-TV reported.
- Shortly after 6 p.m. a driver drove his car into the crowd of people gathered at the event. Police arrived on the scene to discover 1 person dead and 17 injured, per the press release.
- A short time later police received a call that a man in the Nescopeck Borough of Luzerne County had been spotted physically assaulting a woman. Upon state troopers' arrival on the scene, they discovered the woman was dead and the man had been detained by municipal police, the press release said.
The big picture: Pennsylvania State Police identified the man arrested as Adrian Oswaldo Sura Reyes, 24, of Nescopeck, and noted that he is a suspect in both cases.
- The suspect was arraigned on Sunday on two counts of criminal homicide and denied bail.
- "These investigations are very active," Pennsylvania State Police said in the press release, but released no further details.
- Information on the victims and the injured — who have been taken to various local hospitals — is not being released at this time. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/crash-pennsylvania-community-event | 2022-08-14T14:25:22Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/crash-pennsylvania-community-event | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Rand Paul calls for repeal of Espionage Act after Trump FBI search
Less than a week after the FBI's search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called for the repeal of the Espionage Act on Saturday, saying it was an "egregious affront to the 1st Amendment."
Driving the news: The Department of Justice filed a motion on Thursday to unseal parts of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant.
- Documents released on Friday revealed Trump may have kept documents at his Florida residence in violation of the Espionage Act and other federal laws.
The big picture: "The espionage act was abused from the beginning to jail dissenters of WWI," Paul tweeted on Saturday alongside a link to a 2019 post from the Future of Freedom Foundation, explaining the history of dissent against the law and making the case for its repeal.
- "It is long past time to repeal this egregious affront to the 1st Amendment," Paul added.
State of play: Republicans have been divided over how or whether to defend Trump after the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago, Axios' Andrew Solender writes.
Go deeper: Mar-a-Lago search warrant's clues | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/rand-paul-espionage-act-repeal | 2022-08-14T14:25:28Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/rand-paul-espionage-act-repeal | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
12 mins ago - Politics & Policy
More U.S. lawmakers visit Taiwan after Pelosi trip
Less than two weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan ratcheted up tensions with China, another delegation of U.S. lawmakers landed there Sunday.
Driving the news: The five-member delegation is led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and will be in Taiwan until Monday as part of a larger trip to the Indo-Pacific region, according to a statement from the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy.
- Accompanying Markey are Reps. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS).
- The delegation will meet with Taiwanese officials to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, global supply chains, trade, investment, regional security and climate change, among other topics, per the statement.
- The trip had not previously been announced, per CNN.
The big picture: Earlier this month China denounced Pelosi's trip to Taiwan as an infringement on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- The visit pushed China to initiate days of military drills near Taiwan which the self-governing island warned were meant to simulate attack. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/us-delegation-taiwan-pelosi | 2022-08-14T14:25:34Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/14/us-delegation-taiwan-pelosi | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As the 13th version of the controversial Water Bill recently returned to the twin legislative chambers of the National Assembly, OSARETIN OSADEBAMWEN and KEHINDE AKINTOLA look into the issues generated by the bill and what it portends for the polity.
The 13th version of the controversial water bill has returned to the twin legislative chambers of the national assembly for consideration by the legislators. This time, the executive bill has the most potent force as opposition from the governor’s forum amongst other Nigerians and organisations against the bill.
The grouse of the governors was that the bill sought to usurp their powers, as guaranteed by the constitution of Nigeria, over land assets within their states. Therefore, they would not support the bill intended to manage the water asset of Nigeria for the benefit of the population. Of serious concern to the governors in the bill was the fact that it would “ensure that the nation’s inter-state water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled” by the commission.
This position was communicated through a communique from its fifth teleconference meeting. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum surmised their reservation on the bill thus: “The bill does not adequately address interests of the states and is inconsistent with provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The 36 states governors, who were unanimous in their reservations towards the bill, feared that the bill, if passed, would undermine the constitutionally guaranteed powers of the states over land assets and management on behalf of their residents. The 36 states, therefore, insist that for them to consider supporting the bill, it “should be reviewed, with a view to accommodating the concerns of all states.”
Tribune checks showed that the framers of the bill in section 1(3) states that: “In implementing the principles under subsection (2) of this section, the institutions established under this bill shall promote Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the coordinated management of: incidental economic development, social welfare and environmental sustainability; land and water resources; surface water and groundwater resources and the river basins and adjacent marine and coastal environment.” This no doubt, would promote harmonious management of the national water asset for the citizenry.
It appeared the contentious content of the bill could be sighted in its section 2 (1), which proposed that: “The right to the use, management and control of all surface and groundwater affecting more than one state pursuant to item 64 of the exclusive legislative list in part 1 of the second schedule to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, and as set out in the first schedule to this bill is vested in the government of the federation to be exercised in accordance with the provisions of this bill.”
Subsection (2) of the bill further proposed that “States may make provisions for the use, management and control of water resources occurring solely within the boundaries of the State in line with regulations and guidelines made pursuant to this bill on policy and principles of IWRM.” This remained an issue of concern to state governors, which they want expunged from the bill.
At a press conference to unveil the benefits of the bill to Nigerians over the water assets, the Minister of water resources, Suleiman Adamu, had dismissed this view that the bill would whittle down the powers of the governors over their sovereignty on land assets.
