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The young Scottish classical guitarist Sean Shibe defies expectations. His new album is titled Lost & Found – and one thing he apparently lost was his traditional, nylon-strung classical guitar. What he found instead was a sleek black Mexican Fender Stratocaster.
The album is a fully plugged-in affair, without a trace of the standard Spanish classics or Bach transcriptions many guitarists thrive on. Instead, Shibe artfully gathers over a millennium's worth of compositions, which, on the surface, may seem like odd bedfellows.
And if you think electric guitars are only for shredding and blasting big noise, think again. In Shibe's arrangement of "Peace Piece," by jazz pianist Bill Evans, the textures are gauzy and the colors are muted. I've rarely heard an electric guitar sound so featherlight.
The 30-year-old Edinburgh native, who studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, likes to keep his listeners on their toes. Last year, he released an album of Iberian and French music that glowed with crepuscular introspection. On the cover, Shibe appeared monk-like with a freshly shorn head. The booklet photos showed him, clippers in hand, lopping off his thick locks.
Lost & Found flows with a chameleon-like duality. Shibe's inspiration comes via the enigmatic 18th-century poet and printmaker William Blake, whose metaphysical work plays with opposites and disguise. "A radical searching for the revelatory," is how Shibe sums up Blake in the album booklet. "The illustrations that accompany his writings disregard convention and present a vital auteurship of craft and philosophy," he adds. In that spirit, electric guitars don't sound like themselves on Lost & Found. And Shibe himself, perhaps mirroring some of Blake's paintings, appears androgynous on the album cover, swathed in a pink tulle dress.
Another touchstone of mysticism, represented by two tracks on the album, is the medieval abbess Hildegard von Bingen, whose piece "O Choruscans Lux Stellarum" gets a megawatt makeover. In place of sacred vocals, Shibe offers a psychedelic swirl of celestial light — a kind of "star-way to heaven."
Shibe thinks of his new album as an "overflowing toy box" of compositions, but actually it unfolds like a clever mixtape. Music by Meredith Monk, Chick Corea and Olivier Messiaen rub elbows with Julius Eastman and Moondog, the Viking-clad composer who, beginning in the 1940s, performed on the streets of Manhattan and slept in doorways. His lighthearted love song "High on a Rocky Ledge," thanks to Shibe's refined strumming, takes on the gravitas of a solemn prayer.
Throughout the album, the guitar substitutes for other instruments by way of Shibe's crafty, and reliably tasteful, arrangements. Yet there is one piece meant to be played on electric guitar — Continuance, music written for Shibe by the rising young British composer Daniel Kidane. Meditative chords that float like clouds are pierced with beams of multi-colored light. The ethereal sounds emanate from the other electric guitar Shibe deploys on the album, a 35th anniversary edition of a PRS Custom 24-08.
Lost & Found is a beguiling album, where music of innocence and experience interlace. And where a masterful, mercurial artist, compels us to question what a "classical guitarist" should sound like in 2022.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcur.org/kcur-npr-arts/2022-08-29/sean-shibe-a-shape-shifting-artist-redefines-the-idea-of-a-classical-guitarist | 2022-09-08T17:14:56Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/kcur-npr-arts/2022-08-29/sean-shibe-a-shape-shifting-artist-redefines-the-idea-of-a-classical-guitarist | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt., (Sept. 8, 2022) – Three years of training led to one very important day. Taking off over the mountains of Vermont, history is made at 20,000 feet.
The 158th Fighter Wing has been no stranger to making history. In 2019, it was the first wing in the Air National Guard to receive the F-35A Lightning II.
As the only wing in the Guard to fly a fifth generation fighter, the Airmen have continuously made their mark including recently completing the first overseas Guard deployment of the F-35.
Now, the latest chapter of Green Mountain Boys history has been written.
“I saw that they were having interviews, I was really interested in a fighter slot and Vermont is just beautiful,” said 1st Lt. Kelsey Flannery, the first female F-35 pilot in the Air National Guard.
“I was really excited and I was lucky enough to get a pilot slot with them,” she continued.
Interviewing with the 134th Fighter Squadron in 2019, Flannery was part of a small group of hundreds of applicants who was selected to set out to become the squadron’s newest pilots.
After being home for a week, Sept. 7, 2022 marked Flannery’s first flight as a member of the Vermont Air National Guard where she was familiarized with wing procedures and the local airspace.
“I really wanted to be on the leading edge, I liked the focus it required and I liked the community a lot,” said Flannery about why she set out to be a fighter pilot.
“It’s exciting to get up there, go fast and be able to employ weapons, so that was one of the more appealing parts of it,” she added.
After a successful interview and hiring board, the 30-year-old former boxing instructor from Kentucky was sent to Officer Training School to first get her commission.
Already having a pilot’s license, Flannery was next able to go straight to Undergraduate Pilot Training for over a year of training on T-6 and T-38 training aircraft. Success there then took her to Intro to Fighter Fundamentals and Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion school.
Then came the time to get into an F-35 for the first time at the Air Force’s “B-course,” which lasted nine months.
“It was awesome, the instructors were top notch,” said Flannery. “You felt very prepared to go into a single seat for the first time. It was super fun to go up there and work through problems on your own, figure it out and just learn to be a wingman.”
Unlike the other fighters in the Air Force inventory, the F-35 is different in that there is no two seat variant that can be used for training.
“We felt really prepared, the instructors were awesome and the simulators help prepare you very well,” said Flannery. “I guess the only thing you’re experiencing for the first time is the feeling of actually being in the jet, but you’re already exposed how to work through all the problems and you have a lot of experience up there with you with your flight lead.”
Flannery said she was excited to get back to Vermont and start flying with the wing.
“Flying in the B-course was a blast but it’s really cool to be back,” she said. “I feel very grateful they gave me this opportunity and can continue learning from everyone here.”
Being back at the wing as a new pilot entails two years of full-time on the job training in order to keep developing her skills as a fighter pilot.
She explained that though she is mission qualified and can be deployed, the two years will be spent learning from the wing’s instructor pilots on sharpening her skills and taking on certain roles in the wing which for her, means working in the 134th’s scheduling office.
“Right now I just want to be the best wingman I can be,” said Flannery.
The daughter of an Air Force pilot, Flannery said she always knew she wanted to fly for the military. After a consideration of active duty, Flannery said she learned about the opportunities in the Air National Guard and being selected by Vermont to fly the F-35 was “icing on the cake,” she explained.
Though throughout the three year process of becoming the latest pilot in the 134th Fighter Squadron, Flannery said the topic of her being the first female in the Guard to pilot an F-35 never came up and there was no pressure from that.
“There’s definitely been a trail blazed already and I’m really grateful to the women who have done that, but nobody has brought it up and I feel very much like an equal here,” said Flannery. “People just treat me like a wingman and it’s great as it allows me to focus more on flying.”
Being back in Vermont, Flannery is full of praise for the F-35 and said she intends to make a career in the Vermont Air National Guard.
“I’d love to be able to deploy,” she said. “Right now I feel like I’m in a great position to be able to learn from everybody, so looking forward to flights day-to-day and soak up as much information as I can.”
Joining Flannery on her first flight in Vermont was Capt. Jake Dubie, one of the 134th’s instructor pilots and the first one in the wing to hit 500 flying hours in the F-35.
“She did great, it was definitely exciting,” said Dubie. “I met Kelsey three or four years ago when she first applied to become a pilot here, sat on the board and to be able to see her go from that and be lucky enough to get to fly her first flight here in Vermont was definitely super exciting.”
Dubie, who has been involved with the training of more than 30 full-time pilots the squadron currently has, plus several part-time pilots, praised Flannery’s readiness to be prepared for her first training mission.
“Never had to worry about her up in the air,” he continued. “She did an awesome job so it was definitely a lot of fun.”
The goals laid out for Flannery are to be the be the best fighter pilot she can be and be someone that can be trusted in the air, Dubie explained.
“Everything we do here is being part of a team,” he continued. “Being able to employ your aircraft and do your job in a way that supports the team and makes us the most lethal F-35 squadron in the Air Force is kind of what we’re expecting and I know she’s going to do a great job.”
Flannery said she was excited to be part of the 134th, a squadron that she said has a strong reputation in the fighter community and has a long history going back to World War II.
“The heritage here goes back so many decades and it’s so important that we retain that heritage,” said Flannery. “It’s great to be in the Green Mountain Boys”
This work, A History Making First Flight, by MSgt Ryan Campbell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/428824/history-making-first-flight | 2022-09-08T17:15:26Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/428824/history-making-first-flight | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
August 20, 2022 (CAMP RIPLEY Minnesota) – Maryland National Guard Soldiers of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion – 126th Aviation Regiment arrived on Camp Ripley in early August to conduct training as they take steps moving closer to an up coming deployment.
“During our Advanced Echelon (ADVON) meeting on the morning of August 15th, Camp Ripley’s Command Sergeant - Major Marcus Erickson mentioned an infantry unit that would be interested in joint training with our unit,” said First Sgt. Jonathan B. DeLong who was coordinating between the unit and Camp Ripley’s Operations Cell.
B Co. 3-126th ECAB out of Aberdeen Proving Ground near Edgewood, Maryland contacted First Sgt. Aaron Rousselange of C Co., 1st Combined Arms Battalion -194th Armor to begin the planning phase of an Infantry troop movement mission with the units CH-47 Chinook helicopter on Friday August 19, 2022.
The option of joint training and conducting an exercise with non-organic units is a practice that more and more organizations have taken part in over the past decade. Current operations at home and overseas has shown the need for inter-operable units working collectively towards mission success. This can be seen in several examples over the past few years of the National Guard responding to natural disasters or reactions to civil unrest. The employment of mixed, integrated, or task organized units continues to validate the Guard’s adaptability and resourcefulness during domestic or international missions.
Furthermore, following the guidelines of the Army’s latest modernization policy which sets the wheels in motion for a fully cooperative, joint operations, multi-domain force is strongly encouraged by higher headquarters. The plan involves a familiarization between active, reserve component and National Guard organizations, as well as multi-branch interaction, to reduce any unnecessary breakdown between units operating in the same theater of operations. This familiarization is to increase cross cooperation and build ties for joint operations anywhere in the world.
On Camp Ripley, Training Year 2022 continues as a shinning example of this cooperation in training. Beginning with U.S. Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard units coming to Ripley for winter operations training during the months of December through February. Many of the training events that take place on Camp Ripley are built, supplied and executed by the specific unit arriving to conduct training. From there, the options are nearly unlimited as far as developing the training event using resources on Camp Ripley or adjacent units looking to advance their training experience as well.
One example is the early summer bridging of the Mississippi River by an engineer unit from Michigan. They utilized resources and armored units of the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division to conduct a higher headquarters led wet gap crossing mission during several unit’s annual training period. The engineers then reset and provided another crossing for a South Dakota Multi-launching Rocket Systems (MLRS) battalion to conduct their tactical advance into several firing position as they completed their own training event.
As the middle of August rolled by, both units began coordination for rehearsals and conducted a detailed briefing on the afternoon of the 19th incorporating the aircrew’s mission and posture as well as actions on the Landing Zone and the scheme of maneuver for the dismounted element once they leave the aircraft.
“Our plan is to be air inserted on a narrow hilltop where they will lower the ramp for us to exit the aircraft. From there, we will secure the area and then march west towards our objective,” added Rousselange.
The aviation maneuver is known as a “pinnacle landing,” which is when the Chinook balances on its back two wheels and the crew drops its ramp to have people load or unload the aircraft. This action is used when a wide surface landing zone is not available due to terrain and requires complete trust between the pilots and the crew directing them.
In the late afternoon of August 19, 2022, two CH-47s of the 3-126 conducted two flights each to transport the Soldiers of 1-194 to the Landing Zone. As part of their training the pilots did not fully land. Ensuring safety measures were in place the helicopter touch its ramp to the edge of the hill’s level surface and held in place. Under the guidance of the aviation crew chief, the troop exited the aircraft and established a hasty perimeter around the narrow landing zone. The force of the rotor wash made it necessary to hug the ground as the aircraft lifted off to make room for the next in-bound chalk (group) of troops. As the ground force moved down the hill, one by one the CH-47s landed enthusiastic Soldiers on the LZ safely and on time.
“It’s important to practice and train on the job we will be required to do. Terrain and odd conditions are something we have to be prepared to overcome,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jon Noble, CH-47 Instructor Pilot with 3-126.
This work, Cooperation and Opportunity Increase Training Value on Camp Ripley, by Anthony Housey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/428829/cooperation-and-opportunity-increase-training-value-camp-ripley | 2022-09-08T17:15:39Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/428829/cooperation-and-opportunity-increase-training-value-camp-ripley | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Atlanta-based Nigerian musician Samuel opeyemi Omotere popularly known as “SammyVOA” is in the news again. This time, he has a new single, Chess not Checkers currently toping music charts across platforms.
The 25-year-old versatile entertainer who moved from Nigeria to Belgium in pursuit of happiness later moved to the United States of America where he’s dishing out new, cool songs.
Sammy who is a top rated lyricist said he started making music from a tender age and decided to go in fully after the demise of his mother.
According to the artiste, music for him has always been more of the passion for creativity and he is not planning to back out soon but rather coming back fully.
SammyVOA is currently in the studio putting finishing touches to his body of work which is scheduled to be released in the next few weeks but before then, he has officially announced that his next single which will be the first single off the body of work which name is yet to be unveiled will be one the biggest sound Africa.
He further mentioned that the track titled “chess not checkers” will definitely put him in the right position he deserves in the mainstream market.
SammyVOA is one artiste to look out for before the end of this year and with what we have heard so far, this guy is the future because the sounds that are coming are top notch and you should follow him on all social media platforms to keep taps on his music journey and upcoming projects while anticipating Chess and Checkers which will be out officially on all streaming platforms sometime this month.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/after-vv1s-success-sammyvoa-set-to-thrill-with-chess-not-checkers/ | 2022-09-08T17:19:24Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/after-vv1s-success-sammyvoa-set-to-thrill-with-chess-not-checkers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gov Sule in Morocco for Forum of African Regions summit
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule on Thursday, met with Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa on the sideline of the Forum of African Regions (FORAF) summit taking place in Saidia, Morocco.
The meeting with Elong Mbassi was meant to discuss regional partnerships within the context of the Africa Free Trade Area.
Governor Sule is representing Nigeria along with Governors of Ekiti and Edo states, Kayode Fayemi, and Godwin Obaseki respectively.
According to a statement by Sule’s spokesman, Ibrahim Addra, his principal jets out of the country on Wednesday for the summit, which is expected to end on September 10.
The summit is organised by the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) (www.UCLGA.org), in collaboration with the Association of Moroccan Regions (ARM), the Council of the Oriental Region (CRO) and the Directorate General of Territorial Collectivities (DGCT) of the Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Morocco.
This gathering, which theme is “The contribution of Regional Governments to the sustainable development and to the dynamics of integration of Africa”, is a concrete implementation of the decisions taken by the General Assembly of UCLG Africa during the 8th edition of the Africities Summit, held in Marrakech in November 2018, as stated by Mrs Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President of UCLG Africa.
It is expected to bring together for the first time the presidents of regions, counties and federal states of more than 20 African countries that have a second level of decentralised territorial government, including Nigeria, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, etc.
More than 400 participants are expected to attend the maiden event.
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- Apple Announces Release Of New IPhone 14 Series. Here’s All You Need To Know About It
- Gov Sule in Morocco for Forum of African Regions summit | https://tribuneonlineng.com/gov-sule-in-morocco-for-forum-of-african-regions-summit/ | 2022-09-08T17:19:44Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/gov-sule-in-morocco-for-forum-of-african-regions-summit/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Equities trading at the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on Thursday was impressive as the local bourse halted negative outing to close the fourth trading session of the week in the green region.
Basically, the All-Share-Index (ASI) settled at 49,652.25 basis points(bps) as against its previous close of 49,599.73bps having appreciated by 0.11 per cent.
This outing fixed both the month-to-date and year-to-date performance of the All-Share Index to -0.37 per cent and 16.24 per cent from their previous close of -0.40 per cent and 16.20 per cent respectively.
Investors, therefore, earned, N25 billion as the market capitalisation followed suit the direction of the ASI to stand at N26.782 trillion, representing a 0.11 per cent increase from the N26.753 trillion it stood at the end of the previous trading session.
Bulls’ camp took dominance over the market breadth with 20 counters in the gainers’ chart pitted against nine counters in the losers’ chart.
eTranzact gained 9.81 per cent to become the best-performing stock in the session, flanked by Ardova, Chams, Union Bank of Nigeria and FTN Cocoa as they populated the top five gainers’ chart. From the rear of the chart Vitafoam, Multiverse, Champion Breweries, African Prudential and Honeywell Flour Mills made the top five losers’ chart.
Key sectoral indices closed in the same direction as the ASI, save NGXCG and NGX Consumer Goods sectors which shed 0.01 per cent and 0.15 per cent respectively, while NGX Growth and NGX ASEM sectors closed flat.
Market activity as measured by the volume of trades improved in the session with daily traded volume standing at 161.882 million units, representing a 25.55 per cent uptick from a volume of 128.941 million units traded in the previous session.
The value of those traded stocks on the other hand dipped by 2.50 per cent in the session to stand at N1.626 billion as against a value of N1.668 billion recorded in the previous trading session.
Transcorp was the top traded stock by volume for the trading session, followed by Fidelity Bank, Sterling Bank, FCMB and United Bank for Africa (UBA) to complete the list of the five most traded stocks by volume.
With regard to the value of the traded stocks, MTN N took the lead of the top five performers flanked by Zenith Bank, Fidelity Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank Holding Company and UBA.
LSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/local-stock-market-halts-negative-trend-as-investors-earn-n25bn/ | 2022-09-08T17:19:50Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/local-stock-market-halts-negative-trend-as-investors-earn-n25bn/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Operatives of the Kwara state Police command have paraded a 23-year-old man who allegedly killed his 90-year-old retired army officer father just to steal his Automated Teller Machine (ATM card).
Tribune Online gathered that the suspect, Ibrahim Hassan ‘male’ and a biological son of the deceased, committed the crime at Ajibesin community along Okolowo area of the Ilorin metropolis.
Speaking while parading the suspect, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Okasanmi Ajayi, said that the suspected murderer had confessed to having killed his father just to dispossess him of the ATM card since he already know the pin.
“On 5/8/2022, one Aishat Ibrahim ‘female’ reported a case of the missing person (her father) one Sabi Ibrahim ‘Male’ a 90 years old retired army corporal to the Police command, the circumstances of his disappearance elicited suspicion hence the resolve of the command to get to the root of it.
“Investigation into the matter led to the arrest of one Ibrahim Hassan ‘Male’ a biological son of the missing old man.
“During the investigation, the suspect confessed to having administered paracetamol injection mixed with other substances on his father, who became weak and dizzy immediately after the injection. This he did after coming from the bank where he took his father to renew and collect his ATM card.
“He took the father on a motorcycle he borrowed to convey his father to an isolated uncompleted building and strangulated his father to death. He dug a shallow grave where he buried his father after dispossessing him of the Wema Bank ATM card they went to the bank to collect.
“He escaped to Kaduna state and started withdrawing from his late father’s account. He withdrew a total sum of N59,000. He stated further that the purpose of killing his father was to dispossess him of the ATM card since he already know the pin.
“He also sold the borrowed motorcycle and eloped to Kaduna state where he was eventually arrested”.
The PPRO said that the suspect had taken the Police to where he buried his father, adding that the corpse was exhumed for proper burial.
He also said that the ATM card and the stolen motorcycle had been recovered, adding that the suspect would soon be charged in court.
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- EDITORIAL: ASUU’s Indefinite Strike
- Man, 23 paraded for killing 90-year-old father over ATM card in Kwara | https://tribuneonlineng.com/man-23-paraded-for-killing-90-year-old-father-over-atm-card-in-kwara/ | 2022-09-08T17:20:04Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/man-23-paraded-for-killing-90-year-old-father-over-atm-card-in-kwara/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NANS threatens fresh mass action over ASUU strike, to occupy ministry of education
THE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Federal Government, to without further delay, resolve the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or face mass action by the students.
NANS President, Comrade Umar Faruk Lawal, who addressed a news conference on Thursday in Abuja, said the patience of students has been over-stretched, stressing government and ASUU should return to the negotiation table and resolve the impasse within days for students to return to their campuses.
Faruk said: “That Federal Government through Ministry of Education should within few working days resolve the lingering ASUU strike. As we shall mobilise our students towards occupying the ministry of education until our demands are met.”
He also demanded that the federal government should set visitation panels to address issues of all politically expelled and rusticated students while calling on stakeholders to ensure education is given the desired attention by increasing budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Education in order to meet up with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) threshold.
He said: “While awaiting a formal inauguration of our executives, it is important to note that the existing economic and political situation cannot continue to linger as they remain the cardinal reason we ever aspired to lead this noble organisation.
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“In the light of this, we shall not waste time in ensuring that our agenda is focused on ensuring students return back to school within the shortest possible period.
“The security situation in the country desires a more robust engagement with the view to engaging Nigerian Students in peace-building advocacies. This deserves urgent attention as the masses are already tired of the sorry state of affairs with respect to insecurity in Nigeria; thus a multi-stakeholder engagement through a non-kinetic approach has become inevitable,” Faruk said.
According to him, the lingering fuel crisis is not to be swept away easily as it keeps affecting the economic posture of Nigeria which is visible in the attendant hike in the price of, transportation, foodstuff, goods and services therefore a lasting solution is thereby required for the nation’s economy to grow and for the country to thrive in prosperity.
“There is rising unemployment that has affected the growth and development of Nigerian economy, thus it becomes important that government creates a conducive environment,” Faruk said.
He said, “ASUU has been on strike for almost eight months, the academic calendar cannot be used as a parameter for years of studies anymore, as students keep suffering from the long-term effect of the strike. The Nigerian students’ patience has been stretched beyond its elastic limit and they have resolved to liberate themselves from the recurring effect of the industrial action by ASUU.” | https://tribuneonlineng.com/nans-threatens-fresh-mass-action-over-asuu-strike-to-occupy-ministry-of-education/ | 2022-09-08T17:20:10Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/nans-threatens-fresh-mass-action-over-asuu-strike-to-occupy-ministry-of-education/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
London: Doctors are concerned about the health of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and have recommended the 96-year-old remains under medical supervision, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday, with immediate family travelling to be by her side.
The queen, Britain's longest reigning sovereign and the world's oldest monarch, has been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called "episodic mobility problems" since the end of last year.
She has been forced to cut back on her public engagements since then and on Wednesday cancelled a planned virtual meeting with senior ministers after being advised to rest by her doctors.
The previous day she had been pictured appointing Liz Truss as the country's new prime minister at her Scottish home, Balmoral Castle.
"Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision," the palace said in a statement.
"The queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."
A palace source said immediate members had been informed and played down speculation that the monarch had suffered a fall.
Truss said the whole country would be deeply concerned by the news.
"My thoughts - and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom - are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time," she said.
Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker of the House of Commons, interrupted an energy debate in parliament to say he sent his best wishes to the monarch. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-health-buckingham-palace.amp.html | 2022-09-08T17:20:10Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-health-buckingham-palace.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Leesburg woman has been charged with murder in a domestic-related shooting Wednesday night.
Deputies responded to a home in the 42200 block of Fording Branch Court shortly after 10 p.m., where they found a man dead inside, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
Alicia R. Carroll, 28, was taken into custody a short distance away, the sheriff's office said.
She is charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and shooting in the commission of a felony. Carroll was held without bond at the Loudoun County jail.
The sheriff's office has not released any further information. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/leesburg-woman-charged-with-murder-in-domestic-case/article_c9071c14-2f90-11ed-af4c-8f2e91909ad4.html | 2022-09-08T17:20:48Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/leesburg-woman-charged-with-murder-in-domestic-case/article_c9071c14-2f90-11ed-af4c-8f2e91909ad4.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For me, the day after Labor Day -- even more than Jan. 1 -- represents new beginnings.
In real estate, it’s an excellent time to reflect on the year and consider where the next 12 months may go. I find this particularly so this year. We all know that since just after the global shutdown for the pandemic, the real estate market has been on fire. Interest rates were lower than anyone has seen in history, buyer demand was through the roof, and a lack of inventory made for a wild ride these past 2 1/2 years.
However, since late spring, we have definitely noticed a shift in the market. We’ve seen countless headlines wondering whether the real estate market is “crashing.” This has been accompanied by countless predictions that housing prices will fall and listings won’t sell.
My take? Nope. Not today, and not likely in the near future, either.
Why no crash? What’s holding up the market?
Two of the three things I have written about in previous articles here have not changed: low inventory coupled with high buyer demand. The only thing that has changed most recently, of course, is interest rates. And while that has been significant (interest rates are more than 2 percentage points higher than just a few months ago), buyers still need and want homes.
So, it may surprise some, but we are still very much in a sellers’ market here in Northern Virginia. Yes, still! But there is good news for buyers. The absolute frenzy of the past couple of years appears to be behind us. We are simply back to the “normal” high buyer demand levels of 2018 and 2019.
The prices of homes in our area have become significantly higher in the past two years, and I anticipate that will continue to be true in the future. We may not see such increases in value, but I predict the prices will stay where they are, because inventory is still so low. We are still facing “less than a 1.5-month supply” for detached homes. For reference, a balanced market is a three- to six-month supply, and a buyer’s market is more than a six-month supply.
So, while we may not see aggressive bidding like we did in the spring, sellers will list high and get their asking prices, or close to them. Recently, I listed a home that I was confident was listed fairly, but I did worry if buyers would engage at the list price. Did they ever -- we had three offers. After quick negotiations, we got our asking price. My colleagues and I are seeing quite a bit of this activity. We are also seeing price reductions, but the reduced price would still be considered high compared to two years ago.
One consequence of higher pricing is fewer qualified buyers, so buyers are able to include contingencies. This was unheard of for hot homes earlier this year in the spring market. Those contingencies are usually for home inspection, financing and appraisals.
So, what does that mean for sellers? It’s back to basics! Sellers need to woo the buyer with a great product. Many agents and sellers never stopped this practice during the past couple of years but maybe relaxed a little bit. Not any more.
Sellers do need to go the extra mile to get the extra dollar. This means painting, weeding, staging, updating and marketing. And when the offer does come in, negotiating. If the offer doesn’t come in at asking price, take a pause and review it carefully. We are seeing price reductions, and if you haven’t done that yet, a strategic reduction may put you in a better negotiating position.
One of the best strategies I have heard to help buyers manage higher prices and higher interest rates is for the seller to offer the buyer a “seller credit” instead of lowering the sales price. The buyers can use the credit to reduce their interest rate. The effect can be huge. Here’s an example of how this works:
The seller lists a home at $937,500, and receives an offer with 20% down, so the buyer’s mortgage would be $750,000. The buyer wants you to lower your price by $15,000 to $922,500. Instead of lowering the price, you offer a seller credit of $15,000 and suggest they use it to buy-down their interest rate. This means they pay some money up front to reduce the rate and lower their monthly payment.
For example, if their rate was 5.875%, $15,000 (2% of the loan amount) would lower their rate by 2 points, and the new rate would be 5.125%. That would translate to a monthly savings mortgage payment savings of $353. If they simply reduce the price by $15,000 their monthly savings will only be $62.
That is a win-win for the buyer and the seller! Try this next time -- if you’re making an offer, consider paying the list price and asking for a seller credit.
Don’t be intimidated by the market conditions. Use this time to reflect on what you want, and what resources you have at your disposal to make it happen. And, as always, you can send me your questions!
For loan questions, please contact Brian Bonnet, Senior Loan Officer (NMLS ID 224811) of Atlantic Coast Mortgage, LLC (NMLS ID 643114) by e-mail bbonnet@acmllc.com or call 703-766-6702.
Rebecca McCullough is a licensed real estate agent in Virginia with McEnearney Associates, Inc. in Old Town Alexandria, VA. If you would like more information on selling or buying in today’s complex market, contact Rebecca at 571-384-0941 or visit her website RebeccaMcCullough.com.
If you would like a question answered in our weekly column or to set up an appointment with one of our Associates, please email: InsideNoVa@mcenearney.com or call 703.549.9292.
McEnearney Associates Realtors®, 109 S. Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. www.McEnearney.com Equal Housing Opportunity. #WeAreMcEnearney | https://www.insidenova.com/news/real_estate/ask-mcenearney-new-season-new-beginnings/article_97be591e-2f82-11ed-8638-d7ee24cc9cfd.html | 2022-09-08T17:20:54Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/news/real_estate/ask-mcenearney-new-season-new-beginnings/article_97be591e-2f82-11ed-8638-d7ee24cc9cfd.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
About a month before this summer’s Softball Little League World Series in Greenville, NC, Andrew Miller received a call from Sun Roesslein.
Roesslein wanted to know if Miller knew of any females from Brentsville’s Turfgrass Management Program who might want to be a part of the grounds crew for the World Series.
Miller, the program advisor for Brentsville's Turf Grass Management Program, recommended two of his students: Julie Kessler and Liz Rice.
And the rest is well history.
Kessler and Rice were part of the first 16-person all-female grounds crew at the 48th Softball Little League World Series. Rosslien and Softball Little League World Series Grounds Coordinator Chris Ball put together the crew.
The crew worked the final four days of the tournament Aug. 19-22.
Kessler is a Brentsville graduate currently enrolled in Virginia Tech’s Turfgrass Management program. Rice is a junior enrolled in Brentsville’s Turfgrass Management program.
“It was one of the greatest moments in my career to see two of my students be a part of this crew and show all of the players, fans, and viewers of the Softball Little League World Series that this is a career opportunity for everyone, especially females,” Miller said. “And for our students to show that the Brentsville Turf Program is having a positive impact on the Sports Field Industry was special. This event is going to change the outlook of the Sports Field Management Industry.” | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/prince_william/brentsvilles-julie-kessler-liz-rice-part-of-history-at-little-league-softball-world-series/article_62cba5a0-2f8b-11ed-8e74-b3b445ddb42b.html | 2022-09-08T17:21:00Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/prince_william/brentsvilles-julie-kessler-liz-rice-part-of-history-at-little-league-softball-world-series/article_62cba5a0-2f8b-11ed-8e74-b3b445ddb42b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Even though it is without a football program this season, Manassas Park High School has seen some encouraging signs for the future.
Manassas Park activities director Dan Forgas said Wednesday between 12 and 15 kids have attended workouts four days a week under the supervision of assistant coaches Herman Carter and Kyle Meyer.
In addition, Manassas Park Middle School had around 35 kids come out for the football team.
In the meantime, the search process for a new coach is officially underway after Randy Starks informed Manassas Park Aug. 7 he was stepping down.
After seeing the numbers dwindle at football practice, Randy Starks knew there was no chance for Manassas Park High School to field a football team.
Manassas Park posted its head coaching vacancy Aug. 30. Forgas said he has received at least five applications.
While there is no definite timeline to hire a new coach, Forgas said he plans to start the process of “doing the initial review of applicants hopefully within the week or two.”
Manassas Park announced August 8 it was cancelling its 2022 football season due to low numbers.
Dan Forgas called it a tough message to send. But he had no other choice.
THORNTON HONORED
Osbourn graduate Kris Thornton was named the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week. The James Madison University wide receiver recorded 11 receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns in the Dukes' 44-7 season-opening win over Middle Tennessee.
Thornton, a preseason all-Sun Belt Conference choice, helped the Dukes take a 35-0 lead in the third quarter after catching three straight touchdown passes from quarterback Todd Centeio.
This is Thornton’s second accolade from the DC Touchdown Club. He was also recognized on Nov. 9, 2021 after his JMU-record four touchdown performance.
VHSL POWER POINTS
The Virginia High School League will release its first football power points of the season Monday, Oct. 3 as long as no games need rescheduling from the weekend due to bad weather.
Power points determine playoff positioning. | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/prince_william/football-notes-search-for-new-manassas-park-coach-underway/article_420d295a-2f87-11ed-8823-9f45579854a7.html | 2022-09-08T17:21:06Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/prince_william/football-notes-search-for-new-manassas-park-coach-underway/article_420d295a-2f87-11ed-8823-9f45579854a7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Don't Waste Your Money may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
If you’ve considered investing in a steam cleaner, or are just noticing your floors, appliances or even tile could use a bit of a refresh, you might want to check out the deal Amazon is offering on a McCulloch steamer now for a limited time.
The McCulloch steamer is currently 10% off, priced at $180, a savings of $20. The McCulloch steamer offers chemical-free cleaning, as it uses hot, pressured steam to eliminate stains and grime from nearly everything you could think of, from tile and grout to granite, sealed wood flooring, laminate, appliances, grills, your car and more.
The steamer has a 48-ounce water tank that heats up in under 12 minutes and provides up to 90 minutes of steam, plus 20 accessories including a floor mop, mop pads, nylon brushes, brass brush, angled nozzle, scrub pad, scraper, squeegee and more.
The steamer has an optional steam lock for continuous steam, or you can control the amount of steam you want to use. It comes with an 18-foot power cord and 10-foot steam hose, so you shouldn’t have any issues plugging it in and still taking it outside to clean your car or grill.
With more than 8,000 reviews, the McCulloch steamer has an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars, with 73% of customers giving it a full 5-stars.
Customers say the steamer is easy to use, works well on soap scum, tile grout and more and makes cleaning easier. One reviewer who gave the steamer a 5-star review and also shared a photo of the included accessories said it is the best steamer they’ve ever used and it is well worth the price.
“This steamer is a beast compared to the others I have used,” Abdul Purnell Askew SR wrote. “The main body has the hose and main nozzle that everything attaches to. There’s a pressure gauge and also a steam adjustment knob on the front. In my opinion the steam is a great temperature to use on multiple types of surfaces. The steam is very powerful and cuts thru grime with ease. I’ve used it to clean my oven and it cut thru the baked on stuff that’s been there for a while with no problem. It blasts thru solidified grease with ease and all you have to do it wipe it away. This is a great tool to clean the refrigerator with also without the use of chemicals.”
If you need something a bit different, Amazon has dozens of other steamers as well, like this Steamfast Deluxe Canister Steam Cleaner that is also on sale, priced at $180, down from $190.
With a 17-foot power cord and 10-foot hose, it comes with 18 accessories, including mop pads, utility brushes, extension wands, a jet nozzle, squeegee, scrub tools, scraper, fill cup and more. The 48-ounce water tank heats up in 10 minutes and provides up to 90 minutes of steam.
