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IT would look like the only thing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) exists for in Nigeria is to be able to organise strikes and ensure disruption of the university calendar and system at every point. Since its replacing the Nigerian Association of University Teachers (NAUT) in 1978 as the union of Nigerian University teachers, ASUU has been in the consciousness of Nigerians more in relation to industrial and strike actions which invariably paralyze university activities and always leave Nigerians wondering about the game that ASUU and government play. For the tendency is to see the reality of ASUU’s existence and close relationship with strikes even while government encourages it with its own failure as perhaps a game that the two sides are playing for an end that Nigerians are not privy to. Or how else to perceive or view a process that has been continuing for so long without any end in sight even as the public is left with no clue as to the true purpose of the engagement!
As a labour union, ASUU must have been set up for the protection of the interests of its members as workers. Which would and should not be an issue as workers normally come together for the protection of collective interests. Nigerian university teachers would, therefore, be in order to want to have a collective union to protect their interests as workers, such that going on strike as part of the pressure to push for the acceptance of their demands in that regard would also be understandable. In any case, ASUU has never shied from telling Nigerians about its desire to fight for the welfare of its members as it has often called attention to the meagre salaries of Nigerian university teachers vis-à-vis their counterparts in other lands, such that it could then be assumed that ASUU strike actions could and must be for the welfare and salaries of its members. Only that ASUU, sometimes, insists that the strikes are not for the members interests, but to save the Nigerian university system and ensure that it is not allowed to go down to such an extent as to lose the appellation of university. Here ASUU becomes more than a labour union, and strives to approximate a social agitational group for the promotion and protection of general Nigerian interests in having a functional and worthwhile university system.
The logic of all this is to see the litany of strikes by ASUU as directed at saving the Nigerian university system from collapse, even if it does look like the solution proffered could even be adding to the problems to be solved. Take a cursory peep into the history of ASUU strikes: Because of strike actions, the union attracted proscription in 1988 and 1992, with the lifting of the proscription in 1992 and the signing of agreement with the government to accept the issue of collective bargaining making Nigerians to hope for less strike going forward at that point. Nigerians were, however, soon to be disappointed in their expectations as new ASUU strikes were conducted in 1994 and 1996 to show that the strikes by university teachers in Nigeria would be unending. By the time of ASUU strikes in 2007 and 2008, it had become clear that there was no alternative to strikes in the Nigerian university system. Except that with the 2013 ASUU strike lasting more than five months, the nature of the strike and its import had changed with questions as to what could ever be achieved with such long-lasting strikes. And then came the strike of 2020 lasting nine months to be followed by the current strike action already more than six months old, and still counting. The truth is nobody is sure again when a new ASUU strike would begin even if any particular one is called off – or suspended, in the language of the union leadership – or how long any strike could last. Nigerians are now at the mercy of ASUU and the government as far as university education is concerned in Nigeria.
Incidentally, while ASUU continues to insist that it is fighting for the survival of the Nigerian university system through its strikes, it does not look like it understands the fact that those in government could care less about any such system given that their wards do not patronise the system again and they could get election votes from Nigerians regardless of what happens to the university system. None of President Muhammadu Buhari’s children, for instance, has ever attended university in Nigeria. And the same holds for the Governors and other high officials of government with all their children and wards effectively ensconced away in functioning quality universities outside of Nigeria. While Nigerian universities are shut down because of ASUU strike since February, the son of Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State, Jordan, coolly collected his certificate after graduating from the University of Exeter in Britain on July 11, 2022; to be followed on July 14, 2022 by the son of Badaru Abubakar, the governor of Jigawa State who graduated from Brunel University, London on that day. This is the new trend in Nigeria that should leave us wondering those that ASUU think would be bothered by and with its strike actions when all politicians and government officials have their children and wards in universities outside of Nigeria! In any case, what would be left of the system after ASUU strike of so many months that students would not likely remember anything again about their schools and whatever they must be studying.
If according to Shakuntala Devi, ‘education is not just about going to school and getting a degree. It’s about widening your knowledge and absorbing the truth about life,’ which real knowledge would students expect to get out of the universities after being at home for months on end because of strikes? And who would blame ASUU when government officials carry on with profligate spending everywhere while complaining about lack of funds for the university system? We are presented always with the complexity of the situation as the reason why the strikes have been unending and have been difficult to often resolve quickly. But we know that one thing is quite not complex in all of this: poor Nigerians – as university students and their parents – are the ones bearing the brunt of these unending ASUU strikes!
- Omale writes in from Kano, Nigeria. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/asuus-litany-of-strikes-and-the-aftermath/ | 2022-08-19T00:13:08Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/asuus-litany-of-strikes-and-the-aftermath/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Chief Registrar of the Kano State High Court, Alhaji Abdullahi Ado Bayero, has dispelled the insinuation that the Kano judiciary grants bail arbitrary, saying that magistrates and judges follow laid down procedures in accordance with the extant laws before granting bail.
This is just as he stated that bail is a right of the defendant, not a favour, saying “the court is not doing any favour to the person standing trial but fulfilling its obligation of ensuring justice in a trial.”
He stressed that every person standing trial before the court is entitled to have bail in cases relating to capital offences.
The chief registrar made these remarks while clearing air on allegations that Kano courts grant unilateral bails without due processes.
According to him, granting bail to the defendant is the discretionary power of the court which is also exercised judicially and judiciously.
He explained that though admitting the defendant to bail is always his right, noting that the Court put into cognisant the nature of the offence the defendant is being charged with.
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His words: “Capital offences such as culpable homicide, rape, armed robbery, treason among others are not bailable.
“Similarly, a judge can grant bail in misdemeanour offences which include: petty theft, prostitution, public intoxication, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespass, shoplifting, vandalism, reckless driving, indecent exposure, and possession of cannabis for personal use among others.”
He further explained that in every criminal trial, justice is a three-way tripod: the complainant, defendant and society.
The chief registrar however disclosed that the “constitution of Federal Republic Nigeria 1999 as amended provides that ‘every person standing trial in a criminal matter is presumed to be innocent until prove guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction.'”
He further emphasized that granting bail helps in decongesting custodial facilities.
“There are a lot of inmates awaiting trial in correctional facilities without being convicted.
“Our statics at hand revealed that those who are awaiting trial are much more than those who have been convicted.
“This is the reason we encouraged judges and magistrates to grant bail where the offences are bailable,” he added. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/kano-courts-do-not-compromise-in-granting-bails-%E2%80%95-chief-registrar/ | 2022-08-19T00:13:21Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/kano-courts-do-not-compromise-in-granting-bails-%E2%80%95-chief-registrar/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Some may see this as sacrilegious — but if you’re feeling particularly spiritual, this might be the home for you.
A 19th-century church that was badly burned in a 2019 fire has been converted into a modern mansion — and is now on sale for $4.42 million.
Located in southwest England, in the seaside resort town of Torquay, the Victorian Gothic-style church was “resurrected from its neglected past and transformed into a spectacular home for the 21st Century family,” the listing explains.
Known as the Trinity House, couple John and Amy Watson from Bristol purchased the church in a February 2021 auction for $113,000.
The Watsons, who work in construction, reckoned it would be a good renovation project after realizing they needed more space to run around with their five children and five grandchildren.
“We are restoring it back to how it should be,” Amy told Devon Live at the time, adding that amid the cleanup of the abandoned church, they discovered a secret door to the presbytery — known as the house reserved for the priest — and a secret staircase to the church’s tower.
“We didn’t know it was there until we investigated. Everything we find is being lovingly repaired,” Amy said. “We want everybody to rest assured that this building is now in safe hands.”
“It’s been open to the elements since the fire,” Amy said. “All the soft play equipment was still there and it was infested with rats. The tower below the spire has three levels and we removed eight large skips of pigeon poo from just one 4 [meter]-by-4 [meter] level — it was 23 [tons] of bird poo.”
Now made up of five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the landmark home features an open living plan with cathedral ceilings, Gothic arches, tracery windows and stained glass windows.
Situated alongside a river, the home church was first built in the 1890s. Before it was burned down, it was converted into a former fun house for kids from 2001 to 2017.
Made up of three floors, the tower has a place for an office and a sitting area and boasts views of the harbor.
The gated estate also comes with a garden and lots of space to host events.
Rightmove with John Couch Estate Agent holds the listing. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/catholic-church-turned-into-modern-mansion-lists-for-4-42m/ | 2022-08-19T00:22:54Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/catholic-church-turned-into-modern-mansion-lists-for-4-42m/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Brad’s image is now the Pitts.
Jolie’s not the bad guy here. Brad Pitt, perhaps the most universally beloved movie star of the last three decades, is the one to blame.
Since the file became public on Wednesday, Pitt hasn’t denied anything Jolie’s alleged therein. His people have only said that Jolie, with the release of these docs, is trying “to inflict the most amount of pain on her ex” — a narrative Pitt’s been peddling for the past six years.
What happened on that infamous plane ride — the one that led to Angelina Jolie’s shock divorce filing in September 2016 — has finally gone public. And as it turns out, most of us had the story wrong.
But Jolie isn’t the one who released these FBI docs. It was a Politico reporter who came across them back in April, after stumbling across a Freedom of Information Act request filed by an anonymous Jane Doe against the FBI.
Doe — who, yes, is Jolie — had her lawyer request that the FOIA itself be sealed, to protect her children, but a judge ruled against it. Had it been up to Jolie, these docs would never have come to light.
So, to be clear: Angelina Jolie did not leak these documents — which include two damning photos of injuries she sustained during that flight — in a deliberate attempt to hurt Brad Pitt.
Newly released FBI witness documents reveal Jolie reported Pitt as so drunk and aggressive that his six minor children were too scared “to even go to the bathroom” during the long flight from France to L.A., “as they would . . . have to pass [Pitt] to get into the restroom.”
It’s time to reconsider who and what we thought we knew, and why we choose to believe the people we do. We most recently saw it with Amber Heard and Johnny Depp — the more beloved figure, the male movie star, taken at his word, while the woman, more complicated, less likable, is maligned, mocked and sometimes worse.
Ever since Pitt and Jolie split, he’s been portrayed as the hapless good guy. Jolie’s been the villain going scorched earth, the wronged woman gone totally, outer-limits, take-no-prisoners insane.
It was an easy characterization to sell. Jolie, after all, is one who infamously wore a vial of blood, who made out with her brother on the red carpet, who spoke of once hiring a hit man to take her out. Then there’s Pitt, the nice wholesome boy from the Midwest who just happened to become a global megastar.
But remember: Brad Pitt was such a nice guy that he had no problem demonizing Jennifer Aniston after he left her for Jolie. Aniston, who never really hit him back, who never said a bad word about him, and who let Pitt use her halo effect when he was campaigning for an Oscar in 2019. Aniston, who Pitt left humiliated in the press — the plain sitcom star who couldn’t stand a chance against the glamazon-sexpot-adoptive-mother-UN-worker-movie-star Jolie.
Nope, that wasn’t enough. Pitt had to double, triple, quadruple down. He called Aniston boring. He blamed her for his issues with pot. He led the public to believe she was a vain, selfish career woman denying him the babies he so longed for.
As Pitt told Parade magazine in 2011, “I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to actress Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn’t.”
Pitt’s also the same guy who still won’t fix all those houses he built for Katrina victims — you know, the ones clogged with mold or otherwise in major disrepair.
Yet people still loved him, and love him they will. You can see it already online, people blaming Jolie for this leak, defending Pitt’s actions as surely a one-time thing, an aberrance, and really, not that bad.
His actions are that bad. Pitt, Jolie says in her witness statement, compared one of their children to “a f—ing Columbine kid,” assaulted her in the bathroom and punched the plane’s ceiling multiple times as two of their children cried outside the bathroom door.
As anyone who has ever lived through domestic violence can attest, this is harrowing stuff. There’s nothing to minimize or excuse here.
When Jolie emerged from the bathroom, she says her children asked if she was okay. Pitt, Jolie says, pushed her as she bent down to hug them, yelling, “No, mommy’s not okay. She’s ruining this family. She’s crazy.”
Crazy. Nothing like that word to dismiss or demonize a troublesome woman. Just ask Amber Heard.
There’s good reason to believe Jolie. All six of their children were witnesses, as were on-board staff. It’s safe to assume they all saw Pitt lunge at son Maddox, as Jolie says here, that they saw Pitt fling Jolie like a rag doll when she attempted to intervene, and that they heard Pitt call her a bitch. That they all saw and heard Pitt stalk up and down the aisle, exploding every half hour or so as he drank and terrorized the children.
Affable Brad Pitt, who got a standing ovation at the Golden Globes a few months later — Hollywood showing all their support, the media following suit, as did tabloids and Twitter, everyone blindly believing there was no way, no possible way, Pitt could have done anything like this.
Maybe next time we won’t be so quick to choose sides. Maybe next time we won’t be so quick to demonize the women in these scenarios. And maybe we’re beginning to wonder if, over the past six years, Brad Pitt hasn’t given us the best performance of his life. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/new-witness-statements-show-brad-pitt-may-be-the-villain-of-the-story/ | 2022-08-19T00:24:19Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/new-witness-statements-show-brad-pitt-may-be-the-villain-of-the-story/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
You couldn’t ask for a more visible sign of environmental progress: Whales, bottlenose dolphins, rays and other large sealife have returned to New York Harbor and adjoining waters in numbers unseen in living memory.
Gotham Whale researchers have spotted more than 260 whales in the NYC area so far this year; a decade ago, it was just five. They’re here in part because smaller feed-fish like the menhaden now abound in local waters, and because decades of effort have made those waters the cleanest in well over a century.
Partly, that’s the result of industry’s departure from Gotham, but mainly it’s enforcement of the 1972 Clean Water Act, better management of storm runoff and other marine-life protection measures.
That is, decades of work since the US environmental movement took off.
The fruits of such progress are everywhere: Most urban harbors have seen similar recovery, as have the nation’s lakes and rivers. US forest acreage has been growing for decades; multiple once-endangered species have recovered, too.
And air quality across the country is far, far better than in the 1970s, with lead and sulfur dioxide down more than 90% and carbon monoxide over 80%. (Even greenhouse-gas emissions, which aren’t toxic, have been falling for decades.)
Of course, this progress brings its own challenges: The US wolf population is on the rise, and New York waters now host more sharks, too.
And none of it is free: Cleanups cost. Wealthy nations can afford them, but typically only after getting polluted in the process of becoming wealthy. The good news is that much of the former Third World is well on its way to such wealth, so you can expect to see truly global green gains in coming decades. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/new-yorks-booming-whale-population-is-a-sign-of-environmental-progress/ | 2022-08-19T00:24:31Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/new-yorks-booming-whale-population-is-a-sign-of-environmental-progress/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
No, you’re not getting rickrolled.
Not technically. Because Rick Astley just recreated the music video for his mega-hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” — 35 years after its release.
Now 56, the singer dances against backdrops similar to the original video, including the stage in a church hall, in front of a big, foggy window, and outside in front of several brick structures — but, this time, with some promotional twists.
The original video’s female dancers have been swapped out for AAA Insurance agents, wearing their sexy white polo shirts.
In one scene, one agent writes on a whiteboard that AAA will — as the song goes — “Give you up, “let you down” “run around” “desert you” or “say goodbye.”
Another agent even does the same straddle jump that the male bartender does in the original vid. One worker watches the excitement on a Zoom meeting.
“Is this still a thing?,” the Brit asks other versions of himself after watching the video on his phone.
In a statement, TooFab reported, Astley said that paying homage to the original “has been an amazing trip down memory lane.”
“The song has been so good to me, and I’m thrilled to be working with another iconic brand that has certainly stood the test of time,” he added.
The internet trend “Rickrolling” — which refers to people who are tricked into clicking on a hyperlink that leads to Astley’s music video — has helped the original video rack up over 1.2 billion views on YouTube.
Even the rocker himself is a victim of the trend and told Fox News about the first time it happened.
“I’m just like, ‘Why is he sending me this?,'” he told the outlet in 2021.
“And my video just suddenly shows up. So I kept asking myself, ‘What is he doing?’ I remember I was on holiday [with my family] in Italy at the time. I was totally chilled out and I just kept saying to myself, ‘I don’t need this in my life right now,’” he recalled.
He also joked that he has “professionally ‘Rickrolled’ people many times.”
“Listen, let’s face it, ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ has sort of become something else,” Astley told the Associated Press in June. “The video and the song have drifted off into the ether and become something else, and I’m ever so grateful for it.”
The continued success of the tune even landed him on the 57-date “The Mixtape Tour 2022” with New Kids on the Block, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue earlier this year. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/rick-astley-recreates-never-gonna-give-you-up-music-video-35-years-later/ | 2022-08-19T00:24:50Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/rick-astley-recreates-never-gonna-give-you-up-music-video-35-years-later/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
North Carolina lawmakers react to 20-week abortion ban
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Abortions in North Carolina are no longer legal after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
U.S. District Judge William Osteen reinstated the ban on Wednesday after he said the June U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade erased the legal foundation for his 2019 ruling. The ruling placed an injunction on a North Carolina 1973 law that banned the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
State House Rep. Kandie Smith (D) believes the ban is a direct violation of women’s rights.
“What yesterday’s ruling shows us is that the threat to abortion in North Carolina is real,” Smith said. “The Republicans of the General Assembly are on a mission. They’re truly on a mission to repeal abortion outright. It’s only the beginning if they get their way.”
Meanwhile, state Sen. Jim Perry (R) says the matter shouldn’t be a political issue, because a ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy had been a law in North Carolina for more than 50 years.
“According to data provided by the North Carolina Health and Human Services, 99.8% of abortions in North Carolina took place before the 20th week,” Perry said. “So, I don’t see an impact other than the political hyperbole that’s floating around right now because I understand politics, but I don’t see much change.”
Unable to pass abortion restrictions that would survive a veto by Gov. Roy Cooper, the Republican-led General Assembly urged Osteen to restore the ban in a July 27th friend-of-the-court brief.
In a statement, Gov. Roy Cooper said although he disagreed with the ruling, the vast majority of patients will still be able to access reproductive health care in North Carolina.
In North Carolina, patients seeking an abortion are required to seek counseling and then wait 72 hours before the procedure is approved.
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Copyright 2022 WITN. All rights reserved. | https://www.witn.com/2022/08/19/north-carolina-lawmakers-react-20-week-abortion-ban/ | 2022-08-19T00:30:05Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/2022/08/19/north-carolina-lawmakers-react-20-week-abortion-ban/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
THOUSAND OAKS — What Rams rookie wide receiver Lance McCutcheon executed in his memorable 60-yard touchdown reception last week against the Chargers isn’t easy to replicate, but Daniel Hardy had seen the dynamic play before.
Hardy, the Rams’ rookie outside linebacker, saw many sensational highlights from McCutcheon during their three-plus years together at Montana State.
“He had a catch almost exactly like that in our game (last season) against Eastern Washington,” Hardy said.
Hardy wasn’t exaggerating. Both plays occurred on the left sideline with McCutcheon snatching the ball against tight single coverage before breaking multiple tackles and galloping into the end zone. McCutcheon ran a little further against Eastern Washington to complete his 67-yard touchdown pass from Matt McKay.
“I’ve known and everybody probably in the state of Montana knows that guy can ball,” Hardy said of McCutcheon. “But I’m glad the world got to see it (last week) and couldn’t be happier for him.”
McCutcheon left a lasting impression in his preseason debut with five catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns along with a 2-point conversion reception. McCutcheon quickly became a favorite target of third-string quarterback Bryce Perkins and now there’s a chance of him catching passes from Matthew Stafford in the regular season.
Earlier this week, Rams coach Sean McVay said the undrafted 6-foot-3 wideout has a realistic chance of making the 53-man roster, but added that he’ll need to earn it by also making plays on special teams. McCutcheon will get an opportunity to make plays on special teams and as a wide receiver in Friday night’s preseason game against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium.
McCutcheon entered the conversation of possibly making the 53-man roster with his sensational debut performance, but it might not be realistic without a repeat performance against the Texans. He’s behind the starting trio of Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson. Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek are also ahead because they’re expected to contribute this season, and both received first-team snaps during Tuesday’s intrasquad scrimmage.
There is also Brandon Powell, the team’s return specialist, and Jacob Harris, the talented former tight end who is also contributing on special teams.
“For you to have a jersey and dress with the 48 (game-day players), you better be willing to help on special teams,” McVay said when asked about McCutcheon’s chances of making the roster. “That all weighs into it. If you said anywhere between six and eight (wide receivers), but ideally, you’re really saying you’ve got five guys up. Sometimes we used to carry six because (former Rams wide receiver) Mike Thomas was such a unique contributor on special teams. There’s a lot of layers to it.”
McVay said there’s a realistic chance for McCutcheon, but he might need to leapfrog wide receivers on the depth chart because keeping seven or eight will lead to fewer players at other positions.
Maybe the Rams could get by with three or four inside linebackers with Bobby Wagner, Ernest Jones, Travin Howard, who’s dealing with a groin injury, and Christian Rozeboom, a special teams ace. But Jake Gervase and Jake Hummel are also contributing on special teams.
Perhaps the Rams go with four outside linebackers with Leonard Floyd, Justin Hollins, Terrell Lewis and Chris Garrett, but that would put Hardy on the roster bubble and the Rams have been impressed with McCutcheon’s college teammate.
Hardy has received praise for his athleticism and high motor on the field, but the team’s seventh-round pick isn’t settling. He picked right tackle Rob Havenstein’s brain after practice Tuesday and sought advice from star defensive lineman Aaron Donald before practice Wednesday.
“I’m always trying to be a sponge and learn new things and soak it up, so I couldn’t ask to be in a better spot,” said Hardy, who has many family members in Brea.
Running back Jake Funk is another player who has impressed McVay, but he’s also in a crowded position with Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson and Kyren Williams. Funk is making an impact on special teams and had a blocked punt in practice this week that he returned for a touchdown. Funk, however, was disappointed in himself for making contact with punter Riley Dixon.
“It was kind of cool, but at the same time, it was a little mental bust on my part because that was our starting punter,” Funk said.
The defending Super Bowl champions have a good problem with several crowded positions, and it doesn’t help the roster bubble players that Perkins will likely force the Rams to keep three quarterbacks again after another impressive preseason performance last week. John Wolford will start at quarterback against the Texans with Perkins scheduled to take over in the second half.
McCutcheon will need to continue connecting with the Rams’ quarterbacks to improve his odds of making the 53-man roster. The numbers aren’t in his favor, but that’s what they said about a different wide receiver from the Big Sky Conference.
Kupp, a former Eastern Washington standout, beat the odds and now he’s betting on McCutcheon.
“Since Day 1, (Kupp) came over to me and introduced himself,” McCutcheon said. “Shook my hand, and was just kind of like, ‘If you ever need anything, just let me know.’”
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GALLIPOLIS, Ohio, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio Valley Banc Corp. [Nasdaq: OVBC] (the "Company") announced the Board of Directors has authorized the extension date of its existing stock buyback program to August 31, 2023.
The program was originally approved by the board in 2021 and was set to expire August 31 of this year. With the extension, the share repurchase program will continue to authorize the repurchase of up to $5 million in shares of the Company's outstanding common stock.
Other than the extension of the program for an additional year, no changes were made to the stock buyback program.
As of August 17, 2022, the Company had repurchased approximately $954,000 in common stock. The program may be terminated or amended by the Board at any time prior to the expiration date.
Ohio Valley Banc Corp. common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol OVBC. Ohio Valley Banc Corp. is based in Gallipolis, Ohio. The company owns The Ohio Valley Bank Company, with 16 offices in Ohio and West Virginia, and Loan Central, Inc., with six consumer finance offices in Ohio. The Ohio Valley Bank Company opened a new online consumer direct mortgage company in the fall of 2021 called Race Day Mortgage. Learn more about Ohio Valley Banc Corp. at www.ovbc.com.
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SOURCE Ohio Valley Banc Corp. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/ovbc-announces-extension-stock-buyback-program/ | 2022-08-19T00:30:56Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/ovbc-announces-extension-stock-buyback-program/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A federal appeals court has ruled that a pair of lawsuits that seek to hold oil companies accountable for the effects of climate change should be heard in state courts, striking down efforts by the fossil fuel industry to get the cases in front of federal judges.
While climate change "is an important problem with national and global implications," cases cannot be transferred to federal courts "just because they are important," the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said August 17.
Lawyers representing the state of Delaware and the city of Hoboken, N.J., sued more than a dozen oil companies and an industry trade group in 2020 for allegedly misleading the public about the role that fossil fuels play in causing climate change. The Delaware and Hoboken lawsuits are among more than 20 similar cases filed across the United States in the last several years.
Fossil fuel companies have largely unsuccessfully pushed to have the lawsuits tried in federal court, rather than state courts, arguing that the issues under litigation are of national significance. The ruling issued on August 17 marked the fifth time that a federal appeals court has blocked the oil industry from moving such cases out of state courts, says Karen Sokol, a professor at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.
"The first cases were filed in the summer of 2017, and the [fossil fuel] industry has kept this fight up in jurisdictional battles now for five years," Sokol says. "It's saying in its public messaging that these cases are baseless, but it's doing everything it can to keep them out of discovery and trial in state court."
Delaware and Hoboken have accused oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute (API) of violating various state statutes, including laws against consumer fraud. Consumer protection cases, including lawsuits involving alleged corporate misinformation campaigns by tobacco companies, have historically been tried in state court.
"Oil companies ask us to hear two sweeping climate-change suits. But the plaintiffs filed those suits in state court based only on state tort law," Judge Stephanos Bibas wrote for the Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.
Delaware has said sea level rise caused by climate change will threaten more than $1 billion in property value, with flooding expected to hit areas with high poverty rates especially hard. Hoboken said it is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars to cover current and future costs associated with climate change adaptation, remediation and economic loss.
A spokesperson for Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said her office agreed with the ruling from the appeals court.
Chevron spokesperson Bill Turenne said the cases belong in federal court "due to their sweeping implications for national energy policy, national security, foreign policy, and other uniquely federal interests.
"Climate change is a global phenomenon requiring a coordinated federal policy response, not a patchwork of state lawsuits," Turenne said in an emailed statement. "As the Court noted, [the] ruling was on a jurisdictional question; we look forward to prevailing on the overall merits of these cases."
Ryan Meyers, general counsel at API, called the lawsuits "an enormous waste of taxpayer resources." Climate change policy is ultimately "an issue for Congress to debate, not the court system," he added.
An Exxon Mobil spokesperson said the company is "reviewing the ruling and evaluating next steps." Other oil companies named in the lawsuits filed by Delaware and Hoboken either declined to comment or did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Climate advocates welcomed the appeals court decision. "The polluters that spent decades lying about their products' role in fueling the climate crisis are terrified of having to face consequences for their actions, and have tried desperately to avoid state court," Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, said in a statement. "But once again, appeals courts have batted down Big Oil's attempts to escape accountability."
In addition to fighting lawsuits on jurisdictional grounds, the fossil fuel industry is pushing for states to pass laws that would block municipalities from suing companies for damages related to climate change, according to the Center for Climate Integrity, a watchdog group.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform has advocated for such measures. "Armed with novel theories of liability and supported by throngs of private contingency fee counsel, municipal plaintiffs remain an ongoing and disruptive threat to business," the group said in a 2021 report.
Since 2019, municipal litigation preemption bills have been introduced in Arizona, Florida, Ohio and Kansas, and one has passed in Texas, according to the Center for Climate Integrity.
"These are multiple fronts to ensure that [cases] never get to the merits," says Sokol, adding that the fossil fuel industry is looking for "blanket immunity" from corporate accountability.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-18/federal-judges-deal-the-oil-industry-another-setback-in-climate-litigation | 2022-08-19T00:32:38Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-18/federal-judges-deal-the-oil-industry-another-setback-in-climate-litigation | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
If someone in your family is heading back at college this fall, it is not just the rising tuition they have to deal with this year. Just about everything they need to buy is up in price too.
Abby Hecht and Emily Badgely are looking at some major expenses.
"A new laptop for sure," the two college freshmen said. "That cost a couple of grand!"
That's in addition to tuition rising at many schools by 3% - 5%, according to Money.com. Most colleges held off on tuition hikes for two years during the pandemic.
Apartment rent is up 10 percent or more in many college towns, just like everywhere else this year.
What parents and students can do
Mark Drozdowski writes for Best Colleges.com and understands college expenses. He has three kids going to college this fall.
"I used to think that diapers were expensive," he said. "If it was only that simple these days."
His advice is, don't rule out on-campus living options:
"Living on campus means cutting down on commuting costs, saving gas, and you save on utilities as well compared to an apartment," he said.
When it comes to food, Drozdowski tells his kids to:
- Cook in their apartment as much as possible.
- Cut down on takeout to avoid delivery fees.
His other cost-saving ideas:
- Rent textbooks or shop for them on book exchange sites.
- Shop secondhand stores as much as possible.
- Wait until Black Friday to buy a laptop or phone.
And, he says, always look for scholarship opportunities, as new ones come out every year.
"Even some of these smaller scholarships can really make a difference for some students," he said.
In addition, check for tax credits students may qualify for, according to a recent report on CNBC.com.
Financial experts say parents need to step back a bit and let their college-age children try to figure out their finances because now is the time for students to practice living on a budget.
"It gets you in the habit of keeping track of your money, making sure you know where it's going, Drozdowski said, "and most importantly avoiding building up too much credit card debt."
So do your financial homework -- along with your actual homework -- so you don't waste your money.
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For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com | https://www.wtxl.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/red-hot-inflation-hitting-college-student-budgets-hard | 2022-08-19T00:33:44Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/red-hot-inflation-hitting-college-student-budgets-hard | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The luxury market and the high-profile brands captured within it face a new generation of shoppers. These buyers are exiting a years-long pandemic and face red hot inflation with an unclear end. They are expected to continue to curb spending on "aspirational" purchases, favoring frugality.
As Forbes reported in May, the personal luxury market has faced a roller coaster of challenges and successes in recent years. The market saw a worldwide high of $307 billion in 2019 sales. It was then hit by an unprecedented pandemic, watching COVID-19 lockdowns and other unforeseen factors cause the sector to plunge an incredible 22% during the pandemic's height in 2020. The year after that, astonishingly, it was back to supporting luxury brands, with most people settling into their work-from-home lives, shopping online while saving on takeaway lunches, and commuting costs associated with office life.
The industry saw a rebound last year, reaching $309 billion, Bain reported. But, as industry leaders look at the longer outlook, that could all have been a fluke.
For Gen Z, faced with a future of student loans, possible sustained inflation, and unattainable purchasing power, for many, amid fast-rising home prices and interest rates that could maintain their highs: The prospect of buying a $700 t-shirt as a sign of success is becoming evermore unlikely.
The luxury sector is worried about these financially stretched Gen Z consumers, and how they will sell those "aspirational" products to them, Reuters reported.
Kenneth Chow, director of consulting firm Oliver Wyman, said, “In the U.S., inflation is a big problem, the focus of many luxury companies…in China, it’s youth unemployment that’s alarming right now.”
Internationally, government data over the summer signaled a concerning outlook, with the unemployment rate among Chinese city dwellers aged 16-24 at an astonishing record 19.9%. And if global sales for luxury brands are affected, that could most certainly mean domestic worries for all international labels.
Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner with Bain, said, “There’s this young group of consumers entering the market that requires a lot of creativity at more affordable prices.”
In 2021, a call held by speakers for the Business of Fashion noted that Gen Z is expected to account for 40 percent of the international luxury goods market by 2035.
