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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)Dawn Staley hoisted the championship trophy high, strutted around the court and stopped for a brief victory dance. She handed over the hardware to South Carolina’s student band, then headed back to midcourt for more merriment.
The Gamecocks hit all the right notes this season, and they finished with a masterpiece.
Staley’s team buttoned up on defense and dominated on the glass, beating UConn 64-49 on Sunday night to end the Huskies’ undefeated streak in title games. Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 points, Aliyah Boston added 11 points and 16 rebounds, and the Gamecocks handed Geno Auriemma’s Huskies their first loss in 12 NCAA title games.
”We played every possession like it was our last possession,” said Staley, the first Black men’s or women’s coach with two Division I titles. ”They were determined to be champions today.”
A year ago, South Carolina lost in the Final Four when Boston missed a layup before the buzzer.
”Honestly, I’ve been thinking about this since last season. Everyone had a picture of me crying,” said Boston, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. ”Today, we’re national champions and I’m in tears.”
With Staley calling the shots in a Louis Vuitton letterman jacket, South Carolina took UConn to school on the boards and capped a wire-to-wire run as the No. 1 team in the country in The Associated Press poll. The Gamecocks also won the championship in 2017 with A’ja Wilson leading the way.
This time it was Boston – the AP Player of the Year – and her fellow South Carolina post players who dominated on the game’s biggest stage. The Gamecocks outrebounded UConn 49-24, including a 21-6 advantage on offensive boards.
”We knew tonight that if we didn’t hold our own on the boards, that it was going to be a really bad night for us,,” Auriemma said. ”And that’s exactly what happened.”
They also clamped down on star Paige Bueckers and the Huskies on defense, just like they did all season long.
”They deserved it 100%,” Auriemma said. ”They were the best team all year.”
It was South Carolina’s night from the start. The Gamecocks (35-2) jumped to an 11-2 lead, grabbing nearly every rebound on both ends of the floor. They led to 22-8 after one quarter much to the delight of their fans, who made the trip to Minneapolis to be part of the sellout crowd.
UConn (30-6) trailed by 16 in the second quarter before Bueckers, a Minnesota native, got going. After having just one shot in the first quarter, she scored nine points in the second to get the Huskies within 35-27 at the half. She finished with 14.
An 8-2 run to start the third quarter put South Carolina up 43-29 before the Huskies finally started connecting from behind the arc. UConn missed its first eight 3-point attempts until Caroline Ducharme made one from the wing and Evina Westbrook followed with another to get the Huskies within 43-37.
That’s as close as they could get because of Henderson.
The senior guard had a three-point play to close the third quarter and then had the team’s first four points in the fourth to restore the double-digit lead. The Huskies couldn’t recover.
”My teammates believed in me once again. We’ve been working so hard since Day 1, and it finally paid off, all my hard work, all my focus,” Henderson said. ”Me trusting the process. Me trusting God. She just put me in a position just to be great, and today, we national champions.”
This was UConn’s first trip to the championship game since 2016, when the Huskies won the last of four straight titles. Since then, the team has suffered heartbreaking defeats in the national semifinals, losing twice in overtime, before holding off Stanford on Friday night. The Huskies were trying to win their 12th title in the same city they won their first one in 1995.
Auriemma said Saturday that when his team had won each of its 11 titles, the Huskies entered the game as the better team. They certainly weren’t on Sunday.
”We just didn’t have enough,” he said. ”They were just too good for us.”
It had been one of the most challenging seasons of Auriemma’s Hall of Fame career. UConn overcame losing eight players for at least two games with injury or illness, including Bueckers, who missed nearly three months with a left knee injury suffered in early December. She came back in late February but wasn’t at the same level that earned her AP Player of the Year as a freshman last season.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Gamecocks have been stalwarts on defense all season long, ranking third nationally with 50.5 points allowed per game. They were even sharper in the NCAA Tournament, holding opponents to 44.8 points entering Sunday’s finale.
Henderson had three steals, Boston blocked two shots and South Carolina forced 15 turnovers. The Gamecocks’ plus-25 rebounding margin was the second biggest ever in a title game.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: The Huskies lose three seniors in Christyn Williams, Westbrook and Olivia Nelson-Ododa but still have a solid group back led by Bueckers and freshman Azzi Fudd. If the Huskies stay healthy, they’ll have a good shot to contend for next year’s title.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks lose Henderson and Victaria Saxton but have all the talent to repeat as champions.
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More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25
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Posted: Apr 4, 2022 / 07:29 PM EDT
Updated: Apr 4, 2022 / 07:29 PM EDT
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney announced Monday night they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic elevation to the Supreme Court, giving President Joe Biden’s nominee a burst of bipartisan support and all but assuring she’ll become the first Black female justice.
The senators from Alaska and Utah announced their decisions ahead of a procedural vote to advance the nomination and as Democrats pressed to confirm Jackson by the end of the week. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced last week that she would back Jackson.
All three Republicans said they did not expect to agree with all of Jackson’s decisions, but that they found her well qualified. Romney said she “more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity.”
With three Republicans supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson is on a glidepath to confirmation and on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court’s more than 200-year history. Beyond the historic element, Democrats have cited her deep experience in nine years on the federal bench and the chance for her to become the first former public defender on the court.
Both Collins and Murkowski said they believed that the Senate nomination process has become broken as it has become more partisan in the past several decades.
Murkowski said her decision partly rests “on my rejection of the corrosive politicization of the review process for Supreme Court nominees, which, on both sides of the aisle, is growing worse and more detached from reality by the year.”
Biden nominated Jackson to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Biden has sought bipartisan backing for his pick, making repeated calls to senators and inviting Republicans to the White House.
The Senate’s 53-47 vote Monday evening was to “discharge” Jackson’s nomination from the Senate Judiciary Committee after the panel deadlocked, 11-11, on whether to send the nomination to the Senate floor.
The committee vote, split along party lines, was the first deadlock on a Supreme Court nomination in three decades.
“Judge Jackson will bring extraordinary qualifications, deep experience and intellect, and a rigorous judicial record to the Supreme Court,” Biden tweeted earlier Monday. “She deserves to be confirmed as the next justice.”
The Judiciary committee’s top Republican, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he was opposing Jackson’s nomination because “she and I have fundamental, different views on the role of judges and the role that they should play in our system of government.”
The committee hadn’t deadlocked since 1991, when Biden was chairman and a motion to send the nomination of current Justice Clarence Thomas to the floor with a “favorable” recommendation failed on a 7-7 vote. The committee then voted to send the nomination to the floor without a recommendation, meaning it could still be brought up for a vote.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky set the tone for most of his party last week when he said he “cannot and will not” support Jackson, citing GOP concerns raised in hearings about her sentencing record and her backing from liberal advocacy groups.
Republicans on the Judiciary panel continued their push Monday to paint Jackson as soft on crime, defending their repeated questions about her sentencing on sex crimes.
“Questions are not attacks,” said Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, one of several GOP senators on the panel who hammered the point in the hearings two weeks ago.
Jackson pushed back on the GOP narrative, declaring that “nothing could be further from the truth.” Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. And on Monday they criticized their GOP counterparts’ questioning.
“You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold,” said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
The questioning was filled with “absurdities of disrespect,” said Booker, who also is Black, and he said he will “rejoice” when she is confirmed.
Derrick Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, expressed disappointment with the tie, even as he noted that Jackson had cleared an important hurdle. He said “history will be watching” during the full Senate vote later this week.
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| 2022-04-04T23:50:42Z
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COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — High school seniors throughout North Idaho must complete senior projects in order to graduate.
Most senior projects don’t have teenagers conducting doctorate-level lab work.
Kaylee Northrop, a Lake City High School senior who is dual-enrolled at North Idaho College, is doing just that, as reported by our partners, The Coeur d'Alene Press.
Northrop is spending the last months of her high school career in the lab alongside NIC chemistry professor Ryan Joseph. They're working with a type of organic molecule called a "glycopeptide," a relatively new class of molecule that can play a critical role in the real-world development of antibiotics.
The duo is experimenting with a new method to artificially produce the naturally occurring molecules. The project is a continuation of Joseph’s dissertation while earning his doctorate degree in chemistry at Washington State University.
“There are five or six different methods already that get at making these glycopeptides, but all of them have their benefits and drawbacks,” Joseph said. “New methods are always useful because they’ll have different benefits and drawbacks, so it gives alternatives and more power to scientists trying to make something in particular."
Northrop approached Joseph about being her senior project mentor after her dad, who had taken Joseph’s chemistry course at NIC, noticed and encouraged her interest in chemistry. Northrop said high school concepts and experiments were clicking for her, but she wanted to know more, so she asked Joseph if she could help with research projects or at least audit some of his college chemistry courses.
Joseph’s response was an enthusiastic one.
“I was probably more excited than she was,” he said. “When people ask you what you do and you say, ‘I teach chemistry,’ it’s usually a cringe moment, so to meet young people who are interested in chemistry — which, to me, is a beautiful and fascinating subject — is very exciting.
“A lot of people have this hidden talent that they don’t know about in the sciences or in the humanities, and coming to a place like North Idaho College allows them to discover that. It’s just been a fantastic thing to be able to work with a student like this in that context.”
For Northrop, working with Joseph has not only made for a unique senior project, but has also helped inform big decisions she faces about her future.
“With this project, I’m able to get a taste of the chemistry department or other sciences before I fully dedicate myself to it,” Northrop said. “In my senior project, I had a goal to see if I really enjoy chemistry before I need to decide a path going into college, and this has really showed me how much I do enjoy it. I know I would be struggling a lot more with graduating and needing to find a major if I didn’t have this opportunity.”
Joseph said the level of work and quality of learning Northrop is experiencing through the project is on par with what new tradespeople experience through an apprenticeship with a master of their craft.
He said one of the fantastic things about the trades is people can come from high school, community college or anywhere in life, get an apprenticeship and then go out and almost immediately find a job.
“It’s a similar thing here," Joseph said. "A lot of the skills Kaylee is learning are directly transferrable at this level to a career in a lab, so if she wanted to, she could probably successfully apply for work at one of our labs in the area.”
Before Northrop presents her senior project in May, she and Joseph plan to go to Pullman to work with the WSU chemistry department’s Garner Research Group to analyze the results of their lab work with hopes of publishing their findings in an academic journal.
All this goes to show that important work in science happens every day and closer to home than some might think, Joseph said.
“One of the issues that scientists face is we’re everywhere, but people often don’t know about us and where we are. That has something to do with access,” Joseph said. “A college like NIC is an opportunity to see that scientific development is actually happening in communities and that we’re not all off in an ivory tower or some distant lab on the East Coast. It’s happening all around us — at the University of Idaho, at WSU in Pullman and at North Idaho College."
The Coeur d'Alene Press is a KREM 2 News partner. For more news from our partners, click here.
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https://www.krem.com/article/life/people/senior-student-at-lake-city-high-school-conducting-doctorate-level-lab-work-as-a-graduation-requirement/293-da12ada8-6007-46f7-a436-5fe66d3f00e3
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Editor’s note: The video above about laser strikes near Sea-Tac Airport was originally published on Feb. 10, 2022.
SEATTLE – The FBI is asking for the public’s help finding the person or persons responsible for pointing lasers at aircraft near Sea-Tac International Airport. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Pointing a laser at airplanes is a safety threat and could potentially cause pilots to experience flash blindness or obscured vision, endangering the lives of those on the flight. Shining a laser at aircraft is a federal crime, punishable by fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple incidents.
The uptick in incidents previously prompted the FAA and Port of Seattle to ask for the public’s help in February to find the person or persons responsible for shining lasers around Sea-Tac Airport.
According to the FBI, there has been a “dramatic increase of laser incidents involving arriving commercial aircraft” in Washington state. As of March 9, over 100 incidents involving lasers being pointed at planes around Sea-Tac Airport had been reported.
The FBI said incidents have been reported in neighborhoods around SeaTac, South Park, Highland Park, White Center, Burien, Normandy Park and Des Moines.
The FBI said it is working with “multiple” local and federal agencies to identify and locate those responsible.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Laser strikes have been on the rise nationally, with an all-time high of 9,723 laser strikes reported by the FAA in 2021.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/reward-offered-sea-tac-laser-strikes/281-e4f8d945-da05-4472-8261-635eb78a8075
| 2022-04-04T23:55:04Z
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BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada — Health officials with the Washington Department of Health (DOH) are warning about a recent string of norovirus-like illnesses linked to raw oysters harvested in the British Columbia, Canada region.
In a release on Friday, the DOH said 18 residents around the state reported norovirus-like illness after eating oysters since March 7.
Each one of them consumed raw oysters that had been harvested in the region of BC 14-8, the DOH said. That region includes Deep Bay up through Union Bay.
Those who order oysters should ensure they are not harvested from this region or ensure they are cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees for 15 seconds. This will ensure that any potential norovirus is killed.
Norovirus infection can cause vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, nausea, fever and headache. These symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after consumption and can last up to three days.
Most patients recover from the virus without treatment, however, those who think they became sick after eating raw or uncooked shellfish should speak to their physician and notify their local health department.
Those who become infected with the virus can spread it easily to others. To prevent the spread of disease, residents should wash their hands carefully with soap and warm water after using the bathroom or changing diapers.
Those who have compromised immune systems, are being treated for cancer, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions are at an increased risk of severe illness.
The DOH advises everyone to use soap and water to clean toilets and other areas that may be soiled with stool or vomit.
Last year, a customer sued a Shoreline restaurant after being one of 23 people who developed norovirus-like symptoms after eating there.
Most recently in western Washington, 11 people became ill with suspected norovirus in August 2021 after eating at a Renton restaurant.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/health/norovirus-british-columbia-washington-oysters/281-efb127a2-d8eb-4dbb-bfa7-e00395209c57
| 2022-04-04T23:55:10Z
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EVERETT, Wash. — Fallen Everett Police Officer Dan Rocha was remembered by family, friends and the community at a memorial service on Monday.
Rocha, 41, was shot and killed by a suspect on March 25.
The memorial honoring Rocha's life and service was held at the Angel of the Winds Arena. The service followed a procession through the city of Everett.
The mourning procession included hundreds of law enforcement personnel and community members, many of whom lined the streets along the route to pay their respects and show support for Rocha's family.
One resident who gathered near the beginning of the procession who works in the area said she is hoping the incident inspires change in the Everett community, saying she hopes it brings about more vigilance in the city among her fellow residents.
RELATED: Here’s what happens during the procession for a fallen officer and each moment's significance
Another resident was moved while watching the procession, saying, "These officers and our fallen officers, these people are out there every day for us. I love them so much. I live here in Everett. They’re here any time we call, right away. I just feel sorry for them, these people, that protect us.”
Officer Kerby Duncan, the public information officer for the Everett Police Department, talked about Rocha ahead of the memorial, saying, "Dan was the guy you want to come to your call. He knew what he was doing. He took care of business, and he just shared himself. And it made you more sure to be there with him."
During the memorial, Everett Chief of Police Dan Templeman and Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin spoke, along with members of Rocha's family. Following this, taps was performed by buglers and a flag presentation took place.
During his remarks, Templeman shared how highly regarded Rocha was among his fellow officers and his history, saying, "There is nothing that can prepare a family, a department or a community for a loss as devastating as this. Today is about Dan. It's about celebrating and honoring his life and recognizing the ultimate sacrifice he made for his community."
Rocha's father, Michael Henry, also spoke, sharing the grief he felt as a parent.
"My first reaction when I heard about Dan was that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Upon further reflection, I knew that Dan would say he was in the perfect place at the perfect place to do what he does: serve and protect and make a better world for his kids," Henry said.
Rocha served with the department since 2017 and lived in the community for more than a decade. He is the fourth Everett officer to die in the line of duty ever.
Rocha is survived by his wife and two sons. A memorial fund has been established for Rocha's family. Click here for more information or learn other ways to donate.
Fifty-year-old Richard James Rotter, the man accused of shooting and killing Rocha, was arrested and is being held on $5 million bail. On March 28, a Snohomish County judge found probable cause for murder in the first degree and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/everett-police-dan-rocha-procession-memorial/281-ce46c969-03a4-4ebb-954f-ccaea7d674d6
| 2022-04-04T23:55:16Z
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WASHINGTON — Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney announced Monday night they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic elevation to the Supreme Court, giving President Joe Biden's nominee a burst of bipartisan support and all but assuring she'll become the first Black female justice.
The senators from Alaska and Utah announced their decisions ahead of a procedural vote to advance the nomination and as Democrats pressed to confirm Jackson by the end of the week. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced last week that she would back Jackson.
All three Republicans said they did not expect to agree with all of Jackson's decisions, but that they found her well qualified. Romney said she “more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity.”
With three Republicans supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson is on a glidepath to confirmation and on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court’s more than 200-year history. Beyond the historic element, Democrats have cited her deep experience in nine years on the federal bench and the chance for her to become the first former public defender on the court.
Both Collins and Murkowski said they believed that the Senate nomination process has become broken as it has become more partisan in the past several decades.
Murkowski said her decision partly rests “on my rejection of the corrosive politicization of the review process for Supreme Court nominees, which, on both sides of the aisle, is growing worse and more detached from reality by the year.”
Biden nominated Jackson to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Biden has sought bipartisan backing for his pick, making repeated calls to senators and inviting Republicans to the White House.
The Senate's 53-47 vote Monday evening was to “discharge” Jackson's nomination from the Senate Judiciary Committee after the panel deadlocked, 11-11, on whether to send the nomination to the Senate floor.
The committee vote, split along party lines, was the first deadlock on a Supreme Court nomination in three decades.
“Judge Jackson will bring extraordinary qualifications, deep experience and intellect, and a rigorous judicial record to the Supreme Court,” Biden tweeted earlier Monday. “She deserves to be confirmed as the next justice.”
The Judiciary committee’s top Republican, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he was opposing Jackson’s nomination because “she and I have fundamental, different views on the role of judges and the role that they should play in our system of government.”
The committee hadn’t deadlocked since 1991, when Biden was chairman and a motion to send the nomination of current Justice Clarence Thomas to the floor with a “favorable” recommendation failed on a 7-7 vote. The committee then voted to send the nomination to the floor without a recommendation, meaning it could still be brought up for a vote.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky set the tone for most of his party last week when he said he “cannot and will not” support Jackson, citing GOP concerns raised in hearings about her sentencing record and her backing from liberal advocacy groups.
Republicans on the Judiciary panel continued their push Monday to paint Jackson as soft on crime, defending their repeated questions about her sentencing on sex crimes.
“Questions are not attacks,” said Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, one of several GOP senators on the panel who hammered the point in the hearings two weeks ago.
Jackson pushed back on the GOP narrative, declaring that “nothing could be further from the truth.” Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. And on Monday they criticized their GOP counterparts' questioning.
“You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold,” said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
The questioning was filled with “absurdities of disrespect,” said Booker, who also is Black, and he said he will “rejoice” when she is confirmed.
Derrick Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, expressed disappointment with the tie, even as he noted that Jackson had cleared an important hurdle. He said “history will be watching" during the full Senate vote later this week.
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri and Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Becky Bohrer in Alaska contributed.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/ketanji-brown-jackson-confirmation/507-892861f8-231b-4726-99e3-f83277646f05
| 2022-04-04T23:55:22Z
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NEW YORK — Sony Pictures' Marvel adaptation “Morbius" landed with dismal reviews but still managed to debut with $39.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
That was enough to easily hand “Morbius,” starring Jared Leto as a vampire-transforming biochemist, the top spot at the box office — even though it was an uncharacteristically low debut for a Marvel movie. Sony's last movie to launch a Marvel character, 2018's “Venom,” opened in 2018 with double the ticket sales.
But “Morbius" also drew unusually bad reviews for a Marvel release. On Rotten Tomatoes, it sits with easily the worst score for a Marvel film at 17% fresh. “Venom” (30%) wasn't a hit with critics, either. But given that forecasts had ranged closer to a $50 million opening weekend for “Morbius,” the poor word-of-mouth and worse reviews likely cut into its receipts.
“This is a weak opening by Marvel’s exceptional standard for launching a new superhero series," said David A. Gross, who runs the consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “The weekend figure is well below average for a Marvel first episode, and below average compared with a DC Comics new series, as well.”
Still, “Morbius," delayed several times by the pandemic, was budgeted somewhat modestly for a comic-book film, costing $75 million to produce. Audiences also gave it a low grade — C+ from CinemaScore — though moviegoers still seemed to like it more than critics. The audience score from Rotten Tomatoes for the Daniel Espinosa-directed film is 69% fresh.
Overseas, “Morbius” grossed $44.9 million over the weekend, for an $84 million global haul.
Still, it will be hard for “Morbius” to get anywhere close to Sony's recent Marvel successes. The last two were box-office hits: “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has grossed nearly $1.9 billion worldwide, while last year's “Venom 2” took in $502 million globally.
Last week’s top film, the Sandra Bullock-Channing Tatum rom-com adventure “The Lost City,” slid to second place with $14.8 million in its second week. With a two-week total of $54.6 million, “The Lost City” is performing much better than other recent entries in the genre.
Following the Academy Awards, Apple put best picture-winner “CODA” into more than 500 theaters. The film, which debuted on Apple TV+ last August, became the first movie from a streaming service ever to take Hollywood's top honor. Apple didn't share ticket-sales figures Sunday, making “CODA” the first best-picture winner without any recorded U.S. box office.
Also working against “Morbius”: The box office is getting busier. While no new wide releases went up against the Sony release this weekend, the coming weeks bring the releases of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” “Ambulance” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore.” The next Marvel movie, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” comes from the Walt Disney Co. on May 6.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Morbius," $39.1 million.
2. “The Lost City,” $14.8 million.
3. “The Batman,” $10.8 million.
4. “Uncharted,” $3.6 million.
5. “Jujutsu Kaisen 0,” $1.9 million.
6. “RRR,” $1.6 million.
7. “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” $1.4 million.
8. “Dog,” $1.3 million.
9. “X,” $1 million.
10. “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” $1 million.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/morbius-opens-to-poor-sales/507-c1c186a5-98f2-4ab2-b86c-0f49da472a52
| 2022-04-04T23:55:29Z
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WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama will be returning to the White House on Tuesday for his first public event there since he left office in 2017.
A White House official said Sunday that Obama will be joining President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to “deliver remarks celebrating the success of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid in extending affordable health insurance to millions of Americans.”
The event is part of Biden's effort to turn his focus to pocketbook issues that directly affect American households. While job growth has been steady since he took office, inflation is at its worst level in a generation.
The White House said Biden “will take additional action to further strengthen the ACA and save families hundreds of dollars a month on their health care.”
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and other members of Biden’s Cabinet will attend Tuesday's event.
Obama's visit to the White House was first reported by NBC News.
Perhaps the signature piece of legislation during the Obama administration, most major provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act, colloquially dubbed "Obamacare," went into effect in 2014.
Most notably, the law banned insurers from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and it mandated individuals purchase insurance. Former President Trump rescinded this mandate in 2017.
Republicans have tried to challenge the constitutionality of the ACA, but courts have repeatedly ruled in favor of most provisions of the legislation, with the Supreme Court most recently upholding the act for the third time in 2021.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/obama-to-return-to-white-house-for-health-care-event/507-533f1eca-f1d7-40b3-9de0-b9439b779d3e
| 2022-04-04T23:55:35Z
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The health of the U.S. labor market appears to be improving as most states have lifted COVID-19 restrictions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday, April 1 that the nation’s monthly unemployment rate for March 2022 dropped to 3.6% and the number of unemployed people dropped by 318,000 to 6 million.
In a tweet, President Joe Biden claimed that "there have been only three months in the last 50 years where the unemployment rate in America was lower than it is now."
THE QUESTION
Has U.S. unemployment dipped below its current rate only three times in the last 50 years?
THE SOURCES
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization
- Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
- Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute
THE ANSWER
Yes, U.S. unemployment has dipped below its current rate only three times in the last 50 years.
WHAT WE FOUND
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the federal agency that tracks the nation’s unemployment rate on a monthly and annual basis. VERIFY compared monthly BLS data from 1972 to present.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that the unemployment rate has dipped below its current monthly rate of 3.6% only three times since 1972, as Biden claimed. It was 3.5% in September 2019, and then again in January and February 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The unemployment rate doesn’t take into account all people who are not working, however. People who aren’t working and don’t meet the criteria to be counted as unemployed are considered “out of the labor force” and aren’t factored into the official unemployment rate, Stephanie Aaronson, vice president and director of economic studies for the Brookings Institute, explains. People who report wanting a job but have not looked for work in the most recent four weeks are among those considered “out of the labor force.”
A BLS measure called U-6 is different from the official unemployment rate. It counts those who are technically unemployed, people who are working part-time but would prefer full-time, and those who want a job but have not looked for work in the most recent four weeks.
The U-6 rate for March 2022 was 6.9 percent. That is about on par with the U-6 rate from before the pandemic – it hovered around 7% in January and February 2020. That’s compared to a U-6 rate of nearly 23% in April 2020, at the height of COVID-19 restrictions, when the official unemployment rate was 14.8%.
So what can we expect for the rest of 2022? Experts predict the unemployment rate will remain around as low as it is right now through this year. Economic forecasters surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia expect the 2022 annual unemployment rate to be 3.7%, which the U.S. last saw in 2019.
Heidi Sheirholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute, explained in a Twitter thread that the U.S. economy is currently “on pace to recover nearly eight years faster” from the high unemployment rates created by the COVID-19 pandemic than it did from the Great Recession. This is in part due to Congress acting to provide COVID-19 relief, including the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, Shierholz said.
“We would have millions fewer jobs today if Congress had not enacted the COVID relief and recovery measures it did,” she wrote.
A low unemployment rate isn’t always good news for the economy, though, experts say. It can sometimes be an indicator of another recession on the way.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/verify/national-verify/us-unemployment-march-2022-near-historic-lows/536-eb3ee3f6-70cf-4877-9014-9bfa17634fa4
| 2022-04-04T23:55:47Z
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SPOKANE, Wash. — Three weeks ago it appeared the Chiefs were on their way to a great comeback from a disappointing season as they had launched themselves from 10th and last place in the Western Conference to within 2 points of 6th place Vancouver. Spokane then hit a rough patch as they dropped 5 in a row to end March and found themselves 4 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot behind Prince George. The Chiefs have once again suffered the injury bug as they have had 4 to 5 players on the shelf over the last two weeks, and then lost some players to suspension due to major penalties suffered in the losing streak. Spokane's road woes have also played a big factor as the team started a season-long 6 game road trip with 3 straight losses, including a discouraging 4-0 shutout defeat at Tri-City in their last game. Prince George won two in a row over the weekend to open their 4 point lead on Spokane with just 7 games left in the Chiefs season.
The schedule was not about to get any easier for the Chiefs either, as they headed to British Columbia to finish their 6 game road swing with 3 games in 3 night stretch at Kamloops and Vancouver. First up was Friday's contest at division-leading Kamloops. The Blazers have wrapped up the B.C. Division but are in a dogfight to take the top spot in the conference from U.S. Division leader Everett. Kamloops was just 2 points back of Everett for the top spot and were coming off a dominating 9-2 win over Prince George Wednesday. The Blazers jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back in their rout of the Cougars. Spokane had been dominated by Kamloops in the two teams' meetings this year, as the Blazers had outscored Spokane 13-2 in two decisive victories. In the last match-up, Kamloops scored a 7-2 win on home ice just a month earlier. After the Chief's performance in their first 3 games on the road trip, the outlook was not a bright one heading into Friday.
The Chiefs did get good news off the ice, as defensemen Graham Sward and Logan Cunningham, and forward Erik Atchison were back in the lineup as they came off the injured list. The team seemed to get a jolt on the ice as Spokane took their first lead over the Blazers this season with a Yannick Proske goal from Atchison just over 5 minutes in to go up 1-0. Former Blazer Nick McCarry then scored on a nice backhand midway through the period to put the Chiefs up 2-0. Sward would score 19 seconds into the Chiefs first power play and suddenly Spokane would take a 3-0 lead and stun the hometown Blazer crowd. Kamloops came back and scored in the final 3 minutes of the period to cut the deficit to 3-1 after one.
In the second, defenseman Timafey Kovgoreniya scored on a blast from the left wing just over 6 minutes in to put Spokane back up by three at 4-1. The Chiefs kept it a three-goal game until the final seconds of the period, when Ty Cheveldayoff picked up his 2nd assist of the period with a nice net-front pass to Blake Swetlikoff on the power play. With just 12 seconds left, the puck hit off Swetlikoff's skate and into the net to give Spokane a 5-1 lead heading into the third. In the final period, the Blazers came out and scored two goals in the first 6.5 minutes to cut the deficit to 5-3. The Chiefs would score their third power-play tally of the game when Atchison scored 7 seconds into the man advantage at 7:40 to put Spokane back up by three at 6-3. It turned out to be the game-winner, as Kamloops scored two goals less than 2 minutes apart midway through the period to make it a 6-5 game. The Chiefs did just enough down the stretch to keep the Blazers from getting the equalizer and Spokane scored their first win over a division leader this year with a 6-5 victory.
The win was huge for Spokane as the Chiefs drew within 2 points of 8th place Prince George in the West after the Cougars lost 8-2 at Kelowna. The Chiefs now had a chance to pull even or pass PG in the standings as they headed to Vancouver for the first of back-to-back games with the Giants beginning on Saturday. Spokane had split 2 meetings with Van in Spokane earlier in the season, losing 3-1 in November before rebounding with a 5-2 victory on March 9th. That victory had pulled the Chiefs within 2 points of 6th place Vancouver at the time, but Spokane was now 5 back heading into the 2 game series in Langley. Spokane was facing a Giants team that had dropped 4 in a row and were tied with Victoria for 6th in the West.
The Giants came out in the first period like a desperate team ready to end their losing streak as they were all over the Chiefs in the first period. Vancouver would come out and put up 20 shots in the first period despite giving up 3 power plays to the Chiefs. Spokane failed to convert any of the opportunities and Vancouver would breakthrough midway in the period on a Jaden Lipinski goal to go up 1-0. Lipinski would strike again just 2:01 later and the Giants would take a 2-0 lead into the second period. The Chiefs were in real danger of getting blown out but goalie Mason Beaupit would build off his 18 save effort in the first to shut down the Giants offensively the rest of the game. Spokane would come out in the second and cut the deficit in half when Chase Bertholet would score on a rush net-front at 6:45 of the period to make it 2-1 Vancouver. The Chiefs would then pull even on a Ty Cheveldayoff shot from the right side at 17:48 to even the game at 2-2 after 40 minutes.
Spokane had gone 0-4 on the power play through two periods but would change that in the third on their 5th attempt. Nick McCarry, who had hit 3 posts earlier in the game, took the puck through the Giants defense and scored his 12th as a Chief 4:03 into the third to give Spokane their first lead at 3-2. Cheveldayoff would give the Chiefs a huge insurance goal with his second of the game at 17:05 to put Spokane ahead 4-2. Graham Sward would then seal the win with an empty netter with 19 seconds left to cap off a come from behind 5-2 victory. The Chiefs put up 45 shots and Beaupit earned his second straight win with a 35 save performance. The win was huge as the Chiefs pulled even with Prince George for the 8th and final playoff spot with 47 points and were now within just 3 points of Vancouver and Victoria for 6th and 7th.
Spokane was hoping to finish off their season-long 6 game road trip with their 3rd straight win and second in a row over Vancouver as the two teams matched up the following afternoon. The Chiefs welcomed back Saige Weinstein from his 3 game suspension as the team hoped to finish off the three games in three nights on a high note. The team turned to Beaupit for the third straight night in net and the Chiefs would get out to a quick lead when Nick McCarry finished off an odd-man rush on the power play 6:46 into the game to give Spokane a 1-0 lead. Captain Bear Hughes would make it 2-0 with his team-leading 23rd of the season late in the first as Spokane took a two-goal advantage into the second period.
The Chiefs had a chance to extend the lead in the second as they got the only two power plays of the stanza. Vancouver would take advantage short-handed on Spokane's second man advantage with a short-handed goal late in the period to cut the Chiefs lead to 2-1 after the second period. In the third, Spokane would get another odd-man rush led by Cade Hayes and Chase Bertholet. Bertholet then found an open McCarry on the left side for the second time in the game as Spokane went back up by two goals at 7:34 of the third. Vancouver would pull their goalie with less than 4 minutes left in the game, but Beaupit was stellar in goal as he thwarted every Giants shot in the period and would finish with a 30 save performance. Erik Atchison would finish off the 4-1 victory with his 2nd goal in 3 games as the Chiefs completed the improbable 3 wins in 3 nights road trip.
Spokane moved into the 8th and final playoff spot in the West with the win and a Prince George overtime loss to Kamloops. The Chiefs are now just a point back of Vancouver and Victoria for the 6th and 7th spots in the West. Heading into the final 2 weeks of the regular season, there are 4 teams separated by just 2 points for the final 3 playoff spots in the conference. Spokane has two games in each of the last two weeks, so it is truly crunch time for the Chiefs as the team could finish anywhere from 6th, down to 9th and out of the playoffs. Spokane will finish their schedule with the U.S. Division this week as they host division-leading Everett in the Chiefs home finale on Wednesday and then travel to Seattle on Saturday. I'll have the call for Wednesday's game on 103.5 FM the Game with the pre-game at 6:30 pm and the puck drop at 7:05 pm. Saturday's game from Seattle will be on 101 Key FM as the Indians game will be on 103.5 that night. I'll have the pre-game at 5:30 pm and the puck drop at 6:05 pm.
As I'm sure you're wondering, yes I will be bouncing between the Indians and Chiefs over the next few weeks. I'll be doing the Indians season opener on Friday before heading to Seattle with the Chiefs Saturday. It's going to be a busy time during April, but let's hope the Chiefs keep up the good work and play themselves into a playoff series with Everett, Kamloops or Portland here in the next 3 weeks. More performances like this past weekend will certainly help that, so we hope to see you at the rink!
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https://www.krem.com/article/sports/locked-on/nfl-podcast/chiefs-show/chiefs-playoff-hopes-get-big-boost-in-canada/293-2de87534-5a8e-4b8b-a7a1-7511ab85eb36
| 2022-04-04T23:55:54Z
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NEW ORLEANS — After a long, long month of college basketball, we are finally at the end of the 2022 March Madness season as North Carolina takes on Kansas.
These are a couple of blue bloods, but their paths to the title game couldn't be anymore different.
North Carolina comes into the game as an 8-seed and they're looking to become just the second team seeded higher than three to win the title in the past 25 years (Connecticut, 7-seed, 2014).
Meanwhile, Kansas comes in as a one seed. They're coming off a dominating performance against Villanova, winning by 16 points in that game, while North Carolina is coming off a down-to-the-wire finish against Duke in what was a back-and-forth rollercoaster of a game.
Will UNC have the legs to run with Kansas on Monday night?
Isaac Schade of the Locked On Tar Heels podcast, your daily podcast covering all things North Carolina, joined Peter Bukowski on Monday's Locked On Today podcast to discuss UNC's win over Duke and how they match up against Kansas.
SUBSCRIBE: The Locked On Today podcast hosted by Peter Bukowski gets you caught up every morning on the biggest stories in sports without taking up your free time.
How to watch the national championship
Time: 9:20 p.m. E.T.
