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Amtrak is working to quickly to restore canceled trains after President Joe Biden announced Thursday that a tentative agreement with the country’s freight rail unions has been reached. The deal thwarts a looming strike that was gearing up to take place on Friday and threated to shut down rail lines across the country if negotiations hit a stalemate.
“While these negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce, many of our trains operate over freight railroad tracks,” Amtrak said in a September 13 statement about the ongoing labor talks.
With a resolution still up in the air as of Wednesday night, Amtrak had begun making initial service adjustments, including canceling all of its long-distance trains in an effort to avoid possible disruptions.
But after a tentative deal was reached, Amtrak said that it “is working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures,” according to a statement sent to AFAR.
Railroads and union representatives met with the Labor Department for 20 hours on Wednesday to hammer out an agreement. The tentative deal will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling-off period of several weeks.
In addition to long-distance trains, Amtrak had planned to cancel service on the Capitol Corridor, Amtrak Cascades, Heartland Flyer, Illinois Service, Michigan Service, Pacific Surfliner (partially), Piedmont, San Joaquins, Springfield Service (north of Springfield), and Virginia Service. All of these services are being restored.
Amtrak train routes that were not impacted by cancellations include:
- Acela service between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.
- Empire Service between New York City and Albany
- Keystone Service between New York City and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Amtrak Hartford Line between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts
- Downeaster between Boston and Brunswick, Maine
The national rail network said that it has notified customers impacted by the cancellations and has offered to change their reservations to another travel date, waiving any difference in fare for departures through October 31. Amtrak is also offering to provide a full refund without cancellation fees, if travelers prefer.
Why were the rail union workers going to strike?
At issue had been negotiations based on the recommendations of a Presidential Emergency Board appointed by President Biden this summer that called for a 24 percent salary increase and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal that would be retroactive as of 2020. Those recommendations also included one additional paid leave day per year and improved health insurance.
Unions that represent railway conductors and engineers had been holding out in the hope that railroads would agree to go beyond those recommendations and address some of their concerns about unpredictable schedules and strict attendance policies that they say make it difficult to take any time off, the Associated Press reported. They say the job cuts that major railroads have made over the past six years—eliminating nearly one-third of their workers—have made a difficult job even harder. The railroads maintain their operations have just become more efficient as they rely on fewer, longer trains.
The Association of American Railroads estimated that a strike would have cost the U.S. economy more than $2 billion a day.
Associated Press contributed reporting. | https://www.afar.com/magazine/amtrak-works-to-restore-service-as-rail-unions-reach-tentative-deal | 2022-09-15T16:37:29Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/amtrak-works-to-restore-service-as-rail-unions-reach-tentative-deal | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Riding on Switzerland’s efficient and comprehensive Swiss Rail system, you can’t help but marvel as one absurdly photogenic village after another whizzes by the window. Chalets with scalloped eves and painted shutters, half-timbered houses plastered in bright pastels, medieval-era mazes of cobblestone streets, and lively, café-strewn plazas bedecked with flower boxes —all these heritages and many more are perfectly preserved in this small country unmarred by the scars of war.
Here are four Swiss towns that stand out for their charm, history, and sheer breath-catching beauty.
Stein am Rhein
Walk through medieval splendor
A history of more than a thousand years comes to life in Stein am Rhein, today a quiet town on Switzerland’s northern border but once a wealthy trading hub and the seat of the powerful St. George Abbey. The riches accumulated by ambitious merchants and Benedictine monks created a place that dazzles with color and artistic detail. Here, the half-timbered houses popular throughout northern Switzerland are covered in jewel-toned frescoes that depict the rhythms of medieval village life in fascinating detail, from grape harvests to formal banquets. Take a seat at one of the cheerful cafés that surround the Rathausplatz, or main square, and you’ll feel like you’re dining in an open air museum. The metalwork in Stein am Rhein is equally captivating, with whimsical birds, dragons, griffons, and other mythical creatures adorning doorways, chimneys, and hanging signs.
More history is on offer in the Gothic 15th-century St. George Abbey itself and at Hohenklingen Castle, perched atop a mountain and housing a restaurant with views over the town. Cross the river from the old town and climb the hill to a small village church on the hill for the best view of the abbey and riverfront promenade.
Most visitors to Stein am Rhein make the mistake of treating it as a day excursion from Zurich, 35 miles away, often combined with a trip to Rheinfall, Europe’s largest waterfall. But doing this means missing out on the chance to see the frescoes’ brilliant colors glow in the late afternoon light and to stroll with residents along the riverfront promenade. Add an extra day and take the Untersee-Rhine river excursion in the direction of Konstanz, passing a string of 13th-century villages and stopping at the island of Reichenau on the German side of the lake, the entirety of which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Where to stay: Hotel Garni Adler
Check out Hotel Garni Adler, which offers Old-World elegance just off the Rathausplatz in the heart of the medieval town.
Gimmelwald
Sleep on an Alpine plateau
Perched on the edge of a cliff overhanging the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Gimmelwald holds itself magically in the past like a Swiss Brigadoon. Part of this comes from the fact that Gimmelwald is entirely car-free. You can’t drive there because there is no road, distinct from many other car-free Swiss villages where you park at the edge of town. Here the only vehicles you’re likely to see are miniature hay trucks loaded so high it’s hard to fathom how the bales don’t cascade to the ground. Cable cars rise up from the valley floor—the only transport in or out of Gimmelwald—then continue up the mountain to the Schilthorn, one of the highest peaks in Europe at 9,744 feet. At its top, viewing platforms offer 360-degree views of the entire Jungfrau range, and the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant is one of the highest dining destinations in Europe.
What Gimmelwald lacks in size it makes up for in friendliness, with the residents who run the village’s handful of guesthouses, hostels, and pensions eager to pass the time of day. Visit the town’s website or use the QR code provided on local signage and take a guided walking tour of the village, listening to tales of the town’s colorful history, which dates back to the Middle Ages. And the cheese—you can’t miss the cheese, given that a rustic storehouse occupies pride of place in the center of the village, filled with slabs of the fresh summer season Bernese Alp cheese. A walking path connects Gimmelwald with the only slightly larger village of Murren above, providing multi-tiered views of the village and the Lauterbrunnen valley below as it switchbacks up the hillside. It’s also a chance to commune with the local belled cows.
Where to stay: Pension Gimmelwald
Spend a night or two at Pension Gimmelwald, a classic chalet-style mountain hotel with a sunny patio restaurant and biergarten.
Spiez
Tour a lakeside castle
A visit to Spiez in the Bernese Oberland starts and ends with stately Spiez Castle, which rises above the town from a promontory jutting into Lake Thun. Beneath it, a promenade lines the quiet, horseshoe-shaped harbor with a protected swimming beach and restaurants serving traditional fare on terraces. Touring the castle quickly becomes an interactive experience, with exhibits including a costume room featuring garb fit for a Renaissance fair and a jousting setup that will teach anyone who mounts the practice steed that riding while holding an unbelievably heavy lance is harder than it looks.
Next to the castle, the spare Romanesque castle church remains much as it was a thousand years ago and features frescoes dating from the 13th century. The Museum of Local History and Viticulture just outside town demonstrates the history and traditional techniques of local winemaking in a barn and farmhouse. If possible, arrive or depart via the Lake Thun ferry, which connects Spiez with Thun at the west end of the lake and Interlaken at the east end. The train also stops at Spiez.
Where to stay: Hotel Eden Spiez
Hotel Eden Spiez, a circa-1903 lakeside resort with a waterfront restaurant.
Chur
Enjoy plazas, churches, and trains
The fountain-bedecked plazas, skyscraping church towers, and cobblestone streets of Chur’s Old Town attest to the 500-year-old town’s stature as the oldest in Switzerland as well as its later importance as a rail hub.
Among Chur’s remarkably well-preserved buildings, don’t miss the Episcopal St. Mary of the Assumption Church on the hill above town, and 15th-century St. Martin’s Church with its spare Gothic tower and pretty sheltered plaza. The church also houses stained windows by Augusto Giacometti, added in 1919, which feature the artist’s characteristic elongated forms and forbidding expressions to give an overall affect of gloom. Chur honors its history as a market town with plenty of regular events, including a Saturday farmers’ market with produce, cheeses, meats, and more from the surrounding Graubunden region, a monthly flea market, and a traditional Christmas market with colorful crafts.
Visitors also come to Chur to board the narrow-gauge Glacier Express, which has been making the epic journey across the Alps from Zermatt to St. Moritz since 1930. The trip’s profile was raised with the launch of a new Excellence Class that guarantees window seating in a luxe dining car with a seven-course meal served in stages throughout the ride.
Where to stay: Hotel Stern Chur
Hotel Stern Chur has welcomed weary travelers to its cheerful knotty pine dining room and fluffy feather beds for 300 years. | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-towns-to-visit-in-switzerland | 2022-09-15T16:37:35Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-towns-to-visit-in-switzerland | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mired in myth and legend and rising nearly 7,000 feet above Lucerne, Mount Pilatus has lured dragon slayers, adventure seekers, politicians, and even royalty. I’ve fallen victim to its siren song on cobalt blue December afternoons on multiple occasions, when visitors are few and serenity and solitude speak volumes.
Frankly, the Pilatus massif offers far more to do in summer. That’s when summit wildflowers bloom, ibex are more easily sighted, and midmountain adventure parks promise rope courses, an Alpine slide, zip lines, and treetop thrills. But winter, when only snowshoe and ski tracks left by intrepid adventurers mar the summit snow, offers unique appeals, especially for those who spend the night. Among the allures that seduced me: the quietude of a snow-laden mountain, the warmth of a comfy hotel, the satisfaction of a fine meal, the vividness of a sunset, the joy of spectacular stargazing, and the glories of a stunning sunrise.
Even though I knew inclement weather might cloud the views, I booked an overnight stay in the Hotel Pilatus-Kulm as the coda to an Alpine skiing trip. Unlike Queen Victoria, who rode a mule to the summit, I opted for modern transportation. During warmer months, one can cruise Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad and ride the world’s steepest cog railway to the saddle between two of the massif’s peaks, 6,906-foot Oberhaupt and 6,949-foot Esel. But in winter, one flies to this terrace via a two-stage gondola and an aerial tram.
From Lucerne’s train station, it’s a 12-minute bus ride to the Zentrum Pilatus stop in Kriens. On that mid-December afternoon, I strolled from there to the Pilatus base station and stepped into a gondola car. As it ascended, the views opened, the early-winter browns surrendered to increasingly larger patches of seasonal white, and dense vegetation ceded to barren Alpine terrain.
Then Pilatus began to work its magic.
The late-day sun slipped behind mountains, replaced by a rosy alpenglow and twilight’s blue hour, accented with a silver sliver of a crescent moon. Striated skies ranging from tonal blues to salmon hues were the backdrop for the neo-Gothic Klimsen Chapel, edging a cliff below Klimsenhorn’s 6,253-foot cross-topped peak.
I arrived at the tram’s top station as the last day-trippers departed and the sun’s last rays illuminated the Bellevue, the other hotel bookending the saddle’s balcony on the world. I ping-ponged from side to side on the summit terrace, smitten by smoky skies, snow-laden peaks, and dragon-puff clouds over Lake Lucerne far below. Legend has it that centuries ago, fire-breathing, long-necked dragons with poisonous fangs resided on the summit. Tales of those who fought the beasts or were saved by them are shared in the Dragon Trail, a tunnel with interpretive signage edging around the Oberhaupt peak.
According to another tale, the tortured soul of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who presided over the trial of Jesus Christ, found its final resting spot in a long-gone mountain lake. Some say that it gave the mountain its name; others believe it’s derived from the Latin word pileatus, meaning capped because clouds settle over it. I pondered the stories while admiring the heavenly views revealed through craggy openings cut into the tunnel’s outer wall.
Overlooked by the cross-topped Oberhaupt peak, the three-star Superior Hotel Pilatus-Kulm, dating from 1890, appears almost fortress-like from the terrace. Yet inside it’s cozy and comfortable. When the hotel is busy, dinner is served in the grand dining room, but I ate in a less formal room where the more casual breakfast buffet is served.
Afterward, I bundled up for the chill, stepped out on the terrace to take in the star-spangled night, and noticed a trail zigzagging up the cross-topped peak behind the hotel. Unable to resist the mountain’s temptation, I began hiking for a better view. About halfway up the occasionally snowy path, I realized how stupid the impulse was. And yet, I continued: My white-knuckled grip on the rails and ropes lining the way was the only thing between me and a death slide. With only the whoosh of wind breaking the hush of night, I inhaled the summit panorama. Lucerne’s lights twinkled distantly and white peaks glowed in the moonlight. When a shooting star raced across the sky, I reached toward heaven, experienced a sense of awe and grace, and prayed for a glorious sunrise.
Awakening early to steel-gray skies, I repeated the hike in the predawn light. Again, I had Pilatus to myself. As the sun rose, the sky’s smoky lavender-hued blues reflected in Lake Lucerne’s waters. I looked down to spy the Klimsen Chapel, up at the summit cross, and watched Alpine choughs, crow-like birds with yellow beaks and orange feet, perform an acrobatic ballet. Then one of Pilatus’s mythical dragons crept to the mouth of its subterranean lair and exhaled brilliant orange and gold flames into the sky. | https://www.afar.com/magazine/hiking-switzerlands-mount-pilatus-in-the-winter | 2022-09-15T16:37:42Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/hiking-switzerlands-mount-pilatus-in-the-winter | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Girl Scouts of the USA has always had well-known visual signifiers, like pig-tailed little girls selling TagAlongs outside supermarkets, circular patches sewn onto brown sashes, and summer sun-faded friendship bracelets tied to small wrists. Since their 1912 inception in Savannah, Georgia, these images have ingratiated Girl Scouts into our culture, and underlined their mission to pioneer female leadership and encourage girls to act on their dreams.
Over 100 years later, Girl Scouts still plays a key role in the lives of over a million American Girls, and now they have a new brand identity that reflects this importance. COLLINS recently took elements of these iconic Girl Scouts images to develop a colorful brand system, Trefoil logo, and refreshed site design for the organization.
COLLINS was particularly inspired by the visual history of Girl Scouts patches and badges, and translated them into geometric forms to use as building blocks throughout the brand system. The reimagined Trefoil logo sits at the center of this visual language, paying homage to its previous iterations while distilling them down to a new shape and color.
The Girl Scouts of America is composed of 112 independent councils, so COLLINS’s creation needed to arm each one with the tools for cohesive communications while still providing flexibility to support their different communities. The patch-inspired shapes met these needs head-on to serve as a common language to all communications, while retaining an adaptability for any application, from presentation templates to campaigns.
COLLINS and Girl Scouts also teamed up with Positype to design a custom typeface worthy of the new brand system, opting for a playful, yet classy serif that deftly compliments the color palette and iconography. The project also extended into considerations for new Girl Scouts merchandise, which took the form of reviving styles from the archives with modern updates.
If this comprehensive undertaking wasn’t enough, COLLINS also worked with a diverse group of women designers to create a series of posters called The Trefoil Poster Series, with each poster expressing the artist’s unique experience of Girl Scouts. Ranging from emerging voices to celebrated masters—including PRINT’s very own Debbie Millman—the posters reflect a spectrum of styles and interpretations of the Trefoil emblem. | https://www.printmag.com/branding-identity-design/girl-scouts-collins/ | 2022-09-15T16:38:15Z | printmag.com | control | https://www.printmag.com/branding-identity-design/girl-scouts-collins/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Harper Simon, musician, artist, filmmaker and producer, produced and co-wrote Meditations on Crime, an album that features collaborations with Julia Holter (“Heloise”), Game Game Dance (“Crime Seed“), King Khan with Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra (“We the People of the Myths”), Geneva Jacuzzi (“Nagual“) and more. The album, part of a multimedia collective, coincides with a book of the same title that features artwork and essays by the likes of Cindy Sherman, Nate Lowman, Julian Schnabel, Laurie Anderson, Miranda July, Hooman Majd, Jerry Stahl and MC5’s Wayne Kramer.
Connecting the sonic and visual elements, American artist Raymond Pettibon (renowned for creating classic Black Flag and Sonic Youth album covers and concert posters) created an original portrait of John Dillinger for the album cover.
Meditations on Crime began in 2016 as the confluence of the pop culture obsession with true crime, the incredible legacy of murder ballads and political protest songs as well as what America was going through during that particular election year.
I recently subjected Simon to third degree . . .
This is quite an ambitious fusion of media on a very difficult theme. I was once publisher/art director of an odd magazine called Mobster Times: Crime Does Pay, so I am sympathetic with your response to politics and crime in your first interview in the book. But for purposes of introducing my readers to your project, can you explain its genesis?
I was not familiar with Mobster Times but looking it up it seems that it was started by Al Goldstein, pre-Screw [actually it was during Screw‘s run]. You’ve now reminded me of a dinner I had with him once many years ago around the time he was running for office of some kind. In Florida, I believe. I mainly remember this because I had a T-shirt from the campaign. Anyway, I probably could’ve used some images from the magazine as ephemera in my book, which focuses on the intersection of counterculture and crime, amongst other things. The project, [entitled] Meditations on Crime, comprises an art book with commissioned essays, an album of collaborations with various recording artists that I co-wrote and produced, as well as a short film by the artist Jonah Freeman and myself. In 2016 I had an idea for a collaborative, curated project that would give people an opportunity to express themselves politically if they liked, or to explore the nature of criminality in a more philosophical context.
What are the roles of your collaborators in this mashup? And do each see the theme through your eyes or you through theirs?
The visual artists were allowed to respond to the theme by submitting whatever works they wanted to submit. Most gave images from their existing body of work, although a few like Jonah, Aaron Rose and Raymond Pettibon made original pieces for the book. We ended up using Pettibon’s drawing of the bank robber John Dillinger for the album cover as well. The writers were given the same sort of liberty, as long as the essays pertained to “crime” in some way. Same with the songwriters I worked with, some of whom I co-wrote lyrics with and some I did not. So no, I wouldn’t say any saw the theme through my eyes, because I didn’t want to impose that.
What was the process of getting so many “A-list” artists involved in this? What were their questions and your responses? Did they have a sense of your overall goal?
I don’t really like to think of artists as “A-list” or “B-list.” Everyone gets equal billing on this project. Many of the visual artists were brought in by Jonah, who co-curated the art in the book. The writers and musical collaborators mostly came from me. Most were friends or acquaintances. But yes, there were many artists whose work I’d been a fan of for a long time and I was honored by their participation. Since I pretty much gave everyone total freedom, I don’t recall a lot of questions being asked.
So, speaking of goal, what do you want to impart? What do you want the audience to experience?
This project was less about having a goal or creating agenda-driven work than following a path to see where we’d end up, which became more abstract as one contribution led to another. Although, I’d say, in truth, many of the artists involved shared a similar political viewpoint. These questions you’re asking are good questions but they’re hard to answer succinctly. The subject of what defines criminality and what is the nature of crime is so layered, so complex and steeped in historical context, be it religious or political or dealing with the concept of justice, to call something Meditations on Crime is almost absurd because you could spend a lifetime on it and only scratch the surface. There is crime as it pertains to the laws of any given country. Those laws may or may not be just. The person who decides who is a criminal is the person in power. Then there is the issue of crime as it relates to morality. Also a complicated subject. There are crimes of the heart. There are war crimes. There is also a constant revision in history and in contemporary society as to what comprises criminality and what doesn’t. If you are reading our book or listening to the album you are going to get a lot of interpretations of this subject and hopefully some will resonate and provoke some thought, maybe some indignation, or not. I leave it to the audience to take from it what is useful to them.
The visual and audio responses are so diverse. What were the terms of inclusion? Was it total freedom, or restricted in any way?
Well, for one, certain things may have been omitted because they seemed too obvious, too on-the-nose. Some contributions were cut because they somehow didn’t match stylistically with the tone of the project as a whole. As more contributions were accumulated, they led naturally to other artists being asked. It’s a fine line to walk with a project this sprawling, because you want diversity but you also need aesthetic cohesion.
There are many curious (in a thoughtful way) interpretations of the theme. Are they what you were expecting? How much did you and your collaborators manage versus allow for serendipity?
Some were in keeping with what I expected. For instance, Janine Di Giovanni is a renowned foreign correspondent and war reporter, so I wasn’t surprised so much that she gave an essay on war criminals. Other writers gave works of fiction that I would never have expected. The only managing I might have done is if I felt one contributor was coming a little too close to the subject matter of another artist who’d already turned in their work.
Ben Okari’s essay on the “first crime” is fascinating. He makes crime a defining trait of humankind. Is that something you’re attempting to tackle—how deeply criminal acts are hardwired?
I put that essay as the introduction because I felt it was the kind of thing I wanted to say but would never have been able to write about with such depth of knowledge and eloquence as Ben. He’s a very erudite man with a poetic soul and a great deal of wisdom who really tackled the fundamentals of the topic brilliantly. So I figured, let’s start here and then let the thing fan out.
I felt kind of disturbed when I saw the New York Magazine spread on gang violence. There has always been too much romanticizing crime. Would you agree? (Unless it is civil disobedience for a good reason, that is.)
I suppose I would agree. Wayne Kramer from the MC5, who wrote an essay but didn’t contribute musically, gets into that topic in his piece. But I don’t think there’s too much romanticizing of crime in the book or on the album. Maybe a little. The ephemera of the South Bronx gangs from the ’70s that we included looks quaint, almost sweet, compared to the world we live in now.
Raymond Pettibon is a strong presence. What does that mean for you?
Well, I was so pleased he made that drawing for us that I of course wanted to use it on the cover, because I grew up with many albums that he did covers for, by bands like Black Flag and Sonic Youth. And much of the guitar playing I do on the record references some of that stuff. I like to think of the record as being in line with that tradition, although there are other songs that are more experimental. I should also point out before I forget that the album and book come together in a box, and also, since this an art and design magazine, that the design was done by Brian Roettinger and Jonny Woods.
Finally, for now at least, what does crime mean, symbolize or represent to you after working so long on this project?
I still have the same kind of moral outrage I had when I was inspired to start this project in 2016. Our administration has changed but most of the same characters and same issues are still in play. In fact, the landscape is probably more criminal, more obscene. But crime is not topical. It’s fundamental to how we view the world and the unfolding of the human drama. The story of humanity, the story of power and politics is the story of crime. | https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-criminal-intent-art-about-crime/ | 2022-09-15T16:38:22Z | printmag.com | control | https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-criminal-intent-art-about-crime/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Consider the lifespan of an instance of inspiration. In terms of how or where it starts, we have an abundance of depictions to choose from:
The sudden appearance of a lightbulb above a person’s head in a comic signals that inspiration occurs in the mind, like a moment of epiphany.
Idioms such as ‘go with your gut’ paint inspiration as a fleeting gastrointestinal impulse, much more visceral than cerebral in its inception.
Some social scientists see inspiration as instinctual, a psychosomatic response to environmental stimuli and product of the innate checks and balances in nature vs. nurture.
To a pulmonologist, the term inspiration would literally refer to the act of inhaling so as to fill the lungs with air.
A monk once told me that inspiration stems from the divine, and thus marks a rapturous and spiritual occasion.
From epiphany, to divinity, to impulse, this wide range of attributional metaphors reflect how difficult it is to neatly place the experience of inspiration into a box.
Nonetheless, all of these depictions agree on two things:
- That inspiration begins in a moment, with some sort of spark
- That inspiration is initially a personal experience
The spark is just the starting place, and from that moment on, inspiration can beget a seemingly infinite number of twists and turns, actions and inactions, approaches and solutions. For creatives within a stereotypical academic or corporate setting, the arc from start to finish might look something like this:
- *You receive an assignment. [this step optional]
- You go off and get inspired… [cue lightbulb moment]
- You act on that initial spark and begin to make something.
- You exercise craft, pull in new ideas, and experience happy accidents, all while molding and growing the inspiration.
- You ride the iterative process of making in pursuit of an ultimate expression.
- Along the way, you shape that initial spark— from a place where it is fleeting, vibrating, and undefined— to a place where it is malleable, then practical, then tangible.
- By the time you’ve executed an idea, the initial spark of inspiration is extinguished, and in its place stands an artifact that you can present as your own creation— one that might go on to inspire others.
In the arc described above, we make the leap from personal to interpersonal in the final step—at a stage when it is no longer a spark of inspiration, but rather a refined and tangible manifestation of the creative process.
Inspiration can be shared much sooner, but that’s easier said than done. First, it’s a communications challenge— less individual time spent drafting means less exchangeable material with which to get our ideas across. Sharing our inspiration early on can also require more vulnerability. The more purely epiphanic, gut-driven, and instinctual the spark, the more turbulent or even chaotic it might feel to try and express it.
However, with the right teammates and partnerships, we’ve found that sharing inspiration in an unrefined and turbulent state has merit. What is normal for my colleague Clint might have a higher likelihood of being inspiring for me, and vice versa, so unstructured dialogue early on in the process can hold exponential creative potential. We also gain an initial sounding board from someone we respect that can validate, amplify, or redirect our spark. The more we practice sharing our inspiration early, the more we might foster psychological safety and grow confidence in what our instincts tell us. We receive more immediate feedback on the gaps in our initial assessments, and after a while, we may find that we are less likely to shut down a good idea preemptively.
In short, sharing inspiration early and often can be messy, but also magical. The ripple effects are much greater when combined— less like a lightbulb, and more like a match.
Clint and Kelsy are colleagues at SYPartners, a consultancy where designers and strategists work closely with leaders to guide their organizations through times of transformation. Clint is a typography addict, aspiring furniture maker, and BBQ enthusiast who has helped teach design at ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles. Kelsy is a designer turned strategist, synth musician, and Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast who has helped to teach brand strategy at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. | https://www.printmag.com/design-theory/the-mess-the-magic-of-shared-inspiration/ | 2022-09-15T16:38:28Z | printmag.com | control | https://www.printmag.com/design-theory/the-mess-the-magic-of-shared-inspiration/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
I received a most unusual birthday present from a friend, heavy and rectangular and wrapped in Barnes & Noble paper, which I wasted no time ripping off. I was wowed to find Paul McCartney THE LYRICS, a two-volume set in a green linen slipcase. I explored it like an archeologist coming across a trove of priceless artifacts. Well, it is an artifact, from the texture of the linen, the silky paper, the collection of photography that spans 65 years, the elegant layouts, and typography. It also preserves Sir Paul’s handwriting, cross-outs, scribbles, and all. The dust jackets feature the handwritten lyrics of “Hey Jude,” “Yesterday,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and “Back in the USSR” dropped out in white from full-bleed portraits of Paul in various guises.
Did I mention I’m a Beatles fan? One reason is that the words are clear— no mumbling, screaming, or being drowned out— and almost every song is a story I appreciate, no matter how many times I hear them. But it’s another level of understanding to read the beautifully typeset lyrics, learn in the songwriter’s words how the song came to be, and take in spreads of photographs from that time and place. Sometimes you get a look inside the people’s heads who were there, the inspirations, and antecedents, and sometimes mystery remains. Real people inspired characters in many songs, but some questions seem purposely unanswered. Such as who, exactly, blew his mind out in a car?
And who, exactly, designed this masterpiece, I wondered. On the copyright page, in very small type, I found: “This book is set in Rigby, a typeface created expressly for this book by Triboro Design.”
I began reading reviews: “#1 New York Times bestseller. A Washington Post Notable Book. Excerpted in The New Yorker. Published November 2, 2021.” Where had I been? Sleeping under a rock? Well, I was out of the country, quarantining, and stuck in an Omicron-empty airport last November. Still, no excuse.
None of the reviews I read mentioned the book design or the designer— typical— so I set about finding Triboro Design. This Brooklyn studio has a long, enviable client list that includes museums, galleries, fashion brands, restaurants, artists, and musicians, magazines, and book publishers. The book’s designer David Heasty works with his wife and partner Stefanie Weigler, and they’ve won many important design awards. It started to feel like a very heavy rock I’d been sleeping under.
I invited Heasty to meet via Zoom, and found him to be sharp, quick, articulate, and modest. Below, we discuss Paul’s involvement with the project, the book’s gorgeous bespoke typeface, and the importance of staying true to a legend’s vision.
How did you get this gig, and who was the client?
The client was the Liveright imprint of W.W. Norton & Company. Anna Oler, the production manager at Liveright approached us, perhaps because we’d done Prince’s memoirs and a book on Frank Sinatra.
It’s good to hear that someone below the CEO/publisher level has the power to choose the design firm for a project of this magnitude. How many people are in your firm?
Just two— my wife and partner Stefanie— and myself.
Amazing— not a word I use lightly. Did you and Stefanie work together on this project?
No. We generally have separate projects. This was exclusively my project.
How long did it take?
About a year.
I’m imagining you sorting through cartons of photographs, having them scanned and restored, then making difficult choices.
It wasn’t like that at all. The publisher had already made the selection, and everything came organized as good quality files. Linda McCartney was a photographer, and she and Paul were always interested in the preservation of assets.
Were you disappointed that photo selection wasn’t part of your job?
No. It’s Paul’s book. It’s his memoir.
Let’s talk about your working style. Did you present one mockup, or did the client have the choice of a number of potential treatments?
I did many, many sample chapters; various layouts. There was a lot of collaboration and back-and-forth. It took months. When I get feedback, I keep an open mind. You could think of this book as one man capturing another man’s vision.
Some designers and firms tell me that it’s necessary to show the client a range of options because many people want their opinion known. Other designers make it a point of honor to present one thing, saying: ‘This is the solution.’
There’s so much psychology involved in dealing with different clients. Some clients are hands-off, and others want to be involved in every detail.
Did you get to work directly with Paul?
Paul was very involved, but no. We received his comments via his people.
I’m interested in the choice of listing the songs in alphabetical order, rather than chronologically. In alphabetical order, the reader might jump from the screams of girls at JFK, to following George, to Rishikesh and the Maharishi, then back to getting haircuts at a certain barbershop in Liverpool. The sense of going through time— through decades— is thoroughly mixed up.
Paul liked the aspect of jumping around, the messier juxtapositions. It’s more surprising; a cool way to do it. There is more focus on the songs themselves, rather than the book being a history of the Beatles.
Speaking of which, what happened to John in this story? His name is sometimes listed as co-author, but Paul makes some snarky comments, such as John’s ‘lack of interest in literature.’ Was Yoko upset about this book? And the other surviving Beatle, Ringo?
You’ll have to ask them.
Okay. Tell me a little about your background, yours and Stefanie’s.
I am a 2000 graduate of Penn State, where I had an incredible mentor, [the late] Lanny Sommese. My first boss, Alexander Gelman, was another very important mentor. He gave me a lot of responsibility on a broad range of projects. Stephanie is from Germany. She studied visual communications there and also worked for Alexander Gelman at Design Machine after coming to New York. That’s where we met.
Most designers would kill for your client list. How did you build it?
We worked hard over 15 years, beginning with a focus on the cultural sector, doing artists’ books and gallery work. We got better known after we started working with the Justin Timberlake fashion label.
The set I received has a green linen slipcase and spines. Some images show an orange slipcase. What is the difference?
Orange was a special edition of 175 copies signed by Paul, with embossed lyrics on the cover, a tipped-in-photo on a special clamshell box instead of the slipcase. That set originally sold for $2000, but now I understand it’s selling at auction for much more.
And about Rigby Display? It’s so impressive— and rare— that a book is set in a bespoke typeface. Who designed it?
I drew the typeface myself. I’ve always tinkered around with creating fonts. I’m not officially trained in type design; I’m self-trained in the programs. A company called Omnibus-Type in Argentina made the different weights.
What is your favorite part of this project?
The textures. There are a lot of surfaces— two volumes in a slipcase, plus dust jackets. And the fact that it was an organic, collaborative experience. That’s how we want all our projects to be.
What accolades you are most proud of?
The Rigby typeface being included in the Type Directors Annual 2021, and The Lyrics named ‘Book of the Year’ by Barnes & Noble. | https://www.printmag.com/designer-interviews/inside-the-design-of-paul-mccartneys-the-lyrics/ | 2022-09-15T16:38:34Z | printmag.com | control | https://www.printmag.com/designer-interviews/inside-the-design-of-paul-mccartneys-the-lyrics/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MILLSBORO, DE - Delaware State Police are currently investigating an armed robbery that occurred in the Oak Orchard area of Millsboro on Wednesday evening.
On September 14, 2022, around 6:15 p.m., troopers responded to the River Winds community in Oak Orchard regarding a shooting.
The investigation showed that two armed suspects had entered a home in the neighborhood and confronted several victims inside.
The suspects demanded money from the victims and threatened to shoot them if they did not comply. While the two suspects were inside of the home, a concerned citizen approached the residence to check on whats going on inside the home. When the man confronted the two suspects, one of them shot several times towards him and his car. The victim was not struck by any projectiles, but he suffered minor injuries from shattered windshield glass.
