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CAMBRIDGE, Md. - The Harriet Tubman Statue, 'The Beacon of Hope', was unveiled, today.
People from several different counties and different states came to watch the drape be removed. The 13-foot-tall statue stands proud at the Cambridge circuit court house.
Mixed emotions of laughter, smiles, and tears of joy were on the crowds faces.
Sculptor, Wesley Wofford, says the statue transforms the history of the area. Wofford says, "This sacred space has now been transformed from the ugly history that took place here." We learned that this exact spot was where Tubman's niece was on auction as slave.
Leaders like the Lieutenant Governor, commissioners, senators, judges said they hope this piece inspires others.
"The Beacon of Hope, is something that hopefully will inspire, not just the current generation but future generations, as well," Says Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford. Commissioner Lajan Cephas says, "What I saw today was unity, atonement, and looking forward to tomorrow."
Today's event incorporated dancers, singers, poetry, and relatives of Harriet
Tubman. And, one of those generational relatives was the 7th generation great niece. Otelia was a model for the young Harriet Tubman. Otelia says, "I never really thought what is was going to be like to have everybody just looking at my face. It's just an incredible experience." People from different countries came today, as well. It was a true sign of unity.
Adrian Holmes, President of Alpha Genesis, made this day happen. She says, "This is 200 years worth of emotion. To see the mixed audience with the mixed emotion, was exactly what we wanted."
Those a part of the project, want people to have the same hope Harriet Tubman had when they look at the sculpture.
Commissioner Cephas lead a chant that said, "What did Harriet hope for?" And the crowd replied, "I am what Harriet hoped for."
A spiritual and uplifting day to unify those in the community. | https://www.wboc.com/news/the-beacon-of-hope-statue-has-been-unveiled/article_0bb23378-316c-11ed-91b1-8fe4ec0d16d4.html | 2022-09-11T03:06:05Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/the-beacon-of-hope-statue-has-been-unveiled/article_0bb23378-316c-11ed-91b1-8fe4ec0d16d4.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Disney+ Percy Jackson Teaser Offers the First Look at Camp Half-Blood
Ryan Reynolds may not have shown up at D23 Expo with a long awaited revival of a legendary hero, but his younger self did. Walker Scobell, best known for playing a younger Reynolds with uncanny accuracy in The Adam Project narrates the first Percy Jackson teaser for the Disney+ reboot. Previously adapted as two feature films that displeased original book author Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+ should cover all five tomes in the series.
But first, here’s a warning from Percy himself about how it might be a good idea to run away from destiny. Spoiler: he doesn’t end up taking his own advice.
RELATED: Rick Riordan Responds To Percy Jackson Casting Backlash
What you’re looking at is Camp Half-Blood, a dangerous summer camp for the hybrid children of Greek gods and humans. The trailer’s not showing any fantasy creatures yet, but rest assured they’ll come. Percy, a 12 year-old with dyslexia and ADHD, learns he’s the son of Poseidon, representing the breaking of a promise that the sea god made. He must find the thief of the title, who made off with Zeus’ thunderbolt.
In addition to Scobell, Percy Jackson and the Olympians stars Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as Percy’s friends Annabteh and Grover. Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas, Glynn Turman, Virginia Kull, and Timm Sharp round out the cast.
What do you think of the first teaser? Let us know in comments!
Recommended Reading: Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5-Book Paperback Box Set
We are also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/519040-first-percy-jackson-teaser-offers-the-first-look-at-camp-half-blood | 2022-09-11T03:32:06Z | superherohype.com | control | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/519040-first-percy-jackson-teaser-offers-the-first-look-at-camp-half-blood | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Feminist Debate: Are Student‑Professor Sexual Relationships Always Unethical?
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In Feminist Debates, we pit feminist arguments about power, sex, work, and love against each other — and unpack the grey areas.
Here’s a lesser-known fact about bell hooks: she slept with her student.
By her own account, it happened after the course was completed, but the desire existed beforehand. “Student devotion to a teacher can easily be a context where erotic longings emerge… It cannot be policed or outlawed,” she wrote in an article making a case for “passionate pedagogy.”
Clearly, there are a few things that are wrong about student-professor sex – but with some of these, they’re what make it feel right.
hooks may have been the professor, but she was also a Black woman in an institution of power, who became intimate with a male student. Later, the student wrote to her: “I was young and inexperienced and even though it was exciting that you desired me, it was also frightening.”
The hooks case raises several questions about sexual relationships between students and professors – and feminists have come to loggerheads over it. What exactly is so troubling, and yet so freeing, about desire transacted across teaching lines?
Western feminists have debated and studied these issues since the last century, when women entering higher education also coincided with the sexual liberation movements. Together, they coalesced into exploitation, power, and control, becoming bedfellows (literally) with desire, agency, and liberation.
While these conversations haven’t formally taken root in India, there have been some inklings. Sexual relationships between academics and students are alive and well under the radar – as online forums, literature, Bollywood, and even popular porn categories show. A few years ago, an explosion of #MeToo allegations against professors in India sparked the beginning of this debate – but it halted just as it began. Accused professors defended themselves on the ground that the relationships were consensual.
But what does consent in this context really mean? And equally important is the aspect of liberty: in a country where women’s higher education continues to be a right to fight for, would the proposition of sex and desire within the education space transform into a dangerous obstacle, or a liberating pathway into adulthood — and even intellectual maturity?
Who is really in control, and does power complicate desire, consent?
Many feminists have argued passionately against student-professor sex on the grounds that when power flows top-down, there’s no room for consent. Billie Wright Dziech, one of the foremost advocates for banning student-professor relationships, was of the view that all such unequal relationships are inherently exploitative.
Even when students do acquiesce to getting intimate with professors who initiate it – and even if they initiate the relationship themselves – their consent is not necessarily implied.
But as the bell hooks case shows, the gendered dynamics aren’t always as straightforward as that. Does it mean the institutional power in the hands of a professor, no matter who they are, overrides all else? Not necessarily.
Related on The Swaddle:
What Consent Culture Gets Wrong About Sex
The flipside: it’s patriarchal to assume that women students wouldn’t have any agency.
As more universities began to place restrictions on these relationships, a common critique of the rules was that they undermine a student’s agency as an adult. These rules also imply that all sexual dynamics are heterosexual and patriarchal, with the professor an all-powerful man and the student a helpless, victimized woman.
But sometimes, it’s this very power dynamic that people actively consent to – and find sexy. In fact, an intimate relationship with an intellectual superior can subvert the power dynamic.
Protectionist attitudes towards women and sex, however, have ensured that in India, the University Grants Commission doesn’t even recognize relationships in this context. This steeps these relationships in further silence – preventing recourse for when they go wrong. And banning them altogether could “create a climate of silence and taboo that would only intensify dynamics of coercion and exploitation,” as bell hooks noted.
But allowing sex into teaching can compromise teaching!
While all relationships can have unequal power dynamics, feminist philosopher Amia Srinivasan notes that student-professor relationships are different from others due to the intellectual aspect – an element that desire can compromise.
When young women want their male professors, the question is not whether the desire is right or wrong. But rather, the contention is with the source of desire itself: does she want him, or does she want his knowledge? As feminist and lesbian activist Adrienne Rich observed, compulsory heterosexuality makes women confuse admiration for a woman as competition, and for a man as desire.
Then, a professor perceiving this longing and acting on it would mark their failure as someone with the power to transfer knowledge. It would no longer be a meaningful relationship between student and professor, simply because the desire to learn has been misdirected as a desire for the person from whom one can learn.
The flipside: actually, teaching itself benefits from desire.
On the other hand, maybe talking about the ethics too much can kill the spark – and abuse of power is the exception, not the norm. Some express concern that alarmist fears can compromise the spirit of the classroom – the “erotic” classroom in particular.
To deny desire in the classroom would be to make it a stifling, unfree space, which is bad for learning, the argument goes. “Intellectual magnetism often shades into erotic attraction. Such attachments are not reducible to predatory behavior and, at their best, bring out our best selves,” notes Ayesha Ramachandran, a professor of comparative literature. In other words, desire can be liberating intellectually too.
The bottomline
Talking about sex between students and professors adds several more layers to the conversation about power within feminism. In India, however, the line remains sadly blurred between desire and abuse of power.
“Through these years, we gained some insights into our sexual cultures, where affection and authority, passion and control, brilliance, and perversity are often fused together and sometimes indistinguishable,” wrote V. Geetha, a feminist academic, in a piece explaining her decision to call for the resignation of a journalist after his students accused him of sexual harassment. It speaks to a feminist disappointment with how women’s experiences in education haven’t been dealt with to their fullest extent – with their desire, intellect, and power being neglected questions.
At the heart of the debate is the urgent concern for women’s experience of intellectual growth and learning. The silence on the topic of relationships themselves makes for an uneasy link between desire and abuse of power where there shouldn’t be. Unpacking it is crucial to understanding the inner lives of young women in education – especially when it isn’t something to take for granted. | https://theswaddle.com/the-feminist-debate-are-student-professor-sexual-relationships-always-unethical/ | 2022-09-11T03:43:53Z | theswaddle.com | control | https://theswaddle.com/the-feminist-debate-are-student-professor-sexual-relationships-always-unethical/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane City and Valley crews put out hangar fire at Felt's Field, Saturday night.
Spokane Valley Fire officials confirmed the fire started around 6:00 p.m. Saturday, at the 6100 block of East Rutter Avenue.
This is a developing story and we'll bring you more details as soon as we know more. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/fire-crews-respond-to-active-hanger-fire-at-felts-field/293-77436e39-8fdd-43e1-9d1c-09653139f9f3 | 2022-09-11T03:55:51Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/fire-crews-respond-to-active-hanger-fire-at-felts-field/293-77436e39-8fdd-43e1-9d1c-09653139f9f3 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Menards/Masterforce team got off to a good start to the race weekend at Kansas Speedway.
Burton was 10th fastest in practice for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, with a best lap at 176.835 miles per hour. He posted that on the second of the 28 laps he ran in Saturday’s session.
In qualifying, Burton was faster than in practice, touring the 1.5-mile track at 177.521 mph, but wound up 18th in the starting line-up.
Sunday’s 400-mile, 267-lap race is scheduled to start just after 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern Time) with TV coverage on USA Network. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.
WBR PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72846-burton-qualifies-18th-at-kansas | 2022-09-11T04:19:07Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72846-burton-qualifies-18th-at-kansas | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Toyota GR Supras of Ty Gibbs (third) and Brandon Jones (fourth) scored top-five finishes in Saturday afternoon’s rain-shortened NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway. Both drivers led laps and Gibbs earned a stage win as the series prepares to set their Playoff field next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Rookie Sammy Smith (eighth) also claimed a top-10 finish.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Kansas Speedway
Race 25 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Noah Gragson*
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, TY GIBBS
4th, BRANDON JONES
5th, Ross Chastain*
8th, SAMMY SMITH
27th, DEREK GRIFFITH
30th, JOEY GASE
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
TY GIBBS, No. 54 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
What happened in the closing laps of the race before the red flag between yourself and Justin Allgaier?
“We have a very fast Reeser’s Toyota Supra. I feel like we were just got into a weird restart line, but when the three guys stayed out, I just picked the wrong one. I thought it was the right one and it wasn’t. Then we went back racing and off of (turn) four I made contact with Justin (Allgaier). I felt like I hit the wall hard, and I didn’t, and I got mad then whipped it down and hit him in the door; and the stupid part is it hurt my car more than it hurt his. I feel like his car is okay, but they’re going to have to put a door on it when they get back to the shop and that’s just inexcusable for me, and I’m very disappointed in my actions and I apologies to them. I thought it was worse honestly than it was when I watched on TV it wasn’t. So, I apologize to Jason (No. 7 crew chief), Justin and Dale (Earnhardt Jr., car owner) and the whole group, the whole seven group, and I just can’t be doing that stuff. It was my fault, I just felt like I hit the wall harder than I did, and I came back down and hit him and I just can’t be doing that.”
BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/Klearvue Cabinetry Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
Are you pleased with your result from today’s race?
“Certainly a solid day. If you look at the results from yesterday’s practice, probably thought we were going to win the race today based just off speed that we had there. Still really good today and stage points were critical. Got a lot of stage points and a really good finish and good pit selection at Bristol next week too. A lot of momentum that we carry over into next week. Going to have to step it up because man, those JRM cars are hard to beat right now. I think we’re close. Not talking big, big things. Just need to get more overall speed out of our Supras and we’ll be right there with them.”
Is this the right time for your team to start to peak going into the Playoffs?
“It is, I think this is the right time to slowly start making your way there. You don’t want to do it too soon and use all your juice up, by the time you get in the Playoffs. But this has been making it real easy on us with the win at Martinsville earlier this year. We’ve been able to play some strategy and play some games if we had to in order to win stages and it hasn’t always put us in great positions, but I think that’s the nice buffer when you have a win so early in the season.”
TRD PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72840-supra-playoff-drivers-capitalize-on-rain-shortened-kansas-race | 2022-09-11T04:19:38Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72840-supra-playoff-drivers-capitalize-on-rain-shortened-kansas-race | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In what is turning out to be a banner season for Noah Gragson, the driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet scored his fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the year in Saturday’s rain-shortened Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.
Gragson charged from sixth in the running order past cars on older tires—and past the dominant Toyota of Ty Gibbs—to grab the lead after a restart on Lap 76.
A light rain interrupted the proceedings on Lap 82, but Gragson held the top spot in a two-lap shootout at the end of Stage 2. When rain began to fall harder and drenched the track, NASCAR red-flagged the race on Lap 94 and subsequently declared Gragson the winner.
The victory was Gragson’s second straight, his first at Kansas—the only active Xfinity Series track where he had previously failed to record a top 10—and the 10th of his career.
“The 54 (Gibbs) was really fast all day,” Gragson said. “The pit crew did a good job all day keeping us in contention. That restart (on lap 76) was the most important part of the race today. Yeah, it’s a rain victory, but we came off pit road third behind the 54 and 19 (Brandon Jones).
“They both took the top, and I chose the bottom, third row. I restarted inside the 19, and I could see the 54 pushing the 07 (Brett Moffitt, who along with Ryan Sieg and Austin Hill had stayed out on older tires). He (Moffitt) was spinning his tires pretty bad.
“I got to the lead on those guys, and that kind of was the game-changer on today’s race. I think we all knew that we were racing to halfway or a little after.”
After the restart with two laps left in the second stage, there was drama right behind Gragson. As Justin Allgaier battled Stage 1 winner Gibbs for the runner-up spot, Allgaier forced Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota high into the outside lane.
Gibbs brushed the wall and subsequently turned down and door-slammed Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet as the cars approached the finish line. Allgaier held second, .670 seconds behind the race winner, with Gibbs finishing third, 1.266 seconds back.
After the race, Gibbs apologized for losing his cool on what proved to be the final lap.
“I came back down, frustrated, and hit the 7,” Gibbs said. “The worst part is, I hurt my day more than it’s going to hurt anybody else’s. It’s just stupid of me to do that. I just think I need to fix those things… It’s easy for all of us to get angry—me especially. I just didn’t make the right decision there.
“I apologize to them. I apologize to my group. I should be the one taking the door off the race car, because I hit him.”
Allgaier had mixed feelings about the stoppage. His car was improving with every pit stop, but the damage he suffered during the run-in with Gibbs would have limited his chances to win, had the race resumed.
“If we were to go back green, I think it extremely limited his day and probably was going to limit our day as well,” Allgaier said. “Frustrations get the best of you a lot of times, but I just hate it that we tore up a race car that wasn’t really torn up before that.”
Pole winner Brandon Jones ran fourth, followed by Ross Chastain. AJ Allmendinger, Josh Berry, Sammy Smith, Sam Mayer and Moffitt completed the top 10. Mayer and 16th-place finisher Riley Herbst clinched Playoffs spots on points with one race left before the cutoff. | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72842-noah-gragson-picks-up-fifth-nascar-xfinity-victory-with-win-at-kansas | 2022-09-11T04:19:44Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72842-noah-gragson-picks-up-fifth-nascar-xfinity-victory-with-win-at-kansas | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Race Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Overview:
Riley Herbst finished 16th in the rain-shortened Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing started 12th in the 38-car field and proved to be a top-10 contender in the race, finishing 10th in the first stage to pick up a valuable bonus point. Herbst hovered in and around the top-10 for the majority of the second stage until a caution on lap 71 sent him to pit road for a scheduled, four-tire pit stop. But with weather threatening, some teams rolled the dice and opted to stay out, jumbling the running order. When the race returned to green on lap 76, Herbst was mired in a pack of cars. In the remaining green-flag laps before rain inundated the 1.5-mile oval, forcing NASCAR to halt the race and call it official, Herbst clawed his way to 16th.
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“I definitely think we were going to end up better than we did end up. Just frustrated with the outcome. But nothing you can really do about the rain. We’ll shake it off and move on to Bristol.”
Notes:
● Herbst clinched a spot in the 12-driver NASCAR Playoffs. This is his third straight playoff appearance. He qualified for the 2020 postseason as an Xfinity Series rookie.
● Noah Gragson was declared the winner of the Kansas Lottery 300 after rain cut the race short of its scheduled 200-lap distance. It was Gragson’s 10th career Xfinity Series victory, his fifth of the season and his first at Kansas.
● There were four caution periods for a total of 18 laps.
● Only 20 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● AJ Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Kansas with a 38-point advantage over second-place Ty Gibbs.
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the regular-season finale on Friday, Sept. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The Food City 300 starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The seven-race playoffs begin the following week with the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
TSC PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72843-herbst-finishes-16th-in-rain-shortened-race-at-kansas | 2022-09-11T04:19:50Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72843-herbst-finishes-16th-in-rain-shortened-race-at-kansas | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Search for tiger after raid uncovers alligator, drugs, guns
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - An alligator, drugs, guns and money were seized during a raid at two homes in Albuquerque last month, but New Mexico wildlife officials said Saturday they are still searching for a young tiger they believe is being illegally kept as a pet.
Investigators think the tiger is with someone “in New Mexico or a nearby state,” New Mexico Department of Game and Fish conservation officers said in a statement
The animal was believed to be less than 1 year old and weigh under 60 pounds (27 kilograms), but tigers can grow to 600 pounds (272 kilograms), the department said, calling large meat-eating animals such as tigers and alligators a clear danger to the public.
Wild tigers are listed globally as an endangered species. Alligators were listed as endangered in the U.S. from 1967 to 1987, but today thrive in the wild.
The alligator seized by authorities is about 3 feet (almost 1 meter) long. It was taken to a wildlife facility after state conservation officers and federal, state and local police served search warrants Aug. 12.
Albuquerque police reported a 26-year-old man was arrested and investigators seized 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms) of heroin, 10.5 pounds (4.75 kilograms) of cocaine, 49 pounds (22 kilograms) of marijuana, 17 rifles and pistols, fentanyl and Xanax pills, and nearly $42,000.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.witn.com/2022/09/11/search-tiger-after-raid-uncovers-alligator-drugs-guns/ | 2022-09-11T04:21:50Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/2022/09/11/search-tiger-after-raid-uncovers-alligator-drugs-guns/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A contractor completes exterior grading and landscaping work Aug. 29, 2022, as part of construction operations related to the fiscal year 2020-funded transient training troops barracks project at Fort McCoy, Wis. The $18.8 million project was awarded to L.S. Black Constructors, which is the contractor who built the first barracks building at Fort McCoy, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy. The new contract was awarded Sept. 29, 2020, and the notice to proceed was issued Oct. 28, 2020. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days. Currently contract completion is scheduled for December 2022. The barracks is different than the traditional barracks located throughout the installation. This new building will be four stories and able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet. The project also is part of the Fort McCoy Master Plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future. The Army Corps of Engineers is managing the project. The landscape works took numerous days to complete to get to its final grade specifications. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
This work, Contractor completes exterior landscaping work for Fort McCoy's FY '20 barracks project [Image 55 of 55], by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409105/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 2022-09-11T04:25:01Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409105/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A contractor completes exterior grading and landscaping work Aug. 29, 2022, as part of construction operations related to the fiscal year 2020-funded transient training troops barracks project at Fort McCoy, Wis. The $18.8 million project was awarded to L.S. Black Constructors, which is the contractor who built the first barracks building at Fort McCoy, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy. The new contract was awarded Sept. 29, 2020, and the notice to proceed was issued Oct. 28, 2020. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days. Currently contract completion is scheduled for December 2022. The barracks is different than the traditional barracks located throughout the installation. This new building will be four stories and able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet. The project also is part of the Fort McCoy Master Plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future. The Army Corps of Engineers is managing the project. The landscape works took numerous days to complete to get to its final grade specifications. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
This work, Contractor completes exterior landscaping work for Fort McCoy's FY '20 barracks project [Image 55 of 55], by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409107/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 2022-09-11T04:25:14Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409107/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A contractor completes exterior grading and landscaping work Aug. 29, 2022, as part of construction operations related to the fiscal year 2020-funded transient training troops barracks project at Fort McCoy, Wis. The $18.8 million project was awarded to L.S. Black Constructors, which is the contractor who built the first barracks building at Fort McCoy, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy. The new contract was awarded Sept. 29, 2020, and the notice to proceed was issued Oct. 28, 2020. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days. Currently contract completion is scheduled for December 2022. The barracks is different than the traditional barracks located throughout the installation. This new building will be four stories and able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet. The project also is part of the Fort McCoy Master Plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future. The Army Corps of Engineers is managing the project. The landscape works took numerous days to complete to get to its final grade specifications. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
This work, Contractor completes exterior landscaping work for Fort McCoy's FY '20 barracks project [Image 55 of 55], by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409108/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 2022-09-11T04:25:20Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409108/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A contractor completes exterior grading and landscaping work Aug. 29, 2022, as part of construction operations related to the fiscal year 2020-funded transient training troops barracks project at Fort McCoy, Wis. The $18.8 million project was awarded to L.S. Black Constructors, which is the contractor who built the first barracks building at Fort McCoy, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Resident Office at Fort McCoy. The new contract was awarded Sept. 29, 2020, and the notice to proceed was issued Oct. 28, 2020. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days. Currently contract completion is scheduled for December 2022. The barracks is different than the traditional barracks located throughout the installation. This new building will be four stories and able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet. The project also is part of the Fort McCoy Master Plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future. The Army Corps of Engineers is managing the project. The landscape works took numerous days to complete to get to its final grade specifications. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)
This work, Contractor completes exterior landscaping work for Fort McCoy's FY '20 barracks project [Image 55 of 55], by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409115/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 2022-09-11T04:25:55Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409115/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fy-20-barracks-project | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
UCLA’s running back Keegan Jones (22) gets congratulated by his linemen after scoring his first touchdown during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s wide receiver Jake Bobo (9) scrambles for extra yards during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s running back Keegan Jones (22) heads for the end zone during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) backs his way into a touchdown during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Upper level seats were tarped off and covered at the Rose Bowl at a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022. (Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
A fan is surrounded by empty seats during the National Anthem before a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s linebacker Laiatu Latu (15) intercepts a pass intended for Alabama State’s wide receiver Darius Edmonds (15) in the end zone during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s running back Keegan Jones (22) make Alabama State’s defensive back Irshaad Davis (0) during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s running back Christian Grubb (32) fall into the end zone for a ouch down during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi (95) hurries Alabama State’s quarterback Joe Owens Jr. (12) during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s defensive lineman Dovid Magna (94) and linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) pick up Alabama State’s running back Dontrey Manley (36) after a short gain during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) has a lot of room on the way to his first touchdown during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Alabama State’s defensive back Jeffrey Scott Jr. (7) gets called for pass interference on UCLA’s tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) setting up a UCLA touchdown during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s defense celebrates UCLA’s defensive back Alex Johnson’s (19) interception during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s offensive lineman Atonio Mafi (56) opens a hole for UCLA’s running back Christian Grubb (32) during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) celebrates with UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) after his first touchdown during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) celebrates his second touchdown during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s head coach Chip Kelly decides to go for a field goal during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s running back Carsen Ryan (20) battles for extra yards near the end zone during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) celebrates his second touchdown during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s running back Carsen Ryan (20) battles for extra yards near the end zone during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s linebacker Laiatu Latu (15) sacks Alabama State’s quarterback Myles Crawley (7) during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) celebrates his second touchdown with UCLA’s tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) celebrates his first touchdown with his offense during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) scramble during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) tries to evade defenders during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s linebacker Laiatu Latu (15) forces a fumble by Alabama State’s quarterback Myles Crawley (7) during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) celebrates his touchdown with UCLA’s wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (2) during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s wide receiver Colson Yankoff (7) battles for extra yards during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s tight end Hudson Habermehl (81) gets into the end zone despite Alabama State’s defense during a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Young fans reach out to shake hans with UCLA players on the way to field before a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
UCLA’s head coach Chip Kelly heads for the field before a non-conference football game between UCLA and Alabama State at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
PASADENA – UCLA dominated Alabama State on Saturday, but it wasn’t without a wrinkle of concern over the status of their two most important players.
Running back Zach Charbonnet did not play at all, and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson left in the second quarter. They were both dressed and remained on the sidelines.
What caused them to sit out is unclear, with head coach Chip Kelly offering just an “unavailable” when asked postgame about their status. Thompson-Robinson appeared to tweak an ankle while making a shovel pass early in the game. The UCLA radio broadcast reported that Charbonnet was limited at Thursday’s practice, which was closed to the media.
“I’m not a prognosticator, and if I was, I’d be at Del Mar tomorrow and make a lot of cash, so we’ll just take it how it comes,” Kelly said when asked of Charbonnet’s availability for next week. “I don’t make those decisions. Other people make those decisions.”
Backup quarterback Ethan Garbers, who replaced Thompson-Robinson and finished 14-of-18 passing for 164 yards and two touchdowns, said he had been preparing all week as if he was going to play – hinting that the plan all along for UCLA was to roll through its depth.
Kelly will likely elaborate on Monday on what the gameplan was and whether the star duo will be available for Monday’s practice.
UCLA wraps up its non-conference schedule next week against Southern Alabama before beginning Pac-12 play in two weeks.
Stealing the show
UCLA’s first game against an HBCU program brought with it a special halftime performance.
Alabama State’s marching band, the Mighty Marching Hornets, returned to Pasadena after playing in the Rose Parade in 2019.
Alabama State’s marching band, “The Mighty Marching Hornets,” which performed at the 2019 Rose Parade, returns to perform at the Rose Bowl: pic.twitter.com/U6DFzhiFwF
The band performed at halftime on Saturday and received a rousing ovation from many of the UCLA fans in attendance. Set up in the south end zone, Alabama State’s band outflanked UCLA’s band in what had to be a proud moment for the members.
UCLA won’t have its full band in tact until the Fall quarter begins later this month.
Better crowd
The temperature at the Rose Bowl was muggy and humid, but it was heavenly compared to the 100-degree temperatures of last week’s home opener. That drew a record-low crowd of 27,143.
Saturday’s crowd at the Rose Bowl was 33,727, and it looked bigger too, with fans perhaps compelled by the better weather, USC playing on the road and the history of watching an HBCU program in town.
Rising up the ranks
Even in his limited action, Thompson-Robinson moved up the record books at UCLA. The fifth-year quarterback made his 37th career start, which is fourth most for all-time games started by a UCLA quarterback.
Thompson-Robinson also passed Josh Rosen for third all-time in total offensive yards with an 18-yard completion to Keegan Jones early in the second quarter. He now has 9,208 yards in his career.
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USC’s Austin Jones (6) rushes Stanford during an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Benjamin Yurosek (84) run for 50 yards in the 1st quarter against USC during an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
USC quarterback Caleb Williams (13) is pressured by Stanford’s Levani Damuni (3) during the 2nd quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee(18) is sacked by USC’s Solomon Byrd (51) during an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s E.J. Smith dives near the end zone in the 1st quarter while defended by USC’s Shane Lee (53) during an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
USC’s Mario Williams (4) challenges Stanford’s Patrick Fields (24) in an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
USC wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) scores one of his two 1st quarter touchdowns against Stanford in an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans talks to Caleb Williams before their game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Tanner McKee of the Stanford Cardinal passes the ball against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Tanner McKee of the Stanford Cardinal passes the ball against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Travis Dye of the USC Trojans runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Max Williams of the USC Trojans runs in for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Caleb Williams celebrates with Justin Dedich of the USC Trojans after the Trojans scored a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans reacts after he threw a touchdown pass against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans reacts after he threw a touchdown pass against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans passes the ball against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans passes the ball against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
USC wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) runs after catching a pass to score a 22-yard touchdown against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC wide receiver Jordan Addison scores on a 22-yard touchdown reception against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC wide receiver Jordan Addison celebrates after his 22-yard touchdown reception against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC defensive back Latrell McCutchin (21) tackles Stanford wide receiver Elijah Higgins during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC wide receiver Mario Williams (4) scores on a 15-yard touchdown reception against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC wide receiver Mario Williams (4) reacts after scoring on a 15-yard touchdown reception against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC quarterback Caleb Williams (13) looks to pass against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Stanford running back E.J. Smith, center, runs the ball against USC during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC running back Travis Dye (26) scores on a 27-yard touchdown run against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) congratulates running back Travis Dye (26) who scored on a 27-yard touchdown run against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
USC defensive back Mekhi Blackmon (6) tackles Stanford wide receiver Michael Wilson (4) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
PALO ALTO — Two games into Lincoln Riley’s tenure at USC, and you can already feel secure in making at least one conclusion: The head coach’s offense is as good as advertised.
Yes, it’s two games, but let’s consider the evidence that the 10th-ranked Trojans put on display in a 41-28 win over Stanford on Saturday evening.
You could go with the eye test. The four-play, 33-yard opening drive that ended with a Lake McRee touchdown was seamless, but largely produced by Max Williams’ interception.
So how about the 75-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to Jordan Addison? It was a bullet of pass that caught the streaking receiver perfectly in stride as he broke a tackle from the lone defender anywhere near the play.
In his first two receptions, Addison had 97 yards and two touchdowns. He went on to finish with seven catches for 172 yards.
Prefer the run game? Then take the 27-yard touchdown run by Travis Dye, who could have bear crawled into the end zone with the size of the hole created by Justin Dedich and Jonah Monheim.
Want some hard numbers to back up your eyes? USC had plenty of those, too.
It wasn’t until the 0:52 mark of the second quarter that the Trojans faced a third down. Prior to that, USC scored five touchdowns on five drives without ever failing to move the chains in the first two downs.
And with those five touchdowns, Williams extended his streak to 11 drives leading to a score to start his career as a Trojan: 10 TDs, one field goal as time ran out at the end of the second quarter against Rice.
And again, it was only conservative play calling and a short clock that led that streak to end as the first half ended against Stanford.
Williams has been simply masterful in his first two games as a Trojan. In front of a Stanford Stadium crowd that leaned more toward the USC side, he completed eight of his first 10 attempts for 200 yards and four touchdowns.
He finished the game 20 of 27 for 341 yards and no interceptions, never putting the ball in a position to be taken away.
USC spent the off-season assembling an All-Star team of transfers, but as we’ve seen in the past several seasons talent means little without a coaching staff that knows how to utilize it.
But Riley’s fingerprints were all over this game. From the brilliant screen play drawn up for Addison’s first touchdown to his decision to reward Mario Williams after a deft 43-yard reception with a touchdown pass on the next play, Riley kept pushing all the right buttons as he read his play sheet beneath his white visor.
“I don’t really try to decide if it’s on or off schedule,” Riley said. “We’re just on our climb, right? We’re on our journey.”
There was some stalling in the second half. USC gained just 141 yards and went 1-for-6 on third down.
But it felt more like a case of the Trojans getting lackadaisical with a three-touchdown halftime lead than Stanford stumping USC with halftime adjustments.
“We just took the foot off the pedal, and we shouldn’t have,” Dye said. “We took it off just for a little bit and we can’t do that. We have to just put it down their throats all the way for four quarters.”
So yes, it’s two games, a small sample size, but there’s reason for confidence that the USC offense can overcome any defense it is scheduled to face this season.
Which is good news, because there may come a game when the USC offense has to overcome its own defense.
The Trojans again helped their cause by forcing four turnovers for the second consecutive game.
Two of those turnovers — a Max Williams strip and a Mekhi Blackmon interception — came in the red zone and erased drives in which Stanford had easily moved the ball down the field.
The Cardinal relied on slow mesh handoffs to confuse the USC defense, which also was frequently overwhelmed by the oncoming Stanford offensive line. Six of USC’s penalties were committed by its defense, with back-to-back pass interferences allowing the Cardinal to cut the lead to 13 with 5:01 to play.
Still, USC left the game feeling reasons for confidence after avenging the loss that ended Clay Helton’s tenure last season.
“Look at 12 months ago,” Riley said. “For us, it’d be great to raise the ceiling of our play but more than anything we’ve got to take the bottom part of our play, the not good plays, we’ve got to raise those up.”
Adam Grosbard covers USC athletics for the Orange County Register and Southern California News Group. He's previously covered his alma mater SMU and the WNBA for the Dallas Morning News and high school sports for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. A Pasadena native, he currently lives in the South Bay.
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/2022/09/10/uscs-offense-in-win-over-stanford-shows-the-lincoln-riley-difference/ | 2022-09-11T04:29:25Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/10/uscs-offense-in-win-over-stanford-shows-the-lincoln-riley-difference/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced her plans to freeze the energy bill cap at £2,500 today. But what does it mean for your bills?
The energy price cap was expected to reach £3,549 by October. This is a massive rise of around 80% on top of a 54% increase in April.
Liz Truss announced that a typical household in Britain will pay no more than £2,500 a year and the cap will remain in place until 2024. The price is currently £1,971 and a £400 bill rebate is due to be applied in instalments over the coming months, Express.co.uk reports.
Read more:Kent weather: Bad night's sleep ahead as thunderstorms expected to hit at midnight
The announcement stated that bills will be frozen at £2,500 a year until 2024, the support package will cost the British taxpayer up to £130billion. But what exactly will this mean for energy bills?
What does the energy price cap mean for you?
The energy price cap limits the amount suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity they supply, as well as the standing charge for each fuel. However, it doesn’t mean households won’t pay more than the cap - if they use a higher number of units than the average, their annual energy bills will be more than the cap.
Therefore people may still want to look at whether there are ways in which they are wasting energy this winter. One way to check what's costing you is to look at exactly how much all your electrical appliances will cost this winter.
Meanwhile, people could pay less on their energy bills by adopting three simple tricks. One idea is to sync a smart meter with a free phone app like Hugo or Samsung SmartThings Energy.
The policy means the average family could save an average £1,000 this year. Experts have estimated the cost for the Treasury to be as much as £150billion.
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will give the first official estimate in his emergency budget later this month. But officials warn the cost could vary widely depending on fluctuations in global market prices.
When unveiling her plans, Ms Truss refused Labour's calls for part of the scheme to be funded by a windfall tax on energy companies. The energy giant's profits have been estimated by the Treasury at £170billion.
What did Liz Truss say?
Ms Truss told the Commons today: "Earlier this week I promised I would deal with the soaring energy prices faced by families and businesses across the UK. And today I am delivering on that promise.
"his government is moving immediately to introduce a new energy price guarantee that will give people certainty on energy bills, it will curb inflation and boost growth. This guarantee, which includes a temporary suspension of green levies, means that from 1 October a typical household will pay no more than £2,500 per year for each of the next two years while we get the energy market back on track.
"This will save a typical household £1,000 a year. It comes in addition to the £400 energy bills support scheme. This guarantee supersedes the Ofgem price cap and has been agreed with energy retailers."
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- Business owner helps black women going through cancer treatment feel more confident | https://www.kentlive.news/news/cost-of-living/energy-price-cap-what-could-7562807 | 2022-09-11T04:30:21Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/cost-of-living/energy-price-cap-what-could-7562807 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Driver plows down 4 people in Chicago parking lot after argument
CHICAGO - Chicago police say that four people were injured when a driver plowed them down in a parking lot after an argument.
The crash happened outside Las Islas Marias in Bricktown Square along West Fullerton on the Northwest Side around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Family members said they often come to this restaurant. An argument that started inside spilled outside, and the driver of a black Tahoe hit four people in the parking lot and took off.
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Police here at the scene tell us this incident involved an inner conflict apparently between a group of family members and friends here this location earlier in the day...
The victims were two women and two men, their ages ranging from 27 to 61-years-old. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/driver-plows-down-4-people-in-chicago-parking-lot-after-argument | 2022-09-11T04:45:56Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/driver-plows-down-4-people-in-chicago-parking-lot-after-argument | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Montgomery football continues hot start with big win
PLAINFIELD – Montgomery High School’s football team is 3-0 for the first time since 2007 and just the second time in the 22-year history of the program. The Cougars are also acting like a favorite as Saturday afternoon’s 35-7 triumph at Plainfield showed.
Montgomery, 3-6 last season, scored on the game’s third play when junior quarterback Mike Schmelzer hit wide open senior wideout Ethan McManus for a 58-yard touchdown.
Schmelzer and McManus connected again on a 70-yard TD completion in the second quarter and the quarterback later threw a short pass to junior Matt D’Avino, who turned it into a 14-yard touchdown as he broke a tackle and kept his balance to score his fifth receiving TD of the season. Montgomery made it 28-0 at the half on senior Gavin Guidette’s five-yard run – his first of two touchdown runs. Plainfield scored on the second play of the fourth quarter on sophomore Yasir Wyatt’s 54-yard run. Junior Armando Avril added the extra point to make it 28-7.
But the game’s outcome was well decided courtesy of Montgomery’s fast start on the steamy day at Hub Stine Field.
“I think that first touchdown pass kind of let us settle down a little bit,” Cougars coach Zoran Milich said. “I was really proud of our defense in the first half. Both sides were banging each other really hard. It was a very physical football game. We’re going to need a couple days off to recuperate.”
Plainfield is 0-2 overall, 0-1 in the Big Central Silver Freedom Division. Montgomery 3-0, 1-0 in the Silver.
Game balls
► Montgomery junior DB Zach Schick picked off two passes. One of them was right at the Cougar goal line.
► The Cougars offensive line of sophomore left tackle Brandon Rector, sophomore left guard Landon Dikker, junior center Lucas Szczepanski, junior right guard Joe Reyes, junior right tackle Shlok Chaurasiva and senior tight ends Elhadji Diara and Eddie Qian.
BY THE NUMBERS
►Montgomery holds a 9-1 series lead on the Cardinals. Plainfield’s win came in 2010 at Montgomery.
TOUGH BREAK
Plainfield sophomore quarterback Als-meen Watkins was injured in the first half and didn’t return. Freshman Kamal Lowery went the rest of the way.
WHATS NEXT
The Cougars will attempt to match the 2007 team’s 4-0 start Friday night when it plays host to Somerville. Plainfield is at Carteret Friday night. Both games are Big Central Conference inter-division games. | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2022/09/11/big-central-conference-nj-football-montgomery-continues-hot-start/65474071007/ | 2022-09-11T04:46:34Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2022/09/11/big-central-conference-nj-football-montgomery-continues-hot-start/65474071007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MADISON, Wis. — Jake Dickert choked up when he spoke about the support of his family and the spirit of his team. His voice was heavy with emotion throughout his postgame news conference on Saturday evening.
The Washington State coach’s feelings were more than warranted.
He had just led an incredibly memorable victory — certainly a win he will always cherish, and a win that will probably go down as one of the most celebrated triumphs in WSU program history, considering the storylines surrounding Saturday’s game.
In his first season as WSU’s head coach, Dickert returned to his home state and guided an upset win over the team he grew up idolizing. Hundreds of his friends and family members were in attendance. Clearly, this was the most significant individual accomplishment of his career so far.
“I just know each and every one of them is proud of me and they’re proud of this program, and I’m proud to wear Dickert on my back, because I represent them,” he said.
The Cougars, who entered the matchup as considerable underdogs, proved themselves on a national stage in an immensely challenging environment. They used a resilient effort to stun the 19th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers, grinding out a 17-14 decision in front of 80,000 fans at Camp Randall Stadium.
“It’s hard to put it into words,” Dickert said when asked about his initial reaction to the final whistle, when his players swarmed him in a congratulatory mosh. His loved ones greeted him with long embraces outside the Cougs’ locker room. “We’re going to celebrate this one, but there is so much more to do. It shows us what we can do, what we are capable of.
“We can beat anybody if we don’t beat ourselves.”
The Cougars’ defense — a unit that has become known for forcing turnovers, playing with tenacity and bending but not breaking — collected a red-zone takeaway with about five minutes remaining, recording the final blow in a hard-fought contest that featured constant momentum changes.
On the 17th play of the Badgers’ final drive — and just the fourth passing play of the series — WSU edge rusher Quinn Roff poked the ball free from Wisconsin tight end Clay Cundiff’s grasp, and Coug safety Sam Lockett pounced on it. Two plays earlier, the Badgers had committed a would-be turnover when quarterback Graham Mertz was popped in the backfield by WSU edge rusher Ron Stone Jr., whose hit caused the pass to dangle in the air. Defensive tackle Christian Mejia came down with an interception but promptly coughed the ball up, right back into Wisconsin’s possession.
WSU’s offense hadn’t been able to sustain much success throughout the day, but the Cougars’ Air Raid found a rhythm late and worked its longest drive of the day, a 10-play series that killed the clock and sealed the important victory. WSU gained 22 of its 53 total rushing yards on its final series.
“We played a gritty 60 minutes of football,” Dickert said. “We played a gritty second half. (Wisconsin) is going to win a lot of football games, and they’re going to do it by wearing people out.
“Our guys have a fight in them. I’m so damn proud of them and how they played and kept fighting. That’s what it takes to win football games on the road.”
The Badgers dominated the Cougars in several stat categories, including time of possession (38:02 to 21:58), first downs (23 to 10), third-down conversions (8 for 15 against 2 for 11), total plays (75 to 50) and total yardage (401 to 253). Yet WSU’s defense limited big plays, and the Cougs’ offense made just enough of them to clip the Badgers (1-1) on the scoreboard.
“We just knew it was going to be whoever did their job the longest, and we did that today,” Stone said. “It was just about strain, start to finish.”
The Cougars (2-0) dialed up hidden pressure packages and received laudable effort from their defensive line and linebackers early in the game, containing Wisconsin’s superpowered rushing attack. WSU’s offense had few answers in the first half against the Badgers’ defensive front. Quarterback Cameron Ward was often pressured and the Cougars’ ground game couldn’t find any holes against one of the nation’s best run-stopping defenses, resulting in short possessions and a gassed WSU defense.
Wisconsin capitalized with two scoring drives in the second quarter. Mertz, taking advantage of a shorthanded WSU secondary that lost starting cornerback Derrick Langford Jr. to an injury early on, fired two touchdowns to Cundiff to open a 14-7 halftime lead.
“I felt like we did a good job stopping the run,” Dickert said.
The Badgers, traditionally one of the top rushing teams in the FBS, totaled 174 yards on 44 carries. All-American Braelon Allen had 98 yards on 21 attempts.
“We got a little leaky (later in the game),” Dickert said. “We made them play a different game. Unfortunately, they were successful playing that game for a while, throwing the football.”
The Cougars had only two drives of note in the first half — a 43-yard catch-and-run from Renard Bell moved them into the red zone on their first possession before Ward threw a risky pass toward the goal line and had it picked. On his third series, Ward completed a 33-yard floater to tight end Billy Riviere, setting up a short TD scamper from Nakia Watson, a first-year WSU starter at tailback and a former backup running back for the Badgers in 2019 and 2020.
“We were in the halftime locker room and there was so much belief,” Dickert said.
Bell sparked the Cougs out of the locker room with a 73-yard kickoff return, setting up a 26-yard field goal from Dean Janikowski. WSU then forced Wisconsin into a rare three-and-out and took the lead on the next possession — with a little good fortune.
