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CORAL GABLES, Fla., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MasTec, Inc. (NYSE: MTZ) (the "Company") today announced its amendment of the terms of its private exchange offer to certain Eligible Holders (as defined herein) (the "Exchange Offer") for any and all outstanding 6.625% Senior Notes due August 15, 2029 (the "IEA Existing Notes") issued by IEA Energy Services LLC (the "IEA Issuer"), a subsidiary of Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. ("IEA"), for up to an aggregate principal amount of $300,000,000 of new 6.625% MasTec Senior Notes due August 15, 2029 issued by the Company (the "MTZ Exchange Notes"). As described in more detail below, the Company has amended the Exchange Offer to (i) extend the deadline for the delivery of consents in the Consent Solicitation (as defined herein), (ii) extend the Early Tender Date (as defined herein) and (iii) modify the Consent Payment and the Total Consideration (each as defined herein). In addition, notwithstanding the extension of the deadline for delivery of consents in the Consent Solicitation, consents delivered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 19, 2022 may not be revoked, and any consent delivered after such time may not be revoked. Except as otherwise described in this press release, the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer set forth in the Offering Memorandum (as defined herein) remain unchanged.
The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are being conducted in connection with, and are conditioned upon the completion of, the previously announced merger in which IEA would become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Merger"), which is currently expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory approvals and approval by the stockholders of IEA.
The following table sets forth the Consent Payment, the Exchange Consideration (as defined herein), the Early Tender Premium and the Total Consideration for the MTZ Exchange Notes:
As part of the Exchange Offer, the Company is soliciting consents (the "Consent Solicitation") with respect to the IEA Existing Notes, to eliminate or modify certain of the covenants, restrictive provisions and events of default (the "Proposed Amendments") in the indenture, dated as of August 17, 2021, governing the IEA Existing Notes (the "IEA Existing Indenture"). The Proposed Amendments require the valid consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of IEA Existing Notes, excluding IEA Existing Notes held by certain affiliated holders of IEA (the "Requisite Consents"). The Company has amended the Consent Payment as follows:
- For each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Consent Deadline, Eligible Holders of IEA Existing Notes will be eligible to receive a consent payment of either (i) $2.50 in cash or (ii) if the Requisite Consents are obtained, the Success Fee in cash (the "Consent Payment"); provided that the Consent Payment will not be paid with respect to any IEA Existing Notes validly withdrawn prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 19, 2022.
- If the Requisite Consents are obtained at or prior to the Consent Deadline, the Company will pay a fee in an aggregate amount of $750,000 (the "Total Amount") to all Eligible Holders that validly delivered their consents at or prior to the Consent Deadline (including all Eligible Holders that validly delivered (and did not validly revoke) their consents prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022), and for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes with respect to which an Eligible Holder validly delivered their consent at or prior to the Consent Deadline, such Eligible Holder will be entitled to receive their pro rata portion of the Total Amount (the "Success Fee"). Therefore, the Success Fee will be an amount, per $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes for which Eligible Holders have validly delivered consents prior to the Consent Deadline, equal to the product of $2.50 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate principal amount of IEA Existing Notes outstanding as of the Consent Deadline and the denominator of which is the aggregate principal amount of IEA Existing Notes for which Eligible Holders have validly delivered consents prior to the Consent Deadline. As a result, the Success Fee for the IEA Existing Notes will range from $2.50 per $1,000 (if all holders consent) to approximately $5.00 per $1,000 (if holders of a simple majority of the aggregate principal amount of the IEA Existing Notes consent).
- For the avoidance of doubt, if the Requisite Consents are obtained, the Success Fee to be received by each Eligible Holder that validly delivers their consent at or prior to the Consent Deadline includes, and is not in addition to, the $2.50 in cash for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes that an Eligible Holder that validly delivers their consent at or prior to the Consent Deadline would have received if the Requisite Consents were not obtained at or prior to the Consent Deadline. In addition, notwithstanding the extension of the deadline for the delivery of consents to the Consent Deadline, consents delivered (and not validly revoked) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 19, 2022 may not be revoked, and any consent delivered after that date may not be revoked.
- For the avoidance of doubt, the Success Fee will not be paid if the Requisite Consents are not obtained at or prior to the Consent Deadline (in which case, the Consent Payment will be $2.50 in cash for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes for which Eligible Holders have validly delivered consents prior to the Consent Deadline, as described above).
In addition, the Company has amended the Early Tender Date to be 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 24, 2022 (such date and time, as the same may be further extended, the "Early Tender Date"). Subject to applicable law, the Company expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation in any respect, including to (i) extend the Early Tender Date without extending the Consent Deadline, (ii) extend the Consent Deadline or (iii) provide that the Early Tender Premium will be payable only to Eligible Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw IEA Existing Notes at or prior to the Consent Deadline.
At any time before the Expiration Date, if the Company receives the Requisite Consents, the IEA Issuer has agreed that the IEA Issuer, IEA and the trustee of the IEA Existing Notes will execute and deliver a supplemental indenture relating to the Proposed Amendments (the "IEA Supplemental Indenture"), which will be effective upon execution but will only become operative upon the settlement date of the Exchange Offer (the "Settlement Date"). An Eligible Holder that validly tenders (and does not validly withdraw) its IEA Existing Notes and validly delivers a consent prior to the Consent Deadline (including all Eligible Holders that validly delivered (and did not validly revoke) their consents prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022), but validly withdraws such IEA Existing Notes after the Consent Deadline but prior to the Expiration Date, will receive the Consent Payment, even if such Eligible Holder is no longer the beneficial owner of such IEA Existing Notes at the Expiration Date, but will not receive the Early Tender Premium or the Exchange Consideration.
The Company, at its option, may complete the Exchange Offer even if the Requisite Consents are not received. Any amendment or waiver of the terms of or conditions with respect to the Exchange Offer by the Company will automatically amend or waive such terms or conditions with respect to the Consent Solicitation unless expressly stated otherwise.
The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offering memorandum, dated August 8, 2022, as amended by the Offering Memorandum Supplement, dated August 22, 2022 (as so amended, the "Offering Memorandum"), and are conditioned upon the closing of the Merger, which condition may not be waived by the Company, and certain other conditions that may be waived by the Company. The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on September 30, 2022, unless extended or terminated (such date and time with respect to the Exchange Offer, as may be extended for such Exchange Offer, the "Expiration Date").
For each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Consent Deadline and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date, Eligible Holders of IEA Existing Notes will be eligible to receive the total consideration set out in the table above (the "Total Consideration"), which consists of the Exchange Consideration, the Consent Payment and an early tender premium, payable in MTZ Exchange Notes, equal to $50.00 (the "Early Tender Premium"). To be eligible to receive the Total Consideration, Eligible Holders must (i) validly tender (and not validly withdraw) their IEA Existing Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Date, (ii) validly deliver their consent in the Consent Solicitation at or prior to the Consent Deadline (including all Eligible Holders that validly delivered (and did not validly revoke) their consents prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022) and (iii) beneficially own such IEA Existing Notes at the Expiration Date.
The principal amount of MTZ Exchange Notes to be received by an Eligible Holder in the Exchange Offer for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes will in no event exceed $1,000, unless the Exchange Offer is amended.
For each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn prior to the Expiration Date, Eligible Holders of IEA Existing Notes will be eligible to receive $950 principal amount of MTZ Exchange Notes (the "Exchange Consideration").
Tenders of IEA Existing Notes may be validly withdrawn by Eligible Holders at any time prior to the Expiration Date; however, a valid withdrawal of tendered IEA Existing Notes before the Expiration Date (including any valid withdrawal after 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022) will not be deemed a valid revocation of the related consent delivered by such Eligible Holder (including any consent delivered (and not validly revoked) prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022), and such consent will continue to be deemed delivered.
No accrued and unpaid interest is payable upon acceptance of the IEA Existing Notes in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, including, for the avoidance of doubt, if the Settlement Date falls between a regular record date and interest payment date under the IEA Existing Indenture. The first interest payment on the MTZ Exchange Notes will include the accrued and unpaid interest on the IEA Existing Notes tendered in exchange therefor, such that a tendering Eligible Holder will receive the same interest payment it would have received had its IEA Existing Notes not been tendered in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation; provided that for any portion of an interest period after the Settlement Date, interest will only accrue with respect to the aggregate principal amount of MTZ Exchange Notes an Eligible Holder receives, which will be less than the principal amount of the IEA Existing Notes tendered for exchange if such Eligible Holder validly tenders (and does not validly withdraw) its IEA Existing Notes after the Early Tender Date. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent an interest payment date occurs prior to the Settlement Date, Eligible Holders who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw IEA Existing Notes in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will receive accrued and unpaid interest on such interest payment date as required by the terms of the IEA Existing Indenture.
The MTZ Exchange Notes will be the general senior unsecured obligations of the Company and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Company's existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness.
Documents relating to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will only be distributed to persons who certify that they are (a) a "Qualified Institutional Buyer," as that term is defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or (b) a person that is not a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) (such persons, "Eligible Holders"). The complete terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are described in the Offering Memorandum, copies of which may be obtained by contacting D.F. King & Co., Inc., the exchange agent and information agent in connection with the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, by telephone at (800) 549-6864 (U.S. toll-free) or (212) 269-5550 (banks and brokers), or by email at mastec@dfking.com. The eligibility certification may be completed at www.dfking.com/mastec or is also available by contacting D.F. King & Co., Inc. using the information above.
The MTZ Exchange Notes have not been, and will not be, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act, or any state or foreign securities laws. The MTZ Exchange Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any U.S. person except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
This press release is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, or the solicitation of tenders or consents with respect to, any security. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made solely pursuant to the Offering Memorandum and only to such persons and in such jurisdictions as are permitted under applicable law.
About MasTec, Inc.
MasTec is a leading infrastructure construction company operating mainly throughout North America across a range of industries. MasTec's primary activities include the engineering, building, installation, maintenance and upgrade of communications, energy, utility and other infrastructure, such as: power delivery services, including transmission and distribution, wireless, wireline/fiber and customer fulfillment activities; power generation, primarily from clean energy and renewable sources; pipeline infrastructure, including natural gas pipeline and distribution infrastructure; heavy civil; and industrial infrastructure. MasTec's customers are primarily in these industries. The information contained on the Company's website is not incorporated into this press release.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the anticipated results and execution of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation and the actions that the Company may take with respect thereto; statements relating to expectations regarding the future financial and operational performance of the Company or IEA; the projected impact and benefits of IEA on the Company's operating or financial results; expectations regarding the Company's or IEA's business or financial outlook; expectations regarding the Company's plans, strategies and opportunities; expectations regarding opportunities, technological developments, competitive positioning, future economic conditions and other trends in particular markets or industries; the potential strategic benefits and synergies expected from the acquisition of IEA; the development of and opportunities with respect to future projects, including renewable and other projects designed to support transition to a carbon-neutral economy; the Company's ability to successfully integrate the operations of IEA; the expected closing of, and financing sources for, the acquisition of IEA; the impact of inflation on the Company's costs and the ability to recover increased costs, as well as other statements reflecting expectations, intentions, assumptions or beliefs about future events and other statements that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements are based on currently available operating, financial, economic and other information, and are subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors in addition to those mentioned above, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Other factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: risks related to completed or potential acquisitions, including the acquisition of Henkels & McCoy Group, Inc., as well as the ability to identify suitable acquisition or strategic investment opportunities, to integrate acquired businesses within expected timeframes and to achieve the revenue, cost savings and earnings levels from such acquisitions at or above the levels projected, including the risk of potential asset impairment charges and write-downs of goodwill; risks related to timely completion, or completion at all, of the Exchange Offer; risks related to the Company's ability to obtain consents under the Consent Solicitation; risks that conditions to the closing of the proposed transaction are not satisfied or waived at all or on the anticipated timeline; risks related to the impact of inflation on costs as well as economic activity, customer demand and interest rates, risks related to adverse effects of health epidemics and pandemics or other outbreaks of communicable diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, including its effect on supply chain or inflationary issues, as well as, the potential effects of related health mandates and recommendations; market conditions, technological developments, regulatory or policy changes, including permitting processes and tax incentives that affect us or our customers' industries; the effect of federal, local, state, foreign or tax legislation and other regulations affecting the industries we serve and related projects and expenditures; the effect on demand for our services of changes in the amount of capital expenditures by our customers due to, among other things, economic conditions, including potential adverse effects of public health issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic on economic activity generally, the availability and cost of financing, and customer consolidation in the industries we serve; activity in the industries we serve and the impact on our customers' expenditure levels caused by fluctuations in commodity prices, including for oil, natural gas, electricity and other energy sources; our ability to manage projects effectively and in accordance with our estimates, as well as our ability to accurately estimate the costs associated with our fixed price and other contracts, including any material changes in estimates for completion of projects and estimates of the recoverability of change orders; the timing and extent of fluctuations in operational, geographic and weather factors affecting our customers, projects and the industries in which we operate; the highly competitive nature of our industry and the ability of our customers, including our largest customers, to terminate or reduce the amount of work, or in some cases, the prices paid for services, on short or no notice under our contracts, and/or customer disputes related to our performance of services and the resolution of unapproved change orders; our dependence on a limited number of customers and our ability to replace non-recurring projects with new projects; the effect of state and federal regulatory initiatives, including costs of compliance with existing and potential future safety and environmental requirements, including with respect to climate change; risks associated with potential environmental issues and other hazards from our operations; disputes with, or failures of, our subcontractors to deliver agreed-upon supplies or services in a timely fashion, and the risk of being required to pay our subcontractors even if our customers do not pay us; risks related to our strategic arrangements, including our equity investments; any exposure resulting from system or information technology interruptions or data security breaches; any material changes in estimates for legal costs or case settlements or adverse determinations on any claim, lawsuit or proceeding; the adequacy of our insurance, legal and other reserves; the outcome of our plans for future operations, growth and services, including business development efforts, backlog, acquisitions and dispositions; our ability to maintain a workforce based upon current and anticipated workloads; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, key management and skilled employees, including from acquired businesses, and our ability to enforce any noncompetition agreements; fluctuations in fuel, maintenance, materials, labor and other costs; risks associated with volatility of our stock price or any dilution or stock price volatility that shareholders may experience in connection with shares we may issue as consideration for earn-out obligations or as purchase consideration in connection with past or future acquisitions, or as a result of other stock issuances; restrictions imposed by our credit facility, senior notes and any future loans or securities; our ability to obtain performance and surety bonds; risks related to our operations that employ a unionized workforce, including labor availability, productivity and relations, as well as risks associated with multiemployer union pension plans, including underfunding and withdrawal liabilities; risks associated with operating in or expanding into additional international markets, including risks from fluctuations in foreign currencies, foreign labor and general business conditions and risks from failure to comply with laws applicable to our foreign activities and/or governmental policy uncertainty; as well as a small number of our existing shareholders have the ability to influence major corporate decisions. We believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of our underlying assumptions are incorrect, our actual results may differ significantly from the results that we express in, or imply by, any of our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to reflect future events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law. We qualify any and all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary factors.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the Merger, the Company intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed by the Company that will include a preliminary proxy statement of the Company and also constitute a prospectus with respect to the shares of common stock of the Company to be issued in the Merger.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.
These materials (when they are available) and other documents filed with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by the Company (when they become available) may be obtained free of charge at MasTec's website at MasTec.com or (305) 406-1815. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by IEA (when they become available) may be obtained free of charge on IEA's website at iea.net or (765) 828-2653.
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SOURCE MasTec, Inc. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/mastec-inc-announces-amendment-exchange-offer-consent-solicitation/ | 2022-08-22T12:39:25Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/mastec-inc-announces-amendment-exchange-offer-consent-solicitation/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HOUSTON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott International has been awarded a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract from Viva Energy Australia as part of its Geelong Refinery project to provide additional desulfurization capabilities. The award follows the successful completion of the Pre-FEED activity and encompasses early engineering and procurement services to support the project schedule.
Under the contract scope, McDermott will provide FEED services for a new modularized production unit. The unit will produce ultra-low sulfur gasoline with up to ten parts per million (ppm) sulfur to meet the proposed changes to Australia's fuel quality standards from the end of 2024. Lower sulfur gasoline will support improved vehicle emissions.
"This award is testament to our successful execution of the pre-FEED. In this next phase, we will apply McDermott's extensive modularization expertise to ensure quality, reduce cost and maintain the schedule," said Tareq Kawash, Senior Vice President, Onshore of McDermott. "We look forward to continuing to support Viva Energy Australia's carbon emission reduction goals to provide cleaner fuels and enhance Australia's fuel security."
Work on the project will be executed from McDermott's engineering center of excellence in The Hague, the Netherlands with support from its offices in Gurgaon, India, and Perth, Australia.
About McDermott
McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott's innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructure—empowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott's locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
McDermott cautions that statements in this communication which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope and execution of the project discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott's management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.
Contacts:
Global Media Relations
Reba Reid
Senior Director, Global Communications and Marketing
+1 281 588 5636
RReid@McDermott.com
Local Media Relations
Barbara Knight
Senior Director, Business Line Communications and Marketing
+971 56 403 2903
BBKnight@mcdermott.com
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SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/mcdermott-awarded-feed-contract-viva-energy-australia/ | 2022-08-22T12:39:32Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/mcdermott-awarded-feed-contract-viva-energy-australia/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock"), a value-oriented, operationally focused private equity firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Phil Gaudreau to its team of Operating Partners. Working in tandem with existing One Rock Operating Partners Sally Cunningham, Susan Fiesta, and Andrea Greene, Mr. Gaudreau will be responsible for driving post-acquisition value through strategic financial, accounting and HR solutions at One Rock's portfolio companies.
Mr. Gaudreau joins One Rock with over 20 years of experience in controllership and financial accounting. He previously served as Vice President and Controller at Armstrong Flooring, Inc., a leading multinational producer of resilient flooring products, where he led all accounting, financial reporting and financial information system functions. Prior to Armstrong Flooring Inc., Mr. Gaudreau was Director of Financial Reporting and Consolidation at Harsco Corporation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gaudreau held roles as Manager of Accounting Projects at Comcast Corporation, Project Controller at Liberty Property Trust and Senior Associate in Audit at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC.
"One Rock remains committed to building out an experienced Operating Partner team to support our diversified set of portfolio companies," said R. Scott Spielvogel, Managing Partner of One Rock. "We're confident that with his significant leadership experience and expertise in accounting and financial reporting, Phil will prove valuable in working with a number of our companies."
"One Rock has significant experience partnering with its portfolio companies to help them achieve and maintain financial and operational excellence," said Mr. Gaudreau. "I look forward to applying my financial accounting and management background as I work alongside the other Operating Partners to support growth strategies across One Rock's portfolio."
Working with Operating Partners has been a key part of One Rock's strategy since inception.
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
Julia Cohen
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/one-rock-capital-partners-expands-operating-partner-team-with-addition-phil-gaudreau/ | 2022-08-22T12:40:38Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/one-rock-capital-partners-expands-operating-partner-team-with-addition-phil-gaudreau/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Tower International, LLC ("PTI"), through its Spanish subsidiary (Phoenix Tower International Spain ETVE, S.L.U.), U.S. subsidiary (Phoenix Tower US Holdings (REIT) Inc.), and its Chilean subsidiary (Phoenix Tower International Chile SpA) announced today that it has amended and restated its senior credit facilities to consolidate and expand them into a single US$2.0 billion senior secured multi facility transaction covering all of North and South America.
The amended transaction comprised of the following senior secured facilities: (i) a US$1,404 million term loan, (ii) a US$540 million delayed draw term loan, and (iii) a US$56.0 million revolving credit facility, all of which are due in August 2027 (5 year). Proceeds from the Facilities will be used to: (i) repay existing indebtedness including related fees and expenses and fund the acquisition of the Chilean portfolio of wireless tower assets from WOM S.A. ("WOM"), (ii) fund future capital expenditure requirements and acquisitions, and (iii) fund working capital requirements, respectively.
As part of the Chilean transaction, PTI acquired from WOM 2,334 tower sites at the initial closing and 1,466 additional sites to be delivered by 2024 for a total consideration of approximately $930M. PTI has become the largest communications tower owner in Chile, expanding its global presence to over 22,000 towers in 19 countries.
White and Case LPP acted as external legal counsel of the lenders, and Locke Lord LLP acted as external legal counsel of the company.
In addition to Scotiabank acting as Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner in the financing, and Sole Financial Advisor in the acquisition, the following banks acted as Senior Mandated Lead Arrangers or Mandated Lead Arrangers, while 13 other institutions acted as Lead Managers, Managers and Participants: BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, ING Capital LLC, Banco Santander, S.A., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Societé Générale, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., MUFG Bank, Ltd.
About Phoenix Tower International
Pro forma for pending transactions, PTI, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, owns and operates over 22,000 telecom towers throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.
PTI was founded in 2013 with a mission to be a premier site provider to wireless operators across the world in high-growth markets. PTI's investors include funds managed by Blackstone and various members of the management team and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information, please visit www.phoenixintnl.com
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SOURCE Phoenix Tower International | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/pti-secures-2-billion-multi-facility-transaction/ | 2022-08-22T12:41:03Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/pti-secures-2-billion-multi-facility-transaction/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The HVAC company plans to use the format to promote the home service profession and discuss topics surrounding the trades
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rooter Hero Plumbing & Air, a plumbing and HVAC company serving residential and commercial locations in California and Arizona, today announced the launch of its podcast, HeroTalk, which will promote the home service trades and discuss hot topics and issues affecting the industry.
"We are excited to be able to offer our expertise on everything involving the home service industry from customer service to the work in the field to leadership and management," said John Akhoian, co-founder and CEO of Rooter Hero. "The topic list should appeal to anyone who works in the industry and to people who want to learn more about it."
Akhoian said Rooter Hero has aired podcasts in the past but not on a consistent basis. HeroTalk will air weekly on Thursdays.
The podcast features Rooter Hero Contact Center Manager David Powers and Social Media Coordinator Katherine "Kat" Conches. Powers and Conches have already interviewed several experts, including Akhoian and other Rooter Hero managers, and have discussed topics ranging from the power of positive reviews to time management.
"We want this podcast to be as entertaining as it is informative," Powers said. "The topics are unique and delve into aspects of the home service trades that other podcasts don't investigate. We hope these new perspectives invite discussion with others in the industry and makes the listener think about things from a different angle."
The podcast is available on Google Podcasts, Amazon and Spotify.
Since 2011, Rooter Hero has been committed to providing the best in plumbing and drain services. With more than 90 years of plumbing experience, the Rooter Hero team prides themselves on creating a memorable experience for each customer.
The company provides solutions for both residential and commercial needs and offers 24/7 emergency service. Operating in service area locations throughout California and Arizona, Rooter Hero offers options such as HVAC service and installation in select areas. For more information, please visit https://rooterhero.com or call 844-219-2215.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
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SOURCE Rooter Hero | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/rooter-hero-plumbing-amp-air-announces-launch-herotalk-podcast/ | 2022-08-22T12:41:41Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/rooter-hero-plumbing-amp-air-announces-launch-herotalk-podcast/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New Neutralizing Antibody Test Kit has High Sensitivity and Ability to Analyze Micro-Samples
WOBURN, Mass., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmaceutical drug developers and healthcare researchers need innovative tools to understand COVID-19 immune response and validate vaccines and therapeutics critical to managing the pandemic. The newest development in assay technology, the NAB-Sure™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Test Kit from Spear Bio (www.spear.bio), is one such tool.
Developed by former Harvard University scientists based at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the NAB-Sure™ SARS-CoV-2 test kit provides a surrogate virus neutralization assay with much higher sensitivity than standard ELISA test formats and cell-based approaches. Spear Bio's unique approach and assay performance means the NAB-Sure™ SARS-CoV-2 Assay can work with diverse types of biospecimens and sizes of samples, including serum, plasma, and micro-sampling techniques like dried blood spots (DBS), providing consistent laboratory-to-laboratory results even when comparing different sample types.
The NAB-Sure™ SARS-CoV-2 test kit simplifies testing for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), producing qualitative and quantitative NAb titer measurements using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The assay has the accuracy of cell-based assays like the plaque-reduction neutralization testing (PRNT), the gold standard for NAb detection, without the safety concerns and long, complicated workflows. What's more is the assay's capability to analyze small volumes of serum or plasma enables new micro-sampling techniques to be leveraged during collection.
The NAB-Sure™ SARS-CoV-2 Assay provides an inter-laboratory coefficient of variation (CV) of 4.8% even for extremely small test sample sizes such as a DBS from a finger prick. The test results can help researchers validate vaccines and develop predictive models for antibody durability. Automation compatibility combined with industry-leading accuracy for small volumes promotes high throughput and reduces cost at every stage of testing: sample collection, detection, and analysis.
Spear Bio CTO and co-founder, Feng Xuan, explains: "Conventional cell-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody measurement have poor lab-to-lab consistency. NAB-Sure™ SARS-CoV-2 Assay is the first cell-free NAb assay with superior sensitivity and precision. This performance combined with simplified workflows is an opportunity to standardize neutralizing antibody measurements, which is essential for the vaccine validation needed at this stage of the pandemic."
NAb assays are useful for understanding individual and population immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Study of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 provides invaluable data for clinical trials and the development of vaccines to fight the spread of the virus. NAb assays are required components of the clinical trials that identify the effectiveness of a new vaccine against a virus or its compatibility with existing drugs and treatment. The NAB Sure™ SARS-CoV-2 Assay is now available for sale in the USA for research use only.
Spear Bio (www.spear.bio), founded in 2021 by former Harvard researchers Feng Xuan and Peng Yin, is headquartered in Woburn, MA. The company is devoted to the next generation of ultrasensitive immunoassay technology and collaborates closely with academic researchers, clinicians, and industry to develop more ultrasensitive detection methods and more versatile assay approaches to support non-invasive sample collection methods and cutting-edge laboratory diagnostics.
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SOURCE Spear Bio | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/spear-bios-nab-sure-test-kit-aids-analysis-covid-19-immune-response/ | 2022-08-22T12:42:07Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/spear-bios-nab-sure-test-kit-aids-analysis-covid-19-immune-response/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Red Devils will wear a shirt-sleeve patch in their upcoming Carabao Cup match
CRAWLEY, West Sussex, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WAGMI United, the leading brand dedicated to bringing Web3's most innovative ideas and passionate communities to the world of sports, announced today that Crawley Town Football Club has agreed to a new shirt sleeve sponsorship with XCAD Network — a global platform harnessing the power and value of content creator audiences through creator tokenization and NFT technology.
The deal will see Red Devils players wearing a patch featuring the XCAD logo on their left sleeve during the club's upcoming Carabao Cup match against visiting Premier League side Fulham. A photo of the new patch can be viewed here.
This new partnership builds on WAGMI United's historic commitment to elevating the global crypto and NFT communities in sports and further cements Crawley Town FC's status as Web3's first football club. In July, WAGMI United successfully released its first NFT collection, minting over 10,000 tokens to more than 5,500 individual holders — far outselling previous collections from even the largest professional football clubs in the world, such as Liverpool FC. And earlier this season, Crawley Town FC became the first professional sports team to forego traditional corporate front-of-shirt sponsorship in favour of showcasing an historic NFT art project — Snowfro's Chromie Squiggle.
"At WAGMI United, we've said from the beginning that we want Crawley Town to be 'the internet's team.' From building a digital community of passionate fans cheering the club on from across the globe to having our players step on the pitch with Snowfro's iconic Chromie Squibble on their shirts, we're bringing the power of Web3 to football with every single match," said Preston Johnson, co-founder of WAGMI United and co-chairman of Crawley Town Football Club. "Our new partnership with XCAD Network is the next step in that evolution. I know I speak for everyone at the club when I say we're grateful to Oliver Bell and the whole XCAD team for their support and we're excited to have them joining our fans in getting behind the lads as we welcome Fulham to the Broadfield Stadium on Tuesday evening."
XCAD Network is focused on bringing fans and creators closer together, with the backing of YouTubers with over 500 million subscribers, such as KSI, Morgz and Joel Morris (JMX). XCAD plans to bridge the gap and integrate Web3 into the lives of a mainstream audience. WAGMI United's vision for Crawley is perfectly aligned, and XCAD believes they can bring fans closer to their team while introducing Web3 to a huge audience. It's an exciting and forward-thinking approach that represents the direction the world is heading — and bringing the companies closer together creates a natural synergy that will be additive to both brands.
"I've been following WAGMI United's journey since they acquired Crawley. It's great to see a company trying to bring cryptocurrency mainstream," said Oliver Bell, XCAD Network CEO. "We are glad to be partnered with the world's first Web3 club and think there are a lot of exciting opportunities we can work together on."
You can visit WAGMI United online at www.wagmiunited.com and follow us on Twitter at @WAGMIUnited.
About WAGMI United
WAGMI United — which stands for "We're All Gonna Make It," a popular mantra of hope and solidarity in the cryptocurrency and NFT communities — is the leading brand dedicated to bringing Web3's most innovative ideas and passionate communities to the world of sports. Founded by Preston Johnson and Eben Smith, WAGMI United seeks to change the game of how professional sports teams are owned and operated — building communities of passionate fans and empowering them to take a personal stake in telling their team's story and shaping its future. Earlier this year, WAGMI United took the first step on this journey with its pioneering purchase of Crawley Town FC.
About XCAD Network
XCAD Network is a fan token and NFT platform for some of the biggest YouTubers in the world with an element of Watch2Earn. Fans can earn fan tokens directly on YouTube via a Google Chrome Plug-In These fan tokens can be used to vote on certain decisions around creators or to unlock special perks, such as early ticket access for events, merch, and NFT drops.
Backed by the likes of KSI and MrBeast, XCAD has announced that YouTubers with more than 500 million subscribers are creating fan tokens on the platform.
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SOURCE XCAD Network | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/wagmi-united-crawley-town-fc-forge-new-partnership-with-xcad-network/ | 2022-08-22T12:43:27Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/wagmi-united-crawley-town-fc-forge-new-partnership-with-xcad-network/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(The Hill) – Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Sunday said it would be “very difficult” for her to support Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) or Ted Cruz (R-Texas) after they objected to Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021.
Cheney told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that both Ivy League-educated senators “know better.”
“Both of whom know exactly what the role of Congress is in terms of our constitutional obligations with respect to presidential elections, and yet, both of whom took steps that fundamentally threatened the constitutional order and structure in the aftermath of the last election,” she said. “So in my view, they both have made themselves unfit for future office.”
Cheney on Tuesday lost her primary to Harriet Hageman, a former ally who was backed by former President Trump and has supported unfounded claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
The Wyoming congresswoman has been an unapologetic critic of Trump, voting to impeach him and serving as the vice chairwoman of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
She has repeatedly criticized the former president and his allies who back his election fraud claims.
“It would be very difficult,” Cheney said when asked if she could support Cruz, Hawley and others who have closely tied themselves to Trump.
“I think that a fundamental question for me in terms of whether or not someone is fit to be president is whether they’ve abided by their constitutional obligations in the past,” she said.
Cruz and Hawley are both seen as considering future White House bids, while Cheney is planning to launch a political group to keep Trump allies out of office.
Cheney also took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has recently campaigned in battleground states for candidates backed by Trump and is speculated to be weighing a 2024 presidential bid himself.
“I think that DeSantis is somebody who is, right now, campaigning for election deniers,” Cheney said on ABC.
“And I think that is something that I think people have got to have real pause about,” she continued. “Either you fundamentally believe in and will support our constitutional structure, or you don’t.”
Cheney after her loss told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie that she was also thinking about running for president.
“Look, you run for president because you believe you would be the best candidate, because you believe you’d be the best president of the United States,” Cheney said on ABC. “And so, any decision that I make about doing something that significant and that serious would be with the intention of winning and because I think I would be the best candidate.” | https://www.wwlp.com/hill-politics/liz-cheney-says-hawley-cruz-made-themselves-unfit-for-future-office/ | 2022-08-22T12:43:37Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/hill-politics/liz-cheney-says-hawley-cruz-made-themselves-unfit-for-future-office/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
220818-N-QI593-1354 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Aug. 18, 2022) Gunner's Mate 1st Class Brandon Ahrens, from Littleton, Colorado, fires a MK38 machine gun during a pre-action calibration fire aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 18, 2022. Bainbridge is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elexia Morelos)
This work, The USS Bainbridge is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., Allied and Partner interests. [Image 22 of 22], by PO3 Elexia Morelos, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7381830/uss-bainbridge-scheduled-deployment-us-naval-forces-europe-area-operations-employed-us | 2022-08-22T12:49:37Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7381830/uss-bainbridge-scheduled-deployment-us-naval-forces-europe-area-operations-employed-us | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Instant Genius Podcast: Future of artificial intelligence, with Kate Darling
Dr Kate Darling, a researcher specialising in human-robot interaction at the MIT Media Lab, talks artificial intelligence and why we don't need to worry about a robot revolution.
Instant Genius is a bite-sized masterclass in podcast form. In this week's episode, we talk to Dr Kate Darling, a researcher specialising in human-robot interaction at the MIT Media Lab.
She talks artificial intelligence and why we don't need to worry about a robot revolution.
