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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah high school athletics association secretly investigated a female athlete — without telling her or her parents — after receiving complaints from the parents of two girls she had defeated in competition questioning whether the girl was transgender.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday that the Utah High School Activities Association and the girl’s high school determined she indeed was female after poring through her school records dating back to kindergarten.
Association spokesman David Spatafore told lawmakers that the girl and her family weren’t told of the investigation to spare them embarrassment and “to keep the matter private,” the Tribune reported.
The revelation came as at least 12 Republican-led states — including Utah — have passed laws banning transgender women or girls in sports. Supporters of the bans say transgender girls have an unfair advantage because they were born as stronger males and could deny girls places on sports teams.
There have been almost no cases of potential competitive advantages in K-12 sports in states passing the bans, including Utah. The state’s ban is being challenged in state court.
Spatafore told a legislative hearing on transgender athletes Wednesday that the parents of the second- and third-place finishers in a competition last year filed a complaint with the association after the girl won first place in an event “by a wide margin,” the Tribune said.
The girl’s school reviewed her high school record and determined she was registered as female. The Utah high school association asked the school to “double check,” Spatafore said, and officials contacted her middle and elementary schools to review files.
“The school went back to kindergarten,” Spatafore said, “and she’d always been a female.”
Spatafore declined to reveal the student’s grade, school or sport to protect her identity. He said the student and her family were not told about the investigation because it might be offensive to them and that the parents would have been contacted “if needed.”
Spatafore also said the association has looked into other complaints involving transgender athletes in its efforts to comply with the Utah law, which went into effect in July. Some complaints include “when an athlete doesn’t look feminine enough,” he said. None of the complaints have been verified.
Lawmakers didn’t question the process during the hearing, the Tribune reported.
Sue Robbins, of the Transgender Advisory Council of Equality Utah, said the association should publicly adopt a policy spelling out how and when it may investigate student records.
“Where does the UHSAA get their authority to go investigate?” Robbins said. “We warned about this being a possibility, that everyone would accuse everyone who is successful of being transgender. … It becomes about judging women’s bodies. And no body is safe.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican whose veto of the ban earlier this year was overridden by the Legislature, said Thursday that the parents’ complaint about the girl who was investigated had crossed a line.
“My goodness, we’re living in this world where we’ve become sore losers, and we’re looking for any reason why our kid lost,” he said. He said he supports fairness in sports but that “making up allegations like that are pretty disturbing to me.”
Before the ban, Utah had one registered transgender female athlete competing last year on a high school girls’ team, Spatafore said.
In a lawsuit, three transgender girls and their parents claim the outright ban passed by the Republican-majority Utah Legislature wrongly keeps their children from participating in the sports.
Their attorneys argue it violates provisions of the state constitution that prohibit discrimination and guarantee equal rights and due process. | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/utah-officials-secretly-looked-into-female-athletes-gender/ | 2022-08-19T01:42:49Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/utah-officials-secretly-looked-into-female-athletes-gender/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Reserve Bank of New Zealand once again hitting the media with remarks.
- there is a severe lack of labour resources
- rate signals have been well received by the market
- wants the OCR clearly above neutral
- household & business balance sheets in good shape
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is indicating higher rates are still to come in their battle against inflation in the country.
There are another two meetings to come this year with more rate hikes: | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/rbnz-governor-orr-says-he-wants-the-cash-rate-ocr-to-be-clearly-above-its-neutral-level-20220819/ | 2022-08-19T01:44:32Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/rbnz-governor-orr-says-he-wants-the-cash-rate-ocr-to-be-clearly-above-its-neutral-level-20220819/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Almighty Allah declares about man and time in the Holy Qur’an Dhar, 76:1-3: “Has there not been over man a long period of time, when he was nothing— (not even) mentioned? Verily We created man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So, We gave him (the gifts) of hearing and sight. We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will). Indeed, in that are surely signs for everyone who is patient and grateful.”
Truly, the ‘Ashura Day of Blessings is unique from the outset of history. According to Imam Al-Ghazali, writing in his Mukhashfa al-Qulub, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) was asked why the day of ‘Ashura was considered so noble. Umar (RA) listed a few events which had taken place on ‘Ashura: Allah created the skies and earth on this day, along with the Preserved Tablet; Allah created Angel Jibril (AS); Allah created Adam (as), as well as Hawau (AS); Allah created Jannah; Allah enabled Adam (as) to live in Jannah; The first rain to fall on earth was on ‘Ashura. Therefore, since before the beginning of human history, ‘Ashura has been filled with significant events.
Also, it was on ‘Ashura Day that Nuh and his people descended from the Ark occasioned by the flood that perished the idolaters. Nuh (AS) was a truly amazing person. For around 950 years, he called his people to Allah, yet in all that time, only a small group of people believed him. The rest of his people were filled with enmity and hostility towards him.
In Nuh’s own words, as related by Allah in Qur’an 71:5-12), “He said, ‘My Lord, indeed I invited my people (to truth) night and day. But my invitation increased them not except in flight. And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with (great) arrogance. Then I invited them publicly. Then I announced to them and I (also) confided to them secretly. And I said, Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send (rain from) the sky upon you in (continuing) showers, and give you increase in wealth and children, and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.’”
In these beautiful words, Nuh (AS) invited his people to the forgiving and generous Lord, both publicly and individually, yet they rejected him. For almost a thousand years, he appealed to their hearts and minds to recognise the truth of Allah’s grandeur, yet they hated him and ridiculed him.
Finally, Allah ordered Nuh (as) to build an ark and afterwards sent a flood upon the earth, which only the passengers of the ark survived. The waves were as high as the mountains and the rain fell for months. Eventually, Allah stopped the rain and the earth swallowed the water.
According to Al-Jilani, other Prophets (AS) also went through significant events on ’Ashura, including Prophet Adam (AS). Allah accepted his repentance, and He forgave Adam (AS).
Qur’an 7:19-25 attests: “O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the garden and enjoy (its good things) as ye wish but approach not this tree or ye run into harm and transgression. Then began Satan to whisper suggestions to them bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before). He said, ‘Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest ye should become angels or such beings as live forever’. And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser. So, by deceit he brought about their fall. When they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: ‘Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy unto you?’ They said: ‘Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls. If Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy mercy, we shall certainly be lost’. (God) said: ‘Get ye down with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling place and your means of livelihood for a time. Therein shall ye live and therein shall ye die; but from it shall ye be taken out (at last).’”
Moreover, it was on ‘Ashura Day God saved Prophet Ibrahim (AS). Allah extinguished the fire he was thrown into by King Namrood’s subjects. Qur’an 21:69 confirms: “We said, ‘O Fire! Be thou cool, and (a means of) safety for Abraham!.’”
Furthermore, Prophet Ayyub (AS) was healed on ‘Ashura Day. Almighty Allah released him from the long test which he had borne patiently with constant faith, even as he lost his family, his health and his wealth (Qur’an 6:84; 21:83-84; 38:41-44).
Qur’an 21:83-84 affirms: “And (remember) Job, when he cried to his Lord, ‘Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are merciful’. So, We listened to him. We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number, as a grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration for all who serve Us.”
Truly, Prophet Sulayman’s (AS) prayers were answered on ‘Ashura Day for unsurpassed blessings. Almighty Allah gave him a vast kingdom, which none after him has ever had. He could command the winds, and his army consisted of men, jinn, birds and animals (Qur’an 38:30-40; 27:18-19, 22-44).
Qur’an 38:34-40 upholds: “And We did try Solomon. We placed on his throne a body (without life) but he did turn (to Us in true devotion). He said, ‘O my Lord! Forgive me and grant me a kingdom which (it may be) suits not another after me for Thou art the Grantor of bounties (without measure)’. Then We subjected the wind to his power, to flow gently to his order, whithersoever he willed, as also the evil ones iIncluding) every kind of builder and diver,as also others bound together in fetters. Such are Our bounties whether thou bestow them (on others) or withhold them, no account will be asked. And he enjoyed, indeed, a near approach to Us, and a beautiful place of (final) return.”
Indeed, Prophet Yunus (AS) was forgiven and saved from the belly of the whales on ‘Ashura Day. Almighty Allah took him out of the belly of the whale and forgave his people for their previous disobedience (Qur’an 4:163; 6:86; 10:98; 37:139-148; 21:87; 68:48-50).
Qur’an 21:87-88 confirms: “And remember Ẓun-nun, when he departed in wrath. He imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried through the depths of darkness, ‘There is no god but Thou. Glory to Thee. I was indeed wrong!’ So, We listened to him and delivered him from distress and thus, do We deliver those who have faith.”
And Prophet Isa (AS) was saved from being crucified on the cross, as Almighty Allah raised him to the heavens on ‘Ashura Day of Blessings (Qur’an 3:55-58; 4:157-159).
The Holy Qur’an 3:55-58 attests: “Behold! God said: ‘O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith to the Day of Resurrection; then shall ye all return unto Me and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute. As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help. As to those who believe and work righteousness God will pay them (in full) their reward but God loveth not those who do wrong. This is what We rehearse unto thee of the signs and the message of wisdom.”
Thus, Allah tested his Prophets (AS) on ‘Ashura, and blessed them, and saved them, and forgave them, and took them back to Him. He (SWT) favoured them in all these ways, for even His tests are a favour and a blessing, as the Prophet (saw) said, “When Allah loves a servant, He tests him” [Tirmidhi]. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ashura-night-of-blessings-ii/ | 2022-08-19T01:44:32Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ashura-night-of-blessings-ii/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New Delhi: In an interim relief to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a status quo by making it clear that the Delhi High Court-appointed three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) will not take charge of the sports body.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and C T Ravikumar gave the order after it took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the IOA, that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not recognise any un-elected bodies like the CoA and consequently, India may be barred from taking part in international sports events.
Earlier in the day, Mehra had sought an urgent hearing and said the appointment of the CoA may lead to the IOA's suspension by the world sports body like it happened in the case of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The AIFF was on Tuesday suspended by the FIFA due to "undue influence from third parties".
"The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is a unit of the International Olympic Committee and they have their own rules and according to them, if any national-level body like petitioner IOA here is represented by a non-elected body then it is treated as a third party interference, the law officer said during the hearing.
Every country is bound by the rules of the international body, Mehta said, adding that the high court's intervention may or may not be for valid reasons which can be gone into by the bench at a later stage.
But the moment they (CoA) take over, India stands almost 99 per cent chance of being suspended from participating in any Olympic and international event, the solicitor general said.
The CJI said that Justice Hima Kohli, the third judge of the bench, did not want to hear this case which originally arose from the Delhi High Court's order. Justice Kohli was earlier a judge of the Delhi High Court.
The law officer said the interim relief can be awarded by the two judges on the bench.
"The counsel for the petitioner (IOA) as well as the solicitor general submitted that by virtue of the present order (of the high court), there is a possibility of India losing the chance of participation in the Olympic and all international events...
"We direct the parties to maintain the status quo. It is made clear that the charge is not handed over to the CoA. We direct the matter to be listed before an appropriate bench on Monday (August 22)," the bench said in its order.
As a result of the apex court order, the Delhi High Court-appointed COA comprising former Supreme Court judge Justice Anil R Dave, former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi and former Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup will not be able to take over the affairs of the IOA.
The Delhi High Court on August 16 ordered the setting up of a three-member CoA to manage the affairs of the IOA.
The high court had said the "persistent recalcitrance" of the IOA to comply with the Sports Code made it imperative that its affairs be put in the hands of the CoA.
The high court had directed the executive committee of IOA to forthwith hand over the charge to the newly appointed committee and said that the members of the CoA will be assisted by three eminent sportspersons, namely, Shooter Olympian Abhinav Bindra, Long Jump Olympian Anju Bobby George, and Archer Olympian Bombayla Devi Laishram.
The IOA is recognised by the IOC as the National Olympic Committee for India.
The high court, which considered in detail the issues concerning the tenure of office bearers and voting rights, struck down the post of Life President and any such permanent post for an individual in the IOA for being illegal, and said the maximum term for the President and likewise to all Office Bearers and members of the EC has to be limited to 3 tenures as per the law.
It had said that sportspersons, both men and women, should be included in the general and executive committees of the sports body.
The high court's order was passed on a petition by senior advocate Rahul Mehra seeking strict compliance by the IOA and the National Sports Federations with the Sports Code and judicial dicta.
The history of persistent recalcitrance of the IOA for almost half a century to comply with the Sports Code, despite its consistent assurance to the Government, the societal concerns, and the larger public good, make it imperative that the IOA's affairs be put in the hands of a Committee of Administrators (CoA) it had said.
Accordingly, persons of eminence from the fields of law, public administration, elections, and international relations are appointed as members of the CoA, to be assisted by eminent sportspersons, as Consultants, the court had ordered.
It had directed the centre to not grant recognition or facilities to any sports bodies that do not comply with the sports code and further called for the implementation of structural reforms to remove the mismanagement in the sports bodies and to democratize these institutions. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/08/18/supreme-court-order-indian-olympic-association.html | 2022-08-19T01:48:12Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/08/18/supreme-court-order-indian-olympic-association.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Authorities confirmed there were "multiple casualties" after two planes crashed mid-air over the Watsonville Municipal Airport Thursday afternoon, city Fire Department Division Chief Rudy Lopez told CNN.
A single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340 collided during their final decent into the airport, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. One person was on board the Cessna 152 and two people were on board the Cessna 340, the FAA statement said.
No one was injured on the ground, the FAA added.
The report came in just before 3 p.m., according to a Twitter post from the city, which added "multiple agencies" were reporting to the incident.
The city of Watsonville is about an hour south of San Jose.
Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, the FAA statement said. In a post on Twitter, the NTSB confirmed it was investigating the mid-air collision.
It is not clear what caused the two planes to collide.
This story is developing and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/multiple-casualties-reported-after-two-planes-collide-over-california-airport-authorities-say/article_365deedf-72fe-53a4-82bb-2835994b6b70.html | 2022-08-19T01:49:47Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/multiple-casualties-reported-after-two-planes-collide-over-california-airport-authorities-say/article_365deedf-72fe-53a4-82bb-2835994b6b70.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lou Lamoriello went into the offseason with a mandate. He fired Barry Trotz, a popular head coach who had taken the Islanders to two straight conference finals before a disappointing 2021-22 season.
Lamoriello, the Islanders’ president and general manager, talked about improving the blue line and making a “hockey deal” to bolster the forward group. His objective was clear, leading the Islanders out of the morass into which they had slipped last season.
It’s now mid-August and most of the NHL’s business before training camp has been long concluded. The last big name on the market, Nazem Kadri, signed with the Flames on Thursday morning. The Islanders have made one addition that we know of: Alexander Romanov, a raw but promising defenseman for whom Lamoriello dealt his first-round pick on the draft floor six weeks ago.
Losing out on Kadri, who had been linked to the Islanders by SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman and by fans hoping that Lamoriello’s unusual silence meant he was trying to clear cap space, is only the latest disappointment. That letdown stems from the Islanders’ omerta regarding transactions, which led portions of their fan base to believe a deal with the former Avalanche center was done when no credible reporting indicated that to be the case.
Barring a completely unforeseen trade — which can never be ruled out with Lamoriello — the Islanders’ top-six in 2022-23 will look … exactly like their top-six last season, when they ranked 22nd in the league in scoring.
Maybe things will turn around with the roster as is and a season unimpeded by the long road trip and COVID-19 outbreak that affected the Islanders at the start of last season. Maybe Anthony Beauvillier or Oliver Wahlstrom will take the next step forward. Maybe new head coach Lane Lambert will unlock something Trotz couldn’t in this team.
Those are a lot of maybes for a team that believes itself to be a Stanley Cup contender.
At this point, the most viable free agent the Islanders could add is Massapequa’s Sonny Milano, who had 34 points for Anaheim last season playing alongside Trevor Zegras. Milano would probably be on the third line in the Islanders’ depth chart right now. There is not an obvious trade candidate for Lamoriello to go after, at least at the moment. Most likely, the Islanders will bring to training camp what they currently have.
“We’ll be as active as we can to make us better,” Lamoriello said during the draft, regarding his approach to free agency. “Whatever we need to do, we’ll do to make us better. But remember, it takes two to make a transaction.”
Six weeks later, the roster is in essence the same, and a team that struggled to fill its brand new arena for much of last season will need to find a way to explain to fans how this is going to work.
Lamoriello might not care what anyone else thinks, but there is no team in the league for which a fast start will be more important when games get underway in mid-October. If the Islanders play anything like they did during the 37-35-10 disaster last season, it will not take long for hope to dissipate.
Mathew Barzal’s pending restricted free agency following the season hangs over all of this, as there is no player the Islanders could less afford to have spurn them.
If the Islanders indeed prove that last season was an aberration, as they seem to believe, then all of that will cease to matter. Good teams have a way of making problems go away.
If not, though? Something will have to give. And soon. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/islanders-nazem-kadri-miss-leaves-a-lot-of-maybes/ | 2022-08-19T01:51:47Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/islanders-nazem-kadri-miss-leaves-a-lot-of-maybes/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
We get it, you’re busy. So, the Convene editors have curated the latest tips and trends in the world of work for you. Take a look at what caught our eye this past week.
CEO Posts Crying Selfie on LinkedIn After Laying Off Employees — and It Goes Viral
Braden Wallake, the CEO of marketing company Hypersocial, wanted to show people that “not every CEO out there is cold-hearted,” but many saw the post as out-of-touch. CNBC has the story.
How to Answer “Why Do You Want to Work Here?”
Of all the interview questions job applicants prepare for, the most obvious ones sometimes get the least attention. Yes, you came ready to share your biggest flaw, your greatest strength, a moment when you shined, and a concept you learned, but what do you do with a broad but direct question like “Why do you want to work here?” Harvard Business Review offers three strategies for answering this common interview question and provides sample answers for you to use as a guide.
WTF Is Quiet Quitting (and Why Is Gen Z Doing It)?
Move over rage quitting — “quiet quitting” is the latest workplace phenomenon, according to WorkLife. It may sound like the act of someone silently resigning, but it actually refers to the rejection of “hustle culture” — the expectation to go above and beyond in your job, rather than simply doing the requirements of the job.
‘Habit Stacking’ Is the Simple Mind Trick for Making a New Routine or Ritual Stick
Developed by self-help author S.J. Scott in his book Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less, “habit stacking” says that you only need to find one thing you regularly do by default in order to build an entire tower of routine practices. Well+Good has more on the concept, along with tricks you can use to implement a new routine into your personal or professional life. | https://www.pcma.org/career-advice-news-ideas-20220819/ | 2022-08-19T01:53:14Z | pcma.org | control | https://www.pcma.org/career-advice-news-ideas-20220819/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Meeting attendees who come to Tampa Bay will discover a culture as layered as its famous Cuban sandwich.
Invented in Ybor City—Tampa’s picturesque Latin Quarter—the Cuban sandwich represents the immigrant groups who moved to Tampa at the turn of the 20th century, when it was the Cigar Capital of the World. Just as the neighborhood was a cultural melting pot, the sandwich deliciously combines ingredients from the immigrants’ home countries—Spain (ham), Italy (salami), Germany (mustard and pickles), and, of course, Cuba (the bread and the pork).
Attendees can immerse themselves in Ybor City’s rich history by strolling its brick-lined streets, taking a cigar-rolling class at the J.C. Newman Cigar Company, and enjoying a Cuban sandwich at the Columbia Restaurant—the world’s largest Spanish restaurant and the oldest restaurant in Florida.
And attendees will find that Tampa Bay continues to build on its proud heritage of being a welcoming and diverse destination.
“I am proud to say that our destination was founded on the very principle of diversity and inclusion,” says Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “Our core mission has always been to inspire all travelers to love Tampa Bay, no matter their age, gender, race, sex, religion, orientation, or socio-economic background.”
Tampa has a perfect score of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, demonstrating the city’s inclusive LGBTQ+ policies. The Visit Tampa Gay guide highlights the area’s many LGBTQ+ friendly events and activities.
Tampa Bay is also on the forefront of accessible travel. Visit Tampa Bay makes it easy for meeting planners to find attractions and experiences that are accessible for people of all abilities.
Click here to learn more about planning your next meeting in welcoming and inclusive Tampa Bay, or contact a VTB representative. | https://www.pcma.org/diverse-multicultural-tampa-bay-is-a-welcoming-destination-for-all/ | 2022-08-19T01:53:20Z | pcma.org | control | https://www.pcma.org/diverse-multicultural-tampa-bay-is-a-welcoming-destination-for-all/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Shura Garnett has spent more than three decades rising through the ranks of the venue management industry, going from overseeing facilities the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, Missouri, to overseeing entire portfolios of venues for Spectra (acquired by Oak View Group in 2021). Today, Garnett is senior vice president of convention centers for OVG360, a division of the Oak View Group dedicated to full-service venue management and event programming for arenas, theaters, convention centers, and amphitheaters throughout the U.S.
Along the way, Garnett has accumulated a lengthy list of industry awards and risen to leadership positions, including becoming one of the first handful of women elected to chair of the board of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) — an honor she says is one of her career highlights. In her interview below, Garnett recounts her career journey — including the more recent, tougher moments of the pandemic — and shares her advice for young people just starting their own.
I tell people I just raised my hand and said ‘I’ll do it’ for the first 15 years of my career.”
What do you think is the biggest challenge confronting the industry right now?
I think right now it is staffing and rising costs. We are starting to see events come back and spend on the incline, but still not at pre-COVID levels. We’ve traditionally been an industry of long hours and days of working when most people are playing. Many of our industry’s hourly and mid-manager-level employees just exited the industry entirely. Now we are having to pay premium wages through temporary staffing agencies, and we are still short-staffed. Add the increased cost of staffing to increased cost of food, services, and supplies, and eventually either the venue or the meeting planner is the one absorbing those costs. As a result, we are all trying to figure out how to do it cheaper without compromising on quality.
The meetings and events industry has taken many twists and turns over the last two years. Can you talk a little bit about how you have weathered that personally and from a leadership perspective?
I think my experience through COVID was different from many people. I traveled through mid-March [of 2020], stayed isolated for April and May, then the first week of June 2020 through May of 2021 I traveled 46 out of 52 weeks and continued to travel weekly. In the last two years, I have onboarded six new convention centers — that is why I traveled so much. In one instance, this meant having to furlough half the staff in the first two weeks, and another where I had a new venue with only one full-time and one part-time employee. With all our venues working with very limited staff and resources, keeping people motivated and making them feel appreciated was key and it still is.
Are there ways in which you found yourself thinking differently as a result of the ongoing challenges to the industry?
I hope I [was] acting with more empathy, gratitude, tolerance, and flexibility. Empathy towards others in whose lives I impacted with the furloughs. That was not a position I wanted or any of us wanted to find ourselves. Gratitude that I worked for OVG and they had a commitment to maintaining normalcy in the workforce. Tolerance and flexibility towards others with differing points of views, priorities, and thoughts that were different from mine.
Where is there room for improvement in terms of equity in leadership in venue management?
We still don’t have enough female leadership at the executive level. When I first started in venue management in 1988, we had about a 10-percent representation in membership of female leaders within IAVM. From 2006 to 2007, that number rose to 16 percent, and today that number is 34 percent, so we are seeing great strides and improvements in this area!
Can you share a moment that you think was your biggest career highlight? Biggest learning moment?
It is so hard to narrow down to one as I have been so blessed in my career with many highlights! I think it was being nominated and elected to chairman of the board for the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) by my peers. I was only the fifth or sixth female to lead the organization in its then 86-year history. I followed Robyn Williams, [then president], and for the first time [IAVM] had two back-to-back female leaders. Since that time, our diversity of leadership has changed dramatically and we are seeing more and more women and people of color acting as leaders within the organization.
During my three-year leadership commitment leading up through my year as chair, I had the privilege of traveling around the world to visit our members abroad as well as those in North America, speaking to them about our industry and organization, implementing many new initiatives, and learning from all of them.
My biggest learning moment would have been from 2006 to 2008, when I chaired the Diversification Committee, and subsequently facilitated the diversification sessions at our annual conference. Learning how broad diversification is and hearing other people’s stories about their life experiences and how they overcame certain challenges was both humbling and inspiring. Today, I still participate in what is now [IAVM’s] Diversity & Inclusive Leadership Committee.
What’s the best piece of advice you were given in your career journey?
There are two that come to mind, and both really helped shape me into the leader I am. Don’t be a bull in a china shop. When I first became a general manager, I thought there was an expectation that I needed to have a thought on every topic and subject that came up. I learned that being a thoughtful listener was even more important, whether it is listening to an event planner talk about the needs of their event so that you can execute it flawlessly or what their budget is or what is most important to the success of their event so you can prepare a thorough proposal. The second was join a professional organization and get involved. The first one I joined was IAVM and it was a career changer for me.
Worst?
I think it was just the implication that I lived and worked in a man’s world and that is just how it was. I remember when Robyn Williams and I broke the glass ceiling of a man’s industry by becoming the first sequential female president and chair of the board for IAVM. I remember how empowered I felt when I fought for salary equality with my male counterparts and received it. So, while it is still predominantly a man’s industry, it doesn’t have to stay that way.
What advice do you have for young people entering the industry right now?
Join a professional organization like PCMA and IAVM and get involved in it. Volunteer every opportunity you get. I tell people I just raised my hand and said “I’ll do it” for the first 15 years of my career. Seek out continuing education opportunities and certifications. Find a mentor and stay connected with them. Many organizations have mentoring programs and will help match you with someone. If you have the opportunity to gain experience in areas outside your field of expertise, take them and expand your experience base. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, as it is just part of the learning process. Lastly, have fun along the way!
Jennifer N. Dienst is senior editor at Convene. This interview has been edited and condensed for brevity.
More Women Leaders
Find more stories from Convene Senior Editor Jennifer N. Dienst’s continuing series on women leaders at convention centers. | https://www.pcma.org/ovg360-shura-garnett-breaking-glass-ceilings/ | 2022-08-19T01:53:23Z | pcma.org | control | https://www.pcma.org/ovg360-shura-garnett-breaking-glass-ceilings/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Your colleagues are on the move, find out who is going where.
Marie E. Scalia
Destination Cleveland has selected Marie E. Scalia as its next chief marketing officer. Scalia most recently served as vice president of integrated marketing for the organization. Over the past eight months, she led the finalization of the Cleveland visitor brand refresh and marketing campaign development and launch. Scalia joined Destination Cleveland in 2012 as a marketing manager and was a key player in the city hosting events like the 2016 Republication National Convention and 2021 NFL Draft.
