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(KTLA) – California’s Air Resources Board is expected to vote Thursday to approve a plan that will ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035.
The proposal, “Advanced Clean Cars II,” aims to have 35% of new vehicles sold in 2026 be zero-emission, with increasing percentages each year. A full ban on new sales of gas-powered vehicles in California would be enacted in 2035.
“This is going to do a lot to clean up the air in California and to fight the crisis that we have of air pollution and climate change,” Bill Magavern with Coalition for Clean Air told KTLA’s sister station, Sacramento’s KTXL, Wednesday.
The regulation will help California meet clean air standards by cutting emissions, resulting in a 25% reduction in smog-forming emissions from passenger vehicles by 2037.
The new regulation only applies to new car sales and does not impact existing gas-powered cars and light trucks, which will still be legal to own and drive beyond 2035.
The proposal also calls for requirements for warranties, durability, streamlined fast-charging, capable charging cords, repair information, and battery range.
“A lot of people have range anxiety. They’re always worried they’re going to run out of charge, but there are so many chargers around the country. And you hit a button in your car and it tells you where the next charging station is and it’ll take you right there,” said Eileen Yurek, an electric vehicle owner.
The Advanced Clean Cars 2 regulation also offers incentives to manufacturers to build low-cost electric vehicles to make them more affordable.
“It’s easy for people that have enough wealth, but we need for this revolution to make its way to everybody and to give clean mobility for all Californians,” Magavern said.
California already has the nation’s largest electric vehicle market in the country with over 1.1 million vehicles registered. That comprises 43% of the nation’s plug-in vehicles.
“They’ll love them. It’s like sitting in your armchair at home; it really is. They’ll really love their cars,” Yurek said.
If Advanced Clean Cars 2 is approved, it will then go to the federal Environmental Protection Agency for its approval.
California climate officials say the state’s new policy will be the world’s most ambitious because it sets clear benchmarks for ramping up electric vehicle sales over the next dozen years.
The European Parliament in June backed a plan to effectively prohibit the sale of gas and diesel cars in the 27-nation bloc by 2035, and Canada has mandated the sale of zero-emission cars by the same year. The Chinese province of Hainan said this week it would do the same by 2030.
In the U.S., Massachusetts, Washington and New York are among states that have set goals to transform their car markets or have already committed to following California’s new rules.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/nexstar-media-wire/california-poised-to-ban-new-gas-vehicle-sales-by-2035/ | 2022-08-25T17:37:59Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/nexstar-media-wire/california-poised-to-ban-new-gas-vehicle-sales-by-2035/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEATTLE — Washington residents reacted to President Joe Biden's announcement on student loan debt Wednesday. It could potentially impact hundreds of thousands of borrowers in the state.
According to US Department of Education data and federal officials, more than 782,000 borrowers in Washington state owe a total of $28.2 billion in federal student loan debt. Borrowers currently making under $125,000 are eligible for partial cancellation under the plan. Federal officials say more than 248,000 borrowers have balances of $10,000 or less.
In a statement Wednesday, Senator Patty Murray called the move a "milestone moment for borrowers," noting additional support for extra relief for Pell Grant recipients.
“These steps will lift stress off people’s shoulders, help borrowers make rent, provide for their families, and build for a better future—and will strengthen our entire economy," Murray wrote. She also called for the Department of Education and the White House to ensure easy access for people obtaining relief.
Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers tweeted statements in opposition to the plan, writing that "pretending President Biden can make debt disappear with the stroke of a pen defies all logic and basic economics." She went on to say that "hardworking families can’t afford the taxes and higher costs that come with this radical plan."
Fadi Hamade owns a business near the University of Washington. He does not currently owe student loan debt, but expressed support for the announcement and the impact it will have for students who've accumulated debt.
"I'm always happy for anything that can help. You don't have to only help big corporations only, right?" Hamade said with a laugh. "Students need help, too."
Lucy Barcott says she studied studio arts and graduated during the pandemic. She found that the paths that existed for her teachers in the art world were not feasible today. While she believes college was a great investment, the economic challenges of keeping up with loans while trying to build her career has been difficult. She would like to see full loan forgiveness -- but she'd also like to see structural changes so that the economy empowers a full range of disciplines.
"I work full-time retail, I work 40 hours a week and I'm lucky to have enough spare time on top of that to make art, but it's not a reality that is discussed enough," Barcott said. "We live in a country that doesn't support artists and it will continue to not support artists while we are beholden to the needs of large capital."
Still, Barcott says the announcement will wipe out about half of what she has taken out -- so while it's not everything, it will make a significant dent.
"The backlash is going to be the same no matter what so I wish the President had had the courage to actually cancel the whole thing and make it a real, true debt jubilee which is something I think we're incredibly overdue for in this country."
Jack Lue and Tommy Zhao are just beginning their college educations.
"Every year you hear about tuition rising up, no matter where you are," Lue said. "Especially for those who want to go to graduate school or Ph.D.'s, those costs get even higher."
They hope that along with this announcement, more action will be taken to make college affordable overall.
Along with support for cancellation and pushes for further debt relief, some Washingtonians voiced opposition to the plan, including the Washington GOP.
Meanwhile, Washington Democrats called it a "crucial step forward in relieving students and families from debt." | https://www.krem.com/article/news/education/student-loan-debt-cancellation-washington/281-91d1d864-2f4a-4a54-af58-411c06b941c2 | 2022-08-25T17:38:05Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/education/student-loan-debt-cancellation-washington/281-91d1d864-2f4a-4a54-af58-411c06b941c2 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
IDAHO, USA — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his plan to forgive up to $20,000 per borrower of federal student loans as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan.
Pell Grant recipients could see up to $20,000 of debt cancelled. Non-Pell Grant recipients can receive up to $10,000 of their loan cancelled, too.
To qualify, individual income must be less than $125,000 annually, or the household income must be less than $250,000, according to the Biden Administration.
The total student loan debt in the United States is nearly $1.75 trillion, according to numbers from Federal Reserve.
"It's obviously out of control. It's been a big discussion for a long time and doesn't show any signs of getting better," Boise State University doctoral student Brian Stelbotsky said.
Stelbotsky earned his undergraduate degree in 2009 from the University of Pittsburgh. He's still paying off that loan today, but Stelbotsky says his loan is manageable.
"I'm not going to complain about havening some of that relieved, of course," Stelbotsky said.
It's a big help to the individual - such as Stelbotsky, but this plan will have consequences, according to University of Idaho Clinical Associate Professor of Economics, Steven Peterson.
The deficit doesn’t disappear; it is added to the federal debt total. Early estimates suggest this will cost $300 billion.
"I have very mixed feelings," Peterson said. "At some point, if the debt gets high enough, it could ultimately threaten the stability of the economic system in the United States. We're no where near that, but we've seen countries where that has occurred, such as Greece."
After adjusting for inflation, Peterson paid $1,000 per semester in the late 1970's. He understands the current financial burden students are under to afford college. However, Peterson believes loan cancellation could send the wrong message to future borrowers.
People may begin to take out federal student loans they cannot repay, because they expect the loan to be forgiven at some point in the future.
"If the incentives don't line up right, you can actually make the student loan debt worse in the long run," Peterson said.
Peterson favors bankruptcy. He believes that is the most tailored system to evaluate borrowers on a case-by-case basis.
"On a complex policy like this, it would be nice to come up with a bi-partisan solution," Peterson said. "Congress, many years ago, made it very difficult to file bankruptcy on student loan debt. I would like to see that revisited. That way the court can go through and vet the finances of a family and make sure that it's appropriate to discharge that kind of debt."
Peterson feels the Biden Administration’s plan is a one-size-fits-all policy that could award relief to those who otherwise wouldn’t need it - people who are otherwise fully capable to pay off student loans on their own.
"There's always unintended consequences," Peterson said. "People will feel that's a misuse of tax dollars."
However, from Stelbotsky's perspective, this relief is needed because he knows people in far worse situations, stuck living under crippling debt.
"I think if we've gotten ourselves into a situation where there's a level of student debt nationally that we're concerned about, then there have to be some discussions how we got there," Stelbotsky said. "How we might change the systems or structures that got us there in the first place."
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Student Debt Relief Plan has ongoing changes for loan repayment that will current and future borrowers.
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- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too: | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/idaho-professor-concerned-by-consequences-of-debt-forgiveness/277-036ed42c-970f-40c0-b67d-995f47cb1656 | 2022-08-25T17:38:11Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/idaho-professor-concerned-by-consequences-of-debt-forgiveness/277-036ed42c-970f-40c0-b67d-995f47cb1656 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Reproductive rights leaders gathered in downtown Portland on Wednesday in support of abortion access and to denounce a ban on abortion in neighboring Idaho.
Idaho's near-total ban on abortion was set to take effect Thursday — but on Wednesday, a federal judge blocked the state from enforcing part of the strict law.
The block only applies to where the law conflicts with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. Doctors will not face criminal charges in these instances, as state law must yield to federal law.
The rest of Idaho's abortion laws will take effect Thursday.
Democratic candidate for Oregon governor Tina Kotek joined reproductive rights advocates at the press conference Wednesday. She said that the ban in Idaho will impact people who live in Eastern Oregon, close to the Idaho border.
"Even though abortion is legal and in-statute here in Oregon, we must step in and help our neighbors," said Kotek.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, anticipated a 234% increase in out-of-state patients coming to Oregon if the ban were to go into effect.
An Do, executive director of the group, said that they welcome and plan to help anyone in need of care, but Oregon's health care infrastructure is not ready to meet that demand.
"We also know that people coming in, means that people in Oregon might be facing longer wait times," said Do, "or that other essential and critical health care like family planning might see pressing times because of the surge in patients."
Other candidates for Oregon governor have also spoken out on where they stand on abortion. Republican Christine Drazan told OPB that she wouldn't comment on legislation that hasn't been drafted but supports "common-sense regulations on abortion including protecting life in the third trimester."
Unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson told KGW on "Straight Talk" that she's staunchly "pro-choice" and has served on the board of Planned Parenthood. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/portland-or-abortion-rights-idaho-ban/283-bbbdc5b4-8d90-452b-8276-bc2b093bb683 | 2022-08-25T17:38:17Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/portland-or-abortion-rights-idaho-ban/283-bbbdc5b4-8d90-452b-8276-bc2b093bb683 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEATTLE — The transition from gas to electric is picking up speed. California announced Wednesday a plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars starting in 2035 and Washington state said it will also adopt the rules.
Gov. Jay Inslee tweeted Wednesday, "We're ready to adopt California's regs by end of this year."
"This is a critical milestone in our climate fight. Washington set in law a goal for all new car sales to be zero emissions by 2030 and we’re ready," said Inslee.
“Whenever they put out a new rule we have a direction to follow that, “ said Washington Department of Ecology Climate Policy Section Manager Joel Creswell. “States can either set their own limits that match the federal rules or they can match California’s rules.
Washington state said in 2019 the state would adopt California's zero-emission vehicle rules in accordance with the federal Clear Air Act.
Creswell works to craft those rules and make sure Washington state's on track to hit them. The state recently hit a milestone with 100,000 electric vehicles on the road.
“A big part of the reason why those are here is because California was a leader and said, ‘OK, automakers. It's time to sell more and more electric cars in California,’ and nobody wants to miss out on a California market.”
Transportation makes up nearly half of Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions.
What's to come is an engineering challenge, building out charging stations and infrastructure. Creswell said money from the federal infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act will help.
"The whole network we have to deliver fuel that gets into our cars is a completely different system, but once we get that system built, the real advantage of electric cars other than they're good for the environment is that they're cheaper to operate," said Creswell.
Which is one reason why Creswell is confident electric cars won't be out of reach when it comes to affordability.
Creswell also said he expects the cost will come down as supply goes up.
"We see those costs continue to come way down in the future, especially as the number of models goes up. We have more used cars available and yeah, we think electric cars will actually become the more affordable options," said Creswell.
The state will be taking public comment on the new rule, which will open on Sept. 7. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/washington-california-ban-sale-new-gasoline-car/281-5abf10c8-14b6-4a48-8450-5791667bb85a | 2022-08-25T17:38:23Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/washington-california-ban-sale-new-gasoline-car/281-5abf10c8-14b6-4a48-8450-5791667bb85a | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Thursday submitted to a judge a redacted version of the affidavit it relied on when it federal agents searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump to look for classified documents.
The document was filed under seal and it was not immediately clear when it might be made public, or how much of it will be disclosed.
“The United States has filed a submission under seal per the Court's order of Aug. 22,” Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement. “The Justice Department respectfully declines further comment as the Court considers the matter.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart had given the department until Thursday at noon to propose to him the redactions to the affidavit it wanted to make before any portion of it was released to the public. But he acknowledged on Monday that it was possible that the redactions, or blacked-out portions, would be so extensive as to make the document essentially incomprehensible.
The affidavit is likely to contain key information about the FBI's basis for executing a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Aug. 8. Documents already made public as part of the investigation show that the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level.
Multiple news media organizations, including The Associated Press, argued in court last week for the disclosure of the document, citing the extraordinary public interest in the federal search of a former president's home. The Justice Department has opposed the release of the affidavit, saying it could reveal information about witnesses and about sensitive investigative techniques.
Reinhart has said that though he was sensitive to the department's concerns, he was not inclined to keep the entire document sealed. He directed officials to give him a version of the document redacting the information it wants to keep secret. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/justice-dept-provides-judge-with-redacted-version-of-trump-affidavit/507-641c168d-0b91-4488-81c8-9e6766db7467 | 2022-08-25T17:38:29Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/justice-dept-provides-judge-with-redacted-version-of-trump-affidavit/507-641c168d-0b91-4488-81c8-9e6766db7467 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — A NASCAR driver will be sitting out the beginning of the playoff season due to an injury.
23XI Racing announced on Thursday that Kurt Busch, who drives the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD, will miss the start of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs while he continues to recover from an injury he sustained at Pocono Raceway.
The company goes on to say that “Kurt’s health and well-being continue to be of utmost importance to 23Xi and the team fully supports his decision to focus on taking the time to get better.”
This decision also means that the dream with withdraw the medical waiver that was requested for Busch to remain eligible for the playoffs if he had been cleared to return to competition in time.
Busch earned his spot in the playoffs with a “dominant” win at Kansas Speedway in May, his ninth consecutive year with a win earning him a playoffs spot for the 10th consecutive season.
Busch will no longer be eligible for the Driver’s Championship. However, the No. 45 team will continue to compete for the Owner’s Championship.
“Kurt has elevated our entire organization this year,” said 23Xl team president, Steve Lauletta. “Although Kurt will not be competing for a championship this season, he will continue to play a vital role in the organization as he works with our competition group to keep improving and strengthening the team.”
“As much as I wanted and hoped to be able to get back in the No. 45 car to make a playoff run with our team, it’s still not the right time for me,” said Busch. “In addition to not being cleared to return to racing, I know that I am not ready to be back in the car. I respect the sport of NASCAR, my fellow drivers and the fans too much to take up a playoff spot if I know I can’t compete for a championship this season. The decision was not an easy one, but I know it is the right thing to do. I will continue to take time to heal and strengthen as I prepare to be back in the car and will do all I can to help 23XI continue the success we have had this season.”
Ty Gibbs will substitute for Busch this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. | https://www.wspa.com/sports/kurt-busch-withdraws-from-start-of-nascar-playoffs-due-to-lingering-concussion-issues/ | 2022-08-25T17:38:37Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/sports/kurt-busch-withdraws-from-start-of-nascar-playoffs-due-to-lingering-concussion-issues/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gonzaga basketball alumnus and Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren is out for the season due to a foot injury, according to reports from ESPN.
Holmgren, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, suffered a Lisfranc injury in a Pro-Am game in Seattle on Saturday. Earlier reports stated he would miss several games while the injury was checked out, but ESPN reported Thursday morning that he would miss the rest of the 2022-2023 season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti issued a statement on Holmgren's absence from the season:
"Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season," Presti wrote in part. "One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation."
Holmgren has not yet commented on his absence from the 2022-2023 season.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/chet-holmgren-out-for-season/293-463c6209-13ed-4c49-9f7b-22296179c33a | 2022-08-25T17:38:41Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/chet-holmgren-out-for-season/293-463c6209-13ed-4c49-9f7b-22296179c33a | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Nearly every day, Crystal Quade is somewhere in Missouri knocking on doors.
As Democratic leader in the Missouri House, Quade is hoping to help her party put a dent in the GOP supermajority that’s dominated the state legislature for more than a decade.
And when she heard the news earlier this month that a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana would appear on the November ballot, she thought her job might have just gotten a little easier.
“I definitely think that it will bring out more voters,” Quade said of the marijuana proposal, which will appear on the ballot as Amendment 3. ”It will bring out younger voters, and traditionally, younger voters tend to vote Democratic. So that is looking like good news for us.”
But asked what she thinks of the policy laid out in Amendment 3, Quade’s enthusiasm dims.
“I’m in support of legalization,” she said. “I wish the initiative was better, but it is what we’re given to work with right now.”
Quade has concerns about the expungement provisions laid out in the amendment, as well as the fact that it will continue to allow the state to cap business licenses to grow and sell marijuana — a system she believes led to potential corruption in the medical marijuana program.
But even with those caveats, she’s a yes on Amendment 3.
“It’s a starting point,” Quade said. “We definitely will have to make improvements if this passes.”
Quade’s conundrum is not unique among Missouri Democratic leaders.
Support for legalization and heartburn about the amendment’s details have led to soul-searching among Democratic Party officials across the state. The consternation is particularly acute among Black Democratic leaders.
“I’m a yes for legalization,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones recently tweeted, “but upon further study, it looks like the devil is in the details…literally and figuratively.”
Rosetta Okohson, Jones’ campaign manager, said the mayor remains concerned about a licensing system set up for medical marijuana that resulted in few successful applicants from Black and Brown communities. Since current license holders get first dibs on new recreational licenses, Okohson said Amendment 3 reinforces the inequity.
Jones also has concerns, Okohson said, about a provision that would be enshrined in the state constitution allowing police to issue citations for smoking marijuana in unapproved public areas, which critics have begun calling “stop and cite.”
“When we are expanding police powers, and putting it in the constitution,” Okohson said, “that’s always going to give Mayor Jones pause.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said he’s still undecided about Amendment 3, though he is “leaning yes.”
He agrees with Quade that having legalization on the ballot should help Democrats’ chances in the fall. And he understands the concerns about the medical marijuana licensing process.
But any electoral considerations or licensing issues are outweighed, Lucas said, by the possibility of making progress toward ending the “colossal failure” of America’s war on drugs that has been uniquely unjust in the Black community.
“I do want licenses to be more equitable. But I am not in the license game,” Lucas said. “I’m in the caring about the 500,000 people in Kansas City game. And I don’t want them busted for a small amount of pot if they find themselves in any community in the state of Missouri.”
‘The baseline’
Amendment 3 asks voters whether to amend the Missouri Constitution to remove bans on marijuana sales, consumption and manufacturing for adults over 21 years old, with some caveats.
The amendment includes automatic expungement for certain people who have nonviolent marijuana-related offenses on their record. People who are still incarcerated would have to petition the courts to be released and have their records expunged.
It would create a regulated market where, just like for medical marijuana, the state would have the authority to cap the number of licenses it issues to grow and sell cannabis. Those with a current medical marijuana business license would be first in line to get recreational licenses.
In the current medical marijuana program, the state has issued around 200 dispensary and 65 cultivation licenses.
The amendment would also create a “micro-licensing” program that would be granted through a lottery process. Applicants must be a resident from a ZIP code with high marijuana incarceration rates or meet other such requirements.
John Payne, campaign manager for Legal Missouri, the organization behind the legalization amendment, downplayed any electoral impact the amendment could have for either political party.
“It’s not really on our radar,” he said. “In other states that have had this on the ballot, it doesn’t seem to have a big effect on general turnout.”
When it comes to winning over voters, Payne said the expungement provision is probably the amendment’s top selling point.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people who have been arrested for marijuana possession in the state of Missouri in the last 30-40 years,” Payne said. “All of them are going to be able to have those expunged as long as it’s not an offense involving violence, sale to minors or driving under the influence. That’s pretty life changing.”
Payne acknowledged many provisions in the amendment, including the expungement language, may not go far enough for some people. But he said the amendment should be seen for what it is — a starting point.
“This is the baseline,” Payne said. “This is not the final be all, end all on this subject.”
Criticism of other aspects of the proposal, such a provision allowing law enforcement to issue citations for public use of marijuana, are “being done in bad faith,” Payne said.
“It is already illegal to consume marijuana in public,” he said. “You’re going to get charged with what you have on you, which would be a misdemeanor under state law at the very least.”
Payne said Amendment 3 makes illegal public consumption an infraction, subject to a civil penalty and a fine.
“We are reducing the penalty,” he said.
But critics argue the goal of legalization should not be to reduce penalties. It should be to end them. And they fear enshrining a new infraction in the constitution will lead to further racial profiling and excessive use of force by law enforcement.
“Nobody wants to implement ‘stop and cite’ because we know that,” said state Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, a Kansas City Democrat and chair of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus. “New York. Ferguson. Kansas City. We know that.”
Despite the criticism, including being denounced as “deceitful” by the state’s largest Black newspaper, proponents of the amendment — which includes groups like the ACLU of Missouri and St. Louis chapter of the NAACP — are optimistic about its chances this fall.
“We know there is still work to do,” Payne said. “But we know that this is an issue that is supported by a solid majority of Missouri voters, so we’re feeling good about our odds going into November.”
FBI scrutiny
Reports of irregularities in how license applications were scored, as well as allegations that conflicts of interest within the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and a private company hired to score applications, have fueled criticism of the medical marijuana program and inspired a House oversight committee probe.
With legalization on the horizon, the industry has also endured rumblings about federal law enforcement scrutiny, most recently in the closing weeks of the 2022 legislative session.
The FBI interviewed a handful of lawmakers and legislative staff about lobbying efforts related to a bill that would have legalized recreational use without license caps. The bill, which was opposed by the medical marijuana industry, cleared a pair of committees but was never debated by the full House before the legislature adjourned.
Among those interviewed by federal law enforcement were state Rep. Nick Schroer, a St. Charles County Republican who successfully added a poison-pill amendment to the marijuana legalization bill barring transgender women from accessing no-interest loans for women-owned cannabis businesses.
Schroer did not respond to requests for comment by The Independent.
Also interviewed was House Majority Leader Dean Plocher, who decided during the final weeks of the legislative session not to bring the legalization bill up for debate.
Plocher declined to comment about his conversation with the FBI.
“I don’t discuss private conversations with anybody,” Plocher said. “I just don’t think it’s right to do.”
Asked if he spoke with any lobbyists about the legalization bill, Plocher said he heard from all sides of the issue, which he added was typical on nearly every bill that ends up on the House debate calendar.
The May interviews were just the latest example of law enforcement interest in Missouri’s marijuana industry.
In November 2019, a federal grand jury demanded the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services turn over all records pertaining to medical marijuana license applications of four individuals by the following January.
Soon after, the state legislature convened, and in the weeks that followed, FBI agents began interviewing lawmakers, lobbyists and staff. Most questions focused on Steve Tilley, a lobbyist and close adviser to Gov. Mike Parson who represents numerous clients in the medical marijuana industry, including the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association.
The department received two more federal grand jury subpoenas in 2020.
All three subpoenas that DHSS has turned over to the media were redacted at the request of the federal government to obscure the records being sought by law enforcement.
In the summer of 2021, a Kansas businessman named Joseph Campbell was questioned by federal law enforcement about marijuana licensing in Missouri.
Campbell, who revealed the FBI questioning as part of a sworn deposition in a civil lawsuit unrelated to marijuana, was an investor in a company seeking licenses to cultivate and sell medical cannabis. Tilley served for a time as that company’s lobbyist.
Payne defended how Missouri has implemented medical marijuana, saying a tightly regulated program has avoided problems some states have seen, such as a growing black market.
“I’m not gonna say that every single decision by the department was correct,” he said. “There’s obviously been times that I’ve disagreed with things they’ve done. But by and large, I think they have implemented a very successful program and it is a very competitive market.”
This story was originally published on the Missouri Independent. Rebecca Rivas contributed to this story. | https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2022-08-25/missouri-democrats-expect-turnout-boost-from-marijuana-campaign-but-split-on-policy-itself | 2022-08-25T17:46:08Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2022-08-25/missouri-democrats-expect-turnout-boost-from-marijuana-campaign-but-split-on-policy-itself | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
160-laps around the high banks of Daytona International Speedway will determine the final two drivers that will complete the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field. Heading into one of the most unpredictable race weekends of the season; seven drivers from three different Chevrolet teams can breathe a sigh of relief, already securing their spots in the playoff field with a win:
Chase Elliott, No. 9 A SHOC Camaro ZL1 - 2022 NCS Regular Season Champion
Playoff Rank: 1st
Points Standings: 1st
Victories: 4 (Dover, Nashville, Atlanta 2, Pocono)
Stage Wins: 5; Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 17
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
Playoff Rank: 2nd
Points Standings: 2nd
Victories: 2 (Auto Club, Watkins Glen)
Stage Wins: 3; Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 13
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Jockey Camaro ZL1
Playoff Rank: 3rd
Points Standings: 5th
Victories: 2 (COTA, Talladega)
Stage Wins: 5; Top-Fives: 10; Top-10s: 14
William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1
Playoff Rank: 5th
Points Standings: 10th
Victories: 2 (Atlanta 1, Martinsville)
Stage Wins: 3; Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 5
Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Camaro ZL1
Playoff Rank: 9th
Points Standings: 13th
Victories: 2 (Road America; Indianapolis Road Course)
Stage Wins: 2; Top-Fives: 7; Top-10s: 10
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1
Playoff Rank: 14th
Points Standings: 12th
Victories: 1 (Sonoma)
Stage Wins: 2; Top-Fives: 6; Top-10s: 10
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
Playoff Rank: 16th
Points Standings: 11th
Victories: 1 (Las Vegas)
Stage Wins: 1; Top-Fives: 3; Top-10s: 10
While a win stands between the rest of the field and the final playoff spot; a handful of superspeedway talents from the bowtie brigade may be below the cutline, but are top contenders for the win and one of the final playoff positions. Five active Chevrolet drivers have a Daytona NCS win to their name, four of which are on the outside looking in and a win could punch the final ticket to the playoffs:
Justin Haley - (July 2019)
Erik Jones – (July 2018)
Austin Dillon – (February 2018)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – (July 2017)
ELLIOTT NAMED 2022 NCS REGULAR SEASON CHAMPION
One title has already been secured prior to the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale race weekend at Daytona. For the first time in his NCS career, Chase Elliott has been crowned the 2022 NCS Regular Season Champion. After heading into the Watkins Glen race weekend just four points shy, Elliott went on to clinch the title at the conclusion of stage one of the race. Along with the crown, Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports will be granted an additional 15 playoff points to start the 10-race stretch to the championship.
“Congratulations to Chase Elliott and the entire No. 9 Camaro ZL1 team on winning the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “He has delivered consistent results all season. Chase, crew chief Alan Gustafson and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports crew are working together as one team, as they build momentum heading into the playoffs.”
The 2022 season will mark Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs. The 26-year-old Georgia native has made it to the Championship 4 round the past two season, with 2020 bringing him his first career NCS championship title. Through 25 races, Elliott leads the series in wins (4); top-10s (17); laps led (688); and playoff points (25).
CHEVROLET SWEEP AT THE GLEN
It was an all-Chevrolet victory lane at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International last weekend, with reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson performing the weekend sweep.
The doubleheader race weekend started out with the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), where the 30-year-old California native took over the driving duties for the No. 88 JR Motorsports Camaro SS for the weekend, marking Larson’s second NXS start of 2022. In the closing laps of the race, Larson was running third when contact between the leaders provided Larson with the opportunity to power the JR Motorsports-prepared machine to the lead. Holding off road course master AJ Allmendinger to the end, Larson took the checkered flag to capture his first NXS road course win. The victory was the ninth of 2022 for JR Motorsports, tying the record of wins scored in a single season for the Chevrolet team.
Sunday’s action for NASCAR’s premier series started under a lightning delay, with impending weather forcing teams to take the green flag under wet track conditions. Once underway, pit strategy became the name of the game all day, with teams varying between a two- or three-stop approach from atop the pit box. A late-race caution setup the field for a five-lap dash to the finish, led by Hendrick Motorsports teammates Elliott and Larson. Taking the final restart of the race, Larson made a pass for the lead for the first time of the race and never looked back, becoming a back-to-back NCS winner at the 2.45-mile upstate New York road course circuit.
Larson’s NCS victory – his second of 2022 – gave the Camaro ZL1 its manufacturer-leading 14th NCS triumph of the season. Chevrolet has now recorded the win in 15 of the past 16 NCS road course races, while also extending its streak to 11 consecutive on left- and right-hand circuits in NASCAR’s premier series. Larson led the bowtie brand to four top-five and six top-10 finishes. Five different Chevrolet teams were represented in the top-10, making it the third time this season that at least five different Chevrolet teams placed in the top-10 of the final running order of a single race.
ANOTHER CHECKERED FLAG FOR THE CAMARO SS
Kyle Larson and the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team’s win at Watkins Glen marked Chevrolet’s 15th trip to victory lane in 22 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, bringing the winning percentage for the Camaro SS to 68%. Of those wins includes 12 of the past 14 races, dating back to Noah Gragson’s Talladega win in April.
Part one of the Daytona doubleheader marks four races to go in the NXS regular season. In the 61 NXS races held at the 2.5-mile Florida venue, Chevrolet or its fellow GM brands have won 51 times. Chevrolet drivers have taken the past two Daytona NXS wins, dating back to Justin Haley’s victory in the August 2021 race, ultimately securing his playoff spot. The track’s most recent NXS winner came from series rookie Austin Hill, who took the season opener in February, his full-time NXS debut with Richard Childress Racing.
BOWTIE BULLETS
· NASCAR Cup Series victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Daytona International Speedway:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - one win (July 2017)
Austin Dillon - one win (February 2018)
Erik Jones – one win (July 2018)
Justin Haley - one win (July 2019)
William Byron - one win (August 2020)
· Of the 150 appearances made in NASCAR’s premier series at the “World Center of Racing”, Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 48 points-paying wins, with 21 coming during the summer NCS race.
· Chevrolet has won 94 times at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway across all three NASCAR National Series, making Chevrolet the winningest manufacturer at Daytona International Speedway in NASCAR history.
· Chevrolet has recorded 52 pole wins Daytona – with 22 in the summer NCS race – to lead its manufacturer competitors. Of the nine active drivers that are NCS Daytona pole winners, six come from the bowtie brigade: Chase Elliott (3), Alex Bowman (2), Kyle Larson (1), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1), William Byron (1), Austin Dillon (1).
· 11 of the 23 drivers who recorded their first career NCS win at Daytona International Speedway came in the track’s summer race, three of which are active Chevrolet drivers (William Byron – 2020); (Justin Haley – 2019); (Erik Jones – 2019). Haley, who needs a win to secure the final NCS playoff spot, leads the series in average finishing position in the Daytona summer race with a 3.5.
· With Kyle Larson’s win at Watkins Glen, Chevrolet has recorded wins in 15 of the last 16 NASCAR Cup Series road course races, while also extending the streak to 11 in a row.
· Kyle Larson led Chevrolet to four top-fives and six top-10s at Watkins Glen, with five different Chevrolet teams represented in the top-10. This marks the third time this season that Chevrolet has had at least five different teams place in the top-10 in a single race.
· Heading into the Daytona race weekend, Chevrolet’s Chase Elliott has already officially clinched the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship. 2022 will mark Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs, with the 26-year-old Georgia native making it to the Championship 4 the past two seasons. In 25 races, Elliott continues to lead the series in wins (4); top-10s (17), laps led (688) and accumulated playoff points (25).
· Chevrolet heads into the NASCAR Cup Series season finale with a manufacturer-leading 14 NCS wins in 25 points-paying races. The bowtie brand also continues to lead its manufacturer competitors in NCS top-fives (59), top-10s (109), laps led (2,946) and stage wins (21).
· Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 21 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:
Tyler Reddick 2 - Fontana x2
Alex Bowman 1 - Las Vegas
Ross Chastain 4 - Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono, Richmond
William Byron 3 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega
Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte
Chase Elliott 3 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2
Kyle Larson 3 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono
· Chevrolet leads the driver points standing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott remains in the top position in the NCS standings with a 134-point lead over second-place and HMS teammate Kyle Larson; and AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the NXS standings by 61 points. Chevrolet also remains atop both the NCS and NXS manufacturer points standings.
· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 828 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.
FOR THE FANS
· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Daytona International Speedway.
· Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Tahoe Z71, Blazer Premier, Silverado 1500 Crew ZR2, Silverado 2500HD Crew LTZ, Corvette Z51, Camaro ZL1, Traverse Redline Premier.
· Also making a special appearance in the Team Chevy Racing Display this weekend at Daytona will be the first-ever, all-electric Chevrolet Blazer RS.
· At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car.
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:
Friday, August 26
· AJ Allmendinger & Landon Cassill: 1:00 p.m.
· Justin Allgaier & Noah Gragson: 1:15 p.m.
· Josh Berry & Sam Mayer: 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 27
· Austin Dillon: 3:30 p.m.