More than 60% of customers gave the steamer a full 5-stars, saying it’s easy to use and works well, with many saying they wish they would have bought it sooner and they love the ability to clean without chemicals.
Will you be purchasing a steam cleaner to clean your house without the use of chemicals?
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/mcculloch-steamer-top-rate-on-sale | 2022-09-08T17:23:55Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/mcculloch-steamer-top-rate-on-sale | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DETROIT (AP) — Jeep will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years.
The new EVs, Jeep's first, are part of the Stellantis brand's plans to convert half of its U.S. sales and all of its European sales to battery-electric vehicles by 2030. They're the first for the brand, and executives are promising that they'll be fully capable of off-road travel.
The new vehicles include the Jeep Recon, a four-wheel-drive midsize SUV about the size of the Jeep Wrangler and rival Ford's gas-powered Bronco Sport. It will be produced at an undisclosed North American factory starting in 2024. No range, performance figures or prices were released.
Jeep also will start making an all-electric Wagoneer S midsize luxury SUV in 2024 that also can go off road. The electric extension of the Wagoneer sub-brand is expected to go 400 miles (650 kilometers) on a single charge, have 600 horsepower, and be able to travel from zero to 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in about 3.5 seconds.
The Wagoneer S also will be built in North America at a yet-to-be disclosed factory. No prices were released on this SUV either.
Heading for Europe next year will be the Jeep Avenger compact SUV, the brand's first fully electric vehicle. Jeep says the small Avenger, with 250 miles (400 kilometers) of range per charge, won't be coming to the U.S. It's better suited for Europe, where there's a strong market for smaller vehicles, executives said.
The Avenger will be officially unveiled Oct. 17 at the Paris Motor Show. It will arrive in showrooms early next year.
Jeep also plans to introduce four all-electric SUVs in North America and Europe by the end of 2025, the executives said.
The Recon, though, will not replace the Jeep Wrangler small SUV, said Christian Meunier, the brand CEO. “The Wrangler is the icon,” he said, without saying there would be an electric Wrangler.
Jeep, he said, is on a path to become the leading zero-emission SUV brand across the globe. The company has a goal of selling the SUVs in China, executives said. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national-news/jeep-unveils-its-1st-electric-suvs-for-north-america-europe | 2022-09-08T17:23:56Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national-news/jeep-unveils-its-1st-electric-suvs-for-north-america-europe | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Bernard Shaw, CNN's first chief anchor, died at the age of 82.
Shaw was an original at the network, starting in 1980 when CNN launched.
Shaw served as CNN's lead anchor for 20 years. He covered presidential elections, moderated debates and was live in Baghdad when the Gulf War began in 1991.
"Even after he left CNN, Bernie remained a close member of our CNN family providing our viewers with context about historic events as recently as last year," Chris Licht, CNN chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Current journalists at CNN paid tribute to Shaw on Thursday.
Abby Phillip noted his significance as a Black journalist, calling him a "true trailblazer."
Sara Sidner said Shaw leaves behind an incredible legacy.
CNN says a public memorial will be held for Shaw, but funeral services will be closed to family and invited guests only. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/bernard-shaw-pioneering-cnn-anchor-dies-at-age-82 | 2022-09-08T17:23:56Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/bernard-shaw-pioneering-cnn-anchor-dies-at-age-82 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Officials had to calm the nerves of Washington State residents this week after some thought Mount Rainier was venting.
On Wednesday, social media users began sharing photos and videos and wondering if the volcano was venting, The Washington Post reported.
The National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey Seismic Network reassured people it was not erupting.
The Park Service later confirmed that after looking at "multiple webcams, " what people saw was a lenticular cloud formation.
Mount Rainier is NOT erupting. We have looked at the cloud that has caused concern from multiple webcams and have determined that it is a lenticular cloud. In addition, the USGS reports no indications of unusual seismic activity. ~pw
— MountRainierNPS (@MountRainierNPS) September 7, 2022
The Park Service said the U.S. Geological Survey Seismic Network did not show any unusual activity levels there.
According to the Park Service, Mount Rainier is an an active volcano that last erupted in 1894. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/cloud-formation-spotted-over-mount-rainier-causes-alarm | 2022-09-08T17:24:00Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/cloud-formation-spotted-over-mount-rainier-causes-alarm | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission is recalling 8,200 Murphy beds after they are blamed for injuring 62 users.
According to the CSPC, there have been 146 reports of beds falling or breaking. The agency said the beds can detach or break from the wall, posing serious impact and crush hazards.
The faulty beds caused broken bones, bruising, lacerations, concussions and other injuries, the CSPC noted.
The units were sold under the brand names “Ivy Bronx,” “Orren Ellis,” “Stellar Home Furniture” and “Wade Logan”. These wall beds are installed vertically and are sold in five colors: White, Rustic Gray, Espresso, Cinnamon and Tuxedo, the CSPC said.
The beds are sold under the following part numbers:
- S214 (Double Bed, Doors Installed Vertically)
- S215 (Queen Bed, Doors Installed Vertically)
- S234 (Double Bed, Doors Installed Horizontally)
- S235 (Queen Bed, Doors Installed Horizontally)
The beds were sold online from 2014 through 2022 for between $1,200 and $1,500.
The CSPC said users with recalled beds should contact Cyme Tech at 833-408-0501 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or email at murphybed@realtimeresults.net to schedule a free inspection and repair of the bed. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/some-murphy-beds-recalled-after-products-caused-injuries | 2022-09-08T17:24:21Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/some-murphy-beds-recalled-after-products-caused-injuries | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WAYNE, Neb. (KCAU) — Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting Wednesday night in rural Wayne County.
According to a release from the Nebraska State Patrol, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a shooting at a residence north of Wisner around 7:15 p.m.
Authorities arrived at the scene and found a man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital and died, the release stated.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office asked for the Nebraska State Patrol to lead the investigation. The investigation is ongoing. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-shooting-in-rural-wayne-county-neb/ | 2022-09-08T17:25:07Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/1-dead-after-shooting-in-rural-wayne-county-neb/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A few weeks ago, I was looking through some used vinyl albums at a sidewalk sale in Medina and I came upon a near mint copy of King Harvest’s “Dancing in the Moonlight” LP. I was thrilled to find a copy of the rare album.
Last week the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame announced their 2022 inductees, and the list includes King Harvest founding member Ron Altbach. At one point King Harvest was based out of Olcott, where Altbach still spends the summer months, and in 2012 King Harvest held a series of popular reunion concerts in the area, including one at Olcott Beach.
There was also an iconic moment that took place at Artpark in the summer of 2012 that involved Altbach and fellow King Harvest founding member Dave “Doc” Robinson. The duo appeared onstage with Huey Lewis and the News to perform a duet of “Dancing in the Moonlight.”
I had always wondered what the connection between Lewis and King Harvest was, and with a little digging, it turned out Lewis was part of the Ithaca music scene at the same time as key members of King Harvest. Most people associate Huey Lewis with San Francisco, but it turns out Huey was once a student at Cornell University.
After making a few phone calls, and sending some texts and messages through social media, NHMHOF board member JoAnn Simon gave me contact information for Altbach. Within an hour of receiving his contact info, Ron and I had a great conversation about King Harvest, starting with how he wound up onstage with Huey Lewis in 2012.
“We were getting ready for the reunion concerts and it turned out that Huey was playing at Artpark, and you know we were all quite good friends in college. Doc was very friendly with Huey as was our guitar player Ed Tuleja. Huey didn’t have a band when we were at Cornell. I didn’t even know he was a singer; I knew he had a harmonica and he was supposed to be a good harmonica player,” Altbach recalled.
“Anyhow, I called Huey and I told him everybody’s coming up to the area when you’re playing at Artpark, and it would be really nice for Doc, because he has had a kind of up and down life, if he could just come and sit in and play ‘Dancing in the Moonlight.’”
Lewis agreed right away and invited Altbach to join them onstage. It was a magical moment.
“To put it in perspective five months later, Doc was no longer alive, so those were his final months.”
Altbach’s resume goes beyond King Harvest. He was also part of the Beach Boys touring band, and co-wrote the Beach Boys song “Lady Lynda ” with Al Jardin.
“I was at Al Jardin’s place in 1975 or 1976 and he said we should write a song together and I had this idea of using a Bach chorale as a theme. We had a huge hit with that song in England but it was never released (as a single) in the United States.”
“Later, I went backstage at a Paul McCartney concert when his wife Linda was still alive and when he heard I co-wrote “Lady Lynda” and you know we didn’t write it about McCartney’s wife, it was about Al Jardin’s wife (at the time). But Paul just started singing it. I mean that was pretty cool!”
In addition to Altbach, Gary Baker, Michael Civisca, Chris Tedesco, Pete Zito, Sr., The Thurman Brothers Band, The Veltones Band, Marva Frails, Charles Reedy and Lawrence Ghougasian are being inducted. The Lifetime Music Support Award will be presented to Lee Wallace during the ceremony as well.
The induction ceremony is planned for Nov. 17 at the Rapids Theater. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/jennings-king-harvests-ron-altbach-among-niagara-falls-music-hall-of-fame-inductees/article_b9e606f8-2eca-11ed-8aa3-a7c7f4bf8fe5.html | 2022-09-08T17:27:47Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/lifestyles/jennings-king-harvests-ron-altbach-among-niagara-falls-music-hall-of-fame-inductees/article_b9e606f8-2eca-11ed-8aa3-a7c7f4bf8fe5.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In a new software partnership, more than 40,000 CalCPA members across the country can now utilize Anchor's SaaS platform to automate their entire billing and collections cycle– including agreements, invoicing, payment collections and reconciliation.
BURLINGAME, Calif., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CALCPA) announces a new partnership with Anchor, an autonomous B2B billing & collections platform to bring its seamless end-to-end billing & accounts receivables solution to the largest statewide professional association of CPAs in the U.S. Through this partnership, Anchor provides CalCPA members exclusive pricing and discounts as well as dedicated staff to support our members to access its end-to-end billing and collections automation platform, which eliminates late payments, revenue leakage, manual work, and high operational costs.
"Anchor is emphasizing how technology and automation can help accounting match other complex industries in innovation," says Denise LeDuc Froemming, CPA, CAE, President and CEO of CalCPA. "Creating benefits and bringing innovation to our members is a priority for CalCPA, and partnering with a new company helps address more efficiency and business management challenges for CPAs everywhere."
As more industries embrace emerging technology to streamline operations, small and medium businesses are often left behind. CPAs also report feelings of daily stress at work and dealing with rudimentary technology or antiquated procedures does nothing to alleviate this pressure. Addressing the progress gap is especially vital to benefit everyday accounting professionals that deal with tedious, multi-step accounts receivables processes.
"We are thrilled to partner with CalCPA to facilitate the growth of everyday accounting firms and CPAs, by changing the way payments and billing processes are managed today," says Rom Lakritz, CEO and Co-Founder at Anchor. "CalCPA is an incredibly prestigious and innovative organization and we are proud to provide our platform to their wide network of CPAs and financial professionals across many different industries and sectors."
Through this partnership, CalCPA members can now leverage Anchor's platform to completely automate each laborious step in the billing and collections process. This will eliminate their firm's late payments and revenue leakage, which impact 2-5% of business' top lines on average. In addition, Anchor's consolidated platform will help members cut costs during the market downturn, by consolidating multiple software into one solution, and by saving resources spent on manual administrative work instead of on billable hours which impact 5-9 percent of the top line, on average, for Anchor's existing clients.
CalCPA traces its heritage to 1903 when the California State Society of Certified Public Accountants was organized. In 1909, it merged with two other state CPA associations to form CalCPA. CalCPA serves more than 40,000 professional and student members in public practice, private industry, academia and government, and has 14 chapters across California. CalCPA also offers more than 1,400 live courses, conferences, webcasts and on-demand self-study courses annually. More information is available online: www.calcpa.org
About Anchor
Anchor gets businesses paid on time, effortlessly. Anchor's autonomous billing solution is a cloud-based platform that redefines B2B billing, collections, and payments. By providing an end-to-end billing and collections solution and removing all manual labor from these processes, Anchor eliminates the risks of fraud and human error in B2B payments. Founded in 2021, Anchor brings the SaaS billing experience to the B2B service industry and is the first to support dynamic billing needs that change constantly.
Visit www.sayanchor.com to learn more and get started.
Contact:
David Colgren
Colcomgroup
917-587-3708
dcolgren@colcomgroup.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE California Society of CPAs | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/calcpa-announces-partnership-with-anchor-bring-autonomous-billing-amp-collections-entire-accounting-industry/ | 2022-09-08T17:31:21Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/calcpa-announces-partnership-with-anchor-bring-autonomous-billing-amp-collections-entire-accounting-industry/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Breakthrough Device Designation recognizes Ceribell's point-of-care EEG as a first-of-its-kind technology for the detection of delirium.
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceribell, Inc. announced today that it has received Breakthrough Device Designation for its delirium indication from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A first-of-its-kind technology, the Ceribell® system utilizes machine learning to analyze electroencephalography (EEG) signals to detect delirium. The Ceribell point-of-care EEG system first received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2017 for indicating suspected seizure activity and is currently utilized in intensive care units (ICUs) and Emergency Rooms across the United States.
Referred to as "acute brain failure," delirium is sometimes the only indicator of ongoing brain injury. Affecting more than seven million hospitalized Americans annually, failure to diagnose delirium has been associated with a two-fold increase in six-month mortality1. The current standard of care for diagnosing delirium in the ICU involves a bedside assessment typically performed by a nurse or physician every four to twelve hours. In studies evaluating current practices for recognizing delirium in critical care settings, over half of patients with delirium were not correctly diagnosed2.
"In many real-world clinical settings delirium assessments are inconsistently implemented resulting in low sensitivity," stated Dr. Tim Girard, Professor of Critical Care Medicine at University of Pittsburgh and co-lead of the study, "A highly reliable, automated approach to delirium diagnosis is greatly needed for this vulnerable patient population."
"The development of delirium has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, increased cost of care as well as poor functional and cognitive recovery," said Dr. Jose Maldonado, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University, the other co-lead investigator for Ceribell's delirium trial, "Clinicians must do everything possible to prevent delirium's occurrence or shorten its duration by recognizing its symptoms early."
Ceribell's system analyzes EEG waveform data for evidence of delirium, enabling potential earlier and better detection as well as continuous monitoring to improve patient care and outcomes. The Ceribell system's Breakthrough Device Designation was grounded in early clinical studies that have provided clear evidence that the system is likely to improve the current standard of care. The Breakthrough Devices Program aims to give patients and health care providers accelerated access to new technologies that can treat or diagnose debilitating conditions by expediting FDA review of devices with this designation. Ceribell is the first and only device to have received an FDA Breakthrough Designation for the screening and monitoring of delirium.
"Delirium happens frequently in the ICU and often remains under-diagnosed and under-treated. We are excited to provide a tool that empowers bedside nurses and physicians to manage this challenging disease state with more precision," said Jane Chao, PhD, Ceribell's Co-founder and CEO, "Modern critical care is moving beyond not only saving a life but also protecting the brain for a higher quality life as well."
Ceribell, Inc. (www.ceribell.com), is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. Ceribell deploys a cloud-linked, portable electroencephalogram (EEG) device to assess brain waves in minutes to identify the occurrence of seizures in emergency rooms and intensive care units. The Ceribell system can be quickly and easily applied to a patient by any healthcare provider and delivers brain monitoring results within minutes. Ceribell is focused on making EEG widely available, more efficient, and more cost-effective to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions for patients at risk for seizures. The Ceribell EEG System first received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2017 and is commercially available in the United States.
[1] R. Kakuma et al., "Delirium in Older Emergency Department Patients Discharged Home: Effect on Survival." J American Geriatric Soc 2003; 51.
[2] M.M. van Eijk et al., (2011). "Routine Use of the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit." Am J Respir Crit Care Med 184.
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SOURCE Ceribell, Inc. | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/ceribell-receives-fda-breakthrough-device-designation-delirium-indication/ | 2022-09-08T17:31:41Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/ceribell-receives-fda-breakthrough-device-designation-delirium-indication/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hydrating lemon water brand and elite NFL quarterback team up ahead of 2022 season
ATLANTA, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lemon Perfect, the fastest-growing brand in the enhanced water category*, announced today a partnership with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. A daily Lemon Perfect drinker, Hurts joins Lemon Perfect as a brand champion to help quicken Lemon Perfect's rise toward its goal of becoming the number one brand in the multibillion-dollar enhanced water category by market share.
As football fans across America turn their attention to the NFL season, Hurts' partnership with Lemon Perfect is a touchdown pass between the fast-rising quarterback – the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start a playoff game – and a brand that's rapidly gaining fans across America with its mouthwatering lineup of flavors.
"Lemon Perfect is my new favorite drink," said Hurts. "Giving up sugary drinks was a challenge until I found Lemon Perfect, which is delicious and refreshing – with zero sugar. I'm also aligned with Lemon Perfect's belief that healthy hydration can not only taste good but be accessible too. I look forward to sharing Lemon Perfect with my fans so they know water doesn't have to be boring anymore."
As a key Lemon Perfect spokesperson, Hurts will help build brand awareness among NFL fans everywhere, particularly in the Delaware Valley, where Eagles fandom is fervent.
"We're honored to have Jalen join our Lemon Perfect team as the first NFL spokesperson in our company's short history," said Lemon Perfect Founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel. "Jalen is an MVP-level NFL star whose reach will continue to accelerate with each Eagles win. Powered by lemons, Jalen is poised for a big statistical season while leading the Eagles to a great year."
In April, Lemon Perfect announced the closing of a $31 million Series A headlined by internationally celebrated award-winning artist and entrepreneur Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The financing brought Lemon Perfect's total valuation to over $100 million in less than three years from the company's selling its first bottle.
Lemon Perfect is a great-tasting and hydrating flavored lemon water with zero sugar and no artificial flavors or sweeteners. Powered by squeezed organic lemons, Lemon Perfect contains electrolytes from potassium and is packed with vitamin C, making healthy hydration more convenient, delicious, and refreshing than ever.
Lemon Perfect is widely considered by industry insiders to be one of the most scalable, exciting, and innovative emerging beverages in the marketplace. The company's mission is to promote healthy hydration and deliver the joy of flavor—anytime, anywhere, and for everyone. Lemon Perfect is available at retailers nationwide, on Amazon, and on lemonperfect.com. The Lemon Perfect company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.
Lemon Perfect Media Contact:
Megan Wolborsky | Autumn Communications
Lemonperfect@autumncommunications.com
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SOURCE Lemon Perfect | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/nfl-star-jalen-hurts-signs-lemon-perfect-endorsement-deal/ | 2022-09-08T17:34:12Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/nfl-star-jalen-hurts-signs-lemon-perfect-endorsement-deal/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prospect Sustainable Income Fund, Inc. ("PSIF", "Fund", "we", "us" or "our") recently announced its financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2022.
The Fund announced its net asset value ("NAV") per share is $7.03 as of June 30, 2022.
The Fund also declared monthly cash distributions to stockholders for September 2022 and October 2022 representing an annualized distribution rate of 7.00% based on the June 30, 2022 NAV per share.
The declared distributions have monthly record dates and are payable monthly to the stockholders of record as of the close of each record date in September 2022 and October 2022. Such distributions equal a weekly amount of $0.00944 per share of common stock (representing $0.12272 per common share on a quarterly basis) as follows:
Distributions shall first be treated as distributions of previously undistributed prior year investment company taxable income and then as distributions of current year investment company taxable income but will not affect tax reporting to shareholders.
For additional information, see the Fund's annual report on Form 10-K available at www.prospectsustainablebdc.com.
About Prospect Sustainable Income Fund, Inc.
PSIF is a publicly registered, non-traded business development company. PSIF invests primarily in senior and secured credit of privately owned U.S. middle market companies. PSIF's objective is to generate current income and, as a secondary objective, capital appreciation, by targeting investment opportunities with favorable risk-adjusted returns. For the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2022, PSIF's distributions were composed of approximately 73% from cash flows from its investments and operations, 27% was a return of capital, and 0% from borrowings.
About Prospect
PSIF is managed by Prospect Capital Management L.P. ("PCM"). PCM is an SEC-registered investment adviser that, along with its predecessors and affiliates, has a more than 30-year history of investing in and managing high-yielding debt and equity investments using both private partnerships and publicly traded closed-end structures. PCM and its affiliates employ a team of approximately 100 professionals who focus on credit-oriented investments yielding attractive current income. PCM has $8.6 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2022.
Additional Information
Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Our distributions may exceed our earnings, and therefore, portions of the distributions that we make may be a return of the money that investors originally invested and represent a return of capital to investors for tax purposes. Such a return of capital is not immediately taxable, but reduces investor tax basis in PSIF shares, which may result in higher taxes for investors even if shares are sold at a price below original investment. Distributions are not guaranteed and may be modified at our discretion. Since a portion of our distributions may include or represent a return of capital, we may have less money to invest, which could lower our overall return.
This information is not, and should not be deemed to construe, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any security. Offers will only be made through a qualified prospectus to suitable investors and where permitted by law. BDCs involve substantial costs and investors should review the prospectus regarding fees and expenses. There are no guarantees that investment objectives will be met.
Investors should consider the investment objective and policies, risk considerations, charges and ongoing expenses of an investment carefully before investing. PSIF's SEC filings contain this and other information relevant to an investment in PSIF.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the future performance of PSIF. Words such as "believes," "expects," "projects," and "future" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements, other than statements of historical fact, are highly likely to be affected by future events and conditions, including, but not limited to, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and elements of the future that are or are not under the control of PSIF and that PSIF may or may not have considered; accordingly, such statements cannot be guarantees or assurances of any aspect of future performance. Actual developments and results are highly likely to vary materially from any forward-looking statements. Such statements speak only as of the time when made, and PSIF undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact: Rebecca Cleary, rebecca@spotlightmarcom.com
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SOURCE Prospect Sustainable Income Fund | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/prospect-sustainable-income-fund-psif-announces-distributions-september-2022-october-2022/ | 2022-09-08T17:35:24Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/prospect-sustainable-income-fund-psif-announces-distributions-september-2022-october-2022/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Standout Special Teams Player Enters Partnership with The Official Energy Drink of Esports®
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- G FUEL is pleased to announce that Seattle's star punter Michael Dickson has signed a long-term contract with The Official Energy Drink of Esports®.
"I've been a huge fan of G FUEL for a long time now. I take it with me on the road, before workouts, when I'm gaming on off days, game days … basically, every day," said Dickson. "I love that I'm able to officially partner with a brand that I've genuinely always been a big advocate for."
Dickson will serve as a G FUEL ambassador via in-store G FUEL events, social media integrations, special giveaways and more.
Voted into the 2019 Pro Bowl following his rookie season – a rare occurrence – Dickson continues to dazzle on Seattle's Special Teams year after year. In the 2021 season, Dickson punted 83 times for 3,895 yards and pinned 40 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, which was a season high for the league and the 10th most in league history. In another 2021 season feat, Dickson executed a memorable "double punt" maneuver against Los Angeles, answering a blocked punt with a 68-yard return while on the run.
Looking ahead, CBS Sports ranked Dickson as the No. 1 punter in the league heading into the 2022 season.
Dickson joins G FUEL as an active and passionate member of the video gaming community, with his game of choice being Call of Duty: Warzone.
"Michael Dickson is one of the most accomplished and promising athletes in the league, and we're immensely excited to see what he does next as a G FUEL partner," said G FUEL Founder and CEO Cliff Morgan. "We're proud to fuel Dickson on and off the field throughout this upcoming season."
Now at GFUEL.com, fans can save 30% on their next order by entering Code "DICKSON" at checkout.
Keep your eyes on G FUEL and Dickson's social media platforms for updates on this exciting partnership!
As The Official Energy Drink of Esports®, G FUEL provides gamers with a performance-driven alternative to standard energy drink products. With an ever-expanding, sugar-free product lineup that includes a powdered Energy Formula, ready-to-drink cans, powdered Hydration Formula and Sparkling Hydration bottles, G FUEL has firmly established itself as the market leader in the gamer energy drink industry.
With over 341,000 5-star Shopper Approved Ratings, a shipping network that spans over 125 countries, a nationwide retail campaign, and a global social media footprint of over 1 billion followers, G FUEL maintains the industry's largest and most passionate community of fans, customers, content creators, and partners. Content creators and partners include the likes of Ninja, Sentinels Esports, Logic, NoisyButters, Luminosity Gaming, PewDiePie, Mikal Bridges, Michael Dickson, Summit1G, xQc, Ghost Gaming, Activision, VIZ Media, Rare Ltd., SEGA of America, Capcom®, Bethesda Game Studios, Warner Bros., Disney, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures, The Tetris Company, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., RESPAWN Products, SteelSeries, and Digital Storm.
Join the movement today at GFUEL.com and follow us on social media @GFuelEnergy.
Press Contact:
media@gfuel.com
Distribution and Wholesale Contact:
dluks@gfuel.com
Michael Dickson is not your average NFL athlete. Not only was Michael born in Australia, he did not play in a competitive American football game until opening day his freshman year at the University of Texas. Michael grew up playing soccer but eventually made the switch to Australian football which while having a similar name is not comparable to the American game. Michael was able to get himself recruited by Texas after attending a coaching program to help kickers and punters cross Pacific into the world of American football.
In his time at Texas, Michael solidified himself as one of the greatest punters in Texas history. In his third and final year at Texas, Michael was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year, best punter in the nation earning him the Ray Guy Award and was named a Consensus All-American. He decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2018 NFL Draft. He was selected in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks.
If Michael's first year in the NFL is any indication to the rest of his career, he could go down as the greatest punter in the history of the game. He was named to the All-Rookie Team, the Pro-Bowl, and even the All-Pro Team in his first season. He was the first rookie punter in over 30 years to be named to the All-Pro team.
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SOURCE G FUEL | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/seattle-punter-michael-dickson-enters-agreement-with-g-fuel/ | 2022-09-08T17:35:51Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/seattle-punter-michael-dickson-enters-agreement-with-g-fuel/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Flair's products tie heating and cooling to occupancy, reducing energy consumption in unused spaces
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flair, creators of smart vents, thermostats and easy-to-use software for room-level temperature control, today announced the closing of a $7.6M Series A funding round. The round was co-led by Active Impact Investments and Lowercarbon Capital, with participation from existing investors SOSV, Skyview, Peter Nagar and Resilience Capital Partners, as well as new investors Shell Ventures, Susquehanna Foundation and strategic participation from 3M Ventures, the venture capital arm of 3M.
"Building operations generate more than 25% of our global GHG emissions annually. The magic of what the team at Flair has built is that customers are adopting their suite of products to solve a comfort problem first, which happens to also meaningfully reduce one of the largest sources of emissions." - Mike Winterfield, Managing Partner, Active Impact Investments
"All over the world people are trying to get their hands on heat pumps, the cheapest and cleanest way to cool homes. Flair turns all these machines into smart devices that save your bill and the grid." - Chris Sacca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Lowercarbon Capital
Flair's ever-growing install base consists of tens of thousands of homes and businesses primarily in North America, with the company managing 60 Megawatts of energy globally. This Series A funding will be used to expand their team, grow utility and distribution partnerships, while building next generation products and experiences. Flair will expand on its OEM partnerships to drive heat-pump adoption, leveraging its leading home hybridization solution in the pursuit of transitioning the US building sector off oil and gas energy sources as quickly as possible.
"Flair is providing its customers with an elegant set of solutions that not only reduce their energy consumption and improve their comfort, but also enable a more flexible, responsive energy system. It's exactly these types of solutions that are needed to decarbonize buildings and advance the energy transition." - Hector MacQuarrie, Venture Principal, Shell Ventures
Beyond efficiency and building level electrification, Flair is supporting the grid by balancing heating and cooling demand with intermittent clean energy, like solar and wind. The load flexibility provided by Flair's products is a step forward in decarbonizing the energy system while maintaining grid reliability and resiliency.
"We are thrilled to work with forward-thinking investors who share our vision and values and can help position us for the future. This investment represents a clear conviction about the urgency of reducing the impact of buildings and is a recognition of the criticality of both software and hardware solutions needed to transition to a clean energy future. Flair is building the most sophisticated solutions for decarbonizing heating and cooling in residential and commercial buildings and this funding will increase our product compatibility and customer base, while continuing to support our mission of bringing meaningful energy reduction and improved comfort to people's lives." - Daniel Myers, Co-Founder and CEO, Flair
Find out more about Flair's smart vents, thermostats and easy-to-use software at flair.co.
About Flair
Flair makes smart vents, thermostats and advanced software for room-level temperature control.
Flair's suite of affordable products solve HVACs most difficult, long standing, and widespread problems.
Flair is a team of engineers, designers, and communicators with a passion for saving energy. Their mission is simple - to cost effectively increase comfort while decreasing energy.
Founded in 2014 and based in San Francisco, Flair's products are sold through multiple channels including direct to consumer, HVAC dealers/distributors, and utilities.
Media Contact: media@flair.co
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SOURCE Flair | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/smart-energy-startup-flair-raises-76m-series-funding-expand-their-climate-tech-home-grid/ | 2022-09-08T17:35:58Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/smart-energy-startup-flair-raises-76m-series-funding-expand-their-climate-tech-home-grid/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LAFAYETTE, LA- The Lafayette City Council approved for customers to pay a rate increase for their electricity, water, and sewer.
These increases to customer rates are expected to go into effect beginning in November of next year.
Rates will increase by 3% on November 1st, 2023, and 2024.
Customers can expect to pay about four more dollars a month than the average. | https://www.katc.com/news/lafayette-parish/lus-expected-to-increase-rates-for-customers-beginning-next-year | 2022-09-08T17:36:53Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/lafayette-parish/lus-expected-to-increase-rates-for-customers-beginning-next-year | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Officials had to calm the nerves of Washington State residents this week after some thought Mount Rainier was venting.
On Wednesday, social media users began sharing photos and videos and wondering if the volcano was venting, The Washington Post reported.
The National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey Seismic Network reassured people it was not erupting.
The Park Service later confirmed that after looking at "multiple webcams, " what people saw was a lenticular cloud formation.
Mount Rainier is NOT erupting. We have looked at the cloud that has caused concern from multiple webcams and have determined that it is a lenticular cloud. In addition, the USGS reports no indications of unusual seismic activity. ~pw
— MountRainierNPS (@MountRainierNPS) September 7, 2022
The Park Service said the U.S. Geological Survey Seismic Network did not show any unusual activity levels there.
According to the Park Service, Mount Rainier is an an active volcano that last erupted in 1894. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/cloud-formation-spotted-over-mount-rainier-causes-alarm | 2022-09-08T17:37:05Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/cloud-formation-spotted-over-mount-rainier-causes-alarm | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The ECB sources and comment that 75 basis point is not off the table for October if inflation persists, has reversed the US stock indices.
- The Dow is now down 114 points or -0.36%
- The S&P is down -18 points or -0.44%
- The NASDAQ is now down 72 points or -0.62%
Looking at the NASDAQ hourly chart below, the price moved up to test the 50% of the range since the June low near 11870.00. The high price today reached 11896.73 before rotating back to the downside. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/us-stocks-reverses-to-the-downside-after-ecb-sources-comments-20220908/ | 2022-09-08T17:37:10Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/us-stocks-reverses-to-the-downside-after-ecb-sources-comments-20220908/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Jeep wants to become the leading electric SUV brand in the world.
The automaker says it will debut four all-electric SUVs in North America and Europe by the end of 2025.
It released images of its first two fully-electric SUVs, the Jeep Recon and the Wagoneer, on Wednesday.
Jeep said it plans for 50% of its sales in North America to be fully electric by 2030. European sales are expected to be 100% electric that same year.
“This is a forward-thinking strategy to help ensure millions of Jeep fans around the world continue to have a planet to explore, embrace and protect. Electrification is great for our brand, making it even more capable, exciting, sustainable and fun," said Christian Meunier, Jeep brand CEO.
According to CNN, Jeep plans to install nearly 100 electric vehicle chargers that will be solar-powered on off-road trails across the U.S. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/jeep-unveils-first-fully-electric-suvs | 2022-09-08T17:37:17Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/jeep-unveils-first-fully-electric-suvs | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Netflix is resurrecting "The Teletubbies."
The British kid's show is being rebooted for the U.S.
It will be narrated by "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star Tituss Burgess.
Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po will return to TV screens on Nov. 14.
The show will also feature several new "Tummy Tales" songs designed to keep the kids dancing along.
"The Teletubbies" are the star attraction in a new block of programming designed for younger viewers on the streaming giant. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/netflix-resurrecting-the-teletubbies | 2022-09-08T17:37:23Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/netflix-resurrecting-the-teletubbies | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Four models of HearMuffs have been recalled after regulators found that the products’ alkaline batteries are prone to rupture.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission noted 19 incidents of batteries rupturing, but as of Wednesday, none have caused any injuries. The CPSC said rupturing batteries pose a burn, hearing and projectile hazard.
The units are designed for infants. They provide active sound compression for children. The CPSC said that 31,000 recalled units have been sold in the U.S.
Models included in the recall are LA-infant-AM-WH, LA-infant-ASM-WH, LA-infant-ASM-WHPlus and LA-kids-AM-WH. The recalled units have blue lettering, the CSPC said.
The units were sold online and in stores from 2018 through 2021 at Kroger and Sam's Club for $30-$40.
The CPSC said consumers should contact HearMuffs for replacement batteries free of charge. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/rupturing-batteries-force-recall-of-some-hearmuffs-units | 2022-09-08T17:37:35Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/rupturing-batteries-force-recall-of-some-hearmuffs-units | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gatlinburg Adventure Theme Park Embarks on a $34 Million Multi-phased Expansion Project
GATLINBURG, Tenn., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Anakeesta announced a multimillion-dollar expansion. This marks their most ambitious and largest development to date. Overlooking Gatlinburg, the mountaintop adventure park is home to some of the most breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The expansion will double the size of the guest experience within the park and solidifies Anakeesta as one of the top adventure theme parks in the country. The unprecedented $34 million investment will happen over the next three years. New additions include: an enchanted night walk with immersive lighting and audio guiding guests through a celestial story within the woods; a second thrilling mountain coaster; a European-themed village with shopping, dining and immersive plaza with an interactive waterfall; and a brand-new whimsical bird house themed play area with enormous adventure elements down the mountain and more.