Sheila Alexander-Reid
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) has announced Sheila Alexander-Reid as the new executive director of PHL Diversity. In this role, Alexander-Reid will oversee PHL Diversity’s efforts to promote Philadelphia as an inclusive, welcoming destination for meetings and events. In 2015, Alexander-Reid was appointed by Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser as executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Affairs. She was instrumental in the city’s successful fight for marriage equality and served on a policy committee advising the Biden-Harris campaign. Most recently, Alexander-Reid served as a senior vice president, business development at BiasSync, a firm that helps organizations more effectively assess and manage unconscious bias in the workplace.
David Kuznick
Spiro has appointed David Kuznick as its global chief financial officer. He will hold a strategic role on Spiro’s executive team, aiding the company’s rapid disruption response and future growth trajectory, as well as leading Spiro’s finance team. Previously, Kuznick held executive roles at MC2 and FoodPrep Solutions.
Lorne Edwards
Visit Phoenix has named Lorne Edwards, previous senior vice president of sales and services, as its new chief sales officer. Edwards joined the Visit Phoenix team in 2012 as the director of sales. Under his leadership, the Visit Phoenix sales teams have consistently met or exceeded production goals and introduced innovative programs and business development strategies. Before joining Visit Phoenix, Edwards spent more than 16 years with Hyatt Hotels Corporation in sales leadership roles.
Michelle Shockley
Explore St. Louis has hired Michelle Shockley as its new national convention sales manager. Shockley will concentrate on contract management and new business growth in this position to help Explore St. Louis bring conventions to the region. She will also focus on establishing AC Next Gen, an enlargement and improvement of America’s Center. Most recently, Shockley was a travel clinic manager at Milan Laser.
Scott Craighead
Visit Albuquerque has named Scott Craighead as the organization’s new vice president of sales, services, and sports. Craighead most recently worked for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), where he served as vice president of exhibitions and events, as well as the vice president for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research. In his new role, Craighead will be responsible for generating qualified meeting, convention, sports, and group tour leads. He will guide the collective destination team to turn leads into definite business for Albuquerque and help groups create successful meetings.
Vinnie Polito
The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) has announced Vinnie Polito as its next CEO, with his firm VP International chosen to take over as the management company for the organization. Polito and VP International will formally take the helm in January 2023. | https://www.pcma.org/people-on-the-move-20220819/ | 2022-08-19T01:53:25Z | pcma.org | control | https://www.pcma.org/people-on-the-move-20220819/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ethereum SHA Transpire? Ethereum Fat Toe is one with cryptographic proof by which ECD signatures. What Ethereum transaction will change once PoWI (post-IWPoWI? We don- ECC/ECFS signatures as a solution for low level transactions (machining oracles). COOPERSVILLLE, Mich. — Katie Ann Mikula calls the past few days stressful.
“There’s no closure, there’s no nothing,” said Mikula. “I will never look at a missing flyer again and not share it, not pass it on because it’s tough, it’s hard.”
Mikula’s brother, Erik Johnson, 28, went missing on Saturday.
According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office he was last seen near Ottawa and Pine Streets in Coopersville around 5 p.m.
READ: Ottawa County deputies seek missing Coopersville man
Mikula says he was waiting for their other sister to pick him up and give him a ride to their parents’ house near Crockery Lake.
However, she could not find him when she arrived. Johnson’s family thinks he may have decided to walk home on his own.
“He has some mental issues,” said Mikula. “We think he wasn’t in a good frame of mind and when he gets like that he just paces, so we assume that he obviously called her, dropped the location, paced, said he was somewhere else, then continued to pace.”
Johnson is described as being 5’9 and 170 lbs with a shaved head, red beard, and blue eyes. He does not have a car and his cell phone is believed to be dead.
OCSO does not suspect foul play.
Mikula says it's unlikely her brother would harm himself.
The search for Johnson has spanned from the wooded areas near The Depot to Deer Creek at Center Street.
On Thursday, Michigan State Police flew their helicopter, but did not find anything.
Mikula says with nearly all of the city now searched, they are asking people to look in any outbuildings they own. She explains since they fall on people’s private land, search teams cannot check themselves.
“Cars, motor homes, travel trailers, barns, sheds,” said Mikula. “There’s a lot of houses in that area, a lot of outbuildings, and we need help. We need everybody to look.”
She calls it a simple gesture that can possibly bring her family answers.
“If this was your son, if this was your brother, your nephew, your best friend, you would want the same thing to happen,” said Mikula. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/lakeshore/ottawa/we-need-help-west-michigan-family-still-searching-for-family-member | 2022-08-19T01:54:37Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/lakeshore/ottawa/we-need-help-west-michigan-family-still-searching-for-family-member | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Tags and tags to find, but still having doubdt - HelpMeIfYouWill.. - GITA (Google Information Technology Alternate Career-1(www).com)..HelpMeIf...Helpful!\nHope it may help others and this site users have not the \"Prem Peshani' or\"Glomedia\" experience from \"Rick Ross\". Please comment back if have same information' s!\nRap Genius' 'Astro': NEW YORK (AP) — The newest meme stock on Wall Street, Bed Bath & Beyond, tumbled even further in after-hours trading Thursday after a high-profile activist investor confirmed that he's bailed out of the stock.
Ryan Cohen, the co-founder of Chewy who helped ignite a couple of meme stocks to jaw-dropping heights, confirmed in a filing with U.S. regulators that he no longer owns any shares or options related to Bed Bath & Beyond's stock.
The move disappointed hordes of smaller-pocketed and novice investors, who had piled into the stock amid hopes Cohen could turn around the company's struggling finances, or at least send its stock on a moonshot like GameStop's early last year.
Bed Bath & Beyond's stock dropped 42% in after-hours trading, after it had already sank nearly 20% during the regular session to close at $18.55. The steep drop follows a monstrous run from $5.77 at the start of the month to $23.08 on Tuesday, which Wall Street analysts saw as irrational.
Cohen sold all of the nearly 7.8 million shares he held in Bed Bath & Beyond on Tuesday and Wednesday at prices between $18.68 and $29.22. He also sold options tied to the stock. In March, he first revealed that he had built a nearly 10% stake in Bed Bath & Beyond, with shares purchased at prices between $13.08 and $17.10.
Investors on Reddit's WallStreetBets forum, a hub of discussion for the stock, were trying to gauge their next steps in what one commenter called "BLOOD BATH AND BEYOND."
"How many times are 'meme traders' going to keep mindlessly gambling on false prophets instead of actually learning how to invest and trade?" one commenter wrote.
Cohen was a big reason many investors piled into Bed Bath & Beyond, particularly after his earlier investment in GameStop helped that stock soar to heights that stunned all of Wall Street. As Bed Bath & Beyond's stock kept going higher in recent days, many voices on Reddit and other social media sites urged other investors to keep buying. Along the way, some reveled in facing down the professional investors who had bet Bed Bath & Beyond's stock would fall.
Despite all the furor, Bed Bath & Beyond continues to lose money as it struggles to navigate the post-pandemic retail landscape.
Bed Bath & Beyond fired CEO Mark Tritton in June after the company, based in Union, New Jersey, reported a 25% drop-off in sales in its most recent quarter, which followed a 22% sales decline the previous quarter. Tritton, who as CEO of Target revitalized that retailer by introducing a bevy of new brands, laid out a similar plan for Bed Bath & Beyond in 2021, but with less success. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/bed-bath-beyond-tumbles-after-influential-investor-exits | 2022-08-19T01:54:43Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/bed-bath-beyond-tumbles-after-influential-investor-exits | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NEXSTAR) – Following a sweeping move to forgive $3.9 billion in federal student loan debt for 208,000 borrowers defrauded by ITT Technical Institute earlier this week, the Biden administration has now approved $32 billion in loan forgiveness.
The loan discharge, announced Tuesday, applies to any federal student loans borrowers received to attend ITT between January 2005 to the institute’s closure in September 2016. The Department of Education had previously decided to forgive student loans for borrowers who attended ITT due to the school’s “widespread and pervasive misrepresentations related to the ability of students to get a job or transfer credits.” ITT had already been accused of lying about the “programmatic accreditation” of its associate nursing degree.
With this latest discharge, the Biden administration has approved nearly $32 billion in student loan forgiveness for over 1.6 million borrowers.
Students defrauded by their school have received the most relief. One million borrowers have received $13 billion in debt discharge under the Biden administration. This includes forgiveness for students of ITT, Corinthian Colleges, Marinello Schools of Beauty, DeVry University, Westwood College, and the Minnesota School of Business/Globe University’s criminal justice programs. If you believe your school misled you or engaged in misconduct, here’s how to file a report with the Federal Student Aid office.
Another $9.6 billion has been forgiven for roughly 175,000 borrowers who qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Commonly referred to as PSLF, this program provides loan relief for those working in public service after they’ve made a set number of payments on their qualifying loans.
A temporary waiver set to expire at the end of October has suspended some of the program’s requirements, expanding debt relief access to borrowers who may not have qualified before. As many as nine million public service workers may qualify for PSLF, a recent report found. Here’s how to determine if you qualify.
More than 425,000 borrowers have received $9 billion in student debt relief through total and permanent disability discharges, the Education Department said earlier this week. To identify eligible borrowers, officials use existing data from the Social Security Administration. Details about how to show that you qualify for a TPD loan discharge can be found here.
The federal student loan payment pause is set to expire in less than two weeks. While it is clear President Joe Biden is nearing some sort of decision on student loans, it’s not clear what that decision will entail or when he will announce it.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Tuesday that he could not outline any of President Biden’s potential plans regarding federal student loans but that “borrowers will know directly and soon from us when a decision is made.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/student-loan-forgiveness-who-is-eligible-for-32b-approved-by-biden-admin-so-far/ | 2022-08-19T01:56:55Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/student-loan-forgiveness-who-is-eligible-for-32b-approved-by-biden-admin-so-far/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The consensus box of Del Mar picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Terry Turrell and Eddie Wilson. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Friday, August 19, 2022.
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We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/18/del-mar-horse-racing-consensus-picks-for-friday-august-19/ | 2022-08-19T02:09:37Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/18/del-mar-horse-racing-consensus-picks-for-friday-august-19/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Florida-based company that was paid millions of dollars to collect signatures for the campaign to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón this week blamed organizers for their failure to qualify an election, insisting “they have no one to blame but themselves for this disaster.”
David Leibowitz, a spokesman for Let The Voters Decide, claimed the recall committee failed to heed the advice of petition circulation experts, ultimately tanking the recall effort.
“This could not have been handled more like amateur hour,” Leibowitz said. “These consultants made poor decisions and ignored solid advice at every turn. You name it, they did it, from collecting signatures on the cheap to failing to pay their bills, to expensive direct mail that failed, to having zero clue how to verify signatures for submission. They have no one to blame but themselves for this disaster.”
Let The Voters Decide, which is suing the recall campaign over nearly $500,000 in unpaid bills for signature gathering, also alleges consultants for the recall committee paid themselves more than $400,000 in the first half of 2022 for the “chaotic event.”
“When the history of this campaign is written, it will be a failure nearly as shocking as George Gascón’s massive failure to enforce the law and protect the good people of Los Angeles,” Leibowitz said. “This should never have happened.”
Herculean task
Experts, however, cited the herculean task of collecting 566,857 valid signatures to qualify the recall election for the ballot. Though organizers turned in petitions containing 717,000 signatures, county elections officials this week said they fell 47,000 short of the number required. Signatures from unregistered voters were the main culprit.
By comparison, the successful recall campaign that ousted progressive San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin in June needed just 51,325 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
The sheer size of Los Angeles County, which has a population larger than that of 40 states, makes the logistics of a successful recall effort difficult, said veteran Los Angeles political consultant Matt Klink, who turned down a request to spearhead an earlier, aborted Gascón recall campaign because it was a partisan, grassroots effort.
“It’s easy until you have to do it,” Klink said. “As unpopular as Mr.Gascón is, the bar is still high and it should be difficult.”
Finding signature collectors skilled at persuading voters to endorse ballot measures — even when they involve polarizing figures like Gascon — is challenging and costly.
Millions spent on petitions
Campaign finance records show the Gascón recall committee spent about $4.8 million — of which $4.3 million went to Let The Voters Decide — to circulate the recall petitions. That equates to $9.22 for each valid signature. In 2021, the average cost per required signature on referendums nationwide was $14.74, according to Ballotpedia.
“People have other things on their minds, so you have to make it (the initiative) rise to the top,” Klink said. “Most voters may believe it’s not that important, so you have to have people go in and make it important.”
That the campaign flopped is not that surprising, he said, “because most recall efforts fail, either to get enough signatures (for a referendum) or lose at the ballot box. You are under intense pressure in a recall. They were probably rushed and didn’t properly check everything.”
The Los Angeles County registrar-recorder/county clerk reported that the disqualified signatures on the Gascon petitions included 88,464 from unregistered voters, 43,593 duplicates, and 32,187 from individuals who provided a different address than that listed on voter registration records.
Organizers of the recall effort launched their campaign in late January after the county approved their petition, giving them about 160 work days to meet the signature requirement.
“No one ever has collected this many signatures over such a short period of time on a per capita basis,” said Tim Lineberger, a spokesman for the Recall District Attorney George Gascón campaign. “It’s unprecedented.”
Lineberger believes Los Angeles County voters grasped the importance and urgency of removing Gascon from office, but said qualifying the recall for the ballot was still a heavy lift.
“The message resonates significantly, but getting people to fill out petitions perfectly as required and return them is challenging,” he said.
Several challenges
Aaron Green, a political consultant who wasn’t involved in the campaign but has managed successful ballot measures in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, said the Gascon recall effort likely faced several hurdles.
“The recall campaign ran into challenges on several fronts, including a tight labor market for paid signature gatherers (and) an overall sense of political exasperation amongst voters who were being asked to sign yet another petition in front of their grocery store,” he said in an email.
The lawsuit filed by Let the Voters Decide alleges the recall committee “lowered the price they were willing to pay signature collectors during a time” when the market demanded an increase, according to City News Service. The committee’s “failed strategic decisions” caused the signature collecting to fall behind schedule, Let the Voters Decide alleged.
Lineberger described the lawsuit as frivolous but declined to elaborate. He is satisfied with the financial support the Gascón recall effort has received and how the campaign money has been spent.
“The outpouring of support from both sides of the political aisle is yet another indication of how badly people want Gascón gone,” he said. “His dangerous policies and social experiments are putting everyone at risk. It’s not a partisan issue.”
Bipartisan donations
Despite being described as a movement by “fringe conservatives,” financial records for the recall effort showed Democrats contributed roughly $1.3 million in the attempt to topple Gascón. Republicans still make up the majority of the contributions, however, according to to an analysis by the Southern California News Group, which looked at each donor’s history of political contributions to determine their likely political allegiance.
Of the $7.6 million reviewed, $4.1 million came from individuals or companies who typically donated to conservative candidates, the data showed. The nearly $1.3 million contributed by Democrats includes well-known fundraisers, companies and left-leaning committees.
Political committees tied to law enforcement agencies contributed about $1.1 million of the total haul, while the remaining $1 million came from sources who had either donated evenly to Republicans and Democrats, or who did not have clear political affiliations.
Two Republican megadonors and real estate moguls, Geoffrey Palmer of Beverly Hills and Gerald Marcil of Palos Verdes Estates, covered about a third of the campaign’s funding on their own. As the two highest contributors, Palmer and Marcil donated $1.6 million and $1 million, respectively.
The third highest contributor, Douglas Emmett Properties, is a real estate investment company run by Chief Executive Officer Jordan Kaplan, who has donated to various Democratic parties across the country in the last two years.
Douglas Emmett not only contributed $500,000 directly to the Gascón recall effort, but the company waived $211,000 as the campaign’s landlord, according to the campaign filings. Other prominent Democrat donations included $150,000 from Hudson Pacific Services, led by Victor Coleman, who previously made sizable donations to the DNC and Gov. Gavin Newsom; and $100,000 from prominent Democrat fundraiser Ron Burkle.
Kaplan and Douglas Emmett Management did not respond to requests for comment.
Political action committees tied to the Professional Peace Officers Association, Association of L.A. Deputy Sheriffs and the Los Angeles Police Protective League gave $500,000, $300,000 and $200,000, respectively.
The bipartisan support for recalling Gascón has less to do with party politics and more to do with how his performance is perceived, Green said.
“Historically, with incumbent district attorneys, voters first ask themselves if they think the district attorney is doing a good job and keeping their families safe, and party affiliation comes second,” he added. “It’s clear that there is a constituency of Democratic voters who don’t like the job District Attorney Gascón is doing.”
Elise Moore, a spokesperson for Gascón, said Californians don’t like recall elections, adding that the campaign to oust the district attorney was likely harmed by an endorsement from controversial Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
“But at the end of the day, the district attorney’s biggest and most important supporters stood by him and that means a lot to voters,” Moore said.
The fight may not be over yet. Officials with the recall effort are considering a possible legal challenge to the petition signature results, according to the committee’s spokesman.
“We are concerned about any voters who are registered and having their signatures not counted,” Lineberger said.
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We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/18/finger-pointing-erupts-among-backers-of-gascon-recall/ | 2022-08-19T02:09:43Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/18/finger-pointing-erupts-among-backers-of-gascon-recall/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When interest rates are rising, it’s natural to look to bank stocks. In this piece, we used TipRanks’ Comparison Tool to analyze two of America’s biggest banks — JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Goldman Sachs (GS). Both banks look attractive based on two different valuation metrics, but their earnings numbers show why GS outranks JPM.
However, widespread concerns that a recession is right around the corner have weighed on investor interest in the financial industry despite the rapidly rising rates. After all, when recessions occur, demand for mortgages and auto loans drops while debt defaults rise.
Thus far, Wall Street is struggling, but Main Street and the American consumer appear to be in good shape. Generally, consumers’ financial health shows signs of flagging when a recession is imminent, so it might be a good time to look at bank stocks.
Competing Forces for Bank Stocks
In 2021, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs both rose steadily as investors generally rotated into value stocks. In the case of bank stocks, many investors were expecting the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates, which it started to do in early 2022. However, when the Fed finally started raising rates, some troubling signs started to appear, including inflation rates that were at 40-year highs.
Talk about the possibility of a recession grew as the year went on. By July, the S&P 500 bank index was down 25% for the year, compared to the S&P 500’s (SPX) 19% decline.
Investors unloaded bank stocks rapidly due to concerns that the Fed’s aggressive rate hikes would lead to a recession. While the U.S. did record its second consecutive quarter of declining GDP, it might not be a bad time to start thinking about bank stocks, which generally look cheap right now.
JPMorgan Chase
With a price-to-book ratio of 1.4x and a P/E of 9.6x, JPMorgan Chase sits at an attractive valuation. The bank’s most recent peak occurred at the end of 2020, when it was around 16x. Even during the brief pandemic-era recession, JPMorgan notched a P/E of 9.4x, and the bank’s P/E was 7.8x when the federal funds rate averaged a yield of 0.1 in 2011 after the Great Recession.
A look at JPMorgan’s second-quarter earnings results demonstrates that the consumer looks healthy while Wall Street is struggling. Average loans from JPMorgan’s Asset & Wealth Management division rose 11% year-over-year and 1% sequentially, while average deposits increased 22%.
On the other hand, gross investment banking revenue from its Consumer Banking division tumbled 32% to $788 million. The segment also recorded a 7% increase in average loans year-over-year and 4% sequentially. Average deposits in the division rose by 4%.
It’s important to note that JPMorgan’s Consumer and Community Banking division is its largest source of revenue, generating $12.6 billion in revenue during the second quarter. Despite the recession concerns, that was only a slight decline from last year’s second quarter at $12.76 billion. However, JPMorgan’s Asset and Wealth Management division still managed to grow its revenue year-over-year, coming in at $4.3 billion versus $4.1 billion a year ago.
Unfortunately, the bank missed the consensus estimates for its earnings per share and revenue for the first and second quarters. This could be why it’s down significantly more than Goldman Sachs year-to-date.
For the second quarter, JPMorgan reported earnings of $2.76 per share on $30.72 billion in revenue, compared to the consensus of $2.89 per share on $31.82 billion in revenue. Shares of JPMorgan are off about 23% this year, although they’ve gained about 8% in the last month.
Is JPM Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
JPMorgan Chase has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 10 Buys, seven Holds, and one Sell assigned over the past three months. At $138.33, the average JPMorgan Chase price target implies upside potential of 13.7%.
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs looks cheaper than JPMorgan by some measures, which makes it slightly more attractive. The firm’s P/E currently stands at around 7.4x, and its most recent peak was in December 2020 at about 15x. Goldman Sachs’ P/E is currently rather low compared to its history. In the three years leading up to its peak at 26x in early 2018, the firm’s P/E generally hovered between 10x and 13x.
The firm’s price-to-book value is now at around 1.1x, making it even more attractive than JPMorgan. Goldman Sachs’ price-to-book value bottomed out at around 0.9 in July after declining steadily since August 2021. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs shares are off about 7% year-to-date but up about 20% in the last month, demonstrating significantly greater confidence among investors.
As far as earnings, the firm beat the consensus estimates for earnings per share and revenue in the first and second quarters. For the second quarter, Goldman Sachs reported $7.73 per share in earnings on $11.86 billion in revenue, compared to the consensus numbers of $6.61 per share on $10.69 billion in revenue.
Goldman gets a larger chunk of its revenue from Wall Street activity, but, like JPMorgan, it also displayed strength in its Consumer division. The firm’s Consumer & Wealth Management reported record quarterly net revenues of $2.18 billion for the second quarter, a 25% year-over-year increase.
Goldman reported a 32% increase in Global Markets revenue, which rose to $6.5 billion. Even revenue in Equities rose, climbing 11% year-over-year to $2.86 billion. All in all, there was little to dislike about the second-quarter print.
What is GS Stock’s Price Target?
Goldman Sachs has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 14 Buys, three Holds, and zero Sells over the last three months. At $394.27, the average Goldman Sachs price forecast implies upside potential of 11.2%.
Conclusion: Goldman Sachs Looks Cheaper Than JPMorgan
While the possibility of a recession occurring can’t be entirely discounted, bank stocks do look discounted compared to historical valuations. Digging deeper into the numbers reveals that consumers remain in good shape, although Wall Street is struggling due to negative investor sentiment, something that can easily be fixed. Overall, Goldman Sachs had a stronger second-quarter earnings print than JPMorgan Chase. Also, Goldman’s P/E and price-to-earnings ratios show that the stock is cheaper than JPMorgan’s.
As a result, while both banks might make good investments as interest rates rise and investors await an economic recovery, Goldman Sachs looks a bit better than JPMorgan Chase. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/jpmorgan-vs-goldman-sachs-which-bank-stock-is-better | 2022-08-19T02:14:02Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/jpmorgan-vs-goldman-sachs-which-bank-stock-is-better | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New tech repair shop provides fast fixes for phones, tablets, laptops and more
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new electronics repair shop, Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions™, has opened in southwest Las Vegas at 7645 South Rainbow Blvd. The store offers professional fixes for most consumer electronics, from smartphones, tablets and computers to game consoles, smart speakers, drones and more.
While common repairs include cracked screens, battery issues and water damage, the company's repair experts have fixed millions of devices and can help with most any tech mishap, and many basic repairs can be completed in 45 minutes or less.
The store is locally owned by Joe Westling and Daniel McDonald, who own an additional location in northern Las Vegas.
"We're looking forward to expanding the Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions footprint in Las Vegas," said Westling. "It is a joy working with a team that not only cares about satisfying customers, but ensuring everyone stays connected with the help of reliable and affordable device repairs."
The store's expert repair technicians fix all kinds of technology, regardless of make or model, and the store is an authorized repair provider for Samsung Galaxy® and Google Pixel™ smartphones. Customers can book a repair appointment online or stop by the store for walk-in service. The store offers free, no-obligation diagnostics on all gadgets, as well as a 1-year limited warranty on all repairs. It even offers a price match guarantee on any local competitor's regularly published price for the same repair.
The new Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions store brings the company's retail footprint to more than 750 locations across the U.S. Formerly known as uBreakiFix®, all U.S. locations are rebranding as Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions.
"We are excited to serve people in Las Vegas with fast and affordable tech repair," said Dave Barbuto, CEO of Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions. "We all rely on our phones and laptops more than ever before, and our mission is bigger than repairing shattered screens and broken charge ports. We fix tech because people depend on it to stay connected to things that are important to them. I look forward to serving this community through our new location."
The new store is located at:
Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions
7645 S Rainbow Blvd Suite 101, Las Vegas, NV 89113
(725) 269-3100
About Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions
Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions, formerly known as uBreakiFix, is the retail brand operated and franchised by a subsidiary of tech care company Asurion. As the world's leading tech care company, Asurion eliminates the fears and frustrations associated with technology to ensure its 300 million customers get the most out of their devices, appliances and connections. Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions stores specialize in the repair of consumer technology, including smartphones, game consoles, tablets, computers and nearly everything in between. Asurion Tech Repair and Solutions repair experts fix cracked screens, software issues, camera issues and most other tech mishaps at more than 750 stores across the U.S. The stores provide fast, affordable fixes for nearly any device type, regardless of make or model, including authorized repairs for Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
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VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (the "Kootenay") would like to clarify that the news release disseminated on August 12, 2022 headlined "Kootenay Resources Inc. Announces Private Placement financing of up to $800,000" is related to Kootenay Resources Inc. a private reporting issuer and is not related to the common stock of Kootenay Silver Inc. a TSX Venture listed company.
Kootenay Resources Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the exploration and discovery mineral projects in British Columbia, Canada and was formed as a spin-out of Kootenay Silver Inc. in which prospective Canadian assets were transferred to Kootenay Resources Inc. The transaction was completed in October 2021, Kootenay Silver Inc. currently holds ~3.2 million common shares of Kootenay Resources Inc.
Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico. Supported by one of the largest junior portfolios of silver assets in Mexico, Kootenay continues to provide its shareholders with significant leverage to silver prices. The Company remains focused on the expansion of its current silver resources, new discoveries and the near-term economic development of its priority silver projects located in prolific mining districts in Sonora, State and Chihuahua, State, Mexico, respectively.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: The information in this news release has been prepared as at August 17, 2022. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
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MADISON, N.J., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE: HOUS), a global leader in residential real estate services (formerly known as Realogy Holdings Corp.), this week announced that 49 of its affiliated agents have been featured on the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Top Producers list, spanning across the company's industry-leading brands including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, and Sotheby's International Realty®. In its second year, the list honors 236 individual member agents and teams, an increase of 20 percent over last year's inaugural list, which combined for 10,940 transaction sides in 2021 and $4.85 billion in volume.