· Alex Bowman: 3:55 p.m.
· William Byron: 4:10
· Chase Elliott: 4:45 p.m.
· Justin Haley & Daniel Hemric: 5:15 p.m.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
Friday, August 26: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 27: 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Tune In:
NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 27. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, August 26. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1
Has it hit you yet that you're going to be running for a Cup Series championship?
"Honestly, no. I know we are preparing to win races and have been working really hard all season. It’s the Cup Series, and its wild to me that we're going for a championship. When I look back to the races I was running in the Truck Series in 2012, and I was starting and parking, it's wild to think that as recently as 2018 I was still doing some start and parks - the truck race at St. Louis. It humbling to think just a few years ago I was doing that just to get to the track."
When you're doing autograph sessions and you see a big crowd, do you look out and think 'wow, this really did happen?'
"I just laugh. I can't believe anyone would want to come listen to me, or get an autograph. I just laugh."
How does it feel to have someone come up to you and say they want to get involved in racing because of you?
"It feels good. I got into racing because Matt Martin, Mark Martin's son, would race at my local track and that is who I wanted to be like. There's avenues across the country at local tracks that kids can get into go karts, flat karts, champ karts, shifter karts, and then once you get above 10 years old now, there's full size cars that you can race against other kids. It’s something that kept me out of trouble. Even if I never raced in NASCAR, from 12-18 it gave me that passion that I didn't find in soccer. It gave me the desire to come home and work on my racecar with my dad and grand dad, and friends and family."
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1
You’ve had success at Daytona International Speedway. How do you negotiate staying out of the wrecks throughout the race so that you can be in contention at the end?
“It’s tough. It’s a game of putting yourself in position. I call it high-speed chess because you know at some point in time you’re going to be vulnerable. You hope that someone doesn’t take advantage of that too much and cause a big wreck. It’s one of those things where you are constantly moving and trying to guess the flow of the pack. I think the best place to be is in the front most of the time, but it’s impossible now with the way we race to keep yourself up there for the entire race. You see guys do it for long periods of time. Denny Hamlin has been pretty amazing at putting himself in the right position as of late. I’m going to do my best this time around to put ourselves in position.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Larson on how the team attacks Daytona International Speedway with so many points and playoff implications:
"It’ll be interesting. It’ll be a wild race – maybe not in the first two stages – but definitely in the last stage when drivers will be going for it. In our case, there are four or five of us close to second place in points. The No. 5 team can’t forget about that. We need to go chase points to try and stay up front all race long to finish second in regular season points and get those 10 extra bonus points. Our goal will be to get to the finish and beat those guys behind us in points."
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
Daniels on earning points Saturday night to possibly secure second in the regular season standings:
"We certainly want to get all the points we can and we’ll try to be smart in the first two stages to be in position to get points. It’s really going to be about staying clean. A lot of guys are going to try to get that win to get themselves in the playoffs. We need to be smart about positioning ourselves in the field and hopefully call a good strategy. Would be nice to have a good finish and good points in all the stages to just get what we can."
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 A SHOC CAMARO ZL1
Elliott on what the feeling is as the team prepares to run for another championship:
"The feeling is good, honestly. Our group, amongst our team, is just such low drama and we just put our work in, we go to the track, we give it our best effort and we go home. If it went good, great. If it didn’t, we’re going to try harder to do a better job when we go back. That’s really all you can control. So that’s really where our mindset is every week whether we’ve had a good year, a bad year, a mediocre year, a good month or a bad month, coming off a win or a loss. That is something about our team. I’m super privileged to have a group of guys that have their priorities so straight that performance (is what matters) and putting things first that need to go first ahead of things that don’t matter in order to be successful. I feel like our team is just solid and we look forward to going to battle with each other every weekend, and regardless of the result, we’re ready to re-rack and try harder to do better the next week."
Elliott on superspeedway racing:
"When I sit back and I look at the plate races, yes there are a lot of things that need to go your way, but we see the same guys up front winning those races more times than not. To me, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin are two guys that I see putting themselves in position to win those races as consistently as one can. I think that it’s just a balance that you really have to try to find and it’s one that I can’t say that I’ve really found quite as good as those guys to have odds as good as them. You’ve got to have a knack for it. You’ve got to enjoy it and embrace it. To me, that’s kind of step one of figuring it out is just embracing it. I feel like I’ve embraced it. I don’t know about the figuring it out part, but it’s been embraced."
DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 16 CIRKUL CAMARO ZL1
“Heading to Daytona, I am excited to have a fresh start after Watkins Glen. Our guys at Kaulig Racing have been working super hard to prepare our superspeedway cars. I’m also excited to be back in the cup car with Kaulig Racing after a couple really good runs together earlier in the season, including the Daytona 500. Our awesome partner, Cirkul, will be onboard for both races, which is extremely special. Hopefully we can stay clean until the end with our teammates."
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1
Byron on the last race before the playoffs:
"I’m excited to get to Daytona (International Speedway) this weekend. This is the first year that we have been solidly locked into the playoffs with multiple wins, meaning there’s less stress heading into this race compared to normal. That doesn’t mean, though, that we are going to take it easy by any means. There’s still playoff points on the line this weekend, and with how much of a wild card Daytona can be, any extra points we can get before the first round (of the playoffs) gets underway, the better. Daytona is a track we’ve always been fast at, and we were for sure fast in the (DAYTONA) 500 earlier this year. We just need to do a good job of managing the details we can and put ourselves in position to battle for the win at the end and carry some good momentum into Darlington for the Round of 16."
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1
Fugle on what he expects at Daytona:
"The No. 24 team has always seemed to have speed at Daytona (International Speedway) in both last year’s car, the Next Gen car as well as the Hendrick Motorsports organization as a whole over the years. I feel like this weekend should be no different. We were fast in the DAYTONA 500 and could really make moves it seemed like. The main difference this time, though, is that it will be much warmer now then it was at that time. That means handling will play a bigger factor than it did in February. We won’t have any practice time but I feel like we have a good idea of what to expect. It will just be about adapting early on and putting ourselves in a position to be there at the end."
JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
"Daytona has always been a great track for me. It’s super special that Matt and Chris are letting me drive their race car. I always enjoy that Friday night Xfinity Race. It’s also cool to bring a new sponsor to the sport (DaaBIN Store), and it’s a huge deal for them to be at a big race like Daytona. Having a good team, strategy and spotter are vital. Everything just needs to sync up to be able to pull off a win at Daytona. It's a pretty cool opportunity for Matt to have four shots at getting a trophy. I am excited for it, as well as competing in the race on Friday night in our No. 31 Celsius Camaro in a race that I have won in the past."
TY DILLON, NO. 42 THORNTONS CAMARO ZL1
“I’m excited to go to Daytona this week with our Thorntons Camaro ZL1. Superspeedway racing is always exciting, you never know what the result can be, and you’ve got to put yourself in a good position to be at the end of the race. I’ve done well at that in the past, so it is a great opportunity to get ourselves into the playoffs.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1
You are in a must win situation heading into this weekend’s race at Daytona. How do you feel about your chances?
“We’re focused on Daytona. We’ve been putting a lot of work into our Daytona car to get it better, get it ready and prepped the way we want too. I feel like our superspeedway stuff has been good, we just need to take advantage of it. We’re definitely focused on winning and making our way into the Playoffs.”
How do you approach a race at Daytona where there can be a lot of chaos to be there at the end with a chance to win?
“Earlier this season at Talladega, we kind of just pushed hard all day and we were up front and had a shot to win. I hope to have a similar race like that. Just be up front and avoid the chaos for the most part. We’ll see. It’s different every week, every race on the superspeedways. You have to be mindful of how everyone’s running and judge it from that.”
You’ve won at Daytona and have run well at Talladega, so that has to be good for your confidence. What is the mindset heading into the race this weekend?
“It’s confident. I know we can go do it, I know we can run well there, and I know we can have a shot to win. We just have to execute and hope we’re staying out of trouble and avoid a lot of the chaos and be up there and have a shot. We’ll see. It’s going to be tough for sure to just be there at the end to have a chance, but I feel good about our speed we’re going to have for sure.”
Do you think you will be able to find friends to push you or help you throughout the race?
“I think we’ll have a fast car for sure, so I think there’s going to be people who will want to work with us just because of that. I think speedway’s get a little separated from the other races of the year because of who’s fast and who has a chance. If we’ve got a fast car, I think we’ll find some friends throughout the race.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / NOS CAMARO ZL1
“I feel good going into Daytona. I feel like we have unfinished business there. We were able to lead the Daytona 500 and with six laps to go, we were battling for the win until we got wrecked. We still have something to finish there.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
Bowman on making the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year with Hendrick Motorsports:
"Obviously, I am excited to be back in the playoffs again. It’s no secret that we have had our struggles this summer, but I know we have a lot of smart people at the shop working really hard to get us out of the summer slump we have been in. Two years ago, we struggled to make the playoffs and then had one of the best playoff runs I have ever had. We all know what we are capable of. It’s time to go out there and execute and try to win Hendrick Motorsports’ 15th championship."
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
Ives on heading to Daytona:
"Daytona (International Speedway) is a place that you can get caught in someone else’s mess pretty quickly. So for us it’s all about doing the fundamentals - bringing a fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and continue to work on the ability to be aggressive. I think you have to be a little aggressive at these speedway-style racetracks, be able to make moves quickly and have confidence in the car in order to have success. We are going to continue to work hard and execute on Saturday."
NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 62 BEARD MOTORSPORTS / SOUTHPOINT CAMARO ZL1
You recently announced that you’ll compete in the NASCAR Cup Series fulltime next year with Petty GMS Racing. With the slate of Cup Series races you’re running this year, do you feel like you’re in a much better position to succeed next year because of the seat time you’re getting this year with the NextGen car?
“I think the opportunity with Beard Motorsports and Kaulig Racing have helped. I know how raw I was getting into the Cup car to start the season and how much I’ve learned since then with more experience. That’s definitely been a big help. And with these guys having a full season under their belt this year, if I were to hop in cold turkey next year, it’d definitely be a lot more challenging. But just getting the understanding of the car and how they feel and the level of competition, all of that has helped.”
You now have 10 career NASCAR Cup Series starts under your belt, all with the NextGen car. What is it like to drive that car compared to the Xfinity Series car you race fulltime?
“There are differences just with the car itself. I’ve noticed you have to drive it a lot straighter than the Xfinity car, but I’ve gained more and more experience and more and more confidence each and every race. We’re a little behind just because these guys get to race them each and every week. Every gain that I’ve made during each of my 10 starts this year, they’ve been making them every week and can re-adapt to that week in and week out. It’s a little bit challenging, but I feel like I’ve gotten a better feel for it than I had at the beginning of the season.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1
With a playoff spot secured, what is your strategy Saturday night?
"We are going down there to win both stages and then win the race. That's always our strategy. We want trophies. If you do that the points will always take care of themselves."
Do you think this team can make a deep playoff run? Are you a championship team?
"I think we are. I think we are. The beautiful part is that we get stronger as we go. If you were asking me that question three months ago, I was going to tell you, man, we have work to do. We have the potential, but we have work to do. Two months ago I was starting to believe more. A month ago I would say, heck, yeah. Right now, of course we are here. We just keep getting stronger. I guarantee you in a month from now we’re going to be stronger than right now. We’re going to keep working."
Team Chevy PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72343-ncs-at-daytona-team-chevy-advance | 2022-08-25T17:54:14Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72343-ncs-at-daytona-team-chevy-advance | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It will be a tough end to the season for Kevin Lacroix in the NASCAR Pinty's series. While leading the championship before the Trois-Rivières Grand Prix, he lost the first place and dropped to 5th in the standings after retiring.
Lacroix Motorsport is now 33 points behind the leader and has no room for error in trying to climb back up the standings. However, the next event is on a track that Lacroix knows like the back of his hand, having scored several victories there.
"I've had a lot of bad luck in the last few events, but I'm looking forward to racing at Circuit ICAR because it's a good track for me," explained the driver of the #74 Lacroix Tuning | NAPA Auto Parts | Valvoline car, who has won three times on the old Mirabel airport tarmac.
He continues by saying, "it will not be an easy race; all the drivers in the field know the track well, and it's a very short track, so we play roughly a lot. On the other hand, we always put on a good show!"
The General Tire 125 will be held on Saturday, August 27, on the 1.8-kilometre Mirabel track, just minutes from Kevin Lacroix's hometown. "I'm a Saint-Eustache native, and I live in Mirabel, so it's definitely my home track. I have a lot of partners who will be coming to see the race; it will not only be an opportunity to show them the world of NASCAR but also to go and collect a win to thank them for their visit."
An autograph session will be held at the NASCAR truck at noon; then qualifying will begin at 2 p.m., leading up to the event at 5:45 p.m. The General Tire 125 can be viewed on FloRacing and the TSN app.
Kevin LeCroix PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72345-kevin-lacroix-aims-for-the-win-and-nothing-less-at-icar | 2022-08-25T17:54:27Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72345-kevin-lacroix-aims-for-the-win-and-nothing-less-at-icar | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gearing up for the $10,000 to win Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., happening September 15-17, 2022., the format for the three-night affair has been adjusted to remove the duel Heat Race format in favor of the current Qualifying format utilized by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.
One difference from the current format will be that teams will Hot Lap and Qualify at the same time, with each Hot Lap/Qualifying group split so no more than five cars will be on track at one time.
Drivers will complete all three nights with event points awarded every time a driver enters the track in order to set the field on Saturday. Event points are different from the Qualifying/Passing Points and are not used to set nightly lineups.
The change comes as tires continue to be an issue across the industry, as well as eliminate unnecessary time on the track to quicken the event, and reduce wear on the cars. The Heat and Qualifier format was used to take the issue of the draw out of the equation, but with the current ASCS National Tour format, that has been addressed.
The following is specific to the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network. Any information regarding the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint Car League can be found at http://www.powri.com.
Event Registration for the American Sprint Car Series is free and can be done online at https://www.myracepass.com/
Hockett/McMillin ASCS Format:
Preliminary nights will follow ASCS National Format, with teams drawing for their Qualifying Group. The only difference will be that Qualifying will take place during Hot Laps, with each group split in half. Max number of cars on track per Qualifying/Hot Lap session is five.
The breakdown of the ASCS National Format is published at https://www.ascsracing.com/
Event Points are awarded each time a driver is on track. These points are used to set the field for Saturday and are not used to set lineups during a preliminary night.
Qualifying and Heat Race Points are awarded: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
B-Feature Points, starting with the first non-qualifier, are awarded: 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, etc.
A-Feature points are awarded: 150, 142, 135, 130, 125, 122, 119, 116, 113, 110, 108, 106, 104, 102, 100, 98, 96, 94, 92, 90, 89, 88
Following the completion of Friday’s program, event points will be totaled with the Top 8 locked in, straight up, into Saturday’s A-Feature. All other drivers will be lined up into four Last Chance Qualifiers on Saturday. Any ties in event points will be broken by the driver with the faster qualifying time on Friday.
Lineups will be staggered by points (9th to the pole of LCQ 1, 10 to the pole of LCQ 2, etc). Top 2 finishes in each LCQ will advance to the A-Feature. Winners of LCQ 1 starts 9th, winner of LCQ 2 will start 10th, and so on.
Those not transferring will lineup into B-Features, straight up by their LCQ finish. Two B-Features, will take the top three from each. Three B-Features, will take the top two from each.
**ASCS National Driver Point, Regional Attendance, and Promoter’s Provisionals will be allowed, but will not award any points for the A-Feature. Points will be calculated from the position earned prior to the Provisional.
Purse structure for each night is as follows:
Thursday and Friday:
A-Feature: 1. $3,000; 2. $1,500; 3. $1,100; 4. $1,000; 5. $800 6. $700; 7. $600; 8. $500; 9. $475; 10. $450; 11. $425; 12. $400 13. $400; 14. $400; 15. $400; 16. $400; 17. $400; 18. $400; 19. $400; 20. $400; 21. $400; 22. $400; Any non-transferring driver will be paid $150.
Saturday:
A-Feature: 1. $10,000; 2. $5,000; 3. $2,500; 4. $1,500; 5. $1,250; 6. $1,150; 7. $1,100; 8. $1,000; 9. $900; 10. $800; 11. $700; 12. $600; 13. $550; 14. $525; 15. $500; 16. $475; 17. $450; 18. $425; 19. $400; 20. $400; 21. $400; 22. $400; Any non-transferring driver will be paid $150.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Who: ASCS National Tour | ASCS Warrior Region
What: 12th annual General Tire Hockett/McMillin Memorial
When: September 15-17, 2022
Where: Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, Mo.)
Track Info: Lucas Oil Speedway:
Address: 700 E. Hwy. 54 Wheatland, MO 65779
Phone: (417) 282-5984
Website: http://www.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Social Media: https://www.facebook.
Times and Prices
September 15 & 16:
Pits Open: All Day
Grandstands Open: 4:00 P.M.
Draw/Check-In: 4:00 P.M.
Driver’s Meeting: 5:00 P.M.
Hot Laps: 6:00 P.M.
Racing: 7:05 P.M.
Adults (16 and up) $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military $22
Youth (6 to 15) $5
Kids (5 and under) FREE
Family Pass $55 (Click Here for More Information)
Pit Pass $40
3-Day Pit Pass-$125
September 17
Pits Open: All Day
Grandstands Open: 4:00 P.M.
Driver’s Meeting: 4:45 P.M.
Hot Laps: 5:30 P.M.
Racing: 6:35 P.M.
Adults (16 and up) $35
Seniors (62 and up)/Military $32
Youth (6 to 15) $10
Kids (5 and under) FREE
Family Pass $80 (Click Here for More Information)
Pit Pass $45
ASCS Online:
American Sprint Car Series: http://www.ascsracing.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.
Instagram: LucasOilASCS
Broadcast: RaceOnTexas.com on FloRacing.com
Live-Scoring [Where Applicable]: MRP Live
2022 Race Winners: Wayne Johnson – 4 (3/18 – Devil's Bowl Speedway; 6/18 – Boothill Speedway, 6/25 - I-70 Motorsports Park; 7/23 – I-30 Speedway); Tim Crawley – 2 (7/22 – Batesville Motor Speedway; 7/26 – Tulsa Speedway); Derek Hagar – 2 (3/25 – I-30 Speedway; 6/17 – Texarkana 67 Speedway); Dylan Westbrook – 2 (5/28 – Lake Ozark Speedway; 7/27 – Caney Valley Speedway); Matt Covington – 2 (7/1 – Boone County Raceway; 7/28 – 81-Speedway); Sam Hafertepe, Jr. – 1 (5/29 – Thunderbird Speedway; 8/4 – Knoxville Raceway); Seth Bergman – 1 (3/19 – Devil's Bowl Speedway); Aaron Reutzel – 2 (3/26 – I-30 Speedway; 8/6 – Knoxville Raceway); Jake Bubak – 1 (7/2 – WaKeeney Speedway); Zach Blurton – 1 (7/3 – WaKeeney Speedway); Gunner Ramey - 1 (7/15 – U.S. 36 Raceway); Blake Hahn – 1 (8/2 – Lakeside Speedway) Brian Brown – 1 (8/5 – Knoxville Raceway);
2022 Driver Points (Top 15 – Points will be updated after Knoxville): 1. Blake Hahn 2,411; 2. Wayne Johnson 2,402; 3. Tim Crawley 2,363; 4. Matt Covington 2,305; 5. Jason Martin 2,288; 6. Brandon Anderson 2,217; 7. Landon Britt 1,999; 8. Landon Crawley 1,988; 9. Kyler Johnson 1,972; 10. Ryan Bickett 1,911; 11. Garet Williamson 1,851; 12. Dylan Postier 1,797; 13. Dylan Opdahl 1,685; 14. Dylan Westbrook 1,264; 15. Dale Howard 890;
ASCS PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72346-format-revamped-for-2022-lucas-oil-ascs-hockett-mcmillin-memorial-weekend | 2022-08-25T17:54:33Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72346-format-revamped-for-2022-lucas-oil-ascs-hockett-mcmillin-memorial-weekend | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Nearly 30 ARCA competitors are scheduled to take the green flag at the Milwaukee Mile this Sunday, August 28. Among them will be plenty of young talent and an unprecedented six female drivers racing in the Sprecher 150. Joining the ARCA Menards Series will be the Big 8 Late Models and Upper Midwest Vintage Series.
Nick Sanchez, a young driver from Miami, FL, leads the tight point race into Milwaukee, having a 13-point advantage over fellow Floridian, Daniel Dye. Sanchez has claimed three wins this season, while Dye is looking for his first. Rajah Caruth is just 17 points back of the lead, while Greg Van Last and Toni Breidinger round out the top five.
Another top story in Sunday’s event will be the six female drivers scheduled to take the green. In addition to full-time series competitors, Toni Breidinger and Amber Balcaen, Amber Slagle, Rita Thomason, Mandy Chick, and Stephanie Moyer will be in the field. Breidinger and Balcaen sit fifth and sixth in ARCA Menards Series points.
Others who are favorites to compete for the win include Sammy Smith, Jake Finch, Taylor Gray, and Jesse Love, who is coming off of a big series win at Springfield, Illinois’ dirt mile last Sunday.
Dale Nottestad leads the Big 8 Late Model standings, as the series heads for the Milwaukee Mile for its annual visit. William Rece, a rookie with the series, is second in points followed by Jerry Mueller, Stephen Scheel, and Jon Reynolds, Jr. Last season, 36 Big 8 competitors were on hand and another strong field is expected this Sunday.
Completing Sunday’s festivities will be the Upper Midwest Vintage Series. The tour competes at both events held at the Milwaukee Mile. The cool looking vintage series brings back memories from years gone by.
Pit gates and infield ticket sales will open at 7:00 AM Sunday, while grandstands open at 9:00 AM when ARCA Menards Series practice begins. The Upper Midwest Vintage Series feature is set for 11:30 AM, while General Tire pole qualifying is slated for 12:00 PM with Big 8 feature action to follow. The Sprecher 150 for the ARCA Menards Series is set to take the green shortly after 2:00 PM.
There are multiple ways to purchase tickets for the event, in addition to purchasing at the box office on race day. Discounted tickets are available at area Menards stores as well as online through the trackenterprises.com website. Fans may also purchase a specially marked case of Sprecher Root Beer and turn their receipt in at the box office for a free ticket.
For more information, visit www.trackenterprises.com.
Track Enterprises PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72347-arca-menards-series-ready-for-milwaukee-mile-return-sunday | 2022-08-25T17:54:39Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72347-arca-menards-series-ready-for-milwaukee-mile-return-sunday | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship is set to conclude Labor Day weekend with several division titles still far from settled.
The Championship has tallied points from weekly races – and some special events – at DIRTcar sanctioned tracks for the Big Block Modifieds, 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, Pro Stocks and 4-Cylinders throughout the year, taking the best 16 finishes, to crown the overall 2022 champions.
More than $47,000 in total will handed out throughout the five divisions. Last year, Matt Sheppard took home the $5,000 Big Block title, Mat Williamson won the $3,000 358 Modified title, Andrew Buff won the $1,000 Sportsman title, Chad Jeseo won the $1,000 Pro Stock title and Dante Mancuso earned $500 for the 4-Cylinder title.
Big Block Modifieds
With only a couple weeks left in the DIRTcar Big Block Championship battle, Larry Wight currently holds a six-point lead over eight-time and defending Super DIRTcar Series champion Matt Sheppard. Behind them, still holding on to the fight is Peter Britten in third – 20 points back from Wight.
Wight currently has the most wins across the board for the Hoosier Championship with eight – one ahead of Sheppard. He’s also leading the points for the track championship at Weedsport and is second in points for the track title at Brewerton Speedway.
Championship Payout: 1. $5,000, 2. $3,000, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,000, 5. $800, 6. $600, 7. $500, 8. $500, 9. $500, 10. $500, 11. $500, 12. $500, 13. $500, 14. $500, 15. $500, 16. $350, 17. $350, 18. $350, 19. $350, 20. $350 – Plus several thousands in certificates from VP Racing Fuels.
358 Modifieds
While not as close as the Big Block title fight, Mat Williamson still doesn’t have a lot of breathing room in the DIRTcar 358 Modified Championship fight. He currently leads Chase Raabe by 14 points. Both drivers have seven wins overall, but Williamson has been able to achieve that in 17 starts, while Raabe has made 23.
Both are also in the hunt for weekly track titles. Williamson currently leads the points at Ransomville Speedway, while Raable is the leader at Brockville Ontario Speedway and Mohawk International Raceway.
Championship Payout: 1. $3,000, 2. $2,000, 3. $1,250, 4. $1,000, 5. $900, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $500, 10. $500, 11. $400, 12. $400, 13. $300, 14. $300, 15. $250, 16. $250, 17. $250, 18. $250, 19. $250, 20. $250 – Plus several thousands in certificates from VP Racing Fuels.
Sportsman Modifieds
The DIRTcar Sportsman Modified division title is setting up to be a battle until the last race as Cody McPherson currently leads the Hoosier Championship standings by eight points over Andrew Buff. And making it a potential three-horse race is Alan Fink in third, 20 points behind McPherson.
McPherson has 12 wins on the season versus Buff’s 10 and Fink’s seven. The Hoosier points leader is also in the hunt for the track championship at Humberstone Speedway, Merrittville Speedway, Ohsweken Speedway and Weedsport Speedway. Buff is the current points leader at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park.
Championship Payout: 1. $1,000, 2. $700, 3. $600, 4. $500, 5. $450, 6. $400, 7. $300, 8. $200, 9. $200, 10. $200, 11. $200, 12. $200, 13. $200, 14. $200. 15. $200. 16. $200, 17. $200, 18. $200, 19. $200, 20. $200 – Plus several thousands in certificates from VP Racing Fuels.
Pro Stocks
Last year’s NAPA Super DIRT Week DIRTcar Pro Stock champion Chad Jeseo is currently in contention to pick up another title this year before entering the 50th Running of NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week (Oct. 3-9). He currently leads Luke Horning by 18 points in the Hoosier Championship battle.
Jeseo currently has 13 wins on the season and is in contention for the Lebanon Valley Speedway track championship, while Horning has 11 wins and is in contention for the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park title.
Championship Payout: 1. $1,000, 2. $700, 3. $600, 4. $500, 5. $450, 6. $400, 7. $300, 8. $200, 9. $200, 10. $200, 11. $200, 12. $200, 13. $200, 14. $200, 15. $200, 16. $200, 17. $200, 18. $200, 19. $200, 20. $200 – Plus more than a thousand dollars in certificates from VP Racing Fuels.
4-Cylinders
Of the championship leaders in the five divisions, Tyler Lafantasie has the most breathing room as the final week in the Championship approaches. He currently holds a 48-point lead over Chris Bonoffski in second and a 98-point lead over Cole Susice in third.
Championship Payout: 1. $500, 2. $400, 3. $350, 4. $300, 5. $250, 6. $200, 7. $175, 8. $150, 9. $125, 10. $100, 11. Free Membership, 12. Free Membership, 13. Free Membership, 14. Free Membership, 15. Free Membership
For more on the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship, keep up with the latest news HERE.
DIRTcar series PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72348-hoosier-weekly-championship-2022-season-nears-epic-conclusion-labor-day-weekend | 2022-08-25T17:54:45Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72348-hoosier-weekly-championship-2022-season-nears-epic-conclusion-labor-day-weekend | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (WHTM) — A Pennsylvania school has canceled its 2022 football season due to widespread hazing among its football team.
According to a letter from Middletown Area School District Superintendent Chelton Hunter, the school district recently obtained video from a hazing incident involving students in a heat acclimation room. That video came on the heels of an investigation already underway due to a separate hazing incident.
“Unfortunately, this video demonstrates that this hazing was much more widespread, and involved many more students than we had previously known,” Hunter said in the statement.
The original video from August 11th showed students pinning down two players and poking them in the buttocks with two different objects on school property during a team practice.
The school has shared the video of the additional incident with law enforcement officials and will continue its own investigation as well. The students who have participated in the incident will be disciplined in accordance with the student code of conduct and hazing policy, according to the school district.
Hunter’s statement also explains that any staff member who was found to have ignored the hazing will also face discipline.
“The kind of hazing that occurred in our facilities with this team is reprehensible. It simply cannot and will not be tolerated,” Hunter said. “We know we must work to address the culture of this team, educate our student body about hazing, and put programs in place to help us ensure that this kind of atmosphere is never allowed to exist in our school facilities.”
Middletown Area School District says it will work to find other opportunities this fall for the cheerleading team and marching band, who are both impacted by this season’s cancellation.
“I know this decision will be met with many different opinions and emotions and will impact many students and families,” Hunter said.
In response to the Middletown news, a nearby school has already offered opportunities for the band and cheerleading teams to perform.
Middletown was set to kick off the 2022 football season on the road against Lower Dauphin School District. That team was unable to find an alternate opponent. | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/school-district-cancels-football-season-due-to-widespread-hazing/ | 2022-08-25T18:01:20Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/school-district-cancels-football-season-due-to-widespread-hazing/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
There are microphones and media at Jackson Hole, so ofcourse St Louis Fed President James Bullard will be there. He's scheduled to be on CNBC at the top of the hour or just afterwards. I'll have the highlights.
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ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/feds-bullard-set-to-speak-20220825/ | 2022-08-25T18:03:26Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/feds-bullard-set-to-speak-20220825/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The oil market is looking for subtle signals on the Iran nuclear deal. The latest is from the White House, with the press secretary saying it will agree to a deal if it's in the US' interest.
Oil doesn't like it and it's testing yesterday's lows:
The oil market is looking for subtle signals on the Iran nuclear deal. The latest is from the White House, with the press secretary saying it will agree to a deal if it's in the US' interest.
Oil doesn't like it and it's testing yesterday's lows:
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Must Read | https://www.forexlive.com/news/white-house-doesnt-rule-out-agreeing-to-iran-nuclear-deal-20220825/ | 2022-08-25T18:03:32Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/white-house-doesnt-rule-out-agreeing-to-iran-nuclear-deal-20220825/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After resembling an all-time juggernaut in the opening months of the season, the Yankees have looked downright ordinary. They lost their grip on the No. 1 playoff seed in the American League, and their projected World Series chances have plunged.
What can the Yankees do to get in gear for October? Better yet, what should they do? Continue to tweak the lineup after effectively benching Aaron Hicks and inserting rookie Oswaldo Cabrera? What to do about a rotation that is missing Luis Severino and has Frankie Montas off to a sluggish start in pinstripes? What ploys can Aaron Boone use from the dugout? Sound off below. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/discussion-what-do-yankees-need-for-playoff-success/ | 2022-08-25T18:08:18Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/discussion-what-do-yankees-need-for-playoff-success/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MSNBC political analyst Elise Jordan questioned the timing and motivations behind the Biden administration’s student loan debt forgiveness plan on Thursday.
Jordan joined a chorus of critics who have jabbed President Biden over his debt cancellation announcement during her Thursday appearance on “Morning Joe.” She argued the plan did nothing to address the underlying issues in what she described as an “obscene” collegiate education system.
“I am concerned about it adding to inflation,” Jordan said. “I don’t really understand the timing, necessarily, because even politically, what’s the bump? What’s the point in doing this right now at this specific point?”
“I guess what I find annoying about it is that it doesn’t address the higher education cartel,” Jordan added. “And it basically is infusing money into a higher education system that is basically just corrupt at this point. You look at how much tuition has just skyrocketed over the last 20, 30 years.”
Mediaite earlier reported on Jordan’s remarks.
The Biden White House has billed its plan to forgive up to $20,000 in outstanding loan debt for eligible individuals as a measure of much-needed relief for those still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The administration also extended the moratorium on debt payments through the end of December.
Jordan, a former aide in George W. Bush’s administration, pointed out that the surging cost of a college education was not addressed in Biden’s initiative.
“My college tuition is three times today what it was 20 years ago. That’s just absurd,” Jordan added.
Biden’s plan drew sharp criticism from GOP lawmakers who alleged Biden’s debt relief was an opportunistic ploy to secure favor with voters ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Some progressives also ripped the initiative, claiming it does not go far enough to alleviate financial obstacles for indebted individuals.
Some experts say that the debt relief measures, as currently constructed, could actually result in higher tuition costs in the future.
An analysis by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget determined the student loan debt relief plan could cost taxpayers up to $600 billion over time.
“It would do nothing to actually make education more affordable, and if anything, this policy will drive up tuition costs while raising prices on a variety of other goods and services for ordinary Americans,” said CRFP President Maya MacGuineas.
Meanwhile, former Obama administration economist Jason Furman earlier warned that Biden’s move was equivalent of pouring “gasoline on the inflationary fire” for the US economy. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/msnbc-analyst-slams-biden-student-loan-relief-as-boost-to-corrupt-higher-ed-system/ | 2022-08-25T18:09:12Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/msnbc-analyst-slams-biden-student-loan-relief-as-boost-to-corrupt-higher-ed-system/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
An on-duty MTA bus driver was stabbed by an irate passenger in Queens late Wednesday, authorities said.
The driver, a 54-year-old man, was operating a Q6 bus at Rockaway Boulevard and 150th Street in Jamaica around 10:30 p.m. when a male passenger flew into a rage and started arguing with him, cops said.
The incident turned violent when the rider pulled out a “sharp object” and stabbed the driver twice in the left leg, cops said.