Instead, he said the bill, which sought to ensure the rights of Nigerians to water usage for domestic purposes and whittled the power of the minister, who would be a member of the water commission represented by the 36 states and regional representatives.
Adamu said, by the prescription of the bill, the minister of water resources would cede powers to the water commission, which must grant approval to activities in the sector as against unilateral and discretionary powers, presently enjoyed by the minister.
This, Adamu maintained was of less importance, as the bill proposed in its opening on the “Objective and entitlement of use of water” Section (1) 2a which reads: “The institutions established under this bill shall be guided by the following principles in achieving the objective set out in subsection 1 of this section.”
Findings by the Nigerian Tribune showed that the water bill has been listed on www.change.org, an online petition platform entitled: “Kill the 2022 water resources bill.” It has gained over 8,182 signatures of Nigerians calling for the death of the bill with less than 2000 more signatures to meet the target of 10,000 signatures it has set for online mobilisation against the bill.
Why the opposition to the bill, clause 2(2) of the controversial water bill provides that: States may make provisions for the use, management and control of water resources occurring solely within the boundaries of the state, in line with regulations and guidelines made pursuant to this bill on policy and principles of IWRM.
The principle of IWRM placed the authority of water in the hands of the federal government and is situated on the water asset management with recognition of the peculiarity of the respective authority. In his reaction to the water bill, an independent development expert, Mr. KolawoleBanwo, tasked the federal government to connect to the peculiarities in the country and ensure it reflected on the bill. According to him, while water bodies could traverse more than one state; in some cases with their attendant risk and opportunities, it behooves on the presiding authorities to sit together and resolve the issue rather than having a centralized control of the bill.
Banwo maintained that the bill should recognise powers of these states to come together for any decision it may want to take on such water bodies, this will eliminate the suspicion by the governors and others in relation to the bill, which he said offered better water management for the nation.
In the bill, clause 3(1) provides that: “A person may be without a license: take water from a water source to which the public has free access for the use of his household or for watering domestic livestock; use water for the purposes of subsistence fishing or for navigation to the extent that such use is not inconsistent with this bill or any other existing law; where a statutory or customary right of occupancy to any land exists, take or use water without charge from the underground water source, or if abutting the bank of any watercourse, from that water course, for reasonable household use watering livestock and for personal irrigation not for commercial purposes; or store and use runoff water from a roof .
The independent expert maintained that access to water is a human right, drawn from the common heritage of humankind and because water can reside anywhere, clean or contaminated, it was good to have a mechanism to manage it. However, the issue has been the centralization of control. The federal government should engage with states for a deeper understanding and clarity of the controversial issues around the control of water assets, and who would be the approving authority.
The grouse by many Nigerians and for which it expected the Minister, Adamu and his team to explain succinctly to Nigerians are the following sections of the bill. Its clause 3(2) it says: “A person may continue with an existing lawful water use, including a customary use, in accordance with part V of this bill”, while clause 3(3) provides that: “A person may use water in terms of a general authorisation as defined in section 72 or pursuant to a license issued under this bill.”
“Any entitlement granted to a person by or under this bill supersedes any right to use water which that person might otherwise have been able to enjoy or enforce under any other law to: (a) take or use water; (b) obstruct or divert a flow of water; and (c) affect the quality of any water; (d) receive any particular flow of water; (e) receive a flow of water of any particular quality; or (f) construct, operate or maintain any waterworks,” the bill states.
Efforts by the Nigerian Tribune to get an explanation from the ministry on these contentious clauses failed as the Director and Head of Media and Publicity in the ministry, Kenechukwu in a text message said: “The resource persons are not in town. We are waiting for them to come into Abuja. I understand they will have a meeting next week, (this week).
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/watering-trouble-case-against-vexatious-water-bill/ | 2022-08-14T14:31:27Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/watering-trouble-case-against-vexatious-water-bill/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi was the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and Minister of External Affairs. In this Interview, he explains his journey into international diplomacy, speacks on his life experiences and so many other issues. SEGUN KASALI brings excerpts.
Did you ever dream of wanting to be a professor while you were growing up?
No. Unlike the youth these days, we did not have a career adviser who advised us on how we should plan our careers. The issue of choosing a career did not come up till my secondary school days. I suppose my parents might have been looking at my grades to know which subject I was good at and otherwise.
What subjects were you good at?
In secondary school, I was good in both arts and science subjects. During my School Certificate Examination, I remember that I sat for Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and I suppose Mathematics, English, Literature, and History. But, when I look back now, I think I should have chosen Law as my career.
Why did you say so?
First of all, I love arguments and what lawyers wear in the courtroom. In my school, like in most secondary schools, we had mock sessions of theatre and debates. As I said, I am very argumentative. I argue a lot. I realise I should have thought about it, but it did not cross my mind. My brother, who was the firstborn in the family, decided to be a doctor. I decided I would follow in his footsteps. You know children often want to emulate their older ones. It is a form of worship without really knowing that is what you are doing. But my strength was not in the sciences.
What did you choose then?
Again, that was not determined by me, but by circumstances.
What do you mean?