By a Bain and Company estimate, millennials and Gen Z will hold 130 percent of the purchasing power in the sector, controlling that chuck of its market growth from 2021 until 2025. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 2022-08-19T00:33:50Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 14 |
The luxury market and the high-profile brands captured within it face a new generation of shoppers. These buyers are exiting a years-long pandemic and face red hot inflation with an unclear end. They are expected to continue to curb spending on "aspirational" purchases, favoring frugality.
As Forbes reported in May, the personal luxury market has faced a roller coaster of challenges and successes in recent years. The market saw a worldwide high of $307 billion in 2019 sales. It was then hit by an unprecedented pandemic, watching COVID-19 lockdowns and other unforeseen factors cause the sector to plunge an incredible 22% during the pandemic's height in 2020. The year after that, astonishingly, it was back to supporting luxury brands, with most people settling into their work-from-home lives, shopping online while saving on takeaway lunches, and commuting costs associated with office life.
The industry saw a rebound last year, reaching $309 billion, Bain reported. But, as industry leaders look at the longer outlook, that could all have been a fluke.
For Gen Z, faced with a future of student loans, possible sustained inflation, and unattainable purchasing power, for many, amid fast-rising home prices and interest rates that could maintain their highs: The prospect of buying a $700 t-shirt as a sign of success is becoming evermore unlikely.
The luxury sector is worried about these financially stretched Gen Z consumers, and how they will sell those "aspirational" products to them, Reuters reported.
Kenneth Chow, director of consulting firm Oliver Wyman, said, “In the U.S., inflation is a big problem, the focus of many luxury companies…in China, it’s youth unemployment that’s alarming right now.”
Internationally, government data over the summer signaled a concerning outlook, with the unemployment rate among Chinese city dwellers aged 16-24 at an astonishing record 19.9%. And if global sales for luxury brands are affected, that could most certainly mean domestic worries for all international labels.
Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner with Bain, said, “There’s this young group of consumers entering the market that requires a lot of creativity at more affordable prices.”
In 2021, a call held by speakers for the Business of Fashion noted that Gen Z is expected to account for 40 percent of the international luxury goods market by 2035.
By a Bain and Company estimate, millennials and Gen Z will hold 130 percent of the purchasing power in the sector, controlling that chuck of its market growth from 2021 until 2025. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 2022-08-19T00:33:50Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 14 |
After decades of shutting down nuclear plants across the country, there is now a sudden growing political movement to hit the brakes, with much of it being led by environmental scientists.
A study from Pew Research Center found that nuclear power was barely more popular than coal and oil among the U.S. public, as vast majorities of respondents were instead in favor of increasing wind and solar energy intake. Despite this, the Biden administration announced $6 billion to keep current nuclear plants operational.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is now pushing to keep the state's last remaining nuclear plant, the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, open.
So, how has the debate around nuclear energy changed, and why are we seeing this sudden shift toward a less popular energy source?
In the postwar period, nuclear power plants began springing up around the country, encouraged by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who famously made his "Atoms for Peace” speech at the U.N. But, that wasn’t enough to calm the fears of nuclear armament and attacks as the U.S. headed into the Cold War.
Nuclear power plants depend on fuel rods where fission occurs, or in other words, the splitting of an atom. The rods are surrounded by water which helps keep them cool. The fission creates heat, which boils the surrounding water to make steam.
Steam is what powers a turbine to make energy.
If the fuel rods get too hot for some reason, that can cause a meltdown.
In 1979, the first major accident happened at a U.S. power plant. The Three Mile Island incident was a partial meltdown of a plant in Pennsylvania, where cleanup took over 20 years. Conflicting studies haven’t conclusively determined whether the disaster led to health problems, such as a rise in cancer in the area, but the image was already set in the public’s mind. The number of nuclear plants being built and kept open plummeted.
Further high-profile disasters made a lasting impact worldwide: In 1986, the Chornobyl disaster in the Soviet Union had horrific and deadly consequences. Then in 2011, the Fukushima plant meltdown was only added to the list, even though there were no reported deaths. These disasters also reinforced national security concerns about plants being potential targets of terrorist groups or wartime enemies, like Russia in Ukraine.
Several things have changed in recent years: Safer technology is being developed for future facilities, and now that China and Russia have overtaken the U.S. in the number of nuclear plants, there are new concerns about being energy independent.
But, one of the biggest reasons for the recent shift is climate change.
Nuclear power is still crucial to the energy grid. It still generates about 20% of the U.S. electricity supply, and it’s the single largest non-fossil energy source in the U.S. and second globally. Advocates say nuclear is going to be essential to meet emission goals in the fight against climate change.
Nuclear is what’s known as a "firm" energy source, meaning it’s always able to meet demand and produce energy. Renewables, like wind and solar, may also be clean, but they are limited by things like the weather or time of year.
So, the infrastructure needed for solar and wind energy to match nuclear output can’t be built fast enough to replace fossil and nuclear fuels quickly. As a result, nuclear often just gets replaced by fossil fuels, which can be seen in cases of plant closures in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and more.
There’s no easy solution when it comes to nuclear power. And as the country races to meet its emissions goals, it seems clear that existing nuclear power plants will somehow be part of the strategy.
Back in California, at the Diablo Canyon plant, the governor announced last week plans to keep the plant open for another five to 10 years. The plant’s scheduled closing date was 2025. Gov. Newsom plans to use federal funds as a loan to The Pacific Gas & Electric company, which provides energy to millions of households in California, to keep the facility running.
The U.S. isn’t alone in rethinking plant closures. Many parts of Europe are also rethinking nuclear energy as countries race to meet climate goals and as they struggle with an energy crisis spurred on by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Some of these major sudden policy reversals could unfold as early as this fall.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/the-worlds-relationship-with-nuclear-energy-is-changing | 2022-08-19T00:34:09Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/the-worlds-relationship-with-nuclear-energy-is-changing | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – The city of Cheyenne has detected the first pools, or group, of mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile virus this year in Laramie County, according to a news release.
The test was confirmed by technicians at the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab.
The infected mosquitoes were collected from traps near the Sun Valley area and Laramie County Community College during the week of Aug. 8 as part of the city’s ongoing mosquito surveillance efforts, the release said. Precautions should be taken across the Capital City, however, as infected birds can carry the virus over long distances.
No human cases have been reported this season. The last human case of West Nile virus reported in Cheyenne was in 2017, according to the city's release.
“This is typically the time of the year we expect to see a rise in West Nile virus activity, and these positive mosquito pools confirm that,” said Jennifer Escobedo, supervisor of the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department, in the release.
Most mosquitoes do not test positive for disease-causing viruses. However, a bite from a West Nile virus-infected mosquito can cause serious illness, and, in some cases, death. Although a person's chances of getting sick are small, those 50 and older are at the highest risk for serious illness.
Not everyone infected with West Nile virus will become ill. However, West Nile can cause serious complications, including neurological diseases, and can also cause a milder flu-like illness, including fever, headache and body aches, nausea, and occasionally a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. If you think you have symptoms of West Nile virus, see your doctor right away.
Reducing mosquito population
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. The eggs hatch into larvae that develop in the water for seven to 10 days before emerging as adult mosquitoes that fly and bite.
Many types of mosquitoes, including those that can spread disease, lay their eggs in items around the home, such as in birdbaths, unused flowerpots, discarded tires and even bottle caps, as well as in small ponds or other bodies of stagnant water.
"The Health Department, along with Cheyenne Weed and Pest, will continue to visit all known mosquito breeding sites, including sites near these positive mosquito pools. Larval control activities will continue throughout the summer," Escobedo said.
Cheyenne Weed and Pest has initiated Ultra Low Volume (ULV) truck spraying in areas with elevated numbers of mosquitoes that can transmit West Nile virus. These trucks will pass through neighborhoods and recreation areas after sunset. You may see a strobe light and hear a small equipment motor as they pass, but there is no reason to be alarmed. More information on ULV truck spraying can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/community/truck-spraying.html.
The best and most effective mosquito control begins in your yard. Eliminating standing water is the first step in reducing mosquito breeding:
- Check your property for any items that can hold water. Anything you choose to keep outside, such as kids' toys, buckets, wading pools, canoes and wheelbarrows, should be flipped over when not used to prevent them from collecting any water.
- Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers and remove any discarded tires.
- If you have a swimming pool or spa that is not in use, drain the water off the cover or treat the standing water with mosquito briquettes, and post accordingly. The briquettes are available from the Health Department, at 100 Central Ave., Monday through Friday while supplies last. Call 307-633-4090 or email envhlth@laramiecounty.com to arrange a pickup.
- Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. Use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito for containers without lids.
- Use an outdoor flying insect spray where mosquitoes rest. Mosquitoes rest in dark, humid areas like under patio furniture or under the carport or garage. When using insecticides, always follow label instructions.
- If you have a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps. Cover open vent or plumbing pipes. Use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito.
- Make sure that roof gutters drain properly, clear vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds, and remove leaf debris from yards and gardens.
To reduce your risk of being bitten, use the 5D method by following these steps:
- DUSK and DAWN – Stay indoors when mosquitoes are more active.
- DRESS – Cover up as completely as possible. Wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods or when mosquitoes are more active.
- DRAIN – Reduce the amount of standing water in or near your property by draining and/or removing it. Mosquitoes may lay eggs in areas with standing water.
- DEET – Use mosquito repellent, which should always be applied according to label directions. Do not use repellent on babies younger than 2 months old. Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children younger than 3 years old.
To learn more, call the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department at 307-633-4090 or visit the West Nile page at https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/west-nile-virus/. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/city-announces-first-mosquitoes-carrying-west-nile-virus-found/article_3f3f1a92-1f49-11ed-a37a-231f53746871.html | 2022-08-19T00:34:50Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/city-announces-first-mosquitoes-carrying-west-nile-virus-found/article_3f3f1a92-1f49-11ed-a37a-231f53746871.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming Extension’s fall/winter online Master Gardener training will be offered from Sept. 15, 2022-Feb. 16, 2023. The 16-week course, which includes breaks for holidays, features approximately 48 hours of gardening instruction led by subject matter experts in the UW Extension.
“The course is for anyone with an interest in gardening, from beginning gardeners to experienced gardeners. The focus is all about growing in Wyoming,” said Master Gardener Statewide Coordinator Chris Hilgert in a news release.
Live classes take place via Zoom on Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. Class sessions are also recorded.
Registration for the 2022-23 online training is open until the course begins on Sept. 15. To sign up, visit bit.ly/master-gardener-2022. The registration fee is $150.
Topics include an overview of the training; basic botany; soils and composting; plant propagation; season extension; growing vegetables and herbs; fruit trees and berry crops; site analysis and landscape design; herbaceous plants; woody plants; lawn care; weed management; integrated pest management; diagnosing plant problems; entomology; and volunteering in the Master Gardener program.
Instructors include Hilgert and nine other experts from the UW Extension.
Participants will receive an electronic copy of "Sustainable Horticulture for Wyoming: A Master Gardener Handbook," as well as a variety of other resources provided by instructors. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/agribusiness/registration-opens-for-uw-extension-s-online-master-gardener-training/article_76e29800-1f41-11ed-a35e-3f42ac351f04.html | 2022-08-19T00:34:57Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/agribusiness/registration-opens-for-uw-extension-s-online-master-gardener-training/article_76e29800-1f41-11ed-a35e-3f42ac351f04.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – Attorneys had their final opportunity Wednesday afternoon to argue their respective cases in Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Anne Manlove’s disciplinary proceeding, which could lead to the prosecutor being stripped of her law license.
Oral arguments took place Wednesday afternoon before the Wyoming Supreme Court, which then took the case under advisement. Justices will ultimately decide what punishment, if any, is appropriate.
The Wyoming State Bar’s Office of Bar Counsel last year brought charges alleging that DA Manlove had mishandled the prosecution of some cases and fostered a hostile work environment in her office. Following an eight-day hearing in February, a disciplinary panel announced it would recommend she lose her ability to practice law in Wyoming. She also may be on the hook to reimburse the Bar more than $60,000 in costs.
Attorneys on both sides largely reiterated arguments they’d presented before, although they were also subjected to questions from justices. Both attorneys received a total of 30 minutes to speak and answer queries.
Weston Reeves, representing the Office of Bar Counsel, began by stating that this was not a case about separation of powers between the executive branch, represented by the district attorney, and the judicial branch. He said it was also not about prosecutorial discretion – the ability of a prosecutor to decide what cases to pursue – as argued by Manlove, but about a “failure of duty” and lack of candor from an attorney.
He again argued the Bar’s position that state budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic “had nothing to do with” a series of case dismissals Manlove said were necessary to ensure her understaffed office could use resources to prosecute more serious charges. Instead, Reeves said, these dismissals were necessary because of the district attorney’s inability to keep her office staffed, which was a result of her treatment of employees and failure at certain points to pursue replacements.
Stephen Melchior, Manlove’s attorney, argued that this case was, in fact, about the separation of powers and prosecutorial discretion. He said the district attorney had taken appropriate steps following drastic budget cuts to try to find solutions, only to be rebuffed and condemned by judges in the county.
This case, he said, “is about, what do you do when a person runs on a political platform in an elected position ... announces the party affiliation, sets forth a platform, comes into office, begins to execute the platform, comes into the executive branch and rubs the judicial (branch) the wrong way? And rubs the Bar Counsel the wrong way?”
In bringing this disciplinary case against Manlove, the Bar chose to ignore state statute, the Wyoming Constitution and “a landmark case” that “specifically addresses many of the issues” in these proceedings, Melchior said.
It’s unclear how long it will be before the high court issues a decision. In another recent disciplinary case, it took nearly nine months to decide on a punishment for Becket Hinckley, a former Teton County prosecutor who was suspended from practicing law in Wyoming for three years following several violations of professional conduct rules.
In the Hinckley case, a panel recommended the former prosecutor be disbarred. The Supreme Court ultimately opted to suspend his license.
Manlove, elected as DA in November 2018, did not file to run for a second term. Her current term ends in January.
Melchior told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle following Wednesday’s hearing that what the Supreme Court decides in this case will have an effect on every prosecutor in each in Wyoming’s 23 counties. This is because it could affect how much judges and the Bar’s disciplinary arm can influence policy, personnel and case management decisions of prosecutors, he said.
“This has been an extremely painful experience for Ms. Manlove, and I would want this (for) no prosecuting attorney,” Melchior said.
Speaking to a reporter after oral arguments, Reeves said only that he’s “happy the Supreme Court is reviewing the case.”
Justices’ questions
At one point, Justice John G. Fenn said Reeves had focused much of his argument on the “mismanagement component” of the case. He asked the attorney for the Bar when the decision not to prosecute certain cases went from prosecutorial discretion to something in need disciplinary action.
“Where’s the line? Where does it become not about prosecutorial discretion?” Fenn asked.
“When there are 1,000 cases dismissed, categories of cases dismissed, categories of cases not prosecuted,” Reeves responded.
“Well, according to briefing, we can’t really even agree on the number of cases that were dismissed ...” Fenn replied, to which Reeves interjected: “Read the exhibit.”
“If the reason given for the dismissal is clearly false,” that’s when it cross the line, Reeves argued.
Fenn then laid out a hypothetical in which a DA decided not to prosecute marijuana cases, and asked Reeves if that DA is “violating professional rules of responsibility, such that he or she is facing discipline.”
“Questions like that are why we have a wise panel of five justices here,” Reeves said, adding that the DA has a statutory responsibility to prosecute certain types of cases.
“It seems to me that is not a prosecutorial discretion – that is a failure to perform the duty to the client. I don’t care if she got elected – she has the duty to prosecute the cases that come before her in the ordinary course of events,” Reeves continued.
Fenn also suggested that, rather than bring a disciplinary case, “if (Manlove) really wasn’t doing her job so bad, she theoretically could have been impeached and removed” under the Wyoming Constitution.
Reeves said he wasn’t sure to what impeachment avenue Fenn was referring. Instead, Reeves seemed to urge the justices to exercise their oversight duties for ensuring “competent and diligent” legal practice in the state.
Later, during Melchior’s arguments, Justice Keith G. Kautz interjected, saying that neither Melchior nor Reeves had yet brought up specific elements of professional conduct violations. Kautz said the justices needed “clear and convincing evidence that those elements were proven.”
Directly after Kautz’s comment, Melchior argued specifically that Manlove had not demonstrated incompetence in management of her office, and complaints from victims’ family members about failing to charge cases came down to prosecutorial discretion. He also denied that Manlove had exaggerated any claims about budget constraints on her office.
At the start of Reeves’ rebuttal, Kautz again challenged the attorney to be specific about what rule violations he was arguing, and that counsel needed to show consequences in specific cases.
“Gosh – the consequence to the victims of all the cases that weren’t prosecuted,” Reeves replied.
“But I didn’t see any specific identifications,” Kautz said. “You paint (with) a big, broad brush.”
Reeves again pointed back to examples given in Bar Counsel’s exhibits. He reemphasized his argument that Manlove’s dismissals were improper if they were done under “the demonstrably false premise that ‘The budget made me do it.’”
It’s yet another challenge, Kautz said, to determine whether a statement was knowingly false, or simply an opinion or “an erroneous opinion.” Reeves argued that could also be demonstrated by evidence in the case.
Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at hblack@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/wyo-supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-in-manlove-disciplinary-case/article_44d1956e-1f41-11ed-8b0b-8b3fcea5c194.html | 2022-08-19T00:34:58Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/wyo-supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-in-manlove-disciplinary-case/article_44d1956e-1f41-11ed-8b0b-8b3fcea5c194.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Commander, Task Force 71/Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15 Holds Change of Command Ceremony
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Deanna Gonzales, Commander, Task Force 71 Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) – Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71/ Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 held a change of command ceremony Aug. 18, 2022, aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) pierside at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka.
Capt. Walt Mainor relieved Capt. Chase Sargeant as CTF 71/DESRON 15 commodore. Sargeant assumed command of DESRON 15 in Feb. 2021, and his next job will be with the Chief of Naval Operations N5, plans and policies office in Washington, D.C.
“As aggressive nations continue to challenge freedom, international law, and the right to peace and stability, it is the long line of greyhounds of America's Destroyer Squadron 15 and Task Force 71 that stand the watch to protect the freedom of the seas and our national interests,” said Sargeant. “With our allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific region, we have strengthened ties and advanced our mutual warfighting capabilities in an effort to deter those who would choose conflict over peace. The unwavering commitment of our Sailors to warfighting readiness ensures the ships of Destroyer Squadron 15 are ready to support our nation, our allies, and our partners whenever called. It has been my absolute honor and privilege to have served as their commander.”
Sargeant received the “Legion of Merit” for his meritorious performance from June 2019 to Aug. 2022. During his tenure, he led and managed the transition and establishment of DESRON 15 to CTF 71 as the theater surface warfare commander for U.S. 7th Fleet. Additionally, he was responsible for the underway DESRON 15 team and surface ships operating independently across the fleet. Other major accomplishments include bilateral and multilateral exercises with partner and allied nations, freedom of navigation operations, and strait transits in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Embarked DESRON 15 staff supports the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, which departed Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) May 20, 2022, to support security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Capt. Walt Mainor served as DESRON 15’s deputy commodore prior to his assumption of command.
“It has been an absolute honor to serve with Capt. Sargeant,” said Mainor. “He has been an exceptional leader, raising the bar high and setting the CTF 71 and DESRON 15 team up for a future of continued success. I feel privileged to take command of such an exceptional team and to have the opportunity to carry on a culture of excellence. The future is bright, and I am excited to build upon the successes of this forward-deployed force, contributing to our operations in the region and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
CTF 71/DESRON 15 is responsible for the readiness, tactical and administrative responsibilities for eight U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers: USS Barry (DDG 52), USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Milius (DDG 69), USS Higgins (DDG 76), USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Dewey (DDG 105), USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), and USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115).
CTF 71/DESRON 15 is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal Surface Force.
Under Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with 35 maritime nations in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
This work, Commander, Task Force 71/Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15 Holds Change of Command Ceremony, by PO1 Deanna Gonzales, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/427585/commander-task-force-71-commander-destroyer-squadron-15-holds-change-command-ceremony | 2022-08-19T00:35:08Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/427585/commander-task-force-71-commander-destroyer-squadron-15-holds-change-command-ceremony | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
3 sentenced in burglaries targeting Asian American business owners in Colorado, Wyoming
Three people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a series of burglaries that targeted Asian American business owners in Colorado and Wyoming.
The burglaries occurred in January through July of 2019, and about 20% of them occurred in Larimer County, according to the Colorado Attorney General's Office.
A total of 26 burglaries occurred at the residences of Asian American business owners in Fort Collins, Timnath, Estes Park, Greeley, Longmont, Fort Morgan, Grand Junction, Monument, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Evergreen, Centennial, Parker, Frisco, Silverthorne and Glenwood Springs in Colorado and in Cheyenne, Wyoming, according to the grand jury indictment.
Fort Collins Police Services worked with the attorney general's office and other local law enforcement to connect these burglaries to four individuals:
- Carlos Florez Molina, who pleaded guilty May 25 to one count of violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, a Class 2 felony, and theft, a Class 3 felony, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison on July 29. He was also ordered to pay about $1.4 million in restitution, according to court records.
- Santiago Hoyos-Gaviria, who pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, a Class 2 felony, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay about $1.4 million in restitution, according to court records.
- Yenny Rodas-Florez, who pleaded guilty to criminal mischief valued at more than $1 million, a Class 2 felony, in May 2021, and was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison. She was also ordered to pay about $1.1 million in restitution, according to court records.
- Jhon Florez Molina, who has not been arrested and is believed to be in Colombia, according to the attorney general's office.
A statewide grand jury indicted Hoyos-Gaviria, Rodas-Florez and Jhon Florez Molina in July 2020 on 46 counts related to the burglaries and thefts, according to the attorney general's office. Carlos Florez Molina was not named in the indictment.
Investigators say the defendants researched the Asian American-owned businesses — primarily restaurants but also others, including a nail salon — and surveilled the business owners, then broke into their homes during the day or early evening while they were at work, according to the attorney general's office.
Investigators used cellphone records to connect the defendants to the burglaries, according to the indictment.
The total losses from the burglaries is estimated at $1.4 million in stolen cash and jewelry, according to the attorney general's office.
“I am proud of my department’s hard work to bring justice for the 26 business owners who were the targets of this pernicious home burglary crime ring," Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in the news release. "These were not random burglaries. All the victims were Asian families who owned local small businesses. These types of targeted crimes can send a chill through a community, and we are committed to holding accountable those who rob others of their personal property and their privacy."
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime. | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/08/18/3-sentenced-for-burglaries-targeting-asian-american-business-owners/65409259007/ | 2022-08-19T00:40:53Z | coloradoan.com | control | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/08/18/3-sentenced-for-burglaries-targeting-asian-american-business-owners/65409259007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
‘We just do not have the staff’: Transfort reduces services again amid staffing shortages
Transfort, the city of Fort Collins’ transit agency, is reducing routes once again due to staffing shortages.
On Aug. 15, at least a dozen routes were suspended or began operating on a reduced frequency. In announcing the change, Transfort said it was recruiting drivers and will resume normal frequencies once it has the required drivers.
Transfort Director Drew Brooks said that, as of Aug. 18, the agency had 85 bus operators on staff. To be fully staffed, Brooks said Transfort would need a minimum of 108. The last time the agency was fully staffed was in 2018 or 2019, Brooks said, and it didn't last long.
Transfort, like many throughout the pandemic, has struggled with hiring, but Brooks said this is one of the smallest staffs he’s had — and it’s been that way for about a year.
In September, Transfort suspended two routes indefinitely and reduced service on one. At the time, city leaders said they hoped to restore Transfort to full operations in the following year.
Following the September reductions, the agency implemented pay raises, increased hiring bonuses and increased employee referrals in an effort to encourage people to apply. Brooks told the Coloradoan he thinks Transfort saw “moderate success” after these changes but really struggled with retention.
“We're losing most people within the first six months,” he told the Coloradoan. “Typically, what we're hearing is people just finding other jobs.”
Part of the challenge, he said, is that Transfort isn't just competing with other transit agencies anymore because of how many businesses are hiring at competitive wages and with benefits.
“Right now, in the current economy, you can go a lot of places and get good pay and benefits,” he said, adding that driving a bus isn’t an inherently easy job to begin with and requires a not-insignificant amount of time to get licensed and be trained.
Brooks was clear the only reason for Transfort's reductions was staffing. It’s not a budget issue or lack of want for the service in the community.
He said Transfort is again looking at increasing pay to be more competitive with organizations like RTD, the Regional Transport District in Denver, and is looking to add benefits to its lower-level positions that don’t currently receive them. Right now, the starting salary for a Transfort operator is $22.50 per hour. Brooks said the agency hopes to get closer to $24 per hour.
What Transfort services are being changed?
This time around, some adjustments, most of which were either pushing back times to extend service later in the day or suspending service, were made to make it easier to connect to other routes and to accommodate other entities. For example, Route 92 was adjusted to five minutes later to better align with Poudre High School’s new bell times.
The following routes will be impacted:
- Route 6: Northbound and southbound service times will be adjusted to 5 minutes later.
- Route 92: All service times are adjusted 5 minutes later.
- Routes 2, 6, 7, 8, 16, and MAX: Service extended 1 hour later in the evening; last departures will be in the 8 p.m. hour. (Brooks said though it’s counterintuitive, expanding service by an hour on select routes helps with scheduling. He said it also helps commuters who “were having trouble making the connections and getting home” after work.)
- FLEX Express to Boulder: Later northbound and southbound trips are resumed; last southbound departure from the Downtown Transit Center in Fort Collins is at 5:20 p.m., and the last northbound departure from 18th & Euclid in Boulder is at 7:20 p.m.
- Route 19: Service suspended
- Routes 6, 7: Saturday service suspended
- HORN: Monday to Friday frequency every 20 minutes; Saturday service suspended
All trips continue to be free for passengers, as they have been since spring 2020.
Brooks said the city is completing a study, looking to keeping Transfort fare-free, and he expects that will be completed early next year.
The city also offers an on-demand taxi service available for routes that have been suspended. Residents can schedule a trip to or from a bus stop along the route that is suspended or from another linked bus stop or transit center. This service will be available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. On-demand trips must be scheduled the same day as the trip, and trips can be made by calling 970-225-4831. Call center hours are Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What does this mean for the future of Transfort?
Despite the staffing and retention shortages, Brooks said the agency is still on track to expand down the road.
“It's kind of like the best of times, the worst of times,” he said. “We're in this really tough situation where we are having difficulty in hiring operators. But then we're also in the situation where, at the federal level, we're seeing a massive increase in funding for service expansion.”
He said for things like the West Elizabeth project, which could add something like the MAX in that area, Transfort has secured 100% of federal funding for design and is in development with the Federal Transit Administration, which could add more funding.
“We're kind of moving full steam ahead with our transit master plan and those types of projects, but we're also trying to be very cautious of the changes that we're seeing, not just in staffing, but in commuter movements,” Brooks said.
With work from home changing commuter patterns, he said the department is focusing its energy on areas like West Elizabeth, where it knows it will have a dense traffic corridor and “taking a breath” on other expansions it previously discussed to make sure there’s still a need for them.
Transfort is actively advertising its openings on about 14 different platforms, Brooks said, from marquees on its own buses to online postings. For more information on driving for Transfort, visit http://www.ridetransfort.com/abouttransfort/jobs-at-transfort.
Molly Bohannon covers city government for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @molboha or contact her at mbohannon@coloradoan.com. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/08/19/fort-collins-transfort-reduces-services-again-amid-staffing-shortages/65397465007/ | 2022-08-19T00:40:59Z | coloradoan.com | control | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/08/19/fort-collins-transfort-reduces-services-again-amid-staffing-shortages/65397465007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
District attorney clears deputies, charges driver in Prospect Road shooting
A man who was injured in a shootout with Larimer County deputies during a speeding stop last month has been criminally charged.
Eighth Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin announced his decision to file charges against the man Thursday, at the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the district's Critical Incident Response Team. McLaughlin said the investigation also determined the two deputies who shot the man acted within Colorado law.
CIRT investigators reviewed body camera footage from the deputies involved, footage from two dashboard camera from two witnesses driving by during the shooting, and interviewed the deputies, witnesses and man who was shot, McLaughlin said in his decision letter. The video footage corroborated the witnesses' and deputies' interviews, McLaughlin said.
The incident began about 10:30 p.m. July 12, when Larimer County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jeffery Kaley said he witnessed an SUV speeding northbound at an estimated 90 mph in a 40 mph-zone near the intersection of Timberline and Drake roads, McLaughlin said.
Kaley pursued the vehicle, reaching speeds of 70 mph, until the driver of the vehicle — later identified as 22-year-old Bryan Erdbruegger — pulled over on Prospect Road east of Specht Point Road, according to McLaughlin.
Video footage reportedly shows Kaley getting out of his vehicle with his gun drawn and approaching Erdbruegger's vehicle, then Erdbruegger allegedly opening his car door and shooting at Kaley, McLaughlin said. Kaley returned fire as a second deputy, Aaron Horwitz, arrived on scene.
Horwitz told investigators he immediately heard gunfire upon arrival and returned fire at Erdbruegger, according to McLaughlin.
Evidence from the scene indicates that Erdbruegger was hit by the initial shots fired by deputies. But McLaughlin said video footage shows he continued to reload his gun and fired additional shots and then moved toward Kaley while holding the gun.
Kaley told investigators his gun was out of ammunition and he couldn't reload it, so he tried to wrestle Erdbruegger's gun away from him, according to McLaughlin. Erdbruegger allegedly fired one shot during that confrontation, McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said Kaley pushed Erdbruegger back, and Erdbruegger retreated toward his vehicle then allegedly turned back and pointed his gun at the deputies. Horwitz was able to reload his weapon and fired repeatedly at Erdbruegger, shooting him several times and causing him to fall.
Erdbruegger was shot four times, according to McLaughlin.
Additional deputies and medics arrived, but Erdbruegger reportedly apologized and said he didn't want medical aid. He later told CIRT investigators that this was a suicide attempt, McLaughlin said.
Investigators recovered 17 casings they say were fired by Erdbruegger and 40 total casings fired by deputies at the scene. McLaughlin said they believe nine shots Erdbruegger allegedly fired struck Kaley's patrol car.
Neither deputy was injured in the shooting.
Two vehicles drove by while the shooting was in progress, McLaughlin said. The driver of the first car told investigators they saw a man halfway out of his vehicle looking back at a deputy and then hearing multiple gunshots. The passenger of the second vehicle that drove by told investigators they saw a man pointing a gun at a deputy and firing several shots.
The back of second vehicle that drove past the shooting was also hit by one bullet fired by deputies, according to McLaughlin. No witnesses were injured.
Kaley told investigators that, during the incident, he believed he had been shot, but was uninjured and likely hit by debris that came off his car when it was hit by gunfire, McLaughlin said.
Both Kaley and Horwitz told investigators they believed their lives were in danger, McLaughlin said.
Erdbruegger has been charged with two counts of attempted murder; second-degree assault of a police officer, a Class 4 felony; illegal discharge of a firearm, a Class 5 felony; and speeding, a traffic infraction.
The second-degree assault charge stems from an allegation that Erdbruegger spit on another deputy while being taken to the hospital, McLaughlin said.
Erdbruegger remains in the Larimer County Jail on a $200,000 bond. He is next scheduled to appear in court Sept. 8.
Help for someone in crisis
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988, or call 911 in case of an emergency.
Colorado Crisis Support can be reached at 1-844-493-8255 or by texting HOME to 741741.