Find Instant Genius on your preferred podcast platform here: instantgenius.podlink.to/Podcast
Listen to more episodes of Instant Genius:
Authors
Jason is the commissioning editor for BBC Science Focus. He holds an MSc in physics and was named Section Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2019. He has been reporting on science and technology for more than a decade. During this time, he's walked the tunnels of the Large Hadron Collider, watched Stephen Hawking deliver his Reith Lecture on Black Holes and reported on everything from simulation universes to dancing cockatoos. He looks after the magazine’s and website’s news sections and makes regular appearances on the Instant Genius Podcast.
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- Receive every issue delivered direct to your door with FREE UK delivery. | https://www.sciencefocus.com/instant-genius-podcast/instant-genius-podcast-future-of-artificial-intelligence-with-kate-darling/ | 2022-08-22T12:50:11Z | sciencefocus.com | control | https://www.sciencefocus.com/instant-genius-podcast/instant-genius-podcast-future-of-artificial-intelligence-with-kate-darling/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
220819-N-QI593-1156 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Aug. 19, 2022) Boatswain's Mate Seaman Jonathan Cedeno, from New York, applies lubricant to a king’s post aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 19, 2022. Bainbridge is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elexia Morelos)
This work, The USS Bainbridge is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., Allied and Partner interests. [Image 22 of 22], by PO3 Elexia Morelos, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7381838/uss-bainbridge-scheduled-deployment-us-naval-forces-europe-area-operations-employed-us | 2022-08-22T12:50:26Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7381838/uss-bainbridge-scheduled-deployment-us-naval-forces-europe-area-operations-employed-us | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
In the early 1900s, manufacturers developed fabric softeners to help counteract the harshness of cotton fabrics produced by the dyes used during the era. The softeners were made from ingredients like corn, olive or tallow oil combined with water and soap. A thin coat of the fatty substance left on fabrics helped smooth surface fibers for a softer feeling.
These days, fabric softeners are no longer made from cooking oil, but the chemicals that are used in softeners now may cause you to wonder: Is fabric softener bad for your clothing and detrimental to your washer and dryer? Most importantly, is fabric softener bad for your health?
Is Fabric Softener Bad—For You And Your Appliances?
Fabric softener might offer results you appreciate, like softer clothing that smells nice and is less prone to static, but many experts advise against using it.
“Not only can it irritate sensitive skin, but it can also leave a layer of residue on your clothes and reduce the absorption of your towels,” Rich Handel, a test project leader at Consumer Reports who specializes in laundry, said in a TikTok video about things he would never do as a laundry expert.
@consumerreports CR test engineer Rich Handel says it’s time to free yourself from the grips of fabric softener . Learn more at cr.org/laundry5things #laundrytok #cleantok #5thingsiwouldneverdo
Fabric softener can reduce the effectiveness of fire-resistant clothing and the wicking ability of workout clothes. It can contain a combination of chemicals that may be harmful to your health and the environment. For example, it may contain quaternary ammonium compounds known to trigger asthma, phthalates (which are potentially toxic to the reproductive system) and artificial colors that could cause cancer.
As for your home appliances, the residue left by fabric softener can lead to mold and mildew in your washing machine and build up on your dryer’s lint screen, limiting airflow and leading to longer drying times.
However, there are safer ways to attain soft, fresh-smelling, static-free clothing.
How To Soften Clothes Without Fabric Softener
Hard water is often the culprit behind clothes that feel rough or crunchy. This is because the high amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in hard water can deposit on clothing in the wash.
“The ideal solution is to install a water softening system to your water supply. That should help with the softness,” Handel told Consumer Reports.
If that isn’t an option, try using wool dryer balls. The reusable, natural, environmentally-friendly balls of compacted wool bounce around in the dryer, pounding on clothing and linens as they dry. The result is softer fabric with less stiffness, scratchiness or crunchiness.
You can refresh dryer balls by tying each one in a sock individually, washing them in a hot water cycle and drying them in the dryer. This will help compress the fibers for more prolonged use.
Another option is to add a quarter-cup of baking soda to the washer during the rinse cycle. However, avoid using vinegar. Mixing vinegar with bleach can create noxious fumes, and the acid in vinegar can damage the door seal and rubber hoses attached to the washer.
Make Your Laundry Smell Amazing—Safely
Consumer Reports recommends using a good-smelling detergent to obtain fresh, fragrant laundry. Some of CR’s best-ranked laundry detergents for fragrance include All Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent and Persil.
“I once gave my friend a freshly washed fabric mask and she was like, ‘Oh wow, what is this detergent? This smells so good,'” Mary Beth Quirk, Consumer Reports’ shopping editor, said of Persil. “And if something is right on your face and isn’t too overpowering, that’s a good sign, right?”
Another option is to place scented sachets in closets and drawers. Small bags or fabric pouches filled with perfumed powder or potpourri can leave a soft, pleasant scent on your clothing and linens without unwanted side effects.
Other Ways To Reduce Static
Fabric softener dryer sheets can also contain harmful chemicals released into the air when heated in the dryer, so you may wish to avoid using these, even to remove static. Instead, you can hang the clothing to dry to prevent staticky results. If you can hang clothes on a line, you get the added benefits of the outdoor-fresh scent and whiter whites, thanks to the sun. Even if you use an indoor clothes drying rack, you can save money on your power bill and help your clothes last longer.
If you still want to use the dryer, wool dryer balls can help reduce static. Another option is to toss in a ball of foil. Scrunch a 3- to 4-foot length of aluminum foil into a tight ball, taking care not to leave any sharp edges that might damage fabric. The exchange of electrons in the dryer will reduce static in the clothing.
So, is fabric softener bad? Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide. But skipping the softener and incorporating these methods could prevent health issues, improve the effectiveness of your washer and dryer, increase the life of your clothing, help the environment and save you money. What’s not to love about that?
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.katc.com/is-fabric-softener-bad-what-it-does-laundry | 2022-08-22T13:01:01Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/is-fabric-softener-bad-what-it-does-laundry | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When it comes to outlet malls, what's not to love? They offer names, great fashion, and lower prices than at the mall.
And in these inflationary times, they can be a great option for saving money on your favorite brands.
But it's important to know that the items you see at an outlet store might not be the same items you'd find at the mall.
And that means you're not always getting the same merchandise you see in department stores, according to a report by the Krazy Coupon Lady.
Heather Wheeler, the co-founder of the Krazy Coupon Lady shopping blog, says many outlets no longer sell overstock items as they did in the past but rather less expensive versions of the company's products.
"Outlet stores are great, but you have to know what you are doing before you go in," she said. "It's made just a little bit cheaper, and a little bit like a knockoff would be made."
How to know if it is outlet merchandise
Wheeler says the merchandise is not always of inferior quality, but it may have fewer buttons, less stitching, and thinner fabric.
And a report in the Krazy Coupon Lady may help shoppers spot the telltale signs.
For instance, she says, Banana Republic factory items have three small diamonds under the name on the tag.
"You'll see that it has 3 diamonds, at GAP it has three squares, at J Crew you will see it has 2 diamonds. And so you just kind of have to look."
With handbags, she says, stores have a different system.
On Kate Spade bags, a square with a hollowed-out spade on the front usually means it's an outlet item.
On Coach bags, Wheeler says an "F" in the serial number means "made-for-outlet."
Can't remember? Wheeler's tip is to do a quick online search.
"You can just Google before you head into the store. Ask it what does the 'insert the store name,' mean and then the factory or the outlet tag look like."
We reached out to all the companies named in the Krazy Coupon Lady report and received responses from two.
A spokesperson from Banana Republic told us its specialty and factory stores are "two separate business units with distinct strategies that ladder up under the Banana Republic brand."
A Coach spokesperson told us, "our outlet stores are merchandised with a mix of products that our outlet customers are looking for."
So remember that outlets can mean big savings, but it is a good idea to inspect the quality of the merchandise before you buy, so you don't waste your money.
________________________
Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
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________________________
FULL STATEMENT FROM COACH --
"Our outlet stores are merchandised with a mix of product that our outlet customers are looking for. This includes items that may have been transferred from retail stores, styles that may have previously been offered in retail stores and other channels, and items designed with our outlet customer in mind but which may also sell in channels other than just outlet stores. At our outlet stores we don't differentiate between the source of our products, as each item, and its features, stands on its own."
FULL STATEMENT FROM BANANA REPUBLIC --
"In September 2021, Banana Republic announced a bold reset for the brand with a commitment to elevate all product and bring new customers into the brand while serving existing customers in fresh and creative ways. While we are showing up in a more dynamic way as one brand across Banana Republic Specialty and Banana Republic Factory, these are two separate business units with distinct strategies that ladder up under the Banana Republic brand. Our Factory business designs and develops new high-quality lines each season for our customers." | https://www.katc.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/outlet-mall-secrets-how-to-know-if-it-is-made-for-outlet-clothing | 2022-08-22T13:01:07Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/outlet-mall-secrets-how-to-know-if-it-is-made-for-outlet-clothing | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A video showing three officers beating a suspect in Mulberry, Arkansas, spread on social media on Sunday, prompting an investigation.
According to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, two of its members were suspended. The Associated Press reported that a third officer, a member of the Mulberry Police Department, was also suspended.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet that he is directing the Arkansas State Police to lead an investigation into the incident.
The video showed one of the officers striking the suspect multiple times in the head. Another one of the officers is seen kneeing multiple times into the suspect.
“I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter,” Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said.
In a police report released to the Associated Press, the suspect was accused of making threats to a convenience store Sunday morning. He faces charges of terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and other assault charges, the AP reported. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/3-arkansas-officers-suspended-after-beating-suspect | 2022-08-22T13:01:10Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/3-arkansas-officers-suspended-after-beating-suspect | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For years, global health officials have used billions of drops of an oral vaccine in a remarkably effective campaign aimed at wiping out polio in its last remaining strongholds — typically, poor, politically unstable corners of the world.
Now, in a surprising twist in the decades-long effort to eradicate the virus, authorities in Jerusalem, New York and London have discovered evidence that polio is spreading there.
The original source of the virus? The oral vaccine itself.
Scientists have long known about this extremely rare phenomenon. That is why some countries have switched to other polio vaccines. But these incidental infections from the oral formula are becoming more glaring as the world inches closer to eradication of the disease and the number of polio cases caused by the wild, or naturally circulating, virus plummets.
Since 2017, there have been 396 cases of polio caused by the wild virus, versus more than 2,600 linked to the oral vaccine, according to figures from the World Health Organization and its partners.
“We are basically replacing the wild virus with the virus in the vaccine, which is now leading to new outbreaks,” said Scott Barrett, a Columbia University professor who has studied polio eradication. “I would assume that countries like the U.K. and the U.S. will be able to stop transmission quite quickly, but we also thought that about monkeypox.”
The latest incidents represent the first time in several years that vaccine-connected polio virus has turned up in rich countries.
Earlier this year, officials in Israel detected polio in an unvaccinated 3-year-old, who suffered paralysis. Several other children, nearly all of them unvaccinated, were found to have the virus but no symptoms.
In June, British authorities reported finding evidence in sewage that the virus was spreading, though no infections in people were identified. Last week, the government said all children in London ages 1 to 9 would be offered a booster shot.
In the U.S., an unvaccinated young adult suffered paralysis in his legs after being infected with polio, New York officials revealed last month. The virus has also shown up in New York sewers, suggesting it is spreading. But officials said they are not planning a booster campaign because they believe the state's high vaccination rate should offer enough protection.
Genetic analyses showed that the viruses in the three countries were all “vaccine-derived,” meaning that they were mutated versions of a virus that originated in the oral vaccine.
The oral vaccine at issue has been used since 1988 because it is cheap, easy to administer — two drops are put directly into children's mouths — and better at protecting entire populations where polio is spreading. It contains a weakened form of the live virus.
But it can also cause polio in about two to four children per 2 million doses. (Four doses are required to be fully immunized.) In extremely rare cases, the weakened virus can also sometimes mutate into a more dangerous form and spark outbreaks, especially in places with poor sanitation and low vaccination levels.
These outbreaks typically begin when people who are vaccinated shed live virus from the vaccine in their feces. From there, the virus can spread within the community and, over time, turn into a form that can paralyze people and start new epidemics.
Many countries that eliminated polio switched to injectable vaccines containing a killed virus decades ago to avoid such risks; the Nordic countries and the Netherlands never used the oral vaccine. The ultimate goal is to move the entire world to the shots once wild polio is eradicated, but some scientists argue that the switch should happen sooner.
“We probably could never have gotten on top of polio in the developing world without the (oral polio vaccine), but this is the price we’re now paying,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “The only way we are going to eliminate polio is to eliminate the use of the oral vaccine."
Aidan O’Leary, director of WHO's polio department, described the discovery of polio spreading in London and New York as “a major surprise,” saying that officials have been focused on eradicating the disease in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where health workers have been killed for immunizing children and where conflict has made access to some areas impossible.
Still, O'Leary said he is confident Israel, Britain and the U.S. will shut down their newly identified outbreaks quickly.
The oral vaccine is credited with dramatically reducing the number of children paralyzed by polio. When the global eradication effort began in 1988, there were about 350,000 cases of wild polio a year. So far this year, there have been 19 cases of wild polio, all in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mozambique.
In 2020, the number of polio cases linked to the vaccine hit a peak of more than 1,100 spread out across dozens of countries. It has since declined to around 200 this year so far.
Last year, WHO and partners also began using a newer oral polio vaccine, which contains a live but weakened virus that scientists believe is less likely to mutate into a dangerous form. But supplies are limited.
To stop polio in Britain, the U.S. and Israel, what is needed is more vaccination, experts say. That is something Columbia University's Barrett worries could be challenging in the COVID-19 era.
“What’s different now is a reduction in trust of authorities and the political polarization in countries like the U.S. and the U.K.,” Barrett said. “The presumption that we can quickly get vaccination numbers up quickly may be more challenging now.”
Oyewale Tomori, a virologist who helped direct Nigeria’s effort to eliminate polio, said that in the past, he and colleagues balked at describing outbreaks as “vaccine-derived,” wary it would make people fearful of the vaccine.
“All we can do is explain how the vaccine works and hope that people understand that immunization is the best protection, but it’s complicated,” Tomori said. “In hindsight, maybe it would have been better not to use this vaccine, but at that time, nobody knew it would turn out like this.” | https://www.katc.com/news/national/polio-in-us-uk-and-israel-reveals-rare-risk-of-oral-vaccine | 2022-08-22T13:01:21Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/polio-in-us-uk-and-israel-reveals-rare-risk-of-oral-vaccine | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Monday will be the start of a soggy work week with daily showers and storms popping up through the week.
Showers will become more common through the day after a fairly quiet morning, and at times you can expect some serious downpours.
Flooding isn't expected to be a widespread issue, but when the rain is at its heaviest it can cause some localized street flooding.
Embedded in these showers will be the occasional thunderstorm producing both gusty winds and frequent lightning.
Showers will keep temperatures in the upper 80s and heat index values sitting in the 90s.
There's really no significant change to the forecast all week, each and every day will see some kind of shower or storm popping up.
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Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers | https://www.katc.com/news/soggy-work-week-ahead-for-acadiana | 2022-08-22T13:01:27Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/soggy-work-week-ahead-for-acadiana | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Border authorities seized a record amount of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in July, most of which came through U.S. ports of entry, data released this month shows.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures, officers with the agency’s Office of Field Operations seized approximately 1,800 pounds of fentanyl in July, while U.S. Border Patrol agents who guard the vast border areas between ports of entry seized about 340 pounds.
The amount of fentanyl seized by CBP personnel had fallen for two consecutive months before spiking from 700 pounds in June to 2,100 in July.
During the first ten months of this fiscal year, which began last October, officers at border crossings seized approximately 9,000 pounds of fentanyl. Border authorities seized 10,200 pounds of the drug in all of Fiscal 2021.
Fentanyl seizures
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is manufactured primarily in clandestine labs in Mexico.
Sold as a powder or pressed to look like pharmaceutical opioid pills, fentanyl could be 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.
Heroin and cocaine often are laced with fentanyl, but many users usually don’t know they are purchasing fentanyl, the DEA says.
Health and law enforcement officials blame fentanyl for the significant increase in opioid overdoses in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 31,335 overdose deaths linked to fentanyl in 2018. In 2022, more than 71,000 died from fentanyl overdoses, an increase from about 58,000 in 2021.
Federal agents have told Border Report that synthetic drugs like fentanyl and meth are cheaper to mass-produce than many other illegal drugs.
Britton Boyd, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the FBI in El Paso, recently told Border Report that gone are the days of drug cartels waiting long for cannabis or heroin-making opium poppies to grow. Nowadays, fentanyl labs and meth labs operate 24-7.
“Once you had the technological advances from pharmaceuticals … you now had a much more reliable supply of opioids through the synthetic markets,” Boyd said.
Marijuana seizures this fiscal year are down 55 percent. Border authorities seized 277,400 pounds of pot through July of last fiscal year but only 120,000 pounds during the same period this fiscal year.
According to CBP data, the drug with the most amount seized this fiscal year — 164,000 pounds — is khat, a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that the DEA says users abuse for its stimulant-like effect. They chew it like tobacco or use its dry leaves to smoke, make tea, and even sprinkle it on food.
- Three Arkansas officers suspended and under investigation after video shows use of force
- Fentanyl busts skyrocket to new high with bulk of seizures at U.S. ports of entry
- Electric school buses are taking students back to school
- Guide to maintaining your septic system & prevent backups
- 3 Arkansas police officers suspended after beating caught on camera
- 7,000 construction workers wanted for Intel chip plants | https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/fentanyl-busts-skyrocket-to-new-high-with-bulk-of-seizures-at-u-s-ports-of-entry/ | 2022-08-22T13:05:22Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/fentanyl-busts-skyrocket-to-new-high-with-bulk-of-seizures-at-u-s-ports-of-entry/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Coolest day of the week
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Today will be pleasant, with relatively low humidity and below average temperatures.
- A gradual warming trend is on the way
- The week will be mainly dry
- The last weekend of August will be hot!
After widespread rain yesterday sunshine make a return for the start of the work week. Daytime highs will be comfortable in the low to mid 80s. Dry and sunny conditions persist through the mid-week, but we’ll be warmer by then! Afternoon temperatures slowly inch their way up to near 90 degrees by Thursday and Friday. Stray showers are possible as we approach the end of the week and the weekend.
Bowling Green 3 day forecast:
MONDAY: Partly cloudy. Stray thundershowers possible. High 84. Low 67. Winds S at 6 mph.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. High 86. Low 65. Winds SW at 6 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. High 88. Low 64. Winds S at 5 mph.
Today’s Climate Info for Bowling Green:
Normal High: 89
Normal Low: 67
Record High Today: 102(2007)
Record Low Today: 49(1956)
Sunrise: 6:08 a.m.
Sunset: 7:28 p.m.
Precipitation:
Yesterday: T
So Far This Month: 0.70″ (-1.88″)
So Far This Year: 32.99″ (-0.47″)
Health & Allergies:
Air Quality: Low (Ozone Count: 21/Small Particulate Matter: 23)
Mold Count: Low
UV Index: Very High (8)
Pollen: 83.4 (High: Ragweed, Grasses)
Copyright 2022 WBKO. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/22/coolest-day-week/ | 2022-08-22T13:17:10Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/22/coolest-day-week/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By Lucrezia Alfonsi
The electric revolution is far closer than you think, with an estimate of over one million electric vehicles reported on the road in the UK last year.
Electric cars are accounting for 11.6% of vehicles sales (a 76% rise compared to last year) and any car that is partially or entirely powered by electricity is classified as an EV. However, since it’s not so straightforward, Perrys Ford Dover has created a guide to assist you in navigating all the jargon.
There are 3 types of electric cars:
Mild Hybrid (MHEVs)
Plug-In Hybrid (PHEVs)
All Electric (BEVs)
Mild Hybrid
Mild Hybrid Vehicles have a smaller combustion engine and an electric motor that work alongside. They have a smaller battery and while they can’t run on battery power alone (since the two power sources cannot be used independently of one another), they will improve your vehicle’s fuel economy as well as environmental performance.
If you don’t have the option of installing a charging point at home, but still want to save money on fuel and road tax, then a Mild Hybrid vehicle may be the right choice for you.
Plug-in Hybrid
Similarly to a Mild Hybrid, a Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHEVs) has a combustion engine and an electric motor. However, unlike Mild Hybrid cars, PHEVs' battery pack can be plugged in and charged.
Plug-in Hybrids are ideal for commuting or for shorter trips since, depending on the car you choose, its electric engine can drive the car alone for up to 50 miles on average. This makes them the best option to save money on petrol while also doing your part for the environment.
When the electric charge in these vehicles runs out, the combustion engine takes over, so you don't need to worry about your car stopping.
All Electric
These types of vehicles only have an electric motor (rather than an Internal Combustion Engine) and operate solely on electricity thanks to their battery pack stored in the car.
All electric cars must be charged either through a home charge point or through a public charge station in order for them to operate on this source of propulsion. Depending on the model you choose, your new car will have a range that allows it to travel up to 380 miles on a single charge.
If you want to fully embrace the electric revolution and save money on fuel and road tax, then these types of EV are the right choice for you. At Perrys Ford Dover there is a wide range of electric cars to choose from in order to suit different needs, including Ford Puma, Kuga and Mustang Mach-E.
Lead times are still an issue within the automotive industry, so don’t delay and visit today to choose your next Ford! Call Perrys Ford Dover on 01304 752868 and they will be happy to assist you with any queries. | https://www.kentlive.news/special-features/find-your-perfect-electric-vehicle-7488533 | 2022-08-22T13:17:37Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/special-features/find-your-perfect-electric-vehicle-7488533 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The strongest to weakest of the major currencies
The AUD
AUD
The Australian dollar (AUD) is the official currency of Australia, which is also used in Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island, as well as independent pacific states.Introduced in 1966, the AUD is currently the fifth most traded currency in the world, behind only the US dollar, euro, Japanese yen, and British pound.The currency is very important to forex markets and is routinely used as a carry trade against other majors.The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is the central banking authority tasked with the management and issuance of AUD banknotes.What Factors Affect the AUD?The AUD is more susceptible than other currencies to macroeconomic factors. Overall, monetary policy is the largest mover of the currency, including interest rate differentials.Beyond Australia, commodity prices such as those of precious metals and others are also important to the AUD and can cause fluctuations in its value relative to other currencies.Global risk sentiment and confidence are also indicators that are closely tracked given their correlation to the AUD.This is due to the AUD being seen as a commodity currency, and also used as one of the most popular growth and risk proxies in global financial markets.Any positive mood in the global market will likely cause the AUD to climb, while if there is a prevailing pessimism, the AUD will often decline.On a domestic scale, government credit ratings can also impact the AUD. Australia’s credit rating influences the risk profile of its debt.This trend directly influences the cost the government has to pay on the debt it owes.
The Australian dollar (AUD) is the official currency of Australia, which is also used in Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island, as well as independent pacific states.Introduced in 1966, the AUD is currently the fifth most traded currency in the world, behind only the US dollar, euro, Japanese yen, and British pound.The currency is very important to forex markets and is routinely used as a carry trade against other majors.The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is the central banking authority tasked with the management and issuance of AUD banknotes.What Factors Affect the AUD?The AUD is more susceptible than other currencies to macroeconomic factors. Overall, monetary policy is the largest mover of the currency, including interest rate differentials.Beyond Australia, commodity prices such as those of precious metals and others are also important to the AUD and can cause fluctuations in its value relative to other currencies.Global risk sentiment and confidence are also indicators that are closely tracked given their correlation to the AUD.This is due to the AUD being seen as a commodity currency, and also used as one of the most popular growth and risk proxies in global financial markets.Any positive mood in the global market will likely cause the AUD to climb, while if there is a prevailing pessimism, the AUD will often decline.On a domestic scale, government credit ratings can also impact the AUD. Australia’s credit rating influences the risk profile of its debt.This trend directly influences the cost the government has to pay on the debt it owes.
Read this Term is the strongest and the EUR is the weakest as the NA session begins. Both those currencies were at the bottom when ranking the strongest to weakest for the trading week last week. Today, they area enjoying a rebound of their fortunes. For the AUDUSD it bounced off a technical support level
Support Level
A trading support or support level represents a given price that acts as a temporary barrier for an asset. In particular, this level ensures an asset’s price will not fall below it or will encounter difficulty in doing so.All assets can utilize supports, be it forex, equities, commodities, etc. A given asset's support level is created by buyers that enter the market whenever the asset falls to a lower price. Basic support levels can be calculated and charted by identifying the lowest lows for a time period being considered. This can occur over any period, be it daily, hourly, etc.A support line can be either flat or skewed up or down relative to the overall price trend. Looking deeper, other technical indicators and charting techniques can be used to identify more advanced versions of support.Support levels differ from resistance, which illustrate the opposite direction of price movements.Understanding Support LevelsWhen the price of an asset falls towards a defined support level, the asset can either hold at this level or fall further. In this case, additional supports must be identified to compensate for a breach or decline.Support levels in many assets can be created by limit orders or simply the market action of traders and investors.Traders can rely on support levels to plan either entry and exit points for trades, as well as crafting more detailed trading strategies. For example, if the price action on a chart falls below a support level, it is seen as an opportunity to buy or take a short position. Additionally, if this breach of the support level occurs during uptrend, it may possibly be a sign of a reversal and strength.
A trading support or support level represents a given price that acts as a temporary barrier for an asset. In particular, this level ensures an asset’s price will not fall below it or will encounter difficulty in doing so.All assets can utilize supports, be it forex, equities, commodities, etc. A given asset's support level is created by buyers that enter the market whenever the asset falls to a lower price. Basic support levels can be calculated and charted by identifying the lowest lows for a time period being considered. This can occur over any period, be it daily, hourly, etc.A support line can be either flat or skewed up or down relative to the overall price trend. Looking deeper, other technical indicators and charting techniques can be used to identify more advanced versions of support.Support levels differ from resistance, which illustrate the opposite direction of price movements.Understanding Support LevelsWhen the price of an asset falls towards a defined support level, the asset can either hold at this level or fall further. In this case, additional supports must be identified to compensate for a breach or decline.Support levels in many assets can be created by limit orders or simply the market action of traders and investors.Traders can rely on support levels to plan either entry and exit points for trades, as well as crafting more detailed trading strategies. For example, if the price action on a chart falls below a support level, it is seen as an opportunity to buy or take a short position. Additionally, if this breach of the support level occurs during uptrend, it may possibly be a sign of a reversal and strength.
Read this Term near the 61.8% of the move up from it's July 14 low at 0.68548. China did lower it's one year loan prime rate by 5 bps which may have helped contribute to the AUD and NZD currencies. Each have strong trade ties to China.
The gains also come in the face of a weaker opening in the US (which tends to lead to risk off flows in those currencies).
US yields are higher in the shorter end and less so out the curve ahead fo the Jackson Hole Symposium which will have the Fed Chair Powell speaking at 10 AM ET on Friday.
Oil prices are marginally lower with the hope of an Iranian deal that could add up to 1M barrels per day. Justin points out OPEC+ missed their production targets by 2.9BPD in July . Meanwhile, Gazprom announced that it will stop delivering natural gas to Europe for 3 days at the end of the month. That has lead to higher natural gas prices in Europe (up 11% for the Dutch front month gas contract - a new record).
A look around the markets are showing:
spot gold is trading down $15.76 or -0.90% at $1731.21. Spot silver is down $0.20 or -1.06% at $18.82 WTI crude oil is trading down $0.44 at $89.99 Bitcoin is trading at $21,247. On Friday, the price closed at $20,841. The high price this weekend reached $21,778 during trading on Sunday. In the premarket for US stocks:
Dow industrial average is trading down -322.74 points after falling -292.3 points on Friday S&P index is trading -48.5 points after falling -55.24 points on Friday NASDAQ index is trading down -193 points after falling -260.13 points on Friday In the European equity markets, the major indices are also trading sharply to the downside
German DAX -2.01% France's CAC -1.46% UK's FTSE 100 -0.27% Spain's Ibex -0.94% Italy's FTSE MIB -1.5% In the US debt market
2 year yield 3.282%, +4.4 basis points 5 year yield 3.104%, +1.0 basis point 10 year 2.976%, unchanged 30 year 3.215%, unchanged in the European debt market, the benchmark 10 year yields continued to move to the upside with the UK 10 year up 5.8 basis points in the way
European benchmark 10 year yields
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-aud-is-the-strongest-and-the-eur-is-the-weakest-to-start-the-na-session-20220822/ | 2022-08-22T13:18:11Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-aud-is-the-strongest-and-the-eur-is-the-weakest-to-start-the-na-session-20220822/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s president called on NATO on Sunday to “do their job” in Kosovo or he says Serbia itself will move to protect its minority in the breakaway province.
The fiery televised address to his nation by President Aleksandar Vucic followed the collapse of political talks between Serbian and Kosovo leaders earlier this week mediated by the European Union in Brussels.
Serbia, along with its allies Russia and China, has refused to recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence. A NATO-led intervention in 1999 ended the war between Serbian forces and separatists in Kosovo and stopped Belgrade’s bloody crackdown against Kosovo’s majority Albanians.
The EU has overseen years of unsuccessful talks to normalize their ties, saying that’s one of the main preconditions for Kosovo and Serbia’s eventual membership in the 27-nation bloc.
“We have nowhere to go, we are cornered,” Vucic said. “We will save our people from persecution and pogroms, if NATO does not want to do it.”
He also claimed that Kosovo Albanian “gangs” need to be stopped from crossing into northern Kosovo, where most of the Kosovo Serbs live. He offered no proof for the claim.
There are widespread fears in the West that Russia could encourage its ally Serbia into an armed intervention in northern Kosovo that would further destabilize the Balkans and shift at least some world and NATO attention from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Nearly 4,000 NATO-led peacekeepers have been stationed in Kosovo following the 1998-99 war and any armed intervention there by Serbia or Russia would mean a major escalation of a simmering conflict in Europe.
Following the collapse of the EU-mediated talks, NATO peacekeeping troops in Kosovo have been deployed at main roads in its north, saying they are ready to protect the freedom of movement for all sides.
Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo soared anew last month when the Kosovo government led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti declared that Serbian identity documents and vehicle license plates would no longer be valid in Kosovo’s territory. Serbia has been implementing the same measures for Kosovo citizens crossing into Serbia for the past 10 years.
Minority Serbs in Kosovo reacted with anger to the proposed changes, putting up roadblocks, sounding air raid sirens and firing guns into the air and in the direction of Kosovo police officers. No one was injured.
Under apparent pressure from the West, Kurti postponed implementation of the measure for a month to Sept. 1, when more trouble is expected if a compromise is not reached by then.
Vucic said Serbia will “work hard” to reach a “compromise solution in the next 10 days” and accused the Kosovo leadership of “only being interested in abolishing any trace of the Serbian state in Kosovo.”
Vucic also claimed, again without proof, that Kosovo’s government wanted “the final removal of the Serbian people from Kosovo” — something that has been repeatedly denied by Kosovo officials.
Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla on Sunday visited Kosovo police units stationed near the northern border with Serbia, saying that he hopes there will be no trouble when the new measures begin on Sept.1.
“Our common interest here is that this land is ours and we will not give it up at any price,” he said.
__
AP writer Jovana Gec contributed. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/serbia-warns-it-will-protect-kosovo-serbs-if-nato-doesnt/ | 2022-08-22T13:23:26Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/serbia-warns-it-will-protect-kosovo-serbs-if-nato-doesnt/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) — A horror movie convention promoter says it is assisting authorities following charges against actor Gary Busey involving alleged sexual offenses at an event in New Jersey earlier this month.
Busey, 78, was charged Friday with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment following alleged actions Aug. 12-14 at the Monster Mania Convention at the Doubletree Hotel in the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, police said Saturday.
Monster-Mania Convention said in a Facebook post that after attendees complained, an unspecified “celebrity guest was removed from the convention and instructed not to return.”
“Monster-Mania also encouraged the attendees to contact the police to file a report,” the company said, adding that behavior that compromised the safety and well-being of attendees would not be tolerated. “Monster-Mania will continue to assist the authorities in any and every way possible,” it said.
“It was about contact. It was about touching,” Lt. Robert Scheunemann told The Philadelphia Inquirer of the muliple complaints police had received about Busey’s conduct.
Busey, who lives in Malibu, California, was scheduled as a featured guest for all three days of the event.
Police did not immediately respond to a message seeking details. It also wasn’t clear whether Busey has an attorney to comment on the charges, and a representative didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Saturday.
Busey is widely known as a character actor, largely in supporting roles, though he came to attention and was nominated for an Oscar for best actor for playing the title role in the 1978 film “The Buddy Holly Story.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/horror-film-convention-promoter-speaks-after-busey-charges/ | 2022-08-22T13:24:09Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/entertainment/ap-entertainment/horror-film-convention-promoter-speaks-after-busey-charges/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MULBERRY, Ark. (AP) — Three Arkansas law enforcement officers were suspended Sunday following social media outrage over a video that shows a suspect being held down on the ground and beaten.
Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante issued a statement Sunday evening, stating two county deputies will be suspended during the course of the Arkansas state police’s investigation into the incident and the sheriff’s office’s internal investigation. A Mulberry police officer also was suspended.