The suspect — who cops say had a dark complexion and is about 5-foot-11, last seen wearing black cargo pants white sneakers — fled on foot in an unknown direction, authorities said.
The driver was taken to Jamaica University Hospital Medical Center, where he is listed in stable condition.
The MTA confirmed the location of the assault and the bus number, but referred further questions to police.
The incident comes weeks after career criminal Alexander Wright, 49, allegedly punched MTA employee Anthony Nelson, 35, in the head and threw him to the ground in the Bronx.
Nelson, who was trying to stop the accused assailant from harassing straphangers, suffered injuries including a broken collarbone and dislocated nose.
During a Friday court appearance, Wright — who has 41 prior busts — was set to be sent back to Rikers Island on the same measly $5,000 bail a judge set during his arraignment.
During a press conference outside the courthouse, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said that upon conviction, the agency is going to urge the court to ban Wright from the subway system for three years — the maximum penalty available under the law.
“Attacks on transit workers are unacceptable and we must do everything we can to prevent them and keep our customers and employees safe,” Lieber said. “Given the horrific actions of Mr. Wright and his long history of arrests — some of which were for similarly violent attacks — this penalty is warranted. Individuals who assault transit workers have no place on our subways, buses, and trains.” | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/off-duty-mta-bus-driver-stabbed-by-irate-passenger-in-nyc-cops/ | 2022-08-25T18:09:24Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/off-duty-mta-bus-driver-stabbed-by-irate-passenger-in-nyc-cops/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sony said Thursday it will hike the price of its PlayStation 5 games console in Europe, Japan and Britain following economic pressures, including rising interest rates.
Sony said it is raising the price of the disk drive equipped version of the console to 549.99 euros ($550.81) from 499.99 euros previously in Europe, with a similar hike in Japan.
The Japanese entertainment conglomerate said it will not hike the price in the United States, where it is locked in battle with Microsoft’s Xbox, which is aggressively expanding its games subscription service. The PS5 retails for $499 in the US.
The price hike comes as Sony’s games business has been squeezed by supply chain snarls feeding into hardware shortages, with the conglomerate aiming to boost PS5 production for the year-end shopping season.
“We’re seeing high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends, impacting consumers and creating pressure on many industries,” Sony Interactive Entertainment Chief Executive Jim Ryan wrote in a blog post.
While the price hike “is a necessity given the current global economic environment and its impact on SIE’s business, our top priority continues to be improving the PS5 supply situation,” gaming chief Ryan wrote.
Sony aims to sell 18 million units of the hit device in the current financial year after selling 11.5 million units in the year ended March.
“Although wide ranging, the PS5 price increases are relatively nuanced and are taking place in markets where the impact is being felt the most with an added layer of squeeze coming from the strength of the US dollar,” Ampere Analysis analyst Piers Harding-Rolls wrote in a blog post.
“Microsoft will take advantage of Sony’s increase to push its ‘value’ message,” Harding-Rolls added. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/sony-hikes-ps5-price-due-to-economic-pressures-rising-rates/ | 2022-08-25T18:09:42Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/25/sony-hikes-ps5-price-due-to-economic-pressures-rising-rates/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hooray! Labor Day is almost here and it’s time to sit back, relax and shop.
We want to thank you for your hard work, as working your tail feathers day in and day out is no easy feat. So congratulate yourself on your efforts with a reward. You earned it!
If you’re conflicted on what to buy yourself, let us suggest a home makeover, as your space should be a place of tranquility and peace.
To help you narrow down your home furnishing options, we rounded up the best Labor Day furniture sales of 2022.
Find both outdoor and indoor options below from top retailers such as West Elm, Frontgate, Wayfair and more.
1. West Elm
Decorate your backyard and home just the way you like it with the help of West Elm. Shop up to 50% off outdoor and garden now.
2. Frontgate
Don’t miss out on this Frontgate Labor Day event. Save up to 50% off sitewide and take advantage of extra savings on clearance items. Not to mention, Frontgate has some of the best bathroom and bedroom furniture around.
3. Wayfair
The Save-A-Thon is still going strong, so head over to Wayfair and save up to 60% off indoor and outdoor home finds.
4. Ashley’s
Quick! Run (don’t walk) to Ashley’s to save 40% off everything on the site. Yes, that include both indoor and outdoor furniture alike!
5. The Home Depot
The Home Depot has your back with Labor Day appliance savings. The sale starts now, so save up to 30% off select appliances and score free delivery on purchases of $396 or more.
6. Lowe’s
Did someone say Lowe’s Labor Day savings? Take up to 40% off bath, 30% off kitchen, 50% off outdoor furniture and more.
7. AllModern
From throw pillows and task chairs to desk lamps and bathroom vanities, AllModern has some of the best-looking furniture items around.
8. Burrow
Labor Day savings are now live at the sophisticated furniture store, Burrow. Each piece is crafted with a modern appeal, and it can’t be beat. Use code LDS22 for up to $1,000 in savings.
9. Bed Bath & Beyond
We love us a good Bed Bath & Beyond sale. Decorate your space with up to 80% off during the brand’s warehouse clearance sale and tag on an additional 20% off savings.
10. Target
Target is always a good idea — especially when you can save big on home and outdoor furniture. Happy savings and decorating!
11. Walmart
Save on thousands of rollbacks right now. Score deals on patio chairs, wicket sitting sets and more.
12. FLOYD
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Check out the New York Post Shopping section for more content. | https://nypost.com/article/best-labor-day-indoor-outdoor-furniture-sales-deals-2022/ | 2022-08-25T18:10:44Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/article/best-labor-day-indoor-outdoor-furniture-sales-deals-2022/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Now that Roe v. Wade is overturned, most Republican-led states are cracking down on abortion access.
New restrictions are going into effect this week in Idaho, Texas, and Tennessee. More than 20 million women have lost access to abortion in their home state, according to reporting from The Washington Post.
So how will this affect women? Researcher Diana Greene Foster conducted “The Turnaway Study”, which followed hundreds of women for five years after they were denied an abortion. These women ended up being worse for wear financially and physically than their counterparts.
Reporting shows many states that have enacted abortion bans are less likely to offer expanded Medicaid coverage and guaranteed paid family leave. Just a few Republican lawmakers are pushing for more support at the federal level.
This show is part of our Remaking America project.
Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5 | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-25/1a-remaking-america-the-strength-of-americas-social-safety-net | 2022-08-25T18:17:32Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-25/1a-remaking-america-the-strength-of-americas-social-safety-net | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Demand for low or no alcohol wine is skyrocketing. In France, entire vineyards are dedicated to wine without alcohol and winemakers have special tastings for their non-alcoholic offerings.
Rebecca Rosman reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-25/demand-for-low-or-no-alcohol-wine-skyrockets | 2022-08-25T18:17:38Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-25/demand-for-low-or-no-alcohol-wine-skyrockets | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Latino atheists, non-religious grow
The percentage of Latinos in the United States and Latin America who say they have no religious affiliation has been steadily rising despite how ingrained religion is in Hispanic culture.
State of play: The percentage of Hispanics in the U.S. who identify as atheists or agnostics grew in the past 12 years, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
The big picture: The number of Americans who believe in God has dropped to the lowest level in nearly eight decades of surveys. Religious "nones" are the fastest growing segment in the Americas, even surpassing evangelicals, Andrew Chesnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chairman in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, told Axios.
- "Nones" are people who consider themselves atheist or agnostic, who don't practice any particular religion, or who practice New Age faiths not linked to organized religion.
By the numbers: According to an analysis of U.S. Census records by Trinity College, only 6.4% of Latinos identified with no religion in 1990. That jumped to 12.4% in 2008.
- A Pew Research Center survey found that Latinos with no religious affiliation went from 15% in 2009 to 23% in 2019.
- Those who said they were atheists went from 1% in 2009 to 3% in 2019, according to Pew. The percentage of agnostics stayed steady at 3%.
In Latin America, the percentage of non-affiliated people quadrupled to 16% from 1996 to 2020, according to Latinobarómetro, the premier regional annual survey.
- The survey found that 40% of people in Uruguay are "nones," while another 10% are agnostic or atheist.
Yes, but: Leaving religion can be difficult for Latinos, since it is so ingrained in the culture, and many families educate children in Christian doctrines early, Luciano Joshua Gonzalez-Vega, a columnist for a secular website, tells Axios.
- "I found comfort in religion. So, for me, the process of leaving religion was an especially difficult one," says Gonzalez-Vega, who "came out" as a non-believer at age 18.
- Many Latinos feel that being open about their lack of religion would come with "social consequences that they didn't think were worth it," including alienation from family and holiday gatherings, Gonzalez-Vega says.
- "It is really difficult to divorce any form of Latinx culture from Christianity," they said.
What they're saying: "The religious right has given a bad name to religion, and that explains a lot of the growth of secularism in the United States," Juhem Navarro-Rivera, political director and managing partner of Socioanalítica Research, told Axios.
- Navarro-Rivera said conservative religious sects attacking same-sex marriage or opposing abortion are turning off younger generations.
- The growth of non-religious affiliation is robust among young Latinos who are more comfortable shedding religious obligations than previous generations, said Navarro-Rivera, who is a non-believer.
Between the lines: Groups like the American Humanist Association and Secular Coalition for America are working to include more Latino voices to make Hispanics feel comfortable engaging, said Anthony Cruz Pantojas, an SCA board member.
- The American Humanist Association, for example, launched a "1 in 5 campaign" aimed at helping Latinos feel safe in coming out as not believing in God.
- "I think it will take a little bit more time for us to fill in those spaces," Cruz Pantojas said.
Subscribe to Axios Latino to get vital news about Latinos and Latin America, delivered to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/25/latino-religious-nones-surge-atheists-agnostics | 2022-08-25T18:18:29Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/25/latino-religious-nones-surge-atheists-agnostics | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Why many Latinos are choosing Protestantism over Catholicism
The percentage of Latinos who identify as Protestant — evangelical and other Christian faiths — is expected to grow from about 25% today to 50% by 2030.
Why it matters: More Latinos are leaving Catholicism for Protestant churches, which is influencing the political landscape in the U.S.
By the numbers: Half of U.S. Hispanics identified as Roman Catholic and 15% as evangelical in 2020, according to data from the Public Religion Research Institute.
- Two decades ago, those numbers were 53% and 8%, respectively.
- An Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo also found younger generations of Latinos are less likely to identify as Catholic.
The big picture: People who left the Roman Catholic Church are driving most of the Protestant growth among Latinos, studies show.
- The boom is also attributed to immigration to the U.S. from countries where evangelicalism is already strong, like Guatemala, according to Jonathan Calvillo, assistant professor at Emory University's School of Theology.
Sociologist Aida I. Ramos, dean of the College of Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences at John Brown University, interviewed Latinos who converted for an upcoming study. She says the most common reasons given for the switch are:
- They feel disconnected from the Catholic Church that they grew up with and the Protestant “style of worship can feel less confined” to them.
- Protestant traditions offered them more community support.
What they’re saying: White non-Hispanic Protestants have often worked to convert Hispanics, Ramos says. But, increasingly, “Latinos are converting other Latinos.”
- “It's actually Latino congregations and congregants who are inviting their family members, inviting their friends, and are introducing the faith to other Latinos,” Ramos said.
Between the lines: Growing evangelicalism among U.S. Hispanic communities is one of the factors moving Latinos to the right on political issues.
Of note: Most Latino Protestants live in Texas, New Mexico and California counties near the border, with growing numbers in south Florida and in Washington state, data from the Public Religion Research Institute shows.
Subscribe to Axios Latino to get vital news about Latinos and Latin America, delivered to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/25/latinos-catholic-protestant-religion-politics | 2022-08-25T18:18:35Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/25/latinos-catholic-protestant-religion-politics | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Journalist Jesse Eisinger says a trove of IRS data acquired by ProPublica shows that many of America's billionaires avoid paying any taxes — sometimes by claiming big deductions from posh hobbies.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
Journalist Jesse Eisinger says a trove of IRS data acquired by ProPublica shows that many of America's billionaires avoid paying any taxes — sometimes by claiming big deductions from posh hobbies.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-25/how-the-ultrawealthy-devise-ways-to-not-pay-their-share-of-taxes | 2022-08-25T18:18:51Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-25/how-the-ultrawealthy-devise-ways-to-not-pay-their-share-of-taxes | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Retailer will open its second "Bloomie's" smaller concept location at Westfield Old Orchard
NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomingdale's today announced that it will open its second "Bloomie's" store location in the greater Chicagoland area at the end of 2022. Bloomie's, which opened its first location in Fairfax, Virginia, in 2021, is the retailer's smaller store concept that provides a casual, contemporary, and highly curated experience.
"We're excited to be opening our second "Bloomie's" location," stated Charles Anderson, Director of Stores, Bloomingdale's. "The new concept remains authentic to the Bloomingdale's brand yet reinterprets it on a smaller scale that is infused with energy and ripe for discovery. We're looking forward to sharing the "Bloomie's" experience with our loyal North Shore clientele and new customers alike."
This 50,000-square-foot Bloomie's store will open in a new location at Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie, Illinois, and will add a broad and meaningful curation of soft home categories. The existing Bloomingdale's Old Orchard location will close later this year upon Bloomie's opening. It will begin clearance on September 6th, remaining committed to providing exceptional service to customers until its closing, which is expected to take place at the end of October.
Bloomingdale's is America's only nationwide, full-line, upscale department store and a division of Macy's, Inc. It was founded in 1872 and currently operates 33 Bloomingdale's stores and 20 Bloomingdale's, The Outlet Stores, in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, along with 1 Bloomie's location in Virginia. In addition, Bloomingdale's has an international presence with a location in Dubai. Be sure to follow @bloomingdales on social media, become a Loyallist, and for more information, or to shop any time, visit www.bloomingdales.com.
Press Contacts:
Kevin Harter, kevin.harter@bloomingdales.com
Malisa Meresman, bloomingdales@finnpartners.com
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SOURCE Bloomingdale's | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/bloomingdales-open-bloomies-store-greater-chicagoland-area/ | 2022-08-25T18:20:45Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/bloomingdales-open-bloomies-store-greater-chicagoland-area/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TORONTO, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hydrostor Inc. ("Hydrostor"), a leading long-duration energy storage solution provider, and Kiewit Engineering Group Inc. ("Kiewit"), have entered an agreement to advance Front-End Engineering and Design studies for the 500MW Willow Rock Energy Storage Center ("Willow Rock"), which would be the largest stand-alone energy storage project in California.
This milestone demonstrates steady progress in the development of Hydrostor's Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage ("A-CAES") technology in North America. A-CAES (pronounced "case") uses commercially proven equipment and processes to provide affordable, large-scale, and emission- free long-duration energy storage ("LDES"). Willow Rock will be capable of storing enough energy to provide reliable power for up to 400,000 homes over 8 hours, turning California's growing solar and wind resources into on-demand peaking capacity, enabling the closure of emitting fossil fuel resources while maximizing transmission system utilization.
"Hydrostor continues to reach important milestones at Willow Rock, and we look forward to working with the world-class engineering and construction teams at Kiewit to advance this critical clean energy project. Our global teams are paving the way towards achieving aggressive net-zero goals. Willow Rock will be capable of eliminating the equivalent of roughly 120,000 cars off the road every year over its 50+ year project life," said Curtis VanWalleghem, Hydrostor's Chief Executive Officer.
"Kiewit remains committed to engaging in the clean energy transition and recognizes that LDES solutions like A-CAES are a critical component of grid modernization. We look forward to commencing work on Willow Rock, which has the potential to abate significant emissions and provide a reliable, sustainable energy source for many decades," said Kevin Needham, President of Kiewit Power Engineers.
For more information please visit: https://www.hydrostor.ca/willow-rock/
Kiewit is one of North America's largest and most respected construction and engineering organizations. With its roots dating back to 1884, the employee-owned organization operates through a network of subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Kiewit offers construction and engineering services in a variety of markets including transportation; oil, gas and chemical; power; building; water/wastewater; industrial; and mining. Kiewit had 2021 revenues of $12.1 billion and employs 28,800 staff and craft employees.
The Willow Rock Energy Storage Center ("Willow Rock") is an Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage project that will have the ability to produce 500 MW of power and store up to 8 hours of energy. The project is located in Eastern Kern County, just outside Rosamond, California and will cover only 60 acres, far less than other renewable energy projects. Over 800 peak construction jobs will be created, with an average construction workforce of 250 over a four-year period. With over $500 million in regional direct and indirect impacts to the local economy Willow Rock will be paying annual taxes as assessed by the County and local authorities.
To learn more, visit https://www.hydrostor.ca/willow-rock/
Hydrostor is a long-duration energy storage solutions provider that provides reliable and affordable utility integration of long-duration energy storage, enabling grid operators to scale renewable energy and secure grid capacity. Hydrostor supports the green economic transition, employing the people, suppliers, and technologies from the traditional energy sector to design, build, and operate emissions-free energy storage facilities. Hydrostor has developed, deployed, tested, and demonstrated that its patented Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage ("A-CAES") technology can provide long-duration energy storage and enable the renewable energy transition. A-CAES uses proven components from mining and gas operations to create a scalable energy storage system that is low-impact, cost-effective, 50+ year lifetime, and can store energy from 5 hours up to multi-day storage where needed. With investment support from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Canadian Pension Plan, and Business Development Bank of Canada, Hydrostor has projects worldwide in various development stages for providing capacity of over 200 MW each. Follow us on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Kiewit | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/hydrostor-selects-kiewit-advance-engineering-willow-rock-largest-stand-alone-energy-storage-project-california/ | 2022-08-25T18:21:58Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/hydrostor-selects-kiewit-advance-engineering-willow-rock-largest-stand-alone-energy-storage-project-california/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Book Festival Round-Up: Liz Lochhead | Michael Pedersen | Colm Toibin
Our latest round-up from the EIBF features poetry from Liz Lochhead and Michael Pederson – the latter accompanied by special guest stars Charlotte Church and Shirley Manson. Meanwhile, Colm Toibin discusses his latest novel, which was inspired by the life of Thomas Mann. Words by Susan Mansfield.
Not many writers have the honour of a 50th anniversary edition of their first book, but a proud Liz Lochhead held up both versions of her first poetry collection, Memo for Spring, for the Book Festival audience to see. With a new production of her adaptation of Medea currently attracting rave reviews at Edinburgh International Festival, she admits that her 75th year is turning out to be rather busy.
Memo for Spring was published by Gordon Wright’s Reprographia in 1972, after he heard Lochhead read with Norman MacCaig at Edinburgh University, and the book immediately attracted widespread attention. Most of the poems had been written when Lochhead was at Glasgow School of Art, gradually realising she was more comfortable painting pictures with words than with a paintbrush.
It was some ten years later, in the early 1980s, that the collection was picked up by a 16-year-old Ali Smith, while babysitting for her English teacher’s children. Sitting on the floor reading it from cover to cover had, she says in her introduction to the new edition, “an impact the size of a changed world”. Here was the unmistakable voice of “a poet, a woman and a Scot”, and the possibility that one could be all these things. Many women writers owe Lochhead that important debt.
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Scottish poetry is a different world today, five decades later, the “men with tweed jackets” of the 1970s replaced by young writers such as Michael Pedersen, who emerged through the spoken-word scene around Edinburgh’s Neu!Reekie! For events around the publication of his friendship memoir, Boy Friends, he has been inviting friends to share the platform, in this case rather famous friends: singers Charlotte Church and Garbage’s Shirley Manson.
Manson promptly turned into the asker of questions at the event, inviting Pedersen to talk about his book, and in particular, his friendship with Scott Hutchison, the frontman of Scottish indie band Frightened Rabbit, who took his own life in 2018. Six weeks after Hutchison’s death, Pedersen found himself on a writer’s residency in Northern Ireland, too raw to write about grief, but able to recall the “favourite moments” of their friendship. This, he said, is not a “grief book”, it’s a celebration.
The three discussed friendship in general: first friends, lifelong friends, first loves. Church paid tribute to the “vivacious feral girl-gang” who were her companions in her teens and early twenties, and spoke about the evolution of her band, Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon, where she plays mash-up covers with her friends. Manson’s story was darker, about how difficult it can be to make and keep friends when you’re famous, when some around you become jealous of your success.
Pedersen managed to find time to perform a couple of spoken-word pieces from his book, and Colm Toibin dipped into poetry, too, at his event later the same evening, reading a poem from his first poetry collection, Vinegar Hill, which he put together during lockdown. But his focus was on the magic of fiction, in particular his new novel The Magician, inspired by the life of Thomas Mann.
He described how he found magic in the “gap between the public person and the private self”: how Mann was a conservative father of six, a Nobel laureate and an authority on literature, it was only when his diaries were posthumously published that the extent of his homosexual desires were revealed. In fact, it is possible that the true heroine of the story might be his wife of 50 years, Katia, who seemed to be the only person not surprised by the revelations.
Toibin spoke of the challenge of weaving into the book the lives of all of Mann’s six children, and the wealth of research the book entailed. He might agree, in part, with Liz Lochhead, who said that writing is editing: “There were 55,000 words taken out of this book, and anyone who reads it should be grateful,” he said. | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/book-festival-round-up-liz-lochhead-michael-pedersen-colm-toibin-3819638 | 2022-08-25T18:22:06Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/book-festival-round-up-liz-lochhead-michael-pedersen-colm-toibin-3819638 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh Comedy Award: Here are 11 famous acts who failed to win the former Perrier Comedy Award despite being shortlisted
Known previously as the Perrier Comedy Awards, the if.comedy awards and the if.comeddies, Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Award has long been an indicator of who will go on to find showbiz fame and fortune.
Launched in 1981, the award is presented to the comedy show judged to have been the best at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is recognised as the most prestigious comedy prize in the UK.
The award is designed to promote acts that have yet to become household names, so comedians judged to have ‘star status’ are not eligible - for instance if they have a show on a major television channel or can regularly fill a 500-set venue.
A Best Newcomer Award was added in 1992, followerd by a Panel Prize in 2006 for those who have made a particularly special contribution to the Fringe Festival.
But sometimes the losing nominees go on to be more successful than many of the winners, with a place on the shortlist enough to catch the attention of influential agents and producers.
Here are 11 acts who went on to enjoy massive success after missing out on the award.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-comedy-award-here-are-11-famous-acts-who-failed-to-win-the-former-perrier-comedy-award-despite-being-shortlisted-3818185 | 2022-08-25T18:22:08Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-comedy-award-here-are-11-famous-acts-who-failed-to-win-the-former-perrier-comedy-award-despite-being-shortlisted-3818185 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh Festival Fringe: My Festival - Kat Woods
The Irish writer/director on ADHD impulsivity, nightly gratitude lists, and having a very flexible jaw.
What are you doing at this year’s festival?
Birds of Passage in the Half Light at the Gilded Balloon. What I'm actually doing is walking the streets of Edinburgh crying at the lovely things people are saying about the show!
What do you most want to see this year and why?
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I have a few mates from London who I was on the BBC Writers Room with who are both amazing humans and incredible writers - Marcelo dos Santos and Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen and Dipo Baruwa-Etti Half-Empty Glasses. Then there's the glorious Tabby Lamb and Happy Meal and Rafaella Marcus's Sap, and of course there is a whole gorgeous contingent from Northern Ireland - Two Fingers Up, Billy Boy, and In the Name of the Son.
What’s your favourite place in the city and why?
I love everything about Edinburgh and Scotland. I think being from County Fermanagh, a small rural county, my soul thrives in cities that co-exist with beautiful landscapes. Coupled with friendly locals, gorgeous hospitality staff and you simply have my heart. The Irish and Scottish are like culture sisters so it very much feels like home from home.
Who do you most like spending time with at the festival?
This is my fifth Edinburgh and one of the best things is randomly bumping into other creatives that you have met previously and having catch up chats whilst flyering.
What do you remember about your first ever Edinburgh festival appearance?
My first Edinburgh was a baptism of fire back in 2014 and we were in the kitchen space of the Merchants Hall! I took out credit cards, a bank loan and waitressed 45/50 hour weeks to get myself and my show Belfast Boy to our fringe venue. I didn't quite think the repaying of all the debt through though and it took years! I blame the idealism of coming from a lower socioeconomic demographic and climbing the Tory social mobility ladder coupled with ADHD impulsivity!
What are the best and worst things that have happened to you in Edinburgh
Every year that I have been here something incredible has happened. Belfast Boy transferred to Finland, Wasted transferred to America for a tour and we stayed on Paul Newman's Connecticut ranch with his daughter. Mule had a London run and Killymuck has been published and got me into the BBC Writers Room. Also the friends that I have made along the way. The worst thing is returning this year and seeing that my favourite cafe Spoon closed. I worked for 25 yearsin hospitality waitressing and managing restaurants and coffee shops, and it's such a sad thing thinking about people who have lost jobs in that industry mainly due to the pandemic.
How was lockdown for you? Did it change you, and if so how?
I was a home in Fermanagh for most of lockdown but had to move three times which I would most definitely not recommend! I struggled to write and felt like my brain was broken. I think I keep saying aloud that I was fine but I wasn't. Birds of Passage is the first play that I have had on since we done Killymuck at Ed fringe back in 2018. It took me two years to write, imposter syndrome stole me for a good chunk of lockdown. The first draft I did was a series of drawings and my amazing patient director Patrick never once made me feel less then for the process that was happening and without that and his guidance the play wouldn't be here today.
Tell us something about you that would surprise people.
I can fit my whole fist in my mouth. A dentist once told me I had a very flexible jaw which is ideal for wisdom tooth extraction!
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Turn the five alarms off and keep snoozing until I'm late for life!
And what’s the last thing you do before you go to bed at night?
I try to do a gratitude list. Sometimes I forget and just stay awake until 4am doom scrolling or leaving friends long voicenotes which they can never play at x2 speed because my nordy accent is far to fast to begin with!
Thanks for the interview! We’d like to buy you a drink. Where are we going and what are we drinking?
Soooooo I'm actually sober – four years on the 2nd December. Woo hoo. But I'm still stacks of craic so anywhere and anything non-alcoholic. I love a dance floor or live band!
Birds of Passage in the Half Light, Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14), until 29 August. | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-my-festival-kat-woods-3820003 | 2022-08-25T18:22:20Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-my-festival-kat-woods-3820003 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh Festival Fringe reviews: Speed Dial | Headcase | Beneath | Blue & Pip | Pillows | Once Upon a Midnight Dreary | Daylight | Taiwan Season: The Whisper of the Waves | Ideation | Independence | Freedam | Spit Me Out | The Transfiguration of Mrs Lamen | UK Underdog
An old-fashioned Agatha Christie-style romp and a quirky monologue about a daughter’s relationship with her father are the highlights of this latest Fringe round-up. Reviews by David Pollock, Rory Ford, Kelly Apter, Susan Mansfield and Fergus Morgan
Speed Dial ****
Pleasance Dome, until 29 August
Come for the sub-Agatha Christie mystery about a 1970s university professor attempting to solve the mystery of his daughter’s kidnapping, and stay for the very inventive and precise physical comedy which escalates this production from Fringe-experienced young company Spies Like Us to the next level. Despite the vintage of the setting, our hero – known only as ‘The Professor’ – is a perennially overworked and underpaid academic, whose troubles are added to by the unusual demands of his Dean, as the course syllabus is changed at the last minute and top marks across the board are demanded.
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That this show is some kind of commentary on the pressures facing university staff is stretching the premise to breaking point, though. It’s simply an old-fashioned romp, with the scenario pushing Hamish Lloyd Barnes’ Professor to breaking point when the news about his daughter comes through. Aided by wide-eyed student Terry (Evangeline Dickson), he explores the university for clues as to her whereabouts, through the offices and library and into the realm of the mysterious Groundskeeper (Elle Dillon-Reams). Crossword clues play their part as well.
Ollie Norton-Smith’s direction and Zak Nemorin’s sharp and eye-catching choreography really set the show off, with the 1970s setting apparently just an excuse to use old-fashioned corded telephones as props within the dances and physical set-pieces. The costume design for the quintet of actors is also eye-catching, matching grey trousers and colour-coordinated shirts like a bunch of period city office-workers.
Alongside Barnes, Dickson and Dillon-Reams, Genevieve Sabherwal as the Professor’s daughter Flora and, especially, Tullio Campanale as the comically stuffy Dean complete an extremely tight, characterful and well-rehearsed ensemble. If there is an intended message at the show’s heart about a culture of overwork ruining personal relationships, then it’s lightly delivered amid all the comic and visually very pleasing spectacle. David Pollock
Headcase ***
Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 August
The fact this is Kristin Mcilquham’s debut play is a point within the plot, the writing of it one of a number of achievements which she hoped to reach before turning forty. This age is also a key element of her story, as this was when her father had the brain haemorrhage which almost took his life. Did the effects of it forever change the relationship between father and daughter? Or had her Glaswegian dad always been taciturn and explosively rude to her friends? And what would happen to her when she reached the age his life had changed forever?
Mcilquham’s monologue is full of quirky interactive touches as it tells the story of her family, beginning with the notebook and pen she hands to every audience member on their way in, a recurring motif which refers to memory and the absence of it experienced by her dad. Her delivery is bright, welcoming and conversational – a recurring joke about the pronunciation of her surname is well-worked – and she details the elements of her story with a carefully composed chain of revelation which pulls her audience through the show.
Perhaps the sense of quirk is a little too self-conscious in places, but her story is so deeply personal and rooted in a difficult subject which many might find solace in the discussion of, that this first effort can be classed as nothing but a success. David Pollock
Beneath *
theSpace on The Mile, until 27 August
In a dystopian not-so-distant future where global warming has raised the sea level and people dress like clownish hobos, two people living in an undersea bunker are unexpectedly joined by two intruders. That's basically your lot for Daniel Gee Husson's new play which is largely distinguished by a relentless lack of pace and a remarkable dearth of drama. Mostly competently performed, the actors' greatest accomplishment is just getting through this and the ending is so flatly conceived that you only realise it's over when one dead character (SPOILER, I guess) gets up to take a curtain call. Rory Ford
Blue & Pip *
theSpace on North Bridge, until 27 August
The best thing you could say about this is that it probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Helena Fox’s drama tries to explore the pain of endometriosis and its effects on queer couple Blue and Pip’s efforts to have a child. Supposedly there’s a folktale aspect to all this but awkwardly faltering performances, flat staging, flubbed lines, inadvertently overlapping dialogue and scenes that go nowhere sabotage any underlying themes and good intentions. Rory FordPillows **
theSpace on North Bridge, until 27 August
Two exceptionally polished performances from Aaron Garland and Eve Billington go a long way to make stretches of this new one act play by Sam Adlam enjoyable but it’s ultimately overstretched. A teenage boy is re-united with his on-again-off-again girlfriend whom he’s known since they were 15. Both unnamed characters have returned from different universities, theoretically free to pursue “pretty people” of all genders but both clearly hung up on each other. Passages here successfully capture the articulate inarticulacy of the complex rush of emotions you experience when you don’t necessarily have the life experience to fully process them, but it eventually becomes a stifling experience. This could quite easily be edited down into something better – there are three points in the play where it could profitably end. But. The. Characters. Just. Keep. Talking. Incessantly. Rory Ford
Once Upon a Midnight Dreary **
theSpace on North Bridge, until 27 August
There’s a neat idea at the centre of this new play by Scots playwright Annie James – the circumstances behind the death of Edgar Allan Poe – but it does very little with it. There are no solutions here. Poe wakes up in a Baltimore alley with only two clownish hobos for company. They taunt him with scenes from his stories and sing far too much. Adam Usnami’s songs are fine but they add nothing to what there is of the plot, so having two back-to-back right in the middle stops the show dead in its tracks. Rory FordDaylight *
Laughing Horse @ 32 Below, until 28 August
Hopefully a helpful tip for the actors in this new piece by Helena Coggan: naturalistic acting is all well and good but please try and raise your voice above a softly-spoken conversational tone when performing in front of a room full of people. That said, there's little here that repays your close attention as Conor and Julia wait in a basement for her apocalyptic visions to come true. Possibly inspired (if that's not too strong a word) by Lars Von Trier's Melancholia, it's essentially one long extended scene and the dramatic highlight comes when someone gets a bit cross and kicks a chair. Rory Ford
Taiwan Season: The Whisper of the Waves **
Summerhall, until 28 August
When the members of Shinehouse Theatre move as one, it’s a sight to behold. The painted white faces, flowing costumes, tight unison and eyes ablaze with passion are hugely theatrical. Problems start when they attempt to deliver a narrative via voiceover and English subtitles. Most of the nuance and subtext is lost as we hear about a same-sex couple struggling to get pregnant in the face of societal judgement, and a young man who connects more with pot plants than his own family. Botanical detail and facts about animal extinction feel shoehorned in and sadly there are only brief moments of emotional connection. Kelly Apter
Ideation **
theSpaceTriplex, until 27 August
Some of the performances in this Exeter University production are rather better than you might expect from student drama but still don't quite manage to put this over the top. To be fair, many professional theatre companies might struggle to mount Californian playwright Aaron Loeb's black boardroom comedy thriller where a group of execs are tasked with brainstorming a solution to a quite horrifying scenario – as a thought experiment, or so they're told. It's played at a good pace but at 80 minutes this dense, dark material really requires top-tier talent – and even then it would present a challenge. Still, you can't help but admire their ambition. Rory Ford
Independence **
Hill Street Theatre, until 28 August
Edinburgh Little Theatre are a non-professional company, and their examination of the Scottish independence debate needs to be viewed in this context, with some performances and technical aspects less polished and resonant than others. Still, their dramatisation of the Act of Union’s negotiation and a divided Scottish family’s discussions before the 2014 referendum and beyond are a useful historic primer, and apparent attempts to remain non-partisan and let the audience decide at the end are thoughtfully worked out. David Pollock
Freedam **
theSpace on North Bridge, until 27 August
This new family-friendly comedy by Luke Heywood has plenty of colour, energy and cheese puns but it's tough for anyone over 10 to endure. Rival supervillains Ice Cold and Channing Merchandise are both after 60 tons of Edam in a bid to power a mind control signal and a teleportation device. Madam Merchandise is fun but the story is incomprehensible and all the cheesy pop hits can't disguise the fact that the cast's clear enthusiasm for the material is a bit misplaced. Young children might get something out of it but there are better shows out there. Rory Ford
Spit Me Out **
theSpace on the Mile, until 27 August
It feels like a big leap to go from cheery cabaret numbers performed by two men in sequinned waistcoats to an exploration of a young woman’s experiences of sexual violence. While Slap ’N’ Tickle Theatre Company have the best of intentions with this devised piece, attempting to cajole Sophie (Madeleine Gordon) into owning her trauma through song and dance routines feels like a misjudgement. Lawrence Harp and Drew Rafton, who also play her boyfriends, do their fair share of heavy lifting, but by speaking for her for most of the show, they are dancing around some complex and sensitive issues. Susan Mansfield
The Transfiguration of Mrs Lamen **
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August
It is in an awkward venue at an awkward time – mid-morning in Gilded Balloon’s Wine Bar, with a pillar in the middle of the auditorium and the deafening aircon drowning out half the dialogue – but the truth is that The Transfiguration of Mrs Lamen would struggle on any stage. Alex Yates’ Pinter-ish drama presents a pantomime dame (Darren Machin) having a meltdown pre-show, while a stagehand (Charlie Thurston) desperately tries to keep things together. The acting is OTT, though, and Yates’ dialogue is underdeveloped and his direction clunky. No, it isn’t helped by the venue, but it doesn’t help itself either. Fergus Morgan
UK Underdog **
theSpace @Surgeons Hall, until 27 August
Lone performer Steve Spiro tells his own story – or certainly, the character bears his name and it's told in the first-person, although this true tale is apparently ‘based on’, so there may be embellishment in there. He tells of life as a bullied Jewish-English schoolboy who worries about the size of his (not-yet-)manhood and doesn’t quite get the subtext of Frankie Goes to Hollywood lyrics, before finding solace in kung fu and drama, then emigrating to the US after a violent incident. The story is involving and personably told, although the pacing is patchy and in places overlong, and experiences of UK life have clearly been jarringly adapted for a US audience. David Pollock | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-reviews-speed-dial-headcase-beneath-blue-pip-pillows-once-upon-a-midnight-dreary-daylight-taiwan-season-the-whisper-of-the-waves-ideation-independence-freedam-spit-me-out-the-3819980 | 2022-08-25T18:22:33Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-reviews-speed-dial-headcase-beneath-blue-pip-pillows-once-upon-a-midnight-dreary-daylight-taiwan-season-the-whisper-of-the-waves-ideation-independence-freedam-spit-me-out-the-3819980 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A next-generation vest will launch onboard NASA's next-generation spacecraft intended to send astronauts back to the Moon. The purpose of this vest? To protect astronauts from the enhanced radiation they will be exposed to when they travel beyond low Earth orbit. Radiation exposure is a primary concern for space exploration, and ensuring that astronauts have the ability to live and work effectively—and safely—during future Moon missions is crucial.