Ward took a hit on third-and-10 and threw an off-target pass into the hands of Badger cornerback Jay Shaw, but Cougar slotback Lincoln Victor sped across the field and blindsided Shaw, forcing a fumble that was recovered by WSU center Konner Gomness to give the Cougs a fresh set of downs. The visitors continued to plug away with short plays until Ward made an improvisational highlight on a second down, sliding around in the pocket and flipping a pass to Watson, who spun away from traffic and had only open field ahead of him for a 31-yard touchdown, which fashioned the final score at the 5:12 mark of the third quarter.
“Normally, I’m not a person that cries,” Watson said. “But I cried a little bit, I’m not going to lie.
“I had a lot to prove today … most definitely a chip on my shoulder, playing against the old (teammates).”
Watson produced 54 yards from scrimmage and two scores in his return to Camp Randall. Ward, a highly touted FCS transfer who was playing in his first game against a major opponent, completed 17 of 28 passes for 200 yards with one TD and two picks. Ward appeared to settle down as the game progressed and distributed passes to seven receivers.
“For the program, I think it means everything coming to the the Big Ten, on the road and beating a good Wisconsin team,” Ward said. “It was big for us. We accepted the challenge that coach Dickert preached all week: ‘It’s going to be a big stage, probably one of the biggest stages we’re going to play in all year.’ For myself, it was a big moment, going on the road in a big-time Power Five game. I just feel like it was a stepping stone in my journey.”
WSU’s deep and talented defensive front impressed again, combining for six tackles for loss in the run game and three QB hits. Wisconsin’s ground-and-pound approach had the Cougs on their heels during a lengthy possession late in the third quarter, but the Badgers had to settle for a 43-yard field-goal attempt after three run stops near the line of scrimmage. The kick was shanked and fell short. The Cougars tightened up in the final period and outmuscled the favored opponents to claim their first road win over a ranked nonconference opponent since they topped No. 17 Colorado in 2003.
Of course, this one meant a bit more. The new-look WSU, playing with a first-year staff and freshly installed offensive system, introduced itself to the college football world while securing an exceptionally meaningful victory for both the Cougs’ program and its coach.
“I just think Cougs across the country are real proud of these guys,” Dickert said. “For me, I think the gravity of it will hit me at some moment. … I wouldn’t be sitting here today without the people that were in the stands.
“I’m proud to be here and to represent Washington State — that’s first and foremost. It’s a place I love, and I can’t wait to keep this thing going.” | https://www.yakimaherald.com/sports/college_sports/wsu_sports/it-s-hard-to-put-it-into-words-washington-state-upsets-no-19-wisconsin-securing/article_da07eb44-3187-11ed-9a56-03bdb6ff9d2e.html | 2022-09-11T04:54:39Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/sports/college_sports/wsu_sports/it-s-hard-to-put-it-into-words-washington-state-upsets-no-19-wisconsin-securing/article_da07eb44-3187-11ed-9a56-03bdb6ff9d2e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PROVIDENCE (WPRI) – Woonsocket defeated the reigning Division II champion Classical 32-28 on Saturday.
Woonsocket narrowly defeats reigning DII champion Classical
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COVID-19 TRACKING: Charts, Maps & Live Interactive Data
PROVIDENCE (WPRI) – Woonsocket defeated the reigning Division II champion Classical 32-28 on Saturday.
COVID-19 TRACKING: Charts, Maps & Live Interactive Data | https://www.wpri.com/sports/woonsocket-narrowly-defeats-reigning-dii-champion-classical/ | 2022-09-11T04:57:51Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/sports/woonsocket-narrowly-defeats-reigning-dii-champion-classical/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MILTON, Del. -- White's Chapel Church Pastor Lee Parks and her family are still devastated after a hit-and-run crash destroyed some centuries-old gravestones in the White's Chapel cemetery.
On the night of Aug. 22, shortly after 9 p.m., a Ford F-450 truck ran off the road and tore through the church cemetery, obliterating gravestones - some nearly 200 years old and possibly irreplaceable - before hitting a utility pole and tree in the Parks' front yard. This is among other damages to the property landscaping and the front porch of Pastor Parks' home.
Pastor Parks and her husband Dave had just returned to their home from a two-week vacation before the crash occurred.
"My heart was pounding," Parks said. "And frightening because you don't know what you're walking out to. You don't know what you're going to find."
Pastor Parks says the driver ran from his truck before she and her husband got outside, but what they witnessed the next morning left them in shock.
"Honestly, that Tuesday morning I shed tears because these are families," Parks said. "Even though those that are in the grave are not there, it's still families that go there when they want to remember their family members."
Now, a little over two weeks later, Parks is trying to put the pieces back together. She is working with an independent cemetery committee to try to identify the headstones and get in contact with families that might have relatives buried in the cemetery.
"We'll fix the ramp," Parks said. "We'll fix the sign. We'll fix the porch. We'll fix the landscaping. But there are some things in the cemetery that won't be able to be fixed."
Pastor Parks and her family are asking for the community's help to identify the gravestones, and for those that do not have a connection to the cemetery, but still want to help, Parks is simply asking for prayers.
White's Chapel members also want to thank Delaware Electric Co-op and Coastal Towing for their help on the night of the incident and beyond, as well as first responders for their help and professionalism.
Anyone that has information regarding those buried at White's Chapel is asked to call Ralph Davis, Cemetery Committee President, at 302-858-3395. | https://www.wboc.com/news/centuries-old-gravestones-damaged-in-hit-and-run-incident/article_00fede4e-316d-11ed-b291-cfc766c8f129.html | 2022-09-11T04:59:00Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/centuries-old-gravestones-damaged-in-hit-and-run-incident/article_00fede4e-316d-11ed-b291-cfc766c8f129.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KENT CITY, Mich. — Kent City battles it out with Watervliet. The Eagles scored early and often to help get them the 49-34 win against the Panthers.
It was a close game for much of the first half. But the Eagles were able to defend their home turf to start the weekend. The Eagles will take on White Cloud next week in the CSAA.
For more scores, highlights, and the latest news on high school sports in West Michigan, go to the FOX 17 Blitz page. | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/blitz/kent-city-battles-it-out-with-watervliet-eagles-win-big | 2022-09-11T05:00:14Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/blitz/kent-city-battles-it-out-with-watervliet-eagles-win-big | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HOLLAND, Mich. — After a slow start in the first half, Hope football stormed back to earn their second straight come from behind win. The Flying Dutchmen beat Coe 33-24.
Hope forced seven turnovers, including six interceptions, and returned two of the miscues for touchdowns in the second half as the Flying Dutchmen defeated Coe (Iowa) College 33-24 Saturday afternoon at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium to improve to 2-0 on the young season.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Hope defense got the ball in Coe territory on downs. The Dutchmen drove inside the Kohawk 5, then settled for a 20-yard Hillger field goal with 2:13 remaining to make it 27-17.
The Flying Dutchmen managed 245 yards of total offense – 66 on the ground and 179 through the air.
Hope travels to Cincinnati, Ohio next Saturday to face Mount St. Joseph College in the annual crossover battle between the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/football-picks-off-coe-six-times-records-two-defensive-touchdowns-in-win | 2022-09-11T05:00:27Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/football-picks-off-coe-six-times-records-two-defensive-touchdowns-in-win | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It is another winning time for Nigerian born and Atlanta-based disc jockey, Chinenye Carl Okafor, otherwise known as DJ Karlifornia, as his newly introduced genres of music called Afro EDM and Afro Progressive music are gradually making headway into the consciousness of the many music lovers across the globe.
With several attempts to push his craft and launch himself on the music scene, who attended pampers private school, DJ Karlifornia began his career in various popular celebrity clubs in Calabar, Nigeria and went further with his career in Lagos State where he worked with Metro 97.7FM (Radio Nigeria).
Now rated as one of the most prominent and highly rated disc jockeys in the United States, the award-winning entertainer said being skilled in blending Afrobeat, EDM, and Trap Music, earned him the name The Remix god in throughout Atlanta, Mexico and beyond.
Speaking about how his career has evolved over the years, Dj Kalifornia said he took a leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles California where he has successfully maintained a permanent appearance at the standard and the Library bars.
According to him, he has now become a force to be reckoned with in top clubs in Atlanta such as Vice Lounge, Evangadi, Josephine , eleven 45 , Living Room Lounge, Blu Lagoon, adding that being a radio host for Be100RadioAfrica, also contributed largely to his quick rise.
From acquiring Bsc in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Calabar, he also bagged an associate bachelor from Georgia State University in I.T Audit and cyber security, he added that he has carved a niche for himself in the entertainment business with his gifted fingers on the deck.
“I’m happy that I am now being regarded as the curator of a new genre called “Afro EDM” and “Afro progressive” which is actually not popular but is fast becoming popular among music enthusiasts and top music artistes. I will keep working hard to show the world that I have what it takes to be the king of next generation world class deejays.”
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-im-introducing-afro-edm-afro-progressive-to-music-industry-dj-karlifornia/ | 2022-09-11T05:06:48Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-im-introducing-afro-edm-afro-progressive-to-music-industry-dj-karlifornia/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Blessed with the ability to write songs and thrill fans with his music talent, budding music star, Osunmo Oluwanishola, otherwise known as Shola Tyson is gradually attracting attention to his craft and building a brand that keeps him in the news for the right reasons.
Shola Tyson in an interview with R during the week revealed that coming into the music industry to make music his mainstay has always been a fascinating experience, adding that he has been working behind the scene to give music lovers songs that will put further place him among the top Afrobeats musicians in Nigeria and beyond.
Beyond music that seems to be giving him recognitions, the singer is currently in Cyprus University for his Masters programme and he hinted that studying to further his education has not limited his chances in the music industry but rather helped him to study the music industry better and work hard on his craft.
With new songs and collaborations coming in the next few weeks, the budding star believes he has what it takes to be one of Africa’s Afrobeats greats, adding that his songs will show the world that he is not push over artiste and would give his fans other music listeners new tunes that will dominate music charts.
Shola Tsyon who is a co-founder of Most Exclusive Doings Entertainment stated that “I have been working with my partners and friends on this label to give Africans and the world at large a unique blend of music that will put us on the global map. Despite being out of the country to study, we have a strong team of like-minds who are willing and ready to keep pushing the narrative to heights where others will envy what we do”, he added.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/i-have-what-it-takes-to-be-one-of-africas-afrobeats-greats-shola-tyson/ | 2022-09-11T05:06:54Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/i-have-what-it-takes-to-be-one-of-africas-afrobeats-greats-shola-tyson/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Many may wonder what has attracted a groundswell of goodwill, endorsements and accolades to Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun lately. He is lucky to have a good breeding, conviction and a mien uncommon in the pantheon of successful politicians and businessmen.
There is no gainsaying that the gale of endorsement for his second term ambition by traditional rulers, professional bodies, market men and women, artisan, transporters, youths, elder statesmen and the business community has more to do with aversion for the oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) being displayed by his predecessor, Ibikunle Amosun, than anything else.
But the governor does not take the goodwill for granted. He has been a major promoter of accountable, open, just, fair, equitable, inclusive governance which he believes is fundamental to his agenda of ‘building our future together agenda’ to engender economic growth of the state and individual prosperity of the citizens.
Nothing reveals this more tellingly than the defection of Amosun’s core loyalists and switching of allegiance to the poster boy for the 21st century Ogun State. Ahead of the 2023 elections, the rank of the former loyalists of Senator Amosun, who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ill-fated vehicle, Allied Progressives Movement (APM) used as vehicles to undermine the ruling party, are back in the mainstream APC led by Abiodun.
They include the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Olalekan Mustapha, Amosun’s two-term commissioner for health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, his counterpart in the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs, Chief Olajide Ojuko. Others are one-time Party chairman in the State, AlhajiTajudeenLemboye and other chieftains like Chief Olu Odeyemi, Gbenga Adekanbi and Hon. Dotun Fasanya among other influential leaders across the three senatorial districts.
Before then, Governor Abiodun had used emotional intelligence couched in his inclusive approach to governance to deplete opposition elements by getting to his side former governor, Chief Gbenga Daniel from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), winning the heart of Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, who ran on the ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against him and other influential political giants in the state like the late BurujiKashamu who collapsed his dominant group in the PDP into the APC.
Most of the defectors love Abiodun’s approach of spreading projects to all sections of the state at the expense of no other, in contrast to his predecessor’s style. Abiodun’s even-handedness in various projects seems to have eclipsed whatever differences they had against his emergence as governor.
Not sensing that he was swimming against the tide, the former governor, Amosun, while speaking after receiving an award from Abeokuta Club to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the club said the 2019 governorship election in the state was rigged to favour the incumbent, calling on his supporters – who are already on the other side – to be on the lookout for the next line of action.
“You know clearly my stand on this matter, just wait very soon, you will hear from us, my stand is where I stand, I am not in support of this administration, he must be removed”, Amosun said, passing “fatwa” on his successor’s second term bid.
Many found this apostasy distasteful. They recalled Abiodun’s style of governance and how he has related with the leaders of the party and acquitted himself creditably as an administrator. One rhetorically asked: “How did we miss Governor DapoAbiodun’s emotional intelligence?” He went on to cite the incident at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where the national leader and the presidential standard-bearer of the All Progressives Party (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, referred to Abiodun as “Eleyi” ((This one)!
While President Buhari was not physically present and also might require the help of a translator to make sense of what Senator Tinubu said on that day, Governor Abiodun was at the event and understands Yoruba very well – the language through which Senator Tinubu made those comments. The comments even managed to get a reaction from the Presidency and the APC leadership to demonstrate how weighty they are.
“But the response of Governor Abiodun was cool, calm and calculated. His (Abiodun’s) emotional intelligence practically saved the day. Amosun, the man said, would never take it. He would have unleashed mayhem like he did in February 2019 when his boys pelted party apparatchiks, including President Muhammadu Buhari with sachet water, not to talk of a would-be president,” the party man enthused
With emotional intelligence, Abiodun has through a well-thought out action plan and careful monitoring, clipped the senator’s wings.
The key element employed is not to get caught up in playing the person’s game, because with their rules it was meant to make him act equally rascally and irritably. Like a trained psychotherapist, Abiodun takes control of the situation and makes delinquent adults accountable for their shenanigans. Any keen observer or dye-in-the wool pundit and realist would have seen how Abiodun is holding his own against the apparently irritable behavior of the outgoing senator dancing his last political dance in the market place after failing in 2019.
The Omoluabi disposition and performance, however, set Abiodun apart from his predecessor. Across the state and different groups: professional class, youths, market women and men, elder statesmen and women, traditional rulers and workers, the gale of endorsement has been exciting. They all premised their endorsement on DapoAbiodun’s people-oriented and inclusive leadership, love for the citizens, altruism and performance.
Indeed, Abiodun won the hearts of the people with his practise of politics without bitterness and by bringing down political tension and heat in Ogun State. He also located and spread projects across the three senatorial districts, unlike the lopsidedness of the immediate past.
At the height of Amosun’s open hostility, Abeokuta became a no-go area for his predecessors. His shenanigans gave rise to Egbe Matagba mole (Society that frowns on disrespect for elders) and ouster of the Akinrogun Egba who unleashed the accountant as the candidate of APC on the party in 2011. Long story short, 2019 was Amosun’s albatross as he was suspended by the party for working against its interest and the Ogun electorate resoundingly rejected his nominee who ran on the ticket of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Like the chameleon that would not keep changing his colours, 2023 has come and the exuberance remains unabated in the man who could not decipher that who the gods will kill, they first make mad. Interestingly, sometimes it’s difficult to recognize the difference between a strong-willed or emotional child and one with oppositional defiant disorder. It’s normal to exhibit oppositional behaviour but with proper grooming and psychological maturity the symptoms can wane. Not for Amsoun.
Conversely, even in the face of provocation, Gov Abiodun ability to perceive, use, understand, manage and handle emotions is commendable. People with high emotional intelligence can recognise their own emotions and those of others, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.
Emotional intelligence is a core leadership quality and Prince Abiodun’s display of it throughout this season of pre-election madness tells a lot about his character and substance.
The last time a similar quality was displayed was during the 2015 presidential election, when then INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega handled Peter Godsday Orubebe’s outburst at the INEC headquarters with such calmness that it earned him national and international commendation.
In the case of Prince Abiodun, those who know him very well would attest to the fact that, either as a leader or as an individual, emotional intelligence has never been in short supply in his dealings with people.
The governor will never deny the good people do to him. As attested to by many when they reeled out their endorsement criteria, he remains grateful to people whose contributions have taken him thus far in life and believes that mentorship often succeeds where ‘godfatherism’ fails.
Abiodun has mentioned many times that the position of governor he holds is in trust for the people of Ogun State and that his social contract with the people is to be fair, just and equitable. He owes God, the good people of Ogun and himself the fulfillment of that solemn agreement.
Since power in a democracy belongs ultimately to the people through the ballot, Abiodun’s hope for a renewal of his mandate come 2023 – and the hope for a much better delivery of dividends of democracy – is rooted in his faith in God, the support of the people of Ogun and the numerous achievements his administration has recorded since he was first entrusted with the mandate in 2015.
Prince Dapo Abiodun’s investment, development and empowerment priorities, strategically embedded in his administration’s ISEYA mantra, have endeared him in the hearts of both critical stakeholders and ordinary people alike. Apart from being Yoruba for ‘Time to roll up the sleeves’, ISEYA is also Abiodun’s acronym for his administration’s developmental blueprint, which is: I – Infrastructure; S – Social Development and Wellbeing; E – Education; Y – Youth Development, and; A – Agriculture and Food Security.
His a vision to give Ogun State focused and qualitative governance and to create the enabling environment for a public private sector partnership, which is fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun has transformed the state within three years. His “Building Our Future Together” agenda has been diligently and dutifully pursued so much that even old adversaries have closed ranks and keyed into his vision.
Not taking the decampees for granted, Gov. Abiodun reminisced: “You have got it right by taking this bold step in the sense that one cannot say because of sympathy you continue to stay with somebody and become useless. You should know what you want, where to get it and how to get it.
“I am one governor who is passionate about inclusiveness, just and fair. You can see that even if you join the party today, I take and recognize you as people who had been with the party from the inception. Politics is parochial; it is how to better your life and that of others. You cannot do politics with emotions. I want to welcome you back to the larger family and since you are not strangers, you will be promptly integrated”, during one of the harvest of returnee party stalwarts.
- Somorin is chief press secretary to Gov. Dapo Abiodun
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ogun-analysing-abioduns-gale-of-endorsement/ | 2022-09-11T05:07:07Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ogun-analysing-abioduns-gale-of-endorsement/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Stacey Dash has everyone wondering where the rock she’s been living under is located, after she admitted to just learning DMX passed away more than a year ago.
Dash recently posted a video of her crying after finding that DMX died in April 2021 after a heart attack caused by cocaine intoxication.
"I was strolling through #tiktok and found a #DMX song that has saved me many times," Dash wrote. “Suddenly it says #RIP i know I am late, i did not know he passed away, he #OD I am heartbroken - he was such a great guy."
Dash, who also suffered from a past drug addiction, shared in the clip that she was disappointed about finding out about DMX’s death now.
"I didn't know DMX died. I didn't know from a cocaine overdose,” she said. "I am today, six years and one month clean and it breaks my heart. It breaks my heart that he lost to it. He lost. He lost to that demon of addiction. Please, please don't lose."
DMX had a heart attack in his home last April that left him in a coma for seven days. He was 50 years old. | https://www.stlamerican.com/arts_and_entertainment/hot_sheet/stacey-dash-just-now-discovers-dmx-is-dead/article_cd4b5bfe-3167-11ed-a38c-8b67807c5774.html | 2022-09-11T05:10:34Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/arts_and_entertainment/hot_sheet/stacey-dash-just-now-discovers-dmx-is-dead/article_cd4b5bfe-3167-11ed-a38c-8b67807c5774.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Comedians Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears face a lawsuit that accuses them of “grooming and molesting” two siblings (who were minors at the time) years ago. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The plaintiffs are identified as “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” in the suit, their names are undisclosed to protect their identities.
The case states the victims who were 14 and 7, accuse Haddish and Spears of forcing them to do salacious videos in two separate incidents in 2013 and 2014.
Attorneys for Haddish and Spears called the accusations “bogus” and a “shakedown” after CNN reached out for comment.
The complaint states Haddish was a “longtime family friend” of the mother of the siblings who seeked legal action.
Jane Doe is now 22 and the legal guardian of John Doe, 15 according to the complaint.
"Every attorney who has initially taken on her case -- and there were several -- ultimately dropped the matter once it became clear that the claims were meritless and Ms. Haddish would not be shaken down," a statement from Haddish’s attorney reads. “The two of them will together face the consequences of pursuing this frivolous action."
"He isn't going to fall for any shakedown," Debra Opri, an attorney for Spears, said in a statement to CNN. | https://www.stlamerican.com/arts_and_entertainment/hot_sheet/tiffany-haddish-aries-spears-face-alarming-sexual-allegations-in-suit/article_549d4f68-3168-11ed-a939-03eb6b258db0.html | 2022-09-11T05:10:41Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/arts_and_entertainment/hot_sheet/tiffany-haddish-aries-spears-face-alarming-sexual-allegations-in-suit/article_549d4f68-3168-11ed-a939-03eb6b258db0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith was serving as Harris-Stowe State University provost and vice president for Academic Affairs when the HBCU’s president abruptly departed in May 2021.
The university’s Board of Regents knew it had an answer to the sudden change readily available, one who had thrived in the field of education and had devoted much of her outstanding career to Harris-Stowe.
Smith was named interim president on June 1, 2021 and guided the school through a summer and first semester of achievement and excellence. Her work was exemplary, and her devotion to students, faculty, and staff was infectious. Harris-Stowe did not miss a beat during her time as interim president.
On March 1, 2022, Smith was named the 21st Harris-Stowe State University president. She became the university’s first African American woman to serve as president, following the legacy of Ruth Harris, the first Black woman to serve as Stowe Teachers College president in 1940.
“Our university is a jewel in the St. Louis crown,” Smith said upon becoming president.
“I want to be a living example for Black and brown girls, letting them know that their dreams are possible. When the going gets tough, they can take a moment to reflect on my trajectory — and how I worked my way up the ranks to get to the place where I am today — to know they can do it, too.”
For her outstanding leadership at Harris-Stowe and steadfast support for education, Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith has been named the 2022 St. Louis American Foundation Stellar Performer in Education.
She will be honored during the milestone 35th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Banquet on Saturday October 1, at America’s Center downtown.
Michael McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO and Chair of the HSSU Board of Regents said, “Dr. Collins Smith exemplifies Harris-Stowe’s core values of Personal Growth, Respect, Innovation, Diversity, and Excellence.”
“She has demonstrated her extraordinary ability to connect with all of our stakeholders and to catapult Harris-Stowe forward in these critical times.”
Smith brought more than two decades of leadership experience to the president’s office, with a background in administration and program development.
She began her career in higher education at HSSU in 2010 and served as the co-principal investigator of a $5 million National Science Foundation grant to strengthen STEM education in the state of Missouri.
Last week, it was announced that Harris-Stowe will receive $2.6 million of a $25 million grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
The resources will be directed to the university’s Minority Entrepreneurship Collaborative Center for Advancement [MECCA] and Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Earlier this year, the school became a partner educational institution in the Taylor Geospatial Institute “which further advances our STEM Agenda at Harris-Stowe State University,” Smith said.
“We are excited about the spirit of collaboration among the member institutions, who will all work together on exciting new geospatial research.”
Achievements during Smith’s tenure include HSSU and The Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College partnering to reserve four spots in the Goldfarb nursing program for Harris-Stowe students.
Knowing that costs are a factor, Smith helped craft a plan in which those four students will receive scholarships and can begin their nursing education during their desired term, rather than being added to a wait list. Students accepted into the nursing program will be charged the same tuition rate as they pay at Harris-Stowe.
During her tenure as interim president, the University raised more than $3.5M in scholarships, donations, including those designated to endowments, as well as grants.
Renovations for the former Vashon Community Center Building, which will become home to the Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute and National Black Radio Hall of Fame, are also underway.
Smith is also a valued civic leader in the St. Louis region, serving as chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Celebration Commission of Missouri. She is a member of the Downtown Advisory Board for Greater St. Louis, Inc., and is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Smith attended St. Louis Public Schools and is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri, where she majored in social work.
She earned a Master of Social Work degree and a Master of Public Health degree from Saint Louis University and an educational doctorate in higher education leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis.
Honorary Chairs named
Three area leaders have agreed to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for the St. Louis American Foundation's Milestone 35th anniversary Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala.
Serving as co-chairs for the event will be St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page. | https://www.stlamerican.com/salute_to_excellence/education_gala/hssu-president-dr-latonia-collins-smith-named-2022-stellar-performer/article_45166f8e-2f6a-11ed-82f0-d3e8cf12e86d.html | 2022-09-11T05:10:47Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/salute_to_excellence/education_gala/hssu-president-dr-latonia-collins-smith-named-2022-stellar-performer/article_45166f8e-2f6a-11ed-82f0-d3e8cf12e86d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DAVE DAVIES, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross, who's off this week. My guest, Mo Amer, is a comedian who brings a unique voice to his performances, rooted in his unusual background. Mo is short for Mohammed. He's Palestinian, but he grew up in Kuwait, where his family enjoyed a comfortable life until he was 9, when the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the United States in 1991. There, as he explained to Trevor Noah on "The Daily Show," things were different.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH")
MO AMER: I went to a really nice, private British English school in Kuwait, and then we migrated to Houston, Texas. And...
TREVOR NOAH: That's a culture shock.
AMER: It's a culture shock. And they put me in ESL class, which is English as a second language class, and I was the only guy that spoke English in the class.
(LAUGHTER)
AMER: I walk in, all the kids are like, (speaking Spanish). I'm like - I had a hint of a British accent? I'm like, sorry. What language are you speaking? All of a sudden, this other dude just rolls up out of nowhere. He's like, you're weird, dude.
(LAUGHTER)
AMER: Why do you talk like that? And that was my teacher, you know? It was a very, very...
(LAUGHTER)
DAVIES: Mo Amer grew up in Houston, got into comedy, and, well, it's worked out. He's performed in 27 countries on five continents, had two Netflix comedy specials, co-starred in the Hulu series "Ramy," and he stars in a new TV series based on his own life, which he co-created, co-produced and co-wrote. It's called "Mo," and it premieres tomorrow on Netflix. Mo Amer, welcome to FRESH AIR.
AMER: Thank you for having me.
DAVIES: I got to tell you, I struggled a little bit when I was writing your introduction because I feel like if I describe you as Palestinian, that doesn't quite capture the Mo Amer I see in your stuff. You kind of have more than one identity, don't you?
AMER: That's really interesting you say that. I mean, I definitely identify as Palestinian American, but I - you know, it's one of those things that as a refugee-asylee in America, someone that's trying to fit in and feel like - have some kind of sense of belonging, you kind of become a chameleon. And you really start putting yourself in other people's shoes almost immediately to be, like, more relatable and understood. It's very interesting how that works, that naturally and organically it just comes together that way. But, yeah, I definitely identify as a Texan Palestinian. I mean, I know this feels like a juxtaposition and kind of, like, two worlds that should be colliding, but I feel very much at home with those two worlds.
DAVIES: Right. And when people first met you, I mean, given your skin color, they probably assumed you were Mexican American. And I can tell from the series that you speak obviously Arabic. You speak Spanish pretty fluently to me and at least a couple of three dialects of English, too, right?
AMER: Absolutely. Absolutely. I can pretty much cover all the dialects in English. I do - I am conversational - completely conversational in Spanish. My grammar is not perfect sometimes, but yeah, I don't have any problems at all having a full-on conversation in Spanish, and I'm fluent in Arabic.
DAVIES: All right. Well, I wanted to listen to a scene from the series "Mo," which, as we said, premieres on Netflix tomorrow. And this will give us a little bit of sense of some of your linguistic ability to fit in. The series is about you - a character, which - named Mo and kind of pretty much you in your 20s, I guess, single, living in Houston, dating a Mexican American woman, which, of course, your Palestinian mom sort of disapproves of. This is a scene where you've just lost a job you had in an electronics shop because the owner was concerned about an immigration raid, and you didn't have your papers.
So you've returned to an old side hustle of selling knockoff merchandise out of the trunk of your car. And this scene happens in - you've got your big car backed up to the edge of a strip mall, which you see plenty of in Houston. And there's this heavyset guy and a white guy in a cowboy hat walking down the sidewalk. And you engage them and say, hey, it looks like you got orthopedic shoes there, does that hurt your back, and try and sell them a pair of shoes from the trunk. And they're these - they're imitations of these odd-looking shoes marketed by Kanye West, kind of in part made from the foam of...
AMER: The Yeezy Foam Runners.
DAVIES: Yeah.
AMER: And I swear by them, OK? The Yeezy foam runners - and they are - I, like, literally mean everything I say in that clip.
(LAUGHTER)
DAVIES: Well, here, you open this and then you pull out a little stool. Your stool - you got a little portable store there. So it begins with you engaging this fella. Let's listen.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MO")
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) How are you doing, brother? Beautiful weather, huh?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Yeah, it is.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Yeah, we're lucky. What do you got, orthopedics?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Yes, sir.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Slow down. Slow down. Now, don't hurt yourself. What are they, 9 1/2?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Got it again. Yeah, they're my old trusties (ph).
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) I bet they're doing a number on your lower back.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) God, my lower back is killing me.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Same here, till I switched over to Yeezys. Then my back pain disappeared. Thank Yeezus is what I say. Come on, let me show you something.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Oh, no. I - holy [expletive]. You got a whole store in there.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) That's right, baby. I'm an entrepreneur. Look at this.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Good for you.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Thank you. Designer yet orthopedic.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character, laughter) That don't look like anything I put on my feet. They look like alien shoes.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Well, they are from whatever planet Kanye is from. But don't judge them till you try them on, brother. Come on. Come on in for a moon landing. Ain't gonna take 30 seconds your time. Here we go. You got to look after your lower back.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Yeah, that I do.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Here you go. Come on, give them a try.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) All right.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) These are genuine, recycled algae.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Whoa.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Whoa. Oh, my goodness. Look at - son, these shoes are golden. How much?
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Aftermarket, these go for about $350, $1,000. Now, I'm willing to give them to you for $200.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Son, I can't tell my wife I paid $200 for a pair of algae shoes.
AMER: (As Mo Najjar) Brother, I smell what you're stepping in, OK? So I'm gonna sweeten the pot. Now, for $300 - I know. Hold on a second. Hear me out. I'm gonna throw in this Chanel purse, all right? Now, this will retail well over $1,000. You ain't gonna find a better replica than this. She won't know the difference.
DAVIES: And that is Mo Amer making a sale in the series "Mo," which premieres on Netflix tomorrow. You know, we hear you speaking kind of the Texan version of English, which, I will say, I grew up in south Texas. I recognize that accent. You use that to connect people, I guess, lots of times growing up, didn't you?
AMER: Yeah, I think it's one of those things that I actually just connect with in general. I mean, the Palestinian culture is a folksy farmer kind of mentality in life. And when I came to Texas, that's one of the things that was really attractive to me was the country music, the folksy music, the storytelling tradition of that. And I really just attached myself to it because it's in my blood. And, you know, in the character in the scene itself is meant to be that I'm, you know, endearing to him and develop trust.
DAVIES: So you did sell knockoff stuff on the street. This is a real thing.
AMER: No comment. Yeah, no, I did.
(LAUGHTER)
AMER: I absolutely did. I was a teenager. It's just something that I just fell into, honestly. I was wearing knockoff Versace sunglasses that I thought were cool, and someone was just like, hey, those are really nice, you know, you selling those? I'm like, yeah, it's my last one. And it just became my shtick where somebody would walk in or I see someone that might be interested in what I have. I'd put it on, I'd wear it, they'd comment on it, and then I would sell it. That's how it worked.
DAVIES: I imagine you develop some kind of skills for reading people and communicating that probably helped in stand-up when you got to that.
AMER: No, absolutely. Assessment of situations, of people is crucial to be not only a great salesman but a great, you know, stand-up comedian. So it did help a lot. You know, and it's one of those things that when you experience such hardships, you become really good at, like, figuring out what's good and bad and following your gut - more so following your gut, right? Like, you know this could be a good thing. Once you tap into that and you realize that you have a high percentage of hit rate where you're right, you just start to trust it way more.
DAVIES: Yeah - and when it's time to close things up and split, too, I imagine.
AMER: Exactly, exactly.
DAVIES: You know, we mentioned earlier that your family left Kuwait and ended up in Houston. Tell us a bit more about that. Your family was in Kuwait, had a comfortable life. And then the first Gulf War happened, which was Sadaam Hussein invading Kuwait. How much do you remember of that departure?
AMER: I remember all of it, every bit of it. That's why I recreated it in the flashbacks as much as possible whenever budget allowed us to do. You know, I think it's one of those things that is not really - that's glossed over. It's such an important topic, the Gulf War, that really sparked everything, right? And even to this day, we're still dealing with those - with war, this, like, this domino effect of political relations throughout the region, you know, Middle East, North Africa. And I really believe that that was one of the biggest turning points in that area. I mean, if you think about it, there wasn't any American military presence there pre-Gulf War. And since then, we've never left. And we've been present in that area ever since.
And there's so many people that were affected by that war. You know, particularly a lot of Palestinians were affected by it, had to flee from there, was like - now it's that their - you know, think about my mom and my dad's perspective. This is the third, second or third time they have to flee because of being stateless and, you know, have to create a new life again. So this is something that was really important to me to show, this, like, generational trauma, essentially, that you're starting now to see and starting over in Houston, Texas.
DAVIES: Right. They had fled Haifa before, when the '47 war happened.
AMER: Right. So they were - '47, so once Israel became a state and then the United Nations was formed, if you were in the - some people were able to - some Palestinians were able to stay in the Israeli, quote-unquote, "territory." So those people are called Israeli Arabs. And they're Palestinians, but they're referred to as Israeli Arabs. And we had to - yeah, my family historically left Haifa and ended up in Burin, which is right outside of Nablus, one of the biggest cities, I think, in the entire area.
DAVIES: Why did your family end up in Kuwait?
AMER: Well, it was before I was born. So I'll just tell you what I know. I know my father was offered a job at the Kuwaiti oil company as a telecommunications engineer, and that's why my family relocated to Kuwait. And so we settled there for a long time. My father was actually instrumental in building wireless communication between oil rigs and was one of the first people to build a radio station in Kuwait, he and his team. So we were there for years before that, and they would visit regularly before, you know, everything blew up in Palestine and the intifada and created - the situations became more and more and more tense. And it became more and more difficult to go back and visit.
DAVIES: So tell us what happened in Kuwait. I mean, you were there. Your dad was working in telecommunications, making a good living. You had a pretty comfortable life. What happened that forced you to leave? I mean, I know Iraq invaded, but how did your family experience that?
AMER: Sure. I mean, I was a little kid. I was 9 years old when that happened. So I was, you know, that was my first time seeing my parents worried about anything - right? - like, something as dramatic as this. And I knew it was really, really serious. The conditions became, like, not really livable because of what Saddam Hussein was doing. He released a bunch of prisoners of that time and instructed them to rob the entire area. And everything just became so incredibly unsafe when it was one of the safest places to be in the world. You know, it became so unpredictable. And it was a really scary time and turbulent time. So it was at that moment that my father and my mother both made a decision together that we should leave and head to America. And that's why we ended up in Houston, Texas.
But that is like not something that you just pick up and leave overnight. You have to - at that time, we had to leave on a bus. And I remember this clear as day - that's why I put it in the flashback in the series - is I was fleeing on a bus and leaving with whatever we had, and my mom having to hide the money strategically it doesn't get taken from us, through Iraq to Amman, Jordan. And finally, we got our paperwork to leave. My sister and I actually left and ended up in Houston, Texas. My mom actually went back solo. It's how much of a gangster, incredible woman she is. She went back to Kuwait to finish everything up with my father and my brother.
And it was a really delicate and difficult situation. Also, politically, it was really different, right? Because at that time, you know, Yasser Arafat gave his blessings to or support to Saddam Hussein. So it became a really difficult time for Palestinians, even though he had nothing to do with us. You know, it was a political thing. And that's what normally happens - right? - where politicians make decisions that affect the people that have nothing to do with anything. So we had to leave at that time. We had no other choice.
DAVIES: We need to take a break here. Let me reintroduce you. We are speaking with Mo Amer. He has two comedy specials on Netflix, and he stars in the new series based on his life, which premieres tomorrow on Netflix. It's called "Mo." We'll continue our conversation in just a moment. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. And we're speaking with comedian Mo Amer. He has two comedy specials on Netflix, and he stars in a new series based on his life called "Mo." It premieres on Netflix tomorrow.
So you were describing how your family left Kuwait after the invasion by Iraq in the first Gulf War in 1991. You and your mom and your siblings eventually made it to Houston. Your dad wasn't there for quite a while. He got there a couple of years later. So you got into school. As we heard in that clip, it was a weird beginning. You were used to wearing a bow tie to school and speaking with an English accent, and everybody assumed you were Mexican American. And you managed. You made your way. And then your father died. You were 14. Is that right? What was the effect of that on you?
AMER: It was incredibly potent. I didn't know - you know, so many things changed from 9 to 13, from my age, you know. It's like so many things already changed so dramatically. And to lose my father was a devastating blow. You know, you have all the things going through your head. I didn't have enough time. What did I do? What did I say to him? You have regret. You go through all the motions of that. And I was completely lost, to be honest. I started skipping school, stop being interested in it at all in high school, didn't want to participate in anything. And it was really hard to focus. And I just had it in my head, I was going to be a stand-up comedian anyway. Why do I need this? Just forget this high - it's a joke anyway. I just had zero interest in anything other than being a stand-up comedian and entrepreneur. I mean, that's all I wanted.
And then, my teacher, Mrs. Reed (ph), and Mrs. Broderick in English class changed my life. And she woke me up to it. She was like, how would you feel if you don't graduate? How would your father feel if you don't graduate? And it pierced my heart. I mean, I'm like, it'd be devastating. I come from a highly educated family. This would be a really, big, black mark on us, like, and myself. And I don't want that. She goes, don't you want to be a stand-up comedian? I was like, yeah. Absolutely, I do. She goes, I tell you what, if you don't - if you stop skipping, I'll let you do stand-up in class. I was like, what?
DAVIES: (Laughter).
AMER: Are you sure I can do stand-up in class? She was like, yeah. She goes, all you have to do is just sprinkle in something - 'cause it was an English class. If you could sprinkle in some Shakespeare or be creative and figure out a way how you can, you know, mix in the curriculum, I'll give you extra credit even. And I'll let you do stand-up on Fridays. I was like, this is - sounds like a great deal. I was like, what's the catch? She goes, you can't skip anymore. You skip once, and it's over for you. I'm going to give you a - I'm going to fail you. It's over.
DAVIES: Let's back up a second. You said that, you know, you knew you wanted to be a stand-up comedian. How did you know that? What got you interested in comedy?
AMER: First of all, I'd never heard of stand-up comedy. It's an indigenous art form to America, right? There's three; it's jazz, hip-hop and stand-up. So I didn't know anything about it. I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo a few months after being in the States to kind of change things up. My family took me just to kind of get my mind off of things and to try to do something fun. And I saw Bill Cosby performing live.
DAVIES: At the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo? (Laughter). That's great.
AMER: Yeah. So it was him - he was co-headlining with the band Alabama. And I saw it, and I just - in front of 65,000-plus people just telling these hilarious stories. And I looked at my brother. I was like, what is this? He was like, this is stand-up comedy. I was like, oh, my God. That's what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. And my brother was like, OK, yeah. You know? (Laughter). Like, this kid's having a moment. He had no idea how profound of a moment it was for me and how - like, it was just, like, so real that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.
DAVIES: And how old were you when that happened?
AMER: I was 9.
DAVIES: Oh, wow. You were little. And how did you start doing it? Did you start cracking your friends up? Did you do it in front of a mirror? What did you - how did you develop stand-up as a kid?
AMER: I was always really funny. I was always telling stories. I never had, like, you know - that was just natural to me. And my mom would tell me, like, when I was a - when I just started walking, I would walk in front of the television and turn off the TV and start doing gestures and making sounds. But that's how it worked out. And I did stand-up in high school. Like I said, I was doing it in classes, and I would do impressions of Chris Farley. And I would just, like, roast kids in class as Chris Farley. So that - and it just - it grew in popularity. And I ended up doing different plays, and that kept me going.
And then, when I graduated high school, I walked into The Laff Stop, which is a kind of comedy club - unfortunately, is now no longer open anymore in Houston - that I did shows. I did the Houston's Funniest Person competition. And that's where I learned about the world of stand-up and what it takes, like, in a comedy club - open mics and building a set. And that's where I met my mentor, owner of The Comedy Showcase, Danny Martinez, who ended up teaching me everything I needed to know about stand-up comedy - the art form, you know, getting my wings, and how to become a - you know, a proficient stand-up comedian.
DAVIES: Well, you know, one thing I observed in the performances that I've seen of yours is the way you use your voice. Like an instrument, you can quickly get loud and kind of come up in pitch in a way that totally works. Was that something that you always did? Or is it something that you worked on?
AMER: Oh, I learned that. Yeah, I learned that. It's so important. You know, I think comedians don't understand, like, you have an instrument there with your voice. Man, it brings me so much joy that you recognize that. It's - yeah, it takes years to perfect something like that or to hone a skill like that. And I think that sounds - and again, that's something that Danny taught me early on in my stand-up career, is how you use - you know, understanding what mic technique is and where you put the mic and the inflection in your voice and when you use it, where. It's not something that I, like, deliberately try to do. It's just a natural thing that happens while I'm telling a story that I'm highly conscious of, so I just do it naturally in the moment. But absolutely, you should do that.
And all the great comedians that came before us use that. Carlin would do it all the time. He would switch it up all the time. He'd get really low, and he'd get really high. And the next, you know (ph)? You know, he would do these things that are just so excellent when he's telling a story or making a point. You would just see the volume changes pretty regularly and the pitch and the inflection. It just makes everything pop more. It's great. Everybody does it. Everybody that's excellent at stand-up, has mastered the art form, does it.
DAVIES: We need to take another break here. Let me reintroduce you. We're speaking with Mo Amer. He has two comedy specials on Netflix, and he stars in the new series based on his life, which premieres tomorrow. It's called "Mo," also on Netflix. We'll be back to talk more after this short break. I'm Dave Davies, and this is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF LEFTERIS KORDIS ET AL.'S "CELIA")
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross, who's off this week. We're speaking with comedian Mo Amer. He's of Palestinian descent. He lived in Kuwait until he was 9, when the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the United States. He grew up in Houston and is now an American citizen. He has two Netflix comedy specials and plays a character in the Hulu series "Ramy." And he's starring in a new series based on his life, which he co-created, co-produced and co-wrote. It's called "Mo." And it premieres on Netflix tomorrow.
So you spent a lot of years traveling as a comedian before you got your citizenship. What was your immigration status? And how did you travel?
AMER: Oh, my God. That pre-getting-my-U.S.-citizenship, it feels like a dream. Like, I don't even know how I did it. You had a refugee travel document that's issued. They still do this to this day. It's only valid for a year, which is so difficult. It has its own implications because some countries require at least six months validity - right? - to any, you know, passport or travel document. It takes four months to get. So you're just waiting forever for it. And then when you - and then nobody knows what it is, right? Nobody has a clue what it is. The people who should know what it is don't know what it is.