“I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter,” Damante said.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said the officer involved in the incident is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The city of Mulberry and the Mulberry police department takes these investigations very seriously,” Gregory said.
According to police, a report indicated that a man was making threats to a convenience store employee in Mulberry on Sunday morning. Mulberry is located about 137 miles (220.48 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.
Police said when the officers confronted the man, he pushed a deputy to the ground and punched the back of his head, leading to the arrest seen in the video.
Three law enforcement officers are seen in the video. One can be seen punching the shoeless suspect with a clenched fist, while another can be seen kneeing him, and a third is holding him down.
The unidentified man was arrested and taken to a local hospital. He faces charges of terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and other assault charges, police said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday night on Twitter that the “incident in Crawford County will be investigated pursuant to the video evidence and the request of the prosecuting attorney.”
No further information was immediately available. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/3-arkansas-law-enforcement-officers-suspended-over-arrest/ | 2022-08-22T13:24:59Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/3-arkansas-law-enforcement-officers-suspended-over-arrest/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Make the most of your last summer celebration with these picnic must-haves
For many people, Labor Day signifies the unofficial end of summer. With kids heading back to school, the days getting shorter and the weather cooling down, you probably won’t be able to spend as much time outdoors. That’s why you definitely want your Labor Day celebration to be fabulous — so you can enjoy one last day of sunshine and fun with family and friends.
If you want to have the best Labor Day picnic possible, check out these essentials that can keep you comfortable, entertained and well-fed out at the park, beach or other favorite picnic location.
Labor Day picnic essentials
Picnic sun and insect protection must-haves
Amazon Basics Outdoor Pop-Up Canopy
Get some shade at your picnic with this pop-up sun canopy. It’s made of durable 300D fabric and uses sturdy steel tubes for support. It also has waterproof seams, so it can keep you dry in light rain. You can choose from three height positions for the poles, too.
Sold by Amazon
Sun Bum Original SPF 30 Sunscreen
This hypoallergenic sunscreen lotion can help keep you from getting a sunburn no matter how long you stay at the picnic. It offers UVA and UVB protection and vitamin E to prevent free radical damage. It’s also oil-free, water-resistant and doesn’t damage coral reefs.
Sold by Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Outdoor Research Sunbriolet Sun Hat
This sun hat features fabric with a UPF 50+ rating, so it provides excellent sun protection. It also has a drawstring closure to keep it on your head even in windy weather. The mesh lining helps wick moisture away from the skin, too.
Sold by Amazon
Cutter Skinsations Insect Repellent
Keep mosquitos and other pests away at your Labor Day picnic with this insect repellent spray. It also works on ticks, gnats, chiggers, and fleas and even contains aloe and vitamin E to nourish the skin. The 360-degree pump makes it easy to apply, too.
Sold by Amazon
Picnic comfort must-haves
This extra-large picnic blanket lets you stretch out comfortably at the park or on the beach. Its top is made of super-soft fleece, while the underside has a water-resistant coating to keep you dry. It’s also easy to fold and comes with a tote that has an adjustable strap for easy carrying.
Sold by Amazon
Resort Spa Home Indoor/Outdoor Pillows
These outdoor pillows can make you comfortable while stretching out on your picnic blanket. This set includes four pillows in different sizes, including a lumbar pillow for lower back support. The fabric is stain- and fade-resistant, too, so you don’t have to worry about spills or drips at your picnic.
Sold by Amazon
Coleman Camping Chair with Built-in 4 Can Cooler
If your picnic spot doesn’t have chairs and benches, this camping chair can make you much more comfortable this Labor Day. It holds up to 325 pounds and features adjustable arm heights. The side pockets, mesh cup holder and built-in cooler that holds four cans make it even more convenient.
Sold by Amazon
If you’re not comfortable eating on a blanket, this camping table makes it much easier to enjoy the food at your picnic. It comes in a convenient carrying bag for transport to the park or beach and also has a mesh pocket underneath for storage.
Sold by Amazon
Picnic food and drink must-haves
The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket
This cookbook doesn’t just provide tasty recipes for your picnic but also offers tips for planning and pulling off the perfect outing. It even includes menus to make choosing the perfect recipes for your Labor Day event even easier.
Sold by Amazon
Char-Broil Portable Liquid Propane Gas Grill
This compact propane grill is designed for travel, making it ideal for your Labor Day picnic. It offers 240 square inches of cooking space that can fit up to eight burgers and has legs that allow you to place it on the ground or a table.
Sold by Amazon
Keep beverages cold and perishable foods fresh at your picnic with this large, durable cooler. It has three inches of PermaFrost insulation that helps keep ice solid for several days. The heavy-duty rubber latch also keeps the items inside secure.
Sold by Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods
Nature Gear Picnic Backpack for 4
This complete picnic basket contains everything you need for four people to enjoy a Labor Day picnic. It comes with an insulated cooler, waterproof blanket, wine cooler and opener, cutting board, plates, glasses and cutlery. The backpack design makes it easy to carry, too.
Sold by Amazon
PICNIC TIME Promenade Picnic Basket
If you prefer a smaller picnic basket, this canvas tote is an excellent option for more intimate Labor Day gatherings. It includes plates, wine glasses and cutlery for two and has enough space for your favorite foods. The leatherette handles also make it more comfortable to carry.
Sold by Amazon
Rubbermaid Easy Find Food Storage Containers
Pack all the goodies for your picnic in these sturdy, durable food containers. The set includes 21 containers with lids, which snap together to maximize space in your basket. The containers are all BPA-free, microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe, too.
Sold by Amazon
Earth’s Natural Alternatives Eco-Friendly Dinnerware Set
This compostable dinnerware set contains disposable forks, knives, plates, cups, napkins and tablecloths, which are all biodegradable. They work well for cold and hot foods and can even stand up to heavy, greasy items.
Sold by Amazon
ASIJIA Pop-Up Mesh Food Screens
Keep the bugs away from your food with these pop-up food covers. Each set includes six covers in various sizes that take just seconds to assemble. They’re also flexible, so they can be stretched over multiple dishes.
Sold by Amazon
Picnic entertainment must-haves
Nerf Supersoaker Fornite Compact Water Blaster
Keep the kids entertained at your Labor Day picnic with this fun pump-action water gun. You can fire easily by pumping the handle backward and forward to drench your opponents. It’s easy to refill on the go, too.
Sold by Amazon
Himal Collapsible Portable Corn Hole Game
The whole family can have fun at a picnic with this travel-friendly corn hole game. It’s lightweight and easy to set up at the beach or park. It also includes eight cornhole bags and a carrying case to keep everything together.
Sold by Amazon
Kan Jam Original Disc Toss Ultimate Backyard Game
Another activity that’s fun for the whole family, this frisbee toss game sets up quickly, so you can assemble it at any picnic spot. It’s easy to learn to play, making it ideal even for younger children. Best of all, it’s lightweight and easy to carry.
Sold by Amazon
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Pumpkin spice products for any season
Each year as autumn comes around, the world eagerly awaits for coffee shops to rotate pumpkin spice flavors into the mix. However, you don’t have to wait for the fall to dive into your favorite pumpkin spice products. And this year, you may even want to pumpkin spice it up by adding some new products to your repertoire of favorites.
Whether you prefer coffee, tea, scented candles or something else, several fall products may quell your pumpkin spice sweet tooth or keep you coming back for something new to you.
Pumpkin spice products worth trying
- Pumpkin spice coffee: Coffee is the most classic pumpkin spice drink, with the pumpkin spice latte starting it all just a few short years ago. Now, you can use pre-flavored pumpkin spice coffees and creamers to make achieving the flavor even easier.
- Pumpkin spice syrup: Another common pumpkin spice option is using a syrup. Syrups and sauces are what most coffee shops use to flavor their drinks. You can use syrups and sauces to recreate your favorite pumpkin spice lattes if you have an espresso machine at home.
- Pumpkin spice tea: A good pumpkin spice option for non-coffee drinkers is tea. You can find pumpkin spice flavors in black and herbal teas or in specific tea drinks such as the chai tea latte.
- Pumpkin spice candles: If you don’t want to drink your pumpkin spice, a candle is a good way to get into the fall spirit.
- Other pumpkin spice products: You can also find pumpkin spice products such as air fresheners, clothing, foods, sweets, actual spices and more.
Best pumpkin spice coffee
Top pumpkin spice coffee
Door County Pre-Ground Seasonal Flavored Pumpkin Spice Coffee
What you need to know: This Wisconsin-made coffee includes pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg flavoring, and it comes pre-ground so you can start brewing right away.
What you’ll love: This bag of coffee includes eight ounces of ground coffee for a super affordable price. It’s a medium roast with a delicious autumn pumpkin spice flavor without being too overpowering. You can also buy this pumpkin spice coffee in decaf or whole-bean versions.
What you should consider: Buyers found the eight-ounce bag a little small.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top pumpkin spice coffee for the money
Eight O’Clock Ground Pumpkin Spice Flavored Coffee
What you need to know: This is a fairly tasty bag of pre-ground pumpkin spice coffee for how affordable it is, and it’s roasted in Maryland.
What you’ll love: This 11-ounce bag of coffee is a medium roast and includes flavoring notes of pumpkin, brown sugar, sweet cream and some unnamed spices. Eight O’Clock also provides charitable contributions to environmental causes and the communities of their farmers.
What you should consider: This brand doesn’t offer a decaf pumpkin spice coffee.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best pumpkin spice syrup
Top pumpkin spice syrup
Jordan’s Three-Pack Of Sugar-Free Pumpkin Flavored Skinny Syrups
What you need to know: This three-pack of pumpkin syrups includes pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin spice and pumpkin caramel flavors which can be added to nearly any drink.
What you’ll love: This delicious flavor pack offers more variety than getting a single pumpkin spice flavor. They also have zero calories and sugar. Each bottle is 12.7 fluid ounces, but a little goes a long way when using syrups.
What you should consider: Some didn’t like the sugar-free flavor of these syrups.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top pumpkin spice syrup for the money
Torani Pure Made 16.5-Ounce Bottle Of Pumpkin Pie Sauce And Syrup
What you need to know: Torani’s classic pumpkin pie sauce offers a thick, creamy syrup that makes hot drinks such as coffee, chai or hot chocolate taste like fall.
What you’ll love: This bottle of pumpkin pie sauce is large enough to last you a while, and a small amount of it packs a flavorful punch. It’s made without artificial preservatives, colors or GMOs and this brand is a trusted standard in many coffee shops today.
What you should consider: This is much thicker than other syrups, and it can be hard to get it to mix well without adding some hot liquids.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best pumpkin spice tea
Top pumpkin spice tea
Vahdam India Pumpkin Spice Blend Herbal Tea Bags
What you need to know: If you’re looking for something different than coffee, this delicious herbal tea is great for mornings or nights, and it includes all-natural ingredients.
What you’ll love: This tea includes natural flavors such as pumpkin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon to give it a unique pumpkin spice flavor. Because it’s herbal, this tea doesn’t have any caffeine, making it less bitter than your average tea.
What you should consider: Some buyers were looking for something caffeinated.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top pumpkin spice tea for the money
Tazo Pumpkin Spice Black Chai Tea Bags
What you need to know: This chai is affordable and offers a unique pumpkin spice flavor to the classic chai tea and chai tea latte.
What you’ll love: This includes 20 tea bags, each of which you can use to make two to three cups of tea. Chai is a black tea, so it has a good amount of caffeine. This product also goes great with some steamed milk, making it a tasty pumpkin spice chai tea latte.
What you should consider: This tea wasn’t a hit for those who don’t like chai tea.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Best pumpkin spice candle
Top pumpkin spice candle
Sweet Water Decor Soy Scented Pumpkin Spice Candle
What you need to know: This fragrant candle is perfect for pumpkin spice lovers who want to enjoy the smell instead of the flavor.
What you’ll love: This candle is nine ounces and includes fragrance notes of vanilla, buttercream and autumn spices. It comes in a clear jar you can reuse after it’s done burning, and its overall design is subtle enough to fit in with any space.
What you should consider: Some thought it burned faster than the advertised 40-hour burn time.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top pumpkin spice candle for the money
Yankee Candle Spiced Pumpkin Large Jar Scented Single-Wick Candle
What you need to know: This huge 22-ounce scented candle offers around 110 hours of burn time and includes a natural fiber wick that burns consistently.
What you’ll love: This candle wax is paraffin-grade and offers natural scents such as baked pumpkin spice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar. This candle’s container is 100 percent recyclable and the company is partnered with TerraCycle.
What you should consider: This candle’s scent isn’t as high-quality as candles with natural fragrances.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/coffee-accessories-br/its-never-too-early-for-pumpkin-spice-with-these-8-products-worth-trying/ | 2022-08-22T13:25:34Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/kitchen-br/coffee-accessories-br/its-never-too-early-for-pumpkin-spice-with-these-8-products-worth-trying/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A year ago, Nate Fisher was employed by the First National Bank of Omaha determining whether to approve commercial loans. On Sunday, at Citizens Bank Park in his major league debut, he issued a denial to Phillies hitters.
Fisher sparkled in pitching three scoreless innings, Mark Canha hit two homers and drove in five runs and the New York Mets rallied past Philadelphia 10-9.
“It’s pretty surreal right now,” Fisher said. “I’m so thankful and so blessed for the opportunity. It hasn’t even sunk in yet.”
Fisher allowed one hit while striking out one and walking two.
“This is my dream,” he said.
The 26-year-old lefty went undrafted out of the University of Nebraska before pitching in 12 games at Single-A for the Seattle Mariners organization in 2019.
With the uncertainty of COVID-19 halting his baseball career, Fisher followed a former coach into banking in 2020 in his hometown. He worked there until June 2021 when he re-signed with the Mariners, making it all the way to Triple-A.
This season with the Mets organization, Fisher was 0-1 with a 3.77 ERA in 12 games at Double-A Binghamton and 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 games at Triple-A Syracuse before his call-up prior to Sunday’s game.
“It’s pretty cool,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said.
When Fisher entered in the fifth, he caught more than a few people by surprise.
“I didn’t even know who this guy was when he came into the game today,” Canha said.
Fisher retired three batters and walked one, then walked Kyle Schwarber to lead off the sixth before being forced to sit out a 46-minute rain delay. He returned and got three straight outs before finishing by facing the minimum in a scoreless seventh.
For Fisher, it was just another day at the office.
Tougher work environment?
“Probably the Phillies lineup — but those days can get long at the bank, too,” he said, laughing.
Canha’s second homer was a go-ahead, two-run drive in the ninth inning. Brandon Nimmo hit a solo homer two batters later for the NL East leaders.
The Mets took three of four in the series to finish the regular season with a 14-5 mark against the Phillies. New York upped its lead over second-place Atlanta to four games.
“The offense just didn’t give in,” Showalter said. “Our guys thought there was a game there to be won and they did what it took.”
Alec Bohm hit a pair of three-run homers and Jean Segura also went deep for the Phillies, who have lost four of five. Philadelphia entered second in the NL wild-card race.
“Is it disappointing to lose? Certainly,” Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said. “But I’m really proud of the entire club just the way they fought.”
The Mets trailed 8-7 before Jeff McNeil led off the ninth with a double against David Robertson (3-1) and Canha hit his 10th home run. Canha had tied the game at 7-all in the seventh with a three-run shot off Connor Brogdon.
Nimmo gave the Mets a 10-8 lead with a drive off Tyler Cyr.
Edwin Diaz ended his scoreless inning streak, but pitched out of trouble in the ninth for his 28th save in 31 chances. Diaz, who hadn’t surrendered a run since June 22 over 21 innings, allowed Nick Maton’s sacrifice fly that pulled Philadelphia within a run.
Diaz struck out Darick Hall looking with runners on first and second to end it.
Segura, pinch-hitting for Matt Vierling, led off the eighth by homering off Trevor May (2-0) to put Philadelphia ahead 8-7.
Mets starter José Buttó allowed seven runs on nine hits in four innings in his major league debut. Buttó took the place of Taijuan Walker, who left his Aug. 16 start with back spasms but is not expected to need a stint on the injured list.
Philadelphia’s first five baserunners against Buttó reached base, with the first of Bohm’s three-run homers doing the biggest damage in the Phillies’ four-run first inning.
Bohm set a career high with six RBIs in his second multi-homer game.
LOVING THE BANK
Marte continued his hitting tear at Citizens Bank Park. He went 3 for 5 with a double and RBI and is now batting .399 with 17 doubles, five homers and 18 RBIs in 35 career games in Philadelphia.
STILL STREAKING
Nick Castellanos had a pair of singles to up his hitting streak to 11 consecutive games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: RHP Stephen Nogosek (left oblique strain) was placed on the 15-day IL. Nogosek felt discomfort after tossing 1 ⅔ scoreless innings of relief in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Phillies. … C Tomás Nido, on the COVID-related IL since Aug. 15, could return on Thursday when the Mets open a four-game home series against Colorado. … 3B Eduardo Escobar (strained left oblique) is on target to be back on Friday against the Rockies. … Walker could return to the mound as early as Tuesday against the Yankees.
Phillies: OF Bryce Harper (broken left thumb) likely will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday or Wednesday. Harper, who has been out since June 25, is expected to take on-field batting practice in Philadelphia on Monday. … RHP Seranthony Domínguez (right triceps tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day IL. … RHP Corey Knebel’s season is over after being diagnosed with a tear in his right shoulder capsule. Knebel, who was placed on the IL on Aug. 15 with a right lat strain, will get stem cell treatment in hopes of avoiding surgery. Cyr was called up from Triple-A to fill a spot in the bullpen.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Max Scherzer (9-2, 2.15) starts for the Mets on Monday night in the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium against RHP Domingo German (1-2, 4.45).
Phillies: Open a four-game home series against Cincinnati on Monday night, with RHP Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 4.50) facing RHP Luis Cessa (3-1, 5.50).
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/fisher-excels-in-debut-canha-2-hrs-mets-rally-past-phils/ | 2022-08-22T13:26:11Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/fisher-excels-in-debut-canha-2-hrs-mets-rally-past-phils/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tyler Huntley could have just run out of bounds — after all, it was a preseason game — but the quarterback lowered his shoulder, took on two defenders and powered ahead for the first down.
That’s just the way the Baltimore Ravens do things on the football field, whether the games count or not.
Rookie Isaiah Likely caught eight passes for 100 yards, Huntley completed 13 of 14 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, and the Ravens ran their preseason winning streak to 22 games by beating the Arizona Cardinals 24-17 on Sunday night.
“It means a lot to us, just to show that every time you step on the field with the Ravens, you gotta be ready to play,” Huntley said. “Because we’re ready to play. It just shows we’re trying to win every time we touch the field.”
Likely — a fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina — was Huntley’s favorite target for Baltimore (2-0) during the first half. The two hooked up for an 8-yard touchdown play midway through the second quarter.
Both teams sat the majority of their star players, including their starting quarterbacks. Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson haven’t played at all so far in the preseason. Murray was spotted in the second half with a headset and playsheet, making calls on the sideline.
Likely could provide an intriguing combo at tight end with Ravens star Mark Andrews, who earned an All-Pro nod last season after a breakout season that included 1,361 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.
“We took him expecting him to be a really good player,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I think we feel that way about all our draft picks. He’s had some opportunities and has made the most of it.”
It was a solid night for most of the Ravens’ draft class. First-round pick Kyle Hamilton broke up a pass in the end zone. Fourth-round pick Damarion Williams snagged an interception. Sixth-round selection Tyler Badie caught a 3-yard touchdown pass.
Ravens rookie Anthony Brown threw two touchdown passes and an interception.
Arizona’s Jonathan Ward had a few big plays as he tries to make a move for the No. 2 running back spot behind Pro Bowler James Conner. He had a 48-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and a 26-yard catch in the second. Ward’s day ended early when he left with a shoulder injury, though the severity wasn’t clear.
The Cardinals (1-1) are hoping either Ward, Eno Benjamin or Darrel Williams can fill the void left by Chase Edmonds, who ran for a career-high 592 yards last season but left for the Miami Dolphins during free agency.
Trace McSorley — who played in 2019 and 2020 for the Ravens — got the majority of the snaps at quarterback for the Cardinals. He was 18 of 34 for 229 yards and two interceptions. Jarrett Guarantano threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
McSorley and Guarantano are fighting for the No. 3 quarterback spot behind Murray and Colt McCoy.
“I thought it was a little up and down,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said about McSorley. “I think he was trying a little too hard against his old team to start, but he is scrappy, he continues to make plays. I thought we moved the ball well at times.”
Said McSorley: “Not 100% satisfied. Some good things we were able to do, but we need to finish more of some of these drives.”
Justin Tucker made a 29-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. The Ravens were able to overcome 12 penalties for 116 yards.
INJURIES
Ravens: RB Nate McCrary (knee) left the game in the second half. … Rookie DL Travis Jones (knee) left in the second half. Harbaugh called it a hyperextension.
Cardinals: The team said star DE J.J. Watt has tested positive for COVID-19, which is why he wasn’t on the sideline. He also won’t travel to Tennessee for next week’s practices and game against the Titans. … S Charles Washington (chest) left in the first half and didn’t return. … Kingsbury said Ward’s shoulder injury “shouldn’t be too bad.”
UP NEXT
Ravens: They’ll wrap up the preseason against Washington at home Saturday.
Cardinals: They’ll spend a big chunk of next week in central Tennessee, doing joint practices with the Titans. The teams will play Saturday.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/huntley-likely-shine-as-ravens-beat-cardinals-24-17/ | 2022-08-22T13:26:32Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/huntley-likely-shine-as-ravens-beat-cardinals-24-17/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Josef Newgarden saw the checkered flag out his windshield as the hard-charging rookie sprinted closer and closer into his rearview mirror.
David Malukas was coming fast for the leaders, seemingly out of nowhere, late Saturday night after a long rain delay and a strung-out race.
The 20-year-old was flying and darted outside and around Scott McLaughlin for second. Then he set his sights over the final lap on Newgarden, the two-time IndyCar champion so far unable to take control of the championship race.
Newgarden thought, “Wow, that kid is hungry.’”
Alas, Malukas ran out of time on the 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis. He picked off McLaughlin, and if there had been one more lap, Malukas might have won his first IndyCar victory.
He’s still learning oval racing, even though his results show he’s a quick study. His 16th-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 was his lowest of the five ovals on the schedule; his second-place finish Saturday night was the best of his maiden IndyCar season and his first career podium.
And yet he’s left to wonder if a rookie mistake cost him a chance at running down Newgarden for the win at Gateway.
On fresh tires for the final run of the night, Malukas waited until two laps to go to experiment with the upper groove at Gateway. His car like a rocket ship in the top lane, he sailed past McLaughlin on the outside. Although he ran out of time to catch Newgarden, Malukas was closing in quickly when Newgarden took his series-best fifth win of the season.
What took him so long to try the outside lane?
“It was a bit unfortunate I did it so late. But I guess rookie season, rookie stuff,” Malukas said. “I’m going to put it in the back of my brain and remember it for next time.”
It wasn’t his only mistake of the night: Malukas was scolded by McLaughlin for mispronouncing his last name. It’s Muh-GLOCK’-luhn, McLaughlin said, and there’s no soft h.
Either way, second-place was just as good as the win on Saturday night for Malukas. He even got to celebrate with champagne when Newgarden graciously let the underage Malukas spray the real stuff instead of the grape juice he’d been given.
“Why didn’t they give me the real stuff? That’s not fun,” Malukas said. “Maybe I can just tell them I’ll close my mouth, I don’t know.”
Just three months ago he was smarting from losing Indianapolis 500 top rookie honors to Jimmie Johnson, who finished the race below Malukas but was rewarded for both an eye-popping speed show in qualifying and his ambassadorship for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Malukas supporters were outraged and, after posting his own 200-plus mph marks in practice, as well as actually finishing highest among the Indy 500 rookies, Malukas himself wondered how he lost out on top rookie to 46-year-old Johnson.
Once the drama faded from social media, Malukas went back to big runs for tiny Dale Coyne Racing.
He finished eighth in the second race of the Iowa doubleheader last month and is ranked 16th in the standings, ahead of Indianapolis 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Takuma Sato, his teammate, and also the rest of the rookie class.
Newgarden heaped praise on Malukas after the race and said Malukas, a Lithuanian-American from the Chicago area, could probably get a little more aggressive. Newgarden is three points behind Team Penske teammate Will Power with two races remaining, yet he didn’t worry about the potential risks of racing a rookie with Saturday night’s win on the line.
“When you see rookies, I think you definitely are a bit more cautious or reserved, or at least you’re second-guessing what you think you should be doing,” Newgarden said. “I would give Malukas a lot of respect. He’s probably been one of the cleanest rookies I’ve ever seen. He’s been almost too respectful.”
Malukas acknowledged both getting out of the way of Penske cars during practice and also getting a little starry-eyed when he found himself racing Newgarden and McLaughlin.
His engineer radioed that Malukas was about to get sight of the race leaders and then he caught a glimpse of them sailing through Turns 1 and 2. It took a moment for him to realize that “Oh, my God, they’re Penskes. I’m going behind Penskes right now. This is crazy.’”
Malukas rooted for Team Penske as a kid and says he’s stayed out of their way when he made it to IndyCar this season: “Every time through practice, every time they passed me, I always let them by. Man,” he said.
And so he had to collect himself as he chased the duo.
“I was trying so hard to not get nervous. I mean, I was nervous, but I was trying so hard not to get overexcited and do something stupid,” Malukas said. “It’s definitely intimidating when there’s two Penskes in front of you.”
___
More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/malukas-dazzles-racing-through-field-and-against-penskes/ | 2022-08-22T13:27:05Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/sports/malukas-dazzles-racing-through-field-and-against-penskes/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
2022 Cincinnati
Photo gallery: The top moments from this year's Western & Southern Open.
The best photo from each day of the 2022 Western & Southern Open.
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2022 Cincinnati | https://www.wtatennis.com/photos/2746119/photo-gallery-the-top-moments-from-this-year-s-western-southern-open- | 2022-08-22T13:28:19Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/photos/2746119/photo-gallery-the-top-moments-from-this-year-s-western-southern-open- | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GrowPods are modular hydroponic farms that allow farmers and entrepreneurs to move into new markets, and create year-round revenue streams
CORONA, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Container Technologies, Inc (Ticker: ACTX), announced that GrowPods can help farmers expand into new markets and grow profitable fruits and vegetables year-round.
GrowPods are modular hydroponic farms that can be placed virtually anywhere, and can grow the equivalent of one acre of traditional farmland in an automated, controlled, pesticide-free environment. With GrowPods, farmers can expand their operations and grow profitable crops, year-round.
According to Entrepreneur 360, the most profitable crops aren't what most farmers are currently growing. Adding a GrowPod or two to a farmer's property allows them to add high-margin specialty crops to their revenue stream.
A high-margin crop is something that can grow quickly, has high demand, produces high yields, has multiple uses, can grow year-round, and doesn't take up a lot of space. Not all crops can be grown in a GrowPod, including some of those listed below. However, many high-value crops can be grown quickly and easily.
The Entrepreneur 360 report states that some of the most profitable crops are:
- Arugula - Quick to grow, often ready for harvesting in as little as 40 days.
- Gourmet Garlic – Usually sells for much more than regular white mushrooms.
- Saffron - Often said to be the most expensive culinary herb by weight in the world. From seed to harvest is typically eight weeks.
- Basil - Quick to harvest, usually ready within three 3-4 weeks. Very versatile, used in a wide variety of foods.
- Cilantro - Ready for harvesting in about 40 to 50 days.
- Cherry Tomatoes – One of the most expensive sold per pound of any in the tomato family, and one of the most profitable. Ready for harvest in about 45 to 55 days.
- Gourmet Mushrooms – These sell for considerably more than typical white mushrooms. Harvest time is about 6 to 8 weeks.
- Microgreens - Harvest very quickly, typically in about two to three weeks after seeding because they are taken out soon after sprouting, rather than waiting for the plant to fully mature.
- Strawberries – One of the tastiest fruits and fun to grow. Imagine having fresh strawberries in the middle of the winter!
"The GrowPod system allows farmers to move into new, highly profitable markets, and maintain revenue streams year-round," said Douglas Heldoorn, CEO of Advanced Container Technologies, Inc. "With GrowPods, farming can be done in a controlled environment allowing farmers to eliminate pesticides and contaminants, yielding a highly desirable crop that is even better than organic."
For more information on Advanced Container Technologies or GrowPods, call: (951) 381-2555 or visit: www.advancedcontainertechnologies.com or www.growpodsolutions.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Statements about ACTX' beliefs and expectations, involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "may," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," or other similar expressions. All information is as of the date of this press release, and ACTX undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
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SOURCE Advanced Container Technologies, Inc. | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/actx-helps-farmers-expand-into-new-profitable-markets/ | 2022-08-22T13:28:44Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/actx-helps-farmers-expand-into-new-profitable-markets/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Nonprofit Institute works in close collaboration with industry and government to identify and develop standards- and conformance-based solutions to national and global priorities.
MIAMI, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ArisGlobal, the leading provider of life sciences software that automates core drug development functions with its end-to-end technology platform LifeSphere®, today recognizes and applauds the accomplishments of their LifeSphere® Regulatory IDMP product leader, Robin Schilling, for her acceptance into American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the nonprofit's specific ISO Health Informatics Technical Committee, Working Group 6, which helps develop standardizations for Pharmacy and Medicines Business.
ANSI is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States.
Schilling is the product owner of LifeSphere IDMP, a solution recognized by analyst group Gens & Associates as leading in IDMP Readiness. Schilling's work with ANSI Working Group 6 will include chairing a committee to lead the effort in developing a global Medicinal Product ID under the IDMP umbrella to help improve the efficiency and resilience of the supply chain. IDMP is scheduled to go live in the European Union (EU). The regulation pertains to all companies who are doing business within the EU, not just those who are based there. Both the work being done by ANSI and the EMA will help improve drug and patient safety, while encouraging a global dialogue around drug development.
"It is in incredible honor to be a part of the American National Standards Institute and Working Group 6," shares Schilling. "Having a seat at the table to discuss these core, pressing matters in R&D will help improve drug safety, reduce drug shortages, and mitigate supply chain risks by allowing manufactured products and ingredients to be tracked down to the lot level. It's a tremendous move in the right direction and towards continued, growing regulation that keeps patient safety at the center of medicinal products."
"Our people are at the heart and soul of what we do, so to have an organization like ANSI recognize the talent and impact Robin Schilling has in the standards and regulations space is well-deserved and commendable," shares Clint Wolfe, Chief Human Resource Officer at ArisGlobal. "Robin is an excellent example of the incredible talent we have at ArisGlobal. She is a leader on our Regulatory team and has such a robust professional background, we are confident she will do great things and continue to make an impact in our organization and beyond."
About ArisGlobal: ArisGlobal is transforming the way today's most successful Life Sciences companies develop breakthroughs and bring new products to market. Our end-to-end drug development technology platform, LifeSphere®, integrates our proprietary cognitive computing engine to automate all core functions of the drug development lifecycle. Designed with deep expertise and a long-term perspective that spans more than 30 years, LifeSphere® is a unified platform that boosts efficiency, ensures compliance, delivers actionable insights, and lowers total cost of ownership through multi-tenant SaaS architecture.
Headquartered in the United States, ArisGlobal has regional offices in Europe, India, Japan and China.
About LifeSphere®: LifeSphere is the trusted partner for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, health authorities, and contract research organizations. Helping accelerate product development, organize clinical trials, manage compliance, and streamline collaboration across teams, LifeSphere empowers safer, faster life science breakthroughs. As the flagship product of ArisGlobal, LifeSphere is a market-leading solution built on 40 years of industry partnership and continues to evolve in collaboration with hundreds of trusted customers. For more information visit lifesphere.arisglobal.com.
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Edinburgh bin strike: Shocking pictures show the rubbish building up in the Capital as the strikes continue
Litter has been building up on the streets of the Capital amid an 11 day strike during the festival.
By Rachel Mackie
Monday, 22nd August 2022, 1:04 pm
Pictures taken from around Edinburgh show the shocking build up of rubbish as the bin strike continues.
Around 250 members of staff walked out on Thursday, with the action not scheduled to conclude until 30 August, covering the rest of the Fringe.
Union leaders will meet this week to consider a five per cent pay increase for refuse workers as comedians performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe slated the situation.
Undefined: twitter
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Page 1 of 3 | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/edinburgh-bin-strike-shocking-pictures-show-the-rubbish-building-up-in-the-capital-as-the-strikes-continue-3814783 | 2022-08-22T13:30:06Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/edinburgh-bin-strike-shocking-pictures-show-the-rubbish-building-up-in-the-capital-as-the-strikes-continue-3814783 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- First Capital Bancshares, Inc. ("First Capital"), parent company of First Capital Bank (the "Bank"), announced today the completion of a private placement of shares of its common and non-voting preferred stock to accredited individual and institutional investors. Due to the high level of interest in the offering, the First Capital Bancshares board of directors elected to modify the original offering from $10 Million to $15.1 Million.
The private placement resulted in gross proceeds to the company of $15.1 million before deducting expenses. First Capital intends to use the proceeds from the private placement to support growth of the franchise in its South Carolina and North Carolina markets and for general corporate purposes.