Television: TBS
Spread: Kansas -4, O/U 152
Keys to the game
Armando Bacot's health
We saw North Carolina big man Armando Bacot exit Saturday's game against Duke with about five minutes to play, but he did re-enter the game.
X-rays are negative and Bacot will play, but Schade said we'll need to keep a close eye on his mobility. He won't have an easy task defensively, taking on Kansas' David McCormick, who put up 25 points in their Final Four win over Villanova.
“One of the three biggest things I’m watching are Armando Bacot’s health, he went down with a twisted ankle. Coach Davis told us x-rays were negative, the training staff is glad with where his swelling is at and Bacot himself told us there’s no way I’m not playing in this game, you’d have to saw my leg off," Schade said. "So we need to watch his mobility and see how he’s doing.”
Leaky Black vs. Ochai Agbaji
This will be the defense vs. offense matchup of the game as Carolina's top perimeter defender Leaky Black will have a tough test against Kansas' Ochai Agbaji, who put up 21 points on Saturday, going 6-for-7 from three.
“Number two biggest thing I'll be watching, Leaky Black. Carolina’s defensive stopper. Can he do another job on Ochai Agbaji, the way he’s done on Duke’s AJ Griffin. Black wouldn’t tell us explicitly who he’d be guarding, but he said in jest, we could all guess."
X-Factors
X-factor's in this game include North Carolina's Brady Manek and Kansas' Christian Braun.
Manek has been North Carolina's leading scorer this season. He's made at least three three-pointers in every game so far in the NCAA Tournament. Carolina will rely on him again to make clutch shots to keep up with Kansas' sharp shooters.
Meanwhile, Kansas' Christian Braun has been quietly very solid in the tournament. With Leaky Black guarding Agbaji, Braun will need to step up and knock down big shots to give the Jayhawks an edge.
SUBSCRIBE: The Locked On Tar Heels podcast is your daily show covering all things North Carolina basketball and football. Find it for free wherever you get your favorite shows!
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https://www.krem.com/article/sports/ncaa/ncaab/march-madness/can-north-carolina-keep-up-with-kansas-after-emotional-win-over-duke/535-0f1e774e-c86c-41f3-8645-56fc48766651
| 2022-04-04T23:56:00Z
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — As Yellowstone National Park celebrates its 150th anniversary year, the park's fundraising arm is seeking $1,500 donations in exchange for an annual entry pass that can be used by carloads of the donor's descendants to visit the park in 150 years.
Yellowstone Forever will use the money raised through the sale of “Inheritance Passes” to support park projects like trail improvements, education, native fish conservation and scientific studies.
It is our way of celebrating 150 years of Yellowstone National Park and to help preserve the park for the next 150 years,” Lisa Diekmann, president and CEO of Yellowstone Forever, told The Billings Gazette.
The concept was created by the Havas Chicago design firm.
“To celebrate Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary, rather than look back, we thought it would be the perfect time to look ahead and think about how we can preserve the park for future generations,” said Bailey Doyle with Havas Chicago.
The Inheritance Passes will be annual passes valid for entry into Yellowstone in 2172. Donors will also receive a pass to enter Yellowstone that is good for a period of a year after its first use. said Wendie Carr, chief marketing officer for Yellowstone Forever.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.krem.com/article/sports/outdoors/yellowstone-park-2172-pass-donation/277-7f90bf42-a8cc-492d-a7bd-a62b7fb397a4
| 2022-04-04T23:56:06Z
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SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Gas prices have fallen 5.4 cents per gallon in the last week nationwide, according to a recent survey from Gas Buddy. According to a GasBuddy study, gasoline prices in Spokane have decreased by 2.9 cents per gallon compared to last week.
In Spokane, the average gas price is $4.28 per gallon, 2.9 cents less than last week, and 33.3 cents higher than a month ago. GasBuddy said the cheapest station in Spokane reported that the gas price was $4.09 per gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $4.59.
GasBuddy Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan said in the report that oil prices dropped due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in China. Prices also decreased after President Biden's announced that the United States would be releasing over 1 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help lower gas prices in the U.S.
"So long as oil prices remain under $100 per barrel and there's no escalations in Russia's war on Ukraine, we may be poised to see gas prices decline again this week as the U.S. and other countries try to raise oil supply to tip prices lower," De Haan said.
Across the state, the regular gas price decreased by 1.8 cents, according to GasBuddy. As of Monday, April 4, the average gas price across Washington is $4.70, compared to last's week $4.71.
Current gas prices in neighboring areas:
Idaho: $4.41 per gallon, down 0.5 cents per gallon from last week's $4.41.
Yakima: $4.58 per gallon, down 4.5 cents compared to last week's $4.62.
GasBuddy data is compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.
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https://www.krem.com/article/traffic/gas-prices/gas-prices-spokane-dropping-price-of-oil-decrease/293-8e415f1a-3c2b-4883-8a2e-ed74aaab4c52
| 2022-04-04T23:56:12Z
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PRESTON, Wash. — One person died in a head-on crash on westbound Interstate 90 near Preston Monday afternoon.
All but one lane will remain closed until later in the afternoon or early evening, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
A vehicle traveling eastbound crossed the median just west of State Route 18 and hit a vehicle traveling westbound head on, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The driver of the vehicle that crossed the median died at the scene, according to state patrol.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is advising people to delay their trip if heading west.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
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https://www.krem.com/article/traffic/westbound-i90-fatal-crash/281-cc1bd862-bdff-4eee-949a-8cdf09d75661
| 2022-04-04T23:56:18Z
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Though, dear readers, we have been waiting the best part of a year for the second season of Bridgerton to land on Netflix, it seems that the ton's appetite when it comes to the show is insatiable. The new series, which follows Viscount Bridgerton (played by Jonathan Bailey) as he searches for a wife, has only been streaming for a week and yet we find ourselves ready for the next instalment. It seems we really can't get enough of a good thing…
Bridgerton Season 3: the cast of the regency drama spill the beans on the next instalment
Luckily, it has already been confirmed that seasons 3 and 4 are in the pipeline (Netflix made the announcement last April) — plus a Queen Charlotte spin-off is in the works — and filming is rumoured to be starting any time now. And though details are thin on the ground, we've done a little Lady Whistledown-esque investigating of our own, and found a few golden nuggets of information that we felt worthy of sharing.
In the April issue, Lady Whistledown herself tells Annabel Sampson why she doesn’t want to be a poster girl for body positivity and what it’s like to find yourself brandished across a billboard in Times Square
Here is everything we know about Bridgerton Season 3:
What is the plot of Bridgerton Season 3?
Sadly, we don't know the ins and outs of the plot for the next season, however, if it follows the blueprint laid out by the first two seasons, we can speculate that it follows the story of Bridgerton brother Benedict, in line with the books by Julia Quinn. The third novel, one of eight in the series that the show is based on, An Offer From a Gentleman, turns the focus to the second eldest Bridgerton. It follows him as meets his match in Sophie Beckett, the illegitimate daughter of an earl who’s been relegated to servitude by her wicked stepmother.
At the annual Bridgerton Ball, Benedict and Sophie fall for one another during a magical dance, but when she disappears after midnight – he’ll have to track her down. Like all good romances, this story of love across class divides promises to change its hero and heroine for the better.
The Duke of Hastings is out and Viscount Bridgerton is in, eyes peeled and in the market for a love match. Spoiler alert: a love match he will find. Bridgerton’s second season, landing on Netflix this Friday, brings all the gloss, froth, fun and fancy of the first season – you’d be a fool to miss it
However, we won't get too confident in our assumptions, as Luke Thompson — who plays Benedict — seemed to throw a bit of a spanner in the works during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. 'The thing is, the books are the books, and the show is completely rooted in the books, but it's not tied to the books,' he explained. 'The books would indicate that the next one up is Benedict, but we don't know that for sure because the show is the show, and the show has license to do all sorts of things. The show is such an ensemble effort anyway, and it does feel like there's so much to get our teeth into even when you're not in the driver's seat. It's not like I'm sitting around waiting for my big moment, because it's such a huge group effort, and that's what makes it satisfying to do. As long as Benedict keeps being explored, I'm happy.'
And Shonda Rhimes (whose company, Shondaland, produces the Bridgerton series) seemed to echo Thompson's comment, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. 'We're definitely planning on following each of the [Bridgerton] sibling's romantic stories,' she said. 'We're not necessarily going in order — but we are going to be seeing each one of the siblings and their stories.'
Indeed, Kate herself, or at least the actor who plays her, Simone Ashley, seemed to confirm that season 3 will be all about ‘Polin’ (Penelope and Colin): 'I'm super excited for the world to see Nicola [Coughlan] and Luke [Newton] rock it, but also to just play with the Anthony and Kate story now that they're loved up and they've kind of sorted themselves out.'
There will also no doubt be some focus on Penelope and Eloise Bridgerton in season 3 given the route the story takes in the final episode of the second season. Will the two ladies rebuild their friendship and perhaps even work together, or will – spoiler alert – Eloise reveal Penelope's identity to the rest of the Ton?
Will the same cast return for Bridgerton Season 3?
Though we can never be entirely certain after the stage-left exit of Regé-Jean Page, after his much-trumpeted role as the Duke in Season one, several of the cast have already made mention of their return for future seasons.
Simone Ashley, who plays Kate, revealed to Deadline, ‘We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started. We have the amazing Jess Brownell who is taking the lead as show-runner in Season 3. In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting. I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in Season 3 and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it.’
There are few things on TV as visually captivating as Bridgerton – be it the dazzling gowns, the lavish interiors, or the radiant make up. Lily Worcester talks to Season 2’s award-winning make up artist Erika Ökvist on how to get the Bridgerton look
It's also very likely that Nicola Coughlan (who plays Penelope Featherington) will return, as fans of the book and the screen wait with baited breath to see what will happen between her and Colin Bridgerton. Plus, Ashley already seems to have confirmed the youngest Featherington's return, and you can't really have Bridgerton without Lady Whistledown, can you?
And during an interview with Esquire, Julia Quinn herself seemed to reassure fans by explaining, 'if you get another one, you're going to get two different main characters, but you'll have the same supporting cast.'
When will Bridgerton Season 3 be released?
Unsurprisingly, we don't have a set date yet, but Rhimes did let it slip recently that filming has already started. Speaking from the red carpet of the Season 2 premiere, Rhimes said: 'We're already working on Season 3, so we can have a shorter time between seasons.'
And Nicola Coughlan confirmed that they’ll start filming this summer.
We will update this article as we hear more news.
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https://www.tatler.com/article/bridgerton-season-three
| 2022-04-05T00:11:03Z
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It is no secret that there has been a mass exodus from Twitter over the last few years, as social media fans turn to newer, and perhaps more dynamic, platforms. But the company's share prices are soaring now the news of Elon Musk becoming their biggest share holder has become public, notably, more than quadruple the 2.25 per cent position of founder Jack Dorsey.
Elon Musk becomes Twitter's biggest shareholder as he buys $2.9bn stake in social giant
Buying $2.9 billion worth of shares, the Tesla mogul now owns a 9.2 per cent stake in the company, having snapped up 73,486,938 Twitter shares, causing them to jump 26 per cent in price. This price jump means that Musk's shares will already be worth $3.6 billion, netting him a theatrical profit of $7 million already.
It was only when the baby girl, named Exa Dark Sideræl, was overheard crying during an interview that her existence was revealed
Musk himself is a frequent user of Twitter and has more than 80 million followers, though his latest business move might puzzle some after his recent criticisms of the platform. Critical of their approach to free speech, the father of one said he was giving 'serious thought' to building a new social media platform altogether.
Posting a poll to his Twitter feed on 25 March, Musk asked: ‘Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?’, also noting, ‘the consequences of this poll will be important.’
‘Please vote carefully,’ he added.
Twitter content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
'Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy,' Musk then tweeted the following day, before publicly asking whether a ‘new platform’ is needed. Given that Musk purchased his stake in Twitter on 14 March, it appears as though these comments came after his decision to buy a stake.
Currently, the billionaire is a passive stakeholder, seeming to signal that he has no demands on a larger slice of the company. However, in a note to investors, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote: ‘We would expect this passive stake as just the start of broader conversations with the Twitter board/management that could ultimately lead to an active stake and a potential more aggressive ownership role of Twitter.' Musk himself has yet to comment on his reasons for taking the Twitter share.
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When Jerry Hall - allegedly - sends a private detective after you, you know you’re in trouble. That is - allegedly - what happened to Mick Jagger when he was - allegedly - caught gallivanting under a pseudonym with another woman in the 1990s. The location? Holland Park’s Halcyon Hotel.
From 1995 until 2002, the Halcyon was West London’s Chateau Marmont; home to high profile trysts, celebrities in residence and touring rockstars from both sides of the Atlantic. Comprising two interconnected Belle Epoque townhouses, the boutique hotel - regarded as one of London’s first - had a popular restaurant, the Room. Granted, Sunday Times columnist Michael Winner recommended the chef, restaurant manager and waiting staff all be fired. But Naomi Campbell, Yoko Ono and Robert De Niro were undeterred and frequented the place with regularity.
Michael Gove crashed a Duran Duran event there to skewer Simon Le Bon with questions about the meaning of their lyrics. ‘Simon,’ he reportedly asked, ‘can I just engage you about the meaning of some of your lyrics? Hungry Like the Wolf – who can fail to be impressed by that insightful commentary on Thatcherite economics? What inspired you for that devastating motif?’
Carrie Fisher could be found among friends on its terrace, which was also a hotspot for celebrity interviews. After a breakfast meeting with Buzz Aldrin, the journalist Arnie Wilson was invited upstairs to meet Mrs Aldrin; but locating it was a stitch harder than the moon. ‘His room, he thought, was number 50. But that didn’t correspond with any obvious floor,’ wrote Wilson. ‘We ended up on the wrong one, searching for the right room. It suddenly occurred to me that the lunar module pilot of Apollo 11 had been unable to pilot us to his accommodation. This struck me as hilarious. It wasn’t his fault at all – the Halcyon lift system was not exactly NASA technology!’
The lifts can’t talk, but luckily, people do. ‘It was certainly Oasis’s hotel of choice when they needed one in London, once they were successful enough to afford to stay there,’ the band’s manager, Marcus Russell of Ignition, tells Tatler. ‘Handy for Heathrow and the clubs of the West End, without being too close to either, and more importantly it also had a discreet bar in the basement. At one Christmas Party there in 1995, Noel was lured out to the street to be presented with a vintage chocolate brown Rolls Royce, a gift from his record company at the time. He didn't drive then, and still doesn’t now.’
Indeed, Oasis used one of the suites for the cover of its 1994 single Cigarettes and Alcohol, sitting on a white canopy bed jubilantly raising bottles of champagne and beer to the ceiling, Liam smoking on the floor surrounded by further champagne bottles. The same Gallagher also hid there after his split from Patsy Kensit. Kensit had incidentally spent her wedding night with her first husband, Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, at the hotel as well. Then there’s Paula Yates, who was spotted there with Michael Hutchence the day her separation from Bob Geldof was made public.
Even though the place was shrouded in a certain level of secrecy and discretion, myths still escaped. ‘There were quite a lot of A-list celebrities who came to stay,’ Will Oakley, its former general manager, has said. ‘They could use it as a bolt hole away from prying eyes. We offered a discreet service - it was five star without the marble and chintz of the Dorchester or the Savoy.’
Those long-term residents included Geri Halliwell, who checked in for six months following her split from the Spice Girls and allegedly demanded the addition of a spin bike to her suite. It was used, in the end, as a sort of clothes horse. Liza Minelli and Monica Lewinsky have both also been long term residents. ‘People in the limelight have felt comfortable here because of the discretion of the staff,’ Oakley has said. ‘We have had a good rapport with the media industry and there have always been stars meeting for lovers' trysts.’
Defence chief Sir Peter Harding, according to the Times, engaged in a two-year affair with Lady Bienvenida Buck, where they would order champagne and caviar at the hotel. He was forced to resign after she exposed their affair and a headline read ‘Defence chief was a tornado in bed’.
It all ended in 2002. The party set had left and the building was weary: a mythical sort of time capsule. By 2007 it had been completely revamped, the restaurant and bar ripped out, walls moved, to create a set of prime apartments bordering Holland Park. One of them has just returned to the market, at £8.95m via Knight Frank. Perhaps the new residents of this five-bedroom flat, with the original fireplaces and parquet floors, will hear the whisper of the ghost of wild times past.
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The annual Oxford versus Cambridge Boat Race is the second most watched sporting event in Britain – after the London Marathon. This year – following a three year hiatus – crowds once again flooded the banks of the River Thames to witness the notorious rivals battle it out across the murky waters. The Oxford men’s side were the winners, whilst Cambridge’s female team made history with the fastest women’s win to date. Each crew embarked on the Championship Course, the traditional lap of the Thames, which covers over 4.25 miles and stretches between Putney and Mortlake.
Mad about the Boat Race? Try the ‘Peloton of water sports’
Several Olympians made up the 2022 teams. Tom George and Ollie Wynne-Griffith, who were part of the eight who won bronze medals last summer for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics, competed for Cambridge against Charlie Elwes, their Games team-mate, and Angus Groom, who won silver in the Quadruple Sculls. According to The Times, George and Wynne-Griffith first rowed together more than 10 years ago at Radley College. Elwes, another Radleian, followed in their footsteps from school to the Games and finally, the esteemed Varsity race.
How to navigate the Boat Race without your own cox
Rowing fixtures pull many a merry visitor from all corners of the country, as demonstrated by picnickers at Henley Royal Regatta and yesterday’s crowds on Putney bridge. It is the expansive array of onlookers that make the events what they are, as Aquil Abdullah, the US Olympic rower and winner of the Diamond Sculls race at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2000, explains to me as we make our way up the river behind the competing boats. But is the future of the sport only reserved to these large social events and the Olympics?
Perhaps the answer can be found in Hydrow, a company which Abdullah now works for as a software developer and coach and which offers an, ‘immersive at-home rowing machine with live and on-demand Athlete-led workouts.’ Think Peloton for water sports. The company's aim is to make rowing accessible for everyone at home and for those without easy access to lakes or boats.
The company’s CEO Bruce Smith spent 10 years at a rowing club in Boston before founding the business. He tells me: ‘Nobody used to be able to do it. You’d have to go to university or a club and learn the hard way’. Smith, an experienced rower, is keen to reveal the brilliance of the sport to the curious layperson. He has founded a machine which, unlike its competitors, ‘connects the exercise to what happens out on the water’.
The Oxford versus Cambridge boat race is a blink and you'll miss it event, where onlookers wait in excitement, craning their necks for the appearance of the boats, between sips of beer and cheers for their respective sides. But if hunkering down to watch the race doesn't quite quench your thirst for the sport, then Hydrow offers the opportunity to fall in love with rowing and, most appealingly, without the risk of capsizing or enduring cold winds.
Race on the Thames will be available in the Hydrow library from Wednesday 30 March
Hydrow is priced at £1,995 with a £38 monthly subscription, available to order at Selfridges London and online from Hydrow.co.uk
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One hundred years ago this autumn, a fashionable and newly famous young writer named Francis Scott Fitzgerald moved with his wife and newborn daughter to a small town 20 miles east of New York City. Great Neck was on the edge of Long Island’s celebrated Gold Coast, a stretch of wealthy communities that attracted the Jazz Age elite. Here lived the Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Guggenheims and President Theodore Roosevelt (his home was referred to as the ‘Summer White House’), as well as successful artists like Louis Comfort Tiffany. When Cole Porter wrote ‘oysters down in Oyster Bay do it’, he was serenading one of the pearls in a string of old-money towns on the island’s rarefied North Shore.
The Grade II-listed property comes with its own moat, and was once owned by grandfather of the last of King Henry VIII's six wives, the Earl of Essex
Alas, the stock market crash of 1929 mostly wiped out the wealth needed to sustain the area’s lavish real estate and lifestyle – but not before Fitzgerald captured it all in The Great Gatsby, set in 1922. If Jay Gatsby were to return this summer, however, he would find the Roaring Twenties are back with renewed gusto and exponentially more cash – even if its epicurean centre has shifted 70 miles east to what, in his time, were mostly potato farms.
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Kevin, Ian, Ghislaine, Christine and Isabel… there are now five Maxwells making money. What is it with this family? Time Willis draws it out of them, in an interview from April 2000.
Tatler Archive: the Maxwells are back, again
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the Maxwells are swimming in it. No, that's not quite right. Not because it's insensitive – Kevin Maxwell keeps cartoons of his father's drowning on his study walls - but because it implies that the children of the disgraced tycoon are sharks. In fact, they are more like beavers, busy, busy, busy, back in force and making money. It's hard enough to talk to one of them, let alone five. But, after dozens of emails, messages with secretaries and snatched calls on mobiles, Kevin Maxwell finally agrees to meet me in his offices in Portman Square, and also at his Oxfordshire home.
Ian Maxwell (fruity eyes, fluttering eyelashes), Kevin's older brother, has just popped into the boardroom for a whispered word with him in French. One of the twins, Isabel Maxwell, dressed in a brown leather trousersuit, with a tiny pigtail, rushes through reception on her way from LA to Paris, then back to California via New York. Kevin (casual manner, wary eyes) has just finished a 14-hour day and has a train to catch.
Nine years after Robert Maxwell's death and the revelation that he was one of last century's greatest crooks, his children have recovered from the meltdown of his firm and from the suspicions of fraud that dogged them. Kevin has landed notional millions in telecoms stock. The twins, Isabel and Christine, have been even more successful as Internet entrepreneurs. Ian and Ghislaine, the youngest, at 38, rove the globe as consultants.
They put in the hours. After her 12-hour days at the office, California-based Isabel – president of Comm Touch, an Israeli e-mail software outfit – calls Europe and the Middle East most nights from home. When she's not travelling the world as unpaid vice-president of the Internet Society (!SOC), Christine is starting up Chiliad, a dot.com Internet publishing venture, from Provence, where she and her husband live. 'We wouldn't have made it without working,' says Kevin, crisply.
Look at Ghislaine. She's considered to be the glamorous Maxwell, a chum of Hugh Grant's at Oxford, but just as popular with the hearties of the Bullingdon as with the arties of the Gaveston. In New York, back in her 20s, she ran a corporate gifts business, lived the lifestyle of an heiress and had a virtual residency in Nigel Dempster's column.
She’s different these days: head down, single-minded, flying from client to confidential client. True, she’s still close friends with the Duke of York, who hangs out with her when he is in Manhattan (they went to the Ralph Lauren autumn/winter 2000 show together). But in just one week Tatler located her in Rome, Manhattan, California and a helicopter over Florida. 'If I'm not tired,' she says, 'there's something wrong.' Her 79-year-old mother Betty, who herself took different trips to Paris and Stockholm in the very same week, would be proud of her.
Betty has seven surviving children – two others died – all born between 1949 and 1961. They are, in order of birth: Anne, a trainee psychotherapist; Philip, who works as a translator and seldom had much to do with his father's businesses; the twins Christine and Isabel; and then Ian, Kevin and Ghislaine. Philip and Anne mind their own business in north London, and don't talk to journalists; the others are more accessible. They talk, rather nebulously, about the 'support' they have given each other over the past decade. Sometimes their answers are so similar they could be speaking from a script.
Only Kevin and Ian, the two who worked most closely with their father, actually share offices. Kevin was his father's heir-apparent at the Maxwell Communication Corporation (MCC). He briefly employed 16,000 people and controlled 350 companies, including the Mirror Group, the New York Daily News and Pergamon, the scientific publishing house founded by his father. And now he's on a £200,000 salary as chairman of the recently floated Telemonde, a new generation telecoms company which has hired 60 people since its start-up two years ago. Ian is also in telecoms services, with Westbourne Communications – Telemonde is one of its clients. 'When my father was alive,' says Kevin, 'we were never allowed to work together, and were often kept on different continents. So this has been an unforeseen benefit from his death.'
But what deals are they making, as the chuckle with Isabel behind the closed doors of their carpet-tiled suite? They’ll only let us know if they want to – the second-generation Maxwells are discreet. It’s ironic that Kevin should be the most open of the siblings, since, as his father’s ex-sidekick in MCC, he carries the most baggage from the past. He admitted lying to a bank for his father during the famous four-month trial in 1996, at the end of which he was acquitted of all charges. But now, as chairman of a public company, he both. Needs and wants to be seen to be publicly accountable.
Captain Bob’s dead on 5 November 1991 was obviously devastating for the family. In the subsequent unravelling of MCC, Betty had to move out of Headington Hall, the Maxwells' Oxfordshire HQ. Kevin was bankrupted, and moved his family into a former old people's home near Pangbourne, paid for by his father-in-law. The Mirror Group's pension fund was eventually reimbursed, though it would have been worth more if Maxwell had never plundered it.
Betty raised some hackles with her autobiography, A Mind of My Own, but then settled back to her old work, organising the international Holocaust conferences previously sponsored by the family firms. Though she's 'angry' that she needs the income, she also lectures on Jewish-Christian relations, mainly in America. It has also been in America, further away from the epicentre of Robert Maxwell's frauds. that his daughters have been able to operate unimpeded. In Britain. however, where the two brothers remain based, they have had to run a gauntlet of public disapproval.
This reached its peak in the pre-trial period. When Kevin signed on the dole. the papers called it a PR stunt, 'but it was absolutely necessary that I did so, to qualify for legal aid'. When the brothers took headhunting jobs from their father's former secretary Jean Baddeley, they were accused of cronyism. 'But,' as Kevin explains, 'my experience of running, buying and selling dozens of companies over a I 10-year period was litigation-free. so the relationships established in that period had never been scarred.'
But before embarking upon a new life, Kevin had to get through one trial and press to have another cancelled. 'The low point,' he says, 'was when my QC advised me to plead guilty.' He rejected that advice, and the Kevin Maxwell who sits in his boardroom today is a sleeker specimen than the strained 32-year-old who tried to bluff his way out of the MCC debacle in 1991, or the grim-faced figure who later faced a potential 12 years in prison for his part in it. The jury was out for two weeks. during which he took an overnight bag to the courtroom every morning instead of his briefcase.
Now he shrugs off the stress – ‘it was a test of my ingenuity rather than of my sanity' – just as he claims to be immune to the 'misconceptions' that still dog him. 'You get up with them every morning,' he says. 'When I went to a reception at Christie's the other night, I could see it in people's eyes: "What's he doing here?" It's just a reality that you have to learn to live with.' Kevin has tried to make his peace over the Mirror pension fund scandal. He offered the fund a percentage of all his future income, was turned down on principle, and set up a trust for it anyway. 'After the trial, the rules allowed me to walk away. But I set up the trust because it was the right thing to do. You can’t be in the public eye, and not share society’s values. You can’t ignore the opinions of a significant majority.’
And hostile opinions were certainly expressed. We are in Oxfordshire now, and Kevin is preparing the Sunday roast while his wife Pandora distributes vitamin pills to their six children. Kevin hasn’t been skiing since shortly after his father’s death, but he recalls an episode from those days. ‘I was standing on a slope in Val d’sere, and an Englishman came up to me shouting, ‘What the hell are you doing on this mountain? You should be in a dungeon.’ I used to like riding, but I had to sell my horse. A friend in Oxfordshire offered me a ride, but I didn’t think pictures of me jumping would look great when I was on legal aid.’
‘What crap,’ says Pandora, breaking free from the chaos of her kitchen and the demands of her children. ‘He’s got a bad back. If he tried to ride, he'd go looking for danger and then kill himself.' Sloaney, spiky, skinny - Pandora is her husband's ultimate witness for the defence. Ask her if she understands that people might think Kevin should have suffered more as a bankrupt, and she replies: 'I understand that most people were probably lobotomised at birth.' Ask her almost anything, actually, and she'll upset the apple cart. She told the police to 'piss off’ when they came to arrest Kevin at their old Chelsea house. She's so incredibly frank that she comes across as genuinely credible. Her private interview with the judge is said to have decided him against going ahead with Kevin's second trial.
Now that he has been discharged from bankruptcy, Kevin has taken a mortgage on his new home, next to a quaint church, with a charming garden sloping down to the Thames. Inside, it's woodpanelled and smartly but sparsely furnished. There's enough space for the children's amateur dramatics in the dining hall and for a Ping-Pong table in the games room. If it weren't for the cartoons and a curling snapshot of Robert Maxwell on the pin-board, you'd think the owner was any old paper millionaire with another newfangled business.
It's here that another Kevin Maxwell lives: a man who is castigated by his wife for his 'inefficiency' because 'he leaves at dawn instead of getting the children to school'; who 'thinks he's helping by going to the supermarket once a week, but always buys the wrong things'; who has been told before now 'If you're not home by 10, I'm locking you out, and if you don't agree to these terms, the next you'll hear from me is through my solicitors.' Though he habitually wears a quizzical expression, he is obviously happily married.
Over in Provence, Christine has three young children and is also happily married, to a French astronomer. Isabel has a teenage son for whom she takes time out from work every day for at least two hours. True, Isabel is twice divorced and Ian once, but the various Maxwells have more or less normal family lives, at least compared with their own childhoods under their father's authoritarian regime.
They have often recounted how they were expected to perform to Robert Maxwell's harsh standards, how they were called to account for themselves in front of the statesmen and eminent scientists he entertained at Headington. But they are not complaining. 'He was inspiring,' says Ghislaine. 'He gave them strength,' says Betty. 'He was a great educator,' says Christine. When he was there, that is, and not doing that Maxwell thing of travelling and working all the time. Pandora says Kevin's great gift is the ability to focus, something instilled in all the children by their father, and he does display the same workaholic tendency. The trouble is, she says: 'I'm going to end up like Betty with Bob, communicating by memo.'
By e-mail, surely. The Maxwells have been wired almost since the first microchip. Ghislaine remembers her father installing computers at Headington in 1973. 'When I was 12, he was already predicting the paperless office. My first job was training to use a Wang. and then programming code.' The chief beneficiaries of Robert's enthusiasm for computers seem to have been the twins. Before Isabel was appointed to CommTouch and Christine moved to France three years ago, they had made their luck and their fortune together.
Christine is the stern one. She had been a primary-school teacher. but spent most of the Seventies and Eighties working for her father, latterly running the West Coast office of the educational and scientific divisions of Pergamon Press in the US. She was also involved in one of two of his software acquisitions, and in 1982 acquired one of the first information brokers, called Information on Demand, later renamed Research on Demand. Isabel is the sassy one. She declined a job with her father, but arrived in California as a film producer in 1981, after a successful career here as a documentary-maker.
When the family firm went down, Christina and Isabel's immediate reaction was to join forces with their husbands and start ... another family firm. Out of this came a company named McKinley (after North America’s highest mountain) and the Magellan on-line directory and search engine. McKinley was bought by its competitor Excite in 1996. When Excite in turn was bought out last year, any of the former McKinley shareholders who still held their Excite stock would have seen the value of their holdings rise by 10 times.
To analyze all the Maxwells’ new businesses and deals would require pages of geek-speak, but even explaining their motives isn’t that simple. Sure, the money comes into it, and the buzz of the deal, but what else? The the trade money press comes has called Christine 'one of the two most powerful women on the lnternet. Her father was more interested in power than money – are the children the same?
Christine is very grand in her response. She quotes Jung, ‘power is the privilege to influence’ – and declares: ‘It’s an unbelievable responsibility to have influence over issues that can have an impact on millions of people's lives and livelihoods.' Wearing her ISOC hat, she adds: 'When one has worked in the Internet for a long time, when one has a wants to give something back. My drive has to do with helping people, so that they can help themselves.' Meanwhile, Ghislaine is half-reflective, half-joking. claiming that her frantic activity, always changing business, provides her with both ‘a refuge’ and ‘something to talk about to my brothers and sisters’. And Bettys says: ‘It’s better that they work like this than get into trouble.’
The children can’t change their workaholic habits now. They have long been conditioned to a life with no clear boundaries between home and business. This was their father’s way, but in now important respect their relationship with the past, they are different from Robert, according to Betty. Her husband arrive din Britain as a Jewish refugee from the Capathian mountains who had lost most of his family in the death camps. He transformed himself into a war hero, an MP and a media magnate. Starting with almost no formal education, he learned enough to schmooze the world’s powerful people. ‘But he had a chip,’ says Betty. ‘The children don’t. To them, he gave a secure environment, which prepared them for the catastrophe.’
Prepared, perhaps. They are hard to catch off0guard, but it leaves you wondering how secure they feel. Not just because of their British press coverage, which Christine cites as one reason for living abroad, but because of something more personal. Aren’t they actually trying to prove something to their father’s ghost? We made it on our own, without you, without messing up’; or maybe ‘We’re worthy of you after all’. Betty says the children use their father as a yardstick: ‘If they achieve something special, they’ll say, “Even Dad didn’t do that.”’
One perhaps shouldn’t read too much into this. Kevin admits: ‘In a given situation, I often wonder what my father would have done.' But then he adds: 'I don't believe in the afterlife. As far as I'm concerned, he no longer exists for me to prove myself to him.' Kevin will be happy if 'in the next two years I can secure the future of the company'; Isabel talks of dominating the branded e-mail market: 'I've got the very best.'
Perhaps the future is always easier in America, where the past is more easily forgiven. In the US, where Robert Maxwell's reputation in any case is frayed rather than tattered, the girls could, and can, do business without public opprobrium. In Britain, the boys know that, as Betty puts it, 'they will always live in the shadow of a tragedy that affected a lot of people, not just us'.
But times have changed in Britain, too. After Maxwell's death, comparisons were hastily drawn between him and Melmotte, the anti-hero of The Way We Live Now, who committed suicide when his financial malfeasance was exposed. In Trollope's novel, the old fraud's surviving family, his wife and daughter, quietly leave the stage. Not so the brothers Maxwell. They do not have to leave the stage; and as for society, they’ve never particularly been part of the giddy whirl .
Robert Maxwell had a maxim: 'Confidence is like virginity – you can only lose it once.' Kevin claims that he was talking specifically about the sort of confidence the banks have in you if you are a good customer. 'He meant that you couldn't cross a bank and go back, and he was right because the banks certainly won't lend us money now.' But more generally, their father is being proved wrong. Around the world, there are plenty of investors who have confidence that Robert's children understand the electronic businesses of the new age, and how to make money from them. The Maxwells are back. Like it or not.
This article first appeared in the April 2000 Tatler
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Diamonds are a girl’s best friend: twinkling pieces for April birthdays
The splendour and sparkle of the diamond has inspired us for generations; their rarity, value and the way they delicately reflect light. Whether they're worn as status symbols, bought as investments or emblems of endless love, diamonds are still the most prized stone in the world.
The tale of the Taylor-Burton diamond is glamorous to a fault. The story begins in 1966, when a 240 carat rough was found in the De Beers-owned Premier Mine in South Africa, the same mine that had produced the Cullinan and Golden Jubilee diamonds. It was snapped up by the American jeweller Harry Winston, who decided to make the larger half into a perfectly proportioned pear shaped diamond. Winston sold the diamond to Harriet Annenberg Ames, sister to billionaire publisher and diplomat Walter Annenberg, who planned to wear it as a ring, but felt too conspicuous wearing such a huge stone in her native New York City. Ames didn't keep it for long, putting it up for auction in 1969. When Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton heard about the upcoming sale, they had to see the stone, so it was flown to Gstaad where the couple were holidaying.