The two suspects then left the area. It was later discovered that one of the rounds that had been fired had struck a nearby residence that was occupied by two adults and three children. No one in the home was injured.
Troopers and the Delaware State Police Aviation Unit conducted an extensive investigation and one of the suspects was 25-year-old Marquise Bennett of Dover, Delaware. He was taken into custody without incident. A search of Bennett revealed that he was in possession of approximately 27.67 grams of marijuana. A computer inquiry of Bennett showed that he was a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
Bennett was transported to Troop 4 and charged with the following crimes:
- Robbery First Degree (Felony) – 2 counts
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
- Home Invasion Burglary First Degree (Felony)
- Aggravated Menacing (Felony) – 3 counts
- Reckless Endangering First Degree (Felony) – 6 counts
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Felony) – 3 counts
- Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (Felony)
- Conspiracy Second Degree (Felony)
- Possession of Marijuana
- Terroristic Threatening – 2 counts
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child
Bennett was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court # 3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $225,100 cash bond.
The second suspect remains unidentified at this time, and is only described as a black male. The Delaware State Police Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit continues to investigate this case. | https://www.wboc.com/news/delaware-state-police-investigating-home-invasion-robbery/article_f708749e-350a-11ed-8bb5-b75c0db76841.html | 2022-09-15T16:39:33Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/delaware-state-police-investigating-home-invasion-robbery/article_f708749e-350a-11ed-8bb5-b75c0db76841.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SNOW HILL, Md.- A jury has convicted John Edward Cropper of Arson in West Ocean City.
After the three-day trial in Worcester County Circuit Court, John Edward Cropper was convicted of arson relating to a June 22, 2021 fire on Harbor Road in West Ocean City.
The Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office found a fire near the commercial harbor that destroyed a home, boathouse and damaged three other homes. Two firefighters were sent to the hospital.
A Worcester County Grand Jury indicted Cropper on two counts of 1st degree arson, one count of 2nd degree arson, three counts of malicious destruction of property and two counts of reckless endangerment after an hour of deliberation.
Worcester County Fire Marshal Matthew Owens thanks the efforts of the team of internal and allied investigators.
Cropper has a long history of arson in the Ocean City area dating back to 1986. Cropper will have a pre-trial sentencing investigation and psychological evaluation performed before determining the amount of time he will spend incarcerated. | https://www.wboc.com/news/jury-convicts-worcester-county-arsonist/article_972f7524-3508-11ed-a86c-43306c105a0b.html | 2022-09-15T16:39:39Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/jury-convicts-worcester-county-arsonist/article_972f7524-3508-11ed-a86c-43306c105a0b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Baltimore prosecutors asked a judge on Wednesday to vacate Adnan Syed's conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee - a case that was chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial."
Baltimore’s state’s attorney filed a motion in circuit court, saying a lengthy investigation conducted with the defense had uncovered new evidence that could undermine the conviction of Syed, Lee's ex-boyfriend.
“The motion filed today supports a new trial for Syed based on a nearly year-long investigation that revealed undisclosed and newly-developed information regarding two alternative suspects, as well as unreliable cell phone tower data,” State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office said in a news release.
Syed, 42, has maintained his innocence for decades and captured the attention of millions in 2014 when the debut season of the “Serial” podcast focused on the case and raised doubts about some of the evidence, including cellphone tower data.
Prosecutors on Wednesday said they weren’t asserting that Syed is innocent, but they lacked confidence “in the integrity of the conviction" and recommended he be released on his own recognizance or bail.
“We believe that keeping Mr. Syed detained as we continue to investigate the case with everything that we know now, when we do not have confidence in results of the first trial, would be unjust,” Mosby added.
The state's attorney's office said if the court grants its motion it would effectively put Syed in a new trial status, and his convictions would be vacated, but the case would remain active.
“Whether the State ultimately continues with a trial in this matter or dismisses the charges will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” the state's attorney's office said.
Prosecutors said a reinvestigation of the case revealed evidence regarding the possible involvement of two alternative suspects other than Syed. The two suspects may be involved individually or may be involved together, the state's attorney's office said.
One of the suspects had threatened Lee, saying “he would make her (Ms. Lee) disappear. He would kill her,” according to the filing.
“Given the stunning lack of reliable evidence implicating Mr. Syed, coupled with increasing evidence pointing to other suspects, this unjust conviction cannot stand,” said Assistant Public Defender Erica Suter, Mr. Syed’s attorney and, Director of the Innocence Project Clinic. “Mr. Syed is grateful that this information has finally seen the light of day and looks forward to his day in court.”
The suspects were known persons at the time of the original investigation and were not properly ruled out nor disclosed to the defense, prosecutors said.
The investigation also found a separate document from the original trial file, in which a different person relayed information that can be viewed as a motive for that same suspect to harm the victim, prosecutors said. The information about the threat and motives to harm could have provided a basis for the defense and was not disclosed to the trial nor the post-conviction defense counsel, the state's attorney's office said.
Prosecutors also said new information revealed that one of the suspects was convicted of attacking a woman in her vehicle, and that one of the suspects was convicted of engaging in serial rape and sexual assault.
The state's attorney's office declined to release information about the suspects, due to the ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors also noted unreliable cellphone data used during Syed's court case to corroborate his whereabouts on the day of the crime. The notice on the records specifically advised that the billing locations for incoming calls “would not be considered reliable information for location.”
“Evidence proved that the State should not have relied on the incoming call evidence,” the state's attorney's office said.
Syed has served more than 20 years in prison for the strangling of Lee, who was 18 at the time. Her body was found weeks later buried in a Baltimore park.
More than a decade later, the popular “Serial” podcast revealed little-known evidence and attracted millions of listeners, shattering podcast-streaming and downloading records.
In 2016, a lower court ordered a retrial for Syed on grounds that his attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, who died in 2004, didn’t contact an alibi witness and provided ineffective counsel.
But after a series of appeals, Maryland’s highest court in 2019 denied a new trial in a 4-3 opinion. The Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that Syed’s legal counsel was deficient in failing to investigate an alibi witness, but it disagreed that the deficiency prejudiced the case. The court said Syed waived his ineffective counsel claim.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Syed's case in 2019. | https://www.wboc.com/news/new-evidence-puts-1999-baltimore-murder-in-spotlight/article_16f749b0-350b-11ed-abee-df389eb590e9.html | 2022-09-15T16:39:41Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/new-evidence-puts-1999-baltimore-murder-in-spotlight/article_16f749b0-350b-11ed-abee-df389eb590e9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(The Hill) – Text messages newly revealed on Monday indicate that former NFL quarterback Brett Favre and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) communicated over an effort to use their state’s welfare funds to help build a new volleyball center at the University of Southern Mississippi.
According to a report by Mississippi Today published Tuesday, Favre, Bryant and others discussed ways to funnel at least $5 million in state welfare funds for the new Southern Mississippi volleyball center.
The texts were filed in the state of Mississippi’s civil lawsuit over the scandal. Southern Mississippi’s volleyball stadium is not a part of the state’s civil lawsuit.
An attorney representing the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC), whose founder, Nancy New, previously pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts of bribery, fraud and racketeering for her role in the welfare scheme, filed the text messages into court records.
The reported conversations took place between 2017 and 2019, when Favre’s daughter was on Southern Mississippi’s volleyball team. Favre, who spent most of his 20-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, had played football at the university.
“If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?” Favre asked New in 2017.
In response, New texted Favre that “we never have that information publicized,” adding that Bryant, who served two terms as Mississippi’s governor, approved of the plan.
“Wow, just got off the phone with Phil Bryant! He is on board with us! We will get this done!” New texted Favre.
In a text message sent in 2019, Bryant told New, who was tasked with spending tens of millions of federal welfare funds in the state, that he got out of a meeting with Favre and asked if she can help with their project, according to Mississippi Today.
“Just left Brett Favre,” Bryant told New. “Can we help him with his project. We should meet soon to see how I can make sure we keep your projects on course.”
Favre, a three-time NFL MVP, paid the remaining $600,000 he owed to the state of Mississippi last year over improperly receiving welfare money as a result of an extensive scheme.
The 52-year-old former quarterback received up to $1.1 million in welfare funds between December 2017 and June 2018 from MCEC for public speaking appearances he never made.
Mississippi’s Department of Human Services filed a civil lawsuit against Favre in May, alleging that he did not pay back interest of the $1.1 million owed, which amounted to $228,000.
In a statement to Mississippi Today, Favre’s attorney Bud Holmes denies that his client knew he received welfare funds, saying, “Brett Favre has been honorable throughout this whole thing.”
Favre, who along with Bryant hasn’t been criminally charged in the scandal, had previously told the nonprofit news organization in 2020 that he did not have any contact with Bryant about his alma mater’s volleyball center. | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/brett-favres-texts-with-mississippi-official-highlighted-in-lawsuit-over-welfare-funds/ | 2022-09-15T16:42:10Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/brett-favres-texts-with-mississippi-official-highlighted-in-lawsuit-over-welfare-funds/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(NEXSTAR) — Jimmy Kimmel has apologized to “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson following criticism of a comedy bit he staged during her acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards earlier this week.
Kimmel’s show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” had been nominated for Outstanding Variety Talk Series at the ceremony, but it lost to HBO’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” earlier in the evening.
Kimmel and actor Will Arnett later took the stage to present the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, with Arnett literally dragging Kimmel’s body over to their mark. Arnett explained that Kimmel, after having lost, had gotten drunk on “skinny margaritas” and passed out.
When Arnett announced Brunson as the winner, she took the stage with Kimmel’s motionless body next to the microphone.
“Jimmy, wake up. I won,” said Brunson, prompting laughter from the audience. She went on to deliver a heartfelt speech with Kimmel still on the ground beside her.
A number of viewers have since accused Kimmel of stealing Brunson’s spotlight, with one calling it a “dumb unfunny bit” that took away from her moment.
“Super disrespectful and inappropriate and completely on the nose for the antics Black women have to put up with,” the viewer wrote on YouTube.
“Abbott Elementary” actor Sherly Lee Ralph, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, also said at a press engagement for the Television Critics Association that she was initially taken aback by Kimmel’s “disrespect.”
“I told him, too! To his face! And he understood,” said Ralph, as reported by Variety.
During Wednesday’s taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Kimmel apologized to Brunson, but not before she interrupted his monologue for a pre-planned bit.
“You know how when you win an Emmy, you only have 45 seconds to do an acceptance speech, which is not that much time?” she asked Kimmel while holding her Emmy. “And then … you get less time because someone does a dumb comedy bit that goes on too long?”
“You know, I have heard of that happening,” Kimmel responded.
Brunson followed up by jokingly demanding to finish her speech in front of Kimmel’s audience.
Later in the night, Kimmel formally apologized to Brunson.
“People got upset. They said I stole your moment. And maybe I did, and I’m very sorry if I did do that. I’m sorry I did do that, actually. And also, the last thing I would ever want to do is upset you, because I think so much of you,” Kimmel said. “And I think you know that. I hope you know that.”
Brunson told Kimmel she wasn’t personally upset by his actions at the Emmys, as she was “wrapped up in the moment.”
“Thank you,” she said. “That’s kind. But honestly, I had a good night.” | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/jimmy-kimmel-apologizes-to-abbot-elementary-creator-quinta-brunson-for-controversial-emmys-stunt/ | 2022-09-15T16:42:16Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/national/jimmy-kimmel-apologizes-to-abbot-elementary-creator-quinta-brunson-for-controversial-emmys-stunt/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LOS ANGELES — Several A-list celebrities have teamed up to help children from under-served communities in Los Angeles break into the business.
George Clooney and Don Cheadle were among those that came out to celebrate the opening of the Edward R. Roybal Film And Television Magnet School, ABC affiliate KABC-TV reported.
The school will train Los Angeles Unified School District students for behind-the-line jobs in the entertainment industry, Deadline reported.
The school opened in August, the media outlets reported.
"You could study acting for 40 years and spend a fortune and never get a job, right? It's luck when you get a job. Below the line, learning about editing, learning about cinematography, learning about visual effects, you learn that lesson, you can get that job," Clooney said to CBS affiliate KCBS-TV.
Clooney, Cheadle, and Mindy Kaling are among the star-studded school advisory board, which also includes Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria, KCBS-TV reported. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/clooney-cheadle-among-a-list-celebs-opening-film-school-in-los-angeles | 2022-09-15T16:44:23Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/clooney-cheadle-among-a-list-celebs-opening-film-school-in-los-angeles | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A Florida Chick-fil-A employee is being praised for his quick thinking after he tackled a man trying to carjack a woman with a baby on Wednesday, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said.
The employee, identified as Mykel Gordon, can be seen in a video tackling the man in the restaurant's parking lot while a woman in the background was holding a baby screamed.
The sheriff's office said the suspect, 43-year-old William Branch, approached the victim as she was taking her baby out of her car.
While holding a stick, he demanded her keys, then took them from the waistband of her pants and went inside the vehicle, authorities said.
The sheriff's office said that Gordon ran to intervene when the woman screamed for help.
Authorities said Branch punched Gordon in the face, but it didn't cause a serious injury.
Branch was charged with carjacking with a weapon and battery. Gordon said Branch was involved in another incident shortly before the attempted carjacking.
The restaurant said it's relieved everyone is safe and is proud of Gordon's courage.
Emily McCain at WFTS in Tampa Bay, Florida, first reported this story. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/sheriff-florida-chick-fil-a-employee-stops-carjacking-by-tackling-man-outside-restaurant | 2022-09-15T16:44:35Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/sheriff-florida-chick-fil-a-employee-stops-carjacking-by-tackling-man-outside-restaurant | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Walmart appears poised to jump into the banking industry.
According to Blomberg and Reuters, Walmart will begin offering digital bank accounts to select online shoppers and thousands of employees in the coming weeks.
The publications report that Walmart could add other banking services in the future if the rollout is successful.
It's unclear what, if any, fees or restrictions would be associated with the accounts. The retailer markets itself with "Everyday Low Prices."
Walmart is the largest employer and retailer in the country.
It has approximately 1.7 million associates in the U.S. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/walmart-to-reportedly-begin-testing-out-digital-bank-accounts | 2022-09-15T16:44:41Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/walmart-to-reportedly-begin-testing-out-digital-bank-accounts | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LOS ANGELES — Several A-list celebrities have teamed up to help children from under-served communities in Los Angeles break into the business.
George Clooney and Don Cheadle were among those that came out to celebrate the opening of the Edward R. Roybal Film And Television Magnet School, ABC affiliate KABC-TV reported.
The school will train Los Angeles Unified School District students for behind-the-line jobs in the entertainment industry, Deadline reported.
The school opened in August, the media outlets reported.
"You could study acting for 40 years and spend a fortune and never get a job, right? It's luck when you get a job. Below the line, learning about editing, learning about cinematography, learning about visual effects, you learn that lesson, you can get that job," Clooney said to CBS affiliate KCBS-TV.
Clooney, Cheadle, and Mindy Kaling are among the star-studded school advisory board, which also includes Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria, KCBS-TV reported. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/clooney-cheadle-among-a-list-celebs-opening-film-school-in-los-angeles | 2022-09-15T16:46:42Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/clooney-cheadle-among-a-list-celebs-opening-film-school-in-los-angeles | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sheree Baker and Heather Miller have been teaching together for two years. Miller says she became a teacher after being inspired by Baker.
“She wrote in my yearbook, the year she graduated, ‘You’re the reason I want to become an English teacher,’" Baker said.
The teachers are proud of their district in Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
It has long been a leader in teacher retention.
“I wouldn’t be here if, you know, some of the situations that are happening in other districts were happening here,” Baker said.
A national survey from Education Next found most people, regardless of their political party, support increasing funding for education and salaries for teachers. The divide comes on topics of face mask requirements, curriculum and whether public college should be free.
“I think there’s a lot of rhetoric about the job public schools are doing. And it seems to me that people will report that’s happening elsewhere, but not in my hometown,” said superintendent Sherry Durkee.
Oklahoma has issued restrictions on teaching about race and gender, but the teachers in San Springs say they still feel empowered and protected.
"We have an element of freedom here to be ourselves," said Baker. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/why-a-small-school-district-is-a-leader-in-teacher-retention | 2022-09-15T16:46:54Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/why-a-small-school-district-is-a-leader-in-teacher-retention | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Biden's approval rating rebounds ahead of midterms
President Biden's approval rating has recently recovered from its summer low, with 45% of Americans approving of his job performance in the latest AP-NORC Center for Public Research poll released Thursday.
Why it matters: His new rating, based on a survey of 1,054 people this month, signals momentum for Democrats before the November midterms, though the public's perception of Biden's handling of the economy and inflation still remains low.
By the numbers: The 45% approval rating was a 9-percentage point gain from his lowest rating of 36% in July, primarily driven by renewed support among fellow Democrats.
- Of surveyed Democrats, 78% approved of his performance, followed by 36% of independents and 10% of Republicans.
- A majority of Americans — 55% — approved of his response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 49% supported his performance on climate change; and 40% said they agreed with his work on abortion policy in the face of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Yes, but: 38% said they disapproved of his handling of the economy. That's a 10-percentage point increase from its low in June.
- Overall, 27% said they believe the country is moving in the right direction, a slight improvement.
The big picture: The new poll comes after the passage of the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act, the unveiling of the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan and a major plunge in gasoline prices since June.
- Biden's current approval rating is roughly in line with former President Obama's rating in 2010, though presidents typically see a sharp dip in late fall in midterm election years, Axios' Alexi McCammond reports.
Methodology: This poll interviewed 1,054 U.S. adults between Sept. 9-12 and has a margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Go deeper: | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/bidens-approval-rating-rebounds-midterm | 2022-09-15T16:49:54Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/bidens-approval-rating-rebounds-midterm | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Labor Day has passed after again reminding us that elected officials in our city, county, state, the U.S. Senate, and House of Representatives work for us, the people.
We are the employer.
What guide or criteria should we use to determine who we should hire or rehire with our vote?
In the coming weeks leading up to the midterm elections, we will be bombarded by applicants.
In addition to the many political messages dominating the airwaves — and in print and online media — many aspiring candidates will be making the rounds at public gatherings, political forums, and other venues.
But beware. Shaking hands, kissing babies, and making a few remarks should not be considered anything more than an initial application.
Most of us will have a lot of decisions to make about who we want to represent us in every level of our government.
For example: In Missouri we have Republican Eric Schmitt, Democrat Trudy Bush Valentine, Libertarian Jonathan Dine and Constitution Party Paul Venable being interviewed for the job of U.S. Senator.
All of the seats for the U.S. House of Representatives in Missouri are up for hire.
All 163 seats in the Missouri House, and half the 34 seats in the Missouri Senate, are on the ballot.
While there are unique roles and responsibilities associated with each elective office, there are certain basic and prerequisite qualifications that they hold in common.
No doubt, voters have things they look for and require of someone they are going to vote for (hire). But here are a few qualifications that we should want in anyone seeking to be hired to lead and represent the interest of ourselves, family, community, state, and nation.
First and foremost, does the candidate believe in America, our form of democracy and how it should function at the national, state, and local level?
Does the candidate fully understand and embrace the responsibilities of the office they seek?
In carrying out the roles and responsibilities of the office, will the candidate perform their duties in a way that is consistent with — and promote — the stability and best results for the constituency the office represents?
When it comes to values, principles, and ethics, does the candidate have a history and reputation of being honest and functioning with high integrity, have a communication style that is unifying rather than divisive, and work in a collaborative way to achieve progress in solving issues?
Those should be minimum requirements to even be considered for office.
If a candidate has held the job before, and is seeking to be rehired, there is another set of questions to be asked.
What is their record of working and voting on the issues you care about? What successes have they had; what legislation have they sponsored, supported, and passed? Have they communicated with you while they held the job? What are they proposing to do about the issues that are important to you?
For a candidate seeking public office for the first time, it is fair to ask other questions. Why are they seeking office? What is their life or professional experiences that qualifies them to seek it? What have they done to impact the lives of others, their community, and the governmental office they want to represent?
As much as we may not like or see ourselves as being employers, as much as we may feel that we are already overburden with the demands of trying to keep our personal lives together and moving forward, we must take the midterm elections before us just as seriously, more seriously, than we have taken any elections.
We have applicants for important elective offices across every level of government who have divergent views, experiences and perspectives on how the role and responsibilities of the offices they seek should be carried out.
There are so many defining issues before us — election integrity, voting rights, sensible gun control, climate change, public education, immigration, the rule of law, law and order, health care access and others — that the policy decisions made will determine the quality of life in America in the near and long term.
Given these challenges along with the threats we face at every level of government in this democratic republic, we the public — the people — must rise and assume a more active and engaged role as the employer of elective government and hold who we hire accountable.
Let us pause and embrace the important role we must hire the right elected officials who have the right character, values, qualifications, and commitment to get the job done in a stellar and honorable way at every level of government.
It is not enough to hire the right mayor, county executive, state senator or representative, governor, the right U.S. Senator, or member of Congress. We need to hold them accountable to protect and promote a healthy, vibrant, and good America across the board.
Our future well-being as a nation, as citizens, depends on it.
Janice Ellis has lived and worked in Missouri for more than three decades, analyzing educational, political, social, and economic issues across race, ethnicity, age, and socio-economic status. | https://www.stlamerican.com/news/editorials/always-remember-elected-officials-work-for-us/article_0d11382a-3484-11ed-8b15-9b32a87371ce.html | 2022-09-15T16:50:06Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/news/editorials/always-remember-elected-officials-work-for-us/article_0d11382a-3484-11ed-8b15-9b32a87371ce.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
More sunshine today in Middle Georgia
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – High pressure is keeping the sunshine over Middle Georgia this week.
Today
It was another mild morning around Middle Georgia as clear skies and temperatures in the lower 60s began the day. We will continue to see sunny skies all afternoon with only a couple of clouds developing. No rain is expected. Highs will reach the mid to upper 80s around the region. Ambient winds will blow in from the northeast at about 8-12 mph during the peak hours of the afternoon. Gusts could reach speeds upwards of 20 mph.
Tonight the winds will back off a bit as well as shift more towards the east, coming in at about 5-10 mph from the east-northeast. Any clouds that developed in the afternoon will clear shortly after sunset, giving us clear skies the rest of the night. Lows will reach the lower 60s around the region.
Tomorrow
It will be sunny again for our Friday. Highs will reach the mid to upper 80s around the region. Ambient winds will come from the east at about 8-12 mph with gusts upwards of 20 mph. No rain is expected.
Clear skies will persist tomorrow night as well. Ambient winds will actually have a bit of a southerly component for a bit as they blow in from the east-southeast at 5-10 mph. Lows will again be in the lower 60s.
Tropics
Tropical Storm Fiona currently has sustained wind speeds of 50 mph, and it is moving due west at 13 mph. The current forecast has it making a northward turn once it reaches the island of Hispaniola. At this time it is not expected to reach hurricane strength before then. Models are hinting that it could stay out to sea, but it will depend heavily on how long the stationary front off the east coast hangs around.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at Daybreak (6-7 a.m.) and 41Today (11 a.m). | https://www.41nbc.com/more-sunshine-today-in-middle-georgia/ | 2022-09-15T16:50:21Z | nbc.com | treatment | https://www.41nbc.com/more-sunshine-today-in-middle-georgia/ | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 1 |
More sunshine today in Middle Georgia
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – High pressure is keeping the sunshine over Middle Georgia this week.
Today
It was another mild morning around Middle Georgia as clear skies and temperatures in the lower 60s began the day. We will continue to see sunny skies all afternoon with only a couple of clouds developing. No rain is expected. Highs will reach the mid to upper 80s around the region. Ambient winds will blow in from the northeast at about 8-12 mph during the peak hours of the afternoon. Gusts could reach speeds upwards of 20 mph.
Tonight the winds will back off a bit as well as shift more towards the east, coming in at about 5-10 mph from the east-northeast. Any clouds that developed in the afternoon will clear shortly after sunset, giving us clear skies the rest of the night. Lows will reach the lower 60s around the region.
Tomorrow
It will be sunny again for our Friday. Highs will reach the mid to upper 80s around the region. Ambient winds will come from the east at about 8-12 mph with gusts upwards of 20 mph. No rain is expected.
Clear skies will persist tomorrow night as well. Ambient winds will actually have a bit of a southerly component for a bit as they blow in from the east-southeast at 5-10 mph. Lows will again be in the lower 60s.
Tropics
Tropical Storm Fiona currently has sustained wind speeds of 50 mph, and it is moving due west at 13 mph. The current forecast has it making a northward turn once it reaches the island of Hispaniola. At this time it is not expected to reach hurricane strength before then. Models are hinting that it could stay out to sea, but it will depend heavily on how long the stationary front off the east coast hangs around.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at Daybreak (6-7 a.m.) and 41Today (11 a.m). | https://www.41nbc.com/more-sunshine-today-in-middle-georgia/ | 2022-09-15T16:50:21Z | nbc.com | treatment | https://www.41nbc.com/more-sunshine-today-in-middle-georgia/ | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 1 |
Latinos rise up amid resurgence of unions
Latino workers say they are finding their voice in the resurgence of unionization across the U.S.
The big picture: The pandemic and tight labor market are empowering more workers to organize for better conditions across the country and within new companies, including Starbucks and Amazon.
What they’re saying: The pandemic made clear corporations’ lack of commitment to employees, with many “choosing their profits over their workers,” Beto Sanchez, an organizer with Starbucks Workers United, says.
- Sanchez is one of seven workers in Memphis that Starbucks fired after going on a local TV station to talk about their union campaign. A federal judge last month ordered the company to reinstate them.
- Sanchez, 25, says organizing is "deeply embedded in Latino culture." His own grandparents joined protests for better working conditions as coffee bean pickers in Nicaragua in the mid-20th century.
State of play: Since the end of last year, workers have voted to unionize for the first time ever at Amazon, Apple and Chipotle.
- Latinos banded together with Black, Asian and immigrant employees to drive union activity at Amazon in New York and saw success after about 55% of the workers at the Staten Island warehouse voted to form the company's first U.S. union earlier this year.
- Sixty-three percent of Latino workers earn low wages, according to the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings. That's compared to 37% of white workers, 54% of Black workers and 40% of Asian American workers.
Latinos are not just a part of unionization efforts but of wider labor movement gains as well.
- Latinas in California helped drive a successful campaign for a new law that will give fast food employees a larger role in setting wage and workplace standards.
- Angelica Hernandez, a McDonald's employee who helped lead the effort, told Axios through a translator that she became active in the labor movement after her son told her he wanted to come work with her. "I didn't want to see him suffer and be degraded like I have."
- "As Latinos, sometimes they see us as if we don't know how to defend ourselves," she added. But it's not just fast food workers that are standing up and fighting. "It's also the carpenters, the farmworkers ... We're all raising our voices as a Latino community."
Flashback: Many consider Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta to be the most notable Latino labor leaders, but organizing has always been part of Latino history.
- In 1903, Mexican and Japanese farmworkers created the Japanese-Mexican Labor Association and organized a strike to protest wage cuts and an exploitative subcontracting system.
- Puerto Ricans led several labor unions that went on strike to demand better wages and working conditions for food and hotel workers in the 1930s.
- Central American activists played key roles organizing the garment industry to unionize and advocating for the Justice for Janitors campaign to secure better wages and benefits.
Subscribe to Axios Latino to get vital news about Latinos and Latin America, delivered to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/labor-unions-latinos-starbucks-amazon | 2022-09-15T16:50:38Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/labor-unions-latinos-starbucks-amazon | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
2 hours ago - Economy & Business
Mortgage rates hit 6% for first time since 2008 housing crash
Mortgage rates have reached 6% for the first time since November 2008, according to new data Freddie Mac released Thursday.
Why it matters: Rising mortgage rates could dissuade prospective homebuyers, and particularly first-time buyers, from pursuing ownership. The climbing rates have sent demand for mortgages plummeting compared to last year.
By the numbers: The 30-year fixed-rate average rose to 6.02%, which is higher than the 5.89% rate last week. A year ago, the figure was 2.86%, per Freddie Mac.
- Freddie Mac said the uptick might put "downward pressure on home prices," but any decreases won't be large because there's still a shortage of homes for sale.
- New mortgage applications have dropped nearly 30% since the same period last year, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association, obtained by CNBC.
What they're saying: "For real estate markets, the rising costs of borrowing are further cooling demand for homes and deepening the affordability crisis," said George Ratiu, Realtor.com manager of economic research, in a statement to Axios.
- "The buyer of a median-priced home is looking at a monthly payment of $2,100 at today’s mortgage rate, a 66% jump from last year," Ratiu said. "With real median household incomes remaining relatively unchanged, many first-time homebuyers are finding the door to homeownership is closed for this season." | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/mortgage-interest-rates-6-percent-housing | 2022-09-15T16:50:44Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/mortgage-interest-rates-6-percent-housing | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Companies look for new ways to reach deskless employees
Eighty percent of the global workforce does not sit behind a computer.
Why it matters: Leaders in industries like agriculture, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, transportation, and construction cascade important information to employees through managers — and this game of telephone can be risky, inefficient and lead to turnover.
- To curtail this, companies are meeting employees where they are by embracing digital forms of communication, like internal apps.
State of play: McDonald’s, Walmart, Delta and AstraZeneca use Meta’s Workplace platform to align corporate and frontline workers.
- The platform — which operates like an internal Facebook — allows employees to connect with each other, post, and see company updates on their feed.
- Communications can also be auto-translated into 91 languages, so corporate communicators can amplify workplace values, enhance transparency and offer real-time updates across the globe.
Meanwhile, the cascade method is still the main way Molson Coors communicates with employees — 60% of whom work in breweries.
- According to chief communications and corporate affairs officer Adam Collins, it works for them because it leads to more interpersonal connection and feedback.
- “We’re really thoughtful about top-down communications — who is communicating what to which groups, and where, when and how. Similarly, we’ve placed a great deal of effort on creating an environment with healthy bottom-up communication.”
- But Molson Coors is exploring new channels, too. “Apps are among the most interesting because you can package critical information with purpose-driven messaging,” Collins says.
Yes, but: Companies that use apps like Workplace are responsible for monitoring employee activity across the platform. This can be a headache for communicators, legal and HR teams.
- McDonald’s has faced criticism for keeping tabs on employee activism, which could become easier to monitor through these apps.
- On the flip side, internal apps create more opportunity for workers to rally around shared concerns, as seen at Amazon.
What we’re watching: The surge of unionizing efforts could impact how deskless channels work and whether companies decide to use them. | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/reach-deskless-employees | 2022-09-15T16:50:57Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/reach-deskless-employees | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Patagonia's colossal feat
Yvon Chouinard's move to sell his family's stake in Patagonia — estimated at $3 billion — to a controlled trust and nonprofit could remake the climate philanthropy space for decades.
Why it matters: Holdfast Collective, the resulting nonprofit, could easily become one of the biggest, most active philanthropic organizations combating climate change.
Context: Chouinard is an active environmental advocate and has used Patagonia's reach to push causes he cares about, such as protesting the reduction of Bears Ears National Monument.
Details: Patagonia is now wholly owned by the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the newly formed Holdfast Collective, with 100% of voting shares held in the trust and all remaining non-voting shares going to Holdfast.
- Roughly $100 million in revenue is expected to go to Holdfast annually.
Zoom out: Though it's not clear which strategies Holdfast will pursue, looking at Chouinard's past activism through grassroots organizations could provide a route for Holdfast to follow.
- Expect Holdfast to look for groups fighting for land conservation measures and environmental justice initiatives over flashy climate tech areas like carbon capture. Most of the money will likely go toward other nonprofits rather than for-profit entities.
The bottom line: Chouinard is putting his money, his legacy and his company where his mouth is. | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/09/15/patagonia-restructuring-sale-yvon-chouinard | 2022-09-15T16:51:17Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2022/09/15/patagonia-restructuring-sale-yvon-chouinard | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gameto gets $17M in Insight Partners-led funding
Gameto, a biotech startup focused on ovarian longevity and related reproductive issues, has raked in $17 million in funding led by Insight Partners.
Why it matters: Menopause, despite being linked to many health problems, has historically lacked attention and investment. Gameto is one of a few upstarts tackling the health and fertility consequences of ovarian aging, as well as realities like the long, pricey IVF and egg freezing process.
Details: Investors in the Insight-led round include Future Ventures, Arcadia Investment Partners, Bold Capital Partners, Plum Alley, Myelin VC, TA Ventures, Gaingels, Korify Capital, and other existing investors.
- The capital infusion brings Gameto's total funding to date to $40 million.
Flashback: Gameto collected $23 million in Series A funding in January, led by Future Ventures.