The AstroRad vest, developed by StemRad and Lockheed Martin, will join research and technology demonstration payloads launching onboard NASA's Artemis I mission no earlier than August 29 from Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will test NASA's Deep Space Exploration System, including ground systems at NASA Kennedy, the agency's Space Launch System rocket, and the uncrewed Orion spacecraft that will orbit the Moon before splashing down on Earth.
The AstroRad vest is designed to protect those organs most sensitive to radiation exposure by protecting stem cell populations within them. Exposure to excessive space radiation can lead to increased risks of cancer, degenerative issues, neurological disorders, early aging, and even death. The goal of having humans living and working in space continuously requires limiting exposure to harmful radiation. For the last two years, astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) have tested a prototype of the AstroRad vest for comfort and wearability.
"The feedback is allowing us to improve the vest so it may be worn for extended periods, because a solar particle event can last from days to weeks," said Oren Milstein, CEO and chief scientific officer at StemRad. "This data, combined with the Artemis I data, will create the ideal vest, as we will have all the information we need to optimize comfort without compromising protection."
The AstroRad vest was on display during the opening keynote at this year's International Space Station Research and Development Conference. The keynote kicked off with a live downlink from the station with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins followed by a panel detailing the benefits of conducting research on the orbiting laboratory.
The ISS National Lab supports an array of technology demonstrations similar to the AstroRad vest, providing unique capabilities for research teams while also enabling business models that can drive commerce in low Earth orbit and beyond.
To learn more about how the ISS National Lab is enabling opportunity on our nation's only research incubator in low Earth orbit, please visit our website.
For a video detailing the AstroRad vest, click here.
To download a high-resolution photo for this release, click here.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit www.ISSNationalLab.org.
Media Contact:
Patrick O'Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/next-gen-vest-designed-protect-astronauts-radiation-will-blast-off-with-artemis/ | 2022-08-25T18:22:47Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/next-gen-vest-designed-protect-astronauts-radiation-will-blast-off-with-artemis/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TORONTO, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - McLean & Company, the globally trusted partner of HR and business leaders, has released its latest blueprint, Use Dashboards to Become a Data-Driven HR Function. The research-backed industry resource is designed to help HR leaders create and use dashboards that reflect meaningful metrics to generate insights and provide data-driven recommendations to various audiences across the organization.
"Impactful decisions can be made from basic metrics and dashboards," says William Howard, Director, HR research & advisory services at McLean & Company. "Becoming data driven doesn't mean losing focus on the people behind the data, but rather that data and metrics must be used to make decisions that benefit employees and the organization overall."
Data and metrics are must-haves for HR teams as data can provide insights and recommendations for many HR functions, including succession planning, retention, engagement, and more. Data-driven organizations experience benefits for both employees and the organization itself, often proving more effective at providing insights to leadership, acting on employee needs in real time, and enabling innovation to produce desired outcomes.
In fact, organizations with a data-driven HR analytics strategy are 45% more likely to score highly in their ability to produce desired outcomes or results and 86% more likely to score highly in their ability to enable innovation.
However, many organizations are not investing in developing HR teams' competencies related to data and metrics, and as a result, HR professionals lack the training required to become data driven and leverage strategic data to their advantage. For example, only 48% of organizations are developing their HR teams in strategic competencies like business acumen, organizational awareness, and data literacy.
There is often a disconnect between how often organizations report metrics and analytics as a top priority and the investment being made in developing HR's data-driven competencies. To combat this, McLean & Company's resource recommends that HR leaders use dashboards as an effective way to present HR data, monitor the current state of affairs, provide insights to meet organizational needs, and ultimately become a data-driven function.
In the blueprint, McLean & Company outlines a four-step process to select metrics and create dashboards that tell a story:
- Select metrics that matter – Establish the target audience for the dashboard, uncover and prioritize needs, translate needs into metrics, and select a project team.
- Identify and gather required data – Recognize DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) considerations, identify required data for selected metrics, assess the quality of required data, collect additional data as necessary, and determine the frequency of measurement and reporting for selected metrics.
- Conduct analysis and craft a story – Combine and prepare the data, calculate the selected metrics, understand the stages of the storytelling model, and develop insights and recommendations based on identified trends.
- Create a dashboard that tells the story – Understand dashboard best practices, choose appropriate visuals to display data, launch the dashboard and associated deliverables, and gather feedback to follow up on recommendations,
The Use Dashboards to Become a Data-Driven HR Function blueprint can be downloaded and viewed now, with a full step-by-step approach to creating dashboards with the right metrics to position any organization's HR team to become a more data-driven function.
To learn more about McLean & Company or to download the latest research, visit hr.mcleanco.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.
Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice methodologies, McLean & Company offers comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans, and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future.
McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group.
Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and Industry analysts through the ITRG Media Insiders Program. To gain access, contact pr@mcleanco.com.
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SOURCE Mclean & Company | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/organizations-with-data-driven-hr-analytics-strategy-are-45-more-likely-achieve-desired-results-says-hr-research-firm-mclean-amp-company/ | 2022-08-25T18:23:03Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/organizations-with-data-driven-hr-analytics-strategy-are-45-more-likely-achieve-desired-results-says-hr-research-firm-mclean-amp-company/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre reviews: Les Dawson: Flying High | The Collie's Shed | Fifteen Minute Break | Baxter vs The Bookies | Earwig | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Carnegie
Jon Culshaw’s nuanced and funny performance as Les Dawson and the emergence of a fresh new voice in Scottish theatre lead our critics’ highlights in this latest round-up. Reviews by Susan Mansfield, Rory Ford, Sally Stott, David Hepburn and David Pollock
Les Dawson: Flying High ****
Assembly George Square, until 28 August
It wouldn’t be hard to profile the audience in the Gordon Aikman Theatre watching Les Dawson: Flying High. They are (like me) old enough to have been watching prime-time TV in the 1980s, old enough to remember Les Dawson, the deadpan delivery, the mother-in-law jokes, the deliberately atrocious piano playing.
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Dead Ringers’ Jon Culshaw cuts a very Les-like figure, dapper in a dinner suit and velvet bow tie. But this show is about more than whether or not he has captured the accent, the mannerisms, the delivery (although he has). Written by Tim Whitnall (who penned the Fringe First-winning Morecambe) and directed by Bob Golding (A Man Called Monkhouse), it’s a thoughtful portrait of a man whose career deserves revisiting.
We meet Les in December 1985, being flown to New York on Concorde to perform at a private party. He’s at the height of his fame, and a few months clear of his first brush with death; his wife Meg is dying of cancer. In this sober context, he reflects on his beginnings and his career, in between running snatches of his act.
All this is expertly stitched together in Whitnall’s fast-paced script, with a giant television backdrop flashing up Hughie Green from the archives, or the Ada and Cissie double-act (both also Culshaw) commenting on the story.
It’s a nuanced portrait of Les, son of a Collyhurst bricklayer, who was accused, in his first gig at Hull Trolleyman’s Club, of “using too many fancy words”. Ever drawn to the literary, this Les quotes Victorian heavyweight Edward Bulwer-Lytton and hankers after being taken seriously as a novelist.
His fame as a comic has been hard won – he was 36 before his big break on Opportunity Knocks – and his attitude to it ambivalent. Culshaw plays him with subtlety and warmth – and plenty of laughs. Susan Mansfield
The Collie's Shed ****
theSpace on North Bridge, until 27 August
Politics and personalities clash violently in this powerful new drama from Scottish playwright Shelley Middler. Former miners, Billy, Tommy and Charlie, now work in an old colliery shed as engravers. Now retired, they spend painstaking hours engraving keyrings and walking sticks to take to craft fairs. They’re not just keeping busy – and it’s hardly for the money – they still take obvious pleasure in each other’s company. Things change when Glen arrives to take charge of the operation. Glen’s also an ex-miner but the lads haven’t seen him in over 30 years since he left East Lothian. Tommy and Charlie are delighted to see their old pal but Billy isn’t because Glen continued to work at Bilston Glen Colliery while Billy and Tommy were on the picket lines.
Remarkably, Middler’s play is written with great economy; she manages to fit more into 50 minutes here than many other shows could at twice the running time. Flashing back to the time of the strikes we see the characters as young men played by four other actors. It’s to the performers’ – and Middler’s – great credit that each man is instantly identifiable. All the performances are note-perfect and we can clearly see that the actions of who they were echo throughout the decades; attitudes don’t change, they harden. As Charlie says, “I’ll be damned if I’ll let something that happened over 30 years ago affect my life,” but he’s really got no choice in the matter anymore. This is exceptionally played and written with a great deal of insight. Middler – who is only 27 – started writing this in lockdown because she was fascinated by the Men’s Shed her grandfather attended. Clearly inspired by real stories, this remarkable play deserves a much bigger audience and is a terrific Fringe debut for a fresh new voice in Scottish theatre. Rory Ford
Fifteen Minute Break ***
The Mother Superior, until 28 August
There’s a lot to like about this quartet of stories from English husband-and-wife duo The Tuppenny Bunters. Why Fiona and David Dulake have chosen to name themselves after a derogatory term for Georgian prostitutes is anyone’s guess but their writing style owes more than a little to acknowledged influences Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Like the Steptoe and Son creators, the Dulakes mine mundane moments for comedy and the four stories take place during breaks in waiting rooms, backstage dressing rooms and the Ink and Paint department at a world-famous studio lot in Burbank, California. All the stories are consistently engaging, although the third “Hellzapoppins” – a notably faster-paced tale of stressed-out Hollywood songwriters set in 1963 – is a real highlight. The Dulakes play co-workers, partners, strangers and – remarkably – blood relatives in the last vignette. They share a very natural comic chemistry – perhaps unsurprisingly as the couple are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary this month. This is a solid Fringe debut and a good excuse to escape the festival blast radius for an enjoyable hour. Hopefully the Dulakes will be back to celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary. Rory Ford
Baxter vs The Bookies ***
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 August
Anyone who enjoys a flutter on the horses will be right at home with actor Andy Linden’s one-man show in which he adapts four stories from Roy Granville’s book of the same name. Baxter is a horse racing tipster who runs an old-fashioned telephone tipping line, but his fortunes are mixed at best, and his failures make the best stories.
There’s the day he loses thousands when he passes out on painkillers for toothache. And the account about the postman who delivers him sure-fire winners from his dreams was never going to end well. Most poignant is the story of love interest Beverley Stokes, who picks winners without exception, which might be one reason she doesn’t pick Baxter.
Linden wears his character with ease, capturing Baxter’s philosophical attitude and dry humour, even if his conspiratorial murmur struggles at times to rise above the sound of the air conditioning in Teviot’s Wee Room. Baxter’s world is conveyed knowledgeably and authentically, but it might be somewhat lost on those with no interest in horse racing. Susan Mansfield
Earwig ***
Assembly Rooms, until 27 August
Marigold’s love of beetles and her desire to be heard, both as a deaf woman and an entomologist, is given a fun, flapper-infused production in this imaginative and unusual little play. Full of Charleston-style dance routines and references to the silent movie era, it is delivered with passion and polish by writer/performer Laura Crow, Ben Hynes and Samantha Vaughan. Like an offbeat Downton Abbey – where Captain Crawley has been replaced by creepy crawlies – it captures the rigid social structures and gender roles of 1927, as well as the way Marigold is increasingly undermined by her husband Nicolas, who constantly refers to her “defects”. Seeking solace from her mother, but finding escape through a woman she meets in the library, Marigold must eventually decide whether or not she wants to be a ‘specimen’ in someone else’s studies.
The ability of cabaret to challenge conformity is mimicked by Marigold’s journey to achieve her dreams at The Underground Society of Wings, Stings and Other Things, before finally and gloriously rejecting Nicholas’s control through the power of sign language. While the exploration of different forms of communication at a time when many were stifled could be explored further, this is an entertaining genre mash-up for fans of period dramas with or without a twist. Sally Stott
The Tragedy of Macbeth ***
Assembly Roxy, until 29 August
If you’re going to put on a production of Macbeth at the world’s largest arts festival you need something pretty special to distinguish yourself from the hundreds of versions that have come before. In using a combination of physical theatre, puppetry and music to tell the well-trodden story on a set that looks like it’s about to be plastered by eight clay-covered actors moonlighting as decorators, Flabbergast Theatre’s Scottish play certainly has a USP.
The majority of the action sticks pretty closely to the text, even if the actors are jiving, jerking and playing percussion while delivering soliloquies. The physical theatre element comes into its own portraying the changing relationship between Macbeth and his ambitious wife, seductive tactility becoming ever more destructive, while the appearance of Banquo’s ghost at a feast the audience is invited to is a bloody delight.
In case you thought they were taking it a bit seriously, any pomposity is punctured by a fool appearing between acts to mock the “avant-garde” content. It’s a welcome comic interlude, but means the rushed plot has to be condensed even further into the too-short 90-minute running time.
It’s a fun experience but by the end it feels as messy as the wine, paint and clay splattered dust sheets that line the stage. David Hepburn
Carnegie ***
Panmure House, until 28 August
Andrew Carnegie, as his one-line biography near the beginning of the text tells us, “became the richest man in the world, chose to meddle in world affairs and got his fingers burnt.” Staged at Panmure House just off the Royal Mile, former home of Adam Smith and now a museum to his life and works, this show about one of the most famous and enigmatic figures in the history of international capital was in the right place for such a story.
Under the direction of Andy Corelli, John Yule’s monologue text is played with a searching energy by actor Ian Sexon, who makes full use of the long, rectangular in-the-round space for his performance, but with a nice balance for the more reflective points where he pulls up in his armchair or by the window. It’s a straight biographical piece of Andrew Carnegie, who went from humble beginnings across the Forth in Dunfermline to industrial fame and fortune in America, before giving his fortune away.
Yet Carnegie was a multi-faceted historical figure, and this is also captured vividly. Coaxed to invest a little money in the railroads, the dividend he earned was the first money he hadn’t physically worked for, and the experience turned him into a capitalist. His love of profit was tempered by a respect for his workers which his underlings didn’t always stick to, and a conviction that “the evolutionary process is best served by ending all wars,” but in his efforts to do so, he and the establishment finally parted ways. David Pollock | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-les-dawson-flying-high-the-collies-shed-fifteen-minute-break-baxter-vs-the-bookies-earwig-the-tragedy-of-macbeth-carnegie-3819092 | 2022-08-25T18:23:20Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-les-dawson-flying-high-the-collies-shed-fifteen-minute-break-baxter-vs-the-bookies-earwig-the-tragedy-of-macbeth-carnegie-3819092 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Powerful documentary on Heaven's most mighty Angel is the latest in the new collection of films inspired by the everyday people who have become saints
DENVER, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fathom Events and Sonovision announce the release of the new documentary film SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL in theaters for one-night-only on Thursday, September 29. Watch the teaser trailer here.
This is the first documentary of its kind on Saint Michael to release in theaters. It will lead the audience to the places of apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel and will include powerful testimonies of faith, riveting Church history, and beautiful architecture and art in Christian culture that will bring people closer to the extraordinary figure of Archangel Michael.
Tickets for SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL can be purchased at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters; for a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Who is Archangel Michael? What is his role in the life of Church history to today? Why do we need angels? These are some of the questions that will be answered and bring inspiration to audiences of all ages.
"SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL will present audiences with an opportunity to really get to know the very first among the pure spirits known as angels – Saint Michael. This look into his life is based on Scripture, history and Church teaching," said Konrad Sosnowski, CEO of Sonovision. "The documentary focuses on the history of the person and the veneration of the Commander of the Hosts of Heaven, Saint Michael the Archangel."
SAINT MICHAEL arrives as part of a new offering by Fathom Events called The Saint Series, a special collection of films in which moviegovers can learn the fascinating stories behind everyday people who became Catholic saints.
After the SAINT MICHAEL documentary film plays, audiences are encouraged to remain in their seats as the filmmakers have produced a bonus feature that includes commentary from several leaders and experts who will expound upon the efficacy of Archangel Michael and the meaning of angels and holy helpers in general. This bonus feature adds to the rich documentary content that will expose viewers to the divine mystery of the angelic. Some of the notable leaders to appear in the bonus feature include: Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, author of Consecration to Saint Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father; Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, Provincial Superior of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception; Fr. Robert Altier; and Fr. Wolgang Seitz, ORC, of the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross and Secretary of Opus Sanctorum Angelorum.
"In a world of increasing darkness and chaos, God has set up for us a supernatural force to help us combat this evil," said Fr. Wolfgang Seitz of Opus Angelum, an order dedicated to studying and propagating the work of the Holy Angels. "SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL introduces us to the Holy Angels especially Saint Michael which explains his importance through scripture and Church teaching. You need to call upon the angels as they are your first line of defense."
For more information and for resources including still images, promotional images, video trailers and a downloadable discussion guide, please visit http://www.saintmichaelmovie.com.
ABOUT FATHOM EVENTS
Fathom Events is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit FathomEvents.com.
ABOUT SONOVISION
Sonovision is an American founded sales and distribution company based in Warsaw Poland, with offices in Los Angeles, California and Vienna, Austria. Thanks to a history of forty years in the film industry, with its first distribution company, DMS – Distribution & Media Services, being started in Los Angeles, California in the late 80's, it has very strong relationships and experienced partners worldwide. In the USA and Poland Sonovision is a theatrical distributor, and represents numerous films as a sales agent worldwide. It has cooperated with companies like Miramax, Netflix, and Discovery. Sonovision is present at all the major Film Festivals and Markets, and is always open to new partnerships and ventures.
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SOURCE Fathom Events | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/saint-michael-meet-angel-hits-theaters-thursday-september-29th-part-fathom-events-new-saint-series/ | 2022-08-25T18:23:35Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/saint-michael-meet-angel-hits-theaters-thursday-september-29th-part-fathom-events-new-saint-series/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre reviews: SK Shlomo: Breathe – The Play That Becomes a Rave | Sandcastles | SAY IF IT'S NOT OKAY | Cake and Violence | Dear Little Loz
Be prepared for beatboxing star and Fringe regular SK Shlomo to move both your heart and your feet with the deeply personal play that becomes a rave – the standout show among our latest round-up of theatre reviews. Words by David Pollock, Joyce McMillan and Sally Stott.
SK Shlomo: Breathe – The Play That Becomes a Rave ****
Pleasance Dome (Venue 23), until 28 August
Beatboxing star and Fringe regular SK Shlomo has the kind of career in music that most other artists might be content with, and a set of experiences which include Pyramid Stage appearances at the Glastonbury Festival alongside artists like Ed Sheeran. Yet by the time they hit their thirties, they were living in a rural village, married with a child and supposedly among people with whom they had nothing in common. Their anxiety and depression worsened, and they reached a point at which there seemed no way out of these feelings.
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This is the most personal of all Shlomo's varied and inventive shows at the Fringe, and as they inform their audience at the beginning, they only need three tools to tell it: their voice; their homemade sampling sequencer named 'The Beast', a rumbling, glowing machine from which additional rhythms which their dynamic vocal talent just isn't capable of layering emerge; and a Mi.Mu glove, a device created by the musician Imogen Heap, which allows Shlomo to trigger the Beast with simple hand gestures.
Recounted as a piece of storytelling theatre, Shlomo’s life tale is brisk and involving, and they recount the highs alongside the obstacles of life in ways which reveal and illuminate a very personal path. They subsume their family's vibrant Iraqi-Jewish heritage at school to fit in, their light skin allowing them to become just Simon Khan in the eyes of prejudiced teachers and street corner bullies. Their ADHD is referenced within and outside the text, and part of their eventual awakening involves an acceptance of their own non-binary identity.
Breathe is subtitled The Play That Becomes a Rave, and it really does; be prepared to all get up together. A deeply personal exploration at first, it becomes a joyful work about coming together to find shared meaning and purpose in music, even when at first you think you have nothing in common. David Pollock
Sandcastles ***
Assembly Rooms (Venue 20), until 27 August
Friendship is, and always has been, a vital subject for young writers on the Edinburgh Fringe; perhaps because they are often themselves navigating the transition between those student days when friends often become an alternative family, and a new phase in which some of those seemingly unbreakable friendships may crumble, under the pressures of adult life.
In Steven McMahon’s heartfelt Fringe debut play Sandcastles - thoughtfully directed by Kolbrun Bjort Sigfusdottir for Brite Productions - Beth and Hannah are two women in their twenties who have been friends since early childhood, when they met in the local play-park.
Their relationship falters, though, when Beth suddenly announces that she is moving to New York, to take up a new job. Hannah is too shocked to offer immediate heartfelt congratulations, Beth is offended; and although they patch things up, and Hannah plans a visit to New York, fate cruelly intervenes, in a way foreshadowed by strange lists of dates and locations that Hannah obsessively repeats, as the show begins.
There’s something about the extreme intensity of Beth and Hannah’s relationship that never seems fully explained in McMahon’s play, despite strong and thoughtful performances from Marion Geoffray and Sarah Miele; they seem to have no parents, no partners, no other friends, and a fiercely argumentative focus on each other that never quite rings true. Yet Sandcastles remains a vivid experience, brief, passionate and tightly focussed on the complexities of a friendship cruelly lost; and it promises better things to come, from this writing and directing team. Joyce McMillan
SAY IF IT'S NOT OKAY ***
Greenside @ Infirmary Street (Venue 236), Until 27 August
“Hi,” she says with the comforting voice of someone who’s had a year in psychotherapy, at the start of what turns out to be a surprisingly upbeat exploration of grief and learning to say when things aren’t “okay”. A quietly courageous presence, writer/ performer Angela Johnson tells us that when she was seven, her mother died and after this awful event, she stopped talking. Now, years later, she is having therapy in a place she describes “like John Lewis on a Monday morning”, where there’s always a staff member ready to help, but – in a surprising twist – also her mother, who watches over her from an idiosyncratic afterlife, playfully commenting on Angela’s lipstick and life choices, joined by an array of other characters who have “passed on”, from famous figures such as Nora Ephron to an unappreciative ex who split up with Angela when he decided she wasn’t “symmetrical” enough.
Powered by Johnson’s good humour, we gain well observed and warmly delivered insights into her life, with lots of pertinent reminders on our right to have a voice, even when it’s sometimes easier not to. A personal show with bigger points to make, it finds a lot of joy in the unlikeliest of places. Sally Stott
Cake and Violence ***
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), until 27 August
She plays a giant cake like the piano and has the wry, understated delivery of an offbeat character in an independent American film. If you, somehow, haven’t realised that you’re at the Edinburgh Fringe, Natalie ‘Nat’ Griffen’s one-woman show will certainly remind you. A kitchen knife, which she occasionally wields, along with a man in an apron, who brings out more sponge-based treats, only adds to the effect. But at the centre of the crumbs and cream, which increasingly cover the stage, is a story of Nat’s at times difficult relationship with food and herself, which she tells through quirky scenes, sketches and her deliciously dry (unlike the cake) monologues.
Describing feeling disconnected from her body, only able to feel if it involves "cake and violence", Griffen creates an unusually imaginative and entertaining exploration of sensory stimulation. The late-night slot is perfectly suited to her mellow delivery – a refreshing respite from the frantic drinking, fliering and performances going on elsewhere. What makes us feel is a question that’s left open-ended and while the piece may not have any answers, Nat – wonderfully laid back as she takes her bow – seems happy with that, and because she’s so cool, so does everyone else. Sally Stott
Dear Little Loz ***
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), until 27 August
She’s a laugh, “a proper crack” she tells us, but also “a cheeky bitch and a flirt.” Torn between what’s an appropriate level of “slutty” for a date with a man she’s never met, Loz is also a year eight schoolgirl living in Blackpool, equally as committed to winning the year heads’ egg and spoon race, which she hopes her Dad will come and watch. A sparkling if not entirely blended mix of contradictions, she rattles through her wryly observed thoughts, ideas and exchanges – from the sticky sleaze of the dancefloor to navigating her father’s depression at home – with great humour, perception and charm, powered by the rolling momentum of writer/ performer Lauren-Nicole Maye’s sparkling dialogue.
“No boy who likes you will ever leave you,” her soon-to-be absent dad says, but what might sound like good advice seems less so as Loz latches on to the dull creep she meets on her date, painfully speculating over whether he might be “the one”. Forced to complete her school race alone, she decides that some men deserve her detachment rather than unconditional love. It’s an idea that could be developed more, but Maye’s writing and performance is a theatrical force that shows a huge amount of promise. Sally Stott | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-sk-shlomo-breathe-the-play-that-becomes-a-rave-sandcastles-say-if-its-not-okay-cake-and-violence-dear-little-loz-3817338 | 2022-08-25T18:23:40Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-sk-shlomo-breathe-the-play-that-becomes-a-rave-sandcastles-say-if-its-not-okay-cake-and-violence-dear-little-loz-3817338 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh Festival Fringe theatre reviews: The Village and the Road | Love Them to Death | The Stones | A Matter of Time | When We Were Normal | Jesus, Jane, Mother & Me | Love Me or I’ll Kill Myself
A musical meditation on dying villages across Europe, a tense tug-of-war over a child’s wellbeing and an atmospheric horror story all feature in our latest round-up of Fringe theatre. Reviews by Susan Mansfield, David Pollock, David Hepburn and Sally Stott
The Village and the Road ****
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30), until 29 August
Some years ago, the poet Tom Pow received a Creative Scotland grant to visit dying villages around Europe. Various works have been inspired by that journey, the latest being this poignant piece of theatre created with folk music quartet The Galloway Agreement and directed by Matthew Zajac.
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Pow’s script weaves a route among many different villages and roads, from the young Laurie Lee, setting out one midsummer morning with his violin, to the high plains of Northern Spain or the Oblast of Kostroma in Russia. But the direction is always the same: the road taking people (usually the young) away from the village, towards the city.
Some leave their homes driven out by danger, but most leave for better opportunities elsewhere. In the west of Ireland, families hold something like a wake for a departing son or daughter. The Welsh have the word “hiraeth”, a longing for an idea of home which is never satisfied. In Russia, Pow meets a woman who tells him how her village was once full of song; now, the only singer leaves quietly, without having sung.
So strong is this common theme that there is a danger that the stories start to blend into one another, losing their distinguishing features. But Pow’s rich blend of poetry and prose keeps finding new notes to strike.
The musicians, on stage throughout like a chorus, drive the narrative too, while weaving a soundscape of tunes and traditions from their own European travels. “How do you tell a village is dying?” they ask, near the end of the show, and the answer is a fierce, angry, keenly observed monologue which remains etched on the mind long after the lights come up. Susan Mansfield
Love Them to Death ****
Underbelly (Venue 61), until 28 August
“Do you remember when it was normal just to feel things?” asks teacher Kelly, in rhetorical monologue to the audience, her wit’s end fast approaching with the concerned parent making relentless requests and complaints regarding her primary-aged son Danny’s physical health and anxiety. Yet Gemma, that emotionally overburdened parent, doesn’t think Kelly or the school are taking her concerns seriously enough. “A mother knows when something is wrong with her own child,” she pleads, not unreasonably.
Playwright Max Dickins’ new work is on one hand a compelling fusion of medical and classroom drama, and there are elements of it which wouldn’t seem out of place on a particularly compelling episode of Casualty. Yet where the Hannah Eidinow-directed two-hander really finds its groove is in the way it builds a sense of ambiguity until the very end, with each character presenting a case which sounds compelling and a personality which seems just flawed enough to raise doubts about them.
Kelly (Claire-Louise Cordwell) appears no-nonsense and effective, and some may indeed empathise with her belief that children are mollycoddled and overprotected these days. “Aren’t children meant to be challenging?” she implores. “He’s five years old!” Yet she’s been censured for her own over-close relationships with children before – perhaps she’s the one with the overactive imagination, born from an unpleasantly suspicious nature?
The pressure felt by Gemma (Helena Antoniou), meanwhile, is palpable, as she frets over Danny’s seemingly chronic but tricky to diagnose health conditions, including the blood in his urine, the long-term lack of appetite and complications from a previous hospital admission. Yet is her earnest boast about doing many hours of internet research a red flag, and is she really a fantasist? A teacher at Danny’s old school believes so.
Through the strong writing and performances, we get a vivid sense of Danny – or the two possible versions of him at least, healthy and unhealthy – even though the child never appears. Whoever’s side you might find yourself taking, you may not look at who bears ultimate responsibility for a child’s health the same way again. David Pollock
The Stones ****
Assembly Roxy (Venue 139), until 29 August
Theatrical monologues are a staple of the Fringe: simple to stage on a low budget in a small venue, with the script given the chance to shine unencumbered by the bells and whistles expected of larger productions. The Stones is an example of the genre in its purest form; a single performer on a bare stage simply telling a story. And actor Luke Mullins tells writer and director Kit Brookman’s gothic tale beautifully.
It all starts when Nick receives a message from a former schoolmate inviting him to the theatre. He accepts, having recently quit his job and fresh from a brutal breakup with his boyfriend. Newly liberated, Nick plans to take the chance to confess to a cruel campaign of hate he secretly waged on his fellow pupil many years earlier that left him wracked with guilt, only stopping himself at the last moment.
While catching up with his blissfully ignorant friend he meets a wealthy woman called Amelia, who offers him a dream job tutoring her two children in a luxurious country pile next to a mysterious dried up lake known as the Dead Mire. All goes well at first, but then strange stones start appearing in Nick’s locked cottage, while the initially-quaint local festival seems to be less wicker basket and more Wicker Man.