"As Gatlinburg's iconic destination, we're excited to continue offering Tennessee visitors incomparable adventures that elevate the Smoky Mountain guest experience," said Bob Bentz, Founder and Managing Partner of Anakeesta. "This historic expansion will take our park to new heights with unparalleled moments of magic and extraordinary mountain thrills that only Anakeesta and the Great Smoky Mountains can deliver."
The first phase of the expansion will open this November. In partnership with Moment Factory, an award-winning multimedia entertainment studio headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Anakeesta guests will take a nighttime journey through a Smoky Mountain Forest where they will experience illuminating encounters of lighting, projection, and sound to connect with the mystery of the stars on a magical Astra Lumina Enchanted Night Walk. This will be Moment Factory's 15th Lumina Night Walk experience and the first in the United States. Astra Lumina is a sensory experience like no other.
In the Spring of 2023, the first part of a European-Themed Village will open as Anakeesta further expands its adventure offerings with two new attractions for the young and young-at-heart. The first is BirdVenture: a birdhouse-inspired play zone where guests can imagine life as a bird in the Smokies. Kids of all ages will experience three larger-than-life birdhouses, a dozen adventure zones, and seven giant serpentine slides winding more than 50 feet down the mountain! This unique series of slide paths marks another first of its kind in the United States.
The second attraction is a thrilling new mountain coaster that boasts experiential tunnels, with twists and turns through the forest giving guests an exciting downhill adventure. The new double-rail mountain coaster will be themed to the native Smoky Mountain salamander species, giving it the perfect name of Hellbender. With this new installation, Anakeesta will have both a single-rail and double-rail mountain coaster for the entire family to enjoy.
The first phase of this expansion project also includes a new interactive mountain waterfall and cave system surrounded by walking trails and Anakeesta's iconic lush gardens. Guests will be able to walk behind the falls and explore the caves within this water feature designed to evoke the natural beauty of waterfalls found throughout hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains. Every element highlights the beauty of the surrounding natural environment for an authentic Smoky Mountain experience.
All the adventure coming in Spring of 2023 means there also needs to be an opportunity to relax and recharge. Within the new village, guests will be able to do just that at Mimi's Bakery. The new French-inspired bakery will serve sweet and savory delights. Along with the bakery, Anakeesta will be opening first phase of the largest themed retail area the park has ever built.
"Anakeesta's continued investment into expanding its park will allow even more visitors the opportunity to experience the authentic wonder and beauty of the Gatlinburg area," said Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner. "These planned developments at Anakeesta will continue to add to the many reasons visitors will have to choose Gatlinburg as their vacation destination."
As Anakeesta looks ahead, the rest of the park's vast expansion will continue as the village opens in phases throughout 2024. Once completed, Anakeesta will transport guests to a unique and iconic mountaintop village that has been designed with nature in mind and adorned with touches of aged copper, stone, and wood. Future elements will include a heavily themed restaurant and brewery, event center, and entertainment stage with indoor and outdoor seating.
"These expansions at Anakeesta provide even more compelling reasons for vacationers to choose a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, our country's most visited national park," said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. "The variety of authentic adventures offered in Tennessee is becoming even more elevated and unique with each of these new tourism mountain experiences."
Guests are invited to follow along on this exceptional construction journey on Anakeesta's social media platforms for exclusive behind-the-scenes content and insider peeks!
To learn more about Anakeesta, please visit www.Anakeesta.com.
Anakeesta is Gatlinburg, Tennessee's award-winning theme park surrounded by the majestic Smoky Mountains. Anakeesta is a place for adventure and relaxation, exploration and wonder. A place where people of all ages can discover nature and family entertainment. The exploration begins with a scenic chondola ride or Ridge Rambler adventure vehicle to the summit to enjoy all day, unlimited access. Guests can stroll along the nation's longest Treetop Skywalk and climb Anavista Tower for 360⁰ views from downtown Gatlinburg's highest point. Walk meandering pathways in Vista Gardens, a multi-sensory botanical garden featuring whimsical art installations, music, and scenic overlooks. TreeVenture and BearVenture challenge courses will delight all ages. Innovative culinary creations and mixology await throughout the park. Thrill seekers can add to the adventure with the Dueling Zipline Adventure course, soar on the Rail Runner Mountain coaster and find treasure at Anakeesta Gem Mining. Anakeesta is located at 576 Parkway in Downtown Gatlinburg. To learn more, visit www.Anakeesta.com.
Contact: Andrea Alava
Andrea@theRumbleBuzz.com
Download visuals HERE.
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SOURCE Anakeesta | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/anakeesta-announces-largest-expansion-since-opening-2017/ | 2022-09-08T17:40:43Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/anakeesta-announces-largest-expansion-since-opening-2017/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Bank of Canada's Senior Deputy Gov. Carolyn Rogers:
- We are not where we were in July, but we are a long way from where we need to be
- Bank has seen early signs monetary policy is working
- the bank still sees a path to a stop to soft landing, that's still our objective
- neutral territory is a range, it's an estimate, there is no magic formula | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/bocs-rogers-we-are-not-where-we-were-in-july-but-a-long-way-from-where-we-need-to-be-20220908/ | 2022-09-08T17:41:05Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/bocs-rogers-we-are-not-where-we-were-in-july-but-a-long-way-from-where-we-need-to-be-20220908/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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More Evans: Inflationary pressures have broadened partly because of wages. Expects 4%
More Evans: Inflationary pressures have broadened partly because of wages. Expects 4%
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More from Chicago Fed Pres. Evans
- Inflationary pressures have broad partly because of wages
- I am expecting this year inflation
Inflation
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Read this Term will be high with core PCE in 4% to 5%
- next year expect inflation to be under 3% perhaps 2.5%
- we expect a lot of things to improve like supply chains
- Powell's Jackson Hole speech sounded like he was largely reminding people of what Fed had already been saying
- it looks like it will take at least 2 years to work out chip supply chain issues
- we don't want to take the necessary actions against the economy, but need to take actions necessary to get inflation back down
- inflation is higher than we thought in June
- expects a terminal rate of 4% next year
- that's a forceful path of rate hikes
- we could very well do 75 basis points in September
- my mind is not made up on September. We do need to increase rates
- optimistic we will be able to keep unemployment to 4.5% by the time we are done
- there's a decent chance of avoiding a recession but have to be nervous that something might break
- expects rates to be 3.25% to 3.5% by year-end
- worry a little bit that increasing rates to quickly might take data dependence off the table
I am not sure if the inflation for 2023 is core or headline?
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(NEXSTAR) – Meteorologists are pretty confident the La Niña conditions we’ve seen all year are going to be with us at least a few months longer. There’s a 91% chance the La Niña conditions last from September to November, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in an update Thursday.
Those odds have strengthened since the meteorologists’ last update in August.
La Niña will mean less rain this fall for most of the country, according to a long-range outlook. From September through November, it’s set to be drier-than-normal across pretty much the entire central U.S.
The only slivers seeing above-average precipitation chances are corners of the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf states. That’s because La Niña years are also associated with stronger hurricanes, which can dump rain as they make landfall.
The Atlantic hurricane season has been pretty quiet so far, but the season last until the end of November. Hurricane Earl, which was approaching Bermuda Thursday, is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane, the New York Times reported. However, Earl’s projected path shows it moving away from the U.S.
When it comes to temperatures, it looks like this La Niña fall is set to be a hot one. Every state in the country, except for the most northern reaches that border Canada, is forecast to see above-average temperatures from September through November.
Colorado, Utah, Texas, New York Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the New England states have the highest chances of an unseasonably hot fall.
What happens after November is less certain. Current models have the odds of a La Niña at about 50%.
If it does happen, it’ll be the third La Niña winter in a row – a rare phenomenon we’ve only seen twice since 1950.
A third consecutive La Niña year would be harshest out West in states already suffering a bad drought. Places like California get most of their rain in the winter, and a La Niña winter could bring drier conditions to much of the state.
“Here in the Washington, D.C. area, it generally rains all year round. So if we have a couple of dry months, it’s OK because we can make it up another time,” Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center, explained. “When you’re in California and the Southwest, 90% of the rain falls in that fairly short winter and spring season. So if you miss that, you’re not going to make that up when you get into the summertime.”
A La Niña winter likely means less rain or snow for the whole Southern half of the country, from the southwest through Texas, the Gulf and Florida. | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/nexstar-media-wire/91-chance-la-nina-impacts-fall-national-weather-service-says/ | 2022-09-08T17:41:26Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/nexstar-media-wire/91-chance-la-nina-impacts-fall-national-weather-service-says/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NEXSTAR) – Meteorologists are pretty confident the La Niña conditions we’ve seen all year are going to be with us at least a few months longer. There’s a 91% chance the La Niña conditions last from September to November, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in an update Thursday.
Those odds have strengthened since the meteorologists’ last update in August.
La Niña will mean less rain this fall for most of the country, according to a long-range outlook. From September through November, it’s set to be drier-than-normal across pretty much the entire central U.S.
The only slivers seeing above-average precipitation chances are corners of the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf states. That’s because La Niña years are also associated with stronger hurricanes, which can dump rain as they make landfall.
The Atlantic hurricane season has been pretty quiet so far, but the season last until the end of November. Hurricane Earl, which was approaching Bermuda Thursday, is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane, the New York Times reported. However, Earl’s projected path shows it moving away from the U.S.
When it comes to temperatures, it looks like this La Niña fall is set to be a hot one. Every state in the country, except for the most northern reaches that border Canada, is forecast to see above-average temperatures from September through November.
Colorado, Utah, Texas, New York Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the New England states have the highest chances of an unseasonably hot fall.
What happens after November is less certain. Current models have the odds of a La Niña at about 50%.
If it does happen, it’ll be the third La Niña winter in a row – a rare phenomenon we’ve only seen twice since 1950.
A third consecutive La Niña year would be harshest out West in states already suffering a bad drought. Places like California get most of their rain in the winter, and a La Niña winter could bring drier conditions to much of the state.
“Here in the Washington, D.C. area, it generally rains all year round. So if we have a couple of dry months, it’s OK because we can make it up another time,” Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center, explained. “When you’re in California and the Southwest, 90% of the rain falls in that fairly short winter and spring season. So if you miss that, you’re not going to make that up when you get into the summertime.”
A La Niña winter likely means less rain or snow for the whole Southern half of the country, from the southwest through Texas, the Gulf and Florida. | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/91-chance-la-nina-impacts-fall-national-weather-service-says/ | 2022-09-08T17:43:26Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/91-chance-la-nina-impacts-fall-national-weather-service-says/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Builds on Progress to Date to Drive Positive Impact
Publishes 2022 ESG Report: Nurturing Shared Values
CINCINNATI, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, today outlined an updated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) action plan to support the company's comprehensive ESG strategy and published its annual ESG report.
"We live our purpose – to feed the human spirit – through Kroger's commitments to advance positive impacts for people and our planet and create more resilient global systems," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We are proud to report that Kroger continues to make progress toward key ESG goals. I am especially proud of the Kroger team's collective effort to create communities free from hunger and food waste. Through Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, Kroger has donated billions of meals to help end hunger and millions of pounds of surplus fresh food to avoid waste. We are committed to expanding food access, affordability, and choice for all our customers."
As the centerpiece of its ESG strategy, Kroger's signature Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social and environmental impact plan emphasizes the unique role Kroger plays across the food system and its many stakeholders as an employer, food processor, retailer, healthcare provider and more. This month, Kroger is marking the fifth year of this signature initiative. To date, the company has directed 2.3 billion meals to communities, including $1 billion in charitable support and 500 million pounds of surplus fresh food rescued from Kroger stores to help end hunger.
Kroger's 2022 ESG Report: Nurturing Shared Values and other resources can be found at the ESG Hub, ESG Strategy: Thriving Together.
ESG Action Plan Updates
In addition to Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, Kroger continues to make progress toward key goals and strengthen commitments in several areas, most notably in climate impact, packaging, human capital management, human rights and animal welfare.
"With this updated action plan, we are seeking to address a wide range of complex social and environmental challenges, and setting ambitious impact targets," said Keith Dailey, Kroger's group vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer. "These commitments express Kroger's aspiration to make affordable fresh food even more accessible while advancing positive impacts for our communities and the planet. Our progress and commitments reflect our efforts to operationalize and integrate ESG performance into lines of business and develop a shared-value framework that creates positive outcomes for all stakeholders."
Climate Impact
Kroger formally committed to set a more aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target aligned with the requirements of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company's current 2030 goal is aligned with a well-below 2°C climate scenario; however, given the urgency for greater climate action, the goal will be strengthened to support a 1.5°C climate scenario. Kroger will also set a new Scope 3 goal for supply chain emissions reduction as part of its SBTi commitment.
The company will share a detailed project roadmap for achieving the current GHG reduction goal by the end of the 2022 fiscal year.
Packaging
Kroger completed an initial packaging baseline assessment to establish a plan to achieve its 2030 sustainable packaging goals, which include 100% recyclable, reusable and/or compostable Our Brands packaging by 2030. The baseline focused on grocery and fresh food products, as well as health, beauty, household supplies and cleaning items. Baseline findings show that 40% of in-scope Our Brands product packaging meets the company's definition of recyclable today when measured by weight.
Human Capital Management
Kroger's family of companies continues to offer accessible employment and economic advancement opportunities for more than 400,000 people across the U.S. Kroger has invested an incremental $1.2B in associate compensation and benefits since 2018, raising the average hourly rate to over $17/hour, and over $21/hour when comprehensive benefits like health care and pensions are included.
Human Rights
Kroger recently updated its Human Rights Policy to align with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The company is in the process of developing a comprehensive human rights due diligence framework and implementation roadmap aligned with the UNGPs. This work will continue through 2022. The company also recently launched its first human rights impact assessment.
Animal Welfare
Kroger updated its Animal Welfare Policy and shared a detailed Animal Welfare Update to outline progress to date and roadmaps for future milestones.
The company published specific milestones to achieve its goal to source 100% of fresh pork sold in retail stores from suppliers that house sows in group housing systems by 2025. Kroger also outlined plans to invest $45 million in additional pricing, promotions and agreements to support the transition to a cage-free or higher-welfare egg supply, with specific milestones to reach 70% cage-free by 2030.
Following an announcement earlier this year, Kroger has partnered with Kipster Farms, the innovative egg production system founded in The Netherlands, to bring the world's first carbon-neutral, cage-free shell eggs to customers in the U.S. in 2023.
2021 Highlights
People: Help billions live healthier, more sustainable lifestyles
- Increased the average wage for hourly store associates to over $17, bringing the rate to more than $22 per hour when comprehensive benefits are included.
- Directed $343 million in charitable giving—including food and funds—to local and national non-profit organizations; of this, $210 million focused on improving food security in communities where we operate, reflecting the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste mission.
- Directed 546 million meals to communities in food and funds in 2021, including 94 million pounds of surplus food donated through Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Food Rescue program. Since introducing Zero Hunger | Zero Waste five years ago, the company has directed a total of 2.3 billion meals to communities toward its goal of 3 billion meals by 2025.
- Delivered 1.1 million dietitian-approved meals to vulnerable populations.
- Conducted research on how retailers can serve as important healthcare destinations, leveraging food and nutrition education to support shoppers and help them make healthful food purchases, resulting in a groundbreaking randomized controlled trial aimed at increasing diet quality and decreasing cardiovascular risk by promoting a heart-healthy diet through nutrition counseling provided by a registered dietitian.
- Supported healthier lifestyles by offering a wide range of better-for-you and diet-aligned food options across retail stores and seamless experience, including our integrated OptUP app with nutritional ratings on thousands of items.
- Increased access to fresh, affordable food for customers in existing and new geographies through the expansion of the Kroger seamless ecosystem and Kroger Delivery network.
Planet: Protect and restore natural resources for a brighter future
- Achieved a 9.1% cumulative reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a 2018 baseline.
- Installed infrared refrigerant leak-detection technology in 2,000 retail stores to date, to further reduce emissions.
- Reduced total food waste generated in retail stores by 18.9% and improved food waste diversion rate by 21.7% since 2017.
- Completed a comprehensive baseline product packaging footprint in 2022, finding that 40% of in-scope Our Brands product packaging is recyclable.
- Sourced 16.9 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients for Our Brands products, up 4% from the prior year.
- Sourced 94% of wild-caught seafood and 98% of farm-raised seafood in Kroger's seafood department from fisheries and farms meeting company's seafood sustainability requirements.
Systems: Build more responsible and inclusive global systems
- Continued to operationalize the company's ESG strategy by integrating ownership and accountability for ESG goals into lines of business.
- Increased the diversity and breadth of expertise on Kroger's board of directors and clarified board committee oversight of ESG topics.
- Spent $4 billion with diverse suppliers and welcomed 230 new diverse-owned suppliers in 2021, an increase of 115% from the prior year, reflecting more than $500 million in incremental spend.
- Offered extensive associate training on key governance topics, including business ethics and compliance; privacy; cybersecurity; food safety; diversity, equity and inclusion; and personal safety.
- Secured Kroger's investment of $45 million in pricing, promotions and supplier agreements to achieve a sustainable transition to a cage-free or higher-welfare egg supply, with specific milestones to reach 70% cage-free by 2030.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over eleven million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/kroger-outlines-updated-esg-action-plan/ | 2022-09-08T17:43:33Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/kroger-outlines-updated-esg-action-plan/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Playmobil’s Next Star Trek Ship Will Be a Klingon Bird of Prey
After wowing Star Trek fans with one of the most impressive Enterprise toys to date, Playmobil has done it again. It’s hard to go bigger, but they’ve definitely gone innovative, with the new Bird of Prey playset from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The ship’s basic proportions look mostly maintained and into caricatured, so that even non-Playmobil fans can display it just in ship form. Bit as is the norm for this company, it comes loaded with play features.
Obviously, the wings move up and down. Unsurprisingly, it fires torpedoes. It also includes lights that can draw power from either batteries or a USB cable. Plus authentic movie sounds.
RELATED: Toy Review: Playmobil Back to the Future Part II Hoverboard Chase
Most impressively, however, it also plugs into a Genesis planet display base, where Captain Kirk can Kick Commander Kruge into lava. The ship can also hang from the ceiling, but seriously, the base display is creative as all hell:
The set includes figures of Kirk, Spock, Kruge, and Klingon Officers Maltz, Torg, and one other unnamed Klingon. Fun fact: Maltz was originally played by popular sitcom star and Texas Chain Saw Massacre narrator John Larroquette.
The Enterprise set originally cost $500, though it’s considerably cheaper now (see link below). The Bird of Prey will run you $299.99, and comes out sometime next month.
What do you think of this cool new set? Let us know in comments.
Recommended Purchase: Playmobil Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701
We are 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/518801-playmobils-next-star-trek-ship-will-be-a-klingon-bird-of-prey | 2022-09-08T17:43:53Z | superherohype.com | control | https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/518801-playmobils-next-star-trek-ship-will-be-a-klingon-bird-of-prey | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON...
The following message is transmitted on behalf of the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division and the
Wyoming Department of Health.
WHAT...Air Quality Alert for Wildfire Smoke.
WHERE...Portions of southeast Wyoming including Carbon county and
Albany county west of the Laramie range.
WHEN...through 1PM today.
IMPACTS...Heavy smoke from Idaho wildfires.
HEALTH INFORMATION...The Wyoming Department of Health recommends the
elderly, young children, and individuals with respiratory problems
avoid excessive physical exertion and minimize outdoor activities
during this time. Wildfire smoke is made up of a variety of
pollutants, including particulate matter and ozone, which can cause
respiratory health effect. Although these people are most
susceptible to health impacts, the Department of Health also advises
that everyone should avoid prolonged exposure to poor air quality
conditions.
CURRENT CONDITIONS...The Wyoming Department of Environmental
Quality, Air Quality Division offers near real-time air quality data
for Wyoming's monitoring stations and health effects information to
help the public interpret current conditions. Current air quality
conditions across the state of Wyoming can be found at
http://www.wyvisnet.com/
Weather Alert
...RED FLAG WARNING FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND THE
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE TODAY DUE TO GUSTY WEST WINDS AND LOW
HUMIDITY...
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT THIS EVENING
FOR GUSTY WEST WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 418,
419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 427, 428, 429, 430, AND 432...
* AFFECTED AREA...Fire weather zones 418 through 425. Fire
weather zones 427 through 430. Fire weather zone 432.
* WIND...West to northwest winds 15 to 20 mph sustained with
gusts to 35 mph possible.
* HUMIDITY...7 to 15 percent.
* HAINES...5 to 6.
* THUNDERSTORMS...Isolated dry thunderstorms are likely
Thursday afternoon leading to additional fire starts.
* IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
Outdoor burning is not recommended.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.
&&
Stage I fire restrictions went into effect for the entirety of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin Grassland on Thursday.
Stage I fire restrictions went into effect Thursday in all areas of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and the Thunder Basin National Grassland, according to a press release for the U.S. Forest Service.
Stage I fire restrictions in the Laramie Peak area of the forest have been in effect since late July. The expanded action comes as the Albany County area is drier than normal and has had neared record-breaking heat levels this week.
On Wednesday, the high was 88 degrees, matching the 1959 record for the hottest temperature recorded in Laramie on Sept. 7, National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Natoli said. On Tuesday, the high was 89, just one degree below the 1978 record high of 90.
The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for Thursday, indicating that low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds could increase fire danger.
“Any fires that start (Thursday) will spread very rapidly with gusty winds around,” Natoli said.
He cautioned that people should be very careful with anything that could create a spark because of the potential for spreading.
Forest Service fire restrictions include limited use of campfires, stove fires or grills, as well as limits on smoking and the use of chainsaws, welding equipment and explosives.
The press release outlines the following areas where a campfire is permitted:
In constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates within developed USDA Forest Service recreation sites.
Portable stoves or lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel or a fully enclosed (sheepherder type) stove with a 1/4 spark arrester-type screen are permitted.
More specific details on what is and is not permitted can be found online at fs.usda.gov/main/mbr/home.
“Going into restrictions is not taken lightly by the Forest Service,” the press release says. “Restrictions are necessary due to dry fuel conditions, persistent fire weather patterns, and the danger of human-caused wildfires.”
Failure to follow fire restrictions is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for six months or both. For organizations that violate the restrictions, the fine could reach $10,000. Anyone who starts a wildfire also could be held responsible for the cost of the fire, according to the press release. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/stage-i-fire-restrictions-in-effect/article_49cbda00-2f92-11ed-9e04-4379e922ee54.html | 2022-09-08T17:44:50Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/stage-i-fire-restrictions-in-effect/article_49cbda00-2f92-11ed-9e04-4379e922ee54.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
JACKSON — The Porkchop Geyser in Yellowstone National Park’s Norris Geyser Basin was once a small hot spring, a blue pool that occasionally erupted.
But in 1985 the geyser changed: The Porkchop began “spouting,” sending plumes of water 20 to 30 feet high from a mostly dry crater. The roaring sound of the explosion could occasionally be heard from over a mile away, and in winter the spray created ice cones more than 20 feet high.
Then, on the afternoon of Sept. 5, 1989, the geyser changed again — quickly. Eight visitors watched as eruptions became 60 to 80 feet tall.
Then the geyser exploded.
The blast sent the silica deposit around the geyser into the air, uprooted rocks as large as 3 feet across and chucked smaller material more than 200 feet away. It left a 10-foot crater.
“Fortunately there was no one close enough to be hurt,” Michael Poland said. But he said, “if that had happened at the height of tourist season, when there were a lot of people that were standing nearby, people might have been injured.”
Poland is the scientist in charge at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, which monitors the active supervolcano that dwells beneath the Earth’s surface in America’s first national park.
Poland and other scientists from the National Park Service, University of Utah and University of Wyoming have spent years setting up a network of seismometers, which track earthquake activity; GPS stations, which track how the ground is moving up and down; and stream gauges, which measure the temperature, flow and chemistry of the park’s rivers. Their goal: to understand how the Yellowstone Caldera is acting and predict any substantial changes, which are unlikely.
But now, with that macro, caldera-wide monitoring network set up, Poland and other Yellowstone volcanologists are gearing up to try to better understand smaller geographies like the Norris Geyser Basin.
Ditto the mechanics of hydrothermal eruptions, like the Porkchop Geyser explosion, that pose a greater risk to human health and safety than less likely large-scale super volcano activity.
The focus on smaller hydrothermal phenomena is a significant part of the Volcano Observatory’s new 10-year plan to improve monitoring and hazards assessments of volcanic, hydrothermal and earthquake activity in the Yellowstone Plateau. That plan is broken down into two parts: “backbone” and hydrothermal monitoring.
Plans for “backbone” monitoring include beefing up the larger, caldera-wide system that’s already in place. The hydrothermal monitoring is new and geared toward tracking activity within Yellowstone’s individual thermal areas and geyser basins.
“We have that bigger-picture view nailed down pretty well,” Poland said. “It’s time to actually go after the smaller-picture stuff.”
Ken Sims is a National Geographic Explorer and University of Wyoming professor who researches volcanoes around the globe and has represented the university on the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory since 2013.
The expansion of monitoring in smaller geyser basins is, in part, about establishing a “baseline,” he said.
“You can’t forecast that someone’s going to have a bad heart without understanding how the heart works and having EKGs and various blood tests to look for plaques,” Sims said. “We’re at the stage where we’re trying to better monitor these systems so we can better forecast those events.
“Part of it is just knowing what the steady state is so you know what might be aberrant, might be different,” Sims said.
In smaller geyser basins, Poland said, satellite monitoring data indicates that the ground may rise during the summer when there’s more water present and fall in late summer when that water drains away. More detailed monitoring could confirm that, as well as tip park managers off if “an individual geyser basin is ever doing something weird,” like getting ready to explode.
Hydrothermal explosions like the one at Porkchop Geyser are caused by water flashing to steam and immediately having to escape its container.
“That can create a small explosion and spray boiling water, mud and rocks over a small area,” Poland said.
Such explosions are relatively common, happening once every year or two in the backcountry, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, Poland said, they’re an “under-appreciated hazard” in the front country and “one that’s far more important on human time scales than a volcanic eruption.”
Poland said the Volcano Observatory hopes to set up the first geyser basin monitoring station in Norris Geyser Basin in 2023.
More monitoring stations would likely come online in the following years once volcanologists evaluate how well the first one works. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/yellowstone-volcanologists-seek-to-understand-small-geyser-systems/article_67a1f5ba-2f91-11ed-99df-8b78af689247.html | 2022-09-08T17:45:14Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/yellowstone-volcanologists-seek-to-understand-small-geyser-systems/article_67a1f5ba-2f91-11ed-99df-8b78af689247.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FG reaffirms commitment to protection of schools
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to adopt all measures for enhanced protection of schools and educational institutions across the country, including the implementation of the Safe School Declaration, which Nigeria ratified in 2019.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who gave the commitment amid concerns by some stakeholders over insecurity as most schools are preparing for resumption on Monday next week.
He spoke at a news conference in Abuja, as part of programmes lined up to mark the 2022 edition of the International Day to protect education from attack. Adamu was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Rt. Hon Goodluck Opiah.
The Minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education is working with relevant security agencies to see that their personnel are deployed to protect the schools across the country, particularly in the volatile states of the federation.
He noted that the observance was initiated by Qatar and co-sponsored by sixty-two (62) other countries at the 76th United Nations General Assembly in 2020 and was unanimously espoused, saying for this third edition, the Ministry strategically chose the theme” Implementing the School Safety Policy as a Tool To Protect Education From Attack: Our Collective Responsibility.”
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Adamu said: “The theme foregrounds the education sector’s hands-on actions to protect education from violent situations and armed conflict thereby upholding the right to education and its continuity in such emergency situations as enshrined in the Safe School Declaration which Nigeria ratified on March 20, 2019.
“The theme was devised by the Ministry to create awareness on the existence of the School Safety Policy and the need for state governments, Education Institutions and stakeholders, civil society organizations, the Military, and the general public to operationalise the guidance therein.
“The School Safety Policy copiously highlights the strategies for emergency preparedness in education institutions, measures for harm reduction, stakeholders to contact for help in case of imminent attack, deterrence of the Military from using education institutions and procedures to ensure that education continues if the attack is inevitable.
“Consequently, the Ministry will celebrate the event with pre-activities and a grand finale. The pre-activities were initiated by call letters to education institutions to commence the preparation of learners that will perform at the occasion.
“The performance will involve re-enactment of conflict situations in education institutions through playlets or dance drama, poetic renditions and debate competition based on the theme.
“Experts will also give informational talks on the “Significance of the Minimum Standard Document which codified the operationalization of the School Safety Policy as a collective responsibility by all education stakeholders, and the entire school community including learners, Parents, Teachers, Education administrators, Parents Teachers Association, (PTAs), School Based Management Committees (SBMCs), and other relevant Government Agencies,” he said.
Apple Announces Release Of New IPhone 14 Series. Here’s All You Need To Know About It
FG reaffirms commitment to protection of schools | https://tribuneonlineng.com/fg-reaffirms-commitment-to-protection-of-schools/ | 2022-09-08T17:45:41Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/fg-reaffirms-commitment-to-protection-of-schools/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As planned, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), on Thursday, besieged the Delta State Government Office Annexe in Warri to register their misgivings over the menace of oil theft in the country.
The protesters as early as 8:00a.m gathered at the Governor’s Office complex armed with placards bearing varying inscriptions mostly condemning the menace.
They called on the government to take urgent proactive measures to curb the menace which they claimed had virtually crumbled Nigeria’s economy.
The PENGASSAN zonal chairman, Prince Audu Osihiokhamele, spoke to journalists during the protest and rally.
He alleged that “the big men doing the business of crude oil theft are in government.
“They say they load vessels, but we don’t see any. Is it a needle?”
According to him, the failure of the authorities to find lasting solutions to the menace will push PENGASSAN into taking more drastic actions.
“We will shut down the country for 30 days until we all come to the roundtable to unravel the mysteries surrounding the thefts,” he vowed.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Also speaking, Prince Emea Okorie, PENGASSAN Group chairman, NNPC Ltd, Warri, lamented that Nigeria could no longer meet its OPEC target of 1.8million barrels per day.
He said that the country is “presently struggling to meet 1 million barrels per day, due to theft.”
Mrs Violet Onowakpokpo, the Director, Governor’s Office Annexe Warri, while addressing the gathering, said that the protest was a noble course.
She commended the protesters for their patriotic and peaceful disposition, noting that the issue at stake affects everybody.
Onowakpokpo stressed that the struggle must continue until there is an enduring change of heart and peace in the sector. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/pengassan-protests-in-delta-over-crude-oil-theft/ | 2022-09-08T17:46:14Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/pengassan-protests-in-delta-over-crude-oil-theft/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When quarantine started in early 2020, Canadian artist Soon Cho found herself with a lot of time on her hands. Like many others, she resorted to puzzles for peace of mind, but while plenty of once-avid COVID hobbyists have ditched knitting and sourdough starters, Cho’s new passion is still going strong. In fact, Cho loves the practice so much that she started the online shop SOONNESS, her own mecca for attractive puzzles.
Cho found her way to puzzles after the chaos of 2020 interfered with her ability to work. Like many creatives, she struggled to hold onto long-term work before the pandemic, and her changing circumstances forced her to be innovative. “At my last full-time job, when my contract ended, they didn’t give me a permanent position,” Cho told me. “And after that, COVID hit, so I decided to gather my ideas and try new things.”
She went on to self-publish the charming children’s book Finding Niña, a Where’s Waldo-style book starring Cho’s cartoon alter-ego Niña. After a friend told her the book would make a fun puzzle, Cho took the idea and ran with it. “I started looking for manufacturers, and all things business,” she said. Once she had her own design in front of her, she fell in love. “While I was putting together my samples, and started puzzling, I was actually hooked.”
After Cho developed a solid understanding of how to build her own puzzles, she expanded into selling work by other artists in her online shop. However, she couldn’t help but notice some flaws in the manufacturing system, and she wanted to figure out how to improve on them.
“After I saw the aspects of running this business, I wanted to make it better,” she said. “[For] one, there was too much plastic in the packaging. Everyone’s starting to put in efforts to create less waste, and that was very important for me. So I wanted to make less, and make quality products, and get rid of all the plastic in the packaging…and to be able to do that, I needed to create like a platform or system where I know exactly what people buy, so I don’t create waste.”
SOONNESS has launched exactly such a system with PNP (Pick & Preorder), a seasonal Kickstarter-esque shopping event that invites artists to submit designs for limited-edition, made-to-order puzzles. Once Cho announces the releases, puzzlers can vote for their favorite designs by pre-ordering them from her website, and each design that meets the minimum amount of orders will go into production.
Cho hopes to support her fellow artists by helping them earn extra income and provide passionate puzzlers with a welcome break from the noise of modern life. Cho sees the omnipresence of screens as one good explanation for the appeal they continue to hold for hobbyists. “I am on screen all the time,” she said. “When I’m feeling that exhaustion, I go to the puzzle table and then just puzzle, and [my] brain is more clear. And it’s so analog, right?”
Cho has also noticed her audience tends to skew more feminine. “A lot of my puzzlers are busy, career-oriented, mostly women in their late 20s to late 30s,” Cho continued. “Most of them are young moms too, and they need their off-screen time to meditate.”
A desire for joy and softness is palpable in the design of the puzzles Cho tends to feature, which are often vibrant, youthful illustrations inspired by fairy tales, fantasy, or manga. And since Cho is such an avid puzzler, she knows what kind of design elements make a genuinely fun puzzle. “Vibrant color is the priority, and attention to detail,” she said. “A lot of texture makes it more fun.”
The designs featured in this fall’s PNP are cheerful, imaginative, and offer plenty of opportunities to get lost in detail. For a week, SOONNESS will showcase artists from all over the world: British graphic novelist Andrew Rae, Japanese designer Itoi Yuki, and Korean illustrator Rowon. Each vivid, intricate piece promises to take puzzlers on a journey, whether it’s to a location as comforting and nostalgic as a teenage bedroom, or as fantastical as an alien landscape, or giant breakfast buffet.
Cho has been pleased by the response the event has gotten thus far, both from puzzlers and artists. “Artists were so thrilled to see the puzzlers and their fans interacting with their work,” she said. “As expected, artists’ fans were super happy about the opportunity to own their artwork in a puzzle form.”