Larimer County resources:
- SummitStone Crisis Stabilization Unit, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: summitstonehealth.org/services/; 970-494-4200
- UCHealth Mountain Crest Behavioral Health Center: uchealth.org/services/behavioral-health/; 970-207-4800
- Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County: allianceforsuicideprevention.org/
How CIRT works
The 8th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT, was formed in 2015 in accordance with a new state law requiring a multiagency team to investigate "an incident involving the discharge of a firearm by a peace officer that resulted in injury or death."
The team is automatically and immediately activated when a police officer is involved in a shooting. The agency that employs the officer or officers involved in a shooting is responsible for alerting the team.
CIRT can also investigate incidents involving officers that result in serious injury or death, including car crashes, as well as incidents in the Larimer County Jail.
Fort Collins Police Services, Loveland Police Department and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office take turns being the lead agency for police shooting investigations. Each year, the responsibility rotates to a different agency.
Agencies involved in the investigations include: Windsor Police Department, Timnath Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Estes Park Police Department, Colorado State University Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and the Larimer County District Attorney's Office.
An agency cannot investigate itself.
After a CIRT investigation is completed, the report is presented to the district attorney, who decides if any criminal charges will be filed related to the incident. | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/08/19/larimer-county-district-attorney-charges-driver-clears-deputies-july-shooting/65410146007/ | 2022-08-19T00:41:05Z | coloradoan.com | control | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/08/19/larimer-county-district-attorney-charges-driver-clears-deputies-july-shooting/65410146007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Aug. 18
• Theft was reported in Alexander City.
Aug. 17
• Lamar Quintavious Varner, 26, of Alexander City was arrested for bail jumping.
• Jasprianna Martika Silmon, 30, of Alexander City was arrested for three counts of failure to appear.
Aug. 16
• Jacora Falonda Seymore, 34, of Alexander City was arrested for bail jumping.
• Ashley Michelle Davis, 39, of Alexander City was arrested for failure to appear.
• Glenda Michelle Hicks, 43, of Alexander City was arrested for driving under the influence of combined substances.
• Harassment was reported in Alexander City.
• Harassment was reported in Alexander City.
• Theft was reported in Alexander City.
• Unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle was reported in Alexander City.
• Driving under the influence of combined substances was reported in Alexander City
• Animal running at large and dog presumed to be vicious was reported in Alexander City.
• Theft was reported in Alexander City.
Aug. 15
• Jessie Walter Pearson, 70, of Alexander City was arrested for burglary, theft, failure to appear and public intoxication.
• Burglary and theft was reported in Alexander City.
• Domestic violence was reported in Alexander City.
• Harassing communications was reported in Alexander City.
• Criminal mischief was reported in Alexander City.
• Domestic violence was reported in Alexander City.
Aug. 14
• Kercelia Nicole Watts, 49, of Alexander City was arrested for failure to appear.
• Terry Lynn Nelson, 59, of Alexander City was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
• David L. Frola Jr., 30, of Alexander City was arrested for domestic violence.
• Eureka Shardae Thomas, 28, of Alexander City was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
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• Tyus Malik Ford, 23, of Alexander City was arrested for bail jumping.
• Harassment was reported in Alexander City.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol and unlawful possession of a concealed weapon was reported in Alexander City.
• Domestic violence was reported in Alexander City.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol was reported in Alexander City.
• Domestic violence was reported in Alexander City.
• Harassment was reported in Alexander City.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol was reported in Alexander City.
• Domestic violence was reported in Alexander City.
• Domestic violence was reported in Alexander City.
Aug. 13
• Leigh Mcfall Cantrell, 49, of Kellyton was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Nathaniel Dwight Lindsey, 58, of Alexander City was arrested for bail jumping.
• Possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia was reported in Alexander City.
Aug. 12
• Kobe J Sean Folks, 22, of Montgomery was arrested for possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Michael Gregory Burt, 43, of Goodwater was arrested for possession of marijuana and two counts of bail jumping.
• Shalonda Evette Buckner, 45, of Alexander City was arrested for two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and open container of alcohol in a vehicle.
• Fraudulent use of a credit or debit card was reported in Alexander City.
• Possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a concealed weapon was reported in Alexander City.
• Possession of a controlled substance was reported in Alexander City.
• Animal running at large was reported in Alexander City.
Aug. 11
• Mark Christopher Branch, 34, of Alexander City was arrested for bond revocation.
• Charles Frank Martin Jr., 52, of Alexander City was arrested for criminal trespass.
• Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported in Alexander City.
• Criminal trespass was reported in Alexander City. | https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/news/arrest-and-incident-reports-of-the-alexander-city-police-dept-from-aug-11-to-18/article_3b849240-1f19-11ed-a43e-9bbf3dbb55da.html | 2022-08-19T00:42:58Z | alexcityoutlook.com | control | https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/news/arrest-and-incident-reports-of-the-alexander-city-police-dept-from-aug-11-to-18/article_3b849240-1f19-11ed-a43e-9bbf3dbb55da.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Civitan International is expanding to the Lake Martin area, and is currently looking for active members.
Civitan is an organization of local service clubs dedicated to helping communities, and providing service opportunities for residents.
Civitan membership offers service projects, education of community needs, leadership development and network opportunities. In the past, the group has helped youth, veterans and first responders and people with disabilities.
With active clubs across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, the international club is now looking to call Tallapoosa County another home. The group is creating a local chapter in the form of the Lake Martin Civitan Club.
For Lake Martin, leaders already have several service projects in the works, including both a food drive and city cleanup this fall. Other projects planned include building handicap ramps throughout the area, Camp ASCCA workdays and involvement with theTallapoosa County Girls Ranch.
Interested participants can learn more at the group’s first official meetingTuesday, August 23. A pre-chapter meeting will be held from noon to 1 p.m. that day at the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, contact Brian Dix at 256-404-5858.
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Football season is finally upon us, and all five area teams are taking to the field this week. Here is an overview of each game:
Thursday
Reeltown at Tallassee
When: 7 p.m.
Where: J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium, Tallassee
Series: Tied at 9-9
Synopsis:
Most everyone knows what is at stake in the Battle for the Tallapoosa. This is a rivalry game renewed that plays for bragging rights for 365 days, or even longer. Reeltown has taken five of the last six, but lost last year at home 34-13. Social media star AJ Greene will be in attendance, as if the players in this game needed more reason to play well. Tallasee boasts a younger squad, while Reeltown is led by mostly veterans. This one should be a close one all the way through.
Friday
Benjamin Russell at Sylacauga
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Legion Stadium, Sylacauga
Series: Benjamin Russell leads 40-16
Synopsis:
Head coach Smitty Grider’s first official game with the Wildcats will be on the road at Sylacauga. The Aggies are a team Benjamin Russell knows well, and has been able to handle historically. The Wildcats have not lost to Sylacuaga since 1989, playing 10 games together since then. In Benjamin Russell’s preseason game against 3A Madison Academy, the Wildcats struggled to generate offense immediately, but scored 14 points with the team’s starters. One of those scores was made by Malcolm Simmons, who was just named one of the best players to watch this year in Alabama high school football by 247Sports.com. Benjamin Russell might struggle early again to find its footing, but should be able to start the season 1-0.
B.B. Comer at Dadeville
When: 7 p.m.
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Where: Tiger Stadium, Dadeville
Series: Comer leads 9-7
Synopsis:
While this series may look to favor visiting B.B. Comer, the numbers may lie a bit. The most recent meeting between these two teams was back in 2009, when Dadeville won 35-7. In 2008, the Tigers won 40-0. Last season, B.B. Comer made it all the way to the third round of the state playoffs in 2A, losing to Clarke County by a single touchdown. Comer running back Kamore Harris is back for his junior year, after being named First Team All State for 2A football last season. Harris, matching up with Dadeville linebacker Avontae Wilson should make for an awesome hard-hitting matchup. Those two players will likely decide this one.
Verbena at Central Coosa
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Keith Bullard Stadium, Central Coosa
Series: Verbena leads 2-0
Synopsis:
Another newly hired head coach, Shundell Russaw, gets his start on Friday but this time he is at home. Russaw has made a huge impact with the Coosa community, far outreaching his role as the head coach. Coosa returns starting quarterback MJ Culpepper, which should give Coosa some common ground on offense. Last year against Verbena, Culpepper and company did not fare too well, losing 36-8. Expect this game to be closer, as the Red Devils are going to be coming into an amped up environment at Bullard Stadium.
Wadley at Horseshoe Bend
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Battle Stadium, Horseshoe Bend
Series: Wadley leads 16-12
Synopsis:
This game is a solid rivalry game for both schools. Playing almost every year, the series is fairly balanced, outside of the past few seasons. Wadley won four straight from 2014-17. The Generals picked up a win in 2020, but fell in 2021. Head coach Jermey Phillips has a group of grinders, ranging from four-year starters to guys in their senior year playing their first year of ball. Only the guys in the Generals’ locker room know what to truly expect from this team. But be assured, losing to Wadley at home to open the season is not going to be on the radar for anyone in a Horseshoe Bend uniform. | https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/sports/are-you-ready-for-some-football/article_8c218544-1f25-11ed-bf6d-4b34ee26d3fc.html | 2022-08-19T00:43:16Z | alexcityoutlook.com | control | https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/sports/are-you-ready-for-some-football/article_8c218544-1f25-11ed-bf6d-4b34ee26d3fc.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Junior Malcom Simmons (15) rushes to the end zone on a trick play in a matchbetween Benjamin Russell High School and Madison Academy High School at Martin-Savarese Stadium on August 12, 2022.
Simmons, along with 21 other football players, made up a list of some of the best talent the state has to offer. The list is also geared toward players who have interest towards, or have garnered interest from, Auburn University.
The four-star wide receiver has received quite a bit of attention ahead of his junior campaign, most recently spending time at Auburn’s Big Cat Weekend. Simmons did not receive an immediate offer from the school, but signs point to him soon being on the Tigers’ radar.
A few colleges have already offered the young star, including West Virginia, Arkansas and Liberty.
Simmons has been offered as a wide receiver, but plays free safety, receiver and some running back for the Wildcats.
In Benjamin Russell’s preseason game, Simmons had an interception at safety and a 40-plus yard rushing score at running back on a fourth down play.
In 2021, Simmons had 26 receptions for 774 yards and seven scores.
At 6’2, 180 pounds, Simmons has the size and speed to make plays all over the field. As a track athlete, Simmons partakes in the long jump, high jump and the 200 meter dash.
Henry Zimmer is sports editor for The Outlook and Dadeville Record. He may be contacted via email at henry.zimmer@alexcityoutlook.com.
Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reporting—but good journalism isn’t free.
Please support our tireless efforts to gather and report your local news by subscribing or making a contribution. | https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/sports/malcolm-simmons-named-player-to-watch-by-247sports-com/article_8a3d8ea2-1f3f-11ed-b478-0381cdf7c2d7.html | 2022-08-19T00:43:22Z | alexcityoutlook.com | control | https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/sports/malcolm-simmons-named-player-to-watch-by-247sports-com/article_8a3d8ea2-1f3f-11ed-b478-0381cdf7c2d7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Making the right decision in the investment market is no easy task. Investors must wade into a sea of often contradictory data and locate the kernels of fact that can point toward a stock’s likely future. Finding a semblance of sense and pattern in the jumble of raw information is the necessary prerequisite for success. This is where the TipRanks Smart Score comes in.
Using a set of proprietary algorithms, the Smart Score collects a range of data for every stock – and sorts it according to 8 factors that are known to influence stock price. The result is a single distilled score, on a 1 to 10 scale, that can tell an investor at a glance the general health of a stock. And a look behind the score is easy to do, and add context to a stock’s performance.
So let’s get an early start on this, and look ‘under the hood’ at 2 stocks that are sending bullish signals to investors – with their ‘Perfect 10’ Smart Scores.
Arhaus, Inc. (ARHS)
The first stock we’ll look at is Arhaus, a furniture company based in Ohio and offering its products through 80 showroom stores across the US. The company produces and markets a wide range of furniture for both the home and patio, including full sets for home offices, bedrooms, and living and dining rooms. Arhaus prides itself for working with small artisans around the world on its product sourcing.
While Arhaus maintains a sizable network of brick-and-mortar locations, the company also keeps strong e-commerce segment. Overall, Arhaus works hard at its preferred mode of direct-to-consumer sales. With a long-standing reputation for customer-centered service, innovative product designs, and responsible sourcing, the company has had a high measure of success at this preferred business model.
That success can be seen in latest quarterly financials, for 2Q22. The report showed revenues powering forward by 66% year-over-year to reach $306 million; this made up a significant portion of the year’s six-month gain of 55.5%; from Jan 1 to June 30, Arhaus brought in $553 million at the top line. The company’s net income hit $37 million for the quarter, or 28 cents per share, up 12% y/y.
Peter Keith, 5-star analyst with Piper Sandler, lays out several reasons why Arhaus should continue to bring solid returns for investor, writing: “We think ARHS continues to execute at a high level with (1) New product introductions; (2) Enhanced marketing with improving return on ad spend; & (3) Improved website. Also, we believe ARHS’s value proposition has never been stronger given 50% of its sales are sourced in the US allowing for fewer price increases vis-a-vis the competition.”
Alongside these comments, Keith gives this stock an Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating. His price target, of $12, suggests that ARHS has a one-year upside of 34%. (To watch Keith’s track record, click here)
Wall Street finds itself in broad agreement with the bullish view here – of the 6 recent analyst reviews on record, 5 are to Buy against just 1 Hold, for a Strong Buy consensus rating. The stock is selling for $8.92 and its average price target of $11 implies a 23% one-year gain. (See ARHS stock analysis on TipRanks)
The Chef’s Warehouse (CHEF)
Next up is a company that lives in the world of specialty food distribution. The Chef’s Warehouse has operations and locations in major metro areas of the US and Canada; the company got started 30 years ago as a source and distributor of food products for high-end chefs, and today serves top restaurants, hotels, caterers, and gourmet retailers across North America.
This service-oriented company has benefited greatly from the end of COVID restriction and the return to a more normal business climate. The result can be seen in the pattern of quarterly revenue results: steady year-over-year gains for the past two years.
In 2Q22, the most recent quarter, CHEF’s top and bottom line results both beat the industry forecasting. Revenues hit $648.1 million, up 53% year-over-year and some 8% percent above the estimates. At the bottom line, earnings of 51 cents per share clobbered the 35-cent forecast – and came in almost 13x higher than the year-ago quarter’s 4-cent result.
Even better, the company has raised its full year financial guidance, predicting between $2.375 billion and $2.475 billion in total sales for 2022 (up from $2.13 billion to $2.23 billion), and a gross profit between $553 million and $576 million (up from $500 million and $524 million).
BTIG’s 5-star analyst Peter Saleh notes all of this, and does not hold back from rating this company as a Buy. The $46 price target he assigns implies room for ~37% growth in the coming year. (To watch Saleh’s track record, click here)
Backing his stance, Saleh writes, “We believe the current [share] price doesn’t accurately reflect the sales strength and trajectory of the business… We believe the outlook could still prove somewhat conservative as business events and travel resume as we progress into the fall. Flowing through the upside from this quarter places us at the high-end of the new guidance range, so while we have been impressed by the pace of sales growth and margin progression, we are not convinced this is the last of it.”
Overall, CHEF sock has picked up 4 recent analyst reviews, and they are all positive, giving it a unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating. CHEF shares are currently priced at $33.78 and their $47.75 average price target suggests a 12-month upside potential of 41%. (See CHEF stock analysis on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/tipranks-perfect-10-list-these-2-stocks-are-sending-a-bullish-signal | 2022-08-19T00:43:32Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/tipranks-perfect-10-list-these-2-stocks-are-sending-a-bullish-signal | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mr. Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works along with Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and U.S Army Corps of Engineers leadership, Brig. Gen. Kimberly Peeples and Lt. Col. Colby Krug spent time at Port Clinton Harbor, Port Clinton, OH discussing the important role the harbor plays to support the Great Lakes Navigation System.
Port Clinton Harbor supports commercial ferry service to Put-InBay and Middle Bass Islands in addition to 78 seasonal charter fishing boats generating approximately $1.2M in annual revenue. Most recently project partners completed a project that removed invasive plant species and created acres of wetland habitat.
This work, ASA-CW Visits Toledo Ohio [Image 13 of 13], by Andrew Kornacki, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377498/asa-cw-visits-toledo-ohio | 2022-08-19T00:48:13Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377498/asa-cw-visits-toledo-ohio | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mr. Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works along with Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and U.S Army Corps of Engineers leadership, Brig. Gen. Kimberly Peeples and Lt. Col. Colby Krug met with Joe Cappel Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, VP Business Development.
Major commodities include iron ore, coal, petroleum, limestone, sand and gravel, salt, cement and concrete, wheat, soybeans, and aluminum which support $10.7 billion in business revenue, 59,176 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $3 billion in labor income.
This work, ASA-CW Visits Toledo Ohio [Image 13 of 13], by Andrew Kornacki, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377503/asa-cw-visits-toledo-ohio | 2022-08-19T00:48:39Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377503/asa-cw-visits-toledo-ohio | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Team Army coach Brandi Binkley, left, and U.S. Army Pfc. Corine Hamilton take a short break after cycling training, Aug 18, 2022, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Hamilton and Team Army will be participating in the Department of Defense Warrior Games from Aug. 19-28. The DoD Warrior Games are hosted by the U.S. Army. Men and women from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and U.S. Special Operations Command are joined in competition by athletes with the Canadian Soldier On organization in a variety of adaptive sports ranging from archery to wheelchair rugby. (U.S. Army photo by Robert A. Whetstone)
This work, 2022 Warrior Games [Image 4 of 4], by Robert Whetstone, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377567/2022-warrior-games | 2022-08-19T00:48:59Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377567/2022-warrior-games | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
220817-N-NA571-1067 NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS BASE CORONADO, Calif. (Aug. 17, 2022) A Sailor, attached to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 (ACB 1), leads a company as guide on during a command training march on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Aug 17, 2022. ACB 1 conducts ship-to-shore transportation and construction support as a part of joint amphibious operations around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by SN Valerie Morrison)
This work, ACB 1 conducts a training march [Image 4 of 4], by SN Valerie Morrison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377568/acb-1-conducts-training-march | 2022-08-19T00:49:06Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377568/acb-1-conducts-training-march | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
220817-N-NA571-1476 NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS BASE CORONADO, Calif. (Aug. 17, 2022) Capt. Rafael Miranda, commanding officer of Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 (ACB 1), observes the return from a training march on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Aug 17, 2022. ACB 1 conducts ship-to-shore transportation and construction support as a part of joint amphibious operations around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by SN Valerie Morrison)
This work, ACB 1 conducts training march [Image 4 of 4], by SN Valerie Morrison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377571/acb-1-conducts-training-march | 2022-08-19T00:49:13Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377571/acb-1-conducts-training-march | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
220817-N-NA571-1423 NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS BASE CORONADO, Calif. (Aug. 17, 2022) Logistics Specialist Seaman Dylan Caceci, attached to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 (ACB 1), leads a company as guide on during a training march on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Aug 17, 2022. ACB 1 conducts ship-to-shore transportation and construction support as a part of joint amphibious operations around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by SN Valerie Morrison)
This work, ACB 1 conducts training march [Image 4 of 4], by SN Valerie Morrison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377575/acb-1-conducts-training-march | 2022-08-19T00:49:19Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377575/acb-1-conducts-training-march | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Deadly traffic crashes are up in the U.S. and safety advocates are looking for solutions.
More people are dying on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Administration Steven Cliff says their new data shows things are headed in the wrong direction.
“9,560 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the first quarter of this year,” Cliff said.
That’s a 7% jump from last year and the most first-quarter deaths in 20 years.
AAA traffic safety director Jake Nelson says the uptick is because of bad behavior from drivers, including driving under the influence, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.
“Motorists today are engaging in risky behaviors behind the wheel in ways that they didn’t before,” Nelson said.
Safety advocates want government leaders to do more to save lives. They say recent federal infrastructure legislation provides resources that can help prevent traffic deaths.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving President Alex Otte is one of the people calling for action to address the new numbers.
“9,560 is huge. One would be too many, especially when we know that there are tools to prevent it,” Otte said.
She says the infrastructure law will eventually require all new cars to have technology that will stop people from driving under the influence. She wants federal leaders to implement that rule faster.
“Once this technology is in, all new cars it will save an estimated 9,400 lives every year,” Otte said.
Nelson wants to see law enforcement focus more resources on cracking down on dangerous drivers. He’s also urging leaders to make safety changes in areas like roadway infrastructure and speed limits.
“State and local governments manage this and they need to be managing it better than they are today,” Nelson said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just started its annual ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign.’ That will mean an increase in officers out on the road from now until Labor Day. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/traffic-deaths-are-up-because-of-risky-driver-behaviors-and-safety-advocates-want-to-address-it/ | 2022-08-19T00:51:52Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/traffic-deaths-are-up-because-of-risky-driver-behaviors-and-safety-advocates-want-to-address-it/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
16-Year-Old Girl Isn't 'Mature' Enough to Get Abortion Without Written OK from Guardian, Florida Court Says
The girl, who is parentless, told the court she has no job and the baby's father is not able to help her.
A 16-year-old girl who says she is still in school and not ready to have a baby is not "mature" enough to get an abortion, a Florida appeals court has ruled.
The teen, identified only as Jane Doe 22-B, had submitted a handwritten petition for a waiver of the state's requirement that underage girls must have a written consent from their parent or guardian. The girl wrote that she was parentless and lived with a relative and guardian.
Her guardian did not oppose an abortion, the girl said.
The teenager had originally sought the waiver in Escambia County court, but Circuit Court Judge Jennifer J. Frydrychowicz denied her petition.
She then appealed her case. This week, three judges on the First District Court of Appeal ruled the the teen did not present "clear and convincing evidence that she was sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy."
The girl wrote in her petition for a waiver that she is still in school, does not have a job and is not ready to have a baby. "The father is unable to assist," she said. The appellate court ruling said she was 10 weeks pregnant when she asked the court's permission to obtain an abortion.
It wasn't clear how far along she is now. Florida bans most abortions after 15 weeks, under a new law that went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, thereby removing constitutional protections for persons seeking abortions.
The appeals court said the girl acknowledged she is not ready "for the emotional, physical, or financial responsibility of raising a child" and "has valid concerns about her ability to raise a child."
The teen said her guardian was "fine" with the abortion, and the court said if that guardian "consents to the minor's termination of her pregnancy, all that is required is a written waiver from the guardian."
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Human Interest | https://www.insideedition.com/16-year-old-girl-isnt-mature-enough-to-get-abortion-without-written-ok-from-guardian-florida-court | 2022-08-19T00:55:55Z | insideedition.com | control | https://www.insideedition.com/16-year-old-girl-isnt-mature-enough-to-get-abortion-without-written-ok-from-guardian-florida-court | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Beloved Reporter Crossing Milwaukee Drawbridge Falls to His Death When It Opens, Son Calls for Probe Into Case
Richard Dujardin, a Rhode Island religion reporter, was visiting Milwaukee when he fell to his death from a drawbridge that opened as he walked across. His son spoke to Inside Edition about the tragedy.
A 77-year-old man plunged to his death from a Milwaukee drawbridge as it opened while he was walking across it.
Richard Dujardin, a longtime religion reporter for the Providence Journal, was reportedly hard of hearing and may have been distracted by an iPad when the tragedy occurred. He reportedly failed to hear the warning bells and lights.
Cops say he held on to the guardrail for more than one minute before losing his grip and falling into the Milwaukee River.
His wife was just steps ahead of him as they headed to a Catholic church for mass.
“I just know for a fact that my dad would not have done anything to risk his life,” Dujardin’s son Peter said. “We just want to get a full investigation by the police into what happened and how this happened.”
It's the latest incident in a chain of recent misfortunes on drawbridges.
Earlier this year, a 79-year-old woman died after falling from a drawbridge in Florida. Her family was recently awarded $8 million. Police say the drawbridge operator wasn't paying attention.
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WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Discussions on deciding the future home of two new aircrafts began Thursday night.
The National Guard Bureau held a public meeting to discuss the proposal of a location for two new aircrafts. The public was invited to learn about the proposal, talk to the project team and provide concerns regarding the proposal.
104th Flight Commander David Halasi-Kun told 22News, “What is going to be the difference? That’s a question we hope we receive from the public, so the environmental impact study can find out what the public’s interest is and really narrow down the scope and give the public the answers they want.”
If you missed the meeting on Thursday, a virtual meeting will be held via zoom on August 24th. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/2-new-aircrafts-proposed-to-barnes-air-national-guard/ | 2022-08-19T00:56:01Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/2-new-aircrafts-proposed-to-barnes-air-national-guard/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Discussions on deciding the future home of two new aircrafts began Thursday night.
The National Guard Bureau held a public meeting to discuss the proposal of a location for two new aircrafts. The public was invited to learn about the proposal, talk to the project team and provide concerns regarding the proposal.
104th Flight Commander David Halasi-Kun told 22News, “What is going to be the difference? That’s a question we hope we receive from the public, so the environmental impact study can find out what the public’s interest is and really narrow down the scope and give the public the answers they want.”
If you missed the meeting on Thursday, a virtual meeting will be held via zoom on August 24th. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/2-new-aircrafts-proposed-to-barnes-air-national-guard/ | 2022-08-19T00:56:01Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/2-new-aircrafts-proposed-to-barnes-air-national-guard/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Inside Deals: Save Up to 80% — Hot Styler Brush, Smart Scale, Jump Starter Kit
Don’t miss these limited-time deals at deep discounts.
We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.
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This goes beyond a standard scale, measuring 13 body metrics, including weight, body fat, muscle mass, bone mass and metabolic age.
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The company says this will start dead batteries in seconds, and up to 30 times in a single charge. It also features a compass, phone charger and an LED emergency light. It's suitable for cars, trucks, motorcycles and vans.
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Little Leaguer Seriously Injured in Bunk Bed Fall No Longer in Coma, Is Awake and Eating, Family Says
Videos released by 12-year-old Easton Oliverson's family show the boy drinking and eating in his hospital room after cracking his skull in a scary fall last weekend.
A 12-year-old little league player who was seriously injured after falling off his bunk bed is making incredible progress, his family said.
Easton Oliverson was in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, gearing up for the biggest came of the season and staying in the tournament’s dormitory complex.
The beds there didn’t have guardrails, and the boy fell off in the middle of the night and cracked his skull. He was placed in a medically-induced coma.
Easton’s family is now sharing video from inside his hospital room to show how far he has come since the Sunday incident.
“The tests have all come out really good, so I think we’re just waiting for him to fully wake up and kinda see where he’s at with his brain activity and his memory,” said Easton’s uncle, Spencer Beck.
Easton's favorite baseball player, Los Angeles Dodger Mookie Betts, also sent him a get well message.
“We are praying for you, thinking of you and I hope to see you soon, my man,” Betts said.
As his team, the Snow Canyon All Stars of Utah, gear up for the big game, his teammates showed their support, walking on the field wearing “Team Easton” bands.
Easton’s little brother Brogan will be filling in for him on the team as he continues his path to recovery.
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Los Angeles Restaurant Owner Tackles Suspect Seen Punching And Robbing Man, Holds Assailant Until Cops Come
After waiting all day for the suspect's court hearing, the restaurant owner and victim were told that the suspect had been “lost” in the vast Los Angeles jail system. Both men spoke to Inside Edition about the harrowing ordeal.
After a man was seen attacking a diner outside a Los Angeles restaurant, the owner of the restaurant next door tackled the suspect to the ground and held him down until police arrived.
Surveillance video shows the suspect sucker punch and rob the diner, Richard Schlesinger, at a Hollywood pizzeria.
Timothy Ratcliff, the owner next door, ran after the assailant and pulled him to the ground, with the struggle spilling out onto busy Hollywood Boulevard. Ratcliff’s girlfriend came out to help, as she and another woman retrieved the stolen items.
The thief was still trying to break free, so Ratcliff's girlfriend stood on his legs and kicked him.
“Honestly, it was like slow motion. I couldn’t believe it happened right away,” Ratcliff said.
Ratcliff said he’s been helping out the suspect for months.
“He's been coming around the restaurant for about two months now. We've been giving him food, we've been giving him water. It’s just shocking to have it all happen the way it did,” Ratcliff said.
The suspect was scheduled to face charges inside a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday.
But after waiting all day for the court hearing, Ratcliff and Schlesinger say they were told that the suspect had been “lost” in the vast Los Angeles jail system.
“It seems like the county or the city lost track of the guy, so it’s not a good look for law enforcement if they’re going to lose track of somebody who’s in their system,” Schlesinger said.
Despite the frustrating chain of events, Ratcliff and Schlesinger were able to meet and now share an unbreakable bond.
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Man Says Secretly Recorded Images Show His California Dermatologist Wife Poisoning His Drink With Drano
Prosecutors have not filed any charges against Yue Yu, whose husband Jack Chen says secretly recorded images show her spiking his drink with Drano on three occasions at their Irvine, California, home. A hearing is set for November.
A California dermatologist is suspected of poisoning her husband with drain cleaner in several incidents allegedly captured on a home surveillance camera.
Yue Yu was arrested on Aug. 5 and later released on bail.
Radiologist Jack Chen says secretly recorded images show his wife spiking his drink with Drano on three occasions at their Irvine home. The husband claims his wife took the liquid clog remover from under the sink and poured it into his hot lemonade and hot tea.
Chen also claims his wife had physically and emotionally abused him and their two young children for years.
On Thursday, Yu appeared in court and was temporarily ordered to stay away from her two preteen children.
Yu’s attorney, David E. Wohl, says his client is innocent.
“We believe, once again, that this was a set up by the father in order to gain custody and establish a divorce between he and his wife and then pursue her assets,” Wohl said.
Wohl says Yu was using the Drano to fix a plumbing problem.
“She did not ever use it to poison her husband. She’s a 45-year-old well-respected dermatologist, who would never harm anyone, much less her husband and her children,” Wohl said.
But Chen’s attorney argues his client suffered internal injuries after he drank the Drano.
“There are three separate videos. Each one shows her going under the sink, taking the bottle of Drano, putting a portion of Drano into his drink,” Steven Hittelman said.
Prosecutors have not filed any charges, and a hearing is set for November.
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Proud Mom Rents Billboard in Daughter's New Jersey Hometown to Celebrate Her Becoming a Doctor
“This was a major accomplishment, and I wanted her to know how special she was,” Kendra Busbee tells Inside Edition.
A proud New Jersey mom rented a billboard to celebrate her daughter receiving a doctorate in psychology.
“I had to go big or go home,” Kendra Busbee told Inside Edition.
Busbee’s daughter, Kristine Smalls, just graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Busbee picked a billboard on a busy highway in her hometown of Camden, New Jersey. “Let me re-introduce myself…Dr. Kristine S. Smalls. Look what good came out of Camden,” the sign reads.
“This was a major accomplishment, and I wanted her to know how special she was,” Busbee said.
The doting mom paid over just $1,200 to rend the digital billboard for one month.
Smalls couldn’t be more thrilled. “I think she’s the best mom in the world,” she said.
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Tennessee Woman Charged With Murder After Sneaking Drugs to Inmate During Kiss: Authorities
“Our agency will pursue prosecution against any individual who threatens the safety and security of our staff, the men and women in our custody, and our facilities,” said David Imhof, Director of TDOC’s Office of Investigation and Conduct.