Commenting on the capital raise, Harvey L. Glick, Chairman and CEO, said, "We are so pleased with the level of interest the community showed in our offering. Our team of talented bankers is ready to put the new capital to work knowing it will enhance our client services and shareholder value."
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The securities offered and sold in the private placement have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration, or an applicable exemption from registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.
About First Capital Bancshares, Inc.
First Capital Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina with assets of approximately $458 million as of June 30, 2022. Its principal activity is the ownership and operation of First Capital bank, a state-chartered community bank that operates four branches and one loan production office in South Carolina and North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.bankwithfirstcapital.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to future plans and expectations, and are thus prospective. Such forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "target," and "project," as well as similar expressions. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Therefore, we can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by our company or any person that the future events, plans, or expectations contemplated by our company will be achieved.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: (1) competitive pressures among depository and other financial institutions may increase significantly and have an effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues; (2) the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which the company conducts operations may be different than expected, including, but not limited to, due to the negative impacts and disruptions resulting from the national political turmoil as well as continuing impact of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, on the economies and communities the company serves, which may have an adverse impact on the company's business, operations and performance, and could have a negative impact on the company's credit portfolio, share price, borrowers, and on the economy as a whole, both domestically and globally; (3) the rate of delinquencies and amounts of charge-offs, the level of allowance for loan loss, the rates of loan growth, or adverse changes in asset quality in our loan portfolio, which may result in increased credit risk related losses and expenses; (4) changes in legislation, regulation, policies, or administrative practices, whether by judicial, governmental, or legislative action, including, but not limited to, changes affecting oversight of the financial services industry or consumer protection; (5) adverse conditions in the stock market, the public debt market and other capital markets (including changes in interest rate conditions) could have a negative impact on the company; (6) changes in interest rates, which may affect the company's net income, prepayment penalty income, mortgage banking income, and other future cash flows, or the market value of the company's assets, including its investment securities; and (7) changes in accounting principles, policies, practices, or guidelines. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the company or any person acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements above. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made, except as required by law.
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The solidified partnership positions iCIMS for continued growth and innovation
HOLMDEL, N.J. and AUSTIN, Texas and BOSTON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iCIMS, the talent cloud company, Vista Equity Partners ("Vista"), a leading global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses, and TA Associates ("TA"), a leading global growth private equity firm, today announced the close of TA's investment in iCIMS. Vista and TA will partner together to further accelerate global growth and product development expansion at the company. Susquehanna Growth Equity, which first invested in iCIMS in 2012 and made an additional investment in 2015, will continue to be a shareholder.
iCIMS powers talent transformation for more than 4,000 organizations worldwide, including CVS Health, Target, and IBM. Employers leverage the iCIMS Talent Cloud to attract, engage, hire and advance the right talent that builds a diverse, winning workforce. Collectively, iCIMS customers employ more than 34 million people around the globe. The company's award-winning product innovation, strong customer satisfaction and talented team members worldwide position it to continue leading the large and growing HR technology market.
"iCIMS helps the best brands find and hire the best talent," said Steve Lucas, CEO of iCIMS. "We are excited to partner with Vista and TA as we drive the future of HR and talent acquisition with mission critical solutions designed for leaders who want to guide organizations boldly toward the future."
"Our partnership with iCIMS is a testament to the power of our ecosystem of knowledge and resources, and our ability to leverage that ecosystem to create value for our companies and our Limited Partners," said Monti Saroya, co-head of Vista's Flagship Fund and senior managing director. "Vista is proud of the many milestones we've achieved together with Steve and the iCIMS management team, and we welcome TA as new partners to further scale and build on the company's successes as we enter the next phase of growth and innovation at iCIMS."
"Attracting, hiring and advancing top talent has never been a more critical business priority, and the competition for talent is only expected to increase in the coming years," said Ashu Agrawal, a Managing Director at TA. "We believe iCIMS is positioned for growth and are eager to leverage our operational experience, industry knowledge and value-add capabilities to help the company reach its full potential. With our investment closed, we are actively partnering with Vista, Steve and the entire iCIMS team to advance our shared vision for the future," added Harry Taylor, a Managing Director at TA.
About iCIMS, Inc.
iCIMS is the talent cloud company that empowers organizations to attract, engage, hire, and advance the right talent that builds a diverse, winning workforce. iCIMS accelerates transformation for a community of more than 4,000 customers, including 40% of the Fortune 100, that collectively employ more than 34 million people around the world. For more information, visit www.icims.com.
About Vista Equity Partners
Vista is a leading global investment firm with $96 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2022. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista's investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on Twitter, @Vista_Equity.
About TA
TA Associates ("TA") is a leading global growth private equity firm. Focused on targeted sectors within five industries – technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services – the firm invests in profitable, growing companies with opportunities for sustained growth, and has invested in more than 560 companies around the world. Investing as either a majority or minority investor, TA employs a long-term approach, utilizing its strategic resources to help management teams build lasting value in high quality growth companies. TA has raised $47.5 billion in capital since its founding in 1968. The firm's more than 110 investment professionals are based in Boston, Menlo Park, Austin, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. More information about TA can be found at www.ta.com.
Media Contacts
Andrea Meyer
iCIMS
andrea.meyer@icims.com
503-888-3543
Brian W. Steel
Vista Equity Partners
media@vistaequitypartners.com
512-730-2400
Maggie Benoit
TA
mbenoit@ta.com
617-598-6685
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Jostle, a top-tier employee intranet platform, states intranets are dead
(and that it never was one).
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - For years, Jostle has positioned itself as a new kind of intranet. But those days are over—Jostle is now embracing its employee success roots.
"Right out of the gate, we recognized that modern intranets use an "internal website" approach that disperses information and reinforces organizational silos. Learning from this failure, we crafted Jostle as a purpose-driven platform that serves what employees need to connect and succeed at work—an employee success platform," explains Jostle founder and CEO Brad Palmer.
Jostle's platform helps companies harness its employee success framework by helping employees understand what matters, get the information and support they need, and be recognized each step of the way. The framework uncovers how celebrating success can create a shared sense of accomplishment that energizes everyone.
With the arrival of remote and hybrid work, having a central place to connect and communicate has become mission-critical. "Jostle is the place for employees to live your culture, feel they belong, get the clarity they need, and find what they need to get their work done," continued Palmer. "Intranets never did work and certainly not in today's evolved workplace. It's time to move beyond them."
"Prior to Jostle, we had an intranet. It was full of things that were not relevant. Not updated. Not current. It was tough for people to find what they wanted," confirms Ian Teague, Head of IT at The Woodland Trust.
Today, most employees interact with their work, culture, and peers through digital platforms. "More than ever, employees and leaders need one central platform to connect and succeed together. It's time we put our understanding of employee success front and center to help everyone move forward in our challenging new world of work," concludes Palmer.
Visit the Jostle Blog to learn more about delivering employee success and jostle.me to explore Jostle's employee success platform.
Connect with Jostle on social:
Facebook - @Jostle.me
Twitter - @Jostleme
LinkedIn - @Jostleme
YouTube - @Jostleme
Jostle's employee success platform is where everyone connects, communicates, and celebrates at work. It's the heartbeat of our own company and has helped employees in over 1,000 organizations easily belong and contribute, anywhere, anytime. With industry-leading participation rates, we're putting the joy into work and the life into organizations. Find out more at jostle.me.
Media Contact:
Faye Wai
Brand Marketing Lead
info@jostle.me
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SOURCE Jostle | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/jostle-admits-it-was-never-an-employee-intranet/ | 2022-08-22T13:33:28Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/jostle-admits-it-was-never-an-employee-intranet/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mr. Rubino to join from Edelman Financial Engines to lead the firm's retirement business
Brant Wong appointed as Head of Retirement Platform across product, service and sales
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- J.P. Morgan Asset Management today announced the appointment of Steve Rubino as Head of Retirement and Chair of the firm's Defined Contribution Operating Committee (DCOC), commencing September 14.
Mr. Rubino brings nearly 30 years of experience in financial services and fintech, having spent the last two decades driving growth & transformation at the helm of workplace retirement & innovation at Edelman Financial Engines.
As Head of Retirement and DCOC Chair, Mr. Rubino will lead J.P. Morgan Asset Management's $255B workplace retirement business, developing and executing the firm's retirement strategy, managing the group's distribution teams, and working closely with investment teams on new product development, including retirement income solutions and next generation target date funds. He will report to Andrea Lisher, Head of Americas, Client, J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
"Retirement is at heart of all we do, and we're firmly committed to driving stronger retirement outcomes for all Americans," said George Gatch, Chief Executive Officer, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "We are uniquely positioned to leverage the scale and reach of JPMorgan Chase to help individuals cross the retirement finish line, and we are thrilled to have someone of Steve's caliber head up our retirement efforts."
"Steve's deep passion for workplace retirement, his proven distribution leadership and his differentiated fintech experience are highly complementary to our existing strengths and aligned with changing industry dynamics" said Andrea Lisher, Head of Americas, Client at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. "We have exceptional people, solutions and insights dedicated to helping Americans retire with dignity, and I am thrilled to welcome Steve to lead our next leg of growth."
The firm also announced that Brant Wong will expand his role to lead J.P. Morgan Asset Management's retirement platform businesses, Everyday 401k and Retirement Link, across product, service and sales as Head of Retirement Platform. Mr. Wong will continue to head the firm's Retirement National Accounts efforts, reporting to Steve Rubino and will join the Americas Client Leadership Team. Mr. Wong has been a key member of J.P. Morgan Asset Management's workplace retirement efforts since its inception and responsible for building many foundational aspects of the business.
The appointment of Mr. Rubino and expansion of Mr. Wong's role follows on from the recent appointment of Investment Specialist Daniel Yem to support business & product strategy across the firm's Defined Contribution business, including product innovation across J.P. Morgan's target date and retirement income strategies.
Steve will join J.P. Morgan Asset Management from Edelman Financial Engines (EFE) where his time spans nearly 20 years, most recently as Head of Workplace Distribution and Innovation, responsible for leading direct sales and distribution partnerships, relationship management, consultant and advisor relations, and innovation efforts. In this role, Steve became a key member of the executive leadership team that grew EFE from a start-up to the largest independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) in America with over $240 billion in AUM.
Prior to this, he was Head of Distribution and Institutional Services at EFE, leading the overall institutional business. While at EFE, Steve founded the Edelman Financial Engines Client Advisory Council, a board of senior executives representing the largest companies in the U.S. Steve also helped bring to market retirement income solutions deployed by hundreds of leading employers.
Before his time at EFE, Steve held roles in relationship management at Thomson Financial (now Thomson Reuters) and as an analyst at State Street Corporation. Steve has an M.B.A. from Suffolk University and a B.A. in Economics from Denison University. He is a member of the American Benefits Council's Retirement Income Task Force and Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of $2.5 trillion (as of 6/30/2022), is a global leader in investment management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's clients include institutions, retail investors and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world. J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management is the marketing name for the asset management business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates worldwide.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America ("U.S."), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $3.8 trillion in assets and $286.1 billion in stockholders' equity as of June 30, 2022. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
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HICKSVILLE, N.Y., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: NYCB) (the "Company") announced the declaration of a quarterly cash dividend on its Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A (NYSE: NYCB PA) at the rate of $15.94 per preferred share, which equates to $0.3984 for each depositary share. Each depositary share represents a 1/40th ownership interest in a share of the Series A preferred stock.
The dividend will be payable on September 17, 2022 to shareholders of record as of September 7, 2022.
Based in Hicksville, N.Y., New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is a leading producer of multi-family loans on non-luxury, rent-regulated apartment buildings in New York City, and the parent of New York Community Bank. At June 30, 2022, the Company reported assets of $63.1 billion, loans of $48.5 billion, deposits of $41.2 billion, and stockholders' equity of $6.8 billion.
Reflecting our growth through a series of acquisitions, the Company operates 237 branches through eight local divisions, each with a history of service and strength: Queens County Savings Bank, Roslyn Savings Bank, Richmond County Savings Bank, Roosevelt Savings Bank, and Atlantic Bank in New York; Garden State Community Bank in New Jersey; Ohio Savings Bank in Ohio; and AmTrust Bank in Florida and Arizona.
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(The Hill) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday cleared Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in adolescents, paving the way to expand eligibility for the fourth shot available in the United States.
The two-dose regimen utilizes protein-based technology previously leveraged in vaccines to combat other viruses, offering an alternative for Americans skeptical of Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA technology.
Providers can begin administering the vaccine to people aged 12 through 17 after a sign off from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has already authorized the vaccine’s use for adults. The two doses are given three weeks apart.
“Having more vaccine options for use in both adults and adolescents, like the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted will hopefully help increase vaccination rates, particularly as we prepare for ongoing surges of COVID-19 with the start of fall and the back-to-school season,” Novavax President Stanley Erck said in a statement.
“We hope that our vaccine, developed using an innovative approach to recombinant protein vaccine technology, may have a special role in adolescent vaccination based on parents’ and caregivers’ familiarity with protein-based vaccines used in other disease areas,” he added.
The FDA granted emergency use for adolescents after the company said its trial of 2,247 adolescents showed a primary efficacy of 78 percent.
But Novavax conducted the trial last year, when the Delta variant was predominantly circulating in the United States. The White House has continued urging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted amid the spread of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of omicron, but questions remain as to how the mutations could impact the vaccine’s efficacy.
The FDA authorized Novavax’s vaccine for adults last month, which was followed by the CDC’s blessing nearly a week later.
White House coronavirus response coordinator Ashish Jha said on Wednesday that regulators are expected to approve updated COVID-19 vaccine doses in “a few short weeks” for everyone over the age of 12. The shots are designed to target the two omicron subvariants currently circulating.
Novavax’s COVID-19 shot helps prevent severe illness by injecting the human body with doses that contain the coronavirus spike protein.
The company inputs genetic code that creates the spike protein into an insect virus, which replicates after infecting moth cells. The manufacturer then purifies and extracts the replicated spike proteins and injects them into humans.
The process only requires regular refrigeration, compared to Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines which require storage in colder temperatures. Those vaccines contain genetic instructions for human cells to create the spike protein and defend against future infections. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/health/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/fda-authorizes-novavax-covid-vaccine-for-adolescents/ | 2022-08-22T13:35:50Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/health/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/fda-authorizes-novavax-covid-vaccine-for-adolescents/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
China's unrivaled 70-day heat wave
The extreme heat and drought that has been roasting a vast swath of southern China for at least 70 straight days has no parallel in modern record-keeping in China, or elsewhere around the world for that matter.
Why it matters: Based on recent studies, the question facing climate scientists is how much climate change contributed to this disaster.
The big picture: More than 260 weather stations saw their highest-ever temperatures during the long-running heat wave, according to state media reports.
- It has coincided with a severe drought that has shriveled rivers and lakes and throttled back some of China's hydropower production.
- This has led the government to cut power to Sichuan's key industrial hubs, an emergency measure extended on Aug. 21.
By the numbers: More all-time heat records fell Sunday, particularly in Sichuan province.
- Gao reached 110.3°F (43.5°C) while Jianyang and Zigong hit 110.1°F (43.4°C), according to Meteo France meteorologist Etienne Kapikian.
- The all-time high temperature of 105.8°F (41°C) in Mianyang on Sunday broke the previous record by 4°F, an unusually large margin for such a milestone.
- On Saturday, Chongqing, whose city center is home to 9 million, saw an overnight low temperature that was a few degrees hotter than its typical August daytime high, at 94.8°F (34.9°F).
- If verified, it would be the hottest overnight minimum temperature anywhere in China during August, according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.
- In Beibei, the temperature hit 113°F (45°C) on Aug. 19 and 20, the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in the country outside of Xinjiang.
Threat level: This heat wave has also set records for its geographic reach, with nearly 530,000 square miles within China seeing high temperatures exceed 104°F (40°C).
- This is equivalent to the states of Texas, Colorado and California combined.
- In China, such a footprint encompasses well over 100 million people.
What they’re saying: "I can't think of anything comparable to China's heat wave of summer 2022 in its blend of intensity, duration, geographic extent, and number of people affected,” meteorologist Bob Henson, a contributor to Yale Climate Connections, told Axios.
- Henson noted the simultaneous extreme heat events and droughts also occurring this summer in Europe, East Africa and the U.S.
- “We know that when drought happens, a warming climate accentuates the impacts, parching the landscape and allowing temperatures to rise even further. We've seen the drought-and-heat playbook in action across the Northern Hemisphere this summer,” Henson said.
The bottom line: The human and economic tolls from this event are serious and will become clearer with time. For one, the drought and extreme heat are further slowing China's economic growth.
- They are also throwing another wrench into the supply chain. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/22/china-heat-wave-drought-unprecedented | 2022-08-22T13:36:59Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/22/china-heat-wave-drought-unprecedented | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Democratization is coming for private markets
Trading stocks has gotten cheaper and easier in recent years — now something similar is happening in the once exclusive world of private equity.
Why it matters: A majority of U.S. companies are private — and about a third of the benchmark S&P 500 index often consists of just 10 companies. Meanwhile, private equity assets under management have more than tripled since 2010 — putting even more mid-size and growth companies outside the reach of public investors.
- Some PE firms rack up returns far in excess of the S&P, though the performance of the industry as a whole is hotly debated.
- The collapse of the traditional 60/40 portfolio this year has amplified the mainstream appeal of alternative assets, says Joan Solotar, who runs Blackstone's private wealth solutions business.
How it works: Private equity firms raise capital from institutions like pension funds and endowments, pool it together and buy companies — often purchasing them out of the hands of public shareholders.
- These firms usually aim to sell those companies at a profit a few years down the road and distribute the original money (plus gains) to investors.
The big picture: For most of private capital managers' history, their fundraising from individuals was focused on ultra-high net worth types who could write $15 million-plus checks at a time.
- That's now shifting in a big way, Jason Singer, partner and head of product innovation at Apollo Management, tells Axios.
State of play: Apollo manages a host of alternative assets, which includes private equity. It recently built out a team that helps serve individual investors — and that team has gone from a single-digit headcount to nearly 150 people in just the last year or so, he says.
By the numbers: Apollo raised an average of $1 billion annually from individual investors in 2018-2020 — and it expects to lift that amount to around $15 billion per year through 2026.
- Meanwhile, at Blackstone, retail investors in 2018 represented $58 billion in assets under management, for 13% of total AUM. They're now $233 billion, and a 25% share.
These retail efforts so far have largely focused on real estate and credit strategies that have regular dividends or income streams.
- KKR has taken a similar approach — and sees it expanding. On its earnings call earlier this month, IR head Craig Larson said this about the firm's "democratized" products: "It feels to us like there’s real interest in expanding those opportunities into additional asset classes like [infrastructure] and PE."
What they're saying: “Even recently, we thought private equity reaching individual investors more broadly was a five to 10 year out trend," says Brenda Rainey, executive VP of Bain & Co.'s global private equity practice. "Based on the recent announcements of some of the large publicly traded firms, this could be in the next two years.”
Between the lines: For private equity to reach the masses, the main challenges to solve include frequently sky-high minimum buy-ins, and investments that aren't very liquid — since they usually involve locking up money for years at a time.
Tech platforms, like Moonfare and iCapital, offer accredited investors workarounds for both of those issues. They pool individual investments as low as $50,000 and write one big check; Moonfare also lets clients sell their fund exposures to other clients.
- They automate much of the tedious administrative and customer care stuff that historically made smaller-dollar investments inefficient for PE firms.
Separately, the democratized products that firms like Apollo and Blackstone have rolled out bring versions of their private market strategies to the broader "mass affluent" market — with, importantly, monthly or quarterly redemption options.
- These are the models that, according to Rainey, could eventually be replicated for private equity.
The bottom line: Private markets, by definition, will never be as liquid as their public counterparts — so there are limits to how far mass democratization can go.
- But for now, "firms will continue to innovate where they can," says Solotar. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/22/democratization-coming-private-markets | 2022-08-22T13:37:05Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/22/democratization-coming-private-markets | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Poll: Americans categorized as "suffering" reaches record high
The percentage of Americans classified as "suffering" reached its highest level on record last month, per a Gallup survey released Monday.
Driving the news: 5.6% of Americans said they are "suffering" in July, up from the previous high of 4.8% measured in April.
- July's result is also higher than all previous estimates during the COVID-19 era, per Gallup.
The big picture: The percentage of U.S. adults classified as "thriving" has declined steadily since it reached a record high of 59.2% in June 2021.
- July's estimate of 51.2% adults classified as "thriving" is an 18-month low, per Gallup.
- The percentage of Republicans who are classified as suffering has doubled since June 2021, Gallup found, and among Democrats, it has jumped to 5.4%, almost double the 2.9% from a year ago.
- In addition to general life ratings, the percentage of Americans who report experiencing stress is up to 48%, compared with 43% in July 2021.
- Gallup began asking the life quality question in 2008, when, during the Great Recession, about 3.8% of Americans were categorized as suffering.
Between the lines: Gallup classifies Americans as "thriving," "struggling" or "suffering" based on how respondents rate their current and future lives on a ladder scale from zero to 10.
- Respondents who rate both their current and future lives a 4 or lower are classified as suffering, while those who rate their current life a 7 or higher are classified as thriving.
State of play: "Economic conditions are likely a major contributing factor to these worsening scores," Gallup notes.
- "Despite the addition of 528,000 new jobs in July, persistently high inflation is creating a drag on the Gallup Economic Confidence Index, which is now at its lowest point since the Great Recession in 2009," per Gallup.
Go deeper... Americans no longer judge the economy by the unemployment rate, new paper finds | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/22/gallup-americans-quality-of-life-suffering | 2022-08-22T13:37:11Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/22/gallup-americans-quality-of-life-suffering | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHICAGO, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Waud Capital Partners (WCP), a growth-oriented middle-market private equity firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Richard Roggeveen to Principal.
"Rich's promotion to Principal is a reflection of his strong performance and leadership, which has been instrumental to the growth and success of WCP. We appreciate all his contributions and couldn't be more excited that he represents the future of this firm," said Justin DuPere and Matt Clary, Partners and leaders of WCP's Software and Technology practice.
Rich joined WCP in 2017 on the Software and Technology investment team and currently serves on the boards of HSI and The CE Shop, and as a board observer at Lifelong Learner. "From the outset of our partnership with Waud Capital, Rich has played an integral role in our rapid growth. His strong analytical skills combined with a thoughtful and collaborative communications approach enable him to serve as a trusted advisor to the management team, a cornerstone of a successful partnership," said Chad Birckelbaw, CEO of HSI, a Waud portfolio company that provides comprehensive safety, compliance, employee development, and training software.
Rich has meaningfully advanced the firm's activity across the broader Knowledge Technology space, leading research and outreach to drive important investment and firm initiatives. His efforts in building WCP's domain expertise have helped to shape the firm's approach across a range of markets including education, training, HR, compliance, and information technology. "Rich's expertise across the Knowledge Tech sector is a huge asset to our firm. Through his contributions and leadership, he has shown that he truly exemplifies WCP's unique CEO-first, research-backed approach to investing", said DuPere.
Rich is also a passionate people leader in the firm – he is a member of WCP's ESG Committee and an ally of the Women of WCP (WoW) employee resource group, which aims to empower and support women within the firm.
Prior to joining WCP, Rich worked at GTCR as an investment associate. He received a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated summa cum laude, and an MBA, with high honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Based in Chicago, Waud Capital Partners (WCP) is a growth-oriented private equity firm with total capital commitments of approximately $3.6 billion since its founding in 1993. The firm partners with exceptional executive leadership as they seek to build market leading companies within two industries: healthcare services and software and technology services. Since its founding, WCP has completed more than 400 investments, including platform companies and follow-on opportunities. For additional information on WCP, visit www.waudcapital.com.
Media Contact:
Waud Capital Partners Investor Relations
investorrelations@waudcapital.com
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SOURCE Waud Capital Partners | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/waud-capital-partners-promotes-rich-roggeveen-principal/ | 2022-08-22T13:37:44Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/waud-capital-partners-promotes-rich-roggeveen-principal/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Indiana’s Republican governor became the latest US lawmaker to lead a delegation to Taiwan following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip earlier this month that sparked condemnation and military threats from China.
Gov. Eric Holcomb met with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, part of a four-day visit to Taiwan and South Korea that is intended to “further strengthen Indiana’s economic, academic and cultural connections with Taiwan and South Korea,” his office said in a statement.
His arrival comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing after Pelosi’s visit to self-governed Taiwan, which China believes is part of its territory and has threatened to reunify.
China responded to Pelosi’s travel to the island by extending military exercises and firing missiles into the Strait of Taiwan.
Beijing has also been sending warplanes and ships into the area around the median strip in the waterway that serves as a buffer between the island and the Chinese mainland.
Tsai remarked on the unease in the area during her meeting with Holcomb.
“In the midst of this, Taiwan has been confronted by military threats from China, in and around the Taiwan Strait. At this moment, democratic allies must stand together and boost cooperation in all areas,” Tsai said.
“Building on our existing foundation of collaboration, I look forward to our supporting one another, and advancing hand in hand, forging closer relations and creating even deeper cooperation,” she said.
Holcomb, the first Indiana governor to travel to Taiwan in 17 years, noted that his state is the home to 10 businesses from Taiwan and said he and his delegation will be discussing the latest developments in the technological chip industry, including the passing of the CHIPS Act by Congress.
“We both seek to deepen and enhance our already excellent cooperation that we’ve established over the years,” he said.
The Indiana delegation includes Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, staff of the state’s Economic Development Corporation and educators with Purdue University’s College of Engineering.
A contingent of Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, traveled to Taiwan two weeks after Pelosi’s visit.
With Post wires | https://nypost.com/2022/08/22/indiana-gov-eric-holcomb-leads-delegation-to-taiwan/ | 2022-08-22T13:46:08Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/22/indiana-gov-eric-holcomb-leads-delegation-to-taiwan/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DOVER, Del.- A Dover man is facing rape and related charges for having a sexual relationship with a minor, authorities said.
Dover police said Norman Merritt, 33, had a relationship with a minor between Dec. 24, 2021 and July 13, 2022. On Aug. 15, detectives were contacted by a member of the child's family after the child told them of the incident.
Police said an interview with the child helped investigators determine that Merritt had performed sexual acts with the child at least two times at a Dover home. The location is being withheld for protection of the child.
Merritt turned himself in to Dover Police on Aug. 17.
Merritt was committed to SCI on $363,000 cash bail on the following charges:
- Rape Second Degree (2x)
- Rape Third Degree (4x)
- Unlawful Sexual Contact Second
If you wish to provide information on this case or other criminal activity, please contact the Dover Police Department at 302-736-7130. Callers may remain anonymous. Tips may also be submitted to law enforcement through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333 or online at delaware.crimestoppersweb.com; a cash reward is possible for information leading to an arrest. | https://www.wboc.com/news/dover-man-arrested-for-having-sexual-relationship-qith-child/article_75f8c4f6-21a2-11ed-84f5-a33af931a8ce.html | 2022-08-22T13:51:59Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/dover-man-arrested-for-having-sexual-relationship-qith-child/article_75f8c4f6-21a2-11ed-84f5-a33af931a8ce.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SALISBURY, Md. - Authorities are investigating a fire that caused thousands of dollars in damage to a Salisbury townhouse.
A Salisbury police officer on routine patrol came across the fire shortly after 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 at the two-story home located at 502 Green Mor Court Unit 1.
The Salisbury Fire Department responded to the blaze, which took 15 minutes to get under control.
The fire caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to the structure. There were no reported injuries.
Deputy state fire marshals determined the fire started in an outside trash pile, but what sparked it remains under investigation.
Anyone with information about this fire is asked to contact Deputy State Fire Marshals at 410-713-3780. | https://www.wboc.com/news/fire-damages-salisbury-townhouse/article_499abeae-221b-11ed-9fa0-337f5dfa7446.html | 2022-08-22T13:52:05Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/fire-damages-salisbury-townhouse/article_499abeae-221b-11ed-9fa0-337f5dfa7446.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEAFORD, Del. - The Seaford District Library on Monday announced a new partnership with Love, Inc, a nonprofit organization that works to meet community needs insofar as they relate to homeless and food insecure populations in the Seaford area.
"The Seaford community is always resilient and supports one another in times of need," said Rachel Wackett, deputy executive director for the Seaford Library. "The The library is pleased to be a partner with Love, Inc in this important mission of overall community support.”
Community members can now drop off nonperishable food items, such as canned goods, fruit cups, peanut butter and jelly, waters and other prepackaged food items at the Seaford Library during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Kathryn Alban, transformational ministries director for Love, Inc. is really pleased to be adding this physical drop off location to help further their cause of helping people in the greater Seaford area.
Love, Inc, works on meeting a number of community needs from food insecurity to helping with a clothing closet and providing shower and laundry facilities for homeless people to use. It also assists with various needs via its “Connection Center,” such as rent and electricity help and other types of assistance. And it has an educational component as well, offering courses in nutrition, budgeting and more to help individuals who are currently functioning more dependently to become functionally-independent.
Of course, serving and providing food is a big part of its mission, aimed at feeding both homeless populations as well as those with homes who fall into the food insecure category. It hands out to go (bagged) lunches Monday-Thursday, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays it also provides dinners at 6 p.m. In addition, it hands out boxes of food to those with kitchens, containing items that can be cooked.
“We are really excited about partnering with the library," Alban said. "We believe it will do a lot for the homeless population. We know they utilize space in the library and so it’s a good connection. In working with the library, we are able to offer more food assistance with greater ease.”
Whenever the Seaford Library’s food stock becomes full, Love, Inc shows up to pick the food for its pantry and food services, so the food drive happening at the library is ongoing and helps make a big difference. If you are interested in making a donation of nonperishable food items, the Seaford Library is a great option to be a community benefactor in this way. If you would like to make a clothing, monetary, or cold food item donation, that can be done to Love, Inc, directly at its physical location in Seaford.
For more information on Love, Inc., their services, and/or location information, visit its website at www.loveincofmiddelmarva.org for more information on the Seaford District Library’s food drive or hours, visit it on the web at https://seaforddistrictlibrary.org | https://www.wboc.com/news/seaford-district-library-partnering-with-community-nonprofit/article_5d871ace-2212-11ed-abdb-2f6e4a183676.html | 2022-08-22T13:52:11Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/seaford-district-library-partnering-with-community-nonprofit/article_5d871ace-2212-11ed-abdb-2f6e4a183676.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Carolyn “Peggy” S. Cartwright, 95, of Salisbury, passed away Sunday, August 14, 2022, at her home.
Born September 6, 1926, in Salisbury, she was the daughter of the late Carroll W. and Marian (Adams) Simpson. She and her husband, Norris E. Cartwright, had celebrated 73 years of marriage at his passing in 2019.
To read full obituary, click Here. | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/carolyn-peggy-s-cartwright/article_a358d440-2210-11ed-9afc-cb42246e72ae.html | 2022-08-22T13:52:17Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/carolyn-peggy-s-cartwright/article_a358d440-2210-11ed-9afc-cb42246e72ae.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Fred Williams, 85, of Pocomoke City, Maryland, passed away on August 18, 2022. Fred was born in 1937 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Bill and Ruth Williams. He loved Atlantic City in the pre-casino days - it was a great place to grow up. He graduated from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, and joined the U.S. Army after graduation.
To read full obituary, click Here. | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/frederick-edgar-williams/article_19e7669e-2211-11ed-820f-576857638d2f.html | 2022-08-22T13:52:23Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/obituaries/frederick-edgar-williams/article_19e7669e-2211-11ed-820f-576857638d2f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) — A horror movie convention promoter says it is assisting authorities following charges against actor Gary Busey involving alleged sexual offenses at an event in New Jersey earlier this month.
Busey, 78, was charged Friday with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment following alleged actions Aug. 12-14 at the Monster Mania Convention at the Doubletree Hotel in the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, police said Saturday.
Monster-Mania Convention said in a Facebook post that after attendees complained, an unspecified “celebrity guest was removed from the convention and instructed not to return.”
“Monster-Mania also encouraged the attendees to contact the police to file a report,” the company said, adding that behavior that compromised the safety and well-being of attendees would not be tolerated. “Monster-Mania will continue to assist the authorities in any and every way possible,” it said.
“It was about contact. It was about touching,” Lt. Robert Scheunemann told The Philadelphia Inquirer of the muliple complaints police had received about Busey’s conduct.
Busey, who lives in Malibu, California, was scheduled as a featured guest for all three days of the event.
Police did not immediately respond to a message seeking details. It also wasn’t clear whether Busey has an attorney to comment on the charges, and a representative didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Saturday.
Busey is widely known as a character actor, largely in supporting roles, though he came to attention and was nominated for an Oscar for best actor for playing the title role in the 1978 film “The Buddy Holly Story.” | https://www.wspa.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/horror-film-convention-promoter-speaks-after-busey-charges/ | 2022-08-22T13:53:05Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/horror-film-convention-promoter-speaks-after-busey-charges/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MULBERRY, Ark. (AP) — Three Arkansas law enforcement officers were suspended Sunday following social media outrage over a video that shows a suspect being held down on the ground and beaten.
Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante issued a statement Sunday evening, stating two county deputies will be suspended during the course of the Arkansas state police’s investigation into the incident and the sheriff’s office’s internal investigation. A Mulberry police officer also was suspended.
“I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter,” Damante said.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said the officer involved in the incident is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The city of Mulberry and the Mulberry police department takes these investigations very seriously,” Gregory said.
According to police, a report indicated that a man was making threats to a convenience store employee in Mulberry on Sunday morning. Mulberry is located about 137 miles (220.48 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.
Police said when the officers confronted the man, he pushed a deputy to the ground and punched the back of his head, leading to the arrest seen in the video.
Three law enforcement officers are seen in the video. One can be seen punching the shoeless suspect with a clenched fist, while another can be seen kneeing him, and a third is holding him down.
The unidentified man was arrested and taken to a local hospital. He faces charges of terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and other assault charges, police said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday night on Twitter that the “incident in Crawford County will be investigated pursuant to the video evidence and the request of the prosecuting attorney.”
No further information was immediately available. | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/3-arkansas-law-enforcement-officers-suspended-over-arrest/ | 2022-08-22T13:53:33Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/3-arkansas-law-enforcement-officers-suspended-over-arrest/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 25 |
MULBERRY, Ark. (AP) — Three Arkansas law enforcement officers were suspended Sunday following social media outrage over a video that shows a suspect being held down on the ground and beaten.
Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante issued a statement Sunday evening, stating two county deputies will be suspended during the course of the Arkansas state police’s investigation into the incident and the sheriff’s office’s internal investigation. A Mulberry police officer also was suspended.
“I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter,” Damante said.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said the officer involved in the incident is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The city of Mulberry and the Mulberry police department takes these investigations very seriously,” Gregory said.
According to police, a report indicated that a man was making threats to a convenience store employee in Mulberry on Sunday morning. Mulberry is located about 137 miles (220.48 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.
Police said when the officers confronted the man, he pushed a deputy to the ground and punched the back of his head, leading to the arrest seen in the video.
Three law enforcement officers are seen in the video. One can be seen punching the shoeless suspect with a clenched fist, while another can be seen kneeing him, and a third is holding him down.
The unidentified man was arrested and taken to a local hospital. He faces charges of terroristic threatening, resisting arrest and other assault charges, police said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday night on Twitter that the “incident in Crawford County will be investigated pursuant to the video evidence and the request of the prosecuting attorney.”
No further information was immediately available. | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/3-arkansas-law-enforcement-officers-suspended-over-arrest/ | 2022-08-22T13:53:33Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/ap-top-headlines/3-arkansas-law-enforcement-officers-suspended-over-arrest/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 25 |
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — The numbers are scary.
In the course of a single school year in Michigan, drivers illegally pass stopped school buses with red lights flashing an estimated 111,960 times.
The number comes from the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation. They tell us of a one-day survey in 2019 of school bus drivers in the state who were asked report how many times they witnessed “illegal pass-bys.” The 1,373 drivers reported – in that single day – 508 illegal pass-bys. The survey has since been taken every year, and the one-day average is now 622. If you multiply that by the number of school days, you get more than 111,000 illegal pass-bys.
Hudsonville Public Schools Transportation Director Rob Matthews described the worst case scenario all school systems hope to avoid: “If you're passing that school bus and a little kindergartener runs out in front of you, that's a situation nobody wants.”
Some drivers may simply be scofflaws, but many are simply confused about when to stop for school buses.
“Once the school bus activates its overhead yellow lights, that's really exactly the same situation as you encounter when you come to a yellow traffic lights,” explains Matthews, addressing what he considers the biggest source of confusion. “It means you need to slow down and prepare to stop, because the lights are going to change to red. And you're going to need to be at a full and complete stop.”
Think of the flashing lights on the bus as traffic signals: When the signal turns yellow, you know it will turn red. It’s the same with school buses.
The time you can pass a school bus – cautiously – is when it is stopped and its hazard lights are blinking. Those hazard lights are not the overhead lights.
The other source of confusion, when to stop when you’re on the other side of the road. Simple rule: if there is no barrier between you and the bus, such as a median or a wall, you must stop, no matter how many lanes separate you from the bus.
Violate the rules requiring you to stop could cost you a ticket worth from $100 to $500.
And there’s a good chance you’ll get caught: More and more school buses are equipped with side cameras that automatically capture video of any vehicle passing the bus when the red lights are flashing. The make, model, and license number of the violating vehicle can easily be seen and forwarded to law enforcement.
Here are the rules in a nutshell:
- Blinking hazard lights (always yellow and not overhead): Pass with extreme caution.
- Flashing overhead yellow lights: Slow down and prepare to stop, because the red flashing lights will be engaged.
- Flashing overhead red lights: Behind the bus, stop. Coming the other way, stop unless there is a median or other barrier between you and the bus. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/back-to-school/flashing-yellow-flashing-red-when-do-you-stop-for-school-buses | 2022-08-22T13:54:04Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/back-to-school/flashing-yellow-flashing-red-when-do-you-stop-for-school-buses | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
\\section{(H)on--\\protect \\\\ \\kern .89mm\n%\n$(m${\\sc v}){\\em isk}on (II) }\nS.~Romanch\\\\ Institut~R. {\\m z\\/}' e~\\protekts k.~% The back-to-school season comes with a lot for parents to remember— and even more for kids to learn, but top of the list should be getting there safely.
Whether walking, biking, or riding the bus; kids can do a lot to make this happen.
Firefighter Michael McLeieer from E.S.C.A.P.E Fire Safety joined us to talk about how to keep your every day commute to class from turning into an emergency:
Bus Safety
While waiting for the bus, take five giant steps back from the curb until the bus has stopped completely.
- Inside the bus, stay seated at all times.
- Keep your arms, hands and head inside the bus.
- Never throw anything about of the bus window.
- Always hold on the bus handrails when you are getting on or off the bus so you don't fall.
- Be careful that clothing, book bags, and key rings don't get caught in the handrails or doors.
- When exiting the bus, go to the closest sidewalk or side of the road and take five giant steps away from the bus.
- If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. If you bend over to pick it up, the bus driver may not be able to see you.
Walking Safety
Children under age 10 should never cross a street without a grown-up.
- Choose a safe route to school. Look for the most direct route with the fewest street crossings.
- When crossing the street, stop at the curb or edge of the road.
- Look left, then right, then left again for moving cars before crossing.
- Keep looking left and right until you are safely across the street - and remember to walk, not run.
- Follow all traffic signals and markings.
- Don't enter the street from between parked cars or from behind bushes or shrubs. Drivers might not be able to see you.
- Never wear head phones or talk on a cell phone when crossing the street.
Bicycle Safety
If you are old enough to ride alone, plan a safe route to school and have a grown-up ride with you the first few times.
- Children under 10 shouldn't ride on the road without a grown-up.
- Be sure that your helmet fits. It should sit even on top of the head - not rocking in any direction - and always fasten the safety strap.
- Learn the proper hand signals and use them when you turn or stop.
- Walk, do not ride your bike across the street.
- Come to a complete stop before entering driveways, paths, or sidewalks, then look left, right and left again for bikes, cars or pedestrians heading your way.
- Do not ride at night.
Car Safety
If you are riding to school in a car, the safest place to be if you are 12 years old or younger is in the back seat buckled up safely. Remember, you should be in a booster seat until you are eight years old and 80 pounds | https://www.fox17online.com/news/back-to-school/getting-to-school-safely-top-of-mind-as-students-return | 2022-08-22T13:54:05Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/back-to-school/getting-to-school-safely-top-of-mind-as-students-return | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As wildfires rage across California each year, exhausted firefighters call for reinforcements from wherever they can get them — even as far as Australia.
Yet one homegrown resource is rarely used: thousands of experienced firefighters who earned their chops in prison. Two state programs designed to get more former inmate firefighters hired professionally have barely made a dent, according to an Associated Press review, with one $30 million effort netting jobs for just over 100 firefighters, little more than one-third of the inmates enrolled.
Clad in distinctive orange uniforms, inmate crews protect multimillion-dollar homes for a few dollars a day by cutting brush and trees with chainsaws and scraping the earth to create barriers they hope will stop flames.
Once freed from prison, however, the former inmates have trouble getting hired professionally because of their criminal records, despite a first-in-the-nation, 18-month-old law designed to ease their way and a 4-year-old training program that cost taxpayers at least $180,000 per graduate.
“It’s absolutely an untapped pool of talent,” said Genevieve Rimer, who works with former inmates trying to clear their records. “Thousands of people are coming back from California’s fire camps annually. They have already been trained. They have a desire to go and put their lives on the line in order to ensure public safety.”
California is hardly alone in needing seasoned smoke eaters, but the nation’s most populous state faces different challenges than other more sparsely settled Western regions. A wildfire that nearly leveled the Sierra Nevada foothills town of Paradise nearly four years ago, for instance, was the nation’s deadliest wildfire in nearly a century, killing 85 people.
The U.S. Forest Service is short about 1,200 firefighters, 500 of them in California, and the Interior Department is down about 450 firefighters, 150 of them in California, said two of the state’s top elected officials, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, in a recent letter to Biden administration officials.
Other Western states are grappling with the issue. Nevada is considering a program like Arizona’s “Phoenix Crew,” which started in 2017 and provides mostly former inmate firefighters a pipeline to firefighting jobs.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the California legislation in 2020, allowing former inmates to seek to withdraw guilty pleas or overturn convictions. A judge can then dismiss the charges. Former inmates convicted of murder, kidnapping, arson, escape and sex offenses are excluded.
Since the law took effect, the nonprofit Forestry & Fire Recruitment Program, started by two former inmate firefighters, has worked with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles to help former inmates clear their records and get hired.
Yet they have only been able to file 34 petitions, and just 12 had records expunged during what the program warns “can be a long and drawn out process.”
Ashleigh Dennis is one of at least three attorneys filing expungement petitions through the Oakland-based advocacy group Root & Rebound. She has similarly been able to file just 23 requests, with 14 granted.
Among other hurdles, applicants must show a judge evidence they have been rehabilitated, and the expungement only applies to crimes they were incarcerated for while working in firefighting crews. Many people have unrelated convictions that must be separately expunged.
It’s been a learning curve to educate judges about the law and get the corrections department to speed up certifying to the court that inmates have served as firefighters, said Dennis and one of her clients, Phi Le. He petitioned the court in October and his record was expunged in January.
Da’Ton Harris Jr.’s record was finally cleared in August, about 18 months after starting the process.
“I’m out here, a public servant, risking my life every day to try and better my community,” said Harris. “I don’t think it was a smooth transaction at all.”
Despite his record, Harris obtained firefighting jobs with the U.S. Forest Service, the state’s firefighting agency Cal Fire, and the Forestry & Fire Recruitment Program.
But like Le, his advancement was limited because his criminal record made him ineligible for an Emergency Medical Technician certification, an obstacle that disappeared with the expungement. Outside of temporary federal and state firefighting agency jobs, most fire departments require applicants to be licensed EMTs — a certification the state bans certain felons from obtaining because the job comes with access to narcotics and sharp objects.
Rimer, the Forestry & Fire Recruitment Program’s director of supportive services, said California should automatically expunge records of eligible former inmates, much as it does for those convicted of antiquated marijuana crimes. And it should include their entire criminal record, she said.
“I think it spearheaded opportunity for people, but I don’t think it’s good enough,” she said of the expungement law.
The law’s author, Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Reyes, a Democrat from San Bernardino, has been struggling ever since to learn how many former inmates it has helped. She said many former inmates have contacted her office to praise “the life-changing impact of the legislation.”
The corrections department informs eligible inmates about the law but doesn’t track expungements, said department spokeswoman Tessa Outhyse. Cal Fire, the court system and the state Department of Justice also couldn’t say how many have had their records expunged.
In another effort, California in 2018 created a training program to help former inmates get hired professionally.
The 18-month program is run by Cal Fire, the California Conservation Corps, the state corrections department and the nonprofit Anti-Recidivism Coalition at the Ventura Training Center northwest of Los Angeles. Conservation corps members also are eligible. Former inmates convicted of arson or sex offenses are excluded.
Participants spend six months on life skills and firefighter training and the next year fighting or preventing fires and doing other community service, for which they are paid $1,905 a month. The center has four fire crews with 60 participants.
In four years the program has cost over $29.5 million but has just 106 graduates.
Nearly all found a professional job: 98 are with Cal Fire and three are with other agencies including the Orange County Fire Authority and the U.S. Forest Service, according to corrections officials. Cal Fire provided slightly different figures.
But they’re the fortunate ones among the 277 who have participated since the program’s inception. Another 111 participants, or 40%, left before completing the program, said Outhyse.
Climate change is making wildfires more frequent and destructive, so the shortage comes at a time when demand for wildfire crews is going up.
And the state is turning more to professional wildland firefighters, largely because inmate crews are less available after voters shortened criminal sentences and officials released thousands of lower-level inmates early to prevent coronavirus infections.
This August about 1,670 inmates are in fire camps, including staff like cooks and laundry workers, down about 40% from August 2019. The corrections department was budgeted for 152 crews this year, but fielded just 51, each with about 15-18 firefighters.
With fewer inmate crews, California is turning more to other agencies. The conservation corps is responsible for filling 30 crews, Cal Fire 26 and the California National Guard 14.
The state also is creating what officials called the first all-hazards fire engine strike team operated by a state National Guard. The fire engines can respond both to wildfires and urban blazes.
“We’ve recognized for a few years now that due to early release, due to COVID, a number of other reasons, we have to do something,” said Battalion Chief Issac Sanchez, a Cal Fire spokesman.
___
Gabe Stern contributed to this story from Reno, Nevada. Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Stern on Twitter @gabestern326. | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/ap-us-news/western-fires-outpace-california-effort-to-fill-inmate-crews/ | 2022-08-22T13:54:08Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/ap-us-news/western-fires-outpace-california-effort-to-fill-inmate-crews/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(WXYZ) — Over the weekend former Detroit Piston Dennis Rodman revealed his plans to visit Russia in hopes of freeing WNBA star Brittney Griner.
The U.S government is also trying to negotiate a prisoner swap for Griner and tied into her swap is Novi-native Paul Whelan who has been locked up in Russia for three years.
They say they would release Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer, for Griner and Whelan.
"We're cautiously optimistic. It's what we had hoped the U.S. government was working on," Paul Whelan's brother David said.
But could Rodman’s trip tarnish the deal?
Rodman says he has received permission to help secure Griner’s freedom, but the blessing does not seem to be coming from the Biden administration.
A senior official sent a statement saying "it is public information that the Administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts."
This wouldn’t be the first time Rodman has become an unofficial diplomat for the U.S.. He credits himself for the release of a U.S. prisoner in North Korea in 2014 after building a relationship with Dictator Kim Jong Un. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/former-piston-dennis-rodman-plans-visit-to-russia-to-help-free-brittney-griner | 2022-08-22T13:54:17Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/former-piston-dennis-rodman-plans-visit-to-russia-to-help-free-brittney-griner | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Closing arguments got underway first thing Monday morning in the retrial of the two men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Adam Fox and Barry Croft are facing a jury for the second time after a jury in their first trial failed to return a verdict on any of the charges against them.
Both men are facing charges of conspiracy to kidnap, and possession of a weapon of mass destruction. Croft is also looking at a charge of possession of a "dangerous device".
Their co-defendants, Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris, were acquitted on all charges in the first trial. A jury spent just over 4 days time deliberating the case.
Government Gives Closing Argument
"There are a lot of things in this case that are complicated, but one thing is simple, kidnapping is wrong," assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler said Monday morning.
"You can’t kidnap, and you certainly can’t make bombs to injure and kill people."
The government made their case first thing Monday morning, after Judge Robert Jonker briefly went over jury instructions Friday afternoon.
Kessler claimed that Croft "didn’t just want to kidnap (Governor Whitmer), he wanted to have his own trial, and execute her".
He said Croft wrote on his Facebook page, "Which governor is going to be dragged off and tried for treason?".
Croft was inspired by Timothy McVeigh, Waco, and Ruby Ridge, Kessler claimed.
He says Croft choose to focus his efforts on Michigan because that is where Adam Fox was located. Croft was living in Bear Delaware with his three daughters, and girlfriend of over a decade, Chasity Knight.
"If we get her in custody, treason is a hanging offense," Croft is heard in a secret recording from a diner in Cambria, Wisconsin.
Kessler says Fox was actively recruiting people in Michigan for the alleged plot.
The defense says that it was undercover informants and undercover FBI agents that were the ones trying to push the group towards criminal activity.
Kessler read a text message Fox allegedly sent to undercover informant Dan Chappel, which said, "OK, add these to equipment list: flash bangs, a hood for our asset, and I have flex cuffs".
He said that the government introduced undercover FBI agent Timothy Bates, known to the group as 'Red', so "at least they can keep them from exploding something."
He also claimed that Fox recruited Dan Chappel to the group, not the other way around.
It has previously been claimed in court that Chappel found the group while scrolling through Facebook, clicking on a 'suggested group' that popped up, and joining the Wolverine Watchmen there.
“This is not protected speech, this was planning for a crime," Kessler said.
"They started out with all kinds of plans, and abandoned the ones that weren't feasible."
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One million households could be missing out on the £150 council tax rebate and are being urged to claim it "as soon as possible". Councils have been given a deadline of September 30 to make the payment, prompting fears that huge numbers of eligible people will not receive it.
The grant was unveiled in April by ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak for properties in council tax bands A-D to help with rising energy bills. But The Mirror reports that 1.08million eligible households still hadn't applied a few weeks ago - out of 3.53million who don't pay by direct debit and therefore don't get the rebate automatically. Kent County Council has urged people wanting information about the Council Tax rebate to contact their local borough or district council.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: "This is a botched Government scheme which leaves families and pensioners out in the cold.It was clear from the start that payments were never going to reach some of those who need it most. Now time is running out to save people from catastrophic energy bills."
READ MORE:DWP's full list of cost of living payments totalling £1,100 you can expect in 2022
He added: "It is a national disgrace that pensioners in Britain will be choosing between heating and eating this winter.Yet we have a zombie government refusing to act even when their own half-baked programmes are proved to be unworkable."
Andrew Western of the Local Government Association said councils had "worked hard" to distribute the £150, but it "has been a significant task and not without its challenges".
He added: "Anyone who is eligible for the £150 payment, but who has not claimed for it yet, should contact their council as soon as possible."
Most of those who pay their council tax by direct debit got the £150 automatically, but those who pay by other means had to apply to the council. Councils were ordered to run "pre-payment checks" on people who apply to ensure they are eligible.
The Lib Dems sent Freedom of Information requests to 155 councils in mid-July and analysed the responses. Leeds had 70,000 eligible non-direct debit residents who had not applied, while in the London boroughs of Hackney, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets, the figures were 45,000, 33,000 and 32,000 respectively.
In Cornwall, nearly 30,000 residents had not applied while Hull and Bournemouth had nearly 20,000 each. Four councils still have no payment processes in place and have spoken to Local Government Minister Paul Scully.
Councils say they have been inviting applications by phone and online, and have offered bank transfers, vouchers and Post Office payments. But from September 30, councils will no longer be refunded by the Government for any £150 payments they make.
They will be able to continue to use a £144million discretionary fund, but only until November 30.
A Government spokesperson said: "In a matter of months, more than £2bn has been paid out, helping more than 15million households as part of our wider £37bn support package to help with cost of living pressures.
"Councils have been given £28m to deliver the payments, including to set up software and recruit staff and they have until the end of September to do so.
"We are urging councils to make payments without further delay and have given a host of options to do this quickly and securely – including bank account transfers, council tax account credits or a voucher-based system."
READ NEXT: | https://www.kentlive.news/news/cost-of-living/more-one-million-households-could-7495483 | 2022-08-22T13:54:25Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/cost-of-living/more-one-million-households-could-7495483 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Lightning struck Sunday during a nighttime trail race up a Greek mountain, killing one runner and seriously injuring another, Greek police and the fire service reported.
The two men were running in the Six Peaks race, which passes through the six highest peaks of Mount Falakro in northern Greece, when lightning struck a group of runners at 4 a.m. at an altitude of 1,340 meters (4,400 feet), a police officer told The Associated Press.
Two fire service rescue squads came up the mountain from the nearby town of Drama to find one runner, 55, already dead and another, 56, seriously injured. The injured runner was airlifted to a hospital in the city of Kavala, where authorities said he was in serious condition. Neither was identified.
The 35.7-kilometer (22.2-mile) race had started at 7 p.m. Saturday in the village of Pyrgoi, 630 meters (2,066 feet) up the slopes of the 2,232-meter (7,323-foot) mountain. Falakro’s six highest peaks in Greece are all over 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) high; the mountain extends into Bulgaria.
The weather was good when the race started but during the night heavy rain developed and the trail became muddy. By the time the lightning struck, several of the 55 runners taking part had reached the finish line at a mountain hut on top of the Falakro Ski Resort. Runners had 12 hours to complete the race.
The race is one of five, and the second shortest, organized since 2018 by the Nevrokopi Hiking and Mountaineering Club, located in the nearby town of Kato Nevrokopi under the collective name Frozen Peaks. The three longest races —269, 103 and 46 kilometers (167, 64 and 28.6 miles) — have been certified by the Switzerland-based International Trail Running Association.
___
Nellas reported from Athens, Greece | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/lightning-kills-runner-on-greek-mountain-race-hurts-another/ | 2022-08-22T13:54:36Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/lightning-kills-runner-on-greek-mountain-race-hurts-another/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Messenger God and Its Pecul- iares \u00004. \u007f14;~ I will give You of the best; For I have ei:mmed to give of to this nation Such 0 f.f God .1 �f The Messeng.i r 1 4' and a The f f; ,.a o- f of His ire s; And they were wond r' s d a mned w \\section * \\uppercase { Abstract}\\\\%~In modern economy development troup which needs innovativness in many sides should solve two-sized tasks for innovators and small/averege sized companies first is innovative and second as to find them.\\\\~~A very interesting solution has found with the \"technopopulara\\\\%\"\\\\ program for innovator\\\\% s that are not to be under commercial interests to the companies.\\\\%% For example by the company Is your son or daughter celebrating a birthday? We can help you send them a Birthday Shoutout on FOX 17 Morning News.
You can send us their name, picture, birth date, how old they're turning, a short write-up about them, your email, and where you live in West Michigan.
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Email those details to mornings@fox17online.com and watch for them on FOX 17 Morning News! | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/birthday-shoutouts/birthday-shoutouts-clara-eleanor-hank-aug-21 | 2022-08-22T13:54:51Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/morning-news/birthday-shoutouts/birthday-shoutouts-clara-eleanor-hank-aug-21 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For years, global health officials have used billions of drops of an oral vaccine in a remarkably effective campaign aimed at wiping out polio in its last remaining strongholds — typically, poor, politically unstable corners of the world.
Now, in a surprising twist in the decades-long effort to eradicate the virus, authorities in Jerusalem, New York and London have discovered evidence that polio is spreading there.
The original source of the virus? The oral vaccine itself.
Scientists have long known about this extremely rare phenomenon. That is why some countries have switched to other polio vaccines. But these incidental infections from the oral formula are becoming more glaring as the world inches closer to eradication of the disease and the number of polio cases caused by the wild, or naturally circulating, virus plummets.
Since 2017, there have been 396 cases of polio caused by the wild virus, versus more than 2,600 linked to the oral vaccine, according to figures from the World Health Organization and its partners.
“We are basically replacing the wild virus with the virus in the vaccine, which is now leading to new outbreaks,” said Scott Barrett, a Columbia University professor who has studied polio eradication. “I would assume that countries like the U.K. and the U.S. will be able to stop transmission quite quickly, but we also thought that about monkeypox.”
The latest incidents represent the first time in several years that vaccine-connected polio virus has turned up in rich countries.
Earlier this year, officials in Israel detected polio in an unvaccinated 3-year-old, who suffered paralysis. Several other children, nearly all of them unvaccinated, were found to have the virus but no symptoms.
In June, British authorities reported finding evidence in sewage that the virus was spreading, though no infections in people were identified. Last week, the government said all children in London ages 1 to 9 would be offered a booster shot.
In the U.S., an unvaccinated young adult suffered paralysis in his legs after being infected with polio, New York officials revealed last month. The virus has also shown up in New York sewers, suggesting it is spreading. But officials said they are not planning a booster campaign because they believe the state's high vaccination rate should offer enough protection.
Genetic analyses showed that the viruses in the three countries were all “vaccine-derived,” meaning that they were mutated versions of a virus that originated in the oral vaccine.
The oral vaccine at issue has been used since 1988 because it is cheap, easy to administer — two drops are put directly into children's mouths — and better at protecting entire populations where polio is spreading. It contains a weakened form of the live virus.
But it can also cause polio in about two to four children per 2 million doses. (Four doses are required to be fully immunized.) In extremely rare cases, the weakened virus can also sometimes mutate into a more dangerous form and spark outbreaks, especially in places with poor sanitation and low vaccination levels.
These outbreaks typically begin when people who are vaccinated shed live virus from the vaccine in their feces. From there, the virus can spread within the community and, over time, turn into a form that can paralyze people and start new epidemics.
Many countries that eliminated polio switched to injectable vaccines containing a killed virus decades ago to avoid such risks; the Nordic countries and the Netherlands never used the oral vaccine. The ultimate goal is to move the entire world to the shots once wild polio is eradicated, but some scientists argue that the switch should happen sooner.
“We probably could never have gotten on top of polio in the developing world without the (oral polio vaccine), but this is the price we’re now paying,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “The only way we are going to eliminate polio is to eliminate the use of the oral vaccine."
Aidan O’Leary, director of WHO's polio department, described the discovery of polio spreading in London and New York as “a major surprise,” saying that officials have been focused on eradicating the disease in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where health workers have been killed for immunizing children and where conflict has made access to some areas impossible.
Still, O'Leary said he is confident Israel, Britain and the U.S. will shut down their newly identified outbreaks quickly.
The oral vaccine is credited with dramatically reducing the number of children paralyzed by polio. When the global eradication effort began in 1988, there were about 350,000 cases of wild polio a year. So far this year, there have been 19 cases of wild polio, all in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Mozambique.
In 2020, the number of polio cases linked to the vaccine hit a peak of more than 1,100 spread out across dozens of countries. It has since declined to around 200 this year so far.
Last year, WHO and partners also began using a newer oral polio vaccine, which contains a live but weakened virus that scientists believe is less likely to mutate into a dangerous form. But supplies are limited.
To stop polio in Britain, the U.S. and Israel, what is needed is more vaccination, experts say. That is something Columbia University's Barrett worries could be challenging in the COVID-19 era.
“What’s different now is a reduction in trust of authorities and the political polarization in countries like the U.S. and the U.K.,” Barrett said. “The presumption that we can quickly get vaccination numbers up quickly may be more challenging now.”
Oyewale Tomori, a virologist who helped direct Nigeria’s effort to eliminate polio, said that in the past, he and colleagues balked at describing outbreaks as “vaccine-derived,” wary it would make people fearful of the vaccine.
“All we can do is explain how the vaccine works and hope that people understand that immunization is the best protection, but it’s complicated,” Tomori said. “In hindsight, maybe it would have been better not to use this vaccine, but at that time, nobody knew it would turn out like this.” | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/polio-in-us-uk-and-israel-reveals-rare-risk-of-oral-vaccine | 2022-08-22T13:55:10Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/polio-in-us-uk-and-israel-reveals-rare-risk-of-oral-vaccine | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Make the most of your last summer celebration with these picnic must-haves
For many people, Labor Day signifies the unofficial end of summer. With kids heading back to school, the days getting shorter and the weather cooling down, you probably won’t be able to spend as much time outdoors. That’s why you definitely want your Labor Day celebration to be fabulous — so you can enjoy one last day of sunshine and fun with family and friends.
If you want to have the best Labor Day picnic possible, check out these essentials that can keep you comfortable, entertained and well-fed out at the park, beach or other favorite picnic location.
Labor Day picnic essentials
Picnic sun and insect protection must-haves
Amazon Basics Outdoor Pop-Up Canopy
Get some shade at your picnic with this pop-up sun canopy. It’s made of durable 300D fabric and uses sturdy steel tubes for support. It also has waterproof seams, so it can keep you dry in light rain. You can choose from three height positions for the poles, too.
Sold by Amazon
Sun Bum Original SPF 30 Sunscreen
This hypoallergenic sunscreen lotion can help keep you from getting a sunburn no matter how long you stay at the picnic. It offers UVA and UVB protection and vitamin E to prevent free radical damage. It’s also oil-free, water-resistant and doesn’t damage coral reefs.
Sold by Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Outdoor Research Sunbriolet Sun Hat
This sun hat features fabric with a UPF 50+ rating, so it provides excellent sun protection. It also has a drawstring closure to keep it on your head even in windy weather. The mesh lining helps wick moisture away from the skin, too.
Sold by Amazon
Cutter Skinsations Insect Repellent
Keep mosquitos and other pests away at your Labor Day picnic with this insect repellent spray. It also works on ticks, gnats, chiggers, and fleas and even contains aloe and vitamin E to nourish the skin. The 360-degree pump makes it easy to apply, too.
Sold by Amazon
Picnic comfort must-haves
This extra-large picnic blanket lets you stretch out comfortably at the park or on the beach. Its top is made of super-soft fleece, while the underside has a water-resistant coating to keep you dry. It’s also easy to fold and comes with a tote that has an adjustable strap for easy carrying.
Sold by Amazon
Resort Spa Home Indoor/Outdoor Pillows
These outdoor pillows can make you comfortable while stretching out on your picnic blanket. This set includes four pillows in different sizes, including a lumbar pillow for lower back support. The fabric is stain- and fade-resistant, too, so you don’t have to worry about spills or drips at your picnic.
Sold by Amazon
Coleman Camping Chair with Built-in 4 Can Cooler
If your picnic spot doesn’t have chairs and benches, this camping chair can make you much more comfortable this Labor Day. It holds up to 325 pounds and features adjustable arm heights. The side pockets, mesh cup holder and built-in cooler that holds four cans make it even more convenient.
Sold by Amazon
If you’re not comfortable eating on a blanket, this camping table makes it much easier to enjoy the food at your picnic. It comes in a convenient carrying bag for transport to the park or beach and also has a mesh pocket underneath for storage.
Sold by Amazon
Picnic food and drink must-haves
The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket
This cookbook doesn’t just provide tasty recipes for your picnic but also offers tips for planning and pulling off the perfect outing. It even includes menus to make choosing the perfect recipes for your Labor Day event even easier.
Sold by Amazon
Char-Broil Portable Liquid Propane Gas Grill
This compact propane grill is designed for travel, making it ideal for your Labor Day picnic. It offers 240 square inches of cooking space that can fit up to eight burgers and has legs that allow you to place it on the ground or a table.
Sold by Amazon
Keep beverages cold and perishable foods fresh at your picnic with this large, durable cooler. It has three inches of PermaFrost insulation that helps keep ice solid for several days. The heavy-duty rubber latch also keeps the items inside secure.
Sold by Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods
Nature Gear Picnic Backpack for 4
This complete picnic basket contains everything you need for four people to enjoy a Labor Day picnic. It comes with an insulated cooler, waterproof blanket, wine cooler and opener, cutting board, plates, glasses and cutlery. The backpack design makes it easy to carry, too.
Sold by Amazon
PICNIC TIME Promenade Picnic Basket
If you prefer a smaller picnic basket, this canvas tote is an excellent option for more intimate Labor Day gatherings. It includes plates, wine glasses and cutlery for two and has enough space for your favorite foods. The leatherette handles also make it more comfortable to carry.
Sold by Amazon
Rubbermaid Easy Find Food Storage Containers
Pack all the goodies for your picnic in these sturdy, durable food containers. The set includes 21 containers with lids, which snap together to maximize space in your basket. The containers are all BPA-free, microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe, too.
Sold by Amazon
Earth’s Natural Alternatives Eco-Friendly Dinnerware Set
This compostable dinnerware set contains disposable forks, knives, plates, cups, napkins and tablecloths, which are all biodegradable. They work well for cold and hot foods and can even stand up to heavy, greasy items.
Sold by Amazon
ASIJIA Pop-Up Mesh Food Screens
Keep the bugs away from your food with these pop-up food covers. Each set includes six covers in various sizes that take just seconds to assemble. They’re also flexible, so they can be stretched over multiple dishes.
Sold by Amazon
Picnic entertainment must-haves
Nerf Supersoaker Fornite Compact Water Blaster
Keep the kids entertained at your Labor Day picnic with this fun pump-action water gun. You can fire easily by pumping the handle backward and forward to drench your opponents. It’s easy to refill on the go, too.
Sold by Amazon
Himal Collapsible Portable Corn Hole Game
The whole family can have fun at a picnic with this travel-friendly corn hole game. It’s lightweight and easy to set up at the beach or park. It also includes eight cornhole bags and a carrying case to keep everything together.
