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McFarlane Toys Reveals Jake Sulley Avatar Action Figure
The first Avatar film seemed to take many licensees by surprise. Not necessarily trusting in James Cameron as solidly as sci-fi film fans do, many felt hesitant to take on an unproven property. Mattel made a relatively small toy line, but invested heavily in an enhanced reality gimmick that didn’t take off. No such errors this time. The new Avatar sequel will have plenty of licensed tie-ins, with McFarlane Toys getting the main action figure license. We’ve seen them reveal a Banshee. Now we get a good look at its first rider, Jake Sulley in avatar form. It’s unclear if this Jake Sulley Avatar action figure is from the first or second movie, or as yet how they differ in appearance anyway.
Take a look:
The Avatar figures appear to have McFarlane’s standard articulation, with perhaps a bit more range since the Na’vi run taller and thinner than the usual more jacked-up superheroes. Jake looks to have several weapons, including a bow, knife, and short spear.
RELATED: LEGO Reveals New Avatar Sets for the Fall at Comic-Con 2022
No word yet on when we’ll see these hit stores, but the Avatar LEGO sets release Oct 1, and odds seem good that other merchandise will launch around the same time. Many licensees are playing catch-up with retroactive product based on the first film, and that’s most likely what we see here, with sequel stuff to follow.
What do you think of the first figure? Let us know in comments.
Recommended Reading: James Cameron’s Avatar: Tsu’tey’s Path
We are also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/518107-mcfarlane-toys-reveals-jake-sulley-avatar-action-figure | 2022-08-20T18:06:14Z | superherohype.com | control | https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/518107-mcfarlane-toys-reveals-jake-sulley-avatar-action-figure | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NEXSTAR) – As COVID pandemic restrictions have lifted, the demand for air travel has soared. Flights have been canceled, luggage has been lost, and, amid high fuel costs, airfare has become expensive. That’s especially true at some airports, a new report found.
Analyzing data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, financial planning website SmartAsset ranked which of the nation’s busiest airports have seen the largest increases in airfare compared to this time last year.
While there are thousands of airports in the U.S., SmartAsset reviewed only the 100 busiest and compared them across three metrics: average airfare costs (specifically domestic one-way and round-trip tickets) for the first quarter of 2022, the percentage change compared to the same time last year, and dollar amount change in the average airfare.
SmartAsset found airline fares increased by roughly 26% between the first quarters of 2021 and 2022 – an average price increase of $328. Across nearly two dozen airports, the average flight ticket cost is up by more than 30%.
Westchester County Airport near New York City has seen the highest overall increase in airfare, according to the study. In the first quarter of 2022, the average airfare was $380, a 45.5% change and a $119 increase compared to the same time last year.
Philadelphia International Airport is the only other airport that has seen average airfare rise by more than 40%. The average airfare at Philadelphia International has increased by $96.
Neither airport recorded the highest average fare. Instead, the report’s authors found Ted Stevens Anchorage International had the highest at $456, followed by Dane County Regional in Madison, Wisconsin, at $436.
Here are the 10 airports where airfare has increased the most, and the dollar change in the average airfare:
- Westchester County Airport, New York: $119
- Charlotte Douglas International, North Carolina: $102
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul International, Minnesota: $102
- McGhee Tyson Airport, Tennessee: $102
- Logan International, Massachusetts: $96
- Philadelphia International, Pennsylvania: $96
- Spokane International, Washington: $90
- Palm Springs International, California: $89
- Washington Dulles International, Washington, D.C.: $92
- Newark Liberty International, New Jersey: $93
Airfare isn’t high everywhere. At two airports, Orlando Sanford International and St. Pete-Clearwater International, both in Florida, average airfare is below $200 – $132 and $130, respectively.
At two other airports, both in Hawaii, airfare has gotten slightly cheaper than it was last year. At Ellison Onizuka Kona International at Keahole, the average airfare has decreased by $8, a -3.06% change over 2021. At Kahului Airport, the average ticket is $1 cheaper, a -0.27% change.
Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, had the lowest price increase at $12.
Here’s where SmartAsset found airfare has changed the least:
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International at Keahole, Hawaii: $-8
- Bob Hope Airport, California: $12
- Kahului Airport, Hawaii: $-1
- Myrtle Beach International, South Carolina: $15
- Long Beach Airport, California: $24
- St. Pete Clearwater International, Florida: $18
- Daniel K. Inouye International, Hawaii: $18
- Louisville Muhammad Ali International, Kentucky: $31
- LaGuardia, New York: $38
- Buffalo Niagara International, New York: $31
While some of the price differences between this year and last year may appear stark, some of the change is due to cheaper airfare amid the pandemic. Even current costs of airfare are lower than they were in the years leading up to 2020, SmartAsset determined.
More recently, airfares have been declining. After a nearly 2% dip in June, the latest federal data shows the average price for an airline ticket dropped 7.8% in July. Lower prices for gasoline and travel were big reasons that overall inflation slowed a bit in July, although consumer prices were still up 8.5% from a year ago.
Prices usually fall in late summer and early autumn as vacations end and kids return to school. The drop is expected to be more dramatic than usual this year, however. That is partly because summer prices were so high, and also the cost of jet fuel has dropped about one-fourth since late April.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/national/flying-soon-heres-where-airfare-has-become-more-and-less-expensive/ | 2022-08-20T18:06:22Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/national/flying-soon-heres-where-airfare-has-become-more-and-less-expensive/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Mustang
Start: 4th
Finish: 8th
Taylor Gray qualified in the fourth position for the General Tire Delivers 100 at Watkins Glen International. The 17-year-old had an eventful opening lap, climbing to second place in a heated and physical battle with fellow competitor Connor Mosack. Despite keeping pace with race leader Sammy Smith, the Artesia, NM native radioed that his Ford Mustang was struggling in the esses. Needing more front grip through the right-handers, Crew Chief Chad Johnston called for a chassis adjustment at the mandatory stage break. With the No. 17 feeling better on the exit on the carousel, Gray was right on the leader's heels throughout the second half of the contest. A caution on lap 30 allowed Gray to capitalize on the restart, grabbing the lead in turn 11 before a caution would nullify the pass and re-rack the field for a green-white-checkered finish. On the ensuing restart, contact in turn one would shoot Gray up the track, dropping him down the order and relegating the Ford Performance driver to an 8th-place finish. | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72186-dgr-arca-menards-series-recap-watkins-glen | 2022-08-20T18:06:22Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72186-dgr-arca-menards-series-recap-watkins-glen | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Stafford Speedway hosted another round of Stafford Weekly Racing on Friday, August 19th with Open Modified cars on hand for the Lincoln Tech Open 80. Ronnie Williams scored his second win of the season in the SK Modified® feature, Adam Gray notched his sixth win of 2022 in the Late Model feature, Alexander Pearl took down his third win of 2022 in the SK Light feature, Jeremy Lavoie was also a winner for the third time in 2022 in the Limited Late Model feature, and Travis Downey became a 3-time winner this season in the Street Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Jon Puleo took the lead at the green flag and he led the first three laps before Ronnie Williams took to the outside lane and went around Puleo to move into the lead on lap-4. Troy Talman also got by Puleo to take second and drop Puleo back to third, just in front of Bryan Narducci and Cory DiMatteo.
With 10 laps complete, Williams was still in command followed by Talman, Puleo, Narducci, and DiMatteo. Tyler Hines spun in turn 2 which collected the car of Keith Rocco and brought the caution out with 10 laps complete. Marcello Rufrano was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Rocco.
Talman took the lead from Williams on the restart but Williams came back with a crossover move one lap after the restart to retake the lead. Narducci was up to third with Puleo fourth and DiMatteo in fifth. With 25 laps complete, the top-5 remained the same with Williams leading the quartet of Talman, Narducci, Puleo, and DiMatteo. Michael Gervais, Jr. was sixth, followed by Andrew Molleur, Noah Korner, Todd Owen, and Michael Christopher, Jr.
Williams led Talman and the rest of the field to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2022 season. Narducci finished third with Puleo and DiMatteo rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, John Blake and Paul Varricchio, Jr. ran the first lap side by side for the lead with the caution coming out just after the completion of the first lap as Michael Bennett spun in turn 1 with Adon Burrell coming to a stop to avoid hitting Bennett.
Andrew Durand went from fourth to first on the restart to take over the lead with Varricchio in second. John Blake and Andrew Molleur were side by side for third with Adam Gray and Paul Arute dueling side by side for fifth. Molleur moved up to second on lap-3 with Varricchio falling back a spot to third. Blake took fourth with Michael Wray moving into fifth. Blake worked his way to the inside of Varricchio on lap-6 and he took over third place on lap-7. Wray moved into fourth on lap-8 with Wayne Coury, Jr. taking fifth. Up front, Molleur was applying heavy pressure to Durand for the lead and Molleur was able to take over the lead on lap-9. Tom Fearn brought his car to a stop on the infield coming out of turn 4 to bring the caution out with 10 laps complete.
Molleur took the lead back under green with Durand slotting into second. Adam Gray moved up to third with Blake fourth and Wray in fifth. Gray took second from Durand on lap-14 just before Bennett spun in turn 4 to bring the caution back out with 14 laps complete. Darrell Keane was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Bennett.
Molleur and Gray ran door to door for a lap after the restart before Molleur got clear into the lead on lap-16. Gray came back to the inside of Molleur on lap-17 and he took the lead at the line. Blake and Durand were door to door for third with Blake takind the spot and Gambacorta moving up to fourth to drop Durand back to fifth jus before the caution came back out with 18 laps complete for Paul Arute, who did a half-spin in turn 1.
Gray took the lead on the restart with Molleur glued to his back bumper in second. Blake was third with Gambacorta back up to fourth and Durand fifth. Gambacorta moved into third on lap-21 with Durand falling back to fourth. Bennett took fourth from Durand on lap-24 and that move allowed Fearn to follow him by and take fifth and drop Durand back to sixth. Chase Cook got into the turn 4 wall to bring the caution flag back out with 24 laps complete.
Gray took the lead back under green with Gambacorta working his way to the inside of Molleur for second. Molleur was able to fend off Gambacorta’s challenge and he maintained second. Fearn was fourth in line with Bennett in fifth as Gray continued to lead. Gray led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his sixth win of the 2022 season. Molleur came home second with Gambacorta, Fearn, and Bennett rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Jason Chapman took the lead at the drop of the green with Tyler Chapman getting around Cassandra Cole on lap-2 to move into second. Cole was wheel to wheel with Frank L’Etoile, Jr. for third with Alexander Pearl in fifth. Cole held L’Etoile off for third with Pearl coming up to fourth and he then took third from Cole on lap-4. Bob Charland was up to fifth behind Cole while Jason Chapman continued to lead his twin brother Tyler.
Charland took fourth from Cole on lap-7 with L’Etoile trying to follow him by but Cole was able to hold off his challenge. Nick Anglace went 3-wide with Cole and L’Etoile for fifth on lap-11 and he was able to take fifth with L’Etoile sixth and West seventh. Up front, Pearl was trying the outside groove against Tyler Chapman and he took second on lap-13 and he nearly took the lead from Jason Chapman on lap-14. The caution came out with 13 laps complete for L’Etoile, who spun coming out of turn 4.
Pearl took the lead on the restart with Jason Chapman slotting into second withTyler Chapman in third. The caution came back out one lap after the restart for a multi-car incident in turn 2 involving Joey Ferrigno, Alina Bryden, Derek Debbis, Chris Bagnall, and L’Etoile. Ron Midford, Jr. was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Debbis.
Pearl took the lead back under green with Tyler Chapman taking second. Anglace was third with Jason Chapman falling back to fourth and West in fifth. Pearl led Tyler Chapman to the checkered flag to pick up his third win of the 2022 season. Anglace finished third with Jason Chapman and Amanda West rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Jay Clement took the lead on the first lap from polesitter Ari Jencik. With one lap complete, Jencik and Damian Palardy made contact and got into the turn 1 wall while Matt Clement brought his car to a stop on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Jay Clement took the lead on the restart but before he could complete the second lap, Jeremy Lavoie shot to the front to take the lead at the line. Lavoie’s time out front was short as Alexandra Fearn took the lead from Lavoie in turn 2 on lap-3. Rich Hammann took second with Lavoie settling into third place with Jay Clement in fourth and Devon Jencik fifth.
Jencik took fourth from Jay Clement on lap-6 and his move brought Kevin Cormier into fifth as Clement slid back to seventh place. At the halfway point of the race, Fearn was still in command with Hammann and Lavoie right behind her in a 3-car train for the lead. Jencik was fourth with Cormier and Gary Patnode lined up behind him in another 3-car train. Lavoie got around Hammann to take second place on lap-12 while Trinity Provost spun coming out of turn 4, but she was able to get her car going again and the race stayed green.
As they completed lap-17, Lavoie made a move to the inside of Fearn and he was able to take the lead. Hammann also got around Fearn to take second with 2 laps to go. Lavoie led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his third win of the 2022 season. Hammann held off Fearn for second with Cormier and Patnode rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Street Stock feature event, Travis Hydar started fourth and immediately pulled alongside Nickolas Hovey at the drop of the green flag in the fight for the lead. Hydar took the lead on lap-2 with Adrien Paradis, III coming up to second and Travis Downey third. Hovey slid back to fourth, just in front of Bobby Stirk, III. Stirk went by Hovey to take over fourth place on lap-5 just before the caution flew with 5 laps complete for debris on the frontstretch.
Hydar took the lead on the restart with Downey taking second. Paradis was third with Stirk fourth and Hovey fifth. Tyler Trott and Hovey made contact and both cars spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 6 laps complete.
Downey and Hydar went door to door for the lead back under green with Downey taking the lead by a nose at the line but the caution came back out for Jaden Lage, who took a hard hit into the turn 4 wall.
Downey took the lead on the lap-8 restart with Hydar and Stirk behind him. Bert Ouellette took fifth and then fourth on lap-9 with Paradis sliding back to fifth. Hydar couldn’t get close enough to Downey over the final 10 laps as Downey took down his third win of the 2022 season. Stirk finished third with Ouellette and Paradis rounding out the top-5.
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Stafford Speedway PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72188-williams-gray-pearl-lavoie-downey-score-lincoln-tech-open-80-weekly-feature-wins-at-stafford-speedway | 2022-08-20T18:06:47Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72188-williams-gray-pearl-lavoie-downey-score-lincoln-tech-open-80-weekly-feature-wins-at-stafford-speedway | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mahindra is set to take on Tata’s Nexon EV, which is the best seller in the Indian electric vehicle market. The XUV400, the electric version of the XUV300, is expected to be launched on September 6. The new vehicle will be the production version of the eXUV 300 that was showcased at the 2020 New Delhi Auto Expo.
Mahindra says that the length of the new vehicle won't be limited to four meters; it could be 4.2 long. The XUV400 will share the headlamp console, grille and tail lamps with the XUV300.
Although no information is available about the electric motor or its range, the vehicle could be powered by a 150 HP motor. Besides, there will also be two battery pack options. It will also get a larger touchscreen and driver assist features similar to the XUV700.
Mahindra had showcased the battery-powered eXUV300 during the last auto expo itself. The model was also able to generate good response among the visitors. The Mahindra Electric Scalable and Modular Architecture (MESMA) platform is expected to underpin the XUV400 EV. Also, it will be the first all-electric SUV from Mahindra. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/business/2022/08/20/mahindras-xuv-400-compete-with-nexon-ev.amp.html | 2022-08-20T18:07:56Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/business/2022/08/20/mahindras-xuv-400-compete-with-nexon-ev.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mahindra is set to take on Tata’s Nexon EV, which is the best seller in the Indian electric vehicle market. The XUV400, the electric version of the XUV300, is expected to be launched on September 6. The new vehicle will be the production version of the eXUV 300 that was showcased at the 2020 New Delhi Auto Expo.
Mahindra says that the length of the new vehicle won't be limited to four meters; it could be 4.2 long. The XUV400 will share the headlamp console, grille and tail lamps with the XUV300.
Although no information is available about the electric motor or its range, the vehicle could be powered by a 150 HP motor. Besides, there will also be two battery pack options. It will also get a larger touchscreen and driver assist features similar to the XUV700.
Mahindra had showcased the battery-powered eXUV300 during the last auto expo itself. The model was also able to generate good response among the visitors. The Mahindra Electric Scalable and Modular Architecture (MESMA) platform is expected to underpin the XUV400 EV. Also, it will be the first all-electric SUV from Mahindra. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/business/2022/08/20/mahindras-xuv-400-compete-with-nexon-ev.html | 2022-08-20T18:07:57Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/business/2022/08/20/mahindras-xuv-400-compete-with-nexon-ev.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PLYMOUTH, Wash. - Early Saturday morning the Benton County County Sheriff's responded to a car versus train crash on Christy Road. Fortunately, no one was injured.
According to a Facebook post from BCSO, the people in the car got out before the train hit the car. BCSO suspects drugs and alcohol as the reason the car got off the roadway and onto the train crossing.
Deputies are working to identify the driver of the car. If you have any information call BCSO.
This is a developing story we are working to report timely and accurate information as it becomes available. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/benton-county-sheriffs-office-responds-to-car-vs-train-crash/article_4ff506b4-20a5-11ed-9bdf-675c35afff62.html | 2022-08-20T18:08:25Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/benton-county-sheriffs-office-responds-to-car-vs-train-crash/article_4ff506b4-20a5-11ed-9bdf-675c35afff62.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Alabama city disbands entire police department over racist texts
An Alabama city council voted to disband its police department after police officers sent racist text messages, Vincent Mayor James Latimer said, per AL.com.
Why it matters: It's the latest incident in a reckoning between law enforcement officers and their treatment of Black people.
- A Mississippi town was sued over an alleged pattern of discrimination against Black people. The town's former police chief was recorded bragging about having shot and killed 13 people in the line of duty while using the n-word repeatedly.
Details: In Alabama, the Vincent City Council voted unanimously to “temporarily abolish” its police department Thursday night because the town cannot legally fire its officers, Latimer said.
- Two formal complaints and a verbal warning must be given before a city employee — like a police officer — can be terminated.
- Latimer added that the messages were not the only reason to disband the police department.
Flashback: Racist text messages from one of the city’s three police officers were posted online earlier this year, in which the sender made a joke involving slavery and pregnant women.
- The officers involved were placed on administrative leave, but the city did not have the authority to fire those officers, Latimer said.
What's next: Latimer said the city plans to contract dedicated police services with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for the next year.
- The town will reestablish its police force in the future, he said. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/20/alabama-disbands-entire-police-department-racist-texts | 2022-08-20T18:19:41Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/20/alabama-disbands-entire-police-department-racist-texts | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Texas migrant buses overwhelm New York, Washington D.C.
New York and Washington, D.C., have become overwhelmed as Texas continues to send buses of migrants to those cities.
Why it matters: New York and D.C. officials say they are not prepared to handle the massive influx of migrants, in large part due to communication issues with Texas, according to multiple reports. This immediately puts migrant families into subpar conditions right when they arrive.
- Many families are happy to leave Texas, CNN reports. But officials in New York said these families have arrived hungry, thirsty and in sickly conditions, as many have been on the road for several days.
Driving the news: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that the state has sent more than 7,000 migrants to Washington since April and another 900 to New York since Aug. 5 as a part of Operation Lone Star.
- "Before we began busing migrants to New York, it was just Texas and Arizona that bore the brunt of all the chaos and problems that come with it," Abbott said in a statement this week. "Now, the rest of America can understand exactly what is going on."
State of play: New York's social safety officials said the city has struggled to provide basic food needs or medical attention to those who arrived, the Times reports. Coordination has been improving, though, officials said.
- Manuel Castro, the commissioner of New York City mayor's immigrant affairs office, said New York has faced issues because there have been communication issues with Texas, CNN reports.
- DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city has reached a "tipping point" in its effort to help migrants.
The big picture: The mayors of both D.C. and New York have called the decision inhumane and are looking for more federal help, CBS News reports.
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams asked for federal aid to help with the influx of migrants in early August, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes.
- Bowser renewed a request last week for the National Guard to help with the arrival of migrants, too, CNN reports.
- "There's nothing successful about treating people with this lack of dignity," Adams said Tuesday.
Go deeper: New York mayor asks for federal aid as Texas buses in migrants | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/20/texas-migrants-new-york-washington-dc | 2022-08-20T18:19:59Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/20/texas-migrants-new-york-washington-dc | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Leighton Clarkson steals Aberdeen show - Liverpool loanee shines and one player could be real deal once up to speed
Leighton Clarkson had already caught the eye at McDiarmid Park before he really caught the eye.
The 20-year-old midfielder, on loan from Liverpool, illuminated a stodgy first-half with a defence splitting pass that left St Johnstone brutally exposed, only for Bojan Miovski to fail to finish the move with the goal it deserved.Clarkson, though, guaranteed the headlines with his second Aberdeen goal that was every bit as glorious as the first that he scored on his debut for the Pittdodrie club against St Mirren earlier this month. A sumptuous free-kick curled into the top corner from what looked to the naked eye to be around the 30-yard mark energised what had been a fairly bland afternoon in Perth. St Johnstone 0, Aberdeen 1. It turned out to be the winner.There was no real surprise that the youngster left the field to a standing ovation from the visiting support for his definitive part in delivering the three points, with Goodwin eager to offer an encouraging word in his ear.It took until Clarkson’s goal for Aberdeen to really find their groove after they started this game with some intent – Miovski’s ‘goal’ in the opening minutes was chopped off in what appeared to be a fairly harsh call – but while the second half was a far more assured display from Goodwin’s side, the profligacy of Aberdeen could have come back to haunt them.Having dominated the game after the goal, Aberdeen had to reply upon a decent one-handed save from Kelle Roos to deny Jamie Murphy after the veteran winger had weaved his way through the Dons defence and looked odds on to score.Still, Goodwin felt after the game that the scoreline suggested a narrowness of the contest that was not necessarily there. He was right in the sense that Aberdeen had three solid chances in the latter stages of the game that would have lent the afternoon a more comfortable look.Chief among the culprits was new striker Shayden Morris, who twice had big opportunities in the closing stages to endear himself to the visiting support. Having sent one effort wide when he was through on goal and then brought out a save from Remi Matthews in the St Johnstone goal with another attempt, the indications are there that once he is properly match fit he could have something to offer.Certainly Goodwin will feel that with Ross McCrorie also passing up a couple of strong opportunities that his side are moving in the right direction. Given the dozen signings that have been made across the summer and the time it will take to gel, it is inevitable that there will be elements of inconsistency.What was notable was the difference in attitude and application from last weekend’s defeat to Motherwell. Hayden Coulson put in a shift and there was a sense of urgency and cohesion about the performance, particularly in the second period.There will be more testing environments for Aberdeen to play in this season and St Johnstone still look like a team who are shorn of any real conviction and confidence. But it was critical that there was a response to the limpness of last weekend’s display and there will be encouragement from Aberdeen that the players who have arrived at the club since the window opened are capable of stepping up to the plate this season. | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/leighton-clarkson-steals-aberdeen-show-liverpool-loanee-shines-and-one-player-could-be-real-deal-once-up-to-speed-3813548 | 2022-08-20T18:31:54Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/leighton-clarkson-steals-aberdeen-show-liverpool-loanee-shines-and-one-player-could-be-real-deal-once-up-to-speed-3813548 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A 25-year-old man was killed and a second wounded in a Friday night shooting near the 7-Eleven on Sudley Manor Drive at Williamson Boulevard outside Manassas.
The shooting happened about 8:30 p.m., when a man approached the victims and, after a brief exchange, shot towards them before fleeing.
Officers arrived and provided medical aid to both men but 25-year-old Dalton Jakob Moore of no fixed address died at the scene, said Prince William County police spokesperson Adam Beard. The second victim, also 25, was taken to an area hospital and is expected to survive.
A police K-9 searched the area for the shooter who was not located. Police later learned he got into a light-colored sedan after the shooting.
The gunman was described as Hispanic, heavyset, with short dark hair and a beard. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black shorts.
Detectives are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting and would like to speak to anyone with information.
The case is Prince William County's 10th homicide of the year. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/updated-one-killed-second-wounded-in-manassas-area-shooting/article_a120e558-205f-11ed-9176-3bffda86435b.html | 2022-08-20T18:35:10Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/updated-one-killed-second-wounded-in-manassas-area-shooting/article_a120e558-205f-11ed-9176-3bffda86435b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Home-buyers in four of Northern Virginia’s five major jurisdictions paid less than listing price for homes that went to closing in July, another sign that there is a power shift – albeit not yet a seismic one – from sellers to buyers in the local market.
“It remains a sellers’ market, but the feeding frenzy has subsided somewhat,” said Heather Embrey, a Realtor with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Premier and president-elect of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.
Her advice? Those planning to sell need to accept the new reality of cooling market conditions.
“Sellers need to put their best foot forward when entering the market, because buyers simply do not have the appetite or energy to deal with unrealistic sellers,” Embrey said.
Only in Prince William County did buyers continue pay more than original listing price, according to new data. Homes there sold for an average of 100.38 percent of original listing price in July.
Figures come from MarketStats by ShowingTime based on listing activity from Bright MLS, as analyzed by the Sun Gazette.
Elsewhere in the Big 5 of Northern Virginia localities, sellers, on average, had to settle for less than they sought:
• The average sales price in Fairfax County represented 99.95 percent of listing price.
• The average sales price in Loudoun County represented 99.48 percent.
• The average sales price in Arlington represented 99.4 percent.
• The average sales price in Alexandria represented 98.89 percent.
“It remains a complex market,” said NVAR CEO Ryan McLaughlin. “While interest-rate increases have eased slightly, we expect that the number of sales will continue to soften through the remainder of the year. For sellers, pricing a property correctly is particularly important.”
(NVAR’s footprint includes Arlington and Fairfax counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church; it does not include the outer suburbs of Loudoun and Prince William.)
For the entire Mid-Atlantic region, as tracked by Bright MLS, the average sales price in August was 100.65 percent of original listing price. The extremes were Somerset County, N.J., which led all localities at 105.41 percent, and Pendleton County, W.Va., which was at the bottom of the list at 93.35 percent.
Figures represent most, but not all, home sales in the market. All July 2022 figures are preliminary and are subject to revision.
[https://sungazette.news provides content to, but otherwise is unaffiliated with, InsideNoVa or Rappahannock Media LLC.] | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/it-remains-a-complex-market-as-home-sales-cool-in-region/article_08ca4196-20af-11ed-ba9a-d30be8d6d0f2.html | 2022-08-20T18:35:16Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/it-remains-a-complex-market-as-home-sales-cool-in-region/article_08ca4196-20af-11ed-ba9a-d30be8d6d0f2.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Academic achievement among Virginia students continues to be impacted by the residue of COVID lockdowns, and achievement gaps that long pre-date the pandemic are still in evidence, state officials said in releasing results from Standards of Learning exams and other state-mandated assessments taken by students during the 2021-22 school year.
“In-person instruction matters,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, who said Virginia’s public-education system has embarked on a “multi-year recovery effort” to get beyond the losses felt by school lockdowns during the early part of the pandemic.
Data released Aug. 18 show that despite one-year gains in most subjects, student achievement in all areas remained well below pre-pandemic levels.
Balow and other officials who have come in since the start of the Youngkin administration promised ramped-up efforts to address the situation.
“The first step in addressing the learning loss our students have experienced is to dive into the SOL data at the state, division and school levels and identify the instructional supports and interventions students require,” Balow said in a statement. “This is especially critical for our youngest learners, who have spent more than a third of their early-elementary years without the benefit of in-person instruction.”
Youngkin made the state of public education a major theme of his campaign against Democrat Terry McAuliffe in 2021, and the swing of education-focused voters to Youngkin may have helped fuel his narrow victory.
The current heads of state education policy criticized the adoption of less-rigorous proficiency standards adopted by the Virginia Board of Education for the 2020-21 school year, saying the resulting scores only served to understate the pandemic’s impact on student achievement that already was teetering before the pandemic arrived.
“The prolonged closure of schools exacerbated downward trends in achievement that began several years before COVID, and our efforts to address learning loss must go beyond making up for lost seat time,” Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera said. “Moving forward, we must restore a culture of high expectations for every child in every school.”
While the pandemic can be blamed for many education-related shortcomings of the past two years, it wasn’t responsible for the achievement gap in test scores that continues to result in students from different demographic groups seeing widely different success rates on SOLs and other tests. Passage rates often vary by 20 to 30 percentage points, depending on the groups being compared.
This fall, the Virginia Department of Education will introduce individualized progress reports for students in grades 1-8 that will allow parents to see where their children are succeeding and where they have fallen behind. The department will pilot the progress reports in selected school districts, with the intention of rolling the effort out statewide.
State education officials in September will release 2022-23 school-accreditation ratings, following two school years in which they were waived by the Northam administration due to the pandemic. Accreditation factors include multiple indicators of school quality and student achievement, including growth in reading and mathematics and rates of high-school graduation.
[https://sungazette.news provides content to, but otherwise is unaffiliated with, InsideNoVa or Rappahannock Media LLC.] | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/lockdown-impact-lingers-in-new-sol-results/article_e732839a-20ae-11ed-be98-87d2e2592687.html | 2022-08-20T18:35:22Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/lockdown-impact-lingers-in-new-sol-results/article_e732839a-20ae-11ed-be98-87d2e2592687.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PUKALANI, Kula (KITV4) - According to the National Weather Service in Honolulu, stable trade wind weather will prevail through the weekend, focusing modest rainfall over windward areas and producing a few showers across the Kona slopes of the Big Island each afternoon. Trade winds will ease early next week as a weak disturbance brings an increase in shower activity.
Winds are forecasted out of the east from 15-20 mph.
Temperatures should climb into the upper 80's.
SURF:
Based upon the latest south swell moving through Samoa at mid week, long period energy from this swell should begin arriving in our far offshore waters through the day. South swell should begin building surf along the south facing shores from this afternoon, peak surf to just below surf advisory levels Sunday through Monday then gradually lower through the middle of next week.
Short period, choppy wind wave surf will hold steady through the weekend along eastern facing shores, then lower slightly early next week as trades weaken. Surf along north facing shores will remain just above flat through the weekend. A small, medium period northwest swell is forecast to move through during the first half of next week. This should provide a small boost to north shore surf.
North: 0-2'
West: 2-4'
South: 2-4' (3-5' for the Big Island)
East: 2-4'
A small craft advisory is posted for our usual windy coastal waters around Maui County and the island of Hawaii.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Weekend Meteorologist and Maui County correspondent
Malika has been at KITV since July 2020. She graduated from the University of Hawaii and attended Mississippi State University for her certification in Broadcast Meteorology. Malika started her career in the Hawaii news industry in 2007. | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/saturday-morning-weather-forecast-box-jellyfish-advisory-in-effect-trades-are-back/article_6f70c6d0-209c-11ed-8150-1f2bbdc60c4a.html | 2022-08-20T18:36:01Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/saturday-morning-weather-forecast-box-jellyfish-advisory-in-effect-trades-are-back/article_6f70c6d0-209c-11ed-8150-1f2bbdc60c4a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Voters in Kansas’ largest county overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to strip abortion rights from the Kansas Constitution, according to an official recount that wrapped up Saturday.
The recount tally still left the measure, which would have opened the door for the Legislature to impose an abortion ban, roundly defeated.
Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman said the county’s election night results showed 79,818 “yes” votes and 174,933 “no” votes.
The recount found only a small change in the vote tally, leaving the outcome the same. Out of 610 precincts in the county, the recount results found 79,798 votes in favor of the amendment and 174,915 votes against.
While he expected the results to uphold the “no” vote, Sherman said the recount process was “emotional and physically stressful.”
Nine of the biggest of the 105 counties in Kansas began recounts earlier this week. That came after Melissa Leavitt, of Colby in far northwestern Kansas, demanded the double-check of the vote. She has pressed for tighter election laws.
Jeff Meyers, 2nd district commissioner on the Board of County Commissioners, which was responsible for certifying the recount, said he didn’t think there was any evidence that the “yes” votes would gain the necessary results to win the recount.
“I was expecting the results to be pretty much what they turned out to be,” Meyers said. “I think the process is transparent and I think it also shows that elections in Johnson County are well run and are working the way they're supposed to work.”
Officials in Sedgwick County, the second-largest in Kansas, were still certifying results Saturday, although a county official told the Wichita Eagle they would miss the deadline.
The cost of a recount
While Johnson County finished the recount under the five-day deadline, Sherman said the magnitude of the work – and the “human element” of the recount that leaves more room for error – has him reviewing county procedures. Sorting groups and the timeframe for each part of the process may be changed.
“It's like a 100-year flood, we need to prepare for this – it's part of the election process,” Sherman said. “If and when it's requested that we do it again, we may take a similar path, we may make some different decisions, but we will implement the process as it's been adopted in Kansas law.”
Kansas only conducts recounts when the margin is tight or when a private individual pays for the work to go over votes by hand. Mark Gietzen, a long-time anti-abortion activist from Wichita, is covering most of the costs.
A county could get stuck with that bill — if the recount reversed the outcome of the vote. But some of the counties caught up in the recount underestimated the cost, putting taxpayers on the hook for overruns.
Johnson County estimated its recount would cost $74,500. County Commissioner Ed Eilert said they don’t yet know if they went over cost.
“That [number] was based upon a recount for the treasurer's race,” Eilert said of the estimate, which was based on a smaller recount within the Republican primary. “When the work was completed on the constitutional amendment, I understand there was not time for the Secretary of State's office to re-ask clerks.”
The counties had five days to complete the work. The Kansas secretary of state's office concluded Gietzen and Leavitt could cover the roughly $120,000 cost and set that deadline for Saturday. The pair provided their credit cards. They raised tens of thousands online even as Gietzen said he was tapping into his anti-abortion networks for more.
Both Gietzen and Leavitt have suggested there could have been irregularities in the election. Yet they’ve offered no specifics or evidence.
The recounts took place in Johnson, Douglas, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Crawford, Harvey, Jefferson, Lyon and Thomas counties. The amendment lost in all of those places except for Thomas County. Combined, the counties represent almost 60% of the ballots cast.
The vote, particularly the nearly 60-40 margin, caught political analysts by surprise. Anti-abortion conservatives in the Legislature put the measure on the Aug. 2 ballot 18 months earlier. They counted on the traditionally strong turnout of Republican voters for primaries — and a correspondingly historically low primary turnout for Democrats — to all but lock down the passage of the amendment.
But just six weeks before the vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe V. Wade case that had enshrined abortion rights across the country for half a century. That instantly gave states the power to ban abortions — dramatically raising the stakes for the August vote in Kansas.
The amendment wouldn’t have changed abortion rules on its own. But it would have essentially wiped out a Kansas Supreme Court ruling in 2019 that said the state constitution guarantees abortion rights. Had the amendment passed, the Legislature could have then passed a ban. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-20/in-johnson-county-recount-its-still-a-blowout-loss-for-the-kansas-anti-abortion-amendment | 2022-08-20T18:38:58Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-20/in-johnson-county-recount-its-still-a-blowout-loss-for-the-kansas-anti-abortion-amendment | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
US Air Force targeted in ‘propaganda attack’ in Kuwait
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Air Force says it was the subject of a “propaganda attack” by a previously unheard-of Iraqi militant group that falsely claimed it had launched a drone attack targeting American troops at an air base in Kuwait.