After the overdose death of a person incarcerated by the Tennessee Department of Corrections, their visitor has been accused of sneaking drugs into the facility and charged with murder, according to a press release from the TDOC.
Rachel Dollard visited the Turney Center Industrial Complex to see inmate Joshua Brown in February, officials said. According to the TDOC, Dollard was seen giving drugs to Brown as they kissed during their visitation.
During the kiss, Dollard transferred a balloon pellet holding half an ounce of methamphetamine to Brown, which he ended up swallowing, the TDOC alleges. He died later at a local hospital, authorities stated.
Last weekend Dollard was taken into custody by TDOC agents and the Dickson County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant from a sealed indictment in Hickman County. She was taken to the Hickman County jail, where she is being held on charges including second-degree murder and introduction to a penal facility.
David Imhof, director of the TDOC’s Office of Investigation and Conduct, said this case illustrates the dangers of bringing contraband into prisons.
Brown was serving 11 years on drug-related charges when he died. He was set to be released in 2029.
“Our agency will pursue prosecution against any individual who threatens the safety and security of our staff, the men and women in our custody, and our facilities,” Imhof said.
Dollard will appear in court in September, Hickman County officials told Inside Edition Digital.
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Mari Yamamoto Cast in Legendary’s MonsterVerse TV Series
Legendary and Apple TV+ continue to assemble a diverse mix of talent for their upcoming MonsterVerse series. Deadline brings word that Mari Yamamoto is the latest cast member to join the as-yet-untitled project, which follows the events of 2014’s Godzilla.
The series begins shortly after Godzilla’s fight against two MUTOs destroyed San Francisco and alerted the world at large to the existence of monsters. Although it features an ensemble cast, the story will primarily focus on one specific family that discovers its own ties to Monarch, the secret organization that’s been studying Titan activity on Earth for decades. Chris Black and Matt Fraction created the series and also serve as executive producers.
Yamamoto already has a relationship with Apple TV+ after recurring on Pachinko earlier this year. Additionally, Yamamoto previously had a role in Kate, a Netflix original movie that premiered in 2021. The nature of Yamamoto’s role in the MonsterVerse series remains a mystery. However, she isn’t the only Pachinko alum joining the cast. Earlier this year, Anna Sawai boarded the new series as Cate, a G-Day survivor who returns to her family’s home in Japan and uncovers some shocking secrets of her own.
RELATED: Kurt and Wyatt Russell Join Apple TV+’s MonsterVerse Series
Other MonsterVerse cast members include Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski. The father-and-son duo of Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell also joined the cast last month, but their characters are still unknown. Safehouse Pictures’ Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell are executive producing the series with Toho’s Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita. Matt Shakman (WandaVision) will executive produce and direct the first two episodes.
Apple TV+ hasn’t announced a release date for the MonsterVerse series.
How do you feel about Yamamoto joining the show’s cast? Do you have any theories about her character? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters
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Will Last Victim of Serial Killer 'the Candy Man' Soon Be Named? Houston Police Are Trying to Solve Mystery
The Houston authorities are working with updated technology alongside a call for public assistance in an effort to find the identity of the last unnamed victim of The Candy Man and his accomplices from the 1970s.
Houston authorities are asking for the public’s help to identify the last unknown victim of the serial killer known as "The Candy Man."
From 1970 to 1973, Dean Arnold Corll — whose brutal crimes earned him the moniker "the Candy Man" — kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered at least 28 teenage boys alongside two accomplices before burying or disposing of their bodies, authorities said.
Corll's only remaining unidentified victim’s remains were discovered in August 1973, and has since been referred to as John Houston Doe.
But, authorities are hoping to use new forensic technology to give these remains an identity, Fox 26 reports.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has been working with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in hopes of identifying Corll's final victim.
Carol Schweitzer, the supervisor of the forensics unit of the Center, told the outlet she is confident investigators will be able to figure out who the victim is with the public's help.
"Somebody out there knows who this child is, somebody does remember him," Schweitzer said.
The unidentified teen was believed to be between 15 and 19 when he was killed. He stood between 5 feet, 2 inches, and 5 feet, 7 inches, was possibly white or Hispanic and had dark brown hair.
Property and clothing listed to have been found with the victim included dark blue jeans, a multi-colored striped swimsuit, brown and black cowboy boots, a tan shirt with a peace symbol insignia and a braided bracelet. His remains were recovered from the boatshed on Silverbell, officials said.
Anyone with information about the identity of this victim is asked to call the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences at 832-927-5000.
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Woman Accused of Murdering Previous Partner and Kidnapping Their Children Is Requesting to Visit Them
Chiloe Chervenell, charged with second-degree murder of her children's other mother and two counts of kidnapping, has requested to visit the kids, saying she is concerned for them.
After being accused of murdering her previous partner and kidnapping their children, a Washington State woman has requested to visit with her young kids.
During a hearing in Franklin County Superior Court, Chiloe Chervenell, 49, pleaded not guilty after being charged with second-degree murder of her previous partner and her children’s other parent, Kathleen “Kathy” Chervenell-Brinson, 54, according to the Tri-Cities Herald.
Chervenell was also charged with two counts of second-degree kidnapping for allegedly violating a court order by taking her two children and fleeing to Oregon, according to the local outlet.
Four months before her death in April, Chervenell-Brinson, a teacher, successfully convinced a judge that she and her kids were in danger due to her then-partner’s alleged destructive lifestyle, according to the Herald.
The petition filed for the protection order stated that Chervenell sold drugs and allowed addicts, sex offenders and fugitives to hide in their home, according to The Yakima Herald. Chervenell-Brinson then received a no-contact order against the 49-year-old, according to the outlet.
According to Oxygen, Chervenell was in recovery for a period of time, during which she started Chiloe’s Corner 12-Step Cafe in Kennewick, Washington State, a cafe catered towards people in recovery.
However, the small restaurant closed less than a year later in September 2018, according to a Facebook post from the restaurant.
Chervenell-Brinson said that Chervenell then relapsed in her addiction, during which time she was involved in four car accidents within the last year, Oxygen reported. Chervenell was also accused of neglecting their young children.
The late Chervenell-Brinson also alleged that Chervenell and her new girlfriend allegedly took the children with them during a drug deal in February. When Chervenell-Brinson confronted Chervenell about this alleged situation, Chervenell allegedly grabbed her by the throat and screamed at her, according to the outlet.
“She made many threats against me, but the one that stood out the most is, ‘I will kill you if you ever say that again,’” Chervenell-Brinson wrote in the petition. “She would kill me. She had already nearly accomplished that years earlier."
Chervenell-Brinson was referring to a situation about seven years earlier, when Brinson strangled her to the point of unconsciousness, according to Oxygen.
“I remember distinctly feeling at peace, warm and light,” the petition about the previous incident read. “I came to with her standing over me, yelling at me to stop faking it.”
Court records said that the physical abuse ended when a roommate heard and threatened to stop giving Chervenell-Brinson money, according to the outlet.
Chervenell-Brinson reportedly alleged that the emotional abuse continued throughout their 10-year relationship. “Chiloe has always used my commitment to our children as a means to control me,” she wrote in the petition.
“And if I crossed the line, she would always threaten to take them away from me, keep me from seeing them," she wrote.
Chervenell-Brinson referred to her previous partner a good person “when those addiction demons are not on her back,” Oxygen reported. She said that Chervenell needed professional help because she and her children were put at risk “every single day.”
Chervenell-Brinson said she hoped not having access to her children would make Chervenell work to become sober, according to the Yakima Herald.
Shelley Ajax, the public defense attorney assigned to Chervenell’s case, said a dependency judge granted the no contact order, and the 7-year-old and 9-year-old children were under the late parent’s care and protection.
This order stated that Chervenell was not to be within 300-feet of the couples’ home in Mesa. She was, however, allowed to visit the children twice a week, either via video or with the supervision of an appointed party, according to the Yakima Herald and Oxygen.
However, Chervenell allegedly went to the home in Mesa, Washington State sometime between Aug. 3 and Aug. 4, authorities said.
Court records showed that Chervenell allegedly told a friend in a text message that she, “didn’t know the power of her hands and killed her wife.”
The friend alerted police of this text on the evening of Aug. 4. At the time, no one had heard from Chervenell-Brinson since 10 a.m. the day prior.
When deputies arrived at Chervenell-Brinson's home, they found Chervenell's brother there, apparently unaware of anything that had previously transpired, according to the Yakima Herald. During the police investigation, the brother received a text message from Chervenell-Brinson's cellphone, allegedly written in a way that was outside of character, according to the outlet.
According to the outlet, an investigator called Chervenell-Brinson’s phone, but no one answered. When he received a call back, he put the phone on speaker and the woman on the opposite end claimed to be Chervenell-Brinson, but Chervenell's brother said, "That is my sister," officials said.
By tracking the Chervenell-Brinson’s cellphone, local deputies in Oregon said they found that Chervenell had allegedly stolen her late partner’s Chevy Equinox, where her and the two children were found asleep on the side of the road, according to a press release from the Franklin County Sherriff’s Department.
Chervenell was arrested and the children were taken into child protective custody, according to local outlet KEPTV.
While authorities were tracking Chervenell-Brinson’s phone, another officer discovered Chervenell-Brinson’s body under a pile of bicycles and other junk on the porch of the home, officials said. She had been strangled to death.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Chervenell asked a judge to be allowed to talk with her children, saying she was worried about them, according to the local outlet.
“These are her biological children,” Ajax said at Tuesday’s hearing, arguing that Chervenell has a right to see them, the local outlet reported. Franklin County Deputy Prosecutor Daniel Stovern said it would be dangerous to let her see the kids before investigators are able to interview them this week.
“We don’t know if they witnessed the murder,” he said. “We don’t want any manipulation of the witnesses.”
Judge Norma Rodriguez said she did not feel comfortable letting Chervenell talk to the children before the investigators’ interview, and Rodriguez approved a no-contact order for a week.
She has scheduled an additional hearing for next week to reconsider Chervenell’s request to see her kids.
Chervenell’s trial has been set for Oct. 12. She is being held in the Franklin County jail on a $2 million bail.
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AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet:
(Indianapolis Road Course; August 2021)
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet:
(Circuit of The Americas; March 2022)
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet:
(Sonoma Raceway; June 2022)
Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet:
(Road America; July 2022)
(Indianapolis Road Course; July 2022)
· Chevrolet has 61 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins on road courses – starting with Buck Baker at Watkins Glen International in 1957. There have been 154 road-course races in Cup history dating back to 1949.
· Three of the five first-time NASCAR Cup Series winners in 2022 are Chevrolet drivers, with all three recording their first career NCS wins on a road course circuit:
Ross Chastain – Circuit of The Americas (March 2022)
Daniel Suarez – Sonoma Raceway (June 2022)
Tyler Reddick – Road America (July 2022)
· All behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, Chase Elliott has recorded seven road-course victories in his NASCAR Cup Series career, the most of all active NCS drivers.
> Elliott ranks third on the NCS all-time road course wins list behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins, all with Chevrolet) and Tony Stewart (eight wins).
> Elliott’s victories have been recorded at five different road courses, a series record.
TWO RACES, ONE SPOT REMAINS
Playoff pressure continues to intensify as just two opportunities remain for drivers to either win or point their way into a playoff spot and the chance to compete for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship title. For the first time in the series’ history, 15 different drivers have made their way to victory lane this season; and with only 16 spots in the playoff field, the “win and you’re in” approach could potentially become irrelevant with two races remaining in the series’ regular season.
Items to note of Chevrolet drivers on the current playoff grid heading into Watkins Glen:
· Following last weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway, 10 drivers officially secured their spots into the 2022 NCS playoff field, with five coming from the bowtie brand. Drivers that have clinched met either of the two following requirements:
Any driver with multiple wins: Chase Elliott (4 wins), Ross Chastain (2), William Byron (2) and Tyler Reddick (2).
One-time winners that mathematically cannot be eliminated: Kyle Larson
· A familiar face atop the NCS playoff grid throughout the season, Chevrolet’s Chase Elliott could potentially clinch the 2022 NCS Regular Season Championship at the track that gave him his first career NCS win. Elliott needs to leave Watkins Glen with a 61-point lead over second-place. With Elliott currently sitting at 116-points over second-place Ryan Blaney in the driver points standings, his first career NCS Regular Season Championship Title is at arms reach.
PROJECT91 READY FOR COMPETITION DEBUT
Trackhouse Racing has taken the NASCAR world by storm, scoring its first win in NASCAR’s premier series in just the organization’s second season. Now sitting at three wins and both of its drivers currently in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field, Trackhouse Racing will debut its latest venture at Watkins Glen this weekend: PROJECT91.
Trackhouse Racing’s Founder and Owner, Justin Marks, developed PROJECT91 with the ultimate goal of international reach through fielding a third entry - on a limited schedule - with renowned international drivers behind the wheel. 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen will be piloting the No. 91 Recogni/iLOQ Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Watkins Glen to become the first driver to join PROJECT91.
Räikkönen has one title (2007), 21 race wins and 103 podium finishes in his Formula One career, with 2021 being his final year of competition in the series. While this weekend will mark his first career start in NASCAR’s premier series, Räikkönen has previously competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, recording starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2011.
BACK TO WORK AT THE GLEN
Coming off their final off weekend of the season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) gets back on the road, joining the NASCAR Cup Series for a doubleheader race weekend in upstate New York. Saturday’s Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at The Glen marks the fifth road course circuit of 2022 for the series.
In the four races featuring left- and right-hand turns for the NXS this season, Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane three times, all with the “King of the Road”, AJ Allmendinger, behind the wheel. Allmendinger’s most recent win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course marked his series-leading ninth career NXS road course victory. Scoring a double digit NXS road course win at Watkins Glen would be extra special for the 40-year-old Kaulig Racing driver as the New York circuit is also the place that delivered him his first career win in NASCAR’s premier series. That monumental feat came with the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet team in 2014, which also gave Allmendinger his first appearance in the playoffs.
Of the 27 races that Watkins Glen has hosted for the NXS, Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane 10 times, including a streak of eight consecutive wins.. dating from a win by Terry Labonte in 1994 through Ron Fellow’s triumph in 2001.
CHEVROLET’S NCWTS PLAYOFF CONTENDERS LEAD THE CHARGE AT RICHMOND
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) playoffs are in full swing, with last weekend’s 250-lap race under the lights at Richmond Raceway marking race two of three in the Round of 10. Chevrolet’s two playoff contenders led the bowtie brigade to two top-10 finishes at the Virginia short track.
GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger led the charge for Chevrolet at Richmond, piloting his No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado RST to a fourth-place finish for the team’s fifth top-five finish of 2022. While Enfinger has already advanced to the NCWTS Round of Eight following his win in the playoff opener at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Enfinger showcased consistency throughout the race, capturing valuable stage points following top-five finishes in both stages.
Carson Hocevar rounded out the Team Chevy top-10, driving his No. 42 Niece Motorsports Silverado RST to the team’s 10th top-10 finish of the season. The finish didn’t come easy for the young Chevrolet driver, with Hocevar enduring a late-race incident before battling back to salvage a 10th-place finish. Hocevar will enter the NCWTS Round of 10 elimination race at Kansas Speedway below the cutline, but just three points out of the eighth position.
The NCWTS will return to action at Kansas Speedway on September 9, where the 1.5-mile venue will host the series’ playoffs Round of 10 elimination race. The 134-lap, 201-mile race will reduce the playoff field from 10 drivers to 8 in the pursuit to the championship title.
BOWTIE BULLETS
· Active Chevrolet drivers that have scored a win at Watkins Glen International:
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet - 2 (2018, 2019)
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet - 1 (2021)
AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet - 1 (2014)
· Chevrolet has recorded wins in 14 of the last 15 NASCAR Cup Series road course races, including a streak of the past 10. In that timespan, six drivers from four different Chevrolet teams have contributed to those wins.
· In 38 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Watkins Glen International, Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 20 wins, including the past three. That streak started with Chase Elliott’s first career NCS win (2018), with the Georgia native going back-to-back in 2019. Elliott’s teammate, Kyle Larson, is heading to Watkins Glen as the most recent NCS winner at the circuit (2021).
· Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins (eight) and pole wins (seven) at Watkins Glen International, all recorded behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.
· Chase Elliott has recorded seven road course victories in his NASCAR Cup Series career; the most of all active NCS drivers. Elliott ranks third on the NCS all-time road course wins list behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight wins). Elliott’s victories have been recorded at five different road courses, a record in series’ history.
· Of the five first time NASCAR Cup Series winners in 2022, three have come from the bowtie brigade. The most recent is Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who drove his No. 8 Camaro ZL1 to the win at Road America. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez also captured their first career win in NASCAR’s premier series this season, both of which were recorded on road course circuits (Chastain – COTA; Suarez – Sonoma).
· Chevrolet heads into the Watkins Glen race weekend with a manufacturer-leading 13 NASCAR Cup Series wins in 24 points-paying races. The bowtie brand also continues to lead its manufacturer competitors in NCS top-fives (55), top-10s (103), laps led (2,904) and stage wins (21).
· Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 21 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:
Tyler Reddick 2 - Fontana x2
Alex Bowman 1 - Las Vegas
Ross Chastain 4 - Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono, Richmond
William Byron 3 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega
Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte
Chase Elliott 3 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2
Kyle Larson 3 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono
· Chevrolet leads the driver points standing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott remains in the top position in the NCS standings with a 116-point lead over second; and AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the NXS standings by 19 points. Chevrolet also remains atop both the NCS and NXS manufacturer points standings.
· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 827 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.
FOR THE FANS
· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Watkins Glen International.
· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2023 Corvette Stingray Convertible, 2020 Camaro LT1 Coupe, 2022 Equinox RS, 2022 Blazer RS, 2022 Traverse RS, 2022 Tahoe Z71, Silverado ZR2, 2022 Silverado 1500 Crew High Country.
TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Saturday, August 20
· Jeremy Clements: 9:00 a.m.
· Jeb Burton: 12:00 p.m.
· Sheldon Creed and Austin Hill: 12:45 p.m.
· Josh Berry & Sam Mayer: 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 21
· Ross Chastain: 11:00 a.m.
· Ty Dillon: 11:30 a.m.
· Corey LaJoie: 11:45 a.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Friday, August 19: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 20: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 21: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
TUNE IN
USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 21. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Watkins Glen at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 20. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1
What makes Watkins Glen different from the other road courses?
"Watkins Glen is higher in grip than most places. It seems simple, but it’s actually more technical because there is so much grip. It’s simple when it comes to the turns but that means all of the inputs are much more important. It will be hard to pass so there's a high risk of contact when it comes to passing."
What have your interactions with Kimi been like?
"He's talked more in the time I've met with him in person, than I've ever heard him in all of the interviews I've seen (laughs) and I've watched him for a very long time."
What do you enjoy about Watkins Glen?
"The history of the track carries it. You look back at how many drivers have driven there, not just in NASCAR, but all forms of motorsports. The beginnings of the Watkins Glen racing scene and where they used to race on the streets and over by the lake, that's cool. Thinking about how many world class drivers went down the frontstretch, turned up through the esses and went through the bus stop. I hope one day to run the boot. I know we won't do that in NASCAR, but I hope to do it one day and extract that last little bit of lap time out. The boot layout would be on my bucket list."
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1
How do you prepare for a racetrack like Watkins Glen International?
“A lot of time in the simulator, going over notes and watching old races. We try to make sure we are putting in the work beforehand. We’ve been working really hard on our road course program the last few years. Watkins Glen is a really fast, aggressive track. You can gain a lot by getting after it on the braking zones and it’s just a high-speed place with all of the grip in the pavement.”
Another road course race this weekend. Another wild card?
“Yeah, for sure. The road courses have turned into wildcard races. Taking care of your stuff, trying to make it to the end of these things becomes a demo-derby out there. This is going to be one of those ones that if you stay on track, you’re going to have a pretty good run. I have a lot of optimism going into Watkins Glen this year, though, because our road course program has been solid and we’ve put a lot of work in during the off season.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Larson on the difference going from the NASCAR Xfinity Series car to the NASCAR Cup Series car:
"At Road America, the braking points were pretty similar, which was surprising. I thought the Cup car would brake much deeper. I hope it’s the same this weekend at Watkins Glen (International) because it would really, really help getting into a rhythm quickly for the entire weekend."
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Daniels on the benefit of Larson running the Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International:
"I think him getting the track time is great – not really because of his skill and abilities, but for him to understand the grip level. I know he is going to be fast in the Xfinity car and I know he is going to be fast in our car, but having the extra time to understand the grip level and other nuances of the track that’s different from a year ago. We do have recent test data to go off of and feedback from those tests – but nothing replaces actual track time and the condition of the track and how we approach it."
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1
Elliott on racing at Watkins Glen:
"Watkins Glen (International) was where I got my first win so it’s of course a place that holds some great memories for me. We’ve had a good amount of success there as a team and I feel like this year we’ve come a long way in our road course program with the new car. This is a track that I feel like we can really go and have a good run and get some momentum back heading into the playoffs."
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1
Gustafson on this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen:
"Certainly the last three years have been good for our team at Watkins Glen (International). We’ve been really competitive there and we feel like this is another opportunity for us to go out there and have a good race. Our focus will be winning and ultimately trying to get some more playoff points. That’s the key. This is a track we should be able to do that at. Hopefully that will come to fruition and put us in a good position for the playoffs."
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
Byron on why he enjoys racing at Watkins Glen:
"Honestly Watkins Glen (international) is one of the most fun race tracks we go to as a driver because it’s so fast. It’s not like a lot of the other road courses we go to that have much slower zones and such aggressive braking. Watkins Glen almost really feels like a superspeedway for road courses. I got to test there earlier this year in the Next Gen car and I think it’s just as fun of a road course in these cars compared to last year’s. I’m excited that I get extra track time this weekend there too with being able to run Xfinity on Saturday. It will make for a full day, but I think it will be beneficial to get those extra laps before Sunday’s race in similar race conditions. Plus, I want to be able to get Mr. Hendrick a win in the No. 17, especially since they’ve been so close this year already."
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1
Fugle on the preparation by the No. 24 team for Watkins Glen:
"I think our race last year at Watkins Glen (International) went well but I always think there’s room to improve. Since then, we have really worked on improving not only our road course racing notes but especially now with the Next Gen car and getting up to speed there. We’ll be utilizing the same tire Sunday that we have for most of the other road course races this year, so we have a good notebook built up on how they will react over a run. We also were able to test there earlier this year and had a lot of positive feedback while we were there. I think we’re more prepared for this race than we have been earlier this year on road courses. The main difference is how much faster this track is compared to the other road courses on the schedule. Downforce really plays a factor and so does handling, but I think that’s where our testing notes will really come into play."
TY DILLON, NO. 42 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1
With momentum on your side after two impressive runs in a row, what makes you believe you can carry this into Watkins Glen?
"I personally enjoy road course racing and always see these types of tracks as an opportunity to put together some great runs at. Momentum is a real thing that can help serve as a big morale booster during this part of the season, and we are going to keep building on ours with everyone on my No. 42 Allegiant team.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 SUGARLANDS / BALL PARK BUNS CAMARO ZL1
“I feel like our chances at Watkins Glen may be better because it’s one of my better road courses I go to. We’ve had a decent trend on finishes at road courses and I feel good going there. It’s fun seeing all the fans that come out for this race all around the track. It’s getting to be the end of summer and they are enjoying the best weather. We’re focused on putting together a good race because we want to have a solid race to go into Daytona.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
Bowman on his expectations heading to Watkins Glen:
"We have had good runs on road courses this season, but each track has its challenges, so I look at them one at a time. Hendrick Motorsports has had a lot of speed on road courses, and I have run a few extra races. Whether it was in the No. 7 Spire truck or the No. 17 Chevy Camaro in Xfinity, I had the opportunity to get more time on road courses, which I think has helped me this season. I will prepare like I have every week and make sure I give Greg (Ives, crew chief) all the feedback he needs to get the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the right place and we will go compete on Sunday."
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
Ives on the strength of Hendrick Motorsports at road courses this season:
"We have had speed every time we have raced at a road course this year and it goes to show how talented our team is back at the shop at building exceptional race cars. We had a No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 capable of winning at Circuit of The Americas and had a great car at Road America, so I know we will have another great car this weekend at Watkins Glen International. Alex (Bowman) continues to do his homework and our team is matching his effort as we get ready to head up to New York and try to get Hendrick Motorsports a win on a road course this year."
KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN, NO. 91 RECOGNI CAMARO ZL1
How did Justin Marks convince you to do this?
“At first I wasn’t really looking into this in a serious way. Obviously, we had more talks about how it would work, where the race would be and all sorts of things. It was just one race so it made sense for all of us as a family. I enjoyed it when I had my few races there (2011). Hopefully I'll have a good race and good fun. There are new cars there and I have never been at the track and things like that, but I am sure we can figure it out quickly.”
Will your Formula One and road course experience be an advantage Sunday?
"I don’t think so. It’s a new track for me and the cars are completely new. F1 cars are completely different. Looking at how these new cars are in NASCAR it compares more to Australian V8s. We will go and see how it is. I'm sure we will do fine.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 PRINCESS CRUISES CAMARO ZL1
How nice is it to be locked in the playoffs?
"It is nice, but I am going to be honest, in my mind I am already in the playoffs. I have had that mindset over the last six weeks. I believe it is not possible to go into the playoffs and flip the switch and say, 'okay, we are in the playoffs, now we have to push hard'. I don't think it works like that and you kind of have to start building that up. And I feel like that is what we have been doing, especially with the 99 team. That shows on the track because the last two months we have had race cars capable of finishing in the top five every single week."
You should be one of the favorites on Sunday?
"I agree. We have been really fast at every road course this year. Ross won at COTA and we won Sonoma, both of us were in the top five at Road America and we were second and third in overtime at Indy. I expect to be just as fast Sunday at Watkins Glen."
How will your new teammate Kimi Räikkönen do on Sunday?
"I think he is going to be fast. The speed is there and the racing part is going to be a process because it doesn't matter how much you practice in the simulator; doesn't matter how many tests you do - the racing part is the racing part. It’s different and he doesn't know all these drivers. He doesn't know how they race, he doesn't know how aggressive they are, so that part is going to take a little bit. You can bring the best driver in the world and it is going to take some time in the racing part. I think (as far as) the speed, I think he is going to be good."
GM PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72163-ncs-at-watkins-glen-team-chevy-advance | 2022-08-19T01:00:58Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72163-ncs-at-watkins-glen-team-chevy-advance | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Why Arkansas football introduced boxing gloves to preseason practice drills
FAYETTEVILLE — For a few minutes at Arkansas football practice Thursday, the defensive backs donned an unusual piece of equipment: boxing gloves.
The No. 23 Razorbacks held their 12th practice of the preseason with the season opener against No. 22 Cincinnati on Sept. 3. Arkansas' cornerbacks and safeties ran a drill in which they had to defend against passes while wearing the bulky gloves. They could — quite literally — punch passes out of the air, but they couldn't use their hands nearly as much in man-to-man coverage.
Defensive coordinator Barry Odom, who also coaches safeties, explained the logic behind the drill: keep the defensive backs from using their hands too much.
"If you’re getting tired, your habits start to slip a little bit," Odom said. "A defensive back, when you’re in man coverage, what’s your first reaction? You want to grab a hold."
It was the first time the Razorbacks had used the gloves in practice, and the players weren't expecting it. Safety Simeon Blair had fun with the drill, throwing punches at the air in between reps, but said he saw the football benefits, too.
"It helps you work on really just moving your feet at DB," Blair said. "You can't play so handsy. You have to move your feet first, and then bring your hands. It makes it harder on us, most definitely, but it was fun to do it today."
FALL CAMP:How new Arkansas football defensive line coach Deke Adams wants to improve pass rush
OFFSEASON WORK:How strength coach Jamil Walker has Arkansas looking ‘like an SEC football team’
During the drill, freshman wide receiver Quincy McAdoo made an impressive grab through the gloved hands of defensive back Hudson Clark, who might have intercepted the pass had he been able to use his hands.
Arkansas has mixed up its drills in the past. Blair said in preseason practice last year, the defensive backs spent a period wearing blinders. The purpose was to eliminate players' peripheral vision and force them to focus on the man they were covering.
"I feel like the quirks just keep it new and keep it fresh," Blair said. "It just adds a new spice to practice."
Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks for the Southwest Times Record and USA Today Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@swtimes.com. | https://www.swtimes.com/story/sports/college/2022/08/18/arkansas-football-boxing-gloves-preseason-practice/7833055001/ | 2022-08-19T01:06:19Z | swtimes.com | control | https://www.swtimes.com/story/sports/college/2022/08/18/arkansas-football-boxing-gloves-preseason-practice/7833055001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Two arrested after pursuit in Glasgow ends in Adair County
Published: Aug. 18, 2022 at 7:05 PM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
GLASGOW, Ky. (WBKO) - Two people have been arrested after a vehicle pursuit on Thursday.
According to Glasgow Police Sgt. Terry Flatt, the pursuit began when the car didn’t stop.
The pursuit went from Glasgow into Metcalfe County getting on the Louie B. Nunn Parkway.
Officials were able to stop the car in Adair County.
No injuries were reported, and a man and woman were taken into custody.
This story will be updated as details are released.
Copyright 2022 WBKO. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/19/two-arrested-after-pursuit-glasgow-ends-adair-county/ | 2022-08-19T01:08:30Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/19/two-arrested-after-pursuit-glasgow-ends-adair-county/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — With sunny temperatures in the forecast this week, fun events will be taking place across Spokane. Temperatures this week are expected to be between the 90s and the 100s.
Some events this week include unity in the community multicultural celebration, story time at the carrousel and Spokane Valley flea market. Other events taking place are the Backstreet Boys concert, Brews and Views at Vista House in Mt. Spokane and a fun night full of laughs at the Spokane Comedy Club.
Here is the list of events you can attend this weekend in Spokane:
Unity In the Community
Unity in the Community multicultural celebration event will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Riverfront Park.
Unity in the Community showcases Spokane’s diversity and brings the entire community together based on respect, trust and collaboration.
You can watch live cultural performances, wander the different booths and have lunch. There will be activities for all ages and free school supplies and bike helmets for kids while supplies last.
Backstreet Boys concert
Backstreet Boys are back at the Spokane Arena on Sunday, Aug. 21
The forthcoming run of the Backstreet Boys' DNA World Tour is the second North American leg of the tour, which has become one of the group’s most extensive arena tours in 18 years.
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and the doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets prices range from $24.50 to $29.50.
Brews and Views at Vista House
Join the best views in the region at the tippy-top of Mt. Spokane. Vista House will be pouring the best summer selections from local breweries including beer and seltzers. Enjoy a cold beverage and a snack after a day playing on the mountain this Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
Spokane Comedy Club
This week, Adam Conover will be performing at the Spokane Comedy Club from Thursday, Aug. 18 to Saturday, Aug. 20. Adam calls himself an investigative comedian. He was the writer and actor in the tv show “Adam Ruins Everything” on TruTV. Now, he’s bringing his comedic stylings to the stage in Spokane. Tickets for the shows range from $20-$35.
Story Time at the Carrousel
Story Time at the Carrousel is an early literacy activity designed to spark and engage young imaginations with stories, songs and preschool activities. Attendees can ride the carousel for $1. The Story Time takes place at the Looff Carrousel party room at 11 a.m. every Friday.