As part of emulating my brother, I went to study for A-levels in the sciences, which was not my strength. In my second year, one of my teachers said to me ‘I know you have said you want to be a doctor. With 100 per cent of your energy, you would just be an ordinary doctor. But, looking at your talents, with 50 per cent of your efforts you would be an excellent diplomat.’ That was the first time I ever heard about the career [choice]. I knew about politicians but it is nowadays that a lot of people take it as a profession. My father was a politician and a member of the House of Representatives. But it still did not appeal to me. These days sons and daughters follow the footsteps of their fathers in politics. It was not that way during our time. Which of Awolowo’s children is into politics? Which of Azikiwe‘s children is into politics? One of them was my ambassador, but he was a civil servant in the foreign office. Which of Balewa’s children have you seen in politics? None! That was not the tradition. So, I was curious about how a person becomes a diplomat. Regarding the circumstances, there was an essay competition. It was a competition run by the American Embassy and the Ministry of Education, where they advertised on a topic which I can’t remember now. They said they would pick the best person in Nigeria. And that whoever wins the competition would spend three months in the United States. Lo and behold! I won the competition and after my HSC, I went to the United States where I met John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States at that time. But going into politics did not appeal to me.
How did you feel when you met John F. Kennedy at the age of 20?
I was not the only one who won the essay competition. It was done all over the world. So, we were about 35 from the whole world and were brought together. Of course, when I look back now, it was sheer propaganda. Americans were competing with Russia for the young people in the world. So, that competition was part of programmes to introduce young people to the American way of life. So, our meeting with J.F. Kennedy did not last more than 30 minutes. We gathered in the Rose Garden of the White House and he stood on the edge of the corridor and talked to us. Of course, it was all planned. There was a young man, handsome, tall and he happens to be the most powerful man in the world and there was a little me at age 20. It was a miracle. I was amazed.
Did you ask him any questions?
Yes, I did. But it was a stupid question. This was because I felt odd to be in the presence of an American president.
What was the question?
I just said ‘Mr President, when will you visit Nigeria?’ He said ‘soon.’
Why did you say the question was stupid?
When I look back on it now, I think I should have asked him, ‘Mr President, you established Peace Corps and sent them to the developing world and at that time we had Americans teaching in secondary schools in Nigeria.’ 60 years later, I still think about the scenario.
Did you return to Nigeria?
Yes, by the time I came back, they had completed entrance examinations for Nigerian universities.
What did you do then?
The Americans also had a scholarship programme to take about 35 Nigerians to the United States and be admitted to different universities. So, entrance exams for Nigerian universities were closed and at that time, the excuse that I just returned from the US would not count. So, the Americans gave me the scholarship to go back to America. By the time I got there, we did a general course, unlike the British system where you would identify what you are going to do such as Law, Medicine, etc. Regarding the British system, you just pick a profession after A-levels. In the American system, it wasn’t like that. They think you are still so young and should not have to choose yet. So, having thought of what my teacher said, I took a lot of Arts and Social Sciences courses but I also got credits for the sciences I had done in my A-levels. Normally in an American system, you spend four years to get a B.sc but I spent two years.
Why?
Because I got credits for my A- levels and America admits with O-levels. So, having done two years of A-levels, I got credits. Some of my friends spent four years, especially those who studied Engineering, Law and Medicine and were not in a hurry. But I have always been in a hurry.
Why are you always in a hurry?
I don’t know. In the American system, there was a limit to the number of courses a student can take. If the minimum number of courses per term is four, that means you can take six courses if you want to. It is up to the student. So, I was adding more and more credits to mine. I have always been in a hurry. Why? I don’t know. I am 80 years old now. So, it is not that I am in a hurry because I know I am going to die soon. No. I am just always in a hurry. When I was made a Minister here, I did not know how long I was going to stay. So I hit the ground running. As it turned out, for two and a half years as a minister, I took initiative.
How was life in America?
The first thing that struck me was the numerous young people driving cars around. Going to America was like leaving a village for Lagos: roads, cars, planes. Well, let’s stop there and not talk about what else I saw.
What about your social life there?
Americans are very friendly on a personal level. Classmates and colleagues would be the ones to walk up to me. Number one, they knew I was different. They walked up to me and introduced themselves. ‘I am Mike’ and I would reply to them ‘I am Bolaji.’ They were like ‘oh man let us call you Bo’ and that was my nickname in America. Bo was the name of one of President Biden’s children who died. There were lots of choral groups who sang mostly on weekends, sometimes, for free.
How did you fare with the girls?
That one, I would not like to go into it.
How was life after school?
When I finished my Bachelor’s degree, I went for my Master’s degree. I had two. Then, I ported to England for my PhD. I did not want to get all my degrees in the US. I felt I should have another perspective on life. I went to Oxford University and then took my doctorate there.
Was there anything interesting there?
Even in the United States, not just me, youths of my generation were begged to take green cards. I said no. Why would I want to stay here? I would rather go back home and develop my country. I don’t want to stay here. This was peculiar about Nigerians. Everyone wanted to be an American but they now meet these crazy guys who refuse to become Americans. We, the 60s generations, had this faith Nigeria was going to be a great country. We were going to the moon and be the best black generation in the world and impact that development. We did not think we were going to be a messed-up country.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/we-never-knew-nigeria-would-become-a-messed-up-country-akinyemi-2/ | 2022-08-14T14:31:34Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/we-never-knew-nigeria-would-become-a-messed-up-country-akinyemi-2/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Monday marks the 75th anniversary of Indian independence. There have been quite a few heady triumphs for India on the sporting field in this period. Onmanorama picks India's top-10 sporting moments in chronological order.