Zoom in: Gameto, with headquarters in New York and Madrid, has a few programs in the works...
- Fertilo, a biologic for egg maturation, is currently in preclinical development. It aims to improve the safety and efficacy of IVF and egg freezing via a reduction in hormonal injections.
- Upcoming programs include Deovo, focused on drug discovery for ovarian aging; and Ameno, which aims to address the health consequences of primary ovarian insufficiency and menopause.
Be smart: Loss of ovarian function and menopause heighten the risk of various conditions, including heart disease, loss of bone density, immune dysfunction, along with declines in neurocognitive health.
State of play: A small crop of biotechs have garnered VC investment in recent years to support drug development around a long-overlooked source of many other women's health issues.
- Oviva Therapeutics, a biotech startup focused on preventing menopause, scored $11.5 million in seed funding in May from Cambrian Biopharma.
- Celmatix, of a similar vein, has collected $83 million to date, per PitchBook, last raising $6.5 million in Series A funding in 2019 from Evotec, Topspin Venture and Life Science Innovation Fund.
- Other women's health- or fertility-focused biotech startups include Ivy Natal, Conception and JumpStart Fertility. | https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/09/15/gameto-ovarian-aging-insight-oviva-celmatix-future-ventures | 2022-09-15T16:51:29Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/09/15/gameto-ovarian-aging-insight-oviva-celmatix-future-ventures | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scoop: Spectrum Science evaluates options
Spectrum Science, a founder-led life sciences communications business, is exploring strategic alternatives in response to inbound interest, sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: Many scale assets in this space have come to market and transacted over the last 18 months. Spectrum, while smaller, is fast-growing — presenting an opportunity for PE groups that have gotten educated on med comms (and chased other assets) but have yet to score an entry point.
Driving the news: The Washington, D.C.-headquartered company has engaged Houlihan Lokey for financial advice to weigh options, sources say.
- Spectrum — which recently inked three bolt-ons supported by a senior credit facility from Monroe Capital — is producing in the mid-$20 million range of EBITDA, they add.
What they're saying: "We have enough in that debt facility to fund several more deals as they make sense for the business," CEO Jonathan Wilson wrote in an email to Axios.
- He adds: "In addition, over the past three years we have a number of different financial institutions express interest in Spectrum. We are always looking at options, but have no intentions of selling the agency. However, we will continue to evaluate our capital structure on an ongoing basis."
Of note: The med comms agency world is known for attracting minority strategic growth investments big funds like...
- TPG, which invested into BGB Group in October 2021 at a $760 million value.
- Ares Management's October 2021 strategic investment into The Lockwood Group, which valued it in the mid-$300-million range, per Sarah's previous report.
How it works: Spectrum has diversified from a traditional pharmaceutical media agency to what it describes as a one-stop shop for paid media, advertising, marketing, clinical trial recruitment, and med comms.
- Led by Wilson, Spectrum employs more than 250 team members with four U.S.-based offices and a presence in London.
- In recent months, Spectrum has acquired SONIC Health, The Seismic Collaborative, and the U.K.'s Aurora Healthcare Communications.
Be smart: A number of drivers are drawing attention to the market — from both private equity and strategics like AmerisourceBergen that want to bring more value-add offerings to their pharma clients. Tailwinds include:
- The increasing volume and complexity of therapeutics.
- Increasingly targeted drug marketing spend as complex therapies focus on niche populations.
- Demand for digitization strategics that support engagement with both HCPs and consumers.
State of play: Despite uneven market conditions, the outsourced pharma commercialization and communications industry has seen deals done at healthy valuations this summer.
- Just this week, AmerisourceBergen bought PharmaLex for $1.29 billion in cash, after private equity dropped from the process.
- Astorg in June bought Open Health from Amulet Capital in a nearly $1 billion deal
- WindRose Health Investors in July recapitalized RevHealth.
What we're watching: The return to market for those assets like Real Chemistry (formerly W2O), whose backer New Mountain Capital surpassed a three-year hold this summer.
Houlihan declined to comment. | https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/09/15/spectrum-science-houlihan-life-sciences-communciations-private-equity | 2022-09-15T16:51:35Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2022/09/15/spectrum-science-houlihan-life-sciences-communciations-private-equity | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AvaSure ranked first as the solution to Reduce the Cost of Care for its transformational patient monitoring and virtual care technology to increase patient safety.
BELMONT, Mich., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AvaSure, the leading provider of acute care, virtual care and monitoring solutions, was recognized in the 2022 KLAS Emerging Solutions Top 20 Report for the greatest impact on reducing the cost of care. The top 20 emerging solutions were selected by prominent healthcare leaders across the county with the help of KLAS to find the solutions that had the greatest potential to disrupt the healthcare market. Solutions were rated by how well they could impact the Quadruple Aim of Healthcare. This aim is to improve outcomes, reduce the cost of care, improve patient experiences, and improve clinician experiences.
AvaSure ranked first as the solution to Reduce the Cost of Care for its utilization of remote virtual care and monitoring to increase patient safety. The TeleSitter technology that AvaSure is known for allows health operations staff to raise its patient management abilities from one patient per staff member to 16 with remote monitoring. The solution also enables new Virtual Nursing models which provides health systems with a tool to address our national staffing shortage with more efficient clinical workflows.
"Hospitals that have saved millions in labor expenses are now piloting virtual nursing capabilities to continue accelerating these cost reductions while retaining their most experienced nurses virtually to ensure the highest levels of patient care," said Lisbeth Votruba, chief clinical officer of AvaSure. "Amidst the noise of healthcare technology promises, AvaSure has been recognized by outside experts and unbiased KLAS analysis as truly delivering a reliable ROI."
"We all know that hospitals across the U.S. are facing labor shortages and financially they are experiencing some of the worst margins since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Adam McMullin, CEO of AvaSure. "AvaSure has proven that it not only helps improve patient outcomes and reduce readmissions, but it also helps hospitals dramatically reduce the cost of care. To be recognized by KLAS is a testament to our commitment to innovation that helps transform care delivery models and our focus on helping care teams keep their patients safe."
"Because KLAS believes in the power of technology to improve healthcare, it only made sense to research emerging, new solutions," said Adam Gale, KLAS CEO. "We set out to help providers cut through the hype in this market and we found some new technologies with real capabilities. The recent Top 20 report highlights those solutions with the greatest potential impact according to healthcare leaders."
To learn more about AvaSure's pioneering in telehealth and health technology, visit www.AvaSure.com.
To read the full report, visit the AvaSure Website.
About AvaSure:
As the pioneer and market leader in virtual patient monitoring, AvaSure has helped a thousand hospitals and health systems large and small create safer environments for patients, families and caregivers. A large and growing body of clinical evidence proves that by optimizing workforce efficiencies and reducing adverse events, AvaSure consistently improves its customers' key performance indicators. AvaSure technology can be purchased through GSA Schedule and the Solution for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SWP).
About KLAS:
KLAS is a research and insights firm on a global mission to improve healthcare. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data and insights on software and services to deliver timely reports and performance data that represent provider and payer voices and act as catalysts for improving vendor performance. The KLAS research team publishes reports covering the most pressing questions facing healthcare technology today, including emerging technology insights, that provide early insights on the future of healthcare technology solutions. Follow KLAS on LinkedIn. Learn more at: klasresearch.com.
Contact:
Mitch Reid
mreid@lambert.com
989-326-3992
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SOURCE AvaSure | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/avasure-recognized-top-solution-reduce-cost-care-klas-2022-emerging-solutions-top-20-report/ | 2022-09-15T16:54:02Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/avasure-recognized-top-solution-reduce-cost-care-klas-2022-emerging-solutions-top-20-report/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TRENTON, N.J., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BioNJ has released the agenda and growing speaker roster for its Tenth Annual C-Suite Summit, taking place Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at the Bridgewater Marriott. The C-Suite Summit brings together life sciences executives representing a wide breadth of companies from early to late stage, public and private and revenue and pre-revenue to discuss the topics impacting C-Suite decision-making in bringing new innovative treatments to market.
"We have entered a new era in how leaders are shaping the next generation of innovation and the way in which Patients are impacting the life sciences industry," said BioNJ President and CEO, Debbie Hart. "From new modalities, AI-driven drug discovery and digital therapeutics to a reshuffling of the ecosystem, we are witnessing an unparalleled opportunity to revolutionize Patient care globally."
- Latif Akintade, M.D., Senior Vice President, Patient & Health Impact, Pfizer
- Mariah Baltezegar, MBA, Vice President & Head, Peri- and Post-Approval Study Innovation, PPD (part of Thermo Fisher Scientific)
- Jacqueline Berman, JD, Partner, Morgan Lewis
- Michael Braun, Senior Vice President, Immunology and Fibrosis, Bristol Myers Squibb
- Steven Bulera, Ph.D., Corporate Vice President, Global Head of Toxicology, Charles River Laboratories
- Bradley Campbell, President & CEO, Amicus Therapeutics
- Tom Evegan, Principal, Strategy & Management Consulting, RSM
- Chris Garabedian, CEO, Xonotogeny & Venture Portfolio Manager, Perceptive Advisors
- Greg Graves, Partner, McKinsey & Company
- Audrey Greenberg, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, Center for Breakthrough Medicines
- Kevin Hagan, President & CEO, PAN Foundation
- Terttu Haring, M.D., Head, Clinical Innovation Office, Sanofi
- Robert Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., Founder, Chairman & CEO, Celularity
- Mary Frances Harmon, Senior Vice President, Corporation Relations, PTC Therapeutics
- Debbie Hart, President & CEO, BioNJ
- Jeff Henderson, Vice President, Head of Global Market Access, Reimbursement and Distribution, Vectiv Bio
- Greg Hersch, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Head of Enterprise Strategy, Merck & Co.
- Will Lewis, Chair & CEO, Insmed
- Maya Martinez-Davis, President, U.S. Pharmaceuticals, GSK
- Rajesh Parekh, Ph.D., Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
- Dennis Purcell, Founder, Aisling Capital
- Paula Rinaldi, Senior Vice President & U.S. Head of Drug Regulatory Affairs, Novartis
- Nitin Seth, CEO, Incedo
- Arda Ural, Ph.D., MSc, MBA, Americas Industry Markets Leader, Life Sciences & Healthcare, EY
- Monika Vnuk, M.D., Managing Director, Blackstone Life Sciences
- Keith White, Head of Global Market Access, Amylyx
- Decoding the Future of the Life Sciences Industry: A holistic look at how the industry is – and will continue to – evolve, and what this will mean for both incumbents and new entrants.
- Shaping the Change: Industry leaders will discuss the disruptive forces they think are most important to watch, and how to play a role in shaping the future.
- The Future of Work: This fireside chat will explore how one leader is enhancing their talent value propositions and positioning themselves to lead in the years to come.
- Markets in Flux: How the capital environment for early-stage biotechs is evolving, expected sources of growth and how to navigate opportunities for large biopharma, for investors and for early- and growth-stage companies.
- The Clinical Trials Paradigm Shift: How a changing regulatory environment, new consumer expectations and accelerated use of real-world data are fueling an evolution in how new products are developed and launched.
- Cell & Gene Therapy – An Opportunity for NJ: The opportunity, and its implications, for New Jersey as a leading home for the CGT value chain.
- The Evolving Market Access Landscape: How payor-mediated market access continues to play an increasingly important role in determining the success of new product launches and continues to evolve with new utilization management strategies.
- Next Generation Patient Experience: The pandemic introduced disruptions to the Patient experience, both delaying care, and at the same time, facilitating an expansion in care access via digital platforms.
- A Closing Networking Reception
Click here for the full agenda.
The C-Suite Summit allows stakeholders to come together for an open conversation on where the greatest opportunities lie, how the industry might evolve in coming years and how to best prepare for (and shape) the next paradigm in life sciences and medical discovery.
Registration is $695 for Members and $895 for future BioNJ Members. Click here to register.* The C-Suite Summit is closed to media. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Cheri Hennessy at CHennessy@BioNJ.org to learn about Sponsorship opportunities.
Contact
Randi Bromberg
Vice President, Communications and Marketing
O) 609-890-3185
C) 609-955-1067
RBromberg@BioNJ.org
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SOURCE BioNJ | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/bionj-releases-speakers-agenda-2022-c-suite-summit/ | 2022-09-15T16:54:28Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/bionj-releases-speakers-agenda-2022-c-suite-summit/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CINCINNATI, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Jacobs, former Chief Brand Officer for the Americas for Volvo Cars, has joined the Advisory Board at Cincinnati based EV infrastructure company EdgeEnergy. Bob led the turnaround of the iconic auto brand and repositioned it for an electrified future. He also spent 6 years leading market and guest experience for the Sheraton and Westin Brands at Starwood Hotels after spending more than 20 years with consumer products giant Procter and Gamble where he led marketing for brands like Crest, Pampers, and Duracell in both the U.S. and Western Europe.
"I am thrilled to join the innovative team at EdgeEnergy," says Bob. "This solution is how we are going to extend fast charging solutions to edge-of-grid locations across the U.S. and globally. Now we can deploy the infrastructure we need faster and at a lower cost and get the U.S. to our EV adoption goals."
"We are excited to welcome Bob to our team," says Greg York President and Founder of EdgeEnergy. "Bob's experience in creating great customer experience around iconic brands and his knowledge around the EV industry from leading the brand redevelopment of one of the world's leading auto makers as they shift to electric vehicles will be very valuable to us as we scale EdgeEnergy into the largest providers of charging infrastructure solutions in the U.S. and beyond."
About EdgeEnergy: EdgeEnergy is the maker of EdgeEV a power source that allows for the installation of EV Fast Chargers in edge-of-grid locations using existing single-phase power infrastructure. This innovation creates the opportunity to expand EV Charging infrastructure into rural and remote areas of America and solves the greatest barrier to EV adoption - range anxiety.
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SOURCE EdgeEnergy | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/former-volvo-cars-chief-brand-officer-joins-edgeenergy-team/ | 2022-09-15T16:55:46Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/former-volvo-cars-chief-brand-officer-joins-edgeenergy-team/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New mobile healthcare brand, Health Rover, created by and for "patients who ran out of patience", launched in November 2020 at the height of the Covid pandemic. Their mission is to make healthcare more accessible, convenient and tech driven and to drive their multispecialty line of medical services into the home and workplace in a big way.
How it started
Constructing labs out of shipping containers, Health Rover was able to mobilize quickly and provide testing services to communities in need, becoming the first contactless, automated drive thru testing center in New York State. At the time, they were the only ones offering PCR testing with 1-hour turnaround and antigen testing with 20-minute turnaround. Health Rover was so dependable that people were driving to Long Island all the way from New Jersey because it was a company they could rely on. Employers caught wind of Health Rover's expedited services and hired the team to set up on-site mobile labs for employee screenings. Following the rapid success and popularity of Health Rover's mobile testing services, they launched their at-home services and began testing in homes across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida and expanded the testing to Flu, Strep, RSV and more.
What's new
Since then, the company has expanded its services to at-home Allergy Testing and Treatment as well as IV Therapy. Allergy sufferers who previously had to go to the doctor's office weekly for immunotherapy shots, can now receive treatment right at home. People looking for an energy or immunity boost can experience one of Health Rover's nutritional IV therapies at home or, even at select hotel partners such as The Surf Lodge in Montauk. In the coming months, Health Rover will be expanding its services even further with the addition of pediatrics and urgent care services, all of which can be ordered in real time through their digital platform, "Rov'Port".
"After years of working as a medical sales consultant, coupled with some poor healthcare experiences in my family life, I saw a massive need for improved medical experiences" says Health Rover Founder, Keith Brady, "sadly, I feel people have accepted that medical care today is crummy, and they live with it. My goal is to show people how much better it can be – we're hyper focused on personalization, tech, and convenience. We're building something truly unique that's not out there today and I believe we have a dynamic, one-of-a-kind vision that will take off quickly."
All of the medical services provided are ordered and monitored by the Health Rover team of seasoned medical professionals including a Primary Care doctor, Holistic Medicine specialist and Emergency Medicine Doctor. Health Rover accepts most commercial health insurances or out of pocket payment. Currently, Health Rover operates in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Texas and California with plans of national expansion over the next couple of years.
Visit Health Rover online at TheHealthRover.com
Follow Health Rover on Instagram: @TheHealthRover
PR Contact: kristen@kristenlongcommunications.com
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SOURCE Health Rover | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/health-rover-innovates-healthcare-space-delivering-medical-care-homes-amp-employers/ | 2022-09-15T16:56:06Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/health-rover-innovates-healthcare-space-delivering-medical-care-homes-amp-employers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a convenient cooler that can be used to store food and drinks as well as provide a bar-style workstation for picnics, tailgating and camping," said an inventor, from Coquitlam, BC, Canada, "so I invented ANYBAR. My design would be easy to set up, use and transport over sand, gravel, grass and pavement."
The patent-pending invention provides a versatile cooler for storing and transporting food and drinks. It also offers a convenient station for mixing and serving drinks. As a result, it ensures that stored items are chilled and organized and it eliminates the need to find or create a makeshift bar. The invention features a portable and durable design that is easy to use and transport so it is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the Toronto sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-TRO-630, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/inventhelp-inventor-develops-cooler-storing-serving-drinks/ | 2022-09-15T16:56:50Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/inventhelp-inventor-develops-cooler-storing-serving-drinks/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DAM Resellers Now Offer LinkrUI with Microsoft Office Compatibility
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz Software, a global leader in software development for cross media content publishing, today announced a new version of their DAM connector LinkrUI will now enable Digital Asset Manager (DAM) syncing for three Microsoft Office applications. Currently available only via DAM reselling partners, Microsoft Office functionality with LinkrUI is now compatible for applications Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint and Microsoft Excel.
Visit here to learn more about LinkrUI.
LinkrUI enables direct searching, opening, placing and synchronizing of digital assets stored in a DAM system or other storage services, such as Box and Dropbox. The new version of LinkrUI automatically synchronizes assets between Microsoft Office applications and the DAM or storage service to ensure that everyone in an organization can find and work on the latest version.
LinkrUI started as a best-in-class extension to Adobe applications, providing an in-app panel link between popular creative applications and the DAM or cloud storage service. Santa Cruz Software recently began offering a version of LinkrUI completely free — guaranteed version control at no cost — which is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign and Adobe Illustrator. The premium version of LinkrUI adds compatibility for Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects and includes additional features like live filtering and Smart-Linkr, which finds and fixes broken asset links automatically. Microsoft Office compatibility is only available in the premium version.
A recent survey by Santa Cruz Software found that 83% of creative professionals said they spend time each week finding lost assets. In fact, 11% do it hourly. Over half of designers spend at least three hours per week managing versions and a staggering 15% are spending over six hours. LinkrUI solves this problem by automatically syncing the current asset with the DAM.
"LinkrUI creates a more profitable and productive workflow within companies by managing asset versions, resulting in professionals having access to shared files that the entire team is working on," said Mark Hilton, CEO of Santa Cruz Software. "Adding support for Microsoft Office provides an additional level of connectivity among teams, making it easier to collaborate on shared projects across a variety of applications. Along with the rest of our offering, this addition enables creatives to be significantly more efficient with their work, benefiting everyone involved."
LinkrUI for Microsoft Office is currently only available from resellers. A retail version will be announced at a later date. Please visit our LinkrUI webpage to see a list of current DAM vendors.
Santa Cruz Software offers a suite of tools to connect Adobe applications to other Cloud Services, enabling teams to collaborate seamlessly on projects without ever leaving their applications. Enjoy simplified version control, easy asset search, and seamless connection between your shared team assets. Santa Cruz Software features are designed to streamline brand compliance, empower collaboration between teams, and increase productivity. Solutions range from integratable Dynamic Templates based upon Adobe InDesign (PrintUI), DAM connectors for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator,Adobe InDesign, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects and Microsoft Office 365 (LinkrUI), and turnkey collateral/campaign portals (BrandingUI). For more information, visit the Santa Cruz Software website.
All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.
Media Contact
David Haefele
FortyThree, Inc.
SCSoftware@43pr.com
831.401.3175
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SOURCE Santa Cruz Software | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/linkrui-now-offers-dam-syncing-microsoft-word-microsoft-powerpoint-microsoft-excel/ | 2022-09-15T16:57:48Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/linkrui-now-offers-dam-syncing-microsoft-word-microsoft-powerpoint-microsoft-excel/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Magna's platform allows companies to plan and manage token distributions for participants, employees, investors and other key stakeholders
Led by Tiger Global and Tusk Venture Partners, the new funding will allow the platform to launch new token management offerings and continue to build a world-class team
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Magna, a New York-based token management platform, announced today it has raised $15.2 million in seed funding. The round was led by Tiger Global and Tusk Venture Partners with participation from Circle Ventures, Galaxy Digital, Asymmetric, Alchemy Ventures, Solana Ventures, Ava Labs, Polygon, Protocol Labs, Y Combinator Continuity, Blockchain Founders Fund, AV Blockchain Fund, Olive Tree Capital, ProtoFund, Plug and Play Ventures, Balaji Srinivasan, Ryan Selkis, and angels including senior executives from Anchorage, Fireblocks, TRM, Chainalysis, TokenSoft, Phantom, QuantStamp, and QuickNode, among other investors.
In the last few years, there has been a growing trend for companies and projects to offer tokens to employees, community members, investors, and other stakeholders. The current process for managing hundreds to thousands of token grants is time-consuming and manual for companies. Magna, founded by CEO Bruno Faviero and CTO Arun Kirubarajan, was started in early 2022 to remove this friction of managing token grants and distributing tokens: customers input their distribution schedules and recipient information, and the platform automates the rest. The platform currently supports distributions on blockchains including Solana, Ethereum, Polygon, Avalanche, and others, and is now managing over $30M of distributions for select customers, having distributed to thousands of recipients since going live in July.
"Crypto founders want their stakeholders to get their tokens on-time, correctly, and in a compliant way," said Bruno Faviero, CEO of Magna. "DIY tools for critical workflows like this often lead to extensive engineering efforts, unaudited code, unusable UIs, and a lack of support for proper tax reporting and compliance elements. These things have to work out of the box if we want to make it easier to start, scale, and participate in the next 100,000 crypto companies."
"At Shima, we have hundreds of portfolio companies and several have tried to build token distribution mechanisms in-house to no avail," said Yida Gao, General Partner at Shima Capital. "These tools should exist as a primitive and require battle-tested smart contract code, extensive security audits, and a usable interface to get right."
For companies that haven't yet launched their token, Magna helps them plan out their token allocations well in advance with tools including token offer letters and legal agreement management. For companies that already have a live token, Magna's platform helps beyond distributions with on-chain insights (holdership breakdown, token transfers, live price, and more.), as well as compliance support for tax withholding, calculating tax liability, IRS filings, and more.
"Magna is solving a pain point that many founders and organizations face today when managing tokens for employees and various stakeholders," said Jordan Nof, Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Tusk Venture Partners. "Token issuances can create a powerful incentive for stakeholders, but managing the process is still highly manual. Bruno and the team at Magna are creating a platform that will change the future of how companies plan, manage and execute token distributions."
Magna will put this new round of funding towards improving the overall experience of the platform, building new product offerings, launching support for new blockchains and protocols, and continuing to frequently audit its smart contracts. Magna's on-chain programs have been audited multiple times by industry-leading firms including OtterSec and CertiK to date. Magna is also in the process of integrating with leading institutional custody providers and market makers to bring best-in-class custody options and liquidity options to its customers.
With a presence in New York, Miami, and Toronto, Magna is actively hiring across several roles.
Magna allows crypto companies to put their token distributions on autopilot. With Magna, organizations can distribute tokens to their team, stakeholders, community members and other key stakeholders in a fast, secure, and reliable way on Solana, Ethereum, and other major blockchains. Magna's token planning features also allow founders to plan future token distributions, while educating token holders on what their future ownership will look like.
Contact:
Rachel Livingston
Director of Communications at Tusk Venture Partners
rachel@tusk.vc
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SOURCE Magna | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/magna-announces-15-million-seed-round-manage-automate-token-distribution-companies-institutions/ | 2022-09-15T16:58:07Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/magna-announces-15-million-seed-round-manage-automate-token-distribution-companies-institutions/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Perseverance rover is well into its second science campaign, collecting rock-core samples from features within an area long considered by scientists to be a top prospect for finding signs of ancient microbial life on Mars. The rover has collected four samples from an ancient river delta in the Red Planet's Jezero Crater since July 7, bringing the total count of scientifically compelling rock samples to 12.
"We picked the Jezero Crater for Perseverance to explore because we thought it had the best chance of providing scientifically excellent samples – and now we know we sent the rover to the right location," said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science in Washington. "These first two science campaigns have yielded an amazing diversity of samples to bring back to Earth by the Mars Sample Return campaign."
Twenty-eight miles (45 kilometers) wide, Jezero Crater hosts a delta – an ancient fan-shaped feature that formed about 3.5 billion years ago at the convergence of a Martian river and a lake. Perseverance is currently investigating the delta's sedimentary rocks, formed when particles of various sizes settled in the once-watery environment. During its first science campaign, the rover explored the crater's floor, finding igneous rock, which forms deep underground from magma or during volcanic activity at the surface.
"The delta, with its diverse sedimentary rocks, contrasts beautifully with the igneous rocks – formed from crystallization of magma – discovered on the crater floor," said Perseverance project scientist Ken Farley of Caltech in Pasadena, California. "This juxtaposition provides us with a rich understanding of the geologic history after the crater formed and a diverse sample suite. For example, we found a sandstone that carries grains and rock fragments created far from Jezero Crater – and a mudstone that includes intriguing organic compounds."
"Wildcat Ridge" is the name given to a rock about 3 feet (1 meter) wide that likely formed billions of years ago as mud and fine sand settled in an evaporating saltwater lake. On July 20, the rover abraded some of the surface of Wildcat Ridge so it could analyze the area with the instrument called Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals, or SHERLOC.
SHERLOC's analysis indicates the samples feature a class of organic molecules that are spatially correlated with those of sulfate minerals. Sulfate minerals found in layers of sedimentary rock can yield significant information about the aqueous environments in which they formed.
What Is Organic Matter?
Organic molecules consist of a wide variety of compounds made primarily of carbon and usually include hydrogen and oxygen atoms. They can also contain other elements, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. While there are chemical processes that produce these molecules that don't require life, some of these compounds are the chemical building blocks of life. The presence of these specific molecules is considered to be a potential biosignature – a substance or structure that could be evidence of past life but may also have been produced without the presence of life.
In 2013, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover found evidence of organic matter in rock-powder samples, and Perseverance has detected organics in Jezero Crater before. But unlike that previous discovery, this latest detection was made in an area where, in the distant past, sediment and salts were deposited into a lake under conditions in which life could potentially have existed. In its analysis of Wildcat Ridge, the SHERLOC instrument registered the most abundant organic detections on the mission to date.
"In the distant past, the sand, mud, and salts that now make up the Wildcat Ridge sample were deposited under conditions where life could potentially have thrived," said Farley. "The fact the organic matter was found in such a sedimentary rock – known for preserving fossils of ancient life here on Earth – is important. However, as capable as our instruments aboard Perseverance are, further conclusions regarding what is contained in the Wildcat Ridge sample will have to wait until it's returned to Earth for in-depth study as part of the agency's Mars Sample Return campaign."
The first step in the NASA-ESA (European Space Agency) Mars Sample Return campaign began when Perseverance cored its first rock sample in September 2021. Along with its rock-core samples, the rover has collected one atmospheric sample and two witness tubes, all of which are stored in the rover's belly.
The geologic diversity of the samples already carried in the rover is so good that the rover team is looking into depositing select tubes near the base of the delta in about two months. After depositing the cache, the rover will continue its delta explorations.
"I've studied Martian habitability and geology for much of my career and know first-hand the incredible scientific value of returning a carefully collected set of Mars rocks to Earth," said Laurie Leshin, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "That we are weeks from deploying Perseverance's fascinating samples and mere years from bringing them to Earth so scientists can study them in exquisite detail is truly phenomenal. We will learn so much."
More About the Mission
A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including caching samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.
Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA, would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more about Perseverance:
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
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Bain & Company's findings focus on how feelings of inclusion are different for each group and how that can be applied to the diverse US Latino population
BOSTON, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Latino population is one of the fastest growing demographics in the US participating in the labor market at higher-than-average rates. They accounted for approximately 80% of workforce growth from 2010 to 2017, and they are expected to represent nearly one in three working-age Americans by 2050. Bain & Company research has found a culture of belonging and feeling included at work key to employee retention and success, but only approximately 25% of Latinos say they feel fully included at their workplaces.
Feelings of inclusion drive Latino workers employment choices from evaluation of a prospective employer, where 70% indicate this is a highly important factor to retention at their current job. Latino workers who do not feel particularly included are approximately two times more likely to quit than those who feel fully included, and nearly 45% of Latino workers who don't feel completely included are actively seeking new jobs (compared with approximately 25% of those who do feel fully included), according to Bain's Inclusive Organization Survey.
Prioritizing inclusion for all including Latino employees is crucial to the success of companies throughout the workforce, especially as they look to grow in the years to come. Determining how to successfully execute inclusion for a population is a harder problem to solve. Additionally, the Latino population is racially diverse, including people from over two dozen countries, many of whom speak different languages and have different experiences based on when their family came to the US and how long they've been here.
"Bain & Company's research found with such a diverse population, it is important to bring an intersectional lens that captures a multiplicity of identities (such as geography, gender, race or ethnicity, and seniority within the organization)," said Naiara De Leon, a Dallas-based partner and member of the firm's Latinx at Bain (LATBA) affinity group. "This allows companies to identify with the greatest precision what enablers will most likely increase inclusion for specific populations."
For example, by breaking down the Latino population with a multiplicity of identities, Latina women prefer behavioral enablers (grounded in everyday behaviors) and Latino men are more likely to be motivated by systemic enablers of inclusion (involving organizational processes and systems).
"I find team-building exercises to be a critical enabler of inclusion," said Saber Sherrard, a Dallas-based partner and global lead of LATBA. "More specifically, I always look forward to case team events as ways to learn people's stories. These discussions can foster authenticity and inclusivity, creating both a more engaging team environment and a higher-performing team."
With the Latino workforce rapidly growing, it is beneficial for companies to reflect on what enablers are being used to encourage feelings of inclusion and to make changes. Additionally, Latino leaders have an opportunity and a responsibility to push organizations to do the hard work of discovering what behaviors and systems will create more inclusion, and to ensure they are executed.
For more information or interview requests please contact:
Dan Pinkney, Bain & Company, tel. +1 646 562 8102, email: dan.pinkney@bain.com
Bain & Company is a global consultancy that helps the world's most ambitious change makers define the future.
Across 65 cities in 40 countries, we work alongside our clients as one team with a shared ambition to achieve extraordinary results, outperform the competition, and redefine industries. We complement our tailored, integrated expertise with a vibrant ecosystem of digital innovators to deliver better, faster, and more enduring outcomes. Our 10-year commitment to invest more than $1 billion in pro bono services brings our talent, expertise, and insight to organizations tackling today's urgent challenges in education, racial equity, social justice, economic development, and the environment. We earned a platinum rating from EcoVadis, the leading platform for environmental, social, and ethical performance ratings for global supply chains, putting us in the top 1% of all companies. Since our founding in 1973, we have measured our success by the success of our clients, and we proudly maintain the highest level of client advocacy in the industry.
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Animal Welfare Groups Across the Nation Come Together to Ask Public for Help
PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With his gorgeous big blue eyes, Rocky should have no trouble charming everyone. Instead, the Maine Coon-mix cat has been waiting since February for someone—anyone—to come along and take him home. It's a sign of the times as animal shelters and rescues across the nation see more animals entering than leaving, amassing a backlog of adoptable animals and creating a crisis of existential proportions. To tackle the problem, animal welfare advocates, shelters, and rescues today launched Share the Care, a campaign highlighting the powerful impact people can have on homeless animals in their community through even the smallest acts of kindness. People are urged to learn how and where help is needed in their local area and pledge their support at joinsharethecare.org.
The newly launched Share the Care campaign illustrates the critical role the community plays in creating positive outcomes for cats, dogs, and other companion animals. Opportunities like adopting, fostering, volunteering, donating, or even sharing adoptable animals on social media can help give incredible animals a second chance at a wonderful life.
Rocky's life was the stuff of dreams. The amiable feline was doted upon, raised since kittenhood by a devoted guardian who lovingly cared for him in a safe, comfortable home. Then, after 15 years, he lost it all. Rocky's guardian had to enter a medical care facility, and Rocky—with no family or friends available to take him in—was surrendered to Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton, CA. That was six months ago, and Rocky is still awaiting a new home where he can live out his senior years.