"It's so gratifying to see the growth not only in the Anywhere representation on the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Top Producers list, but also of the list as a whole," said Sue Yannaccone, president and chief executive officer, Anywhere Brands. "The presence of more high-producing, influential LGBTQ+ agents and allies than ever is a measure of progress in the Alliance's mission to build a more representative and equitable real estate industry."
The 49 featured Anywhere-affiliated agents make up almost 21 percent of the list across brands including Sotheby's International Realty (19), Coldwell Banker (17), Century 21 (11), and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (2). Anywhere-affiliated agents represent the majority of the top 25 producing agents as measured by individual transaction sides.
Anywhere was a founding partner of the Alliance and a sponsor of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Top Producers list, which recognizes members who generated at least 25 transaction sides or $10 million in sales volume in 2021. Teams with leaders who are Alliance members also qualified with at least 40 transaction sides and $15 million in sales volume last year. RealTrends compiled the list for The Alliance utilizing its RealTrends + Tom Ferry America's Best Real Estate Professionals report, combined with member entries.
As one of the largest full service residential real estate services companies in the U.S., Anywhere is dedicated to creating a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is a vocal advocate for equal opportunity and fair housing. In June, the company officially completed its corporate rebrand from Realogy to Anywhere, signifying a strategic emphasis on building a more frictionless and digitized home buying and selling experience for any consumer, anywhere. The transformation also represents the company's mission to further move its culture and talent strategy into the future – empowering employees' growth anywhere in their career journey.
Read more about Anywhere and its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its 2021 CSR Report. For more information, please visit anywhere.re and follow Anywhere on social media by visiting its LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE: HOUS) is moving the real estate industry to what's next. As the leading and most integrated provider of U.S. residential real estate services encompassing franchise, brokerage, relocation, and title and settlement businesses as well as a mortgage joint venture, the Company supported approximately 1.5 million home transactions in 2021. The Company's diverse brand portfolio includes some of the most recognized names in real estate: Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Coldwell Banker Commercial®, Corcoran®, ERA®, and Sotheby's International Realty®. Using innovative technology, data and marketing products, high-quality lead generation programs, and best-in-class learning and support services, the Company fuels the productivity of its approximately 197,600 independent sales agents in the U.S. and approximately 140,600 independent sales agents in 119 other countries and territories, helping them build stronger businesses and best serve today's consumers. Recognized for eleven consecutive years as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, the Company has also been designated a Great Place to Work four years in a row, named one of LinkedIn's 2021 Top Companies in the U.S., and honored on the Forbes list of World's Best Employers 2021.
The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance is a 501(c)6 non-profit dedicated to empowering the LGBTQ+ community on the path to homeownership as we also advocate on behalf of the community on housing issues. The Alliance, founded in June 2020, is an all-inclusive organization that works to improve the professional lives of its members through a public-facing Alliance Referral Community. The Alliance began accepting members in October 2020 and has more than 2,600 members and dozens chapters in North America. It was named the 2022 Inman News Innovator of the Year in the MLS, Association, or Industry Organization category. For more information visit realestatealliance.org.
Media Contacts:
Brianna Patrizio
Brianna.patrizio@anywhere.re
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SOURCE Anywhere Real Estate Inc. | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lgbtq-real-estate-alliance-releases-second-annual-top-producers-list-featuring-49-anywhere-affiliated-agents/ | 2022-08-19T02:17:06Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lgbtq-real-estate-alliance-releases-second-annual-top-producers-list-featuring-49-anywhere-affiliated-agents/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement by Jen Judson, President of the National Press Club and Gil Klein, President of the National Press Club Journalism Institute marking 100 days since the killing of Al Jazeera Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was reporting from the field when she was shot.
"One hundred days after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh we still do not have justice for Shireen, and we do not think enough has been done to ensure safety for journalists currently working in Gaza and the West Bank.
We stand with Shireen's family and her colleagues at Al Jazeera calling for an independent investigation lead by the United States to determine facts related to the killing of this American citizen and veteran journalist. We appreciate the bipartisan support of members of Congress who are speaking out on this as well.
All known evidence points to the deadly shots being fired from an area where IDF forces were stationed and had control. There is no longer any suggestion that this was crossfire or suppressing fire or involved Palestinian fire of any kind. Secretary Blinken has recently asked to begin a process to renew safety measure related to IDF use of live fire. We applaud his efforts in this matter and are disappointed to read the initial push back from Israel.
We hope that all parties can agree that the best thing to do right now is to take the shooter off duty until an investigation can take place, and to also, as a precaution. Take from the field pending an investigation, the officer who approved the deadly shot. Allowing this team to remain on duty with live ammunition puts all journalists working in the field at great risk. For whatever reasons, they ignored clear markings that Shireen was press.
The Press Club announced earlier this month our plans to recognize Shireen August 31 at the National Press Club by presenting her family with The President's Award during our National Press Club Awards Dinner. We have learned today that the family will be represented by Lina Abu Akleh who will speak at the event after receiving the award for her aunt.
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members representing nearly every major journalism organization, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.
Contact:
Bill McCarren
wmccarren@press.org
(202) 662-7534
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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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WATSONVILLE, Calif. (AP) — 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 (61 meters) 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 (32 kilometers) 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 (97 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles. | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/officials-at-least-2-die-after-planes-collide-in-california/ | 2022-08-19T02:18:20Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/officials-at-least-2-die-after-planes-collide-in-california/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — After Terrence Hersey had a stroke on the way home from his railroad job in 2015, he underwent months of therapy to learn how to put words together in sentences and learn to walk again. He had to relearn how to get in and out of a car and how to dress himself before his doctors eventually cleared him to return to work with no restrictions.
That recommendation wasn’t good enough for Union Pacific. The railroad decided after reviewing Hersey’s records — but without a doctor’s examination — that he was unfit for his job overseeing inspections of stationary railcars in Chicago because of the risk he would become incapacitated.
“I had a doctor that cleared me, and then Union Pacific did not give me any kind of physical or anything. I felt tossed to the side,” said Hersey.
Without his job, his car was repossessed. He lost his house. He had worked on the railroad for more than 20 years, and finding a job that paid as well as Union Pacific was hard for the 50-year-old Hersey, who now drives a school bus. For his current job, he’s had no problem passing an annual medical test to retain his commercial driver’s license.
“I was a 20-year man and had worked my way up to being a supervisor and had some management opportunities that I could have reached out for. Now I’m making half the money I could make. It’s just like my whole world went upside down,” he said.
Hersey is among hundreds of Union Pacific employees who are fighting back with federal lawsuits after losing their jobs because of health issues. Although they make up only a small percentage of the railroad’s more than 30,000 employees, their cases could prove costly to Union Pacific and could hinder the companies’ efforts to fill scores of open jobs at a time when all of the nation’s railroads are dealing with worker shortages.
Former Union Pacific workers have filed at least 15 other federal lawsuits, and more than 200 other complaints are pending with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that are likely to turn into lawsuits. Seven other cases have been settled.
The lawsuits were originally going to be part of a class-action case filed by former employees, but a federal appeals court decided in 2020 that the complaints had to be pursued individually. The first few cases have now been tried and verdicts over $1 million have been issued in all three.
A spokeswoman for the EEOC said it can’t comment on whether it is investigating allegations against Union Pacific. However, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, Jim Kaster, said the EEOC has ongoing investigations of the railroad’s practices.
“What makes this case so egregious is the planning from the top down,” said Kaster, who helped handle the class-action case. “It is one thing for a rogue manager in a company to discriminate on the basis of disability. This case is different because this company targeted people with disabilities and disqualified them from working without even examining them and many times without even talking to them.”
By the railroad’s own count, UP said in arguments in the original class-action lawsuit that some 7,700 employees had to undergo what is called a “fitness-for-duty” review between 2014 and 2018. It’s not clear how many of those people were forced out by unworkable restrictions, but lawyers for the plaintiffs estimate nearly 2,000 people faced restrictions that kept them off the job for at least two years if not indefinitely.
Union Pacific policies say that anyone with more than a slight chance of “sudden incapacitation” shouldn’t work for the railroad because it’s dangerous. The railroad has vigorously defended its policy, arguing its strict rules are designed to protect its workers and the public from injury risks or environmental damage if someone suffers a health emergency that causes a derailment or other accident.
Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said the railroad strives to maintain an inclusive workplace, but “the Americans with Disabilities Act does not diminish Union Pacific’s commitment and obligation to maintain a safe work environment.”
“Union Pacific medical personnel who have a thorough understanding of a railroad’s unique operational requirements assess employees’ medical condition to determine if it prevents them from safely performing their essential job duties in accordance with our medical standards and obligations under the ADA,” Tysver said. “In addition, Union Pacific often engages third-party medical consultants to assist with medical reviews.”
Yet former workers claim Union Pacific is ignored their doctors’ advice and making their own determinations, often when doctors have said an employee is cleared to work.
The cases leave Union Pacific potentially facing more than $350 million in damages plus sizeable legal fees, and government regulators could impose additional penalties if they fault the railroad. That may not do much to dent the bottom line for a company that reported a $1.84 billion profit in its most-recent quarter, but the lawsuits could add to unrest among its current workers. UP workers are already upset that they haven’t had a raise since 2019 and that the railroad tightened its attendance policy, making it harder to take time off.
Federal law caps most damages in these disability cases besides lost wages at $300,000, but lawyers for the plaintiffs say the giant judgments, including a $44 million decision they won last year in Wisconsin, send a strong message that Union Pacific’s policy is flawed even if the penalty is reduced. In the Wisconsin case, a conductor with impaired hearing was forced out despite years of successful employment because he couldn’t pass a hearing test while wearing the company’s newly required hearing protection. The railroad wouldn’t consider alternative protective gear.
The cases all argue that Union Pacific discriminates against people with disabilities because of the way it disqualifies employees after they report certain health conditions, even if they have little bearing on whether an employee can safely do their job. Since 2014, the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad has required workers to report anytime they develop a heart condition, have a seizure or develop diabetes that needs to be treated with insulin. Union Pacific also routinely imposes restrictions on employees who fail a color vision test it designed and refuses to employ someone with a prosthetic limb regardless of how capable they might be.
When an employee or their supervisor reports a health condition, Union Pacific puts them on leave and demands they submit medical records that railroad doctors review to determine their suitability for work. The plaintiffs say the railroad usually makes its decision without doctors examining employees, and Union Pacific ignores the recommendations of doctors who are treating individuals and have cleared them to return to work.
An occupational medicine doctor who works with the plaintiffs, Kevin Trangle, said he doesn’t think UP’s policy is sound because it’s “more restrictive than necessary, and would tend to cause workers to be unnecessarily prevented from working.”
Rolando Vasquez said in one of the lawsuits he lost his job after he had a motorcycle accident because doctors put him on anti-seizure medication as a precaution. In response, the railroad imposed a series of restrictions that made it impossible for him to work as an electronic technician inspector in Del Rio, Texas, even though he’d never actually had a seizure.
In another case, a diesel electrician said he was treated as if he had a condition that causes seizures after he fainted once because he was dehydrated while battling an illness. The railroad ruled that Joseph Carrillo shouldn’t be allowed to operate any company vehicles, work around moving trains or hold any job that involved “critical decision making,” so his managers in El Paso agreed he could no longer repair locomotives.
J.J. Stover lost his job as a track inspector in Kearney, Nebraska, after having a dizzy spell at work because his doctors labeled the 2016 incident a mini stroke, or transient ischemic attack, even though he said all the tests they performed on him while he was hospitalized for more than three days came back negative and he hasn’t experienced any more dizziness.
Stover’s doctors said he could return to work just a couple weeks later. Shortly after that, the Army Reserves took his doctors’ word and sent him to Poland for several weeks of training, but Union Pacific spent nine months reviewing his records before deciding he shouldn’t be allowed to drive a railroad truck or work around the tracks.
“It’s just hard to understand,” Stover said.
Another one of the workers’ attorneys, Nick Thompson, said Union Pacific doesn’t seem to consider any mitigating details, and it applies the same restrictions to every worker that has a condition regardless of whether that person drives a train or digs a ditch to install a signal for the railroad.
“They treat every condition like it’s the worst version of that. If you pass out — regardless of the cause — they treat it for determining risk of future events as though it is an unmedicated seizure condition. That just doesn’t make any sense,” Thompson said. | https://www.wpri.com/business-news/disqualified-for-disabilities-railroad-workers-fight-back/ | 2022-08-19T02:19:07Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/business-news/disqualified-for-disabilities-railroad-workers-fight-back/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 36 |
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — After Terrence Hersey had a stroke on the way home from his railroad job in 2015, he underwent months of therapy to learn how to put words together in sentences and learn to walk again. He had to relearn how to get in and out of a car and how to dress himself before his doctors eventually cleared him to return to work with no restrictions.
That recommendation wasn’t good enough for Union Pacific. The railroad decided after reviewing Hersey’s records — but without a doctor’s examination — that he was unfit for his job overseeing inspections of stationary railcars in Chicago because of the risk he would become incapacitated.
“I had a doctor that cleared me, and then Union Pacific did not give me any kind of physical or anything. I felt tossed to the side,” said Hersey.
Without his job, his car was repossessed. He lost his house. He had worked on the railroad for more than 20 years, and finding a job that paid as well as Union Pacific was hard for the 50-year-old Hersey, who now drives a school bus. For his current job, he’s had no problem passing an annual medical test to retain his commercial driver’s license.
“I was a 20-year man and had worked my way up to being a supervisor and had some management opportunities that I could have reached out for. Now I’m making half the money I could make. It’s just like my whole world went upside down,” he said.
Hersey is among hundreds of Union Pacific employees who are fighting back with federal lawsuits after losing their jobs because of health issues. Although they make up only a small percentage of the railroad’s more than 30,000 employees, their cases could prove costly to Union Pacific and could hinder the companies’ efforts to fill scores of open jobs at a time when all of the nation’s railroads are dealing with worker shortages.
Former Union Pacific workers have filed at least 15 other federal lawsuits, and more than 200 other complaints are pending with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that are likely to turn into lawsuits. Seven other cases have been settled.
The lawsuits were originally going to be part of a class-action case filed by former employees, but a federal appeals court decided in 2020 that the complaints had to be pursued individually. The first few cases have now been tried and verdicts over $1 million have been issued in all three.
A spokeswoman for the EEOC said it can’t comment on whether it is investigating allegations against Union Pacific. However, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, Jim Kaster, said the EEOC has ongoing investigations of the railroad’s practices.
“What makes this case so egregious is the planning from the top down,” said Kaster, who helped handle the class-action case. “It is one thing for a rogue manager in a company to discriminate on the basis of disability. This case is different because this company targeted people with disabilities and disqualified them from working without even examining them and many times without even talking to them.”
By the railroad’s own count, UP said in arguments in the original class-action lawsuit that some 7,700 employees had to undergo what is called a “fitness-for-duty” review between 2014 and 2018. It’s not clear how many of those people were forced out by unworkable restrictions, but lawyers for the plaintiffs estimate nearly 2,000 people faced restrictions that kept them off the job for at least two years if not indefinitely.
Union Pacific policies say that anyone with more than a slight chance of “sudden incapacitation” shouldn’t work for the railroad because it’s dangerous. The railroad has vigorously defended its policy, arguing its strict rules are designed to protect its workers and the public from injury risks or environmental damage if someone suffers a health emergency that causes a derailment or other accident.
Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said the railroad strives to maintain an inclusive workplace, but “the Americans with Disabilities Act does not diminish Union Pacific’s commitment and obligation to maintain a safe work environment.”
“Union Pacific medical personnel who have a thorough understanding of a railroad’s unique operational requirements assess employees’ medical condition to determine if it prevents them from safely performing their essential job duties in accordance with our medical standards and obligations under the ADA,” Tysver said. “In addition, Union Pacific often engages third-party medical consultants to assist with medical reviews.”
Yet former workers claim Union Pacific is ignored their doctors’ advice and making their own determinations, often when doctors have said an employee is cleared to work.
The cases leave Union Pacific potentially facing more than $350 million in damages plus sizeable legal fees, and government regulators could impose additional penalties if they fault the railroad. That may not do much to dent the bottom line for a company that reported a $1.84 billion profit in its most-recent quarter, but the lawsuits could add to unrest among its current workers. UP workers are already upset that they haven’t had a raise since 2019 and that the railroad tightened its attendance policy, making it harder to take time off.
Federal law caps most damages in these disability cases besides lost wages at $300,000, but lawyers for the plaintiffs say the giant judgments, including a $44 million decision they won last year in Wisconsin, send a strong message that Union Pacific’s policy is flawed even if the penalty is reduced. In the Wisconsin case, a conductor with impaired hearing was forced out despite years of successful employment because he couldn’t pass a hearing test while wearing the company’s newly required hearing protection. The railroad wouldn’t consider alternative protective gear.
The cases all argue that Union Pacific discriminates against people with disabilities because of the way it disqualifies employees after they report certain health conditions, even if they have little bearing on whether an employee can safely do their job. Since 2014, the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad has required workers to report anytime they develop a heart condition, have a seizure or develop diabetes that needs to be treated with insulin. Union Pacific also routinely imposes restrictions on employees who fail a color vision test it designed and refuses to employ someone with a prosthetic limb regardless of how capable they might be.
When an employee or their supervisor reports a health condition, Union Pacific puts them on leave and demands they submit medical records that railroad doctors review to determine their suitability for work. The plaintiffs say the railroad usually makes its decision without doctors examining employees, and Union Pacific ignores the recommendations of doctors who are treating individuals and have cleared them to return to work.
An occupational medicine doctor who works with the plaintiffs, Kevin Trangle, said he doesn’t think UP’s policy is sound because it’s “more restrictive than necessary, and would tend to cause workers to be unnecessarily prevented from working.”
Rolando Vasquez said in one of the lawsuits he lost his job after he had a motorcycle accident because doctors put him on anti-seizure medication as a precaution. In response, the railroad imposed a series of restrictions that made it impossible for him to work as an electronic technician inspector in Del Rio, Texas, even though he’d never actually had a seizure.
In another case, a diesel electrician said he was treated as if he had a condition that causes seizures after he fainted once because he was dehydrated while battling an illness. The railroad ruled that Joseph Carrillo shouldn’t be allowed to operate any company vehicles, work around moving trains or hold any job that involved “critical decision making,” so his managers in El Paso agreed he could no longer repair locomotives.
J.J. Stover lost his job as a track inspector in Kearney, Nebraska, after having a dizzy spell at work because his doctors labeled the 2016 incident a mini stroke, or transient ischemic attack, even though he said all the tests they performed on him while he was hospitalized for more than three days came back negative and he hasn’t experienced any more dizziness.
Stover’s doctors said he could return to work just a couple weeks later. Shortly after that, the Army Reserves took his doctors’ word and sent him to Poland for several weeks of training, but Union Pacific spent nine months reviewing his records before deciding he shouldn’t be allowed to drive a railroad truck or work around the tracks.
“It’s just hard to understand,” Stover said.
Another one of the workers’ attorneys, Nick Thompson, said Union Pacific doesn’t seem to consider any mitigating details, and it applies the same restrictions to every worker that has a condition regardless of whether that person drives a train or digs a ditch to install a signal for the railroad.
“They treat every condition like it’s the worst version of that. If you pass out — regardless of the cause — they treat it for determining risk of future events as though it is an unmedicated seizure condition. That just doesn’t make any sense,” Thompson said. | https://www.wpri.com/business-news/disqualified-for-disabilities-railroad-workers-fight-back/ | 2022-08-19T02:19:07Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/business-news/disqualified-for-disabilities-railroad-workers-fight-back/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 36 |
How the Design of Our Cities Reflects Caste, Class Anxieties
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“On whose hands shall I look for my blood/When the whole city is wearing gloves?” wrote Urdu poet Ahmed Faraz. The blood he speaks about was not that from loss of life, but of opportunity, belonging, and identity in modern cities.
Cities have always been a reflection of the prejudice and exclusion of those who create them. While some homes sit protected behind gates, others grow alongside waste waters, between passageways, under bridges, and over the stench of scarcity.
A complex circuit of identity decides who gets to live in the city and where within it. Houses that are excluded from central areas, and sometimes even erased entirely, most commonly shelter those marginalized by identity. “The untouchability in our cities now is not practiced physically,” Asaf Ali Lone, a researcher with the Center for Policy Research, tells me. “Rather, it has turned into institutional untouchability, where institutions are crafted in such a way so as to separate.”
City planning then becomes a blueprint for how power and privilege are exercised, creating and perpetuating segregation that cements biases and stereotypes against communities.
How to (not) plan a city
“It is important for us to remember that the roots of segregation in housing lie at the heart of caste-dominated India,” says Rukmini Sen, a professor of history, social science, and liberal studies at Ambedkar University.
This is not just happening in isolation. Segregation “is a historically continuing process in which the cities are becoming increasingly homogenized spaces, where rights — and the prerogatives that come with rights — are only possible for a certain class, for a certain caste of people,” explains Sushmita Pati, a political scientist and an assistant professor at NLSIU, Bengaluru.
Look back to Delhi’s 1947 resettlement patterns: Dalit communities who migrated post-partition were never quite considered in these plans. The new colonies across Rajinder Nagar, Jangpura, Kingsway Camp, Nizamuddin, and CR Park – better planned and more spacious – were officially created for the privileged. Near the northern limits of the city is Regar Pura, a location listed in official communication as a resettlement site for the “Harijan” community. Tiny mud huts, held together by tarpaulin, housed those who fit into the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and “untouchable” categories.
“…the very apparatus of the state resettlement programs were built upon caste and class distinctions, even as the word “caste” found no mention in the settlement policies,” wrote author Ravinder Kaur. This spatial segregation meant that these remained “invisible neighborhoods,” so much so that they weren’t even listed in Delhi’s guidebooks.
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“Once this homogenization takes place, and once it is solidified,” notes Sushmita, “who this neighborhood belongs to, who the natural inhabitants of a particular neighborhood are, who is a good family and who isn’t a good family – however vague – gain a particular kind of coherence and solidity.”
On the side of the cities, as a result of persistent, historical exclusion, clusters are formed in cities. Pockets of people, sharing religion and caste identity, come up in neighborhoods that have poor services. When cities are segregated, “it creates a certain kind of housing crunch. It puts property in the hands of a few people, and the system lets the rest of the population fend for itself. Which is the reason why slums occur,” Sushmita argues.
A 2021 paper called this pattern “fractal urbanism,” noting that the residential segregation in 147 urban Indian cities tracked closely with the division and discrimination across villages. The city never lived up to the promises of modernity and community, but instead barricaded access and ownership of quality housing.
The services a community has access to relies on the location of neighborhoods. People living in informal settlements, slums, and areas segregated by caste or religion do not have access to safe drinking water, healthcare, sanitation, and even food stamps. This structural dismissal of people living in informal settlements is well documented and known as a “planning black hole” in research.
Class, caste, and social capital are all important factors of affordability in the cities, but these aspects are consistently missing from city planning, Lone explains. “The planned parts of the city become zones of apartheid where caste and social location determines one’s entry to such areas.”
The idea that our cities fail because there isn’t enough housing to respond to the influx of people is a falsity. The real reason is that the existing resources “are not wisely distributed; land, water, green areas, educational to recreational facilities, healthcare infrastructure,” Asif notes.
In 2020, for instance, a research paper detailed the disparity between two areas in Gujarat – Juhapura, a predominantly Muslim ghetto near Ahmedabad, and Yogeshwar Nagar, a slum with a Hindu majority. The former notably had poor drainage and sanitation facilities, unsafe drinking water, and badly-constructed roads. Similar inconsistencies were observed in other states too.
The housing crisis thus would not have emerged “if city planning would have thought of equitable, just housing in a way that it hasn’t,” as Sushmita puts it.
Lone further explains how people are “marginalized for a lack of access to banks, schools, hospitals – all services that could have helped them in their economic mobility.” Exclusions are thus manufactured, and then solidified.
A great case study of this comes from 1930s New York, where the then-mayor Robert Moses decided to deprioritize investment in public transit and intentionally lowered the height of over-bridges. As a result, buses – the preferred medium of transit for a majority of working people – could no longer pass through. With only private cars passing through now, the area automatically became more exclusive for the rich and upper-middle class. This template of planned discrimination can be witnessed the world over.
Related on The Swaddle:
Urban Villages of India Are Being Erased by Development. How Can We Preserve Their Histories?
Researcher Ghazala Jamil, exploring spatial segregation through a capitalist lens, talks about how cities and governments account for people’s labor and income, but not their survival needs.
The housing market, then, is never truly meant for them.
Cementing bias
Housing societies further echo the segregation and discrimination our cities are built on. People’s biases and the inherent inequality in how our cities are designed become the basis for renting and buying houses.
Intekhab Aslam, 35, was looking for a house to rent close to his daughter’s school in a sprawling township in Noida. “An older gentleman showed us the flat very excitedly, after which he asked if I was a Punjabi. I said no with a smile. A Kashmiri? I said no again and mentioned I had lived in NCR for 17 years, and we proceeded to share our names. He got visibly uncomfortable,” the 37-year-old tells me.
“Increasingly, there’s a certain kind of suspicion towards anybody who isn’t like you,” Sushmita notes. This translates into a spiral of misplaced fear. Think of the anxiety around single women living in housing societies. For families, the worry is always: Are these women good influences on my children? S*, 28, recalls how a neighbor threatened to send goons to “get her raped” since she was a single girl living alone in Delhi.
Anecdotes, documented by way of surveys, research, and oral anxieties, reveal the staggering extent to which marginalized communities are kept out of “good” areas, relegating them to the margins of our cities and, thus, our society. Thus, tenants from communities who don’t fit into the purity narrative – that of the “good family” – become more vulnerable to harassment. A disproportionate number of Muslim and Dalit people who do manage to get homes have to do so by agreeing to unfair terms and conditions, found a 2015 study. “There is very little challenge that can come from the potential tenant, who is a single not married, or a Muslim or Dalit,” points out Sushmita. “And because the whole property market is so skewed … [most people] are forced to say all kinds of things in order to manage to find a place to live.”
The insistence on homogeneity stems from a cultural fixation on “purity” too. In Bagepalli, about 90 km from Bangalore, a township openly advertised for “pure communities like Brahmins.”