Sold by Amazon
Kan Jam Original Disc Toss Ultimate Backyard Game
Another activity that’s fun for the whole family, this frisbee toss game sets up quickly, so you can assemble it at any picnic spot. It’s easy to learn to play, making it ideal even for younger children. Best of all, it’s lightweight and easy to carry.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wspa.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/coolers-br/grab-these-19-picnic-essentials-to-prepare-for-your-labor-day-outing/ | 2022-08-22T13:55:25Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/reviews/br/camping-outdoors-br/coolers-br/grab-these-19-picnic-essentials-to-prepare-for-your-labor-day-outing/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MASON, Ohio (AP) — Caroline Garcia generated momentum going into the U.S. Open in a week, capturing the Western & Southern Open women’s championship with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Petra Kvitova on Sunday.
And Borna Coric continued his headlong rush up the men’s rankings, completing an improbable run to the championship with a 7-6 (0), 6-2 win over No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first final at this tournament for both players.
Coric, 25, is expected to be ranked 29th going into the U.S. Open. He opened the tournament at 152 before upsetting five seeded players and four in the top 10, including Rafael Nadal. The Croatian entered the tournament on a protected injury ranking.
The 24-year-old Tsitsipas, from Greece, was trying to become the first man this season to win championships on all three surfaces — hard court, grass and clay. He has won a tour-high 46 matches this season.
Tsitsipas took a 4-1 lead in the first set, but he couldn’t hold it and he wasn’t sure why.
“I’m not in any condition to answer that, because I’m still looking for the answer myself,” he said. “I don’t have a clear answer for that. He was serving well. He was making me move a lot. He plays the way he’s always played. He hasn’t changed much. The less he misses, the more he makes your life difficult.”
“I realized I had to be more aggressive,” Coric said. “I had nothing to lose. I knew if I continued to play the way I was playing, I was going to lose anyway. I had to hit the ball harder and deeper.”
In the women’s final, Garcia already was the first qualifier to ever reach the title match and clinched the victory when Kvitova sent a second serve return into the net. Garcia dropped to her knees and lay on her back on the court after the final point.
“Pure joy,” said Garcia, the first French woman to win the tournament. “Just happiness. Every single win is important. Every single title is very special. It’s always very hard to describe it. It’s not happening so often, and you have to really like enjoy it. I’m really grateful for this great week of tennis, and to win another title, it’s very special.”
The 28-year-old has a WTA Tour-leading 27 match victories since June.
The 28th-ranked Kvitova and 35th-ranked Garcia both shook off first-round losses the previous week in Toronto to make their first appearances in a Cincinnati final.
Garcia broke her Czech opponent in the first game, and raced to a 4-0 lead. Garcia also gained an early edge with a first game break in the second set.
Kvitova, 32, left the court for treatment of an injury after falling behind 2-0 in the second set. She looked sharper after returning but couldn’t overcome the early break.
“Definitely not the result I wanted, but … I have to take it like this and see the positive things,” Kviotva said. “I know it’s hurting right now, but on the other side, I have to see it like overall and be proud on my 40th final of my career.” | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/garcia-beats-kvitova-to-win-western-southern-title/ | 2022-08-22T13:56:14Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/garcia-beats-kvitova-to-win-western-southern-title/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Jorge Mateo lined a bases-loaded double to left field in the eighth inning, driving in three runs and sparking the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night in front of hundreds of cheering Little League World Series players from around the world.
Mateo kept the Orioles 2 1/2 games behind in the race for the final AL wild-card spot, and Baltimore won the fifth MLB Little League Classic in front of former President George W. Bush and a sellout crowd of 2,467 fans at historic Bowman Field. Bush shook hands with Orioles and Red Sox players and went into the stands to meet Little Leaguers and their families.
The kids went wild when Mateo ripped a shot off John Schreiber for the three-RBI double and a 5-2 lead. Matt Barnes (0-4) took the loss.
Red Sox pinch-hitter Franchy Cordero hit a tying solo homer off reliver Dillon Tate in the eighth that made it 2-all. Cordero had been called up for the game from Triple-A Worcester.
Cionel Pérez (7-1) earned the win in relief. Félix Bautista gave up a solo homer to Xander Bogaerts in the ninth, but still picked up his eighth save.
Among the fans were the father, brother and teammates of injured Utah Little Leaguer Easton Oliverson. The 12-year-old seriously injured his head when he fell out of his top bunk in the dorms. Jace Oliverson, the boy’s father, said Easton was expected to fly back Tuesday to Utah and will remain in a hospital there.
“I’m just grateful that he’s still alive because I was pretty much told he had a zero percent chance to live,” Oliverson told The Associated Press. “We feel very fortunate.”
The rest of the day featured the usual revelry now associated with a game in which millionaire big leaguers get to act like kids for a day. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and Red Sox manager Alex Cora both took cardboard rides down the outfield hill outside the Little League World Series stadium. So did stars for both teams.
The front-row seats behind the dugouts belonged to 12-year-olds dressed in full uniform and hanging on every pitch — well, at least when they didn’t chase the team mascots for photos or storm the concourse between each inning in hopes of having a major leaguer toss them a ball.
“It’s really just seeing the pure emotions from everybody, all the smiles on kid’s faces,” Orioles outfielder Ryan McKenna said. “There were a bunch of kids that wanted autographs. I told them, ‘what’s up?’”
Not much once the game started.
Anthony Santander and Ramon Urias had RBI singles in the first off Boston’s Nick Pivetta. Pivetta, who took the loss for the Mets in the 2018 Little League Classic, struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings.
Enrique Hernandez made it 2-1 in the second with an RBI single off Dean Kremer.
Teams from Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and all around the globe sat only a relay throw away from Orioles and Red Sox in the type of seats usually reserved at MLB stadiums for deep-pocketed fans.
Graham Vinson, a 12-year-old pitcher/catcher/shortstop, plays for the Little League team out of Hagerstown, Indiana, and, yes, he’s a New York Yankees fan. Vinson snagged a front-row seat and said he’s a big baseball fan who enjoys watching games on TV. But when he wants the latest baseball highlights, well, he checks out TikTok, “especially the Savannah Bananas.” But he said there aren’t a lot of friends his age who watch MLB — though teammate Kaden Hall loves the Cincinnati Reds — and found there are more electronic national pastimes for kids his age.
“It’s all the types of phones and stuff,” Vinson said. “It’s all Xbox and PlayStation and all that.”
That’s one reason MLB launched a game like this one — to try and steady the decline of baseball viewership among today’s kids.
At Williamsport, they watched.
2023 CLASSIC
The 2023 game is already set: the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies will play Sunday, Aug. 20, in the sixth edition of the game. The Phillies lost to the Mets in the 2018 game.
UP NEXT
Both teams are off Monday.
The Red Sox and Toronto Blues have yet to name starters for Tuesday’s game in Boston.
The Orioles open a three-game series Tuesday at home against the Chicago White Sox. The Orioles send RHP Austin Voth (3-1, 4.86 ERA) to the mound against Chicago RHP Lucas Giolito (9-7, 5.34).
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/mateo-lifts-orioles-past-boston-in-mlb-little-league-classic/ | 2022-08-22T13:57:04Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/mateo-lifts-orioles-past-boston-in-mlb-little-league-classic/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The home countries of the foreign carriers whose $600 million got trapped in Nigeria’s Central Bank are said not to be comfortable with the carefree attitude so far displayed by the Nigerian government.
Some of the foreign countries who are said to be monitoring the situation between now and December, the period many of the airlines gave the Nigerian government to pay the accumulated funds or watch them pull out of the country, may take up the issue directly with Nigeria.
The final intervention of the foreign countries has been attributed to the fact that the failure of the CBN to release the trapped funds for the airlines to repatriate to their home countries contravened the agreement signed between them and Nigeria as stipulated in the existing Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs).
This is just as the seeming silence of the various local bankers of the foreign airlines in Nigeria has been attributed to the fact that it is only the CBN, the country’s apex banking body that is empowered to do this.
According to one of the airlines’ managers in Nigeria who spoke under anonymity because he said he has not been authorized to speak on the issue, “the issue of the local banks is primary in this issue since they can not dictate for their clients. All interactions should be with the CBN as other banks cannot do much. Local banks are insignificant”.
When Tribune Online inquired from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the clearing house for over 300 airlines worldwide if they have reached out to the local bankers of the foreign carriers in Nigeria as a way of helping the airlines to access and repatriate their funds out of the country, the international body declared: “As the industry leader and representative body, IATA engages with the government authorities on matters of common interest to its member airlines. In this instance, IATA has been in regular contact and appealed to Nigeria’s Federal Government and the Central Bank to release foreign airlines’ revenues generated in Nigeria.”
A source at one of the banks said it would be a breach of client confidentiality if a local bank engaged with a third party on matters relating to one of its account holders.
While he said the airlines themselves must have been in touch with their local banks, the source, therefore, explained that an international body like IATA cannot intercede with individual banks on the relationships the local banks have with their individual airline clients.
In his own comment, the managing director of Centurion Aviation Security, retired Group Captain John Ojikutu, though agreed that the local banks could not approach the CBN directly for forex transfers, declared: “The airlines’ bankers are the sole agents of forex transactions, not the CBN same way individual requests for BTA. Yes, there may be a shortage of forex at the domiciliary bank and even at the CBN but the call must come from the domiciliary banks to the account holder and not the CBN.
“The airlines can not approach the CBN directly for forex transfers so I think. Don’t trust most of these banks when it comes to issues about forex because they benefit from the dues of their customers. They rather would give forex in their custody to those that have no CBN considerations. However, in all these, where are the forex earnings in commercial aviation from all the Nigerian operations? If the CBN is in short of forex for aviation, it should start from there.”
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/600million-trapped-funds-home-countries-of-foreign-airlines-uncomfortable/ | 2022-08-22T13:57:10Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/600million-trapped-funds-home-countries-of-foreign-airlines-uncomfortable/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One lucky soul in the Scenic City is $50,000 richer after winning Saturday's drawing.
The winner matched four out of five white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000.
The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation says that the winning ticket was purchased at Shiv Food Mart, 631 Signal Mountain Road in Chattanooga.
But until the price is claimed, we won't know who that lucky person might be. | https://www.local3news.com/local-news/chattanooga-powerball-player-wins-50-000/article_e47b1ab2-2217-11ed-ad86-4fb6a34e641f.html | 2022-08-22T13:57:15Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/local-news/chattanooga-powerball-player-wins-50-000/article_e47b1ab2-2217-11ed-ad86-4fb6a34e641f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Insecurity: Niger govt vows to capture Fulani herders in 2023 budget
Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has disclosed a plan to protect the interest of the Fulani herders in the 2023 Budget by providing necessary facilities that will boost their activities in the state.
The Governor gave the promise while speaking at the All Progressives Congress’s critical stakeholders meeting in the Kontagora Local Government Area of the state over the weekend, adding that it has become imperative to allow herders to have a sense of belonging as citizens in the state.
Governor Bello argued that herders, like other citizens, deserve fair treatment devoid of decriminalisation to enable them freely go about their activities.
He stated further that adequate measures had been taken to arrest the security challenges in the state, stressing that the strategies being adopted would not be disclosed due to the activities of informants in the communities.
He however appealed to the federal government to rehabilitate the dilapidated Minna-Kontagora federal road to ease motorists’ and commuters alike movement with a view to boosting socio- economic activities in the area.
Welcoming the governor at his palace, the Sarkin Sudan of Kontagora, Alhaji Muhammadu Barau Mu’azu II, advocated for the need for security agencies to intensify efforts toward putting an end to the challenges of insecurity in the state and its neighbouring states.
- YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
$418m Paris Club Refund: Governors Release Names Of Consultants, Amount Collected
THE 36 state governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on Sunday unveiled the identities of the six consultants requesting for the payment of controversial $418.954 million Paris Club refund….,
Resident Doctors Extend Ultimatum By Two Weeks
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has shifted its decision on the ultimatum it issued to the Federal Government by two weeks…..
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Leaders Disagree Over Tinubu, Atiku, Obi
With about five weeks to the commencement of campaigns for the 2023 presidential election, leaders of the pan-Igbo group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo have clashed over the aspirations of Senator Bola Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi….
SSANU, NASU Can’t Run Universities Without ASUU ― VCs
The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities in Nigeria, on Sunday, said it was simply impossible for their schools to run without the academic staff on the ground working. The committee said this was because universities are primarily meant anywhere in the world to teach students and it is only the teachers who can perform such roles effectively and to get them on board is not a daydream….
Insecurity: Niger govt vows to capture Fulani herders in 2023 budget | https://tribuneonlineng.com/insecurity-niger-govt-vows-to-capture-fulani-herders-in-2023-budget/ | 2022-08-22T13:57:25Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/insecurity-niger-govt-vows-to-capture-fulani-herders-in-2023-budget/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — One good break. One great shot. That’s what it took Sunday for Patrick Cantlay to win the BMW Championship for the second straight time with a finish that was nothing like last year except for his clutch moments.
One other difference: The victory didn’t give him the No. 1 seed going into the FedEx Cup finale next week at East Lake in Atlanta.
That was of little concern to Cantlay after his birdie-par finish for a 2-under 69, giving him a one-shot victory over Scott Stallings at Wilmington Country Club.
“I was glad not to go six holes in a playoff,” Cantlay said, referring to his unlikely playoff win last year at Caves Valley over Bryson DeChambeau.
This looked to be headed that way when Cantlay and Stallings were tied down the stretch, with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele lurking.
Tied with two holes to play, Cantlay took an aggressive line to cut off the corner of a dogleg and figured he was headed for a cluster of bunkers. But the ball landed short of the last bunker, took a big hop over the sand, and tumbled into the first cut and rolled out to the fairway, just 64 yards from the hole.
“I thought hitting it on that line, it would for sure be in a bunker,” he said. “Got an excellent break — maybe one of the best breaks I’ve gotten coming down the stretch — and when you get a break like that you need to pay it off.”
That he did, hitting a spinner with a wedge that skipped and stopped 5 feet behind the hole for birdie and a one-shot lead. Stallings in the group ahead narrowly missed a birdie putt from just inside 10 feet on the last hole for a 69.
Cantlay needed par to win and fanned his drive into a bunker, the ball above his feet, 158 yards to pin on a steeply pitched green.
“I tried to slice an 8-iron about as hard as I could and went to about where I thought I could get it, and it was one of the best shots I hit all week,” he said.
His putt caught the lip of the cup, leaving him a tap-in, about the easiest shot he had all day.
Cantlay, who finished at 14-under 270, became the first player to win the BMW Championship in consecutive years since the FedEx Cup began in 2007. No one has ever repeated in any of the playoff events. The victory, his second of the year, moved him to No. 3 in the world.
He played all four rounds with Schauffele, and only later did he realize he could have used a little help from his best friend on tour. Schauffele (71) missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the last hole that would given him third place and moved Scheffler to fourth.
That would have made Cantlay the No. 1 seed, which comes with a two-shot lead before the Tour Championship begins. Now he will start two shots behind Scheffler, who had missed a short par putt on the last hole that ultimately didn’t cost him in the FedEx Cup.
Stallings has gone 238 starts since his last victory eight years ago at Torrey Pines, and he played like that drought might end. But he missed four birdie chances inside 18 feet at the end, the last one from just inside 10 feet.
The consolation prize is his first trip to the Tour Championship.
“That was the biggest goal of the year,” Stallings said. “Better late than never.”
Stallings wasn’t alone. Adam Scott is making his way back to East Lake. He was at No. 77 in the FedEx Cup when the postseason started and a tie for fifth last week moved him to No. 45.
Scott made eagle on the 12th hole and hit some superb lag putts on firm, crispy greens at Wilmington for a 71 to tie for fifth.
Needing a par on the last hole, Scott tugged his tee shot to the edge of a bunker, meaning he had to stand in the sand and try to hit out of a sticky first cut with the golf ball about thigh-high. He pulled that into a bunker, then hit a splendid shot to tap-in ran.
“I guess that’s the beauty of the FedEx Cup playoffs the way they are. You can scratch it around a lot for the year and have a couple good weeks and get heavily rewarded by getting to East Lake and being in that top 30 and all the perks that come with it,” Scott said.
Aaron Wise had a 73 and earned the 30th spot. He was among four players who moved into the top 30 who are eligible for the Tour Championship. The others were Stallings, Scott, Aaron Wise and K.H. Lee, who had a 65 on Sunday to tie for fifth.
DIVOTS: The Presidents Cup qualifying ended Sunday. The six qualifiers for the U.S. team are Scheffler, Cantlay, Schauffele, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau. The leading eight qualifiers for the International team are Cameron Smith, Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Joaquin Niemann, Joohyung “Tom” Kim, Adam Scott, Corey Conners and Mito Pereira. … Collin Morikawa made a quintuple-bogey 10 on the 12th hole and shot 79, his highest score in his three years on the PGA Tour. … Viktor Hovland made an ace on the second hole. He didn’t win a car, but BMW donated a full four-year scholarship to a caddie from the Evans Scholars Foundation.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/patrick-cantlay-wins-another-thriller-at-bmw-championship/ | 2022-08-22T13:57:25Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/patrick-cantlay-wins-another-thriller-at-bmw-championship/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Three Arkansas law enforcement officers have been removed from duty and are under investigation, their departments confirmed, after bystander video captured them appearing to punch and knee a suspect during an arrest Sunday.
Two of the officers in the video are deputies with the Crawford County Sheriff's Office and the third is an officer with the Mulberry Police Department, the agencies confirmed in statements Sunday.
The video, which was posted on social media, shows the officers restraining an individual near a curb, appearing to throw punches at the person's face and kneeing the individual in the side and back.
A woman who is not seen in the video can be heard saying, "Don't beat him! He needs his medicine!" One officer responds, "Back the f**k up!" while another orders her to get in her car.
The person who posted the video online said her sister witnessed the altercation outside the Kountry Xpress in Mulberry.
Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante told CNN affiliate KHBS that the suspect was wanted for allegedly threatening a gas station clerk in a neighboring town. When he was spotted in Mulberry, Damante said the man was initially cooperative, but then tried to attack the officers, leading to the confrontation seen in the video. The sheriff told KHBS that the suspect was examined at a hospital and booked into jail, while a deputy received minor head injuries during the altercation.
Arkansas State Police identified the suspect as Randal Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, South Carolina. Worcester is charged with second-degree battery, resisting arrest, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, terroristic threatening as well as first- and second-degree assault charges, according to state police and jail records.
Crawford County jail records show Worcester is being held on $15,000 bond. It was not clear Sunday night whether Worcester had an attorney.
"In reference to the video circulating social media involving two Crawford County Deputies, we have requested that Arkansas State Police conduct the investigation and the Deputies have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation," the Crawford County Sheriff's Office said Sunday in a statement posted on Facebook.
The Mulberry police officer is on administrative leave pending the investigation's outcome, the Mulberry Police Department said in a statement to CNN.
"The City of Mulberry and the Mulberry Police Department takes these investigations very seriously and holds all their officers accountable for their actions," Mulberry police said.
CNN is unaware of other footage of the incident at this time.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson confirmed that state police would be investigating.
"I have spoken with Col. Bill Bryant of the Arkansas State Police and the local arrest incident in Crawford County will be investigated pursuant to the video evidence and the request of the prosecuting attorney," Hutchinson said in a post on Twitter.
CNN reached out to Arkansas State Police for comment on the investigation and did not immediately hear back.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/2-arkansas-deputies-suspended-and-1-officer-on-administrative-leave-after-video-posted-of-violent/article_ad85ea92-7219-50df-94b0-36eea4abaa82.html | 2022-08-22T13:57:30Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/2-arkansas-deputies-suspended-and-1-officer-on-administrative-leave-after-video-posted-of-violent/article_ad85ea92-7219-50df-94b0-36eea4abaa82.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Methodist prelate urges Buhari to leave Nigeria united
• expresses disappointment over state of the nation
The Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr Samuel Kanu Uche has expressed total disappointment over the nation’s state of affairs while urging President Muhammadu Buhari to endeavour to leave a United Nigeria.
His Eminence said this to Tribune Online in Owerri shortly after a Special Church ThanksGiving Service marking his valedictory and farewell tour to the Archdiocese of Aba, held at All Saints Methodist Church, World Bank Owerri.
He regretted that things in the nation have actually gone haywires, adding that Nigeria today is no longer what it used to be in the days of the forefathers.
“Our nation is no longer what it used to be in the days of our forefathers, things have gone haywires”, but I think the Federal Government are trying to make amendment”.
He however expressed joy that after his recent kidnap and other priests in his company, the President has been able to confront the terrorists frontally.
The prelate called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure he leaves a legacy behind that would not bring about disintegration of the country.
While reminding President Buhari that his administration, on assumption, inherited a united Nigeria, Dr Uche admonished him to as well bow out leaving a united and more glorious Nigeria where there is security, employment and peace.
“I want President Buhari to leave behind him a Nation where nobody is oppressed in terms of religion, ethnicity, or tribes. What we want is a Nigeria that is egalitarian”.
Speaking on the 2023 general election in the country, the Methodist Prelate declared that the church has not endorsed any presidential candidate.
According to him, what Nigerians want is good governance while he warned the electorates and Nigerians as a whole, not to sell their future and that of their children by going to collect money to vote for a candidate.
He said: “our votes must be on the basis of antecedents of the personality and integrity of the candidate. Anybody that has dubious character should not be our president, rather somebody that is upright, patriotic, generous and accommodating so that Nigeria would remain a giant of Africa”.
He promised to confine himself to praying for the country as well as be involved in the programs of the country if he retires from being a leader of the Methodist Church Nigeria, adding that “anywhere the church or government want to use me, I will be available”.
The Prelate assured that as he is bowing out of office, he is leaving behind a very strong structure, spirituality and quality moral standard for both the clergy and the laity of the church where there is discipline and prayerful church for the society.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
- Withholding Of $600m Trapped Funds Can Affect Foreign Investment In Nigeria, Says Foreign Airlines President
- Methodist prelate urges President Buhari to leave behind united Nigeria | https://tribuneonlineng.com/methodist-prelate-urges-buhari-to-leave-nigeria-united/ | 2022-08-22T13:57:45Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/methodist-prelate-urges-buhari-to-leave-nigeria-united/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For Toronto-based Cameroonian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Michael Baiye, who is known by his stage name Jbwai, it is another record-breaking moment as his new EP, Certified has made it into Nigeria’s most listened to body of work.
Jbwai has in recent years gained recognition in Africa and in Nigeria with songs like ‘Busy Body’ and ‘Imani’ which actually went viral some years back, he recently released a body of work which also featured Nigerian female star “Waje” on a song entitled “Into you.”
His new EP “Certified” which was released on Friday, August 19 has somehow found its way to the heart of music consumers and industry heavy weights in the Nigerian music industry with the success of “Kalamity” the hit single from the EP.
The song made it into the Nigerian music chart on iTunes and gained over 100,000 plays on audiomack.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Indeed with this result and success Jbwai has been trending on Twitter in Nigeria with fans singing his praises and congratulating him. He somehow becomes the first Cameroon musician to invade the Nigerian iTunes chart with kalamity making it to the top 10 spot on iTunes.
Born in Kumba, a prominent town in the South-West region of English-speaking Cameroon, the town is known for its vibrant business and entertainment atmosphere, the town is popularly known in Cameroon as K TOWN. Growing up in such town you will train yourself how to become a man streetwise in other to survive.
Michael had his primary education at the diligent bilingual academy in Kumba, after obtaining his common entrance and first school leaving certificate he move to CCAS Kumba where he did his secondary and high school.
He gained admission into the university of Buea and later travelled to Canada for further studies where he studied computer science and specialised in computer maintenance and networking, after graduating, he took courses in sound engineering, sound design, and music production.
SSANU, NASU Can’t Run Universities Without ASUU ― VCs
With ‘kalamity’ success, Jbwai makes history in less than 72 hours
With ‘kalamity’ success, Jbwai makes history in less than 72 hours | https://tribuneonlineng.com/with-kalamity-success-jbwai-makes-history-in-less-than-72-hours/ | 2022-08-22T13:58:03Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/with-kalamity-success-jbwai-makes-history-in-less-than-72-hours/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
JERUSALEM (AP) — The chief executive of embattled Israeli spyware maker NSO has stepped down as part of a corporate reorganization, the company announced Sunday.
NSO has been connected to a number of scandals resulting from alleged misuse by customers of its flagship Pegasus phone surveillance software. Last year, the U.S. placed restrictions on the company, saying its tools had been used to “conduct transnational repression.” NSO denies any wrongdoing.
In a statement, the company said that CEO Shalev Hulio, one of its founders, would be stepping down. Yaron Shohat, the company’s chief operating officer, will lead the firm on an interim basis and manage the reorganization process while it searches for a new CEO.
A company official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the reorganization efforts, said Hulio is to remain with the company. The official added that 100 employees, or roughly 13% of NSO’s work force, would be dismissed.
Pegasus allows operators to stealthily invade a target’s mobile device, giving them access to contacts, messages and movement history.
The company says that Pegasus is sold only to foreign governments after approval by Israel’s Defense Ministry as a tool for catching criminals and terrorists.
It says it has safeguards in place to prevent abuse, but critics say these safeguards don’t go far enough and NSO has acknowledged it cannot control whom its clients monitor. It says it does not have access to information that is collected.
Critics, including human rights groups and outside researchers, say customers have abused Pegasus to keep tabs on journalists, rights activists and political dissidents from Mexico to Saudi Arabia to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
NSO does not identify its clients. But the company has acknowledged cutting off at least seven customers for abusing its technology. These reportedly have included authorities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
Sunday’s statement said firm’s reorganization will examine “all aspects of its business, including streamlining its operations to ensure NSO remains one of the world’s leading high-tech cyber intelligence companies, focusing on NATO-member countries.”
NSO also faces lawsuits from Apple and Facebook accusing the Israeli firm of breaking into their products.
The U.S. Commerce Department’s decision to add NSO to its “entity list” has hurt the company by limiting its access to U.S. components and technology. NSO is challenging the designation.
The company has also been hurt by an Israeli decision late last year to tighten its supervision of cyber exports. That decision, made in the wake of criticism that Israel’s oversight of the digital surveillance industry was too lax, has reduced the number of countries that can purchase Israeli cyber software from over 100 to 37. | https://www.wspa.com/technology/ap-technology/israeli-spyware-firm-chief-steps-down-amid-nso-restructuring/ | 2022-08-22T13:58:21Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/technology/ap-technology/israeli-spyware-firm-chief-steps-down-amid-nso-restructuring/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Top news and notes from around Northern Virginia and beyond.
5. Back to school
Virginia’s three largest school divisions kick off the new school year this week, with Fairfax and Prince William students returning today and Loudoun County students starting Thursday.
4. Airplanes collide
Four people suffered minor injuries when two aircraft collided Saturday morning at the Flying Circus Aerodrome in Fauquier County. No one on the ground was hurt, authorities say.
3. Late-day storms
Expect showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening as a cold front approaches, bringing the possibility of some isolated wind damage and flooding, the National Weather Service says. Click here for a detailed forecast by ZIP code.
2. Changing storm patterns
Speaking of weather, forecasters say the Washington area saw an increase in thunderstorms this summer, leaving tens of thousands without power, severe damage, and, recently, killing three in a lightning strike near the White House.
1. Deadly shooting
Police are searching for the gunman who shot two men, killing one, outside a Manassas-area 7-Eleven on Friday night.
InsideOut
The final concerts in the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s 2022 Summer Concert Series will feature the United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps performing Aug. 24 and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band finishing off the series Aug. 31. Click here for details. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/infive-back-to-class-planes-collide-and-late-day-storms-in-the-forecast/article_aa42409e-220a-11ed-aee6-33e1d322b8b0.html | 2022-08-22T14:03:42Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/infive-back-to-class-planes-collide-and-late-day-storms-in-the-forecast/article_aa42409e-220a-11ed-aee6-33e1d322b8b0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Virginia’s three largest school divisions kick off the new school year this week, with Fairfax and Prince William students returning today and Loudoun County students starting Thursday.
In a note to the school community Friday night, Prince William County Schools Superintendent LaTayna McDade said students, parents and staff are heading into the school year with “energy and excitement.”
The new year begins with nationwide teacher shortages, and vacancies across Virginia likely in the thousands, Virginia Mercury reports. But local school divisions say they are close to fully staffed.
McDade said the school division – the state’s second largest behind Fairfax – has hired more than 1,600 new employees for the school year, including 1,000 new certified staff. As the new year begins, the school system had 168 vacant positions, comparable to the start of last school year.
Fairfax County’s new superintendent of schools says the county school system is nearly full as classes begin.
“Our classrooms are 97 percent staffed and ready to welcome our students back from summer break,” Michelle Reid said in a July 28 message to parents.
Loudoun County students return to class this Thursday, Aug. 25, as the state’s third largest school division continues to hire staff, with close to 98 percent of vacant positions filled as of last week.
Students in Manassas Park and Alexandria also return to class today. Other area school divisions have already returned, with Manassas, Fauquier and Stafford County students starting Aug. 9 and 10. Arlington County students are going back later than most, with classes beginning Aug. 29. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/welcome-back-new-school-year-begins-for-fairfax-prince-william-students/article_06de9b02-2208-11ed-809c-27df8bc874c1.html | 2022-08-22T14:03:49Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/welcome-back-new-school-year-begins-for-fairfax-prince-william-students/article_06de9b02-2208-11ed-809c-27df8bc874c1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Since the Langley Saxons became a varsity program in 1999 and won the first Northern Region tournament in that initial year of such competition, the high-school team has remained the standard of excellence for girls public-school volleyball in the area.
Including that first season, Langley has won six region championships and finished second three times to go with two state titles. The six region crowns are the most of any team since that 1999 campaign.
Langley has been a region contender just about each season dating back to 1999. The Saxons last won the region in 2020 and lost in the semifinals last fall.
The last time Langley did not advance as far as the region-tournament semifinals was 2014 when the Saxons lost in the quarterfinals.
The Saxons will begin contending for the 2022 region crown on Aug. 25 when they open their season against South Lakes, then host Marshall on Aug. 31. Langley hosts a tournament Sept. 17.
Other perennial local girls high-school volleyball powers each fall are the Flint Hill Huskies and Bishop O’Connell Knights on the private-school level.
Flint Hill has won the last four Division I private-school state-tournament championships and 11 in program history. O’Connell finished second in the state last fall after winning its Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tourney crown. O’Connell has won a couple of state titles in program history.
Each are considered top conference and state contenders again this fall. O’Connell starts its season Aug. 27 and Flint Hill on Sept. 1.
The McLean Highlanders are another local team that has enjoyed significant success in the past, finishing second in the region last fall and advancing to the state tournament.
In Arlington, the Washington-Liberty Generals won a recent public-school region championship and have remained a top contender since that title.
Both W-L and McLean open their seasons this week against tough non-district opponents. | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/langley-should-be-among-contenders/article_5b99d616-219a-11ed-837a-3b532ca2b63a.html | 2022-08-22T14:03:55Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/langley-should-be-among-contenders/article_5b99d616-219a-11ed-837a-3b532ca2b63a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Marymount University Athletics Hall of Fame will honor its 2022 inductees as part of homecoming weekend on Thursday, Oct. 13.
This year’s class is Anna Macedonia (women’s swimming, 2008-12), Marcellus Smith (men’s basketball, 1991-95), longtime head soccer coach Keith Moser (1990-2018) and longtime head swimming coach Mike Clark (1990-2019). Additionally, Peter and Susan Converse were selected to the Marymount Hall of Friends.
Also, all varsity athletic alums from the pre-coed era will be recognized with the Pioneer Award in honor of the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
The event is 6 p.m. at the Westin Arlington Gateway.
“It is a great honor for all of the inductees as their legacy at Marymount will be remembered forever,” Marymount director of athletics Jill McCabe said.
* Macedonia was one of the most decorated swimmers in Marymount history. She finished her career as a two-time honorable-mention All-American in the 100 backstroke. In addition to the 100 back, Macedonia competed at the 2011 and 2012 Division III NCAA championships in the 200 back, 50 freestyle and 100 free events.
She was a two-time Capital Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year. To this day, Macedonia holds four individual program records and is part of three more relay records. Her time of 56.16 in the 100 back is still a CAC meet record.
Macedonia recently joined the faculty at Marymount as an adjunct professor.
* Smith was a force to be reckoned with in the paint during his time in Arlington. For his career, Smith made 62 percent of his shots. His best season was the 1992-93 campaign when he shot 66.2 percent from the field; it stands as the best shooting season in program history and ranked fourth in the nation in 1993.
Smith left Marymount as the school’s single-game scoring leader after dropping 36 points in one game. He finished his career with 874 points in 65 games.
* Moser was one of the longest-tenured coaches in Marymount history. Before retiring after the 2018 season, Moser was the head men’s soccer coach for 29 seasons. He also coached the women’s soccer program for his first four years in Arlington and was named the 1993 Capital Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year.
Moser racked up 166 wins as a Marymount coach.
* Clark was another long-tenured head coach at Marymount. He spent 28 seasons at the helm of the men’s and women’s swim programs. He was named Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times and was named Atlantic East Coach of the Year in 2019.
He amassed 140 victories at Marymount.
* Peter and Susan Converse are longtime neighbors of Marymount University. Peter Converse currently serves on the board of trustees.