Unfortunately, Rocky isn't alone. Animal shelters across the country are packed with dogs and cats who have nowhere to go. It's a drastically different situation than in 2020, when shelters and rescues saw overwhelming demand for adoptable pets. Life during COVID may have influenced how people acquire pets.
For decades, pet adoption has been seen as a badge of honor, but Best Friends recently reported a 400% increase in people purchasing animals online from 2020 to 2021. A popular message on social media stickers, "Adopt, Don't Shop," has subtly morphed to "Adopt or Shop Responsibly." This disturbing trend dilutes the focus on homeless pets and inevitably bolsters the inhumane puppy mill industry.
"Without significant and immediate support from the public," says Stephanie Filer, executive director for Shelter Animals Count, "data analysis of the past few years predicts adoptions will continue to decrease." For more information on specific actions that help save animals' lives, including how to keep pets out of shelters, please visit joinsharethecare.org.
Share the Care is a campaign developed by more than 100 animal welfare organizations joining together to create national awareness of the need for people to join the lifesaving efforts of animal shelters in their community. Share the Care is about lifesaving together – government, community, and nonprofit working collaboratively to support homeless pets. Join the campaign at www.joinsharethecare.org to learn more.
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SOURCE Valley Humane Society | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/shelters-alarmingly-full-more-than-250000-dogs-cats-await-homes/ | 2022-09-15T17:00:36Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/shelters-alarmingly-full-more-than-250000-dogs-cats-await-homes/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Willie-LeBreton's expertise in higher education, social inequality and community building aligns with the college's key priorities
NORTHAMPTON, Mass., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Smith College Board of Trustees today announced that Sarah Willie-LeBreton has been named the 12th president of Smith College. Willie-LeBreton currently serves as provost and dean of the faculty at Swarthmore College, where she has taught since 1997. She will take office at Smith on July 1, 2023.
Making the announcement, Alison Overseth, chair of Smith's board of trustees, commented, "In Sarah, we have found the extraordinary leader that the community intended as we began the search process. She has the vision, energy and strategic leadership experience necessary to move Smith toward our highest aspirations and goals for the future. Throughout the course of her career, she has demonstrated the courage to engage in challenging conversations and make difficult decisions while simultaneously exuding the joy, warmth, and curiosity that is required to lead an institution with empathy and integrity."
Of her appointment, Willie-LeBreton said, "I am thrilled to be joining the Smith College community. The commitment of extraordinary educators on the faculty and staff, passionate and curious students, devoted alums and generous trustees and friends offer models of scholarship, engagement, leadership and philanthropy that inspire me." She continued, "The promise of education is not just the creation of knowledge, but the model of how to share it for our mutual liberation and the collective good. We tend to be more aware of injustice when it crashes in upon our lives, more aware of misogyny, racism and other forms of oppression when they circumscribe our possibilities, and more aware of the fragility of democracy when its admittedly young promise brought to us through the liberation struggles of its subdominant people is so clearly threatened. But so, too, are we more aware of knowledge when we participate in its co-creation, more appreciative of empathy when we receive it, more devoted to the liberal arts when we experience the power of mutually-informing disciplines."
She concluded, "I am honored to have the faith and support of Smith's Board of Trustees, grateful for my conversations with President McCartney, and deeply appreciative of the search committee for challenging me with questions of significance and for answering my queries with candor and imagination on behalf of the Smith community."
Willie-LeBreton will join Smith at a time of great momentum, when women's education has become increasingly essential for solving the problems of tomorrow. In October 2021, the college announced that it was increasing access to education by eliminating loans from its financial aid packages; in May 2022, Smith began converting its heating system to geothermal energy to fulfill its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Campus improvements—such as the recently re-imagined Neilson Library, designed by Maya Lin, and classrooms created to support innovative pedagogies—enable students and faculty in their intellectual pursuits. Applications to the selective women's college are at an all-time high, up 63% since 2014.
"The search committee was extraordinarily impressed by Sarah—because of her academic experience as well as her personal priorities," said Susan Molineaux '75, vice-chair of Smith's board of trustees and chair of the search committee. "Community is integral to Smith's identity, and it was clear that building community is one of Sarah's highest priorities and greatest strengths. She listens thoughtfully and deeply, seeks to build relationships and is practiced in building consensus."
A sociologist who studies social inequality and race and ethnicity, Willie-LeBreton is known for her commitment to the liberal arts, strengthening community and energizing the work of equity and inclusion. At Swarthmore, she has chaired the college's Diversity Task Force and the President's Task Force on Sexual Misconduct. As provost, she championed tenure lines in environmental studies as well as in peace and conflict studies, and she led colleagues on the faculty and the administration to increase tenure-track lines and leadership positions to enhance curricular and co-curricular offerings. "As Swarthmore's provost and dean of the faculty, Sarah has led with a spirit of inclusivity and compassion, excellent judgment, a deep respect for shared governance, enthusiastic support for research and teaching, and good humor," said
Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith. "She is certain to bring these qualities and more to her role as president of Smith College. Her colleagues and many friends at Swarthmore will miss Sarah, but we wish her all the best on her new adventure."
Willie-LeBreton is the author of Acting Black: College, Identity, and the Performance of Race and edited and contributed to Transforming the Academy: Faculty Perspectives on Diversity and Pedagogy.
In addition to holding appointments at Swarthmore, Willie-LeBreton has been a member of the faculty at Colby and Bard colleges, as well as at Pendle Hill Quaker center. She received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Haverford College and master's and doctoral degrees in sociology from Northwestern University.
Willie-LeBreton succeeds Kathleen McCartney, who became president of Smith in 2013 and announced last spring that she would conclude her term at the end of June 2023.
Founded in 1871, Smith College opened in 1875 with 14 students. Today, it is one of the largest women's liberal arts colleges in the United States, educating women of promise for lives of distinction and purpose. Smith enrolls more than 2,900 students from nearly every state and more than 75 other countries to cultivate leaders able to address the complex, urgent problems of today. As a global community of scholars, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, activists and humanitarians, Smith is pushing the world forward. More information at smith.edu .
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PEWAUKEE, Wis., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SunVest Solar LLC recently flipped the switch on three Illinois community solar projects the company acquired from another developer. The acquisitions were the first of many planned nationwide for the Wisconsin-based developer as it progresses toward its goal of helping businesses, municipalities, residents and utilities transition to clean electricity.
"Community solar is a key component for states, like Illinois, with plans to transition to renewable energy," said Tim Polz, Chief Development Officer of SunVest Solar LLC. "We are actively initiating and acquiring community solar sites in 14 states, with more to come."
Two of the Illinois community solar sites, located in the communities of Glenwood and Mazon, are in Commonwealth Edison territory. The third site, located in downstate Elba, is in Ameren territory. The Glenwood site is believed to be the first community solar project to energize in Cook County. All three sites are 2MWac.
Projects like these are made possible from state incentives and programs, including Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) and the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), signed into law by Governor Pritzker one year ago today on Sept. 15, 2021. SunVest, which builds, owns, and operates large scale community solar sites, is prepared to expand along with the Illinois market.
"SunVest is making distributed solar more accessible to residents and businesses while creating jobs and training a diverse workforce," Polz said. "We establish long-term relationships with landowners and industry partners and plan to acquire, own and operate community solar projects."
SunVest has acquired nearly 90MWac of projects in Illinois in conjunction with another developer, a partnership that has to-date resulted in nearly 74MWac of total solar projects energized or achieved key notice-to-proceed milestones. The company's dynamic development and construction team, combined with strong financial partners put SunVest in a position to acquire additional assets in the near future.
SunVest Solar is one of the nation's largest distributed solar developers. We develop community solar projects in key markets nationwide, distributed solar for commercial/industrial customers, as well as solar assets for utilities, co-ops, municipalities and others. To learn more, visit www.sunvest.com.
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SAN DIEGO, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Triple Daytime EMMY winning entrepreneur, speaker and bestselling author Gaby Natale will join NAHREP at L'ATTITUDE, the largest event in the U.S. that focuses on the New Mainstream Economy driven by the Latino community, as keynote speaker.
As one of L'Attitude distinguished 2022 keynote speakers, Natale joins an impressive lineup that includes President Barack Obama, award winning actor and director Lin-Manuel Miranda, on-air political analyst for MSNBC Anand Giridharadas and Voto Latino CEO Maria Teresa Kumar, among others.
"Embracing a PIONEER spirit, breaking barriers and representing my community has always been at the core of my mission. Building the New Mainstream Economy is not just theory to me. It is the story of my life. And now -as we experience an unprecedented demographic change at a global scale- it will be the story of many more. Five years and a pandemic later, I am thrilled to be return one more time to NAHREP's main stage," said Natale.
This year's NAHREP at L'ATTITUDE event revolves around venture capital, wealth building, and real estate. Four days of programming focus on mindset, financial management, real estate, personal business performance, and business scaling.
Natale will have a double role as speaker and moderator as she will be delivering her keynote "Pioneer: Break Barriers and Scale Your Business" on Friday September 23rd and she will return to the main stage the following day to moderate "The NAHREP TOP 250", a session honoring NAHREP's Top 250 Latino agents. This is Gaby Natale's second time joining NAHREP as keynote speaker.
Highlighting the powerhouse of Latino buying power, political capital, and technological innovation that is propelling the American economy forward, L'ATTITUDE encourages enlightened executives to invest in the Latino market. To advance the Hispanic Wealth Project and expand its message of financial empowerment to a broader audience, NAHREP has partnered with L'ATTITUDE to host NAHREP at L'ATTITUDE. Together, NAHREP at L'ATTITUDE is changing the narrative of who we are as a nation and who the drivers of growth are for the next few decades.
"Markets are changing rapidly and only those with the right access to capital and connections to power and influence will thrive. NAHREP at L'ATTITUDE 2022 is a must-attend event for those wanting to be part of unparalleled entrepreneurial energy and a celebration of the power and potential of Latino contributions to our economy and society. Join us in San Diego, September 22-25," said Gary Acosta, NAHREP Co-Founder & CEO.
NAHREP at L'ATTITUDE 2022 will take place in San Diego September 22-25. Register today at https://nahrep.org/conference/agenda
About NAHREP
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP®), a nonprofit 501(c)6 trade association, is dedicated to advancing sustainable homeownership for the Hispanic community in America. NAHREP has a network of over 40,000 real estate professionals and 100 local chapters nationwide, hosting several national events per year and publishing multiple industry cornerstone reports annually and multimedia content. Join us in advocating for policies that grow sustainable Latino homeownership, read our 2022 policy priorities here. See the NAHREP Hispanic Homeownership by Congressional District Tool which measures Hispanic homeownership by U.S. congressional district, allowing constituents, advocates, policymakers, and lending and housing professionals to evaluate district performance at a glance. Watch the Hispanic Homeownership short film.
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NORMAN, Okla., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- That question is the subject of a new study being explored by researchers at the University of Oklahoma and Iowa State University. The four-year, $4 million project is funded by the National Science Foundation and will also investigate the potential byproducts and related applications of solid carbon that might result from effectively generating carbon neutral or carbon negative hydrogen energy. The study is led by Steven Crossley, the Sam A. Wilson Professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, Gallogly College of Engineering, and an energy research fellow at the OU Institute for Resilient Environmental and Energy Systems.
There has been a great deal of excitement in the climate science world around hydrogen-based energy as an alternative to directly combusting fossil fuel-based sources for energy. The goal of hydrogen-energy research is to produce it cheaply, without greenhouse gas emissions and at scale from either water or hydrogen-rich organic compounds. However, there are several methods by which this conversion can take place which all come with their own benefits and costs.
Hydrogen production by pyrolysis – breaking apart natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon – is a particularly enticing science and engineering goal, as this method produces H2 with a low carbon emission intensity footprint and has an additional benefit of creating solid carbon byproducts, with potentially high market value of their own.
"If you were to meet a significant fraction of our energy needs by producing H2 and solid carbon, that would create a huge quantity of excess solid carbon," Crossley said. "What do we do with all this carbon? How do we gain value from it? How do we benefit society? In lieu of creating new mountains and islands of solid carbon, what can we actually do?"
Currently, performance carbon materials such as carbon fibers and nanotubes are expensive to produce and so have been relegated to high-end or niche applications like making lighter cars, drones or advanced composite materials.
"Now we're talking about creating a byproduct from the energy that changes everything," Crossley said. "That means that we need to find all ways that we can use carbons and tweak them such that they benefit society in a variety of ways and we're not wasting the valuable resources that we put into the process."
They're studying many different applications, like soil amendments to sequester long-lived carbon in the environment and help crops grow and evaluating their use as water filtration systems to help clean water.
"We are investigating ways to make advanced pavements and asphalts, materials for batteries and fuel cells, and other next-generation technologies that possibly wouldn't have made sense unless this was a byproduct from the energy industry," he added.
Learn more at https://bit.ly/OU-RII
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SOURCE University of Oklahoma | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/university-oklahoma-iowa-state-receive-4-million-federal-grant-clean-hydrogen-research/ | 2022-09-15T17:01:51Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/university-oklahoma-iowa-state-receive-4-million-federal-grant-clean-hydrogen-research/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HILLSBORO, Ore., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading national multifamily real estate developer Wood Partners today announced the official groundbreaking of the company's latest luxury residential community, Alta Amberglen, located just west of Portland in Hillsboro, Oregon. With construction of the project now underway, the community is scheduled to officially open in 2024.
Located at the intersection of NE Eckert Drive and Walker Road in Hillsboro, residents of Alta Amberglen will enjoy easy access to downtown Portland either via a 20-minute drive or a nearby transit connection to the TriMet Lightrail System. Convenient shopping, dining and entertainment options can be found just one mile from the property within the Tanasbourne retail areas, including Whole Foods, Target, REI and more. Additionally, residents will enjoy a convenient commute to some of the Portland area's top employers, including Nike, Intel, Oracle, Microsoft, and Salesforce.
"Wood Partners is excited to take the next step in expanding our footprint within the Pacific Northwest with the groundbreaking of our newest property in the Portland metro area, Alta Amberglen," said Michael Nagy, Managing Director for Wood Partners. "The community will be situated in the transforming Amberglen neighborhood, which is attracting a multitude of residential, commercial, and mixed-use development projects. As the area continues to grow, we look forward to serving its residents and providing a comfortable and convenient place to call home."
Once complete, Alta Amberglen will offer 326 luxury apartment homes comprised of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, as well as full townhome options. Each home will feature sophisticated urban accents and high-end finishes including kitchens in two color palettes, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, tile backsplash, in-unit washer and dryer sets, and wide-plank flooring throughout.
Alta Amberglen will also provide residents with numerous attractive amenities throughout the community, most notably an on-site pocket park on the south side of the property, as well as a larger 10-acre wooded area and natural stream within the community's 18-acre site. Inside the community's common areas, residents can also take advantage the state-of-the-art fitness center featuring a yoga studio, multiple co-working spaces, a game room with golf simulator, a podcast studio, and ample room for socializing with fellow residents.
Preleasing for Alta Amberglen is set for late 2023 and will be managed by Wood Residential. For more information, visit WoodPartners.com.
Wood Partners is a national leader in the development, construction, and management of multifamily communities across the United States. The company has been involved in the acquisition and development of nearly 90,000 conventional multifamily homes with a combined capitalization of $17.3 billion. The company currently owns more than 70 properties across the United States representing over 20,000 homes. Headquartered in Atlanta, Wood Partners has offices in 22 major markets across 15 states nationwide. The company also operates Wood Residential, an award-winning, full-service property management group that proudly operates both properties developed by Wood Partners and communities owned by third parties. For three years running, Wood Residential has ranked No. 1 nationally for online reputation in the J Turner ORA™ Power Rankings (Division III). For more information, visit woodpartners.com.
Contact: Rylie Geraci, BCWWoodPartners@bcw-global.com
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Who is James O'Donnell, the choirmaster at Westminster Abbey?
All you need to know about James O'Donnell, the choirmaster at Westminster Abbey, and the man responsible for the music at the Queen's funeral
Who conducts the choir at Westminster Abbey?
The conductor of the Westminster Abbey choir is James O'Donnell. In fact, to give him his full title, O'Donnell is organist and master of the choristers of Westminster Abbey.
As the person in charge of music at the Abbey, O'Donnell will have a key role to play at the Queen's funeral on 19 September. Let's find out more about the man and his career.
- Westminster Abbey Choir: our guide to the world-famous Abbey choir
- Westminster Abbey organ: all you need to know about Abbey's magnificent Harrison & Harrison organ
- The Queen's Funeral: what music is likely to be played at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II?
- The best cathedral and abbey choirs across the UK
How old is James O'Donnell?
Born in 1961, James O'Donnell is currently 61 years old.
How long has he been at Westminster Abbey?
O'Donnell has held the post of organist and choirmaster of Westminster since 2000.
What does his job entail?
As organist and choirmaster at Westminster, O'Donnell has been responsible for the music at national ceremonies held at the Abbey. These have included the funeral of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002, and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. He will also be arranging the music at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, in Westminster Abbey on 19 September.
What roles did James O'Donnell have before arriving at Westminster Abbey?
O'Donnell's first major role was as assistant master of music at Westminster Cathedral, where he subsequently became master of music in 1988. He later worked as professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music, the UK's oldest conservatoire, from 1997 to 2004. More recently, in 2010-13, O'Donnell served as president-elect, and subsequently president, of the Royal College of Organists.
Later this year, O'Donnell will take up a new position as professor at the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Andrew Nethsingha will take over his role at Westminster Abbey - and therefore quite likely presiding over the music for King Charles III coronation
Where did James O'Donnell do his training?
O'Donnell learned his trade as organ scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge.
What else should I know about James O'Donnell?
Various awards and honours have come O'Donnell's way. For example, during his tenure there, Westminster Cathedral Choir won a Royal Philharmonic Society Award - the first choir to win such an award. Later, after leaving Westminster Cathedral, O'Donnell was awarded the papal honour of Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great (KCSG).
He has also been elected a fellow of the Royal School of Church Music (FRSCM), an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music (HonRAM), and a fellow of the Royal College of Music (FRCM).
Last but not least, O'Donnell set to music the words of Psalm 139, O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. He conducted this setting for the reception of the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall during the week of official mourning. | https://www.classical-music.com/features/artists/who-is-james-odonnell/ | 2022-09-15T17:09:32Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/features/artists/who-is-james-odonnell/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1: a guide his famous piano masterpiece and its best recordings
Claire Jackson explains how this king of the concert hall triumphed despite its inauspicious start in life, and presents the best recordings of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
The story of how Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 entered the world sounds a warning to all composers to ignore those fickle critics.
Keen to persuade Nikolai Rubinstein to give its premiere, Tchaikovsky played the piece from start to finish in the company of the eminent pianist. Rubinstein remained quiet throughout – before dismissing the work in no uncertain terms.
The snub stung Tchaikovsky, who conveyed the details of this disastrous read-though in a letter he wrote some three years after the incident. According to the composer, Rubinstein had expressed his opinion that ‘only two or three pages were worth preserving; the rest must be thrown away or completely rewritten’ because the concerto was ‘badly written as to be beyond rescue’.
Tchaikovsky – at some emotional cost – stood by his work, which was premiered not by Rubinstein, but by Hans von Bülow, who performed it with a freelance orchestra under Benjamin Johnson Lang in Boston on 25 October 1875. The Concerto, which was revised several times by Tchaikovsky (the 1888 version is the most commonly played), has gone on to become one of the most popular works in the piano repertoire and is a staple in competition finals.
Like the Mozart concertos, it can be both frothy and deeply complex, leading many pianists to revisit it at various points in their career, exploring different aspects along the way. Emil Gilels made a handful of recordings of the Concerto and Martha Argerich has so far released three. The piece has never been out of fashion, recorded by pianists across generations, from Claudio Arrau to Haochen Zhang.
As for Rubinstein, he made a U-turn on his denouncement, and – possibly to show that there were no hard feelings Tchaikovsky continued to dedicate compositions to the Russian virtuoso, including his Second Piano Concerto.
A guide to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
The punchy brass and striking chords that open the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto provide one of the most memorable passages in classical music (as the RPO knew well when choosing it to open its Hooked On Classics single in 1981). The style recalls the percussive beginning to Grieg’s Piano Concerto (composed in 1868), which similarly melts into lively conversation between soloist and ensemble.
But before that integration, the declamatory piano part set over soaring strings in the grand introduction rouses even the most fatigued listener. Not for nothing is the movement a popular fixture in ‘classical music to drive to’ playlists, and it was also recently used as a shoo-in to replace the Russian national anthem at the 2020 Olympics, where Russian athletes competed under the Russian Olympic Committee after the World Anti-Doping Agency had banned the country’s formal participation at all international sporting events.
At first, the opening appears to be almost a separate piece in itself – the big chordal melody does not make an obvious return throughout the movement. The gorgeous, but meandering, development may have been what Rubinstein objected to in that unsuccessful preview; the subtle evolution against sudden changes in texture was unusual for the period.
After one of several ‘false endings’, the piano takes on a galloping melody based on a folksong Tchaikovsky had heard in Ukraine, sung by a blind beggar accompanying himself on the hurdy-gurdy. The creeping urgency is underlined by woodwind echoes and flourishes. The playful Allegro con spirito theme appears again towards the end of the section, moving into a growling, rumbling piano part that, after another extended cadenza, reaches a virtuosic finish. The final ascending figures require both grit and glitter.
The second and third movements are significantly shorter than the first. The middle Andantino semplice begins with a charming flute solo that introduces a lush piano melody. Unlike the first movement, where the piano takes a combative role, here the soloist settles into deeper exchange with the orchestra. There is great variation in the interpretation of ‘andantino’: Stephen Hough and the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä offer a sprightly 6:19 minutes in their 2010 recording, while Lang Lang, Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra squeeze out every phrase in their 8:05 minute version, recorded in 2003.
The theme in the third movement is also based on a Ukrainian song, this time derived from one of the tunes collected by Balakirev that Tchaikovsky had then arranged for piano duet. A perky, angular dance becomes expansive and lyrical, with call-and-response between piano and orchestra. Scrambling scales begin the extended build-up to the Concerto’s conclusion, aided by rumbling timpani and unison orchestral rhythms. Taking inspiration from Liszt, Tchaikovsky finishes with a fast chromatic ascent, split between alternate hands – a pianistic tour de force that never fails to raise a smile.
The best recordings of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
Van Cliburn (piano)
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra/Kirill Kondrashin
RCA G010001770065I
With bravura fanfares and tender reflections – all requiring pristine technique – it’s no wonder that Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto has long been a competition favourite. Beatrice Rana’s flawless performance of the work at the Montreal International Music Competition in 2011 won her first prize; her follow-up performance in 2014 at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition led to a Warner Classics recording with Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia that was a strong contender for this category.
Rana has followed in the footsteps of Van Cliburn, the Texan pianist who gave his name to the quadrennial competition, and who also gave a career-changing performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto. In 1958, Van Cliburn arrived in Moscow to participate in the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition. By the time he played the Concerto in the final (with the Moscow Radio Symphony under Kirill Kondrashin), he had become known affectionately as ‘Vanyusha’ or ‘Vanyitschka’. Jurors were nervous about giving an American first place – the competition had been held in part to showcase Soviet cultural supremacy and distrust between the US and USSR was ever increasing. But in a show of artistic unity, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev is reported to have said that the best pianist should win, no matter what their nationality. Van Cliburn repeated his winning performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto back in the US, having invited Kirill Kondrashin to join him on an impromptu tour. The concerto was performed twice in Carnegie Hall, where this recording was made.
Van Cliburn takes the opening big chords at a pleasant, stately pace, imbuing the cascading melody with a restrained power. The fragmented notes of the middle section are beautifully clear, as is the rumbling lower-octave section (in some recordings the phrase seems to disappear off an edge). The piano does feel a little tinny towards the end of the movement, but not enough to distract from an otherwise triumphant account.
More like this
The Andantino semplice is more elongated than many modern readings – with the exception of Kissin (see above). Yet the sentimentality is leavened by a thrilling finale complete with a blistering keyboard ascent.
Martha Argerich (piano)
Deutsche Grammophon 449 8162
Martha’s Argerich’s third recording of the concerto, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Claudio Abbado in 1994, has the edge on her previous version with Kirill Kondrashin. There’s no messing about with the big tunes, those early chords are perfectly placed, the second movement is subtle and luxurious, and the final Allegro is spun like silk. Without imposing her personality, Argerich manages to make it seem like Tchaikovsky intended this piece for her all along.
Daniil Trifonov (piano)
Mariinsky MAR0530
Daniil Trifonov won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011 and the Concerto was recorded as part of a compilation album shortly after. Joined for the occasion by the Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, Trifonov gives a sublime performance that earns him a place in the top division. The second movement is beautifully paced, zipping towards a colourful patchwork Allegro and a ravishing finale. The piano has a bright-but-rounded tone, particularly noticeable in the build-up to the Allegro con spirito, which may not suit all tastes.
Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
Decca 483 2584
Recorded at the Walthamstow Assembly Hall in 1963, this even-handed account has a vintage fuzziness to the sound quality that suits Ashkenazy’s pianism. Although the solo part itself isn’t in high-definition, the balance works well, with beautiful ensemble playing and curiously sharp brass from the London Symphony Orchestra. Ashkenazy takes a reserved approach to the cadenza at the end of the first movement, unbuttoning somewhat in a second movement that is pure Romanticism, before running wild in a free-flowing finale – conductor Lorin Maazel just about manages to keep those unison rhythms under control.
And one to avoid…
The 1989 Deutsche Grammophon recording by the then wunderkind Yevgeny Kissin and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Herbert von Karajan is discombobulating. The slow speeds and ample rubato were doubtless intended to be meaningful introspection, but feel mannered. The Andantino semplice in particular is far too drawn out – the flute and strings sound as though they are about to fall asleep – and the outer movements lack the wit other pianists permit the piece.
Authors
Journalist Claire Jackson regularly writes for BBC Music Magazine and Opera Now, and the Big Issue. She has also written for Country Life and Pianist, as well as industry titles including Classical Music and International Arts Manager. She is also a former editor of International Piano (2011-15) and Muso (2008-11), an alternative classical music magazine that was distributed throughout conservatoires in the UK and the US. | https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/tchaikovskys-piano-concerto-no-1-guide-best-recordings/ | 2022-09-15T17:09:38Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/tchaikovskys-piano-concerto-no-1-guide-best-recordings/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Krystian Zimerman among recipients of Praemium Imperiale 2022
The renowned Polish pianist is awarded the Praemium Imperiale 2022, alongside artist Ai Weiwei and filmmaker Wim Wenders
Pianist Krystian Zimerman is among the recipients of the 2022 Praemium Imperiale Awards, presented annually by the Japan Art Association.
The awards are given by the Association under the honorary patronage of HIH Prince Hitachi, younger brother of the Emperor Emeritus of Japan. They are awarded in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theatre/film - areas of cultural endeavour not represented by Nobel Prizes. Each laureate receives a prize of 15 million Yen, or around £100,000.
The recognition is the latest in a long succession of awards for Zimerman, who began his career with a brace of first prizes – at the 1974 Prokofiev Competition and the 1975 International Chopin Piano Competition, both in his native Poland.
The Praemium Imperiale award comes as Zimerman marks the 140th anniversary of his fellow Pole, the composer Karol Szymanowski. Zimerman has completed a new recording of the latter’s works for piano, released on the Deutsche Grammophon label earlier this year. Karol Szymanowski: Piano Works features a selection of Mazurkas and Masques spanning some 25 years of Szymanowski’s career, from 1899 to the mid 1920s.
Across his career, Zimerman has recorded and performed with many of the greatest conductors, including Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Recently, he marked the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth by recording the composer’s five piano concertos with Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra: we awarded the cycle five stars.
- Review: Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos (Zimerman/LSO)
- 10 great Beethoven performers
- 10 of the best recordings released in celebration of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary
- Beethoven graphic novel produced to celebrate the great composer's 250th anniversary
- London Symphony Orchestra: five famous conductors
Elsewhere, Zimerman marked the 150th anniversary of the death of his compatriot Frédéric Chopin by forming the Polish Festival Orchestra. This ensemble brought together talented Polish musicians for a focus on their greatest national composer. The orchestra famously recorded Chopin’s two piano concertos for DG, with Zimerman conducting from the piano.
Other recipients of the Praemium Imperiale include the Chinese artist, activist and filmmaker Ai Weiwei, perhaps best known for his 2010 artwork Sunflower Seeds. A display of 100 million handmade and painted porcelain sunflower seeds, the artwork memorably filled Tate Modern’s vast Turbine Hall.
Also in receipt of this year’s prize is German filmmaker Wim Wenders, whose multi-award-winning feature films have included Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire and the Oscar-nominated Buena Vista Social Club.
There is also a 2022 Grant for Young Artists, awarded to the Kronberg Academy Foundation, the German chamber music academy that offers advanced training for exceptionally gifted young violin, viola, cello and piano performers.
The Academy was established in 1993 by Marta Casals Istomin - widow of the great Pablo Casals, one of the greatest cellists of all time - along with cellists Raimund Trenkler and Mstislav Rostropovich.
Today, it regularly welcomes world-renowned musicians such as Gidon Kremer, András Schiff and Daniel Barenboim as special lecturers. The Academy's new concert hall, the Casals Forum, opens on 23 September, 2022.
Lord Patten of Barnes, Praemium Imperiale’s International Advisor in the UK, commented: ‘In these deeply polarising times, artists’ ability to command attention, inspire reflection and bring solace is more crucial than ever. Praemium Imperiale testifies to the important contribution that Japan has made in honouring achievement in the arts.’
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Ray Chen acquires historic Stradivari violin
The Taiwanese-Australian violinist is being loaned the valuable Stradivari, which was once owned by the great Jascha Heifetz
Taiwanese-Australian violinist Ray Chen has been loaned one of the world's most valuable violins for the next few years.
The fiddle in question is the 1714 'Dolphin', by the renowned Italian stringed-instrument maker Antonio Stradivari. Formerly played by violin maestro Jascha Heifetz, the instrument is being loaned to Chen by the Nippon Music Foundation.
The violin was played by Heifetz from 1950 until 1965. It's believed to have got its distinctive nickname from former owner George Hart, who named it the 'Dolphin' for its striking appearance and the rich colouring of its back.
The instrument is considered one of the three very best violins made by Stradivari, along with the 1715 'Alard' and 1716 'Messiah'.
Chen himself has previously performed on another famous Stradivari, the 1715 ‘Joachim’. That instrument is named after the famous Hungarian violinist (and former owner) Joseph Joachim, perhaps best known for his collaborations with composer Johannes Brahms.
'This instrument and I are going to be musical partners for the next few years,’ commented Chen on his new acquisition.
We eagerly await the results of this partnership.
- Rotterdam Philharmonic names Tarmo Peltokoski as its next guest conductor
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- 24-year-old British tenor Laurence Kilsby wins Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition | https://www.classical-music.com/news/ray-chen-acquires-historic-stradivari-violin/ | 2022-09-15T17:09:50Z | classical-music.com | control | https://www.classical-music.com/news/ray-chen-acquires-historic-stradivari-violin/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Milly Alcock Discusses Her House of the Dragon Preparation
If there’s a breakout star in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, it’s Milly Alcock, who plays young Rhaenyra Targaryen. Older than her character looks at the age of 22, Alcock’s been put through the Westeros wringer, having ridden dragons, gotten soaked in blood, and even done an incestuous scene. In a recent interview with Nylon, she discussed her preparation.
“I watched the original show when we were doing pre-production, because I was about eight or nine or something when it first showed up, so it wasn’t really appropriate,” she says. “So I would cycle to the library every day and just study it, as if I would for a test or exam, to try and get a grasp of what was at stake, because Westeros isn’t Earth. So I spent a lot of time trying to contextualize what everything meant and how I could translate that to us, where we live. And I’m not going to lie; I didn’t read the whole book [Fire & Blood]. I mean, it’s a very big book. But I did read the Heir For A Day section, which is most pivotal to me when I play Rhaenyra.”
RELATED: House of the Dragon Episode 4 – What Did You Think?!
Having come from much smaller-scale Australian TV. Alcock confesses, “the first two, three months I just thought I was going to get fired constantly. It was incredibly intimidating.” But she took comfort in the counsel of the show’s veteran actors. “They quickly made sure that we felt comfortable and kind of educated us on when to speak up and how to treat crew,” she says. “They were phenomenal role models in just the way to behave on set and learning when to speak up and also when to sit back and go, ‘Oh no, I can’t get angry that this is taking so long to turn over because X-Y-Z- things need to happen.’ Just not making it all about you essentially, because you realize that we’re all there to make one beautiful piece of art, so why would we kind of torture ourselves with egos and all that.”
While many of the breakout stars on the original Game of Thrones quickly went on to bigger franchises, however, Alcock’s not so inclined. “I want to do something very intimate and personal,” she says. “I want a long career. I want to be clever about it.”
