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With parts of Kent under a hosepipe ban that could last until October and the UK experiencing the driest year since 1976, your lawn may be looking a little worse for wear. Here’s how you can save your grass from dying off completely.
The lack of rain and extreme heat is not good news for our lawns, however it will be able to cope with a short heatwave by going into dormant mode. If the conditions last too long the grass will begin to suffer severe damage, but there’s a few things you can do to help it survive.
Here are six tips on watering your garden during the hosepipe ban, according to Chris McIlroy, a grass expert at The Grass People . Whilst sprinklers may be out of the question, using waste water isn’t.
Read More: Everything you need to know about the hosepipe ban affecting Kent
How to save your grass during a hosepipe ban
1. Re-use water from elsewhere in your house
You can save dishwater, shower water and bath water to use on your lawn, especially if you only have a small patch to keep alive. According to Waterwise, hoses and sprinklers typically use about 1000 litres of water an hour, which is more than 12 baths.
2. Collect any rainfall
Use waterbutts or large containers to catch any rain when you can. You can keep that water and use it to rehydrate your garden once the weather dries up again.
3. Water at the right time of day
Only water early in the morning or late at night as this is when evaporation happens the least and your plants will get the most benefit. As the ground is very dry following a heatwave it may take quite some time to absorb any water it gets.
4. Check the weather before watering
Don’t waste your limited water supplies on days when rain may be forecasted soon. For example, this week in Kent heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are expected across a few days.
5. Stay off the grass and don’t mow
Try to cause as little stress as possible to your lawn by avoiding mowing it. If possible try to reduce footfall as much as possible to protect the dry grass, grass expert Chris advises .
6. No seeding, feeding, or weeding!
The best way to care for your lawn during dry and hot weather is to do very little. This may seem counterintuitive but the nitrates in most fertilisers will scorch your grass in hot weather.
Weeds may be unwelcome but in times of extreme heat they can offer the grass shade and help the soil hold moisture. It is not advised to seed your grass during hot weather as the seeds will quickly die off as they bake in the sun and will not germinate.
How to care for grass after the hosepipe ban
When the ban is lifted, you can return to your regular lawn care routine. During times of stress such as drought or heat your grass will go into a protective state and can turn yellow. With the right amount of water, patience, and time you can revive the grass and it should return to its green colour. However, not all grass will be so lucky.
If you brush your hand over your lawn and it is brittle and snaps, this can mean that your grass is dead. You will need to reseed your grass in this case.
Make sure you remove dead grass and then begin the process of overseeding, adding seeds to your existing lawn. When you sow new grass seed, this helps to thicken and green up the overall appearance of your lawn.
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Pair killed in Ramsgate horror crash named as Cambridge physicist and her elderly dad | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/expert-shares-tips-how-save-7464392 | 2022-08-15T12:06:48Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/expert-shares-tips-how-save-7464392 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
While Kent finds itself currently baking in a heatwave with temperatures hitting the low thirties, there is more extreme weather on the way. While it might be a welcome relief to know that the drought is thought to be reaching its end, the Met Office has announced an amber warning for thunderstorms.
Promising 'hit-and-miss' thunderstorms up and down the country, the Met Office are issuing advice on how the public can remain safe ahead of potential flooding, power cuts and difficult driving conditions. The warning is in place from today (Monday 15) till Wednesday 17.
Keeping the UK updated on their website, the Met Office says: "Already some showers to start the day, but these likely to become more widespread and heavier through the late morning and afternoon, lasting into the evening in places. Some counties are likely to miss the worst of these storms but where they do occur, slow-moving torrential downpours could produce 20-30 mm inside an hour, with 40-50 mm falling in around 2-3 hours in a few spots. Hail and frequent lightning could pose additional hazards for some."
Read more: I walked from Reculver Towers to Herne Bay and saw just how the dry spell has scarred Kent
Today, the forecast still predicts highs of 32c for Kent but there are also predictions of thunder along with hail. or tonight, it's set to turn cloudy with showers of rain continuing overnight.
That doesn't mean it won't still be hot and humid with the minimum temperature predicted 16c. However, Tuesday is promised to be much cooler with a maximum temperature of 28c.
The Met Office warns of heavy showers to start the day with thunder too. While there are no flood warnings for Kent, the Essex coast, North Devon coast, Tidal Thames riverside and Tidal River Avon are all under warnings.
Kent's thunderstorm warning is in place until 11.59pm today. For Tuesday, the amber warning applies for all day (midnight to midnight) and the third falls from 9am on Wednesday, again until 11.59pm.
With a bank holiday at the end of this month, the Met Office is hoping that the weather will become more settled with temperatures likely to remain above average.
Read next:
Everything you need to know about the hosepipe ban affecting Kent
How much water is used a day by Thames Water and how much is lost through pipe leaks
The staggering number of wildfires and grass fires tackled by Kent firefighters in one month
Kent weather: How heatwave has turned Kent's beauty spots yellow, barren and dusty | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kent-hit-three-days-amber-7464835 | 2022-08-15T12:06:54Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/kent-hit-three-days-amber-7464835 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
With the summer holidays in full swing, millions of holidaymakers will be jetting off for a much-needed break this month. But, before you fly with airlines such as Jet2, BA, Ryanair and easyJet, some countries still have strict travel rules in place.
Many iconic destinations have binned their travel rules - including Italy and Turkey - meaning tourists are less restricted as the pandemic eases. However, there are still a few countries with tough rules in place.
France, Cyprus, Greece and Japan are popular with Brits for their stunning weather and unique culture. To make your life easier, we've researched the latest travel advice for these four countries as it stands.
Read more: Jet2, easyJet, BA, Ryanair: new summer travel rules for France, Spain, Turkey and Portugal
France
All travel rules were scrapped on Monday (August 1), meaning travel has become a lot easier for tourists. You no longer have to do the following:
- Present proof of vaccination
- Fill out any forms prior to your arrival in France, such as a justification for travel or a sworn statement
- Show proof of a negative PCR or antigen test upon arrival in France
This also applies to travel between metropolitan France and each of the French overseas territories. Similarly, no travel justification is required by the French authorities to travel to another country from France.
Cyprus
As of June 1, passengers travelling to Cyprus will not be required to present any sort of vaccination or recovery certificate, nor a negative COVID test result. This rule applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
Greece
Passengers arriving in Greece don't need to show a proof of COVID vaccination, a negative COVID test, or a certificate of recovery from COVID. You do not need to complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF). This applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
However, travellers are still required to wear a mask on public transport.
Japan
Brits are now allowed to enter Japan, including other ‘blue list’ countries, provided they are sponsored and registered on the Entrants, Returnees Follow-up System (ERFS) by an approved Japanese travel agency. As part of travelling to Japan, you must:
- Take an approved COVID-19 test within 72 hours before your flight departure time, and obtain proof of a negative result in an approved format
- (Before you leave the UK) Sign a written pledge that commits you to abiding by the quarantine and self-isolation rules and to a number of other requirements.
- (Before you leave the UK) Complete an online health questionnaire and obtain a QR code
UK holidaymakers don't have to self-isolate, regardless of vaccination status. Children are not exempt from testing either.
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- British holidaymakers warned of scam sweeping Italy and Europe during summer break
- Jet2, easyJet, BA, Ryanair: Brits travelling to Spain will melt under 'alien' new air-con laws | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/jet2-easyjet-ba-ryanair-new-7465175 | 2022-08-15T12:06:55Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/jet2-easyjet-ba-ryanair-new-7465175 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When Boyz II Men first heard their signature smash “End of the Road,” they weren’t all in “Cooleyhighharmony” about the song.
In fact, the demo sung by writer and producer Babyface fell flat with one member of the Grammy-winning group.
“Nate [Morris] didn’t like it at first. He was just saying, ‘Uh, it’s all right,’ ” Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman told The Post. “And we were like, ‘Man, you are crazy. It’s better than all right. We gon’ do this record!’ ”
And the rest was truly history 30 years ago: After “End of the Road” ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Aug. 15, 1992, it remained atop the chart for 13 consecutive weeks, breaking a longstanding record held by Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog”/“Don’t Be Cruel” single. Indeed, it was an endless road for the old-school soul ballad, ultimately leading Boyz II Men’s debut album “Cooleyhighharmony” to go nine-times platinum.
The titanic tune was also one of the hits featured on the all-star soundtrack of Eddie Murphy’s classic romantic comedy “Boomerang.” Babyface — who wrote and produced much of the soundtrack with his “End of the Road” collaborators L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons — took inspiration from the movie.
“I had to write a song for a scene,” said Babyface. “But Reggie [Hudlin, the director] ultimately used it somewhere else in the film.”
Babyface had such a special feeling about the song, he almost couldn’t let go of it. “I went like, ‘Wow, I almost want to keep this for myself.’ ”
But the singer and hitmaker for everyone from Whitney Houston and TLC to Madonna and Mary J. Blige thought that the four-part harmonies of Boyz II Men — then a quartet, now a trio — would take “End of the Road” to the perfect place. “It had this ‘Motownphilly’ kind of sound … that old-school kind of sound,” he said.
At the time, Boyz II Men were riding high on the breakout success of “Cooleyhighharmony,” which did not feature “End of the Road” when it was originally released in April 1991. But the Philly group’s then-manager Michael Bivins — of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe fame — thought that the song could take them to an even higher level when he played the demo for them at his home.
The Boyz were in the middle of a tour with MC Hammer when they made a quick trip back to Philadelphia to record “End of the Road.”
“We really only had one day to get it done,” said Morris, adding that they didn’t have time to fan out upon first meeting Babyface at the studio. “We just wanted to knock out the song, so we were definitely turning our focus to that. But we got a chance to work with Babyface for the first time, so it was great.”
About five hours later, the magic was made. And, 13 weeks after “End of the Road” first hit No. 1, a record was broken. Boyz II Men were once again on tour when they found out the history-making news about the song.
“When we found out that it broke Elvis’ record, we were in London about to perform,” recalled Stockman. “And we were so beat and so tired that when they told us, we were like, ‘Oh, cool.’ ”
The record would then be broken again in 1993 by Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” which was No. 1 for 14 weeks, before Boyz II Men tied it with another Babyface ballad, “I’ll Make Love to You,” in 1994. Then “One Sweet Day” — Boyz II Men’s 1995 collaboration with Mariah Carey — broke the record yet again in 1996 after its 16-week reign. And now, the record is owned by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” which ruled the singles chart for 19 weeks in 2019.
Still, when it comes to timeless classics, “End of the Road” beats “Old Town Road.” Even though it’s hard for Babyface to play favorites among his many hits, it holds a special place in his heart. “It’s at the top of the list for sure,” said Babyface, who is releasing “Girls’ Night Out,” an album of collaborations with female R&B artists, in October. “You know, it’ll stay there.”
And “End of the Road” remains a staple of every single Boyz II Men concert. “If we don’t do it, we’re gonna get booed,” said Morris.
“You can’t ask for anything more from a song,” added Stockman. “It’s developed an immortality. We want to have those types of records that will outlive us.” | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/how-boyz-ii-men-broke-elvis-presleys-no-1-record-30-years-ago/ | 2022-08-15T12:09:35Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/how-boyz-ii-men-broke-elvis-presleys-no-1-record-30-years-ago/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Buck Showalter took in “The Music Man” last week, but the Mets manager saw a far better show Saturday.
An announced crowd of 43,857 sat in their seats at Citi Field, then rose once the first strings of “Simple Man” filled the stadium. Jacob deGrom, the best pitcher in the world, took the mound for a third time this season and second time at home. The combination of a superstar with stuff that has never been seen before and the fact that stuff has been rarely seen over the past few seasons because of a litany of injuries adds an element of urgency. Fans want to savor every moment of deGrom.
That crowd — the largest since 2019 and ninth biggest regular-season crowd in the stadium’s history — saw six crisp, dominant innings with 10 strikeouts from the ace. Seth Lugo and Trevor May formed the bridge to Edwin Diaz, who himself is quite literally a show.
SNY has begun turning his entrances into cinema, adding some black-and-white flair to Diaz’s emergence from the bullpen Saturday. He is not just an All-Star with an untouchable slider but a spectacle worth the price of admission. Citi Field turns into a trumpet-filled club for a few minutes, and many of the fans don’t even return to their seats. On Saturday, they stood, they cheered, they watched as a strikeout artist who has not allowed a run in his past 20 appearances got the job done again in a 1-0 win over the Phillies.
DeGrom and Diaz might be the most entertaining dramas in baseball (and along with Aaron Judge, New York might boast the top three). Ahead of free agency for all three, how much is that worth? Being great will get each paid, of course, but how much will being fun enter the equation?
The Mets will have many free-agent decisions to make in a few months, and keeping a club together that has raced to the top of the NL East would be costly. The Post’s Mike Puma estimated next year’s salary could skyrocket to $345 million if potential free agents deGrom, Diaz, Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco, Adam Ottavino and Brandon Nimmo are kept. And that is not including adding any outside free agents.
When the front office — one led by GM Billy Eppler right now, but a new president of baseball operations could be brought in — sits down to analyze each in-house free agent, will the thinking be purely analytical to determine the best roster to produce wins? Or will the fans’ appreciation for certain players — and their eagerness to shell out money to see those players perform — play a part?
The Yankees will be having similar discussions concerning Judge, whose jersey is their best-seller and who might be the most marketable player in the game, beginning with the Judge’s Chambers. His contributions on the field and his historic home run chase already make him worthy of a nine-digit contract, but is his relationship with Yankees fans worth $20 million? $50 million? $100 million?
DeGrom has a player option for $30.5 million for 2023 that he repeatedly has said he will decline. He will hit the open market as a 34-year-old with a lengthy and complicated injury history that held him to 15 starts last season and just three so far this year. The $43.3 million Max Scherzer makes per season easily could be topped with a shorter-term deal, or deGrom could try to find a club that guarantees him hundreds of millions for five or six years.
He has been a lifetime Met, a ninth-round pick in 2010 who debuted in 2014, made his first All-Star Game in 2015, won his first Cy Young in 2018 and somehow still only appears to be getting better. He is beloved and appreciated in Queens, with fans who feel as if they watched him grow. How much does that matter to Eppler?
It is worth remembering the Mets’ trade deadline a few weeks ago. There were stars on the market — Juan Soto of course, though he would have been nearly impossible to pry from the division-rival Nationals, but Willson Contreras could have helped this club — and the Mets preferred less splash and more need-based moves. Few were clamoring for Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf, Tyler Naquin and Mychal Givens, though few are complaining now about the haul.
This Mets regime is not averse to stars, as Scherzer can attest, but it does appear to value savvy as much as star power. The Mets will enter free agency with so many rotation holes; could they reason that shorter-term deals for Bassitt, Walker and a couple outside free agents take precedence over a mega-deal for deGrom?
Perhaps the baseball operations group could argue that depth over ceiling is the best route toward consistent contention, and long-term deals for starting pitchers do not work out often.
A cold calculation would not involve the Mets fans’ feelings. It is probably worth mentioning that Saturday was a sellout, while Sunday’s Bassitt start — in another 6-0, shutout win — did not quite fill the ballpark.
“I love pitching here. I love pitching in front of our fans,” deGrom said Saturday. “The reception that I got both times has been awesome. So it’s been great.”
Diaz has expressed an interest in returning.
“If they give me the chance, I’d love to stay here,” Diaz said in July.
Every Mets fan showing up to the field in Flushing wants to see the team with a lead in the ninth inning. They all want to be a part of the “Narco” phenomenon.
Sure, they want the Mets to win, and Diaz’s presence in the game nearly guarantees the outcome. But the literal bells and whistles that usher him onto the field turn Citi Field into a place that even non-baseball fans want to crash. There is more for the Mets to wring out of the spectacle. Wouldn’t you show up early to the park on a trumpet-giveaway day?
Maybe Mets fans will show up regardless of star power. Maybe the secret ingredient is not an ace or a song but winning.
In a magical 2022, the Mets have been both great and fun. In a few months, they will have to begin to calculate how much each quality is worth.
Today’s back page
Reality bites
Let’s consult Joel Sherman’s list of the top 50 most interesting people in baseball, compiled in April on the eve of the season.
No. 1, Steve Cohen, has had a nice few months. Among the rest of the top 13, only a couple players — Judge (6), Freddie Freeman (8) and Francisco Lindor (10) — have enjoyed unblemished, excellent seasons.
Trevor Bauer (2) has been suspended for two years. DeGrom and Scherzer (3) have dealt with injuries, though the dream rotation has finally taken form. Shohei Ohtani (4) has been great but for another irrelevant Angels club.
Carlos Correa (5) and Corey Seager (9) have been solid for the Twins and Rangers, respectively, but each has taken a step down from recent seasons.
Wander Franco (11) has been merely OK during an injury-plagued season, and he hasn’t played since breaking the hamate bone in his hand July 9. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (13) has not been the MVP runner-up he was last year for a mostly disappointing Blue Jays club.
And Fernando Tatis Jr. (12) went from the 60-day injured list to the suspended list after he accepted an 80-game ban Friday for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
It has been a bad season for baseball stars.
That sinking feeling
Amid a glorious New York baseball summer, let’s take a quick check-in from the Giants’ and Jets’ training camps:
• A headline from Sunday’s Giants practice: Giants offense, Daniel Jones have miserable day at training camp. The Post’s Ethan Sears reports Daniel Jones went about 6-for-20 with two interceptions, while the offensive line was spotty and at least two receivers had drops.
• The Jets are “optimistic,” Robert Saleh said, about Zach Wilson, who will undergo knee surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles. The Post’s Brian Costello has reported the initial expectation is Wilson will miss 2-4 weeks. Week 1 will be Sept. 11, just under four weeks away.
If Wilson, the second-year quarterback who struggled through a very-much-rookie season last year, cannot go, Joe Flacco would start against the Ravens.
After a great summer, it could be a long fall. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/mets-are-mlbs-best-show-but-its-about-to-get-costly/ | 2022-08-15T12:09:41Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/mets-are-mlbs-best-show-but-its-about-to-get-costly/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida renewed Japan’s no-war pledge at a somber ceremony Monday as his country marked the 77th anniversary of its World War II defeat, but he did not mention Japanese wartime aggression.
In his first address as prime minister since taking office in October, Kishida said Japan will “stick to our resolve to never repeat the tragedy of the war.”
Kishida did not mention Japanese aggression across Asia in the first half of the 20th century or the victims in the region. The omission was a precedent set by the assassinated former leader Shinzo Abe, who had pushed to whitewash Japan’s wartime brutality.
Kishida largely focused on the damages Japan suffered on its turf — the U.S. atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, massive firebombings across Japan and the bloody ground battle on Okinawa. He said the peace and prosperity that the country enjoys today is built on the suffering and sacrifices of those who died in the war.
Beginning in 2013, Abe stopped acknowledging Japan’s wartime hostilities or apologizing in his Aug. 15 speeches, scrapping the tradition that began in 1995.
Emperor Naruhito repeated his “deep remorse” over Japan’s wartime actions in a nuanced phrase in his speech, like his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who devoted his career to making amends for a war fought in the name of the wartime emperor, Hirohito, the current emperor’s grandfather.
Some 900 participants observed a minute of silence at noon during the ceremony held at the Budokan arena. The crowd was reduced from about 5,000 before the pandemic, participants were asked to wear masks, and there was no singing of the national anthem.
While Kishida on Monday stayed away from praying at the Yasukuni Shrine and sent a religious ornament instead, three of his Cabinet members visited — Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Disaster Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba earlier Monday and Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on Saturday.
“I paid respects to the spirits of those who sacrificed their lives for the national policy,” Takaichi told reporters, adding that she also prayed so that there will be no more war dead in Ukraine.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno defended their Yasukuni visits by saying that “In any country, it is natural to pay respects to those who sacrificed their lives to their nation,” but that they decided to pray as “private citizens.”
“There is no change to Japan’s policy of strengtheing its ties with its neighbors China and South Korea,” Matsuno said.
Victims of Japanese actions during the first half of the 20th century, especially China and the Koreas, see the shrine as a symbol of Japanese militarism because it honors convicted war criminals among about 2.5 million war dead.
The visits sparked criticisms from China and South Korea.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed “deep disappointment and regret” over the Yasukuni visits which it said beautifies Japan’s past invasions. The ministry urged Japanese officials to “look squarely” at history and demonstrate their “sincere” remorse with action.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, on Sunday after Nishimura’s visit, criticized it as “Japanese government’s erroneous attitude toward historical issues.” Wang also urged Japan to “deeply reflect” on its wartime aggression and act responsibly to gain trust of its Asian neighbors and the larger international community.
___
AP writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/japan-marks-wwiis-end-kishida-doesnt-mention-aggression/ | 2022-08-15T12:10:41Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/japan-marks-wwiis-end-kishida-doesnt-mention-aggression/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WHANGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — Five years ago, the Whanganui River was recognized as a living person in a groundbreaking New Zealand law. For many who live along its banks, the official recognition validated the deep spiritual connection they feel with the river. They continue to feel the draw of its waters each day, whether it’s to fish, canoe or refresh their lives.
___
Ngahuia Twomey-Waitai, 28, walks into the Whanganui River and reaches down to splash water over her head in an action reminiscent of a baptism. She says the river has been a big part of her life since she was born.
“I tend to come down here quite often to cleanse myself, especially when I’m going through some big, huge changes in my life, regardless of them being good or bad,” she says. “The river always makes things better for me.”
“Just being down here gives me a huge smile and brings me at peace with myself and my life.”
___
Glenn Martin grew up in the little village of Piriaka and still lives there. These days he runs a business called Blazing Paddles, renting canoes to tourists.
The river is navigable for most — it’s grade one or two along this section. Martin’s customers paddle downstream and typically camp or stay in huts for one to five nights before he tows the canoes back by road.
“When you’re down here on the river, it just takes you to another place,” he says. “It’s relaxing. It’s soothing. It’s reinvigorating.”
Martin, 65, loves all the activities the river has to offer, especially the world-class trout fishing, and approves of it gaining personhood.
“I think people take more pride in it and definitely look after it a lot better because it’s just got that much more respect,” he says.
___
Fantail birds tumble about Aunty Sugar’s feet as she walks across the small Māori marae, or meeting grounds, that she runs on the banks of the river in the town of Koriniti.
The 73-year-old’s real name is Jula Teki but locals know her as Aunty Sugar.
“They call us the river rats. And we are the river people, the people of the river,” she says. “When the river is flowing good, everything is okay. When it’s flooded, we just all hunker down and we know how the river’s going to react. The road’s probably going to close down, but that doesn’t mean anything to us.”
She says all the power schemes and farms along the banks have effectively turned the river upside-down. She says the river gaining personhood would make her ancestors proud.
“They would be astonished now, if they were alive,” she says. “They would be saying, ‘Wow. You did what we couldn’t do.’”
___
Geoff Hipango says it’s going to take time — perhaps a generation or more — for the river’s health to be fully restored but it’s now on the right track.
Hipango, 55, grew up at the Te Ao Hou marae on the banks of the river in Whanganui. These days, he manages mental health and addiction services for a tribal provider.
He says the river’s status is a win not only for his tribe but for the wider community, which also want to see its health improved for future generations.
He says it has been a privilege to see the river gain personhood after all the hard work of his elders, who never surrendered their beliefs.
“Really it was only embodying what our people have always acknowledged and lived by,” he says. “It’s just that the law caught up.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/whanganui-river-always-makes-things-better-for-me/ | 2022-08-15T12:11:24Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/whanganui-river-always-makes-things-better-for-me/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian government official denied on Monday that Tehran was involved in the assault on author Salman Rushdie, though he justified the stabbing in remarks that represented the Islamic Republic’s first public comments on the attack.
The comments by Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, came more than two days after the attack on Rushdie in New York. The writer has now been taken off a ventilator and is “on the road to recovery,” according to his agent.
However, Iran has denied carrying out other operations abroad targeting dissidents in the years since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, despite prosecutors and Western governments attributing such attacks back to Tehran. And while Iran hasn’t focused on the writer in recent years, a decades-old fatwa demanding his killing still stands.
“Regarding the attack against Salman Rushdie in America, we don’t consider anyone deserving reproach, blame or even condemnation, except for (Rushdie) himself and his supporters,” Kanaani said.
“In this regard, no one can blame the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added. “We believe that the insults made and the support he received was an insult against followers of all religions.”
Rushdie, 75, was stabbed Friday while attending an event in western New York. He suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, his agent Andrew Wylie said. Rushdie was likely to lose the injured eye.
His assailant, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the attack through his lawyer.
Rushdie has for more than 30 years faced death threats for “The Satanic Verses.” Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had issued a fatwa, or Islamic edict, demanding his death. A semiofficial Iranian foundation had put up a bounty of over $3 million for the author, though it has yet to offer any comment on the attack.
Police in New York have offered no motive yet for the attack, though District Attorney Jason Schmidt alluded to the bounty on Rushdie in arguing against bail during a hearing Saturday.
“Even if this court were to set a million dollars bail, we stand a risk that bail could be met,” Schmidt said.
Matar was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, according to the village’s mayor. Flags of the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah, along with portraits of Hezbollah and Iranian leaders, hang across the village. Israel also has bombarded Hezbollah positions near there in the past.
In Yaroun, village records show Matar holds Lebanese citizenship and is identified as a Shiite, an official there said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said Matar’s father still lives there but has been in seclusion since the attack.
In his remarks Monday, Kanaani added that Iran did not “have any other information more than what the American media has reported.” He also implied that Rushdie brought the attack on himself.
“Salman Rushdie exposed himself to popular anger and fury through insulting the sacredness of Islam and crossing the red lines of over 1.5 billion Muslims and also red lines of followers of all divine religions,” Kanaani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while not directly blaming Tehran for the attack on Rushdie, made a point to mention Iran in a statement early Monday praising the writer’s efforts in supporting freedom of expression and religion.
“Iranian state institutions have incited violence against Rushdie for generations, and state-affiliated media recently gloated about the attempt on his life,” Blinken said. “This is despicable.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the attack on Rushdie at a lecture Sunday, saying that “a man with a knife cannot silence a man with a pen.”
Khomeini, in poor health in the last year of his life after the grinding, stalemated 1980s Iran-Iraq war had decimated the country’s economy, issued the fatwa on Rushdie in 1989. The Islamic edict came amid a violent uproar in the Muslim world over the novel, which some viewed as blasphemously making suggestions about the Prophet Muhammad’s life.
While fatwas can be revised or revoked, Iran’s current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — who took over after Khomeini — has never done so. As recently as February 2017, Khamenei said: “The decree is as Imam Khomeini issued.”
Since 1979, Iran has targeted dissidents abroad in attacks. Tensions with the West — particularly the United States — have spiked since then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled America out of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.
A Trump-ordered drone strike killed a top Iranian Revolutionary Guard general in 2020, further fueling those tensions.
Last week, the U.S. charged a Guard member in absentia for allegedly plotting to kill one-time Trump adviser and Iran hawk John Bolton. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and an aide are under 24-hour security over alleged threats from Iran.
Meanwhile, U.S. prosecutors say Iran tried to kidnap in 2021 an Iranian opposition activist and writer living in New York. In recent days, a man with an assault rifle was arrested near her home.
Other denials from the Foreign Ministry have included Tehran’s transfer of weapons to Yemen’s Houthi rebels amid that country’s long civil war. Independent experts, Western nations and U.N. experts have traced weapon components back to Iran.
___
Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
___
Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/iran-denies-being-involved-in-attack-on-salman-rushdie/ | 2022-08-15T12:12:46Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/iran-denies-being-involved-in-attack-on-salman-rushdie/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Drought-stricken states in West face deadline to cut water use
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Banks along parts of the Colorado River where water once streamed are now just caked mud and rock as climate change makes the Western U.S. hotter and drier.
More than two decades of drought have done little to deter the region from diverting more water than flows through it, depleting key reservoirs to levels that now jeopardize delivery and hydropower production.
Cities and farms in seven U.S. states are bracing for cuts this week as officials stare down a deadline to propose unprecedented reductions to their use of the water, setting up what’s expected to be the most consequential week for Colorado River policy in years.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in June told the states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — to figure out how to use at least 15% less water next year, or have restrictions imposed on them. On top of that, the bureau is expected to publish hydrology projections that will trigger additional cuts already agreed to.
“The challenges we are seeing today are unlike anything we have seen in our history,” Camille Touton, the bureau’s commissioner, said in a U.S. Senate hearing that month.
Tensions over the extent of the cuts and how to spread them equitably have flared, with states pointing fingers and stubbornly clinging to their water rights despite the looming crisis.
“It’s not fun sitting around a table figuring out who is going to sacrifice and how much,” said Bill Hasencamp, the Colorado River resources manager at Metropolitan Water District, which provides water to most of Southern California.
Representatives from the seven states convened in Denver last week for eleventh-hour negotiations behind closed doors. Officials party to discussions said the most likely targets for cuts are farmers in Arizona and California. Agricultural districts in those states are asking to be paid generously to shoulder that burden.
The Colorado River cascades down from the Rocky Mountains into the arid deserts of the Southwest. It’s the primary water supply for 40 million people. About 70% of its water goes toward irrigation, sustaining a $15 billion-a-year agricultural industry that supplies 90% of the United States’ winter vegetables.
The river is divided among Mexico and the seven U.S. states under a series of agreements that date back a century, to a time when more water flowed through the river. But climate change has transformed the river’s hydrology, providing less snowmelt and causing hotter temperatures and more evaporation. As it’s yielded less water, the states have agreed to cuts tied to the levels of reservoirs that store river water.
Last year, federal officials for the first time declared a water shortage, triggering cuts to Nevada, Arizona and Mexico’s share of the river to help prevent the two largest reservoirs — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — from dropping low enough to threaten hydropower production and stop water from flowing through their dams.
The proposals for supplemental cuts due this week have inflamed disagreement between upper basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — and lower basin states — Arizona, California and Nevada — over how to spread the pain. The lower basin states use most of the water and have thus far shouldered most of the cuts. The upper basin states have historically not used their full allocations but want to maintain their water rights to plan for population growth.
Gene Shawcroft, the chairman of Utah’s Colorado River Authority, believes the lower basin states should take most of the cuts because they use most of the water and their full allocations.
He said it was his job to protect Utah’s allocation for growth projected for decades ahead: “The direction we’ve been given as water purveyors is to make sure we have water for the future.”
In a letter last month, representatives from the upper basin states proposed a five-point conservation plan that they said would save water but argued most of the cuts needed to come from the lower basin. The plan didn’t commit to any numbers.
“The focus is getting the tools in place and working with water users to get as much as we can rather than projecting a water number,” Chuck Cullom, the executive director of the Upper Colorado River Commission, told The Associated Press.
That position, however, is unsatisfactory to many in lower basin states already facing cuts.
“It’s going to come to a head particularly if the upper basin states continue their negotiating position, saying, ‘We’re not making any cuts,’” said Bruce Babbitt, who served as Interior secretary from 2003-2011.
Lower basin states have yet to go public with plans to contribute, but officials said last week that they had a tentative proposal to reduce consumption that fell slightly short of the federal government’s request to cut 2 to 4 million acre-feet.
An acre-foot of water is enough to serve two to three households annually.
Hasencamp, the Metropolitan Water District’s Colorado River resource manager, said all the districts in the state that draw from the river had agreed to contribute water or money to the plan, pending approval by their respective boards. Water districts, in particular the Imperial Irrigation District, have been adamant that any voluntary cut does not curtail their high priority water rights.
Southern California cities likely will be putting up money that could fund fallowing farmland in places like Imperial County, and water managers are considering leaving water they’ve stored in Lake Mead as part of their contribution.
Arizona will likely be hit hard with reductions. The state has in the past few years shouldered much of the cuts and with its growing population and robust agricultural industry, has less wiggle room than its neighbors to take on more, said Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke. Some tribes in Arizona have also contributed to propping up Lake Mead in the past, and could play an outsized role in any new proposal.
Irrigators around Yuma, Arizona, have proposed taking 925,000 acre-feet less of Colorado River water in 2023 and leaving it in Lake Mead if they’re paid $1.4 billion, or $1,500 per acre-foot. The cost is far above the going rate, but irrigators defended their proposal as fair considering the cost to grow crops and get them to market.
Wade Noble, the coordinator for a coalition that represents Yuma water rights holders, said it was the only proposal put forth publicly that includes actual cuts, rather than theoretical cuts to what users are allocated on paper.
Some of the compensation-for-conservation funds could come from a $4 billion drought earmark in the Inflation Reduction Act under consideration in Washington, U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona told the AP.
Sinema acknowledged paying farmers to conserve wasn’t a long-term solution: “In the short-term, however, in order to meet our day-to-day needs and year-to-year needs, ensuring that we’re creating financial incentives for non-use will help us get through,” she said.
Babbitt, too, said money in the legislation will not “miraculously solve the problem,” and prices for water must be reasonable to avoid gouging because most water users will take a hit.
“There’s no way that these cuts can all be paid for at a premium price for years and years,” he said.
__
Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Associated Press reporter Kathleen Ronayne contributed from Sacramento, California.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.witn.com/2022/08/15/drought-stricken-states-west-face-deadline-cut-water-use/ | 2022-08-15T12:13:47Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/2022/08/15/drought-stricken-states-west-face-deadline-cut-water-use/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- Option would add three dispensaries, increasing AWH's footprint in Ohio to five, the maximum permitted in the state -
NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc ("AWH," "Ascend," or the "Company") (CSE: AAWH.U) (OTCQX: AAWH), a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") providing AWH the option to acquire 100% of the equity of Ohio Patient Access LLC ("OPA"), which owns and will operate three provisionally licensed dispensaries that are in the process of being built in Cincinnati, Piqua, and Sandusky. Exercising this option would increase AWH's footprint in Ohio to five, the maximum permitted in the state.
"This transaction represents an ideal opportunity to maximize our dispensary footprint in Ohio, a state that has near-term potential for adult-use cannabis sales," said Abner Kurtin, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Founder of Ascend. "Going deep in the states in which we operate and being a top provider in each state is critical to sustainable growth and margin expansion. OPA's dispensaries will be situated in populous, limited-license markets that provide us with a contiguous footprint across the state. We look forward to closing this transaction once authorized under Ohio law and to potential adult-use legalization in the mid-term."
AWH's current Ohio footprint includes two dispensaries, one in each of Coshocton and Carroll, as well as a Tier 2 cultivation facility with 2,000 square feet of canopy. There are currently 58 dispensaries in Ohio, approximately one for every 4,800 registered patients.1 Ohio medical cannabis sales were $381 million in 2021, a 72 percent increase over 2020.1
The Agreement is subject to regulatory review and approval.
1. Ohio Board of Pharmacy Patient and Caregivers. Note: Ohio Pharmacy Board recently approved an additional 70 provisional dispensary licenses not included in this number.
AWH is a vertically integrated multistate cannabis operator with licenses and assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. AWH owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award-winning strains and producing a curated selection of products for retail and wholesale customers. AWH produces and distributes its in-house Simply Herb, Ozone, and Ozone Reserve branded products. For more information, visit www.awholdings.com.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding the plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate.
Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Such factors include, among others: the risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in the Company's other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
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SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/awh-enters-definitive-agreement-providing-option-acquire-ohio-patient-access-llc/ | 2022-08-15T12:14:49Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/awh-enters-definitive-agreement-providing-option-acquire-ohio-patient-access-llc/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Individuals planning for retirement may feel quite anxious about the coming years, considering the high inflation and interest rates and the low consumer confidence.
It's uncertain whether a recession will occur, although there are some signs that an extended economic slowdown may happen. Still, retirement will come to just about every people. Therefore, it's important to learn as much as we can about navigating and managing this period in our lives once it takes place.
Here are four things you can do to prepare your investment portfolio for retirement.
Combine Similar
Accounts
Combining your similarly taxed accounts and sticking to only one or two financial institutions helps curb your attention from multiple individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401(k)s. Plus, keeping an eye on and handling your investments and taxes is easier when you only have a handful of accounts.
Merging your accounts is more than just about getting you organized in retirement.
Maintaining multiple accounts across different institutions could subject you to some considerable expense funds or additional management costs. And those high, extra costs can be detrimental to your investment returns, leaving you with less money than you should have to retire comfortably.
Opt For Index Funds
Index funds are usually an excellent choice for a retirement investment portfolio. They are low-cost, so they help reduce the fees you pay, which in turn increases your long-term returns.
Furthermore, index funds mirror the performance of particular market indexes, making them a passively-managed investment.
That hands-off approach is a method that you may appreciate in your retirement, as it would allow you to spend less time monitoring your investments, and more on leisurely or recreational activities.
In choosing ideal funds to bet on, you can consider ones that follow the S&P 500 index or the overall bond market.
Additionally, taking a broad look at your portfolio and putting money into diversified index funds may help you generate profit near the amount of the market's total return, which is often higher than what many active investors make.
Cut Down on Individual
Stocks
Preparing for retirement signals the time to reassess your individual stock holdings. If single-stock investments still make up a pretty significant part of your portfolio, you may need to consider reducing some of those positions.
That's because idiosyncratic risk is endemic to many individual stocks of companies. You can minimize this type of risk by focusing on diversifying your investments, determining a suitable asset allocation, and setting a target amount for saving.
Have Enough Cash
Having a sufficient cash reserve during retirement can be crucial since it can provide the flexibility you may need in times of emergencies or unexpected expenses.
Relying on your stock positions to pay for your unforeseen expenses is a risky decision in retirement. On the other hand, keeping an adequate amount of cash during a crisis can give you financial peace of mind.
Instead of opening a brokerage account, a high-yield savings account that you can access anytime would be a better option for storing your fully liquid funds. | https://www.forexlive.com/Education/prepare-your-investments-for-retirement-with-these-4-things-20220815/ | 2022-08-15T12:15:06Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/Education/prepare-your-investments-for-retirement-with-these-4-things-20220815/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A career as a financial advisor can be a great experience since it involves advising and guiding people on building a financial or investment plan that works for their situation. To become one, you need to be licensed, work in a firm, and gain experience.
Here’s further information that you need to know about working as a financial advisor.
Financial Advisor in a
Nutshell
A financial advisor is a financial expert specializing in providing clients with consultations and recommendations related to financial planning, including investments, insurance, and savings, among other things.
Financial advisors can also assist in other financial matters besides giving investment advice. They can guide you on retirement planning, tax management, marriage, and childbirth.
The Job of Financial
Advisors
Financial advisors offer various services that aim to achieve the same objective. Helping clients meet their financial goals.
Still, analyzing investments and strategies is a big part of their job as advisors. That includes staying updated with the latest trends, knowing how different assets work, and when to buy and sell them.
Meeting clients is also another essential part of a financial advisor’s job. Meeting clients would allow them to understand their clients and gain information about their financial needs and situation, factors that would help determine suitable investments and approach for them.
Not All Financial
Advisors Are the Same
While several financial advisors are stock brokers with the necessary licenses and enough understanding of the financial industry to help clients choose appropriate investments and approaches, some advisors deal with more particular financial matters.
Such advisors include financial planners who work with clients to develop a detailed financial plan, investment advisors who handle investors’ money, and analysts who look into certain investments.
Here are some of the financial advisors with more specialized skills:
· Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
A CFP is a financial advisor whose main job is to develop an in-depth financial plan for their clients, usually individual investors.
The requirements to become a CFP are pretty difficult to acquire. You will need to complete a challenging education program, pass a CFP exam, prove your experience in financial planning, and pass CFP fitness standards.
· Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
CFA is a designation given to financial experts certified by the CFA Institute.
CFAs mainly work on investment analysis and determining the value of assets that investors buy and sell. Their professional knowledge and experience are crucial to research analysts and asset managers.
· Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)
An RIA is a company that provides investment advice to clients who are usually high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors.
RIAs operate under the supervision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or individual states. This financial expert hires individual financial advisors to make investment decisions for clients. They may also manage investment portfolios on their clients’ behalf.
Knowing if a Financial
Advisor Career is For You
Working as a financial advisor has benefits and opportunities that would allow you to help people with their financial and investment planning. Still, not everyone is fitted to become a financial advisor.
Being a financial advisor involves handling clients who may be worried or upset about their current financial state.
In addition, you need to be adept at dealing with numbers and have a solid grasp of different financial concepts. You must also practice discipline and be organized to properly keep up with the condition of clients’ accounts.
That said, working as a financial advisor may suit you if you’re a hard worker and have a substantial interest in helping others make sound decisions with their finances and investments. | https://www.forexlive.com/Education/understanding-what-it-means-to-work-as-a-financial-advisor-20220815/ | 2022-08-15T12:15:12Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/Education/understanding-what-it-means-to-work-as-a-financial-advisor-20220815/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BrainStorm to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS
New clinical analyses reinforce the conclusions from NurOwn's® Phase 3 clinical trial
Conference call and webcast at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time today
NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, and provided a corporate update. The company also announced its decision to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for NurOwn® for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
BrainStorm announces decision to submit a BLA to the FDA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS
"Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics is at a pivotal moment as a company as we finalize the regulatory filing for NurOwn® in the treatment of ALS. The continued analysis and the feedback received from the many scientific presentations of NurOwn's® Phase 3 data have uncovered key insights that furthered our understanding of the product mechanism of action and therapeutic potential and strengthened the conclusions of NurOwn's® efficacy," said Chaim Lebovits, Chief Executive Officer. "After carefully considering these learnings, the totality of the evidence from NurOwn's® clinical studies, and the feedback received from key opinion leaders and the broader ALS community, we will submit a Biologics License Application to the FDA. We are deeply grateful to the ALS clinical experts, members of the ALS community and faithful investors for their contribution to the development of NurOwn® and what it may mean to those living with ALS. Their contributions and commitment made our current progress possible and continue to inspire us as we prepare for the considerable work ahead. We intend to provide additional updates upon learning whether the FDA files our BLA submission."
New clinical analyses strengthen the conclusions from NurOwn's® Phase 3 clinical trial
A correction was made to the Muscle and Nerve publication from December 2021 describing the results of NurOwn's® Phase 3 clinical trial in ALS following new clinical analyses which strengthen the Company's original conclusions from the trial. The correction results in a statistically significant treatment difference (p=0.050) of more than 2 points for an important secondary endpoint, average change from baseline in ALSFRS-R, in the pre-specified efficacy subgroup of participants with a baseline score of at least 35. Analyses reported in the original publication utilized an efficacy model that unintentionally deviated from the trial's pre-specified statistical analysis plan by erroneously incorporating interaction terms between the subgroup and treatment. The newly published results, which includes supporting information to the publication, employ the efficacy model as pre-specified in the trial's statistical analysis plan, correcting the analyses. The correction also relates to the other subgroup analyses published for this endpoint, demonstrating that all subgroups with ALSFRS-R baseline scores of at least 26 to 35 showed a statistically significant benefit following treatment with NurOwn® (p≤0.050) on this secondary endpoint.
Other Second Quarter 2022 and Recent Highlights
- Presented new analyses from NurOwn's® Phase 3 ALS trial that showed a treatment effect in participants predicted by the ENCALS model to have intermediate to very long survival. These analyses confirmed the importance of avoiding potentially misclassifying treatment responses due to the ALSFRS-R floor effect and were presented in a poster presentation at the 2022 European Network for the Cure of ALS (ENCALS) Meeting. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Jonathan Katz, principal investigator on the trial and Chair of the Neurology Department and Director of the Forbes Norris ALS Clinic at the California Pacific Medical Center.
- Biomarker analyses from NurOwn's® Phase 3 ALS trial were the subject of an abstract presented at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology Congress by Dr. James Berry, MD, MPH, principal investigator on the trial and Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Multidisciplinary ALS Clinic and Chief of the Division of ALS and Motor Neuron Diseases. Results of the analyses showed significant changes across multiple cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers following NurOwn® treatment, with the strongest effects observed on biomarkers related to neuroprotection and neuroinflammation.
- Presented a summary of analyses from the Phase 3 trial of NurOwn® in ALS that highlighted the ability of biomarkers to predict clinical treatment response and provide a window into the complex biological pathways underlying disease progression. The presentation was delivered at the ALS Drug Development Summit by BrainStorm's President and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ralph Kern, MD, MHSc.