This is a masterclass in slowly ratcheting up tension with little more than dry ice, an understated soundtrack and tremendously lyrical writing. A text message has “an initial ‘C’ hanging like a claw at the end”, hinting at the horrors to come, while Amelia appears like “a heron perched in a dead tree”. Coming across like an episode of Tales of the Unexpected written by Edgar Allan Poe, it’s a satisfying dark mystery, regularly undercut with black humour, that’s sure to haunt you for days. David Hepburn
A Matter of Time ***
C ARTS | C venues | C cubed (Venue 19), until 28 August
Like a young Bridget Christie in the ant phase of her career, Anjali Singh appears from the dark wearing a cardboard grandfather clock-face in this surreal, offbeat and insightful little comedy about the unseen pressures of time and the rigid structures, which have, over the course of time, been imposed on us to standardise our behaviour – in particular, the working day, week and year.
It’s fun and fascinating stuff, as Singh, an accomplished theatre maker and performer, carries out musical numbers and spoken word scenes, spanning theories and philosophies of time, its history, and her relationship with her boyfriend, on its own timer, as she has agreed to split up with him on a set date in the future, as he doesn’t want to have children and she does.
Hamilton’s Non-Stop, with its “running out of time” recurring lyrics, is a fitting anthem for Singh’s one-woman revolution against time, as is Pulp’s Common People as we travel through the industrialisation period that led to many of the working structures that we still have today. “Time is not a cage,” she says, with her beautiful voice ever-ready for a song. Things finish a bit suddenly, but a message of self-agency over inherited structures and living in the moment is a thought-provoking conclusion to a refreshingly unusual show. Sally Stott
When We Were Normal ***
theSpace Triplex (Venue 38), until 27 August
There is much to commend in this tender coming-of-age story by Maddie Lynes, staged by Three Sisters Productions. Max (Emily Beck) is studying for her A levels while helping her mum, Melanie (Maria Pointer), a former dancer who has MS. When the precociously confident Ophelia (Aine McNamara) transfers from a private school and gets assigned to Max a study partner, she’s soon learning more than As You Like It.
Lynes has written what feels like a fully fleshed-out family story, and it’s always a pleasure to see a cast of five on stage at the Fringe. There are strong performances all round, particularly from McNamara and Pointer, and Naphysa Awuah and Dan Pattern add comedy value as the garrulous neighbour and airhead boyfriend.
It needs more pace and tension, less time spent on scene changes and a little more punch in its ending, but there is a lot of promising writing here which is developed into sensitive performances. It’s also a pleasure to see drama evolving from the ebb and flow of life, rather than a play which revolves around a major trauma. Susan Mansfield
Jesus, Jane, Mother & Me ***
Pleasance Dome (Venue 23), until 29 August
Philip Stokes – writer of Heroin(e) for Breakfast and My Filthy Hunt – makes his return to the Fringe with this dark tale of a disturbed superfan. When we meet 18-year-old Daniel Valentine (Jack Stokes), he’s back in the family home to “tie up some loose ends”. With his cut-glass vowels and confident bearing, he seems much older than his years and perfectly in control.
The truth is, he’s anything but. A troubled child of a troubled single mother, Daniel’s childhood was rescued first by the Church, then by fanatical devotion to singer Jane McDonald. His mother was a massive Jane fan too, but as Daniel gets older, and the wheels come off at school, all that he felt he could rely on begins to crumble.
Despite a powerful performance by Stokes, and an atmospheric set and lighting by Craig Lomas, I was never entirely convinced by Daniel’s story, nor by the affected accent he has chosen to adopt. Can anyone, after two years of homelessness, still sound so assured? Hurtling towards its apocalyptic conclusion, this play is less “darkly funny”, more unremittingly bleak. Susan Mansfield
Love Me or I’ll Kill Myself ***
ZOO Playground (Venue 186), until 28 August
Having been, like so many performers, unable to put on her show in 2020, Faith Brandon is here now to “create a real connection, spontaneous and magic.” As she intensely stares out across the audience, it’s a formidable thought. But Brandon’s exploration of love and obsession isn’t scared of making its audience feel uncomfortable – and today, Fran in the front row, who looks extremely worried, is the recipient of her affections.
While a bit more care could be taken to pick someone who’s at least slightly up for audience participation, the unease has a point – and is contrasted with the sad desperation of Faith’s own globe-trotting infatuation, with a man from Barcelona who “keeps looking at other women”. Initially seeming like dark Fatal Attraction-style comedy, the show cleverly shifts our sympathies from the obsessed over to the obsessive.
Scenes evolve in surprising and original ways, as the increasingly manic Faith moves from self-help mantras to a magic spell to win her love back through “a web of desire” created live on stage. By the end, Fran is finally given a chance to say (a very quiet) “no” to Faith’s advances through a conclusion that effectively captures the passion, pain and sheer awkwardness of unrequited love. Sally Stott | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-the-village-and-the-road-love-them-to-death-the-stones-a-matter-of-time-when-we-were-normal-jesus-jane-mother-me-love-me-or-ill-kill-myself-3818432 | 2022-08-25T18:23:53Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe-theatre-reviews-the-village-and-the-road-love-them-to-death-the-stones-a-matter-of-time-when-we-were-normal-jesus-jane-mother-me-love-me-or-ill-kill-myself-3818432 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In northern Colorado, Matt McCombs walked around the state’s nursery where thousands of trees are grown.
“Right here, there’s about 30,000 to 40,000 seedlings in production,” Matt McCombs, director of the Colorado State Forest Service, said as he walked around the Colorado State Forest Service’s tree nursery. “We’re one of the few states left in the intermountain West that has a functioning state nursery.”
From seed to being planted in the ground, this operation plays a vital role in reforestation efforts on public, private, and state lands.
“Reforestation is basically the planting of trees,” he said. “We've supported planting efforts in Wyoming, in Utah, in New Mexico.”
The Biden Administration recently announced a goal of planting more than one billion trees in the next decade to reduce the forest service’s backlog and combat climate change.
“Impacts from insects and disease, or wildfire, or flooding are all disturbances that can take out a stand of trees,” he said.
But McCombs says trees provide important benefits.
“Clean air, clean water, abundant habitats,” he explained.
Forestry practitioner Jeff Ravage says restoring forests is crucial for helping with extreme weather events caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. He is also part of a nonprofit ecological restoration organization in Colorado.
“Since the last ice age, the average amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was about 180 parts per million,” Ravage explained.
Ravage says now that’s closer to 420 parts per million.
“Trees happen to be the ones that live a long time and absorb a lot of carbon over their lifetime,” he said.
This nursery in Colorado is currently struggling to meet any new demand.
“We're not taking any orders. We’re at peak capacity with staffing and our current infrastructure,” McCombs said.
But with the help of state and federal dollars, he hopes to double or triple the current capacity.
The Replant Act, which is part of Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, will play a role in helping these nurseries expand.
“We expect anywhere upwards to $100 million to $150 million a year to be available for reforestation efforts all across the country,” McCombs said.
With the added funds and more support, he said the idea of plating one billion trees may not seem as daunting as it sounds.
“The way you get to one billion trees is one tree at a time,” McCombs said. “We don't necessarily get to see the full benefits in our lifetime, but we know we’ve put a down payment on a positive future for our kids and grandkids.” | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/one-billion-trees-state-nurseries-work-to-help-with-federal-reforestation-goals | 2022-08-25T18:25:34Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/one-billion-trees-state-nurseries-work-to-help-with-federal-reforestation-goals | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh and Glenrothes confirmed as latest store openings for fast-growing pet shop chain
Pet shop chain Jollyes has announced details of two further store openings in Scotland as part of a near-£1 million investment this year.
The latest branches will open in Glenrothes, Fife, on September 24 and in Edinburgh this autumn. It follows the opening of Jollyes in Stirling in June and builds on the popularity with local pet lovers of the long-standing stores at Clydebank and Perth.
Together, the three openings take the firm’s total investment in Scotland this year to almost £1m, creating 34 jobs and taking the total number of workers in Scotland to 55.
The Edinburgh store, at Hermiston Gait Retail Park, will also feature a dog grooming salon.
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Kerry Midgley, regional manager, said: “We’re continuing to look at other locations and strongly believe Scotland will be an important area of growth for Jollyes in the future.
“The investment we’re making at Glenrothes and Edinburgh builds on the success of our existing stores and with five stores across Scotland we are now starting to create a significant footprint and becoming a name that will become increasingly familiar.”
Backed by Kester Capital, Jollyes has more than 80 stores across the UK. In July, it acquired Penparc Pet Centres with five stores in the Midlands, which together with new openings in Cookstown, Wrexham, Stirling, Southport, Stockton-on-Tees and Poole has accelerated the pace of expansion.
Bosses said demand has never been higher, helped by a surge in pet ownership during the pandemic and increasing recognition of the health and well-being benefits that pets bring. There are now 35 million pets in the UK.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/business/edinburgh-and-glenrothes-confirmed-as-latest-store-openings-for-fast-growing-pet-shop-chain-3817603 | 2022-08-25T18:25:39Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/business/edinburgh-and-glenrothes-confirmed-as-latest-store-openings-for-fast-growing-pet-shop-chain-3817603 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A DISTINTS a novelty, of a class to its' pee-dles & noone quite yet knowing exactly what to call or class it a combination combination with more advantages than some more substantial machines can be put in evidence (it is built by George P., Culmer Co, and is known in their show and records; at Cinc., Ind & Pitts, has been made by Caldierson or Co.; now Culmetons Were to start when the event first commensed and that event could not occur because there is no more light of evening yet (and not much at event). WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Thursday submitted to a judge proposed redactions to the affidavit it relied on when federal agents searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump to look for classified documents.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart will decide whether the sealed FBI affidavit, which presumably lays out a detailed factual basis for the search, will become public — and if so, how much is disclosed.
“The United States has filed a submission under seal per the Court's order of Aug. 22,” Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement. “The Justice Department respectfully declines further comment as the Court considers the matter.”
Reinhart had given the department until Thursday at noon to propose to him the redactions to the affidavit it wanted to make before any portion of it was released to the public. But he acknowledged on Monday that it was possible that the redactions, or blacked-out portions, would be so extensive as to leave the public version of the document without any meaningful information.
The affidavit is likely to contain key information about the FBI's basis for executing a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Aug. 8. Documents already made public as part of the investigation show that the FBI retrieved from the property 11 sets of classified documents, including information marked at the top secret level.
The documents also showed that the FBI was investigating the “willful retention of national defense information,” the concealment or removal of government records, and obstruction of a federal investigation.
Multiple news media organizations, including The Associated Press, argued in court last week for disclosing the affidavit, citing the extraordinary public interest in the federal search of a former president's home. Trump and some of his supporters have also encouraged the document's release.
The media coalition responded to Thursday's filing by asking the judge to unseal portions of the department's brief and to direct the government, “going forward," to file publicly a redacted version of any sealed document it submits. The groups noted that significant information about the investigation is already public.
“At a minimum, any portions of the Brief that recite those facts about the investigation, without revealing additional ones not yet publicly available — in addition to any other portions that pose no threat to the investigation — should be unsealed,” the news organization wrote.
They added: “If and when additional facts come to light and are confirmed to be accurate, or certain facts no longer pose a threat to the investigation for any other reason, there is no justification for maintaining them under seal either.”
The Justice Department has opposed the release, saying the disclosure risks compromising an ongoing criminal investigation, revealing information about witnesses and divulging investigative techniques.
Reinhart has said that though he was sensitive to the department's concerns, he was not inclined to keep the entire document sealed and directed officials to submit to him redactions of the document reflecting the information it wanted to keep secret. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/trump-search-judge-given-proposed-redactions-to-affidavit | 2022-08-25T18:25:40Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/trump-search-judge-given-proposed-redactions-to-affidavit | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
« Anger at Police Attack! Anger\nWoman shot through the stomic in a stuput\nSonika Gujaa had a bump. There has never been another baby after it! Then again one and had three children. The mother said that because one person fell out while the car was riding was. As her stolen goods she gave and the bum gave himself into his lap-and had all. His hand also grabbed an ar The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced earlier this week that they were again extending its waiver deadline for those in need of baby formula.
On Wednesday, the agency said the waivers made available through the federal WIC nutrition program would be extended through the end of the year.
The current waivers were set to expire on Sept. 30.
“USDA recognizes the flexibilities provided by these waivers remain necessary as we continue to pull every lever to address infant formula supply issues and provide certainty for families,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release. “We will continue to work all hands on deck to ensure families can access infant formula, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to get more safe formula on store shelves nationwide.”
The waiver program was first introduced in June to deal with the infant formula crisis.
The crisis began in February amid the coronavirus pandemic and then was exacerbated after Abbott announced a voluntary recall and then had to shut its Michigan factory due to contamination, the agency said.
The agency said close to 500 waivers have been issued to WIC state agencies. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/usda-extends-baby-formula-waivers-through-end-of-year | 2022-08-25T18:25:46Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/usda-extends-baby-formula-waivers-through-end-of-year | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scots packaging group Macfarlane braced for inflationary challenge after robust results
Scottish protective packaging provider Macfarlane Group is bracing itself for a “challenging environment” but remains confident that it can mitigate the impact of spiralling inflation.
Posting first-half results revealing a rise in sales and profit, the Glasgow-headquartered group said it had achieved a “solid performance”, particularly when compared to a strong trading period a year earlier.
It said this had been achieved against the backdrop of a slowdown in spending from the e-commerce sector and “significant inflationary pressure” on operating costs.
As well as distributing a range of protective packaging products, the firm designs and manufactures packaging for high value and fragile items.
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The business employs more than 1,000 people at 37 sites, principally in the UK, as well as in Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. It supplies more than 20,000 customers, chiefly in the UK and Europe.
Chief executive Peter Atkinson pointed out that utility costs accounted for a relatively small proportion of the group’s outgoings, with other rising costs such as labour presenting a bigger challenge. He also highlighted a “strong pipeline” of potential acquisitions in the UK and mainland Europe following a recent German deal.
Results for the six months to the end of June show the group generated revenues from continuing operations of just over £139.2 million, up 14 per cent on a year earlier. Operating profit was up 4 per cent to £9.6m while profit before tax rose 3 per cent to almost £8.9m. An interim dividend of 0.9p per share was declared, marking a year-on-year increase of 3 per cent.
Chairman Stuart Paterson said: “The group has achieved a solid performance in the first half of 2022. This has been achieved against the backdrop of a slowdown in spend from the e-commerce sector and significant inflationary pressure on operating costs. We have also made strategic IT investments and incurred start-up costs on our new north-west of England distribution centre.
“We expect to experience a continuing challenging environment with inflationary pressure on our operating costs and slower demand from our e-commerce customers.
“Overall, the group is confident that the effectiveness of our strategy, the diversity of the customers and sectors we serve, the quality of our people, and the resilience of our business model will ensure 2022 will be another year of growth for Macfarlane.”
After nine years serving on the board, Paterson is set to be replaced as chairman by Aleen Gulvanessian, who joined the board last October.
Analysts at house brokerage Shore Capital said the firm had published a “robust” set of first-half numbers, “pleasingly demonstrating continued year-on-year revenue, profits and earnings growth”.
They added: “The update provides the board and us with confidence in the group meeting our [full-year] estimates, so we leave them unchanged at this juncture.
“We remain excited around the group’s growth opportunities especially within industrial markets and as it continues to gain traction in continental Europe by leveraging its ‘buy & build’ model.”
In May, Macfarlane sealed its first overseas acquisition in a number of years, with the firm buying PackMann, a packaging distribution business based in Eppelheim near Heidelberg, Germany, in a multi-million euro deal.
The group said the acquisition was in line with its strategy of building its protective packaging business in northern Europe through a combination of organic and acquisitive growth.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/business/scots-packaging-group-macfarlane-braced-for-inflationary-challenge-after-robust-results-3818678 | 2022-08-25T18:26:25Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/business/scots-packaging-group-macfarlane-braced-for-inflationary-challenge-after-robust-results-3818678 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Publica, a leading Connected TV (CTV) ad server owned by Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), today announced a partnership with ANTHYM Technologies, a coalition of free, ad-supported streaming TV platforms.
As a demand agnostic Connected TV Ad Server, Publica helps global publishers deliver a seamless ad experience via the introduction of Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) while helping them maximize revenue by running a unified-auction between multiple SSPs and Ad Exchanges. Publica now powers header bidding, server-side ad insertion (SSAI), and ad-break decisioning for some of the biggest streaming publishers and smart TV manufacturers in the world.
ANTHYM leverages Publica's SSAI technology to power its advanced ad tech and manage the inventory of its robust coalition of CTV applications and FAST networks. This enables advertisers to seamlessly integrate with a high-quality portfolio of independent publishers and gain access to a broad, diversified audience while also bringing economies of scale to indie creators. The result is better performance and monetization for both advertisers and publishers. The coalition includes ANTHYM's flagship app, AnthymTV, which was recently featured on Pixalate's list of top CTV applications, and the 911 Network (now streaming on FuboTV, DistroTV, and AnthymTV) as well as dozens of other top independent publishers."
Quote from ANTHYM's CEO:
"After working directly with just about every major CTV ad server in the market, I can safely say Publica has emerged as a market leader in advanced ad serving technology. ANTHYM prides itself on sitting on the forefront of advanced ad tech, and I'm thrilled with the results our streaming applications have experienced since joining forces with Publica," said Nick Cartier, Founder and CEO, ANTHYM.
Quote from Publica's CEO:
"We're thrilled to collaborate with the team at ANTHYM and help them to maximize their CTV ad revenues. Leveraging Publica's ad server technology allows ANTHYM to increase demand, provide programmatic advertisers with better access to inventory and provide a relevant viewing experience for consumers," said Ben Antier, Co-Founder and CEO, Publica.
About ANTHYM Technologies
ANTHYM operates and represents a coalition of free ad-supported CTV applications, including its flagship platform – "AnthymTV (recently ranked in Pixaelate's Top 100 CTV applications) and several FAST channels (including the 911 Network)". ANTHYM prides itself on sitting on the forefront of programmatic ad tech, original content development, and R&D in the CTV sector. For more information, visit https://www.anthymtech.com.
Media Contact
info@anthymtv.com
About Publica
Publica is a leading Connected TV (CTV) ad platform and works with many of the world's biggest broadcasters, TV manufacturers, and OTT apps. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Publica provides solutions for publishers to maximize their revenue across their CTV inventory through key solutions including a Unified Auction, Ad Pod Management, Audience Management, and Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI). Publica serves over 5 billion ads on CTV every month, delivering quality ad experiences for Samsung, MLB, Paramount, Crunchyroll, E. W. Scripps, Fox, IGN, Philo, XUMO, and more. For more information, visit https://www.getpublica.com/
Media Contact
press@getpublica.com
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SOURCE Integral Ad Science, Inc. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/anthym-technologies-partners-with-publicas-ad-server-create-advanced-ctv-advertising-experience/ | 2022-08-25T18:26:40Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/anthym-technologies-partners-with-publicas-ad-server-create-advanced-ctv-advertising-experience/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Bench (www.bench.co), a leading bookkeeping and tax advisory fintech platform, is pleased to announce that Jean-Philippe (JP) Durrios, current President and CFO, has been appointed the company's new CEO.
"When searching for a new CEO for Bench, the candidate that stood out was the one that was on our team already," said Shawn Abbott, co-Founder at iNovia Capital, Bench Board Member, and Chair of the search committee.
Matt Gorin, Managing Partner and co-Founder at Contour Venture Partners, who led Bench's Seed Round and Series C, further added: "JP has the dedication, ambition and broad operational excellence that we were looking for in filling the role."
JP had joined Bench in January 2022 as the company's first President and CFO. With over 20 years of experience helping scale pioneering tech companies such as DISQO, ServiceTitan, Neustar, MarketShare, Yahoo! and Overture Services, JP is uniquely positioned to lead Bench on its mission to help every business owner thrive, by providing financial insight and peace of mind in one seamless platform.
"I am grateful for the support of the board and the team. Bench has the unique opportunity to address the needs of 400 million underserved business owners globally and help make access to successful entrepreneurship more equitable," said JP. "I am excited to continue partnering with our amazing Benchmates to realize our vision of a world where every person has the opportunity to own a thriving business."
"We were committed to finding a leader that embodied the spirit and vision behind Bench," says Jordan Menashy, Bench Co-Founder and Board Member, "JP was the clear choice, with his background propelling companies at our stage, the level of execution he's brought already, and his deep commitment to realizing Bench's potential to improve the lives of millions of business owners."
Bench is the world's largest bookkeeping services and tax advisory platform, with over 12,000 U.S. based clients supported by 650 employees affectionately known as Benchmates. Pairing its intuitive software and financial products with a dedicated accounting team, Bench combines the convenience and efficiency of modern technology with the expertise and time-savings afforded by a professional service. Bench has raised over $100 million in funding to-date from renowned investors such as Contour Venture Partners, iNovia Capital, Bain Capital, Altos Ventures, Bank of Montreal, Sage, and Shopify. Follow @Bench or visit https://bench.co/
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SOURCE Bench | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/bench-appoints-jean-philippe-durrios-ceo/ | 2022-08-25T18:26:54Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/bench-appoints-jean-philippe-durrios-ceo/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The flexible working façade begins to crumble - Betsy Williamson
The last two and a half years have fired the synapses of our business leaders in ways they could never have predicted.
Every business has had to overcome hurdles - with each obstacle coming at them harder and faster, while the finish line remains perilously out of sight.
From the pandemic and the associated physical and mental health of staff as well as the legality and practicality of working protocols, firms have landed straight into a crippling hiring crisis with a yawning talent gap.
We now find ourselves wading into a cost of living nightmare that will stretch employers’ duty of care again – and all this before we’ve considered the nuts and bolts of running a business – the profits, losses and five year plans.
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From our recent client conversations, it is the latter that is fuelling an increasing desire to get teams back to something resembling full time office working.
They’re not alone. The outgoing prime minister has done his best to reverse the homeworking trend catalysed by the pandemic’s measures, going as far as referring to those office-working Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays by an impolite acronym – even chiding that young people will fall in love with offices again because “Mother Nature does not like working from home”.
Global business leaders are coming down hard on home-working. It has been reported that Elon Musk is demanding his workers return to the office with leaked memos laying bare his methods to force his employees at SpaceX and Tesla back towards a standard working week, reportedly telling workers that they were required to “spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week. Those who did not do so would be fired” and “The more senior you are, the more visible must be your presence”.
The view of our more boutique clients is that smaller businesses struggle more with the concept of remote working, given the delicate balance of limited resource versus productivity - and that teams are too small to be able to harness full capacity when people are not working together.
Client recruitment language has subtly changed tone too. Terms and language being used includes “the hybrid situation at present” and the intent is clear: increased representation in the office will be required over the longer term.
Yet pressures exist. These clients are competing for a dwindling candidate pool, with salaries in certain areas rocketing as a result. It’s causing a classic Catch-22.
For instance, within financial services, it is those with technological backgrounds, such as coders, cyber security experts and data analysts that are among the most prized. Offering flexible working can help smaller firms overcome being financially muscled out of new hires, or having existing staff poached for higher salaries, further compounding staff shortages.
Candidates are often not inclined to entertain full time office returns, put off by soaring fuel and unreliable public transport while safe in the knowledge that they hold the cards in the current candidate-driven market.
A recent Harvard Business School survey revealed that 81% either don’t want to come back at all or would prefer a hybrid model of work. Of those, 27% hope to remain working remotely full time, while 61% would prefer to work from home two to three days a week. Only 18% want to return to in-person work full time.
There is therefore a clear mismatch with executive team expectations. It is now a case of which client blinks first in mandating full time office returns –will they trigger a movement or be left as an outlier?
The challenge of getting staff back into the office on a more full time basis should be no different than managing any other kind of organisational change that has professional and personal implications considered.
As anyone who runs a business or team can tell you, any type of change engenders resistance in some format at one end of the scale to buoyant enthusiasm at the other, and all the variations in between.
Business are scrambling to design appropriate and fair policies, remote working frameworks and part time working schedules for those that wish to work in a hybrid manner - walking a fine line between trying to get their teams on board, via engagement and collaboration days, while desperately trying not to lose engagement with full time office based staff members.
It’s a fine balance, but how this next hurdle is navigated will almost certainly determine their long- term viability and place in the market.
Betsy Williamson is the founder and MD of Core-Asset Consulting
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/business/the-flexible-working-facade-begins-to-crumble-betsy-williamson-3815859 | 2022-08-25T18:27:08Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/business/the-flexible-working-facade-begins-to-crumble-betsy-williamson-3815859 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Polish Army to receive 250 tanks in the state-of-the-art M1A2 SEPv3 configuration
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announced today that it has been awarded a Foreign Military Sales order from the U.S. Army worth up to $1.148 billion to deliver 250 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tanks to Poland.
The state-of-the-art M1A2 SEPv3 configuration features technological advancements in communications, fire control and lethality, reliability, sustainment and fuel efficiency, plus upgraded armor. Additionally, the SEPv3 Abrams is designed to seamlessly accept future upgrades.
"We are pleased to have been chosen to provide this critical armored capability to our allies in Poland," said Chris Brown, vice president of global strategy and international business development at General Dynamics Land Systems. "The M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams is the most advanced main battle tank in the world, and we look forward to getting it into the hands of Polish Soldiers."
General Dynamics Land Systems provides innovative design, engineering, technology, production and full life-cycle support for land combat vehicles around the globe. The company's extensive experience, customer-first focus and seasoned supply chain network provide unmatched capabilities to the U.S. military and its allies. More information about General Dynamics Land Systems is available at www.gdls.com.
General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $38.5 billion in revenue in 2021. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.
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SOURCE General Dynamics Land Systems | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/general-dynamics-land-systems-provide-abrams-tanks-poland-under-11-billion-foreign-military-sales-order/ | 2022-08-25T18:27:33Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/general-dynamics-land-systems-provide-abrams-tanks-poland-under-11-billion-foreign-military-sales-order/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ELGIN, Ill. , Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago area businessman Bryan Real recently launched an Illinois online raffle called the Komoniwana Raffle. The raffle is an effort to raise as much money as possible for the nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which builds mortgage-free homes for the nation's military veterans, first responders and their families in the newly created "Let Us Do Good Village" in Land O' Lakes, Fla.
"The purpose is to give back to those who have served in any way we can," Real said. "This is for those who came back, for those who didn't and for those who did but now need our help for themselves and their families. It's our time to serve them."
Real owns Elgin-based United Food Group, and Komoniwana is one of the company's holdings. Komoniwana makes high-quality powdered drink mixes for shakes, smoothies, frappés and granitas.
Proceeds from the Illinois Komoniwana Raffle will be split, with 50% going to one lucky winner and the other 50% benefitting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Raffle tickets are $5, $10 and $20 each. The prize pot amount increases per entry.
The online raffle starts August 11 and ends on September 11, 2022. The raffle winner will be announced the week of September 11, 2022. More information can be found at www.komoniwana.com.
While Real has not served in the military, he knows many people who have, and he is excited to support them with this initiative.
"Of those who have served, all have had their lives changed forever, most for the better," he said. "But some of our warriors have returned home physically or psychologically wounded, and some have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. We're hoping our Komoniwana Raffle can raise more money than we can on our own."
Now, said Real, it's time to serve those who have served our nation.
"And for those who have never served, find a way," he said. "I found mine."
For more information on the Komoniwana Raffle, or United Food Group, visit www.unitedfoodgroup.net or www.komoniwana.com.
CONTACT: dshea@marketingservicesfoundation.org
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SOURCE United Food Group | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/illinois-online-raffle-benefit-military-veterans-first-responders/ | 2022-08-25T18:28:21Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/illinois-online-raffle-benefit-military-veterans-first-responders/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dalmation Trivia: Here are 10 fascinating facts you should know about the adorable Dalmatian dog 🐶
They’re one of the UK’s most popular and distinctive breeds of dog, but how much do you know about the playful and loyal Dalmatian?
The last two years have seen many of us welcome a new four-legged friend into our homes, as the Kennel Club saw dog ownership soar.
But, with 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your perfect pup.
Those with active lifestyles might want to consider a larger dog, while somebody with allergies will be looking for a hypoallergenic dog.
There’s even academic guidance to seek out, with Psychologist Stanley Coren’s book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs’ ranking breeds by instincts, obedience, and the ability to adapt.
One dog that often appears at the top of people’s canine wishlists is the Dalmatian – a breed with range of positive attributes that make them a great family pet.
Here are 10 fun and interesting facts about the breed.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dalmation-trivia-here-are-10-fascinating-facts-you-should-know-about-the-adorable-dalmatian-dog-3401084 | 2022-08-25T18:29:18Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dalmation-trivia-here-are-10-fascinating-facts-you-should-know-about-the-adorable-dalmatian-dog-3401084 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dedicated Cats: Here are the 10 most loyal breeds of beautiful cat that will be devoted to their family
Here are 10 cat breeds that will challenge the theory that dogs are a man’s best friend.
Cats owners will agree, but once you own a cat (or they own you), then you will be addicted to these gorgeous creatures for the rest of your life.
Reports say that the average cat owner actually own a minimum of two cats – though we are sure you may know some with many more.
And it is indeed true, all cats are very much beautiful, if you are looking for a cat that will stay by your side, give you all the head boops you need and might even let you have a little kitty cuddle, then these 10 breeds are sure to be perfect for you.
*While cat breeds do share similar traits, we advise each cat does have their own personality and individual needs – including medical, which is of primary importance when taking a cat into your home. Please be aware of this if adopting a cat. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dedicated-cats-here-are-the-10-most-loyal-breeds-of-beautiful-cat-that-will-be-devoted-to-their-family-3818083 | 2022-08-25T18:29:25Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dedicated-cats-here-are-the-10-most-loyal-breeds-of-beautiful-cat-that-will-be-devoted-to-their-family-3818083 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dog Names For Girls: These are the 10 most popular female puppy names in the world for adorable dogs 🐕
If you’re poised to get a cuddly new puppy but can’t decide what to call it, here’s some inspiration from the global family of dog breed owners.
A huge number of us decided to welcome new puppies into our homes over the pandemic – according to Kennel Club figures dog ownership soared and post-lockdown demand for four-legged friends remains high.
There are a whopping 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, alongside numerous crossbreeds, so there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest addition.
But even when you’ve settled on a type of dog, there’s still the tricky task of choosing a name.
If you’re struggling, pet insurance experts Budget Direct have researched the most popular dog names in countries all over the world – from Denmark to Costa Rica – and created the ultimate multi-national list of monikers for your mutt.
Here are their top 10 female names for dogs.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dog-names-for-girls-these-are-the-10-most-popular-female-puppy-names-in-the-world-for-adorable-dogs-3394423 | 2022-08-25T18:29:38Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dog-names-for-girls-these-are-the-10-most-popular-female-puppy-names-in-the-world-for-adorable-dogs-3394423 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dogs are making their mark at our weddings
Dogs are playing a part in their owners’ weddings this summer – from inspiring decorations to walking them down the aisle.
Tying the knot can be a tricky affair especially when choosing who to invite but there are some guests couples would not be without, especially their dogs.
And with the huge number of pooches being taken on during the pandemic, many of those lockdown pups are now playing a key role during their owners’ big day.
Across the UK, couples swapped weddings for four-legged friends during the pandemic when hundreds of thousands of weddings were postponed, and an estimated three million dogs were bought.
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“It may be barking mad to people who don’t have a dog, but for those who do, you’ll know they’re part of the family,” said Lisa Forde, of wedding stationery firm Tree of Hearts. “And that means, of course, they need to be at the wedding.”
It’s thought 60 percent of UK households now have a furry member of the family since the pandemic.
“There are lots of ways couples involve their dogs, and other pets, into their big day and we just love seeing all of the innovative ideas people come up with,” said Lisa.
“With International Dog Day around the corner (Friday, August 26), my team and I have pulled together our favourite ideas from our lovely Tree of Hearts brides.”
1. Dog of Honour
“Your dog is your best friend, right? So it makes sense for them to be by your side on the biggest day of your life. They could have a special collar for the day to match the bridesmaids' dresses.”
2. Table Numbers
“If your dog gets too excited, or your big day is overseas, why not include them in the wedding by having them as the table numbers. We’ve all got thousands of photos of our dogs already - so why not put them to good use.”
3. Dog-inspired cakes or biscuits
“Again, if you don’t want your dog with you physically on the day, pay homage to them with a sweet treat or wedding favours. Maybe dog-shaped biscuits or cake toppers?”
4. Pose for pictures
“Speak to your photographer about setting time aside to take some dog-friendly shots. Maybe you can do a ‘first walk’ instead of a ‘first dance’.”
5. Create your own cocktails
“If your venue allows you to plan your own drinks, why not create a cocktail based on your furry friend? ‘Molly’s mojito’, ‘Archie’s Aperol spritz’ or ‘Bella’s Bellini’ to give you some inspiration.”
To find out more visit treeofhearts.co.uk
READ MORE: dining out with dogs | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-are-making-their-mark-at-our-weddings-3819083 | 2022-08-25T18:29:51Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-are-making-their-mark-at-our-weddings-3819083 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dogs For Solo Livers: Here are the 10 best breeds of adorable dog for owners who live alone - including the loving Pug 🐶
With demand for dogs continuing to soar post-lockdown, here are the pups that make perfect companions for people who live alone.
The last two years have seen many of us welcome a new four-legged friend into our homes, as the Kennel Club saw dog ownership soar over the global pandemic.