Their generous gift to athletics led to the 2018 dedication of the Converse Family Sports Complex, which includes the Converse Family Field House and Converse Family Field. | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/marymount-to-hold-hall-of-fame-banquet/article_dd89421a-219a-11ed-b1bc-471c05f2217f.html | 2022-08-22T14:04:01Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/marymount-to-hold-hall-of-fame-banquet/article_dd89421a-219a-11ed-b1bc-471c05f2217f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed that the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), appointed to oversee the affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), should cease to exist.
The committee of administrators was headed by former apex court judge A R Dave.
The apex court said that it is modifying its earlier order to facilitate holding of the Under-17 Women's World Cup by India and revocation of suspension of the AIFF by the world football governing body FIFA.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and A S Bopanna postponed the August 28 elections of the AIFF by one week to allow a changed electoral college and starting of nomination process.
The bench said the voter list for the AIFF polls would consist of 36 representatives of State/Union Territory member association of football federation as is being sought by FIFA.
The top court passed the order on an application filed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports seeking modifications of an earlier order in view of the discussions with the FIFA.
It said that returning officer Umesh Sinha and assistant returning officer Tapas Bhattacharya appointed by CoA for the AIFF polls will be deemed to be appointed by the top court.
The bench further directed that day-to-day management of AIFF be taken over by acting secretary-general of the national football body.
It said that the executive committee of the AIFF will consist of 23 members, including six eminent players of which four will be men and two will be women.
On August 17, the apex court has asked the Centre to take a "pro-active" role in getting the world football governing body FIFA's suspension of the AIFF lifted and facilitating the holding of the Under-17 Women's World Cup in India.
On August 16, in a major setback and embarrassment for the country, FIFA had suspended India for "undue influence from third parties" and said the U-17 Women's World Cup "cannot currently be held in India as planned."
The country is scheduled to host the FIFA event from October 11-30. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/football/2022/08/22/sc-terminates-coa-postpones-aiff-polls-by-one-week.html | 2022-08-22T14:04:06Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/football/2022/08/22/sc-terminates-coa-postpones-aiff-polls-by-one-week.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
THURSDAY, AUG. 25
North Stafford at Gar-Field, 6 p.m.
Jackson-Reed at Osbourn, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUG. 26
Potomac at Battlefield, 7 p.m.
Colgan at Osbourn Park, 7 p.m.
Hylton at Patriot, 7 p.m.
Woodbridge at South County, 7 p.m.
Liberty-Bealeton at Brentsville, 7 p.m.
Forest Park at Mountain View, 7 p.m.
Freedom-Woodbridge at Brooke Point, 7 p.m.
Westfield at Unity Reed, 7 p.m.
Southhampton at Quantico, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUG. 27
Gainesville at Handley, 1 p.m.
THURSDAY, AUG. 25 | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/prince_william/this-weeks-high-school-football-schedule-prince-william-county/article_c1755388-1e4e-11ed-a426-23aa78016a0c.html | 2022-08-22T14:04:07Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/prince_william/this-weeks-high-school-football-schedule-prince-william-county/article_c1755388-1e4e-11ed-a426-23aa78016a0c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The transformation from a single product to a multi-product platform generates growth in customer accounts
WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marlette Holdings, Inc., a leading financial technology company operating the Best Egg financial platform, today announced financial results for the first half of 2022. The Best Egg platform experienced a record-breaking performance in the first half of 2022, with all-time highs in quarterly loan originations, revenue, and pre-tax operating income.
"Our strong performance in the first half of 2022 reflects our transformation from a single product to a multi-product platform," said Jeffrey Meiler, CEO and Founder of Marlette Holdings. "In the first half of this year, we exceeded what we did last year, demonstrating positive momentum across the Best Egg platform. Our strategy of diversifying our offering is increasing value for our customers and putting us in a strong financial position and on track for long-term sustainable growth."
Best Egg has seen tremendous growth over the past two years, accelerating to $21 billion in personal loan originations and 1.8 million accounts since the platform's inception in March 2014. In the first half of 2022, Best Egg added more than 485,000 new consumer accounts across personal loans, credit cards, and financial health and saw a sharp increase in customers using multiple Best Egg products. The Best Egg platform originated $4 billion in personal loans and generated $265 million in gross revenue, up more than 160% year over year.
"Our team's determination to build financial confidence with our customers drives a relentless focus on understanding their needs using sophisticated human and machine insights. This vital information is allowing us to scale our products and services to provide more personalized and meaningful financial solutions for a growing number of people in the U.S. with limited savings," said Jeffrey Meiler, CEO and Founder of Marlette Holdings.
Best Egg generally serves consumers with a good credit profile and enough money to cover their everyday expenses but have limited savings to absorb financial disruptions. They want simple solutions to help them achieve financial stability and feel more confident about their daily finances. Best Egg helps people understand which financial decisions may work for them and offers fast and convenient credit solutions to help alleviate cash flow pain.
Today, Best Egg offers unsecured and secured personal loans, the Best Egg Visa® Credit Card, the free Best Egg Financial Health tool, and is developing a personal loan product secured by automobiles. In March 2022, the company announced $225 million in equity funding.
Recognized as one of the best tech startups in the U.S. by The Tech Tribune in 2022, Best Egg has also built a reputation for attracting top talent. The company has won numerous top workplace awards across the U.S. and Delaware and has more than doubled the size of its workforce in the past 12 months. It has more than 600 employees as of June 30. Learn more about open positions on the Best Egg careers page.
About Marlette Holdings, Inc.
Marlette Holdings, Inc. is a leading financial technology provider whose subsidiaries develop and operate Best Egg, a financial health platform that provides lending products and resources focused on helping people feel more confident as they manage their everyday finances. Since March 2014, Best Egg has delivered $21 billion in consumer personal loans with strong credit performance, welcomed 289,000 members to the recently launched Best Egg Financial Health platform, and empowered over 100,000 cardmembers who carry the new Best Egg Credit Card in their wallet. For more information, visit bestegg.com.
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SOURCE Best Egg | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/best-egg-continues-record-breaking-performance-first-half-2022/ | 2022-08-22T14:07:42Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/best-egg-continues-record-breaking-performance-first-half-2022/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
More Than 144 Affordable And Workforce Housing Projects totaling 9,638 units, Inclusive of 1,500 High-Efficiency Sustainable Units
CPC's FY22 focused on new efforts to expand social impact, new knowledge sharing and educational initiatives, and philanthropy
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) announced that it had deployed over $1 billion in capital to support affordable and workforce housing and community development projects during a record-breaking 2022 fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. CPC's work across its construction and permanent lending, mortgage lending, and equity investing platforms and through its initiatives and programs financed 144 transactions totaling 9,638 units across 18 states, to further its mission of expanding the affordable housing stock, investing in the green economy, and reducing the racial wealth gap. More than 95% of the total units financed were affordable to households earning at or below 120% area median income (AMI), with more than 80% of the units being affordable at or below 80% AMI. FY22 also saw CPC expand its impact through its knowledge sharing, educational initiatives, and a new philanthropy program.
"This fiscal year was a tremendous success in which CPC continued to grow its impact, deliver volume, and expand important partnerships despite challenges that lingered from the pandemic," said Rafael E. Cestero, CEO of The Community Preservation Corporation. "We're excited about the $1 billion milestone because it represents an expansion of our mission and our ability to invest, share our knowledge and resources, and create an impact in communities where it is needed most."
CPC's $1 billion lending and investing represented an increase in revenue and growth across CPC's business lines, which included $412 million in construction lending originations, $560 million in Agency mortgage originations, $33 million in permanent lending originations, $25 million in real estate equity investments, and $3.5 million in investments through the company's mission-focused Impact Investing platform.
"Every dollar of that $1 billion represents a commitment to getting out into communities, making new partnerships, and finding new ways that CPC can make a difference," said Sadie McKeown, President of The Community Preservation Corporation. "We've grown and diversified the company through our traditional lending and investing, as well as through initiatives like ACCESS, Sustainability, and Connections that focus on equity, knowledge sharing, and philanthropy. My thanks to our team at CPC, to our investors, government partners, and industry peers who are all a part of our success."
"I'm proud of the CPC Mortgage Company team and what we've been able to accomplish. Our growth and geographic expansion allows us to move the mortgage industry towards a place where we can ask the question, where do we need to be to make the biggest impact," said John Cannon, President of CPC Mortgage Company. "Whether it's affordable, conventional, or small we look at every deal through a lens of impact and potential, and every borrower and every transaction has the ability to help us continue our work of investing in communities."
"I am extremely pleased to see CPC reach the level of success that it has achieved. For a CDFI to transact at this scale with the diversification of business platforms and products is a testament to the leadership of the CPC team, and their ability to execute on their long-term vision for the company," said Alan Wiener, CPC Board Chair, and Managing Director of Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital. "I look forward to seeing CPC continue its expand their impact to new cities and communities, and with new partners across the country where their capital and expertise is most in need."
CPC's construction lending business originated $412 million in 48 separate affordable and workforce housing projects spanning the state of New York, from Buffalo to New York City. Highlights include a project in the Bronx to renovate three buildings that will create supportive housing for LGBTQI young adults, the revitalization of the Endicott-Johnson Victory Factory that will bring 156 units of market-rate housing to Johnson City; and the $50 million, 264-unit Edgewater Place project, the largest residential rental project to break ground in Beacon in decades.
CPC Mortgage Company, the company's agency mortgage lending subsidiary originated $561 million in Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and FHA/HUD mortgages across 11 states, with 80% of its volume coming from outside of New York State. This included deals with new borrowers in new locations that share its mission and values; like BRIDGE Housing a leading nonprofit developer, owner and manager of affordable housing in California, and Ginosko Development Company, a BIPOC-owned company in Michigan specializing in affordable housing development and preservation.
CPC's $25 million invested through its Equity Investing business included its partnership with a team of preservation-minded real estate investors and owners in the acquisition of a 13-building affordable housing portfolio totaling 1,036 units that were originally developed by the Dunn Development Corp., and are located in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. All of the apartments will remain affordable to low-income tenants.
CPC continued to focus on expanding its investment in the green economy, financing more than 1,540 sustainable, high-performance units. This included partnering with nonprofit DePaul Properties to finance the construction of a new sustainable, 65-unit supportive housing development in Port Byron, NY. The property will achieve LEED for Homes and NYSERDA New Construction Tier II designations, and feature all-electric heating and cooling systems that eliminate fossil fuels, providing a healthier indoor environment for tenants.
ACCESS, the company's initiative which offers funding, technical, and educational support to black and indigenous people of color (BIPOC) developers and real estate entrepreneur, invested $6.7 million in 11 projects across New York. Due to the demand, CPC funded ACCESS with an additional $20 million. However, it may be the ACCESS Incubator, a real estate development training program which just graduated its first class of BIPOC entrepreneurs, that makes the biggest impact.
In FY22 the company expanded the ways in which it assists its nonprofit partners. Through the launch of the new CPC Connections grant program, the company provided $500,000 in grant funding to 10 New York State-based nonprofit organizations to aid in their work related to closing the racial wealth gap, promoting and advancing environmental justice, and providing COVID-19 relief services.
CPC is a nonprofit multifamily finance company that was founded in 1974 to provide financial resources to stabilize and revitalize underserved communities. Today, CPC uses its unique expertise in housing finance and public policy to expand access to affordable housing and drive down the costs of housing production, advance diversity and equity within the development industry, and impact the effects of climate change in our communities through the financing of sustainable housing. Since its founding, CPC has invested over $14 billion to finance the creation and preservation of more than 225,000 units of housing through its lending and investing platforms. CPC is a carbon-neutral company and has been rated AA- by S&P. Visit CPC at communityp.com, and on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
CONTACT: Jordyn Leon, jordyn.leon@berlinrosen.com
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SOURCE Community Preservation Corporation | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/community-preservation-corporation-invests-over-1-billion-housing-community-development-nationwide/ | 2022-08-22T14:08:56Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/community-preservation-corporation-invests-over-1-billion-housing-community-development-nationwide/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NAIROBI, Kenya Nokia today announced that it has successfully piloted its 4G and 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) network slicing with mobile operator, Safaricom on its live commercial network. This is the first-time 4G/5G network slicing has been successfully achieved in Africa. The trial utilized a multi-vendor network environment and included RAN, transport and core as well as software upgrades to a range of Nokia's products and services.
The successful trial demonstrates that Safaricom is now poised to support new types of enterprise network services, including fast lane internet access and application slicing. In addition, Nokia is enabling secured FWA slice connectivity to enterprise locations, as well as to private or public application clouds.
The multi-vendor pilot which took place in Kenya's Western Region, strengthens the strategic partnership between the two companies, with Nokia already providing a wide variety of services and solutions. The pilot demonstrated a number of solutions including Nokia's AirScale 4G/5G base stations, the NetAct network management and assurance system and Nokia's FastMile 4G/5G CPE.
Network slicing enables operators the ability to divide a network into multiple virtual slices, which can be optimized for a specific target application or service. The end user of each network slice can then be serviced with different priorities, routing, levels of network performance and security capabilities. Slices can be managed and deployed in minutes, and each one has key performance indicators used for service assurance.
Nokia's 4G/5G slicing solution, which received a prestigious award from GTI 2021 in the 'Innovative Breakthrough in Mobile Technology' category, supports LTE, 5G NSA and 5G SA technologies with slice service continuity between the networks. This enables slicing services for all LTE and 5G devices.
Read the full press release here. | https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/fixed-wireless-access-(fwa)/nokia-safaricom-complete-africas-first-fwa-5g-slicing-trial/d/d-id/779838?_mc=RSS_LR_EDT | 2022-08-22T14:09:28Z | afar.com | control | https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/fixed-wireless-access-(fwa)/nokia-safaricom-complete-africas-first-fwa-5g-slicing-trial/d/d-id/779838?_mc=RSS_LR_EDT | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One person died and another was hospitalized after they got stuck in a rip current at a Seaside, Oregon, beach on Saturday afternoon.
Seaside Fire & Rescue crews were called just after 2:30 p.m. to the report of a water rescue in progress at the beach near 6th Avenue.
When crews arrived at the scene, three lifeguards and several bystanders were working to pull the two people out of the rip current. Rescuers used jet skis to bring the victims and the bystanders back to the beach.
Both victims were taken to Providence Seaside Hospital. One of them, a man in his 50s, was pronounced dead. The other victim was a girl in her teens. Her condition was not provided. Their names were not released.
Seaside fire officials warned that beachgoers should use extreme caution before entering the ocean.
For more information on identifying and escaping rip currents, visit Seaside Fire & Rescue’s beach safety site.
Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit Oregon Public Broadcasting. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-22/man-caught-in-rip-current-at-seaside-beach-dies | 2022-08-22T14:12:45Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-22/man-caught-in-rip-current-at-seaside-beach-dies | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Wins Security Marketing Campaign of the Year, Best Cloud Workload Protection Solution and Innovator of the Year
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognized for its inspiring cybersecurity innovation, teams and initiatives, Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), the global cybersecurity leader, today announced it has taken top honors in three categories of the 2022 SC Awards: "We've Got Next" named Security Marketing Campaign of the Year; Prisma Cloud named the Best Cloud Workload Protection Solution and Idan Tendler, vice president of Code Security for Prisma® Cloud, honored as Innovator of the Year.
"We've Got Next" was designed to highlight Palo Alto Networks as the leader in cybersecurity innovation and communicate the company's focus on getting ahead of the next threat, next challenge and the next opportunity. Delivered as a multichannel, cross-geography plan, the campaign leveraged a unique set of innovators to tell its story, which resulted in 144+ million media impressions. "We've Got Next is a sentiment we live and breathe every day at Palo Alto Networks because we are at the beginning of an important journey to rebuild cybersecurity for the coming decades." said Zeynep Inanoglu Ozdemir, chief marketing officer at Palo Alto Networks. "We are honored to be recognized by the SC awards on this journey."
Recognized as the Best Cloud Workload Protection Solution, Prisma Cloud helps security and DevOps teams effectively collaborate to secure cloud-native application development and deployment. As a comprehensive cloud-native protection platform (CNAPP), Prisma Cloud's Cloud Workload Protection capability provides organizations with a centralized view to help identify and prioritize risks in real time across their cloud environments. The SC Awards honor expands the recognition Prisma Cloud has received in 2022, which includes being named a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Cloud Workload Security, Q1 2022.
"I am honored that our contributions to shift-left security innovations and developer focused security are recognized by the SC Awards," said Idan Tendler, Vice President of Code Security at Palo Alto Networks and recipient of the Innovator of the Year award. "At a time where just a few lines of code can have profound impacts on the security of an organization, Prisma Cloud helps protect customers on their entire journey from code creation to run time. I want to pass my appreciation to the entire Code Security team at Prisma Cloud for their dedication to keeping our customers and our developer community safe."
Now in its 25th year, the 2022 SC Awards were the most competitive to date, with a record 800 entries received across 38 categories. Winners were selected by a world-class panel of industry 40+ leaders from sectors including healthcare,financial services, manufacturing, consulting, and education among others.
About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the world's cybersecurity leader. We innovate to outpace cyberthreats, so organizations can embrace technology with confidence. We provide next-gen cybersecurity to thousands of customers globally, across all sectors. Our best-in-class cybersecurity platforms and services are backed by industry-leading threat intelligence and strengthened by state-of-the-art automation. Whether deploying our products to enable the Zero Trust Enterprise, responding to a security incident, or partnering to deliver better security outcomes through a world-class partner ecosystem, we're committed to helping ensure each day is safer than the one before. It's what makes us the cybersecurity partner of choice.
At Palo Alto Networks, we're committed to bringing together the very best people in service of our mission, so we're also proud to be the cybersecurity workplace of choice, recognized among Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces (2021), Comparably Best Companies for Diversity (2021), and HRC Best Places for LGBTQ Equality (2022). For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.
About CyberRisk Alliance
CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) is a business intelligence company serving the high growth, rapidly evolving cybersecurity community with a diversified portfolio of services that inform, educate, build community, and inspire an efficient marketplace. Our trusted information leverages a unique network of journalists, analysts and influencers, policymakers, and practitioners. CRA's brands include SC Media, SecurityWeekly, ChannelE2E, MSSP Alert, InfoSec World, Identiverse, Cybersecurity Collaboration Forum, its research unit CRA Business Intelligence, and the peer-to-peer CISO membership network, Cybersecurity Collaborative.
Palo Alto Networks, Prisma, and the Palo Alto Networks logo are registered trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Any unreleased services or features (and any services or features not generally available to customers) referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available (or are not yet generally available to customers) and may not be delivered when expected or at all. Customers who purchase Palo Alto Networks applications should make their purchase decisions based on services and features currently generally available.
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SOURCE Palo Alto Networks, Inc. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/palo-alto-networks-shines-three-categories-2022-sc-awards/ | 2022-08-22T14:13:50Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/palo-alto-networks-shines-three-categories-2022-sc-awards/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Christopher Blann poised to expand pressure-washing industry leader
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PowerWash.com, a leading one-stop shop for those in the mobile power-washing industry, announces the hiring of Christopher Blann as chief executive officer. Blann is charged with leading the company's aggressive retail-focused expansion efforts while cultivating the company's industry professional training platform, PowerWash Academy. Previously with Men's Best Primary Care, he began transitioning into his new role at the family-owned and -operated business earlier this year.
"Christopher's operational and retail expertise exemplify the 'power' in PowerWash.com," says President Michael Hinderliter. "His hands-on approach and leadership experience will be an invaluable asset as we elevate the business that my father started nearly 50 years ago."
Blann is a retail industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience in e-commerce and operations. He most recently served as president of Men's Best Primary Care, where he led the launch and 15-month growth of the health care startup. Prior to that, Blann served as senior vice president of store operations at Eyemart Express, where he oversaw everything from retail operations to supply chain to manufacturing at the national optical retailer's more than 200 locations.
"I am excited to join a growing and innovative company that is paving the way in this niche industry," says Blann. "The Hinderliter family has created an impressive foundation and legacy, and I look forward to building upon that success with the team."
Learn more about Blann and the PowerWash.com leadership team here.
PowerWash.com (https://powerwash.com/) is the No. 1 source for commercial pressure-washing equipment, supplies, and training. A subsidiary of Delux Cleaning Supply, Inc., the company is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and offers a complete selection of equipment and supplies including detergents for all aspects of power washing, including truck washing, kitchen hood exhaust cleaning, house washing, concrete cleaning, wood restoration, awning cleaning, and more. The company also provides comprehensive hands-on and online training for industry professionals with its own PowerWash Academy through the Washaholic Program.
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SOURCE PowerWash.com | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/powerwashcom-names-new-ceo/ | 2022-08-22T14:13:56Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/powerwashcom-names-new-ceo/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Solution to Provide Clients with Real-time Data and Analytics, Powered by Snowflake
OAKS, Pa., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SEI® (NASDAQ:SEIC) today announced the launch of SEI Data Cloud through a strategic partnership with Snowflake, the Data Cloud company, to address the financial services industry's demand for more advanced data integration. SEI Data Cloud, Powered by Snowflake, is designed to offer a scalable, cloud-based data platform that clients globally can access directly through the SEI Wealth PlatformSM (SWP) or as a standalone service.
SEI Data Cloud seeks to meet the industry demand for more advanced data integration, as financial and technology organizations increasingly need database-like access to power analytics, application development, consumption of large amounts of data, and advanced reporting.
SEI Data Cloud users have access to modern delivery capabilities, including:
- On-demand access to real-time data
- Business event-based alerts and notifications
- Ease of information consumption
- Analytics-as-a-Service (AaaS)
SEI plans to initially leverage Snowflake as a data delivery and analytics platform for SWP clients, providing users access to information in real time and enabling an enterprise view of information. SEI already has two early adopters of SEI Data Cloud and is engaging with multiple clients to roll out the solution.
Ultimately, the company intends to offer enterprise information delivery, reporting, and analytics capabilities to all clients across the financial services spectrum. This represents SEI's commitment to enhancing its offerings and delivering new solutions that enable clients to power their businesses and drive revenue growth for the company.
Sanjay Sharma, Head of Private Banking at SEI, said:
"The dynamic demand for flexible and real-time access to information with ease of consumption is rapidly growing across the financial services landscape. By leveraging Snowflake's data-sharing capabilities, we believe we can provide our clients access to customized data and analytics reporting at any time and in a manner that complements our modern API approach. We're thrilled to partner with Snowflake in delivering this transformative technology to our markets."
Rinesh Patel, Global Head of Financial Services at Snowflake, said:
"SEI's role in the wealth and asset management ecosystem combined with Snowflake's scalable data delivery and analytics capabilities, enables financial services participants to seamlessly consume, analyze, and utilize data. We look forward to working with SEI to redefine our customers' data experience and meet the evolving needs of the financial services community."
About SEI® SEI (NASDAQ:SEIC) delivers technology and investment solutions that connect the financial services industry. With capabilities across investment processing, operations, and asset management, SEI works with corporations, financial institutions and professionals, and ultra-high-net-worth families to solve problems, manage change and help protect assets—for growth today and in the future. As of June 30, 2022, SEI manages, advises, or administers approximately $1.3 trillion in assets. For more information, visit seic.com.
To become a Snowflake partner, get access to Snowflake's self-service partner resources and apply for the Powered by Snowflake program, please visit www.snowflake.com/partners/poweredbysnowflake.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology, such as "may," "will," "intend," "expect," "believe" and "continue" or "plan." Our forward-looking statements include our current expectations as to:
- Whether our solutions will address the financial services industry's demand for more advanced data integration;
- whether we will offer enterprise information delivery, reporting, and analytics capabilities to all clients across the financial services spectrum;
- our ability to provide our clients access to customized data and analytics reporting at any time and in a manner that complements our modern API approach; and
- the success, if any, of the sales and strategic initiatives we pursue.
You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, as they are based on the current beliefs and expectations of our management and subject to significant risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control or are subject to change. Although we believe the assumptions upon which we base our forward-looking statements are reasonable, they could be inaccurate. Some of the risks and important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those described in our forward-looking statements can be found in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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SOURCE SEI Investments Company | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/sei-introduces-sei-data-cloud/ | 2022-08-22T14:14:35Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/sei-introduces-sei-data-cloud/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLP, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to:
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAWW)'s sale to funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. and affiliates of J.F. Lehman & Company and Hill City Capital for $102.50 per share in cash. If you are an Atlas shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GBT)'s sale to Pfizer Inc. for $68.50 per share in cash. If you are a Global Blood shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
CyberOptics Corporation (NASDAQ: CYBE)'s sale to Nordson Corporation for $54.00 per share. If you are a CyberOptics shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Avalara, Inc. (NYSE: AVLR)'s sale to Vista Equity Partners for $93.50 per share. If you are an Avalara shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders.
Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com.
Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLP
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
sadeh@halpersadeh.com
zhalper@halpersadeh.com
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SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/shareholder-investigation-notice-halper-sadeh-llp-investigates-aaww-gbt-cybe-avlr/ | 2022-08-22T14:14:42Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/shareholder-investigation-notice-halper-sadeh-llp-investigates-aaww-gbt-cybe-avlr/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Investment cements TRIP in the US and positions husband-and-wife founded brand as wellbeing industry disruptors following +500% revenue growth
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UK's leading CBD brand, TRIP, announced a $12 million investment supported by prominent entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors, including Maria Raga, the former CEO of Depop, and Christian Angermeyer, founder of Apeiron Investment Group. This latest round of funding will support the brand's continued growth in the United States and across the globe.
Known in the UK as the "Queen's CBD," having received the royal seal of approval by selling out of the Queen's Windsor shop, TRIP was founded by husband-and-wife team Daniel Khoury and Olivia Ferdi after meeting at Cambridge University. The duo launched TRIP after a transformational personal experience with CBD when it helped Daniel recover from an accident that required knee surgery just before their wedding. Amazed by CBD's benefits, the two left their careers in law and finance to launch TRIP together and designed an award-winning range of drinks, oils and gummies to help people find calm.
Since the company's launch in 2019, it has rapidly attracted a highly engaged online community – with 94% of customers recommending the brand to friends and family – signaling its domination of the CBD space in the UK with 88% market share and distribution in over 11,000 retail locations. TRIP has been a viral sensation, drawing in millions of fans and attracting the most organic search traffic of any CBD Drinks brand globally (source: SEMRUSH). The viral nature of the brand's popularity quickly became evident in search engines where it outpaced travel companies as the number one ranked search result for the word "TRIP" across Europe. With a dedicated community of consumers who know and love the brand, TRIP sets its sights on the global wellbeing landscape, expanding its retail footprint through strategic partnerships in the United States as Soho House & Co.'s exclusive global CBD supplier and in Los Angeles-based retailer Erewhon.
"TRIP is a Soho House favourite," said Soho House & Co. Drinking Director Tom Kerr. "After assessing CBD brands globally we knew TRIP was the perfect partner brand for Soho House. Since launch, they've been a huge hit in our houses around the world."
The CBD wellbeing category is continuing its steady upward trajectory, already measured in excess of $12.8 billion. This forecasts the potential growth for TRIP, which is quickly becoming a global leader in the space on its mission to bring premium quality CBD and plant-powered wellbeing into the mainstream through major retailers and partners. This raise will continue to drive the growth of the thriving TRIP community and deepen US distribution. The brand has found success with a broad customer base, given the prevalence of daily stress, crediting its authentically functional ingredients and flavor-led products in driving impressive returning customer rates.
TRIP Co-Founder Olivia Ferdi attributes this growth to the seismic shift seen in conversations regarding mental health and wellbeing across the globe, stating, "Over the last few years the world's attitude towards the importance of mental health has changed dramatically. Since discovering the power of CBD through an incredible personal experience, our mission has always been to share calm in the everyday chaos, with next-generation wellbeing products to power your lifestyle and help care for your mental health. Helping to open up conversations around stress and anxiety, we're excited to create a community across the globe, harnessing the power of plants to find their calm."
Amidst a growing global mental health crisis, Olivia and Daniel are dedicated to building a brand that helps people worldwide. TRIP has introduced millions of people to their first CBD experience and today represents a new, functional consumer category that did not exist previously, supporting everyday health, well-being and stress relief.
For more information on TRIP, please visit us.drink-trip.com and follow along on @trip.drinks.
ABOUT TRIP:
TRIP was founded in 2018 by Olivia Ferdi and Dan Khoury, creating a CBD brand that appealed to modern consumers, championing great tasting flavor and aesthetically pleasing packaging. TRIP uses only the most premium CBD, which is THC-free and third-party lab tested to ensure the highest quality and purity. Their calming canned drinks with a super-chic, pastel aesthetic, TRIP offers four Great Taste Award-winning drinks including Elderflower Mint, Peach Ginger, Lemon Basil and CBD-infused Cold Brew. TRIP offers two of the best-tasting CBD oils - Wild Mint and Orange Blossom blended with Chamomile.
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SOURCE TRIP | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/trip-raises-12m-viral-brand-continues-disrupt-global-wellbeing-landscape-13-billion-cbd-industry/ | 2022-08-22T14:16:05Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/trip-raises-12m-viral-brand-continues-disrupt-global-wellbeing-landscape-13-billion-cbd-industry/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A T-shirt is one of the most fundamental elements of wardrobes the world round, spanning genders, cultures, climates, ages, and shapes. But maddeningly, a good travel T-shirt can be hard to find. Because a good travel T-shirt is more than just what meets the eye.
For starters, a good travel T-shirt should be offered in sizes at least from 0 to 18, and ideally it should be versatile: a fit for a beach day and a business meeting. For me, 5'11" with a long torso, a good travel T-shirt should also hit hip length. It should be suitable for layering. Perhaps most importantly, it should also be engineered with sustainability in mind, from responsible labor to farming practices. Materials—like wool, silk, linen, hemp—should be organic and low impact.
Taken together, these qualities don’t come cheap—they add up. And to be honest, I haven’t always thought this way. But after a pandemic-induced closet purge, I looked around at stacks of T-shirts and realized something: Was it really better to spend $10 on a shirt if I would have to buy another version of that $10 shirt in four months? Was it really better to be purchasing shirts that—while more affordable upfront—were falling apart faster, and I had to wash more often? That were made from synthetic fibers and would sit in a landfill, unable to biodegrade? I decided not.
Since then, I’ve committed to buying better: fewer shirts, yes, but also those of higher quality. It takes more research and money on my end, but I like to think that I’m doing something small for the planet—and staying comfortable in the process.
Wool Crew Neck T-Shirt by Unbound Merino
Buy now: $80, unboundmerino.com
A logoless tee has power: It can be worn on the plane and to a business meeting. That’s not a stretch if you’ve got a superfine merino wool crew in your arsenal. Thanks to wool’s waxy coating, lanolin, which helps draw moisture away and serve as a sort of natural deterrent against odors, this shirt is a dynamic pick for something light and breathable—and that you can wear multiple times before having to throw it in the wash. (The company promises that it can go weeks without a wash, which I was admittedly skeptical about but have found to be true.) If you have to wash while on the road, the ultra-light shirt is hard to wrinkle and is incredibly quick-drying. Made from 100 percent certified Australian merino, this tee is biodegradable and so soft it will make you forget everything you ever thought about wool being itchy. Bonus: Fewer washes mean you can pack less.
Journey Short Sleeve Crew by Ibex
Buy now: $88, ibex.com
Since 1997, Boulder, Colorado–based Ibex has been producing products made from sustainably sourced merino wool. Ibex has a number of comfortable T-shirts in its product catalog, but my top pick is the short-sleeve crew, which is made with 89 percent merino wool and 11 percent nylon, giving it the moisture-wicking qualities characteristic of a merino product as well as a nylon core for serious stretch and durability. Offered in black, deep ocean (blue), light gold, salmon, and wave lite (green), the tee is tagless, weighs a quarter of a pound, and hits comfortably below the waist. Shirts are Woolmark certified—meaning they have been independently audited as having the highest quality wool—and Ibex has a number of environmental certifications, including the Global Organic Textile Standard (organic fibers; sustainable processing and manufacturing). For its breathability and flex, I love—and wear—this shirt most as a first layer when hiking, biking, and adventuring with my dog.
Lorel Tee by Jungmaven
Buy now: $50, jungmaven.com
Made of majority hemp, Jungmaven products, including this Lorel tee, arrive feeling soft and worn in. (In addition to being one of the stronger textile fabrics, hemp requires about half the water that cotton does and is completely biodegradable.) After countless washes and stains, the tee has only gotten softer—but somehow has the same shape it did the first day I wore it. And boy, have I worn it: on its own to brunch in New Orleans, under a blazer at a swanky new London cocktail bar, and over a bathing suit to swim at parks in St. Louis. The brand’s Wild Eyes long-sleeve T-shirt—designed by California textile artists and hand-stamped—has also become a recent favorite and is one I’ve started to pack as a stylish layer on longer flights when the AC is a little too cool. | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-travel-t-shirts-for-women | 2022-08-22T14:19:02Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-travel-t-shirts-for-women | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The trading week is off and running.