The statement by the Air Force’s 386th Air Expeditionary Wing came hours after the group calling itself Al-Waretheen, or “The Inheritors,” put out an online statement on Saturday, claiming it had launched an attack on Aug. 12 targeting Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base.
The Air Force called it a “lie” and said “no such attack occurred.”
Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press since Aug. 12 showed no apparent damage at the base.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/20/us-air-force-targeted-propaganda-attack-kuwait/ | 2022-08-20T18:41:50Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/20/us-air-force-targeted-propaganda-attack-kuwait/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MASON, Ohio -- The Western & Southern Open semifinals will be a feast of power tennis Saturday.
The first semifinal features 2019 champion Madison Keys against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. The second semifinal will see World No.7 Aryna Sabalenka take on a resurgent Caroline Garcia.
Who will be able to impose their will for the win?
Matches begin at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Garcia: "When you do bad, people forget about you pretty fast & forget what you did in the past. As soon as you get a couple of wins in a row under your belt & play better, it's like you are a top star again. Like you go from a loser to maybe one of the best players right now." pic.twitter.com/HciUF1vxbm
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 20, 2022
No.6 seed Aryna Sabalenka vs. Caroline Garcia
Head-to-head: Sabalenka leads 2-1
Last meeting: Garcia d. Sabalenka, 6-4, 6-4, 2018 Zhuhai
No one has won more matches since the start of June on the Hologic WTA Tour than Caroline Garcia, who won her 25th with a 6-1, 7-6 win against No.7 seed Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals. Ranked No.35, the Frenchwoman had to come through qualifying to earn her main-draw berth, but her form has proven impossible to stop in Cincinnati. Garcia is the first qualifier to make the semifinals of the event since Akgul Amanmuradova in 2007.
After coming through in three sets over Diane Parry and Andrea Petkovic in qualifying, Garcia has defeated two Top 10 opponents in Cincinnati, first over Maria Sakkari and then Pegula. She has been broken a total of three times in her four main-draw matches, winning a tournament-best 93.5% of her service games.
But will that serve hold up against Sabalenka's return? The World No.7 is into her first hard-court WTA 1000 semifinal of the season, with wins over Anna Kalinskaya, Shelby Rogers and Zhang Shuai. Sabalenka is bidding to make her biggest final since winning Madrid in 2021.
"She's in the Top 10 for quite a while now, always doing good in the big events," Garcia said. "You can always count on her. Doesn't matter how many double faults she's doing in one game, she is still here, still winning matches, not afraid to go for it.
"So it's going to be a great challenge for me. I'm really looking for it. It's a good challenge to play another aggressive player to see who can be the most aggressive and do the best they can."
Sabalenka surges past Zhang into Cincy semis
She's struggled with her serve since the WTA Finals last fall, but Sabalenka has brought on a biomechanics specialist to help address her motion.
"This season was really crazy for me, a lot of challenges," Sabalenka said. "I'm super proud of myself that I was able to handle all these tough moments this year and I was able to fight. Even if something didn't work, I still kept trying my best, still fighting for it.
"I'm super happy to be in another semifinal, and I will do my best tomorrow."
Madison Keys vs. Petra Kvitova
Head-to-head: 4-4
Last meeting: Kvitova d. Keys, 7-5, 6-4, 2021 Cincinnati first round
Game recognizes game and power recognizes power. When it comes to Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova, there is nothing but respect between two of the biggest hitters in the game.
"She is a big hitter, but even from the forehand she can go a little bit different style sometimes, that she can put it a little bit upper with more topspin," Kvitova told reporters after her straight-sets win against Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarterfinals. "She is moving very well. And especially the serve, she has a lot of variety of the serve. She can go for ace, she can have a kick, she has beautiful technique of the serve.
"Definitely she has more kinds of this stuff. Not like me, I don't have nothing, I'm just boom-boom."
The two-time Wimbledon champion was certainly selling herself short, especially in a week that has seen her blast her way past Jil Teichmann, Sorana Cirstea, Ons Jabeur and Tomljanovic to make her first WTA 1000 semifinal in two years.
The challenge for Kvitova will be physical. In a season in which she has struggled to string wins together, she admitted she went into her quarterfinal feeling the wear and tear of the week. The fatigue forced her to play with more risk. It worked out against Tomljanovic, but Keys poses a different set of challenges.
Keys has played relaxed, confident tennis in what is effectively her home tournament. The Illinois native has rediscovered the attitude and game that won her the title in Adelaide and an Australian Open semifinal in January, deploying her booming groundstrokes to precise effect.
"I have obviously had some battles against Petra," Keys said after her dominant win over Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. "Won some, lost some. It's never easy to play her, especially later in a draw, meaning that she's playing some very good tennis." | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2750499/cincy-semis-sabalenka-vs-garcia-a-showcase-in-power | 2022-08-20T18:44:59Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2750499/cincy-semis-sabalenka-vs-garcia-a-showcase-in-power | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Petra Kvitova moved into the Western & Southern Open final for the first time in her career after overcoming 2019 champion Madison Keys 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3 in their Saturday semifinal showdown.
The occasion also marks the 40th Hologic WTA Tour singles final of Kvitova's career. Kvitova, who is 29-10 in finals, will aim for a milestone 30th career singles title on Sunday.
World No.28 Kvitova of the Czech Republic took 2 hours and 18 minutes to outlast American Keys, ranked 24th, in a battle between former Top 10 players and power hitters.
Fast facts: Kvitova and Keys came into their latest clash with a deadlocked 4-4 head-to-head. Their most recent meeting took place in the first round of this event one year ago, where Kvitova triumphed in straight sets.
After barely dropping the first-set tiebreak, Kvitova rebounded to take another Cincinnati victory over Keys and edge ahead in their rivalry. It is the Czech’s first win in a Cincinnati semifinal, having previously lost in this round in 2012 and 2018.
Kvitova was nearly ousted in the first round this week -- she had to save a match point in her opening clash against last year's runner-up Jil Teichmann.
Instead, Kvitova is into her 12th WTA 1000 final, and she is a win away from her ninth WTA 1000 title. Only Serena Williams (13), Victoria Azarenka (10) and Simona Halep (9) have won more WTA 1000 titles than Kvitova since the tier was created in 2009.
Despite the loss on Saturday, Keys posted another stellar showing in Cincinnati this week, including a Round-of-16 victory over top seed Iga Swiatek for her first win over a current World No.1 player. Keys also beat reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
Match moments: After splitting the first two sets, Kvitova fired a massive forehand return to break Keys in the opening game of the decider. Keys nearly pulled herself back on serve with a 0-40 lead on Kvitova’s serve at 4-3, but the Czech powered her way out of peril to hold for 5-3 and maintain her break advantage.
In the next game, Keys used a forehand winner and a stunning serve to erase the first two match points she faced, but a blistering Kvitova backhand return gave the Czech her third match point. That one proved to be the charm after Keys sent a forehand wide to end the big-hitting affair.
In fact, Keys had four more winners and four fewer unforced errors than Kvitova on the day. But Kvitova was more successful on break points, converting five of 12, while Keys went 2-for-8.
More to come…. | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2752598/kvitova-outlasts-keys-in-cincinnati-to-reach-40th-career-singles-final | 2022-08-20T18:45:05Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2752598/kvitova-outlasts-keys-in-cincinnati-to-reach-40th-career-singles-final | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(iSeeCars) – The average one-to-five-year-old car cost an average of $34,291 in July according to iSeeCars.com’s latest analysis of over 1.8 million used car sales. This is up slightly from June when the average used car cost an average of $34,154, and marks the second month of slight increases after four months of slowing price growth.
Average Used Car Prices by State
Some states pay more than others for used cars. Here is a ranking of the average used car price by state by ascending order:
- Rhode Island is the state with the lowest average used car price of $31,294.
- Alaska is the state with the highest average used car price of $42,617.
What does this mean for consumers? The current state of the used car market presents a lucrative trade-in opportunity for consumers who have a used vehicle to sell. While consumers were previously advised to wait to purchase a used car if they were able to do so, the microchip shortage is expected to persist until early 2023. The best way to avoid severe price hikes for the foreseeable future is to purchase a used vehicle that isn’t in very high demand, such as a sedan, and if possible, purchase it from a state or region with lower price increases.
More from iSeeCars.com:
Methodology
iSeeCars.com analyzed over 1.8 million 1-5-year-old used car sales in July 2021 and 2022. The average listing prices of each car model were compared between the two time periods, and the differences were expressed as both a percentage difference from the 2021 price as well as a dollar difference. Heavy-duty vehicles, low-volume vehicles, vehicles discontinued as of the 2022 model year, and vehicles with fewer than 4 of the 5 model years for each period were excluded from further analysis.
About iSeeCars.com
iSeeCars.com is a car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $343 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.
This article, This is the Average Price of a Used Car By State, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com. | https://www.wpri.com/automotive/this-is-the-average-price-of-a-used-car-in-each-state-3/ | 2022-08-20T18:57:28Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/automotive/this-is-the-average-price-of-a-used-car-in-each-state-3/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Observations from Jets practice on Saturday:
The good
In the move-the-ball period of the non-padded joint practice, the Falcons’ first-team offense turned it over on downs, with a fourth down pass sailing over the head of TE Kyle Pitts, who couldn’t shake free from CB Sauce Gardner. The Joe Flacco-led Jets scored a touchdown on two plays (a one-handed sideline catch by Corey Davis put the ball on the doorstep) and completed the two-point conversion.
The bad
Not much went wrong for the Jets, but a nitpicker might point out that rookie WR Garrett Wilson nearly completed two great catches, but he wasn’t able to get his feet inbounds after securing the ball either time. He was shoved out of bounds while still airborne on the second one.
Caught my eye
Four days removed from knee surgery, QB Zach Wilson watched his teammates practice from the sideline. He drove a cart around the grass but walked inside the facility slowly and without a limp. He had a compression sleeve wrapped around his right knee.
Medical report
S Lamarcus Joyner (illness) returned to team drills. OLB Carl Lawson received a veteran rest day. LB Marcell Harris (hamstring) was not in uniform. DE Michael Clemons left practice after taking a helmet to the ribs but is not expected to be sidelined further. DL Quinnen Williams and Bryce Huff worked with trainers. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/jets-offense-looks-good-in-joint-practice-with-falcons/ | 2022-08-20T19:05:28Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/jets-offense-looks-good-in-joint-practice-with-falcons/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
An all-Black female crew operated an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Phoenix in honor of Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to earn a pilot's license in 1921.
The airline hosted the Bessie Coleman Aviation All-Stars tour this week to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Coleman performing the first public flight by an African American woman in 1922.
"She bravely broke down barriers within the world of aviation and paved the path for many to follow," American Airlines said in a statement.
Coleman's great-niece, Gigi Coleman, was hosted on the flight operated by the all-Black female crew of pilots, flight attendants, customer service coordinators, cargo team members and the aviation maintenance technician, the airline said.
"I'm grateful for American Airlines to give us this opportunity to highlight my great aunt's accomplishments in the field of aviation," Gigi said in a video posted by American Airlines titled "Empowering Women in the Skies."
Very few American women of any race had pilot's licenses by 1918, but those who did were often White and rich. Undeterred, Coleman learned French and moved to Paris and was accepted by the Caudron Brothers School of Aviation. In 1921, Coleman became the first female pilot of African American and Native American descent.
Coleman died at 34 in 1926 during a practice run with another pilot. While she never fulfilled her dream to open a flight school for future Black pilots, Coleman's imprint on aviation history lives on, CNN previously reported.
Black women have been "notably underrepresented in the aviation industry, especially as pilots, representing less than 1% in the commercial airline industry," American Airlines said.
"Today, I'm beyond thrilled to be a part of the crew where we are inspiring young girls, young girls of color, to see the various roles that these women play in every aspect to make this flight possible," Captain Beth Powell, the flight's pilot, said in the video.
American Airlines said it is committed to diversifying the flight deck, which includes "expanding awareness of and increasing accessibility to the pilot career within diverse communities" through its cadet academy.
The day after the historic flight, representatives from the Bessie Coleman Foundation and American Airlines pilots and cadets met with students at the Academies at South Mountain in Phoenix, where the flight landed, to expose young people to careers in the aviation industry.
"I knew she was the first African American woman to get her pilot's license, she was the first to do it so she inspired the next generation to follow her footsteps and know that they can also be what they want to be," said Mohamed Mohamed, an aspiring airline pilot who studies aerospace at the academy, in the video.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/all-black-women-crew-operates-american-airlines-flight-from-dallas-in-honor-of-trailblazer-bessie/article_dc8750ab-cc43-5c3c-afff-839a867fde51.html | 2022-08-20T19:05:44Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/all-black-women-crew-operates-american-airlines-flight-from-dallas-in-honor-of-trailblazer-bessie/article_dc8750ab-cc43-5c3c-afff-839a867fde51.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This old computer model — which altered the course of tech history — was the apple of a collector’s eye.
An authenticated Apple-1 Computer prototype that dates back to 1976 has sold at auction for $677,196.
The pricey prototype, hand-soldered by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was used by Steve Jobs to showcase Apple-1 to the owner of one of the first personal computer stores in the world.
The demonstration resulted in Apple’s first large order, which changed the trajectory of the entire company, according to RR Auction, the Boston auction house who sold the vintage circuit board.
“This is the prototype before they had any money, before they had any investors, that they brought to this guy’s shop,” Bobby Livingston, RR Auction’s executive vice president, told The Post. “It’s that first piece of this great, incredible, gigantic company.”
Jobs and Wozniak originally imagined it to be sold as a $40 do-it-yourself kit for hobbyists, but because Paul Terrell of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California asked, they created 50 assembled personal computers to be sold at $666.66 each.
An anonymous Bay Area collector, who Livingston called “a great collector of premium American artifacts,” snatched up the analog artifact, made of cardboard and resin and dubbed the “holy grail of Steve Jobs and Apple memorabilia.”
With Post wires | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/see-how-much-this-apple-prototype-went-for-at-auction/ | 2022-08-20T19:05:53Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/see-how-much-this-apple-prototype-went-for-at-auction/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi will miss the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates and the home series against England as he continues to recover from a knee injury, the country's cricket board said on Saturday.
The 22-year-old left-arm fast bowler, who suffered a ligament injury in his right knee during a Test series in Sri Lanka last month, has been advised to take four to six weeks of rest.
"I have spoken with Shaheen and he is understandably upset with the news," chief medical officer Najeebullah Soomro said in a statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"Although he has made progress during his rehabilitation in Rotterdam, it is now clear he will require more time and is likely to return to competitive cricket in October."
Afridi has travelled to the Netherlands with the team, who play their third and final One-Day International in Rotterdam on Sunday.
Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup campaign in Dubai with an August 28 blockbuster against arch-rivals India.
The Asia Cup will be followed by a seven-match Twenty20 home series against England.
The PCB expects Afridi to return to action in a tri-series in New Zealand in October before heading to Australia for the Twenty20 World Cup. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/20/big-setback-for-pakistan-as-afridi-ruled-out-of-asia-cup.html | 2022-08-20T19:05:53Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/20/big-setback-for-pakistan-as-afridi-ruled-out-of-asia-cup.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After just this week fracturing his skull in a fall from a bunk bed, Easton "Tank" Oliverson understandably will miss his team's opening game Friday at the Little League World Series.
But, oh, did that 12-year-old still want to play.
"When he asked what day it was and we told him, he asked us, 'Am I able to play on Friday?' And I just shook my head at him and I'm like, 'Sorry, buddy. You can't. We've got to get you better, first,'" Easton's father, Jace Oliverson, told CNN Thursday.
"And the sheer tears he was shedding was just, it was, oh my gosh."
That Easton is alive is nevertheless a victory that his family -- along with the Little League community and well-wishers around the world -- is celebrating.
Easton, of Utah's Snow Canyon Little League, still will be in a children's hospital when his team, representing the Mountain Region, plays a club from Tennessee at 3 p.m. ET in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
After his team earned a trip to Williamsport by winning a regional championship in California, Easton fell early Monday from a bunk bed at the players' dormitory and fractured his skull. He had fallen in his sleep, the St. George News in Utah reported, citing a source within the team.
Easton was airflifted to a local children's hospital. His father, an assistant coach for the team, awoke around 1:30 a.m. to the news and soon learned his son was "fighting for his life," the dad said.
"Doctors (were) saying he's 30 minutes, max, from dying, with so much pressure on his brain stem," Jace Oliverson told CNN.
"There are some children that arrive in a very, very poor state, and Easton's state upon arrival was among the poorest I've seen," Dr. Frank Maffei, chair of pediatrics at Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital in Danville, Pennsylvania, said.
Easton underwent surgery to stop bleeding and stabilize him, and then was put into a medically induced coma.
His injury made headlines, and support came flooding in. Utah's Brigham Young University football team and Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts submitted supportive videos through Instagram for Easton.
Then the news got brighter, documented via an Instagram account -- "miraclesfortank," nodding to his nickname -- set up to provide updates on his condition.
An early post said his breathing tube was out and a scan looked promising. By Wednesday, Easton was no longer sedated, waking up more and asking for water, the account announced.
On Thursday, the family announced Easton had been moved out of an intensive care unit, was sitting up in a chair, could feed himself, could take two steps with support and was talking more with his family.
Easton is making "tremendous strides toward recovery and we are expecting him to have a really near complete recovery," Dr. Oded Goren, who specializes in cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery, said.
Easton's condition was upgraded to fair on Friday, according to doctors at the hospital.
His father is grateful for the medical care and support and "the prayers that we've been receiving across the nation."
"My wife and I, from the very beginning (knew) the only way that we're going to get through this is with the love and support and faith and prayers to our heavenly Father. ... He is showing people now that miracles do happen," Jace Oliverson said.
Easton's younger brother, 10-year-old Brogan, was set to take Easton's place on the team's roster for Friday's game, their father said. The team is the first from Utah to make it to the series in the 75-year history of the tournament.
"We were able to tell Easton about (Brogan promotion), and he cried, and I asked Easton, 'Are those happy tears or sad tears?' and he did express both," Easton's uncle, Derrick Oliverson, said. "He's happy for his little brother. (But) he's so heartbroken. He doesn't get to participate in something every Little Leaguer dreams of doing."
It's not clear how long Easton will stay in the Pennsylvania hospital, his dad said. The family will discuss that with staff at that facility and one in Utah.
The boy still has a lot of physical and mental therapy ahead, the father said.
"It's still going to be a long road for him," Jace Oliverson said. "Even though he's progressed to the point to where he's cognitively there and he can physically move (and) understand what's going on, it's still going to take a lot of time."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/little-league-world-series-player-was-minutes-from-death-after-a-fall-dad-says-he/article_9a9a7ebf-9cc9-599e-9aac-881af9a31258.html | 2022-08-20T19:06:02Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/little-league-world-series-player-was-minutes-from-death-after-a-fall-dad-says-he/article_9a9a7ebf-9cc9-599e-9aac-881af9a31258.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Should we hold mothers responsible when their children are abused by another adult? A growing number of activists and journalists believe the answer is no. They argue that because the mothers are often themselves being abused that it’s unfair to punish them — either by incarceration or by removing children from their custody — for the actions of these men.
A recent story in Mother Jones, for instance, decries the laws that incarcerate women for their “failure to protect” children. The author profiles a woman named Kerry King, whose live-in boyfriend had been abusing her daughter for a year. She frequently left the girl alone with the man who was using heroin. She noticed bruises on the girl’s body. Her daughter told her they were from when the boyfriend was “mean.” But she claims she never thought the girl was in danger until one day when he had his “fingers around her neck” and King tried to intervene. That’s when he slammed King against the wall and told her to hold the child down while he beat her with a belt. King did as she was told, “hoping that if she complied, it would be over faster.”
King was sent to prison for failing to protect her daughter, the result, according to Mother Jones, of a “classist,” “racist” “criminal justice system that makes mothers ultra-culpable, blaming them for things that are largely outside their control.” One Oklahoma attorney interviewed for the piece explained that “it becomes insurmountable, the number of things [women] have to do in order to be in compliance with what we think is a good mother.” If that includes not holding down a child while your boyfriend is beating her, the bar actually seems a little low.
What the critics fail to understand is that it is possible to see these women as both victims and also adults legally responsible for their children’s well-being. In most of these incidents, the children are not the offspring of the man involved. Rather, the woman has chosen him as a boyfriend, brought her children into his orbit, and stayed with him long after it was clear he was a danger. (The presence of a non-relative male in a home makes the abuse of children about 11 times more likely than in a home where a child is living with both biological parents.)
In a USA Today article last year, a team of reporters found that women who were the victims of domestic violence and remained with their abusers sometimes lost custody of their children. The authors were outraged that investigators “criticized abused mothers and their choices,” and that “mothers bear the brunt of caseworkers scrutiny because they are typically their children’s primary caregivers.”
Who is supposed to bear the brunt of the scrutiny if not their primary caregivers? USA Today cites one woman whose infant and toddler were temporarily removed from her custody after her ex-boyfriend (with whom she apparently had regular contact) beat her unconscious in front of the kids. Even if an adult doesn’t lay a hand on the children, the notion that the children are perfectly fine even while their primary caregiver is lying bloodied on the floor seems strange. A man who beats his girlfriend doesn’t always beat his children, but there is certainly a much higher likelihood of it happening. Nevertheless, some advocates are even arguing for less police intervention in domestic violence cases because it might result in involvement from child protective services.
An article from last year in The New Republic described a similar group of women who were incarcerated and lost custody of their children because of crimes they committed at the behest of their abusive partners. The authors cite the case of Tanisha Williams. After an abusive boyfriend, Patrick A. Martin, forced her to help him commit murder in 2002, she ran away and had no permanent address or way to support herself. She left her baby in the car at night to procure drugs and sex work. “She swept the place with her gun cocked. Only once it was clear would she carry [the baby] inside.”
The author argues that the system is unfair because “Women must . . . navigate gendered binaries in a system designed by and for men . . . Female victims should fit a paradigm of innocence: a petite, heterosexual white woman with a clean record.” The problem is not that Tanisha is not white or even that she doesn’t have a clean record. Whatever Tanisha’s criminal punishment should be, there is no way that leaving a baby in her custody is in the best interests of that child.
The New Yorker, too, took up a similar crusade a few years ago, arguing that district attorneys were “criminalizing survivors of domestic violence,” by prosecuting women for allowing their children to be harmed by the men in their lives. As one lawyer explained: “You can see a woman in a domestic-violence situation here . . . and all the DAs want to do is punish her . . . I’m reading ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ so maybe I’m just in a dystopian mood.”
There is good reason to be in a dystopian mood, but it is not because of the way the law treats these mothers. Those experiencing the real dystopia are the children. The one person who is supposed to protect them from predatory adults has chosen over and over to place them in harm’s way. And now more people want to ensure they will never be rescued.
Naomi Schaefer Riley is the author of “No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives.” | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/women-who-let-boyfriends-abuse-their-kids-must-pay-the-price/ | 2022-08-20T19:06:17Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/women-who-let-boyfriends-abuse-their-kids-must-pay-the-price/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NerdWallet) – Rising prices (i.e., inflation) are everywhere you look — on the news, at the pump and in the grocery store. We notice these changes when we reach for our wallets, but it’s difficult to grasp what an extra dollar here or several dollars there mean over the course of several weeks, months or an entire year.
With prices up 8.5% year over year, household spending — that’s yours and mine — stands to rise by several thousand dollars. Even with the Federal Reserve’s attempts to control inflation through interest rate increases, it’s unlikely these prices will fall dramatically. This climb isn’t just a tank of gas or a few additional dollars at the store. For some people, it could be an entire paycheck every month.
Using inflation and annual spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we looked at how spending in 2022 will differ from 2020, the last full year when inflation was relatively stable. We chose a handful of categories that many, if not most, Americans spend money on, such as food and electricity. The inflationary impact is remarkable.
Household expenditures could rise by $11,500
In all of 2020, American households spent $61,300, on average. This number includes everything we spend our money on: housing, food, entertainment, clothing, transportation and everything else. In 2022, it stands to reach $72,900, a difference of more than $11,500 if consumers want to maintain the same standard of living. Keep in mind, this is an average, a number that represents an approximation across all Americans, but one that’s exact to a very few. Those who earn (and therefore spend) more will see more dramatic dollar increases. Those who earn less may see less dramatic dollar jumps, but the impact of these rising prices could be more significantly felt.
It’s worth calling out — spending was a bit unusual in 2020. People spent less on commuting, child care and entertainment, for example, and more on home improvements. It’s a safe assumption that people will spend less in certain categories this year too, if for no other reason than avoiding high prices. This is primarily why we think spending in 2022 will be more similar to 2020 than 2019, for example, another year for which such spending data was available.
We can all likely agree that $11,500 is a lot more money to spend in a single year, but grasping what big numbers like that mean in practice can be difficult. Per month, you’re looking at close to $1,000 more. For many people, this is an entire extra rent or mortgage payment.
Across all the spending categories we examined, groceries, shelter and gas stand to rise the most. Throughout all of 2022, if inflation doesn’t slow considerably, we can expect to spend $1,200, $1,400 and $2,500 more on these categories, respectively.
Click here for a table of all anticipated spending changes.
How this situation plays into the recession conversation
The Fed is attempting to bring prices down gently. By raising the interest rate at which banks borrow money, it can control demand in the economy, and with cooler demand comes lower prices. However, these changes can also trigger not-so-great effects such as higher unemployment and slowing the economy too much. It’s a balancing act.
Though a recession may sound scary (and a deep one is), a downturn may be necessary to get prices under control. And as tough as it is to stomach, that part is a good thing.
How to handle high prices and recession talk
Look at the big picture
As explained above, there is a silver lining to an economic downturn or recession — prices fall. While the Fed attempts to achieve this outcome with a minimally negative impact, doomscrolling news websites and listening to overly simplified hot takes on social media will do absolutely nothing to protect you. Keep calm. Bolster your emergency savings if you’re able, see if you can tighten up your budget and sit back. Even when it comes to your long-term investments, sometimes the best advice is to relax and do nothing.
Expect to see the effects of rising rates
If you were planning on buying a house or a car in the near future, expect to pay far more for those items if you’re taking out a loan. Banks and creditors pass along their increased rates from the Fed to you, the consumer. Monthly payments will be bigger (perhaps by hundreds of dollars) due to the one-two punch of higher prices and higher interest.
Don’t forget about credit cards — interest rates will climb here too. Now more than ever, do your best to pay off your balances each month. The compounding interest of credit card debt is already high enough to try to avoid, when possible.
Budget more for necessary goods and services, temporarily
Revisiting your budget in the current climate doesn’t only involve cutting things out, but figuring out how to accommodate spending more in certain categories. After all, you can’t go without things like groceries. In order to maintain the same volume of groceries you had last year or the year prior, you’ll need to find the extra money. If you didn’t have much wiggle room in your budget to begin with, consider what items you can go without or cut back on. Maybe you can get another year out of that winter coat or cut out one or two streaming services. Framing these as temporary sacrifices makes losing them easier.
METHODOLOGY
Some category definitions differ slightly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index to the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Care was taken to select the most comparable categories when exact matches weren’t available. For example, the CES measure of gasoline includes motor oil whereas the CPI does not.
Spending is based on the 2020 CES, the last year for which this spending data is available. The 12-month rate of inflation began its climb in April 2021, so comparing baseline 2020 spending to 2022 will best capture the effects of rising prices.
August through December 2022 spending estimates are based on available CPI data through July 2022, averaging the monthly changes in the first seven months of the year to arrive at a conservative estimate for the remainder of the year.
Monthly spending is based on an average flat rate throughout the year rather than estimated spending (with seasonal fluctuations) from month to month.
Consumer price indices were not available for the “household operations” category during the months of December 2021 through March 2022, and July 2022.
Spending data is from the Consumer Expenditure Survey based on questions asked of households for the 2020 year. When numerous people answer $0 for any single expense/category on the survey, the data is skewed and the average amount seems low. The selected categories in this analysis were chosen with this in mind, and they represent categories that most people spend money in. This survey is asked of “consumer units,” not individuals. This means, in most cases, that the expenses are attributed to a single person in the household, regardless of how many adults are present. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/got-an-extra-11500-youll-need-it-to-keep-up-with-2022-prices/ | 2022-08-20T19:17:15Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/got-an-extra-11500-youll-need-it-to-keep-up-with-2022-prices/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Chastity Culberson has been named community science manager at The St. Louis Science Center. She returns to SLSC to lead the aerospace component and youth development curriculum for SLSC's Youth Exploring Science program; a program that employs teens to teach hands-on science throughout the St. Louis community. She brings over thirteen years of classroom teaching and leadership experience, serving in Ferguson Florissant School District and Metro Nashville Public School District. Culberson has a BAS degree in elementary education and a M.S.Ed degree in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee State University. | https://www.stlamerican.com/business/people_on_the_move/chastity-culberson-named-community-science-manager-at-science-center/article_a569bd14-1d77-11ed-80c9-af9be8db915e.html | 2022-08-20T19:17:18Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/business/people_on_the_move/chastity-culberson-named-community-science-manager-at-science-center/article_a569bd14-1d77-11ed-80c9-af9be8db915e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Harris-Stowe State University has promoted Dr. Shawn Baker to vice president of student affairs and enrollment management. As the chief student affairs and enrollment officer, Baker will oversee several areas, including admissions, financial aid, student engagement, health services, residential life, counseling services, student government association, student conduct, bookstore, dining services, and athletics. An experienced leader, Dr. Baker, joined Harris-Stowe in 2007 as associate dean of student affairs and director of residential life and was promoted to VP of student affairs in 2019. He holds a B.S. in pre-medicine and an M.Ed. from Central Methodist University and a doctorate in higher education administration from Maryville University.
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- This Week's Photos: Jul. 28, 2022 | https://www.stlamerican.com/business/people_on_the_move/dr-shawn-baker-named-vp-of-student-affairs-at-harris-stowe/article_8e03285e-1d72-11ed-843b-4761d3957496.html | 2022-08-20T19:17:24Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/business/people_on_the_move/dr-shawn-baker-named-vp-of-student-affairs-at-harris-stowe/article_8e03285e-1d72-11ed-843b-4761d3957496.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
There is a divide between the number of white high school graduates that move on to secondary education and students of color.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], in 2020 the college enrollment rate for white students was 62.9%, Hispanic students 56.2%, and Black students 56.6%.
There is also ‘postsecondary completion gap’ between white students and students who identify either as a person of color or who come from a low-income household.
Through a $30,000 grant, Webster University is working to close the wedge that exists on campus and after college graduation.
Career advising is now a part of admissions, orientation, and first year and beyond activities. A concentrated effort will help students better understand the types of jobs and majors best suited to their interests.
Webster will expand training for faculty members who serve as student advisors and incorporate both academic and career advising throughout a student’s time at the university before graduation.
The Missouri College and Career Attainment Network (MOCAN) and Complete College America (CCA) awarded the grant, which is funded by the Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation. Webster will receive $10,000 per year for the next three years to invest in ways to improve graduation rates.
“This grant will enable us to integrate our academic advising with early and ongoing career advising to ensure that students understand how their academic efforts will support their post-graduation goals,” said George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology Dean Simone Cummings.
Obtaining a degree once in college also statistically shows students of color not finding as much success as their counterparts.
The NCES reports that in 2019, approximately 64% of all undergraduates will earn a bachelor’s degree, with white graduates matching that number.
For Indigenous students, the rate is about 55%; for Hispanic students, the rate is about 53%; for Black students, the rate is 46%; and for Pell Grant recipients, the rate is about 25%.
“We anticipate that these efforts will result in increased student retention and graduation rates, which not only benefit students, but employers and our general community as well,” said Cummings.
Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vincent C. Flewellen said the grant will benefit all students but will provide the greatest benefit to Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color [BILPOC].”
“Nationally, BILPOC students tend to graduate at rates that are 20% to 50% lower than white students. And when you look at income, the numbers become more dire, as Pell Grant recipients are significantly more likely to drop out of college than earn a degree.”
At Webster, 49% of graduate and undergraduate students are BIPOC, with Black students comprising 32.7% of that figure during the 2019-2020 school year.
Rise Up
Webster University’s effort to help minority students and those from low-income families find success during after their studies at Webster is ongoing.
Launched two years ago, the Resilience Inspires Student Excellence [RISE program was launched to improve educational access and career success for undergraduate diverse, local students. Its goals include increasing GPAs among BILPOC students, provide increased interactions, and develop a greater sense of community for these students, on and off campus.
RISE program participants are introduced to available resources and monitoring component, which can benefit them academically and socially.
The students must also do their part to achieve success for themselves and the program.
Participating students are selected each fall, and they must maintain 3.0 GPA each semester. They are also required to participate in a variety of activities that are integral to achieving the desired program outcomes.
These include meeting with a RISE tutor liaison, the RISE coordinator, and as a group with the RISE team of faculty and staff at the Monthly Community Sunday Dinners.
Webster University and Edward Jones launch program to boost diversity in financial services industry. See The St. Louis American Diversity Special Section in today’s print edition and online at www.stlamercan.com. | https://www.stlamerican.com/education/webster-u-to-address-postsecondary-gap-after-graduation/article_7b144294-2085-11ed-9ccc-9707c4d2070d.html | 2022-08-20T19:17:30Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/education/webster-u-to-address-postsecondary-gap-after-graduation/article_7b144294-2085-11ed-9ccc-9707c4d2070d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Missouri Secretary of State announced on Tuesday last week that it had certified the signatures collected for a constitutional amendment as submitted by an organization called “legal Missouri.” After competing with two other ballot initiative signature collecting drives all summer, Legal Missouri pulled through and submitted nearly 215,000 names of Missouri residents who support their petition. Despite an insufficient number of signatures for certain congressional districts submitted to the Republican Secretary of State John R. Ashcroft (of that Ashcroft family, certified Amendment 3 is going to appear on the November general election ballot.
Amendment 3 is perhaps one of the worst recreational cannabis laws that our state could possibly pass. While there is clearly no shortage of interest or support in legalization recreational use of cannabis, the EYE will focus on all of the ways that Amendment 3 will cause further harm to Missouri citizens while allowing out-of-state cannabis corporations to exploit us.
First and foremost, Legal Missouri has touted that Amendment 3 was based on the 2018 medical cannabis ballot petition that was passed. Huge problems were created by the passage of that bill, including racist scoring for cultivation and dispensary licenses and a “capped” number of licenses, which contributed to inequalities within the cannabis industry. By setting the predetermined limit of 192 marijuana-related licenses that could be issued, the State of Missouri has engaged in market interference by causing artificial scarcity and higher prices, shutting out minority- and women-owned businesses, and encouraging monopolies.
If Amendment 3 is passed, there will be more of the same: medical marijuana licenseholders would receive priority for recreational licenses; many of these licenseholders are white-owned, monopolistic corporations originating from other states.
In other words, Amendment 3 was not drafted to benefit consumers or to add to Missouri’s tax base, but to further line the pockets for mega-corporations who have capitalized on the unfair market created by Missouri Republicans who see an opportunity for a grift.