But with 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your perfect pup – whether you want a large dog, family-friendly dog, or crossbreed.
For all the latest dog news, pictures, advice and information, join our Scotsdog Facebook group here
While every person has different needs, for budding dog owners who live by themselves it can be worth looking for a dog with a particular range of attributes.
Breeds that form a particularly strong and protective bond with one person, that can be left alone for a few hours, and who don’t need constant stimlulation, are perfect companions for solo dwellers.
Here are 10 of the breeds that tick all of these boxes, according to the American Kennel Club.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-for-solo-livers-here-are-the-10-best-breeds-of-adorable-dog-for-owners-who-live-alone-including-the-loving-pug-3331242 | 2022-08-25T18:30:00Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-for-solo-livers-here-are-the-10-best-breeds-of-adorable-dog-for-owners-who-live-alone-including-the-loving-pug-3331242 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dogs That Mooch: These are the 10 breeds of adorable dog that are likely to beg for food at the table - including the hungry Labrador 🐕
Some puppies find it hard to come to terms with the idea that they aren’t entitled to a percentage of every meal you eat.
One of the unexpected effects of the global pandemic – and the resulting series of lockdowns – was an increase in demand for puppies.
And the extent of that soaring in demand has been shown by the latest registrations statistics from the UK Kennel Club, up nearly 40 per cent from 250,649 in 2020 to 349,013 in 2021.
There are a whopping 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, alongside numerous crossbreeds, so there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest addition.
Some dogs are always hungry and are experts at making their humans feel guilty when they are tucking into a meal – whining, looking mournful and pawing at their owner until they give in and drop a scrap into their awaiting mouth.
It can be particularly annoying for guests, who may take a dim view of a hungry dog intently watching every bite they take.
Training a dog to go to lie down in a particular spot during meal times and never feeding your pooch at the table, are two tactics to tackle this behaviour, particularly if you have opted for one of the breeds that have a propensity to mooch.
Here are the 10 dogs most likely to beg at the table, according to the American Kennel Club.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-that-mooch-these-are-the-10-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-are-likely-to-beg-for-food-at-the-table-including-the-hungry-labrador-3356718 | 2022-08-25T18:30:27Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-that-mooch-these-are-the-10-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-are-likely-to-beg-for-food-at-the-table-including-the-hungry-labrador-3356718 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Pony Cars Forever Stamps Issued at the Great American Stamp Show
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service issued its Pony Cars Forever stamps at the Great American Stamp Show today.
"My mother had a 1970 Mustang with a 351 cubic inch V8," said Scott Bombaugh, the Postal Service's chief technology officer and executive vice president, who served as the dedicating official. "My brother learned to drive in that car, but by the time I was ready to drive, my parents sold the Mustang and had a Pinto wagon. Is it any wonder I have bought two Mustang GTs since then?"
Joining Bombaugh at the dedication were Scott English, executive director of the American Philatelic Society; Greg Breeding, the stamp's art director; Zach Bryant, the stamp's designer; and Tom Fritz, the stamp's artist.
"If you don't collect cars on stamps today, the Pony Cars Forever stamps will be a great way to start," English said. "Since the 1960s, the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger have been at the top of the dream car list for generations of young drivers. The Pony Cars Forever stamps will let you relive one of the most exciting eras of cars or fulfill the dream of owning one."
"The USPS team was incredible to work with," said Fritz. "Having had the keys thrown at me to create a second-stamp series was humbling. My challenge was to create five jewel-like, descriptive portrayals that every person who fell in love with this era can appreciate. The adventure isn't just painting the cars' details but capturing their emotion and power – cars don't just 'sit there'. They hunker down, they lurch, they shake, they shimmy and skitter. Those are the thrilling moments I look for."
Over the past six decades, fast and fun pony cars have become a uniquely American obsession. Since their emergence, these performance coupes and convertibles have brought a youthful spirit to the automotive world.
These stamps celebrate five iconic U.S. automobiles — the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, the 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7 GT and the 1969 AMC Javelin SST. Painted using oil paint on panels, the stamp artwork, with bold colors and dramatic light, captures the energy and mystique of pony cars.
In the mid-to-late 20th century, American automakers began catering to a segment of their customer base that was rapidly growing — younger drivers. They craved sporty, affordable cars that looked and felt different from what was in their parents' garages. Several manufacturers initially produced models that fit that description, but the pony car trend didn't begin in earnest until 1964.
Pony cars were hot. But in truth, the new classification of vehicle didn't have a name until Car Life editor Dennis Shattuck is thought to have given it one. Inspired by the Ford Mustang, he coined the term "pony cars" to describe the customizable automobiles that were becoming wildly popular.
More recently, automakers have reintroduced many of the beloved models first launched in the genre's heyday. Today, adventurous young — and young-at-heart — drivers enjoy the thrill of driving pony cars.
The Pony Cars Commemorative Forever pane of 20 stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1- ounce price.
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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/vroooom-vroooom/ | 2022-08-25T18:30:30Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/vroooom-vroooom/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dogs That Play: These are the 10 most playful breeds of adorable dog that are sure to entertain the whole family - including the loving Labrador 🐕
These dogs will never tire of playing games and enjoying a range of canine capers.
One of the unexpected effects of the global pandemic – and the resulting series of lockdowns – was an increase in demand for puppies.
And the extent of that soaring in demand has been shown by the latest registrations statistics from the UK Kennel Club, up nearly 40 per cent from 250,649 in 2020 to 349,013 in 2021.
With 221 breeds of dog to choose from, it’s best to do your homework before picking your perfect four-legged friend.
Depending on your lifestyle and home you may be best opting for a large dog, family-friendly dog, or crossbreed.
If you are looking for a dog that will happily play with both adults and children for hours on end, there are particular breeds that are well-known for never boring of games.
Here are the 10 most playful breeds of dog, according to the American Kennel Club.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-that-play-these-are-the-10-most-playful-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-are-sure-to-entertain-the-whole-family-including-the-loving-labrador-3350998 | 2022-08-25T18:30:39Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-that-play-these-are-the-10-most-playful-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-are-sure-to-entertain-the-whole-family-including-the-loving-labrador-3350998 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Employable Dogs: These are the 10 most useful breeds of adorable working dog - including the loving Labrador Retriever 🐶
Demand for pups has continued to soar post-lockdown, but not all dog breeds are simply beloved pets – many carry out a range of important jobs.
It’s been a boom time for pets over the last couple of years – Kennel Club figures show that the number of people looking for puppies surged during the global pandemic.
There are a huge number of pedigree dogs – 221 to be exact – along with numerous crossbreeds, and some of them have a very particular set of skills that make them very useful to fulfil certain tasks.
From army and police dogs, to sight and hearing dogs, they help make all our lives better.
For all the latest dog news, pictures, advice and information, join our Scotsdog Facebook group here
And for those looking for a puppy, they can also make wonderful family pets, with a great combination of intelligence and empathy.
Here are the 10 most useful breeds of working dog, according to the American Kennel Club.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/employable-dogs-these-are-the-10-most-useful-breeds-of-adorable-working-dog-including-the-loving-labrador-retriever-3328376 | 2022-08-25T18:31:05Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/employable-dogs-these-are-the-10-most-useful-breeds-of-adorable-working-dog-including-the-loving-labrador-retriever-3328376 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Fit Dogs: Here are the 10 fittest breeds of adorable dog that love endless walks and adventures - including the loving German Shepherd 🐕
If you are looking for a pup that won’t let you lie on the couch for long then these are the dog breeds that love nothing more than a good walk.
A huge number of us decided to welcome new puppies into our homes over the last couple of years – Kennel Club figures show dog ownership soared during the global pandemic.
There are a whopping 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, alongside numerous crossbreeds, so there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest addition.
Our lifestyle has a huge bearing on which type of dog will work best for us – if you have limited space you might want to look at small dogs, while the more elderly pet owner should place certain breeds at the top of their wishlist.
For all the latest dog news, pictures, advice and information, join our Scotsdog Facebook group here
For many of us, a dog is a great way to make sure we get exercise and certain breeds are perfect for getting you out and about – in fact, if you’re not prepared for several long walks a day some dogs shouldn't even be a consideration.
Here are the 10 fittest breeds of dog that will never turn down a walk, according to the American Kennel Club.
Read more | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/fit-dogs-here-are-the-10-fittest-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-love-endless-walks-and-adventures-including-the-loving-german-shepherd-3326349 | 2022-08-25T18:31:17Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/fit-dogs-here-are-the-10-fittest-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-love-endless-walks-and-adventures-including-the-loving-german-shepherd-3326349 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Here are 10 adorable breeds of cuddly cat which will be perfect for homes with kids 🐈
These 10 breeds of cool, loving cats will be great for households with small kids.
They may love day long snoozes, but play time before settling on the couch with their owners and offering loving head boops is also very much in many cats' nature. It is easy to see why cats and kittens are adored by many households across the world.
It is reported that the average cat owner actually own a minimum of two cats – though we are sure you may know some with many more.
Pet ownership has continued to soar over the past couple of years, with many owners admitting once they have were in the company of these adorable creatures, it was virtually impossible not be obsessed!
So, if you’re looking to welcome a new kitty cat to your home, but are unsure which breeds best suit small children, here are 10 of the world’s best cat breed for homes with kids*
*While cat breeds do share similar traits, we advise each cat do have their own personality and individual needs, which is of primary importance when taking a cat into your home. Please be aware of this if adopting a cat. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/here-are-10-adorable-breeds-of-cuddly-cat-which-will-be-perfect-for-homes-with-kids-3732280 | 2022-08-25T18:31:43Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/here-are-10-adorable-breeds-of-cuddly-cat-which-will-be-perfect-for-homes-with-kids-3732280 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Here are the 10 breeds of adorable dog that live the longest lives on average - including the loving Chihuahua 🐶
With puppy ownership continuing to soar post-lockdown, here are the dog breeds that are most likely to live to a very old age.
The last two years have seen many of us welcome a new four-legged friend into our homes, as the Kennel Club saw dog ownership rise by nearly eight per cent during the global pandemic.
For all the latest dog news, pictures, advice and information, join our Scotsdog Facebook group here
But with 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your perfect pup – whether you want a large dog, family-friendly dog, or crossbreed.
One of the terrible truths of dog ownership is that we are likely to outlive our adored pet, with the average dog living just 10-13 years – but some breeds tend to have longer lives than others.
Here are the 10 record-breaking dogs that live the longest lives.
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/here-are-the-10-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-live-the-longest-lives-on-average-including-the-loving-chihuahua-3318570 | 2022-08-25T18:32:02Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/here-are-the-10-breeds-of-adorable-dog-that-live-the-longest-lives-on-average-including-the-loving-chihuahua-3318570 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lockdown Puppy Names: These were the UK's 10 most popular dog names during the pandemic - including Luna 🐶
As pup ownership has surged over lockdown, these are the names that might cause most confusion if you shout them at a favourite dog walking spot.
According to the Kennel Club the number of people welcoming new dogs into their homes since the global pandemic began has soared by around eight per cent.
Some of the most in-demand include Labrador Retrievers, French Bulldogs and Labrador Retrievers, while others have seen their popularity flatline. Of course, once you’ve decided to add a four-legged friend to your family, there’s the tricky business of what to call your new pooch.
For all the latest dog news, pictures, advice and information, join our Scotsdog Facebook group here
Insurance company GoCompare has carried out some research into the most popular dog names chosen over lockdown. So don’t be surprised if you get more than you expected when you call back a dog with one of these 10 names in the park. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/lockdown-puppy-names-these-were-the-uks-10-most-popular-dog-names-during-the-pandemic-including-luna-3304365 | 2022-08-25T18:32:34Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/lockdown-puppy-names-these-were-the-uks-10-most-popular-dog-names-during-the-pandemic-including-luna-3304365 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Officials at a North Texas school named after a Black man who learned to read and write when he was 98 years old has ruled that a portion of his memoir describing his best friend getting lynched is not appropriate for some students.
The Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, started evaluating the content of the book "Life is So Good" by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman this summer after a 7th grade teacher intended to add the title as a required reading, Lane Ledbetter, the district's superintendent said in a statement.
Ledbetter said on Wednesday that school officials determined one chapter of Dawson's book was not appropriate for the students' age group and ruled the book can only be used with "teacher-led instruction."
A spokesman for the school district told CNN the teacher works at George Dawson Middle School. The school was named after Dawson when it opened in 2002. He earned national recognition around 2000 for championing literacy by learning to read at 98 years old.
In his book, Dawson recounts his life experiences, the interactions he had with people in the rural South as a Black man and how he eventually learned to read after joining a literacy program.
The district's spokesman said school officials were concerned about the first chapter of Dawson's book, which includes numerous racial epithets and references Dawson witnessing the lynching of a friend. CNN has confirmed the chapter was set in 1908 and describes Dawson, then a 10-year-old in Marshall, Texas, at a general store when he heard a commotion outside. One of his friends was accused of rape by a group of White men and Dawson witnessed him getting lynched. In the book, Dawson was adamant about his friend's innocence.
"I cried for me. I cried for Pete. I cried for the little ones and for Mama and Papa. I cried for all the pain that there was in this world. Papa had his own tears and he just held me," Dawson wrote in the book about his reaction following the lynching.
Ledbetter, the district's superintendent, said the school's principal is working with the teacher to find a way to "to ensure that sensitive content is delivered in the most age-appropriate manner, while maintaining the integrity of the content of the book, the author's intended message, and certainly honoring the legacy of Mr. Dawson."
The district's review of the book has drawn criticism from community members, Dawson's relatives and his co-author.
Glaubman, who co-wrote the book, told CNN that he was saddened to hear there were discussions over whether "Life is So Good" should be censored. He said viewing the lynching was a defining and painful moment in Dawson's life that he carried until the day he died.
"The pain and injustice that he saw, the pain and injustice that he endured in his own life, drove him to live the best life that he could," Glaubman said.
Glaubman said he believes the "students of George Dawson Middle School would continue to benefit from Dawson's full story, even the parts that may make us feel deeply uncomfortable."
For years, the school has hosted public readings of "Life is So Good" at the campus library and has offered opportunities for students to learn about Dawson's life.
Chris Irvin, Dawson's great-grandson, told CNN affiliate WFAA that he and his family were confused by the district's review of the book considering they have visited the school for several years to attend cover-to-cover readings of the memoir.
"That's hurtful. You take away the bad and the ugly and you only talk about the good. That doesn't add up," Irvin told WFAA. "Black history is American history. You can't have one without the other. I can't go to your history and tell you, 'Hey x that out of your life, that didn't happen.'"
Anya Kushwaha, one of the founders of Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition, an advocacy group of current and former students fighting for change in the district, said the review of the book signals the impact of the "ultra conservative school board and administration" currently leading the school district and how far they are from recognizing "our own history, which is Black history and the history of people of color."
Carroll ISD, which serves the Dallas and Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, has been the center of several controversies in recent years. Since last year, the Department of Education's office for civil rights has launched at least two investigations into allegations of discrimination.
Last fall, a local school administrator told teachers that if they have books about the Holocaust in their classroom libraries, they should also include books that present "opposing" views.
While the book's review and other controversies may be discouraging for students, Kushwaha says her group continues to encourage students to voice their opinions at school board meetings and contact administrators.
"At the end of the day, this is about the students who are on the inside and experiencing this firsthand," Kushwaha said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/a-north-texas-school-district-says-a-book-chapter-by-its-namesake-about-a-lynching/article_086648ec-7ea8-51b3-afb3-43b5ffe43b8b.html | 2022-08-25T18:33:23Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/a-north-texas-school-district-says-a-book-chapter-by-its-namesake-about-a-lynching/article_086648ec-7ea8-51b3-afb3-43b5ffe43b8b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Playful cats breeds: 10 energetic breeds of cat sure to entertain - including the hyper Japanese Bobcat 🐈
These 10 beautiful cat breeds will love playtime with their owners.
A host of loved up cat owners will attest, once you have been in the company of these adorable creatures, it’s hard to understand why anyone wouldn’t be obsessed!
It is reported that the average cat owner actually own a minimum of two cats – though we are sure you may know some with many more.
And while it is indeed true – all cats are beautiful – if you are looking for a cat that will be energetic, playful and loving all at the same time, these 10 breeds of cat may just be your best bet.
So, if you are looking to add a new furry friend to your household, these are reported to be the most playful breeds of cat worldwide, that will enjoy chasing, hunting and entertaining daily.
*While cat breeds do share similar traits, we advise each cat do have their own personality and individual needs, which is of primary importance when taking a cat into your home. Please be aware of this if adopting a cat. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/playful-cats-breeds-10-energetic-breeds-of-cat-sure-to-entertain-including-the-hyper-japanese-bobcat-3749003 | 2022-08-25T18:33:33Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/playful-cats-breeds-10-energetic-breeds-of-cat-sure-to-entertain-including-the-hyper-japanese-bobcat-3749003 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Quick Dogs: Here are the 12 fastest breeds of adorable dog in the world - lightning quick canine sprinters 🐶
If you can keep up with these lightning speedy dog breeds you’ll be doing well
One of the unexpected effects of the global pandemic – and the resulting series of lockdowns – was an increase in demand for puppies.
And the extent of that soaring in demand has been shown by the latest registrations statistics from the UK Kennel Club, up nearly 40 per cent from 250,649 in 2020 to 349,013 in 2021.
With 221 breeds of dog to choose from, it’s best to do your homework before picking your perfect four-legged friend.
Depending on your lifestyle and home you may be best opting for a large dog, family-friendly dog, or crossbreed.
But if you want a pup that will do two laps of the park before more of its canine friends have done one, there are a few dogs you should have at the top of your list.
Here are 12 of the fastest breeds, according to the American Kennel Club.
For all the latest dog news, pictures, advice and information, join our Scotsdog Facebook group here
Read more: | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/quick-dogs-here-are-the-12-fastest-breeds-of-adorable-dog-in-the-world-lightning-quick-canine-sprinters-3335943 | 2022-08-25T18:33:46Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/quick-dogs-here-are-the-12-fastest-breeds-of-adorable-dog-in-the-world-lightning-quick-canine-sprinters-3335943 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Attorneys for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp argued in court Thursday that their client is "beyond the reach" of a subpoena and should not be forced to testify before a special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.
Kemp's attorneys argued that the Republican governor should be protected by sovereign immunity, executive privilege and attorney-client privilege. They added there were concerns about the investigation interfering with his re-election campaign this fall.
Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who is overseeing the special purpose grand jury, said he would take the arguments under advisement before he makes a ruling, but did not give a deadline for his decision.
Separately on Thursday, McBurney rejected another attempt to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the investigation.
In court Thursday, Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade said that the state's position is that Kemp should be expected to testify "just as a host of the 30-plus witnesses" have done up until this point. Wade's detail is the first indication of the amount of people who have testified so far.
The District Attorney's office says that Kemp is not considered a target in the special grand jury's investigation but is a "uniquely knowledgeable" witness to testify, including about a December 2020 phone call in which Trump allegedly tried to push Kemp to convince state legislators to overturn then-President-elect Joe Biden's win in the state.
Trump also urged Kemp to "get tough" and improperly reject mail-in ballots -- enough to "flip" the statewide results in November 2020 post-election tweets.
"The governor doesn't think that he is beyond any reach of law. He's just beyond the reach of this particular subpoena because there are other mechanisms if the state needs or wants to investigate the official activities of the governor, that legal authority does exist," Derek Bauer, one of the attorney's representing Kemp, argued.
Kemp, who is up for re-election in November, was initially scheduled to provide sworn recorded testimony for the special purpose grand jury this summer. He had been scheduled for a voluntary interview July 25, his lawyers said in a court filing, but the interview was "unilaterally cancelled" after Kemp's legal team inquired about its scope.
Wade said in court on Thursday that they would treat the governor that just like they have treated other witnesses throughout the special grand jury process. The morning Kemp would come in for his witness testimony, they would share "buckets" of topics with him and his attorney that they would want to speak to him about.
McBurney said in court Thursday that was a "tried and true method that has worked for many similarly situated individuals."
The district attorney's office also said in court on Thursday that the governor's counsel asked for specific requirements to be met before the interview, including getting all questions beforehand. It was after the breakdown in communication that the DA's office issued a subpoena, Kemp's lawyers said.
The Fulton County prosecutors have also requested any documentary or physical evidence from Gov. Kemp's office that could explain what Trump or those working on his behalf were "thinking or doing" and any correspondence or communication between the parties, according to court filings.
The governor's legal team claims that the request to appear in front of the special purpose grand jury is suspiciously timed to coincide with the "crescendo" in Kemp's reelection campaign and is not "driven by genuine investigative need for information."
"This is happening, coincidentally or otherwise, as this high profile and politically charged investigation and Governor Kemp's role in it are reaching a crescendo. The intersection of law and politics in this way, we believe shouldn't be happening on the eve of an election, and despite our willingness to engage, we're just asking that the rule of law be closely followed in this matter," Kemp's attorney Brian McEvoy said in court.
McBurney has previously said it would be very unlikely the report by the special purpose grand jury would come before the election and has promised that it would not be an "October surprise," released close to November's election.
Judge swats down effort to disqualify Willis from the investigation
Also Thursday, McBurney swatted down an effort from a handful of pro-Trump fake electors to have Willis disqualified from the investigation.
The group of 11 fake electors, who have been informed they are targets of the investigation in Georgia, had claimed that because the judge barred Willis from investigating Georgia GOP State Sen. Burt Jones, Willis should also be barred from investigating the rest of the GOP fake electors.
McBurney didn't buy their argument.
The fake electors "have provided no evidence that the District Attorney (or any member of her staff) has done anything that suggests a possible political motivation for investigating them -- beyond the banal observation that they are active Republicans and the District Attorney is not," McBurney wrote.
McBurney added that the nature of the probe -- investigating the GOP's efforts to upend the election results in the Peach State -- was at its heart political in nature.
"The process is inherently 'political' in the simple and unremarkable sense that politicians and leaders of a specific political party are alleged to have undertaken efforts to defeat the will of the Georgia electorate," the judge wrote. "A prosecutor who pursues such a case is not automatically biased and partisan -- and subject to disqualification -- because of the common political affiliations of the subjects (and targets) of the investigation."
In a particularly pointed footnote, McBurney added that, "It eludes the undersigned how an investigation into allegations of Republican interference in the 2020 general election in Georgia would have any other list of targets than Republicans."
The group of 11 fake electors have now twice attempted -- and twice failed -- to have Willis disqualified from the investigation she has been overseeing in Georgia.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/georgia-gov-kemp-argues-to-block-subpoena-to-appear-before-grand-jury-investigating-trumps-attempts/article_b969bac8-c061-574b-9353-82717ea55669.html | 2022-08-25T18:33:57Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/georgia-gov-kemp-argues-to-block-subpoena-to-appear-before-grand-jury-investigating-trumps-attempts/article_b969bac8-c061-574b-9353-82717ea55669.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former confidante now serving a 20-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking, is being sued for more than $878,000 in unpaid legal fees by a law firm representing her, according to court documents.
Two lawyers from the firm, Jeffrey Pagliuca and Laura Menninger, were lead attorneys on Maxwell's defense team during her trial last year that ended in a conviction for her role in facilitating Epstein's abuse of minor girls.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday by the law firm Haddon, Morgan and Foreman in county court in Denver, Colorado, also names her brother Kevin Maxwell and her estranged husband Scott Borgerson as defendants.
According to the suit, Ghislaine Maxwell told her attorneys after she was incarcerated in 2020 that her brother Kevin would coordinate the financial aspects of her defense. The firm has continually threatened to stop representing Maxwell beginning in 2020 after legal fees continued to go unpaid, the lawsuit says.
Ghislaine Maxwell, 60, grew up in the idyllic Oxfordshire countryside and is the daughter of Robert Maxwell -- a Czech-born newspaper tycoon and former British lawmaker who died under mysterious circumstances. The media magnate fell off his luxury yacht -- called "Lady Ghislaine" -- near the Canary Islands in 1991. He was posthumously discovered to have committed massive pension fraud against his employees.
In the days and weeks leading up to the start of Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal trial, her lawyers were threatening to withdraw representation as her brother reassured them repeatedly that he'd get them the money, the lawsuit says. He also told them not to worry Ghislaine with the matter because she "lacked the ability to impact funding," the lawsuit says.
Kevin Maxwell has made "a handful of sporadic payments" over the years, the last one in January for more than $141,000, but the law firm says the account was never paid current and that's a "small fraction" of what's owed for Ghislaine Maxwell's defense.
Kevin Maxwell did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
Borgerson controlled Ghislaine Maxwell's money as the marriage dissolved and has in part been responsible for delaying payments to the firm, the lawsuit says. CNN reached out to Borgerson for comment.
The lawsuit also alleges that before the couple broke up Maxwell and her then-husband attempted to shield her assets in real estate in limited liability companies to protect her assets from creditors like the law firm.
Haddon, Morgan and Foreman has represented Maxwell since 2015, beginning with a lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre and other civil matters related to Epstein's abuse.
Maxwell was convicted on five counts, including sex trafficking a minor, last December and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
During her trial, prosecutors argued Maxwell and Epstein conspired to set up a scheme to lure young girls into sexual relationships with Epstein in New York, Florida, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands. Four women testified that Epstein abused them and that Maxwell facilitated the abuse and sometimes participated in it.
Maxwell's attorneys filed an appeal of the conviction last month. She is serving her sentence in a low-security federal correctional facility in Tallahassee, Florida, according to Bureau of Prisons records.
The Haddon, Morgan and Foreman law firm declined to comment.
It is unclear whether the firm will withdraw representation in Maxwell's ongoing litigation, but no official documents appear to have been filed on the public docket yet.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/ghislaine-maxwell-is-being-sued-by-her-attorneys-firm-for-more-than-878-000-in/article_1996ddca-ed45-5610-8ad0-8a0b5cda9c4e.html | 2022-08-25T18:34:03Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/ghislaine-maxwell-is-being-sued-by-her-attorneys-firm-for-more-than-878-000-in/article_1996ddca-ed45-5610-8ad0-8a0b5cda9c4e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
US military and intelligence officials are stepping up their efforts to defend the electoral process from foreign hacking and disinformation as the November midterms approach, officials said Thursday.
Officials are "actively defending against foreign interference and influence operations in U.S. elections," US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency said in a statement, "specifically by focusing on how adversaries seek to undermine U.S. interests and prosperity, the will to vote of the populace, as well as their belief in the sanctity and security of their elections."
US intelligence officials are warning that Russia, China and Iran may seek to interfere in the US voting process or shape voters' perceptions, according to the command.
Asked last month whether the war in Ukraine may distract Russia from interfering in the US midterm elections, FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was "quite confident the Russians can walk and chew gum" and that US officials were preparing accordingly.
"We have to be concerned about hybrid threats," Wray said at a cybersecurity conference at Fordham University in New York. That includes a situation in which foreign operatives might use an "unremarkable cyber incident" to sow "panic or lack of confidence in our election infrastructure," Wray said.
Facing a rise in violent threats, election officials are under intense pressure as the midterm vote approaches. In addition to any foreign interference, election officials will have to contend with extensive mis- and disinformation about election integrity spread by Americans, many who falsely claim that President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected.
Cyber Command is the US military's offensive and defense cyber unit that has since 2018 increasingly focused on protecting elections from foreign meddling. The command and the NSA, the US signals intelligence agency, again formed an election-security focused team to be on the hunt for foreign threats, as they did in 2020.
Cyber Command did not go into detail in its statement Thursday on recent operations it has conducted to defend US elections, but its past work has included knocking offline a Russian troll farm spouting disinformation during the 2018 election.
US military and intelligence officials have gotten more involved, along with the Department of Homeland Security, in trying to thwart foreign hacking and influence operations following the 2016 presidential election. That year, Russian military intelligence operatives hacked and leaked emails belonging to the Democratic party in an effort to undermine Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, according to US intelligence reports.
Federal and state and local officials now regularly drill for hacking and information operations that could interfere with the vote. Last week, officials from across the country held one such drill involving an array of hypothetical threats to election operations.
"The nation's election officials face a range of challenges, including cyber and physical risks to their infrastructure, and false election information that weaken voters' trust in the process," US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly and other federal and state officials said in a joint statement after the exercise.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/us-actively-defending-against-foreign-interference-and-influence-in-midterms-cyber-command-says/article_40ea4a2f-b219-5608-9cb5-532bead0440a.html | 2022-08-25T18:34:09Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/us-actively-defending-against-foreign-interference-and-influence-in-midterms-cyber-command-says/article_40ea4a2f-b219-5608-9cb5-532bead0440a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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UPDATE: Portion of I-24 in Marion County reopens after helicopter hits power line on Tuesday evening
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Chattanooga police investigating early morning robbery, kidnapping on Northgate Mall Drive
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UPDATE: Two officers killed in THP helicopter crash while searching for marijuana in Marion Co. identified
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Local salon owner receiving support after stage 4 cancer diagnosis | https://www.local3news.com/samantha-casano/article_02773076-249a-11ed-b720-b7d1bfbb560e.html | 2022-08-25T18:34:27Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/samantha-casano/article_02773076-249a-11ed-b720-b7d1bfbb560e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Aizle's new head chef, Lewis Vimpany, on his food loves, hates and guilty pleasures
This chef has also worked at Number One at The Balmoral and Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
What’s your favourite ingredient?
It has to be woodruff. It’s a foraged plant which tastes similar to marzipan or almonds. We work with a few foragers who are able to get produce like this that we couldn’t get from any other supplier, so it’s quite unique in that sense. We currently use it on our menu at the minute for our white chocolate and strawberry dessert and it’s just super tasty.
Do you have a guilty food pleasure?
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Chocolate. I’ve got such a sweet tooth and to be honest who doesn’t like chocolate?
Tell us about your first food memory?
I used to bake a lot with my mum and brother when I was younger and I think that’s where my sweet tooth came from. I loved opening the Be-Ro recipe books my mum had and trying them out. Nothing as technical as nowadays, but I love the classics.
What’s your favourite Scottish restaurant, deli, or cafe?
The Cellar in Anstruther. I’m a bit biased as I worked with Billy Boyter for five or six years, but I just love his cooking style and his flavour combinations. For casual food, Dishoom in Edinburgh is always tasty and never disappoints.
What would be your last supper?
It would probably be along the lines of Korean BBQ or ramen. That’s all I predominately ate when I lived in Melbourne and it just takes me back to having good times with friends. We would enjoy this type of food after work and it’s super delicious.
Starter or pudding?
Pudding for sure. I especially love apple pie and custard.
Do you have any food hates?
Coriander. It literally tastes like I’m eating a bar of soap. I don’t care how you use it or incorporate it - you’ve just ruined my meal right there. I make sure to tell the guys in the kitchen to leave it out as it is a hit or miss with people.
What starters, main, and dessert would be served at your dream dinner and who would you invite?
Nothing fancy, just loads of sharing food, really casual. Probably along the lines of a BBQ, where everyone gets involved and brings a dish. There would definitely be beer can chicken, smoked brisket, roast pork, potato salad and corn on the cob, all the classics. Oh and pudding, of course.
I’d invite my brothers, as we’re never all together enough. But also, Peter Jackson, as we’re all geeks, so we’d just abuse him with questions about Lord of the Rings all night and we’d love it.
What's your favourite geographical foodie destination?
Japan. It’s been on my list to go for years. I just love the food culture there and the process of just trying to master one thing for the rest of your life. It’s proper dedication to your craft. That’s why I believe they’re the best in the world at most aspects of food.
Aizle, Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, 38 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh (0131 527 4747, www.aizle.co.uk)
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/aizles-new-head-chef-lewis-vimpany-on-his-food-loves-hates-and-guilty-pleasures-3819837 | 2022-08-25T18:34:40Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/aizles-new-head-chef-lewis-vimpany-on-his-food-loves-hates-and-guilty-pleasures-3819837 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The violence has continued in the Eastern regions of Ukraine as the 6-month mark of the invasion by Russia arrived. There were concerns about an intensifying of strikes by Russian forces this week as Ukraine marked its 31st year of independence.
John Hudson, national security reporter for our editorial partner the Washington Post, joins Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee with more.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/attacks-continue-in-ukraine-6-months-into-russias-war-and-31-years-since-ukrainian-independence | 2022-08-25T18:34:56Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/attacks-continue-in-ukraine-6-months-into-russias-war-and-31-years-since-ukrainian-independence | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For the full story, click here.
We revisit Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee’s conversation with Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas co-authors of the fantasy graphic novel “Squire” about a young girl who dreams of becoming a knight.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/graphic-novel-squire-uses-fantasy-to-explore-themes-of-racism-and-oppression | 2022-08-25T18:35:22Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/graphic-novel-squire-uses-fantasy-to-explore-themes-of-racism-and-oppression | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Make Your City Move event to open doors to Prince's Quay development
Cala Homes (West) is opening the doors to its Prince’s Quay development in central Glasgow this evening.
From 6pm to 8pm, prospective homebuyers can view the last six remaining properties available at the Clydeside location, pictured, for an early-2023 move-in date.
Food and drinks will be provided at the “Make Your City Move” event, where the sales team will be on hand to answer any questions.
Attendees will also receive a £600 voucher incentive of their choice should they reserve at the gathering this evening.