- Reported new results from the open-label Phase 2 study of NurOwn® in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) that highlighted post-treatment improvements in monocular and binocular low contrast letter acuity (LCLA) outcomes (1.25% and 2.5% thresholds). In contrast, matched patients from the long-term Comprehensive Longitudinal Investigation of Multiple Sclerosis (CLIMB) study and participants from the placebo arm of the SPRINT study showed worsening in LCLA outcomes over a similar time period. The results were presented in a poster presentation delivered by Dr. Kern at the 2022 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Meeting.
- Presented biomarker analyses from the open-label Phase 2 study of NurOwn® in progressive MS showing consistent post-treatment reductions in CSF inflammatory biomarkers that may be relevant to disease progression and treatment response. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Christopher Lock, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, Neurology and Neurological Studies, at Stanford School of Medicine, at the CMSC 2022 Meeting.
- Preclinical in-vitro data that showed NurOwn® cells maintaining their neurotrophic and immunomodulatory effects in the presence of Siponimod, an S1P modulator recently approved for the treatment of secondary progressive MS, were presented in a poster presentation at the CMSC 2022 Meeting. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Sidney Spector, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Global Strategy at BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics.
- Reported preclinical data from a murine lung injury model (the bleomycin model) that demonstrated intrathecal administration of NurOwn®-derived exosomes (Exo MSC-NTF) may have potential as a clinical therapy for inflammatory pulmonary pathologies and display superior macrophage immunomodulation compared to naïve mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (Exo-MSC). The data were presented at the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) 2022 Annual Meeting by Haggai Kaspi, PhD, Preclinical Research Manager at BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics.
- Preclinical in vitro data demonstrating the superior anti-inflammatory effects of Exo MSC-NTF compared to Exo-MSC were featured in a poster at the International Society of Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) 2022 Meeting. The poster was presented by Dr. Kim Thacker, Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Clinical Innovation at BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics.
- Strengthened executive team in preparation for anticipated growth and corporate development, with the appointment of Netta Blondheim-Shraga, PhD, as VP of Research & Development and Antal Pearl-Lendner, Adv., as Chief Legal Counsel
Financial Results for the Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2022
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term bank deposits were approximately $12.2 million as of June 30, 2022, compared to $18.4 million as of March 31, 2022.
Research and development expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022, and 2021 were approximately $5.1 million and $3.6 million, respectively.
General and administrative expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022, and 2021 were approximately $2.5 million.
Net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2022, was approximately $7.0 million, as compared to a net loss of approximately $6.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021.
Net loss per share for the three months ended June 30, 2022, and 2021 was $0.19 and $0.17, respectively.
Conference Call and Webcast
August 15, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Participant Numbers:
Toll Free: 888-506-0062
International: 973-528-0011
Participant Access Code: 955552
Webcast URL: https://bit.ly/3cXwQkt
Those that wish to listen to the replay of the conference call can do so by dialing the numbers below. The replay will be available for 14 days.
Toll Free: 877-481-4010
International: 919-882-2331
Replay Passcode: 46290
About NurOwn®
The NurOwn® technology platform (autologous MSC-NTF cells) represents a promising investigational therapeutic approach to targeting disease pathways important in neurodegenerative disorders. MSC-NTF cells are produced from autologous, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have been expanded and differentiated ex vivo. MSCs are converted into MSC-NTF cells by growing them under patented conditions that induce the cells to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors (NTFs). Autologous MSC-NTF cells are designed to effectively deliver multiple NTFs and immunomodulatory cytokines directly to the site of damage to elicit a desired biological effect and ultimately slow or stabilize disease progression.
About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a leading developer of innovative autologous adult stem cell therapeutics for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to clinical development and commercialization of the NurOwn® technology platform used to produce autologous MSC-NTF cells through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement. Autologous MSC-NTF cells have received Orphan Drug designation status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). BrainStorm has completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS (NCT03280056); this trial investigated the safety and efficacy of repeat-administration of autologous MSC-NTF cells and was supported by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM CLIN2-0989). BrainStorm completed under an investigational new drug application a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial (NCT03799718) of autologous MSC-NTF cells in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and was supported by a grant from the National MS Society (NMSS).
Safe-Harbor Statement
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information, including statements regarding future BLA submission, constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Terms and phrases such as "may," "should," "would," "could," "will," "expect," "likely," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "predict," "potential," and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, BrainStorm's need to raise additional capital, BrainStorm's ability to continue as a going concern, BrainStorm's plan to submit a BLA for NurOwn® to the FDA, prospects that the FDA will accept BrainStorm's BLA for NurOwn® for filing and review, prospects that the FDA does not view BrainStorm's NurOwn® product candidate to have demonstrated adequate safety or effectiveness, prospects for future regulatory approval of BrainStorm's NurOwn® treatment candidate, the success of BrainStorm's product development programs and research, regulatory and personnel issues, development of a global market for BrainStorm's products, if approved, and services, the ability to secure and maintain research institutions to conduct BrainStorm's clinical trials, the ability to generate significant revenue, the ability of BrainStorm's NurOwn® treatment candidate to achieve broad acceptance as a treatment option for ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases, BrainStorm's ability to manufacture and commercialize the NurOwn® treatment candidate, obtaining patents that provide meaningful protection, competition and market developments, BrainStorm's ability to protect our intellectual property from infringement by third parties, health reform legislation, demand for our services, currency exchange rates and product liability claims and litigation; the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and additional strains of COVID-19 or any other health epidemic on our clinical trials, supply chain, and operations; potential delays in any planned or anticipated review or interactions with the FDA due to disruptions at, or inadequate funding of, the FDA; the impact of global economic and political developments on our business, including rising inflation and capital market disruptions; the current conflict in Ukraine, economic sanctions and economic slowdowns or recessions that may result from such development; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BrainStorm's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management as of the date of this press release. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or assumptions if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, unless otherwise required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.
CONTACTS
Investor Relations:
John Mullaly
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Phone: +1 617-429-3548
jmullaly@lifesciadvisors.com
Media:
Lisa Guiterman
Phone: +1 202 330-3431
lisa.guiterman@gmail.com
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
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Company hires financial and M&A veteran Ronen Stein to help accelerate growth and profitability
ROSH HA'AIN, Israel, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) ("Ceragon" or the "Company"), a global innovator and leading solutions provider of 5G wireless transport, today announced the appointment of Ronen Stein as the Company's new Chief Financial Officer, effective September 21, 2022. Mr. Stein will report directly to the CEO, Doron Arazi.
As the newly appointed CFO, Mr. Stein will provide financial and strategic leadership and planning to help accelerate Ceragon's business momentum and deliver profitable growth. Mr. Stein is an accomplished financial executive and a business leader with more than twenty years of CFO experience having held a variety of CFO roles in both private and U.S. listed public companies. He brings extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions in diverse industries, leading transactions from both sides of the table.
Most recently, Mr. Stein was CFO of Siklu, an Israel-based company in the telecommunications sector. Previously he served as the CFO of 10bis, Enercon technologies, Knock N'Lock, and Pointer Telocation. Mr. Stein is a Certified Public Accountant in Israel and has a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), as well as a bachelor's degree in economics and accounting, both from Tel Aviv University.
Mr. Arazi, Ceragon CEO, commented, "We are excited to welcome Ronen to our executive team. Ronen is a proven executive and financial leader with a track record of driving enhanced performance across both public and private organizations. We're confident his expertise and experience will be a powerful asset for Ceragon as we continue executing on our strategy."
Mr. Stein, newly appointed CFO of Ceragon commented, "Ceragon is a true industry leader and I'm thrilled to join the Company. I can clearly see the business potential and I am excited to join Doron and the management team to continue to accelerate growth and profitability and deepen the Company's existing relations with the investor community."
About Ceragon Networks
Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) is the global innovator and leading solutions provider of 5G wireless transport. We help operators and other service providers worldwide increase operational efficiency and enhance end customers' quality of experience with innovative wireless backhaul and fronthaul solutions. Our customers include service providers, public safety organizations, government agencies and utility companies, which use our solutions to deliver 5G & 4G broadband wireless connectivity, mission-critical multimedia services, stabilized communications, and other applications at high reliability and speed.
Ceragon's unique multicore technology and disaggregated approach to wireless transport provides highly reliable, fast to deploy, high-capacity wireless transport for 5G and 4G networks with minimal use of spectrum, power, real estate, and labor resources. It enables increased productivity, as well as simple and quick network modernization, positioning Ceragon as a leading solutions provider for the 5G era. We deliver a complete portfolio of turnkey end-to-end AI-based managed and professional services that ensure efficient network rollout and optimization to achieve the highest value for our customers. Our solutions are deployed by more than 400 service providers, as well as more than 800 private network owners, in more than 150 countries. For more information please visit: www.ceragon.com
Ceragon Networks® and FibeAir® are registered trademarks of Ceragon Networks Ltd. in the United States and other countries. CERAGON ® is a trademark of Ceragon Networks Ltd., registered in various countries. Other names mentioned are owned by their respective holders.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This document contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Ceragon's management about Ceragon's business, financial condition, results of operations, micro and macro market trends and other issues addressed or reflected therein. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: projections of demand, revenues, net income, gross margin, capital expenditures and liquidity, competitive pressures, order timing, supply chain and shipping, components availability, growth prospects, product development, financial resources, cost savings and other financial and market matters. You may identify these and other forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "targets", "expects", "intends", "potential" or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Although we believe that the projections reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be obtained or that any deviations therefrom will not be material. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Ceragon's future results or performance to differ materially from those anticipated, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, any ongoing actions taken and future actions that may be taken by Aviat Networks Inc. or other stockholders or others; the continuing impact of the components shortage due to the global shortage in semiconductors, chipsets, components and other commodities, on our supply chain, manufacturing capacity and ability to timely deliver our products, which have caused, and could continue to cause delays in deliveries of our products and in the deployment of projects by our customers, risk of penalties and orders cancellation created thereby, as well as profit erosion due to constant price increase, payment of expedite fees and costs of inventory pre-ordering and procurement acceleration of such inventory, and the risk of becoming a deadstock if not consumed; the continued effect of the global increase in shipping costs and decrease in shipping slots availability on us, our supply chain and customers, which have resulted, and may continue to result in, price erosion, late deliveries and the risk of penalties and orders cancellation due to late deliveries; the impact of the transition to 5G technologies on our revenues if such transition is developed differently than we anticipated; the risks relating to the concentration of a major portion of our business on large mobile operators around the world from which we derive a significant portion of our ordering, that due to their relative effect on the overall ordering coupled with inconsistent ordering pattern and volume of business directed to us, creates high volatility with respect to our financial results and results of operations; the effect of the competition from other wireless transport equipment providers and from other communication solutions that compete with our high-capacity point-to-point wireless products; the continued effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and markets and on us and on the markets in which we operate and our and our customers, providers, business partners and contractors business and operations; the risks relating to increased breaches of network or information technology security along with increase in cyber-attack activities, growing cyber-crime threats, and changes in privacy and data protection laws, that could have an adverse effect on our business; risks associated with any failure to meet our product development timetable, including delay in the commercialization of our new chipset; imposition of additional sanctions and global trade limitations in connection with Russia's invasion to Ukraine, the effects of general economic conditions and trends on the global and local markets in which we operate and such other risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect our results, as further detailed in Ceragon's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and in Ceragon's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect our results, represent our views only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. Such forward-looking statements do not purport to be predictions of future events or results and there can be no assurance that it will prove to be accurate. Ceragon may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future but the company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so except as may be required by law.
Ceragon's public filings are available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov and may also be obtained from Ceragon's website at www.ceragon.com.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Ceragon has filed a definitive proxy statement and WHITE proxy card with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the 2022 Extraordinary General Meeting of Ceragon Shareholders (the "2022 Extraordinary General Meeting"). CERAGON SHAREHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT (AND ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ACCOMPANYING WHITE PROXY CARD AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain the proxy statement, any amendments or supplements to the proxy statement and other documents as and when filed by Ceragon with the SEC without charge from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Ceragon Investor & Media Contact:
Maya Lustig
Ceragon Networks
Tel. +972-54-677-8100
mayal@ceragon.com
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SOURCE Ceragon Networks Ltd. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/ceragon-networks-appoints-ronen-stein-chief-financial-officer/ | 2022-08-15T12:15:37Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/ceragon-networks-appoints-ronen-stein-chief-financial-officer/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Clean energy veteran brings more than 15 years of financial leadership experience at public and private organizations
BEVERLY, Mass., Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of electrification-as-a-service for government and municipal fleets in North America, has hired Gaurav Dubey as chief financial officer to help scale its finance organization, optimize its capital structure, and develop new financial products.
"Fleet electrification is at an inflection point, and Highland is well-positioned to meet increasing demand for cleaner communities, healthier kids, and more resilient electric grids," said Highland CEO Duncan McIntyre. "Gaurav's proven track record of leading high-value structured financing, capital allocation, and strategic operations initiatives will support Highland's continued growth as we scale our business to bring simple, affordable electrification upgrades to customers across North America."
Dubey has executed over $3B in equity and debt financing from financial institutions, venture capital firms, private equity investors and capital markets across North America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining Highland, he was senior vice president of finance at 8minute Solar Energy, where he built out a finance team and raised $350 million in financing in the absence of a CFO. Before that, Dubey was vice president of corporate finance at SunPower Corporation, where he helped spin out and take public the company's modules business; senior director of finance at VECTRA, an Apollo Company; and director of corporate finance at SunEdison, where he led structured financing and corporate acquisitions. Earlier in his career, Dubey co-founded an energy developer in India. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Technology in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
"I'm excited to join Highland at a time of significant expansion for both the company and the industry," said Dubey. "Financial innovation and deploying capital efficiently at scale will help us lower costs for customers and advance our mission to accelerate adoption of zero-emission transportation."
Highland Electric Fleets is the leading provider of fleet electrification-as-a-service in North America. Founded in 2018, Highland's unique suite of products make it simple and affordable for school districts, governments, and fleet operators to upgrade to electric fleets today. Whatever the customer's need, Highland delivers a seamless experience, with all the equipment and services needed to keep a fleet running smoothly. Active in 30 states and Canada, Highland is responsible for the largest electric school bus deployment in the United States and the first commercial vehicle-to-grid deployment in New England. To learn more, visit https://highlandfleets.com.
Media Contact:
Mission Control Communications
highlandelectric@missionc2.com
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Famed author Salman Rushdie is recovering at a hospital after being repeatedly stabbed on stage in front of a New York audience in a Friday attack which left him with multiple severe injuries, his family said.
The family of the 75-year-old author -- who has for decades lived under threat because of his writings -- said he was in critical condition Sunday after the on-stage attack, which ended with the assailant being held down by staff and guests and Rushdie being airlifted to a hospital.
"Though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty & defiant sense of humor remains intact," his son Zafar Rushdie said in a Sunday statement.
Rushdie was taken off a ventilator over the weekend, but was still being treated for injuries including three stab wounds to his neck, four stab wounds to his stomach, puncture wounds to his right eye and chest, and a laceration on his right thigh, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Saturday, adding the author may end up losing his right eye.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, was arrested by a state trooper after the attack and taken into custody.
Authorities are now investigating what motivated the stabbing, which has prompted the state to increase police presence in Chautauqua, New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said.
What we know about the "targeted, preplanned" attack
Rushdie was being introduced to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution Friday when a man lunged onto the stage and stabbed the author in several places in front of a stunned audience.
Staff members and guests then rushed onto the stage and held down the assailant before a state trooper assigned to the event took him into custody, according to New York State Police.
Also injured in the attack was Ralph Henry Reese, another speaker at the event who suffered a minor head injury.
"It was very difficult to understand. It looked like a sort of bad prank, and it didn't have any sense of reality," Ralph Henry Reese told CNN's "Reliable Sources." "And then when there was blood behind him, it became real."
A witness, Joyce Lussier, was sitting in the second row when she saw the attack unfold. She heard people screaming and crying, she told CNN, and saw people from the audience rushing up to the stage.
The suspect, Matar, had arrived in Chautauqua at least a day before the event and bought a pass to the event two days prior, authorities said.
Schmidt called the stabbing a "targeted, preplanned, unprovoked attack on Mr. Rushdie," saying Matar traveled to Chautauqua by bus with cash, prepaid Visa cards and false identification.
The felony complaint against Matar indicated a knife was used in the stabbing.
It remains unclear how the suspect may have entered the event armed with a knife. A witness has, however, told CNN there were no security searches or metal detectors at the event. The witness is not being identified because they expressed concerns for their personal safety.
Institution President Michael Hill defended his organization's security plans when asked during a news conference Friday whether there would be more precautions at future events.
"We assess for every event what we think the appropriate security level is, and this one was certainly one that we thought was important, which is why we had a State Trooper and Sheriff presence there," Hill said.
On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul met with Chautauqua Institute stage crews and the police trooper who helped subdue Rushdie's alleged attacker, calling them heroes.
"The team that was on the ground here and the EMTs, the firefighters and those who show up and literally kept the man alive as they were transporting him, did an extraordinary job," the governor said.
The suspect pleads not guilty, described as a 'quiet' New Jersey man
Matar -- who authorities said has no documented criminal history -- pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury with a deadly weapon, his public defender, Nathaniel Barone, told CNN Saturday.
The attorney said Matar has been "very cooperative" and communicating openly, but he did not discuss what was said during those conversations.
He faces up to 32 years if convicted of both charges, Schmidt said.
Matar was described as being a quiet person who mostly kept to himself.
The suspect had enrolled at State of Fitness Boxing Club in North Bergen, New Jersey in April, the gym's owner, Desmond Boyle, told CNN.
"You know that look, that 'it's the worst day of your life' look? He came in every day like that," Boyle told CNN on Saturday.
A member of the gym, Roberto Irizarry, told CNN Matar frequented the gym about three or four times a week and was "a very quiet kid."
"It's a brotherly environment, family environment -- we try to involve everybody. He was to himself, pretty much," Irizarry said.
Rushdie receives a flood of support as he begins 'road to recovery'
The attack on the prominent author generated an outpouring of support from leaders worldwide.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement he was 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. Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear. These are the building blocks of any free and open society," Biden said.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet he was "appalled" by the attack on Rushdie, who is also a British citizen.
"Appalled that Sir Salman Rushdie has been stabbed while exercising a right we should never cease to defend. Right now my thoughts are with his loved ones. We are all hoping he is OK," Johnson said Friday.
Rushdie's former wife, TV host Padma Lakshmi, said in a tweet Sunday she was "relieved" Rushdie is "pulling through after Friday's nightmare."
"Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hoping for swift healing," she said.
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of press freedom nonprofit PEN America, in a statement said:
"PEN America is reeling from shock and horror at the word of a brutal, premeditated attack on our former President and stalwart ally, Salman Rushdie, who was reportedly stabbed multiple times while on stage speaking at the Chautauqua Institute in upstate New York," Nossel said. "We can think of no comparable incident of a public attack on a literary writer on American soil."
"Salman Rushdie has been targeted for his words for decades but has never flinched nor faltered," Nossel added. "He has devoted tireless energy to assisting others who are vulnerable and menaced."
Rushdie's writings have won him several literary prizes, but also scrutiny. His fourth novel, "The Satanic Verses," drew condemnation from some Muslims who found the book to be sacrilegious.
The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who described the book as an insult to Islam and Prophet Mohammed, issued a religious decree, or fatwa, calling for Rushdie's death in 1989.
As a result, Rushdie began a decade under British protection.
In its first official reaction, Iran blamed the author and "his supporters" for the attack against Rushdie.
"Regarding the attack on Salman Rushdie, we do not consider anyone other than [Rushdie] and his supporters worth of blame and even condemnation," the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a televised news conference Monday.
Kanaani also said Iranian officials "categorically and seriously deny any connection of the assailant with Iran," according to Iranian state media.
"We have not seen anything else about the individual that carried out this act other than what we've seen from American media. We categorically and seriously deny any connection of the assailant with Iran," Kanaani said according to Iranian state media.
While the motive behind Friday's stabbing remains under investigation, New York's governor condemned the attack.
"I want it out there that a man with a knife cannot silence a man with a pen," Hochul said.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/salman-rushdie-is-recovering-from-life-changing-injuries-after-being-stabbed-on-stage-heres-what/article_43b20fe4-0c81-53d4-af86-3a58d56421b7.html | 2022-08-15T12:16:26Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/salman-rushdie-is-recovering-from-life-changing-injuries-after-being-stabbed-on-stage-heres-what/article_43b20fe4-0c81-53d4-af86-3a58d56421b7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Let’s begin at the end. Well, not quite the end but near enough – the way you are when, like retired neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, the title you chose for your latest book is And Finally. Marsh apologised during his video link for not appearing in person at the Book Festival on Saturday, but at least he had a valid excuse: the sheer fatigue of travelling through a rail strike and a heatwave while terminally ill.
This was hardly the most upbeat start to a festival, but Friday night’s attempted murder of Salman Rushdie, who has more than once graced its stages, had already cast a pall.
Awareness of mortality and the fragility of life suddenly seemed everywhere: certainly in a truly amazing story from the Holocaust by Jonathan Freedland (see below) but also in screenwriter Abi Morgan’s heartbreaking account of thecollapse of her husband’s physical and mental health, after which she herself found out she’d got breast cancer. As she pointed out: “The biggest joke of all is that we spend our whole lives trying to make a perfect life when we know how it all ends.”
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Yet if I were planning a book festival, I too would happily start with Marsh. His visceral honesty about things he got wrong in his career as a neurosurgeon sets a tone. Yes, he said, once he did indeed operate on the wrong side of a patient’s neck (“these days I’d be sacked”) and he has advised others to sue him (“my duty is to my patients, not my hospital or the defence union”).
True, too, he realises, now that he’s a patient and not a doctor, maybe he never did actually get the balance right between being compassionate and being detached. When he finally got the bad news about his cancer, he found himself thinking of the patients whose ordeal he could now better understand as they lined up in his memory “like reproachful ghosts”.
As well as such clear-eyed self-appraisal (and potent arguments for assisted dying), Marsh also offered an insightful analysis of how the NHS could be made more patient-centred. The one thing he is proudest of, he says, is building a garden next to two neurosurgical wards: just imagine, he added, if there had been a bit more thought about the architecture of “our 120 second-rate PFI hospitals built at vast expense”.
His is a life that is still open to the world and addresses so many of the same issues that this year’s Book Festival will also have in its sights. Take Ukraine: he has been visiting, teaching and working there since 1992 (and, though no longer conducting operations, he’ll be back in Kiev in October). Or climate change. He’s a pessimist. Why? Because we always rely too much on unrealistic hope, doctors often being the worst at procrastinating and denying the symptoms whose meaning they know full well. That’s what he did with his prostate cancer, and it’s what we’re all doing now with climate change, despite all the evidence.
“Hope is a great survival mechanism,” he said. “But it is probably going to cause the extinction of the human race.”
Maybe, though, it won’t be hope that kills us but wilful ignorance, the way people didn’t want to know about the Holocaust when Rudolf Vrba escaped Auschwitz and tried to tell the world what was happening there. Rudolf Vrba? No, me neither. Yet his story, Jonathan Freedland convinced me – along with, I suspect, the entirety of his audience – is one of the greatest in the entire Second World War. And while I’m still dishing out superlatives, let me add that Freedland does it full justice: check out the event online via edbookfest.co.uk and see for yourself.
There could hardly be a more intense drama than that of a 19-year-old boy evading 3,000 SS men and their dogs to become one of only four Jewish people to escape from Auschwitz. His mission? To shut downAuschwitz altogether by telling Jews what was happening there. By April 1944, this was still a real possibility, at least for 750,000 Hungarian Jews.
Freedland followed Vrba’s report into a host of official cul de sacs. When it finally reached a British journalist in Zurich, whose story broke the bureaucratic logjam and propelled it to US president Franklin Roosevelt’s desk, most of those Jews were dead. But 200,000 in Budapest were not. I don’t think there’s a statue to the one man who saved them and I can’t work out why not.
If the Catholic Church doesn’t come out well from this story (trust me on this) its record in post-war Ireland is hardly better. AsFintan O’Toole pointed out, when he was born in 1958, its hegemony was unchallenged. Dublin’s archbishop John Charles McQuaid officiated at a Mass at the church in which O’Toole, aged seven, was an altar boy: it felt, the writer said, like “a medieval princeling had come visiting”. What he didn’t know back then was that McQuaid’s church was already covering up a story about a paedophile teacher-priest down the road who took photos of boys’ genitalia.
In his book We Don’t Know Ourselves, O’Toole gives a highly personal account of how a kind of doublethink warped Irish attitudes to just about everything from homosexuality to the contraceptive pill to the IRA, but particularly the Church. When John McGahern moved to rural Leitrim, a neighbour asked him why he didn’t go to Mass. “I’d be a hypocrite,” the novelist replied. “Sure, none of us believe,” his neighbour said. “We just go along anyway.” This in a country which in 2015 became the first in the world to introduce same-sex marriage via a popular vote. Even before the 2018 abortion referendum, Ireland had changed beyond recognition, and O’Toole is its ideal chronicler.
As, over the last five years or so, Ali Smith has been Scotland’s. “Did you ever realise back in 2016 that the years of your Seasonal Quartet novels would be so, er, interesting?” asked an admiring Val McDermid, before going on to discuss the “fifth” one, Companion Piece, which playfully slips between Covid Britain and a medieval past in which the post-Black Death Poor Laws penalised rootless vagabonds and in a sense locked them down too. In it, she makes the point that books aren’t only enjoyable but “one of the ways in which we can imagine ourselves otherwise”.
For Mohsin Hamid, that’s a given: his novel The Last White Man, imagines race as being so fluid and changeable as to ultimately become meaningless. Because the reader’s imagination has to do the work, he said, the novel has the power to make us change the way we think, and at least offers the possibility of a more inclusive, plural world. “Writers blur boundaries and challenge ideas about what it is permissible to say,” he said. “One response to threats is silence. Another is commitment to storytelling with a particular transgression that brings people closer.”
Some 12 hours after the festival started, director Nick Barley gave its opening party the news that Salman Rushdie had regained consciousness and didn’t appear to have suffered significant brain injury. A long, full, fascinating day ended with a sliver of hope. | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-international-book-festival-reviews-henry-marsh-jonathan-freedland-fintan-otoole-ali-smith-mohsin-hamid-3805383 | 2022-08-15T12:18:59Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-international-book-festival-reviews-henry-marsh-jonathan-freedland-fintan-otoole-ali-smith-mohsin-hamid-3805383 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, based in Crieff, is home to more than 70 species of animals. The park opened in 2009 and features a number of exotic creatures including ruffed necked lemurs and meerkats.
The park was recently acquired by London-based Star International Enterprises, managed by Rob Matthews. Since the takeover, towards the end of April, the attraction has welcomed “huge” numbers of visitors.
Over the coming months, the business has ambitions to transform the park’s offering and undertake a series of wildlife conservation initiatives.
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In addition, the Auchingarrich team has plans to grow the number of beehives at the park from two to four and develop and expand the current animal closures to provide larger, natural habitats for the animals.
Among the other initiatives planned are interactive facilities around the park for children to learn about the animals and their habitats, while the business also plans to expand the park’s café and transform it into a licensed restaurant.
Star International Entreprises’ acquisition of the park was assisted through a funding package from Bank of Scotland.
Rob Matthews, director of Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, said: “We knew the attraction was well loved by the local community, but we also knew that it had so much untapped potential. We have immediately begun exploring options to upgrade the wildlife park and embark on conservation initiatives to help boost our animal numbers - steps we feel will make a huge difference to the local area.” | https://www.scotsman.com/business/perthshire-wildlife-park-plans-fresh-investment-after-change-of-ownership-3805850 | 2022-08-15T12:20:06Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/business/perthshire-wildlife-park-plans-fresh-investment-after-change-of-ownership-3805850 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KPMG UK says 35 private equity deals worth a collective £2.1 billion were recorded in the six months to June – the largest half-year number in the last five years and a 75 per cent increase in volumes compared with the first half of 2019 when 20 deals worth £1.4bn took place.
It comes after the professional services giant said in February that £2.1bn worth of deals were seen across Scotland’s private equity market in 2021 as a whole, and it expected 2022 to be the year when the market finally returned to “full force”.
The Big Four accountancy firm has now said that despite uncertainty caused by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis, both volumes and value of mid-market investments in Scotland grew year on year by 46 per cent and 100 per cent respectively, with technology and life sciences the most in-demand sectors. However, KPMG also said it sees evidence that the market is likely to soften in the second half of 2022, as uncertainty returns.
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Graeme Williams, director, corporate finance mergers and acquisitions at KPMG UK, said: “After back-to-back years of disruption for deal-makers and investors, we saw a real return to form in the first half of this year, as pent-up demand was released across Scotland’s mid market.
"It’s heartening to see half-year levels surpass pre-pandemic volumes and values, and we’re very much on track for a record-breaking year well above five-year averages, even if investor activity cools off in the months before Christmas.
“However, with so much uncertainty globally and across the UK’s economy, diligence and valuations may become more challenging, which in turn may make it harder for private equity houses to move forward with conviction when looking for the best investment opportunities.
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“As private equity houses continue to be challenged by their institutional investors on their own environmental, social and governance (ESG) agendas, those who have made the biggest strides in these areas continue to command significant market interest at high pricing multiples.”
In terms of private equity trends to look out for across the UK, Jonathan Boyers, head of KPMG’s UK corporate finance practice, added: “Existing factors such as high inflation, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and oil price rises will persist. These will only increase banks’ discretion and perpetuate the slowdown in the number of mid-market deals in H2 2022. On a brighter note, once oil prices level off and interest rate rises come through, the market should pick up again.
“[Technology, media, and telecom] and business services will continue to dominate mid-market deals for the time being. However, once inflation is back under control, the more cyclical sectors, such as consumer and industrials, will see a fast-paced recovery and an uptick in private equity activity as a result.
“As ESG climbs up the corporate agenda, deal-makers will be on the lookout for deals that offer an ESG angle. Due to their shortage, the multiples of these deals are likely to skyrocket as dealmakers grapple with delivering on their ESG commitments.” | https://www.scotsman.com/business/private-equity-investment-in-scots-firms-enjoys-real-return-to-form-in-h1-says-kpmg-3805276 | 2022-08-15T12:20:12Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/business/private-equity-investment-in-scots-firms-enjoys-real-return-to-form-in-h1-says-kpmg-3805276 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
IRT Surveys provides a range of services focused on addressing fuel poverty, decarbonisation and energy efficiency. It has developed over several years a proprietary technology platform, called “DREam”, and now has more than 30 registered social housing provider clients spanning the UK, having surveyed some 350,000 domestic properties.
Housing sector provider Mears Group is acquiring the Dundee-headquartered firm in a deal worth up to £4.1m.
It told investors: “The board believes there are significant opportunities in the structurally growing field of carbon reduction, which will be complementary and additive to the services already provided by Mears.
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“The requirement to decarbonise an ageing housing stock, especially in affordable housing, is accelerating in the current environment given the significant increases in energy costs, and the agenda to meet the government’s targets of achieving net zero by 2050.”
Bosses said the acquisition would provide the group with new skills and capabilities in this area, bringing new expertise in-house, supporting pre-sales activity and helping to unlock the company’s ability to deliver carbon retrofit work, which has been identified as a “significant market”.
IRT is being acquired on a cash free, debt free basis, consisting of an initial consideration of £3m, and subsequent consideration of up to £1.1m, payable over a two-year period following completion, subject to satisfactory performance against business development targets. The deal will be settled in cash and funded out of Mears’ existing cash resources.
In the year to the end of December 2021, IRT reported revenues of about £400,000 and an operating loss of £100,000. The business is on-track to deliver revenues of £800,000 in the current year and an operating profit in the region of £200,000.
Mears chief executive David Miles said: “This deal is completely aligned with our strategy, utilising innovation and technology to drive positive change in the sphere of carbon reduction. We are excited to welcome IRT and its employees into the group.”
Mears currently employs around 5,500 people across all areas of the UK. | https://www.scotsman.com/business/ps4-million-plus-deal-agreed-for-dundee-housing-tech-firm-targeting-significant-market-3805448 | 2022-08-15T12:20:19Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/business/ps4-million-plus-deal-agreed-for-dundee-housing-tech-firm-targeting-significant-market-3805448 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
At the same time, education authorities have been told to ensure they have contingency plans in place to cope with what one leading virologist described as “uncharted territory”.
It comes after many families were able to enjoy their first breaks abroad for more than two years, with children meeting others who may have been introduced to Covid variants not previously seen in this country.
The teachers’ union, the EIS, said Covid-19’s impact on schools remains “a significant issue of concern”.
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Teachers are particularly vulnerable to infection, often confined to a room with upwards of 30 children.
Andrea Bradley, the union’s new general secretary, said: “Covid has not gone away, and its impact on schools continues to be a significant issue of concern.
“Clearly, with the return of staff and students to schools following the summer holiday period, when more travel and socialising will have featured for some, there is potential for further outbreaks spreading through the community.
“In the last school year, despite the widescale vaccination programme and other safety mitigations, rates of Covid-19 infection and absence from schools reached unprecedented highs amongst both students and staff.”
Ms Bradley said repeat outbreaks of the virus threaten the “continuity of education.”
She added: ”Health and safety must remain a priority. It is essential that all local authorities have proper procedures in place to assess and minimise this risk, to support staff or students should they become ill, and to ensure continuity of education provision for all young people whilst also ensuring that this is sustainable in terms of teacher workload and wellbeing.”
Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor at Aberdeen University, said that with holidaymakers returning just when pupils are about to go back to their desks, the conditions are in place for a possible spike in infections when schools such as those in Edinburgh and Glasgow resume on Wednesday.
He said: “I am not predicting that we will see a big surge but, on the other hand, I would not be at all surprised if it happens.
“It’s a complicated picture but, as a virologist, I’d say we are entering uncharted territory.
“Many people will be returning from their first holidays abroad in several years and we know from past experience Covid-19 can be transmitted on aircraft.
“If there is someone infected by Covid-19 coming home from holiday on a plane, it’s likely only the people in the row behind that will get it.
“But if there are two or three infected people scattered about a crowded plane, then a lot of their fellow passengers could get it.”
The Scottish Government was asked if it was preparing for a spike in cases once classes resume this week.
A spokesperson said: “Schools continue to be considered low risk settings for outbreaks.
“However, schools and councils are expected to maintain active contingency plans, and key indicators will continue to be monitored closely by the Scottish Government.” | https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/covid-spike-feared-as-schools-return-in-scotland-3805218 | 2022-08-15T12:20:31Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/covid-spike-feared-as-schools-return-in-scotland-3805218 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Period Products Act means councils and education providers will be legally required to make free sanitary products available to those who need them.
Since 2017, around £27 million has been spent to provide access in public settings.
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The legislation was proposed by Labour MSP Monica Lennon and it was unanimously backed in the Scottish Parliament in 2020.
Ms Lennon said: “I’m proud to have pioneered the Period Products Act which is already influencing positive change in Scotland and around the world.
“Local authorities and partner organisations have worked hard to make the legal right to access free period products a reality.
“I’m grateful to them and the thousands of people who have got involved across the country.
“This is another big milestone for period dignity campaigners and grassroots movements which shows the difference that progressive and bold political choices can make.
“As the cost-of-living crisis takes hold, the Period Products Act is a beacon of hope which shows what can be achieved when politicians come together for the good of the people we serve.”
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “Providing access to free period products is fundamental to equality and dignity, and removes the financial barriers to accessing them.
“This is more important than ever at a time when people are making difficult choices due to the cost of living crisis and we never want anyone to be in a position where they cannot access period products.
“Since 2018, we have delivered ground-breaking action by providing free period products for pupils and students in all our schools, colleges and universities.”
She continued: “We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action.
“The work we are doing in Scotland continues to be world leading, going goes beyond provision of free products.
“We have also provided funding for an educational website for employers, run a successful anti-stigma campaign, and improved menstrual health resources available for schools.
“I’m grateful to all the young women and girls who have been crucial in developing the best ways to access products to meet their needs.” | https://www.scotsman.com/health/free-period-products-scotland-first-in-the-world-period-products-law-comes-into-force-in-scotland-3805537 | 2022-08-15T12:20:38Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/health/free-period-products-scotland-first-in-the-world-period-products-law-comes-into-force-in-scotland-3805537 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A team of experienced deep divers were able to locate the missing vessel, 40 miles off the coast of the Isles of Scilly.
The USS Jacob Jones was one of six vessels named Tucker-class destroyers, designed by and built for the US Navy before the nation entered the war.
The impressive vessel was the first of the American destroyers ever to be sunk by enemy action - and was torpedoed by a German submarine.
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With 150 onboard, 66 men met their fateful end on 6 December 1917.
One of the divers who took part in the expedition, Dominic Robinson, noted the importance of the discovery mainly for its historical significance.
Mr Robinson, 52, said: "This is such an exciting find - Jacob Jones was the first ship of its kind to be lost to enemy action.
"The ship, lost for over 100 years, has been on a lot of people's wish lists because of its historical weight.
"It has a particular interest in America given the amount they spent on designing the destroyers."
Once the US entered the war in April 1917, the USS Jacob Jones was sent overseas.
Upon its return to Ireland, the vessel was travelling around 40 miles away from the Isles of Scilly when she was spotted by the German submarine.
Mr Robinson and his team at Dark Star have a long history of deep diving exploration, and have identified wrecks from all over the UK, including the HMS Jason in Scotland and HMS B1 Submarine.
The diver from Plymouth, added: "One of the most interesting things about this vessel was the remarkable stories that came with its sinking.
"The destroyer's commander ordered all life rafts and boats launched, but as the ship was sinking the armed depth charges began to explode - which is what killed most of the men who had been unable to escape the ship initially.
"A few of the crew and officers also tried to get men out of the water and into the life rafts.
"One name in particular was Stanton F. Kalk, who spent his time swimming between the rafts in the freezing Atlantic water.
"But he ended up dying of cold and exhaustion - he was awarded the Navy's Distinguished Service Medal for his heroic actions that day.
"The German submarine commander, Captain Hans Rose, showed an incredible act of kindness - he actually saw all the Jacob Jones men in the water and took two badly injured crewmen aboard his own submarine.
"He then radioed his enemies at the US base in Queenstown with their coordinates to come and rescue the survivors."
Jacob Jones sank in eight minutes without issuing a distress call.
Mr Robinson, who has been completing deep sea divers for over 30 years said: "We had already decided we were going to look for the vessel, but because of its depth and remoteness it is very difficult tog et to.
"So we spent this week going to different GPS locations - provided by the UK hydrographic office - who have information on the location of shipwrecks upon the seabed, but do not know which ones they are.
"We found the vessel on our second day of diving to other wrecks in the area, but there had been many hours of research before hand.” | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/british-divers-find-us-shipwreck-from-first-world-war-missing-since-1917-3805208 | 2022-08-15T12:22:17Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/british-divers-find-us-shipwreck-from-first-world-war-missing-since-1917-3805208 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
An investigation by BBC Scotland Disclosure found that more than two decades after Scottish ministers said everyone should be living independently in the community, dozens of patients have been stuck for years behind locked doors in psychiatric wards and units.
Disclosure: Locked in the Hospital, which airs on BBC One Scotland at 8pm tonight, found one person with a learning disability has been living in hospital for more than 25 years and another has been recorded as a “delayed discharge” – cleared for release to the community – for more than eight years.
Responses to Freedom of Information requests revealed at least 40 people have been in hospital for more than ten years and at least 128 for more than a year.
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The Scottish Government said the findings were unacceptable and local services must do more to get people into their own homes.
It is investing £20 million and has pledged to get most people out by March 2024.
The BBC investigation found that nine people with autism and learning disabilities are currently in the high security State Hospital at Carstairs – despite not having been convicted of a crime before they went in – including one man who has been in for more than 17 years.
Carstairs said it provides a safe and therapeutic environment for patients and that some people take a long time to respond to treatment.
It is the only maximum security hospital in Scotland, holding those who have committed particularly violent crimes.
Scottish ministers published The Same As You? Report in 2000, which established the right for everyone with a learning disability to live in their own homes and communities.
Dr Anne Macdonald, the Scottish Government adviser on learning disabilities, told the BBC: “It might be possible that viewers would think that maybe people with complex support needs need to be in hospital, or that that’s the best place for them.
“And in actual fact, that’s not the case… It’s absolutely not acceptable that people are living in hospital when there’s no clinical reason for them to be there.
“People with learning disabilities shouldn’t be living in hospital. A hospital is not a home, and it’s a human rights issue to have a home and to be able to have a connection with your family... There should be an element of urgency about it.
"We shouldn’t just be accepting it as status quo. We need to be working harder on this, and doing better.”
She said she was shocked by the revelation that one patient has been held in hospital for 25 years, describing it as “an awful statistic”.
Kevin Stewart, the SNP minister for mental health and social care, said he is planning a new bill to help tackle the problem and will appoint a commissioner to oversee progress.
He has already pledged to get most people home by March 2024. A national register is being created because some people have been “lost” in the system.
Asked about people being held in hospitals for decades, he told the BBC: “That situation is unacceptable. I’m determined that we do much better here.” | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/15-scots-with-learning-disabilities-and-autism-in-hospital-for-more-than-20-years-3805191 | 2022-08-15T12:22:30Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/15-scots-with-learning-disabilities-and-autism-in-hospital-for-more-than-20-years-3805191 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will each seek to convince party members that they are best placed to deliver for Scotland and defend the Union.
It will be the first opportunity to hear their visions for Scotland in detail, and it should be fascinating. I stress, should be.
Both candidates have already served up healthy dollops of anti-SNP rhetoric.
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But whether either sounds convincing under scrutiny is a different matter.
As she has highlighted ad nauseam, Ms Truss has a decent personal story to tell.
The Foreign Secretary, who is the favourite to win the race, spent part of her childhood in Paisley, where she attended West Primary and lived in the affluent Castlehead neighbourhood.
She would be the first Tory prime minister since Alec Douglas-Home to have lived in Scotland.
Ms Truss considers herself a “child of the Union” and has promised to put it at the heart of everything her government does.
She recently sparked a (somewhat confected) row by calling Nicola Sturgeon an “attention-seeker” who is best ignored.
It was the kind of thing that might go down well with a certain kind of Tory voter, but doesn’t necessarily suggest a careful, considered approach to Scotland’s constitutional debate.
Besides, all politicians are attention-seekers, as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar pointed out. As for whether they are best ignored, I’ll leave you to judge.
Mr Sunak branded the Foreign Secretary’s comments “dangerously complacent” and insisted the SNP “pose an existential threat to our cherished Union”.
He argues the Tories “can't just bury our heads in the sand and pretend they aren't there – we need to stop them in their tracks”.
Will the former chancellor be able to convince party members the Union is safer in his hands?
He secured some early, high-profile endorsements, but several MSPs have since swung behind Ms Truss.
Mr Sunak’s team say his plan to tackle the energy crisis focuses heavily on the role Scotland can play.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross hasn’t publicly backed either candidate, but told an event at the Edinburgh Fringe that he would make up his mind after the Perth hustings.
So that’s at least one vote up for grabs. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/analysis-can-either-tory-leadership-candidate-sound-convincing-on-scotland-3805144 | 2022-08-15T12:22:37Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/analysis-can-either-tory-leadership-candidate-sound-convincing-on-scotland-3805144 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Labour leader said the £29 billion plan to address the “national emergency” would freeze the energy price cap at its current level of £1,971, saving the average household £1,000.
He contrasted Labour’s proposal with the inaction of “lame duck” Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the “internal battle” of the Tory leadership contest, increasing the pressure on contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to spell out how they would help families struggling with soaring bills.
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Sir Keir told BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday: “Millions of people are already struggling with their bills, we all know that across the country and the hikes that are expected for this October … from a price cap of just under about £2,000 to £3,500 and then £4,200 and millions of people, millions of families are saying ‘I just can’t afford that’.