Truly, should we have expected any legalization bill drafted by swamp lobbyist Steve Tilley and disgraced former state house speaker John Diehl to be fair, equitable, and without exploitation?
Shame on us, if we did.
Second, proponents of Amendment 3 point to the “expungements” allowed under the recreational legalization bill, but that provision also falls far from being helpful to most individuals. Amendment 3 expungements are only automatic for certain misdemeanor possessions - not for A, B, C, and D felonies, which make up a large number of drug-related offenses charged each year. For reference, current state law states that the possession of more than 35 grams (1.2 ounces) a Class D felony. Expungements in Missouri cost thousands to obtain, including $400-500 for court filing fees and even more to hire an attorney to navigate the already-complex system. Expungements also are not guaranteed, and a judge can prevent an expungement with “good cause for denial” -- which is not defined or explained in Amendment 3.
The proposed constitutional amendment would further require individuals who are currently serving sentences for non-violent marijuana possessions to complete the remainder of those sentences, specifying that expungements are “for any person who is no longer incarcerated or under the supervision of the department of corrections.”
Public consumption of cannabis is still barred under Amendment 3 and there are still no employment protections for persons who medically or recreationally use cannabis outside of work and on their own time. Possessing more than three ounces is still a jailable offense. Persons under 21 are prohibited from any cannabis use, regardless of their medical status, and public consumption (including both smoking and eating edibles) remains a Class A Misdemeanor.
Amendment 3 establishes the new, specific crimes embedded within the State Constitution of “cultivat[ing] marijuana plants that are visible by normal, unaided vision from a public place” and “cultivat[ing] marijuana plants that are not kept in a locked space.”
Simply put, Amendment 3 does not decriminalize marijuana or its use. But as with everything else in Missouri politics: follow the money.
Legal Missouri’s MEC records paint a clear picture of the driving forces behind Amendment 3. Dozens of out-of-state corporations have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Amendment 3, including at least $300,000 by Washington DC-based New Approach Advocacy Fund, $250,000 by California-based company BD Health Ventures LLC, $430,000 by Arkansas-originating company Good Day Farms LLC, and $55,000 by Chicago-based Grassroots OpCo MO, LLC.
Missouri-based companies have also dropped massive donations into Legal Missouri’s coffers, such as Proper Cannabis’ New Growth Horizon Fund ($347,500) and BeLeaf Medical LLC ($100,000). There’s of course nearly $30,000 in contributions to Amendment A by Relax PAC, founded and led by Bradford Goette, a former executive for Dirt Cheap and MillerCoors. Relax PAC previously was associated with secret, potentially illegal donations made by embattled lobbyist Travis Brown, currently in exile after very public break-ups with both his ex-wife and Rex Sinquefield, and by dark money funders connected to former governor and sexual-charges-plagued Eric Greitens.
In total and on the books, Legal Missouri has raised nearly $3 million since launching in September 2020.
Each of the companies we specifically mentioned above (with the exception of the DC lobbying firm) already holds a medical marijuana license with the State of Missouri, meaning that these companies would receive a “priority” status in applying for recreational marijuana licenses. In other words, by paying for their support of Amendment 3, the existing cannabis mega-corporations are all but guaranteeing the issuance of their recreational cultivation and dispensary licenses and essentially shutting out the possibility for any smaller farms or businesses.
“This initiative eliminates nearly all competition through constitutionally protected license caps,” Christina Thompson of ShowMe Canna-Freedom stated earlier this year during a legislative public safety committee meeting. “Recreational licenses created under the initiative will go straight to established businesses as well, meaning instead of opening up more business opportunities for others, money only goes to those who are already profiting."
Although the 2018 medical marijuana amendment was presented to voters as having “equity” provisions to ensure representation by African Americans, women, and other minority business owners, the grim reality is that most of the licenses issued by the state were given to white men.
So, here’s the deal: recreational marijuana is going to pass in the State of Missouri. Voters overwhelmingly supported the passage of medical marijuana in 2018, and having three ballot petitions competing for a place on the November ballot further underscores that support. More than 60% of Missourians support the legalization of adult-use cannabis. There is no doubt that these efforts would be backed by voters.
But this also means that voters who support the legalization of cannabis use have a choice, and we do not have to settle for bad constitutional amendments that don’t fix previous harm caused and stand to cause more damage to marginalized communities.
A “better” legalization bill would include provisions for the automatic expungement of all marijuana-related offenses and the immediate release of all persons presently serving sentences for possession and trafficking crimes. All persons currently serving sentences for crimes related to cannabis would be immediately released and restored of all of their civil rights. An amendment worthy of your vote would decriminalize all marijuana-related crimes, not repackage them as civil penalties or fines. Licenses would be distributed to businesses who haven’t already had a chance to enter the market, and priority of those licenses should be to minority-owned entities. Employers would be barred from requiring drug testing for marijuana use as a condition for work. There would be true equity and justice for communities historically impacted by aggressive criminal codes and the War on Drugs.
An informed electorate knows that since constitutional amendments are difficult to rescind, it is very important to reject Amendment 3. Missouri voters have waited a long time to weigh in on recreational marijuana legislation but they should also remember that there can be an opportunity for better, more equitable recreational marijuana legislation in the future if Amendment 3 is stopped. | https://www.stlamerican.com/news/political_eye/the-deceitful-amendment-3-recreational-marijuana-bill/article_de964fb0-2099-11ed-8e69-eb1814a767b6.html | 2022-08-20T19:17:36Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/news/political_eye/the-deceitful-amendment-3-recreational-marijuana-bill/article_de964fb0-2099-11ed-8e69-eb1814a767b6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The story of the enslaved woman who went to court to win her freedom more than 80 years before the Emancipation Proclamation has been pushed to the fringes of history.
A group of civic leaders, activists and historians hope that ends Sunday in the quiet Massachusetts town of Sheffield with the unveiling of a bronze statue of the woman who chose the name Elizabeth Freeman when she shed the chains of slavery 241 years ago to the day.
Her story, while remarkable, remains relatively obscure.
State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli grew up not far from Sheffield in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts yet didn't hear her story until about 20 years ago. He found that many of his colleagues in the Statehouse were also largely in the dark about the significance of her case, which set the legal precedent that essentially ended slavery in Massachusetts.
“She’s clearly a hidden figure in American history, and I really believe Black history is American history,” said Pignatelli, a Democrat. “But unfortunately, Black history is what we haven’t been told and taught.”
The enslaved woman, known as Bett, could not read or write, but she listened.
And what she heard did not make sense.
While she toiled in bondage in the household of Col. John Ashley, he and other prominent citizens of Sheffield met to discuss their grievances about British tyranny. In 1773, they wrote in what are known as the Sheffield Resolves that “Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free, and independent of each other."
Those words were echoed in Article 1 of the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780, which begins “All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights.”
It is believed that Bett, after hearing a public reading of the constitution, walked roughly 5 miles from the Ashley household to the home of attorney Theodore Sedgwick, one of the citizens who drafted the Sheffield Resolves, and asked him to represent her in her legal quest for freedom, said Paul O’Brien, president of the Sheffield Historical Society.
Sedgwick and another attorney, Tapping Reeve, took the case.
Women had limited legal rights in Massachusetts courts at the time, so a male slave in the Ashley household named Brom was added to the case.
The jury agreed with the attorneys, freeing Bett and Brom on Aug. 21, 1781.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and his wife, Diane, are residents of the Berkshires and have been instrumental in fundraising and organizational efforts. They are leading Sunday’s ceremony.
“What I love about the story is that this remarkable woman, enslaved, sometimes brutalized, unable to read, listened carefully to the conversation around the table as the men she was serving discussed the concepts of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as ‘inalienable rights,'" Patrick, the state's first Black governor, said in an email. “I love that this powerless woman could imagine these powerful ideas as her own, and could persuade others to test that question. And I love that the Massachusetts courts had the integrity of purpose to take her question seriously.”
Pignatelli was inspired to raise a statue of Freeman last year when he attended the unveiling of a statue of Susan B. Anthony in Adams, the Berkshire County community where the suffragist was born.
He brought together stakeholders and raised about $280,000, enough money for the roughly 8-foot statue, as well as a scholarship fund in Freeman's honor for area high school students.
Gwendolyn VanSant, the CEO of BRIDGE, an area nonprofit that fosters racial understanding and equity, is overseeing the scholarships.
She called Freeman an icon and a trailblazer. “For me as an African American woman, it's amazing to be walking in her footsteps,” she said.
After the court case, Ashley asked Freeman to return to his household as a paid servant, but she refused and instead went to work for Sedgwick, where she helped raise his children and was known by the affectionate name, Mumbet.
She was a healer, a nurse and a midwife, who bought her own property in nearby Stockbridge, VanSant said.
The Sedgwicks had such a deep respect for Mumbet that when she died in 1829 at about the age of 85 she was buried with them, the only non-family member in the family plot. Much of what historians know about her was written by one of Theodore Sedgwick’s daughters, the novelist Catharine Maria Sedgwick, O'Brien said.
The statue, cast by renowned sculptor Brian Hanlon, is being placed on the property of the First Congregational Church in Sheffield, not far from the Sedgwick home.
“We don’t know if Elizabeth Freeman went to the church, but we know Ashley did, and it was common for enslavers to bring enslaved people to look after their children at church," said O'Brien.
Although some 200 people are expected to attend Sunday's unveiling, the culmination of three days of celebrations, organizers have been unable to find any of Freeman's descendants.
VanSant hopes a permanent memorial will spur interest into Freeman's story. “Maybe her descendants will find us,” she said. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/statue-honors-once-enslaved-woman-who-won-freedom-in-court/article_9fe3606a-2098-11ed-91a3-bb08dc849cf1.html | 2022-08-20T19:18:59Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/statue-honors-once-enslaved-woman-who-won-freedom-in-court/article_9fe3606a-2098-11ed-91a3-bb08dc849cf1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The fast-food chain Wendy’s says it is pulling lettuce from sandwiches in its restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania after people eating them there reported falling ill.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it is trying to determine whether romaine lettuce is the source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 37 people and whether romaine used at Wendy’s was also served or sold at other businesses.
The CDC said one person was also sickened in Indiana. A message was left with Wendy's about lettuce on sandwiches in that state.
The CDC said there is no evidence that romaine sold in grocery stores is linked to the E. coli outbreak. The agency also said it is not advising people to stop eating at Wendy’s or not to eat romaine lettuce.
Wendy’s says lettuce used in its salads is different and not affected by its decision to pull the lettuce from sandwiches. The company said it is cooperating with the CDC.
“As a company, we are committed to upholding our high standards of food safety and quality,” Wendy's said in a statement. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/wendys-pulls-lettuce-from-sandwiches-amid-e-coli-outbreak/article_4329f212-2098-11ed-8995-b7715a935964.html | 2022-08-20T19:19:05Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/wendys-pulls-lettuce-from-sandwiches-amid-e-coli-outbreak/article_4329f212-2098-11ed-8995-b7715a935964.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MIAMI (AP) —
Tropical storm warnings have been issued for a stretch of the lower Texas Gulf Coast and part of Mexico’s northeast shoreline amid forecasts that an offshore disturbance would become a tropical storm in coming hours.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft found top sustained winds reaching near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts in the system. It was located in the Gulf about 400 miles (640 kilometers) south-southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande river.
The center said slow strengthening is expected and the disturbance was expected to become a tropical storm by sometime Saturday. It said the system is moving to the northwest at 14 mph (22 kph) amid forecasts of an eventual weekend landfall in northeast Mexico, the Miami advisory said.
Mexico’s government issued a tropical storm warning for its Gulf coast from Boca de Catan northward to the mouth of the Rio Grande amid forecasts of eventual landfall in northeast Mexico. A tropical storm warning also is in effect for the lower Texas coast from Port Mansfield south to the mouth of the Rio Grande.
Forecasters said the potential tropical cyclone could produce total rain of 3 to 6 inches with isolated totals 8 inches along parts of Mexico’s eastern coast from northern sections of the state of Veracruz across the state of Tamaulipas.
Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches (2.5 cms to 7.5 cms) with isolated higher amounts are possible across far south Texas, the hurricane center advisory said. It said the rainfall may produce life threatening flash flooding and mudslides and extend into far south Texas. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national/tropical-storm-warnings-out-for-parts-of-texas-mexico-coast/ | 2022-08-20T19:32:35Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national/tropical-storm-warnings-out-for-parts-of-texas-mexico-coast/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
U.S. service members participating in Appalachian Care Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) 2022 carry a simulated casualty on a litter during Tactical Combat Casualty Care training at Wise, Va., Aug. 19, 2022. IRT is a Department of Defense (DoD) military training opportunity, exclusive to the United States and its territories, that delivers joint training opportunities to increase deployment readiness. Simultaneously, IRT provides key services (health care, construction, transportation, and cybersecurity) with lasting benefits for our American communities.
This work, Appalachian Care Innovative Readiness Training 2022 TCCC Training [Image 8 of 8], by TSgt Sean Evans, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7380312/appalachian-care-innovative-readiness-training-2022-tccc-training | 2022-08-20T19:32:49Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7380312/appalachian-care-innovative-readiness-training-2022-tccc-training | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The 624th Movement Control Team, of the 16th Sustainment Brigade, and other Movement Control Teams, in Alexandroupolis Greece circle up to conduct a Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill in preparation of the multiple vessels soon to arrive. The vessels are coming in packed tightly with 1st Armored Division, Combat Aviation Brigade's entire inventory - ranging from multiple Blackhawk helicopters all the way to HEMT M969 Fuelers. It is critical that everyone understand the plan of getting all the equipment off the ship, without damaging any property or anyone getting hurt during the process - this is why they conduct a ROC drill prior. During the ROC drill they lay out every small detail on how the operation of unloading the vessel will occur, all the way from unlatching the tie-down straps to having an operator to hand guide equipment down the ramp safely. They utilize the five paragraph operation order (Situation, Mission, Execution, Sustainment, and Command and Control) as a template for the ROC Drill. This ensures every question the may arise is already answered and that all those present on the port have the information they require. This includes not only the Movement Control Teams, but also the Greek host nation military members who will be working alongside the U.S. Military - and other government agency employees. Once everyone has grasped the technical piece and understand the plan, a walk around is conducted - similar to a recon. This ensure everyone knows the exact locations of the operation, which will allow it to operate smoothly.
This work, Movement Control Teams prepare for Vessel Arrival in Alexandroupolis [Image 5 of 5], by 1LT Alexander Harrell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7380318/movement-control-teams-prepare-vessel-arrival-alexandroupolis | 2022-08-20T19:33:02Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7380318/movement-control-teams-prepare-vessel-arrival-alexandroupolis | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters said Friday he hopes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will back his close campaign in Arizona, striking a magnanimous tone toward the GOP leader he fiercely criticized during the primary.
“I think he’ll come in and spend. Arizona’s gonna be competitive. It’s gonna be a close race, and I hope he does come in,” Masters told The Associated Press during a brief interview following a roundtable with construction industry leaders outside Phoenix. “And we’ll find a way to work together.”
Masters has softened the harder edges of his confrontational style and moved toward the center on key issues, including abortion and Social Security, since emerging atop a crowded GOP field in this month’s primary. He’s relying on deep-pocketed donors and national Republicans to make up for a severe financial deficit against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, one of the most prolific fundraisers in the Senate who collected nearly $55 million through the end of June. Masters reported raising $5 million.
The McConnell-controlled Senate Leadership Fund bought $28 million in advertising to boost Republican J.D. Vance in Ohio, a seat many Republicans thought to be safe. Vance, like Masters, won his primary with millions of dollars in support from billionaire Peter Thiel but has lagged his Democratic rival in fundraising.
Masters spoke a day after McConnell suggested that Republican efforts to win control of the Senate could be imperiled by lackluster candidates, a remark widely interpreted to be directed at candidates including Masters.
“I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” McConnell told business leaders Thursday in his home state of Kentucky.
Masters said he’s “not Mitch McConnell’s favorite candidate,” but they’ll manage to get along.
“He wants to win Arizona,” Masters said. “I think I’m a much better candidate than Mitch McConnell gives me credit for.”
During the primary, Masters called for McConnell to be replaced as GOP leader, saying he’d support Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri or Tom Cotton of Arkansas for the position. McConnell was a roadblock to enacting parts of former President Donald Trump’s agenda, he said.
“I’ll tell Mitch this to his face,” Masters said during a GOP primary debate in June. “He’s not bad at everything. He’s good at judges. He’s good at blocking Democrats. You know what he’s not good at? Legislating.”
On Friday, Masters predicted McConnell will get another term as GOP leader and no Republicans will challenge him.
“I think he’ll be in charge. And I’m not just going to be a senator that falls in line to whatever he says,” Masters told construction company officials. “I’ll hear him out. I’m happy to listen. But my vote doesn’t belong to Mitch McConnell. It doesn’t belong to Donald Trump.” | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/politics/masters-hopeful-for-mcconnell-support-in-arizona-senate-race/ | 2022-08-20T19:33:09Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/politics/masters-hopeful-for-mcconnell-support-in-arizona-senate-race/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
So far, the only thing authorities know about the man whose burned body was found in the Lower Valley is that somebody killed him.
An autopsy performed in Cowlitz County determined that the man was a victim of “homicidal violence,” Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice said.
Curtice said investigators are using fingerprints to identify the man, and he believes that DNA samples were also taken to aid in the search.
“We hope to identify him,” Curtice said.
FBI agents, Yakama Nation Tribal Police and Yakima County sheriff’s deputies went to to the 100 block of Progressive Road south of Wapato for a report of a partially burned body near a burned car Tuesday.
The sheriff’s office has taken the lead on the case and is investigating it as a homicide. The man’s killing is the 23rd homicide in the county this year, and the second in the Wapato area.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact sheriff’s Detective Brian McIlrath by email at via email at brian.mcilrath@co.yakima.wa.us or call 509-574-2569 regarding case number 22C13053. Tips may also be left with Yakima County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or online at https://bit.ly/yccrimestoppers. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/authorities-still-seeking-identity-of-man-whose-burned-body-was-found-tuesday-near-wapato/article_be1fd7d2-2068-11ed-970a-b7800b640764.html | 2022-08-20T19:33:30Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/authorities-still-seeking-identity-of-man-whose-burned-body-was-found-tuesday-near-wapato/article_be1fd7d2-2068-11ed-970a-b7800b640764.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Which video converter is best?
Since the first silent motion pictures, people have been entertained by videos. Videos took on many different formats, but all were analog, which limited the quality of the sights and sounds they reproduced.
If you’ve got boxes of old videos, now you can transform all of them to digital. If you want a way to convert your old VCR, VHS and camcorder videos without any computer or software, take a look at the Clear Click Video to Digital Converter 2.0 Bundle Edition.
What you need to know before you buy a video converter
Types of video converter
Video converters are devices you use to transfer your old analog videos to current digital formats. They turn analog video into digital in one of three ways:
- Standalone video converters: These all-in-one devices connect to an analog video source and digitize the video internally, without any need for a computer. Digitized videos are then downloaded to internal memory cards or USB thumb drives. Standalone converters have display screens so you can watch the video while it is being converted.
- High-definition multimedia interface converters: More commonly referred to as HDMI, these are small electronic gadgets that convert analog signals to digital. HDMI converters use RCA jacks and S-video connectors to link older analog video sources to modern digital televisions or projectors.
- USB capture devices: These tools digitize analog video by attaching to any computer that has a USB port. Capture devices require video conversion and editing software that you purchase separately.
Video converter or video-to-digital converter?
The term video converter can mean hardware, software or both. The term video-to-digital converter tells you this is a hardware device only. Some convert your videos directly and others need to be controlled and operated through your computer.
Connectors
Only some video converters come with all the cables you need. If you are converting old VCR tapes, you need the familiar red-yellow-white color-coded RCA cables. Check beforehand, because some older devices need an S-video cable to connect.
Do you have a VHS player?
You need to find a player to be able to convert your VHS tapes to video. VHS recorders and players are not made anymore, so you’ll have to search the classified ads, visit garage sales or scour thrift shops.
What to look for in a quality video converter
Editing
If you buy a simple converter, your analog video gets transferred to digital just as it is. Because many old analog videos have low video quality, look for a converter that lets you improve the quality of your old videos by adjusting brightness, contrast, hue and saturation across the entire video spectrum.
Upscaling
Better HDMI converters with editing software can convert old 480-pixel-resolution videos into 1080p and even 4K. Lower-quality converters only copy what’s there and are unable to upgrade your video’s quality.
Instructions
Not all video converters are simple to use. Look for converters with instructions for connecting and operating that are clearly written in plain language. A good source of how easy — or hard — the instructions are to follow is Amazon online customer reviews.
Software
If you’re planning on converting all your old videos at once, look for plug-and-play converters that don’t have the steep learning curve professional systems have. Converters that are easy to use cost more, but unless you consider yourself savvier than most about technology, they’re worth it in decreased frustration and increased productivity.
How much you can expect to spend on a video converter
The least-expensive HDMI converters and USB capture devices cost from $10-$30, but not all come with the connecting cables you need. Fully-equipped USB capture devices cost from $40-$100. Standalone video converters cost from $100-$400.
Video converter FAQ
Are my video tapes too old to convert?
A. Video tapes deteriorate over time, but when properly stored, can last as long as 30 years. Most don’t last that long because the tape becomes brittle. As long as yours are free of cracks and breaks, you can convert them to digital.
Can I convert 8 mm film to digital video?
A. Yes. The best way is to use a converter specially made to transfer that old film format to digital. They use high-resolution scanners to record digitally while the film plays.
Can video converters save my old videos to a DVD?
A. Most can. Check before you buy to make certain the converter does the job you need and saves it the way you want.
What’s the best video converter to buy?
Top video converter
Clear Click Video to Digital Converter 2.0 Bundle Edition
What you need to know: This converter lets you record video from VCR, VHS, camcorders and more without any computer or software.
What you’ll love: At the touch of a button, you get 720 x 480-pixel resolution from old-school videos made before today’s digital sophistication. Watch on your large preview screen as you record your favorite videos directly onto any USB thumb drive. The bundle includes built-in video editing capability and a 32-gigabyte flash drive.
What you should consider: It doesn’t work with modern video sources.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top video converter for the money
Digit Now USB 2.0 Audio/Video Converter
What you need to know: This simple, quick connector works equally well with PCs and Macs.
What you’ll love: This hardware comes with software that lets you adjust colors, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation and more. The USB 2.0 interface and color-coded connectors hook up to all the older analog video formats.
What you should consider: With any software that performs technical functions there is a learning curve that usually turns out to be steeper than customers had hoped.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
What you need to know: This box holds everything you need for professional-looking video conversions.
What you’ll love: With this bundle, you can connect the cables, play your old videos on your PC or Mac, and get crisp resolution from your old VHS, Beta, camcorder, DVD, 8 mm tapes and more. You get a capture device, USB and RCA cables, a software installation CD and a quick start guide.
What you should consider: Reviewers say the instructions use technical terms and get confusing sometimes.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/tv-video-br/best-video-converter/ | 2022-08-20T19:34:09Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/tv-video-br/best-video-converter/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CASCADE, Idaho — For about a week, the people of Cascade have watched and waited as the Four Corners Fire grows closer to their homes. Late Thursday, things started to escalate.
Vicki Blood and her husband Brock are longtime residents of Cascade. Vicki said they know living among the beautiful forest of trees comes with risk.
“We’ve lived here for 16 years and there has always been the inevitable -- when will there be a fire. Not if there will be a fire, when will there be a fire,” Blood said.
Fears of that possibility became more real about a week ago.
“The thunderstorms from last Thursday, a week ago Thursday, thunderstorms, lightning, all day. All it takes is one little ember to start a forest fire,” Blood said.
About 3 miles away from Vicki’s residence, people are already forced out of their homes and families near Campbell Creek know they could be next.
“We needed to get ready, pack and be ready to leave,” Blood said. “So, we got home and we are packing like crazy. Got some stuff out of here and this morning we continued packing things that we just can’t repurchase.”
Vicki said she is grateful to have some time to get things packed, but she feels for those who were told they needed to get out right away. The extra time, she said, is so valuable
“Paintings, originals, things that you just can’t go and repurchase. I was a teacher for 28 years and I have a folder called 'student letters.' Notes and letters from my students, that they have written me," Blood said. "I took those to a safe spot because I like to read them and remember all my students and it’s very touching. I could never replace that.”
The activity of taking inventory of what is most important, what is prioritized to keep safe, is something none of us ever want to do. However, these are the times families are forced to.
“It’s really a strange sensation to walk through your house and go, 'what do I need to take?' Go from room to room, 'what is valuable to me?' You have to do an immediate assessment on what you would miss that you could not replace, which is very strange. I’ve never had that happen before,” Blood said.
Vicki and Brock said most of their immediate neighbors are part-time residents who live in Boise. They have continued to get calls from their cabin neighbors, asking about what they see and know.
“Our phone has been exploding," Blood said. "There aren’t many people who live here full time. We are just kind of hanging out and waiting."
Waiting is the name of the game as Cascade watches and hopes the fire doesn’t continue towards homes and cabins.
“We are waiting for that call and when we get the call, that you can’t safely be home, we will have to leave and we have our three dogs and our two cats to grab and put them in the car and drive away," Blood said. "That would be scary and frightening."
Watch more on wildfires in the West:
See all of our latest coverage in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/wildfire/cascade-families-prepare-for-evacuation-as-crews-fight-four-corners-fire/277-38faf24b-35d6-48ce-98f9-0205b8105933 | 2022-08-20T19:38:02Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/wildfire/cascade-families-prepare-for-evacuation-as-crews-fight-four-corners-fire/277-38faf24b-35d6-48ce-98f9-0205b8105933 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK — HBO Max is scaling back its streaming catalog in the wake of the merger with Discovery, with 200 classic episodes of "Sesame Street" among 36 titles getting the ax this week.
The content purge is the latest in a series of cost-cutting moves by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, which is preparing to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into one platform sometime next year.
There were still 456 episodes of "Sesame Street" still on HBO Max as of Friday, according to Variety, with the full lineup of seasons 39-52 and a selection from earlier seasons.
HBO first partnered with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces "Sesame Street," in 2015, which provided the show with a much-needed cash boost while securing HBO the rights to run new episodes of the long-running series before they air on PBS. The current agreement keeps new "Sesame Street" seasons first-run on HBO Max through 2025, Variety reports.
The titles being removed from the streaming service include 20 original HBO Max shows, according to Variety, much of it family or children's content.
Among the cuts are several "Sesame Street" spinoffs and specials like "The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo," kids' show "Summer Camp Island," teen drama "Generation" and animated anthology series "Infinity Train."
Warner Bros. Discovery has made clear that family-oriented content would not be a focus for the short-term future as the companies complete their merger. The company's CFO said on an earnings call that kids and animation content would be cut “without an adequate investment case against them," Deadline reported.
Cutting these titles allows the company to save "tens of millions of dollars" on residuals, CNBC reported.
Warner Bros. also made headlines earlier this month when it stunned Hollywood by announcing it would not release the “Batgirl” film planned for HBO Max, instead opting to shelve the $90 million project without a release.
Here are the titles leaving HBO Max:
- 12 Dates of Christmas
- About Last Night
- Aquaman: King of Atlantis
- Close Enough
- Detention Adventure
- Dodo
- Ellen's Next Great Designer
- Elliott From Earth
- Esme & Roy
- The Fungies!
- Generation Hustle
- Generation
- Infinity Train
- Little Ellen
- Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart
- Messy Goes to Okido
- Mia's Magic Playground
- Mighty Magiswords
- My Dinner with Herve
- My Mom, Your Dad
- Odo
- OK K.O.! - Let's Be Heroes
- The Ollie & Moon Show
- Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
- Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness
- Select Sesame Street Specials
- Make It Big, Make It Small
- Share
- Squish
- Summer Camp Island
- The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
- The Runaway Bunny - Special
- Theodosia
- Tig n' Seek
- Uncle Grandpa
- Victor and Valentino
- Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/hbo-max-removes-titles/507-d7f84969-e795-48f7-bf6c-a3d3ee915259 | 2022-08-20T19:38:14Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/hbo-max-removes-titles/507-d7f84969-e795-48f7-bf6c-a3d3ee915259 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When Kristin Martin found out her husband was being transferred to Naval Base San Diego, securing housing for their family of five quickly took over her life.
On-base housing wasn’t an option — the waitlist for a four-bedroom home in the neighborhoods they qualified for was 14 to 16 months.
Neither were the military-only hotels near base where new arrivals can pay low rates as they get their bearings — those were full, too.
So Martin, whose husband is a lieutenant, cast a wide net across San Diego and started applying for rental homes, all sight unseen.
“I was waking up and the first thing I was doing was looking at properties,” Martin said. “I was looking at it mid-day, before I went to bed. I had alerts set. It became a full-time job.”
More than 30 rental applications later and hundreds of dollars in application fees down the drain, the Martins finally found a home.
But there were caveats. They’d have to start paying rent a month before they actually moved. And, at $4,200 per month, their rent was nearly $700 more than the monthly basic allowance for housing, known as the BAH, that her husband receives.
“We’ll probably be here two or three years, so that could be $20,000 that we’re paying out of pocket above BAH just for rent,” Martin said last month.
“It’s affecting us personally but then I think about how we were a junior enlisted family at one point. I cannot imagine the struggles (they) are going through.”
Housing has long been a major benefit for service members, a subsidy to salaries that trail the private sector. But amid record-breaking spikes in rent, the Department of Defense has neglected its commitment to help military families find affordable places to live, service members and housing activists say.
That’s forced many to settle for substandard homes, deal with extremely long commutes or pay thousands out of pocket they hadn’t budgeted for.
“We have families coming to us that are on exorbitantly lengthy waiting lists and sitting in homes that they can’t afford, like an Airbnb rental, or they’re at a hotel or camping in tents or living in RVs,” said Kate Needham, a veteran who co-founded the nonprofit Armed Forces Housing Advocates in May 2021.
“I don’t think civilians really understand — they might think we’re living in free housing and just having a great time, making lots of money. And that’s not the case at all.”
Reports of the housing squeeze that military families are feeling has alarmed members of Congress who are pushing legislation that would force the Department of Defense to rethink how it handles housing.
A common complaint is that with rents soaring nationwide, housing allowances, which vary by rank and are recalculated annually, haven’t kept pace with rental markets, even though they're supposed to cover 95% of rental costs for the approximately two-thirds of active-duty personnel who live off base.
According to a data analysis by The Associated Press of five of the most populous military bases in the U.S., housing allowances across all ranks have risen an average of 18.7% since January 2018. In that span, according to real estate company Zillow, rents have skyrocketed 43.9% in those markets: Carlsbad, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; El Paso, Texas; Killeen, Texas, and Tacoma, Washington.
And because of how tough off-base markets are, on-base housing has become a hot commodity, with many bases having long waitlists.
Needham argues the discrepancy between military housing allowances and the current market should alarm officials who are already struggling to recruit the next generation.
“If you can’t afford your job, why the hell would you stay in the job?” Needham said.
The Department of Defense did not comment on whether housing issues have become a retention concern. But defense officials said military housing offices monitor markets and offer tools to help families find “suitable, affordable housing, whether on or off-base.”
“The Department of Defense is committed to ensuring that service members and their families have access to affordable, quality housing within a reasonable commute of their assigned duty station,” it said.
At MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, housing allowances used to be in line with the local market. In January 2020, a senior airman without dependents received a monthly housing stipend of $1,560, compared to the typical Tampa-area rent price of $1,457, according to Zillow. But since then rent prices have exploded to $2,118 per month on average in July, while a senior airman’s housing allowance is currently $1,647.
With such a discrepancy and those living off-base facing notoriously long commutes, it’s no wonder that nearly all of MacDill’s 572 homes are full.
Tampa real estate agent Renee Thompson said it’s common for service members to rent homes that are an hour’s drive away from base.
“No homes in today’s market will even come close to the service member’s BAH,” said Thompson, who served in the Army. “It’s really disheartening.”
Frustrated by what she called the Defense Department’s lack of transparency into housing allowance calculations, U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., has introduced a measure that would give the department one year to reexamine its process and report on how accurate the current system is.
BAH is like an “algorithm that needs updating on a regular basis,” said Strickland, whose district includes the massive Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, where many military families struggle to find affordable homes.
“The vast majority of people live off post, so this is incredibly urgent,” she said. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/military-families-housing-benefits-rents/507-e4361566-a8f2-4181-822d-2af6ee843321 | 2022-08-20T19:38:20Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/military-families-housing-benefits-rents/507-e4361566-a8f2-4181-822d-2af6ee843321 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHICAGO — A woman who says she was sexually abused hundreds of times by R. Kelly as a minor testified Friday that she agonized several years ago about whether to cooperate with federal investigators who were looking into child abuse allegations involving the singer, but she ultimately did because she didn't want to “carry his lies.”
Hours before jurors got their first glimpse of sexually explicit videos at the heart of the prosecution's bid to prove Kelly produced child pornography and successfully rigged his 2008 child porn trial, the woman, who is now 37 and going by the pseudonym “Jane” during the current trial, conceded that even after she began cooperating, she lied when she told agents she wasn’t sure if Kelly had abused minors other than her. She said she lied because she didn’t want to get others in trouble.
Jane testified for over four hours Thursday, saying it was she and Kelly in a videotape that was the focus of the 2008 trial, at which he was acquitted. She also said Kelly sexually abused her hundreds of times from the late 1990s before she turned 18. Kelly, 55, was around 30 years old at the time.
While cross-examining her Friday, Kelly's lead attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, sought to cast the R&B singer in a more favorable light after Jane testified the day before about how Kelly pursued her sexually starting when she was around 14 years old.
Kelly has been trailed for decades by allegations about his sexual behavior. The scrutiny intensified during the #MeToo era and following the 2019 release of the Lifetime television docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”
Under questioning, Jane said her relationship with Kelly lasted 12 years and continued for two years after his 2008 trial, until she was 26. Bonjean asked if, “after you broke up, you cared about him and he cared about you?” Jane said that was true.
As “Surviving R. Kelly” was coming out, Jane said she was concerned for Kelly and reached out to him. In one text to him, she wrote, “I love you. Don’t let the devil win.”
She said she repeatedly tried to contact him in 2019 for advice as she pondered whether to speak to authorities at length about Kelly for the first time. She told jurors: “I felt comfortable enough to reach out to him because I was afraid.”
She decided shortly thereafter to speak to investigators.
“I no longer wanted to carries his lies,” she said.
Kelly, who denies any wrongdoing, was given a 30-year prison sentence by a federal judge in New York earlier this year for a 2021 conviction for using his fame to sexually abuse fans. For the duration of the current trial, he is being held in a federal jail in Chicago, his hometown.
Prosecutors say Kelly intimidated and paid off the girl — Jane — to ensure she didn't testify at the 2008 trial to identify herself and Kelly in the critical video, which the government says Kelly made in a log cabin-themed room at his North Side Chicago home around 2000. Jane testified Thursday that she was the girl, then 14, in the video and that Kelly was the man in it.