Burton set his ceiling price at $1 million, and had his lawyers bid via telephone from London. Despite his efforts, the winning bid, $1,050,000, came from Robert Kenmore representing Cartier, who outbid Burton, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and the Sultan of Brunei. A proviso of the sale stated that the diamond's buyer could name the diamond, so naturally the stone was christened the Cartier Diamond. It's reported that Richard Burton, livid not to have won the diamond, had his lawyer contact Cartier the very next day to buy the gem. Robert Kenmore did indeed agree to sell it to Burton, for an undisclosed amount, but on the condition that Cartier was able to display it in store before it was handed over to the couple. Over 6000 people a day flocked to Cartier's Fifth Avenue store to see the celebrated stone, now of course named the Taylor-Burton Diamond. Shortly afterwards the diamond was delivered to the couple on their yacht in Monaco, where they were anchored to attend Princess Grace's 40th birthday. Taylor wore the legendary 69.42 carat diamond on a double strand necklace of smaller diamonds for the first time in public at Princess Grace of Monaco's party.
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I'm not sure which event/venue Kuroda is speaking at.
Headlines via Reuters:
- Japan's economy is likely to recover
- Japan's inflation to clearly accelerate due to sharp rise in energy prices, dissipating effects of cellphone fee cuts
- impact of Ukraine crisis on Japan's economy is extremely uncertain
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expected rise in inflation driven by increase in import costs, which could hurt Japan's economy via decline in household income, corporate profits
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BOJ will maintain powerful monetary easing to support economy still in the midst of recovering from pandemic hit
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BOJ will strive to ensure market stability through ample liquidity provision
USD/JPY is not doing a real lot in response:
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https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/bank-of-japan-governor-kuroda-says-japans-economy-is-likely-to-recover-20220405/
| 2022-04-05T00:17:42Z
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Wages data from Japan for February 2022 nominal total cash earnings are +1.2% y/yovertime pay is +5.8%however, real wages are flat y/y
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Reuters cite an unnamed source 'familiar with the matter'
- Latest Russia sovereign bond coupon payments have not received authorization by US Treasury to be processed by correspondent bank JPMorgan
Reuters cite an unnamed source 'familiar with the matter'
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https://www.forexlive.com/news/us-treasury-has-not-authorised-the-latest-russian-sovereign-bond-coupon-payments-20220404/
| 2022-04-05T00:18:31Z
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Longtime Starbucks leader Howard Schultz — who returned to the company as interim CEO on Monday — said his first major action will be suspending Starbucks’ share buyback program and plowing those billions of dollars into the company instead.
“This decision will allow us to invest more profit into our people and our stores — the only way to create long-term value for all stakeholders,” Schultz said in an open letter to employees posted on Starbucks’ website.
The pivot in strategy comes just three weeks after Starbucks announced that Schultz, who bought the company in 1987 and led it for more than three decades, would be taking over the company’s top role until it finds a permanent CEO. Previous CEO Kevin Johnson announced his retirement on March 16; the company said it expects to name a permanent CEO by this fall.
Starbucks announced late last year that it was committing to a three-year, $20 billion share repurchase and dividend program to return profits to investors. That was on top of a $25 billion share buyback and dividend program the company announced in 2018.
Buybacks often raise a company’s stock price, rewarding its shareholders. But some critics, including Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, say buybacks also inflate executive compensation and do nothing to improve a company’s goods and services.
Investors weren’t pleased by the news. Starbucks’ shares were down 4% in afternoon trading Monday.
It’s not clear how ending the buyback program will impact Schultz himself, since Starbucks has not revealed how many shares he currently owns. At the time he left the company in 2018, he and his family held 34 million shares; that would be worth nearly $3 billion today.
Schultz is currently volunteering his time as interim CEO, taking $1 in compensation.
Monday’s announcement indicates Schultz is feeling some heat from employees, many of whom have publicly complained about understaffed stores and lagging pay.
Last fall, Starbucks committed to spending $1 billion over two years to increase U.S. employee pay, which will average $17 per hour by this summer. But many workers have questioned if that was adequate, considering Johnson’s 2021 compensation package totaled more than $20 million.
As a result, Starbucks is facing growing unionization effort that Schultz may be seeking to quell. Ten of the company’s 9,000 company-owned U.S. stores have voted to unionize since December, and at least 181 more in 28 states have filed to hold union elections. Workers United, a branch of the Service Employees International Union, is leading that effort.
Last Friday, workers at Starbucks’ flagship Reserve Roastery in New York voted 46-36 to form a union. It was the largest store to vote for unionization to date.
In his previous time with the company, the 68-year-old Schultz successfully fought attempts to unionize Starbucks’ U.S. stores and roasting plants. Starbucks had to reinstate fired workers or pay to settle labor law violations numerous times under Schultz’s leadership in the early 2000s.
Schultz did not mention the unionization effort in his letter to employees Monday. He said he plans to travel to stores and manufacturing plants worldwide to get input on how to remake the company after several turbulent years.
“Pinched supply chains, the decimation caused by COVID, heightened tensions and political unrest, a racial reckoning and a rising generation which seeks a new accountability for business,” Schultz wrote. “As Starbucks, we can either choose to rise to this moment — or stand idle.”
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Longtime Starbucks leader Howard Schultz — who returned to the company as interim CEO on Monday — said his first major action will be suspending Starbucks’ share buyback program and plowing those billions of dollars into the company instead.
“This decision will allow us to invest more profit into our people and our stores — the only way to create long-term value for all stakeholders,” Schultz said in an open letter to employees posted on Starbucks’ website.
The pivot in strategy comes just three weeks after Starbucks announced that Schultz, who bought the company in 1987 and led it for more than three decades, would be taking over the company’s top role until it finds a permanent CEO. Previous CEO Kevin Johnson announced his retirement on March 16; the company said it expects to name a permanent CEO by this fall.
Starbucks announced late last year that it was committing to a three-year, $20 billion share repurchase and dividend program to return profits to investors. That was on top of a $25 billion share buyback and dividend program the company announced in 2018.
Buybacks often raise a company’s stock price, rewarding its shareholders. But some critics, including Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, say buybacks also inflate executive compensation and do nothing to improve a company’s goods and services.
Investors weren’t pleased by the news. Starbucks’ shares were down 4% in afternoon trading Monday.
It’s not clear how ending the buyback program will impact Schultz himself, since Starbucks has not revealed how many shares he currently owns. At the time he left the company in 2018, he and his family held 34 million shares; that would be worth nearly $3 billion today.
Schultz is currently volunteering his time as interim CEO, taking $1 in compensation.
Monday’s announcement indicates Schultz is feeling some heat from employees, many of whom have publicly complained about understaffed stores and lagging pay.
Last fall, Starbucks committed to spending $1 billion over two years to increase U.S. employee pay, which will average $17 per hour by this summer. But many workers have questioned if that was adequate, considering Johnson’s 2021 compensation package totaled more than $20 million.
As a result, Starbucks is facing growing unionization effort that Schultz may be seeking to quell. Ten of the company’s 9,000 company-owned U.S. stores have voted to unionize since December, and at least 181 more in 28 states have filed to hold union elections. Workers United, a branch of the Service Employees International Union, is leading that effort.
Last Friday, workers at Starbucks’ flagship Reserve Roastery in New York voted 46-36 to form a union. It was the largest store to vote for unionization to date.
In his previous time with the company, the 68-year-old Schultz successfully fought attempts to unionize Starbucks’ U.S. stores and roasting plants. Starbucks had to reinstate fired workers or pay to settle labor law violations numerous times under Schultz’s leadership in the early 2000s.
Schultz did not mention the unionization effort in his letter to employees Monday. He said he plans to travel to stores and manufacturing plants worldwide to get input on how to remake the company after several turbulent years.
“Pinched supply chains, the decimation caused by COVID, heightened tensions and political unrest, a racial reckoning and a rising generation which seeks a new accountability for business,” Schultz wrote. “As Starbucks, we can either choose to rise to this moment — or stand idle.”
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ISTANBUL (AP) — Yearly inflation in Turkey hit 61.14% on Monday, climbing to a new 20-year high and deepening a cost of living crisis for many households.
The Turkish Statistical Institute said consumer prices rose by 5.46% in March compared with the previous month. Yearly inflation was up from 54.44% in February.
The highest yearly price increase was in the transportation sector, at 99.12%, while the increase in food prices was 70.33%, according to the data. It was the biggest year-on-year increase since March 2002.
Rising prices are part of an economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen a surge in gas, oil and grain prices.
Turkey’s runaway inflation also follows a series of interest rate cuts late last year, in line with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opposition to high borrowing costs in a bid to boost growth, investment and exports. In contrast to established economic thinking, the president insists that high rates cause inflation.
The central bank cut rates by 5 percentage points between September and December but they have remained unchanged at 14% this year.
The lira, which lost 44% of its value against the U.S. dollar last year, plunged to a record high of 18.41 against the greenback in December. The currency’s performance has fueled inflation in the import-reliant Turkish economy.
In an effort to soften the blow on households, the government has implemented tax cuts on basic goods and has adjusted electricity tariffs.
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ISTANBUL (AP) — Yearly inflation in Turkey hit 61.14% on Monday, climbing to a new 20-year high and deepening a cost of living crisis for many households.
The Turkish Statistical Institute said consumer prices rose by 5.46% in March compared with the previous month. Yearly inflation was up from 54.44% in February.
The highest yearly price increase was in the transportation sector, at 99.12%, while the increase in food prices was 70.33%, according to the data. It was the biggest year-on-year increase since March 2002.
Rising prices are part of an economic crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen a surge in gas, oil and grain prices.
Turkey’s runaway inflation also follows a series of interest rate cuts late last year, in line with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opposition to high borrowing costs in a bid to boost growth, investment and exports. In contrast to established economic thinking, the president insists that high rates cause inflation.
The central bank cut rates by 5 percentage points between September and December but they have remained unchanged at 14% this year.
The lira, which lost 44% of its value against the U.S. dollar last year, plunged to a record high of 18.41 against the greenback in December. The currency’s performance has fueled inflation in the import-reliant Turkish economy.
In an effort to soften the blow on households, the government has implemented tax cuts on basic goods and has adjusted electricity tariffs.
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Soaring inflation. The war in Ukraine. Yet another rise in Covid cases. With so much going on this year it's hard to focus on things like filing your taxes.
Nevertheless, the IRS still expects you to file your 2021 return and pay whatever you still owe by the filing deadline, which is April 18 for most taxpayers.
If you haven't filed yet, here are answers to some key questions that will help you through the process:
Do I have to file by April 18th?
Ideally, yes. But if that proves difficult -- or you're just not in the mood -- file for an automatic six-month extension by using Form 4868.
Of course, there are some taxpayers whose filing deadline is later than April 18. They include residents of Maine and Massachusetts, whose official filing date is April 19. And the deadline is a month or more later for people living in federally declared disaster areas, as well as US taxpayers living outside of the United States on April 18.
If I do owe money, when is that due?
For most people, you have to pay any remaining 2021 income taxes that you still owe by the April 18 filing deadline, even if you get an automatic six-month extension to file.
What if I don't pay on time?
You will have to pay even more than you owe, because you'll be slapped with penalties and interest.
If you really can't afford to pay on time, and you have a good reason for why, you can make your case to the IRS by attaching a statement to your return when you file. If the IRS accepts your explanation, it may waive the late payment penalty. At a minimum, you need to show that your failure to pay is not the result of "willful neglect."
To show that, try to pay what you can when you file, even if it's not the total balance. If that's not possible and you're really behind, you may be able to set up a repayment plan with the IRS.
What if the IRS owes me money?
If you file an accurate return electronically, and are owed a refund, the IRS will likely have that money sent to you or direct deposited into your bank account within 21 days of receiving your return.
You can check the status of where things stand by using the IRS online tool Where's My Refund?
I was working remotely for much of 2021. Will that affect my taxes?
It depends. If you worked from a state other than the one where your employer is based, you could be subject to the income tax rules of two or more states.
At the very least you'll likely have to file more than one state tax return for 2021, which will cost you more if you're paying someone else to prepare your taxes.
And in some instances -- primarily involving five states that have so-called convenience rules -- you may even be double-taxed on the same income.
(Learn more here.)
The advanced child tax credit is so confusing. How should I handle that on my tax return?
Good news: You are not imagining things. The child tax credit is causing headaches for both filers and tax pros alike.
There were a lot of temporary changes made to the child tax credit just for 2021. For starters, it was raised to $3,600 per child ages 5 and under, and to $3,000 per child ages 6 through 17.
It was also temporarily made fully refundable for 2021, meaning you can get the maximum amount of the credit even if it exceeds your federal income tax liability.
But here's where the real confusion comes in: The IRS likely has already sent you half the credit you're entitled to (six months' worth) through monthly checks sent out between July and December.
You should have gotten a letter from the IRS in the past couple of months detailing what you've been paid already. That's an amount you will need to report on your return. And then you will have to claim the other half of the credit you're owed, which you will get by way of a refund.
(Learn more here.)
I got an IRS letter saying it sent me a stimulus check. Is that reportable and taxable?
The IRS recently mailed Letter 6475 to taxpayers who received a third round stimulus payment, which the agency started sending out in March 2021.
While the payment isn't taxable, you should report the number from that letter on your 2021 return. The last thing you want is for there to be a discrepancy between the IRS records and what's on your return. That will cause delays in processing your return and issuing your refund.
And you'll want to use that number to work out whether the IRS actually owes you more by way of a recovery rebate credit, once you calculate how much more of the stimulus payment you're due on the basis of your actual 2021 income.
I have cryptocurrencies. Do I have to report that?
It depends.
Just buying and holding cryptocurrencies are not taxable events.
But if you sold cryptocurrencies, used them to buy something or were paid in crypto, those are taxable events and must be reported.
Virtual currencies are taxed as property, or as an investment, when you sell them. To make matters more confusing, using them to buy something technically counts as selling. So you will be subject to capital gains tax when you sell them.
If you're paid in bitcoin or other crypto, on the other hand, that will be treated as taxable income to you. So will income earned from mining or staking.
And starting next year your crypto activities will be subject to third-party reporting -- meaning both you and the IRS will get the same tax forms reporting your sales and income.
I can't get through to the IRS and have a question. What should I do?
It's been very difficult for taxpayers and tax pros alike to reach the IRS by phone because the agency is too understaffed to handle the volume of calls.
If you've already invested time combing through the information resources on IRS.gov to find an answer to your question, you might consider an in-person visit to a Taxpayer Assistance Center near you.
Normally you need to make a weekday appointment. But the IRS announced that many of its Taxpayer Assistance Centers will be open to walk-ins on the second Saturday of each month through May. You can find your local office here. Call first to make sure they'll be open on the day you want to go.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/business/tax-day-is-coming-soon-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-filing-your-2021/article_2cf2fb7c-1bc3-5b0a-a938-94ce8007b5d0.html
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A woman processes a nasal swab in one of the new government-issued Covid-19 Antigen Rapid test kits in Provo, Utah on February 8. Medicare enrollees can now obtain home Covid-19 tests from certain pharmacies and providers at no cost.
Medicare enrollees can now obtain home Covid-19 tests from certain pharmacies and providers at no cost, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday.
Medicare was not initially included in the directive, sparking an outcry from seniors and people with disabilities. More than 59 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare.
The delay stemmed from the fact that traditional Medicare had never covered over-the-counter tests before. CMS announced in February that it would add a new payment program so it could expand reimbursement to Medicare enrollees starting in the early spring.
"This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests free of charge," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
Up to eight tests a month
Under the initiative, Medicare enrollees can receive up to eight home tests a month at no cost from participating pharmacies and providers, which Medicare will reimburse directly.
Those in Medicare Advantage plans may need to show their federal Medicare cards to receive the free tests, which are being covered by Medicare Part B, not health insurers. Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover Covid-19 tests as a separate benefit.
National pharmacy chains that are participating include: Albertsons, Costco, CVS, Food Lion, Giant Food, Hannaford, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Rite Aid, Shop & Stop, Walgreens and Walmart.
Enrollees can also check with their local pharmacies or providers to see if they are participating or call 1-800-MEDICARE to find locations.
The coverage will last until the public health emergency ends. It is currently set to expire in mid-April but is expected to be renewed for at least another three months.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/medicare-is-now-paying-for-at-home-covid-19-tests-from-retailers/article_6af5af76-2b61-5d64-b396-68fd2bc27f50.html
| 2022-04-05T00:19:39Z
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Pandemic hospitalization rates are at new lows, the vast majority of US counties have low community levels of the coronavirus, and as of March 25, all 50 states have lifted mask requirements.
But is there a cost to lifting restrictions and trying to return to a pre-pandemic normal?
In a new study, researchers predict that the lifting of masking and social-distancing restrictions in March 2022 could lead to resurgences of Covid-19 deaths in most states, based on projections from a simulation model.
The study also found that delaying lifting restrictions would not prevent surges in deaths for those states, concluding that there is no "magic moment" to lift restrictions.
The study, published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum, projected deaths from Covid-19 in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico between March 1 and December 31, 2022. The researchers simulated lifting restrictions at different times in the year and predicted the number of deaths that would follow using current estimates for infection and vaccination rates, while accounting for differences in risk between age groups.
"There is likely no amount of additional waiting time in any state after which removing [Covid-19 restrictions] will not lead to a rise in morbidity and mortality," the study says.
In almost every state, it says, lifting restrictions at any point in 2022 would lead to a rebound of peak Covid-19 deaths seen during the Omicron surge due to the high transmissibility of the circulating variant.
However, when researchers repeated the analysis using the transmissibility of the less-contagious Alpha and Delta variants, they did not see a similar surge in deaths.
"If we didn't have Omicron, we wouldn't have this problem," said Dr. Benjamin Linas, co-lead author of the study and a professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine.
Delaying the lifts had a different effect on Covid-19 deaths depending on the state.
In California, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon, prolonging restrictions by just one month helped flatten the curve of deaths, though at no point could a surge in death rates be prevented. Nevertheless, delaying the lifting of restrictions could help relieve significant hospital burden in these states, the authors wrote.
The study found that prolonging Covid-19 restrictions caused higher peak incident deaths when the restrictions were to be removed in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. Linas said that this is probably due to waning immunity in states with lower levels of natural immunity, which is the kind acquired after an infection.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee and Washington, the predicted peak of deaths stayed relatively similar despite modeling delays in lifting restrictions. In these states, prolonging restrictions would not change the disease burden in the community.
For those states, "the thing to change is that background of vaccination and immunity, and that's the way out," Linas said.
Deciding when to remove mandates thus requires a cost-benefit analysis, he said. On one hand, some states will have to weigh postponing a surge in deaths, and on the other hand is a return to normalcy.
"I would like policy-makers to take the study and try to lead the honest discussion we need now, which is to say, what is the goal of our mitigation policies?" Linas said.
The study uses a simulation model in which several assumptions had to be made, and it can't predict the transmissibility and severity of any future Covid-19 variants. The model also does not account for interstate travel and the role it may play in infection transmission.
Additionally, it is possible that people will continue to wear masks and socially distance even once state restrictions are lifted, potentially easing the peak of deaths.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/there-is-no-magic-moment-to-lift-covid-19-restrictions-researchers-say/article_c732acb2-f5bf-53de-9cae-73455534f313.html
| 2022-04-05T00:19:45Z
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KONA, Hawaii (KITV4) - A 20-year-old Pepeekeo man was indicted by a grand jury on Monday in a child pornography case relating to an incident from November 2021.
On April 4, a grand jury indicted Elgin Marcos after he was charged for promoting child abuse in the first-degree, promoting child abuse in the second degree, and violation of privacy in the first degree.
The most serious offense, promoting child abuse in the first degree, is a class A felony and carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Marcos was originally arrested and charged in March in Kona District Court, with a single count each of promoting child abuse in the first degree, and violation of privacy in the first degree.
At his initial appearance in Kona District Court, Marcos’ bail was reduced over prosecutors’ objections and he later posted $10,000 bail. Prosecutors’ elected to proceed via grand jury indictment, including the addition of a third criminal charge.
Marcos is scheduled to make his initial appearance on Monday in Kona Circuit Court. He remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Anyone having information related to this case can contact local law enforcement at 808-961-8300.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
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https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/pepeekeo-man-indicted-on-3-counts-for-alleged-child-pornography-and-violation-of-privacy-charges/article_d18f4210-b44f-11ec-bfbd-431fe1b2b5da.html
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HONOLULU (KITV4) -- April is National Kite Month and every year at this time enthusiasts celebrate the history of their favorite pastime by letting their kites fly.
Kelvin Chun is a retired, award-winning public school teacher who is one of the few craftsmen in Hawaii who is a master of making and flying Filipino kites.
Master kite builder Patricio Gongob taught Chun how to make the traditional kites out of shaved bamboo and rice paper. Unlike western kites, Filipino kites do not have a tail. Chun has been featured in national kite magazines and belongs to the American Kite Fliers Association. His master’s degree project at the University of Hawaii was on kite aerodynamics.
"I used to be a math teacher, so I used to integrate making the kite and flying the kite, it’s what they call STEM education now. Science Technology Engineering and Math. And art, Steam education. I used to integrate it then have my students make the kites, and fly the kites so that when it flies you know that aerodynamically they made the kite perfect. And applied mathematics skills," Chun said.
“In today’s world, a lot of problem solving in life, so if it doesn’t fly you have to figure out why it doesn’t fly in the kite it has to be perfectly balanced. It has to be perfectly symmetrical," he added.
April was chosen as National Kite Month because it was the month that perfectly symbolized hope, potential, and joy. As the first month in spring, it is when most kite fliers are starting to bring their kites out of the closet and prepare for a summer on the beach.
It is the month that while we spring clean and dust off the cobwebs, we can look fondly back on the memories of the year before while looking towards a bright future.
April is also the month that we see the last of the snow giving way to green lawns, a month that we are eager to get outside and be active.
National Kite Month is organized by the American Kitefliers Association (AKA). Volunteers work to help promote kite flying throughout the year and during National Kite Month.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to CYip@kitv.com
Cynthia is an award-winning journalist who returned to Hawaii as an Anchor/Reporter/MMJ from Houston. She is a graduate of the University of Hawaii with a B.A. and M.B.A. DM her on IG @CynthiaYipTV to share stories.
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https://www.kitv.com/news/local/master-kite-maker-in-hawaii-talks-about-the-math-science-behind-great-kite-making/article_540a5776-b3c8-11ec-b329-2ffcc1f74032.html
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A Senate panel voted along party lines on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first step in a series taken by Democrats to confirm her by the end of the week.
After the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-11, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to use the power of the full Senate majority to force her nomination to a floor vote. It will take 51 votes on Monday evening to break the deadlock and send her nomination to the floor.
Senate Republican and Democratic leaders agree that Jackson is a well-qualified nominee, but almost all GOP senators are expected to oppose her. Jackson, 51, sits on DC's federal appellate court and had been considered the front-runner for the vacancy since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement. Jackson previously worked as a clerk for Breyer, a federal public defender, an attorney in private practice, a federal district court judge and a member of the US Sentencing Commission.
If confirmed, Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice.
"Justice Jackson will bring to the Supreme Court, the highest level of skill, integrity, civility and grace," said Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the Judiciary Committee chairman, in explaining his support for her on Monday. "This committee's action today is nothing less than making history. I'm honored to be part of it."
But the vast majority of Senate Republicans will oppose her, citing concerns with her judicial philosophy, or lack thereof, her sentencing in some criminal cases and her advocacy for certain clients. So far, only three Senate Republicans -- Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski -- have said they would support Jackson.
"My support rests on Judge Jackson's qualifications, which no one questions; her demonstrated judicial independence; her demeanor and temperament; and the important perspective she would bring to the court as a replacement for Justice Breyer," said Murkowski on Monday. "It also rests on my rejection of the corrosive politicization of the review process for Supreme Court nominees, which, on both sides of the aisle, is growing worse and more detached from reality by the year."
Some GOP senators said on Monday they were not swayed by Jackson's assertion that she does not have a judicial philosophy per se but instead a methodology that ensures she rules impartially.
"The judge must call balls and strikes," said Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, alluding to Chief Justice John Roberts' metaphor comparing a judge to an umpire. "And given what I've seen, and her unwillingness to disclose her judicial philosophy, and disavow an expansionist view of unenumerated rights, I have concerns that Judge Jackson will be pinch hitting for one team or the other."
Other Republican senators portrayed Jackson as a pawn of the "radical left." Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he believed "she will prove to be the most extreme and the furthest-left justice ever to serve on the United States Supreme Court." Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Jackson would "coddle criminals and terrorists." And Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley lambasted her sentencing decisions in some child pornography cases.
Democrats said that some Republicans were fear-mongering and cherry-picking cases, noting she authored over 550 cases in her eight years as a district judge and had already been confirmed by the Senate to three prior positions. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said that Jackson "had the very low reversal rate of only 2%." Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the GOP had engaged in "meritless demagoguery" and "concocted outrage." And New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker noted Jackson's support from law enforcement groups, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police, and those advocating for victims like the National Children's Alliance.
One potential Republican vote for Jackson was South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who supported Jackson a year ago for her current job. But he said last week that he would oppose her, citing her sentencing for cases of child pornography and representation of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Graham, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said that while Jackson exhibits "exceptionally good character," she was too lenient in sentencing those cases and had an "activist zeal" in calling former President George W. Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld war criminals in legal briefs as she advocated for a detainee.
"My decision is based upon her record of judicial activism, flawed sentencing methodology regarding child pornography cases and a belief Judge Jackson will not be deterred by the plain meaning of the law when it comes to liberal causes," said Graham.
An in-depth CNN review of the child pornography cases showed that Jackson had mostly followed common judicial sentencing practices. It has become a norm among judges to issue sentences below the guidelines in such cases that don't involve producing the pornography itself. As for her advocacy for Guantanamo detainees, Jackson argued that they had been tortured and subjected to other inhumane treatment but did not explicitly use the phrase "war criminal." Jackson's four detainee clients were not convicted and were eventually released from Guantanamo.
Durbin refuted Graham on both issues on the Senate floor last week, calling Jackson "in the mainstream of sentencing" of child pornography cases and saying Republicans have also voted for President Donald Trump's judges who "do exactly the same thing she does." He said it was a "gross exaggeration and unfair on its face" to say that Jackson had called Bush administration officials "war criminals."
It's rare for the Senate Judiciary Committee to tie on a Supreme Court nomination. But nomination battles have become increasingly contentious, and the current Senate is split 50-50, so there are an even number of Democrats and Republicans on the panel, rather than the majority party holding more seats.
Over the past five decades, the panel has deadlocked once -- over Clarence Thomas, who was facing sexual harassment allegations. Fifteen justices -- William Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch , Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett -- passed the committee during that timeframe.
In 1987, Democrats who controlled the committee voted to unfavorably recommend President Ronald Reagan's nominee Robert Bork on ideological grounds. And in 2020, Democrats boycotted a committee vote on Barrett, arguing that the chamber should not consider President Donald Trump's lifetime appointment to the court while the country was voting in the presidential election.
In the Trump era, Senate Republicans strengthened the conservatives' grip on the court from 5-4 to 6-3, after holding up President Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland during another election year -- 2016 -- and then confirming Gorsuch in 2017, and Coney Barrett in 2020 to replace the late Ginsburg. Jackson's confirmation would likely replace a liberal -- Breyer -- with another.
"I think all indications are that Judge Jackson is going to be a liberal activist from the bench," said Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell on Fox last week. "But the good news for people like me, is the Court is still 6-3."
"We made massive changes over the last four years that I think put the Court in a very solid position with a great number of judges who believe in the quaint notion that maybe a judge ought to follow the law," he added.
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments Monday.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A father of four. A best friend with a positive personality. A vivacious partygoer. The six people who were killed during a mass shooting in California’s capital city were remembered by their friends and family on Monday as few details were released about the weekend violence.
Dozens of rapid-fire gunshots rang out early Sunday in the crowded streets of California’s capital city, leaving three women and three men dead and 12 people wounded.
Investigators were searching for at least two shooters who were responsible for the violence on the outskirts of Sacramento’s main entertainment district that occurred as bars and nightclubs were closing. On Monday morning, small memorials with candles, balloons and flowers had been placed near the crime scene.
Few details have been made public as police seek to piece together the incident and implore witnesses to come forward with tips and videos.
The Sacramento County coroner released the identities of the six people killed. They were Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21; Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; and Devazia Turner, 29.
Harris and Turner were cousins, according to FOX 40.
MELINDA DAVIS
Melinda Davis was a “very sassy lady” who lived on the streets of Sacramento near the shooting site, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Shawn Peter, a guide with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership who had known Davis for 15 years, told the newspaper that she had been homeless and lived in the area on and off for a decade.
Officials had helped her find housing before the pandemic began but she had returned to the downtown business district in recent months, Peter said. A small bouquet of purple roses with a note saying “Melinda Rest In Peace” was left on the street in her memory.
“Melinda was a very eccentric individual, a very sassy lady,” he told the newspaper. “This was her world, 24/7.”
SERGIO HARRIS
Described by family members as the life of the party, Harris was a frequent presence at the London nightclub which is near the shooting scene.
“My son was a very vivacious young man,” his mother, Pamela Harris, told KCRA 3. “Fun to be around, liked to party, smiling all the time. Don’t bother people. For this to happen is crazy. I’m just to the point right now, I don’t know what to do. I don’t even feel like this is real. I feel like this is a dream.”
His family members congregated at the crime scene Sunday after they hadn’t heard from him for hours. Later that day, Harris was the first victim publicly identified by the coroner.
“This is a sad and terrible act of violence that took the lives of many,” his wife, Leticia Harris, told KCRA 3. “I want answers so I can have closure for my children.”
YAMILE MARTINEZ-ANDRADE
Martinez-Andrade was killed in front of her best friend, according to ABC 10.
She was described as someone who “brought light to the room,” the station reported, and had a positive outlook.
“There was never a dull moment with her. She has a beautiful heart and a beautiful mind. Everyone misses her so much,” her best friend, who was not named, told ABC 10.
DEVAZIA TURNER
Turner had spent his night out with friends and his cousin at the London nightclub, his father, Frank Turner, told FOX 40.
“He was out just having fun with his friends,” Frank Turner told the TV station.
Devazia Turner lived in Vacaville, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of the crime scene, but was from Sacramento, his father toldABC 10.
His sister, Tamika Young, told KPIX TV that Turner was the father of four children.
“I just want to make sure the world knows that he was loved,” Young said. “My little brother, he was a family dude. … He had love in him.”
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By MARY CLARE JALONICK, BECKY BOHRER and KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney announced Monday night they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic elevation to the Supreme Court, giving President Joe Biden’s nominee a burst of bipartisan support and all but assuring she’ll become the first Black female justice.
The senators from Alaska and Utah announced their decisions ahead of a procedural vote to advance the nomination and as Democrats pressed to confirm Jackson by the end of the week. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced last week that she would back Jackson.
All three Republicans said they did not expect to agree with all of Jackson’s decisions, but that they found her well qualified. Romney said she “more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity.”
With three Republicans supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson is on a glidepath to confirmation and on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court’s more than 200-year history. Beyond the historic element, Democrats have cited her deep experience in nine years on the federal bench and the chance for her to become the first former public defender on the court.
Both Collins and Murkowski said they believed that the Senate nomination process has become broken as it has become more partisan in the past several decades.
Murkowski said her decision partly rests “on my rejection of the corrosive politicization of the review process for Supreme Court nominees, which, on both sides of the aisle, is growing worse and more detached from reality by the year.”
Biden nominated Jackson to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Biden has sought bipartisan backing for his pick, making repeated calls to senators and inviting Republicans to the White House.
The Senate’s 53-47 vote Monday evening was to “discharge” Jackson’s nomination from the Senate Judiciary Committee after the panel deadlocked, 11-11, on whether to send the nomination to the Senate floor.
The committee vote, split along party lines, was the first deadlock on a Supreme Court nomination in three decades.
“Judge Jackson will bring extraordinary qualifications, deep experience and intellect, and a rigorous judicial record to the Supreme Court,” Biden tweeted earlier Monday. “She deserves to be confirmed as the next justice.”
The Judiciary committee’s top Republican, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he was opposing Jackson’s nomination because “she and I have fundamental, different views on the role of judges and the role that they should play in our system of government.”
The committee hadn’t deadlocked since 1991, when Biden was chairman and a motion to send the nomination of current Justice Clarence Thomas to the floor with a “favorable” recommendation failed on a 7-7 vote. The committee then voted to send the nomination to the floor without a recommendation, meaning it could still be brought up for a vote.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky set the tone for most of his party last week when he said he “cannot and will not” support Jackson, citing GOP concerns raised in hearings about her sentencing record and her backing from liberal advocacy groups.
Republicans on the Judiciary panel continued their push Monday to paint Jackson as soft on crime, defending their repeated questions about her sentencing on sex crimes.
“Questions are not attacks,” said Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, one of several GOP senators on the panel who hammered the point in the hearings two weeks ago.
Jackson pushed back on the GOP narrative, declaring that “nothing could be further from the truth.” Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. And on Monday they criticized their GOP counterparts’ questioning.
“You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold,” said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
The questioning was filled with “absurdities of disrespect,” said Booker, who also is Black, and he said he will “rejoice” when she is confirmed.
Derrick Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, expressed disappointment with the tie, even as he noted that Jackson had cleared an important hurdle. He said “history will be watching” during the full Senate vote later this week.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri and Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Becky Bohrer in Alaska contributed.
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The big tests arrived for three of the San Gabriel Valley’s highly-touted high school baseball teams on Monday with opening games of the prestigious National Classic invitational tournament, and all three passed with flying colors.
This year’s tournament is hosted by El Dorado HS, and it couldn’t of gone any better for the SGV, with South Hills, Bishop Amat and San Dimas all reaching Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
South Hills, ranked No. 1 in the San Gabriel Valley, punched its ticket by showing its pitching depth during a 3-0 victory over Camas, WA, on Monday morning.
Huskies senior pitcher Jeremiah Sibrian was virtually untouchable. He allowed just one hit while striking out eight over six innings before Dylan Equival took over to close out the seventh. That’s good news for the Huskies, because they still have pitchers Sterling Patick and Matthew Lorenzano to throw over the next couple days.
South Hills (15-3) will take on Cypress, an 8-2 winner over Alemany, in Tuesday’s quarterfinal at Amerige Park in Fullerton at 7 p.m.
The game was scoreless until Andres Mitat’s sacrifice fly to right in the fourth inning scored Patick from third for a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies added an insurance run in the fifth inning to go up 2-0 after Gilbert Morales’ single to left-center scored Andrew Ramirez, and they added another run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
BISHOP AMAT 4, PALOS VERDES 1
Bishop Amat pitcher Daniel Marquez threw six innings with six strikeouts to pick up the victory. Amat will face the winner of Monday’s late game between St. John Bosco and West Ranch in Tuesday’s quarterfinals at El Dorado High School at 1 p.m.
The Lancers (12-5) benefitted from a quick start. Frankie Peralez, a Hawaii Pacific commit, opened the game with a double and later scored on Jordan Pasillas’ single.