Spokane Valley mall flea market
Go shopping this Saturday and stop by The Great Northwest Vendor Mall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The flea market takes place at 6206 E. Trent in Spokane Valley. Enjoy products and items from 150 indoor vendors and 25 outdoor vendors. You can find vintage items, handmade items, toys, furniture, plants, candles and thousands of other treasures.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/entertainment/events/list-spokane-fun-event-weekend/293-3b7ac112-af1a-410c-996e-a00c6fa49397 | 2022-08-19T01:09:24Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/entertainment/events/list-spokane-fun-event-weekend/293-3b7ac112-af1a-410c-996e-a00c6fa49397 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — Life is slowly coming back to River Park Square mall after a difficult pandemic.
Four new stores are announced to open in 2022.
According to a press release from the River Park Square mall, “These new offerings complement the shopping center's blend of premier national brands and local talent.”
Here are the stores coming to the mall.
The PNW Dream is now open on the second floor of the mall. The PNW Dream was founded in 2018 and is dedicated to putting people and the planet first in all of its operations. Artist and designer Corinna Ren describes the opening of the new Spokane location as a “love letter to the Lilac City”.
Soma is a sister store to Chico. According to the press release, “All are invited to the grand opening celebration at Soma this Saturday, August 20, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. where the first 25 shoppers receive a $25 Soma gift card to spend same day.”
Pandora has opened a store on the second floor of the mall. “We look forward to joining these local communities and the opportunity to build and deepen relationships with our valued customers.” said Jackie Spencer, Vice President of Retail at Pandora in a press release.
Tempur-Pedic is open on the first floor for people looking for a new mattress. A good night’s sleep is just in the heart of downtown.
River Park Square is located downtown and opened in 1974. It is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/entertainment/river-park-square-mall-tempurpedic-soma-the-pnw-dream-pandora-stores-open/293-b267f044-7f22-4ee5-a6a9-be6fc96306d8 | 2022-08-19T01:09:30Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/entertainment/river-park-square-mall-tempurpedic-soma-the-pnw-dream-pandora-stores-open/293-b267f044-7f22-4ee5-a6a9-be6fc96306d8 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — Warning: The following story contains security footage of a knife attack. Viewer discretion is advised.
Spokane Valley Major Crimes detectives are currently investigating a violent attack that took place on Sprague Ave. According to police, an unknown suspect slashed and tried to stab a victim for unknown reasons.
The incident took place on Aug. 16, 2022 around 1:10 a.m. A man called 911 to report that he had just been attacked by an unknown suspect. During the attack, the victim fought back, but received a deep cut in his hand as a result.
The victim told police that he did not recognize the attacker and had no idea why he was attacked to begin with. Deputies learned the victim had just started a new job and went for a walk to stay awake as he prepared to work nights.
While walking west on the south side of E. Sprague, the victim noticed the suspect walking on the north side. Then, according to police, the suspect ran across and set himself directly behind the victim. Armed, the suspect began trying to stab the victim with a large knife.
The victim raised his hand, trying to defend himself from the attack. As a result, he received a deep cut in the middle of his right hand.
The victim reportedly told the suspect, "I don't have anything." The suspect replied, "I'll come back for you later."
After arriving on scene, deputies applied a tourniquet to the victim's wound and worked to control his bleeding. Spokane Valley Fire soon arrived and took over medical care. After receiving treatment at the hospital, the victim's wounds were determined to be severe, but non-life threatening.
Deputies established a perimeter soon after, requesting K9 assistance to locate the suspect. A ground search led investigators to Manorvale Apartments. However, the suspect was not located.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, the suspect is described as a white man, approximately 30 years old, 5'08'' and 180 pounds. The suspect was also described to have short facial hair that appeared light brown or strawberry blonde, matching his eyebrows. The victim noted that the suspect also had what appeared to be legs from a pair of jeans wrapped from his wrists to his elbows on both arms.
The sheriff's office is treating the incident as an unprovoked and random attack. Anyone with information on the suspect is encouraged to call Detective Jason Hunt at (509) 477-3106, reference #10107074.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/spokane-county-sheriffs-office-unknown-suspect-knife-attack/293-0289ddb5-6bfc-4823-b352-ae3ea12353bf | 2022-08-19T01:09:36Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/spokane-county-sheriffs-office-unknown-suspect-knife-attack/293-0289ddb5-6bfc-4823-b352-ae3ea12353bf | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Police Department (SPD) is looking for a man accused of brandishing a firearm at a group of employees at a downtown Spokane restaurant and firing a round at a group at Riverfront Park moments later.
According to the press release, deputies responded to a call on Wednesday before 7 p.m. at the 800 block of Third Ave. for a possible robbery. When officers arrived at the location, they learned from witnesses that employees of a restaurant nearby had been dealing with some customers who became unruly.
Witnesses told officers that employees went to the parking lot to ask the group to leave the area. One of the people in the group then pointed a gun at the employees and threatened them. The group left, and employees called 911.
Minutes later, SPD responded to a call of a shot fired near Riverfront Park on the 500 block of N. Howard. Witnesses told officers that two cars, one driven by a woman and the other by a man, drove up and pulled up alongside a curb.
The man fired a round toward witnesses sitting in Riverfront Park, who tried to stop the fight after they told the man and woman they would be calling the police. The witnesses told deputies the man and woman began arguing, and then the man hit the woman. Nobody was injured, and the man left the scene.
SPD's initial investigation found the two incidents were related and that the man and woman arguing near Riverfront Park were also at the business on the 800 block of Third Ave before the second incident.
After talking with witnesses, the SPD determined the suspect may be located at an apartment on the 600 block of S. Cannon Street. Officers and a K9 searched the area but did not locate the suspect.
SPD is asking anyone with information to call Crime Check at (509)-456-2233 reference No. 2022-20144310.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-county/spokane-deputies-looking-for-man-accused-of-brandishing-firearm-open-firing-at-parkgoers/293-927de2ea-bb40-41ed-a7c7-8d1ee2193448 | 2022-08-19T01:09:42Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-county/spokane-deputies-looking-for-man-accused-of-brandishing-firearm-open-firing-at-parkgoers/293-927de2ea-bb40-41ed-a7c7-8d1ee2193448 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — The sentencing hearing for Caleb Sharpe is in its final days.
Sharpe opened fire at Freeman High School in 2017, killing one student and injuring three freshman girls. Sharpe pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges related to the shooting in January.
Thursday marks day five of his sentencing hearing. On this day, in their own words, Emma Nees and Gracie Jensen described what happened the day Sharpe shot them on the second-floor hallway of their school nearly five years ago. Their parents shared the heartbreak they've felt since that day, asking the judge to give the shooter the maximum sentence.
"The next thing I remember is laying in the hole, stuck, unable to get up and move," Gracie Jensen told the shooter in her court testimony. "As I lay there, I watched you walk by me. Lockdown alarm blaring, wearing all black with the most emotionless face I've ever seen. Shooting at my classmates as they run their lives into classrooms. I screamed. There was nothing else I could do."
"The fact that Gracie survived is remarkable," Eric Jensen, Gracie's father, said. "The fact that she can walk is a miracle."
"I started running and was so scared because I felt like I was running in slow motion," Emma Nees said in her testimony. "I felt a sort of pressure near my hip area. I didn't even think twice about it because my mission was to get to the nearest classroom as fast as possible. As I was running, I began thinking there's absolutely no way I'm getting out of this. But, the scariest part for me was yet to come."
"You took so much from her, Caleb," Staci Nees, Emma's mother, told the shooter. "You took her innocence. You extinguished her jovial personality, her ability to enjoy life without fear."
In addition to the two victims and their parents, Ami Strahan also shared her story. She is the mother of Sam Strahan, the Freeman student who was killed in the shooting.
In the meantime, the court will hear attorneys make their closing statements tomorrow and then the judge will decide the shooter's sentence.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/tragedy-in-freeman/victims-wounded-freeman-shooting-address-gunman/293-b78098d2-e532-4c9f-87cd-b19794e027ac | 2022-08-19T01:09:48Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/tragedy-in-freeman/victims-wounded-freeman-shooting-address-gunman/293-b78098d2-e532-4c9f-87cd-b19794e027ac | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Two planes collided in Northern California while trying to land at a local airport Thursday and at least two of the three occupants were killed, officials said.
The planes crashed at Watsonville Municipal Airport shortly before 3 p.m., according to a tweet from the city of Watsonville. The city-owned airport does not have a control tower to direct aircraft landing and taking off.
There were two people aboard a twin-engine Cessna 340 and only the pilot aboard a single-engine Cessna 152 during the crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials say multiple fatalities were reported but it was not immediately clear whether anyone survived.
The pilots were on their final approaches to the airport before the collision, the FAA said in a statement. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, which did not immediately have additional details, are investigating the crash.
No one on the ground was injured. The airport has four runways and is home to more than 300 aircraft, according to its website. It handles more than 55,000 operations a year and is used often for recreational planes and agriculture businesses.
Watsonville, near the Monterey Bay, is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of San Francisco.
Photos and videos posted on social media showed the wreckage of one small plane in a grassy field by the airport. One picture showed a plume of smoke visible from a street near the airport.
A photo from the city of Watsonville showed damage to a small building at the airport, with firefighters on the scene.
The planes were about 200 feet in the air when they crashed, a witness told the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Franky Herrera was driving past the airport when he saw the twin-engine plane bank hard to the right and hit the wing of the smaller aircraft, which “just spiraled down and crashed” near the edge of the airfield and not far from homes, he told the newspaper.
The twin-engine aircraft kept flying but “it was struggling,” Herrera said, and then he saw flames at the other side of the airport.
The manager of the Watsonville Municipal Airport was unavailable for a phone interview in the hours after the crash. The airport accounts for about 40% of all general aviation activities in the Monterey Bay area, according to the City of Watsonville’s website.
The Watsonville Police Department referred calls to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, where a dispatcher had no information.
Two other pilots also were hurt in aircraft crashes elsewhere in California on Thursday.
A 65-year-old San Diego man received injuries that were major but not life-threatening when his single-engine plane crashed on a street near a busy freeway overpass in El Cajon, authorities said.
The plane reportedly struck an SUV but nobody on the ground was hurt in the city nearly 20 miles northeast of downtown San Diego.
Later, the pilot of an ultralight aircraft was critically injured when it crashed upside down on a building at the Camarillo Airport in Ventura County, about 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/california-planes-collide/507-c9ccd366-0bea-4ebf-bf41-864a839776ff | 2022-08-19T01:10:01Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/california-planes-collide/507-c9ccd366-0bea-4ebf-bf41-864a839776ff | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park officials are investigating after a park employee spotted part of a foot, in a shoe, floating in a hot spring in the southern part of the park, officials said Thursday.
Tuesday's discovery at Abyss Pool led to the temporary closure of the West Thumb Geyser Basin and its parking lot. The area has since reopened.
The park did not have any other information about the investigation to make public on Thursday, park spokesperson Morgan Warthin said.
Abyss Pool, located west of the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, is 53 feet (16 meters) deep and the temperature is about 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 Celsius), park officials said. It is on the south side of the southern loop through the park.
In such hot springs, superheated water cools as it reaches the surface, sinks and is replaced by hotter water from below. The circulation prevents the water from reaching the temperature needed to set off an eruption like happens with geysers in the park, according to the park's website.
Earlier this summer, Yellowstone's gates were shuttered for ten days after destructive flooding hit the park. On June 13, 10,000 visitors were ordered out after rivers across northern Wyoming and southern Montana surged over their banks following a torrent of rainfall that accelerated the spring snowmelt.
The record floods reshaped the park’s rivers and canyons, wiped out numerous roads and left some areas famous for their wildlife viewing inaccessible, possibly for months to come. It hit just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary a year after it tallied a record 4.9 million visits. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/floating-foot-in-shoe-spotted-yellowstone-naitonal-park-hot-spring/507-5fdbf382-23e9-43d2-8751-717fa6ebd78e | 2022-08-19T01:10:07Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/floating-foot-in-shoe-spotted-yellowstone-naitonal-park-hot-spring/507-5fdbf382-23e9-43d2-8751-717fa6ebd78e | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON — The six-year-old son of NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel has died.
Engel announced the death of his son Henry on Twitter in a post signed by him and his wife.
"Our beloved son Henry passed away. He had the softest blue eyes, an easy smile and a contagious giggle. We always surrounded him with love and he returned it, and so much more," Engel wrote.
Henry, born on Sept. 29, 2015, was diagnosed as an infant with a rare genetic mutation that caused Rett syndrome.
Engel linked to a post on the Texas Children's Hospital website that gave details about Henry's life and battle with Rett syndrome.
His parents realized in his infancy that Henry wasn't meeting developmental milestones, according to the post. Genetic testing revealed a mutation in his MECP2 gene, which caused Rett syndrome.
The neurodevelopment disorder is seen almost exclusively in females and more rarely in males, according to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. It causes cognitive deficits, loss of speech and difficulty with motor skills.
There is no cure or treatment for Rett syndrome.
Dr. Huda Zoghbi, who first discovered the connection between the MECP2 gene and Rett syndrome, worked with Henry and studied his disease at TCH's neurological research institute.
“Henry was special in so many ways," Zoghbi wrote in a tribute to her young patient. "His loving and endearing smile, and the way he connected with his eyes, stole my heart from the time I met him. His quiet fight against this terrible disease was incredible. What is most amazing, however, is the impact Henry had on so many of us at the Duncan NRI and on our Rett research. We will continue to push as hard as possible to develop treatments. This is how we will honor his life.”
Engel has been public about Henry's health battl3e and the difficulties of parenting a child with special needs. He regularly posted updates about his son's life to Twitter, and spoke about Henry with the TODAY show.
In March 2022, he revealed that Henry's condition had taken a turn for the worse. He was hospitalized for six weeks.
Zoghbi said she and her team are making significant progress toward finding a treatment for the disorder with Henry's cells.
According to the post, the Engel family asked anybody interested in honoring Henry's memory to donate to TCH's research into the disease. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/richard-engel-child-death/507-ff2625ef-9cc6-462b-84a9-0c85998f6582 | 2022-08-19T01:10:13Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/richard-engel-child-death/507-ff2625ef-9cc6-462b-84a9-0c85998f6582 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PLAINS, Ga. — Rosalynn Carter, the second-oldest U.S. first lady ever, turns 95 Thursday on a birthday that will be marked not just with cards and best wishes, but with butterflies.
The wife of former President Jimmy Carter, 97, has a fascination with butterflies dating back to childhood, when she was entranced by the colorful insects flitting around her mother's flowers in Plains, Georgia, longtime friend and neighbor Annette Wise said.
That interest led to the formation of the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, which was established in the southwest Georgia town after the former first lady grew concerned about the future of butterflies, which are crucial to the pollination of flowering plants.
“She read an article in 2013 about the decline in monarchs and decided she wanted to do something about it,” Wise said.
Wise said she helped Carter establish a garden featuring native milkweed, a prime habitat for monarch butterflies, at the home she shares with the former president, her husband of 76 years, but the public can't visit it because of Secret Service security concerns. So Wise planted another garden nearby that could be open to visitors, and that helped lead to the butterfly trail, which includes 76 public and private gardens around rural Plains.
The butterfly trail will use Carter’s birthday to promote an annual statewide count of butterflies, the Great Georgia Pollinator Census, set for Friday and Saturday, Wise said.
Last Saturday, at an event held in honor of the former first lady’s birthday, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter made one of their first public outings in awhile for the dedication of a new butterfly sculpture that's part of the trail and is on property next door to where she grew up. The former first lady, using a walker, flipped a switch to illuminate the artwork at nightfall.
“They’re not getting out too much. COVID is a real concern, and their ages, too,” Wise said.
Bess Truman, the wife of President Harry Truman, is the only first lady to have outlived Rosalynn Carter, according to The National First Ladies Library. Truman, who was first lady from 1943 until 1953, died in 1982 at the age of 97.
Jimmy Carter, who will turn 98 on Oct. 1, is the oldest living U.S. ex-president. Photos showed him seated in a wheelchair and smiling during the sculpture dedication. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/rosalynn-carter-95th-birthday/507-ccf0c32c-fdbe-4d8d-b242-78930a34d445 | 2022-08-19T01:10:19Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/rosalynn-carter-95th-birthday/507-ccf0c32c-fdbe-4d8d-b242-78930a34d445 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A musical version of the 1982 film Tootsie is coming to Grand Rapids. The play will be performed at the DeVos Performance Hall from October 11-16.
The musical follows Michael Dorsey, a struggling actor looking for work. To land a job, he decides to adopt a new identity as a woman.
The music and lyrics for the stage version of Tootsie were written by David Yazbek. The book was written by Robert Horn. Tootsie’s Broadway production opened in 2019. It later went on to win a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. Santino Fontana, who played Michael Dorsey in the Broadway production, also won a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.
The performance coming to DeVos Performance Hall was directed by Dave Solomon. It was choreographed by Denis Jones, with Chip Abbott as associate choreographer. The design team included original scenic designer David Rockwell and tour scenic designer Christine Peters. Costume design was by William Ivey Long, with Christopher Vergara as associate costume designer. Donald Holder was the lighting designer, with Vivien Leone and Cosby Shasman-Beck as the associate lighting designers. Sound design was by Colleen Doherty, with Brian Ronan as associate sound designer. Hair and wig design was by Paul Huntley, with assistant hair and wig designer Loryn Pretorius. Make-up design was by Angelina Avallone. Andrea Grody was the supervising music supervisor, and music supervision was by Dean Sharenow. Vocal and incidental arrangements were by Andrea Grody. Dance arrangement was by David Chase. Orchestrations were by Simon Hale, and music coordination was by Talitha Fehr.
The 1982 film the play is based on was directed by Sydney Pollack. Pollack also appeared in the movie as Michael’s agent George Fields. It starred Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels, Jessica Lange as Julie Nichols, and Teri Garr as Sandy Lester. The film was later nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Lange was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the film. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked Tootsie #69 in its updated list of the 100 best American films. The American Film Institute also ranked Tootsie #2 in its list of the 100 funniest American films.
Tootsie will be performed at the DeVos Performance Hall from October 11-16. Tickets are available to purchase on Broadway Grand Rapids’ website. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/tootsie-to-be-performed-at-devos-performance-hall-october-11-16 | 2022-08-19T01:10:37Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/tootsie-to-be-performed-at-devos-performance-hall-october-11-16 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The excitement created by the Lawton football team's 13-1 season and trip to Ford Field last year has rolled over into 2022.
"I think from youth all the way on up, our rocket program, we didn't have enough equipment for all the kids that join we have the most kids ever out for high school football," fourth year Blue Devils head coach Wade Waldrup said. "I think football is, not that it ever went too far down, but it's renewed in Lawton. I think there's a confidence and I think that kids feel like they're one of those programs in division seven, division seven's tuff, but I think they feel like we're one of those teams is going to stay around for awhile."
Even after the best season in school history, Lawton still feels like it has something to prove.
"We're still doubted," Blue Devils senior linebacker Dustin Mallory said. "When you see the rankings and we're still not in there after coming back off a great season it just fuels the fire. I think everyone's just excited and ready to go."
One big hole that Lawton will have to fill is that of graduated running back Jake Rueff who ran for 2,367 yards last season and scored 49 total touchdowns.
"There's no replacing him," Waldrup said. "Jake's a once in a generation type kid. You can't necessarily replace a kid like that. But I think kids can aspire to be like him."
Waldrup said returners like Carter Cosby, Kal Motter and junior quarterback Aiden O'Brien will be relied upon to carry the football this season.
Lawton opens the season next Thursday at home against Benton Harbor.
For more scores, highlights, and the latest news on high school sports in West Michigan, go to the FOX 17 Blitz page. | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/blitz/lawton-aims-to-prove-2021-football-run-was-no-fluke | 2022-08-19T01:10:49Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/blitz/lawton-aims-to-prove-2021-football-run-was-no-fluke | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy
3 men charged in prison killing of "Whitey" Bulger
Three men were indicted Wednesday in connection to the 2018 killing of James "Whitey" Bulger, the former Boston mob boss who was beaten to death in prison.
Driving the news: Fotios "Freddy" Geas, 55, Paul J. "Pauly" DeCologero, 48, and Sean McKinnon, 36, were charged Wednesday with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, per a Justice Department statement. All three men are in custody.
Zoom in: In addition to the conspiracy charge, Geas and DeCologero have also been charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder, along with assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
- Geas faces a separate charge for murder by a federal inmate serving a life sentence, the Justice Department said.
- McKinnon faces a separate charge of making false statements to a federal agent. He was on federal supervised release at the time of the indictment and was arrested Wednesday in Florida, per the statement.
The big picture: Bulger was captured in Santa Monica, California, in 2011 by federal authorities after being on the run for 16 years.
- He was convicted in 2013 for his participation in 11 murders and was given a life sentence. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/18/whitey-bulger-prison-killing-three-men-charged | 2022-08-19T01:17:59Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/18/whitey-bulger-prison-killing-three-men-charged | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Social Security benefits could increase at decades-high rate in 2023: The Senior Citizens League
While inflation improved slightly in July, Social Security could still see its highest increase in decades in 2023, according to the latest forecast from The Senior Citizens League.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation, increased by 8.5% annually in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This was down slightly from 9.1% in June, but remains near its 40-year high.
Because inflation levels remain high, the cost of living average (COLA) for 2023 is predicted to be 9.6%, the highest level since 1981, according to The Senior Citizens League. If inflation rises further in the coming months, COLA could be 10.1% in the year ahead. Whereas if inflation continues to slow, it could be closer to 9.3%.
This would increase the current average retiree benefit of $1,656 by $159 per month, according to the seniors’ group.
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INFLATION HITS 8.5% ANNUALLY IN JULY, MONTHLY RATE REMAINS UNCHANGED
2023 Social Security increase could soon be decided
How inflation behaves in the coming months will shape Social Security benefits for 2023. There are just two months of consumer price data left to be released before the Social Security Administration makes its announcement in mid-October on next year’s benefits, according to The Senior Citizens League.
"A high COLA will be eagerly anticipated to address an ongoing shortfall in benefits that Social Security beneficiaries are experiencing in 2022 as inflation runs higher than their 5.9% COLA," the Senior Citizens League stated.
The group said that this year's benefits left consumers short by about $58 per month on average, given recent inflation levels.
If you are struggling amid rising inflation, you could consider using a personal loan to pay down high-interest debt at a lower rate, saving you money each month. Visit Credible to see multiple lenders at once and choose the one with the best interest rate for you.
INFLATION AND RECESSION RISK MEAN BUY NOW, PAY LATER ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE: REPORT
More seniors receive low-income assistance
In a new survey from The Senior Citizens League, about 37% of participants reported receiving low-income assistance in 2021. This is significantly higher than the 16% who received needs-based assistance before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
"This suggests that the pandemic and inflation have caused significantly higher numbers of adults living on fixed incomes to turn to these programs to supplement their Social Security and Medicare benefits as prices have continued to climb," the seniors' group stated.
But while an increase in COLA means higher benefits for Social Security recipients, it could also disqualify them from some low-income assistance. In 2022, when Social Security checks increased by 5.9%, about 14% of seniors saw their low-income assistance reduced, according to the survey.
If you are struggling with inflation, paying down debt using a personal loan can help you save on your monthly payments. To see if this is the right option for you, contact Credible to speak to a loan expert and get your questions answered.
Have a finance-related question, but don't know who to ask? Email The Credible Money Expert at moneyexpert@credible.com and your question might be answered by Credible in our Money Expert column. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/money/social-security-benefits-likely-increase-2023 | 2022-08-19T01:18:41Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/money/social-security-benefits-likely-increase-2023 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
'Octomom' Nadya Suleman shows off grown-up kids in back-to-school snap: 'Be proud of yourselves'
Nadya Suleman, who became known as "Octomom," showed off a rare photo of her kids in a back-to-school picture posted on Instagram.
The famous mom of 14 – who notably gave birth to octuplets in January 2009 – gushed about her now 13-year-olds in a post published on Tuesday.
"First day of 8th grade. Be proud of yourselves kids for being kind, respectful, and helpful to all your fellow peers, teachers and staff," Suleman gushed on Instagram.
"You are exceptional role models to the 6th and 7th graders, I love you," she added with a heart emoji.
But the controversial mother preemptively shot back at critics.
"Side note to critics: their older siblings did not want me to post a picture on their first day. I respect their choice, so should you," the 47-year-old mother warned.
The octuplets - Nariyah, Isaiah, Maliyah, Jeremiah, Noah, Josiah, Jonah, and Makai – were conceived via in vitro fertilization in 2008. Their birth was an international media sensation.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BUDGET SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW MOMS AND DADS CAN SAVE TIME AND MONEY
Suleman was already a single mother to six older children when she gave birth to the octuplets – leading many critics to claim that she could not care for her family properly.
FILE - Dozens of people crowd around the La Habra residence of Nadya Suleman after she returned home on Mar. 17, 2009, with two of her octuplets. (Photo by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Suleman led a tumultuous life after the birth of her octuplets – including filing bankruptcy, pleading no contest to misdemeanor welfare claims and checking into rehab for a Xanax addiction related to anxiety and exhaustion. She also had a brief adult film career and worked as a stripper.
"I hit rock bottom," Suleman said of her brief stint in sex work. "I sold my soul to the devil — temporarily."
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Since then, Suleman has changed her first name to Natalie and posts pictures of her happy family on social media regularly. "God and Family are my life," her Instagram profile reads. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/octomom-nadya-suleman-shows-off-grown-up-kids-in-back-to-school-snap-be-proud-of-yourselves | 2022-08-19T01:18:53Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/octomom-nadya-suleman-shows-off-grown-up-kids-in-back-to-school-snap-be-proud-of-yourselves | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
If someone in your family is heading back at college this fall, it is not just the rising tuition they have to deal with this year. Just about everything they need to buy is up in price too.
Abby Hecht and Emily Badgely are looking at some major expenses.
"A new laptop for sure," the two college freshmen said. "That cost a couple of grand!"
That's in addition to tuition rising at many schools by 3% - 5%, according to Money.com. Most colleges held off on tuition hikes for two years during the pandemic.
Apartment rent is up 10 percent or more in many college towns, just like everywhere else this year.
What parents and students can do
Mark Drozdowski writes for Best Colleges.com and understands college expenses. He has three kids going to college this fall.
"I used to think that diapers were expensive," he said. "If it was only that simple these days."
His advice is, don't rule out on-campus living options:
"Living on campus means cutting down on commuting costs, saving gas, and you save on utilities as well compared to an apartment," he said.
When it comes to food, Drozdowski tells his kids to:
- Cook in their apartment as much as possible.
- Cut down on takeout to avoid delivery fees.
His other cost-saving ideas:
- Rent textbooks or shop for them on book exchange sites.
- Shop secondhand stores as much as possible.
- Wait until Black Friday to buy a laptop or phone.
And, he says, always look for scholarship opportunities, as new ones come out every year.
"Even some of these smaller scholarships can really make a difference for some students," he said.
In addition, check for tax credits students may qualify for, according to a recent report on CNBC.com.
Financial experts say parents need to step back a bit and let their college-age children try to figure out their finances because now is the time for students to practice living on a budget.
"It gets you in the habit of keeping track of your money, making sure you know where it's going, Drozdowski said, "and most importantly avoiding building up too much credit card debt."
So do your financial homework -- along with your actual homework -- so you don't waste your money.
_________________
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For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com | https://www.katc.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/red-hot-inflation-hitting-college-student-budgets-hard | 2022-08-19T01:22:07Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/red-hot-inflation-hitting-college-student-budgets-hard | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
From UL Communications:
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s largest fundraising campaign has reached $341 million in contributions, bringing it nearly 70 percent to its $500 million goal.
President Dr. Joseph Savoie announced the campaign’s progress during the State of the University on Wednesday.
“Philanthropy is essential to our continued growth and success. Private dollars enable the University to meet its most essential needs,” Savoie said.
“I am very grateful to the donors, alumni and friends who have contributed to the campaign to date. Their generosity – and that of the future supporters who will enable the campaign to reach its finish line – will help shape the future of the University for years to come,” he added.
In the fiscal year that ended in June, the campaign raised $31.9 million, the second-largest annual fundraising total in University history.
John Blohm, vice president for University Advancement and chief executive officer of the UL Lafayette Foundation, said the campaign’s progress “demonstrates the value our alumni and friends have placed on supporting the positive impact the University has.”
“Our donors are dreaming big and infusing life-changing and forward-moving momentum in UL Lafayette’s academic, research and service missions,” Blohm said.
Together: The Campaign for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is the largest single fundraising initiative in the University’s history. It launched publicly in November.
The campaign’s fundraising priorities include support for:
- Student success and teaching, including increasing scholarship access; enhancing teaching and learning environments; and optimizing facilities for students.
- Research and discovery, including attracting and retaining top-tier faculty members; expanding research programs and partnerships; and enhancing research.
- Service to the community, which includes creating and enhancing performance spaces; expanding impact on K-12 public education; and strengthening the University’s role in health care workforce creation.
The $341 million the campaign has raised to date includes the two largest investments in University history – $20 million from LHC Group to the College of Nursing & Health Sciences and $15 million from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center to Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics. Both were received in 2021.
Visit together.louisiana.edu for more information or to contribute to the Together campaign. | https://www.katc.com/news/around-acadiana/ul-lafayettes-historic-fundraising-campaign-continues-forward-momentum | 2022-08-19T01:22:13Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/around-acadiana/ul-lafayettes-historic-fundraising-campaign-continues-forward-momentum | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In December, Finland's 36-year-old Prime Minister Sanna Marin decided to go for a night out with friends at a Helsinki nightclub and enjoyed some free time into the early morning. When her official phone received an alert that she had been exposed to COVID-19, she later had to issue a public apology for not immediately going into quarantine.
On Thursday, leaked images reinvigorated the now enlarged scandal within the media and politics in Finland after she was seen dancing, posing, and singing with friends at parties, said to be private, the New York Times reported.
In one video, a voice is heard saying, “This gives you a great feeling.” That sparked accusations of drug use, but there had been no evidence that was the case.
According to the BBC, Prime Minister Marin has denied taking any drugs and said that she only consumed alcohol and was just enjoying her night out "in a boisterous way."
"I danced, sang, and partied, perfectly legal things. I've never been in a situation where I've seen or known of others [using drugs]," Marin said.
Marin was formerly the world's youngest government leader, which has now been taken by Chile's new leader Gabriel Boric.
The prime minister's scandal, which has taken on a whole new energy, has made her the target of opposition figures within Finland's political landscape. Opposition leader Riikka Purra called for Marin to take a voluntary drug test, saying there was a "shadow of doubt" over the situation.
Mikko Karna, a member of parliament in the Center Party in Finland, tweeted, saying "it would be wise" for Marin to "voluntarily undergo a drug test." Karna once served in the prime minister's coalition government.
In 2019, Marin became the world's youngest prime minister, chosen by her party at age 34. In 2015 she revealed her struggles with judgment because of her mother's same-sex relationship, the BBC reported.
In July, Finland was welcomed into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after the organization of nations' 30 allies signed an accession protocol formally welcoming Finland and Sweden into the nuclear-armed military alliance amid Russia's continued aggression in Europe. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/finlands-young-prime-minister-faces-criticism-after-leaked-video-shows-boisterous-partying | 2022-08-19T01:22:19Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/finlands-young-prime-minister-faces-criticism-after-leaked-video-shows-boisterous-partying | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The luxury market and the high-profile brands captured within it face a new generation of shoppers. These buyers are exiting a years-long pandemic and face red hot inflation with an unclear end. They are expected to continue to curb spending on "aspirational" purchases, favoring frugality.