Like, the people working at the airlines when you first check in - no idea what it is. When you get to the immigration counter, 90-plus percent of the immigration officers from all around the world look at this as an alien landing. Like, what is this thing, you know? And they just freak out by it. How did you get here? Why are you here? The questions start to ensue. And then they realize how, you know, terrible they were to me for hours and hours until they got confirmation that this is a real thing that you can actually travel with, which makes it even more confusing is that it says this is not a passport the moment you open it, right? On the inside, it's big, bold letters that says, this is not a U.S. passport. It's just like, well, what is this thing then?
DAVIES: And they would read that back to you, this is not a passport.
AMER: Yeah. I'm like, yeah, I know it's not a passport. Yeah, exactly. I know exactly this is not a passport. But as a refugee, I would have to become really knowledgeable about what it is, when it was issued, you know, what rights I have attached to it, you know? It was just a mess, just an absolute mess.
DAVIES: So Mo the salesman had to take over, right? I mean...
AMER: Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, in some cases, I had to, like, mislead them to enter the country. In some cases, I would have to just, like, completely mislead them or pretend like I don't know what they're talking about or just create some kind of situation or attempt to big time it. Like, you know, just you have to, like - I had to assess the situation. And each one was very different than the other. And then I would assess the person and the immigration officer. And then I had to, you know, come up with a quick plan in that moment to get in.
DAVIES: How would you big time it with a skeptical border agent or airline employee?
AMER: You have to be super confident, you know? And so you have to exude this confidence and tell them exactly what they're doing. And once you tell them you're a comedian, if they understood what standup comedy was, it made things lighter naturally. But then you just have to be, like, super direct. And then you guilt them. Like, hey, this is my livelihood. I'm coming to work. Like, this is what I do. And this is where I'm going. And would you do this to yourself? Like, would you do this to people you know? Like, what am I doing here? Like, you would just guilt them into - like, basically, let them see how racist this interaction is. And then once they start having that realization and they know that it's legal and they have to let you go through, they eventually let you go.
DAVIES: You would cite Geneva Conventions (laughter)?
AMER: I would. No, absolutely, I would. I would cite Geneva Conventions. And this is my rights here. This is what it is according to the articles of 1948. Yeah, absolutely, I would. Yeah. I mean, it's been a while, so I need a massive refresher. But it was one of those things that I had to do. And I would also add to it, like, recommendation letters from the respective consulates. I would carry those with me, as well as references, so if they had any issues. I would get them before I leave - before I left Houston. I would get those recommendation letters. And I would have to work that out, right? I would have to call the consulate general in Jordan at that time, like, hey. Can you connect me with the Japanese consulate, and maybe he can write me a letter? So when I get there, if I have any issues, I can show that to them. Or I would do that with all those countries. It was, like, a pretty great hustle for a kid that was, like, 18, 19 years old, to think that far ahead. That's pretty insane, you know?
DAVIES: Wow.
AMER: Who has those backup plans like that? And I learned that from my mom.
DAVIES: It took you, I think, 20 years roughly from when you got to Houston before you got your citizenship. Why did it take so long?
AMER: It's just the asylee process, you know, dealing with the immigration process. And there was a couple of snafus that nobody really saw coming. But the asylee immigrant process is not, like - it's not that easy.
DAVIES: So your family applied for asylum. And you were waiting for a...
AMER: Correct.
DAVIES: ...A hearing and a decision for all those years?
AMER: Absolutely. Absolutely. And more - so you know, my dad passed away. Add another layer of complexity. So we had to, like, start over because we didn't know who the lawyer was. And it was just a whole situation. And then by the time you get another attorney and you get another court date - it takes a lot of time. It's not something that happens overnight. And then when you get there, it has a whole nother layers to it. Like, oh, what do you need, this - or this paperwork or that? How can you prove this and that? Like, it takes a while. And then, by the time you do get your asylum - if you're lucky enough to get it and you're not deported - it takes you five years to get your green card, another five years to become a citizen.
DAVIES: Wow.
AMER: It's just - that's the way it is. That's the process. So yeah, it takes time.
DAVIES: You know, you traveled a lot. And I happen to know that there's one occasion when you got upgraded to first class and seated next to Eric Trump, of all people. Tell us that story (laughter).
AMER: Well, I mean, it wasn't just a random sitting next to me. It was right after his dad was elected president of United States. And no one from the Trump administration was speaking to the media. And I didn't even know this because I was so engrossed in touring. I just flew in from Australia to New York - New York, I'm going to Scotland, Glasgow. And I couldn't think. I didn't even know, you know? I was so exhausted. I get there. And I sit next to him. I'm like, is this a joke? Like, I thought this was a joke. I'm like, am I being set up? Am I being recruited into the Illuminati and I don't know it? Like, what's happening, you know?
DAVIES: (Laughter).
AMER: What's going on? And I just initially thought that the - you know, the ticketing agent had a sense of humor. She was just like, oh, Eric, Trump is on my flight? Let me see who's on standby here for first class. Oh, Mohammed Mustafa Amer. Upgrade, you know?
DAVIES: (Laughter).
AMER: Like, I thought that was potentially what was going on. And I jokingly - you know, I gave him the business. I wasn't holding back. And I just told him - I was like, hey, this Muslim stuff has got to just stop. I don't know why it's happening, you know? You guys need to relax on that. I took a picture with him. And I, you know, had a caption - it's been a while now, but something along the lines like, don't worry, guys. There's no Muslim ID cards - da, da, da, da. And I didn't know it was going to become, like, a global incident. I landed six hours later in Glasgow. And I have emails from every single publication and news outlets on planet Earth. I was like, holy [expletive], what did I just do?
DAVIES: When you gave him the business and said, you know, talked about the Muslim ban, how did he respond?
AMER: He was just like, come on. My - he was like, the funny thing is, like - he was just like, you know, we do a lot of business in the Middle East. Come on. Nobody's going to do that. You know, like, I have Arab friends. You know, (laughter) he did one of those things, which was hilarious. And then I told him - I was like, look; I've got your dad all figured out. He knows the trigger words - right? - for the media to cover him and create a spectacle, right? He knows those words, so he keeps - the things that he can't touch, he keeps touching them, the same over and over again, and he knows he's going to dominate the news coverage. That's what he does. Without even flinching, he goes, yep, it's exactly what he does (laughter).
DAVIES: Let's take another break here. Let me reintroduce you. We are speaking with Mo Amer. He has two comedy specials on Netflix, and he stars in a brand-new series based on his life. That premieres tomorrow. It's called "Mo," also on Netflix. We'll continue our conversation in just a moment. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF MATT WILSON QUARTET'S "HUG")
DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. And we're speaking with comedian Mo Amer. He has two comedy specials on Netflix, and he stars in a new series based on his life. It premieres tomorrow on Netflix. It is called "Mo."
One of the interesting things about your career - I read that relatively early in your career, you got gigs performing before American troops in Europe and then in the Middle East, right?
AMER: Yeah. Middle East, Japan, Korea, Guam, Bahrain, Germany, Italy, Sicily, yeah.
DAVIES: What kind of stuff did you do before then? Did you - I don't know. Did you play upon your ethnic background? Or...
AMER: Yeah. No, it was important for me to be myself. This was like - the first time I did those shows was pre-9/11. It was - April of 2001 was the first time I did those in Italy, Germany and Sicily. I went with another comedian named Caroline Picard who took me on the road with her. And it was - yeah, it was one of those things of just doing stand-up, right? It wasn't a big deal. And then 9/11 happens five months later, and I had these shows booked in Japan, Korea and Guam. I was like, man, I have to go now. It's a completely different reasoning now. It's not just - I'm not just doing stand-up comedy; I'm giving these guys a face, No. 1, to a people that are essentially faceless in the media, in television and entertainment.
And then also for myself, like, I have to see if I can be myself all the time because if that is - if that's taken away from me in stand-up, then it's - everything is gone. I can't fake and be a different persona and different person. Like, no, I have to be myself - that is, the funniest people, the most authentic people, are the best stand-up comedians of all time. I can't not be myself. It was a devastating time for me. I was really scared that I might not have a career anymore. And little did I know it was actually empowering for me and for them as well.
DAVIES: Yeah. You know, it's been 21 years since then, and it's - there's a generation of people who didn't experience that, and people can forget the intensity, you know, of the - well, I mean, anti-Arab and anti-Islam feeling which rippled through the population and, I'm sure, through servicepeople that you performed for. Did you get blowback? I mean, how did you deal with it?
AMER: Very few. I mean, it wasn't really blowback; it was discomfort. And I leaned into that discomfort because I knew it wasn't me. It wasn't - has nothing to do with me, and it has everything to do with their perception or lack of information. So I never took it hard. I never took it to heart. I never was judgmental of them. I made sure that I stand firm in who I am and let the performance, let the subject matter onstage and let the - being funny is what's most important. Like, you can't be - already have some projections on you and then they - like, oh, this guy sucks, too. Like, you got to...
(LAUGHTER)
DAVIES: Right. That you don't need.
AMER: You got to be hilarious, you know?
DAVIES: Right, right, right.
AMER: That's the No. 1 thing. If you're funny, then it melts most ice, right?
DAVIES: So how did you lean into this discomfort? What did that sound like on stage?
AMER: Well, I ripped off the Band-Aid. I just would go up on stage - when I say stage, I use that loosely because we're performing in, like, war areas in Iraq. And I would just go up on this gravel stage in front of all these troops who are completely strapped and, you know, armed. And I walk on and say, hey, guys, my name is Mo. It's actually short for Mohammed. Surprise, bitches. Today's the day. I thought that was a really good way to rip off the Band-Aid (laughter). And they would just laugh.
DAVIES: They loved it, yeah.
AMER: They ate it up. Oh, my God, they ate it up. And then I went into the storytelling and everything else. And it became such a strong relationship. And I had a lot of very earnest moments with a lot of soldiers. And they would just walk up to me and be very emotional with me, you know? It was incredible experience that I would never take the - 'cause I got a lot of judgment from even Muslims and Arabs. Like, how dare you go over there and do this? And they're killing us, and this whole idea of that. I was like, Well, you know, obviously, I don't agree with war, period. This is all just devastating, and the reasoning behind it is all false, and it's bad, and I just don't agree with it.
And also, I think it's important to not shy away from it and be present in their life and to give them a new perspective and all - it was, like, a win, win, win, win, win, you know? And for me as well, somebody who fled that region to begin with, was really cathartic as well for me. It was like, there are so many pluses to going there that I couldn't imagine not doing it. I'm so glad I did.
DAVIES: And the emotional moments that you had with soldiers, what kind of things did they say to you?
AMER: It was some remorse. Some of them cried on my shoulders. Some of them had a lot of respectful things to say. And some of them just acknowledging how wrong they were about the projections they had upon the region and the friends that they made that are local, that are Arab, that are Muslim, they found to be, like, really profound moments. And since I came and performed there and we had moments where we could share with each other and have tea and whatever is afforded to us to have a drink together. It was a really potent and hyperreal moment. I mean, it can't get any realer than that.
DAVIES: You know, in the - your Netflix special, "Muhammad In Texas," you end with a really touching story of you that now that you got your American passport, you went and paid a visit to the village near Nablus where your family had come from. Was that your first time in Palestine?
AMER: Yeah, that was my first time there.
DAVIES: Yeah. Well, you know, what happens in the standup special is you see you describing some things about this visit. And we see footage from the documentary. And, you know, you talk about tender moments with your family, aunts and cousins. And then you see a mosque, and you go and pay a visit to this mosque in the middle of this town where you pray. And then men in the mosque insist that you say the call to prayer, which is, you know, broadcast from a little sound system in the mosque. And the whole village hears it and knows that it's time for prayer. And you say, no, no, no, no, I can't do this. And they say, well, don't you know the prayer? You say, well, don't you know the call? And you say, yes, of course, I know the call, but I can't. I can't. They just absolutely insist and you agree to do it. And so now - I want - at this point, I want to pick up the story from the special where you're describing the moment when you have agreed to go and do the call for prayer. Let's listen.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "MO AMER: MOHAMMED IN TEXAS")
AMER: And I walk up. I was like, cousin, be next to me because I'm nervous. Make sure I don't mess up. So I do the call for prayer throughout the whole entire village. And I'm overcome. I was like, oh, my God. This is amazing. What is this thing that's been written for me? I can't believe this happened. Right as I'm thinking this, a man just crashes right into the masjid. Who did the call for prayer? Like this. And everybody sells me out - this guy. This guy did the call for prayer. This guy did the call for prayer. I was like, yo, forget y'all, man. Y'all forced me to do the call for prayer. He's like, why did you do it? I was like, I just told you. They forced me to do the call for prayer.
He goes, well, you just did it 10 minutes early, bro. You did it 10 minutes early. I was like, that clock is flashing, man, it's saying it's time because that clock is 10 minutes ahead. I was like, I don't know. That's a digital clock. Push little buttons and we'll fix the whole thing. OK? You want me to do it? And then he goes, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I've been in the village my entire life. I know everyone in the village. Who are you? I've never seen you before. Who is your father? I tell him who my father is. He goes, oh, my God. He goes, oh, my God. Your father is Mustafa? I was like, yes, my father is Mustafa. He goes, you know who installed the sound system in this masjid? Your father did.
(APPLAUSE)
AMER: It was truly one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced in my life.
DAVIES: And that's our guest, Mo Amer, from his Netflix comedy special, "Mohammed In Texas." Does it still give you a chill to hear that?
AMER: Yeah, man, chokes me up. I can't believe it happened. You know, it's crazy. It's absolutely mind blowing. It just - and I meant it, like, what is this thing that's written for me? Like, it's wild.
DAVIES: Yeah. I mean, it's like this - the mosque is centuries old, and there's this thread pulling you back to it.
AMER: Yeah. And then to find out that - because my father was a telecommunications engineer, but more this - more so than that, he was really familiar with technology of all sorts, from televisions to radios and barely. This is where I learned, like, your father had a shop here in Burin, and he would teach people what technology was because nobody knew what it was. And he made a joke. He's like, oh, before your dad, they used to plant antennas in the ground and pour water on them, hoping they'd get a signal, you know. And he was just making an analogy of what my dad did for the town. And he goes, yeah, your dad is the one who installed this sound system. I was like, are you kidding me? Like, that is just mind blowing.
DAVIES: Well, Mo, Amer, it's been fun. Thanks so much for spending some time with us.
AMER: Oh, thank you so much for having me. Thank you so much. I have had a great time.
DAVIES: Mo Amer has two comedy specials on Netflix, and he stars in the new series based on his life, which premieres tomorrow. It's called "Mo," also on Netflix. Coming up, Kevin Whitehead reviews the new album from jazz drummer Billy Drummond's Quartet. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/movies-tv/movies-tv/2022-08-23/comic-mo-amer-draws-on-his-palestinian-and-texan-roots-in-a-new-netflix-series | 2022-09-11T05:41:57Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/movies-tv/movies-tv/2022-08-23/comic-mo-amer-draws-on-his-palestinian-and-texan-roots-in-a-new-netflix-series | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
From the first line of the introduction to his memoir, Scenes From My Life, actor and activist Michael K. Williams addresses the reader with stark honesty and resolve.
"Way before I was anything or anyone, I was an addict," he wrote. "That was my identity, what people thought of me, if they thought of me at all. Into my mid-20s, I was on the verge of being discarded, like so many of my brothers and sisters who never got a chance to be something else. But through God's grace, I am still here."
Unfortunately, Michael Kenneth Williams isn't here anymore. He was found dead in his home of a drug overdose on Sept. 6 last year.
But the actor leaves behind a legacy of amazing characters: Omar Little from The Wire, the streetwise, uncompromising robber of drug dealers; 1920s-era gangster Albert "Chalky" White on Boardwalk Empire; top dog Riker's Island inmate Freddie Knight in The Night Of and abusive, closeted gay father Montrose Freeman on Lovecraft Country.
He also produced a gripping, revelatory memoir, completed weeks after his death, detailing a long struggle with addiction and self-doubt.
Dominic Dupont, Williams' nephew, said he copes with his uncle's unexpected death by honoring this legacy as an actor and activist.
"It's just understanding that...Michael would have wanted this," Dupont said. "He would have wanted us to elevate this conversation about what it is to turn pain into art."
Williams' co-author, Jon Sternfeld, said the two worked on the book for more than two years, talking extensively about the actor's life in recorded interviews. His death came about a month before the manuscript was due.
"I started out helping him with something, and I ended up being in charge of his legacy," said Sternfeld, who has co-written books with Senators Tom Daschle and Trent Lott and author/advocate Jim St. Germain.
"To his credit, he was very open from the beginning," he said. "One of the things he talked about a lot was how young men, especially young Black men, were not taught to get out there with their feelings and be vulnerable. And he, like, wanted to be a demonstrator of that."
Turning pain into art
"I was 22 years old when a music video changed my life...I cannot overstate how important [Janet Jackson's] Rhythm Nation was to my lost and aching 22-year-old self. It spoke to the man I was and the boy I had been...I too wore my pain and loneliness like skin. I too was desperate for someone to reach out...I was seeing myself on the television for the first time. This was not a music video. It was a g-----n earthquake."
--- Michael K. Williams, Scenes From My Life
Scenes From My Life tells a story which could have been a movie on its own. Raised in a Brooklyn housing project, Williams started as a dancer and model — inspired by dancing along to the Rhythm Nation video until he knew all the moves, and eventually landing jobs with artists like Crystal Waters and Madonna.
He thought his performing life was over when his face was slashed during a bar fight. But instead, it led to an acting career playing legendarily tough-yet-sensitive Black men – bringing dignity and a compelling presence to the kind of characters who are often overlooked and underestimated in the real world.
Ironically, Williams grew up as a very different person than the tough characters he played; Sternfeld said the actor remembered that when he first landed the role as Omar, he was worried that people wouldn't accept him as a gay stickup man who was feared by everyone.
"He's like, everybody who grew up with me knew that I was this scaredy cat who liked to dance or who wore bow ties to church," the co-author said. "He was definitely a bullied kid. And they mocked him for his interest in the arts. So he would hang out with girls or younger boys, because he felt like he couldn't hang [with his peers]. And that's a big part of the book."
The hazard of normalizing abnormality
The memoir has showbusiness stories: What it was like working with Tupac Shakur on the 1996 film Bullet; impressing Nicolas Cage with a death scene in Martin Scorsese's film Bringing Out the Dead; getting cast as Omar on The Wire.
But the book spends much more time on how Williams was shaped by his early years. He notes how growing up in a neighborhood filled with poverty and violence leads to people treating such circumstances as ordinary and expected; they don't realize how traumatizing such events are, because they are so common.
Williams tells a story in the book about going back into a movie theater moments after a shooting to retrieve a marijuana-filled joint he had dropped while fleeing the scene. Standing outside and lighting up, he was surprised to realize his hands were shaking.
"That kind of situation was so normal to me, but my body was telling me, No Michael, this is not normal," he wrote. "There's the trauma of life in the projects, and there's the survivors' means of processing it. This kind of violence is so rampant, so habitual, that we put on blinders just to get through the day. We normalize the abnormal."
His nephew, Dupont, noted another poignant contrast, detailed in the book: although accessing memories of past trauma helped make his characters more realistic – Williams reveals he was molested twice before he reached high school – it also made maintaining his sobriety more difficult.
"That was a sacrifice for Mike, and he knew that," Dupont said. "That is how he poured life into these characters. Pouring life into these characters meant that he would pour pain and trauma into them."
An actor and activist
Dupont was convicted of murder after defending his twin brother in a fight at age 19. He served 20 years, developing a reputation as a model prisoner, and Williams stayed connected to him. After Dupont's sentence was commuted in 2017, they worked together to raise awareness about at-risk kids.
Dupont's experiences became the core of a documentary Williams produced with Vice on HBO about a generation of Black youth locked behind bars called Raised in the System. When Dupont was released from jail – a moment captured in the film — he and Williams screened it around the country to jump-start discussions about criminal justice and policing.
Dupont said such activism came naturally to his uncle. "For as long as I can remember, my entire life...no matter what he was going through, he was always concerned that someone else was going through something worse than him," he said. "And [he wondered], how could he help?"
Things seemed to be going well last year, Dupont said, when Williams suddenly stopped answering texts, which was a troubling sign.
"What also alarmed me, was that I talked to Michael every single day since I was released from prison," Dupont added. "Every. Single. Day."
Dupont and his wife got into Williams' apartment, discovered his body and called 911. "We touched him. He was cold. At that point we said, 'He's deceased.'"
Both Dupont and Sternfeld said they had no idea Williams had relapsed. Sternfeld said Williams talked often about being one slip away from losing everything.
"He was very grounded in the fact that even making it to 54 — which is how old he was when he passed — was a miracle, considering what he had fought through," Sternfeld said. "So even though he didn't know he was going to die in September, he did have a sense that maybe he wasn't long for this world. I mean, he never said it directly. But there was something about his urgency; how he had finally discovered who he was."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/movies-tv/movies-tv/2022-08-23/michael-k-williams-memoir-scenes-from-my-life-shows-how-he-turned-trauma-into-art | 2022-09-11T05:42:03Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/movies-tv/movies-tv/2022-08-23/michael-k-williams-memoir-scenes-from-my-life-shows-how-he-turned-trauma-into-art | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
A spokesperson for the author Salman Rushdie said he is continuing to recover from a knife attack on Friday as he was about to begin a speaking event in upstate New York. In an update on his recovery, Rushdie's agent told the Associated Press that the author is now off a ventilator and able to talk again, although he remains seriously wounded. The attack was shocking on many levels. Although Rushdie has been a target of violent extremists since the publication of his novel "The Satanic Verses" more than 30 years ago - a controversy that required him to take extreme security precautions for more than a decade - Rushdie has made many public appearances since, in defense of his own work and of artistic expression more broadly.
But the attack also pierced the serenity of the Chautauqua Institution, where Rushdie was about to appear. It's a retreat center that has hosted artists, writers and thinkers for a summerlong program of lectures and performances and relaxation since the 19th century. And by extension, the attack has reignited questions about how to balance freedom and security in an era when violence is on the rise in any number of environments.
We wanted to talk more about this, so we called Emily Morris. She's the senior vice president of the Chautauqua Institution, the organization that hosted the event, and is in charge of communications there. She says Rushdie was there as part of a series about what home means in America.
EMILY MORRIS: And so we examine that from multiple perspectives - from the perspective of homelessness, for example, and many other topics. And Mr. Rushdie and Mr. Reese were here to talk about home - when it is asylum, when people are seeking a place where they can find safety and, in this case, safety to pursue their voice in an environment that supports free speech.
MARTIN: Well, obviously, the question that arises is, like, what kind of security standards are in place for events like this? I mean, obviously, the whole sort of point of Chautauqua is to have a sense of engagement with the world but remove from the world at the same time...
MORRIS: Yes.
MARTIN: ...Right?
MORRIS: Correct.
MARTIN: It's - be relaxing and very open but also to allow people to kind of think their big thoughts and relax but also to engage with the world. But you - it cannot have escaped anyone's attention that violence is on the rise in any number of communities around the world - in neighborhoods, you know, certainly political violence. So the question that obviously arises is, did you think about that when you invited him?
MORRIS: Well, certainly, we obviously recognize that the world is changing. And we have a comprehensive security plan that is created not only in consult with experts but with our regional and state law enforcement agencies as well as the FBI. And we have plans specific to the events, and that was the case on the day that Mr. Rushdie was here.
MARTIN: Did - do you - I mean, anyone can second-guess these things in hindsight, but there have been reports - albeit anonymous reports in the media - that suggest that there have been employees there who've suggested that your security precautions were inadequate, that - in essence, that your heads were in the sand about the environment that we are now in.
MORRIS: Yeah. I've heard those reports, and I can tell you they couldn't be further from the truth. I don't think that the FBI and the New York State Police or our regional Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office would have agreed to a plan that they weren't supportive of and in collaboration with us. So I'm not really sure where those accusations are coming from. But with that said, I can tell you, obviously, no one's second-guessing this more than we are and certainly looking at what we've done and what we need to do moving forward and, at the same time, keeping our focus on Mr. Rushdie and his continuing recovery as well.
MARTIN: So as I said, this is a very new experience, and I'm sure that you all are still processing it. I understand that there was an event on Friday evening, a - I don't know how you would sort of describe it - a...
MORRIS: A community vigil, yes.
MARTIN: ...A community vigil in support of Mr. Rushdie's recovery, as well as, of course, acknowledging this event in the community. I notice that there's a notice on your website suggesting that some speakers may wish to change their programs and that you will be respectful of that if they do. But I wonder what else this brings up for you as a community of people who are explicitly there to think big thoughts.
MORRIS: Yeah.
MARTIN: Does it - what does this bring up for you? And I - recognizing, as I said, that this is very new and you're still processing this.
MORRIS: Sure. Well, the first thing that it brings up to us is that our mission is more important now than ever. And certainly pursuit of that mission needs to happen in an environment of safety and security. And so those are the things that we're thinking about. We're thinking about how important it is for us to continue. It was important for us to return to the amphitheater stage last night. And we will pursue our conversations about new profiles in courage with a number of people who are going to join us to help bring new meaning and understanding to that and what courage means in the modern day. And we don't think there's anything more important for us to do other than make sure that we can do that in an environment of security and safety. And those are our areas of focus.
MARTIN: That's Emily Morris. She's senior vice president of the Chautauqua Institution. Emily Morris, thank you so much for talking with us. And, of course, our best wishes for the continued recovery of Mr. Rushdie and of those of the community who were affected by this.
MORRIS: Thank you, Michel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-books/npr-books/2022-08-14/the-chautauqua-institutions-role-after-the-salman-rushdie-attack | 2022-09-11T05:43:04Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-books/npr-books/2022-08-14/the-chautauqua-institutions-role-after-the-salman-rushdie-attack | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
When Mona Minkara was 7 years old, she was diagnosed with macular degeneration and cone-rod dystrophy. That's a diagnosis that meant she would eventually lose her sight. One specialist told her mother it was not worth spending a penny on her education. Mom did not listen. Minkara went on to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry and is now a professor of bioengineering at Northeastern University in Boston. And this week, she and her colleagues announced a new way to make scientific data easier to interpret for the blind and visually impaired. Professor Mona Minkara joins me now. Welcome.
MONA MINKARA: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
KELLY: All right. So let's dive into this study. It's describing something called tactile graphics, which are graphics that, as the name suggests, you can trace with your finger. And start with the origins, because this is a technology built on a really old-fashioned art form, the lithophane. Describe it.
MINKARA: So actually what it was, I think it was perceived that maybe a thousand years ago, people produced these lithophanes as a form of art. So if you can imagine, like, a thin piece of material, but you have different densities, and you shine light, then you'll have different shadows - right? - that kind of project.
KELLY: OK, so like an engraving.
MINKARA: Exactly. That's a lithophane. And so what Brian Shaw, professor Brian Shaw at Baylor University, was like, oh, my God, what if we apply this concept to science, to chemistry? Can we do it? And that's exactly what happened. And so this is remarkably revolutionary for somebody like me. So as everybody heard, I'm a blind professor of bioengineering. And I work with sighted students. And so one of the things that would be amazing about having these lithophanes is now we have this form of data. I can feel it, and my students can lift it up to the light and they can see it. So now we have a universality in communication in our science.
KELLY: Something you can both work with at the same time. How have you been doing it? I'm assuming your sighted students were using graphs and charts on a piece of paper. What were you doing?
MINKARA: So basically, what I've been doing, a very simple, cheap solution, is sometimes I'll have them print it out. And then I'll have another student or an access assistant take a hot glue gun and trace the plot. We wait until it dries and then I feel it. That's one simple example.
KELLY: Oh, my gosh. It's just such an extra layer of work when you're already doing really challenging work.
MINKARA: Yeah. Science needs to be made accessible. This would be amazing.
KELLY: And I was trying to figure out why Braille wouldn't work. And then it started to seem obvious in the same way that written English doesn't convey everything that can be conveyed in a chart and a graph. Is it the same with Braille?
MINKARA: Exactly. So Braille is just the letters, right? It's the words.
KELLY: Now, we mentioned lithophanes are a very old form of art. They would originally have been made with porcelain or wax. I assume that's not what you're doing. How are you making them?
MINKARA: The 3D printing materials, Yeah.
KELLY: Oh, OK.
MINKARA: Just, like, the right densities, that's the trick, right? Thin enough, so light shines through, and thick enough at the different parts of, you know, me as the blind person can feel it. And then the sighted student can, like, lift it up to the lights and see it.
KELLY: One thing you and your colleagues note in the paper is, and I'll quote - "the exclusion of students with blindness from chemistry is explicit and systematic." It sounds like this could represent such an exciting breakthrough, but that there's a lot more that needs to change.
MINKARA: A hundred percent. We need to change our mentalities. We need to make sure that things like this are readily available. They're not very expensive. We need to change how we teach in a classroom. You know, as a blind person from a young age, I was discouraged from science because of, quote-unquote, "how impractical it is." Well, you know what? I think any of us who have a passion for a subject should have the right to study it and contribute.
KELLY: Well, Dr. Minkara thank you so much for speaking with us.
MINKARA: Thank you very much for having me.
KELLY: That's Mona Minkara, assistant professor of bioengineering at Northeastern University. Her work is out this week in the journal Science Advances. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-business-money/npr-business-money/2022-08-19/this-technology-makes-data-accessible-to-blind-and-visually-impaired-people | 2022-09-11T05:43:53Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-business-money/npr-business-money/2022-08-19/this-technology-makes-data-accessible-to-blind-and-visually-impaired-people | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
For months, shoppers in France have seen a worrying gap in the condiment aisle. A severe mustard shortage has troubled the country, one of the world's top mustard consumers. Emma Jacobs reports the shortage actually has roots an ocean away.
EMMA JACOBS, BYLINE: First, Gabrielle Villais noticed the popular mustard brands had gone missing from Paris supermarkets, then the lesson-known ones. And then even the fancy specialty mustards had sold out. Its absence was jarring, says Villais.
GABRIELLE VILLAIS: It's both cultural. It's a family thing. It's a little bit sentimental. It's also quite reassuring because it's always, always in your fridge.
JACOBS: Luckily, Villais, a translator and political consultant, had a vacation planned to Dijon, the region of France synonymous with the country's favorite condiment.
VILLAIS: We were looking forward to be able to score some mustard because there had been a shortage for a couple of weeks in Paris already.
JACOBS: In Dijon, you can visit mustard producers like some people visit wineries. But she found even their gift shops had run short.
VILLAIS: Even they didn't have anything but very odd-flavored mustard.
JACOBS: Because it turns out, only a fraction of the mustard seed used by French mustard producers grows in Dijon. Most of the seed used by manufacturers actually comes from the Canadian prairies. The country produces half the world's exports of mustard seed.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMBINE RUNNING)
JACOBS: That's the sound of a combine harvesting mustard on the farm of Kevin Hursh in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It's a busy time of year for Hirsch, who's bringing in a harvest that's been impacted for a second year by a lingering drought. But things aren't nearly as bad as last year.
KEVIN HURSH: It just refused to rain. And then temperatures ratcheted upwards, especially in early July, getting close to 40 degrees. And crops just couldn't take it. So it's a difficult thing to watch your year's work wither.
JACOBS: Forty degrees Celsius is 104 Fahrenheit. Overall, mustard yields in the province were down by more than half. The war in Ukraine has also worsened shortages because that country also produces mustard seeds. But experts say it's climate change and not war that is the long-term worry. Dave Sauchyn, director of the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative, says droughts are a natural part of their climate, but hotter temperatures can make them more severe. That's a worrying prospect for such a big food-producing region.
DAVE SAUCHYN: Mustard was impacted by the drought, and mustard is an important export crop. But in the bigger picture, there's probably more serious threats than just the loss of the mustard crop.
JACOBS: For mustard this year, at least, yields in Canada look a little higher. Farmers also planted more acres this season, so France's condiment shortage should come to an end soon. In Paris, Gabrielle Villais is looking forward to it.
VILLAIS: The next year, barbecues are saved.
JACOBS: Though she says the shortage has reminded her things we take for granted have become more vulnerable. And she did bring something special home from her Dijon vacation, not mustard but harissa, the North African-style chili paste. For NPR News, I'm Emma Jacobs. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-food/npr-food/2022-08-23/french-supermarkets-have-been-low-on-mustard-the-main-cause-stems-from-canada | 2022-09-11T05:44:11Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-food/npr-food/2022-08-23/french-supermarkets-have-been-low-on-mustard-the-main-cause-stems-from-canada | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is using a controversial strategy to evaluate the next generation of COVID-19 boosters.
The approach is stirring debate as the agency works to make new, hopefully improved, boosters available in September to help prevent severe disease and save lives in the fall and winter.
For the first time, the FDA is planning to base its decision about whether to authorize new boosters on studies involving mice instead of humans.
"For the FDA to rely on mouse data is just bizarre, in my opinion," says John Moore, an immunologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. "Mouse data are not going to be predictive in any way of what you would see in humans."
But others defend the approach, arguing that the country has had enough experience with the vaccines at this point to be confident the shots are safe and that there's not enough time to wait for data from human studies.
"We have 500 people a day dying of coronavirus right now. Those numbers sadly might very well rise in the fall and the winter. The question is: 'Can we do something better?'" says Dr. Ofer Levy, a pediatrics and infectious disease researcher at Harvard Medical School who also advises the FDA. "And I think the answer is: 'We can, by implementing this approach.'"
The U.K. just approved a new booster
The United Kingdom just approved a new booster that targets both the original strain of the virus and the original omicron variant, called BA.1 — a so-called bivalent vaccine.
But the FDA rejected BA.1 bivalent boosters last spring. Instead, the FDA told the vaccine companies that make the mRNA vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech, to develop bivalent vaccines that target the dominant omicron subvariants — BA.4 and BA.5 — in the hopes they will offer stronger, longer-lasting protection.
That's why the FDA decided to use a new, streamlined strategy for testing the new boosters. The agency is asking the companies to initially submit only the results of tests on mice. Regulators will rely on those results, along with the human neutralizing antibody data from the BA.1 bivalent booster studies, to decide whether to authorize the boosters.
The companies will continue to gather more data from human studies; those results probably won't be available until late October or early November.
But the big concern is the boosters may not work as well as the mouse data might suggest. Mouse experiments are notoriously unreliable.
And with the government telling people not to get the old boosters now and rejecting the first bivalent vaccines, the FDA really needs good evidence that the BA.4/5 boosters are in fact better, critics say.
"We need to make sure that we have solid immunogenicity data in people to show that you have a dramatically greater neutralizing antibody response against BA.4, BA.5," says Dr. Paul Offit of the University of Pennsylvania, who also advises the FDA. "I think anything short of that is not acceptable."
Some also worry that the approach may further erode the long-faltering efforts to persuade people to get boosted.
"I think it would be good to have neutralizing antibody data in a small group of humans," says Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. "Otherwise, extrapolation may be considered too great."
But others agree the time constraints mean the country can't wait for more evidence. The billions of people who have gotten Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines show how safe they are, those experts say.
The new booster will be identical to the original vaccines except it will contain genetic coding for two versions of the protein the virus uses to infect cells — the protein from the original vaccine and proteins from the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants.
And some scientists say health officials know enough about how vaccines work to start handling the COVID-19 vaccines like the flu vaccines, which are changed every year to try to match whatever strains are likely to be circulating but aren't routinely tested again every year.
"We're going to use all of these data that we've learned through not only from this vaccine but decades of viral immunology to say: 'The way to be nimble is that we're going to do those animal studies," says Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunobiologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. "We're really not going out too far on a limb here."
The companies are expected to submit their data to the FDA by the end of the month and the administration hopes to make millions of doses of the new boosters available starting in September.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-health-fitness/npr-health-fitness/2022-08-18/whats-behind-the-fdas-controversial-strategy-for-evaluating-new-covid-boosters | 2022-09-11T05:44:36Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-health-fitness/npr-health-fitness/2022-08-18/whats-behind-the-fdas-controversial-strategy-for-evaluating-new-covid-boosters | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ORONO: If you're interested in kind of a personal exploration of pop music that me and my friends do, check it out. And if it's not your cup of tea, that's totally fine. Go listen to old music. I love old music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WORLD WIDE POP")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Good morning. Welcome to the channel. I hope you can handle the tutorial.
DANIEL ESTRIN, HOST:
Orono - she prefers to go by just her first name - is the lead singer of the band Superorganism. They made a splash with their debut album in 2018, a frenzy of collected samples and deadpan lyrics. Her bandmates, who are from all over the world, met both in-person and on the internet, and their musings about the peril and promise of life online continue in a new album, "World Wide Pop."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WORLD WIDE POP")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) It's a world wide pop. Pop. And all the people jump up when they feel it glowing. Intergalactic shock...
ESTRIN: So how much of this album was actually recorded in the same room or even, you know, in the same country?
ORONO: Most of it was still recorded remotely just 'cause I feel like being in our rooms or in our little bunks on the tour bus kind of is just our preferred, like, mode of creating music, I guess.
ESTRIN: So you actually preferred to record separately in separate rooms, even though you could have all just recorded in the same space.
ORONO: That's just kind of how we grew up making music and learned how to make music, on our laptops in our rooms. So it just kind of ends up happening like that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WORLD WIDE POP")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) It's a world wide pop.
ESTRIN: Well, a lot of your music involves not just singing and music, but actually gathered sound. So we hear some of that in the track "Solar System."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOLAR SYSTEM")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Cool. Press the button to be begin. This is the planet Pluto.
ORONO: It's, like, such a core part of our songwriting process that it's, like, literally all over the records because we just kind of include sounds from our daily life. We just have, like, a great management team and label that helps us figure it out because we sampled something that we randomly found, and then we, like, almost got sued. And it was a whole thing. So this time around, we did it all legally.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOLAR SYSTEM")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: We first flew in 1903.
ESTRIN: I have to say, you know, when I first listened to your album, it kind of felt like the musical equivalent of TikTok. It was that...
ORONO: I don't know if that's a compliment or a dis.
ESTRIN: Well, wait a minute. Hear me out. Hear me out.
ORONO: OK.
ESTRIN: It's that feeling of, like, you know, on TikTok or on Facebook or Instagram, that rush of random short videos, one after the other on a loop we all are just drawn to on our phones. I guess I'm wondering if you - do you see that as a compliment or as a dis? I mean, do you see this as a mirror of the moment we're living in right now?
ORONO: I think the songs kind of sound like that because we were feeling kind of overwhelmed with the internet, which we kind of grew up on and love. I feel like it's morphed into, like, this weird algorithm monster now, and it's totally different from, like, the internet that we grew up with, I feel like.
ESTRIN: There is this track, the first track on your album, "Black Hole Baby."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLACK HOLE BABY")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: There you go. That is Superorganism.
ELTON JOHN: This is Elton John, the Superorganism, really recommend that one.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Josh tell me, did you like it?
ESTRIN: In this song, you hear actually audio clips of people in the music industry saying how much they love your band.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLACK HOLE BABY")
BOB BOILEN: From NPR Music, anyone else love this band as much as me?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: Superorganism, check them out.
ESTRIN: And then later in the album, there is another song, "Put Down Your Phone." People can guess what that's about. And it talks about what it's like to be constantly bombarded by everybody's thoughts about you online. So talk about this new internet. I mean, how do you handle all this attention, all your online fans and commenters?
ORONO: Delete Instagram. Delete as many social media apps as you can. But the kind of unfortunate nature of being a musician nowadays is that you kind of have to be an influencer in a way. It's not just about making music. You kind of have to, you know, brand yourself and put content up on a regular basis. You know, it's not really just about the music now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Right. Did you put on a few pounds? I bet you got paid so much. Well, I mean, you know, it's really complicated...
ESTRIN: As a lead singer of a band in your early 20s with this music that just mirrors this strange internet world we're living in, you know, what would you tell our listeners who maybe are a little bit older than you?
ORONO: I would just be like, I hope you like this record. If you don't, that's fine. I don't really care.
ESTRIN: I mean, there is a lot of retro in this album, isn't there? It feels like there's a lot of '80s, '90s, you know, even early 2000s.
ORONO: Oh, yeah. I mean, I feel like that's, like, our main inspo. I mean, for me at least, I grew up with a lot of, like, '90s music because of my parents. So we actually get a good mix of, like, age ranges at our shows.
ESTRIN: Sweet.
ORONO: And we get a lot of dads with their daughters. And that's, like, my favorite thing to see because my dad would take me to shows and festivals and stuff, and that was, like, my favorite memories from growing up. So it's cool that I'm kind of setting up similar experiences for people.
ESTRIN: And what does your dad think about this new album?
ORONO: He's like, I mean, it's not for me, but it's cool. You know, he's a Japanese dad, so he's not going to very clearly be like, I love your new record. It's so great and amazing. He's never going to do that, but I'm pretty sure he's proud of me.
ESTRIN: Well, congratulations on your new album, and thanks for being here.
ORONO: Thank you very much.
ESTRIN: That's Orono of the band Superorganism. Their latest album is called "World Wide Pop."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EVERYTHING FALLS APART")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Yeah, and everything falls apart except for us. Everything falls apart, just falls apart, just falls apart. Except for us. Everything falls apart, just falls apart, just falls apart. Except for us. Everything falls apart. Just falls apart. Everything falls apart except for us. Everything falls apart, just falls apart. Everything falls apart. Hey there, dude, thanks for the edibles. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 2022-09-11T05:45:07Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 5 |
ORONO: If you're interested in kind of a personal exploration of pop music that me and my friends do, check it out. And if it's not your cup of tea, that's totally fine. Go listen to old music. I love old music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WORLD WIDE POP")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Good morning. Welcome to the channel. I hope you can handle the tutorial.
DANIEL ESTRIN, HOST:
Orono - she prefers to go by just her first name - is the lead singer of the band Superorganism. They made a splash with their debut album in 2018, a frenzy of collected samples and deadpan lyrics. Her bandmates, who are from all over the world, met both in-person and on the internet, and their musings about the peril and promise of life online continue in a new album, "World Wide Pop."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WORLD WIDE POP")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) It's a world wide pop. Pop. And all the people jump up when they feel it glowing. Intergalactic shock...
ESTRIN: So how much of this album was actually recorded in the same room or even, you know, in the same country?
ORONO: Most of it was still recorded remotely just 'cause I feel like being in our rooms or in our little bunks on the tour bus kind of is just our preferred, like, mode of creating music, I guess.
ESTRIN: So you actually preferred to record separately in separate rooms, even though you could have all just recorded in the same space.
ORONO: That's just kind of how we grew up making music and learned how to make music, on our laptops in our rooms. So it just kind of ends up happening like that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WORLD WIDE POP")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) It's a world wide pop.
ESTRIN: Well, a lot of your music involves not just singing and music, but actually gathered sound. So we hear some of that in the track "Solar System."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOLAR SYSTEM")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Cool. Press the button to be begin. This is the planet Pluto.
ORONO: It's, like, such a core part of our songwriting process that it's, like, literally all over the records because we just kind of include sounds from our daily life. We just have, like, a great management team and label that helps us figure it out because we sampled something that we randomly found, and then we, like, almost got sued. And it was a whole thing. So this time around, we did it all legally.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOLAR SYSTEM")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: We first flew in 1903.
ESTRIN: I have to say, you know, when I first listened to your album, it kind of felt like the musical equivalent of TikTok. It was that...
ORONO: I don't know if that's a compliment or a dis.
ESTRIN: Well, wait a minute. Hear me out. Hear me out.
ORONO: OK.
ESTRIN: It's that feeling of, like, you know, on TikTok or on Facebook or Instagram, that rush of random short videos, one after the other on a loop we all are just drawn to on our phones. I guess I'm wondering if you - do you see that as a compliment or as a dis? I mean, do you see this as a mirror of the moment we're living in right now?