It was one of three videos that prosecutors played excerpts of on Friday that they said showed Kelly sexually abusing an underage Jane. Before the videos were played on monitors in front of each juror’s chair, court officials set up high opaque screens around the jury that blocked journalists and spectators from seeing the videos and jurors' reactions to them.
The sound was audible throughout the courtroom, though, and in one video the girl is heard repeatedly calling the man “daddy.” At one point she asks, “Daddy, do you still love me?” The man is also heard giving her sexually explicit instructions.
Earlier, prosecutors suggested that any viewing of the videos by the public could run afoul of child pornography laws, and they asked Judge Harry Leinenweber to send reporters and spectators out of the courtroom while jurors watched them. The judge rejected the request.
After the acquittal in the 2008 trial, some jurors said afterward that they had no choice but to acquit Kelly because the girl — by then an adult — didn't testify. On the stand Thursday, Jane conceded that she lied to a grand jury in 2002 when she said it wasn't her in the video.
Jane has testified that she met Kelly through an aunt who worked with him, and that she asked Kelly to be her godfather when she was 13. She told jurors she was 15 when they first had intercourse.
Kelly, who rose from poverty on Chicago’s South Side to become a star singer, songwriter and producer, knew a conviction in 2008 would effectively end his life as he knew it, and so prosecutors say he conspired to fix that trial. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/r-kelly-lawyer-gets-chance-to-question-government-witness/507-35648f7a-5ed6-4b94-aa3f-7cc643186f53 | 2022-08-20T19:38:26Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/r-kelly-lawyer-gets-chance-to-question-government-witness/507-35648f7a-5ed6-4b94-aa3f-7cc643186f53 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Dejan Joveljic scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time on a penalty kick and the LA Galaxy tied the Seattle Sounders 3-3 on Friday night.
Chicharito and Victor Vazquez both scored once for the Galaxy (10-11-4).
The Sounders (10-13-3) got one goal each from Jordan Morris, Raul Ruidiaz and Kelyn Rowe.
As of Friday night, the Sounders move above the line to hold the seventh playoff spot.
The Galaxy visit the New England Revolution on Sunday. The Sounders visit the Portland Timbers on Friday. | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/joveljic-helps-la-galaxy-draw-seattle-sounders-3-3/281-2e3fe7ae-270b-4eda-92df-d490294542bf | 2022-08-20T19:38:38Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/joveljic-helps-la-galaxy-draw-seattle-sounders-3-3/281-2e3fe7ae-270b-4eda-92df-d490294542bf | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Eugenio Suarez homered twice and drove in five runs as the Seattle Mariners cruised to their fourth straight win, 10-2 over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
Marco Gonzales (8-12) allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings and beat Oakland for the third time this season.
Seattle maintained a half-game lead over Toronto for the AL’s top wild card spot. The Mariners (66-54) are 37-15 over their last 52 games, best in the league over that span.
Suarez went deep twice off left-hander Cole Irvin (6-11), hitting a two-run homer in the fourth that put Seattle ahead 3-2 and then lining a three-run shot to center in the sixth to make it 6-2. Suarez has 22 homers this season, his first with Seattle, and 151 since 2018, the most in the majors during that span.
Oakland scored twice off Gonzales in the first to take a 2-1 lead but went silent after that, losing to Seattle for the 20th time in 23 meetings. That includes 10 straight to the Mariners at the Oakland Coliseum, tied for the team’s second-longest home losing streak to one team since the franchise moved to Oakland in 1968.
The A’s trailed 6-2 when they loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. But Matt Brash relieved Gonzales and struck out pinch-hitter Vimael Machin and retired another pinch-hitter, Tony Kemp, on a fielder’s-choice grounder.
RUIZ PROMOTED
Oakland promoted reliever Norge Ruiz, making him the 10th rookie on the A’s current 13-man pitching staff. The right-hander had a rough major league debut, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits in 1 2/3 innings. Ruiz was a high-profile international signee out of Cuba in 2016, getting a $2 million signing bonus from Oakland, but he’d posted a 5.08 ERA over four-plus minor league seasons until cutting down on the walks this season and earning his first trip to the majors.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: LHP Matthew Boyd (flexor tendon strain) has turned in two scoreless one-inning relief appearances in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma. He’ll extend to two innings in his next outing, manager Scott Servais said. Boyd could join Seattle’s bullpen in the next week or two.
Athletics: RHP Paul Blackburn (torn finger tendon) said he pitched through pain during his final four starts before being shut down for the season Tuesday. A first-time All-Star this season, Blackburn injured his right middle finger before his July 13 start at Texas. He said the discomfort progressively got worse and affected his ability to extend his finger and finish pitches. “I was hoping that it would just kind of go away,” he said. “... It just never went away. It got worse.” His finger will be in a cast for six to eight weeks, but he’s expected to be at full strength for spring training.
UP NEXT
Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (10-5, 3.51 ERA) takes the mound Saturday looking to snap a seven-start winless streak. He’s allowed 16 earned runs over his past three starts. The A’s counter with RHP James Kaprielian (3-7, 4.33), who is 0-4 with a 4.70 ERA in eight home starts this season. | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/suarezs-2-homers-5-rbis-lead-seattle-to-10-2-win-over-as/281-e42188fd-acdd-41f0-9d67-bd5ffc79e3db | 2022-08-20T19:38:45Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/suarezs-2-homers-5-rbis-lead-seattle-to-10-2-win-over-as/281-e42188fd-acdd-41f0-9d67-bd5ffc79e3db | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot Reportedly on Hold
Fans of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer bared their fangs in 2018 when 20th Century Fox announced a potential reboot of the beloved series. It’s been ages, however, since any further word leaked. Now it appears that someone high up on the corporate ladder staked its heart. In this week’s episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s TV’s Top 5 podcast, executive producer Gail Berman revealed that the show is currently “on pause.”
Fox 21 TV Studios previously hired Monica Owusu-Breen to spearhead her own re-imagining of the Buffy mythos. But shortly after she signed on, Owusu-Breen teased that her story wouldn’t be a reboot. Instead, she indicated that it would focus on a new Slayer who occupied the same universe. Regardless, no casting news ever surfaced.
In theory, having the reboot share continuity with the flagship series could open the door for several original cast members to make guest appearances. However, Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, suggested as recently as last year that she’d aged out of wanting to do it again. And since vampires don’t age, Angel (David Boreanaz) and Spike (James Marsters) might require a lot of explanation.
RELATED: Buffy and Angel Star Charisma Carpenter Accuses Joss Whedon of Misconduct
Owusu-Breen has a lot of genre writing credits under her belt, including stints on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Revolution, and Fringe. She also developed Midnight, Texas for The CW in 2017. So although many Buffy viewers are undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief, her vision could have been worth tuning in for.
At the time, Owusu-Breen served as showrunner/writer/executive producer on the reboot. Additional executive producers Berman, Fran Kuzui (who directed 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie), and Kaz Kazui worked on the original series and its spinoff, Angel. Additional named executive producers included Joe Earley and Joss Whedon. But given the allegations of workplace harassment and abuse against the latter, he might not have continued his involvement.
How do you feel about the Buffy reboot being put on hold? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts
We are also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/518102-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-reboot-reportedly-on-hold | 2022-08-20T19:40:31Z | superherohype.com | control | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/518102-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-reboot-reportedly-on-hold | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
U.S. calls for Putin critic's release on anniversary of assassination attempt
The U.S. State Department on Saturday called on Russia to release imprisoned political leader Alexei Navalny on the two-year anniversary of his attempted assassination.
Driving the news: A sharp critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Navalny survived Russian agents’ attempt to poison him in August 2020. After recovering, he was arrested in early 2021 and sentenced to prison in what the State Department has said were politically motivated charges.
- Moscow has denied involvement in Navalny's assassination attempt.
What they’re saying: “We again condemn Russia’s use of a chemical weapon to poison a political opponent, and call on the Kremlin to fully declare and dismantle its chemical weapons program,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price, in a statement on Saturday. “We also join Navalny’s family, colleagues, and supporters around the world in calling for his immediate release.”
- The statement concluded: "We reaffirm our solidarity with Aleksey Navalny, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and other political prisoners in Russia, as well as the thousands of other courageous Russian citizens who, despite personal risk, confront the Kremlin’s lies with the truth."
Catch up fast: In March, Navalny was sentenced to nine and half years in prison after a Russian court convicted him of fraud. His appeal of the sentence was later denied.
- The sentence compounded an earlier 2 ½ year sentence he was already serving for violating parole after fleeing to Germany to recover from his assassination attempt.
- He is also facing additional time behind bars on charges that he is leading an “extremist” group – the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which he and two others launched to expose corruption within the Kremlin.
- Earlier this week, Navalny tweeted that he has been placed in solitary confinement in the Russian prison where he's being held.
The big picture: Russia's treatment of Navalny is a part of Moscow’s broader effort to eliminate political dissent and hamstring groups advocating for human rights and democratic reforms.
Go deeper: Live updates: Russian invasion of Ukraine | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/20/alexei-navalny-assassination-russia-us-release | 2022-08-20T20:00:00Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/20/alexei-navalny-assassination-russia-us-release | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Police arrest man who had loaded gun at Red Line station
CHICAGO - A Chicago man is facing charges after he brought a loaded gun to a CTA Red Line station early Saturday on the Near North Side.
Jonathan Jimenez-Alcanta, 21, was arrested just after midnight after transit riders told police they saw him with a loaded gun in the stairwell at the Chicago Red Line stop, according to officials.
Jimenez-Alcanta was charged with unlawful use of a loaded weapon and aggravated battery of a laser device on a firearm, police said.
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Jimenez-Alcanta, of Burnside, is due in bond court Saturday. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/police-arrest-man-who-had-loaded-gun-at-red-line-station | 2022-08-20T20:05:06Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/police-arrest-man-who-had-loaded-gun-at-red-line-station | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Youths recruited as Special Constabularies into the Nigeria Police Force to maintain security in local government areas of Kwara state on Saturday staged a peaceful protest over non-payment of 16 months salary owed them.
The special constables, who are about 1,056, took their protest to strategic areas of Ilorin, such as Challenge, Post Office and Ahmadu Bello Way, saying, “Kwara state government, pay us our salaries for 18 months”.
Some of the protesters, who dressed in black police uniform, covered their bodies with leaves as they marched along the streets, while they also caused the protest to go viral on social media.
Speaking on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Okasanmi Ajayi, on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Tuesday Assayomo, said
that the concept of community policing and recruitment of special constabularies is voluntary in nature, “meaning they are not on monthly renumeration like the conventional policemen”.
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The statement read: “Kwara State Police Command wishes to dissociates herself from a video already spiralling on facebook, regarding a protest by some purported policemen over non-payment of one year salary.
“For purposes of clarification, the characters seen in the video are police special constabularies recruited to complement the operation of community policing. It is important to state that the concept of community policing and recruitment of special constabularies is voluntary in nature, meaning they are not on monthly renumeration like the conventional policemen. This much the constabularies were briefed before taking up the job, besides, the job is not full time job.
“Due to the complaints of the constabularies regarding non payment of stipends by the state government, the constabularies were invited for a meeting by the state government on ways by which their complains could be looked into, hence their invite to the government house today.
“It was surprising that the same set of constabularies after the meeting with agents of the state government could go online with a video claiming that the government was owing them salaries for a year.
“The commissioner of police Kwara State, CP Tuesday Assayomo psc (+) wishes to state categorically, that the police is not owing any policeman or woman any salary, neither is the police owing the special constabularies salary.
“Therefore, members of the public are advised to disregard the viral video as it was designed to embarrass the police and also to draw an undue sympathy from the public.
“The men and women of the special constabulary are at liberty to honorably disengage from the service if they so wish.”
When contacted for a reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication, Mr. Olabode Towoju, said that the police constables were to be taken care of by the local governments in the state.
“The constabularies are not directly being paid by the state government. They are being taken care of by the local governments which have been giving them their stipends.” | https://tribuneonlineng.com/special-police-constables-protest-non-payment-of-salary-in-kwara/ | 2022-08-20T20:15:03Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/special-police-constables-protest-non-payment-of-salary-in-kwara/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Zamfara farmers set to negotiate with bandits to allow them to farm
Say they have lost N30bn - N50bn on commodities in seven years
Farmers in Zamfara state are set to meet with leaders of bandits in the state to negotiate with them so that they will allow them to farm as well as to offer protection to the thousands of farmers who are ready to farm in this year’s farming season.
This was disclosed by the spokesman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Abdulhafiz Alkali in an interview with newsmen in Gusau at the weekend.
Alkali maintained that they have concluded arrangements to meet with the bandits.
According to him, the present stand of AFAN was informed by the nonchalant attitude of the Federal Government who seemed to have abandoned them to their fate and jettisoned any idea of providing security for farmers.
“What I know about protection with the farmers is just the negotiation between the bandits and the farmers. I am living in Zamfara State now. I know that there will be a meeting by this coming Saturday between the farmers and the bandits.
“We lost a lot of things in Zamfara State. We sent letters to the Federal Government to secure us five years ago after complaining that the bandits were disturbing us.
“We needed the intervention of the Federal Government but it never came. What we lost in the past seven to six years is between N30bn to N50bn on commodities only.
“Many people from different countries and states used to come to the Dansadua axis to buy commodities to the tune of over N50b in a year, but now, in a year, we get less than N2bn to N3bn.
“In Zamfara State, the commodities business was worth over N200bn to N300bn, but these bandits have interrupted the business.
To this end, “We wrote letters, we complained, but up till now, no response from the Federal Government.”
However, when contacted about the development, the State Police command spokesperson, SP Muhammed Shehu remarked they are not aware of the development.
“Am not aware that farmers are meeting bandits. But all I know is that the police in collaboration with the military have taken security measures to save guard farmlands to ensure farmers go to their farmlands and farm without any attack, without any threat from bandits.
“That is why the farmers are currently able to go to their farms. So, we are working tirelessly with other security agencies and vigilantes, he declared.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Zamfara farmers set to negotiate with bandits to allow them to farm | https://tribuneonlineng.com/zamfara-farmers-set-to-negotiate-with-bandits-to-allow-them-to-farm/ | 2022-08-20T20:15:16Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/zamfara-farmers-set-to-negotiate-with-bandits-to-allow-them-to-farm/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LOWER MANHATTAN (WPIX) – The 9/11 Tribute Museum in Manhattan is shuttering on Wednesday, officials for the museum announced this week.
The museum, not to be confused with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum located at the site of the World Trade Center, will maintain an online presence, but financial difficulties mean the doors of the NYC location will close permanently.
Most of the museum’s collection will be moved to the New York State Museum in Albany. The museum is working to make sure everything is respectfully handled.
The 9/11 Tribute Museum had been experiencing hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which took a toll on tourism and further exacerbated financial difficulties. Just last week, officials had even attempted to garner support for a Change.org petition to save the space, aimed at Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams.
“We’ve really been hanging on by a thread,” co-founder and CEO Jennifer Adams-Webb said, per the Associated Press.
The museum traces its roots to 2004, when a group — founded by victims’ relatives — decided to turn a former deli near ground zero into a focal point for the commemoration of the 2001 terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The site of the World Trade Center was still a massive pit and construction site in 2004, but visitors were already coming in droves.
The tribute museum was eventually dwarfed by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a $700 million taxpayer-subsidized project that opened its memorial plaza in 2011 and a vast underground museum in 2014. The museum alone has drawn more than 18 million visitors and the open-air, un-ticketed plaza an estimated 55 million.
The 9/11 Tribute Museum, meanwhile, has been visited by over 5 million people since opening in 2005, by its own account. Its focus was to remember and honor those lost in the attacks through the personal stories of those who experienced, survived or lost family and friends on 9/11.
Through guided tours and exhibits, visitors to the 9/11 Tribute Museum were given “person-to-person” accounts demonstrating “the tremendous spirit of resilience and service that arose after the attacks, and are encouraged to honor the legacy of that spirit through volunteerism and acts of kindness in their own communities,” according to the museum.
It’s unclear when the museum’s collection will be placed on display at the New York State Museum in Albany.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/smaller-9-11-tribute-museum-in-nyc-closing-its-doors/ | 2022-08-20T20:18:00Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/smaller-9-11-tribute-museum-in-nyc-closing-its-doors/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
'That’s a failing on me': Jack Ross gives brutally honest assessment as Dundee United's slide continues
Dundee United boss Jack Ross is working hard to find answers to his team’s run of defeats.
The Tangerines lost their third cinch Premiership game in succession as they were beaten 3-0 by St Mirren at Tannadice.
Goals either side of half-time by Buddies striker Curtis Main and a late third from sub Alex Grieve were enough to seal an emphatic victory for the Paisley side.
Worryingly for United there is little respite with champions Celtic visiting Tannadice next Sunday.
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Ross said: “I’ve not found a solution and that’s a failing on me as a manager. I need to find them.
“I’m producing a team that has lethargy and lack of energy and lack of purpose with or without the ball. It hasn’t been strong enough but the responsibility falls on my shoulders. Right now I’m not getting enough.
“I don’t think all footballers go on brimming with confidence – we have stresses, doubts and anxieties but when they come on the pitch they come to life.
“But there was lethargy and a lack of energy and I have to try and fix it.”
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson was full of praise for his players after they secured what was their second league victory in a row against United.
However, the manager is refusing to get carried away at this early stage of the season.
He said: “There are only four games gone. I said we will look at it after 10 games.
“We didn’t get too down when we lost the first two games.
“We’ll lose games and we have to not get too down. We won’t win every game but we have a game plan.
“As long as nobody plays as an individual, we need a 20-man squad to be successful.
“In three games we’ve allowed three shots on target. We’re a team that goes out not to be beat.
“We have forward players like we have and boys off the bench being solid is a number one priority.”
St Mirren sit smack in the middle of the table with six point from the 12 available to them so far.
Robinson added: “Performance-wise we were the same against Motherwell and last week so there’s consistency in performance.
“I thought we were very disciplined, allowed them to have the ball in areas that wouldn’t hurt us, Keanu Baccus and Mark O’Hara had the legs to spring us on then we took chances when they came.” | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/thats-a-failing-on-me-jack-ross-gives-brutally-honest-assessment-as-dundee-uniteds-slide-continues-3813583 | 2022-08-20T20:19:53Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/thats-a-failing-on-me-jack-ross-gives-brutally-honest-assessment-as-dundee-uniteds-slide-continues-3813583 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/surfrider-maui-fundraiser-coming-up-at-dukes-maui-beach-clean-up-scheduled/article_741da7ae-20b8-11ed-909c-b3f76e95c95d.html | 2022-08-20T20:32:03Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/surfrider-maui-fundraiser-coming-up-at-dukes-maui-beach-clean-up-scheduled/article_741da7ae-20b8-11ed-909c-b3f76e95c95d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Doctors at Afghanistan Hospital Say 2 Children Die Per Day As 90% of Afghans Report Not Having Enough Food
Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is as severe as it is startling: food shortages, hunger and economic collapse plague the people of Afghanistan, where the Taliban came into power after the U.S. withdrew its troops in August 2021.
The patients in a children’s hospital in Afghanistan are underweight: 4-month-old Murtaza weighs just 6 pounds, 5 ounces.
“We are so worried,” the infant’s mother told Imtiaz Tyab of CBS News.
Murtaza is one of the many children seeking treatment for malnutrition at the Kabul clinic.
A doctor at the hospital said the situation is as grim as it appears. One to two children die from malnourishment at the hospital each day, the doctor told CBS News.
Such statistics are among the most striking examples of Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis: severe food shortages, hunger and economic collapse.
After the U.S. withdrew its troops in August 2021, the Taliban quickly took control of the country. And the situation has only gotten worse.
One person who spoke to CBS News said life under the Taliban is “terrible.”
“It's a slow death for us. Life is not worth living when there's no food and no work,” he said.
These people hope for handouts from a bakery, as they cannot afford the loaves of bread that cost just 11 cents. Since the Taliban’s takeover, the Biden administration has frozen $7 billion in Afghan assets. The U.S. says it can’t be sure those funds wouldn’t be routed to terror groups.
Half of that money may be used to compensate families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
The U.S. State Department says it’s exploring ways to get the other half—some $3.5 billion—into the hands of the Afghan people.
But for now, none of it is.
Hungry Afghans must rely on the kindness of their neighbors – like a man who purchased several dollars’ worth of bread to give out.
The United Nations says that 90% of Afghans don’t have enough food. And with winter approaching, the problem is likely to become even more dire.
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UCLA Allowed Top Doc to Sexually Abuse Patients 'Year After Year,' Ex-Patient Says as Settlements Reach $700M
UCLA has agreed to pay over $700 million to settle claims made by more than 5,000 former patients of Dr. James Heaps. Among the allegations against Heaps is that he exaggerated cancer risks in order to sexually abuse women. He denies the allegations.
Three women are speaking out about their former doctor, a top UCLA gynecologist, saying he was a “predator” and “monster” who subjected them to unnecessary pelvic exams for his own sexual gratification.
Dr. James Heaps is currently on trial, facing 21 counts of sexually abusing patients.
He was reportedly one of the highest-earning physicians during his more than 30 years of work at the UCLA Medical Center.
Since his arrest, the university has agreed to pay over $700 million to settle claims made by more than 5,000 former patients, including the three women who spoke to Inside Edition.
“I was young and completely trusting in this doctor and in UCLA,” one of the women said.
In their lawsuit, they claimed UCLA Medical Center knew about multiple complaints involving Heaps’ behavior, but failed to act.
“I believe deep in my heart that the people in charge at UCLA knew,” another patient said.
“And the sad thing is they allowed it to happen year after year after year,” the other woman said.
Lawyers Jennifer McGrath and Darren Kavinoky represent the women, who asked that they not be named.
“Dr. Heaps not only betrayed the trust that his patients bestowed in him, but he would oftentimes exaggerate or embellish a woman's risk of cancer, specifically to get those women back in his office, when he could abuse them yet again,” Kavinoky said.
Inside Edition chief investigative correspondent Lisa Guerrero attempted to speak to Heaps about the allegations as he left court. He did not respond, but his attorney said: "Dr. Heaps denies each and every one of the allegations against him. There are just many women out there who swear by him and think he’s the greatest doctor they have ever gone to.”
UCLA tells Inside Edition the alleged conduct by Heaps is reprehensible and contrary to their values, adding they hope the settlement reached is one step towards providing healing for the women who came forward.
Heaps has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges he faces.
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Crime | https://www.insideedition.com/ucla-allowed-top-doc-to-sexually-abuse-patients-year-after-year-ex-patient-says-as-settlements | 2022-08-20T20:40:30Z | insideedition.com | control | https://www.insideedition.com/ucla-allowed-top-doc-to-sexually-abuse-patients-year-after-year-ex-patient-says-as-settlements | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Cruise Hive has you covered with all the major cruise news from the past week as more cruise ease requirements for passengers, resulting in high bookings for Carnival, impressive numbers from one of the busiest cruise homeports in the US, and developments on new ships from Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.
Cruise News Update
A mixture of cruise news in the past week, and depending on the cruise line, it could be good or bad. In this week’s round-up, we’ve got further cruises canceled for the second Prima-class cruise ship, meaning the ship’s debut will be delayed again, more cruise lines are easing their requirements, but Disney, not as much as others.
There are also some impressive numbers coming from a major US homeport, bookings skyrocket for Carnival Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean takes us behind the scenes in building the new Icon of the Seas cruise ship.
In This Article…
More Norwegian Viva Sailings Canceled
Norwegian Cruise Line has begun notifying booked guests that its upcoming ship, Norwegian Viva, will not be able to make her initial sailings as planned in July and August, 2023, due to global supply chain constraints impacting industries worldwide, including the maritime industry.
Because of this, cruises from July 3 through August 17 are now canceled. While Norwegian Viva was floated out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy as planned on August 2, 2022, this only indicates her exterior construction is complete.
The internal construction and outfitting of the ship will take months to complete, and with further supply chain delays, the ship will not be able to join the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet on time.
This is the second delay for the second Prima-class ship. Norwegian Viva was previously scheduled to debut in mid-June, 2023, but her initial sailings were canceled earlier this summer.
Global supply chain constraints were also cited as part of the reason for that initial delay, which canceled two sailings for the vessel. Now, six additional sailings have been canceled, bringing the total of canceled cruises to eight.
With the cancelation of these additional sailings, Norwegian Viva‘s new inaugural voyage is planned to set sail on August 26, 2023. The new ship will spend several weeks sailing a variety of Mediterranean itineraries before repositioning to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in December 2023 for the winter season in the Caribbean. Norwegian Viva will return to the Mediterranean in spring 2024.
Carnival Cruise Line Bookings Almost Double
Carnival Cruise Line announced on Friday, August 12, 2022, that its pre-cruise testing requirements would be simplified, dropping the mandate entirely for vaccinated passengers on cruises of 15 nights or less, depending on the destination. The updated protocols will go into effect on September 6, 2022
On Monday, August 15 – the first full business booking day after the announcement – the cruise line saw tremendous positive response to the change. Monday’s bookings were nearly double the level for the equivalent day in 2019, well before the pandemic began.
Mid-summer booking activity is historically a slow period, as families have already planned their annual vacations during schools-out periods, and are not yet planning for future travel. However, Carnival did say that guests are responding very favorably to the updated protocols, despite Mid-August typically being slow for bookings.
Guests have many amazing options to come for Carnival cruises still in 2022, with Carnival Luminosa scheduled to join the fleet in November, followed quickly by the debut of the cruise line’s second Excel-class ship, Carnival Celebration, which will set sail on her maiden voyage from Miami on November 21.
Holland America Drops Requirements
Following similar moves last week by sister cruise lines Cunard Line, P&O Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises, Holland America Line has announced a relaxation of its pre-cruise health and safety protocols. The cruise line is dropping pre-cruise testing for vaccinated passengers on a majority of sailings and allowing unvaccinated to sail as long as they meet any testing requirements.
As of September 6, 2022, vaccinated guests will no longer need to present a negative pre-cruise test in order to set sail. The new guidelines, while not quite universal, do make cruising much less complicated for most guests.
While this is welcome news indeed for test-weary travelers and those eagerly awaiting a greater return to normalcy in cruising, there are still itineraries that require pre-cruise testing.
At the moment, all cruises that visit Australia, Canada, and Greece must still have passengers test before setting sail. In an abundance of caution, Holland America Line is also still requiring pre-cruise tests for all passengers on sailings of 16 nights or longer.
In another update to the protocols, guests who are unable to be vaccinated may once again cruise with Holland America Line on sailings shorter than 16 nights.
Prior to this update, all guests age 12 and older were required to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing.
Unvaccinated guests, however, will still need to present a negative antigen or PCR test result before embarkation. Tests may be taken up to 72 hours before sailing.
Impressive Port Canaveral Numbers
July 2022 will go into the books as one of the busiest months in the history of Port Canaveral. With ships operating at more than 100% occupancy rates, the numbers are far above what the port projected to see for the fiscal year.
Last year, the Port Authority expected to operate at around 50% occupancy for the first three months of 2022, concluding at approximately 75% for the rest of the year. With the fiscal year ending on September 30, Port Canaveral expects 25% more cruise passengers to pass through than last year’s budget.
So far, in the last ten months, Port Canaveral has handled 674 calls from cruise ships with more than 3.2 million multiday passengers. In the previous six weeks, more than 100,000 guests sailed from the port each week, with more than 120,000 during the last week of July.
With 112 more homeport calls during 2023 than during 2022 and 99 calls from ships visiting the port on one-day visits, Port Canaveral will be busier than ever next year, totaling 909 multiday calls.
Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean will be using Port Canaveral extensively next year, both scheduling three ships permanently and one seasonally. For Royal Caribbean, this includes the world’s largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas.
Disney Updates Protocols
Following similar announcements in recent days by other cruise lines, Disney Cruise Line has updated its pre-cruise testing and vaccination protocols beginning September 2, 2022. This includes new age-based vaccination guidelines, as well as exceptions for embarkation day testing for vaccinated guests.
While Disney Cruise Line’s current protocols require that all guests age 5 and older be fully vaccinated before sailing, that age requirement will be changed for cruises departing September 2 and later. At that time, only guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated in order to sail.
The cruise line does state, however, that it highly recommends that Guests ages 11 and younger be fully vaccinated before sailing. If fully vaccinated, guests may take a pre-cruise test 1-2 days prior to sailing on any Disney ship from a US or Canadian homeport.
Guests who are not vaccinated or who are unable to present appropriate vaccination records prior to embarkation day must take a NAAT or PCR test 1-3 days prior to embarkation.
Icon of the Seas Construction
Following a teaser trailer released earlier this month, Royal Caribbean International has now released the first full episode of the “Making an Icon” video series.
At just under eight minutes long, the short video is still packed with behind-the-scenes views and tantalizing insights about the upcoming vessel.
The first episode, titled “Envisioning an Iconic Vacation” explores the very early days of the new ship’s conception, the brainstorm and ideation that is now being brought to life at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
Brief quotes and descriptive phrases from naval architects and interior designers to industrial engineers, food and beverage directors, artists, executives, and more add to the well-deserved hype surrounding the new ship.
Video clips show different steps in the ship’s initial construction, including the steel cutting ceremony on June 16, 2021 as well as previous design brainstorming sessions and team meetings as the ship was being developed and glimpses throughout the construction process, such as bringing the mysterious sphere aboard the ship.
This first episode ends with a teaser that the next episode will feature insider looks at design and construction, with tight timelines to stay on track for the planned fall 2023 debut of Icon of the Seas.
More Cruise Headlines
Those were just a handful of the cruise news headlines from the past week, we’ve got all the full coverage, including Princess Cruises introducing a new stateroom bidding program, Carnival Cruise Line releasing details on its 23-day voyage, lost luggage becoming a growing problem for cruise ship passengers, a new pier and terminal coming to the San Juan cruise port, new activities rolled out across MSC cruise ships based in the US, huge funding for Virgin Voyages, a rescue made by a Norwegian cruise ship in the Caribbean and plenty more stories. | https://www.cruisehive.com/cruise-news-update-august-20-2022/79381 | 2022-08-20T20:41:06Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/cruise-news-update-august-20-2022/79381 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The popular Caribbean cruise destination, St. Kitts, has removed its vaccination and testing requirements for all visitors, effective immediately. Now the islands welcome both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers without showing proof of a negative test upon entry.
St. Kitts and Nevis Travel Updates
The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis updated its travel requirements on August 15, 2022, for all visitors, including citizens, residents, and international travelers, welcoming all vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers through its Caribbean borders.
Effective immediately, all guests have access to enter the country without proof of a negative COVID-19 test. These travel updates were supported by the guidance of Prime Minister Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, who also serves as Minister of Health.
Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, states, “The removal of entry testing and vaccination requirements comes at a time when traveller confidence is on the rise. The combination of increasing demand and more seamless travel processes will make St. Kitts even more desirable to visitors abroad.”
“We are pleased to communicate the removal of restrictions which would improve the destination’s travel experience,” he added.
Additionally, the dual-island nation between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, St. Kitts and Nevis, no longer requires guests to quarantine upon arrival, giving guests more travel flexibility.
Read Also: Things to Do in St. Kitts While on a Cruise
Travelers are recommended to follow basic health and safety protocols, such as frequent hand washing and sanitizing, observing physical distancing, and encouraging mask wearing.
All travelers visiting St. Kitts and Nevis must complete and submit an Immigration and Customs ED form that includes a Custom and Border Form.
Previously, those visiting the islands were required to be fully vaccinated and take a COVID test prior to arrival.
St Kitts is home to four ports, but most cruise ships dock in a terminal known as Port Zante, located within walking distance to the capital of St Kitts, Basseterre. The port features two berths with the capacity to hold some of the world’s largest ships.
Charlestown, the capital city of Nevis, holds the island’s principal cruise port. Cruise ships visiting Nevis can anchor at sea and transport passengers to the port’s pier by tender boats.
Cruise Destinations Changing Requirements
In response to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) removal of its voluntary sail program on July 18, the cruise industry has seen a rapid change in protocols for most lines and their destinations, announcing a more relaxed set of requirements as it returns to a state of normalcy.
Following the industry’s ease of requirements, Bermuda has recently updated its protocols and regulations. Beginning August 22, 2022, unvaccinated travelers will be able to visit Bermuda again, but all visitors will still be bound to certain testing requirements.
Many additional Caribbean destinations have changed their travel protocols to encourage more visitors for the upcoming cruise season. St. Maarten is currently open to vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, but a test result is still required for entry for travelers and those who have recovered from COVID within nine months.
U.S. Virgin Islands are also welcoming both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, along with St. Lucia, St. Barts, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and the Cayman Islands. Continue to follow along for more related updates as they rapidly unfold.
It is important to know that guests should still follow the protocols implemented by their cruise line, as requirements via cruises can differ from general travel. | https://www.cruisehive.com/popular-caribbean-cruise-destination-drops-all-travel-requirements/79467 | 2022-08-20T20:41:12Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/popular-caribbean-cruise-destination-drops-all-travel-requirements/79467 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
UPDATE: Acadiana Mall has been closed while the investigation is underway.
A gun was fired inside Acadiana Mall this afternoon, police say.
One shot was fired, and there is evidence that someone was wounded, but as of 2:45 p.m. police had no victim and no suspect identified, a spokesman said.
This is not an active shooter situation, police say this is believed to be an isolated incident.
Police are still arriving on the scene, and everyone is asked to avoid the area for the time being. At least half of the mall was closed as of 3:30 p.m.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please call Lafayette Crime Stoppers at 337-232-TIPS. | https://www.katc.com/news/lafayette-parish/gunshot-at-acadiana-mall-police-say-avoid-the-area | 2022-08-20T20:47:17Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/lafayette-parish/gunshot-at-acadiana-mall-police-say-avoid-the-area | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Glasgow National Guard Armory honors the 70th Anniversary of the 623rd Field Artillery in the Korean War
GLASGOW, Ky. (WBKO) - The Army National Guard in Glasgow along with community members and Veterans came together to honor the 70th Anniversary of the 623rd Field Artillery in the Korean War.
The 623rd Field Artillery was the only Kentucky Guard organization to be deployed to Korea.
Many were deployed to fight for people they did not know in an unfamiliar land.
A presentation was made to honor those who fought for their country, followed by an unveiling of Kentucky National Guard Heritage Prints.
Jason T. Simpson, MAJ, AO, 623rd FA Bn, says, ”The Korean War Veterans endured terrible hardships. Deathly cold. Weeks and months crammed in small fox holes and bunkers. An enemy of overwhelming number, and the threat of brutal imprisonment. But nonetheless served with distinction. Defending such positions the Mungdung-ni Valley, the ‘Smoke Valley’ near the ‘Punch Bowl’, North of Seoul, and South of Panmunjom. It is our honor today to recognize their service.”>
Both of the prints that were unveiled will be on display at the Glasgow National Guard Armory.
Copyright 2022 WBKO. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/20/glasgow-national-guard-armory-honors-70th-anniversary-623rd-field-artillery-korean-war/ | 2022-08-20T21:01:56Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/20/glasgow-national-guard-armory-honors-70th-anniversary-623rd-field-artillery-korean-war/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Militants were battling security forces Saturday in a busy hotel in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, after storming the property the day before in an attack that has left at least five people dead.
