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Local law enforcement agencies from suburban Southern California to rural North Carolina have been using an obscure cellphone tracking tool, at times without search warrants, that gives them the power to follow people’s movements months back in time, according to public records and internal emails obtained by The Associated Press.
Police have used “Fog Reveal” to search hundreds of billions of records from 250 million mobile devices, and harnessed the data to create location analyses known among law enforcement as “patterns of life,” according to thousands of pages of records about the company.
Sold by Virginia-based Fog Data Science LLC, Fog Reveal has been used since at least 2018 in criminal investigations ranging from the murder of a nurse in Arkansas to tracing the movements of a potential participant in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The tool is rarely, if ever, mentioned in court records, something that defense attorneys say makes it harder for them to properly defend their clients in cases in which the technology was used.
The company was developed by two former high-ranking Department of Homeland Security officials under ex-President George W. Bush. It relies on advertising identification numbers, which Fog officials say are culled from popular cellphone apps such as Waze, Starbucks and hundreds of others that target ads based on a person’s movements and interests, according to police emails. That information is then sold to companies like Fog.
“It’s sort of a mass surveillance program on a budget,” said Bennett Cyphers, a special advisor at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital privacy rights advocacy group.
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This story, supported by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, is part of an ongoing Associated Press series, “Tracked,” that investigates the power and consequences of decisions driven by algorithms on people’s everyday lives.
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The documents and emails were obtained by EFF through Freedom of Information Act requests. The group shared the files with The AP, which independently found that Fog sold its software in about 40 contracts to nearly two dozen agencies, according to GovSpend, a company that keeps tabs on government spending. The records and AP’s reporting provide the first public account of the extensive use of Fog Reveal by local police, according to analysts and legal experts who scrutinize such technologies.
“Local law enforcement is at the front lines of trafficking and missing persons cases, yet these departments are often behind in technology adoption,” Matthew Broderick, a Fog managing partner, said in an email. “We fill a gap for underfunded and understaffed departments.”
Because of the secrecy surrounding Fog, however, there are scant details about its use and most law enforcement agencies won’t discuss it, raising concerns among privacy advocates that it violates the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure.
What distinguishes Fog Reveal from other cellphone location technologies used by police is that it follows the devices through their advertising IDs, unique numbers assigned to each device. These numbers do not contain the name of the phone’s user, but can be traced to homes and workplaces to help police establish pattern-of-life analyses.
“The capability that it had for bringing up just anybody in an area whether they were in public or at home seemed to me to be a very clear violation of the Fourth Amendment,” said Davin Hall, a former crime data analysis supervisor for the Greensboro, North Carolina Police Department. “I just feel angry and betrayed and lied to.”
Hall resigned in late 2020 after months of voicing concerns about the department’s use of Fog to police attorneys and the city council.
While Greensboro officials acknowledged Fog’s use and initially defended it, the police department said it allowed its subscription to expire earlier this year because it didn’t “independently benefit investigations.”
But federal, state and local police agencies around the U.S. continue to use Fog with very little public accountability. Local police agencies have been enticed by Fog’s affordable price: it can start as low as $7,500 a year. And some departments that license it have shared access with other nearby law enforcement agencies, the emails show.
Police departments also like how quickly they can access detailed location information from Fog. Geofence warrants, which tap into GPS and other sources to track a device, are accessed by obtaining such data from companies, like Google or Apple. This requires police to obtain a warrant and ask the tech companies for the specific data they want, which can take days or weeks.
Using Fog’s data, which the company claims is anonymized, police can geofence an area or search by a specific device’s ad ID numbers, according to a user agreement obtained by AP. But, Fog maintains that “we have no way of linking signals back to a specific device or owner,” according to a sales representative who emailed the California Highway Patrol in 2018, after a lieutenant asked whether the tool could be legally used.
Despite such privacy assurances, the records show that law enforcement can use Fog’s data as a clue to find identifying information. “There is no (personal information) linked to the (ad ID),” wrote a Missouri official about Fog in 2019. “But if we are good at what we do, we should be able to figure out the owner.”
Federal oversight of companies like Fog is an evolving legal landscape. On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission sued a data broker called Kochava that, like Fog, provides its clients with advertising IDs that authorities say can easily be used to find where a mobile device user lives, which violates rules the commission enforces. And there are bills before Congress now that, if passed, would regulate the industry.
Fog’s Broderick said in an email that the company does not have access to people’s personal information, and draws from “commercially available data without restrictions to use,” from data brokers “that legitimately purchase data from apps in accordance with their legal agreements.” The company refused to share information about how many police agencies it works with.
“We are confident Law Enforcement has the responsible leadership, constraints, and political guidance at the municipal, state, and federal level to ensure that any law enforcement tool and method is appropriately used in accordance with the laws in their respective jurisdictions,” Broderick said. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/tech-tool-offers-police-mass-surveillance-on-a-budget/article_86e42dc6-29f6-11ed-8d90-7344e80dfc29.html | 2022-09-01T16:01:51Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/tech-tool-offers-police-mass-surveillance-on-a-budget/article_86e42dc6-29f6-11ed-8d90-7344e80dfc29.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Democrat Mary Peltola is set to make history as the first Alaska Native in Congress -- while thwarting the attempted political comeback of former Gov. Sarah Palin -- by winning a special House election, according to unofficial ranked-choice voting results released Wednesday by the state Division of Elections.
Her unlikely bid for the House was unique to Alaska, where political relationships span decades and voters who have elected independents and write-in candidates to major offices have what Peltola calls a "libertarian bent" that at times defies the partisan label the state has earned by voting consistently for Republican presidential candidates.
She has a warm relationship with Palin, who once gave her family's backyard trampoline to Peltola's family, and she once spent Thanksgiving with the late Rep. Don Young, an old teaching colleague and hunting buddy of her father's whose former seat she and Palin sought to fill for the remainder of 2022. Young died in March after representing Alaska in the House for 49 years.
Despite Peltola's victory on Wednesday, she and Palin will face off again in November to fill the state's lone House seat for the next full term.
Peltola, who turned 49 on Wednesday, is the daughter of a Yup'ik mother and a Nebraskan father who had moved north to teach school and later became a bush pilot.
She had spent a decade in Alaska's House of Representatives, from 1999 to 2009, where she chaired the bipartisan "bush" caucus of rural lawmakers and overlapped with Palin, her leading opponent in the special congressional race, who was governor from late 2006 through mid-2009. Peltola later became a Bethel City Council member, a lobbyist and a salmon advocate as the executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
The Yup'ik people, she said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday ahead of the ranked choice tabulation, are "holistic" thinkers.
"Everything is interconnected," Peltola said. "When we talk about community wellness, we talk about the entire community. I do think of things in very broad terms, and I do recognize that in Alaska, even though we have a huge footprint, we are a very small in numbers population, and we are all related."
She's now set to fill the remaining months of the term started by Young -- who, before becoming the longest-serving Republican congressman in US history, was a close friend of her father.
The two were both teachers in Fort Yukon -- Peltola's father taught 8th grade while Young taught 4th grade -- and were hunting buddies. Once, in the 1960s, Peltola said, the two men bought a bulldozer together and took 12-hour shifts fighting a wildfire.
Each time Young saw Peltola, he told her to razz her father with a story about him not bringing the antlers back from a moose hunting trip.
After a strong commercial fishing year, Peltola's father sent her to a private boarding school near Allentown, Pennsylvania, for her sophomore year of high school. Her family couldn't afford flights home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, she said, so her father called his old friend Young and asked if Peltola could spend Thanksgiving with his family in the Washington, DC, area.
She visited with Young's family and heard the story of the recent engagement of Dawn Young, one of the congressman's two daughters. The holiday, she said, was when she began to understand Young in a context beyond his friendship with her father.
"I realized at that time how significant Don's position was," Peltola said.
Colleagues before they were rivals
Peltola also has what she describes as a warm relationship with Palin. The two were expectant mothers working at the statehouse in Juneau at the same time. When Palin left Juneau in 2009, she and her then-husband Todd gave their backyard trampoline to Peltola's family.
The two had lost touch, but Peltola said one of the highlights of her run for Congress has been reconnecting with Palin and other former colleagues.
"I love it when Sarah and I are at the same forum. Every time I see her, I give her a hug. I'm always happy to see Sarah," she said.
Because of the small population and interconnected nature of Alaska politics, Peltola said, she views Palin and the third-place finisher in the race, Republican Nick Begich III, as "people I'm going to be working with for the rest of my life, whether I win the race or not."
"I feel camaraderie and a sense of fraternity with both Nick and Sarah," the Democrat said.
Peltola campaigned as a fishing advocate, a supporter of labor rights and a proponent of abortion rights.
She said the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is at odds with Alaska's political instincts.
"We are very much covetous of our freedoms and our privacy," she said.
She also pointed to a dark history of Alaska Native women being the target of forced sterilizations into the mid-20th century.
"Seeing that Dobbs decision is a concern to me, and the other issues that this other radical Supreme Court -- radically conservative Supreme Court -- have signaled, the other personal rights they're talking about infringing upon is a great concern to me," she said.
Peltola was little-known when, in April, she entered the special election.
She was the fourth-place finisher in June's "open" primary, in which Alaska narrowed a field of 48 candidates from all parties down to a final four who advanced to an August special election: Peltola; Palin; Begich, a Republican member of the state's most famous Democratic political family; and independent Al Gross, who had been backed by Democrats in a Senate race less than two years earlier.
When Gross dropped out of the contest shortly after the primary, it created an opening in a state where President Joe Biden had won 42% of the vote in 2020. Peltola could consolidate all of the Democratic votes, while Palin and Begich jockeyed for Republicans' support.
Peltola finished the August 16 special election as the leading vote-getter with 40% support to Palin's 31% and Begich's 28%.
But because no one secured a majority of the vote, the state's new ranked-choice voting process was triggered.
Under the system, which was used for the first time in the state, the last-place finisher is eliminated and votes are reallocated to voters' next available choice until one candidate exceeds 50% of the vote.
Peltola, Palin and Begich are all set to square off again in November. All three qualified for another ranked-choice showdown to win Alaska's lone at-large House seat for a full term.
This story has been updated with Peltola winning the special election.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/mary-peltola-set-to-make-history-as-the-first-alaska-native-in-congress/article_a44bc4db-ce53-5ae7-a554-ab8d77b231c0.html | 2022-09-01T16:01:53Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/mary-peltola-set-to-make-history-as-the-first-alaska-native-in-congress/article_a44bc4db-ce53-5ae7-a554-ab8d77b231c0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the former Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, has died at the age of 91.
Gorbachev died after a long illness, Russian state news agencies reported.
"Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev died this evening after a severe and prolonged illness," the Central Clinical Hospital said, according to RIA Novosti Tuesday.
The man credited with introducing key political and economic reforms to the USSR and helping to end the Cold War had been in failing health for some time.
With his outgoing, charismatic nature, Gorbachev broke the mold for Soviet leaders who until then had mostly been remote, icy figures. Almost from the start of his leadership, he strove for significant reforms, so the system would work more efficiently and more democratically. Hence the two key phrases of the Gorbachev era: "glasnost" (openness) and "perestroika" (restructuring).
"I began these reforms and my guiding stars were freedom and democracy, without bloodshed. So the people would cease to be a herd led by a shepherd. They would become citizens," he later said.
From farm labor to party's rising star
Gorbachev had humble beginnings: He was born into a peasant family on March 2, 1931 near Stavropol, and as a boy, he did farm labor along with his studies, working with his father who was a combine harvester operator. In later life, Gorbachev said he was "particularly proud of my ability to detect a fault in the combine instantly, just by the sound of it."
He became a member of the Communist Party in 1952 and completed a law degree at Moscow University in 1955. It was here that he met -- and married -- fellow student Raisa Titarenko.
During the early 1960s, Gorbachev became head of the agriculture department for the Stavropol region. By the end of the decade he had risen to the top of the party hierarchy in the region. He came to the attention of Mikhail Suslov and Yuri Andropov, members of the Politburo, the principal policy-setting body of the Communist Part of the Soviet Union, who got him elected to the Central Committee in 1971 and arranged foreign trips for their rising star.
In 1978, Gorbachev was back in Moscow, and the next year he was chosen as a candidate member of the Politburo. His stewardship of Soviet agriculture was not a success. As he came to realize, the collective system was fundamentally flawed in more than one way.
A full Politburo member since 1980, Gorbachev became more influential in 1982 when his mentor, Andropov, succeeded Leonid Brezhnev as general secretary of the party. He built a reputation as an enemy of corruption and inefficiency, finally rising to the top party spot in March 1985.
'A man one can do business with'
Hoping to shift resources to the civilian sector of the Soviet economy, Gorbachev began to argue in favor of an end to the arms race with the West.
However, throughout his six years in office, Gorbachev always seemed to be moving too fast for the party establishment -- which saw its privileges threatened -- and too slow for more radical reformers, who hoped to do away with the one-party state and the command economy.
Desperately trying to stay in control of the reform process, he seemed to have underestimated the depth of the economic crisis. He also seemed to have had a blind spot for the power of the nationality issue: Glasnost created ever-louder calls for independence from the Baltics and other Soviet republics in the late 1980s.
He was successful in foreign policy, but primarily from an international perspective, with other world leaders taking note. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called him "a man one can do business with."
In 1986, face to face with American President Ronald Reagan at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, Gorbachev made a stunning proposal: eliminate all long-range missiles held by the United States and the Soviet Union. It was the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 "for his leading role in the peace process which today characterizes important parts of the international community."
The pact that resulted, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, endured as a pillar of arms control for three decades until, in 2019, the United States formally withdrew and the Russian government said it had been consigned to the trash can.
Hard-liners revolt
While Gorbachev's arms control agreements with the US could be seen as also being in the Soviet interest, the breakaway of some of the countries of Eastern Europe, followed by German unification and NATO membership for the new unified Germany (West Germany had previously been in NATO), angered old-school Communists.
In August 1991, hard-liners had had enough. With Gorbachev on vacation in the Crimea, they staged a revolt. Boris Yeltsin, the president of the biggest Soviet republic -- Russia -- and a fierce critic of what he considered Gorbachev's halfway reforms, nevertheless came to his rescue, facing down and defeating the coup plotters.
But across the Soviet Union, republics -- one after another -- were declaring independence and on December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as Soviet president. As he read his resignation speech, Gorbachev defined what likely will be his legacy: "The country received freedom, was liberated politically and spiritually, and that was the most important achievement."
The red flag that flew over the Kremlin, symbol of the USSR, was lowered. The Soviet Union -- was over and Yeltsin was in control. "We are living in a new world," Gorbachev said.
In April 2012, CNN's Christiane Amanpour asked Gorbachev whether he had engineered the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev said there had been nothing in his speeches "until the very end" that had supported its disintegration: "The breakup of the union was the result of betrayal by the Soviet nomenklatura, by the bureaucracy, and also Yeltsin's betrayal. He spoke about cooperating with me, working with me on a new union treaty, he signed the draft union treaty, initialed that treaty. But at the same time, he was working behind my back."
In 1996 Gorbachev ran against Yeltsin for the Russian presidency but got less than 1% of the vote.
Speaking out post-presidency
Three years later, Gorbachev lost the love of his life -- his wife of 46 years, Raisa -- to cancer. The couple had one daughter, Irina. "In the worst moments I was always very calm and balanced. But now that she's gone -- I don't want to live. The central point in our lives is gone," he said.
But Gorbachev did go on, speaking out on nuclear disarmament, the environment, poverty -- and in his wife's memory, set up with the family the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation to fight children's cancer.
Previously, he had established the Green Cross -- to deal with ecological issues -- and the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Studies, or Gorbachev Foundation. In 2011, Gorbachev also launched the annual "Gorbachev Awards" to celebrate "those who have changed the world for the better."
Gorbachev's involvement in Russian politics continued as well. He was head of the Social Democratic Party of Russia from 2001 until his resignation in 2004 over conflicts with party direction and leadership.
In 2007, he became head of a new Russian political movement -- the Union of Social Democrats, which in turn set up the opposition Independent Democratic Party of Russia.
He told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in 2012 that he agreed Russian democracy was "alive" but added: "That it is 'well'... not so. I am alive, but I can't say that I'm fine." He explained that the "institutions of democracy are not working efficiently in Russia, because ultimately they are not free."
Mixed legacy
In an interview with CNN in 2019, Gorbachev said the US and Russia must strive to avoid a "New Cold War" developing despite worsening tensions. "This might turn out to be a hot war that could mean the destruction of our entire civilization. This must not be allowed," he said.
And asked about the demise of the 1987 treaty he signed with Reagan, Gorbachev expressed a hope that such arms control agreements could be revived.
"All the agreements that are there are preserved and not destroyed," he said. "But these are the first steps towards destruction of [that which] must not be destroyed in any case." The ultimate goal of arms control, he added, must be to get rid of nuclear weapons completely.
Gorbachev's post-USSR life also included some surprises as he worked to raise money for his causes with appearances in advertisements for Pizza Hut and Louis Vuitton. In 2004 Gorbachev won a Grammy Award for best spoken word album for children for "Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf / Beintus: Wolf Tracks," which he recorded with former US President Bill Clinton and actress Sophia Loren.
Other awards included the 2008 Liberty Medal from the US National Constitution Center and Russia's highest honor, the Order of St. Andrew, which was given to him on his 80th birthday in 2011 by then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
But to the end, Gorbachev was a leader more respected in other countries than at home. In Russia, he was reviled by some for destroying the Soviet empire and by others for moving too slowly in freeing his nation from the grip of communism. In the West, however, he remains the Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped end the Cold War.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/mikhail-gorbachev-former-soviet-president-who-took-down-the-iron-curtain-dies/article_7beba294-28a9-11ed-a8c7-ef79cbcaf75d.html | 2022-09-01T16:02:05Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/mikhail-gorbachev-former-soviet-president-who-took-down-the-iron-curtain-dies/article_7beba294-28a9-11ed-a8c7-ef79cbcaf75d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A lawyer with close ties to the right-wing militia group the Oath Keepers has been charged with four counts related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack, including conspiracy to obstruct the certification of the electoral college vote that day.
Kellye SoRelle, an attorney who volunteered for Lawyers for Trump during efforts to challenge the 2020 election results and says she's general counsel for the Oath Keepers, also faces obstruction of justice and obstruction of an official proceeding charges.
She is scheduled to appear in an Austin, Texas, courtroom Thursday afternoon.
In May, SoRelle told CNN that she was cooperating with the Justice Department.
"I've done interviews. I've done everything. I'm helping them," SoRelle told CNN about her cooperation, adding that she also handed over phones to investigators. SoRelle does not represent any Oath Keepers in their criminal proceedings.
CNN has reached out to SoRelle for comment.
SoRelle was photographed with the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, outside of the Capitol on January 6. Rhodes, along with several other members of the militia, has been charged with seditious conspiracy and is set to go to trial on September 27.
The lawyer's ties to the group have appeared in court filings as well, including in connection with a 2020 virtual meeting a week after the presidential election. In the meeting, according to court records, Oath Keepers talk about traveling to Washington, DC.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/oath-keepers-lawyer-charged-with-obstruction-in-connection-with-january-6/article_a3ea185f-041e-565f-aebc-82d62939868d.html | 2022-09-01T16:02:12Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/oath-keepers-lawyer-charged-with-obstruction-in-connection-with-january-6/article_a3ea185f-041e-565f-aebc-82d62939868d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Republicans in Congress unanimously opposed Democrats' $750 billion climate and health law, deriding it as a payout to "elite" and "liberal" states. But the states those Republicans represent will soon see a financial windfall in the form of billions of dollars to decarbonize the country, experts told CNN.
Republican rhetoric decried the law as one that would kill energy jobs, but clean energy jobs are booming in red states. Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana and Ohio are some of the states that saw the biggest growth in clean energy jobs last year, as companies there invested in building electric vehicles and cheap zero-emissions energy like wind, solar and batteries to store it.
More than $370 billion of the law will go to tax credits for clean electricity, vehicles and energy efficient appliances. And that money will trickle down to Democrat- and Republican-controlled states alike, said Bob Keefe, executive director of nonpartisan clean energy group E2.
"It's going to be harder for red states to say clean energy jobs are bogus and that it's something for California when it's something that's happening in their backyards," Keefe told CNN.
The law goes far beyond financing for solar and wind energy. There's also money for hydrogen fuel and funds to incentivize power plants to capture their planet-warming emissions before they hit the air. It also contains billions of dollars to fund a new program that will crack down on the fossil fuel industry's methane emissions -- a powerful greenhouse gas that scientists say must be controlled.
Experts told CNN all of this translates to a windfall for traditional energy states, even those with state and federal officials who opposed the bill.
"At the end of the day, a climate bill has to be an energy bill, and Texas is an energy state," said Joshua Rhodes, an energy researcher at the University of Texas Austin. "I think it has the potential to super-charge an industry that's already running hot in the state."
'A gift ... to rich, liberal elites'
As lawmakers were debating the climate and clean energy bill, Republicans from states including Texas and Oklahoma described the legislation as an expensive boondoggle that would raise prices and kill jobs.
The bill "could put more than 100,000 American jobs at risk and inflict a severely disproportionate economic impact on natural gas producing states, like Oklahoma," Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said in a statement explaining his "no" vote.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called the bill "a gift to radical environmentalists and to rich, liberal elites," while fellow Texas senator John Cornyn said it would "drive energy costs through the roof."
CNN reached out to the offices of all four senators in Texas and Oklahoma and asked if they thought the people and businesses in their states should not take advantage of the funds. Only Cornyn's spokesperson responded, referring CNN back to his floor speech opposing the bill.
Despite the rhetoric of Republican leaders in Texas and Oklahoma, the states are already have booming clean energy industries that are poised to get much more funding and investment from the climate law.
Oklahoma, the state with the third-most installed wind capacity in the country, recently installed a massive wind farm that will generate close to 1 gigawatt of energy alone -- powering hundreds of thousands of homes. Wind is generating close to 40% of the electricity in the state, and nearly 60% of the electricity in Iowa.
Earlier this year, CNN spoke with Oklahoma farmers who chose to lease their land out for wind turbines, and many said they appreciated the extra source of income.
Texas has the second-largest number of clean energy jobs in the nation behind California, and its clean energy sector is growing faster than California's, according to analysis from E2.
"The [Republican] political sentiment is this is bad, but actually a lot of money is going to flow to Texas," Michael Webber, a professor and energy resources expert at the University of Texas, Austin. "The biggest most obvious one that people will notice is the growth of wind and solar."
Texas has far and away installed the most wind energy capacity of any state; 36.8 gigawatts, followed by Iowa and Oklahoma. Nonpartisan clean energy nonprofit RMI showed that Texas' wind capacity is more than many major countries -- save for China, the US, Germany and India. Even before the climate law was passed, Texas had over 20 new wind projects in the pipeline to be installed from 2022 through 2024.
Texas is also second behind California in US states that produce the most solar energy. That renewable energy has helped keep the power on and energy prices low during heat waves earlier this year, Rhodes said.
Beyond wind turbines and solar farms, Texas' massive oil and gas sector will likely be impacted by parts of the climate bill including a program to clamp down on excessive methane emissions. Republicans have opposed the fee oil and gas producers will have to pay on excessive emissions, but the program was also designed with more than $1 billion in incentives, grants and loans for companies and communities to tighten up leaks and offset the cost of the fees.
It will ultimately be up to state officials to decide whether to accept federal money for the methane program. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office did not respond to a request for comment on whether they're planning to accept or reject the funding.
The methane fee is "game changing," said Dave Allen, an engineering professor and natural gas expert at UT Austin. And it will also push companies to make sure they are not wasting product they can sell.
"You've just made that economic inventive enormously greater," Allen told CNN.
America's new EV belt
States all over the country will see benefits from new investment in Democrats' climate bill, experts said. East Coast states are investing aggressively in offshore wind, while others in the Midwest and Southeast are seeing a boom in electric vehicle manufacturing.
"When you look at what was the hottest growth area for clean energy jobs last year, it was hands down EVs," Keefe told CNN.
While some of that growth is happening in traditional automaker states like Michigan and Ohio, there's massive EV investment from companies happening in Republican-controlled states like Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.
CNN reported Monday that Honda and Korean battery giant LG Energy Solution will together build a $4.4 billion US factory to build batteries to power its electric vehicles, though it hasn't yet announced the factory's location. Ford is building a massive plant in Tennessee and another one in Kentucky to build EVs and batteries, Mercedes Benz is manufacturing EV batteries in Alabama, and Hyundai is building a Georgia battery plant as well.
All these announcements paint a picture: "The Southeast by far is becoming the EV hub of America," Keefe said. "Certainly, we're going to see growth in the auto industry generally as every automaker shifts to electric vehicles."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/republicans-voted-no-on-the-climate-bill-their-states-will-get-billions-of-dollars-from/article_80992e4e-23d6-5d9b-bd68-501cbf5e0cf6.html | 2022-09-01T16:02:24Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/republicans-voted-no-on-the-climate-bill-their-states-will-get-billions-of-dollars-from/article_80992e4e-23d6-5d9b-bd68-501cbf5e0cf6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For decades, investigators in Tennessee affectionately referred to an unidentified girl whose remains were found in 1985 as "Baby Girl" while they worked to find her true identity, according to state authorities.
But now, 37 years after her remains were discovered, they are able to call her by her real name -- Tracy Sue Walker -- after DNA analysis and genetic genealogy helped confirm her identity, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced in a release Tuesday.
The investigation continues, however, as authorities must now figure out what happened to Tracy, who went missing from the Lafayette, Indiana, area in 1978, and how her body ended up two states away in Tennessee, the agency said.
"TBI Special Agents hope the public can help provide information that may help determine the circumstances leading to Tracy Sue Walker's death and how she ended up in Campbell County," the release said, urging anyone with "information about this case or any knowledge about individuals Tracy may have been with before her death" to contact the bureau.
Tracy's skeletal remains were found April 3, 1985, in the Big Wheel Gap area of Elk Valley, the release said. Forensic anthropologists determined the remains likely belonged to a white female between the ages of 10 and 15, it said.
Authorities tried several approaches in an effort to find out who she was, including submitting a DNA profile to the Combined DNA Index System and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, which allow investigators to compare DNA samples to large databases.
"In 2013, a TBI agent and intelligence analyst revisited the case and began searching for new leads regarding the girl's identity. It would be nine more years before they received a break in the case," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
It wasn't until earlier this year that a private lab was able to use genetic genealogy testing to find a possible relative and lead investigators to a family in Lafayette, the agency said. The family confirmed to investigators that one of their relatives went missing in 1978.
Using DNA samples from the family, authorities in Tennessee were able to positively identify the remains as Tracy, who was born June 2, 1963.
The bureau did not say whether investigators know when Tracy died, only that she went missing in 1978 and her remains were found in 1985.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/skeletal-remains-of-child-dubbed-baby-girl-by-investigators-have-been-identified-as-a-missing/article_cd32344f-ea89-5bc8-b7a8-a05966266e38.html | 2022-09-01T16:02:48Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/skeletal-remains-of-child-dubbed-baby-girl-by-investigators-have-been-identified-as-a-missing/article_cd32344f-ea89-5bc8-b7a8-a05966266e38.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The South Carolina House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation that would ban nearly all abortions at every stage of pregnancy, with exceptions including in cases of rape and incest.
The House passed the legislation by a vote of 67-35 on Wednesday morning after roughly two hours of debate, with the majority of speeches coming from Democrats speaking against the bill.
The state Senate will reconvene after the Labor Day holiday to take up the bill.
The near-total abortion ban was amended Tuesday night to add an exception for cases of rape and incest up to 12 weeks after conception, with requirements to report to law enforcement. That amendment -- a major point of contention among Republicans -- was adopted by voice vote in a hasty reconsideration of the original bill, which had just been rejected by the House earlier in the night.
Along with the rape and incest exceptions, House Bill 5399 would allow exceptions in order to prevent the death of the pregnant woman, the substantial risk of death for the pregnant woman because of a physical condition or "the substantial physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman." The bill lists several medical conditions it deems pose such a risk to the pregnant woman, including a molar pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, severe preeclampsia and a miscarriage.
Under the bill, those who violate the law could face a felony charge punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to two years in prison. Abortion providers could also have their licenses revoked.
The pregnant woman who underwent an abortion that violated the bill's provisions, the parent or guardian of the pregnant woman if they are a minor, or state attorneys with proper jurisdiction could also pursue legal action against the abortion provider and be able to obtain statutory damages of $10,000.
If enacted, the bill would also set conception as the start date for the biological father's child support payment responsibilities.
Earlier Tuesday, the Republican-controlled state House rejected the original version of the bill without exceptions for rape or incest. Conservative Republicans spent the afternoon voting down amendments originally proposed by their GOP colleagues that would have added exceptions for rape, incest and fetal anomalies, as well as clarified language on the meaning of banning abortion from the "moment of conception."
Democrats, in an apparent strategy to force Republicans to record votes on the near-total ban without exceptions for rape and incest, often joined with more conservative Republican members in killing the amendments.
However, after H 5399 initially failed by a vote of 47-55, members voted to reconsider and added the exception for rape and incest, up to 12 weeks, with reporting requirements. The amended version passed 67-38.
The bill's advancement comes as the South Carolina Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the state's six-week abortion ban from being enforced.
That law bans abortions once what it called a "fetal heartbeat" is detected, which can be as early as four weeks, and more commonly, six weeks into pregnancy, with exceptions for fetal anomalies, risk to the life of the mother, or in some cases of rape or incest.
The term "fetal heartbeat" is controversial because a heart with chambers does not exist until the end of the tenth week of gestation. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the medically accurate terms are "embryonic cardiac activity" prior to eight weeks of gestation, and "fetal cardiac activity" after eight weeks of gestation. In practice, many people do not realize they are pregnant at the six-week point.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/south-carolina-house-passes-near-total-ban-on-abortion-with-new-limited-exceptions-for-rape/article_dd3e3fd7-cbf1-50d7-b644-2fb8b2daed59.html | 2022-09-01T16:02:54Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/south-carolina-house-passes-near-total-ban-on-abortion-with-new-limited-exceptions-for-rape/article_dd3e3fd7-cbf1-50d7-b644-2fb8b2daed59.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of three Dutch soldiers outside an Indianapolis hotel Saturday that left one soldier dead and two others wounded, police said.
Shamar Duncan, 22, was taken into custody by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Tuesday afternoon, the department said in a news release.
The three Royal Netherlands Army soldiers were shot outside a Hampton Inn early Saturday and were taken to the hospital, authorities said at the time. One of the victims, later identified as Simmie Poetsema, was in critical condition and died Sunday, Dutch officials said.
The other two soldiers sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. They have not been identified by authorities.
The soldiers, members of the Commando Corps, were staying at the hotel while in Indiana as part of a training exercise, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defense.
Duncan was arrested for murder, but the police department said it will decide his final charges after reviewing the case, noting that additional charges are possible. Police did not specify where the suspect was apprehended or a possible motive, but previously attributed Saturday's shooting to a "disturbance" between the victims and the suspect.
During the investigation, Indianapolis detectives spoke with multiple people and obtained video connected to the investigation, the department said.
"IMPD has been in communication with various agencies within the United States and the Netherlands to coordinate family members coming to Indianapolis and returning the victims to the Netherlands," police said in a statement Monday.
The soldiers had been training at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, a 1,000-acre complex southeast of Indianapolis that is being used for training by the Department of Defense "as well as other allies," the Indiana National Guard told CNN affiliate WISH in a statement.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/suspect-arrested-in-indianapolis-shooting-that-killed-1-dutch-soldier-and-injured-2-others-police/article_0a58bea1-e68e-59fa-ae99-4db86b5288b9.html | 2022-09-01T16:03:06Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/suspect-arrested-in-indianapolis-shooting-that-killed-1-dutch-soldier-and-injured-2-others-police/article_0a58bea1-e68e-59fa-ae99-4db86b5288b9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The state of Texas has spent more than $12 million busing migrants to Washington, DC, and New York who crossed into the state from Mexico, according to figures from the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
A state government spreadsheet obtained by CNN through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that, as of August 9, Texas has paid $12,707,720.92 to Wynne Transportation, the charter service that is taking migrants to the two cities.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's office has said migrants are transported out of state only with their written permission. It is not clear what other options have been offered to the migrants.
Abbott's office did not immediately reply to a request for comment from CNN on Tuesday. In a news release Friday, Abbott's office said that "the busing mission is providing much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities."
Texas has solicited private donations to help pay for the cost of the bus trips, but the state had only received $167,828 as of August 17. At a news conference in April announcing the program, Abbott acknowledged taxpayers were likely to end up with part of the bill.
"Because (President) Joe Biden is not securing the border, the state of Texas is having to step up and spend Texas taxpayers' money doing the federal government's job," the governor said at the time.
State agencies have provided conflicting figures for the exact number of migrants that Texas has bused out of state, ranging from 8,051 to 9,033. That amounts to a cost of at least $1,400 per migrant to transport.
A fierce critic of Biden's immigration policies, Abbott began sending hundreds of willing migrants on buses to Washington, DC, earlier this year as an affront to the administration. Abbott's office has said that "to board a bus or flight, a migrant must volunteer to be transported and show documentation from DHS."
But Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN last week that Abbott's efforts are throwing the federal system for processing migrants "out of whack" and criticized the governor for not coordinating with federal authorities. Mayorkas said it's "problematic" when an official like Abbott works "unilaterally."
"That lack of coordination wreaks problems in our very efficient processing," he said.
Generally, once migrants are processed by federal authorities and released from custody, they are allowed to move throughout the country while they go through immigration court proceedings. They are often released in Texas and other border states, and then continue on journeys to other parts of the country.
This story has been updated with additional information Tuesday.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/texas-spends-more-than-12-million-to-bus-migrants-to-washington-dc-and-new-york/article_e831a6b0-0599-59f7-8c97-63430ffa39ca.html | 2022-09-01T16:03:25Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/texas-spends-more-than-12-million-to-bus-migrants-to-washington-dc-and-new-york/article_e831a6b0-0599-59f7-8c97-63430ffa39ca.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Former Safaricom boss Sylvia Mulinge has officially taken the helm of Uganda's largest telco MTN Uganda, the company has confirmed.
MTN Uganda, which is majority owned by South Africa's MTN Group, had earlier announced Ms Mulinge would assume her new role as the chief executive effective September 1.
"October 1, is her official starting date," MTN Uganda spokesperson Rhona Arinaitwe told The Standard in an interview Thursday.
Ms Mulinge’s successful transition to the new top role comes after her appointment to lead Vodacom Tanzania, a subsidiary of South Africa’s Vodacom Group and Tanzania’s leading telecom company, was thwarted in 2018 by Tanzanian authorities after denying her a work permit.
The botched deployment occurred during the late former Tanzanian President John Magufuli's reign that saw him nicknamed “the bulldozer” for pushing protectionist policies.
His leadership style threatened regional integration within the East African Community (EAC) through his perceived nationalist and populist directives.
Ms Mulinge is set to become the first woman to head Uganda’s largest telco by assets and subscriber base.
She fills the void left by long-serving CEO Wim Vanhelleputte, who was in July promoted to a regional role in charge of the West East and Central Africa.
Ms Mulinge belongs is part of a group of former highly experienced Safaricom veterans who drove its early success.
She was until her appointment the head of consumer business at Safaricom.
She takes up the role at a challenging time when MTN Uganda has said the outlook for its business is difficult, clouded partly by the global economic turmoil unleashed by the war in Ukraine.
MTN Uganda, which has been rolling out services similar to those pioneered by Safaricom in Kenya, will bank on her extensive experience to grow the business.
"Recent macroeconomic developments point to a more challenging trading environment for our business," said the firm recently.
"Higher inflation of essential commodities and fuel has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, which is also putting pressure on supply chains." | https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001454634/former-safaricom-boss-officially-starts-new-role-at-mtn | 2022-09-01T16:03:36Z | afar.com | control | https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001454634/former-safaricom-boss-officially-starts-new-role-at-mtn | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A California school district is vowing to reform its discipline practices after a federal investigation revealed it was giving harsher punishment to Black students compared to White students who displayed similar behavior.
Officials from the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights say the Victor Valley Union High School District in southern California's San Bernardino County committed a pattern of discriminatory practices toward Black students that violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The department and school district reached a resolution earlier this month in which Victor Valley committed to a series of changes that will be put into place this school year including cultural sensitivity training for staff, conducting school climate surveys and hiring a director with expertise in nondiscriminatory discipline practices.