What do you think of Alcock’s performance so far? Let us know in comments!
Recommended Reading: Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/519202-milly-alcock-discusses-her-house-of-the-dragon-preparation | 2022-09-15T17:09:59Z | superherohype.com | control | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/519202-milly-alcock-discusses-her-house-of-the-dragon-preparation | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
During its annual dealership meeting in Las Vegas, Ford told its nearly 3,000 United States dealers that they will need to invest up to $1.2 million in upgrades to continue selling EVs under the automaker’s Ford Model E business unit.
Dealers have until October 31 to get on board if they want to be part of the first round of Model E stores, InsideEVs reported. Dealers can also sign on at specified later dates, or opt out of becoming Model E dealerships, according to the report.
Model E is the EV passenger-car and software division created when Ford split itself into three business units earlier this year. Along with Model E, Ford Pro handles commercial vehicles, while Ford Blue Oval handles internal-combustion passenger vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.
Ford is creating two tiers of Model E dealerships—Certified and Certified Elite. Lower-tier Model E Certified dealerships will have to install at least one DC fast charger, which will also have to be available for public use. Ford estimates the cost to become Model E Certified will average $500,000.
As Ford outlined, Model E Certified Elite dealerships will need to, at minimum, install two high-power DC fast chargers and one Level 2 AC charger for customers, as well as one DC fast charger for public use. It estimates the all-in cost for Elite status to be $1 million to $1.2 million, and expects charging infrastructure to account for 90% of the upgrade cost for both tiers.
While Ford will stick with franchised dealerships instead of a Tesla-like direct sales model, dealers that opt into the Model E business will also have to agree to non-negotiable pricing.
Dealers can also opt out of becoming Model E certified, meaning they won’t be able to sell electric passenger cars in the future. Those that opt out by October 31 will have discontinue electric car sales effective January 1, 2024. Dealers will have another opportunity to become Model E certified, but then won’t be able to sell electric cars until January 2027.
It also appears Ford won’t offer buyouts to dealers, as General Motors is doing for Cadillac and Buick dealers that opt out of those brands’ EV shifts. In an interview with CNBC, Ford Model E chief customer officer Marin Gjaja said the Blue Oval’s plan gives dealers more choices.
“We don’t think it’s fair to force them to go on the EV journey or force them into a buyout,” Gjaja said.
Dealers can also stick with the Blue Oval and Pro business units and continue selling other vehicles, Ford spokesperson Said Deep told Motor Authority, noting that the automaker is still launching new internal-combustion models like the redesigned 2024 Mustang muscle car and upcoming new Ranger pickup truck, and claiming the business plan accounts for the needs of smaller stores.
“We undertook an extensive listening tour of our dealers to understand their markets and customer needs as we developed new dealer standards,” he said.
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During its annual dealership meeting in Las Vegas, Ford told its nearly 3,000 United States dealers that they will need to invest up to $1.2 million in upgrades to continue selling EVs under the automaker’s Ford Model E business unit.
Dealers have until October 31 to get on board if they want to be part of the first round of Model E stores, InsideEVs reported. Dealers can also sign on at specified later dates, or opt out of becoming Model E dealerships, according to the report.
Model E is the EV passenger-car and software division created when Ford split itself into three business units earlier this year. Along with Model E, Ford Pro handles commercial vehicles, while Ford Blue Oval handles internal-combustion passenger vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.
Ford is creating two tiers of Model E dealerships—Certified and Certified Elite. Lower-tier Model E Certified dealerships will have to install at least one DC fast charger, which will also have to be available for public use. Ford estimates the cost to become Model E Certified will average $500,000.
As Ford outlined, Model E Certified Elite dealerships will need to, at minimum, install two high-power DC fast chargers and one Level 2 AC charger for customers, as well as one DC fast charger for public use. It estimates the all-in cost for Elite status to be $1 million to $1.2 million, and expects charging infrastructure to account for 90% of the upgrade cost for both tiers.
While Ford will stick with franchised dealerships instead of a Tesla-like direct sales model, dealers that opt into the Model E business will also have to agree to non-negotiable pricing.
Dealers can also opt out of becoming Model E certified, meaning they won’t be able to sell electric passenger cars in the future. Those that opt out by October 31 will have discontinue electric car sales effective January 1, 2024. Dealers will have another opportunity to become Model E certified, but then won’t be able to sell electric cars until January 2027.
It also appears Ford won’t offer buyouts to dealers, as General Motors is doing for Cadillac and Buick dealers that opt out of those brands’ EV shifts. In an interview with CNBC, Ford Model E chief customer officer Marin Gjaja said the Blue Oval’s plan gives dealers more choices.
“We don’t think it’s fair to force them to go on the EV journey or force them into a buyout,” Gjaja said.
Dealers can also stick with the Blue Oval and Pro business units and continue selling other vehicles, Ford spokesperson Said Deep told Motor Authority, noting that the automaker is still launching new internal-combustion models like the redesigned 2024 Mustang muscle car and upcoming new Ranger pickup truck, and claiming the business plan accounts for the needs of smaller stores.
“We undertook an extensive listening tour of our dealers to understand their markets and customer needs as we developed new dealer standards,” he said.
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Back in the 1970s and early 1980s when I was going to the drag races with my dad, the occasional flat-4-powered Volkswagen would appear among a sea of V-8 Fords and Chevys. The little rear-engined, air-cooled Beetles would buzz down the quarter-mile more slowly than most of the muscle cars that populated the track, but every once in awhile one would put up a respectable ET.
“Willpower!,” my dad would shout, in reference to the flat-4 motivation that made them so quick. Meanwhile, the muscle cars would rely mostly on big-displacement V-8s.
The 2023 Toyota Corolla GR is chock full of willpower, and it’s just as impressive as those quick drag Beetles from decades ago. Powered by a tiny 1.6-liter turbo-3, it can’t rely on displacement to make it quick. Instead, it uses a heaping helping of turbo boost and the willpower of the enthusiast Toyota engineers who turned an automotive appliance into a fun hot hatch with analog appeal.
The 12-valve, dual-overhead-cam engine, known internally as G16E-GTS, is also used in the well-reviewed GR Yaris, which we don’t get in the U.S. That engine has 20.3 psi of boost and most turbo engines get about 15 psi. But in the GR Corolla, Toyota engineers shove 25.2 psi of turbo boost down the throat of the engine. In the limited-run (just 200) Morizo Edition, that increases to 26.2 psi of boost. Both versions make 300 hp, but the extra boost in the Morizo increases torque from 273 lb-ft of torque to 295 lb-ft of torque.
The engine uses some motorsport technology to wring 300 horses out of three cylinders, including a machined intake port, large diameter exhaust valves, and multi-oil jet piston cooling. It also employs both port and direct fuel injection, a system Toyota calls D-4S, to maximize power and fuel economy, though it’s not very efficient given its size, earning the GR Corolla estimated fuel economy ratings of 21 mpg city, 28 highway, 24 combined.
The G16E-GTS asks drivers to beat on it. With a single-scroll ball-bearing turbo and so much boost, peak torque takes its sweet time to arrive, hitting its plateau from 3,000-5,000 rpm. It spools up even later in the Morizo, arriving at 3,250 rpm and dropping off at 4,600 rpm. If you just drove it conservatively on the street, you might not realize it’s powerful at all—after all, we seldom exceed 3,000 rpm on our daily commutes.
On a two-plus-mile track at the Utah Motorsports Campus at Toyota’s media drive program, that means I have to rail on it to access the power. Luckily, the engine revs freely, and low gearing helps me get into the power band quickly. The power doesn’t hit hard. Instead it takes a beat or two to build, then pushes the car forward to hit 60 mph from a stop in a touch under five seconds (Toyota quotes 4.99 seconds for the Core and Circuit Edition and 4.93 seconds for the Morizo). Willpower!
The little three gives its all on the track. It’s both fun to shift and important to do so regularly to keep the engine on boil between 3,000 and 7,000 revs. A graphic tachometer flashes gray, orange, and finally red as the engine approaches, then hits, its 7,000-rpm redline. With a shorter final gear ratio, that rev band feels meatier and easier to access in the Morizo, even though the max torque band is smaller. On this 16-turn track, for instance, the Morizo requires five upshifts into fourth gear compared to an average of three in the other models because the shorter gearing makes it rev higher more often.
A 6-speed manual transmission performs those shifts. The gearbox has short, positive shifts and a clutch with moderate weight and a slightly grabby takeup point that can lead to stalls when shifting to first gear during the first few drives. Toyota calls it the iMT transmission in reference to its standard downshift rev matching that can be turned off (on is the default) via a button on the lower dash.
Making a manual the only choice is one sign that the GR Corolla was developed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. Another clue? The Morizo model is named after the racing name of Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda, who has to sign off on the driving character of every Toyota sports car before it makes it to market.
The willpower of Toyota’s enthusiast engineers doesn’t end with the engine. While the Corolla hatchback’s roots are pure economy car, the GR team buttoned it up quite well. To firm up the body structure, they added underfloor tunnel and rear wheelhouse braces, plus 349 spot welds and nine feet of bonding material. The Morizo increases the amount of bonding material to almost 20 feet, and also gets two rear cabin braces.
Every GR Corolla has a MacPherson-strut front suspension with track-tuned dampers, springs, and stabilizer bars. Double wishbones at the rear make room for the brand’s GR Four all-wheel-drive system, which was developed with an assist from Toyota’s Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. The Morizo improves the rear suspension with track-tuned coil springs and monotube shocks out back. The Circuit and Morizo both also come standard with front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials, which are optional on the Core. A raw, forged carbon-fiber roof also helps lower the center of gravity on the Circuit and Morizo models, and the Morizo does away with a rear seat in the name of weight savings.
Every model—Core, Circuit Edition, and Morizo Edition—is available for me to test at this track drive, and all of the Core models have the $1,180 Performance Package, which includes the LSDs. For track laps, company reps recommend the setting GR Four to its Track mode, which sets a 50/50 torque split, and that’s the first mode I try in a Core model.
I’m smitten from the start. In an increasingly digital automotive world, the GR Corolla feels very analog. The GR crew increased the Corolla’s steering ratio 7% from 13.7:1 to 12.7:1 and it immediately reveals itself as quick and direct, with a lot of feel for what’s going on at the front wheels. Driving with the windows open, I can also hear what’s happening at the wheels. As I toss the car into corners, the standard 235/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires scrub when there’s too much steering angle, and quiet down when I unwind the wheel to balance the car. If I were blindfolded, I’d be able to tell the difference between grip and push by simply listening to the tires, but who knows what I’d hit.
Not that the car has a tendency to push, which would be expected for a hot hatch based on a front-wheel drive platform. Perhaps the 3-cylinder engine has something to do with that given it’s about 44 lb lighter than a comparable turbo-4, according to lead engineer Naoyuki Sakamoto.
With the base tires, if I drive too hard into a corner, the GR Corolla points in the right direction and goes into a short, controlled slide until I can get the speed under control. It then does what I tell it to do through the steering wheel, with an assist from the chosen GR Four setting. In Track mode, I can feel the front tires pulling the car through the turn. In Sport mode, which has a 30:70 front-to-rear torque ratio, the power flowing to the rear axle helps the car rotate through corners. In both cases, the LSDs make sure the power gets to the pavement, and in either mode, this rambunctious little beast is unflappable.
Those controlled slides give way to precisely carved lines in the Morizo. With its stiffer structure, a 0.2-inch lower ride height, and especially its sticker 245/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, the Morizo grips harder and tracks truer through the turns. It’s a pure delight, but so are the other models. Which is best for you is a matter of taste, much like it is for GR 86 buyers, who can turn their cars into drift machines with the standard all-season tires or cut faster autocross times with the available summer performance tires.
The car stops well, too. Standard 14.0-inch front rotors with 4-piston calipers and 11.7-inch rear rotors with 2-piston calipers provide strong stopping power on the track and refuse to fade during a good six hours of on and off action.
Toyota’s drive program doesn’t include a street drive, but a couple laps around the track’s ring road demonstrate that the suspension is firm but forgiving. The only possible irritant will be the car’s buzzy sound, but enthusiasts will find it more fun than frustrating. The engine has a three-pipe exhaust system that closes the center pipe at 20 mph for a more subdued experience. It opens back up at 4,500 rpm to supply the buzzy racket drivers likely want that high in the rev range.
The GR Corolla’s cockpit doesn’t quite match the car’s price point, which is $36,995 for the base Core model. It’s plasticky and clearly has economy car roots, but it does come standard with supportive fabric sport seats, silver contrast stitching, aluminum pedals, an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with available readouts for the GR Four drive mode, turbo boost pressure, and g forces. The $43,995 Circuit Edition gets synthetic suede and synthetic leather upholstery with red contrast stitching, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless smartphone charging. The $50,995 Morizo Edition has synthetic suede wrap on the shift knob and steering wheel and the rear seat delete.
No GR Corolla will be mistaken for a pedestrian base model, thanks to widened body panels to cover the wider wheels and tires, attractive 18-inch wheels, a hood bulge on all but the Core model, more front end cooling ducts, a rear spoiler, the carbon-fiber roof, and the hatchback body style itself. Instead of an automotive appliance, they’ll see a rowdy hot hatch with an attitude, and they’ll be right. Should they take it for a test drive, especially on a track, they’ll also discover it has the willpower to match its outward attitude.
Toyota paid for airfare, lodging, and track time for Motor Authority to have a ball tossing the GR Corolla through corners and bring you this firsthand report.
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LONDON (AP) — Westminster Hall is both a scene of constant movement and the quietest place in London.
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II on its purple-draped platform — a catafalque — is the fixed point at the center of the vast medieval hall, the oldest part of Britain’s Houses of Parliament. Around it, people flow in two lines in a silent river of humanity.
The first mourners were admitted Wednesday evening, after the queen’s casket was borne to the hall in a solemn procession from Buckingham Palace. The hall will be open round-the-clock until Monday morning, when Elizabeth’s funeral will be held in nearby Westminster Abbey.
It was a chance for ordinary Britons — plus a sprinkling of dignitaries and tourists — to pay last respects to the country’s longest-reigning monarch, who died Sept. 8 at 96 after 70 years on the throne.
The mourners moved at a steady walk, down steps under the great stained-glass window at one end of the hall, then past the flag-draped coffin that’s capped with the diamond-studded Imperial State Crown and a wreath of flowers. There were parents with children, couples hand in hand, veterans with medals clinking on navy blue blazers, lawmakers and members of the House of Lords.
Some wore black dresses or dark suits and ties, others jeans and sneakers. Most had waited many hours to get there, in a line that snaked for several miles along the River Thames, but the journey past the casket took just a few minutes.
From outside came the muffled chatter of everyday life, the occasional siren from the busy streets. Under the soaring hammerbeam roof inside, there was only the muffled sound of shoes on a carpet newly laid over the flagstone floor.
“The overwhelming atmosphere was very somber but beautiful as well,” said Roma Quinn from Kent in southern England. “Her crown was glistening. And it was just really lovely and very respectful.”
The movement stops every 20 minutes so that the ceremonial guard around the coffin can change.
On Wednesday, Beefeaters from the Tower of London and members of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms in magnificent plumed helmets stood guard. When they changed shift, the hall briefly rang with the clanking of breastplates.
After filing past the casket, most mourners paused to look back before going out through the hall’s great oak doors. Some wiped away tears; others bowed their heads or curtseyed before returning to the world outside.
One sank onto a knee and blew a farewell kiss.
Ann Nottle, who came from Wiltshire in western England, said the experience was “absolutely overpowering.”
“They changed the guards over and then we were allowed to walk past the queen’s casket,” she said. “It was so tiny. ”
___
Follow AP coverage of Queen at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii | https://www.wspa.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-queen-is-mourned-with-silence-in-the-busy-heart-of-london/ | 2022-09-15T17:13:46Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-queen-is-mourned-with-silence-in-the-busy-heart-of-london/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin, on Thursday advised multinational companies operating in Edo State to collaborate with their host communities in a bid to reduce conflicts in the State.
The Benin monarch also urged members of the host communities in the state to embrace dialogue in resolving disputes and avoid violence that could slow down the pace of development in the state.
Oba Ewuare II gave the advice when he received a team of investors who were in his palace for consultation, just as he charged investors to look after the welfare of their host communities.
The Omo N’Oba, while commenting on the issues in Egbokor Committee in Orhiomwon Local Government Area of the state, directed some Benin palace chiefs and some elders to liaise with the youth leaders of the community to resolve some of the contentious issues between the people and the companies operating in the locality
“I have had complaints from the area, Egbokor, where this business is located in the past. Members of the community should calm down and tread with caution,” the monarch counselled.
He also assured the Egbokor Community residents that “the benefits that are due to you will get to you. Do not become an obstacle to the progress of the state bearing in mind that benefits of such investment is for everyone”.
“Communities should support the development of their area to bring about the beauty of the state. We understand that there are concerns and agitations. When you toll the path of violence, development will be far from the people”, Oba Ewuare II stressed.
Earlier, Dr Akintoye Akindele, the spokesperson of the group extolled the sterling qualities of the Oba of Benin and assured that the multinational company would carry out its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) diligently.
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NEW YORK (AP) — With a spectacular Hudson River sunset as a backdrop, models wearing dusty colors streamed onto a cement runway, as Tory Burch’s vision for spring and summer 2023 came to life during New York Fashion Week.
The open-air space at Pier 76 was unusually large for a fashion show, with two rows of seats lined up on either side of the runway and a giant Alexander Calder-inspired mobile dangling in the center, catching the light. Burch said the venue celebrates the beauty of New York.
“To have a space like this with the sunset and just have something that was vast for the collection, I really wanted it to be focused, but have the space just sort of enhance it in a subtle way,” Burch told the Associated Press in an interview after the show.
Model and actor Emily Ratajkowski was one of the first to strut the catwalk in a brown sheer top and jersey bandeau wrapped tightly around the top of a bright orange silk chiffon skirt that blew in the wind off the water.
One constant theme throughout the collection was sheerness: cotton and viscose tops with lace bras peeking through, and whole outfits covered with organza and silk that muted colors underneath. One T-shirt and long skirt was covered completely like a bubble with what Burch calls a “tech taffeta overlay.”
“I wanted it to be more architectural and richer than just a minimalist piece. I wanted women … to feel unencumbered, so I really was thinking about the concept of the shape and form of their bodies, where they can move and be as empowered as they are feeling today,” Burch said.
The overall color palette was earth colors of brown, gray, olive, mustard and cream, but Burch often added a contrasting color like a bright white or yellow handbag, a shiny silver slingback flat or pea green mule.
There were many spring coats in the collection. A silk taffeta trench billowed easily in the river breeze, creating a lighter, freer look, and another — in stretch brown satin — took the classic staple up a glamour notch.
A shiny gold mid-length trench coat made of foiled leather was a standout look, and surely would brighten a rainy day. A calf-length silk shantung skirt with mirrored embroidery sparkled in the evening light.
The Burch brand — known for shoes and handbags — showed structured and boxy purses with double handles or short straps this season. The shoes were primarily very flat flats, another nod to comfort but with unique shapes that Burch said look “super interesting.”
“I really thought about the architecture behind those flats. There was a mule that had a built-in toe ring, but it’s the most comfortable shape and it’s also incredibly flattering.”
Celebrities in the front row included actors Sydney Sweeney, Jenna Coleman and Lana Condor, who called the collection “beautiful” and said she loved the show. “The flats are amazing. I saw a really, really cool one where it’s like the arch wasn’t there. It was just like the sole and then the heel and no arch.”
“Saturday Night Live” castmember Chloe Fineman said she’s a huge fan of Burch and is excited about the new collection. “I often said fashion before death,” Fineman joked. She was ogling the clothes but perhaps also taking notes. “This is my great love,” Fineman said. “My dream is to do a capsule collection with my sister.” | https://www.wspa.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-tory-burch-embraces-flats-and-flowy-form-in-new-collection/ | 2022-09-15T17:14:01Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-tory-burch-embraces-flats-and-flowy-form-in-new-collection/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A judge temporarily blocked Ohio’s ban on virtually all abortions Wednesday, again pausing a law that took effect after federal abortion protections were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.
The decision means abortions through 20 weeks’ gestation can continue for now, in keeping with state law in place before the ban.
Hamilton County Judge Christian Jenkins’ decision to grant a 14-day restraining order against the law came as part of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Ohio on behalf of abortion providers in the state. The clinics argue the law violates protections in the state Constitution guaranteeing individual liberty and equal protection. The suit also says the law is unconstitutionally vague.
The law was signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in April 2019, and prohibits most abortions after the first detectable “fetal heartbeat.” Cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks into pregnancy, before many people know they’re pregnant. The law had been blocked through a legal challenge, then went into effect after the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was overturned.
DeWine’s opponent in the November election, Democrat and abortion rights proponent Nan Whaley, called Wednesday’s ruling “a victory, albeit a temporary one, for Ohio women.” She said, “Ohio women won’t be safe until we have a pro-choice governor who doesn’t seek to impose extreme views like government mandates against private health care decisions.”
Abortion providers and their defenders have said the law has already created a host of hardships, including forcing a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim to travel to Indiana for an abortion.
The judge’s decision is a blow for abortion opponents, who have been celebrating implementation of the long-delayed restrictions since Roe was overturned.
Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati had anticipated the judge was leaning toward a pause after a hearing held last week, when he asked questions about the 10-year-old’s case and suggested, “We should just be very honest about what we’re talking about here.”
“Let’s just be very honest,” the anti-abortion group wrote in a statement, “it is always, always best when LIFE is chosen. Always.” | https://www.wspa.com/health-2/ap-health/ap-judge-temporarily-blocks-ohio-law-banning-most-abortions/ | 2022-09-15T17:14:09Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/health-2/ap-health/ap-judge-temporarily-blocks-ohio-law-banning-most-abortions/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, escalating a tactic by Republican governors to draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration’s failed border policies.
Flights to the upscale island enclave in Massachusetts were part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” said Taryn Fenske, DeSantis’ communications director.
While DeSantis’ office didn’t elaborate on their legal status, many migrants who cross the border illegally from Mexico are temporarily shielded from deportation after being freed by U.S. authorities to pursue asylum in immigration court — as allowed under U.S law and international treaty — or released on humanitarian parole.
Massachusetts’ Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, said he was in touch with local officials and that short-term shelter was being provided.
Martha’s Vineyard has styled itself as a “sanctuary destination” that welcomes migrants — a position it took early in former President Donald Trump’s administration.
State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, who represents Martha’s Vineyard, tweeted: “Our island jumped into action putting together 50 beds, giving everyone a good meal, providing a play area for the children, making sure people have the healthcare and support they need. We are a community that comes together to support immigrants.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began busing thousands of migrants to Washington in April and recently added New York and Chicago as destinations. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has been busing migrants to Washington since May. Passengers must sign waivers that the free trips are voluntary.
DeSantis, who is mentioned as potential presidential candidate, appears to be taking the strategy to a new level by using planes and choosing Martha’s Vineyard, whose harbor towns that are home to about 15,000 people are far less prepared than New York or Washington for large influxes of migrants.
The move is likely to delight DeSantis’ supporters who deride Democrat-led, immigrant-friendly “sanctuary” cities and anger critics who say he is weaponizing migrants as pawns for political gain.
The Florida Legislature appropriated $12 million to transport “illegal immigrants” from the state consistent with federal law, Fenske said.
“States like Massachusetts, New York, and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden Administration’s open border policies,” Fenske said.
“Immigrants and asylum-seekers are people — period,” Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said in a statement. “It is cruel and immoral that some governors are involuntarily flying and busing people and families to other states, based on their perceived immigration status.”
U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, a Massachusetts Democrat, tweeted: “History does not look kindly on leaders who treat human beings like cargo, loading them up and sending them a thousand miles away without telling them their destination. Still, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made that choice today.” | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-florida-flies-illegal-immigrants-to-marthas-vineyard/ | 2022-09-15T17:15:43Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-florida-flies-illegal-immigrants-to-marthas-vineyard/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — On the defensive for years in Republican-dominated Kentucky, abortion-rights supporters have gained an election-year advantage at a pivotal time — opening a big fundraising lead ahead of a statewide vote on whether to eliminate the right to abortion in the state’s constitution.
The group Protect Kentucky Access has raised nearly $1.5 million this year in leading the campaign against the proposed constitutional amendment placed on the November ballot, according to the group’s latest campaign-finance report.
Meanwhile, the anti-abortion group leading the push in support of the ballot measure, Yes For Life, reported raising about $350,000 during the same period.
Heading into the crucial stretch run before the election, the abortion-rights group holds a sizable cash-on-hand advantage in a grassroots campaign likely to be waged precinct by precinct. Protect Kentucky Access had more than $1.2 million in the bank at the end of the reporting period last week, while Yes For Life had $390,105. Cash-on-hand amounts can include donations from last year as well.
The flow of money to both sides is expected to intensify as the high-stakes election draws near.
Abortion-rights supporters in Kentucky are trying to replicate what happened last month in Kansas, another conservative state. Kansas voters rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed the Republican-controlled legislature to tighten restrictions or ban abortion outright.
In Kentucky, the fundraising by Protect Kentucky Access reflects “the energy and enthusiasm we’re seeing on the ground,” said Rachel Sweet, the group’s campaign manager.
In capitalizing on its fundraising advantage, the group’s strategy is to “meet voters where they are,” Sweet said. That means using ”every tool at our disposal” to promote its message — including TV ads as well as phone banks and door-to-door canvassing, she said.
Abortion opponents in Kentucky said they were bracing for an influx of money to try to stop the ballot measure but said they remain confident the ballot measure will win voter approval.
David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, said abortion opponents had always expected the other side to “spend heavily to support its abortion-on-demand business model.”
Addia Wuchner, chair of the Yes for Life Alliance and executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, said the rival abortion-rights group was drawing support from “radical, out-of-state liberal interests.”
Approval of the ballot measure would “allow for a reasonable framework of abortion laws in Kentucky that respects the right to life and the health of mothers,” Wuchner said.
Sweet said that small-dollar support for Protect Kentucky Access surged after the U.S. Supreme Court decision i n June that overturned the constitutional right to abortion. The group’s ranks of volunteers also increased, she said.
The ruling was “a wake-up call for many Americans who, no matter how they may personally feel about abortion, believed that those rights were secure,” she said.
Abortion-rights supporters have been on the defensive for years in Kentucky. Since Republicans took total control of the legislature in the 2016 election, lawmakers have enacted a series of laws putting more restrictions on abortion. Many of those measures ended up being challenged in court.
The showdown over the ballot measure comes amid the latest abortion-related court battle.
Kentucky’s Supreme Court ruled last month that the state’s near-total abortion ban will stay in place while it reviews challenges from the two abortion clinics that remained in the state — both in Louisville. The state’s high court set a hearing after the general election.
The state’s GOP-led legislature previously enacted a “trigger law” banning nearly all abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Once that occurred, the 2019 trigger law called for the immediate end of almost all abortions. The only exception is when the mother’s health is threatened. | https://www.wspa.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-abortion-rights-group-leads-on-fundraising-for-ballot-issue/ | 2022-09-15T17:16:11Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-abortion-rights-group-leads-on-fundraising-for-ballot-issue/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said Wednesday that he has agreed to an Oct. 25 televised debate against his Republican rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz, although the men feuded about its terms in what has become a flashpoint in the high-stakes campaign.
The debate, coming two weeks before the general election, follows weeks of cajoling by Oz, who has raised questions about the severity of Fetterman’s lingering effects from a May stroke and pushed for as many as seven debates.
It will be held in the studio of a Harrisburg TV station.
Oz’s campaign said in a statement that Fetterman had agreed to the debate only “after being hit with massive criticism from state and national editorials and commentators for ducking.”
Nevertheless, Oz will be at the debate “to share his vision for a better Pennsylvania and America, and he is ready (to) expose Fetterman’s record as the most far-left Senate candidate in America,” Oz campaign manager Casey Contres wrote in a statement.
Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, and Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon endorsed by former President Donald Trump, are vying to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey in a race Democrats see as one of their best chances nationally to flip a Republican-held seat. The winner could help decide the chamber’s partisan control next year.
Fetterman’s campaign has said Oz was operating in bad faith by insisting on so many debates and said Oz’s motivation is to mock Fetterman for having a stroke. Fetterman still speaks haltingly and struggles to quickly respond to words he hears.
To accommodate that, Fetterman asked the station for closed-captioning during the debate and two practice sessions in the studio ahead of time.
In response, Oz’s campaign issued three requests.
It wants a moderator to tell the audience that Fetterman is using closed captioning to explain delays in his responses; practice sessions to not use actual debate questions; and the debate to be 90 minutes, instead of 60, because of closed-captioning delays.
Fetterman’s campaign said it had no problem with telling the audience about the closed captioning and said the practice sessions are simply walkthroughs that are routine before any debate. But Fetterman’s campaign insisted that the debate be 60 minutes and said Oz’s campaign had already agreed.
“For weeks Oz and his team have wet the bed about debates,” Fetterman’s campaign said. “Enough already, we are debating on the 25th, either show up or don’t, but now let’s get back to talking about the issues that matter, like how Oz would vote on the Senate abortion ban.”
In Pennsylvania’s last four U.S. Senate contests, debates have not been a major feature. All the debates took place in mid- to late October, with two debates in each race — except for the 2012 contest, which had one debate.
Fetterman has been recovering and was off the campaign trail for most of the summer following his May 13 stroke, which required surgery to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator and prompted a revelation that he had a serious heart condition. Fetterman has provided no access to his doctors or health records and has said he almost died.
He has done just a handful of media interviews and no press conferences since the stroke and has used closed-captioning in video interviews with reporters.
Fetterman’s campaign maintains that his doctors have said he is expected to make a full recovery.
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Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/timelywriter.
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Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics. | https://www.wspa.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-fetterman-agrees-to-oct-25-debate-with-oz-in-senate-race/ | 2022-09-15T17:16:32Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/politics/ap-politics/ap-fetterman-agrees-to-oct-25-debate-with-oz-in-senate-race/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A right-wing bloc that includes a nationalist anti-immigration party won a narrow majority in Sweden’s parliament Wednesday. It was a major political shift in the Scandinavian country that had a decades-long history of welcoming refugees, but is grappling with a crime wave linked with immigration.
Center-left Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson conceded defeat with 99.9% of the vote from the weekend elections counted Wednesday. She said she would step down Thursday.
Populist Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson declared victory for the four-party bloc. He said his party would be “a constructive and driving force” in the work of rebuilding safety in Sweden. He said it was “time to put Sweden first.”
The bloc that includes the Sweden Democrats — the country’s second-largest party — won a thin majority in parliament. Though a few votes were outstanding they were not enough to sway the final outcome.
Prime Minister Andersson said that “the preliminary result is clear enough to draw a conclusion” that her center-left forces had lost power.
Andersson became Sweden’s first female prime minister last year and led the country in its historic bid to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While Andersson is personally popular, anxiety in Sweden has grown over high crime rates in segregated districts that are home to large numbers of immigrants who have failed to integrate into Swedish society. Some blamed her Social Democrats, who have been in power for eight years.
Ulf Kristersson, the leader of Sweden’s third largest party, the Moderates, who’s considered to be the leading figure in the right-wing bloc and a possible prime minister, thanked voters for their trust. “Now we will get Sweden in order,” he wrote on Facebook.
“The Moderates and the other parties on my side have received the mandate for the change that we asked for. I am now starting the work of forming a new, effective government,” Kristersson said.
The Sweden Democrats were long shunned by Swedes because the party was founded in the 1980s by neo-Nazis and other far-right extremists. In recent years it has moved into the mainstream by expelling extremists, and gained support with a tough stance on crime and immigration amid a rise in shootings and other gang violence.
Its transformation was led by 43-year-old Akesson, who in his speech Wednesday evening said it was time for a new chapter in Sweden.
“Now it will be enough with the failed Social Democratic policy that for eight years has continued to lead the country in the wrong direction,” Akesson said. “It is time to start rebuilding security, welfare and cohesion. It is time to put Sweden first. The Sweden Democrats will be a constructive and driving force in this work.”
“Now the work begins to make Sweden good again,” he said.
The tally gave the right-wing bloc 176 seats in the 349-parliament, the Riksdag, and Andersson’s center-left bloc with 173 seats. A majority in Sweden requires 175 seats.
“The four right-wing parties appear to have received just under 50% of the votes in the election, and in the Riksdag, they have gained one or two mandates. A thin majority, but it is a majority,” Andersson said.
“Tomorrow I will therefore request my dismissal as Prime Minister and the responsibility for the continued process will now pass to the Parliament Speaker and the Riksdag.”