The assault came as the country was undergoing a delicate political transition and grappling with severe drought and a growing humanitarian crisis. The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility, according to Somali Memo, a news website affiliated with the group.
The militants stormed the property, the upscale Hayat Hotel, on Friday evening. Through Saturday afternoon, intermittent gunfire could be heard inside the building, which is frequented by local politicians and clan elders and is in a busy commercial area about a mile from the main international airport.
Police officers cordoned off the area Saturday morning, but dozens of people stood nearby waiting for news of loved ones who they feared were trapped inside the hotel. Videos and other images on social media showed plumes of smoke followed by gunfire coming from near the hotel and people fleeing, some with children, from nearby hotels, shops and restaurants Friday evening.
Dr. Abdulkadir Abdirahman Adan, director of the city’s only free ambulance service, said his team had removed five bodies and had taken 10 wounded people to hospitals.
Somalia’s internal security challenges have been mounting as the country faces a record fourth consecutive failed rainy season, along with rising fuel and food prices stemming from the war in Ukraine. At least 7 million people out of a population of about 16 million have been affected by the severe drought as of July, with 918,000 of them displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Al-Shabab has wreaked havoc in Somalia for years, pledging to establish an Islamic state across the Horn of Africa nation. The group has also carried out deadly attacks in other countries in East Africa, including killing American military contractors working at a Kenyan military base in January 2020.
Al-Shabab has been growing richer and stronger over the past few years, collecting taxes from businesses, making investments in real estate, deciding legal cases and carrying out increasing numbers of attacks against both civilians and Somali and peacekeeping forces.
In July, the group crossed into Ethiopia and clashed with security forces there — a move, observers say, that showcased how they were capitalizing on the internal challenges and civil war in that country to widen their operational reach.
The storming of the hotel in Mogadishu was the first major attack in the capital since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected president in May after a prolonged and tense election season that had been delayed for almost two years. Mohamud has vowed to confront al-Shabab, promising to undermine the group militarily, ideologically and financially. But his government has been off to a slow start, with a new cabinet announced only this month.
In recent weeks, the U.S. Africa Command has increased its activities against al-Shabab, carrying out several airstrikes, including one this past week that the force said had killed 13 members of the group.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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Service members pass the half-way point of the 10th Annual Sgt. 1st Class James E. Thode Ruck March at Camp Williams, Utah August 19, 2022. More than 100 service members and civilians participated in the ruck march, including spouses and families of several service members.
This work, 10th Annual Thode Ruck March Draws more than 100 Participants [Image 6 of 6], by SSG Ashley Baum, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7380372/10th-annual-thode-ruck-march-draws-more-than-100-participants | 2022-08-20T21:03:59Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7380372/10th-annual-thode-ruck-march-draws-more-than-100-participants | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A little less stress when sending files with iPad, MacOS\nWe used several services while writing and testing Word for MAC - these are tested over years; but it is often useful in testing the speed. That we were the service you already do or may wish to use is that you have everything done; it just doesn \"use\" a web interface. For files to attach when creating new PDFs in MAC Word document from PDF or email (the new attach \"feature\". For new ways MARNE, Mich. — Ottawa County Dispatch says part of I-96 shut down Saturday afternoon after two separate crashes.
The eastbound lanes closed just after 4:30 p.m. near mile-marker 24 in Marne.
Dispatch says the first was a property damage crash.
They say the second crash happened around 4:45 p.m., and two people got hurt as a result.
Ottawa County officials are asking drivers to take a different route for the time being.
This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 17 as we work to learn more information. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/lakeshore/ottawa/i-96-eastbound-shut-down-near-marne-after-2-crashes | 2022-08-20T21:19:38Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/lakeshore/ottawa/i-96-eastbound-shut-down-near-marne-after-2-crashes | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced a bill on Friday that would make providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender minors a felony.
According to the language of the legislation, gender-affirming care includes surgery “for the purpose of changing the body of such individual to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex,” plastic surgery that “feminizes or masculinizes the facial features,” hormone therapy and puberty blockers, among other interventions.
Anyone who performs gender-affirming care would be committing a class C felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison with a maximum fine of $250,000, according to The Hill.
Not only would the Protect Children’s Innocence Act prohibit many medical procedures and interventions, like hormone therapy from being performed, but also would prohibit federal funds from being used for such care. The bill has 14 Republican cosponsors, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).
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“When it comes to ‘gender-affirming care,’ which is really child abuse, this is actually an assault, and it’s child abuse,” Greene said on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Thursday. “This practice should never happen. It’s so disgusting and appalling and it’s an embarrassment to our country.”
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According to Greene, two Senate candidates–J.D. Vance and Blake Masters–would support the bill if elected.
Greene's bill is one in a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in 2022. Florida's “Don't Say Gay” law aims to limit classrooms from discussing LGBTQ+ issues. Texas is trying to authorize child abuse investigations into parents whose children transitioned genders.
Alabama passed the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which banned the provision of gender-affirming care to minors; a federal judge blocked the medication portion of the ban, allowing for providers to prescribe hormones and puberty blockers. In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a similar anti-transgender bill into law in March. The law prohibits transgender minors from getting gender reassignment surgery. | https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-wants-to-criminalizes-transgender-medical-care | 2022-08-20T21:22:30Z | vanityfair.com | control | https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-wants-to-criminalizes-transgender-medical-care | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This Week's No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen International … Austin Dillon has made seven career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen, posting a career-best 15th-place finish in August 2021. Dillon has made four appearances at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, securing his best finish of 12th in 2013. He also finished 12th in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Division race at Watkins Glen in 2008.
Tracker Off Road ... Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.
Bass Pro Shops ... Bass Pro Shops is North America's premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father's liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela's to create a "best-of-the-best" experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America's Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as "one of America's Best Employers." Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
How do you prepare for a racetrack like Watkins Glen International?
“A lot of time in the simulator, going over notes and watching old races. We try to make sure we are putting in the work beforehand. We’ve been working really hard on our road course program the last few years. Watkins Glen is a really fast, aggressive track. You can gain a lot by getting after it on the braking zones and it’s just a high-speed place with all of the grip in the pavement.”
We're at another road course race this weekend, is this another wild card?
“Yeah, for sure. The road courses have turned into wildcard races. Taking care of your stuff, trying to make it to the end of these things becomes a demo-derby out there. This is going to be one of those ones that if you stay on track, you’re going to have a pretty good run. I have a lot of optimism going into Watkins Glen this year, though, because our road course program has been solid and we’ve put a lot of work in during the off season.”
This Week’s KCMG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen International…Tyler Reddick will be making his second NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International this weekend. Reddick scored a 10th-place finish in his first Cup start at the 2.45-mile road course in 2021. He has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen, scoring a fifth-place finish in the 2019 event.
Road Course Prowess ... Reddick has more wins (2, at Road America and the Indianapolis Road Course) and more top-fives (3) than any other driver in the Cup Series on road courses this season. Reddick dominated the weekend at Indy, winning the pole position, leading the most laps (38 of 86) and winning the race. His average running position at Indy was a sizzling 3.69, best of all drivers.
KCMG and Reddick No Strangers to Success on the Track … KCMG celebrated their first NASCAR win in 2019 when Tyler Reddick drove to victory lane at Michigan International Speedway enroute to his second consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. KCMG and Richard Childress Racing first partnered together in 2017 with the goal of introducing KCMG into the NASCAR industry as a new motorsports parts manufacturer.
About KCMG … KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Dr. Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across Europe and the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organizations around the world to provide unrivalled Motorsport Services, Equipment, Team Management and quality distributorship in the Automotive Industry. 2013 saw KCMG become the first Chinese outfit ever to race at the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours in its 90-year history and participate in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Hong Kong-based team later on took an historic LMP2 victory at Le Mans and was Vice Champion in FIA WEC in 2015. With years in the motorsport industry, KCMG has been involved in a wide range of Formula, GT and Le Mans prototype endurance racing series across the globe. For more information please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
What doe you think about Watkins Glen International?
“Watkins Glen is what I would call the mile-and-a half of road courses so it’s going to be a bit different than Road America and Indianapolis. You can’t take one thing and apply it to every road course. Watkins Glen has a lot of grip and the speeds are going to be really high. Qualifying is important at a lot of these road courses but I think this will be the most important qualifying session on a road course this year. Aero is really going to come into play. We’re going to have to be on our A-game with our KCMG Chevrolet and really execute our qualifying lap. It’s a tricky track with a lot of grip. We’re going to be going through the Bus Stop faster than ever before. I’m excited about it because our speed has been good this season. We’ll see how it stacks up.”
Does Watkins Glen lend itself to the same kind of aggression as Indianapolis or Circuit of the Americas?
“It definitely doesn’t because the minimum speeds are much higher at Watkins Glen. The corners at Indy or Turn 5 at Road America and COTA, a lot of those corners are sharper and the speeds are a lot lower. We kind of seen with this Next Gen car you really couldn’t move someone out of the way with how this diffuser affects the air of the car behind you when you try and bump somebody. I think people will be diving in there on each other to get position door-to-door, but I don’t think it’s going to play out like it did at Indy. Indy is kind of unique situation because of the shape of that first corner.”
This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Watkins Glen International ... Sheldon Creed will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Watkins Glen International on Saturday. The 2.450-mile New York road course will mark the fifth road-course race so far in 2022. Creed had a strong showing at the first road-course race at Circuit of the Americas, starting sixth and finishing 10th. At Portland International Raceway, Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Creed was running in the top 10 when he was involved in on-track incidents. At Road America, Creed suffered an engine issue. Creed finished third last season at Watkins Glen in the Truck Series after starting 19th.
Whelen Celebrates 70 Years … From a small garage workshop in Connecticut in 1952 to a worldwide leader in emergency warning equipment today, Whelen Engineering continues to push the boundaries of innovation. As we mark our 70th anniversary, we’re proud to continue our founder’s mission of making it safer for those who serve and protect. Whelen has been manufacturing in America for 70 years—we never left, and we’re here to stay.
About Whelen ... Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
SHELDON CREED QUOTE:
We're heading to Watkins Glen this weekend. Are you looking forward to the challenge?
“I actually can’t wait to get to Watkins Glen. It’s one of my favorite road courses. I finished third there last season in a truck and I have always really like the track. My biggest challenge heading into this weekend will be qualifying well because track position is so important at a road course like Watkins Glen. My team and I will have a good plan heading into qualifying because we know the importance of a strong starting spot. We’ve qualified decent and we’ve had fast cars, we have just got caught up in some messes in the last few weeks. I’m looking forward to getting to The Glen and showing what our 2 team is capable of.”
This Week’s Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Watkins Glen International ... Austin Hill will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Watkins Glen International on Saturday. The 2.450-mile New York road course will mark the fifth road-course race so far in 2022. Hill has had very positive results at every road course so far this season. At Circuit of the Americas, Hill started eighth and finished runner-up; he went on to start second and finish third at Portland International Raceway. At Road America, Hill started 10th and finished fourth and most recently, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, he started ninth and finished in the same position. He has never finished outside of the top 10 at a road course this year and is currently on an eight-race top-10 finish streak, including his second win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hill won at Watkins Glen last season in the Truck Series. He started on the pole and led 35 of 61 laps en route to the victory.
About Bennett Family of Companies ... McDonough, Ga.-based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 12 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
You’ve been really strong at road courses this season. Are you excited to get to Watkins Glen this weekend?
“I can’t wait to get to Watkins Glen this weekend, it’s one of my favorite tracks. I’ve just always run really well there, especially back in my K&N days. I came close to winning a couple times, but something always happened. I finally got the win last season in the Truck Series. It’s a fast track that you have to keep your momentum up at. My team has been so close to a win at every road course this season so we’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing and hopefully we’ll park it in Victory Lane. I had a nice off-weekend with the family but I’m more than ready to get back to the racetrack. The momentum couldn’t be any higher as we are approaching the Playoffs. Road courses have been a strength of mine this season so I’m really excited.”
RCR PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72191-rcr-event-preview-watkins-glen | 2022-08-20T21:30:39Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72191-rcr-event-preview-watkins-glen | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Where do things stand with a new contract for you?
“No new update. Is that fair. There isn’t, sorry.”
Have you been told yet that you may or may not return to the No. 18 in 2023?
“I feel like that would be an update. That has not been told to me, not yet.”
Have you made any arrangements to speak with Kimi Raikkonen while he’s in Watkins Glen this weekend?
“Unfortunately I guess we never really did a phone number swap and I never really talked to him when he was here. Honestly, it was always through the agency and stuff like that. I’ve been paying attention to him and all the stuff he’s done and all that with the F1 stuff over the last few years. It would be kind of nice to see him, say hey, what’s up and welcome back. This is his first taste in the Cup Series stuff and real proud of the efforts of Justin (Marks) and those guys over there on the Project 91 thing. I think it’s really a unique deal to allow others from other disciplines to come in here and give it a shot. That’s what it’s all about and I hope it all works out for every party and that it’s a successful piece.”
Will you look at Kimi’s data at all or is there anything you might be able to learn from how he might drive a road course?
“I don’t think so. I guarantee you that if you take the whole 40-car field and dissect all the data, I think you’ll find about 10 percent discrepancy between everybody, there’s not much. I don’t think he’s going to be a vast amount different. There’s only so many things you can do with these cars. He’s not going to be able to brake at 200 versus the rest of us at 400, that’s just car capable. Not driver capable. I don’t think there’s going to be much difference there, but I’ll look. If (Kyle) Larson’s going to look, I might as well look.”
Has there been more work done at Joe Gibbs Racing to try to improve at road courses specific for this weekend?
“For sure. I know there’s a lot of work going on and a lot of work behind the scenes to help with what we’ve got going on. It’s a lot of aero talk, a lot of mechanical talk and a lot of brake talk. Essentially, the better off you are slowing down and turning and accelerating, the better you’re going to be and we don’t have any of those so if we can at least help one of those areas then I would think that we’ll have a better program this weekend. I wouldn’t say we’ll jump to the front coming here to Watkins Glen, but I bet we’re better.”
Do you feel the team has made any more progress since the tire test with Martin Truex Jr. at Watkins Glen?
“I would like to think so, just exact same answer as I gave before. I know that we had those struggles and when Martin was here, it looked better and the sim stuff looked better. I don’t know if the sim stuff is 100 percent real to what you can really do on the race track. Seeing Martin’s data here when he tested here, which was before some of the last road courses. We have definitely improved so I feel like Martin’s test isn’t necessarily indicative of what we’ll see here this weekend.”
How much do you talk to your drivers at Kyle Busch Motorsports about your contract negotiations and how that team could be impacted?
“All of them are kind of shopping themselves anyways to higher series to get other opportunities anyway. I feel like the Truck Series is always the last to be put together. You can go into December and figure out your truck line-up versus being a free agent, top star in the Cup Series, you would think that you could have things figured out by you know, August, July, somewhere in there. Obviously, we’re getting late in the timeframe for me, but getting into the nitty gritty of what needs to happen.”
Have you ever looked back at the finish in Watkins Glen 10 years ago and thought it was cool to be part of that moment?
“No. No it wasn’t. Got kicked to the curb pretty early and then it was a show after that and I wasn’t really part of the show. It just looked like I didn’t know what the hell I was doing because I was running off course and running off line, slipping all over the place. Nobody know until after the fact, well after the fact that there was oil on the track and we were all trying to dodge it. I don’t know if I was seeing it first and just trying to miss it and those other guys just didn’t care and were running normal lines and was just slipping around, but I think they finally figured it out going up through the back stretch that you know, other areas than the asphalt were going to be just fine grip-wise because there was oil down. I wish I was certainly on the winning end of that. Then I would have said, ‘Yes, I’ve watched it over and over again and it’s amazing.’ But no, trust me, I’ve seen the highlight reels.”
Could this race be a sneak preview of the Chicago street race?
“No way. No way. I say that because those corners are going to be 20 or 30 mph corners. These corners here, at least down into turn one is a 45 or 50 mph corner. Even turn six is a 60 mph corner. Not even close, it’s going to be slow.”
Are you participating in the organizational test at Martinsville and what do you hope they accomplish at the test session?
“I did the test a little while back and I think it was a tire test. We didn’t really get anywhere with tires that made a difference and then we tried the Bristol dirt pan and that was a plus. I have no idea what the objective is for next week. I’m not participating and no idea what’s happening.”
What do you lean on to get you through the challenges this season? Can you give us a sense of what this spring and summer have been like?
“It’s easy to summarize, but probably tough for some to understand. Let’s be frank about it, I’m an athlete. I make a lot of money, people aren't going to feel or shouldn't feel sorry for me. I've made a good living. And so that's not the premise of this answer, but it's been hard as hell. It's been a lot of sleepless nights figuring out what your future is, and all that sort of stuff. And, you know, everybody's like, ‘Oh, well, you've made plenty of money. You're fine. You don't have anything to worry about.’ And I'm like, ‘Yeah, that's true.’ But you still want to do what you love to do, right? Like it's no different than Jeff (Gluck, The Athletic), you went through it, right? Having questions about what you're doing with your job and your lifestyle and what you can do to move forward. So I'm in the same boat. I'm a racer and only ever known how to race, nothing else, trying to do other business projects and things like that, but none of them have really blown up and taken off. So it has been hard and figuring out all of that is certainly tough. And the first time I went through this was 15 years ago and it was a learning experience. It was hard then too, but it was nothing like now. Then it was just me, myself and I. I didn't have Samantha, I didn't have a son. I didn't have a daughter. All I had was an agent that was helping me and now I'm kind of all on my own doing it along with Samantha and family, but, you know, going through many of the same things, but it's way, way harder because now you have Kyle Busch Motorsports that you've got to think about, you've got a building that you've got to pay on, you know, you've got a building note and all that sort of stuff. So there's a lot a lot a lot of pieces and that's why it's not so simple. If you look at each aspect of everything of my life, which some of you may not know or may not fully know, is there's just a lot. So trying to take care of all those pieces and make sure everything goes as it was or as it has been the last few years would certainly be nice.”
Are the sleepless nights due to wanting to be competitive or the other balls in the air with your life that you have to juggle?
“That’s certainly top of the list. You want to be able to go somewhere that you feel like you have a legit shot to race to win. You know, trust me, I don't feel like it's fair to me or my family or anything else if we're going to have to spend less time together moving forward because we are going to have to change our lifestyle, no questions. There's a big change coming. And so, is it worth it to go run around and not have an opportunity to win right away versus building something versus jumping in something that can win. All those questions are certainly being weighed out. And so, again, that's also why it's not so simple and so easy. So, thankfully there are opportunities out there. There are Cup jobs available. But again, it will not look the same as what it has for the last 15 years.”
Are you focused on being able to win where you go moving forward?
“I think that kind of is the same question just a little different, but the answer is the same. Where can you go somewhere else and get into stuff that can win right away? And if you can go somewhere else and get in stuff that wins right away. I feel like if you're winning, your’re a championship contender, you're capable because again, win and you're in right. So if you can win races and get yourself into the Playoffs, then the Playoffs are a completely different game. So for as bad as our year’s seemed and for the last eight weeks or as bad as it's looked for the 18 car, we still have a legitimate shot to go out here and race for a championship. We need to just find the luck truck and go buy some and then we'll be fine. You know, everybody's going to be pretty close on points. And a couple guys obviously have a head start which there's always a couple guys that have a head start and those guys have a better shot at making it to the to the Final Four, but there's going to be a team or to that point their way into that as well. So I've done that every single time. I think I've only won my way into the final for one year. Otherwise, I've always pointed my way and so it's nothing that scares me.”
Is there any scenario where Rowdy Energy could sponsor you?
“No, no, it makes decent money, but the problem is that the expenses that you have in which to build this business to build this company and all that sort of stuff. We're not black yet. We're still in the red. So that, no, you can't default on a loan in order to pay yourself sponsorship. That's not going to happen. So you know, the idea behind this, the premise behind this was I had another 10 year runway to go and keep going and with M&M’s and Mars and everything else. We never thought this position would be here. And so I was going to have that chance to build that and get it going and get it off its feet and we would find out in seven or eight years whether or not it would be something that would be sustainable for this opportunity that's here now early to then have that supportive, right or support Brexton or whatever going forward, but it's way too early for that. So unfortunately, that doesn't exist.”
TRD PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72195-toyota-ncs-watkins-glen-quotes-kyle-busch-8-20-22 | 2022-08-20T21:30:48Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72195-toyota-ncs-watkins-glen-quotes-kyle-busch-8-20-22 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FORD QUALIFYING RESULTS
3rd - Michael McDowell
7th - Chris Buescher
8th - Austin Cindric
14th - Chase Briscoe
15th - Brad Keselowski
17th - Joey Hand
19th - Todd Gilliland
20th - Joey Logano
24th - Kevin Harvick
26th - Ryan Blaney
29th - Cole Custer
30th - Harrison Burton
34th - Loris Hezemans
35th - Aric Almirola
37th - Kyle Tilley
39th - Cody Ware
MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang | QUALIFIED 3rd
“You always feel like you could get a little bit more. Pushing really hard and you make mistakes here and there kind of hanging it out. I got into the bus stop pretty good but didn’t get over that second curb real well and kind of got wide a little bit. I think we had a shot at the pole, just came up a little short. But I am really proud of everyone at Front Row. Road courses have been our strength this year and so we knew coming here this was a good chance for us to run up front and try to steal a win and get in the playoffs. Success today, qualifying well, good starting spot for tomorrow and good pit selection. All those things are good but when you are that close you want to get a pole.”
Ford Performance PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72199-ford-performance-nascar-watkins-glen-cup-qualifying | 2022-08-20T21:30:59Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72199-ford-performance-nascar-watkins-glen-cup-qualifying | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
· Turning a lap of 70.477 seconds, at 125.147 mph, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Camaro ZL1 will lead the field to the green in tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen. · This marks Elliott’s third pole of 2022; second career pole at Watkins Glen International; and 12th all-time pole in 246 NASCAR Cup Series races. · Elliott’s pole is the seventh NASCAR Cup Series pole of 2022 for Chevrolet; its manufacturer-leading 16th pole at Watkins Glen International; and its 730th all-time in NASCAR Cup Series history. · Dating back to Chase Elliott’s Watkins Glen win in August 2019, Chevrolet has recorded wins in 14 of the past 15 NCS road course races, including a streak of the past 10. CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1 – Press Conference Transcript: FOUR POINTS TO GET THE NUMBER ONE SEED IN THE PLAYOFFS AND THE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP. WITH THAT POLE POSITION, HOW’S THE MINDSET LOOKING AT TOMORROW? “Yeah, honestly my mindset and my focus right now is really just about trying to give ourselves a shot to win tomorrow. The the best way to achieve the most points is to go out there and be the first one to cross the line there at the end of the day. That’s really where our heads are at and where our goals lie; trying to execute a perfect race tomorrow. Obviously that’s a really hard thing to do. We would love to keep our track position all day. I understand that’s a difficult thing to achieve, but it’s not impossible. We’ve seen it done before. We’ll try to put together a good day, try to stay mistake-free and make the most of a good qualifying effort.” LAST YEAR, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FLAT-SPOTTING PART, WHICH WAS THE REASON FOR THE LOSS. WITH THE NEW CAR AND THE BIGGER BRAKES, IS IT EASIER OR TOUGHER TO FLAT SPOT THE TIRES? “I would imagine it will be easier to do. Lock-up has been a bit more widespread this year, I feel like, at some of the other road courses than what we’ve seen here in the past. Last year, for me, was just a stupid mistake in the scenario that I did that. Nonetheless, I think you’ve seen more lock-up generally this year than what we have here in the past just overall at other tracks.” AS SOMEONE THAT HOLDS THEMSELVES TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD; YOU HAD THE SUCCESS ON THE ROAD COURSES THIS SEASON, BUT NO WIN. HOW MUCH DOES THAT WEIGH ON YOU, IF AT ALL? “It honestly doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to win in general anywhere, whether it’s a road course, an oval or wherever it may be. I’m not sure that it’s been any added stress. We just want to get better. Like I tell you guys all the time, we just want to improve. Especially when you go somewhere, you think you’re off a little bit in a certain area and you want to move forward. You never want to go backwards; so as long as we’re moving forward, I think we’ll get to where we want to be.” YOU MENTIONED THE PACE OUT THERE WITH THESE CARS. DID THAT COME AS A SURPRISE TO YOU GUYS AND DO YOU THINK IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SORT OF ALTER THE COMPLEXION OF THE RACE A LITTLE BIT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS HERE? “Potentially, but it’s always been a pretty track position-oriented event anyway. It’ll probably just be a bit more so in that direction. I don’t know, lap time-wise, what we ran last year. I don’t remember, but I know we were just carrying a lot of throttle. It seems like more than I remember carrying here in the past. Typically with that is it’s going to be difficult to setup passes and get yourself in position. We had a good lap there and you want to try and make the most of a good opportunity there starting out front. I know it’s a hard thing to do to keep that track position all day, but it’s not impossible. If we can achieve that, great.. and if not, we’ll stay in the fight and try and give ourselves a shot there when it matters.” ALL FOUR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CARS QUALIFIED IN THE TOP-11. DID ALL FOUR OF YOU EXPECT TO HAVE THE SPEED THAT YOU HAD TODAY OR IS THAT A SURPRISE AT ALL? “Not necessarily a surprise. I feel like everybody at Hendrick Motorsports is committed to being good in all categories and road racing is one of them. So, I’m not surprised to see that. Our organization is super driven. The boss is here today and he continues to come and support us; be here and show his enthusiasm and drive to want to succeed. I think that rubs off on the rest of us. I think we all have our own wills and wants to do good, but it’s always nice to see him here and nice to grab the pole with him in town. And obviously William (Byron) got the pole for the Xfinity Series race in a special car, too. Happy to see that.” SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS IN THE FIELD. AS SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF THAT’S GOOD ON ROAD COURSES AND TAKES A LOT OF PRIDE IN ROAD COURSE RACING; HOW COOL IS IT TO SEE THE DIFFERENT ROAD COURSE RACERS AND INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS THAT ARE IN THIS RACE? “Yeah, like I’ve referenced a bunch; I think whoever’s idea that was over at Trackhouse I think deserves a lot of credit. And even beyond that, whoever put it together in the manner that they did in making it just very well done.. it looks professional, it is professional. He’s coming over, he’s in a good car. I just think it’s exciting that these guys are coming over and showing interest in what we have going on here. I think that’s the best way to gain respect around the world.. to have these drivers that do other things come and get involved. Just immerse themselves in what we do here, understand the challenges, and what it takes to be good. I think that’s always going to be a good thing. I hope it continues and I hope they keep doing it. I hope everybody that is here from other disciplines has a good time this weekend; enjoys themselves, is challenged by it and is excited to do it again.” I WOULD HAVE TO IMAGINE THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOU.. BEING THAT YOU SCORED YOUR FIRST CAREER WIN HERE. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO LOCK-UP THE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP HERE, AS WELL? “This is always going to be a special place to me because achieving that first win was such a big deal for myself, our team and I think to our entire group. It’s always going to be a special spot whether we do well or not. It will always feel different. And two, it’s a beautiful part of the country. It’s a very underrated part of the country, I think. It’s very nice up here and I enjoy visiting even beyond the on-track stuff.” GM PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72202-chevrolet-ncs-chase-elliott-takes-pole-position-at-watkins-glen | 2022-08-20T21:31:17Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72202-chevrolet-ncs-chase-elliott-takes-pole-position-at-watkins-glen | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Mustang
Start: 4th
Finish: 8th
Taylor Gray qualified in the fourth position for the General Tire Delivers 100 at Watkins Glen International. The 17-year-old had an eventful opening lap, climbing to second place in a heated and physical battle with fellow competitor Connor Mosack. Despite keeping pace with race leader Sammy Smith, the Artesia, NM native radioed that his Ford Mustang was struggling in the esses. Needing more front grip through the right-handers, Crew Chief Chad Johnston called for a chassis adjustment at the mandatory stage break. With the No. 17 feeling better on the exit on the carousel, Gray was right on the leader's heels throughout the second half of the contest. A caution on lap 30 allowed Gray to capitalize on the restart, grabbing the lead in turn 11 before a caution would nullify the pass and re-rack the field for a green-white-checkered finish. On the ensuing restart, contact in turn one would shoot Gray up the track, dropping him down the order and relegating the Ford Performance driver to an 8th-place finish. | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72186-dgr-arca-menards-series-recap-watkins-glen | 2022-08-20T21:31:24Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72186-dgr-arca-menards-series-recap-watkins-glen | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Rain throughout the morning that is expected to continue later in the day has forced DIRTcar and track officials to postpone Saturday’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals events at Thunderbird Raceway. Officials are currently exploring options for a new makeup date, which will be announced at a later time.
The Summer Nationals and Summit Modified stars are next scheduled to make up the 42nd annual Herald & Review 100 at Macon Speedway on Thursday, Sept. 1.
For more updates on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and Summit Modified Nationals, visit DIRTcarSummerNationals.
DIRTseries PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72192-rain-postpones-thunderbird-makeup-event-officials-looking-for-new-date | 2022-08-20T21:31:37Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72192-rain-postpones-thunderbird-makeup-event-officials-looking-for-new-date | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Graham Rahal led the final practice session on Friday for the NTT IndyCar Series at World-Wide Technology Raceway. Rahal, starting 16th on the starting grid in the race, led the session with a lap of 25.3196 seconds / 177.728 mph.
The Ohio native with six career victories goes into the weekend looking to score his first podium finish of the season.
Scott Dixon sat runner-up sitting 0.0384 seconds behind the final practice leader. Dixon, sitting six points back of points leader Will Power, posted a 25.3580s / 177.459 mph. The native of New Zealand enters Gateway with two wins and three podium finishes in 14 events.
David Malukas sat third when the session ended in the No. 18 Honda machine. Malukas will start 12th in the race.
Romain Grosjean and Alex Palou rounded out the top five.
Pole winner Will Power, after tying Mario Andretti for all-time career IndyCar poles, ended the session 17th on the speed chart.
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 will take place at 6:00 p.m. ET. live on USA and IndyCar Radio. | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72196-indycar-graham-rahal-leads-final-practice-at-world-wide-technology-raceway | 2022-08-20T21:31:43Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72196-indycar-graham-rahal-leads-final-practice-at-world-wide-technology-raceway | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Stafford Speedway hosted another round of Stafford Weekly Racing on Friday, August 19th with Open Modified cars on hand for the Lincoln Tech Open 80. Ronnie Williams scored his second win of the season in the SK Modified® feature, Adam Gray notched his sixth win of 2022 in the Late Model feature, Alexander Pearl took down his third win of 2022 in the SK Light feature, Jeremy Lavoie was also a winner for the third time in 2022 in the Limited Late Model feature, and Travis Downey became a 3-time winner this season in the Street Stock feature.
In the 40-lap SK Modified® feature event, Jon Puleo took the lead at the green flag and he led the first three laps before Ronnie Williams took to the outside lane and went around Puleo to move into the lead on lap-4. Troy Talman also got by Puleo to take second and drop Puleo back to third, just in front of Bryan Narducci and Cory DiMatteo.
With 10 laps complete, Williams was still in command followed by Talman, Puleo, Narducci, and DiMatteo. Tyler Hines spun in turn 2 which collected the car of Keith Rocco and brought the caution out with 10 laps complete. Marcello Rufrano was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Rocco.
Talman took the lead from Williams on the restart but Williams came back with a crossover move one lap after the restart to retake the lead. Narducci was up to third with Puleo fourth and DiMatteo in fifth. With 25 laps complete, the top-5 remained the same with Williams leading the quartet of Talman, Narducci, Puleo, and DiMatteo. Michael Gervais, Jr. was sixth, followed by Andrew Molleur, Noah Korner, Todd Owen, and Michael Christopher, Jr.
Williams led Talman and the rest of the field to the checkered flag to pick up his second win of the 2022 season. Narducci finished third with Puleo and DiMatteo rounding out the top-5.
In the 30-lap Late Model feature event, John Blake and Paul Varricchio, Jr. ran the first lap side by side for the lead with the caution coming out just after the completion of the first lap as Michael Bennett spun in turn 1 with Adon Burrell coming to a stop to avoid hitting Bennett.
Andrew Durand went from fourth to first on the restart to take over the lead with Varricchio in second. John Blake and Andrew Molleur were side by side for third with Adam Gray and Paul Arute dueling side by side for fifth. Molleur moved up to second on lap-3 with Varricchio falling back a spot to third. Blake took fourth with Michael Wray moving into fifth. Blake worked his way to the inside of Varricchio on lap-6 and he took over third place on lap-7. Wray moved into fourth on lap-8 with Wayne Coury, Jr. taking fifth. Up front, Molleur was applying heavy pressure to Durand for the lead and Molleur was able to take over the lead on lap-9. Tom Fearn brought his car to a stop on the infield coming out of turn 4 to bring the caution out with 10 laps complete.
Molleur took the lead back under green with Durand slotting into second. Adam Gray moved up to third with Blake fourth and Wray in fifth. Gray took second from Durand on lap-14 just before Bennett spun in turn 4 to bring the caution back out with 14 laps complete. Darrell Keane was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Bennett.
Molleur and Gray ran door to door for a lap after the restart before Molleur got clear into the lead on lap-16. Gray came back to the inside of Molleur on lap-17 and he took the lead at the line. Blake and Durand were door to door for third with Blake takind the spot and Gambacorta moving up to fourth to drop Durand back to fifth jus before the caution came back out with 18 laps complete for Paul Arute, who did a half-spin in turn 1.
Gray took the lead on the restart with Molleur glued to his back bumper in second. Blake was third with Gambacorta back up to fourth and Durand fifth. Gambacorta moved into third on lap-21 with Durand falling back to fourth. Bennett took fourth from Durand on lap-24 and that move allowed Fearn to follow him by and take fifth and drop Durand back to sixth. Chase Cook got into the turn 4 wall to bring the caution flag back out with 24 laps complete.
Gray took the lead back under green with Gambacorta working his way to the inside of Molleur for second. Molleur was able to fend off Gambacorta’s challenge and he maintained second. Fearn was fourth in line with Bennett in fifth as Gray continued to lead. Gray led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his sixth win of the 2022 season. Molleur came home second with Gambacorta, Fearn, and Bennett rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap SK Light feature event, Jason Chapman took the lead at the drop of the green with Tyler Chapman getting around Cassandra Cole on lap-2 to move into second. Cole was wheel to wheel with Frank L’Etoile, Jr. for third with Alexander Pearl in fifth. Cole held L’Etoile off for third with Pearl coming up to fourth and he then took third from Cole on lap-4. Bob Charland was up to fifth behind Cole while Jason Chapman continued to lead his twin brother Tyler.
Charland took fourth from Cole on lap-7 with L’Etoile trying to follow him by but Cole was able to hold off his challenge. Nick Anglace went 3-wide with Cole and L’Etoile for fifth on lap-11 and he was able to take fifth with L’Etoile sixth and West seventh. Up front, Pearl was trying the outside groove against Tyler Chapman and he took second on lap-13 and he nearly took the lead from Jason Chapman on lap-14. The caution came out with 13 laps complete for L’Etoile, who spun coming out of turn 4.