Federal education officials say they began their investigation in 2014 after seeing higher rates of suspensions, expulsions and other punishments in Victor Valley compared to other districts in California. Within that data, Black students were being punished more frequently and more severely, officials say. The department also interviewed employees, students and parents who reported witnessing school district staff unfairly target Black students.
For example, school administrators issued law enforcement citations to students through a program called "Clean Sweep" that required the youth to appear in juvenile court. According to the Office of Civil Rights, witnesses say that the program disproportionately punished Black students. Black students were also punished more severely than White students for dress code violations, "being loud," "inappropriate behavior" and truancy.
Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for the Office of Civil Rights, called the discriminatory practices "profoundly harmful" and sending the message that Black students are less valued than their White classmates.
Lhamon said one alarming finding was that a White student could commit the same or worse offense as a Black student and still receive a lighter punishment.
Case in point, in the 2018-19 school year a Black 7th grader was skipping class but a staff member wrote the student up as creating a "hostile environment" and he was suspended, Lhamon said. It was that student's first attendance referral for the school year.
A White 8th grader at the same school, however, skipped class, was written up for truancy and received an after-school detention, Lhamon said. It was his fourth attendance referral that year.
"What we do when we do that to kids is we teach them that they don't count," Lhamon said. "We teach them that their schools are not ready for them, that their schools don't believe in them, and that our community isn't there for them. That's absolutely the worst message that we can send from schools."
And research shows it's a nationwide problem.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), Black students are subjected to harsher discipline than White students and it can hinder their academic success and damage their perceptions of school.
Reseachers from the APA found in one study that Black students who were suspended for minor infractions had significantly lower grades than students who weren't suspended.
'It has to be equal'
Victor Valley Superintendent Elvin Momon acknowledged that the district's disciplinary practices have been unfair to Black students. Momon said there was a "lack of oversight" and a "lack of accountability" in the school district before the Office of Civil Rights completed its investigation.
Momon, who retired from the district in 2014 but was reappointed superintendent in June, said in addition to the changes outlined in the resolution he wants to see the district review its hiring practices. The staff, he said, should reflect the racial makeup of the students.
District enrollment for the 2020-21 school year was roughly 7% White, 17% Black, and 68% Latino. Momon said the staff was about 47% White, 26% Latino and 13% Black.
Momon said he views cultural sensitivity training for staff -- including campus security -- as a pivotal to correcting the discrimination. Staff members needs to consider a student's full profile, including their home environment, before deciding on discipline, he said. And this process needs to be the same for youth of all races, he said.
"You can't treat our kids in a disparate way," Momon said. "It has to be equal."
Momon also wants to bring in staff who can serve as role models and mentors to youth.
"Kids can sense when you don't really care about them," Momon said.
The resolution for Victor Valley was praised by civil rights groups including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
"We hope the news of the agreement between the government and the Victor Valley Union High School District puts other school districts engaged in discriminatory discipline practices on notice that such conduct is unlawful and will not be tolerated," the Legal Defense Fund said in a statement.
Michaele Turnage Young, senior counsel for the Legal Defense Fund, said racist disciplinary practices against Black students are common across the country. In many cases, Black students are being harshly disciplined for nonviolent behavior such as disruption, disrespect or dress code violations, she said. Young said school districts need to make more efforts to clarify school policies with staff and ensure they are being consistently and fairly enforced.
"Unfortunately, we are well aware of the phenomenon of racially discriminatory school discipline," Young said. "Unfortunately, like driving while Black, going to school while Black does mean being at a higher risk of being removed from class as a result of the selective application of subjective rules."
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/this-california-school-district-punished-black-students-more-severely-feds-say-now-they-have-agreed/article_ce5007bd-c744-5610-9794-cfe2d99dabba.html | 2022-09-01T16:03:43Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/this-california-school-district-punished-black-students-more-severely-feds-say-now-they-have-agreed/article_ce5007bd-c744-5610-9794-cfe2d99dabba.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After writing a best-selling book on mental health, Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer is now going to try to help through a new podcast.
The podcast, “Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental Health podcast” produced by iHeart Media and Fox Sports Radio, will have the same theme as Glazer’s book.
“I want to take the shame out of it,” Glazer told The Post. “For all the years, I didn’t know why I suffered and now I know I feel God blessed me with depression and anxiety to help others through theirs. I really want to be a leader in this.”
Glazer, 52, has been very open in trying to destigmatize mental health. He has written and spoken at length about his battles with anxiety, depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
His first guest when the podcast premieres next week will be Super Bowl-winning Rams coach Sean McVay. Glazer will have one set pod per week and then have “check-in” episodes. | https://nypost.com/2022/09/01/fox-sports-nfl-insider-jay-glazer-starts-mental-health-podcast/ | 2022-09-01T16:03:48Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/09/01/fox-sports-nfl-insider-jay-glazer-starts-mental-health-podcast/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Tom Hanks has created a trivia game called "Hanx 101 Trivia," set to debut exclusively on Apple Arcade.
The subscription service game will feature more than 58,000 questions across multiple topics is is set to launch on Friday.
"Play, learn, compete and become a trivia master with 'Hanx 101 Trivia,' created and developed in partnership with actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks," Apple said in a statement announcing the game.
Hanks narrates the game for the players.
Apple Arcade launched in 2019. If you are a subscriber (at $4.99 per month) you can play the game on iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TV devices.
Players can choose solo games, or can team up with others or join a competition.
Hanks has teamed up with Apple before. In 2014, the company launched Hanx Writer, an app that makes typing sound like a manual typewriter.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/tom-hanks-is-launching-a-trivia-game-on-apple-arcade/article_11bf99e0-0ee2-5824-93cb-0408087bbffe.html | 2022-09-01T16:03:56Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/tom-hanks-is-launching-a-trivia-game-on-apple-arcade/article_11bf99e0-0ee2-5824-93cb-0408087bbffe.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Donald Trump is considering waiting until after the November midterms to launch a third presidential campaign as he navigates a widening array of legal troubles and mounting concerns that some of his hand-picked Senate candidates may be weaker than he once thought, sources familiar with his thinking tell CNN.
After months of eyeing Labor Day weekend as the target launch date for a 2024 campaign, Trump has spent the past few weeks backing away from that timeline following the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and an increased panic among Republicans that the party may not be in for the red wave it has long anticipated this November.
While his timeline could shift again between now and November, the onslaught of political and legal concerns has the former President feeling nervous about prematurely diving into the 2024 primary, according to nine former and current Trump aides and allies who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters.
The arguments from advisers wanting him to take his time with a campaign announcement have varied. Believing he will be the undisputed front-runner regardless of when he announces, some have said that if he launches another White House bid too early, he will run out of money around the time Republicans host their nominating convention, leaving him cash-strapped and vulnerable during the general election.
Better to address the legal fallout from the FBI search first, other advisers have told Trump and his team.
"Everyone was operating under the assumption that shortly after Labor Day would be the best possible time to launch, but that has changed and he's being told to deal with the FBI stuff first," said a Trump adviser.
Otherwise, advisers say, the former President is more likely to be blamed for potential losses in the midterms if he becomes a candidate for president before November and his legal troubles distract from the bread-and-butter issues most Republicans -- but especially those running in competitive races -- would prefer to focus on.
As Trump-backed Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Arizona struggle to eclipse their opponents in fundraising and recent polls, a growing number of Trump confidants have shared concerns with him that a pre-midterm announcement would be weaponized by Democrats, who remain eager to distract from inflation and rising crime and are well-versed already in using Trump as a campaign foil.
"There is a direct tie if Trump becomes a campaign ad in November and Republicans lose the Senate, and the last thing he wants is to be blamed," said a former Trump campaign aide.
Trump himself has started complaining in private about Mehmet Oz's performance in the Pennsylvania Senate contest and a spate of bad press that Georgia Senate hopeful Herschel Walker generated earlier this summer when it became public that he had fathered several children out of wedlock despite routinely criticizing absentee fathers, this aide said.
In the days after federal investigators searched his waterfront residence in early August, Trump was inundated with calls from allies urging him to announce his bid for president immediately.
"It was so hot," said one Trump ally, describing the surging support Trump encountered among both grassroots supporters and top Republicans after he revealed the FBI had searched his home.
But as the legal battle over records seized during the search continues to play out and new details emerge about the sheer volume of classified records Trump was apparently storing haphazardly at Mar-a-Lago, others in Trump's orbit have urged him to put any campaign announcement on hold until he addresses his legal woes. The FBI warrant unsealed earlier this month revealed three possible federal crimes as reason for the search: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records. In a late Tuesday court filing, the Justice Department said documents were "likely concealed and removed" from a storage room at Mar-a-Lago as part of an effort to "obstruct" the FBI's investigation. Trump, who has not been charged with a crime, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing while boasting that the FBI search has buoyed his 2024 prospects and sent a jolt of energy through his political base.
Another Trump adviser who had previously pushed for a pre-November campaign announcement has since recanted, joining those who believe that waiting until after the midterms is a more prudent approach.
"There's no urgency because he's not going to be outshined by someone else," said former Trump campaign aide Bryan Lanza, pointing to the crowd of potential 2024 rivals who rushed to Trump's defense -- or lobbed sharp criticism at the Justice Department -- after learning that federal investigators had executed a search warrant at his home.
"I personally feel like it's a sign of weakness if he announces before the midterm," said Matt Schlapp, a top Trump ally who chairs the American Conservative Union. Trump had previously considered a pre-midterm announcement as one way to clear the field of prospective challengers, something that Schlapp and others now say he no longer needs to worry about.
Some in Trump world still want him to announce now
Despite Trump being counseled by a growing number of advisers to delay his campaign announcement until later this fall or winter, not everyone in his inner circle has been convinced that that's the right move.
One source close to Trump dismissed the escalating political and legal concerns as "excuses," arguing that the former President is already being blamed for the shifting midterm forecast and putting off a presidential campaign launch is unlikely to inoculate him from further criticism among Republicans if the party either fails to win the Senate or disappoints in its overall gains.
"They are going to blame him no matter what, so he should just announce," this person said.
People familiar with Trump's thinking said he has been more receptive to postponing his campaign announcement until after the midterms in part because of the way Republicans rallied behind him following the FBI search. The former President has recently told allies he doesn't think he will face a formidable challenger in the 2024 GOP primary, according to three people familiar with his comments, one of whom said Trump has been quick to point out how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis compared the FBI search to "Banana Republic" tactics. DeSantis is widely expected to be a top primary rival if he runs for the nomination against Trump.
"He's up to his eyeballs in legal troubles but that hasn't stopped him from totally relishing this," said a second person close to the former President, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
So far, the consensus among Republican operatives two years out from the 2024 election is that Trump is unlikely to face a real primary threat even though he is widely expected to field challenges from a handful of GOP hopefuls. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are some of the likeliest rivals Trump could face if he does run again.
Schlapp, who believes Trump will indeed attract primary competitors, said none would be "serious in terms of being able to win the nomination." He added that Trump's outrage over the FBI search will give him something to tap into if and when he does announce a third presidential campaign.
"Sometimes I think he's better the more acrimonious he gets," Schlapp said, claiming that Trump's early August appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas was a turning point for some Republicans who were previously on the fence about his desire to mount a comeback bid after losing to Joe Biden in 2020.
Two days before federal investigators conducted their search of Mar-a-Lago, Trump used the speech to complain that he is "always being persecuted."
One of the Trump advisers took it a step further, suggesting that an indictment of Trump by the Biden administration "would be beneficial" to the former President at this juncture.
"It would just appear too partisan at this point," this adviser said.
Biden, who has insisted he had no advance warning of the search, has stressed the independence of the Justice Department. But Trump has frequently taken to his social media platform to blast what he's called a politically motivated "witch hunt" and railed against the FBI and Biden, including in a frenzy of posts on Truth Social on Tuesday alone.
Prioritizing his legal fights
While Trump hasn't made a firm timing decision yet as he mulls a 2024 bid, his lack of planning for a campaign rollout has signaled to those around him that he wants to bide his time.
Until adding former Florida Solicitor General Chris Kise to his legal defense team on Tuesday, Trump had been struggling to navigate the legal jeopardy he finds himself in as federal investigators sift through the classified documents they seized from his residence -- possibly building a criminal case in the process.
Those around him say Trump appears to be putting his political ambitions on the backburner -- if only temporarily -- to give his legal team space to operate and strategize without the time constraints that a presidential campaign would demand. The former President has spent the three weeks since the FBI conducted its search at Mar-a-Lago trying to capitalize on the moment politically, while his attorneys have meanwhile struggled to develop a clear strategy. His legal team waited until weeks after the search, for example, to file a so-called special master request for an independent review of the materials taken from his home, which is the subject of a hearing this week.
"Right now, it's a question of whether he wants to turn everything political or gain some legal stability to make sure everything turns out OK before taking that next step," said one of the Trump advisers.
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/trump-weighs-delaying-2024-decision-as-political-and-legal-troubles-grow/article_f0d58b44-cd01-5dc2-af06-5477da0f9733.html | 2022-09-01T16:04:08Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/trump-weighs-delaying-2024-decision-as-political-and-legal-troubles-grow/article_f0d58b44-cd01-5dc2-af06-5477da0f9733.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Justice Department's court filing Tuesday laying out the case that classified documents had been concealed at Mar-a-Lago raises new scrutiny for former President Donald Trump's lawyers who worked with federal investigators to return classified material to the government.
The FBI's search on August 8 uncovering scores of classified material "cast serious doubt" on the sworn statement one of Trump's lawyers made in June attesting that all classified material had been returned and a "diligent search" had been conducted, the Justice Department wrote.
Trump's attorney Christina Bobb was the individual who signed the June 3 letter attesting that all materials requested by the subpoena issued to Trump had been turned over to the Justice Department, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.
After receiving the subpoena, Trump's team said it conducted a "diligent search" of boxes moved from the White House to Florida after Trump left office, according to the letter included in a DOJ court filing late Tuesday. Notably, the letter Bobb signed says she swears or affirms that "the above statements are true and correct to the best of my knowledge."
Though her name was redacted in Tuesday night's filing, sources tell CNN it was Bobb who signed the letter and was designated the custodian of records. Bobb and Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran attended the meeting with federal investigators at Mar-a-Lago in June, when the agents were shown a storage room where materials were kept.
The New York Times, which first reported that Bobb had signed the document, reported that Corcoran drafted the June statement that Bobb signed.
Bobb and Corcoran did not respond to CNN's requests for comment. They have not been charged with any crimes.
In its court filing Tuesday, the Justice Department said that the FBI "uncovered multiple sources of evidence indicating that the response to the May 11 grand jury subpoena was incomplete and that classified documents remained at the premises, notwithstanding the sworn certification made to the government on June 3."
"That the FBI, in a matter of hours, recovered twice as many documents with classification markings as the 'diligent search' that the former President's counsel and other representatives had weeks to perform calls into serious question the representations made in the June 3 certification and casts doubt on the extent of cooperation in this matter," DOJ wrote.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said that the statements made in the June certification are demonstrably false, and the question is whether prosecutors can establish that Trump's attorney "made that statement, knowing that it was false."
"If so -- and that's a big if -- then we could see false statements and obstruction charges in play," Honig said.
The new scrutiny over the statement Bobb signed is only the latest instance where questions have swirled over the conduct of Trump's legal team since the FBI's search of his Florida home and resort.
Sources close to Trump have questioned the role of Bobb, a former One America News Network TV host who previously assisted Rudy Giuliani's behind-the-scenes efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, CNN has reported.
Bobb has gone on television to defend Trump, though she has not been included on the legal filings Trump has made in Florida seeking to appoint a special master to review the materials taken in the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago.
Corcoran is a former assistant US attorney based in Baltimore who has also represented Trump associate Steve Bannon.
On Monday, Trump added former Florida solicitor general Chris Kise to his legal team to represent him in the Mar-a-Lago search case. Kise will appear in court in Florida on Thursday with the rest of Trump's legal team in the former president's effort to have a special master assigned to review the materials taken from Mar-a-Lago.
Access to storage room
Tuesday's DOJ filing included a narrative of the government's attempts to retrieve classified material from Mar-a-Lago leading up to the August search -- including several examples where members of Trump's team are said to be part of an effort to impede the government's efforts.
In addition to the DOJ showing that Trump's team did not comply with the subpoena to return all classified documents, the government filing focuses on the June 3 meeting between Trump's legal team and federal investigators.
In its account, the Justice Department describes the conduct of a Trump attorney, who is not named in the brief but according to a letter included with the filings was Corcoran, who "represented that all the records that had come from the White House" to Mar-a-Lago were being kept in the resort's storage room, according to the filing.
"Counsel further represented that there were no other records stored in any private office space or other location at the Premises and that all available boxes were searched," the DOJ said.
Through the DOJ and FBI officials visiting that day were allowed to enter the storage room, "the former President's counsel explicitly prohibited government personnel from opening or looking inside any of the boxes that remained in the storage room, giving no opportunity for the government to confirm that no documents with classification markings remained."
With its further investigation, the "government developed evidence that a search limited to the Storage Room would not have uncovered all the classified documents at the Premises."
"The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government's investigation," DOJ wrote.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/trumps-attorneys-face-scrutiny-over-level-of-cooperation-with-justice-department-on-classified-docs/article_15a8b2a9-ece7-5bb9-872d-04cf8488f147.html | 2022-09-01T16:04:14Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/trumps-attorneys-face-scrutiny-over-level-of-cooperation-with-justice-department-on-classified-docs/article_15a8b2a9-ece7-5bb9-872d-04cf8488f147.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Justice Department's court filing Tuesday laying out the case that classified documents had been concealed at Mar-a-Lago raises new scrutiny for former President Donald Trump's lawyers who worked with federal investigators to return classified material to the government.
The FBI's search on August 8 uncovering scores of classified material "cast serious doubt" on the sworn statement one of Trump's lawyers made in June attesting that all classified material had been returned and a "diligent search" had been conducted, the Justice Department wrote.
Trump's attorney Christina Bobb was the individual who signed the June 3 letter attesting that all materials requested by the subpoena issued to Trump had been turned over to the Justice Department, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.
After receiving the subpoena, Trump's team said it conducted a "diligent search" of boxes moved from the White House to Florida after Trump left office, according to the letter included in a DOJ court filing late Tuesday. Notably, the letter Bobb signed says she swears or affirms that "the above statements are true and correct to the best of my knowledge."
Though her name was redacted in Tuesday night's filing, sources tell CNN it was Bobb who signed the letter and was designated the custodian of records. Bobb and Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran attended the meeting with federal investigators at Mar-a-Lago in June, when the agents were shown a storage room where materials were kept.
The New York Times, which first reported that Bobb had signed the document, reported that Corcoran drafted the June statement that Bobb signed.
Bobb and Corcoran did not respond to CNN's requests for comment. They have not been charged with any crimes.
In its court filing Tuesday, the Justice Department said that the FBI "uncovered multiple sources of evidence indicating that the response to the May 11 grand jury subpoena was incomplete and that classified documents remained at the premises, notwithstanding the sworn certification made to the government on June 3."
"That the FBI, in a matter of hours, recovered twice as many documents with classification markings as the 'diligent search' that the former President's counsel and other representatives had weeks to perform calls into serious question the representations made in the June 3 certification and casts doubt on the extent of cooperation in this matter," DOJ wrote.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said that the statements made in the June certification are demonstrably false, and the question is whether prosecutors can establish that Trump's attorney "made that statement, knowing that it was false."
"If so -- and that's a big if -- then we could see false statements and obstruction charges in play," Honig said.
The new scrutiny over the statement Bobb signed is only the latest instance where questions have swirled over the conduct of Trump's legal team since the FBI's search of his Florida home and resort.
Sources close to Trump have questioned the role of Bobb, a former One America News Network TV host who previously assisted Rudy Giuliani's behind-the-scenes efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, CNN has reported.
Bobb has gone on television to defend Trump, though she has not been included on the legal filings Trump has made in Florida seeking to appoint a special master to review the materials taken in the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago.
Corcoran is a former assistant US attorney based in Baltimore who has also represented Trump associate Steve Bannon.
On Monday, Trump added former Florida solicitor general Chris Kise to his legal team to represent him in the Mar-a-Lago search case. Kise will appear in court in Florida on Thursday with the rest of Trump's legal team in the former president's effort to have a special master assigned to review the materials taken from Mar-a-Lago.
Access to storage room
Tuesday's DOJ filing included a narrative of the government's attempts to retrieve classified material from Mar-a-Lago leading up to the August search -- including several examples where members of Trump's team are said to be part of an effort to impede the government's efforts.
In addition to the DOJ showing that Trump's team did not comply with the subpoena to return all classified documents, the government filing focuses on the June 3 meeting between Trump's legal team and federal investigators.
In its account, the Justice Department describes the conduct of a Trump attorney, who is not named in the brief but according to a letter included with the filings was Corcoran, who "represented that all the records that had come from the White House" to Mar-a-Lago were being kept in the resort's storage room, according to the filing.
"Counsel further represented that there were no other records stored in any private office space or other location at the Premises and that all available boxes were searched," the DOJ said.
Through the DOJ and FBI officials visiting that day were allowed to enter the storage room, "the former President's counsel explicitly prohibited government personnel from opening or looking inside any of the boxes that remained in the storage room, giving no opportunity for the government to confirm that no documents with classification markings remained."
With its further investigation, the "government developed evidence that a search limited to the Storage Room would not have uncovered all the classified documents at the Premises."
"The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the government's investigation," DOJ wrote.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/trumps-attorneys-face-scrutiny-over-level-of-cooperation-with-justice-department-on-classified-docs/article_fef209b9-4e38-56ae-9aab-e29a111183d7.html | 2022-09-01T16:04:20Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/trumps-attorneys-face-scrutiny-over-level-of-cooperation-with-justice-department-on-classified-docs/article_fef209b9-4e38-56ae-9aab-e29a111183d7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After years of users clamoring for such a feature, Twitter is finally testing edited tweets.
Twitter said in — where else? — a tweet Thursday morning that some users may start seeing edited tweets in their feed because it is testing the long-awaited edit button.
"This is happening and you'll be okay," the company said.
In a Thursday blog post, the company said edited tweets are being tested internally and that the feature would expand to subscribers of its paid Twitter Blue service in the coming weeks. Users outside the test group will also be able to see edited tweets on the platform.
"Tweets will be able to be edited a few times in the 30 minutes following their publication," the company added. "Edited Tweets will appear with an icon, timestamp, and label so it's clear to readers that the original Tweet has been modified."
Readers will also be able to see past versions of the tweet.
Twitter said in April that it had been testing an edit feature for a year, and that it would be available to Twitter Blue subscribers within months. The announcement came the same day the company announced that it would add Elon Musk to its board, and after he polled his followers about whether they'd like an edit button on the platform. When it confirmed the edit feature was in the works, Twitter also said, "no, we didn't get the idea from a poll."
(Musk later pulled out of the board seat offer, agreed to buy Twitter outright, moved to terminate the acquisition deal and now is fighting a lawsuit from Twitter that seeks to compel him to follow through with the deal.)
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/twitter-is-finally-testing-an-edit-button/article_8561757a-29fc-11ed-b0c4-132a5abb9b2f.html | 2022-09-01T16:04:26Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/twitter-is-finally-testing-an-edit-button/article_8561757a-29fc-11ed-b0c4-132a5abb9b2f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Don’t look now, but the crisis at Manchester United is seemingly over. Two wins on the spin over Liverpool and Southampton have considerably lowered the temperature at Old Trafford, which has in turn, raised the market’s perception of the Red Devils.
Speaking of clubs in crisis, Leicester City are off to a dismal start in 2022-23 and rumors have been circulating that manager Brendan Rodgers is on shaky footing at the King Power Stadium. It’s hard to blame Rodgers for the club’s sluggish start, but it does feel like the Foxes are in a bit of a lame-duck phase and any jolt could be beneficial.
While most Premier League clubs have spent the summer splashing obscene amounts of money on player transfers, Leicester have been remarkably quiet even after losing longtime goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and star center-back Wesley Fofana.
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Manchester United vs. Leicester City prediction
Winless through four matches and with no reinforcements yet in the door, it’s easy to see why the market has completely tanked on the Foxes, who are +235 home underdogs against Manchester United on Thursday.
But buy back on United at your own risk. Although the Red Devils looked rejuvenated in their impressive win over Liverpool 10 days ago, they were pretty lucky to follow that performance up with a 1-0 win at Southampton. The expected goals ended 1.6 to 1.1 in favor of the Saints in that match, but United was able to escape with three points thanks to a moment of magic from Bruno Fernandes. The overall numbers paint a similarly pedestrian picture for United as they currently sit with a -3 goal differential and a -1.2 xG differential.
Leicester’s statistical portfolio isn’t anything to write home about either, as only newly-promoted Bournemouth and Nottingham boast a more dire expected goal differential than Leicester’s through four matches. The Foxes have been a decent attacking outfit for quite some time thanks to players like Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, and Youri Tielemans, but they’ve struggled to create scoring chances out of the gates and sit 19th in expected goals for (3.2) to start the campaign.
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It truly does feel like things have gotten stale at Leicester City, and their play reflects that notion, but there’s still more than enough attacking talent on this side to give United issues. The Red Devils have won two matches in a row, but the defense is still vulnerable and currently sits with the fifth-worst xGA in the Premier League.
In a matchup between a team that was in a crisis two weeks ago and one that is still mired in one right now, buy low on the Foxes and hope that they can sort things out against a still-shaky United side.
Manchester United vs. Leicester City pick
The Bet: Leicester City +225 (BetMGM) | https://nypost.com/2022/09/01/manchester-united-vs-leicester-city-prediction-premier-league-picks/ | 2022-09-01T16:04:31Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/09/01/manchester-united-vs-leicester-city-prediction-premier-league-picks/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Army grounded its entire fleet of Chinook helicopters after a "small number" of engines fires were discovered, according to an Army spokeswoman.
The Army identified the cause of the engine fires as a fuel leak among an "isolated number" of Boeing H-47 Chinook helicopters, Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said, adding that the service is taking steps to fix the issue. No injuries or deaths occurred as a result of the fuel leaks or engine fires, Smith said.
Even so, the Army temporarily grounded the fleet of approximately 400 Chinooks "out of an abundance of caution," Smith said. The Army's workhorse helicopter, which has been in service since the 1960s, will be grounded until the corrective steps are complete.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the grounding.
"The safety of our Soldiers is the Army's top priority, and we will ensure our aircraft remain safe and airworthy," Smith said.
Boeing referred CNN to the US Army for comment.
The Chinook, with its unique tandem rotor configuration, is the Army's only heavy-lift cargo helicopter supporting combat and other critical operations, according to the service. The Chinook has gone through multiple upgrades and improvements throughout its operational history.
The CH-47F, one of the latest versions of the Chinook, has a maximum payload of approximately 25,000 pounds, according to the Army. It has been exported to several countries around the world, including the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Australia.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/us-army-grounds-fleet-of-chinook-helicopters-after-engine-fires/article_b0a32ece-e401-500d-907e-00b525e0bded.html | 2022-09-01T16:04:38Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/us-army-grounds-fleet-of-chinook-helicopters-after-engine-fires/article_b0a32ece-e401-500d-907e-00b525e0bded.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After an explosive court brief and picture of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago earlier this week, the Justice Department will argue in court Thursday against a request by former President Donald Trump that a so-called special master be appointed in to review the evidence the FBI seized at his Florida resort last month.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon will be considering whether to bring in third party oversight of the Justice Department, in which an outside attorney would in theory identify and filter out evidence that should be withheld from investigators because it was privileged.
Arguing it is unnecessary, prosecutors in court filings Tuesday night provided new details about its investigation into whether classified government documents were illegally mishandled. Lawyers for the former president, who filed a lawsuit last week seeking the appointment, meanwhile argued in a Wednesday night court filing that the Justice Department could not be trusted, as Trump claimed the search itself was unjustified.
Cannon previously signaled an inclination toward granting Trump's request, but that was before the Justice Department's dramatic filing this week.
Here is what to watch at Thursday's hearing, which begins at 1 p.m. ET.:
How sharply does DOJ go after Trump's spin?
Earlier this week, the Justice Department obtained permission from the judge to go substantially over a page limit for the Tuesday filing, and once it was submitted, it was clear why. Prosecutors, as they told the court in what they ultimately filed, wanted to give "detailed recitation of the relevant facts, many of which are provided to correct the incomplete and inaccurate narrative set forth in Plaintiff's filings."
With the details it provided about the events leading up to the search, the DOJ's fling pushed back on several key points the Trump team had made in how it framed the search. Given that Trump suggested Wednesday that it was the government that was being misleading (though he didn't say how), prosecutors may be even more direct in how they rebuke the former president's allegations.
How are the dynamics on Trump team playing out?
Thursday's hearing marks the first time Trump's lawyers will argue in court about the search.
Trump never sought to formally intervene in the separate court fight that played out before a magistrate judge over releasing certain warrant documents. His attorney Christina Bobb showed up in the audience for a hearing in that dispute last month, but just to observe.
With Tuesday's filing, the DOJ made public an attestation she signed to certify that classified materials subpoenaed from Trump in June had been diligently searched for and produced to the FBI. That the FBI found 100 more classified documents in the search in August called 'into serious question" her representations in the attestation.
Meanwhile, Trump has added a new attorney -- former Florida solicitor general Chris Kise -- to his team. He did so after the initial lawsuit filed by his team was flagged by the judge as missing basic legal elements about the request.
Does the judge recalibrate her approach?
Judge Cannon's move to preliminarily announce she was likely to appoint the special master raised eyebrows among outside observers. Even with his lawyers' second go-around at explaining the motion, the Trump's request glossed over several legal questions around the request. And their motion was filed two weeks after the search, meaning that the DOJ could well be done with its internal filter review.
The DOJ's filing Tuesday evening put those concerns further at the forefront, telling the judge that the materials that had been cleared by the DOJ's internal filter team had already been handed to the case investigators.
Prosecutors also aggressively pushed back at Trump's legal claims that his executive privilege concerns warranted the appointment.
"Appointment of a special master to review materials potentially subject to claims of executive privilege would be particularly inappropriate because binding Supreme Court precedent forecloses Plaintiff's argument that review of these materials by personnel within the Executive Branch raises any such privilege concerns," the Justice Department said Tuesday.
If the judge grants the special master review, what does it look like?
Prosecutors told the judge Tuesday that if she was to grant the Trump request, they'd ask for certain conditions for how the special master process would work. They asked for its role to be limited to attorney-client privilege claims and that the process for appealing their decisions to the court be expedited.
More broadly, the DOJ said appointing a special master would impede not just the criminal probe, but also hinder the national security risk assessment being done by the intelligence community.
Among the conditions DOJ asked for was that the special master have a certain level of security clearance if they were going to be reviewing classified materials in the role.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/what-to-watch-for-at-thursdays-hearing-in-trumps-bid-for-a-special-master-over/article_0c7d5aac-6273-5288-b031-0a614e517e8a.html | 2022-09-01T16:05:09Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/what-to-watch-for-at-thursdays-hearing-in-trumps-bid-for-a-special-master-over/article_0c7d5aac-6273-5288-b031-0a614e517e8a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Black South Dakota teen feels he has no choice but to switch schools after refusing to cut his hair, his mother said.
Last week, high school freshman Braxton Schafer was facing the possibility of expulsion over the length of his hair, his mother, Toni Schafer, told CNN. But the school denies there was an ultimatum.
The 14-year-old wears his hair in a traditional African twist known as locs. He has been at Bishop O'Gorman Catholic School system in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, since he was in the sixth grade.
In a statement to CNN this week, the Bishop O'Gorman Catholic School Administration said, "it is a common practice at the beginning of the school year to have to visit with numerous students about the length of their hair."
But Schafer said she was upset because no one ever expressed concern about the length of his hair until the start of this school year.
Schafer said she was approached by a school administrator during a school event on August 24 at which point the administrator raised the issue of Braxton's hair and said it was too long.
On Thursday, Schafer sent an email to the school's principal that explained the cultural significance of the length of her son's hair. Schafer referenced Samson from the Bible as an example of the importance.
On Friday, Schafer and her husband, Derrick Schafer, met with the principal in person to further discuss their son's hair and the principal reiterated it was the length that was the issue, the Schafers said.
Derrick Schafer said as a compromise they could pull up Braxton's hair so that it wouldn't touch his collar. The Schafers told CNN that the school responded that "man buns" aren't allowed.
The Schafers had a conversation with their son that evening after his football practice and shared with him what his options were. He could either cut his hair or they may have to find him a new school.
But in a statement to CNN, the school administration said, "despite representations to the contrary, at no time did school administrators tell the parents that if the student did not cut his hair he would have to leave or be expelled."
Braxton's parents said that he the loved school, but he didn't want to cut his hair.
"He has had this hair since he was three years old. And the length of his hair has been the same since he started attending the school," an emotional Toni told CNN.
"Why didn't they give him the respect?" she said, adding that if the school would have told the family at the end of the previous school year, they would have time to find a new school.
Over the weekend, the Schafers received an email from the school informing them their son would be allowed to finish the semester but would have to follow school policy to stay at the school.
In the statement to CNN, the Bishop O'Gorman Catholic School Administration said, "the meeting with the parents ended with the understanding that further dialogue would occur in the hope of finding a resolution that would allow the student to remain at our school."
"Prior to being able to engage in further dialogue, the parents of the student took to social media to present their version of events," the statement continued.
The Schafers told CNN they will honor their son's wish and will look for another school that will let him keep his hair.
School administrators told CNN, "they would welcome further dialogue with the parents regarding a solution that would allow the student to stay."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/why-didnt-they-give-him-the-respect-black-teen-feels-he-has-to-leave-school/article_d9f9588c-9f7b-5071-9bbe-2bc202b18d26.html | 2022-09-01T16:05:16Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/why-didnt-they-give-him-the-respect-black-teen-feels-he-has-to-leave-school/article_d9f9588c-9f7b-5071-9bbe-2bc202b18d26.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When the bell rings at Casa Grande Union High School, more than seventy sophomores pile into Stacy Brady's biology class.
The rural school district outside Phoenix can't find enough certified teachers, especially for math and science, so 13 classes are doubled up, with several holding more than 70 students. Some of those classes get a teaching assistant, but others rely on a single teacher.
"It's been very chaotic," Brady said. "I wish I could clone myself because I can't get to every kid who needs help."
Situated between Phoenix and Tucson, Casa Grande has struggled to find teachers for years, hiring roughly 30 from the Philippines each year to fill the gap. But that alarming trend is hitting a more dire point. Jennifer Kortsen, a district spokesperson, says, in her 29 years here, she's never seen a shortage like this.
"I've never had a school year start where we've had so many vacancies, and it's really sad," Kortsen said. "We have it posted, we've gone to job fairs, and there's simply no teachers out there to be had right now."
After two years of weathering pandemic health concerns, learning loss, and tense public scrutiny, teacher burnout is surging nationwide.
Jennifer Zanardi just quit her high school teaching job in Palm Beach, Florida, to become a corporate recruiter. She says the relatively low salary was a big factor, but the political pressure and the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill were the tipping points. She found herself working more hours and walking on eggshells.
"The public was actually saying that teachers were trying to indoctrinate students," Zanardi said. "It affected my mental health and my stress in a huge way."
Enrollment in teacher preparation programs is also plummeting, down 33% between 2010 and 2020 -- a trend that has only intensified during the pandemic, according to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Schools are competing for a shrinking pool of teachers, and wealthier suburban districts are winning out over those with fewer resources, especially rural schools and those that support more low-income families and students of color.
"(Teachers) are not going to the schools that are the most disadvantaged," said Chad Aldeman, policy director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University. "The same schools that were struggling in 2019 are struggling even worse in 2022."
In Prince George's County, Maryland, where there's a high concentration of poverty, at least 8 percent of the public school district's teacher slots are vacant, more than twice as many as last year, according to the teachers union.
Dr. Donna Christy, the president of the Prince George's County Educators Association, is seeing a scramble to fill the gap.
"It definitely feels like there's been an exodus," Christy said. "They're leaving the profession, but they are leaving for other districts as well. Where there's higher pay, where there's better working conditions, where they feel more supported, or they've heard there's more support."
Geva Hickman-Johnson, a high school English teacher in Prince George's County, just found out she'll need to prep lessons for the new substitutes in her department. She also expects her class sizes to grow.