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Gera reported from Warsaw, Poland. | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/ap-right-wing-bloc-wins-narrow-majority-in-swedish-parliament/ | 2022-09-15T17:16:46Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/ap-right-wing-bloc-wins-narrow-majority-in-swedish-parliament/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A woman was arrested in South Korea on Thursday on two murder charges from New Zealand, where the bodies of two long-dead children were found last month in abandoned suitcases, authorities said.
Authorities didn’t immediately say if the 42-year-old suspect was the dead children’s mother. New Zealand police had earlier told their South Korean counterparts that the mother might be living in South Korea.
South Korean police detained the woman in the southeastern port city of Ulsan, based on a South Korean court warrant issued after New Zealand requested her provisional arrest as part of an extradition process, according to South Korea’s National Police Agency and Justice Ministry.
The unidentified woman covered her face with the hood of her coat as officers escorted her outside an Ulsan police station and put her in a car headed for the capital, Seoul, where she was expected to be questioned by prosecutors.
New Zealand authorities must submit the formal request for her extradition to the South Korean Justice Ministry within 45 days. The ministry will then decide whether to proceed with an extradition review at the Seoul High Court to rule whether she would be sent to New Zealand.
New Zealand police said the South Korean warrant was in connection with two charges of murder, and they have asked South Korean authorities to keep the woman in jail until she is extradited.
“To have someone in custody overseas within such a short period of time has all been down to the assistance of the Korean authorities and the coordination by our New Zealand Police Interpol staff,” Detective Inspector Tofilau Fa’amanuia Vaaelua said in a statement.
He said the investigation had been “very challenging” and that inquiries were continuing both in New Zealand and abroad.
Vaaelua said police weren’t going to comment further as the matter was now before the courts. Authorities in New Zealand typically don’t comment on pending court cases in order to avoid the possibility of influencing the outcome.
The children’s bodies were discovered last month after a New Zealand family bought abandoned goods, including two suitcases, from a storage unit in Auckland in an online auction. Police said the New Zealand family had nothing to do with the deaths.
The children were between 5 and 10 years old, had been dead for a number of years, and the suitcases had been in storage for at least three or four years, according to police.
South Korean police say the woman was born in South Korea and later moved to New Zealand, where she gained citizenship. She returned to South Korea in 2018, according to immigration records.
South Korean police say it was suspected she could be the mother of the two victims, as her past address in New Zealand was registered to the storage unit where the suitcases were kept for years.
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Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand. | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/ap-woman-arrested-in-s-korea-after-bodies-found-in-new-zealand/ | 2022-09-15T17:17:15Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/world-news/ap-international/ap-woman-arrested-in-s-korea-after-bodies-found-in-new-zealand/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A newly constructed University of Michigan facility that will be home to the most powerful laser in the United States is hosting its first experiment this week as the nation seeks to become competitive again in the realm of high-power laser facilities.
The experiment will be conducted at ZEUS — short for Zettawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort pulse laser System — by researchers from the University of California, Irvine. They traveled to Ann Arbor as part of their study of extremely intense interactions of light and matter, and how such interactions can be harnessed to shrink particle accelerators.
At the height of its power, ZEUS will be a 3-petawatt laser.
Three petawatts is “3 with 15 zeroes after it,” said Louise Willingale, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Michigan.
And “3 petawatts is 3,000 times more powerful than the U.S. power grid,” she said.
Michigan was awarded $18.5 million by the National Science Foundation to establish ZEUS as a federally funded international user facility.
Initially, the facility — housed in a building that is home to U-M’s Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science — will host research teams conducting experiments that use a fraction of the laser’s full power potential. The system gradually will ramp up, and ZEUS is expected to begin its signature experiments in the fall of 2023.
The U.S. built the world’s first petawatt laser a quarter-century ago, but hasn’t kept pace with more ambitious systems in Europe and Asia. While ZEUS doesn’t feature the same raw power as its contemporaries overseas, its approach will simulate a laser that is roughly 1 million times more powerful than its 3 petawatts.
ZEUS primarily will study extreme plasmas, a state of matter in which the electrons have enough energy to escape atoms, creating a sea of charged particles. Nearly all of the seen universe is made of plasma. The sun is an example of a plasma.
Experiments are expected to contribute to the understanding of how the universe operates at the subatomic level and materials change on rapid timescales. Scientists also hope they lead to the development of smaller and more compact particle accelerators for medical imaging and treatment.
ZEUS will “have a huge range of applications across science, technology, engineering and medicine,” Willingale said.
Proposals to use ZEUS will be evaluated by an external panel comprised of scientists and engineers. Because of the NSF funding, there will be no cost to users whose experiment proposals are selected to conduct research, beyond providing their own travel costs to the facility.
The proposals will be selected on scientific merit and technical feasibility, Willingale said.
Franklin Dollar, an associate professor in Cal-Irvine’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, and four UCI graduate students arrived at Michigan last week to begin preparing for their experiment.
“One of the major challenges in our field is access to high quality, intense laser light,” Dollar said. “ZEUS will not only be the most powerful laser beam on the continent, but perhaps more importantly will provide multiple powerful beams.
“Rather than solely making highly energetic plasmas from a laser, there is a second beam which can interact with the plasma as well,” he said.
ZEUS is an upgrade over the University of Michigan’s 0.5-petawatt laser, known as HERCULES.
While Michigan researchers are thrilled with the birth of ZEUS, they are cognizant of how their naming conventions aren’t exactly in keeping with the chronology of Greek mythology.
“HERCULES was the predecessor to ZEUS,” Willingale said. “It’s slightly backward, because Hercules was the son of Zeus.
“So, we’re building the father after the son.” | https://www.wspa.com/science/ap-science/ap-univ-of-michigans-zeus-will-be-most-powerful-laser-in-us/ | 2022-09-15T17:17:22Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/science/ap-science/ap-univ-of-michigans-zeus-will-be-most-powerful-laser-in-us/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Light trade winds will persist today through Saturday, with sea breezes bringing showers to both windward and leeward sides of the islands. A few heavier downpours could produce during the afternoon and early evening hours Thursday and Friday in the leeward areas. A band of enhanced moisture may increase shower coverage statewide late Saturday through Sunday as the trades begin to restrengthen. A more typical trade wind weather pattern should return Monday through the middle of next week, with moderate trades prevailing.
A small south swell will persist through today and a series of small, long-period south swells can be expected through the weekend and into early next week. Also, a small, short-period southeast swell will hang on through the weekend. Small, short-period north and northwest swells will linger through Friday, with a slightly larger short-period north swell expected over the weekend. A small, longer-period northwest swell may arrive early next week. Due to lighter trade winds over and upwind of the state, short-period choppy surf will remain rather small along east-facing shores throughout the forecast period.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Carly Yoshida was born and raised on Hawai’i Island where she graduated from Kealakehe High School. Carly is a former Miss Hawaii’s Outstanding Teen 2016 as well as Miss Kona Coffee 2020 and 2021. | https://www.kitv.com/news/thursday-morning-weather---light-trades-to-persist-through-weekend/article_4730a548-3508-11ed-9a11-f36a5479d530.html | 2022-09-15T17:17:24Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/thursday-morning-weather---light-trades-to-persist-through-weekend/article_4730a548-3508-11ed-9a11-f36a5479d530.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 121 million fans watched a telecast of an NFL game during the league’s opening week, a 5% increase over last season.
The league and Nielsen also said on Wednesday that the average viewership for all games was 18.5 million, the best opening weekend in six years and up 3% from last year.
A record seven Week 1 games were decided by three points or fewer and five came down to a game-winning score either in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime.
NBC had the two most-watched games. Tampa Bay’s 19-3 win over Dallas Sunday night averaged 24.5 million and last Thursday’s opening game, in which Buffalo routed the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams 31-10, attracted 21.3 million.
Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle and the Seahawks’ 17-16 narrow victory over Denver averaged 19.8 million across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. That is the most-watched Monday night game since New Orleans faced New England in 2009 (21.4 million). It’s also the fourth-biggest audience since ESPN took over “Monday Night Football” in 2006.
Minnesota’s 23-7 win over Green Bay averaged 18.5 million on Fox, and was the most-viewed during the late Sunday afternoon window. Fox’s doubleheader numbers were up 11% over last season, with an average of 15.4 million for its six games.
CBS had the most-watched early game, with Pittsburgh’s 23-20 overtime victory at Cincinnati averaging 17.5 million. CBS had seven games on Sunday and its doubleheader averaged 17.0 million, the network’s third-most watched Week 1 since 1998.
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More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-more-than-121-million-watched-nfl-games-on-opening-weekend/ | 2022-09-15T17:18:04Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-more-than-121-million-watched-nfl-games-on-opening-weekend/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Nearly one in five U.S. adults bet money on sports over the past year, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The report from the Pew Research Center shows that 19% of adults surveyed said they had wagered on sports.
The most common way they did so was by placing bets with friends or family, such as a private betting pool, fantasy league or a casual bet; 15% of respondents said they bet in this manner.
Only 8% said they had made sports bets in person at a casino, racetrack or kiosk, and 6% reported having done so online. The survey did not ask if the online sites were regulated by a government agency, or were unregulated offshore sites.
The survey’s results indicate that the nascent U.S. legal sports betting industry, while growing rapidly, has plenty of room for expansion; more than 80% of all legal sports bets in the U.S. are made online.
As of last Thursday’s kickoff to the NFL season, 31 states plus Washington D.C. offered legal sports betting, and several others will do so soon.
A record 46.6 million Americans say they plan to bet on the current NFL season, up 3% from last year, according to the American Gaming Association, the gambling industry’s national trade group.
The center surveyed 6,034 adults from July 5-17. Its margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.
More male respondents than female — 24% versus 15% — said they had bet on sports in some form in the past year. And of respondents under 50 years of age, 22% had bet on sports compared to 17% over 50.
The Pew Center said 27% of Black respondents and 24% of the Hispanic respondents reported having bet on sports, while 18% of white adults and 10% of Asian-Americans said they had.
It found no significant differences in sports betting by educational attainment or household income level: 18% of college graduates said they bet on sports in the past year, and 20% of those without a college degree said they had done so.
Meanwhile, 22% of adults in the upper-income wage bracket, 19% of middle-income and 19% of lower-income households reported making sports bets in the past year.
The survey also found no significant difference by party affiliation: 21% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they have bet on sports in some way in the last 12 months, as have 19% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.
In terms of whether sports betting is good or bad for society, 57% said it is neither. Just over a third — 34% — said it is bad, and 8% said it is good.
Asked whether betting on sports is good for sports itself, 49% were neutral, 33% saw it as bad and 16% said it is good.
As of May, the fourth anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court decision clearing the way for all 50 U.S. states to offer legal sports betting should they choose to do so, Americans had wagered over $125 billion on sports.
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Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-study-1-in-5-u-s-adults-bet-money-on-sports-in-past-year/ | 2022-09-15T17:19:00Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-study-1-in-5-u-s-adults-bet-money-on-sports-in-past-year/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Atlanta Fed GDPNow estimate for Q3 was marked down from 1.3% to 0.5%. In their own words:
The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2022 is 0.5 percent on September 15, down from 1.3 percent on September 9. After this week's releases from the US Department of the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US Census Bureau, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, decreases in the nowcasts of third-quarter real personal consumption expenditures growth and third-quarter real gross private domestic investment growth from 1.7 percent and -6.1 percent, respectively, to 0.4 percent and -6.4 percent, respectively, was slightly offset by an increase in the nowcast of third-quarter real government spending growth from 1.3 percent to 2.0 percent.
The next target will be released on September 2020. | https://www.forexlive.com/news/atlanta-fed-gdpnow-cut-to-05-from-13-previously-20220915/ | 2022-09-15T17:26:38Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/atlanta-fed-gdpnow-cut-to-05-from-13-previously-20220915/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Former President Trump will hold a rally in Michigan on Oct. 1 to boost several GOP candidates, including Tudor Dixon, who trails in the polls of his closely watched race to unseat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
Trump’s Save America PAC said in a Thursday release that the 7 p.m. rally will be held at the Macomb County Community College Sports & Expo Center.
The former president will seek to boost the candidacies of Dixon, Republican state attorney general nominee Matthew DePerno and Republican secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo, all of whom he has endorsed.
The news comes as the high-stakes race between Dixon and Whitmer heats up.
Earlier this week, Whitmer’s campaign embraced the new Republicans for Whitmer group, which consists of more than 150 prominent Republicans pushing to reelect the Michigan Democrat.
The group said its backs Whitmer because she has been an effective leader for the state and was best suited to heal rifts between the two parties.
She is polling well ahead of Dixon less than two months out from Election Day.
DePerno is also lagging slightly behind in the polls against current Democratic state Attorney General Dana Nessel in their race.
Nessel last month called for a special prosecutor to probe DePerno and others who she said sought to gain improper access to ballot voting machines after the 2020 election.
DePerno has denied the allegations, while a prosecutor is considering charges in the matter, according to nonprofit news source Bridge Michigan.
Trump-backed Karamo, who has also repeated the former president’s false claims the 2020 election was stolen, faces a tough battle against Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. | https://www.wwlp.com/hill-politics/trump-to-hold-michigan-rally-on-oct-1/ | 2022-09-15T17:27:57Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/hill-politics/trump-to-hold-michigan-rally-on-oct-1/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It’s official... I haven’t quite become Mr Self Defense Yet.. so we took me out here for this shoot lmao (swipe to left)....but really....i really couldn’t hit someone I swears ??!!!???.....my new book DIRRT GAME RELOA? is OUT and ready #prebuy (swipes again): it shows not every guy on campus would try getting money ?...... but then again it shows my By LARREY ALTAF, Lecturer / Instruction L11 and Instrument Inststructor & Main Manager. Inst. Clinic – Music Section\nEven the beginner musicians knows what are tuners… The name has two reasons, one of which refers exclusively or nearly only instrumentalists, like lutes players but not any other who does his play without using music for the musical or technical reference.. (See Above image ) It looks the name WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to meet at the White House on Friday with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, both of whom remain jailed in Russia, senior administration officials told The Associated Press.
The separate meetings are to be the first in-person encounter between Biden and the families and are taking place amid sustained but so far unsuccessful efforts by the administration to secure the Americans' release. The administration said in July that it had made a “substantial proposal” to get them home, but despite plans for the White House meetings, there is no sign that a breakthrough is imminent.
Griner has been held in Russia since February on drug-related charges. She was sentenced last month to nine years in prison after pleading guilty and has appealed the punishment. Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage-related charges that he and his family say are false. The U.S. government regards both as wrongfully detained, placing their cases with the office of its top hostage negotiator.
Friday's meetings, which both families have long sought, are intended to underscore the administration's commitment to bringing home Griner, Whelan and other Americans jailed abroad, as well as to “connect with them on a human level as they undergo an ordeal that the Russian government has imposed on them," said one of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the meetings had not yet been publicly announced.
Negotiations have been complicated by the tense relations between Washington and Moscow over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unusual step of announcing two months ago that the administration had made a substantial proposal to Russia. Since then, the administration has followed up in multiple ways to press its offer and get serious negotiations underway, one of the administration officials said Thursday.
The Russians, who have indicated that they are open to negotiations but have chided the Americans to conduct them in private, have come back with suggestions that are not within the administration's ability to deliver, said the official, declining to elaborate. But the U.S. has been following up through the same channels that produced an April prisoner swap that brought Marine veteran Trevor Reed home from Russia, the official said.
The administration has not provided specifics about its proposal, but a person familiar with the matter previously confirmed it had offered to release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer now imprisoned in the U.S. It is also possible that, in the interests of symmetry, Russia might insist on having two of its citizens released from prison.
Biden spoke by phone in July with Griner's wife, Cherelle, and with Whelan's sister, Elizabeth, but both families have also requested in-person meetings. On Friday, Biden plans to speak at the White House with Cherelle Griner and with the player’s agent in one meeting and with Elizabeth Whelan in the other.
The meetings are being done separately so as to ensure that each family has private time with the president. But the fact that they are happening on the same day shows the extent to which the two cases have become intertwined since the only deal that is presumably palatable to the U.S. is one that gets both Americans — a famous WNBA player and a Michigan man who until recently was little known to the public — home together at the same time,
In the past several months, representatives of both families have expressed frustration over what they perceived as a lack of aggressive action and coordination from the administration.
Cherelle Griner, for instance, told The Associated Press in an interview in June that she was dismayed after the failure of a phone call from her wife that was supposed to have been patched through by the American Embassy in Moscow left the couple unable to connect on their fourth anniversary.
Whelan's relatives have sought to keep attention on his case, anxious that it has been overshadowed in the public eye by the focus on the far more prominent Griner — a two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time WNBA all-star. They also conveyed disappointment when Whelan, despite having been held in Russia since December 2018, was not included in a prisoner swap last April that brought home another detained American, Marine veteran Trevor Reed.
Friday's meeting was scheduled before news broke this week of an unconnected trip to Russia by Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who has been a veteran emissary in hostage and detainee cases. Administration officials reacted coolly to that trip, with State Department spokesman Ned Price saying Wednesday that dialogue with Russia outside the “established channel” risks hindering efforts to get Griner and Whelan home.
Administration officials say work on hostage and detainee cases persist regardless of whether a family receives a meeting with the president, though there is also no question that such an encounter can help establish a connection. Biden met in the Oval Office in March with Reed's parents after the Texas couple stood with a large sign outside the White House calling for their son's release. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/griner-whelan-families-to-meet-biden-amid-us-russia-talks | 2022-09-15T17:36:16Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/griner-whelan-families-to-meet-biden-amid-us-russia-talks | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Two buses of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border were dropped off near Vice President Kamala Harris’ home in residential Washington on Thursday morning in the bitter political battle over the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been busing migrants out of Texas to cities with Democratic mayors as part of a political strategy this year because he claims there are too many arrivals over the border to his state. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also has adopted this policy, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also got in on the act recently. It was first dreamed up by former President Donald Trump.
Abbott tweeted that he’d sent the buses that arrived Thursday: “We’re sending migrants to her backyard to call on the Biden Administration to do its job & secure the border.”
About two dozen men and women stood outside the U.S. Naval Observatory at dawn, clutching clear plastic bags of their belongings carried with them over the border, before moving to a nearby church. Harris’ office had no immediate comment.
After migrants seeking asylum cross the U.S.-Mexico border, they spend time in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility along the border until they are generally released into the U.S. to wait out their cases. Republicans say Biden’s policies encourage migrants to vanish into the U.S.; Democrats argue the Trump-era policy of forcing migrants to wait out their asylum cases in Mexico was inhumane.
DeSantis flew two planes of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday. And last week, Abbott sent about 75 migrants to Chicago.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency last week over the continued arrival of buses of migrants. The district earlier requested National Guard assistance to help stem a “growing humanitarian crisis” prompted by the arrival of thousands of migrants, but the Pentagon rejected the request.
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By Ken Sweet | The Associated Press
Americans have grown fond of “buy now, pay later” services, but the “pay later” part is becoming increasingly difficult for some borrowers.
Buy now, pay later loans allow users to pay for items such new sneakers, electronics, or luxury goods in installments. Companies such as Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna and PayPal have built popular financial products around these short-term loans, particularly for younger borrowers, who are fearful of never-ending credit card debt.
Now, as the industry racks up customers, delinquencies are climbing. Inflation is squeezing consumers, making it tougher to pay off debts. Some borrowers don’t budget properly, particularly if they are persuaded to take out multiple loans, while others may have been credit risks to begin with.
“You have an industry with a higher concentration of subprime borrowers in a market that hasn’t been effectively tested through (this type of economy), and you have a kind of a toxic brew of concerns,” said Michael Taiano, an analyst with Fitch Ratings, who co-wrote a report in July highlighting some of the concerns with the industry.
The most popular type of buy now, pay later loans allow for four payments over six weeks — one payment at the time of purchase and three others that borrowers often try to sync up with pay periods. Longer-term loans for bigger purchases are also available. Most of the short-term loans have no interest attached to them. Companies that do charge interest can clearly state upfront how much a borrower will pay in financial charges.
Given those features, consumer advocates and financial advisors initially had seen buy now, pay later plans as a potentially healthier form of consumer debt if used correctly. The biggest concern had been late fees, which could act as a hefty finance charge on a small purchase if a borrower is late on a payment. The fees can run as high as $34, plus interest. But now as delinquencies are rising, and companies are being more aggressive in marketing their products, advocates see a need for additional regulation.
The industry is growing rapidly, according to a report released Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Americans took out roughly $24.2 billion in loans on buy now, pay later programs in 2021, up from only $2 billion in 2019. That industry-wide figure is only expected to jump even more. Klarna’s customers bought $41 billion worth of product on its service globally in the first six months of the year, up 21% from a year ago. PayPal processed more than $4.9 billion in buy now, pay later transactions in the second quarter, more than triple a year earlier.
Jasmine Francis, 29, a technology analyst based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said she first used a buy now, pay later service in 2018 to buy clothes from fast-fashion brand Forever21.
“I remember I just had a cartful,” she said. “At first, I thought, ‘Something’s gotta go back,’ and then I saw Afterpay at checkout – you don’t pay for it all right now, but you get it all right now. That was music to my ears.”
How healthfully customers are using buy now, pay later loans is unclear. Fitch found that delinquencies on these services rose sharply in the 12 months ended March 31, while credit card delinquencies remained steady. And according to the CFPB, a growing percentage of loans the industry is making are being charged off — or loans it considered so delinquent that they were likely uncollectible. The industry’s charge-off rate was 2.39% in 2021, a figure that is now likely higher given the economic turmoil this year. In 2020, that figure was 1.83%.
“This upward trend on delinquencies is continuing,” said Rohit Chopra, director of the CFPB, in a call with reporters.
Credit reporting company TransUnion found that buy now, pay later borrowers are using the product just as much as credit cards, piling on debt on top of additional debt. A poll by Morning Consult released this week found 15% of buy now, pay later customers are using the service for routine purchases, such as groceries and gas, a type of behavior that sounds alarm bells among financial advisors. The CFPB report also found a small, but growing number of Americans using these products for routine purchases as well.
“If these buy now, pay later plans are not adequately budgeted for, they can have a cascading impact across a person’s entire financial life,” said Andre Jean-Pierre, a former Morgan Stanley wealth advisor who now runs his own financial planning firm focused on helping Black Americans adequately save and budget.
Another concern among advisers and consumer advocates, as well as Washington lawmakers and regulators, is the ease with which consumers can layer on these installment loans.
Speaking at a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee Tuesday about new financial products, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, noted the benefits of plans that allow consumers to pay for things in installments. But he also criticized the way in which the industry promotes the plans.
“Ads encourage consumers to use these plans for multiple purchases, at multiple online stores — racking up debt they cannot afford to repay,” Brown said.
The short-term loans are potentially problematic because they’re not reported on a consumer’s credit profile with Transunion and Experian. Further, the buy now, pay later industry’s customers skew young — meaning they have little credit history. Hypothetically a borrower could take out several short-term loans across multiple buy now, pay later companies — a practice known as “loan stacking” — and they would never appear on a credit report. If a person puts too many items on buy now, pay later plans, budgeting could be difficult.
“It’s a blind spot for the industry,” Taiano of Fitch said.
In a statement, the buy now pay later industry trade group pushed back on the characterization that its products could saddle borrowers with too much debt.
“With zero to low-interest, flexible payment terms, and transparent terms and conditions, BNPL helps consumers manage their cash flow responsibly and live healthier financial lives,” said Penny Lee, CEO of the Financial Technology Association.
Meanwhile, providers of buy now, pay later services see rising delinquencies as a natural consequence of growth, but also an indication that inflation is hitting Americans most likely to use these services the hardest.
“We have seen some stress (among those with the lowest credit scores), and those are starting to have a hard time,” said Max Levchin, founder and CEO of Affirm, one of the largest buy now, pay later companies.
“I would not call it a sort of preamble to a potential downturn, but it’s not the same kind of a smooth sailing it’s been,” he said, adding that Affirm is taking a more conservative approach towards lending.
Buy now, pay later took off in the U.S. after the Great Recession. The product, analysts said, largely has not been tested through a great period of financial distress, unlike mortgages or credit cards or auto loans.
Despite these concerns, the consensus is buy now, pay later companies are here to stay. Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, which is owned by Block Inc., as well as PayPal and others are now widely embedded in Internet commerce.
Further, the industry’s growth is attracting more players. Technology titan Apple earlier this summer announced Apple Pay Later, where users can put purchases on a four-payment plan over six weeks.
“I generally plan purchases that I make using PayPal ‘Pay in 4’ so that my due dates for purchases land on my pay dates, as the due dates are every other week,” said Desiree Moore, 35, from Georgia.
Moore said she tries to use buy now pay later plans to cover purchases not in her usual monthly budget, so not to take money away from the needs of her children. She has been increasingly using the plans with inflation making items more expensive and is so far able to keep up with the payments.
Francis, the technical analyst, said it’s now common among her friends to pay for travel with the installment loans, to not completely drain their bank accounts in case of emergencies.
“If I come back home from vacation and have two flat tires, and I just spent all that money on plane tickets, that’s $400 you don’t have at the moment,” she said. “Most people don’t have savings. They just have enough for those flat tires.”
AP Personal Finance Reporter Cora Lewis contributed to this report from New York.
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Taking a look at Friday’s featured high school football games in the San Gabriel Valley area.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Colony (4-0) at Pasadena (3-1), 7:30 p.m.: The Bulldogs’ final tune-up before Pacific League play begins is a good one against an undefeated team that won a CIF-SS title last year. The Bulldogs are certainly tested against quality teams, and have shown an ability to win games down the stretch, as evidenced in the past two weeks with one-point victories over Damien and Loyola. Bulldogs QB Indiana Wijay and all-purpose threat Baylin Brooks have led the way, but they will have their hands full agains the Titans, who have good wins over Temecula Valley and Alta Loma, and who beat Claremont, 28-7, last week. But the Titans haven’t faced a team with superior athleticism like the Bulldogs, nor a team as strong up front. In the end, the Bulldogs’ defense has been their mainstay, and they should get it done again.
The pick: Pasadena
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Muir (1-3) at St. Francis (1-3), 7 p.m.: This is a big game for both teams who have had disappointing results through the first month of the season. The Golden Knights have been strong offensively behind QB Jack Jacbos, which says plenty since senior RB Devyn Turner has been sidelined since a season-opening ankle injury. Problem is, they can’t stop anybody, allowing an average of 52 points a game. Sure, they’ve played quality opponents with athleticism and speed that have burned them in the secondary. And Muir, despite its rough start, presents the same challenges. Muir also has played a solid schedule. Both teams were blown out by St. Pius X/St. Anthony, and the Mustangs have battled injuries since their season-opening 10-0 loss to Northview. But the Mustangs showed signs of healing last week, beating St. Margaret’s, 21-2, for their first win. It’s a game that could go in a lot of different directions. But we think the Golden Knights’ offense will be better than Muir’s defense.
The pick: St. Francis
Bishop Amat (2-1) at Leuzinger (0-3), 7 p.m.: It has been two weeks since the Lancers took one on the chin against St. John Bosco, and while on paper Leuzinger looks like an inviting opponent, the Olympians are anything but that. Leuzinger has lost three close games to super opponents, falling to Edison (31-22), Ayala (40-33) and Long Beach Poly (34-24). All three of the Olympians’ opponents are pegged for Division 1 or 2, and so is Amat, ranked No. 8 in Calpreps’ Southern Section rankings. It’s a big test for Amat to see how it will stack up in the Mission League, and also for a team that usually starts to hit its stride after a few games. Lancers RB Aiden Ramos, who just committed to Cal Poly SLO, has yet to produce a signature game because of nagging injuries, but this could be the spot. It’s also a great test for the Lancers’ defense against a team that has been able to produce points against quality. It’s also Amat’s first road game and one it should win. But style points are important too.
The pick: Bishop Amat
Downey (3-1) at St. Paul (2-2), 7:30 p.m.: A couple weeks ago Swordsmen coach Rick Zepeda said teams usually find out who they’re by week three or four. For the Swordsmen, however, those are games they would like to forget, losing back-to-back to undefeated teams St. Pius X/St. Matthias (42-13) and West Ranch (35-0). It may get a little easier against Downey, but not much. The Vikings were blown out in their season opener to Corona del Mar (41-10), but answered with three easy victories, culminating with last weeks’ 56-6 win over California. The Swordsmen need a big game from QB Andrew Maushardt, who has thrown for 746 yards, but was limited to just 25 yards passing last week. But it still may not be enough against a Downey squad that has so many ways to beat you, averaging 236 yards passing to go with 221 rushing yards. That’s a lot of offense.
The pick: Downey
El Rancho (3-1) vs. Mayfair (2-2) at Bellflower HS, 7 p.m.: If the Dons are going to have any chance against La Serna when the Del Rio league begins, non-league games like this will help. The Dons’ first big test ended in their only loss to Monrovia, 58-26. Facing Mayfair, a team that will be in the tough Gateway League with La Mirada, Warren, Downey and others, could be an even stiffer test. The Monsoons played Huntington Beach close before falling, 20-13, and their other loss was to Mira Costa (33-14). They Monsoons crushed Lakewood, 27-8, and will be the type of physical and athletic challenge that the Dons will need to play perfect against to have a chance. The Dons looked good beating Montebello, 40-14, last week, but the Monsoons won’t look anything like the Oilers.
The pick: Mayfair
Glendora (1-3) at Etiwanda (2-2), 7 p.m.: The Tartans haven’t fared well when taking on quality opponents, losing to Chino Hills, Pasadena and Glendora before getting their first win against struggling Los Altos. That doesn’t bode well because the Eagles may be their toughest opponent of all. The Eagles’ losses were to power teams Aquinas (28-21) and Ayala (28-7) before routing Rancho Verde and Jurupa Hills, which are two opponents that haven’t won a game. Still, the Eagles are usually among the top half of the Baseline league, and the way the Tartans are struggling to score points, hard to imagine how they find a way to win.
The pick: Etiwanda
La Salle (2-2) at Cathedral (3-1), 7 p.m.: The Phantoms look like the Angelus league favorites through the first month with a strong victory over Long Beach Millikan (39-38), a win over Lawndale (39-10) and only loss to Serra (33-6). La Salle is much improved and showed it with a surprising win over Bonita (30-22) and its rout of Rosemead (48-0). The key to watch isn’t whether the Lancers can win, because they’re playing a far superior team in all phases of the game. What to watch for his how they compete and if they can make it competitve game like they did in a 30-22 loss to Sun Valley Village Christian.
The pick: Cathedral
Schurr (2-2) at San Dimas (2-2), 7 p.m.: The Saints routed the Spartans last season, 42-12, but this should be much closer. The Spartans beat Arroyo 6-0 and gave Baldwin Park its first loss of the season, routing the Braves 45-28. They also had a close season-opening loss to Cal, 34-32, and overall, look much improved. The Saints lost to rival Bonita, 21-13, and have another close loss to Lakewood (16-7). The Saints are still good enough to come out on top, but don’t be surprised if the Spartans have a chance to win late.
The pick: San Dimas
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The wait is over, again, for Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza.
The Irvine-based fast food giant officially returned the popular snack to its menu after a 3 1/2-month absence. Its delayed social media promotion, “Mexican Pizza: The Musical” will premiere on TikTok at 5 p.m. today, Sept. 15.
Mexican Pizza was a fixture on Taco Bell’s menu from the 1980s until 2020, when it was pulled because of cutbacks related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Absence made the heart grow fonder among Taco Bell fans and they began calling for its return.
Celebrities got in the act early this year, including rapper Doja Cat and country music queen Dolly Parton.
Taco Bell brought back Mexican Pizza on May 19 as a permanent menu item. But high sales caused the chain to pull it by the end of the month as supplies ran out.
Mexican Pizza is like a tostada with ground beef and refried beans between two crispy tortillas, topped with cheese and tomato.
It is available in its original and veggie form, as well as in a combo with two crunchy Taco Supremes and a large fountain drink.
“Mexican Pizza: The Musical” has a score by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, who won a Grammy this year for in the “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.” It features Parton’s voice, according to a press release.
Information: tacobell.com
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By HOWARD FENDRICH | Associated Press
Roger Federer is retiring from professional tennis at age 41 after a series of knee operations, closing a career in which he won 20 Grand Slam titles, finished five seasons ranked No. 1 and helped create a golden era of men’s tennis with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Federer posted what he called a “bittersweet decision” via both a written statement and an audio clip on Thursday, less than a week after 23-time major champion Serena Williams played what is expected to be the last match of her career.
Combined, the exits by two of the greatest athletes in their sport’s history represent a significant turning of the page.
“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form,” said Federer, who is home in Switzerland. “But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear.”
Federer has not competed anywhere since Wimbledon in July 2021, and so, in that sense, his news is not all that surprising.