Pearl took the lead on the restart with Jason Chapman slotting into second withTyler Chapman in third. The caution came back out one lap after the restart for a multi-car incident in turn 2 involving Joey Ferrigno, Alina Bryden, Derek Debbis, Chris Bagnall, and L’Etoile. Ron Midford, Jr. was sent to the rear of the field for making contact with Debbis.
Pearl took the lead back under green with Tyler Chapman taking second. Anglace was third with Jason Chapman falling back to fourth and West in fifth. Pearl led Tyler Chapman to the checkered flag to pick up his third win of the 2022 season. Anglace finished third with Jason Chapman and Amanda West rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature event, Jay Clement took the lead on the first lap from polesitter Ari Jencik. With one lap complete, Jencik and Damian Palardy made contact and got into the turn 1 wall while Matt Clement brought his car to a stop on the backstretch to bring the caution out with 1 lap complete.
Jay Clement took the lead on the restart but before he could complete the second lap, Jeremy Lavoie shot to the front to take the lead at the line. Lavoie’s time out front was short as Alexandra Fearn took the lead from Lavoie in turn 2 on lap-3. Rich Hammann took second with Lavoie settling into third place with Jay Clement in fourth and Devon Jencik fifth.
Jencik took fourth from Jay Clement on lap-6 and his move brought Kevin Cormier into fifth as Clement slid back to seventh place. At the halfway point of the race, Fearn was still in command with Hammann and Lavoie right behind her in a 3-car train for the lead. Jencik was fourth with Cormier and Gary Patnode lined up behind him in another 3-car train. Lavoie got around Hammann to take second place on lap-12 while Trinity Provost spun coming out of turn 4, but she was able to get her car going again and the race stayed green.
As they completed lap-17, Lavoie made a move to the inside of Fearn and he was able to take the lead. Hammann also got around Fearn to take second with 2 laps to go. Lavoie led the field to the checkered flag to pick up his third win of the 2022 season. Hammann held off Fearn for second with Cormier and Patnode rounding out the top-5.
In the 20-lap Street Stock feature event, Travis Hydar started fourth and immediately pulled alongside Nickolas Hovey at the drop of the green flag in the fight for the lead. Hydar took the lead on lap-2 with Adrien Paradis, III coming up to second and Travis Downey third. Hovey slid back to fourth, just in front of Bobby Stirk, III. Stirk went by Hovey to take over fourth place on lap-5 just before the caution flew with 5 laps complete for debris on the frontstretch.
Hydar took the lead on the restart with Downey taking second. Paradis was third with Stirk fourth and Hovey fifth. Tyler Trott and Hovey made contact and both cars spun in turn 2 to bring the caution out with 6 laps complete.
Downey and Hydar went door to door for the lead back under green with Downey taking the lead by a nose at the line but the caution came back out for Jaden Lage, who took a hard hit into the turn 4 wall.
Downey took the lead on the lap-8 restart with Hydar and Stirk behind him. Bert Ouellette took fifth and then fourth on lap-9 with Paradis sliding back to fifth. Hydar couldn’t get close enough to Downey over the final 10 laps as Downey took down his third win of the 2022 season. Stirk finished third with Ouellette and Paradis rounding out the top-5.
For more information contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at (860) 684-2783, or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Stafford Speedway PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72188-williams-gray-pearl-lavoie-downey-score-lincoln-tech-open-80-weekly-feature-wins-at-stafford-speedway | 2022-08-20T21:31:55Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72188-williams-gray-pearl-lavoie-downey-score-lincoln-tech-open-80-weekly-feature-wins-at-stafford-speedway | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sunoco Go 200 starting lineup at Watkins Glen International
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- Toyota NCS Watkins Glen Quotes -- Kyle Busch 8.20.22 | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72185-sunoco-go-200-starting-lineup-at-watkins-glen-international | 2022-08-20T21:32:04Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72185-sunoco-go-200-starting-lineup-at-watkins-glen-international | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Law enforcement officers from around the Yakima Valley will participate in a “Cop on Top” fundraising event for Yakima Special Olympics on Monday.
The event will take place at the Fred Meyer store, 1206 N. 40th Ave., in Yakima, according to information from organizers. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the Washington State Patrol, Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, Yakima Police Department and other agencies participating.
Officers and deputies will be on a scissor lift about 10 feet off the ground, and donations will help get them back to the ground. People can get photos taken in front of police vehicles, and a $25 donation will give people an opportunity to squirt water at an officer. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/cop-on-top-event-to-raise-money-for-yakima-special-olympics-on-monday-at-fred/article_0aef8350-20b9-11ed-a63d-335dae1f625c.html | 2022-08-20T21:38:52Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/cop-on-top-event-to-raise-money-for-yakima-special-olympics-on-monday-at-fred/article_0aef8350-20b9-11ed-a63d-335dae1f625c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hundreds of kids lined up at the Henry Beauchamp Community Center Saturday morning for free back-to-school supplies and a chance to meet Milwaukee Bucks rookie MarJon Beauchamp.
The first 200 students of all ages received a free T-Shirt courtesy of the Bucks, and Beauchamp helped to hand out 200 backpacks. The Yakima native spent about two hours handing out items, signing autographs and taking pictures with community members.
"It's a big deal," Beauchamp said. "I dreamed of this, giving back. That's why I told myself that's one thing I want to do, find a way give back each month to the community."
His father, Jon Beauchamp, announced the awarding of scholarships to Wapato freshman Deets Neegle and Yakama Tribal senior Cameron Longee. The two basketball players will receive $1500 every quarter — $500 cash, $500 worth of Adidas gear and $500 for tutors to help with their studies.
MarJon said it felt extra special to host Saturday's event at the building named after his late grandfather, Yakima's first Black mayor. The 6-foot-6 forward grew up playing basketball in the community center's gym.
Several kids at the event took advantage of free haircuts given out by barbers from Seattle who grew up in Yakima. Some local businesses also gave out free food and drinks to attendees.
Beauchamp left at around 12:30 p.m. to travel to Seattle and play at The Crawsover, Jamal Crawford's ProAm league. LeBron James highlighted an impressive list of NBA stars featured in Saturday night's game, including Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, Aaron Gordon, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero
"I dreamed of being on the court with LeBron and today's the day," Beauchamp said. "It's crazy it's in Seattle where I've been playing at the ProAm league."
He'll fly back to Milwaukee on Sunday and training camp starts Sept. 26, followed by the Bucks' first preseason game on Oct. 1 vs. Memphis. They start the regular season Oct. 20 at Philadelphia. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/sports/sports_watch/beauchamp-returns-to-give-out-shirts-backpacks-school-supplies/article_5c221704-20c0-11ed-bb29-9b332a3301b8.html | 2022-08-20T21:38:58Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/sports/sports_watch/beauchamp-returns-to-give-out-shirts-backpacks-school-supplies/article_5c221704-20c0-11ed-bb29-9b332a3301b8.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Austin Hill’s Future Still In Development
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Austin Hill, who made his NASCAR Cup debut two weeks ago at Michigan, said Friday there were no plans for him to compete in another Cup race this season, but he was talking with Richard Childress Racing about 2023.
“We’ve been … trying to figure out what we’re going to do,” Hill said. “Obviously, it always comes down to sponsorship dollars …. There’s a lot that goes into it, even if they want to keep me around, there’s a lot of different variables that happen.
“I love where I’m at. It’s been a blast racing for RCR. Even though there’s so many employees there, it feels very family oriented. That’s what I like about it because you can go in the shop, kind of BS with the guys and just kind of hang out. It’s a really cool atmosphere and a cool place to race … and hopefully, we can do that for years to come.”
In Hill’s first year with RCR, the Winston, Ga. native qualified for the Xfinity Series playoffs by winning the season opener at Daytona. He added another victory to his total at Atlanta in July. In his Cup debut at Michigan International Speedway earlier this month, he qualified 31st and finished 18th. Hill described it as a “surreal moment” for him to be able to compete in a Cup race.
“I really just tried to take it all in that day, you know, signing autographs, and when my name was called … just trying to … step back and just take it all in,” Hill said. “Once we strapped in, it was all business from there. To come home 18th for the first one I thought was really good.”
Hill admitted the next time he drives a Cup car he will have “a lot more confidence” because “you don’t know what you’re getting into with that (Next Gen) car.”
“Just trying to find the power limit and stuff like that was really tough,” Hill said. “You’ve seen it all year long. Guys will get loose, and they over correct and end up in the fence. I didn’t want to be that guy. So, I probably under drove the car a little bit from what it was capable of doing. We worked on it all day and we got it better all day. I think at the very end of the race, I probably ran my fastest laps all day. That was one of the biggest things that we were able to do was we improved all day long and got better.”
Since Michigan, Hill has been asked repeatedly if he has talked with Childress about replacing Tyler Reddick in the No. 8 Chevrolet when Reddick leaves for 23XI Racing at the end of the 2023 season. Hill responds by saying he’s more focused on trying to win the Xfinity Series championship.
“It honestly hasn’t even really been on my mind,” Hill said. “This year, I’m really focused on what we’re doing with our (No.) 21 group on the Xfinity side.
“If the door opens up (for the No. 8 team), then great. If not, then I feel like I’m in a really good spot right now with our car. We want to win a championship in the Xfinity Series. That’s our No. 1 goal. Whatever happens from there if it happens great. If it doesn’t, then I’m not going to lose too much sleep at night.”
Entering Saturday’s Sunoco Go Rewards 200 at The Glen, Hill has recorded eight straight top-10 finishes. The last time he finished outside the top 10 was in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he placed 14th.
Saturday’s 2.450-mile road course race is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. It will be televised on the USA Network.
No Comment | http://www.racintoday.com/archives/99139 | 2022-08-20T21:41:33Z | racintoday.com | control | http://www.racintoday.com/archives/99139 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Power On Pole at Gateway
Will Power’s bid for a second INDYCAR championship now includes an historic record book update.
Power’s 67th career pole tied open-wheel icon Mario Andretti for the all-time series record during qualifying Friday afternoon for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.
The series point-leader, Power turned a two-lap average speed of 182.727 mph around the 1.25-mile oval outside of St. Louis to earn his fourth pole of the season. Power, the 2014 NTT IndyCar Series champion with Team Penske, will bank an extra point for the NTT P1 Award. The native of Australia leads six-time series champ Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing by just six points with three races remaining.
Andretti had stood alone as INDYCAR’s qualifying ace since Aug. 1, 1993. “Yeah, something I’ve had my eye on for a while,” said Power, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet. “I think when I got to 60, I was like, ‘This could be possible.’ Yep, it’s definitely a big box to tick.
“Amazing year so far. This is a big victory for me, to reach the 67 number and equal such a legend of the sport in Mario Andretti. I just can’t believe that I’m right there with Mario because there’s been no one like him.”
Saturday’s live coverage of the season’s final oval-track event is scheduled to begin with a half-hour preview show at 6 p.m. (EDT) on the USA Network and Peacock Premium, as well as the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Fellow-championship contender Marcus Ericsson, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion from Chip Ganassi Racing, will join Power on the front row after his qualifying run of 182.070 mph in the No. 8 Honda. Ericsson is third in points, 12 behind Power.
“Front row start, my best-ever qualifying in INDYCAR with P2,” said Ericsson, the native of Sweden who earned double points by winning on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 29. “I’m really happy and proud of the No. 8 Bryant Honda and the whole crew. I think we did a really good job and delivered strong cars and tuned things up for qualifying. Of course you want that first pole when you’re that close, but I’m still happy with our effort and our performance. It’s a really good spot to start.”
The race is scheduled for 260 laps/325 miles around INDYCAR’s version of a Saturday night bull ring. “I’m not feeling any relief because I’m so focused on the race and the championship,” Power said. “That’s really the big thing on my mind, is having a good day. Yeah, everyone’s at the front, so it’s just going to be…it’s pretty typical of INDYCAR, right? It’s just going to go down to the last race. The way I see it, even on points right now, it’s that close, it can just flip. It’s going to be about who can finish ahead of who. Simple as that.”
Power, 41, scored his first pole on Oct. 21, 2006 at Surfers Paradise in Australia driving for Walker/Team Australia in the Champ Car World Series. Power drove for KV Racing Technology in 2008 before making his debut with Team Penske during a six-race schedule in 2009.
“When I got the double pole at Iowa (July 23-24), that’s when it (tying Mario) became really realistic,” Power said. “The year before I had one pole. I think the year before that I had three. It was getting increasingly harder to get pole position. I was kind of thinking, ‘This is going to be pretty hard to beat.’ But the double pole at Iowa was real key. Yep, great team, great engine, great crew. That’s what I’ve had. I’ve been lucky.”
Two-time series champion and 2022 title contender Josef Newgarden will start third after his run of 181.629 mph in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden, who has won the last two races at the track, is fourth in points, 22 behind Power.
“If I could have done a better first lap, I think for sure (it would have been pole),” said Newgarden, the series champ in 2017 and 2019. “The car was really capable there as you saw on the second lap. I just did not get that first lap good enough. I wish I could have a redo, but you can’t. You have to go out and put your best foot forward when it’s time. I had a great car. PPG and Team Chevy…the speed was there. We have speed here this weekend. We just have to put that to best of use.
“I wish I had maximized my car. I think we have a great car. I just hate missing it.”
Scott McLaughlin ensured the asymmetrical oval was a Penske playground with all three cars in the first two rows of the grid, as the native of New Zealand qualified fourth at 181.406 mph in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet.
Chip Ganassi Racing also enjoyed a strong session, landing three cars in the top six. Reigning series champion Alex Palou of Spain qualified fifth at 181.289 mph in the No. 10 Honda, while Dixon, of New Zealand, will start sixth after a run of 180.954 mph in the No. 9 CGR Honda.
“It was an interesting day,” Dixon said. “We came here with a pretty big shift in strategy with how we were seeing the car. It took us a while to sort that out, and then in qualifying we made another big shift, but honestly the car was good. I just didn’t attack enough on my first lap and then second lap. I kind of tried to go too deep into Turn 3 and got some understeer. Ideally, I think the car should have been where Marcus was on the front row or second row. But P6 is a good starting point and we can definitely work from there.”
Dixon’s 53rd career series victory on Aug. 7 in the Streets of Nashville not only broke a deadlock with Andretti for second on INDYCAR’s all-time wins list, it also positioned him for a late-season run at tying A.J. Foyt Jr.’s record of seven championships.
Dixon, 42, is bidding to match the series record of seven championships held by “Super Tex,” also the all-time leader with 67 career victories. Dixon won his titles in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020 _ all for team-owner Chip Ganassi.
Power’s pole wasn’t a shocker, given he already had led the series with three poles entering this event and paced practice earlier Friday at 180.539 mph. Power also won the pole for this race last year at 180.618 mph.
Still, there was nothing routine about his qualifying attempt in the shadow of the famous Gateway Arch. Power tried to keep the throttle pedal to the floor through Turns 3 and 4 during his last lap but realized he needed to downshift to complete the corner without contact. Power kept his car off the SAFER Barrier and delivered that coveted 67th pole.
“I’m still shaking,” Power said. “There was nothing left on the table _ let’s put it that way. The second lap, I was loose in (Turns) 1-2 and then tried to go again as much as I could in (Turns) 3-4.”
Qualifying did produce one incident. Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist spun exiting Turn 2, skillfully avoiding the SAFER Barrier and spinning slowly into the tire barrier on the inside of the track with very light contact to the rear of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Rosenqvist, who will start last in the 26-car field, was uninjured.
Earlier, INDYCAR officials announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for Andretti Autosport’s No. 28 Honda driven by Romain Grosjean for an unapproved engine change following the race on the Streets of Nashville on Sunday, Aug. 7. The Frenchman, who originally qualified ninth at 179.925 mph, was dropped from to 18th on the grid.
“We took a chance with taking out too much front wing so there was a bit of understeer in the car. I think the No. 28 crew have done a good job today,” said Grosjean, a former Formula One regular in his second INDYCAR season and first with the team owned by Michael Andretti. “Ovals are still new to me, but I love them. Looking forward to race day.”
Helio Castroneves will get another shot at winning a record-breaking fifth Indianapolis 500 next season. Meyer Shank Racing confirmed Friday that Castroneves will return to the team’s INDYCAR program for 2023 in the No. 06 Honda.
Castroneves joined MSR for an abbreviated six-race program in 2021. The native Brazilian made an immediate and historic impact for the Ohio-based organization by winning his first start for MSR _ the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. Castroneves joined A.J. Foyt Jr., Al Unser and Rick Mears as the only four-time winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” exactly 12 years after his previous 500 win in 2009 for Team Penske. Castroneves also prevailed at IMS in 2001 and 2002 for team-owner Roger Penske.
Castroneves’ popular win also was the first in INDYCAR for MSR, which made its series debut in 2017. The 2021 Indy 500 was MSR’s 38th entry after the team ran a six-race program in 2018 and 10 races in 2020. MSR competed fulltime in 2020 and expanded in 2021 to one fulltime entry for Englishman Jack Harvey and the partial season with Castroneves, who again will race alongside Frenchman Simon Pagenaud in the No. 60 Honda in 2023.
“Keeping Helio onboard wasn’t really a question for us,” said Mike Shank, co-owner of the team with Jim Meyer. “We’ve built a really strong relationship with him over these last two race seasons. He brings so much to the table, on and off the track. He’s been able to help us grow as a team and we’ve been able to learn from his years of experience. It’s truly a mutually beneficial relationship. And of course he’s a perfect face of the sport and has such an infectious personality, so to have him on our team is an honor.”
To-date, Castroneves has 31 INDYCAR victories and 50 pole positions on his resume, placing him among the top-10 in both categories. Castroneves will start Saturday evening’s race y in Madison, Ill., from the 17th grid spot.
“It has been a good day so far and I’m super-excited about staying with the team like we announced today,” said Castroneves, 47. “I’m so happy we’ve got the chance to continue building on what we started this year.
“I have not been here (WWTR) for many years, so it’s pretty amazing to come back here. It was interesting to have the one practice session and then go straight into qualifying. The car was handling really well and the team did a great job with the AutoNation/SiriusXM car. I’m looking forward to the race. I think we’ve got a good setup and I think we can finish really well here.
“I’m super-optimistic for an amazing 2023 season because of everything that we have built this season _ all the positive data and positive energy. I can’t thank Mike and Jim enough and of course all of our partners. Simon and I are going to do everything we can to finish this season strong, and then have a good start to 2023 and some even better results.”
Editor’s Note: John Sturbin is a Texas-based journalist specializing in motorsports. During a near 30-year career with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he won the Bloys Britt Award for top motorsports story of the year (1991) as judged by The Associated Press; received the National Hot Rod Association’s Media Award (1995) and several in-house Star-Telegram honors. He also was inaugural recipient of the Texas Motor Speedway Excellence in Journalism Award (2009). His list of freelance clients includes Texas Motor Speedway, the Dallas Morning News, New York Newsday, Rome (N.Y.) Daily Sentinel, Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller Times, NASCAR Wire Service, Ford Racing and Used Car Dealer magazine).
###
Qualifying Friday for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline NTT IndyCar Series event on the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, and speed:
1. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Chevrolet, 182.727 mph
2. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Dallara-Honda, 182.070
3. (2) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Chevrolet, 181.629
4. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Dallara-Chevrolet, 181.406
5. (10) Alex Palou, Dallara-Honda, 181.289
6. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 180.954
7. (5) Pato O’Ward, Dallara-Chevrolet, 180.303
8. (51) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 180.048
9. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Dallara-Honda, 179.531
10. (27) Alexander Rossi, Dallara-Honda, 179.420
11. (26) Colton Herta, Dallara-Honda, 179.347
12. (18) David Malukas, Dallara-Honda, 179.159
13. (60) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Honda, 178.778
14. (45) Jack Harvey, Dallara-Honda, 178.775
15. (20) Conor Daly, Dallara-Chevrolet, 178.674
16. (15) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 178.657
17. (06) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 178.356
- (28) Romain Grosjean, Dallara-Honda, 179.925
19. (30) Christian Lundgaard, Dallara-Honda, 178.165
20. (14) Kyle Kirkwood, Dallara-Chevrolet, 178.079
21. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Dallara-Honda, 176.368
22. (77) Callum Ilott, Dallara-Chevrolet, 176.184
23. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Dallara-Chevrolet, 176.005
24. (4) Dalton Kellett, Dallara-Chevrolet, 173.902
25. (33) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevrolet, 173.667
26. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Dallara-Chevrolet, no speed
No Comment | http://www.racintoday.com/archives/99144 | 2022-08-20T21:41:39Z | racintoday.com | control | http://www.racintoday.com/archives/99144 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
'Blatant cheat from Collum, Josh Campbell's best appearance, emotional seeing Čabraja': Hibs fans react to 2-2 draw with Rangers
Hibs managed to earn a share of the spoils thanks to Josh Campbell’s last-gasp goal against nine-man Rangers.
Here’s what the Easter Road faithful said about the match on social media...
@aidenblack75: "An absolutely fantastic performance from hibs. Even before 9 men we looked so much better. A blatant cheat from collum for the penalty but hibs didn’t let that stop them. Josh Campbell showing why he should be a 1st team player btw.”
@ProteanRedux: "Better than I expected. Thought we'd get hammered after the first goal.”
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@elliotscott5: "Josh Campbell’s best appearance in a hibs shirt. Exceptional.”
@TheHibeesWay: "Mental how Youan has played 4 games and is already the best player in the league.”
@AidanGW99: “Josh Campbell’s great start to the season gets even better, doubters silenced again with a great performance and a goal. Let’s start putting some respect on his name.”
@GazBH86: "A bit of justice there late on. A solid point from an incident packed game. #GGTTH #Hibs”
@harrytranent: "Disappointing not to come away with all 3 points. Youan rolls royce.”
@DuncMcKay: "A word for Marijan Čabraja. What a performance off the back of a horrendous week for him. No wonder he was in floods of tears at the end.”
@Whatacatchdylan: "Emotional seeing Cabraja there. Know exactly what he's going through and I can't imagine having the strength to not only play a massive game of football after such a loss but to actually ask to play. He's going to be a massive player for us.”
@kieranohara19: "Imagine the witch hunt had Ryan Porteous done any of that today.”
@LeonRousseau10: "Josh Campbell splits opinions but thats 4 points he's won us already.” | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/blatant-cheat-from-collum-josh-campbells-best-appearance-emotional-seeing-cabraja-hibs-fans-react-to-2-2-draw-with-rangers-3813426 | 2022-08-20T21:42:55Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/blatant-cheat-from-collum-josh-campbells-best-appearance-emotional-seeing-cabraja-hibs-fans-react-to-2-2-draw-with-rangers-3813426 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
How can I see the Delphinus constellation?
This small constellation represents the head and neck of a bottlenose dolphin.
There are many creatures depicted in the night sky. Some, such as Scorpius the Scorpion or Cygnus the Swan, do, with a bit of imagination, look like the thing they’re supposed to represent. Others, such as Delphinus the Dolphin, require more work.
Delphinus is a small constellation of summer and can be seen from late July to August. It is located to the left (east) and slightly north of the summer star Altair, the brightest in the constellation of Aquila the Eagle. Altair is easily identified thanks to the two dimmer, but still bright, stars that sit either side of it; Tarazed and Alshain.
The best way to describe how Delphinus appears to the naked eye, is as a small diamond pattern with a tail. The diamond pattern is also an asterism (an unofficial pattern) known as Job’s Coffin. The constellation may not look too much like a dolphin at first, but that may be because you’re imagining it wrong. It’s supposed to represent the nose and neck of a bottle-nosed dolphin, its head poking out of the sea.
Delphinus is compact, and even though its stars aren’t particularly bright, it is distinctive. The two stars on the western (right) side of the diamond have the unusual names Sualocin and Rotanev. These first appeared on the Palermo Star Catalogue of 1814, courtesy of the Italian astronomer Niccolò Cacciatore.
It took 45 years before the British astronomer Reverend Thomas Webb worked out what Cacciatore had done to create the star names. He’d Latinised the English version of his name to arrive at Nicolaus Venator and simply reversed the letters to generate the star names as a practical joke which has stuck.
The dolphin’s nose is marked by Gamma Delphini, a binary star which splits into a golden-orange primary and yellow secondary, when viewed through the eyepiece of a telescope.
Read more:
- How can I see the Teapot and Teaspoon asterism?
- How do I see noctilucent clouds (NLCs)?
- How do I find the North Star?
- 9 stargazing tips to get you watching the stars from home
To submit your questions email us at questions@sciencefocus.com (don't forget to include your name and location)
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Tinnitus: Everything you need to know
What is it? What causes it? How is it treated? Will it go away on its own? All your questions, answered.
Tinnitus is often thought of as the ‘ringing in the ears’ that we might have temporarily after going to a loud concert. However, as many as one in 25 people have tinnitus that affects them long-term, impacting their daily lives and often coming hand-in-hand with mental health conditions, such as depression. But it’s not always heard as a ringing, and those who have it may describe it as buzzing, humming or whooshing.
For some people, the sound pulses in time with their heartbeat – this is known as ‘pulsatile tinnitus’. In general, tinnitus is a sound that comes from within; it doesn’t originate from an external source like the radio or washing machine. Most often, it’s a signal that the affected person perceives as a sound, but is generated in the brain. More rarely, it can be a ‘real’ and sometimes detectable sound coming from the body – like muscles or blood vessels – near to the ears. This is known as ‘somatosound’.
What causes it?
Detectable sound, or somatosound, can be related to high blood pressure. But in the majority of tinnitus patients, it is harder to explain what is happening. We know that it is more than likely caused by damage or changes to the ear, or to the auditory cortex, which is the part of the brain that deals with hearing.
Sometimes the damage comes from repeated exposure to loud noise, or simply growing older. One aspect that makes the cause difficult to discern is that people don’t always hear the sound that they associate with tinnitus until after the damage that caused it occurred. Research suggests the signal is initially masked by the brain, but when other triggers, such as stress, come into play, this in-built ‘noise cancellation system’ breaks, and the signal is perpetuated in the brain by changes in the auditory cortex.
Who gets tinnitus?
There are several groups of people who are more likely to get tinnitus. One is those with hearing loss; by some estimates, 9 out of 10 people who get tinnitus also have some level of hearing loss. Tinnitus is common in musicians, military personnel – army veterans are more than twice as likely as non-veterans to have tinnitus – and, less obviously, pregnant people.
It’s thought that the changes in blood volume and pressure, water retention, and circulating hormones that occur with pregnancy may affect tissues or nerves in the ear, altering the signals that are sent to the brain. There is also evidence from a 2021 study suggesting that COVID-19 can cause tinnitus, but it’s unclear whether the ears or brain are affected directly, or whether the tinnitus is triggered by emotional stress, like during the pandemic.
Will it go away on its own?
Sometimes. Mild cases often clear up within a matter of days – as in the example of going to a loud concert. However, scientific studies are more likely to be focused on people for whom the symptoms have persisted for longer. According to UK researchers who reviewed evidence from studies published between 1992-2016, symptoms tend to improve the most in the first four months after the person initially notices them, with no apparent change after that.
Many people have to learn to live with tinnitus, leading to serious impacts on their quality of life and mental health. Some studies suggest that having tinnitus can make conditions like depression and anxiety worse. It is also very common for people with tinnitus to develop hyperacusis – increased sensitivity to normal noise levels – which causes further stress and anxiety.
How is tinnitus treated?
In most cases, there is no cure. Medication consists of antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills rather than drugs that directly treat tinnitus. Cognitive behavioural therapy can help people reframe negative thoughts and emotions about the sound and improve their wellbeing, while education and counselling provide reassurance that the sound isn’t a symptom of anything sinister.
Some find benefit in sound therapy, which uses white noise, music or sounds played through smartphone apps, to mask tinnitus. For those with hearing loss, masking sounds can be played through hearing aids, and while cochlear implants can improve tinnitus, they’re not offered to everyone. Nerve and brain stimulation are potentially exciting new therapies. There is good evidence that implants similar to those used in epilepsy could help, although these involve brain surgery.
A safer option is stimulating branches of the vagus nerve – which extends into the brain’s auditory cortex – at the ear or neck, with studies showing reduced distress and a slightly reduced perceived loudness of the tinnitus. Meanwhile, Australian researchers are working on brain stimulation using electrodes strapped to the outside of patients’ heads, claiming to have temporarily silenced tinnitus in some people for several days.
Read more:
- Can you train your ears to hear better?
- Why do your ears pop?
- Does ear shape affect hearing?
- Why do I lose my hearing when I yawn?
To submit your questions email us at questions@sciencefocus.com (don't forget to include your name and location)
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An Englishman was able to turn back time during a home renovation.
While working on restoring a home in Birmingham, Scott Bevan, 42, found a package from 1969 tucked behind its fireplace, The Sun reported.
Inside the parcel were old Birmingham Evening Mail newspapers from that year as well as a photograph of the previous homeowner, Ethel Wright.
After that first startling discovery, Bevan came across another artifact — a set of 34-year-old documents in a column on the other side of the fireplace.
The aged papers included a card from the abode’s previous owners with well wishes of “luck and happiness” for its new tenants.
The heartwarming letter said, “We came here end of May 1967, it was then newly built and we have found contentment and security in these four walls. We hope you enjoy the house and garden as we have.”
The note, which was signed by the former owners as well as their sons and daughters-in-law, went on to say that the original fireplace was erected in 1969, and the second in 1988.
It also predicted when it would one day be uncovered, saying, “I suppose when you arrive you will want to make major alterations so presumably you will find this note.”
Brevan was doing the repair work for his sister, who moved in to be closer to family after suffering a brain aneurysm.
“I just think it’s a selfless and lovely thing to do and that is what is missing from the world at the minute – thinking about others,” he said. “Hopefully Debbie does find that happiness, contentment and security that the previous owners found through the house too.” | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/english-home-renovation-unearths-1960s-time-capsule-with-heartwarming-letter/ | 2022-08-20T21:58:56Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/english-home-renovation-unearths-1960s-time-capsule-with-heartwarming-letter/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Boomerang page plan, Aug. 21, 2022 Aug 20, 2022 Aug 20, 2022 Updated 1 hr ago Comments Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save BOOMERANG page plan for E-EDITION, Aug. 21 Vol. 142, No. 170 (NOTE:Please take off the “A” from the folios, just Page 2, Page 3, etc. Saying A2, A3 makes it seem like there are more sections to follow. Thx) PAGE 1 – LDB SPECIFICMAIN PACKAGE: Working out the kinks: UW students study, socialize ahead of semester, Abby (photos)WDE says social media hacked, shares survey, WTE (photo)National group applauds lawmakers for voting records, WTE (mugs)PAGE 2 – LDB SPECIFICWeather map (top of page)Worth noting briefsJumps from A1What’s Happening (to fit) Page 3Regular Bozeman-designed “A2” with feature, entertainment briefs and Today in HistoryPages 4-6AP wire (picked and built by design)Page 7Homestyle page (built by Bozeman)Page 8Health page (built by Bozeman) Pages 9-?? WyoSportsBudget and copy from Jeremiah/David. Shared in both e-editions. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tags Brief Page Printing Publishing Building Industry Ldb Specificweather Entertainment Map Social Media Plan Recommended for you Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus Trending Now Hageman beats Cheney, will face Grey Bull in November Poll: Hageman up big ahead of Wyoming's GOP primary next week Kozak wins sheriff primary, Hackl presumptive DA Nearly all incumbents advance in state, county and city races Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for today's primary election Latest Special Section Cheyenne Frontier Days To view our latest Special Section click the image on the left. Latest e-Edition Wyoming Tribune Eagle To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/boomerang-page-plan-aug-21-2022/article_4d88b428-20c5-11ed-ba78-ef1dd9ca68a6.html | 2022-08-20T22:01:02Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/boomerang-page-plan-aug-21-2022/article_4d88b428-20c5-11ed-ba78-ef1dd9ca68a6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Yankees shortstop Isaiah Kiner-Falefa takes a swing at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: Have you met Derek Jeter?
A: Not yet. But I have a lot of questions to ask when I do have the opportunity.
Q: What are you going to ask him?
A: Just how he dealt with everything, how he showed up to the field, how he dealt with the media. … You want to know how he won, what made him so great. And for me personally, I want to know his approach at the plate. His approach was always to go to right-center, but he was able to also drive the ball.
Q: What is the biggest adversity you’ve had to overcome?
A: I feel like I’m going through it now. The biggest adversity is playing shortstop for the Yankees. Being a lifelong Jeter fan and holding down that position, it could be tough. So I think the biggest adversity would definitely be playing shortstop here. But I also think catching was one of the biggest challenges I had, and overcoming that made being shortstop a lot easier.
Q: Have you watched ESPN’s “The Captain”?
A: I’m on the fifth episode right now.
Q: What are your thoughts so far?
A: I love it. I love it. I think for him to go out there and put it all out there … it helped me a lot personally of what things I go through this year and just seeing how he handled it and learning from his experience and hearing the emotional side of it as well.
Q: What specifically did you take out of it that helped you?
A: I think the biggest thing is how to handle the criticism and the expectations. Sometimes I was thinking that it was a little unfair, and then I went back and I saw that and I realized it’s not unfair, it’s just expectation. Sometimes it could feel unfair when you’re new and you’re not used to it, it could seem like a lot. But then you watch it and you see what he has to deal with, the expectations of winning here. And a lot of that expectation comes from what that Core Four was able to do. So just understanding the greatness of what they were able to accomplish, and understanding that is why we have the fan base we have is because of the greatness that came before us.
Q: What are your favorite motivational or inspirational sayings?
A: I have a lot. I’ve been working with the mental coaches here, and every day they throw something else at me. I can’t think of any right now, but definitely been studying a bunch of mental quotes and whatnot.
Q: What got you started on that?
A: Playing here. I think dealing with everything that goes on in New York, you definitely need to have a good mental space, so just going through adversity here, I want to get better. And if you can’t get better physically, then you can take your time to get better mentally.
Q: From the start of the season you’ve had this mental coach?
A: Yeah, Chad Bohling, he’s here full-time. He’s awesome, he works with the Cowboys, Dallas Stars. It’s awesome to work with somebody who’s been around Jeter, who’s been around A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez], who’s been around some of those guys from those winning days in 2009. Anytime you can get some comparison from those guys, it’s definitely a big help.
Q: Is there one lesson you’ve taken from him?
A: To be myself and to embrace everything. I think the biggest message is to embrace the city, embrace the fans, embrace the expectations and embrace winning.
Q: Do you like the spotlight here, the big stage?
A: I just feel like growing up, you always want to be in those big situations, and there’s no better place to be than in a packed Yankee Stadium — you don’t get the same energy anywhere else. So being in that big spotlight with everybody jumping up and down, you look out in right field and left field in the bleacher sections, and no one’s sitting down, everybody’s engaged into the game. So you have a big moment, you have a big hit here, it’s blown up. Those are the opportunities that you live for.
Q: What is one trait or intangible that has enabled you to beat the odds?
A: I just feel like my grit. I feel like I never quit, I just play hard, I play the right way, and I think my grittiness really allows me to block everything out and really focus on what I’m good at and what makes me who I am.
Q: What’s your definition of grit?