As Forbes reported in May, the personal luxury market has faced a roller coaster of challenges and successes in recent years. The market saw a worldwide high of $307 billion in 2019 sales. It was then hit by an unprecedented pandemic, watching COVID-19 lockdowns and other unforeseen factors cause the sector to plunge an incredible 22% during the pandemic's height in 2020. The year after that, astonishingly, it was back to supporting luxury brands, with most people settling into their work-from-home lives, shopping online while saving on takeaway lunches, and commuting costs associated with office life.
The industry saw a rebound last year, reaching $309 billion, Bain reported. But, as industry leaders look at the longer outlook, that could all have been a fluke.
For Gen Z, faced with a future of student loans, possible sustained inflation, and unattainable purchasing power, for many, amid fast-rising home prices and interest rates that could maintain their highs: The prospect of buying a $700 t-shirt as a sign of success is becoming evermore unlikely.
The luxury sector is worried about these financially stretched Gen Z consumers, and how they will sell those "aspirational" products to them, Reuters reported.
Kenneth Chow, director of consulting firm Oliver Wyman, said, “In the U.S., inflation is a big problem, the focus of many luxury companies…in China, it’s youth unemployment that’s alarming right now.”
Internationally, government data over the summer signaled a concerning outlook, with the unemployment rate among Chinese city dwellers aged 16-24 at an astonishing record 19.9%. And if global sales for luxury brands are affected, that could most certainly mean domestic worries for all international labels.
Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner with Bain, said, “There’s this young group of consumers entering the market that requires a lot of creativity at more affordable prices.”
In 2021, a call held by speakers for the Business of Fashion noted that Gen Z is expected to account for 40 percent of the international luxury goods market by 2035.
By a Bain and Company estimate, millennials and Gen Z will hold 130 percent of the purchasing power in the sector, controlling that chuck of its market growth from 2021 until 2025. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 2022-08-19T01:22:26Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 14 |
The luxury market and the high-profile brands captured within it face a new generation of shoppers. These buyers are exiting a years-long pandemic and face red hot inflation with an unclear end. They are expected to continue to curb spending on "aspirational" purchases, favoring frugality.
As Forbes reported in May, the personal luxury market has faced a roller coaster of challenges and successes in recent years. The market saw a worldwide high of $307 billion in 2019 sales. It was then hit by an unprecedented pandemic, watching COVID-19 lockdowns and other unforeseen factors cause the sector to plunge an incredible 22% during the pandemic's height in 2020. The year after that, astonishingly, it was back to supporting luxury brands, with most people settling into their work-from-home lives, shopping online while saving on takeaway lunches, and commuting costs associated with office life.
The industry saw a rebound last year, reaching $309 billion, Bain reported. But, as industry leaders look at the longer outlook, that could all have been a fluke.
For Gen Z, faced with a future of student loans, possible sustained inflation, and unattainable purchasing power, for many, amid fast-rising home prices and interest rates that could maintain their highs: The prospect of buying a $700 t-shirt as a sign of success is becoming evermore unlikely.
The luxury sector is worried about these financially stretched Gen Z consumers, and how they will sell those "aspirational" products to them, Reuters reported.
Kenneth Chow, director of consulting firm Oliver Wyman, said, “In the U.S., inflation is a big problem, the focus of many luxury companies…in China, it’s youth unemployment that’s alarming right now.”
Internationally, government data over the summer signaled a concerning outlook, with the unemployment rate among Chinese city dwellers aged 16-24 at an astonishing record 19.9%. And if global sales for luxury brands are affected, that could most certainly mean domestic worries for all international labels.
Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner with Bain, said, “There’s this young group of consumers entering the market that requires a lot of creativity at more affordable prices.”
In 2021, a call held by speakers for the Business of Fashion noted that Gen Z is expected to account for 40 percent of the international luxury goods market by 2035.
By a Bain and Company estimate, millennials and Gen Z will hold 130 percent of the purchasing power in the sector, controlling that chuck of its market growth from 2021 until 2025. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 2022-08-19T01:22:26Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/gen-z-buying-habits-are-radically-transforming-the-luxury-industry | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 14 |
The Kaplan City Council and Mayor Mike Kloesel are making moves to help customers struggling with their utility bills as energy costs continue to increase.
Kaplan residents, along with others, are struggling to pay for the high cost of electricity. Many have witnessed utility bills double over the last three months throughout Acadiana due to the rising cost of natural gas.
"We want to do something to help our customers. So we asked our customers what can the city do to help?", said Mayor Kloesel.
The Mayor and council voted 4-0 to suspend the late fees on utility bills; and pushed back the electricity late-fee and cut off dates which will remain in effect until December.
As a result of the suspension, the late-fee date is now the 25th and the cutoff date is the 30th of each month.
It was also voted among the Mayor and council to cancel the automatic 3 percent increase in sewer and water rates that were scheduled to take place this week.
Based on an ordinance, the city automatically raises those rates 3 percent annually. Mayor Kloesel and council voted 4-0 to suspend the rate increase until next year.
Mayor Kloesel also said, "I want everyone to understand that the extra charges you are seeing on your electric bill is not benefiting the city of Kaplan in the least. Every penny of the increase is going directly to SLEMCO for the generation charges that they are passing on to us." | https://www.katc.com/news/vermilion-parish/mayor-kloesel-and-kaplan-city-council-vote-to-suspend-utility-late-fees | 2022-08-19T01:22:32Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/vermilion-parish/mayor-kloesel-and-kaplan-city-council-vote-to-suspend-utility-late-fees | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LAFAYETTE — As Louisiana head coach Michael Desormeaux says the Cajuns are in the "dog days" of fall camp.
Last weekend, UL played in their first scrimmage where Desormeaux was impressed by the response of the defense.
The team was off today but tomorrow they're back at it to fine tune some things before playing their second and last scrimmage this Saturday.
Desormeaux says this round he looks for better execution.
"Our kids always play with effort. They always do it the way you want them to do it. Now for us, it's time to build the base of fundamentals and continue to improve them so we can execute at a high level and go out there and play good footbal", says Desormeaux. "You want to go out there and run plays that look like you practiced them before. So you're just working on execution by position group the things you need to improve."
Desormeaux confirmed the script of the second scrimmage will be shorter but will be more situational.
He says they'll try to cover as many situations as possible but whether or not they're used for game time, they'll at least know what to do.
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Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers | https://www.katc.com/sports/ul-sports/louisiana-looks-for-higher-execution-in-second-fall-camp-scrimmage | 2022-08-19T01:22:38Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/sports/ul-sports/louisiana-looks-for-higher-execution-in-second-fall-camp-scrimmage | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The United States and Mexico have agreed to spend almost $500 million to fix a decades-old problem of raw sewage from Mexico spilling onto the Tijuana River Valley on the U.S. side of the border.
The money will come from the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement, or USMCA.
The accord was formally signed by representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency and the International Boundary and Water Commission and their counterparts from Mexico.
The signing took place at the Tijuana Estuary, an area that is often impaccted by the sewage, trash and chemicals that flow from Mexico.
“Today is about starting the investment of millions of dollars to clean up the Tijuana River Valley and stop the onslaught of sewage, trash and sediment that’s really affected more than 20 miles of coastline along both sides of the U.S. Mexico border,” said Serge Dedina, mayor of Imperial Beach, Calif.
His city, historically, has sustained the most damage caused by the sewage and debris from Mexico.
“I’m very confident this solution is the answer,” he said.
The money will be used on sanitation and mitigation projects on both sides of the border.
“Most of the money will be spent on the United States side of the border … putting people to work to save the environment, that’s a win-win,” Dedina said.
Mexico has also pledged $144 million to fix its outdated treatment plants and other infrastructure that often breaks down, causing millions of gallons of raw sewage to spill into the Tijuana River Valley and out to the ocean, often closing down the coastline in Imperial Beach and other beach communities on the U.S. side of the border.
“Whatever it takes, we need it to clean up the sewage system, improve it in Mexico,” Dedina said.
According to the IBWC, the projects are expected to be completed and operational by 2027 and are expected to result in a 50-percent reduction in the number of days of “transboundary wastewater flow in the Tijuana River and an 80-percent reduction in the volume of untreated wastewater discharged into the Pacific Ocean.”
USIBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner called the agreement a key milestone in the effort to improve conditions in the Tijuana River Valley.
“Once these projects are completed, residents on both sides of the border will have a healthier, cleaner environment for years to come,” said in a statement.
Others who attended the signing ceremony said the work and investment are long overdue.
“This is a milestone, it brings us one step closer to protecting our communities, the environment, current residents and generations to come,” said U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, D-California, whose district encompasses all of the California-Mexico border.
U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, a Democrat from San Diego, agreed the money will go a long way to clean up a historical trouble spot along the southern border.
“Nearly 500 million dollars to solve these problems with both of these countries in cooperation, this treaty is enforceable as well, you can rely on this money to come in, this is significant today,” he said. | https://www.wwlp.com/border-report-tour/key-milestone-mexico-u-s-finally-agree-to-clean-up-tijuana-river-valley/ | 2022-08-19T01:26:35Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/border-report-tour/key-milestone-mexico-u-s-finally-agree-to-clean-up-tijuana-river-valley/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PARIS (AP) — Violent thunderstorms and hurricane-force winds left at least eight dead Thursday in France and Italy, uprooting trees in Tuscany and on the French island of Corsica and ripping away brick shards from St. Mark’s famed bell tower in Venice. Over 100 boats in the Mediterranean Sea called for emergency help, authorities said.
The storm produced gusts of more than 220 kph (136 mph) in some areas, the national weather agency Meteo France said. About 45,000 households were without power on Corsica, where six people were killed. Dozens of people were injured and 12 were hospitalized in Corsica, one in critical condition, authorities said.
The Italian regions of Tuscany and Veneto both declared a state of emergency, as the violent storms in the north contrasted with temperatures up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in southern Italy.
Storms in recent days have slammed Western European countries after a summer of extreme weather, while neighbors in central and eastern Europe are still suffering exceptional heat waves and drought.
Two people were killed in separate incidents in Tuscany when trees were ripped up by storms Thursday, one near the city of Lucca and another near Carrara. Another four people were injured by falling trees at a campground near Carrara.
In Corsica, a 13-year-old girl died after a tree fell in a campsite in the coastal town of Sagone. A 72-year-old woman was killed when a beach restaurant roof fell on her vehicle in Coggia, and a 46-year-old man died in a campsite in the town of Calvi.
Rescue crews found the bodies of a 62-year-old fisherman and an unidentified kayaker off Corsica’s west and east coasts, according to the French maritime authority for the Mediterranean. It said both died as a result of the sudden storm and that more than 100 grounded, wrecked or stranded ships in the area have called for emergency help. A sixth victim was reported late Thursday.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin traveled to the island Thursday.
In Venice, high winds detached pieces of brick from St. Mark’s bell tower, which stands in front of the famed cathedral. Tourists were evacuated from the structure, which was cordoned off. The storm upended chairs and tables in St. Mark’s Square and elsewhere, and swept away beach chairs on the nearby Lido.
Winds rose suddenly and were calmed within five minutes, said Carlo Alberto Tesserin, the caretaker of the Basilica and bell tower. “These were not usual winds for us,” Tesserin told The Associated Press.
In northern Italy, an overnight storm forced the closures of a train line southeast of Genoa after high winds carried beach structures onto the tracks, damaging the electrical circuitry.
The storm struck during Italy’s busiest beach vacation week. The mayor of Sestri Levanti, Valentina Ghio, warned that whirlwinds were possible and appealed to visitors to stay away from beaches until the severe weather had passed.
Hail the size of walnuts pummeled Italy’s Liguria region with enough force to break the windows of homes and damage orchards and gardens.
While northern Italy has suffered its worst drought in decades this year, heavy rains in recent days that brought scattered hailstorms, whirlwinds and flooding have damaged or destroyed entire crops of fruits and vegetables along with vineyards and olive orchards, according to the Italian agricultural lobby Coldiretti.
Thunderstorms Wednesday flooded Paris subway stations and the Old Port of Marseille, and winds over 100 kph (60 mph) were recorded at the top of the Eiffel Tower during a flash flood Tuesday.
The fierce rains come amid a summer of of drought, heat waves and forest fires across Europe that scientists link to human-caused climate change.
Yet to the east, on Hungary’s Southern Great Plain, shepherd Sandor Kalman can only dream of rainfall. He grazes sheep on lands desiccated by intense heat and low rainfall. As he walks on his pastures, the grass —- splotched by broad patches of dry dust and sand — crunches beneath his boots.
“In this heat wave, this clay soil actually burns the sheep’s feet, it’s so hot,” he said, adding that his herding dogs also find it difficult to walk on the parched earth. “I’m 57 years old, but I’ve never seen a drought this big.”
Hungarian meteorological data this year shows the most severe lack of rainfall since 1901.
Water levels of the Danube River, one of Europe’s largest waterways, have dropped by five feet (1.5 meters) in three weeks near Budapest, leading the regional water company to warn that the supply of drinking water could be threatened.
“The future is hard to predict, but forecasts and climate models suggest that further severe droughts are likely,” said Klara Kerpely of environmental group WWF Hungary, warning that officials will need to prepare for more frequent extreme weather and rework Hungary’s water retention system.
____
Barry reported from Milan. Bela Szandelszky in Budapest and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the climate and environmental issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/3-killed-12-injured-in-thunderstorms-on-frances-corsica/ | 2022-08-19T01:26:43Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/3-killed-12-injured-in-thunderstorms-on-frances-corsica/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple disclosed serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices.
Apple released two securityreports about the issue on Wednesday, although they didn’t receive wide attention outside of tech publications.
Apple’s explanation of the vulnerability means a hacker could get “full admin access” to the device. That would allow intruders to impersonate the device’s owner and subsequently run any software in their name, said Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security.
Security experts have advised users to update affected devices — the iPhone6S and later models; several models of the iPad, including the 5th generation and later, all iPad Pro models and the iPad Air 2; and Mac computers running MacOS Monterey. The flaw also affects some iPod models.
Apple did not say in the reports how, where or by whom the vulnerabilities were discovered. In all cases, it cited an anonymous researcher.
Commercial spyware companies such as Israel’s NSO Group are known for identifying and taking advantage of such flaws, exploiting them in malware that surreptitiously infects targets’ smartphones, siphons their contents and surveils the targets in real time.
NSO Group has been blacklisted by the U.S. Commerce Department. Its spyware is known to have been used in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America against journalists, dissidents and human rights activists.
Security researcher Will Strafach said he had seen no technical analysis of the vulnerabilities that Apple has just patched. The company has previously acknowledged similarly serious flaws and, in what Strafach estimated to be perhaps a dozen occasions, has noted that it was aware of reports that such security holes had being exploited. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/apple-warns-of-security-flaw-for-iphones-ipads-and-macs/ | 2022-08-19T01:26:50Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/apple-warns-of-security-flaw-for-iphones-ipads-and-macs/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say another sailboat carrying dozens of migrants arrived Thursday at Kythera, the third in just under two days to make it to the southern island that isn’t on the usual route for asylum-seekers trying to reach the European Union.
Greece’s coast guard said 67 people had been on board the sailing catamaran that arrived in a harbor on Kythera’s western coast, and that all had disembarked themselves. Their nationalities and where they had set sail from weren’t immediately known.
In all, 237 migrants arrived on the island between the early hours of Wednesday and around mid-day Thursday. Of the two other sailboats that reached the island Wednesday, the first ran aground on the island’s southern coast with 97 people on board — 93 from Afghanistan, three from Turkey and one from Pakistan, authorities said.
The passengers made it to shore themselves, and no one was reported injured or missing. The coast guard said Thursday that the boat had set sail from the Cesme area in Turkey and the group included 55 children. The three Turkish nationals on board, ages 30, 29 and 17, were arrested as suspected migrant-smugglers.
Hours later, another vessel carrying 73 people — 62 Iraqis, nine Iranians and two Russians — arrived in a small southern harbor of Kythera, escorted by the coast guard, authorities said. Those on board included 21 minors and six women. The coast guard said Thursday that the two Russian nationals on board were arrested as suspected smugglers.
Located off the southern tip of the Peloponnese, Kythera isn’t a target destination for the thousands of people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Most attempting to make it into the European Union cross from the Turkish coast to nearby Greece’s eastern Aegean islands.
But with Greek authorities increasing patrols in the area and facing persistent reports of summarily deporting new arrivals back to Turkey without allowing them to apply for asylum, more people are attempting a much longer and more dangerous route directly to Italy.
Greek authorities deny they carry out illegal summary deportations of asylum-seekers.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/3rd-sailboat-carrying-migrants-reaches-southern-greek-island/ | 2022-08-19T01:29:30Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/3rd-sailboat-carrying-migrants-reaches-southern-greek-island/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HAVANA (AP) — A Colombian guerrilla group says it has freed six captive members of the security forces in a goodwill gesture ahead of planned peace talks with the government of new President Gustavo Petro.
The release of the six men was a “unilateral humanitarian gesture″ that recognized efforts by the Colombian government to facilitate the resumption of dialogue, said the rebel National Liberation Army, known by its Spanish acronym ELN.
The Associated Press received the guerrilla statement on Thursday. It included images of the captives during their release, as several rebels in uniform stood nearby.
The ombudsman’s office, a Colombian state institution that promotes human rights, confirmed the release of two military officers, three other soldiers and one policeman. It said it will continue to work for the release of other people held by illegal armed groups.
Representatives of Petro and the ELN met last week in Cuba to explore the possibility of resuming talks. The dialogue was suspended by former President Iván Duque in 2019 after the guerrillas bombed a police academy in Bogotá, killing more than 20 cadets.
Following that incident, Colombian authorities issued arrest warrants for ELN leaders in Cuba. Cuba refused to extradite them, arguing that doing so would compromise its status as a neutral nation in the conflict.
The United States then placed Cuba on its list of state sponsors of terrorism. The ELN, founded in the 1960s, is designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
In 2016, Colombia signed a peace deal with a larger rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/colombian-rebels-say-they-freed-6-soldiers-ahead-of-talks/ | 2022-08-19T01:29:45Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/colombian-rebels-say-they-freed-6-soldiers-ahead-of-talks/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Estonia’s foreign minister on Thursday defended his country’s decision to bar Russian tourists, saying they are shirking their “moral responsibility” to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime and its “genocidal war” in Ukraine.
The small Baltic country, which shares a 300-kilometer (190-mile) border with Russia, stopped issuing tourist visas to Russians months ago, and as of Thursday no longer accepts those previously issued.
“Our idea is to give a signal to all our European partners, all our Western community partners, to close down our borders to Russian citizens, except humanitarian cases,” Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told The Associated Press in an interview in Tallinn. “Russian citizens are not welcome in Europe. Their country is committing a genocidal war against an innocent people.”
Despite bans on air travel from Russia to the European Union, Russians have been able to vacation in western Europe this summer by traveling by land through Estonia and other neighboring countries with tourist visas that are valid throughout Europe’s border-free travel zone.
Reinsalu said “hundreds of thousands” of Russian citizens passing through Estonian soil posed an “evident security threat” and dismissed concerns that the visa ban could backfire by turning ordinary Russians against Europe and the West.
He said the legal responsibility for the war in Ukraine lies with Putin and his inner circle, “but there is also a … moral responsibility of Russian citizens as citizens of (the) aggressor state.”
“They have to wake up and protest against the regime’s atrocities. Their tax money literally is used to buy rockets and bombs to kill children in Ukraine,” he said.
Exceptions to the entry ban include diplomats and Russians visiting close relatives in Estonia. It doesn’t affect Russians with visas issued by other EU countries or those allowed to enter Estonia on humanitarian grounds, but Estonian officials said they were working on proposals to also bar Russians with tourist visas issued by other EU countries.
Estonia, Finland and other EU countries bordering Russia have been pushing for an EU-wide ban on Russian tourists, but some leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have dismissed the idea as counterproductive.
“This is not the war of the Russian people. It is Putin’s war and we have to be very clear on that topic,” Scholz said.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official said Thursday that Moscow is not ruling out the possibility of an EU-wide ban and will respond in any case.
“These steps will not go unanswered by the Russian side. You’ll know about (retaliatory measures) soon,” Ivan Nechaev, deputy head of the ministry’s communications department, told reporters.
Reinsalu mocked concerns that the “peaceful lives” of Russians would be disrupted by denying them the chance to visit tourist attractions like the Louvre museum in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin or the canals of Venice.
“I think that there is no peaceful life in Ukraine, and our perspective is ending the genocidal war – this is a strategic aim,” he said.
Estonia and its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Lithuania endured five decades of Soviet occupation and have been strong advocates in the EU for harsh sanctions against Russia and robust military aid to Ukraine.
Reinsalu also defended the government’s decision to dismantle remaining Soviet-era monuments, including a tank removed this week from a memorial to Red Army soldiers killed during World War II from the eastern city of Narva on the Russian border. The government said such monuments could be used by the Kremlin to sow divisions in Estonia, which has a significant ethnic Russian minority.
“The one thing we have learnt from the past (is) that you have to act decisively and not let the tensions rise,” Reinsalu said.
——
Associated Press writer Karl Ritter in Stockholm contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/estonian-minister-defends-visa-ban-against-russian-tourists/ | 2022-08-19T01:29:53Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/estonian-minister-defends-visa-ban-against-russian-tourists/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TULUM, Mexico (AP) — Unchecked development has hit this once laid back beach town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast so hard that developers are now eager — even desperate — to build condominiums and hotels in a shantytown.
While police are trying to evict squatters so towering condos can be built next to wood and tarpaper shacks, residents are fighting back, saying they are tired of foreign investors excluding local people from their own coast.
In the latest clash on July 27, police accompanying a backhoe fired tear gas and tried to knock down some squatters’ homes in the shadow of a new, balconied condo building. The attempt ended when wind shifted the gas back on to officers, who retreated under a hail of rocks.
The contrast between rich and poor is stark: Gleaming white four-story condos with vaguely Mayan-sounding names and English slogans like “Live in the Luscious Jungle” and “An immersive spiritual experience” stand next to shacks made of poles, packing crates, tarps and tin roofing.
On a coast where unchecked resort development has already closed most public access to beaches — there are only a few public access points on the 80-mile (130 km) stretch known as the Riviera Maya — residents of the squatters’ camp may have reason to ask whether poorer Mexicans will be allowed here at all.
Officials in Quintana Roo state have vowed to relocate or remove about 12,000 inhabitants of the 340-acre (137-hectare) October 2 settlement. It was founded in 2016 on very valuable and once-public land a few blocks off the main street in town and about 1 1/2 miles (2 kilometers) from the shore.
Such land invasions are common across Mexico. Many are quickly rooted out. But others gradually become integrated into their cities. As many as 250,000 people are believed to live in squatter communities on the outskirts of Cancun.
Officials claim the “invaders” have created a semi-lawless enclave that has worsened Tulum’s reputation for growing violence and threatened the vital tourism industry.
Squatter leader Jose Antonio León Méndez, a welder who has lived in Cancun and Tulum for about three decades, says he — like many of the squatters who work as cooks, gardeners and bricklayers at surrounding condos and hotels — was tired of knowing he could never afford a home in towns increasingly filled with foreigners.
“How can a Mexican be an ‘invader’ in his own country? That makes no sense. It’s like saying someone is stealing something that belongs to him,” said León Méndez. “These people are not thieves; they are Tulum’s workforce.”
“We do not have any personal problems with the foreigners, but they should respect our rights,” he said, adding that October 2 represents a last stand for Mexicans being priced out of their own coast.
The settlement is part of a larger, 500-acre (200 hectare) stretch of public land that was sold by city officials to largely foreign developers in the 2000s.
Condos on the edge of the camp — and some well inside it— now sell for $100,000 to $150,000 and are advertised in U.S. dollars — as are entrance fees at many seaside resorts. Around Tulum, $20 per day is considered a good wage. So it would take decades of pay for the average Mexican worker to buy one.
The attorney general of Quintana Roo, Oscar Montes de Oca, vows to evict the squatters. “We even have the court orders for eviction,” Montes de Oca said. “It’s just that every time we have tried, they all immediately get together and block the roads.”
Many of those roadblocks remain: mounds of stones, tires and scrap wood piled in the streets, ready to be set alight.
Mateo Cruz, who rents a room for himself and his two children in the settlement, shows off the angry bruise on his thigh where he says he was hit by a police tear gas cannister .
“They came and said we had to get out, and take our things with us,” Cruz said of the July 27 attempted eviction. The lot where he lives sits directly under a new four-story condo building.
“What were they they thinking, firing tear gas among so many people?” Cruz said.
Montes de Oca says officials plan to relocate the squatters: “We are going to offer them lots away from this area, provided by the state government. … The businessmen are going to contribute money to build houses.”
“This is going to cause 70% of these people to leave willingly, with the certainty of having a decent place to live,” Montes de Oca said. Asked what would be done about the other 30%, he answered, “Other means will be applied.”
León Méndez rejects any such offer.
“We are not going to allow them to keep selling the land to foreigners while they send us locals, who have lived in Quintana Roo for 15, 20 or 30 years, to live 20 kilometers (12 miles) away in the woods,” he said. “That is not negotiable.”
Given the cost of tourist-oriented taxis and bus lines, commuting from a new settlement could cost workers a quarter of their daily wages.
But officials have another argument.
Street-level drug dealing is behind many of the killings in the October 2 camp — just as it is in the rest of Tulum. In October, two tourists — one a California travel blogger born in India and the other German — were caught in the apparent crossfire of rival drug dealers and killed at a restaurant along Tulum’s main avenue.
Lucio Hernández, the state police chief, says government security cameras have detected that many of the drug dealers in Tulum use the squatters’ camp as a hideout.
Squatter leader Rafael Hernández Juárez acknowledges the area has become more violent, with drug sales and killings occurring every so often.
“We try not to get involved with them,” said the affable former tourist shuttle driver, noting it would be dangerous for him to report drug sellers.
Victor Reyes, a Tulum resident who works in real estate, estimates about 70% of the investment in condominiums is from foreign developers, and the condos are priced in dollars “because they have to recover their investment in dollars.”
He reflects the suspicions some locals have about the squatters. “Their groups became mafias,” Reyes said. “These organizations call people together … and they use women and children as cannon fodder” to avoid being evicted. “They won the lottery” by squatting on such valuable land, he says.
The squatters obviously are a political group — currently aligned with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Morena party — and in a sense, many do see their humble shacks as winning the lottery.
Many have built second sets of rooms and rent their original shacks to locals. Some squatters have sold their roomy 10 by 20-yard (meter) lots for $8,000 to $12,000. Seemingly all of them are investing whatever money they have in building rooms — sometimes brick, sometimes wood — incrementally, as they save up enough for materials.
But none have running water or sewer connections, though the condos built in the same camp all do; some of the condos even have swimming pools. Squatters jury-rig their electricity connections and make do with wells and primitive septic tanks drilled hacked into the rocky soil, the combination of which is problematic.
For the vast majority of squatters, even though they are living on pricey real estate, daily life remains a struggle.
Lenin Solís Vega, a construction worker is building his own house one cement block at a time. He was evicted twice from previous lots in the settlement — one of them 20 yards from his current house and where a new condo building is scheduled to go up.
“Now they say, ‘Why are you building?’ and they want to kick us out,” he said. “But how? We’re Mexicans and we have nothing.”
Some of the squatters have even taken advantage of the richer neighbors, who come to buy cheap meals from residents.
Lorena, originally from Campeche state, spent years cooking for tourists in hotels and restaurants where she was once prohibited from speaking her native Maya language. She asked that her last name not be used to avoid problems with authorities.
And since building her wood-and-tarp shack — she planted trees and built a goldfish pond in the back — she has been able to set up her own street-food stand outside her house.
She has even learned to recite in English the menu of “beef, chicken, pork” empanadas she sells to tourists who wander in from the condos.
“All the investors are welcome,” said Lorena, “but they can’t discriminate or look down on us just because we are poor.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/in-mexico-resort-squatters-make-a-stand-against-developers/ | 2022-08-19T01:30:24Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/in-mexico-resort-squatters-make-a-stand-against-developers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
People's Bank of China set the onshore yuan (CNY) reference rate for the trading session ahead.
- USD/CNY is the onshore yuan. Its permitted to trade plus or minus 2% from this daily reference rate.
- CNH is the offshore yuan. USD/CNH has no restrictions on its trading range.
- A significantly stronger or weaker rate than expected is typically considered a signal from the PBOC.
- The previous close was 6.7870
The mid-rate is the weakest for CNY since September of 2020.
The PBOC injects 2 yuan via 7-day reverse repos (rate remains at 2%)
- 2bn yuan mature today, thus a net neutral in OMOs today
-
eur
EUR
The euro (EUR) is the official currency of the European Union (EU) and 19 of 27 member states at the time of writing. It is the second most-traded currency worldwide in forex markets after the US dollar.The euro was originally introduced back on January 1, 1999, having replaced the European Currency Unit. Banknotes and physical euro coins subsequently entered circulation only in 2002.Upon its adoption, the euro replaced domestic currencies in participating EU member states. The rise in its value since then and importance in the global market has helped solidify its status as one of the most important currencies in the FX market today.Together with the USD, the currency pair is easily among the most important for forex, given its exposure into the two main economic blocs. What Factors Affects the EUR?There are several factors that affect the euro. Like most currencies, monetary policy is the most influential, which in this case refers to the European Central Bank (ECB).The ECB is responsible for regulating the monetary policy, money supply, interest rates, and relative strength of the euro. Forex traders of the euro are routinely tuned into any decision or announcements from the ECB for this reason.With 19 sovereign member states, the euro is particularly vulnerable to political developments. Recent examples include Greece’s debt crisis and Brexit, among others, which can seriously impact the euro.Finally, economic data from the bloc or from key member states such as Germany, France, Spain, and others are also closely eyed. This includes retail sales, jobless claims, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and others.
The euro (EUR) is the official currency of the European Union (EU) and 19 of 27 member states at the time of writing. It is the second most-traded currency worldwide in forex markets after the US dollar.The euro was originally introduced back on January 1, 1999, having replaced the European Currency Unit. Banknotes and physical euro coins subsequently entered circulation only in 2002.Upon its adoption, the euro replaced domestic currencies in participating EU member states. The rise in its value since then and importance in the global market has helped solidify its status as one of the most important currencies in the FX market today.Together with the USD, the currency pair is easily among the most important for forex, given its exposure into the two main economic blocs. What Factors Affects the EUR?There are several factors that affect the euro. Like most currencies, monetary policy is the most influential, which in this case refers to the European Central Bank (ECB).The ECB is responsible for regulating the monetary policy, money supply, interest rates, and relative strength of the euro. Forex traders of the euro are routinely tuned into any decision or announcements from the ECB for this reason.With 19 sovereign member states, the euro is particularly vulnerable to political developments. Recent examples include Greece’s debt crisis and Brexit, among others, which can seriously impact the euro.Finally, economic data from the bloc or from key member states such as Germany, France, Spain, and others are also closely eyed. This includes retail sales, jobless claims, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and others.
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CAIRO (AP) — More than 70 people have been killed and 14,500 homes destroyed by Sudan’s seasonal downpours and floods, a senior official said Thursday.
The death toll since the rainy season kicked off in May stood at 77 people, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Jalil Abdul-Rahim, spokesman for Sudan’s National Council for Civil Defense, told The Associated Press.
The provinces most affected include North Kordofan, Jazira, South Kordofan, South Darfur and River Nile, he added.
On Monday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that more than 136,000 people have been affected by floods in the eastern Sudan and Kordofan states. The UN agency said it expected this figure to increase as the counting was still underway and heavy rains had been forecast.