“We have a choice and this is really the political choice of the day. We either allow oil and gas companies to go on making huge profits, which is what’s happening at the moment, or we do something about it.
“We, the Labour Party, have said we’ll do something about it. We will stop those price rises and we will extend the windfall tax on the profits that the oil and gas companies didn’t expect to make. So we’ve got a very strong, robust, costed plan here which will stop those rises this autumn.”
Sir Keir said scrapping the planned increases in the price cap would keep inflation down, seeing it peak at about 9 per cent rather than the 13 per cent the Bank of England is forecasting, making future interest rate rises less likely.
He criticised the Government and the Conservative leadership hopefuls, who both oppose extending the windfall tax.
“We’ve got to grip it because at the moment what we’ve got is two Tory leadership candidates who are fighting each other in a sort of internal battle, where their main argument seem to be about how awful their record in Government has been and a Prime Minister who’s a lame duck because he’s acknowledged there’s a problem with energy bills, but says ‘I’m not going to do anything about it’,” he said.
However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) questioned Labour’s explanation as to how it would fund the support package.
IFS director Paul Johnson said the party’s plan to cancel the energy price cap rise – if extended from the proposed six months to a year – would be “looking at the cost of furlough”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that it would be “true this year” this would bring down inflation and interest on Government debt payments, but warned the average rate of inflation would not change over time assuming it was only a temporary subsidy, “so that’s not a real saving … in the long run”.
In response, Sir Keir told BBC Breakfast: “What Paul Johnson isn’t disputing is that our plan will reduce inflation.
“Of course what he’s rightly saying is what happens after April matters because you have to maintain measures to reduce inflation.”
Asked about the potential length of the freeze, he said the situation would have to be assessed in April according to the forecasts.
He argued other measures were needed “on food etc to keep those prices down” and to insulate 19 million homes over the next decade.
The Labour leader has been under pressure to set out how his party would address the worsening cost-of-living crisis, with former prime minister Gordon Brown last week calling for an emergency budget, a price cap freeze and the temporary nationalisation of energy firms if they reject reducing bills.
Asked if he and his party should have acted sooner, Sir Keir said he had wanted a “fully costed, comprehensive plan”.
“We’ve been working on that for six or seven weeks … I’ve got a very important job as leader of the Labour Party, leader of the Opposition, but I’ve also got another job that’s really important and that is I’m a dad and I’m not going to apologise for going on holiday with my wife and kids, it’s the first time we’ve had a real holiday for about three years,” he said.
Sir Keir rejected calls to nationalise energy firms, saying: “If you go down the nationalisation route, then money has to be spent on compensating shareholders and I think in an emergency like this, a national emergency where people are struggling to pay their bills, I think that the right choice is for every single penny to go to reducing those bills.”
The Labour leader said his party would not go ahead with the £400 rebate on energy bills which the Government has promised all households in October, saying: “We’re not going to let the price go up in the first place and so that’s how the £400 is catered for.
“Whilst we’re cancelling parts of the Government’s approach so far, the bit we’re not cancelling is the £650 to pensioners and those on Universal Credit, so that is targeted support we would keep.”
Sir Keir said Labour was also committed to measures to increase the UK’s energy security, doubling onshore and offshore wind capacity, investing in solar, tidal and hydrogen, and bringing forward new nuclear capacity.
In order to pay for the measures, Labour said it would close a “loophole” in the levy on the profits of the energy companies announced by Mr Sunak in May when he was chancellor, and backdate the start to January, which together with rising global prices would bring in £8 billion.
Labour said £14bn would come from other measures such as dropping the £400 energy rebate, and abandoning pledges made by the Tory leadership contenders – such as halting the “green levy” on fuel bills, which Ms Truss is proposing, or scrapping VAT on domestic fuel bills which Mr Sunak has promised.
And by keeping inflation down, the party said it would reduce the Government’s debt interest payments by another £7 billion. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/cost-of-living-crisis-keir-starmer-sets-out-labour-plan-to-stop-energy-bills-rising-over-winter-3805759 | 2022-08-15T12:22:43Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/cost-of-living-crisis-keir-starmer-sets-out-labour-plan-to-stop-energy-bills-rising-over-winter-3805759 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Last week against Hearts, Lee Johnson’s men had moments of real ascendancy but also spells when they totally fell out of the match. Martin Boyle’s 95th-minute goal rescued them a point. There was to be no such redemption on Saturday at Livingston, where they lost 2-1, their first cinch Premiership defeat of the campaign.
Hibs were utterly dreadful in the first half. Joel Nouble opened the scoring after six minutes, a goal borne out of a slack pass from Marijan Cabraja and then some powderpuff tackling from Paul Hanlon. Nouble ought to have scored again, denied by a good save from David Marshall. Livingston dominated. Hibs could not trouble the Lions defence. Winger Jair Tavares was so ineffective that he was hooked at the break, replaced by Boyle.
Lee Johnson’s half-time team-talk was sharp. Hibs were a different team in the second period, equalising on 51 minutes via Nohan Kenneh and forcing a dozen corners as they pinned Livingston back. They could not find the knock-out blow and were then hit by the ultimate sucker punch when Ayo Obileye powered home a header, left unmarked from a good Sean Kelly delivery.
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“You could see the difference in the second half,” Kenneh said. “Obviously we got told we were not good enough and that was the hard truth we needed to hear. We should be like that in the first half.
“The manager can be totally different. He can call you out if you are playing badly. We know his personality but he’s got an edge to him and if you cross the line he’ll tell you.
“The first half wasn’t good enough, but we’ve already said that so often this season. It’s killing us. First ten, 15 minutes we’re losing goals then we have to really go for it.
“Second half here we really improved and could maybe have had another couple of goals, but we’ve ended up losing one at the end.
“Everyone’s sitting in the dressing-room saying that it doesn’t have to be this way. We need to be bang on from the first minute. It’s just not good enough – and I’m not making any excuses, like we’re a new team and it’ll take time.
“Every game has to matter, every point has to matter. It’s our livelihoods, everyone has families to look after.”
Rangers are up next for Hibs, where more resolve will have to be shown. On the positive side, Elie Youan once again played well and will cause opponents all manner of problems with his pace and trickery.
Livingston now have six points from nine games – having already played Rangers – and Obileye is targeting a top-six place, which is not beyond them.
"My aim is top six,” said the defender. “The club would like top six too but first and foremost we want to stay in the league. But personally I am pushing myself and everyone else in the team to finish as high as possible and that means top six.
"We play great football at times. But the style of this club and the way we work here is all about heart and desire. We work hard, we press, we are aggressive. That's what we do." | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/hibs-final-word-how-players-crossed-the-line-with-lee-johnson-but-its-a-different-story-for-livingston-3805220 | 2022-08-15T12:24:41Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/hibs-final-word-how-players-crossed-the-line-with-lee-johnson-but-its-a-different-story-for-livingston-3805220 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A midweek signing from Watford after a successful trial, the Trinidad and Tobago international was given just seven minutes to prepare before replacing injured Cammy MacPherson from the bench against Rangers – a move outwith manager Callum Davidson’s plans for the midfielder.
However, Phillips took it in his stride and insists there is more to come once he is up to speed with the game in Scotland, after holding his own against John Lundstram and Ryan Jack in the middle of the park.
“I said to the gaffer it was a baptism of fire but these are the games you want to play in, so you have to be ready for anything,” the 21-year-old said.
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“We warm up as subs because you never know what can happen in a game, so when I was called I was ready to go.
“It was very high quality and very high pace and something I will need to adapt to quickly to impact the game even more.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more [than a big crowd for debut]. I’ve played probably in front of about half 20,000 I’d say, but I wasn’t nervous, just comfortable.”
Former Hearts midfielder Lee recommended the move from last term’s loan at Gillingham to the Scottish top flight, as did his colleagues at Vicarage Road Dan Bachmann, once of Kilmarnock, and Joseph Hungbo who spent last season at Ross County and co-incidentally made his own debut against Rangers.
“They said there was good tempo, good quality and somewhere that if you play well you will be seen.
“You look at the positives and the opportunity to step up the ladder and make a name for yourself is one.”
He added: “I always back myself to get on the ball and make things happen, so I try to do it wherever I am. I feel ready and good to go.
“I know the league and the quality of the league and when the opportunity arose I thought it was definitely something I should come, see for myself and try my best to get.” | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/international/hearts-seal-of-spfl-approval-for-st-johnstone-new-boy-daniel-phillips-3805364 | 2022-08-15T12:24:54Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/international/hearts-seal-of-spfl-approval-for-st-johnstone-new-boy-daniel-phillips-3805364 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For an attacking midfielder with such powerful, aggressive running, his aerial ability – reaping two goals in two games – is what has come to the fore.
He leaps, hanging in the air like a basketball player. Maybe Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson is pushing it but ‘Magic Malik’ has a certain ring to it. He has already begun to enchant the Ibrox fans.
Tillman also fulfils the Joe Aribo role in Rangers’ midfield, an almost languid, effortlessly entertaining presence capable of creating and carrying the ball between midfield and forward lines. But these headers set him apart, or at least they will if they keep coming.
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Last season Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team scored 128 goals but only 23, or 18 per cent, were headers. Tillman’s two of the club’s 11 this season, both headers, forms 18 percent on his own. Inexplicably St Johnstone left him unmarked for the opener on Saturday. “A really sloppy goal” Callum Davidson called it.
PSV will have been watching, and are warned.
For a team which swings in crosses from deep as frequently as James Tavernier and Borna Barisic do for Rangers, Tillman’s knack has fast become valuable, but not relied upon. There are other aspects for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team to consider when they follow St Johnstone to Glasgow – and Rangers hold more in reserve.
Two late goals were tap ins, another opportunistic from Antonio Colak and the strength and depth within van Bronckhorst’s squad is proof of the various options available to him. They played through the block, crossed at other times and latterly went on wave-after-wave of attacks.
Ryan Kent and James Sands were not involved, neither was Steven Davis and Alfredo Morelos only for the final portion. A telling contribution from the bench was again made by Scott Arfield and Tom Lawrence.
Predicting van Bronckhorst’s line-up and tactics is as tricky a task as the manager himself faces in selecting from the talent at his disposal, each playing their way into consideration. How to move the various pieces and fit them into a system that both fires and flexes is a head-scratching scenario the coach has actively courted ahead of such a crucial two-legged play-off.
Leon King came off the bench on Saturday, the 21st player used competitively in just five games this season, and replaced Ben Davies on his first start. Ryan Jack completed his first 90 minutes since February, and only Ianis Hagi, Filip Helander and Kemar Roofe remain out long-term injured.
“You want a squad like we have now, especially given all the competitions we are in,” van Bronckhorst said. Some are certainly out, others, like Tavernier, John Lundstram and Connor Goldson are certainly in.
After Tillman recreated his midweek header with a carbon copy to see off St Johnstone, he is another. A repeat will be welcome, but tougher to perform on Tuesday however there's often something special in the air on European nights at Ibrox, and now there’s Malik Tillman too. | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/rangers-final-word-heads-are-up-ahead-of-psv-and-its-all-thanks-to-magic-malik-3805118 | 2022-08-15T12:25:01Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/rangers-final-word-heads-are-up-ahead-of-psv-and-its-all-thanks-to-magic-malik-3805118 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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The Peoples Democratic Party Action 23 Group has warned Nigerians against electing the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as doing so will amount to an extension of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
In a statement issued on Sunday, by its Chairman, Hon.Rufus Omeire, the group argued that given the performance of the ruling party in the last seven years and more, the party has become an existential threat to the survival of the nation.
The statement referenced the recent remark by a former APC National Chairman and ex-Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, who sought to distance Tinubu from the Buhari administration’s performance in office, saying “this is most disingenuous for many reasons.”
The statement said: “The APC Presidential ticket for 2023 general elections is an attempt to give President Muhammadu Buhari a third term in office.
“Recently, a former APC Chairman and ex-Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, sought to distance Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the APC Presidential candidate, from the disastrous government of the incumbent President, General Muhammadu Buhari.This is most disingenuous for many reasons.
“In the first place, by the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, it is a political party that sponsors a candidate for Presidential election. In this case, Tinubu is being sponsored by the ruling APC.
Secondly, for practical reasons, it is the name of the political party that will be on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s ballot paper during elections and so, APC will be on the ballot, not even Tinubu.
“Thirdly, Tinubu is the acknowledged and recognized National Leader of the APC, a position he shares with President Buhari. Indeed, by Tinubu’s own admission, he was largely instrumental in foisting President Buhari on Nigeria.
“He has given crucial support to the APC government of President Buhari and repeatedly publicly praised the policies and direction of the APC government. He is the philosopher king of APC’s misrule in Nigeria.
“Fourthly, during the APC primaries, he was massively endorsed by the party to continue from where Buhari will stop. The word in the APC is continuity.”
“The fulcrum of the APC campaign has been a firm promise to replicate the sterling performance of the APC government of Buhari, if Tinubu happens to win in 2023.
“Make no mistake about it, a Tinubu presidency would be just another term for Buhari. Note that Tinubu and Buhari have the same divisive streak, the same arrogance and contempt for peoples’ views and feelings.
“Tinubu is even a worse version, as Buhari at least, resisted the divisive Muslim – Muslim ticket in 2015.
“Notwithstanding, they subscribe to the same policies and programmes. Tinubu is Buhari and Buhari is Tinubu”, the group argued.
The PDP Action 2023 pointed out that APC, manifestly, now represents a clear and present danger to the security, stability and economic wellbeing of Nigeria.
The APC, the group said, represents an existential threat to Nigeria in all critical areas, stressing that Nigerians are scandalized at the ineptitude, incompetence and insensitivity of the Buhari-Tinubu -APC government.
The PDP Action 2023 therefore urged Nigerians to reject APC in the next year’s general elections and give the reformed PDP the opportunity to rescue and rebuild the nation from the abyss the ruling party has plunged Nigeria into.
The group further appealed to Nigerians to avoid splitting their votes across the PDP, Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) at the 2023 presidential polls, warning that doing so will only return APC to power to continue their plunder of the nation’s resources and threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence.
“Although APC has the constitutional right to campaign, but Nigerians, under normal circumstances, should be wary of listening to the lies of APC that are repackaging Tinubu to wear a new face as they did with Buhari in 2015. What will they tell us? The same lies they told us 7 years ago?
“How can a responsible government leave her children to be out of school for six months with no realistic option of addressing the problems?
“How can the Buhari – Tinubu government fold their hands and watch Nigerians slaughtered on a daily basis with only occasional meaningless and ineffective directives from Buhari and Garba Shehu?
“How can the APC government allow the Naira to reach N710 to the dollar with no visible rescue attempt?
“Can a responsible government allow prices of food and other goods and services to go beyond the reach of Nigerians without any realistic attempt at solutions?
“Should the APC be allowed to continue mismanaging our oil resources which now sells above $100?
“Should Nigerians continue with an APC administration that allows the organised theft of over 70% of our Oil production?
“Should we enthrone the Tinubu presidency to continue with the scourge of unemployment of our teeming youths (acclaimed to be one of the highest in the World)?
“Should we enthrone another APC government in 2023 to continue to keep Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world?
“Nigerians should say a resounding No to APC in 2023 for these reasons and give the reformed PDP the opportunity to rescue and rebuild the nation from the abyss the APC has plunged Nigeria into.
“Furthermore, Nigerians must guard against splitting their votes across the PDP, Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) at the 2023 presidential polls, as doing so will only return APC to power to continue their plunder of the nation’s resources and threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence.”
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/electing-tinubu-will-mean-third-term-for-buhari-pdp-group/ | 2022-08-15T12:37:05Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/electing-tinubu-will-mean-third-term-for-buhari-pdp-group/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Military begins onslaught against terrorists in Abuja, Kaduna forests
•As troops, airstrikes kill over 200 terrorists in one week •Ansaru releases "Anthem"
Following the marching order given by President Muhammadu Buhari last month to Security Chiefs to end the persistent insecurity challenges facing the country, particularly in the North, the military has begun an onslaught against the terrorists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and Kaduna.
Recall, the President gave the marching order in an emergency security council meeting held in the presidential villa following the killings of seven military officers in the nation’s capital, and also when the abductors of the Abuja /Kaduna train passengers threatened to kill all the hostages under captivity if their demands were not met.
In the same July, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai raised the alarm that Ansaru is having a ‘parallel government’ in the state and called on the Federal Government to act fast before the situation goes out of hand.
Tribune Online gathered that in the last two weeks there has been a combined military onslaught against the bandits in Abuja and Kaduna.
The Director of the Defence media operations, in Defence Headquarters, Major General, Bernard Onyeuko has revealed that about 30 terrorists were neutralized at their enclave in the nation’s capital just in July.
He said, “Within the recent operation carried out between the 23rd and 28th of July, we wish to assure residents of Abuja in particular that we are undaunted and unrelenting in our efforts to ensure the safety of the residents.
Similarly, in a statement issued by the Nigeria Airforce last week Wednesday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet, stated that dozens of terrorists were eliminated in Kaduna forests following sustained air operations.
“One of such strikes which occurred on the August 9th resulted in the elimination of a well-known terrorist leader operating in Kaduna State.
” indeed following receipt of intelligence on the same day that a well-known insurgents kingpin, Alh Shanono had scheduled a meeting with his foot soldiers at ukambo, a village about 131 km from Kaduna.
Thus, the statement revealed that the insurgents were sighted and after ensuring the absence of civilian settlements, there were neutralized.
It further stated that feedback from the locals had indicated that 30 rifles and 20 motorbikes were destroyed including the terrorist kingpin, Shanono.
It was also learnt that during the airstrike 26 kidnapped persons were released.
Also, in the same vein, a statement by the Kaduna State commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan on Saturday said scores of terrorists were neutralized in Galbi village of Chikun local government area of the state.
According to him, the security operatives have received an intelligence report about the movement of the terrorists around Galbi.
Thus, the combined efforts of troops and the Nigeria Airforce engaged the hoodlums and as a result killed many of them.
Thus, with these successes recorded a military source who pleaded for anonymity told Tribune Online that so far about 200 terrorists were neutralized in the various onslaughts carried out by the security agencies.
However, the success of the ongoing operations is happening when the Ansaru Islamic group is gradually making their presence felt in the Birnin Gwari local government area of the state.
The latest information from the Islamic terrorist group is the release of what appears to be their ‘Anthem ‘.
It was gathered that the anthem released in audio form was distributed to the communities occupied by the terrorists.
The central message of the anthem is for the establishment of an Islamic state in the area and by extension the country and enduring end of democratic rule.
In one of the stanzas, the terrorists emphatically denounced the current democratic system describing it as evil and will be replaced soon.
Confirming the distribution of the audio, the chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Ishaq Usman Kasai said the audios were distributed to the residents during the just concluded Eid – El – Kabir.
“Most of our people where the Ansaru are dominant have these audios in form of their Anthem and doctrine.
” As you can see if you listen to the lyrics and rhymes it was stating their mission. We pray to see the end of this one day. But as it is now nobody can predict what will happen.” he stressed.
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- ‘39.6 percent of unmarried university students use sexual performance-enhancing drugs’
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- Safety tips to observe when boarding a ride from a ride-hailing app | https://tribuneonlineng.com/military-begins-onslaught-against-terrorists-in-abuja-kaduna-forests/ | 2022-08-15T12:37:11Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/military-begins-onslaught-against-terrorists-in-abuja-kaduna-forests/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Novartis AG said a late-stage trial of experimental lung-cancer drug canakinumab failed, likely the last blow for a repurposed medicine that had already failed in one lung cancer study last year.
Canakinumab, which is used to treat a type of arthritis in children, didn’t help lung-cancer patients live longer without disease after surgery than placebo, the Basel, Switzerland-based drugmaker said Monday. Last year, the drug failed when paired with immune therapy and chemotherapy in a different group of patients.
The Monday trial was more similar to a smaller previous study that had been successful, the basis for hopes that the drug could help cancer patients. After the earlier trial failure, Novartis executives said it was important to wait for these results to see the true potential of the medicine.
The shares were little changed in Zurich.
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- ‘39.6 percent of unmarried university students use sexual performance-enhancing drugs’
- Tips on building a happy and healthy relationship
- Safety precautions to observe at the airport
- Safety tips to observe when boarding a ride from a ride-hailing app
- Secure your social media accounts from hackers with these tips
- Things to look out for before starting a business
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- Little or no work experience? Here’s what you can do
- Top 10 Business Ideas In Nigeria You Can Start With 100,000 Naira | https://tribuneonlineng.com/novartis-says-lung-cancer-drug-canakinumab-fails-another-trial/ | 2022-08-15T12:37:18Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/novartis-says-lung-cancer-drug-canakinumab-fails-another-trial/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to David Laufman, former head of the Justice Department's counterintelligence and export control section, about materials seized by the FBI at Trump's Florida home last week.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to David Laufman, former head of the Justice Department's counterintelligence and export control section, about materials seized by the FBI at Trump's Florida home last week.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-15/some-insight-into-whats-been-learned-from-the-documents-seized-at-mar-a-lago | 2022-08-15T12:40:35Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-15/some-insight-into-whats-been-learned-from-the-documents-seized-at-mar-a-lago | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Spelunking team finds missing dog who was trapped in a cave for weeks Published August 15, 2022 at 4:20 AM PDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 0:28 Abby the dog, who went missing on June 9, was found 500 feet underground in a cave near Perryville, Mo. Abby was muddy and malnourished. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-15/spelunking-team-finds-missing-dog-who-was-trapped-in-a-cave-for-weeks | 2022-08-15T12:40:36Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-15/spelunking-team-finds-missing-dog-who-was-trapped-in-a-cave-for-weeks | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – The number one song was ‘Night Fever’ by the Bee Gees. Grease was the world’s biggest movie. Nike redefined the running shoe. LaserDisc players just hit the stores. Cabbage Patch Kids were all the rage. And Jimmy Carter was the U.S. President.
The year was 1978, and Juergen Nisi was just starting his career journey. Forty-four years later, the maintenance manager is now in his final stages of a lifetime of service with the U.S. Army. A German local national civilian employee with the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s Base Support Operations Maintenance in Grafenwoehr, Nisi is retiring in November.
Nisi said he started as a mechanic in Mannheim at Spinelli Barracks performing repairs on army prepositioned stocks – tactical equipment such as 2.5-ton and 5-ton trucks, for example.
“I did that for four years before being offered a shop foreman position for tracked vehicles like M60 tanks and M109 howitzers,” said Nisi. “Later on, the M1 Abrams tanks were introduced, and I had the chance to go to Vilseck (Germany) to school a couple of times to learn the systems.”
Nisi went on to become a general foreman in Mannheim until 2012 when it was announced that Spinelli Barracks was closing.
“I immediately started looking for another job, and luckily I received a job here,” said Nisi who has been working at BASOPS Maintenance for about 10 years.
After 44 years of technical and maintenance work with the Army, Nisi said oddly enough it still kind of feels like yesterday.
“It was a really short time,” said Nisi. “It went by really fast.”
“On the day I came to the U.S. Army, my father told me that there were mechanic jobs open at Spinelli Barracks with the U.S. Army,” said Nisi, “so I thought ‘okay, I’ll work there for maybe one or two years, and then I’ll find another job in the Mannheim area.’”
“But I’m still here,” said Nisi who turns 64 in November. “It’s been a fantastic career. I had really good mentors and leaders in front of me. They always treated me like a person should be treated, they always kept me informed, and they helped bring me up to the next level.”
Nisi said upon retirement he and his wife will visit the U.S. for almost five months. They plan to travel to New York City, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans and the whole state of Florida. Their son is working at Disney World for a year so they’ll of course go there, but Florida alligator farms are also high of his list, he said.
“I really enjoyed seeing an alligator farm in 2005,” said Nisi, who now wants to show his wife. “When they feed those alligators they jump out of the water. I was really impressed.”
Nisi and his wife have their son in Florida, but they also have a daughter as well as two twin grandsons who all live in Mannheim.
“They’ll be 8-years-old this year so we would like to enjoy more time with them and spend more time with them,” said Nisi, who plans to move back to Mannheim – his home and the home of his wife.
As a field operating activity under the 405th AFSB, BASOPS Maintenance provides equipment maintenance support to all garrison community organizations and activities in Germany. It provides consolidated material maintenance support for base support operations equipment and mechanical safety inspections for privately owned vehicles. It performs automotive maintenance on a fleet of garrison support vehicles to include special purpose and armored vehicles, fire and rescue, snow and ice removal and construction equipment such as scoop loaders, excavators, scrapers, road graders, tractors, rollers, and more.
The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging the U.S. Army Materiel Command materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website at www.afsbeurope.army.mil and the official Facebook site at www.facebook.com/405thAFSB.
This work, BASOPS Maintenance employee to retire after 44 years of service with U.S. Army, by Cameron Porter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/427245/basops-maintenance-employee-retire-after-44-years-service-with-us-army | 2022-08-15T12:41:29Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/427245/basops-maintenance-employee-retire-after-44-years-service-with-us-army | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
If anyone would care to join. (This being if no modererater/owner steps in...) We can chat here.... Or is an other way needed ? Maybe the Forum is better... ? The members should think together anyway what could better done/changed here..... !? It needs now a start with an idea..... Dual Focus for the End User by Jim Geimer\nSiematic Homepage for Purchasing the Siemaster ® Design Assistant. This app is optimized ... for Retention Management, Retouch 5 is available via purchase or online subscription model at www\nVirtical Project-Space for Panel Fab. Above we see a section outlook to an extensive industrial panel building by BA System Technology and Industriebauer as. One part of 12 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — We kick off our back-to-school safety week by first looking into your own mental health as it relates to anxiety, and anxiety over your child's safety.
It is common every year for students and even parents to feel nervous at back-to-school time, but this year, doctors tell us anxiety is back up.
That's after tragedies close to home and across the country last school year, more young patients and parents are asking for help.
Pediatric psychologists say kids and parents also still feel the effects of depression and isolation from COVID-19.
"Not just here at the Children's Hospital, but throughout our community, all of our behavioral health providers are seeing an increase and, and, you know, it's wonderful that people are reaching out, but also is concerning that our community is, is having a significant need," said Dr. Adelle Cadieux, a pediatric psychologist.
At the end of last school year, the traumatic shooting in Uvalde, Texas and the school shooting just hours from us in Oxford heightened nerves.
"That's why it's important for parents to just ask, what are the things that you are concerned about so that they can learn about, you know, what third child is needing to be supported and being successful at school?" said Dr. Cadieux.
Some warning signs if you think your child is suffering: difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep too long, lack of energy or interest in favorite activities, changes in appetite, and sometimes grouch behavior.
"Sometimes anxiety actually comes out more as anger and irritability. So some kids get, you know, seem to be just upset or really frustrated all the time, or getting angry really easily," said Cadieux.
If you as the parent feel anxious, doctors recommend getting help so your children don't pick up on anxious thoughts. Talk to your kids today about what they feel nervous about, and after that, take some practice runs through your back-to-school routine.
"The kids that are going to be riding a bus, here's where you go for your bus stop and I'm going to be waiting with a bus and there you'll get, and this is what will happen. That can provide some sense of security as well of, of just knowing of this is where my classroom is, these are the people that I'm going to be spending my time with at school, and this is my teacher and starting to build that trusting relationship with the teacher is really important to encourage for our kids," said Cadieux. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/doctors-anxiety-up-for-children-parents-as-kids-head-back-to-school | 2022-08-15T12:47:57Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/doctors-anxiety-up-for-children-parents-as-kids-head-back-to-school | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
package com.auctionedumusika1;\n\nuse CGLIBIKE50;#import required cmake classes(gtest_begin_stutter=3369c2ddfeb07d6ccb\n6d5de61dcdbafe.p=673d3fd340bc49f5ee 715edaf)\n\ninclude class('Tarjet').prototype;# An Iranian government official denied on Monday that Tehran was involved in the assault on author Salman Rushdie, though he justified the stabbing in remarks that represented the Islamic Republic's first public comments on the attack.
The comments by Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, came more than two days after the attack on Rushdie in New York. The writer has now been taken off a ventilator and is “on the road to recovery,” according to his agent.
However, Iran has denied carrying out other operations abroad targeting dissidents in the years since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, despite prosecutors and Western governments attributing such attacks back to Tehran. And while Iran hasn't focused on the writer in recent years, a decades-old fatwa demanding his killing still stands.
“Regarding the attack against Salman Rushdie in America, we don’t consider anyone deserving reproach, blame or even condemnation, except for (Rushdie) himself and his supporters,” Kanaani said.
“In this regard, no one can blame the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added. “We believe that the insults made and the support he received was an insult against followers of all religions.”
Rushdie, 75, was stabbed Friday while attending an event in western New York. He suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, his agent Andrew Wylie said. Rushdie was likely to lose the injured eye.
His assailant, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the attack through his lawyer.
Rushdie has for more than 30 years faced death threats for “The Satanic Verses.” Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had issued a fatwa, or Islamic edict, demanding his death. A semiofficial Iranian foundation had put up a bounty of over $3 million for the author, though it has yet to offer any comment on the attack.
Police in New York have offered no motive yet for the attack, though District Attorney Jason Schmidt alluded to the bounty on Rushdie in arguing against bail during a hearing Saturday.
“Even if this court were to set a million dollars bail, we stand a risk that bail could be met,” Schmidt said.
Matar was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, according to the village's mayor. Flags of the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah, along with portraits of Hezbollah and Iranian leaders, hang across the village. Israel also has bombarded Hezbollah positions near there in the past.
In Yaroun, village records show Matar holds Lebanese citizenship and is identified as a Shiite, an official there said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said Matar’s father still lives there but has been in seclusion since the attack.
In his remarks Monday, Kanaani added that Iran did not "have any other information more than what the American media has reported.” He also implied that Rushdie brought the attack on himself.
“Salman Rushdie exposed himself to popular anger and fury through insulting the sacredness of Islam and crossing the red lines of over 1.5 billion Muslims and also red lines of followers of all divine religions,” Kanaani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while not directly blaming Tehran for the attack on Rushdie, made a point to mention Iran in a statement early Monday praising the writer's efforts in supporting freedom of expression and religion.
“Iranian state institutions have incited violence against Rushdie for generations, and state-affiliated media recently gloated about the attempt on his life,” Blinken said. “This is despicable.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the attack on Rushdie at a lecture Sunday, saying that “a man with a knife cannot silence a man with a pen.”
Khomeini, in poor health in the last year of his life after the grinding, stalemated 1980s Iran-Iraq war had decimated the country’s economy, issued the fatwa on Rushdie in 1989. The Islamic edict came amid a violent uproar in the Muslim world over the novel, which some viewed as blasphemously making suggestions about the Prophet Muhammad’s life. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/iran-denies-involvement-but-justifies-salman-rushdie-attack | 2022-08-15T12:48:03Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/iran-denies-involvement-but-justifies-salman-rushdie-attack | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Medway Pride is set to transform the streets of Rochester this week with a celebration that you won’t want to miss. Primarily hosted within the Rochester Castle grounds, this free to attend event will take place this Saturday (August 20).
Kicking the celebration off will be the fabulous Pride Parade at 10:45am which will move along Rochester’s iconic High Street. The parade will include a number of local LGBTQIA+ and Community performances along with Community Groups, Organisations & Members of the Medway Community such as: The Bloco Fogo Samba Band, Mandiga Arts Carnival and The Loco Cabaret, Medways Home of Alternative Drag & Burlesque.
The stage at Rochester Castle will open at 12pm and the event will see a host of acts such as singer, songwriter Angie Brown, Kelly Wilde and 'Europe's leading Dolly Parton tribute' Sarah Jane, to name a few. This event is entirely free to attend, with free tickets available to register online.
Read more: Thunder forecast in Kent as Met Office storm warning comes into force
Attendees are however encouraged to donate to the Medway Pride Fund, which makes incredible events such as this possible. Tickets to the event are not limited but may not guarantee entry on arrival as there will be a limit on the amount of people permitted onto the castle grounds at one time as to ensure the safety of attendees.
Entry will operate on a ‘first come, first in’ basis, and you may need to queue a short while before entry. The full list of performers is as follows:
Angie Brown - acclaimed singer, songwriter and DJ
Kelly Wilde - international recording artist
Sarah Jane - ‘Europe’s leading Dolly Parton tribute’ as said by Kenny Rogers
Snow White Trash - The talented drag queen who entertains with her saxophone sing-a-long numbers, and her powerhouse vocal performances.
Malissa Toten - a renowned tribute to Madonna who has been delivering show stopping performances for 20 years
Electric Blue - a fun filled 80s Northern bird live act, live vocalist and comedienne, Queen of Skegness and Queen of the Blue Lipstick
Jade Goddard - an amazing high energy performer and one you won’t want to miss
Jane snow - electro-acoustic guitar playing combined with soulful vocals make for a strong set of covers with a unique twist
Eva Iglesias - an incredible singer with a career 10 years strong who has previously performed on the main stage at Gran Canaria Pride
Getting to Rochester
There are a number of ways you can reach Rochester for the celebration:
Train - Rochester railway station is just a short distance from the High Street and castle grounds. However, planned industrial action will affect services at this station on this day.
Further details on the strike action can be found here.
Bus - Rochester is very easy to access via bus travel, with regular 10 minute Arriva services operating between Rochester and Chatham. The area is also well serviced by taxis and Uber also operates within Medway.
Driving - Medway's five towns of Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester, Rainham and Strood are signed on the road network and the area is easily accessible thanks to direct links from the A2/M2 via the A289/Medway Tunnel. Parking within Rochester on this date is as follows:
Blue Boar Lane Car Park - Blue Boar Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1PD
Rochester Station Car Park - High Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1HQ
Corporation Street Car Park - Corporation Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1N
Rochester Riverside Car Park - Rochester ME1 1GR,
High Street - Opposite Furrell's Road Car Park - High Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1H
Cathedral Rochester Car Park (disabled) - Northgate, Rochester ME1 1LX,
Boley Hill Car Park (closed during the event) - Epaul Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1TE
Kings Head Disabled Car Park (closed during the event) - Epaul Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1SN
Further details about Medway Pride and ticket information can be found here .
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Kent weather: Drought officially declared for Kent following weeks of dry conditions | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/everything-you-need-know-medway-7465148 | 2022-08-15T12:54:29Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/everything-you-need-know-medway-7465148 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
1 hour ago - World
Brittney Griner's legal team appeals verdict on drug charges in Russia
Brittney Griner's legal team has filed an appeal against the verdict reached earlier this month by a Russian court, which sentenced the WNBA star to nine years in prison, CNN reports.
Driving the news: The grounds of the appeal, which could take up to three months to be adjudicated, were not immediately clear, the New York Times reports.
The big picture: The appeal comes amid conversations with Russia about a potential prisoner swap to secure the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
- Russia last week confirmed for the first time that it is negotiating with the U.S. about a potential prisoner exchange.
- "The discussion of the quite sensitive topic of prisoner exchange of Russian and American citizens has been ongoing along the channels set out by the two presidents," Alexander Darchiev, the director of the North American department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told TASS, a state news agency, per the Times.
Catch up quick: Whelan was arrested in Moscow in 2018 for allegedly possessing classified information. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.
- Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian authorities said they found a vape cartridge with hashish oil in her luggage.
Go deeper... Russia confirms prisoner swap negotiations are underway for Griner, Whelan | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/15/brittney-griner-appeals-russian-court-verdict | 2022-08-15T12:56:03Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/15/brittney-griner-appeals-russian-court-verdict | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Direct lending market helps keep private equity deals flowing
Direct lenders are increasingly muscling in on the loan-making that fuels M&A and private equity buyouts — an area long dominated by banks. In fact, PE buyouts, which have plunged this year compared to 2021, likely would have declined even more if not for the private debt market.
The big picture: When interest rates rose rapidly at the beginning of the year, some investment banks were caught holding commitments for buyout loans that were suddenly not priced at prevailing rates.
- As a result, they were difficult or impossible to place with investors without taking steep losses.
- That’s causing something of a traffic jam in banks’ lending pipelines (more from the FT).
Enter the direct lenders ... Even before the pandemic, private debt funds had been migrating into increasingly larger deals. And in today's tumultuous environment, they're one more pocket of funding that PE firms can turn to for deal financing when capital from banks is flowing less freely.
- "Private debt and direct lending absolutely play a meaningful role today in the buyout deal space," says Brenda Rainey, executive VP of Bain & Co.'s global private equity practice.
State of play: Direct lending is part of the relatively new private debt market that’s become a force just in the last decade (Bloomberg has a great explainer).
- Direct lenders are often arms of asset managers. They hold onto loans to collect interest, whereas investment banks typically “syndicate” loans — selling them off in pieces to investors across Wall Street while pocketing a fee.
- Heavyweights in the private markets, like Apollo, Blackstone and Ares, have all raised their own direct lending funds.
By the numbers: Leveraged bank loan deals completed in the first half of 2022 were a whopping 49% lower than those in the first half of last year.
- Direct lenders, on the other hand, completed 22% more in the first six months of 2022 (after an unusually busy Q4 2021).
How it's playing: Prominent PE firm Vista Equity's biggest deals this year tell the story.
- The debt financing for its $16.5 billion purchase of cloud software company Citrix was announced back in January with a Bank of America-led group of banks. Yet the debt still hasn't been placed with investors — and is one of the largest albatrosses on bank balance sheets, sources tell Axios.
- Fast forward: Vista's latest deal, the $8.5 billion buyout of tax software maker Avalara announced last week, already has a group of private lenders providing a $2.5 billion loan, a source familiar tells Axios (the private loan was first reported by Bloomberg).
The bottom line: Turns out it might be easier to get a loan deal done when you don't have to convince hundreds of other firms to join you. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/15/direct-lending-market-helps-private-equity-deals | 2022-08-15T12:56:09Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/15/direct-lending-market-helps-private-equity-deals | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - CubicFarm® Systems Corp. ("CubicFarms" or the "Company") (TSX: CUB), a leading local chain agricultural technology company, today reported its second quarter financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. All amounts are in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise stated.
"In the second quarter, we continued our focus on project execution, including installations underway of our commercial indoor growing CubicFarm Systems and HydroGreen Automated Vertical Pastures™ ("AVPs") solutions, while further building our sales pipeline," said Carlos Yam, Chief Financial Officer, CubicFarms. "We will review our operating performance on an ongoing basis and implement measures, including expense management, to ensure financial alignment within our operations," said Yam.
"HydroGreen's installation of AVPs that make up the world's largest automated indoor growing solution is nearing completion at Burnett's Land & Livestock in Carpenter, Wyoming, where our HydroGreen Certified Dealer Network is already touring potential customers," said Dan Schmidt, President of HydroGreen, a division of CubicFarms. "Recently, we welcomed more than 400 National Holstein Convention conference participants to our HydroGreen Innovation Center R&D facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. At the event, we showcased growing from seed to feed in six days and how nutritious HydroGreen fresh forage can lower methane emissions in dairy cows by about 24 per cent on a per unit milk output and in beef cattle by about 48 per cent on a per kilogram weight gain basis, plus other significant benefits like saving water and land. We've received strong interest in our machines from both domestic and international markets."
"Our focus is on the strategic growth of our next generation of indoor growing systems, empowered by our software platform and latest research," said Dave Dinesen, Chief Executive Officer, CubicFarms. "Our R&D efforts continue to drive improvements in the scalability of the CubicFarm Systems and HydroGreen AVPs, and through leveraging data science, we're making continuous progress on plant and animal performance results. We're also very excited about the announcement of our carbon credit commercialization strategy. The incremental value of carbon credits from our AVPs coupled with recently announced studies has created a compelling economic proposition in the livestock industry, in addition to the environmental benefits allowing farmers and ranchers to achieve reliable and consistent feed production for their herds."
- The Company currently has a total of 223 modules pending manufacturing and installation, with a total estimated contract value of USD $30.7 million.
- Revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2022, was $2.9 million, up from $0.4 million in the prior period. Q2 revenue included sales of CubicFarm Systems and HydroGreen AVPs of $2.7 million, up from $0.1 million in the prior period. Revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2022, was $3.1 million, compared to $4.3 million in the prior period.
- Net loss for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, was $9.1 million and $17.9 million respectively, compared to net loss of $6.5 million and $10.1 million in the prior period. The increased net loss in the current quarter reflected the Company's continued expansion through staffing additions in the areas of research and development and general operations.
- Research and development expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, was $3.2 million and $5.8 million respectively, compared to $1.3 million and $2.5 million in the prior period.
- Selling, general and administrative expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, was $6.0 million and $11.7 million respectively, compared to $5.0 million and $8.9 million in the prior period.
- On April 1, 2022, the Company announced Mountainland Supply Company as a new member of the HydroGreen Certified Dealer Network.
- On April 27, 2022, the Company announced the appointment of Carlos Yam as CFO of the Company, effective June 27, 2022. With over 15 years of experience as a senior financial executive for public and private companies, Yam has served as CFO of both publicly traded and private companies with responsibilities ranging from strategic growth, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, business integration, risk management, banking and treasury, to financial reporting and analysis and operational finance.
- On May 12, 2022, the Company announced new data that demonstrates 54% to 62% less energy is used in CubicFarm System modules compared to results reported by other vertical farms surveyed by Agritecture in its 2021 Global Controlled Environment Agriculture Census Report. With electricity being the number one input cost in vertical farming, this is a significant advantage to customers using the CubicFarm System technology.
- On May 17, 2022, the Company announced that its HydroGreen division has entered into an agreement with Deloitte LLP to develop a carbon commercialization program designed to provide high-quality carbon credits to a fast-growing global market. HydroGreen's commercial scale AVPs help meet increasing demand for valuable farm-based inset and offset carbon credits from organizations with net-zero goals worldwide.
- On June 2, 2022, the Company announced the closing of its overnight marketed public offering of unsecured convertible debenture units (the "Debenture Units") at a price of $1,000 per Debenture Unit for total gross proceeds of $6,540,000, and 7,361,000 common shares at a price of $0.55 per common share for total gross proceeds of $4,048,550. In aggregate, total gross proceeds were $10,588,550, which is inclusive of the partial exercise of the overallotment option.
- On June 14, 2022, the Company announced that it has entered an agreement with Cnossen Dairy for the sale of 10 HydroGreen AVPs. The AVPs will be installed in Hereford, West Texas, which currently milks 11,000 cows over 7,500 acres of farmland. In addition, the Company also announced Dairy Specialists, Advanced Dairy Systems, and Penner Farm Services have joined the HydroGreen Certified Dealer Network.
- On June 28, 2022, the Company announced that it has entered into agreements with NTE Discovery Park Ltd. for the sale of 26 CubicFarm System modules at a sale price of $4.4 million, as well as the future manufacturing of major components for contracts within North America. The initial 26 modules will be installed at Discovery Park in Campbell River, B.C., with the intention to expand with the sale and manufacturing of an additional 100 modules in the near future.
The Company's second quarter financial statements and management's discussion and analysis will be issued and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com on August 15, 2022, and will be available on the same day on CubicFarms' website at https://cubicfarms.com/investors/.
The Company also announced a comprehensive review of its internal cost structure to optimize operating efficiency and accelerate its path to profitability.
"We have realigned operating expenses by reducing approximately 16.5% of our workforce and other non-payroll related overhead expenditures, resulting in an estimated $6.7 million of annualized savings, or 21.8% of the Company's cash-based operating expenses on a trailing 12-month basis," said Yam. "Investors can expect to see the positive impact of these initiatives and results starting from Q3 onwards. With an optimized corporate structure and cost reductions, we are better positioned to support the disciplined, long-term growth of the business."
In addition, the Company will implement a centralized procurement structure aimed at rightsizing indirect costs and driving further efficiencies across its supply chain.
CubicFarms is a leading local chain agricultural technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world. Its proprietary ag-tech solutions enable growers to produce high quality, predictable produce and fresh livestock feed with HydroGreen Nutrition Technology, a division of CubicFarm Systems Corp. The CubicFarms™ system contains patented technology for growing leafy greens and other crops onsite, indoors, all year round. CubicFarms provides an efficient, localized food supply solution that benefits our people, planet, and economy.