But the Lancers weren’t done. Isaiah Hernandez tripled home Pasillas, and then Jake Hernandez legged out an infield single to score Isaiah Hernandez for a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The Lancers added another run to take a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning on Marquez’s single that scored Jake Hernandez from third. Palos Verdes’ only run came on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
SAN DIMAS 3, HORIZON, AZ. 1
The Saints got a terrific pitching performance from senior Matt Romero, who went the distance to pick up the victory, allowing just one run while allowing five hits.
Horizon threatened in the seventh inning, getting runners on first and third. But Romero’s pick-off at third ended the game.
San Dimas advances to Tuesday’s quarterfinals against the Santa Margarita-La Jolla Country Day winner at Santa Margarita at 3 p.m. If South Hills and San Dimas both win, they would meet in Wednesday’s semifinals.
The Saints trailed 1-0 an and only had one runner on base through four innings until Aidan Bustillos tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth inning. Later in the inning, Rocco Regan’s squeeze bunt scored John Nauertz for a 2-1 lead.
The Saints’ Landon White provided insurance with a solo homer in the sixth inning for a two-run lead.
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UNITED NATIONS — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the U.N. Security Council for the first time at a meeting Tuesday that is certain to focus on what appear to be deliberate killings in the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv.
The discovery after the withdrawal of Russian troops has sparked global outrage and vehement denials from the Russian government.
The United Kingdom holds the council presidency this month announced late Monday that the Ukrainian leader will speak at the open meeting.
Videos and photos of streets in Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians, some with their hands tied behind their back, have led to global revulsion, calls for tougher sanctions, and Russia’s suspension from the U.N.’s premiere human rights body, the Human Rights Council.
According to Ukraine’s prosecutor-general Iryna Venediktova, the bodies of 410 civilians have been removed from Kyiv-area towns that were recently retaken from Russian forces.
Associated Press journalists have reported seeing the bodies of at least 21 people in various spots around Bucha, northwest of the capital.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— Russia faces growing outrage amid new evidence of atrocities
— Ukraine accuses Russia of massacre, city strewn with bodies
— World reacts with horror at images of slain civilians in Ukraine towns
— Drug shortages persist in Russia after start of Ukraine war
—Ukrainian refugees find jobs, kindness as they settle in
— Russian, Ukrainian ballet stars to dance together in Naples
— Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage
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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
PARIS — The French foreign ministry announced Monday that France has decided to expel “numerous” Russian diplomats, saying their “activities were contrary to our security interests.”
The announcement came hours after Germany said it was expelling 40 diplomat and Lithuania said it expelled the Russian ambassador and will recall its envoy in Moscow. No number was immediately given for how many are being expelled by France.
German news agency dpa quoted German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser as saying that the diplomats being expelled are those “whom we attribute to the Russian intelligence services.”
Faeser says that “we won’t allow this criminal war of aggression to also be conducted as an information war in Germany.”
UNITED NATIONS — Britain’s U.N. ambassador says a previously planned U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday is certain to focus “front and center” on the killing of large numbers of civilians in Ukraine.
Some of the dead were found with their hands tied behind their backs after Russian troops left the Ukrainian town of Bucha on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv.
The United Kingdom holds the council presidency in April, and Ambassador Barbara Woodward said Britain didn’t grant Russia’s request for a meeting on the situation in Bucha on Monday because “we didn’t see a good reason to have two meetings back to back on Ukraine.”
She told reporters that the Security Council will be briefed Tuesday by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths and U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo.
Woodward said that “the images that we saw coming out of Bucha over the weekend were harrowing, appalling, probable evidence of war crimes and possibly a genocide.”
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MOSCOW — Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says the country feels no impact from the expulsion of its diplomats by various European countries, and indicates Russia will respond in kind.
Medvedev was Russia’s president from 2008 through 2012 and is now deputy chairman of the security council under President Vladimir Putin. Writing on the messaging app Telegram, Medvedev says that “everyone knows the response: it will be symmetrical and destructive for bilateral relations.”
His comments came after Germany expelled 40 Russian diplomats Monday and Lithuania expelled the Russian ambassador and said it would recall its envoy in Moscow. France on Monday also announced it will expel “numerous” Russian diplomats.
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LVIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says more than 1,550 civilians were evacuated on Monday from the besieged port of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine.
Vereshchuk said a total of 2,405 people were evacuated along a humanitarian corridor route running from Mariupol to the Ukraine-held city of Zaporizhzhia, with 1,553 of those coming from Mariupol itself and the rest from other locations in the heavily contested area.
She said the people used the dwindling number of private vehicles left in the area to get out of Mariupol and that a convoy of seven buses sent to help remained unable to enter the city to collect people.
Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, is a key Russian military objective that has faced horrific bombardment.
Vereshchuk added that 971 other people were evacuated from five locations in the eastern Luhansk region, where Russia is now focusing much of its military efforts. She accused Russia of “systematically breaching” a local cease-fire planned to facilitate evacuations there.
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LVIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian prosecutor-general Iryna Venediktova told Ukrainian TV today that a “similar humanitarian situation” to Bucha exists in other parts of the country where Russian forces recently left, such as the areas around the northern cities of Sumy and Chernihiv.
Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of at least 410 civilians have been found in areas outside the Ukrainian capital, including Bucha, after last week’s withdrawal of Russian troops, many with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture.
She also said the situation in Borodyanka, which is further from Kyiv and was also held by Russian forces until recently, may be even worse.
Venediktova didn’t specify what exactly had happened in Borodyanka but said “the worst situation in terms of the victims” is there.
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BUCHAREST, Romania — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Romania’s parliament Monday evening in a video call in which the leader said had Ukraine not defended itself, Russia would have carried out atrocities like that of Bucha “all over Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy, who visited the town of Bucha on Monday to see the alleged crimes of Russia’s forces against Ukrainian civilians, shared grim video footage during his address that showed areas strewn with dead bodies. The Bucha killings — which Zelenskyy labeled a “genocide” — have become the center of worldwide outrage against Russia.
“The military tortured people and we have every reason to believe that there are many more people killed,” Zelenskyy said. “Much more than we know now.”
The Ukrainian leader also called for tougher sanctions, saying “Russia must be deprived of all resources, primarily economic” and said that the fate of the region will be decided by the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
Before the Ukrainian leader’s address, the president of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, said the last few days “have shown us horrible images that have overwhelmed and revolted us all.”
“I support a speedy investigation by the International Criminal Court,” Ciolacu said.
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KYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian government says that 18 journalists have been killed in the country since Russia’s invasion began on Feb. 24.
The Ukrainian Culture and Information Ministry said in a statement on social media Monday that each of the deaths and other crimes against media representatives will be investigated.
The ministry added that another 13 journalists had been wounded, eight had been abducted or taken prisoner and three journalists were still missing. It said that several crimes had been committed against journalists from 11 countries, including Ukraine.
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LVIV, Ukraine — The governor of Ukraine’s northern Sumy region says Russian forces no longer control any settlements in the area following their retreat, although some small groups of Russian troops remain.
The city of Sumy is near the border with Russia and was besieged by Russian troops when the invasion began in February, as other Russian forces pushed onward to join efforts to attack the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, from the northeast. Russia began withdrawing troops from the area around Kyiv last week and says it is now focusing its efforts on the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Sumy Gov. Dmytro Zhyvystskyy said on Ukrainian TV that “currently there are no occupied settlements” and that invading forces have pulled back across the border into Russia with their vehicles and artillery.
However, he added, “there are still individual units and small groups of Russian troops and now they are being caught” by the Ukrainian army and local Territorial Defense volunteers.
“A clean-up is happening across the whole territory of the region,” he said.
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The United States is allocating $250,000 to the global chemical weapons watchdog to provide “assistance and protection” to Ukraine if it is targeted or threatened with chemical weapons.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons announced the contribution Monday, following a meeting last Thursday between Marc Shaw, deputy assistant secretary at the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance and OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias.
Western nations have warned of possible chemical weapons attacks by Russian forces since Moscow launched its invasion of its neighbor in late February.
Shaw said in a statement that the United States “stands with Ukraine and all those who face the threat of chemical weapons use.”
He says he hopes the money will allow the organization to “quickly assist Ukraine as it seeks protection against chemical threats from the Russian government.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday called for a war crimes trial against Russian President Vladimir Putin and additional sanctions following reported atrocities in Bucha, one of the towns surrounding the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv where Ukrainian officials say the bodies of civilians have been found.
“What’s happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone sees it,” Biden said.
Biden’s comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the city called the Russian actions “genocide.” Zelenskyy also called for the West to apply tougher sanctions against Russia.
Biden, however, stopped short of calling the actions genocide.
The bodies of 410 civilians have been removed from Kyiv-area towns that were recently retaken from Russian forces, said Ukraine’s prosecutor-general, Iryna Venediktova. Associated Press journalists saw the bodies of at least 21 people in various spots around Bucha, northwest of the capital.
“We have to continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons they need to continue the fight. And we have to gather all the detail so this can be an actual — have a war crimes trial,” Biden said.
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WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. defense official says about two-thirds of the roughly 20 Russian battalion groups that had been located around Kyiv have now left and are either in Belarus or on their way there.
The U.S. has said that the “vast majority” of Russia’s approximately 125 battalion groups had been in Ukraine overall during the early fighting.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a military assessment, said the U.S. assesses that Russian forces are being resupplied and reinforced in Belarus and would then go back into Ukraine, potentially in the Donbas region in the east.
In addition, Russian troops have been moving out of Sumy and back into Russia. But they have been reinforcing and repositioning their artillery and putting more energy into the fight around the city of Izyum, which lies on a key route to the Donbas.
The official said overall, Russia has launched more than 1,400 missiles into Ukraine since the war began. In recent days, those strikes have been more focused on the east and on Mariupol. The defense official said the U.S. can’t independently verify details of the atrocities in Bucha, but has no reason to doubt the claims. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was speaking with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Monday morning.
– AP writer Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.
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VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuania on Monday announced that it will expel Russia’s ambassador and recall its envoy in Moscow in reaction to increasing signs that Russian forces may have committed war crimes in Ukraine.
The Baltic country also decided to close a Russian consulate in the port city of Klaipeda, where it has a large offshore LNG import terminal.
“Lithuania strongly condemned the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in occupied Ukrainian cities, including the brutal massacres in Bucha. All war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine will not be forgotten,” Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Monday.
He added that Lithuania’s ambassador to Ukraine was returning to Kyiv and that Lithuania’s European Union and NATO partners have been informed of its decision to expel the Russian ambassador. He called on them to do the same.
In neighboring Latvia, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said that Riga will narrow diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation, according to the Baltic News Service. No decision was made regarding reducing the ties.
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A Russian law enforcement agency says it has launched its own investigation into allegations that Ukrainian civilians were massacred in suburbs of Kyiv which were held by Russian troops, focusing on what it calls “false information” about Russian forces.
The Investigative Committee claims Ukrainian authorities made the allegations “with the aim of discrediting Russian troops” and that those involved should be investigated over possible breaches of a new Russian law banning what the government deems to be false information about its forces.
Russian law enforcement has launched several investigations since Russian troops entered Ukraine, typically into incidents such as the shelling of areas held by Russia-backed separatists.
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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Russia needs to move quickly to negotiate an agreement to end the war.
Speaking on a visit Monday to the town of Bucha outside Kyiv, where hundreds of civilians were found dead after Russian troops’ retreat last week, Zelenskyy said the evidence of atrocities makes it hard to conduct talks with Russia.
“It’s very difficult to conduct negotiations when you see what they did here,” Zelenskyy said, adding that in Bucha and other places “dead people have been found in barrels, basements, strangled, tortured.” He added that the Russian leadership “needs to think faster if it has what to think with.”
Zelenskyy added that “the longer the Russian Federation drags it out, the worse it will exacerbate its own situation and this war.” Zelenskyy reaffirmed his criticism of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s opposition to Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, saying that she and other Western leaders who resisted the move should come to Bucha to “see what the flirting with the Russian Federation leads to.”
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GENEVA — The United States plans to seek a suspension of Russia from its seat on the U.N.’s top human rights body in the wake of rising signs that Russian forces may have committed war crimes in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Monday.
According to a statement from her office, Thomas-Greenfield made the call for Russia to be stripped of its seat in the Human Rights Council in the wake of reports over the weekend about violence against civilians in the town of Bucha, near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, after Russian forces pulled out.
Any decision to suspend Russia would require a decision by the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Russia and the other four permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — Britain, China, France and the United States — all currently have seats on the 47-member rights council, which is based in Geneva. The United States rejoined the council this year.
Thomas-Greenfield mentioned the U.S. plan in a meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, her office said.
In New York, General Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said on Monday that no request for a meeting on the issue has been received yet.
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GENEVA — The United Nations’ top human rights official is calling for “independent and effective investigations” into what happened in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement Monday that she is “horrified by the images of civilians lying dead on the streets and in improvised graves.”
She added that “reports emerging from this and other areas raise serious and disturbing questions about possible war crimes, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law.”
Bachelet said it’s essential that all bodies be exhumed and identified so that victims’ families can be informed and the exact causes of death determined. She said all measures should be taken to preserve evidence.
“It is vital that all efforts are made to ensure there are independent and effective investigations into what happened in Bucha to ensure truth, justice and accountability, as well as reparations and remedy for victims and their families,” Bachelet said.
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LONDON — Britain has condemned Russia’s “barbaric” killing of civilians in Ukraine, though it stopped short of calling Moscow’s actions genocide.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, Max Blain, said bodies found in areas recently recaptured from Russia showed “despicable attacks against innocent civilians, and they are yet more evidence that Putin and his army are committing what appear to be war crimes in Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and some Western leaders have accused Russia of committing genocide.
Blain said “the prime minister’s view is that Putin crossed the threshold of barbarism some time ago,” but added that only a court can make a determination of genocide.
Britain is urging Western allies to enforce tougher sanctions to “ratchet up” pressure on Russia, including cutting it off completely from t
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MOSCOW — Russia’s top diplomat has dismissed Ukraine’s accusations that Russian troops committed atrocities against its civilians as a staged provocation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the start of his talks Monday with U.N. Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths that Moscow sees the Ukrainian claim of a massacre of civilians in Bucha outside Kyiv as “a provocation that posed a direct threat to global peace and security.”
Lavrov noted that Russia has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council but the U.K. that currently chairs it refused to convene it. He vowed to press the demand for holding the meeting.
Ukrainian authorities said the bodies of at least 410 civilians have been found in areas outside the Ukrainian capital after last week’s withdrawal of Russian troops, many with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture. A growing number of world leaders have voiced outrage and called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
Lavrov charged that the mayor of Bucha made no mention of atrocities against civilians a day after Russian troops left Bucha on Wednesday, but two days later scores of bodies were photographed scattered in the streets in what the Russian minister described as a “stage-managed anti-Russian provocation.”
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MOSCOW — The Kremlin has strongly rejected the accusations that Russian troops committed atrocities against civilians in Ukraine and pushed for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the Ukrainian claims that Russian troops had killed hundreds of civilians outside Kyiv can’t be trusted, adding that “we categorically reject the accusations.” Peskov’s comment in a conference call with reporters followed the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement accusing the Ukrainian authorities of stage-managing what it described as a “provocation” to smear Russia.
Ukrainian authorities have said the bodies of at least 410 civilians have been found in areas outside the Ukrainian capital after last week’s withdrawal of Russian troops, many with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture. International leaders have condemned the reported atrocities and called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
Peskov said that photo and video materials from the area reflected unspecified “manipulations” and urged international leaders to carefully analyze the facts and hear the Russian arguments before rushing to blame Moscow.
Russia has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council but the U.K. which currently chairs it refused to convene it, according to Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian envoy at the international organization’s offices in Vienna.
Peskov said that Russia will keep pushing for the meeting, noting that Russia wants the issue to be discussed at the highest level.
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BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top diplomat has joined a growing chorus of international criticism blaming the Russian armed forces for alleged atrocities committed against civilians in Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says “the Russian authorities are responsible for these atrocities, committed while they had effective control of the area. They are subject to the international law of occupation.”
Borrell said Monday that the “haunting images of large numbers of civilian deaths and casualties, as well as destruction of civilian infrastructures show the true face of the brutal war of aggression Russia is waging against Ukraine and its people.”
Working with the U.S., U.K. and other international partners, the EU has been ramping up sanctions against Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February. Borrell says the 27-country bloc “will advance, as a matter of urgency, work on further sanctions against Russia.”
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A recurring theme of the last couple of years has been that of the Eric and Donald Trump Jr. castigating Hunter Biden for behavior they themselves regularly engage in. “I wish my name was Hunter Biden,” Don Jr. said on TV in October 2019. “I could go abroad, make millions off of my father’s presidency. I’d be a really rich guy.” (Reality check: He is a “really rich guy” and he did “go abroad and make millions off of [his] father’s presidency.”) “When you’re the father and your son’s entire career is dependent on that, they own you,” he similarly declared the same month, describing, again, his own situation. “If I was doing the same thing that [the Biden] family was doing, I’d be in jail,” Eric complained to Jeanine Pirro around the same time. “Why is it that every family goes into politics and enriches themselves? We’re the only family—we stopped doing deals when my father became [president]…. Guess what? All of these kids, they started doing deals when their families went into politics, and it’s sickening.” (Fact check: The Trump kids continued doing deals when their father became president, and Donald Trump’s former attorney literally said the reason Trump ran for office in the first place was to enrich himself.)
Anyway, we were reminded of all of this when Don Jr. tweeted the headline “Secret Service paying over $30K per month for Malibu mansion to protect Hunter Biden!” on Monday, and linked to an ABC News story about the costs. Yet strangely—and we’re sure this was just an oversight that he will rectify as soon as possible—Junior did not add the context that:
- According to an August 2017 USA Today story, the Secret Service was unable to pay hundreds of agents “in large part due to the sheer size of President Trump's family and efforts necessary to secure their multiple residences up and down the East Coast”
- According to that same story, “more than 1,000 agents [had] already hit the federally mandated caps for salary and overtime allowances that were meant to last the entire year”
- Also per USA Today, Trump’s trips to his for-profit Mar-a-Lago club were “estimated to cost at least $3 million each”
- That, for example, a business trip Eric Trump took to Uruguay that year set the Secret Service back nearly $100,000 for hotel rooms alone, while trips in February 2017 taken by both of the elder Trump boys, to open a new hotel in Vancouver and a golf club in Dubai were also charged to taxpayers
- That, according to a 2020 budget document reviewed by D.C. watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, “the Trump family took more trips that required Secret Service protection than the Obama family took in seven” years. The Obamas, on average, took “133.3 protected trips per year,” compared to the Trump family’s 1,625 trips on average annually. And that, per the same report, “much of the Trump family’s known travel [had] been to promote Trump Organization businesses.”
- That the House Oversight and Reform committee found that, despite claiming the Secret Service paid nothing to stay at Trump-owned properties, the Trump organization actually charged the people protecting them as high as $650 a night.
- That agents protecting his sister, Ivanka Trump, and brother-in-law, Jared Kushner, were forced to shell out $100,000 to rent a toilet across the street from their Kalorama mansion because the couple wouldn’t let them use one their six and a half bathrooms.
- That in is final days in office, Trump “issued a directive” extending Secret Service protection to 14 of his family members who would not automatically receive it after his departure, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and their three children; Donald Trump Jr. and his five kids; and Eric Trump, Lara Trump, and Tiffany Trump. This happened despite the fact that Ivanka and Jared, for example, reportedly made up to $640 million while working in the White House, and surely could have afforded to pay for such things out of their own pocket.
We’re sure Junior will correct the record soon though.
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— What Will Dems Do If Biden Doesn’t Run?
— Orgies, Beheadings, Jewish Space Lasers: Everything Kevin McCarthy Has Had to “Speak” to Republican Lawmakers About
— The Truth Behind Republicans’ Vile Questioning of Ketanji Brown Jackson
— From the Archive: Molly Bloom’s House of Cards
— Not a subscriber? Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now.
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Less than a year ago, Senator Lindsey Graham voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which is often seen as a stepping stone to becoming a Supreme Court justice. Now he’d like people to know that not only does he believe she’s a danger to the rule of law, but he opposes her SCOTUS confirmation so vigorously that he’s going to go nuclear over it should Republicans take back the Senate.
Despite the fact that Jackson is all but certain to be sworn in to the highest court in the land in short order, Graham took the time on Monday to rage against her nomination, stating that he’d be voting against her—the first time he’ll oppose a Supreme Court pick since joining the Senate in 2003. Because apparently, he’s just that much of what congressional historians call a “petty little bitch.”
“If we get back the Senate, and we’re in charge of this body, and there’s judicial openings, we will talk to our colleagues on the other side. But if we were in charge, she would not have been before this committee. You would have had somebody more moderate than this,” Graham said, not adding that the Senate famously refused to hold a hearing for Barack Obama nominee Merrick Garland, who was, in fact, widely viewed as a moderate.
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Graham, who spent much of Jackson’s confirmation hearings complaining about how mean Democrats were to Brett Kavanaugh nearly four years ago, noted that Joe Biden’s nominee “has got a lot to be proud of. She’s accomplished a lot in her life. She’s a good person. I’m sure she’s a great mother and a very gifted person. She’s fought hard to be where she’s at in life.” Nevertheless, he said he’d be casting a nay because of his newfound belief that Jackson—the woman whom he, again, voted to confirm to the D.C. Circuit less than a year ago—“will not be deterred by the plain meaning of the law when it comes to liberal causes.”
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Graham’s most shameless GOP colleagues offered similar rationales for voting against Jackson on Monday. Ted Cruz, last seen asking Jackson if babies were racist, claimed the she “will prove to be the most extreme and furthest-left justice ever to serve on the United States Supreme Court.” Josh Hawley, who smeared Jackson with the baseless accusation that she was soft on pedophiles as a judge, used his time today to defend his QAnon-style line of questioning, saying, “Sex crimes against children are not fiction. They are not a conspiracy.”
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Senator Roy Blunt admitted that Jackson’s ascendancy to the Court would mark a “high point” in U.S. history—and that we could mark him down for a “no.”
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A year ago, Katherine Sanders was a respected Spanish teacher at a 7th to 12thgrade International Baccalaureate school within the Sacramento City School District. Today, the single mother of 14-year-old twin boys is suspended without pay, afraid she might lose her home in Oak Park and threatened with the loss of her teaching credential, all because of the N-word.
Two days before the school year ended in 2021, students in Sanders’ fourth_period class were writing in their journals, talking, doodling. Sanders noticed one girl had written the words “F… the Patriarchy” — and not just the initial “F.”
Aha! A teachable moment, she thought.
She wrote “patriarchy” on the board and asked the students if they knew what it meant. They didn’t.
She defined it. Then she wrote F***K on the board and asked what it meant. What followed was a discussion about how that word has evolved from its crude original meaning to almost a superlative in hipster-speak. She asked: “Did its use cheapen their argument?”
Excited by the enthusiastic engagement of one class, Sanders revived the discussion with her next. They knew what “patriarchy” meant. One girl said she found the F-word offensive.
A boy disagreed. He said the word was used all the time. Does that make it less offensive, Sanders wanted to know.
A student began recording the discussion.
“I know the F-word is something we hear constantly,” Sanders is heard saying. “It used to be a nasty, ugly word and now it’s like the word ‘n…er,’ which everybody says, or ‘n…ga’.” (She said the word.)
One student is heard saying,“Who says that’s not a horrible word?”
Sanders responds: “Where I live, I hear it all the time.”
That’s when the 15-second recording ends. Sanders says she did not condone the use of the word. It was meant to be an academic discussion about the power of words and the evolution of language.
The student who recorded the snippet shared it with other students. One shared it with her mother, who complained to school authorities.
Sanders was called into the principal’s office, where she admitted saying the word. She sent letters of apology to the school administration and to every one of her fellow teachers at the school. She apologized in person to the students.
A few weeks later, while teaching her second day of summer school, she was notified she was being released from her contract.
The recording had gone viral. Self-appointed community activists held press conferences, accusing Sanders of using the word regularly in her classroom, an accusation she vehemently denies and that no one has been able to substantiate. They demanded that she be fired.
Sanders was suspended without pay and notified she would be terminated.
Advised by her union lawyers, Sanders has not been speaking to the media for fear what she says will be misconstrued. A friend of her mother is a friend of mine, which is why I wrote what you are reading.
As an old Black woman, I have a complicated relationship with the N-word. It was used in my childhood home almost as a term of endearment. My father’s best friend was his “favorite N-word.” My mother wrote a memoir about growing up in the segregated South and moving to Sacramento in the 1950s. The word appears in her book.
When my daughter read “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in high school, the teacher instructed the class to substitute “Ninja Jim” for “N-word Jim,” a fix so tortured I found it comical. For me, it gave the forbidden word greater weight.
A few weeks ago, I attended the Sacramento Theatre Company’s performance of “Fences,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by the Black playwright August Wilson. The N-word is throughout. Should “Fences” never be read or performed in a Sacramento high school?
Hasan McWhorter, a vice president with the Sacramento City Teachers Association (an African American), thinks the whole incident has been blown out of proportion. He says the district acknowledges the word “was not used maliciously.” As he sees it, ”A Caucasian woman used the N-word. It was recorded and it gave some people the opportunity to gain some notoriety.” I agree.
And I resent it. I resent that the loudest and crankiest get to claim to speak for Black people. They don’t speak for me.
I do think Sanders made a mistake. Her actions were clueless. In retrospect, she thinks so too. “I put my foot all the way down my throat,” she laments. But in a rational world, she would be pulled aside quietly and told, “Don’t do it again.”
And that would be the end of it.
Ginger Rutland is a former Sacramento Bee editorial writer. This commentary was written for CalMatters.
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Celebrating women is a common theme in Rosario Dawson's life, especially when it comes to fashion. Whether she’s fresh off the Vanity Fair Oscars party red carpet, on the set of her new HBO Max series DMZ, or just relaxing at home, how she uses her wardrobe to elevate other women is always on her mind. While looking stylish for the sake of making a statement or being named “best dressed” is one thing, the actor appreciates wearing designer brands that not only spark joy but honor what it means to be an empowered woman.
And when it comes to the female figures that inspire her, the actor looks no further than home.
“My great grandmother was a seamstress for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, so my mom used to have all her bell bottoms and crop tops made by my great grandmother,” Dawson told Vanity Fair at the Kate Spade fall 2022 presentation. “[My mom] would blend in with the curtains and in the pillows in the house because [my great grandmother] would use the same material. And my mom used to be like, ‘My God so embarrassing’ but that's now the inspiration for this collection. The wallpaper, the materials of the couches — it feels very nostalgic, very beautiful, very playful and I think, especially as we're in the 2020 trilogy it seems, that we kind of need that right now.”
A longtime lover of Kate Spade, Dawson, who co-stars with Benjamin Bratt in the Ava DuVernay-directed DMZ, attended the presentation along with fellow actors Katie Holmes and Emma Roberts. The interactive fashion event, meant to capture the essence of an at-home soirée, was held inside a multi-level SoHo townhouse, with the brightly-colored, geometric, and floral patterned collection sprinkled throughout the venue.
Asked why Dawson has been a loyal supporter of Kate Spade over the years, the star said the brand’s ideals align with her own values.
“Kate Spade has been really great about speaking about women's empowerment, speaking to mental health issues…so it's a brand that has a lot of appreciation and understanding for the women that they are dressing and the whole totality of her,” she explained. “Whether she's staying at home or feeling good and vibrant and out and about, [Kate Spade] is still sparking that joy and seeing her for her full self which I love.”
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The first day of jury selection in the worst U.S. mass shooting to go to trial was slow, methodical and painstaking — a process that is expected to drag on for two months.
More than 120 of the first 160 prospective jurors who filed through Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer’s courtroom on Monday were dismissed. Most said it would be impossible for them to serve from June through September. That’s the amount of time it is expected to take for lawyers to present their cases in a trial that will end with a jury deciding whether Cruz gets life in prison or a sentence of death for murdering 17at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
A few were dismissed because of health issues, because they don’t speak English fluently or because they had already paid for extensive vacations.
A woman was dismissed when she began crying upon seeing Cruz — not a new occurrence; that also happened to three women at an October hearing. Another prospective juror had a personal connection to Scherer, having taught her how to roller-skate as a child. Yet another had met Cruz in 2016 on a group outing, while one woman was excused after saying she couldn’t serve on a jury because she needed to meet up with her “sugar daddy” every day.
“I’m seeing double. I’ve seen a lot of people,” Scherer said at the end of the day. “For Day 1, things went rather smoothly.”
Cruz, 23, sat between his attorneys, wearing a gray sweater and an anti-viral face mask, four sheriff’s deputies sitting nearby. He spoke only briefly at the start of the hearing, waiving his right to participate directly in the screening process. He pleaded guilty in October, meaning the jury will only decide if he gets death or life without parole.
Eight parents and other family members of some victims sat together in the courtroom. They declined to comment as they left.
Approximately 1,500 potential jurors, perhaps more, will be screened over the next few weeks as the pool is pared down to 12 plus eight alternates in a three-step process that will run through the end of May.
In the first screening, they are only being asked about hardships and conflicts. With the exception of the woman who met Cruz, they were not asked on Monday for their opinions about the death penalty or whether they could be fair. Those who said they could serve were given questionnaires to fill out in another room. The questionnaires will be given to lawyers in advance of the next round.
One prospective juror said she met Cruz in 2016 when she went with a group of friends to a lake cabin for a weekend and an acquaintance invited him along. The woman, who appeared to be in her early 20s, said she had few interactions with Cruz, but he seemed perhaps “mentally not together.” She was dismissed after saying she could not envision many circumstances where she would even consider voting for a life sentence.
Scherer seemed taken aback when one prospective juror said serving would be a financial hardship because she has to visit her “sugar daddy” daily. Scherer asked her to repeat what she said. She did. Scherer had her held over after dismissing other jurors. Under questioning, she repeated that again. She was finally dismissed. One prosecutor then called her “wacky.”
The Parkland shooting is the deadliest in the U.S. ever to make it to trial. Seven other U.S. killers who fatally shot at least 17 people died during or immediately after their attacks, either by suicide or at the hands of police. The suspect in the 2019 massacre of 23 at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart is still awaiting trial.
Death penalty trials in Florida and much of the country often take two years to start because of their complexity, but Cruz’s was further delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive legal wrangling.
Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter, Gina, died in the attack, said before Monday’s hearing that the trial “has been a long time coming.”
“I just hope everyone remembers the victims,” he said. Cruz, he said, “told the world his plans on social media, carried out those plans in a cold and calculated manner and murdered my beautiful daughter, 13 of her classmates and three of her teachers.”
The parents and spouses of victims who have spoken publicly said they are in favor of Cruz’s execution. Montalto has not answered the question directly, but has said on multiple occasions that Cruz “deserves every chance he gave Gina and the others.”
When the prospective jurors who pass the initial screening return for individual questioning several weeks from now, both prosecutors and the defense can challenge any for cause. Scherer will eliminate candidates who lawyers from either side have convinced her would be prejudiced against their side. Each side will also get at least 10 peremptory strikes, where either can eliminate a candidate for any reason except race or gender.
For Cruz, a former Stoneman Douglas student, to get the death penalty, the jury must unanimously agree that aggravating factors such as the number of people he killed, his planning and his cruelty outweigh such mitigating factors as his lifelong mental illness and the death of his parents.
If any juror disagrees, Cruz will receive a life sentence.
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| 2022-04-05T00:21:33Z
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BUCHA, Ukraine (AP) — Moscow faced global revulsion and accusations of war crimes Monday after the Russian pullout from the outskirts of Kyiv revealed streets, buildings and yards strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians, many of them evidently killed at close range.
The grisly images of battered or burned bodies left out in the open or hastily buried led to calls for tougher sanctions against the Kremlin, especially a cutoff of fuel imports from Russia. Germany and France reacted by expelling dozens of Russian diplomats, suggesting they were spies, and U.S. President Joe Biden said Russian leader Vladimir Putin should be tried for war crimes.
“This guy is brutal, and what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous,” Biden said, referring to the town northwest of the capital that was the scene of some of the horrors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the capital, Kyiv, for his first reported trip since the war began nearly six weeks ago to see for himself what he called the “genocide” and “war crimes” in Bucha.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy pledged that Ukraine would work with the European Union and the International Criminal Court to identify Russian fighters involved in any atrocities.
“The time will come when every Russian will learn the whole truth about who among their fellow citizens killed, who gave orders, who turned a blind eye to the murders,” he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the scenes outside Kyiv as a “stage-managed anti-Russian provocation.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the images contained “signs of video forgery and various fakes.”
Russia has similarly rejected previous allegations of atrocities as fabrications on Ukraine’s part.
Ukrainian officials said the bodies of at least 410 civilians have been found in towns around Kyiv that were recaptured from Russian forces in recent days.
The Ukrainian prosecutor-general’s office described one room discovered in Bucha as a “torture chamber.” In a statement, it said the bodies of five men with their hands bound were found in the basement of a children’s sanatorium where civilians were tortured and killed.
Associated Press journalists saw dozens of bodies in Bucha, including at least 13 in and around a building that local people said Russian troops used as a base. Three other bodies were found in a stairwell, and a group of six were burned together.
Many victims seen by AP appeared to have been shot at close range. Some were shot in the head. At least two had their hands tied. A bag of spilled groceries lay near one victim.
The dead witnessed by the news agency’s journalists also included bodies wrapped in black plastic, piled on one end of a mass grave in a Bucha churchyard. Many of those victims had been shot in cars or killed in explosions trying to flee the city. With the morgue full and the cemetery impossible to reach, the churchyard was the only place to keep the dead, Father Andrii Galavin said.
Tanya Nedashkivs’ka said she buried her husband in a garden outside their apartment building after he was detained by Russian troops. His body was one of those left heaped in a stairwell.
“Please, I am begging you, do something!” she said. “It’s me talking, a Ukrainian woman, a Ukrainian woman, a mother of two kids and one grandchild. For all the wives and mothers, make peace on Earth so no one ever grieves again.”
Another Bucha resident, Volodymyr Pilhutskyi, said his neighbor Pavlo Vlasenko was taken away by Russian soldiers because the military-style pants he was wearing and the uniforms that Vlasenko said belonged to his security guard son appeared suspicious. When Vlasenko’s body was later found, it had burn marks from a flamethrower, his neighbor said.
“I came closer and saw that his body was burnt,” Pilhutskyi said. “They didn’t just shoot him.”
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, insisted Monday at a news conference that during the time that Bucha was under Russian control, “not a single local person has suffered from any violent action.”
However, high-resolution satellite imagery by commercial provider Maxar Technologies showed that many of the bodies have been lying in the open for weeks, during the time that Russian forces were in Bucha. The New York Times first reported on the satellite images showing the dead.
In other developments, more than 1,500 civilians were evacuated Monday from the besieged and devastated port city of Mariupol in the south, using the dwindling number of private vehicles available to get out, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
But amid the fighting, a Red Cross-accompanied convoy of buses that has been thwarted for days on end in a bid to deliver supplies and evacuate residents was again unable to get inside the city, Vereshchuk said.
European leaders and the United Nations human rights chief joined the Ukrainians in condemning the bloodshed that was exposed after Russian troops withdrew from the area around Kyiv.
At the same time, many warned that the full extent of the horrors has yet to emerge.