Jadhav wins maiden Olympic medal
K D Jadhav made history at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics when he won a bronze medal in freestyle wrestling. This was independent India's maiden Olympic medal. Prior to this Norman Pritchard had won two silver medals for colonial India in athletics at the 1900 Paris Games. Jadhav, who passed away in 1984, remained India's lone individual Olympic medallist till tennis star Leander Paes joined him at the 1996 Atlanta Games by winning a bronze.
Hockey World Cup triumph
Though India had reigned supreme in Olympic hockey, the World Cup had eluded them in the first two editions. The Indians ended third in the first World Cup in 1971 and finished second best to the Netherlands two years later. Ajit Pal Singh & Co emerged triumphant with a hard-fought 2-1 win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur in 1975. India have never even made it to semifinals of the World Cup after this epochal triumph.
Kapil's Devils stun the world
Kapil Dev's India did the unthinkable in the 1983 Cricket World Cup. The Indians tamed two-time defending champions West Indies by 43 runs in a low-scoring final at Lord's. The win sparked a cricket revolution in the country and the game has never been the same.
Malleswari clinches historic bronze
Weightlifter Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal by clinching a bronze at Sydney 2000 in 69 kg. After P T Usha's narrow miss in 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Malleswari broke the barrier Down Under.
Anand on top of the world
Viswanathan Anand had become the first Indian Grandmaster in 1988 at the age of 18. The wizard from Chennai emerged world champion in 2000 when he beat Spaniard Alexei Shirov in the final in Tehran. Anand has been the trend-setter for chess in India and has played a big role in India becoming a powerhouse in the sport.
Bindra's Olympic glory
Abhinav Bindra ended India's long wait when he gunned down gold in 10m air rifle at Beijing 2008 to bring home the country's first Olympic gold medal in an individual sport. Shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's silver medal in double trap in the previous edition in Athens was the best effort by an Indian till then.
Sushil's twin Olympic medals
Wrestler Sushil Kumar became the first Indian to win multiple Olympic medals in individual events when he followed up his bronze medal from Beijing 2008 with a silver in 66 kg four years later in London. Sushil's exploits inspired a generation of wrestlers.
Sindhu emulates Sushil
Badminton star P V Sindhu emulated Sushil by winning a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics last year to become only the second Indian to have multiple individual Olympic medals. The Hyderabadi also has the distinction of being the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver at Rio 2016.
Chopra lands first gold in athletics
Neeraj Chopra achieved a major breakthrough when he won the country's first Olympic medal in athletics, and that too a gold, in Tokyo last year. The ace javelin thrower produced 87.03m in his attempt to clinch the coveted medal.
Thomas Cup victory
Indian shuttlers outplayed Indonesia 3-0 in the final at Bangkok to win the Thomas Cup for the first time in May this year. The Indians had edged out Malaysia and Denmark 3-2 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, Keralite H S Prannoy and the doubles combination of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy played a big role in India's landmark win. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/08/12/independent-Indias-top-10-sporting-moments-live.html | 2022-08-14T14:44:03Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/08/12/independent-Indias-top-10-sporting-moments-live.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A man drove a vehicle into a barricade near the US Capitol early on Sunday and opened fire in the street before fatally turning the gun on himself as his car burst into flames, authorities said.
Nobody else was injured in the 4 a.m. incident, which started when the unidentified man rammed his car into a barricade at East Capitol Street and Second Street in Washington DC, according to the US Capitol Police.
The car “became engulfed in flames,” when the driver got out, and he subsequently “fired several shots into the air,” police said.
After Capitol Police officers approached the man, he fatally shot himself.
“At this time, it does not appear the man was targeting any Members of Congress, who are on recess, and it does not appear officers fired their weapons,” the release said.
DC’s Metropolitan Police Department is conducting an investigation in the matter, the Capitol Police statement said.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/14/man-crashes-car-near-capitol-barricade-before-suicide/ | 2022-08-14T14:49:44Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/14/man-crashes-car-near-capitol-barricade-before-suicide/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dover's Marina curve opened to the public in 2021 and was set to be a game changer for the coastal town, but when Kent Live last visited last June we were left decidedly underwhelmed. The lack of boats in the Marina and non-existent food and drink offering left what is undeniably a beautiful space feeling 'eerily quiet'.
With that in mind, we decided to go back, just over a year down the line to see if anything has changed. As someone who is not familiar with Dover I didn't really know what to expect, but I was sent with the brief of 'visiting the attractions on the Marina Curve' and I was looking forward to finding out what they might be.
I parked near the beach along the promenade, it's pretty obvious where the marina is so I headed that way and decided to take a walk along Marina Pier. There were a few people walking along the pier, but most people were on the beach or cooling down in the sea as it was a very hot day.