ORONO: I think the songs kind of sound like that because we were feeling kind of overwhelmed with the internet, which we kind of grew up on and love. I feel like it's morphed into, like, this weird algorithm monster now, and it's totally different from, like, the internet that we grew up with, I feel like.
ESTRIN: There is this track, the first track on your album, "Black Hole Baby."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLACK HOLE BABY")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: There you go. That is Superorganism.
ELTON JOHN: This is Elton John, the Superorganism, really recommend that one.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Josh tell me, did you like it?
ESTRIN: In this song, you hear actually audio clips of people in the music industry saying how much they love your band.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLACK HOLE BABY")
BOB BOILEN: From NPR Music, anyone else love this band as much as me?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: Superorganism, check them out.
ESTRIN: And then later in the album, there is another song, "Put Down Your Phone." People can guess what that's about. And it talks about what it's like to be constantly bombarded by everybody's thoughts about you online. So talk about this new internet. I mean, how do you handle all this attention, all your online fans and commenters?
ORONO: Delete Instagram. Delete as many social media apps as you can. But the kind of unfortunate nature of being a musician nowadays is that you kind of have to be an influencer in a way. It's not just about making music. You kind of have to, you know, brand yourself and put content up on a regular basis. You know, it's not really just about the music now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Right. Did you put on a few pounds? I bet you got paid so much. Well, I mean, you know, it's really complicated...
ESTRIN: As a lead singer of a band in your early 20s with this music that just mirrors this strange internet world we're living in, you know, what would you tell our listeners who maybe are a little bit older than you?
ORONO: I would just be like, I hope you like this record. If you don't, that's fine. I don't really care.
ESTRIN: I mean, there is a lot of retro in this album, isn't there? It feels like there's a lot of '80s, '90s, you know, even early 2000s.
ORONO: Oh, yeah. I mean, I feel like that's, like, our main inspo. I mean, for me at least, I grew up with a lot of, like, '90s music because of my parents. So we actually get a good mix of, like, age ranges at our shows.
ESTRIN: Sweet.
ORONO: And we get a lot of dads with their daughters. And that's, like, my favorite thing to see because my dad would take me to shows and festivals and stuff, and that was, like, my favorite memories from growing up. So it's cool that I'm kind of setting up similar experiences for people.
ESTRIN: And what does your dad think about this new album?
ORONO: He's like, I mean, it's not for me, but it's cool. You know, he's a Japanese dad, so he's not going to very clearly be like, I love your new record. It's so great and amazing. He's never going to do that, but I'm pretty sure he's proud of me.
ESTRIN: Well, congratulations on your new album, and thanks for being here.
ORONO: Thank you very much.
ESTRIN: That's Orono of the band Superorganism. Their latest album is called "World Wide Pop."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EVERYTHING FALLS APART")
SUPERORGANISM: (Singing) Yeah, and everything falls apart except for us. Everything falls apart, just falls apart, just falls apart. Except for us. Everything falls apart, just falls apart, just falls apart. Except for us. Everything falls apart. Just falls apart. Everything falls apart except for us. Everything falls apart, just falls apart. Everything falls apart. Hey there, dude, thanks for the edibles. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 2022-09-11T05:45:07Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 5 |
DAVE DAVIES, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. Over the last 30 years, jazz drummer Billy Drummond has made hundreds of records with, among many, many others, horn players John Faddis, Javon Jackson and Marty Erlich, and pianist Renee Rosnes, Steve Kuhn and Carla Bley. He also records as a leader. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Drummond's new quartet album is a treat.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "LITTLE MELONAE")
KEVIN WHITEHEAD, BYLINE: Billy Drummond's Quartet on Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae," the sound of a drummer keeping time on ride cymbal is a familiar jazz marker, maybe even a jazz cliche. True, some drummers keeping time sound like they're on autopilot, self-hypnotized, but not the best ones like Billy Drummond. His ride cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms, the sound of a musician fully engaged, hearing and reacting to everything happening around him.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "LITTLE MELONAE")
WHITEHEAD: Saxophonist Dayna Stephens with Billy Drummond's quartet Freedom of Ideas from their new album "Valse Sinistre." The leader doesn't take many solos, but he doesn't need stand-alone spots to show his stuff. He conducts a lot of side business while keeping time. Great jazz drummers are motivators, prodding their comrades and making sure everything swings in an interactive way. This is Micah Thomas on piano.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "RECONFIRMED")
WHITEHEAD: The title track of "Valse Sinistre" is a gem of a waltz by Drummond's old boss, Carla Bley. Dayna Stephens plays it on soprano sax whose bright tone suits the melody and leaves exposed the rhythm section's sideways moves underneath. On bass is Dezron Douglas.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "VALSE SINISTRE")
WHITEHEAD: "Valse Sinistre" by Carla Bley. The slow ballad and one standard on the album "Valse Sinistre" is David Raksin's 1944 movie theme, "Laura." Billy Drummond's quiet grace with wire brushes reminds me of the great tap dancer Bill Robinson doing a rhythmic shuffle on a sandy surface. But Drummond can also be a little contrary.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "LAURA")
WHITEHEAD: On Billy Drummond's album "Valse Sinistre," there is also music by pianist Stanley Cowell and Frank Kimbrough and drummer Tony Williams and by members of the band. The quartet revived the late trombonist Grachan Moncur's "Frankenstein" from 1963, a minor tune with odd chord changes, the kind of offbeat choice that helps make this album a treat. It's not surprising that a leader in the habit of attentive listening would turn up some good, old tunes that other folks overlook.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "FRANKENSTEIN")
WHITEHEAD: Kevin Whitehead is the author of the book "Play The Way You Feel: The Essential Guide To Jazz Stories On Film." And he writes for Point of Departure and The Audio Beat. He reviewed the new album Valse Sinistre by Billy Drummond's quartet, Freedom of Ideas.
On tomorrow's show, the risk of growing tension between China and the U.S. Michael Beckley says China is engaged in the largest military buildup since World War II and is being increasingly aggressive with its Asian neighbors and with the United States. Beckley's new book with Hal Brand (ph) is "Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict With China." I hope you can join us. For Terry Gross, I'm Dave Davies.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "FRANKENSTEIN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-23/new-quartet-album-by-jazz-drummer-billy-drummond-is-a-treat | 2022-09-11T05:45:19Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-23/new-quartet-album-by-jazz-drummer-billy-drummond-is-a-treat | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 14 |
DAVE DAVIES, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. Over the last 30 years, jazz drummer Billy Drummond has made hundreds of records with, among many, many others, horn players John Faddis, Javon Jackson and Marty Erlich, and pianist Renee Rosnes, Steve Kuhn and Carla Bley. He also records as a leader. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Drummond's new quartet album is a treat.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "LITTLE MELONAE")
KEVIN WHITEHEAD, BYLINE: Billy Drummond's Quartet on Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae," the sound of a drummer keeping time on ride cymbal is a familiar jazz marker, maybe even a jazz cliche. True, some drummers keeping time sound like they're on autopilot, self-hypnotized, but not the best ones like Billy Drummond. His ride cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms, the sound of a musician fully engaged, hearing and reacting to everything happening around him.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "LITTLE MELONAE")
WHITEHEAD: Saxophonist Dayna Stephens with Billy Drummond's quartet Freedom of Ideas from their new album "Valse Sinistre." The leader doesn't take many solos, but he doesn't need stand-alone spots to show his stuff. He conducts a lot of side business while keeping time. Great jazz drummers are motivators, prodding their comrades and making sure everything swings in an interactive way. This is Micah Thomas on piano.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "RECONFIRMED")
WHITEHEAD: The title track of "Valse Sinistre" is a gem of a waltz by Drummond's old boss, Carla Bley. Dayna Stephens plays it on soprano sax whose bright tone suits the melody and leaves exposed the rhythm section's sideways moves underneath. On bass is Dezron Douglas.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "VALSE SINISTRE")
WHITEHEAD: "Valse Sinistre" by Carla Bley. The slow ballad and one standard on the album "Valse Sinistre" is David Raksin's 1944 movie theme, "Laura." Billy Drummond's quiet grace with wire brushes reminds me of the great tap dancer Bill Robinson doing a rhythmic shuffle on a sandy surface. But Drummond can also be a little contrary.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "LAURA")
WHITEHEAD: On Billy Drummond's album "Valse Sinistre," there is also music by pianist Stanley Cowell and Frank Kimbrough and drummer Tony Williams and by members of the band. The quartet revived the late trombonist Grachan Moncur's "Frankenstein" from 1963, a minor tune with odd chord changes, the kind of offbeat choice that helps make this album a treat. It's not surprising that a leader in the habit of attentive listening would turn up some good, old tunes that other folks overlook.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "FRANKENSTEIN")
WHITEHEAD: Kevin Whitehead is the author of the book "Play The Way You Feel: The Essential Guide To Jazz Stories On Film." And he writes for Point of Departure and The Audio Beat. He reviewed the new album Valse Sinistre by Billy Drummond's quartet, Freedom of Ideas.
On tomorrow's show, the risk of growing tension between China and the U.S. Michael Beckley says China is engaged in the largest military buildup since World War II and is being increasingly aggressive with its Asian neighbors and with the United States. Beckley's new book with Hal Brand (ph) is "Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict With China." I hope you can join us. For Terry Gross, I'm Dave Davies.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILLY DRUMMOND AND FREEDOM OF IDEAS' "FRANKENSTEIN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-23/new-quartet-album-by-jazz-drummer-billy-drummond-is-a-treat | 2022-09-11T05:45:19Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-23/new-quartet-album-by-jazz-drummer-billy-drummond-is-a-treat | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 14 |
Updated August 17, 2022 at 8:45 AM ET
Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney is laying out her future political plans, including a possible run against Donald Trump in 2024, after conceding defeat in the primary election for her House seat. Her loss on Tuesday followed unyielding criticism since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol of the former president and his efforts to subvert the 2020 election.
"This primary election is over, but now the real work begins," Cheney said in her concession speech Tuesday night, noting that she had called opponent Harriet Hageman to congratulate her.
Cheney acknowledged in a Wednesday interview on NBC's Today she was "thinking" about running for president in 2024.
For her 2022 House race, Cheney raised $14 million, a record for any primary in Wyoming's history, and she spent about half of it. The vast majority of donations came from out of state, and she has built up a network she could tap into in the future. Cheney plans to transform her campaign operation into a political action committee called The Great Task, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission.
"In coming weeks, Liz will be launching an organization to educate the American people about the ongoing threat to our Republic, and to mobilize a unified effort to oppose any Donald Trump campaign for president," said Cheney spokesman Jeremy Adler, as first reported by Politico.
In the interview on Wednesday, she called Trump a "grave threat" and said, "I think that defeating him is going to require a broad and united front of Democrats, Republicans and independents, and that's what I intend to be part of."
Cheney didn't say whether she would run as a Republican or an independent, but said the GOP is "in very bad shape" and said it "could take several election cycles" to return it to its principles. But she said it was important for the country that the Republican Party return to its roots, instead of being focused on Trump.
It was an expected outcome for Cheney, who went from party star and heir to a conservative dynasty to a political outcast — marked by the moment she chose to break with the former president following his role in fomenting a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Cheney addressed supporters on Tuesday night in Jackson Hole, near her home, repeating her vow to do whatever she can to stop Trump from returning to the White House and warning against candidates for other offices willing to ignore the will of voters.
"Our nation is barreling once again toward crisis, lawlessness and violence," Cheney said. "No American should support election deniers for any position of genuine responsibility."
Hageman argued that Cheney was out of step with the state.
"By our vote today, Wyoming has put the elites on notice: We are no longer going to tolerate representatives who don't represent us," Hageman said in her victory speech.
Hageman, an attorney endorsed by Trump who once was a Cheney supporter, took a vast lead over the incumbent. In a state that gave Donald Trump his biggest victory in 2020, Hageman is on a glide path to win the seat outright against Democratic opponent Lynnette GreyBull in November.
When Liz Cheney chose to run for reelection to her House seat in 2020 instead of making a bid for an open Senate seat, some Republicans speculated she was charting a path to become the first female Republican speaker of the House.
Cheney's allies assert she could have easily won reelection if she had done what the vast majority of her GOP colleagues in Congress have done — stood in lock step with Trump. Instead, Cheney made the race entirely about her decision to stand up to the former president.
The Trump base is king in GOP primaries
Roughly 70% of Wyoming voted for Trump and Cheney's repudiation of him became the red line for so many GOP voters who enthusiastically backed her not long ago.
Her final campaign ad zeroed in on her argument that Trump's lie about the 2020 election being stolen is "insidious" and damaging to democracy.
Mary Martin, chair of the Teton County Republican Party in Wyoming, supported Cheney in the past, but says Cheney's interaction with voters changed following her sharp break with the former president.
"I have heard personally from folks who were really staunch supporters of Liz Cheney, and contributed lots of money to her in the past, that she's insulted them," Martin said, adding that her rhetoric labeling her constituents, "Just her personal approach to this has alienated and turned people off. She is not the only person in Wyoming that supports the Constitution."
Republican strategist Alice Stewart says Trump's influence was the ultimate factor in this race.
"Without a doubt, again, when we're talking about a primary, the base is king, and right now, the base of the Republican Party supports Donald Trump," she said.
Martin says the race became personal for many: "In Wyoming, trust and loyalty are very high traits. And she has betrayed trust and she's betrayed loyalty. And she has taken a stance that is perceived by some to be arrogant and not acceptable. And that I mean, it comes down to just, in my opinion, January 6th."
Hageman proudly touted Trump's support. He traveled to Casper in May hold a rally for her and labelled Cheney a "RINO" — Republican In Name Only.
While Hageman criss-crossed the state, Cheney held mostly small private campaign events and her aides say security concerns forced a more limited public schedule. Cheney has had a U.S. Capitol Police detail for more than a year due to a steady stream of threats.
Cheney was one of just 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. With her loss, only two in that group — David Valadao of California and Dan Newhouse of Washington State — will remain on the ballot in November. Three others lost primaries and four chose to retire.
Cheney's future: Jan. 6 investigation and 2024
Cheney's public statements hinted for some time she's focused on the long game. In June, she delivered a blunt broadside at fellow House GOP members still loyal to Trump at the primetime kick off of the public hearings of the House panel probing Jan, 6.
"Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain," Cheney said.
The panel is still interviewing witnesses and planning more public hearings this fall. It plans to release a report by the end of the year, and Cheney's position as vice chair gives her a national platform for several more months.
Even before the primary vote, Cheney was showing some signs of positioning for a possible 2024 presidential campaign. It's unclear if she would remain a Republican, or consider an independent bid.
In June, she traveled to the Ronald Reagan Library — a stop for GOP presidential hopefuls — and made a speech many viewed as the blueprint for a national campaign. It was a mix of her regular denunciations of Trump, mixed with her political biography. It outlined conservative principles similar to those espoused by her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney: limited government, lower taxes and a strong national defense.
Cheney also made gender a part of her critique about the current leaders in power. She emphasized that many of the key witnesses in the Jan. 6 probe were young women like Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, whose dramatic testimony marked a major moment in the investigation. She told the audience at the library, "These days, for the most part, men are running the world, and it is really not going all that well."
Stewart believes, even after she no longer has a seat in Congress, there is a place for Cheney in the GOP. She thinks she could be part of an effort to expand the message beyond the Trump base.
"If she continues to get out there and engage in GOP circles and functions, and continue to remind people about her voting record as a Republican, and about her support for freedom and policies that unite the Republican Party as opposed to grievances that divide us, there's a path for her to stay very relevant in the Republican Party," Stewart said.
Martin agreed that Cheney's Wyoming primary, and her role in the party going forward, would be one that people would talk about for a while: "I know that she's going to go down in history, but I think we are going to have to wait a while to see what the story is of what is said about Liz Cheney in history."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/npr-politics/2022-08-16/liz-cheney-is-considering-a-presidential-run-to-stop-trump-after-losing-her-house-seat | 2022-09-11T05:46:08Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/npr-politics/2022-08-16/liz-cheney-is-considering-a-presidential-run-to-stop-trump-after-losing-her-house-seat | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
A longtime executive at the Trump Organization is expected to plead guilty to tax fraud in Manhattan criminal court today.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
That would make Allen Weisselberg the latest Trump ally to be convicted at trial or plead guilty to a felony. He worked for Donald Trump long before he ran for president.
INSKEEP: NPR's Andrea Bernstein is here to explain. Good morning.
ANDREA BERNSTEIN, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: What has Weisselberg done for Trump over the years?
BERNSTEIN: So Allen Weisselberg is the closest any human being can come to being the physical embodiment of Trump's business. He's worked for the Trumps since the 1970s, when Donald Trump's father, Fred, was renting apartments in Brooklyn. Weisselberg really knows the ins and outs of the company, better than anyone excepting maybe Donald Trump. And as of today, if the plea deal is accepted, Weisselberg will be the highest-level Trump Organization official to admit to a felony.
INSKEEP: Well, I'm just thinking about this. When you admit to a felony, you also have to state in court exactly what you did. What is he expected to say?
BERNSTEIN: So we don't know exactly until the hearing concludes. But Weisselberg was charged with 15 felonies for carrying out a more than 15-year scheme to cheat taxpayers by taking part of his salary through untaxed benefits, like a luxury apartment, private school tuition for his grandchildren and Mercedes-Benzes for him and his wife. The prosecutors say he hid nearly $2 million of income in this way. The crimes he was charged with include fraud, conspiracy and grand larceny.
INSKEEP: And why is he admitting to all of this now?
BERNSTEIN: So last week, the judge in the case denied Weisselberg and the Trump Organization's motions to dismiss the case. That's often a time when these plea deals happen.
INSKEEP: Well, what are the - what is known about the terms? Like, what is he getting in return in terms of a reduced sentence or whatever else?
BERNSTEIN: So in this case, it looks like Weisselberg, who's in his 70s, will say he committed crimes and agree to a jail sentence of just months. Weisselberg may cooperate with prosecutors in some way, but it won't be certain exactly how that will work until the judge OKs the deal. What we very much know is that Weisselberg has worked hard not to do anything that could put him at odds with Donald Trump.
INSKEEP: Although if he is needing to cooperate as part of a deal, that means aiming presumably at his boss. Investigators tend to go up the chain rather than down the chain. So what kind of cooperation could he potentially provide?
BERNSTEIN: Well, it's complicated, but he can testify at a potential trial of Donald Trump's company. As of now, because Donald Trump's business is under criminal indictment in the same scheme and is not pleading guilty, there's a trial set for October 24, and under New York law, if top executives have committed crimes, that's imputed to the corporation. So if Weisselberg pleads guilty, his testimony could help make a case against Trump's company. But that might not necessarily implicate Donald Trump.
INSKEEP: How does this case fit in with the wider docket of former Trump employees?
BERNSTEIN: Yeah, Weisselberg isn't even the first top Trump executive to be - plead guilty to felonies. There was, for example, Michael Cohen, the former counsel and VP there. There was Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, who was convicted of tax fraud, money laundering and conspiracy against the United States. Political adviser Roger Stone convicted of lying to Congress. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn convicted of the - lying to the FBI. And just this summer, adviser Steve Bannon convicted of contempt of Congress. Manafort, Stone and Flynn were pardoned by Trump. But all these aides were convicted of felonies. Weisselberg is just the latest. And though Trump is under investigation, he said he's done nothing wrong, and he says the investigations are politically motivated, quote, "witch hunts."
INSKEEP: NPR's Andrea Bernstein. Thanks.
BERNSTEIN: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
INSKEEP: A new survey illuminates a political reality as the fall elections approach.
FADEL: That survey is a new NPR/Ipsos poll. It finds most people endorse negative views of immigration. Many say they agree with descriptions of immigrants that are false or misleading, and support for immigrants overall has declined.
INSKEEP: NPR's Joel Rose has been looking at the findings. Joel, good morning.
JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: What do you see in that survey?
ROSE: Well, one of the things that really stands out is that about half of Americans say the U.S. is experiencing an invasion at the southern border.
INSKEEP: Completely or somewhat, they agree with the idea of invasion. I guess we should just pause to say, by the dictionary definition, that's not true. An invasion would be moving in with an armed force. That is obviously not happening. But you're saying that most Americans, when asked in this survey, say that they think it's really true or kind of true that there's an invasion.
ROSE: Exactly, Steve. Yeah. Half of Americans say it is either completely or somewhat true that the U.S. is experiencing an invasion. And it's driven largely by Republicans. Three out of four agreed with that framing, including Michael Cisternino. He's a poll respondent from Nevada.
MICHAEL CISTERNINO: The people that are coming in from different countries, I think many of them are being let in haphazardly. We are not actually screening enough people to make it safe for the rest of the country.
ROSE: But not everyone agrees that invasion is the right way to describe what's happening at the border. Here's Neel-Gopal Sharma. He's a poll respondent and a Democrat from North Carolina.
NEEL-GOPAL SHARMA: A lot of immigrants are coming here for safety, and a lot of them are coming here for a chance, I guess. Unfortunately, I feel like the rhetoric has just been that, like, there is this large, like, xenophobic kind of talk that's being thrown around.
ROSE: I should say that Democrats and immigrant advocates say this invasion rhetoric is way off base because nearly all border crossers are unarmed. Most are fleeing from violence and poverty in their home countries. And advocates say this rhetoric is potentially dangerous because it could make immigrants a target for violence.
INSKEEP: What else is in this survey and people's beliefs that you could describe as false or misleading?
ROSE: Well, we found that large numbers of Americans hold, you know, a wide variety of misconceptions about immigrants - greatly exaggerating their role in smuggling illegal drugs into the U.S., for example, also how likely immigrants are to use public benefits or to commit crimes. And we found that Republicans are more likely to hold these negative views of immigrants. Mallory Newall is a vice president at Ipsos, which conducted this poll.
INSKEEP: These statements of false or misleading or incomplete information are definitely gaining more traction among Republicans.
ROSE: Let's take the illegal drug fentanyl as an example. It's true that overdose deaths from fentanyl are up and that a lot of fentanyl is smuggled across the southern border. But the vast majority of that fentanyl is smuggled through official ports of entry. It's not brought in by migrants who are arrested crossing the border between those ports, who often are just turning themselves in to seek asylum. However, 6 out of 10 Republicans in our poll said incorrectly that, quote, "most of the fentanyl entering the U.S. is smuggled in by migrants."
INSKEEP: So the difference between anecdotal information and statistical information there. Given all of these misconceptions, what has happened to the overall view of immigration?
ROSE: Well, this is one of the most striking things in the poll for me. When we polled Americans on immigration back in 2018, 3 out of 4 respondents agreed that, quote, "immigrants are an important part of our American identity." Today, that number has fallen sharply down to just 56%.
INSKEEP: Joel, thanks so much.
ROSE: You're welcome, Steve.
INSKEEP: That's NPR's Joel Rose.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
INSKEEP: Is the Food and Drug Administration using the right strategy to evaluate the next generation of COVID-19 boosters?
FADEL: That's a question that's stirring debate as the agency works to make new, improved boosters available in September.
INSKEEP: NPR health correspondent Rob Stein is covering this. Rob, good morning.
ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: Where do things stand with the next round of boosters?
STEIN: The Biden administration is rushing to get new vaccines ready for a big new booster campaign in September.
INSKEEP: Right.
STEIN: And that's because, you know, even though it kind of may feel like the pandemic is essentially over, almost 500 people are still dying every day, almost five times the number who die from motor vehicle crashes.
INSKEEP: Wow.
STEIN: And another surge could very well hit the U.S. hard again this winter, when the immunity people have gotten from vaccines and infections will have faded, you know, even more. But instead of authorizing the first boosters the vaccine companies produced, boosters that target the original strain of the omicron variant, like the U.K. just did, the FDA wants to go with boosters that target the omicron subvariants that are now dominating. The hope is they'll provide stronger, longer-lasting protection. And that's why the FDA decided to use an entirely new strategy to evaluate them.
INSKEEP: Oh, but this must be like turning an ocean liner. It is challenging to change your testing regimen because it takes so many months. So what's the new strategy?
STEIN: Right. Right, exactly. Instead of requiring the companies to test the new boosters on people, the FDA, for the first time, is only requiring the vaccine-makers to test boosters in mice initially and plans to make a decision based on the results of those mouse tests, not people, along with data from people the companies collected about their first stab at boosters targeting the omicron variant.
INSKEEP: How do independent experts or the companies themselves respond to this?
STEIN: It's, you know - this is a big switch for the COVID vaccines. And the reaction has been mixed. You know, some experts say, look; billions of people have gotten the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. We know they're safe, and we know enough about how vaccines work to start handling COVID vaccines more like the flu vaccines. Here's Deepta Bhattacharya. He's an immunobiologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.
DEEPTA BHATTACHARYA: We're going to use all of these data that we've learned through not only this vaccine but decades of viral immunology to say the way to be nimble is that we're going to do those animal studies, we'll roll the vaccines out to the people who are at the highest risk anyway, and then we'll slowly start to make it available to the people who are at lower risk. We're really not going out too far out on a limb here.
STEIN: But, you know, Steve, not everyone agrees with this perspective.
INSKEEP: Well, what are the concerns of people who think we are going out on a limb?
STEIN: The big concern is, you know, mice aren't people. The boosters may not work as well for people as they look like they work in the mice. And if regulators are going to make people wait longer for new boosters, it's crucial to get good evidence that they really do work better. Here's Dr. Paul Offit. He's a vaccine expert at the University of Pennsylvania who advises the FDA.
PAUL OFFIT: We need to make sure that we have solid immunogenicity data in people to show that you have a dramatically greater neutralizing antibody response. I think anything short of that is not acceptable. You can't assume that what happens in mice is also true in man.
STEIN: Some also worry this approach may make people even more skeptical about getting boosted. But the companies are expected to submit their data to the FDA by the end of the month, and the administration hopes to make millions of doses of the new boosters available in September.
INSKEEP: NPR health correspondent Rob Stein. Rob, thanks.
STEIN: Sure thing, Steve. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-18/news-brief-allen-weisselberg-plea-deal-immigration-poll-covid-boosters | 2022-09-11T05:48:11Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-18/news-brief-allen-weisselberg-plea-deal-immigration-poll-covid-boosters | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In Texas, a county elections administrator and her two deputies have resigned, with at least one citing threats fueled by misinformation, as former President Donald Trump and his supporters continue to spread baseless claims about the 2020 election.
"The threats against election officials and my election staff, dangerous misinformation, lack of full time personnel for the elections office, unpaid compensation, and absurd legislation have completely changed the job I initially accepted," now-former Gillespie County Elections Administrator Anissa Herrera reportedly wrote in her resignation letter, dated Aug. 2.
She added: "The life commitment I have given to this job is unsustainable."
The letter was obtained by Votebeat through a public records request.
The Texas secretary of state's office provided a few more details about the threats, which Herrera first revealed to the local Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post.
"I don't know if there's been any threat since, we didn't get a lot of specifics about the threats, only that they were a combination of social media stalking and other kinds of threats against her in her capacity as elections administrator," Sam Taylor, assistant secretary for communications at the secretary of state's office, told Texas Public Radio.
The state to send in trainers
Now, two months before early voting begins for the November general election, the county, which is west of Austin, has no elections department.
"I really don't know what they're going to do and how they're going to hold the election in November. And they're going to have to do a lot of scrambling," said Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters of Texas.
The Texas secretary of state's office plans to send in trainers to make sure Gillespie County can still hold an election this November.
Taylor said replacements would be trained by former election admins who work with the secretary of state's office in regularly training new elections officials. In the case of Gillespie County, workers in the tax office and county clerk's office will likely take up the initial responsibilities.
"The [county] judge has told us there are still employees in the county clerk and county tax-assessor collector's office who have run elections in the past," Taylor said. "Albeit that was back in 2019 and earlier. So a lot has changed about election laws since then. So that's why our office is going to be sending our trainers, we've got about six to eight trainers on our staff. All of them are former county election officials themselves."
Under Texas law, counties appoint elections administrators through a locally created commission that includes the county judge, county clerk, tax-assessor collector and the chairs of the county political parties.
Early voting in Texas starts on Oct. 24, giving state officials a two-month window to train replacements until a new elections administrator is appointed — an appointment that may not happen until after the November election.
Gillespie County, where Trump secured 79% of the vote in 2020, has just over 20,000 registered voters.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke visited Fredericksburg, the county seat, days after the resignation as part of a statewide campaign tour.
He said the threats were an attack on American democracy and criticized some Texas voting laws that he said make it difficult to register and cast mail ballots.
"Not only are we the toughest state in which to register to vote, in which to cast a ballot, but you have election workers in Gillespie being run out of office, you have election workers and others in other counties within the state who feel under constant attack, you have now an elections law that allows partisans to come to polling places to serve as poll watchers really with free rein to intimidate voters who show up," O'Rourke said.
Texas has been an especially difficult place for election workers in recent years, according to Remi Garza, the immediate past president of the Texas Association of Election Administrators. He points to the state's relatively new expanded voting observer law.
"Before, [the law] was that they could 'observe' the activities of the polling place, and they changed that to 'see and hear' what's occurring, which makes it much more subjective to the individual who is watching," he said. "There's the chance they could be a little more intrusive to the process because they could claim they are not able to see or hear what's happening in a polling place."
Garza said the expansion of the voter observation law comes with legal protections that he said may occasionally give observers a sense of entitlement to be more engaged in the process than intended by the law. He said the role of observers is to monitor the voting process to ensure transparency and that voting laws are followed. He said observers are expected to do just that, not "coach" or "referee" election workers.
"It has never been before"
The Democratic-led U.S. House Oversight Committee last week released a report detailing threats made to election officials across the country. One such instance from Texas includes threats of hanging and harm to the children of a county election official.
"In Texas, 'personal attacks on national media outlets' led to alarming threats against an election administrator, including a social media call to 'hang him when convicted for fraud and let his lifeless body hang in public until maggots drip out of his mouth' and messages threatening his children, stating, 'I think we should end your bloodline,' " the report stated.
David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center of Election Innovation & Research, said these kinds of threats were not common before Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
"Gillespie County is one of the more extreme incidents with an entire county's election staff resigning," Becker said. "But we have to understand that election workers all over the country — in red states, blue states, battleground states, non-battleground states — from elected secretaries of state down to volunteer poll workers are being harassed and threatened in a way that we've never seen before. It's not worse than it's been before. It has never been before."
Copyright 2022 Texas Public Radio | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-19/a-texas-countys-election-administrators-all-resigned-leaving-the-state-to-step-in | 2022-09-11T05:48:23Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-19/a-texas-countys-election-administrators-all-resigned-leaving-the-state-to-step-in | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
She is officially mission commander on the SpaceX Dragon, she will be Expedition 68 flight engineer on the International Space Station, and she may even go to the moon. All of which means she will be going where no Native woman has gone before - to space. Nicole Mann is a Marine Corps pilot. She has a master's in engineering from Stanford and is now a NASA astronaut. She is a member of the Wailaki of the Round Valley Indian tribes and joins us now. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
NICOLE MANN: Thank you so much. I'm excited to be here with you.
SHAPIRO: Well, if all goes well, by the end of next month, you will be on the International Space Station or at least headed there. What can you tell us about the mission?
MANN: Oh, I am so excited. We have been training a long time for this mission. It's called Crew-5, and it will launch from Kennedy Space Center. Myself, along with Josh Cassada, Koichi Wakata and Anna Kikina - and we will travel to the International Space Station for a six-month mission, and then, at the completion of that mission, we will return home on Dragon off the coast of Florida.
SHAPIRO: There's a lot that you can do in six months. What are you most excited about?
MANN: Oh - so excited. Everything - there's so many things to choose from. Of course, we're going to be doing some amazing science on board. They're planning about 250 experiments for us. There'll be a lot of work on the space station. We are doing some upgrades of the solar arrays, so hopefully we get a chance to do a couple spacewalks while we're up there.
SHAPIRO: I read about something called the biofabrication lab. What is that exactly?
MANN: The biofabrication lab is personally one of my favorites, and I'm very excited to work with that. Essentially, it's 3D printing human tissue. We could grow cells here on Earth, but because of the effects of gravity in space, we can grow them three dimensionally. We have already produced a partial meniscus of a knee, and we're looking at growing heart cells. And eventually the concept is that we could grow organs. They're really hoping to have trials in animals by the end of the decade.
SHAPIRO: Well, you are also, of course, making history. You're going to be the first Native woman in space. What does that mean to you?
MANN: It's very exciting. You know, it's so fun, I think, in our lifetime when you have firsts. And I think it's really great to celebrate those and to communicate that, especially to the younger generation, right? These young women, maybe Natives, maybe people from different backgrounds that realize that they have these opportunities and potentially these barriers that used to be there are starting to be broken down. And so hopefully that will inspire that younger generation. And the cool thing is, though, operationally, it doesn't really matter, which is pretty cool, right? We're finally getting to that point in our history.
SHAPIRO: Operationally, it doesn't matter. Personally, I know that you're able to bring a few items from home. When astronaut John Herrington became the first Native man in space, he brought the Chickasaw Nation flag. Is there anything special to you that you're planning on bringing with you?
MANN: I do have some personal mementos, you know, jewelry charms that I plan to bring. And then I do have this dream catcher that my mother gave me long ago. And that's always just, you know, a little bit - a piece memory, I think, of my family back home. And that's something that I'll keep with me in my crew quarters while I'm on board space station.
SHAPIRO: When did you know you wanted to be an astronaut?
MANN: For me, honestly, it wasn't until a little bit later in life. I didn't have it all figured out when I was a kid. You know, I was interested in math and science, but I had never met an astronaut. I didn't really know what they did, and I didn't think that was in the realm of possibility. And so it wasn't until I was flying F-18s in the Marine Corps that I started looking at future opportunities and where I wanted my career to go, and NASA became something at that point that was viable and became my dream.
SHAPIRO: Is there something you would like to say to maybe a young person now, who doesn't believe it's a possibility, whether that is a Native young woman or anybody who might have those dreams but not think they're realistic?
MANN: Absolutely. The first thing that I would say is never discount yourself. If you don't go after a dream or a goal and if you don't try, you're never going to make it. You know, pursue that topic in school, ask for help, meet people that have done that job to learn more about it. You'll grow so much as a child into an adult, and your interests will vary quite a bit. And so it's exciting to take this opportunity to just chase down all of those dreams and never discount yourself.
SHAPIRO: Before we say goodbye, one more opportunity that might come your way is you're a part of Artemis, which is NASA's attempt to return humans to the moon. If you set foot on the moon, what would that mean to you?
MANN: It is an incredible step for all of humankind - this time going to the moon to stay. And it's really the building blocks for our exploration to Mars. So it's just a huge step in, I think, our evolution as humans.
SHAPIRO: That's the big picture significance. What about the personal significance if you get to stand on the moon?
MANN: I mean, Ari, that would be awesome. Who wouldn't want to...
SHAPIRO: (Laughter).
MANN: ...Stand on the moon, right (laughter)?
SHAPIRO: That's NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, soon to be the first Native woman in space. Thank you, congratulations and good luck.
MANN: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-08-22/nicole-mann-will-be-the-1st-native-woman-in-space | 2022-09-11T05:49:52Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-08-22/nicole-mann-will-be-the-1st-native-woman-in-space | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DANIEL ESTRIN, HOST:
And now, it's time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ESTRIN: Serena Williams prepares for life after tennis, and a huge player suspension shocks Major League Baseball. Let's talk about both of those things with Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media. Good morning, Howard.
HOWARD BRYANT: Morning, Daniel. How are you?
ESTRIN: I'm doing all right. Let's talk about Serena Williams. One of the greatest athletes of all time announced this week she's getting ready to leave professional tennis for good, potentially making the U.S. Open later this summer her last tournament. So when great athletes retire, we tend to talk about their legacy. But she's leaving behind a few legacies, right?
BRYANT: And that's a sign of her greatness. When you're that good, there are so many things that you leave behind, and when you think about Serena Williams, to me, one of the most important things is she and her sister, Venus, they changed the entire sport in terms of who got to play. You go back to when she turned pro in 1995 and Venus turned pro in 1994. It seems like a long time ago - 27 years ago for Serena - that you had to be able to hit the ball with them. The type of female tennis player that came in before them, they weren't really always known for their power. There were some players who could really hit the ball, but now, everybody had to hit.
So people always talk about Serena and her effect on Black women playing the game and the minority element of it. But they - all of those Eastern European girls who came in who were suddenly 5 foot 11 and hitting the ball 120 miles an hour - that was a reaction to Serena. So the Martina Hingises of the world, those players - they were suddenly the ones who were at a disadvantage because of the way the Williams sisters hit the ball, and it just changed who got to play the sport. Another - I'm sorry?
ESTRIN: Yeah, well, I was going to say, her essay for Vogue - she announced her upcoming retirement there - she was very clear about the burden of being a great female athlete. What stands out for you there?
BRYANT: Well, I think that's the hard piece of it, too, is that I think that she was talking about simply the unfairness of the biology when you're looking at someone like Roger Federer, who's able to have four kids and not miss a beat in terms of his career. You're looking at - Andy Murray has multiple children. I mean, he's got three kids, and now, he gets to continue playing. And Rafa Nadal has a child coming I think this month or early next month, and they don't have to stop. And she was talking about how, you know, what that does to the female athlete, what it does to your body, what - the choices you have to make that men simply don't have to make. And she pointed that out, and I think that was a very important thing for her to do.
The other thing that is important as well when we talk about the Serena legacy is simply the number of women of color, of young Black girls that wanted to play. You look at the - up and down the rankings now, whether it's Asia Muhammad, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff - you talk to all of them, and they'll tell you that it was Venus and Serena, Serena's greatness, all of those championships that made them want to play. So it's an unbelievable legacy in addition to obliterating the record book that she has to, you know, to her name. It's really amazing.
ESTRIN: Well, in the minute we have left, let's briefly talk about baseball. Huge news last night - Major League Baseball announced Fernando Tatis Jr., the All-Star shortstop for the San Diego Padres, is being suspended after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Tell us about it.
BRYANT: Yeah. This is a huge blow. The Padres go all in. They've got a $300 million player in Manny Machado. They've got another 300 - 14 years, $340 million in Tatis, and then they just signed Juan Soto, another player who's supposed to take them over the top. And then, Tatis tests positive for Clostebol. And this is a huge, huge thing. And suddenly, it takes them - and they're still going to be a very, very good team, but boy, bad legacy for him. It's - he's out of the playoffs now. He's going to miss the World Baseball Classic. He's going to miss part of next season as well. Bad stuff.
ESTRIN: Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media. Thanks, Howard.
BRYANT: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-sports/npr-sports/2022-08-13/saturday-sports-serena-williams-to-retire-fernando-tatis-jr-80-game-suspension | 2022-09-11T05:50:24Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-sports/npr-sports/2022-08-13/saturday-sports-serena-williams-to-retire-fernando-tatis-jr-80-game-suspension | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson must pay a $5 million fine and will not be allowed to play in 11 games of the upcoming season. The NFL penalized him after calling his behavior with massage therapists egregious and predatory. Watson has apologized but also says he's innocent. Here's Glenn Forbes from Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland.
GLENN FORBES, BYLINE: More than 20 female massage therapists accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct when he was quarterback for his former team, the Houston Texans. Watson was not criminally charged, and all but one of the civil lawsuits filed against him has been settled. Now, besides paying a massive fine and not being allowed to play more than half the season, Watson has to comply with counseling in order to be reinstated. And Watson continues to say he's not guilty of anything.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DESHAUN WATSON: I'm going to continue to stand on my innocence and keep pushing forward. And I've always, you know, stood on not disrespecting or sexual assaulting anyone.
FORBES: Despite claiming innocence, Watson did issue an apology last week through a team reporter before a preseason game, and he did again yesterday as he spoke with reporters.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
WATSON: For everyone that was affected about this situation, there was a lot of people that was triggered.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But not the women that accused you of this?
WATSON: I've apologized to all women, so anybody that was affected, even yourself.
FORBES: In March, the Browns traded three first-round draft picks for the QB and promptly signed him to an unprecedented $230 million guaranteed contract. Watson says the settlement allows him to move forward with his career and family life but stressed it was not an admission of guilt. Browns owner Dee Haslam says any perceived lack of remorse could be part of the process.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DEE HASLAM: Counseling takes time. You don't just go to a counseling session and wake up and understand the impact it has. I think it's a layering effect, and it takes weeks, months, a long time to get where you understand so much more about yourself.
FORBES: That type of reasoning doesn't fly with longtime fan Stephanie Callasibedi (ph).
STEPHANIE CALLASIBEDI: So why does he need counseling if he didn't do anything wrong? I feel like the Browns value winning over they do integrity.
FORBES: This year, Stephanie plans on only watching the Browns when Watson isn't playing. Even fans who flocked to training camp earlier this month, like Ali Hamda (ph), are uncomfortable.
ALI HAMDA: You have a family. You got sisters, wives, aunts. To say it had no effect, I'd be lying to you.
FORBES: The season begins next month. Deshaun Watson won't make his regular season debut as Browns quarterback until December 4, coincidentally against his former team, the Texans, in Houston.
For NPR News, I'm Glenn Forbes.
(SOUNDBITE OF GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA'S "ALMA") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-sports/npr-sports/2022-08-19/the-nfl-suspends-clevelands-qb-deshaun-watson-for-11-games | 2022-09-11T05:50:32Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-sports/npr-sports/2022-08-19/the-nfl-suspends-clevelands-qb-deshaun-watson-for-11-games | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
A water crisis on the Colorado River is getting worse.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Yeah, new federal forecasts show the nation's two largest reservoirs are at record lows. They are both on the Colorado River in the American West, and they put the water supply of 40 million people in jeopardy. Federal water managers say they need to cut the water that they allocate to Arizona, to Nevada, and also to Mexico, through which the river also flows.
FADEL: Reporter Luke Runyon from member station KUNC joins us to explain the latest. Thanks for being here.
LUKE RUNYON, BYLINE: Hi, good to be here.
FADEL: So, Luke, how significant are the cuts that were announced yesterday, and who do they affect?
RUNYON: Well, these new cuts come on top of already existing ones. So next year, Arizona is going to have to reduce its reliance on the Colorado River by 21%, Nevada by 8%, and Mexico by 7%. And obviously, Arizona bears the greatest burden here. Farmers in central Arizona have already seen their supplies from the river shrink. But it's not like taps are going to go dry. The state has substantial water reserves, and it isn't solely reliant on the Colorado River. These new cuts are not anywhere close to bringing the entire river into balance, though. Here's Tanya Trujillo. She's the assistant secretary for water and science for the Interior Department.
TANYA TRUJILLO: Without prompt, responsive actions and investments now, the Colorado River and the citizens that rely on it will face a future of uncertainty and conflict.
FADEL: OK, so let's talk about what actions could be taken. Earlier this year, the federal government told all seven states that use the river to come up with a regional plan with more significant water cuts. But yesterday was the deadline and still no plan, right?
RUNYON: Right. So in June, the federal government told states they had two months to come up with that plan. They've been in talks since then, which have been slow and tense at times. And it's important to note that there isn't one person or agency that manages the Colorado River. Instead, you have this mishmash of agreements and laws and Supreme Court decrees that spell out how the river is divvied up. And that kind of loose governance doesn't really lend itself well to managing a crisis. The federal government did say in June that if the states didn't succeed, that they would take action to protect the Colorado River reservoirs. And in their announcement yesterday, they didn't get any more specific about what that action might end up being.
FADEL: So what happens next?
RUNYON: Well, the talks among the states are going to continue. Some water districts saw the government's announcement as a sort of deadline extension to keep working on that more regional plan. The federal government continues to say that in order to bring the river into balance, it's going to take conservation from all seven states and every sector. But of course that's easier said than done, and it's unclear just how aggressive the federal government wants to be about managing the crisis.