“I can tell you without exaggeration but with great sorrow that the situation in Mariupol is much worse compared to what we’ve seen in Bucha and other cities, towns, and villages nearby Kyiv,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
Zelenskyy was due to speak to a previously scheduled U.N. Security Counsel meeting Tuesday. Britain’s U.N. ambassador, Barbara Woodward, said the session was certain to focus on the killing of large numbers of civilians in Ukraine.
Western and Ukrainian leaders have accused Russia of war crimes before, and the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor has already opened an investigation. But the latest reports ratcheted up the condemnation.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the images from Bucha reveal the “unbelievable brutality of the Russian leadership and those who follow its propaganda.” And French President Emmanuel Macron said there is “clear evidence of war crimes” in Bucha that demand new punitive measures.
“I’m in favor of a new round of sanctions and in particular on coal and gasoline. We need to act,” he said on France-Inter radio.
Though united in outrage, the European allies appeared split on how to respond. While Poland urged Europe to quickly wean itself off Russian energy, Germany said it would stick with a gradual approach of phasing out coal and oil imports over the next several months.
The U.S. and its allies have sought to punish Russia for the invasion by imposing sweeping sanctions but fear further harm to the global economy, which is still recovering from the pandemic. Europe is in a particular bind, since it gets 40% of its gas and 25% of its oil from Russia.
Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, described Russia under Putin as a “totalitarian-fascist state” and called for strong actions “that will finally break Putin’s war machine.” “Would you negotiate with Hitler, with Stalin, with Pol Pot?” Morawiecki asked of Macron.
Russia withdrew many of its forces from the capital area in recent days after being thwarted in its bid to swiftly capture Kyiv.
It has instead poured troops and mercenaries into the country’s east in a stepped-up bid to gain control of the Donbas, the largely Russian-speaking industrial region that includes Mariupol, which has seen some of the heaviest fighting and worst suffering of the war.
About two-thirds of the Russian troops around Kyiv have left and are either in Belarus or on their way there, probably getting more supplies and reinforcements, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an intelligence assessment.
Russian forces also appear to be repositioning artillery and troops to try to take the city of Izyum, which lies on a key route to the Donbas, the official said.
On Monday, Russian shelling killed 11 people in the southern city of Mykolaiv, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said in a video message on social media. Kim said nine of the victims died at a public transport stop in the city center.
Zelenskyy appealed for more weaponry as Russia prepares a new offensive.
“If we had already got what we needed — all these planes, tanks, artillery, anti-missile and anti-ship weapons — we could have saved thousands of people,” he said.
___
Qena reported from Motyzhyn, Ukraine. Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine. Lolita Baldor in Washington and Associated Press journalists around the world contributed.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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| 2022-04-05T00:22:25Z
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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Nataliya Hibska quickly brushes her teeth and makes the bed. She is rushing to her new job.
From a small hostel room in eastern Warsaw, Hibska, a Ukrainian refugee, is slowly rebuilding her life, which was abruptly upended by Russia’s invasion of her homeland.
European Union member nations like Poland and Romania — the two neighboring countries to have received the most refugees from Ukraine — have launched programs to help them integrate.
The 47-year-old former manager of a private education center from Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, Hibska fled her hometown after a second wave of shelling. When bombs struck a nearby military warehouse, rattling her home, she knew it was time to leave and seek refuge for herself and her 11-year-old son.
“We were afraid to go out, to let them go out into the yard, we were afraid to let them ride bicycles or play football. We were just so scared and we decided that that was enough. It was time to flee,” she said, describing the decision she and many of her neighbors were forced to take.
With only some basic belongings they embarked on what became a challenging five-day journey to the safety of Poland.
Three weeks on, and by a combination of help extended by ordinary people in Poland and policies put in place at the national and municipal level, Hibska and her son are starting to feel safe.
They have a simple yet welcoming home. Her son is enrolled at a local school, and she has started a new job as cook at a Ukrainian food bar launched specially to provide employment to refugees.
The workday starts early with food preparation ahead of the lunchtime rush.
Hibska and the five other Ukrainian women working here, all recently arrived refugees, roll out dough and chop fillings for traditional Ukrainian dumplings, pelmeni, that are a staple.
“I used to have five people working for me and I organized (youth) camps,” she said, reflecting on her past life in Kharkiv. “I am not embarrassed by the fact that currently I am working in a kitchen.”
Warsaw city authorities say work helps refugees integrate but is also filling vacancies in the health sector and in education, where special classes are being launched to assist newly arrived Ukrainian children.
Of the more than 4 million refugees that have fled Ukraine, over 2.4 million have crossed into Poland. While many have traveled onward throughout Europe, plenty have stayed in Poland which is offering free temporary accommodation, medical care, education and some social benefits. Some 625,000 refugees have sought and obtained Polish ID numbers entitling them to all that for 18 months.
But living off benefits was not something Nataliya would accept for too long.
“Volunteers help us with everything. We can live off Poland, but I don’t see that as a good thing,” she said. “ I need to work. You won’t get much doing nothing.”
Her new job helps provide for her and her son, Roman, and anything left over she hopes to send to her parents and husband, still living in Kharkiv.
Her good fortune in Poland was thanks to a free hostel run by a family of developers and hotel owners. The same company launched a Ukrainian food bar specifically to provide jobs to refugees.
The place opened 10 days ago and is quickly gaining in fame, with customers intent on helping Ukrainians all the while enjoying a good meal.
“The forms of help are evolving” said Karolina Samulowska awaiting her order. “At fist there was aid, sandwiches, railway stations.”
Now, at the bar “on the one hand the products are here and promote the country, on the other hand the money moves on, giving meaning to the refugees’ lives.”
As a regular flow of customers comes by to pick up lunch, the restaurant’s manager, Dorota Wereszczynska, reflects on the success.
“We were not expecting such popularity,” she said. “Our motto is “You buy. You eat. You help.”
Further south on Europe’s map, Romania has taken in more than 600,000 refugees from Ukraine.
Flavia Boghiu, the deputy mayor of the central city of Brasov, says the key to integration is to help people be “as autonomous as possible.”
The city’s refugee centers offer support and information on work offers, kindergartens and other activities, she told the AP, and local authorities proudly boast that of 1,200 refugees who arrived in the city, more than 75% want to stay.
The employment process is “much slower than normal, because most of them don’t have paperwork with them. … Also you need to discuss with them to understand their particular situation. If you have a mother with three children you need to see what you’re going to do with the children (while) she’s at work,” Boghiu said.
Four generations of Anastasia Yevdokimova’s family fled from their homes near the Black Sea. The 21-year-old beauty industry worker came to Brasov with her grandmother, her mother and her 3-year-old son. Brasov drew them with its impressive architecture and access to nature “which helps to distract from the circumstances,” Yevdokimova said.
They’ve already had to seek urgent medical care for the child and found it to be quick and attentive. That reassured them.
Another refugee, 27-year-old Karina Buiukli, a human resources manager from the Black Sea port city of Odesa, and her family have been offered free accommodation with a Brasov couple, but were not expecting the great kindness they have met with.
“Our hosts, the owners of this apartment, are so kind and now we’re just like friends,” Buiukli said. “They showed us the town, they asked us to their house, it seems like we’ve know each other for a long (time).”
___
McGrath reported from Brasov, Romania.
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| 2022-04-05T00:22:32Z
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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — After two nationalist European strongmen won overwhelming victories in elections on Sunday, one of the first foreign leaders to congratulate both was not from a neighboring country or a regional ally. It was Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The parliamentary elections in Hungary and Serbia both brought landslide wins for the two countries’ longtime, pro-Putin leaders — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Their victories on Sunday highlighted an underlying discord in attitudes among European nations toward the autocracies of Russia and China. As those powers seek to exert greater influence on the continent and beyond, Orban and Vucic have aimed to emulate the autocratic touch through their own style of governance in the heart of Europe.
Orban’s right-wing Fidesz party won more than 53% of the vote, shocking both pollsters and a Western-looking coalition of more liberal opposition parties which had appealed to voters to bring an end to Orban’s 12 years of autocratic rule and stronger ties with Moscow and Beijing.
In Serbia, Vucic cruised into an outright victory with the nearest opposition candidate trailing by some 40%. It was the first time that a presidential candidate won a second mandate without a runoff vote.
“I managed something no one else has done before me,” Vucic said in a victory speech. “It wasn’t even close.”
The results — which cemented the power of two leaders who have been accused of undermining democratic norms — underscored an accelerating drift away from the liberal values and vision of the European Union among Hungarian and Serbian voters.
Russia’s war in Ukraine played an outsized role in the campaigns in both countries, and analysts say the conflict helped to mobilize support for the incumbents.
Serbia’s largely pro-Russian electorate shuns groups identified with pro-Western policies, while Orban’s reputation as Putin’s closest ally in the EU has led his supporters to view Russia as a crucial partner.
Formally on the path to EU accession, Serbia has seen a rise in pro-Russian sentiment under Vucic and mounting skepticism and mistrust of the EU, even as the country’s main financial inflows come from the bloc.
Vucic’s government has supported the U.N. resolution condemning the attack on Ukraine, but he has refused to join the sanctions against Moscow.
“Vucic has created this atmosphere of huge adoration for Russia and hypocrisy toward the EU,” Biljana Stojkovic, the presidential candidate of a green-left coalition said. “I don’t think he has understood the importance of (the war in Ukraine) and the geopolitical changes.”
Orban, while begrudgingly voting for most EU sanctions against Russia, has refused to supply Ukraine with weapons or allow for their transfer across the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. He has also fought intensely against sanctions being imposed on Russian energy imports on which Hungary is deeply dependent, drawing the scorn of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a victory speech Sunday, Orban singled out Zelenskyy as part of the “overwhelming force” that he said his party had struggled against in the election — “the left at home, the international left all around, the Brussels bureaucrats, the Soros empire with all its money, the international mainstream media, and in the end, even the Ukrainian president.”
Andras Biro-Nagy, a researcher and director of the Policy Solutions think tank in Budapest, said that Orban and his “media empire” had managed to dominate the war of narratives that’s being waged within Hungary over the war in Ukraine.
“There was a clash of narratives between the East versus West narrative which was used by the opposition campaign, and the security and peace versus war narrative created by Orban,” Biro-Nagy said. “It seems that Orban’s narrative which appeals to the Hungarian society’s craving for security and stability and peace won this time.”
Vucic, too, portrayed himself as the guarantor of Serbia’s security, and used media channels under his control to spread that message. Many Serbs now see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the result of Western pressure rather than Moscow’s expanding ambitions.
Similarly, Orban campaigned heavily on remaining neutral in the conflict while maintaining close economic ties with Russia, without ever mentioning Putin by name.
A survey by Hungarian pollster Publicus in March showed that only 44% of Fidesz supporters considered Russia the aggressor in the war in Ukraine.
In the final days of the campaign, Orban visited Serbia to support his ally Vucic, and the two politicians took a ride along a fast-track railway connecting their capitals of Belgrade and Budapest.
That joint project is part of China’s Belt and Road global trade initiative, and is being built by Chinese and Russian state companies using large Chinese and Russian bank loans.
At a joint rally, they described relations between their nations as the best in history, and pledged to work further to improve them.
Orban and his officials have repeatedly urged Serbia’s immediate admittance into the EU, with Orban declaring that “the EU needs Serbia more than Serbia needs the EU.”
——
Jovana Gec reported from Belgrade, Serbia.
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| 2022-04-05T00:23:00Z
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Which sheer robe is best?
For a romantic occasion or just to feel like a goddess at home, slip on a sheer robe. Sheer robes are worn over lingerie or worn as a bathing suit cover-up.
You can also find bridal and maternity sheer robes and dressing gowns that make you feel extra sexy during those special seasons of life. Sheer robes often have luxurious trimmings and are made either of lace or mesh. For a lace robe, INC’s Lace Wrap Robe is a stunning choice.
What to know before you buy a sheer robe
Material
Sheer robes are made from blends of materials such as polyester, viscose, silk, rayon, nylon, Spandex and cotton. The material is see-through due to the low-density knit and the use of thin threads. Sheer robes can range in sheerness from semi-transparent to semi-opaque.
Mesh vs. lace
Mesh sheer robes have a uniform appearance and are typically nylon or polyester. The material is breathable, wrinkle-resistant and strong. It is also water-resistant, which is why you’ll see the material used in sheer swimsuit cover-ups. Lace sheer robes feature lace patterns, often in feminine floral patterns, which gives the robe more of a lingerie feel. Some sheer robes combine both mesh and lace, using the lace as trimming.
Uses
Sexy styles of sheer robes are for the boudoir and, because of their translucent material, can showcase lingerie such as lace bras or thongs. Mesh sheer robes designed as swimwear cover-ups generally don’t have lace trimming and may feature more opaque material than lingerie-style sheer robes. Not all swim cover-ups are mesh, and if you’re in the market for a swimsuit cover-up, there are many options to explore.
Length
Sheer robes come in a variety of lengths, maxi robes that flow to the ground to short robes that graze the upper thigh. When choosing a long sheer robe, consider your height as well as if you’re planning on wearing the robe with heels. Always check the manufacturer’s sizing chart when considering the length of a robe. The length of a sheer robe is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
Size
Sheer robes come in women’s sizing, typically XS to XXL. Most sheer robes have a relaxed or loose fit and a belt tie, allowing for an adjustable fit. Still, it’s always good to check the sizing chart because a small in one brand may not be the same as a small in another.
What to look for in a quality sheer robe
Color
The majority of sheer robes come in a solid color, such as black, white, cream, pink or red. Sheer robes also come in blue, purple and green colors. Some can have contrasting colors, such as a nude mesh robe with black satin trimming. Some lace patterns combine different colors as well.
Belt
The majority of sheer robes come with a removable belt tie. The tie is often a satin fabric of the same color as the body of the robe. The tie can be thin, like a ribbon, or wider for a more secure tie. However, sheer robes are designed to reveal, so don’t rely on the belt to keep you modest.
Trim
Sheer robes often have luxurious trimming such as lace, tulle, satin or feathers. Tulle and feathers can add volume to a sheer robe. Some tulle-trimmed robes can be quite puffy and voluminous for a highly romantic look.
Maternity
If you’re expecting, select a sheer robe designed for maternity wear. These sexy styles accommodate your baby bump and can be styled for maternity photoshoots.
Bridal
Bridal, sheer robes tend to be long and white. They look great in getting-ready-for-the-big-day photos or can be worn exclusively on your wedding night.
How much you can expect to spend on a sheer robe
Sheer robes start as little as $9 for fast-fashion brands and can cost up to $129 for lingerie name brands. Good quality sheer robes start at $30.
Sheer robe FAQ
How do I launder a sheer robe?
A. This can vary from robe to robe, so definitely check the care instructions before tossing your robe in the wash with your other laundry. Because of the delicacy of the fabric, the majority of sheer robes must be hand washed in cold water and air-dried or dry cleaned. Some, however, can be washed in the machine on a delicate cycle.
What kind of sleeves do sheer robes have?
A. Sheer robes feature roomy, long sleeves, often in a bell-sleeve style. The sleeve openings are often trimmed with lace or feathers. Select sheer robes feature short sleeves or three-quarter length sleeves.
What are the best sheer robes to buy?
Top sheer robe
INC International Concepts Lace Wrap Robe
What you need to know: This is a wrap-style lace robe that’s comfortable and flirty.
What you’ll love: The lace material is soft and machine-washable. You can pair it with the matching lace nightgown for a more modest yet feminine look. It comes in white and light blue.
What you should consider: This robe is on the pricey side, and the matching nightie is sold separately.
Where to buy: Sold by Macy’s
Top sheer robe for the money
Avidlove Women’s Lace Kimono Robe
What you need to know: This is an ultra-sexy, short sheer robe that comes in every color imaginable.
What you’ll love: The lace comes in nearly two dozen color options. The size range is inclusive from XS to 5X. The lace isn’t itchy. The overall look is very sexy.
What you should consider: The ribbon belt feels cheap and papery.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Sovoyontee Women’s Sexy Thin Mesh Long Sleeve Tie Front Swimsuit Cover Up
What you need to know: This is a long, mesh robe that’s perfect and elegant to wear poolside.
What you’ll love: This floor-length mesh robe will make you feel glamorous, whether you’re lounging on a yacht or hanging by your backyard pool. It comes in several color choices, including jungle patterns. The material is stretchy and soft.
What you should consider: The length may drag on the ground on petite frames.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Ana Sanchez writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-05T00:23:37Z
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Which kids tunnel is best?
Even though there are countless aisles of toys for every age, it can be challenging to find the perfect item for babies, toddlers or young kids that is both exciting and beneficial. However, one toy that checks all the boxes is a play tunnel. No kid can resist crawling through the tunnel, wondering what’s on the other side. And as a bonus, all that crawling is certain to burn your child’s excessive energy.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive kids tunnel with games that can accommodate multiple kids, the Playz Kids Playhouse Jungle Gym with Pop-Up Tents and Tunnels is a top choice.
What to know before you buy a kids tunnel
Here are a few things to consider before buying a kids tunnel.
What is a kids play tunnel?
The most common play tunnel for kids is made of soft material with wire that folds up when not in use. It can be anything from a simple tunnel to a full maze of tunnels, tents and games. The tents can include windows or areas to stand. Some larger play tunnels may include a ball pit or a basketball game.
Benefits of a kids tunnel
When kids are younger, they learn by having fun. Here are a few benefits kids will gain by playing in a kids tunnel.
- Exercise: A play tunnel offers a way for kids to get their exercise without even realizing they are. From crawling through the tunnel repeatedly to jumping in the ball pit to shooting the basketball, all of those fun activities count as exercise.
- Gross motor skills: Toddlers and babies especially can work on several gross motor skills from a kids tunnel. Babies can develop muscles needed to crawl forward and backward, and it also benefits children by engaging their entire body and building core and arm muscles.
- Sensory development: A play tunnel provides so much sensory stimulation, including the different colors, the feel of the material and the sound it makes when you’re wiggling through the tunnel. This can help babies and toddlers develop their senses. However, for some children who experience sensory processing problems, many of the elements in a kids tunnel can help with sensory overload.
What to look for in a quality kids tunnel
Size
There are many different sizes of tunnels for kids. When choosing a size, you’ll want to consider the age of your children. If you want a tunnel for your baby who just learned to crawl, a simple, straight tunnel will likely be a lot of fun. However, for toddlers or young kids, you might want to consider an option that includes multiple tunnels and a few games to make sure they don’t get bored.
Safety
To ensure a play tunnel is safe, you’ll first want to check the age recommendation on the tunnel to ensure your kids fall into that range. Also, because most play tunnels are soft and collapsible, they won’t be able to support the weight of your child if they lean against it or try to climb on top. Lastly, it’s smart to check the tunnel to ensure no wires have popped out of the material, which can happen if a wire breaks.
Extra features
If you want something more than a simple, straight tunnel, there are a ton of options, including sets that include multiple tunnels, tents, a basketball hoop and a ball pit. However, many expansive tunnels take up a large area, so be sure you have the space if you want a lot of extra features.
How much you can expect to spend on a kids tunnel
Depending on the material, size and features, kids tunnels cost between $10-$150.
Kids tunnel FAQ
Can I clean my play tunnel in the washing machine?
A. Since the majority of play tunnels for kids contain metal wiring inside the material that cannot be removed, they cannot be put in the washing machine. If it gets dirty, you should be able to hand wash it with a damp washcloth and soap. However, it’s always best to read the manufacturer’s instructions first.
Can I use a kids tunnel for my dogs?
A. Most soft play tunnels are safe for dogs and can be used to provide fun or as a training tool. However, since the material is thin, a dog’s nails could rip or put holes in the material.
What are the best kids tunnels to buy?
Top kids tunnel
Playz Kids Playhouse Jungle Gym with Pop Up Tents and Tunnels
What you need to know: If you’re looking for a comprehensive tunnel playset, this option offers space for multiple kids, an exciting maze and games.
What you’ll love: While there are several pieces, it’s straightforward to assemble and is lightweight. Plus, you can combine the tunnels and tents in various ways or keep them freestanding in different areas.
What you should consider: The ball pit balls are not included and can be a little expensive.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top kids tunnel for the money
What you need to know: This simple and affordable kids play tunnel offers enjoyment without taking up too much space.
What you’ll love: Set up is fast and simple with its pop-up design, and it easily folds up and comes with a convenient carrying case. Plus, the multi-color tunnel provides visual stimulation and fun.
What you should consider: The tunnel is not designed to withstand rough play — the material is thin.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
What you need to know: With its unique design, this play tunnel can provide hours of excitement for multiple kids.
What you’ll love: This kids tunnel comes with four tunnels and a central area, which is ideal for multiple kids or keeping one child busy for hours. Each tunnel also comes with an easy twist lock to quickly set up and put away.
What you should consider: Similar to most soft, foldable tents, inside the material contains wires that could pop out if they’re broken.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Bre Richey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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| 2022-04-05T00:23:59Z
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Which high-refresh-rate monitor is best?
Resolution, brightness and color volume are all important aspects of a PC monitor. However, a monitor’s refresh rate has become crucial for many gamers in recent years. And players who want to stay ahead of the curve should seriously consider investing in the right gaming equipment. If you want to take advantage of cutting-edge hardware to get the best visuals possible, you’ll need a high-refresh-rate monitor.
The top high-refresh-rate monitor is the Alienware AW2721D, thanks to its low pixel response time and high resolution.
What to know before you buy a high-refresh-rate monitor
High-refresh-rate expectation
Many people love using 144-hertz monitors, but some would even say they’ve become less impactful, especially in the gaming community. Nowadays, a high-refresh rate typically refers to 240 hertz or better.
How impactful is a high-refresh-rate monitor?
It’s remarkably easy to tell the difference between low- and high-refresh rates. In fact, modern and legitimate scientific studies indicate that humans can detect artifacts that flicker in and out of existence as quickly as 500 hertz. Many gamers (especially competitive ones) will benefit from high-refresh rates.
Ideal for highly detailed games
The smoother the graphics are, the better your reflexes and accuracy can be during gameplay. If you play more casual games, a high-refresh-rate monitor probably won’t make a huge difference in your experience. But if you play first-person shooter games or games with fast motion, you’ll be interested in using a high-refresh-rate monitor.
What to look for in a quality high-refresh-rate monitor
Variable refresh rate: G-Sync vs. FreeSync
G-Sync and FreeSync are two different variable-refresh-rate technologies that accomplish a similar goal. They allow the monitor to refresh only when the graphics processing unit is ready to display an entire frame. This technology reduces stuttering and eliminates screen tearing. Screen tearing happens when a GPU delivers a new frame to the monitor while it’s still displaying the previous one.
FreeSync is an adaptation of open-source technology and doesn’t add much to the cost of a display. However, G-Sync requires a specialized component inside the monitor. Today, most of the monitors that support FreeSync are also compatible with G-Sync. These monitors may also work well with Nvidia GPUs.
Nvidia Reflex Latency Analyzer
Some high-refresh-rate monitors include Nvidia Reflex, which charts the response times from your mouse and keyboard to the pixels on your screen. When using a monitor that’s compatible with Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU, you can cut your lag time to incredibly low levels.
High-dynamic resolution
High-dynamic resolution (HDR) is a relatively new feature that’s only now hitting the PC gaming market reliably. It allows games to map contrast levels dynamically, bringing out subtle highlights in dark scenes and enhancing bold highlights in bright scenes. Monitors with G-Sync Ultimate or DisplayHDR 600 certification can do a great job with HDR content.
How much you can expect to spend on a high-refresh-rate monitor
The cheapest high-refresh-rate monitors are pretty affordable, running just under $300. You’ll likely pay more for additional features like HDR and Nvidia Reflex. For the top options, you can expect to spend as much as $1,000.
High-refresh-rate monitor FAQ
Are there any high-refresh-rate monitors in 4K?
A. For the time being, no, there are not. Due to bandwidth limitations, the highest possible frame rate at 4K is 144 frames per second which means you won’t see any 4K monitors with higher refresh rates than that.
Why are high-refresh-rate monitors smaller?
A. While some gamers look for huge, high-resolution screens, several of the most successful competitive players prefer 24-inch screens. These smaller screens allow the player to move their eyes from edge to edge on the screen more quickly than on a larger display.
What’s the best high-refresh-rate monitor to buy?
Top high-refresh-rate monitor
What you need to know: This is one of the most full-featured high-refresh-rate monitors available, and it comes from a top manufacturer.
What you’ll love: With a 1440p resolution, it’s one of the clearest high-speed monitors on the market. It boasts DisplayHDR 600 classification and the rare top-level G-Sync Ultimate certification. It also sports the Nvidia Reflex latency analyzer, which works in conjunction with 3000-series graphics cards to practically eliminate input lag.
What you should consider: It’s not cheap, and it doesn’t quite match the refresh rate of some other, competition-oriented models.
Where to buy: Sold by Dell and Amazon
Top high-refresh-rate monitor for the money
What you need to know: Despite having one of the highest refresh rates on the market, this high-refresh-rate monitor comes at a budget-friendly price point.
What you’ll love: It can produce 360 frames per second, satisfying even the most demanding gamers. It even sports official Nvidia G-Sync support, which means it can perfectly match the graphics card’s output over a wide range of frame rates. There’s an even less expensive version called the Alienware AW2521HF, which is merely G-Sync compatible and can reach 240 hertz.
What you should consider: It’s on the smaller side, measuring only 25 inches. It also is limited to 1080p resolution.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Dell
Worth checking out
What you need to know: If you want a competitive advantage without making a huge investment, this monitor is a great choice.
What you’ll love: It uses the Nvidia Reflex latency analyzer and Ultra Low Motion Blur technology to deliver lower lag and better motion handling than nearly any of the competition.
What you should consider: While it claims to be an HDR monitor, reports indicate that the HDR setting doesn’t make a huge difference.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-05T00:24:57Z
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Which ceiling curtain rod is best?
Not all windows are built equally. If you’ve ever found yourself mystified by your interior’s architecture, wondering how you’ll ever hang your curtains, a ceiling-mounted curtain rod just might be the solution you need. Specially designed to hang down, these are perfect for any scenario where you can’t install your brackets in the wall.
Which ceiling curtain rod you choose ultimately comes down to your own taste, but the best all-around option is the Room Dividers Now Ceiling Track Set.
What to know before you buy a ceiling curtain rod
What are ceiling curtain rods?
Ceiling curtain rods are made to mount to your ceiling instead of your walls. Just like wall-mounted curtain rods, they use brackets that hold the rod in place. While some wall-mounted rods can also be mounted vertically, ceiling rods are different in that the brackets are designed so they hang down further.
When to use a ceiling curtain rod
There are a few scenarios that call for ceiling-mounted curtain rods. The most common is when you have a window without enough wall space on the sides to mount your brackets. Another is when your windows go from floor to ceiling. In both of these situations, a ceiling-mounted rod allows you to hang a curtain in a decorative fashion.
But these curtain rods don’t just have to be for windows. For example, if you’re looking to make your own canopy bed or place a divider in your room, a ceiling curtain rod is one of the only ways to float your curtains.
Types of ceiling curtain rods
The two most common types of ceiling curtain rods are decorative and traverse rods. Decorative curtain rods get their name from their ornamental brackets and finials. These can be styled in modern or classical fashion, depending on the design and material.
Likewise, traverse rods have decorative elements, though these are often made for function over form. Traverse rods have a gliding track of hooks that allow you to pull your curtain back and forth with ease. Because the track housing sits below the bracket, traverse rods are best for spanning long distances. This means the reinforcing brackets in the center of the rod won’t obstruct the curtain’s path.
What to look for in a quality ceiling curtain rod
Material
Curtain rods are made from a few materials such as metal, wood and plastic. Which you choose comes down to your own aesthetic and whether or not you want it to have a finished look.
- Metal: Stainless steel, brass, copper, nickel and iron are all common materials in metal curtain rods. These can have a raw, unfinished or brushed finish for a shiny accent, or an artificially aged finish for a vintage look.
- Wood: Most receptive to paints, wooden curtain rods and finials give a natural, homey vibe. For modern decors, look for unfinished woods. The natural look pairs nicely with subdued color palettes and simple forms.
- Plastic: The budget option, plastic curtain rods are utilitarian and sturdy. These are colored, but some higher-end plastic rods can have clever finishes that simulate natural materials.
Finish
If raw materials aren’t your thing, a finish can be a smart way to blend your curtain rod in with your decor. For classical, rustic and boho rooms, consider an artificial patina for a family heirloom aesthetic. For modern decors, opt for brushed finishes that highlight the metal’s material quality over its lack of ornamentation. If you’re going for an urban flat sort of feel, coated metals that make your curtain rods look like piping are a great way to play off of exposed brick, for example.
Length
Most curtain rods are telescoping, meaning they extend along a manufactured length range to cover your window. While the average window is 24 inches wide, chances are you’ll need something a little less conventional if you’re already shopping for ceiling curtain rods. Make sure you check your window’s measurements before choosing a length. Just like wall rods, you’ll want about 3-5 inches on either side of the window or floor feature for which you’re hanging the curtain rod.
Weight capacity
When it comes to ceiling-mounted curtain rods, weight capacity is especially important, as gravity works over time to loosen your brackets. Curtains are typically light and well within the common weight threshold of 5-20 pounds for common curtain rods. If you’re hanging drapes or heavy blackouts, be sure to opt for something sturdy and check the weight before purchasing, as these heftier fabrics can exceed 25 pounds, especially when you pull on them.
How much you can expect to spend on a ceiling curtain rod
A quality ceiling curtain rod can be purchased for $30-$80, depending on length and material.
Ceiling curtain rod FAQ
How do I install my ceiling curtain rods?
A. Just like your walls, ceilings have studs, or beams, as they’re called. You can locate these with a stud finder and screw your brackets into them using standard wood screws. If your beams don’t conveniently line up with your window, you’ll need to use anchors instead. These help to hold your screw into the weak drywall so your curtain rod doesn’t fall and take the ceiling down with it.
Can you hang wall-mounted curtain rods from the ceiling?
A. It depends on the rod. Some decorative curtain rods with hooked brackets can pose a fall risk, as the rod can pop out of the curved seat. Others have locking mechanisms using screws that help to hold the bar in place. If you like a particular wall-mounted design, verify that when hung vertically, your rod won’t fall out when you pull the curtain.
What’s the best ceiling curtain rod to buy?
Top ceiling curtain rod
Room Dividers Now Ceiling Track Set
What you need to know: Discreet and modern, this traverse rod is perfect for windows and room dividers.
What you’ll love: It’s available in three colors: white, black and silver. The aluminum traverse rod uses easily gliding hooks that scale in number to the size you order, making this great for wall-to-wall applications. If you want to use the track for windows, an included hacksaw lets you cut it down to size — just neatly cap it off with the included finials.
What you should consider: This track puts function over form, so it might not appeal to those looking for something a little more decorative.
Where to buy: Sold by Home Depot
Top ceiling curtain rod for the money
Rose Home Fashion Room Divider Curtain Rod
What you need to know: With a simple black copper finish and understated finials, this steel curtain rod is a great budget option for modern decors.
What you’ll love: The best part of this Rose Home Fashion rod is that it’s interchangeable between wall and ceiling mounts, so your rods can all match, even for that one pesky window. It comes in a few size ranges for single windows and larger installations, the latter of which is aided by the additional third bracket.
What you should consider: You have to buy hooks separately.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
KXLife Flexible Bendable Ceiling Curtain Track
What you need to know: The KXLife curtain track is an ingenious solution to ceiling mounts for oddly shaped windows.
What you’ll love: Hang curtains from your ceilings for bay windows, bathtubs and more with this ceiling-mounted, fully customizable track. The unique curtain rod is designed to be cut down to size and flex to conform to your desired shape for easy installation. The hooks are on rollers, so you don’t have to worry about pulling your curtains shut. It comes complete with the necessary hardware.
What you should consider: This is about as utilitarian as you can get when it comes to curtain rods, so aim for a recessed or hidden installation for a clean, invisible aesthetic.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Karl Daum writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-05T00:25:32Z
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Which air bike is best?
If you’re looking for a way to start burning some serious calories, an air bike may be just the ticket. Unlike many other types of exercise bikes that offer steady resistance, air bikes get harder the faster and more intensely you pedal. This makes them a good choice for raising your heart rate and pushing your body to its very limits.
There are several things to consider when purchasing an air bike, including the features it offers, how well it conforms to your body and how comfortable it is. Your budget and space constraints also play a role in your decision. The Schwinn Fitness AD Pro Airdyne Fan Bike is a top choice because it offers a lot of adjustability for tall and short users alike, and it features an informative display panel to track your metrics or follow along with HIIT programs.
What to know before you buy an air bike
How air bikes produce resistance
Unlike some other styles of exercise bikes that may use magnets or a heavy flywheel to create resistance, air bikes rely solely on air. They’re equipped with fans that may have anywhere from five to 30 large blades. As you pedal, the fan spins, creating wind resistance. The faster and harder you pedal, the greater the resistance becomes. This means they essentially offer infinite resistance levels.
Stability
Stability is key for safe operation of any piece of fitness equipment, but especially so on something you’ll be pedaling intensely like an air bike. There are several factors that determine an air bike’s stability, including the size of its footprint and the overall build quality. Those with a wider and longer footprint are more stable, as are those with a sturdier and heavier build.
Noise
One of the biggest complaints about air bikes is the noise they create, and the harder and faster you pedal, the louder they get. At high intensities, the noise can be comparable to a vacuum cleaner. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable, as there’s no way for fan blades to spin quickly through the air without creating noise. That said, at medium intensities, which is what most people tend to pedal at for any extended period of time, the noise level shouldn’t be loud enough to disturb anyone not in the same room.
What to look for in a quality air bike
Adjustability
It’s important to be able to adjust exercise equipment to your body for the most ergonomic workout. In the case of an air bike, this means an adjustable seat that can move up and down at the very least, but ideally also forward and backward. If the model has stationary handles, those too should be height-adjustable.
Comfortable seat
A wide and well-padded seat can go a long way toward keeping you comfortable on your air bike and exercising for longer.
Performance tracking
Tracking your performance metrics is key to improving your fitness levels and motivating yourself to excel. Air bikes that offer performance tracking have a small display panel that can show distance, speed, calories burned and RPM. Some models may also connect with a dedicated app for longer-term fitness tracking.
Fitness programs
Getting an air bike and pedaling at a consistent speed is great, but you can really ramp up your exercise routines with fitness programs that push you to work out harder. These are generally only found on premium models and include various HIIT sessions.
Foot pegs
Most air bikes are a bit like ellipticals in that they have moving handles to work out both your upper and lower body. Models with foot pegs provide you with a stationary place to put your feet when you want to focus just on upper body conditioning.
Multiple grips
Multiple grips on an air bike serve two purposes: they allow you to change up your hand positioning either for specific fitness reasons or to offer some variety during your workout to keep you from getting uncomfortable. They may also allow multiple people to use an air bike without having to adjust the seat in between each user.
Weight capacity
Every air bike has a maximum user weight capacity that should never be exceeded. On the most basic models, this may be as little as 200 pounds. Some more premium air bikes may accommodate users up to 400 pounds.
Wheels
If you don’t have a lot of space in your home and plan on moving your air bike out of the way when not actively in use, wheels are a non-negotiable necessity. They allow one person to relatively easily move the bike around as needed without having to worry about damaging floors or lifting the entire machine.
How much you can expect to spend on an air bike
The most affordable air bikes start around $200. Premium and commercial models with all the bells and whistles can cost anywhere from $500-$1,500.