Read more: I walked from Reculver Towers to Herne Bay and saw just how the dry spell has scarred Kent
It is a pleasant and enjoyable walk, and the breeze off the sea was much appreciated, the views looking back to Dover and across up towards the castle are really beautiful, it is quite a unique backdrop. There are seats at the end, but the few people I noticed were just walking down to turn straight back around and come back, it is a fabulous place for a quick burst to get those daily steps in.
There were quite a lot of boats in the Marina, we had reported last year that there were none. Tidal modelling that had been carried out prior to the development had turned out to be inaccurate, and therefore it was not safe to keep boats there at the time, but that looks to have been resolved now, as there were plenty.
Walking back along the pier, I was looking over to where I assumed the Marina Curve was, but I was a little confused as I couldn't really see much. I had expected something not dissimilar to the Folkestone Harbour Arm, albeit on a smaller scale, I had at least expected there to be a small handful of cafes and restaurants.
As I walked around to Clock Tower Square, things became a little clearer. There was one coffee stand called Café on the Curve that was open with people seated outside. Aside of this the only other place that was open was Pedaler on the Port which is located in the old lifeboat house right next to the Clock Tower.
There were three others Breakwater Brewery, Big Pan Foods, South African street food and Pek, plant based food on the go, but not of these places were open. It was very disappointing to say the least, and I couldn't help but think what a massive waste of such a pretty space and location.
It is easy to see how much money and effort has gone into regenerating this space. The area is spotlessly clean and very well thought out. There are plenty of benches overlooking the marina where people can sit, relax and take in the stunning backdrop of the White Cliffs, Dover Castle and the glistening English Channel, but sadly nothing much else.
Last year, we reported that there were no food and drink offers, so you could argue that there has been some movement in the right direction since then. However, a lot more needs to happen before this spot can hold its own against some of Kent's other popular coastal attractions, and it certainly has that potential.
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- Industrial units and trees go up in flames in Dartford | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/whats-on-news/visited-dovers-marina-curve-see-7460600 | 2022-08-14T14:49:59Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/whats-on-news/visited-dovers-marina-curve-see-7460600 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Police Department has ended its investigation into Anne Heche's car accident when the actor crashed into a Los Angeles home on Aug. 5.
Heche, 53, is brain dead and on life support, pending evaluation for organ donation.
“As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case," the department announced Friday. "Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”
Detectives looking into the crash had said narcotics were found in a blood sample taken from Heche. She has been hospitalized at a Los Angeles burn center. | https://www.wtxl.com/entertainment/lapd-ends-investigation-into-anne-heche-car-crash | 2022-08-14T14:50:25Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/entertainment/lapd-ends-investigation-into-anne-heche-car-crash | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Talk about hot nights. America got some for the history books last month.
The continental United States in July set a record for overnight warmth, providing little relief from the day's sizzling heat for people, animals, plants and the electric grid, meteorologists said.
The average low temperature for the Lower 48 states in July was 63.6 degrees (17.6 Celsius), which beat the previous record set in 2011 by a few hundredths of a degree. The mark is not only the hottest nightly average for July, but for any month in 128 years of record keeping, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climatologist Karin Gleason. July's nighttime low was more than 3 degrees (1.7 Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average.
Scientists have long talked about nighttime temperatures -- reflected in increasingly hotter minimum readings that usually occur after sunset and before sunrise -- being crucial to health.
"When you have daytime temperatures that are at or near record high temperatures and you don't have that recovery overnight with temperatures cooling off, it does place a lot of stress on plants, on animals and on humans," Gleason said Friday. "It's a big deal."
In Texas, where the monthly daytime average high was over 100 degrees (37.8 Celsius) for the first time in July and the electrical grid was stressed, the average nighttime temperature was a still toasty 74.3 degrees (23.5 Celsius) — 4 degrees (2.2 Celsius) above the 20th century average.
In the past 30 years, the nighttime low in the U.S. has warmed on average about 2.1 degrees (1.2 Celsius), while daytime high temperatures have gone up 1.9 degrees (1.1 Celsius) at the same time. For decades climate scientists have said global warming from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas would make the world warm faster at night and in the northern polar regions. A study earlier this week said the Arctic is now warming four times faster than the rest of the globe.
Nighttime warms faster because daytime warming helps make the air hold more moisture then that moisture helps trap the heat in at night, Gleason said.
"So it is in theory expected and it's also something we're seeing happen in the data," Gleason said.
NOAA on Friday also released its global temperature data for July, showing it was on average the sixth hottest month on record with an average temperature of 61.97 degrees (16.67 degrees Celsius), which is 1.57 degrees (0.87 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average. It was a month of heat waves, including the United Kingdom breaking its all-time heat record.
"Global warming is continuing on pace," Colorado meteorologist Bob Henson said.
—
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP's climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/hot-nights-us-in-july-sets-new-record-for-overnight-warmth | 2022-08-14T14:50:26Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/hot-nights-us-in-july-sets-new-record-for-overnight-warmth | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Salman Rushdie is "on the road to recovery," his agent confirmed Sunday, two days after the author of "The Satanic Verses" suffered serious injuries in a stabbing at a lecture in upstate New York.
The announcement followed news that the lauded writer was removed from a ventilator Saturday and able to talk and joke. Wylie continued to caution that although Rushdie's "condition is headed in the right direction," his recovery would be a long process. Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, Wylie had previously said, and was likely to lose the injured eye.