FADEL: Let's zoom out for a second. How did this crisis get so bad?
RUNYON: This is really more than two decades in the making. The Colorado River has been on the decline since the year 2000. Climate change is warming the region, and the river just has less water in it year to year. Meanwhile, demands for water haven't gone down to match that new reality, and figuring out who is going to have to use less water along the river to find that balance is where you find the most intense debates.
FADEL: Luke Runyon of KUNC. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/2022-08-17/a-water-crisis-on-the-colorado-river-is-getting-worse | 2022-09-11T05:50:58Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/2022-08-17/a-water-crisis-on-the-colorado-river-is-getting-worse | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
If you see a cow out grazing in the Midwest, most likely it's in an open pasture that used to be a forest. Clear-cutting trees made it easier to raise cattle. It also eliminated much of the landscape known as Midwestern Savannas. As Saint Louis Public Radio's Jonathan Ahl reports, an experimental farm in Missouri is trying to prove that moving grazing animals back to forests is better for the environment, for farmers and for cattle.
JONATHAN AHL, BYLINE: Ashley Conway-Anderson is driving a four-wheeler down a dirt road on one of the University of Missouri's research farms. On the left side of the road is a thick forest. On the right side is a big open pasture, where cows are huddled under the few trees that are along a creek bed. The professor of agroforestry says neither side is what should be there. Conway-Anderson says before Europeans arrived, all of this was a forest, but much less dense than what's on one side of the road.
ASHLEY CONWAY-ANDERSON: That habitat was created intentionally by a lot of Indigenous communities that lived here, intentionally managed with fire. And then once fire opened things up, what came next was grass. And then what followed the grass was large grazing herbivores.
AHL: Those herbivores were bison and elk. But Conway-Anderson says they could be cows today. She's leading a multi-year study at this farm to first thin out the forest areas, get native grasses growing and then bring in cows to graze. It's called silvopasture, and it's a very old way of raising animals. Conway-Anderson says her research is getting more attention because healthy forests can be a critical part of combating climate change. Trees are good at keeping carbon out of the atmosphere, and they're also resilient in the face of extreme weather caused by climate change.
CONWAY-ANDERSON: When we do have floods, when we do have droughts and fires, it won't be wholesale destruction. It will be able to recover much more quickly.
AHL: Conway-Anderson says she wants to get the data and create an example to help farmers move their cattle from open fields into forests. She says it should be a short trip because so many want to and some already are.
Bruce Carney raises cattle on his family farm north of Des Moines. More than 10 years ago, he decided to convert 200 acres from corn and soybean fields to land for cattle to graze on.
BRUCE CARNEY: What I learned was that I needed trees. I needed windbreaks. I needed shade. I needed a living barn. To me, that's what trees do for you.
AHL: Carney says silvopasture development is a success because trees make cows happier, healthier and bigger, so they bring in more money when they're sold.
Kaitie Adams with the Wisconsin-based Savanna Institute says it can also make small farms more viable.
KAITIE ADAMS: By its very nature is - it's intentional and intensive, so it allows for us to do more on one piece of land.
AHL: Adams says silvopasture can combine raising cattle, growing food like apples or walnuts and a timber business all into one small piece of land. There are a lot of challenges to making a go of having cattle graze in forests, including the time it takes for trees to grow, the inefficiency of raising cattle that graze as opposed to a factory farm, and the time and effort to manage a forest properly. But advocates say it's worth it, and they're optimistic they can prove it.
For NPR News, I'm Jonathan Ahl in Rolla, Mo.
(SOUNDBITE OF YEARS' "THE ASSASSINATION OF DOW JONES") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/2022-08-17/moving-cattle-into-the-forest-could-help-climate-change-farmers-and-the-livestock | 2022-09-11T05:51:06Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/2022-08-17/moving-cattle-into-the-forest-could-help-climate-change-farmers-and-the-livestock | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PORTLAND, Ore. -
Fire and wind can be a dangerous combination, knocking down power-poles and even changing the direction and speed a fire grows.
Falling power poles, though, aren't the main reason residents in Oregon are facing power outages.
Ben Shearer from the Pasco Fire Department is a part of incident teams in the Tri-cities area for larger wildland fires. He said power poles can not only cause fires when they fall over but the lines can also cause fires through smoke.
"If we're expecting a high wind event and we're having some sort of incident, or if the incident is already in progress you can actually get smoke columns up under those high energy power lines and that can actually bring electricity back down to the ground causing anther fire," Shearer said.
With winds picking up smoke and moving it to other areas, power companies shut off power to prevent new fires from starting.
"A lot of times that's done not so much for losing a pole but if you have power going through those lines and then you do get some sort of shortage or a high wind event again that can cause extra fires and extra damage," Shearer said.
Thousands of people in Oregon went without power in areas across the state.
Shearer said, "I know it's an inconvenience to a lot of the citizens in the area that maybe aren't being effected by the fire cause sometimes those outages effect a very broad area."
He also said shutting off power before the fire or smoke gets to the power lines and poles can help crews fix the damage faster when a fire is put out.
With higher winds the fire can spread faster in dry areas and if the wind comes from an unusual direction it can change the way a fire is fought.
Shearer said, "and then suddenly if you're expecting a wind shift later in the afternoon those fire fighters have to know that's coming so they can be prepared for that fire to suddenly change direction."
Fire fighters often employ meteorologists to get a better idea of how the weather will affect what a fire does next. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/why-wind-shuts-down-power-for-oregon-residents-near-fires/article_495c0d1e-316e-11ed-978f-83ced2150d29.html | 2022-09-11T05:52:22Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/why-wind-shuts-down-power-for-oregon-residents-near-fires/article_495c0d1e-316e-11ed-978f-83ced2150d29.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YAKIMA, Wash.-
4-year-old Lucian went missing on Saturday evening near the play area at Sarg Hubbard Park at the Yakima Greenway.
He was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a shark and blue shorts.
At this time there's a large police presence in the area looking for the boy. If you see him you're asked to call 9-1-1. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/yakima-police-are-asking-for-help-finding-a-missing-4-year-old/article_02e03906-3186-11ed-9d0f-1b8299405116.html | 2022-09-11T05:52:28Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/yakima-police-are-asking-for-help-finding-a-missing-4-year-old/article_02e03906-3186-11ed-9d0f-1b8299405116.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
For writer Xochitl Gonzalez, growing up in Brooklyn was anything but quiet. In a recent essay in The Atlantic, she explains what that means, writing, quote, "New York in the summer is a noisy place, especially if you don't have money. The rich run off to the Hamptons or Maine. The bourgeoisie are safely shielded by the hum of their central air. But for the broke, summer means an open window through which the clatter of the city becomes the soundtrack to life - motorcycles revving, buses braking and music - ceaseless music."
But she says that her native Brooklyn is being silenced and not by choice. Gentrification is to blame. In her essay titled "Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?" she argues that the neighborhoods like the one she grew up in are being taken over by demands for quiet, and it has a lot to do with class and a sense of entitlement. When we spoke, she told me she noticed this when she left home to head to Brown University.
XOCHITL GONZALEZ: You're suddenly cohabitating with a bunch of people who had grown up in this culture of, like, you need concentration to be quiet. You know, music is a distraction. This is a distraction. That's a distraction. So the idea of protecting and preserving quiet on the campus because we're all meant to be there thinking just didn't seem to vibe with what I knew. And also, a lot of the time when people would sort of ask for quiet, it was just, you know, two or three friends over, you know, to your room because you're sharing space with new people. And your room is your living space. And suddenly laughing became sort of a distracting noise or, you know, like, how do I talk more quietly?
And so I think it started to feel like - living felt like a joyous thing, and at least a loud thing. But that wasn't quite welcome because it seemed to get in the way of what we were told we were meant to be doing there, which, you know, was sort of the silence of academic departments and sort of the hushed quiet of waiting for your professor and leafing through things in the stacks of the library. And I understood that that was for those spaces. But it was when it spilled into living space that it sort of started to feel like one aesthetic and preference was dominating another.
MARTIN: So was it the demand itself or the sense of entitlement? Like, it wasn't like, hey, guys, I'm a kindergarten teacher. I have to be at work at 7:30. Could you - is it any way you could tone it down?
GONZALEZ: Yes, that's right.
MARTIN: Or is it the sense of entitlement - like, this is the way it's supposed to be because I said so? Not because I want it to be. It's just supposed to be. So what is - you think?
GONZALEZ: It's the sense of entitlement. It's the sense of entitlement, and it's the sense that - the assumption that because there's a temporary discomfort for that person, that multiple people's, like, life at that moment should change for them. This idea of either being unwilling completely to moderate yourself or being unwilling to speak to people as human beings and equals, right? And the saying - oh, I'm a kindergarten teacher. It just really - it's a rough night for me. You know, like, to just come as a human being and give some room for conversation.
It's the edict-ness of it. And often, since that incident, it's the anonymity of it, right? And I think I wrote a lot about using 311 as a means - 301 and calling authorities as a means of imposing silence. And I - it's the idea that, like, you don't know your neighbors, which I think is another part of it. And there's just sort of people that are disrupting the way you want life to be.
MARTIN: What I - OK, here's where I push back a little bit.
GONZALEZ: Yeah.
MARTIN: You know, there is a concept in Jewish law called gezel sheina, which literally translate to theft of sleep. The Geneva Convention identifies ongoing sleep deprivation as a violation of human rights. I mean, it literally is used to torture people. So what do you say to people who argue that, you know, in dense environments, it is reasonable to take steps not to disturb others, particularly when they could be sleeping or should be sleeping? And that, in fact, if people live in certain environments where they have not been able to regulate their quiet or their sleep environment, it's indicative of their lack of power, not necessarily of an affirmative statement about their culture. What do you say to that?
GONZALEZ: No, I totally hear that. And I think there's a difference between theft of sleep, let's say, as a regular offense - right? - like, you have a neighbor who's absolutely obnoxious, and it's every night until 1 or 2, whatever it is - versus what normally, I think, happens, which is, like, a gathering or, like, there's - I have neighbors that have a party once or twice a summer down in their backyard, and it goes a bit late on a weekend. And it absolutely is theft of sleep because, like, it's so - like, it's like I'm at the party when I'm in my bedroom. But I'm like, it's not every night. It's not every week, you know what I mean? Like, and the music's OK. Like, I watch movies late - till late that night.
Like, I think it's the idea of not - no sense of working around people. Like, it's that there's one way of operating, and that it should be that way all the time and that living in a city, there isn't going to be some congestion or stepping on toes and that - how can we accommodate?
MARTIN: I imagine that you've gotten some reaction - wondering what kind of reaction you've gotten to the piece, and what do you make of it?
GONZALEZ: Well, it's been really fascinating because I got a lot of reaction from people of color and some people that grew up lower-income - like white people that grew up lower-income - that were like, thank you so much. I'd never been able to articulate this feeling of, you know, being shamed for just sort of being myself. And then I got a lot of people that kept repeating the point which I was countering, which is that quiet is superior and I'm not smart enough to understand that. And what I thought was fascinating about that and all of the people that came back to me with that sort of response was that no one acknowledged the sense of shame that is passed on to people - mainly people of color - as they are being told to quiet down. Like, what it feels like to be told - like, a group of grown adults, like, you know, completely capable of paying for their bill, that they need to quiet down or leave because there's another table of patrons with two people that's upset that these eight people are having a good time.
And I think I wasn't ever saying that quiet can't have its benefits. There was a whole string of people that went down the internet and said, she wrote an essay once where she talked about getting out of the city to write. And I was thinking, well, yeah, because if I want quiet, I'm not expecting to find it here (laughter). Like, that's my point. Like, I'm not expecting Brooklyn to capitulate to my set of needs to finish a book, you know? Like - it's like, I'll go somewhere else. So I think my sense is I feel like I know what my hometown is, I know what it tends to be. And it's a boisterous place. And I would never want to change it. And when I need something else, I go somewhere else. And when I don't need that anymore, I come home.
MARTIN: That is writer Xochitl Gonzalez. Her piece "Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?" is in the latest issue of The Atlantic magazine. Xochitl Gonzalez, thank you so much for your time, and let's get loud.
GONZALEZ: Yes. Thank you, Michel. This was great. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-14/why-a-writer-doesnt-want-a-quiet-brooklyn | 2022-09-11T05:53:05Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-14/why-a-writer-doesnt-want-a-quiet-brooklyn | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
This coming Tuesday in Florida is primary day, and some activists say this election is happening at a time where Black voters in Florida have far less political power than they've had in a long time. They blame Republican-backed voting laws as well as a new congressional map. NPR's Ashley Lopez reports.
ASHLEY LOPEZ, BYLINE: It's a muggy afternoon, and Ben Frazier is at a park in Jacksonville. He's sitting in a circle with some older Black voters from the area. Some of them are dictating their information to volunteers with Frazier's group who are filling out voter registration forms.
BEN FRAZIER: I want the canvassers to fill out the form - period, point blank, over and out.
LOPEZ: There are a few local organizations doing outreach in the park. Frazier's small civil rights group is the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville and is making sure these voters have an updated voter registration record.
FRAZIER: We don't want your registration forms to be thrown out for any reason. They're doing a lot of different things to suppress the Black vote in this city and in this state.
LOPEZ: Since the 2020 election, Florida Republicans have passed voting bills that Frazier says will make it harder for Black people to vote and for groups like his to organize. Senate Bill 90 requires people to apply to vote by mail more often and sets new limits on drop boxes. Another, Senate Bill 524, increases and creates new penalties for voter registration organizations for things like turning in forms late. And notably, the law creates a new policing unit focused on voting crimes.
FRAZIER: Yeah, I mean, I think all of that has a chilling effect. People are afraid of the police. We know that this is just one of many attempts to suppress the Black vote.
LOPEZ: Just yesterday, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced this new policing unit is charging 20 people with voting illegally in 2020. He said these individuals had felony convictions that precluded them from getting their voting rights back. He said the charges mark the beginning of the state getting serious about combating alleged voter fraud.
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RON DESANTIS: Before we proposed this, there were just examples of this stuff seeming to fall through the cracks. So this is the opening salvo. This is not the sum total of 2020.
LOPEZ: It's unclear, though, whether those charged knew they couldn't vote. We also don't know their race. But Black activists say these new laws are part of a larger effort among Republican leaders to diminish Black voting power. Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled that SB 90 in particular is part of the state's long and grotesque history of racial discrimination. But an appeals court kept the law in place. In Jacksonville, Reginald Gundy, the pastor at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, says the state's racial history has motivated his civic engagement group to register more than 100,000 people across North Florida since 2018 and get them to the polls.
REGINALD GUNDY: They don't go to polls, we would - you know, hey, look, you haven't - you registered to vote, but you haven't voted. You need to go vote. We can't tell people who to vote for, but we've been very good at that. And so as a result of that, it has brought about a change in Duval County.
LOPEZ: In 2020, Joe Biden won Duval County. It was the first time in decades a Democratic presidential nominee won there. Gundy says this change was noticed by Republican leaders in Florida. In fact, he says, he thinks this is why Governor DeSantis recently redrew the state's congressional lines to eliminate a seat in Jacksonville, where Black voters had a lot of influence on who got elected.
GUNDY: The way they have reconfigured, redrawn the district of Duval County has taken away the right for Blacks to vote and have a representative in Congress. We'll have a congressional leader without proper representation for who we are.
LOPEZ: In a memo to state lawmakers, DeSantis said he thought that the district was unconstitutional because it was written to favor one race over another, citing the equal protection clause. Regardless of this reasoning, though, experts say this decision will likely affect turnout among Black voters. Andrea Benjamin, at the University of Oklahoma, says research shows Black voter participation suffers when these voters are drawn out of districts with Black incumbents.
ANDREA BENJAMIN: You know, I think that has to do with sort of who's outreaching, who's contacting voters. You know, the old saying of sort of I didn't vote because no one asked me to - right? - this idea that if someone's from your community, not only do you think that they might do a good job representing you, they also might do a better job outreaching to you - right? - so mobilizing you to vote.
LOPEZ: Black activists in Florida say they are undeterred, but they recognize it's going to be harder to organize in this environment. Meanwhile, the state has big elections on the horizon. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is up for reelection, and Val Demings is vying to oust Senator Marco Rubio. If she wins the uphill battle, Demings would be the state's first Black U.S. senator.
Ashley Lopez, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/black-activists-say-floridas-new-election-laws-and-map-weaken-black-voting-power | 2022-09-11T05:53:27Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/black-activists-say-floridas-new-election-laws-and-map-weaken-black-voting-power | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
A ruling today means abortion will remain legal in Michigan, at least for now. Michigan Judge Jacob Cunningham says an abortion ban on the state's books cannot be enforced right now. This is a law that dates back to 1931. The judge suggested that not blocking it could be catastrophic.
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JACOB CUNNINGHAM: Though the court appreciates both sides of this debate are passionate in their convictions, by not issuing an injunction today, the court would send the health care system into crisis, the extreme costs of which would then be put on the women of our great state.
KELLY: Well, today marks a big victory for abortion rights advocates and for people who'd flock to Michigan from other states that have banned abortion in recent months. There's been a lot of confusion over enforcement of this nearly century-old state law, and the confusion may not end with today's decision, as Rick Pluta of the Michigan Public Radio Network is here to explain. Hey, Rick.
RICK PLUTA, BYLINE: Hello.
KELLY: Hi. So I know there are a bunch of legal fights underway in Michigan over abortion. Just situate the significance of this particular case.
PLUTA: Sure. There is actually a different court ruling that says that the state of Michigan cannot file charges against abortion providers. But that's a non-issue because Michigan's Democratic attorney general, Dana Nessel, says that's not going to happen. So this injunction says that, for now at least, local prosecutors, county prosecutors cannot file charges either. And that's despite the fact that some Republican prosecutors say, well, that should be their call.
KELLY: OK. So a lot going on. But, again, just to repeat - for now, abortions will remain available. What has been the reaction today in Michigan to this?
PLUTA: Well, sure. As you would expect, pro-choice groups say that this is great news, even it's just a respite. And those Republican prosecutors - well, they're not happy. Their attorney is David Kallman, and here's what he had to say.
DAVID KALLMAN: I don't know. I mean, the judges ruled. That's their job. That's what he does. You know, he did. We disagree. We're going to appeal. That's the way the process works. We're going to go up the court of appeals.
PLUTA: So next stop, another court. But like I said, pro-choice groups say this is good news. This is Michigan Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian, and she says the alternative to this decision is a lot of fear and a lot of confusion.
NATASHA BAGDASARIAN: I think it really chills that sort of doctor-patient private relationship. I'm also concerned about physicians around the state of Michigan under fear of prosecution for actually performing their duty to their patients.
KELLY: Meanwhile, Rick, there's a call for a constitutional amendment. What's going on there? How does that factor in?
PLUTA: So another twist - a petition campaign has submitted 700,000-plus signatures to put a reproductive rights amendment on the November ballot. Today's decision, if it holds up, will keep things as they are until after the November election.
KELLY: OK. And one more twist - the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, is looking for a more definitive answer on all this. She's looking to the state Supreme Court.
PLUTA: That's right. This is actually kind of where this case began, that Governor Gretchen Whitmer filed this case. But one of the things that she asked for was for the Michigan Supreme Court to step in, circumvent the lower courts and take this case right away and rule that abortion rights are already protected under the Michigan Constitution.
KELLY: Lots to keep you busy. Rick Pluta of the Michigan Public Radio Network, thanks.
PLUTA: Oh, you bet. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/judge-blocks-prosecutors-from-enforcing-1931-abortion-ban-in-michigan | 2022-09-11T05:53:53Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/judge-blocks-prosecutors-from-enforcing-1931-abortion-ban-in-michigan | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
One of the key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed into law this week aims to make electric vehicles more mainstream. But instead of making it easier to qualify for a $7,500 tax credit, the administration is placing more restrictions on vehicles and buyers. NPR's Arezou Rezvani is here to explain why. Hi, Arezou.
AREZOU REZVANI, BYLINE: Hi.
KELLY: All right. So explain why. If I want to buy an electric vehicle, how does this bill help me?
REZVANI: Well, long-term, it's meant to drive prices down. Electric vehicles have always been very expensive. Right now the average price of an EV is $66,000. And that price point is one reason why EV sales have been low despite strong interest. Last year, for example, only about 3% of all auto sales were electric. So what this law intends to do is push automakers to produce more affordable options and expand their customer base. That's why this tax credit has an income cap. If you make more than $150,000 as a single person or double that as a couple, you won't get this tax credit. And, again, it's because they want to incentivize automakers to really start catering to a wider range of buyers, not just high-income earners.
KELLY: You mentioned the income cap. That's one requirement to get this tax credit. Walk me through. There are other caveats.
REZVANI: OK. So there are quite a few. Hang with me.
KELLY: OK.
REZVANI: If you want to qualify for the full $7,500 today, the car has to be assembled in North America. And this one requirement alone has already disqualified dozens of EVs from the tax credit. Automakers like Hyundai or Toyota are out, but certain Ford models, certain Rivian models, the Nissan Leaf - they're among cars that still qualify for now. Other provisions take effect in January, and they will disqualify even more cars from the tax credit. So electric sedans have to be $55,000 or less. It's a bit more for bigger cars. There's also a price cap for used cars. Finally, those all-important EV batteries - not only must some of the components be in North America. A lot of what's in those batteries have to come from the U.S. or a trading partner.
KELLY: So it sounds like these restrictions will disqualify so many cars, which seems counter to the goal of getting more electric vehicles out there...
REZVANI: Right.
KELLY: ...Getting more people to buy them. What's the thinking?
REZVANI: Well, this is part of a really big push to reorient the supply chain and bring production back to the U.S. The administration wants to reduce dependency on China. I talked to Michael Fiske from S&P Global about this, and he really views this initiative as a matter of national security.
MICHAEL FISKE: We've seen a lot of the challenges that have come from being reliant on the Middle East for oil for the last, you know, half century or more. Now I think there are some valid concerns about becoming overly reliant on Asian countries for the processing and manufacturing of batteries and battery-related materials for the next decade or 50 years.
KELLY: And, Arezou, just briefly, what about the car companies? Where are they in all this?
REZVANI: It's going to be very challenging for them to make this shift. You know, just finding new countries to do business with for those minerals in the batteries - that's a big undertaking. It will take time. But long-term, if automakers do bring production to the U.S. and attract more customers, that could really catapult the EV market into the mainstream in ways we haven't seen before.
KELLY: All right. Arezou Rezvani, thanks so much.
REZVANI: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/what-the-inflation-reduction-act-means-for-electric-car-buyers-and-auto-companies | 2022-09-11T05:54:05Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/what-the-inflation-reduction-act-means-for-electric-car-buyers-and-auto-companies | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Today in Florida, lawyers for the gunman who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years ago delivered their opening statement. They are arguing that their client should be spared the death penalty. Nikolas Cruz has already pleaded guilty to the murders. The jury will decide on his sentence, death or life in prison without parole. NPR's Greg Allen is at the courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. And, Greg, the Cruz trial has been going on for over a month. Why did it take until now for the defense to begin delivering its opening statement?
GREG ALLEN, BYLINE: Well, you know, Ari, this is a very tough case for the defense because the facts really aren't in dispute at all here. In February of 2018, Nikolas Cruz, former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with a long history of behavioral problems, brought an AR-15-style rifle to the school and began shooting. At the trial, surveillance video was shown that showed him in the school, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others. The defense appears to have wanted to put some distance between all that and the emotion of the horrific nature of the prosecution case, put distance between that and their case.
In the first few weeks of the trial, the jury heard from students who were wounded and then survived. They described the horror of watching their classmates die in front of them. There was also graphic testimony by medical examiners about how each of the 17 victims died. But today, Cruz's defense attorney, Melissa McNeill, seemed to be trying to turn the page.
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MELISSA MCNEILL: Everyone here agrees that Nikolas deserves to be punished, without a doubt. But life without the possibility of parole is a severe enough penalty.
ALLEN: You know, in Florida, the jury must be unanimous in awarding the death penalty. Cruz's defense is hoping that they can convince at least one juror that life is the appropriate sentence here.
SHAPIRO: And how are defense attorneys making that case that Cruz should be spared the death penalty?
ALLEN: Well, under Florida law, jurors must weigh aggravating factors versus mitigating factors in deciding on the death penalty. The prosecution has laid out for the jury a host of reasons why they're asking for capital punishment, the fact that multiple murders were committed and that it was, in legal parlance, horrendous, atrocious or cruel or just two of the of the aggravating factors. But McNeill today told the jury she would also - she would begin presenting the other side, be telling them some of what she called the chapters of his life.
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MCNEILL: We will give you reasons for life. And that - that is called mitigation. Mitigation is any reason that you believe that the death penalty is not an appropriate penalty in this case.
ALLEN: McNeill said this isn't intended to justify or explain the attack in the 17 deaths, but it's to present a full picture of her client's troubled history.
SHAPIRO: So as that full picture begins to unfold, what do you expect the defense to say that might offset the horrific nature of these shootings?
ALLEN: Well, Cruz's defense is focusing a lot on the source of his problems. And they look at - looking at presenting two women, his birth mother and the woman who adopted him with - as infant, kind of pointing to them as the kind of source of some of these issues. Today, the jury heard testimony about Cruz's birth mother, who's now deceased. A former friend said she was a drug addict and an alcoholic who likely conceived him through her work as a prostitute. The defense says it'll present testimony and evidence that Cruz suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome.
Defense attorney Melissa McNeill detailed problems, first identified when Cruz was just 3 years old, that he was developmentally delayed, that he had communication and behavioral problems and that he needed a supportive, structured educational environment. McNeill said Cruz's adoptive mother for a time ignored her son's problems and the need for help. She also talked about disturbing drawings and threats of violence that Cruz continues to produce even now while he's in jail.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MCNEILL: But his brain is broken. He's a damaged human being. And that's why these things happened.
ALLEN: Among those who testified today was Nikolas Cruz's sister, Danielle Woodard. She's a decade older than Cruz. And she painted a picture of a terrible childhood that she had and her mother's rampant drug and alcohol abuse when she was pregnant with with Nikolas Cruz.
SHAPIRO: What else do you expect the defense to present as this unfolds?
ALLEN: Well, we're going to likely hear from a series of witnesses, including family friends and expert witnesses. The defense will try to make the case that many people along the way, from Cruz's mother, through officials in the school district, ignored his problems. Another person expected to testify is Cruz's younger brother, Zachary. He's had his own history of troubles, including a run-in with police when he trespassed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the shooting. He's now living in Virginia. It's not really clear what he'll be saying, but we'll be hearing from that very soon.
SHAPIRO: That's NPR's Greg Allen speaking with us from in front of a courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Thank you, Greg.
ALLEN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-22/defense-argues-against-death-penalty-for-parkland-gunman-who-already-pleaded-guilty | 2022-09-11T05:54:39Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-22/defense-argues-against-death-penalty-for-parkland-gunman-who-already-pleaded-guilty | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
The U.S. has had a historically hot summer. Now, if you've got good air conditioning, that heat may not pose much of a threat. But for those who can't afford it, it can be dangerous. Sophia Schmidt of member station WHYY reports on efforts to get AC units into the hands of people who need them.
SOPHIA SCHMIDT, BYLINE: There are barely any trees to shade Felicia Ashley's block in northwest Philadelphia. Inside her row home, her young nieces and nephew watch TV. It's sweltering because the AC unit near the kitchen doesn't work.
FELICIA ASHLEY: My landlord is actually a friend of mine's daughter, and she said that AC been here since she was little. That AC older than me.
SCHMIDT: Ashley has survived much of the summer with just a fan on her first floor, though she does have one AC unit upstairs.
ASHLEY: I have high blood pressure and diabetes, and I also have a pregnant daughter. And my husband goes to dialysis. So the air is really, really needed.
SCHMIDT: Health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and pregnancy can make you more vulnerable to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. And heat can be deadly. So far this summer, at least seven people have died in Philadelphia from heat-related causes. According to the EPA, heat is the lead cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Ashley looked into buying a new air conditioner herself, but it was expensive.
ASHLEY: Once I pay my rent, my bills is over.
SCHMIDT: The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 400,000 occupied housing units in Pennsylvania do not have air conditioning. Nationally, that number is close to 11 million. For those who can't afford air conditioning, there is assistance, but it's limited. In a Facebook group for moms, Ashley learned about a tiny mutual aid group based in Philly called Funds Y'all. They've been raising money and collecting used air conditioners to give to neighbors in need. A volunteer delivered a window unit to Ashley's house and helped install it. After a bit of wrangling, it shuddered to life.
(SOUNDBITE OF BEEP)
ASHLEY: There we go.
(SOUNDBITE OF AIR CONDITIONER STARTING)
SCHMIDT: There are a variety of small-scale efforts to address the need for air conditioners. Nonprofits and churches around the country have given out fans and air conditioners. And there are several federal programs states can use to provide AC units. The main one, according to the federal government, is called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. It can help families get air conditioners or pay their summer cooling bills, but how it's used varies state to state.
Pennsylvania started a pilot program with that funding this summer to provide or repair air conditioners for households that already got LIHEAP or weatherization help in the past year. The state says it's provided or fixed over 350 cooling units so far. But experts say, especially with climate change, there aren't enough resources for help with cooling.
MARK WOLFE: The numbers are way too big for GoFundMe, and it's way too big for charity.
SCHMIDT: Mark Wolfe heads the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. His group represents the state officials that distribute funds from LIHEAP. Wolfe says the program does not have enough money and states spend most of it helping pay heating bills in the winter.
WOLFE: The reason states do that, of course, is that the winter heating season comes first and that cooling up to recently was viewed, I think, in many places as a luxury.
SCHMIDT: The Inflation Reduction Act President Biden signed last week includes billions for rebates to help lower- and middle-income households buy energy-efficient appliances, including heat pumps, which act as both heaters and air conditioners. And the Biden administration is encouraging states to use LIHEAP funds for cooling. But fewer than half of states told the federal government they use it to provide air conditioners. The federal program had an unprecedented level of funding this year, thanks to COVID relief in the infrastructure law. But Wolfe says that's not likely to last.
WOLFE: As we look towards next year, we're in the same boat we were before. We don't have enough funds to provide both heating and cooling.
SCHMIDT: Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, dozens of residents have applied for air conditioners from the mutual aid group, and organizers are scrambling to raise enough funds. They've stopped taking new applications for now, and say it could take months to cross everyone off their list.
For NPR News, I'm Sophia Schmidt in Philadelphia. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-23/for-those-who-cant-afford-air-conditioning-the-summer-heat-can-be-deadly | 2022-09-11T05:55:38Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-23/for-those-who-cant-afford-air-conditioning-the-summer-heat-can-be-deadly | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Federal student loan payments have been on pause since March 2020. Well, that temporary relief is set to expire next week if President Biden declines to extend it.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Meanwhile, the administration has been taking other steps to ease the burden of student debt. It has forgiven billions of dollars' worth of federal student loans by enforcing the borrowers defense rule.
KELLY: And that's a rule that allows borrowers to ask the Department of Education to erase their student debt if their school lied to them, say, about job prospects or their likely salary.
SHAPIRO: Take the story of William Alexander of Jacksonville, Fla. He says when he applied for classes in 2015, his for-profit college made all kinds of promises.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER: The admissions advisor told me that there was guaranteed career waiting for me. They told me that my total tuition would be about $8,000, and instead it turned out to be close to 50,000.
KELLY: He struggled to make his payments, so he filed a borrower defense claim. Then, last week, he got notice that the entire balance of his loans was being forgiven, freeing up an extra 3- to $400 a month.
ALEXANDER: I was blown away. I wasn't expecting this at all so - put a huge smile on my face (laughter), of course, when I got it. And, you know, I ran into the house telling everyone, hey; my student loans are getting cancelled, my student loans are getting cancelled. So yeah, I'm happy as a pig in mud (laughter).
SHAPIRO: Alexander says the news is a life-changing. He and his wife are looking at houses now, and he feels like he'll have more time to volunteer in his community.
KELLY: Many more borrowers, though, are still waiting on relief, and we asked a few of them to share their stories.
SHAPIRO: Some are still paying off student debt from decades ago as their own children reach college age. Others are already working several jobs to offset the rising cost of living, and the restart in monthly payments will squeeze their budgets even more.
JAYSON DOUGLAS: I'm Jayson Douglas, and I live in Commerce, Texas. I am 29. My monthly payments are at $835 a month. The pause was definitely helpful, but because of inflation, I did have to pick up a couple of other occupations, especially with rent rising. I was a Lyft driver for some time, but I also started working at another part-time job. And I really think that our government needs to cancel student loans altogether, at least cancel the interest and go back to the original borrowing principal.
PARI: I'm Pari, and I live in Ohio. I'm 52. I have 20-years-old student loans for a certification in order to have a career as a paralegal. The amount that I currently owe on that loan is more than I originally took out 20 years ago. Secondly, I have Parent PLUS loans that total almost $200,000 for putting two of my children through college. Those two totaled $700 a month. The added layer for me is I'm a Black woman, and America has made it very clear that they really don't feel Black people all that much. The weight of the student loans bears on every other decision that I tried to make, you know, home ownership and all of that. The way that the compound interest is just crippling. It just really feels like robbery, and I'm hoping that this nightmare ends.
CAROL OLDHAM: I'm Carol Oldham, Jamaica Plain, 51. I still owe somewhere between 12 and 15,000, and my husband - 15,000 as well. That's about 600 a month. And, you know, of course, part of it is that you're paying mostly interest. My husband is chair of his department. He's an economics professor. I'm a regional manager. And yet it's still a stretch to pay these each month in addition to our mortgage. And, of course, one of the things about hitting 50 is all of a sudden it's like, oh, now I need glasses. And everything feels really expensive right now. Setting our society up that only wealthy people can go to school or graduate school - if that's the outcome, I think we'll all be sorry and that folks just aren't maybe thinking in the long run.
SHAPIRO: That was Carol Oldham in Massachusetts, Peri in Ohio, who didn't share her last name for privacy reasons, and Jayson Douglas in Texas. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-23/student-loan-payments-are-about-to-restart-can-american-families-afford-them | 2022-09-11T05:55:44Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-23/student-loan-payments-are-about-to-restart-can-american-families-afford-them | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Twitter's former head of security is now blowing the whistle on the company. Peiter Zatko, also known by his hacker name Mudge, filed complaints with several government agencies. He accuses Twitter of serious security flaws that he says pose a risk to the platform's users, shareholders and national security. The complaint was obtained by CNN and The Washington Post. Joseph Menn is a technology reporter for The Post. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
JOSEPH MENN: Thanks for having me.
SHAPIRO: So you spoke with Peiter Zatko, former Twitter head of security. What did he tell you his reasons were for filing this whistleblower complaint with the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission?
MENN: Well, he was very frustrated during his short time at Twitter. He was there for 15 months and brought in because - after a particularly embarrassing series of hacks in 2020. So he was brought in because of his reputation to fix the place. And then he basically wasn't able to do so. He was fired after a change in CEO in January. And he told me that he sees this whistleblower complaint as an extension of his work trying to make Twitter safer for people. If the company won't do it, then he's basically inviting regulators to come in and make them do it.
SHAPIRO: Can you explain what, in his view, the threat to national security is?
MENN: Well, he says they were warned that there was more than one intelligence agency with people inside the company. He says that he believes that there was an agent of the Indian government inside the company. So there's that, there's the insider threat stuff, but also just what he describes as egregious failings in protecting user data, which can include phone numbers, location data, real emails. That's super risky because - maybe not for you and me, but in, you know, in many countries, dissidents are using Twitter to communicate. And they're at great risk, and they can be exposed this way. In fact, there was an insider threat in San Francisco. There was just a conviction this month of somebody who was accused of working for the Saudi government inside Twitter and turning over information about dissidents. So that's the national security issue.
SHAPIRO: Peiter Zatko has an interesting background. Tell us a little bit more about him.
MENN: Well, Mudge Zatko, as he's known, is actually one of the most famous hackers in the country, has been for a long time. In the 1990s, he was one of the first people to publish details of security flaws in software. So at that point, if you're probably a business and you bought some software - this was the early '90s - Mudge and others would find the flaws in them. Instead of just exploiting them by themselves and breaking into people's computers who were using that software, they would publish findings that said, this is the problem or that's the problem.
SHAPIRO: OK. So back to this whistleblower complaint. How has Twitter responded to this?
MENN: They say that it's exaggerated. It's out of date. There's inaccuracies in it. They say it's a - Zatko is a disgruntled former employee who was fired for poor performance and poor leadership.
SHAPIRO: And this comes as the ownership of the company is in question. Elon Musk is trying to back out of a deal to buy Twitter. Do you expect this to have an impact?
MENN: It's certainly going to have some impact. The question is, how much? And I think we're going to know that soon. Mudge Zatko can be subpoenaed. And he's very likely to be subpoenaed by Musk's team. Musk has already sort of alluded today to the complaint. Musk is trying to get out of the deal and do it for free on a couple of grounds. One is that Twitter radically underestimated the number of bots and spammers on its site, and they've done it by so much that it's a material adverse event to get down to the actual number of bots to find out what that is, and Zatko agrees. And part of his complaint is - there's a section titled "Twitter Lies To Musk About Bots."
And the second thing is that in the deal that was struck with Musk, Twitter stood by its SEC filings and said that everything in them is true. Zatko says otherwise, says that by hiding these really serious security deficiencies, it was, among other things, violating an 11-year-old agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to do better and have a decent security program. And that is a material omission to shareholders. And if Musk picks up on that, he could argue that Twitter, attesting to the veracity of its statements to shareholders, was fraud and breach of contract.
SHAPIRO: Are there larger implications here for cybersecurity beyond Twitter?
MENN: There are. So I've covered cybersecurity for 20 years or so, and I'm hearing from a lot of people today both that Twitter is an outlier, that it's got exceptionally bad security historically, but also that it is kind of a symbol of how bad a lot of tech companies are at security, you know, behind the scenes. It's super rare to have a whistleblower this high rank with this kind of reputation come forward. But you shouldn't really be shocked if similar things are happening at other companies that we don't know about.
SHAPIRO: That's Joseph Menn, a technology reporter for The Washington Post. Thanks a lot.
MENN: Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-23/whistleblower-says-twitters-security-flaws-are-a-risk-to-users-and-national-security | 2022-09-11T05:55:50Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-23/whistleblower-says-twitters-security-flaws-are-a-risk-to-users-and-national-security | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
POPLAR, Mont. — When Jestin Dupree got out of the Army in 2014 after 17 years, he was tired.
"I ended up doing five tours of duty overseas. I went to Bosnia in 2001, Afghanistan in 2003, Iraq in 2005, Iraq in 2007. And then [Iraq] again in 2010," he says, "My body was ... the 'check engine' light came on."
He moved home to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana, but things didn't calm down for him right away. He got on the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribal Council there, and even went to Washington, D.C., to testify before the Senate about VA care for Native vets. He was invited to serve as one of 15 vets on the first-ever VA Secretary's Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs. That was around the time he realized that he'd been trying to help his people without taking the time to help himself.
"I guess I've been so busy ... getting out of the military diagnosed with PTSD myself, I haven't been able to seek care," he recalls.
And when he tried to get the care, he says, it wasn't easy.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the military at proportional rates higher than any other group, but they often have trouble accessing care because VA facilities are far away or backlogged. It took Dupree six months to get an appointment, he says, and when he did, the therapist wasn't a vet, he wasn't Native, and it didn't go well.
"My first time actually opening up with mental health. Being through these countries I've been through and being through these situations, a lot of my friends have killed themselves that I've deployed with," he says, "To hear a guy who's never been through what I've been through, tell me, you know, to me, it was like, he's brushing it off."
Studies show Native vets have higher incidence of PTSD — and Dupree says there's still a strong stigma around getting help with mental health. That first bad experience was enough to put him off.
"They had called me four days after, and I said, 'You know what? Do me a favor, lose my number. Don't ever call me again. I don't feel comfortable talking to you guys,' " he says.
What did make Dupree feel better was helping other veterans. He took a job with the tribal government checking on the vets who live all over the reservation, which stretches for 90 miles along U.S. Route 2 in northeastern Montana.
"Life's a little slower, but in turn, I enjoy going to meet these other veterans. A lot of 'em don't know the help that's available for them," says Dupree.
Some days Dupree is driving vets to their appointments at the VA in Billings, Mont., — about 10 hours round trip, and that's in the summer, when it's not snowing. Other days, he just makes his rounds, checking in on older vets who don't have cellphones or internet. And some vets he likes to visit because it's fun for him — like Kenneth Ryan, the former tribal chairman.
"You can't become a leader of your tribe until you've gone to war," Ryan said, explaining why Natives serve in such high numbers.
Ryan joined the Army in 1965, to be a paratrooper. Instead, the Army decided he was too good at typing and made him do clerical work. That was hard, because Ryan wasn't sure he was truly fulfilling the warrior tradition. But his elders told him he had.
"They called you and you went, you didn't say no. And you would've done anything they had you do," he says.
Veterans are honored at tribal ceremonies and celebrations — and Ryan says he was welcomed home with a song.
"Well they sang that song for me. So that's how I'm — I'm a veteran. And I'm one of the most privileged men in the whole world," Ryan says.
Jestin Dupree says helping veterans access their VA benefits and filling in the gaps in VA care on the reservation is his new mission.
"Like, if I wasn't doing anything today, I would go check on every single one of 'em," he says.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-24/one-native-veterans-new-mission-fill-in-the-gaps-of-va-care-on-his-reservation | 2022-09-11T05:55:56Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-24/one-native-veterans-new-mission-fill-in-the-gaps-of-va-care-on-his-reservation | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
For many growing companies, there is a rite of passage, the initial public offering, or IPO. But contrary to what the name implies, most IPOs are not actually public. Our colleague Darian Woods from The Indicator from Planet Money explains.
DARIAN WOODS, BYLINE: Dakin Campbell is the chief financial correspondent for Business Insider and he's the author of the new book "Going Public."
DAKIN CAMPBELL: Investors are decided the night before the shares start trading.
WOODS: The investment banks in charge of the IPO will gather together big investors. So the people who run mutual funds or wealthy private investors, those people are the ones who will buy all the new shares, often with the intention of selling them again the next morning to the public at large at an almost guaranteed profit. Now, a little bit of a pop, like a slight rise in the share price on the day of the launch is widely seen as a good thing. But the amount that share prices sometimes rise on the first day of an IPO goes way beyond that. Take LinkedIn. Its share price more than doubled on the first day, hundreds of millions of dollars the company missed out on. One person closely watching LinkedIn's IPO was Barry McCarthy.
CAMPBELL: Barry being sort of, you know, the no-nonsense financial markets expert just saw that as so inefficient.
WOODS: A few years later, Barry joined Spotify as its chief financial officer. And at first, Barry went out and raised funds privately from venture capital firms and private investors.
CAMPBELL: And he had actually gone out to raise 500 million. And he raises a billion dollars.
WOODS: Still, Barry thought it was worthwhile to do an IPO.
CAMPBELL: So with that billion dollars in the bank, Spotify can and does start thinking about, like, how it can do a potential IPO on its own terms.
WOODS: Now, Barry doing this IPO in a new way wasn't purely motivated by altruistically wanting to reform the system.
CAMPBELL: None of them want Spotify to issue new shares if it doesn't need to because that's just going to dilute their stake in Spotify and make them less wealthy.
WOODS: So Barry tries to figure out a way to retain as much value as possible to Spotify.
CAMPBELL: He starts talking to his lawyers and starts sounding people out about whether he could list Spotify right on the exchange without having to issue new shares.