Air bike FAQ
How many calories can I burn on an air bike?
A. There’s no definitive answer for this on any piece of exercise equipment, because the amount of calories your body burns doing a particular activity is personal, and no two people will get the exact same results. It also depends on the intensity level. That said, the majority of people can burn somewhere from 10-30 calories per minute on an air bike. One particular personal trainer holds a record of burning 87 calories in a single minute on an air bike.
Can I adjust the resistance on an air bike?
A. The resistance isn’t manually adjustable on almost any air bikes. Instead, it increases dynamically as you pedal harder and the wind resistance increases.
What’s the best air bike to buy?
Top air bike
Schwinn Fitness AD Pro Airdyne Fan Bike
What you need to know: This calorie-burning machine features a single-stage belt drive for smooth action and a large display panel to track your fitness metrics.
What you’ll love: It has several HIIT programs to help push you to your limits, and it feels extremely stable even when pedaling at high intensities. Also, it’s equipped with foot pegs for those times you want to focus solely on upper body conditioning.
What you should consider: Some users complain the seat is uncomfortable.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top air bike for the money
Marcy Exercise Upright Fan Bike
What you need to know: Despite coming at a reasonable price, this Marcy Upright Fan Bike has many of the same features of premium models, making it an excellent choice for those on a budget.
What you’ll love: It tracks time, speed, distance, calories and RPM to keep you abreast of your fitness metrics. The fan sends air toward your body to keep you cool during workouts too.
What you should consider: It doesn’t allow full range of motion of the arms for people over 6 feet tall.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Assault Fitness Assault AirBike Elite
What you need to know: It commands a high price tag, but this commercial-quality bike boasts all the bells and whistles serious fitness enthusiasts could ask for.
What you’ll love: You can adjust the seat up and down and forward and backward to achieve the best ergonomics for your body. The highly detailed display panel shows you every metric you want to know about your workout, and it even connects to mobile devices via Bluetooth for transferring that data to an app.
What you should consider: The display isn’t backlit and can be hard to see in dim light.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Brett Dvoretz writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-05T00:26:06Z
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Senior BoJ Official:
- Japan's consumer inflation likely to hover around 2% for some time from April onward
- price rise must be accompanied by increases in corporate profits, wages for inflation to sustainably achieve 2%
Earlier:
Senior BoJ Official:
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Which budget baby boy toys are best?
Buying suitable toys for your baby can be challenging and expensive. And since babies grow up so fast, some toys may not entertain your child for very long. Luckily, several brands make durable, affordable baby toys. For example, the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Puppy Walker is an educational toy ideal for babies six months and older.
What to know before you buy a budget baby boy toy
Types of budget baby boy toys
- Walking toys: These toys are excellent for helping your baby learn to walk. Many include handles your baby can hold onto and wheels that are easy to move. Most also have lights and sounds that keep children engaged.
- Stuffed animals: Soft, animal-themed toys are always a favorite among children of any age. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics reminds parents that stuffed animals may pose a suffocation risk if your baby sleeps with them. It’s best not to give your baby a stuffed animal while they sleep, but they’re an excellent toy for cuddles outside the crib.
- Musical toys: Toys that play music are excellent for keeping your child’s attention. Many musical toys have responsive buttons that play songs when your baby presses them.
- Teething toys: Babies begin teething between 3-7 months old, and teething toys can help ease their pain. It’s best to buy teething toys made of safe materials, like silicone. Also, stay away from liquid-filled toys.
- STEM toys: STEM toys help your child learn science, technology, engineering and math skills. Many STEM toys for babies teach word association, numbers, shapes and colors.
Interactivity
Babies love toys that respond to their touch. Many baby toys light up, produce music and talk to your baby when they are squeezed, pressed or shaken. Additionally, interactive toys often have educational elements.
Age range
Ensure that the toy you buy fits your baby’s age range. Many plastic toys aren’t suitable for infants but may be ideal for children 6 months old and up. On the other hand, toys meant for 2-month-olds may not appeal to babies approaching the 1-year mark.
What to look for in a quality budget baby boy toy
Stimulating
The best baby toys stimulate your baby’s brain. Toys that help your baby learn new words or recognize shapes are both fun and educational. According to the National Institutes of Health, musical toys can improve your baby’s detection of auditory patterns. Infants primarily rely on their sense of touch, meaning toys with various textures tend to be the most stimulating.
Safety
Avoid toys with small pieces and sharp edges. Pay close attention to the materials used and avoid toys made with BPA. Keep an eye on your baby when playing with soft toys or toys attached to blankets, as they may pose a suffocation risk. Also, consider the toy’s weight, as heavy objects may hurt your child if they accidentally drop them.
Volume
Although toys with music and sounds are stimulating, make sure the volume isn’t too high. According to the NIH, repeated exposure to loud noises can be detrimental to your baby’s hearing and may lead to stress.
How much you can expect to spend on a budget baby boy toy
Baby toys range in price depending on brand, size and features. But you can expect to find a quality baby toy for around $20.
Budget baby boy toy FAQ
How often should I switch out my baby’s toys?
A. As your baby gets older, it’s beneficial to buy new toys suited for their age range. Rotating your child’s toys as they grow older will aid in their development.
What types of toys can my infant take to bed with them?
A. It’s best to keep toys out of your infant’s crib until they are at least a year old. Keeping the crib free of toys will significantly reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
What’s the best budget baby boy toy to buy?
Top budget baby boy toy
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Smart Stages Learn with Puppy Walker
What you need to know: Your child can play with this walker toy while sitting or walking.
What you’ll love: The puppy’s nose lights up when you press it, and the plastic book on the puppy’s chest helps your child learn their numbers and alphabet. This toy features seven activities and is a great way to help your child learn to walk. Many users noted their children enjoyed playing with this toy for years.
What you should consider: This walker can move too fast if used on hardwood floors.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and BuyBuyBaby
Top budget baby boy toy for the money
Baby Einstein Ocean Glow Sensory Shaker Musical Toy
What you need to know: This musical toy plays numerous melodies when shaken.
What you’ll like: It features a fun jellyfish design that glows in various colors when activated. This toy has numerous textured ropes for your child to inspect, and the lights and sounds are easy for children to activate. It’s small and light enough for long car rides.
What you should consider: Some buyers felt this toy was too loud.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Baby Einstein Tinker’s Crawl Along Songs Tummy-Time Toy
What you need to know: This toy is ideal for children 6 months and older, making it a perfect option for tummy time.
What you’ll love: This baby toy features a dozen different melodies and three languages, and it even helps teach your baby shapes and numbers. Many parents said their children played with this toy for hours at a time. Plus, the toy rolls around as your baby plays with it.
What you should consider: Many buyers reported that this toy stopped rolling after a few months.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and BuyBuyBaby
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Cody Stewart writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.
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| 2022-04-05T00:26:25Z
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Andrew Garfield is Reportedly a Single Man
Andrew Garfield is flying solo again after reportedly ending things with Sports Illustrated model Alyssa Miller just a month after attending their first event together. Maybe Garfield wasn’t too fond of Miller’s pheromones, though Entertainment Tonight cited the pair’s busy schedules as the main reason for the split. “On top of that, it became clear that there were some differences between them, and it was decided they are better off apart, for now at least,” a source told The Sun.
The news comes just a month after the two made their first public appearance at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild. Though Garfield and Miller didn’t walk the red carpet together, they were seen getting close inside, where they matched in black suits.
It’s unclear how long the pair was dating before they went public with their relationship, but a source told ET Garfield is doing well following the split. "Andrew is staying positive and surrounding himself with his close friends and loved ones,” they said. The actor is quite busy these days. Coming off a long award season where he was nominated for multiple awards for his performance in Tick, Tick...Boom!, next up, he will star in FX’s Under the Banner of Heaven alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones.
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| 2022-04-05T00:29:56Z
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Campbell Addy Chooses Himself
The British photographer discusses his debut book, Feeling Seen, and the importance of feeling the fear, then doing it anyway.
Welcome to Ways of Seeing, an interview series that highlights outstanding talent in photography and film—the people behind the camera whose work you should be watching. In this week’s edition, senior content editor Michael Beckert chats with the London-based photographer Campbell Addy, whose very first photography book, Feeling Seen, is available now.
How did you decide to have Edward Enninful write the introduction for your first book, Feeling Seen?
My relationship with Edward, from a distance, has always been one of admiration. Like myself, he’s a British-Ghanian man working in fashion. As I get older I understand it a bit more and I think he must have been really excited to see young black creatives be given a bit of spotlight—I can only imagine what the idea of visibility in this industry means to someone of his generation. When the book came along, I wasn’t sure if he’d write the intro, because you never know, really—but he called me and was like, “Of course I’ll write it.” I felt so respected, especially because he was so nonchalant about it. It made me think I should respect myself more and what I’m doing.
The book is filled with the voices of fashion industry legends, including Naomi Campbell, who talks about working with you and, for the first time in her career, feeling seen while on your set.
I can’t imagine [that]. As a photographer, I get to control what I see, but I can’t imagine being a model and looking out into the set, and so rarely seeing the self reflected. Naomi’s quote was so important for me to include. She’s one of the biggest models in the world and it took her until, what, 2018, to feel seen? It’s important that people understand how much work there is to do.
In Feeling Seen, you’ve got personal work, but also fashion editorials featuring the likes of Kendall Jenner. Why include both alongside one another?
I was thinking about how I put 100 percent of myself into everything that I do. Even with editorial, it’s mostly a creative collaboration, so everything feels like personal work. With that Kendall shoot in particular, it was for Garage Magazine, and I worked bloody hard on it [laughs]. You’ll notice, in the book, that Kendall’s picture is placed next to a picture of a baby. I wanted to play into this idea of a very recognizable subject being placed next to someone completely unknown.
For a project like this, does the publisher give you a page limit?
Yes, and I’m really glad they did. Having edited my own magazine, Nii Journal, I understand the process of making a book. I hate when I open a magazine and it doesn’t feel like it has been edited. So even though there was a limit established by the editor, I went into this knowing it needed to feel succinct.
When you look at your earlier work, which is included in the book, I wonder how you feel about it—do you sort of cringe, or do you feel admiration for it?
It’s a bit of both, and changes day-to-day. When I first did the book, I was like, ‘Ugh, I hate my work,’ out of insecurity. I love everything that I’ve done and will do, but I’ve never had to sit with my work as a collection; it’s always been singular projects, and singularly, yes, I can compartmentalize and think, ‘Oh wow, this was good.” For the book, I really had to let go and not be so precious. The thing I fear most, actually, is looking at my older work and seeing that it looks the same as my current work. I’d never want to stagnate or not grow.
I was really blown away by a recent New York Times interview you did, in which you talked about leaving home at 17 because your family wasn’t supportive of your sexuality.
It’s weird because everything I said in that interview I’ve said in fragments in all my other interviews—but I guess the whole story has never been in one article. It was an intense interview, in a good way. I spent the day with the writer, we had dinner, it was almost like going on a date [laughs]. When I read it back, I was like “Okay, not a huge deal,” but then my partner was like, “This is huge, Campbell.” I’m trying to be 100 percent honest about my story—to hold myself accountable, but also to inspire anyone else from a similar background.
This field of work tends to attract privileged people, but I liked that you were honest in the piece about your background. It sounds like you were financially disadvantaged growing up. Is that okay to say?
Yes, 100 percent. My mom was on benefits. We were poor, and I’m not afraid to say that. I’m proud of where I came from. Some people are like “I made it, I got out,” but I don’t think I ever got out—I just chose me. There’s a difference. I spoke to some of my old school friends the other day: we had a very hard childhood, but it was a childhood. I had trees, I was able to explore stuff, I was able to dream and play. Yeah, it would have been better if we had money, of course it would. A lot of things wouldn’t have happened to me, but it’s got me here, so I can’t really complain about it.
Eventually, you went on to study art at Central Saint Martins. What was that experience like?
During my time in higher education, I came across an array of people from different backgrounds—some even had trust funds or were super wealthy. I have tunnel vision, though, so I was like, Okay a student loan, even if it’s a loan, means me becoming richer in some way. I also wasn’t afraid of being poor, I had been poor before. The fear of not making it? Girl, there was no fear! I was like, I’ve already been there! What am I fearing? I remember standing outside Forever 21 or Topshop, where I was working at the time, talking to myself: There’s no guarantee that I’m going to make any money, the odds are stacked against me, I’m five foot six, I’m gay, I’m Black. But I have been artistically inclined since I can remember, so I made a [resolution]: I have to be okay with doing two projects a year that are quintessentially me. If I could do that and still work at a Tesco, I’d be happy that I could at least create something.
Was there a specific person in your life that influenced you or made you believe more in yourself?
Two thousand nine and 2010 were really important years for me. Around that time, I realized how difficult it was to be a woman thriving in any space. I remember hearing Amy Winehouse for the first time around then, not knowing who she was and being like, Damn. I heard her song, “What Is It About Men,” where she talks about her father’s infidelity. I was really poor at the time, living in a flat. I thought nobody cared about that stuff, but she made me think my life was beautiful.
When I was a teenager and I was figuring myself out, I think Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj for sure. I was obsessed. I’m still a Nicki fan. Back in the day, Gaga represented this sheer determination, not to just shock you, but to create this space. I understood The Fame so clearly. It wasn’t just about pop, it was about a woman navigating a space in a way we hadn’t seen before. Then when it came to Nicki Minaj, seeing a Black woman in a very male-dominated game [was a game-changer]. I grew up in a household where my mom listened to Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, and Missy Elliott, so I understood the rap game. These girls made me think I could do anything
Why did you choose the photograph that you did for the cover of your book?
That image was taken at a very pivotal moment for me. I was in a place where I wanted to push my image-making, and wanted to work more creatively. Photographers understand—we create this world in our heads, and we try to capture it—and this image was one of those pictures where I had done that perfectly. It was the first frame of the day, actually. The styling was on point, the set was on point, and it all spoke to a world I wish existed in more. I wish I was able to be more in my fantasy, in my head. At that time, I hadn’t seen a lot of models wearing hijab, and again, feeling is seeing. I remember that I was like, “You know what? I can create fantasies and bring them to life.” If I have an opportunity to shine the light on people who are few and far between in our industry, then I will do so.
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SZA’s Explanation of Why She Had Crutches at the Grammys Is Very SZA
SZA regrettably did not perform at the 2022 Grammy Awards on Sunday night, but she still had us all talking when she simply stepped onto the stage to accept the Best Pop/Duo Group Performance award with Doja Cat. Well, she didn’t so much step as she did hobble. While the 32-year-old singer was unencumbered on the red carpet, she needed the help of a pair of crutches (and Lady Gaga, who made sure her spring 2006 Jean Paul Gaultier gown didn’t get caught) to make it to the podium.
Eventually, Billboard tracked her down backstage to find out what was up. Her reply had just the type of delightfully candid, devil-may-care vibe we’ve come to associate with her in the years since she broke out with CTRL in 2017. “It’s very funny because I fell out of bed right before it was time to leave and get ready for this,” she said. “Like the day before, but that’s the way it goes. Everything awesome in my life has always come with something like very random, but it just adds to the energy.”
While backstage, she also casually dropped a bombshell: Her highly anticipated sophomore album, which has been roughly six years in the making, is “very much” coming soon.
Gaga wasn’t the only one happy to lend SZA a hand. Lil Nas X also jumped into gentleman mode, appointing himself her “personal caretaker” when she swapped out the crutches for a wheelchair.
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Kaley Cuoco is Back to Snooping in The Flight Attendant Season Two Trailer
Things are looking up for Kaley Cuoco’s Cassie in the first thirty seconds of The Flight Attendant’s season two trailer. She is still serving the skies, she’s gotten sober, and has even moved to Los Angeles to live with her new boyfriend. In general, she’s “making better choices,” she tells her Alcoholics Anonymous group. Of course, those who followed along with Cassie’s antics in the Emmy-winning first season of the show knows that where she goes, chaos follows.
As the trailer unfolds, we learn that Cassie is moonlighting as a CIA asset, a job that’s turned her life into a “John le Carré spy novel” as her friend, Annie (Zosia Mamet), puts it, a prophecy that comes true when an assignment overseas leads Cassie to accidentally witness a murder. Suddenly, the flight attendant finds herself once again mixed up in another international crime saga.
It also becomes clear that not all of Cassie’s troubles are behind her, like the other-worldly dimension she found herself in throughout last season. Except this time, Cassie’s waiting for herself in her own subconscious, four versions of herself, in fact, including the old Cassie with a drink in hand and snarky remarks to spare.
Cuoco and Mamet are joined by other season one cast members like Griffin Matthews, Deniz Akdeniz, and Rosie Perez with newcomers including Cheryl Hines, Margaret Cho, and Sharon Stone. The eight-episode series premieres on HBO with two episodes on April 28th, followed by one episode a week. Check out the full trailer below:
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Kendall Jenner Has Officially Dubbed it Sundress Season
Some might look to Punxsutawney Phil for information on when spring will come and bring warm weather, there are other signs one can look to for information about when it’s time to switch over your closet and pull out those summer whites—street style stars. Take one look at your favorite models and celebs and it’ll clear when warm weather dressing is upon us. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen less jeans and overcoats and a whole lot of leg, and now, Kendall Jenner, has officially announced it sundress weather.
Over the weekend, the model spent some time in Las Vegas—not for the Grammys which were also being held in the city—but to promote her tequila brand, 818. On Saturday, Jenner spent the day at the Tao Beach Dayclub in the perfect look for the occasion, a white boatneck mini dress from Maisie Wilen with a blue and black design across the front. She kept the styling fairly simple when it came to the rest of her ensemble, pairing the dress with PVC sandal heels from Amina Muaddi and a light blue mini Cleo Prada bag that played off the design of the dress perfectly. Jenner also managed to support her sister, Kim Kardashian, with her outfit, adding a pair of sunglasses from Kardashian’s collaboration with Carolina Lemke to complete the look.
Of course, it’s a bit warmer in Vegas than in other parts of the country, so you may want to grab a jacket before heading out in your own little white dress, but Jenner’s look is absolutely a sign that we’ve made it through the winter months, and we have many sundresses to look forward to in our future.
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Kim Kardashian Recruits Victoria Secret Legends for Her Latest Skims Campaign
Kim Kardashian knows her way around a good campaign. Over the years, she has perfected the art of taking pop culture moments and using them for her own purposes or, when necessary, producing her own moments out of thin air. With a set of images, Kardashian can expertly draw attention to her latest venture, or at least get people talking on Twitter. That seems to have been her plan with her latest Skims campaign, which brought together four iconic models for the first time ever.
The Skims Icon campaign, launched on Monday, features four Victoria Secret legends—Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel, Heidi Klum, and Tyra Banks—posing together in Kardashian’s much-loved underwear line. For the shoot, the group modeled Skim’s Fits Everybody collection, filled with the brand’s essentials like their bralettes, boy shorts, and body suits. “Kim Kardashian selected all four household names to star in the campaign showcasing the models’ strength, energy, and everlasting allure with imagery that reflects the group’s enduring legacies,” Skims said in a statement. “With this campaign, SKIMS salutes strong, powerful women, highlighting the high fashion collective’s prestige in shapewear pieces that make all women feel like icons.”
For a minute, it seemed like Kardashian was sitting this photoshoot out, letting the models and their own reputations take the reins, but the reality star just couldn’t help herself. Kardashian shared photos of the campaign on Instagram, which featured her joining the foursome in some shots. “OK so I wasn’t supposed to be in this @SKIMS campaign but I stopped by and jumped in because it was too iconic,” she wrote alongside pics of the Skims founder flanked on both sides but the four supermodels.
This is hardly the first time Kardashian has recruited a top model to sell Skims. Back in July 2021, Kate Moss was named as a face of Skims, starring in her own campaign for the brand. Of course, the only thing better than one model is four, and this time around, Kardashian really amped up the star power.
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Yara Shahidi Proves That Fishnets Can Be Sophisticated in Tory Burch
Fishnets typically allow their wearers to show some skin, but the ones that Yara Shahidi wore over the weekend were anything but revealing. The 22-year-old actor arrived to the 39th annual PaleyFest in Los Angeles on Sunday wearing an entire netted dress atop another, adding a touch of sparkle to the long-sleeved one with thumb holes that was just short enough to offer a glimpse at her aqua heels. As have plenty of other outfits Shahidi has worn in recent years, the look came courtesy of Tory Burch, with whom she’s had a close relationship ever since they partnered on her young voters initiative Eighteen x 18 in 2018.
The ensemble was a fittingly sophisticated one for Shahidi to wear while bidding adieu to black-ish, the ABC sitcom that’s nearing the end of its eight-year run on ABC. It’s the end of an era, though the ever-prolific Kenya Barris has ensured that Shahidi’s character, the college student Zoey Johnson, lives on with the spin-off series grown-ish, which was recently renewed for a fifth season.
Shahidi wasn’t the only celebrity to step out in fishnets on Sunday night. Olivia Rodrigo hit the stage of the 63rd annual Grammy Awards to perform her hit single “Driver’s License” in quite a different take on the netting, once again channeling her style icon Avril Lavigne.
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NBC Right Now has issued a “Weather Authority Alert Day” as a strong spring storm system brings damaging winds and heavy mountain snow.
Expect strong winds (30-45 mph) Gusts up to 60 mph and blowing dust through the night for the Columbia Basin and a slight chance of rain for Yakima Valley and a slight chance of rain/snow mix in the Kittitas valley overnight lows in the 30s and 40s.
Another windy day Tuesday winds will blow (20-25 mph) and gusts up to 45 mph, mostly sunny with high temps in the low 50s to low 60s and chilly overnight lows in the upper 20s and low 30s.
Warmer dry weather is on the way for Wednesday through Friday temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Temperatures cool off slightly over the weekend to the upper 50s and low to mid-60s.
*HIGH WIND WARNING* 8am-11pm Today
- Lower Columbia Basin, Foothills of the Blues, Yakima Valley, Simcoe Highlands
- WSW 30-45mph, Gusts 65mph
- Impacts: Blowing dust, down trees and power lines, power outages, difficult travel
*WIND ADVISORY* 8am-11pm Today
- Eastern Columbia River Gorge of OR, N. Central & Central OR
- W 25-40mph, Gusts 55mph
- Impacts: Blowing dust, down trees and power lines, power outages, difficult travel
*WINTER STORM WARNING* Today - Tomorrow
- East slopes of WA Cascades: 2pm Today-8am Tue / 12-30” of snow above 2,500’ / 50mph gusts
- East slopes of OR Cascades: 8pm Tonight-5am Tue / 10-22” of snow above 4,000’ / 50mph gusts
- Treacherous driving conditions, blowing snow could reduce visibility
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Chicago man sentenced to 95 years for the shooting deaths of two Elgin men
ELGIN, Ill. - A Chicago man has been sentenced to 95 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the 2018 shooting deaths of two Elgin men.
Travaris Stevenson, 26, was found guilty in November of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and armed violence.
According to evidence presented by Kane County prosecutors, Stevenson and his co-defendant met up with Raymond Dyson, 29, and Mark McDaniel, 26, at about 2 p.m. April 29, 2018 in a parking lot in the first block of Longwood Place in Elgin.
Stevenson traveled from Chicago to Elgin to sell a pound of marijuana to McDaniel and Dyson.
Stevenson then got into the back seat of the car, while the two victims were in the front seats.
Stevenson shot Dyson in the back of the head and McDaniel twice in the back.
He then fled on foot with the co-defendant and the marijuana. Chicago police caught the pair about a half-mile from the crime scene 20 minutes later.
More than two dozen photographs from Stevenson's mobile phone were presented during the sentencing hearing that showed him posing with numerous guns, including AK-type weapons and multiple guns with extended magazines.
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The photos were also taken while Stevenson was on parole for a previous felony and was prohibited from possessing gun, prosecutors said.
Stevenson is also charged in Cook County in an unrelated shooting during a drug transaction that occurred a month before he killed Dyson and McDaniel.
The sentence is 35 years for first-degree murder, plus a 25-year enhancement because Stevenson fired the gun, 20 years for armed violence and 15 years for second-degree murder.
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The terms are to be served consecutively.
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RICHLAND, WA - April is child abuse prevention and sexual assault awareness month. The clothesline project displays t-shirts that are decorated by survivors and others.
This line of clothing demonstrates their support through artwork.
According to The Support Advocacy resource Center in Richland, each t-shirt tells a story of how violence has impacted the person who created the shirt's life.
The clothesline project display will be up through April 4 - 15.
The display is supposed to remind people how often violence occurs and the effects the abuse has on the victim, their family, and their community.
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GRANT COUNTY, WA - Grant County Health District is telling people to be aware of increasing influenza and influenza-like illnesses.
GCHD is currently monitoring an influenza outbreak among residents in an assisted living facility. GCHD has provided outbreak mitigation recommendations to staff.
Disease investigators from Grant County Health District are reporting an increased number of influenza cases among school-aged children, as well as children under the age of five.
The health district is asking healthcare providers to consider testing and maintaining a high level of clinical suspicion. GCHD suggests anti-viral therapy should be considered for individuals on a case-by-case basis.
GCHD is also urging all residents 6 months and older to get their flu shot as soon as possible.
People who have not been vaccinated against the flu still have time to get the vaccine before the season is over. According to Grant County Health District, The influenza vaccine is the best measure to prevent flu and complications, especially for children, older people, and people with chronic health conditions.
People can find a flu vaccine clinic by calling the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588 or GCHD at 509-766-7960.
Influenza resources for Long Term Care Facilities:
Recommendations for Prevention & Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Long Term Care Facilities
CDC interim guidance for influenza outbreak management in LTCFs I CDC
Influenza information for healthcare: https://www.doh.wa.gov/ForPublicHealthandHealthcareProviders/PublicHealthSystemResourcesandServices/Immunization/InfluenzaFluInformation
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Dramatic video shows Texas troopers, Border Patrol rescuing smuggled woman from burning car
Shocking new footage shows the moment Texas troopers and Border Patrol agents rescued a woman who had been smuggled across the border, and was trapped in a duffel bag, from a burning car.
Agents had started the pursuit of a human smuggler on March 24 near Laredo, Texas. The pursuit was soon joined by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The smuggler crashed the car, which immediately caught on fire, and bailed out of the car.
RELATED: COVID-19 asylum limits at US-Mexico border to end May 23
He was then immediately apprehended by troopers, and told them that there was a woman who had been smuggled in the back of the car. She was zipped up in a duffel bag.
"She's in the bag," the smuggler said in footage from one of the officer's bodycams.
A trooper immediately broke open the window, pulled out the bag, and rescued the woman trapped inside, saving her from the inferno.
"Holy cr-p," one agent can be heard saying after the rescue.
RELATED: Cocaine hidden inside Caribbean cookbook, feds say
Texas DPS agents have been working to help Border Patrol secure the border as agents encounter massive numbers of migrants and attempted border crossings. Gov. Greg Abbott last year launched Operation Lone Star, surging resources and manpower to the border to focus on criminal activity and human smuggling at the border.
The number of migrants coming across the border has remained high throughout 2021 and into 2022. There were more than 164,000 migrants encounters in February and that number is expected to have risen in the month of March ahead of an expected surge this summer. Those numbers do not include the number of migrants who got past agents.
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SNOQUALMIE PASS, WA - Westbound I-90 right lane is currently blocked after a semi-truck did not chain up.
Currently, chains required on all vehicles except all wheel drive. Oversize vehicles are Prohibited along eastbound near Denny Creek milepost 47, five miles west of the summit and westbound near Gold Creek milepost 56, four miles east of the summit, according to the pass report.
Motorists will experience added travel time due to snow and slush conditions along I-90.
According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm warning remains in effect until 8am above 2,500 feet.
Additional snow accumulations of 12 to 24 inches mainly along the crest, 4 to 8 inches above 2500 feet. Winds gusting 40 to 50 mph causing some blowing snow and possible whiteout conditions.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked, 11-11, Monday on whether to send Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination to the Senate floor. But President Joe Biden’s nominee is still on track to be confirmed this week as the first Black woman on the high court.
The committee’s tie vote was expected, as there is an even party split on the panel and all of the Republicans are opposing Jackson’s nomination to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. But it was still a blow to Democrats who had hoped for robust bipartisan support — and it was the first time the committee has deadlocked on a Supreme Court nomination in three decades.
In order to move forward, Democrats planned a new vote to “discharge” Jackson’s nomination from committee Monday evening and then take a series of procedural steps in the coming days to wind it through the 50-50 Senate. With the support of at least one Republican, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Jackson is on a glidepath toward confirmation by the end of the week.
“Judge Jackson will bring extraordinary qualifications, deep experience and intellect, and a rigorous judicial record to the Supreme Court,” Biden tweeted Monday. “She deserves to be confirmed as the next justice.”
After more than 30 hours of hearings and interrogation from Republicans over her record, Jackson is on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court’s more than 200-year history. Democrats cite her deep experience in her nine years on the federal bench and the chance for her to become the first former public defender on the court.
The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said at Monday’s meeting that Jackson has “the highest level of skill, integrity, civility and grace.”
“This committee’s action today in nothing less than making history,” Durbin said. “I’m honored to be a part of it. I will strongly and proudly support Judge Jackson’s nomination.”
The committee’s top Republican, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he was opposing Jackson’s nomination because “she and I have fundamental, different views on the role of judges and the role that they should play in our system of government.”
The committee hadn’t deadlocked since 1991, when Biden was chairman and a motion to send the nomination of current Justice Clarence Thomas to the floor with a “favorable” recommendation failed on a 7-7 vote. The committee then voted to send the nomination to the floor without a recommendation, meaning it could still be brought up for a vote.
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat on the committee, said last week that a panel tie vote on Jackson would be “a truly unfortunate signal of the continued descent into dysfunction of our confirmation process,”
So far, Democrats know they will have at least one GOP vote in the full Senate — Collins, who announced last week that she would support the nominee. Collins said that though they may not always agree, Jackson “possesses the experience, qualifications and integrity to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court.”
It’s unclear whether any other Republicans will join her. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky set the tone for the party last week when he said he “cannot and will not” support Jackson, citing GOP concerns raised in the hearing about her sentencing record and her backing from liberal advocacy groups.
Republicans on the Judiciary panel continued their push Monday to paint Jackson as soft on crime, defending their repeated questions about her sentencing on sex crimes.
“Questions are not attacks,” said Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, one of several GOP senators on the panel who hammered the point in the hearings two weeks ago.
Jackson pushed back on the GOP narrative, declaring that “nothing could be further from the truth.” Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. And on Monday they criticized their GOP counterparts’ questioning.
“You could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold,” said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
The questioning was filled with “absurdities of disrespect,” said Booker, who also is Black, and he said he will “rejoice” when she is confirmed.
Collins and Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina were the only three to vote for Jackson when the Senate confirmed her as an appeals court judge last year. Graham said Thursday he won’t support her this time around; Murkowski said she was still deciding.
Collins’ support likely saves the Democrats from having to use Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote to confirm Biden’s pick, and the president called Collins on Wednesday to thank her. Biden had called her at least three times before the hearings, part of a major effort to win a bipartisan vote for his historic nominee.
It is expected that all 50 Democrats will support Jackson, though one notable moderate Democrat, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, hasn’t yet said how she will vote.
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Senate to vote on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination this week
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to take up Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court nomination vote, overcoming a key hurdle in the drive to confirmation this week.
Earlier on Monday, the panel was deadlocked, 11-11, on whether to send Jackson’s nomination to the Senate floor, but Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney announced Monday night they will vote to confirm Jackson’s historic elevation to the Supreme Court. The extra votes gave President Joe Biden's nominee a burst of bipartisan support and all but assuring she'll become the first Black female justice.
The senators from Alaska and Utah announced their decisions ahead of a procedural vote to advance the nomination and as Democrats pressed to confirm Jackson by the end of the week. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced last week that she would back Jackson.
All three Republicans said they did not expect to agree with all of Jackson's decisions, but that they found her well qualified. Romney said she "more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity."
With three Republicans supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Jackson is on a glidepath to confirmation and on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court’s more than 200-year history. Beyond the historic element, Democrats have cited her deep experience in nine years on the federal bench and the chance for her to become the first former public defender on the court.
Jackson previously faced more than 30 hours of hearings and interrogation over her record last month. Democrats — and at least one Republican — have cited her deep experience in her nine years on the federal bench and the chance for her to become the first former public defender on the court.
FILE - U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill March 23, 2022 in Washington, DC.
The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said as he opened Monday’s meeting that Jackson has "the highest level of skill, integrity, civility and grace."
"This committee’s action today in nothing less than making history," Durbin said. "I’m honored to be a part of it. I will strongly and proudly support Judge Jackson’s nomination."
The Senate panel’s top Republican, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he was opposing Jackson’s nomination because "she and I have fundamental, different views on the role of judges and the role that they should play in our system of government."
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham also said he wouldn’t vote for Jackson, expressing concerns about her record despite supporting her confirmation as an appeals court judge last year. The South Carolina senator’s announcement had been expected after he criticized Jackson during her four days of confirmation hearings.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Graham said his decision was based partly on what he sees as a "flawed sentencing methodology regarding child pornography cases," echoing a line of questioning by some Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Several senators, some eyeing a run for president, repeatedly asked her about her sentencing decisions in her nine years as a federal judge in an effort to paint her as too lenient on sex criminals.
It was unclear so far whether any other Republicans would join Collins. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky set the tone for the party last week when he said he "cannot and will not" support Jackson, citing GOP concerns raised in the hearing about her sentencing record and her support from liberal advocacy groups.
Republicans on the Judiciary panel continued their push Monday to paint Jackson as soft on crime, defending their repeated questions about her sentencing on sex crimes.
"Questions are not attacks," said Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, one of several GOP senators on the panel who hammered the point in the hearings two weeks ago.
Jackson pushed back at that time, declaring that "nothing could be further from the truth."
RELATED: Ketanji Brown Jackson: Senate committee wraps up hearings on Supreme Court nominee
Senate committee wraps up hearings on Supreme Court nominee
Legal experts praised Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in her final day of Senate hearings, with a top lawyers' group saying its review found she has a "sterling" reputation, "exceptional" competence and is well qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.
Democrats are hoping to win bipartisan votes for President Joe Biden's historic nominee, but Republicans have portrayed Jackson as soft on crime in her nine years on the federal bench. Jackson, supported by committee Democrats, pushed back on that GOP narrative in more than 22 hours of questioning, explaining the sentencing process in detail and telling them: "nothing could be further from the truth."
RELATED: Ketanji Brown Jackson: Supreme Court pick defends record during senators' questioning
Jackson declared she would rule "from a position of neutrality" on the high court during the second day of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The hearings included Republican suggestions that she has given light sentences to child pornographers.
Responding to Sen. Dick Durbin, the Judiciary Committee chairman who preemptively brought up concerns previously raised by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Jackson pushed back on the notion that her rulings could have endangered children.
"As a mother and a judge who has had to deal with these cases, I was thinking that nothing could be further from the truth," Jackson said, calling it "some of the most difficult cases that a judge has to deal with."
She described looking into the eyes of defendants and explaining the lifelong effects on victims. It is "is important to me to represent that the children’s voices are represented," she said.