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Liana Canavan, Sales and Marketing Director for Cala Homes (West) said: “Prince’s Quay has proven extremely popular with families, couples and young professionals alike, who have a real appetite for city living. The development is perfectly placed to enjoy all that the bustling city of Glasgow has to offer within walking distance, whilst being close to the River Clyde and indeed lots of greenspace.
“Our ‘Make Your City Move Event’ really showcases the great apartments and high specification on offer, the perfect location and its proximity to the delights of the city.
“Thursday’s event is the perfect opportunity to find out more about these stunning apartments, and a chance to speak to the Cala team. We look forward to seeing people there.”
To secure your place, please call 01415-305 483. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/make-your-city-move-event-to-open-doors-to-princes-quay-development-3818929 | 2022-08-25T18:35:33Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/make-your-city-move-event-to-open-doors-to-princes-quay-development-3818929 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
We’re all familiar these days with rapid COVID tests, those over-the-counter swab tests that give us two lines if we’re infected with COVID-19, one line if we’re not. Now, researchers have come up with a different test that measures whether you’re protected from COVID, and not whether you have it.
The test works with a simple finger prick, and could answer the questions: “Am I protected today?” and “Do I need a booster?”
Edward Chen, a science writer with our editorial partner STAT News, talks to Here & Now‘s Scott Tong about the strengths and weaknesses of the new antibody test.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/new-covid-19-test-could-answer-the-question-am-i-protected-today | 2022-08-25T18:35:41Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/new-covid-19-test-could-answer-the-question-am-i-protected-today | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Good vibrations are in the air as preparations begin for the Air Guitar World Championships this Friday in Finland.
Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard was crowned the 2012 air guitar world champion and will judge this year’s competition. Howard plays the real guitar, or “there-guitar,” but asserts he’s better at air guitar. His favorite song to air jam to is “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath.
“It is ridiculous. It is as silly and absurd as it sounds,” Howard says. “In fact, that’s why I wanted to start being an air guitarist to begin with, because I saw that this thing existed and I’m like, ‘That is the stupidest thing ever. I want to be the best in the world at that.’”
Interview highlights
On whether air guitar is a sport
“It’s a sport. It’s a comedy show. It’s a lot of different things at once. But first and foremost, it is a competition. And what makes it a competition, which then falls in line with being a sport, is that competitors compete against one another to become the best in the world at doing nothing.
“There’s some criteria in which they’re judged upon. Technical merit: Does it look like you’re playing the notes that you’re hearing throughout the sound system? Stage presence: How does one fill the stage and feed in and out of the audience with the energy being exchanged? And last but not least, is ‘airness.’ Airness is the je ne sais quoi of this sport and the things in which the judges are looking for to score. You score a performer based upon the same scale that professional ice skaters use, which is a 4.0 to 6.0.”
Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard plays the air guitar. (Courtesy of the World Air Guitar Championships)
On the technical skill required and what judges look for
“I’m right-handed, so I would I play my air guitar the same way in which I play the guitar. I’m going to strum with my right hand. That’s where I would hold my pick and my left hand would be the fingers on the fretboard that go up and down the neck of the guitar.
“High notes on a guitar are played very low on the neck of the guitar itself. So if you’re trying to emulate the actual sounds that a there-guitar makes, you’re going to play those high notes further down on the neck or the low notes further up on the neck. Those are the things that you want to take into consideration when looking for something technical.”
On the connection between air guitar and peace
“Air guitarists are some of the finest human beings I’ve met on Earth. We all get together in Finland for this competition. We spend about a week together, but the show itself is one night of that week. During that whole week you’re meeting people from all over the world and you get naked with strangers immediately and jump into a sauna and then jump into the river. And you’re singing karaoke until early hours in the morning and you’re eating pizza in the gutter and you’re doing all these amazing things with all these people, none of which speak the same language.
“But the language in which we all do speak is that of music. And as a spectator of the sport, you just get to see a bunch of freaks on stage in spandex and hairspray and glitter doing their thing. And it is that as well. But the more you become involved with the community as a whole, the people who are involved are really taking strides and efforts to make the world a better place.”
The Here & Now staff picked the song they would air guitar their hearts out to
- Producer Chris Bentley chose “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” by The Allman Brothers Band and Larry Carlton’s solo on “Kid Charlemagne” by Steely Dan.
- Senior editor Eileen Bolinsky chose “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley.
- Associate producer Julia Corcoran and assistant managing editor Tinku Ray chose Prince’s solo in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
- Associate producer Thomas Danielian chose “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Kansas.
- Digital producer Grace Griffin chose “The Story of Us” by Taylor Swift.
- Digital producer Allison Hagan chose “Ramblin’ Man” by The Allman Brothers Band.
- Guest host Celeste Headlee chose “Purple Rain” by Prince, Eddie Van Halen’s solo in “Beat It” by Michael Jackson and “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix.
- Producer Ashley Locke chose “Impossible Germany” by Wilco.
- Senior technical director Mike Moschetto chose “Play with Me” by Extreme.
- Senior editor Peter O’Dowd chose “Bathtub Gin” by Phish.
- Associate producer Kalyani Saxena chose “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.
- Freelance producer Adele Sire chose “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin.
- Executive producer Carline Watson chose “Johnny B. Goode” by Peter Tosh.
Kalyani Saxena produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Catherine Welch. Grace Griffin adapted it for the web.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/performers-gear-up-to-strum-their-hearts-out-at-the-air-guitar-world-championships | 2022-08-25T18:35:47Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-24/performers-gear-up-to-strum-their-hearts-out-at-the-air-guitar-world-championships | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Take the stress out of moving house - Experts share their simple checklist
People moving home this summer are being offered top tips on making the move stress free.
The removal experts at LOVESPACE have put together their advice to help homeowners moving into a new property.
In 2021, around 1.2 million residential property transactions were carried out in the UK, according to data from Statista - that is more than 3,200 people on the move every day.
And now the LOVESPACE experts have laid out how to make the move as smooth and stress free as possible.
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They suggest getting organised early on with a confirmed move date and letting landlords, utilities and other providers know as soon as possible.
Getting busy with packing is another must do with decluttering, booking removals and looking into storage options all on the checklist for homeowners.
A spokesperson for LOVESPACE said: “Moving house is stressful. There is so much to think about and so much to do that it can be difficult to know where to start.
“Our checklist will help take some of that stress away. It’s all about being organised and making sure things are arranged well in advance.”
Here ‘s LOVESPACE’s guide to moving home:
Confirm the date
It may sound obvious but be clear on when you’ll be moving. If you’re renting, let your landlord know when you’ll be moving out.
Utilities
You need to let your energy and water suppliers, phone and broadband providers and local council know when you’re moving. In some cases, this may simply mean transferring payments and services already set up over to a new address.
Book removals
Leaving the move to the professionals is much easier than trying to do it yourself. Book your removals company well in advance.
Declutter
Before you start the packing, declutter. There’s no point taking things with you that you don’t need or want. If the items are in good condition, sell or donate to charity.
Pack and label
Get yourself some massive boxes and start packing. Label all boxes so you know where everything is and to make organising your new home a little easier.
Update your address
You do need to let people know you’ve moved. Friends and family will be top of this list but also inform insurers, banks, mobile phone providers, subscription services, your employer, GP and dentist. Make a list and work your way through it.
Cancel deliveries
If you have anything delivered, like milk, cancel it. These little things are easily overlooked when you’re moving home.
Register to vote
Don’t forget to register to vote when you move. This is quick job that just one person can do.
Pets and children
If you have children, make sure you have care arranged for them on the day of the move. The same with pets.
Clean up
Before moving out, give the property you’re moving from a good clean and leave a checklist for the new homeowners.
Essentials box
Pack a box with the essential items you’ll need the day of and a few days after the move. LOVESPACE offers a UK-wide removals service with convenient online booking and an upfront price. This is alongside its storage with collection and delivery service which can help renters and homeowners make the most of their space at home.
To find out more about convenient removals, visit https://lovespace.co.uk website. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/take-the-stress-out-of-moving-house-experts-share-their-simple-checklist-3819736 | 2022-08-25T18:35:47Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/take-the-stress-out-of-moving-house-experts-share-their-simple-checklist-3819736 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A North Tonawanda man faces up to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two child victims in 2020.
Marty M. Walton, 33, of North Tonawanda, pleaded guilty this afternoon before State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges to one count of first-degree criminal sexual act (Class “B” violent felony) and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse (Class “D” violent felonies).
Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said between March 27, 2020 and May 9, 2020, the defendant engaged in sexual conduct with two child victims at a location in the Town of Amherst. The defendant previously worked as a scout leader for Girls Scouts of Western New York. Both victims were known to the defendant.
Walton faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 24. He continues to be held without bail.
Temporary orders of protection remain in effect for both victims.
Flynn commended Detective James Doane of the Amherst Police as well as Detectives Michelle Day and Timothy Bakula of the North Tonawanda Police Department for their work in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Lynette M. Reda of the DA’s Special Victims Bureau. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/crime/former-nt-girl-scout-leader-pleads-guilty-to-sex-abuse-charges/article_e9e8a776-2406-11ed-b47d-734e1ed544db.html | 2022-08-25T18:37:04Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/crime/former-nt-girl-scout-leader-pleads-guilty-to-sex-abuse-charges/article_e9e8a776-2406-11ed-b47d-734e1ed544db.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Think carefully about this. What would $892.34 mean to you?
For many people, this may not be a lot of money. For some, it could be quite important. For one man, a a former United States Marine named Brian Brown-Easley, it’s everything.
“Breaking” tells the true-life story of what happened to an American military veteran in 2017, who had been in the Persian Gulf War and was brought to the breaking point. He’s so discouraged that he believes there’s no one left to help him. It’s often said that a person can’t possibly renew a tumbling life until they’ve hit rock bottom, regardless of whose fault it is. For Brown-Easley (John Boyega), every possible representative of American authority — both military and civilian — has turned their back on him. He can’t feel any lower.
The man’s private life is in shambles. His relationship with the mother of his adored young daughter is broken. His pay-as-you-go phone is a lifeline to the child, but he hasn’t many minutes left. He’s days away from being homeless. Through all of this, his payment from the U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs is missing $892.34, which is an essential amount of money.
No one will tell him why. The vast institutional bureaucracy is soulless. There will be no solace. No comfort. No answers. Rejection is total.
His psychological and emotional fragility is all-encompassing. He walks into a bank in Atlanta with a plan. Brown-Easley advises the teller that he has a bomb. However, he then allows the branch manager to let everyone out of the bank. Everyone, that is, except the two employees: the teller herself (Selenis Leyva) and the manager (Nicole Beharie).
“Breaking” then becomes a complex and riveting drama with three of the five main characters already in the bank, two of whom, the employees, haven’t much dialogue. As the story progresses, a hostage negotiator (Michael Kenneth Williams) wants everything resolved peacefully. A television producer (Connie Britton) knows a great story when one falls into her lap.
Filmmakers have long used hostage negotiations to catapult a crime movie from being merely mundane to achieving greatness, the kind of cinematic artistry worth revisiting.
My five favorite hostage negotiation dramas are: “The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three” with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw from 1974 and directed by Joseph Sargent; “Dog Day Afternoon” with Al Pacino and John Cazale from 1975 and directed by Sidney Lumet; “The Negotiator” with Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey from 1998 and directed by F. Gary Gray; “Phone Booth” with Colin Farrell and Forest Whitaker from 2002 and directed by Joel Schumacher; and “Inside Man” with Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster from 2006 and directed by Spike Lee.
If you wanted to create a triple feature, these are my top three. “Dog Day Afternoon” is a masterpiece of storytelling, acting and tension-building. It’s one of the great American films. Matthau’s “The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three,” which I recently rewatched, is classic 1970s American crime fiction, rooted as it is in a gritty New York City, and utterly character-driven. It’s infinitely better than the uninspired and shallow 2009 remake. “Phone Booth” is a daring exercise in danger, claustrophobia, and bravura editing. Farrell is trapped in a telephone booth on a busy Manhattan street and director Schumacher works his magic.
Because “Breaking,” which is playing only in theaters, is rooted in a true crime case, I highly recommend not being around someone who’s going to blab the ending to you.
Director Abi Damaris Corbin and her co-screenwriter Kwame Kwei-Armah are keenly aware of the truth of the actual events and create suspense with not only dialogue, but also with the extreme tension created by the central character's overwhelming PTSD and his military training. The way the bank employees are depicted is an essential element in keeping the story moving. The manager never stops thinking of angles that will guarantee her survival and that of her exceedingly frightened teller.
The unique idea that Brown-Easley is looking not so much for revenge, but rather for answers creates an entirely different kind of story from what we’re used to regarding hostage movies. He’s a genuinely nice guy, but he’s burdened with a trauma that in stark terms makes him a danger, at least from the point-of-view of those on the outside looking in.
While watching the film, we find ourselves understanding his fixation on the missing money. Brown-Easley takes the audience on a journey so precise that we quietly insist that someone, anyone, understand the problem and simply write a check for the $892.34. Is the VA that incompetent? Is it really that unable to comprehend the ready-made solution? Why can’t it stop the downward spiral?
The acting in “Breaking” is sublime. The primary cast delivers exquisite performances, with Boyega leading the power we see on the screen. Peripheral characters, including members of the police, also stand out during their moments to capture our attention. Director Corbin takes the tight screenplay, with its clearly defined details, and not only frames the essential scenes, but she also expertly frames the words that are spoken.
In “Breaking,” we have a kindhearted man thrown into an abyss. His PTSD compels him to react to the unfortunate circumstances in which he finds himself in a manner that society judges negatively. His mind is in free-fall, and he’s trapped by how he is forced to act.
The movie offers important lessons, and it’s a classroom you’d be wise to visit. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/calleri-missing-payment-causes-an-ex-marine-s-life-to-unravel-in-breaking/article_b27998e0-2343-11ed-b962-8fcadfcd7624.html | 2022-08-25T18:37:10Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/calleri-missing-payment-causes-an-ex-marine-s-life-to-unravel-in-breaking/article_b27998e0-2343-11ed-b962-8fcadfcd7624.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Guitarist Pat Travers is no stranger to Western New York. During the height of the arena rock era, Pat was a frequent visitor to the region, notably sharing the bill with AC/DC during the Bon Scott era in the 1970s in Buffalo.
Travers will be performing an intimate show at The Stage in Williamsville on Aug. 31, along with Lips Turn Blue. Travers and Lips Turn Blue both have new albums out this year. Lips Turn Blue, formerly known as D-Drive, released a self-titled album, and Travers recently released “'The Art of Time Travel,” which is one of the best albums of his career.
Like many of his contemporaries, Travers made effective use of the downtime during the pandemic and wrote and recorded all the tracks for the record.
“We had lost all of our shows so that became my sole focus,” Travers said during a recent phone interview. “The title track sums it up, you have to be present in the moment and not worry about things but still be able to look back at your past mistakes and not beat yourself up over it.”
“I got into the living in the here and now and mindfulness. It sounds corny, but it works. I also study Okinawan Karate, which I have for 17 years.”
The album’s sound is a throwback to the height of Travers' career when songs like “Snortin’ Whiskey” and “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” were frequently played on rock radio stations, and includes “Ronnie,” a track dedicated to the late Ronnie Montrose.
Travers' current band includes David Pastorius on bass and Alex Petrosky on drums. David is the nephew of the late legendary bass player Jaco Pastorius. David performed as part of Carl Palmer’s band at Artpark in 2019.
“David didn’t know his uncle, he actually learned about him after watching a documentary,” Travers said.
Fans can expect to hear all the classics along with the new songs. Travers said they could “perform all of them, but we are limiting it to about three per show.”
One of the highlights of Travers’ live show is the call and response for “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights).” The song appeared on his “Live! Go for What You Know” album in 1979 and has been a concert staple ever since.
Travers happily recalled the origin of the song and when audiences originally joined in on the chorus.
“My Uncle Hank gave me my first guitar when I was 12 years old, and every summer there was a festival that came to town, and my uncle had a store that provided all the backline. I helped load and set up and I heard this group called King Biscuit Boy doing the song, and eight years later when I was short a song, I decided to do that one.”
“So, we were playing it in our set and one night we were in Newcastle (England) at a big venue, and we were opening for Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs, and we saw everyone in the front playing air guitar. I don’t know whose idea it was, but afterwards we made the cardboard cutouts of my guitar.”
“I had forgotten about them when someone asked me what to do with them, and I decided to get three people out of the audience to play air guitar, and I would get audience response to see who won. One night I decided to try and see if they would answer ‘Boom Boom’ and they did.”
The rest is history. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/jennings-pat-travers-the-art-of-time-travel-is-one-of-his-best-ever/article_fdb69e96-2340-11ed-b6ae-b7b4e9d0fd85.html | 2022-08-25T18:37:16Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/jennings-pat-travers-the-art-of-time-travel-is-one-of-his-best-ever/article_fdb69e96-2340-11ed-b6ae-b7b4e9d0fd85.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After two weeks of declines, Niagara County showed an increase in new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
County health officials said there were 234 new cases reported from Aug. 17 through Tuesday. The county saw 188 new cases the week prior.
There was one Covid-related death over the past week, raising Niagara County's death toll from the pandemic to 600 since the pandemic began in March 2020.
Available hospital beds in the county stayed consistent with the week before. Eastern Niagara Hospital had 62% of hospital beds available Wednesday. Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center was at 40% and Mount St. Mary's Hospital was at 33%. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/slight-uptick-in-county-covid-numbers/article_5ecbed0e-2408-11ed-9487-7b1bf1986f86.html | 2022-08-25T18:37:22Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/slight-uptick-in-county-covid-numbers/article_5ecbed0e-2408-11ed-9487-7b1bf1986f86.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Cu is a freelancer writer who enjoys covering anything related to entertainment, Asian America, and the outdoors. She’s currently the managing editor of the Los Angeles-based magazine Character Media.
Cu Fleshman
AFAR Contributor
Cu is a freelancer writer who enjoys covering anything related to entertainment, Asian America, and the outdoors. She’s currently the managing editor of the Los Angeles-based magazine Character Media. | https://www.afar.com/authors/cu-fleshman | 2022-08-25T18:37:32Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/authors/cu-fleshman | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sustainable Scotland: Nature takes its course as rewilding transforms former farm in Scotland's home of golf
An ambitious coastal rewilding project in Scotland’s home of golf is taking a big step forward after winning funding to expand its nature restoration vision.
Kinkell Byre, an exclusive wedding and events venue set in a converted barn on a former farm just outside St Andrews, has been awarded a grant of £55,314 from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.
The owners will use the cash to further their “holistic” plans to create a large, connected network of natural habitats on the 100-acre site, which was a working farm until just over two years ago.
It will support creation of new woodlands, hedgerows, wetlands and wildflower meadows, as well as conservation grazing and employment of a dedicated rewilding officer.
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By improving the local environment, they hope to boost biodiversity and lure rare wildlife which had vanished from the landscape to come back.
The site, which includes 70 acres of grass fields and 30 acres of cliff, was previously used for a mixture of arable and livestock farming.
Now it’s on its way back to becoming a thriving wildlife haven, with more than 6,000 native trees already planted and 10 wetlands created.
Herds of beef cattle have also been swapped for a couple of Highland cows which will act as natural mowers to encourage the landscape to flourish.
Rory Fyfe, Kinkell Byre owner and project manager for the rewilding work, has big ambitions for the land, which hosts a mile-long stretch of the coastline that is part of a site of special scientific interest.
He is particularly keen to see species such as the corn bunting make a home there once again after being driven out due to unfavourable conditions when the land was farmed.
Others include bumblebees, butterflies, curlews, grey partridges, skylarks and meadow pipits, which are also currently scarce there.
As well as helping reverse loss of biodiversity, allowing nature to re-establish itself will also improve the landscape’s ability to absorb carbon emissions and so help tackle climate change.
There are also plans to create a new onsite education centre at Kinkell in the future.
“The place is beautiful, but lacks wildlife,” Mr Fyfe said.
“We are hoping to bring back natural processes and native species.
“Our big ambition is to create a network of connected rewilded areas.
“We hope by giving nature space it will do its ‘thing’ and allow the land to recover from years of intensive farming.”
He is delighted at the progress made at Kinkell so far, in just a short period of time.
The new grant, the company’s second from the Nature Restoration Fund, will enable the team to continue the good work.
“The Rewilding Kinkell project is already transforming our 100 acres of farmland, where biodiversity had been in decline for many years due to intensive farming,” he said.
“We’re now at a stage where nature is beginning to take its own course.
“We’ve created a richer ecology near St Andrews in which lost wildlife will return, biodiversity is improved and, through an increase in plantlife and improved soil, more carbon is sequestered from the atmosphere.”
Francesca Osowska, chief executive of government agency NatureScot, which administers the Nature Restoration Fund, has welcomed the project and its goals.
She said: “We are all now more aware than ever before of the urgency of the climate change emergency.
“But there is hope.
“By restoring nature, protecting and enhancing habitats and safeguarding marine life we can secure a better future for nature and for ourselves.
“Scotland is taking action now to meet the huge challenges and pressures that nature is facing; it is individual projects supported by the Nature Restoration Fund that will make the difference and set us on the road to recovery.
“Climate change needs nature-based solutions, not only to help us reach net zero by 2045 but also to create a healthier, more resilient Scotland.”
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/sustainable-scotland-nature-takes-its-course-as-rewilding-transforms-former-farm-in-scotlands-home-of-golf-3818102 | 2022-08-25T18:37:47Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/sustainable-scotland-nature-takes-its-course-as-rewilding-transforms-former-farm-in-scotlands-home-of-golf-3818102 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Firefighter’s tribute to grandfather who died tackling infamous Glasgow blaze 50 years ago
A firefighter paid a touching tribute to his grandfather at a service to remember seven men who died battling a warehouse blaze 50 years ago.
William Hooper was one of the firefighters who died in the Kilbirnie Street fire in Glasgow on August 25 1972.
Five decades after the tragedy, his grandson Derek Roden, a crew commander with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), laid a fireman’s helmet on the altar during a memorial service at Glasgow Cathedral.
The helmet was a replica of the type his grandfather would have worn while tacking the blaze, which also killed Andrew Quinn, Alistair Crofts, Iain Bermingham, Allan Finlay, Duncan McMillan and James Rook.
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As emergency crews tried to evacuate the burning building, firefighter Rook had become trapped, with divisional officer Quinn leading a team of volunteers to try to rescue him.
But, as the search party entered the building, the fire ignited the hardwood ceilings on the first floor, causing a massive ‘flashover’, leading to their deaths.
Mr Roden said he had been “proud to take on the honour” and represent his family at Thursday’s service.
He said: “He was 43 when he passed, and I look at photos of him, I’ve just turned 40 this year and here I am almost at his age – the same as him.”
SFRS interim chief officer Ross Haggart paid tribute to the “bravery and selfless dedication” of those who died.
Two vintage fire engines from 1972 were stationed outside Glasgow Cathedral during the service, as part of the tributes to the men who died.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/firefighters-tribute-to-grandfather-who-died-tackling-infamous-glasgow-blaze-50-years-ago-3819732 | 2022-08-25T18:37:54Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/firefighters-tribute-to-grandfather-who-died-tackling-infamous-glasgow-blaze-50-years-ago-3819732 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The ups and downs of life as a student renter - David Alexander
Students living in Edinburgh will be glad to know their chosen city is the most affordable in Great Britain for renting a home-from-home. Even if property professionals might challenge this assertion contained in the Student Living Index 2022, compiled by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Just to be clear, I am not questioning the veracity of the RBS figures. But when they produce £200 as the average monthly rent for students in Edinburgh then the inference I take is that the figure must be based on halls of residence, specialist “pods” and other forms of accommodation especially geared towards, and available only to, students.
Indeed, one positive to be taken from this is that Edinburgh is especially “geared” towards student accommodation given that the average rent for the capital compares favourably with Manchester, where the figure is £556, and is well below the GB average of £455. Glasgow, incidentally, is above the national average at £467.
However, specialist accommodation does not suit every student and in the conventional rental market they will typically be paying £400 to £450 per month just to rent a room. A two-person flat share will cost £1,000 or more while there are some students, especially those from abroad and in particular the Far East, who are paying – or, rather their parents are paying – £2,000 a month for a top-end flat. With their offspring so far from home, concerned Asian parents put as much emphasis on security as they do on luxuries – and are prepared to pay a premium for the privilege.
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So how do students fund their rental costs and other living expenses such as food, clothing and entertainment? Well, the latter isn’t such a big deal in Edinburgh when it comes to alcohol, according to the RBS figures, with students spending just over £22 a month, on average, on booze – less than half than Glasgow students who are forking out £48 a month. I never realised Edinburgh students had such a reputation for “temperance”!
According to the survey, the average time students spent working in part-time jobs has more than doubled since last year, coinciding with the removal of lockdown restrictions. Of the 21 university cities surveyed, Edinburgh produced the shortest times spent on part-time work – an average of 10.22 hours a month. This compared with nearly 40 hours in Glasgow and a GB average of 28.2 hours.
If correct these figures may come as a surprise given the amount of vacancies, both full-time and part-time, currently available in Edinburgh, especially in the hospitality sector. I refuse to believe Edinburgh-based students are “lazier” than their counterparts elsewhere in the country; could it be the statistics are massaged by a hard core who are from relatively-wealthy backgrounds and who do not need to take jobs to help fund their studies? Interestingly, of the 21 cities, students in Edinburgh are the least reliant on loans, according to the Index.
The University of Edinburgh is within the top ten of the “Russell Group” (i.e. top performing) universities in the country but for some students the lifestyle that Edinburgh, the city, offers is itself an attraction.
Meanwhile through in Glasgow, the Students Representative Council has claimed a shortage of accommodation is partly down to the university accepting too many new applications to study there.
It is not my intention to get involved in what is, after all, an internal matter. However in Glasgow, as in other university cities, a proportion of the student population continue to rely on the conventional rental market for accommodation and the growing shortage there will no doubt have contributed to the problem. As an example, our Glasgow office recently advertised a student flat in the city and 50 people turned up to view.
Tax changes introduced by the Westminster and Holyrood governments have marginalised overall profits on buy-to-let, with the result that larger than expected numbers of landlords are selling up. That there are just not the same numbers of new entrants coming in as there once were is adding to the problem. This trend is likely to increase if interest rates rise further, inflation is brought under control, and easily-managed, money-based accounts once again offer a real return – or at least pay sufficient interest to maintain the value of people’s savings.
David Alexander is chief executive officer of DJ Alexander
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/the-ups-and-downs-of-life-as-a-student-renter-david-alexander-3816847 | 2022-08-25T18:39:59Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/the-ups-and-downs-of-life-as-a-student-renter-david-alexander-3816847 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mick Jagger pays tribute to Charlie Watts on anniversary of drummer’s death
Sir Mick Jagger has remembered his late bandmate and friend Charlie Watts on the first anniversary of the drummer’s death.
Watts, who played in The Rolling Stones for more than half a century, died on August 24 last year at the age of 80.
A video shared on Twitter featured the band’s 1974 song Till The Next Goodbye and pictures of Sir Mick and Watts together over the years.
Sir Mick is also heard saying: “I miss Charlie because he had a great sense of humour and outside of the band we used to hang out quite a lot and have interesting times.
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“We liked sport, we would go to football, we would go to cricket games and we would have other interests apart from just music.
“Of course, I really miss Charlie so much.”
His post prompted fans of the band to share their own tributes to Watts online.
The band have been on the road as part of their Sixty Tour, and last month played two gigs as part of the line-up for British Summer Time in London’s Hyde Park.
Following Watts’ death, the Stones have been joined by Steve Jordan on drums.
Jordan, 65, was drafted in to play on the Stones’ No Filter tour last year when Watts was unable to perform due to health issues that lead to his death.
This year the BBC also marked 60 years of the Stones with a four-part film series titled My Life As A Rolling Stone and produced by Mercury Studios.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/mick-jagger-pays-tribute-to-charlie-watts-on-anniversary-of-drummers-death-3818371 | 2022-08-25T18:41:40Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/mick-jagger-pays-tribute-to-charlie-watts-on-anniversary-of-drummers-death-3818371 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The 459th Air Refueling Wing held its wing-wide South Pacific Air Force Multi-mission exercise at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii July 22-30, 2022. Wing Airmen tested their skills, capabilities and ability to adapt in a contested and challenging environment. Nearly every squadron in the wing participated in this exercise to include wing staff agencies and the medical squadrons. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Cierra Presentado)
This work, Liberators hold South Pacific Air Force Multi-mission exercise [Image 6 of 6], by SSgt Cierra Presentado, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7388029/liberators-hold-south-pacific-air-force-multi-mission-exercise | 2022-08-25T18:41:57Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7388029/liberators-hold-south-pacific-air-force-multi-mission-exercise | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Rab Wardell: Katie Archibald tried in vain to resuscitate partner Rab Wardell before he died
Olympic champion Katie Archibald has revealed she tried to unsuccessfully resuscitate partner and mountain biker Rab Wardell while he suffered a cardiac arrest in bed next to her.
Wardell died just two days after winning the elite men's title at the Scottish MTB XC Championships in the final round at Kirroughtree near Newton Stewart in Wigtownshire at the weekend.
Archibald, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, tried to save Wardell after he had suffered a cardiac arrest, but was unable to bring him back to life.
The Dunfermline-born rider's girlfriend, who lived with him in Glasgow, said in a social media post her partner had suffered a cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning.
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The Olympic champion said she "can't describe" her pain following Wardell’s passing.
In a social media post, she wrote: “I still don't understand what's happened; if this is real; why he'd be taken now – so healthy and happy.
"He went into cardiac arrest while we were lying in bed. I tried and tried, and the paramedics arrived within minutes, but his heart stopped and they couldn't bring him back.
“Mine stopped with it. I love him so much and need him here with me. I need him here so badly, but he's gone. I can't describe this pain. Thank you to those making tributes. I can't bear to talk about him in the past tense to say anything myself.
"You mean everything to me, Rab. I love you.”
In completing the record, he shaved around 14 minutes off the record set by Fort William cyclist Gary McDonald just a month earlier.
Wardell represented Scotland in the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and was a British Championships medallist, multiple Scottish champion, Race The World USA winner, and a Team Scotland and British Cycling Team representative.
He appeared on BBC Scotland’s The Nine programme on Monday evening – just hours before his death – describing how he overcame three punctures to win the race.
Scottish Cycling said on social media it was "devastated" to confirm the loss of former employee and international mountain biker Wardell.
"We have very little information at this stage, but we send our love and support to his family, friends and all those in our community who knew him," a statement said.
The Scottish Cross Country Association, which runs the mountain bike race series, also released a statement, describing Wardell's death as the “saddest news”.
Their statement read: “"Our deepest sympathy to his friends, family and loved ones.
"He will be truly missed by our community and his determination, talent and friendship will live on in all our hearts and memories.
"I'm sure more eloquent words will be written by many, but RIP Rab. Our Champion, Our Inspiration, Our Friend."
Callum Skinner, an Olympic gold medallist in 2016 from Edinburgh, said: "Some of my earliest memories in the sport featured Rab Wardell, a strong, witty personality who’d help anyone."
A film of Wardell’s West Highland Way mission was made by Cut Media in collaboration with smart training and navigation company Wahoo and California based bike company Santa Cruz. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/rab-wardell-katie-archibald-tried-in-vain-to-resuscitate-partner-rab-wardell-before-he-died-3817048 | 2022-08-25T18:42:07Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/rab-wardell-katie-archibald-tried-in-vain-to-resuscitate-partner-rab-wardell-before-he-died-3817048 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scotsman Obituaries: Jerry Allison, drummer who played with The Crickets
Jerry Ivan Allison, musician. Born: 31 August 1939 in Hillsboro, Texas, United States. Died: 22 August 2022, aged 82
Musician Jerry Allison, who played alongside Buddy Holly in American rock band The Crickets, has died.
The drummer, who is credited with co-writing hits including That’ll Be the Day and Peggy Sue, died on Monday aged 82.
His death was announced on the official Buddy Holly Facebook page, with a statement paying tribute to Allison as a “musician ahead of his time”.
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“Our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Jerry ‘JI’ Allison, drummer in the Crickets, one of Buddy’s very closest friends, and the inspiration to drummers for decades since, who passed away today at the age of 82,” the statement read.
“JI was a musician ahead of his time, and undoubtedly his energy, ideas and exceptional skill contributed to both The Crickets, and rock n’ roll itself, becoming such a success.
“Buddy is often heralded as the original singer-songwriter, but JI, too, wrote and inspired so many of the songs that would go on to be eternal classics.”
The Crickets were formed by singer-songwriter Holly in January 1957. Their first hit record, That’ll Be the Day, was released in May 1957 and peaked at number three on the Billboard Top 100 chart in September that year.
The cover of their first album, The ‘Chirping’ Crickets, showed the band line-up at the time of Holly, Allison, Niki Sullivan, and Joe B Mauldin.
Of that four, Allison was the last living member with Sullivan and Mauldin having died in 2004 and 2017, respectively.
Holly himself died in an air crash in 1959, aged only 22.
The Crickets, who also at one time included country musician Waylon Jennings, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14 2012.