A: My definition of grit is just overcoming obstacles, dealing with things, not letting things bother you, and kind of just being the guy. I think having that type of attitude where nothing can bother you, and just having that confidence and expecting a lot of yourself. I think when you go out there and you hold that grit, it gives you that edge. It’s almost like that cockiness that you need to go out there just to help the team win.
Q: If Aaron Boone needed a catcher, could you lend your services?
A: Yeah, hundred percent. When I was a rookie, I didn’t catch in two months before they threw me back there. I definitely could do it.
Q: Were you good at framing?
A: Uh, no (laugh). I wasn’t the best defensive catcher, but I tried my best. But I think with the new age of catching and the one-knee stuff and just picking and not blocking, definitely think I’d be OK.
Q: Did guys try to run on you?
A: That was kind of what kept me in there. … I threw a lot of guys out.
Q: What was that feeling like?
A: It’s a great feeling, especially when you’re not expected to do it. Guys would test me thinking I didn’t know how to catch, but being a shortstop, my transfer was always quick, so I’d always get the runners. It was just the other things that I had trouble with.
Q: What is a the criticism that you thought was most unfair or bothered you the most?
A: I think it comes with playing here. I expect a lot of myself, first and foremost. When you expect a lot of yourself, it’s hard to get outside criticism, but I think what I like playing here the most if you make a mistake, you definitely feel it, but you always have a chance to redeem yourself, so when you get that opportunity, it makes you focus a lot more. I remember in Texas just wasting at-bats because the energy at the stadium wasn’t there. Here the energy is so awesome and so great that you’re forced to lock it in, because if you don’t lock it in, you know you’re gonna get booed, so just having that in the back of your mind really allows guys to hone it in and reach levels of focus that they didn’t think were possible.
Q: What were your emotions the first time you visited Monument Park?
A: Goosebumps. Being a lifelong Yankee fan and understanding the history that this franchise has, and the greatness of players and just everything that’s happened before me, it’s pretty surreal. And just going out there and understanding the legacy. It’s something that all players that have never worn the pinstripes want to continue and want to be part of something special like all the other players out there.
Q: When did you go?
A: When I played for Texas, every time we played here I used it as like my way to get hot. I’d always go out there and read the plaques and understand the greatness of every player and what made them special, and just understanding the greatness of this franchise.
Q: Some famous Yankees names, whatever comes to mind: Yogi Berra?
A: The 10 rings. I think he’s the all-time ring leader for the Yankees. … (chuckle) Anytime you can win that many rings, you deserve to be out there.
Q: Lou Gehrig?
A: One of the all-time greats, left-handed bat.
Q: What would you have wanted to ask Babe Ruth?
A: I would just want to have a conversation with him. I wouldn’t know what to ask because the game was so different that way, but I would want to know how the game was. What made the game special? … How the rivalry was back in the day? … How was it being traded from Boston to the Yankees, and if it held the magnitude as it would now? … To be at the level he was compared to everybody else, there was no one else that was close for a long time, for a really long time. I think of myself as an old-school player, taking guys out on the bases, doing things that people don’t want to do. The game’s changed so much that it’d be nice to hear from the old-school guys of how it was or what was the expectation, and how they went about their business. I feel like those guys probably smoked cigarettes in the clubhouse back in the day. There’s so much different things about the game from then and now that I’d definitely want to understand the differences just for my own baseball historian sake.
Q: Mickey Mantle?
A: Great switch-hitting guy, speed guy. Another one … any time you hear these names, you just think of a Hall of Famer, you know, legend, and it’s hard to compare them all because they’re so great.
Q: Joe Torre?
A: Greatest manager ever, so far. Hopefully get Booney up there one day (chuckle), but Joe Torre, what he’s meant for this organization, I think the calmness, the collectiveness that he was able to bring to the clubhouse for those guys … and all those rings he’s won.
Q: Mr. October?
A: Reggie Jackson. It’s a bunch of big-hitting lefties.
Q: Thurman Munson?
A: One of the greatest catchers of all time, and I think the cool thing about Thurman Munson was his arm slot. One thing that I feel like I did when I was a catcher was I had a lower arm slot, I wasn’t like those traditional catchers who got over the top. One of our pitching coaches when I was with Texas, he said, “Hey, go watch some Thurman Munson film. He threw just like how you do.” Ever since I heard that, I was a very big fan of him, like just learning the catching position.
Q: Bucky Dent?
A: I don’t get compared to him, but when I hit my homer a couple of days ago, a couple of reporters were like, “Bucky Dent could do it, you can do it,” so that was pretty funny to hear that.
Q: George Steinbrenner?
A: The Boss. Just watching “The Captain” recently and understanding what he wanted the organization, the franchise, to be like, I think the coolest part about it it’s what he expected of all his players. You don’t really see that too often. He was very straightforward, and it seemed like a lot of the players fed off of it in a positive way.
Q: A quote from you: “Can’t call yourself a hustler if you ain’t dirty.”
A: Yeah, I mean, I try to get as dirty as possible. My nickname is “The Hawaiian Hustle,” I got that back in Texas. I really like it. But when that’s your nickname, you always have to play hard. It kind of keeps me accountable.
Q: You once said, “I play cocky.”
A: Just believing in myself. When you’re out there, you have to believe in yourself, and you have to have a little bit of an edge, and sometimes it comes off as cocky. But here it’s mostly just internal.
Q: Describe your on-field mentality.
A: All I try to do every day is just play as hard as I can, no matter if it’s good or bad, the only thing that I can control every day is my effort.
Q: What drives you?
A: I love baseball, that’s first and foremost. At this level now, once you kind of establish yourself, the goal is to win a ring, and when you put the pinstripes on, and that’s the expectation, it makes it a lot cooler, and it gives you a different type of passion. You want to win for the fans, you want to win for yourself, but you also want to be a part of something special, and I think wearing this jersey and winning kind of sums up all of those kind of things all together.
Q: Describe the New York Yankees Way.
A: I love it. The New York Yankees, they expect a lot, and when they expect a lot, expectations are high. And that’s how I am personally and that’s how I’m driven on an everyday basis. So having that from your organization top to bottom is, like, who I am and what I enjoy. Coming from Texas and a hundred-loss team, it was almost OK to lose, and I love the fact that losing is not OK here.
Q: You’ve referred to yourself as Prospect No. 0.
A: It was a good opportunity for me to prove some people wrong, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed not having many expectations, I enjoyed people not believing in me, and it kind of just fueled my fire and it gave me an opportunity to get better. I feel like sometimes when you get too much things going for you at a young age, you can lose focus of what you’re there for. Not being a prospect really allowed me to focus on myself and understand that I wasn’t good enough. So it really allowed me to get better.
Q: Why do you think you were Prospect No. 0?
A: I wasn’t highly touted, I didn’t even get an offer from University of Hawaii, which is literally like two minutes from my high school. I didn’t have a lot of hype, I didn’t go to area codes, I didn’t go to any of the big prospect stuff. It wasn’t a bad thing, it’s just how everything kind of played out.
Q: But you always believed that you would make it here?
A: Yeah, hundred percent. There was never a doubt, I always knew that I just always have to get better. One of the big things for me is I’m never satisfied, I always want to work, I always want to get better and I’m always looking to improve.
Q: If you could face any pitcher in MLB history to test your skills, who would it be?
A: I’d definitely want to face Pedro Martinez. You watch all the highlights that he’s had against the Yankees, and the dominant performances … I felt like he’s one of those old-school pitchers that could definitely compete in the game right now.
Q: If you could pick the brain of any infielder in MLB history?
A: No. 1 is definitely Derek Jeter, favorite player. No. 2 would be Ozzie Smith. Ozzie Smith was one of the first guys who really got me into baseball. I used to ride a dirt bike and whatnot and see him do his flips out onto the field really opened my eyes to baseball. And then I fell in love with Derek Jeter after kind of understanding the game and what kind of goes on.
Q: When you fell in love with him, what kind of things did you observe about Jeter?
A: His leadership, his humbleness, the way he went about his business. But I felt like he was so good mentally, and he was so good with his internal confidence, that it felt like nothing could bother him. And just the greatness of the World Series and to be able to win all those and be the leader of those teams, it just shows what kind of person he is.
Q: Give me an example of Aaron Judge’s leadership.
A: Whenever you’re going through something, he’s always right there. Before the games and whatnot, he will go up to a bunch of guys and ask ’em what their plan is, like he’s making sure everybody’s locked in, he’s making sure that he sets an example. And I think the coolest thing about him, he’s a lot like Jeter from what I’ve seen. I think the humbleness, the confidence, but the quiet confidence. You go in that clubhouse and he does not feel like he’s a superstar when you walk into that clubhouse. You see him outside of the clubhouse, and you see the fans and the attention that he gets, you wouldn’t expect him to act the way he acts in the clubhouse. He’s our captain. He’s willing to reach out to guys that are struggling, he’s willing to be the biggest cheerleader when someone does something good, and he produces in the big situations, which is ultimately what you want in your captain.
Q: Well, he’s not actually named Captain.
A: We look at him as our captain, and everybody knows that it’s his team, and he’s our guy.
Q: Frankie Montas?
A: He’s a dog. I’ve played against him the last couple of years when he was in Oakland, and he’s definitely one of the top guys in the league. He attacks the zone, he’s got a power sinker, and he’s definitely a guy you want on the mound. After his first outing in St. Louis, he gave up a couple of runs, he’s back in the dugout yelling, “Come on boys, pick me up, pick me up.” And to hear that from a pitcher in his first outing on a new team and being that vocal just shows a lot about his character.
Q: Football was your first love. Who were your favorite players?
A: I really liked Terrell Owens growing up (chuckle), ’cause growing up in Hawaii, you got the 49ers right there. I loved T.O. … Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson. I just liked a lot of the West Coast guys.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, Thurman Munson.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “The Avengers.”
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Drake.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Poke. That’s just Hawaiian fish, raw fish and rice.
Q: Fill in the blank: I’m proud of myself because …
A: I never gave up. I never give up and I play hard.
Q: Tell Yankees fans why they shouldn’t be concerned about the recent hitting drought.
A: It’s definitely concerning in a way, but the thing is, hitting goes up and down throughout a year, it just so happens that it’s everybody at the same time right now. When you play this many games, it’s hard to stay hot all year. It might be better to go through this now than the ending of September and going into October. At least this gives us a month to really hone in on what we need to work on and gives us time to figure out what we need to fix before hopefully we get into the postseason.
Q: What’s it like being a New York Yankee on the road?
A: It’s the best thing ever. Everywhere we go on the road for the most part, we’re the home team. Our fans show up and cheer us on, on the road, and we almost outnumber every fan base we play against on the road. It’s one of the coolest things when you’re getting on the bus and you have 100 people outside your hotel waiting to see the Yankees.
Q: Is this a World Series team?
A: Yes. I believe it is. … Just because we’ve had some hiccups doesn’t mean we’re not the same team.
Q: Is being a Yankee what you expected?
A: I didn’t expect the type of following that I would get. I knew the other guys around me definitely are stars and whatnot, but didn’t expect people to appreciate what I do. … I didn’t expect how crazy things could get here. It’s kind of everything I’ve ever dreamt of. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/yankees-isiah-kiner-falefa-talks-derek-jeter-grittiness/ | 2022-08-20T22:07:25Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/20/yankees-isiah-kiner-falefa-talks-derek-jeter-grittiness/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Three men have been indicted in the beating death of imprisoned Boston gangster and convicted murderer James "Whitey" Bulger, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Fotios "Freddy" Geas, 55, Paul "Pauly" DeCologero, 48, and Sean McKinnon, 36, were charged Wednesday with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Bulger, who was killed nearly four years ago while incarcerated at the US Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia, the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia said in a statement.
All three were incarcerated with Bulger at the Hazelton facility, where Bulger was serving two life sentences for the murders of 11 people, as well as numerous other counts including extortion, money laundering and drug dealing.
Prior to his imprisonment, Bulger ran Boston's infamous Winter Hill Gang during the 1970s and '80s. He went into hiding upon learning of his impending 1995 indictment, landing himself on the FBI's most-wanted list. He was finally found and arrested 16 years after he was indicted. The gangster's criminal reign would serve as the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character in the Martin Scorsese film "The Departed."
Geas and DeCologero are accused of striking Bulger, 89, in the head several times in October 2018, causing his death, the district attorney's office said.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Geas and DeCologero are charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, the statement said. Geas is also charged with murder by a federal inmate serving a life sentence and McKinnon is separately charged with making false statements to a federal agent, the office said.
Geas remains imprisoned at the Hazelton penitentiary and DeCologero is currently being held at a separate federal prison facility. McKinnon has been on supervised release and was arrested in Florida on Thursday, the statement said.
CNN is working to determine whether the men have legal representation.
After they were indicted, US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Rachael Rollins expressed solidarity for the families of Bulger's victims.
"He was a serial murderer, and each mention of his name is a trigger to the families he devastated, reopening wounds that we can only hope had finally started to heal," Rollins said in a statement. "In the truest of ironies, Bulger's family has experienced the excruciating pain and trauma their relative inflicted on far too many, and the justice system is now coming to their aid."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/3-men-indicted-in-the-beating-death-of-gangster-james-whitey-bulger/article_500cdf19-c881-52d1-a394-716d4ae637d0.html | 2022-08-20T22:08:37Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/3-men-indicted-in-the-beating-death-of-gangster-james-whitey-bulger/article_500cdf19-c881-52d1-a394-716d4ae637d0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Washington: A top Treasury Department official is set next week to make his first official trip to India since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Amid tensions over India's neutral stance on the invasion that began in late February, the US wants the meetings to focus on how to deepen ties with the South Asian nation.
Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo will travel to Mumbai and New Delhi for meetings that include Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, the finance ministry, the Reserve Bank of India, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
And as India is set to lead the Group of 20 intergovernmental forum in 2023, Treasury says Adeyemo will discuss key shared priorities such as bolstering energy security, addressing food insecurity globally, and combatting illicit financial flows.
India hasn't shunned Russia despite its membership in the regional Quad alliance with the US, Australia and Japan, Instead, it has maintained its business ties with Russia, depending on the Kremlin for energy and other exports.
The nation has boosted its purchase of Russian oil, buying roughly 60 million barrels in 2022 so far, compared with only 12 million barrels in all of 2021, according to commodity data firm Kpler.
The US and Europe, however, are moving away from Russian energy with Treasury officials promoting a price cap on Russian oil.
A Treasury statement says Adeyemo will meet with financial services and energy sectors executives in Mumbai and will speak about strengthening economic ties between the US and India.
He will also underscore our two countries' deep economic, security, and cultural ties and discuss ways to build "more resilient supply chains through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that India joined as a founding member in May.
India is the world's second-most populous country and largest democracy based on a population of 1.4 billion.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden issued a statement celebrating India's 75th anniversary of independence, calling the US and India indispensable partners. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/20/us-official-to-visit-india.html | 2022-08-20T22:09:06Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/08/20/us-official-to-visit-india.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Waves of storms across Chicago, suburbs through Saturday evening, with isolated tornadoes possible
CHICAGO - Residents of Chicago and the suburbs should be on the lookout for showers and thunderstorms through Saturday evening.
The National Weather Service said that lightning and torrential downpours will occur, with isolated flooding possible.
The showers and thunderstorms will be strongest along and south of I-80, the National Weather Service said.
There is a low chance of damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/waves-of-storms-across-chicago-suburbs-through-saturday-evening-with-isolated-tornadoes-possible | 2022-08-20T22:09:35Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/waves-of-storms-across-chicago-suburbs-through-saturday-evening-with-isolated-tornadoes-possible | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Group gives reasons for supporting Tinubu’s presidential ambition
A group, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Solidarity Vanguard (BATS-Vanguard), said its support for the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is predicated on strong belief that the former Lagos State governor is someone that can deliver performance based results and not just promises, if elected into office, come 2023.
Lagos State Chairman of the group, Otunba (Dr.) Shakirudeen Dengel Anifowose, said this while speaking with newsmen, ahead of the formal launch of the support group, headed by Dr. Dare Owotomobi (FCPA), who is the founder and Global Chairman.
Dengel explained that the support for Asiwaju Tinubu, the APC flag bearer was hinged on the trust for the former Lagos State governor’s political philosophy that prioritises development of human capital and economy.
“We want someone that can deliver results, performance based results, not just promises, that’s why we chose to work for Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the party chieftain said.
Otunba Dengel stated that the group is independent and that not under the sponsorship of any personality, even as highlighted that the group would make use of the social media platforms like Instagram, twitter, Facebook LinkedIn to mobilize people to vote for the Tinubu/Shetima ticket in the 2023 General Elections.
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“We are bringing into fore a knowledge driven campaign based on huge contributions of Asiwaju Tinubu to the Nigerian democracy coupled with his untiring efforts as a nation and people builder over the years,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman, Publicity Committee of the group, Comrade Daniel Olusegun Abiodun, described Asiwaju Tinubu as a detribalized Nigerian who had his footprints all over the country, urging Nigerians to support him as, according to him, he has what it takes to move the nation to its promise land.
“You cannot become a leader except God ordained you, Asiwaju Tinubu has footprints all over Nigeria. He has helped and lifted many people. He doesn’t discriminate on the basis of religion. I urge Nigerians to support him as he has what it takes to move the nation to its promise land,” he said. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/group-gives-reasons-for-supporting-tinubus-presidential-ambition/ | 2022-08-20T22:20:54Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/group-gives-reasons-for-supporting-tinubus-presidential-ambition/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A non-profit organisation, Junior Achievement of Nigeria (JAN), and Union Bank have devoted a significant part of their sustainable development mission to ensuring that young girls and women in Nigeria have unrestricted opportunities to thrive in the society.
Both organisations have, for eight years, forged a strategic partnership to advance JAN’s Leadership Empowerment Achievement Development (LEAD) Camp intervention programme, a long-running initiative to inspire and empower young girls to become high-achieving women leaders.
The LEAD Camp’s latest edition — the 8th collaboration between JAN and Union Bank — held recently in Lagos witnessed participation from over 300 girls.
The week-long event was used to provide guidance and to improve the skill sets of the girls in areas of financial literacy, entrepreneurship, technology, coding, career development, general health and wellness, and sexual reproductive health, creative arts, and entertainment.
During the programme, the girls learnt and received mentorship from some outstanding women in the private and public sectors across the globe — courtesy of Junior Achievement of Nigeria’s association with its global counterpart, Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAW).
The programme, now in its 21st year, has played a significant role in developing and advancing the career of over 1,000 girls in Nigeria, churning influential alumni such as Nkechi Eze-Balogun, founder of Asoebi Bella; Oduolayinka Osunloye, youth advisor at IREX; Oyin Olugbile-Adewale, founder of Parisian Consult; among others.
JAN’s Executive Director, Foluso Gbadamosi, in her remarks, said, “The LEAD Camp is to demonstrate that regardless of their socio-economic status, background or career path they choose to take, young girls and women can be successful with the right guidance, mind-set, skill sets and network. And we will continue to inspire and provide them with a world of possibilities to thrive excellently.”
According to Gbadamosi, this explains why the United Nations (UN), in its efforts towards a sustainable world in 2030, dedicates Goal 5 of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieving gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls.
Union Bank’s Brand and Marketing Officer, Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem, said, “This partnership reinforces our commitment to the push for gender equality and our focus on supporting the girl-child. We are proud to see the impact of the programme on the young girls across the country, and we commend the efforts of the JAN team who work tirelessly to impact them.”
According to Ekezie-Ekaidem, for African nations that are determined to achieve the UN’s gender parity target in less than a decade, JAN and Union Bank have laid a blueprint worthy of emulation. She added that this portends hope that the dream of a gender-equal world can indeed become a reality in no distant time.
The partners of the programme agreed that the success of initiatives like the LEAD Camp is a critical indicator of the progress Africa and Nigeria can attain if more public and private organisations, independent societal bodies, and future-forward individuals would play similar active roles in ensuring that women and girls enjoy a level-playing field in the society.
Gender inequality represents a major threat to economic, social and global development. Gender discrimination is considered to have an enormous impact on nations’ capability to achieve economic growth, while its psychological effects — low self-esteem, stress, and trauma — on affected individuals make it one of the world’s most critical challenges to conquer.
With the progress in establishing an equal world of rights and opportunities for all gender still at a snail’s pace and posing a great obstacle for many nations, achieving gender parity has expectedly taken centre stage in the global efforts towards sustainable development goals.
According to a report by the UN Women, in 2020, the number of employed women declined by 54 million. This is despite the fact that they, compared to their male counterparts, have less opportunity to land high-paying jobs. Hence, it is unsurprising that they are also generally at greater risk of falling into poverty, as evidenced by the statistics that nearly 60 per cent of women work in the informal economy and an estimated 435 million women and girls globally live in extreme poverty.
To this end, the LEAD Camp partners believe that providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies, and also benefit societies and humanity at large.
Fortunately, in Nigeria, deliberate efforts to reduce gender inequality for societal and national growth have kicked into gear by well-meaning organisations like JAN, Union Bank, and others, with a focus on educating, empowering, and liberating women and girls.
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Stanbic IBTC and a non-governmental organisation, STEMi Makers Africa, have partnered STEM METS to train some young women and girls in South-eastern Nigeria in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
The collaborative event, which took place in Enugu on Friday, was part of the STEMNovation programme organised by STEMi Makers Africa.
The founder of STEMi, Amanda Obidike, while speaking at the event, stated that working in collaboration with Stanbic IBTC, STEMi launched its STEMNovation programme in 2021 to support girls in under-served communities who are interested in pursuing careers in mathematics, science, and technology.
She added that the programme selects high-school girls from disadvantaged homes to take part in mentorship, skills development workshops, and job-shadowing in the STEM fields.
Obidike further stated that her organisation aims to design a yearly programme where girls in under-developed communities and other African nations − where the STEMNovation programme has flagged off − will take part in job-shadowing during school holidays, learn life skills training, internships, and personal development planning.
“The yearly programme will also help young women and girls to navigate university and scholarship applications,” Obidike said. “We will place them in different roles and divisions in order for them to be exposed to as many future-focused options in STEM as possible.”
Speaking at the event, the representative of Stanbic IBTC, Maryam Arbio, said she was impressed with the kind of training the young women and girls took part in, which included: robotics, 3D animation, prototyping, AI/VR, coding, and fundamental data analytics.
Arbio enlightened the participants on personal development, career development, and financial literacy. She encouraged the girls to be purpose-driven and to awaken to the world of technology and innovation.
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“We are happy to impact girls on how to manage money and time; how to plan their finances, save for their future, and take care of essentials while still ensuring that your future self is not broke,” Arbio added.
Caleb Kylie, one of the facilitators of the programme, noted that in Enugu State, there is an average of 39.4 per cent of student who finish high school; and that out of this number, only 11 per cent attend university.
He further noted that young women and girls from communities where unemployment is almost 40 per cent and where women are more likely to be unemployed than men, a career in science and technology seem like a distant dream.
“Globally, just 30 per cent of scientists employed in research and development are women,” Kylie lamented. “That is where STEMi comes in.”
Kylie said the STEMNovation programme inspires future generations of girls to join the science and technology field, and to venture into roles typically occupied by men.
“STEMi is working to transform women education in under-served communities,” Kylie added. “We are happy to experience four in five girls going on to further their studies in STEM after secondary school.”
One of the participants, Agunweze Onyinye, said, “Participating in the Enugu STEMNovation programme is a blessing. My eyes are opened. I believe with hard work and constant development, I can one day be a software engineer and train younger girls who look up to me.”
Another participant, Ani Ifechukwu, said, “With this programme, I hope to get a job-shadow opportunity and be awarded a scholarship into the university.” | https://tribuneonlineng.com/stanbic-ibtc-stemi-train-girls-in-stem/ | 2022-08-20T22:21:02Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/stanbic-ibtc-stemi-train-girls-in-stem/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said in an interview Thursday that Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) “would not become the nominee if she were to run” for president after the Wyoming lawmaker acknowledged earlier this week she was considering a presidential bid.
“I don’t think someone who is seen outside the Trump circle would have any realistic chance of becoming the nominee in 2024, barring something I can’t foresee at this stage,” Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, told the Deseret News. “If he doesn’t run again, I think it’ll be people who either were supporters of his or people who didn’t say much about him and then would be open to become the nominee.”
“I’m not going to encourage anyone to run for president. I’ve done that myself, and that’s something I’m not doing again. I don’t know if she really wants to do that. She would not become the nominee if she were to run. I can’t imagine that would occur,” he also said.
The Utah senator, who voted in favor of impeaching Trump following the Capitol riot similar to Cheney, also said he appreciated her courage for sticking to conscience given the risk and consequences her deviation with former President Trump and much of the Republican Party posed for her.
“I salute her courage. You wouldn’t call it courage, by the way, if there were no consequence for doing what you think is right. She did what she thought was right. I believe she was right,” he told the Deseret News.
Cheney acknowledged in an interview on NBC News’s “Today” show earlier this week that she was considering a presidential bid, remarks that came one day after she lost her primary to attorney Harriet Hageman (R).
The Wyoming lawmaker drew the ire of Trump after she pushed back against his baseless allegations about the 2020 election and for later serving on a House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump endorsed a primary challenger to her as a result, successfully ousting the three-term incumbent.
“That’s a decision that I’m going to make in the coming months, and I’m not going to make any announcements here this morning. But it is something that I am thinking about, and I’ll make a decision in the coming months,” Cheney said when asked if she was considering running for the presidency. | https://www.wspa.com/hill-politics/romney-cheney-would-not-become-the-nominee-if-she-were-to-run-for-president/ | 2022-08-20T22:25:53Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/hill-politics/romney-cheney-would-not-become-the-nominee-if-she-were-to-run-for-president/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Republicans have found success in Democratic strongholds like Maryland and Massachusetts when they have fielded moderate candidates who could appeal to voters in both parties. With Democrats facing headwinds this year, Republicans had hoped that strategy could pay off yet again.
But Republican voters have nominated loyalists of former President Donald Trump in several Democratic states, including Maryland and Connecticut, making the GOP’s odds of winning those general election races even longer. Massachusetts will face its own test next month as GOP voters decide between a Trump-backed conservative and a more moderate Republican for the party’s gubernatorial nominee.
“It can’t continue,” said former Connecticut U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, a moderate Republican and Trump critic, referring to the GOP choosing pro-Trump candidates. “One of the things that will happen is that a lot of the Trump candidates who won the primary will lose the general election. And there are a lot of unhappy Republicans who hold office now who believe that the Senate now is in jeopardy of staying Democratic.”
Trump’s influence was on full display earlier this month when his last-minute endorsement helped propel Leora Levy, a member of the Republican National Committee who opposes abortion rights, to victory in a Republican U.S. Senate primary in Connecticut over the party’s endorsed candidate, former House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. Klarides supports abortion rights and said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2020.
“Sad day for CT …,” tweeted Brenda Kupchick, the Republican first selectwoman of Fairfield and a former state representative, after the Aug. 9 race was called for Levy. Days earlier, after Trump endorsed Levy on speakerphone at a GOP picnic, Kupchick tweeted, “How is that helpful in the general election in CT?”
Kupchick’s tweets sparked criticism in both GOP camps. Trump supporters accused Klarides of not being a “true conservative.” Moderate Republicans predicted that Levy’s nomination ensured Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal would sail to victory in November, despite a Quinnipiac poll in May registering his lowest job approval since he took office in 2011.
The last Republican to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate was Lowell P. Weicker Jr., who served from 1971 to 1989, though Connecticut has elected a moderate Republican governor as recently as 2006, with M. Jodi Rell.
Levy, who has never before served in elective office, contends her message of controlling high inflation and energy prices, stopping “government intrusion between parent and child” and addressing crime will resonate with a wide range of voters.
A similar dynamic has unfolded in liberal Maryland, where Dan Cox, a far-right state legislator endorsed by Trump, won the Republican primary for governor over a moderate rival backed by outgoing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, a Trump critic. And in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, Republican voters casting ballots in the state’s Sept. 6 gubernatorial primary will choose between Geoff Diehl, a Trump-backed former state representative, and Chris Doughty, a businessman with moderate views. Centrist Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, a Trump critic, decided against seeking a third term.
The Democratic nominees in Maryland and Massachusetts are viewed as strong favorites to flip the governor’s mansions in those states.
Trump’s backing has propelled his candidates to victory in top races in battleground states, too, boosting Democrats’ optimism of winning the general election. In Arizona, former TV news anchor Kari Lake, who has said she would not have certified President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, defeated lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson, who had been endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and outgoing GOP Gov. Doug Ducey. In Wisconsin, Trump-backed businessman Tim Michels beat former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who had been endorsed by Pence and the state party. Both Michels and Kleefisch, however, falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
In Connecticut, Levy’s nomination is already being used as a rallying cry for Democrats, who contend she’s out of the mainstream for a state where Republicans are outnumbered by unaffiliated voters and by Democrats. Aside from opposing abortion rights — reversing her position years ago of supporting abortion rights — Levy has spoken out against job-related COVID-19 vaccine requirements and transgender rights. Levy effusively thanked the former president during her acceptance speech, promising, “I will not let you down.”
A day after the primary, Blumenthal’s campaign sent out a fundraising message that warned, “The primary results are in, and I’m officially facing off against Trump’s hand-picked candidate in the general election — a radical Republican who will be nothing but a rubber stamp on Mitch McConnell’s disastrous agenda.”
Levy, in turn, has tied Blumenthal to Biden, casting him as a “rubber stamp” for the Democratic president’s “failed policies” as president and blaming Blumenthal for playing a “a key role in creating virtually every challenge our country faces today.”
“Dick Blumenthal wants this election to be a referendum on a President. Donald Trump is not on the ballot in November, but Joe Biden is,” she said in a news release issued after the primary.
Shays, who now lives in Maryland, said he believes an endorsement by Trump is disqualifying. He said he contributed to the campaign of Wes Moore, the Democrat running against Cox in Maryland, and would vote for Blumenthal if he still lived in Connecticut.
“I will vote against anyone who seeks the support of Donald Trump because that tells me so much about their character and what they intend to do if elected. That’s the bottom line to me,” Shays said.
Ben Proto, chair of the Connecticut Republicans, dismissed any suggestion that the primary victory by Levy signaled a political evolution within the state GOP. Rather, he said, the party this year has “candidates across the board who hold different opinions on particular issues.”
But what they have in common, he said, is the goal of getting inflation under control, making Connecticut more affordable, addressing crime and allowing parents to be the “primary stakeholder” in their children’s lives.
“At the end of the day, the issues that are important to the people of the state of Connecticut, we’re pretty solid on,” he said.
___
Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics. | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/far-right-wins-in-blue-states-threaten-gop-hopes-in-november/ | 2022-08-20T22:26:06Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/far-right-wins-in-blue-states-threaten-gop-hopes-in-november/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 23 |
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Republicans have found success in Democratic strongholds like Maryland and Massachusetts when they have fielded moderate candidates who could appeal to voters in both parties. With Democrats facing headwinds this year, Republicans had hoped that strategy could pay off yet again.
But Republican voters have nominated loyalists of former President Donald Trump in several Democratic states, including Maryland and Connecticut, making the GOP’s odds of winning those general election races even longer. Massachusetts will face its own test next month as GOP voters decide between a Trump-backed conservative and a more moderate Republican for the party’s gubernatorial nominee.
“It can’t continue,” said former Connecticut U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, a moderate Republican and Trump critic, referring to the GOP choosing pro-Trump candidates. “One of the things that will happen is that a lot of the Trump candidates who won the primary will lose the general election. And there are a lot of unhappy Republicans who hold office now who believe that the Senate now is in jeopardy of staying Democratic.”
Trump’s influence was on full display earlier this month when his last-minute endorsement helped propel Leora Levy, a member of the Republican National Committee who opposes abortion rights, to victory in a Republican U.S. Senate primary in Connecticut over the party’s endorsed candidate, former House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. Klarides supports abortion rights and said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2020.
“Sad day for CT …,” tweeted Brenda Kupchick, the Republican first selectwoman of Fairfield and a former state representative, after the Aug. 9 race was called for Levy. Days earlier, after Trump endorsed Levy on speakerphone at a GOP picnic, Kupchick tweeted, “How is that helpful in the general election in CT?”
Kupchick’s tweets sparked criticism in both GOP camps. Trump supporters accused Klarides of not being a “true conservative.” Moderate Republicans predicted that Levy’s nomination ensured Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal would sail to victory in November, despite a Quinnipiac poll in May registering his lowest job approval since he took office in 2011.
The last Republican to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate was Lowell P. Weicker Jr., who served from 1971 to 1989, though Connecticut has elected a moderate Republican governor as recently as 2006, with M. Jodi Rell.
Levy, who has never before served in elective office, contends her message of controlling high inflation and energy prices, stopping “government intrusion between parent and child” and addressing crime will resonate with a wide range of voters.
A similar dynamic has unfolded in liberal Maryland, where Dan Cox, a far-right state legislator endorsed by Trump, won the Republican primary for governor over a moderate rival backed by outgoing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, a Trump critic. And in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, Republican voters casting ballots in the state’s Sept. 6 gubernatorial primary will choose between Geoff Diehl, a Trump-backed former state representative, and Chris Doughty, a businessman with moderate views. Centrist Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, a Trump critic, decided against seeking a third term.
The Democratic nominees in Maryland and Massachusetts are viewed as strong favorites to flip the governor’s mansions in those states.
Trump’s backing has propelled his candidates to victory in top races in battleground states, too, boosting Democrats’ optimism of winning the general election. In Arizona, former TV news anchor Kari Lake, who has said she would not have certified President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, defeated lawyer and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson, who had been endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and outgoing GOP Gov. Doug Ducey. In Wisconsin, Trump-backed businessman Tim Michels beat former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who had been endorsed by Pence and the state party. Both Michels and Kleefisch, however, falsely claimed the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
In Connecticut, Levy’s nomination is already being used as a rallying cry for Democrats, who contend she’s out of the mainstream for a state where Republicans are outnumbered by unaffiliated voters and by Democrats. Aside from opposing abortion rights — reversing her position years ago of supporting abortion rights — Levy has spoken out against job-related COVID-19 vaccine requirements and transgender rights. Levy effusively thanked the former president during her acceptance speech, promising, “I will not let you down.”
A day after the primary, Blumenthal’s campaign sent out a fundraising message that warned, “The primary results are in, and I’m officially facing off against Trump’s hand-picked candidate in the general election — a radical Republican who will be nothing but a rubber stamp on Mitch McConnell’s disastrous agenda.”
Levy, in turn, has tied Blumenthal to Biden, casting him as a “rubber stamp” for the Democratic president’s “failed policies” as president and blaming Blumenthal for playing a “a key role in creating virtually every challenge our country faces today.”
“Dick Blumenthal wants this election to be a referendum on a President. Donald Trump is not on the ballot in November, but Joe Biden is,” she said in a news release issued after the primary.
Shays, who now lives in Maryland, said he believes an endorsement by Trump is disqualifying. He said he contributed to the campaign of Wes Moore, the Democrat running against Cox in Maryland, and would vote for Blumenthal if he still lived in Connecticut.
“I will vote against anyone who seeks the support of Donald Trump because that tells me so much about their character and what they intend to do if elected. That’s the bottom line to me,” Shays said.