When stripped of the identity markers, the “outsiders” in most cases represent the precariat labor. These are people who work in small-time jobs, mostly young, mostly single, who are trying to find ways to achieve social mobility; not necessarily slum residents but who look for cheap rental spaces to just live in. “They are quite vulnerable in this whole rental housing system, because even they cannot afford a decent housing right for which is affordable, and where they don’t find themselves completely at the discretion of the landlord,” Sushmita says.
Overall, the housing market is made “absolutely, absolutely impenetrable” to them, says Sushmita.
This creates a feedback loop, manufacturing a housing crisis – where marginalized people face discrimination inside housing societies but even on the peripheries. Informal settlements are razed for “encroaching,” while rich plazas and complexes that sit on environmentally sensitive regions are legalized.
Research in India and outside shows how segregation leads to lower levels of employment opportunities. Economist John F. Kain argued that “since job and housing decisions are made simultaneously, housing discrimination is likely to add to the cost of travel, making it difficult for disadvantaged groups to get jobs in the prime locations of a city.” This enacts a vicious cycle: segregated communities are alienated and live in lower economic neighborhoods, where there may be higher crime rates and limited access to education, which makes them further likely to always remain in structural poverty. As Ta-Nahesi Coates wrote in his famous essay, “with segregation, with the isolation of the injured and the robbed, comes the concentration of disadvantage.”
Related on The Swaddle:
How Can We Design Cities to Protect Mental Health?
Moreover, the segregation further cements biases and stereotypes against a community that resides in one area. Studies show that urban residential segregation – such as one observed in housing societies – is linked to higher communal violence in India. In a 2017 paper, Raphael Susewind, a political anthropologist of urban India at King’s College London, looked at segregation in 11 cities and found Jaipur and Lucknow – among the least segregated cities – had not seen communal riots in the past many decades. Delhi and Ahmedabad, on the other hand, were among the most segregated and had witnessed a rise in riots.
When the city quits its people, they are left not only without a home but also an immeasurable safety. Reaching within the heart of darkness shows a grim future: we are creating tiny cities of inequality within cities, restricting mobility, upholding exclusion, and forcing people to invisibilize their identities. These are small, haphazard networks built on violence and prejudice, connected through the illusion of development.
“Different communities in the city co-exist together, they don’t exist separately independent of each other, that’s not how cities function,” Asif argues. “Co-existence is the reality of how a city grows, and when co-existence is stopped it results in divide, hatred, and violence against each other in various forms.”
Discrimination in the private housing market raises both a philosophical and legal question of regulation: individuals have a private right of contract, they can give the house to anyone they want. But there still remains the social malaise of discrimination and segregation. When social disorder from the public domain spills into private land, regulation becomes a tricky line to tread. At one level, this speaks to the need for anti-discrimination laws within housing networks. A legal framework could mean that refusing a home to someone for eating meat or for being a Muslim – any and every bias in action – would bear consequences.
Although the Model Tenancy Act recently underwent some progressive changes – the regulations have made it harder to evict people without cause and have made it mandatory for rental agreements to be in writing – awareness remains low. Further, there is still very little way to regulate bias. “We need to begin thinking about the need for a certain kind of rights of tenants, which protect people across caste, across class, across intersections,” says Sushmita.
And while such frameworks and legislations are crucial for ending discrimination and pushing for inclusive growth of the cities, it “should not be another law framed through a top-down approach,” points out Asif.
A 2020 paper identified a flaw with how we study segregation in cities spatially, which further eclipses our policies. Most studies rely on how people are scattered across different “wards” – sub-divisions of a town – but this measure doesn’t quite reveal how communities are segregated at a finer level. Without this knowledge, we never quite understand how marginalized communities live, and where.
Therefore, Asif says, “It should include learnings and experiences from the bottom-up which takes into account the realities that marginal and vulnerable populations face in their everyday lives.” It perhaps starts with realizing that there is no one city: there are cities of privilege, cities of hunger, and cities of in-betweenness that demand subservience from their residents. | https://theswaddle.com/how-housing-societies-perpetuate-the-inequality-our-cities-are-built-on/ | 2022-08-19T02:19:21Z | theswaddle.com | control | https://theswaddle.com/how-housing-societies-perpetuate-the-inequality-our-cities-are-built-on/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia judge on Thursday denied bond — again — for Atlanta rapper Young Thug, one of nearly 30 people charged in a 65-count indictment alleging he is the leader of a criminal street gang.
Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville heard a slew of outstanding motions in the case against the musician, whose real name is Jeffery Williams. Rapper Gunna, whose legal name is Sergio Kitchens, is also charged in the racketeering and gang case. Both men have been in jail since their May arrests.
The musicians are accused of conspiring to violate Georgia’s criminal racketeering law, but the indictment outlines more serious crimes allegedly carried out by “Young Slime Life” associates ranging from drug possession to murder.
Of the 28 people charged, three remain at large, while at least eight who are in custody still don’t have attorneys, prosecutors told the judge, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
So far, Glanville has not granted bond to any of the defendants, citing concerns about witness intimidation and the possibility that additional felonies may be committed ahead of January’s trial. Williams’ attorneys have repeatedly asked that their client be given an ankle monitor and allowed to await trial on house arrest.
Appearing via video conferencing from the Cobb County jail, Williams smiled and blew kisses at relatives gathered in the courtroom during breaks in Thursday’s proceedings.
“Mr. Williams is an artist, a role model, a father and a son,” attorney Brian Steel told the judge, urging the rapper be released.
But his request was denied for the third time when Glanville sided with prosecutors to keep the musician behind bars.
The decision came after Glanville heard of at least one associate planning to testify against Williams being placed in protective custody after a document posted online showed his willingness to cooperate.
Fulton County prosecutor Don Geary asked the judge to further restrict the disclosure of certain evidence ahead of trial, saying a page from discovery that was recently shared online jeopardizes the witness’ safety.
“We found a lot of information concerning one of our witnesses on basically a (celebrity news) outlet,” Geary told Glanville.
Defense attorneys contend that YSL, or Young Stoner Life, is simply the name of Young Thug’s record label, not a violent Atlanta street gang as prosecutors allege.
Thursday’s hearing wasn’t the first time prosecutors have raised concerns about the safety of state’s witnesses. Glanville previously issued a temporary order instructing defense attorneys to withhold witness contact information from their clients.
But Kristen Novay, one of Kitchens’ attorneys, asked prosecutors for proof that potential witnesses are actually being threatened.
“We want to know what specific threats there are,” Novay said. “There have been many allegations that there are threats to witnesses, and to date we have received no discovery, not a single shred of evidence from a witness who was actually threatened.”
In June, an 18-year-old relative of one of the defendants was arrested after allegedly threatening to kill the Fulton County sheriff and his wife unless Williams were released, authorities said, the newspaper reported. | https://www.wpri.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/atlanta-rapper-young-thug-again-denied-bond-in-criminal-case/ | 2022-08-19T02:19:22Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/atlanta-rapper-young-thug-again-denied-bond-in-criminal-case/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Tehran’s contemporary art museum has issued an apology and temporarily closed to handle a pest infestation, raising concerns after footage of insects scuttling across world-famous work spread widely on social media.
Insects, which may attack and eat away at paintings, pose a serious threat to the American and European minimalist masterpieces now for the first time on display at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art since the 1979 Islamic Revolution ousted Iran’s Western-backed monarchy.
A video went viral earlier this week showing two paper-eating silverfish squirming under the glass of a 1978 industrial photograph by influential German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher. The sighting of the wingless pearl gray bugs provoked shock and disgust on social media.
The museum apologized to the public on Wednesday, insisting that the “proper maintenance” of its prized works “is of the utmost concern to all of us.” As soon as the infestation became apparent, it said, experts rushed to the museum and carefully cleaned the exhibited artworks.
Insects have not damaged the Becher photograph or any other pieces, the museum said, adding that it would close for two days so pest control technicians could tackle the problem.
Ebadreza Eslami Koulaei, the museum’s manager, told Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency that experts were closely monitoring the works, because “when you see one insect, you should predict maybe there are more.”
“When works are taken out from their boxes to be brought to galleries, there is a possibility such incidents happen,” he said.
Many of the renowned contemporary Western works on display had been hidden in the museum vault for decades. Iran’s Shiite clerics who came to power in 1979 packed away the art to avoid offending Islamic values and catering to Western sensibilities.
Iran’s Western-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, the former Empress Farah Pahlavi, had built the museum and acquired the multibillion-dollar collection during the oil boom of the late 1970s.
The sensational art — cubist, surrealist, impressionist, even pop art — has gradually resurfaced in recent years as cultural restrictions eased in the Islamic Republic. | https://www.wpri.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/famed-iran-art-museum-closes-to-deal-with-insect-infestation/ | 2022-08-19T02:19:30Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/famed-iran-art-museum-closes-to-deal-with-insect-infestation/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
U.S. Marines and Naval personnel with Special Reaction Team, Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations Pacific, pose for a photo during multiple weapons sustainment training on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 11, 2022. The members of SRT are attached to the Provost Marshal’s Office and are specifically trained and equipped to react in scenarios like an active shooter, hostage situations, and barricaded subjects. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jonathan Beauchamp)
This work, Special Reaction Team conducts multiple weapons sustainment training [Image 18 of 18], by LCpl Jonathan Beauchamp, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377593/special-reaction-team-conducts-multiple-weapons-sustainment-training | 2022-08-19T02:19:39Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377593/special-reaction-team-conducts-multiple-weapons-sustainment-training | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th
Colleen Murray [Image 1 of 2]
Colleen Murray showing Fort Hunter Liggett Child Youth Services kids the various types of bulbs, to include the gladiolas she gave them to grow.
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, Colleen Murray [Image 2 of 2], by Amy Phillips, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377609/colleen-murray | 2022-08-19T02:19:45Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377609/colleen-murray | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Zachary Davila, 35th Maintenance Squadron Ammo Flight conventional maintenance crew chief, poses for a photo at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Aug. 17, 2022. Davila was selected for the Wild Weasel of the Week after being hand picked for temporary duty assignments and further education opportunities within his career field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Grace Nichols)
This work, Wild Weasel of the Week: Senior Airman Zachary Davila [Image 3 of 3], by SSgt Grace Nichols, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377614/wild-weasel-week-senior-airman-zachary-davila | 2022-08-19T02:19:57Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7377614/wild-weasel-week-senior-airman-zachary-davila | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK (AP) — The MTV Video Music Awards later this month will have not one emcee but three, with rap stars LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow all set to anchor the ceremony.
They’ll introduce and present the famous Moon Person trophies alongside performers including Lizzo, Anitta, BLACKPINK, J Balvin, Måneskin, Kane Brown, Marshmello with Khalid, and Panic! At The Disco on Aug. 28 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Having multiple hosts is nothing new to the VMAs, which were first anchored by Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd in 1984 and had Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans host in 2000. Other previous hosts include Katy Perry, Arsenio Hall, Jack Black, Russell Brand, Chris Rock and last year, Doja Cat.
LL Cool J is a three-time nominee who won in 1991 for best rap video for “Mama Said Knock You Out,” and was a recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 1997.
Minaj has been nominated and won five times at the VMAs and is nominated in the best hip-hop video category this year. She will also get the Video Vanguard Award this year, joining such previous winning music luminaries as Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Missy Elliott.
Harlow, nominated in 2020 for song of the summer for “Whats Poppin,” is tied for the most nominations this year with seven, including artist of the year and video of the year. He will also make his VMA solo debut performance. At last year’s VMAs, Harlow and Lil Nas X gave the debut performance of “Industry Baby.”
Lil Nas X and Kendrick Lamar also have seven nominations.
Harlow, Lil Nas X, Drake, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Lizzo will compete for artist of the year.
Styles and Doja Cat received the second-most nominations with six. Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd each pulled in five.
Fans can vote for their favorite artists across 22 categories online through Friday. Nominations for group of the year and song of the summer will be announced Friday. Voting for best new artist will be active all the way to show time.
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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For more AP entertainment news: https://apnews.com/hub/entertainment | https://www.wpri.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ll-cool-j-nicki-minaj-and-jack-harlow-to-host-mtv-awards/ | 2022-08-19T02:19:59Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ll-cool-j-nicki-minaj-and-jack-harlow-to-host-mtv-awards/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ETFMG will sponsor four additional themes in TIFIN's Magnifi marketplace. This follows existing distribution partnerships between ETFMG, Breakwave Advisors, and TIFIN
BOULDER, Colo. and NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TIFIN, a fintech platform using artificial intelligence (AI) and investment-driven personalization to shape the future of investor experiences, today announced a new fund marketing and distribution partnership with ETF Managers Group (ETFMG). ETFMG is a thematic ETF issuer founded in 2014 with a vision of developing innovative thematic exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that provide investors unique exposure to new and emerging markets. This adds to TIFIN's embed investment partnerships which now has over 40 leading investment managers sponsoring 90+ funds across their ecosystem.
"TIFIN, including through its Magnifi marketplace, is undeniably innovating through its proprietary technology, to make it easier for investors to search for themes and identify the investment opportunities that matter to them," said Sam Masucci, CEO and Founder of ETFMG. "The ETF world offers thousands of choices, making it a challenge for investors to navigate. Simply said, Magnifi helps investors make smarter decisions and we are thrilled to be partnering with TIFIN in support of this common goal."
This new partnership will see ETFMG promoting a series of thematic ETFs across Cannabis (TICKER: MJ, MJUS, MJIN, and MJXL), Travel (TICKERS: AWAY, AWYX), Cybersecurity (TICKER: HACK), and Precious Metal (TICKERS: SILJ, SILX) themes within TIFIN's Magnifi Investment Marketplace to over 140k registered users. Each fund will be placed in a primary position to all search results that relate back to each of the thematic areas. Magnifi users conduct over 2.5 million investor queries per week as of August 2022. In addition, the two firms will work on a series of co-marketing initiatives to promote ETFMG to both active advisor and individual investor communities. This partnership builds on an existing relation between ETFMG and TIFIN, as their BDRY and BSEA ETFs are currently part of a thematic investment marketplace within the TIFIN Wealth platform used by over 1,000 Advisory Firms to match funds to client proposals based on insights from their financial planning, personality, and risk tolerance needs.
"We are delighted to partner with Sam Masucci and the ETFMG team to bring their revolutionary thematic ETFs to the forefront of our Magnifi marketplace," said Jack Swift, President and CRO of TIFIN. "This partnership will bring value to our user base by promoting these leading ETFs adjacent to the thematic intelligence and insights across Magnifi."
ETFMG is a provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), founded in 2014 with a vision of developing innovative thematic ETFs that provide investors unique exposure to new markets. Today, the ETFMG fund line up provides access to a diverse collection of global themes and is comprised of 75% first to market products. We turn portfolio management strategies into successful ETFs by partnering with market segment experts to bring long-term growth opportunities to investors. ETFMG funds are proof as to the power of the ETF wrapper and that thematic products can have a place in investors' portfolios. To learn more about ETFMG and our portfolio of exchange traded funds please visit www.etfmg.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @ETFMG, or YouTube.
TIFIN is an AI-powered fintech that leverages data science, investment intelligence, and technology to deliver engaging and personalized investor experiences. By connecting individuals to advice and investments, TIFIN bridges the gap between investors, their trusted intermediaries, and asset managers.
Founded in 2018 by Dr. Vinay Nair, a former Wharton Professor and successful entrepreneur, TIFIN was created to help make investing a powerful driver of financial well-being by eliminating frictions investors face.
TIFIN manages Magnifi, a search-powered marketplace for investments; TIFIN Wealth, a platform for advisors, wealth managers, and other intermediaries to deliver better individual outcomes; Financial Answers, a digital platform of investor communities; all powered through Distill, a central digital distribution and insights engine using TIFIN's data platform.
Carefully consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's summary or statutory prospectuses, available on www.etfmg.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), may trade at a discount or premium to NAV and are not individually redeemed from the Fund.
ETF Managers Group LLC is the investment adviser to the Fund.
ETF Managers Group LLC and ETFMG Financial LLC are wholly owned subsidiaries of Exchange Traded Managers Group LLC (collectively, "ETFMG"). The Fund is distributed by ETFMG Financial LLC, which is not affiliated with Breakwave Advisors LLC, Maritime Transformation Partners LLC or Prime Indexes.
ETF Managers Group LLC, provides compensation to Magnifi, LLC or one its affiliates to be a sponsored fund manager which provides its funds greater visibility. Magnifi, LLC has a financial interest to promote and market investment solutions from ETF Managers Group that can conflict with the interests of its clients.
The information contained herein should in no way be construed or interpreted as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security. All content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions, nor is it intended to be a projection of current or future performance. This information has been derived from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy and completeness and does not purport to be a complete analysis of the materials discussed.
For Media inquiries, please contact:
Zito Partners
Deborah Kostroun
deborah@zitopartners.com
201-403-8185
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LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Michter's is proud to announce that its Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson will be inducted into The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame®. In 2009, Andrea "broke the glass ceiling" when she became the first woman to ever Chair the Kentucky Distillers' Association. Established in 2001, The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® recognizes individuals and organizations who have had a transformative impact on the Bourbon industry.
"Andrea is enormously talented, and she is a terrific leader. She has contributed tremendously to both the growth of Michter's Distillery and to the growth of the entire Kentucky Bourbon industry as well," stated Michter's President Joseph J. Magliocco. "There is no one more deserving of this high honor." Wilson added, "I am humbled to be recognized by The Kentucky Distillers' Association for my impact on our industry. I am enormously grateful to have been given the opportunity to play a role in fostering the growth of Kentucky Bourbon and the American Whiskey Category. It is an honor to be included among the six outstanding individuals who will be inducted next month."
Andrea Wilson was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and as a child she would listen attentively to her grandfather recount stories about his moonshining days. Upon graduating from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, Wilson went on to earn a Master of Engineering, Chemical Engineering there as well. In 2018, the JB Speed School of Engineering honored Andrea with its Professional Award in Chemical Engineering.
Prior to her tenure at Michter's, Andrea had a distinguished career at Diageo, where she rose to the position of Director of Distillation and Maturation, North America. Upon joining Michter's in 2014, Andrea embarked on a series of roles at the company. Having done work essential to the growth at Michter's Shively Distillery, Andrea took on key roles in establishing Michter's Fort Nelson Distillery and the company's Farm and Operations in Springfield. Currently Andrea does outstanding work as Michter's Master of Maturation and Chief Operating Officer. Incidentally, we are unaware of any Master of Maturation in Kentucky prior to Andrea being named one.
Since 2005, Andrea has served as either a board member or an alternate board member of the Kentucky Distillers' Association. Different organizations have called upon Andrea to help them, and she has been recognized for her service. Andrea worked as a member of the Frazier Museum Task Force for the development of the new Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center and the Spirit of Kentucky Exhibition. In 2004 Andrea was nominated for The Business and Professional Women Young Careerist Award. The KET documentary Kentucky Bourbon Tales: Distilling the Family Business highlighted Andrea, and in 2018 the Bourbon Women Association honored her with its Lois Mateus Networking Award.
Andrea resides in Fisherville, Kentucky with her wonderful husband Randy Wilson and three cats.
Contact: Joseph J. Magliocco
502-774-2300 x580
jmagliocco@michters.com
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SOURCE Michter's Distillery | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/trailblazing-andrea-wilson-be-inducted-into-kentucky-bourbon-hall-fame/ | 2022-08-19T02:20:13Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/trailblazing-andrea-wilson-be-inducted-into-kentucky-bourbon-hall-fame/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON (AP) — New coronavirus cases reported globally dropped nearly a quarter in the last week while deaths fell 6% but were still higher in parts of Asia, according to a report Thursday on the pandemic by the World Health Organization.
The U.N. health agency said there were 5.4 million new COVID-19 cases reported last week, a decline of 24% from the previous week. Infections fell everywhere in the world, including by nearly 40% in Africa and Europe and by a third in the Middle East. COVID deaths rose in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia by 31% and 12% respectively, but fell or remained stable everywhere else.
At a press briefing Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said reported coronavirus deaths over the past month have surged 35%, and noted there had been 15,000 deaths in the past week.
“15,000 deaths a week is completely unacceptable, when we have all the tools to prevent infections and save lives,” Tedros said. He said the number of virus sequences shared every week has plummeted 90%, making it extremely difficult for scientists to monitor how COVID-19 might be mutating.
“But none of us is helpless,” Tedros said. “Please get vaccinated if you are not, and if you need a booster, get one.”
On Thursday, WHO’s vaccine advisory group recommended for the first time that people most vulnerable to COVID-19, including older people, those with underlying health conditions and health workers, get a second booster shot. Numerous other health agencies and countries made the same recommendation months ago.
The expert group also said it had evaluated data from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for younger people and said children and teenagers were in the lowest priority group for vaccination, since they are far less likely to get severe disease.
Joachim Hombach, who sits on WHO’s vaccine expert group, said it was also uncertain whether the experts would endorse widespread boosters for the general population or new combination vaccines that target the omicron variant.
“We need to see what the data will tell us and we need to see actually (what) will be the advantage of these vaccines that comprise an (omicron) strain,” he said.
Dr. Alejandro Cravioto, the expert group’s chair, said that unless vaccines were proven to stop transmission, their widespread use would be “a waste of the vaccine and a waste of time.”
Earlier this week, British authorities authorized an updated version of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine that targets omicron and the U.K. government announced it would be offered to people over 50 beginning next month.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic | https://www.wpri.com/health/ap-health/who-world-coronavirus-cases-fall-24-deaths-rise-in-asia/ | 2022-08-19T02:21:02Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/health/ap-health/who-world-coronavirus-cases-fall-24-deaths-rise-in-asia/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- First full-electric model coming to market in 2024 will be a performance SUV called the Acura ZDX
- Acura Type S performance variants will continue to put the driver experience first in the electrified future with ZDX Type S
- Acura will continue to be the tip of the spear for electrification and digitalization for American Honda
MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Acura today announced that its first all-new full-electric SUV coming to market in 2024 will be named the Acura ZDX. Demonstrating its commitment to performance in the electrified era, Acura will also launch with a ZDX Type S variant, as the brand continues to focus on putting the driver experience first. The ZDX will be the first production model to feature many of the styling themes of the new Acura design direction introduced during Monterey Car Week in the form of the Acura Precision EV Concept.
The ZDX is being co-developed with GM utilizing the highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries. Acura then will launch additional EV models starting in 2026 based on the company's own global e:Architecture.
"The Acura ZDX represents the start to what will be an accelerated path toward electrification by the end of the decade and the key role the Acura brand will play in our company's global goal to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050," said Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales. "Acura will remain focused on performance in the electrified era and Type S will continue to represent the pinnacle of this direction."
The ZDX will be Acura's first zero-emissions SUV and the name pays homage to a previous Acura model of the same name, which was the first vehicle styled from the ground up in the Acura Design Studio which opened in Los Angeles in 2007. The new ZDX is now being styled in the same Acura Design Studio.
In April 2021, Honda global CEO Toshihiro Mibe outlined the company's vision for global sales of electrified vehicles as part of Honda's strategy to achieve carbon neutrality for its products and corporate activities by 2050. This vision called for 100-percent of the company's North American sales to be battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles by 2040. More details about that announcement are available here.
About Acura
Acura is a leading automotive nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance – a commitment to expressive styling, high-performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability. The Acura lineup currently features five distinctive models – the next-gen Integra sport compact, TLX sport sedan, the RDX and MDX sport-utility vehicles, and the electrified NSX supercar, along with high-performance Type S variants. Acura's first all-electric model, the ZDX SUV, will arrive in 2024. All Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.
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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.wpri.com/news/breaking-news/ap-top-news/hong-kong-political-activists-plead-guilty-amid-crackdown/ | 2022-08-19T02:21:53Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/breaking-news/ap-top-news/hong-kong-political-activists-plead-guilty-amid-crackdown/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Justice Department to put forward proposed redactions as he committed to making public at least part of the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart said that under the law, it is the government’s burden to show why a redacted version should not be released and prosecutors’ arguments Thursday failed to persuade him. He gave them a week to submit a copy of the affidavit proposing the information it wants to keep secret after the FBI seized classified and top secret information during a search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last week.
The hearing was convened after several news organizations, including The Associated Press, sought to unseal additional records tied to last week’s search, including the affidavit. It is likely to contain key details about the Justice Department’s investigation examining whether Trump retained and mishandled classified and sensitive government records.
The Justice Department has adamantly opposed making any portion of the affidavit public, arguing that doing so would compromise its ongoing investigation, would expose the identities of witnesses and could prevent others from coming forward and cooperating with the government.
The attorneys for the news organizations, however, argued that the unprecedented nature of the Justice Department’s investigation warrants public disclosure.
“You can’t trust what you can’t see,” said Chuck Tobin, a lawyer representing the AP and several other news outlets.
In addition to ordering the redactions, the judge agreed to make public other documents, including the warrant’s cover sheet, the Justice Department’s motion to seal the documents and the judge’s order requiring them to be sealed.
Those documents showed the FBI was specifically investigating the “willful retention of national defense information,” the concealment or removal of government records and obstruction of a federal investigation.
Jay Bratt, a top Justice Department national security prosecutor, had argued that the affidavit should remain hidden from the public. Unsealing it, he said, would provide a “road map” of the investigation — which is in its “early stages” — and expose the next steps to be taken by federal agents and prosecutors.
He argued it was in the public interest for the investigation, including interviews of witnesses, to go forward unhindered.
As the hearing kicked off, a small caravan of vehicles with Trump flags drove past the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. An attorney for Trump, Christina Bobb, was in the courthouse Thursday but said she was only there to observe the court proceeding.
Bratt argued in court that even a redacted version of the document could reveal investigative steps or create the ability for sleuths or those being eyed in the investigation to identify witnesses in the case. He also contended that the Justice Department had already gone to rare lengths to bring transparency, including making a request for the court to unseal the warrant and property receipt, which were made public last week.
“There is heightened interest,” he conceded. “This is likely an unprecedented situation.”
Trump, in a Truth Social post last week, called for the release of the unredacted affidavit in the interest of transparency.
Reinhart gave the government until next Thursday to submit its version with the proposed redactions along with written arguments for each, going line by line. He said he would then review the proposal and make his own proposed redactions and then may meet with government lawyers to give them a final argument for why specific information should be withheld.
Justice Department attorneys have argued in court filings that the investigation into Trump’s handling of “highly classified material” is ongoing and that the document contains sensitive information about witnesses.