OBITUARIES
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Subscribe at www.scotsman.com/subscriptions | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/scotsman-obituaries-jerry-allison-drummer-who-played-with-the-crickets-3819136 | 2022-08-25T18:42:27Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/scotsman-obituaries-jerry-allison-drummer-who-played-with-the-crickets-3819136 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Legare offloads 330 pounds (150kgs) of seized cocaine and transfers custody of eights suspected smugglers to Caribbean Corridor Strike Force agents in San Juan, Puerto Rico Aug. 24, 2022. The Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Doyle interdicted a drug smuggling vessel near Isabela, Puerto Rico Aug. 16, 2022 that resulted in the contraband seizure and the apprehension of the smugglers. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
This work, Coast Guard offloads $3.1 million in seized cocaine, transfers custody of 8 smugglers to Caribbean Corridor Strike Force agents in San Juan, Puerto Rico [Image 3 of 3], by Ricardo Castrodad, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7388035/coast-guard-offloads-31-million-seized-cocaine-transfers-custody-8-smugglers-caribbean-corridor-strike-force-agents | 2022-08-25T18:42:28Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7388035/coast-guard-offloads-31-million-seized-cocaine-transfers-custody-8-smugglers-caribbean-corridor-strike-force-agents | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
British Gas pledges to donate 10% of profit as energy price cap expected to rise
British Gas has pledged to donate 10% of its profits during the energy crisis to help people struggling with rising bills.
The money will be provided through the British Gas Energy Support Fund, which gives grants to those most in need.
Thousands of customers will receive an average £750 per household, according to the firm.
This comes as Ofgem, the industry regulator, is expected to announce another huge rise in the energy cap on Friday as global gas prices soar.
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It also follows a letter to the Government from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) urging ministers to hand more power to Ofgem, cut VAT and introduce pandemic-style emergency grants to help enterprises facing rocketing costs.
British Gas Energy’s pre-tax profits were £98 million in the first half of 2022, meaning its initial contribution would be £9.8 million.
The supplier said it will immediately boost this to £12 million over the winter period when energy usage is highest.
Chris O’Shea, chief executive of Centrica, the parent company of British Gas Energy, said: “The current cost-of-living crisis requires all of us to think differently.
“As a responsible business we want to do more to support our customers during this difficult time.
“Committing 10% of our profits for the duration of the energy crisis will mean we can target help at those who need it the most.
“This increased investment in supporting our customers adds to the financial support and advice we already offer and ensures more grants will be available as we go into this winter.”
British Gas said it is offering the largest voluntary aid package of any UK energy supplier, with a total fund of £18 million over the last eight months, including the new funding which will be backdated to the start of 2022.
On Thursday, Which? warned the Government to raise its energy bills discount by at least 150% or risk pushing millions of households into financial distress.
The consumer watchdog said the Government’s financial support for all households must increase from the current £400 to £1,000 – or from £67 to £167 per month from October to March.
The existing support package is inadequate to protect living standards for those on the lowest incomes, it said.
When the Government first announced its financial support package in May, the energy price cap was predicted to reach around £2,800 in October.
Analyst Cornwall Insight now predicts average energy bills will increase to £3,554 in October and £4,650 in January.
On Wednesday, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi insisted “nothing is off the table” when it comes to action on soaring energy bills, but added that a freeze in the price cap would not deliver “targeted help” for those who need it most.
Labour has called on Tory leadership hopefuls Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to expand the windfall tax on oil and gas companies – while Nicola Sturgeon has also called for further government action to tackle to cost of living crisis amid rising household bills.
The new price cap is set to be announced tomorrow. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/british-gas-pledges-to-donate-10-of-profit-as-energy-price-cap-expected-to-rise-3818691 | 2022-08-25T18:42:53Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/british-gas-pledges-to-donate-10-of-profit-as-energy-price-cap-expected-to-rise-3818691 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FORECAST: Heat cranks up for the weekend, only a small storm chance for Friday
WEATHER HEADLINES
- 90s making a comeback
- Isolated shower Friday morning, scattered storms Friday afternoon
- Unsettled next week with multiple storm chances
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - We look to stay dry throughout the overnight hours with warm and muggy temperatures likely as lows fall into the 60s and 70s. A stray shower or two is possible heading into the early morning hours of Friday.
Friday will feature an early morning risk for a shower with a break around midday, followed by another small window for a few pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon. Hot weather expected otherwise on Friday.
Any lingering showers Friday night will gradually wind down, leaving mainly clear skies. Watch for some patchy valley and river fog toward morning, especially in areas that picked up any recent rainfall.
Saturday looks partly sunny and drier with highs near 90 in many places. A small storm chance exists Saturday afternoon but for now it appears very small as the cold front from the day prior will be south of our area.
Sunday is a similar day to Saturday with a mix of sunshine and an isolated storm chance in the afternoon. Highs will be in the 90s for many.
By the next workweek a series of scattered storm chances will be in the forecast as a cold front dropping down from the north stalls out near our area. The heat may not be as bad with this setup, bt the humidity won’t go anywhere.
Copyright 2022 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved. | https://www.wave3.com/2022/08/25/forecast-heat-cranks-up-weekend-only-small-storm-chance-friday/ | 2022-08-25T18:42:58Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/2022/08/25/forecast-heat-cranks-up-weekend-only-small-storm-chance-friday/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
High school student killed at school bus stop in Indiana
Published: Aug. 25, 2022 at 1:55 PM EDT|Updated: 47 minutes ago
GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) - A 16-year-old was shot and killed Thursday morning while he was waiting for his school bus.
He was just a sophomore in high school.
The student’s name hasn’t been released yet, but police said he was targeted, though that’s all they’ve said at this point as they work to find the shooter.
Several schools in the area were put on lockdown.
Copyright 2022 WISH via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wave3.com/2022/08/25/high-school-student-killed-school-bus-stop-indiana/ | 2022-08-25T18:43:04Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/2022/08/25/high-school-student-killed-school-bus-stop-indiana/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GERS figures: Scottish Government faces mounting pressure over whether oil and gas will be part of economic case for Scottish independence
The Scottish Government is facing mounting pressure to outline its renewed economic case for independence as fresh figures showed Scotland’s deficit is at twice the size of that held by the UK.
It came as Deputy First Minister John Swinney refused to confirm whether the Scottish Government would rely on a continuing oil price spike in their renewed prospectus for independence.
Without oil and gas revenue included, the Scottish deficit would have shrunk at the same rate as the whole of the UK, underlining the importance of the sector to Scotland’s tax revenue.
The acting finance secretary also argued the improved notional deficit demonstrated how an independent Scotland could make successful use of fiscal powers.
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Anti-independence critics said the new Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures demonstrated the benefit of being part of the Union and the scale of the challenge that would face a newly independent Scotland.
GERS figures state the notional deficit – the difference between revenue raised in Scotland and public sector spending – has fallen by 10.3 percentage points to 12.3 per cent compared to a record high of 22.7 per cent last year.
It now sits at £23.8 billion, rising to £27.1bn when North Sea oil and gas is excluded.
Mr Swinney claimed this meant Scotland’s notional deficit dropped faster than for the UK, which has fallen by 8.4 percentage points. However, Scotland’s figure is identical to the UK’s once revenues from North Sea oil and gas are excluded.
Mr Swinney said the figures demonstrated Scotland was “recovering faster than the UK” and the record revenue – up £11.8bn to £73.8bn – was enough to cover “all day-to-day devolved spending”.
However, the UK’s deficit has reduced in size by 57.9 per cent, compared to Scotland’s 45.8 per cent fall, suggesting the UK deficit has dropped faster in terms of size.
The notional deficit is also twice the size of the UK’s, improving on the position pre-pandemic when it was four times the size.
The so-called ‘union dividend’, calculated by comparing the difference in expenditure per person and revenue per person between the UK and Scotland, sits at £2,184.
Last year’s revised figures suggest this has risen by more than £200 from £1,925.
Total public expenditure in Scotland during 2021/22, covering both Scottish and UK government spending and the rest of the public sector, was £97.5bn.
This is equivalent to 9.2 per cent of total UK public sector expenditure, or £17,793 per person.
On what the figures mean for independence and responding to claims they demonstrate the benefits of the Union, Mr Swinney said: “I think people will see that the economic prospects in the UK are not positive in the future.
"As a consequence, people can look to what an independent Scotland, with an improving set of public finances in the devolved context, could utilise the fiscal responsibilities and flexibilities that are available to create the type of prosperity that people want to see.”
He refused to confirm whether the coming economic prospectus for independence would rely on the likely excellent figures from next year’s GERS, in which oil and gas revenue is expected to increase in quality.
Mr Swinney also refused to say whether the Government would follow the Sustainable Growth Commission’s recommendation of leaving aside oil and gas revenues when making the case for an independent Scotland.
At least five more independence papers are expected from the Scottish Government in coming months.
Asked whether the influence of the oil and gas figures demonstrate the volatility of the Scottish economy being based on the North Sea, the Deputy First Minister dodged the question.
"We have a strong sector,” he said.
“It is contributing formidably towards the public finances of Scotland and the UK to an increasing extent and you’ll see that even more during this current financial year.
"But obviously there is a period of adaptation that we have got to undertake to ensure that we develop the whole approach to the net zero transition, which enables the oil and gas sector to contribute towards that process.”
Scottish Conservative finance spokesperson Liz Smith said the figures demonstrated the strength of the being part of the union, in particular the £2,184 of the so-called ‘union dividend’.
She said: “Scotland is £12bn better off as part of the United Kingdom. Instead of using time and resources to divide us, the SNP should take these figures as a wake-up call and start working with the UK Government to deliver for the real priorities of Scotland.
“These figures demonstrate clearly that pushing for another referendum is the wrong priority when we need the whole United Kingdom working together to get through the current economic crisis.
"They are a devastating blow to Nicola Sturgeon's indyref2 bid."
Scottish Labour’s finance spokesperson Daniel Johnson said it was “reckless and dangerous” for the SNP to put their “constitutional obsession” ahead of the economic security of the public.
He said: “The focus of every politician in Scotland must be on tackling the cost-of-living crisis and today's GERS statistics plainly show how the people of Scotland benefit financially from our United Kingdom.
“The figures confirm, yet again, that Scotland has an increased level of public spend relative to its tax base. That gives fiscal room that is vitally needed as we tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
"Independence would require tax increases or spending cuts at a time when these actions would shatter households as their bills spiral.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat finance spokesperson John Ferry added: “SNP parliamentarians have been keen to dismiss the GERS numbers when they don’t suit their separation agenda, but we must face the reality that they demonstrate the real economic costs of cutting ourselves off from our existing wider tax base.”
Alister Jack, the Scottish Secretary, said the figures demonstrated how people in Scotland benefit from being part of the UK.
He said: "Scotland's deficit – the shortfall between taxes raised here, including oil, and public spending – stands at £23.7bn. But as part of the UK, we can rely on the Treasury to step up to support us in plugging the gap.
"At a time of unprecedented challenges, sharing resources around the UK has never been more important.
"As we continue to recover from the pandemic and confront global pressures on prices and the cost of living, it is clear we need a shared and a relentless focus on boosting the economy."
The fifth episode of the brand new limited series podcast, How to be an independent country: Scotland’s Choices, is out now.
It is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/gers-figures-scottish-government-faces-mounting-pressure-over-whether-oil-and-gas-will-be-part-of-economic-case-for-scottish-independence-3817459 | 2022-08-25T18:43:52Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/gers-figures-scottish-government-faces-mounting-pressure-over-whether-oil-and-gas-will-be-part-of-economic-case-for-scottish-independence-3817459 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
School staff set to walk out amid warning bin strikes could continue beyond winter
Crippling bin strikes could continue beyond the winter, trade union leaders have warned, as school and nursery staff prepare to walk out next month in an escalating dispute over council pay.
Waste has been piling up on the streets of Edinburgh since a 12-day strike kicked off last week, with refuse workers in 13 other councils across Scotland now set to join the action from Wednesday.
Union leaders warned “months of massive nationwide disruption” could lie ahead.
Meanwhile, schools and nurseries in local authorities such as Glasgow could be forced to shut for three days next month as staff walk out over the same pay row.
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Talks between Cosla, the council umbrella body in Scotland, and trade union leaders took place all day on Tuesday but failed to make progress.
Both sides will now ask the Scottish Government to intervene and stump up more cash for local authorities.
Nicola Sturgeon said the Government does not have a “bottomless pit of money”.
The First Minister said she wants to “see the fairest possible pay deal delivered to public sector workers in very difficult times” and also wants “to see industrial action avoided”.
But she said the Government “has a finite budget” and has already given councils £140 million “to help fund a fair pay deal”.
She said: “There isn’t a bottomless pit of money here, but we will continue to work with trade unions and with local authorities to try to find a way forward.”
Unite confirmed its members in waste services will go on strike across 13 more councils, including Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen, from Wednesday.
It said the 5 per cent offer put forward by Cosla represented a pay rise of between £900 and £1,250 for more than half of local government workers, compared to a £1,925 flat rate pay offer for council workers in England.
The union’s Wendy Dunsmore said: “Unite has rejected outright the 5 per cent pay offer and strike action across 14 councils will go ahead. It’s a sad indictment that council workers in Scotland are being offered substantially less than their counterparts in England.
“The cold hard reality is that inflation and energy costs are soaring – and they are predicted to rise even higher.
"The 5 per cent today will not be worth the same in a matter of months when the cost of living crisis will bite even harder. The offer on the table just doesn’t help the lowest paid make ends meet.
“This dispute will continue to escalate to a point where it could now go beyond the winter causing months of massive nationwide disruption. The blame for this will lie squarely at the doors of Cosla and the Scottish Government.”
A further seven councils, including North Lanarkshire, Stirling and Midlothian, will be hit by bin strikes from August 26, and more action is planned next month.
Meanwhile, Unison and the GMB trade union said janitors, cleaners, caterers and pupil support assistants in schools and nurseries will go on strike on September 6, 7 and 8, just three weeks into the school term.
The councils affected by the planned school strikes are Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Orkney, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said “a decision will be taken” on whether schools and nurseries will be able to stay open on the affected days.
She said: “We will let families know as soon as possible if the decision is to close the schools so that they are able to make alternative arrangements.”
Pictures of the Edinburgh’s rubbish-strewn streets have been widely shared on social media and there are warnings of an explosion in the population of rats and other vermin.
Edinburgh City Council leader Cammy Day said: “This is a national crisis playing out in Edinburgh’s streets during our busiest and most important time of the year. And while this clearly shows the value of our waste teams’ work, it also demonstrates a national failure to find an acceptable resolution.
“With strike action set to begin in councils across Scotland from tomorrow, we need the Scottish Government to get back round the table.
“I’ve written to Nicola Sturgeon today to invite her to join me and the Unions for a walk around the city centre to see first-hand the impact this is having on our capital city – the driving force of the Scottish economy.
“I want to thank our residents for bearing with us and for following our guidance, particularly around storing their waste.”
It is understood the action across schools and waste services will be the largest strike among council workers since the Trade Union Act was introduced in 2016.
Johanna Baxter, Unison Scotland’s head of local government, said it is “a long way from a pay offer that we would be able to recommend to our members”.
She said: “Cosla negotiated within the cost envelope that leaders mandated them but that simply isn’t enough and goes nowhere near matching the pay offer provided to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“The only thing that both parties could agree on is that we need the urgent intervention from the Deputy First Minister to put additional funding in place and both will be writing to the Deputy First Minister to that effect today.”
GMB Scotland senior organiser Keir Greenaway said: “The fact that Cosla couldn’t even commit to the basic principle of a flat rate offer which would help the lowest paid is bitterly disappointing and frankly shameful.”
He added: “Our members are angry about the lack of value being shown to them by political leaders and scared about the prospect of pay that doesn’t confront a cost-of-living crisis that’s getting worse by the week.
“Cosla leaders meet again on Friday, and they have got to do so much better, because until our members concerns are addressed, strikes will continue, and they will grow.”
A Cosla spokesman described Tuesday’s talks as “constructive and a productive”.
Local Government Secretary Shona Robison said: “The increased pay offer to local government workers by councils is a welcome step forward and has been supported by the Scottish Government’s commitment of an additional £140 million for council workers' pay on a recurring basis.
“As the employers, these pay negotiations are a matter for local authorities and unions – the Scottish Government has no formal role.
"However, throughout discussions we have sought to work collaboratively with Cosla while providing full transparency around our financial position.
"The Scottish Government strongly encourages local authorities and trades unions to take forward and while this is happening for strike action not to take place.
“All areas of the public sector are having to make challenging savings to stay within budget.
"The UK Government has cut the Scottish Government’s budget and not adjusted it for inflation, exacerbating the financial situation for both government and councils.
"Nevertheless, we have sought to do what we can within the resources available to us to support a meaningful revised offer in the face of the cost of living emergency.”
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/school-staff-set-to-walk-out-amid-warning-bin-strikes-could-continue-beyond-winter-3815937 | 2022-08-25T18:44:39Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/school-staff-set-to-walk-out-amid-warning-bin-strikes-could-continue-beyond-winter-3815937 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scottish independence: Yes campaigners face uphill battle to convince voters of economic case, poll suggests
Scots believe that staying within the United Kingdom is more convincing than the idea the country would be more successful as an independent nation, a new poll has found.
The poll, run by Ipsos Scotland, also suggests less than half of Scots believe treating the next general election as a ‘de-facto referendum’ would constitute a mandate for independence.
Nicola Sturgeon has said the SNP will fight the next election on the single issue of independence if the Scottish Government’s reference to the Supreme Court around a referendum Bill fails.
The poll interviewed 1,000 adults in Scotland aged 16 and over between August 12 and 15.
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It found voters find arguments around the political direction of Scotland being different to the rest of the UK and around distrust of Westminster to act in Scotland’s interest the most convincing arguments in favour of independence, with a net ‘convincing’ rating of +23 per cent and +20 per cent respectively.
However, only 46 per cent of voters are convinced by the argument Scotland would be economically stronger post-independence, with 47 per cent saying this argument was unconvincing, with a net rating of -1 per cent.
This is in stark comparison to the equivalent argument for the pro-Union side, that leaving Scotland would be a major risk for the country’s economy and jobs.
This is labelled convincing by 57 per cent of Scots and not convincing by 38 per cent, with a net rating of +19 per cent.
Scots also find arguments around the UK and Scotland having more in common than what divides the two countries (+17 per cent), Scotland getting the best of both worlds with devolution (+14 per cent), and that Scotland leaving would leave it weaker on the international stage (+9 per cent) overall more convincing than not.
The poll showed two thirds (63 per cent) of Scots agreed a repeat of the 2014 referendum would provide a mandate for independence, with 18 per cent stating it wouldn’t and a further 19 per cent saying they didn’t know.
Holding a referendum without the approval of Westminster – the SNP’s plan should the Supreme Court rule in their favour – is viewed as a mandate for independence by 47 per cent of Scots, rejected by 35 per cent, with 18 per cent saying they don’t know.
A de-facto referendum at a general election is backed by 39 per cent of Scots, but rejected by an almost identical number of Scots (38 per cent), with 24 per cent stating they don’t know.
Conservative voters are the most likely to reject any of the scenarios as resulting in a mandate for independence, while SNP voters are unsurprisingly most likely to back any of the three scenarios.
Rachel Ormston, research director at Ipsos in Scotland, said: “These findings highlight the challenges for pro-independence supporters in finding a mechanism to establish a democratic mandate for independence that is widely accepted by the Scottish public as a whole.
"While the UK Government appears unlikely to agree to a second referendum in the near future, this is currently the only route that a clear majority of Scots view as legitimate.”
The fifth episode of the brand new limited series podcast, How to be an independent country: Scotland’s Choices, is out now.
It is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-independence-yes-campaigners-face-uphill-battle-to-convince-voters-of-economic-case-poll-suggests-3818868 | 2022-08-25T18:44:45Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-independence-yes-campaigners-face-uphill-battle-to-convince-voters-of-economic-case-poll-suggests-3818868 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Tory leadership race: Why Rishi Sunak might do major damage to party in final week
Rishi Sunak is probably not going to lead the Tory party, but he’s doing his best to damage it.
In the past 48 hours the former chancellor has accused leadership opponent Liz Truss of having policies that would plunge millions into poverty, and refused to rule out voting against her fiscal plans.
If that wasn’t enough, he’s also criticised the Covid lockdown policy he was so frequently sent out to defend, saying empowering Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) scientists left us “screwed”.
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Mr Sunak said he “wasn’t allowed to talk about the trade-off” during the early phases of the pandemic and suggested SAGE edited its minutes to hide dissenting opinions.
These are not comments that will help him win, but instead attacks that will adorn Labour leaflets and rule him out of any consolation role in Cabinet.
It is not so much a change in tact as a full-on U-turn, a doubling down from a candidate who previously said only he could defeat Sir Keir Starmer.
His claims appear to be more about being proved right than winning, laying the groundwork to say “I told you so” at a later date.
Allies of Ms Truss have reacted with fury, accusing him of “thrashing around all over the place like a wounded stoat”.
Another added: “Are you trying to destroy this party? These attacks are framing us as Tory scum. It’s personal and bitter and it needs to stop”.
Such an escalation is to be expected during the closing stages of a race, but with it seemingly already won, some Tories expected more restraint.
Mr Sunak may well be right, but there is no question his actions are not in the interests of the Conservative party.
Ms Truss will not change her plans because of his comments, nor is she less likely to become prime minister.
Saying the right thing now, when it’s too late to change the result, seems desperate and suggests Parliament’s richest MP knows it is over.
It also leaves him potentially untarnished if Ms Truss, as expected, struggles to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and loses the next general election to Sir Keir and Labour.
Mr Sunak may be playing the long game, but it remains to be seen how much of the party will still be around to save.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/tory-leadership-race-why-rishi-sunak-might-do-major-damage-to-party-in-final-week-3819262 | 2022-08-25T18:45:32Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/tory-leadership-race-why-rishi-sunak-might-do-major-damage-to-party-in-final-week-3819262 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Bank holiday supermarket opening times: when Asda, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsburys will be open
This will be the last bank holiday until Boxing Day
The last bank holiday of the summer is here with thousands over the country enjoying an extra day off.
It will be the first bank holiday for almost three months, with the last bank holiday occurring on 3 June, which was added in this year as the Queen celebrated her platinum jubilee.
As always with bank holidays, major supermarket brands will alter their operating hours, usually making them shorter to allow workers to enjoy some of the day off.
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Aldi
Saturday 27 August - 8am - 10pm
Sunday 28 August - 10am - 4pm
Monday 29 August - 8am - 8pm
Sainsburys
Monday 29 August - 7am - 8pm
Tesco
Monday 29 August - 8am - 6pm
Monday 29 August - 7am - 8pm
Asda
Monday 29 August - 7am - 8pm
Tuesday 30 August - 7am - 11pm
Co-op
Monday 29 August - 7am - 10pm
Monday 29 August - 8am - 8pm
Marks and Spencer
Monday 29 August - 8am - 8pm
Waitrose
Sunday 28 August - Closed
Monday 29 August - 8am - 8pm
Iceland
Friday August 27 - 8am-7pm
Saturday August 28 - 8am-7pm
Sunday August 29 - 10am-4pm
Monday August 30 - 10am-4pm
When is the next bank holiday?
It’s a long wait until the next bank holiday, just shy of four months with the next one to come on Boxing Day 2022, which is on a Monday this year.
Many will also get an extra day off on 27 December too, as Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year.
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article. | https://www.scotsman.com/read-this/bank-holiday-supermarket-opening-times-when-asda-tesco-aldi-lidl-morrisons-sainsburys-will-be-open-3817399 | 2022-08-25T18:46:32Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/read-this/bank-holiday-supermarket-opening-times-when-asda-tesco-aldi-lidl-morrisons-sainsburys-will-be-open-3817399 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Children still see a future full of flying cars, teleportation and robots – just as adults do
A poll of 1,000 children aged 6-10 found 72 per cent named self-charging electric cars as an invention they’d like to see, while 51 per cent would like flying cars.
And nearly one in five (17 per cent) want to go to space via public transport.
Others hope to witness teleportation, a flying school bus, and robots.
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It also emerged nearly four in 10 adults have come to terms with the idea of interacting with robots in their daily life, and 31 per cent feel excited at the prospect.
And 47 per cent believe them to be useful, especially in the fields of scientific research, healthcare and transportation, due to the ability to learn, endure climate extremes and harsh terrain.
Children also clearly want to go about their travels unnoticed, as an invisibility machine also made the wish list.
Technological developments are essential for driving progress
The study, commissioned by Hyundai, also found 65 per cent of children think technology can make the world a better place, for making and building things (59 per cent) and learning (56 per cent).
While 29 per cent believe technology is useful for transportation.
Of the 2,000 adults who were also polled, 51 per cent believe technological developments are essential for driving progress in society, with science, healthcare, business and education areas they believe technology holds the key to success.
It also emerged 62 per cent of Brits recognised the part technology has played in their personal mobility, although transport was a key area for tech developments, with 23 per cent saying it would benefit from technological advances.
Echoing their younger counterparts, robots, flying and autonomous cars are among the technology adults were most excited about, while renewables and AI were also high on the agenda.
The future needs sustainable mobility
The study exploring attitudes toward future technology was commissioned by Hyundai, as the brand looks to understand how adults and children perceive mobility solutions such as electric cars and flying taxis.
As brands prepare new innovations like autonomous flying taxis, a third of adults imagined such inventions wouldn’t be available for at least another 20 years.
And three-quarters didn’t know some modern electric cars can be used as charging points, to charge other electric vehicles around them, and even other essential personal tech.
There is a clear appetite for mobility to be more sustainable, as 38 per cent felt tech could be deployed to improve transport and mobility’s environmental credentials.
For social progress, adults rate robots higher than children, with 32 per cent willing to befriend one, compared to just 24 per cent of children.
Perhaps not surprisingly for children under 12, the key robot capabilities were the ability to do chores (55 per cent) and homework (47 per cent).
Society grows eager to embrace technology
Ashley Andrew, managing director at Hyundai Motor UK, said: “Many of us are intrigued by the potential capacities of robotics, and how this will determine the future of technology.
“It’s clear from our research that society is eager to embrace technology on a range of levels such as helping efforts to clean up the environment and offer clean mobility solutions, ultimately driving progress in the way we travel.”
Following the findings in the OnePoll studies, people were asked how they feel about welcoming technology into their lives.
While expressing their thoughts in a video, participants got to experience the opportunity robotics presents for the future, with Spot the robotic dog from Boston Dynamics making a surprise appearance. | https://www.scotsman.com/read-this/children-still-see-a-future-full-of-flying-cars-teleportation-and-robots-just-as-adults-do-3817708 | 2022-08-25T18:46:46Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/read-this/children-still-see-a-future-full-of-flying-cars-teleportation-and-robots-just-as-adults-do-3817708 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ooni Fyra 12 pizza oven review: is it the best budget portable wood fire pizza oven in the UK?
Delectable Neapolitan-style pizza in the comfort of your own home - we review the budget pizza oven ‘Ooni Fyra 12’
Ooni Fyra 12 review: is it the best budget pizza oven in the UK?
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Ooni is unquestionably this country’s most popular pizza oven manufacturer.
The keenly-priced Fyra 12 runs on wood pellets like those used in pellet barbecues, weighs just 10kgs and comes with a 12-inch baking stone.
How easy is the Ooni Fyra to use?
An absolute breeze to put together (as in, even I could do it, and I’ve been known to struggle with slot a into slot b) simply attach the chimney and the rear-mounted pellet hopper, unfold the three legs and carefully slide in the cordierite stone.
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The Ooni Fyra is as easy to use as it is to assemble - a fantastic ‘entry level’ pizza oven if you’re dipping your toes into the world of your own wood-fired pizza.
With no logs or gas to wrangle with, instead you simply have to feed wood pellets through a hopper - so long as the hopper is full, it will sizzle away.
The wood pellets come in a resealable waterproof fuel bag - easy to transport if you’re heading off camping or want to bring the oven to a friend’s place.
No tools were needed for assembly, and we were using it within a half hour of removing from the packaging.
We used an Ooni pizza peel to slide pizzas in and out of the oven - you’ll need a pizza peel, although other models are available. With the oven hitting 400C, you need the peel to place and remove the pizzas in - absolutely do not toy around with alternative methods, you’ll end up burnt and covered in pizza.
How easy is the Ooni Fyra to light?
To light the Ooni Fyra, you simply remove the grate from the back of the oven, fill with pellets, and set alight.
Top tip: get yourself a box of natural firelighters. The wood pellets are difficult to light and using wads of paper is ashy, messy, and frustrating. Firelighters will get those pellets sizzling in 15 minutes. After that, you have to refill the hopper every quarter of an hour or so - in which time you’ll be able to cook 4 12” pizzas.
How easy is it to cook a pizza in the Ooni Fyra?
Oh so easy!
Once the oven is hot, a pizza will fully cook in 90 seconds. Make sure to spin the pizza after 30 seconds so the crust cooks evenly, otherwise it will burn as the end closest to the flame.
How was the pizza? A dream. The crust was featherlight, crispy, puffy - with that delectable wood-smoke quality you can only get from the real thing.
Top tip: make sure your peel is thoroughly covered in flour before you put your pizza on it, to help it shuffle in.
How safe is the Ooni Fyra?
Used correctly, it’s fine - but the outside gets very hot, so keep children and pets well clear. When the wind picks up flame backdrafts can come out the rear grate, so stand well clear.
Can you keep the Ooni Fyra outside?
If you purchase a cover - which Ooni sells - you can store outside. Otherwise, the oven is so light that you can easily bring it back indoors once it has cooled (two hours after the flame extinguishes)
Is an Ooni Pizza Oven worth it, or shall I just order takeaway?
Here’s the crux of the matter, really. Will purchasing a pizza oven mean you’ll eat more delicious pizzas on a regular basis than ordering from your local pizzeria?
I’d say so, yes, for a couple of crucial reasons. Firstly - and most crucially - you’re eating your slice direct from the fire, and that freshness simply can’t be replicated with a boxed pizza that survived a twenty minute ride on the back of a delivery moped to get to you. There’s no sogginess, no heat loss, the toppings haven’t slipped and slid.
Secondly, and perhaps a little obviously - you’re tailoring your toppings to your whim. While you can theoretically do this at many pizza houses, the freedom here is as great as your imagination. Crack a fresh egg on your pie for an Egg Florentine (utterly delectable) - you won’t get that from a takeaway. Or layer sliced banana and Nutella for a heavenly dessert pizza.
Ooni Fyra star ratings
Packaging 4/5
Ease of assembly 5/5 Build quality 4.5/5 Ease of use 4/ Value for money 4/5 Cooking results 4/5 Ease of storage 5/5
Best pizza dough providers
Granted, you will have to order a dozen or so dough balls at a time but they keep for ages in the freezer. Simply defrost in the fridge overnight, take them out a few hours before to reach room temperature and cover with a damp tea towel to proof.
Massarellas: Massarellas is based in Yorkshire and they ship their amazing Sourdough and Classic varieties to most of mainland UK.
The Sourdough version, especially, produces outstanding pizzas with mountainous crusts that are light as a feather.
Ooni: Ooni ships top-notch semi-frozen sourdough pizza dough balls to your door – mainland UK only.
The minimum order is 24 dough balls but they keep for months and freezing doesn’t affect the final results, which are scrumptious.
Top tip: make sure to dry your mozzarella slices on paper towel before you put them on the pizza, or else you’ll end up with a soggy passata and sloppy slice - not ideal.
Ooni Fyra 12
Help your father seriously up his pizza game with a brilliant pizza oven.
The keenly-priced Fyra 12 runs on wood pellets like those used in pellet barbecues, weighs just 10kgs and comes with a 12-inch baking stone.
A fabulous ‘starter’ pizza oven - ideal for feeding a small family or a pizza party. Cooks 12” pizzas in 90 seconds and is an absolute doddle to use. | https://www.scotsman.com/recommended/ooni-fyra-12-3567944 | 2022-08-25T18:48:19Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/recommended/ooni-fyra-12-3567944 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
'Ants in my pants': What Christopher Jullien had to say on Montpellier move as he leaves Celtic for good
Celtic have sold defender Christopher Jullien to Montpellier, with the Frenchman agreeing a three-year deal with the Ligue 1 club.
Bought by Celtic for £7million back in 2019, they are understood to have recouped a fraction of that fee as Jullien returns to his homeland on a permanent deal.
The 29-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Celtic under current manager Ange Postecoglou due to two serious injuries and the strong central defensive partnership formed by Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt, with Jullien also behind Moritz Jenz and Stephen Welsh.
Speaking on his move to Montpellier, Jullien said: “I am very happy to have joined this club. I feel warmth here, everyone has welcomed me. I now can’t wait to get going, I have ants in my pants. I left Ligue 1 not that long ago and I am happy to rediscover this league. I’m starting a new chapter at Montpellier. I can’t wait to meet the fans and I am sure we will have many adventures together.”
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Celtic posted a brief statement via social media on Jullien’s departure which read: “Christopher Jullien has joined @MontpellierHSC on a permanent deal. Everyone at #CelticFC would like to thank @Chri6ViF for his contribution to the club and wish him good luck for the future.” | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/ants-in-my-pants-what-christopher-jullien-had-to-say-on-montpellier-move-as-he-leaves-celtic-for-good-3816886 | 2022-08-25T18:48:25Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/ants-in-my-pants-what-christopher-jullien-had-to-say-on-montpellier-move-as-he-leaves-celtic-for-good-3816886 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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