A look at Ketanji Brown Jackson’s career
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed in 2021 to the D.C.-based appellate court as a U.S. Circuit Judge, a position Biden elevated her to from her previous job as a federal trial court judge. Three current justices — Thomas, Kavanaugh and John Roberts, the chief justice — previously served on the same appeals court.
Jackson was confirmed to the appeals court by a 53-44 vote in June 2021, winning the backing of three Republicans: Graham, Collins and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski.
RELATED: Ketanji Brown Jackson to be nominated for Supreme Court
Another interesting GOP connection: Jackson is related by marriage to former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Jackson's husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, is the brother of William Jackson, who married Ryan’s wife’s sister, Dana.
Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Miami. She has said that her parents, Johnny and Ellery Brown, chose her name to express their pride in her family’s African ancestry. They asked an aunt who was in the Peace Corps in Africa at the time to send a list of African girls’ names and they picked Ketanji Onyika, which they were told meant "lovely one."
She traces her interest in the law to when she was in preschool and her father was in law school and they would sit together at the dining room table, she with coloring books and he with law books. Her father became an attorney for the county school board and her mom was a high school principal. She has a brother who is nine years younger who served in the Army, including in Iraq, and is now a lawyer.
In high school, she was the president of her public high school class and a debate champion. Richard B. Rosenthal, a lawyer who has known her since junior high, said there was no question she would rise to the top of whatever field she chose, describing her as "destined for greatness." His older brother, Stephen F. Rosenthal, a classmate and friend from Miami who also went to college and law school with her, called her a "natural leader" and someone with "penetrating intelligence."
Jackson attended Harvard, where she studied government but also was involved in drama and musical theater and part of an improv group called On Thin Ice. At one point she was assigned actor Matt Damon as a drama class partner, she has said, acknowledging he probably wouldn’t remember her. He does not, Damon previously confirmed through a representative, but added: "That’s so cool!"
Also at Harvard, she met her husband, who is a surgeon at Georgetown University Hospital, and the couple has two daughters.
From 1999 to 2000, Jackson was a law clerk for Breyer on the Supreme Court. Deborah Pearlstein, a law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens the same year Jackson worked for Breyer, recalled Jackson as funny, insightful and "incredibly good at her job."
"I don’t know anybody there at the time who didn’t get along with Ketanji," Pearlstein said.
Jackson has since worked for large law firms over the course of her career but also was a public defender. After she was nominated to serve on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the agency that develops federal sentencing policy, she taught herself to knit to deal with the stress of the nomination and confirmation process, she has said.
As a commissioner, she was part of a unanimous vote to allow thousands of people already in federal prison for crack-related crimes get their sentences reduced as a result of a new law.
And Jackson’s work on the Sentencing Commission paved the way for her to become a federal trial court judge, where one of the things she displayed in her office was a copy of a famous, handwritten petition to the Supreme Court from a Florida prisoner, Clarence Gideon. The Supreme Court took his case and issued a landmark decision guaranteeing a lawyer for criminal defendants who are too poor to afford one.
Jackson had served as a federal trial court judge since 2013, nominated by former President Barack Obama.
Jackson is currently a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on Defender Services, as well as the Board of Overseers of Harvard University and the Council of the American Law Institute. She also currently serves on the board of Georgetown Day School and the United States Supreme Court Fellows Commission.
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Kelly Hayes and the Associated Press contributed.
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A semi truck has rolled over on I-182 headed east in the left lane. This occurred near the Fred G. Redmon Memorial Bridge.
The rollover was caused by high wind, according to Washington State Patrol. It estimated the lanes would be closed for a few hours.
The driver is ok with minor injuries.
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Las Vegas cop indicted in casino heist: ‘Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun.’
LAS VEGAS - An officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is accused of robbing three casinos, stealing nearly $164,000, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Caleb Rogers, 33, made his initial court in federal court Friday after being arrested in late February.
A federal grand jury indicted him on three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
A jury trial is set for May 23.
RELATED: Teen arrested, 3 others on the run after flash mob robbery at CityCenterDC
According to court documents, in November 2021, Rogers is believed to have robbed a casino in the western part of Las Vegas, getting away with nearly $73,810. Authorities said he struck again in January after robbing a casino in North Las Vegas of nearly $11,500.
Authorities said in both robberies, Rogers walked up to the casino’s cashier cage and demanded money from the cashiers.
Investigators said the third robbery occurred in February, when Rogers allegedly ran toward two casino employees in the sportsbook area and yelled: "Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun. I will shoot you!" Rogers then reportedly climbed over the counter and shoved one of the employees to the floor, before grabbing nearly $78,898 and placing it into a bag.
Authorities said Rogers then fled when the employees triggered an alarm. As he ran toward the parking garage, a casino security officer tackled him. That was when Rogers drew a .357 caliber revolver and, with his finger on the trigger, threatened: "I’m going to shoot you!"
Court documents said security officers were able to disarm Rogers and restrain him until LVMPD officers arrived. Officers arrested Rogers and seized his firearm.
It’s believed the gun belonged to the LVMPD.
If convicted, Rogers faces 20 years in prison for each count of interference with commerce by robbery, and life imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
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This story was reported from Los Angeles.
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Southwest passenger arrested for masturbating 4 times during flight
NEW YORK - A man on a Southwest Airlines flight faces federal charges after allegedly masturbating at least four times during the flight.
The Daily Beast reports that it happened on a flight from Seattle to Phoenix.
The criminal complaint obtained by the site claimed it happened on Southwest flight 3814 on April 2, 2022.
Antonio Sherrodd McGarity is accused of masturbating four times in the seat next to a female passenger.
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The woman took photos. When McGarity fell asleep, she told the flight crew what happened. They moved her to another seat on the flight.
The woman turned the photos over to Phoenix police when the flight landed.
The FBI interviewed him and says he didn't think the female passenger was uncomfortable with him masturbating and he thought "it was kind of kinky."
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McGarity is facing charges related to lewd, indecent, or obscene acts.
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How to scale more participatory, performative and engaging approaches to arts education.
What’s Broadway’s most popular, top-grossing pandemic-delayed show? A revival of Meredith Willson’s 1957 show, The Music Man, featuring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. This old-fashioned musical in many respects epitomizes what we mean by Americana: it offers a comforting, highly sentimental vision of the American past, stripped of its diversity and conflicts.
And yet, alongside the musical’s spirit-lifting portrayal of a brazen, cynical, yet endearing con man, there is another thread that deserves attention: the townspeople of River City’s yearning for something more than their banal, humdrum, colorless lives. For art, music and culture.
To my mind, the single biggest weakness in a college education today involves arts education. Sure, our institutions typically offer an array of courses in music appreciation and in art or theater history, but that’s not what arts education means to me.
Shouldn’t arts education be more participatory and performative, not just for the most gifted and talented, but for all students? If we want to nurture creative expression, cultivate a lifelong interest in the arts, foster a delight in the joy that comes from participating in the arts and produce knowledgeable, perceptive audiences, we need to approach arts education in innovative ways.
The need could scarcely be greater. We mustn’t minimize the arts’ therapeutic functions. Participation in the arts offers ways to explore and express emotions, manage and relieve stress, work through psychological and emotional challenges, foster self-awareness and mindfulness, and cultivate sensory-motor skills and perceptual, listening and hermeneutic abilities.
Participation in the arts can also affirm identities and motivate and engage students who otherwise find their academic education excessively abstract.
Much as war is too important to leave to generals, so too arts education is too valuable to be reserved only to up-and-coming artists, creative writers and musicians. Just as we’ve increasingly relegated youth sports to the most promising young athletes, we have increasingly set aside the opportunity to perform, draw and write creatively to those with special talent.
Today, most students will, alas, not attend a concert or a play, let alone an opera or a ballet. Indeed, few watch historically significant feature films within an academic context. How can we hope to build an audience for the arts if we fail to expose students in these formative years to the arts in their full richness?
A number of colleges and universities provide vivid examples about how fresh approaches to arts education can be scaled.
At Hunter College, part of the City University of New York system, students in Humanities 20100: Explorations in the Arts visit museums and archives and attend musical, theatrical, dance and operatic performances and then participate in signature seminars led by knowledgeable and committed faculty mentors and guest artists, composers, critics, novelists and playwrights, in which they examine the historical contexts and the aesthetic, cultural and philosophical significance of the works they are seeing and hearing.
An outgrowth of a Mellon Foundation Arts Across the Curriculum planning grant, HUM 20100 has the twin goals of infusing the humanities and the arts into student life of the college in a systematic and sustainable way and of awakening curiosity about aspects of the humanities and arts among a highly diverse, career-oriented generation of undergraduates.
Of course, since Hunter is located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, only a short bus or subway ride from the Academy of American Poets, the Asia Society, the Guggenheim Museum, the Frick Collection, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Neue Galerie and the Public Theater, it’s relatively easy to integrate the arts into the curriculum.
But there are ways to replicate something like these experiences, if only virtually, partnering with campus museums and taking advantage of on-campus performances.
The University of Houston took a very different approach to scaling arts education. A team-taught course on the creative process featured lectured lectures by and interviews with the campus’ artists in residence, who, at the time, included the playwrights Edward Albee and Elizabeth Brown Guillory, the composer Carlisle Floyd, the poet Edward Hirsch, the sculptor Luis Jimenez, the novelist Colson Whitehead, and the actress Lois Chiles, among others.
This class, organized and directed by Lois Parkinson Zamora, a leader in the comparative study of the arts and literature of the Americas, examined various theories of the creative process, including the internal factors, such as the artist’s life experiences, emotions and states of mind, that shape the creation of artistic works, and the external factors, including genre considerations and current societal circumstances. The course also looked at issues of craft, including concept formulation, artistic technique and material or thematic exploration.
Here, I might mention VIVA, the virtual visiting artists’ nonprofit that connects campuses to artists who are largely women, artists of color or from LGBTQ+ backgrounds.
But what about expanding opportunities to actually participate in the arts? Too often, opportunities to take part in arts classes; dance courses; acting, performance and production classes; and creative writing or screenwriting workshops, or even to take piano and other music lessons, are reserved for the most privileged young people.
But scaling opportunities to participate in the artistic lessons and performances isn’t beyond our capabilities. It’s more a matter of priorities and will. The steps institutions can take are obvious:
- Partner with local museums, theater and dance companies, and other arts organizations.
- Invite local artists and performers to host workshops and studio opportunities.
It’s no secret that arts education in K-12 schools has declined and that low-income, Black and Hispanic children are disproportionately unlikely to participate in childhood arts education. In many instances, K-12 schools spend more money on sports than on the arts.
Yet we also know that students from low-income backgrounds who are highly involved in the arts are far less likely to drop out of high school, and they score higher on standardized tests and are much more likely to graduate from college.
The explanations for the distorted priorities are no secret: funds have been diverted from the arts due to a heightened emphasis on reading and math test scores.
The consequences of defunding arts education surround us. As a RAND Corporation report found, even before the pandemic, audiences for classical music, jazz, opera, musical theater, theater and the visual arts were falling as a share of the population. Between 2002 and 2015, the percentage of adults who visited an art museum or gallery declined by about 20 percent.
Without in any way seeking to denigrate the ancient seafaring people who lived on the south coast of Canaan about 3,000 years ago, I fear we are becoming a nation of Philistines in the artistic sense: a people who deprecate the arts, who favor kitsch over more demanding art forms and who fail, to a disturbing degree, to patronize the arts and artists.
The solution strikes me as obvious: let’s give our students more opportunities to engage with works of art, interact with artists and make art.
Steven Mintz is professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin.
We have retired comments and introduced Letters to the Editor. Letters may be sent to [email protected].
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Just Visiting
John Warner is the author of Why They Can't Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities and The Writer's Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing.
Title
The AP Literature Exam Is Terrible
It feels good to just admit it.
It’s just kind of objectively weird that college credit is awarded for a high score (usually a 5) on the AP English Literature and Composition test, right?
I mean, have you seen the test itself?
Section 1, worth 45 percent of the total, is 55 multiple choice questions answered within an hour, five sets of questions with eight to 13 questions each, asking about a passage of fiction, drama or poetry that the test taker has presumably never read prior to opening the test booklet.
Does this reflect the kind of assessment commonly used in college literature courses? Not in my experience teaching literature and observing others teach literature at five different higher education institutions, but maybe my experience is unusual.
Does this structure reflect the kind of engagement with literature we would like to foster in students? Do those who study literature spend a lot of their time answering snap questions about short passages of writing? Is that the kind of thinking that would well serve someone studying literature beyond the introductory course for which the AP exam is meant to stand in?
Section II, worth 55 percent of the total, is a “free response,” three short essays. Two of the essays (one on poetry, the other on prose fiction), are again on passages that the test taker has presumably not seen prior to the exam. The third essay requires students to use a text that they’ve previously read.
The test recommends 40 minutes per essay, so if one were doing the example test, for the first essay they would need to read the 50-line poem and then write a “well-written essay” that analyzes the literary elements and techniques as they’re employed to convey some aspect of meaning in the text.
I ask again, is this the kind of activity and assessment that teachers of literature value in the college classroom? Is this reflective of the work we ask college students to do when they take a literature course?
Please know, I’m not talking about difficulty. The AP Literature and Language test promises to be a grueling three-hour experience. I’m asking if this assessment is reflective of the kind of learning we associate with the study of literature in college.
It isn’t. We know it isn’t. And yet I guess we have to just pretend that it’s not a problem.
Layer on the fact that the free response essays are graded in a mere handful of minutes by an army of assessors working 12- to 15-hour days who are not given time to check the accuracy or factual integrity of the work and are instead merely looking for the moves that simulate some familiarity with boiled-down versions of academic conventions (like the five-paragraph essay), and the whole enterprise looks even more absurd to me
This is not a criticism of what’s happening in AP classrooms, either. My experience is that college literature teachers would find the kinds of activities and learning going on—not related to test prep, that is—quite familiar.
I also think it’s reasonable to believe that the students who take these AP courses have likely reached a level of proficiency that would serve them well in a college course. Millions of students are having high-quality educational experiences in those courses.
But what happens in their AP course, the work students do, what they read, the discussions they have, what they have learned … does not matter when it comes to earning college credit. What matters is that test.
I’m not naïve—I understand the underlying forces that perpetuate the AP system. Heck, I benefited from them to the tune of a semester’s worth of college credit before starting college myself. It’s a great financial deal for the already-advantaged students who are more likely to have access to AP exams, and as college gets more and more expensive for everyone, knocking a semester or a year off the tab is highly attractive.
And the AP credits allow students to get out of the courses that “don’t matter” and move on to the “real stuff,” am I right? Perhaps those of us who work in the humanities could reflect on the effect of assessments like the AP Literature and Composition exam on how people view our disciplines?
Would you be eager for more study of literature after taking that test?
What’s even more bonkers is how hard it can be for students to get credits from actual college courses to transfer from one institution to another. I’ve written many statements of support for students’ petitioning for credit and supplied my syllabi and even assignments dozens of times as students appeal initial denials.
But take that AP test, score high and you’re good. This is ridiculous. Even if the practice is going to continue, for honesty’s sake, we should just admit that.
In theory, there’s nothing stopping the College Board from applying the kind of assessment they do for the AP Art exam, a submission of a portfolio of work.
Oh wait, that would require a significant amount of time to evaluate at the numbers of students who take AP Lit versus AP Art. Can’t have that billion-dollar bottom line affected. As Annie Abrams reports in The Washington Post, the AP exams are a cash cow for the College Board.
There’s a lot going in inside the operations of higher education institutions that has little to do with learning, but there’s not a lot as transparently divorced from meaningful educational experiences as the AP Literature and Composition exam.
As is, it’s a huge wealth transfer to the College Board, sanctioned by numerous state legislatures, which require public institutions to accept the exam for credit because it takes them off the hook for some portion of funding general education.
You know what would disrupt this little scheme?
Tuition-free public higher education.
Honestly, the status quo is bananas, but I’ve learned to not hold my breath waiting for change.
We have retired comments and introduced Letters to the Editor. Letters may be sent to [email protected].
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Barring an appeal to Ohio’s Supreme Court, Oberlin College will have to pay out $31 million for supporting false claims that a local bakery discriminated against students of color.
An Ohio appeals court upheld a decision that will cost Oberlin College millions of dollars in a long-running legal battle between the college and a local bakery that students accused of racist actions.
In a 3-to-0 decision, a state appeals court upheld a ruling from 2019 that required Oberlin College to pay Gibson’s Bakery $25 million in punitive damages and another $6 million in legal fees after the business accused Oberlin of damaging its reputation. A shoplifting incident in 2016 led to student protests and accusations of racism against the bakery.
Gibson’s Bakery sued the college in 2017 after Allyn D. Gibson—an employee whose father and grandfather owned the bakery—confronted three Black Oberlin students, one of whom was caught stealing wine. The fallout led to student protests, elevated by then dean of students Meredith Raimondo, who handed out fliers protesting the bakery, and Oberlin’s student government, which passed a resolution accusing the bakery of a history of racial discrimination.
Gibson’s Bakery claimed initial success in the courts on counts of libel, intentional interference with a business relationship and intentional infliction of emotional distress by Oberlin College. Now, with the latest ruling on Thursday, Oberlin looks to be on the hook for $31 million.
In an email to Inside Higher Ed, Oberlin did not dismiss the potential for another appeal.
“Oberlin is obviously disappointed that the appeals court affirmed the judgment in its ruling. We are reviewing the Court’s opinion carefully as we evaluate our options and determine next steps,” Oberlin spokesperson Scott Wargo wrote. “In the meantime, we recognize that the issues raised by this case have been challenging, not only for the parties involved in the lawsuit, but for the entire Oberlin community. We remain committed to strengthening the partnership between the College, the City of Oberlin and its residents, and the downtown business community. We will continue in that important work while remaining focused on our core educational mission.”
Legal counsel for Gibson’s Bakery did not respond to a request for comment but did provide a statement to the conservative website Legal Insurrection, celebrating Thursday’s ruling.
“The Gibson family appreciates the Court of Appeals’ thorough and thoughtful analysis which rightly rejected all of Oberlin College’s and Dean Raimondo’s challenges on appeal,” Owen Rarric, one of the attorneys representing Gibson’s, told Legal Insurrection.
Unpacking the Ruling
According to court documents, some 200 to 300 protesters demonstrated outside Gibson’s Bakery in November 2016 following the confrontation between Allyn Gibson and a student. Fliers distributed at the protests claimed that the bakery—which has been family-owned since 1885—was a “racist establishment with a long account of racial profiling and discrimination.”
The Student Senate soon followed with a resolution condemning Gibson’s Bakery, which was emailed to the entire student body and publicly posted in a display case on campus.
Oberlin College then cut business ties with Gibson’s, dropping its products from campus.
The Gibsons lawyered up, went to court and won. The initial sum was a total of $44 million, with $11 million awarded in compensatory damages and another $33 million in punitive damages. Citing Ohio law, a judge later capped the amount at $25 million, plus attorneys’ fees. Counting $6 million in legal fees, the total amount owed to Gibson’s Bakery is now $31 million.
Upholding the original verdict, the appeals court shot down three issues raised by Oberlin College and one by the Gibson family. Judges dismissed Oberlin’s claims that the prior judge was wrong to deny the college a new trial on grounds that the court provided incorrect instructions to the jury, among other complaints; that the court failed to cap damages; and that it improperly enhanced fees for the family’s attorneys that the college was ordered to pay.
The Gibson family also appealed, arguing that the court erred when it applied punitive damage caps and Oberlin had not been fully held accountable, a claim that was ultimately dismissed.
Implications for Higher Ed
Some higher education observers worry that the ruling will have a chilling effect on free expression. A key concern is that colleges, fearful of litigation, will clamp down on student speech.
“This creates a very heavy incentive for institutions, particularly private institutions, to police the speech of their students and student governments, student organizations, student newspapers,” said Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. “Because the decision suggests that an institution not only can punish unprotected speech—which is not a controversial position—but that the institution must punish it or must censor it, or [the college] becomes liable for that speech if it is defamatory.”
Jeffrey Sachs, a political science professor at Acadia University who often writes about free speech on campus, offered a similar opinion in a Twitter thread. He noted that the suit hinged on two actions: the libelous fliers distributed by staff and the Student Senate resolution.
“It’s the second action that really worries me. Basically, the court held that since Oberlin authorizes the student senate, subsidizes it, provides a supervisor, and allows it to post its documents on school property, it is legally responsible for the student senate’s speech,” Sachs tweeted.
While Sachs notes the dean erred in handing out the fliers, “the senate resolution issue feels much more complicated and nothing to celebrate.” The ruling, he suggests, implies that colleges must scrutinize the speech they provide a platform for and “have a legal duty to censor.”
Given the financial implications, Steinbaugh suspects colleges will be more likely to take a hard look at student speech and perhaps even diminish the support they provide for free expression. After all, enabling student speech may be more costly for colleges than simply stifling it.
“It creates a financial incentive for institutions to limit the channels through which students can exercise their expressive rights, or to diminish the resources that institutions commit to allowing students to express themselves, whether that’s through a student organization or student government or a student newspaper,” Steinbaugh said.
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NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. — As soon as Newaygo County Sheriff's deputy Jason Fritsma saw Si last Wednesday, he knew immediately that was the dog for him.
“When I saw him come out I was like ‘Yeah, that’s the one I want,” Fritsma said.
So, he brought the 2-year-old German Shepherd home with him, from Indiana to Newaygo County, and he knew exactly what to name him.
“My grandpa and I were extremely close. He helped raise me as a little kid,” Fritsma said. “He passed away in 2019. His middle name was Simon. So, I named my dog Si after my grandpa so I can have a little piece of grandpa with me at work all day.”
Got to meet this cutie today 🐶
— Lauren Edwards (@LaurenEdwardsTV) April 4, 2022
He’s a 2-year-old German shepherd and is the new deputy at Newaygo County Sheriffs Office. // @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/VsQQJKALRN
Si, who was born in Slovakia, is now his new partner at the department.
“I’m ecstatic,” Fritsma said during an interview with FOX 17 on Monday afternoon. “I’m super excited. I know it’s going to be a lot of work. A lot of work pays off. It’ll be a good outcome.”
For the next eight weeks, Si and Fritsma will be working side-by-side at a K9 training school. The first few weeks will be in Muskegon and it’ll finish up in Grand Rapids.
“We’ll go through obedience and tracking and you know narcotics,” Fristma said. “Once we’re done with that, he’ll be certified and be able to work throughout tracking, go on tracks and search for narcotics.”
Fritsma said he’ll be able to sniff out methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and MDMA or Molly.
Si cost $9,000 and the training was thousands more than that, said Sgt. Bailey who was present for the interview as well. The department fund-raised to get Si and he said he’s worth every penny.
Fritsma agreed.
“It’s an expensive piece of equipment really. It’s a great tool,” Fritsma said. “Not only is he going to be a tool, he’s going to be one of my best friends. I get to go to work with him everyday.”
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It's a crime that costs Americans $1 billion a year, and it's running rampant in Florida. The Sunshine State now ranks fourth in the country in vehicles on the road with rolled-back odometers.
Tampa resident Lonnie Williams' search for a truck ended with an online dealer ad for a 2007 Ford F-150. The ad said the truck had 171,000 miles on it. And according to Williams' bill of sale from 813 Wheels and Deals LLC in Tampa, the mileage was just over 174K.
"If you are telling me the truck has 171,000 miles on it, that's what I am believing because that is what is advertised," Williams said.
Fear of missing out amid the hot used car market keeps buyers, including Williams, from demanding a vehicle history report such as Carfax or having the vehicle inspected by a mechanic.
"I didn't want the risk of someone else purchasing it and me missing out on the deal," Williams said.
Williams, a restaurant manager, paid $5,000 cash for the pickup in January, but truck trouble started days later when he noticed it was "drinking coolant," he said.
In Florida, when you buy a vehicle "as is," there's no recourse if it falls apart.
The Carfax report showed a prior owner registered the same pickup as the Ford in 2017 when it had 242,000 miles on it.
It's against state and federal laws to tamper with or roll back an odometer.
A state DMV recommends taking these steps to avoid getting burned by odometer fraud:
- Look for signs of wear on the brake and gas pedal pads or the recent replacement of the pads;
- Check for loose screws around the dashboard;
- Observe the wear and tear on seats or take notice of new seat cover installation, a vehicle with low mileage should not have excessive wear;
- If the car has less than 20,000 miles, it should not have a replacement set of tires;
- Ask to see the maintenance records of the vehicle and the original owner manual for the vehicle; and
- Consider having the vehicle inspected by a reputable mechanic of your choosing.
In Florida, checking the last recorded mileage on any vehicle is fast and free. Log onto the Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicles website and plug in the VIN.
Williams' truck is labeled as exempt, which means the vehicle is more than 10 years old.
Carfax now ranks Florida fourth in the country with over 75,000 vehicles on the road with a rolled-back odometer.
In addition, Carfax places Tampa in the top 20 of more than 200 metro areas in the U.S. for the same reason. The area is home to an estimated 18,000 vehicles with false odometer readings.
Josh Ingle, the owner of Atlanta Speedometer, said rolling back an odometer leaves no digital footprint. He demonstrated how a tool used for legitimate repairs could be attached to a vehicle to change the odometer reading.
It took him minutes to roll back a truck with 265,000 miles to 85,000 miles. That quick switch added $9,000 to the purchase price, and that's not counting the additional maintenance that comes with a high mileage vehicle.
After finding out about the odometer, Williams asked 813 Wheels and Deals LLC for a full refund but said the dealer refused, telling him the vehicle was sold "as is."
Williams contacted Callaway, who left multiple messages with the dealership manager and reported the case to Florida's DMV.
The state questioned the dealer about the sale, and he offered to take the truck back and return Williams' $5,000.
"When I found out I was ecstatic. I was very happy," Williams said.
The dealership manager Kevin Patterson told ABC Action News the ad for the Ford was wrong, and the person responsible no longer works with him. Patterson said he had nothing to do with the odometer. The DMV said it has had no other complaints involving the dealer.
It was a tough lesson for Williams, who said he'll never buy another vehicle without checking a history report.
"The test drive isn't enough. You must get more information."
This story was originally published by Jackie Callaway of WFTS in Tampa Bay, Florida.
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Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's historic nomination to the Supreme Court, giving President Joe Biden's nominee a new burst of bipartisan energy as she seeks to become the first Black woman on the high court.
The senators from Alaska and Utah announced their decisions on Monday evening ahead of a procedural vote to advance the nomination and as Democrats are pushing to confirm Jackson by the end of the week. They join Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who announced last week that she would back Jackson.
Murkowski in a statement, “My support rests on Judge Jackson’s qualifications, which no one questions; her demonstrated judicial independence; her demeanor and temperament; and the important perspective she would bring to the court as a replacement for Justice Breyer."
RELATED: Romney announces intent to approve Jackson for Supreme Court
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Bucha massacre revives EU momentum to cut off Russian energy
Russia's massacre of civilians in Bucha has reignited a debate within the European Union about banning Russian energy imports — and whether any threshold of atrocity in Ukraine would justify plunging Europe into a recession.
Why it matters: The EU's continued reliance on Russian energy is refilling the Kremlin's coffers at a breakneck pace, financing President Vladimir Putin's war machine at the same time Western leaders claim to be collecting evidence for a future trial at The Hague.
By the numbers: EU countries have paid Russia more than $20 billion for fossil fuels since the invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
- Russia is projected to earn $320.7 billion from energy exports this year — 36% more than in 2021, according to Bloomberg Economics.
- Oil and gas exports made up about 40% of the Russian government's budget last year.
Driving the news: The searing images from Bucha over the weekend prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to come out Monday in favor of a fresh round of sanctions on Russian oil and coal.
- Russian gas would be left out of any potential embargo for now, as it accounts for 40% of Europe's supply.
- But momentum for a sanctions package that would ban oil and coal imports is growing.
- That would, potentially, allow Europe to take a stand against the atrocities while buying more time for a gas phase-down.
Between the lines: The EU's ability to forge consensus among all 27 member states for sanctions is being tested by electoral politics and war fatigue.
- Hungary's far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Putin's closest ally in Europe, won a resounding victory in Sunday's elections. He used his speech to attack both Brussels and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- German officials belonging to different parties in the governing coalition came out with mixed messages Monday about whether now was the moment to take a hard line on gas.
- Lithuania, meanwhile, decided to move forward on its own, becoming the first EU country to fully cease importing Russian gas.
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Bucha horrors make U.S. and EU reconsider options to hit Putin
U.S. and European leaders Monday promised to respond to the discoveries of mass graves and other apparent atrocities in suburban Kyiv with harsher penalties for Vladimir Putin.
Why it matters: Western sanctions and arms shipments came in hard and fast after the invasion, with two key constraints: Europe’s reliance on Russian energy and the unwillingness of NATO countries to risk war beyond Ukraine’s borders. Their calculations may now be shifting, if only slightly.
Driving the news: National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday afternoon that the U.S. will impose fresh sanctions after the discovery of what he described as war crimes in Bucha. Ukrainian troops retaking the city near Kyiv found civilians with their hands bound who had apparently been shot at close range.
- Sullivan claimed that was not anomalous but "part of the plan" for a Russian regime intent on imposing "a reign of terror across occupied territories in Ukraine.”
- Russia is pulling back from its positions near the Ukrainian capital. Sullivan said Russia was shifting its focus and its troops to the east, hoping to "surround and overwhelm Ukrainian forces" there.
- Russian officials and state media have denied responsibility for the Bucha massacre and in some cases accused Ukraine of carrying it out (claims which are undermined by witnesses, journalists and satellite imagery).
Between the lines: The U.S. has already hit many of the obvious targets for sanctions, but steps such as removing all Russian banks from the SWIFT transaction system or enforcing secondary sanctions on oil exports are still possible.
- Europe's next moves on sanctions may be more consequential.
French President Emmanuel Macron came out Monday in favor of new sanctions on Russian oil and coal — but he didn't mention Russian gas, which accounts for 40% of Europe's supply, Axios' Zach Basu reports.
- EU countries have paid Russia more than $20 billion for fossil fuels since the invasion began, and Russia is projected to earn $320.7 billion from energy exports this year — up 36% from 2021, per Bloomberg.
- Momentum for a sanctions package that would ban oil and coal imports is growing, but European officials — including within Germany's government — took contrasting positions Monday on whether now is the moment to take a hard line on gas.
- Lithuania is moving forward on its own, becoming the first EU country to fully cease importing Russian gas.
More U.S. weapons, including drones and armored vehicles, are also on their way as part of a package announced Friday. Sullivan said further shipments would be announced soon.
- NATO countries are showing increasing willingness to provide weapons that could allow Ukraine to go on the offensive, reportedly including tanks.
- But they have yet to provide the types of aircraft and air defense systems that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been publicly lobbying for. A plan to send S-300 missile defense systems from Slovakia to Ukraine appears to have hit a snag.
President Biden said Monday that, in addition to providing Ukraine with weapons to continue its fight, it would also help document evidence for a future war crimes trial against Vladimir Putin.
- Former International Criminal Court prosecutor Alex Whiting told Axios' Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath that there is clear evidence of war crimes in Bucha, but "the challenge is going to be to prove who was responsible, and how high does this go?"
- Whiting said it would be crucial to have investigators on the ground as soon as possible to talk to witnesses to try to determine which units were involved and who gave the orders.
Go deeper:
- Germany and France expel Russian diplomats after Bucha
- Zelensky visits Bucha "to show the world what happened here"
- Why war crimes are so hard to prosecute
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Jill Biden staff full of Michelle Obama alums
As President Obama returns to the White House on Tuesday for the first time since his term ended, he'll find some familiar faces — and not just in the West Wing. First lady Jill Biden is leaning on staff originally hired by former first lady Michelle Obama.
Why it matters: Presidential spouses are notoriously insular and tend to rely on a longtime, trusted inner circle. Biden’s hiring shows a focus on honing her strategy and brand — an approach that vaulted Obama into a policy advocate, style icon and, since leaving office, best-selling author and content creator.
The details: Three staffers on the first lady’s team previously worked for the Obama White House.
- Rory Brosius was tapped to lead the strategy for Joining Forces, a pro-veterans effort that started under Obama and was relaunched under Biden last year. Brocius was the deputy executive director in Obama's office.
- Kelsey Donohue, Biden’s new deputy communications director, was Obama’s assistant press secretary.
- And Gina Lee is the director of scheduling and advance. She worked in communications and scheduling for the Obama White House.
Between the lines: The hires give a clue into Biden’s approach and provide insight into what's still to come for the current first lady’s tenure.
- Donohue, whose hiring Axios first reported in January, has joined the first lady ahead of an aggressive midterm travel schedule.
- She's already accompanying Biden on the road, according to pool reports — a sign of her involvement in the itinerary.
What they’re saying: Analysts said the hirings make practical sense, even without political or personal motivations.
- “I see this as totally in line with an increasingly strategic and intentional mobilization of staff surrounding the president’s spouse,” said Lauren A. Wright, an associate research scholar and lecturer in politics and public affairs at Princeton University.
- In fact, the majority of the members of the first lady’s staff have worked for her or the president on and off for years.
- Wright also noted that because the East Wing tends to need to keep its staff numbers down, it's imperative employees have diverse resumes and multitask.
- Michael LaRosa, Biden’s press secretary, has a background as a cable news producer, for example.
Patti Solis Doyle, director of scheduling for Hillary Clinton during her tenure as first lady, told Axios: “There are very few people in this country, maybe even in the world, who have experience doing this kind of work, working in the White House or specifically even working on a first lady’s team."
- “So, it doesn't surprise me that she's reaching out to people who have done it before and have experience here."
Jill Biden has maintained a busy travel schedule, going to 36 states during her first year as first lady.
- In one instance, she did a coordinated, cross-country swing in under a week.
- The stops included Boston, Kentucky, Phoenix, Tucson, Reno and San Francisco.
- She's expected to maintain a similarly aggressive travel schedule — including stops abroad — during the remainder of President Biden's term, a senior aide to the president told Axios.
As the war in Ukraine rages, the first lady has engaged on the topic in public and is expected to travel internationally to expand her involvement.
- Biden already showed her support subtly by wearing a sunflower mask in the East Room and an embroidered sunflower on her blue dress at the State of the Union.
- Blue and yellow are the colors of Ukraine, and the country's ambassador to the United States was the first lady’s guest for the State of the Union address.
- The first lady has also visited Fort Campbell to meet with family members of troops deployed to Eastern Europe.
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McCarthy’s Cawthorn episode shows what he won’t tolerate
Kevin McCarthy’s recent showdown with Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) has revealed the House minority leader's clear red line in punishing members: whether the entire conference — especially those on the far-right — has his back.
Why it matters: McCarthy's forthright and public condemnation of Cawthorn — after lesser actions against Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — offer a glimpse into how he'd lead the party as House speaker.
- McCarthy's willing to take risks when he knows he has political cover from the most outspoken House Republican members.
- He backtracked, for example, when he got blowback for criticizing former President Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
- A McCarthy spokesman declined comment.
Behind the scenes: Rather than keep his tense, closed-door conversation with Cawthorn private — as he's done with past controversies — McCarthy blasted the 26-year-old member both privately and publicly and left open the opportunity to take future action against him.
- He took the more aggressive approach only after it was clear the majority of his members not only welcomed such a move but demanded it.
- The strategy is in line with McCarthy's innate attempts to make everyone in his conference happy — something that's burned him in the past.