This round of PNP will launch at 12 PM ET on September 15th and will run until the 21st. Learn more about the event and its featured artists on SOONNESS. | https://www.printmag.com/illustration-design/illustrator-soon-cho-on-using-puzzles-to-build-a-global-creative-community/ | 2022-09-08T17:46:16Z | printmag.com | control | https://www.printmag.com/illustration-design/illustrator-soon-cho-on-using-puzzles-to-build-a-global-creative-community/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DHS issues final rule to rescind Trump's "public charge" policy
The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday issued its final rule to rescind a Trump-era immigration policy that limited benefits for immigrants who used public assistance benefits, such as housing vouchers or Medicaid.
Driving the news: The DHS law rolls back Trump's "public charge" immigration rule, which restricted immigration benefits for foreigners who "are likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence," per the DHS.
- The new rule "restores the historical understanding of a ‘public charge’ that had been in place for decades," DHS said, adding that the Trump administration considered "supplemental public health benefits ... as part of the public charge inadmissibility determination."
- The Biden administration stopped enforcing the rule within months of taking office, Politico reports.
What they're saying: "This action ensures fair and humane treatment of legal immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
- "Consistent with America’s bedrock values, we will not penalize individuals for choosing to access the health benefits and other supplemental government services available to them."
What to watch: The new rule is set to go into effect on Dec. 23.
Go deeper... The real impact of Trump's "public charge" immigration rule | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/08/dhs-rolls-back-trump-public-charge-rule | 2022-09-08T17:47:53Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/08/dhs-rolls-back-trump-public-charge-rule | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Exclusive: Don't sneeze at Allermi
Custom nasal spray at the ready, online allergy treatment startup Allermi is looking to penetrate an underserved consumer market with its first round of funding.
Why it matters: Allermi is focused on a relatively untapped segment of the direct-to-consumer arena: personalized prescription allergy treatment.
- It's riding a wave of investor interest jumpstarted by DTC startups including Hims & Hers and Ro.
Deal details: Allermi inhaled $1.25 million in pre-seed funding led by Lucas Venture Group, CEO Shani Bocian tells Axios exclusively.
What's next: The company is gearing up to raise its seed round in the fall, says Bocian, and has plans to expand into personalized treatments for eczema.
Context: While DTC startups for sexual health, dermatology and hair loss have dominated the digital pharmacy landscape, fewer companies have homed in on prescription allergy treatments — with some notable exceptions. For example:
- Hybrid care company Thirty Madison, which in February acquired women's telehealth startup Nurx, offers personalized treatments for allergies, hair loss, migraines and digestive issues.
- Telehealth company Hims & Hers, which SPAC'ed its way to the public markets last year at a $1.6 billion valuation, sells some allergy treatments through its primary care vertical.
The backstory: A lifelong allergy sufferer, Bocian started the company with her father Robert Bocian, an allergist and adjunct clinical associate professor of pediatrics in immunology and allergy at Stanford.
- "My dad would bring home a custom treatment protocol for me every month that would quell my symptoms," Bocian says, recalling that patients began calling his sprays "Bocian’s potion."
- "So when digital health companies started booming, I said, let’s take your solution and make it available across the country," she adds.
How it works: Users fill out an online medical questionnaire and detail their symptoms, and an allergist designs their nasal spray.
- Thanks to Allermi's partnership with Alberton's, which provides access to a compounding pharmacy, each spray contains between two and four active ingredients.
- Similar to other digital pharmacies, Allermi only accepts cash, and its treatments cost $45 per month.
- Robert Bocian says the company is also working on materials to help coach people in the proper technique to use its spray. "We’re very proud this isn’t a cookie-cutter approach," he says.
Yes, but: San Francisco-based Allermi is only available to California residents for now, though Bocian says it is working on getting licensed in five more states.
What they're saying: Lucas Venture Group general partner Sarah Lucas sees opportunity for Allermi to become what she describes as a gold standard in allergy treatment.
- "This isn’t rocket science. It’s very basic," says Lucas. "They have a treatment they know works, so it’s about getting it to the right people and getting them what they need to use it correctly." | https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/09/08/allermi-raises-pre-seed-online-allergy-treatment | 2022-09-08T17:48:17Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/09/08/allermi-raises-pre-seed-online-allergy-treatment | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BOSTON (WPRI) — The NFL season kicks off in Los Angeles Thursday night as the defending Super Bowl Champion Rams host the Buffalo Bills.
It comes the same day the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is meeting where they could possibly decide on a timeline for rolling out the new sports betting law.
Last month, Gov. Charlie Baker signed the Massachusetts Sports Wagering Act into law, legalizing both online and in-person sports betting.
The 50-page bill says wagers placed at retail locations, like a casino, will be taxed at 15% and mobile bets will be taxed at 20%.
So far, 42 companies have shown interest in obtaining a sports betting license. | https://www.wpri.com/news/how-close-is-mass-to-implementing-sports-betting/ | 2022-09-08T17:51:33Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/how-close-is-mass-to-implementing-sports-betting/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As companies turn to AI to navigate a changing world, Arize offers a proven platform for improving machine learning model performance and troubleshooting issues quickly
BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arize AI, a leader in machine learning observability, announced today that it has raised $38 million in Series B funding. TCV led the round with participation from existing investors Battery Ventures, Foundation Capital, and Swift Ventures.
The investment is the largest-ever in a machine learning observability platform and comes at an important inflection point for the industry. Machine learning models are now being deployed in nearly every sector of the economy, with companies investing billions to turn artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into a competitive advantage. Despite a decade of investment in data infrastructure and the pre-production ML toolchain, most companies still lack visibility into how their ML models are performing in production and run the risk of models impacting earnings or acting in unfair ways. This is especially true as the industry embraces computer vision and natural language processing models that are notoriously difficult to troubleshoot since they rely on unstructured data and manual labeling by humans.
Launched in 2020, Arize's ML observability platform is already counted on by a growing list of enterprises and disruptive technology companies – including Uber, Spotify, Ebay, Instacart, Chime, Neustar, Nextdoor, New York Life, Stitch Fix, and more – to track hundreds of billions of predictions per month. Arize is beloved by ML engineering teams because it enables them to streamline troubleshooting efforts with purpose-built workflows and analytics for model performance management, drift detection, data quality checks, and model validation. Arize also enables users to log models with both structured and unstructured data to the platform for monitoring.
"Michaelangelo is Uber's end-to-end ML platform that powers 100% business-critical ML use cases at Uber to deliver a consistent user experience across billions of rides and deliveries," says Kai Wang, Product Lead, Uber AI Platform. "Given the vital role ML plays in this process, it's critical to have tools that build on Michalangelo's core capabilities and help us stay ahead of potential production ML problems. We're excited to work with Arize AI to enhance platform ML observability capabilities and make it easier to detect and resolve model performance issues."
"Arize's platform finally makes it easy for ML engineers to scalably detect data and drift issues, troubleshoot what happened, and improve overall model performance" says Morgan Gerlak, Partner at TCV. "Like other areas of observability, the end user really matters — and we were impressed by Arize's ability to build a practical solution that ML engineers love."
"As the pace of innovation in AI accelerates, it's more important than ever for organizations to have machine learning observability in place to surface potential problems and improve ML models in production," says Dharmesh Thakker, a general partner with Battery Ventures. "In the past year, Arize has emerged as one of the highest-profile companies in this space -- the platform of choice for many prominent ML teams. We're proud to expand our investment and partnership with Arize as it pushes into new frontiers."
"Speaking of observability, I've been watching Arize grow since its inception," says Ashu Garg, general partner at Foundation Capital, "and I'm thrilled at how far the company has come. Its product is far ahead of the competition and is being deployed by best-in-class AI enterprises, which all acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. In two short years, Arize has become the breakout company in its category."
"The reality is that if you're not injecting AI into every major business decision, you are going to be left behind," notes Brett Wilson, Co-Founder and General Partner at Swift Ventures. "Having machine learning observability in place to monitor models and get ahead of potential problems is table stakes, especially in a challenging economic environment. Arize is the category leader in this space and is pushing it to new frontiers."
Arize AI is a machine learning observability platform that helps ML teams deliver and maintain more successful AI in production. Arize's automated model monitoring and observability platform allows ML teams to quickly detect issues when they emerge, troubleshoot why they happened, and improve overall model performance across both structured and unstructured data. Arize is a remote first company with headquarters in Berkeley, CA. Sign up for a free account or book a demo for your team at Arize.com.
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SOURCE Arize AI | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/arize-ai-raises-38-million-series-b-scale-machine-learning-observability-platform/ | 2022-09-08T17:59:23Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/arize-ai-raises-38-million-series-b-scale-machine-learning-observability-platform/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ms. Ilievska brings results driven B2B and B2C marketing leadership to Array.
TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Array Marketing ("Array"), the market leader in end-to-end in-store merchandising solutions, today announced it has appointed Katerina Ilievska as its Vice President of Marketing.
Katerina is a proven marketing leader, with B2B and B2C experience across a wide range of sectors. Highly motivated and results driven, Katerina ensures understanding customer needs are her first priority and the basis upon which her strategies and brand campaigns are built. With a proven track record of establishing and overseeing marketing functions, her approach has led to demonstrated success building brands, delivering revenue growth and increasing market share. Katerina will lead Array's global marketing efforts, in addition to overseeing the company's brand position and development.
Katerina looks forward to building on this success in her new role at Array.
"I'm thrilled to be joining an innovative organization like Array," says Katerina. "Our commercial teams already have exceptional relationships with clients and a strong reputation in the industry. I'm looking forward to bolstering Array's value proposition as we continue to expand our creative solutions in the retail market."
"Katerina's breadth of experience provides our leadership team with a fresh and unique perspective," says Steve Kremser, Array's CEO. "With an established record of commercial success, we're confident Katerina will strengthen Array's position in the industry and accelerate our marketing solutions efforts."
About Array
Array is the global leader in in-store merchandising services, solutions and experiences for many of the world's most iconic retailers and brands. For over 40 years, clients of Array have enjoyed an unparalleled experience with Array's creative solutions, global reach, sustainability leadership and exceptional client services. In short, Array creates amazing retail experiences. Array is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and employs more than 1,800 employees with operations in Canada, USA, Mexico, China, Singapore, Poland, UK, France, and Germany.
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SOURCE Array Marketing | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/array-appoints-katerina-ilievska-vice-president-marketing/ | 2022-09-08T17:59:30Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/array-appoints-katerina-ilievska-vice-president-marketing/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Irresistible Second Guest Sails Free Offer Extended for Another Week
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlas Ocean Voyages, the ultimate way to experience the world, reported the best week-long booking period in the company's history, doubling its occupancy for the upcoming Antarctica season. The small-ship, yacht-style expedition and cruise line attributed the success to pent-up demand, the unique destination, the exceptional value proposition of yacht-style expeditions, and an irresistible Labor Day holiday offer. Due to the strong response to Atlas' Labor Day offer, the cruise line is extending the Second Guest Sails Free offer for another week through September 13. For more information, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com.
"We are happy to see the incredible results from this extraordinary offer," said James Rodriguez, President and CEO of Atlas Ocean Voyages. "The response from our travel partners has been phenomenal. I believe the value proposition presented along with our unique yacht-style expedition experience has resonated with future guests. We thank Travel Advisors for their support, expertise and the value they provide to their clients and our future guests."
Travelers can take advantage of Atlas' extended Second Guest Sails Free offer and choose among 17 Antarctica expeditions, ranging from nine to 12 nights, and save up to $11,699 per stateroom aboard World Navigator and Atlas' newest ship, World Traveller. Departing November 18, 2022, through March 22, 2022, all itineraries cruise roundtrip from Ushuaia, Argentina, including a special nine-night Chilean Fjords expedition, departing December 12, 2022. Atlas' Second Guest Sails Free offer is applicable for all new bookings made with deposit from August 31 through September 13, 2022, in a Veranda or Horizon stateroom.
Included for all guests is a scheduled roundtrip charter flight between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Ushuaia; Zodiac safaris and expedition landings; and an Atlas expedition parka as part of their all-inclusive luxurious expedition. All guests are responsible for government taxes and port fees and the Second Guest Sails Free offer is not combinable with other promotions.
On board, guests enjoy highly personalized and attentive service in an intimate setting and Atlas Ocean Voyages' expansive inclusions, such as globally inspired gourmet cuisine with ever-changing menus; premium wines and spirits, and international beers; prepaid gratuities; emergency medical evacuation insurance and Covid trip-interruption assistance; and L'OCCITANE bath amenities plus stocked mini-bar and Nespresso machine in every room. Each suite and stateroom also include robes, slippers and an expedition binocular for use while on board. Suite guests also enjoy butler service.
Atlas Ocean Voyages is the ultimate way to experience the world in comfortable luxury on yacht-style expeditions and cruises. World Navigator, launched in August 2021, and World Traveller, launching November 2022, both feature 98 suites and staterooms, and are the line's first two stylish yacht-style ships bringing curious global travelers to remote, boutique and marquee destinations around the world. Three additional sister ships, World Seeker, World Adventurer and World Discoverer, are under construction or on order. For more information, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com. Please also follow Atlas Ocean Voyages on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AtlasOceanVoyages), Instagram (www.instagram.com/AtlasOceanVoyages), and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/atlascruises). Travel Advisors can call 1.844.44.ATLAS (1.844.442.8527) to book their clients on an unforgettable yacht-style expedition.
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SOURCE Atlas Ocean Voyages | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/atlas-ocean-voyages-reports-best-booking-week-since-start-business/ | 2022-09-08T17:59:36Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/atlas-ocean-voyages-reports-best-booking-week-since-start-business/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ROANOKE, Va., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Edwards has been named among the nation's Top 100 accounting firms by INSIDE Public Accounting and a Top 50 construction accounting firm by Construction Executive Magazine.
For the 6th year in a row, Brown Edwards has been recognized as a top accounting firm on the INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA) Top 100 List, moving up five spots on the list this year to number 73.
The IPA 500 recognizes the top U.S.-based accounting firms and is the most comprehensive list of North American public accounting firms available. IPA annually ranks the largest public accounting firms in the U.S. based on participating firms' net revenues.
"Through our strategic acquisitions and organic growth initiatives, we continue to expand our geographic reach and broaden our client services in key industry niches. While this two-pronged effort benefited us in the IPA rankings, our continued growth is, more importantly, attributable to the ongoing commitment and client-focused service that our Partners and Associates bring to our clients. Even as we now can bring the resources of a Top 75 firm to our clients, we are still committed to being accessible and available when they need us," states CEO Jason Hartman.
Now in its 20th year of publication, Construction Executive is the leading trade magazine about the business of construction. In its July/August 2022 issue, CE published a comprehensive ranking of The Top 50 Construction Accounting Firms™ in the nation, featuring breakouts and analysis. Brown Edwards ranked number 38 this year and in addition to the overall ranking, tied for fourth for the total number of CCIFPs, with twelve team members carrying this distinction.
The Brown Edwards construction practice has been dedicated to serving the construction industry since 1967. Today, we aide general contractors, engineers, architects, construction managers, civil and heavy highway construction companies, mechanical and electrical contractors, plumbing contractors, and other specialty-trade contractors. Our firm specializes in assurance, tax planning, tax compliance, bidding and estimating, rate setting, litigation, mergers and acquisition, WIP management, and advising on other significant industry matters.
Brown Edwards is a full-service regional accounting firm with offices in Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. We are proud to support a wide-range of industries throughout the Mid-Atlantic, including automobile dealerships, construction, credit unions, education, employee benefits, energy, financial institutions, healthcare, manufacturing and distribution, state and local government, real estate, and not-for-profit organizations. www.BEcpas.com
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SOURCE Brown, Edwards & Company | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/brown-edwards-ranked-twice-nationally-top-accounting-firm/ | 2022-09-08T17:59:56Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/brown-edwards-ranked-twice-nationally-top-accounting-firm/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Breakthrough Device Designation recognizes Ceribell's point-of-care EEG as a first-of-its-kind technology for the detection of delirium.
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceribell, Inc. announced today that it has received Breakthrough Device Designation for its delirium indication from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A first-of-its-kind technology, the Ceribell® system utilizes machine learning to analyze electroencephalography (EEG) signals to detect delirium. The Ceribell point-of-care EEG system first received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2017 for indicating suspected seizure activity and is currently utilized in intensive care units (ICUs) and Emergency Rooms across the United States.
Referred to as "acute brain failure," delirium is sometimes the only indicator of ongoing brain injury. Affecting more than seven million hospitalized Americans annually, failure to diagnose delirium has been associated with a two-fold increase in six-month mortality1. The current standard of care for diagnosing delirium in the ICU involves a bedside assessment typically performed by a nurse or physician every four to twelve hours. In studies evaluating current practices for recognizing delirium in critical care settings, over half of patients with delirium were not correctly diagnosed2.
"In many real-world clinical settings delirium assessments are inconsistently implemented resulting in low sensitivity," stated Dr. Tim Girard, Professor of Critical Care Medicine at University of Pittsburgh and co-lead of the study, "A highly reliable, automated approach to delirium diagnosis is greatly needed for this vulnerable patient population."
"The development of delirium has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, increased cost of care as well as poor functional and cognitive recovery," said Dr. Jose Maldonado, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University, the other co-lead investigator for Ceribell's delirium trial, "Clinicians must do everything possible to prevent delirium's occurrence or shorten its duration by recognizing its symptoms early."
Ceribell's system analyzes EEG waveform data for evidence of delirium, enabling potential earlier and better detection as well as continuous monitoring to improve patient care and outcomes. The Ceribell system's Breakthrough Device Designation was grounded in early clinical studies that have provided clear evidence that the system is likely to improve the current standard of care. The Breakthrough Devices Program aims to give patients and health care providers accelerated access to new technologies that can treat or diagnose debilitating conditions by expediting FDA review of devices with this designation. Ceribell is the first and only device to have received an FDA Breakthrough Designation for the screening and monitoring of delirium.
"Delirium happens frequently in the ICU and often remains under-diagnosed and under-treated. We are excited to provide a tool that empowers bedside nurses and physicians to manage this challenging disease state with more precision," said Jane Chao, PhD, Ceribell's Co-founder and CEO, "Modern critical care is moving beyond not only saving a life but also protecting the brain for a higher quality life as well."
Ceribell, Inc. (www.ceribell.com), is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. Ceribell deploys a cloud-linked, portable electroencephalogram (EEG) device to assess brain waves in minutes to identify the occurrence of seizures in emergency rooms and intensive care units. The Ceribell system can be quickly and easily applied to a patient by any healthcare provider and delivers brain monitoring results within minutes. Ceribell is focused on making EEG widely available, more efficient, and more cost-effective to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions for patients at risk for seizures. The Ceribell EEG System first received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2017 and is commercially available in the United States.
[1] R. Kakuma et al., "Delirium in Older Emergency Department Patients Discharged Home: Effect on Survival." J American Geriatric Soc 2003; 51.
[2] M.M. van Eijk et al., (2011). "Routine Use of the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit." Am J Respir Crit Care Med 184.
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SOURCE Ceribell, Inc. | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/ceribell-receives-fda-breakthrough-device-designation-delirium-indication/ | 2022-09-08T18:00:30Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/ceribell-receives-fda-breakthrough-device-designation-delirium-indication/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Firstrust Bank today announced that President Timothy J. Abell will become CEO as part of a long-planned executive transition that will ensure business continuity and growth for the region's largest and strongest full-service, family-owned bank.
Current Board Chairman and CEO, Richard J. Green, who has spent his 45 year banking career building Firstrust, will become the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. Richard's grandfather, Samuel, founded the bank in 1934, and during Richard's career was privileged to have worked with both his grandfather, and father, Daniel. Richard will remain the Owner of the bank.
This planned transition will become effective on January 1, 2023. As Tim Abell becomes CEO, Richard, in turn, will focus more fully on Firstrust's continued growth as well as the expanding philanthropic work of The Green Family Foundation.
During his tenure as CEO, Green led several successful transformations for Firstrust, including its transition to a full-service commercial bank, the reinvention of Hatch Bank, a subsidiary of Firstrust, into a bank focused on serving the Fintech community, as well as deftly navigating Firstrust through the Great Recession and the Global Pandemic.
Under his leadership, Philadelphia's Hometown Bank and the Official Bank of the Philadelphia Eagles has become national in capability, technology and innovation, while remaining local and personal in its service to its customers, while growing its assets to more than $5Billion.
"Tim Abell is an exceptional banker and charismatic leader who lives and breathes the Firstrust culture and our commitment to our customers and the community," Green said. "I have had the privilege of working side by side with Tim for the past 18 years, and I have complete confidence in his leadership and ability to accelerate the bank's growth and serve the community that we both love."
Abell was born and raised in Philadelphia and has longstanding ties throughout the community. He has served as Firstrust's President since 2007 and as a member of the Board of Directors since 2016. He will be the first non-family member to serve as CEO and he will remain President.
In his new position, Abell will be responsible for implementing the bank's strategic plan, including guiding its digital transformation, and the overall growth of the enterprise. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of Firstrust, as well as its Apex Commercial Capital, Firstrust Financial Resources and Hatch Bank subsidiaries.
Abell has more than 30 years of experience working with businesses and entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia region. He joined Firstrust in 2004 and during his tenure has expanded the bank's small business, commercial and real estate lending businesses, developed new business lines, overseen the investment in digital technologies, the expansion into the Maryland market and the growth of the subsidiaries. Prior to joining Firstrust, Abell was Market President for Fleet Bank in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.
"Firstrust is a special bank with a professional, caring and motivated team that is passionate about our customers and their success, and the well-being of the communities we serve," Abell said.
"Richard has made an indelible mark on the bank and on the Greater Philadelphia community," he added. "Fortunately for me and the Firstrust Family, he is stepping up, not down. As we continue to work together in our individual capacities, I am excited to grow the Firstrust legacy of outstanding customer service, commitment to the prosperity of our community while continuing to invest in our people, technology and innovation."
Founded in 1934, with assets of approximately $5 billion, Firstrust Bank is the region's largest family-owned financial institution, one of the region's largest and strongest full-service commercial banks, and one of the most consistently top-performing banks in the Nation. Founded by Samuel A. Green, who began the business in his mother's kitchen in South Philadelphia, Firstrust is currently in its third generation of family management, operating as Philadelphia's Hometown Bank® for nearly 90 years. Firstrust offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, businesses, and institutions. In commercial banking, Firstrust provides a wide variety of solutions, including commercial real estate finance, business banking, asset-backed lending, and deposit and treasury management services. Firstrust meets the need of its consumer customers by offering a full range of deposit, lending, and residential mortgage products. Firstrust is a Small Business Administration (SBA) Preferred Lender, is a Top Workplaces employer, the Official Bank of the Philadelphia Eagles and serves its customers through 19 branch banking offices located in Southeastern PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Towson, MD. For more information, visit firstrust.com or call 800-220-BANK. Member FDIC.
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SOURCE Firstrust Bank | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/firstrust-announces-timothy-j-abell-will-become-ceo-richard-j-green-serve-executive-chairman/ | 2022-09-08T18:01:38Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/firstrust-announces-timothy-j-abell-will-become-ceo-richard-j-green-serve-executive-chairman/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Wellness at Work Recognition program honors Maryland businesses prioritizing wellbeing across their organizations
COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Several Maryland-based MedStar Health organizations have been honored with 2022 Wellness at Work recognitions from the Maryland Department of Health's "Healthiest Maryland Businesses" program. Wellness at Work recognizes businesses of all sizes for their success in building a culture of wellbeing in the workplace. This year, MedStar Health patient care and research organizations made up nine of the 48 winners, including:
- MedStar Ambulatory Services
- MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
- MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
- MedStar Health Home Care
- MedStar Health Research Institute
- MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
- MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
- MedStar St. Mary's Hospital
- MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
"This recognition from the Maryland Department of Health is an absolute honor," said Daniel Marchalik, MD, executive director of the MedStar Health Center for Wellbeing. "MedStar Health's strong showing among the top 'Healthiest Maryland Businesses' is a testament to the hard work being performed across our system to further prioritize associate wellbeing in all of our workplaces. The same wellness programs and resources being recognized in Maryland are also available to our associates based in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, and we are extremely proud of that."
This year, MedStar Health publicly launched the Center for Wellbeing to create and grow wellness initiatives focused on the needs of the system's more than 32,000 associates. This includes establishing increased access to child care and adult care, a 24/7 peer support hotline, recharge stations offering snacks and areas for meditation, wellness rounds to support associates at sites where they deliver care, Stress First Aid training, and more. The Center also serves as a systemwide hub to support wellbeing strategies developed and offered locally.
According to the Maryland Department of Health, Wellness at Work recognition criteria is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Workplace Health Model. Applicants are asked to share how their organization is addressing wellbeing in four areas: programs, policies, benefits, and environmental strategies. Recognized businesses are assigned an Exemplar, Pacesetter, or Standout rating based on the strength of their wellbeing initiatives.
On Nov. 10, MedStar Health leaders will share wellbeing insights and strategies as part of the Healthiest Maryland Businesses Wellness at Work virtual recognition series. This live-streamed presentation will be available to the public.
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SOURCE MedStar Health | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/medstar-health-earns-nine-healthiest-maryland-businesses-recognitions-maryland-department-health/ | 2022-09-08T18:03:48Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/medstar-health-earns-nine-healthiest-maryland-businesses-recognitions-maryland-department-health/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PROVO, Utah, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novarad Corporation announces a strategic alliance with a network of well-established specialty Neurosurgical and Spine distribution partners within the US. The initial network covers locations from the Eastern seaboard to Texas, with additional partners to be added throughout the entire USA in the 4th quarter of 2022. These medical device distributors bring widespread experience and a strong local presence to support the growth of Novarad's new VisAR and OpenSight product lines.
VisAR, a revolutionary Augmented Reality Surgical Navigation technology, transforms a patient's imaging data. Presenting as a 3-dimensional hologram visible through an optical visor, this augmented reality is superimposed onto the patient with sub-millimeter accuracy, allowing the surgeon to focus directly on their objective without looking away from the separate monitor. Today, costly impediments and timely setups force surgeons to work without navigation. Novarad's state-of-the-art VisAR system is a huge step towards making surgical guidance widely available and economically feasible.
The regional specialty distributors that comprise this network have brought unique solutions and cutting-edge technologies to neurosurgical and spine markets for more than 30 years," said Jim Bazzinotti, President, US Neurosurgical. The network includes, US Neurosurgical, Proficient Surgical, Steven Baum, President, covering (CT, RI, MA, NH, NYC, No. NJ, ME and VT), Life Surgical, Eric Johnson, President, covering (DC, DE, MD, So. NJ, E.PA and No.VA), Nautilus Surgical, Rex Burbage, President, covering (DC, MD, NC, VA, and W.VA), Neuro-Tec, Tom Smithweck, President, covering (AL, GA and SC), Armamentarium Surgical, John Nail, President, covering (AR, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, TX, W.KY).
With a broad reach, Novarad's patented innovation transforms both surgeries and medical education by providing real-time viewing of anatomy and critical structures on the patient.
Dr. Wendell Gibby, Novarad's founder and CEO, says, "this is transformational technology that provides the precision of a robot, the portability of a stethoscope and the versatility of human powered intelligence." Dr. Gibby, addressing the significance of VisAR, continues, "Like a surgical GPS, VisAR provides a roadmap to guide the surgeon to the pathology of interest." Easy to expand with a reduced IT footprint, VisAR's size and scalability benefit physicians and hospitals alike.
To learn more about VisAR or Novarad's distribution network, start a VisAR trial at your facility, or to become a distributor, go to Novarad.net/visar.
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SOURCE Novarad Corporation | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/novarad-secures-strategic-regional-network-alliance-its-augmented-reality-surgical-navigation-product-which-has-been-providing-unique-solutions-cutting-edge-technologies-neurosurgical-spine-markets-more-than-30-years/ | 2022-09-08T18:04:41Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/novarad-secures-strategic-regional-network-alliance-its-augmented-reality-surgical-navigation-product-which-has-been-providing-unique-solutions-cutting-edge-technologies-neurosurgical-spine-markets-more-than-30-years/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kyle Shanahan and his offense will have their initial test on Sunday when they open the 2022 season against the Chicago Bears. The Bears' defense allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game last season but were a bottom-ten team in stopping the run.
The 49ers' offense started slowly against the Bears in their Week 8 game last season, scoring just nine points in the first half, but the 49ers went on to win 33-22.
There will be one big difference between the 49ers' 2021 and 2022 offense. Here are the five 49ers to watch on offense:
QB Trey Lance: Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. Sunday marks the beginning of the Trey Lance era, a day 49ers fans have been waiting for since the 22-year-old quarterback was taken with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. While he made his debut in the 2021 season, Lance will be under center for the first time as not just a starting quarterback but THE starting quarterback for the 49ers. He will face a tough Bears defense that allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game in 2021 while leading the league with a 9.3 sack percentage on 477 pass attempts against.
RT Mike McGlinchey
The 49ers' offensive line will get a boost when McGlinchey returns on Sunday after tearing his quad in 2021. While McGlinchey caught a break when the Bears traded Khalil Mack back in March to the Chargers, he will still have a tough test against Trevis Gipson, who will likely line up on the other side.
Gipson played just 71 snaps in 2020 during his rookie season but saw 489 snaps in 2021, collecting seven sacks. With McGlinchey being a better run blocker than pass blocker, the fifth-year tackle will have a tough test in his return against Gipson.
Robert Quinn, Chicago’s best pass rusher, primarily rushes from the right side of the defense.
RG Spencer Burford
Burford has turned into one of the more pleasant surprises over the summer. The 49ers selected the guard with the 134th pick, and he soared up the depth chart to become the starter on Sunday. Burford is one of three new starters on a redone version of the offensive line and has quickly become what feels to be one of the better players on the line. Burford will become the fourth different right guard to start a Week 1 since Kyle Shanahan took over the 49ers in 2017.
RB Jordan Mason
Mason might be the most curious player to watch on Sunday for the 49ers. He went undrafted and was signed by the 49ers, then turned in a solid camp, performed well in the preseason (19 carries, 94 yards), made the initial 53-man roster, and was kept over Trey Sermon when the 49ers needed to make a roster spot for Blake Hance.
It is obvious Shanahan likes the 23-man roster, but how much will Mason be used in the offense behind the likes of Elijah Mitchell and Jeff Wilson? We’ll find out Sunday.
WR Deebo Samuel
Another obvious choice with Samuel being named an All-Pro in 2021, but it will be an interesting watch to see how Shanahan uses Samuel after rumors were afloat that the receiver was unhap"y with hi" role. Samuel saw 3.7 carries per game in 2021, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt, so there is motivation to use him as a “wide back” again, but with the revamp depth at the running back position, the thought is Samuel could see fewer carries. So while Samuel is a weekly player to watch, it will be interesting to see the first kind of usage he sees in 2022. | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23340433/49ers-bears-5-players-to-watch | 2022-09-08T18:05:29Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23340433/49ers-bears-5-players-to-watch | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It's time for a new NFL season, so it's time for more predictions. The 49ers are massive seven-point favorites over the Bears in their first game of the season, but they are far from the only lopsided matchup in Week 1.
Here are my game-by-game predictions:
Bills over Rams
The NFL was wise to start the regular season with one of the best matchups of Week 1. The defending Super Bowl champs against the current Super Bowl favorite makes this one of the harder predictions, but I think a lot of things are going to lead to a dip from the Rams this season, and the Bills probably have the best team in the NFL.
Saints over Falcons
I wanted to pick the Falcons to pull the upset at home given that I think Marcus Mariota is an underrated quarterback and has a good shot at succeeding this year under Arthur Smith, but the Saints have a much more talented team. Going from Sean Payton to Dennis Allen has me concerned New Orleans could collapse this year, but I'll let Allen prove his ineptitude before betting against him.
Panthers over Browns
The Browns have quietly lost a lot of depth over the past two seasons, and the Panthers are more mediocre than terrible. Baker Mayfield is better than he was last season and should be a massive upgrade for Carolina. I'm going with Carolina's home-field advantage to help Mayfield get the win in his revenge game.
49ers over Bears
I am as high as anyone on Justin Fields, but I don't think he has a chance to succeed in Chicago this year. Even if Trey Lance struggles, the Niners should be able to win comfortably.
Bengals over Steelers
Mitchell Trubisky is far from an above-average starter, yet he's still a massive upgrade for the Steelers. I'm sticking with the reigning AFC champs at home, but I'm very interested in seeing if Pittsburgh can find a way to contend in the stacked AFC North because they have the skill position players and defense to compete now that they have a quarterback that can make most NFL throws.
Eagles over Lions
I like what the Lions are building in Detroit, but the Eagles have so much more talent on both sides of the ball. This feels like a make-or-break year for Jalen Hurts, but even if he's only a league-average starter, he has a good enough supporting cast to win the NFC East.
Colts over Texans
The Colts would probably be a favorite in the NFC after adding Matt Ryan to an already well-rounded roster. The Texans finished last season strong (relative to their atrocious start), but I'm not sure how much of that will carry over after the team unjustifiably fired head coach David Culley. I'm expecting Texans quarterback Davis Mills to regress in his second season, and given the death of talent on the roster, Houston's only path to competitiveness is with Mills taking a big step forward.
Dolphins over Patriots
One of my bolder predictions for this NFL season is that Tua Tagovailoa will be a better quarterback than Mac Jones. For one, Tagovailoa and Jones have posted quite similar numbers early in their careers. In my opinion, the much loftier expectations thrust onto Tua alongside the much lesser hype around Jones has distorted perceptions of both players. Secondly, I think Tagovailoa is in a much better situation in Miami than Jones in New England. The surrounding offensive talent is astronomically better on the Dolphins roster, and the chaos surrounding New England's offensive coordinator
Ravens over Jets
Joe Flacco vs. Lamar Jackson, Jackson won this competition before; he'll easily do it once again.
Jaguars over Commanders
Carson Wentz is an upgrade for the Commanders at quarterback over what they had last season, but their defensive line needs to bounce back from an underwhelming 2021. After losing Chase Young for the season, I'm skeptical that's in the cards. The Jaguar's defense is going to be bad this year, but the offense added a lot of talent this offseason and now has a competent coaching staff. The Jaguars will need to force a couple of turnovers to pull out the victory, but I'll bet
Titans over Giants
I don't think either team is going to be particularly good this year, but the Giants are more overtly tanking. The Titans are going to regress from playoff contention, but barring a stinker from Ryan Tannehill, they should cruise past New York.