But he had appeared at an event marking the 100-year anniversary of Centre Court at the All England Club this July and said he hoped to return to play there “one more time.”
He also had said he would return to tournament action in his home country at the Swiss Indoors in October.
In Thursday’s announcement, Federer said his farewell event will be the Laver Cup in London next week. That is a team event run by his management company.
“I knew a few weeks ago that his rehabilitation with his knee wasn’t going as well as he had hoped. A few weeks after Wimbledon, he informed me that the knee was not reacting as well as it should and that he was thinking about figuring out a way to end his career,” Tony Godsick, Federer’s agent since 2005, said in a telephone interview Thursday.
“I had suggested to him years ago that he should stop. Not many tennis players at his level push into their 40s. But he was always interested in challenging himself,” Godsick said. “And at the end of the day, after 1,500-plus matches, the tires finally wore out. And he’s got things to do in his next stage.”
Federer and his wife, Mirka — a tennis player, too; they met as athletes at an Olympics — have two sets of twins, girls who are 13 and boys who are 8.
Federer leaves the sport with a total of 103 tour-level titles on his substantial resume and 1,251 wins in singles matches, both second only to Jimmy Connors in the Open era, which began in 1968. Federer’s records include being the oldest No. 1 in ATP rankings history — he returned to the top spot at 36 in 2018 — and most consecutive weeks there (his total weeks mark was eclipsed by Djokovic).
The dominance Federer displayed at the height of his powers is unrivaled, including reaching 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals, winning eight, from 2005-07, a run that also extended to 18 of 19 major finals into 2010.
In a sport where changes in surface and other conditions can make even the best players thrilled with a showing here or there into the second week of a Slam, Federer compiled streaks of 36 quarterfinals in a row and 23 semifinals in a row from 2004 to 2013.
“Roger Federer is a champion’s champion. He has the most complete game of his generation and captured the hearts of sports fans around the world with an amazing quickness on the court and a powerful tennis mind,” Hall of Famer Billie Jean King said. “He has had a historic career with memories that will live on and on.”
When Federer won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, the men’s record for most major trophies was held by Pete Sampras, who had won his 14th at the U.S. Open the year before in what turned out to be the last match of the American’s career.
Federer would go on to blow way past that, ending up with 20 by winning eight championships at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open. His 2009 trophy at Roland Garros allowed Federer to complete a career Grand Slam.
His serving, forehand, footwork and attacking style will all be remembered. Also unforgettable were his matches against younger rivals Nadal, 36, and Djokovic, 35, who both equalled, then surpassed, Federer’s Slam total and are still winning titles at the sport’s four biggest tournaments.
“I wish this day would have never come,” Nadal said. “It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports people around the world. I said it to you when we spoke and now it’s here. It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court.”
Nadal now leads the men’s major championship count with 22, one ahead of Djokovic.
“I was lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget,” Federer said in Thursday’s announcement.
Addressing his “competitors on the court” — although not by name — he wrote: “We pushed each other, and together we took tennis to new levels.”
Federer’s last match anywhere came on July 7, 2021, when he lost at Centre Court in the Wimbledon quarterfinals to Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0.
Soon after, Federer had surgery to repair damage to his meniscus and cartilage in his right knee — his third operation on that knee in a span of 1 1/2 years.
“Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt,” Federer said Thursday, “and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”
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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/2022/09/15/roger-federer-says-he-is-retiring-from-pro-tennis-at-age-41/ | 2022-09-15T17:44:02Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/15/roger-federer-says-he-is-retiring-from-pro-tennis-at-age-41/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
San Gabriel Valley Varsity high school football stat leaders through the first four games as provided by Maxpreps.
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
PASSING
1. Jack Jacobs, St. Francis, 77 of 136, 1,166 yards, 11 TDs.
2. Drew Knight, Baldwin Park, 73 of 114, 1,159 yards, 10 TDs
3. Brian Salazar, Monrovia, 52 of 93, 987 yards, 12 TDs
4. Jake Jones, Temple City, 43 of 70, 882 yards, 12 TDs
5. Daniel Andrade, Bonita, 56 of 96, 805 yards, 10 TDs
6. Richie Munoz, Charter Oak, 49 of 79, 751 yards, 9 TDs
7. Andrew Maushardt, St. Paul, 45 of 76, 746 yards, 9 TDs
8. Ryan Vasquez, El Rancho, 50 of 98, 729 yards, 12 TDs
9. Indiana Wijay, Pasadena, 64 of 93, 716 yards, 4 TDs
10. Brady Beck, San Marino, 49 of 96, 677 yards, 7 TDs
RUSHING
1. Eric Terrazes, Sierra Vista, 948 yards, 13 TDs
2. Corey Cheung, La Canada, 637 yards, 11 TDs
3. Daniel Zarzosa, Wilson, 583 yards, 8 TDs
4. Keanu Tauvao, Northview, 537 yards, 6 TDs
5. Raul Gonzalez, Montebello, 515 yards, 3 TDs
6. Anthony Abad, Sonora, 509 yards, 5 TDs
7. Eric Egere, Rowland, 461 yards, 8 TDs
8. Gary San Angelo, South Hills, 432 yards, 5 TDs
9. Angel Barraza, Northview, 430 yards, 3 TDs
10. Miles O’Malley, Maranatha, 428 yards, 6 TDs
RECEIVING
1. Judah Douglas, Temple City, 24 receptions, 555 yards, 8 TDs
2. Maddox Bernardino, Diamond Bar, 29 receptions, 490 yards, 6 TDs
3. Ryan Park, San Marino, 23 receptions, 480 yards, 5 TDs
4. Josh Soto, Alhambra, 22 receptions, 428 yards, 3TDs
5. Antonio Gomez, California, 22 receptions, 407 yards, 1 TD
6. Tec Nunez, Baldwin Park, 15 receptions, 392 yards, 5 TDs
7. Carlos Hernandez, Monrovia, 21 receptions, 383 yards, 3 TDs
8. Richard Conti, South Pasdadena, 17 receptions, 364 yards, 3TDs
9. Caleb Galvin, Baldwin Park, 23 receptions, 356 yards, 4 TDs
10. Jaylen Moore, Monrovia, 17 receptions, 308 yards, 5 TDs
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
TACKLES
60 – Angel Barraza (Northview); 56 – Coleman Morning (San Marino); 52 – Adrein Gonzales (Northview); Phil Cotton (Walnut); 41 – Adrian Castro (La Serna); 40 – Daniel Santillan (Northview); 39 – Patrick Ward (Northview), Nikesh Patel (Montebello); 38 – Carl Shupper (Maranatha), Gabriel Medel (La Habra).
SACKS
6 – Chase Bernal (La Serna); 4 – Dominic Ancich (Whittier); Andrew Boecking (La Salle); 3.5 – Gabriel Medel (La Habra).
INTERCEPTIONS
3 – Carlos Hernandez (Monrovia), Joseph Macias (El Rancho); Evan Naranjo (California), Andrew Bojorquez (El Rancho), Lorenz Bayug (La Canada)
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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/2022/09/15/san-gabriel-football-stat-leaders-through-sept-15/ | 2022-09-15T17:44:08Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/09/15/san-gabriel-football-stat-leaders-through-sept-15/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Smith College Board of Trustees has announced its new president.
Sarah Willie-LeBreton has been named the college’s 12th president. She has been the provost and dean of the faculty at Swarthmore College where she has taught since 1997. She specializes in higher education, social inequality, community building, and African-American Culture.
Willie-LeBreton will take office at Smith College on July 1st, 2023.
Alison Overseth, chair of Smith’s board of trustees, commented, “In Sarah, we have found the extraordinary leader that the community intended as we began the search process. She has the vision, energy and strategic leadership experience necessary to move Smith toward our highest aspirations and goals for the future. Throughout the course of her career, she has demonstrated the courage to engage in challenging conversations and make difficult decisions while simultaneously exuding the joy, warmth, and curiosity that is required to lead an institution with empathy and integrity.”
Willie-LeBreton said, “I am thrilled to be joining the Smith College community. The commitment of extraordinary educators on the faculty and staff, passionate and curious students, devoted alums and generous trustees and friends offer models of scholarship, engagement, leadership and philanthropy that inspire me.” She continued, “The promise of education is not just the creation of knowledge, but the model of how to share it for our mutual liberation and the collective good. We tend to be more aware of injustice when it crashes in upon our lives, more aware of misogyny, racism and other forms of oppression when they circumscribe our possibilities, and more aware of the fragility of democracy when its admittedly young promise brought to us through the liberation struggles of its subdominant people is so clearly threatened. But so, too, are we more aware of knowledge when we participate in its co-creation, more appreciative of empathy when we receive it, more devoted to the liberal arts when we experience the power of mutually-informing disciplines.”
She concluded, “I am honored to have the faith and support of Smith’s Board of Trustees, grateful for my conversations with President McCartney, and deeply appreciative of the search committee for challenging me with questions of significance and for answering my queries with candor and imagination on behalf of the Smith community.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/smith-college-names-new-president/ | 2022-09-15T17:45:12Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/smith-college-names-new-president/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Partly cloudy and hazy today with good to moderate air quality. Morning temperatures in the 50s, low-mid 70s by noon and afternoon highs in the upper 70s-near 80.
An upper-level disturbance is currently moving through northeast Oregon and is producing thunderstorms in the southern Blues and Wallowa mountains. Hundreds of lightning strikes have occurred with these storms and this area will need to be watched for potential new fire starts. This first round of mountain storms should be ending by 10 AM. Another upper-level disturbance arrives this afternoon/evening with more showers and storms in the northeast mountains of Oregon. We may also see a stray shower in the Cascades later today.
Partly sunny and a cooler Friday with breezy afternoon winds developing ahead of an approaching weather system. This will usher in a pattern change this weekend giving us an early taste of Fall. Temperatures drop into the upper 60s-low 70s with overnight lows in the low 40s-near 50. Models are showing enough available moisture with this system for a few stray showers Saturday night through at least Sunday morning.
Ridging returns Monday with partly sunny skies and highs in the mid 70s. A weak disturbance will give us a few clouds and a chance for scattered mountain showers next Tuesday. Dry weather and sunshine Wednesday with highs in the mid-upper 70s and lows in the 40s. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/hazy-thursday/article_e36748fc-350f-11ed-b511-dff55a0978f8.html | 2022-09-15T17:49:18Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/hazy-thursday/article_e36748fc-350f-11ed-b511-dff55a0978f8.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RICHLAND, Wash.-
Washington River Protection Solutions and the Tri-Cities Cancer Center are holding the Cancer Crushing Challenge Run in Richland on Sunday, September, 18th.
The 10k, 6.2 mile road to river race starts on George Washington Way and goes to North Richland, before finishing on the path along the river. A pancake breakfast and mimosa garden will follow the run.
The run will start in the fingernail area of Howard Amon Park at 7 a.m. and should end around 12 p.m.
All proceeds go towards local cancer care in the Tri-Cities community. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/cancer-crushing-challenge-run-in-richland-on-sunday/article_6acca17e-3511-11ed-be82-c75392b80e11.html | 2022-09-15T17:49:24Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/cancer-crushing-challenge-run-in-richland-on-sunday/article_6acca17e-3511-11ed-be82-c75392b80e11.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SUNNYSIDE, Wash.-
The State of Washington has dismissed its case without prejudice against the juvenile suspect in the Cinco de Mayo shooting in Sunnyside that injured five people on May, 6, 2022.
According to a press release from the Yakima County Prosecutor's Office, the case is being dismissed because the only witness in the case has moved to California and does not want to voluntarily return.
By dismissing the case without prejudice the state may refile in the future if the witness or more evidence become available. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/case-against-sunnyside-cinco-de-mayo-shooter-dismissed/article_0f8b8e04-3513-11ed-ad59-9797460a4270.html | 2022-09-15T17:49:30Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/case-against-sunnyside-cinco-de-mayo-shooter-dismissed/article_0f8b8e04-3513-11ed-ad59-9797460a4270.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YAKIMA, WA - Hispanic Heritage Month started today, September 15 - October 15, 2022.
In Hispanic Heritage Month many people celebrate for different reasons, to some is about celebrating culture, for others, it's about paying tribute to those that have helped influence society today, and even further more... for some it's about remembering their family history and where they came from.
"The majority here at YVC we have over 60% of our students that we serve are Latin X," said Maria Cuevas a Chicano Studies Instructor at Yakima Valley College. "and a significant majority of that come from immigrant families."
According to the US Census population it estimates as of July 1, 2021, Yakima County had a higher percentage of Latino and Hispanic residents than the state and nation. Specifically, Yakima County’s Hispanic or Latino population comprises 50.2% of its population, much higher than Washington state of 13%.
So in the Yakima Valley, Cuevas told me it is important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
"It's important because their families experience discrimination and oppression at the same time that they are working for a better life," she said.
Historically, Hispanic Heritage Month first began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 but was later extended to a month in 1988, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
But, the term Hispanic wasn't always a positive term.
"It's lumping all Latinos into this you know this basket and that was all alike," said Cuevas.
Cuevas told me back in the 70s people didn't want to call themselves Hispanic because it didn't represent their culture.
"Many people in my generation, calling yourself Hispanic or Spanish was often the term was a way of denying then your indigenous and ethnic origins, also African origins," she said.
"Hispanic" is an umbrella term. According to Pew Research, A majority (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label.
So when did calling someone Hispanic become acceptable?
Well, there are still people who find the term uncomfortable and don't use it. Some people even struggled with celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month when it was first established, like Cuevas.
But now she thinks Hispanic Heritage Month is necessary.
"Because it helps call attention to the fact that we are here," said Cuevas. "That we exist, that we are contributing to this country and have been contributing in many ways."
For Latin Americans, Cuevas told me Hispanic Heritage Month doesn't just represent one thing, for some it represents a better future.
"We're blending in, we're learning the language, we're getting education despite of all of the challenges and the barriers," she said.
Another reason for the month is to start the conversation and learn more about Latin culture.
This year's theme for Hispanic Heritage Month is "Building prosperous and Healthy Communities."
Building on that theme, each week of the month the U.S. Department of Education has different weeks of action focusing on things like jobs in the economy, climate, and mental health and wellness.
If you would like to learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month click HERE.
Learn about: | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/hispanic-heritage-month/article_f0e9c774-34f7-11ed-8151-bf2ee23d3f01.html | 2022-09-15T17:49:36Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/hispanic-heritage-month/article_f0e9c774-34f7-11ed-8151-bf2ee23d3f01.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON STATE.-
According to the Emergency Management Division of Washington, Text-to-911 is now available in 31 of Washington's 39 counties, including Yakima and Walla Walla.
Benton and Franklin Counties are currently testing the the texting system, but have not publicly launched the service yet. The Benton County Sheriff's Office recently released tips for texting 911.
"It's very important that you only use Text-to-911 if you are not able to make a voice call. A voice call will get help coming to you much quicker than a text will due to the technical limitations of texting," said Andy Leneweaver, Deputy State E911 Coordinator for Enterprise Systems. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/text-to-911-now-available-in-yakima-walla-walla-counties/article_1671451c-3507-11ed-af62-6f03809a682c.html | 2022-09-15T17:49:42Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/text-to-911-now-available-in-yakima-walla-walla-counties/article_1671451c-3507-11ed-af62-6f03809a682c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today declared a quarterly common dividend of 47 cents per share.
This marks the 395th consecutive quarterly dividend to be paid by Abbott since 1924. The cash dividend is payable Nov. 15, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Oct. 14, 2022.
Abbott has increased its dividend payout for 50 consecutive years and is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have increased dividends annually for at least 25 consecutive years.
About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 113,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.
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SOURCE Abbott | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/abbott-declares-395th-consecutive-quarterly-dividend/ | 2022-09-15T17:53:26Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/abbott-declares-395th-consecutive-quarterly-dividend/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Coast Guard Cutter Maple, a 225-foot Juniper-class buoy tender, patrols the inland waters of Southeast Alaska, an area that covers 1,000 miles of intricate waterways. While on patrol the Maple conducts search and rescue operations, fisheries law enforcement, pollution response, and aids to navigation. Here the cutter is en route to perform maintenance on a buoy temporarily occupied by a seal. US Coast Guard Art Program 2016 Collection, Ob ID# 201622, "Buoy Maintenance." Robert Tandecki, watercolor, 10 x 14
This work, US Coast Guard Art Program 2016 Collection, Ob ID# 201622, "Buoy Maintenance." Robert Tandecki (22 of 26), by Maryann Bader, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7418562/us-coast-guard-art-program-2016-collection-ob-id-201622-buoy-maintenance-robert-tandecki-22-26 | 2022-09-15T17:53:57Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7418562/us-coast-guard-art-program-2016-collection-ob-id-201622-buoy-maintenance-robert-tandecki-22-26 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Press Briefing by White House Monkeypox Response Team and Public Health Officials.
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This work, Press Briefing by White House Monkeypox Response Team and Public Health Officials, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/video/857445/press-briefing-white-house-monkeypox-response-team-and-public-health-officials | 2022-09-15T17:55:14Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/video/857445/press-briefing-white-house-monkeypox-response-team-and-public-health-officials | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
French bulldog gives rare birth to 13 puppies
MORNING VIEW, Ky. (WXIX/Gray News) – A French bulldog in Northern Kentucky achieved something incredibly rare – giving birth to 13 puppies.
According to the website French Bulldog Owner, the average French bulldog will have around three puppies in a litter. Having seven puppies is rare, the website claims.
The dog’s owner, Jamie Walker, was expecting her dog to go into labor and noticed she was larger than most pregnant dogs.
“We went to the vet, and he said, ‘She might have six or seven [puppies],’ and he came back out with a basket behind me full of 13 puppies,” Walker told WXIX. “And that’s just unheard of.”
Walker is now wondering if his French bulldog is a record-setter.
Regardless, the mother and her puppies are healthy. The pups will be adopted to new homes when they are ready.
Copyright 2022 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/09/15/french-bulldog-gives-rare-birth-13-puppies/ | 2022-09-15T17:55:18Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/09/15/french-bulldog-gives-rare-birth-13-puppies/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bexson Biomedical, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on disrupting the small molecule injectable market and enabling home health solutions, today announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Application No. 17/546,880 filed on December 9, 2021 and titled Complexing Agent Salt Formulations of Pharmaceutical Compounds.
Bexson's formulation platform, branded as SEVALENTTM, is the basis for the Company's lead ketamine therapy, BB106. The Company believes this patent allowance expands the potential utility of its formulation technology, SEVALENTTM, to other small molecules. SEVALENTTM is designed to enable intravenous (IV)-only therapies to now be delivered subcutaneously in a controlled manner for use in the home setting.
"The allowance is significant as it protects our novel salt formulation technology across a broad platform of therapeutic areas," commented Jeffrey Becker, MD, Chief Scientific Officer. "There has been little innovation for delivery of small molecule therapies, which is why we believe the opportunity to migrate from IV to subcutaneous administration will be a game changer for both patients and payors."
"We are pleased with this step forward in building out the Company's patent portfolio and achieving another important milestone in protecting our formulation technology," said Gregg Peterson, CEO. "In addition, this allowance, along with our other patents, demonstrates our strong commitment to protecting the innovation and broad commercial opportunities offered by our growing product portfolio."
Bexson Biomedical, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on disrupting the small molecule injectable market and enabling home health solutions through new formulations designed for subcutaneous delivery. Bexson's proprietary platform, SEVALENTTM, can be applied to small molecules across a broad range of drug classes, enabling IV therapies to be delivered subcutaneously.
Bexson's lead therapy, BB106, is a low-dose ketamine treatment for post-operative pain management, a $36B global market and leading driver of opioid addiction. Additionally, management believes its BB106 formulation technology can be utilized to address various mental health indications.
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SOURCE Bexson Biomedical | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/bexson-biomedical-granted-uspto-patent-allowance-proprietary-formulation-technology-sevalent/ | 2022-09-15T17:55:45Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/bexson-biomedical-granted-uspto-patent-allowance-proprietary-formulation-technology-sevalent/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Health Matters is bringing its award-winning Fall Summit & Health Fair to Hollywood. Leveraging our expertise in creating spaces where Black Americans can take a moment to learn how to better manage their mental and physical well-being, we have created a free, day-long event with the aim of helping our community take better care of themselves, their loved ones, and their community.
Join us on October 1st for this special event virtually or in-person at The Center at Cathedral Plaza, 555 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles from 8:30am to 6:00pm PST. It will include panels, workshops, and activities featuring health and wellness experts, thought leaders and celebrity guests who are passionate about bringing health awareness to our community.
Our goal is to help build health equity for the Black American community, especially patients and caregivers looking for support while managing their health journeys. That is why we have included sessions that will address why Black Americans have a shorter life expectancy than white Americans and how structural racism is directly linked to our health outcomes. We also plan to cover how to minimize risk factors to avoid chronic disease and gain confidence to better communicate with your healthcare provider.
- In-person and virtual presentations by the nation's leading experts on Alzheimer's/dementia, breast cancer, clinical trial participation, hATTR Amyloidosis, HIV/AIDS, patient advocacy, prostate cancer, shingles, mental health and more.
- Notable celebrities sharing their personal health journeys including actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, Run the World star Amber Stevens West, actor and philanthropist James Pickens, Jr., actor, singer and director Vanessa Estelle Williams, actor Dawnn Lewis and comedian Michael Colyar.
- Emmy-award winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph will be presented with the Black Health Matters Impact Award for her advocacy as the founder of DIVAS Simply Singing! Raising Health Awareness.
- Free on-site health screenings (cancer, blood pressure, glucose and more).
- Complimentary breakfast, lunch and snack will be served.
- Special concert by singer and songwriter, Chante' Moore.
Register for this exciting and impactful event free at www.blackhealthmatters.com.
The Black Health Matters Fall Summit and Health Fair is sponsored by a blue-chip list of corporations and highly regarded non-profit organization. The Presenting Sponsors are AstraZeneca and Genentech, the Platinum Sponsors include AARP, Sanofi, Janssen's Research Includes Me, Travere and ViiV. Gold sponsors are Amgen, Alnylam, Bristol Myers Squib, GSK and Janssen. Supporting sponsors are Vertex and the American Cancer Society.
Black Health Matters (BHM) is the leading health, wellness and chronic disease interactive digital platform dedicated to improving health outcomes among African Americans. Launched in 2012 (one year prior to Black Lives Matter) and rooted in Black communities, our mission is to improve health literacy, which includes addressing health care, health policy, health equity, and health disparities for positive outcomes. For more information go to www.blackhealthmatters.com
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SOURCE Black Health Matters | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/black-health-matters-goes-hollywood-with-their-fall-summit-amp-health-fair/ | 2022-09-15T17:56:05Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/black-health-matters-goes-hollywood-with-their-fall-summit-amp-health-fair/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hellas is continuing to make a huge impact in the drought stricken western part of the United States as Granger High School in West Valley City, Utah has a newly installed multi-purpose athletic field to compete on near Salt Lake City.
Granger High School is part of the Granite School District. The students come from 50 different countries and speak over 30 languages, but they come together to rally around the Lancers and the red, blue and silver. School district officials realized it was time for repairs to the facility to ensure athlete safety. Working closely with Hellas experts helped make this project become a reality.
Hellas crews removed the previous field and installed new FusionH XP2® synthetic turf with RealFill™ infill. The field highlights include the letter "G" for Granger at midfield, plus mascot names and the lancer logo in the end zones. Field markings were added for football, soccer, and lacrosse.
FusionH XP2 is a combination of resilient monofilament fibers of Matrix® with Helix technology and slit-film two-color fibers. FusionH XP2 is designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and provides a safe, playable surface that feels like natural grass.
RealFill infill offers a uniform, predictable playing surface with a consistent GMAX reading throughout the life cycle of the turf. It's dust free SBR cuboidal rubber granules.
Hellas has positioned operational hubs across the United States to serve local markets nation-wide. It has offices in the following areas Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Wichita, and Miami. Hellas has built NFL fields from coast to coast. The Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers all play on Hellas' Matrix Helix synthetic turf.
About Hellas Construction Inc. – Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Hellas is America's largest sports contractor specializing in the manufacturing, construction and installation of sports surfaces and amenities. The firm owns and operates its own heavy construction equipment staffed by specially trained and certified employee crews. By controlling the supply chain and building facilities with its own forces, Hellas can complete any turf, track, court, or sports lighting project – start to finish – without delay. For more information visit www.hellasconstruction.com.
About Granger High School – GHS is a public high school located in West Valley City, Utah, United States. The teacher to student ratio is 25.64. The mascot is the Granger Lancer. The school is located in Granite School District.
About The Dallas Cowboys – a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and compete in the National Football League, East division.
About The Houston Texans - a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas and compete in the National Football League South division.
About The Los Angeles Rams - a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area that competes in the National Football League West division.
About The Los Angeles Chargers - a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 till they relocated to Los Angeles after the 2016 season and currently compete in the National Football League West division.
Media Contact: Jeff Power
Hellas Director of Communications
jpower@hellasconstruction.com
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The acquisition is on behalf of a Delaware statutory trust investment offering that seeks to raise $60.7 million in equity from accredited investors
RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Square, one of the nation's leading sponsors of tax-advantaged real estate investments and an active developer of multifamily communities, announced today the acquisition of Tapestry West, a 262-unit Class A multifamily community in Richmond, Virginia. The community was acquired on behalf of CS1031 Tapestry West Apartments, DST, which seeks to raise $60.7 million in equity from accredited investors and has a minimum investment requirement of $50,000.
"Capital Square is bullish on the Richmond market. The local economy is well known for its strength and stability," said Louis Rogers, founder and co-chief executive officer of Capital Square. "This is Capital Square's thirteenth acquisition of a multifamily community in the Richmond MSA. This is our home court. We aim to own the home court by acquiring best-in-class apartment communities."
Located at 2031 Maywill Street, Tapestry West is located in the midst of one of the city's most vibrant areas and features exceptional community amenities that include: a resort-style swimming pool and large sundeck; an outdoor kitchen and lounge area; a state-of-the-art fitness center; a yoga studio; a bike repair station; a pet spa; a meditation room; a package center; and a clubhouse that features billiards, a coffee bar, business center and co-working stations.
The property is in close proximity to midtown Richmond and the emerging neighborhood of Scott's Addition, which features 13 breweries, cideries and distilleries, as well as a host of restaurants, night spots and newly developed luxury multifamily communities that cater to a growing number of millennial residents and empty nesters. Established in 1901, Scott's Addition is a historic area that is now one of Richmond's fastest growing neighborhoods. Once primarily a hub for industrial buildings and businesses, Scott's Addition is now home to nationally recognized restaurants, rooftop bars, a boutique bowling alley, cinema, shuffleboard bar, retail shops and more. The area is conveniently located with ready access to several Interstates, including I-64, I-95 and I-195, providing ready access to all of Greater Richmond and the city's thriving employment base.
"Tapestry West, in our opinion, is an exceptional, luxury multifamily property that caters to Richmond's thriving population of young professionals who demand high-end finishes and luxury amenities," said Whitson Huffman, co-chief executive officer. "Greater Richmond is one of the Southeast's most attractive areas, with a highly educated workforce, a growing economy and a diverse industrial sector. Richmond is flourishing by nearly every measure and Capital Square is excited to be a part of its growth and vibrant future."
Since its founding in 1737, Richmond has been the strategic center of commerce, innovation and decision-making power in Virginia – a state known for being pro-business. Serving as the Commonwealth's capital, Richmond is home to key local, state and federal government agencies, providing a strong foundation for professional employment in law, government and finance sectors. In addition, CoStar has announced it will build a $460 million corporate campus in Richmond, creating 2,000 jobs. The LEGO Group is building a 1.7-million-square-foot plant that will be located on a 340-acre site in Chesterfield County, Virginia, part of the Richmond MSA. This will be the first U.S. factory for the maker of the universal plastic building blocks. With construction beginning in fall of 2022, LEGO is investing more than $1 billion to build the factory and it is anticipated to create more than 1,760 jobs.
Since its founding in 2012, Capital Square has acquired 154 real estate assets for over 6,000 investors seeking quality replacement properties that qualify for tax deferral under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code and other investors seeking stable cash flow and capital appreciation.
About Capital Square
Capital Square is a national real estate firm specializing in tax-advantaged real estate investments, including Delaware statutory trusts for Section 1031 exchanges, qualified opportunity zone funds for tax deferral and exclusion and a real estate investment trust (REIT). In recent years the company has become an active developer of mixed-use multifamily properties in the southeastern US, with eight current projects totaling approximately 2,000 apartment units with a total development cost in excess of $600 million. Since 2012, Capital Square has completed more than $6 billion in transaction volume. Capital Square's related entities provide a range of services, including due diligence, acquisition, loan sourcing, property/asset management, and disposition, for a growing number of high-net-worth investors, private equity firms, family offices and institutional investors. Since 2017, Capital Square has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation for six consecutive years. In 2017, 2018 and 2020, the company was also ranked on Richmond BizSense's list of fastest growing companies. Additionally, Capital Square was listed by Virginia Business on their "Best Places to Work in Virginia" report in 2019 and their "Fantastic 50" reports in 2019 and 2020. To learn more, visit www.CapitalSq.com.
Disclaimer: Securities offered through WealthForge Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Capital Square and WealthForge Securities, LLC are separate entities. There are material risks associated with investing in DST properties and real estate securities including illiquidity, tenant vacancies, general market conditions and competition, lack of operating history, interest rate risks, the risk of new supply coming to market and softening rental rates, general risks of owning/operating commercial and multifamily properties, short term leases associated with multi-family properties, financing risks, potential adverse tax consequences, general economic risks, development risks, long hold periods, and potential loss of the entire investment principal. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Potential cash flow, returns and appreciation are not guaranteed. IRC Section 1031 is a complex tax concept; consult your legal or tax professional regarding the specifics of your particular situation. This is not a solicitation or an offer to see any securities. Please read the Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) in its entirety, paying careful attention to the risk section prior to investing. Diversification does not guarantee profits or protect against losses. Private placements are speculative.
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WASHINGTON , Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) incorporated a number of changes recommended by the CAH Task Force on Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and made progress towards its equitable funding goals.
In 2021, CAH successfully worked with the DC Council to legislatively establish an expanded general operating support grant program. CAH now allocates 54% of its annual grants budget to general operating support (GOS) grants. This measure allows for an increased pool of funding for these awards. To create a more equitable evaluation process, applicants are grouped and reviewed in cohorts with similar-sized budgets. These unrestricted grant funds enable CAH grantee partners to build capacity and organizational infrastructure.
One year into the new grant funding formula and nearly two years after the findings of the taskforce, CAH's efforts have yielded some positive results. In FY22, 22 new grantee partners received $2.81 million in funding via the GOS program. CAH also increased its grant awards to organizations and artists in Wards 4, 5, 7 & 8, where funding has historically been smaller and less equitably distributed, by $5.4 million, a 78% increase from FY21. CAH increased the grant allocation for organizations and artists in these wards by 7%.
CAH saw an overall budget increase of $11.6 Million dollars in FY22 (an 27% increase) from its FY21 budget, including critically important relief funds to artists and institutions in the District facing financial instability from the COVID-19 pandemic. CAH awarded over $2.5 million to 340 organizations through the FY22 Relief and Recovery Fund (RRF) grant. Over $1.38 million of these funds went to artists and organizations in Wards 4, 5, 7 & 8.
"The CAH has a clear mission: to equitably invest in the city's arts and cultural sector, drive innovation, and to bolster the entire ecosystem of the arts and humanities in the nation's capital" said CAH Chairperson Reggie Van Lee. "With this historic investment and focus on strengthening the capacity of our grantee partners, CAH is doing our part to build a more sustainable arts community in the District. We have expanded our programming, welcomed new grantee partners, collaborated with other District agencies, and substantially increased our direct engagement to the community. Our important work has just begun, but we are pleased with our forward process."
The Commission also made an impact in the community through partnerships. CAH partnered with the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) and DC Public Schools (DCPS) on the Color the Curb: School Safety Program to heighten the awareness of vehicular and pedestrian safety near schools. CAH also began a new partnership with the DC Public Library, allowing for the development of free cultural programming for District residents and visitors.
To learn more about the work of CAH and some of the agency's recent success stories visit dcarts.dc.gov.
Additional Highlights Include:
- CAH increased its funding support to the DC Department of Small & Local Business Development (DSLBD) to $285,000 to support and expand the Art All Night festival, a celebration of local artists, businesses, and organizations, which attracts more than 120,000 attendees. The festival, held on September 23 and 24, highlights the District's robust arts sector.
- 85 Grantee partners participated in the FY22 Mentor/Protégé Program, CAH's annual summer capacity building program. This initiative supports both large and small organizations and creates an ecosystem where they can support and learn from each other.