For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
"Dave Dinesen"
Dave Dinesen, Chief Executive Officer
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to: the Company's sales pipeline (and the Company's ability to close sales in the current sales pipeline), the Company's growth strategy, the results of the Company's cost reduction measures, the quantification of value of carbon credits to the AVPs and the market for carbon credits generally.
Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "can", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.
These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the Company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.
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GOP worries Beto could win the suburbs
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke drew thousands of people to a rally in Frisco during the weekend, prompting worry among some Collin County Republicans.
- "Texas is turning blue," Kyle Sims, a GOP Collin County precinct chair, told his Facebook followers after seeing the size of O'Rourke's crowd. "Collin County is turning blue."
Why it matters: If he has any hope of defeating Gov. Greg Abbott in November, O'Rourke will have to do well in the state's suburbs.
- Collin and Denton counties could be key battlegrounds.
Driving the news: O'Rourke told reporters in Frisco that the large crowd is a signal that he can win in Collin County.
The big picture: Concerns about the stability of the state's power grid and Abbott's declaration that the Uvalde shooting "could have been worse" — combined with the fact that a majority of Texans opposed overturning Roe — have likely weakened Abbott's stronghold.
- Yes, but: A lot of Texans blame Democrats for the recent spike in inflation.
By the numbers: Last month, a Quinnipiac poll showed Abbott had a five-point lead over O'Rourke. A new Dallas Morning News poll shows a similar margin, but 66% of voters polled also said the governor should call a special session to help curb mass shootings — which has become a cornerstone of O'Rourke's campaign.
- Former President Trump won Collin County with 51% of the vote in 2020.
- O'Rourke lost Collin County by around 6 percentage points in his 2018 U.S. Senate bid against Republican Ted Cruz.
The intrigue: O'Rourke's campaign has made a point of highlighting Republican-leaning voters who say they're planning to vote for him this year.
- Plus, few states will likely benefit from the new Inflation Reduction Act as much as Texas.
The bottom line: Oddsmakers still think Abbott is a heavy favorite, but it'll be closer than it looked like it would be even a few months ago.
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Denver suburbs losing police chiefs
Nine police chiefs in departments surrounding Denver have left their posts this past year through retirements, reassignments or firings.
Why it matters: Police chiefs implement and oversee policies and rules for rank-and-file officers, and each one is often the face of their agency.
- Departments across the country are struggling with staffing shortages, while crime across the country rises to historic levels.
Driving the news: Nine local chiefs have left their jobs since August 2021, the Denver Post reported.
- They include chiefs in municipalities as large as Aurora, home to nearly 390,000 residents, and as small as Morrison, which has fewer than 500.
- Many said that increased scrutiny over accountability and use of force after George Floyd's murder in 2020 impacted their profession.
Yes, but: There are other reasons cops said they left.
- A former chief in Morrison left due to lack of resources, and the longtime chief in Golden said he felt it was simply time to call it quits. Aurora’s top cop was fired.
- Louisville Police Chief David Hayes, president of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, told the Denver Post that pushback on police tactics was "a wake-up call" for the field.
Between the lines: Former Aurora police chief Vanessa Wilson was fired in April by Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly, who cited her performance among his reasons for the decision.
- Interim Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates told the Denver Post that a chief’s job has been made more difficult by social media, which he said holds a "nearly entirely negative" view of police.
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Houston Methodist plans new health care tech hub
Houston Methodist plans to build a digital health technology hub within the Ion, an innovation center in Midtown.
Driving the news: The hub will be the first health care-focused center at the Ion.
Why it matters: Houston has been trying to grow its tech sector, and this collaboration will broaden the city's tech space while also making advancements within the medical and health care industries.
- The city currently ranks as the third fastest-growing, early-stage tech ecosystem in the country.
Details: Methodist's hub at the Ion will aim to create user-friendly technology for patient care and workflow while collaborating with other innovators, according to Michelle Stansbury, vice president of innovation and IT applications at Houston Methodist.
- It's expected to open later this year.
What they're saying: "We've been working very, very closely with health care innovation companies to really transform our business," Stansbury said. "But we've also learned that you can learn a lot from other industries on ways that we can improve overall our process, engage our customers, be very customer-centric."
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Telephone Road makeover coming soon
Houston has the green light to transform the troubled Telephone Road into a multimodal dream with enhanced safety features.
Driving the news: The feds approved a $20.1 million grant for the makeover in southeast Houston through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.
- Houston will pay $5.1 million for the project.
- The federal funding is from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that President Biden signed into law last year.
Why it matters: Telephone Road is on the city's high-injury network of roadways that experience a large number of crashes.
- The high-injury network, which includes only 6% of Houston's roads, is where 60% of wrecks occur.
- "This is a life-saving opportunity for us," U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said.
What we're watching: The city says construction will start in summer 2025.
- Yes, but: If funds are received sooner, the timeline could be bumped up.
Details: The reconstruction will reduce the number of car lanes on some stretches of the roadway in lieu of wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes.
- The project will also add crucial connections to Houston's greenway and bike network.
- Houston's section of the project is from Lawndale to South Loop 610, but the Gulfgate and Harrisburg redevelopment authorities are also revitalizing the road beyond both those boundaries.
The big picture: Work from the three entities will create a cohesive rejuvenation of the thoroughfare from the East End to the Hobby area.
What they're saying: Mayor Sylvester Turner and members of the City Council praised the Department of Transportation for approving the grant.
- Turner said the project is an "economic multiplier" for the community.
Go deeper: The Telephone Road project is part of more than 260 Texas projects granted funding under the infrastructure law so far, totaling roughly $8 billion flowing to the Lone Star State.
- This includes money for roads and bridges, internet, water, public transit, electric vehicle charging stations and more.
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Where Northwest Arkansas' young adults go
The average young adult who grew up in the Northwest Arkansas metro area moved 152 miles away for their job, according to data by the U.S. Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies (CES).
- That's 29 miles below the national average.
Why it matters: The migration patterns of young people can help us understand regional labor markets nationwide, with comings and goings reflecting where opportunity is, according to a July report by the bureau and Harvard University.
Context: The CES analyzed census migration data for people born between 1984 and 1992, comparing where they lived at age 16 to where they lived at age 26.
- Yes, but: The most recent available data only gives a snapshot through 2018, and we've seen major changes in the past five years because of COVID-19, the housing market boom, the Dobbs ruling and Arkansas' 2021 LGBTQ+ legislation.
Zoom in: Nearly 70% of young people stayed in NWA, but 2.4% of those who left before the age of 26 moved to Tulsa. Joplin, Missouri, and Little Rock were close behind.
- Those earning the most and the least tended to move from NWA more often than those earning middle incomes.
- About 34% of those in the bottom earning bracket and 37% of those in the highest moved from NWA.
The other side: About 3.4% of young adult Northwest Arkansans during the timeframe moved from Little Rock, the largest group to relocate here.
- They also came from Fort Smith (3%), Joplin (2.1%) and Tulsa (1.7%).
The intrigue: The largest group moving here from states other than Arkansas, Oklahoma or Missouri came from the Los Angeles metro — 1.3%.
Go deeper on issues that may impact young adult migration:
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Inflation hits back-to-school shopping in Minnesota
Back-to-school shopping is expected to squeeze families' budgets even more than usual this year.
The big picture: Families and teachers across the nation are bracing for bigger bills for everything from backpacks to tech products as inflation drives up prices on consumer goods, our education reporting partners at The 74 write.
- More than half of those back-to-school shoppers are concerned about the costs, Deloitte's 2022 Back-to-School Survey found.
Zoom in: Minnesota parents are expected to spend $700 per child on back-to-school clothes and supplies this year, per the survey.
- That's up 3% from last year, and it's 6% higher than this year's national average of $661.
Driving the spending: Tech products. Deloitte's survey found parents of school-age children expect to fork over $474 on gadgets like computers, smartphones and tablets for their kids.
- Apparel ($343) and actual school supplies ($131) account for much of the rest of the bill.
Yes, and: Minnesota families are projected to spend about $80 on "COVID-19-related items," a category that includes everything from hand sanitizer to furniture for remote learning.
Situational awareness: The bulk of the shopping will take place this month, Deloitte found. That makes sense given that the first day of school for many families is fast approaching.
- Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Anoka-Hennepin students all return to the classroom Sept. 6.
Give back: Axios' Torey Van Oot recently asked Twitter followers for recommendations for local organizations that provide assistance to families who can't afford new backpacks and other essentials.
- If donating is in your budget, you can check out the list of ideas in the responses to her tweet.
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Outdoor workouts to try in the Twin Cities this summer
Winter is coming, but there's still plenty of time to break a sweat outdoors in the Twin Cities before we say goodbye to warmer weather.
Here are a few classes around the metro to try out this month
🧘 Big River Yoga offers classes at Longfellow's Brackett Park on Wednesday afternoons and Sunday mornings, while Radiant Life yogis bring their mats to Lake Harriett several days a week.
🏋️♀️ Salad chain Crisp & Green hosts a range of free classes outside stores on weekends and Alchemy 365 is running no-cost pop-up sweat sessions at parks this month.
💃 Zumba fans can check out St. Paul's calendar of free summer fitness sessions.
👶 Have a little one? Try Fit4Mom's stroller strides or Blooma Yoga's little kid classes by Lake Nokomis.
🌽 Add "workout" to your shopping list with free yoga classes at the Mill City and Wayzata farmer's markets.
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The development industry has pumped more than $118,000 into the local campaign committees for seven members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and contributed at least $333,000 to two of their congressional campaigns.
The current iteration of the Board of County Supervisors has collected $285,930 between taking office Jan. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022, for their local campaign committees despite not facing the prospect of an election until 2023, according to state campaign finance reports.
Two supervisors have also raised a combined $1.46 million in congressional campaigns since September 2021.
Developers, construction companies and real estate firms account for about 42% of the fundraising total for the local committees, but only about 23% for the federal campaigns.
Supervisors are allowed to collect campaign contributions while in office, and no state law requires government officials to disclose campaign contributions before discussing public business.
It is not unusual for developers to contribute heavily to candidates for local office because land-use decisions affect their bottom line. Many of the contributions come electronically or through fundraisers.
Officials are required only to disclose personal financial ties to any topic before the governing body under the Virginia State and Local Government Conflict of Interest Act. Therefore, the donations are legal and participation of the supervisors in discussions about topics related to the contributors is allowed under state law.
However, local governments can impose stricter requirements for disclosures. For example, Fairfax County requires members of the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals to publicly disclose any financial ties including “any gift or donation having a value of more than $100, singularly or in the aggregate.”
Prince William does not have stricter requirements than state law relating to financial disclosures.
“I certainly am open to having those discussions,” said Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, R-Brentsville. “I think it keeps us honest and open and transparent. I’m always open to anything that keeps elected officials honest, open and transparent.”
Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said local campaigns have a smaller fundraising pool and heavily rely on local businesses and developers.
“Although the numbers may be smaller for donations for county office compared to state legislative seats or statewide office, the impact may be much greater,” he said. “There are fewer sources of donations at the county level. That makes the donations that candidates do get all the more valuable.”
Farnsworth said transparency about financial ties to the business of government is a problem at all levels.
“One of the painful realities of campaign finance laws in Virginia is that some of these laws were written for a very different time,” he said. “As county government has gotten bigger, particularly in Northern Virginia, greater disclosure of personal financial interest would be a good thing.”
Supervisors are not required to itemize donations of less than $200 on their state campaign finance reports, therefore some developers or landowners could have contributed small amounts that are not detailed.
Who developers supported
Supervisor Yesli Vega, R-Coles, reported the most contributions from developers to her local committee at $38,700. She also has received $105,147 from developers in her campaign for the 7th Congressional District.
Overall, including congressional campaigns, Lawson received the most contributions from the industry. She reported $228,670 in her unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in the 10th District and $16,900 to her local committee.
Lawson said her main campaign fundraising event is a shrimp boil in the fall and that in 2021 her fundraising focus was on her congressional campaign.
Lawson said she follows state code but has some “self-imposed rules.” She doesn’t take contributions from people with pending land-use cases and has returned checks.
“I do believe that it can create at a minimum a perception of a conflict of interest with the public,” she said.
Supervisor Kenny Boddye, D-Occoquan, did not report any contributions from the development industry.
“I think, above all, in these contentious times, it’s important for citizens to feel like lawmakers are making decisions in the best interest of the public,” Farnsworth said. “One of the ways to instill confidence in the public is for lawmakers to hesitate to invest in companies that come before them asking for favors.”
Supervisor Andrea Bailey, D-Potomac, said she has not taken an active role in fundraising while in office.
Vega said she has received money from “mainly just friends and family.”
Vega said of the numbers reported by InsideNoVa, “more than half has come from family members that are contractors or subcontractors which haven’t benefited from any votes I’ve taken while on the board.”
“Anyone that has followed my votes on the board obviously knows that I side much more with our current residents’ wishes to slow down residential development due to its impact on our schools, roads, and local environment than the majority of my colleagues,” she added.
Board Chair Ann Wheeler, D-At-Large, said her fundraising over the past two years was two events open to the public and “two or three fundraising emails.”
“I believe the current system, which consists of public financial disclosures periodically, is serving its purpose as evidenced by your ability to write a detailed article,” she said.
Supervisor Margaret Franklin, D-Woodbridge, said campaign finance is a “critically important topic,” and she is “fully supportive of our current disclosure mechanisms that provide transparency within our campaign finance system.”
Supervisor Victor Angry, D-Neabsco, meanwhile, said he “absolutely hate[s] campaign fundraising.”
“I wish I could just run for office and the people elect me because I was doing the right thing,” he said.
Angry said developers contributing to a campaign and then expecting candidates to take certain actions is the same as residents who criticize supervisors for not voting the way some of their constituents want.
“Everybody who gives me money knows that it’s not confirmed that I am going to vote the way you want me to vote on anything,” he said. “I think if people are going to say it creates a conflict of interest then we need to really start to look at how we change this campaign process.”
Boddye and Supervisor Pete Candland, R-Gainesville, did not return a request for comment.
Over $114,000 from developers
Supervisors reported at least $118,093 from developers, contractors, Realtors and construction companies since Jan. 1, 2020, to their local committees.
The industry contributed regardless of political affiliation, with two Republicans and three Democrats reporting similar overall numbers.
Vega received the most from the development industry for a local committee with $38,700. Boddye reported $0, and Angry was at the low end with $7,350. The other local committee totals were:
Lawson - $16,900
Bailey - $15,000
Wheeler - $14,245
Candland - $13,399
Franklin - $13,299
Michael and Robin Garcia, who own Mike Garcia Construction, are one of the biggest contributors locally. They have donated $70,634 to Prince William campaigns for the Board of Supervisors, School Board, commonwealth’s attorney and clerk of court since 2005.
The Garcias have contributed $8,500 to local Board of County Supervisors committees since Jan. 1, 2020, regardless of party affiliation. They contributed $5,910 to Vega’s congressional campaign and $2,000 to Lawson’s.
The biggest single contribution to any supervisor is from RK Realty LLC, which provided $10,000 each to Bailey and Franklin in December 2021.
The LLC is registered to a Clifton property owned by Edith Rameika. Rameika is trustee of the E.V. Hunter Trust, which purchases land in Northern Virginia with the intent to sell to developers after its value increases.
The trust recently sold land for a large data center in Gainesville and has profited from several developments in the area.
Some of the other projects with ties to campaign contributions are an approved $380 million town center in Woodbridge, a mixed-use project near George Mason University’s Manassas campus and a large development proposed for Belmont Bay.
Although each donation is supposed to list the type of company, many contributions are not easily recognizable and would require combing through countless development documents to discover any connection. Donations are also reported using information self-reported by donors.
Bailey said businesses and developers have been donating to campaigns “since the beginning of time in politics.”
“That’s nothing new. It should not be anything that should influence votes or the determination of votes,” she said. “We are a community and the developers and business owners live in our community. It’s their choice about who they want to support to get the work done.”
Digital Gateway ties
The proposed PW Digital Gateway has several ties to supervisors’ campaigns, with all except Boddye reporting contributions from people with direct ties to the project since taking office in 2020.
The project, which proposes 27.6 million square feet of data centers on 2,100 acres along Pageland Lane, has quickly become the most controversial and contentious local land-use proposal in decades.
Vega and Lawson, who have been vocally opposed to the project, have not received any contributions related to the project to their local committees since the initial application was filed on May 19, 2021.
However, the two received monetary support from those connected to the project for their congressional campaigns.
Factoring in the federal campaigns, supervisors have reported $23,554 to their fundraising committees from those tied to the project since it was formally submitted. Using solely local committees, supervisors reported $10,844in that time.
Wheeler received the most to her local committee at $4,895. Lawson received the most across her local and congressional committees with a total of $7,800.
Wheeler is facing a recall effort because opponents of the data center plan allege she owns or owned stocks of various companies tied to the industry.
Mike Garcia Construction was the single largest contributor, with $10,410, including the federal campaigns. Michael and Robin Garcia own a vacant 10-acre parcel on Trappers Ridge Court and are part of the application.
The Garcias have provided contributions to local committees for Angry, Bailey and Wheeler since the application was filed. They are one of Vega’s bigger donors, providing $13,837 since her local committee was formed, but none since Dec. 30, 2020.
The donations to Vega’s congressional campaign are her only contributions related to the Digital Gateway since the application was filed.
Lawson also received $5,800 for her federal campaign from Frank Surface of Superior Paving Corp., who is one of the Digital Gateway applicants.
Candland received only one contribution since the application was filed. He reported $1,000 on Nov. 22 from a company owned by Mike Grossman, who is one of the applicants.
The contribution came just over two weeks after Candland submitted his own application to join the Digital Gateway. Candland’s connection to the project has required him to recuse himself from discussions and spurred a recall effort.
Since the application was filed, Angry reported $3,250, Bailey received $1,000 and Franklin reported $699.
Candland reported two donations totaling $1,249 from those with ties to the gateway before it was filed, including $1,000 from Frank Surface, who is one of the applicants.
Franklin received a $250 donation from one of the landowners before the application was submitted.
When asked whether campaign contributions to supervisors from people tied to the project could create a conflict of interests, Vega said “You’ll have to ask them.”
“Obviously some have benefitted a great deal in personal investments from companies connected to the [Digital Gateway],” she said. “For the others, I have to assume the payday is going to continue and increase ahead of next fall’s election. I can’t imagine why else they’d be so strident in supporting this project. It’s not so they can lower residential tax bills. The current board majority will never lower our residential tax bills.”
Where the candidates stand
Supervisors have collectively collected $285,930 while in office, which is about 21% of the $1.37 million they collectively raised in the 2019 campaign.
In comparison, the previous board raised $482,262 in its first 30 months, although that number was largely due to former board Chair Corey Stewart. In that timeframe, Stewart reported $334,004 in campaign contributions.
Despite being in the minority, the three Republicans have outraised their Democratic counterparts while in office. Republicans have raised $148,314 and have $68,524 remaining. Democrats raised $137,616 and have $75,050 remaining.
Vega has raised the most overall money while in office so far at $69,761.
If Vega falls short in her bid for Congress, she’ll still have a decent fundraising lead in a district that’s been Republican for more than 20 years.
Vega is at 46.8% of the $149,039 she raised in 2019. The only other supervisors who are above 20% of their 2019 totals are Franklin at 37.2% ($29,510), Angry at 36.5% ($17,041) and Candland at 26.9% ($38,734).
The tightest race has historically been in the Occoquan District, but the Gainesville District and countywide board chair position could be more competitive next year.
In Occoquan, Boddye has raised the least of all supervisors at $8,059, which could open the door for a strong opponent in a district that was decided by only 322 votes in 2019. His predecessor, Republican Ruth Anderson, won the seat by only 893 votes in 2015.
Redistricting could also be a problem for Democrats in the district. The magisterial district lines that were approved earlier this year appeared to show a net increase in Republican voters for Occoquan.
In Gainesville, Candland has raised $38,734. That’s 40% less than he raised in the first 30 months of his last term and he reported only $8,974 in remaining funds.
If the PW Digital Gateway is approved, Candland could also be moving out of his district, which would open the seat for a contested election.The other fundraising totals are:
Wheeler - $52,808
Lawson - $39,819
Bailey - $30,198
Angry - $17,041
Vega also has the most remaining campaign funds remaining as the next election inches closer with $54,710, while Angry has the smallest campaign bank account at $3,659.
Bailey, who is in her first term in the Potomac District, is facing a primary challenger and has a fundraising lead over her opponent, Kimberlee Short.
Bailey reported $14,703 remaining at the end of the reporting period. Short had $0 after raising and spending $190. The remaining money for the other supervisors are:
Wheeler - $28,936
Franklin - $22,349
Boddye - $5,403
Lawson - $4,840
Bailey and Angry are the only supervisors to announce re-election campaigns. Bailey’s district is the only one so far with a challenger. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/campaign-cash-flowing-ahead-of-prince-williams-2023-elections/article_9ad75da8-1c6d-11ed-a455-07549aa3fea9.html | 2022-08-15T12:58:24Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/campaign-cash-flowing-ahead-of-prince-williams-2023-elections/article_9ad75da8-1c6d-11ed-a455-07549aa3fea9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Finding a business name and looking it up on social media is not enough. Why? Your business name needs to be protected, and merely looking it up on social media cannot protect it.
One of the steps to starting a business is to find a business name that people can identify with.
Does this statement make it sound like it could get stolen? Well, yes, it could be “stolen.” It is a common practice for you to look your name up on Instagram, and other social media platforms to know whether someone is already using your proposed business name. If it happens that no one is using your business name, you get excited and give in to a deep sigh. Then there’s a feeling of fulfilment and happiness that overwhelms you and gives you the impression that there’s nothing to worry about. Truth be told, there is something to worry about, registration of your business name.
Searching on social media is good and advisable, but is not enough to give your business name security. You should get it registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). That’s where security comes into play with your business name. CAC is the agency in Nigeria that is responsible for the registration of businesses in Nigeria.
Why should you have your business name registered?
1. For security
It was mentioned earlier in the article about how important it is for you to protect your business name. What are you protecting your business name from? You are protecting your name from random business owners using your business name or even registering your name before you.
Here’s an example you should think of. You select a business name, then you launch your business to start work after you have invested resources in quality and quantity into the business, only to discover later that someone is using your business name and has registered it before you. What will you do then?
This is something business owners can hardly wrap their heads around. This is not something to be postponed. What the illustration above clearly means is that your business is at the risk of losing its investments to another brand that has legal rights over the business name.
2. Continuity, a separate entity
When your business name is registered, it is seen as a separate entity. Your business is seen as a separate entity by the law and can get access to legitimate opportunities to grow. Continuity is also assured. If you leave the business for a while or you die, there is no fear of losing your name to another business or any similar drama.
3. Avoid wasted investment
This is quite similar to the aforementioned. Working tirelessly to build a brand whose business name has been registered by another entity is as good as working for another to benefit from your sweat; if not ALL. It would hurt you to see all that you’ve worked for accredited to someone that isn’t you. Imagine how much this would affect you and the systems that you have built and worked with.
4. Protect trust in business
Your clients could lose trust in you. They would perceive you as an imposter who is trying to pitch his or her tent under a legally named business that’s not yours.
Have you seen people calling out businesses on social media, and tagging them as impostors? That is not a good scene to behold. It will shock you completely to see that your integrity as a business has been subjected to cruel questions. It will be hard to bounce back, but not impossible. However, you might have to work extra smart and hard to gain their trust back.
How many people do you want to explain to that they are wrong by thinking that you are an impostor?
5. Heightens your confidence
You know, those wild dreams you have for your business. You can always execute them with so much confidence. Why? Because there is no fear of someone coming to lay claim to your legally registered business name. So, there are no limitations that could stem from fear of losing your business to another entity or losing your business name to someone who was smarter and registered it before you.
6. Growth is sure
When you have your business name registered, you will unapologetically give your business to grow. You won’t be afraid to take on opportunities that come and could give your brand a change and define it better.
You will not be scared to expand and reach out to as many entities as possible, because there is security.
7. Respect and assurance
Having a legally recognized business name earns you respect from your clients and people alike. It also gives them a sense of assurance and confidence in your business. They know you are not a fraud and your business can be respected and trusted. They know that you are not an impostor. It assures your clients that they are safe.
8. Gives you a credible outlook
Do you know how people perceive and treat people who know what they are doing? There’s a show of honour and respect for them. They will respect you, and grant you an audience where it matters most because they have seen that you appear to know what you are doing.
Above all, register your business name before investing so much in your business. Seize postponement and act smart. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/8-reasons-to-register-your-business-name-immediately/ | 2022-08-15T12:58:36Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/8-reasons-to-register-your-business-name-immediately/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has announced plans to bring together top bankers, economists and captains of industry at its annual conference to share ideas on how to address changing trends in the banking industry and the Nigerian economy at large.
The president and Chairman of council, CIBN), Dr Ken Opara, made the announcement at a media parley on Friday in Lagos.
He said that the conference scheduled for September 13 and 14, would be hybrid, taking place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja and through Zoom teleconferencing, with dignitaries from around the world in attendance.
The theme of this year’s conference will be: ‘Repositioning the Financial Services Industry for an Evolving Glocal Context’.
According to him, the banking industry has continued to evolve; technological innovation is the thing in the industry and the financial system is the only industry today where one can see the kind of innovation that is going on.
His words: “It is one of the few industries in the world to have as many online real-time payment services as possible.
“But we think that the industry is dynamic, changes continue to come up globally. You can see what is happening in the supply chain, you can also see what is happening in the Russian- Ukraine space as much as possible.
“So, the idea is basically to have this conference that will provide a platform to share ideas on how to address changing trends in the industry and how things are coming up.
“Also, how do we build capacity, how do we energise our people, how do we ensure that the new generation of people continues to be relevant in the industry.”
Opara, however, enthused that the industry was rising to the challenges of skills shortage which of course is not peculiar to it, adding that the CIBN would introduce a human resource centre to help in skills acquisition and transfer in the industry.
The event is being organised through a Consultative Committee, chaired by the Managing Director /Executive Officer, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Abubakar Suleiman.
Giving further details, Suleiman said proper arrangement has been made to ensure a hitch-free conference adding that there will be break-out sessions that will address specific topics.
Responding to questions, he described the wave of resignation in the banking sector as an opportunity, rather than a crisis.
According to him, the country was not in shortage of healthy young Nigerians willing to work, and a transfer of skills to the young minds would mitigate the migration trend, which the media had widely reported.
He said, “I would reference the Chinese word for crisis, which also means opportunity. Nigeria is not lacking in healthy young people who are willing to work. Therefore, if we see ourselves losing talents, the best response would be to focus on converting those young people as a replacement for those that had left.”
It would be recalled that Suleiman, who is the Managing Director of Sterling Bank, had at a meeting of chief executive officers of banks on April 15, 2022, lamented a dearth of talents in the sector.
“So many of our very experienced talents, especially in the area of software engineering, are either leaving the industry or leaving the country,” he was reported to have said.
He disclosed to the media how the industry was putting together a plan that would sponsor individuals seeking skills in the area of technology, as well as in other areas where the sector had a skill shortage.
“The thinking is that it would turn a crisis into an opportunity,” he added.
President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof.Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, among other dignitaries are expected at the conference.
The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, would be the Chief Host of the Conference while Opara would be the host.
The programme is hosted annually to provide a platform for all stakeholders in the banking and finance industry to share experiences and exchange ideas on contemporary issues affecting the sector and the economy as a whole.
The outcomes from these are used to reposition the banking industry and have proved useful resources for policymakers in the overall economy.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/cibn-set-for-bankers-conference-to-address-changing-trends-in-the-industry/ | 2022-08-15T12:58:37Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/cibn-set-for-bankers-conference-to-address-changing-trends-in-the-industry/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FG borrows N19.3trn from CBN in seven years
•Amount 25 times higher than 2015 figure •Borrowing fueling inflation, could reach N22.6trn by year end —Experts
The Federal Government’s borrowing from the Central Bank of Nigeria has in recent years exceeded the limits stipulated by the CBN Act, with attendant implications on the economy. CHIMA NWOKOJI in this piece examines the magnitude and impact on monetary and fiscal environments in the country.
Fresh findings have shown that the Federal Government’s total borrowing from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through Ways and Means (W&M) Advances ballooned by N19.26 trillion in seven years, over 25 times higher than what it was in 2015.
This according to a herd of economic and finance experts may hit N22.6 trillion by the end of the year, with the biggest risks being inflation and currency depreciation.
Analysis of the data obtained from CBN website showed that total W&M liabilities have increased by more than twenty five-fold over the last seven years, from barely N648.26 billion in 2015.
According to the CBN, claims on the FG through W&M rose to a new milestone, up 28.4per cent when compared year on year (y/y) to ₦19.9 trillion at the end of June 2022 from ₦15.5 trillion recorded in June 2021. Thus representing 82.1per cent of the CBN’s total claims on the FG. It showed that in six months of 2022 alone, about ₦2.5 trillion has been disbursed to the FG, an indication that total annualised disbursement might spike to ₦5.1 trillion (2021: ₦4.3 trillion).
Ways and Means Advances is a loan facility used by the central bank to finance the government in periods of temporary budget shortfalls subject to limits imposed by law.
According to Section 38 of the CBN Act, 2007, the bank may grant temporary advances to the Federal Government in respect of temporary deficiency of budget revenue at such rate of interest as the bank may determine.
Nigerian Tribune findings show that as of June 2015, a month after President Muhammadu Buhari came into power, the total government borrowing from the apex bank stood at N648.26 billion.
It jumped from N856.33 billion in December 2015 to N2.23 trillion in December 2016, the CBN data showed.
The total borrowing from the bank grew by N1.08 trillion in 2017 to N3.31 trillion. It rose further by N2.1 trillion in 2018 to N5.41 trillion.
The Federal Government’s borrowing from the CBN surged by 61.18 per cent (N3.31 trillion) to N8.72 trillion at the end of 2019.
The government turned again to the apex bank for a record N4.9 trillion to plug its fiscal financing gap, bringing its total borrowing to N13.11 trillion as of December 2020.
More recently, FG’s loan from CBN through Ways and Means Advances rose from N17.46 trillion in December 2021 to N19.91 trillion in June 2022.
The FGN’s new borrowing from the CBN has repeatedly exceeded the five per cent limit in recent years.
For instance, it reached about 80 per cent of the FGN’s 2019 revenues in 2020 and has continued in that trend, which is a violation of the CBN Act, that the outstanding amount should not exceed five per cent of prior years’ actual revenue.
A top executive at the CBN who prefers not to be quoted because he was not authorised to speak for the bank said that central banks across the world lend to their governments for various purposes as a government’s bank, whether it is called quantitative easing or ways and means and Nigeria is not an exception.
Commenting on the development, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Public Enterprises (CPPE) Dr Muda Yusuf said the risks associated with over lending to the federal government are the inflation and currency depreciation risks.
According to him, it is a contributory factor to the current uptick in inflationary pressures in the economy.
Yusuf stated further “There are also implications for the currency.” Mounting ways and means financing increases money supply and invariably weakens and depreciates the currency.
“All of these are taking a huge toll on production costs, operating costs and the welfare of citizens.”
Also, Bismarck Rewane, Managing Director Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited in an earlier interview, said that apart from the above, taming the growth in money supply is extremely important to curb inflationary pressures, and the first step is for the CBN to stick to its own rule of lending to the FGN (ways and means advances) at five per cent of the previous year’s revenue.
Fitch, a global rating agency had repeatedly warned that central bank financing of government budgets could raise risks to macro-stability in the context of weak institutional safeguards that preserve the credibility of policymaking and the ability of the central bank to control inflation.
Similarly, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr Johnson Chukwu, said the central bank lending put pressure on the exchange rate and the inflation rate, with “liquidity that has no productivity attached to it coming into the system.”
For a Lagos-based investment banking and financial advisory firm, Afrinvest (West) Africa Limited, the consistent spike in W&M financing could be traced to the burgeoning FG’s fiscal deficits as a result of the rising expenditure plan amid muted improvement in revenue generation.
It noted that while one may argue that the CBN is acting on its mandate as the lender of last resort, the fact that the FG can always tap into the coffers of the apex bank incentivises FG’s fiscal expansion – which has contributed to budget deficit growth by more than 300.0 per cent since 2015 – amid poor revenue generation.
In addition, the sustained expansion of W&M Liabilities has contributed to the spike in currency in circulation with the monetary base rising by 18.2 per cent y/y in the 12 months to June 2022 – a development “we believe contributed to the surging inflationary trend,” Afrinvest stated in an e-mailed note.
Furthermore, despite the estimated cheap price of the W&M funding (c.7.0 per cent p.a.), its interest payment accounted for a 20.9 per cent share of the total debt service cost over four months (Jan–Apr 2022). This underscores the large-scale nature of W&M in the FG’s loan book.
“Unfortunately, we do not expect Nigeria’s fiscal vulnerability to improve materially in the near term given the weak political will to trim recurrent expenditure despite static revenue performance.
“As such we estimate that W&M advanced to the FG could reach ₦22.6 trillion by year-end, increasing the ratio of annual W&M disbursement to FG’s last fiscal year (LFY) actual revenue to 116.1 per cent,” the firm emphasised.
While the CBN has defied several calls by global financial authorities and agencies (such as IMF, World Bank, Fitch and Moody’s Ratings) to halt deficit financing which has continued to undermine its independent status, Afrinvest canvasses that a timely secularisation of the liability would be a win-win for the FG and the CBN.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/fg-borrows-n19-3trn-from-cbn-in-seven-years/ | 2022-08-15T12:58:39Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/fg-borrows-n19-3trn-from-cbn-in-seven-years/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Like graceful, snowy egrets basking in the afternoon light, the Pyrates Confraternity sailed out last week on the streets of Lagos. In white and scarlet, they did it with much noise and got lots of shrieks from owls and bats of the night. It was their outing; the beauty of their song triggered the chat I had with some friends who thought the song melodious but inappropriate. The pyrates sang about “Baba” whose hands shake and legs quake and yet insists that it is his turn to be king. Some felt the seadogs counted the toes of the nine-digit emperor in his very presence. But the song writers and the singers mentioned no name! The singers did the music and the dance in Ikeja in broad daylight and without wearing masks. Perhaps that is why the wizards and witches of Lagos are angry. The owners of Lagos think their ravens are the only birds permitted to kill and eat names and fames at noon – and at night – without consequences.
There is a time allotted for every activity under the sun. Some things are done at night – like rites of passage, calabash opening for the egregious, deposition rituals. Shakespeare says it better: “Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night,/The time of night when Troy was set on fire;/The time when screech-owls cry and ban-dogs howl,/ And spirits walk and ghosts break up their graves,/That time best fits the work we have in hand,” (King Henry VI, Part 2). The pyrates chose not the darkness of the night to do the work they had in hand, a war on entrenched political piracy. It was better done in plain sight of the day. They made the high sun guide their boats as they sailed and danced on the floors of the palace and announced to the diseased baálè that his mother was a witch.
Three things are the most precious in this world; one of them is “to say a word of truth before someone of power.” That is from Imam al-Shafi (767-820 AD), Arab Muslim theologian, writer, and scholar and the famed first contributor to the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. I am not a seadog, but I sail with the pyrates on this bold voyage of truth against Long John Silver and the piracy on our high seas. Long John Silver is a character in Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel, Treasure Island. I read his enchanting story 44 years ago in Secondary Modern School; difficult to forget. There are others: King Solomon’s Mines (1885) and Allan Quatermain (1887) – both by H. Rider Haggard. Today, when I see characters and treasure-hunting movements in our politics, I race back to the books of that era and pick characters assailing our moral castle. Long John Silver is a compelling, piratical character described by a critic as “treacherous and willing to change sides at any time to further his own interests.” But he is also courageous and “wise enough to save his money, in contrast to the spendthrift ways of most of the pirates.” The narrator says of Silver’s physical health: “His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder, he carried a crutch, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham—plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling” (see Treasure Island; 1883, page 82). “He was brave and no mistake” – but a robber.
Someone listed courage and passion as the primary strengths of sailors and their captains. I note the Pyrate Confraternity’s statement after their ‘subversive’ act. I read their August 9, 2022 statement and their resolve to continue to use their… “compelling songs to advocate for good governance and accountability!” I saw other things in that statement: Those at the event were over 2,000 and they “came to Lagos from all over the world.” So, they were not all Igbos – Peter Obi’s people! There were more attenuating claims in that press release: The confraternity “does not mock or discriminate against the physical condition of any person”; it does not do politics or endorse candidates but it is “committed to the enthronement of a just society in which no one is discriminated against based on tribe, religion, gender or disability.” Fair enough. But that is what those railing against the procession for healthy governance are against. My kinsmen will be happy if the seadogs endorse their tremor as our future’s stabilizer.
Waist beads are seductive accessories of beauty; every African mother used to string them for their girl-child. The bells of the beads rattled desire in the past; today they provoke the right to be voted for by kith and kin of contenders to the throne. The beads are on arrogant display in the Yoruba political space; they say all of us must string them for the waist of a presidential candidate because he is our child. The àwa l’ókàn people want joiners in their anger with the seadogs and their song for health. They wonder why some of us sing along with the pyrates.
And I ask why they are angry. Did they hear their candidate’s name in that song of grace? Did they not say that their candidate was fit body and soul and raring to go? Is there a kábíyèsí (ask-him-not) in a democracy? No. So, why should the decrepit be what they present as captain in the present turbulence? And they say no one should shout even with a song! Did they not know what happened to the palace where arúgbó (the very elderly) died and olókùnrùn (the invalid) was selected as the successor? That particular palace became a continuum of sorrow and sadness. Of what use is a democracy if all it offers are pains and tears of infirm leadership?
The choice for next year is a hot-button. Eject bed bugs from your home; allow bat bugs into your life. That is the meaning of choosing a bedmate from among the evil. They are all blood suckers who snack on the life of the careless. And, you know, BAT itself is a dangerous pet; it is the primary host of not just bat bugs but also of deadly viruses, including the Ebola virus. I have friends who say they love BAT because he is a generous bird of good portent. And I ask: really? I am a Muslim, my friends are Christians. I ask them to read what their Bible says in Isaiah 5:20 about good and evil; darkness and night; bitter and sweet. My friends confess that today, tomorrow, they know the contesting options are not pleasant; but we cannot walk away from all of them. We must make a choice. They think the 2023 choice is not exactly Hobson’s take it or leave it. From what we have, we must vote one. That is their position. And their choice evokes confusion in conviction; they bet on a creature that is both bird and rat – or that is exactly neither; a flying rat. My friends think the thought of The Knight in Cheikh Hamidou Kane’s ‘L’aventure Ambigue’ (Ambiguous Adventure): “He who wants to live, who wants to remain himself, must compromise.” They think dressing the owl in feathers of light would make it stop heralding death and disaster. No. It won’t. And I told them so. I added that their man’s battle cry, ‘Èmi l’ókàn’ sounds like hemlock, the poison that killed Socrates.
There is a slithery complementary diet to the èmi l’ókàn menu. It is omo ‘eni kò s’èdí bèbèrè ká f’ìlèkè sí ìdí omo elòmíràn’ (you don’t leave bare the shapely waist of your child to bead your neighbour’s daughter’s). They forget that not all waists deserve beads. What if the child does not have ‘idí bèbèrè’? Moshood Abiola, God bless his soul, had a proverb along that line: “A string of beads is too large for Toad’s waist, twerking Snake now offers her own!” I wish someone would be out soon to tell truth to the entitled kingmaker who wants to be king. He should wake up to the reality of his not being an Awolowo or an Abiola. Bola Tinubu of the APC is no Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of Western Nigeria during whose time children of the poor became English speakers. Everyone becoming literate was thought not possible until the leader came and led responsibly. There is an everlasting song acknowledging that service: “Ayé Awólówò yí mà ti dára/Àwa omo t’álákà ns’òyìnbó…”(This Awolowo era is good/children of the poor are speaking English). Again, Tinubu is no Abiola, billionaire businessman who did good to strangers abroad and to folks at home (King Sunny Ade acknowledged that in a famous song: MKO se f’álejò, ó se f’ónílé). Tinubu inspired songs too. He was in Lagos as governor and we heard folks chant ‘jeun s’ókè’ – the ancestral pre-chorus to Fayose’s song of the stomach. Every leader is his own songwriter. Abiola was the first chancellor of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. Tinubu is also a past chancellor of LAUTECH. What legacies did each of them leave behind in that ‘small’ hole? Check history; ask parents; ask ex-students.
So, to whom will your vote go: the herdsman, the patient or the miser-exaggerator? That was an old classmate, a King Cobra in our Great Ife days, cynically asking whom I would vote for in the 2023 presidential election among the three leading candidates. ‘Patient’ here is a customer-care noun used by caregivers in hospitals for their clients. It has about seven synonyms, all ghastly. And, maybe, ‘patient’ as an adjective will also be apt for the invalid. ‘Herdsman’ today is a metaphor for mass murder and abduction for ransom; the hurricane of pains and torrential tears soaking homes across the country. The exaggerator overstates things. ‘Miser’ is a tight-arse or tight-ass person, a squirrel, hoarder of treasures. To whatever constitutes treasure, I add truth and facts and their derivatives. So, why should I vote at all? And why not? We can choose the least of the evils, another friend counseled. I told him I don’t like evil; I set fire to all evil forests.
Like the Pyrates Confraternity, I have no candidate in the coming election. And I continue to struggle with that decision. What comes then if everyone makes no choice as I insist? If we desire peace and good life, this thing we call ‘democracy’ can’t give us, no matter who is there at the top. I vote for a renegotiation of what we have. I ask my friends to go back to our good old Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar; the “hooting and shrieking” of the bird of the night “even at noonday, upon the market place.” What follows that very bad omen? If Abubakar Atiku of the PDP wins, in six months, the country will convulse and become rent – North versus South. You will see frontline columns along old fault lines. If Tinubu or Obi wins, we should expect the banditry of the North to become more global, encouraged by their enablers and very uncontrollable. Fighting the terrorists will become suicidal for the government. This will happen as the government trembles under the weight of northern blackmail. Those who birthed the felons will become riotous if a Tinubu or an Obi government fights terror the way it should. The pushback from the South will be decided and decisive. Our nation and its democracy will convulse. It will happen.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/for-pyrates-and-their-confraternity/ | 2022-08-15T12:58:39Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/for-pyrates-and-their-confraternity/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The founder, Omi Aanu Foundation, Ambassador Debo Adesina, has called on parents and guardians to take educational needs of their wards as a priority.
He said for children to perform excellently, adequate provision must be made to cater for their needs in school, just as he added that this would encourage them to face their studies.
Adesina, in a statement signed by Kikelomo Abimbola shortly after the presentation of prize awards to different categories of students in seven secondary and 11 primary schools in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, stated that he was impressed with students who without books, writing materials, among others still perform excellently.
He urged parents to make sacrifices for the educational development of their children, stressing that education is the only inheritance that could be bequeathed to children.
Adesina further said that the prize award was part of his scholarship empowerment programme organised for students of all categories to cater for their education needs, which cut across all public primary schools and community grammar schools in seven principal communities in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state.
The beneficiaries of the award were overall best five students in the school examinations in JSS and SSS classes as well as 10 overall pupils in Pry 3 to 5 classes.
Adesina also charged individuals, groups and corporate organisations within and outside the council, to come to the aid of indigent students, noting that harsh economic realities have made it impossible for government to meet all the needs of the citizens.