Hadi Matar, 24, pleaded not guilty Saturday to attempted murder and assault charges in the attack at the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education and retreat center.
A judge ordered him held without bail after District Attorney Jason Schmidt told her Matar took steps to purposely put himself in position to harm Rushdie, getting an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early bearing a fake ID.
"This was a targeted, unprovoked, preplanned attack on Mr. Rushdie," Schmidt said.
Public defender Nathaniel Barone complained that authorities had taken too long to get Matar in front of a judge while leaving him "hooked up to a bench at the state police barracks."
"He has that constitutional right of presumed innocence," Barone added.
The attack was met with shock and outrage from much of the world, along with tributes and praise for the award-winning author who for more than 30 years has faced death threats for "The Satanic Verses."
Authors, activists and government officials cited Rushdie's courage and longtime advocacy of free speech despite the risks to his own safety. Writer and longtime friend Ian McEwan called Rushdie "an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world," and actor-author Kal Penn cited him as a role model "for an entire generation of artists, especially many of us in the South Asian diaspora toward whom he's shown incredible warmth."
President Joe Biden said Saturday in a statement that he and first lady Jill Biden were "shocked and saddened" by the attack.
"Salman Rushdie — with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced — stands for essential, universal ideals," the statement read. "Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear. These are the building blocks of any free and open society."
Rushdie, a native of India who has since lived in Britain and the U.S., is known for his surreal and satirical prose style, beginning with his Booker Prize-winning 1981 novel "Midnight's Children," in which he sharply criticized India's then-prime minister, Indira Gandhi.
"The Satanic Verses" drew death threats after it was published in 1988, with many Muslims regarding as blasphemy a dream sequence based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad, among other objections. Rushdie's book had already been banned and burned in India, Pakistan and elsewhere before Iran's Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie's death in 1989.
Khomeini died that same year, but the fatwa remains in effect. Iran's current supreme leader, Khamenei, never issued a fatwa of his own withdrawing the edict, though Iran in recent years hasn't focused on the writer.
Investigators were working to determine whether the suspect, born a decade after "The Satanic Verses" was published, acted alone.
District Attorney Schmidt alluded to the fatwa as a potential motive in arguing against bail.
"Even if this court were to set a million dollars bail, we stand a risk that bail could be met," Schmidt said.
"His resources don't matter to me. We understand that the agenda that was carried out yesterday is something that was adopted and it's sanctioned by larger groups and organizations well beyond the jurisdictional borders of Chautauqua County," the prosecutor said.
Barone, the public defender, said after the hearing that Matar has been communicating openly with him and that he would spend the coming weeks trying to learn about his client, including whether he has psychological or addiction issues.
Matar is from Fairview, New Jersey. Rosaria Calabrese, manager of the State of Fitness Boxing Club, a small, tightly knit gym in nearby North Bergen, said Matar joined April 11 and participated in about 27 group sessions for beginners looking to improve their fitness before emailing her several days ago to say he wanted to cancel his membership because "he wouldn't be coming back for a while."
Gym owner Desmond Boyle said he saw "nothing violent" about Matar, describing him as polite and quiet, yet someone who always looked "tremendously sad." He said Matar resisted attempts by him and others to welcome and engage him.
"He had this look every time he came in. It looked like it was the worst day of his life," Boyle said.
Matar was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon, the mayor of the village, Ali Tehfe, told The Associated Press.
Flags of the Iran-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah are visible across the village, along with portraits of leader Hassan Nasrallah, Khamenei, Khomeini and slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Journalists visiting Yaroun on Saturday were asked to leave. Hezbollah spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
Iran's theocratic government and its state-run media assigned no motive for the attack. In Tehran, some Iranians interviewed by the AP praised the attack on an author they believe tarnished the Islamic faith, while others worried it would further isolate their country.
On Friday, on AP reporter witnessed the attacker stab or punch Rushdie about 10 or 15 times.
Event moderator Henry Reese, 73, suffered a facial injury and was treated and released from a hospital, police said. He and Rushdie had planned to discuss the United States as a refuge for writers and other artists in exile.
A state trooper and a county sheriff's deputy were assigned to Rushdie's lecture, and police said the trooper made the arrest. But afterward some longtime visitors to the Chautauqua Institution questioned why there wasn't tighter security given the threats against Rushdie and a bounty of more than $3 million on his head.
On Saturday the center said it was boosting security through measures such as requiring photo IDs to purchase gate passes, which previously could be obtained anonymously. Patrons entering the amphitheater where Rushdie was attacked will also be barred from carrying bags of any type.
The changes, along with an increased presence of armed police officers on the bucolic grounds, came as something of a shock to Chautauquans who have long relished the laid-back atmosphere for which the nearly 150-year-old vacation colony is known.
News about the stabbing has led to renewed interest in "The Satanic Verses," which topped best seller lists after the fatwa was issued in 1989. As of Saturday afternoon, the novel ranked No. 13 on Amazon.com.
The death threats and bounty Rushdie faced over the book after its publication led him to go into hiding under a British government protection program, which included an around-the-clock armed guard. After nine years of seclusion, Rushdie cautiously resumed more public appearances.
In 2012 he published a memoir about the fatwa titled "Joseph Anton," the pseudonym he used while in hiding.