"It means that my students may not be getting the best teacher this year," Hickman-Johnson said. "I may not be able to be at my best because I'm being pulled in so many different directions that I'm not going to really be able to focus on the students that I'm standing in front of every day. It's hard."
On top of learning loss during the pandemic, many teachers across the country have also noticed worsening student behavior. At a time when many students need more attention, Christy fears they'll receive less.
"They were falling through the cracks before," she said. "It's going to be like opening the floodgates. It's going to be really hard to keep up with our struggling students."
Like many districts, Prince George's County Public Schools are now scrambling to fill those empty classrooms, shifting staff around, increasing pay for subs, and combining classes when necessary.
States are getting creative to fill vacancies, though some of the plans are controversial. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking veterans with no teaching degree to lead classrooms.
"It was a slap in the face," Jennifer Zanardi said. "Like what you do doesn't matter, your education doesn't matter, anybody can do what you do. And that's simply not true. We're professionals."
Casa Grande Elementary School District is one of many that have moved to a 4-day week to retain staff -- a strategy it says helped them keep several teachers.
The high school district is looking to hire more teachers from overseas. In some classrooms, paraeducators without expertise on the topic are teaching lessons prepared by certified teachers, like Stacy Brady.
"I think of myself," Brady said. "I struggled with math. And if I was sitting in that classroom, I needed help, I had questions, I needed somebody to break it down a different way, and there was nobody who has the content knowledge to do that, I (would) shut down. And I'm thinking many of our students might be shutting down as well."
Brady expects to lead classes with 70-plus students most, if not all year. She fears the teacher shortage in Casa Grande is only going to get worse.
"My biggest fear, I think, is that some kid is getting hurt in some way, emotionally or physically," she said. "And I'm not able to see it, because there are so many students in the room."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/why-teachers-are-burning-out-and-leaving-districts-scrambling-to-fill-jobs/article_5b7db48f-b9b1-55cd-8759-de3cc0eff5f6.html | 2022-09-01T16:05:28Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/why-teachers-are-burning-out-and-leaving-districts-scrambling-to-fill-jobs/article_5b7db48f-b9b1-55cd-8759-de3cc0eff5f6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dolly Parton, 76, affectionately adds animal lover and activist to her long list of titles, with a Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003 for her efforts to save the bald eagle population and work with the Dogs Deserve Better organization. | https://nypost.com/web-stories/fall-in-puppy-love-with-dolly-partons-new-line-of-pet-accessories/ | 2022-09-01T16:05:32Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/web-stories/fall-in-puppy-love-with-dolly-partons-new-line-of-pet-accessories/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHICAGO (WGN) — A group of migrants from Texas arrived at Chicago’s Union Station Wednesday night, according to Gov. Greg Abbott. The governor, citing the Biden administration and Chicago’s sanctuary city status, said that the city will now be a drop-off location.
In April, Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to charter buses to transport undocumented migrants from Texas to Washington D.C. Earlier in August, he directed that New York City be added as a second drop-off location.
According to the governor’s office, thousands of undocumented migrants have been transported to D.C. and New York City, providing “much-needed relief to Texas’ overwhelmed border communities.”
Abbott cited Chicago’s “Welcoming City Ordinance” as a reason why he selected it as the state’s third drop-off location.
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans — and Americans — at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” said Gov. Abbott in a statement. “To continue providing much-needed relief to our small, overrun border towns, Chicago will join fellow sanctuary cities Washington, D.C. and New York City as an additional drop-off location. Mayor Lightfoot loves to tout the responsibility of her city to welcome all regardless of legal status, and I look forward to seeing this responsibility in action as these migrants receive resources from a sanctuary city with the capacity to serve them.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office released a statement Wednesday night saying they received approximately 60 migrant. He also described Gov. Abbott’s actions at “racist practices.”
“As a city, we are doing everything we can to ensure these immigrants and their families can receive shelter, food, and most importantly protection,” the statement read, in part. “This is not new; Chicago welcomes hundreds of migrants every year to our city and provides much-needed assistance. Unfortunately, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is without any shame or humanity. But ever since he put these racist practices of expulsion in place, we have been working with our community partners to ready the city to receive these individuals.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/national/texas-governor-sends-first-bus-of-undocumented-migrants-to-chicago/ | 2022-09-01T16:10:09Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/national/texas-governor-sends-first-bus-of-undocumented-migrants-to-chicago/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Atlanta Fed GDPNow estimate for 3Q growth rose to 2.6% from 1.6% on August 26. Construction spending and the Manufacturing ISM report contribute to the gains. In their own words:
The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2022 is 2.6 percent on September 1, up from 1.6 percent on August 26. After this morning’s construction spending release from the US Census Bureau and this morning’s Manufacturing ISM Report On Business from the Institute for Supply Management, the nowcasts of third-quarter real personal consumption expenditures growth and third-quarter real gross private domestic investment growth increased from 2.0 percent and -5.4 percent, respectively, to 3.1 percent and -3.5 percent, respectively.
The next GDPNow update is Wednesday, September 7. Please see the "Release Dates" tab below for a list of upcoming releases.
High-growth is consistent with a tighter Fed policy. The expectations for a 75 basis point hike in September has increased toward 80%. However, the Fed members have consistently said that they are data dependent with employment and inflation the key economic releases. Tomorrow the BLS will release the latest employment statistics with expectations for nonfarm payroll to increase by 295,000 vs. 528,000 last month. The unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 3.5%. The average hourly earnings are expected to rise by 0.4% vs. 0.5% last month. | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/atlanta-fed-gdpnow-estimate-for-3q-growth-rises-to-26-from-16-on-august-26-20220901/ | 2022-09-01T16:12:15Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/atlanta-fed-gdpnow-estimate-for-3q-growth-rises-to-26-from-16-on-august-26-20220901/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The bearish mood descending on markets and the prospects for an Iran nuclear deal have hit the oil market hard in the past three trading days.
WTI crude is at the lows of the day at $86.93. The low August 16 was $85.87. There's some support down the the October 2021 highs but below that it could get ugly in a hurry.
The demand destruction narrative is on a weak footing. That was everywhere a month ago but the June US official data was released yesterday and it showed June 2022 was above June 2019 and the highest for June since 2006.
Saudi Arabia has lamented the differences in the cash and paper markets for oil. That's something you always seen in commodities so I tend to dismiss it but here's a legendary oil trader who also isn't buying it.
For the moment, CAD is also holding up ok. USD/CAD broke 1.3200 earlier but has fallen back to 1.3167. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/oil-sinks-to-the-bottom-of-the-range-in-a-new-test-of-the-post-war-lows-20220901/ | 2022-09-01T16:12:22Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/oil-sinks-to-the-bottom-of-the-range-in-a-new-test-of-the-post-war-lows-20220901/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Communicators Spotlight: Brooke Buchanan, Edelman EVP of crisis and risk
Brooke Buchanan has been described as a "corporate ghostbuster" known for handling communications for Sen. John McCain, Walmart, Whole Foods and Theranos.
Why it matters: This is the first installment of the Communicators Spotlight series, in which we'll focus on one pro's relevant career highlights, best practices and interests. Today, we examine the high-stakes career of Buchanan, who currently serves as executive vice president of crisis and risk at Edelman.
🪜 How she got here: Buchanan got her start in politics and gravitated toward crisis management early on with roles like supporting FEMA efforts after Hurricane Katrina, steering PR for McCain’s failed presidential campaign and navigating daily crises as a member of Walmart's corporate communications team.
📈 Trend spot: Buchanan is attuned to how the midterms might impact the way companies, brands or executives respond to social issues, geopolitics and current events.
🚨 News alerts: "I have two TVs in my home office that alternate between CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, BBC, FOX, WDIV (Detroit's NBC affiliate)," she said.
- She also scans morning newsletters from Axios, Axios Detroit, Protocol, The Hustle, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.
👯♀️ Influenced by: She listens to a range of podcasts — from "The Daily" to "Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald" — regularly watches "The Golden Girls" or foreign procedural dramas and recently read "The Bomber Mafia" by Malcolm Gladwell.
📧 Open rates: Normally her most-used app is Words with Friends, but this week she's been glued to the U.S. Open app.
🌅 Morning ritual: "I work across time zones and my evenings can go pretty late, so I wake up around 7:30am, usually by my lawless yet beloved golden retriever, Willoughby."
- But no breakfast for Buchanan. "I’m trying out intermittent fasting, so I typically have one cup of Buc-ee’s coffee around noon."
💆🏻♀️ De-stress routine: She plays tennis on the weekends to unwind and always has a trip planned as something to look forward to.
- "I had a recent epiphany that taking time off allows you to reset and return stronger and more focused." | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/01/communicators-spotlight-brooke-buchanan | 2022-09-01T16:15:53Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/01/communicators-spotlight-brooke-buchanan | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New Mexico to establish $10M abortion clinic near Texas border
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed an executive order Wednesday setting aside $10 million to develop a new reproductive health care clinic near the state's Texas border.
Why it matters: The new clinic will expand access in the state to the "full spectrum of reproductive health care" and help it prepare for a potential increase in people seeking abortions from other states that have restricted or banned access to the procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The big picture: The new clinic will be established in Doña Ana County, which borders Texas and is about 100 miles east from the state's Arizona border, per the Washington Post.
- Both Arizona and Texas have restricted access to abortion.
- The executive order also directs New Mexico's Department of Health to create a plan to ensure abortion medications are available in public health clinics, broadening access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, in rural and underserved parts of the state.
- Out-of-state abortion providers, including from Texas and Mississippi, have expressed interest in opening clinics in New Mexico in light of Roe's overturning, the Post reported.
What they're saying: “As more states move to restrict and prohibit access to reproductive care, New Mexico will continue to not only protect access to abortion, but to expand and strengthen reproductive health care throughout the state,” Grisham said in a press release.
- “Today, I reaffirm my resolve to make sure that women and families in New Mexico — and beyond — are supported at every step of the way," Grisham added.
- “These efforts to restrict access to reproductive health services from other states may lead more individuals to seek services from New Mexico healthcare providers,” Grisham said in a video call about the executive order, the Guardian reported.
- “The southern part of New Mexico has lacked access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare for generations," Kayla Herring, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, added in the press release. "Directing money to help our southern New Mexico families is critical for patient care."
The other side: Elisa Martinez, a former Republican primary candidate for the U.S. Senate in New Mexico, lambasted the decision in a tweet Wednesday, writing that the order would "force taxpayers to fund...a new abortion business!" | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/01/new-mexico-10-million-abortion-clinic | 2022-09-01T16:16:11Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/01/new-mexico-10-million-abortion-clinic | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Airships were once a common sight in the skies above America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Airlines used these giants of the sky to convey passengers and freight across vast distances, while militaries used them to patrol vital sea lanes to provide early warning of trouble and a persistent deterrent to enemies. Explorers even used them to venture to places otherwise unreachable such as the North Pole.
Now fixed-wing, jet-powered airliners dominate air travel, but they’re a difficult technology to decarbonize. As the world looks to reduce emissions and consumption of fossil fuels, airships are getting a second look, specifically hybrid airships.
U.S. Marine Corp Capts. Benjamin Cohen and John Schmaltz Jr. initially stumbled across hybrid airships due to a different aspect of the climate crisis: wildfires. Around the time they began attending the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in mid-2020, the August Complex fire began burning in Northern California. They wondered if there were better ways to help put out the flames, and this led them to one of the many uses of hybrid airships. Their thesis, published in March 2022, ended up being a guide to help the DOD integrate a large-capacity mobility platform, through the example of a hybrid airship, into its fleet by partnering with the commercial sector, where hybrid airship innovation is occurring.
“We realized there’s a whole lot more we can and should do with this, so our thesis includes not only an analysis of the aircraft performance and how the DOD’s potential procurement of these aircrafts would affect the development cost and operating costs over time, but also when is the appropriate time for the DOD to join the process,” Cohen explains.
The students, with help from their advisors Drs. Nick Dew and Eva Regnier of the NPS Department of Defense Management, looked to modernize DOD’s approach to working with the commercial sector from just buying prototypes to developing a longer-term relationship with innovative companies. They specified in their thesis that they want the atlas to be a living document that “should be edited, adjusted, and improved as a technology proceeds forward.”
Cohen and Schmaltz presented the emissions-reduction aspect of hybrid airship technology as the second presentation in the Net Zero Briefings series presented by the NPS Climate and Security Network.
Hybrid airships are part of the “lighter-than-air” aviation family, which get their lift from helium (not flammable hydrogen like the Hindenburg.) Hybrid airships get their name because they combine conventional airship design with aerodynamic attributes, which give them forward momentum. Without it, the ship slowly sinks back down to Earth because the payload makes the airship a bit heavier than air, so it doesn’t just float up like a balloon. Because energy consumption is only needed for forward momentum and not lift, hybrid airships produce 75 percent less carbon dioxide emissions compared to similar conventional aircrafts like the C-5 Galaxy, and airship companies are working to reduce emissions by 90 percent. They’re not as fast as competing airplanes but they are faster than most sea-going vessels, thus creating new options for environmentally friendly ways to move cargo that is needed in 48 hours, not five weeks.
Another important feature of a hybrid airship is that it’s able to land on any reasonably flat surface, not requiring any formal landing platforms or runways. They’re also quieter than comparable aircrafts, while still carrying heavy payloads. This could allow for stealthy and remote drop offs of equipment. Landing anywhere and carrying heavy payloads, with precision equipment and suppressants to engage fires, is what made hybrid airships look appealing for fighting wildfires.
Schmaltz, an amphibious assault vehicle officer, saw the potential for airships to improve the supply lines necessary to keep the aging amphibious assault vehicle functional.
“We don’t know where we’re going necessarily, so we don’t have supply lines established to service the old, expensive vehicles,” Schmaltz explains. “I saw value in the airship as a way to get things we needed where they need to go in a reasonable amount of time instead of waiting two or three months to get to certain locations to send out or receive parts.”
While there have been exploratory programs in the past, hybrid airships are not being used for military operations anywhere in the world right now, likely because they’re slower and the technology has only been fully developed in the past decade. The only lighter-than-air vehicles being used by the DOD are aerostats, which are smaller, low-level airborne ground surveillance systems used as radar platforms.
Hybrid airship innovation is taking off in the commercial space instead. Recognizing this, Schmaltz and Cohen worked with defense contractor Lockheed Martin and the British company Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the latter having built and flown a full-scale hybrid aircraft prototype, leading to a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NPS.
“It was an ideal opportunity to work with the USMC and NPS to test the Airlander, modeling multiple scenarios to demonstrate how the aircraft could support missions in the Indo-Pacific command theater,” says Neil Gee, HAV Senior Project Manager.
As part of the CRADA, HAV and the NPS students created objectives they’d work separately and others they’d take on together. One project they worked on modeled multiple scenarios to demonstrate if and how the airships could support stability in the Indo-Pacific command theater. They found that the hybrid aircraft could decrease the travel time for infantry and equipment and reduce associated emissions in the process. Beyond improving logistics chain responsiveness, the group also recognized that hybrid aircraft could be used to provide humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and remote research. HAV gained access to more weather data to expand their databases and they were also connected to Faculty Research Associate Christian Fitzpatrick and the NPS Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) Institute, who they are still working with today.
Since NPS prioritizes bridging academics with operational applications, both parties learned a lot from each other in the process. The students gained a better understanding of the commercial process of producing a hybrid airship from the prototype to production phase. And Schmaltz and Cohen’s research sharpened HAV’s focus on the digital technology side, like producing a digital twin, which is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle.
HAV brought the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) into the project to help improve their understanding of digital engineering, augmented reality for maintenance and operation support, and generating 3D virtual reality environments to improve production efficiency. The NPS students and HAV staff learned there were many more industry uses for digital twins than they initially thought. The relationship between AMRC and NPS will likely continue beyond this thesis project.
Forming all these partnerships was good preparation for Cohen for his current assignment. After graduating, Cohen moved to Southern California to lead the NavalX SoCal Tech Bridge, which works to form partnerships between the Naval enterprise and the commercial sector in and around San Diego. HAV plans to continue research work with Cohen through his new role. Schmaltz now works as a program analyst for Deputy Commandant, Programs and Resources, a role that he found he is well prepared for because of his research efforts on hybrid airships.
This work, NPS Students Explore Naval, Defense Applications of Hybrid Airship Technology, by Rebecca Hoag, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/428505/nps-students-explore-naval-defense-applications-hybrid-airship-technology | 2022-09-01T16:16:29Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/428505/nps-students-explore-naval-defense-applications-hybrid-airship-technology | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Interview: CAA's Chief Metaverse Officer Joanna Popper
The metaverse is coming to the C-suite. Axios caught up with CAA's Chief Metaverse Officer Joanna Popper to talk about Hollywood's race to the forthcoming digital world.
Why she matters: The hire of Popper — who came to CAA after stints at HP, Singularity University and NBCUniversal — is the latest example that the metaverse is Hollywood's next gold rush.
How do you view this new role?
With most organizations, [the metaverse] is still something that people are learning about.
- We represent many of the most culturally significant artists and brands, some of which are already operating in the early versions of the metaverse or already planning their strategies. And so these types of clients that we represent will have a huge impact on the direction that the metaverse goes in.
Much of this web3/NFT world is around the idea that it's a lot more self-made, where you're cutting out the middleman. They can have a direct relationship with their fans and customers. Are any of these artists apprehensive about working with an agency?
We have quite a few endemic or native artists in the space. They see the role of an agency as advising, supporting, helping direct them, helping them understand the best structure for the deals and connecting them with parties that they might not connect with otherwise.
- There's examples of native web3 or metaverse clients that we work with where we then help them get into a production deal or get into a podcast studio or a book deal.
- This is a new type of new creativity and new ideas coming from this group of artists, but they still often have interest in extending their brand.
How would you rate the education level of some of the more traditional media partners?
Both the technology companies as well as the media companies certainly recognize the importance of this opportunity and the importance of having teams and staff and employees in a state of being on the cutting edge.
- All the players have people deeply experimenting and investigating and testing and learning and preparing. | https://www.axios.com/pro/media-deals/2022/09/01/caa-joanna-popper-chief-metaverse-officer | 2022-09-01T16:16:55Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/media-deals/2022/09/01/caa-joanna-popper-chief-metaverse-officer | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FREMONT, Calif. (KRON) – A Northern California man has been charged with a hate crime in connection with a religiously charged rant at a Taco Bell, the Fremont Police Department said this week.
Singh Tejinder, 37, of Union City, was filmed shouting at another man at a Taco Bell in Fremont on Aug. 21, according to police.
The victim, Krishnan Jayaraman, told Nexstar’s KRON that the suspect’s offensive rant lasted more than eight minutes.
“He again said, ‘Hey, pick up your bean burrito and leave. You’re a vegetarian right? You don’t eat beef. You should eat beef. You Indians should eat beef,’” Jayaraman told KRON.
Jayaraman also said the suspect spat on him and called Hindus “disgusting.”
Police responded to the location of the incident after a Taco Bell employee called to report a disturbance between two customers. Officers arrived to find the men in an “active argument,” the Fremont Police Department wrote on Facebook.
Police interviewed both men involved and “confirmed that a disparaging comment about a particular religion was stated during the verbal argument,” FPD said. Tejinder was not arrested, as there was not yet enough evidence to confirm a hate crime, according to the department.
After reviewing the video, the police again interviewed Jayaraman. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office ultimately charged Tejinder with assault, disturbing the peace by offensive language, and a hate crime in violation of civil rights.
Tejinder was not in custody in Alameda County as of Monday night, police said. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 510-790-6803.
Jayaraman also said there should be no tolerance for such hateful acts.
“We have grown numb to these kinds of things,” Jayaraman told KRON. “We need to be sensitive to a fellow human being.” | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/man-charged-with-hate-crime-after-rant-at-california-taco-bell-caught-on-video/ | 2022-09-01T16:22:29Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/man-charged-with-hate-crime-after-rant-at-california-taco-bell-caught-on-video/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHICAGO (WGN) — A group of migrants from Texas arrived at Chicago’s Union Station Wednesday night, according to Gov. Greg Abbott. The governor, citing the Biden administration and Chicago’s sanctuary city status, said that the city will now be a drop-off location.
In April, Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to charter buses to transport undocumented migrants from Texas to Washington D.C. Earlier in August, he directed that New York City be added as a second drop-off location.
According to the governor’s office, thousands of undocumented migrants have been transported to D.C. and New York City, providing “much-needed relief to Texas’ overwhelmed border communities.”
Abbott cited Chicago’s “Welcoming City Ordinance” as a reason why he selected it as the state’s third drop-off location.
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans — and Americans — at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” said Gov. Abbott in a statement. “To continue providing much-needed relief to our small, overrun border towns, Chicago will join fellow sanctuary cities Washington, D.C. and New York City as an additional drop-off location. Mayor Lightfoot loves to tout the responsibility of her city to welcome all regardless of legal status, and I look forward to seeing this responsibility in action as these migrants receive resources from a sanctuary city with the capacity to serve them.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office released a statement Wednesday night saying they received approximately 60 migrant. He also described Gov. Abbott’s actions at “racist practices.”
“As a city, we are doing everything we can to ensure these immigrants and their families can receive shelter, food, and most importantly protection,” the statement read, in part. “This is not new; Chicago welcomes hundreds of migrants every year to our city and provides much-needed assistance. Unfortunately, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is without any shame or humanity. But ever since he put these racist practices of expulsion in place, we have been working with our community partners to ready the city to receive these individuals.” | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/texas-governor-sends-first-bus-of-undocumented-migrants-to-chicago/ | 2022-09-01T16:22:35Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/texas-governor-sends-first-bus-of-undocumented-migrants-to-chicago/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Three County Fair begins Friday and runs through Labor Day.
The fair was closed to the public due to the pandemic in 2020, it returned at 100 percent capacity in 2021. General admission to the Fair is $15 for ages 12 and up, discount tickets for $12 can be purchased on the fair’s website. Veterans can attend free on Sunday, September 4th.
Gates open at 4 p.m. on Friday with the New England championship horse pull, racing pigs, hot air balloon rides and live music performance by Rosie Porter & The Neon Moons. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, gates open at 10 a.m. with additional live music, agricultural competitions, and exhibits. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/three-county-fair-in-northampton-opens-this-weekend/ | 2022-09-01T16:22:58Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/three-county-fair-in-northampton-opens-this-weekend/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BMW M is developing its first standalone model since the iconic M1 supercar launched four decades ago. This time around it will be an SUV, a model to be called the XM, which BMW previewed last year by the striking Concept XM.
We’ve spotted camouflaged prototypes testing in the wild. Now, leaked images likely provide a first clear look at the design of the production XM, which is due out later this year, likely as a 2023 model.
A member of iX Forums posted the images, which are alleged to be patent drawings for the XM that BMW filed with Japan’s intellectual property office in August. They show a design clearly influenced by the Concept XM, but more importantly they match up with a leaked photo of the production XM that surfaced in May.
Fans of concept car styling will be pleased that most of the Concept XM’s details are present, though critics will be disappointed. The huge kidney grilles, split headlights, and stacked tailpipes are all there, as well as a charging door on the driver’s side front fender.
The XM powertrain will be a plug-in hybrid system utilizing a newly developed twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 as the internal-combustion component. Combined output will be in the vicinity of 750 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque, which will make the XM the most powerful BMW road car to date. If the engineers go with BMW’s existing plug-in hybrid design, a single electric motor will be sandwiched between the V-8 and the transmission.
Though it’s yet to be confirmed, a tamer version of the plug-in hybrid setup could be offered in a base XM, with the 750-hp version reserved for something like an XM Competition model.
The XM is closely related to BMW’s X7 SUV, though it will stick to two-row seating, possibly with an option for two bucket seats in the second row.
Production of the XM will take place at BMW Group’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the starting price is expected to exceed $100,000.
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- Review: 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport hyperactivates the hypercar experience | https://www.wwlp.com/automotive/internet-brands/bmw-xm-super-suv-likely-revealed-in-patent-drawings/ | 2022-09-01T16:27:34Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/automotive/internet-brands/bmw-xm-super-suv-likely-revealed-in-patent-drawings/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Stocks are broadly lower on Wall Street in morning trading Thursday, extending their losing streak to a fifth day as investors remain wary of how the economy will hold up as the Federal Reserve ratchets up interest rates to fight inflation.
The S&P 500 was down 1.3% as of 11 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 245 points, or 0.8%, to 31,265 and the Nasdaq composite slid 2.1%.
The major indexes have closed lower four days in a row. The latest wave of selling continues a weak patch that has wiped out much of the gains the market made in July and early August.
Technology stocks were once again the heaviest weight on the market. Nvidia dropped 8.3% after the chipmaker said the U.S. government imposed new licensing requirements on its sales to China.
Banks and retailers also helped drag the market lower. Energy stocks fell as the price of U.S. crude oil, which is coming off its third month of declines, dropped 2.6% to $87.20 a barrel.
Smaller company stocks also lost ground, pulling the Russell 2000 index 2.3% lower. In Europe, major stock indexes were down. Markets in Asia closed lower.
Treasury yields were broadly higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which influences interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans, rose to 3.30% from 3.20% late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which tends to track expectations for Fed action, rose to 3.54% from 3.50%.
Bond yields have been rising along with expectations for higher interest rates, which the Federal Reserve has been increasing in a bid to squash the highest inflation in decades.
Markets have been on a losing streak since last week, when Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank will likely need to keep interest rates high enough to slow the economy “for some time” in order to bring inflation down.
The Fed has already raised interest rates four times this year and is expected to raise short-term rates by another 0.75 percentage points at its next meeting later this month, according to CME Group.
Wall Street is worried that the Fed could hit the brakes too hard on an already slowing economy and veer it into a recession. Higher interest rates also hurt investment prices, especially for pricier stocks like technology companies.
The S&P 500 ended August with a 4.2% loss after surging 9.1% in July on optimism that the Fed might be able to ease back on raising rates following signs that inflation, while still high, was leveling off.
The July and early August market rally marked a brief positive turn for Wall Street after a weak first half of the year where the S&P 500 dropped 20% from its most recent high and entered a bear market. September may not offer much of a respite for investors, as historically it tends to be the worst month for stocks.
Investors have been closely watching economic data for any additional signs that the economy is slowing down or that inflation may be cooling or at least holding at its current level. Businesses and consumers have been hit hard by rising prices on everything from food to clothing, but recent declines in gasoline prices have provided some relief.
Strong U.S. employment data have helped fuel expectations of more interest rate hikes. The Labor Department reported Tuesday there were two jobs for every unemployed person in July, giving ammunition to Fed officials who argue the economy can tolerate more rate hikes to tame inflation that is at multi-decade highs.
On Thursday, the Labor Department said applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, the latest sign the job market continues to shine despite a slowing U.S. economy.
The government’s August jobs report, due out Friday, is also expected to show the job market remains robust. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-asian-shares-track-wall-street-slide-on-expected-rate-raises/ | 2022-09-01T16:28:09Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-asian-shares-track-wall-street-slide-on-expected-rate-raises/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BERLIN (AP) — German carrier Lufthansa says it is canceling almost all passenger and cargo flights Friday from its two biggest hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, due to planned strike action by pilots.
A union representing Lufthansa pilots said early Thursday that they will stage a walk-out after demands for a pay increase were rejected by management.
Lufthansa said some 800 flights would be canceled, affecting many travelers returning at the end of the summer vacation. The airline’s budget carrier Eurowings would not be affected, it said.
The union Vereinigung Cockpit accused Lufthansa on Thursday of failing to improve on their previous offer, leaving pilots no choice but to go on strike to press their demands.
According to Lufthansa, the company had offered a one-off increase of 900 euros ($900), amounting to a 5% increase for senior pilots and an 18% increase for those starting the profession.
The union had called for a 5.5% raise this year and an automatic above-inflation increase in 2023. In addition, pilots are seeking a new pay and holiday structure that the airline said would increase its staffing costs by about 40%, or some 900 million euros over two years. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-german-carrier-lufthansas-pilots-to-strike-friday-over-pay/ | 2022-09-01T16:28:31Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-german-carrier-lufthansas-pilots-to-strike-friday-over-pay/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The International Monetary Fund announced Thursday it has reached a preliminary agreement to provide Sri Lanka with $2.9 billion over four years to help it recover from its worst economic crisis.
The arrangement will help restore financial and macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability as well as enable the country’s growth potential, an IMF team visiting Sri Lanka said in a statement.
The package is contingent on approval from the IMF management and executive board, as well as on receiving assurances from Sri Lanka’s creditors, which include China, India and Japan, that debt sustainability will be restored.
Speaking to reporters in Colombo, the IMF’s Peter Breuer said that since Sri Lanka’s debt is currently unsustainable, the lender will need to see an engagement between the country and its creditors before it can commit resources. “If creditors are not willing to provide these assurances, that will deepen the crisis in Sri Lanka and would undermine its repayment capacity,” he said.
He said a collaboration between the creditors and Sri Lanka will help the nation emerge from the crisis faster, and suggested holding a forum between the two sides on restructuring its debts.
Sri Lanka is in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis with acute monthslong shortages of essentials such as fuel, medicine and cooking gas due to a severe shortage of foreign currency. Though cooking gas supplies were restored through World Bank support, shortages of fuel, critical medicines and some food items continue.
The island nation has suspended repayment of nearly $7 billion in foreign debt due this year. The country’s total foreign debt amounts to more than $51 billion, of which $28 billion has to be repaid by 2028.
Sri Lanka’s economy is expected to shrink by 8.7% in 2022 with inflation rising above 60%, the IMF said, adding that the impact is greatest on the poor and vulnerable.
The lender said its package will focus on stabilizing the economy, protecting the livelihoods of citizens and helping spur growth. Key elements include major tax and energy pricing reforms, raising social spending, replenishing foreign exchange reserves and introducing a stronger anti-corruption legal framework.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said talks with the IMF had successfully reached final stages as he presented an interim budget aimed at obtaining a rescue package. Measures outlined included raising some taxes, slashing capital expenditures, taming inflation and bolstering relief programs.
Wickremesinghe delivered his first budget proposal after being elected by Parliament in July to fill the rest of the five-year term of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country in July and resigned after protesters who blame him and his family for the crisis stormed his official residence.
Wickremesinghe said the United Nations and other international organizations have launched a program to ensure food security. Schools have reopened and universities have resumed classes after long closures, he said. However, long fuel lines have reappeared after a quota system seemed to have brought them under control over the past weeks.
In his budget speech, Wickremesinghe said his administration’s fiscal program will strive to increase government revenue to around 15% of GDP by 2025, cut public sector debt, control inflation and increase the value added tax to 15% from the current 12%.
The new budget came amid a relative calm following months of public protests that ousted the once-powerful Rajapaksa political dynasty. Sri Lanka’s crisis was made worse by global factors such as the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but many have accused the Rajapaksas of severe economic mismanagement and corruption that pushed the country into bankruptcy.
Rajapaksa is now in Thailand. Leaders of his political party say he is expected to return from exile early in September and have asked Wickremesinghe to provide him with security and facilities to which a former president is legally entitled.
Since becoming president, Wickremesinghe has cracked down on protesters and dismantled their main camp outside the president’s office. The use of a harsh anti-terror law to detain a protest leader led to the United States and European Union raising human rights concerns.
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AP journalists Krishan Francis in Colombo and Krutika Pathi in New Delhi contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-imf-agrees-to-provide-crisis-hit-sri-lanka-2-9-billion/ | 2022-09-01T16:28:38Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-imf-agrees-to-provide-crisis-hit-sri-lanka-2-9-billion/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BERLIN (AP) — Prices for gasoline and public transport in Germany surged Thursday as government subsidies expired, hurting commuters already struggling with high energy costs.
Germany’s biggest auto club, ADAC, said initial estimates indicated that the average price of one liter of E10 super was about 0.25 euros ($0.25) higher in the morning than the previous day. Diesel fuel was about 0.10 euros ($0.10) more expensive, it said.
Thursday marked the end of a temporary cut in gasoline taxes and a special 9-euro ($9) monthly public transport ticket unveiled by the government in May to ease the pain of inflation.
The discount public transport ticket, usable on all local and regional buses and trains, was hailed as a particular success for allowing millions of people to travel the country cheaply, while saving an estimated 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Environmental campaigners have called for the tickets to be extended in some form. Germany’s transport minister says he is looking into the idea.
The government is trying to encourage consumers and businesses to save energy whichever way they can to prevent a shortage during the winter months, after Russia sharply reduced flows of natural gas to Germany. It recently announced that temperatures will be lowered in public offices this winter and the lighting on street advertising must be switched off at night.
Germany has pledged to wean itself off Russian gas within the next two years in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. On Thursday, the government announced that it is leasing a fifth floating terminal for importing liquefied natural gas. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-german-gasoline-transport-prices-jump-as-subsidies-expire/ | 2022-09-01T16:30:33Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-german-gasoline-transport-prices-jump-as-subsidies-expire/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BERLIN (AP) — A man has been charged in Germany with attempted incitement to murder after allegedly paying thousands of dollars in a series of attempts to engage a contract killer to slay the partner of a man he desired, only to discover he had been defrauded by a darknet website.
Berlin prosecutors said Thursday they had indicted the 28-year-old, who was arrested in April.
They said the suspect first tried winning over the object of his desire — who didn’t return his affections and already had a partner — using “witch’s curses” booked online.
The suspect allegedly decided in February to kill the man’s partner, prosecutors said in a statement. They said he registered with a site on the darknet — a part of the internet accessible only through specialized anonymity-providing tools — that appeared to arrange contract killings.
He allegedly provided the details, address and photos of the intended victim, stipulating that the killing should look like an accident or a robbery, and set a reward of $9,000 in bitcoin. He increased the sum on offer a few days later.
Two weeks after his first payment, according to prosecutors, the suspect was told online that the intended killer had been arrested but a replacement would jump in if he paid more. He agreed, bringing his payments to a total of $24,000 in bitcoin. He then complained when nothing happened.
In early April, the suspect demanded that a third contract killer be put on the case, according to prosecutors.
The following day, the website’s administrator told him that he had been dealing with a fraudulent site and that he couldn’t get his money back. However, he could, if he wanted, offer his own services as a contract killer and defraud prospective customers, the website administrator said, according to prosecutors.
He allegedly took up the suggestion, while still looking for other ways to hire a killer.
The suspect was identified and arrested thanks to a journalist’s research, prosecutors said. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-germany-man-charged-over-attempts-to-hire-contract-killer/ | 2022-09-01T16:30:40Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-germany-man-charged-over-attempts-to-hire-contract-killer/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s foreign minister warned Thursday that any actions seen as endangering a Russian peacekeeping contingent in a separatist region of Moldova would be considered as an attack on Russia itself.
Sergey Lavrov’s statement in an address at Russia’s top foreign affairs school underlined concerns that Moldova’s Transnistria region, which borders Ukraine, could be drawn into the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Russia has stationed peacekeepers there since the 1992 end of a three-month war that left Transnistria outside Moldovan control. Russian forces also guard a large ammunition dump in the region.
In April, tensions in Moldova soared after a series of explosions in Transnistria.
“Everyone should understand that any kind of actions that will raise a threat to the security of our servicemen will be considered in accordance with international law as an attack on the Russian Federation,” Lavrov said.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-lavrov-warns-moldova-about-threats-to-peacekeepers/ | 2022-09-01T16:31:10Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-lavrov-warns-moldova-about-threats-to-peacekeepers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AP) — Survivors and families of the victims of a sunken migrant boat off the coast of Lebanon on Thursday said they have filed a lawsuit accusing the military of detaining two missing survivors.
The boat that sank in April carried dozens of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians trying to migrate by sea to Italy. It went down more than five kilometers (three miles) from the port of Tripoli, following a confrontation with the country’s navy.
Survivors say the Lebanese navy rammed their vessel, while the military claims the migrants’ boat collided with one of their ships while trying to get away. The captain of a submarine mission last week said they found the remains of at least 10 migrants and the wreckage of the sunken boat with dents and damages.
Now, the survivors say the army has been holding two survivors who have been missing since the night of the sinking and has refused to reveal footage of the wreckage from the submarine mission. They also say the military barred them from attending a press conference with the submarine’s captain and navy officials.
The military says the investigation is ongoing and the footage from the submarine investigation has been transferred to the military probe.
“We’ve been waiting for you and the state for four months throughout this whole turmoil,” Amid Dandachi, a survivor of the doomed boat whose three children and wife drowned, said at the news conference. “I challenge you to show us the videos of the pursuit of the boat.”