A recent filing by Bratt and Juan Antonio Gonzalez, the U.S. attorney in Miami, says making the affidavit public would “cause significant and irreparable damage to this ongoing criminal investigation.”
“If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps,” they wrote.
FBI agents searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8, removing 11 sets of classified documents, with some not only marked top secret but also “sensitive compartmented information,” according to a receipt of what was taken that was released Friday. That is a special category meant to protect the nation’s most important secrets that if revealed publicly could cause “exceptionally grave” damage to U.S. interests. The court records did not provide specific details about information the documents might contain.
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Balsamo reported from New York.
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More on Donald Trump-related investigations: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump | https://www.wpri.com/news/breaking-news/ap-top-news/media-to-ask-judge-to-release-trump-search-warrant-affidavit/ | 2022-08-19T02:22:07Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/breaking-news/ap-top-news/media-to-ask-judge-to-release-trump-search-warrant-affidavit/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Bail was set Thursday at $10 million for a man charged in the shooting deaths of four people in a southwestern Ohio town earlier this month, including a teenage girl.
Stephen Alexander Marlow, 39, did not enter any pleas during his arraignment, authorities said. He faces 13 felony charges, including aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and a weapon offense. He also faces a federal charge for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Marlow is accused of killing 82-year-old Clyde Knox, his 78-year-old wife, Eva “Sally” Knox, 41-year-old Sarah Anderson and her 15-year-old daughter, Kayla Anderson — in shootings at two homes in Butler Township on Aug. 5. He was captured the following night in Lawrence, Kansas and was returned to Ohio on Wednesday after he waived extradition proceedings.
A possible motive for the shootings has not been disclosed, and authorities say the shootings remain under investigation.
Marlow’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26, but authorities said a Montgomery County grand jury is scheduled to review the case before then and more charges could be filed against him. It wasn’t clear Thursday whether Marlow has retained an attorney or if he was represented by a court-appointed lawyer. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/bail-set-at-10m-for-man-charged-in-slayings-of-4-in-ohio/ | 2022-08-19T02:23:33Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/bail-set-at-10m-for-man-charged-in-slayings-of-4-in-ohio/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DENVER (AP) — Ken Mauldin was jolted awake last weekend with his wife screaming incessantly in their split level home in Colorado’s mountain town of Steamboat Springs where their three children were sleeping one floor below. Then she yelled: “There’s a bear in the house!”
Kelly Mauldin had just been awakened by the couple’s barking dogs that didn’t wake up her husband before dawn on Saturday. She walked to the door of the couple’s bedroom and found herself staring at a male black bear weighing about 400 pounds (181 kilograms) — about 10 feet (3 meters) away in the dining room.
In an interview, Ken Mauldin said he grabbed his 40-caliber pistol, took his wife’s place at the door and shot once, aiming for the center of the bear’s body. He thinks the first shot hit the bear and it charged him as Mauldin continued firing.
As he was shooting, the bear got as close as 5 feet (1.5 meters) from Mauldin and then turned toward the stairs leading to the home’s front door. The bear crashed through a bannister as Mauldin emptied the gun and slid down the stairs, mortally wounded.
The couple didn’t know it at the time, but officials believe the bear got inside their home by flipping down the lever of their unlocked front door handle and pushing the door.
After it was shot, the bear lay breathing and heaving between Mauldin and his three sons on the home’s lower floor, but he didn’t think the bear would get back up. He called 911 and one of his sons called him on his cellphone and Mauldin told the son to stay put in his room.
“My only thought was protecting my family and putting that bear down,” said Mauldin.
The bear had moved an unopened bag of dog food across the dining room. Police and state wildlife officers arrived a short time later and determined that the bear was dead. They used a winch to pull it into a truck and were impressed by its size, said Justin Pollock, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer for 21-years.
“I deal with bears a lot and I’d say this was a big bear,” he said.
Colorado has about 12,000 bears and break-ins aren’t uncommon in Rocky Mountain towns, but homeowners shooting bears in their homes is rare, said Rachael Gonzales, spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. State law allows people to shoot bears if the people feel threatened, she said.
The lush mountain area where the Mauldin family lives is home to many bears because of its habitat, which includes oak brush that they use to hide, a river and vegetation that they eat.
In the days before the bear opened the door to the Maudlin’s home, neighbors had talked about a bear getting into their garages and other homeowners had reported bear break-ins. Mauldin said the family always does a nightly check to close windows and lock doors, but that night the front door had been left unlocked.
Gonzales said there’s no way of knowing if the same bear seeking food at other homes broke into the Mauldin family’s home. Black bears avoid humans but once they realize food is behind a window or stuffed inside a bird feeder, they will return, Pollock said.
“Bears are very smart,” Gonzales said. “Once they learn that it’s easy to access food in a certain area, they are going to keep doing it.”
The bear’s hide and meat will be donated to people who have signed up on a list to receive them and its head will go up for auction, Pollock said.
Mauldin hopes the break-in at his home sparks greater awareness to prompt “something good from something so terrible that happened.”
“We are in a situation now where we have town bears that have lost all of their natural fear of humans,” Mauldin said. “In my mind that’s what we have to address.”
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Jesse Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Bedayn on Twitter. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/colorado-homeowner-emptied-pistol-to-kill-bear-that-broke-in/ | 2022-08-19T02:24:00Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/colorado-homeowner-emptied-pistol-to-kill-bear-that-broke-in/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s government is criticizing as “unethical” the statement by the World Health Organization’s director-general that the crisis in the country’s Tigray region is “the worst disaster on Earth” and his assertion that the lack of attention from global leaders may be due to Tigrayans’ skin color.
The spokeswoman for Ethiopia’s prime minister on Thursday told journalists that the comments by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus were “unbecoming of such a high-profile position.” Billene Seyoum suggested that Tedros, himself an ethnic Tigrayan, should recuse himself from his post if he wants to talk that way.
She spoke a day after the WHO chief in an emotional statement at a press briefing asserted that the 6 million people in Tigray have been “under siege” for the last 21 months because of the conflict that erupted there in late 2020 between Ethiopian and Tigray forces.
“I haven’t heard in the last few months any head of state talking about the Tigray situation anywhere in the developed world. Anywhere. Why?” Tedros asked. “Maybe the reason is the color of the skin of the people in Tigray.” Earlier this year, he asked whether the world’s overwhelming focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine was due to racism, although he acknowledged the conflict there had global consequences.
Ethiopia’s conflict has serious regional implications, with the potential to destabilize the strategic and sometimes turbulent Horn of Africa region.
Very little humanitarian aid was allowed into Tigray after Tigray forces retook much of the region in June 2021, and humanitarian workers and local health workers described people starving to death and basic medical supplies running out.
Aid has started flowing more substantially in the past few months amid international mediation efforts, but the deliveries are widely described as inadequate to meet the needs of the millions of people essentially trapped there. Aid groups say major shortages of fuel to deliver supplies remain.
The resumption of basic services and banking remains a key demand of the Tigray leaders. On Thursday, the prime minister’s spokeswoman said “an operable environment needs to happen” for the return of those services, including safety guarantees for service workers in the region.
She also noted a government proposal for “peace talks in the coming weeks” and stressed they must be without preconditions. She accused the Tigray leaders of “looking for excuses to avoid these peace talks.”
She dismissed Tigray forces’ allegations of new attacks by Ethiopian forces as “a mechanism to deflect” discussions on the peace process.
Ethiopia’s government has said it is willing to hold talks “any time, any place” but led by its preferred mediator, the African Union special envoy.
In a sign of its rejection of other mediation efforts attempted by neighboring Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta with backing from the United States, Ethiopia’s government offered its congratulations to Kenyan president-elect William Ruto within minutes of Monday’s declaration of his election win. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/ethiopia-calls-who-chiefs-comments-on-tigray-unethical/ | 2022-08-19T02:24:22Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/ethiopia-calls-who-chiefs-comments-on-tigray-unethical/ | 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.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/in-mexico-resort-squatters-make-a-stand-against-developers/ | 2022-08-19T02:24:55Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/in-mexico-resort-squatters-make-a-stand-against-developers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW DELHI (AP) — A Muslim woman who was gang raped while pregnant during India’s devastating 2002 religious riots has appealed to the government to rescind its decision to free the 11 men who had been jailed for life for committing the crime, after they were released on suspended sentences.
The victim, who is now in her 40s, was pregnant when she was brutally gang raped in communal violence in 2002 in the western state of Gujarat, which saw over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, killed in some of the worst religious riots India has experienced since its independence from Britain in 1947. Seven members of the woman’s family, including her three-year-old daughter, were also killed in the violence.
The Associated Press generally doesn’t identify victims of sexual assault.
The 11 men, released on Monday when India celebrated 75 years of independence, were convicted in 2008 of rape, murder and unlawful assembly.
The victim said the decision by the Gujarat state government has left her numb and shaken her faith in justice.
“How can justice for a woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts in our land,” she said in a statement late Wednesday, adding that no authorities reached out to her before making the decision. “Please undo this harm. Give me back my right to live without fear and in peace.”
On Thursday, dozens of women protested against the release of the men in the capital, New Delhi. Maimoona Mollah of the All India Democratic Women’s Association said they are demanding the state to roll back its decision.
“(The victim) and other survivors should be allowed to live in peace and dignity,” Mollah said.
Raj Kumar, additional chief secretary in Gujarat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party holds power, told the Indian Express newspaper that the convicts’ application for remission was granted because they had completed over 14 years in jail. A state government panel made the decision after considering other factors like their age and behavior in prison.
Kumar said the men were eligible under a 1992 remission policy that was in effect at the time of their conviction. A newer version adopted in 2014 by the federal government prohibits remission release for those convicted of certain crimes, including rape and murder.
The riots have long hounded Modi, who was Gujarat’s top elected official at the time, amid allegations that authorities allowed and even encouraged the bloodshed. Modi has repeatedly denied having any role and the Supreme Court has said it found no evidence to prosecute him.
Videos on social media showing the men being welcomed with sweets and garlands after their release from prison went viral, triggering outrage and anger from women, rights activists and opposition politicians.
Vrinda Grover, a lawyer, called the decision a “travesty and grave miscarriage of justice,” while speaking to India Today TV.
Opposition lawmaker Rahul Gandhi took aim at Modi on Twitter, questioning what kind of message it sent to women in India from a government that says it wants to empower women.
“The entire country is seeing the difference between your words and deeds,” he wrote in Hindi. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/indian-woman-condemns-release-of-her-convicted-rapists/ | 2022-08-19T02:25:02Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/indian-woman-condemns-release-of-her-convicted-rapists/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MIAMI (AP) — A 29-year-old police officer who was shot in the head while trying to stop a robbery suspect in Miami has died, officials said.
Det. Cesar Echaverry was shot Monday night as he and other officers closed in a suspect wanted for an earlier robbery in nearby Broward County, police said. His family had remained by his side at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital.
“Officer Echaverry died in the line of duty while serving & protecting our community,” Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez tweeted Wednesday evening. “Our law enforcement family will continue to stand beside & support the Echaverry family through this difficult time.”
Police said Echavarry and other officers began pursuing a white vehicle involved in an earlier armed robbery when its driver tried to flee, ramming into police vehicles and a civilian vehicle whose three occupants were hospitalized in stable condition.
He then tried to escape on foot, but a confrontation and gunfire ensued. The driver, identified as Jeremy Horton, 32, of Acworth, Georgia, was shot and died at the scene.
Horton had been stopped in South Florida on Aug. 8 and cited for having no proof of insurance and driving with an expired tag and a suspended Georgia driver’s license, according to Golden Beach Police Chief Rudy Herbello.
Echaverry had been with Miami-Dade Police for five years, and was assigned to the department’s robbery intervention detail. His friends told the Miami Herald he was moving up and planned to get married.
Monday’s shooting wasn’t his first brush with death, the newspaper reported. As a rookie in March 2018, Echaverry was a passenger in a police vehicle that rammed into another car, killing its 45-year-old driver.
The computer on the police vehicle showed Officer John Song was driving at 78 mph in a 40 mph zone a second before the crash. Both officers were airlifted to a hospital. In May a jury acquitted Song of vehicular homicide and reckless driving. The Herald reported that Echaverry testified that he couldn’t remember the moments leading up to the crash.
“We’ll never forget Officer Echaverry’s bravery & sacrifice. Godspeed, brother,” Ramirez tweeted. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/miami-officer-shot-pursuing-robbery-suspect-dies-days-later/ | 2022-08-19T02:25:52Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/miami-officer-shot-pursuing-robbery-suspect-dies-days-later/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TOPPENISH, Wash. - The Astria Sunnyside Hospital has had a medication drop off box for many years, however, the hospital has now updated to a more secure box and added one in their Toppenish hospital.
According to the Assistant Pharmacy Director at Astria Sunnyside Hospital Elizabeth Jensen, these boxes can play an important role in removing drugs from our community.
"Everybody has medications that they start using and maybe it doesn't work out for them in therapy or they end up with extra medication or they just don't finish it because they don't need it," Jensen said. "You end up with these bottles in your home that you can have for years. What these allow you to do is get rid of them in a safe and secure and confidential manner."
She said this may be especially important for people who don't feel comfortable dropping them off at a police station or during drug take back days if they struggle with drug problems or are known to law enforcement.
While Astria's Med-Project boxes are in their emergency room's lobbies they aren't policed. Any medications are welcome but not needles or illegal drugs.
Jensen said getting rid of unused medications in your home could potentially save innocent lives.
"Children can unintentionally get into medications and overdose fairly easily not knowing that it's something that they shouldn't take because quite often medications are shiny and they might look like candies," she said.
According to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, since March 2020 overdose hospitalizations in kids under five increased 20% across the nation. Removing drugs from your home could help keep them out of kids hands.
According to Jensen, it could also help those struggling with addiction because once they're in the box, you can't get them back.
"It's non retrievable so it's a good first step in getting rid of those medications out of your house," she said.
Once the drop box is full the company that owns the box, Med-Project, incinerates everything inside. The old box outside of the Sunnyside ER was 28 gallons and was emptied about once a month. That being the case, Jensen thinks the new boxes will be used often too.
You can find other year-round drug drop off locations by searching your area on the DEA's website. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/national/astria-hospital-adds-medication-drop-off-box-at-toppenish-location/article_87b4fe98-1f4b-11ed-a47d-73c9b6c94bae.html | 2022-08-19T02:26:19Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/national/astria-hospital-adds-medication-drop-off-box-at-toppenish-location/article_87b4fe98-1f4b-11ed-a47d-73c9b6c94bae.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash.-
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Boating Program was recently awarded a federal grant worth $554,000 to improve the patrolling on Washington waterways.
Franklin County will be awarded almost $40,000 for the Marine Law Enforcement Patrol Vessel Replacement Grant Program.
The Boating Program offers funding for multiple agencies to help improve the patrol vessels and their replacement in efforts to support state parks and the United States Coast Guard's mission safe recreational boating.
The key part of the mission is the marine law enforcement. Each agaeny is required to mach about 25% of the vessel's replacement. The total contribution is nearly $150,000.
Vessels funded through the program are useful for about 30-40 years.
Marine law enforcement units help educate boaters and have safety stops to make sure all rules are being followed.
Every county is different in the set of rules and regulations set, this grant can help agencies patrol the waterways.
For all five of the funded communities, the boating safety impacts will last for decades.
In addition to funding the patrol vessels, the Washington State Parks Boating Program oversees the training and accreditation of marine law enforcement agencies annually, hosting training programs and conferences throughout the year. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/franklin-county-getting-a-new-boat-as-part-of-the-554-000-boating-program-grant/article_9ca7e276-1f54-11ed-8c82-b7ae2e48ddb7.html | 2022-08-19T02:26:25Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/franklin-county-getting-a-new-boat-as-part-of-the-554-000-boating-program-grant/article_9ca7e276-1f54-11ed-8c82-b7ae2e48ddb7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KENNEWICK, Wash. -
The opportunity kitchen opened up a new location in the public market at the Columbia River Warehouse.
"What we have here is great food and an even greater mission." Executive training chef Derek smith said.
The twelve-week program has been operating out of the federal building.
"You can come see us but you have to pass through security so what's nice here is you don't get frisked if you want to come have lunch so we feel like it's a little easier to get to the public," Smith said.
The new location will help people with employment barriers have an opportunity to learn how to work in the kitchen.
Smith said, "...what we want to do is help them build though life skills and knife skills we always like that slogan."
Alex Aguire started as a student in the program and graduated in 2020. He stayed on as a prep cook and helps train the newer students.
He said, "For me it's fun passing down my knowledge especially when they're so, when they want to learn, that's the thing if they want to learn passing on my knowledge makes it super fun."
Aquire tells me without opportunity kitchen he wouldn't be where he is today.
"I've always loved cooking the smell the sounds the tastes, you know everything and I always wanted, I always told my mom, you know, I want to be a chef, but you know no one would hire me because of my disabilities," he said.
The food at the market is made with locally sourced ingredients and focuses on food you can grab and eat while walking around the market.
The Opportunity Kitchen is open from 10 a.m. To 7 P.M. Thursday through Saturday and on Sunday from 10 a.m. To 4 p.m. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/opportunity-kitchen-opens-new-stall-at-public-market-at-columbia-river-warehouse/article_d5c1bc76-1f4f-11ed-b8c8-27b8b1fc2ba9.html | 2022-08-19T02:26:31Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/opportunity-kitchen-opens-new-stall-at-public-market-at-columbia-river-warehouse/article_d5c1bc76-1f4f-11ed-b8c8-27b8b1fc2ba9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PASCO, Wash.-
Three teens from Pasco are charged with murder after a shooting off Pimlico Dr. on August 7, that left one person dead and two others in the hospital.
An arrest warrant was issued in August 12. The three appeared in court for a second time on August 16, where they were asked to surrender their weapons.
Aside from being ordered to surrender their weapons, a no-contact order among each other and the surviving victim.
Future court dates were set for September 6, Pre-trial September 20 and Jury trial on October 15.
This is a developing story and we will work to provide updates as more information becomes available. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/three-teens-arrested-for-a-shooting-off-pimlico-dr-in-pasco/article_7d6dd232-1f61-11ed-9362-7b9293d3c2c6.html | 2022-08-19T02:26:37Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/three-teens-arrested-for-a-shooting-off-pimlico-dr-in-pasco/article_7d6dd232-1f61-11ed-9362-7b9293d3c2c6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WALLA WALLA, Wash.-
A $650,000 grant to help low income students and those in high need was awarded to the Walla Walla Community College.
The grant came through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Supplemental Support under the American Rescue Plan (SSARP) program. It provides support to low-incomes and high-need students in WWCC.
It reinforces the college's efforts to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Senate Education Committee and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that five Washington colleges and universities received a total of more than $2 million in federal relief. WWCC was awarded the largest amount for any college or university in the state of Washington.
“We are very grateful to have been selected by the Department of Education, with the support of our legislative delegation,” WWCC President Chad Hickox said. “This award allows WWCC to continue to serve students through whatever challenges they may face.”
This emergency funding for institutions of higher education is to prevent , prepare and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rural institutions, like WWCC were given the prioritization when going through the selection process.
The college must utilize the funding by July 2023.
“With this additional federal funding, WWCC can ensure that high quality education remains accessible to the communities we serve,” Hickox said.
The grant comes after the college announced it's Warrior Pledge, a first-year pilot program that helps cover tuition and other eduction related expenses. It covers those expenses for as many as 50 students starting in the fall all the way until their graduation. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/walla-walla-community-college-gets-an-award-from-the-us-department-of-education/article_a3070c32-1f5e-11ed-96c4-a776c01696c0.html | 2022-08-19T02:26:43Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/walla-walla-community-college-gets-an-award-from-the-us-department-of-education/article_a3070c32-1f5e-11ed-96c4-a776c01696c0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WALLA WALLA, Wash.-
Gesa Credit Union credited the Walla Walla public schools is a $6,769 grant for the 2022-2023 school year as part of the Walla Walla High School debit card partnership program.
Every time the Blue Devil branded Gesa debit card is swiped, it creates proceeds that can expand the district's Adopt-a-Blue Devil Program. It helps Gesa members earn future funds to help support local student programs and activities.
The program ensures that all students in the district, from transitional kindergarten to 12th grade, regardless of income or family circumstances have the necessary resources to fully participate in school sponsored programs, activities or academic experiences.
Some examples of how the program's funds can be used are buying musical instrument supplies for students, sports equipment, covering the cost of Advanced Placement exams for students. The main goal, helping families in need.
School Superintendent says in a statement, “We continue to seek ways to remove barriers for students to participate and engage in all of our school programs and activities,” said Superintendent Dr. Wade Smith. “Our strategic plan challenges the school district to support the social and emotional needs of all students in a safe and engaging manner and this partnership with Gesa directly aligns with this initiative.” | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/walla-walla-public-schools-receive-almost-7-000-grant-from-gesa-credit-union/article_53431898-1f5a-11ed-93e4-6be4e3296423.html | 2022-08-19T02:26:49Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/walla-walla-public-schools-receive-almost-7-000-grant-from-gesa-credit-union/article_53431898-1f5a-11ed-93e4-6be4e3296423.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YAKIMA, Wash.-
The Yakima Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a 15-year-old runaway, Alexis Burson. She's been missing for a couple days now and is described to be 5 feet tall, 150 lbs.
She has blue eyes and short blonde hair.
If you have any information about her whereabouts, you're asked to contact YPD at 509-575-6200. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/yakima-police-are-asking-for-help-finding-a-15-year-old-runaway/article_26ec2018-1f4c-11ed-8728-ffd50bcc4b71.html | 2022-08-19T02:26:55Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/yakima-police-are-asking-for-help-finding-a-15-year-old-runaway/article_26ec2018-1f4c-11ed-8728-ffd50bcc4b71.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi court has sentenced a doctoral student to 34 years in prison for spreading “rumors” and retweeting dissidents, according to court documents obtained Thursday, a decision that has drawn growing global condemnation.
Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and a researcher at Leeds University in Britain, shocking even by Saudi standards of justice.
So far unacknowledged by the kingdom, the ruling comes amid Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s crackdown on dissent even as his rule granted women the right to drive and other new freedoms in the ultraconservative Islamic nation.
Al-Shehab was detained during a family vacation on Jan. 15, 2021, just days before she planned to return to the United Kingdom, according to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington-based human rights group.
Al-Shehab told judges she had been held for over 285 days in solitary confinement before her case was even referred to court, the legal documents obtained by The Associated Press show.
The Freedom Initiative describes al-Shehab as a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, which has long complained of systematic discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
“Saudi Arabia has boasted to the world that they are improving women’s rights and creating legal reform, but there is no question with this abhorrent sentence that the situation is only getting worse,” said Bethany al-Haidari, the group’s Saudi case manager.
Leading human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Thursday slammed al-Shehab’s trial as “grossly unfair” and her sentence as “cruel and unlawful.”
Since rising to power in 2017, Prince Mohammed has accelerated efforts to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil with massive tourism projects — most recently plans to create the world’s longest buildings that would stretch for more than 100 miles in the desert. But he has also faced criticism over his arrests of those who fail to fall in line, including dissidents and activists but also princes and businessmen.
Judges accused al-Shehab of “disturbing public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” — claims stemming solely from her social media activity, according to an official charge sheet. They alleged al-Shehab followed and retweeted dissident accounts on Twitter and “transmitted false rumors.”
The specialized criminal court handed down the unusually harsh 34-year sentence under Saudi counterterrorism and cybercrime laws, to be followed by a 34-year travel ban. The decision came earlier this month as al-Shehab appealed her initial sentence of six years.
“The (six-year) prison sentence imposed on the defendant was minor in view of her crimes,” a state prosecutor told the appeals court. “I’m calling to amend the sentence in light of her support for those who are trying to cause disorder and destabilize society, as shown by her following and retweeting (Twitter) accounts.”
The Saudi government in Riyadh, as well as its embassies in Washington and London, did not respond to a request for comment.
Leeds University confirmed that al-Shehab was in her final year of doctoral studies at the medical school.
“We are deeply concerned to learn of this recent development in Salma’s case and we are seeking advice on whether there is anything we can do to support her,” the university said.
Al-Shehab’s sentencing also drew the attention of Washington, where the State Department said Wednesday it was “studying the case.”
“Exercising freedom of expression to advocate for the rights of women should not be criminalized, it should never be criminalized,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom expressed concern on Twitter Thursday that the kingdom targeted al-Shehab “for her peaceful activism in solidarity w/political prisoners,” as well as for her Shiite identity.
Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom and held talks with Prince Mohammed in which he said he raised human rights concerns. Their meeting — and much-criticized fist-bump — marked a sharp turn-around from Biden’s earlier vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
During her appeal, al-Shehab said the harsh judgement was tantamount to the “destruction of me, my family, my future, and the future of my children.” She has two young boys, aged 4 and 6.
She told judges she had no idea that simply retweeting posts “out of curiosity and to observe others’ viewpoints,” from a personal account with no more than 2,000 followers, constituted terrorism.
___
Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/saudi-doctoral-student-gets-34-years-in-prison-for-tweets/ | 2022-08-19T02:26:56Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/saudi-doctoral-student-gets-34-years-in-prison-for-tweets/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Kennewick Lions nearly achieved their ultimate goal in 2021 getting to the state championship
Now they are looking forward to seeing if they can top it in 2022.
The Lions lost to Bellevue in the state finals 17-13, and then graduated a lot of skill players including a few that are playing college football.
But Coach Randy Affholter says the process of building a program is always making sure you have someone to step in and they're ready to take over.
"It's easy to get to the top and then once you're up there it's harder. You've gotta try to keep pushing yourself because you're going to get everybody's best shot from here on out. We just gotta make sure that we keep people chasing us now and that's the goal of it."
Affholter says their offensive and defensive lines will be their strengths this season, but he's also excited about some of the new skill players they will feature.
One of those is new quarterback Andre Breedlove who played a little behind center last year but now gets the full-time gig.
"We lost quite a bit of our wide receivers and stuff like that, skill positions. I feel like we filled them in pretty nice by adding some people that show up, they want to be consistent and show up to summer workouts and get better. I'm excited. I feel like we have a good chance to make it all the way."
Senior offensive lineman Ashton Tripp, who is committed to play football at WSU, agreed saying, "We have a few guys that haven't had their chance to show what they got, so I think we should be pretty good."
Affholter said fans will love their new running backs and wide receivers who will step to the forefront.