He said during a New York talk that year that terrorism was really the art of fear: "The only way you can defeat it is by deciding not to be afraid."
___
Italie reported from New York. Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb contributed to this report from Beirut. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/salman-rushdie-on-the-road-to-recovery-agent-says | 2022-08-14T14:50:27Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/salman-rushdie-on-the-road-to-recovery-agent-says | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HISTORY AND TIMETY HOTSH Ô-3 TERATY HALF OF YEAR 454 THE SABBATH CONTINGERI, 9 I-8 ELEKONIAH CHONTE ANGRA' I\n8 LXXVI:, IXO-5 II HONORS AND DIRATORN EHJE HKAL HFARER B.E-2 WHO V LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Police Department has ended its investigation into Anne Heche's car accident when the actor crashed into a Los Angeles home on Aug. 5.
Heche, 53, is brain dead and on life support, pending evaluation for organ donation.
“As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case," the department announced Friday. "Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”
Detectives looking into the crash had said narcotics were found in a blood sample taken from Heche. She has been hospitalized at a Los Angeles burn center. | https://www.fox17online.com/entertainment/lapd-ends-investigation-into-anne-heche-car-crash | 2022-08-14T14:58:07Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/entertainment/lapd-ends-investigation-into-anne-heche-car-crash | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Talk about hot nights. America got some for the history books last month.
The continental United States in July set a record for overnight warmth, providing little relief from the day's sizzling heat for people, animals, plants and the electric grid, meteorologists said.
The average low temperature for the Lower 48 states in July was 63.6 degrees (17.6 Celsius), which beat the previous record set in 2011 by a few hundredths of a degree. The mark is not only the hottest nightly average for July, but for any month in 128 years of record keeping, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climatologist Karin Gleason. July's nighttime low was more than 3 degrees (1.7 Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average.
Scientists have long talked about nighttime temperatures -- reflected in increasingly hotter minimum readings that usually occur after sunset and before sunrise -- being crucial to health.
"When you have daytime temperatures that are at or near record high temperatures and you don't have that recovery overnight with temperatures cooling off, it does place a lot of stress on plants, on animals and on humans," Gleason said Friday. "It's a big deal."
In Texas, where the monthly daytime average high was over 100 degrees (37.8 Celsius) for the first time in July and the electrical grid was stressed, the average nighttime temperature was a still toasty 74.3 degrees (23.5 Celsius) — 4 degrees (2.2 Celsius) above the 20th century average.
In the past 30 years, the nighttime low in the U.S. has warmed on average about 2.1 degrees (1.2 Celsius), while daytime high temperatures have gone up 1.9 degrees (1.1 Celsius) at the same time. For decades climate scientists have said global warming from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas would make the world warm faster at night and in the northern polar regions. A study earlier this week said the Arctic is now warming four times faster than the rest of the globe.
Nighttime warms faster because daytime warming helps make the air hold more moisture then that moisture helps trap the heat in at night, Gleason said.
"So it is in theory expected and it's also something we're seeing happen in the data," Gleason said.
NOAA on Friday also released its global temperature data for July, showing it was on average the sixth hottest month on record with an average temperature of 61.97 degrees (16.67 degrees Celsius), which is 1.57 degrees (0.87 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average. It was a month of heat waves, including the United Kingdom breaking its all-time heat record.
"Global warming is continuing on pace," Colorado meteorologist Bob Henson said.
—
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP's climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/hot-nights-us-in-july-sets-new-record-for-overnight-warmth | 2022-08-14T14:58:20Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/hot-nights-us-in-july-sets-new-record-for-overnight-warmth | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The U.S. Capitol Police said a man shot and killed himself early Sunday morning after he rammed into a vehicle barricade near the U.S. Capitol Building.
Police said the incident occurred just after 4 a.m. when a man drove into the vehicle barricade at East Capitol Street and Second Street.
As he was getting out of the vehicle, the car became engulfed in flames, and he fired several shots into the air, police said.
Police said they responded immediately when they heard the shots, and as they approached him, he shot himself.
According to the statement, police said that it doesn't appear that any members of Congress were being targeted.
"It does not appear officers fired their weapons," police said.
Nobody else was hurt, police said.
Police said their investigators are looking into the man’s background.
The statement read that DC’s Metropolitan Police Department is handling the investigation of the man's death. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/police-man-killed-himself-after-ramming-into-vehicle-barrier-at-us-capitol | 2022-08-14T14:58:26Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/police-man-killed-himself-after-ramming-into-vehicle-barrier-at-us-capitol | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BERLIN (AP) — German businesses and public institutions should heat their offices no higher than 19 degrees Celsius (66.2 degrees Fahrenheit) this winter to help reduce the country’s consumption of natural gas, Germany’s economy minister said Saturday.
Germany, the European Union’s biggest economy, is quickly trying to wean itself off using natural gas from Russia in response to Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. However Germany uses more Russian gas imports than many other EU nations. Russia has already cut off gas exports to several EU nations, and officials fear Moscow will use the gas exports as a political weapon to get sanctions against Russia reduced — or even cut the exports to Europe off altogether in the winter, when demand is the highest.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said while the EU’s 27 countries have pledged to cut their gas use by 15% from August compared to the previous five-year average, Germany needs to reduce its consumption by 20%.