Ten bodies were recovered the night the boat sank — including one of a child — while 48 survivors were pulled from the Mediterranean. According to navy estimates, 30 people were believed to have gone down with the boat.
The wreck remains some 450 meters (about 1,470 feet) below the surface.
The survivors’ lawyers have blasted the authorities’ sluggish investigation. Diala Chehade, one lawyer representing the survivors and victims’ families, urged authorities to retrieve its wreckage.
“A key reason of the submarine mission was to try to recover what remains from the bodies so their loved ones can mourn them in dignity and pray for their souls,” Chehade said at the press conference. “But there is also another key reason, which is to find and retrieve the drowned boat and forensically examine it.”
Chehade also called for transferring the probe from the military tribunal to a civic court, claiming it would be more transparent and impartial for such a case.
The April sinking was the greatest migrant tragedy for Lebanon in recent years and put the government further on the defensive at a time when the country is in economic free fall and public trust in the state and its institutions is rapidly crumbling.
With a population of about 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, Lebanon has been mired since 2019 in an economic meltdown that has plunged three quarters of the population into poverty.
Once a country that received refugees, Lebanon has become a launching pad for dangerous migration by sea to Europe. As the crisis deepened, more Lebanese, as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugees have set off to sea, with security agencies reporting foiled migration attempts almost weekly. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-lebanese-families-file-lawsuit-against-army-for-boat-sinking/ | 2022-09-01T16:31:17Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-lebanese-families-file-lawsuit-against-army-for-boat-sinking/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday pledged 700 million pounds ($810 million) of government funding for a planned new nuclear power plant as part of a drive to improve the U.K.’s energy security.
Johnson said the spike in global gas prices driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showed why more nuclear generation capacity was needed in the U.K.
The plant, called Sizewell C, is located on eastern England’s Suffolk coast. French energy company EDF, which will partly fund the project, has said it can generate low-carbon electricity for at least 60 years when the project is complete.
The plant will reportedly cost about 20 billion pounds ($23 billion). Britain’s government gave the greenlight for the plant in July, and talks about how to fund it are ongoing.
“Yes, nuclear always looks relatively expensive to build and to run,” Johnson said in his final major policy speech as prime minister. “But look at what’s happening today, look at the results of Putin’s war. It is certainly cheap by comparison with hydrocarbons today.”
Johnson added: “I say to you, with the prophetic candor and clarity of one who is about to hand over the torch of office, I say go nuclear and go large and go with Sizewell C.”
Johnson will formally leave office on Tuesday, handing power to either Foreign Secretary Liz Truss or former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, the two finalists in the Conservative Party’s leadership race.
Many in Britain are looking to Johnson’s successor to announce urgent measures to help ease the financial pain for millions of people who will struggle to heat their homes this winter as household energy prices go up by 80% from October.
The U.K. wants to reduce its dependence on imported oil and gas and generate cheaper, cleaner power domestically.
The government has said it wants 95% of British electricity to come from low-carbon sources by 2030. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-uks-johnson-pledges-millions-to-fund-new-nuclear-plant/ | 2022-09-01T16:32:15Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-uks-johnson-pledges-millions-to-fund-new-nuclear-plant/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani health officials on Thursday reported an outbreak of waterborne diseases in areas hit by recent record-breaking flooding, as authorities stepped up efforts to ensure the provision of clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people who lost their homes in the disaster.
The U.N. children’s agency said more than 3 million children were in need of humanitarian assistance and stood at heightened risk of diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history.
Pakistani authorities and aid agencies also were working to secure medical facilities to thousands of pregnant women, who are among 33 million people affected by floods.
Diarrhea, skin diseases and eye infections are spreading at relief camps set up by the government across the country. Over 90,000 diarrhea cases were reported from one of the worst-hit provinces, Sindh, in the past 24 hours, according to a report released by the health officials. But the illnesses were also reported from other flood-hit areas.
The grim updates came a day after Pakistan and the World Health Organization raised concern over the spread of waterborne diseases among flood victims. Pakistan blames climate change for unusually early and heavy monsoon rains, which since June have caused flash floods that have killed 1,191 people and affected 33 million people. About a million homes have also been damaged or destroyed
Flood waters continued to recede in the most of the country, but many districts in southern Sindh province remained underwater, forcing displaced people to stay at donated camps.
Among those flood victims staying at a relief camp in the district of Shikar Pur in Sindh was Mundam Ali, 21, who is seven months pregnant. She said she has a backache and cough. Ali said she had no other choice except to live in the relief camp, as her village was still submerged.
Ramesh Kumar, a medical doctor in Shikar Pur, said he treated scores of flood victims and most of them had waterborne diseases.
Nearly half a million flood displaced are living in relief camps. In Sindh province, thousands of medical camps have been set up in flood-stricken areas to treat victims, said Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, the provincial health minister. Mobile medical units have also been deployed. The World Health Organization says it is increasing surveillance for acute diarrhea, cholera and other communicable diseases and providing medical supplies to health facilities.
Doctors say initially they were initially seeing mostly patients traumatized by the flooding, but are now treating thousands of people suffering from diarrhea, skin infections and other waterborne ailments. Many pregnant women living in flood-affected areas were also exposed to risks.
According to Minister for Poverty Alleviation, Shazia Marri, the government was aware of the problems faced by pregnant women and children and was acting swiftly to help.
According to the U.N. Population Fund, 6.4 million flood victims in Pakistan need humanitarian assistance. It said about 650,000 pregnant women in flood-affected areas, including 73,000 expected to deliver in the next month, need maternal health services.
Children were at special risk, UNICEF said in a statement.
“When disasters hit, children are always among the most vulnerable,” said Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF representative in Pakistan. The floods damaged 17,566 schools, the agency said.
Meanwhile, rescuers, backed by the military, continued operations to evacuate marooned people to safer places. Rescuers are mostly using boats, but helicopters are also flying to evacuate stranded people from those areas where bridges and roads were destroyed, making it difficult to evacuate people and deliver food to them.
Days ago, Pakistan and the United Nations issued an appeal for $160 million in emergency funding to Pakistan. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday took to Twitter, thanking the United Arab Emirates for delivering the first tranche of relief goods worth $50 million. He also thanked the United States for announcing $30 million in aid.
So far, several countries, including Turkey, China, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have sent planeloads of aid to flood victims in Pakistan. According to initial government estimates, the devastation caused $10 billion in damages.
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Associated Press writer Muhammad Farooq contributed to this story from Shikar Pur, Pakistan | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-waterborne-diseases-spread-among-flood-victims-in-pakistan/ | 2022-09-01T16:32:29Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-waterborne-diseases-spread-among-flood-victims-in-pakistan/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Math and reading scores for America’s 9-year-olds fell dramatically during the first two years of the pandemic, according to a new federal study — offering an early glimpse of the sheer magnitude of the learning setbacks dealt to the nation’s children.
Reading scores saw their largest decrease in 30 years, while math scores had their first decrease in the history of the testing regimen behind the study, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the U.S. Education Department.
The declines hit all regions of the country and affected students of most races. But students of color saw some of the steepest decreases, widening the racial achievement gap.
Much of the nation’s standardized testing didn’t happen during the early days of the pandemic, so the findings released Thursday gave an early look at the impact of pandemic learning disruptions. Broader data is expected to be released later this year as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card.
“These are some of the largest declines we have observed in a single assessment cycle in 50 years of the NAEP program,” said Daniel McGrath, the acting associate commissioner of NCES. “Students in 2022 are performing at a level last seen two decades ago.”
The study reflects two years of upheaval in American education as schools shut down for months at a time amid COVID-19 outbreaks. Many students spent a year or more learning from home, and virus outbreaks among staff and students continued the disruption even after kids returned to the classroom.
In math, the average score for 9-year-old students fell 7 percentage points between 2020 and 2022, according to the study. The average reading score fell 5 points.
The pandemic’s upheaval especially hurt students of color. Math scores dropped by 5 percentage points for white students, compared with 13 points for Black students and 8 points for Hispanic students. The divide between Black and white students widened by 8 percentage points during the pandemic.
Decreases were more uniform in reading: Scores dropped 6 points for white, Black and Hispanic students.
For Asian American students, Native American students and students of two or more races, there was little change in reading or math between 2020 and 2022, the study found.
Geographically, all regions saw decreases in math, but declines were slightly worse in the Northeast and Midwest compared with the West and South. Outcomes were similar for reading, except that the West had no measurable difference compared with 2020.
Although it marks a sharp drop since 2020, the average reading score was 7 points higher than it was in 1971, and the average math score was 15 points higher than in 1978, the study found.
Overall, the results paint a “sobering picture” of schooling during the pandemic, said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the NCES.
Federal officials say this is the first nationally representative study to compare student achievement before the pandemic and in 2022, when most students had returned to in-person learning. Testing was completed in early 2020, soon before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and in early 2022.
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The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/ap-reading-math-scores-fell-sharply-during-pandemic-data-show/ | 2022-09-01T16:32:57Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/ap-reading-math-scores-fell-sharply-during-pandemic-data-show/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — One summer night, Misty Castillo stepped out of her house in Salem, Oregon, called 911 and asked for the police, saying her son was mentally ill, was assaulting her and her husband and had a knife.
“He’s drunk and he’s high and he’s mentally ill,” Castillo told the emergency dispatcher, emphasizing again her son’s mental condition. Less than five minutes later, a police officer burst into the house and shot Arcadio Castillo III dead as he stood, his mother said later, “frozen like a deer in headlights.”
“He didn’t try to calm him down. He just came in and immediately shot my son,” Castillo said.
Time and time again across the U.S., people experiencing mental health crises are being killed by police, but the exact number remains unknown because of a yawning governmental information gap.
The 21st Century Cures Act, passed by Congress with bipartisan votes in 2016, requires the Department of Justice to collect and publish data on how often federal, state and local officers use force, how many times that force ends up being fatal and how often the deceased had a mental illness. But the law doesn’t require police departments to tell the DOJ how many people their officers killed.
The FBI tries to collect the statistics, but for the first quarter of this year it estimated that only 40% of all sworn law enforcement agencies submitted use-of-force numbers. That figure is far below the participation level necessary to justify policy changes.
Arcadio’s parents had sought mental health treatment for their 23-year-old son, but the system, such as it is, failed them. In the weeks before he was killed, they couldn’t get him diagnosed or committed.
Across the country, in West Virginia, another system failure, another death.
Matt Jones was apparently suffering from a severe manic episode while standing on a highway with a handgun. Police were everywhere, sirens wailing. The scene on July 6 in the community of Bradley was captured by a bystander on video. One officer took a shot and then others opened fire, killing Jones in a hail of bullets.
The 36-year-old had been unable to get his medication refilled and was experiencing delusions and hallucinations, his fiancée, Dreamer Marquis, said.
“He desperately wanted help,” Marquis said. “He knew that he needed the medication in order to live a normal life because he knew that he would have manic episodes that would get him in trouble.”
Advocates for people with mental illness say it’s clear they face greater risk of a police encounter resulting in their death.
Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said the deaths of Castillo and Jones “highlight a larger systemic problem that we have in helping people who are struggling with their mental health or are in a mental health crisis.”
Many communities lack a mental health crisis infrastructure, with nearly 130 million people in the United States living in an area with a shortage of mental health providers, she said.
“So when somebody might be acting out as a result of their symptoms, the only option often is to send police, and that can escalate the situation and lead to these tragic outcomes,” she said. “I think we are failing people much earlier in the process because we’re letting it get to the point of crisis.”
The launch in July of 988, a national hotline for mental health emergencies, is an enormous step forward, she said.
“It’s really spurring this development of a crisis system, but it’s going to take years to get there,” Wesolowski said. “I think we’re closer to the starting line than the finish line of reimagining our crisis response in this country.”
Nearly one in five U.S. adults has a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Yet people with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other people approached by law enforcement, the Treatment Advocacy Center said in a 2015 report.
In Portland, Oregon, for example, 72% of the 85 people who were shot to death by police from 1975 to 2020 were affected by mental illness, drugs or alcohol, or some combination thereof, according to Jason Renaud of the Mental Health Association of Portland. The group does not have the numbers for those affected by mental illness alone, but sometimes they’re intertwined. Long-term methamphetamine use, for instance, can cause psychosis.
In 2012, the federal government sued the city of Portland over the Portland Police Bureau’s disproportionate use of violence against people with mental illness. But since then, use of force on the mentally impaired actually increased, according to an analysis presented in federal court.
Renaud said that of 25 people shot and killed by law enforcement officers from various agencies in the Portland metro area since 2012, every one was suffering from mental illness, substance-abuse disorders, or both.
Lt. Nathan Sheppard, a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson, said he couldn’t confirm those numbers. He emphasized that all Portland police officers receive crisis intervention training. The department also established a unit to coordinate the response of law enforcement and the behavioral health system to people in crisis from mental illness and drug or alcohol addiction.
But Sheppard said more must be done to address what he described as a “public health emergency that has existed for decades in which services and treatment are not readily available or easily accessible for those in need of mental health treatment.”
“There is need for more proactive, appropriate, individual-person-centered approaches to assisting persons with mental illness,” Sheppard said.
A year after Arcadio Castillo III was killed by a police officer on July 9, 2021, his mother is suing the officer and the city of Salem in federal court for the failure to use crisis intervention tactics and training before resorting to deadly force.
A grand jury found the shooting was justified. The Marion County district attorney’s office said Arcadio rushed towards the officer, who was not wearing a body camera, with a knife raised in a stabbing position.
“He never did that. He never rushed him,” Arcadio’s mother said as she stood over the spot in the living room where her son died after being hit by four bullets. She said the family “feels betrayed because a person who is supposed to serve and protect us in a time of crisis took away my child.”
After symptoms of mental illness emerged in Arcadio’s teens, Marion County mental health workers diagnosed him with attention deficit disorder and prescribed Ritalin, but the anxiety only got worse, his mother said. He began using drugs and alcohol to cope. A case worker at a psychiatric crisis center said she couldn’t diagnose Arcadio because of the drug and alcohol use, according to Castillo.
Arcadio’s parents tried to have him committed to a psychiatric institution, “but everywhere we turned we were told he wasn’t sick enough to be committed,” Castillo said. “And one week later he was killed.”
“It was so frustrating to me because he just wasn’t getting the right diagnosis, treatment, or medication that he desperately needed, and his anxiety kept getting worse and worse,” she said.
Arcadio’s ashes are kept in a teardrop-shaped blue urn on the mantelpiece in the family’s rental house. His mother plans to have some of the remains placed in cremation necklaces for his loved ones.
A video of the West Virginia killing hit social media before Jones’ loved ones were informed about his death.
Nicole Jones, his sister-in-law, was scrolling through Facebook when she clicked on a video that showed a man with blond shoulder-length hair walking on a highway, pursued by at least eight police officers with guns drawn. The man held his arms above his head, a pistol in one hand as he backed away from the officers. He pointed the gun at his own head briefly.
Jones’ heart dropped as she recognized the man’s mannerisms — his walk, the way he flipped his hair over his shoulder with the shake of his head — and realized it was her husband’s brother.
State police have concluded their investigation into the shooting and sent their report to Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield, who will determine whether the deadly force was justified. Hatfield said Matt Jones had carjacked at least one vehicle at gunpoint shortly before he was shot.
He had been in and out of incarceration for almost two decades. His brother, Mark Jones, said it was clear to the family that Matt, who was a star baseball player and wrestler, struggled with mental health since childhood. His parents took him to counseling and tried to find a medication that would help.
Matt built a landscaping and tree removal company but was also getting in trouble — often DUIs or driving without a license. Most of his charges stemmed from violating probation, his family said.
In jail, Matt was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and placed on medication, which helped. But he got trapped in a cycle where he’d struggle to get care, experience a mental health crisis and get arrested again.
He lived for a while at his brother and sister-in-law’s house in Culpeper, Virginia. Nicole Jones recalls him spending hours playing with her kids on a tire swing. But after a while he had trouble sleeping and said he was hearing voices. He asked her to help him schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist, but the counselor never called back.
Weeks before his death, Matt was running low on pills and broke down crying, his fiancée said.
Matt didn’t have a driver’s license. His social security card and birth certificate were elsewhere. That made it difficult to make medical appointments, Marquis said. They eventually went to a walk-in clinic that would tend to people without ID, but left after waiting for eight hours without being seen, she said.
Mark Jones was at work landscaping when he saw the video of his brother being shot.
“I was trying to understand, ‘What was he thinking?’” he said. “What I keep coming back to is that he was lost and he really wanted help — not just one time, but his whole life.”
___
Willingham reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press reporter Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/ap-tragic-outcomes-mentally-ill-face-fatal-risk-with-police/ | 2022-09-01T16:33:04Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-national-news/ap-tragic-outcomes-mentally-ill-face-fatal-risk-with-police/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON (AP) — The European Medicines Agency has recommended the authorization of two coronavirus vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Inc., tweaked to include protection against an early version of the omicron variant.
In a statement on Thursday, the EU drug regulator said the two messenger RNA boosters offered protection both against the original version of COVID-19 and the omicron subvariant BA.1, which has since been overtaken globally by later omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. Nearly 80% of coronavirus cases worldwide are now being caused by omicron BA.5, according to the World Health Organization.
The decision comes a day after the U.S. drug regulator cleared updated versions of COVID-19 vaccines incorporating protection against the later subvariants, after telling pharmaceuticals in June that any updated boosters must target the most recent versions of omicron.
The European Medicines Agency said adapted vaccines are expected “to help maintain optimal protection against COVID-19 as the virus evolves.” The regulator is also currently reviewing an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that aims to protect against the later BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants.
Scientists hope the new boosters will trigger a strong response from the immune system to prevent not just serious illness but perhaps milder infections also – much like the original vaccines did earlier in the pandemic, before super-contagious mutants emerged.
It’s unclear how well the updated boosters will work since experts are still gathering data. But there’s evidence that they are safe, so waiting for more study on their effectiveness would risk another mutation appearing before people are immunized.
Last month, British authorities cleared an updated version of the Moderna booster that included protection against omicron subvariant BA.1, saying the shots would be offered to people 50 and over beginning in September.
In Germany, health minister Karl Lauterbach said that inoculations with the new vaccines could start next week and that “now is the optimal time to close vaccination gaps for the fall.”
Globally, coronavirus cases and deaths have been dropping for weeks, but scientists expect a surge of hospitalizations and deaths with the coming onset of winter in the northern hemisphere.
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Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/ap-eu-regulator-clears-tweaked-versions-of-covid-vaccines/ | 2022-09-01T16:33:30Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/ap-health/ap-eu-regulator-clears-tweaked-versions-of-covid-vaccines/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NewsNation) — Twitter announced Thursday that the social media company is testing an edit button.
“It’s true: Edit Tweet is being tested by our team internally,” Twitter wrote in a blog post that announced the news.
The company also tweeted the news: “if you see an edited Tweet it’s because we’re testing the edit button … this is happening and you’ll be okay.”
The company explained that it is only testing a small group of people initially, then it will expand testing to Twitter Blue subscribers within the coming weeks. Stating that it has been the most requested feature, the company decided to test it out and be transparent throughout the experiment.
Even if users do not have the edit button available, Twitter said they will still be able to see if tweets have been edited.
Twitter even provided a full definition of what it means when the company uses the term “Edit Tweet”:
“Edit Tweet is a feature that lets people make changes to their Tweet after it’s been published. Think of it as a short period of time to do things like fix typos, add missed tags, and more.”
Tweets will only have the option to be edited 30 minutes after they have been posted to the website. When tweets have been edited, other users will be able to see that the tweet has been edited and will also be able to see past versions of the tweet by tapping the “Tweet’s Edit History.”
Twitter hopes that by adding the Edit Tweet button, it will make creating and posting a tweet “more approachable and less stressful.”
On April 1 – otherwise known as April Fools’ Day – Twitter mentioned they were working on an edit button. While many thought it was a prank, the company confirmed days later that it was indeed working on the highly requested feature. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/national/twitter-testing-edit-tweet-feature/ | 2022-09-01T16:33:44Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/national/twitter-testing-edit-tweet-feature/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MYKHAILO-KOTSYUBYNSKE, Ukraine (AP) — It was the first day of school in Ukraine on Thursday but children weren’t sharing memories of fun vacations with their families. Their stories were of surviving war. For many, their last day of school was the day before the Feb. 24 Russian invasion of their country.
At least 379 children have been killed since the war began, while the whereabouts of 223 others are unknown, according to Ukraine’s General Prosecutors office. Another 7,013 children were among Ukrainians forcibly transferred to Russia from Russian-occupied areas.
Six months of war damaged 2,400 schools across the country, including 269 that were completely destroyed, officials said,
Civilian areas and schools continue to be hit, and children keep being killed. But after the first months of shock, 51% of schools in Ukraine, despite the risk, are reopening to in-person education, with an option to study online if the parents prefer.
But safety remains the priority. At schools that don’t have quick access to shelters or are located close to the borders with Belarus and Russia, or near active military zones, children will only study online.
That’s the case for the seventh graders in Mykhailo-Kotsyubynske, just 20 miles (35 kilometers) from the Belarus border, who gathered at their badly damaged school this week to pick up textbooks for studying online.
“We haven’t seen each other for such a long time. You all have grown so much,” said their teacher, Olena Serdiuk, standing in a corner of the classroom, where windows were covered with thick black polythene instead of glass.
Oleksii Lytvyn, 13, remembers very well the day Russian missiles hit the school twice. It was March 4, and he was in the school’s bomb shelter with his family and dozens of other people.
Just minutes before the blast, he had been playing with a friend. After the loud explosion, the walls began shaking and he couldn’t see anything but a huge cloud of debris. One person was killed, a woman who worked at the school.
“We were sleeping in the corridor, and there was a corpse of a dead person behind the wall,” Oleksii recalled. His family stayed one more night before fleeing town, though they have since returned for the start of the school year.
Oleksii’s classmates shared similar stories about that day and the monthlong Russian occupation that followed.
“When I’m at school, I think about the person who died in the debris. I feel deeply sorry for her,” 12-year-old Mykola Kravchenko said.
Their school is still badly damaged. Debris fills the second floor, and the roof and heating system need to be repaired — money the school doesn’t have.
Even though they will be studying online, the students had to undergo security training. Serdiuk told the class to follow her to the same bomb shelter where many survived the blast in March.
In the dimly lit shelter were water supplies and long benches with labeled seats for each classroom. When the children took the seats assigned to their class, Serdiuk told them they had to go there whenever they heard a siren.
She said many parents tell her their children are begging to return to school, but for now that isn’t allowed because of the danger of being so close to the Belarus border.
“It does become kind of the new normal for children,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M. Russell, told The Associated Press. “That’s not the way children should go through life, thinking that they are going to get attacked at any moment.”
Schools in the Kyiv and Lviv regions were among those welcoming students back to classrooms Thursday, including more than 7,300 displaced students forced to flee their hometowns.
In a neighborhood of Irpin, north of Kyiv, still bearing the scars of war, with destroyed homes and shrapnel-marked fences and walls, first-grade children lined up excitedly for their first day of classes in their newly renovated school.
Hit by a missile during the early days of the war, Irpin School Number 17 was rebuilt with the help of UNICEF, the faint smell of fresh paint still lingering as the students walked into their classrooms hand-in-hand.
“This year is different to the others. We are in a war situation,” said first grade teacher Olga Malyovana. “We were really worried about the children and their safety, but we fixed all the facilities, we have a shelter.”
First order of the day was an evacuation drill, with a fire alarm going off and all the children lining up to head to the basement bomb shelter or designated safe — and windowless — areas in the corridors.
Oleksandra Urban came to drop off her 6-year-old daughter, Veronika, the normal trepidation of the first day of school mingling with worry about classes during wartime, even though strikes on Kyiv and nearby areas are now rare.
She’s explained to Veronica how to evacuate to a bomb shelter, she said. “She is worried only when I am worried. That’s why I am trying to be calm.”
Urban and her husband discussed distance learning for Veronika, but decided physical presence in school was essential, both for contact with other children and with the teacher.
“I believe that school will save the life of my kid,” Urban said.
Murat Sahin, UNICEF representative in Ukraine, agreed.
“Two years of Covid and … six months of war, it is having disastrous impact on children’s growth and learning and mental health,” Sahin said. “So we need to bring that normalcy.”
In Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, there’s no hope for schools to open their doors — the city has been under constant shelling since the beginning of the war.
In one school, the first-grade classroom was all ready: tables, chairs, a clean blackboard, the alphabet and numbers hanging on the wall. The only thing missing was the students.
Seated in the empty room was Oleksandr Novikov, the school’s director for 12 years and a teacher for more than 20.
“It is very depressing, it is very unpleasant to feel that you come to an empty school,” he said. “There will be no children laughing at school.”
While Ukraine tries to defend itself from the Russian invasion, Novikov dreams of better times.
“I would like a real first bell, a real meeting with children and teachers, a real lesson, when eyes look at you with inspiration, trust and a desire to hear something new, to learn something new.”
“This is what I would like to see,” he said.
___
Fisch reported from Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Associated Press writer Elena Becatoros contributed from Irpin.
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Follow Arhirova at https://twitter.com/h_arhirova
___
Follow AP coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-back-to-school-in-ukraine-but-far-from-normal/ | 2022-09-01T16:34:54Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-its-back-to-school-in-ukraine-but-far-from-normal/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The best game tables for an indoor Labor Day party
Summer is almost over, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end quite yet. Labor Day is just around the corner, so it’s not a bad idea if you want to make the best of it by throwing a big bash.
However, it can still be pretty hot this time of year, so you can keep cool by hosting an indoor party instead. In addition to the usual party essentials, you can make your party a success with a few game tables.
What to consider before buying a game table
Size
A standard-size game table might take up too much room if you live in an apartment or a small house. However, many game tables are 36 inches to 480 inches. Some have a lightweight design with a collapsing mechanism that makes it easy to fold them for convenient storage.
Party games
Some games are more suitable for parties than others. For example, popular party games you can play on a game table include table tennis, air hockey, foosball and beer pong. Billiards is also a good party game, but the gameplay pace is significantly slower.
What to look for in a game table
Multigame tables
A multigame table is an excellent alternative if you don’t want to spend money on a high-end air hockey or foosball table. Multigame tables usually come with at least three games, the most popular being table tennis, billiards, push hockey and foosball. However, more comprehensive tables include other games such as a basketball free throw hoop, shuffleboard, curling and soft-tip darts.
Dedicated game tables
You can buy a dedicated game table for popular party games such as table tennis and air hockey. The best ones are usually expensive but offer tournament or arcade standards and are built to last.
The only downside to a dedicated game table is that they can be expensive, often costing several hundred dollars. They also aren’t as versatile as a multigame table, which can be more fun to have at a party as it lets you switch from one game to another and keep guests more engaged and entertained.
Accessories
Any game table you purchase should include all the necessary accessories for playing each game included. Also, you’ll want to ensure it comes with several replacements, as game equipment can break down over time from wear and tear, or you could lose a couple. For example, an air hockey table should include multiple pucks and pushers.
12 excellent game tables to spice up your indoor Labor Day party
Best dedicated game tables
Prince Tournament 6800 Indoor Table Tennis Table
This table has an 18-millimeter medium-density fiberboard table top for superior bounce and a 2-inch box steel apron for durability. Also, it has storage slots that can hold up to two paddles and six balls on each side. Sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods
Atomic 72-inch Air Hockey Table
Air hockey is a classic arcade game. If you don’t mind spending the money on this table, it can make any party a hit. It has multicolored lighting, in-game music, LED pucks and pushers and end panels for added support. Sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods
Atomic 55-inch Cobalt LED Foosball Table
Although it might be too hot for your guests to kick a ball around at your party, you can still enjoy some soccer action with this foosball table. It has LED lighted rails, an electronic scoring system and robot-style players. Sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods
Mainstreet Classics 36-inch Miniature Foosball Table
This miniature table is an excellent alternative if you don’t have the space in your home for a regulation-size foosball table. It has an automatic ball return function, three rods on each side and comes with two balls. Sold by Dick’s Sporting Goods
GoSports Shuffleboard and Curling 2-in-1 Table Top Board Game
Get two games for the price of one with this versatile game table. It comes with eight rollers for shuffleboard or curling, and the board measures 45 inches by 13 inches and is made with high-quality wood. Sold by Amazon
This tear-resistant mat fits all standard tables and has a waterproof design. It rolls up easily for convenient storage and traveling. It comes with 15 red cups, 15 blue cups and eight ping-pong balls. Sold by Amazon
NHL Rush Indoor Hover Midsize Hockey Game Table
This air hockey table measures 48 inches and is easy to set up. It has an electronic automatic LED scoring system, a premium surface for smooth gameplay and sturdy construction with leg levelers for stability. Sold by Amazon
Best multigame tables
Triumph 3-in-1 Swivel Multigame Table
Can’t decide between billiards, air hockey or table tennis? If so, then this game table is for you. It offers all three games and everything you need to play them, and you can switch from one game to another in seconds. Sold by Amazon
Best Choice Products 4-in-1 Multigame Table
This affordable game table lets you switch between billiards, air hockey, table tennis and foosball. It has all the necessary accessories, a sturdy wood construction, a durable medium-density fiberboard frame and a 7.5-inch storage compartment. Sold by Amazon
MD Sports Multigame Combination Table Sets
Plenty of game tables include popular arcade games such as air hockey and foosball, but this one also lets you shoot some hoops. It has a durable build and a built-in slot for storing all accessories. Sold by Amazon
Triumph 13-in-1 Combo Game Table
If you want to get the most bang for your buck, this table features a whopping 13 games. It includes popular games such as table tennis and billiards and other favorites such as bean bag toss and soft tip darts. Sold by Amazon
Sunnydaze 10-in-1 Multigame Table
This versatile 40-inch table has a high-quality build and offers 10 games. Bust out the billiards, push hockey, foosball and table tennis for the party, and kick back with a quiet game of chess, checkers or backgammon once all the guests are gone. Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/home-br/party-supplies-br/too-hot-to-stay-outside-throw-a-labor-day-party-indoors-with-these-epic-game-tables/ | 2022-09-01T16:35:38Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/reviews/br/home-br/party-supplies-br/too-hot-to-stay-outside-throw-a-labor-day-party-indoors-with-these-epic-game-tables/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FOREST CITY, N.C. (WSPA) – A Forest City man has been charged after he failed to stop at a driver’s license checkpoint on July 29.
According to the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, 21-year-old Jaydakis Kashaune Hamilton failed to stop at a driver’s license checkpoint. He led deputies on a high-speed pursuit down U.S. 221S.
Deputies canceled the pursuit for safety reasons but located Hamilton on Spooky Hollow Road. Upon arrest, Hamilton’s car was searched, and a handgun stolen from a Rutherford County man was discovered.
Hamilton was charged with fleeing to elude arrest, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a concealed weapon, reckless driving to endanger and no operator’s license. Hamilton is being held on a $70,000 bond. | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/forest-city-man-charged-after-high-speed-pursuit/ | 2022-09-01T16:36:23Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/forest-city-man-charged-after-high-speed-pursuit/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
STATESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A South Carolina man is facing a slew of charges after deputies said they seized 1.4 pounds of fentanyl, a handgun and marijuana after a pursuit on Interstate 77 Monday, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said the Iredell County Criminal Enforcement Team pulled over a BMW on Monday on I-77 near mile marker 61.
During the stop, deputies said they gathered enough evidence to search the car. Inside, they reportedly found a concealed handgun and vacuum-packed bags of marijuana.
The car’s driver, 31-year-old Muhammad Zakariyya Abdur-Rahim of York, S.C., is accused of resisting and assaulting two deputies as they attempted to arrest him, the sheriff’s office said.
One of the deputies’ attempts to use a Tazer was not successful.
Abdur-Rahim got back into his vehicle and drove away, prompting a pursuit on I-77 South, authorities said. Deputies attempted to stop him using Stop Sticks, but the man was able to avoid them and continued onto Highway 21 South.
The sheriff’s office said the suspect drove into a Lowe’s parking lot before getting back onto Hwy 21. As he exited the parking lot, deputies said Abdur-Rahim accelerated and rammed a sheriff’s marked patrol vehicle.
As he continued to flee, deputies said the suspect turned into the Iredell County Health Department where his car became disabled. He attempted to flee on foot but deputies took him into custody after a short distance away.
After his capture, investigators continued their search of the vehicle where authorities said a brick of fentanyl weighing 1.4 pounds was found.
The estimated value of the fentanyl is $125,400, the sheriff’s office said.
Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said the amount of fentanyl seized “is enough to potentially kill 250,000 people according to DEA research.”
“These are the same drugs that are plaguing our nation and flowing over the border and into many communities across this nation,” the sheriff said. “Bottom line, this arrest saved lives here in Iredell County.”
Abdur-Rahim, who deputies said is a convicted felon who was released from Federal Prison in 2019 for firearm-related charges, was charged with Felony Assault with a Deadly Weapon on Government Official, Felony Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Felony Trafficking of a Schedule II Controlled Substance (Fentanyl), Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver a Schedule II Controlled Substance (Fentanyl), Felony Possession of Marijuana, Felony Maintaining a Vehicle for the Sale or Use of a Controlled Substance, Felony Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Marijuana, Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Flee to Elude Arrest, Misdemeanor Carry a Concealed Gun, and Misdemeanor Resisting Arrest.
He was issued a $500,000 secured bond. | https://www.wspa.com/news/sheriff-sc-man-found-with-enough-fentanyl-to-kill-250000-people/ | 2022-09-01T16:36:41Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/sheriff-sc-man-found-with-enough-fentanyl-to-kill-250000-people/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Chinese electric vehicle market has been one to watch lately. Exemplified by its hometown equivalent of the Big Three—Xpeng (NYSE:XPEV), Li Auto (NASDAQ:LI), and Nio (NYSE:NIO)—it’s generated no shortage of interest as China looks to stake a claim on the next big thing in personal transportation. Recent delivery numbers have emerged for the trio, and the news isn’t that great.
All three companies lost ground not long after rolling out the latest delivery numbers. While each is up—and up substantially—against this time last year, the numbers presented aren’t great news. Xpeng delivered 9,578 vehicles for the month of August 2022. That was a 33% increase over the numbers seen in August 2021.
Nio had a slightly better August, coming in at 10,677 vehicles for an 8.16% jump against August 2021. Meanwhile, Li Auto delivered just 4,571 vehicles for the same period. Interestingly, Li didn’t offer a comparison against this time last year.
In the last 12 months, Xpeng shares are down by more than half. Last September, Xpeng came in at just under $41. Today, it’s down to around $18.
Li Auto, meanwhile, has lost about $3 of its share value since this time last year, going from about $31 to around $28. Finally, Nio had a similar fate to Xpeng, starting off last September at around $40 and dropping down to about $19.
Given the state of the Chinese market as a whole, and the Chinese electric vehicle market, in particular, I don’t much like where any of it is going. Thus, I’m bearish on all three companies. What happens to one is likely to happen to the others, to at least some degree, and there are very few bright spots coming out of China right now.
Stocks of XPEV, LI, and NIO are Unlikely to Outperform
Part of the Chinese automakers’ investor sentiment is readily available. Each currently has a Smart Score on TipRanks, and the news for some is much better than for others. None of the three, however, are faring well. Li Auto comes out the best right now, with a Smart Score of 6 out of 10. That’s the second-highest level of “neutral,” meaning it will likely perform in line with the broader market.
Nio, meanwhile, comes in next-best. It has a Smart Score of 4 out of 10, the lowest level of “neutral.” That makes it a bit more likely than not to lag the broader market.
Finally, Xpeng fares the worst of the trio. Xpeng has a Smart Score of 1 out of 10, the lowest possible score and the lowest level of “underperform.” That makes it one of the most likely stocks covered to lag the broader market.
Chinese EV Stocks Not That Great Compared to Global Competitors
As exciting as some of the numbers out of the Chinese electric vehicle market look, they don’t exactly hold up well when staging broader comparisons to the rest of the vehicle market. Start by taking a look at Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA).
While August numbers for Tesla aren’t out yet, reports suggest that Tesla may be on track for a record quarter. Tesla shipping tracker VedaPrime reported a seventh ship’s worth of deliveries and “many thousands of Tesla” already arriving. In addition, the Giga Shanghai factory is set to record “record production,” other reports note.