CONTACT
Jeffrey Scott (CAH), 202-341-9908, jeffrey.scott@dc.gov
Press Office (Bayne); 202-594-9223; press@bayne.com
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SOURCE DC Commission on Arts & Humanities | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/dc-commission-arts-humanities-reports-significant-progress-efforts-make-art-funding-more-equitable/ | 2022-09-15T17:57:08Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/dc-commission-arts-humanities-reports-significant-progress-efforts-make-art-funding-more-equitable/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Updated September 15, 2022 at 12:47 PM ET
A strike that could have halted both freight and passenger trains across the country seems to have been averted.
After a marathon negotiating session lasting 20 hours, the White House announced early Thursday that a tentative agreement had been reached between rail companies and the unions representing conductors and engineers.
"This agreement is validation – validation of what I've always believed. Unions and management can work together, can work together for the benefit of everyone," President Biden said, calling the deal a win for America and for rail workers who worked tirelessly through the pandemic to deliver goods.
Union members still have to vote to ratify the agreement before it is finalized. A vote is not expected for at least a couple of weeks.
The parties had been negotiating the contract without resolution for several years and were facing a 12:01 am Friday deadline, the end of a "cooling off period."
Biden called in to the talks at 9 p.m. Wednesday night to urge groups to "be flexible, be creative, get a deal done," an official said. At 2 a.m. Thursday, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh called to announce they had a deal.
Already this week, freight rail companies had halted shipments of hazardous materials, including chlorine to water treatment plants and chemicals for fertilizers, not wanting those goods to be left unattended should a strike be called.
Amtrak said in a statement it is working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures. Yesterday, Amtrak announced that it was canceling all of its long-distance trains due to the threatened strike.
The National Carriers' Conference Committee, which represents the nation's freight railroads said: "The tentative agreements announced today follow the August 16 recommendations of Presidential Emergency Board...which include a 24% wage increase during the five-year period from 2020 through 2024 — with a 14.1% wage increase effective immediately — and five annual $1,000 lump sum payments."
The deal also includes changes to workplace attendance policies that workers found overly punitive. Under the tentative agreement, workers will be able to take time off for medical care without facing discipline, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the SMART Transportation Division confirmed in a joint statement.
Those attendance policies had become the major sticking point as the deadline for a deal neared.
In an interview with NPR, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the proposed deal will bring not just pay increases and quality of life improvements for workers but will help the railroads as well.
"It means a way to attract and retain great workers," Buttigieg said. "It means avoiding the disruptions that could have accompanied any kind of shutdown or or slowdown."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-15/biden-says-tentative-railway-labor-deal-has-been-reached-averting-a-strike | 2022-09-15T17:57:09Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-15/biden-says-tentative-railway-labor-deal-has-been-reached-averting-a-strike | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) declared the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.50 per share on Nucor's common stock. This cash dividend is payable on November 10, 2022 to stockholders of record on September 30, 2022 and is Nucor's 198th consecutive quarterly cash dividend.
Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel racking; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; insulated metal panels; overhead doors; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and hot briquetted iron / direct reduced iron; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.
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SOURCE Nucor Corporation | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/nucor-announces-198th-consecutive-cash-dividend/ | 2022-09-15T17:58:09Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/nucor-announces-198th-consecutive-cash-dividend/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hellas is continuing to make a huge impact in the drought stricken western part of the United States as Granger High School in West Valley City, Utah has a newly installed multi-purpose athletic field to compete on near Salt Lake City.
Granger High School is part of the Granite School District. The students come from 50 different countries and speak over 30 languages, but they come together to rally around the Lancers and the red, blue and silver. School district officials realized it was time for repairs to the facility to ensure athlete safety. Working closely with Hellas experts helped make this project become a reality.
Hellas crews removed the previous field and installed new FusionH XP2® synthetic turf with RealFill™ infill. The field highlights include the letter "G" for Granger at midfield, plus mascot names and the lancer logo in the end zones. Field markings were added for football, soccer, and lacrosse.
FusionH XP2 is a combination of resilient monofilament fibers of Matrix® with Helix technology and slit-film two-color fibers. FusionH XP2 is designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and provides a safe, playable surface that feels like natural grass.
RealFill infill offers a uniform, predictable playing surface with a consistent GMAX reading throughout the life cycle of the turf. It's dust free SBR cuboidal rubber granules.
Hellas has positioned operational hubs across the United States to serve local markets nation-wide. It has offices in the following areas Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Wichita, and Miami. Hellas has built NFL fields from coast to coast. The Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers all play on Hellas' Matrix Helix synthetic turf.
About Hellas Construction Inc. – Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Hellas is America's largest sports contractor specializing in the manufacturing, construction and installation of sports surfaces and amenities. The firm owns and operates its own heavy construction equipment staffed by specially trained and certified employee crews. By controlling the supply chain and building facilities with its own forces, Hellas can complete any turf, track, court, or sports lighting project – start to finish – without delay. For more information visit www.hellasconstruction.com.
About Granger High School – GHS is a public high school located in West Valley City, Utah, United States. The teacher to student ratio is 25.64. The mascot is the Granger Lancer. The school is located in Granite School District.
About The Dallas Cowboys – a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and compete in the National Football League, East division.
About The Houston Texans - a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas and compete in the National Football League South division.
About The Los Angeles Rams - a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area that competes in the National Football League West division.
About The Los Angeles Chargers - a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 till they relocated to Los Angeles after the 2016 season and currently compete in the National Football League West division.
Media Contact: Jeff Power
Hellas Director of Communications
jpower@hellasconstruction.com
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SOURCE Hellas Construction, Inc. | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/hellas-lays-groundwork-lancer-victory-with-new-multi-purpose-field/ | 2022-09-15T17:58:17Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/hellas-lays-groundwork-lancer-victory-with-new-multi-purpose-field/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Oliver will oversee the credit union's governance and legal functions
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OnPoint Community Credit Union has hired attorney and finance law expert Wendy Beth Oliver to serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. She joins the Executive Team of Oregon's largest credit union with more than 489,000 members and $9.3 billion in assets.
As Chief Legal Officer, Oliver leads OnPoint's legal strategy and team, aligns its legal and business goals, and advises the credit union on corporate governance, contracts, compliance and regulatory issues. Oliver previously served as the credit union's Vice President and General Counsel, managing the credit union's legal compliance and corporate governance.
"Wendy's extensive experience in various sectors of the financial services industry over the last 30 years is a great asset to our organization," said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. "As a dynamic leader with deep legal and institutional knowledge, Wendy will fuel our goals of breaking our charitable giving records, welcoming our 500,000th member and providing services and products that put money back in our members' pockets, among others. We are fortunate to have her on board in this new role as we continue to build on our commitment to our members, community and employees."
Oliver has more than 30 years of experience as a legal advisor in the financial services industry, providing outside counsel for a range of financial services companies, including banks, mortgage and small business firms, and a fintech startup. Before joining OnPoint as Chief Legal Officer, she held General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer positions at Grit Financial Inc. and Aven, a California-based fintech startup.
"For 30 years, I've counseled various financial institutions, helping them manage legal risk and compliance," said Oliver. "It's an honor to rejoin and expand my role at OnPoint, and I look forward to continuing to evolve its legal functions to protect OnPoint, its members and communities."
Oliver received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago and her Juris Doctorate from Duke University School of Law. Oliver received her Master's in Public Administration from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, where she was a Gramlich Fellow.
Oliver serves on the vestry of St. David of Wales Episcopal Church, volunteers at Brigid's Table to help prepare and serve dinners, and serves on the Oregon State Bar's Client Security Fund Committee. She lives in Clackamas County and is an avid gardener and adventurous traveler.
The OnPoint Executive Team is comprised of the following members:
- Rob Stuart, President/Chief Executive Officer
- Cirith Anderson, Senior Vice President/Chief Risk Officer
- Jim Armstrong, Senior Vice President/Chief Information Officer
- Tim Clevenger, Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer
- Jim Hunt, Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
- Steve Leugers, Senior Vice President/Chief Credit Officer
- Tory McVay, Senior Vice President/Chief Retail Officer
- Wendy Beth Oliver, Senior Vice President/Chief Legal Officer
Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 489,000 members and with assets of $9.3 billion. OnPoint membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 800-527-3932.
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- Silver Lake also participated in the round, in addition to 8VC and other investors
- New round of funding will enhance Rephrase.ai's capabilities by integrating enhanced product experiences, scaling hiring across the business, and expanding its North American presence
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rephrase.ai ("the Company"), a generative AI startup that aims to humanize communication through synthetic media, has raised $10.6 million in a Series A financing round. This new financing was led by Red Ventures, a global company with a diverse portfolio of brands and businesses focused on offering premium content and personalized digital experiences, including Lonely Planet, CNET, Healthline, Bankrate, The Points Guy, NextAdvisor, and more. Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing and an investor in Red Ventures, also participated in the round, in addition to 8VC and other investors.
This investment will allow the Company to enhance its capabilities by integrating product experiences; scaling hiring across the business, including within the Engineering, AI, Product, Sales, and Marketing teams; and expanding its presence in North America.
Rephrase.ai aims to democratize video, making high-quality video creation capabilities available to companies of all sizes across all industries. With video becoming the new default mode of communication, synthetic video creation capabilities empower marketing, communications, and content teams to scale and humanize their efforts. Rephrase.ai has worked with more than 50 global enterprises, including, Castrol, Mondelez, and Xiaomi to name a few, to deliver high-quality video creation capabilities.
Rephrase.ai uses deep learning to create digital avatars of actual humans that can be used for synthetic video content with only text required as input. In the last year, the Company has developed numerous digital avatars of Chief Experience Officers (CXOs), influencers, and celebrities characterized by advanced facial mapping, lip synchronization, voice, and expression capabilities. Through its contributions to award-winning marketing campaigns and leading-edge synthetic product launches, Rephrase.ai helps businesses grow engagement and efficiencies around communications by increasing conversion, click-through rates (CTRs), consumption, and content adoption while reducing customer acquisition costs. As a pioneer in video generative AI technology, Rephrase.ai has ensured that technology is used safely and with consent. The "Assured by Rephrase.ai" framework is now used as a hallmark in the industry.
"Given how people consume information today, scalable solutions to deliver personalized video are needed now more than ever," said Carlos Angrisano, President at Red Ventures. "With the current mass customization of video content, our big bet is on the reinvention of the video production process, and that, as a business process technology, has incredible potential. We are impressed by Rephrase.ai's leadership and talent bench, which is a tremendous competitive advantage in such a nascent field." In the last year, the team at Rephrase AI has grown from 12 to 35 people and has built a best-in-class team including researchers with experience at leading technology companies including Google, Samsung, Facebook, and Amazon.
"I believe a large opportunity is Rephrase.ai's ability to provide an easy-to-use API for anyone to create videos without high labor and time requirements," said Venkatesh Seetharam, Advisor at 8VC. "Their vision has the potential to be an inflection point in the video generation process. Rephrase.ai has the potential to become the defacto generative AI platform for video and is well positioned to build an invaluable company with a similar API strategy."
"We started Rephrase.ai four years ago with the goal of building an engine that can make creating professional quality videos as easy as writing text," said Ashray Malhotra, CEO and Co-founder of Rephrase.ai. "In the last year, we've developed hundreds of digital human clones, creating millions of videos during the process. I'm thrilled to welcome Red Ventures, Silver Lake, and 8VC as partners on this journey to help expedite the world's adoption of generative AI videos. Given their operational and investing experience, we could not have imagined a better set of people to help us bring this vision to life. The intent of humanizing communications is to bring the ability to communicate with people, like people."
About Rephrase AI
Rephrase.ai is a deep learning company that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI)to create synthetic video content. With the help of its AI technology, Rephrase.ai can clone any person to create their digital avatar. Using its re-generative AI platform, Rephrase.ai helps businesses create synthetic videos of real humans to communicate with their customers, employees, and other stakeholders with only text required as input. The Company was founded in 2019 by Ashray Malhotra, Nisheeth Lahoti, and Shivam Mangla, who are IIT alumni and Forbes Asia 30 under 30.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1900126/Rephrase_Founders.jpg
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Fragrance Subscription Service Broadens Offering with Exclusive Lineup of Elevated Fragrances Available Only to Saks and Scentbird Customers
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading fragrance subscription company, Scentbird, will debut a partnership with Saks, the premier luxury ecommerce platform today. Through the collaboration, Scentbird subscribers will have access to a curated assortment of over 30 highly-coveted men's, women's and unisex fragrances from luxury brands for a limited time. In addition to its 600+ designers and niche fragrances currently offered, Scentbird will add the following labels to its lineup: Sisley, Creed, Tiziana Terenzi, Initio, Parfums Prives, Ex Nihilo, Acqua di Parma, Parfums de Marly, House of Sillage, Amouage, Veronique Gabai and Goutal Paris.
Starting today, the collaboration will direct members to a co-branded Saks x Scentbird landing page, providing the option for customers to purchase a full size bottle of their choice directly from Saks.com. Scentbird's existing subscription service includes delivery of a 30-day supply of designer perfume or cologne to the subscriber's door each month for $16.95. The Saks Collection fragrances will arrive in a limited edition 8ml black atomizer for a $10 premium upcharge.
"As the premier destination for luxury fashion, we are continuously personalizing our offering to enhance the shopping experience for our customers," said Kate Oldham, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of beauty, jewelry and home at Saks. "Through our partnership with Scentbird, we are delivering a unique fragrance discovery experience that cannot be found anywhere else online."
"Scentbird is continually evolving to best meet the needs of our members," said Scentbird CEO, Mariya Nurislamova. "Our new initiative with Saks will be another step toward elevating and empowering our customer experience through scent discovery. Like us, Saks seeks to consistently innovate the digital luxury space and create unparalleled, personalized destinations for customers seeking self-expression—whether through fragrance or other categories."
For more information about the Saks x Scentbird Collection, please visit https://www.scentbird.com/saks.
Saks is the premier digital platform for luxury fashion in North America. Driven by a mission to help customers express themselves through relevant and inspiring style, we serve as a destination to explore and discover the latest from established and emerging designers. Our expertly curated assortment features sought-after names in women's, men's and kids fashion, as well as beauty, home and lifestyle merchandise. Through the Saks website and app, we provide access to professional stylists, inspiring editorial content and interactive events. Our differentiated approach seamlessly combines elevated online experiences with in-person services through an exclusive partnership with the Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
Visit Saks.com for more information. Follow @saks on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, and @thesaksman on Instagram.
Scentbird is the leading fragrance subscription service to provide a sustainable approach to scents. With over 600 niche and designer fragrances ranging from Jason Wu to Versace, Scentbird allows consumers to discover new fragrances of their choosing every single month for $16.95.
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PITTSBURGH, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "We wanted a convenient piece of durable and inexpensive fitness equipment to tone and straighten the muscles in the arms, shoulders, back, chest, core and legs and we found existing equipment incomplete or immobile," said one of two inventors, from Tucson, Ariz., "so we came up with 2" Workout. Our design would eliminate the need to purchase and use different expensive and bulky home gym systems and it is easily transportable."
The patent-pending invention provides a versatile piece of exercise equipment for fitness enthusiasts and physical therapists. In doing so, it enables the user to engage in a wide range of upper and lower body strength training and stretching exercises. It also could be used to engage and assist in martial arts and core workouts including physical rehabilitation uses (i.e. low impact stretching) for physical therapy clients. The invention features a space-saving design and it can be temporarily installed within a home's interior. It is ideal for fitness enthusiasts; physical therapists; judo practitioners; individuals who play baseball, football, volleyball, swim or practice other sports; and sports trainers. Additionally, a prototype is available.
The original design was submitted to the Tucson sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-TUC-461, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/inventhelp-inventors-develop-versatile-amp-space-saving-exercise-equipment-tuc-461/ | 2022-09-15T17:59:09Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/inventhelp-inventors-develop-versatile-amp-space-saving-exercise-equipment-tuc-461/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Host extraordinary gatherings in a stunning special events venue with a personality and charm unlike any other.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club has an important message for event planners — really, for anyone seeking a one-of-a-kind, world-class venue for a truly memorable private event.
"Formal, casual, intimate, or elegant - every event held at Jimmy's is personalized exclusively for our clients and tailored to exceed their expectations. We treat every event at Jimmy's as an important relationship requiring the utmost care, commitment, and attention to detail to be successful," states Rachel Huddleston, Event Sales Director at Jimmy's. "We want all events held at Jimmy's to be outstanding experiences!"
The high-touch hospitality team at Jimmy's is dedicated to delivering everything needed to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate to large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and unforgettable celebrations.
Located in the heart of historic Portsmouth, this architecturally breathtaking and meticulously restored 1905 landmark is built to bring people together…and set any event apart with a one-of-a-kind "Wow Factor."
A towering glass-and-steel atrium. Intimate rooms with fireplaces and bay windows. Balconies perched overlooking the grand main stage. Opulently appointed VIP areas. Original arched stained-glass features. And so much more.
Lovingly restored to preserve and celebrate local history and architecture, the high-ceilinged spaces are alive with the positive vibrations of world-class musical artists like Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Arturo Sandoval, and Lee Ritenour.
Next-level culinary experiences take center stage at Jimmy's, where "The Pursuit of Deliciousness" is the flavorful motto of executive chef Brian Stuart. Chef and his team cultivate personal connections with local farmers and fishermen who supply Jimmy's the finest and freshest ingredients. The unique southern-influenced, New England-inspired cuisine can be customized to meet any event's exact needs and requirements.
Engineered with the leading-edge sound and acoustics, lighting and AV systems required to showcase world-class jazz and blues artists, Jimmy's also offers in-house theater and projector capabilities, including a six-camera video system for livestreaming events, capturing key moments, or recording entire functions for future viewing.
Whatever the occasion, the entire team at Jimmy's puts heart and soul into curating truly memorable experiences for each group of guests. They cordially invite you to reach out to explore hosting your special event at Jimmy's — a singularly spectacular, full-service event space with a personality and charm unlike any other.
To start a conversation about hosting your special event at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, please fill out our Event Request Form or call 888-603-5299 or email events@jimmysoncongress.com.
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues.
Website
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette,
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-spectacular-full-service-event-space-with-wow-factor/ | 2022-09-15T17:59:22Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-spectacular-full-service-event-space-with-wow-factor/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEWARK, Del., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennar, one of the nation's leading homebuilders, announced today the grand opening of a brand-new active adult community, The Cascades, bringing a premier 55-and-better lifestyle and Lennar's trademark new home quality to Newark, within Delaware's New Castle County. Home shoppers are invited to join in the celebration, taking place Saturday, September 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Festivities will include delicious desserts provided by the Milk & Sugar food truck and exclusive tours of two stunning Lennar model homes. Following the event, regular model home hours at The Cascades will be by appointment.
"The Cascades is designed exclusively for active adults aged 55 and better and includes Lennar's trademark quality both in the homes that we build and in the lifestyles that we create," said Tench Tilghman, Philadelphia Division President for Lennar. "Residents will enjoy the latest comforts of a new Lennar home, plus great community amenities and added benefits like lawn maintenance packages that create a low-maintenance lifestyle."
Homes at The Cascades range from 1,728 to 2,593 square feet, with two to three bedrooms and two to three baths. All homes feature generous open layouts, gourmet kitchens, first-floor owner's suites and second-floor suites with a bed, bath and loft. Exteriors feature covered rear porches and top-notch curb appeal. Pricing begins in the mid $400,000s.
All homes incorporate the latest technology with conveniences like Ring video doorbells, keyless entries, smart thermostats, smart garage door openers and enhanced Wi-Fi. Every home also comes with Lennar's signature Everything's Included® program, where the homebuilder's most popular options and upgrades are built into the base price of the home. At The Cascades, this includes quartz kitchen countertops, shaker wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, wide plank flooring, and a host of other carefully curated interior touches and designer fixtures.
Residents at The Cascades will enjoy thoughtful details including homesites that back to scenic wooded open spaces and lawn maintenance packages that remove the hassle of yard upkeep and seasonal chores. The clubhouse serves as the community's central gathering space with a fitness center, pool and fireside seating to enjoy the company of others.
The Cascades is close to neighborhood shopping and dining, and less than 20 minutes from the popular Christiana Mall. It is minutes from the Chesapeake Bay, brimming with water-borne activities. Glasgow Regional Park offers additional recreational opportunities, including hiking, fishing and two dog parks.
The Cascades model homes and sales office are located at 513 Davis Falls Dr., Newark, Delaware. For more information, call (484) 795-1850 or visit the The Cascades Community Website or www.lennar.com.
About Lennar Corporation
Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title and closing services primarily for buyers of Lennar's homes and, through LMF Commercial, originates mortgage loans secured primarily by commercial real estate properties throughout the United States. Lennar's Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. LENX drives Lennar's technology, innovation and strategic investments. For more information about Lennar, please visit lennar.com.
Contact: Danielle Tocco
Vice President Communications
Lennar Corporation
Danielle.Tocco@Lennar.com
Direct Line: 949.789.1633
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SOURCE Lennar | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/lennar-announces-grand-opening-cascades-bringing-low-maintenance-active-adult-homes-delawares-new-castle-county/ | 2022-09-15T17:59:42Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/lennar-announces-grand-opening-cascades-bringing-low-maintenance-active-adult-homes-delawares-new-castle-county/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A group of 50 migrants landed on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday. They were flown there from Florida, apparently on order from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee gets the latest from Eve Zuckoff from WCAI.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-15/50-migrants-land-on-marthas-vineyard | 2022-09-15T17:59:53Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-09-15/50-migrants-land-on-marthas-vineyard | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The opening of USSM's pilot battery PCAM plant in rural Missouri marks the first time an American company produces critical minerals wholly in the United States to meet U.S. EV battery demand.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Strategic Metals, LLC ("USSM"), a company committed to obtaining the critical minerals ethically and sustainably to fuel the green energy revolution and advance America's economic and national security, today announced that it will break ground later this month for a pilot precursor cathode active material ("PCAM") plant on USSM's facility in rural Missouri.
USSM's PCAM facility, combined with its existing hydrometallurgical processing plant ("hydromet"), will close the loop on the production of critical minerals wholly within the United States. When USSM enters production of PCAM, American electric vehicle manufacturers and battery companies may no longer need to go outside the United States—to China or other countries—to get the critical material needed to power their vehicles.
"This new PCAM plant will dramatically improve America's production of electric vehicle batteries by creating an end-to-end battery materials pipeline here in the United States, is already creating new jobs and significant economic opportunities in a rural and economically challenged community, and represents a major environmental and economic success story, with USSM partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri's Department of Natural Resources to clean up this former lead mine and make it into a new engine for growth," said Stacy W. Hastie, CEO of U.S. Strategic Metals.
"This new plant and its ability to provide cobalt, nickel, lithium, and other critical minerals alongside USSM's strategic vision and approach to protecting America's access to such material has the potential to help break China's stranglehold on the processing of these critical materials once and for all," said Jamil N. Jaffer, former senior advisor to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and USSM Advisory Board Member.
USSM's hydromet pilot plant—up and running successfully for over two years—uses proprietary American technology to process a wide range of raw materials cleanly—including material from used EV batteries, existing mine waste, and raw ore—to obtain new battery-grade metals and other strategic metals. By building a commercial-scale hydromet plant—which USSM expects will begin commissioning by the end of the year—USSM estimates that it could supply half the United States total demand for cobalt and nickel sulfate by 2025 and potentially the full U.S. demand for cobalt sulfate soon thereafter.
Today, China processes upwards of 90% of the world's cobalt along with many other critical minerals. As a result, China controls a key element of the world's supply chain for EV batteries and other critical
aerospace and defense applications. USSM's capacity to obtain and process these materials, as well as other critical minerals, represents a massive opportunity to lead on environmental protection and enhance the national security of the United States.
USSM's new and existing pilot and commercial-scale facilities—combined with USSM's ownership of one of the largest domestic sites of strategic metals with over 3,800 acres of mineral rights—enables USSM to rapidly commercialize a domestic supply of ethically and sustainably sourced critical minerals to meet our nation's unprecedented demand. Indeed, with the successful completion of its pilot PCAM plant and the future construction of a commercial-scale PCAM facility in partnership with the industry-leading engineering and design-build firm CLAYCO, USSM will be the first producer of cobalt in the world with a complete, closed-loop supply chain in the United States adhering to the highest standards of ethics and environmental stewardship.
USSM uses a transformative hydrometallurgical process that can substantially reduce emissions, waste, and the inefficient power consumption plaguing other processing capabilities like leaching and smelting used in China and elsewhere. USSM also has valuable partnerships with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help ensure that all of USSM's efforts are consistent with our nation's global leadership on environmental matters.
This means that USSM has the potential to completely relieve the United States' current dependence on foreign adversaries in a way that is consistent with American values. Moreover, in addition to being able to obtain these key battery materials wholly within the United States, having a domestic processing capability in the U.S. means that USSM has the potential to disintermediate China from its current role processing the vast majority of the world's cobalt supply.
For more information, visit USSM's Website. Information on USSM's website is not incorporated by reference into this press release, and you should not consider information on USSM's website to be part of this press release.
U.S. Strategic Minerals, LLC ("USSM"), is a holding company whose constituent companies are committed to undertaking high quality, reliable, ethical, and sustainable efforts to obtain critical minerals to protect the economic and national security of the United States. USSM, through its subsidiary, Missouri Cobalt, is the only vertically integrated producer and recycler of critical battery materials, including cobalt, nickel, and lithium, in North America and is therefore strategically positioned to supply clean, domestic, and ethically sourced battery metals required to meet the unprecedented demand for electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements regarding U.S. Strategic Metals '("USSM") ability to obtain cobalt, nickel, lithium and other strategic minerals and the impact of USSM's capabilities on the national security and economic security of the United States. When used in this press release, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions, or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other important factors, many of which are outside USSM's management's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include: USSM's ability identify, process, or otherwise obtain cobalt, nickel, lithium and other strategic minerals; USSM's ability to execute on its plans to develop new capabilities to identify, process, or otherwise obtain strategic minerals and the timing of the development of these capabilities; the rate and degree of market acceptance of USSM's capabilities; the success of other competing capabilities that may become available; USSM's ability to identify and integrate acquisitions; the performance of USSM's capabilities; the state of national and international markets for strategic minerals; potential litigation involving USSM; and general economic and market conditions impacting demand for USSM's products. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties relevant to USSM's business including any documents that USSM files with the SEC from time to time or otherwise makes public. These filings and documents may identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and USSM does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
This communication shall neither constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
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SOURCE US Strategic Metals | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/us-strategic-metals-announces-wholly-domestic-production-critical-minerals-electric-vehicle-batteries/ | 2022-09-15T17:59:56Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/us-strategic-metals-announces-wholly-domestic-production-critical-minerals-electric-vehicle-batteries/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Supported by Microsoft, the Campaign promotes the Trust Project's 8 Trust Indicators®
PACIFICA, Calif., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This morning, the Trust Project, a global consortium of news organizations responding to the crisis of trust and misinformation through the 8 Trust Indicators®, the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public (CIP) and Accelerating Social Transformation (AST) leadership program jointly announced a powerful new national news literacy campaign supported by Microsoft. The nonpartisan campaign leverages the Trust Project's 8 Trust Indicators® to strengthen democracy by empowering the public to easily assess the trustworthiness of news.
"With the global threat of misinformation so widely known, a large 'anxious middle' has arisen that we believe will welcome and benefit greatly from our simple system to assess news confidently," said Sally Lehrman, founder and CEO of the Trust Project. "Thanks to Microsoft and our wonderful partners at the University of Washington and RTDNA, millions of Americans will learn about our Trust Indicators®. Our goal is to build the public's capacity to resist misinformation and strengthen informed public participation in civic life."
"Microsoft strongly believes in the importance of media literacy education and is pleased to amplify the Trust Project's work to the millions of users of our news platform. Microsoft sees an urgent need to help consumers improve their ability to assess information online and to become more informed consumers of news and information," said Teresa Hutson, Microsoft Vice President of Technology and Corporate Responsibility.
Collaboration partners the Radio Television Digital News Association, the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public, and UW's Accelerating Social Transformation leadership program all share the Trust Project's belief that knowledge is power.
Created by the Trust Project, The 8 Trust Indicators® are a widely accepted standard for assessing the integrity behind a news site. They are transparency disclosures that show who and what is behind a given news story, including the standards, policies and expertise that ensure the site is producing honest journalism in service to the public interest. Since their creation, hundreds of news sites have adopted them.
A collaboration across four influential organizations, the nonpartisan media literacy campaign exposes millions of Americans this fall to clever calls-to-action on multiple Microsoft platforms, drawing attention to the Trust Project's 8 Trust Indicators®. Additionally, the campaign leverages more than a dozen "Trust Indicator Ambassadors" who will evangelize the 8 Trust Indicators® across their communities. Throughout the campaign, the collaborators aim to better understand which ad creatives and messages drive the strongest results and share those insights. Compose[d], a New York-based agency and Certified B-Corp, managed creative production and media.
To learn more about the partnership and the 8 Trust Indicators®, visit: https://thetrustproject.org/trusted-journalism/
Accelerating Social Transformation (AST), a professional development program offered through the Evans School for Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington, catalyzes and amplifies one's potential to drive transformational social impact. Dr. Akhtar Badshah, an expert in the social impact field, leads AST with individuals from nonprofits, corporations, academia, and governments from around the world to supercharge their potential for leading positive change.
The University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public is a nonpartisan research center with a mission to resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse. We have assembled world-class researchers, labs, thought leaders, and practitioners to translate research about misinformation and disinformation into policy, technology design, curriculum development, and public engagement. This interdisciplinary effort is led by the Information School, Human Centered Design & Engineering and the School of Law, with collaboration from numerous other university and community partners.
RTDNA is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to broadcast and digital journalism. Founded as a grassroots organization in 1946, RTDNA's mission is to promote and protect responsible journalism. RTDNA defends the First Amendment rights of electronic journalists throughout the country, honors outstanding work in the profession through the Edward R. Murrow Awards and provides members with training to encourage ethical standards, newsroom leadership and industry innovation.
The Trust Project is a global network of news organizations working to affirm and amplify journalism's commitment to transparency, accuracy and inclusion. The project's created the 8 Trust Indicators®, which are a collaborative, journalism-generated standard for news that helps both regular people and the technology companies' machines easily assess the authority and integrity of news. The Trust Indicators® are based in robust user-centered design research and respond to public needs and wants. For more, visit: https://thetrustproject.org/faq/.
CONTACT:
Rebecca Nowacek
rebecca@purposenorthamerica.com
210-589-2756
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SOURCE The Trust Project | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/national-news-literacy-campaign-launches-fight-misinformation-empower-public/ | 2022-09-15T17:59:55Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/national-news-literacy-campaign-launches-fight-misinformation-empower-public/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Longtime director to take on 31-year-old for board of directors position
A 16-year veteran of the Fort Smith Board of Directors will face off against a 31-year-old woman for the director-at-large position 6.
Director Kevin Settle, 48, is competing against Drew Smith, 31, for the job. Settle is bringing his experience, while Smith said she is bringing a needed new perspective.
More:Newcomer challenges board of directors incumbent
“So I think it’s really important for Fort Smith to move forward, and in the sense that we, from my experience, a lot of people are like 'well it’s always been this way. This is how it’s always, we’ve always done it,' but then in the same breath saying 'we don’t like how it’s been done' and that’s just been my experience downtown, and so I’m like you know what I think we could use some fresh young blood on the board," Smith said.
The issue that Smith sees as the most important, should she take office, is improving mental health care.
Smith said she would love to partner with The Guidance Center, the city's community mental health center, to try to better people's mental health.
Another big issue for Smith is working to handle the consent decree, which will free up money after the board takes care of it.
Smith works remotely for Washington County as the criminal justice coordinator. The position has given Smith experience working with law enforcement to try to limit the number of people in jail.
Settle views his 16-year career on the board of directors as a boon that the city will need as it experiences growth in the coming years.
“I believe that the city has got a lot going right now and that my experience all these years can still help lead the city to a transform, the city it’s going to become over the next five years," Settle said.
Settle called the fighter jet program that is coming to Fort Smith a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the city.
“I want to make sure I help as many people in the city to make it as best we can, so that way families want to be here," Settle said. "People feel like they’re proud of our city, and I think over the years we’ve transformed our city, and any transformation that’s coming needs leadership and guidance, so we can get through this in a very good way without any hiccups."
Settle is a lifelong Fort Smith resident. He is a plant manager and chemical engineer at Arkansas Poly and Printing. | https://www.swtimes.com/story/news/2022/09/15/incumbent-board-of-directors-member-to-vie-against-challenger/65464800007/ | 2022-09-15T18:00:00Z | swtimes.com | control | https://www.swtimes.com/story/news/2022/09/15/incumbent-board-of-directors-member-to-vie-against-challenger/65464800007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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