He commended efforts of the teachers for dedication to their duties and implored students to face their studies and make the best use of their youthful years for them to be useful to the society in future.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/foundation-gives-prize-award-worth-millions-of-naira-to-students-in-oyo/ | 2022-08-15T12:58:40Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/foundation-gives-prize-award-worth-millions-of-naira-to-students-in-oyo/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ending the journey I started last week Monday, I want to start by appreciating everyone—who weekly reads through my thought-provoking and life-changing articles. I cannot thank you enough for all your thoughtful and kind mails and text messages. What keeps me writing is the testimony of your enduring transformation. This is in all probability the most consistent and quick-witted-leadership-platform in Nigeria and on this continent. Kindly point out this platform to those you want their lives changed—who do not know about it yet. You know you cannot afford to be self-seeking!
Now to the business of this Monday: what can happen on the condition that we overrule the laziness and mediocrity of the outer man and begin to listen and respond to our inner conscience? We will begin to manifest several character traits in our lives like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness and gentleness. A person who walks in these character traits is someone against whom no one can bring a charge, no matter how hard he or she searches for one!
Now, let’s take a deeper look at self-control. Here is a good working definition of this word—a definition that will effectively govern one’s operating system in this life: self-control is living in the highest regard and respect for my inner man (and the ethical principles that guide me) while demonstrating love to those around me.
Each of us should continually evaluate our actions, thoughts, and words on the basis of the definition, asking ourselves, “Is my conscience pleased with the way I am thinking about this situation? How will my behavior or words affect others?”
The life challenges that most of us face are not precipitated by the renegade thoughts that race through our minds as shooting stars; all of us deal with those kinds of thoughts at times. On the contrary, the pivotal thoughts that must be evaluated are those that are allowed to remain in our minds—the meditations of our hearts that will eventually become a part of our very natures, governing our words, behaviors, and responses to the world around us.
The second question mentioned above is one that people do not really think about a great deal. How will my behavior or words affect others? Most of us do not have the foresight to consider how our words or actions will affect another person. We do not weigh out a situation before we act or evaluate what our decisions will mean to those around us.
But this evaluation process is absolutely critical to walking in character. Why? Because we will be continually pressured to disqualify ourselves and say, “I give up—I cannot conquer this.” But it is our responsibility to make sure that never happens.
Before we can walk confidently in the virtuous traits we have discussed, we will have to conquer ourselves. We must remember that whatever we refuse to conquer will ultimately conquer us. So what do we do when we face a situation in which the circumstances are working overtime to convince us to disqualify ourselves? What do we do when we face overwhelming opposition, and we are tempted to say, “I cannot take this anymore, this is just too much?”
We must go back to our working definition of self-control, making sure that we are not breaking principle, and that we are loving others. We must begin to re-evaluate ourselves, examining our thoughts, words, and deeds.
If we can’t find anything we have personally done or said that would disqualify us from attaining the desired outcome in that situation, we can trust that the opposing circumstances did not originate from any bad seeds we have sown; rather, they have come against us to block us from attaining the prize on the other side of the mountain. And since we know there will be no prize if we do not keep blasting through that mountain, we just keep blasting away, pursuing excellence with everything that is within us, and refusing to disqualify ourselves from the destiny we are pursuing.
So how long are we willing to control ourselves? How long are we willing to be self-correctors? What are we holding on to that is worth the loss of the prize set before us? These are the questions we must all ask ourselves.
Also, it would be beneficial for each of us to take an honest look on the inside and deal with those issues that are building faulty foundations in our lives, instead of making everyone else pay the price for that which we refuse to confront. We are responsible to establish our own set of standards. If we will choose to deal with our own character issues, someone else will be spared the unpleasant assignment of having to do it.
A person may say, “Yes, but you just don’t know my situation. You don’t know what they have done to me and what I have had to go through.” Let me share something from personal experience—the day we learn that ours is not the only perspective that matters is the day we will be free. That will be the day our passions no longer control us. Instead, our highest desire will be to embrace wise instruction and walk in integrity.
Why is this true? Because instead of torturing others by imposing our selfish outbursts upon them, we will deal with our emotions. We will get to the point where we will say, “That’s it—I am giving this up! I don’t want this in my life anymore, so I am taking responsibility.”
We must not get into wrestling matches with others over the areas we ourselves need to change. We must wrestle with our own shortcomings and weaknesses, so no one else has to deal with us. Then, when we are finished, the only fruit that people will see growing on our “branches” will be love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.
Lastly, self-control begins by recognizing that there is a consequence for every action. And self-control begins when we expose our thoughts and feelings to the guidelines of proven principles, before we ever put them out in front of others. Then, once the true nature of those thoughts and emotions has been revealed, we have to choose whether or not we want to upload them on the people around us.
Till I come your way again next week Monday, see you where rock-solid leaders are found!
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/keep-your-cool-2-2/ | 2022-08-15T12:59:22Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/keep-your-cool-2-2/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
THE euphoria of the July 16th victory of the PDP in the gubernatorial election seems to be dimming. Baring any legal abracadabra, it has dawned on the good citizens of Osun State that a new Sheriff will be in town from the 26th of November 2022. The election was adjudged to be credible, fair, free and transparent by most stakeholders hence the outcome is credible. Much as the All Progressives Congress (APC) has the democratic right to seek legal redress if it feels cheated, the general opinion is that the voters have spoken, hence the defeated party should be magnanimous enough to exhibit some spirit of sportsmanship. Approaching the election tribunal is Christmas come early for the legal teams. The party should be graceful in defeat and stop looking for technicalities. In the words of the American businessman, Gil Atkinson, “Change is inevitable, it is the direction that counts”.
By now, you must be preparing to move from Ede to Oke Fia and Abere. How prepared are you? According to the sage, statesman and philosopher, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who your late father, Senator Ayoola Adeleke was a loyal disciple of: “l have never regarded myself as having a monopoly of wisdom. The trouble is that when most people in public life and in position of leadership and rulership are spending whole days and nights carousing in clubs or in the company of men of shady character and women of easy virtue, l, like a few others, am always at my post working hard at the country’s problems and trying to find solutions for them. Only the deep can help the deep”. You have started positively by setting up a transition committee(which was inaugurated on the 27th of July 2022), comprising of 37 wise men and women headed by a distinguished Government College, lbadan, Old boy, Dr Muyiwa Oladimeji, who are to set the template for your ascension to office. You charged them to be creative and innovative in discharging their duty, in with the terms of reference. You equally admonished them to be practical and down to earth in approach.
You want them to come up with facts and figures about the general state of the State and the financial health of the State. This includes the IGR, monies from the Federation Account, level of indebtedness and terms of repayment to banks, financial institutions, their contractual and external debt obligations. It is a very comprehensive and engaging terms of reference. I have no doubt that the committee will present a well detailed and practical report. I hope the out going Government will collaborate and cooperate with the team. A seamless transition process will be for the benefit of the State. As the saying goes, ‘Talk is cheap’. It does not cost anyone to say and write something, the real difficulty is in doing it. Actions speak louder than words. It will be a thing of joy that when the report is submitted and accepted, they will be religiously adhered to and implemented.
A sacrilegious columnist in his July 11th write up did not give you the slightest chance of victory at the polls. He was abusive, derogatory and condescending to you as the PDP Candidate. It will be interesting to know what he feels now that the clown has clinched the crown. I am sure you are aware that Osun is a state with vast natural and agricultural resources. It is endowed with a rich cultural heritage but facing an underdeveloped industrial sector and a high debt portfolio. Its lucrative gold mining sector in ljeshaland is being exploited by foreigners, especially the Chinese that come in with dodgy approvals from Abuja, aided by the ignorant and greedy locals who are rewarded with peanuts. The rate of degradation of the land should give your incoming administration some concern.
You definitely know the state is suffering from an economic and financial crisis. Glaringly, it is in a financial Dire Straits. It will require an ingenious financial engineer to get it back to shape. You will need to boost the State’s Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) without placing unnecessary burden on the people of the State. Presently the IGR hovers between N1.7 and 2 bn per month. According to the Nigeria Data Portal, it has a GDP of $7,280m and an over bloated civil service work force. According to the American entrepreneur and writer Max De Pree, ‘We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are”. To achieve this your incoming administration should invest heavily in education. Education in primary and secondary schools should be free and qualitative, with emphasis on information technology and science. Tertiary institutions should be well funded and enjoy autonomy. Skill acquisition should be embedded into the education curriculum, so that each student will learn and graduate with at least a skill useful for setting up a small business. Welfare and training of teachers should be given utmost priority. The farmers should be educated and helped to create wealth through the exportation of their produce
. Your government should make access roads available, provide farm impliments at subsidised rates. Cheap and affordable loans should be available to the Farmers. Cooperative societies should be encouraged. Above all, you should establish a counseling centre for farmers on best practices on mechanised farming.
Much importance should also be attached to the health sector. An educated mind is an informed and healthy mind. Osun citizens should be educated on how to maintain a healthy living. Medical centers should be localized, well equipped and stuffed with basic medical drugs. The welfare of the medical staff should not be taken for granted.
The potential of Tourism in Osun State is enormous. This cannot be achieved in a chaotic and unsecured environment. Amotekun should be well equipped and motivated.
In short, you should stick to your campaign promises. The buck stops on your table. There is no room for excuses or failure. Government is a continuum and you should assume you are starting from ground Zero. I do not know whether to pity or congratulate you, as there is so much work to do in a heavily indebted State with dwindling funds from the Federation account. How do you intend to fund them? You have to start the job running. With a hostile opposition at State and Federal levels, you will need the prayers and guidance of the Almighty God to succeed. Honeymoon in Osun does not last for long.
- Alafe-Aluko writes in from Osun State.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/what-osun-governor-elect-must-do/ | 2022-08-15T13:00:14Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/what-osun-governor-elect-must-do/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Second Quarter Revenue of $43.7 million, a 21% increase on a Sequential Basis
Gross Margin Expanded to 51%, compared to 43% on a Sequential Basis
Nearly 50% of Transformation Initiatives Completed To-Date
Subsequent to Quarter End, Company Under New Leadership of CEO Samuel J. Meckey
Announced $67.5M Convertible Debt Financing, Further Extending Company's Maturity Profile
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UpHealth, Inc. ("UpHealth" or the "Company") (NYSE: UPH), a global digital health company delivering technology platforms, infrastructure, and services to modernize care delivery and health management, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
UpHealth CEO Sam Meckey said, "I joined UpHealth because the Company's assets are uniquely situated within the healthcare ecosystem, to solve some of the most pressing problems in healthcare today. The opportunities for UpHealth to create value for our clients are significant and I am eager to contribute my experience and knowledge in healthcare, to help drive our future growth."
"I am pleased to say that with the company's strategies in place and the foundation to support our transformation, we are well positioned for long-term growth. Together, we look forward to further implementing our strategic vision, uncovering additional ways to unlock value, and delivering for all constituents of UpHealth."
Meckey also said that he is focused on: "driving growth across all verticals; delivering high-quality, predictable revenue streams; conserving cash; and improving operational excellence, all while creating a culture that attracts and retains top talent who focus intensely on client needs and client service."
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights:
- Revenue for the second quarter of 2022 was $43.7 million, a 37% increase compared to GAAP revenue for the second quarter of 2021 of $31.9 million and an 11% increase compared to pro forma revenue for the second quarter of 2021 of $39.2 million. Gross margin expanded to 51%, up from GAAP and pro forma gross margin in the second quarter of 2021 of 36%.
- Revenue and gross margin by segment for the second quarter of 2022 were:
- Operating loss for the second quarter of 2022 was $(10.0) million, a 72% improvement compared to operating loss in the second quarter of 2021 of $(35.5) million.
- Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was $4.0 million, compared to GAAP and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2021 of $2.2 million and $2.4 million, respectively.
Please refer to the discussion and tables under "Non-GAAP Financial Information."
Year-to-Date Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights:
- Year-to-date revenue for the second quarter of 2022 was $79.6 million, a 78% increase compared to year-to-date GAAP revenue for the second quarter of 2021 of $44.7 million and a 14% increase compared to year-to-date pro forma revenue for the second quarter of 2021 of $69.8 million. Year-to-date gross margin for the second quarter of 2022 expanded to 47%, up from year-to-date GAAP and pro forma gross margin for the second quarter of 2021 of 41% and 40%, respectively.
- Year-to-date revenue and gross margin by segment for the second quarter of 2022 were:
- Year-to-date operating loss for the second quarter of 2022 was $(28.0) million, a 27% improvement compared to year-to-date operating loss for the second quarter of 2021 of $(38.3) million.
- Year-to-date Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was $2.6 million, compared to year-to-date GAAP and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2021 of $2.9 million and $5.4 million, respectively.
Please refer to the discussion and tables under "Non-GAAP Financial Information."
Significant Second Quarter Business Highlights:
- 240 of the over 600 specific transformation milestones completed as of quarter end, and an expectation to be at approximately 80% completion by the end of the third quarter.
- Martti™ currently supports 224,000 encounters per month and over 34,000 video endpoints at over 2,300 healthcare locations in the U.S. During the second quarter, the Company closed 46 new Martti™ contracts, with over 90 implementations in healthcare facilities nationwide.
- Executed a contract extension and expansion with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, expanding UpHealth's work for an additional 12 months, contributing $7.9 million to revenues.
- The Company recorded its largest volume of telehealth use ever in the U.S. with over 10.6 million minutes of consultations in Q2, compared to 9.4 million minutes in Q1 2022.
- HelloLyf consultations in India experienced growth of over 4x with patient consultations increasing by 416K, from 115K in Q2 2021 to 531K in Q2 2022.
- Finalized a contract with a hospital system to provide an education program for their staff on providing health care for minority populations with the goal of driving better outcomes, reducing readmittance rates and reducing legal penalties for the hospital.
- Announced the hiring of operations veteran, Daniel Mandoli, as Executive Vice President of our Services Business. Operations optimizations are underway across the pharmacy business.
- Subsequent to quarter end, the independent directors of UpHealth welcomed the termination of litigation that delayed the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. As a result of the termination of the litigation, the Company will hold its Annual Meeting of Stockholders as soon as practicable.
Convertible Debt Financing
The Company announced today the sale of $67.5 million in aggregate principal amount of a new series of variable rate convertible senior secured notes due December 15, 2025 (the "2025 Notes") in a private placement transaction, raising approximately $22.5 million in gross cash proceeds after paying for a repurchase of $45.0 million of its 6.25% convertible senior notes due 2026. The 2025 Notes are convertible into shares of UpHealth common stock at a conversion price of $1.75 per share, which represents a 101% premium over the most recent closing price of UpHealth's common stock.
The 2025 Notes will be senior secured obligations of UpHealth and will accrue interest at a rate equal to the daily secured overnight financing rate ("SOFR") plus 9.0% per annum, with a minimum rate of 10.5% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears. The 2025 Notes will mature on December 15, 2025, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. Holders will have the right to convert their 2025 Notes at any time. UpHealth will settle conversions solely in shares of its common stock, except for payments of cash in lieu of fractional shares.
"We are pleased to announce this milestone transaction. Importantly, the proceeds of this offering will be used to repay the outstanding Seller Notes that mature on September 1, 2022, as well as provide us with the liquidity to execute against our growth plans," commented Martin Beck, CFO of UpHealth. "This transaction provides us with more than three years until any significant borrowings reach maturity, while maintaining the Company's total leverage."
The 2025 Notes were offered in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and, along with the shares of common stock underlying the 2025 Notes, have not been registered under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the 2025 Notes and the underlying shares of common stock may not be offered, sold, pledged or otherwise transferred except to a qualified institutional buyer (within the meaning Rule 144A under the Securities Act) pursuant to an effective Securities Act registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.
Oppenheimer & Co Inc. served as exclusive placement agent for the 2025 Notes.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
At June 30, 2022, UpHealth reported $41.1 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. On April 9, 2022, the Company repaid its forward share purchase agreement according to the terms of the contract.
Conference Call
UpHealth management will host a live question-and-answer session with investors and analysts beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today, August 15, 2022. The call can be accessed live over the telephone by dialing (877) 344-8082, passcode 150118, from the U.S. or International callers can dial (213) 992-4618, passcode 150118. There will also be a simultaneous, live webcast available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's web site at https://investors.uphealthinc.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx or directly here. The webcast will be archived for approximately 30 days.
About UpHealth, Inc.
UpHealth is a global digital health company that delivers digital-first technology, infrastructure and services to dramatically improve how healthcare is delivered and managed. The UpHealth platform creates digitally enabled "care communities" that improve access and achieve better patient outcomes at lower cost, through digital health solutions and interoperability tools that serve patients wherever they are, in their native language. UpHealth's clients include global governments, health plans, healthcare providers and community-based organizations. For more information, please visit https://uphealthinc.com and follow us at @UpHealthInc on Twitter and UpHealth Inc on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the financial statements of UpHealth, its product offerings and developments and reception of its product by customers, statements regarding payments pursuant to the terms of UpHealth's debt obligations and the conversion or maturity of such debt and UpHealth's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects or strategies regarding the future revenue and the business plans of UpHealth's management team. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the management of UpHealth in light of their respective experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments and their potential effects on UpHealth as well as other factors they believe are appropriate in the circumstances. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting UpHealth will be those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the parties), or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including the ability of UpHealth to service or otherwise pay its debt obligations, the mix of services utilized by UpHealth's customers and such customers' needs for these services, market acceptance of new service offerings, the ability of UpHealth to expand what it does for existing customers as well as to add new customers, that UpHealth will have sufficient capital to operate as anticipated, and the impact that the novel coronavirus and the illness, COVID-19, that it causes, as well as government responses to deal with the spread of this illness and the reopening of economies that have been closed as part of these responses, may have on UpHealth's operations, the demand for UpHealth's products, global supply chains and economic activity in general. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of the assumptions being made prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Investor Relations:
Shannon Devine (MZ North America)
Managing Director
203-741-8811
UPH@mzgroup.us
Media Inquiries:
Kelsie Aziz (Ketchum)
Vice President, Financial Communications
972-408-7103
kelsie.aziz@Ketchum.com
UPHEALTH, INC.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Non-GAAP Financial Information
This press release includes financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). To supplement UpHealth's condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, UpHealth presents investors with non-GAAP financial measures, including pro forma revenue, pro forma gross margin and adjusted EBITDA.
- Pro forma revenue consists of GAAP revenue and revenue from UpHealth's subsidiaries prior to their acquisition.
- Pro forma gross margin consists of GAAP gross margin and gross margin from UpHealth's subsidiaries prior to their acquisition.
- Adjusted EBITDA consists of net income (loss) attributable to UpHealth, Inc., excluding depreciation and amortization; stock-based compensation; lease abandonment expenses; goodwill/intangible asset impairment; acquisition, integration, and transformation costs; other income (expense); income tax benefit (expense); income (loss) from equity method investment; net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests; and other non-recurring charges to GAAP net income (loss) attributable to UpHealth, Inc. Other non-recurring charges to GAAP net income (loss) attributable to UpHealth, Inc. may include transaction expenses in connection with capital raising transactions (whether debt, equity or equity-linked) and acquisitions, whether or not consummated, purchase price adjustments, the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles, or other expenses determined to be non-recurring.
UpHealth believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provides important supplemental information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to UpHealth's financial condition and results of operations. Management believes that the items described above provide an additional measure of UpHealth's operating results and facilitates comparisons of UpHealth's core operating performance against prior periods and business model objectives. This information is provided to investors in order to facilitate additional analyses of past, present, and future operating performance and as a supplemental means to evaluate UpHealth's ongoing operations. UpHealth believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in their assessment of UpHealth's operating performance.
Pro forma revenue, pro forma gross margin and adjusted EBITDA are not calculated in accordance with GAAP, and should be considered supplemental to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. You should not consider these measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of UpHealth's results as reported under GAAP. UpHealth compensates for these limitations by prominently disclosing GAAP financial measures and providing investors with reconciliations from UpHealth's GAAP operating results to the non-GAAP financial measures for the relevant periods.
The accompanying tables provide more details on the GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to the non-GAAP financial measures described above and the related reconciliations between these financial measures.
UPHEALTH, INC.
SEGMENT INFORMATION AND RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (1)
(In thousands, unaudited)
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SOURCE UpHealth, Inc. | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/uphealth-announces-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-08-15T13:01:52Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/uphealth-announces-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COBLESKILL — Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, said Sunday she expects former President Donald Trump and Republicans generally will derive political benefits from the FBI's execution of a search warrant at Trump's Florida residence.
When asked by CNHI if she was concerned the FBI investigation could erode support for Trump, who has yet to say whether he'll mount a run for his old job in 2024, Stefanik responded: "Absolutely not."
"It's energizing Republicans because they see the politicization of the FBI," added Stefanik.
In her nearly eight years in Congress, the 38-year-old Stefanik has a shot of becoming the most powerful female congresswoman in the nation if control of the lower chamber of Congress is captured by her party in the November election. She is now the House Republican Conference chair.
Stefanik argued the public has reason to be suspicious of the FBI in the surprise raid at the former President's home last week.
"This is the same agency that perpetuated the Russian hoax," said Stefanik, using the phrase Trump and conservative Republicans coined for an FBI investigation into suspicions Trump's 2016 campaign collaborated with Russia to win the White House.
Earlier Sunday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in the wake of the raid on Trump's property, took issue with Republicans claiming President Joe Biden has politicized the FBI and the Department of Justice. The agents, according to an unsealed search warrant application, are investigating whether Trump violated the Espionage Act and unlawfully removed public records when he left office.
“This is not about politicizing anything,” Jean-Pierre told ABC “This Week." She noted FBI director Christopher Wray was appointed by Trump.
But Stefanik, who spent Sunday afternoon mingling with attendees at the Cobleskill Fair, argued there is good reason to be concerned with the FBI's direction.
She noted the FBI "hasn't been transparent" about its relationship with the owner of a company whose stretch limousine crashed in Schoharie County in October 2018, killing all 18 occupants and two pedestrians in one of the worst motor vehicle tragedies in decades.
The owner of Prestige Limousine, Shahed Hussain, had returned to his native Pakistan after being an undercover informant for the FBI. The limousine company was managed by Hussain's nephew, Nauman Hussain, who pleaded guilty to charges of criminally negligent homicide last September in exchange for being put on probation for five years.
Stefanik said there is ample reason for congressional scrutiny of the FBI, based on its handling of informants such as Shahed Hussain
Stefanik has remained a solid Trump ally following his defeat to current President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Her name has surfaced as a potential running mate for Trump should he again seek the presidency.
She called it "very, very concerning" the FBI went through with the raid within 100 days of the 2022 midterm election.
"I think President Trump is more likely than ever to run for president," Stefanik said.
As to her political future, Stefanik said she plans to support House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House if the GOP does succeed in taking the majority. Beyond that, she said, she is "getting a lot of encouragement for other positions in leadership," while emphasizing she is currently focused on urging voters to support her re-election drive.
While much of her current district in the North Country remains intact through redistricting, Schoharie County and parts of northern Otsego County will be added to her district when new lines take effect in January.
On another front, Stefanik voiced disappointment that news media outlets in her district have not lined up a primary debate that would feature the two Democrats running for her seat, Matt Putorti and Matt Castelli.
"Voters deserve to know their positions, and that includes Democratic primary voters," Stefanik said.
Stefanik's district, New York 21, is among the three most solidly Republican congressional districts in New York, according to the non-partisan Cook Political Report. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/stefanik-trump-more-likely-than-ever-to-seek-white-house/article_324ce95c-1c3f-11ed-ad6a-3303ced83240.html | 2022-08-15T13:16:13Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/stefanik-trump-more-likely-than-ever-to-seek-white-house/article_324ce95c-1c3f-11ed-ad6a-3303ced83240.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Went a bargin in Sale yesterday morning @ $ 9 (DVD $8), I like Tinky\nVoT June June\nLynn Harrop June June. But will probably rent or at least have a Netlrfy queue? TBA and probably NetFLIEX because this way with time we both get to pick it up, although a biggie, you get first chance.\nJust bought this today on Etsy and looks awesome!! PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The sheriff’s office says a car crash turned into a shooting situation in Kent County on Sunday.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office says it started with a crash between two vehicles in the area of 4 Mile Road and Plainfield Avenue in Plainfield Township around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
The sheriff’s office says the at-fault vehicle took off after the crash and the other vehicle involved followed them.
According to the sheriff’s office, the at-fault vehicle fired shots at the other vehicle as the two turned onto 4 Mile Road. The vehicle wasn’t hit, but a home along 4 Mile Road was hit by gunfire.
No one was injured in the incident.
Deputies are still investigating. If you have any information that could help deputies, call the Kent County Sheriff’s Office at 616-632-6125, or call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/kent/sheriffs-office-crash-turns-into-shooting-incident-in-plainfield-township | 2022-08-15T13:17:01Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/kent/sheriffs-office-crash-turns-into-shooting-incident-in-plainfield-township | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Is your son or daughter celebrating a birthday? We can help you send them a Birthday Shoutout on FOX 17 Morning News.
You can send us their name, picture, birth date, how old they're turning, a short write-up about them, your email, and where you live in West Michigan.
NOTE: Sending us your kid’s birthday notice on their birthday is too late. Please submit birthdays 24 hours in advance.
Email those details to mornings@fox17online.com and watch for them on FOX 17 Morning News! | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/birthday-shoutouts/birthday-shoutouts-liam-aug-13 | 2022-08-15T13:17:19Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/birthday-shoutouts/birthday-shoutouts-liam-aug-13 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KraftHeinz is issuing a nationwide recall of a specific variety of its popular Capri Sun juice pouches after the discovery of a cleaning solution in some products.
About 5,760 cases of the Wild Cherry flavor pouches have been recalled. Affected products have a "best by" date of June 25, 2023, with UPC code 087684001004.
According to the company, a diluted cleaning solution meant to be used on food processing equipment was inadvertently introduced into a production line at a factory.
Several consumers contacted the company to complain about the taste of the product.
Consumers who purchased these items should not drink them and can return the pouches to the store where it was purchased.
You are asked to call Kraft Heinz from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-280-8252 to see if a product is part of the recall and to receive reimbursement.
This article was written by Chase McPherson for WFTX. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/some-capri-sun-pouches-recalled-for-traces-of-cleaning-agent | 2022-08-15T13:17:31Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/some-capri-sun-pouches-recalled-for-traces-of-cleaning-agent | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Things will never be the same for the family of Chandan Gupta, who was killed in a communal clash that erupted over a flag march in Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, taken out on Republic Day in the year 2018. Though the exact chain of events leading to the violence had been subjected to multiple versions, it was clear that something triggered a fight between local Muslims and the participants of the Tiranga Yatra, and the Hindu volunteer named Chandan died.
Chandan’s father had alleged that his son was shot for refusing to chant “Pakistan Zindabad”.
Chandan’s untimely death was widely mourned by a majority of Indians except for a handful of so-called liberals who started to blame him for his own death.
The year following his death, the state government honoured Chandan’s family in the Republic Day parade organised in the police line in Kasganj. Following the demands from Chandan’s family, the government announced that a chowk or intersection in the town will be named after Chandan. Along with these, Chandan’s sister Kirti had reportedly been offered a contractual job with the government.
The Uttar Pradesh police in this matter were quick to act and on 31st January 2018 arrested the main accused Salim and 120 others. The two brothers of his Naseem and Waseem who continued to evade arrest were also finally apprehended.
However, no amount of effort can ever be adequate to heal a family that has lost a young son. Chandan Gupta’s family’s anguish over the killing of their son at the hands of enraged fanatics has only grown with time. After nearly 4 years, OpIndia contacted Sushil Gupta, the late Chandan Gupta’s father, to inquire about the latest situation in his home.
Fear compelled the elder son to quit his job: Father of Chandan Gupta narrates his family’s ordeal
Chandan’s father, who still hasn’t come to terms with the death of his young son, told OpIndia, “After Chandan was murdered, my family was protected by a police gunman for over a year. However, after a year, our security was lifted. My eldest son, Vivek Gupta, is a witness in this case. He worked in a private firm as a medical representative, but we got him to quit his job out of fear. We’ve also received a number of threats over time. Now the entire family’s responsibility rests with me alone. I am taking care of my family by working as a compounder in a private hospital. We have to get our daughter also married in the next few years, said Chandan’s father.
All accused except Salim have been released from jail
Chandan Gupta’s father informed us how over time, 28 out of the 29 individuals charged in connection with the 2018 Kasganj communal clash and the subsequent murder of Chandan Gupta, have been released from jail. “The High Court granted bail to all of them. Only one accused, Salim, is currently in custody, and his case will be tried in the High Court this month,” said Sushil Gupta.
According to Gupta, he has also filed a caveat in this case in his own capacity and was incurring a lot of expenses while fighting the case before the High Court. He said that the accused are well-off. As a result, they have an advantage when it comes to battling the law.
He went on to explain that when they went to Kasganj court to defend the case, they would have three or four people on their side, while the accused would get 100 to 200 to support them. Sushil Gupta further lamented how it was becoming impossible for his family to cope with pursuing the legal battle in the High Court with their limited resources, which is why they got the case shifted to the Lucknow Court. “Now, we travel to Lucknow for the hearings that too without any security,” said Chandan’s father.
Witnesses not coming forward in fear says father of Chandan Gupta
“There were more than a half-dozen witnesses in Chandan’s murder case,” said Chandan Gupta’s father, adding that, except for a handful, everyone else is refusing to testify. “Now that my elder son is the sole remaining eyewitness in the case, we are more concerned about his safety,” said Sushil Gupta to OpIndia.
Unfulfilled promises
Sushil Gupta became emotional while speaking with us. “After Chandan died, a flurry of promises were made to us, including granting my daughter a government job and renaming a municipal plaza after Chandan,” he added, tearfully. “My daughter has just finished her MSc. He was granted a job at the block level, which lasted only 5 months. Aside from that, we have placed Chandan’s statue at the crossroads at our own expense, but it has not been unveiled until today,” said Sushil Gupta.
It is unknown, however, if the administration was consulted before erecting Chandan’s bust at the crossroads. However, if Sushil Gupta is to be believed, the place where Chandan’s statue was placed was proposed by Minister Suresh Pasi after discussion with local authorities following his death. At its board meeting, the municipality also approved renaming Nadrai Gate to Chandan Chowk. However, the municipality had left the construction at the location of the statue’s installation incomplete. Following that, Chandan’s family and other community members plastered the platform and installed an idol there on January 3, 2022.
Also, we have not been able to speak with the administration regarding Sushil Gupta’s assertion concerning his daughter’s work. As soon as we receive the details, we will update this report.
Food was not prepared at the home of late Chandan Gupta on Rakshabandhan
The beleaguered father of Chandan Gupta told us how his family has stopped celebrating festivals after the demise of his younger son. “On Rakshabandhan, my daughter placed sweets and a Rakhi in front of Chandan’s photo and sobbed the entire day. We didn’t even turn on the gas stove… no food was prepared in our house on that day,” Sushil Gupta bemoaned.
He further told us how his wife often falls sick thinking about that awful day. “The government then helped us with 20 lakh rupees, however, all that money has been utilised in fighting Chandan’s murder case.”
Some people approach us with offers to end the case
“It is a travesty that while I am fighting for justice for my late son despite all the threats and pressure, there are these individuals who are being sent to pressurise me to finish the case. Most of them who approach me are Hindus. They come to me with various offers and temptations. However, I am willing to die but not give up. I will fight until my last breath to bring those responsible for the death of my son to justice,” said Sushil Gupta. | https://www.opindia.com/2022/08/2018-kasganj-communal-clash-chandan-gupta-kin-of-victim-share-their-ordeal/ | 2022-08-15T13:28:12Z | nj.com | treatment | https://www.opindia.com/2022/08/2018-kasganj-communal-clash-chandan-gupta-kin-of-victim-share-their-ordeal/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Aces of Trades: A calling brought Valerie Smith back to Muskingum University
Today the alumni is the director of international programs
NEW CONCORD – “I grew up in the Akron/Canton area and I was a bossy little thing,” joked Valerie Smith.
“After high school,” she said, “I attended Muskingum University to pursue my goal of becoming an accountant. I had no idea what a transformative experience I would have. I made friends with the girls on my floor, including an international student from Poland. She introduced me to so many other international students and I began to learn more about their cultures.
“At the end of my second year at Muskingum,” Smith added, “I realized accounting was not a field that fit my skills and personality. I thrived on human interaction and helping others. I looked at switching to a business degree and realized that because I had been learning Spanish, I could study international business. I had no idea what I was going to do with the degree, but I was ahead in my classes and realized that I could graduate a year early if I did a faculty-led study abroad program at the end of my third year.
“I entered my third year at Muskingum,” she continued, “and was talking to David Purnell, the director of the international programs office. He told me the next step would be to go to graduate school to study college student personnel. Under his guidance, I was accepted as a graduate assistant at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.”
But first, she studied and travelled abroad. She came back to complete her degree at Ball State, then took a job at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
“I received top-notch training on how to do diversity and intercultural training,” she said. “I thought I would be at Lehigh forever. Until David Purnell called me. He was leaving Muskingum University and wanted to know if I was interested in applying for the assistant director of international programs position. I loved Lehigh, but I felt called to return to Muskingum. I’m a Christian and I believe God wanted me at Muskingum.”
Smith began working at Muskingum in January 2003. She’s now the school’s director of international programs. And she returned to school to pursue a doctorate in higher education administration through the University of Liverpool’s (UK) online program.
“Over the years, I’ve watched Valerie welcome hundreds of international students from all over the world,” said Katie Pozzuoli, a former Muskingum student who worked for the international programs office for a time. “She has been a surrogate mother, friend and leader to countless students who have made Muskingum their home. In addition, Valerie has been a strong advocate for American students to expand their worldview through events on campus and study abroad opportunities. Muskingum is a small university in a tiny little town, but it’s a diverse, international community in large part because of Valerie’s work."
“While I never could have predicted this to be my career,” Smith responded, “it matches my passion perfectly. I’m able to serve and be an advocate, which is especially rewarding. Every day is different and there are always opportunities to grow and develop professionally. I get to continue learning about other cultures, encouraging students to discover their own strengths through study abroad programs and guiding international students as they transition to life and studies in the US.
“I’m so fortunate,” she concluded, “to have the best job at Muskingum.”
For more information about Muskingum University, log on www.muskingum.edu.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at trnews@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/a-calling-brought-valerie-smith-back-to-muskingum-university/10209088002/ | 2022-08-15T13:29:06Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/a-calling-brought-valerie-smith-back-to-muskingum-university/10209088002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Public Records: Muskingum County Divorces & Dissolutions
Times Recorder
USA Today Network
Muskingum County Domestic Relations Court
Divorces
July 12
Scott Massey and Priscilla Massey
James Gallis and Terrika Gallis
July 13
Jennifer Pinkerton and Brian Pinkerton
July 15
Rodney Ballard and Angela Ballard
July 19
Daniel Gibbs and Natasha Gibbs
July 27
Pedro Ramos and Stephanie Ramos
July 28
Aaron Taylor and Michele Taylor
Christopher Chaney and Debra Poulton
Jo Baugess and Kenneth Baugess
Dissolutions
July 7
Andrea Dupler and Rolland Dupler Jr.
July 21
Jereme Bowden and Heather Bowden
Jessica Noyes and Terry Noyes
July 28
Rusty Lavy and Charlotte Lavy | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/public-records-muskingum-county-divorces-dissolutions/65394060007/ | 2022-08-15T13:29:12Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/public-records-muskingum-county-divorces-dissolutions/65394060007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
No official holidays in August, but much to celebrate
August is the prelude to fall. Some late summer insects are singing their fall songs daytime and nighttime. There are no official holidays in August, but there is some sort of observance every day.
Aug. 1 was National Girlfriends Day. I’ve had a special girlfriend since we were in second grade. Networking is important with other like-minded folks. We have been "networking” for 73 years. Our Farm Bureau Council has served that networking purpose since we began meeting in 1966.
In my home county the fair was in early August, then the next week was 4-H camp. Our family didn't go on vacations so 4-H camp was a highlight for me. My brother and I showed our Shropshire sheep at our fair. In fact, that's what brought us to the Muskingum County Fair for the first time in 1959 to show our sheep. The Muskingum County Fair is not a holiday, but is a highlight of summer for many. So, even without an official holiday August is a busy month.
The Dog Days of Summer actually have no connection to the four-legged dog. They are the 20 days before and the 20 days after the alignment of Sirius with the Sun. This year the Dog Days were July 3 to Aug. 11. Sometimes these are extremely hot days. Sirius, or the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the night sky, a blue/white star that seems to twinkle. It is a part of the constellation Canis Major.
Before the times of the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines there was an undercurrent of fear of polio, a paralytic disease that mostly affected children. Since the Dog Days of Summer were typically hot days and since polio was primarily a disease transmitted in summer, the fear of polio and Dog Days seemed to be connected in peoples' minds. People stayed away from swimming pools and some closed.
After years of research and testing, Jonas Salk in the early 1950s developed a polio vaccine. Then a few years later Albert Sabin developed an oral vaccine. I remember being among the families in line at our high school to get that vaccine. Polio was declared eliminated from the Americas in 1994.
National Root Beer Float was Aug. 6. I think I'll take the opportunity to celebrate that day all month with root beer floats made with chocolate ice cream.
Iris Eppley is a member of the Farm Bureau Council. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/muskingum-county/2022/08/15/no-official-holidays-in-august-but-much-to-celebrate/65390928007/ | 2022-08-15T13:29:18Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/muskingum-county/2022/08/15/no-official-holidays-in-august-but-much-to-celebrate/65390928007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Football preview: Better starts, defense keys for high-powered New Lex
NEW LEXINGTON − Slow starts and defensive lapses haunted New Lexington a year ago.
The Panthers hope to erase both of those under fourth-year coach Kevin Board.
"We missed a couple of opportunities last season with slow starts so we need to break bad habits and find a way to start faster," Board said. "Our leadership is strong. We lost some vocal leaders the past two years and have been looking for some new ones. We're seeing it from our seniors and juniors in practice, and their lead will aid us on the field."
Senior Tatem Toth, who had 1,155 receiving yards with eight TDs as a receiver last season, will highlight both sides of the ball. He admitted the defense is ready to show their improvement.
"We gave up too many big plays and touchdowns on third and fourth downs last season," said Toth, who holds several records at the school. "We have playmakers on offense, but this is a comeback year for our defense. It's about getting stops and stepping up on money downs so we can get off the field."
An improved defense paired with a skilled offense has the Panthers ready to go. Senior Lukas Ratliff will step into the quarterback role after a productive Hunter Kellogg graduated. Sophomore Isaiah Stephens has also seen reps this summer and could be called upon depending on the situation. Stephens will likely also see time at wide receiver.
"It's been competition. Neither could rest on their laurels knowing the other could take the job. We kept it open to see who would take command, and they had good summers," Board said. "Lukas has taken it so far, and his athleticism and experience should help in that transition. They're both competent in our system, and we feel comfortable with either back there."
Ratliff, who has excelled at receiver the past few seasons, noted that experience has aided his transition.
"Being a wide receiver shows me what to do to help my teammates get open and get them the ball in space," Ratliff said. "We have a very experienced team with high expectations. We're very determined and want to do everything right. We believe in each other because we have good chemistry on and off the field."
There will be plenty of help on the offensive side of the ball. Senior Hunter Rose, who ran for nearly 1,200 yards and 16 TDs last season, has better understanding of the offense, noted Board. He expects Rose to be a factor again, while sophomore Carson Kellogg brings elusiveness as the backup.
Along with Toth, seniors Isaac Dick and Ryan Hobbs are back at wide receiver, while junior Jerek Braglin returns to the program. Sophomore Bentley Hanson and seniors Hunter Renick and Gabe Lavender provide some depth.
"Tatem is a sure-handed receiver and brings all of his experience to the younger guys," Board said. "Jerek is a high-energy guy, and Ryan and Isaac bring a lot of skill. I like what this group brings to our offense."
Toth believes Ratliff's athletic ability adds another element to what should be a high-powered offense.
"Lukas is a big run threat, and his athletic ability can keep plays alive," Toth said. "Our line can get off the ball, and we have a lot of experience in key spots. That also helps bring the younger guys along and show them what we expect. We have a lot of confidence in each other."
The offensive line will also feature plenty of experience. Seniors Zach Robinson, a three-year starter and four-year letter winner, and Brady Kennedy, a three-year starter at center, return. Senior Zane Pletcher, who played on the defensive line last year, will become a two-way starter for the Panthers, while seniors Conner Miller, an out-of-state transfer, and Michael Vernon and sophomore Malakye Thresher round out the rotation.
Pletcher and Vernon will also start as defensive ends with Robinson, Kennedy, Miller and sophomore Ethan Fondale among those seeing time inside.
"Zach and Brady know how to communicate well. Their leadership is key to both lines and making sure everyone is on the same page, working together," Board said. "We have eight, nine guys we can rotate in. Having that versatility up front will help us out. It's nice to have depth there."
The back end of the defense will feature plenty of speed. Rose steps into the MIKE linebacker spot, which Hunter Kellogg played last season, while returning starter, junior Lane Baker, the team's third leading tackler, is also back at inside linebacker. Junior Nolan Carson and freshman Harrison Ratliff will be the backups, while the outside backer spots include Hobbs and Lavender with Carson Kellogg, junior Caleb Back and sophomore Nicholas Finley set to fill in.
Hanson developed into a shutdown corner last season and will anchor the secondary with junior Chase Dumolt back on the other side. Ratliff and Toth will be the starting safeties with Stephens and junior Trace Wollenberg available to provide some rest.
Toth also returns to the punting role as one of the best in the Muskingum Valley League, while Chase and junior Cameron Dumolt and freshman Tristen Barrowman are battling for the kicking duties.
Pletcher and Rose understand the importance the defense will be to New Lex's aspirations. They agreed it will take a four-quarter effort.
"Our line is growing together, and we're learning to talk to each other better," Pletcher said. "We're going to play hard for four quarters and give 100% effort each play. That's why we expect to compete for the Small School Division and more."
Rose added, "We have a lot of explosive players, and we need to be better tacklers. I feel like we have a powerhouse offense, and we need a defense to match. I'm going to bring hard-nosed play up the middle, and I know the guys around me will do the same."
Working with these seniors for four years has instilled confidence in the program. Board believes that continuity could help the Panthers, who expect to be in a battle with what could be a wide-open MVL Small School race.
"Our guys understand what we need and want to do. The standard has been set," Board said. "The Small School will be very competitive, and the hunger is there. Now, it comes down to being better in the areas we struggled last season and putting together four good quarters. If we can do those things, we should have a chance in every game."
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/15/better-starts-defense-keys-for-high-powered-new-lex/65399385007/ | 2022-08-15T13:29:24Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/15/better-starts-defense-keys-for-high-powered-new-lex/65399385007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ZDGA Seniors: A Baker's half dozen for Warsaw native
ZANESVILLE — Needing one more title to set another standard of excellence, Brad Baker did what almost always does on Sunday.
Close the deal.
With a sixth consecutive Zanesville District Golf Association Senior Amateur title on the line, Baker's 2-under-par 70 was more than enough to secure the title at Zanesville Country Club.
Baker finished six shots ahead of Rich Bubenchik, who earned runner-up honors for the eighth time since becoming senior eligible. His three-shot lead slipped to one when he bogeyed the par-5 seventh and Bubenchik sank a birdie, but Baker responded with birdies on the ninth and 10th to pull away.
Frazee had his own chances to make a run on the front nine, but he never got closer than three shots of the lead. He finished with 75.
"I hit 16 greens," Baker said. "I missed 18 at the end, when it rolled off the front of the green, but it was a pretty ball-striking round."
That only lend to good scoring on a course like ZCC, Baker said.
"The greens are so good that if you give yourself opportunities, the greens are nice enough to score," Baker said. "You are not going to three-putt a whole lot out there. I knew if I played a decent round that it would be hard, having a two-shot lead on Troy and a three-shot on Rich, that it was going to be tough to catch me."
His sixth straight Seniors win established a new record for most consecutive ZDGA wins. He broke the mark set by Hall of Famer Scott Cope, who won five in succession in the Amateur in the 1980s.
Cope, ironically, is a close friend of Baker. Baker said he would be sure to remind him.
"Winning never gets old," Baker said. "I just love to compete, no matter the sport. I just love to get out there and compete, and now that I am a little older, golf is the only thing I can do."