- The EURUSD EUR/USD The EUR/USD is the currency pair encompassing the European Union’s single currency, the euro (symbol €, code EUR), and the dollar of the United States (symbol $, code USD). The pair’s rate indicates how many euros are needed in order to purchase one dollar. For example, when the EUR/USD is trading at 1.2, it means 1 euro is equivalent to 1.2 dollars. Why the EUR/USD is the Most Popular Trading PairCompared to all tradable currencies, the euro (EUR) is the world’s second most traded currency, behind only the US dollar. This currency pair is the most traded and liquid currency pair on the market.As the most popular trading pair, the EUR/USD is a staple of every brokerage offering and often has some of the lowest spreads relative to other pairs. Ultimately, the currency follows the two most economic blocs in the world and sees the most volume for this reason.The EUR/USD has a wide range of factors that influence its rates. From the EUR side, economic data in the Eurozone as well as internal factors in the bloc can easily impact rates. Even small member states can effectively weigh on the EUR, as seen in Greece during bailout talks in the 2010s. Alternatively, developments in the United States and the Federal Reserve commonly affect the EUR/USD. Many examples include the bailouts during the Financial crisis, tax cuts during the Trump Administration, and Covid-19 relief measures, among others. The EUR/USD is the currency pair encompassing the European Union’s single currency, the euro (symbol €, code EUR), and the dollar of the United States (symbol $, code USD). The pair’s rate indicates how many euros are needed in order to purchase one dollar. For example, when the EUR/USD is trading at 1.2, it means 1 euro is equivalent to 1.2 dollars. Why the EUR/USD is the Most Popular Trading PairCompared to all tradable currencies, the euro (EUR) is the world’s second most traded currency, behind only the US dollar. This currency pair is the most traded and liquid currency pair on the market.As the most popular trading pair, the EUR/USD is a staple of every brokerage offering and often has some of the lowest spreads relative to other pairs. Ultimately, the currency follows the two most economic blocs in the world and sees the most volume for this reason.The EUR/USD has a wide range of factors that influence its rates. From the EUR side, economic data in the Eurozone as well as internal factors in the bloc can easily impact rates. Even small member states can effectively weigh on the EUR, as seen in Greece during bailout talks in the 2010s. Alternatively, developments in the United States and the Federal Reserve commonly affect the EUR/USD. Many examples include the bailouts during the Financial crisis, tax cuts during the Trump Administration, and Covid-19 relief measures, among others. is lower and trading above and below the key parity level. Sellers in control. What might give a short term positive bias in the face of difficult fundamentals
- GBPUSD GBP/USD The GBP/USD is the currency pair encompassing the United Kingdom’s currency, the British pound sterling (symbol £, code GBP), and the dollar of the United States of America (symbol $, code USD). The pair’s rate indicates how many US dollars are needed in order to purchase one British pound. For example, when the GBP/USD is trading at 1.5000, it means 1 pound is equivalent to 1.5 dollars. The GBP/USD is the fourth most traded currency pair on the forex exchange market, giving it ample liquidity and a low spread. Whilst the spreads of currency pairs vary from broker to broker, generally speaking, the GBP/USD often stays within the 1 pip to 3 pip spread range, making it a decent candidate for scalping. The GBP/USD pair, also informally known as “cable” (due to transatlantic cables being used to transmit its exchange rate via telegraph back in the 19th century) has a positive correlation with the EUR/USD, and a negative correlation with the USD/CHF. Trading the GBP/USDWhilst a lot of traders and even brokers will assert that the best time to trade the GBP/USD is during its most active hours during London and New York, doing so can be a double-edged sword due to the often-unpredictable nature of the pair. Its volatility also fluctuates often, and so what could be a profitable looking strategy one month, may not be so productive in later months. In addition, purely technical traders can really struggle to be consistent with this pair, (i.e. by ignoring fundamentals), due to the unique political nature of the United Kingdom. The recent drama surrounding Brexit has added another layer of uncertainty to this currency pair. With a smooth resolution not in the cards for the foreseeable future, it is clear the GBP/USD will be influenced by any developments and negotiations with the European Union. The GBP/USD is the currency pair encompassing the United Kingdom’s currency, the British pound sterling (symbol £, code GBP), and the dollar of the United States of America (symbol $, code USD). The pair’s rate indicates how many US dollars are needed in order to purchase one British pound. For example, when the GBP/USD is trading at 1.5000, it means 1 pound is equivalent to 1.5 dollars. The GBP/USD is the fourth most traded currency pair on the forex exchange market, giving it ample liquidity and a low spread. Whilst the spreads of currency pairs vary from broker to broker, generally speaking, the GBP/USD often stays within the 1 pip to 3 pip spread range, making it a decent candidate for scalping. The GBP/USD pair, also informally known as “cable” (due to transatlantic cables being used to transmit its exchange rate via telegraph back in the 19th century) has a positive correlation with the EUR/USD, and a negative correlation with the USD/CHF. Trading the GBP/USDWhilst a lot of traders and even brokers will assert that the best time to trade the GBP/USD is during its most active hours during London and New York, doing so can be a double-edged sword due to the often-unpredictable nature of the pair. Its volatility also fluctuates often, and so what could be a profitable looking strategy one month, may not be so productive in later months. In addition, purely technical traders can really struggle to be consistent with this pair, (i.e. by ignoring fundamentals), due to the unique political nature of the United Kingdom. The recent drama surrounding Brexit has added another layer of uncertainty to this currency pair. With a smooth resolution not in the cards for the foreseeable future, it is clear the GBP/USD will be influenced by any developments and negotiations with the European Union. is also suffering largely from the same fundamental down bias. The price got closer to the low for 2022 at 1.1759. Sellers are more in contol, but the price action is confined
- USDJPY is up for the 5th day, in an up and down trading day so far
- The AUDUSD held support near the 61.8% of the move up from the July low. That has pushed the price back above the 50% and a swing area, but fell short of the 100 hour MA.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-morning-technical-report-the-eurusdgbpusd-drag-along-lowsthe-usdjpy-is-up-down-20220822/ | 2022-08-22T14:19:20Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-morning-technical-report-the-eurusdgbpusd-drag-along-lowsthe-usdjpy-is-up-down-20220822/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
3 Arkansas police officers suspended after video captures beating of suspect
MULBERRY, Ark. - Three Arkansas law enforcement officers have been suspended and a state police investigation was launched after a video posted on social media showed a suspect being held down on the ground and beaten by police.
Arkansas State Police said Sunday night that it would investigate the use of force by the officers earlier in the day outside a convenience store in Mulberry, about 140 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.
Two Crawford County sheriff's deputies and one Mulberry police officer were suspended Sunday, city and county authorities said. The officers were responding to a report of a man making threats outside the convenience store, authorities said.
State police identified the man as Randall Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, South Carolina. The video posted online shows one officer punching Worcester with a clenched fist, while another can be seen kneeing him, and a third is holding him down.
Warning: Embedded video shows graphic content
Worcester was taken to a hospital for treatment Sunday then released and booked in the Van Buren County jail on multiple charges, including second-degree battery, resisting arrest and terroristic threatening, state police said.
Authorities have not released the names of the three officers who were seen on the video. Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante said Sunday that the two deputies were suspended pending an investigation.
"I hold all my employees accountable for their actions and will take appropriate measures in this matter," Damante said.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Mulberry Police Chief Shannon Gregory said the city officer involved in the incident is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
"The city of Mulberry and the Mulberry police department takes these investigations very seriously," Gregory said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday night on Twitter that the "incident in Crawford County will be investigated pursuant to the video evidence and the request of the prosecuting attorney."
RELATED: Couple arrested after drugs found next to toddler's Happy Meal in SUV, deputies say | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/arkansas-police-video-officers-suspended-suspect-beating-crawford-county | 2022-08-22T14:19:25Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/arkansas-police-video-officers-suspended-suspect-beating-crawford-county | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Chicken wing prices drop to pre-pandemic levels — just in time for football season
WASHINGTON - The price of chicken wings in the United States has dropped to its lowest level in years, just in time for football season.
The average wholesale price for a pound of chicken wings has been steadily falling, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released on Thursday. Chicken wing prices reached a high of $3.25 per pound in May 2021 and dipped to about $1.68 per pound in July.
The USDA’s report said July’s figure was the lowest monthly average since May 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2022, wholesale chicken wing prices averaged about $2.68 per pound.
The latest average wholesale price is at a level not observed since 2018, according to pricing tracked by Bloomberg Finance.
RELATED: Applebee's makes chicken wing-flavored lip glosses to 'spice up your next date night'
The price for chicken wings was impacted by increased demand by people at home and from restaurants since the onset of the pandemic. Labor shortages and widespread supply chain issues also impacted the price, experts previously told FOX Business.
The CEO of poultry processing company Pilgrim’s Pride discussed wing prices on a recent earnings call, noting that wings were viewed as "a great appetizer" by pizza parlors and other quick-service restaurants during the pandemic due to their convenience. But when the costs skyrocketed, many restaurants later pulled them from the menu and replaced them with boneless wings or other poultry cuts.
"So with that, we saw a very fast decline in the price of wings to the prices that we have today, a little bit of seasonality as well as we ended the football and the basketball season," Pilgrim's Pride CEO Fabio Sandri said on the July 28 call.
However, Sandri noted that he expects the price of wings to once again increase with the coming sports seasons, notably NFL and college football — meaning wings will once again be in demand for fans at bars, restaurants, and tailgates.
The first set of college football games is set for this weekend, the NFL season begins its regular 2022 season on Sept. 8, and the college basketball season tips off in November.
RELATED: Restaurants reportedly skimping on wine pours amid high inflation, supply chain issues
This story was reported from Cincinnati. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicken-wing-prices-august-2022-decrease-football-season | 2022-08-22T14:19:35Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicken-wing-prices-august-2022-decrease-football-season | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Concealed carry holder returns fire, critically wounding carjacker in Austin
CHICAGO - A concealed carry holder shot and critically wounded an attempted carjacker during an exchange of gunfire Monday morning in the Austin neighborhood.
The 45-year-old man was in his car around 1:27 a.m. in the 5500 block of West Crystal Street when a gunman walked up and started shooting, according to Chicago police.
The concealed carry holder returned fire, striking the suspect once in the upper chest, police said.
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The suspect was taken by paramedics to Loyola Hospital where he was listed in critical condition, police said. His gun was also recovered from the scene.
The concealed carry holder was not injured in the shooting. Police said the shooting stemmed from an attempted carjacking.
Area Five detectives are investigating. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/concealed-carry-holder-returns-fire-critically-wounding-carjacker-in-austin | 2022-08-22T14:19:36Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/concealed-carry-holder-returns-fire-critically-wounding-carjacker-in-austin | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Person wounded in Chatham drive-by shooting
CHICAGO - A person was wounded in a drive-by shooting Sunday night in the Chatham neighborhood.
The male, whose age is unknown, was walking on the sidewalk just before midnight in the 8100 block of South Wentworth Avenue when a black SUV pulled up and someone inside started shooting, police said.
He was shot in the left flank and was transported by paramedics to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was listed in good condition, police said.
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No one is in custody as Area Two detectives investigate. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/person-wounded-in-chatham-drive-by-shooting | 2022-08-22T14:19:45Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/person-wounded-in-chatham-drive-by-shooting | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
States with the most generous tippers despite inflation
Americans are continuing to dole out big tips at restaurants even as the threat of high inflation hangs over the economy.
According to aggregated restaurant sales data from software provider Toast's second-quarter Restaurant Trends report, the average same-store tip amount is up nearly 10% compared with last year, despite increases in the price of goods and services.
In the second quarter, quick-service restaurants saw an average tip of 16.9% and full-service restaurants saw an average tip of 19.6%. In-person diners dished out an average tip of 19.7%, while those who got delivery or takeout tipped an average of 14.5%.
As of June 30, Toast had approximately 68,000 restaurant locations on its platform.
WENDY'S TO GET NEW LOOK WITH MODERNIZED RESTAURANT DESIGN
The data reveals that Indiana was the most generous state for tipping during the second quarter with an average tip of 21%, followed by West Virginia (20.8%) and Ohio, Delaware and Kentucky (20.7% each).
Despite having one of the highest minimum cash wage laws for tipped employees in the nation, Californians were the least generous tippers, giving an average of 17.5%. Other states with the least generous tipping included Washington (18.3%), Florida and New York (18.5% each), and Hawaii, Texas and Nevada (18.8% each).
Earlier this month, the Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose 8.5% year over year in July, cooling slightly but still near the highest level in 40 years. The cost of food away from home rose 7.6% year over year in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Full-service restaurant sales during the quarter recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with gross merchandise volume up 18% on a same-store basis compared with the same period a year ago. Quick-service restaurant sales are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels with same-store sales up 17% during the quarter compared to a year ago.
Sales for on-premise dining grew nearly 22% during the quarter compared with a year ago, while takeout and delivery grew approximately 6% year over year.
Chinese food saw the largest year over year sales increase during the second quarter at 23%, followed by Thai and European food at 15%. (Toast)
Chinese food saw the largest year-over-year sales increase during the second quarter at 23%, followed by Thai and European food at 15%. Coffee sales climbed 14%, while breakfast, bakery and Japanese food sales tied with 12% year-over-year increases. Italian food rounded out the top-performing cuisines with an 11% year-over-year increase during the second quarter.
Seattle, Boston and the New York City metro area tied for the best-performing metro areas during the quarter with year-over-year sales growth of 24%. San Francisco and Washington, D.C., rounded out the top five with same-store sales growth of 20% year over year. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/states-with-the-most-generous-tippers-despite-inflation | 2022-08-22T14:19:51Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/states-with-the-most-generous-tippers-despite-inflation | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Woman, 50, grazed on the head by gunfire in Back of the Yards
CHICAGO - A woman was shot while riding in a car Sunday night in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.
The 50-year-old was in the passenger seat around 10:49 p.m. when two gunmen started shooting into the vehicle in the 4700 block of South Ashland Avenue, police said.
She was grazed on her head and declined medical attention at the scene, police said.
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The gunmen fled southbound after opening fire, according to police.
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/woman-50-grazed-on-the-head-by-gunfire-in-back-of-the-yards | 2022-08-22T14:19:57Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/woman-50-grazed-on-the-head-by-gunfire-in-back-of-the-yards | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sunshine and enjoyable temps settle in across Chicago today
CHICAGO - We will have pleasant weather for late August this week.
Temps will be close to normal today. Around 80 degrees with ample sun after any residual fog disappears early this morning.
Tomorrow and Wednesday will see a modest temp boost into the mid 80s on Wednesday.
Wednesday night into Thursday presents a chance for showers and maybe thunder.
Then, quiet through the weekend with a warming trend. Should feel quite summery. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/weather/sunshine-and-enjoyable-temps-settle-in-across-chicago-today | 2022-08-22T14:20:03Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/weather/sunshine-and-enjoyable-temps-settle-in-across-chicago-today | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MONTEREY, Calif. (Aug. 18, 2022) — Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro receives a tour of facilities at the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) from Capt. Christi Montgomery, commanding officer of FNMOC, in Monterey Aug. 18, 2022. Del Toro is visiting San Diego and Monterey to visit with Sailors and Marines at installation commands, engage with leadership at the Surface Warfare Flag Officer Training Symposium, and to discuss strategic initiatives at NPS. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class T. Logan Keown)
This work, SECNAV visits Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center [Image 8 of 8], by PO2 T. Logan Keown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7382031/secnav-visits-fleet-numerical-meteorology-and-oceanography-center | 2022-08-22T14:25:06Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7382031/secnav-visits-fleet-numerical-meteorology-and-oceanography-center | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
220822-N-KY668-1058
NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Aug. 22, 2022) Media outlets cover the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) as the ship arrives at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. Mason changed homeports from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia to Naval Station Mayport. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Austin G. Collins/released)
This work, USS Mason (DDG 87) Homeport Shift [Image 3 of 3], by PO2 Austin Collins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7382058/uss-mason-ddg-87-homeport-shift | 2022-08-22T14:26:28Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7382058/uss-mason-ddg-87-homeport-shift | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre reviews: Feeling Afraid as if Something Terrible is Going to Happen | Hiding Anne Frank | Mama Love | Dick | What Keeps You Awake At Night | Kevin Flynn: Fear of Heights
The top picks from our latest round-up of Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre reviews are a compassionate play about the pain of confessional stand-up comedy, and a powerful piece based on the recollections of the woman who helped Anne Frank’s family to hide from the Nazis. Words by Susan Mansfield and David Pollock.
Feeling Afraid as if Something Terrible is Going to Happen ****
Roundabout @ Summerhall (Venue 26)
In a city which is currently full of stand-up comics, some of whom are working out their issues at the mic, this show is an intriguing proposition: a one-man play in which an actor (Samuel Barnett) plays a stand-up comic with enough issues to fill every inch of the Gilded Balloon. In Marcelo Dos Santos’ turbo-fuelled monologue, brought to the Fringe by the producers of Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, his life and his act flow seamlessly into one another.
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Our nameless protagonist seems to pass his days in a barely contained state of panic. He sees death everywhere, and sabotages his chances of happiness with cocaine-fuelled Grindr hook-ups with strangers. But then he falls in love, with an American working on a PhD who has “arms like a Disney prince” and “John Singer Sargent eyes”. The only drawback is that the American suffers from cataplexy, a rare nerve condition: if he laughs he could actually die.
“Heard the one about the stand-up whose boyfriend can’t laugh?” There are times when it feels as if the show was written in order to work its way up to this kind of gag, but in fact it’s much cleverer and more compassionate than that. The question is, can our hero break out of his cycle of self-sabotage, both personal and professional, and grasp the tender invitation to a real relationship?
Dos Santos seems to have an intuitive sense of how stand-up is structured, and Barnett, who was one of the original cast of The History Boys, is utterly convincing in his delivery. His character’s razor sharp observations hurtle out at nineteen to the dozen, but he is also self-aware enough to turn his gaze on himself. This isn’t the point, of course, but there are plenty in Edinburgh right now who could learn a trick or two from him. Susan Mansfield
Until 28 August
Hiding Anne Frank ***
RSE Theatre (Venue 431)
In 1996, Miep Gies, then in her eighties, accepted the Oscar for Best Documentary Film for Anne Frank Remembered, along with director Jon Blair. Miep was a secretary in Otto Frank’s office when the family made their decision in 1942 to hide from the Nazis in the “Secret Annex”, and helped them daily for the next two years.
New York-based actress and writer Prudence Wright Holmes chooses this moment for Miep to tell her story. Her one-woman play delivers a lot of information, powerfully conveying the dangers of living in Nazi-occupied Holland in Miep’s unassuming, matter-of-fact voice. When 13-year-old Anne has filled her diary, Miep is the one who buys her a new one.
While her delivery is understated and occasionally halting, she takes us vividly into the world of the Secret Annex, noting the pressures under which the family lived. By cruel irony, the Nazi raid on the building in 1944 came even as the joyful news of D-Day spread through occupied Europe. While the production isn’t perfect, the power and relevance of the story is as clear as ever. Susan Mansfield
Until 28 August
Mama Love **
Summerhall (Venue 26)
There’s much that’s powerful and heartfelt in Lea Blair Whitcher’s one-person show about birth and new motherhood, which was built around Switzerland’s 2020 vote on whether new fathers should have paternity leave. She simulates the pain of childbirth as a ‘durational performance’ and brings men from the audience onto the stage to help her get things done, but the generally thought-provoking air around the demands on a mother is undone by the structure of her dialogue with the audience.
If, for example, a mother who will speak positively of the experience or a man who will represent the patriarchy can’t be found in a small audience, the text stumbles, apparently not designed to lean back on rhetoric. David Pollock
Until 28 August (not 22)
Dick ***
Greenside @ Infirmary Street (Venue 236)
You’ll laugh, you’ll empathise and you’ll certainly wince at performer Richard Stamp’s real-life show about his discovery of a pea-sized lump at the base of his penis while off working in Cambodia with the British Council.
Despite the discomfort it caused him, he put off seeing a doctor for months. When he eventually did in Australia, he was told his entire penis would have to be removed due to a cancer which affects only one in 100,000 men. That’s what eventually happened, although here Stamp takes us on his own emotional and medical journey to get there, and his subsequent quest towards reconstruction.
Stamp has previously discussed his experience on television on This Morning and Channel 5’s rather sensationally-titled Shopping for a New Penis, and despite a certain rawness as a performer, his frank nature and eager willingness to tell us where he’s been leaves the audience full of sympathetic admiration by the end.
The irreverent comedy video inserts (one introduces us to ‘70s action hero ‘The Cockless Man’) are also well-made and extremely funny. As “a performer and a cheeky git”, Stamp comes across as a powerful advocate for a particularly sensitive form of male cancer which is far less discussed than the testicular or prostate varieties. David Pollock
Until 27 August
What Keeps You Awake At Night **
Greenside @ Infirmary Street (Venue 236)
A young woman named Eliza hasn’t come home, and her parents and siblings are worried. In flashback we see the background issues which have brought the family to this point, including her bold sister Felicity’s coming out, her brother Sam’s anxiety and especially their dad’s affair following a cancer recovery which their mother nursed him through.
This production by the University of St Andrews’ Mermaids Performing Arts Fund is baseline student drama and has an underlying unevenness for that, but still, there are some nice ideas and capable performances here. David Pollock
Until 27 August (not 21)
Kevin Flynn: Fear of Heights ***
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
Comedian Kevin Flynn’s storytelling memoir piece begins with a fascinating piece of biographical information. He shows us the famous 1932 photograph ‘Lunch Atop a Skyscraper’, of steelworkers perched in a precarious row along a steel beam far above the New York skyline, and points to the man on the left. This is Paddy Flynn, his grandfather, a tough steelworker just like Flynn’s father, both from the Irish-descended immigrant stock which literally helped build America.
Fast forward to the present, and Paddy’s grandson Kevin is scared of heights. He didn’t go into the family business because of this, instead chasing his own heights of fame and fortune in Hollywood after a period as a professional footballer (hardly a ticket to riches in soccer-averse America). He won the 1988 Boston Comedy Riot over the likes of Louis CK and Marc Maron, briefly became an American household name through the cable show Go for It! and appeared in films by the Farrelly Brothers, listed as producers here.
Yet along the way, he gave up many of his best opportunities to be a father after his marriage split. A warm, witty and well-prepared storyteller, Flynn takes us on a very relatable journey. David Pollock
Until 28 August | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-feeling-afraid-as-if-something-terrible-is-going-to-happen-hiding-anne-frank-mama-love-dick-what-keeps-you-awake-at-night-kevin-flynn-fear-of-heights-3814895 | 2022-08-22T14:30:19Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-feeling-afraid-as-if-something-terrible-is-going-to-happen-hiding-anne-frank-mama-love-dick-what-keeps-you-awake-at-night-kevin-flynn-fear-of-heights-3814895 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh International Festival dance, theatre & music reviews: We Are Monchichi | An Untitled Love | Refuge: Detention Dialogues | Arooj Aftab | Czech Philharmonic: Mahler 7
Our latest round-up of Edinburgh International Festival reviews includes a funny and moving piece about being true to yourself, some sensuous romance, and the first Pakistani artist to ever win a Grammy Award. Words by Kelly Apter, Joyce McMillan, Fiona Shepherd and Ken Walton.
DANCE
We Are Monchichi ****
The Studio
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He comes from Italy and lives in Berlin, she comes from Taiwan and lives in Paris. Between them, there are languages aplenty and although they communicate verbally in English, the language of dance is truly their medium.
Shihya Peng and Marco di Nardo regularly lock horns during this fun yet touching piece of dance theatre. Stereotypes abound as she accuses him of being obsessed with pasta and using his hands to gesticulate too much, he bemoans the fact that everything he picks up is made in China (“I’m from Taiwan!” she corrects on more than one occasion). But while they fight like a married couple, warring siblings or school friends, there is always a glint in their eye that says deep down, they respect and care for each other.
Never is this more evident than when they dance together. On a gorgeous stage adorned with a light-dappled tree, they interweave, catch and hold one another in a moving display of contemporary dance. All of which is beautiful to watch but perhaps less entertaining for the younger audience members this show has been created for. This is a brief concern, however, because We Are Monchichi is also replete with exciting moments of hip hop, performed by both Peng and Nardo in bursts of energetic solo activity. Carefree moments, such as the duo throwing tiny lights at each other, also serve to add comic relief.
At its heart, this show takes a wonderfully child-like look at how we try to connect with others who, on the surface, seem different from us. Both performers dress up in outfits that hinder their ability to express themselves fully, Peng in high heels, Nardo in tight dress shoes. But in the end, they are just themselves – their singular, delightful selves. Kelly Apter
DANCE
An Untitled Love ****
King’s Theatre
The scene is set – the sofa is covered with protective plastic, a bowl of snacks has been laid out and D’Angelo’s 1995 album Brown Sugar is giving off a welcoming beat. Into this laidback but homely vibe stroll ten dancers, party guests looking for love – or at the very least a hint of romance.
Choreographed by Kyle Abraham in collaboration with the dancers of his New York-based company, the emotion in An Untitled Love may not have a name but it most certainly has a feeling. The characters we see before us interact with an ease and sense of togetherness that typifies the family parties Abraham grew up around. Through this new piece, he set out to capture Black love – not struggle, strife or exploitation (though goodness knows he’d be awash with material for that), but love pure and simple.
There is just one powerful moment of text that hints at the context these people are dancing in. We hear a voice speak about “fear” and their disbelief that Black people in America are feared, when they’re the ones who have been “shot and hung”. Aside from that, this is wall-to-wall romance, with a dose of friendship goading or passing judgement from the sidelines. In one witty scene, we see four women sitting on the sofa, their hands and shoulders lifting and lowering in perfect unison as they express their displeasure at someone’s behaviour.
But it is during the moments of flow, of smooth motion and sensual connection that Abraham’s choreography and the dancers’ skill really come alive. It’s as if D’Angelo’s music is in their bones, pulsing out each spin and sway. Dynamics shift when you least expect it – a trio or duet forms and dissolves just as quickly. Except for the couples who make the cut, the love in their routines only grows stronger with each sensuous step. Kelly Apter
THEATRE
Refuge: Detention Dialogues ***
The Studio
The EIF’s Refuge season, at The Studio in Potterrow, is a wide-ranging response to recent refugee experience in the UK and beyond, encompassing music and dance as well as theatre; but it will feature few events as simple, austere and hard-hitting as Ice & Fire Actors of Glasgow’s Detention Dialogues, presented with the support of Detainee Visitors Scotland, and the Scottish Refugee Council.
On a dark stage, on two simple chairs, two pairs of actors - plus two eloquent BSL signers - take their places in turn, in two sets of intertwined monologues reflecting the real-life experience of four asylum seekers in the UK who eventually find their way to Glasgow, all played script-in-hand with a such a quiet depth of feeling - by Bruce Fummey, Benjamin Osugo, Michell Hopewell and Nalini Chetty - that it’s almost impossible to listen to their stories without tears.
Their experience includes profound and cruel institutional bullying by the UK Home Office and detention system, torture by years of uncertainty about their future, and frequent indefinite detention of even though they have committed no crime, yet are often treated far more harshly than prison inmates; small wonder that physical and mental health problems are rife, as people visibly deteriorate under these pressures.
Integral to the event is a post-show discussion, in which panelists and a supportive audience have a chance to express their rage and concern at what is being done in their name, with worse possibly to come, as recent new UK legislation takes effect. For these audiences, though, little about this ongoing scandal and tragedy will come as news; and the challenge is to spread the word more widely, in the hope of finally changing the bitterly negative public attitudes that have, for so long, created the political climate in which these heartbreaking abuses have taken root, and flourished. Joyce McMillan
Refuge season continues until 27 August.
MUSIC
Arooj Aftab ****
Leith Theatre
There was nothing that US-based Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab could say to her rapt Festival audience to puncture the mystical mesmerism of her music – not her running commentary on the status of her takeaway food delivery, not her sidebar on aspiring to have bras thrown on stage, not even the admission that her serious and soulful intonations in Urdu are not examples of Sufi spiritualism (though they certainly give off sacred vibrations) but songs about drinking and failing at love. There was certainly an air of tragic romance about her one English language outing, Last Night.
Aftab is the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy Award, breaking through globally with her third album, Vulture Prince, around which most of her set was based. Her music straddles east and west – Gyan Riley’s exquisite acoustic guitar playing reverberated across a number of traditions, taking the flamenco journey along the Silk Road with a diversion into New Age ambience, while double bassist Petros Kamplanis supplied plangent jazz textures over which Aftab’s entrancing legato notes hovered sorrowfully. Even the “banger” with which she closed her main set was built to enchant. She brought the red roses but her audience were seduced from the first note. Fiona Shepherd
MUSIC
Czech Philharmonic: Mahler 7 ****
Usher Hall
Of all orchestras, the Czech Philharmonic ought to know what it’s doing when untangling the turmoil of Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, having premiered the work under the composer’s own direction in 1908. Sunday’s Edinburgh Festival performance by today’s Czech Philharmonic confirmed that lasting bloodline, in this case under the overarching vision of current musical director, Russian-born Semyon Bychkov.
It was a performance that grew assiduously from the outset. The undulating darkness of the opening bars, the powerful awakening by the ripe tenor horn, and that initial first movement journey through fiery, challenging contradiction, were all the more powerful for the tantalising restraint Bychkov applied to its climactic peaks.
That same coiled spring effect fed through the ensuing movements from different perspectives. The shadowy, surreal mood swings of the first Nachtmusik found a telling response in the corresponding second, a sun-kissed serenade coloured by guitar and mandolin, though pointedly not without its troubling undercurrents. Between these, Bychkov positioned the central Scherzo as the demonic, unpredictable cocktail it is.
Everything pointed towards a blistering finale, its promise duly delivered in a cacophony of brass chorales, cowbells and exhilarating, side-stepping surprises. A powerful resolution, but still coloured with an arresting ambiguity. Ken Walton | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-international-festival-dance-theatre-music-reviews-we-are-monchichi-an-untitled-love-refuge-detention-dialogues-arooj-aftab-czech-philharmonic-mahler-7-3814971 | 2022-08-22T14:30:25Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-international-festival-dance-theatre-music-reviews-we-are-monchichi-an-untitled-love-refuge-detention-dialogues-arooj-aftab-czech-philharmonic-mahler-7-3814971 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
House of the Dragon Episode 1: Reviews, how to watch Game of Thrones show in the UK
House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series, is finally here.
Set 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon returns fans to a Westeros just as bloodthirsty and treacherous – but with a lot more dragons.
Episode 1 was released at 9pm on Sunday (August 21), with hardcore viewers in the UK staying up until 2am to watch, and others waiting until a sensible time on Monday (August 22).
The reviews are in for the first episode of House of the Dragon, ‘The Heir of The Dragon’. Here’s what critics and fans had to say.
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House of the Dragon Episode 1 reviews from critics
“It’s good to be back in backstabbing Westeros,” said IGN, declaring the premiere a “strong, well-cast start to the Game Of Thrones spin-off” which feels “very close" to its predecessor but “not in a Season 8 way”.
The Guardian’s four star review describes the episode as “as it was in GOT’s heyday. Fun, propulsive, looking great and sounding passable”.
Giving it three stars, the Daily Telegraph praised Matt Smith’s “spoiled, narcissistic and gleefully violent villain” in Daemon Targaryen, but said the episode was “not desperately gripping” and needed some “Tyrion-style wit”.
AV Club called the House of the Dragon premiere “bloody” and “brutal”, but said: “ So far, there are no characters as instantly appealing as Arya Stark or as funny as Tyrion Lannister.”
While Den of Geek awarded the episode four stars, highlighting the “superb” acting, particularly by an “excellent” Matt Smith – with the reviewer describing one scene as “one of the most upsetting things I’ve seen on television”.
Empire has given the entire Season 1 of House of the Dragon three stars, writing: “It makes an admirable attempt in its first few episodes. But... it has not escaped the shadow of its predecessor.”
And, awarding the show four stars, the BBC’s Stephen Kelly described the season as a “rich, textured work, sharply written and handsomely directed”.
House of the Dragon: Game of Thrones fans’ reaction to show
Despite mixed reviews of the ending of Game of Thrones, fans have rallied to watch House of the Dragon.
The internet went wild when Rhaenyra Targaryen uttered the immortal line “dracarys” – the iconic Valyrian word used by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in Game of Thrones to command her dragons to breathe flame.
Meanwhile, Matt Smith has both impressed and repulsed as the divisive Prince Daemon Targaryen. “Every single time he’s on screen he steals the show,” wrote one Twitter user, while another summed it up best in a tweet: “I’m sorry, Daemon ain’t s***. But he’s a bad b**** and I stan.”
Fans reacted with shock to a gruesome birth scene, awe to a reference to the White Walkers and A Song of Ice and Fire, and expressed support for Rhaenys Targaryen, a victim of the patriarchal society.
Finally, one fan wrote: “This is the Game of Thrones I used to love, what a spectacular comeback 10/10 first episode.”
How to watch House of the Dragon in the UK? NOWTV free trial details
House of the Dragon is available to watch on Sky and NOWTV with an Entertainment Pass.
You can sign up for a seven day free trial on NOWTV, with the Entertainment Pass starting from £5 a month.
Each episode will be released weekly on Sunday at 9pm in the US – which is about 2am on the Monday in the UK.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/house-of-the-dragon-episode-1-reviews-how-to-watch-game-of-thrones-show-in-the-uk-3814933 | 2022-08-22T14:30:33Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/house-of-the-dragon-episode-1-reviews-how-to-watch-game-of-thrones-show-in-the-uk-3814933 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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