Kansas City over Cardinals
I think this will be Kliff Kingsbury's last year in Arizona, and he's going up against Patrick Mahomes. Enough said.
Chargers over Raiders
I considered picking the Raiders to pull the upset, but I'm too on board with the Chargers this season. It's hard to choose such an unproven team given the strength of the conference, but they have all the pieces of a title contender. The Raiders should be perfect, but I think they'll be a tier below Los Angeles.
Packers over Vikings
I don't know why I've been seeing so much Kirk Cousins hype recently, but as much as Vikings fans want to pin his shortcomings on Mike Zimmer, we know who Cousins is at this point. He's an above-average quarterback (probably 10-15th best in the NFL), but he will be inconsistent. The Packers may have lost Davante Adams, but I'm not going to pick Cousins to beat Aaron Rodgers until I see Rodgers start to fade.
Cowboys over Buccaneers
I think the Cowboys' early elimination from the postseason alongside the Eagles' fantastic offseason has Dallas a bit underrated heading into the year. I understand their turnover rate is almost guaranteed to regress, but Dak Prescott is the third-best quarterback in the NFC behind Tom Brady and Rodgers. Week 1 always gives some funky results, and while I still think Tampa Bay will be a better team than the Cowboys this season, I think the Buccaneers are a bit rusty after Brady's peculiar offseason, and Dallas' offense leads the charge.
Broncos over Seahawks
Let's ride.
I'll keep a tally of my predictions this season, but feel free to play along in the comments and keep a tally of your own. We'll see who comes out on top at the end of the season!
If you are interested in placing some bets to put some added stakes on your picks, head on over to the DraftKings Sportsbooks, SB Nation's official sportsbook partner, to get them in for Week 1.
While we know casual gambling can be fun for some fans, we recognize that it can cause problems for others. If you would like to talk to a professional about your gambling habits, an anonymous national hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-522-4700. | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23341695/49ers-picks-week-1 | 2022-09-08T18:05:36Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23341695/49ers-picks-week-1 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
During Kyle Shanahan’s first official pre-practice press conference of the regular season, he was asked about his backup quarterback and not his starter. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody, and it didn’t catch Shanahan off guard Wednesday when he was asked what the potential conversation if his quarterback struggles:
“We all know how it’ll go. I also know if Jimmy wasn’t here and Trey did bad, how it would go. So we understand that. The fact that he has this successful quarterback behind him, that’s obvious how that narrative will be and understandably so. But I think our players also know Jimmy went through some tough times too, and they had his back. Regardless of if they thought there was a better option, they had his back and people have to realize that.”
That last line is Shanahan telling us that no matter how much people try to make drama out of nothing, the players have each other's backs through thick and thin. That’s not going to be any different with Trey Lance under center.
Shanahan spoke on that as well:
“And you have to realize when you do struggle, those guys know it’s a lot harder to play well when no one has your back. And you have to help guys through that. And I think we got the guys who can do that. I think our guys did that for Jimmy when he was here, even when he was having some tough times and allowed him to fight through that.
And I believe our guys will do the same thing for Trey. I understand what people outside of our locker room will say, and they are right in terms of human nature to do that. But it’s going to happen regardless if you don’t play well. And I think we had an option to get Jimmy as a backup, which kind of shows that it wouldn’t have been an option if he wasn’t coming as that.”
There’s an argument to be made that Lance is stepping into a perfect locker room, given this team just went through a season where the outside world was calling for a quarterback change weekly.
The more Shanahan and the rest of the players speak, the more you can tell there’s a disconnect between how they feel about the Trey/Jimmy dynamic compared to those on the outside looking in. And if you think us or anything else has impacted Lance’s confidence level, you’d be mistaken
Shanahan said “Trey is in as good a spot as I’ve been around with him. He’s confident, had a good camp, got as many reps as he has ever gotten before. Has been thrown in a lot of tough situations, some good situations and not it’s time to play.”
I’m cannot wait to see what Shanahan has in store for Lance. For whatever reason, we have to pretend this won’t be the case, but the No. 3 overall pick is going to make the offense better. | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23342105/49ers-shanahan-lance-garoppolo | 2022-09-08T18:05:42Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23342105/49ers-shanahan-lance-garoppolo | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The season officially kicks off tonight, meaning this is the last chance to submit predictions for the season before they are invalidated. The 49ers enter the 2022 season with what I believe is their strongest roster in the previous decade.
With Trey Lance taking the reins as the starting quarterback for the first time in his NFL career, there is some natural uncertainty at the most important position in the sport. But, I’m here to tell you why I don’t think it will prevent this team from reaching double-digit wins and securing a playoff birth this season.
Let’s start with the defensive line. This is the most talented group from top to bottom in the entire league, a group that is so deep that they somehow ended up with a talent like Kemoko Turay on the practice squad. Nick Bosa leads the way on the edge, with Arik Armstead providing invaluable flexibility to lineup anywhere on the line.
Samson Ebukam looks to continue right where he left off to close the 2021 season, and Javon Kinlaw appears to be ready to silence the criticism he has endured over his first two years in the league. Don’t sleep on Kevin Givens either; he is a player I expect to take a significant leap this year as the 49ers look to replace the hole left by DJ Jones's departure.
Lance will dominate the headlines, but this defense is ultimately what is going to determine what the ceiling of this team is.
Beyond the talent at the line of scrimmage, the 49ers also boast the best linebacker trio in the entire NFL. It does not get better at the second level than Fred Warner, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Dre Greenlaw.
The secondary has been revamped with four new Week 1 starters, including marquis free agent signing Mooney Ward, who has appeared to be every bit of the number one cornerback the 49ers brought him to the Bay Area. In addition, rookie Samuel Womack is penciled in as the starting nickel corner after an impressive preseason, and second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga is locked into a starting spot.
The defense looks as deep on paper as it ever has in recent seasons, which is important as they will be without starting safety and team captain Jimmie Ward for at least the first four games of the season.
The 49ers have had a top-five defense in each of the last three seasons, and a strong argument can be made that this is the most talent they have had on that side of the ball over that span. However, this team’s success starts and stops with this defense, especially with the offense in a transitional period.
Switching gears to the offense, while the attention will be focused on Lance and how he performs week to week, the success of this unit ultimately falls on Kyle Shanahan. Lance was his handpicked quarterback, and he has no shortage of weapons to scheme up enough offense to get by, even if there are some growing pains early on.
On paper, life should be easier for any quarterback when they have players like Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk to throw the ball to. Then when you add in Shanahan’s ability to manufacture offense with the running game and get his playmakers with the ball in space, the outlook for this offense should be rather positive.
The real benefit is that with an elite defense, they aren’t going to have to light up the scoreboard week after week to be contenders. They need to take care of the football and avoid regularly committing costly turnovers. The rest should sort itself out organically throughout a 17-game season.
The 49ers have all the makings of a team poised to make a run at the division crown, and there is a strong argument to be made that they can go toe to toe with any other team in the league on any given Sunday.
I think double-digit wins a loose floor. Of course, the unknown variable of Lance makes it a bit harder to project, but given the talent on the roster and what we have seen in Lance’s limited sample size, there is every reason to believe this team could win ten games while falling asleep at the wheel.
The 49ers do, however, play a challenging schedule. They will face off with the AFC West, a division with four teams that all look like playoff contenders entering the season. In addition, they have difficult matchups the Buccaneers and Saints, as well as the tough slate they face within their own division.
All things considered, my final prediction for this team is 11-6. I think that will be enough to win the NFC West, and the 49ers will be hosting a playoff game when January rolls around. | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23342119/49ers-season-prediction | 2022-09-08T18:05:48Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/9/8/23342119/49ers-season-prediction | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Turning Constellations into Networks
A unique high-speed, low-latency and highly secure infrastructure for enterprise & government
BERLIN, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rivada Space Networks GmbH has announced a series of appointments to build up its senior leadership team.
Rivada Space Networks is deploying a new global network of 600 low-earth-orbit satellites (LEO) to enable gateway-less, point-to-point, global connectivity for governments and enterprises. The constellation uses laser links to create an optical mesh network in space. Combined with Rivada's patented terrestrial wireless technologies, RSN's constellation enables the convergence of terrestrial and orbital connectivity, ushering in a fundamental change in ultra-secure, global, end-to-end enterprise-grade networks.
Based in Germany, Rivada Space Networks GmbH is rapidly moving forward with procurement of the constellation of 600 Ka-band communications satellites and associated launch services. The company is currently undertaking an RFP with major satellite manufacturers to finalize the system design and manufacturing plan, paving the way for the production and deployment of the entire constellation.
The Rivada Space Networks GmbH leadership team comprises:
Declan Ganley, Chairman
Serial telecoms entrepreneur and co-inventor of 48 patents in the wireless sector, Declan was the founder of wireless broadband and cable TV businesses throughout Europe, including Broadnet, which operated broadband wireless networks in ten EU countries, and Cabletel, with a cable multimedia network in Eastern Europe.
Severin Meister, Chief Executive Officer
Former CEO of a large multinational single-family office, CEO of Constantia and several technology companies, Severin has a wealth of experience in strategic investment and corporate management. Severin is also a former submarine commander of the German Navy.
Clemens Kaiser, Chief Program Officer and Acting Chief Technology Officer
Former COO at Kayser-Threde and former Director of Program Development at EUMETSAT, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Clemens has an in-depth knowledge of system engineering and program management for the development of complex operational space-based infrastructures.
Mark Rigolle, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Financial Officer
Former CEO at O3b and LeoSat and former CFO at SES, Mark has more than 30 years' experience in the telecom and satellite industries, including raising $1.2 billion in funding for O3b's constellation. He was a co-founder of Kacific, a company which delivers satellite broadband to isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Diederik Kelder, Chief Strategy Officer
Diederik has over 25 years' experience in the satellite communications industry, which includes working for a number of the most prominent satellite operators in the areas of strategic planning, commercial planning and business development. He was formerly with SES, New Skies Satellites, Eutelsat and KPMG.
Ann Vandenbroucke, Chief Regulatory Officer
Former Chief Regulatory Officer at Avanti Communications and former Senior Director at Inmarsat where she was responsible for global market access and spectrum issues, Ann has in-depth experience of the workings of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and securing universal rights to offer satellite services.
Declan Ganley, Founder and Chairman, said: "The expertise of this leadership team in the space sector combined with our experience in wireless technology gives us the ability to deliver on our mission to provide a highly disruptive new connectivity network for enterprise and government communications. I am excited to work with the team as we develop a communications network like no other."
* Rivada Space Networks Founder Declan Ganley will be outlining Rivada's game-changing connectivity network with all its advantages for enterprise and government communications at the forthcoming World Satellite Business Week event in Paris on Monday 12th September, 13:45-14:20 Busy Agenda for NGSO Constellations #WSBW 2022. To meet with Rivada, email events@rivada.com.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Rivada Space Networks representatives will be at World Satellite Business Week in Paris from 12-14 September. To arrange an interview, please contact Melanie Dickie. Email: mdickie@rivada.com
Rivada Space Networks GmbH is a disruptive new company set to establish and operate the first truly global low latency point-to-point connectivity network of LEO satellites. Thanks to a fully interconnected satellite constellation in synchronized near-polar orbits, Rivada Space Networks can provide resellers and B2B customers with the ability to securely connect any two points on the globe with low latency and high bandwidth without intermediate ground stations. The constellation of 600 low-earth-orbit communications satellites will represent a fundamental change in the availability of secure, global, end-to-end enterprise-grade connectivity for Telecom, Enterprise, Maritime, Energy and Government Services markets.
Follow us on:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rivada-networks/
Twitter: @rivadaspace
Media Contacts:
Brian Carney
Head of Corporate Communications
Rivada Networks
Tel: +1 (207) 256-0386
Email: bcarney@rivada.com
Anna Erhardt
Head of Communications
Rivada Space Networks GmbH
Tel: +49 1517 24 97 010
Email: aerhardt@rivada.com
Melanie Dickie
Global Marketing & Communications
MPD Communications
Tel: +31 6 14 22 97 62
Email: mdickie@rivada.com
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NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (NYSE: SWZ), a non-diversified registered closed-end investment company (the "Fund"), announced today that the Fund's Board of Directors has approved a quarterly distribution of $0.1665 per share of the Fund's common stock pursuant to Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). The distribution is subject to the following record, ex-dividend and payment dates:
Record Date: September 21, 2022
Ex-Dividend Date: September 20, 2022
Payment Date: September 30, 2022
The primary purpose of the Plan is to provide the Fund's stockholders with a more consistent, but not guaranteed, fixed minimum rate of distribution on a regular, quarterly basis. The Plan also may have the effect of narrowing the discount to net asset value per share at which the Fund's shares trade.
Distributions under the Plan may consist of net investment income, net realized short-term capital gains, net realized long-term capital gains and, to the extent necessary, return of capital (or other capital sources). With each distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income, the Fund will issue a notice to stockholders and an accompanying press release that will provide detailed information regarding the amount and composition of the distribution, as well as certain other related information. The Fund expects to issue any such notice and press release on or about the distribution payment date.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in each notice will be estimated, are likely to change over time and are not provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its full fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send each stockholder a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell stockholders how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.
The current distribution amount of $0.1665 per share of the Fund's common stock equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund's net asset value per share, or NAV, as of October 31, 2021. The annualized rate is expected to change over time as the Fund's NAV varies. The Board will review periodically the terms of the Plan, including at least annually, to determine whether to adjust the amount or the calculation of the distribution rate, which may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance and other factors. The Board may amend the terms of the Plan or terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's stockholders. The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares of common stock.
Unless a stockholder has otherwise elected, distributions declared pursuant to the Plan will be reinvested automatically in shares of the Fund's common stock as provided in the Fund's automatic dividend reinvestment plan.
The Fund (www.swzfund.com) is a non-diversified, closed-end investment company seeking long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies. Its shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol "SWZ." The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing generally in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities that are traded on a Swiss stock exchange, traded at the pre-bourse level of one or more Swiss stock exchanges, traded through a market maker or traded over the counter in Switzerland. The Fund also may invest in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies that are traded on other major European stock exchanges.
Closed-end funds, unlike open-end funds, are not continuously offered. Typically, shares of closed-end funds are sold in the open market through a stock exchange. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the Fund's shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the Fund. Therefore, the Fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.
The Fund is managed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.
Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and Schroder Investment Management North America Limited, investment advisors registered with the U.S. SEC, are units of Schroders plc (SDR.L), a global asset management company with approximately $939.2 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022. Schroder's clients include major financial institutions including banks and insurance companies, as well as local and public authorities, public and private pension funds, endowments and foundations, intermediaries and advisors, as well as high net worth individuals and retail investors. The firm has built one of the largest networks of offices of any dedicated asset management company with more than 500 portfolio managers and analysts covering the world's investment markets, offering a comprehensive range of products and services.
Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. provides asset management products and services to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroders plc, a U.K. public company with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Fund's shares in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.
Contact:
Jennifer Brogadir
212-641-3863
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SOURCE The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/swiss-helvetia-fund-inc-declares-quarterly-distribution-01665-per-share/ | 2022-09-08T18:06:47Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/swiss-helvetia-fund-inc-declares-quarterly-distribution-01665-per-share/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This year, Nomadness Fest, the premier Black travel festival in the United States, is taking place in Newark, New Jersey, from September 9 to 11. Though the city might not exactly be a tourism hot spot, Newark was selected by the festival because it’s so overlooked—and for its oft-forgotten importance in Black history.
“Downtown Newark is Black, and it’s unapologetically so,” says Evita Robinson, founder of Nomadness Travel Tribe, which hosts Nomadness Fest. Robinson has also lived in Newark for the past six years.
At 50 percent of the population, Black people comprise Newark’s largest racial demographic by a significant margin. During the Great Migration, when more than 6 million Black people fled the Jim Crow South for the urban North and West during the 20th century, many settled in Newark drawn by the area’s strong industrial economy. Newark also played a significant role in the Underground Railroad: Presbyterian Plane Street Colored Church, which was founded in 1835, was a major stop in the network and was formally recognized by the National Park Service in June 2022. However, in recent history, both the Great Recession and the pandemic disproportionately hurt Black communities in the city—so Nomadness Fest is hoping to shower Newark with some love.
Historically, Black travelers have been marginalized by travel companies, by being underrepresented in their marketing materials, as well as in the upper ranks of their employee structures. Black Americans, however, are hungry for travel: In 2019 (the last “normal” year of travel before the pandemic), Black American leisure travelers spent $109.4 billion, or 13 percent of the U.S. leisure travel market, according to a study by MMGY Travel Intelligence. With its 11-year-old community of 31,000 travelers of color, Nomadness is hoping to increase representation for themselves and to foster a sense of community for Black travelers who may feel alienated by the travel industry.
The festival—rebranded in 2022 as Nomadness Fest—was previously known as Audacity Fest. The event was first held in-person in Oakland in 2018 and then again in-person in Memphis in 2019. Even though the festival went online due to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, it’s now back in the flesh in Newark in 2022. This year, attendees can look forward to sessions on panels on how to work remotely, moving abroad, and how to pitch brands, plus a day devoted to networking and Nomadness’s annual barbecue.
When planning festivals over the years, Robinson made conscious decisions to choose Oakland over Los Angeles, Memphis over Nashville, and Newark over New York. Robinson likes to consider whether a deserving event destination simply doesn’t get the opportunity to enjoy the spotlight, perhaps because it has a smaller convention center and visitors bureau or a limited marketing budget.
“We’ve made a knack of curating the festival experience in cities that kind of get overshadowed by their larger counterparts,” she says.
One of the biggest draws of Newark for Robinson is how much the city has invested in its Black-centric arts scene to represent its storied history. In 2020, the city launched a Social Justice Public Art Initiative, which commissioned murals around Newark, including one that reads “Abolish White Supremacy” and a likeness of Sojourner Truth. That same year, a mosaic of Newark-born Whitney Houston was also unveiled, and a statue of Christopher Columbus was removed from Washington Park (now known as Tubman Square)—Newark has plans to replace it with a monument dedicated to Harriet Tubman. And in 2021, the city also placed a statue of George Floyd outside City Hall.
“They’re not in some obscure area where you can’t find them. They’re extremely, extremely visible,” Robinson says.
But if Nomadness Fest attendees don’t get to tour Newark’s art scene on their own time, there’s a museum stop built directly into the festival’s agenda. The Newark Museum of Art will host Nomadness Fest’s Industry Day on September 9. The museum has been recently revamped, including its reinstated Arts of Global Africa Permanent Collection. The 113-year-old museum is currently being helmed by its first Black director, Linda Harrison.
Nomadness Fest is also making it a point to showcase the city’s contemporary Black culture. Robinson created a “founder’s favorites” map for downtown Newark so that festival attendees can find local attractions, including an Afro-futurism art exhibit at the historic Hahne & Co. building, luxury clothing brand BrownMill, and soul food–influenced restaurant Marcus B&P by James Beard Award–winner Marcus Samuelsson.
Newark may still be an underrated destination, but Robinson is already wary of the city hypothetically receiving too much attention. Seeing Newark end up on annual, high-profile Places to Go lists could lead to overtourism, which could damage the community by fueling gentrification and pushing out longtime residents. But Robinson wants people to know what Newark has to offer.
“The people that make the culture of Newark what it is, they deserve that recognition,” says Robinson. “There are really cool things happening here in extremely close proximity to a place that is oversaturated with tourism like New York is.”
→ Book now: Nomadness Fest, starting at $35 for day passes | https://www.afar.com/magazine/heres-why-nomadness-fest-is-being-held-in-newark-new-jersey | 2022-09-08T18:06:57Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/heres-why-nomadness-fest-is-being-held-in-newark-new-jersey | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
STARRING QUANNAH CHASINGHORSE, NAOMI WATANABE & MORE, NEW GLOBAL CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES THE EXPERIENCES ASSOCIATED WITH UGG® & ITS EMOTIONAL & TACTILE BRAND ATTRIBUTES
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California-based global lifestyle brand UGG® (a division of Deckers Brands [NYSE: DECK]) introduces Feels Like UGG – the brand's new Autumn/Winter 2022 global campaign that explores the unparalleled tactile and emotional experiences associated with wearing UGG®. Known for unapologetic individualism, bold style and luxurious materials, UGG® empowers bold self-expression through provocative fashion, extreme comfort, and the ability to make you feel good on the inside and out.
"What we hear from our consumers is how loyal they feel to UGG because of the way the brand makes you feel – both physically and emotionally," said Anne Spangenberg, President of UGG® & Koolaburra by UGG® at Deckers Brands. "The Feels Like UGG campaign is a celebration of the empowering feeling our brand delivers, allowing you to unapologetically express your authentic self."
To bring Feels Like UGG to life, the brand has paired its iconic styles—both world-renowned and reimagined—including an array of apparel and outerwear pieces with ten multi-hyphenate ambassadors who embody the brand's core values. Representing consumer sentiments about the many expressions of the UGG® brand, these creatives are bold, provocative, free-spirited, optimistic, and real. Ambassadors like model and land protector Quannah Chasinghorse (she/her); comedian Naomi Watanabe (she/her); professional BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester (he/him); musician Hwang Soyoon (she/they); chef DeVonn Francis (he/him); artist and designer Kiddy Akita Lou (she/they/them); stylist and model Gillean McLeod (she/her); and models India Graham (she/her); Alexis Ruby (she/her) and ELIBEIDY (she/her); all possess the UGG® brand's principles, which was lensed by noted Los Angeles-based photographer Arielle Bobb-Willis (she/her).
For Feels Like UGG, the brand translated its iconic look and feel through custom furniture by enlisting Harry Nuriev of Crosby Studios, who is known for his radical take on design. Reflecting the UGG® brand's rich heritage and design codes, the visionary created a one-of-a-kind couch and ottoman. Designed to reflect the brand's ability to move easily from the indoors to the outside, the custom pieces express style and comfort while representing its softness emboldened by a statement-making aesthetic and inside-to-outside duality. Inspired by the silhouette of the UGG® Classic Boot, Crosby Studios experimented with texture and color by focusing on the brand's iconic Chestnut colorway and reinterpreting the brand's sheepskin material through their use of super-soft velvet. The oversized couch silhouette is a nod to the provocative fashion and extreme comfort only UGG® can deliver.
UGG® has always been a brand built on the power of emotion because of the way it makes people feel. Through iconic and new products, and a standard of quality and comfort known all over the world, the brand has evolved from a single silhouette to a global lifestyle brand tapping into culture, fashion, and design. Through extreme comfort and on-trend, laid-back bold designs, UGG® offers harmony with physical comfort and emotional confidence that allows consumers to fearlessly express their inner-selves for the world to see.
To learn more about Feels Like UGG, please visit ugg.com/feels-like-ugg; and available for purchase starting on Sept. 8, the collection featured in the campaign can be found on UGG.com, any participating UGG® stores and select wholesale retailers nationwide.
About UGG®
Founded in 1978 by an Australian surfer on the coast of California, UGG® is a global lifestyle brand renowned for its iconic Classic Boot. First worn by Hollywood royalty, fashion editors and then the world, UGG® designs and retails footwear, apparel, accessories, and homewares with an uncompromising attitude toward quality and craftsmanship. UGG® is an environmentally and socially conscious brand which strives to be socially just, economically inclusive, and environmentally restorative. Delivering more than $1.5 billion in annual sales, UGG® partners with the best retailers globally and owns concept and outlet stores worldwide in key markets including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing. For more information, please visit www.ugg.com @ugg #FeelsLikeUgg
About the Feels Like UGG Cast
Quannah Chasinghorse is from the Han Gwich'in from Eagle Village, Alaska and Sicangu/Oglala Lakota tribes from the Rosebud Reservation, South Dakota, but currently lives in Fairbanks, Alaska. She is an Indigenous land protector for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, protecting those sacred lands from oil development and fighting for climate justice. Quannah's deep connection to the lands and her people's way of life guides and informs everything she does and stands for. She is passionate about Indigenous sovereignty/rights, MMIWG, and representation. She is an avid snowboarder, guitar, and ukulele player, and is apprenticing as a traditional Indigenous tattoo artist. Quannah was honored to make the 2020 list of Teen Vogue's "Top 21 Under 21."
Naomi Watanabe is a world-renowned comedian, actress, model, and inclusive fashion designer. Affectionately known as "The Japanese Beyonce," Naomi has captivated audiences around the world with her viral performances and celebrity impressions. The most-followed person in Japan and one of the most-recognized personalities in all of Asia, Naomi has accumulated a loyal global following of nearly ten million across her social media platforms. Naomi has used her platform to become of the most disruptive forces in the fashion and beauty space by consistently shattering traditional industry standards through global partnerships and ambassadorships with top brands and her very own brand, Punyus. Up next, the multi-hyphenate superstar is ready to take America by storm, beginning with a move to New York City and a new all-English podcast, Naomi Takes America on Spotify.
Nigel Sylvester is an American professional BMX athlete, content creator, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and philanthropist from Queens, New York. Nigel's career has extended beyond traditional BMX biking through his progressive riding style, innovative content creation, and one-of-a-kind artistic expression and style. These distinctive characteristics have catapulted Sylvester to the forefront of the sports world.
Hwang Soyoon is a singer-songwriter and artist who began her music career by launching the band SE SO NEON at eighteen. Her virtuosity in songwriting, energy on stage, and unforgettably unique voice were enough to make her, and her band stand out. Winning Rookie of the Year and Best Rock Song at the Korean Music Awards, they ended their first year on a high note as the hottest up-and-coming band in the Korean music scene. After the band's global success, Soyoon embarked on a solo career – debuting an album in 2019 that dismantled preconceived categories of music and declared a new genre called So!YoON!.
DeVonn Francis is a chef and artist who is reshaping the culinary scene as the world knows it. He is the mastermind behind Yardy World, which creates global food and culture journeys. With no brick-and-mortar location, Yardy World has the flexibility and ingenuity to navigate spaces in a way that utilizes food to authentically engage with people, and their stories and identities.
Kiddy Akita Lou is a visual artist, designer, and model based in Los Angeles. With a background in visual art and science, she is well known for expressing herself through art, sports, and advocating for the empowerment of people with disabilities and people of color.
Gillean McLeod, a top stylist who divides her time between commercial and editorial clients, is known for unique flair, creative image-making, and working closely with clients to manifest the sartorial aspects of their projects. At the age of sixty, she burst onto the advertising horizon as the star model in the viral sensation of an H&M campaign, which had her wearing nothing but a black swimsuit – without hair or makeup. Since her debut, she has starred in editorials, billboards, campaigns, and television commercials alike.
India M Graham is a divine spiritual being who strives to live every day in alignment with her true self and the universe. She has dedicated her life's journey to being a vessel of God by spreading the knowledge of self and practicing self-love daily.
Alexis Ruby is a model, plant mom, and at-home chef. She is a go-getter and a grounded individual. She loves to sing and play the guitar, as well as the piano. Alexis also enjoys working out and meditation; reading and writing when she has the free time. She is heavily family-oriented and leads with love in her daily life.
ELEBEIDY is a model from the Dominican Republic, specifically a small town in the countryside called Vallejuelo. From humble beginnings, she started modeling at the age of nineteen and has quickly made her mark in the world of fashion. She notably starred in Gucci's all-black model "Soul Scene" campaign.
HIGH-RES CONTENT
Campaign photo credit: Arielle Bobb-Willis
Campaign video credit: Kauai Moliterno & Michael Barth
Product profile photo credit: UGG®
Press Contact:
UGG®
Matty Magnin
PR Manager
Office: (212) 247-8552 x2772
Mobile: (917) 842-2391
matthew.magnin@deckers.com
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The COVID-19 pandemic swept over the planet in early 2020, resulting in more than a million deaths in the United States and many millions more around the world. Unfortunately, these lives weren’t the only casualties. The pandemic also walloped economic freedom – that is, our freedoms to buy, sell, move, hire, fire, invest and earn income and keep it.
Economic freedom took a big hit in the global financial crisis of 2007-09 – but this time the blow was three times worse. The potential impacts of economic freedom’s decline range from lower incomes and greater poverty to shorter life expectancies, fewer years of schooling, and less overall happiness.
The loss of economic freedom shows clearly in the recently released Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) report, published annually by the Fraser Institute in Canada and co-published worldwide by a network of think tanks, including the Cato Institute in the United States. Countries scoring higher on the report’s index – those with more economic freedom – generally have smaller governments, lower taxes, more secure property rights and efficient legal systems, stable monetary and price environments, freer trade with foreigners, and fewer economic regulations.
The latest EFW index tracks economic freedom in 165 nations. Places like Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States, and Switzerland have traditionally scored at or near the top of the scale, while countries like Zimbabwe, Argentina, Congo, and Venezuela are typically found near the bottom of the list.
The policy responses to the coronavirus pandemic in almost all nations included massive increases in government spending, monetary expansion, travel restrictions, regulatory mandates on businesses related to masks, hours, and capacity, and outright lockdowns. These policies undoubtedly contributed to a widespread erosion of economic freedom from 2019 to 2020 – in 146 of the 165 jurisdictions to be exact.
The EFW report tracks the global average for the 123 nations with complete data since 2000, and it fell from 7.00 in 2019 to 6.84 in 2020. Although small, the 0.16-point decline is by no means trivial. In addition to surpassing the global financial crisis, the loss in just one year erased a full decade’s worth of hard-won gains in the global average.
The EFW index contains no direct measures of health care or public health policy. The index would undoubtedly have turned downward more severely if it included indicators specific to the pandemic, such as mask mandates or restaurant capacity constraints. The measured decline in economic freedom is almost certainly an understatement of the reality.
In addition, the most recent report relies on 2020 data. While much of the spending associated with the pandemic occurred in 2020, the inflationary effect of the expansionary monetary policies did not show up until 2021 and 2022. I expect the global EFW average to decline even more when the 2021 and 2022 data are integrated into the index.
I take no position on the efficacy of the various policies designed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic from the perspective of public health; they very well may have saved millions of lives, or they may have been ineffectual. That is a question for epidemiologists and health economists to work out. My concern is economic freedom and its benefits for human well-being. On that margin, the new EFW report delivers a sobering message – government policies in response to the pandemic were a catastrophe for economic freedom.
Robert Lawson holds the Fullinwider Chair in Economic Freedom at SMU Dallas and is a founding co-author of the Economic Freedom of the World annual report.
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Taking a look at Friday’s featured high school football games in the San Gabriel Valley area.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Chino Hills (3-0) at Charter Oak (2-0), 7 p.m.: The Chargers have two solid wins over Northview and Glendora, and showed more defenisively in a 37-7 rout of the Tartans. The comination of hybrid threats Richie Munoz and Zakkarii Black is potent. Munoz, their senior quarterback, is averaging 267 yards with eight touchdowns while also being the teams’ second leading rusher with 66 yards a game. Black is also versatile, leading the team in rushing and receiving yards to go with three touchdowns. So, pick your poison. The Huskies should be their toughest test to date. The Baseline league team opened with a 13-7 win over Glendora, then routed Diamond Ranch and JW North. They will be the most physical team the Chargers have played, but the Chargers are physical too, and you feel like their players and coaching staff are just scratching the surface of what they’re capable of.
The pick: Charter Oak
Listen to the replay of Week 3s Two-Minute Drills! https://t.co/VwkVEBWNm9
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 5, 2022
Heritage Christian (3-0) at South Pasadena (3-0), 7 p.m.: Always nice when two undefeated teams meet early in the season, and this is a big test for both. The Tigers’ 6-foot-3 quarterback Jackson Freking has been impressive, averaging 200 yards with six touchdowns in three easy wins over Los Angeles City schools in Lincoln (28-7), Maywood CES (37-6) and LA Marshall (53-0). Northridge’s Heritage Christian figures to be the Tigers’ toughest test. Heritage edged Harvard-Westlake 21-20 and most recently held on to beat Gahr, 24-13. It was a good game last year with Heritage beating South Pas 28-20, so look for the Tigers to get them at home this time.
The pick: South Pasadena
Loyola (1-1) at Pasadena (3-0), 7 p.m.: The Bulldogs are hoping this isn’t a trap game after last weeks’ emotional come-from-behind 22-21 victory over Damien to remain undefeated. The Bulldogs’ Baylin Brooks transferred from Loyola to Pasadena, so he gets a chance to take on his former school. Brooks has been outstanding, he had a key interception and touchdown in last weeks’ win over the Spartans. Damien crushed Loyola, 34-7 before the Cubs came back and got their first win last week against Culver City, 24-19. This is an old rivalry game of sorts. The two schools haven’t played since 1999 and were in the same league back in the 1960s along with Long Beach Poly. Pasadena has the ability to light up the scoreboard, but more impressive has been its defense.
The pick: Pasadena
Baldwin Park (3-0) at Schurr (1-2), 7 p.m.: The Braves went 10-0 last season before a first-round exit in the CIF-SS playoffs, and they’re off to another undefeated start and rolling behind quarterback Drew Knight. The senior has completed 54 of 87 passes for 967 yards and eight touchdowns. The Braves have won all three games with relative ease, including last weeks’ 27-13 win over Chino. The Spartans should give the Braves their toughest test after winning a 6-0 defensive battle over Arroyo. Schurr’s two losses came against quality opponents in California and South Torrance, and it barely lost to Cal, 34-32. The Spartans need a big win, and it might come in this spot.
The pick: Schurr
Damien (1-2) vs. Orange Lutheran (2-1) at Orange Coast College, 7 p.m.: The season started to go south for Damien last year when it blew a lead down the stretch and lost to Orange Lutheran in overtime on its way to finishing 3-7 and missing the playoffs. The Spartans are coming off a similar tough loss, blowing a 15-0 lead last week to Pasadena before losing in the final minutes, 22-21. And even worse, Spartans sophomore running back Steven Chavez injured his right ankle in the first half and never returned, and his status for Friday’s game is anyone’s guess. Lutheran already has wins over Serra and Upland before last weeks’ loss to Edison. It’s well know the Spartans are playing another brutal schedule and this is probably the toughest of all. Spartans QB Dylan Gutierrez and receiver Ayden Gutierrez have been bright spots, but this is a tough spot to bounce back from.