Habeck is also proposing banning the heating of non-commercial private pools; switching off heating in common areas of public buildings, such as foyers; and switching off the lights on public billboards between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
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Follow all AP stories on developments related to the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/germany-urged-to-cap-heat-in-offices-this-winter-to-save-gas/ | 2022-08-14T15:17:54Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/germany-urged-to-cap-heat-in-offices-this-winter-to-save-gas/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — What takes four years to make and costs more than $20,000? A trash can in San Francisco.
That costly, boxy bin is among six trash cans hitting San Francisco’s streets this summer in the city’s long saga in search of the perfect can. Overflowing trash cans are a common sight in the Northern California city, along with piles of used clothes, shoes, furniture and other items strewn about on sometimes-impassable sidewalks.
City officials hired a Bay Area industrial firm to custom-design the pricey trash can along with two other prototypes that cost taxpayers $19,000 and $11,000 each. This summer, residents have the opportunity to evaluate them along with three off-the-shelf options added to the pilot program after officials faced criticism.
Last month, the city deployed 15 custom-made trash cans and 11 off-the-shelf trash cans — each of those costing from $630 to $2,800 — with QR codes affixed to them asking residents to fill out a survey. City officials said they intend to pay no more than $3,000 per can.
San Francisco began its search for the perfect trash can in 2018 when officials decided it was time to replace the more than 3,000 public bins that have been on the streets for almost 20 years.
Officials say the current bins have too big a hole that allows for easy rummaging. The bins also have hinges that need constant repair and locks that are easy to breach. Some people also topple them over, cover them in graffiti, or set them on fire.
The city is so serious about the endeavor it has created interactive maps so residents can track and test the different designs, which include the Soft Square, the priciest prototype at $20,900. The boxy stainless steel receptacle has openings for trash and for can and bottle recycling and includes a foot pedal. The Slim Silhouette, at $18,800 per prototype, is made of stainless steel bars that give would-be graffiti artists less space to tag.
If one of the custom-designed bins is chosen, the cost to mass produce it will be $2,000 to $3,000 per piece, said Beth Rubenstein, a spokeswoman for San Francisco’s Department of Public Works.
“We live in a beautiful city, and we want (the trash can) to be functional and cost-effective, but it needs to be beautiful,” she said.
But the good looks of the shiny new trash cans have not protected them from vandalism and disrespect. Three weeks after being unveiled, several have already been tagged with orange and white graffiti. Others already show the drip stains of inconsiderate coffee drinkers or have attracted dumping, with people leaving dilapidated bathroom cabinets and plastic bags full of empty wine bottles next to them.
Trash on San Francisco city streets has been an issue for decades. In 2007, then-Mayor Gavin Newsom eliminated about 1,500 of the city’s 4,500 trash cans because he said they were not helping keep streets clean and were becoming magnets for more trash. Officials couldn’t say how many receptacles are currently on the curb, but the city plans to replace at least 3,000.
“A trash can is one of the most basic functions of city governance and if the city can’t do something as simple as this, how can they solve the bigger issues of homelessness and safety and poverty?” asked Matt Haney, a former supervisor who lives in the Tenderloin neighborhood and now represents the area in the California Assembly.
New trash cans will be the latest addition to the city’s arsenal against its dirty streets. In 2014, San Francisco launched its “Pit Stop” program in the Tenderloin neighborhood, the epicenter of drug dealing and homelessness in the city, setting up portable public toilets. In 2018, the city created a six-person “poop patrol” team amid demand to power wash sidewalks.
Haney said that as a supervisor he reluctantly agreed last year to approve the pilot program despite the high prices to avoid delays.
“I think most people, including me, would say just replace the damn cans with cans that we know work in other cities, just do it,” he said.
Haney said the “whole trash can saga has this stench of corruption,” referring to disgraced former Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who pleaded guilty in January to federal wire fraud charges. Nuru awarded the contract to maintain San Francisco’s trash cans to a company owned by a relative of a developer who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is cooperating with federal authorities in the case against Nuru.
On top of the corruption, the city has long been the butt of jokes for how long it takes to complete public works projects of all kinds.
A bus rapid transit system along Van Ness Avenue, one of the city’s main arteries, finally opened this year after 27 years of construction. A new subway line connecting Chinatown with other areas of the city that started construction in 2010 is four years behind schedule. In 2017, the city completed the Transbay Transit Center only a year late, but the $2 billion terminal abruptly shut down six weeks later after crews discovered two cracked steel girders.
Ultimately, what trash can the city gets will depend on feedback from sanitation employees, and the surveys completed by the end of September, Rubenstein said. The new cans are not expected on the streets until the end of 2023.
Diane Torkelson, who often picks up trash in her Inner Richmond neighborhood with other volunteers, recently trekked 5 miles (8 kilometers) with a dozen other civic-minded San Franciscans to examine three of the cans.
The two prototypes were already full when the group arrived to check them out, she said.
“If the trash can is full, it’s of no use, no matter how well it was designed,” she said. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/what-takes-years-and-costs-20k-a-san-francisco-trash-can/ | 2022-08-14T15:18:01Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/what-takes-years-and-costs-20k-a-san-francisco-trash-can/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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