Kennewick's season begins on September 2nd when they face Pasco at Edgar Brown Stadium. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/sports/high_school_sports/kennewick-lions-thinking-big-in-2022/article_5e12bc1e-1f60-11ed-bce7-0f4bc9f569f0.html | 2022-08-19T02:27:01Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/sports/high_school_sports/kennewick-lions-thinking-big-in-2022/article_5e12bc1e-1f60-11ed-bce7-0f4bc9f569f0.html | 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.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/trio-of-suits-target-florida-woke-law-pushed-by-desantis/ | 2022-08-19T02:27:18Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/trio-of-suits-target-florida-woke-law-pushed-by-desantis/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A visiting U.S. senator says he has encouraged Kenya’s outgoing president to participate in a “peaceful transition of power” amid the latest election crisis in East Africa’s most stable democracy.
“I’ll let the president speak for himself, but that was certainly a hope I expressed today,” Sen. Chris Coons told The Associated Press after his meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday. He said they discussed ways in which Kenyatta can play a “constructive peacemaking role” after leaving office.
Kenyatta has remained publicly silent since the Aug. 9 vote, adding to the anxiety as Kenya again faces post-election uncertainty and a likely court challenge by the losing candidate, Raila Odinga. Coons, leading a congressional delegation on a five-country Africa visit, was in Kenya in part to meet the key parties and urge that calm continue.
Kenyatta had backed longtime rival and opposition leader Odinga in the close race against his own deputy president, William Ruto, who fell out bitterly with Kenyatta years ago. Ruto on Monday was declared the winner, but not before Kenya’s most peaceful election ever slid into chaos in the final moments.
The electoral commission split in two, each side accusing the other of trying to tinker with the results. It came as a shock to many Kenyans after an election widely seen as the country’s most transparent ever, with results from the more than 46,000 polling stations posted online.
Now Odinga almost certainly will challenge the results in Supreme Court. His campaign has seven days from Monday’s declaration to do so, and the court will have 14 days to rule. Odinga has urged supporters to remain patient instead of taking to the streets in a country with a history of sometimes deadly post-election violence.
After meeting with Kenyatta, Odinga and Ruto, Coons told the AP “I was encouraged that in all three meetings we heard a commitment to a call for calm and tranquility, to respect the legal processes established in the 2010 constitution.” He said the conversations were about the rule of law, the importance of free and fair elections and peaceful transitions.
“Obviously, the United States has had a very difficult experience with these issues for the past few years,” Coons said, referring to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as former President Donald Trump tried to remain in power. “I said in all three meetings we have things to learn from Kenya.”
Kenyatta told Coons that Kenya would uphold “its position of a shining example of democracy in the continent by maintaining peace during this transition period,” according to a statement issued by the president’s office.
Coons said he did not come to Kenya seeking anything like the handshake that Kenyatta and Odinga, after prodding, famously shared to end months of crisis after the 2017 election, whose results were overturned by the Supreme Court over irregularities, a first in Africa. Odinga boycotted the fresh vote and declared himself the “people’s president,” bringing allegations of treason.
This time, with Kenyatta’s backing, the Odinga campaign felt he would win the presidency after a quarter-century of pursuing it.
Kenyatta is stepping down after two terms, itself a notable act in a region where longtime presidents like Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda have been accused of clinging to power through changes in term limits, manipulation of elections and crackdowns on dissenting voices.
The U.S. delegation is also visiting Rwanda, where human rights and violent tensions with neighboring Congo are almost certainly on the agenda following Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit there last week. Coons said he looks forward to visiting again with Kagame.
Kenyatta has played a leading role in efforts to calm the Rwanda-Congo tensions and in trying to mediate in neighboring Ethiopia’s deadly Tigray conflict, with support from the U.S. Coons did not say what kind of peacemaking role he hoped to see Kenyatta play after stepping down.
Ruto’s public comments this week have been on domestic matters, not foreign, but Coons said the president-elect made an “expression of concern and intent in trying to help lead to positive resolutions” in such regional crises.
Coons also has played a role in trying to calm the Ethiopia conflict. But he told the AP the delegation was not having a meeting with Ethiopia’s government or the Tigray forces while in Kenya.
Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and his delegation have already visited Cape Verde and Mozambique and will visit Tunisia as well. | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/us-congressional-delegation-in-kenya-amid-election-crisis/ | 2022-08-19T02:27:33Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/us-and-world/us-congressional-delegation-in-kenya-amid-election-crisis/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
House of the Dragon’s Paddy Considine Turned Down Game of Thrones
In just a few days, Paddy Considine will assume the Iron Throne as Viserys I Targaryen, whose turbulent reign as the new king of Westeros is depicted in HBO’s long-awaited Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon. The new series takes place 200 years before its (mostly) critically-acclaimed predecessor. However, it turns out Considine could have visited the Seven Kingdoms much earlier (or later, depending on your perspective). While speaking with Total Film (via GamesRadar+), Considine recalled passing on HBO’s flagship Game of Thrones series before the first season had even started production.
During the interview, Considine explained how he prefers to avoid the audition process altogether. So it came as a stroke of good luck that he was offered the role of Viserys in House of the Dragon. Regardless, this wasn’t the case with Game of Thrones. Back then, the producers merely sent him the script for an early episode to gauge his interest. But it sounds like the story didn’t make much sense to him at the time.
“I don’t know, I mean there isn’t one [part] because they were all cast so well and it was great,” said Considine. “And that’s the thing, it wasn’t like I was offered anything. I was just literally sent the first script, I think the first episode. I read it, and in full honesty here […] I couldn’t quite make head nor tail of it.”
RELATED: War is Afoot in HBO’s New House of the Dragon Trailer
“And when someone sends you a script and says, ‘Oh just read any character and see how you react,’ I go, ‘Uhhh, what am I supposed to be looking at here?’” added Considine. “And then my agent at the time described the bones of it, you know. It’s about all these kingdoms and there’s a Throne. And I was just a bit like, ‘Oh, really?’ That’s not for me.”
Fortunately, Considine had all eight seasons of Game of Thrones to refer to when deciding if he wanted to join the cast House of the Dragon. And clearly, everything worked out for the best, because he seems to have genuinely enjoyed working on the upcoming prequel.
“I wouldn’t be Viserys Targyren now, would I?” said Considine. “So it’s all meant to be.”
House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO this Sunday, August 21 at 9pm.
Who do you think Considine could have played in the original series? Tell us your ideas in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones
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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.wpri.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/hair-products-br/5-best-oribe-hair-products/ | 2022-08-19T02:28:17Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/hair-products-br/5-best-oribe-hair-products/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Which brand of smoker is better?
Smoking meat has been around for ages. In fact, it’s one of the oldest ways of cooking, dating to the days of cavemen. Over the last few decades, the increased availability of convenient smokers has accompanied an explosion in the popularity of smoking food at home.
Several brands specialize in smokers, and there’s a variety of styles to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a gas or electric model in a side-by-side, vertical or bullet configuration, both Masterbuilt and Pit Boss have plenty to offer.
Masterbuilt smokers
Masterbuilt makes a decent range of reasonably priced, effective outdoor culinary equipment, and that holds true with its smokers. Actually, Masterbuilt smokers are some of the best for beginners because they’re simple, reliable, affordable and come in compact sizes for those without a massive patio to store one on.
Masterbuilt smoker pros
- Well-priced: It’s tough to beat the value of most Masterbuilt smokers, in both the entry-level and midrange categories.
- Gas and electric heating available: Whether you don’t want to be tied to an outlet or prefer to not hassle with propane tanks, Masterbuilt has something for you.
- Wide selection of sizes and styles: Masterbuilt makes vertical smokers, pellet grills and even an ultra-compact upright bullet-type model.
- Quality insulation: Masterbuilt’s vertical smokers in particular sport enough insulation to make maintaining a precise temperature simple.
Masterbuilt smoker cons
- Slightly inconsistent build quality: It’s not common, but every so often a new owner reports slightly misaligned panels or seams that aren’t perfectly lined up. In most cases, though, these issues are minor and don’t affect performance.
Best Masterbuilt smokers
If you’re new to smoking, don’t have a ton of space and don’t want to make a huge investment, this classic design is the perfect choice. It’s easy to maintain the perfect temperature due in part to a convenient charcoal door on the front.
Sold by Amazon
Thanks to a precise thermostat and straightforward digital controls, it takes a great deal of the guesswork out of smoking meat. That, plus its surprisingly low price, makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
This one takes advantage of the consistent, dependable heating of propane and adds refinements such as a thermostat control dial and a fuel tank gauge. This 40-inch model has plenty of space to cook in, but the 30-inch version is a better deal.
Sold by Amazon
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560
This novel smoker combines a side-by-side pellet hopper and traditional charcoal grill, making it one of the most versatile. There are onboard digital controls, but you can also manage the grill from afar using a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-connected device.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
Pit Boss smokers
Pit Boss began as a direct competitor to Traeger, the company that invented the pellet smoker. While it doesn’t offer a massive selection of smokers, most of those it does make are great investments. For the most part, Pit Boss focuses more on high-end needs than budget-minded users.
Pit boss smoker pros
- Tons of room for food: The top Pit Boss smokers boast as many as 1,500 square inches of grilling area. That’s enough for a restaurant to put a smoked meat special on the menu long-term.
- Dependable electronics: Pit Boss heating elements and thermostats are as good as they get, and can withstand years of regular use as long as you take proper care.
Pit Boss smoker cons
- Relatively high cost: While some (especially the largest vertical smokers) are among the best overall, Pit Boss smokers usually do not come cheap.
- Combination models have poor build quality: Pit Boss makes a few side-by-side combination pellet and gas or charcoal grills. They’re expensive and, on paper, highly versatile. Unfortunately, real-world reviews frequently complain of shoddy quality and inconsistent performance. It’s best to avoid these novel yet unreliable smokers.
Best Pit Boss smokers
This rugged model has plenty of real estate inside, in addition to helpful touches such as a hanging ash can, adjustable-flow chimney and digital thermostat controls.
Sold by Amazon
It’s an entry-level pellet grill with over 440 square inches of room for meat, vegetables and hard cheese. It doesn’t take up much space and has durable wheels to help you move it around the patio.
Sold by Amazon
This one’s about as big and streamlined as they get, with an all-electric ignition and heating element plus a 40-pound pellet hopper that lets you smoke for many hours without refilling. It’s expensive, but also one of the best.
Sold by Amazon
It’s nearly as big as they get, and can get up to 500 degrees in case you want to do more than just slow-cook some ribs. It even boasts a flame broiler for getting the ultimate sear.
Sold by Amazon
While not exactly easy to carry, it does sport folding legs that make it simple to fit in the bed of a truck or back of an SUV. However, it is a bit pricey for one with only 440 square inches of grilling area.
Sold by Amazon
Should you get a Masterbuilt or Pit Boss smoker?
Both brands make great smokers. If you’re ready to invest in something that can feed an army, look for a Pit Boss vertical smoker. If you only rarely smoke food, the most affordable Pit Boss models are also great choices.
If you’re looking for a mid-size smoker that can help you learn the ropes and get the hang of the perfect smoked brisket, Masterbuilt’s midrange options offer great value and plenty of room for large cuts of meat. Its digital upright smoker is an especially user-friendly choice.
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Chris Thomas 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.wpri.com/reviews/masterbuilt-smoker-vs-pit-boss-smoker/ | 2022-08-19T02:29:36Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/reviews/masterbuilt-smoker-vs-pit-boss-smoker/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MURSKA SOBOTA, Slovenia (AP) — Former United States international Heather O’Reilly scored just four minutes into her Women’s Champions League debut to give Irish team Shelbourne a 1-0 win over Slovenian club Pomurje on Thursday in the first round of qualifying for the group stage.
O’Reilly came out of retirement at the age of 37 in order to play in the competition for the first time, which she said was the only thing missing on a resume that includes three Olympic gold medals and a World Cup victory.
She retired from internationals in 2016 and from club soccer in 2019 before announcing her return last month.
In Slovenia, O’Reilly scored with a header that looped over the goalkeeper after the Slovenian team failed to clear a cross into the area just four minutes into the game.
“What a dream come true,” O’Reilly said in an interview posted online by the club. “Playing in the champions League was such a life dream for me, and so I can’t believe it actually happened today. And to add to it, obviously to score, and that being the game winner is just amazing. … I didn’t think it was going to be possible in my career.”
Shelbourne advances to a playoff final against Icelandic club Valur on Sunday where the winner will enter the second round of qualifying for the 16-team group stage.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/at-37-oreilly-nets-winner-4-minutes-into-womens-cl-debut/ | 2022-08-19T02:29:58Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/at-37-oreilly-nets-winner-4-minutes-into-womens-cl-debut/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — The family of a 12-year-old Little League World Series player from Utah who sustained a head injury after falling from the top bunk of his bed at the dormitory complex said Thursday that he has been moved from intensive care and is able to sit up, eat and walk with support.
Easton Oliverson, a pitcher and outfielder for the Snow Canyon team out of Santa Clara, Utah, suffered the injury Monday and was listed in critical condition Tuesday.
But according to a post Thursday on an Instagram account the family set up to share updates, he is now back in a standard hospital room and can communicate with his parents, Jace and Nancy, and other family members.
A video attached to the post also showed Easton drinking and feeding himself.
“We are astonished by his strength and willingness to try new things,” the post said. “He has been communicating more frequently with his Mom, Dad, and uncles who have been at the hospital with him. His voice has been significantly more clear when he talks! He asked Nancy about his hair, and why he was there.”
The Santa Clara team, for which Jace Oliverson also serves as an assistant coach, was the first from Utah to make the Little League World Series. It is representing the Mountain Region and is scheduled to play its first game Friday against the Nolensville, Tennessee, team representing the Southeast Region.
Little League World Series officials also announced in a statement Thursday that Snow Canyon was filling Easton’s open roster spot with his brother, Brogan Oliverson.
Little League said the addition of an eligible player is common in certain situations, including medical absence. The move was approved by the tournament committee and Brogan will be eligible to play in Friday’s game.
The boy’s uncle, Spencer Beck, has served as family spokesperson and told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Easton fell off the bed while he was sleeping and hit his head.
“The teammates heard him fall, thank goodness,” Beck said in a phone interview. “When they got into surgery, the doctor talked to Jace and said had he not gotten into surgery but 30 minutes later, he would have been dead.”
The family has set up a Venmo account for the kid nicknamed “Tank” to help with bills and expenses.
“He is making great strides, and we as a family couldn’t be more grateful,” the Instagram statement said.
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/boy-hurt-in-fall-at-little-league-world-series-alert-walks/ | 2022-08-19T02:30:12Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/boy-hurt-in-fall-at-little-league-world-series-alert-walks/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MILWAUKEE (AP) — David Vassegh thought it would be make good TV to take a ride on Bernie Brewer’s slide before the Los Angeles Dodgers played in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
It didn’t go quite according to plan.
The Dodgers television and radio reporter said he broke two bones in his right wrist and cracked six ribs when he tumbled and crashed into the padding at the end of his slide down “Bernie’s Chalet,” where Brewers mascot Bernie Brewer takes up residence behind the American Family Field left-field stands. Bernie celebrates Milwaukee homers with trips down the giant, white slide.
“I’ll learn not to do my own stunts from now on,” Vassegh quipped before the Dodgers’ Thursday afternoon game in Milwaukee.
Vassegh is the host of the “Dodger Talk” show that follows Dodgers radio broadcasts and periodically works as a reporter on Los Angeles’ telecasts as well. He was working in his television capacity when he went down the slide twice about four hours before the Dodgers’ Wednesday night game.
The first time, he was filmed at the top of the slide, and everything went fine. Then he went down again, so he could get footage of him coming down.
That’s when the problem occurred. Vassegh went sideways, and his right arm crashed into the padding.
“That time, it went a lot faster,” Vassegh said. “It was a lot slicker the second time. That’s where it got a little out of control at the end.”
Vassegh went to an urgent care facility and was back at work by the fifth inning. Vassegh had his right arm in a cast as he conducted a postgame interview with Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes.
“That one was for you,” Barnes told Vassegh after homering in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory. “I know you had a little accident today on the slide, so we all rallied for you.”
Vassegh was back on the job Thursday, though he says he probably will need surgery when he gets home.
Bernie Brewer greeted him with flowers and a sign that read “0 Days Since Last Incident.” He also gave Vassegh a “Slide Instruction Manual” that read “It’s really not that hard.” Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner sent out a tweet poking fun at Vassegh over the situation.
Vassegh said he received over 200 texts from friends and players since taking his tumble.
“It’s been an outpouring of support — and also comedy at the same time,” Vassegh said.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/dodgers-tv-reporter-injured-sliding-down-bernies-chalet/ | 2022-08-19T02:30:49Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/dodgers-tv-reporter-injured-sliding-down-bernies-chalet/ | 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.
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More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/judge-sets-january-2024-trial-for-liv-golf-suit-against-tour/ | 2022-08-19T02:31:19Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/judge-sets-january-2024-trial-for-liv-golf-suit-against-tour/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association is resuming its Dream Gap barnstorming tour for a fourth consecutive year, while still developing plans to launch a professional league.
The PWHPA on Thursday announced its fall schedule will open on Oct. 14 and feature a five-weekend series plus a special event, with details — including locations — to be announced later this month. The stops will feature four teams of 25-player rosters drawn from the PWHPA’s membership of 43 Olympians, 75 players with national-level experience and newcomers who have just completed their college careers.
In the meantime, the PWHPA said it continues working toward establishing its own professional league, without providing any further details by citing a non-disclosure agreement in place with its corporate partners and sponsors.
The PWHPA in May reached an agreement with tennis great Billie Jean King and Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter to work on establishing what would become North America’s second women’s pro hockey league.
Tentative plans have the new league featuring six teams, with players paid an average salary of $55,000, and starting as early as January.
The PWHPA would compete with the Premier Hockey Federation, which is entering its eighth season, and expanding to seven teams with the addition of Montreal.
The PWHPA was established in 2019 after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League folded, and its members have balked at playing for the PHF, which was formerly called the National Women’s Hockey League.
As in the past, PWHPA players will be based in Boston, Minnesota, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, Alberta, where they will have access to training and practice facilities.
What’s different this year is how the four teams’ rosters are selected. Rather than representing their respective hubs, players will be ranked and distributed evenly among the four teams to even the level of competition.
“We continuously look for ways to increase opportunities for our players to compete as we move torwards our ultimate goal of a professional league,” PWHPA chief Jayna Hefford said in a released statement. “We also want to continue to provide an exciting product for hockey fans to enjoy, and we’re confident this will be our biggest, most competitive season to date.”
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/pwhpa-sets-dream-gap-tour-with-pro-hockey-league-in-works/ | 2022-08-19T02:32:04Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/sports/ap-sports/pwhpa-sets-dream-gap-tour-with-pro-hockey-league-in-works/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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CHEYENNE – Two local community food pantries recently received donations from the Cheyenne Elks Club #660.
Needs Inc. and St. Joseph’s Food Pantry each received $3,000 to help address the food insecurity requirements of residents in the community. In the Cheyenne area, approximately 11% of households struggle with food insecurity, with the number increasing to 14% for households with children. A large proportion of these hungry individuals rely on food pantries to assist with their nutritional requirements.
The funding for these donations was provided by a Beacon Grant and a Spotlight Grant from the Elks National Foundation. The Beacon Grant allows an Elks Club the opportunity to support pressing needs in its own backyard while the Spotlight Grant allows a club to shine a light on important community issues. Food insecurity issues, which have grown during the time of the pandemic, meet both of these grant criteria.
Needs Inc. was founded in 1972 and provides services to the community through its food pantry, clothing store and low-cost thrift store. Its services are funded by grants and donations, which help feed nearly 15,000 individuals annually. It is the largest food pantry in Laramie County, and is funded from donations from local businesses, churches, organizations and private individuals.
St. Joseph’s Food Pantry was founded in the 1980s in the basement of the church parish’s office, but has grown and expanded greatly over the years. It now provides food to nearly 900 households each calendar quarter, with clients allowed to pick up needed food once a week. It is supported by donations from local churches, businesses and individuals.
Cheyenne Elks have been providing community service to the Cheyenne area and its residents for more than 120 years. As a charitable organization, the Elks are dedicated to helping members of the local community – in particular, the homeless, struggling veterans, others in need and youth organizations. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/cheyenne-elks-club-donates-3-000-to-local-food-pantries/article_3d19b180-1f5a-11ed-94b1-d3f52744d6d6.html | 2022-08-19T02:33:45Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/cheyenne-elks-club-donates-3-000-to-local-food-pantries/article_3d19b180-1f5a-11ed-94b1-d3f52744d6d6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – This Sunday, Aug. 21, is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, a day designated to recognize the dangers of fentanyl and how it affects Wyoming.
In 2020, 1,663 dosage units and 0.27 pounds of fentanyl were seized by law enforcement in Wyoming. That’s an increase of 3,876% from the previous year. In 2021, 11,135 dosage units and 64.83 pounds of fentanyl were seized by law enforcement in Wyoming, an increase of 10,539%.
More than 13,398 dosage units of fentanyl have already been seized by Wyoming law enforcement in 2022. Since 2018, there have been 334,476 dosage units of fentanyl seized by law enforcement in Wyoming.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol is warning the public that illicit fentanyl is prevalent in the United States and can cause sudden death.
Fentanyl is an opioid pain medication similar to morphine, but is 50-100 times more potent. When used correctly, it is a very effective pain reliever for cancer patients. However, illicit fentanyl is an illegal drug cut into other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and counterfeit prescription pills.
Fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin or mucous membranes or accidentally inhaled. The effects of this drug are unpredictable, because it varies from person to person based on their size, weight, metabolism and whether they have taken other drugs before taking fentanyl.
If you suspect someone has taken fentanyl, call 911 immediately. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/national-fentanyl-prevention-and-awareness-day-is-this-sunday/article_f45a4cd8-1f5a-11ed-a2c2-83e9d85c140a.html | 2022-08-19T02:33:51Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/national-fentanyl-prevention-and-awareness-day-is-this-sunday/article_f45a4cd8-1f5a-11ed-a2c2-83e9d85c140a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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(The Hill) — A federal judge on Thursday blocked a Florida law restricting how workplaces and schools can discuss race during required training or instruction championed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida Chief Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law, known as the “Stop WOKE Act,” saying it violates free speech protections under the First Amendment and that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause for being impermissibly vague.
“Recently, Florida has seemed like a First Amendment upside down,” Walker wrote in the ruling, comparing the law to the fictional “upside down” in the Netflix series “Stranger Things.”
“Normally, the First Amendment bars the state from burdening speech, while private actors may burden speech freely,” the Obama-appointed judge continued. “But in Florida, the First Amendment apparently bars private actors from burdening speech, while the state may burden speech freely.”
The law prevents workplaces from requiring employees to attend any activity that violates any of eight concepts, like instilling that someone bears “personal responsibility” for historic wrongdoings because of their race, color, sex or national origin.
DeSantis and other Republicans promoted the new legislation as fighting back against liberals seeking to make white people feel guilty in diversity and inclusion efforts.
“In Florida, we will not let the far-left woke agenda take over our schools and workplaces,” DeSantis said during a signing ceremony in April. “There is no place for indoctrination or discrimination in Florida.”
In the ruling, Walker argued the law implemented viewpoint-based regulation on speech, noting that a nonprofit could not hold a required meeting in which it endorses the concept of white privilege while another nonprofit was free to hold required meetings criticizing the concept.
“If Florida truly believes we live in a post-racial society, then let it make its case,” Walker ruled. “But it cannot win the argument by muzzling its opponents.”
Nonprofit Protect Democracy filed the lawsuit challenging the law in June on behalf of honeymoon registry technology company Honeyfund and Ben & Jerry’s franchisee Primo Tampa, both of whom wished to require employee training prohibited by the law.
The group also challenged the law on behalf of workplace diversity and inclusion consulting company Collective Concepts and its co-founder Chevara Orrin.
“This vague law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments by prohibiting the expression of viewpoints disfavored by government officials and chilling a wide range of speech in the workplace,” Shalini Goel Agarwal, counsel at Protect Democracy, said in a statement.
“We look forward to proceeding to trial, winning, and seeing this law permanently overturned,” she said. “It is a direct attack on American free speech values as well as on free enterprise in Florida.”
The Hill has reached out to DeSantis’s office for comment.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida and other groups filed a separate lawsuit challenging the law on Thursday on behalf of a group of students and educators in the state. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/judge-blocks-desantiss-stop-woke-act-says-florida-feels-like-a-first-amendment-upside-down/ | 2022-08-19T02:34:25Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/judge-blocks-desantiss-stop-woke-act-says-florida-feels-like-a-first-amendment-upside-down/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Former Hearts boss reckons Zurich defeat was 'missed opportunity' as ex-player makes second-leg prediction
Craig Levein reckons Hearts’ 2-1 defeat to FC Zurich in the first leg of their Europa League play-off was a “missed opportunity”.
Lawrence Shankland put the visitors in front on 22 minutes with a penalty but goals from Adria Guerrero and Blerim Dzemaili gave Franco Foda’s men a one-goal advantage to take to Tynecastle.
Levein, who previously worked with Robbie Neilson as his manager and then director of football, believes his old protege should have went for the jugular after Hearts opened the scoring due to Zurich’s poor start to the season.
“If Hearts had gone for Zurich at 1-0... they're not in good form and they're vulnerable. I feel there was a missed opportunity there,” he told BBC Scotland’s Sportsound coverage. “Tynecastle will be rocking next week but they'll have to play with more confidence.”
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Neilson changed formation in the second period in a bid to bring Hearts level, withdrawing Jorge Grant and Peter Haring, replacing them with Alan Forrest and Liam Boyce and going 4-4-2.
On BBC Scotland’s live televised coverage of the game, St Johnstone defender Ryan McGowan – who won the 2012 Scottish Cup with Hearts – believes it’s a system Neilson will stick with for the match next Thursday. He also felt the first-half loss of Craig Halkett to injury was crucial.
“I think those two Zurich goals possibly don't happen with Halkett on the pitch. He's a big, big miss for Hearts,” the Australian said.