It only gets worse when expanding to traditional automakers. Nio delivered a total of 10,677 vehicles for August. Ford (F), meanwhile, delivered 17,763 Ford Explorers. Just one car in Ford’s entire portfolio nearly doubled the best numbers for the entire Chinese electric vehicle industry.
That’s not good news for the Chinese market. Looking at the macroeconomic picture for China is even worse. A little over a month ago, bank runs were spreading like wildfire in China. Two local banks entered bankruptcy procedures just days ago.
Dragging things down further for China is the country’s real estate and housing market. One of the leading developers in China, Country Garden, reported a 96% drop in its first-half profits.
It describes the larger property market as being in “severe depression.” Throw in a growing number of Chinese citizens who now refuse to pay their mortgages, and the problem only worsens.
The Chinese real estate markets are sufficiently dangerous to prompt concerns for the entire global economy at this point.
While issues of Chinese banking and real estate are really only peripherally connected to the Chinese electric vehicle market, there is a connection nonetheless.
If Chinese citizens are having difficulties accessing their money from local banks, then how in the world will they buy an electric car? If Chinese citizens refuse to pay mortgages on properties that have yet to even be built, then again, why will they buy an electric car?
Are Chinese EV Stocks a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, Xpeng has a Moderate Buy consensus rating. That’s based on six Buys and three Holds assigned in the past three months. The average Xpeng price target of $47.40 implies 165.1% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $22 per share to a high of $153 per share.
Meanwhile, analysts are more bullish on Li Auto, as it has a Strong Buy consensus rating. That’s based on nine Buys assigned in the past three months. The average Li Auto price target of $68.89 implies 153% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $39 to a high of $238.
Lastly, Nio also has a Strong Buy consensus rating. All 11 analysts covering the stock have issued Buy ratings in the past three months. The average Nio price target of $32.44 implies 78% upside potential. Analyst price targets range from a low of $25.80 to a high of $48.
Conclusion: Great Prices, Bad Timing for Chinese EV Stocks
It’s easy to be tempted by the surprisingly low prices on Li Auto, Xpeng, and Nio. Upside potentials range from the nearly-double to the pushing-triple. Taking out a flier here may not prove a bad idea once it’s all said and done. The problem with these upside potentials, though, is that they depend at least somewhat on normalcy reasserting itself. These upside potentials were often established before multiple bank runs, mortgage protests, and before the Chinese locked down yet another city over COVID-19.
Just hours ago, China locked down the city of Chengdu, taking 21.2 million people’s lives off-line for a while. These are not people who will likely buy an electric car tomorrow.
That’s why I’m bearish on the Chinese electric vehicle market, including the shares of Nio, Li Auto, and Xpeng. All three are likely to be hit by the same conditions in the broader Chinese market. With a slew of competitors in the rest of the world’s markets, that’s going to leave the Chinese market leaning more on China, which is proving to have troubles of its own. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/chinese-ev-companies-report-delivery-numbers-results-arent-that-great | 2022-09-01T16:40:39Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/chinese-ev-companies-report-delivery-numbers-results-arent-that-great | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The first iteration of decentralized finance (DeFi) projects, commonly called DeFi 1.0, laid the foundation of a decentralized financial ecosystem, especially for retail users. With DeFi 1.0 cementing itself in the lending, borrowing, and trading spaces, the next iteration, known as DeFi 2.0, aims to expand on the foundation already laid. To contribute toward DeFi 2.0 development and bridge the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi), Infinity Exchange has launched its testnet.
Built on the Ethereum blockchain, Infinity Exchange’s “Institutional Fixed Income Protocol” is designed to unlock new opportunities for DeFi via an infrastructure that runs complex computations and risk management off-chain before settling all transactions on-chain.
By taking this hybrid approach, the platform can overcome shortcomings associated with existing DeFi 1.0 platforms, like limitations related to transaction throughput, scalability, and other inefficiencies.
Besides hindering institutional adoption, the drawbacks of DeFi 1.0 also negatively impacted the user experience. To address these hurdles, Infinity Exchange will introduce institutional interest rate market mechanics and risk management techniques from brick-and-mortar finance to DeFi for the first time.
This Institutional Fixed Income Protocol deploys the same methodologies and achieves the same efficiencies as TradFi markets, particularly in the interbank lending market. As a result, it is well-equipped to accelerate institutional adoption and help total value locked (TVL), the DeFi industry’s measure of the total amount deposited in protocols, snowball.
Infinity Exchange Allows Traders to Hedge Risks
Accompanying its infrastructure, Infinity Exchange will implement the first-ever complete yield curve in the DeFi ecosystem featuring both floating and fixed rates. Through this, traders can hedge their rate risk and speculate along the entire term of the curve.
Furthermore, by expanding the list of investable assets within the yield curve, Infinity Exchange aims to lower the volatility and add more stability to the broader DeFi ecosystem, making it easier for investors to switch between more and less risky assets.
Besides the features mentioned above, the platform will also provide the infrastructure to help investors address a large selection of complex collateral, unlocking new opportunities for investors to engage in arbitrage across interest rate differentials between Infinity Exchange and other DeFi lending protocols.
Infinity to Support the Next $1 Trillion Crypto Market?
Through this approach, Infinity Exchange believes it can help unlock returns for $20 billion of investors’ TVL, which currently generates no yields on protocols like Aave, Uniswap, Curve, and Compound, and eventually support the next $1 trillion cryptocurrency market.
“In TradFi, institutional investors are more active in the fixed income markets than they are in the equity markets,” according to Infinity Exchange Founder Kevin Lepsoe. “If we want more institutional adoption in crypto, we need to first nail the fixed income markets and it starts here, at Infinity.” | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/infinity-exchange-brings-more-traditional-fixed-income-approach-to-defi | 2022-09-01T16:40:45Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/infinity-exchange-brings-more-traditional-fixed-income-approach-to-defi | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
With searing heat driving up air-conditioner use across California, the manager of the state’s power grid has called for another Flex Alert, urging residents to conserve as much electricity as possible on Thursday, Sept. 1, from 4 to 9 p.m.
A Flex Alert was also called on Wednesday. During the alerts, residents are urged to volunteer to take power-saving steps.
The power-system operator has warned that more are likely in the coming week, particularly on Sunday and Monday, forecasted to have especially high electricity demand.
The California Independent System Operator issues Flex Alerts because of “high temperatures pushing up energy demand and tightening available power supplies.”
Ways to cut back on electricity:
— Set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher
— Avoiding use of major appliances
— Turn off unnecessary lights
— Try to avoid charging electric vehicles
— Close blinds and drapes to keep interiors cool
A Flex Alert is the lowest-level notification issued by Cal-ISO. If voluntary conservation fails to cut strain on the power grid, the agency could move into a series of emergency alerts that could lead to rolling blackouts.
The heat wave baking most of the state is expected to continue through the Labor Day weekend.
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We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/01/heat-wave-prompts-flex-alert-for-today-request-for-cutback-on-electricity-usage/ | 2022-09-01T16:40:51Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/01/heat-wave-prompts-flex-alert-for-today-request-for-cutback-on-electricity-usage/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Home prices in Los Angeles and Orange counties took their first dip in almost three years, according to one widely watched index.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index for the two-county metro area fell 0.4%, the first monthly dip since July 2019 and part of an overall cooling of the housing market. For the 12-month period, L.A.-O.C. prices are up 19.3% — but that’s down from a record high 23.4% in April.
The housing market has quickly slowed from its pandemic-era frenzy, with the Case-Shiller figures reflecting the start of the pullback that began to pick up pace in June. Case-Shiller’s 20-city U.S. index rose 0.4%, May to June, but L.A.-O.C. was one of those six markets with monthly drops.
Lansner’s mailbag: Housing crash is media’s fault
Mortgage rates that nearly doubled this year have sidelined buyers, leading sales to drop throughout the nation. The crazy bidding wars of the recent past are receding as sellers become more flexible: 92% of owners who sold their homes in the past year accepted some buyer-friendly terms, according to a new report from Realtor.com.
“Markets in the West, including Seattle, California coastal metros, Portland and Denver, saw the most notable waning of home prices growth in June,” said Selma Hepp, deputy chief economist with CoreLogic, noting how the big chill in housing is moving from west to east.
The Case-Shiller indexes are slow-moving benchmarks that reflect three months of activity, so this report shows April-to-June pricing. You can even see the market chill in one-year movements.
Over 12 months, this 20-city index is up 18.6%, a gain down from 20.5% in the previous month and April’s 21.3% record high. Note: Tampa had June’s biggest year-over-year city gain with a 35% price increase, followed by Miami at 33% increase and Dallas at 28.2%.
“The deceleration in U.S. housing prices that we began to observe several months ago continued in June,” said Craig Lazzara, a managing director at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “It’s important to bear in mind that deceleration and decline are two entirely different things, and that prices are still rising at a robust clip.”
The market is changing as the Fed’s efforts to cap inflation take effect. Climbing mortgage rates are making it more expensive to buy a home. In theory, that should cool demand and prices over time.
And to the extent we are in a bubble, economists think it will slowly deflate rather than suddenly pop. The team at Goldman Sachs predicts that home price growth will slow sharply in the next couple of quarters and eventually flatten out.
“We expect home price growth to stall completely, averaging 0% in 2023,” Jan Hatzius, Goldman’s chief economist, wrote in a recent research note. “While outright declines in national home prices are possible and appear quite likely for some regions, large declines seem unlikely.”
The market slowdown has caused some big investors to pull back. Home Partners of America, the single-family landlord owned by Blackstone Inc., will stop buying homes in 38 US cities. The company cited home-price appreciation, local regulations and market demand as some factors in figuring out where it would back away.
“We and Home Partners remain fully committed to expanding access to homeownership and continue to actively purchase homes on behalf of our residents in more than 20 of the highest growth markets in the US,” a Blackstone spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We are pausing in markets that represent less than 5% of our recent activity.”
Bloomberg, CNN and the Southern California News Group’s Jonathan Lansner contributed to this report.
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Mortgage rates continued to climb this week following comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the central bank is taking “forceful and rapid” steps to reduce inflation and slow the economy.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.66% in the week ending September 1, up from 5.55% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. That is significantly higher than this time last year when it was 2.87%.
After starting the year at 3.22%, mortgage rates rose sharply during the first half of the year, hitting a high of 5.81% in mid-June. But since then, concerns about the economy and the Federal Reserve’s mission to combat inflation have made them more volatile.
At the current 30-year average, a borrower with a $600,000 mortgage would pay $3,468 a month, about $902 more than at the end of last year.
https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2022/06/30/10-southern-california-real-estate-trends-to-track/
Freddie Mac’s loan data is collected from Monday through Wednesday. On Mortgage News Daily, which publishes a new figure daily, 30-year rates averaged 5.99%, up from 5.84% last week.
Rates had fallen in July and early August as recession fears took hold. But Powell’s comments during a speech last Friday refocused investors’ attention back on the central bank’s fight against inflation, pushing rates higher.
“The market’s renewed perception of a more aggressive monetary policy stance has driven mortgage rates up to almost double what they were a year ago,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
This is likely to further slow home sales and put downward pressure on prices.
“The increase in mortgage rates is coming at a particularly vulnerable time for the housing market as sellers are recalibrating their pricing due to lower purchase demand,” he said.
Mortgage rates climbed after the 10-year US Treasury climbed back to levels not seen since June.
The Federal Reserve does not set the interest rates mortgage borrowers pay directly, but its actions influence them. Instead, mortgage rates tend to track 10-year US Treasury bonds. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they often sell government bonds, which sends yields higher and, with it, mortgage rates.
“Financial markets continue to react to the Federal Reserve’s firm commitment to monetary tightening in order to bring inflation closer to the 2% mark,” said George Ratiu, Realtor.com’s manager of economic research.
As a result, he said homebuyers can expect mortgage rates to stay in the 5% to 6% range over the next few months. A combination of still-high inflation and the Fed’s increasing borrowing costs will keep them elevated.
If there is a silver lining for those still looking for a home, it is that houses are staying on the market longer, pushing sellers to drop asking prices and leaving more room for negotiation, said Ratiu.
“As we move into the fall, and the pace of sales slows even further, some buyers may find discounts growing larger, offering opportunities that fit within their budgets,” he said.
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We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/01/mortgage-rates-rise-again-after-fed-says-it-will-take-forceful-steps-to-curb-inflation/ | 2022-09-01T16:41:03Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/01/mortgage-rates-rise-again-after-fed-says-it-will-take-forceful-steps-to-curb-inflation/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Weibo (NASDAQ:WB) recently reported earnings for its second quarter. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.46, which beat analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.43 per WB share. In the past nine quarters, the company has beaten estimates 9 times.
However, sales decreased 21.6% year-over-year, with revenue hitting $450.2 million compared to $574.5 million, higher than the $449.1 million that analysts were looking for. This can be attributed to a decrease in advertising demand as a result of macroeconomic headwinds and COVID-19 restrictions.
In addition, gross profits decreased by 26.4%, which means that the company demonstrated operating deleverage since it decreased more than revenue. Indeed, the gross margin contracted from 83.9% to 78.8%. Therefore, the company’s operating income decreased from $193.2 million in the comparable period to $93.9 million now.
Investor Sentiment for WB Stock is Currently Neutral
The sentiment among TipRanks investors is currently neutral. Out of the 559,870 portfolios tracked by TipRanks, less than 0.1% hold WB stock. In addition, the average portfolio weighting allocated towards WB among those who do have a position is 2.86%. This suggests that investors of the company are somewhat confident about its future.
However, in the last 30 days, 1.8% of those holding the stock increased their positions. As a result, WB stock’s sentiment is slightly above the sector average, as demonstrated in the following image:
Is WB a Good Stock to Buy?
WB has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on three Buys, two Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months. The average WB stock price target of $31.62 implies 62.5% upside potential.
Takeaway – WB Stock Beat Expectations, but Headwinds Remain
Although Weibo beat analyst expectations, its performance was hindered by macroeconomic headwinds. Given that the Chinese economy is likely going to continue slowing down, along with the rest of the world, Weibo may continue seeing a few more difficult quarters going forward. | https://www.tipranks.com/news/weibo-reports-q2-earnings-here-are-the-results | 2022-09-01T16:41:10Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/weibo-reports-q2-earnings-here-are-the-results | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Permanently misspelled tweets might soon be a thing of the past.
Twitter said Thursday it will roll out an editing feature to subscribers of its premium Twitter Blue service later this month.
In an update on its plans to introduce an edit button, the social media company said it has been testing the feature internally, which it said is one of the most requested features to date.
The edit function will give users 30 minutes to make changes to their 280-character messages such as fixing typos or adding hashtags after first publishing a tweet.
To make it clear that a tweet has been modified, they’ll be labeled and appear with an icon and timestamp. Users can look up past versions of the tweet by tapping the label.
Twitter said it’s testing the edit feature with a small group of users so it can identify and resolve potential issues.
“This includes how people might misuse the feature,” the company said in a blog post. “You can never be too careful.”
The time limit and version history play an important role, Twitter said. “They help protect the integrity of the conversation and create a publicly accessible record of what was said.”
Twitter hinted that the edit feature would eventually be rolled out to all users. Testing helps the company understand how it impacts the way people use Twitter “as well as plan for and anticipate what might happen if we bring it to everyone,” spokeswoman Stephanie Cortez said.
Many Twitter users — among them, Kim Kardashian, Ice T, Katy Perry and McDonald’s corporate account — have long pleaded for an edit button.
The company said in April that it has been working on the feature since last year, a day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk polled his followers on whether they wanted an edit button. About three-quarters of the 4.4 million respondents said yes.
Later that month, Musk offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion with the promise that his ownership would bring big changes to the service. He has since attempted to back out of the deal citing concerns about fake accounts and whistleblower allegations of poor cybersecurity, setting the stage for a bruising legal battle over whether he has to go through with the purchase.
The premium service costs $4.99 per month.
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We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/01/twitter-readies-edit-feature-for-premium-users/ | 2022-09-01T16:41:22Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/01/twitter-readies-edit-feature-for-premium-users/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Farmhouse style is having a moment. Filled with all things cozy and charming, this look is about mixing old with new, where antiques can be juxtaposed against new modern materials. While some farmhouse interiors might not appeal to lovers of minimalism, this style is not necessarily about clutter. Farmhouse style offers a classic feel, emphasizing simplicity and rustic charm while evoking American homesteads.
A quick and easy way to give your kitchen or bathroom a farmhouse-style touch is with a vintage soap dispenser. Glass bottles add charm and a whole lot of style to your sink, while their amber color helps protect the integrity of your liquids with ultraviolet protection. This helps preserve essential oils, lotions and fragrances.
Right now, you can get a set of two amber glass soap dispensers from Vine Creations on Amazon for $24.99, with a $3 off coupon bringing the price to $21.99, or about $11 each. They normally cost $32.99 together, so this is a 24% discount.
Each box comes with a set of two premium 16-ounce Boston round amber glass bottles. You also get two stainless, rustproof steel pumps designed to resist corrosion, along with waterproof labels.
Constructed of glass and metal, these soap dispensers are stylish, durable and versatile. Use them for hand soap, dish soap, shampoo, conditioner or hand lotion. (The 3-by-3-inch labels work for all uses.) The glass soap dispensers are BPA- and lead-free. They measure approximately 8.75 inches high and 2.75 inches in diameter.
This set comes highly rated at 4.8 out of 5 stars, scoring well in particular for sheerness, sturdiness, style and water resistance. Out of over 2,100 global ratings, 87% of users ranked this set as a 5-star product.
Several people noted the quality of the labels. They also noted how much the dispensers leveled up their kitchen and bathroom sinks and found them to be beautiful and classy.
Reviewer Jessie called this a set of timeless necessities, saying, “I’m semi-obsessed with keeping everything looking like it could have been here when my house was built (100 years ago). These are timeless and I’m very happy with this purchase, would definitely recommend.”
Customer Verna Stewart liked how the pump spout extended far enough so that the soap doesn’t spill onto the bottle. And K. Snider felt the amber glass dispensers were gorgeous and elevated the look of her kitchen and bath. She said, “They are definitely high quality. I would recommend purchasing these.”
LoLo said, “The beautiful bottle, with the label of my choice and the dispenser choice matching my faucets, gave a very classy look to my kitchen and bathroom sinks.”
Do you like farmhouse style? Would these complement your decor?
This story originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money. Checkout Don't Waste Your Money for product reviews and other great ideas to save and make money. | https://www.wtxl.com/glass-soap-dispensers-sale-right-now | 2022-09-01T16:45:06Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/glass-soap-dispensers-sale-right-now | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Highway Patrol are reminding drivers to exercise caution as they travel during Labor Day weekend.
“As Labor Day approaches, please keep safety at the forefront of your travel plans. While many of us will take this long weekend to celebrate with family and friends, our FHP Troopers and first responders will be working to respond to and protect our safety,” said FLHSMV Executive Director, Terry L. Rhodes. “Historically in Florida, more crashes occur on the Friday before Labor Day than any other day during the four-day travel period. No matter how far your destination may be, please remember to buckle up, slow down, and never drive impaired.”
FLHSMV reported 4,016 in 2021 from the Friday before Labor Day through Labor Day across Florida. Forty-one fatalities resulted from these crashes, eight of which involved drugs or alcohol.
FHB Crash Data* for Labor Day Weekend 2021
*All data is preliminary as of 8/23/2022. Crash counts are for distinct events; Fatalities and SBIs are distinct person counts.
FLHSMV and FHP offer the following tips to keep you and your loved ones safe this holiday weekend:
- Don’t drive impaired. If you are planning to have alcoholic beverages, plan to have a designated driver or ride share service get you home safely. Never drive drug impaired.
- If you see an impaired or aggressive driver, call *FHP (*347) or 911.
- Obey speed limits and practice courtesy on the highway.
- Buckle up. Your seat belt is your vehicle’s best safety feature.
- ATVs and off-road vehicles are to be driven on unpaved roadways – never the highway.
- Don’t drive distracted. Keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and mind on driving.
- Get plenty of rest before you get behind the wheel. Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as impaired driving.
AAA will also be offering its "Tow to Go" program from 6 p.m. Sept. 2 through 6 a.m. Sept. 6.
This program provides free, safe transportation for impaired drivers. AAA does ask that this program be used as a "safety net" and encourages drivers to plan for a designated driver before celebrating.
The number for "Tow to Go" is (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/florida-news/fhp-safety-tips-for-labor-day-travel | 2022-09-01T16:45:18Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/florida-news/fhp-safety-tips-for-labor-day-travel | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VALDOSTA, Ga. — The Copeland African American Museum at Valdosta State University recently received a $15,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant from the City of Valdosta. The funds will support the museum’s intention to become the preeminent field trip destination for elementary, middle, and high school students across South Georgia.
When applying for the American Rescue Plan Act funding, Dr. Amy Watson, interim museum director, noted that she was seeking ongoing program support due to COVID-19.
The Copeland African American Museum was forced to close its doors for several months in 2020 due to the global health crisis, like many cultural, educational, and historical destinations around the world.
“We took advantage of the decrease in operational activity and used that time to sharpen our strategic initiative and bolster our collaborations and infrastructure to support hosting more and larger student group tours upon reopening,” she shared. “Now, our focus is to help students recover learning loss from the pandemic through programmatic field trips to the museum.”
“Research has shown that understanding and retention from active learning is significantly higher,” she continued. “To address this need, we partnered with various programs across campus to create age-appropriate learning activities centered on the artifacts in the museum's collection. This serves the multi-purpose function of increasing cultural awareness, pride, and sensitivity while also stimulating learning specific to reading comprehension, critical thinking, and problem solving.”
Later this fall the Copeland African American Museum will unveil a new EMPOWERment Zone to encourage, engage, and motivate young learners and inspire a love of learning through hands-on activities and fun. Watson said the American Rescue Plan Act funds will help provide programming materials for school groups and design hands-on, multi-sensory exhibits that maximize interaction and comprehension.
“Our long-term challenges center on creating and maintaining child-centric exhibits and spaces that adhere to best practices and enhance interactivity and learning,” she added. “While our programming for the 2022-2023 is drastically improved, in order to maintain relevancy and continue to attract teachers and their students year after year, we will have to refresh and update the experience on a regular basis.”
The Copeland African American Museum is dedicated to preserving and uplifting the stories of African American history. It first opened its doors in January 2020 and enjoys welcoming visitors from diverse backgrounds and perspectives who are excited to see the African American memorabilia on display, to share ideas and experiences, and to be inspired to learn more about why African American history matters to everyone.
In 2016 Roy and Cheryl Copeland gifted their entire African American memorabilia collection to VSU’s Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration. A few years later that gift inspired the creation of the Copeland African American Museum, a destination for anyone seeking inspiration, knowledge, a change of perspective, and food for conversation.
The Copeland African American Museum collection spans more than 150 years of history and features more than 100 pieces, which the Copelands began collecting in 1989 when Cheryl Copeland surprised Roy Copeland with a set of autographed Muhammad Ali boxing gloves for Christmas. She continued to select a unique piece of history for him every year, and soon the couple began collecting even more African American memorabilia at live auctions, online auctions, garage sales, antique houses, and more.
During the summer the Copeland African American Museum kicked off an expansion and renovation project that will increase its square footage nearly fourfold. In addition to the EMPOWERment Zone for children, this project will also allow for the creation of a room where visitors can reflect upon the story of the Black experience from enslavement through the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. This transformative experience will provide visitors with the opportunity to learn about and reckon with some challenging aspects of America’s past.
The Copeland African American Museum renovation and expansion project should be completed sometime this fall, assuming no delays. It is a dream come true for the Copelands, who have dedicated their lives to building a legacy of encouraging people of all ages and all ethnicities to examine, explore, and analyze the innovative, creative, and intelligent contributions of African Americans throughout history — and to remember, recognize, and celebrate those contributions all year along. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/georgia-news/city-awards-american-rescue-plan-act-funds-to-vsus-copeland-museum | 2022-09-01T16:45:24Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/georgia-news/city-awards-american-rescue-plan-act-funds-to-vsus-copeland-museum | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Edinburgh crime news: Alleged US fugitive claims he is being tortured in Scottish prison
A man who has repeatedly denied being a wanted fugitive claims he is being tortured in prison and has been punched in the face by officers.
The 35-year-old insists his name is Arthur Knight, but US prosecutors believe he is Nicholas Rossi, a man wanted for a series of sexual assaults and two rape charges in the state of Utah.
The man appeared by videolink from HMP Edinburgh at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen mask.
His wife sat in court watching the latest stage of her husband's extradition battle.
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As court proceedings began, the accused was seen coughing and crying on screen.
Defence counsel John Brannigan, speaking for lawyer David Kinloch, who is representing the man, said he had been instructed by the defendant to seek bail.
Mr Brannigan asked for an extension of proceedings until November for "medical reports, a psychological report, reports into prison conditions and the prison service in America", adding: "Mr Knight wants all the reports available to him."
The man was heard on screen repeatedly saying: "I need to go to hospital."
He added: "I have had a heart attack and three TAIs... sorry, TIAs (transient ischaemic attacks)."
The suspect, becoming increasingly agitated on screen, claimed officers in the prison turned off his oxygen supply outside his cell, adding: "This is a 999 emergency."
In response to the request for an extension of proceedings, fiscal depute Clare Kennedy told the court: "The Crown's position is that we are keen to have this dealt with as expeditiously as possible."
She said waiting until November would mean the full extradition hearing would be "a while away".
At this point the accused launched into another speech, saying: "I've 85% lung scarring and I need to go to hospital. I'm dying.
"I'm getting no medical attention at all and I need to go to hospital.
"I'm suffering in the Scottish Prison Service here in Edinburgh, I'm dying and nothing is being done."
He alleged that a prison officer punched him in the face, adding: "I'm being tortured. My wife knows and she's seen it.
"My mental health is deteriorating and I'm hallucinating. I'm seeing things that I've never seen before."
The accused asked Sheriff Chris Dickson, overseeing the hearing, to consider granting him bail, adding: "I'm not being afforded basic human rights and I'm at risk of death."
Mr Dickson instructed the court the man can make a bail application to the Sheriff Appeal Court.
He said he was not prepared to wait until November for proceedings to continue, adding: "I don't want Mr Knight to be in custody any longer than he needs to be."
Mr Dickson confirmed the next motion hearing to be set for about three weeks' time to "see where we are at".
The man is said to have faked his own death and fled to Scotland to evade sexual assault charges.
Prosecutors in Utah have accused him of raping a 21-year-old in 2008, and he is also alleged to have attacked women elsewhere in the US.
He insists he is not Mr Rossi and it is a case of mistaken identity, claiming he has never been to America.
He was remanded in custody and will next appear in court on September 15. | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-news-alleged-us-fugitive-claims-he-is-being-tortured-in-scottish-prison-3827996 | 2022-09-01T16:45:44Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-news-alleged-us-fugitive-claims-he-is-being-tortured-in-scottish-prison-3827996 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A girl who police say was kidnapped from a home in Reading, Pennsylvania, was found safe in New York City.
Janae Kalia-Henry, 13, was the subject of an Amber Alert Wednesday morning. Police said she and 47-year-old Dwayne Taylor were later located in Brooklyn.
Taylor reportedly dated Janae's mother for a couple of months. NBC News reports that Taylor is accused of breaking into the mother's home and abducting Janae.
"We don't believe this is a random kidnapping," Reading Police Chief Richard Tornielli said.
Police said they had leads pointing them to Brooklyn, where the pair was found.
Reading Mayor Eddie Moran had a strong message for potential criminals.
"Let this be a lesson to anybody who is trying to harm one of our little ones," he said. "We do everything possible to make sure that they get apprehended immediately." | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/kidnapped-pennsylvania-girl-found-in-new-york-city | 2022-09-01T16:45:55Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/kidnapped-pennsylvania-girl-found-in-new-york-city | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power: everything you need to know about new Amazon Prime series - including release date
The first two episodes of the new series will be available from the start of this month
The highly anticipated Lord of The Rings series ‘The Rings of Power’ is coming to Amazon Prime this month.
The series, set thousands of years before JRR Tolkein’s ‘The Hobbit’ follows a selection of characters who are faced with the first evil that has been seen in Middle Earth for generations.
The new series will build on the vast world created by Tolkien and will give us more of an insight into the characters he created all those years ago.
Is there a trailer?
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A final trailer has been released by Amazon Studios, and features many of the key characters we will come to meet throughout the series.
What is Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power about?
According to the official synopsis provided by Amazon, the series “brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.
“This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
“Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth.
“From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”
Who stars in the series?
The full list of key characters has been released by Amazon Studios, and is below along with the actors playing the part.
Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards); Harfoots Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) and Largo Brandyfoot (Dylan Smith); The Stranger (Daniel Weyman); Númenóreans Isildur (Maxim Baldry), Eärien (Ema Horvath), Elendil (Lloyd Owen), Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle), and Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson); Dwarves King Durin III (Peter Mullan), Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur), and Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete); Southlanders Halbrand (Charlie Vickers); Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi); and Silvan-elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova).
When is the series released?
The first two episodes of the multi-season drama will launch on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Friday, September 1-2 (time zone dependent), with new episodes available weekly.
In the UK, the series should be available to watch from 2am on Friday, 2 September and new episodes will be available every Friday.
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. | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/read-this/lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-everything-you-need-to-know-about-new-amazon-prime-series-including-release-date-3827921 | 2022-09-01T16:45:57Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/read-this/lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-everything-you-need-to-know-about-new-amazon-prime-series-including-release-date-3827921 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Police in Columbus, Ohio, released body camera video that shows an officer shooting an unarmed Black man inside an apartment.
Donovan Lewis, 20, died early Tuesday morning.
Police were serving a warrant for domestic violence, improper handling of a firearm and assault around 2 a.m., and had reportedly told everyone to come out of the apartment.
Once inside the apartment, a police dog could be heard barking. The officer threatens to send the dog into a bedroom before opening the door. However, immediately after opening the door, the officer shoots Lewis.
During a press conference, Chief Elaine Bryant reportedly said the officer fired when Lewis appeared to raise his hand while holding something.
“There was, like, a vape pen that was found on the bed right next to him,” Bryant said, according to WCMH-TV.
The fatal incident is being looked into by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/officer-shoots-kills-unarmed-black-man-in-ohio | 2022-09-01T16:46:07Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/officer-shoots-kills-unarmed-black-man-in-ohio | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MINNEAPOLIS — The Transportation Security Administration's top K9 is getting a new leash on life.
After 10 years of service, the agency's cutest dog, Eebbers, is retiring.
The bomb-sniffing visla-lab mix was the oldest working dog in the TSA. He was also recently crowned the winner of the agency's cutest K9 contest.
Put your paws together for @mspairport's Eebbers - winner of the @TSA's 2022 Cutest K9 Contest!
Eebbers was born into TSA’s Puppy Program and is the last remaining canine from the Puppy Program still working daily for TSA.
Congratulations on your win, Eebers! #NationalDogDay pic.twitter.com/9iwwKG4MAD
— MSP Airport (@mspairport) August 26, 2022
Eebbers’ handler Jean Carney also is retiring, the Star Tribune reported.
"He was born to do this. His ability to search out his trained odors amazes me every day," Carney told CBS affiliate WCCO.
Eebbers and Carney were showered with gifts and cake on their last day at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
Happy retirement day, Eebbers & Jeannie! TSA’s 2022 Cutest Canine & his handler had a great sendoff at @mspairport today. 🐶🦴 pic.twitter.com/nZMAoNmzVu
— TSA_GreatLakes (@TSA_GreatLakes) August 31, 2022
According to the newspaper, the pair also received commemorative plaques.
Carney told the news outlet that their first retirement plan is to go swimming in Iowa's Lake Okoboji
"I was just ready for him to be a dog. I just wanted him to enjoy the last few years just being a dog," Carney told the news outlet. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/transportation-security-administrations-oldest-and-cutest-dog-eebbers-retires | 2022-09-01T16:46:19Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/transportation-security-administrations-oldest-and-cutest-dog-eebbers-retires | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that 66 pounds of dried albumin egg products were recalled for being improperly shipped from Italy to the U.S.
According to the USDA, egg products from Italy are banned in the U.S. The USDA said that recalled products should be thrown away or returned for a refund.
The item has the following label:
1.1-lb. plastic canister containing “Sosa ALBUWHIP” with lot code LALB22033, LALB22077, LALB22168 or LALB22200.
The product has not caused any adverse health effects, officials said. Recalled items were shipped to California, Florida, Nevada and New York. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/usda-recalls-powdered-egg-products-improperly-sent-to-the-us | 2022-09-01T16:46:25Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/usda-recalls-powdered-egg-products-improperly-sent-to-the-us | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Business mentors line-up to join national effort to support small firms
More than a thousand business leaders have signed up to ‘give back' and become part of a national network of voluntary mentors to support Britain’s SMEs as the UK braces for recession, according to small business support platform Enterprise Nation.
The impressive list includes top names from corporates like banking giant Santander, FTSE 100 telecoms firm Vodafone and leading flexible space provider WeWork, as well as hundreds of small business owners.
They have all signed up to the Government’s flagship business support programme Help to Grow: Management course and will receive training themselves to deliver mentoring support for firms on the management course.
Norwich-based e-commerce innovator Nathan Lomax and co-founder of Quickfire Digital, said: “With a recession on the horizon, it’s really important to double down on the community and help businesses to thrive. It’s going to be a tough 12 to 18 months, but we must do all we can to help businesses come out shining the other end.
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“When I first started at 17, I was lost. I didn’t know where to go. I was at a crossroads. I met a mentor called Neil Adams and he helped me grow both as a person and as a business owner. I want to do that for the next generation of leaders coming through.”
Emily Canino, founder of London-based independent lifestyle brand Doodlemoo, said: “When you support and mentor someone, you can also learn about yourself and the way that you’re doing things, so it can be beneficial for both.
“Seeing someone’s journey from how they have evolved and how I can give back with what I’ve learned. I think it’s really exciting.”
John Baldwin, head of commercial clients, Santander UK, said: “It’s very rewarding when you have a connection with a business. You can act as a sounding board and see those ideas fulminating into different strategies the business might take and then reflect with the business owner on how you might have helped them. This covers things that have gone well and things that have gone not so well. So, being a mentor, you certainly learn along the way as well.
“When you see that entrepreneur have a spark of an idea and they want to go for it, they’ve got that vision. And it’s really good to go with someone on that journey and try and to help in a little way.”
The Help to Grow: Management Course offers senior business leaders one-to-one support from a business mentor included in 50 hours of leadership and management training across 12 weeks, with the government covering 90 per cent of the costs involved. Training is delivered via a national network of 56 Business Schools.
According to the latest Small Business Barometer from Enterprise Nation, around a quarter of firms (24 per cent) said they were already working with a mentor and of those 80 per cent rated their experience very good or excellent.
Emma Jones, founder of small business support platform Enterprise Nation, part of the consortium of businesses contracted to recruit volunteer mentors for the scheme, said: “It’s been so incredibly humbling to see high calibre leaders including hundreds of independent business owners, with the human strength and humility to step forward and offer their own time, experience, and knowledge to support the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.
“The Help to Grow: Mentoring Course platform will allow businesses to find the perfect match for their business so they can start to put what they have learned into practice.”
Small Business Minister Jane Hunt MP said: “Seizing opportunity is what being a business leader is all about, and our Help to Grow: Management Course is giving entrepreneurs the chance to access the very best advice on how to innovate, reach new customers and boost profits.”
A digital platform is using data and weighting technology to pair businesses with mentors based on region, sector, and mentoring support required. Mentors sign up on a voluntary basis and offer a commitment of 10 hours, over 12 weeks, plus time to engage in training offered by the Association of Business Mentors.
Once they have found a mentor that suits their requirements, the Help to Grow: Management Course participant will then use the platform to book in mentor sessions.
In exchange for offering their time and experience, voluntary Help to Grow: Management Course mentors receive significant value in the form of industry recognised mentor training, access to qualified content, networking opportunities with other mentors, and the possibility to join a national effort aimed at supporting the growth of the UK economy by increasing small businesses’ productivity.
Principal lecturer and director of the University of Brighton's Help to Grow: Management Course, Dr Adam Jones, said: “The mentoring element of the course is one of the most important aspects for delegates. It means they have support from a 'critical friend' who can help them with their growth plan and sense check their long-term approach."