Sudan’s rainy season usually lasts until September, with floods peaking just before then.
Last year, flooding and heavy rain killed more than 80 people and swamped tens of thousands of houses across the country. In 2020, authorities declared Sudan a natural disaster area and imposed a three-month state of emergency across the country after the deluge killed around 100 people and inundated over 100,000 houses. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/sudan-seasonal-floods-kill-77-people-destroy-14500-homes/ | 2022-08-19T01:31:45Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/sudan-seasonal-floods-kill-77-people-destroy-14500-homes/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Pennsylvania man was charged with abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and other charges after police say he allegedly tried to buy stolen human remains from an Arkansas woman for possible resale on Facebook.
A spokeswoman for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock confirmed that the remains were to be donated to UAMS’s facility. UAMS spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said they were instead stolen from Arkansas Central Mortuary Services in Little Rock by a female mortuary employee and sold, adding that there is an open federal investigation.
“We are very respectful of those who donate their bodies, and we are appalled that such a thing could happen,” Taylor said.
A representative of the mortuary hung up on a reporter who reached out for comment Thursday.
FBI Little Rock spokesman Conor Hagan said the office was aware of the Pennsylvania incident “but will not comment on ongoing investigations.” No charges had been filed as of Thursday against the Arkansas woman.
East Pennsboro Township Police in Pennsylvania announced the arrest of and charges against 40-year-old Jeremy Lee Pauley, of Enola, Pennsylvania. Pauley had been arrested on July 22 and had an initial court appearance Thursday.
Calls to an attorney representing Pauley were not returned late Thursday. Pauley was released on $50,000 bond, according to court records.
On a Facebook page under his name, Pauley has posted pictures of bags and stacks of femurs, one captioned, “Picked up more medical bones to sort through.” The Facebook page he uses to market his body parts is called “The Grand Wunderkammer,” “Vendors of the odd and unusual, museum exhibits, guest lectures, live entertainment, and so much more! Strange, curious, and unique in every way possible!” It also provides a link to his website.
“I think I’ve seen it all, and then something like this comes around,” said Sean McCormack, district attorney for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where Pauley was charged. “The question we had to answer was, Is the sale of body parts or bones and remains illegal … or legal? Some of it, to our surprise, was legal. And as the investigation went on, it became clear there was illegal activity going on as well.”
Pauley, who described himself as a collector of what he called “oddities,” including human body parts, said the remains were acquired legally when first contacted by police, according to a police affidavit. Police initially found what they described as older human remains including full skeletons that they determined were legally obtained.
However, after a second tip about newer remains in Pauley’s home, investigators returned to the house to find more recent purchases. Police found three five-gallon buckets containing assorted body parts— including of children— and federal and state law enforcement agents intercepted packages addressed to Pauley from the Arkansas woman that contained body parts.
Pauley told investigators that he intended to resell the body parts, according to the affidavit. Investigators allege that Pauley arranged to pay the Arkansas woman $4,000 for the body parts through Facebook Messenger.
Facebook did not respond to messages seeking comments on Pauley’s pages. However, its community standards prohibit human exploitation and explicitly prohibit selling body parts through its commercial policies and advertising policies.
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Associated Press writer Kantele Franko of Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/police-pennsylvania-man-tried-to-buy-stolen-human-remains/ | 2022-08-19T01:33:46Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/police-pennsylvania-man-tried-to-buy-stolen-human-remains/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MASON, Ohio -- No.8 Jessica Pegula ended Emma Raducanu's resurgent run at the Western & Southern Open, defeating the US Open champion 7-5, 6-4 in the Round of 16. The top-ranked American advanced to her fourth WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the season.
Pegula will face France's Caroline Garcia for a spot in her second straight WTA 1000 semifinal, having done so last week at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
Three takeaways on Pegula's strong performance:
Pegula's WTA 1000 mastery continues: The numbers behind Pegula's prowess at the top level of the Hologic WTA Tour grow more impressive with every event. Coming into Cincinnati, Pegula has reached the semifinal stage at three of the last four WTA 1000s, having done so in Miami and Toronto and making the final in Madrid.
Since the start of 2021, Pegula has now won 34 matches at the WTA 1000 level, two wins shy of World No.1 Iga Swiatek's tour-leading mark of 36 wins. She has now reached the quarterfinal stage a tour-leading eight times since the start of 2021, ahead of Aryna Sabalenka (6) and Paula Badosa, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek, who each have five.
🫢 is right@JLPegula | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/Zz2A9XuepB
— wta (@WTA) August 19, 2022
Showing the form that has boosted into the Top 10, Pegula diffused Raducanu's offensive baseline game by keeping the Brit on move. After an early exchange of breaks in the opening set, Pegula pulled away by breaking Raducanu for a second time to take the set. After breaking early in the third game of the second set, Pegula methodically took care of her service games to seal a clinical victory
Pegula finished the match with 21 winners to 10 unforced errors. Raducanu hit 15 winners, including seven aces, along with 21 unforced errors.
Raducanu leaves Cincinnati with a boost: Raducanu will drop out of the Top 10 on Monday. But as she winds her way towards her title defense at the US Open, her two dominant wins over Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka in Cincinnati should give a much-needed jolt of confidence. This was just the fourth time this season that she posted back-to-back wins at a tournament and she played incredibly clean tennis to earn them.
No one is under any delusions that Williams and Azarenka were at a level anywhere close to their prime, but wins are wins. As Raducanu said herself, if there is one thing she's learned in her rookie year, it's that wins on the WTA Tour are not easy to come by. And as she continues to build on her match and tournament fitness, playing three matches in a tournament will surely help her cause.
Pegula faces a tough task: With an eye towards making back-to-back semifinals, Pegula faces a red-hot Garcia in the quarterfinals. Garcia, who came through a strong straight-set win over Elise Mertens, beat Pegula at the start of the season in Sydney.
More to follow... | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2749157/three-takeaways-pegula-stops-raducanu-to-make-cincinnati-quarterfinals | 2022-08-19T01:34:06Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2749157/three-takeaways-pegula-stops-raducanu-to-make-cincinnati-quarterfinals | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A trio of lawsuits target a Florida law championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts race-based conversation and analysis in business and education, the latest filed Thursday by college professors and students claiming it is blatantly unconstitutional.
Known as the “Stop WOKE” act, the law targets what DeSantis has called a “pernicious” ideology exemplified by critical race theory — the idea that racism is systemic in U.S. institutions that serve to perpetuate white dominance in society.
The law prohibits teaching or business practices that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilt for past actions committed by others. It also bars the notion that a person’s status as privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by their race or gender, or that discrimination is acceptable to achieve diversity.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court claims the law amounts to “racially motivated censorship” that will act to “stifle widespread demands to discuss, study and address systemic inequalities” underscored by the national discussion of race following the killing of the Black man George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May 2020.
“In place of free and open academic inquiry and debate, instructors fear discussing topics of oppression, privilege, and race and gender inequalities with which the Legislature disagrees,” the lawsuit says. “As a result, students are either denied access to knowledge altogether or instructors are forced to present incomplete or inaccurate information that is steered toward the Legislature’s own views.”
Conservatives see critical race theory less as academic inquiry into truth and history and more as the imposition of a divisive ideology stemming from Marxism that assigns people into the categories of oppressor and oppressed based on their race.
The latest lawsuit joins two others already pending in Tallahassee federal court. Like the professors, a group of K-12 teachers and a student claim the law violates the Constitution’s protections of free expression, academic freedom and access to information in public schools.
The other lawsuit was brought by private entities, Clearwater-based Honeyfund.com and others, claiming their free speech rights are curtailed because the law infringes on company training programs stressing diversity, inclusion, elimination of bias and prevention of workplace harassment. Companies with 15 or more employees could face civil lawsuits over such practices.
That lawsuit says Honeyfund seeks to protect the rights of private employers to “engage in open and free exchange of information with employees to identify and begin to address discrimination and harm” in their organizations.
“The Stop WOKE Act aims to forward the government’s preferred narrative of history and society and to render illegal speech that challenges that narrative,” the lawsuit says.
All of the lawsuits are in various stages in the legal process and seek to have the Stop WOKE act declared unconstitutional. DeSantis has repeatedly said any losses at the lower court level are likely to be reversed by appeals courts that are generally more conservative.
DeSantis is running for reelection as governor this year and is widely viewed as a contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. He has made cultural issues a cornerstone of his administration, particularly snuffing out what he calls “woke” entities and philosophies centered on issues of discrimination involving race, gender and sexual orientation.
“What you see now with the rise of this woke ideology is an attempt to really delegitimize our history and to delegitimize our institutions and I view the wokeness as a form of cultural Marxism,” DeSantis said in a December 2021 speech. “They really want to tear at the fabric of our society.”
Another example of this is DeSantis’ effort to punish Walt Disney World for the company’s opposition to the Parental Rights in Education law, labeled by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law because it limits gender orientation instruction in early grades and chills discussion of the issue overall in schools.
The governor pushed the Legislature to end Disney World’s special independent district that essentially enabled it to run its own private government. That law doesn’t take full effect until June 2023 but has already been challenged in court.
Other lawsuits have challenged DeSantis priorities such as a ban on abortion after 15 weeks, a measure to fine tech companies if they “de-platform” political candidates over their viewpoints, an “anti-riot” law enacting new felonies following Black Lives Matter protests, a law placing new restrictions on elections and others. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/trio-of-suits-target-florida-woke-law-pushed-by-desantis/ | 2022-08-19T01:34:07Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/trio-of-suits-target-florida-woke-law-pushed-by-desantis/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The head of Africa’s public health agency says he’s “really pleased” that the World Health Organization is renaming the strains of the monkeypox disease to remove references to African regions amid concerns about stigmatization.
The variant of the disease formerly known as the Congo Basin is now called Clade 1 and what was previously known as the West Africa clade is now called Clade 2, the U.N. health agency announced last week, saying it will hold an open forum to rename monkeypox altogether.
“We are very glad that now we can be able to call them Clade 1 and Clade 2 rather than make reference to these variants using African regions,” Ahmed Ogwell, acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a briefing Thursday. “We are really pleased with that change in naming, which will remove stigma from disease-causing variants.”
More monkeypox deaths have been reported on the African continent this year than anywhere in the world. A total of 3,232 cases, including 105 deaths, have been reported in Africa, although only a fraction have been confirmed because the continent lacks enough diagnostic resources.
At least 285 new cases have been reported since the agency’s last briefing a week ago, Ogwell said, adding that the West African nations of Ghana and Nigeria are reporting 90% of new cases. Liberia, Republic of Congo and South Africa are the other nations reporting new cases.
Ogwell, who urged the international community to help Africa’s 54 countries improve their capacity to test for monkeypox and control its spread, said he had no epidemiological insights to share regarding the spread of monkeypox in Africa.
But he noted that while 98% of cases are in men who have sex with men outside Africa, what’s happening on the continent of 1.3 billion people “does not reflect what other parts of the world are seeing.”
“Our focus is capacity-building so that each and every country that is at risk is ready to be able to identify these cases quickly,” he said.
Other scientists, however, have dismissed the effort to rename monkeypox as an unnecessary distraction as the global outbreak continues.
Oyewale Tomori, a Nigerian virologist who sits on various World Health Organization advisory groups, said he didn’t see the point of renaming monkeypox.
“All the other pox viruses are named after animals,” he said, citing cowpox, sheeppox and rabbitpox as examples. “If we start renaming diseases, where does it end? Do we rename Lassa fever and Marburg virus? What about Spanish flu?” Tomori asked. Lassa fever is named after the Nigerian town where the disease was first identified and Marburg was also named after the German city where scientists first identified the severe hemorrhagic fever.
WHO has said it does not plan to rename any other diseases at the moment.
WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said this week that it is “important to involve as many audiences, as many people as possible” to suggest names. “I’m sure we will not come up with a ridiculous name,” she said. ”(It’s) the responsibility of WHO to rename diseases when they are stigmatizing. But for the time being, the plan is for (renaming) monkeypox.”
Monkeypox spread typically requires skin-to-skin or skin-to-mouth contact with an infected patient’s lesions. People can also be infected through contact with the clothing or bedsheets of someone who has monkeypox lesions.
Most people infected with monkeypox recover without treatment, but it can cause more severe symptoms like brain inflammation and in rare cases, death.
The variant of monkeypox spreading in Europe and North America has a lower fatality rate than the one circulating in Africa, where people have mostly been sickened after contact with infected wild animals like rodents and squirrels.
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AP journalists Maria Cheng in London and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/africa-cdc-says-renaming-of-monkeypox-variants-curbs-stigma/ | 2022-08-19T01:35:28Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/africa-cdc-says-renaming-of-monkeypox-variants-curbs-stigma/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday issued a first-of-a-kind warning to the maker of nicotine gummies, saying the illegal candies pose a growing risk to teenagers and younger children.
The Food and Drug Administration said the fruit-flavored gummies from Florida manufacturer VPR Brands could cause nicotine poisoning or even death if eaten by small children. Regulators also cited recent research suggesting nicotine candies and similar products are becoming more popular among high school students.
“Nicotine gummies are a public health crisis just waiting to happen among our nation’s youth, particularly as we head into a new school year,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.
In March, Congress passed a law granting the FDA authority over all forms of nicotine, regardless of whether from tobacco plants or manufactured in a laboratory. That closed a loophole in FDA’s oversight, which until then only included nicotine from plants.
Manufacturer VPR Brands markets its square-shaped gummies as containing “tobacco-free nicotine.” In recent years, many vaping companies have similarly claimed that they’ve switched to synthetic nicotine.
An employee at VPR Brands reached by phone Thursday declined to comment. The FDA’s warning letter gives the company 15 days to remove or address the violations. The agency said VPR Brands has not applied for permission to market the gummies. FDA warnings are not legally binding, but the agency can take companies to court if they are ignored.
The FDA has been working for years to reverse a rise in electronic cigarette use among U.S. teenagers, with mixed results. Last month the agency announced plans to ban e-cigarettes from Juul, only to put the order on hold after facing legal pushback from the popular vaping company.
A recent FDA-funded study found nicotine candies were the second-most popular tobacco product used by high school students in Southern California, behind only e-cigarettes. The FDA said Thursday’s action is the first warning to a maker of nicotine gummies.
The FDA has come under intense congressional pressure after announcing last month it would miss a deadline to remove thousands of unauthorized synthetic nicotine products from the market. The agency said it is working as quickly as possible to review nearly 1 million marketing applications it received from 200 companies.
The lack of action has sparked frustration from lawmakers, including Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who called the delay “deeply disappointing and unacceptable,” in a letter last month.
FDA’s Califf subsequently announced plans for an outside review of FDA’s tobacco division, a rare step that followed recent criticism of the program.
___
The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/fda-targets-illegal-nicotine-gummies-in-new-warning-letter/ | 2022-08-19T01:35:42Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/fda-targets-illegal-nicotine-gummies-in-new-warning-letter/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. is setting aside an extra 50,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine for places with upcoming gay pride events, health officials said Thursday.
The number of doses sent to each place will be based on factors like the size of the event, how many health workers will be available to give shots, and how many of the attendees are considered at highest risk for catching the virus.
“More shots in arms is how we get the outbreak under control,” Bob Fenton, the White House monkeypox response coordinator, told reporters Thursday. He said the effort is an attempt to “meet people where they are.”
At least a dozen U.S. pride events are scheduled over the next two months, including large gatherings in Atlanta and New Orleans in early September. U.S. officials said they will send up to 2,000 additional doses to North Carolina, where the Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade will be held this weekend.
Southern Decadence, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ events, is expected to attract 200,000 or more people to New Orleans over Labor Day weekend. The Bourbon Street Extravaganza, a free concert held amid the event, has been canceled over monkeypox concerns, organizers said this week.
Frank Perez, a former grand marshal of the parade that’s the centerpiece of Southern Decadence, said a number of New Orleans gay bars have already had vaccine events. He said so far officials have done an adequate job with the vaccine campaign although “more is better.”
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cautioned: “While we are offering the vaccine at these events to those at high risk, this is a two-dose vaccine series, and receiving the vaccine at the event will not provide protection at the event itself.”
Health officials also are urging other steps to prevent the spread of the virus, including temporarily limiting sexual partners.
Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals, but it wasn’t considered a disease that spreads easily among people until May, when infections emerged in Europe and the U.S.
There have been more than 39,000 cases reported in countries that have not historically seen monkeypox. The vast majority have occurred in men who have sex with men, but health officials stress that anyone can get monkeypox.
The U.S. has the most infections of any country — more than 13,500. About 98% of U.S. cases are men and about 93% were men who reported recent sexual contact with other men.
Officials say the virus has been spreading mainly through skin-on-skin contact, but they warn it might also transmit in other ways, including through touching linens used by someone with monkeypox.
People with monkeypox may experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. Many in the outbreak have developed extremely painful zit-like bumps. No one in the U.S. has died, but deaths have been reported in other countries.
The U.S. has a limited supply of what is considered the main weapon against the virus — a vaccine called Jynneos. The doses are currently being given to people soon after they think they were exposed. Scientists are still trying to establish how well the shots are working.
The government last week moved to stretch the supply by giving people one-fifth the usual dose, injected just under the skin, instead of a full vial injected into deeper tissue.
Many health workers may have little experience giving shots using the just-under-the-skin method, which requires different needles and syringes. Some health departments have started doing that, but some local officials have said they may need a week or more to make the change.
Officials this week announced the release of 442,000 of the smaller doses for order by state, local and territorial health departments. On Thursday, they said more is coming next week — 1.8 million doses, or 360,000 vials.
Officials also announced a new agreement with a Michigan manufacturer to help speed production of 5.5 million vaccine vials recently ordered by the U.S. government.
Under the deal, Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing will help package raw vaccine ingredients currently stored at an overseas facility owned by Bavarian Nordic, which makes the Jynneos vaccine. Officials said the extra capacity should help speed up U.S. vaccine orders, most of which weren’t expected to be delivered until next year. The Biden administration has faced weeks of criticism for not ordering more vaccine sooner.
Also on Thursday, health officials said next week they will boost the supply of TPOXX, a drug for treating monkeypox infections, by 50,000 treatment courses.
___
AP reporters Rebecca Santana in New Orleans and Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed to this report.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/us-offers-extra-monkeypox-vaccine-doses-for-gay-pride-events/ | 2022-08-19T01:35:57Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/us-offers-extra-monkeypox-vaccine-doses-for-gay-pride-events/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his allies hope big recent wins on climate, health care and more will at least temporarily tamp down questions among top Democrats about whether he will run for reelection.
That optimism may be short lived, at risk if and when former President Donald Trump announces another White House campaign. But for now, the “Will he or won’t he” Washington parlor game appears to be on hold.
“I think the naysayers are pretty quiet right now,” said former Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe. “I think they’ve seen reality.”
In just the past several weeks, Biden has signed into law a climate and prescription-drug package that accomplishes many of his party’s long-held objectives; Congress has sent him bills that impose strict limits on guns and set out a plan to boost U.S. high-tech manufacturing. A drone strike killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri, average gasoline prices have fallen back below $4 per gallon and there are signs that inflation — while still white-hot — may finally be cooling.
All that has eased a debate over Biden’s future that was spreading. Fellow Democrats running for reelection were struggling to answer whether America’s oldest president should seek another term. But now they have a fresh agenda they can campaign on heading into the November midterms.
The president has increased his Democratic fundraising efforts, and next week in Maryland he’s holding his first rally for the party of the fall campaign season. He also plans to travel aggressively to boost candidates.
As a former senator, Biden knows some lawmakers may need to create distance from him to best win their races — but also that others could benefit from joint appearances. Aides say Biden may prove most useful amplifying Democrat-championed issues that are broadly popular, like lowering prescription drug costs and protecting abortion rights.
Cedric Richmond, one of Biden’s closest White House advisers before leaving for a senior Democratic National Committee job, said he wasn’t sure the spate of positive news would put an end to 2024 questions, “but it should.”
For “tried and true Democrats, the answer was a simple, ‘Yes, he should run. Yes he’ll be our nominee. Yes he’ll win.’”
But comments like that don’t make the news, said Richmond, a former Louisiana congressman. “So the only story was when somebody waffles or blows the question.”
Those have included New York Democratic Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler both declining during a recent primary debate to say if Biden should seek a second term. In a subsequent statement, Maloney said she’d support Biden “if he decides to run,” then drew still more scrutiny while appearing on CNN by imploring Biden: “I want you to run. I happen to think you won’t be running.”
Not all lingering doubt can be attributed to awkward answers, though.
Swing-district Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips said he didn’t want Biden to run in 2024. West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, whose about-face revived the climate and prescription drug legislation, has refused to say if he’d support a second Biden term. Stars of the progressive left, like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, have similarly been noncommittal.
But Biden hasn’t been abandoned. Prominent Democrats, including New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, openly praise him during campaign appearances. In an interview, Jeffries ticked off the president’s recent wins and included administration successes going back to last year’s infrastructure spending and stimulus spending packages, as well as ongoing COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
“If someone were to say that a president had a record of accomplishment that I just described, without putting a time frame on it, the logical response would be: That person had a successful two-term presidency,” Jeffries said.
Still, other Democrats say a few positive headlines won’t be enough.
“Biden will have good and bad weeks in the news, but the fundamentals remain adverse,” said Norman Solomon, national director of RootsAction.org. His progressive activist organization, already frequently critical of the president, has launched a “Don’t Run Joe” effort.
Solomon wants Biden to announce he’s not running, freeing him to take bigger political risks and achieve a more successful one-term presidency. He suggested that White House advisers who worry about making Biden a lame duck are engaging in a “significant degree of whistling past the political graveyard.”
White House allies stress that the 2024 decision will ultimately be Biden’s alone. He’s on track to follow a similar timeline to former President Barack Obama, who declared for 2012 reelection in April 2011, aides say.
No modern incumbent president has faced such hesitation within his own party, nor been realistically threatened in a primary. Intra-party challengers, if they emerge, could weaken both the president and his party.
Some Biden observers see the president, who came out of political retirement because he believed himself best able to take on Trump in 2020, as less likely to seek reelection if his predecessor ultimately opts not to run.
If Biden runs, he’ll have to level with voters about his age — convincing them he’s really up for a second term that wouldn’t end until he’d be 86. Still, Richmond said such discussions could actually help Biden.
“I’m not going to let people, all of a sudden, say wisdom and experience is a bad thing,” he said. “The president of the United States, leader of the free world, that’s exactly what you want.”
While Biden’s age is unprecedented — so, too, would Trump’s at 82 — there’s almost as little tradition of presidents not seeking reelection after just four years in office. The last one was Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.
Texas Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a civil rights attorney expected to win an open House seat in Dallas, said if Biden “decides he wants to run, we’ve got to unite behind that.” But she also said the president hasn’t fought to preserve voting rights aggressively enough.
“From a public standpoint, especially when it comes to Black folks, it was not taken too kindly that they did not see or hear more coming from the president,” Crockett said. “If Black people come out and vote, Democrats win. If Black people stay at home, Democrats lose.”
Biden insisted last month that Democrats “want me to run.” But a Quinnipiac University poll in July found that only 24% of Americans overall, and 40% of Democrats, said that. The president’s approval rating has dropped below 40% for two straight months.
For positive reinforcement, Biden could look to a president at the opposite end of the political spectrum: Ronald Reagan, who took office in 1981 at age 69, making him the country’s then-oldest president.
With inflation spiking by the fall of his second year, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 6 in 10 Americans said Reagan shouldn’t run again, and his approval ratings sank to 35% by the following January. The next year, Reagan romped to reelection, winning every state but Minnesota and the District of Columbia.
McAuliffe, who was beaten in his bid to reclaim the governorship last November by Republican Glenn Youngkin despite Biden having carried Virginia by 10 points the previous year, said the president and Democrats have already seized momentum and “age doesn’t matter.”
“He’s at the top of his game. And this party, which a year ago was in disarray, and different elements of our party fighting one another,” McAuliffe said. “Now you’ve got a party that is united, fired up and legislative accomplishments that every American has wanted for many years.”
___
Associated Press writer Michelle Price in Brooklyn, New York, contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/breathing-room-for-biden-big-summer-wins-ease-2024-doubts/ | 2022-08-19T01:36:11Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/political-news/ap-politics/breathing-room-for-biden-big-summer-wins-ease-2024-doubts/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
IOWA FALLS-Helen Strohmeyer, 94, of Iowa Falls and formerly of Chicago, Ill., passed away Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 at her Iowa Falls residence. Arrangements are pending with the Counsell Woodley Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Iowa Falls.
Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. | http://www.timescitizen.com/obituaries/death_notices/strohmeyer-helen---tuesday-aug-16-2022/article_08825cf0-1e6b-11ed-9029-37fb3f119ac0.html | 2022-08-19T01:36:30Z | timescitizen.com | control | http://www.timescitizen.com/obituaries/death_notices/strohmeyer-helen---tuesday-aug-16-2022/article_08825cf0-1e6b-11ed-9029-37fb3f119ac0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Leda Mae Ibeling, 82, of Ackley, passed away at her home on Saturday Aug. 13, 2022, in the care of Hospice and her family. Dale Dean Ibeling, 90, passed away at Eldora Specialty Care on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, in the care of hospice. Iowa Cremation is caring for Leda, Dale and their family.
Leda Mae Cordes was born to Elmer and Letha (Van Eschen) Cordes Sept. 11, 1939. Leda graduated from Ackley High School in 1957 and then worked for the Ackley Reminder and many other side jobs in the Ackley community. | http://www.timescitizen.com/obituaries/ibeling-leda-081322-ibeling-dale-081822/article_6603f01a-1f23-11ed-b103-ab238d4b0d90.html | 2022-08-19T01:36:36Z | timescitizen.com | control | http://www.timescitizen.com/obituaries/ibeling-leda-081322-ibeling-dale-081822/article_6603f01a-1f23-11ed-b103-ab238d4b0d90.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HONG KONG (AP) — Authorities in Hong Kong say 29 out of 47 pro-democracy activists charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion” under a tough National Security Law entered guilty pleas on Thursday, as the Beijing government seeks to further silence opposition voices in the regional financial hub.
Thursday’s court proceedings came amid a sweeping campaign against those speaking out against demands for absolute loyalty to China’s ruling Communist Party.
The 47 democracy activists, aged 23 to 64, were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law and detained last year over their involvement in an unofficial primary election in 2020 that authorities said was a plot to paralyze Hong Kong’s government. The primary showed strong support for candidates willing to challenge the Beijing-backed local government.
Among those making guilty pleas were well-known political activists including Joshua Wong and Benny Tai, Hong Kong media said.
Media reporting restrictions were lifted for the cases, which will start next month at Hong Kong’s high court.
Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997 with a pledge that it would retain its own legal, economic and social systems for 50 years.
Despite the steady deterioration of those special rights promised to the territory under a “one country, two systems” framework, it retains the system of British common law, independent from Communist Party dictates that determine legal outcomes on the mainland.
During Thursday’s hearing, Wong, who remains in detention, said the primary election allowed Hong Kongers to express their political will.
“Our vote is our voice, being heard in the global community,” Wong said.
About 2,000 Hong Kong residents have been detained and the main opposition Apple Daily newspaper shut down since 2019 pro-democracy protests. More have been arrested over ensuing actions, including 90-year-old Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen, while political speech and public gatherings have been frozen by uncertainty about where the authorities’ red lines are set.
China responded to the protests by imposing the sweeping National Security Law, rounding up opposition figures in the media and civil society, and reorganizing the local legislative council to ensure only pro-Beijing figures can hold office. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/hong-kong-political-activists-plead-guilty-amid-crackdown/ | 2022-08-19T01:37:52Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/hong-kong-political-activists-plead-guilty-amid-crackdown/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
What are the best fire pits at Home Depot?
A fire pit is a quintessential part of your backyard, making for long, relaxing evenings by the flames. Wood fire pits are classics and bring a bit of ritual to your evening. Natural gas and propane ones, on the other hand, are good no-hassle choices.
Home Depot has a range of fire pits in traditional and modern styles, at a wide range of prices.
Choosing a type of fire pit
The right fire pit for you depends on how much work you’re willing to put into making a fire, how often you plan to make one and how large a fire pit you need. Home Depot offers a variety of brands and models, most of which are for wood or propane use.
Wood fire pits
For some, there’s no substitution for a wood fire. These fire pits safely contain burning logs in deep bowls, usually made of metal. They may also include pokers and spark screens.
In the long run, wood fire pits are usually less expensive than their gas counterparts, and in some cases you can use charcoal in place of wood.
Propane fire pits
The most common non-wood fire pits are powered by propane, which you can easily purchase at your local hardware store or gas station. Like natural gas fire pits, these use lava rocks or fire glass to disperse heat and flames, and conceal the burner.
For most fire pits, one tank of propane lasts for several nights. Propane burns without scent and can be used safely for cooking.
Natural gas fire pits
If you don’t want to use wood and you have a natural gas line in your home, you could choose a natural gas fire pit. Using a typically cheaper fuel than propane, this can save you money, though if you don’t have access to natural gas you’ll have to go with propane to avoid an expensive gas line installation. In most cases, you won’t find natural-gas-only fire pits, but rather propane fire pits with an included converter.
Best fire pits at Home Depot
Hampton Bay Whitfield 48-Inch Round Fire Pit
The wide tiled surface of this fire pit and its included cover means it can be used as a coffee table in the day and a fire pit at night, giving you the most use for your space.
Sold by Home Depot
Tiki 25-Inch Black Metal Patio Fire Pit
The modern design of this fire pit is eye-catching, and its “low smoke” airflow design works as advertised. For its size, this model can support an intense fire that gives off a lot of heat. Additionally, the ashtray makes for easy cleanup.
Sold by Home Depot
Fire Sense 29-Inch Folding Fire Pit
If you have limited patio or yard space and need a fire pit you can tuck away, the folding design of this affordable model makes it a good choice. It includes a grill for cooking, as well as a carrying bag for bringing it to the beach or park.
Sold by Home Depot
Outland Living Okanagan 24-Inch Portable Outdoor Steel Gas Fire Pit
While it lacks any stonework or decoration, this basic gas fire pit puts out an impressive 58,000 Btu per hour. Propane tanks connect with the hose, which is 10 feet long so you can easily conceal the tank. It comes with lava rocks, and one propane tank will last for several nights of regular use.
Sold by Home Depot
Hampton Bay Crossridge 50,000 Btu Antique Bronze Gas Fire Pit
At a fairly reasonable price, this elevated fire pit can act as the centerpiece for your patio or backyard. The electronic ignition is easy to use, and the flames are bright and colorful.
Sold by Home Depot
Heininger Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit
This simple fire pit is a great choice for camping without the hassle of a campfire or traveling in an RV. At 58,000 Btu, it has excellent heat output and produces an attractive, scent-free fire.
Sold by Home Depot
Real Flame Ventura Rectangle Fire Pit
This propane fire pit with a natural gas converter has a simple industrial look to fit a modern or minimalist patio. A propane tank can fit beneath the center of the table, and the long rectangular design lets several people enjoy the heat of the fire.
Sold by Home Depot
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/7-best-home-depot-fire-pits/ | 2022-08-19T01:38:40Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/7-best-home-depot-fire-pits/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Carnival-owned Princess Cruises is introducing the ability for guests to bid on a cabin upgrade with their own budget starting in September 2022. This includes all cabin types, such as staterooms and suites.
Princess Cruises Cabin Upgrade
The cruise line will begin allowing guests to bid for a cabin upgrade on select cruise ships. Guests will have the opportunity to upgrade to an oceanview, balcony, deluxe balcony, mini-suite, and full suite, depending on their budget.