The pick: Orange Lutheran
La Serna (2-1) at Tesoro (2-1), 7 p.m.: Nobody knew what to expect from the Lancers with such a tough five-game non-league schedule, but they’ve done well. Perhaps, even better than expectations with wins over Pasadena, Los Osos and a competitive loss to Warren (32-26). The Lancers’ balance is what confounds teams. While QB Jake Long is averaging a modest 130 yards with four touchdown passes, they have a plethora of running backs, led by Owen Long who combine to average 160 yards on the ground. Tesoro is another quality opponent having beatean Chapparal (14-10) with its only loss to undefeated Vista Murrieta (41-20). The Lancers are doing the right thing, playing the type of opponents it might see in the playoffs, and this could be another solid win in deep Orange County.
The pick: La Serna
West Ranch (3-0) at St. Paul (2-1), 7:30 p.m.: The Swordsmen played their first quality team and took it on the chin last week, getting routed by St. Pius X/St. Matthias, 42-13, and it doesn’t get any easier next against undefeated West Ranch. If you remember, West Ranch outlasted St. Francis, 61-41, to open the season and it has gone on to rout Buena (49-0) and Antelope Valley (56-7). It’s obviously a major test for the Swordsmen defense, but it’s hard to imagine the Swordsmen can match the Wildcats score-for-score.
The pick: West Ranch
Muir (0-3) at St. Margaret’s (0-3), 7 p.m.: Both teams are looking for their first wins, and for the Mustangs, they’re just trying to get healthy and be ready for the Pacific League in a few weeks. But in fairness, Muir lost to two quality opponents in Northview and St. Pius X/St. Matthias and barely lost last week to Banning, 14-13. Muir will be a team to watch when league play begins, because they’re capable of earning a playoff spot and if in the right division, these tough games early in the season could pay off. The Mustangs play St. Francis next week, so this is as good a chance as any to get their first win.
The pick: Muir
Covina (0-2) vs. Northview (2-1) at Covina District Field, 7 p.m.: The Vikings have a great defense and can run the ball, so it was important for senior quarterback James Arellanes to break through last week passing for 286 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-14 rout of South Hills. The Colts have been a disappointment, losing to South Hills and Diamond Bar, and now it gets even tougher. The Colts may figure things out under new coach Aaron Berry later in the season, and yes, they did defeat Northview last season. But don’t expect it to happen again, the Vikes are simply better.
The pick: Northview
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The Funky Freqs came up playing the post-Corea jazz-rock style known as free funk — music with fewer complicated melodies and more earthy grooving. Their new album is Hymn of the Third Galaxy.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
The Funky Freqs came up playing the post-Corea jazz-rock style known as free funk — music with fewer complicated melodies and more earthy grooving. Their new album is Hymn of the Third Galaxy.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-08/the-free-form-funky-freqs-blend-jazz-r-b-rock-and-a-little-space-music | 2022-09-08T18:08:19Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-08/the-free-form-funky-freqs-blend-jazz-r-b-rock-and-a-little-space-music | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
San Gabriel Valley Varsity high school football stat leaders through the first three games as provided by Maxpreps.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
PASSING
1. Drew Knight, Baldwin Park, 54 of 87, 967 yards, 8 TDs
2. Brian Salazar, Monrovia, 47 of 85, 933 yards, 12 TDs
3. Jack Jacobs, St. Francis, 60 of 105, 890 yards, 9 TDs.
4. Daniel Andrade, Bonita, 51 of 87, 741 yards, 10 TDs
5. Andrew Maushardt, St. Paul, 41 of 64, 721 yards, 9 TDs
6. Brady Beck, San Marino, 41 of 77, 604 yards, 7 TDs
7. Ryan Vasquez, El Rancho, 39 of 76, 604 yards, 10 TDs
8. Jackson Freking, South Pasadena, 32 of 53, 597 yads, 6 TDs
9. Dylan Gutierrez, Damien, 39 of 61, 568 yards, 6 TDs
10. Indiana Wijay, Pasadena, 46of 68, 538 yards, 4 TDs
RUSHING
1. Eric Terrazes, Sierra Vista, 538yards, 8 TDs
2. Eric Egere, Rowland, 461 yards, 8 TDs
3. Corey Cheung, La Canada, 435 yards, 8 TDs
4. Isaiah Young, Diamond Bar, 357 yards 4 TDs
5. Keanu Tauvao, Northview, 353 yards, 4 TDs
6. Marcel Jones, Monrovia, 327 yards, 3 TDs
7. Anthony Abad, Sonora, 326 yards, 2 TDs
8. Gary San Angelo, South Hills, 324 yards, 5 TDs
9. Nicholas Fernandez, Sonora, 317 yards, 2 TDs
10, Angel Barraza, Northview, 281 yards
RECEIVING
1. Maddox Bernardino, Diamond Bar, 24 receptions, 444 yards, 5 TDs
2. Ryan Park, San Marino, 18 receptions, 415 yards, 5 TDs
3. Tec Nunez, Baldwin Park, 13 receptions, 358 yards, 4 TDs
4. Richard Conti, South Pasdadena, 16 receptions, 353 yards, 3TDs
5. Carlos Hernandez, Monrovia, 17 receptions, 339 yards, 3 TDs
6. Antonio Gomez, California, 15 receptions, 338 yards, 1 TD
7. Caleb Galvin, Baldwin Park, 19 receptions, 320 yards, 4 TDs
8. Judah Douglas, Temple City, 14 receptions, 316 yards, 5 TDs
9. Jaylen Moore, Monrovia, 15 receptions, 296 yards, 5 TDs
10. Josh Soto, Alhambra, 17 receptions, 288 yards, 2TDs
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
TACKLES
42 – Coleman Morning (San Marino); 33 – Phil Cotton (Walnut); 29 – Adrian Castro (La Serna); Angel Barraza (Northview); 28 – Gabriel Medel (La Habra), Thomas Gomez (La Salle); 27 – Eddie Muniz (Santa Fe), Denver Stillman (La Mirada).
SACKS
6 – Chase Bernal (La Serna); 3 – Julian Valdivia (Santa Fe); Gabriel Medel (La Habra); Dominic Ancinch (Whittier); Andrew Boecking (La Salle).
INTERCEPTIONS
3 – Carlos Hernandez (Monrovia), Joseph Macias (El Rancho); Evan Naranjo (California), Andrew Bojorquez (El Rancho).
Join the Conversation
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/2022/09/08/san-gabriel-valley-football-stat-leaders-through-sept-7/ | 2022-09-08T18:08:21Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/08/san-gabriel-valley-football-stat-leaders-through-sept-7/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The National Football League season begins Thursday. Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd talks about which teams to watch and storylines to follow with Lindsay Jones, senior NFL editor at the Ringer.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-08/the-nfl-season-kicks-off | 2022-09-08T18:08:25Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-08/the-nfl-season-kicks-off | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Syria’s civil war has been going on for more than ten years, and it is the world’s largest massive humanitarian crisis, according to Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute, with nearly 7 million refugees and nearly all of the population living in poverty. We look at what’s happening there now.
Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee speaks with Borzou Daragahi who has been traveling to Syria over the months and years. He’s an international correspondent at the Independent and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. He’s in Istanbul, Turkey.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-08/whats-happening-in-syrias-civil-war-we-take-a-look-at-a-war-thats-fallen-from-the-headlines | 2022-09-08T18:08:37Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-08/whats-happening-in-syrias-civil-war-we-take-a-look-at-a-war-thats-fallen-from-the-headlines | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Like, Comment, Subscribe author Mark Bergen says YouTube has ushered in a world of abundant content and creativity, of influencers and hustlers, of information overload and endless culture wars.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
Like, Comment, Subscribe author Mark Bergen says YouTube has ushered in a world of abundant content and creativity, of influencers and hustlers, of information overload and endless culture wars.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.klcc.org/npr-books/2022-09-08/how-youtube-became-one-of-the-planets-most-influential-media-businesses | 2022-09-08T18:09:08Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-books/2022-09-08/how-youtube-became-one-of-the-planets-most-influential-media-businesses | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
What is the longest piece of piano music?
We explore the longest pieces of piano music
At about 45 minutes, Beethoven’s ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata, Op. 106 was the longest solo piano composition of its day (1818), while the longest piano concerto seems to be Busoni’s five-movement monster, lasting around 73 minutes.
But these fade into oblivion compared with the works of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988) who penned more piano marathons than any other. The most famous (or notorious depending on your view) is his Opus Clavicembalisticum (around four hours). His 100 Etudes transcendantes would take seven hours to perform – nothing compared with his Symphonic Variations for Piano at an estimated, leisurely nine hours.
Even these are short hauls against the daunting ten hours of Frederic Rzewski’s The Road and Jacob Mashak’s work for two pianos, Beatus Vir, which clocks in at around 11 hours. If one were to include repetitive solo piano works, then even Mashak must yield to Satie’s Vexations which consists of a 52-beat unbarred idea (marked ‘Très lent’) played a seemingly random 840 times. A performance lasts a little over 20 hours. | https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/a-z-piano-13/ | 2022-09-08T18:11:31Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/a-z-piano-13/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
5 pioneering women pianists
Piano playing has always been a male-dominated profession. For cultural and other reasons, it took some time for the ladies to flourish. A handful led the way...
Mitsuko Uchida; Martha Argerich; Imogen Cooper; Yuja Wang....these are just a few of the many female pianists to have risen to the top of their profession in recent decades and become international stars. But, for a long time the world of professional solo piano-playing was dominated by men, and so it might have continued were it not for the achievements of pioneering female artists who proved that men and women pianists could compete on an equal footing. Here are five of them.
Clara Schumann (1819-96)
Clara Schumann first played in public in 1827 and only stopped in 1888 due to arthritis. Her 1,300 extant programmes reveal a breadth of repertoire unequalled by any other pianist of the time. We named Clara Schumann one of the best female composers of all time
Arabella Goddard (1836-1922)
Another child prodigy who made her official debut in 1853 playing Beethoven’s ‘Hammerklavier’ from memory. From the late 1850s she began programming the last five of Beethoven’s Sonatas, still almost unknown in England.
Sophie Menter (1846-1918)
Munich-born Menter was Liszt’s favourite female pupil. For her he wrote the so-called Concerto in the Hungarian Style which she persuaded Tchaikovsky to orchestrate for her.
Teresa Carreño (1853-1917)
‘The Walküre of the Piano’, the beautiful, charismatic Venezuelan had an overpowering technique, playing the big works usually reserved for her male peers. She could show most of them a clean pair of heels.
Julie Rivé-King (c1854-1937)
The first great American woman pianist. During an 18-year US career, she gave more than 4,000 solo recitals and played more than 500 concerts with orchestra. | https://www.classical-music.com/features/artists/female-pianists/ | 2022-09-08T18:11:37Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/features/artists/female-pianists/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scotland's first ever opera festival to come to Dundee
Including performances from six arts organisation, as well as a Young Artists Singing Competition, the festival will run from 22-25 September
Several arts organisation have joined together to launch Scotland's first ever opera festival in Dundee.
Opera Festival Scotland, which runs from 22-25 September, will include performances from Scottish Opera, Opera Bohemia, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, English National Opera, Opera for Peace and the National Youth Choir of Scotland.
Among the events will be a performance of Verdi’s Aida, which has not been performed in the city in almost 20 years, in the Caird Hall. Other performances will take place at the V&A Museum, Dundee University, Dundee High School and the Wighton Heritage Centre.
A major component of the festival will be the Young Artists Singing Competition with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra - taking place on Sunday 25th September - which will see participants competing for prizes including a recital performance opportunity with English National Opera, a masterclass with the recitalist and conductor Kamal Khan from Opera for Peace, a £1500 career grant sponsored by the Wavendon Foundation, and the festival trophy.
Among the judges will be the Head of Casting for Scottish Opera and English National Opera, while Judith Weir - Master of the Queen's Music - will present the prizes.
CEO of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Alistair Mackie, says 'We can’t wait to be back in the Caird Hall for the first ever Opera Festival Scotland. It’s an exciting opportunity for the RSNO to be accompanying the finalists performing in the Young Artists Singing Competition, and it's brilliant to end the festival programme celebrating emerging talent.'
More classical music news
Pianist and conductor Lars Vogt dies following cancer diagnosisIsidore String Quartet wins 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition
Nicola Benedetti launches the Virtual Baroque Sessions
Berlin Philharmonic appoints Esa-Pekka Salonen as Composer-in-Residence
Princess Astrid International Music Competition announces its winners
Authors
Hannah Nepilova is a regular contributor to BBC Music Magazine. She has also written for The Financial Times, The Times, The Strad, Gramophone, Opera Now, Opera, the BBC Proms and the Philharmonia, and runs The Cusp, an online magazine exploring the boundaries between art forms. Born to Czech parents, she has a strong interest in Czech music and culture. | https://www.classical-music.com/news/scotlands-first-ever-opera-festival-to-come-to-dundee/ | 2022-09-08T18:11:49Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/news/scotlands-first-ever-opera-festival-to-come-to-dundee/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Decca to release new high-definition transfer of George Solti's 'Ring Cycle' recordings
This will be the first time that Decca has returned to the original master tapes in 25 years
Commemorating the 25th anniversary of George Solti's death, Decca Classics is releasing a new high-definition transfer of the conductor's most celebrated recording: the first ever studio production of Wagner's Ring Cycle, recorded in Vienna between 1958 and 1965.
With a cast including Birgit Nilsson, Hans Hotter and Kirsten Flagstad, Solti's take on the Wagner blockbuster was twice voted 'the greatest recording of all time.' Decca's remastering of the 38 original stereo tapes have been made at 24 bit/192kHz resolution, allowing greater detail and dynamic range than ever before. It will be the first time that Decca has returned to the original master tapes in 25 years.
The Golden Ring - a selection of the greatest scenes from the cycle - will be released on 30 September, while the four operas of the Ring Cycle will be released in installments between November 2022 and May 2023 - on both CD and Vinyl. They will be accompanied by booklets including facsimiles of the original conductor and producer scores, rare session photographs, newly discovered curios and full libretti.
Dominic Fyfe, Decca Classics Label Director and Audio Producer of this reissue, says: 'Back in 1966 producer John Culshaw expressed the hope that this Ring would set a benchmark for years to come. Half a century later it is still the artistic and technical gold standard. Culshaw was above all an iconoclast and a visionary who rejoiced in new technology. I have no doubt he would approve of our efforts to utilise Dolby Atmos and the latest suite of remastering tools to make this new HD transfer the most immersive and vivid yet.'
Photo of George Solti: Getty
More classical music news
Scotland's first ever opera festival to come to DundeePianist and conductor Lars Vogt dies following cancer diagnosis
Isidore String Quartet wins 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition
Nicola Benedetti launches the Virtual Baroque Sessions
Berlin Philharmonic appoints Esa-Pekka Salonen as Composer-in-Residence
Authors
Hannah Nepilova is a regular contributor to BBC Music Magazine. She has also written for The Financial Times, The Times, The Strad, Gramophone, Opera Now, Opera, the BBC Proms and the Philharmonia, and runs The Cusp, an online magazine exploring the boundaries between art forms. Born to Czech parents, she has a strong interest in Czech music and culture. | https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/decca-to-release-new-high-definition-transfer-of-george-soltis-ring-cycle-recordings/ | 2022-09-08T18:13:52Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/decca-to-release-new-high-definition-transfer-of-george-soltis-ring-cycle-recordings/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Book review: Pretty Young Rebel - The Life of Flora Macdonald, by Flora Fraser
Encompassing both her famous rescue of Bonnie Prince Charlie following the Jacobite Rising and her loyalty to the British Crown during the American War of Independence, this is a persuasive and pleasing account of Flora Macdonald’s life, writes Allan Massie
There are people whose fame in history rests on a single act. One such was Flora Macdonald. Everyone who knows anything about the ’45, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Culloden and the flight through the heather knows that she was instrumental in the Prince’s escape, escorting him, disguised as her Irish maid Betty Burke, from Benbecula to Skye. There was no romance, though some still like to think there was. When he was safe on Skye, she returned home and never saw him again. They had been together for not much more than a week.
Nevertheless she became a celebrity. Arrested and carried to London, she was treated quite kindly, put under house arrest in the charge of a wealthy Jacobite sympathiser, Lady Primrose, and such was her celebrity that more than 20 years later Johnson and Boswell on their famous tour to the Hebrides were proud and delighted to visit her.
What was remarkable, as Flora Fraser shows in this detailed and enjoyable biography, is that she and most of her family were not really Jacobites. Like many, they had received the news of Charles Edward’s venture with apprehension. Most Jacobites were Catholics or Episcopalians; Flora and her immediate family were Presbyterians. But if they had no enthusiasm for the Rising, judging it unlikely to succeed, they had no wish for the Prince to be captured, especially on Macdonald land. That would have been shameful.
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As is well known there was a reward – £30,000 – for the capture of the Prince, and there was real danger in sheltering him. Flora had hesitated at first, but was resolute when she committed herself. There is drama in the story of their time together, also humour, notably Charles’s reply when Flora tried to take his pistols away, saying their discovery in any search of the Irish maidservant would arouse suspicion.
Once Flora had been released from custody and returned home, she married a cousin, started a family and lived the life of a Highland gentlewoman, sensibly aware also of the advantages to be gained by her celebrity. As her sons grew up, she made use of her reputation and the admiring connections she had made to launch them on careers, one son with the East India Company. She seems to have been an eminently sensible woman.
Unfortunately her husband, Allan Macdonald of Kingsbury, though amiable, was less sensible or at least less competent. He fell into debt, sold up and, following the fashion of the day, decided they should emigrate to the American colonies. They headed for North Carolina, already well-stocked with immigrant Scots, many of them Highlanders. Their timing was unfortunate; the American colonists were ripe for the rebellion that would become known as the War of Independence. Allan and Flora, like many of the Scots in the Carolinas, were Tories, that is to say, loyal to the British Crown. Soon the woman who had guided Charles Edward to safety was herself a refugee making with her family, for Canada, an arduous and dangerous journey.
I had always known that Allan Macdonald and other Scots with Jacobite connections had remained loyal to the British Crown and the House of Hanover in the American war, known this while ignorant of the details. Flora Fraser tells this story admirably, making it every bit as interesting as her account of the most famous days in her heroine’s life. One is relieved that she would in time return to Scotland. There she soon found her old celebrity acquired a new polish when, after Dr Johnson’s death, Boswell published his own account of the journey to the Hebrides and their meeting with Flora. Nevertheless, Flora and her likeable but incompetent husband depended much on the kindness of friends until, after Charles Edward’s death in 1788, George, Prince of Wales (the future George IV,) arranged that she should receive a royal pension.
This is a full and always interesting book, a rich picture of Highland society at a time of change as well as a persuasive and always pleasing account of Flora’s life, a social a study as well as a fine telling of a well-known tale, and of the less familiar story of the Scots who chose loyalty to the Crown in America. One wonders if the memory of the Jacobites’ defeat led them to think the American rebels would suffer the same fate.
Pretty Young Rebel – The Life of Flora Macdonald, by Flora Fraser, Bloomsbury, 288pp, £25 | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/books/book-review-pretty-young-rebel-the-life-of-flora-macdonald-by-flora-fraser-3836937 | 2022-09-08T18:16:42Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/books/book-review-pretty-young-rebel-the-life-of-flora-macdonald-by-flora-fraser-3836937 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LiveUpdates as Buckingham Palace announces death of Queen Elizabeth II | New King - Charles – expected to address nation
The Queen has died, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Elizabeth II, 96, was the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, serving as head of state for more than 70 years.
The Prince of Wales is now King, having acceded to the throne immediately on the death of his mother.
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The new King – Charles – is expected to speak to the nation and lead the tributes to his beloved mother.
The Duchess of Cornwall is now Queen, and as a Queen Consort, will be crowned at Charles’s side at his eventual coronation.
In a statement, the Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Queen Elizabeth: Updates as Buckingham Palace announces the death of the Queen
Last updated: Thursday, 08 September, 2022, 19:09
Hundreds of people are clamouring to catch a glimpse of the plaque announcing the Queen’s death which officials have displayed on the gates outside Buckingham Palace.
It reads: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
“The King and Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Police officers are attempting to move the crowd back, but a huge scrum has formed at the front of the royal residence.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: “It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“On behalf of the people, we extend sincere condolences to the @RoyalFamily, the entire United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over this irreparable loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
A notice on the gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
European Council President Charles Michel tweeted: “Our thoughts are with the royal family and all those who mourn Queen Elizabeth II in the UK and worldwide.
“Once called Elizabeth the Steadfast, she never failed to show us the importance of lasting values in a modern world with her service and commitment.”
Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “The death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth is a profoundly sad moment for the UK, the Commonwealth and the world.
“Her life was one of extraordinary dedication and service. On behalf of the people of Scotland, I convey my deepest condolences to The King and the Royal Family.”
The new King – Charles – is expected to speak to the nation and lead the tributes to his beloved mother.
The Duchess of Cornwall is now Queen, and as a Queen Consort, will be crowned at Charles’s side at his eventual coronation.
BREAKING: The Queen has died, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Elizabeth II, 96, was the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, serving as head of state for more than 70 years.
The Prince of Wales is now King, having acceded to the throne immediately on the death of his mother. | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/updates-as-buckingham-palace-announces-death-of-queen-elizabeth-ii-new-king-charles-expected-to-address-nation-3836269 | 2022-09-08T18:17:08Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/updates-as-buckingham-palace-announces-death-of-queen-elizabeth-ii-new-king-charles-expected-to-address-nation-3836269 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New and restored artifacts will be added to the glass niches of the community art piece at Millennium Plaza in downtown Yakima over the next year.
Project leaders presented an update to the Yakima City Council at its meeting Tuesday.
The Millennium Foundation is funding the restoration of the public art piece titled “Water of Life” at 22 S. Third St. The piece by artist Wen Ti Tsen was first dedicated in 2003 as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ “Artists and Communities” initiative in the new millennium.
The city has helped with infrastructure upgrades at the plaza, including restoring the benches, replacing the light ring and getting the fountains working. A bubbler wall was reinstalled at the plaza earlier this year.
Andy Granitto, a community member who has been working with the city and the Millennium Foundation to complete the restoration, said new security glass will be installed in October with lights to follow.
The security glass was tested by Granitto to withstand being broken by hammers and rocks. The older windows of the art piece have been repeatedly broken with artifacts stolen or damaged over the years.
Granitto and other project leaders said solving the window issue was a key part of the restoration.
“In fact, several artists made it clear that they would not supply a new work unless we could secure the niches,” Granitto said Tuesday.
The new windows will be fitted with a tamper-proof locking mechanism, he said.
Once the windows and lighting are in place, the group can begin replacing the items in the niches.
“It's the hope of the Millennium Foundation that to encourage community interest and get people excited, rather than put everything in overnight, that over the course of next year as artwork arrives, we'll start putting new things in the niches,” Granitto said.
He said the objects could begin appearing as soon as this winter, with all the niches filled by the end of next summer.
Jenn Zuetenhorst, who is managing the project for the city, said the project is expected to be complete by fall 2023 to align with the 20th anniversary of the original dedication.
“The intent is that we would have some sort of rededication event that is bringing that back out into the public,” she told council Tuesday.
More from the meeting
• The Henry Beauchamp Community Center was awarded $102,591 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding to support programming and activities including tutoring, computer lab and STEM activities, employment education and emergency services. The council approved the agreement with the OIC of Washington community center Tuesday.
• The council also approved changes to the city’s ambulance services to allow the flexibility to dispatch ambulances based on the needs of the call.
When the approved ordinance goes into effect in 30 days, the city will dispatch the closest ambulance with basic life support or advanced life support capabilities depending on the call. Current city code requires the closest advanced life support ambulance to be dispatched.
• A helicopter landing pad was authorized at 1007 River Road for Washington Fruit and Produce Co.
According to the application, Washington Fruit currently stores aviation equipment at the Yakima Air Terminal to travel to surrounding facilities and orchards for routine inspections. Staff members currently have to drive to the airport to make those trips.
Approval by council for the helicopter landing space will allow staff members to be picked up and dropped off on site between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/the-next-step-of-the-millennium-plaza-restoration-in-downtown-yakima-is-the-glass-niches/article_1884f6ba-2eda-11ed-8779-6f1261fe8e7d.html | 2022-09-08T18:18:40Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/the-next-step-of-the-millennium-plaza-restoration-in-downtown-yakima-is-the-glass-niches/article_1884f6ba-2eda-11ed-8779-6f1261fe8e7d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For as long as she can remember, Dr. Cyrena Hull wanted to be a veterinarian — she recalls how as a child she would pretend to hook up her stuffed animals to makeshift IVs.
Hull began working at the Perry Veterinary Hospital in Perry, Oklahoma, straight out of veterinary school six years ago. She’s one of the two doctors that work at the small town clinic, and her experiences growing up in rural Colorado make working in the town feel like home.
“I love the profession. I love what I do,” Hull said. “It's just really pretty crazy to look at the debt load that it takes to get there.”
Hull currently has more than $100,000 of student loan debt from veterinary school.
Rural veterinary clinics, especially those practicing on large animals like cattle, have been declining since World War II, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As of 2020, less than 2% of private practices nationwide were exclusively large-animal clinics and less than 6% were mixed-animal clinics, like Perry Veterinary Hospital, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Low wages are one of the biggest discouraging factors for graduates deciding where to practice, said Dr. Daniel Grooms, the dean of Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“There are financial barriers to going into rural practice,” Grooms said. “Typically, rural practices have lower salaries than practices that are located in more populated areas.”
In 2019, Grooms and two students surveyed veterinary students and clinics across Iowa to understand why there’s a shortage of veterinarians in rural parts of the state. In addition to low salaries, they found that long hours and the potential lack of mentorship also contributed to the shortage.
“The ability to have balance in your life in a rural practice can be challenging,” Grooms said, “especially if it's a one- or two-person practice versus a larger practice with multiple doctors and lots of help.”
The Debt Problem
Since 2010, the USDA has offered the Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program, a loan repayment program aimed at helping rural veterinarians. It identifies rural vet shortage areas and pays off some student loans for vets who get accepted into the program and set up shop there. Those veterinarians can get up to $75,000 over three years.
But the awarded amount is less than half of today’s average loan debt for graduating veterinarians. U.S. veterinarians graduate from medical school with nearly $200,000 in debt, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Robert Smith, who oversees the loan repayment program, said there’s talk of increasing the amount they give out.
"We see [debt] numbers for individuals up to a half million dollars,” Smith said. "I mean, it really makes you cringe and wonder how they're ever going to pay that back.”
Yet, even if more money does become available, earning the repayment award isn’t easy. That’s partly because the program only awards one veterinarian per designated area of need, and the application process can be daunting.
Just over half of the 144 veterinarians that applied for the program last year received the award. Eligible veterinarians are required to fill out and submit seven different forms on top of a resume, a copy of unofficial transcripts and loan documents. For busy veterinarians like Hull, the application can be discouraging.
“There’s a lot of hoops to jump through,” she said. “I’m not sure it’s worth the time it takes away from my family or clients, which is already difficult to find a balance there.”
Although USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture hosts informational webinars about the program's application process, Smith said it’s something he hopes the program can improve on.
“Practitioners are not used to writing grants,” Smith said. “This is a nut we’re going to try to crack and provide some kind of coaching or mentoring — to work with them on putting together a better application.”
Currently, those veterinarians who receive the awards for debt repayment are also taxed on that money, although the USDA covers the cost. That’s something veterinary advocates are trying to change.
“Getting taxed 39% means less goes to the people that want to go to these [shortage] areas and practice food animal medicine,” said Dr. Jose Arce, the president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The organization has been trying to get rid of the program’s tax clause by lobbying Congress to pass the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act.
Vital to rural communities
Access to good veterinary care is critical to farmers and ranchers who have livestock. Losing an animal is not only a major financial loss, but it’s also a loss of time and work invested into raising the animal.
“The job of the veterinarian is to work as a partner with the livestock producer to make sure the animals are healthy,” said Dr. Brad White, director of Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute. “That’s because we need to be sure that we protect that food supply and make sure that it's healthy and as productive as it can be.”
Kansas State University has worked to place its veterinary graduates in less-populated parts of the state since 2006 with its Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas. The state-funded program gives up to five students a year a $20,000 loan toward their tuition. After graduation, veterinarians who work in a Kansas town with fewer than 35,000 residents for four years can get up to $80,000 in loans forgiven.
“Over the past 15 years of that program, we know that about 90% of those students are still in rural practice,” White said. “About 80% of them are still in the practice that they started in.”
White said implementing a similar program in other veterinary schools could be a potential solution to mending the shortage of rural veterinarians across the country.
But Grooms of Iowa State’s veterinary school said that attracting new veterinarians to rural clinics goes beyond posting a job opening — it starts by establishing mentorship with students early in their career.
“You’re going to have to be creative in the way you recruit,” Grooms said. “You’re going to have to invite people into your practice. You’re going to have to come and meet them at their college of veterinary medicine and go to some of the networking events.”
Hull said the mentorship her boss and owner of the practice, Dr. Martin Roth, has given her is invaluable.
"I think that having a mentor from the community is helpful in gaining that trust a little bit faster, versus if I were trying to just do it on my own," she said, "and this community has been great."
And ultimately, Hull said, it’s “just flat out the community” that keeps her in this small town veterinary practice.
Xcaret Nuñez covers agriculture, food systems and rural issues for KOSU and Harvest Public Media and is a Report For America corps member. Follow Xcaret on Twitter @Xcaret_News.
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/2022-09-08/rural-areas-need-more-veterinarians-but-low-pay-and-student-debt-make-choice-difficult | 2022-09-08T18:20:19Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/2022-09-08/rural-areas-need-more-veterinarians-but-low-pay-and-student-debt-make-choice-difficult | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Cedar County judge Wednesday ordered Agape Boarding School to be shut down after years of allegations of sexual and physical abuse of students — though the order remains on pause until after a hearing Monday morning.
The judge’s order came in response to a request from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Social Services for the school to be closed.
The state’s injunction to shutter the Christian reform school in Stockton marks a long-awaited development for many advocates and former students who have called for its closure, though it does not yet spell victory for them.
“Hopefully, Agape gets shut down,” said Robert Bucklin, a former Agape student who is suing the school. “It’s been a long time coming.”
The state Department of Social Services found by a preponderance of evidence that an Agape staff member physically abused a child, according to the state’s petition. The Agape staff member had an appeal deadline of Tuesday to contest the findings but did not do so, according to the petition, and was placed on the state’s child abuse and neglect central registry as a result.
Missouri law prohibits those listed on the registry, or those with substantiated findings of child abuse, to work at a residential care facility.
Thursday morning, though, the judge asked for verification that Agape still employed the staff member. In the instance that the employee is no longer employed by Agape, the judge wrote, the court will have a hearing to determine whether the employee was terminated.
If the school did not terminate the employee, the order will be executed and the school will be closed.
The Cedar County hearing is now scheduled for Monday morning, after being delayed from Thursday, meaning the order to close the school is on hold until then.
If the order is executed, it will “cease operations of Agape” and provide “appropriate removal” of the children currently there, who will be placed into the custody of their parent, legal guardian, or other appropriate parties by the court’s discretion. While the children await their guardians, or in the case the guardian refuses to pick up a child, the order places the children in the temporary custody of the Children’s Division.
DSS in the petition for injunctive relief said the Agape staff member was listed as an employee on Aug. 22 in a census of employees and the state had “received no information regarding a change in employment status.”
Rep. Keri Ingle, a Lee’s Summit Democrat who helped craft the 2021 state law that gave the attorney general’s office and Department of Social Services greater oversight of unlicensed residential facilities, said she hopes to see Agape closed even if the employee is found to have been terminated.
“This is systemic. This is widespread. There’s a culture of abuse that happens at this facility,” Ingle said, “and that the Department of Social Services and the Attorney General’s Office has determined that they cannot ensure the safety of the kids there, due to this substantial evidence of abuse that is ingrained in this facility’s culture.”
Former students of Agape said Thursday morning they were “sitting on pins and needles” waiting for the hearing’s outcome.
James Griffey, who attended Agape as a student from 1998 to 2001 and left in 2002 after working on staff, said he was grappling with a swirl of emotions Thursday after he learned of the news. He felt excited, yet hesitant at the same time after numerous instances where he felt officials were close to shutting down the school, only for it to continue to remain open.
“Just because they’re on the list doesn’t make them a bad person all of a sudden because they’re on a list. They’ve been doing the abuse. They’ve been abusing the kids,” Griffey said. “They still should shut down the school. There still should be consequences for employing someone like that for however long they did.”
Griffey noted Agape staffers have close ties to local law enforcement, a point Schmitt’s office raised in its petition to close the school.
At least three Cedar County Sheriff’s Department employees currently or previously work at Agape, including two full-time deputies, one of whom is married to the daughter of Agape’s founder, the petition read.
Tuesday, The Independent reported that DSS substantiated 10 preponderance of evidence claims of physical abuse at Agape. DSS added another staff member to the registry on Wednesday, according to its petition for injunctive relief.
In May, DSS substantiated abuse claims against two former employees who declined to appeal the findings, which became final on July 29. Those staffers no longer work for Agape, the petition says.
Griffey, who is now 39 and lives in California, said he worries what’s next for the boys currently attending Agape if they do get removed. In order for true justice to be served, more than closing the school needs to be done, Griffey said. He wants to see Agape staffers ultimately taken to court and charged with child abuse.
“To me, that’s really protecting the kids,” he said. “Shutting down the school’s one thing, but then there’s all these other schools that these abusers would easily be accepted into as employees because they worked at Agape.”
Former students were critical of the school remaining open for months, despite numerous lawsuits and allegations of abuse. Ingle said she understands the ongoing concerns and shares the desire for facilities like Agape to be closed as soon as possible, and is already discussing with DSS legislation to propose that would expedite such situations to allow them to file injunctions and suspend staffers under investigation for allegations of abuse or neglect.
“If someone is under investigation, or they’re going through an appeal process for findings of child abuse, neglect against them, they shouldn’t have access to vulnerable populations during that process,” Ingle said. “Until that process is completed, and they’re exonerated.”
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has previously been at odds with Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither, who pursued only a fraction of the 65 criminal counts against 22 staff that Schmitt recommended as a result of his office’s investigation.
The local prosecuting attorney retained jurisdiction over the case, causing Schmitt to ask Gov. Mike Parson to take his office off the case.
Schmitt’s office did not respond to requests for comment Thursday morning.
“It goes to show that the kids that you abuse today, those are the ones that are going to kick you down tomorrow,” Bucklin said. “We were abused by Agape but we weren’t scared.”