Experienced entrepreneurs and trusted advisers are also signing up to be voluntary mentors including Herman Stewart, founder of Every Child Needs a Mentor, banking and fintech innovator Helene Panzarino, award-winning entrepreneur Chris Cole, founder of 40 Fathoms and ecommerce innovator Nathan Lomax who launched and quickly took Quickfire Digital to a £1m revenue business. Tim Hinton, Head, Corporate & Commercial Banking, Santander UK, said: “We are totally committed to supporting this national effort to help boost the growth of small businesses, not least through our talented and experienced employees acting as volunteer mentors.”
Led by business support group Newable and including Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors, the consortium has been appointed by the Government to develop a national network of business leaders and experts who will share their skills and experience with firms on the practical management training course. | https://www.scotsman.com/business/business-mentors-line-up-to-join-national-effort-to-support-small-firms-3828108 | 2022-09-01T16:50:11Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/business/business-mentors-line-up-to-join-national-effort-to-support-small-firms-3828108 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Moses Ingram’s Star Wars Inquisitor Reva Gets a Hot Toys Figure
It’s almost surprising it took this long to reveal. Reva, the Third Sister Inquisitor from the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi show, already got every kind of Hasbro figure imaginable. Hot Toys immortality seemed inevitable, but now we finally have confirmation. Ready to take on both Darth Vader and Obi-Wan, she’ll get mad enough to survive impalement if she has to. The tormented villain comes with a light-up lightsaber in multiple configurations, and full articulation to take a swing at opponents in every pose she can.
According to the official description, Moses Ingram’s Reva comes “skillfully crafted featuring a newly developed head sculpt with great likeness, finely tailored Inquisitor outfit, LED light-up lightsaber, interchangeable lightsaber blades emulating the weapon in motion…Obi-Wan Kenobi™ and Fifth Brother holograms and holoprojector, a cloak, and a display base.” At $260, she’s a bargain relative to most Hot Toys figures.
RELATED: Hot Toys Calls in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Grand Inquisitor
Expect Reva to ship any time from next October through March of 2024. Need a payment plan? That’s available too. Get a better look at the figure in multiple poses in our image gallery below.
Will Reva join your collection? If so, will you pose her with the Sith, Jedi, or neither? Let us know in comments.
Recommended Purchase: LEGO Star Wars Disney Plus OBI-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader 75334 Building Set
We are also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/518619-moses-ingrams-star-wars-inquisitor-reva-gets-a-hot-toys-figure | 2022-09-01T16:50:23Z | superherohype.com | control | https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/518619-moses-ingrams-star-wars-inquisitor-reva-gets-a-hot-toys-figure | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
USA Network's "Race for the Championship" Premiere's Thursday Night
Watch Ross Chastain in upcoming episodes of USA Network's "Race for The Championship." The unscripted documentary follows Chastain, teammate Daniel Suárez and other NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams.
USA Network will premiere the new series on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.
Chastian's teammate, Suárez, will be featured prominently in the opening episode as the Cup Series ventures out to Los Angeles in February to hold its first race at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Watch The "Race for the Championship" Trailer
The series will give a behind-the-scenes look at the elite drivers and teams competing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Documenting the lives of the sport’s best on and off the track, viewers will get a rare glimpse of what it takes to balance personal relationships with the pressure to perform. Packed with action, heart and drama, this exhilarating series will offer up a taste of what it’s really like to partake in the world’s top level of stock car racing. Watch as the drivers are pushed mentally and physically to their limits, navigating a NASCAR season unlike any other – with a new car, new tracks and new challenges – for their chance to make history.
Over 10 episodes, “Race for the Championship” will tell the story of the 2022 NASCAR Cup season and playoffs.
Chastain and other drivers will attend the world premiere of the series Thursday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ross Chastain, Driver of the No. 1 Worldwide Express Chevrolet
How does it feel to be in the playoffs for your first time?
"You know, I woke up on Monday morning and felt the same I have all year. I am glad about that because I was wondering if once Daytona was over if I would feel different because its the start of the playoffs. I feel like I've had a normal week so far and I'm staying in my routine. My routine is what has gotten me to this point, and I am looking forward to continuing that."
Have you received advice from anyone on how to handle the playoffs?
"I've gotten a lot of advice and a lot of opinions from people that genuinely want to help.
I'm not going to make major changes though. There's things I would like to clean up and make better, but ideally, the most egregious thing we do out of the ordinary this week is have a team lunch to kick off the playoffs."
Darlington is one of your better tracks, maybe even your best track, how does that make you feel about this weekend and it being the first race of the playoffs?
"Driving the 2.5 hours home back to Mooresville after Darlington is frustrating because you realize that you could've won if a couple of things went different or if you would would've asked for this one adjustment. In my experience, I think about how I've over driven Darlington. You really do have to go slow to go fast, but as a racecar driver, that's hard to do. We had a fast car there in the spring but everyone has had time to work on their setups and we'll have to go there and perform again."
2022 Playoff Standings Before Race 1 of 3 in Round of 16
No. 1 Honors Worldwide Express Operations Manager Kelli Petrie
For Work Force Appreciation Weekend
In conjunction with NASCAR's Work Force Appreciation day at Darlington, Ross Chastain's No. 1 Worldwide Express will carry the name of WWEX employee Kelli Petrie above the passenger side door.
Petrie has been with WWEX 16 years and enables the commercial growth of the organization by assisting key senior executives and local field teams on broad strategic initiatives.
Petrie is a dedicated WWEX employee and will attend Sunday's race with relatives.
Sunday’s initiative showcases the NASCAR industry’s appreciation to the American workforce throughout the traditional Labor Day Race Weekend.
Along with the celebrated kickoff to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Darlington Raceway will showcase opportunities for NASCAR, race teams and industry partners to pay tribute to their workforce’s tireless efforts throughout the year. Darlington Raceway will recognize the American workforce as part of pare-race ceremonies and , offer Workforce Appreciation Weekend ticket packages to organizations.
As part of the initiative, Petrie will receive the ultimate Labor Day Weekend experience at the track including an invite to the Labor Day Weekend Cookout, serve as an ‘honorary crew member’, guided tour of the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum, her name will be listed in place of Chastain's name above the right-side door, gifts from NASCAR and Darlington Raceway, and more.
Trackhouse Racing PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72506-2022-ross-chastain-trackhouse-racing-darlington-advance | 2022-09-01T16:55:02Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72506-2022-ross-chastain-trackhouse-racing-darlington-advance | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Notes of Interest ● As the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for the second time this year, Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 HighPoint.com team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) look to tame the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval in Sunday night’s Cookout Southern 500, the kickoff to the 10-race Cup Series playoffs. ● Darlington also marks Briscoe’s debut in the Cup Series playoff format. The playoffs begin with 16 drivers, including the 15 drivers who combined to win the first 26 races of the year. Four drivers will be eliminated at the end of each of the first three rounds before the final four drivers compete for the championship Nov. 6 at Phoenix Raceway, where Briscoe and the No. 14 team claimed victory earlier this year. Briscoe starts the playoffs in the 12th position with a two-point cushion above the cutoff line. ● Briscoe has three Cup Series starts at Darlington with a best finish of 11th in the May 2021 race. He also has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at “The Track Too Tough To Tame,” one being the most memorable performance of his career – his May 2020 win over two-time Cup Series champion and the winningest driver across NASCAR’s top three series, Kyle Busch. ● This Sunday at Darlington, Briscoe will drive a black-and-white HighPoint.com Ford Mustang, eschewing the traditional blue-and-white colors of HighPoint for one of the crown jewel races of the NASCAR Cup Series – the Southern 500. The change in color honors the late sportswriter and 2016 Squier-Hall Award recipient Benny Phillips, who gave Darlington the moniker, “The Lady in Black.” The No. 14 will also carry the name of HighPoint employee Joe Conforth. Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing: When you first visited Darlington in May with the NextGen car, the race was drastically different than what we’ve seen there in the past. Does that change now that everyone has had more time with this car? “Anywhere we go where there isn’t a lot of grip, these cars are really hard to drive. And you add in the tire fall-off and that makes it worse. It was for sure a wreckfest when we were there in May, so it’ll be interesting. I think we know a little more about what to expect this time, but I don’t know what that means for how the cars will race. I hope we don’t have the same situation. We really can’t eliminate ourselves, and getting through that first race at Darlington will be important.” Are the playoffs a chance for this team to start over? “Truthfully, I feel like we've had speed every week but, unlike a lot of teams, we run anywhere from seventh to 12th for a lot of the race. Then we finish 18th to 23rd. So, it’s definitely nice to have a little bit of a reset button. I know we have the speed, it’s just a matter of putting the whole race together. And you know, there are a lot of variables that determine what that means each week. I definitely think it’s a bit of a second life to a certain extent, and one that I’m looking forward to having.” What is the difference between not being in the playoffs last year as a rookie, compared to being in this year with a chance to fight for a championship? “It’s a big difference. It’s not so much that you don’t have anything to race for when you don’t make the playoffs, but there’s a big change in how your race weekend goes when that happens. You go to the track and the attention isn’t on you and your focus as a team is a little different. You still want to win races but you’re trying not to mess up another guy’s day and take away his shot at a playoff win, where now that’s us. We need the good days, we need the wins and you’re just hoping that you don’t do anything to take it away from yourself. And there’s more excitement now to get to the track. This team is excited. We know we can win, we did that at Phoenix, and we know if we can put things together one race at a time, we have a chance to be back at Phoenix competing for a championship. We’ve had a long time to think about how we’d handle things in the playoffs and now they’re here, so it’s time for us to execute, and I feel like we’re in a good place to do that.” TSC PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72507-highpoint-com-racing-chase-briscoe-darlington-advance | 2022-09-01T16:55:05Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72507-highpoint-com-racing-chase-briscoe-darlington-advance | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought innumerable fanfare and excitement to a sold-out North Wilkesboro Speedway on Wednesday night, but the spotlight shined brightest on one of Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports drivers.
Carson Kvapil dominated the Window World 125 CARS Late Model Tour event, a showcase of past-meets-present that concluded the paved portion of XR Events' Racetrack Revival presented by Raymer Oil Company.
Kvapil’s No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet withstood a last-gasp charge from runner-up Mason Diaz to notch his first North Wilkesboro victory.
Earnhardt, Kvapil’s boss, electrified the crowd with a third-place finish. Jonathan Shafer and Bobby McCarty completed the top five.
Kaden Honeycutt was sixth with Zack Miracle seventh, William Sawalich eighth and Stefan Parsons ninth. Brandon Pierce rounded out the top 10.
Kvapil won the pole, led the most laps, turned the fastest lap time – a blistering 20.223 seconds – and withstood all comers on a restart with two laps to go.
“It’s huge to win at North Wilkesboro,” said Kvapil, who was eight years old the last time North Wilkesboro hosted a late model tour race. “We were able to sweep the first late model show here in 11 years. We had such a dominant car. I could tell it was going to be good from the moment the green flag dropped.
“I was a bit worried about Mason (with two laps to go), because I knew he’d square up with my bumper in Turns 1 and 2. That was probably my only weak spot, but he raced me clean. I’ll definitely remember that the next time I’m around him. I’ll race him the same way.”
With a sea of green-clad fans roaring their approval, Earnhardt rallied from ninth to third in the final 50 laps. Earnhardt’s No. 3 Sun Drop Chevrolet – painted like the late model car he drove in the 1990s – took some bumps and scrapes, but emerged intact at the end of the night.
“That was a tremendous amount of fun,” the NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee said. “We had a really good car. At the midpoint of the race, we had some contact and it knocked the right-rear quarter panel onto the right-rear tire, so it was just burning up the tire. I couldn’t move forward the way I wanted, hanging out in the backside of the top 10. When we came in and put right-side tires on and fixed the quarter panel, man, that thing flew.
“Josh (Berry, Earnhardt’s crew chief for the night and a driver on his NASCAR Xfinity Series team) did a great job. … That’s probably the best late model car I’ve ever driven.”
Earnhardt hadn’t raced since his annual Xfinity Series one-off, which resulted in an 11th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in April.
He qualified sixth for Wednesday’s race and dropped out of the top 10 early, but made a spirited rally in the closing stages.
A 1-3 finish for JRM was more than enough reason for Earnhardt to share in Kvapil’s raucous victory lane celebration.
“We’re certainly tickled with how everything happened,” Earnhardt said. “Carson did such a great job. Honestly, I’d rather he win just for his development, long-term. … This was a lot of fun. I had a little compound off Turn 2 and all my family here. I was happy to be part of it.
“When I was sitting in the car, you could see all the fans and you could just feel the energy. It was special. It honestly felt like you were back in 1990.”
The second portion of Racetrack Revival heats up Oct. 4, when dirt racing makes its long-awaited return to North Wilkesboro’s .625-mile oval.
SMI PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72509-kvapil-conquers-north-wilkesboro-earnhardt-electrifies-sold-out-crowd | 2022-09-01T16:55:07Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72509-kvapil-conquers-north-wilkesboro-earnhardt-electrifies-sold-out-crowd | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Bella and Gigi Hadid Show Off Their Differing Personal Styles at the US Open
Though Gigi and Bella Hadid seem to have a great relationship, which involves working together, socializing together, and everything in between, like any good sister duo, they couldn’t be more different when it comes to their style. Our Depop queen, Bella, loves to push the boundaries with her looks, styling unexpected pieces together and always throwing her favorite Y2K aesthetic in the mix. Her big sis, meanwhile, goes for a much more modern, sleek look, and is a bit more trend-focused. Well, the contrast has never been more on display than when the duo attended the US Open together on Wednesday night.
The Hadids headed to Arthur Ashe Stadium with Lala Anthony and her son Kiyan, their friend, Leah McCarthy, and Bella’s boyfriend, Marc Kalman. For the occasion, Bella embraced the sporty atmosphere and opted to wear a white Nike track jacket, which she unexpectedly paired with a low-rise khaki knee-length skirt, which had its own, built-in fanny pack. She then finished off the look with a white Prada Cleo bag, Nike x Jacquemus sneakers, high white socks, and her favorite Y2K accessory—a zig-zag headband.
Gigi, meanwhile, went in a completely different direction for her tennis-watching attire. The model wore an all-red look, comprised of wide-leg pans and a matching backless tank top. She accessorized the ensemble with a yellow “S” pin in honor of Serena Williams, round Tejesta sunglasses, a little red Louis Vuitton clutch, and a pair of Off-White x Air Jordan sneakers.
The pair seemed to enjoy their time together, rooting on Williams as she clinched another win in the tournament. Bella also attended the tennis star’s first match on Monday, so there’s a chance the model will be supporting her friend throughout the US Open. The sisters have been friends with Williams for years, and often attend her matches in Flushing, so it makes sense that they would be there for what may very well be the last Grand Slam of her illustrious career.
Walk in the Hadids’ shoes:
We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. | https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/bella-gigi-hadid-style-us-open-serena-williams | 2022-09-01T17:00:16Z | wmagazine.com | control | https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/bella-gigi-hadid-style-us-open-serena-williams | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Cate Blanchett is a Chic Flower Vase on the Venice Film Festival Red Carpet
Cate Blanchett has yet to disappoint with her Venice Film Festival wardrobes, and with her latest look, she knocked it out of the park. The 53-year-old Academy Award winner showed up to Thursday’s premiere of director Todd Field’s comeback film Tár looking like a walking vase in a black velvet corset stuffed with a vibrant array of hand-painted flowers. From there, she kept it simple, matching her top in black velvet trousers and dispensing with the necklace in the shape of an anatomical human heart that topped off the runway version of the couture ensemble. It should come as no surprise that the look came courtesy of designer Daniel Roseberry, who’s brought a dose of Surrealism to Schiaparelli by churning out creations such as boots with toe-shaped tips over the past few seasons. (Blanchett’s last Schiaparelli look was an elegant strapless gown that was secured to a blazer with a gold lock.)
The look was distinctly different from the Armani one Blanchett wore just hours earlier on Thursday. She started off the day in a pale blue top and matching wide-legged trousers that were accented with pins to match her gold belt buckle. (She’s been an ambassador for the brand for nearly a decade.)
The reviews that have come out so far promise that Tár, a character study of Blanchett as a world-renowned composer accused of sexual misconduct, is worth sitting through its two-hour, 38-minute run time. Vanity Fair has gone so far as to venture that it may very well be the actor’s “magnum opus”—and when you consider her oeuvre, that’s certainly saying something. If Blanchett is going to take this red carpet approach to the rest of the film’s press tour, we don’t mind waiting until its October 7 release. | https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/cate-blanchett-venice-film-festival-tar-premiere-flowers | 2022-09-01T17:00:28Z | wmagazine.com | control | https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/cate-blanchett-venice-film-festival-tar-premiere-flowers | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sydney Sweeney Channels La Dolce Vita at Her First Venice Film Festival
It’s time-old tradition for the stars of the Venice Film Festival to arrive via water taxi, and those who’ve touched down at its 79th edition include a newbie who’s taken a leaf out of Lady Gaga’s book and recognized the potential for a photo op on the level of a red carpet. Sydney Sweeney was oozing Venetian glamour from the moment she was spotted floating towards the Lido di Venezia on Thursday. She was accompanied by her stylist, Molly Dickinson, who made it no mystery why Sweeney is Tory Burch’s latest muse. The 24-year-old actor embraced the brand by dressing in it from head to toe, casually draping a cardigan over her shoulders and soaking in the Italian sun in white belted short shorts.
What really made the ensemble stand out were Sweeney’s accessories. (Minus the not so Italian canvas tote with a large Tory Burch logo, which barely minimized the La Dolce Vita vibes.) She pulled a classic movie star move, tying a silk scarf around her blonde locks and hiding behind large sunglasses. It was the perfect carefree yet elevated look to precede whatever she and Dickinson have in store for the week’s premieres.
Sweeney is no doubt grateful for a reason to make headlines other than the backlash that ensued from the photos she recently posted to celebrate her mom’s 60th birthday. They included one of a family member wearing a “Blue Lives Matter” hat, and led her followers to discover the photo of MAGA-style “Make Sixty Great Again” that her brother posted. “You guys this is wild,” Sweeney eventually responded. “An innocent celebration for my mom’s milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions.” We’re glad to see more proof that her taste in headwear differs from that of some other Sweeneys. | https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/sydney-sweeney-venice-film-festival-2022 | 2022-09-01T17:00:34Z | wmagazine.com | control | https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/sydney-sweeney-venice-film-festival-2022 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
"You have to be, like, a beast. That's the only way they respect you." A shock of neon in an otherwise beige studio, it's 2010 and Nicki Minaj is ranting. She's noticed that when guys like her mentor, Lil Wayne, act like divas, it goes differently than when she does. "When I am assertive, I'm a bitch. When a man is assertive, he's a boss!" she goes on, her dopey boyfriend nodding along from the couch. Her theater-kid roots are showing as she performs an impression of "You're fired!"-era Donald Trump, a man who gets what he wants when he wants it. "But when you're a girl, you have to be, like... everything. You have to be dope at what you do, but you have to be super sweet, and you have to be sexy, and you have to be this, and you have to be that, and you have to be nice, and you have to..." But then, she's ashamed. There's a camera crew filming all this for a documentary, and the Nicki Minaj who looks like an acid-trip Barbie and just delivered the hardest rap verse of the past decade (on Kanye West's "Monster") isn't supposed to stress about this stuff. "Don't use this footage, please," she says. "It's just gonna make me look stupid."
If you'd asked me then what feminism meant to me, I'd have sent you a link to that video. This was the beginning of an era that often conflated female empowerment with female entrepreneurship, when people got very excited about concepts of female corporate supremacy repackaged as activist fantasies. Looking back at the supposedly uplifting pop culture artifacts of that time, there's a lot to cringe at. But that Minaj speech still gets to me, because it's clear how much the topic weighs on her, and because I know what happens next. With four platinum records and more Hot 100 hits than any woman in history other than Taylor Swift, she will become the most commercially successful and creatively influential female rapper of all time, and she will have earned it. For a few years, she'll have a legitimate claim to the title of best rapper alive; for a few more years, she'll blur the lines between rap and pop and performance art with such fearless panache that even her critical flops will feel like breakthroughs, her most tossed-off guest verses more interesting than some of her peers' entire catalogs. For the better part of a decade, Nicki simply existing as Nicki — an oddball perfectionist outworking everyone to shatter rap's glass ceiling — felt like a radical act. Along the way, things changed: rap, the internet, fandom, feminism. Maybe Minaj did, too.
Last month, Minaj achieved another milestone: her latest single, a fun Rick James flip called "Super Freaky Girl," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, the first time a female rapper's done so solo since Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" in 1998. That this was a first for Minaj seemed odd. Doesn't it feel like that ought to have happened years ago — maybe with 2014's super-viral "Anaconda," the new song's obvious predecessor? It could've been any number of the career-spanning hits she tore through Sunday night at the VMAs — the charmingly weird "Super Bass," the villainous "Chun-Li," the totally bugged-out "Roman's Revenge" — where she co-hosted with Jack Harlow and received this year's Video Vanguard Award. Accepting her trophy in pink sequins and ice-blue contacts that gave the effect of a sexy, scary baby, Minaj appeared almost shy. "I wrote this down, I don't know why, y'all, but this was in my spirit to say," she read breathlessly from her phone. "I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here. I wish people understood what they meant and what they were going through. I wish people took mental health seriously, even for the people you think have the perfect lives."
In her most revealing moments — that sad video from 2010, a weirdly contentious New York Times Magazine profile in 2015 that painted Minaj as a drama queen, or an anecdote about a near-death experience tucked into a 2014 BET Awards speech that felt like a cry for help — it has often seemed that Minaj is profoundly unhappy, even at the top of her game. I associate her career's peak with the years between Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (her most underrated record, with indescribably bonkers vocal performances on tracks like "Stupid Hoe" and "Come on a Cone" alongside some fun experiments in dance-pop) and 2014's emotionally raw The Pinkprint, an album with a startling number of references to pill popping, even for that moment. Those were contentious times, with culture wars waged over Nicki's duality. She spent the period effectively closing the case as far as her pandering to a teenybopper audience, or so said old heads like Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg. The radio personality, who had proclaimed that "Starships" was "not real hip-hop," later emphasized that the "Starships" chicks were being sidelined during Minaj's headlining set at the 2012 Summer Jam: "I'm not talking to y'all right now, f*** that bulls***. I'm here to talk about real hip-hop s***." She'd taken note of these assessments, too, dubbing The Pinkprint a return to her hip-hop roots. In between that performance and the album, there was the run of remixes, my favorite being her hysterically rude take on PTAF's "Boss Ass Bitch," during which no rapper's single was safe from Minaj sinking her claws in and claiming it as her own (in a mode mirroring Wayne).
Maybe Minaj had gone a tad commercial, loading her campy videos with spon-con and pumping out party-rock anthems for Bud Light, but she occasionally managed to make selling out look avant-garde, too. More importantly, her pen game never faltered. ("Bitches ain't got punchlines or flow / I have both, and an empire, also," she growled on the 2013 bonus track "Up In Flames.") Minaj never really needed to explain herself to anyone who found Mixtape Nicki and Pop Nicki at odds, like when she closed the deluxe edition of Roman Reloaded with a defensive twenty-minute "press conference": "These other bitches that only did rap and now they're washed, and they're living in low-income housing — is that winning? Just so that a n**** in the street can give me a f****** dap?... Get the f*** out of here!" It often seemed, in any case, that it was her visual presentation the Rosenbergs of the world were responding to: the candy-colored wigs, the burlesque outfits, the greased-up six-packs in the "Super Bass" video. Whether she was spitting like she did in her Smack DVD days or performing gonzo femininity over sparkly EDM beats, I mostly just liked it when she sounded like she was cracking herself up.
From the era I consider as Minaj's creative peak, the 2015 VMAs ceremony stands out as a moment of reckoning. Weeks beforehand, the nominations for Video of the Year had been announced; "Anaconda," the most talked-about music video of that summer, wasn't one of them. "If I was a different 'kind' of artist, Anaconda would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well," Minaj had tweeted pointedly, punctuating her statements with sardonic smiley-faces. "Black women influence pop culture so much but are rarely rewarded for it." Her comments activated two of that moment's Main Pop Girls: Swift, America's sweetheart, who accused Minaj of not being a girl's girl, and Miley Cyrus, the Disney Channel star turned self-styled twerk queen, calling Minaj angry and "not too kind." Onstage to accept her award for Best Hip-Hop Video, Minaj turned to Cyrus, that year's host, with a glare that could wither houseplants, pressing her about her comments. A month later, in the aforementioned Times Magazine profile, Minaj clarified her position: "You're in videos with black men, and you're bringing out black women on your stages, but you don't want to know how black women feel about something that's so important?" she said, clearly still upset. "If you want to enjoy our culture and our lifestyle, bond with us, dance with us, have fun with us, twerk with us, rap with us, then you should also want to know what affects us, what is bothering us, what we feel is unfair to us." She was asking for Black women to be acknowledged as human beings rather than trends; commentary that remains prescient and is corroborated over and over in pop, most recently by the case of Megan Thee Stallion.
It's never not been a battle for Nicki Minaj, whether it's against hip-hop's gatekeeping boys' club, the racism thriving in pop music's upper echelons, the condescending press, or the catfighting with newer rivals after years of being lonely at the top. So it wasn't too surprising, during the lead-up to her fourth album, 2018's Queen, when Minaj rolled out a contemporary new marketing strategy: She'd become a s***poster. The day before her album's release, she debuted a new Beats 1 program, Queen Radio. In theory, it was a platform to connect with her fans in an era that prioritized engagement over art – in practice, it was a well-oiled controversy creation machine and a way to sic her loyal Barbz on enemies real and perceived. Upon learning that Queen had debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard albums chart, she let loose a stream of tweets that blamed everyone from Travis Scott (whose Astroworld album had taken the top spot) to Spotify, adamant that this could only be the result of sabotage. Citing her own streaming numbers like receipts, Minaj went off. "Do you know how many women get systematically blackballed out of their positions in an office building & can't fight back?????"
A month earlier, the 26-year old culture writer Wanna Thompson shared a thought: "You know how dope it would be if Nicki put out mature content?" she tweeted. "No silly s***. Just reflecting on past relationships, being a boss, hardships, etc. She's touching 40 soon, a new direction is needed." In response, Thompson received weeks of hate mail from Minaj's fans, and a message from Minaj herself: "Eat a d***, you hating ass hoe... Just say you jealous I'm rich, famous, intelligent, pretty, and go!" If Minaj meant what she'd tweeted about women being blackballed, apparently the sentiment didn't apply to the apparatus she'd built around herself as one of the most famous people alive, leveraging the might of her success against another woman's constructive criticism. As if to reiterate Thompson's point, that same month, a new Minaj song dropped: "FEFE," a collaboration with 6ix9ine, who raps in belligerent baby talk and was, at the time, awaiting sentencing for a conviction on the "use of a child in a sexual performance." Watching the two pal around in the video, sharing ice cream cones and singing about how they didn't need friends, I found myself cringing — not because I believe a man's sex crimes are Minaj's responsibility, but because the whole thing was embarrassing. It was obvious the duo were giddy at the song's potential to piss people off. Minaj, taking her cues from 6ix9ine's stylebook, sounded downright lobotomized. They've since collaborated twice more, most recently on a single called "Trollz" (it debuted at No. 1).
But it isn't Minaj's responsibility to be a feminist role model, either. It's not really my business whether or not she makes space for fellow female rappers at the top. (In recent years she has been, giving her blessing via guest verse to everyone from Megan to Doja Cat, the truest current heir to Minaj's pop-rap throne and with whom she now shares a manager.) Last year's lawsuit brought against Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, is a bit more complicated: A woman, whom Petty assaulted in 1994, alleged a pattern of harassment by the couple and is suing for emotional distress and witness intimidation. Minaj was eventually dropped from the lawsuit; Petty was sentenced this summer to three years of probation and one year of home detention for failing to register as a sex offender. Some seem to hold her accountable for his actions. What people have come to expect from stars in the decade-plus since Minaj infiltrated the mainstream often feels unfair, or at least unrealistic — beyond all the requirements she exhaustedly listed in that studio 12 years ago, you must now be morally unimpeachable, too. Feminist conversation has shifted since then towards topics of intersectionality that often feel cursory, or used to ward off public scrutiny. (Cue Swift enthusiastically lip-syncing along to Minaj's performance at this year's VMAs.) It's no wonder that stars seem so desperate to control their own narratives, insisting they're the winner, or the victim.
It's been sad, though, to see Minaj's obsession with winning often come at the expense of her art — to see one of the most gifted, inventive voices of a generation caught up in engagement metrics that devalue music and make modernity feel lame. She has dulled her brilliance for a monochromatic streaming infrastructure built to reward mediocrity and punish idiosyncrasy. Listening back through a few of Minaj's recent collabs with a new generation of tough-girl rappers, it barely even seemed fair: the sleepy sing-song currently in vogue can sound like radio static when compared to the dynamism, the elasticity, the sheer spectacle of any given Minaj verse. Call me a hater, or old, or whatever, but you probably know it, too.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music/npr-music/2022-09-01/nicki-minaj-never-stopped-fighting | 2022-09-01T17:03:13Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music/npr-music/2022-09-01/nicki-minaj-never-stopped-fighting | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Bobbi Wilson is about to kick off her first farming season, prepping the soil to yield ripe tomatoes and potatoes next year. Her plan: to start a small farm market — which she hopes will also include other produce like onions, beans, strawberries and corn — and to eventually expand to grow flowers and raise poultry.
For Wilson, this has been 10 years in the making. The 32-year-old living in southern Oregon fell in love with farming during a year off from college, when she worked on a northern Arizona farm in exchange for housing and food.
Wilson does not come from a farming background, and she spent years trying to figure out how to access land. Ultimately, she opted to lease part of her mom and stepdad's property. If it wasn't for this, she said, she wouldn't have any options.
"I think there's kind of this phrase of like 'marry it or inherit it' kind of thing — like, that's the way that people access land, and that's not something that was previously accessible to me," she said.
Access to land and the ability to purchase it were rated as the top barriers to entering farming in a new survey released by the National Young Farmers Coalition and analyzed by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center. According to the survey, 59% of young farmers named finding affordable land to buy as very or extremely challenging, and 45% of young farmers named finding available land to buy as very or extremely challenging. The rates were higher — 68% — among farmers of color.
"No matter how you look at the data, land access is the top challenge that young people who are involved in agriculture are facing," said Holly Rippon-Butler, land campaign director at the National Young Farmers Coalition. "It is the No. 1 challenge for current farmers and ranchers. It's the top reason that young people report having left agriculture. It's the primary barrier to getting started regardless of the region of the country that you're in, whether or not you identify as a first-generation farmer or a rancher. It's also regardless of age or number of years of experience in farming. And it's an even greater challenge for young farmers of color who are experiencing much greater systemic oppression."
Those barriers have created a more dire situation as the average age of a farmer has been steadily increasing over the past few decades. Most recent ag census data shows farmers' average age is nearly 60 — and that is concerning lawmakers in Washington who say getting a younger generation involved in agriculture is key to building a sustainable food system.
The pandemic highlighted the need for local and regional food sources
The Agriculture Department defines a beginning farmer as one who has been in business for 10 years or less. In the 2017 Census of Agriculture — the last time the USDA collected the data — about 1 in 4 were classified as beginning farmers. That year, the number of young producers — defined as 35 and under — was 121,754, a small slice of 3.4 million total producers. New data is expected to come in 2023.
Congressional Democrats and Republicans say ensuring a younger generation of farmers can enter the business is key to upholding local and regional supply chains needed for emergencies, for general domestic food production and to meet the growing demand of local food.
As big distributors and producers faced supply chain snags during the pandemic, more people turned to their local markets and sellers to purchase foods they couldn't find at the grocery store. Even as many supply chain disruptions have eased, demand has stayed high, according to Heidi Noordijk, small farm coordinator at Oregon State University.
"During the pandemic, when food access was tight, people were like, 'We want to buy local food. We want to support our farmers and community-supported agriculture,'" Noordijk said. "There were waitlists happening and just a huge demand wanting to support their local farmers."
At a hearing in July, farmers and representatives of credit agencies and socially disadvantaged groups testified before the House Agriculture Committee about the barriers for young and beginning farmers.
Adam Brown, owner of B&B Farms in Illinois, told the panel that his biggest challenge was keeping up with the programs coming out of the USDA and being aware about his options.
"I think USDA, from my point of view, does a poor job educating on the programs that are out there and accessible. And with farm bills changing every several years, a lot of the times the programs go away or are new out there," he said. "We hear about them by word of mouth instead of direct FSA [Farm Service Agency] or county offices notifying us."
Zach Ducheneaux, administrator for USDA's Farm Service Agency, the lending arm of the department, told NPR that he knows loan applications can be so lengthy and complicated that prospective farmers can give up.
"There aren't less stringent collateral and security requirements for young and beginning farmers — they still have to qualify just as an established farmer would," Ducheneaux said. "We're working on streamlining access to all of these things across the board that I think will benefit our young and beginning producers."
Ducheneaux, who lives on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, said it's important that groups communicate to lawmakers what changes they want to see made to programs, especially after the pandemic.
"We saw in this pandemic how fragile our food system is and if we don't have producers that have the ability to develop capacity for internal economic resilience at an earlier stage, our food system is literally in jeopardy," Ducheneaux said. "We have roughly 40,000 cattle growing on my tribe's territory and during the pandemic, our grocery stores didn't have any meat on the shelves. So there's so much fragility built into this food system."
Advocates are calling for federal help and making recommendations
On Aug. 24, the USDA unveiled new pandemic aid dollars aimed at getting younger and more diverse people interested in jobs within agriculture — both farming and at the government level. About $300 million is now available to organizations that have projects for helping to increase access to land, capital and markets.
"We think there's a real opportunity here to expand the universe of people interested at all levels of farming and in food production — and we think it's important to maintain our country as a food-secure nation," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters.
But many changes are still in Congress' hands for the 2023 farm bill.
"What's happened time and time again over the last several farm bills is everyone goes in with [young farmers] being one of their priorities, but somehow it falls off the list as the farm bill gets created," said Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, during a panel at the Minnesota Farmfest.
Groups like the Young Farmers Coalition are pushing for lawmakers to address land access and barriers to USDA programs in the upcoming farm bill. The farm bill, which gets negotiated every five years, is an avenue for Congress to change the way that federal loan and technical assistance programs work — something the USDA cannot do on its own.
"We're at this moment now where young people are in crisis in terms of land access, and we need our federal government to act," said Rippon-Butler of the Young Farmers Coalition, "and we need equity to be at the center of that so that we are creating policies that really center young farmers and ranchers of color and lifts up our whole next generation of young farmers as a whole."
Developing a preapproval process for farm lending, easing requirements for new producers and raising loan limits are just some of the recommendations.
"I would ask that we have some predictability going into the next farm bill," Brown told the House Agriculture Committee. "We have so much volatility throughout my operation, throughout the ag economy. If we know what we are dealing with we can plan better."
For now, those who want to get into farming can look to groups like land grant universities and nonprofits, which have created training programs to teach them how to stand up a successful business.
Wilson, the new vegetable farmer, helps train and advocate for prospective young farmers through her work with the National Farmers Union as well as Rogue Farm Corps, an Oregon-based program.
"We are helping to ensure that the future of farming is in good hands. The U.S. farming population is aging, and here in Oregon we expect two-thirds of our agricultural land to change ownership in the next 20 years," Wilson said. "Breaking down barriers to entry and ensuring that new farmers succeed is more important than ever if we want to make our food system more equitable, resilient and life-sustaining for generations to come."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-09-01/there-arent-enough-young-farmers-congress-is-looking-to-change-that | 2022-09-01T17:03:19Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-09-01/there-arent-enough-young-farmers-congress-is-looking-to-change-that | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Supermarket shoppers are seeing something unusual these days: discounts in the meat department.
Steak prices have fallen in each of the last three months even as the cost of chicken, pork and most other groceries has gone up. But bargains in the butcher case are likely to be temporary.
Severe drought is forcing some cattle ranchers to slaughter livestock early. That's producing a glut of beef in the short term, but it's also likely to lead to higher prices in the future.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 60% of the nation's cattle are affected by drought, including Brady Blackett's herd of angus cattle, which graze in the high desert of south central Utah.
"The cattle have to travel miles and miles each day in 100-degree weather to get back out to where there's adequate enough forage, so it's tough," Blackett says. "Over the last couple of summers, we've actually had to haul water to the cattle because the springs just aren't producing enough water to keep up."