WOODS: Direct listing, that means just allowing your existing private shares to be traded on the stock market. But you skip over that step of issuing all those new shares to insiders the night before. So Barry gets a direct listing ready. Then it's the morning of the IPO, April 2018. Spotify has estimated what it's called a reference price at $132. The first share is traded for $165.90. This is way above expectations. People on the trading floor applaud, they shake hands. And by the end of the day, 30 million shares are exchanged, and it closes at $149. The direct listing was a success. Several other companies have followed Spotify's model, companies like Slack and Palantir. But as for that pop, those huge gains on the first day of trading from share prices that are sold too low? Well, that remains the case for a lot of companies. But at least companies going public now have a choice. Darian Woods, NPR News.
SHAPIRO: And Spotify advertises on NPR's website and distributes some NPR content. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-26/how-spotify-did-an-ipo-on-its-own-terms | 2022-09-11T05:56:27Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-26/how-spotify-did-an-ipo-on-its-own-terms | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
8th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters climb stairs during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Sept 8, 2022. The climbing of the stairs pays homage to 110 flights of stairs that first responders climbed to rescue those still in the World Trade Center. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Isaiah J. Soliz)
This work, 21 years later, Wolf Pack honors those lost on 9/11 [Image 7 of 7], by SSgt Isaiah Soliz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409183/21-years-later-wolf-pack-honors-those-lost-9-11 | 2022-09-11T05:56:47Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409183/21-years-later-wolf-pack-honors-those-lost-9-11 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Now, I don't want to make light of a serious situation, but could I get some "Mission Impossible" music here?
(SOUNDBITE OF ADAM CLAYTON AND LARRY MULLEN JR.'S "THEME FROM MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE")
SHAPIRO: It was after 2 a.m. on July 11. Millions of dollars of jewelry were in the back of an armored truck. It stopped at a gas station about 70 miles north of Los Angeles. And less than half an hour later, the jewels were gone. Thieves stole 22 containers, each weighing about 100 pounds. They contained diamonds, Rolex watches. It could be up to $100 million worth of jewels.
(SOUNDBITE OF ADAM CLAYTON AND LARRY MULLEN JR.'S "THEME FROM MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE")
SHAPIRO: Daniel Miller has been covering the story for the LA Times. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
DANIEL MILLER: Hey. Thanks so much for having me.
SHAPIRO: Is this the heist of the century?
MILLER: So there is some debate regarding the size of this heist. But if it winds up being in the range of $100 million, this heist would rank among the largest of all time. But as I said, there's a bit of a dispute over how much was stolen.
SHAPIRO: Yeah. Explain why there is such a wide range of dollar amounts here.
MILLER: Sure. So I think it's important to note that the vehicle that was transporting this jewelry was a Brinks tractor trailer. And the jewelers whose wares were being transported - they all signed manifests before this vehicle left, and those manifests contained dollar amounts for the value of their jewels. And Brinks says that the total of those dollar amounts is about $8.7 million. The jewelers say, however, in a lawsuit they filed that the true value of the jewels is more like $100 million. And this sounds like it was a common practice among some jewelers in the industry to mark a lower value for the price of their assets to save money on insurance costs.
SHAPIRO: Is there a working theory of how this went down?
MILLER: The investigators handling this - and that's the FBI and the LA County Sheriff's Department - they have not disclosed any information about a working theory. However, in talking to some experts, they say that there are signs that this was carried out by an experienced team of criminals. And one thing that they point to is that no shots were fired. Nobody was injured. And in fact, as far as we know, there weren't any eyewitnesses.
SHAPIRO: But cameras are everywhere nowadays. Was this caught on video?
MILLER: There are traffic cameras up and down Interstate 5. And, you know, there are dash cams and all sorts of vehicles. So I think people are assuming that there is video evidence that authorities have. They just haven't confirmed that there's direct video evidence of the heist.
SHAPIRO: Some of these things, like Rolex watches and diamonds, have serial numbers on them. So you can't just sell them on eBay. Who actually traffics this kind of stuff?
MILLER: That's right. We've been told by experts that the watches are probably the hardest thing to move along in this trove of riches. But things like gold can be melted down. An expert diamond cutter can remove the serial number of a diamond and even etch on a new serial number. So a lot of this booty is actually quite transportable.
SHAPIRO: What do you think the chances are of this being solved?
MILLER: Well, it's still early days for this investigation. It's been about six weeks since the heist. There's a famous case out of southern California of bandits who were cutting holes in the roofs of banks and stealing cash and other items that way. It took about a year for investigators to track down those bandits. And so we perhaps have a ways to go in this investigation.
SHAPIRO: Daniel Miller is a reporter for the LA Times. Thanks for following the story for us.
MILLER: Oh, thanks so much for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF JAY-Z SONG, "COMING OF AGE (FT. MEMPHIS BLEEK)") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-26/thieves-may-have-just-pulled-off-the-heist-of-the-century | 2022-09-11T05:56:47Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-26/thieves-may-have-just-pulled-off-the-heist-of-the-century | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Mongolia National Emergency Management Agency team lowers from a helicopter to hoist a basket stretcher during a simulated search and rescue scenario as part of Gobi Wolf 2022 in Bayankhongor, Mongolia, Sept. 8. Gobi Wolf is a disaster response exercise conducted as a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief engagement. The field training exercise focuses on hazardous material response, mass medical care, and search and rescue. (Alaska National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)
This work, Exercise Gobi Wolf 2022 participants train in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance [Image 5 of 5], by Victoria Granado, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409184/exercise-gobi-wolf-2022-participants-train-disaster-relief-and-humanitarian-assistance | 2022-09-11T05:56:50Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7409184/exercise-gobi-wolf-2022-participants-train-disaster-relief-and-humanitarian-assistance | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
The Atlantic coast of France is known for great sailing. Now, COVID had put a damper on traditional summer regattas these last two years. They were hugely scaled back. But this year, the sailboat races are back in full. Lucky Eleanor Beardsley sends this postcard from the island of Noirmoutier.
(SOUNDBITE OF BIRDS CALLING)
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Locals say the regatta was born on this windy island at the end of the 19th century, when seaside resorts became popular and people began sailing for pleasure. The month of August brings competitors to Noirmoutier for its classic and vintage regattas.
So we're going down into this boat.
Father-daughter team Antoine and Eleonore Ogereau show me their 45-foot yacht, Enchantement, built and maintained according to its 1923 design.
Six people it sleeps. Wow.
Eleonore says the regatta may have been scaled back last year, but the winds weren't. She recalls when their mast snapped.
ELEONORE OGEREAU: It was so loud. So much things happened at the same time. But I just turned around. My dad was in the water. There was no mast. I'm like, oops. Something happened (laughter).
BEARDSLEY: Antoine says there was no question of replacing it with a modern, metal one.
ANTOINE OGERAU: I don't want to sail this kind of boat with the modern equipments. It's really crazy to consider that you can sail a one-centenary boat with the same spirit of competition than 100 years before.
DAVID MYERS: (Speaking French).
BEARDSLEY: Skipper David Myers is slurping oysters and white wine at a regatta reception. Myers is from the British island of Jersey. He wasn't able to compete last year because of COVID travel restrictions.
MYERS: The welcome they give us here is superb - good French food and sunshine. And there's very good winds for sailing, so it couldn't be better, really.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Speaking French).
BEARDSLEY: The three days of racing kick off in a brisk wind. I have the chance to join a three-person crew for one of the days. We sail a 27-foot dragon designed in 1929.
PHILIPPE GIBERT: (Speaking French).
BEARDSLEY: Skipper Philippe Gibert spends much of his time yelling instructions to his inexperienced crew. There are three sails to raise, lower and trim, controlled by a dozen different lines, each with a different name. Everything is manual. Just when I think we're getting the hang of it...
GIBERT: (Speaking French).
BEARDSLEY: Man overboard.
(SOUNDBITE OF LIFE VEST INFLATING)
BEARDSLEY: A crew member is knocked off the boat. Luckily, his life vest inflates as it should when he hits the water. Gibert hoists him back onboard. Shaking his head, he says he's not aiming high this year.
GIBERT: Oh, my goal is that we don't broken anything, neither the boat, neither the men. That's my only aim.
(APPLAUSE)
BEARDSLEY: At the awards ceremony, winning boat Illya Bella has several young people on its crew, a rarity these days.
AURELIEN LEVET: Aurelien Levet.
CYRIAC LEVET: Cyriac Levet. He's my brother.
LADISLAS LEVET: Ladislas Levet.
C LEVET: He's my cousin.
BEARDSLEY: Cyriac Levet, who's 25, explains what it takes to win.
C LEVET: You need to pay a lot of attention about what you are doing and also about what other people are doing so you get synchronized because if some - just one guy mess around, then the whole team is slowed down.
BEARDSLEY: Regatta organizer Jean-Francois Thau says COVID was not sailing's biggest crisis, but becoming a niche, old man's sport is. He says attracting young people is now a main goal of these summer regattas.
JEAN-FRANCOIS THAU: What we have seen - each guys that has been in touch with the values of the sea will smoke less, work more and, at the end of the day, will probably get something more successful in term of building his life.
BEARDSLEY: Those important values of the sea and sailing - teamwork, solidarity, equality and healthy sea air. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Noirmoutier, France.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-world-news/npr-world-news/2022-08-22/a-french-islands-summer-regatta-is-back-in-full-this-year | 2022-09-11T05:57:06Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-world-news/npr-world-news/2022-08-22/a-french-islands-summer-regatta-is-back-in-full-this-year | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Severe drought has dried up waterways around the world this year. And as water levels lower, rare glimpses into the past have emerged. German warships sunk in World War II are rising from the Danube. In China, 600-year-old Buddhist statues were discovered in the Yangtze River.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
And the Tiber River revealed ruins of a Roman bridge from the first century.
NICHOLAS TEMPLE: The Pons Neronianus, which at the time was the only bridge crossing at that part of the Tiber, may have been the bridge that Saint Peter himself had crossed to his martyrdom.
KELLY: That is Nicholas Temple, senior professor of architectural history at London Metropolitan University. He says the bridge could have been a significant crossing point for Roman armies and pilgrims, and he thinks this is a great opportunity to learn more about it.
TEMPLE: There are parts of the bridge which were not visible in the past - because the drought is so severe and has disclosed lots of things about the substructure and certainly about the early history of the bridge.
SHAPIRO: And in Spain, a prehistoric burial site is now fully visible. Some are calling it the Spanish Stonehenge. All that's left is a circle of tall stones, but at one time it was a grand dome. Angel Castano is president of a local cultural association.
ANGEL CASTANO: You can picture this as a big, huge igloo. The entrance, this kind of little tunnel door, was 12 meters long.
SHAPIRO: Castano thinks the site may have been more than just a communal tomb.
CASTANO: I would compare it to building a cathedral in the Middle Ages. If you make such a huge effort, are you going to use it just for burial? Probably not.
SHAPIRO: Castano's organization wants to remove the stones from the water to better protect them.
KELLY: Meanwhile, in Glen Rose, Texas, traces of life have just been revealed from way farther back - like, 113 million years back. Jeff Davis is superintendent at Dinosaur Valley State Park. There, tracks from the T.rex-like Acrocanthosaurus were left behind by the parched Paluxy River.
JEFF DAVIS: Those tracks have three large toes. Think about a dinner plate, and then add three or four inches on some of them.
KELLY: They roamed the region when it would have been covered by sticky mud and then floodwater.
DAVIS: Layers of sediment were laid on top of them more and more over millions of years. And then in the last few thousand years, the Paluxy River has carved back down through those layers and exposed the tracks.
SHAPIRO: The drought may have brought new discoveries, but it has also brought disaster worldwide. One of the year's largest wildfires in Texas burned within a quarter mile of the park.
DAVIS: A lot of the places in the park, it looks like fall because the trees are so yellow.
SHAPIRO: The low waters that made the prehistoric burial site in Spain visible have meant catastrophe for Spanish farmers.
KELLY: And the reappearance of so-called hunger stones drives home the point. The stones have marked low levels along European rivers during historic droughts. One in the Czech Republic simply reads, if you see me, then weep. Architectural history professor Nicholas Temple again on the stones.
TEMPLE: They got the marks saying this is the minimum level, and it's well beneath the minimum level. We had measures, ways in which we can articulate these changes, but with these measures now gone off the scale.
KELLY: Once the rains come, it'll be a welcome relief, but it will also mean saying goodbye to these finds until the next drought. It's NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-world-news/npr-world-news/2022-08-26/buddhist-statues-and-roman-bridges-droughts-reveal-history-in-the-worlds-waterways | 2022-09-11T05:57:49Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-world-news/npr-world-news/2022-08-26/buddhist-statues-and-roman-bridges-droughts-reveal-history-in-the-worlds-waterways | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
According to various Russian state media accounts, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has died at the age of 91 after a long illness. Gorbachev played a pivotal role in ending the Cold War, and many blame him for the collapse of the Soviet Union, which he had tried to reform. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1990.
NPR's Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes joins us to discuss his life and legacy. Hi, Charles.
CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE: Hi there.
SHAPIRO: Remind us of Gorbachev's role in Soviet political life.
MAYNES: Yeah. You know, he was the last Soviet leader, both as general secretary of the USSR and the only president of the Soviet Union before it collapsed in 1991. I mean, when he ascended to the post of general secretary, it was 1985. The Soviet Union had just lost three leaders in short succession, all older men who died in office. And, you know, Gorbachev seemed the remedy to that.
He was just 54 years old when he was nominated. He was the youngest member of the Politburo. And he was very aware of the shortcomings of Soviet life and the political system and had ideas how to fix it. You know, he believed in the Soviet Union but as a country that had lost its way and - but was yet redeemable.
SHAPIRO: And so what was his solution to helping the USSR find its way?
MAYNES: Well, you know, he introduced the concept of glasnost. It was an opening up of Soviet society that brought with it new freedoms - you know, in the press, in academia, music, cinema, talking about the repressions in Russia, the Stalinist legacy of repressions. And many, of course, will remember his word, perestroika, that we would hear a lot in the U.S. in this period. It was a policy that amounted to a push to restructure the Soviet economy and make it more dynamic. He negotiated key arms control deals with the U.S., working very closely with President Ronald Reagan at the time to bring down the temperature of the Cold War and genuinely made the world a safer place with arms control deals.
You know, but in the end, he was overtaken by history. I mean, he opened up Soviet society and many Soviets wanted even more, even as Soviet hardliners wanted less. They tried to overthrow him in 1991, but ultimately his great rival, Boris Yeltsin, who later became Russia's first elected president, came to seize the mantle of reform in Russia, really, by dismantling the Soviet Union. And that left Gorbachev president of a country that no longer existed.
SHAPIRO: That all was more than 30 years ago. So what had he done since then?
MAYNES: You know, he's remained active in public life to a degree. He helped found Novaya Gazeta. This is one of Russia's great independent newspapers, very much under threat these days. He had his Gorbachev Foundation, which tended to his legacy and promoted many of his ideas of world peace and trying to preserve the arms control deals of the late Cold War period. There were also signs of difficult times that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev famously did this commercial for Pizza Hut, which many thought was very unbecoming of a figure of his stature.
But he was also a doting husband. You know, family was important to him by all accounts. His wife, Raisa, was the love of his life, and they were a very public couple, which was unusual for Russia. And Raisa passed away in 1999. But even last year, Gorbachev recorded an album of romance songs dedicated to her, which just, you know, tells you how keenly he felt her absence.
SHAPIRO: How do you think he's going to be remembered?
MAYNES: Well, he's clearly one of the giant figures of the 20th century. I mean, you know, he oversaw the peaceful withdrawal of Soviet forces from Eastern Central Europe. The Cold War, you know, essentially ended really without any bloodshed, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His willingness to negotiate on arms control helped lower the temperature of the Cold War. And I think a lot of people forget now just how nervous everybody was about the idea of a nuclear exchange between the U.S. and the USSR. Those fears really evaporated under his watch. And, you know, for many around the world, that makes him a hero.
But inside Russia, it's more complicated. You know, a lot of people would say he gave up the empire for nothing. They blamed him for the breakup of the USSR and some of the economic chaos that ensued. And those resentments are really important because they're at the heart of Vladimir Putin's ideology today. You know, his passing - or Gorbachev's passing, excuse me, comes as, you know, Putin seems determined at great cost to essentially reassert Russian power and turn the clock back in many ways politically, culturally and, of course, in terms of global influence and empire. And in many ways, you could argue that Putin is harkening back to a vision of Russia before Gorbachev introduced all these changes.
SHAPIRO: That's NPR's Moscow correspondent, Charles Maynes. Thank you.
MAYNES: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-obituaries/npr-obituaries/2022-08-30/the-life-and-legacy-of-former-soviet-leader-mikhail-gorbachev | 2022-09-11T05:58:01Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-obituaries/npr-obituaries/2022-08-30/the-life-and-legacy-of-former-soviet-leader-mikhail-gorbachev | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
There's a puppet in an exhibit that's opened at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco that might be startling - marionette with a wooden head, black hair drawn across the forehead and a stubby black mustache. It is a puppet Adolf Hitler, created in the 1930s by Mike and Frances Oznowicz in Belgium. The Oznowiczes would become Holocaust survivors. And their son, Frank - better known as Frank Oz - is, of course, the legendary actor and filmmaker who brought many famous and much more beloved puppet figures to life. The new exhibit is "Oz For Oznowicz: A Puppet Family's History" (ph). And the great director and puppeteer Frank Oz joins us now. Thanks so much for being with us, Frank.
FRANK OZ: Hi, Scott. It's a pleasure.
SIMON: Forgive me, but did you grow up with a Hitler puppet in a box in the closet?
OZ: No. I grew up with a Hitler and the other puppets up in our attic. I would occasionally go up there once every few years to, I don't know, take a look or grab something, and I just saw them there, and they meant nothing to me because, of course, what meant more to me than anything else was sports and girls. So - but then, when I became an adult, I realized, holy cow, it's amazing what's here.
SIMON: Tell us about how your parents came to make the puppet and how it fit into what they were doing at the time.
OZ: You know, I don't really know the details because I was born during the war, and so I was never alive in the 1930s when they did it. But as I understand it, my dad carved the characters out of wood. And then, when he met my mother, she is a seamstress from Brugge, or Bruges, Belgium, and she did the clothes. I imagine they did shows there. When they came the United States, they didn't do shows. But - and I don't know if the Hitler puppet was actually part of a show.
When the Germans were coming to Belgium - and my dad was very politically astute, and he sensed when they'd be coming - he knew they had to leave. My mother's mother - my grandmother - was concerned that if they left the Hitler puppet behind and the Germans found it, they would think they were making fun of Hitler, which they indeed were, and people would be killed for it. So they buried the Hitler puppet underground. And then, after the war, years later, there came an earthquake.
SIMON: Yeah. My. What kind of shows did they do? I mean, tell us about your parents. Their career was certainly larger than that one puppet, right?
OZ: In the small exhibit - it's just one room - there are other puppets as a band. It's like folk art, where instead of making beautiful parts of it, they'll use a nail for a cigarette. And so that kind of folk art is beautiful. And that was part of a show because alongside it, there's a black and white photo of the band that shows them during a performance. That's pretty much all I know about it - that's the thing.
SIMON: Wow. I understand your father was Jewish, your mother was Catholic, and they had to...
OZ: Well, my mother was lapsed Catholic. My father was not a practicing Jew. My whole - as he said, you know, this is always terrible to hear, but he said half his family was gassed. In the exhibit, there's an interview I did with my dad 50 years ago. My dad never really talked about the war, but I got him to talk about the war for about a half an hour, and he tells a story about he and Mom trying to escape and finally, without even knowing they were going, to Morocco.
SIMON: I have to ask - I mean, you are the best-known person who's ever been a puppeteer on the planet today, given your work with Jim Henson, your evocation of Yoda. What do you see when you look at your parents' puppets and that Hitler puppet specifically? What does it say of their artistry?
OZ: If you knew my dad, my dad was somebody who got by and through the war by the seat of his pants. I mean, he just was able to enjoy the moment. In the black and white interview, he says that he and my mom were on what's called a hunger ship. They didn't have food for seven days when they went to Morocco. They didn't even know where they were going. But he still brought her up when she was sick as a dog up to the top to show her the Pyrenees. He was that kind of a guy that, even though the worst times, he would see the fun in things. And so he saw Hitler as somebody you could make fun of. And he was just somebody who would create a character like that in order to be rebellious about it, and rebellious in the sense of doing the right thing.
SIMON: I didn't know until prepping for this interview that you - well, you began to work at puppet shows as a teen, right?
OZ: Yeah. Yeah. I was a weird guy.
SIMON: (Laughter) Well, it worked out, I think it's safe to say.
OZ: Not that I've outgrown my weirdness.
SIMON: Well, as a career choice, it worked out. But I have also read it wasn't necessarily a career choice.
OZ: No, by no means. I wanted to be a journalist. And I did puppets in the Bay Area, you know, like, $25 a show for supermarket openings and churches and bazaars and birthday parties. And then when I was 18, I said, enough of that. I'm not interested. I really wanted to be a journalist. And Jim had seen me work - my work about when I was 17. And so when I came back from my, you know, rucksack Europe trip when I was 19, he asked for me to come to New York. So it was a kind of thing where I quit it. And when I quit it and wanted to do something else, I was then hired for it (laughter).
So as much as I loved doing the Muppets, it wasn't the puppets that I loved. It was the Muppets that I loved. It was the characters and the people I work with - my brothers and sisters.
SIMON: Yeah. What do you hope people who see this exhibit will take away from the experience?
OZ: I really hope people will - in a larger sense, but in a very small way - sense the plight of refugees then, now and in the future. When we hear the word refugee, we really don't know how it feels, how it smells, how it looks. And so I hope in a larger sense that people sense that, oh, my gosh, this is what happens when you're a refugee from a war.
SIMON: Frank Oz - "Oz Is For Oznowicz" is an exhibit now at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. Thank you so much for being with us, sir.
OZ: Thanks so much, Scott. Appreciate it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-arts-culture/npr-arts-culture/2022-08-20/exhibit-honors-frank-ozs-family-legacy-in-puppeteering | 2022-09-11T05:58:56Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-arts-culture/npr-arts-culture/2022-08-20/exhibit-honors-frank-ozs-family-legacy-in-puppeteering | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Jamil Jan Kochai is an accomplished man - born to Afghan parents in a refugee camp in Pakistan and today a successful author and Pen/Hemingway Award finalist who's currently on tour with his new book, "The Haunting Of Hajji Hotak And Other Stories." He credits much of his success to his second-grade teacher, Susannah Lung. Jamil Jan Kochai joins us now from Sacramento.
Thanks so much for being with us.
JAMIL JAN KOCHAI: Thank you so much for having me, Scott.
SIMON: And tell us about how Mrs. Lung helped you.
KOCHAI: Well, I mean, you know, it all starts from the beginning. I grew up in a household that was filled with women who spoke just entirely Pashto and Farsi. And so, you know, I was starting second grade completely terrified. I didn't know my alphabet. I knew, like, 10 letters. But that was when I was fortunate enough to meet Mrs. Lung for the first time, who, you know, within the course of a year, by staying with me after school, taught me how to read and write.
SIMON: Remember a couple of scenes for us, if you can, of Mrs. Lung helping you out.
KOCHAI: Yeah. You know, - I mean, the main thing that I recall about Mrs. Lung in particular is just the warmth with which she taught. Before then, you know, during kindergarten, I kept getting punished for not understanding or for not obeying directions. And so I think, in a way, I associated learning or school with punishment. But Mrs. Lung just - she completely changed that for me.
SIMON: How long have you been searching for her? What set that off?
KOCHAI: Oh, you know, it's been - yeah, it's been 22 years now. It's - ever since high school. My parents just - they kept emphasizing to me, you know, that, you know, you owe this all to Mrs. Lung. You've got to get back in touch with Mrs. Lung. And so I started scouring the internet. I looked up her name. Unfortunately, I didn't know Susannah's first name at the time, and so I was typing in Mrs. Lung. I went back to my elementary school. I asked them - I hit a dead end there. I went back to the district office. So it was probably around, you know, my 20s or so that I just sort of gave up on the search. And then in 2019 when my first novel came out, I ended up writing this essay. And in the essay I mentioned Mrs. Lung and how important she was to my development as a reader and as a writer. And, you know, lo and behold, the essay somehow - it got to her. But it wasn't until I was doing a reading event on Saturday for "The Haunting of Hajji...
SIMON: Well, let me - hold on to that thought.
KOCHAI: Absolutely.
SIMON: We're joined now by Susannah Lung.
Thank you very much for being with us, Mrs. Lung.
SUSANNAH LUNG: Oh, thank you, Scott, for having me.
SIMON: So how did you hear about this brilliant student?
LUNG: Well, I was in my neurologist's office, and she said, you're a teacher. Did you teach in West Sac? I said, yes. She said, well, I have this article from this young man, and it's probably about you.
SIMON: Oh, my gosh.
LUNG: And I was just - I was floored.
SIMON: Yeah.
LUNG: And when I saw who it was - I mean, of course, he looks nothing like he did then. He was just this little guy, and he had needs, and I was fortunate enough to be able to fulfill them.
SIMON: What was that first phone conversation like?
LUNG: When Jamil's dad got on the phone, I started to cry because he was just so grateful - and, you know, I can't - words can't express.
SIMON: Oh, boy. You were making an appearance in Davis, Calif. Scores of people turned out to applaud this fantastically successful author. Who did you see?
KOCHAI: Well, you know, it's funny because when I first went up to sort of introduce the book, I hadn't recognized her. It wasn't until after. And I have to admit, it was the - it was that same sense of just immediate warmth and kindness, you know? It was, like, a 7-year-old Jamil hugging his second-grade teacher again. And that's what it felt like.
LUNG: I was blown away. He's gotten bigger.
(LAUGHTER)
LUNG: That little guy turned into a - just a wonderful man that writes beautifully - just writes beautifully.
SIMON: Yeah. Mrs. Lung, what's important to being a good teacher, do you think?
LUNG: I think passion. You don't have passion for it, it's a tough job. If you have passion for it, it's heaven.
SIMON: What's it like for you, Mr. Kochai, to be able to personally thank this person? You know, we get - I don't know, 20, 30 teachers in our lives.
KOCHAI: To me, it feels like a miracle. I don't know what else to call it. It was just this tremendous surprise. And it felt - you know, I'm a writer, so I dabble in stories all the time. And so it just felt like the perfect ending to this long story.
SIMON: This has the makings of a great memoir, doesn't it?
KOCHAI: I think so.
LUNG: If anybody can do it justice, you can.
KOCHAI: Thank you.
SIMON: Jamil Jan Kochai and his former teacher, Susannah Lung. Who knows who you'll meet along the road next, Mr. Kochai?
KOCHAI: Hey, I'm looking forward to it.
SIMON: Well, thank you. And Mrs. Lung thank you. Thank you for what you've done for literature.
LUNG: Oh, thanks.
(SOUNDBITE OF LUNA LI'S "CLOUD CASTLE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-books/npr-books/2022-08-20/author-jamil-jan-kochai-reunites-with-his-2nd-grade-teacher-who-taught-him-english | 2022-09-11T05:59:02Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-books/npr-books/2022-08-20/author-jamil-jan-kochai-reunites-with-his-2nd-grade-teacher-who-taught-him-english | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Today, NPR begins a celebration of sweat - everything you wanted to know about sweat but were too hot to ask. Our science desk explores sweat science as a public service. NPR's Joe Palca kicks things off.
JOE PALCA, BYLINE: When my editor asked me to do this story, I said, no sweat. First, let's talk about what sweat is. The human body is basically a bag of liquid with a few bones and organs thrown in to make things interesting. Some of that liquid is in arteries and veins, but some of it is in the interstices, the spaces between cells and bones and organs. And it's that interstitial fluid that's critical to understanding sweat. Why? - because sweat...
LINDSAY BAKER: Comes from the interstitial fluid in your body, so that's the starting point.
PALCA: That's Lindsay Baker of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. Yeah, that Gatorade. She's forgotten more about sweat than most people will ever know. I keep wanting to call her the sultan of sweat, but it's a bit of an obscure joke. Baker says sweat is released from special glands in the skin called ecrine glands.
BAKER: We have about 2 to 4 million glands across our body surface. And this ecrine sweat is composed mostly of water and salt.
PALCA: So that's what sweat is - basically just salt and water from the spare liquid sloshing around in your body. Question two, why do we sweat? We sweat to keep cool. When sweat evaporates, it cools the skin, and it cools the blood and the blood vessels near the skin. The cooler blood flows to the rest of the body, and we avoid overheating. Question three, does sweat stink? Surprising answer, mostly no.
STEVE XU: Ecrine sweat is in large part pretty odorless.
PALCA: Steve Xu studies sweat at Northwestern University. But, in fact, there is a stinky form of sweat. In addition to ecrine glands, Xu says there's something called apocrine glands.
XU: They kind of exude a certain more protein-rich sweat.
PALCA: And these apocrine glands are found mostly in the groin and armpits. Apocrine sweat contributes to the fragrance of compounds emanating from those areas. So there you are. Sweat - it may smell a bit, but we really need it to keep our cool.
Joe Palca, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-business-money/npr-business-money/2022-08-15/the-importance-of-sweat-we-need-it-to-keep-cool | 2022-09-11T05:59:21Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-business-money/npr-business-money/2022-08-15/the-importance-of-sweat-we-need-it-to-keep-cool | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KANEOHE, HAWAII (KITV4) - Dozens of people lined up at Windward Community College to get their annual flu shot. Many recipients said it is necessary this season on top of being vaccinated and boosted from COVID-19.
"It’s not the same as the COVID vaccine. They are two different viruses that emerged at completely different times. I want both to feel safe enough to travel," said Leslie T, flu shot recipient.
"I do not want the flu and that is why I am here. I was in the military and whenever we were deployed, we got lots and lots of vaccines like Polio and Anthrax. I know this is completely safe," said Josh Strickler, flu shot recipient.
14% of all deaths statewide this year were related to pneumonia, the flu or COVID-19 according to the State Dept. of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division. Health experts said each vaccine is made specifically to fight a certain virus despite the flu and COVID-19 having similar symptoms.
"The COVID vaccine is specifically for the COVID virus and the flu vaccine is created every year based on the flu strains going around in the communities. So far this year, the flu vaccine is made for what they anticipate to be the flu virus that will go around this fall and winter," said House Rep. Lisa Kitagawa, district 48.
Some local doctors said flu season lasts longer in Hawaii, up two months longer.
Last year's flu virus was stronger because people were focused on the COVID vaccine and skipped their flu shot.
"30% of those that got sick, majority of them weren’t vaccinated with the flu shot. They end up getting sick longer and sometimes get hospitalized. If you do get your flu shot, it cuts your sick time in half and you don't have to go to the hospital," said Pualani Moefu, business clinic coordinator, Times Pharmacy.
The recommendation is to be up to date on all vaccines and boosters as more become available.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com | https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/health-experts-urge-to-get-the-flu-shot-on-top-of-being-vaccinated-and-boosted/article_5edccd00-3186-11ed-ab80-3fff85c0d7b9.html | 2022-09-11T05:59:28Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/health-experts-urge-to-get-the-flu-shot-on-top-of-being-vaccinated-and-boosted/article_5edccd00-3186-11ed-ab80-3fff85c0d7b9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. You can say a lot about the power of music. One song has so much power, it can make some old laptops crash. It's Janet Jackson's 1989 classic "Rhythm Nation."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RHYTHM NATION")
JANET JACKSON: (Singing) With music by our side to break the color lines...
MARTIN: Microsoft's chief software engineer blogged about it. Raymond Chen says a specific frequency like the one in "Rhythm Nation" makes Windows XP hard drives go black. Even though there used to be a digital fix for the problem, maybe some folks didn't get the update. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-24/janet-jacksons-1989-classic-rhythm-nation-can-make-some-laptops-crash | 2022-09-11T05:59:58Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-24/janet-jacksons-1989-classic-rhythm-nation-can-make-some-laptops-crash | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. You can say a lot about the power of music. One song has so much power, it can make some old laptops crash. It's Janet Jackson's 1989 classic "Rhythm Nation."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RHYTHM NATION")
JANET JACKSON: (Singing) With music by our side to break the color lines...
MARTIN: Microsoft's chief software engineer blogged about it. Raymond Chen says a specific frequency like the one in "Rhythm Nation" makes Windows XP hard drives go black. Even though there used to be a digital fix for the problem, maybe some folks didn't get the update. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-24/janet-jacksons-1989-classic-rhythm-nation-can-make-some-laptops-crash | 2022-09-11T05:59:58Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-music-news/npr-music-news/2022-08-24/janet-jacksons-1989-classic-rhythm-nation-can-make-some-laptops-crash | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Updated August 18, 2022 at 11:25 AM ET
NEW YORK — Allen Weisselberg, who for decades was one of Donald Trump's most trusted and loyal employees as chief financial officer of the Trump family business, pleaded guilty on Thursday to 15 counts ranging from grand larceny to tax fraud to falsifying business records, becoming the latest person close to the 45th president to plead guilty or be convicted at trial of a felony.
Weisselberg changed his 2021 plea of not guilty to guilty in state court in lower Manhattan. Under an agreement made with prosecutors and detailed in court, Weisselberg will serve five months in prison and receive five years probation, in exchange for testifying at the trial of his former co-defendant and longtime employer, the Trump Organization. He agreed to pay $1.9 million in back taxes, interest, and penalties, to New York State and New York City.
Weisselberg's demeanor was calm as the judge ran him through the details of his guilty plea, saying little else besides, "Yes, your honor," and, "No, your honor." He wore a dark suit and a surgical face mask, and was flanked by his lawyers.
Afterward, Weisselberg's attorney Nicholas Gravante emailed a statement saying his client had made a difficult decision. "Rather than risk the possibility of 15 years in prison, he has agreed to serve 100 days. We are glad to have this behind him." (He clarified that he expects Weisselberg to ultimately serve less time in jail than five months.)
The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, says he expects Weisselberg to provide "invaluable" testimony against the Trump family business.
Weisselberg will be formally sentenced after the trial of the Trump Organization, scheduled for this fall. Judge Juan Merchan warned Weisselberg that if he does not truthfully testify at the trial, the plea agreement will be voided, and he could face years in prison.
Weisselberg, who turns 75 this month, was charged in 2021 with conspiring with his employer, the Trump Organization, to evade taxes by concealing his income through off-the-books benefits such as a luxury apartment, private school, tuition, and lease expenses for two Mercedes-Benzes. According to the Manhattan District Attorney, the scheme deprived the federal, state, and New York City governments of taxes due on millions of dollars in non-cash income.
The tax evasion scheme stretched over 16 years, from Donald Trump's early seasons as host of The Apprentice through his entire time in the White House, and into his first year as a former president.
While Donald Trump himself was not charged, the scheme benefited his family business by allowing the Trump Organization to avoid payroll taxes. In addition, prosecutors said the Trump Organization deducted Weisselberg's undeclared non-cash benefits from his paychecks, keeping a detailed leger of rent, utilities, and other living expenses covered by the company. The indictment says Donald Trump personally wrote checks for private school tuition for Weisselberg's relatives, drawing on his own private bank account.
Trump's company could face steep financial penalties if convicted at trial
The Trump Organization remains a defendant, charged with 14 felonies including conspiracy, grand larceny, and fraud. Last week, the judge in the case scheduled jury selection to begin Oct. 24. If convicted at trial, Trump's company could face steep financial penalties.
At one time, it appeared that the criminal case could extend to Donald Trump himself. Last fall, then-Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., convened a grand jury which examined evidence of Trump's role in the scheme. But Vance retired, and in January, a newly-elected D.A., Alvin Bragg, was sworn in. Two senior prosecutors quickly quit the case, after Bragg "reached the decision not to go forward with the grand jury presentation and not to seek criminal charges at the present time," according to the resignation letter of one of the prosecutors, Mark Pomerantz. In April, Bragg allowed the grand jury to lapse, without bringing any new indictments. That month, Bragg insisted that his investigation of Trump and the Trump business was still active.
In pleading guilty, Weisselberg joins a long list of people in Trump's orbit to plead guilty to, or be convicted at trial, of a serious crime. Others have included Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort (who was pardoned by Trump in 2020), political operative Roger Stone (also pardoned in 2020), and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (also pardoned in 2020.) In July, a District of Columbia jury convicted former Trump advisor Steve Bannon of contempt of Congress.
Weisselberg avoided the media spotlight until his publicity-loving boss entered politics
Weisselberg's connection to Trump is deeper, and in some ways more significant than any of the others. He has been privy to Trump family finances since 1973, when he joined the Trump Organization, which was then led by Fred Trump, Donald Trump's father. At the time, the business was centered around middle class housing in the outer boroughs of New York City. As Donald Trump transformed the enterprise to focus on casinos, hotels, and golf clubs, Weisselberg rose from accountant to comptroller to chief financial officer. He stepped aside as CFO in 2021, and took on the role of senior strategic advisor to the firm.
Weisselberg avoided the media spotlight until the spotlight found him, when his publicity-loving boss entered politics. In 2018, an audio recording was leaked, in which then-candidate Trump and Michael Cohen discussed how to buy the silence of Karen McDougal, a woman who claimed she had had an affair with Trump. Cohen suggested setting up a company to buy McDougal's story.
"I've spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up," Cohen told Trump on the recording.
The criminal investigation that eventually ensnared Weisselberg began around the time that Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance charges related to buying McDougal's story. Trump was never charged.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-18/allen-weisselberg-a-trump-org-employee-for-decades-pleads-guilty-to-felony-charges | 2022-09-11T06:00:22Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-18/allen-weisselberg-a-trump-org-employee-for-decades-pleads-guilty-to-felony-charges | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Updated August 19, 2022 at 1:09 PM ET
Sixty-four years ago Friday, 13 Black students sat at a whites-only lunch counter in downtown Oklahoma City, shaping the course of the civil rights movement.
Other sit-ins, like the Feb. 1, 1960, protest by four Black college at Woolworth in Greensboro, N.C., were better known in the fight to end segregation.
But 17 months earlier, on Aug. 19, 1958, Clara Luper, an Oklahoma City history teacher and NAACP Youth Council adviser led the group of younger students to a Katz Drug Store. Ten-year-old Marilyn Luper Hildreth, her oldest daughter, was one of them. She spoke to NPR about the memories of that day.
"When we sat down they asked us what do we want, and we told them we wanted to be served and they informed us that they didn't serve coloreds," Hildreth said. "So, we just sat there until they decided to serve us."
Under Luper's advice, the students remained seated and quiet, even as white customers yelled, cursed and spit at them.
"When people would spit on us our responsibility was to turn our heads and keep our cool," Hildreth said.
After three consecutive days of action, Katz Drug Store served the 13 Black children and integrated its lunch counter.
A 10-year-old got the idea from her travels North
Hildreth didn't just participate in the sit-in — she initiated it. She got the idea from an eye-opening trip to New York City with her mother.
Luper was one year into her role as an NAACP Youth Council adviser when she took several students to New York City to perform a play she wrote, Brother President.
"In many ways I think my mother was a genius," Hildreth said. "She planned for us to go the northern route and you have to understand that Oklahoma had some of the most segregated laws on their books."
For many students, it was the first time they had left Oklahoma. In the South, because of Jim Crow laws, it was their first time experiencing restaurant and hotel service.
"As Harriet Tubman would say, 'A little bit of freedom is a dangerous thing,' " Hildreth said.
Hildreth wanted the same treatment in her home state.
"We were in a NAACP Youth Council meeting and I made the motion that we would go down to Katz Drug Store and sit down until they served us," she said.
That is what they did.
Oklahoma remembers Luper's legacy
Clara Luper's success ignited a series of sit-ins and marches across Oklahoma, and she quickly became a notable civil rights activist, ran for the U.S. Senate and continued to teach. State residents refer to her as the mother of Oklahoma's civil rights movement.
She advocated for human rights and racial equality until her death in 2011, but her contributions to the civil rights movement have rarely been credited or acknowledged — until now. Last year Oklahoma City launched Freedom Fiesta, an annual three-day celebration honoring Luper and the legacy of the Katz Drug Store sit-in.
"We're going to make sure that history reflects what we did here in Oklahoma City," Hildreth said.
Eleven of the 13 children who sat at the counter 64 years ago are alive today and continue to tell Luper's story. Hildreth said she is confident her mother will gain broader recognition one day.
"She would say all the time, 'I want you to believe in the sun when the sun didn't shine and to believe in the rain when the rain didn't fall and to believe in the God that we've never seen,' " she said. "That's the way that she would want to be remembered."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/how-a-history-teacher-and-13-black-students-shaped-the-civil-rights-movement | 2022-09-11T06:00:29Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/how-a-history-teacher-and-13-black-students-shaped-the-civil-rights-movement | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Attorney General Merrick Garland promised to return the Justice Department to normal order after the chaos of the Trump years. That hasn't always been easy, especially in the shadow of the January 6 Capitol riot and the FBI search this month of former President Trump's estate. NPR's Carrie Johnson covers the Justice Department - joins us now.
Carrie, thanks so much for being with us.
CARRIE JOHNSON, BYLINE: Happy to be here, Scott.
SIMON: Coming up on 18 months in office for Attorney General Garland - how do you see his time there?
JOHNSON: You know, Merrick Garland took office only weeks after a violent mob stormed the Capitol building. He's promised to bring to justice anyone who's responsible for the assault on democracy, whether they entered the Capitol or not. And more than 850 people have been charged so far. But prosecutors are still investigating the organizers and funders of the political rally that day, January 6. They've issued grand jury subpoenas for top figures in the Trump White House, like the former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and aides to former Vice President Mike Pence - but no charges in that part of the investigation.
SIMON: And no charges against people who are higher up in the chain of responsibility - and that has upset some people who have already been punished for the riot itself. What do they say?
JOHNSON: Several of these rioters have tried to defend themselves in court by saying they traveled to the Capitol because Donald Trump told them to. But that has not gotten them out of legal trouble. Merrick Garland, the attorney general, knows there's a lot of public pressure that's only grown after the bombshell public hearings this summer from the House Select Committee. The public perception in many respects is that DOJ's fallen behind and is chasing down what congressional investigators already uncovered. But DOJ is currently getting ready for two big, seditious conspiracy trials against leaders of the far-right groups the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. And it's aggressively investigating the people who try to overturn the 2020 election by advancing those phony slate of electors.
SIMON: We haven't even gotten to events at Mar-a-Lago. The first time the FBI has searched the home of a former president, isn't it?
JOHNSON: The first - another high-pressure, high-visibility moment for the attorney general. In rare public remarks last week, here's what he said.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MERRICK GARLAND: Upholding the rule of law means applying the law evenly without fear or favor. Under my watch, that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing.
JOHNSON: We still don't know what kind of government secrets the FBI might have gathered at Mar-a-Lago or why former President Trump may have kept top secret papers at his home, which also doubles as a private club. If it turns out the FBI just wanted these papers back, Republicans in Congress have signaled they're going to be tough on this Justice Department. They want to see a real need for this unprecedented search.
SIMON: Carrie, you've been speaking with some of the attorney general's former colleagues about this Trump search. What do you hear from them?
JOHNSON: Yeah. I spoke with Jamie Gorelick. She's been friends with the attorney general since college. Merrick Garland was her deputy in the Justice Department in the Bill Clinton administration. Here's what Jamie Gorelick had to say about Garland personally approving the Mar-a-Lago search.
JAMIE GORELICK: He does not fly off the handle. He understands the need for care in the exercise of the extraordinary powers of the federal government. I don't think he welcomed this choice. And I think he made the decision he had to make.
JOHNSON: One of Garland's former law clerks named Karen Dunn told me the AG has a deep and genuine love for the Justice Department and that he's not thinking about himself, but instead the integrity of the DOJ. Now, Scott, we're waiting to learn more about the reasons for this FBI search and to see how much of the affidavit explaining that search will become public.