"Alan Forrest coming made such a massive difference for Hearts. Neilson will be much happier with the second half. I think they’ll go to a back four in the second leg.” | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/former-hearts-boss-reckons-zurich-defeat-was-missed-opportunity-as-ex-player-makes-second-leg-prediction-3811730 | 2022-08-19T02:36:01Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/former-hearts-boss-reckons-zurich-defeat-was-missed-opportunity-as-ex-player-makes-second-leg-prediction-3811730 | 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.wtxl.com/news/national/finlands-young-prime-minister-faces-criticism-after-leaked-video-shows-boisterous-partying | 2022-08-19T02:36:03Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/finlands-young-prime-minister-faces-criticism-after-leaked-video-shows-boisterous-partying | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hearts confirm nature of Craig Halkett's injury after Zurich tie
Hearts must wait to discover how long Craig Halkett will be missing after the defender suffered a hamstring injury against FC Zurich.
He was forced off after just five minutes of the Edinburgh club’s 2-1 defeat in the first leg of the Europa League play-off in Switzerland. The damage will be assessed once the team arrive back in Scotland on Friday.
“Craig got a tweak on his hamstring when he stretched for the ball,” said manager Robbie Neilson after the match in St Gallen. “We’ll fly back tomorrow and get it assessed then and see where we are. It could be five days, it could be five weeks. He’s walking.”
Lawrence Shankland’s first-half penalty put Hearts 1-0 ahead but Zurich scored twice in quick succession soon after through Adrian Guerrero and midfielder Blerim Dzemaili to earn a slender advantage for the return leg.
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"I was delighted with the performance of the players, I thought they were absolutely outstanding tonight,” added Neilson. “We’ve come here against the Swiss champions, a top team, international players, and we’ve performed very well.
“We’ve got the goal, playing exceptionally well and then two sloppy goals in quick succession but we then steadied the ship and get through the game. The game now goes back to Tynecastle and the main objective coming here was to make sure we give ourselves a chance. We’ve done that.
“It’s difficult to come to these places and play against top teams. We’ll give it everything at Tyencastle and try to get through.
“I just wanted the game to stop after we scored, that would have been great. You know they’re going to come into the game.
“I was delighted for Lawrence to get off the mark in Europe. We had that wee period where we started to sit a wee bit and managed to get half-time at 2-1. We had to change it a wee bit in the second half because we were starting to sit deeper and deeper.
“I thought the pitch as very good. It’s a different ball, different surface, different team, it’s a big learning curve for all the players.
“We’ve only got a couple of guys who have played at this level and every time they do it they get more experience. Next week, with the atmosphere, we’ll give ourselves a right good chance,
“I’m pretty sure it will be raucous at Tynecastle. The fans today were outstanding. We’ll have another 18,000 of them next Thursday and I think it will be a brilliant night.”
Franco Foda, the Zurich coach, lamented his team’s failure to kill the tie by scoring more. “We played a good match, we matched to get a deserved win, but the only thing that I’m not happy about is that we had a lot of chances in the second half and didn’t make them count.
“I don’t worry about that coming back to haunt us. I think we’ll have a lot of chances in Scotland as well but we’ll have to be better in using those chances and be cold-blooded in front of goal. Of course it would have been nicer if we had score one or two more goals.” | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/hearts-confirm-nature-of-craig-halketts-injury-after-zurich-tie-3811717 | 2022-08-19T02:36:15Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/hearts-confirm-nature-of-craig-halketts-injury-after-zurich-tie-3811717 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Robbie Neilson hails 'outstanding' players and fans after Hearts hold own against Swiss champions
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson hailed his ‘outstanding’ players for coming through a rocky period in Switzerland and setting up a chance to reach the Europa League.
Lawrence Shankland gave Hearts the lead from the penalty spot midway through the first half of their Europa League play-off first leg against Zurich but the hosts were ahead inside 12 minutes.
Hearts survived some scares to take a 2-1 deficit back to Edinburgh and Neilson believes their fans can roar them to victory at Tynecastle next week.
"I thought the players were outstanding," he told Hearts TV. "We started the game well and got the goal, and then lost two goals in quick succession which rocked us a wee bit. But I thought the players responded really well.
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"To come here against the Swiss champions, with a lot of international players, a very, very good team, and we held our own, created chances. Yes, at times we rode our luck, but that's part of football.
"I was really pleased with the players but now we have a chance when we go back to Tynecastle next Thursday, 20,000 fans screaming their head off. It's going to be an entertaining night.
"The fans were outstanding from the minute they arrived, were here hours before the game and were singing right the way through, and the subs were doing their running and the guys were still cheering them.
"I'm sure they will have a magnificent night and hopefully next week back at Tynecastle we can give them something to really cheer about." | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/robbie-neilson-hails-outstanding-players-and-fans-after-hearts-hold-own-against-swiss-champions-3811739 | 2022-08-19T02:36:28Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/robbie-neilson-hails-outstanding-players-and-fans-after-hearts-hold-own-against-swiss-champions-3811739 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lost River Cave asks community for help in Brown-Eyed Susan removal
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - The Brown-Eyed Susan is a small, yellow coneflower, native to Kentucky.
“It serves the local population of pollinators and is just a beautiful sight for all of us that get to walk past it,” said Lost River Cave’s Director of Philanthropy, Katie Cielinski.
Though beautiful, the Brown-Eyed Susan is beginning to take up a bit too much real estate in the park’s meadow.
“She served her purpose, she’s held the ground and defended off of the invasives that are not native. Now, this next phase of the inventory process is leading us to thin that out.”
However, it won’t be an easy removal.
“We’ve got a small window before the Brown-Eyed Susan goes to seed. Then she’ll scatter her seeds, plant them in the ground again, and we’ll see it come back with a vengeance again next year. So this is that short window when we can remove it and try to create that balance.”
So Lost River Cave is reaching out to the community, hoping volunteers will help in the removal of the plant from the meadow.
“We’ve got master gardeners, we’ve got our partners with the Wild Ones that are going to send people to help us pull Brown Eyed Susan out,” Cielinski said. “But the more people we can get the better. So we’d love to have everybody that can come.”
Once the Brown-Eyed Susan is removed, it will make room for more grasses and forbs in the meadow, helping balance out the delicate ecosystem.
“The meadow is one of many ecosystems here at the park. We’re excited to see it continue to be restored, and continue to support the ecosystem, the animals, the insects, all the little critters that live down here. It’s a testament to what the Friends of Lost River and all of our partners are accomplishing down here.”
Volunteers can sign up for the “Volunteer Invasive Plant Initiative” Saturday, August 27, on the Lost River Cave Facebook page.
Copyright 2022 WBKO. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/19/lost-river-cave-asks-community-help-brown-eyed-susan-removal/ | 2022-08-19T02:41:51Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/19/lost-river-cave-asks-community-help-brown-eyed-susan-removal/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
30 Delightful Gifts for the Cheese Lover in Your Life (I.E. Everyone)
You may wanna take notes. Just in queso...
There's no shortage of reason's to gift your loved ones, and lucky for you, there's no shortage of gift options out there. We've got presents that pamper, gifts for the book lover, edible offerings for the foodie in your life, and so much more. But today you're shopping for someone with a more specific obsession: cheese.
Gooey baked brie, nachos drizzled in melted Monterey Jack, a crumbly goat cheese, or a good ol' grilled Gouda. When it comes to cheese, the options are seemingly endless—and they're all downright delicious. It's no wonder the simple pleasure has a way of bringing people together (well, people without dietary restrictions).
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1Manual Rotary Cheese Grater Read More
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3Cheesy Hat Read More
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5Better Chef Sandwich Grill Read More
If you've got a friend who subscribes to this ideology more than most, we've gathered an assortment of cheese gifts that are sure to delight. There's no shortage of tasty cheese-themed treats and accessories, from monthly cheese subscriptions to carefully curated boxes of European varieties even some of the biggest aficionados haven't tasted yet. You'll also find plenty of practical ideas, like custom charcuterie boards that pair perfectly with last year's wine-themed present and a pretty Farmhouse-style fondue pot that fromage-fiend will adore. And of course, there are also some smaller gift ideas to poke a little fun at their most fervent hobby: eating cheese. Think a personalized mac and cheese spoon and novelty socks that call upon their partner or roommate to bring them more (grilled) cheese.
Bottom line: You won't ever have to wonder what to get your favorite cheese lover for their birthday, the holidays, or just because, the following 30 gifts for cheese lovers will surely please anyone you're fond-ue of. | https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/food/g23496086/gifts-for-cheese-lovers/ | 2022-08-19T02:49:55Z | oprahdaily.com | control | https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/food/g23496086/gifts-for-cheese-lovers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
10 Best Pieces of Luggage for International Travel
With everything else you’ve got to worry about, have peace of mind knowing your stuff is secure.
Whether you're traveling for work or for play, there are so many things you have to worry about before crossing international borders, from making sure your passport isn't expired to concerns about travel delays and other unexpected bumps in the road that could pop up. The last thing you'll want to encounter is finding out that your suitcase isn't gonna cut it for your journey abroad.
Thankfully, there's no shortage of stylish, durable pieces of luggage out there, and we've done the legwork to scout out the best options that meet general international travel guidelines, ensuring you won't get caught in a luggage letdown when you're already at the airport.
While size guidelines vary based on airline, destination, and even frequent flyer status and seat location, a good rule of thumb to abide by is keeping your carry-on luggage less than a length of 22 in (56 cm), width of 18 in (45 cm) and depth of 10 in (25 cm), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). These dimensions include wheels, handles, and side pockets. A standard domestic carry-on can typically be slightly longer, so you'll want to be prepared well before wheels up.
Check out our top picks for the best options on the block at every price point and luggage type (including duffle bags, hard luggage, and everything in between), whether you're checking your bag or stowing it in the overhead bins, so you can put your mind at ease as you prepare for takeoff. | https://www.oprahdaily.com/style/g40898360/best-luggage-for-international-travel/ | 2022-08-19T02:50:05Z | oprahdaily.com | control | https://www.oprahdaily.com/style/g40898360/best-luggage-for-international-travel/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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2022 Cincinnati | https://www.wtatennis.com/videos/2749163/cincinnati-pegula-beats-raducanu-advances-to-quarterfinals | 2022-08-19T02:56:02Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/videos/2749163/cincinnati-pegula-beats-raducanu-advances-to-quarterfinals | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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2022 Cincinnati | https://www.wtatennis.com/videos/2749169/cincinnati-garcia-flies-into-1st-wta-1000-quarterfinal-since-2018 | 2022-08-19T02:56:08Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/videos/2749169/cincinnati-garcia-flies-into-1st-wta-1000-quarterfinal-since-2018 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The regulator says progress has been made on the 'rule of law' in cyberspace. And must continue supervision of the sector.
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You'll recall the 'crackdown' on the tech sector, such as limiting the time allowed on games and what have you. The moves from regulators weighed on tech stocks. I don't know if remarks such as these are indicating renewed interest in higher supervision or its just bureaucrats exercising their mouths, but something to be aware of.
Earlier re China:
President Xi is chasing a third term heading up the CCP at the Chinese Communist Party 20th National Congress later this year. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/chinas-cyberspace-regulator-must-continue-the-communist-party-supervision-of-cyberspace-20220819/ | 2022-08-19T03:02:51Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/chinas-cyberspace-regulator-must-continue-the-communist-party-supervision-of-cyberspace-20220819/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Data point from Taiwan's economics ministry today.
- Taiwan's semiconductor output in Q2 +40.89% y/y
This is a record high quarter
The ministry said producers continued to increase capacity facing strong demand
Data point from Taiwan's economics ministry today.
This is a record high quarter
The ministry said producers continued to increase capacity facing strong demand
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Must Read | https://www.forexlive.com/news/tiawans-q2-semiconductor-output-41-yy-20220819/ | 2022-08-19T03:02:58Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/tiawans-q2-semiconductor-output-41-yy-20220819/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Alexandra Arpajian Joins High Point Arts Council
High Point Arts Council (HPAC) board chair Carlos Olvera announces Alexandra Arpajian as the new Executive Director of the High Point Arts Council, replacing Debbie Lumpkins who is retiring after more than two decades of service to the High Point arts community.
As Executive Director, Alexandra will be responsible for all arts programs and activities, as well as management of Centennial Station Arts Center, home to the HPAC. Alexandra joins HPAC from Kindermusik International, where she served as Regional Director of Community Partnerships. Prior to Kindermusik, she served as Executive Director for Young Musicians of Alamance. Alexandra brings extensive knowledge of organizational development and management, fund raising, partnership building, arts and education program development, and facilities management.
“Alexandra brings tremendous enthusiasm and an extensive set of skills ideally suited to further advance the Arts Council to new levels for the enjoyment and benefit of our community,” stated board chair Carlos Olvera. A long-time resident of the Triad, Alexandra received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Delaware, and Masters in Parks and Recreation Management with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation, as well as her Nonprofit Management Post Baccalaureate from UNC-G.
Alexandra sings with Bel Canto and enjoys dancing and serving on the board at Dance Project. Alexandra states that “the arts have the power to inspire, uplift, heal, transform, and unite us. The arts bring us all closer to our true nature of joy and remind us of the universal experiences that we share, regardless of one’s background. I am honored to serve the community by promoting inclusive arts experience that bring us together and promote unity in diversity.”
Alexandra will begin her new journey at the end of August. “On behalf of the HPAC Board of Directors, we are thrilled to have Alexandra on board and look forward to working with her for a long time to come,” concluded Olvera. | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/alexandra-arpajian-joins-high-point-arts-council/article_269e230a-1f37-11ed-b270-8fac8bd66a68.html | 2022-08-19T03:15:53Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/alexandra-arpajian-joins-high-point-arts-council/article_269e230a-1f37-11ed-b270-8fac8bd66a68.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
And for the y/y, +4.9% (prior 3.5%)
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NZD/USD update, retracing its early in the session slide (there is a similar pattern playing out pretty much across the major FX board, in small ranges):
And for the y/y, +4.9% (prior 3.5%)
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NZD/USD update, retracing its early in the session slide (there is a similar pattern playing out pretty much across the major FX board, in small ranges):
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Must Read | https://www.forexlive.com/news/new-zealand-data-july-credit-card-spending-32-mm-prior-13-20220819/ | 2022-08-19T03:15:55Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/new-zealand-data-july-credit-card-spending-32-mm-prior-13-20220819/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Creative Greensboro Will Award $400K in Nonprofit Grants
GREENSBORO, NC (August 18, 2022) – Creative Greensboro, the City’s office for arts and culture, will award $400,000 through its new Sustaining Creativity: Community Partnership Grants program. The grants will provide financial support for general operations, administration and programs to nonprofit organizations with a primary focus on creative programming. This opportunity is designed to extend resources to groups not already receiving significant support from the City of Greensboro. The deadline to apply is October 22. Interested applicants can learn more about the program by registering for one of several information sessions being held September 1-13. For the application and additional grant requirements and to register for an information session, visit www.creativegreensboro.com.
The grant program, created under advisement from the City-appointed Cultural Affairs Commission, is a fulfillment of the strategies laid out in Greensboro’s Cultural Arts Plan, adopted by City Council in 2018.
“Arts, culture, and creative nonprofits make our community a vibrant place. Through their own spending and event related spending by their audiences, they also pump more than $162 million annually into our local economy, according to our most recent economic impact study,” said Greensboro Chief Creative Economy Officer Ryan Deal, who oversees Creative Greensboro. “They employ local residents, purchase goods and services from local businesses, promote our region in a way that lifts the whole community, and in turn generate tax income for local governments. Through this program, we will make important investments in organizations that are at the heart of that work, many of which have not traditionally been recipients of this level of support.”
A panel led by Greensboro Cultural Affairs Commissioners will evaluate applications. Grants of $20,000 will be awarded to organizations recommended for support. A limited number of organizations may be recommended for an additional $5,000 or $10,000 in acknowledgement of their specific efforts toward creative vibrancy and community benefit, as defined in the program guidelines and evaluated by the review panel.
Applicants must be Guilford County-based nonprofits with a primary mission of arts, culture, and creativity and with a majority of public programs being held within the city limits of Greensboro. To be eligible, organizations must have a history of at least three years of public programming and have an operating budget of at least $20,000. Organizations already scheduled to receive $20,000 or more in financial support from the City of Greensboro this year, or that receive in-kind space at the Greensboro Cultural Center valued at $10,000 or more are not eligible to apply.
Creative Greensboro provides support for, ensures access to, and drives awareness of Greensboro’s creative community. Through a range of programs, services, and partnerships, Creative Greensboro supports the development of a vibrant city. To learn more about Creative Greensboro, visit www.creativegreensboro.com. | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/creative-greensboro-will-award-400k-in-nonprofit-grants/article_27d115c4-1f29-11ed-a244-63f9ff212f47.html | 2022-08-19T03:15:59Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/creative-greensboro-will-award-400k-in-nonprofit-grants/article_27d115c4-1f29-11ed-a244-63f9ff212f47.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Singer, rapper, and talent hunt coach, Asha Gangali says the fame that Afrobeats currently enjoys globally is at the expense of other genres like dancehall.
While appraising the evolution of Afrobeats, Asha noted that more efforts would be needed to sustain the moment.
“Everybody is shouting that Afrobeats getting Grammy recognitions but if you don’t manage it from home; if you don’t get a platform to continue to project the right vibes to the global audience, it’s going to wade off as dance hall genre did.
“We got there on the billboard at the expense of dance hall reggae. Do you think the reggae dance hall people are happy? We’ve dominated all their airwaves. Afrobeats has dominated but if you don’t manage it, we may lose the fame in the long run. That’s while we have to keep discovering new talents like we are seeing in this Naija Star Search.”
The Naija Star Search reality show, powered by affordable pay-TV platform, StarTimes, and Kennis Music, is set to hit television screens in September. Winners will win ten million naira and other consolation prizes. Judges of the show include Keke Ogungbe, Asha Gangali, and ID Cabasa, while VJ Adams is the host.
Asha Gangali is not a greenhorn in the Nigerian music industry after impacting the industry as the founder of Roc Da Mic Africa, a music talent hunt show that discovered Wande Coal, Timaya, and a host of current music stars.
He stands tall as a talent discovery machine.
In a media chat with journalists over the weekend, the talent coach spoke on why Nigerians should see the Naija Star Search reality show as leverage to take Afrobeats to a greater height.
“You will agree with me that our music has evolved over the years. We have fused so many genres from hip hop to R&B and reggae. We’ve always evolved. We took over hip hop just like we’ve taken over Amapiano. It has always been our thing. We took these foreign rhythms and beats and then interpreted them.
“Look at when African Queen was released and held the entire industry spellbound and it changed the trajectory until 9ice came with Gongo Aso which also changed the entire setting. Then Nigga Raw and Flavour added vibes from the East. Then the hip-hop dispensation when MI came. Naija rap hadn’t gained wide popularity but MI entered the scene and brought it up. Afrobeats has been evolving over the years.
Asha has played an active role in the development of Afrobeats over the years. Aside from his musical releases and discovery of notable talents, he co-founded a music recognition technology that gathers, monitors and records music data like music airplay to track what is being played, and where it is being played.
Thus, he prides himself on being in a business that fuses music with technology.
“This intelligence gathering gave me a lot of data about the consumption of Afrobeats from grassroots to the global level,” Asha who is among the judges of the forthcoming Naija Star Search Reality show said.
“This Naija Star Search platform is very important because it zeroes in on Afrobeats. There has never been any reality TV show that focuses mainly on Afrobeats and that is what we need on the global stage.
“I will be looking out for the raw stars, the ones that have the marketing edge. They need to have talents and character. Without these three components, a lot of them go wrong. It’s too expensive to promote an upcoming artiste. And you need to have a lot of releases in a year to remain competitive.
“Nobody is going to invest in you if you don’t have the right character. It is a risky business and capital intensive. You must look for a good artist who has all the balance-character, talents, and marketability. And that’s what we are poised to instill in these budding talents on the Naija Star Search show,” he concluded. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/afrobeats-has-displaced-dancehall-reggae-in-global-fame-asha-gangali/ | 2022-08-19T03:16:01Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/afrobeats-has-displaced-dancehall-reggae-in-global-fame-asha-gangali/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Frank L. Blum Construction, a commercial general contractor headquartered in Winston-Salem, is announcing an expansion that will invest more than $3.8 million and create 35 new jobs. The project will relocate its existing headquarters operations from 830 East 25th Street to a newly acquired office building located at 2601 Pilgrim Court. The company was awarded a $250,000 Building Reuse grant from the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) to support the expansion.
Frank L. Blum Construction was established in 1923 and has been a trusted building partner to owners for generations. The company’s portfolio includes iconic buildings in communities across North Carolina, as well as Virginia and South Carolina, where it also holds commercial general contractor licenses.
Mike Lancaster, CEO of Frank L. Blum Construction, says the expansion and relocation will allow the company to keep up with growth and attract and retain talent. “We believe this new building will provide an excellent working environment for our growing team and allow us to remain competitive for the best talent in the industry. We are excited to commemorate our company’s 100th anniversary with an expansion project that allows our company to thrive and grow for many years to come.”
The $3.8 million project will include renovations to the property on Pilgrim Court. The company will retain its existing property on East 25th Street and plans to have some of its divisions continue to operate out of the current facility.
The project aligns with the strategic target industry sectors for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, identified by collaborative efforts among City and County officials, industry partners, and Greater Winston-Salem, Inc.
Mark Owens, President and CEO of Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. says “it is wonderful that Frank L. Blum Construction remains committed to its growth in Winston-Salem, where it has a 100-year legacy. This expansion is a great example of the many long-established companies that continue to find Winston-Salem and Forsyth County as the best place in the country to grow their business – benefiting from strong economic conditions, an available talent pool, and many other advantages.”
As a result of the expansion, Frank L. Blum plans to add 35 new jobs with an average salary of $81,769. The company has a total workforce of 218 employees throughout North Carolina with about 130 of those positions located in the Winston-Salem headquarters.
Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines says “the jobs generated by this expansion project represent excellent opportunities for careers in growing industry sectors. Workforce expansion significantly benefits our city, particularly in in-demand career fields like the skilled trades.”
This project was made possible by the coordination and support of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
David Plyler, Chair of the Forsyth County Commissioners, says “the County is pleased to support Frank L. Blum Construction’s expansion. The company is an ideal corporate citizen, providing meaningful jobs that support local families and contributing economic benefit through its property investments.”
The company plans to relocate to the new office space in 2023, in time for its 100th anniversary.
Photo provided by Frank L. Blum Construction | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/frank-l-blum-construction-expands-in-winston-salem/article_634d1988-1f36-11ed-bd20-03642dfdf03f.html | 2022-08-19T03:16:06Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/frank-l-blum-construction-expands-in-winston-salem/article_634d1988-1f36-11ed-bd20-03642dfdf03f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It’s your wedding day, you’re excited to be finally getting married to the love of your life. In between the preparation, glitz and glamour of the day, there is a persistent ‘click, click, click’ sound, who could that be? Yes! you guessed it right, you hire the right photographer for your wedding, capturing the happy moments of the day.
Your wedding ceremony is one of the most anticipated days of your life and you should put in every effort to make sure that it goes as seamlessly as possible. And to even make it more memorable, you need to have currencies of memories, which are pictures.
In a bid to make your special day memorable, you cannot just hire any photographer to cover your wedding. Here are five tips to help you hire the right photographer for your wedding.
1. Competence
The memories of your wedding day are so important that they should not be left to the care of an incompetent photographer, thus emphasising the need for a competent hand in handling the memories of your special day.
Before making the choice of your wedding photographer, you must be sure beyond reasonable doubt that the individual is competent in the field. It is important for you to know that wedding photography is a niche under photography and there are individuals who specialize only in this field of photography.
Assuming that a normal photographer will deliver a good job at your wedding can be very costly. Therefore, professionalism and competence are key factors to consider before choosing your wedding photographer.
2. Character
Character is key in all we do in life, and the choice of your wedding photographer is inclusive.
Your wedding day is going to be one of the busiest days of your life and there might be moments you might get pissed off or exhausted during this special day.
Having a photographer who is caring and courteous will be of great help during moments you feel stressed out and you don’t even feel like taking pictures.
A person with character is able to understand you and endure in cases individuals differences or disagreements come up.
Ensure you look out for a person with good character beyond professionalism.
3. Portfolio
Every professional has a piece of work that is outstanding that is shown to their potential clients. Before choosing a photographer for your wedding, you must ensure you take time out to check through their portfolios and previous works.
The choice of your photographer should not be based on any bias. Do not give your wedding photography coverage to daddy Favour who lives next door just because he is your neighbour without checking if he can deliver to your standard.
Choosing your wedding photographer based on your portfolio will save you the stress and headache of future arguments or conflicts in cases of poor job delivery.
Thinking of how to cut costs and yet have a memorable wedding,
4. Previous works and recommendations
Action is said to speak louder than voice. In this case, the action here is the previous works of your potential wedding photographer or recommendations from trusted individuals around you.
Before you reach a conclusion on whether a photographer is the right choice for your wedding, you must have checked through their previous works, if possible you can reach out to individuals who have covered their wedding ceremonies or related events and make your due diligence to know if the photographer in question did a great job.
Recommendations from trusted individuals that is not based on any bias can also be followed in choosing the right wedding photographer.
5. Budget
Gone are the days when you cut your coat according to your size, now you cut it according to the available material, which in this case is your budget.
Before you go ahead with the choice of your wedding photographer, you must have a budget in mind and ensure you stick to it.
You don’t want to spend all you need to sustain your new home on the wedding ceremony, thus you need to make a budget for all of your expenses, photography inclusive.
Having a budget in mind not only helps you to choose the right wedding photographer but it also helps you to be financially disciplined.
Above all, it is important to also ensure that after all the above tips are met, you work with someone you’re comfortable with and someone who is ready to give their all to making your wedding ceremony a memorable one.
Looking for how to look your best in your wedding photography, here’s how.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-to-hire-the-right-wedding-photographer/ | 2022-08-19T03:16:08Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-to-hire-the-right-wedding-photographer/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Voters in Growing Number of States to Decide on Marijuana Legalization This November
Bismarck, ND: State officials this week approved a citizens’ initiative for the November ballot that seeks to legalize the adult-use possession and sale of marijuana in North Dakota.
The proposed ballot measure allows adults to possess, purchase, and home-cultivate specific quantities of cannabis. It also establishes guidelines for the licensing and regulation of commercial cultivators and retailers.
North Dakotans will join voters in several other states who will also be deciding on marijuana legalization proposals this election. Similar adult-use legalization measures have qualified for the ballot in Maryland, Missouri, and South Dakota.
In July, representatives from Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws turned in over 50,000 more signatures than required to place an adult-use legalization measure on the ballot. Those signatures are still awaiting verification from election officials.