Bubenchik found himself in another runner-up spot, despite a solid 73 that bested every player in the field on Sunday aside from Baker. He left pleased with his play, even if it didn't net a victory. This weekend marked the first time he had played in two weeks due to work and coaching the John Glenn girls golf team.
"I played really well," Bubenchik said. "I back on the round and I maybe missed one shot. I made nothing."
Given who he was facing, a hot putter was needed.
"(Baker) just doesn't make mistakes, and when he makes mistakes he gets out with minimal damage," Bubenchik said.
Frazee finished seven shots back at 217, followed by Kevin Terry (76-72-76 — 222), Tom Crowley (79-70-77 — 226), Tom Bragg (78-75-77 — 230), Ben Harris (79-77-75 — 231), Todd Hixson (78-73-81 — 232), Chris Luthi (85-69-81 — 235), Mike Walters (82-75-78 — 235) and Dave Durst (80-76-80 — 236).
In the 65-and-older Super Seniors, Dave Kennedy followed a sterling 71 during the second round at EagleSticks with a 75 to earn a six-shot win with a total of 220. Former champion Jim Spargrove was second (76-74-76 — 226), Dave Sheppard third (83-73-74 — 229), Mark Ballmer fourth (81-73-76 — 230) and Dick McPeck fifth (74-78-83 — 235).
Kennedy shot 41 on the front but rebounded with a 2-under 34 on the back, which included birdies on the 13th and 16th.
"I got off to a good start the first two days," Kennedy said. "I didn't get off to a good start today, but I held it together. It was a little shaky today. I hit the first tee shot out of bounds."
Kennedy felt confident entering the final round, despite his limited experience at ZCC. He didn't have a three-putt.
"I maybe play here once or twice a year," Kennedy said. "(Spargrove) plays here about every day. I felt pretty good, because I was hitting the ball pretty solid, and keeping the ball in play and not making many mistakes."
Kennedy moved to Zanesville from Chicago in 2010 and is now a veteran of ZDGA events. He said the camaraderie is among the things about the Seniors that he appreciates most.
"It's a great bunch of guys," Kennedy said. "I play with a lot of them during the year, and it's good to be able to play different golf courses, and competitively, too. It's better than going out and just playing with different guys. I've started to really enjoy competitive golf."
sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/15/zdga-seniors-a-bakers-half-dozen-for-warsaw-native/65403252007/ | 2022-08-15T13:29:30Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/sports/2022/08/15/zdga-seniors-a-bakers-half-dozen-for-warsaw-native/65403252007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KraftHeinz is issuing a nationwide recall of a specific variety of its popular Capri Sun juice pouches after the discovery of a cleaning solution in some products.
About 5,760 cases of the Wild Cherry flavor pouches have been recalled. Affected products have a "best by" date of June 25, 2023, with UPC code 087684001004.
According to the company, a diluted cleaning solution meant to be used on food processing equipment was inadvertently introduced into a production line at a factory.
Several consumers contacted the company to complain about the taste of the product.
Consumers who purchased these items should not drink them and can return the pouches to the store where it was purchased.
You are asked to call Kraft Heinz from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-280-8252 to see if a product is part of the recall and to receive reimbursement.
This article was written by Chase McPherson for WFTX. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/some-capri-sun-pouches-recalled-for-traces-of-cleaning-agent | 2022-08-15T13:33:08Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/some-capri-sun-pouches-recalled-for-traces-of-cleaning-agent | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
An Iranian government official denied on Monday that Tehran was involved in the assault on author Salman Rushdie, though he justified the stabbing in remarks that represented the Islamic Republic's first public comments on the attack.
The comments by Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, came more than two days after the attack on Rushdie in New York. The writer has now been taken off a ventilator and is “on the road to recovery,” according to his agent.
However, Iran has denied carrying out other operations abroad targeting dissidents in the years since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, despite prosecutors and Western governments attributing such attacks back to Tehran. And while Iran hasn't focused on the writer in recent years, a decades-old fatwa demanding his killing still stands.
“Regarding the attack against Salman Rushdie in America, we don’t consider anyone deserving reproach, blame or even condemnation, except for (Rushdie) himself and his supporters,” Kanaani said.
“In this regard, no one can blame the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added. “We believe that the insults made and the support he received was an insult against followers of all religions.”
Rushdie, 75, was stabbed Friday while attending an event in western New York. He suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, his agent Andrew Wylie said. Rushdie was likely to lose the injured eye.
His assailant, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the attack through his lawyer.
Rushdie has for more than 30 years faced death threats for “The Satanic Verses.” Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had issued a fatwa, or Islamic edict, demanding his death. A semiofficial Iranian foundation had put up a bounty of over $3 million for the author, though it has yet to offer any comment on the attack.
Police in New York have offered no motive yet for the attack, though District Attorney Jason Schmidt alluded to the bounty on Rushdie in arguing against bail during a hearing Saturday.
“Even if this court were to set a million dollars bail, we stand a risk that bail could be met,” Schmidt said.
Matar was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, according to the village's mayor. Flags of the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah, along with portraits of Hezbollah and Iranian leaders, hang across the village. Israel also has bombarded Hezbollah positions near there in the past.
In Yaroun, village records show Matar holds Lebanese citizenship and is identified as a Shiite, an official there said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said Matar’s father still lives there but has been in seclusion since the attack.
In his remarks Monday, Kanaani added that Iran did not "have any other information more than what the American media has reported.” He also implied that Rushdie brought the attack on himself.
“Salman Rushdie exposed himself to popular anger and fury through insulting the sacredness of Islam and crossing the red lines of over 1.5 billion Muslims and also red lines of followers of all divine religions,” Kanaani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while not directly blaming Tehran for the attack on Rushdie, made a point to mention Iran in a statement early Monday praising the writer's efforts in supporting freedom of expression and religion.
“Iranian state institutions have incited violence against Rushdie for generations, and state-affiliated media recently gloated about the attempt on his life,” Blinken said. “This is despicable.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the attack on Rushdie at a lecture Sunday, saying that “a man with a knife cannot silence a man with a pen.”
Khomeini, in poor health in the last year of his life after the grinding, stalemated 1980s Iran-Iraq war had decimated the country’s economy, issued the fatwa on Rushdie in 1989. The Islamic edict came amid a violent uproar in the Muslim world over the novel, which some viewed as blasphemously making suggestions about the Prophet Muhammad’s life. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/iran-denies-involvement-but-justifies-salman-rushdie-attack | 2022-08-15T13:33:13Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/iran-denies-involvement-but-justifies-salman-rushdie-attack | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lawyers for American basketball star Brittney Griner on Monday filed an appeal against her nine-year Russian prison sentence for drug possession, Russian news agencies reported Monday.
Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted on Aug. 4. She was arrested in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage.
Griner played for a women's basketball team in Yekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason.
Lawyer Maria Blagovolina was quoted by Russian news agencies on Monday as saying the appeal was filed, but the grounds of the appeal weren't immediately clear.
Blagovolina and co-counsel Alexander Boykov said after the conviction that the sentence was excessive and that in similar cases defendants have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them granted parole.
Griner admitted that she had the canisters in her luggage, but said she had inadvertently packed them in haste and that she had no criminal intent. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.
Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unusual step of revealing publicly in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to get Griner home home, along with Paul Whelan, an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage.
Blinken didn't elaborate, but The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Washington has offered to free Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. and once earned the nickname the “Merchant of Death.”
On Sunday, a senior Russian diplomat said exchange talks have been conducted.
“This quite sensitive issue of the swap of convicted Russian and U.S. citizens is being discussed through the channels defined by our presidents," Alexander Darchiev, head of the Foreign Ministry’s North America department, told state news agency Tass. "These individuals are, indeed, being discussed. The Russian side has long been seeking the release of Viktor Bout. The details should be left to professionals, proceeding from the ‘do not harm’ principle.'" | https://www.katc.com/news/national/lawyers-appeal-brittney-griners-russian-prison-sentence | 2022-08-15T13:33:19Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/lawyers-appeal-brittney-griners-russian-prison-sentence | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KraftHeinz is issuing a nationwide recall of a specific variety of its popular Capri Sun juice pouches after the discovery of a cleaning solution in some products.
About 5,760 cases of the Wild Cherry flavor pouches have been recalled. Affected products have a "best by" date of June 25, 2023, with UPC code 087684001004.
According to the company, a diluted cleaning solution meant to be used on food processing equipment was inadvertently introduced into a production line at a factory.
Several consumers contacted the company to complain about the taste of the product.
Consumers who purchased these items should not drink them and can return the pouches to the store where it was purchased.
You are asked to call Kraft Heinz from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-280-8252 to see if a product is part of the recall and to receive reimbursement.
This article was written by Chase McPherson for WFTX. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/some-capri-sun-pouches-recalled-for-traces-of-cleaning-agent | 2022-08-15T13:33:25Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/some-capri-sun-pouches-recalled-for-traces-of-cleaning-agent | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
220811-N-XB010-1007 Philippine Sea (Aug. 11, 2022) Seaman Aiyana Simmons, from Pembrooke, N.C., directs a landing craft air cushion (LCAC) as ramp marshal as it departs the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans’ (LPD 18) well deck. New Orleans, part of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Desmond Parks)
This work, Well Deck Operations aboard USS New Orleans August 11, 2022 [Image 12 of 12], by PO1 Desmond Parks, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7370130/well-deck-operations-aboard-uss-new-orleans-august-11-2022 | 2022-08-15T13:43:23Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7370130/well-deck-operations-aboard-uss-new-orleans-august-11-2022 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Drivers are being urged to follow a "simple tip" which is believed to "save 4p of fuel a minute". Petrol prices still remain high as supermarkets and petrol chains have been urged by the RAC to reduce their prices quicker, following a 9p fall in July.
The latest RAC Fuel Watch indicates that motorists will have to pay 174.79p per litre of unleaded and 185.40p per litre of diesel. It is, therefore, no surprise that the number of drivers following fuel-saving techniques is not showing any signs of dropping.
One key step that motorists could take advantage of is to avoid idling when at the wheel. Rule 123 of the Highway Code highlights the “driver and the environment” and declares that motorists must not leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running, the Express reports.
Read more: Urgent petrol warning issued to drivers buying at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons
Drivers are urged to avoid leaving their engines on to cut down on noise and air pollution. The rest of the rule states: “You must not leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road.
“Generally, if the vehicle is stationary and is likely to remain so for more than a couple of minutes, you should apply the parking brake and switch off the engine to reduce emissions and noise pollution. However it is permissible to leave the engine running if the vehicle is stationary in traffic or for diagnosing faults.”
Sometimes, often in winter, drivers may leave their car running to warm it up or to clear their windscreen from fog or frost. In other instances, drivers may avoid turning off their ignition if they are dropping something off at a friend’s house or when stuck in standstill traffic.
Research has shown that an idling engine can burn through three to four pence worth of fuel every minute. Speaking previously to Express.co.uk, Duncan McClure Fisher, founder and CEO of MotorEasy, warned drivers of the massive costs they face simply for keeping their engine on.
He said: “While this might seem very innocent, research has shown an idling engine can burn through 3-4p of fuel a minute. If you are doing 10 minutes of warming up, five days a week, and spending another 30 minutes per week stuck in traffic.
“That adds up to a very handy £166 a year that’s being wasted. It’s obviously not great for the environment to have increased emissions escaping into the atmosphere either.”
Many modern cars with "stop/start" technology save fuel by turning the engine off while the vehicle is stationary. Will Bullen, of Car Lease Special Offers, added that drivers were cautious of their fuel bills and would try to do anything they could to bring costs down.
He said: “We know a lot of people are looking to save money right now and these simple tips are a great start to cutting costs at the petrol pump. Smooth acceleration and braking are the obvious ones, but we also recommend anticipating traffic lights and slow-moving traffic, rather than flooring it between each stop.
“Only small adjustments can have a positive impact on both your fuel consumption and bank balance.”
Read next:
- Ryanair passengers could be slapped with £55 fee if they make common check-in mistake
- Urgent petrol warning issued to drivers buying at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons
- Stark Portugal travel warning issued to holidaymakers who are urged to 'avoid flying'
- British holidaymakers warned of scam sweeping Italy and Europe during summer break
- Jet2, easyJet, BA, Ryanair: Brits travelling to Spain will melt under 'alien' new air-con laws | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/drivers-urged-follow-simple-hack-7465568 | 2022-08-15T13:46:00Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/drivers-urged-follow-simple-hack-7465568 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Three major airlines have specific rules and restrictions for certain types of luggage, warns one holidaymaker who was recently refused boarding on an EasyJet flight. The passenger took to social media to tell others about their experience.
Pandora Sykes said the EasyJet captain refused to allow them onto a flight because her suitcase had a USB port in it, reports the Liverpool Echo. These "smart bags" were reportedly banned by the company in recent weeks, yet according to Pandora, customers were not informed.
They tweeted: "Beware anyone being so foolish to fly Easyjet - captain just refused to let us board our flights because our checked-in suitcases have USB ports (aka “smart bags”). Easyjet quietly changed their Ts&Cs a few weeks ago without telling their customers."
Read more: Jet2, easyJet, BA, Ryanair: new summer travel rules for France, Spain, Turkey and Portugal
Smart luggage includes any bag that contains a lithium batter or power bank which is used to power itself or charge other devices. Several of them have high-tech features such as device charging, electronic locks and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.
However, EasyJet is not the only one with particular rules on battery-powered bags. Here is what each airline says about smart bags.
EasyJet
In all cases, for safety reasons, the lithium battery/power bank needs to be disconnected, so if you are unable to remove it from your luggage, we won’t be able to accept the bag on board.
In the hold
If the smart luggage is to be checked in and put in the hold, you need to disconnect and remove the lithium battery/power bank from the smart luggage at Bag Drop and take it into the cabin with you. Any exposed terminals should be protected from short circuit.
In the cabin
If the smart luggage is to be carried in the cabin, you need to disconnect and remove the lithium battery/power bank from the smart luggage, but it can stay in the bag.
British Airways
If the lithium battery/power bank cannot be readily removed from Smart Baggage by the customer, the Smart Bag will not be accepted on the flight by British Airways. If you can easily remove the lithium battery/power bank, the Smart Bag is permitted for carriage, subject to the following conditions:
- Lithium battery/Power banks up to and including 100Wh are acceptable for carriage.
- Lithium battery/Power banks of more than 100Wh up to 160Wh, please see the information in the lithium batteries section for approval.
If the Wh rating of the Lithium battery / Power Bank is more than 160 Wh, or the Wh rating cannot be determined (e.g. not marked on the battery/Power Bank case) the lithium battery/power bank will not be accepted on the flight.
- If the Smart Baggage is to be checked in and will travel in the hold, the lithium battery/power bank must be removed and carried in the cabin (terminals protected against short circuit).
- If the Smart Baggage is to be carried in the cabin, you must be able to easily remove the lithium battery/power bank, but it can remain in the bag.
If you are bringing Smart Baggage with you, please ensure that you are aware of our security requirements. If your flight is operated by one of our partner airlines, please contact that airline to ensure you are aware of their Smart Baggage restrictions.
Ryanair
You can take a ‘smart bag’ on the plane as your item of carry-on baggage. However, you must remove the lithium battery before you put the bag in the overhead locker. The battery must stay with you at all times.
A ‘smart bag’ can be carried in the hold as checked-in luggage as long as you remove the lithium battery before handing the bag in at the bag-drop desk or the gate. You must take the battery on the plane with you for a Ryanair flight.
Smart bags which the lithium battery has not been removed from are not allowed in checked-in luggage or carry-on baggage, or go through security with them on you (for example in your pockets).
READ NEXT:
British holidaymakers warned of scam sweeping Italy and Europe during summer break
Jet2, easyJet, BA, Ryanair: Brits travelling to Spain will melt under 'alien' new air-con laws
Jet2, BA, Ryanair and easyJet: Travel rules for Greece and Italy for summer holidays | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/easyjet-ryanair-ba-passengers-issued-7465857 | 2022-08-15T13:46:10Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/easyjet-ryanair-ba-passengers-issued-7465857 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In the heart of the Kent countryside, the tiny village of Otterden is home to one of the county's great mysteries. Located at the edge of a small woodland, and standing nine-feet tall is The Lady in the Woods.
The Lady in the Woods is a wooden sculpture, carved out of an ancient oak tree still rooted in the ground. Surrounded by a shroud of secrecy, no one knows who the artist was or quite how long she has been there.
Standing in a remote clearing in the ancient Kite Hill Wood, she is certain to come as a surprise to anyone who happens to stumble across her, who didn't know she was there. Local legend has it that she was created by a young carpentry student in the 1970s.
Read more: I explored the ‘haunted’ Kent landmark with a terrifying past and it was spine-tingling
They say that he found the fallen oak tree and decided to practice his craft on it in the isolated location away from prying eyes. Although the rumours have been mentioned in the local newspapers, and are well known in the area no one has ever stepped forward to claim the work as theirs.
Others believe that the sculptor could have been a local soldier returning from the war in 1945 and discovering his wife had died. And others say is that it was a World War II Polish soldier stationed at nearby Otterden Place, who carved it as a way to honour his wife back home.
The Lady in the Woods stands just off a public footpath in Kite Hill Wood, deep in the countryside in the middle of Faversham, Maidstone and Ashford. The walk to her takes around 20 minutes from Coldharbour Road, although there are several routes you can take.
Last year one of our reporters visited the Lady in the Woods and described her as 'terrifyingly beautiful'. He said: "The first impression was just what a beautiful piece of art it is.
"Impressively tall, she has beautiful lines thanks to the way she has been carved. Stood alongside her in the quiet seclusion, only the slightest sounds of woodland to be heard, it felt strange and special."
Whilst there, he happened upon a chance encounter with another lady, a local woman who has the responsibility of maintaining The Lady in the Woods. She gave some useful background information on the sculpture.
She said at the time: "My neighbour looked after her for 25 years, she knew the local woodsman and he asked her if she'd like to do it. But then she moved away, so before she left we agreed that I'd take over.
"I love doing it - she is so special. Some people say she is creepy but I don't think so. I think she's amazing. She's got no face, so I like to think you can come down here and stand here and she can reflect whatever mood you are in."
The woman said it was people who visited who laid the branches around her in a circle and around her neck. She thought they might do rituals in the clearing, but wasn't sure.
One thing that is for sure, is whether you think she is beautiful or terrifying, The Lady in the Woods is a remarkable and mysterious work of art.
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READ NEXT: | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/mysterious-lady-woods-luring-visitors-7464713 | 2022-08-15T13:46:20Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/mysterious-lady-woods-luring-visitors-7464713 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Tesco supermarkets are looking to prioritise self-service checkouts thanks to a growing dislike of staffed checkouts among customers. The company are likewise intending to move away from the traditional manned checkouts in spite of many calling for them to employ more staff.
The retailer claimed that “lack of customer demand” was the reason for this change, yet a growing petition on Change.org has urged the supermarket to bring back more staff and stop increasing the number of self-service machines.
Tesco's self-service areas have been enlarged in recent months to include machines designed for trolleys, which are three times longer than standard sizes and can allow for six bags to be packed at once. A Tesco spokeswoman told The Grocer: “We are proud to offer customers choice when it comes to checkouts, and after successful trials we are introducing new trolley-accessible self-service checkouts in some of our stores, which have more room and are easier to use for larger shops,”
“Our colleagues and the friendly service they provide are absolutely vital to our stores – they will always be on hand to help our customers, and will continue to operate attended checkouts so that customers can choose the option they prefer.”
However, not everyone is pleased with the change. 69-year-old Pat MacCarthy recently started a petition calling on Tesco to stop increasing their self-service areas. On Change.org Pat called these self-service checkouts a "nightmare" and said they are "not accessible" to everyone.
She wrote: "What used to be a great shopping experience has now become physically difficult, overwhelming, and a nightmare.
"At my local Tesco super-store, and probably all over the country, Tesco is bringing in new self-service and sort-it-out-yourself card only till machines. They make up two thirds of the tills now.
"These new tills are not accessible for people who don't have credit cards and can only use cash or those with little confidence to use these self-service card-only tills - myself included. People such as carers, older people, many disabled people (especially those with mobility problems), manual dexterity issues or lifting problems are unlikely to be able to use these SSCOT's and will most likely have to queue. Sometimes waiting for more than 30 minutes for a staffed till."
The petition has gained over 232,000 signatures with the aim of getting to 300,000. However, the trend for self-service technology seems unstoppable according to Grocery Insight chief executive Steve Dresser.
He told the Grocer: “[Supermarkets] are moving to dedicated checkouts rather than empty manned checkouts, which naturally are linked to the hours given to the front end.
“Of course, there are savings to be made losing the manned checkouts, but the reality is, you rarely see checkouts open these days en masse anyway, so it’s underutilised space. It’s not always positive for customers, however, as some may feel forced into self-service options.”
READ NEXT:
Iceland's £30 cost of living voucher scheme: who can get it and how
Tesco urges customers to pay £2.49 monthly fee in order to save money | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/shopping/tesco-causes-fury-supermarket-giant-7465377 | 2022-08-15T13:46:30Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/shopping/tesco-causes-fury-supermarket-giant-7465377 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- Last month 11.1
- US Empire manufacturing index vs -31.3 vs. 5.0 estimate
- new orders -29.6 vs. +6.2 last month
- prices paid -55.5 vs. -64.3 last month
- prices received 32.7 vs. 31.3 last month
- employment 7.4 vs. 18.0 last month
- shipments -24.1 vs. +25.3 last month
- unfilled orders -12.7 vs. -5.2 last month
- delivery time -0.9 vs. 8.7 last month
- inventory 6.4 vs. 14.8 last month
- average employee workweek -13.1 vs. 4.3 last month
Going forward 6 months
- six-month business conditions +2.1 vs. -6.2 last month
- new orders 14.0 vs. 0.0 last month
- prices paid 49.1 vs. 43.5 last month
- prices received 43.6 vs. 20.7 last month
- number of employees 30.0 vs. 22.5 last month
- average employee workweek -10.9 vs. -9.6 last month
- capital expenditures 12.7 vs. 16.5 last month
- technology spending 10.0 vs. 12.2 last month
- shipments 18.7 vs. 7.2 last month
Big surprise for the regional index. The Fed wants slower growth in hopes to slow inflation , but not falling off a cliff. The level is the lowest since the plunge during the start of the Covid pandemic.
The Empire manufacturing is the 1st of the monthly regional manufacturing indices released by certain Fed districts
The data runs in contrast to the Michigan survey which saw a modest increase. Both are current economic views, one from consumers in the other from businesses.
Stocks are a little lower. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/empire-manufacturing-index-for-august-313-vs-5-estimate-20220815/ | 2022-08-15T13:46:38Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/empire-manufacturing-index-for-august-313-vs-5-estimate-20220815/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
There was a glimmer of hope for the euro bulls last Wednesday when US CPI undershot. It led to what looked like a powerful upside break in the three-week euro range.
Unfortunately, by the end of the day on Wednesday, the euro had already given back much of the upside. As it was unfolding, both me and Greg highlighted the bearish price action. There was a second push on Thursday but when it failed to challenge the previous high, it was a giveaway at the underlying direction of the market and a sign that the strength was an illusion.
The confirmation came on Friday and today. Now we're squarely back in the box and the bears have to be feeling pretty good.
Ultimately, this is all about European power. Today, Dutch TTF natural gas prices are up 3% in what could be the highest close since March.
Here's a look at German year-ahead electricity, which are up six-fold in a year:
It's the same story in France and much of the continent. Governments will try to cushion prices but there's only so much they can do.
It's starting to hit home. Here's a viral vide of an Italian ice cream maker showing off an electricity bill for €5128 compared to €1371 a year earlier. It's on the beginning.
Italian ice cream maker in tears: "Today I received the electricity bill for July, € 5128. Last year I paid € 1371 in the exact same period consuming 200 kWh less! The kWh in 2021 cost 9 cents, today 53, increase of 468%!" It will be a very hot autumn in Italy and beyond. pic.twitter.com/wXBny1xLr5
— RadioGenova (@RadioGenova) August 13, 2022
If the broader market shifts back to a negative tone, then the euro declines could still go a long way. Some are pointing to a faster filling of German gas storage as bullish. But even if it hits 100%, the historical winter drawdowns compared to years when it was still receiving inflows via Nord Stream 1 at 100%. They're stuck at 20% now so the gas will still run out.
The whole power situation is increasingly at risk of voters turning against governments as well. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/the-euro-is-stuck-in-an-inescapable-vortex-20220815/ | 2022-08-15T13:46:44Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/the-euro-is-stuck-in-an-inescapable-vortex-20220815/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The USD moved higher as concerns in China and Europe from slower growth lead to risk-off sentiment to start the week.
- The EURUSD and GBPUSD moved lower, moving below key MA levels.
- The USDJPY fell more recently on the back of weaker Empire manufacturing data.
- The USDCAD is a big mover to the upside helped by sharply lower oil prices.
- The AUDUSD is falling on risk off and slower China. | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/a-technical-look-at-the-major-currency-pairs-to-start-the-us-trading-week-20220815/ | 2022-08-15T13:46:56Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/a-technical-look-at-the-major-currency-pairs-to-start-the-us-trading-week-20220815/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The USD moved higher as concerns in China and Europe from slower growth lead to risk-off sentiment to start the week.
- The EURUSD and GBPUSD moved lower, moving below key MA levels.
- The USDJPY fell more recently on the back of weaker Empire manufacturing data.
- The USDCAD is a big mover to the upside helped by sharply lower oil prices.
- The AUDUSD is falling on risk off and slower China. | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/a-technical-look-at-the-major-currency-pairs-to-start-the-us-trading-week-20220815/ | 2022-08-15T13:46:56Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/a-technical-look-at-the-major-currency-pairs-to-start-the-us-trading-week-20220815/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the pandemic-snarled water, Europe is having another cataclysmic summer. This time, it's not pandemic red tape, but what looks set to be the continent's worst drought in history. Around 63% of the land across the EU and UK had either drought warnings or alerts, according to the EU's European Drought Observatory last week -- and that figure was issued before the UK declared a drought in eight out of 14 areas. New alerts are pouring in every day.
While the landscape is tinder-dry, water levels are plummeting. Rivers and lakes are drying up -- and as well that having devastating effects on trade and industry, it's also hitting a sector that was already on its knees thanks to the pandemic: tourism. Worse, experts say that this is a worrying sign of things to come.
Drama on the Rhine
The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends.
It's also a classic cruise itinerary. But now some of those waterway dreams seem set to run aground.
On Saturday, the water level at the German town of Kaub -- a critical juncture -- slipped to just 36 centimeters, or 14 inches, according to official figures. That's devastatingly low -- at 40 centimeters, commercial shipping becomes unprofitable.
None of this is news, says Clare Weeden, principal lecturer in tourism and marketing at the University of Brighton.
"Anybody who operates river cruise boats would have had an understanding of this because of the way the climate has changed in the last 20 years," she says, adding that low levels on the Rhine and Danube have seen incidents of passengers being bussed from one destination to another for the past five or six years. But while the cruise companies may have foreseen this, clients haven't.
"River cruising is becoming much more popular, particularly for active people," she says.
"You dock early, spend all day enjoying a city, then go back to the boat at the end of the day and sail on. It's much quieter [than mass cruising]. But drought and climate change has coincided with the increase in river cruising."
But she warns that, with the climate crisis, Europe's traditional river cruising is "definitely going to suffer" and predicts "the industry is likely to reset as a result."
A booming business -- for now
Helen Prochilo of cruise specialist Promal Vacations calls European river cruising "the hottest thing we are selling this year."
A little too hot: Although none of her clients have been affected yet, she says that among her fellow agents, one had a client's cruise canceled this week, and another had their itinerary adjusted. River cruise alterations tend to be very last-minute, because they depend on water levels and rain.
Prochilo says that many river cruise boats are specifically built with flatter hulls to deal with low water levels. If in difficulty, those with swimming pools on board can empty them. Railings, furniture and even the captain's bridge are designed to be lowered, while passing under bridges in high water, adds Rob Clabbers, president of Q Cruise + Travel, a Virtuoso member agency in Chicago.
Not that that prevents problems. In 2017, Prochilo booked a Rhine sailing herself with Emerald, only to find "very low levels" of water.
"The ship emptied the pool to lighten the load and we could actually feel the ship tapping the bottom of the river," she says.
"We never saw the captain after the first night. He stayed on the bridge to ensure the ship was carefully handled."
Others weren't so lucky. Prochilo says that they floated past another cruise line offloading their passengers onto buses.
"The ship build and experience of the captains is very important when the weather is like this," she says. And she's not taking any chances -- watching the water levels drop on the Rhine over the past month has made her advise would-be bookers to wait till next year.
"I'm also advising them to cruise earlier in the season as the river levels don't seem to be a problem if traveling in May or June versus July or August," she says.
For those who've already booked, she makes regular calls to the river cruise lines checking the conditions.
Those conditions are pretty devastating -- levels are "exceptionally low" in some areas, German officials told CNN on Friday.
In fact, Weeden believes that Rhine cruises "will be a thing of the past" before too long.
So what will happen this year? CLIA, which represents cruise operators, says:
"River cruise operators ... are monitoring the situation and responding appropriately in liaison with the relevant authorities.
"The safety of guests and crew will be central to any decisions relating to itineraries. Where any changes are planned, operators are working hard to minimize any disruption."
River cruise specialist Riviera Travel said in a statement: "We have seen minimal disruption so far as we have put measures in place, such as ship swaps and minor itinerary changes, to ensure guests can still make the most of their cruises." A ship might leave a destination a couple of hours early, for example.
Viking Cruises' website states that "low water levels will affect select river itineraries." Impacted travelers will be contacted by the cruise line.
To mitigate issues, Viking runs sister ships sailing the same itinerary, but in opposite directions. If there's a problem on one side of the river, guests can transfer to the other ship.
Clabbers says that "many lines" do this. "If low (or high) water prevents passage at a certain point, the line simply moves the downstream sailing passengers (and their luggage) to the upstream ship and vice versa. The ships turn back to their point of origin with their 'new' passengers who simply continue their journey without too much interruption."
And if all else fails, they use the boat as a hotel, and bus travelers to their destinations each day. It may not be as romantic, but it's effective.
"The distances traveled by river cruise are not very long, so sometimes passengers will even get to see more as buses travel faster," says Clabbers, from personal experience.
"On a Uniworld cruise a few years ago, high water kept the ship in Vienna for three days, and the company did a fantastic job in setting up additional tours that showed us sights that were not included in our original schedule."
Got a Rhine cruise booked for this year? Don't cancel, he says -- you may be penalized. Just try to go with the flow. But if you haven't yet booked, and want to travel this year, he suggests looking at alternatives like the Seine or the Douro.
No river unscathed
Not that they're much better. The picture is bleak for all Europe's rivers.
In France, some parts of the famous Loire river have dried up almost completely. Some canals have also been closed. "I think canals are a no-go," says Weeden, about the future.
In the UK, the source of the Thames has moved five miles downriver for the first time in history.
And of course there's the Danube. The situation on Europe's other prime tourism river is looking blue, too. Emergency dredging is currently taking place on the lower river, in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.
Although there are "no problems" on the Austrian stretch, authorities told CNN on Friday, the situation in Hungary -- perhaps the most famous part of the Danube -- is more concerning.
The drought is already devastating for trade -- an average 1,600-tonne vessel can now only navigate the river without any cargo, according to the Hungary Tourist Board. So far, the situation for tourist boats is holding out. The Mahart Passnave Passenger Shipping Ltd., which runs river cruises, is still operating all the way along the Danube, although some stations are closed north of Budapest. Between Szentendre and Visegràd, around 15 miles north of the capital, the river takes a major loop. "Some stations [there] have been closed for about a month, as ships cannot moor due to the low water level," says a representative of the Hungary Tourist Board.
But not all companies are managing to navigate the river -- and not all of those are having as good an experience of bussing as Clabbers did.
"I had travelers whose ship couldn't make it to Budapest -- they had to board their ship in Komarno" -- about an hour away in Slovakia -- says tour guide Julia Kravianszky.
"Travelers flew to Budapest, from where they were taken to Komarno by bus, and they were bussed back to Budapest the next day for their city tour, only to return to the ship by bus after the tour."
Things are already looking different in Budapest, perhaps the most beautiful city along the river.
"The Danube is visibly lower at the moment, it's been really low for two or three weeks now," says Kravianszky.
"Margaret Island looks bigger, because all the rocks at the bottom of the river are visible now. Some parts of the old Margaret Bridge destroyed in World War II are visible now, too."
But don't cancel your trip just yet. The river still "looks large and majestic -- it doesn't really give the image of a dried-up river," she says. For now, it's the locals who can tell the difference.
'If it's like this next year, I'll retire'
And then there's Italy, where the Po River is at historic lows, and has close to disappeared in places. It's disastrous news for the entire country -- and has also put an end to tourism on parts of the river this summer.
For the past 20 years, Stefano Barborini has rented boats and taken visitors out on his stretch of the Po, near Parma. This year, he hasn't been able to manage even a single outing.
"I've been on the Po for 40 years, and this has never happened before," he says. "We've had droughts before, but this low -- never. There's been erosion of the bottom so the river has actually got deeper. Usually it's navigable year-round."
This year, he says, "It started very early -- there was no rain and everything dried up."
His small boats usually dart all over the river, and up close to the beaches, to see things -- Barborini usually points out medieval remains, and has found things like buffalo bones and even mammoth teeth, he says, while out on excursions.
He normally rents boats to fishermen but, he asks, "Where would they go to fish?" Anyone using a boat in the Po needs to be extremely experienced right now -- even professional fishermen are not able to navigate, he says.
Barborini has 30-odd excursions lined up for September. By then, he hopes that the water levels will be higher. Even then, it could be difficult to load and unload passengers, as they'll have to navigate steep walks on and off the boat.
"If it's the same next year, I'll retire," he says.
Dried-up lakes
It's not just rivers. Italy's largest lake, Garda, is nearing its lowest ever levels, adding a stretch of land around the peninsula of Sirmione, which famously ends with some impressive Roman ruins -- or did, until now.
And parts of Lake Tisza, Hungary's largest artificial lake, are no longer accessible by boat, according to Kravianszky. "In Abadki [a popular rental spot] the water level is 50 centimeters [20 inches] lower than the minimum required," she says.
"They stopped renting out boats, and many owners were forced to remove their boats from the water. The Tisza lake cross-swimming event scheduled for the 13th of August was canceled."
Tisza borders the Hortobágy National Park, a landscape of plains and wetlands, that has UNESCO World Heritage status. Animals have been brought here to graze for around 2,000 years.
"It's one of [Hungary's] defining characteristics... it's heartbreaking to see how it slowly dries up, how the birds have started avoiding the area or nesting less around the National Park," says Kravianszky.
From drought to flash floods
The other side of drought is flash flooding -- something that has hit the US in the past few weeks, with Yellowstone suffering a once-in-500-years incident in June, and two people being killed in Las Vegas this week.
Barborini says that he's worried for the Po this fall. "Two years ago the water levels were high in January and February, because when the snow fell on the Alps it immediately warmed and came down in levels that weren't normal," he says.
"The climate has changed a lot in the past five or six years."
An uncertain future
"Travel has a front row seat as climate change unfolds in the destinations we visit and, if this becomes a standard summer, it will massively impact our industry. Unless urgent action is taken on climate change, the reality is that extreme weather is going to have an impact on the destinations and communities we visit."
That's the opinion of Susanne Etti, environmental impact manager at Intrepid Travel, who calls this summer "a wake-up call for the entire sector." She's not alone.
"The places where we can ski have shrunk -- the same will be true for river cruising in 20 years. There won't even be (environmentally damaging) snow cannons to help out," says Justin Francis, CEO of Responsible Travel.
Weeden thinks that as Rhine tourism dries up, river cruising companies will look elsewhere. "Ships are mobile, companies are not loyal to destinations. They will move and find new areas for river cruises beyond the traditional European ones," she says. They'll also look beyond rivers. Market leader Viking, she says has been "heavily investing in ocean cruising these past few years."
This year, she says, has shown us that "climate change isn't just about heat, but also about water.
"As the weather becomes more unpredictable, I think there's going to be some kind of reset."
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/europes-drought-could-signal-the-death-of-river-cruising/article_ef7709ce-1c9c-11ed-920f-f713aa632169.html | 2022-08-15T13:47:15Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/europes-drought-could-signal-the-death-of-river-cruising/article_ef7709ce-1c9c-11ed-920f-f713aa632169.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Johnson & Johnson is abandoning talc-based baby powder next year and instead will make it with cornstarch.
Its talc-based powder, which hasn't been sold in the United States and Canada since 2020, is at the center of tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by women who have developed ovarian cancer after using regular talcum powder
Johnson & Johnson says it remains confident in the safety of the product. But, in a statement Friday, the company said it would stop selling talc-based powder around the world next year as part of a "worldwide portfolio assessment."
"We continuously evaluate and optimize our portfolio to best position the business for long-term growth," the company said in a statement. "This transition will help simplify our product offerings, deliver sustainable innovation, and meet the needs of our consumers, customers and evolving global trends."
A handful of talcum powder companies have put warning labels on their products, but Johnson & Johnson argued such a label would be confusing, because it stood by its product. Some scientific studies have shown that women have an increased risk of ovarian cancer with talc use in the genital area, but others do not.
Lawsuits have been filed against the company alleging that asbestos in its talcum powder causes cancer. A St. Louis jury delivered a $4.7 billion verdict against the company in 2018, saying the company was negligent and did not warn consumers about possible health risks from its baby powder.
"Our position on the safety of our cosmetic talc remains unchanged. We stand firmly behind the decades of independent scientific analysis by medical experts around the world that confirms talc-based Johnson's Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer," it said in Friday's announcement.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/johnson-johnson-to-stop-selling-talc-based-baby-powder-world-wide-in-2023/article_e93d47f4-1c9b-11ed-94a7-7bfff85576f6.html | 2022-08-15T13:47:21Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/johnson-johnson-to-stop-selling-talc-based-baby-powder-world-wide-in-2023/article_e93d47f4-1c9b-11ed-94a7-7bfff85576f6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Famed author Salman Rushdie is recovering at a hospital after he was repeatedly stabbed on stage Friday in front of a New York audience in an attack that left him with severe injuries, his family said.
The family of the 75-year-old author -- who has for decades lived under threat because of his writings -- said he was in critical condition Sunday after the attack, which ended with the assailant held down by staff and guests and Rushdie airlifted to a hospital.
"Though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty & defiant sense of humor remains intact," his son Zafar Rushdie said in a Sunday statement.
Rushdie was taken off a ventilator over the weekend but was still being treated for injuries including three stab wounds to his neck, four stab wounds to his stomach, puncture wounds to his right eye and chest, and a laceration on his right thigh, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Saturday, adding the author may lose his right eye.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, was arrested by a state trooper after the attack and taken into custody.
Authorities are investigating what motivated the stabbing, which has prompted the state to increase police presence in Chautauqua, New York State Police Superintendent Kevin Bruen said.
Rushdie's writings have won him literary prizes -- and much scrutiny. His fourth novel, "The Satanic Verses," drew condemnation from some Muslims who found it to be sacrilegious. The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who described the book as an insult to Islam and Prophet Mohammed, issued a religious decree, or fatwa, calling for Rushdie's death in 1989.
Iran, in its first official reaction to Friday's attack, Iran blamed Rushdie and "his supporters."
"Regarding the attack on Salman Rushdie, we do not consider anyone other than (Rushdie) and his supporters worth of blame and even condemnation," the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a televised news conference Monday.
Iranian officials "categorically and seriously deny any connection of the assailant with Iran," Kanaani added, according to Iranian state media. "We have not seen anything else about the individual that carried out this act other than what we've seen from American media. We categorically and seriously deny any connection of the assailant with Iran."
What we know about 'targeted, preplanned' attack
Rushdie was being introduced Friday to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution when a man lunged onto the stage and stabbed him before a stunned audience.
Staff members and guests then rushed onto the stage and held down the assailant before a state trooper assigned to the event took him into custody, according to New York State Police.
Also injured in the attack was Ralph Henry Reese, another speaker who suffered a minor head injury.
"It was very difficult to understand. It looked like a sort of bad prank, and it didn't have any sense of reality," Reese told CNN's "Reliable Sources." "And then when there was blood behind him, it became real."
Joyce Lussier was sitting in the second row when she saw the attack unfold. She heard people screaming and crying, she told CNN, and saw people from the audience rushing up to the stage.
The suspect, Matar, had arrived in Chautauqua at least a day before the event and bought a pass for it two days prior, authorities said.
Schmidt called the stabbing a "targeted, preplanned, unprovoked attack on Mr. Rushdie," saying Matar traveled to Chautauqua by bus with cash, prepaid Visa cards and false identification.
The felony complaint against Matar indicated a knife was used in the stabbing.
It remains unclear how the suspect may have entered the event armed with a knife. There were no security searches or metal detectors at the event, said a witness whom CNN is not identifying because they expressed concerns for their personal safety.
"We assess for every event what we think the appropriate security level is, and this one was certainly one that we thought was important, which is why we had a State Trooper and Sheriff presence there," said institution President Michael Hill, who defended his organization's security plans when asked during a news conference Friday whether there would be more precautions at future events.
On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul met with Chautauqua Institute stage crews and the police trooper who helped subdue Rushdie's alleged attacker, calling them heroes.
"The team that was on the ground here and the EMTs, the firefighters and those who show up and literally kept the man alive as they were transporting him did an extraordinary job," the governor said.
Suspect, described as a 'quiet,' pleads not guilty
Matar -- who authorities said has no documented criminal history -- pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury with a deadly weapon, his public defender, Nathaniel Barone, told CNN on Saturday.
Matar has been "very cooperative" and communicating openly, the attorney said with discussing what was said during those conversations.
He faces up to 32 years if convicted of both charges, Schmidt said.
Matar was described as being a quiet person who mostly kept to himself.
The suspect had enrolled in April at State of Fitness Boxing Club in North Bergen, New Jersey, the gym's owner, Desmond Boyle, told CNN.
"You know that look, that 'it's the worst day of your life' look? He came in every day like that," Boyle told CNN on Saturday.
Matar frequented the gym about three or four times a week and was "a very quiet kid," gym member Roberto Irizarry told CNN.
"It's a brotherly environment, family environment -- we try to involve everybody. He was to himself, pretty much," Irizarry said.
Rushdie flooded with support
The attack on the prominent author generated an outpouring of support from leaders worldwide.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement he was 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. Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear. These are the building blocks of any free and open society," Biden said.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet he was "appalled" by the attack on Rushdie, who is also a British citizen and after the issuance of the fatwa began a decade under British protection.
"Appalled that Sir Salman Rushdie has been stabbed while exercising a right we should never cease to defend. Right now my thoughts are with his loved ones. We are all hoping he is OK," Johnson said Friday.
Rushdie's former wife, TV host Padma Lakshmi, said in a tweet Sunday she was "relieved" Rushdie is "pulling through after Friday's nightmare."
"Worried and wordless, can finally exhale. Now hoping for swift healing," she said.
Press freedom non-profit PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel in a statement said: "PEN America is reeling from shock and horror at the word of a brutal, premeditated attack on our former President and stalwart ally, Salman Rushdie, who was reportedly stabbed multiple times while on stage speaking at the Chautauqua Institute in upstate New York. We can think of no comparable incident of a public attack on a literary writer on American soil."
"Salman Rushdie has been targeted for his words for decades but has never flinched nor faltered," Nossel added. "He has devoted tireless energy to assisting others who are vulnerable and menaced."
As the motive behind Friday's stabbing remains under investigation, New York's governor condemned the attack.