SIMON: The attorney general has been trying to steer the Justice Department away from politics. Is that practical?
JOHNSON: He can try, but those midterm elections are looming. I spoke with Cully Stimson. He's a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. He's a former federal prosecutor who also served in the George W. Bush administration. And Stimson says these kinds of government jobs take a heavy toll on people.
CULLY STIMSON: I think if the Republicans take back the House, there'll be oversight hearings into all sorts of things. And I suspect Merrick Garland will be called up to the Hill more than once. And he'll have to decide - and the administration will have to decide - whether or not continued service is in the best interest of the administration.
JOHNSON: One of the things Republicans are going to ask about is the investigation of Hunter Biden, the president's son. A holdover from the Trump administration in the Justice Department has been leading that tax fraud probe. And GOP lawmakers are pressing for some resolution of that case.
SIMON: NPR's Carrie Johnson.
Thank you so much for being with us.
JOHNSON: Happy to be here.
(SOUNDBITE OF ANDERSON .PAAK SONG, "SMILE/PETTY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-20/attorney-general-garland-is-18-months-into-his-promise-to-return-the-doj-to-normal | 2022-09-11T06:00:47Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-20/attorney-general-garland-is-18-months-into-his-promise-to-return-the-doj-to-normal | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Liz Cheney began her concession speech this week by saying, quote, "our work is far from over." Her loss was no surprise, but still momentous.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LIZ CHENEY: Our nation is barreling once again towards crisis, lawlessness and violence. No American should support election deniers for any position of genuine responsibility where their refusal to follow the rule of law will corrupt our future.
(APPLAUSE)
SIMON: NPR's Ron Elving joins us.
Thanks for being with us, Ron.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: What does Representative Cheney's loss mean for her future and that of her party?
ELVING: It means that Liz Cheney and her party are going to be going their separate ways. As you say, she didn't just lose this week. She lost by nearly 40 points - this after having won her current office three times before by big margins. But each of those times she was on the Donald Trump train. And this time she not only stepped off that train, she laid down on the track in front of it. Now, there's been talk of her running for president in her present party, but it's hard to see it.
Her party is no longer the GOP - the Grand Old Party. That acronym dates back to the Civil War, the forge of the party's founding. Liz Cheney has been casting herself as a throwback to the era of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant - she quoted them this week - and to the party of Ronald Reagan and the Bush family and her own father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. But today's GOP is driven by nationalists and populist activists empowered by former President Trump, and they are not going away.
SIMON: At the same time, we get what can almost seem like hourly updates on legal issues surrounding former President Trump and people in his orbit. What kind of danger does this perhaps pose for Republicans just a few months away from elections?
ELVING: In one sense, we can say it's been a boon for them. It excites the sense of grievance many of their voters have when it comes to the federal government. The party needs that going into the elections this November and beyond. But it's also obviously a distraction. Most Republicans would much rather have the national conversation focus on inflation or the bad memories of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan just a year ago. Instead, we're talking again about Trump and the multifront war that various legal authorities are fighting to hold him accountable for his actions in office and since. Now, the Mar-a-Lago search is just the sharpest arrow in that quiver right now.
We heard former Vice President Mike Pence this week saying, our party stands with the men and women who stand on the thin blue line at the federal and state and local level. And these attacks on the FBI must stop. That is the old Republican Party talking. It is not clear that the new Republican Party is even listening.
SIMON: Let me ask you about contrast with the Democrats because, of course, this week, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act. Are they coming into clearer focus as the midterms approach?
ELVING: We're about 80 days out from the midterms, roughly. That's at least 2 1/2 lifetimes away in political terms. Much is going to happen. Much is going to change. Right now, though, the Democrats are seeing remarkably encouraging polls in half a dozen toss up Senate races for this fall. So that's happening in Arizona and Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those are states that voted for Joe Biden in 2020. But we're also seeing competitive races with close polls persisting in Ohio and North Carolina, where Trump won twice. By the time we get into the baseball playoffs and the fall campaign season, it's possible that all of this Mar-a-Lago search and all of these other cases will keep grinding on, but also possible that people will get bored with all that and focus on gas prices, grocery prices.
Republicans are gearing up to make immigration a big focus again this fall. We still expect the House will go Republican in November, if only because of gerrymandering. But the Senate is quite a different story. There are individual candidates there who might matter more than party identity. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said as much this week, and that may have had mostly the purpose of sending a signal to Republican funders to get busy writing checks.
SIMON: Ron, what lessons do you take from history as you look at all this?
ELVING: We tend to look at the big midterm elections of the past, ones that really changed the landscape - 1994, 2010 - elections where Republicans captured the House. And they both happened right after a new Democratic president had taken office. But right now the polls suggest something much more modest may take place, something more like 1982, when Republican Ronald Reagan lost 26 seats in the House but held his own in the Senate. That, of course, raises again the cloud of election denialism, close races, rejecting the results, alleging some sort of nonexistent uncertainty - that kind of disruption now seems increasingly likely and has the potential to get ugly.
SIMON: Ron Elving, thanks so much.
ELVING: Thank you, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-20/week-in-politics-liz-cheney-loses-primary-trump-distracts-from-republican-races | 2022-09-11T06:00:53Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-20/week-in-politics-liz-cheney-loses-primary-trump-distracts-from-republican-races | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A MARTINEZ, HOST:
Former President Donald Trump has asked for the appointment of a special master to review the materials seized by the FBI from his Florida home. Trump's lawyers also want to block investigators from any further review of the documents until that special master is appointed. A letter leaked by Trump's legal team, which the National Archives has now released publicly, confirms that highly classified material was being stored at Mar-a-Lago. Joining us now is David Laufman. He's an attorney who formerly led the Justice Department's counterintelligence section from 2014 to 2018. David, I mentioned a special master. So what is a special master? What does this person do?
DAVID LAUFMAN: Well, a special master is an individual - commonly an attorney; it could be a former judge - who is usually appointed by courts in cases where attorney-client-privileged material is demonstrably at risk. For example, in the prosecution of Michael Cohen in New York - Michael Cohen was former President Trump's personal lawyer. But that's pretty improbable here, given that what's at issue are federal government records. In any event, the Department of Justice has told the former president that it is using a - what's called a filter team of agents to identify any truly attorney-client-privileged material to prevent it from coming into the hands of the investigative team. And this procedure, the filter procedure was approved by the magistrate judge.
MARTINEZ: And David, this is really Donald Trump's first move in this legal battle over the FBI search of his home. Why do you think he wants a special master to be appointed?
LAUFMAN: You know, I think it's prominently a further attempt to undermine public confidence in the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice and the FBI, part of his narrative of attack on our government institutions. And secondly, I think he just wants to delay this process as long as he can.
MARTINEZ: And that would be what would happen if a special master is appointed, possibly?
LAUFMAN: If a special master were appointed, then, you know, he or she would be given some time in which to review the records that the government has obtained through the production by the Trump team to Mar-a-Lago and what the government has recovered from the search. And they would sift through materials to determine if anything is truly privileged or not.
MARTINEZ: If this stretches out, though, would our national security be at risk at all, considering what we know already?
LAUFMAN: Well, I'd like to think that the documents that present a risk to national security are already safely back in the government's hands. It is beyond stunning that back in January, the National Archives received highly classified documents - not just documents classified at the top secret, not just documents that are sensitive compartmented information, but also special access program materials, which are among the very most restricted types of classified materials because they implicate very sensitive collection platforms.
MARTINEZ: So with Donald Trump considering another presidential run, how would the DOJ weigh its next steps possibly?
LAUFMAN: You know, I think they have made clear they are conducting a criminal investigation. They have told the court, the magistrate, they are conducting a criminal investigation. I think they are committed to seeing it through. And so what's probably happening now is that they are continuing a classification review of all the classified documents that were recovered. There is a damage assessment taking place. That's what the government has indicated. These are all standard procedures in an investigation involving the willful retention of classified materials in an unauthorized location, which is prohibited by Section 793 of the Espionage Act.
MARTINEZ: That letter written by the National Archives to Trump's legal team back in May that's now become public, what's the significance of that?
LAUFMAN: Well, the significance is that they indicated that there were over 100 documents that they had received that were marked classified, over 700 pages, including special access program material and top-secret code word information. But the other thing that is kind of stunning about this is that it took almost a year. The government tried to resolve this problem consensually with Mr. Trump and his representatives for more than a year until the first grand jury subpoena was issued in May of 2022. So contrary to Mr. Trump's narrative that the government is some kind of a bull in a china shop, they could not have more gradually and through accommodation efforts tried to resolve this consensually before they had to resort to compulsory process, through grand jury subpoena or ultimately a search warrant.
MARTINEZ: David, quickly, was their process too gradual, too respectful?
LAUFMAN: Well, you know, it's hard to have visibility into what was happening in the background. I could understand why they would want to err in an abundance of caution and giving the former president every opportunity to resolve this shy of compulsory process. But we are where we are now, and I think they're going to see it through.
MARTINEZ: That's David Laufman, attorney who used to lead the Justice Department's counterintelligence section. David, thank you.
LAUFMAN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-24/trump-asks-court-to-appoint-a-third-party-to-review-records-seized-in-fbi-search | 2022-09-11T06:01:11Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-politics/npr-politics/2022-08-24/trump-asks-court-to-appoint-a-third-party-to-review-records-seized-in-fbi-search | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
What is the economic value of a tree left standing in a forest or a stretch of beach undeveloped? The Biden administration is unveiling a plan to find out and to make nature and its health a measurable part of the U.S. economy. NPR's Nathan Rott reports.
NATHAN ROTT, BYLINE: Take that tree left standing in a forest or in this case, a city park. As it stands now - pun very much intended - this tree has no real value in the way that we talk about and measure the country's economy. It's just here. Cut it down, though? Now it's a job for whoever does the cutting - a product that can be transported, milled, packaged and sold.
DIANE COYLE: So that's in the economy.
ROTT: Diane Coyle is an economist at the University of Cambridge.
COYEL: But if you're not counting the cooling services provided by the trees that save people money on air conditioning and fans...
ROTT: Or the air that the tree is cleaning, the carbon it's storing, the habitat for pollinators it provides...
COYEL: ...We've got a very incomplete picture of what the economy genuinely consists of.
ROTT: A picture that doesn't take into account the valuable services nature provides for us like food, water, recreation and breathable air, nor the cost of those services being lost. Eli Fenichel, an economist at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, is trying to fix that.
ELI FENICHEL: So much of our conversation is driven by national statistics, Right? Like, GDP comes out, we say one thing, employment figures come out, we say another. We know that the environment, our natural resources around us, really matter from driving economic production to the quality of people's lives.
ROTT: But he says there hasn't been a good, widely accepted way to quantify that, to give nature of value that can show up on an economist's balance sheet.
FENICHEL: We haven't done the accounting to be able to sort of compare apples to apples, so we wind up talking past each other.
ROTT: Economists point to a growing GDP and say, hurray. Scientists and conservationists pointing to a world suffering from deforestation, drought and mass die offs say, yeah, maybe this isn't so sustainable. Fenichel is part of a team created by the Biden administration that's trying to get all parties on the same page. They've proposed a long-term strategy to build the country's first government-wide nature measuring system, something called natural capital accounts.
FENICHEL: This will help us understand the value of things like land, water, air quality. And we will be able to aggregate those up and ask, how is our wealth stored in natural resources changing through time?
ROTT: This idea of the natural environment being a form of capital like a railroad or a factory is not new.
SOLOMON HSIANG: It's just been really hard to measure it.
ROTT: Solomon Hsiang is the director of the Global Policy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley.
HSIANG: So we sort of know it's there. We know it's important. And we have just never kept track of it because we didn't know how. And, you know, now we kind of have the tools to do it.
ROTT: Satellites that can map forest loss, air and water quality sensors, science that shows us 1 million species are at risk of extinction worldwide. Hsiang says that's why we're seeing the public and private sector make efforts to measure and prioritize natural capital as well. Last year, the United Nations Statistical Commission adopted a framework to ensure that ecosystems like wetlands and forests are now recognized in economic reporting. And Hsiang says other countries are doing the same.
HSIANG: People have really sort of become aware of how far off course we can get. So I think climate change is one of these situations where we sort of know we weren't accounting for things right, and we just kept going and going and going. And now we are way off course.
ROTT: Biodiversity, the state of nature, is on a similar trajectory. The hope is that by creating a system to track it, people will start paying more attention. Nathan Rott, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-08-18/the-biden-administration-aims-to-make-nature-a-measurable-part-of-the-u-s-economy | 2022-09-11T06:01:24Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-science-environment/npr-science-environment/2022-08-18/the-biden-administration-aims-to-make-nature-a-measurable-part-of-the-u-s-economy | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
A new NFL season will begin in three weeks without one of the league's best young quarterbacks. The NFL announced today that Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns is suspended for the first 11 games of the regular season and fined $5 million. More than 20 women have accused Watson of sexual assault and misconduct during massage sessions, and the punishment increases Watson's original six-game ban, which the NFL appealed. NPR's Tom Goldman joins me now. Hey, Tom.
TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: So Tom, is this a win for the league, given that the NFL was not satisfied with that original six-game suspension?
GOLDMAN: Yes and no - and let's take the no first. Any time there's a highly publicized personal conduct case against one of its players, the NFL suffers. And since the infamous Ray Rice case in 2014, when the former running back punched his fiancee, captured on video, the league has at times bungled its way through these cases. There's often public outrage. There was with Watson, too. The original six-game suspension was criticized for not being enough, especially after the special judge who handed it down said Watson's behavior was egregious and predatory.
SUMMERS: OK. So that's the no, but what about the yes? Why is this a win for the NFL?
GOLDMAN: Well, the six-game ban grew to 11, even though the NFL wanted a season-long ban. And league commissioner Roger Goodell says the $5 million fine is significant. Originally, Watson was going to lose 345,000 in salary for his suspension without pay - not much for someone who signed with Cleveland for 230 million guaranteed - but now he'll lose over 600,000 in salary and that 5 million fine on top of that.
SUMMERS: OK. And so what have we heard from Deshaun Watson about this new development?
GOLDMAN: Well, today he spoke with reporters for about 10 minutes after the sanction was announced. Probably the most significant thing he said is that he still says he did not do what roughly two dozen female massage therapists said he did during his time with the Houston Texans. Here he is.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DESHAUN WATSON: Well, I've always stood on my innocence and always said that I've never assaulted anyone or disrespected anyone, and I'm continuing to stand on that. But at the same time, I have to continue to push forward with my life and my career.
GOLDMAN: Now, last week, Watson publicly apologized, saying he was truly sorry, quote, "to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation." He was asked today how he squares that apology with the fact that he says he's innocent.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What are you apologizing for?
WATSON: For everyone that was affected about this situation. There was a lot of people that was triggered.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But not the women that accused you of this?
WATSON: I've apologized to all women.
GOLDMAN: OK, Juana. If you are confused, others are too. He says he's innocent, but he's sorry. Two Texas grand juries declined to charge him criminally. He did settle civil suits with all but one of his two dozen accusers. Now, Watson says he plans to tell his side of the story in more detail in the future.
SUMMERS: OK, and what have you heard from the leadership of the team - of the Cleveland Browns?
GOLDMAN: Yeah. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said the team will honor and respect the punishment, which represents an agreement between the NFL and the Players' Union. Haslam added this, and I'm quoting - "I think, in this country - and hopefully in the world - people deserve second chances. That's what we're going to do." He acknowledges some will say, well, you're doing that because Watson is the star quarterback, to which Haslam said, well, of course.
SUMMERS: OK. So 11 games - I am looking at the calendar here. When will Watson make his regular season debut?
GOLDMAN: His first game back is expected to be on December 4 - ironically, against the Houston Texans, the team he played for when the alleged misconduct happened.
SUMMERS: Wow. NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman. Thank you.
GOLDMAN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-sports/npr-sports/2022-08-18/deshaun-watson-to-sit-out-11-games-and-pay-5-million-in-sexual-misconduct-case | 2022-09-11T06:01:36Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-sports/npr-sports/2022-08-18/deshaun-watson-to-sit-out-11-games-and-pay-5-million-in-sexual-misconduct-case | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON, UK — Prince William and wife Kate made a surprise joint appearance with Prince Harry and wife Meghan on Saturday, warmly greeting a large crowd gathered outside Windsor Castle to remember their long-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
Their “walkabout," the first time the brothers have appeared amicably together in public since March 2020, comes at a time when the younger generation of Britain's royal family must step up their responsibilities significantly.
William, long second-in-line to the throne, is now the heir apparent after his father, King Charles III, became Britain's new monarch upon his mother's death. That means William and Kate, both 40 and parents of three young children, immediately assume a much more central role as the new face of the monarchy.
William and Harry had been on frosty terms since Harry quit as a senior royal and moved to the U.S. two years ago. Their show of unity Saturday was reportedly initiated by William and left some observers hoping that Harry, 37, might return to the fray and support his elder brother in sharing the heavy workload now on William’s shoulders.
“Certainly William and Catherine, as the new Prince and Princess of Wales, will be even more in the media spotlight if that’s possible,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. “Until Thursday, there was a buffer between him and the throne. That buffer has now been removed.”
It’s a stark contrast to how thing were just two weeks ago, when William and Kate announced they were moving their family from central London to a more rural base in Windsor. Observers thought they were seeking more privacy and a more “normal” upbringing for their children, who just started a new year together at a private school.
Long before he ascended to the throne, Charles indicated that he wanted a “slimmed down” monarchy with a tighter core group of full-time working royals and lower expenses.
That was before Harry's move — and before the princes' uncle, Prince Andrew, was effectively banished from public life following sexual misconduct scandals.
Not many other recognizable “working royals” — members of the royal family who officially represent the monarch — were left to share the hundreds of official engagements and numerous overseas visits undertaken each year.
The group includes Charles and his wife, Camilla, now the Queen Consort; William and Kate; the queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne; and the queen’s youngest child, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie. Also working royals, but much lesser known, are the queen’s first cousin, Prince Richard, and his wife, Birgitte.
In his first speech to the nation, which was broadcast Friday, Charles formally bestowed his own title, the Prince of Wales, to William. Kate is now the Princess of Wales, and is the first person since William’s late mother, Princess Diana, to hold the title.
William and Kate also inherit Charles and Camilla’s other honorary titles, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. That means managing and taking income from the Duchy of Cornwall, an estate comprising land across the U.K. that is reportedly worth 1 billion pounds.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given,” Charles said Friday.
In his speech, Charles said he knows won't be able to devote as much time and energy to causes he cares most about, such as the environment and climate change.
William will now likely spend more time championing those topics. He already made his mark by founding the Earthshot Prize, an ambitious “legacy project” expected to hand out millions of pounds in grants for environmental initiatives over the next 10 years.
“It will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” William wrote in a statement Saturday. “I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”
Charles also spoke briefly of Harry in his address to the nation, expressing his "love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.”
Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, moved away from the U.K. to seek financial independence and freedom from severe British media scrutiny into their lives.
The couple is now settled in California with their two young children. Both Harry and Meghan repeatedly have aired their unhappiness with the royals since their departure.
Those tensions were put aside Saturday, as the two princes and their wives arrived in the same car to greet people who pressed against road barriers outside the gates of Windsor Castle. Each royal stopped to speak to both children and adults, accepting flowers and condolences from an excited crowd.
“It was so beautiful to see. I felt so emotional and I felt the queen would have loved it," said Banita Ranow, 28. Her mother, Baljinder, said the visit was “fabulous."
“I just hope in the future they remain like that and that the brothers come together," she said. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/next-generation-of-royals/507-56a900a0-f970-4c07-9051-68f7698ff9bf | 2022-09-11T06:01:54Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/next-generation-of-royals/507-56a900a0-f970-4c07-9051-68f7698ff9bf | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Gravel racing has exploded in popularity. The bike race organizers have prioritized diversity and inclusion in ways other sports have not. Jay Price of member station WUNC reports from Steamboat Springs, Colo.
JAY PRICE, BYLINE: Marley Blonsky co-founded an advocacy group called All Bodies on Bikes.
MARLEY BLONSKY: I'm a fat, short woman.
PRICE: She was about to climb on her bike to lead a warm-up ride here Saturday for some of the more than 3,000 riders who lined up the next day for SBT GRVL, one of the biggest gravel races in the world.
BLONSKY: We're all about inclusion in the cycling world - so making sure that people have clothing and gear and equipment and feel empowered to ride, regardless of what their body looks like.
PRICE: SBT has four courses - the longest, 142 miles. Riders roll cross-country, past ranches, through cow pastures and along streams. Here, as in most gravel races, competitors from pros to beginners start together. Major gravel races often have warm-up rides like Blonsky's called shakeouts. Among those at SBT, one celebrated women, trans, femme and nonbinary riders, and another promoted racial justice. Amy Charity is the race's co-founder and owner and says everyone's welcome.
AMY CHARITY: And it doesn't matter if you are at the absolute front end of the Peloton, you're a world-tour pro, or you're somebody doing your very first bike event. We want you to feel welcome and like you belong.
PRICE: This is just the third year for SBT. This time, it's added classes for nonbinary riders and paracyclists. From its beginning, the organizers reached out to women, and about a thousand signed up this time. Other major gravel races also emphasize diversity and inclusion. Molly Cameron is a top transgender racer, a sponsored pro and a consultant to bike industry companies.
MOLLY CAMERON: If you're 2- or 300-pound fat cyclist and you go do, like, a skinny bike race or criterium, you can feel like this isn't the place for you because you don't see anyone that looks like you out there on the racecourse racing. You come do a gravel event and you look around, and you're like, there's 40 other fat cyclists and men and women and queers and nonbinary folk. And like, here at SBT is a ride for racial justice.
PRICE: Black riders have long been rare in bike racing, but more are finding a place in the gravel community. At an outdoor roundtable, racer Lissa Muhammad, a Black single mother of five, triggered tears and clapping with her story about what gravel racing meant after her husband's recent death. She's an amateur state champion racing on pavement but says gravel is about things that matter more than race results.
LISSA MUHAMMAD: With gravel, I can just kind of stop time and just really soak it in, soak in the sound of the wind blowing, the birds chirping, the sun beating down on my face.
PRICE: And the people in the sport make her feel welcome.
MUHAMMAD: I think it's taken a while for road to really accept athletes of color, where gravel is come as you are, and we're going to have fun. We're not going to take ourselves so seriously, and we're going to enjoy the ride.
PRICE: Top men's pro Ian Boswell says when it comes to gravel, inclusion should mean pretty much everyone.
IAN BOSWELL: Traditionally, in sport we've defined it by who's the best, who's the fastest. And we have this opportunity now to define that in a different way.
PRICE: So Sunday, he tried something besides being the fastest. With the blessing of his sponsors, he started at the very back on an electric bike with cargo bags stuffed with food and drink and tire-repair gear, then just roamed the course, making sure more people had fun on their bikes.
For NPR News, I'm Jay Price in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-15/gravel-bike-racing-focuses-on-diversity-and-inclusion-and-its-popularity-soars | 2022-09-11T06:01:55Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-15/gravel-bike-racing-focuses-on-diversity-and-inclusion-and-its-popularity-soars | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
EUGENE, Ore. — The Eastern Washington football team ran into a buzz saw in Autzen Stadium tonight as they were trounced by an angry Oregon Ducks team.
Oregon dropped 15 spots in the AP top 25 poll from No. 11 to unranked following a 49-3 beatdown at the hands of Georgia last Saturday. The Ducks took all of their frustration out on Eastern Washington tonight.
Bo Nix was an efficient 28-33 for 277 yards and threw for five touchdowns. Oregon running backs combined for three more rushing touchdowns.
There were few bright spots in this game for Eastern. Quarterback Gunner Talkington threw for two touchdowns, one to Jett Carpenter and one to Freddie Roberson.
Outside of those, the Eags were flat out dominated in every facet of this game.
Talkington, the week one Big Sky offensive player of the week, was just 12-21 for 87 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and was intercepted twice.
Eastern simply could not muster much on offense and their defense did not force an Oregon punt until the fourth quarter.
Next Up:
EWU (1-1) has a bye next Saturday and will use this week to rest up in preparation for a week four clash with Montana State at Roos Field on September 24th. That game is set to kickoff at 1 PM. | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/ncaa/eastern-washington-university/eastern-washington-loses-to-oregon/293-c9c26e08-2044-442c-9208-eb81da6f56b2 | 2022-09-11T06:02:00Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/ncaa/eastern-washington-university/eastern-washington-loses-to-oregon/293-c9c26e08-2044-442c-9208-eb81da6f56b2 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
There are too few salmon right now in Alaska's Yukon River. That's making it hard for Indigenous residents to feed their families. And it's all made worse by skyrocketing prices at the grocery store. From member station KYUK, Olivia Ebertz reports.
OLIVIA EBERTZ, BYLINE: Maggie Westlock is in a grocery store in Emmonak, a small village near the mouth of the Yukon River in western Alaska. She's picking up a few things for dinner.
MAGGIE WESTLOCK: Grapes. Coleslaw. Sandwich.
EBERTZ: These are not the foods she and her family of eight prefer to eat. Normally, she'd be filling her freezer with wild salmon, the same staple food her Yup'ik ancestors ate for thousands of years. Now, because of a sudden and severe salmon crash, her family is forced to rely on store-bought food. Westlock picks up a small pack of ribs.
WESTLOCK: Thirty-seven dollars and 10 cents.
EBERTZ: In the diaper aisle, things are even more dire.
WESTLOCK: And look at these Pampers - Huggies, 84.99, one box. Expensive, I tell you.
(SOUNDBITE OF DEVICE BEEPING)
EBERTZ: She doesn't end up buying the diapers or the ribs. Still, the final damage is more than $80 for just five items. Westlock is spending a lot more on food than back when she was fishing. The salmon crash has touched every indigenous village from the Yukon River's mouth on the Bering Sea to its headwaters in British Columbia nearly 2,000 river miles away.
SOPHIE BEANS: Smokehouse.
EBERTZ: A hundred miles upriver in the village of St. Mary's, elder Sophie Beans is peering into her smokehouse with her daughter, Deedee (ph). It's empty now, but her whole street used to be filled with the sweet aroma of smoking fish.
What would it normally be like a lot - like, in this neighborhood when people were fishing?
DEEDEE: Orange and smoky.
BEANS: Yeah. Orange, full of kings and fish.
EBERTZ: And now what does it look like?
BEANS: Nothing.
EBERTZ: The Yukon's two most important salmon species are crashing. The most prized species is the big and fatty king salmon. Those have been running in low numbers for years. The other main species, chum salmon, was super abundant until just last year.
BEANS: My son, Matty (ph), one time, he caught 700 chums.
EBERTZ: Wow.
DEEDEE: And that's not even the kings before that.
BEANS: Yeah.
EBERTZ: Wow.
Scientists have been scrambling to figure out why western Alaska wild salmon stocks are crashing.
KATIE HOWARD: That has been tied to a changing climate.
EBERTZ: That's Katie Howard, a fish biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. She says marine heatwaves have intensified in recent years. That's what's likely driving the chum crash.
HOWARD: They were just bigger. They were geographically larger. And they lasted over a much, much longer period of time than is typical. It's more extreme when it happens. And the other expectation is that they may occur more often.
NICOLE THOMPSON: We cut it here, then cut at the head.
EBERTZ: Back in the village of St. Mary's, 11-year-old Nicole Thompson (ph) is practicing cutting fish with her mom for the first time in years. Most tribal members in the village have just received a couple of donated salmon from the state. For most, it's the only taste they'll get all year. Nicole is struggling to remember exactly how to cut the fish. Her dad, Troy, says when he was his daughter's age, he already knew how because fish were so abundant and he got more practice.
TROY THOMPSON: Pretty sad, though. We have to wait for fish one or two at a time. If we had a lot more I'm pretty sure she'd have it down a little quicker.
EBERTZ: The salmon crash is about more than food. It's making it harder for parents to pass on Yup’ik culture to their kids.
For NPR News, I'm Olivia Ebertz in St. Marys, Alaska.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-15/scientists-scramble-to-explain-why-western-alaska-wild-salmon-stocks-are-low | 2022-09-11T06:02:07Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-15/scientists-scramble-to-explain-why-western-alaska-wild-salmon-stocks-are-low | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
It's Friday, which is when we hear from StoryCorps. And this morning, we hear of a woman who fought wildfires. Mary Barr was the first woman to fly for the U.S. Forest Service, guiding tanker planes on a safe path through the flames. She flew a tiny airplane, a kind of guide. Her daughters, Molly and Nevada Barr, recently came to StoryCorps to recall growing up with their mom in the 1960s in California.
MOLLY BARR: We rarely saw our mother during fire season because she would get up before dawn, and she would be flying all day.
NEVADA BARR: She would fly down as close into the forest fires as she could get. And then these big old biplane bombers from World War II would follow down on her tail and dump the borate slosh on the fires. I mean, it's just scary as hell. But Mama just thought it was great. She kind of taught us to be our own people because she had a determination to do what she needed and wished to do that was pretty impressive.
M BARR: You know, actually, I have a picture of her, not a picture in my hand, but in my head.
N BARR: Do it. Tell it.
M BARR: She's got a leather engraved belt.
N BARR: Says Mary across the back.
M BARR: And she always wore one of those big, Western, silver belt buckles. I remember going into the store. We were going to buy Mom a birthday present. The lady who was helping us said, well, here's some nice dresses, you know? What does your mom like? And we said, well, our mother doesn't wear dresses.
N BARR: And my girlfriend said, that's Mrs. Barr. And the storekeeper went, oh, OK. The Levi's are right over here.
M BARR: (Laughter).
N BARR: And she didn't much care what other people thought - or if she did, she hid it really well. When Mama decided to go full-time with the Forest Service, she knew for a fact that as a female pilot, she had to be twice as good, twice as calm in the face of upsets, to get anywhere. But because she had so many flight hours on her Forest Service application, it looked like a lie. So she reduced the number of hours she had in the air. Mama was a daredevil and loved the red lights and sirens. But...
M BARR: She was painfully shy.
N BARR: Yes.
M BARR: When she was inducted into the Hall of Fame, we had this big dinner. And they took photos. And as we were driving home, she says, that was really special. She says, I wish I'd enjoyed it more.
(LAUGHTER)
M BARR: How do you think she'll be remembered?
N BARR: You know, you don't know who's watching you. And I think Mama's legacy is just going to leak out in the fact that she was courageous, determined over and over and over again. She just kept dropping drips of courage and determination. And we were filled with them, and I think a lot of people around her were.
M BARR: Any time a woman goes out and does what she wants to and succeeds, it makes it easier.
N BARR: Yeah. She was just living her life the way she wanted.
(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "VITTORO")
INSKEEP: Nevada and Molly Barr recalling their mother, Mary Barr, for StoryCorps. Mary was inducted into the Women's Aviation Hall of Fame. She died in 2010.
(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "VITTORO") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/remembering-mary-barr-the-first-woman-to-fly-for-the-u-s-forest-service | 2022-09-11T06:02:44Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-19/remembering-mary-barr-the-first-woman-to-fly-for-the-u-s-forest-service | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Artists from across Texas have come together to honor the 19 students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. They've created giant portraits of each victim hoping to help the community heal. Texas Public Radio's Jack Morgan has the story.
JACK MORGAN, BYLINE: It's morning time but already sweltering just off Uvalde's pecan tree-lined town square. The artist who goes by the name Uloang has been up all night painting to avoid the blistering midday sun.
ULOANG: I'm half awake (laughter).
MORGAN: A few hours earlier, he'd put the finishing touches on a 20-by-20-foot portrait of Maranda Mathis on the side of an office building. She's one of the fourth graders killed at Robb Elementary School.
ULOANG: As I was painting her face, once I felt like I was getting her smile down, I could see her personality coming through. And I just kind of felt like, oh, hi, Maranda. I could barely hold it together. Yeah, definitely shed a few tears.
MORGAN: The mural is based off Maranda's mom's favorite photo.
ULOANG: Her mom mentioned that she loved being in nature, just picking up river rocks.
MORGAN: In Uloang's portrait, Maranda stands smiling in turquoise waters. Eleven koi fish swim around her because she was 11 years old. Maranda holds a brilliant amethyst crystal instead of river rocks like in the original photo. Uloang says the idea came to him when he was sketching. And when he shared his drawing with Maranda's mom...
ULOANG: She told me that when she saw that it was amethyst crystal in the sketch, she got chills.
MORGAN: Amethyst is her birthstone, and purple was Maranda's favorite color. Uloang also added pink water lilies, which turned out to be Maranda's mom's favorite flower.
ULOANG: I felt like I was being guided in a way, to be honest.
MORGAN: Guiding the portrait project is Abel Ortiz. He teaches art at a Uvalde college. As the project's spearhead, his idea was to make the 21 murals monumental.
ABEL ORTIZ: We never want to forget their faces. That's why they had to be murals of portraits and not just regular murals.
MORGAN: Ortiz didn't know 21 Texas muralists, so he put out a call for help. Monica Maldonado answered. Shortly after the shooting last May at Robb Elementary, she drove the three hours to Uvalde to pay her respects.
MONICA MALDONADO: And at that moment, I knew that God was going to use me. I didn't know how, but I knew that I would be involved in some way in the journey of healing for Uvalde.
MORGAN: For Maldonado, that journey involves dozens of gallons of paint. She helped find the buildings to host the murals, and she found the muralists who have all volunteered their time.
(SOUNDBITE OF CAR DOORS CLOSING)
MORGAN: Many Uvalde residents have stopped by to thank the artists and bring them meals. One afternoon around the corner from Maranda's portrait, a family stands in front of two murals side by side.
VERONICA LUEVANOS: That's my daughter's. And that's my nephew's.
MORGAN: Veronica Luevanos lost both her nephew Jayce Luevanos and her daughter Jailah Silguero.
LUEVANOS: She loved dancing, playing outside, just being around her friends.
MORGAN: Jailah's portrait shows her smiling in her cheerleading uniform. Luevanos says Jayce was a sweet, little boy.
LUEVANOS: Always had everybody laughing. He was just - same like Jailah.
MORGAN: Artist Ruben Esquivel chose to show Jayce with his favorite dinosaur ninja and a cup of coffee like he made for his grandparents every day.
RUBEN ESQUIVEL: And this is like his final cup of coffee to them. He also used to write them love letters, so the paper plane is his kind of final letter. And it's going to say I love you on the wing in his handwriting.
MORGAN: Veronica Luevanos says the portraits are beautiful.
LUEVANOS: It brings a lot of joy to us, a lot of comfort.
MORGAN: She says she plans to visit Jailah and Jayce here all the time. For NPR News, I'm Jack Morgan.
(SOUNDBITE OF NATALIA LAFOURCADE FEAT. LOS MACORNIOS' "GAVOTA (VERSION INSTRUMENTAL)") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-20/21-murals-in-uvalde-honor-the-19-students-and-2-teachers-killed-in-school-shooting | 2022-09-11T06:03:02Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-20/21-murals-in-uvalde-honor-the-19-students-and-2-teachers-killed-in-school-shooting | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A MARTINEZ, HOST:
Charges are being dismissed against two Atlanta police officers involved in the deadly shooting of a Black man outside a fast food restaurant in 2020. Rahul Bali from member station WABE takes a closer look at the decision in the death of Rayshard Brooks.
RAHUL BALI, BYLINE: Atlanta police officers were first called out to the Wendy's for someone who had fallen asleep in their car while in the drive-through line. Officers Devin Brosnan and, eventually, Garrett Rolfe responded, engaging in a calm, 40-minute conversation. When officers tried to arrest Brooks for DUI, that's when things turned deadly. Special Prosecutor Pete Skandalakis.
PETE SKANDALAKIS: Officers had no way of knowing or anticipating that within seconds of this encounter, both would be attacked by Brooks and that Brooks would overpower them, take the taser from one of them, fire the stolen taser at both of them and then attempt to escape while continuing to fire the taser at the pursuing officer.
BALI: That's when Officer Rolfe opened fire, hitting Brooks twice. On Tuesday, Skandalakis and his co-counsel, Danny Porter, spent more than an hour explaining the decision during a press conference, which included showing still images from multiple videos of the events leading up to the deadly shooting. Porter addressed questions about Brooks being hit in the back while running away.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DANIEL PORTER: In this case, Officer Rolfe's first shot was fired while Brooks was still aiming the taser at him. All three shots were fired in approximately 0.56 seconds.
BALI: L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Rayshard Brooks' family, takes issue with deadly force being used as Brooks ran away instead of when officers were physically struggling with Brooks.
L CHRIS STEWART: They didn't know if he was reaching for a gun or whatever. They could have used deadly force. And I would have backed any officer that did it. But they did not. They did not. They chose not to when they were justified. But they decided to use lethal force as a man was running away 19 feet away.
BALI: On a larger level, Stewart says the issue is that a jury or grand jury never got to consider the case.
STEWART: All we're asking is that the community resolves these situations when it's a close call and it goes to a grand jury, letting the people decide.
BALI: Stewart says the path now is a civil suit against the city of Atlanta.
For NPR News, I'm Rahul Bali in Atlanta.
(SOUNDBITE OF KAMASI WASHINGTON'S "SEVEN PRAYERS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-24/2-atlanta-police-officers-wont-face-any-charges-in-rayshard-brooks-shooting | 2022-09-11T06:03:33Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-24/2-atlanta-police-officers-wont-face-any-charges-in-rayshard-brooks-shooting | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Imagine going shopping for school supplies only to find the store shelves are empty. No backpacks. No notebooks. No index cards. What's missing in many school districts across the country, though, is much more crucial. There are not enough teachers. Some schools are offering big money just to staff their classrooms. Grant Gerlock of Iowa Public Radio has the story of what one district is willing to pay to keep their educators from calling it quits.
UNIDENTIFIED CHEERLEADERS: (Chanting) Bang, bang, do your thing. This ain't nothing but a Rider's thing. Say, aye, aye...
GRANT GERLOCK, BYLINE: A football scrimmage for Roosevelt High School in Des Moines is a welcome back for Friday Night Lights, complete with cheerleaders and the Rough Riders marching band. Students are ready to get back to school, too, with new schedules and new teachers.
AZARIA MUTHIE: Azaria Muthie (ph). I'm going to be a senior. I go to Roosevelt High School. One of my favorite teachers, Ms. Graber (ph) - shoutout to her - I'm excited to do AP government with her.
GERLOCK: K-12 schools, large and small, have been racing to find enough people to teach government and Spanish and physics and special education. Des Moines is no different. More than 300 teachers resigned or retired last year. That's at least 80 more than the year before. Matt Smith is the district superintendent.
MATT SMITH: Missing a teacher is tough, right? Missing any teacher is tough.
GERLOCK: So when administrators saw what was coming, they worked out a new deal with the teacher's union. It's a $50,000 retirement bonus for longtime educators if they stay one more year, money the district usually sets aside for early retirement. Fifty thousand is a lot, more than some teachers' annual salary. Fifty-eight have taken the money. Smith says it's worth the cost to avoid an even worse staffing problem.
SMITH: Those are nearly 60 positions that were not vacant in Des Moines public schools for us also trying to fill it. So that's another year of instruction that students are going to benefit from from these individuals that have got just a wealth of experience. And they're so successful with kids.
GERLOCK: One of those teachers taking the 50,000 is Mary O'Connor (ph) and her husband, David (ph). We met outside the middle school where she teaches P.E. and he teaches social studies.
MARY O'CONNOR: We actually came up with the idea of, what if they paid us to stay?
GERLOCK: Mary says they were ready to retire last year. But staying helps them afford health coverage until they qualify for Medicare.
M O'CONNOR: I think the important thing for us was the chance to have some buy-in on the insurance that we have, which we love, before we turned 65.
GERLOCK: Paying teachers to not retire is unique. But retention and hiring bonuses upwards of 2,000 or $5,000 are common across the U.S. - or even more. A high school near Charlotte, N.C., is offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus, looking for someone to teach math. Paul Bruno, a professor of education policy at the University of Illinois, says schools should target incentives at the jobs that are hardest to fill, whether that's math teachers or hourly workers like bus drivers.
PAUL BRUNO: Given that the unemployment rate is so low and the labor market is so tight, if you want workers in these positions, you're often going to need to be competing more aggressively. And that means compensating them more.
GERLOCK: As it stands in Des Moines, 97% of the teaching jobs are filled, thanks in part to that $50,000 deal to put off retirement. Thing is, social studies teacher David O'Connor says that's about the same as the district paid just a couple of years ago for teachers to retire early. At the moment, that's all been flipped around because of the shortage.
DAVID O'CONNOR: Right now, at least, it's a one-year thing. It helps for the short term. But there's still - the long-term issue is still there.
GERLOCK: In fact, dozens of jobs remain open in Des Moines. That means the current teachers will be filling gaps. And the toll that takes could shape what the teacher shortage looks like next summer. For NPR News, I'm Grant Gerlock.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE ACORN'S "RETURN TO BLACKNESS (FOR GB)") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-24/schools-across-the-country-offer-teachers-more-money-to-staff-their-classrooms | 2022-09-11T06:03:52Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-top-stories/npr-top-stories/2022-08-24/schools-across-the-country-offer-teachers-more-money-to-staff-their-classrooms | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
E. Bryant Crutchfield, the inventor of the Trapper Keeper, has died. The Trapper Keeper, as you might recall, was the hot school supply to have in the 1980s. I mean, I had to have one.
(SOUNDBITE OF AD)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) That's all you're taking to class?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Everything I need's in my new Trapper Portfolio.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) Trapper?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Traps in all my papers.
ERIN MCCARTHY: I'm someone who really likes to be organized. And so I think the Trapper Keeper is the origin of that for me.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Erin McCarthy is editor-in-chief at Mental Floss. She profiled Crutchfield in 2013 and wrote that the Trapper Keeper's style made it stand out.
MCCARTHY: It was something that allowed you to kind of express your personality in a way that a lot of other school supplies didn't. You could pick a Trapper Keeper that had a dog on it or a soccer player on it, or you could go with a designer series. I was definitely into, like, the Lisa Frank.
CHANG: And, of course, who could forget that Velcro closure?
(SOUNDBITE OF VELCRO RIPPING)
CHANG: The Trapper Keeper launched in 1978, and its popularity exploded in the 1980s. But it stayed relevant even into a new millennium when "South Park" aired a Terminator-themed episode about it.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SOUTH PARK")
KYLE MCCULLOCH: (As Bill Cosby) And so you see, Ms. Cartman, you cannot buy your son, Eric, another Trapper Keeper - not now, not ever.
ELIZA SCHNEIDER: (As Ms. Cartman) Right. Because it will hybrid with all those other processers and generate a whole new era of technological darkness.
MCCULLOCH: (As Bill Cosby) Correct.
SHAPIRO: The Trapper Keeper never ushered in technological apocalypse, but it did take over the world in a way. People bought more than 75 million of them.
CHANG: Crutchfield himself was curious why. So when he sent out the first prototypes, he included a feedback card. When McCarthy interviewed Crutchfield for her Mental Floss profile, she asked him to share his favorite note. Here's a snippet of that conversation.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
E BRYANT CRUTCHFIELD: His name was Fred Brown. And I said, why did you buy the Trapper Keeper? And his comment on the slip he sent into me was - he said, I just needed some place to keep my s***.
MCCARTHY: (Laughter).
E B CRUTCHFIELD: And so I showed that at a sales meeting. You know, kids that age are very open and honest.
SHAPIRO: Crutchfield's own kid, Ken, remembers his dad as a persistent innovator.
KEN CRUTCHFIELD: He was the kind of person that would not accept no for an answer, and he always was looking for a better way to do things. So he's also the type of person that could think outside of the box.