The new Princess Upgrade bidding program will begin September 6, enticing guests to select a stateroom upgrade at an alternate price point.
“Upgrading is a popular request from our guests and we’re pleased to deliver a process that lets them improve their stateroom category by making an offer that fits their budget and lifestyle,” said Princess President John Padgett.
By the end of October, Princess Cruises intends to launch this new program fleetwide, but it will initially be available on five ships that sail from the U.S. Beginning September 6, guests sailing Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess, Regal Princess, Ruby Princess, and Caribbean Princess will have first access to participate in the program.
About the Bidding Process
Guests will receive an email invitation to participate and have the opportunity to bid on staterooms above their present booking category. The invitation will be sent out to guests 21 or older once the cruise is at least five days within the final payment period and has been paid in full.
Read Also: Princess Cruises Details New Premium All-Inclusive Package
Bids are priced per person, based on two occupants per stateroom for the length of the sail. The third and fourth booked guests in a stateroom will be upgraded without an additional cost.
Guests will be notified by email if their bid has been accepted or not. If the bid is accepted, guests will be charged for the additional amount, but if not, guests can enjoy their originally booked stateroom without an increased cost.
If a Princess guest changes their mind in the beginning stages of the bidding process, they will be able to update or cancel their bid, but once accepted, the bid will be solidified and unable to be modified.
Once the bidding process is complete, Princess Cruises will update the booking on the guest’s behalf. An email will be sent to all applicable cruisers, but the Princess Upgrade program can also be accessed on the line’s direct website.
Princess Cruises’ 2023 and 2024 seasons are set to sail new destinations across the Americas. Sailing from seven North American homeports with over 45 itineraries, the line’s upcoming season will offer unforgettable experiences to unique destinations such as Hawaii and Fiji.
The Carnival-owned cruise line is the second major cruise line to remove most of its vaccine requirements, and since then, several others are following suit.
As the cruise line removes vaccine requirements for most sailings beginning September 6, 2022, Princess Cruises is set to have an increase in guests onboard and success in the upcoming seasons. | https://www.cruisehive.com/princess-cruises-introduces-new-stateroom-upgrade-bidding-program/79335 | 2022-08-19T01:39:02Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/princess-cruises-introduces-new-stateroom-upgrade-bidding-program/79335 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
What are the best Oribe hair products?
Founded in 2008, Oribe is a luxury hair care brand created by world-renowned hairdresser Oribe Canales. Its products are salon-quality and designed for all hair types. Oribe offers several collections, each designed to attend to specific hair needs, including moisture-rich, color-treating and curl-reviving formulas.
Are Oribe products expensive?
Oribe products are universally reviewed highly, and the price definitely reflects the quality. They range between $15-$226, depending on the size and type of product. While costly, they’re used in salons globally and belong to a top brand. Oribe products are paraben- and sulfate-free, cruelty- and gluten-free, color-safe and ultraviolet-protective. The finest fragrances are used in each product, giving you salon-fresh hair with every use.
Best Oribe product for dry hair
Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil
What you need to know: Winner of the 2019 Allure “Best of Beauty” award, this hair oil has an ultra-strengthening formula that restores fried and frizzy hair.
What you’ll love: With fragrant notes of jasmine, sandalwood and bergamot, it absorbs into your hair follicles quickly and conditions fractured strands. It’s a lightweight oil, so it won’t feel heavy or leave a greasy film on your scalp. It doubles as heat and UV protection to prevent future damage.
What you should consider: If you have a problem with oiliness, look instead for an Oribe product that cleanses your scalp.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora and Amazon
Best Oribe product for oily hair
Oribe The Cleanse Clarifying Shampoo
What you need to know: Designed to combat buildup and oil production, this shampoo targets your scalp and detoxifies the skin at the root.
What you’ll love: The key ingredient is volcanic ash, a natural element that cuts away layers of product and dandruff stuck on your scalp. It gently exfoliates using sea kelp extract and papaya fruit extract, preparing your hair for other treatments. Even while stripping the toxins from your hair, this shampoo replenishes moisture in your hair.
What you should consider: While this is considered a gentle exfoliant, be mindful of sensitivities your skin may have to any cleansing formulas. Conduct a small patch test before using a new product.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora
Best Oribe product for coiled hair
Oribe Curl Gelee for Shine and Definition
What you need to know: Winner of the coveted Allure “Best of Beauty” award in 2020, this is a staple for any person with coiled and textured hair.
What you’ll love: This product is designed for curl types 3 and 4 (curly and coily), and defines curls while keeping them hydrated and rejuvenated. Rich in ingredients such as avocado butter, macadamia oil and apricot oil, this gelee will return shine to damaged or dry hair. Apply it on damp curls and let air dry or diffuse.
What you should consider: Some consumers say the gelee is very thick and a little goes a long way, so apply in small doses to avoid product waste.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora and Amazon
Best Oribe product for color-treated hair
Oribe Hair Mask for Beautiful Color
What you need to know: Repairing hair after color treatment increases shine and returns silkiness to your locks; this was created for that mission.
What you’ll love: Crafted to restore roots and cuticles, it protects and enhances your hair color while conditioning damaged strands of hair and adding a glossy finish. It’s also a great option while preparing for your next color treatment.
What you should consider: As always, conduct a patch test and review the ingredients list to ensure there are no allergens you could react to. Oribe uses natural elements such as seed oils and fruit extract, but check the list before you apply the product.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora and Amazon
Best Oribe product to achieve volume
Oribe Maximista Hair Thickening Spray
What you need to know: If you’re looking for more bounce and volume for your hair, this is a great place to start.
What you’ll love: Designed to lift roots and create density, it both protects against heat and maximizes volume. With a light consistency, it doesn’t feel heavy or sticky and leaves you with a softer head of hair. The spray is thermal-protective, so you have added prevention of damage from hot tools you use after application.
What you should consider: Since this is meant to volumize hair, those with already frizzy or thick hair should avoid adding it.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora and Amazon
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Isabella Acitelli writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/hair-products-br/5-best-oribe-hair-products/ | 2022-08-19T01:39:01Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/hair-products-br/5-best-oribe-hair-products/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Best camera accessories
Photographers rely on their cameras, but cameras can only do so much without the right gear. From carrying bags, tripods and flashes to more advanced gear, most photographers spend years building up the camera accessories they need to succeed. World Photography Day is coming around again, and anyone who shoots photos can attest to how important a camera’s accessories are for creating the perfect photo.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re getting paid for your photos, upgrading camera accessories can give you more options and opportunities when shooting.
Camera accessory must-haves
Camera bag
Camera bags are a necessity for avid photographers. These can help protect your camera and other accessories when you’re not using them. They come in many forms, ranging from small handbags to large backpacks designed to hold cameras and their accessories. Additionally, many photographers shooting in questionable conditions prefer weatherproof or waterproof backpacks. These can offer even more protection from the elements.
Tripod
Tripods are ideal for anyone shooting videos or photos. These devices let you place the camera in a fixed spot using a connection to the top surface of the tripod. This can be useful for using cameras with a timer, holding a steady angle for better still photos with a quick shutter speed or shooting video without having to worry about shaky hands.
Flash
Light plays a major role in photography, and locations that are even remotely dim can ruin your pictures. The most common solution is a flash, which lights up the area in front of the camera as the picture is being taken. A flash is an affordable camera upgrade that can give you the option to shoot in a much wider range of lighting conditions.
Other accessories
While camera bags, tripods and flashes are probably the most important camera accessories, you can find several other devices that will help improve your photography. You might also consider other lenses, straps or, for those shooting video with audio, camera microphones. Still, the number of camera accessories available is nearly endless, so it’s worth considering what devices might work best for the types of photos you’re hoping to shoot.
Best camera bags
Top camera bag
Tarion Pro Camera Backpack and Large Camera Bag With Laptop Compartment
What you need to know: This waterproof camera backpack has tons of space for a laptop and other camera accessories, and it even has a strap for carrying a tripod.
What you’ll love: This camera backpack has a huge capacity, offering enough room for one or two cameras and up to five lenses. It’s also completely weather resistant and includes a thick, protective pad lining, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your camera in transit.
What you should consider: Some buyers preferred regular pockets to these stitched-in pockets.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top camera bag for the money
Amazon Basics Large DSLR Gadget and Camera Bag
What you need to know: Although backpacks are usually preferred to smaller bags, this is a great budget option for those who only need minimal space for their cameras.
What you’ll love: This includes a basic set of Velcro handles and a comfortable shoulder strap. It also includes two exterior zipper pockets, a small sleeve for tablets and a few small interior pockets. It also has a stylish orange interior that most buyers love.
What you should consider: This doesn’t have enough room for those with multiple cameras and accessories.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best camera tripods
Top camera tripod
Vanguard Alta Pro 2-plus Aluminum Tripod With Grip Head and Multiangle Center Column
What you need to know: This premium tripod is versatile and features a super sturdy build with stability that won’t have you questioning your camera’s durability.
What you’ll love: Despite being a robust option, this tripod is super easy to set up. It’s compatible with an array of DSLR cameras from Sony, Nikon, Canon and other brands, and it only weighs 5.3 pounds, making it fairly easy to transport.
What you should consider: Some opted for Vanguard’s higher-end tripods rather than this one.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top camera tripod for the money
Amazon Basics 60-inch Lightweight Tripod With Bag
What you need to know: This is an affordable tripod option that doesn’t sacrifice reliability, offering a more durable construction than most at this price point.
What you’ll love: Buyers love this tripod’s price, but it also offers up to 6.6 pounds in camera weight and up to 60 inches of height. It also has two bubble view levels, and the head lets users tilt and swivel the camera at three angle points.
What you should consider: The bag for this tripod doesn’t have any protective padding.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best camera flashes
Top camera flash
Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT Camera Flash
What you need to know: This flash works with most Canon, Nikon and other-brand cameras. It’s suitable for shots up to 141 feet away.
What you’ll love: This flash uses AA batteries and features an easy-to-use control panel that most photographers can pick up quickly. It also includes a dot-matrix LCD and a multi-setting dial for optimal versatility.
What you should consider: This flash has limited functionality with non-Canon DSLR cameras.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top camera flash for the money
Powerextra Flash Speedlite Flash With 2.4G Wireless Trigger
What you need to know: This flash is more affordable than most, and it’s nearly universal when it comes to the camera brands it works with.
What you’ll love: This flash has 2.4G wireless connectivity and a remote control for wireless shutter triggering. It also has an adjustable for customizing the light’s angle and it has a dedicated hot shoe contactor.
What you should consider: A few Canon camera owners had trouble getting this flash to work.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Should you get an X Rocker gaming chair or a Razer gaming chair?
Any serious gamer knows they will only be comfortable in front of the TV or PC when sitting on a proper gaming chair. An office chair might be fine for short bursts, but it can’t compare to the technology in chairs dedicated to gaming.
The gaming chair is a relatively new invention, launching as a “world first” in 2006. Taking inspiration from racing car seats, several gaming accessory companies have put their own spin on the design. Razer has a vast selection of gaming peripherals, while X Rocker primarily focuses on gaming chairs. But how do the two brands stack up against each other?
X Rocker gaming chairs
X Rocker has a variety of gaming chairs, but the most popular are the floor rockers and the pedestal chairs. Its traditional gaming chairs are labeled as office chairs, so that could discourage players from taking a look. But there are three distinct styles.
X Rocker gaming chair pros
A wide selection offers you the choice of chair to suit your gaming style. The floor rockers and pedestal chairs are best for console gaming in front of a TV, while the traditional office chair model is perfect for computer players.
Even though there are only three gaming chair styles, the materials used are robust, and the padding is thick. The Agility model comes with an adjustable lumbar cushion, the Stinger is affordable, and the Echo XL is designed for heavy-duty use for long gaming marathons.
X Rocker gaming chair cons
The floor rockers and pedestal chairs, while useful for console gamers, are packed with gimmicky elements. For example, the Typhoon has Bluetooth connectivity to pair the seat with your console to use the four built-in speakers — but it needs to be close to a wall socket.
The office chairs lack padded armrests, and only one model comes with a lumbar cushion and head pillow.
Best X Rocker gaming chair
X Rocker CXR3 2.1 Dual Audio LED Gaming Chair
For an immersive experience, this gaming chair has two Bluetooth speakers built into the headrest, compatible with most gaming consoles and Bluetooth-enabled computers. It comes with a head pillow and an adjustable lumbar cushion. The armrests are adjustable in four directions, and the chair can recline to 150 degrees. The seating area and backrest are made from synthetic leather and double stitching.
Sold by Amazon
Worth considering for console players
X Rocker Gamma 2.1 Bluetooth Gaming Recliner Chair
This console gaming chair has sturdy upholstery on the seating area and backrest. The armrests are padded, and a cup holder is on one side. It comes with a lumbar cushion for added back support, and the headrest has some extra foam padding. On the side of the chair is a built-in control panel where you can adjust the volume, connect a wired headset and charge any USB devices.
Sold by Amazon
Razer gaming chair
Unlike X Rocker, which primarily focuses on chairs and gaming-related bedroom accessories, Razer makes a wide selection of gaming extras, such as headsets, keyboards and mice.
Razer gaming chair pros
Razer’s chairs generally have a striking design, and if you go for any of the black and green versions, Razer’s official color is used for the stitching, while in other versions, the stitching is black. Tapping into Razer’s affinity for predatory animals, the backrests have a textured feel, resembling a snake’s scales.
The padding is relatively thick, and the synthetic leather is durable and easy to clean. Depending on the model, Razer’s motto, “For gamers. By gamers.” is embroidered onto the front of the seat.
Razer gaming chair cons
A regular sponsor of international gaming events, Razer is well-known in the industry. The wide selection of durable products has won several awards, but it comes at a price. Diversifying inventory is great for the bottom line, but that doesn’t leave much room for innovation. For example, Razer only lists two chairs on its website.
Best Razer gaming chair
Razer Enki All-Day Gaming Comfort
The Enki is Razer’s newest gaming chair and features an Alcantara dual-density cushioned backrest and seat, with synthetic leather for the trims. The shoulder arches extend to 100 degrees, and the seating area is 21 inches wide. The chair reclines up to 152 degrees.
Sold by Amazon
Should you get an X Rocker or Razer gaming chair?
Razer and X Rocker have similar pricing for their office gaming chairs, and neither seems to inflate the value. However, the built-in speakers on the X Rocker come across as a gimmick rather than an actual selling point. If it didn’t have those, it might cost $100 less.
On the other hand, neither of Razer’s chairs come with a head or lumbar pillow. However, the material, stitching, and additional trimmings of Razer’s offerings feel more durable and have a great aesthetic.
So it actually might be an excellent strategy for Razer to have a minimal model selection, as it can invest more time and money into perfectly fine-tuning the two chairs. In X Rocker’s case, mass production brings down the chair’s price, but it offers little that other manufacturers such as Respawn and GT Racing don’t.
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/gaming-accessories-br/x-rocker-gaming-chair-vs-razer-gaming-chair/ | 2022-08-19T01:39:23Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/gaming-accessories-br/x-rocker-gaming-chair-vs-razer-gaming-chair/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Big Ten’s new $7 billion media rights deal will string the conference’s top football games across three major networks each week, creating an NFL-style television schedule on Saturdays.
The Big Ten announced Thursday it has reached seven-year agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC to share the rights to the conference’s football and basketball games.
The deals go into effect in 2023, expire in 2030 and eventually will allow the conference’s soon-to-be 16 member universities to share more than $1 billion per year, pushing the total value of the agreements past $7 billion, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Big Ten and network officials were not disclosing financial details publicly, but the deal is believed to be the richest ever on an annual basis for a college sports property. The large increase in revenue to the conference won’t kick in until the third year of the deal and gradually will increase over the final five years.
“I think what it does, it affords us the opportunity to make sure that we can continually do the things we need to do to take care of our student-athletes, to fortify our institutions, to build our programs,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren told the AP.
The deal sets a new benchmark in the college sports arms race, which is based heavily on TV money. The Southeastern Conference has a deal with ESPN that starts in 2024 and is also worth upward of $7 billion, but over 10 years. That deal was announced before the conference moved to expand to 16 schools with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma.
The Big Ten currently has 14 members, stretching from Rutgers and Maryland on the East Coast to Nebraska across the Midwest, and covering some of the biggest media markets in the country, including New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.
In 2024, Southern California and UCLA are scheduled to join the Big Ten, adding the Los Angeles market to its footprint.
Former Fox Sports President Bob Thompson said adding teams from the second-largest media market in the country (5.8 million homes) had to make the conference even more appealing to TV networks.
Plus, the West Coast schools should help increase what conference can make off its cable network in that part of the country.
“The economics of that alone are rather large,” Thompson said. “If you get 3 million people all of sudden get the Big Ten network as part of their expanded basic (cable package), that’s $3 million a month. Compared to what they had been getting which is like $3 million a year.”
With ESPN out of the equation for Big Ten football after a 40-year relationship, the league is set to lock down three prominent time slots with its network partners.
Fox, which has shared the rights to the Big Ten with ESPN since 2017 and owns a majority stake in BTN, will continue to feature noon Eastern time as its primary game of the day.
Fox and its cable network FS1 will have the rights to more than two dozen football games, at least 45 men’s basketball games and women’s basketball games.
CBS, starting in 2024, will replace the Southeastern Conference game of the week at 3:30 p.m. Eastern — that is moving to ABC — with a Big Ten game.
CBS will carry 14-15 Big Ten football games a season from 2024-29, including a Black Friday game. Unlike with its longtime SEC deal, CBS will not be guaranteed the first selection of football games each week with the Big Ten. Fox, CBS and NBC will hold a draft for games, allowing each network some opportunities for first selection in a given week.
In 2023, CBS will carry seven Big Ten games while it still has the SEC on CBS at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The network will continue to be the home of Big Ten men’s basketball, including the conference tournament semifinals and finals, and it will begin airing the women’s basketball tournament championship.
“When we did our financial analysis, and looked at the major markets — even before USC and UCLA — and the national footprint of the Big Ten, it was a very attractive deal for us,” said Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports. “And I think the money is fair. It’s unprecedented. They’re the largest deals in the history of college football.”
Starting in 2023, NBC will launch “Big Ten Saturday Night” in prime time and broadcast 15-16 games per season. The agreement with NBC also includes eight football games and dozens of men’s and women’s basketball games per season to be exclusively streamed on Peacock, the network’s online subscription service. NBC also has a separate, longstanding broadcast deal with Notre Dame, which remains unaffiliated with a conference.
Each network will air the Big Ten’s championship football game at least once during the length of the deals, with Fox securing the rights to four (2023, ’25, ’27 and ’29).
Warren spent more than two decades working as an executive in the front office of three NFL teams. He said the Big Ten’s vision for its new broadcast deal was modeled after an NFL Sunday, with three consecutive marquee games across three different networks, airing from noon to nearly midnight Eastern.
“I just thought where we were in the Big Ten, we had a very unique opportunity because we have the institutions that could do it,” Warren said. “We have the fan avidity. We have the breadth, we have the historical foundation, that we were in a position to really do something unique with three powerful brands in Fox, CBS and NBC.”
The Big Ten’s alignment with three traditional networks shows that while streaming might be the future, linear television is not dead.
“It may be dying in certain aspects. You could say things like scripted dramas. Sitcoms. But for sports and news, it’s never been stronger,” Thompson said.
“The conferences or leagues are a little reticent to make that big of a jump from the wide, wide distribution of broadcast television,” he added. “Now you’re going to jump to the streaming service, which in the big scheme of things, the numbers are still relatively small in terms of how many people watch and use them.”
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/b1g-deal-big-ten-lands-7-billion-nfl-style-tv-contracts/ | 2022-08-19T01:40:36Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/b1g-deal-big-ten-lands-7-billion-nfl-style-tv-contracts/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Keegan Bradley hasn’t been to the FedEx Cup finale in four years, and he started the BMW Championship on Thursday like he was in a hurry to get back.
Bradley matched a career low with a 29 on the front nine at Wilmington Country Club and finished with a 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead over Adam Scott.
Bradley is at No. 44 in the FedEx Cup and likely needs a top 10 — he hasn’t had one since the U.S. Open — to be among the 30 players who advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta to chase the $18 million prize.
He isn’t willing to consider the scenarios until it matters, which is Sunday. Until then, it’s all about try to do win a tournament, just like any week.
“My plan is I’m going to go home and see my kids no matter what on Sunday night,” Bradley said. “I’d love to go to Atlanta. That’s everyone’s goal to start the year.”
Scott started the postseason at No. 77 and tied for fifth in the playoff opener last week just to make it to the second stage. Now he’s at No. 45, giving him a chance. It also meant being paired with Bradley, and they put on quite a show. They combined for 15 birdies.
“He played beautifully today, and I was really just trying to follow his lead,” Scott said. “He kind of had everything going the way he wanted, and most of the time he was teeing off first and I was just trying to follow.”
PGA champion Justin Thomas put a different putter in the bag and responded with a 66 to leave him in the group with former British Open champion Shane Lowry and Harold Varner III.
Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa led the group at 67.
Rory McIlroy was the only player from the afternoon who looked to challenge Bradley, and he was doing just that at 6 under with four holes to play. But then he was between clubs on the par-3 15th, tried to hit a soft cut with a 5-iron and put his tee shot into he water. He took three putts from just short of the green, missing a 3-footer, and made triple bogey.
McIlroy was in the group at 68 that included Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay, who won the BMW Championship last year an hour down the road at Caves Valley on his way to capturing the FedEx Cup.
McIlroy was able to accept one bad swing that cost him three shots, especially having missed the cut last week in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
“Overall the rest of it was pretty good,” he said. “I knew once I got here last weekend, I knew it was a golf course that was going to suit me better than last week. … Pleased with my game. Disappointed with how I finished, but encouraged with the rest of it.”
The course is new to everyone — Delaware has never hosted a PGA Tour event — though Bradley has reason to feel right at home. He won the BMW Championship in 2018 some 20 miles away at Aronimink when he was No. 52 in the FedEx Cup, sending him to Atlanta.
The courses are nothing alike. If anything, Wilmington reminds several players of a “big brother” to Caves Valley, about the same length (7,534 yards) except playing to a par 71.
Find the fairway, fire at the flag. Miss the fairway, and it’s all about trying to get into position. It doesn’t always work out that way, and Schauffele is thankful for that.
He pulled his tee shot so far left on the par-5 14th that he was in shaggy round just in front of the on No. 3. He could see a portion of the green between a television tower, some video equipment and the trees. Schauffele got line-of-sight relief, and his drop happened to be on one of the forward tees. He belted a 3-wood onto the green for birdie.
Will Zalatoris won his first PGA Tour title last week at an ideal time, moving to the top of the FedEx Cup standings. Three holes into the BMW Championship, he went bunker to rough to bunker and then three-putted for a double bogey.
He rallied with four birdies on the back and escaped with a 70. Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world coming off a missed cut, still felt scrappy but holed enough putts for a 69.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/bradley-off-to-fast-start-in-bid-to-make-fedex-cup-finale/ | 2022-08-19T01:40:51Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/bradley-off-to-fast-start-in-bid-to-make-fedex-cup-finale/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Players from Saudi-funded LIV Golf who have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour will be waiting nearly 16 months for the case to go to trial.
U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman on Thursday set the trial for Jan. 8, 2024.
Depending on whether LIV attorneys proceed with a preliminary injunction — the judge said she had room on her schedule in late September or early October — that means PGA Tour players who have been suspended for signing with the rival league could go through another year of not being allowed at PGA Tour events.
Freeman last week denied a temporary restraining order sought by Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones who wanted to compete in the PGA Tour’s postseason.
LIV attorneys had wanted a trial date for Aug. 7, 2023, arguing the case needed to be expedited. PGA Tour attorneys said it was not reasonable to adequately prepare and noted it coincided with the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs and make it difficult for PGA Tour Commissioner and other executives whose testimony likely would be required.
Freeman set a July 23, 2023, date for summary judgment, at which point the tour is likely to ask that the case be dismissed.
The lawsuit was filed two weeks ago by 11 players, although Carlos Ortiz has asked that his name be removed from the lawsuit and LIV attorneys indicated it would need discovery material from nine players, indicating another might have dropped out of the lawsuit.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/judge-sets-january-2024-trial-for-liv-golf-suit-against-tour/ | 2022-08-19T01:41:45Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/judge-sets-january-2024-trial-for-liv-golf-suit-against-tour/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A bubble-breathing lizard, shelter-seeking elephants and a ravenous bat are just a few of the images in a spectacular showcase of nature's weird and wonderful creatures unveiled in this year's BMC Ecology and Evolution Image Competition.
But it's the photo of a "zombie" fungus-infected fly that has been crowned the overall winner in the nature journal's second annual contest.
The striking scene captured by Spanish photographer Roberto García-Roa, from the University of Valencia, was of the fruiting spores of a parasitic fungus erupting from the body of a fly in the Tambopata National Reserve, in Peru.
The image "depicts a conquest that has been shaped by thousands of years of evolution," García-Roa said in a news release.
"The spores of the so-called 'zombie' fungus have infiltrated the exoskeleton and mind of the fly and compelled it to migrate to a location that is more favourable for the fungus's growth," he said. He added that the fruiting bodies of the fungus will later be jettisoned to infect more victims.
Christy Anna Hipsley, a senior editorial board member at the journal, and one of the competition's judges, likened the image to something observed in "science-fiction."
"It illustrates both life and death simultaneously as the death of the fly gives life to the fungus," she said.
Winners and runners-up were also selected in four categories: relationships in nature, research in action, biodiversity under threat and life close up.
Among the winning images was US photographer Brandon André Güell's picture of gliding treefrog embryos developing within their eggs in the Osa Peninsula, in Costa Rica, during an explosive breeding event following a rainstorm.
The competition was created to give ecologists and evolutionary biologists the opportunity to celebrate their research creatively to emphasize the need to protect nature, organizers said. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/stunning-images-of-natures-weird-and-wonderful-unveiled-in-photo-competition/article_98fd5e8c-e23b-5a85-9a9c-d4c27325fc7a.html | 2022-08-19T01:41:51Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/stunning-images-of-natures-weird-and-wonderful-unveiled-in-photo-competition/article_98fd5e8c-e23b-5a85-9a9c-d4c27325fc7a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kimi Raikkonen retired to Switzerland at the end of last year’s Formula One season and has blissfully spent the last eight months with his young family.
Did he miss racing?
“Not really, no,” the 2007 F1 champion said.
Yet here he is, not even a full year into retirement, and Raikkonen will race again.
Raikkonen will race Sunday at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York in — and this isn’t a typo — a NASCAR event. The driver known as “The Iceman” for his unintentionally droll demeanor was persuaded to get back behind the wheel by TrackHouse Racing and its ambitious, purpose-driven Project91 program.
Project91 was created to raise NASCAR’s worldwide profile with top drivers from other formulas by Justin Marks, the 41-year-old former driver and now co-owner of NASCAR’s hot, new winning team. He was prepared to personally fund the debut race at Watkins Glen, a road course where TrackHouse should compete for the win.
Tops on Marks’ list of prospects was Raikkonen, who had previously competed in both an Xfinity Series and Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway during one weekend in 2011, the season Raikkonen took a one-year sabbatical in his 19-year F1 career. There was some bemusement over Raikkonen’s mere presence in NASCAR’s hotbed, but the most memorable part of his brief NASCAR career was that he was sponsored by Perky Jerky.
Even so, Raikkonen was interested when first presented this NASCAR offer. Marks then sealed the deal in February by traveling to Raikkonen’s home in Switzerland to make his pitch in person to the Finnish driver.
“I had to find somebody that would give immediate legitimacy to it and be interested in doing it. And to me, really quickly, it was Kimi,” Marks said. “The genesis of Project91 was just my desire as a race fan to see cool things happen in racing. A Formula One driver coming to NASCAR and being competitive at the Cup level is a cool thing and if we were going to launch this thing, obviously we needed somebody relevant globally to set it off.”
Marks has not divulged what it cost to hire Raikkonen for one race; he joked once that the trip to Switzerland was “expensive” and last week deadpanned Raikkonen was drawing a $1 million salary before insisting he was joking.
Either way, the No. 91 Chevy picked up two sponsors to pay for some of Project91 in Recogni and iLOQ, a pair of technology companies.
In an interview with The Associated Press, the 42-year-old Raikkonen admitted he casually follows NASCAR and has been intrigued by the stock car series for more than a decade. He had hoped to also run a Cup Series race back in 2011, but it never happened and he returned to F1, where he won the final three of his 21 career victories over the following decade.
Raikkonen was intrigued by both NASCAR and its new Next Gen spec car, which debuted this year and equalized the competition among the elite top teams including, well, the upstart TrackHouse Racings of the garage. TrackHouse has three Cup wins in its second season and both Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez are qualified for the playoffs.
“I think any time there’s an equal chance to win in a series it is nice, I think it’s good, and what I heard when I talked to people about the new car is that it is pretty even with everybody,” Raikkonen told AP. “It’s still a learning phase for all teams with the new car.”
This project was announced in May, long before TrackHouse was officially considered a good, championship-caliber team, but Raikkonen said he was convinced by Marks during their meeting. Marks’ entryway to Raikkonen’s home was via a mutual close friend.
Even as he hopped the globe for F1’s schedule in the 10 years since his two-race NASCAR foray, Raikkonen always kept an eye on the series. So he knew a new car was coming when he met with Marks, who he said “was very honest” about his intentions for the program and TrackHouse’s capabilities.
“I think he came as a very honest and straightforward guy and nobody has promised any big thing,” Raikkonen said. “The only thing we can do is do our best and hope we get a good result. You never know, any category or any racing you choose, you just never know what will happen. And so I trusted what he was saying and they’ve been doing pretty well. In NASCAR, it can easily happen.”
Raikkonen said he has had several offers to race in the last eight months, but that Marks’ is the only one “that so far I’ve said yes.”
He’s enthused in part because he gets to do something brand new and experience it with his wife and two young children, who have occupied his time in retirement. He said finally having a traditional schedule has allowed for expanded family time and a summer spent on holiday around Europe.
He brought “The Ice Cubes” to the United States after three days with TrackHouse spent at the shop, the Chevrolet simulator and then a NASCAR-sanctioned test at Virginia International Raceway. The family met in New York City and will travel this weekend upstate to prepare for Sunday’s race.
His son, who is seven, is now racing in both go-karts and motocross, but he said his 5-year-old daughter has less interest in the sport. He wasn’t quite sure what either knows about NASCAR.
“I haven’t asked them, they’ll figure it out,” Raikkonen said.
Project91 hopes to give international drivers a chance to run designated Cup races and a NASCAR-record seven countries will be represented Sunday. He agrees with the concept of Project91 to open opportunities for international drivers curious about the top motorsports series in the United States.
“I’m pretty sure there might be some phone calls to Justin already,” Raikkonen said of interested drivers. In fact, Marks has had early talks with eager four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, who wants to run next year’s Daytona 500; Marks has said Project91 must complete its debut race before it can thoroughly discuss future events.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for drivers from Europe because it’s not very easy to come from Europe to the U.S. to race,” said Raikkonen. “People can get challenges and maybe they can come here and have a long future because it is a good sport. I think it is great what Justin is doing.”
___
More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/kimi-raikkonen-hits-pause-on-retirement-to-race-nascar/ | 2022-08-19T01:41:59Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/kimi-raikkonen-hits-pause-on-retirement-to-race-nascar/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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