This story was originally published on the Missouri Independent. | https://www.kcur.org/education/2022-09-08/a-missouri-judge-ordered-the-closure-of-agape-boarding-school-after-years-of-abuse-allegations | 2022-09-08T18:20:25Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/education/2022-09-08/a-missouri-judge-ordered-the-closure-of-agape-boarding-school-after-years-of-abuse-allegations | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
An updated COVID-19 vaccine booster shot is hitting shelves in the Missouri region this week after the federal government approved the shots for emergency use.
The boosters are designed to protect against the original strain of the virus as well as BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants, the dominant strains of the virus circulating in the country.
St. Louis health officials and doctors say everyone who can should get the updated booster, even if they’ve received the vaccine or previous boosters in the past.
“The idea of getting an updated vaccine is that we have additional protection against what’s circulating now,” said Dr. Shephali Wulff, an infectious disease specialist at SSM Health. “If COVID is going to be something that we have to live with as a society, if it's an endemic virus which is how it's evolving, then we have to have things in place to keep most of us safe.”
The updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are similar to previous versions, except scientists have tweaked them to recognize and prime the body to protect against new variants. Lab studies show the boosters created antibodies that protect people against getting dangerously sick with the virus.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the updated booster shot for people 12 and older after the Food and Drug Administration approved the new Moderna booster for people 18 and older and the Pfizer booster for people 12 and up.
The new boosters are being shipped to local pharmacies, hospitals, doctor's offices and retailers. People can find where to get the new vaccines in Missouri at the state health department’s website.
People who have recently gotten a coronavirus booster shot should wait at least two months before they get another shot, Wulff said.
If someone has recently tested positive for the coronavirus, it’s OK to get the new vaccine right away, as long as they’re not contagious and it’s been 10 days since they developed symptoms, said Dr. Hilary Babcock, medical director of infection prevention at BJC Healthcare.
“I think the most important message is this vaccine, this booster is important, and everyone who is eligible should get it,” she said. “Most guidance says you could delay it for around three months because you’re protected, and I think that’s fair.
“But also, if you had an infection a month and a half ago and someone is standing in front of you ready to get you the vaccine, I would just get it,” Babcock said. “There really is no downside.”
It may be more difficult to motivate people to seek out the updated vaccine, said Nebu Kolenchery, director of communicable diseases at the St. Louis County Department of Public Health.
But Kolenchery wants everyone to know the virus is still risky, especially to older people and those who are sick or live with chronic health problems.
“While the vast majority of the public may not consider COVID to be a big deal anymore, I think it's important for the public to know that every day 400 people in the United States still die from COVID,” he said.
Vaccine protection wanes over time, and it’s important to stay updated with shots, Kolenchery said.
“We believe that vaccines are a very important mitigation strategy against any communicable disease,” he said. “And so this new formulation of vaccine suggests that it can continue to provide immunity, especially to those who are most vulnerable.”
New versions of the vaccine may be needed each year, similar to a flu vaccine, doctors said. The way the mRNA vaccines are made means scientists can easily rework doses to fit dominant strains of the virus.
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @Petit_Smudge
Copyright 2022 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio. | https://www.kcur.org/health/2022-09-08/missouri-doctors-say-everyone-should-get-updated-covid-19-booster | 2022-09-08T18:20:31Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/health/2022-09-08/missouri-doctors-say-everyone-should-get-updated-covid-19-booster | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
OLATHE, Kansas — Republican attorney general nominee Kris Kobach says he’s helping to shut down a private group that wanted to build a wall on the Mexican border — and that’s at the heart of a fraud indictment of a close adviser to former President Donald Trump.
Steve Bannon surrendered himself on Thursday after being indicted on charges that the We Build the Wall group defrauded contributors. The organization received more than $20 million from thousands of contributors.
Kobach was also an adviser to Trump on immigration issues and performed legal work for We Build the Wall. He is not named in the Bannon indictment.
Kobach told reporters after a campaign event Wednesday night that the organization is no longer working to build a wall and he is assisting in its legal closure.
“You have to do an orderly shutdown of a corporation,” Kobach said. “There has to be some attorney involved to actually make it happen.”
Kobach said he has gotten to know Bannon, who’s also a right-wing radio host, well over the years. But the former Kansas secretary of state said he has no connection to the allegations of fraud against Bannon. He said the alleged incidents occurred before he was involved with We Build the Wall.
“They brought me on to figure out how you build on private land legally,” Kobach said. “That was my job.”
The unsealed indictment released on Thursday accuses Bannon of defrauding contributors between February and October 2019. He is charged with two counts of second-degree money laundering and one count of conspiracy.
The charges Bannon faces are similar to a 2020 federal case, where he was charged with wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering. But Trump pardoned Bannon just before he left office.
Kobach said he was listed as a witness for both the prosecution and the defense for the federal indictment. And he said he voluntarily provided investigators with emails related to the operation.
But Kobach said investigators made it clear to him that he is not in legal jeopardy.
Kobach faces Democratic candidate Chris Mann for Kansas attorney general in the November election. As secretary of state, he often pursued hot-button issues of voter fraud and illegal immigration.
He said Kansas voters should know he was involved in the wall-building operation because the country needs the security measure.
“It was a worthy cause and, absolutely, I did what I could to help,” Kobach said.
Dylan Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen (at) kcur (dot) org.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio 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. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-08/kris-kobach-says-hes-helping-close-border-wall-project-that-led-to-steve-bannons-fraud-charges | 2022-09-08T18:20:37Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-08/kris-kobach-says-hes-helping-close-border-wall-project-that-led-to-steve-bannons-fraud-charges | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Updated September 8, 2022 at 1:47 PM ET
Queen Elizabeth II, whose seven decades on the throne of the United Kingdom was a longer reign than any other British monarch, has died at the age of 96.
The queen "died peacefully" on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands, royal family officials announced. King Charles, her son, is at Balmoral and will return to London on Friday.
The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W
The queen had been placed under medical supervision earlier Thursday, officials said. "Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision," the palace had said in a statement.
Other members of the royal family had also traveled to Balmoral, including her grandson Prince William, who is now the heir apparent. Prince Harry, who was already in the country for a charity event, was also reportedly en route.
In recent years, the queen had taken on fewer public duties, occasionally canceling appearances in which her attendance was once tradition. Mobility issues had troubled her in recent months, and she had taken to spending much of her time at Windsor Castle, the family's country estate near London, and at Balmoral, the castle in Scotland.
In February, she contracted COVID-19, which she later described as leaving her "very tired and exhausted."
In June, Elizabeth appeared at her Platinum Jubilee celebrating her 70 years on the throne, watching the parade from a balcony of Buckingham Palace. But she missed most of the other festivities. And on Tuesday, she met with the U.K.'s new prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral, a first in her reign.
Elizabeth acceded to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952. Over her 70-year-long reign, she oversaw an extraordinary period of British history, including decolonization and the independence of more than 20 countries that were once a part of the British Empire.
Charles, 73, is now Britain's king.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-08/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-at-96-surrounded-by-the-royal-family-at-balmoral-estate | 2022-09-08T18:20:43Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-08/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-at-96-surrounded-by-the-royal-family-at-balmoral-estate | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Her death will trigger a series of events not seen for a generation and the nation is now mourning the loss of our monarch.
She is survived by her four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. The Queen’s husband Prince Philip died in April, 2021 aged 99. The couple were married for 73 years.
Since her coronation in 1952 she has seen 14 British Prime Ministers. Her oldest son Charles is next in line to the throne.
We know this is a story that has upset the entire country and we want readers to pay tribute to the Queen and send messages of support to the Royal Family after the tragic loss.
You can also leave your memories, well wishes and condolences below in the comments section. We will be monitoring the comments as they appear live on the website.
We invite you to leave your memories of Her Majesty below at this sad time. You can do so by pressing here.
We will be monitoring the comments as they appear live on the website. | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/share-your-favourite-memories-queen-7564495 | 2022-09-08T18:22:54Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/share-your-favourite-memories-queen-7564495 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON (AP) - Ten things to know about the life of Queen Elizabeth II:
BRITAIN'S LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH
Elizabeth, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, is the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. In September 2015 she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months.
In 2016, Elizabeth also became the longest-reigning monarch in the world with the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. In 2022, she became the second-longest-reigning monarch in world history, behind 17th century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4.
Apart from Elizabeth and Victoria, only four other monarchs in British history have reigned for 50 years or more: George III (59 years), Henry III (56 years), Edward III (50 years) and James VI of Scotland (58 years.)
___
HOME-SCHOOLING
Like many royals of her time and before, Elizabeth never went to a public school and was never exposed to other students. Instead, she was educated at home with Margaret, her younger sister.
Among those who taught her was her father, along with a senior teacher at Eton College, several French and Belgian governesses who taught her French, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who taught her religion.
Elizabeth’s schooling also included learning to ride, swim, dance and the study of fine art and music.
___
“NO. 230873”
During World War II, young Princess Elizabeth briefly became known as No. 230873, Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of the Auxiliary Transport Service No. 1.
After months of campaigning for her parents’ permission to do something for the war effort, the heir to the throne learned how to drive and service ambulances and trucks. She rose to the rank of honorary Junior Commander within months.
___
‘GREAT MIMICKER’
Elizabeth often gave the impression of a serious demeanor, and many have noted her “poker face,” but those who knew her described her as having a mischievous sense of humor and a talent for mimicry in private company.
Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the queen could be “extremely funny in private - and not everybody appreciates how funny she can be.”
Bishop Michael Mann, the monarch’s domestic chaplain, once said that “the queen imitating the Concorde landing is one of the funniest things you could see.” Ian Paisley, the Northern Irish clergyman and politician, also noted that Elizabeth was a “great mimicker” of him.
More recently, she showed her mischievous side during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when she starred in a comic video alongside an animated Paddington Bear and spoke of hiding marmalade sandwiches in her purse.
___
ROYAL TAXPAYER
She may have been the queen, but she paid taxes too - at least since 1992.
When Windsor Castle, the queen’s weekend residence, was ravaged by fire in 1992, the public rebelled against paying millions of pounds for repairs.
But she voluntarily agreed to pay tax on her personal income. She said she would meet 70 percent of the cost of restoration work, and she also decided to open her home at Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time to generate extra funds from admission fees.
___
LITTLE LILIBET
The queen was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of York, in honor of her mother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother. But as a child, she was endearingly known as young Lilibet by her family - said to be because she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth” properly.
In a letter to her grandmother Queen Mary, the young princess wrote: “Dear Granny. Thank you very much for the lovely little jersey. We loved staying at Sandringham with you. I lost a top front tooth yesterday morning,” before signing off, “Love from Lilibet.”
The nickname became more widely known after Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, named their daughter Lilibet Diana in 2021.
___
A STEADFAST ROMANCE
Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip enjoyed a stable relationship for more 70 years, a union that far outlasted the marriages of three of her four children: Charles, Anne and Andrew.
“He has been quite simply my strength and stay all these years,” the queen said of Philip on their 50th wedding anniversary.
Their story began in 1939, when Prince Philip of Greece, a handsome 18-year-old naval cadet, was detailed to entertain the 13-year-old Elizabeth for a day. Several years later, Philip was invited to join the royal family at Windsor Castle at Christmas, and he soon made discreet inquiries whether he would be considered an eligible suitor.
The couple married in Westminster Abbey in 1947. When Philip died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth described his passing as leaving a “huge void” in her life, according to their son, Andrew.
___
MULTIPLE BIRTHDAYS
Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, but it was sometimes confusing for the public to know when to celebrate.
There was no universally fixed day for her “official birthday” - it’s either the first, second or third Saturday in June, and was decided by the government.
In Australia, her birthday was celebrated on the second Monday of June, while in Canada, was marked on a Monday either on or before May 24, Queen Victoria’s birthday.
Only the queen and those closest to her celebrated her actual birthday in private gatherings.
___
HOW MANY CORGIS?
It’s widely known that Elizabeth loved corgis - Princess Diana reportedly called the dogs the queen’s “moving carpet” because they accompanied her everywhere.
She owned more than 30 corgis over the years. She also had two “dorgis” - crossbreeds of dachshund and corgi - named Candy and Vulcan.
Elizabeth was photographed hugging one of the dogs as far back as 1936 at age 10, and was given a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday. The breed was introduced to the royal family by her father, King George VI, in 1933, when he bought a male corgi called Dookie from a local kennel.
As queen, she also technically owned the thousands of mute swans in open British waters, and had the right to claim all sturgeons, porpoises, whales and dolphins, according to a statute from 1324.
___
‘A PRETTY NICE GIRL’
The queen inevitably became the subject of pop songs.
The Beatles immortalized her with the tongue-in-cheek “Her Majesty,” calling her “a pretty nice girl” though “she doesn’t have a lot to say.” The brief song, sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1969, appeared at the end of the “Abbey Road” album.
Other musical treatments weren’t so kind. The Sex Pistols’ anti-monarchist “God Save The Queen,” released right before her Silver Jubilee in 1977, was banned on British television. | https://www.wboc.com/10-things-to-know-about-queen-elizabeth-ii-s-life/article_97ccb91a-2f9f-11ed-a1af-03417c928846.html | 2022-09-08T18:23:01Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/10-things-to-know-about-queen-elizabeth-ii-s-life/article_97ccb91a-2f9f-11ed-a1af-03417c928846.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
National protocols will now be enacted after the death of Queen Elizabeth II - a plan known as Operation London Bridge. The detailed schedule covers everything that will happen from the moment The Queen passes away.
The death of a monarch is something very few of us have experienced, thanks to The Queen's remarkable 70 year reign. The protocols cover everything from the announcement of her passing to flag etiquette in the days that follow. The Prime Minister has been one of the first to be informed of the Monarch's passing. This message will be delivered by Queen’s Private Secretary and sent to members of the Privy Council Office.
Prime Minister Liz Truss was appointed by the Queen at Balmoral only two days ago, following predecessor Boris Johnson's resignation. Subsequently, MPs and senior civil servants will receive a call and an email stating: "Dear colleagues, It is with sadness that I write to inform you of the death of Her Majesty The Queen."
Read more: Prayers of the nation are with the Queen, says Archbishop
A footman would pin a dark-edged notice to the gates of Buckingham Palace, with the palace website displaying the same notice. The news would also be transmitted to the the countries where The Queen remains the head of state and to the wider Commonwealth by the Foreign Office.
This will take place at the same time as an announcement on social media telling the wider world. Flags must be at half-mast within 10 minutes of the news.
On the day of the Queen's death, the heir to the throne, Prince Charles will address the nation in a televised broadcast. The Prime Minister will hold an audience with the soon-to-be King.
The Ministry of Defence will organise gun salutes. A nationwide minute of silence will be held.
Day 2
The following morning, members of the Accession Council will name Charles the new king. A proclamation will be read out at St James' Palace and the Royal Exchange.
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will return to Buckingham Palace. The method of travel depends on where she dies.
If at Sandringham, her body will be taken by royal train to St Pancras. The PM and fellow cabinet members will be waiting there, and MPs will also give their own tributes in the House of Commons after the PM's statement the day before.
Days 3-4
As the nation begins to come to terms with the monarch's death, King Charles set off on a UK tour. He will visit the Scottish Parliament and St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, then Northern Ireland's Hillsborough Castle and a service at St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast.
Rehearsals for the funeral - still seven days away on the third day - will begin in earnest in London.
Day 5
On the fifth day, the Queen's body will be moved from Buckingham Palace. The procession will end at the Houses of Parliament and then a service will be held at Westminster Hall. The Queen will then lie in state for three days, with members of the public able to visit and see her coffin.
Days 6-9
King Charles will visit the Welsh Parliament and service at Cardiff's Liandaff Cathedral.
The finishing touches to the Government's plans for the day of the funeral will be being put into place. Thousands of mourners will be preparing to line the streets of London for the upcoming funeral.
Day 10: The Queen's funeral
The funeral will take place from 11am at Westminster Abbey and will be administered by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. A committal service will follow at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Proceedings will begin at 9am with a singular strike from Big Ben. The Queen will be buried under the King George IV Memorial Chapel.
Despite the magnitude of the event, it is not a bank holiday although many employers will close their doors as a mark of respect. A nationwide two minute silence will be held at 11am as the funeral begins, and the day is declared a day of national mourning.
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New Canterbury premium steak restaurant Herd. selling cuts for up to £69 | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/what-happens-now-queen-died-7563481 | 2022-09-08T18:23:04Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/uk-world-news/what-happens-now-queen-died-7563481 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Formal steps after instant shift from UK queen to king
(AP) - The British monarchy’s rules state that “a new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.”
That means Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Prince Charles, became king immediately upon her death.
However, it may be months or even longer before Charles’ formal coronation. In Elizabeth’s case, her coronation came on June 2, 1953 -- 16 months after her accession on Feb. 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died.
A look at the formalities that take place after Charles accedes to the throne:
— Within 24 hours of a monarch’s death, a new sovereign is proclaimed formally as soon as possible at St. James’s Palace in London by the “Accession Council.” This is made up of officials from the Privy Council, which includes senior Cabinet ministers, judges and leaders of the Church of England, who are summoned to the palace for the meeting.
— Parliament is then recalled for lawmakers to take their oaths of allegiance to the new monarch.
— The new monarch will swear an oath before the Privy Council in St. James’s Palace to maintain the Church of Scotland, according to the Act of Union of 1707.
— The proclamation of the new sovereign is then publicly read out at St. James’s Palace, as well as in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast – the capital cities of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.
— Charles must declare to Parliament on the first day of its session following the accession, or at the coronation, whichever is first, that he is a faithful Protestant. The oath is mandated by the Accession Declaration Act of 1910.
— He must also take a coronation oath as prescribed by the Coronation Oath Act of 1689, the Act of Settlement of 1701 and the Accession Declaration Act.
— He must be in communion with the Church of England, a flexible rule which allowed King George I and King George II to reign even though they were Lutherans.
___
Follow all stories on the British royals at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.witn.com/2022/09/08/formal-steps-after-instant-shift-uk-queen-king/ | 2022-09-08T18:23:06Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/2022/09/08/formal-steps-after-instant-shift-uk-queen-king/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Volunteers with boats are needed to help the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays remove debris from the bays during the Annual Inland Bays Clean Up from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.
The effort will focus on the shores along Rehoboth and Indian River Bays, by boat, with coordinated cleanups occurring on land as well. The water-based cleanup, which has been organized by the Center since the early 2000s, is supported by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Previous cleanup efforts have netted thousands of pounds of trash, including plastic bottles and bags, tires, cans, wrappers, fishing gear and docking lumber. Trash in local waterways is harmful to both Bay users and a variety of coastal and aquatic life, including birds, fish and mammals, such as dolphins.
The Center is in need of boat captains with power boats to collect and transport debris during the clean up. Boat captains who are interested in volunteering should contact Gabriella Fritz at GFritz@inlandbays.org.
Those interested in volunteering but do not own a boat are encouraged to assist with trash collection on land. Volunteers can register for the 2022 Clean Up online at inlandbays.org. Advance registration is required.
The clean up launch point will be the Massey’s Landing public boat ramp, located at the end of Long Neck Road in Millsboro. Volunteers will be assigned to specific cleanup locations from the launch point on the day of the event.
Volunteers should be prepared for the weather (including potentially cooler, breezy conditions on the water) and should dress for dirty and wet conditions. Work gloves are recommended, and closed-toe shoes are required. Lifejackets will be provided. Volunteers also should bring their own water and snacks or lunch.
The day of, each volunteer must sign a waiver in order to participate. This event is not recommended for children younger than 12, and participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
DNREC is once again lending support through its Delaware Natural Resources Police. Sponsors include the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife, DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation, Dewey Beach Lions Club, GFL Environmental/Waste Industries of Delaware, state Sen. Ernie Lopez and the Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s Community Cleanup Initiative.
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a nonprofit organization established in 1994, and is one of 28 National Estuary Programs. With its partners, the CIB works to preserve, protect and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays and their watershed. Learn more at inlandbays.org.
For more information, contact Caitlin Chaney at cchaney@inlandbays.org or visit us online atinlandbays.org. | https://www.wboc.com/features/outdoors-delmarva/inland-bays-cleanup-set-for-sept-17/article_29d9269c-2f99-11ed-a86b-5b30165d61c4.html | 2022-09-08T18:23:07Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/features/outdoors-delmarva/inland-bays-cleanup-set-for-sept-17/article_29d9269c-2f99-11ed-a86b-5b30165d61c4.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (CNN) - The Justice Department unsealed charges on Wednesday against a Maryland man who allegedly threatened to kill a member of Congress from a government-issued computer.
The member, who is not named in court documents, is Sen. Ted Cruz, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.
Investigators say that Justin Kuchta, 39, of Annapolis, responded to an online event invitation in July from the office of a Texas member of Congress. In the email, Kuchta allegedly threatened to murder the member at the event, prosecutors say.
"Thank you for the address!!! I'm coming to murder all of you Satanist f*ckers!!!" the message said, according to court documents. "Especially the chuckle-f*ck Zodiak [sic] Killer!! That fat fake f*cker ass will be the first on the gallows!!"
In another message a few days later, Kuchta allegedly wrote: "THANKS FOR THE ADDRESS AND INVITE, SEE YOU ALL SOON ENOUGH!!!"
CNN has reached out to Cruz's office for comment.
Investigators tracked the emails to Kuchta's IP address in Maryland. Though Kuchta initially denied sending the message, prosecutors say, he later admitted to sending the initial threat from his "government-issued computer."
Kuchta is charged with one count of interstate threats and faces up to five years behind bars if convicted. He has not yet entered a formal plea, and a lawyer for Kuchta was not listed on the docket. | https://www.wboc.com/news/md-man-who-allegedly-threatened-to-kill-sen-ted-cruz-faces-federal-charges/article_ab66a0f0-2f93-11ed-b4e7-abe64ed1f26f.html | 2022-09-08T18:23:13Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/md-man-who-allegedly-threatened-to-kill-sen-ted-cruz-faces-federal-charges/article_ab66a0f0-2f93-11ed-b4e7-abe64ed1f26f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON (AP) - Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, where members of the royal family had rushed to her side after her health took a turn for the worse.
A link to the almost-vanished generation that fought World War II, she was the only monarch most Britons have ever known.
Her 73-year-old son Prince Charles automatically becomes king, though the coronation might not take place for months. It was not immediately known whether he will call himself King Charles III or some other name.
The BBC played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of her in full regalia as her death was announced, and the flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff as the second Elizabethan age came to a close.
The impact of her loss will be huge and unpredictable, both for the nation and for the monarchy, an institution she helped stabilize and modernize across decades of huge social change and family scandals.
In a statement, Charles called the death of his mother “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” adding: “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
World leaders extended condolences and paid tribute to the queen.
In Canada, where the British monarch is the country's head of state, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saluted her “wisdom, compassion and warmth.” In India, once the “jewel in the crown” of the British empire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise.”
British Prime Minister Liz Truss, appointed by the queen just 48 hours earlier, pronounced the country "devastated” and called Elizabeth “the rock on which modern Britain was built.”
The queen’s life was indelibly marked by the war. As Princess Elizabeth, she made her first public broadcast in 1940 when she was 14, sending a wartime message to children evacuated to the countryside or overseas.
“We children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage,” she said with a blend of stoicism and hope that would echo throughout her reign. “We are trying to do all we can to help out gallant soldiers, sailors and airmen. And we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well.”
Since Feb. 6, 1952, Elizabeth reigned over a Britain that rebuilt from war and lost its empire; joined the European Union and then left it; and transformed from industrial powerhouse to uncertain 21st century society. She endured through 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Truss, becoming an institution and an icon -- a fixed point and a reassuring presence even for those who ignored or loathed the monarchy.
She became less visible in her final years as age and frailty curtailed many public appearances. But she remained firmly in control of the monarchy and at the center of national life as Britain celebrated her Platinum Jubilee with days of parties and pageants in June 2022.
The same month she became the second longest-reigning monarch in history, behind 17th-century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4. On Tuesday, she presided at a ceremony at Balmoral Castle to accept the resignation of Boris Johnson as prime minister and appoint Truss as his successor.
When Elizabeth was 21, almost five years before she became queen, she promised the people of Britain and the Commonwealth that “my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
It was a promise she kept across more than seven decades.
Despite Britain’s complex and often fraught ties with its former colonies, Elizabeth was widely respected and remained head of state of more than a dozen countries, from Canada to Tuvalu. She headed the 54-nation Commonwealth, built around Britain and its former colonies.
Married for more than 73 years to Prince Philip, who died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth was matriarch to a royal family whose troubles were a subject of global fascination -- amplified by fictionalized accounts such as TV series “The Crown.” She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Through countless public events, she probably met more people than anyone in history. Her image, which adorned stamps, coins and banknotes, was among the most reproduced in the world.
But her inner life and opinions remained mostly an enigma. Of her personality, the public saw relatively little. A horse owner, she rarely seemed happier than during the Royal Ascot racing week. She never tired of the companionship of her beloved Welsh corgi dogs.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in London on April 21, 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. She was not born to be queen -- her father’s elder brother, Prince Edward, was destined for the crown, to be followed by any children he had.
But in 1936, when she was 10, Edward VIII abdicated to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, and Elizabeth’s father became King George VI.
Princess Margaret recalled asking her sister whether this meant that Elizabeth would one day be queen. ”’Yes, I suppose it does,‘” Margaret quoted Elizabeth as saying. “She didn’t mention it again.”
Elizabeth was barely in her teens when Britain went to war with Germany in 1939. While the king and queen stayed at Buckingham Palace during the Blitz and toured the bombed-out neighborhoods of London, Elizabeth and Margaret spent most of the war at Windsor Castle, west of the capital. Even there, 300 bombs fell in an adjacent park, and the princesses spent many nights in an underground shelter.
In 1945, after months of campaigning for her parents’ permission to do something for the war effort, the heir to the throne became Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She enthusiastically learned to drive and service heavy vehicles.
On the night the war ended in Europe, May 8, 1945, she and Margaret managed to mingle, unrecognized, with celebrating crowds in London - “swept along on a tide of happiness and relief,” as she told the BBC decades later, describing it as “one of the most memorable nights of my life.”
At Westminster Abbey in November 1947 she married Royal Navy officer Philip Mountbatten, a prince of Greece and Denmark whom she had first met in 1939 when she was 13 and he 18. Postwar Britain was experiencing austerity and rationing, and so street decorations were limited and no public holiday was declared. But the bride was allowed 100 extra ration coupons for her trousseau.
The couple lived for a time in Malta, where Philip was stationed, and Elizabeth enjoyed an almost-normal life as a navy wife. The first of their four children, Prince Charles, was born on Nov. 14, 1948. He was followed by Princess Anne on Aug. 15, 1950, Prince Andrew on Feb. 19, 1960, and Prince Edward on March 10, 1964.
In February 1952, George VI died in his sleep at age 56 after years of ill health. Elizabeth, on a visit to Kenya, was told that she was now queen.
Her private secretary, Martin Charteris, later recalled finding the new monarch at her desk, “sitting erect, no tears, color up a little, fully accepting her destiny.”
“In a way, I didn’t have an apprenticeship,” Elizabeth reflected in a BBC documentary in 1992 that opened a rare view into her emotions. “My father died much too young, and so it was all a very sudden kind of taking on, and making the best job you can.”
Her coronation took place more than a year later, a grand spectacle at Westminster Abbey viewed by millions through the still-new medium of television.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s first reaction to the king’s death was to complain that the new queen was “only a child,” but he was won over within days and eventually became an ardent admirer.
In Britain’s constitutional monarchy, the queen is head of state but has little direct power; in her official actions she does what the government orders. However, she was not without influence. She once reportedly commented that there was nothing she could do legally to block the appointment of a bishop, “but I can always say that I should like more information. That is an indication that the prime minister will not miss.”
The extent of the monarch’s political influence occasionally sparked speculation -- but not much criticism while Elizabeth was alive. The views of Charles, who has expressed strong opinions on everything from architecture to the environment, might prove more contentious.
She was obliged to meet weekly with the prime minister, and they generally found her well-informed, inquisitive and up to date. The one possible exception was Margaret Thatcher, with whom her relations were said to be cool, if not frosty, though neither woman ever commented.
The queen’s views in those private meetings became a subject of intense speculation and fertile ground for dramatists like Peter Morgan, author of the play “The Audience” and the hit TV series “The Crown.” Those semi-fictionalized accounts were the product of an era of declining deference and rising celebrity, when the royal family’s troubles became public property.
And there were plenty of troubles within the family, an institution known as “The Firm.” In Elizabeth’s first years on the throne, Princess Margaret provoked a national controversy through her romance with a divorced man.
In what the queen called the “annus horribilis” of 1992, her daughter, Princess Anne, was divorced, Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated, and so did Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah. That was also the year Windsor Castle, a residence she far preferred to Buckingham Palace, was seriously damaged by fire.
The public split of Charles and Diana -- “There were three of us in that marriage,” Diana said of her husband’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles -- was followed by the shock of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash in 1997. For once, the queen appeared out of step with her people.
Amid unprecedented public mourning, Elizabeth’s failure to make a public show of grief appeared to many to be unfeeling. After several days, she finally made a televised address to the nation.
The dent in her popularity was brief. She was by now a sort of national grandmother, with a stern gaze and a twinkling smile.
Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest people, Elizabeth had a reputation for frugality and common sense. She was known as a monarch who turned off lights in empty rooms, a country woman who didn’t flinch from strangling pheasants.
A newspaper reporter who went undercover to work as a palace footman reinforced that down-to-earth image, capturing pictures of the royal Tupperware on the breakfast table and a rubber duck in the bath.
Her sangfroid was not dented when a young man aimed a pistol at her and fired six blanks as she rode by on a horse in 1981, nor when she discovered a disturbed intruder sitting on her bed in Buckingham Palace in 1982.
The image of the queen as an exemplar of ordinary British decency was satirized by the magazine Private Eye, which called her Brenda. Anti-monarchists dubbed her “Mrs. Windsor.” But the republican cause gained limited traction while the queen was alive.
On her Golden Jubilee in 2002, she said the country could “look back with measured pride on the history of the last 50 years.”
“It has been a pretty remarkable 50 years by any standards,” she said in a speech. “There have been ups and downs, but anyone who can remember what things were like after those six long years of war appreciates what immense changes have been achieved since then.”
A reassuring presence at home, she was also an emblem of Britain abroad - a form of soft power, consistently respected whatever the vagaries of the country’s political leaders on the world stage. It felt only fitting that she attended the opening of the 2012 London Olympics alongside another icon, James Bond. Through some movie magic, she appeared to parachute into the Olympic Stadium.
In 2015, she overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years, seven months and two days to become the longest-serving monarch in British history. She kept working into her 10th decade, though Prince Charles and his elder son, Prince William, increasingly took over the visits, ribbon-cuttings and investitures that form the bulk of royal duties.
The loss of Philip in 2021 was a heavy blow, as she poignantly sat alone at his funeral in the chapel at Windsor Castle because of coronavirus restrictions.
And the family troubles continued. Her son Prince Andrew was entangled in the sordid tale of sex offender businessman Jeffrey Epstein, an American businessman who had been a friend. Andrew denied accusations that he had sex with one of the women who said she was trafficked by Epstein.
The queen’s grandson Prince Harry walked away from Britain and his royal duties after marrying American actress Meghan Markle in 2018. He alleged in an interview that some in the family -– but pointedly not the queen -– had been less than welcoming to his wife.
She enjoyed robust health well into her 90s, although she used a cane in an appearance after Philip’s death. In October 2021, she spent a night in a London hospital for tests after canceling a trip to Northern Ireland.
A few months later, she told guests at a reception “as you can see, I can’t move.” The palace, tight-lipped about details, said the queen was experiencing “episodic mobility issues.”
She held virtual meetings with diplomats and politicians from Windsor Castle, but public appearances grew rarer. The queen withdrew from fixtures of the royal calendar, including Remembrance Sunday and Commonwealth Day ceremonies, though she attended a memorial service last March for Philip at Westminster Abbey.
Meanwhile, she took steps to prepare for the transition to come. In February, the queen announced that she wanted Charles’ wife Camilla to be known as “Queen Consort” when “in the fullness of time” her son became king. It removed a question mark over the role of the woman some blamed for the breakup of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana in the 1990s.
May brought another symbolic moment, when she asked Charles to stand in for her and read the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, one of the monarch’s most central constitutional duties.
Seven decades after World War II, Elizabeth was again at the center of the national mood amid the uncertainty and loss of COVID 19 -- a disease she came through herself in February.
In April 2020 -- with the country in lockdown and Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized with the virus -- she made a rare video address, urging people to stick together.
She summoned the spirit of World War II, that vital time in her life, and the nation’s, by echoing Vera Lynn’s wartime anthem “We’ll Meet Again.”
“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again,” she said. | https://www.wboc.com/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-at-96-after-70-years-on-the-throne/article_07b737b6-2f80-11ed-a1f5-2b62027dddd5.html | 2022-09-08T18:23:19Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-at-96-after-70-years-on-the-throne/article_07b737b6-2f80-11ed-a1f5-2b62027dddd5.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CRISFIELD, Md. – Somerset County Public Schools officials and Crisfield Academy & High School administration recently honored the Somerset County Commissioners at Crisfield Academy & High School’s Athletic Field Lighting Ceremony during the first home Boys Soccer game vs Cambridge South Dorchester High School.
The athletic field lighting project was funded in partnership with the Somerset County Commissioners, providing 50% of the total project cost to make night games a reality for the school’s student athletes.
At half-time, CAHS Principal, Jeff Hale, and Athletic Director, Greg Bozman expressed words of gratitude as Commissioners Randy & Charles Laird accepted plaques from the Somerset Board of Education, and signed soccer balls and field hockey sticks from the CAHS Boys Soccer and Girls Field Hockey Teams. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the athletic field lights were lit for the first home game in honor of the Somerset County Commissioners.
“Prior to this year, night games on our home field weren’t an option for the school’s soccer and field hockey teams," said Somerset County Superintendent of Schools John Gaddis. "We are thankful for the Somerset County Commissioners commitment to make this long-awaited athletic field lighting project a reality for our student athletes at Crisfield High School.” | https://www.wboc.com/news/somerset-commissioners-honored-at-cahs-athletic-field-lighting-ceremony/article_c1ea6086-2f94-11ed-8636-0f66adacb7f8.html | 2022-09-08T18:23:25Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/somerset-commissioners-honored-at-cahs-athletic-field-lighting-ceremony/article_c1ea6086-2f94-11ed-8636-0f66adacb7f8.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
10 things to know about Queen Elizabeth II’s life
LONDON (AP) — Ten things to know about the life of Queen Elizabeth II:
BRITAIN’S LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH
Elizabeth, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, is the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. In September 2015 she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months.