"I want it out there that a man with a knife cannot silence a man with a pen," Hochul said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/salman-rushdie-recovering-from-life-changing-injuries-after-he-was-stabbed-on-stage-heres-what/article_22f92e9d-615f-5b58-9eda-2b171e176108.html | 2022-08-15T13:47:27Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/salman-rushdie-recovering-from-life-changing-injuries-after-he-was-stabbed-on-stage-heres-what/article_22f92e9d-615f-5b58-9eda-2b171e176108.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention and its entities on the heels of an explosive report that detailed the mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse by church leaders, the SBC said in a statement Friday.
The report in May by a third-party firm, Guidepost Solutions, also said church leaders intimidated victims and their advocates and resisted attempts at reform over the course of two decades.
"Survivors and others who reported abuse were ignored, disbelieved, or met with the constant refrain that the SBC could take no action," the report found, "even if it meant that convicted molesters continued in ministry with no notice or warning to their current church or congregation."
The SBC is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, with an estimated 14 million members across more than 47,000 churches.
In its statement Friday, the SBC Executive Committee said it had been recently made aware of the DOJ investigation and that it would fully cooperate.
"While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future," the statement said.
"We recognize our reform efforts are not finished. In fact, those efforts are continuing this very moment as the recently announced Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force begins its work and as each entity has strengthened its efforts to protect against abuse," the statement said.
CNN reached out to the Middle District of Tennessee US Attorney's Office and was told via email "we cannot confirm or deny the existence of an investigation."
The SBC is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
In June, the SBC approved two reform measures to address how it deals with sexual abuse allegations within its churches.
One created a "Ministry Check" website, which would maintain a record of SBC "pastors, denominational workers, ministry employees, and volunteers who have at any time been credibly accused of sexual abuse," according to the Baptist Press, the SBC's news service.
The measure defines "credibly accused" as a "pastor, denominational worker, or ministry employee or volunteer ... who has confessed to sexual abuse in a non-privileged setting, who has been convicted in a court of law, or who has had a civil judgment rendered against them," the news service reported.
Under another measure, an Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force would be created to examine SBC's response to sexual abuse allegations and "serve as a resource in abuse prevention, crisis response, and survivor care."
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/southern-baptist-convention-faces-doj-investigation-after-report-finds-leaders-mishandled-sexual-abuse-allegations/article_7b1163c4-ea71-5278-8f3b-a6f25ba9ca2f.html | 2022-08-15T13:47:33Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/southern-baptist-convention-faces-doj-investigation-after-report-finds-leaders-mishandled-sexual-abuse-allegations/article_7b1163c4-ea71-5278-8f3b-a6f25ba9ca2f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Capella Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: CMIL) (OTCQB: CMILF) (FRA: N7D2) ("Capella" or the "Company") is pleased to advise that Prospector Metals Corp. ("Prospector") (TSXV: PPP) has today provided the market with a further update on its ongoing exploration activities at the Savant Gold Project ("Savant") in Ontario, Canada.
Prospector is currently earning-in to a 70% interest in Savant in return for a combination of annual cash and share payments to Capella together with the sole funding of CAD 2M of staged work commitments prior to November 15, 2024.
Highlights from Prospector's latest exploration update include:
- Assay results have now been received for the outstanding 439 rock (grab1) samples taken as part of the May/June field campaign at Savant. Assays received for the first 155 samples were previously reported upon by the Company on June 28, 2022.
- Prospector has identified a second, previously-unrecognized structural corridor (the Snowbird-Shoal Deformation Zone; "SSDZ"), which is host to numerous high-grade gold occurrences including Snowbird and Horseshoe (Figure 1). New sampling from around the Snowbird and Horseshoe occurrences included two samples containing 99.6 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") and 60 g/t Au; metallic screen assay results are pending.
- Prospector had previously reported further high-grade gold assays from samples taken from a significant, first-order deformation zone named the Wiggle Deformation Zone ("WDZ")(see also Figure 1). The Wiggle Creek prospect currently contains at least 1.3km strike of known gold-bearing structure and remains open in all directions.
- A new LiDar survey was completed in June 2022 and data are currently being processed.
Link to Prospector's full News Release: https://prospectormetalscorp.com/news/2022
Eric Roth, Capella's President and CEO, commented: "Prospector's summer field program at Savant has so far successfully delineated two key gold-bearing structural corridors - the Wiggle and Snowbird-Shoal Deformation Zones – both of which appear to be important regional conduits for gold mineralization. The interaction between these structural corridors and undrilled fold hinges in iron formation (favourable sites for gold deposition, such as at the past-producing Lupin and Homestake gold mines) confirm the district-scale potential of Savant. I look forward to keeping the market updated on progress at Savant, including timing to the drill testing of priority targets".
Figure 1. Key target areas and assay results from the Savant project (Prospector Metals Corp. News Release dated August 15, 2022).
All Savant grab samples were sent to ALS Canada Ltd. (ALS) in Thunder Bay, ON, for preparation and analysis. ALS meets all requirements of International Standards ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ISO 9001:2015 for analytical procedures. Samples were analyzed using ALS's Au by fire assay and AAS, 50 g nominal sample weight or Au by fire assay and gravimetric finish, 50 g nominal sample weight, and by a 48-element four acid ICP-MS analysis (ME-ICP61). Check samples were analyzed by metallic screen.
The technical information in this news release relating to the Savant gold project has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101, and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a Director, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has 30 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation.
On Behalf of the Board of Capella Minerals Ltd.
"Eric Roth"
___________________________
Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM
President & CEO
Capella is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of quality mineral resource properties in favourable jurisdictions with a focus on high-grade copper(-zinc-cobalt) and gold deposits. With respect to its base and battery metals projects, the Company's current focus is on: i) the advancement of its advanced exploration stage Hessjøgruva project in central Norway, ii) the discovery of further high-grade VMS-type deposits in district-scale land positions around the past-producing Løkken (Løkken Verk District) and Kjøli / Kongensgruve (northern Røros District) copper mines, and iii) the evaluation of newly-staked claims in the former Vaddas-Birtavarre copper-cobalt mining district of northern Norway.
The Company's precious metals focus is on the discovery of high-grade gold deposits on the Katajavaara-Aakenus JV in Finland, its 100%-owned Southern Gold Line Project in Sweden, and its active Canadian Joint Ventures with Prospector Metals Corp (TSXV: PPP) at Savant (Ontario) and Yamana Gold Inc. at Domain (Manitoba). The Company also retains a residual interest (subject to an option to purchase agreement with Austral Gold Ltd) in the Sierra Blanca gold-silver divestiture in Santa Cruz, Argentina.
This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of Capella, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Capella in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Capella's most recently filed MD&A. Capella does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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SOURCE Capella Minerals Limited | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/capella-provides-further-exploration-update-savant-gold-project-ontario/ | 2022-08-15T13:48:01Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/capella-provides-further-exploration-update-savant-gold-project-ontario/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Of the local high-school golf teams in the Sun Gazette’s coverage areas, the McLean Highlanders have enjoyed the most success during the early season portion of the 2022 fall schedule with top finishes in three different 18-hole tournaments.
The McLean A team was seventh with a 325 score at its own George Pavlis Memorial Tournament at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston. Next, the Highlanders were fifth with a 308 total at the Patriot Invitational hosted by Yorktown High School at the 1757 Golf Club in Ashburn.
Also, McLean tied for third with a 316 at the Don Roth Invitational, hosted by Madison High School at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton.
A number of players posted solid scores in those tournaments for McLean, led by a 73 from Max Vadas (tie for fifth) and a 75 (tie for eighth) by Joshul Sul at the Roth tournament. Also at that event, Max Irish shot 83, Liam Park 85 and Michael Wang 86 for McLean.
Irish carded a 74, Sul 75, Colin Manzel 79 and Vadas 80 at the Patriot Invitational.
Leading McLean at its own Pavlis tourney was Manzel at 80, Irish and Vadas with 81s and Sul with an 83.
For the McLean B team at the Pavlis event, Lauren Wood had an 82.
The defending Class 6 state champion Langley Saxons did not have any of their top six players in the first three tournaments. They were all playing non-high-school junior tourney events.
Without those players, Langley’s lowest scores were recorded by Emily Wang with a 72, 78 and a 79, Skathi Pattabiraman with a 79, Jake Stansbury and Sarah Wang with 82s, Cami Hiek with an 86 and Boemsak Kang with an 87. Stansbury and Pattabiraman also shot 83s.
Langley teams finished sixth at the Pavlis tourney with a 324 total, shot 336 at the Patriot event and a 339 at the Roth tourney.
Langley coach Al Berg said he believes the team will be a strong as in the past when those topo players like Chase Nevins, Pierce Hokenson, Alina Ho, Audrey Yim, Catherine Qiu and Teddy Kim join the team.
“They have all improved their games so much since last season,” Berg said. “I really think we can be better than last year.”
The Marshall Statesmen finished sixth with 324 at the Roth tourney and were led by a pair of 76s shot by Michael Stanford and Leo Perez Siino. They tied for 10th. Preston Balisky and Harris Lechtman each shot 86 for Marshall.
Stanford and Perez Siino also shot 76 at the Pavlis event.
The Madison Warhawks have been led by a 76 and an 88 from Robby Nielsen and a score in the 70s and an 88 by Colin Park.
The Oakton Cougars’ Maaz Nadeem shot 81 and Jeffrey York 86 at the Roth tourney, as the team finished 11th. | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/golfers-receive-plenty-of-tournament-action/article_24c1650c-1c93-11ed-bb01-8fd3d2f11a74.html | 2022-08-15T13:49:32Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/golfers-receive-plenty-of-tournament-action/article_24c1650c-1c93-11ed-bb01-8fd3d2f11a74.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The new wealth management firm, created by former rivals, whose members previously managed $6 billion in client assets, will offer an improved private banking experience, provided by teams of highly experienced specialists.
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Top private bankers from Wells Fargo and Bank of America today announced that they have joined forces to launch Fidelis Capital, an advisor-owned wealth management firm seeking to provide a superior private banking experience by surrounding clients with a diverse team of financial specialists who get to know each client personally in order to best provide for their financial needs.
The launch of Fidelis Capital brings together top teams from rival financial institutions that joined as one to serve as a wealth management firm. Together, the team brings more than 200 years of collective experience working at private banks and in the financial industry.
With teams based in both Tampa, FL and Dallas, TX, Fidelis Capital caters to select ultra-high-net-worth clients. The Fidelis teams will deliver a tailored suite of services to each client, providing access to experts in areas such as investment and specialty asset management, business transition advisory services, wealth, estate, and tax planning, personal risk management, bill pay and reporting, and fiduciary lending services, among others. Fidelis Capital's highly experienced team of advisors provided thoughtful counsel and advised on nearly $6 billion in client assets at their former employers.
"In the past few years, the private banking model has changed drastically," said Neale Ellis, CFA, CPWA®, Fidelis Capital Founding Partner & Co-Chief Investment Officer. "With the launch of Fidelis Capital, we are on a mission to revive the access to a team of experts and give ultra-high-net-worth families, institutions, and other private banking clients the kind of team that can manage not some, but all of their financial matters, giving them back what money can't buy—time!"
The advisor team in Fidelis Capital's Tampa office is led by Matthew Michaels, CFA, CFP®, a 25-year financial services professional and one of the top ranked portfolio managers at Wells Fargo, and veteran partner Paul Ayotte, who has over 24 years of experience, with the most recent 18 years at Wells Fargo Private Bank as a Wealth Advisor.
"Collectively we have 200 years of private banking experience and understand that the best way to serve clients is to invest in the specialists that surround those clients with the expertise they need and ensure they have access to the latest technology, the best investment solutions, and other critical tools out there," added Founding Partner and Co-Chief Investment Officer Matthew Michaels, CFA, CFP®. "We are committed to partnering with the best specialists across the industry that can help us bring to bear solutions that help our clients in all aspects of their financial affairs."
Professionals operating out of the Dallas office include a highly recognized asset management team including Co-Chief Investment Officer Neale Ellis, CFA, CPWA® and President Matthew Ellis, CPWA®, both of whom are Founding Partners, and Relationship Manager Libby Castle, CFA, CFP®.
Prior to the founding of Fidelis Capital, Neale Ellis was a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at Bank of America Private Bank (formerly US Trust) where he helped found and co-manage the Private Bank Managed Active Core portfolio for 9 years. He started his financial career with Goldman Sachs and McKinnon and Company after serving 12 years as a Surface Warfare Officer with the US Navy. Matthew Ellis, with 24 years of experience in the financial industry, was most recently Managing Director at Wells Fargo Private Bank. His experience also includes time with Goldman Sachs, Smith Barney, Bank of America/US Trust after starting his career as a Naval Flight Officer with the US Navy.
Chief Executive Officer, Rick Simonetti, spent 22 years as Senior Managing Director of the Southern Region, as well as National Head of Wealth Planning at Wells Fargo Private Wealth Management, which won the award for Best Family Wealth Counseling in the 2021 Family Wealth Report Awards and named the best private bank in the US for succession planning by Professional Wealth Management and The Banker Private Banking Awards 2020. He began his career and spent 11 years at Deloitte as a Senior Tax Specialist.
"We have cultivated the best talent from across big banks like Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America," said Founding Partner, Client Advisor Paul Ayotte. "With Fidelis Capital, we have brought the personalized service of private banking into the independent realm. I look forward to working with our teams here in Tampa and in Dallas to deliver a differentiated approach to ultra-high-net-worth clients, institutions, and family offices."
Fidelis Capital is a wealth management firm that provides a true private banking experience. Founded by former private bankers from Wells Fargo and Bank of America, Fidelis Capital is the leading wealth management firm launched by principals from rival institutions. With principal offices in both Tampa, Florida, and Dallas, Texas, Fidelis Capital serves under 200 families. For more information, visit www.fideliscapital.com.
Advisory services offered through Fidelis Capital Partners, LLC., an Investment Adviser registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Please refer to our ADV brochure for a complete description of services offered through Fidelis and for a complete description of fees.
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SOURCE Fidelis Capital | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/fidelis-capital-launched-by-private-banking-executives-formerly-with-wells-fargo-bank-america/ | 2022-08-15T13:49:33Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/fidelis-capital-launched-by-private-banking-executives-formerly-with-wells-fargo-bank-america/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Session will showcase the rapidly growing use and groundbreaking impact of clinical genomics in oncology
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, today announced that it will feature Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society, at its inaugural Illumina Genomics Forum (IGF) on October 1. Dr. Knudsen will participate in an on-stage conversation with Dr. Phil Febbo, Illumina's Chief Medical Officer, about the landscape of cancer treatment and research, including what is currently being done to support the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer.
During the discussion, Dr. Knudsen will share her experience with the rapidly growing and groundbreaking use of clinical genomics in oncology, including what gaps still need to be addressed. She will also share her thoughts on the critical role of the public and private sector in advocating for the use of clinical genomics in oncology.
"Dr. Knudsen and the American Cancer Society are incredible advocates for cancer patients and their loved ones," said Dr. Phil Febbo. "As genomics continues to revolutionize how we detect, diagnose, and treat cancer, it will be fabulous to talk to Dr. Knudsen about how cancer genomics can best improve patient outcomes."
Illumina previously announced that former U.S. President Barack Obama will headline the inaugural forum in a fireside chat on the evening of Wednesday, September 28. Twelve years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Obama will discuss the continued need for equity, accessibility, and smarter healthcare to improve the human condition. Additionally, on September 30, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will deliver a keynote address on the remarkable potential of genomics to change the trajectory of global health.
Other IGF key themes include:
- How genomic technology is driving more informed, proactive, and personalized patient diagnosis and treatment in clinics
- Ways in which whole-genome sequencing is revolutionizing patient care
- The role of genomics in supporting healthcare's quadruple aim to improve population health, reduce costs, enhance the patient experience, and improve provider satisfaction
IGF will take place in San Diego from September 28 through October 1. For more information and to register for the conference, go to illuminagenomicsforum.com.
Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
Investors:
Salli Schwartz
858.291.6421
IR@illumina.com
Media:
Adi Raval
US: 202.629.8172
PR@illumina.com
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SOURCE Illumina, Inc. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/illumina-genomics-forum-feature-american-cancer-society-ceo-karen-knudsen-future-cancer-genomics/ | 2022-08-15T13:50:32Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/illumina-genomics-forum-feature-american-cancer-society-ceo-karen-knudsen-future-cancer-genomics/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EASTERN DIVISION
SUMMARY NOTICE OF (I) PENDENCY OF CLASS ACTION,
CERTIFICATION OF SETTLEMENT CLASS, AND
PROPOSED SETTLEMENT; (II) SETTLEMENT FAIRNESS HEARING;
AND (III) MOTION FOR AN AWARD OF ATTORNEYS' FEES
AND REIMBURSEMENT OF LITIGATION EXPENSES
TO: All persons and entities who, during the period between July 30, 2019 through February 18, 2020 inclusive, purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of Groupon, Inc. ("Groupon") and were damaged thereby (the "Settlement Class"):
PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY, YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING IN THIS COURT.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, that the above-captioned litigation (the "Action") has been certified as a class action on behalf of the Settlement Class, except for certain persons and entities who are excluded from the Settlement Class by definition as set forth in the full printed Notice of (I) Pendency of Class Action, Certification of Settlement Class, and Proposed Settlement; (II) Settlement Fairness Hearing; and (III) Motion for an Award of Attorneys' Fees and Reimbursement of Litigation Expenses (the "Notice").
YOU ARE ALSO NOTIFIED that Lead Plaintiff in the Action has reached a proposed settlement of the Action for $13,500,000 in cash (the "Settlement") that, if approved, will resolve all claims in the Action.
A hearing will be held on October 13, 2022 at 9:00 a.m., before the Honorable Matthew F. Kennelly via teleconference, call-in number: 888-684-8852, access code: 746-1053, to determine (i) whether the proposed Settlement should be approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate; (ii) whether the Action should be dismissed with prejudice against Defendants, and the Releases specified and described in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement dated June 24, 2022 (and in the Notice) should be granted; (iii) whether the proposed Plan of Allocation should be approved as fair and reasonable; and (iv) whether Lead Counsel's application for an award of attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses should be approved.
If you are a member of the Settlement Class, your rights will be affected by the pending Action and the Settlement, and you may be entitled to share in the Settlement Fund. If you have not yet received the Notice and Claim Form, you may obtain copies of these documents by contacting the Claims Administrator at Macovski v. Groupon Inc., c/o Epiq, P.O. Box 2648, Portland, OR 97208-2648, 1-866-991-0893. Copies of the Notice and Claim Form can also be downloaded from the website maintained by the Claims Administrator, www.GrouponSecuritiesSettlement.com.
If you are a member of the Settlement Class, in order to be eligible to receive a payment under the proposed Settlement, you must submit a Claim Form online or postmarked no later than December 1, 2022. If you are a Settlement Class Member and do not submit a proper Claim Form, you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the net proceeds of the Settlement but you will nevertheless be bound by any judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action.
If you are a member of the Settlement Class and wish to exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, you must submit a request for exclusion such that it is received no later than September 22, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice. If you properly exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, you will not be bound by any judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action and you will not be eligible to share in the proceeds of the Settlement.
Any objections to the proposed Settlement, the proposed Plan of Allocation, or Lead Counsel's motion for attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses, must be filed with the Court and delivered to Lead Counsel and Defendants' Counsel such that they are received no later than September 22, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice.
Please do not contact the Court, the Clerk's office, Groupon, or its counsel regarding this notice. All questions about this notice, the proposed Settlement, or your eligibility to participate in the Settlement should be directed to Lead Counsel or the Claims Administrator.
Requests for the Notice and Claim Form should be made to:
Macovski v. Groupon Inc.
c/o Epiq
P.O. Box 2648
Portland, OR 97208-2648
1-866-991-0893
www.GrouponSecuritiesSettlement.com
Inquiries, other than requests for the Notice and Claim Form, should be made to Lead Counsel:
KIRBY MCINERNEY LLP
Thomas W. Elrod, Esq.
250 Park Avenue, Suite 820
New York, NY 10177
(212) 371-6600
telrod@kmllp.com
-and-
GLANCY PRONGAY & MURRAY LLP
Leanne H. Solish, Esq.
1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(888) 773-9224
settlements@glancylaw.com
By Order of the Court
SOURCE Kirby McInerney LLP and Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP
URL: www.GrouponSecuritiesSettlement.com
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SOURCE Kirby McInerney LLP and Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/kirby-mcinerney-llp-glancy-prongay-amp-murray-llp-announce-settlement-class-action-involving-purchasers-common-stock-groupon-inc/ | 2022-08-15T13:50:58Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/kirby-mcinerney-llp-glancy-prongay-amp-murray-llp-announce-settlement-class-action-involving-purchasers-common-stock-groupon-inc/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The competitive Air earbud line gets a new addition, introducing new features, a fresh design, and a personalized audio app.
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The new EarFun Air S is the company's second official true wireless earbud release for 2022. With the Air S, EarFun expands on its Air line with its ambitious formula, continually pushing the envelope of what can be offered at this price point. As an expansive release, it is no replacement for the award-winning original Air which is well and alive. More so, this release serves as a continuation of an already successful, high-value formulation. The Air has proven to be an industry-recognized alternative to the Apple AirPods, and the Air S aspires to do the same. With an all-new chipset and curated app for personalizing the premium sound offered, an impressive wireless audio experience awaits audio lovers in 2022.
The new Air S will accompany the EarFun Audio App, allowing users to curate their audio experience with adjustable equalizer levels. In addition to sound customization, button mapping is also added to allow the user to reassign default inputs on the hardware. With the companion app, EarFun wants to give the listener greater control over the user experience like never before. And now with the ability to customize the sound to preference, users can reap the full benefits of the 10mm Wool Composite Dynamic Driver. EarFun says these larger drivers are out to deliver rich, potent bass that blends smoothly with a lush mid-range and a revealing treble that is clear and composed. The full-bodied sound is even better heard in the presence of EarFun's feed-forward Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) array that continually compensates for environmental noise, effectively suppressing up to 30dB.
An all-new Multipoint pairing system allows two different Bluetooth-enabled devices to be seamlessly paired with the new Air S at once. During hours of productivity or general multitasking, this prevents the irksome routine of disconnecting and reconnecting between devices in frequent use. Equipped with the flagship Qualcomm QCC3046 chip, aptX audio technology is implemented to bring definition to the Air S' wireless audio quality while increasing battery life and reducing latency over wireless connections. The low latency rating is less than 100ms, making it suitable for video and gaming experiences. To help extend its range and quality of connection the earbuds feature the latest Bluetooth 5.2 technology and Qualcomm TrueWireless Mirroring Technology.
While many of the features on the new Air S are new, EarFun made sure to retain some of its best and industry-unique features for the new release. A feature unique for the segment and the price point, EarFun's perfected Intuitive Touch Controls have thankfully been carried over, which in combination with the newly developed companion app lets users interface with simplicity and flexibility. Wireless charging is thankfully standard, and when not near a wireless charger the case can be charged via USB-C. The Air S manages to offer 30 hours of playtime, with 6 hours on a single charge and an additional 24 hours using the provided rechargeable storage case. If users are unable to complete a full charge, the fast-charging feature can keep things going with a quick 10-minute charge powering up 2 hours of playback. And finally, to protect the feature-rich Air S from rain or shine is its robust IPX5 Sweat & Water Resistant technology.
EarFun Air S is available on myearfun.com and Amazon.com now for $69.99.
For more information on EarFun Air S and the rest of the EarFun wireless audio collection, visit www.myearfun.com.
About EarFun
EarFun was established in 2018 by a collective of experienced industrial designers, acoustic engineers, and music enthusiasts who share the common goal of creating next-generation wireless audio devices. The EarFun team is driven by a passion for music and a commitment to delivering solutions that use the latest technologies to improve the audio experience. With two CES Innovation Awards honorees and an iF Design Award in 2020, EarFun is the most awarded new audio brand.
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SOURCE EarFun, Inc | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/new-earfun-air-s-joins-award-winning-earbud-line-with-dual-pairing-noiseless-studio-sound-customizable-audio-app/ | 2022-08-15T13:52:50Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/new-earfun-air-s-joins-award-winning-earbud-line-with-dual-pairing-noiseless-studio-sound-customizable-audio-app/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Think of a jug of ice-cold lemonade, multiply it by at least 20 and start adding ingredients — conceivable or otherwise. That gives you some idea of Yakima’s first Lemonade Day, an event hosted Saturday by the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce at Sozo Sports Complex that gave kids the opportunity to run their own business.
And run it they did. Ice cream, Tajín and jalapeño juice found their way into lemonade recipes. Music bounced across the turf and judges bounced between booths, tasting lemonade and handing out a variety of awards. Children laughed and enjoyed a bubble mountain built by a large foam machine. Lemonade stands of all shapes lined the field and signs of all sizes lined those stands.
“Our goals here today are really to celebrate our children and the entrepreneurial spirit we can cultivate in our children,” said Verlynn Best, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. “They’re learning how to run their own business.”
Elleanna Modest is trying to establish a business beyond the weekend. She has been selling lemonade outside her mother’s restaurant, Garcia’s Kitchen. On Saturday, she sold pineapple, berry, cucumber, kiwi and plain lemonade and was hoping to sell more than 50 cups.
“I wanted to learn how to run my own business, like my mom,” Modest said.
She said she’s learned to prepare for anything and to keep lists of supplies. She hoped to make enough money to repay her investor (her mother) and to donate to those who are homeless or in the foster care system. Modest said her brother is struggling to find housing and health care, and she hopes to help him through sales at Elleanna’s Lemonade Stand.
Limonada Loca, The Lemonade Lab, Hocus Pocus and Herb’n Legend were just a few of the other booths Saturday as kids took the idea of a lemonade stand and went wild.
Jazlyn Mendoza and her mother made a Tajín and cucumber lemonade, which they usually make for family gatherings. They added a strawberry lemonade and homemade freeze pops to the menu at Mendoza’s stand — Made for Sunny Days.
“I like lemonade and I felt like it would be fun,” Mendoza said.
She added that she hoped to make a little bit of money.
Her mother, Arca Flores, had seen the event promoted recently on Facebook.
“I wanted to get her out of her comfort zone,” Flores said of her daughter.
On the other side of field, siblings Piper, Amaya, Dak and Gabby were finishing setup for the Lemon Lab. Dried ice (handled by parents and older children) poured out of cups next to a slime-making station.
Gabby Shawl showed off their lemonade, a unique combination of sprite, fruit juice and ice cream. They had tried various concoctions and settled on this when experimenting with leftover ice cream.
“We found out it was really good,” Shawl said.
Marlena and Enily served horchata, strawberry lemonade and cucumber lemonade at Limonada Loca.
“Our theme is our culture,” Marlena said.
“We wanted to come up with something different,” Enily added.
They also sold doughnuts, durros and mango with chamoy.
Limonada Loca was one of several stands to add food to their menu. A few booths down, Gracyn Rivera was selling homemade cupcakes and sweets, which she hoped would help draw in people.
“I thought it would be good to sell cake because I like cake,” Rivera said. “I’m hoping to sell a lot.”
Nearby, Natalie Martinez was selling earrings she had made herself out of clay and resin. She saw the lemonade stand as an opportunity to sell her art along with iced beverages.
Chamber of Commerce employees had been planning a Lemonade Day event before the COVID-19 pandemic. Lemonade Day is a national event that seeks to foster entrepreneurship in young people. Best and her staff planned Yakima’s in just a few months and she lauded community members and organizations that helped put on the event.
Best said that Lemonade Day will become an annual event. She hopes more businesses and community members show up in the future.
“This is the first one. This is going to be an annual event for us to celebrate our children and families,” Best said. “Just think, these are our future business owners in Yakima Valley.” | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/lemonade-of-all-kinds-featured-at-first-lemonade-day-in-yakima/article_bd321464-1b6f-11ed-b483-fb450930b71b.html | 2022-08-15T13:53:09Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/lemonade-of-all-kinds-featured-at-first-lemonade-day-in-yakima/article_bd321464-1b6f-11ed-b483-fb450930b71b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Offering one deserving family a week-long, all expenses paid, deluxe dude ranch vacation with all the fixin's for up to ten people
WICKENBURG, Ariz., Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of its 75th anniversary season, the family-owned-and-operated luxury resort & golf club, Rancho de los Caballeros is inviting families all across the country to join them in celebration with a chance to win the "Ultimate Family Reunion at the Ranch" – a full week of "Horses, Hats & Hospitality" for up to 10 people; a prize package valued at more than $67,000.
Winners of this ultimate family reunion will enjoy all the traditional riding, roping, and wrangling activities you expect to find in "The Dude Ranch Capital of the World" along with championship golf, a refreshing day spa, cozy casita accommodations, fine dining, friendly western hospitality, and the luxury resort atmosphere this ranch has been known for, for generations.
"The last few years many relatives were unable to travel, get together, or see each other face to face," said Sandy Cutler, President of Rancho de los Caballeros, "we want to bring families back together. Our ranch has always been a place where generations of families gather year-after-year to enjoy the great outdoors. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate this tradition, and our 75th year together than by offering one lucky family the ultimate dream getaway to join us!"
In fact, 75% of families visiting the ranch are returning guests, drawn to the casual, friendly atmosphere and long-standing traditions like old-fashioned chuck-wagon dinners and camp-fire cookouts under the stars. Even the newest owners of the ranch, who acquired the property in 2021, are a trio of families who have been multigenerational guests of the ranch for decades.
Founded in 1948 in the spirit of the Spanish caballeros, (the "gentlemen on horseback"), Rancho de los Caballeros spans 18,000 sprawling acres across the High Sonoran Desert, just 75-minutes northwest of Phoenix, AZ. This includes over 13,000 horse-rideable acres, endless hiking and biking trails, a championship caliber 18-hole golf course, a western saloon, a fine dining restaurant and casual grill, horse and cattle corals, tennis and pickleball courts, a kids club, heated pool, luxury day spa with an outdoor labyrinth, trap, skeet and sporting clay shooting, archery, axe-throwing, and upscale southwest-style lodging, all with unparalleled desert views.
To win the Rancho de Los Caballeros 75th Anniversary Ultimate Family Reunion at the Ranch, contestants must submit a video application via TikTok, Instagram or Facebook (using the required hashtags listed in the rules) between August 15, 2022, (9:00am EST) and September 15, 2022, (11:59 PM EST). Three finalists will be selected for a final round of competition, culminating with the selection of a winning family on September 30, 2022 and an official announcement soon thereafter.
Video entries should explain why the applicant's family (or any group of 10 friends they love like family) deserves to win the "Ultimate Family Reunion at the Ranch", what's kept them apart, or what it would mean for them to all be together again. An extra tip of the hat will be given for creative western and horse-related themes, music, and costumes. For more information and full contest rules and conditions, visit www.ranchodeloscaballeros.com/reunion
The winner of Rancho de Los Caballeros' 75th Anniversary Ultimate Family Reunion at the Ranch contest will receive the following prize package, (subject to terms, conditions, and blackout dates as noted at www.ranchodeloscaballeros.com/reunion).
All activities are for up to 10 people, with times as noted.
- $7500.00 Cash Prize to use toward travel to the ranch, or for any other purpose
- 7 nights in the resort's newly renovated Maricopa Suite (includes 4 separate connected suites that sleep up to 10 people)
- Championship Golf at Los Caballeros Golf Club for 3 days
- Horseback Riding on trails surrounding the Ranch for 3 days
- Spa Services for 1 day
- Archery
- Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clay Shooting
- Ax Throwing Contest
- Corral cattle in a Team Penning competition
- Savor the Chef's Table —Wine Dinner
- Ranch Exclusive Barbecue Cookout under the starlit sky
- Daily Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Gourmet dinner in the Private Dining Room
- All taxes and gratuities are included
Total Cash Value: $67,500 USD
Rancho de los Caballeros re-opens for their 2022-23 season on October 1, 2022, and the resort remains open for booking between October 1st-May 31st each year. For more information, visit www.ranchodeloscaballeros.com.
Social:
Instagram: @ranchodeloscaballeros.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranchodeloscaballeros
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ranchodeloscaballeros
Rancho de los Caballeros is a historic guest ranch and resort tucked away on 18,000 acres of spectacular Sonoran Desert, just north of Phoenix, AZ. The resort offers authentic western activities, championship golf, a refreshing spa, private casita rooms, and fine dining in a luxury resort atmosphere.
Located in an area known as "The Dude Ranch Capital of the World," Rancho de los Caballeros was founded in 1948 as a family owned and operated ranch resort. Following the true spirit of the Spanish caballeros ("gentlemen on horseback"), the ranch is beloved for its traditions, hospitality and Southwestern setting, leading guests and their families to return every year, staying in one of the ranch's 67 casita rooms or 12 suites.
Surrounded by the Sonoran Desert's hiking trails and beautiful blooming cacti, this ranch resort has everything a guest might want for a dream holiday in Arizona. The ranch features a dizzying array of horse-related activities for riders of all levels, with experts ready to help guests hone their riding skills while enjoying a scenic trail ride. They may also enjoy an acclaimed 18-hole golf course, a heated pool, a luxury day spa, tennis and pickleball courts, trap, skeet and sporting clay shooting, archery and more.
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SOURCE Rancho de los Caballeros Ranch & Golf Club | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/rancho-de-los-caballeros-celebrates-milestone-75th-anniversary-season-with-ultimate-family-reunion-giveaway/ | 2022-08-15T13:53:30Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/rancho-de-los-caballeros-celebrates-milestone-75th-anniversary-season-with-ultimate-family-reunion-giveaway/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Palakkad: The BJP has refuted the charges that RSS activists were behind the murder of a local CPM leader in Palakkad on Sunday night.
BJP State General Secretary C Krishnakumar on Monday said that CPM was spreading fake news that Shajahan was killed by the RSS.
Krishnakumar said here that Shajahan has close connections with those like Arjun Ayanki whom he tarmed “CPM criminals.”
He added that the allegation that the murder is committed by those who left the CPM to join BJP was baseless, and that no one from the party would be named accused in the same.
It was on Sunday night that Kunnangadu resident Shajahan, who was a local committee member of the CPM, got hacked to death by bike-borne members of a gang at the Marutha road near here.
The incident happened at around 9:30 pm near the leader's house. Though he was immediately taken to the hospital, his life could not be saved.
Earlier, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury had refuted CPM state leader's assumption that the murder was committed by the RSS. According to him, it wasn't time yet to conclude so.
CPI State Secretary Kanam Rajendran had also taken this position, earlier. He had said that as soon as a murder is committed, it's not right to make allegations.
Let the police find whether someone is trying to deter peace. All the parties in the Assembly had distanced themselves from such murders, he said.
"The investigation is underway. We are recording statements of eyewitnesses. The culprits will be arrested soon," a senior police official had told reporters on Monday.
Police have also begun examining CCTV visuals from the nearby areas.
CPM unit members said Shajahan was out arranging decorations for the Independence Day celebrations on Monday. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/15/bjp-c-krishnakumar-shajahan-murder.html | 2022-08-15T13:54:23Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/15/bjp-c-krishnakumar-shajahan-murder.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As part of its partnership with JTG Daugherty Racing, the iconic brand is challenging fans to submit their ultimate tailgating creations for a chance to win an epic sports weekend
HORSHAM, Pa., Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spatula? Check. Apron? Check. Grill? Check. With fall tailgating season quickly approaching, Thomas'® is gearing up for the food and fun-filled sports season by toasting up a tasty competition: Tailgating with Thomas'. In partnership with JTG Daugherty Racing, the folks at Thomas' are searching for the most iconic tailgating recipes for the chance to win an epic sports weekend at a professional auto stock car race in 2023 valued at $5,000. From coast to coast, sports fans bring their own local spin to tailgating favorites and Thomas' is looking for the best of the best where a nationwide consumer vote will crown one passionate tailgating chef as the Thomas' Tailgating Recipe Champion. Now through September 15, fans can head to TailgatingwithThomas.com to submit their recipe creation featuring a Thomas' product.
"Tailgating chefs are passionate about their gameday spreads to fuel their family and friends ahead of a big race or game," said Eduardo Zarate, Senior Director of Marketing for Thomas'. "With the fall tailgating season right around the corner and the endless possibilities that Thomas' products offer, we know our Tailgating with Thomas' recipe contest is the perfect opportunity to inspire fans to showcase their best gameday grub – whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or desserts! We look forward to seeing the creativity that comes from our fans and know that it will inspire others to turn their tailgating up a notch this season to be the spot everyone wants to stop by!"
With Thomas' expansive product portfolio, there are infinite possibilities to showcase English muffins, bagels, mini croissants or swirl bread in a tailgating recipe masterpiece. Following the entry period, five finalists will be selected for a nationwide vote, where the finalist with the most votes can grab up to three friends to race off to a professional auto stock car race weekend in 2023 armed with custom Thomas' tailgating necessities – a tailgating chair and drink cooler. The remaining four finalists will each receive Thomas' tailgating swag and the finalist with the second most votes will score signed memorabilia from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of JTG Daugherty Racing. Plus, those who cast a vote for their favorite recipe between October 3 – 10 will be entered into a random drawing to win their own gear to get in the tailgating mood for the season ahead! For additional details and complete official rules, visit TailgatingwithThomas.com.
"I'd say our racing fans may know how to tailgate better than anyone out there and will bring some of the best tailgating recipes to the table," said No. 47 Thomas'® Camaro driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. "I'm looking forward to seeing some of the tailgating recipes that are submitted. Thomas' does an outstanding job of maximizing their partnership with the team and I'm excited to see who wins the epic sports weekend and takes the title!"
The Thomas' brand dates back to 1880 when Samuel Bath Thomas created his original English Muffin in New York City using a secret process that included griddle baking to create a Nooks & Crannies® English Muffin. The company has since added bagels and breakfast breads, including a line of swirl breads, to its breakfast offerings. Today, Thomas' sells the #1 English Muffin and #1 grocery bagel in the U.S. For a full list of Thomas' products and where to buy them, please visit www.ThomasBreads.com.
About Bimbo Bakeries USA
Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) is a leader in the baking industry, known for its category leading brands, innovative products, freshness and quality. Our team of 20,000+ U.S. associates operates more than 50 manufacturing locations in the United States. Over 11,000 distribution routes deliver our leading brands such as Arnold®, Artesano®, Ball Park®, Bimbo®, Boboli®, Brownberry®, Entenmann's®, Little Bites®, Marinela®, Mrs Baird's®, Oroweat®, Sara Lee®, Stroehmann® and Thomas'®. BBU is owned by Mexico's Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B de C.V., the world's largest baking company with operations in 33 countries.
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SOURCE Bimbo Bakeries USA | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/tailgating-with-thomas-recipe-contest-launches-search-find-best-tailgating-recipe/ | 2022-08-15T13:54:49Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/tailgating-with-thomas-recipe-contest-launches-search-find-best-tailgating-recipe/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Carousel has a real nice clambake. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has the worst pies in London. She Loves Me has vanilla ice cream.
And Schmigadoon!, the Apple TV+ musical comedy that lovingly lampoons musicals, has corn puddin’.
Cinco Paul, who cocreated Schmigadoon! with Ken Daurio, earned one of the show’s four Emmy nominations—original music and lyrics for “Corn Puddin’,” a number from the first episode that also happens to be the first song he wrote for the show. He was inspired by “A Real Nice Clambake” from Carousel and “Shipoopi” from *The Music Man—*moments, he says, that are “these kind of nothing songs” that don’t “move the plot forward.”
Except, in Schmigadoon!’s case, it does.
As “Corn Puddin’” goes on, it reveals that one of the town’s newest inhabitants, Cecily Strong’s Melissa Gimble, digs the residents’ wacky habits of breaking into song-and-dance numbers, while her boyfriend, Keegan-Michael Key’s Josh Skinner, desperately wants out.
It was the opening number of another musical entirely that got Paul started. In Oklahoma!’s
“Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” cowboy Curly marvels that “the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye.”
Although he’d never had corn pudding himself, Paul says “it sounded homey” and “small-town Americana.” Plus, he says, “I was really writing the song that would annoy Keegan’s character, Josh, the most” and one that “would drive him to say, ‘we have to leave this place.’”
“It’s going to push her to want to join in and her having so much fun crosses the line for him,” Paul says. “We wanted to really push the difference between them and their different attitudes.”
It also gives Josh a chance to meet Dove Cameron’s buxom farmer’s daughter, Betsy McDonough, who adds another complication to a relationship that’s already on the rocks. That erotic subtext makes its way into the song too, with lyrics like, “if he wants my puddin’ / he’ll have to marry me.”
“There is a playfulness to a lot of these Rodgers and Hammerstein songs—and certainly the ones in Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon—where there are songs that are about sex, but they don’t say it’s about sex,” Paul says.
It’s not just the music and lyrics of “Corn Puddin’” that draw heavily from the past. Series choreographer Christopher Gattelli, whose work on this and other numbers earned him an Emmy nomination, says he made nods to the works of Oklahoma!’s Agnes de Mille, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ Michael Kidd and—somewhat surprisingly—West Side Story’s Jerome Robbins. (At one point, the dancers do a chicken-head motion that’s a nod to the “Mambo” dance number.) | https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/awards-insider-schmigadoon-corn-puddin | 2022-08-15T14:03:25Z | vanityfair.com | control | https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/awards-insider-schmigadoon-corn-puddin | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When I met Eve Babitz in the spring of 2012, she was living in a one-bedroom condo in a sun-faded building on a quiet block in West Hollywood. Entering was difficult, nearly impossible. Why isn’t easy to explain. There was, first of all, Eve’s radical strangeness. This sounds, I realize, like a polite way of calling her nuts, and she was nuts. (Huntington’s disease had been eating away at her brain for years.) But she wasn’t only nuts, and she wasn’t always nuts. There were plenty of lucid moments. The problem was the stench—black, foul, choking—that surrounded the condo like a force field.
If intense fascination with someone is love, then I loved Eve. And the intensity of my fascination was what finally allowed me, six months after our first encounter, to breach the force field, make it past the front door.
The lights were off, the shades drawn tightly against the California sunshine. I waited for my vision to adjust. It did, and I gasped. What I saw was full-scale filth: trash—several years’ worth—piled on every surface, crammed into every crevice so that it seemed to be growing from the floor, the furniture, the walls, so that it seemed alive, like a species of jungle plant. There was no room to sit, or even stand, really. And the smell, that thick, hot stink, was so strong my nostrils were clogged with it. (When the people from Jewish Family Services came to clean the condo, they worked in hazmat suits, lest you think I’m exaggerating or overstating.)
If I had any hopes that Eve kept records or personal papers, they were dashed the instant I crossed the threshold of unit 2 at 951 North Gardner Street. Nothing could survive an environment so putrid and putrefying. Not even Eve, who succumbed to Huntington’s on December 17, 2021, age 78.
Yet something did survive. In the deepest reaches of a closet was a stack of boxes packed by Eve’s mother decades before. The boxes were pristine, the seals of duct tape unbroken. Inside: journals, photos, scrapbooks, manuscripts, and letters. No, inside a lost world. This world turned for a certain number of years in the late ’60s and early ’70s, and was centered in a two-story rental in a down-at-heel section of L.A. The Franklin Avenue scene, I call it for reasons that will become apparent. And it had all the explosive vitality that the scene at Les Deux Magots on the Left Bank had for Ernest Hemingway and his fellow Lost boys. It was the making of one great American writer, the breaking and then the remaking—and thus the true making—of another. These two writers were friends. Enemies as well. They were also women, a fact fundamental rather than incidental, as you’ll see from the below letter.
It’s dated October 2, no year, though the year is 1972. It’s unsigned, though is from Eve. It’s addressed to “Dear Joan,” “Joan” as in Joan Didion, though the “Dear” is either sarcastic or misplaced. And it’s got the boisterous, clamorous, surging, sprawling, lewd, destructive glee of a predawn, reeling-drunk temper tantrum, though it was written in the bright light of day (the closing line, “Good-bye morning letter”) and stone-cold sober (in ’72, Eve was far more likely to fuck herself up on acid and/or ludes and/or coke than alcohol):
This morning I telephoned and wanted you to read A Room of One’s Own.… It’s so hard to get certain things together and especially you and [Virginia Woolf] because you’re mad at her about her diaries. It’s entirely about you that you can’t stand her diaries. It goes with Sacramento. Maybe it’s better that you stay with Sacramento and hate diaries and ignore the fact that every morning when you eye the breakfast table uneasily waiting to get away, back to your typewriter, maybe it’s better that you examine your life in every way except the main one which Sacramento would brush aside but which V. Wolffe [sic] kept blabbing on about. Maybe it’s about you and Sacramento that you feel it’s undignified, not crickett [sic] and bad form to let Art be one of the variables. Art, my God, Joan, I’m embarrassed to mention it in front of you, you know, but you mentioned burning babies in locked cars so I can mention Art.