What we're hearing: McCarthy felt emboldened to take a hardline approach with Cawthorn after members aired their grievances during two tense meetings last week, sources familiar with his decision tell Axios.
- Multiple conservative members slammed Cawthorn during a House Freedom Caucus (HFC) meeting last Monday for claiming his Republican colleagues have done cocaine and invited him to orgies.
- Several other House GOP members then demanded action during a full conference meeting last Tuesday.
The backdrop: McCarthy has cautiously avoided taking action against his right-wing members when they've stoked controversy.
- McCarthy has repeatedly called out Greene and Gosar — but it was Democrats who ousted them from committees.
- He also defended Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) when Democrats accused her of Islamophobia for implying Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is a suicide bomber.
Two clear differences between these members and Cawthorn, leadership sources say, is that:
- Cawthorn's remarks implicated fellow House GOP members.
- The conference was virtually united in taking action against Cawthorn, whereas Greene, Gosar and Boebert still had support from many conservative members — including those in the HFC.
Those HFC and hard-right fringe members will be crucial to ensuring McCarthy has a smooth ascent to speaker, should Republicans take back the House majority in November.
Between the lines: McCarthy's rebukes of members who go after Republicans are often more pointed and backed up by concrete action.
- After initially supporting Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) over her vote to impeach Trump, he eventually joined in the effort to oust her from leadership.
- That decision came after it was clear the majority of House Republicans wanted her gone following her repeated criticism of Trump.
What they're saying: "I think it’s smart. He’s being shrewd," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said of McCarthy's strategy of taking the conference's temperature before acting.
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), who often calls out his party's extremes, said McCarthy's comments on Cawthorn were "pretty strong" and reflected the mood of the conference.
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Carnival Cruise Line had its highest booking week ever between March 28 and April 3. It comes as protocols are gradually easing, and almost the entire fleet is back sailing. After more than two years, the cruise industry is finally back!
Record Booking Week for Carnival Cruise Line
It has been a record-breaking week for Carnival Cruise Line as it sees its highest bookings for the period of March 29-April 3. It’s the biggest booking week in the cruise line’s history and comes during its 50th Birthday year.
The cruise line saw a double-digit increase compared to the previous 7-day booking record. The same week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention completely dropped its Cruise Travel advisory. The CDC notice going away has opened up confidence in cruise bookings across all the cruise lines.
“The excitement of the industry’s restart, our successful return of our entire fleet, the guest reaction to Mardi Gras, our loyal guest response to our 50th birthday this year, the support of our travel advisor partners — and of course, the amazing work of our Carnival team — have all contributed to the strong demand we are seeing, and this record-breaking booking week,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
Carnival Cruise Line has been gradually easing its protocols as case numbers remain low on its cruise ships and CDC guidance becomes more relaxed. The cruise line is part of the CDC’s Voluntary Program for Cruise Ships.
There are now 22 Carnival cruise ships out of 23 that are back sailing. Each vessel has gradually resumed operations since the Carnival Vista restarted on July 3, 2021, for the first since the industry-wide suspensions started in March 2020.
Even though Carnival has offloaded most of its Fantasy-class cruise ships, it has still been busy welcoming the new Excel-class. Mardi Gras began sailing in summer 2021, and in November 2022, the sister ship Carnival Celebration will debut.
The new and more optimized vessels powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) have helped grow demand and interest in the fleet.
Carnival has also been rolling out its new red, white and blue livery across the fleet, bringing a new fresh look. Ships continue to undergo dry dock and upgrade ships despite a difficult time during the suspension.
Read Also: There Are Now 22 Carnival Cruise Ships Back Sailing
Carnival Splendor will become the final ship in the fleet to resume guest operations. The vessel will restart out of Seattle, Washington, on May 2, 2022, marking the full fleet return. By the time Carnival Celebrations begins sailing from Miami in November, the cruise line will have more capacity sailing compared to 2019.
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Carnival Cruise Line has sent out a communication to guests on upcoming sailings that cruise gratuities will increase on departures on or after May 1, 2022. It is the first time the cruise line has raised the gratuity guidelines since December 1, 2018.
The amount the gratuity guideline is raised by is 51 cents per person per day. The raise will be a welcome break for the thousands of crew members that work hard every day to provide the excellent service they are known for.
Carnival Cruise Line Increases Gratuity Rate
Carnival Cruise Line’s Chief Operating Officer Neil Palomba announced in a letter to guests that gratuity rates onboard the Carnival cruise ships will be raised by 51 cents per person per day, effective from May 1, 2022.
Palomba said, “Effective with all cruises departing on or after May 1, 2022, we are making adjustments to our recommended onboard gratuity guidelines.”
For Standard Staterooms, the new rate will be $14.50 per person, per day and for Suites, the new gratuity rate will be $16.50 per person, per day.
The previous amounts were $13.99 per person per day for Standard Staterooms, and $15.99 per person, per day for suites. The gratuities are automatically added to the guest account if not pre-paid, ensuring crew members who might not always be as visible are equally well rewarded for their hard work.
Palomba continues to say, “Our shipboard team members work hard to provide exceptional and friendly service, so we hope you will agree that this slight increase is well deserved. Guests may pre-pay their gratuities at the current rates, and save on other onboard services, by accessing My Cruise Manager using the reserve now button below.“
Gratuities are assessed based on all guests onboard, except for children under two years. The gratuities apply regardless of the dining options selected.
At the same time, an additional 18% service charge is added for beverage purchases and the cover charge for Chef’s Table, Bonsai Teppanyaki and Bonsai Sushi.
Why Increase Gratuities?
Many guests will be wondering why the increase in tips is necessary at this time. The reasoning can be found in the recent economic turmoil that has been felt worldwide. Since December 1, 2018, the gratuity rate has remained the same; however, since then, inflation has devalued the salaries of those working onboard.
With that, since March 2020, thousands of crew members were forced to remain at home for months on end, living off their hard-earned savings. A slight increase of $0.51 goes a long way for the hardworking crew members onboard.
As Neil Palombo mentioned, guests can adjust their gratuity charge at guest services, making it more or less.
For ultimate comfort, the easiest way to deal with gratuities is to pre-pay everything before the start of the voyage, so there is no need to think about it afterward.
Carnival Cruise Line is not the first cruise line to raise the gratuities recently. On March 2, Norwegian Cruise Line announced the same, raising their gratuities to $16 and $20 per person per day.
Not Just Gratuities?
With costs rising for the cruise lines as well, Carnival is raising the prices for WIFI, beverages packages, and specialty dining.
In a message to travel advisors the cruise line said the following: “Although we’ve done our best to minimize the impact of rising costs, we will be implementing nominal changes to some of our onboard services while still providing your clients the best vacation value, on land or at sea. Please encourage your clients to reserve pre-cruise (on My Cruise Manager) before May 1 to save on these categories.“
Before the new pricing is introduced on May 1, guests can lock in beverage purchases and save up to 15% on the old price or 20% on the latest prices. Wifi savings can be 25% on the old pricing and 32% on the latest pricing. Guests also can save up to 20% on specialty dining prices.
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https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-line-to-increase-gratuities-from-may-2022/69252
| 2022-04-05T00:51:24Z
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Carnival Cruise Line has made several updates to its Have Fun. Be Safe protocols over the past few weeks, with the most recent on April 1, 2022. One of the most significant changes is that unvaccinated kids under 12 can now go ashore.
Carnival Update on Protocols
The cruise line has been busy making several minor changes over the last few weeks. At times, the updates have become difficult for many to read through and compare to previous updates. However, in the most recent on April 1, there was a change for some of the younger passengers.
In the updated protocols, unvaccinated kids 11 years and younger are now allowed to go ashore and enjoy the port. Carnival Cruise Line says, “Unvaccinated children age 11 and under are not required to purchase a Carnival shore excursion and may go ashore with their vaccinated parents/guardians to enjoy independent sightseeing.”
Previously before the update, all unvaccinated guests were not allowed to go ashore without booking a shore excursion through the cruise line. In recent weeks, Carnival removed its “bubble” tours, which have allowed guests to choose from all the shore excursions available.
Unvaccinated guests aged 12 and older cannot go ashore independently and must book a tour through the cruise line. This requirement has not changed and remains the same.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Advisory for Unvaccinated Going Ashore for Two Destinations
It is essential to know that specific requirements depend on the port of call, and currently, there are eight ports that may be different for unvaccinated guests. All guests 12 and older have to remain on board when a Carnival ship is visiting Bermuda, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, St. Kitts, and Tortola.
For cruises that sail to San Juan, Puerto Rico, vaccination guests will have to stay on the ship. For calls to Limon, all unvaccinated guests will also have to remain on board.
With the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removing its Cruise Travel Advisory and easing protocols across the industry, the situation is looking much better compared to early 2022. We could see further changes in the weeks and months ahead as almost all Carnival cruise ships are now back sailing.
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| 2022-04-05T00:51:30Z
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Carnival Sensation has arrived at her final port of call right on schedule, as the ship arrived today at the ship-breaking yard in Aliaga, Turkey. It will now be several days or weeks before the next step in scrapping the ship begins, but her long journeys on open water have ended.
Carnival Sensation at Scrapping Yard
The Fantasy-class vessel was sold for scrap earlier this year, after it was announced that she would not return to service as planned.
Instead, the ship’s scheduled itineraries from Mobile, Alabama were reassigned to Carnival Ecstasy, and while Carnival Sensation did continue to host crew members transitioning in and out of quarantine periods, she would not welcome passengers again.
When she debuted in 1993, the ship had cost $250 to build and was welcomed into the fleet with great fanfare.
The ship weighs in at 70,367 gross tons, and her 10 decks featured accommodations for 2,056 passengers at double occupancy, and up to 2,634 guests when fully booked, with 920 international crew members providing truly sensational service.
Carnival Sensation left the U.S. from her holding position in The Bahamas on March 18, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for the final time on her way to the ship-breaking facility.
The ship was scheduled to arrive at the yard on April 4, which she has done exactly as expected, completing her 29 years of service with punctuality and distinction.
It may be just hours or it could be several days before the ship’s transponder is deactivated as the shipyard officially takes possession and the cruise ship ceases to be an active vessel.
Next Steps
The ship will now rest at anchor at the shipyard while the remaining crew members leave the vessel and additional supplies and materials are offloaded. At this time the scrapping process will begin with some interior dismantling, though the hull will remain temporarily intact.
When a space becomes available for the ship to be safely beached, she will be brought onto the shore and stabilized for safe cutting that will divide the hull into sections for removal and recycling. As the hull is opened, larger equipment and interior materials will continue to be removed.
Carnival Cruise Line specifically selected the Aliaga yard for this process because of its higher safety standards and stronger commitment to environmentally-responsible techniques.
Not only will this protect local workers – ship breaking is a dangerous profession and injuries are common at many yards – but it will also ensure the ship poses as little risk to immediate the environment and habitats as possible.
The overall process of breaking up a ship can take several months from the time the ship arrives at the yard until the last bits of metal are removed, the hull is dismantled, and the vessel ceases to exist.
Former Fantasy-Class Vessels
Carnival Sensation is now undergoing the same fate as her Fantasy-class sisters have in recent months. Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Inspiration, and Carnival Imagination were all similarly scrapped at the Aliaga yard, on Turkey’s west coast on the Aegean Sea.
Carnival Fantasy was the first to arrive at the yard, officially anchoring in Aliaga Bay on July 29, 2020. Carnival Inspiration quickly followed, with her transponder going silent on August 3, 2020. Carnival Imagination joined her sisters the next month, officially becoming silent on September 14, 2020.
Another sister ship, Carnival Fascination, was also scrapped in February 2022, but that work was done at the Gadani yard in Pakistan as the ship had been sold to different operators before ultimately being scrapped.
Only three of the eight Fantasy-class ships remain in service today. Carnival Ecstasy, however, will retire in October, after a final sailing from Mobile, Alabama, on October 10.
That last voyage will be a 5-day Western Caribbean itinerary, visiting Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. It is not yet known whether the ship will be scrapped or could be sold to another company.
The last two Fantasy-class vessels are planned to remain in service. Carnival Paradise is sailing 4- and 5-day Western Caribbean itineraries from Tampa, Florida, while Carnival Elation is offering 4- and 5-day sailings from Jacksonville, Florida, to The Bahamas.
Resurrecting Ships
The Fantasy-class vessels have long been beloved by Carnival cruisers who enjoy smaller, more intimate ships and the open, multi-story atrium designs of the ships. Yet though five of the eight sister ships have already retired, they may not be gone for good.
Carnival’s upcoming Excel-class ship, Carnival Celebration, is integrating different aspects of retired Fun Ships into its décor and artistic elements.
While the line has not yet released many details about these commemorative highlights, it is possible that some nods to the popular Fantasy-class ships will be found aboard the cruise line’s newest vessel when she debuts in November.
In that way, and in the hearts and memories of the millions of passengers who sailed aboard her, Carnival Sensation and all her retired sister ships will never be forgotten.
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| 2022-04-05T00:51:37Z
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The third lady-ship for Virgin Voyages has reached an important and almost final milestone in the build period. Resilient Lady completed her sea trials, sailing out of Genoa, Italy. During the trials, the builders tested everything from safety systems to top speed and maneuverability.
There has been more good news comes as the CDC lifted its Cruise Travel Health Notice, and the cruise line recorded its strongest day of bookings ever.
Third Virgin Voyages Ship Completes Sea Trials
Sea trials are one of the last steps a shipbuilder needs to complete before the vessel can be handed over to its owner. As she set sail from the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy, Resilient Lady showed her true potential on her final sea trial.
The onboard teams with the shipyard generally inspect every area of the ship before sea trials, while the time at sea is used to make sure the vessel complies with the aspects agreed in the contract. A critical part of that is the speed trial.
In a press release, a spokesperson for the cruise company said the following: “We wanted to share that our third lady ship, Resilient Lady, has successfully completed her final sea trial, returning safely to Sestri Shipyard in Genoa, Italy. During the speed trial, she reached an impressive speed of 23 knots (26.5 mph or 42.6 km/h).”
Other aspects checked during the sea trials are her safety systems, automation, power generation, and propulsion systems.
Virgin Voyages will now be working with Fincantieri to ensure the ship is 100% ready for her debut this August from Athens, Greece. This would mean the final outfitting, testing, and training of the team members to welcome guests onboard.
Earlier this week, the company revealed the newest Mermaid, a guardian for the vessel. A Latina mermaid with a fiery red tail, designed by prominent oil painter and muralist Jodie Herrera
Resilient Lady Debut August 2022
With four months to go before she sets sail with guests for the first time, Fincantieri has made good time on the build of Resilient Lady. This is good news for the thousands of guests booked on the first cruise on August 14.
The maiden voyage will sail from Piraeus on a cruise to the Greek Islands, with calls to Santorini Rhodes, Crete, and Mykonos before returning to Piraeus. Other trips include an Adriatic and Greek Gems voyage that calls in Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, and Argostoli, before returning to Piraeus.
On November 1, Resilient Lady will be setting sail on her maiden transatlantic voyage from Lisbon to her new homeport, San Juan, Puerto Rico. On the way, the ship will call in Funchal, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife.
From San Juan, Resilient Lady will be exploring the Southern and Eastern Caribbean with calls to Barbados, Tortola, Aruba, Curacao, and much more.
Resilient Lady is the third out of four cruise ships currently planned for Virgin Voyages, the cruise company that started as an offshoot of Richard Branson’s Virgin brand. She will have space for 2,770 passengers and, like her two sisters, Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, will be 110,000 gross tons.
All three Virgin Voyages vessels have proven incredibly popular amongst experienced cruisers and those that have never set foot on board a cruise ship. As the CDC recently let go of its cruise travel advice, Virgin Voyages saw booking sky-rocket as it recorded its strongest single day of bookings.
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https://www.cruisehive.com/virgin-voyages-resilient-lady-completes-important-construction-milestone/69279
| 2022-04-05T00:51:43Z
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TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. –
The 325th Civil Engineer Squadron hosted Tyndall Air Force Base’s first emergency medical technician course and produced 10 National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician certified firefighters this month.
The introduction of EMT courses to Air Force fire departments is an ongoing initiative designed to increase emergency response capabilities. Coordination of Tyndall’s certification course took nearly two years before the plans were put into action.
“The individuals [selected to complete the course] must be recommended by leadership to attend,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Norris, 325th CES fire station captain. “The Air Force Civil Engineer Center built the Air Force course and then Mr. Michael Fowler and Tech. Sgt. Joshua Kenney tailored the local training plan to our fire department with the assistance of Tyndall EMT instructors.”
The 30-day iteration of this course consisted of 12 students who participated in classroom activities, daily and weekly comprehension testing and a final exam which included a performance evaluation. Students who passed the NREMT exam became certified as emergency medical technicians.
“In our career field, sharpening our skills and training in all aspects of our job is one of our top priorities,” said Airman 1st Class Braxton Balch, 325th CES firefighter. “Receiving this certification is extremely important as a first responder because it allows us to operate at a higher scope of practice when it comes to medical emergencies.”
Prior to the introduction of this course, Air Force firefighters were limited to certification in CPR and automated external defibrillator for basic life safety. However, firefighters are often times the first responders to arrive on-scene in the event of an emergency.
“It’s important to have firefighters trained to provide medical care,” said Norris. “This course provides a comprehensive knowledge to make better, informed decisions while under pressure to provide expedited care until advanced life support can arrive on-scene.”
The newly certified EMTs will now be able to administer select medications, airway adjuncts, suctioning, stabilization and transport when necessary.
Tyndall continues to pursue innovating the very foundation of its infrastructure along with the training and capabilities of personnel as the base becomes the “Installation of the Future.”
“The addition of EMTs [in the fire department] is a huge benefit to our two-man ambulance crews,” said Staff Sgt. Troy Davidow, 325th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron ambulance services department noncommissioned officer in charge. “Working in emergency settings where you typically have very little time and resources, the ability to have other EMTs on-scene with us who are able to provide the best quality of patient care is extremely valued.”
This work, Tyndall fire’s first EMT course, by A1C Tiffany Price, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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| 2022-04-05T00:52:38Z
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Around Acadiana, some residents will see a decrease in homeowners flood insurance.
"They changed all that so now every single house is rated individually based on a few different factors. Is it close to a flood source, coastline bodies of water, coulees, bayous and things of that nature? And we are seeing big differences here," insurance agent Patrick Painter said.
According to the FEMA Risk Rating County Breakdown, in most parishes around Acadiana, homeowners will see lower flood insurance costs.
Although, there are some parishes where homeowners can see an increase to their flood insurance.
In St. Landry Parish 1.5% of residents will see a $40 to $50 monthly increase.
In St. Mary 2.5% of residents will see a $40 to $50 monthly increase.
In Vermillion Parish 1.9% of residents will see a $40 to $50 monthly increase.
"You can have these homes that have Coulees that run through their backyards but are in zone X because they are built to have enough. But they get water in their homes from time to time," Painter said.
Painter also gives advice on how flood insurance can be lowered in your area.
"Retention ponds do help rates. There are some hoops that those people will have to jump through to prove that they're there, have them noticed by FEMA, but they are definitely a big factor in keeping flood water out of people's houses," Painter added.
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https://www.katc.com/flood-insurance-insurance-will-now-be-rated-differently-for-home-owners
| 2022-04-05T01:00:09Z
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(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) announced Monday that he plans to vote in favor of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as a Supreme Court justice.
"After reviewing Judge Jackson's record and testimony, I have concluded that she is a well-qualified jurist and a person of honor," Romney said in a statement. "While I do not expect to agree with every decision she may make on the Court, I believe that she more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity."
President Joe Biden nominated Jackson in February to fill the seat that will be vacated by Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring at the end of the term.
"I congratulate Judge Jackson on her expected confirmation and look forward to her continued service to our nation," Romney's statement said.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is another Republican who has said she will support Jackson.
READ: Senate Judiciary deadlocks on Judge Jackson's Supreme Court nomination
Republicans have said Jackson has a history of being soft on crime and lenient toward criminal offenders in their sentencing, particularly those involving child pornography cases.
They have also focused on Jackson not answering the question when asked to define what a woman is during her confirmation hearing in March.
On the other hand, Democrats have talked about what a historic moment this vote is for the U.S., with Senator Amy Klobuchar saying, the judge "is truly an inspiration to young Black girls."
If confirmed, Jackson will become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
Her confirmation would also mark for the first time in history that four women would sit together on the nine-member court.
I intend to vote in support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to be an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. My statement: pic.twitter.com/uGaxx8sJn5
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) April 4, 2022
Romney has a history of voting across party lines during his first term as a U.S. Senator — perhaps most notably, voting to convict former President Donald Trump in both of the ex-commander-in-chief's impeachment trials.
This story was originally published by Spencer Burt of KSTU in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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| 2022-04-05T01:00:22Z
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It's a crime that costs Americans $1 billion a year, and it's running rampant in Florida. The Sunshine State now ranks fourth in the country in vehicles on the road with rolled-back odometers.
Tampa resident Lonnie Williams' search for a truck ended with an online dealer ad for a 2007 Ford F-150. The ad said the truck had 171,000 miles on it. And according to Williams' bill of sale from 813 Wheels and Deals LLC in Tampa, the mileage was just over 174K.
"If you are telling me the truck has 171,000 miles on it, that's what I am believing because that is what is advertised," Williams said.
Fear of missing out amid the hot used car market keeps buyers, including Williams, from demanding a vehicle history report such as Carfax or having the vehicle inspected by a mechanic.
"I didn't want the risk of someone else purchasing it and me missing out on the deal," Williams said.
Williams, a restaurant manager, paid $5,000 cash for the pickup in January, but truck trouble started days later when he noticed it was "drinking coolant," he said.
In Florida, when you buy a vehicle "as is," there's no recourse if it falls apart.
The Carfax report showed a prior owner registered the same pickup as the Ford in 2017 when it had 242,000 miles on it.
It's against state and federal laws to tamper with or roll back an odometer.
A state DMV recommends taking these steps to avoid getting burned by odometer fraud:
- Look for signs of wear on the brake and gas pedal pads or the recent replacement of the pads;
- Check for loose screws around the dashboard;
- Observe the wear and tear on seats or take notice of new seat cover installation, a vehicle with low mileage should not have excessive wear;
- If the car has less than 20,000 miles, it should not have a replacement set of tires;
- Ask to see the maintenance records of the vehicle and the original owner manual for the vehicle; and
- Consider having the vehicle inspected by a reputable mechanic of your choosing.
In Florida, checking the last recorded mileage on any vehicle is fast and free. Log onto the Florida Highway Safety Motor Vehicles website and plug in the VIN.
Williams' truck is labeled as exempt, which means the vehicle is more than 10 years old.
Carfax now ranks Florida fourth in the country with over 75,000 vehicles on the road with a rolled-back odometer.
In addition, Carfax places Tampa in the top 20 of more than 200 metro areas in the U.S. for the same reason. The area is home to an estimated 18,000 vehicles with false odometer readings.
Josh Ingle, the owner of Atlanta Speedometer, said rolling back an odometer leaves no digital footprint. He demonstrated how a tool used for legitimate repairs could be attached to a vehicle to change the odometer reading.
It took him minutes to roll back a truck with 265,000 miles to 85,000 miles. That quick switch added $9,000 to the purchase price, and that's not counting the additional maintenance that comes with a high mileage vehicle.
After finding out about the odometer, Williams asked 813 Wheels and Deals LLC for a full refund but said the dealer refused, telling him the vehicle was sold "as is."
Williams contacted Callaway, who left multiple messages with the dealership manager and reported the case to Florida's DMV.
The state questioned the dealer about the sale, and he offered to take the truck back and return Williams' $5,000.
"When I found out I was ecstatic. I was very happy," Williams said.
The dealership manager Kevin Patterson told ABC Action News the ad for the Ford was wrong, and the person responsible no longer works with him. Patterson said he had nothing to do with the odometer. The DMV said it has had no other complaints involving the dealer.
It was a tough lesson for Williams, who said he'll never buy another vehicle without checking a history report.
"The test drive isn't enough. You must get more information."
This story was originally published by Jackie Callaway of WFTS in Tampa Bay, Florida.
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https://www.katc.com/news/national/florida-4th-in-us-for-number-of-vehicles-on-the-road-with-rolled-back-odometers
| 2022-04-05T01:00:40Z
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As Yellowstone National Park celebrates its 150th anniversary year, the park's fundraising arm is seeking $1,500 donations in exchange for an annual entry pass that can be used by carloads of the donor's descendants to visit the park in 150 years.
Yellowstone Forever will use the money raised through the sale of 'Inheritance Passes' to support park projects like trail improvements, education, native fish conservation and scientific studies. The president and CEO of Yellowstone Forever says its the organization's way of celebrating 150 years of Yellowstone National Park and helping to preserve the park for another 150 years.
A design firm called Havas Chicago created the concept.
“To celebrate Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary, rather than look back, we thought it would be the perfect time to look ahead and think about how we can preserve the park for future generations,” said Bailey Doyle with Havas Chicago.
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| 2022-04-05T01:00:53Z
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After a two-year wait, Outlander fans all over the world have finally heard those immortal words: “Sing me a song of a lass that is gone, say could that lass be I?”
Outlander Season 6 is here, with the first episode Echoes premiering on Starz on March 6, 2022.
Based on the bestselling novels by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is a global phenomenon starring Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe.
Each episode of the new series is being released week by week, so here’s a guide for how to watch and when they will available.
When is Outlander Season 6 on Starz UK? Release dates for each episode
There are only eight episodes in Outlander Season 6, due to complications caused by the Covid pandemic. However, the first episode is 90 minutes long.
Each episode of Season 6 will be released at 9pm on the Sunday in the US, which is around 2am the following day in the UK.
- Episode 1 Echoes – March 6
- Episode 2 Allegiance – March 13
- Episode 3 Temperance – March 20
- Episode 4 Hour of the Wolf – March 27
- Episode 5 Give Me Liberty – April 3
- Episode 6 The World Turned Upside Down – April 10
- Episode 7 Sticks and Stones – April 17
- Episode 8 I Am Not Alone – April 24
How to watch Outlander Season 6 on Starz in the UK – and free trial
Outlander Season 6 is available to UK viewers on StarzPlay, which can be accessed via Amazon Prime.
Starz is currently offering subscriptions at £1.99 a month for six months, then £5.99 thereafter.
Is Outlander Season 6 available on Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime?
Outlander Season 6 is not available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+.
It can only be accessed by UK viewers on StarzPlay.
However, fans of the show can purchase Outlander series 1-5 on Amazon Prime.
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| 2022-04-05T01:02:24Z
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He’s worked alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood, but British actor Roland Manookian is ready to move behind the camera for the first time, as he gets set to launch first feature film ‘The Sun Also Rises’.
The British actor is perhaps best known for his role as ‘Zebedee’ in popular British hooligan film ‘The Football Factory’ but starred in box office hits ‘Rise Of The Footsoldier’ and Guy Ritchie’s ‘RockNRolla’.
Now, after 22 years in the acting business, Manookian is ready to tell his own tales.
The movie, set for release later this year, makes a sharp and unexpected departure from the 43-year-old’s previous acting work, with his first feature length tackling the subject of domestic violence.
Described as complex and emotionally-charged, the film focuses on Raye, a women trapped in an abusive relationship, with the film charting her struggle to survive, her journey to escape, and how the cycle of violence affects everyone who comes into contact with it.
Manookian says: "What we tried to do was to edge away as much as we could from voyeurism – sometimes what you don't see is more harrowing.”
"We were very aware of the subject matter of it, domestic violence. I told the crew how intense it was going to be – one of those shoots where you may spend the day crying your eyes out, then you have to go home.
"It's tough for the actors, it's tough for the crew - everybody really. It was tough for me as a director to push the actors, especially as I am an actor coming into it.
"But when I was behind the lens and I was watching it, I was thinking 'wow – this is powerful and they're doing a really good job'.”
His first venture into directing, the London born actor has worked in a host of big production movies and while he says he still ‘loves’ the acting industry, the Londoner openly admits he was ready for the challenge of taking on his own feature, and saw now as a perfect time to finally take the plunge.
"Acting is a type of storytelling. Writing and directing are an extension of storytelling,” he continues.
“Being an actor is a fantastic career, but directing has a bit more substance to it, which certainly attracted me.
"For me, getting into directing, it was much more to do with trying to create drama that I'd like to be in, or watch – and there's such a massive market now with all the streaming platforms. If you're a creator, this is like a renaissance period. There's a million options.”
While Manookian was ready to bring his own ideas and vision to the fore, he reveals it was words of wisdom from a filmmaker he has worked closely with that helped carve out the look of his first feature.
“To cast your film correctly, you have to have a good story to tell, without that, you can't get a great cast - it is contingent on a good story.
"However, I did speak to Nick Love and his advice was to keep it authentic, to not worry about appealing to a mass audience, just keep it authentic to myself and then it will connect. That became my mantra."
Tied to his new-found mantra, Manookian says the authenticity of ‘The Sun Also Rises’, combined with the desire ‘to tell a working class story#’, is what he hopes will be the glue which ultimately builds the film’s relationship with its audience.
“It's really just looking through a working class lens. Not that it's in the area of Mike Lee or Ken Loach, but it's that type of social realism. They're the films I like to watch.
"A big inspiration for the film was Nil By Mouth, Gary Oldman's directorial debut, which was shot where I was brought up in - that inspired me to be a actor.
"I'd like to tell a working class story, through the lens of someone who is working class. It might not read like that, but that's where it came from.”
With a cast that includes Gina Jones (Alleycats, Above the Fire), Shane McCormick (Rise Of The Footsoldier Origins,), Craig Fairbrass (Muscle, Cliffhanger) and Geoff Bell (Green Street, The Business, Kingsman: The Secret Service) ‘The Sun Also Rises’ will hit selected cinemas later this year.
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Julius Caesar, Tron Theatre, Glasgow ****
Daniel Getting Married, Oran Mor, Glasgow ****
In recent weeks, the question of how to end the rule of an overweening dictator has become an urgent one, for many across Europe and the world; and it’s a situation that lends force and poignancy to this new touring version of Julius Caesar, created by the young Glasgow-based Company Of Wolves, which draws on the tradition of Polish laboratory theatre to create striking productions with strong elements of movement and – often – of music and song.
What’s striking about this staging of Shakespeare’s great tragedy, though, is the unusual austerity of its focus on the mighty poetry of the text, one of the most quoted in the whole English-language canon. The dark stage is furnished only with a few chairs, and a single small mobile platform; the five-strong cast moves fluently and powerfully around the space, but never ventures into the subtly different language of dance.
Instead, director Ewan Downie simply allows Shakespeare’s great verse, spoken with thoroughness and clarity in a deftly shortened version, to speak for itself; and over 105 minutes without an interval, Esme Bayley, as chief conspirator Brutus, leads the cast through an extraordinary tragic exploration of the ultimate failure of those of republican mind who want to end Caesar’s dominance in Rome, and whose dream of killing his imperious spirit by simply murdering the man, in a bloody stabbing in the Capitol, eventually proves both futile and counter-productive.
The brilliance of Shakespeare’s play – with its famous funeral scene, demonstrating the power of emotive populism to sweep away republican principles – shines so sharply, in this moment, that some elements of it might have been written yesterday. Bayley receives powerful support from Belle Jones as a glowingly arrogant Caesar, Lawrence Boothman as a passionate Cassius and Megan Lovat as a startlingly forceful Mark Anthony.
There’s no question, here, of Brutus, Caesar or Anthony being played as women; these are simply powerful young female actors, flexing their creative muscles on some of the greatest male characters ever written. Yet the freshness of their perspective helps make the play anew; and if the end comes suddenly, without one or two of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, it leaves us all the more inclined to continue the debate about the political and ethical issues raised by this mighty tragedy, after the lights have faded to black.
There’s more comedy than tragedy in this week’s Play, Pie And Pint lunchtime drama Daniel Getting Married, set in a church vestry somewhere in the Borders, where thirtysomething Daniel – played with robust emotion by Neil John Gibson – is getting ready for his wedding to boyfriend Zach; yet the laughter never detracts from the seriousness of the issues raised in this 35-minute fragment of a piece by JD Stewart, directed by Kenny Miller.
Helped or hindered by his vibrant mother Joy – a star turn by Ann Louise Ross – Daniel is just burnishing his buttonhole for the big event when ex-boyfriend Gabriel suddenly appears, not only reminding Daniel of the intensity of their relationship but also challenging the values and culture of gay couples who are keen, like Daniel and Zach, to mimic the marital and domestic behaviour of the straight world. It’s a fascinating conversation, if all too brief; and it’s certainly no bad thing to leave audiences wanting more of such a powerful debate, about whether gay counter-culture could and should have something more to offer than a kind of compliant merging with the planet-wrecking norms of ordinary suburban life.
Julius Caesar is on tour from 19 April, including dates at Summerhall, Edinburgh, 19 and 20 May. Daniel Getting Married is at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, from 5-9 April.
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AccelerateHER – whose focus is helping women entrepreneurs to scale their companies, access investment, and inspire others – said it will now deliver its series of finance workshops as pre-recorded sessions, via the Thinkific software platform, meaning they can be accessed any time.
The first workshop series, named Understanding your Accounts, is described as building greater awareness of profit and loss, balance sheets, and cashflow forecasting, while the second focuses on raising equity funding for high-growth businesses and is led by Evelyn Simpson, an entrepreneur and MD of AccelerateHER sister company Investing Women Angels.
The online offering is funded by Scottish Enterprise, and it is hoped that it will enable more women who have started their own business, especially those in more remote locations, to access AccelerateHER workshops, which were previously delivered live.
AccelerateHER chief operating officer Elizabeth Pirrie said: “By delivering our programme online through the Thinkific platform, we will not only reach greater numbers, but also provide a more flexible approach as participants can engage and learn in a manner that suits them.
“The new online offering will also include additional resources from associated AccelerateHER programmes, which will further support ambitious female founders in their efforts to build successful and sustainable businesses.”
Marjory Sweeney, project manager at Scottish Enterprise, said the organisation “is committed to supporting gender equality in business and, with this initiative, we can help more female founders to succeed by encouraging women to start their businesses and advising them on how to maximise growth”.
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The firm has signed a ten-year lease, committing to more than 8,000 square feet at 2 Atlantic Square in Glasgow city centre. It expects to move into the “high specification space” in July.
Bosses said the grade A office building would provide the “ideal base” for a team of 130 with “room for growth” as the firm looks to increase its headcount north of the Border.
Martin Gill, head of BDO in Scotland, said: “It’s fantastic to be announcing our commitment to Glasgow as we continue to invest in our people and the Scottish market. BDO will continue to create jobs in Scotland over the long-term.
“We’re proud to support ambitious, growing businesses across Scotland’s economic engine as our team works hard to help them succeed.”
He added: “This year has accelerated the pace of technological change to accommodate a more flexible and remote working model, which has seen BDO commit £10 million to fund investment in technology over the next few years and more than £8m to repurpose our office spaces.
“As such, the way the BDO team blends its digital connectivity and physical space has never been a bigger priority. The space will allow for effective collaboration with each other, clients and colleagues in BDO’s global network.”
The firm said its offices would now be designed to provide a “modern, collaborative working space”, with employees encouraged to work from “wherever they feel most productive”.
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| 2022-04-05T01:02:59Z
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