SHAPIRO: Ken Crutchfield also remembers his dad as a family man who loved inviting neighbors over for happy hour. His dad would fix up a Manhattan for himself.
K CRUTCHFIELD: As a matter of fact, after he passed, we put an honorary Manhattan on the table with us when we had some neighbors over to really kind of celebrate his life as he had left us.
CHANG: E. Bryant Crutchfield, inventor of the Trapper Keeper, died this month. He was 85. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-obituaries/npr-obituaries/2022-08-30/remembering-the-man-behind-the-trapper-keeper | 2022-09-11T06:03:58Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-obituaries/npr-obituaries/2022-08-30/remembering-the-man-behind-the-trapper-keeper | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
I never use that word, lost. I hate it. I have always said he passed as if passing into a new life on the other side, passing into heaven or passing through the white light explained where he went. The term ‘lost’ made me feel like I would forever be searching for him. That there would be a chance he would return, rejoin my life and tell stories of his adventures. When someone is lost, there is always the hope that they will be found.
Death doesn’t work that way.
Grieving a child is an endless process. A rollercoaster of heart-stopping drops and endless climbing. We climb to be strong enough to walk through life with the outward look of normality while covering the permanent inner change of our DNA. And we are changed. Every tiny molecule of our DNA is changed.
I remember a conversation with my older son after the funeral when he said, “Mom, what will it be like when he has been gone 10 years? What if we forget him?” My response was, “Oh honey, 10 years is a long time away. And we will never forget him!”
Well, that marker came and went, and here we are at 15 years. Comments like, “getting over it,” “being done” or “forgetting” do not relate to my grief. If that were true, wouldn’t 15 years be long enough?
Fifteen years ago this week, my son passed, but he isn’t lost. He sits with me when I write and stands with me when I speak. He giggles through the twinkle in his daughter’s eyes and belly laughs with us when we share stories of him. I can feel his baby hand wrap around my finger as I rocked him and hear his cries in the night. He comes back to me when I drive his truck and he sings along when Bob Dylan is played on the radio.
He would be 37 now, but he is not. My memories flash from his movements in my belly as I carried him to seeing him the last time when he was 22. Forever 22, as people say when talking about a loved one who has passed. I remember my 22-year-old son with clarity as if he were sitting in front of me as I type this. His beard, his smile, his crooked baseball cap and his laugh. I remember how it felt to be hugged by him, while the bristles of his beard brushed against my face.
For 15 years, I have searched these memories. I have closed my eyes as I held his guitar to hear him sing as he played it. I have opened plastic bins to unfold and refold his favorite clothes, holding them tightly to my face in hopes of smelling a faint scent of him. I have driven his truck to feel his hands on mine as together we hold the steering wheel. These memories don’t wear out and are never used up.
Fifteen years ago this week, my son passed. Fifteen years is a long time, but not long enough to get over it, be done with grief or forget him. The reality is that I loved him from his first movements in my belly, and I will grieve for him until the day I pass into a new life, into heaven or walk into the white light to join him.
When I do, I am sure he will say, “Mom, I never left you, and now your grieving ends. It has been long enough.”
Pennie’s Life Lesson: When your loved one dies, they are never lost. They are always with you.
Pennie Huntis a Wyoming-based author, blogger and speaker. Contact her atpenniehunt@gmail.com. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/hunt-isn-t-15-years-long-enough/article_ef09e098-3186-11ed-b078-137fe529e606.html | 2022-09-11T06:13:34Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/hunt-isn-t-15-years-long-enough/article_ef09e098-3186-11ed-b078-137fe529e606.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Contractors completed exterior grading and landscaping work in late August and early September 2022 as part of construction operations related to the fiscal year 2020-funded transient training troops barracks project at Fort McCoy, Wis.
In a Sept. 9 report, Ken Green with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office at Fort McCoy said the construction of a second four-story barracks is 97 percent complete and remains on schedule.
Green said now that the exterior grading is complete around the building, the seeding of grass around the area next to the building has been part of the ongoing work on at project.
Green also said there's been continued work on interior systems, cleaning is ongoing, and a furniture install date is being planned. The landscape work took numerous days to complete to get to its final grade specifications.
Looking back at the history of the project, the $18.8 million project was awarded to L.S. Black Constructors, which is the contractor who built the first barracks building at Fort McCoy, Green said.
The contract was awarded Sept. 29, 2020, and the notice to proceed was issued Oct. 28, 2020. The contract duration is scheduled for completion in 780 calendar days, and it's almost to that point — December 2022.
The barracks is different than the traditional World War II-era barracks located throughout the installation. This building is four stories and will able to house 400 people in approximately 60,000 square feet.
The project also is part of the Fort McCoy Master Plan that looks at continuously upgrading the installation’s infrastructure to be prepared for the future, said Fort McCoy Master Planner Brian Harrie with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works. The plan is for four barracks overall with the same specifications, three 20,000-square-foot brigade headquarters buildings, and one 160-room officer quarters.
“The 1600 block will be completely transformed when all of this construction is completed years from now,” Harrie said. “The 1600 block is a great location for this transformation, too, because it places these facilities for transient training troops near the post’s service-related facilities, such as the commissary, Exchange, and McCoy’s Community Center.”
Big construction projects like this barracks project also contribute to the economic impact Fort McCoy has on the local economy. Fort McCoy’s total economic impact for fiscal year 2021 was an estimated $1.93 billion, above the $1.479 billion reported for FY 2020, garrison officials announced. The data was compiled by Fort McCoy’s Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.
Fiscal year 2021 operating costs on post of $249.88 million included utilities, physical plant maintenance, repair and improvements, new construction projects, purchases of supplies and services, as well as salaries for civilian contract personnel working at Fort McCoy, officials said.
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.
This work, Contractor completes exterior landscaping work for Fort McCoy's fiscal year-2020-funded barracks project, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/429003/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fiscal-year-2020-funded-barracks-project | 2022-09-11T06:26:39Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/429003/contractor-completes-exterior-landscaping-work-fort-mccoys-fiscal-year-2020-funded-barracks-project | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New York: World number one Iga Swiatek swept to victory over Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 6-2 7-6(5) in the US Open final on Saturday to clinch her maiden trophy at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam crown.
Poland's Swiatek fell on her back and covered her face with her hands after prevailing in the tight second-set tiebreak, having sealed the win when the fifth seed's shot sailed long.
"I really needed to stay composed and stay focused on the goals," Swiatek said during the on-court trophy ceremony.
"It's New York, it's so loud, it's so crazy. I'm so proud I could handle it mentally."
It was twice French Open champion Swiatek's first major title on a hard court and the 21-year-old is the first Polish woman to win the US Open.
Despite the defeat, Jabeur will regain her world number two ranking when the tournament concludes on Sunday.
Jabeur made history at Wimbledon when she became the first Arab woman to reach a major final. She added another line in the history books in New York, becoming the first African woman to reach the US Open championship match.
"Hopefully I can inspire more and more generations," she said. "This is just the beginning of so many things."
Swiatek came out firing on Saturday, pushing Jabeur to the back of the court with her precise serve and deep groundstrokes to race to a 3-0 lead.
Jabeur found the range with her forehand to win back-to-back games for 3-2 but the momentum was short-lived as Swiatek broke back and took the 30-minute first set when the Tunisian's backhand landed in the net.
A confident front-runner, Swiatek kept the pressure on early in the second as frustration began to mount for Jabeur, who dropped her racket in dismay when her normally trusty drop shot landed short of the net in the second game of the set.
Swiatek blasted a backhand winner down the line for a 3-0 second set lead and it seemed the match would be a brief affair.
But urged on by a rowdy and supportive crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Jabeur rallied to force a tiebreak.
However, she made some costly unforced errors that opened the door for Swiatek, who exchanged a warm embrace with the Tunisian after improving to a 3-2 lifetime record against her. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/tennis/2022/09/11/iga-swiatek-wins-maiden-us-open-title.html | 2022-09-11T06:29:39Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/tennis/2022/09/11/iga-swiatek-wins-maiden-us-open-title.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
London: The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth will be held on Monday, September 19, royal officials said on Saturday, as her son Charles was officially proclaimed Britain's new king in a colourful ceremony laden with pageantry and dating back centuries.
The death of the 96-year-monarch has provoked tears, sadness and warm tributes, not just from the queen's own close family and many Britons, but also from around the world - reflecting her presence on the world stage for 70 years.
"We all thought she was invincible," said her grandson Prince William, now the heir to the throne.
"It's been surreal," he said during a walkabout outside Windsor Castle where he and his wife Kate appeared closely in public for the first time in two years with his younger brother Harry and his wife Meghan - a sign Elizabeth's death might help heal a rift between Charles' sons.
Elizabeth's oak coffin, covered with the royal standard of Scotland and with a wreath of flowers on top, has been lying in the ballroom of Balmoral Castle, her summer home in Scotland where she died peacefully on Thursday.
On Sunday, it will be driven by hearse through remote highland villages to Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, during a six-hour journey that will allow people to pay their respects.
The coffin will then be flown to London on Tuesday where it will remain at Buckingham Palace before being taken to Westminster Hall to lie in state until the funeral at Westminster Abbey at 11 am (1000 GMT) on September 19.
The death of Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, has prompted an outpouring of emotion around the globe. Buildings and landmarks in Europe, America and Africa have been lit up in the red, white and blue of the United Kingdom's flag.
Charles, 73, immediately succeeded his mother but an Accession Council met at St James's - the most senior royal palace in the United Kingdom built for Henry VIII in the 1530s - to proclaim him as king on Saturday.
The council - formed of Privy Counsellors whose centuries-old role has been to advise the monarch - included his son and heir William, wife Camilla and Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, who signed the proclamation of his accession.
Six former prime ministers, senior bishops and a swathe of politicians cried out "God Save The King" as the announcement was approved.
"I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of Sovereignty which have now passed to me," Charles said. "I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set."
Later, on the Proclamation Gallery, a balcony above Friary Court of St James's Palace, the Garter King of Arms, David White, accompanied by others in gold and red heraldic outfits read out the Principal Proclamation, as trumpets sounded.
Soldiers in traditional scarlet uniforms shouted "hip, hip, hurrah" as White called for three cheers for the king.
Watching on were a few hundred people allowed into the court, including small children on parents' shoulders, a woman clutching flowers and elderly people on mobility scooters.
Royal pomp
Charles is the 41st monarch in a line that traces its origins to the Norman King William the Conqueror who captured the English throne in 1066. Saturday's events reflected proclamations announcing new kings and queens that date back hundreds of years.
He became king and head of state not only of the United Kingdom but of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
It was the first proclamation of a monarch to be televised. And for most Britons, it was the first such event in their lifetime as Elizabeth was the only monarch they have ever known. Charles himself was just 3 when she became queen in 1952.
Britain has declared a period of mourning until the state funeral for Elizabeth, which will be a public holiday. Leaders from around the world are expected to attend, including US President Joe Biden, who said he would be there.
Charles' coronation will take place at a later date - and the timing for that is not yet clear. There was a 16-month gap between Elizabeth becoming queen and her coronation in 1953.
He has already made his eldest son William, 40, the new Prince of Wales, the title traditionally held by the heir to the throne, and William's wife Kate becomes Princess of Wales, a role last held by the late Princess Diana.
The couple had a highly public falling out with Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they decided to exit royal duties and move to California in 2020.
Harry and Meghan coincidentally happened to be in Britain this past week to attend some charity events and had not even been expected to see William - until the death of their grandmother.
However, the foursome stood together and chatted briefly, although they looked rather awkward and did not spend much time together during the 40-minute walkabout in Windsor, which followed an invitation from William to his brother.
It was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family, a royal source said. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/09/11/queen-elizabeth-funeral-september-19.html | 2022-09-11T06:29:52Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/09/11/queen-elizabeth-funeral-september-19.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
If you don’t make enough money to afford a car, the state of California will pay you $1,000 per year for not having a car.
That’s the substance of Senate Bill 457 by Senator Anthony Portantino, D-Glendale. The bill was passed by the state legislature on the last day of the session and it’s now sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
“Besides being a source of climate pollution, single occupancy vehicles are also a leading cause of death, injuries and health problems,” Portantino said, as quoted in the bill analysis prepared for the legislature.
Some people might say single occupancy vehicles are a way to get to work and earn a living, enabling the government to collect taxes from paychecks, and also that they transform into quadruple occupancy vehicles that drive people to school, to doctor’s appointments and on trips to spend money at California businesses.
Portantino doesn’t acknowledge any need for a car in his argument in support of his bill. “SB 457 will incentivize mass mode shift toward sustainable transportation by allowing a credit against the ‘net tax’ in the amount of $1,000 for each household with zero registered vehicles,” he said, according to the bill analysis.
To qualify for the tax credit, which could be paid out as a tax refund check to eligible residents, a taxpayer would need an adjusted gross income of $40,000 or less if filing as an individual, $60,000 or less if filing jointly, as a head of household, or as a surviving spouse. Applicants for the credit would have to self-certify that no one in the household owns a registered vehicle, not even a motorcycle.
To enforce the “no vehicles” qualification, the Department of Motor Vehicles will be required to report taxpayer and vehicle information to the Franchise Tax Board as needed.
The bill makes this $1,000 credit available for each of the next five tax years, starting with 2023.
And, according to the author, these payments will prevent death, injuries and health problems.
If you remember, that was the justification for handing out COVID relief checks in 2020. Just stay home, the government said, and we’ll send you money. To keep everybody healthy.
The policy quickly morphed into repeated financial assistance and then into old-fashioned vote buying.
In August 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent out “Golden State Stimulus” checks of $600 to taxpayers who earned up to $75,000. Taxpayers with dependents received up to $1,100. The checks went out just as the recall election ballots were mailed to voters.
By an absolutely total coincidence, this is about to happen again. Another round of checks will go out to California taxpayers in October, just as the ballots are mailed for the general election on November 8, when Newsom is running for re-election.
This new round of election-timed checks was said to be the result of the state’s massive, record-breaking surplus, but that’s not expected to be an annual occurrence, especially if the economy gets mired in a recession. And COVID is waning as an excuse to send out free money. What’s a politician to do?
Can you guess?
Climate change!
Climate change can be stopped by sending your tax dollars to people who are doing things to stop climate change! Like not owning a car!
Climate doom may be the new COVID pandemic, an easy justification for sending free money from the state treasury to targeted voter groups.
Of course, Portantino isn’t saying that. He and other lawmakers are asserting that getting rid of cars is genuinely essential to stop climate change. For this pose, they’re being rewarded with glowing coverage in the Washington Post. “While Americans love their cars, California has adopted a radical strategy aimed at changing their minds, passing a first-of-its-kind bill Wednesday to reward low-income residents who live car-free,” the Post exulted after SB 457 went to the governor’s desk. The paper reported that Newsom “is expected to sign it.”
Even Newsom’s 2020 executive order setting a “goal” of a total ban on the sale of gas-powered cars in the state by 2035 pays lip service to the idea that if enough money is spent, Californians won’t need cars at all, and this will save the world from dying in an Al Gore documentary.
“Passenger rail, transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and micro-mobility options are critical components to the State achieving carbon neutrality and connecting communities, requiring coordination of investments and work with all levels of governments including rail and transit agencies to support these mobility options,” the executive order declares.
Oddly, Newsom cited COVID-19 as a reason for banning the sale of gas-powered cars. “Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the entire transportation sector, bringing a sharp decline in demand for fuels and adversely impacting public transportation,” the order states in paragraph 3.
Did the governor invoke COVID-19 as a justification for this climate-change executive order because that brought it within his powers under the COVID-19 state of emergency?
Under state law, once the state of emergency ends, all executive orders issued under it are null and void.
Maybe the governor will never allow the state of emergency to end. Maybe the state treasury will just be emptied out to targeted voters whenever ballots are mailed and nobody will complain about anything. What could possibly go wrong?
Just one thing. To paraphrase the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, the problem with California government is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.
Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on Twitter @Susan_Shelley
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LAS VEGAS — Nate Diaz stopped Tony Ferguson with a guillotine choke in the fourth round of the hastily arranged main event of UFC 279 on Saturday night.
The 37-year-old Diaz (21-13) finished his current UFC contract by finishing fellow veteran Ferguson (25-9) in a matchup only made on Friday after Khamzat Chimaev badly missed weight for his main-event bout with Diaz.
Chimaev stopped Kevin Holland with a D’Arce choke 2:13 into the first round of their grudge match, which was also created after Chimaev (12-0) missed weight by 7 1/2 pounds on Friday morning. The UFC dramatically shuffled its card to keep both Chimaev and Diaz on the show, resulting in three new matchups for the final three fights at T-Mobile Arena.
Diaz’s desire to fight the vaunted Chimaev seemed foolhardy in a distinctly Diaz way, but the late matchup with Ferguson was much more competitive than the original booking likely would have been. Ferguson, who only agreed to be on the card three weeks ago, had lost his previous four fights over the past three years, while Diaz was 1-2 in the last six years.
“At the end of the day, I love the UFC,” Diaz said. “I feel like I’ve had the longest career in the UFC, and I’ve had the most successful one out of everybody.”
Diaz landed punches regularly on Ferguson in the first two rounds, and he played to the crowd in the third with long walks around the cage between exchanges, even resting with one arm atop the cage momentarily.
Ferguson got Diaz’s attention with leg kicks — but when Ferguson attempted to get into a grappling match, Diaz applied the choke and finished at 2:52 of the fourth.
Diaz has already announced plans to start his own promotional company outside the UFC, and each fight could be the last for a well-loved fighter who has competed only four times in the last six years.
But Diaz might not be done with the UFC, since he got a tweet earlier Saturday from Conor McGregor, who promised to complete their trilogy. Diaz and McGregor split two largely thrilling bouts in 2016, and the results catapulted Diaz into the top echelon of celebrities in mixed martial arts.
“I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show these UFC fighters how to take over and own up another sport how you’re supposed to do it,” Diaz said. “Because Conor McGregor didn’t know how to do it, and none of these other fighters know how to do it, so I’m going to go out there and I’m going to take over another organization, another profession, and become the best at that, and then I’m going to be right back here to get another UFC title. It’s the best battle in the world.”
The pay-per-view went off with several significant changes made just one day earlier because Chimaev didn’t come close to his contracted weight — and then shrugged and smiled about it on the scale. Chimaev, the Chechnya-born Swede considered one of MMA’s top rising talents, was loudly booed by the crowd just off the Las Vegas Strip on fight night.
Instead of removing Chimaev or Diaz from the card, the UFC scrambled to make three new matchups for the top three fights on the show. Diaz and Ferguson were paired in a fight long coveted by MMA fans but initially rejected by Diaz, while Chimaev was matched at a catchweight against Holland.
Chimaev and Holland already had bad blood from earlier in the week when they fought backstage at the UFC 279 news conference, forcing the event’s cancellation.
After a frantic exchange in the opening seconds, Chimaev made quick work of Holland. His burgeoning reputation as a heel only grew when he was asked about missing weight in the post-fight interview and responded “I don’t care about (that),” to thunderous boos.
“I’m the black belt here,” Chimaev added. “I’m Mike Tyson. I’m Muhammad Ali.”
Li Jingliang, who began the week expecting to face Ferguson, was matched with Daniel Rodriguez, Holland’s scheduled opponent. Rodriguez (17-2) beat Li (19-8) by split decision in an uneventful bout in which both fighters were understandably cautious of their unfamiliar opponent.
Light heavyweight Johnny Walker led off the pay-per-view card with a submission of Ion Cuțelaba before Irene Aldana stopped Macy Chiasson with an extraordinary upkick to the body while Aldana was down on the canvas. Aldana drove her heel into Chiasson’s abdomen while Chiasson was towering over her, ending the fight abruptly.
On the early undercard, heavyweight Chris Barnett stopped Jake Collier in the first round with punches. Barnett missed weight for his bout, which was fought at a catchweight.
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We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/10/nate-diaz-chokes-out-tony-ferguson-to-end-chaotic-ufc-279/ | 2022-09-11T06:31:14Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/10/nate-diaz-chokes-out-tony-ferguson-to-end-chaotic-ufc-279/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WEST COVINA — For a third consecutive season, the West Covina football team’s rein as the Kings of Cameron will continue.
West Covina’s unrelenting rush attack ran all over South Hills for an emphatic 42-0 victory Saturday night at a packed Thyburg Field.
West Covina improved to 2-2 while South Hills dropped to 2-2.
“It’s the best feeling ever. All glory to God,” West Covina running back Zach Raqeuna said after the Bulldogs’ win. “I’m never going to experience that again. It was fun. The energy was crazy, I loved it. I love my team and I put my body on the line just like everyone else. One team, one family.”
The dynamic backfield duo of senior running backs Thomas White and Requena provided the complentary running styles to keep the Huskies’ run defense on their heels all night. Requena — the smaller, shifty running back — gashed the Huskies for five double-digit gains (13, 22, 91, 19 and 11), a total of 177 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
West Covina coach Mike Maggiore after 42-0 win over South Hills pic.twitter.com/bEcoBef56F
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 11, 2022
West Covina’s Zach Requena had three TDs in their 42-0 win over South Hills. He talked about it. pic.twitter.com/Pjt4DoXUI2
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 11, 2022
Conversely, White — the big, bruising running back — wore down South Hills’ defensive line with every bruising carry. White found the endzone three times on six carries for 70 yards. The Huskies had no answer for entire Bulldog rushing attack, let alone Requena and White.
West Covina finished with 386 yards of total offense — 356 of those yards came on the ground.
“When (White and Requena) get to the second level, they either bruise you — Thomas (White) is tough to bring down, or, will be elusive,” West Covina coach Mike Maggiore said of the his two running backs.
The lone bright spot for the Huskies was junior wide receiver Gary San Angelo. San Angelo carried the bulk of the Huskies’ offensive production as South Hills looked to put the ball in his hands on nearly every opportunity. San Angelo finished with 105 yards on 20 carries and the Huskies, collectively, only managed to accumulate 138 yards of total offense.
The Bulldogs onslaught began from the opening kickoff as West Covina rushed for 266 first-half yards on 17 attempts — 206 of those yards and all four first-half touchdowns came from backfield partners, Requena and White
After an opening Huskies drive that ended in a three-and-out, the Bulldogs needed just three plays to take advantage of the short field and an early lead. Two huge rushes by Requena — of 13 and 22 yards — set up first-and-goal on the Husky two-yard-line. On the very next play, White scampered into the end zone untouched for a two-yard-score and gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 9:55 remaining in the first quarter.
West Covina doubled their lead on its next offensive series and needed even less time. Requena ripped off a 91-yard touchdown run to the right side and went nearly untouched the entire way, giving the Bulldogs 14-0 lead with 5:59 remaining in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs success running the ball against the Husky defense amounted to 196 total rushing yards in the first quarter alone. The Huskies had just 88 yards of total offense in the first half, 70 of which came from San Angelo.
White and the Bulldogs’ rush attack continued its success in the second quarter and extended its lead. After what would’ve been a 24-yard touchdown run was nullified by a holding penalty, White — two plays later — finished the drive with a 3-yard score, extending the lead to 21-0.
The senior running back would score his third touchdown just before the halftime break. He capped off a five-play drive with a 38-yard touchdown run, inflating the lead to 28 points.
“There’s still another level we can reach,” White said. “Zach (Requena) and I are unstoppable. And it always feels good to be able to help your team win in such an important game like this one.”
On the opening play of the second half, Requena and the Bulldogs drove 67 yards and extended lead, 35-0. On the sixth rushing play of the drive, Requena found the end zone for an 8-yard score with 7:55 left in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs added one last score early in the fourth quarter when running back Zander Requena finished off the drive with a 39-yard touchdown run.
What the Kings of Cameron look like pic.twitter.com/9OwxLjrJZr
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 11, 2022
Party time for West Covina, Kings of Cameron again. pic.twitter.com/p6i1CdbmXy
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 11, 2022
Zach Requena with his second TD for West Covina and you can crown the Bulldogs, they’re up 35-0 third quarter pic.twitter.com/pKT4b398EE
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 11, 2022
Thomas White with his second TD for West Covina, a two yard run and it’s 21-0 over South Hills, second quarter pic.twitter.com/0RqPRUe1h6
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 11, 2022
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Five Nigerian artists have been exhibited by a a creative incubator, 1952 Africa having empowered them through a residency programme in Lagos.
1952 Africa is a private space dedicated to raw and authentic African art, culture and history supporting all forms of artistic expression out of Africa and is not profit oriented.
The founder, Mr. Ejike Egbuagu said they were being selected through a difficult process; Hence, their transformation informed exhibition of their deepest and darkest moments.
Egbuagu, however, said that the upcoming exhibition would be bigger because of the inclusion of other African countries.
He explained that artists talk to and influence themselves and so mixing Africans together will further project amazing works.
The Founder, therefore, called on the private sector to combine efforts towards driving the arts industry in Nigeria.
The Founder explained that the private sector can do a lot even though the government has a role to play.
Ejike further explained the company is not basing their plans and projections on any government support even though they would love to have the support.
“I am grateful for being able to see artist transformed like this. They have delivered amazing works. They deserve all of the applause and support.
0When they went through difficult process of being selected, they knew what it was in for them.
“I think what I am happy for is the honest the process has been for them. Some of the artists shared their deepest and darkest moments and it is in that they have been able to create some of these works
“We have exhibited 5 young Nigerian Artists. In the next one, we are going to up that number. Expect a bigger programme, wider reach and amazing art works because the artists talk to and influence themselves. So, when you start to mix Africans together.
“As Nigerians and Africans, I think we have learnt from the stories our parents have told us not to rely on our government.
“Yes, the government has a role to play but we can do a lot as private sector.”
“We are not basing our plans and projections on any government support even though we would love to have the support.
“These things we are doing here we can do it ourselves and it is one of the goals we can achieve as private sector by just working together.
“Combining our efforts, we can achieve so much. And then we can put pressure on our government to step up and follow us on the journey” He said.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/1952-africa-exhibits-5-young-nigerian-artists/ | 2022-09-11T06:38:13Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/1952-africa-exhibits-5-young-nigerian-artists/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Grammy Award winner, Burna Boy, does not appear to be excited about being rated as Nigeria’s biggest Afro pop artiste. He simply wants to keep making good music and taking care of his family. For him, hitting the global stage with his talent was God’s way of giving another chance at life as he revealed he was once an inmate in a London prison.
It was a tough ride for the singer who against all odds rose to prominence and earned his place when it seemed his world had crumbled around him.
Despite the success he has recorded in the last few years on the global music scene, one of which earned him the Grammy Award in 2021, the ‘Common Person’ singer is not bothered about the laurels he has earned, but the music he gives to his fans.
Days back, he was dragged into a conversation by some fans on social media platforms who attempted spite him by saying Wizkid remains the biggest artiste in Africa following Kanye West’s endorsement of his famous song, Essence, as the biggest song in the world at the moment.
Burna Boy who has been on tour in different cities across Europe would not welcome any comparison between him and anyone as he lashed out at fans who made such attempt, saying he didn’t care about who the biggest artiste in Nigeria is.
He also revealed that many people didn’t know that he came into the music industry from prison, saying he never knew he would live this long.
“When people talk about me now, it always sounds funny to me because they don’t know my story and the journey I had before this moment.
“I came into the Music industry straight from Chelmsford HMP. I had no idea I would even live this long,” his tweet read. He also recalled his prison experience while living in the United Kingdom.
Unknown to many, the artiste had done time in HM Prison Chelmsford, before starting as a musician. Interestingly, Burna Boy hinted at his prison experience in the song, ‘Glory’ off his 2022 album, ‘Love, Damini’.
In the song, which features the South African male choral group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Burna Boy sings about getting into fights and getting injured in prison. The lyrics went: “I remember when they shipped me from the cans To Chelmsford HMP and my celly had it bad.So I had to have his back, niggas started fightin’. Then they cut me on my hand.”
At one of his recent shows, the singer performed with a broken leg as he gave his best to thrill fans despite the pain he felt all through his performance. Burna,however, said he will continue to perform with “injured or even no legs or no arms.”
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/my-journey-from-prison-to-global-stage-burna-boy/ | 2022-09-11T06:38:39Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/my-journey-from-prison-to-global-stage-burna-boy/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
There are conflicting figures on the number of school age children who are out of school in Nigeria. According to the Head of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) office in Kano, Rahama Farah, who addressed journalists on the issue in May this year, there are 18.5million out-of-school children in Nigeria. The World Bank, in a document titled “Nigeria Development Update (June 2022): The Continuing Urgency of Business Unusual”, puts the figure at 11million. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in its latest Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report, puts the number at 20million, while the Federal Ministry of Education said in 2021 that the number of out-of-school children in the country dropped from 10.1million in 2019 to 6.95 million in 2020.
So, how many children are out of school in Nigeria? Answering this question is critical because unless we have accurate figures, our planning will be flawed. If there are conflicting figures about the number of children that the government needs to take out of the streets to the classroom, tackling the problem would remain a mirage. One other concern is that the figures being bandied are so diverse that settling for the mean would be of mean help.
But why is it so difficult for us as a people to have accurate figures about our people? Why do we need to rely on international agencies to get facts and figures that can help us plan our lives properly and live better? It is this failure to have correct figures that makes it possible for some unscrupulous members of our society to game the system. It is also the same reason problems seem to be having an edge over us as a people.
But be that as it may, whatever figure we choose to adopt, it is still a sad tale about us as a people that we have so many millions of our children out of school. This is especially so when we realize that children under 15 years of age constitute about 45 per cent of the country’s population and the out-of-school kids are not being engaged in any valuable venture. They are street kids, allowed to waste away their lives and make a mess of the potentialities of the nation. The millions of Nigerian children out of school will, in a few years, translate to millions of Nigerians who will grow up with no form of marketable skills. It means millions of youths without any prospect of any worthwhile employment. It means millions of potential bomb throwers, bandits, armed robbers, kidnappers, pipeline vandals, drug traffickers, human traffickers and prostitutes. It means millions of Nigerians who will be a pain in the neck of their compatriots and a bulwark to their country’s development.
According to the UNICEF, 40 per cent of Nigerian children in the North aged between six and 11, especially girls, do not attend any primary school. In the South-East, the number of boys shunning school is also alarmingly on the increase. Dropout rate in primary schools across the country is put at 30 per cent, while only 54 per cent transit to Junior Secondary Schools.
I think the question that should agitate the minds of policy makers and all well-meaning nationals of the country is that despite the obvious advantages education confers on the educated, why is the idea of enrolling their children in schools still repugnant to some parents? Why is it that in spite of the Universal Basic Education programme of the government, school enrolment appears to be on a downward slide? If education is free up to the Junior Secondary Class Three, as we have been told repeatedly by federal and state governments, why are parents withdrawing their children from schools?
Why is it that while the enrolment figure in primary and secondary schools is nose diving, the number of children engaged in child labour is on the rise? A survey of any Nigerian street will reveal a daily increase in the number of young children taking to street trading, hawking ‘pure water’, kola nuts, sweets and biscuits or serving as motor boys and food sellers’ maids. Why are parents more comfortable giving out their teenage daughters in marriage than giving them education? Are the schools meeting the expectations of the parents and pupils? Are the facilities good enough? Are the schools factoring in tribal and religious elements into the learning system?
Experts have come up with many factors; social, religious, tribal and economic, as being responsible for the preference of some parents to keep their children out of school but the Nigerian constitution has made the responsibility of educating every Nigerian child that of the government.
Section 18 (1) of the 1999 Constitution states, “Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.”
Section 18 (3) states that “Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end government shall as and when practicable provide (a) free, compulsory and universal primary education; (b) free secondary education; (c) free university education.”
So, the government is liable for every child that is out of school because it has the constitutional responsibility to ensure the education of all Nigerian children. The rising number of the nations out of school children is a failure on the part of the government at all levels. The government should do all in its power to ensure that all Nigerian children are enrolled in schools. This is not just because it is a constitutional matter but especially because the continued existence of the country may well depend on it.
It has been argued that unemployment and poverty gave rise to the insurgency and banditry in the North, the rising armed robbery cases in the South-West and the kidnapping in the South-East but unless the syndrome of out-of-school children is fought with resolve and reversed, the current security challenges confronting the country would be a child’s play compared with what may happen in the future.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE | https://tribuneonlineng.com/what-is-the-number-of-nigerias-out-of-school-children/ | 2022-09-11T06:38:59Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/what-is-the-number-of-nigerias-out-of-school-children/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon utilities shut down power to tens of thousands of customers on Friday as dry easterly winds swept into the region in the hopes that it would lessen the risk of wildfires in extremely dry and hot conditions.
Power shut-offs due to extreme fire weather, common in California, are relatively new to the Pacific Northwest. The plans, which were part of permanent rules approved in May to manage wildfire danger in high-risk areas, mark the new reality in a region better known for its rain and temperate rainforests.
Portland General Electric halted power to about 30,000 customers in 12 service areas — including the posh West Hills neighborhood of Portland — and Pacific Power shut down service to more than 7,000 customers in a small community on the Pacific Coast, where a wildfire burned two years ago, and in pockets southeast of the state capitol of Salem.
Schools in the areas with planned power outages canceled classes and authorities urged residents to charge cellphones and be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
The winds were whipping up a wildfire southeast of Eugene, Oregon, that had been burning in the wilderness for a month but was now making a run toward the small community of Oakridge, where residents were ordered to evacuate. Gov. Kate Brown declared a fire emergency late Friday for the Cedar Creek Fire as it encroached on the 3,200-person town.
Climate change is bringing drier conditions to the Pacific Northwest and that requires strategies that have been common in fire-prone California for the past decade or more, said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University.
Wind patterns haven’t changed, but those winds are now coinciding more frequently with drier vegetation and hotter temperatures — a toxic mix for fire ignition, rapid spread and extreme fire behavior, she said.
“I don’t know whether this is the solution, but it’s an interim effort to manage wildfire risk,” Fleishman said. “People are going, ‘Oh my gosh!’ The areas we thought were safe, they’re realizing those are not immune to fire anymore. The fire likelihood is changing.”
The proactive power shutoffs were just the second for Portland General Electric ever. The utility shut down power to 5,000 customers in 2020 near Mount Hood during firestorms that ravaged the state. Extreme winds over Labor Day weekend led to wildfires that burned more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares), destroyed 4,000 homes and killed at least 11 people — and utilities were blamed for some of those fire starts.
Pacific Power, another major utility in Oregon, said the shutoffs Friday were the first the company has ever done. The company put a wildfire mitigation plan in place in Oregon in 2018 that includes studying wind and weather patterns to predict high-risk areas.
The utility was sued last year by residents in two towns that burned to ashes in the 2020 wildfires who blamed the company for not shutting down power in advance of the devastating wind storm.
Pacific Power has since hired a team of meteorologists to make fire weather forecasts and is spending more than $500 million to “harden” its electric grid in high-risk areas by replacing wooden poles with carbonized ones and encasing power lines and conductor boxes to reduce the chances of a spark, said Drew Hanson, a Pacific Power spokesman.
“You can look at the West in general and climate change has impacted areas from Southern California, and then Northern California and now up into this region as well, we’re seeing those same conditions,” he said.
“It’s something we are taking very seriously. We realize the changing landscape. We’ve been changing and evolving along with it.”
A number of blazes are burning in Oregon and Washington state.
Just south of Salem, firefighters using at least two planes and a helicopter tried to douse the flames of a wildfire that spread from grass to stands of trees, blanketing parts of the Willamette Valley in smoke.
The largest in Oregon is the Double Creek Fire burning in northeastern Oregon near the Idaho border. The fire grew by nearly 47 square miles (122 square kilometers) Wednesday because of wind gusts up to 50 mph (80 kph) and as of Friday had burned a total of nearly 214 square miles (554 square kilometers). It’s threatening about 100 homes near the community of Imnaha.
In Central Oregon, the Cedar Creek Fire east of Oakridge has burned nearly 52 square miles (135 square kilometers). On Friday, officials ordered a level 3 “go now” evacuation for residents of greater Oakridge, Westfir and High Prairie areas due to increased fire activity.
The Van Meter Fire, which started Wednesday, is burning on Stukel Mountain about 13 miles (21 kilometers) southeast of Klamath Falls. One home and four structures have been destroyed and about 260 structures are threatened by that blaze, officials said.
The Rum Creek Fire was also burning in southwest Oregon and was almost halfway contained at about 33 square miles (82 square kilometers).
___
Associated Press reporter Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon contributed to this report. | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-oregon-adopts-calif-fire-tactic-shuts-power-amid-high-winds/ | 2022-09-11T06:41:08Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/business/ap-business/ap-oregon-adopts-calif-fire-tactic-shuts-power-amid-high-winds/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HELSINKI (AP) — Hundreds of people marched through the Norwegian capital on Saturday in an LBGT solidarity event to honor the Pride parade that was canceled in June after a deadly shooting outside a popular gay bar.
Marchers in “The Rainbow Train” passed the central Oslo nightlife district where a man identified as Zaniar Matapour shot and killed two men and injured several others outside the London Pub on June 25, just hours before the planned start of the Pride parade.
Norwegian citizen Matapour is being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and terrorism. His motive for the shooting remains unclear but police say hate crime is a possibility.
Organizers stressed the event Saturday wasn’t meant to be a substitute for the original Pride parade but rather a show of solidarity to Norway’s LBGT community.
“It is absolutely fantastic,” Oslo Pride spokesman Dan Bjoerke told Norwegian news agency NTB. “There is a sea of people who will show everyone that it is love that wins. We must have diversity, we must have a society where people can be allowed to be themselves without fear.”
Prime Minister Jan Stoere Gahr was among the several Norwegian politicians who took part.
“We are taking back the streets. It’s not the Pride parade we had planned for June but this is a celebration that is important for people to be able to express these important values,” Stoere told NTB.
Saturday’s event culminated in a concert in Oslo. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-lgbt-solidarity-march-in-norway-for-canceled-pride-parade/ | 2022-09-11T06:42:34Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-lgbt-solidarity-march-in-norway-for-canceled-pride-parade/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Saturday that it was pulling back troops from two areas in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region where a Ukrainian counteroffensive has made significant advances in the past week.
The news came after days of apparent advances by Ukraine south of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, in what could become the biggest battlefield success for Ukrainian forces since they thwarted a Russian attempt to seize the capital, Kyiv, at the start of the nearly seven-month war.
“The Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video released by his office Saturday night. “And, of course, it’s a good decision for them to run.”
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said troops would be regrouped from the Balakliya and Izyum areas to the eastern Donetsk region. Izyum was a major base for Russian forces in the Kharkiv region, and earlier this week social media videos showed residents of Balakliya joyfully cheering as Ukrainian troops moved in.
Konashenkov said the Russian move was being made “in order to achieve the stated goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas,’” an eastern area home to two separatist regions that Russia has declared sovereign.
The claim of a withdrawal to concentrate on Donetsk is similar to the justification Russia gave for pulling back its forces from the Kyiv region earlier this year when they failed to take the capital.
Igor Girkin, a Russian who was an early leader of a Moscow-backed separatist uprising in Donetsk in 2014, sneered at the portrayal of the pullback being strategic. On the messaging app Telegram, he acidly called it “the brilliant (clearly within the framework of the plan and even ahead of schedule) operation to transfer the cities of Izyum, Balakliya and Kupiansk to respected Ukrainian partners.”
Earlier Saturday, Ukrainian officials claimed major gains in the Kharkiv region, saying their troops had cut off vital supplies to Izyum.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko also suggested troops had retaken Kupiansk, a town along the main supply route to Izyum, long a focus on the Russian front line and the site of heavy artillery and other fighting. Nikolenko tweeted a photo showing soldiers in front of what he said was a government building in Kupiansk, 73 kilometers (45 miles) north of Izyum.
The Ukrainian Security Service posted a message hours later saying troops were in Kupiansk, further suggesting it had been seized. The military did not immediately confirm entering the town, a railway hub that Russia seized in February.
Videos on social media appeared to show Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of Izyum at a roadside checkpoint. A large statue with the city’s name could be seen in the images. Ukrainian forces did not acknowledge holding the city.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that it believed Ukrainian troops had advanced as much as 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Kharkiv, and described Russian forces around Izyum as “increasingly isolated.”
“Russian forces were likely taken by surprise. The sector was only lightly held and Ukrainian units have captured or surrounded several towns,” the British military said, adding that the loss of Kupiansk would greatly affect Russian supply lines.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, likewise referenced sweeping Ukrainian gains, estimating that Kyiv has seized around 2,500 square kilometers (965 square miles) in its eastern breakthrough. The institute said it appeared that “disorganized Russian forces (were) caught in the rapid Ukrainian advance,” and cited social media images of apparent Russian prisoners seized around Izyum and surrounding towns.
The same report said Ukrainian forces “may collapse Russian positions around Izyum if they sever Russian ground lines of communication” north and south of the town.
Vladislav Sokolov, head of the Russian-appointed local administration, said on social media that authorities in Izyum had started evacuating residents to Russia.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine comes amid an ongoing offensive around Kherson in the south. Analysts suggest Russia may have taken soldiers from the east to reinforce the latter area, offering the Ukrainians the opportunity to strike a weakened front line.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the television channel Ukraina that the Russians had no food or fuel for their troops in the area as Kyiv had cut off their supply lines.
“It will be like an avalanche,” he said, predicting a Russian fallback. “One line of defense will shake, and it will fall.”
The Ukrainian military was more circumspect, claiming to have taken “more than 1,000 square kilometers” (386 square miles) from pro-Kremlin forces this week. It said that “in some areas, units of the Defense Forces have penetrated the enemy’s defenses to a depth of 50 kilometers,” matching the British assessment, but did not disclose geographical details.
Officials in Kyiv have for weeks been tight-lipped about plans for a counteroffensive, urging residents to refrain from sharing information on social media.
However, Zelenskyy said Friday that troops had reclaimed more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region since the start of the counteroffensive.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian emergency services reported that a 62-year-old woman was killed in a Russian missile strike in the Kharkiv region when her home was flattened overnight.
The Ukrainian governor of Kharkiv, Oleh Syniehubov, accused Moscow of pummeling retaken settlements. He said via Telegram that five civilians were hospitalized in the Izyum district, while nine others suffered injuries elsewhere in the region.
In the embattled Donbas, the Ukrainian governor said civilians were killed and wounded overnight by Russian shelling near the city of Bakhmut, a key target of the stalled Russian offensive. Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that two people died and two were injured in Bakhmut and the neighboring village of Yahidne.
In the Russian-held city of Enerhodar, home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, electricity and water were restored after a four-day outage due to an explosion, the city’s Ukrainian mayor, Dmytro Orlov, said.
Enerhodar and its Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have come under repeated shelling in recent weeks, which Russia and Ukraine accused each other of committing. The shelling has raised fears of a radiation leak at the plant, which has been cut off from outside power sources; the facility has been forced to rely on power from its only working reactor for systems cooling and other safety measures.
Orlov said workers from the plant assisted in restoring Enerhodar’s power, but it was not clear if the electricity was coming from the plant or from a nearby thermal generating station.
Also Saturday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv and said Europe would not tire of helping Ukraine, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to raise the pressure by withholding energy supplies.
Baerbock said Germany will assist Ukraine in finding and removing mines and other unexploded ordnance left by Russian troops in areas where they have been pushed back.
Despite Ukraine’s gains, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the head of NATO warned Friday that the war would likely drag on for months. Blinken said the conflict was entering a critical period and urged Ukraine’s Western backers to keep up their support through what could be a difficult winter.
___
Kozlowska reported from London. Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
___
Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-ukraine-breaks-through-front-line-in-east-nearing-key-town/ | 2022-09-11T06:43:03Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/ap-international-news/ap-ukraine-breaks-through-front-line-in-east-nearing-key-town/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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