Proponents of an Arkansas initiative to legalize the adult-use marijuana market are engaged in a legal appeal before the Supreme Court after election officials rejected their proposed ballot title. Justices have ruled that the proposal must appear on the election ballot, but they have yet to determine whether the votes will be counted.
Proponents of a Nebraska effort to authorize medical cannabis access are also awaiting verification from election officials.
In addition to these statewide efforts, voters in dozens of cities will be deciding on municipal ballot questions this fall. For instance, voters in five Texas cities – Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos – will decide on measures seeking to amend local laws curtailing police officers’ authority to “issue citations or make arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana offenses” absent a defendant’s alleged involvement in a “felony level narcotics” case. Voters in several Ohio cities will also decide on municipal measures depenalizing activities involving marijuana possession.
In Rhode Island, voters in 31 towns will decide on measures determining whether or not to allow licensed cannabis retailers in their localities. Voters in cities in several other states, including Colorado, Michigan, and Montana, will decide on similar local ballot measures as well.
For a detailed breakdown of 2022 ballot initiatives, please visit NORML’s Election Central. | https://www.yesweekly.com/cannabis/voters-in-growing-number-of-states-to-decide-on-marijuana-legalization-this-november/article_339579b0-1f36-11ed-b0ce-e3298d3d934b.html | 2022-08-19T03:16:12Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/cannabis/voters-in-growing-number-of-states-to-decide-on-marijuana-legalization-this-november/article_339579b0-1f36-11ed-b0ce-e3298d3d934b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Greensboro Food Truck Festival is back August 28, 3-9pm. Same great festival, new location. The August event will once again have over 50 food trucks, music, vendors and kids’ activities. Food
trucks will now line Greene Street from W. Market to Exchange Pl, Washington St from Eugene to Greene and Federal Place from Washington to Exchange. The Kids zone will remain in the same location on Greene Street and the stage will be at the corner on Washington and Greene Street. Vendors and beer tents will be sprinkled throughout the event.
The change has been requested by the City of Greensboro due to construction in downtown Greensboro. The Greene St parking deck may be closed to the public, however, the Eugene St and Elm-
Eugene parking lots will be available as well as the Bellemeade and Davie st parking decks.
More information and a map of trucks can be found on our website: https://www.greensborofoodtruckfestivals.com | https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/the-greensboro-food-truck-festival-is-back-august-28-3-9pm/article_afabf99e-1f35-11ed-94b9-7392fff9b029.html | 2022-08-19T03:16:18Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/the-greensboro-food-truck-festival-is-back-august-28-3-9pm/article_afabf99e-1f35-11ed-94b9-7392fff9b029.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A fast growing rapper, Jozef Douglas Milidime Obahi popularly called Lord Mili has said that he was the first Nigerian rapper to drop an Ogene hiphop in 2014 titled “Ibu Onye” (Na who you be?), which he said went viral but today has been overshadowed by many Ogene hiphops.
Lord Mili, who hails from Benue State said he is also a songwriter who started his professional music career in 2019, has released loads of singles and collabo.
He said due to lack of resources to push his musical career, he was unable to maintain the tempo he brought into the music industry, where he made efforts to meet with Major Bangz and Phyno but all proved abortive.
“I started music professionally in 2019 when I discovered music would not leave me because I quit a few times because it was against my parents’ wish so I stopped writing on paper but I found out I started writing with my mind.
“Obviously it was my calling. Despite starting music professionally in 2019, I dropped an Ogene Hip Hop song titled ‘Ibu Onye’ (Na who you be?) in 2014 which travelled a bit then but now is now a household trend, devoid of the fact that i am not Igbo but as a born adventurer I love to explore.
“It is believed I introduced Ogene Hiphop to the industry but I won’t doubt the little recognition because I lacked the adequate resources to hit the limelight and during this period I was to meet with Major Bangz who was a household producer to Phyno and others.
“I have had a long list of other songs and a few videos to my credit which I don’t have to bore you by listing but google the name Lord Mili to get a glimpse. Two weeks ago after I dropped ‘Blow My Mind’ in February, I dropped a street Amapiano song titled ‘Mr. Oppressor’ which is becoming a trend and also trying to take over my name, because lately people call me ‘Mr.Oppressor’, he said.
Lord Mili who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Benue State University of, Makurdi said for the love of music he and his group formed a musical label in secondary school (Xplicit Generation) with David Okwunwanne who is now inactive, then with active members like Black and White Visualz (a choreographer and photographer), Paul Chris (an instrumentalist and vocalist), Berva Nova (a stylist and producer), Spindle Craft (an event planner) and Curtis (the chief executive producer).
“I have always been in love with soccer but more in love with music and I grew up listening to the likes of Bone thugs-N-Harmony and Twista to mention a few. As much as I love fast rap, the Nigerian trend made me versatile and I can flow in almost any genre”, Lord Mili noted. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/i-introduced-ogene-hiphop-to-nigerian-music-industry-lord-mili/ | 2022-08-19T03:16:21Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/i-introduced-ogene-hiphop-to-nigerian-music-industry-lord-mili/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gamble Garden Party
The High Point Arts Council is hosting a Gamble Garden Party Sat., Sept. 17, at the Centennial Station Arts Center. The garden party is a fund-raising event to benefit the new overall landscaping plans that will enhance the “curb appeal” of the Arts Center.
In addition to raising funds for the beautification project, the Gamble Garden Party is to honor Joe Gamble’s lifelong contributions to the arts as a teacher, performer, and activist. The Gamble Garden will be in front of the historic Pullman train car at the Arts Center and will feature a brick courtyard plus flowering plants and shrubs.
The Gamble Garden Party will feature songs, stories, raffles, hors d’oeuvres, iced tea, and lemonade plus the presentation of the landscaping plans. Wear your garden party attire and join the Arts Council on Saturday, September 17, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Arts Center!
Tickets are $100 per person plus a cash bar. Call Debbie Lumpkins at 336-889-2787 ext. 22 to make a reservation or purchase your ticket on-line at www.HighPointArts.org/events/. The Centennial Station Arts Center is located in downtown High Point at 121 S. Centennial Street. | https://www.yesweekly.com/news/gamble-garden-party-coming-sept-17/article_c514091a-1f36-11ed-adb1-67cf6b02b0f3.html | 2022-08-19T03:16:24Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/news/gamble-garden-party-coming-sept-17/article_c514091a-1f36-11ed-adb1-67cf6b02b0f3.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Cleveland middle schooler took second place at Tennessee's Special Olympics Regional Golf Tournament, where 30 Special Olympic athletes competed.
He is now swinging his way to the golfing state tournament coming up on September 19th.
Cleveland 8th grader Cameron Garcia discovered a passion for golf after he started going to the driving range with his dad, Jay Garcia, and sister three years ago.
Jay says his son Cam, who is on the autism spectrum, was not a natural at the sport, but he was very persistent to get better.
Last year, Cam joined Cleveland's Middle School golf team. His coach, Trey Stanford, said he is very impressed by Cam's willingness to learn. He always cheers his team mates on, Stanford says, and is the kind of athlete you want on your team.
Now with the state tournament about a month away, Cam said he will be honing his skills by practicing hitting the ball further and staying positive. He even has a game plan.
"To make a hole in one, or a par, or an eagle.. or birdie," he said.
Cam's father said he very proud of his son and said even with cards stacked against him, Cam never gives up.
"I mean just to watch him flourish and to see who he is becoming in this role has just been amazing," said Jay.
The Tennessee Special Olympic Golf State Tournament will be held in Smyrna on September 19th.
All of us from Local 3 News wish Cameron the best of luck. | https://www.local3news.com/cleveland-8th-grader-headed-to-special-olympics-state-golf-tournament/article_07159762-1f59-11ed-96be-b7e45f97d659.html | 2022-08-19T03:21:11Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/cleveland-8th-grader-headed-to-special-olympics-state-golf-tournament/article_07159762-1f59-11ed-96be-b7e45f97d659.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A third Black woman has been arrested and charged for making "anti-White" statements in connection with the beating of a White woman in New York, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Jahnaiya Williams, 19, was charged with assault as a hate crime and faces other charges, a news release from Katz's office said. Williams was arraigned Monday in Queens and is expected to appear in court Friday.
She faces between three and a half to 15 years in prison if convicted, the release said. CNN has reached out to Williams' attorney for comment and did not receive an immediate response.
Two other teenage girls -- who are also Black -- were charged and arrested last month, Katz said, one of whom is a juvenile being prosecuted in Family Court and the other is due to face court next week. The NYPD previously reported the two girls were 15 and 16 years old.
"As alleged, the defendant, as well as two other apprehended individuals, carried out an unprovoked assault on a public transit rider simply because of the victim's race," Katz said. "I am committed to holding accountable those who perpetuate bias-motivated attacks."
The incident occurred July 9 around 6:30 p.m. on a southbound MTA bus in Queens when Williams and the two girls approached the woman near the back of the bus, the release said. Katz claims Williams looked directly at the woman and said, "I hate White people."
Williams is also accused of saying she hates White people's skin. As the bus passed a cemetery, the release states Williams allegedly told the victim: "I am going to kill you, this is where I'm going to bury you." The DA also claims Williams removed a jar from her shopping bag and told the victim she would beat her with the object.
When the bus came to a stop, Williams and the two girls allegedly spat on the victim, the release said. Williams is then accused of hitting the victim repeatedly in the head with the shopping bag containing the jar. Williams and the two teenagers then allegedly punched the victim several times in the head before the trio fled the bus, according to the release.
The woman was taken to hospital and received three staples on the right side of her head for a deep laceration.
The charges against the girls come as hate crimes in New York were reported to have increased by 76%, as of April, compared to the same period last year, according to data from the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force.
As of June 28, there have been 35 hate crimes committed against Black people in the city, 51 against Asians, 149 against Jewish people and only one recorded against a White person, according to the NYPD Hate Crimes Dashboard.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/a-third-black-woman-has-been-charged-with-a-hate-crime-for-allegedly-making-anti/article_8cdee0ed-7c4d-5744-b5cd-30a42dc34114.html | 2022-08-19T03:21:35Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/a-third-black-woman-has-been-charged-with-a-hate-crime-for-allegedly-making-anti/article_8cdee0ed-7c4d-5744-b5cd-30a42dc34114.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HAIKU, Maui (KITV4) -- A Haiku man is in police custody for multiple counts of attempted murder after firing multiple shots on a group of men and injuring one, according to police.
On Tuesday, August 16, around 4:55 a.m., police responded to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Room for an alleged assault.
According to reports, police found a 48-year-old Waikapu man who reported that at approximately 2:45 a.m., he and two others had been at a Haiku residence to retrieve some items from a friend, later identified as 36-year-old Brian McKeague of Haiku.
McKeague reportedly became upset that the three individuals were there. As the trio left the property, McKeague fired three shots, one striking the passenger side of a pickup truck and one going through the front passenger side windshield of a 2011 Mercedes sedan, striking the 48-year-old male in the arm.
No other injuries were reported from the incident.
Members of the Special Response Team and Drone Team conducted checks for McKeague at his residence, but he was not located.
At approximately 1:50 p.m., McKeague was located at the Kahului Airport, where he was arrested and transported to the Wailuku Police Station.
McKeague was charged with one count of first degree attempted murder, three counts of second degree attempted murder, one count of first degree criminal property damage, one count of ownership or possession prohibited and one count of use of firearm in the commission of a separate felony.
His bail is set at $4,031,000. McKeague remains in police custody.
Kathryn spent the last decade in the Bay Area working in nonprofits, education, and communications consulting. She has a B.A. in English from St. Mary's College of CA and an M.A. in Public Affairs and Politics from the University of San Francisco. | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/maui-man-arrested-at-kahului-airport-after-allegedly-shooting-at-three-men-injuring-one/article_eeecf906-1f66-11ed-ad68-0702bfc71c47.html | 2022-08-19T03:22:30Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/maui-man-arrested-at-kahului-airport-after-allegedly-shooting-at-three-men-injuring-one/article_eeecf906-1f66-11ed-ad68-0702bfc71c47.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Chicago residents learn to 'Stop the Bleed' as violence plagues the city
CHICAGO - Paramedics from the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department taught everyday citizens to become first responders during a 'Stop the Bleed' training Thursday night on the Near West Side.
Attendees learned to place tourniquets, pack wounds, and apply pressure — potentially life-saving measures — in the event of an emergency.
"We are living in such uncertain times, unfortunately. Fifty years ago, you didn't see such recurring incidents of every flavor happening," said Sabrina Hallenbeck, who attended the training at POW! Gym.
She and about two dozen others took time out of their work weeks to learn the basics of stopping the top cause of preventable death following an injury: bleeding.
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"Our basic goal is to stop or minimize bleeding," said Officer Anthony Schickel, who co-led the training.
To stop bleeding, sometimes pressure is all it takes, but other times, tourniquets, packing deep wounds with gauze or a clean shirt, or using an improvised tourniquet can help save a life while professional help is on the way.
Thursday's attendees learned the nuts and bolts of all of that during a short, hands-on training.
"[It doesn't just apply to] mass casualty events like what you saw in Highland Park, but something that happens at home," said Detective Christine Miller, who co-led the training. "You could be using a chainsaw, or roll up on a car accident and somebody has major, life-threatening bleeding."
If you are interested in being trained to 'Stop the Bleed,' the programs are free and you can find one by visiting StopTheBleed.org. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-residents-learn-to-stop-the-bleed-as-violence-plagues-the-city | 2022-08-19T03:23:08Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-residents-learn-to-stop-the-bleed-as-violence-plagues-the-city | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
At last. Finally. It’s about time.
We actually have some closure on the Deshaun Watson punishment in the aftermath of two dozen sexual misconduct lawsuits. The ultimate ban is 11 games.
So essentially, the appeal verdict is an inverse of the original six-game suspension. He now will be eligible to play just six games instead of miss just six games.
For fantasy purposes, this virtually eliminates him from our draft boards, for a couple of reasons.
First, we expect some overly optimistic managers to draft him too high. We’re not sure we would draft him at all — can’t imagine that even if we did, he would survive on our roster until his projected Week 13 debut.
So we expect his price to remain too high for our consideration. Now, if it gets close to his return date and you find him forgotten on your waiver wire (possibly, but highly unlikely), then we would think about adding him at that point. But not during the draft.
Next, we’re not confident he will produce stellar fantasy results. He missed all of last season on the exempt list as the allegations mounted and the legal process played out. He is not eligible to return until the Week 13 clash against his former team, the conveniently scheduled Texans on Dec. 4.
He most recent start was the 2020 season finale, Jan. 3, 2021. What sounds worse? Nearly two years since his previous start? Twenty-three months: Seven hundred days? All are true, and none of them sound good.
Point being: Expect some rust, likely a lot, when he does return. And returns to a new offense. We might get brief glimpses of the old Watson, but we’re not convinced we’ll see vintage production from him at any point this season.
Hence, there is no reason to waste a draft pick on him, then a roster spot for 12 weeks of the season, only to get undependable, underwhelming result.
The good news is, we don’t think it will have a dramatic peripheral impact on the rest of the Browns offense — at least not in terms of fantasy projections compared to current draft values.
His absence should help running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, since there likely will be a greater reliance on the running game with Jacoby Brissett under center. But we also don’t think it will change the draft values of the wide receivers.
Chiefly, Amari Cooper already is undervalued with an average draft position that routinely has him taken around the seventh round. Cooper is notoriously feast or famine in whatever offense he is in, and we don’t expect that to change. Not every Brissett game will be a dud, and when he blows up, Cooper is likely to get a nice windfall of production.
Similarly, the other Browns WRs don’t really change in value, since they had so little to begin with. The next best of the bunch is probably Donovan Peoples-Jones, and that is not someone who had a lot of value even if Watson had gotten off scot-free. And none of the rest even warrant draft consideration in any scenario.
And tight end David Njoku might actually benefit as well, since he can be a big red-zone target, and Brissett is likely to abandon pass plays on goal-line scrambles or QB rush play-calls.
Plus, we just feel the need to state the obvious, outside of deep leagues or two-QB formats, Brissett is not a viable fantasy QB option in Watson’s stead.
The Madman won’t be taking Watson this year. Maybe we’ll see you next year, but make sure you behave. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/fantasy-football-fallout-from-deshaun-watsons-suspension/ | 2022-08-19T03:23:16Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/18/fantasy-football-fallout-from-deshaun-watsons-suspension/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Man arrested for allegedly buying body parts off Facebook from woman accused of stealing them
EAST PENNSBORO TOWNSHIP - A Pennsylvania man was arrested on Thursday after police found multiple 5-gallon buckets of human remains in his basement and an investigation revealed that he was allegedly buying stolen body parts over Facebook, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department announced.
Jeremy Pauley, 40, is facing charges of receiving stolen property, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, and abuse of a corpse.
Police originally received complaints in June of body parts being sold on Facebook. On July 8, police served a search warrant at Pauley's residence, where they allegedly found "human brains, heart, livers, skin and lungs" inside three 5-gallon buckets in his basement. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
"This is one of the most bizarre investigations I have encountered in my 33 years as a prosecutor," Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack said. "Just when I think I have seen it all, a case like this comes around."
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A forensic pathologist confirmed that the seized body parts were human remains, according to police.
Law enforcement continued to investigate and found that Pauley was allegedly purchasing the human remains over Facebook from a woman in Arkansas, Candace Scott, who is accused of stealing body parts from a mortuary associated with the University of Arkansas.
The University of Arkansas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jeremy Pauley (East Pennsboro Township Police)
A shipment of body parts was later intercepted in Scranton, Pennsylvania, according to police.
The Arkansas State Police deferred questions about the allegations against Scott to the FBI, which declined to comment on the case, citing an ongoing investigation.
Pauley was released on $50,000 bail. He could not be reached for comment on Thursday, but described the allegations as "lots of fluff and drama" in a comment on Facebook. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/man-arrested-for-allegedly-buying-body-parts-off-facebook-from-woman-accused-of-stealing-them | 2022-08-19T03:23:20Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/man-arrested-for-allegedly-buying-body-parts-off-facebook-from-woman-accused-of-stealing-them | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Suburban Chicago fashion designer featured on Amazon's 'Making the Cut'
CHICAGO - The next fashion superstar could be from the North Shore, as a local woman is taking her design skills to the catwalk.
Gabriella Meyer is up against 10 global designers in Season Two of "Making the Cut." On the line is a million dollar cash prize.
The Winnetka native calls her fashion "upcycled streetwear." Her fashion line is called "Denimocracy." It’s been featured at Milan Fashion Week and worn by celebrities like Beyoncé, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne.
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"We would be pulling all-nighters doing these custom outfits, going out to high-profile clients the next day. And we'd be laughing at three in the morning, working in my parents' attic, like ‘If only they knew that this was being made in my parents' attic in the suburbs of Chicago,'" she said.
"Making the Cut" is streaming now on Amazon Prime. Each week, winning looks will be available to purchase on Amazon. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/suburban-chicago-fashion-designer-featured-on-amazons-making-the-cut | 2022-08-19T03:23:32Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/suburban-chicago-fashion-designer-featured-on-amazons-making-the-cut | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Thousands of 'rainbow fentanyl' pills seized as authorities warn of possible new 'trend' targeting kids
Customs and Border Protection agents in Arizona seized more than 15,000 fentanyl pills that were strapped to a person's legs on Wednesday, and one official says that it could be the start of a trend targeting younger people.
The "candy"-looking pills were seized in Arizona at the Nogales Port of Entry on Wednesday, and Port Director Michael W. Humphries said that it marked the second consecutive day that such pills were found.
"This could be the start of a trend with transnational criminal organizations targeting younger users," Humphries said.
On Tuesday, Border Patrol agents at the same port of entry seized a vehicle that contained more than 250,000 fentanyl pills, which were colored like candy, as well as 11 pounds of heroin and 10 pounds of methamphetamine.
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS TO TACKLE 'OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC'
"Officers made sure these dangerous narcotics won't make it to U.S. cities," Humphries said.
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Customs and Border Protection agents at the Nogales Port of Entry seized more than 70,000 fentanyl pills on Aug. 9, and said in a separate Twitter post that more than 1.1 million fentanyl pills were seized from July 31 through Aug. 7.
CBP officers at the Nogales POE seized over 15,000 fentanyl pills strapped to a person’s legs. (US Customs and Border Protection)
The seizures come just days after officials in Oregon seized "rainbow fentanyl" in Portland.
"The public needs to be aware of the rising use of powdered fentanyl. We believe this is going to be the new trend seen on the streets of Portland," Special Investigation Unit Sgt. Matt Ferguson said at the time. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/thousands-of-rainbow-fentanyl-pills-seized-as-authorities-warn-of-possible-new-trend-targeting-kids | 2022-08-19T03:23:38Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/thousands-of-rainbow-fentanyl-pills-seized-as-authorities-warn-of-possible-new-trend-targeting-kids | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW IBERIA, LA.— The New Iberia Fire Department, Police Department and Mayor Freddie DeCourt were on the scene following the storm damage that occured downtown New Iberia earlier this evening.
High winds ripped the roof off a vacant building on Burke Street along Bayou Teche in New Iberia around 4:30p.m.
Debris was sent flying onto nearby Bridge Street in the 100 block of Main Street and made contact with a vehicle before landing in the roadway, according to police.
No one was injured and the roadway remains closed at this time. | https://www.katc.com/news/iberia-parish/storm-rips-off-roof-of-business-downtown-new-iberia | 2022-08-19T03:23:53Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/iberia-parish/storm-rips-off-roof-of-business-downtown-new-iberia | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dodge wants to offer one of its quintessential muscle car experiences in an electric car. But, the automotive company appears to be betting on a customer base that loves the idea of driving an electric vehicle while at the same time feels the need to hear the loud, disruptive roar of a classic muscle car as its V8 engine rumbles during gear changes.
Dodge's classic gas-powered versions, the Charger and the Challenger, will end production next year, so Dodge is taking a risk, pulling the elements of a muscle car that fans love into the electric future.
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said, “We think we’re going to bring a car to market that customers didn’t see coming,” he said.
“But they’re definitely going to hear this one coming,” CNN reported.
The car will be able to produce a loud noise that can reach up to 126 decibels, Dodge said. The National Hearing Conservation Association says at that level, with sustained exposure, like during substantial time driving the car, one could experience hearing loss.
Most electric cars have a one-speed transmission, but Dodge's electric muscle car concept will have more than just one or two speeds, designers say.
Dodge did not release how much it would charge for its planned electric muscle car. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/dodge-wants-its-concept-electric-muscle-car-to-be-loud-diverging-from-the-popular-quiet-benefits | 2022-08-19T03:24:11Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/dodge-wants-its-concept-electric-muscle-car-to-be-loud-diverging-from-the-popular-quiet-benefits | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Father James Martin has taken his message of prayer and inclusivity everywhere, from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to the halls of the Vatican. In May, he wrote to Pope Francis with a few questions.
"I just wanted to give him a time to briefly talk to LGBTQ Catholics," Martin said.
Francis has extended apologies to the abused and a welcome to the historically rejected. According to the Vatican News, he recently met with transgender people near Rome, Italy.
So Martin’s questions aren’t so random.
"I asked him, 'What would you most like them to know about the church?'" Martin said. "He said, 'Read Acts of the Apostles,' which was really interesting because there's a church that's kind of mixing it up. Then also, 'What would you say to an LGBTQ Catholic who felt rejected by the church?' And he said very interestingly to remember that it's not the church that rejects you, the church loves you, but it might be individual people in the church."
It isn’t the first time Francis has corresponded directly with Martin on LGBTQ relations or the first time he has spoken up about their place within the Catholic church.
In 2016, Francis agreed the church should apologize to not only gay people but other marginalized groups, like the poor. He’s also called for parents to accept their LGBTQ children.
Francis’ gestures are one thing; changing church doctrine, which teaches that the act of homosexuality is sinful, is another.
"What would have happened really, in a sense, is for theologians working together, along with church officials, to come to some newer understanding of how they can accommodate for older church teaching on these issues, to show that the church evolves rather than dramatically changing," said Michele Dillon, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire. "Because the church is not going to say, 'Oh, we were wrong.' It's very rare."
"If he were to do that, which I don't think Pope Francis will, but if he were to do that, he would not want to do it without support from the Curia and the College of Cardinals," said Cristina Traina, professor of Catholic theology at Fordham University. "He would not want to do it without tracing a pathway theologically."
Instead, Francis has gone another direction: one met with both criticism and praise, uplifting LGBTQ Catholics while simultaneously reiterating church doctrine.
NEWSY'S AMBER STRONG: Is he sort of riding the line between saying that this is doctrine and doctrines not going to change? But, we also still need to love and affirm people as well.
FATHER JAMES MARTIN: I think that's a good question, and I think he is kind of trying to straddle that line. But I think one thing to remember is that what seems very bland and tepid in the United States — overseas is a big deal. In the U.S., we might say, 'Oh, big deal. Of course, you should welcome your kids.' If you're in Eastern Europe or sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America or India, that's a big deal. So, we have to remember that he's speaking to the whole church."
According to Pew Research, 76% of U.S. Catholics say society should be accepting of homosexuality. That’s below the rate of Catholic support in countries like Spain and the Netherlands but far higher than places like Lebanon and Nigeria.
Some theologians argue that Francis’ support could have a trickle-down impact on individual Catholics and parishes.
"These things can do a lot to encourage Catholics to embrace LGBTQ people with love and compassion and mercy and not to see them as the Antichrist, the anathema, the enemy of salvation," Traina said.
In 2021, a group of Catholic leaders, including a cardinal and archbishop, signed a statement calling for widespread support of at-risk LGBTQ youth. According to an NCR analysis of recent listening sessions among U.S. Catholics, there was a growing call for LGBTQ inclusion and more opportunities for women.
"To me, there’s no such thing as an empty gesture because, yes, many times people want to see more clear-cut evidence of change and of their acceptance within the church, but sometimes it’s in small steps," Dillon said.
In 2021, Martin, a Vatican appointee under Francis, launched Outreach: a website that provides resources to LGBTQ Catholics and leaders. It's an effort Pope Francis has encouraged.
"He hasn't changed any church teaching," Martin said. "I'm not advocating for any church teaching, but he's advocated a more pastoral response, listening to them, welcoming them, treating them with respect.
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.katc.com/news/national/the-meaning-behind-pope-francis-meeting-with-transgender-people | 2022-08-19T03:24:17Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/the-meaning-behind-pope-francis-meeting-with-transgender-people | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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