In 2016, Elizabeth also became the longest-reigning monarch in the world with the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. In 2022, she became the second-longest-reigning monarch in world history, behind 17th century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4.
Apart from Elizabeth and Victoria, only four other monarchs in British history have reigned for 50 years or more: George III (59 years), Henry III (56 years), Edward III (50 years) and James VI of Scotland (58 years.)
HOME-SCHOOLING
Like many royals of her time and before, Elizabeth never went to a public school and was never exposed to other students. Instead, she was educated at home with Margaret, her younger sister.
Among those who taught her was her father, along with a senior teacher at Eton College, several French and Belgian governesses who taught her French, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who taught her religion.
Elizabeth’s schooling also included learning to ride, swim, dance and the study of fine art and music.
“NO. 230873″
During World War II, young Princess Elizabeth briefly became known as No. 230873, Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of the Auxiliary Transport Service No. 1.
After months of campaigning for her parents’ permission to do something for the war effort, the heir to the throne learned how to drive and service ambulances and trucks. She rose to the rank of honorary Junior Commander within months.
‘GREAT MIMICKER’
Elizabeth often gave the impression of a serious demeanor, and many have noted her “poker face,” but those who knew her described her as having a mischievous sense of humor and a talent for mimicry in private company.
Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has said the queen could be “extremely funny in private — and not everybody appreciates how funny she can be.”
Bishop Michael Mann, the monarch’s domestic chaplain, once said that “the queen imitating the Concorde landing is one of the funniest things you could see.” Ian Paisley, the Northern Irish clergyman and politician, also noted that Elizabeth was a “great mimicker” of him.
More recently, she showed her mischievous side during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when she starred in a comic video alongside an animated Paddington Bear and spoke of hiding marmalade sandwiches in her purse.
ROYAL TAXPAYER
She may have been the queen, but she paid taxes too — at least since 1992.
When Windsor Castle, the queen’s weekend residence, was ravaged by fire in 1992, the public rebelled against paying millions of pounds for repairs.
But she voluntarily agreed to pay tax on her personal income. She said she would meet 70 percent of the cost of restoration work, and she also decided to open her home at Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time to generate extra funds from admission fees.
LITTLE LILIBET
The queen was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor of York, in honor of her mother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother. But as a child, she was endearingly known as young Lilibet by her family — said to be because she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth” properly.
In a letter to her grandmother Queen Mary, the young princess wrote: “Dear Granny. Thank you very much for the lovely little jersey. We loved staying at Sandringham with you. I lost a top front tooth yesterday morning,” before signing off, “Love from Lilibet.”
The nickname became more widely known after Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, named their daughter Lilibet Diana in 2021.
A STEADFAST ROMANCE
Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip enjoyed a stable relationship for more 70 years, a union that far outlasted the marriages of three of her four children: Charles, Anne and Andrew.
“He has been quite simply my strength and stay all these years,” the queen said of Philip on their 50th wedding anniversary.
Their story began in 1939, when Prince Philip of Greece, a handsome 18-year-old naval cadet, was detailed to entertain the 13-year-old Elizabeth for a day. Several years later, Philip was invited to join the royal family at Windsor Castle at Christmas, and he soon made discreet inquiries whether he would be considered an eligible suitor.
The couple married in Westminster Abbey in 1947. When Philip died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth described his passing as leaving a “huge void” in her life, according to their son, Andrew.
MULTIPLE BIRTHDAYS
Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, but it was sometimes confusing for the public to know when to celebrate.
There was no universally fixed day for her “official birthday” — it’s either the first, second or third Saturday in June, and was decided by the government.
In Australia, her birthday was celebrated on the second Monday of June, while in Canada, was marked on a Monday either on or before May 24, Queen Victoria’s birthday.
Only the queen and those closest to her celebrated her actual birthday in private gatherings.
HOW MANY CORGIS?
It’s widely known that Elizabeth loved corgis — Princess Diana reportedly called the dogs the queen’s “moving carpet” because they accompanied her everywhere.
She owned more than 30 corgis over the years. She also had two “dorgis” — crossbreeds of dachshund and corgi — named Candy and Vulcan.
Elizabeth was photographed hugging one of the dogs as far back as 1936 at age 10, and was given a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday. The breed was introduced to the royal family by her father, King George VI, in 1933, when he bought a male corgi called Dookie from a local kennel.
As queen, she also technically owned the thousands of mute swans in open British waters, and had the right to claim all sturgeons, porpoises, whales and dolphins, according to a statute from 1324.
‘A PRETTY NICE GIRL’
The queen inevitably became the subject of pop songs.
The Beatles immortalized her with the tongue-in-cheek “Her Majesty,” calling her “a pretty nice girl” though “she doesn’t have a lot to say.” The brief song, sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1969, appeared at the end of the “Abbey Road” album.
Other musical treatments weren’t so kind. The Sex Pistols’ anti-monarchist “God Save The Queen,” released right before her Silver Jubilee in 1977, was banned on British television.
___
Follow all AP stories on Britain’s royals at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/09/08/10-things-know-about-queen-elizabeth-iis-life/ | 2022-09-08T18:24:23Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/09/08/10-things-know-about-queen-elizabeth-iis-life/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Formal steps after instant shift from UK queen to king
(AP) - The British monarchy’s rules state that “a new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.”
That means Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Prince Charles, became king immediately upon her death.
However, it may be months or even longer before Charles’ formal coronation. In Elizabeth’s case, her coronation came on June 2, 1953 -- 16 months after her accession on Feb. 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died.
A look at the formalities that take place after Charles accedes to the throne:
— Within 24 hours of a monarch’s death, a new sovereign is proclaimed formally as soon as possible at St. James’s Palace in London by the “Accession Council.” This is made up of officials from the Privy Council, which includes senior Cabinet ministers, judges and leaders of the Church of England, who are summoned to the palace for the meeting.
— Parliament is then recalled for lawmakers to take their oaths of allegiance to the new monarch.
— The new monarch will swear an oath before the Privy Council in St. James’s Palace to maintain the Church of Scotland, according to the Act of Union of 1707.
— The proclamation of the new sovereign is then publicly read out at St. James’s Palace, as well as in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast – the capital cities of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.
— Charles must declare to Parliament on the first day of its session following the accession, or at the coronation, whichever is first, that he is a faithful Protestant. The oath is mandated by the Accession Declaration Act of 1910.
— He must also take a coronation oath as prescribed by the Coronation Oath Act of 1689, the Act of Settlement of 1701 and the Accession Declaration Act.
— He must be in communion with the Church of England, a flexible rule which allowed King George I and King George II to reign even though they were Lutherans.
___
Follow all stories on the British royals at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/09/08/formal-steps-after-instant-shift-uk-queen-king/ | 2022-09-08T18:24:24Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/09/08/formal-steps-after-instant-shift-uk-queen-king/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON, UK — The death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 has put into movement a detailed plan for what will happen in the coming days as the U.K and the rest of the world mourns the loss of the monarch.
While details of the plan have remained a mystery through the queen’s seven decades on the throne, bits and pieces have leaked out in recent years.
In 2017, The Guardian revealed that what happens after Queen Elizabeth II's death is known as "London Bridge." In 2021, Politico reported that it obtained documents that further laid out the plans and detailed Prince Charles’ accession to the throne – reportedly named Operation Spring Tide.
According to The Guardian, a footman in mourning clothes will pin a black-edged notice to the gates outside Buckingham Palace.
As it did following the death of Prince Philip, the Royal Family’s website will be transformed into a memorial. The Guardian reports it’ll initially feature the same text as the notice on the gates.
BBC interrupted its scheduled programming to broadcast the announcement on TV and radio stations and played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen.”
The moment the queen died, Prince Charles became king, according to University College London, under the common law rule that “The king never dies.”
Charles would be scheduled to make his first address on the evening of his mother’s death, the Guardian reported.
Documents obtained by Politico explained the queen’s funeral is expected to be held 10 days following her death. The prime minister will be the first member of the government to make a statement, the outlet reported.
The days that follow the queen’s death will include proclamations, heavily planned TV programming and a four-nation tour by the new king, Politico and The Guardian reported.
Who is next in line for the throne?
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles is now Britain’s new king.
Here is the new order of royal succession after Charles.
1. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge: first-born child of Charles and Princess Diana.
2. Prince George: first-born child of William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
3. Princess Charlotte: second-born child of William and Catherine.
4. Prince Louis: third-born child of William and Catherine. Until a few years ago, Louis would have been ahead of Charlotte because preference was given to male siblings regardless of when they were born. The Succession to the Crown Act, passed in 2013, removed that rule.
It’s a safe bet that nobody below this point on the list will ever take the throne. William and his three children, his grandchildren and so-on would either have to pass away or abdicate their right to the monarchy. Abdicating the throne has only happened once in history. And once George becomes a father, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will all be ahead of Charlotte in the line of succession.
5. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex: second-born child of Charles and Diana. Although he and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped away from their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the U.S., Harry remains in the line of succession.
6. Archie: first-born child of Harry and Meghan.
7. Lilibet “Lili” Diana: second-born child of Harry and Meghan.
8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York: third child of Queen Elizabeth II. He takes this spot ahead of his older sister, Princess Anne, who was born before the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act.
9. Princess Beatrice: first child of Prince Andrew.
10. Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi: daughter of Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
11. Princess Eugenie: second child of Prince Andrew.
12. August Philip: son of Princess Eugenie and husband, Jack Brooksbank
13. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex: fourth child of Queen Elizabeth II
14. James, Viscount Severn: second child of Prince Edward. Because his older sister was born before the 2013 succession act, he takes this spot.
15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor: first child of Prince Edward
16. Princess Anne, The Princess Royal: second child of Queen Elizabeth II
17. Peter Phillips: first child of Princess Anne
18. Savannah Phillips: first child of Peter and Autumn Phillips
19. Isla Phillips: second child of Peter and Autumn Phillips
20. Zara Tindall: second child of Princess Anne | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/operation-london-bridge-what-happens-now-after-queen-elizabeth-death/507-6c0bb0fa-23ba-4f90-9499-acd7ec6f503c | 2022-09-08T18:24:42Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/operation-london-bridge-what-happens-now-after-queen-elizabeth-death/507-6c0bb0fa-23ba-4f90-9499-acd7ec6f503c | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON, UK — Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, where members of the royal family had rushed to her side after her health took a turn for the worse.
A link to the almost-vanished generation that fought World War II, she was the only monarch most Britons have ever known.
Her 73-year-old son Prince Charles automatically becomes king, though the coronation might not take place for months. It was not immediately known whether he will call himself King Charles III or some other name.
The BBC played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of her in full regalia as her death was announced, and the flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff as the second Elizabethan age came to a close.
The impact of her loss will be huge and unpredictable, both for the nation and for the monarchy, an institution she helped stabilize and modernize across decades of huge social change and family scandals.
The queen’s life was indelibly marked by the war. As Princess Elizabeth, she made her first public broadcast in 1940 when she was 14, sending a wartime message to children evacuated to the countryside or overseas.
“We children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage,” she said with a blend of stoicism and hope that would echo throughout her reign. “We are trying to do all we can to help out gallant soldiers, sailors and airmen. And we are trying, too, to bear our own share of the danger and sadness of war. We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well.”
Since Feb. 6, 1952, Elizabeth reigned over a Britain that rebuilt from war and lost its empire; joined the European Union and then left it; and transformed from industrial powerhouse to uncertain 21st century society. She endured through 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, becoming an institution and an icon -- a fixed point and a reassuring presence even for those who ignored or loathed the monarchy.
She became less visible in her final years as age and frailty curtailed many public appearances. But she remained firmly in control of the monarchy and at the center of national life as Britain celebrated her Platinum Jubilee with days of parties and pageants in June 2022.
The same month she became the second longest-reigning monarch in history, behind 17th-century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4. On Sept. 6, 2022, she presided at a ceremony at Balmoral Castle to accept the resignation of Boris Johnson as prime minister and appoint Truss as his successor.
When Elizabeth was 21, almost five years before she became queen, she promised the people of Britain and the Commonwealth that “my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
It was a promise she kept across more than seven decades.
Despite Britain’s complex and often fraught ties with its former colonies, Elizabeth was widely respected and remained head of state of more than a dozen countries, from Canada to Tuvalu. She headed the 54-nation Commonwealth, built around Britain and its former colonies.
Married for more than 73 years to Prince Philip, who died in 2021 at age 99, Elizabeth was matriarch to a royal family whose troubles were a subject of global fascination -- amplified by fictionalized accounts such as TV series “The Crown.” She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Through countless public events, she probably met more people than anyone in history. Her image, which adorned stamps, coins and banknotes, was among the most reproduced in the world.
But her inner life and opinions remained mostly an enigma. Of her personality, the public saw relatively little. A horse owner, she rarely seemed happier than during the Royal Ascot racing week. She never tired of the companionship of her beloved Welsh corgi dogs.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born in London on April 21, 1926, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York. She was not born to be queen -- her father’s elder brother, Prince Edward, was destined for the crown, to be followed by any children he had.
But in 1936, when she was 10, Edward VIII abdicated to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, and Elizabeth’s father became King George VI.
Princess Margaret recalled asking her sister whether this meant that Elizabeth would one day be queen. ”’Yes, I suppose it does,‘” Margaret quoted Elizabeth as saying. “She didn’t mention it again.”
Elizabeth was barely in her teens when Britain went to war with Germany in 1939. While the king and queen stayed at Buckingham Palace during the Blitz and toured the bombed-out neighborhoods of London, Elizabeth and Margaret spent most of the war at Windsor Castle, west of the capital. Even there, 300 bombs fell in an adjacent park, and the princesses spent many nights in an underground shelter.
In 1945, after months of campaigning for her parents’ permission to do something for the war effort, the heir to the throne became Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She enthusiastically learned to drive and service heavy vehicles.
On the night the war ended in Europe, May 8, 1945, she and Margaret managed to mingle, unrecognized, with celebrating crowds in London — “swept along on a tide of happiness and relief,” as she told the BBC decades later, describing it as “one of the most memorable nights of my life.”
At Westminster Abbey in November 1947 she married Royal Navy officer Philip Mountbatten, a prince of Greece and Denmark whom she had first met in 1939 when she was 13 and he 18. Postwar Britain was experiencing austerity and rationing, and so street decorations were limited and no public holiday was declared. But the bride was allowed 100 extra ration coupons for her trousseau.
The couple lived for a time in Malta, where Philip was stationed, and Elizabeth enjoyed an almost-normal life as a navy wife. The first of their four children, Prince Charles, was born on Nov. 14, 1948. He was followed by Princess Anne on Aug. 15, 1950, Prince Andrew on Feb. 19, 1960, and Prince Edward on March 10, 1964.
In February 1952, George VI died in his sleep at age 56 after years of ill health. Elizabeth, on a visit to Kenya, was told that she was now queen.
Her private secretary, Martin Charteris, later recalled finding the new monarch at her desk, “sitting erect, no tears, color up a little, fully accepting her destiny.”
“In a way, I didn’t have an apprenticeship,” Elizabeth reflected in a BBC documentary in 1992 that opened a rare view into her emotions. “My father died much too young, and so it was all a very sudden kind of taking on, and making the best job you can.”
Her coronation took place more than a year later, a grand spectacle at Westminster Abbey viewed by millions through the still-new medium of television.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s first reaction to the king’s death was to complain that the new queen was “only a child,” but he was won over within days and eventually became an ardent admirer.
In Britain’s constitutional monarchy, the queen is head of state but has little direct power; in her official actions she does what the government orders. However, she was not without influence. She once reportedly commented that there was nothing she could do legally to block the appointment of a bishop, “but I can always say that I should like more information. That is an indication that the prime minister will not miss.”
The extent of the monarch’s political influence occasionally sparked speculation -- but not much criticism while Elizabeth was alive. The views of Charles, who has expressed strong opinions on everything from architecture to the environment, might prove more contentious.
She was obliged to meet weekly with the prime minister, and they generally found her well-informed, inquisitive and up to date. The one possible exception was Margaret Thatcher, with whom her relations were said to be cool, if not frosty, though neither woman ever commented.
The queen’s views in those private meetings became a subject of intense speculation and fertile ground for dramatists like Peter Morgan, author of the play “The Audience” and the hit TV series “The Crown.” Those semi-fictionalized accounts were the product of an era of declining deference and rising celebrity, when the royal family’s troubles became public property.
And there were plenty of troubles within the family, an institution known as “The Firm.” In Elizabeth’s first years on the throne, Princess Margaret provoked a national controversy through her romance with a divorced man.
In what the queen called the “annus horribilis” of 1992, her daughter, Princess Anne, was divorced, Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated, and so did Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah. That was also the year Windsor Castle, a residence she far preferred to Buckingham Palace, was seriously damaged by fire.
The public split of Charles and Diana -- “There were three of us in that marriage,” Diana said of her husband’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles -- was followed by the shock of Diana’s death in a Paris car crash in 1997. For once, the queen appeared out of step with her people.
Amid unprecedented public mourning, Elizabeth’s failure to make a public show of grief appeared to many to be unfeeling. After several days, she finally made a televised address to the nation.
The dent in her popularity was brief. She was by now a sort of national grandmother, with a stern gaze and a twinkling smile.
Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest people, Elizabeth had a reputation for frugality and common sense. She was known as a monarch who turned off lights in empty rooms, a country woman who didn’t flinch from strangling pheasants.
A newspaper reporter who went undercover to work as a palace footman reinforced that down-to-earth image, capturing pictures of the royal Tupperware on the breakfast table and a rubber duck in the bath.
Her sangfroid was not dented when a young man aimed a pistol at her and fired six blanks as she rode by on a horse in 1981, nor when she discovered a disturbed intruder sitting on her bed in Buckingham Palace in 1982.
The image of the queen as an exemplar of ordinary British decency was satirized by the magazine Private Eye, which called her Brenda. Anti-monarchists dubbed her “Mrs. Windsor.” But the republican cause gained limited traction while the queen was alive.
On her Golden Jubilee in 2002, she said the country could “look back with measured pride on the history of the last 50 years.”
“It has been a pretty remarkable 50 years by any standards,” she said in a speech. “There have been ups and downs, but anyone who can remember what things were like after those six long years of war appreciates what immense changes have been achieved since then.”
A reassuring presence at home, she was also an emblem of Britain abroad — a form of soft power, consistently respected whatever the vagaries of the country’s political leaders on the world stage. It felt only fitting that she attended the opening of the 2012 London Olympics alongside another icon, James Bond. Through some movie magic, she appeared to parachute into the Olympic Stadium.
In 2015, she overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years, seven months and two days to become the longest-serving monarch in British history. She kept working into her 10th decade, though Prince Charles and his elder son, Prince William, increasingly took over the visits, ribbon-cuttings and investitures that form the bulk of royal duties.
The loss of Philip in 2021 was a heavy blow, as she poignantly sat alone at his funeral in the chapel at Windsor Castle because of coronavirus restrictions.
And the family troubles continued. Her son Prince Andrew was entangled in the sordid tale of sex offender businessman Jeffrey Epstein, an American businessman who had been a friend. Andrew denied accusations that he had sex with one of the women who said she was trafficked by Epstein.
The queen’s grandson Prince Harry walked away from Britain and his royal duties after marrying American actress Meghan Markle in 2018. He alleged in an interview that some in the family -– but pointedly not the queen -– had been less than welcoming to his wife.
She enjoyed robust health well into her 90s, although she used a cane in an appearance after Philip’s death. In October 2021, she spent a night in a London hospital for tests after canceling a trip to Northern Ireland.
A few months later, she told guests at a reception “as you can see, I can’t move.” The palace, tight-lipped about details, said the queen was experiencing “episodic mobility issues.”
She held virtual meetings with diplomats and politicians from Windsor Castle, but public appearances grew rarer. The queen withdrew from fixtures of the royal calendar, including Remembrance Sunday and Commonwealth Day ceremonies, though she attended a memorial service last March for Philip at Westminster Abbey.
Meanwhile, she took steps to prepare for the transition to come. In February, the queen announced that she wanted Charles’ wife Camilla to be known as “Queen Consort” when “in the fullness of time” her son became king. It removed a question mark over the role of the woman some blamed for the breakup of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana in the 1990s.
May brought another symbolic moment, when she asked Charles to stand in for her and read the Queen’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament, one of the monarch’s most central constitutional duties.
Seven decades after World War II, Elizabeth was again at the center of the national mood amid the uncertainty and loss of COVID 19 -- a disease she came through herself in February.
In April 2020 -- with the country in lockdown and Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized with the virus -- she made a rare video address, urging people to stick together.
She summoned the spirit of World War II, that vital time in her life, and the nation’s, by echoing Vera Lynn’s wartime anthem “We’ll Meet Again.”
“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again,” she said.
___
Associated Press writers Gregory Katz and Robert Barr contributed material before their deaths. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/queen-elizabeth-dies/507-f113d443-825d-4a8b-9de6-1217ed51aa6e | 2022-09-08T18:24:43Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/queen-elizabeth-dies/507-f113d443-825d-4a8b-9de6-1217ed51aa6e | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The man killed in a Grand Rapids shooting over the weekend has been identified.
Jose Garcia Rivas, 31, died early Sunday morning despite police efforts to revive him, according to the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD).
We're told the shooting occurred at Le Petit Chateau on Division Avenue.
A woman was also shot but is expected to survive, police say.
The public is not believed to be in any danger.
Those with knowledge related to the shooting are encouraged to connect with police at 616-456-3380 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/victim-in-weekend-grand-rapids-shooting-identified | 2022-09-08T18:28:26Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/victim-in-weekend-grand-rapids-shooting-identified | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RALEIGH, N.C. — Before forests grow up to be a large swath of trees, they start out in the smallest of ways.
"Every one of these shoots here will turn into a tree," said Jack Wang, with North Carolina State University’s forest biotechnology program.
At the university, there is a refrigerated forest in a special lab, where trees are genetically edited to make them more resilient.
"We try to ensure that we change the DNA in a beneficial manner,” said Rodolphe Barrangou, a distinguished professor at NC State University.
He is part of a team of scientists creating trees that are tailor-made for today's environmental challenges.
"Pest resistance, disease resistance, but also drought resistance, heat resistance," Barrangou said.
His research partner in this endeavor is Jack Wang.
"Forests are unique; unique in the sense that they live for a very long time," Wang said.
Yet, forests are now under increased threat. The biggest problem revolves around young trees that don't get a chance to grow up.
"The major challenges are the new stressors that are happening, so they are preventing young forests from establishing itself, from maturing,” Wang said. "And therefore, we need the new innovations, new technologies that will facilitate a tree's adaptation to new stresses so that they can continue to thrive."
In the lab, they start with this clump of tree cells.
"You're holding an entire forest in your hand," Barrangou said, of the cells inside a petri dish.
Gradually, those grow into shoots and eventually get even bigger. They are then placed in a nearby greenhouse.
"More recently, we have increased our ambition to sizable forests and trees," Barrangou said.
In there, they showed a visual example of how modifying one small part of a tree's genetics can make a big change.
In that case, it altered the color of the tree's bark.
However, they say their mission is much bigger.
"Our desire to optimize the tree genetic pool and make more sustainable forests is not new, but is just more relevant right now, arguably than it's ever been,” Barrangou said. “And the sense of urgency with which we do that, the sense of awareness of people involved in it, is heightened." | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/with-forests-under-threat-scientists-work-to-create-more-resilient-trees | 2022-09-08T18:28:51Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/with-forests-under-threat-scientists-work-to-create-more-resilient-trees | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NEXSTAR) – Meteorologists are pretty confident the La Niña conditions we’ve seen all year are going to be with us at least a few months longer. There’s a 91% chance the La Niña conditions last from September to November, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in an update Thursday.
Those odds have strengthened since the meteorologists’ last update in August.
La Niña will mean less rain this fall for most of the country, according to a long-range outlook. From September through November, it’s set to be drier-than-normal across pretty much the entire central U.S.
The only slivers seeing above-average precipitation chances are corners of the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf states. That’s because La Niña years are also associated with stronger hurricanes, which can dump rain as they make landfall.
The Atlantic hurricane season has been pretty quiet so far, but the season last until the end of November. Hurricane Earl, which was approaching Bermuda Thursday, is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane, the New York Times reported. However, Earl’s projected path shows it moving away from the U.S.
When it comes to temperatures, it looks like this La Niña fall is set to be a hot one. Every state in the country, except for the most northern reaches that border Canada, is forecast to see above-average temperatures from September through November.
Colorado, Utah, Texas, New York Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the New England states have the highest chances of an unseasonably hot fall.
What happens after November is less certain. Current models have the odds of a La Niña at about 50%.
If it does happen, it’ll be the third La Niña winter in a row – a rare phenomenon we’ve only seen twice since 1950.
A third consecutive La Niña year would be harshest out West in states already suffering a bad drought. Places like California get most of their rain in the winter, and a La Niña winter could bring drier conditions to much of the state.
“Here in the Washington, D.C. area, it generally rains all year round. So if we have a couple of dry months, it’s OK because we can make it up another time,” Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center, explained. “When you’re in California and the Southwest, 90% of the rain falls in that fairly short winter and spring season. So if you miss that, you’re not going to make that up when you get into the summertime.”
A La Niña winter likely means less rain or snow for the whole Southern half of the country, from the southwest through Texas, the Gulf and Florida. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/91-chance-la-nina-impacts-fall-national-weather-service-says/ | 2022-09-08T18:33:24Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/91-chance-la-nina-impacts-fall-national-weather-service-says/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BOSTON (State House News Service) – Interest in sports betting is high as a new NFL season kicks off Thursday night, but the regulators on the Gaming Commission spoke to eager bettors with one voice Thursday morning: You’re going to have to wait a while.
After years of discussion and jockeying on Beacon Hill, the Legislature passed a legal sports betting bill Aug. 1 and it is now up to the commission to write the rules and build the regulatory framework for a new form of legal gambling in Massachusetts. The commission has been working for months to prepare for the task and is now in the early stages of the complicated and technical process of getting legal betting off the ground here.
“Our goal with this process is to make sure that such sports wagering is introduced correctly, operationally and legally, for the benefit of integrity and consumer protection. We accomplish this goal by working diligently to develop policy, establish a regulatory structure that equitably, fairly reviews … potential operators,” Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein said as she opened what is expected to be a lengthy commission meeting on sports betting implementation. “We know that the NFL kicks off tonight. And that, due to the nature of sports wagering, interest is piqued. We are rooting for the Pats. Our process will play out as it would have whenever this law came to the Gaming Commission to regulate and we will not compromise getting this right for anything. With that said, we also are aware of the import of timing.”
Each commissioner echoed the chairwoman’s remarks and Commissioner Brad Hill mentioned a segment he heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich” morning show while stuck in traffic Thursday morning.
“Today I actually got a little frustrated with it because they had a guest on and they were talking about sports betting and they made a comment that some think that we might be able to make a bet in three weeks at our brick and mortar casinos and our simulcasting facilities. And, obviously, that is not going to happen,” Hill said. “And it was frustrating because of the hundreds of thousands of people that listen to that show and think that they might be able to place a bet here in Massachusetts, it was frustrating.”
The American Gaming Association reported this week that 23 million Americans plan to place a bet online during the NFL season that kicks off Thursday night, up 18 percent from 2021. About 132 million adults can legally bet on sports in their state, the AGA said.
The percentage of NFL bettors who said they will use a bookie this season stood at 13 percent, down from 15 percent last year and 18 percent in 2020. In the first seven months of 2022, Americans legally wagered more than $50.4 billion on sports, the AGA said. That’s nearly as much as the Massachusetts state budget. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/state-politics/betting-regulators-address-expectations-as-nfl-kicks-off/ | 2022-09-08T18:37:45Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/state-politics/betting-regulators-address-expectations-as-nfl-kicks-off/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Prince Andrew’s involvement in a sensational sexual assault case has left the queen’s second — and, reportedly, favorite — son disgraced and stripped of his royal duties. But could he still be king someday?
The answer is, technically, yes — he is still a prince by birth. And now that Queen Elizabeth has died at age 96, the 62-year-old prince is actually closer to the throne than ever, jumping up a place to eighth in line.
This, of course, is still a pretty remote possibility. King Charles, Prince William and his three children, as well as Prince Harry and his two children would all need to predecease him.
In 2019, Andrew announced he would be stepping back from royal duties in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal — the two were good friends.
In January 2022, he faced further woes when a civil sex assault case was brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. He has consistently denied the allegations. A month later, he paid Giuffre a reported £12 million ($14.5 million) in an out-of-court settlement.
Andrew was forced to give up his HRH title, meaning he could no longer be called “His Royal Highness,” an honorific that distinguishes a person as “royal” over other English peers. Andrew also had to hand back his patronages and honorary military roles.
It was a long fall from grace for the son said to be the queen’s favorite. “There’s no doubting the queen’s soft spot for Andrew,” wrote Tina Brown in The Palace Papers, recalling how, as Queen Elizabeth settled into her sovereign duties she had more time to spend with him as a child.
It was reported at the time that Prince Charles and William played a part in the title stripping decision. So could King Charles go one further and strip Andrew of his Duke Of York title that the queen gave him on his wedding day?
Not easily, said constitution expert Dr. Robert Morris of University College London’s Constitution Unit. “While a British monarch can confer a dukedom, they alone can’t take it away. That would require an act of Parliament.
“The last time that was done was in 1917, when the Titles Deprivation Act allowed various German nobles with British titles who fought on the enemy side in World War I to be deprived of their peerages.”
Nor could Andrew’s place in the line of succession be whipped away easily either. “For this to happen there would also have to be an act of Parliament — and the chances of this being mooted as necessary are quite remote, as Andrew is, at eighth in line, already pretty far down the line,” Morris told The Post.
Andrew will have to content himself with being a prince, albeit one in the shadows. Although we’re unlikely to ever again see Andrew in official appearances such as on the Buckingham Palace balcony or riding horseback during Trooping the Colour, the disgraced royal is said to be keen to rehabilitate himself back into public life.
Royal family members were said to have been “dismayed” when Andrew walked the Queen to her seat at the Duke of Edinburgh’s televised memorial service in March 2022. Then, at the Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle in June, the Duke was forced to withdraw from the public parts of the day after Prince William reportedly threatened to pull out. | https://nypost.com/2022/09/08/how-prince-andrew-could-still-become-king-of-england-someday/ | 2022-09-08T18:38:08Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/09/08/how-prince-andrew-could-still-become-king-of-england-someday/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
No. 19 Kansas volleyball defeated the Kansas City Roos 3-1 in Kansas City, Missouri, at Swinney Center on Wednesday.
“The way we ended the first set was very disappointing,” head coach Ray Bechard said. “Those are sets you have to close out, especially on the road. The response after the first set defensively was very good. Pass and serve was really good, so we played more to our style.”
Super-senior middle blocker Rachel Langs had 11 kills. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Ayah Elnady and sophomore outside hitter Caroline Bien both had 10 kills.
“Langs had one of her better offensive games, so that was good to see,” Bechard said. “I thought Ayah good again tonight. We got enough out of everybody else to make it work.”
Set One
The Roos started off the match with a 3-0 scoring run. Kansas fought back to tie the game at 6-6 due to a kill by Elnady and two attack errors committed by the Roos.
Errors plagued the Jayhawks, which allowed Kansas City to go on a 3-0 scoring run to make the score 9-6.
Kansas continued to fight back to go on a 7-1 scoring run thanks to a kill by Langs, two kills by Elnady, two kills by sophomore setter Camryn Turner and two attack errors committed by Kansas City.
The Roos continued to get points from a service ace, a kill and errors committed by the Jayhawks, giving them a 5-0 scoring run.
Kansas recaptured points to tie the game at 16-16 which forced the Roos into a timeout.
The teams continued to battle, until the Jayhawks had a 4-0 scoring run making the score, 23-19, forcing Kansas City to take a time out.
The Roos found their rhythm as they went on a 7-0 scoring run to close out set one 26-24.
Set Two
Kansas began set two with a 4-0 scoring run due to attack errors committed by the Roos. The Jayhawks, continuing their momentum, captured another 4-0 scoring run thanks to attack errors, making the score 10-4.
Kansas rallied to create four consecutive kills by super-senior Anezka Szabo, two by Langs and Bien making the score, 15-8.
The Roos and Jayhawks were going back and forth, until the Jayhawks took control with a 5-0 scoring run, winning the set 25-13.
Set Three
Kansas continued its momentum and started off the third set with a service ace by Turner. The Roos and the Jayhawks continued to fight, but a kill by Bien put the Jayhawks in the lead 6-5.
Kansas continued to use their momentum and went on a 6-0 run due to a kill by Langs, a kill by Elnady, a kill by Bien and three service aces by freshman libero Brynn Kirsch.
The Jayhawks continued dominating, creating a 17-6 lead thanks to an attack error, a ball-handling error committed by the Roos and a service ace.
Kansas ends the set 25-14 with a kill by sophomore opposite London Davis.
Set Four
The Jayhawks snatched the first two points of the fourth set. The Roos created a 3-0 run, but Kansas quickly put up four consecutive kills to make the score 11-5, forcing Kansas City to call a timeout.
After the timeout, the Jayhawks put up the first point, but the Roos took the next three, making the score 12-8.
Kansas quickly shut their run down by going on a 7-0 scoring run due to four attack errors, a kill by Langs, a service ace by Bien and a kill by Elnady.
The Jayhawks won the set 25-16, ending the match.
Next up, the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks hope to continue their win streak against Wichita State at the Kansas Invitational at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence, Kansas. First serve is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. | https://www.kansan.com/sports/no-19-kansas-volleyball-extends-win-streak-by-defeating-kansas-city/article_daa1d1b6-2f82-11ed-a19f-3f48d9f8fefb.html | 2022-09-08T18:38:23Z | kansan.com | control | https://www.kansan.com/sports/no-19-kansas-volleyball-extends-win-streak-by-defeating-kansas-city/article_daa1d1b6-2f82-11ed-a19f-3f48d9f8fefb.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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