Ben Proto, chair of the Connecticut Republicans, dismissed any suggestion that the primary victory by Levy signaled a political evolution within the state GOP. Rather, he said, the party this year has “candidates across the board who hold different opinions on particular issues.”
But what they have in common, he said, is the goal of getting inflation under control, making Connecticut more affordable, addressing crime and allowing parents to be the “primary stakeholder” in their children’s lives.
“At the end of the day, the issues that are important to the people of the state of Connecticut, we’re pretty solid on,” he said.
___
Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics. | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/far-right-wins-in-blue-states-threaten-gop-hopes-in-november/ | 2022-08-20T22:26:06Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/far-right-wins-in-blue-states-threaten-gop-hopes-in-november/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 23 |
MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami congressman who signed a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s socialist government not only did no apparent work, but also channeled a large chunk of the money to a yacht company on behalf of a fugitive billionaire, according to new allegations in a civil suit.
The accusations against former Congressman David Rivera come in a new filing Friday in New York federal court by opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who now control the U.S.-based affiliates of the South American nation’s state oil company.
Rivera’s Interamerican Consulting was sued in 2020 by PDV USA — a Delaware-based affiliate of Venezuelan-owned Citgo. It alleges Rivera performed no work for the $50 million contract he signed in 2017 for three months of “strategic consulting” meant to build bridges with key U.S. stakeholders.
The same contract has been the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Miami looking into, among other things, whether Rivera failed to register as a foreign lobbyist as required bv law.
Rivera has not been charged with any crime, but the new filings give a detailed look at his dealings with Venezuela’s state-run oil industry and how he allegedly spent the money he received.
Around the same time Rivera was hired, Maduro’s government had launched a charm offensive to curry favor with the Trump administration. It initially avoided outright criticism of the new U.S. leader and even donated $500,000 to his inaugural committee through Citgo.
The new court filing is based on evidence only recently uncovered by PDV USA’s attorneys, including 18,000 text and WhatsApp messages from Rivera’s phone and statements he made during a two-day deposition in July.
Rivera received only $15 million of the original amount, but the new filing says he spent part of that on unexplained payments to a convicted drug trafficker and to a company managing yachts on behalf of a Venezuelan TV magnate wanted for arrest by U.S. authorities.
“Mr. Rivera never provided any services to Citgo and, it appears, never intended to do so,” according to the filing by PDV USA. “Instead, the true purpose of the agreement was to cover up illicit transactions.”
Rivera did not reply to a request for comment, but he has maintained his innocence and has countersued PDV USA alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment for its failure to pay $30 million he says he is still owed.
According to the filing, in one exchange of messages with Raul Gorrin — a Maduro insider who owns Venezuela’s largest private TV network — Rivera discussed trying to set up a meeting between Venezuela’s foreign minister and executives from the U.S. oil company Exxon.
The new filing cites a message in which Rivera and Gorrin texted one another that “the concert ticket is $15, not 20, as we said last night” — wording PDV USA’s lawyers call a “clear reference to a bribe.”
“At deposition, Mr. Rivera was unable to explain what this text message meant, and testified that he did not remember attending any concerts at that time,” PDV USA stated in its filing. It did not say who a bribe might have been meant for and the meeting never took place.
Rivera had asked the court to shield his communications with Gorrin, who the U.S. alleges was the mastermind of a conspiracy to siphon $1.2 billion from PDVSA — Venezuela’s state oil company. Gorrin is a lawyer, though not licensed to practice in the United States, and a judge in June ruled that Rivera’s communications with him did not meet the threshold for attorney-client privilege and must be handed over as part of what’s known as discovery.
Of the $15 million that Rivera received, about 75% was transferred to other individuals, according to the new filing. Around $3.75 million was transferred to a Miami company, Interglobal Yacht Management. Rivera claimed the money was an expense for services under the contract. PDV USA alleges instead it was used to pay for maintenance on one of Gorrin’s superyachts.
Similar amounts went to Esther Nuhfer, who is described as a longtime political associate of Rivera, as well as Hugo Perera, a Miami developer who pleaded guilty to tax fraud in a massive drug-smuggling case in the 1990s against the feared Cali Cartel.
Rivera testified that the payments were referral fees and for assistance he received as part of the consulting contract, according to PDV USA.’s account. But the new anti-Maduro management claims PDV USA never gave Rivera permission to outsource the work, as was expressly required by the consulting agreement.
To justify the large payments, PDV USA alleges Rivera created “phony contracts” backdated to March 20, 2017 — the day before the consulting agreement took effect.
Interglobal declined to sign the backdated contract, saying it had not performed that sort of subcontractor service.
“In short, PDV USA received nothing from Interamerican in exchange for making payments of $15 million,” the plaintiffs allege. “Most of that sum was transferred to third parties that are either indicted fugitives from justice or under criminal investigation in connection with those payments.”
The filing also alleges that other payments, deducted as expenses by Interamerican, were in reality moved between accounts controlled by Rivera. The new filings allege that Rivera’s own accountant testified in a deposition after meeting with criminal investigators from the Internal Revenue Service that he believed his client had committed tax fraud.
The consulting contract had all the hallmarks of a sham, according to PDV USA. Rivera’s Interamerican made just $9,500 in the year prior to signing the multimillion-dollar deal.
The lawsuit claims the company then controlled by Maduro loyalists hired Interamerican out of the blue, without due diligence, and that Rivera never met in person with anyone from Citgo or PDV USA while supposedly working on its behalf. Instead, he filed two “deficient and incoherent” progress reports of the seven he was required to submit.
“The written record is bereft of any evidence that Interamerican performed any of the contracted services,” PDV USA argues in the new filings. “There is not a single email, a single PowerPoint presentation, a single outline, a single memorandum, a single calendar entry, or anything else suggesting that Interamerican ever performed any of the services.”
Rivera, a Republican, served a single term in Congress, in 2011-2013, and during that time honored Venezuelan exiles fleeing socialist rule and cosponsored legislation seeking to withhold funding from the Organization of American States until it confronted then President Hugo Chávez for allegedly violating Venezuela’s constitution.
While serving as a state legislator, he shared a house in Tallahassee with now-Sen. Marco Rubio, who was the state House speaker at the time. Rivera has been embroiled in several election-related controversies since then, including orchestrating the stealth funding of an obscure Democratic candidate to take on his main rival in a South Florida congressional race. Last year, he was fined $456,000 for violating campaign finance laws in connection to that plot.
___:
Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/new-claims-against-ex-miami-congressman-hired-by-venezuela/ | 2022-08-20T22:26:13Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/new-claims-against-ex-miami-congressman-hired-by-venezuela/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 24 |
MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami congressman who signed a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s socialist government not only did no apparent work, but also channeled a large chunk of the money to a yacht company on behalf of a fugitive billionaire, according to new allegations in a civil suit.
The accusations against former Congressman David Rivera come in a new filing Friday in New York federal court by opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who now control the U.S.-based affiliates of the South American nation’s state oil company.
Rivera’s Interamerican Consulting was sued in 2020 by PDV USA — a Delaware-based affiliate of Venezuelan-owned Citgo. It alleges Rivera performed no work for the $50 million contract he signed in 2017 for three months of “strategic consulting” meant to build bridges with key U.S. stakeholders.
The same contract has been the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Miami looking into, among other things, whether Rivera failed to register as a foreign lobbyist as required bv law.
Rivera has not been charged with any crime, but the new filings give a detailed look at his dealings with Venezuela’s state-run oil industry and how he allegedly spent the money he received.
Around the same time Rivera was hired, Maduro’s government had launched a charm offensive to curry favor with the Trump administration. It initially avoided outright criticism of the new U.S. leader and even donated $500,000 to his inaugural committee through Citgo.
The new court filing is based on evidence only recently uncovered by PDV USA’s attorneys, including 18,000 text and WhatsApp messages from Rivera’s phone and statements he made during a two-day deposition in July.
Rivera received only $15 million of the original amount, but the new filing says he spent part of that on unexplained payments to a convicted drug trafficker and to a company managing yachts on behalf of a Venezuelan TV magnate wanted for arrest by U.S. authorities.
“Mr. Rivera never provided any services to Citgo and, it appears, never intended to do so,” according to the filing by PDV USA. “Instead, the true purpose of the agreement was to cover up illicit transactions.”
Rivera did not reply to a request for comment, but he has maintained his innocence and has countersued PDV USA alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment for its failure to pay $30 million he says he is still owed.
According to the filing, in one exchange of messages with Raul Gorrin — a Maduro insider who owns Venezuela’s largest private TV network — Rivera discussed trying to set up a meeting between Venezuela’s foreign minister and executives from the U.S. oil company Exxon.
The new filing cites a message in which Rivera and Gorrin texted one another that “the concert ticket is $15, not 20, as we said last night” — wording PDV USA’s lawyers call a “clear reference to a bribe.”
“At deposition, Mr. Rivera was unable to explain what this text message meant, and testified that he did not remember attending any concerts at that time,” PDV USA stated in its filing. It did not say who a bribe might have been meant for and the meeting never took place.
Rivera had asked the court to shield his communications with Gorrin, who the U.S. alleges was the mastermind of a conspiracy to siphon $1.2 billion from PDVSA — Venezuela’s state oil company. Gorrin is a lawyer, though not licensed to practice in the United States, and a judge in June ruled that Rivera’s communications with him did not meet the threshold for attorney-client privilege and must be handed over as part of what’s known as discovery.
Of the $15 million that Rivera received, about 75% was transferred to other individuals, according to the new filing. Around $3.75 million was transferred to a Miami company, Interglobal Yacht Management. Rivera claimed the money was an expense for services under the contract. PDV USA alleges instead it was used to pay for maintenance on one of Gorrin’s superyachts.
Similar amounts went to Esther Nuhfer, who is described as a longtime political associate of Rivera, as well as Hugo Perera, a Miami developer who pleaded guilty to tax fraud in a massive drug-smuggling case in the 1990s against the feared Cali Cartel.
Rivera testified that the payments were referral fees and for assistance he received as part of the consulting contract, according to PDV USA.’s account. But the new anti-Maduro management claims PDV USA never gave Rivera permission to outsource the work, as was expressly required by the consulting agreement.
To justify the large payments, PDV USA alleges Rivera created “phony contracts” backdated to March 20, 2017 — the day before the consulting agreement took effect.
Interglobal declined to sign the backdated contract, saying it had not performed that sort of subcontractor service.
“In short, PDV USA received nothing from Interamerican in exchange for making payments of $15 million,” the plaintiffs allege. “Most of that sum was transferred to third parties that are either indicted fugitives from justice or under criminal investigation in connection with those payments.”
The filing also alleges that other payments, deducted as expenses by Interamerican, were in reality moved between accounts controlled by Rivera. The new filings allege that Rivera’s own accountant testified in a deposition after meeting with criminal investigators from the Internal Revenue Service that he believed his client had committed tax fraud.
The consulting contract had all the hallmarks of a sham, according to PDV USA. Rivera’s Interamerican made just $9,500 in the year prior to signing the multimillion-dollar deal.
The lawsuit claims the company then controlled by Maduro loyalists hired Interamerican out of the blue, without due diligence, and that Rivera never met in person with anyone from Citgo or PDV USA while supposedly working on its behalf. Instead, he filed two “deficient and incoherent” progress reports of the seven he was required to submit.
“The written record is bereft of any evidence that Interamerican performed any of the contracted services,” PDV USA argues in the new filings. “There is not a single email, a single PowerPoint presentation, a single outline, a single memorandum, a single calendar entry, or anything else suggesting that Interamerican ever performed any of the services.”
Rivera, a Republican, served a single term in Congress, in 2011-2013, and during that time honored Venezuelan exiles fleeing socialist rule and cosponsored legislation seeking to withhold funding from the Organization of American States until it confronted then President Hugo Chávez for allegedly violating Venezuela’s constitution.
While serving as a state legislator, he shared a house in Tallahassee with now-Sen. Marco Rubio, who was the state House speaker at the time. Rivera has been embroiled in several election-related controversies since then, including orchestrating the stealth funding of an obscure Democratic candidate to take on his main rival in a South Florida congressional race. Last year, he was fined $456,000 for violating campaign finance laws in connection to that plot.
___:
Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/new-claims-against-ex-miami-congressman-hired-by-venezuela/ | 2022-08-20T22:26:13Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/new-claims-against-ex-miami-congressman-hired-by-venezuela/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 24 |
NEW YORK (AP) — How much does it pay to hide the photos of your family at your home, or anything else that shows your race? If you’re Black and trying to find out how much your house is worth, one family suggests it could be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A couple in Baltimore is suing an appraiser and a mortgage lender, alleging their home was severely undervalued because they are Black, blocking them from refinancing their mortgage. The couple says a separate appraisal, done after “whitewashing” the place by removing family photos and having a white colleague stand in for them, pegged the home’s value higher by $278,000.
The two “were shocked at the appraisal and recognized that the low valuation was because of racial discrimination,” according to the suit filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court in Maryland.
Officials at the lender accused in the case, loanDepot, declined to discuss the allegations. But in a statement, the publicly traded company said it strongly opposes bias. “While appraisals are performed independently by outside expert appraisal firms, all participants in the home finance process must work to find ways to contribute to eradicating bias.”
The appraisal company in the case, 20/20 Valuations, could not be immediately reached for comment. Neither it nor the individual appraiser named in the suit has lawyers listed yet in the court filings.
The situation began last year, when two professors at Johns Hopkins University, Nathan Connolly and Shani Mott, wanted to do the same thing millions of others across the country were doing. They hoped to take advantage of low interest rates and refinance their mortgage and a home-equity loan.
The couple had bought their four-bedroom home in 2017 for $450,000 and had made several upgrades to it. They remodeled their club room for $35,000, for example. They also invested in a tankless water heater, recessed lighting and other improvements that the family’s lawyers say raised the value of the home.
That would be on top of the general rise that home prices enjoyed in the area and across the country between 2017 and 2021.
The couple applied in mid-2021 with loanDepot, which initially approved them for a 2.25% interest rate, pending an appraisal to ensure the home was worth enough in case of a default. A loanDepot lending officer told the family a “pretty conservative” estimate was $550,000, according to the suit.
But the appraiser from 20/20 Valuations, who was hired by loanDepot, said the home was worth only $472,000, according to the complaint. That pushed loanDepot to call to say it would not extend the loan, according to the complaint.
The suit alleges that while researching other homes to benchmark against the plaintiff’s home, the appraiser ignored nearby sales in majority-white areas, similar to the plaintiff’s, that had higher values. Instead, the complaint said he included lower-valued homes and ones in areas with more Black residents.
Later that year, the couple learned the government assessed the value of their home at $622,000. After that, they tried for another loan. This time, they conducted an experiment where they replaced family photos with ones borrowed from white friends and colleagues. They even brought in new artwork, including a vintage print featuring a “white pin-up model.” And they made sure not to be home during the appraisal, with a white colleague there instead to greet the appraiser.
After that, the home appraised for $750,000, or 59% more than the appraisal from less than seven months earlier.
“It’s shocking to a lot of people that a home should be an objective valuation, but when the appraiser appraises it believing it’s a Black-owned home, it gets one value, and suddenly it’s worth 50% more when the appraiser believes it’s a white-owned home,” said John Relman of the Relman Colfax law firm that’s representing the plaintiffs.
“You have two eminent professors at Johns Hopkins. They did everything they were told to do,” Relman said. But “appraisal discrimination is so nuanced and so pernicious that it literally follows them into this predominantly white neighborhood. And they, unlike their neighbors, can’t access the value that’s rising and that they should benefit from.”
The U.S. housing industry has a long history of racial discrimination, one that helped build the racial wealth gap and one that carries through today. Last year, on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre, President Joe Biden said he was launching an interagency initiative to combat bias in home appraisals.
It’s a history with which the plaintiffs are well aware. Connolly has written a book about how property ownership helped set the terms of Jim Crow segregation between the early 1900s and the 1960s. Mott has written about African-American and American literature and history. | https://www.wspa.com/news/business/ap-business/homeowning-while-black-md-couple-alleges-bias-in-appraisal/ | 2022-08-20T22:26:27Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/business/ap-business/homeowning-while-black-md-couple-alleges-bias-in-appraisal/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund is facing pressure to reevaluate how it imposes fees on loans it disperses to needy countries like war-torn Ukraine — which is one of the fund’s biggest borrowers.
The move comes as more countries will need to turn to the IMF, as food prices and inflation internationally continues to rise.
Surcharges are added fees on loans imposed on countries that are heavily indebted to the IMF.
Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in Aspen last month that finance ministers of several countries realize they have to pay a price for Russia’s war in Ukraine, especially with food prices going up.
“They’re going to have to go to the IMF, they’re going to need to find assistance,” Adeyemo said.
However, the IMF fee system could change through U.S legislation. An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, otherwise known as the defense spending bill, would suspend IMF surcharges while their effectiveness and burden on indebted countries is studied.
That was passed by the U.S. House in July. The Senate is expected to vote on its defense bill in September. A representative of the Senate Armed Services Committee said an amendment may be offered in the next few weeks or even on the Senate floor.
As the largest IMF shareholder and member of the Fund’s executive board, the U.S. can push for policy decisions and unilaterally veto some board decisions.
Citing worsening financial crises in Sri Lanka and Pakistan as examples, some accuse China of engaging in debt trap diplomacy — or having countries falls so deeply in debt to that they are beholden to it on international issues.
Advocates and civil rights organizations lodge the same complaint against the Fund, who claim the organization undercuts its core lender-of-last-resort role with countries in vulnerable positions to pay back debt.
With an ever-worsening risk of a global debt crisis and rising interest rates, the issue has become more pressing for countries looking to reduce their deficits.
However, some economists and representatives of the fund say the surcharges amount to responsible lending behavior, as they provide an incentive for members with large outstanding balances to repay their loans promptly. This applies especially for countries that may otherwise may not be able to obtain financing from private lenders.
Maurice Obstfeld, a Berkeley economics professor and former IMF research department director said as a lender of last resort, the Fund’s ability to lend is important as low and middle income countries face rising interest rates.
“The Fund’s staff is small and in a crisis, its efforts are better deployed serving member countries’ needs,” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “Surcharges could be relaxed temporarily in the face of intense pressures on borrowing countries, but at the expense of the Fund’s ability to serve its membership in the longer term.”
Illinois Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, who offered the defense spending amendment, told The Associated Press “it is unfair for the IMF to require countries like Ukraine that are already deep in debt to pay surcharge fees. These surcharges increase poverty and hold back our global economic recovery.”
Ukraine’s projected real GDP is expected to decline by 35 percent, due in large part to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to IMF data.
The country, engaged in a war with no projected end, has an outstanding balance of 7.5 billion SDRs — an IMF accounting unit valued at around $9.8 billion according to Ukrainian central bankers. The latest figures estimate that Ukraine will owe the IMF $360 million in surcharges between 2021 and 2023.
Economists Joseph Stiglitz at Columbia University and Kevin P. Gallagher at Boston University wrote earlier this year that “forcing excessive repayments lowers the productive potential of the borrowing country, but also harms creditors” and requires borrowers “to pay more at exactly the moment when they are most squeezed from market access in any other form.”
Serhiy Nikolaychuk, Deputy Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, said Ukraine is continuing to pay its debts “despite Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.”
“Our country will pay its debt and surcharges under previous programs and fulfill its obligations to the IMF,” Nikolaychuk said. “It will be difficult, but we will pay.”
For years, lawmakers, economists and civil rights organizations have called on the IMF, which has for decades loaned billions to low-income countries, to end its surcharge policy.
In January, 18 left-leaning lawmakers wrote to Treasury calling for the surcharge policy to be eliminated. And in April, a group of 150 civil society groups and individuals signed an open letter to the IMF, asking for the same, calling surcharges “regressive.”
A spokesperson for the fund says the surcharges are designed to discourage large and prolonged use of IMF resources.
“They only apply to countries with particularly large outstanding loans,” Mayada Ghazala said in an emailed statement, adding that poorest countries are exempt from the surcharges.
The fund’s executive board met in December 2021 and discussed the role of surcharges —it ultimately decided not to make a change to the fees, but said they would review them again in the future.
The IMF was created in 1944 at the United Nations Bretton Woods Conference — one of its missions is lending to maintain the financial stability of countries. Among its 190 countries, it lends around $1 trillion, according to the organization’s website.
An April review of the fund’s financial health for fiscal year 2022 and 2023 states that lending income excluding surcharges “remain strong and are expected to exceed expenses in FY 2023–2024.”
Andrés Arauz, a senior research fellow at the liberal Center for Economic and Policy Research says the IMF’s financial position shows “the surcharges are not necessary for sound finances.”
“There is no excuse for the IMF to be punishing countries under debt stress with surcharges,” he said. “There is also no logic to it, the amount of money that the IMF raises from surcharges is trivial relative to its income and capacity.”
Garcia said “I’m proud the House passed my amendment to support a pause and review of surcharges at the IMF, and I will keep up the fight until the President signs it into law.”
Separately, the U.S. has sent roughly $7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February, including a new $775 million defense aid package announced Friday. | https://www.wspa.com/news/business/ap-business/imf-fees-on-war-torn-countries-closer-to-elimination/ | 2022-08-20T22:26:34Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/business/ap-business/imf-fees-on-war-torn-countries-closer-to-elimination/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A female high school athlete won the state championship — then the parents of the girls who finished in second and third place claimed the girl was transgender.
She wasn’t.
The complaints and ensuing investigation are now happening in the wake of Utah’s H.B.11, which bans transgender females from competing in high school sports.
“One of the statements was that she didn’t look feminine enough. So what’s feminine enough?” asks Sue Robbins, a transgender advocate with Equality Utah. “Are we going to now start attacking all women? This is what’s happening.”
“If you start criminalizing transgender bodies, all women’s bodies are going to be judged,” added Robbins. “Because every time someone’s successful, then everyone will start complaining that she must be transgender to be successful.”
Details about the investigation surfaced Wednesday during the Utah Legislature’s Education Interim Committee meeting.
After the state competition, the complaints from parents were directed toward the Utah High School Activities Association. On Wednesday, David Spatafore with UHSAA told the committee that the school was asked to conduct the investigation.
“This is new ground to us,” said Spatafore. “And I’m not going to say that we have it down pat, because I have no clue.”
Spatafore says the girl was never notified about the investigation, which involved going through her records dating back to kindergarten.
Her name, sport and school are not being publicly released at this time. | https://www.wspa.com/news/girl-investigated-for-being-transgender-after-winning-state-title/ | 2022-08-20T22:27:08Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/girl-investigated-for-being-transgender-after-winning-state-title/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The fast-food chain Wendy’s says it is pulling lettuce from sandwiches in its restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania after people eating them there reported falling ill.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it is trying to determine whether romaine lettuce is the source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 37 people and whether romaine used at Wendy’s was also served or sold at other businesses.
The CDC said one person was also sickened in Indiana. A message was left with Wendy’s about lettuce on sandwiches in that state.
The CDC said there is no evidence that romaine sold in grocery stores is linked to the E. coli outbreak. The agency also said it is not advising people to stop eating at Wendy’s or not to eat romaine lettuce.
Wendy’s says lettuce used in its salads is different and not affected by its decision to pull the lettuce from sandwiches. The company said it is cooperating with the CDC.
“As a company, we are committed to upholding our high standards of food safety and quality,” Wendy’s said in a statement. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/wendys-pulls-lettuce-from-sandwiches-amid-e-coli-outbreak/ | 2022-08-20T22:27:33Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/wendys-pulls-lettuce-from-sandwiches-amid-e-coli-outbreak/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s migratory birds are threatened by changing weather patterns in the center and east of the continent that have depleted natural water systems and caused a devastating drought.
Hotter and drier conditions due to climate change make it difficult for traveling species who are losing their water sources and breeding grounds, with many now endangered or forced to alter their migration patterns entirely by settling in cooler northern areas.
Roughly 10% of Africa’s more than 2,000 bird species, including dozens of migratory birds, are threatened, with 28 species — such as the Madagascar fish eagle, the Taita falcon and hooded vultures — classed as “critically endangered.” Over one-third of them are especially vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather, an analysis by environmental group BirdLife International said.
“Birds are being affected by climate change just like any other species,” BirdLife policy coordinator Ken Mwathe said. “Migratory birds are affected more than other groups of birds because they must keep on moving,” which makes it more likely that a site they rely on during their journey has degraded in some way.
The African-Eurasian flyway, the flight corridor for birds that travel south through the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert for the winter, harbors over 2,600 sites for migrating birds. An estimated 87% of African sites are at risk from climate change, a greater proportion than in Europe or Asia, a study by the United Nations environment agency and conservation group Wetlands International found.
Africa is more vulnerable to climate change because it is less able to adapt, said Evans Mukolwe, a retired meteorologist and science director at the World Meteorological Organization.
“Poverty, biodiversity degradation, extreme weather events, lack of capital and access to new technologies” make it more difficult for the continent to protect habitats for wild species, Mukolwe said.
Hotter temperatures due to human-caused climate change and less rainfall shrink key wetland areas and water sources, which birds rely on during migratory journeys.
“Lake Chad is an example,” Mwathe said. “Before birds cross the Sahara, they stop by Lake Chad, and then move to the Northern or Southern hemisphere. But Lake Chad has been shrinking over the years,” which compromises its ability to support birds, he said.
Parched birds means tougher journeys, which has an impact on their ability to breed, said Paul Matiku, executive director of Nature Kenya.
Flamingoes, for example, which normally breed in Lake Natron in Tanzania are unlikely to be able to “if the migration journey is too rough,” Matiku said.
He added that “not having water in those wetlands means breeding will not take place” since flamingoes need water to create mud nests that keep their eggs away from the intense heat of dry ground.
Non-migratory birds are also struggling with the changing climate. African fish eagles, found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, are now forced to travel further in search of food. The number of South African Cape Rockjumpers and Protea canaries is severely declining.
Bird species living in the hottest and driest areas, like in the Kalahari Desert that spans Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, are approaching their “physiological limits,” the most recent assessment by the U.N.’s expert climate panel said. It added that birds are less able to find food and are losing body mass, causing large-scale deaths for those living in extreme heat.
“Forest habitats get hotter with climate change and … dryland habitats get drier and savannah birds lack food because grass never seeds, flowers never fruit, and insects never emerge as they do when it rains,” Matiku said.
Other threats, such as the illegal wildlife trade, agriculture, the growth of urban areas and pollution are also stunting bird populations like African fish eagles and vultures, he said.
Better land management projects that help restore degraded wetlands and forests and protect areas from infrastructure, poaching or logging will help preserve the most vulnerable species, the U.N. environmental agency said.
Birds and other species would benefit from concerted efforts to improve water access and food security, especially as sea level rise and extreme weather events are set to continue, said Amos Makarau, the Africa regional director of the U.N. weather agency.
Scientists say that curbing emissions of planet-warming gasses, especially in high-emitting nations, could also limit future weather-related catastrophes.
___
Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/african-migratory-birds-threatened-by-hot-dry-weather/ | 2022-08-20T22:27:54Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/african-migratory-birds-threatened-by-hot-dry-weather/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ISTANBUL (AP) — A passenger bus collided Saturday with emergency teams handling an earlier road accident in southern Turkey, leaving at least 15 people dead and nearly two dozen injured, officials said.
Three firefighters, two paramedics and two journalists were among those killed on the highway between Gaziantep and Nizip, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu tweeted. The other eight fatalities were on the bus, he added.
Gaziantep Gov. Davut Gul said 22 other people were injured in the incident.
The Ilhas News Agency said two of its journalists were killed after pulling over to help the victims of the initial accident, in which a car came off the highway and slid down an embankment.
Television footage showed an ambulance with severe damage to its rear while the bus lay on its side alongside the highway.
Turkey has a poor record of road safety. Some 5,362 people were killed in traffic accidents last year, according to the government. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/bus-collision-at-accident-site-leaves-15-dead-in-turkey/ | 2022-08-20T22:28:01Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/bus-collision-at-accident-site-leaves-15-dead-in-turkey/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian authorities reported shooting down Ukrainian drones Saturday in Crimea, while Ukrainian officials said Russian forces pressed ahead with efforts to seize one of the few cities in eastern Ukraine not already under their control. The Russian military also kept up its strikes in Ukraine’s north and south.
In Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russian authorities said local air defenses shot down a drone above the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. It was the second drone incident at the headquarters in three weeks and followed explosions at a Russian airfield and ammunition depot on the peninsula this month.
Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to Crimea’s governor, also said Saturday that “attacks by small drones” triggered air-defense systems in western Crimea.
“Air defense systems successfully hit all targets over the territory over Crimea on Saturday morning. There are no casualties or material damage,” his boss, Sergei Aksyonov, said on Telegram.
Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said on Telegram that the city’s air-defense systems were called into action again late Saturday.
The incidents underlined Russian forces’ vulnerability in Crimea. A drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea naval headquarters on July 31 injured five people and forced the cancellation of observances of Russia’s Navy Day. This week, a Russian ammunition depot in Crimea was hit by an explosion. Last week, nine Russian warplanes were reported destroyed at an airbase on Crimea.
Ukrainian authorities have stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility. But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to Ukrainian attacks behind enemy lines after the blasts in Crimea.
Meanwhile, fighting in southern Ukrainian areas just north of Crimea has stepped up in recent weeks as Ukrainian forces try to drive Russian forces out of cities they have occupied since early in the six-month-old war.
A Russian missile attack wounded 12 people, including three children, and damaged houses and an apartment block Saturday in the town of Voznesensk in the Mykolaiv region, the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office said. Two of the children were in serious condition and the governor said one had lost an eye.
A Ukrainian airstrike, meanwhile, hit targets in Melitopol, the largest Russian-controlled city in the Zaporizhzhia region, 100 kilometers (65 miles) north of Crimea, according to Ukrainian and Russia-installed local officials.
The Ukrainian military on Saturday said it had destroyed a prized Russian radar system and other equipment stationed in occupied areas in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. It was not clear if this was the strike on Melitopol.
“Tonight, there were powerful explosions in Melitopol, which the whole city heard,” the Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Ferodov, said. “According to preliminary data, (it was) a precise hit on one of the Russian military bases, which the Russian fascists are trying to restore for the umpteenth time in the airfield area.”
In the east, Ukraine’s military General Staff said Saturday that intensified combat took place around Bakhmut, a small city whose capture would enable Russia to threaten the two largest remaining Ukrainian-held cities in the eastern Donbas region.
Bakhmut for weeks has been a key target of Moscow’s eastern offensive as the Russian military tries to complete a months-long campaign to conquer all of the Donbas, where pro-Moscow separatists have proclaimed two republics that Russia recognized as sovereign states at the beginning of the war.
A local Ukrainian official reported sustained fighting Saturday near four settlements on the border of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, which together make up the contested Donbas region. Luhansk Gov. Serhii Haidai did not name the settlements. Russian forces overran nearly all of Luhansk last month and since then have focused on capturing Ukrainian-held areas of Donetsk.
Russian shelling killed seven civilians Friday in Donetsk province, including four in Bakhmut, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote Saturday on Telegram. Taking Bakhmut would give the Russians room to advance on the province’s main Ukrainian-held cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Ukraine said Sloviansk and Kramatorsk were targeted Friday, along with the Kharkiv region to the north, home to Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Local authorities reported renewed Russian shelling overnight along a broad front, including the northern Kharkiv and Sumy regions, which border Russia, as well as of the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region and Mykolaiv.
In other developments Saturday:
__ Pedestrians in downtown Kyiv took pictures of a large column of burned-out and captured Russian tanks and infantry carriers that was put on display on a central boulevard in the Ukrainian capital. The display comes just days ahead of Ukraine’s independence day on Aug., which also coincides with six months since the Russian invasion.
__The Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul on Saturday authorized the movement of four outbound vessels carrying 33,300 metric tons of food from Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain deal. The ships will leave Ukrainian ports on Sunday. The agency will conduct 10 more ship inspections on Sunday. The deal seeks to get tons of grain exports stuck in Ukraine by the war safely out across the Black Sea.
__ The Interior Ministry for the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic said an improvised bomb exploded near the zoo in Mariupol, which the city’s mayor was to visit, but the mayor was not injured. Mariupol came under rebel and Russian control after months of intense fighting that devastated the city.
___
Kozlowska reported from London.
___
Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https;//apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/russian-shelling-ukrainian-airstrike-reflect-broadening-war/ | 2022-08-20T22:28:22Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/russian-shelling-ukrainian-airstrike-reflect-broadening-war/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KWANONGOMA, South Africa (AP) — The new king of South Africa’s Zulu nation Misuzulu kaZwelithini was enthroned in a colorful ceremony Saturday before hundreds of supporters in a rural part of KwaZulu-Natal province.
The king dismissed those challenging his right to the throne in his first public comments on the issue. He was crowned as the traditional leader of the Zulu nation, although some members of the royal family dispute his right to succeed his late father King Goodwill Zwelithini.
Some members of the family prefer an older brother and a different group supports another brother. The late king had six wives and several sons. After the king died last year, Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s mother served as the regent for just a month before she died but in her will she named her son to be the next king. This is regarded by many as the strongest claim to the Zulu throne.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has recognized Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the rightful heir to the Zulu throne. Ramaphosa is set to present him with an official certificate pronouncing him the king of the Zulu people at a ceremony later this year.
Misuzulu kaZwelithini addressed about 1,000 supporters after undergoing a traditional ritual known as ukungena esibayeni (entering the royal cattle enclosure) to mark the beginning of his reign as king.
“I know that you are aware of the state of the royal family in recent times. I request that whatever you hear in the media, and the comments being made by those disputing the throne, you should hear them but you should not listen to them,” said Misuzulu kaZwelithini.
He called for unity among the Zulu nation and thanked Ramaphosa for his support.
The ceremony and celebrations were colorful displays of Zulu culture where hundreds of people dressed in traditional regalia.
Women wearing beads, skirts and hats ululated and sang Zulu hymns and slogans as they awaited the arrival of the new king.
Cheers rose in the air as Misuzulu kaZwelithini entered the main enclosure at the palace where he was handed a sharp, gold-plated scepter and received congratulatory messages from elders of the Zulu nation.
Hundreds of male Zulu warriors known as amabutho wielded traditional shields, spears and sticks as they chanted and marched into the royal palace to pledge their allegiance to their new leader.
Throughout the day men slaughtered an estimated 50 cattle, while women cooked the meat and other foods and brewed traditional sorghum beer for the celebratory feast.
The event, widely viewed as the installment or coronation of the new king, was also attended by traditional leaders from other South African ethnic groups and representatives of other nationalities who trace their origins to the Zulu nation, including communities from Zambia and Malawi.
The Zulu ethnic group is South Africa’s largest with more than 12 million people who are mainly located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. They are acknowledged for their fierce resistance to British colonialism under King Shaka Zulu in the early 1800s.
As the leader of the Zulu nation that has control over about 10,810 square miles of land in KwaZulu-Natal province, the king is arguably the most influential traditional leader in South Africa. | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/new-king-of-south-africas-zulu-nation-dismisses-challengers/ | 2022-08-20T22:28:46Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/new-king-of-south-africas-zulu-nation-dismisses-challengers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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