Not enough water all around
Blackett ordinarily relies on runoff from snowpack in the nearby Wasatch Mountains to irrigate the alfalfa his cattle eat in the winter. But thanks in part to a changing climate, snow has been scarce in recent years. He's been forced to turn to groundwater, which is rapidly being depleted.
"It's not looking good for the future, unless we're able to get some moisture and pull ourselves out of this drought," Blackett says, describing arid conditions in much of cattle country. "There were parts of western Kansas and eastern Colorado where the weeds weren't even growing."
John O'Dea raises cattle and hay in southwestern Nebraska. His hay crop this summer is less than half what it would be in a normal year.
"We had 200 acres we never planted because we knew it wouldn't come up," O'Dea says. "At our ranch, we've gotten two decent rains in the last 14 months."
Sending cattle to slaughter early
Without enough feed to get cattle through the winter, ranchers have been forced to send some of their animals to slaughter prematurely.
"We've liquidated a lot of our cows and a lot of neighbors have liquidated anywhere from 20 to 60% of their cow herds," O'Dea says.
That's resulted in more steaks on supermarket shelves, and a temporary drop in prices. But the savings for consumers are likely to be short-lived.
In a sign of ranchers' desperation, many of the slaughtered animals are breeding females — cows and heifers — so the next generation of cattle will be smaller.
The USDA reported more beef cows slaughtered in July than any month since recordkeeping began in 1986.
"Life has very few guarantees. But a cow or heifer that is slaughtered this year is guaranteed not to calve next year," says Wesley Tucker, a field specialist at the University of Missouri extension. "That means there's [fewer] animals coming down the line and less beef production in the future."
Ranchers also face rising costs
Ranchers have lived through this cycle before. A severe drought a decade ago led to a similar downsizing of herds. Ultimately, that resulted in higher prices for beef — which is an incentive for ranchers to try to hang on to at least some of their cattle now. Tucker warns, however, even if beef prices rebound, it may not be enough to offset ranchers' rising costs for everything from diesel fuel to fertilizer.
"I don't think the price of a tractor is going to go back down next year just because our weather improves," Tucker says.
In Nebraska, John O'Dea keeps checking the weather forecast for any sign of improvement. So far, he hasn't seen any.
"Basically, what we're doing now is trying to figure out how we're going to manage for next season because we know this season is a bust," O'Dea says. "I would bet that our first moisture will be blizzards this winter."
O'Dea also worries that shoppers, faced with high prices elsewhere in the supermarket, may have less appetite for steaks, even at a discount.
"It's definitely a struggle," he says with a rueful laugh. "We pay the same bills as everybody else and we're dang sure not getting rich out here."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-09-01/droughts-are-hitting-cattle-ranchers-hard-and-that-could-make-beef-more-expensive | 2022-09-01T17:03:25Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-09-01/droughts-are-hitting-cattle-ranchers-hard-and-that-could-make-beef-more-expensive | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NASA's Artemis I spacecraft was supposed to head to the moon earlier this week. But after suffering a technical error it had to be delayed until Saturday afternoon.
It's been nearly 50 years since the last Apollo landing, and the landscape for space exploration has changed drastically since then. One obvious update? This ship has no crew (for now). NASA hopes that later Artemis missions will eventually return humans on the moon.
Efficiency, costs, and motivations for the mission have been brought into question leading up to the launch. Lori Garver was the deputy administrator of NASA during the Obama administration and joined All Things Considered to shed light on the process, and the future of humans in space.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview highlights
On the purpose of the mission
Within the space community, this has been something they wanted to do since they left the moon. And I think one of the reasons we haven't, is because we haven't answered that question [of why they took such a long hiatus]. Today, NASA says it's because we're in a race with China, but of course, we've won that race six times. So I think the space program is incredibly valuable and the things that we are doing have helped humanity tremendously. Going back to the moon is, I think, a positive path, but I don't think we have well articulated the purpose for spending the amounts of money that are now required.
On the impact of private space exploration companies
Private space companies are actually part of this mission. Of course, they were part of Apollo as well. Space X has a contract with them to build the lunar lander, but they are also building a large launch vehicle that could get us there for a fraction of the cost of the government owned and operated planned systems that have taken more than a decade and tens of billions of dollars. So this isn't an either-or.
On the delayed launch of Artemis 1, and other challenges
Well, it's not just this latest setback that is an issue. It's emblematic of why a program that was supposed to take five years has now taken nearly 12. And that was supposed to cost $20 billion, has cost $43 billion. That is something that I don't understand how the public and their elected representatives will continue to support once there is a private sector option flying.
On what other avenues NASA should expend resources on
I think NASA could go back to the moon for significantly less resources in a way that drives technology, which is what really returns to the nation and the planet. The money that they save for doing that could be spent on priorities like increasing the Earth sciences programs, studying greenhouse gas emissions from space, helping us to manage our resources on this planet. There are a lot of ways NASA's can contribute to a better world, both here on Earth and beyond.
On how space exploration benefits humans on Earth
We believe they're inspirational and allow people to invest in themselves and go into fields which help us all. I think there is also a direct return ultimately, and things like being able to detect incoming asteroids. You don't need humans in space to do that. But it is exploration. And ultimately, we do have to get off of this planet to survive over the longer term. In my view, that is a multigenerational activity and we need to figure out how to last long enough on this planet in order to be to a point where we can expand beyond in a permanent way.
On whether NASA has struggled to keep up with the times
Well, I wrote a book, Escaping Gravity that just came out about this. I think, you know, no one's bad. It's just the status quo in Washington. Contractors already have jobs, they're going to argue for keeping those jobs, their members of Congress want them to keep those jobs. And it just becomes sort of a do-over when, in my view, we weren't established — we being NASA — to do the same thing again. We are supposed to be driving technologies. And so that's why I think many of us are critical of this rocket program, because it really is 1970s technology, and that is not the way we think it's best to go back to the moon.
On the desire to get to Mars
I think within NASA and the some of these private companies, Mars is the ultimate goal. I think that going to the moon is not required before you get to Mars, but it is certainly helpful, and a place where you can learn again to operate at a distance from this planet. I think the goal of getting to Mars for many people is more exciting, but that is an order of magnitude more challenging.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-09-01/how-artemis-1-fits-into-nasas-grand-vision-for-space-exploration | 2022-09-01T17:03:32Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-09-01/how-artemis-1-fits-into-nasas-grand-vision-for-space-exploration | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When Michael Jennings went over to his out-of-town neighbors' house to water their plants, he thought he was just doing a simple, straightforward act of kindness.
But when Jennings, 56, saw that officers from Alabama's Childersburg Police Department had arrived, he knew that the situation would take a turn.
"When they first pulled up, I already knew that it was gonna be something," Jennings said in an interview with NPR.
A longtime pastor at Vision of Abundant Life Church in Sylacauga, Ala., Jennings recalls that, when the police arrived at his neighbors' house, he immediately noticed the officers' behavior.
"[The officer] parked around back and walked around front. And immediately, you could tell by the tone of his voice I was already guilty," he said.
Officers told Jennings they were responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle
Following the officers' arrival, Jennings was arrested and placed in the back of a police cruiser. He was later charged with obstructing government operations, according to a criminal complaint.
"I'm supposed to be here. I'm Pastor Jennings. I live across the street," Jennings told an officer, in newly released body camera footage of his arrest obtained by NPR.
During the 20-minute exchange caught on body camera on May 22, a Childersburg police officer approached Jennings; on camera, the pastor could be seen watering plants in his neighbors' yard.
As seen in the footage, an officer approached Jennings and asked him what he was doing — to which he replied, "Watering flowers."
The officer, who was not identified by authorities, asked Jennings if a car parked in the driveway belonged to him. Jennings responded, saying the car was his neighbor's.
Later, the officer told Jennings that the police were responding to a call involving a "suspicious vehicle" and a suspicious person that's "not supposed to be in the yard." The officer then asked Jennings for his identification.
"Who's saying that?" Jennings asked the officer.
"They called about it. ... I don't know," the officer responded.
The exchange between Jennings and the officer led to shouting, as Jennings told the officers that he had done nothing wrong. After about 10 minutes, Jennings was placed in handcuffs for not providing the officers with his identification.
Following Jennings' arrest and being placed in handcuffs, an unidentified neighbor — the same one who called authorities about Jennings being a "suspicious person" — told the police officers that she recognized him.
"He lives right there, and he would be watering their flowers. This is probably my fault," the neighbor told officers.
But despite the unidentified woman telling officers she indeed knew Jennings, he was still arrested and charged.
Jennings hopes change will come from his experience
While the charges against Jennings were later dismissed by a municipal judge in June, the pastor said he's never experienced anything like his arrest before — and hopes it's an experience nobody else will go through.
"I hope that there are changes, definitely changes, made — from the mayor's office and all through," Jennings said. "I hope to see changes from all over the municipality. Period. From the police department to the mayor's office, I think it needs to be changed."
The Childersburg Police Department did not respond to NPR's multiple emails for a request for comment on the incident.
"Our goal is obviously, justice for [Mr. Jennings] and the situation," said Bethaney Embry Jones, one of the attorneys representing Jennings, in an interview with NPR.
"Because he's a pastor, he has a congregation, he has a following and he has a name. And in this situation, his name was ruined," she added.
Alabama law states that any officer "may stop any person abroad in a public place" if they suspect that the person is committing or has committed a felony or another public offense — and can demand the person's name, address and an explanation of their actions.
However, attorneys for Jennings said in their statement that "Alabama's Stop and Identify Law did not require Pastor Jennings ... to identify himself because he was not in a public place."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-09-01/watering-flowers-while-black-a-pastor-shares-his-story-of-wrongful-arrest | 2022-09-01T17:03:44Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-09-01/watering-flowers-while-black-a-pastor-shares-his-story-of-wrongful-arrest | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Dan Lanning | https://www.klcc.org/tags/dan-lanning | 2022-09-01T17:03:50Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/tags/dan-lanning | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The NZDUSD moved down to a low of 0.60595. That tested the low going back to Jully14 at 0.60599. Lap up and down is complete.
The price is modestly off the low, trading at 0.6064.
Looking at the 5 minute chart below, the high correction off the July low could only reach 0.60736. That corrective high was a short of the Asian session low which saw the pair reach down to 0.60744.
Needless to say not being able to get above that target, keeps the negative/bearish bias still firmly in place. Bouncing off a old low needs to do a little more than that to give the dip buyers some confidence. | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-nzdusd-retests-the-lows-from-julymodest-bounce-but-needs-more-if-the-low-is-in-place-20220901/ | 2022-09-01T17:08:57Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-nzdusd-retests-the-lows-from-julymodest-bounce-but-needs-more-if-the-low-is-in-place-20220901/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The USDCAD moved to a high of 1.3207 today and in the process got within 15 pips of the 2022 high from July at 1.3222. Close but sellers leaned. The price has rotated back down.
That move lower has now seen the price move back to an old trend line at 1.3160 area. That trend line connected highs from September 2021, December 2021, May 2022. In July the trend line was broken, but the day after the break higher, sellers came in near the old trend line. The price rotated lower for the rest of the month and did not bottom again until August.
What now?
If the price action can repeat itself and move back below the old trend line, it would be a catalyst to start a corrective move lower. I would watch a move below the July 15 high at 1.3133 for a confirmation target to get to and throuugh.
Absent that, technically, the buyers are still in control
Key time on the daily chart for the USDCAD. | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-usdcad-is-higher-again-but-some-upside-resistance-20220901/ | 2022-09-01T17:08:58Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/the-usdcad-is-higher-again-but-some-upside-resistance-20220901/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Regional Overview
The weather for the rest of the week and into the Labor Day weekend holiday looks great for getting outdoors. Thunderstorms were expected by midweek, but that potential decreases and the chance for rain is low on through the weekend. Winds might increase daily by mid-day, but will still remain light. Temperatures will be warm and even hot at the lower elevations. That means the angling is best early and late in the day. Overnight temperatures are feeling fall-like at the higher elevations. If camping is your plan this weekend, plan for cool temperatures in the evenings and mornings.
Ranking Categories
H (One fish): to ensure fish dinner go to the local grocery store
HHHHH (Five fish): toss a line and get a fish; the fish aren’t picky
Granite, Crystal and North Crow reservoirs
HHH
The buzz: The fishing is good and is expected to take off even more when cooler weather arrives. It’s an excellent time of year to enjoy some late season camping with more elbowroom. There is a cyanobacterial bloom advisory at the west causeway of Granite Reservoir.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Salmon eggs
Panther martin spinners
Renegades
Adams
Halfbacks
Midges
Ants
Sloans and Absarraca lakes
HH½
The buzz: The fishing is good but remains best early and late. Anglers report having some nice action in the middle of the day when there’s cloud cover.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Worms
Powerbait
Salmon eggs
Marshmallows
Adams
Copper Johns
Renegades
Pole Mountain
HHH
The buzz: The fishing action is fairly lively for the ponds that have good water levels. Plan to hike to the more remote ponds for the best action. The aspen are just starting to turn with a few patches of gold and red appearing already.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Orange scuds
Lightning bugs
Bead head prince nymphs
Elk hair caddis
Grasshoppers
Renegade
Adams
Laramie Plains lakes
HH½
The buzz: The fishing is good across the basin. The action is best at Meebour while it’s also doing quite well at Twin Buttes where the brown trout are getting frisky as they head into the spawning season. There are good reports from Lake Hattie, too, with the best action out on boats. It might be best to avoid Leazenby Lake due to the cyanobacterial bloom advisory there.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Bead head prince nymphs
Bead head hare’s ears
Hot head leeches
Snapping craw
Gisha girl
Circus peanut
Laramie River
HH
The buzz: The river is running quite low by the time it gets to Laramie, but hunt for the deeper pools for some brown trout action.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Bead head prince nymphs
Girdle bugs
Drake bombs
Sparkle worms
Griffith’s gnat
Elk hair caddis
Thin mints
Snowy Range
HHH½
The buzz: The fishing is good to very good all across the Medicine Bow Mountains. Both Lake Owen and Rob Roy Reservoir are fishing well. Expect the brook trout to start moving into the shallows as temperatures continue to drop.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Panther martins
Elk hair caddis
Miracle mile peanut
Vanilla buggers
Bead head zug bugs
North Platte River and Encampment River – Saratoga Valley
HH½
The buzz: The North Platte River is running quite low, as is the Encampment River. The fishing is good in the mornings, but slows by mid-day. The tricos are starting to dwindle but the blue-winged olives are increasing. Get out early or late in the day for the best results.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Tricos
Grasshoppers
Drowned tricos
Mayhems
Possie buggers
Goldies
UV leech
Barr emergers
Bead-head prince nymphs
North Platte River – Grey Reef
HHH½
The buzz: The action at Grey Reef is very good. Grasshoppers are the hot ticket. The flow is steady around 2,500 cubic feet per second and is coming into prime shape for fall angling.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
San Juan worms
Copper Johns
Squirrel nymphs
Hare’s ears
Elk hair caddis
Parachute Adams
Trico spinners
Grasshoppers
North Platte River – Miracle Mile
HHH
The buzz: The Mile is fishing well, but is not as hot as Grey Reef. There is more elbowroom, though, so it is a great option to fish the North Platte with a little solitude. Flows are around 500 cubic feet per second, making for good wading conditions.
Suggested bait, lures and flies:
Pat’s rubber legs
Red and purple San Juan worms
Purple Q-tips
Flash bang midges
Hoppers
Tricos
Bread n’ butter buggers
Circus peanuts
Wheatland Reservoir No. 3
HH
The buzz: The fishing is on the slow side with the water level low. The boat ramp is still usable, though, and those out on boats are having the best luck. An algal bloom is reported at the reservoir and it is most prominent in protected areas. Just keep an eye out to avoid areas where the floating algae are present.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Nightcrawlers
Marshmallows
Woolly worms and buggers (brown, black or olive)
Adams
Halfbacks
Midges
Ants
Glendo
HH½
The buzz: The water level continues to drop at Glendo, as is typical this time of year. Usable boat ramps remain at Reno Cove low water, Whiskey Gulch low water, and the Marina ramps. An algal bloom advisory is still in place and is expected to remain until fall brings cooler temperatures. Be on the lookout, but if you don’t see any blooms the water is safe for people and pets.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Bottom bouncers
Nightcrawlers on worm harnesses
Shad raps in perch and shad
Crankbaits
Blood baits (for catfish in the liver and beef flavors)
Vertical jigging
Grayrocks Reservoir
HH½
The buzz: The walleye fishing is picking up, but remains on the slow side in the middle of the day. Those angling for catfish are having decent action using blood baits.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Worm harnesses with leeches
Nightcrawlers on worm harnesses (gold, silver, burnt orange blades)
Blood baits for catfish (chicken, liver, beef and cheese flavors)
Hawk Springs
HH½
The buzz: Both the walleye and catfish action continues to improve. Go early or late in the day for the best results.
Suggest bait, lures and flies:
Worm harnesses with leeches
Nightcrawlers with worm harnesses (gold, silver, burnt orange blades)
Blood baits (for catfish in the liver and beef flavors)
Cheese
Reservoir levels
Alcova: 98.0% full
Boysen: 90.3% full
Guernsey: 63.0% full
Glendo: 27.4% full
Grey Reef: 87.8% full
Keyhole: 64.6% full
Pathfinder: 33.4% full
Seminoe: 51.9% full
River flows
North Platte River at Northgate: 116 cubic feet per second
North Platte River above Seminoe Reservoir: 245 cfs
North Platte River near Miracle Mile: 542 cfs
North Platte River at Gray Reef: 2,499 cfs
Encampment River near town of Encampment: 28 cfs
Encampment River at Hog Park: 26 cfs
Laramie River near Laramie: 18 cfs
Boat ramp openings
Glendo Reservoir: The Marina, Reno Cove and Whiskey Gulch ramps are open.
Guernsey Reservoir: All ramps are open.
Boysen Reservoir: All ramps are open.
Seminoe Reservoir: All ramps are open. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/outdoors/fishing-report-for-sept-3-2022/article_c2fd615a-2a01-11ed-a3ed-9b95a1d325de.html | 2022-09-01T17:11:47Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/outdoors/fishing-report-for-sept-3-2022/article_c2fd615a-2a01-11ed-a3ed-9b95a1d325de.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ExxonMobil has received a federal permit to inject carbon dioxide for permanent underground storage below public Bureau of Land Management property in southwest Wyoming.
The company will inject up to 60 million cubic feet of CO2 per day from its Shute Creek natural gas processing facility near La Barge, according to the BLM. The greenhouse gas will be stored in a briny portion of the Madison Aquifer some 18,000 feet below the surface in an area that straddles the border between Lincoln and Sweetwater counties.
The permit is a first of its kind for the BLM. The agency issued new guidance in June authorizing underground CO2 storage on BLM-managed lands as part of the Biden administration’s initiatives to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
“This project is a prime example of how the BLM can work together with industry leaders to combat climate change,” Wyoming BLM State Director Andrew Archuleta said in a press release.
The permit is a significant step forward for ExxonMobil’s plans to expand its CO2 capture and sequestration program at Shute Creek, touted as one of the largest in the world. But the Shute Creek CO2 program is not without its critics.
About half the volume of CO2 that’s been captured or separated from the raw natural gas stream at the facility – approximately 120 million tons – has been vented into the atmosphere since it began operations in 1986, according to a March 2022 report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Finance Analysis. About 114 million tons of captured CO2 have been sold for enhanced oil recovery – the process of injecting CO2 into marginal oil fields to produce more oil.
Shute Creek emitted more than 3.4 million tons of CO2 in 2020, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data. If fully implemented, the plan to sequester an additional 60 million cubic feet of CO2 per day – or 1.2 million tons annually – would cut Shute Creek’s CO2 venting by about 35%.
Shute Creek
The Shute Creek gas plant was among the first facilities in the world to separate CO2 from an industrial process for permanent underground storage.
ExxonMobil began selling CO2 to oilfield operators in Colorado and Wyoming, including the Salt Creek oil field near Midwest, in the 1990s.
The company told state regulators it sold an average 207 million cubic feet of CO2 per day in 2007 for enhanced oil recovery but still vented about 200 million cubic per day. The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 2008 pressured ExxonMobil to market more CO2 for enhanced oil recovery as Wyoming oil producers were clamoring to take advantage of high oil prices.
The facility still vents into the atmosphere about half the CO2 it produces, according to IEEFA’s analysis. That’s because the economic model for the Shute Creek carbon capture and utilization relies on high oil prices to shore up demand for the CO2.
“The project has been unable to capture the volumes of CO2 it was designed for, not for technical reasons but for economic reasons,” according to the IEEFA report. “For CCUS projects to be economic, it requires a high oil price, and in several cases, government subsidies.”
The Shute Creek CCUS program qualifies under the “Section 45Q” tax credit for carbon sequestration, which historically allowed for about $50 per ton for geologic storage and $35 per ton for CO2 used in enhanced oil recovery. Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act extend the 45Q tax credit and increase it to $85 per ton for geologic sequestration and $60 per ton for “utilization” of CO2, such as enhanced oil recovery.
The Shute Creek CO2 program remains anything but a climate-friendly endeavor, however, according to IEEFA. That’s because rather than capturing CO2 from industrial processes such as the combustion of fossil fuels, it’s simply moving naturally occurring CO2 from one geologic formation to another while about half is used to produce more oil resulting in human-made CO2 emissions.
“The (Shute Creek) CCUS model should mainly be seen as a subsidy harvesting scheme to prolong the life of the oil and gas industry, not an emission reduction investment,” IEEFA analysts wrote.
Some conservationists consider any additional volumes of CO2 diverted for geologic storage rather than for enhanced oil recovery or venting into the atmosphere as a positive.
“Moving from [enhanced oil recovery] to permanent geological storage on BLM lands is a pretty big shift,” said Wyoming Outdoor Council Conservation Advocate John Burrows.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/exxonmobil-to-store-co2-on-blm-lands/article_eda297ba-2964-11ed-837c-230562559e18.html | 2022-09-01T17:11:52Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/exxonmobil-to-store-co2-on-blm-lands/article_eda297ba-2964-11ed-837c-230562559e18.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A continuous gas-monitoring station operates near Yellowstone National Park’s Norris Geyser Basin. Expansion of continuous gas monitoring is part of a new volcano and earthquake monitoring plan for the Yellowstone caldera system.
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, a consortium of nine regional scientific agencies, has released a new 10-year plan to improve monitoring and hazards assessment of volcanic, hydrothermal and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone Plateau region.
The University of Wyoming, led by Department of Geology and Geophysics professor Ken Sims, is one of the YVO partners along with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Wyoming State Geological Survey, Yellowstone National Park, the University of Utah, the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, the Idaho Geological Survey, Montana State University and the scientific organization UNAVCO.
The Yellowstone volcanic system, formed over the past 2.1 million years by three massive caldera-forming eruptions and many smaller eruptions, is one of the most dynamic parts of the world for volcanic, hydrothermal and earthquake activity.
Albeit quite improbable, the threat of another caldera-forming supereruption — an explosive eruption with a volume of more than 1,000 cubic kilometers, or 240 cubic miles — has serious implications for Earth’s habitability. Such an event would dump significant amounts of ash on large swaths of the United States and have a long-term negative impact on the global climate from ash and gas injected into the stratosphere.
The potential of another supereruption from Yellowstone has drawn media attention and even fear-mongering hype in recent years.
There is no indication that any such activity is imminent, and the magmatic system beneath Yellowstone is mostly solid. But there are still many geological hazards in the region that pose a threat to people and must be monitored.
In an assessment of the threat posed by potentially active volcanoes in the United States, the Yellowstone caldera ranked 21 of the 161 volcanoes considered, based on an assessment of volcanic histories, hazards and potential impacts on surrounding communities and air traffic.
Earthquakes are another hot topic, as the Yellowstone region is one of the most seismically active areas of the United States with an average of 1,500-2,500 temblors a year. Hydrothermal explosions are a concern as well, as they have created large craters inside the park, the most recent just 3,000 years ago.
Smaller hydrothermal explosions, akin to unexpectedly large or uncharacteristic geyser events, occur almost annually and could pose a hazard to anyone who is nearby if the event occurs in any of the thermal areas that are frequented by visitors.
“All of these geologic events have the potential to recur in the Yellowstone region and some, especially small hydrothermal explosions and strong earthquakes, are likely to take place within the coming decades,” the new monitoring plan says.
“The new Yellowstone volcano and earthquake monitoring plan builds upon improvements to monitoring systems in the region while also accounting for new insights into the dynamics of the area’s seismic, volcanic and hydrothermal activity,” said Sims, a National Geographic Explorer who researches volcanoes around the globe and has represented UW on YVO since 2013.
“As such, this new monitoring plan will significantly enhance YVO’s hazards forecasting capabilities, and it also will greatly facilitate scientific advances that will help geologists better understand how the Yellowstone system works,” Sims said.
The 2022-2032 Yellowstone monitoring plan, online at https://tinyurl.com/k2m6zzuh, includes detailed descriptions of existing and planned monitoring systems in the Yellowstone region. In detail, the new monitoring plan has identified two categories of monitoring goals: backbone monitoring and hydrothermal monitoring.
Backbone monitoring refers to the existing and already extensive regionwide surveillance network. While the existing backbone monitoring network is quite strong, over the next decade, YVO will further upgrade and augment both the continuous GPS and seismic monitoring network and the hydrological monitoring program, which tracks the chemistry, flow patterns and physical properties of groundwater, rivers and lakes.
Hydrothermal monitoring, which is a new part of the monitoring plan, refers to tracking hydrothermal activity associated with Yellowstone’s thermal and geyser basins.
To date, continuous monitoring has largely avoided the geyser basins because they are noisy and could obscure the ability to detect regional-scale changes, such as earthquakes and ground deformation.
The potential for hydrothermal explosions is another serious hazard in Yellowstone. Even small steam-driven outbursts, such as the 1989 explosion of Porkchop Geyser, could have serious impacts on anyone nearby.
Volcanologists still do not have a good understanding of whether hydrothermal explosions have measurable precursor signals; therefore, additional monitoring is essential to address this question and help mitigate the impact of such events.
Overall, the new plan calls for:
The addition of digital seismic sensors where only analog systems now exist.
The addition of permanent, continuously recording GPS stations in Norris Geyser Basin and other areas of recognized under-monitored activity.
Expansion of continuous gas monitoring.
Deployment of additional hydrological, environmental and lake monitoring stations.
Improved monitoring of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal systems to help scientists better understand the dynamics of thermal areas and their associated hazards. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/yellowstone-volcano-earthquake-monitoring-plan-updated/article_7d45a9a6-2a01-11ed-a003-2fd997e218a5.html | 2022-09-01T17:11:56Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/yellowstone-volcano-earthquake-monitoring-plan-updated/article_7d45a9a6-2a01-11ed-a003-2fd997e218a5.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DETROIT (AP) - Ford is recalling nearly 200,000 large SUVs in the U.S. because the heating and cooling fan motors can fail and catch fire.
The recall covers Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2015 through 2017 model years.
The Dearborn, Michigan, company says in government documents that it has reports of 25 fires caused by the motors, which are behind the glove box. Thirteen fires were limited to the blower motor area, while 12 involved extensive damage to the SUVs. Three fires damaged structures and one damaged another vehicle.
One person reported injuries to their hand and fingers, and all fire reports indicated that the vehicles were running at the time of the incident, Ford said in documents posted Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The company says it's not telling people to park the SUVs outdoors. It says some customers have reported inoperative fans, burning smells or smoke coming from the vents while the vehicle is on.
Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly at no cost to owners, who will be notified starting Sept. 12. | https://www.wboc.com/news/ford-recalls-suvs-heating-and-cooling-fans-can-catch-fire/article_8f8c21f6-29fe-11ed-b29a-5b15eb572776.html | 2022-09-01T17:12:07Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/ford-recalls-suvs-heating-and-cooling-fans-can-catch-fire/article_8f8c21f6-29fe-11ed-b29a-5b15eb572776.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SALISBURY, Md. - A 50-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years for multiple sex crimes that occurred in Salisbury in early 2021.
Damon Williamson, formerly of Westover, Md., appeared in Wicomico County Circuit Court, on Aug. 23, where he learned his fate from Judge S. James Sarbanes.
On May 5, 2022, Williamson was convicted of kidnapping, second-degree rape, and attempted first-degree rape following a two-day jury trial.
Prosecutors said that in January 2021, Williamson sexually assaulted a woman at the Chesapeake Inn in Salisbury. Then a month later, Williamson reportedly transported two other women from east Salisbury to the area of the city's industrial park for the purpose of sexually assaulting each of them.
At the time of these offenses, Williamson was on parole out of Pennsylvania for convictions for rape, aggravated assault, and burglary. | https://www.wboc.com/news/man-gets-life-in-prison-for-salisbury-sex-crimes/article_eb876478-2a00-11ed-bf0b-ff863fb1dac4.html | 2022-09-01T17:12:13Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/man-gets-life-in-prison-for-salisbury-sex-crimes/article_eb876478-2a00-11ed-bf0b-ff863fb1dac4.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Climbing into a cattle water tank and floating down a river may seem an odd way to spend an afternoon, but in Nebraska “tanking” is a summer pastime.
The tanks, usually metal or plastic and about 8 feet in diameter, provide plenty of room for picnic tables, coolers and entire families.
Now they may include something else: tourists.
Nebraska’s Tourism Commission is pitching tanking as just one reason for people to add the state to their vacation list. The quirkiness goes hand in hand with the state’s tourism slogan: “Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”
While Illinois has Chicago and Missouri the St. Louis Arch, other Midwestern states without obvious destinations – such as Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas – have to work a little harder for tourism dollars.
For example, while the off-beat campaign helped Nebraska boost its pre-pandemic 2019 traveler spending to $3.5 billion, it pales in comparison to Illinois’ 2019 figure of $43.1 billion or Missouri’s $17.7 billion.
Having room to grow isn’t necessarily a problem, according to Dipra Jha, a hospitality business management professor at Washington State University. He said it’s a chance for tourism directors to get more creative with how they draw in visitors.
“These states are true tourism underdogs,” Jha said. “They’re less discovered, so there’s a sense of mystery about them. There’s an opportunity there to find something unique and build a reputation.”
Nebraska tourism director John Ricks said states should lean on eccentricity and unexpected treasures to counteract attitudes of what there is to do in the heartland.
He has his work cut out for him – when Ricks surveyed folks on what they thought of Nebraska, he said it got a bit rude.
“They were almost like knee-jerk responses,” he said. “‘No fun, flat and boring landscape, nothing to do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’”
Iowa and Kansas combat similar beliefs. These states have to go beyond the stock images of skylines, friends laughing in bars and trekking up hiking trails and appeal to travelers who want to discover and explore new places.
“We're just trying to rise above the level of sameness that a lot of tourism spots are, they all start to kind of look the same,” Iowa Tourism’s communications manager Jessica O’Riley said. “So we really wanted to find a way to break through that clutter.”
Iowa advertises its showy state fair, which boasts things like the famous butter cow sculpture, and the Field of Dreams, the site of the movie and more recently, a couple of Major League Baseball games. The state also highlights the biking paths that host RAGBRAI, the annual eight-day bike ride/party across Iowa.
Kansas promotes working ranches that moonlight as bed and breakfasts and its endless sunflower fields. And don’t forget the brisket, said Kansas tourism director Bridgette Jobe.
“Our barbecue stands up to any other barbecue anywhere,” she said. “Everybody has their favorite place and we will fight for that. And I love that, it’s one of those things that makes Kansas very special.”
Those types of perks give people a reason to look past their perceptions and try out the Midwest, Ricks said.
“You have to give people a really good reason why your state is different and intriguing,” he said. “Tell them that part, don’t tell them you got good restaurants and breweries, because those are things everybody has. Give them the unique reason why they should try out Nebraska.”
Jha said this strategy also comes down to using honesty to connect with the right type of tourist. Most visitors aren’t coming to the Midwest to live it up in cities buzzing with bars and shopping centers, and it could seem disingenuous for the heartland to pitch urban amenities.
“People are savvy enough to know what is plastic and what is authentic,” he said. “Highlighting nightlife in your small rural town will not make sense. But highlighting the endless sky and miles and miles of farmland for someone who wants to get out of New York City can be really attractive and authentic.”
Data from the tourism offices show the off-beat marketing may work. Before the pandemic shut down travel, visitor spending had been increasing steadily in each of the three states since 2016.
And O’Riley said once people start exploring Iowa, they’re not talking about “flyover country” anymore.
“We’re seeing that the perception of Iowa is changing. And the likelihood to visit it is increasing as well,” she said. “So we know if we can get Iowa in front of people, their eyes open like, ‘Oh my gosh, I had no idea. There was all this stuff hiding right here, and I just never knew about it.’”
While the pandemic brought tourism to a halt everywhere, a silver lining followed for states with wide open spaces. For people who want to stay away from crowds, get into nature and off of Zoom, the Midwest has lots to offer.
And Midwesterners shouldn’t be shy about talking their states up, Jobe said.
“It's okay for us to tell others how wonderful we are; it's just not in our nature to do so. We know we're a great state,” she said. “We just have never had that ability or that desire to proclaim that to the rest of the world. And we're trying to change that.”
Follow Elizabeth on Twitter: @Ekrembert
This story was produced in partnership with Harvest Public Media, a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest. It reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues. Follow Harvest on Twitter: @HarvestPM | https://www.kcur.org/2022-08-31/midwest-states-kansas-nebraska-iowa-tourism-vacation-getaway-unpretentious | 2022-09-01T17:13:19Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/2022-08-31/midwest-states-kansas-nebraska-iowa-tourism-vacation-getaway-unpretentious | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It’s been three years since Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner asked a St. Louis circuit judge to set aside the 1995 murder conviction of Lamar Johnson.
It was the first exoneration case Gardner’s conviction-integrity unit had brought forth — and a case that prosecutors statewide were watching closely.
But Gardner hit a major roadblock when the judge asked Attorney General Eric Schmitt to intervene.
Schmitt argued all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court that the state’s elected prosecutors don’t have the power to ask for a new trial, even if they have evidence — which Gardner claimed she had — that a person has languished in prison for decades wrongfully.
The state’s highest court sided with Schmitt in March 2021, saying the Missouri legislature had to pass a law creating a pathway for prosecutors to correct wrongful convictions.
Legislators did that last year. But Johnson’s case continued on – until Wednesday.
That’s when Gardner cited the new law to once again file a motion to set aside Johnson’s conviction, claiming that she has “clear and convincing evidence” that he is innocent.
“The circuit attorney cannot, and will not, turn a blind eye to the conviction of an innocent person,” the motion states.
While the new state law gave Gardner and other prosecutors the authority to address wrongful convictions, it also gave the attorney general the power to insert himself into these cases.
Schmitt did that last year when he argued against Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker’s motion last year for Kevin Strickland’s release after 43 years in prison for a triple murder. The attorney general couldn’t immediately be reached for comment regarding Gardner’s new motion.
“We are hopeful that the court will hear our motion,” Gardner said in a statement Wednesday, “and correct this manifest injustice on behalf of Mr. Johnson to strengthen the integrity of our criminal justice system.”
Johnson’s defense team — which includes attorneys from the Midwest Innocence Project and the law firms of Morgan Pilate and Lathrop GPM — echoed the circuit attorney’s sentiment.
“For 27 years, Lamar has waited for justice,” his defense team said in a statement Wednesday. “We hope that today’s detailed motion marks the beginning of the end of Lamar’s road to freedom. We have long said the truth always finds a way, and that Lamar only needed a chance to tell it. The time has finally come.”
The case
Gardner’s 59-page motion recounts the details of Oct. 30, 1994, when Marcus Boyd was shot and killed on his front porch.
Boyd was sitting on the front porch of his apartment with his co-worker Greg Elking, who had come by to repay a small debt he owed Boyd for drugs and to purchase some more drugs.
At the time of the shooting, Leslie Williams, Boyd’s girlfriend, was inside their upstairs apartment tending to their baby. Two black men wearing ski masks — who Gardner is now confident were named Phillip Campbell and James Howard — ran up from the side of the house without warning.
The men shot and killed Boyd, but Elking escaped and ran home.
At the time of the crime, Gardner’s motion says, Johnson and his girlfriend were at their friend’s apartment located at 3907 Lafayette in St. Louis, at least 10 minutes by car from the scene at 3910 Louisiana.