I’m cutting Eve off. Watching her let rip is great theater. But you need a little context in order to follow.
We’ll go back by first going forward, jumping ahead two years:
1974, the year Eve published her first book, Eve’s Hollywood. In the dedication, she wrote, “And to the Didion-Dunnes for having to be who I’m not.” A definition of Joan that was really a definition of herself as the un-Joan. (I’m ignoring Joan’s husband, John Gregory Dunne, here on purpose because he failed to capture Eve’s imagination—“I don’t like the way [he] writes,” she noted in her journal—and I suspect she only lumped him and Joan together to needle Joan.) So who was Joan in 1974? One of the biggest writers in America. A celebrity writer in the way that Norman Mailer was, or Tom Wolfe, or Hunter S. Thompson. Still more remarkable, that other writers, i.e., male writers, allowed her to be a writer who was also a woman, rather than insisting she be a capital-W Woman Writer. No modifier on writer, no flies on Joan.
And now we’ll go back by going back, five years into the past:
1967, the year Eve met Joan, though the Joan Eve met was not yet Joan Didion. So who was Joan in 1967? A promising but obscure writer. Her first book, fiction, Run, River, published in 1963, when she was living in New York, was assured and arresting. It was also traditional—a generational drama set in an earlier period—probably the reason critics and audiences paid it little mind. (“Traditional” can so easily translate to “unadventurous,” “corny,” “irrelevant.”) A painful outcome for any writer, extra painful for one who wanted to be noticed—nay, spectacular—so badly.
Joan was, undoubtedly, a genius, but it isn’t enough to be a genius. You must also be lucky: right place, right time. It was both for her next book, the nonfiction collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem, published in 1968, when she, Dunne, and their adopted daughter, Quintana, were living in L.A., at 7406 Franklin Avenue. Just as Run, River felt traditional, so Slouching, with its title piece set in Haight-Ashbury, the counterculture capital, felt contemporary. Alarmingly, dangerously contemporary. (Remember “High Kindergarten,” where five-year-olds tripped on acid?) It was and it wasn’t. What it was was an old-fashioned gothic horror story tricked out in New Journalism’s clothing. Sometimes, though, a costume change is all it takes.
Slouching was a cultural phenomenon. That made Joan one too. In an outtake from Betsy Blankenbaker’s 2001 documentary, New York in the Fifties, Dunne said to the camera, “[Slouching] was reviewed by someone in TheNew York Times,” then to Joan, “And it was—boom!—all of a sudden, you were a figure.” Time commissioned portraits, sending photographer Julian Wasser to the Franklin Avenue house. Wasser’s series is familiar to you even if his name isn’t, because the picture you have of Joan in your mind is likely one he took. I’ll jog your memory: Joan, hair flowing past her shoulders, in a long jersey dress, loose yet clinging, the expression on her face defiant, dreamy, a little bored. In several shots, she’s leaning against a Corvette, or sitting in the driver’s seat. Her presence is romantic, yet chaste. (How could Joan be sexual? That savage appetites, erotic or otherwise, might snarl for satisfaction within a form so slight, an aura so cool, seems inconceivable.) She’s a master of the intimate close-up, gazing through the eye of the camera and directly into your eyes. It’s an actor’s trick rather than a writer’s, fitting since Joan didn’t have readers, as writers do. She had what movie stars have—she had fans.
Joan, 33, had, at last, become Joan Didion. And she’d done it on the Franklin Avenue scene. Her house; Earl McGrath’s scene.
How to explain Earl McGrath, a person who defies explanation? Eve took a crack in a letter written in late 1970 to artist Chris Blum. “Would you like to hear about my friend Earl?” she asked, and then proceeded to detail his early life as a runaway Catholic schoolboy from Wisconsin; his amour with a future Zen monk in Big Sur; his stint as head of production at 20th Century Fox in New York. “[Finally] he moved to California and away from his wife[,]… a lame Italian countess.… Earl is wonderful at social masterpieces.”
7406 Franklin Avenue was, in 1966—the year Joan moved in—a ramshackle house in a neighborhood in Hollywood that nobody wanted to go to. 7406 Franklin Avenue was, in 1967—the year Eve came along—the place to be.
It was McGrath who brought Eve in. They met on an early morning in June 1967. Eve, 24, was lying in the bed of Peter Pilafian, electric violinist and road manager for the Mamas & the Papas, when through the front door breezed McGrath. McGrath was infatuated with Pilafian. Once he got an eyeful of a sleep-tousled Eve, though, he redirected the flow of his lovey-dovey. A romance, passionate but not sexual, began. From Eve’s letter to Blum: “Earl invited me to dinner.… I was uncomfortable at first but Earl’s personality and energy are such that once the people got inside his house all outside social factors were dropped.… He loved us with this funny intelligent brilliant radiance like a diamond net. The next day he would call us all up and ask us questions like ‘What did you say to Mrs. Dunn—she thinks you are the most brilliant person in California?’ ” (“Mrs. Dunn,” and please note the misspelling, is how Eve refers to Joan in journals and letters from this period.)
McGrath had a circle. “When Earl came here two or three years ago, he knew no one.… After about six months he had created a society of people who were not only the most talented around but who also all shared these incredible parties.… He has the best young artists, writers, actors, poets with established people like Larry Rivers[,] Jasper Johns, Uri (a white Russian who discovered the jet engine and was in the U.N.), Henry Geltzelher [sic].” Even Natalie Wood “[who] breastfeeds her baby while wearing a mask so she won’t get germs on it.”
McGrath also had an inner circle. In it: Joan and Dunne; Michelle Phillips, a Mama in the Mamas & the Papas; Peter Pilafian; and Harrison Ford, before he was Han Solo (said Phillips, “I didn’t even know Harrison was an actor. I remember getting dragged to Star Wars at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I was sitting there, watching the screen, and all of a sudden Harrison comes on and I gasped and said, ‘That’s my pot dealer!’ ”).
The relationship between Joan and McGrath was a long-standing one, deep and full of funny gallantry—another courtly romance in which consummation was unthinkable. In 2016, Joan told Vanity Fair, “Earl and I met in 1962, immediately loved each other, and never stopped.… I very clearly remember sitting on the front steps [of the Franklin Avenue house] talking to Earl.… We gave parties together.”
The most storied took place on September 6, 1968, in celebration of the publication of Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Joan’s nephew Griffin Dunne, in junior high and up way past his bedtime, was a guest. “I just wandered around and watched adults. Earl and Harrison went as movable art objects. Earl wore all white and Harrison wore all black. They stood back-to-back. And Earl, in white, would start a conversation with someone, then Harrison, in black, would continue it. I think they were stoned out of their minds. I was just waiting for Janis. And no one was really wanting to talk to a 13-year-old, except this bald guy in a Nehru jacket. He said, ‘Boy, come here quick, quick.’ And he holds my wrist really tight, and goes, ‘I have taken the acid, and I’m having the bummer. You are the only ray of light in this horrible place.’ It was Otto Preminger [Austro-Hungarian-born director of Laura]. Anyway, there was a parking valet, but most of the cars were stolen in front of the house. Joan complained, and the valet said, ‘Well, I didn’t know you lived in such a ratty neighborhood!’ ”
In 1970, Joan published the novel Play It As It Lays, as alarming and dangerous in its contemporaneity as Slouching. And Play It was truly a product of the Franklin Avenue scene, because a nightmare version of the Franklin Avenue scene served as its backdrop—the L.A. of the very fast and very famous; Hollywood L.A.—but also because the Franklin Avenue scene was where Joan got her ending. Said Eve, “Michelle Phillips told the best stories in town. I remember her once lying down on the floor of my apartment [during] a dinner party—Joan and John were there, Earl was there—and telling that amazing story about her friend Tamar.”
That amazing story about Tamar: Tamar Hodel, in her mid-20s, in despair over a failed love affair, decided to kill herself. She asked a 17-year-old Phillips to help. Phillips: “I begged Tamar for three days not to commit suicide. Finally I said, ‘If that’s what you really want to do, I’m not going to stand in your way.’ Tamar took 26 Seconal, then said, ‘I want to be dead, but I don’t want to look dead.’ She went to the bathroom and was putting makeup on. The Seconal hit her all at once, and she went down. I managed to rock her back and forth into the bed. I lay down next to her and went to sleep. The next thing I remember was John [Phillips, Michelle’s soon-to-be husband] tickling my feet.” An ambulance was summoned; and Hodel, fortunately, saved. “Joan called me up the next day and said, ‘Is it all right if I use that story you told in the book I’m working on?’ ” In Play It’s climax, the protagonist, Maria, lies in bed with her best friend, BZ, as he overdoses on Seconal. Maria and BZ fall asleep. They’re found by Maria’s husband. It’s too late to summon an ambulance; and BZ, unfortunately, isn’t saved.
Play It wasn’t just an instant best seller, it was an instant classic. Joan was in the stratosphere now. Even ranking divinities genuflected before her. Recalled writer Josh Greenfeld, “John used to say, ‘Guess who I just met on the beach? I met Jesus. Jesus said he loved Joan’s work.’ ”
That Joan wasn’t straitjacketed into the role of Woman Writer was neither luck nor chance. She did it by being very, very good, and a very, very particular kind of good. A masculine kind of good is the way I would, with some trepidation, characterize it. She was the child of Hemingway, and eager to acknowledge her paternity. “When I was fifteen or sixteen I would type out [Hemingway’s] stories to learn how the sentences worked,” she told The Paris Review. In fact, she was the son Papa always wanted, even if she was the daughter he never knew he had. Her sentences were, like his, as cold and clean as spring water. Feelings were there, and strong to the point of overpowering, though they were addressed only obliquely. To address them directly would be to violate the cowboy code—baring your soul? yikes, sissy stuff!—and Joan was from Sacramento, technically a city in Northern California, really the Old West.
Yet alongside this emotional reticence was an impulse to emotional pornography—to wit: Joan letting drop in Life magazine that she and Dunne were vacationing in Hawaii “in lieu of filing for divorce”—an impulse I would characterize, with more than some trepidation, as feminine. These contradictory extremes, of reserve and exhibitionism, of male and female, should’ve canceled each other out, but didn’t. The paradox was riveting, thrilling.
What it means to be the un-Joan, i.e., Eve.
Joan famously wrote, “It had not been by accident that the people with whom I had preferred to spend time in high school had, on the whole, hung out in gas stations.” It’s a good line—self-revelation disguised as social commentary. Only the self being revealed is false. The people with whom Joan spent time in high school were, on the whole, middle-class strivers, like herself. (Joan was on Student Council, Sophomore Ball committee, Junior Prom committee, and worked not just on newspaper but yearbook.) Or upper-class already-theres. (Joan was in the Mañana Club, known locally as the “rich girls’ sorority,” as was Nina Warren, daughter of Earl Warren, then governor of California.)
The statement was true, however, of Eve: a low-high, pop-trash, bohemian-aristocrat by birth. Her mother was Cajun, a hash house waitress turned artist, from Sour Lake, Texas. Her father was Jewish and a virtuoso violinist from Brooklyn, a studio musician—you can hear his bow and strings shrieking along with Janet Leigh in the Psycho shower scene—and member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Once, at a party given by her parents, she led Russian composer Igor Stravinsky by hand to American jazzman Stuff Smith just before Smith, afflicted mightily with the d.t.’s, was carried off on a stretcher. (This was the first improbable introduction she’d make in a lifetime of: Frank Zappa to Salvador Dalí, Steve Martin to white suits.)
Eve was a bohemian-aristocrat by inclination, as well. At Hollywood High, she decided that the sororities weren’t for her, as the Brownies hadn’t been for her at Cheremoya Elementary. (Joan was both a Brownie and a Tri Delt.) And after Hollywood High, Eve picked LACC, a community college, over UCLA because UCLA, in her view, wanted to turn its female students into “educators,” and no way was she letting anyone make an honest citizen out of her.
I believe that every true artist is, in a fundamental sense, an outsider artist. Joan was a true artist; therefore, Joan was an outsider artist. But she was an outsider artist from the inside. And she treated writing, a renegade pursuit and improvisational, as a career, with steps to follow, a ladder to climb. Her way of keeping herself from looking down perhaps. (If she saw that the ladder was actually a tightrope, she might lose her nerve.) Again and again, she opted for conventional modes and stratagems. As a senior at Berkeley, she won the Vogue-sponsored “Prix de Paris” essay contest. During her seven years at the magazine, she’d go from promotional copywriter to feature associate. In 1963, the year she got her book, Run, River, published, she also got a husband, or at least a fiancé: Dunne, a Princeton man, the son of a Hartford surgeon.
By 1963, Eve, too, had a husband, though he wasn’t hers: Walter Hopps, director of the Pasadena Art Museum. To get back at him for inviting his wife, not inviting her, to a party he was throwing for French surrealist Marcel Duchamp, she posed for Julian Wasser. (Yes, the Time photographer again.) A few days after the party, Wasser shot a 76-year-old Duchamp, wearing a suit, playing chess with a 20-year-old Eve, wearing not a thing. In his photos of Joan and the Corvette, Joan’s face is the focus. In his photo of Eve and Duchamp, Eve doesn’t have a face, her features obscured by her hair. She’s just a body, and that body is the antithesis of Joan’s—an explosion of voluptuous flesh, and helplessly carnal.
Eve getting naked for the camera was more than an act of revenge against her lover. It was an act of homage to her idol: Marilyn Monroe. Eve wrote, “I used to wander down Hollywood Boulevard hoping that Georgia O’Keeffe wasn’t really just a man by accident because she was the only woman artist, period, but then…[my mother] told me Marilyn Monroe was an artist and not to worry.” It’s worth noting that Eve’s artistic model was the opposite of Joan’s. Hemingway, supremely macho, a man of action as well as letters, was a winner—of Pulitzers and Nobels, of Bronze Stars and Silver Medals. Contrastingly, the intensely femme Monroe was the ultimate victim, an artist who was treated as a bimbo, a loser even if she was the biggest star in the world.
In Slouching, Joan wrote, “[Self-respect] has nothing to do with reputation, which, as Rhett Butler told Scarlett O’Hara, is something people with courage can do without.” Another good line. But again, one that doesn’t apply to Joan, who worked on her reputation as diligently, as carefully as she worked on her books. (The statement itself is Joan working on her reputation.) It was Eve who couldn’t be bothered. How having a well-managed versus a carelessly managed reputation plays out for a woman in practical terms: When I asked Julian Wasser if he’d told Joan how to dress or where to stand during their session, he replied, his tone reverent, “With a girl like Joan Didion, you just don’t tell her what to do.” When I asked him why he’d chosen Eve for the Duchamp photo, he replied, his tone contemptuous, “She was a piece of ass.”
Eve dropped out of LACC almost as soon as she enrolled. Her education thereafter would be of the sentimental variety. Joseph Heller, writer of Catch-22, married and in his 40s when they began their affair, tried to help her with Travel Broadens, the autobiographical novel she’d started as a teenager. “Your spelling, my dove, is even more scandalous than your impertinence,” he told her in a 1964 letter. “I think it is eminently readable, but probably not publishable.… I thought we ought to try anyway.”
The attempt would fail. And Eve, who, early on, was as interested in becoming an artist as a writer, switched her focus to art. She was already a regular at Barney’s Beanery, an artists’ bar in West Hollywood. Eve, however, was not considered an artist by the other artists, all men, it goes without saying. The best she could do was inspire the Barney’s artists, “inspire,” of course, being code for “fuck.” The Barney’s artists Eve “inspired”: Ed Ruscha, Ed Moses, Ken Price, though she stayed away from Dennis Hopper (“too weird”). A few of them understood what she was—an original and profound and for real. But most saw her the way Wasser did: as a piece of ass. No gallery showing was offered. She paid her bills by doing secretarial work. (Eve spelled poorly, typed quickly.)
Yet in 1967, when she joined the Franklin Avenue scene, things were looking up. She’d switched her focus again, this time from fine arts to rock and roll arts. And from fine artists to rock and roll artists. Now, the term groupie is one Eve often assigned to herself. And, in the strictest sense, she was a groupie; that is, a woman in hot sexual pursuit of rock and rollers. But, really, she was a courtesan; that is, a woman in hot sexual pursuit of the men of her era who moved and shook. It just so happened that the men who moved and shook in late-’60s L.A. were rock and rollers. Playing the courtesan-groupie was how Eve filled herself with the spirit of her time and place.
In 1966, Eve spotted a pre-fame Jim Morrison at a club on the Sunset Strip. Her first words to him were “Take me home.” Soon after, she set her sights on Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Glenn Frey. And in 1967, she got Stephen Stills to let her do the cover art for his band’s next album, Buffalo Springfield Again. “I knew my early days of fucking around would pay off,” she told Walter Hopps in a letter from that year.
For a while everything was golden. Eve was mixing business with pleasure and they mixed just fine. Until they didn’t. Abruptly, inexplicably, McGrath turned on her. From the letter to Blum: “Earl decided I was beyond the pale about 8 months ago. He decided I was vulgar or something.” My guess is that McGrath’s jealousy rather than Eve’s vulgarity was the reason for the about-face, since the guys he was pining for, she was sleeping with. Not only Peter Pilafian, but Harrison Ford. Said Eve, “Earl was in love with Harrison. One time Earl and Harrison and I were taking acid at the beach. I suddenly decided we had to go home because there were too many cops around. We stopped for breakfast. Harrison started talking about working on a movie with Elliott Gould. He thought Elliott was a nice guy. Well, Earl stood up and threw all the dishes on the floor.”
McGrath would attack Eve where she was vulnerable. A year into their friendship that had morphed into something else, he introduced her to Ahmet Ertegun, president of Atlantic Records, then the ruler of the music world. McGrath must’ve known when he brought Ertegun to Eve’s apartment on an afternoon in 1968 that he was bringing her an apple from a fairy tale—something as irresistible as it was deadly. Eve, in the letter to Blum, on the McGrath-Ertegun origin story: “Earl and Ahmet met at a superformal dinner party.… [They] disappeared after dessert and weren’t heard from for 3 days.… Earl telephoned Ahmet’s wife and told her to send the car down from Southhampton [sic] to the most sordid tawdry street in Baltimore.” Though McGrath began working for Ertegun in an official capacity in 1970, when Ertegun gave him a record label, Clean Records, to run, he was already working for Ertegun in an unofficial capacity. He was Ertegun’s social director; in other words, a kind of pimp.
Ertegun was a cultivated man, an artist as well as an operator. (In his pre-mogul days he wrote songs for Ray Charles.) But there was a barbarous side to his nature, and he’d reveal it in his relationship with Eve, which wasn’t a relationship at all, which was an arrangement. Said Eve’s sister, Mirandi, “Ahmet would call up Eve late at night, and she’d go over to the Beverly Hills Hotel. He always had the best drugs. Not just the best drugs, the best exotic drugs. He’d have things like opium. And there was room service all over the place, and Champagne on ice. Evie loved all that. And she’d service him or whatever, and then she’d go home.”
Eve had always been about overindulgence: profligacy and promiscuity, reckless and spectacular consumption. Yet she’d remained unspoiled. Her capacity for pleasure was large—movingly so. Any delights or diversions that came her way, she accepted with gratitude. Which means that her depravity was all on the surface. Underneath, she was an innocent. This changed with Ertegun.
Another memory of Mirandi’s: “There would be times that we went to Earl’s, after a show or a concert. I’d see the mix of people who were there. Top music people, like Mick Jagger. They were half-cocked, drunk, and full of whatever. And the talk was so mean and mean-spirited. It would be directed at the girls, sometimes at Eve—these horrible put-downs. Most of the girls would just crumble. Not Eve. She’d figure out what the deal with you was and just go for the jugular. So she’d give it right back to Ahmet. I worried she’d get slapped, but I think he liked it.”
Eve could not, would not flinch. And her bravura, her stupid physical courage, allowed her to hold on to her self-respect. (If Joan’s definition of self-respect has a living embodiment, Eve is it.) But at what cost? The experience with Ertegun was coarsening, brutalizing. Her behavior was, on one level, admirable; on another, bitter, frustrated, self-destructive—redundant since McGrath was already so intent on destroying her. Something he could do without consequence. She wasn’t famous or attached. Who was going to kick up a fuss?
One day in 1970, he’d look at a painting she was working on and ask, “Is that the blue you’re using?,” a question as tasteless and odorless as arsenic—and as fatal. It wiped out her artistic confidence. Her art career would continue for a few more years, but was effectively over at that moment.
As McGrath was laying waste to Eve, he was shielding Joan. From Eve’s 1970 journal: “Last night I had a good party.… Wickhem got here with this ex-Marine[,] whose name was Jack Clement. He discovered Jerry Lee Lewis.… [Jack] made a pass at Mrs. Dunn which caused her, John & Earl…to run out the door.”
This vignette exposes Joan. She might have balked at the safety of the drawing room where the well-bred young ladies clutched their pearls; yet she wasn’t quite willing to risk the mean streets, at least not unescorted. Eve, on the other hand, prowled the mean streets alone, after dark, dressed hot and trashy, a bloody lip for a badge of honor. She faced death every single night. The situation got too real, the smell of a rumble too sharp, and Joan was out of there.
“You married a protector,” Griffin says to Joan in his documentary of her, The Center Will Not Hold, and she readily agrees. Dunne, though, only looked like the dominant one. Said Josh Greenfeld, “I told [Michiko Kakutani, then the Times book critic], ‘What you see in John, you get in Joan.’ He came on as tough and blustering, but he was soft. Don’t forget, she handled all their finances. And that shyness—that weakness—was actually her strength because it got John to run interference.”
When discussing her courtship with Dunne, Joan said, “I don’t know what ‘fall in love’ means.… But I do remember having a very clear sense that I wanted this to continue.” It isn’t true that falling in love was a concept Joan had no truck with. In a piece on Howard Hughes, she wrote of the “apparently bottomless gulf between…what we officially admire and secretly desire, between, in the largest sense, the people we marry and the people we love.” Are we to assume then that Dunne was someone she married but did not love? In any case, she and Dunne were very married, presenting themselves to the world as a unit. Joan, in fact, insisted on being addressed as “Joan Dunne” by friends. (“Mrs. Dunn” was, I think, Eve taking a dig at Joan for this insistence, for playing the little woman to Dunne’s big strong man.) And not only were Joan and Dunne a couple, they were also coworkers, editing each other’s books and articles, writing screenplays jointly. As Eve put it, “They were connected at the typewriter ribbon.”
The relationship, though, was more symbiotic even than that. It was Dunne who made it possible for Joan to be Joan. Joan told Griffin, “People often said that he finished sentences for me. Well, he did.” And his willingness to do her talking for her allowed her to be silent. Said writer Dan Wakefield, a friend of the Didion-Dunnes from their New York days, “I gave a party. A guy was there—Norman Dorsen—a law professor at NYU, involved in liberal politics and all that shit. Joan was just standing there, not saying a thing. She had on this pair of dark glasses. Norman goes up to her and says, ‘Ms. Didion, why do you wear those sexy, intriguing, dark glasses?’ I cracked up and said, ‘I think you’ve answered your own question.’ She was like the sphinx. And when the sphinx spoke, everybody listened.”
Also making it possible for Joan to be Joan: Earl McGrath. Eve described the parties at Franklin Avenue as “nonstop.” When I asked if the parties were Joan’s or Earl’s, she replied, “Both. They were the same person.” As Dunne supplemented Joan professionally, so McGrath supplemented her socially. Joan was, by all accounts, a withdrawn and inward person, yet one with a strong desire to be on the scene. How to do that? Create the scene. Or rather, get somebody to create it for you. Get McGrath, whose charm is the stuff of legend, but who’s lacking—an artist with no art. (Social masterpieces don’t, alas, count. They’re gone by morning.)
So the man who was doing Eve in was nourishing Joan. Eve was getting eaten alive; Joan had her teeth sunk deep in his throat, was drinking, drinking, drinking with glassy-eyed, sweet-sucking bliss.
Then, the Franklin Avenue scene ended, in January 1971, when Joan left it, moving with Dunne and Quintana to Malibu. Joan would, however, return at the close of the decade with the essay collection The White Album, the title story set in the years 1966–1971, while she was “living in a large house in a part of Hollywood that had once been expensive and was now described by one of my acquaintances as a ‘senseless-killing neighborhood.’ ” She’d quote the psychiatric report of a patient at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica in the summer of ’68. “In [the patient’s] view she lives in a world of people moved by strange, conflicted, poorly comprehended, and, above all, devious motivations which commit them inevitably to conflict and failure.” The twist? Joan was the patient. So under her controlled exterior: tumult. The same tumult as under Eve’s uncontrolled exterior. And the thoughts and feelings that Eve had blurted out spontaneously and unselfconsciously in journals and letters, written in the as-it-happens present, Joan shaped, artfully and with premeditation, in an after-the-fact book.
Michelle Phillips would make an appearance in The White Album. So would Janis Joplin. And McGrath was the co-dedicatee. Eve was in there too, though just out of sight, tucked behind Jim Morrison, dropping lit matches down the fly of his vinyl trousers during a Doors recording session. (It was Eve who got Joan in front of Morrison—yet another of her improbable introductions.)
The White Album was a critical and commercial triumph. It was also a return to form for Joan, whose hot streak had gone cold since she abandoned Franklin Avenue for the Pacific Coast Highway. (Her 1977 novel, A Book of Common Prayer, was a flop.) So Joan’s best books, her definitive books, the books on which she built her name and on which that name now rests—Slouching, Play It, White Album—are her Franklin Avenue books.
Back to Eve. Had the Franklin Avenue scene not died, she might’ve. So excessive had her excesses become by late 1970 that she had to invent a term to describe her condition: “squalid overboogie.” She was washed up sexually, emotionally, artistically. Away from McGrath and McGrath’s crowd, though, she began to recover. “I don’t really need to be told things like what Earl tells me nowadays—things like about how…gross I am,” she wrote to Blum. “The less I see them the more human I seem to be getting.”
Who Eve was seeing more of: Dan Wakefield. Wakefield, who came to L.A. in early 1971 to adapt Going All the Way, his best-selling novel, was an outsider. Not that much of an outsider, though, because he was already close with Joan and Dunne. Recalled Wakefield, “I called up Joan and John. I said, ‘I’ve met this terrific girl.’ I told them her name, and there was laughter. And then John said, ‘Ah, yes, Eve Babitz, the dowager groupie.’ ” (Proof of the couple’s sly careerism: It was Wakefield who wrote the rave of Slouching for the Times. Wakefield, an intimate of many years, is the person Dunne referred to as “someone” in Blankenbaker’s documentary.)
In the fall of ’71, Eve wrote a short piece, a reminiscence that was really a rapture, about the girls of Hollywood High, titled “The Sheik.” A few months later, it appeared in Rolling Stone, the hippest magazine of its day. And Joan made it happen.
Joan made it happen in an obvious way. After Eve showed “The Sheik” to Wakefield and Wakefield crabbed—Wakefield, “I’ve always made it a point to never have a girlfriend who was a writer”—and after Wakefield’s agent sent Eve a letter with detailed instructions on how to get it into publishable shipshape—Eve, “I hate people who tell me what to do to improve”—Eve thrust it into the hands of Joan, who then thrust it into the hands of Rolling Stone editor Grover Lewis.
Joan made it happen in a subtle way as well. She wrote Play It As It Lays, a novel set in an L.A. that’s hell on earth even if it looks like paradise. Eve expected this sort of hysterical, Puritan nonsense from Nathanael West, a New Yorker and the writer of The Day of the Locust, which Play It was, in so many ways, an updated version of. And Eve would use West to go after Joan by proxy: “People from the East all like Nathanael West because he shows them [L.A.’s] not all blue skies and pink sunsets.… [I]t’s shallow, corrupt, and ugly. I think Nathanael West was a creep.” With Play It, Joan was, in Eve’s view, telling people from the East, once again, what they wanted to hear—sucking up, basically. It was an act of betrayal by a native daughter. “The Sheik” was Eve defending L.A.’s honor.
Eve was in a tricky position: The person to whom she owed the largest debt was the person making her see red. And the debt would only get larger, the red redder.
In the summer of ’72, Eve was no longer with Wakefield. Or Lewis. (After Lewis accepted “The Sheik,” Eve moved up north and in with him. She wrote, “I was living in San Francisco until two things happened, one, I decided to murder the guy I was living with and two, I suddenly found out I had an advance for a book.”) The advance was from Seymour Lawrence, who ran an imprint at Delacorte. The book, Eve’s Hollywood, as in Not-Joan’s Hollywood, was to be a collection. Lawrence suggested Eve think of a unifying principle, adding, “Joan may be able to give you advice along these lines.”
Joan would give more than advice. It was she and Dunne, not anyone at Delacorte, who edited Eve’s Hollywood. In a 1973 letter, Eve wrote, “Joan Didion and her husband are editing [the book]. They are terrifyingly exacting, they nearly scared me to death a week ago telling me I was sloppy and they were right. They are like my best self and who can live with that?”
Nor did Joan’s promotion of Eve stop with Eve’s writing. Eve, in a letter from the summer of ’72: “Am in vogue this month in the Dunne’s bathroom.… One of my posters [a collage of drummer Ginger Baker] is in there and they say, ‘California artist, Eve Babitz,’ which is about time.” It was about time, and it was Joan who recognized it was about time.
Really, Eve had no stauncher supporter or more ardent ally. As she seemed to understand. (Why else start using Joan’s proper name, spelling “Dunne” correctly?) Also to resent. In a letter to Wakefield, she describes Lewis as the editor who “opened the doors of stardom to me.” Then, sounding considerably less cocksure, “I suppose I should be grateful but all I can think of is that if Joan hadn’t sent him a letter in the first place, he never would have taken the story.” The aside tells the tale. She knew what Joan had done for her.
And yet, on October 2, 1972, Eve wrote Joan that letter, the one so blazingly angry it’s still, 50 years later, hot to the touch.
You said that the only thing you liked to do was write.… Just think if it were 200 years ago and the only thing you liked to do was write.… I know I’m not making sense, but the thing beyond what your article was about was what A Room of One’s Own is about.… The whole women’s thing that is going on now is so stark and obscene most of the time that no wonder one recoils in horror.… But for a long long long time women didn’t have any money and didn’t have any time and were considered unfeminine if they shone like you do.… Could you write what you write if you weren’t so tiny, Joan?… Would the balance of power between you and John have collapsed long ago if it weren’t that he regards you a lot of the time as a child so it’s all right that you are famous. And you yourself keep making it more all right because you are always referring to your size.
The article of Joan’s that Eve is alluding to: “The Women’s Movement,” New York Times, July 30, 1972. It’s written with Joan’s usual intelligence and grace. Yet there’s something insidious about it. And borderline dishonest. The women’s movement had its problems—classism, for one, as Joan noted. (She zinged the women who claimed trauma from catcalls made by “uppity proles” working construction sites.) It also, though, had a point, and Joan was pretending it didn’t. She wrote, “That many women are victims of condescension and exploitation and sex-role stereotyping was scarcely news, but neither was it news that other women are not: nobody forces women to buy the package.”
Joan, in her career, had beat men at their own game. That didn’t mean the game wasn’t rigged, though, or that you could win without also losing. For example, so that her writing might be formidable, flashy, and self-possessed, Joan made herself itsy-bitsy, meek, and self-doubting—a tongue-tied wallflower. As Eve points out, Joan emphasized, almost fetishized, her frailty. From the closing paragraph of the preface to Slouching: “My only advantage as a reporter is that I am so physically small, so temperamentally unobtrusive, and so neurotically inarticulate that people tend to forget that my presence runs counter to their best interests.” What Eve doesn’t point out, but which is also true: Joan used her frailty to conceal her deadliness. She was a predator who passed herself off as prey. The rest of that paragraph: “And it always does. That is one last thing to remember: writers are always selling somebody out.”
It was Eve’s belief that Joan was selling out women to get in good with men, as Joan had sold out L.A. to get in good with New York.
It embarrasses me that you don’t read Virginia Wolffe [sic]. I feel as though you think she’s a “woman’s novelist” and that only foggy brains could like her and that you, sharp, accurate journalist, you would never join the ranks of people who sogged around in The Waves. You prefer to be with the boys snickering at the silly women and writing accurate prose about Maria [Wyeth of Play It] who had everything but Art. Vulgar, ill bred, drooling, uninvited Art.
Eve was tracing the connection she believed Joan made between women and art: alike in their volatility, their illogic, their emotional extremes and lurid chaos. And both, in Eve’s view, were appalling to Joan, an affront to Joan’s orderly and austere intellect. Which means that Eve, with her double-D breasts and overlapping love affairs and big, unwieldy, slovenly talent was also appalling to Joan. And she was. Didn’t McGrath, Joan’s proxy, reject Eve as “gross”?
Except Joan, unlike McGrath, was an artist. (Perhaps in spite of herself.) And Joan didn’t reject Eve. On the contrary, Joan, whose relationship with so many in her orbit strikes me as vampiric, nurtured Eve. Why? How to account for the sympathy that Joan felt for Eve. Was it the sympathy that Thanatos feels for Eros, yin for yang? Meaning, could Joan and Eve have been two forces that were, on the surface, opposed, yet secretly in concert? This is certainly true of their books. Eve’s Hollywood—sunny, casual, meandering, the littlest bit slipshod—and Play It As It Lays—dark, airless, precise, every word placed on the page just so—make for natural companions. They complete and reveal one another. And to understand a particular postwar L.A., you must read both.
I imagine, too, Joan intuiting that Eve, who didn’t care about prizes or husbands or careers, who was interested only in following her own vector, was going to run into trouble. And Eve wouldn’t disappoint. Every pitfall that Joan avoided, she fell—practically jumped—into. For most of her literary life she’d be treated like a California cutie-pie with a typewriter. A piece of ass who thought she was an artist. When critics weren’t ignoring her, they were trashing her. That’s what happened with the very good Eve’s Hollywood. And Slow Days, Fast Company, published in 1977 and even better—her masterwork—fared much the same.
By the early ’80s, Eve had squalid-overboogied herself into incoherence, and then A.A., the moment she definitively broke with Joan and McGrath. (Though she’d put the moves on Griffin at a Hollywood Hills party first. “He was way too young. Everyone pounced on him. I got him.”) “They were too seductive,” she said. Post-sobriety, she’d write more and she’d write well, at least in bursts. But she’d never write another book that came close to Slow Days. She’d publish her final book, also her weakest, Two by Two, in 1999, after which she’d go quiet, and nobody seemed to care. Only in the last few years did she begin to receive her due. By that time her mind was shot, and she was living in the kind of helter-skelter filth that would give Joan a thousand nightmares.
I wonder whether the key to solving the mystery of the Eve-Joan relationship hasn’t always been in the Eve’s Hollywood dedication. What if it cut both ways? Sure, Eve was grateful to Joan for “having to be who I’m not.” Perhaps, though, Joan, whose life wasn’t without pain—first Dunne dying, then Quintana—but whose life made sense, and who was lauded up until the end—a National Book Award in 2005, a National Medal of Arts in 2013—was even more grateful that the reverse was also true. And Joan’s response, unwritten, which isn’t to say unthought, might have been:
Twenty years ago, Didion shrugged off her typical cloak of indifference to mount a strikingly feminist defense of Martha Stewart, presaging both the rise of the #Girlboss and the perils of a fallible person becoming a brand.
Almost eight years after first meeting the artist and author, writer Lili Anolik has spent the weeks since Babitz’s death “holding up the memory of that first encounter and looking at it from another angle.” | https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/08/joan-didion-letters-eve-babitz | 2022-08-15T14:03:26Z | vanityfair.com | control | https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/08/joan-didion-letters-eve-babitz | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Person killed in rollover crash on Eisenhower Expressway
A person was killed in a rollover crash Monday morning on the Eisenhower Expressway.
A vehicle rear-ended another vehicle just after midnight in the eastbound lanes on I-290 near 1st Avenue, according to Illinois State Police.
The driver of the striking vehicle lost control and the vehicle rolled over, police said. The driver, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead on the scene.
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The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured in the crash and declined medical treatment at the scene, police said.
All lanes were shut down and reopened around 4:37 a.m. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/person-killed-in-rollover-crash-on-eisenhower-expressway | 2022-08-15T14:07:00Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/person-killed-in-rollover-crash-on-eisenhower-expressway | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Earlier this summer, the Washington State Patrol did something it’s never done before: close one of its eight regional communication centers used to answer 911 calls and dispatch troopers and other first responders to emergencies.
The center, located in Wenatchee, had been plagued for years by understaffing and the situation showed no sign of improvement. So, the decision was made to pull the plug and route those calls to other centers elsewhere in the state.
The shuttering of the Wenatchee dispatch center is a dramatic indicator of a widespread staffing problem that’s putting pressure on 911 centers in Washington and nationally. As with many industries, the field of public safety communications has experienced the fallout of the COVID pandemic and the so-called “Great Resignation.”
“I would say that it is close to a crisis and in some areas it may be a crisis,” said April Heinze of the National Emergency Number Association.
Prior to the pandemic, Heinze estimated there was a 15 to 20 percent vacancy rate among 911 dispatchers. Now, she pegs it at more than 30 percent with some areas much higher.
The Washington State Patrol is among the agencies feeling the problem acutely. It currently has nearly 50 communication officer openings at its seven remaining centers, according to data provided by the agency. That’s a vacancy rate of approximately 40 percent. Three of the Patrol’s communications offices — in Bellevue, Yakima and Marysville — are less than 50 percent staffed.
“It's tough right now,” said Jeff Hursh, who manages the communications center in Tacoma.
The dispatcher shortage and the closure of the Wenatchee center are having a ripple effect across the state. For example, one of Hursh’s dispatchers in Tacoma now handles calls for the Ellensburg area located 120 miles to the east and across the Cascades.
In addition, dispatchers are having to fill mandatory overtime shifts every week to fill the gaps. Others are being sent elsewhere in the state to backfill dispatch centers that are struggling to maintain minimum staffing levels. Even Hursh, who’s supposed to be in a supervisory role, said he's logging 40 hours a week at a dispatch console.
Hursh attributes the turnover and vacancies to a combination of factors, including the disruption caused by COVID and the requirement that state employees get vaccinated. But he said the particular demands of being a dispatcher also make it hard to recruit and retain employees.
“I think it's just the nature of the 24-hours-a-day, seven-day-a-week job," Hursh said. “It's one thing to say, ‘I understand that’ when you take the job, it's another thing to be working it and mandatory 12-hour shifts.”
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, as rush hour picked up, four communications officers sat at sprawling consoles in the dimly lit Tacoma communications center. It was an atmosphere of controlled chaos. The dispatchers were in perpetual motion: answering 911 calls, typing madly on their keyboards and relaying information to troopers via the police radio.
One of the dispatchers, Kayla White, was handling the Ellensburg area calls. With nearly five years on the job and two kids at home, White said it’s typical for her to work three mandatory 12-hour shifts a week, plus two more regular eight-hour shifts.
“We definitely need more people for sure,” White said. “It would take a lot of stress off of a lot of people.”
On the other side of the room, Rachel Gates, who’s been a communications officer for 14 years, was working a mandatory overtime shift. Speaking between calls, she acknowledged it takes a toll on her kids.
“They want mom home more, but they know it’s part of the job so they’re kind of used to it now,” Gates said.
The shortage of dispatchers is also being felt in the field. Trooper Anthony Rodriguez, a nearly four-year veteran assigned to the Tacoma area, said sometimes troopers are asked to restrict their radio traffic to only priority matters because the dispatchers are so busy.
During a recent patrol shift, Rodriguez described dispatchers as a “lifeline” and the backbone of the public safety system.
“Without them, we couldn’t do our job,” he said. “They’re behind the scenes, but they're what makes everything move forward.”
The dispatcher shortage is also hitting local and regional 911 offices. Valley Communications dispatches police, fire and EMS for five cities in south King County. At full staffing, Valley Com, as it’s known, would have 103 call receivers and dispatchers. Currently, it has 82 who are available to be scheduled for shifts.
“We’ve always had staffing issues, but not to his degree,” said Lora Ueland, Valley Com’s executive director.
Similar to the State Patrol, Valley Com is getting by with lots of mandatory overtime — an average of 547 hours a week.
Recruiting new staff has been a challenge. Prior to COVID, Ueland said they would typically have eight to 10 recruits in an academy class. Now, sometimes it’s as few as two.
Besides COVID, Ueland said the murder of George Floyd and the resulting backlash against police for their treatment of African Americans had an impact.
“Even though we are not law enforcement, we are seen as a part of law enforcement because 911 is the gateway to bringing public safety services to the scene,” Ueland said.
Another hurdle to recruitment is the inflexibility of the job. Emergency dispatching is not a work-from-home gig. Heinze, of the National Emergency Number Association, said some municipalities are now offering hiring bonuses while others are reevaluating pay and benefits.
There’s also a push to elevate emergency dispatching as a profession so that it’s no longer viewed as a lower-paid clerical job.
The current pay range for a Washington State Patrol Communications Officer 1 is $50,148 to $65,604 a year. Level 2 officers and supervisors make more.
Earlier this year, the Washington Legislature unanimously passed a bill that recognizes 911 dispatchers as first responders. The new law also created a 10-member board to oversee the establishment of a statewide public safety telecommunicators training program. The goal is to standardize 911 dispatcher training in Washington and create a certification process.
“To ensure the availability and quality of trained public safety communicators, the legislature recognizes the need to adopt and implement standardized training programs and certification and recertification requirements,” the bill said.
In recent decades, the job of 911 dispatcher has gotten more complex and stressful. Heinze recalled that when she started as a dispatcher in Michigan nearly three decades ago, all of the 911 calls came in via landline.
Now calls arrive via landline, cell phone and even text message. Call volumes are also up. And then there’s the nature of the calls — dispatchers must engage with people caught in life-and-death situations often on the worst day of their lives.
“It takes a very unique person to be able to sit in the chair and do the job and make a career out of it,” said Hursh of the Washington State Patrol.
Once a new dispatcher is hired, it can take more than a year to train that person to become self-sufficient. Even then, Hursh said he’s seen recruits decide the job isn’t for them and quit. On the flip side emergency dispatching, and helping people in need, can be immensely rewarding. The challenge, Hursh said, is finding candidates who are the right fit for the job.
“It's getting harder and harder,” Hursh said. “But .. we're going to find them.”
Copyright 2022 Northwest News Network. To see more, visit Northwest News Network. | https://www.klcc.org/crime-law-justice/2022-08-15/its-not-just-police-officers-911-dispatchers-are-also-in-short-supply | 2022-08-15T14:11:57Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/crime-law-justice/2022-08-15/its-not-just-police-officers-911-dispatchers-are-also-in-short-supply | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Environment EPA urges Oregon to take action against nitrate polluters Oregon Public Broadcasting Published August 15, 2022 at 6:57 AM PDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Monica Samayoa / OPB / OPBSilvia Hernandez's private well in the outskirts of Boardman, Oregon on April 15, 2022. The EPA lauded the state's efforts to deliver clean drinking water to Morrow County residents affected by nitrate pollution, but wanted more action to address the issue at its source. After corresponding with several state agencies, regional EPA administrator leaves door open to federal intervention Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting | https://www.klcc.org/environment/2022-08-15/epa-urges-oregon-to-take-action-against-nitrate-polluters | 2022-08-15T14:12:03Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/environment/2022-08-15/epa-urges-oregon-to-take-action-against-nitrate-polluters | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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