Gardner’s investigators found old files in the Circuit Attorney’s office where the only eye witness, Elking, was allegedly paid more than $4,000 to pick Johnson out of a line up. However, the documentation for these payments was never provided to the defense, even though Johnson’s lawyers requested it repeatedly over the years.
“The fact that Elking, who was suffering from substance abuse and experiencing financial hardship, was being paid as encouragement to cooperate with the police was material evidence,” the motion states.
Elking later wrote a letter to his pastor that confessed to knowing what he did was wrong and trying to atone for his sins. This letter was included in the motion.
The case against Johnson rested on a jailhouse informant, who was a “career petty criminal in a desperate situation,” the motion states, and who agreed to testify against Johnson in exchange for favors – many of which the prosecution allegedly didn’t disclose at trial.
The late Phillip Campbell pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of 7 years, which he served.
In letters seized after Johnson’s conviction, the motion states that Campbell identified the second shooter as James Howard, who lived down the street from Boyd.
Both Campbell and Howard have signed multiple affidavits confirming that they, and not Johnson, killed Boyd.
The new law
The new state law carves out a special role for the attorney general that he didn’t have before, former Missouri Supreme Court judge Mike Wolff told The Independent last year.
“The attorney general is given a lane to drive in,” Wolff said of the new legislation. “But it’s not as big of a lane as he had in the Lamar Johnson case.”
In the circuit courts, the elected prosecutors represent the state. But in the Johnson case, a circuit judge appointed the attorney general’s office to also represent the state, taking that power away from Gardner.
The new legislation states that if a prosecutor files a motion to vacate or set aside a judgment, the attorney general’s office could appear, question witnesses and make arguments at the hearing.
But the attorney general would not be a party in the case, as in the Johnson case, Wolff said.
If the prosecutor wins – as Baker did in Strickland’s case – then that’s the end of the attorney general’s involvement. The prosecuting or circuit attorney would likely not call for a new trial, and the person would go free.
But if the prosecutor loses, they could file an appeal and the attorney general could file a motion to intervene or dismiss the appeal.
It’s unclear what Schmitt will do in response to the new motion in the Lamar Johnson case.
However for decades, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office — whether led by a Republican or Democrat — has had a blanket policy of opposing any requests for relief in wrongful conviction cases.
According to an investigation by the nonpartisan news nonprofit Injustice Watch, the office has opposed calls for relief in nearly every wrongful conviction case that came before it and has been vacated since 2000.
Former Missouri Supreme Court Judge Laura Denvir Stith raised this concern in a concurring opinion in the Lamar Johnson case.
Stith wrote that in the last decade, the Missouri Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals have granted post-conviction relief or issued writs of habeas corpus that have vacated the convictions of more than 10 people.
“In each such case,” she said, “the attorney general opposed relief.”
Stith also said the attorney general had argued that he was “required” to oppose Johnson’s attempts to obtain a hearing on his newly discovered evidence, so he didn’t show bias to Johnson.
“In suggesting it is his duty, and that of the circuit attorney, as representatives of the state, to oppose a request for habeas or similar relief, the attorney general misunderstands the full extent of the prosecution’s role in the justice system,” Stith wrote.
She pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling stating that prosecutors have a “duty to seek justice, not merely to convict.”
Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a network of news outlets supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence.
Copyright 2022 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-01/a-missouri-prosecutor-asks-court-to-free-lamar-johnson-after-27-years-wrongfully-imprisoned | 2022-09-01T17:13:25Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-01/a-missouri-prosecutor-asks-court-to-free-lamar-johnson-after-27-years-wrongfully-imprisoned | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HAYS, KANSAS — Kansas farmers battered by drought and heat now have more weather to worry about — in outer space.
An expected surge in solar flares over the next several years will likely send massive bursts of radiation hurtling toward our atmosphere. And that would threaten satellite signals.
That matters to farmers because much of the technology that has made modern farms increasingly efficient relies on those satellites, particularly global positioning systems, or GPS.
So even just a short time without GPS could come with a steep cost for Midwestern farmers.
“It could be, easily, a billion-dollar loss of efficiency even for two days,” Kansas State University agricultural economist Terry Griffin said. “The likelihood of that occurring is fairly good enough to where really smart people are concerned about it.”
A new study from Griffin and a team of other researchers from institutions such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center came up with that $1 billion figure based on a potential widespread GPS outage that would hit farming at a critical time — such as corn planting season in the spring — across the Midwest.
On a smaller scale, solar energy from 90 million miles away already degrades satellite signals on a regular basis.
Weston McCary, technology projects coordinator for the Kansas Water Office based in Colby, Kansas, said he has commonly seen solar radiation disable satellites for 20 minutes to an hour.
“These systems are vulnerable to this solar activity,” McCary said. “It’s not if. It’s when.”
A geomagnetic storm in our atmosphere caused by a solar flare took out 40 Starlink satellites earlier this year. Increased solar activity this summer has sped the downfall of some European Space Agency satellites.
And as scientists expect solar activity to ramp up in the coming years, those outages could become longer and more frequent.
“You can’t predict if it’s going to be 20 minutes or 20 days,” McCary said. “(But) we should expect it to happen, because it’s just fact.”
Staring at the sun
So why are experts worried about space weather impacting farm technology now? Timing.
Centuries of astronomical records show that solar flares happen in a cyclical pattern, with the intensity and frequency peaking roughly every 11 years.
Solar activity is now ramping up toward its next peak. And the current solar cycle is already looking more intense than the previous 11-year period.
The other piece of timing that concerns experts is how much more GPS has been integrated into the lives of farmers — and people in general — since the last time solar activity peaked several years ago.
"It could be, easily, a billion-dollar loss of efficiency." Terry Griffin, Kansas State University precision agriculture economist
More than two-thirds of Kansas grain farms now use GPS to steer their tractors. That helps farmers plant expensive seed in exact rows without unintentionally overlapping them.
About half of farms use GPS to map their harvest yields, which gives them valuable data about what they should plant in future seasons. Another quarter of farms use GPS mapping to pinpoint the amount of fertilizer they apply to each part of their land.
And the loss of those efficient practices multiplied across hundreds of thousands of Midwestern farms would quickly add up.
“When you’re looking at how much money goes into an ag operation on a daily basis,” McCary said, “when the wheels stop turning, things get expensive real fast.”
Integrating GPS into farming isn’t a bad thing, McCary said. It’s an essential element of the precision agriculture movement — farmers using satellite guidance, data and maps to conserve resources and save money. GPS can also help western Kansas farmers avoid wasting water from the dwindling Ogallala Aquifer when they irrigate.
But the more integrated technology becomes with farming, the more the sudden loss of that technology would hurt.
“Could it still be done manually? Absolutely,” McCary said. “Would it be as efficient? No. Would it cost us some money as an economy of scale? Absolutely.”
Plan B
Agriculture wouldn’t be the only part of life impacted by this type of celestial event. If GPS goes down on the farm, chances are it’ll go down in people’s cars too. It could even potentially disable cell phones and power grids.
And satellites’ impact on the farm goes well beyond GPS-guided tractors.
The U.S. agriculture industry relies on the overhead photos they take of cropland to assess the impact of insects and drought. Ranchers can use collars fitted with transmitters and sensors to track their livestock’s movements. Some farmers in remote areas without broadband depend on satellites for their internet connection.
“When you’re looking at how much money goes into an ag operation on a daily basis ... when the wheels stop turning, things get expensive real fast.” Weston McCary, Kansas Water Office technology projects coordinator
But even in a worst-case scenario where farmers lose access to GPS for a long period, McCary said, it doesn’t mean agriculture would automatically go back to the stone age.
He’s optimistic that farmers could fall back on ground-based radio positioning technology they used a couple of decades ago. Or just eyeball it.
“That’s how we’ve been planting corn for the better part of 100 years,” McCary said. “So the average farmer, especially the older gentlemen … they would have no problem getting right back out there.”
But the reality is that a lot of people — not just farmers — aren’t even aware of the possibility of a cosmic event disrupting the technology they’ve grown to depend on.
Griffin, the K-State farm economist, has traveled the state talking with farmers about this issue for more than a decade. He said most folks are hearing about it for the first time. But farmers have been receptive when he presents the science, he said, so there’s some momentum for building awareness.
The first step for farmers, Griffin said, is to figure out how they could keep their operation running temporarily without GPS so they aren’t caught off guard. Maybe talk with their financial advisors and equipment dealers to discuss back-up options.
It’s like keeping a spare tire and jack in the back of your car. Even if you don’t anticipate getting a flat tire each time you go for a drive, you know it’ll happen eventually. And when it does, you want to be ready.
“We cannot control solar activity as humans,” Griffin said. “But what we can do is try to make a plan.”
David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @davidcondos.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of High Plains Public Radio, Kansas Public Radio, KCUR and KMUW focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.
Copyright 2022 High Plains Public Radio. To see more, visit High Plains Public Radio. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-01/how-weather-in-outer-space-could-cost-midwestern-farmers-1-billion | 2022-09-01T17:13:31Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-01/how-weather-in-outer-space-could-cost-midwestern-farmers-1-billion | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government on Thursday called on Washington to repeal its technology export curbs after chip designer Nvidia Corp. said a new product might be delayed and some work might be moved out of China.
The latest controls add to mounting U.S.-Chinese tension over technology and security. American officials say they need to limit the spread of technology that can be used to make weapons.
Nvidia said it was told Friday it needs a U.S. government license to export any product with performance equal to its A100 graphics processing chips or better to China, Hong Kong or Russia. It said buyers of the A100 and development of the newer H100 might be affected.
China's Commerce Ministry accused Washington of abusing export controls to limit semiconductor sales to China. It said trade curbs would disrupt supply chains and global economic recovery.
“China firmly opposes this,” said a ministry spokesperson, Shu Jueting. “The U.S. side should immediately stop its erroneous practices, treat companies from all countries equally, including from China, and do more to contribute to world economic stability.”
U.S. officials increasingly worry about Chinese technology development as both a strategic threat and a potential challenge to American industrial leadership.
Washington has tightened controls and lobbied allies to limit Chinese access to the most advanced chips and tools to develop its own. China is spending heavily to develop its fledgling producers but cannot make high-end chips used in the most advanced smartphones and other devices.
Nvidia said it may be required to “transition certain operations out of China.” The company said it was asking the U.S. government for exemptions for its development and support activities.
It said it would try to meet Chinese customer needs with products that aren’t subject to license requirements. It said the company may seek a license for customers that need them but “has no assurance” the U.S. government will agree.
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By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer
Read the Top 8
Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday. | https://www.courthousenews.com/china-demands-us-drop-tech-export-curbs-after-nvidia-warning/ | 2022-09-01T17:16:23Z | courthousenews.com | control | https://www.courthousenews.com/china-demands-us-drop-tech-export-curbs-after-nvidia-warning/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (CN) — The Supreme Court’s approval ratings have been declining over the past few years, but a recent plummet in the high court’s favorability is overwhelmingly coming from Democrats who report that they consider the court a conservative powerhouse.
The Pew Research Center released the numbers Thursday, finding that Americans have a more negative view of the Supreme Court today as compared with their views at any time in the last three decades. That low rating is heavily driven by Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Only 28% of Democrats view the high court favorably according to the new August poll. This number is down 18 percentage points since January and almost 40 points since 2020.
“This is a really striking decline in the court's favorability rating and overall views of the court in a relatively short period of time, and virtually all this has been driven by change among Democrats,” Carroll Doherty, director of political research at Pew, said in a phone call. “Democrats, by and large, have become much more critical of the Supreme Court than they've ever been in the last two or three decades plus. It's a rather extraordinary shift in a pretty short period of time.”
The decline in favorability from Democrats coincides with the court’s landmark rulings on abortion, gun rights, and climate in the last term. Republicans nudged a somewhat similar decline in 2015 when the court upheld the right to same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges.
“The court's decisions this term, and in particular its decision on abortion, had a great impact on especially Democratic views of the court,” Doherty said. “I mean, the best parallel to this would be the same-sex marriage ruling in 2015 when ratings of the court went down among Republicans, but it wasn't quite as stark or dramatic as we're seeing among Democrats today.”
Another insight from the study is that Democrats are largely just as angry now as they were in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. A survey by Pew conducted between June 27 and July 4 showed that 82% of Democrats disagreed with the court’s decision.
“In our polling and other polling, Americans don't tend to pay a great deal of attention to the work of the court in most years unless there's a major decision,” Doherty said. “Well, this was a very, very important decision, obviously, and it really did galvanize the public, especially Democrats, in a way that we haven't seen in quite a while.”
Republicans showed a moderate increase in favorability of the court, increasing their approval by 8 percentage points from polling at the start of the year.
Overall, only 48% of Americans view the court favorably, with 49% holding an unfavorable view.
“For most of these three decades of polling, we've seen the Supreme Court have a net favorable rating, meaning its favorable ratings were greater than its unfavorable rating,” Doherty said. “Now, today, it's about 50/50.”
The new polling shows favorability of the court is highest among men at 52%, whereas a majority of women — 51% — viewed the court as unfavorable. Almost half of white Americans viewed the court favorably, but a majority of Black adults — 59% — held an unfavorable view of the court. Younger Americans — those under 30 — had the lowest favorability rating of the court at 32%, while the majority of older Americans — adults ages 50 and above — approved of the court.
Partisan divides between Americans' views on the Supreme Court have also exploded in the last few years. Views of the court between Democrats and Republicans are separated by 45 percentage points — wider than any time over the last 35 years. Experts say this is an unprecedented gap between Democrats and Republicans' views on the court.
“Partisan divisions have grown in the country over the last few decades,” Doherty said. “We've documented that on a number of issues and in a number of ways, but this is the largest gap we've ever seen on the court — in fact, larger than we saw in the wake of that controversial 2015 decision on same-sex marriage.”
While most issues in American politics are becoming increasingly more partisan, this marks a stark moment for an institution that is supposed to be driven by the rule of law and not politics. Democrats who think the justices are allowing their rulings to be influenced by politics increased to 51%.
“What we found even before this decision was that a lot of Americans thought it was very important that the courts not be influenced by politics,” Doherty said.
He continued: “The share of Democrats who say the court does a poor job of keeping politics out of their decisions has about doubled since January from 26% to 51%. I think that's reflected in this overall favorability rating that they see the court is influenced by politics, and its a political direction that Democrats obviously don't like.”
Republicans meanwhile felt increasingly — from 21% to 33% — that the justices did a good job of keeping their politics separate from their rulings.
Almost half of Americans see the court as conservative — an increase over the last two years. For Democrats that number rises to 66%, with only 25% viewing the court as “middle of the road.”
The poll also shows a growing number of Americans who think the high court holds too much power. About half of the public thinks the court holds an appropriate amount of power, but the number of Americans who think the court is too powerful grew by 15 percentage points since January to 45%.
Democrats' views on the court’s power have also shifted dramatically over the past two years. In August 2020, 23% of Democrats said the court held too much power. That number rose to 40% in January but now has jumped to 64%.
The publics’ perception of the court has entered a new era, polling experts say. Previously, disagreements over the high court’s rulings did not usually translate so starkly to their favorability overall.
“This was kind of a new moment for the court in some ways vis-à-vis the public. … It's hard to know whether this reaction will fade over time, but certainly it's very intense right now,” Doherty said. “With the conservative majority on the court, one can anticipate decisions, possibly, that Democrats might disagree with in the future, and this may just cement the low rating that the court has among Democrats.”
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Math and reading scores for America’s 9-year-olds fell dramatically during the first two years of the pandemic, according to a new federal study — offering an early glimpse of the sheer magnitude of the learning setbacks dealt to the nation's children.
Reading scores saw their largest decrease in 30 years, while math scores had their first decrease in the history of the testing regimen behind the study, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the U.S. Education Department.
The declines hit all regions of the country and affected students of most races. But students of color saw some of the steepest decreases, widening the racial achievement gap.
Much of the nation's standardized testing didn't happen during the early days of the pandemic, so the findings released Thursday gave an early look at the impact of pandemic learning disruptions. Broader data is expected to be released later this year as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card.
“These are some of the largest declines we have observed in a single assessment cycle in 50 years of the NAEP program,” said Daniel McGrath, the acting associate commissioner of NCES. “Students in 2022 are performing at a level last seen two decades ago.”
The study reflects two years of upheaval in American education as schools shut down for months at a time amid Covid-19 outbreaks. Many students spent a year or more learning from home, and virus outbreaks among staff and students continued the disruption even after kids returned to the classroom.
In math, the average score for 9-year-old students fell 7 percentage points between 2020 and 2022, according to the study. The average reading score fell 5 points.
The pandemic's upheaval especially hurt students of color. Math scores dropped by 5 percentage points for white students, compared with 13 points for Black students and 8 points for Hispanic students. The divide between Black and white students widened by 8 percentage points during the pandemic.
Decreases were more uniform in reading: Scores dropped 6 points for white, Black and Hispanic students.
For Asian American students, Native American students and students of two or more races, there was little change in reading or math between 2020 and 2022, the study found.
Geographically, all regions saw decreases in math, but declines were slightly worse in the Northeast and Midwest compared with the West and South. Outcomes were similar for reading, except that the West had no measurable difference compared with 2020.
Although it marks a sharp drop since 2020, the average reading score was 7 points higher than it was in 1971, and the average math score was 15 points higher than in 1978, the study found.
Overall, the results paint a “sobering picture” of schooling during the pandemic, said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the NCES.
Federal officials say this is the first nationally representative study to compare student achievement before the pandemic and in 2022, when most students had returned to in-person learning. Testing was completed in early 2020, soon before the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic, and in early 2022.
___
By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer
The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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BEIJING (AP) — The U.N. accused China of serious human rights violations that may amount to “crimes against humanity” in a long-delayed report examining a crackdown on Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups. Beijing on Thursday denounced the assessment as a fabrication cooked up by Western nations.
Human rights groups have accused China of sweeping a million or more people from the minority groups into detention camps where many have said they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to abandon their language and religion. The camps were just one part of what the rights organizations have called a ruthless campaign against extremism in the far western province of Xinjiang that also included draconian birth control policies and all-encompassing restrictions on people's movement.
The assessment from the Geneva-based U.N. human rights office largely corroborated earlier reporting by researchers, advocacy groups and the news media, and it added the weight of the world body to the conclusions. But it was not clear what impact it would have.
Still, among Uyghurs who have fled overseas, there was a palpable sense of relief that the report had finally seen the light of day since many worried that it would never be published. Several saw it as a vindication of their cause and of years of advocacy work.
“The report is pretty damning, and a strong indictment on China’s crimes against humanity,” said Rayhan Asat, a Uyghur lawyer whose brother is imprisoned in Xinjiang. “For years, the Chinese government has said the Uyghurs are terrorists. Now, we can point to them and say, you’re the terrorists.”
Human rights groups, Japan and Germany also quickly welcomed the report, which had become caught up in a tug-of-war between China and major Western nations as well as human rights groups that have criticized the repeated delays in releasing the document. Many Geneva diplomats believe it was nearly complete a year ago.
The assessment released late Wednesday concluded that China has committed serious human rights violations under its anti-terrorism and anti-extremism policies and calls for “urgent attention” from the U.N., the world community and China itself to address them.
Human rights groups renewed calls for the U.N. Human Rights Council, which meets next month, to set up an independent international body to investigate the allegations. But China showed no sign of backing off its blanket denials or portraying the criticism as a politicized smear campaign.
“The assessment is a patchwork of false information that serves as political tools for the U.S. and other Western countries to strategically use Xinjiang to contain China," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. "It again shows that the U.N. Human Rights Office has been reduced to an enforcer and accomplice of the U.S. and other Western countries.”
In a sign of China’s fury, it issued a 122-page rebuttal, entitled "Fight against Terrorism and Extremism in Xinjiang: Truth and Facts," that was posted by the U.N. along with the report.
The U.N. findings were drawn in part from interviews with more than two dozen former detainees and others familiar with conditions at eight detention centers. They described being beaten with batons, interrogated while water was poured on their faces and forced to sit motionless on smalls stools for long periods.
Some said they were prevented from praying — and were made to take shifts through the night to ensure their fellow detainees were not praying or breaking other rules. Women told of being forced to perform oral sex on guards or undergo gynecological exams in front of large groups of people. | https://www.courthousenews.com/to-chinas-fury-un-accuses-beijing-of-uyghur-rights-abuses/ | 2022-09-01T17:16:43Z | courthousenews.com | control | https://www.courthousenews.com/to-chinas-fury-un-accuses-beijing-of-uyghur-rights-abuses/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(CN) — Ukrainian forces on Thursday were on the offensive for a fourth day as fierce fighting was reported on several fronts, even in the vicinity of a war-damaged nuclear power plant where a team of international inspectors was assessing the facility's status.
On Monday, Ukraine launched a long-awaited counteroffensive in a bid to recapture Kherson, a strategic port city on the Black Sea that fell under Russian control in early March.
By Thursday, it appeared Kyiv was attempting to mount offensives elsewhere on the front lines, where the most intense fighting extends some 500 miles from around Kharkiv near the border with Russia all the way to the Black Sea.
In a big development, a team of experts with the International Atomic Energy Agency reached the endangered Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station on Thursday and began inspections. Their trip to Zaporizhzhia was fraught with perils and delays as Ukrainian and Russian forces battled nearby.
On Thursday, Russia even claimed it repelled a river attack on the nuclear plant by dozens of Ukrainian troops sent by barge and boats across a reservoir on the Dnieper River where the nuclear site is located. Ukraine denied any such attack and accused Russia of conducting “false flag” operations to make it seem like Ukraine was endangering the nuclear station.
For weeks, both sides have accused each other of shelling the Zaporizhzhia station and raising the risk of a disastrous radiation leak. Last week, the station temporarily lost power. Ukraine accuses Russia of using the facility as a military staging area. The United Nations is calling for the plant to be demilitarized.
By late Thursday, the IAEA had not provided any assessment of the situation at Zaporizhzhia. Its inspectors wanted to speak with staff operating the facility. It is being run by Ukrainian workers who are overseen by Russian nuclear experts and commanders.
The Zaporizhzhia station is perilously located on the front lines of Ukraine's military focus, which is in the south where it is trying to seize the city of Kherson. The success of Ukraine's offensive is unclear, though Western military experts and officials said they had made some advances.
Kyiv has ordered an information blackout over its operations and curtailed even Western media reports. This has made it even more difficult to assess Ukraine's battlefield successes near Kherson.
Russian officials and sources, meanwhile, claim the offensive has been a failure and cost Ukraine heavy losses in soldiers and equipment. Russia sources have distributed videos showing destroyed Ukrainian tanks, dead soldiers and a line of screaming ambulances in nearby Odesa.
Western media have reported that the Pentagon helped “war game” the southern operation and that recent U.S. arms shipments were delivered specifically to aid Ukraine's offensive.
Increasingly, the war in Ukraine is seen as a proxy war between the United States and its NATO allies against Russia. The conflict between the West and Russia continues to intensify and expand too.
This week, the White House alleged Russia has begun receiving surveillance drones from Iran, something the Kremlin has denied. A pro-Russian leader in Ukraine alleged that Kyiv has received long-range missiles from the Pentagon. Until now, the U.S. has said it is supplying Ukraine only with medium-range rockets to prevent Kyiv from striking targets inside Russian territory.
This is a developing story ….
Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.
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HARRISBURG, Pa. — As Braylon Price remembers it, he struggled with pretty much everything the first full school year of the pandemic. With minimal guidance and frequent disruptions, he had trouble staying on top of assignments and finishing homework on time.
It was so rocky his parents asked for him to repeat sixth grade — a decision they credit with getting him on a better track.
“At first I didn’t really want to do it,” said Braylon, now 13. “But then later in the year I thought it would probably be better for me if I did.”
The number of students held back for a year of school has surged around the country. Traditionally, experts have said repeating a grade can hurt kids social lives and academic futures. But many parents, empowered by new pandemic-era laws, have asked for do-overs to help their children recover from the tumult of remote learning, quarantines and school staff shortages.
Twenty-four of the 28 states that provided data for the most recent academic year saw an increase in the number of students who were held back, according to an Associated Press analysis. Three states — South Carolina, West Virginia and Delaware — saw retention more than double.
Pennsylvania, where the Price family lives, passed a pandemic-era law allowing parents to elect to have a redo for their kids. The following year, the number of retained students in the state jumped by about 20,000, to over 45,000 students.
Braylon's mother has no regrets about taking advantage of the new law.
“Best decision we could have made for him,” said Kristi Price, who lives in Bellefonte, in central Pennsylvania.
While the family's two daughters managed to keep up with school despite limited supervision, Braylon struggled. He went back to in-person school for the first full academic year of the pandemic but it was "wishy-washy," his mother said. Students were quarantined on and off, and teachers tried to keep up with students learning at home, online, and in hybrid models. That winter, Braylon suffered a spinal cord injury from wrestling that forced him to go back to remote learning.
On his repeat of sixth grade, Braylon had an individualized education program that helped him build more focus. Having more one-on-one attention from teachers helped too. Socially, he said the transition was easy, since most of his friends had been in lower grades or attended different schools already.
Research in the education world has been critical of making students repeat grades.
The risk is students who’ve been retained have a two-fold increased risk of dropping out, said Arthur Reynolds, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Human Capital Research Collaborative, citing studies of students in Chicago and Baltimore.
“Kids see it as punishment,” Reynolds said. “It reduces their academic motivation, and it doesn’t increase their instructional advancement.”
But backers of retention say none of the research was conducted in a pandemic, when many children wrestled with Zoom lessons and some stopped logging in entirely.
“So many children have struggled and have had a lot of problems,” said Florida state Sen. Lori Berman, a Delray Beach Democrat. Berman authored a law aimed at making it easier for parents to ask for kindergarten to fifth graders to repeat a grade in the 2021-22 school year. “I don’t think there is any stigma to holding your child back at this point.”
Generally, parents can ask for children to be held back, but the final decision is up to principals, who make decisions based on factors including academic progress. California and New Jersey also passed laws that made it easier for parents to demand their children repeat a grade, although the option was only available last year.
In suburban Kansas City, Celeste Roberts decided last year for another round of second grade for her son, who she said was struggling even before the pandemic. When virtual learning was a bust, he spent the year learning at a slower pace with his grandmother, a retired teacher who bought goats to keep things fun.
Roberts said repeating the year helped her son academically and his friends hardly noticed.
“Even with peers, some of them were like, ‘Wait, shouldn’t you be in third grade?’ And he’s just like, ‘Well, I didn’t go to school because of COVID,’” she said. “And they’re kind of like, ‘OK, cool.’ You know, they move on. It’s not a thing. So it’s been really great socially. Even with the parent circles. Everybody’s just like, ‘Great. Do what your kid needs to do.’”
Ultimately, there shouldn’t be just two options of repeating a grade or going on to the next, said Alex Lamb, who has been looking at research on grade retention as part of her work with the Center for Education, Policy Analysis, Research and Evaluation at the University of Connecticut to help advise school districts.
“Neither of those options are good,” she said. “A great option is letting students move on, and then introducing some of these supports that are research-backed, that are effective and that allow for academic and social-emotional growth of students and then communities.”
In Pennsylvania's Fox Chapel Area School District, two students were retained at the behest of educators, while eight families decided their students would repeat a grade. Another six discussed the new legislation with the school and ultimately decided against holding their students back.
“As a school district, we take retention very seriously,” Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said. She said the district involves parents, a team of educators, school counselors and principals to help decide what is best for each child.
Price says Braylon's retention helped him obtain an individualized education program, or IEP. The special ed plan gave him more support as he navigated sixth grade again. When he thinks about the difference between rounds one and two of sixth grade, Braylon said he felt like the extra support was instrumental, noting he likes having one-on-one aid from teachers sometimes.
“In online school, you didn’t really do that,” he said. "You did the work and then you just turned it in.”
He doesn’t want to be given the answer, he said, but guided enough that he can figure it out on his own.
“I think because of the pandemic, we, as parents, were able to see how much he was struggling and we were able to recognize that he was barely keeping his head above water, and that he needed more help in order to be successful on his own,” Price said. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/repeating-grades-post-pandemic/507-31b768d1-b827-41ae-b0b6-130314946b4e | 2022-09-01T17:19:22Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/repeating-grades-post-pandemic/507-31b768d1-b827-41ae-b0b6-130314946b4e | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
An Instagram post with more than 180,000 likes claims a recent Instagram update endangered its users by allowing other people to find their exact location.
It urges readers to turn off a setting called “precise location” that people can find in their phone’s settings for Instagram. The post explains that if the setting is on, any geolocated posts or stories will tag the person’s specific location, usually within 20 feet.
“If ‘precise location’ is OFF, it will only tag the location you tag e.g. the city you tag or restaurant or park etc.,” the post’s caption reads.
Other versions of the claim were shared through Instagram posts and stories, like one actress and paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy posted to her story, claiming that this precise location setting will reveal your exact location, even if you tag your post with a general location like a city.
THE QUESTION
Does an Instagram update change how precise your location appears to other people?
THE SOURCES
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram
THE ANSWER
No, a new Instagram update does not change how precise your location appears to other people. You control how your location appears in your posts, regardless of your settings, and recent smartphone updates actually give you the option to share less precise location information with apps like Instagram.
WHAT WE FOUND
“Precise location” is a setting smartphones first introduced for all apps, including Instagram, in 2020. The setting did not make Instagram’s location settings or location settings on any other app more precise; instead, the setting gave users the ability to make apps’ location tracking less precise by toggling off the feature.
The setting the viral post refers to was added to iPhones with iOS 14 in 2020, and to Android phones with Android 12 in 2021.
Prior to these updates, location sharing was all or nothing. Smartphones sent all apps with location permissions the same location data, whether it was for a social media app or GPS. This means an app like Instagram got the same precise location information needed to run an app like Google Maps.
But after the update, the ability to turn off the precise location setting allowed people to deny apps this level of specificity, giving phone users an option to share a generalized, but not precise location, with apps like Instagram. When people turn off “precise location” for an app, but still give the app location permissions, the app instead receives your approximate location.
Google explains that an app with approximate location permissions can tell that your phone is in an area of about three square kilometers. That’s a little more than a square mile. Google says precise location permissions will give an app your “exact location.”
More from VERIFY: Facebook does not have a lottery promotion. This is a common scam.
Instagram’s help pages say users can add locations to posts by selecting “Add Location” and then clicking a suggested location or searching for a location. Users can only select existing locations, and cannot add new locations to their posts.
When you post to Instagram either via phone or desktop computer, you can add a location. If you’ve granted Instagram location permissions, you will see a number of suggested locations you can select. These locations are often businesses, communal spaces, landmarks or neighborhoods. If precise location is turned on, many of the suggestions will be more specific to locations near you.
But you can also search for a location to tag, and you have this option when precise location is turned on, when precise location is turned off and even when all location settings are turned off entirely. You can still search for all of the same locations that Instagram will suggest to you.
That means you have the option to tag your posts with an exact address regardless if precise location is on or if it is off, and you can even tag your posts with an exact address even if you have location settings turned off entirely. And the changes to phone settings still don’t change the fact that you can opt out of adding a location altogether, in which case no location will appear on your post.
“Similar to other social media companies, we use precise location for things like location tags and map features,” Instagram said on its Creators Instagram account and on its Instagram Comms Twitter account. “People can manage Location Services via their device settings, and tag locations on their posts if they want to share that information.”
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, echoed these posts.
“Location Services is a device setting on your phone, not a new feature from Instagram, and it powers things like location tags,” he said. “We don’t share your location with other people.”
Instagram does have a map that users can access by clicking on a post’s or story’s geotag, but this does not share your current location, even if you have precise location turned on.
The map does not track individuals, and your location will not update as you move from place to place. Tapping a pin only shows the public posts tagged with that particular geolocation.
Still, it’s not a bad idea to turn off precise location, or even location permissions as a whole, on Instagram, just for privacy’s sake.
You can turn off, or turn on, precise location permissions by going to your phone’s settings. There should be a page for location settings, and then another page for app location permissions, where you can select Instagram or any other app to then turn off precise location permissions or all location permissions entirely.
You can make your account private — meaning that your geotagged posts won’t appear on Instagram’s map — by toggling it in your account’s privacy settings.
More from VERIFY: No, deepfake videos and images can’t unlock your smartphone | https://www.krem.com/article/news/verify/social-media/instagram-doesnt-share-precise-location-publicly/536-14a75f19-84a6-433c-830a-3854d9ede146 | 2022-09-01T17:19:41Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/verify/social-media/instagram-doesnt-share-precise-location-publicly/536-14a75f19-84a6-433c-830a-3854d9ede146 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEATTLE — Travel at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is heating up ahead of what's expected to be a busy Labor Day weekend.
The Port of Seattle is forecasting travel to be up 10% compared to last year.
Some off-duty Delta pilots are planning to picket in major U.S. cities across the country Thursday calling for a new labor contract.
That includes Seattle with pilots expected to line International Boulevard starting at 10:30 a.m.
The Thursday morning picket marks the second time pilots have picketed this summer. The last time was in June.
First officer Laura Woods, a Delta pilot and spokesperson for the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), said their negotiators have made some progress, but the big issues remain unresolved.
"Our pilots have picked up record amounts of overtime throughout the summer," Woods said. "It's been an exhausting summer. Everyone worked really hard. And as the public knows, we still had a lot of cancellations."
Specifics about negotiations are private, but pilots are calling for an industry-leading contract that includes better schedules and more pay.
In response to the picket, Delta said in a statement:
“This year, ALPA has organized several informational picketing events at various airports to bring attention to what they see as shortcomings in the pilot contract and share their concerns with pilot schedules. These exercises by some of our off-duty pilots do not disrupt our operation for our customers. ALPA’s stated purpose of picketing is simply to gain leverage at the negotiating table."
Atlanta-based Delta reported no cancellations at Sea-Tac and three flight delays as of Thursday morning.
Woods also said this latest picket could see a record-setting number of pilots not just from Delta, but from other airlines as well. | https://www.krem.com/article/travel/delta-pilots-picket-major-us-cities-seattle-labor-day-weekend/281-74fd5bef-5f4c-44e4-afb4-d1b37edc8f1e | 2022-09-01T17:19:47Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/travel/delta-pilots-picket-major-us-cities-seattle-labor-day-weekend/281-74fd5bef-5f4c-44e4-afb4-d1b37edc8f1e | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A 13-year-old Florida boy who has been fighting a brain-eating amoeba for more than two months was flown to Chicago for continued treatment.
Caleb Ziegelbauer and his family left Tampa International Airport on for Chicago on Wednesday afternoon. His mom, Jesse Ziegelbauer, is hopeful that her son will pull through.
“Caleb is brave. Caleb is strong. Caleb is a fighter. Caleb is young. Caleb is healthy. Caleb has a brain capable of healing,” Jesse Ziegelbauer said. “He is made of pure grit and determination and it is exactly that which we are banking on to wake him up.”
Caleb got sick after his family took a trip to Port Charlotte Beach on July 1, NBC affiliate WBBH reported at the end of July. It took a week before the boy started showing symptoms, including headaches and hallucinations. He later ended up in the emergency room.
Doctors told Caleb’s parents they believed an amoeba, known as Naegleria fowleri, had entered the 13-year-old’s body through his nose and reached his brain.
Naegleria fowleri is typically found in warm freshwater, as well as soil, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts said the amoeba enters through a person’s nose when tainted water enters the nasal cavities. It typically happens while a person is swimming.
Brain-eating amoeba are not spread through person-to-person contact, but can be highly fatal to those who contract it. Victims develop a condition called “primary amebic meningoencephalitis.” The CDC said the fatality rate is over 97%, and only four people with confirmed cases are known to have survived.
“We won’t dwell on the last two months. We move forward, we continue to heal,” Jesse Ziegelbauer said. “And we couldn’t do without the help of our community, our family — all of you.”
Jet ICU, the air ambulance service that transported Caleb from Tampa to Chicago, flies seven aircraft, operating the largest long-range air ambulance fleet in North America. The accredited Tampa-based company also flies globally.
“He’s already fought one of the hardest, rarest diseases there are,” Jared Wayt of Jet ICU said of Caleb. “Jet ICU’s not gonna let a couple-hour flight up to Chicago stop his recovery.” | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/nexstar-media-wire/florida-boy-in-months-long-battle-against-rare-brain-eating-amoeba/ | 2022-09-01T17:20:24Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/nexstar-media-wire/florida-boy-in-months-long-battle-against-rare-brain-eating-amoeba/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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